“Could you please tell me your name, age, and race?” The receptionist asked, pulling out a form from the drawer.

“My name is Vick Castro, I’m twenty-two years old, and I’m a dwarf.”

I watched as the elf lady swiftly filled out a form, her pen gliding across the paper with practiced ease.

“Thank you, Vick,” she said, her voice tinged with appreciation. “Now, before we proceed with your registration, there’s a requirement that needs to be met. To become a registered adventurer, you must possess a minimum level of magical ability. Are you willing to consent to having your mana measured?”

Curiosity tingled within me. Even though I had a vague idea of my magical strength, I felt strangely excited to get a hold of a more precise measurement.

“Yes, I consent to have my mana measured.”

The receptionist nodded, her fingers deftly adjusting the form. “Excellent. We’ll proceed with the measurement shortly. Now, before we continue, I must inquire: under which branch of Adventurer would you like to register?”

The question caught me off guard. The categorization system in Elysium was unfamiliar to me, and I wanted to be certain I made an informed decision.

“Could you please explain the different categories to me?”

“Of course, I’ll gladly clarify that for you. In our adventurer guild, there are four main categories you can choose from.”

She began to explain, her voice filled with knowledge and enthusiasm. “First, we have elemental mages, who possess an elemental affinity and specialize in using that element during combat. Within the Mage branch, we have arcane mages as well. They specialize in spell casting and spell weaving, using intricate incantations to manifest their magical abilities. Arcane mages are known for their versatility and adaptability in various situations.”

“The second branch is for Enhancers,” she explained. “Enhancers focus on enhancing their physical attributes with magic, such as strength, speed, and endurance. They are adept at close combat and rely on their physical prowess to overcome challenges.”

“I would have never guessed that enhancing would be a category of its own.”

The receptionist smiled, clearly enjoying the opportunity to share her knowledge. “The third category is Summoners. They possess the unique ability to summon creatures or entities to aid them in battles. Summoners forge strong bonds with their summons, creating powerful alliances that can turn the tide of any encounter.”

“Fascinating,” I murmured, my mind already spinning with possibilities. “And the last category?”

“The fourth category is for adventurers with a hybrid specialization,” Evelyn replied. “These individuals possess a combination of skills from different branches, allowing them to adapt to various situations. They are versatile and often find themselves excelling in unexpected ways. Unfortunately, there aren’t too many of those.”

Listening attentively, I took in the information, weighing my options. Each branch offered its own unique path, and I needed to decide where my skills and inclinations would best align.

“Enhancer,” I replied after a moment of thought. “I fall under the branch of Enhancer.”

“Very well, Mister Castro,” the elf said, a faint smile gracing her lips. “I’ll be registering you as an Enhancer.”

With a swift motion, she stamped the form she’d been filling, before handing it over to me. “Please sign your name at the bottom.”

Taking the form from her, I carefully penned my signature, my anticipation growing with each stroke of the pen.

“Okay, now that we’ve finished the paperwork, let’s go see how much magic you have.”

Together, we made our way to a small door located at the very back of the first floor. It led to a narrow staircase that ascended to the upper levels of the guild. As we climbed, my curiosity got the better of me.

“Excuse me, I never did catch your name?”

The receptionist paused for a moment, a warm smile gracing her lips. “I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Evelyn.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Evelyn. As you already know, I’m Vick.”

As we continued our ascent passed a second flight of stairs, it seemed Evelyn’s curiosity got the better of her too.

“So, Vick, what made you want to register as an adventurer?”

“Dungeons,” I replied. “I want to be able to explore dungeons.”

“Interesting...”

After another minute of climbing, we arrived at a weathered door marked with a faded number three. Evelyn paused, her hand grasping the worn brass handle. With a quiet click, the door swung open, unveiling a dimly lit hallway that stretched out before us.

At the end of the corridor, she pushed open a door, revealing a room bathed in a dim, ethereal glow. My gaze was drawn to the center of the room, where a small dark orb rested on a table.

I took a seat as instructed, my eyes fixed on the mysterious orb. It seemed to pulsate with strange energy as if it had a life of its own. Evelyn seated herself opposite me, her demeanor calm and reassuring.

“Now, Vick, we will conduct the measurement of your magic,” she explained, her voice tinged with anticipation. “You will be placing both your hands on the orb and based on the color it produces, we will determine your initial rank as an adventurer.”

As I stood before the orb, my mind raced with questions. I realized that I was also unaware of the ranking system within the guild.

“Evelyn, could you please explain the ranking system in the guild?”

Evelyn nodded, understanding my need for clarity. “Certainly! In our guild, the ranking system is based on the color and purity of an adventurer’s magic core. The purer the color, the larger the quantity, and the better the quality of mana.”

She began to explain, detailing each rank and its corresponding magic core color. As she spoke, I listened intently, absorbing the information she shared.

“To start, we have S-rank adventurers with pure white magic cores, representing exceptional magical prowess,” Evelyn explained. “Followed by A-rank adventurers with bright silver cores, indicating a high level of magic. Then we have B-rank adventurers with shimmering gold cores, C-rank with vibrant blue cores, D-rank with radiant green cores