Proficiency test? Orion repeated in his mind. In the past, adventurers simply registered with their respective guilds, and that was that. If they died, the quests would return to the guild and be reposted. All of this hand-holding was for weaklings like the child chattering beside him.

  “...and so they made the proficiency test to make sure that you, at the very least, would only be allowed quests that you could handle. Atleast, that’s what my father told me.” Ansel droned, making conversation as the pair followed the receptionist lady, whose name Orion couldn’t bother to remember.

  “So they tested you?”

  “Yes-”

  “And they still let you become an adventurer?” Orion snorted. “Not much of a test then, is it?”

  Ansel reddened with anger. “I did well enough to be considered copper rank!”

  “Oh?” The skeleton tilted his head, unfamiliar with such a ranking system. “And how many ranks are there?”

  “Well, copper is the lowest…”

  Orion’s roaring laughter nearly shook the trees from the earth they were rooted within. “You received the necromancer class yet still managed to be considered the weakest possible adventurer?” He mimed wiping away a tear, drawing a sigh from Ansel, then continued to ask, “And what comes next?”

  “After Copper is Iron, Gold, Platinum, Cobalt, then Mithril, and finally Celestium.”

  “Hmm,” Orion raised a finger to his chin. “And how does one reach said ranks?”

  This time, the guild receptionist chimed in. “What Kingdom are you from, Mr. Galahad? I would’ve thought that such information was common knowledge–”

  “Be wary of your tongue, woman.”

  “Pardon me! It would be presumptuous to assume that everyone has the same knowledge as I, of course…” The woman coughed, hiding her fear. “Anyway! I’m sure you’ve heard of the Guild Masters Committee…”

  Ansel began to shake his head frantically, which prompted the woman to continue speaking. “Ah, well, each of the six major guild masters meets annually to conduct… official business, or so they say. In one of those first meetings, they ratified the adventurer ranking system, which we all follow today. To be granted a higher rank, you’ll have to complete harder and harder quests or have some notable achievements under your belt. Furthermore, any rank-ups past Cobalt require passing a test administered by one of the Six!” She finished enthusiastically, as if she had been waiting to give such a spiel.

  “Hmph,” Orion grunted. “And what rank was that boy, the dragon lancer?”

  “Gold, I think,” Ansel replied.

  An interesting system. I assume these Guild Masters must have considerable strength, that is, if they are anything like the ones back in my time. And these so-called “Celestium” ranked adventurers. To be named after such a rare and powerful metal…

  A thought then popped into the former hero’s head. “The guildmaster of this guild, then, is he strong?”

  "Well, you'll have to see for yourself,” A new voice interjected. The trio found themselves in a clearing in the forests behind the town of Avon, surrounded by thick green brush and towering stumps that made even Orion appear small. From the foliage came a man, roughly six feet tall with long, flowing white hair that reached down to his chest. He wore a nearly skintight suit of black armor with dark gray armor plating. The man also had a cyan-blue waistcoat, flowing behind him in the breeze, decorated with intricate, white lines. He smiled casually as he strode forward, and Orion could tell that Ansel was slightly intimidated from the shuffling of his feet and a slight tremble in his hands.

  “Guildmaster Eldrin! I thought that Inspector Ao would be conducting today’s evaluation–” The woman began, slightly flustered.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Eldrin laughed, waving his hand, “I apologize, Anita. I heard murmurs of the one and only necromancer boy coming to our humble guild, and I could not resist seeing him in action! I will be the test proctor for today.” The man’s eyes shimmered with a nearly greedy anticipation.

  Before Anita could add anything else, the guildmaster turned to Orion. “I have not met you. You’re quite tall.”

  “Hmph,” the skeleton grunted in response. “The name is Galahad.”

  “Nice to meet you. While I was really hoping to see the boy here in action, I won’t mind testing you as well.” Their eyes met, and for a fleeting moment, Orion thought something he hadn’t thought in many, many years.

  This man is strong.

  Despite himself, the former hero grew eager for what was to come. After all, Orion was never one to back down from a true challenge, and being restricted from his once nearly unstoppable power was eye-opening in a way, allowing for trials he hadn't faced in centuries.

  “We’ll begin with the boy!” Eldrin suddenly announced. “I’m sure you know the rules well enough, but remember,” the guildmaster grinned evilly. “Come at me with intent to kill, or you will die.”

  Ansel braced himself, trying to stop his own heart from pounding through his chest and onto the floor. The first time he had taken the proficiency test, he had fought one of the three guild inspectors, and while they each were considerably powerful, none of them even approached guildmaster Eldrin, who was known for being the only Mithril-ranked adventurer in any of the surrounding towns or villages. There was a rumor that he was once tested to become a Celestium rank, but was denied for an unknown reason.

  And, he was Thane’s father.

  “The test is just a duel?” Orion asked, dumbfounded. “I’m not against it, but I expected something… a bit more sophisticated.”

  “Well, guildmaster Eldrin has always been considered fairly straightforward,” Anita answered sheepishly.

  “That I am,” Eldrin replied earnestly. “You may make the first move, Ansel.”

  [Call of the Horde]

  Kortak stepped forward, brandishing his axe and using his skill to summon his own undead orcs.

  [Undead Cap reached (10/10)]

  So his skill will only fill up to my undead cap… rather inconvenient… But Ansel didn’t have time to waste, as Eldrin was already on the move, brandishing a thin, slightly curved sword which he held in a backwards grip.

  Three orcs were suddenly beheaded, each one falling to the ground where they were slowly being resurrected. Ansel watched as his mana pool drained rapidly, feeling the exhaustion already beginning to creep in. “Kortak, watch out! He’s fast!” Ansel warned, gripping his dagger and dropping back closer to his archers.

  Kortak was slammed through the air, careening into a nearby tree and splintering the wood on impact. He slowly rose, shaking his head from the daze.

  That’s when Eldrin appeared, sword poised and ready to strike.

  “Archers!” Ansel commanded, but the undead he had managed to resurrect from the tomb were already in action, drawing their bows and letting loose a pair of arrows, which whistled through the air like a swarm of angry hornets. A flash of black metal tore the arrows apart, but the slight distraction allowed Kortak to strike. The orc champion swung, his axe headed straight for the guildmaster’s head.

  Ansel blinked, then his eyes widened.

  “You’ll have to be better than that,” Eldrin yawned, one finger held out and halting the blade of Kortak’s axe. The massive orc seemed confused, wrenching his weapon back and leaping to stand beside Ansel.

  The boy, lost for what to do next, decided to put his all into his next attack. “Charge!” With a roar, Kortak and the rest of Ansel’s summons surged forward, running straight towards the guildmaster. Two additional arrows shot through the air, both of which Eldrin simply sidestepped.

  Kortak went down first, having his legs swept from beneath him. Two orcs swung, then were subsequently tossed aside by the intimidating warrior, each one careening deep into opposite sides of the forest around them. Ansel lunged, attempting to plunge his dagger straight into Eldrin’s chest, but he dodged it effortlessly. They continued for a moment longer, but Ansel was slow and clumsy, and each strike only served to show his ineptitude in close-quarter combat. Finally, Eldrin grabbed Ansel’s wrist, wrenching the dagger from his hand and sending it flying into the thick green brush. In one swift motion, he slammed the boy to the ground, pointing his sword at Ansel’s neck.

  “Not bad, all things considered. You’ve come quite far,” Eldrin laughed, but Ansel didn’t have the strength to respond. Simply nodding slightly. His body burned with a searing pain, and his mana pool was nearly empty from sustaining the several undead that now lay unmoving on the ground.

  “This concludes the first proficiency test!” Anita announced, running forward and procuring a small glass bottle from her inventory. She poured some of its contents into Ansel’s mouth, who lapped up the mana potion fervently.

  “Thanks, Anita,” Ansel smiled bitterly. He was still a bit disappointed in his performance, not even managing to land a single hit.

  Then, Orion strode forward, drawing his greatsword, and Ansel saw Eldrin’s expression suddenly turn cold. “Is it my turn now?” Orion asked casually.

  Eldrin nodded, then flashed a quick smile. “You may make the first move.”

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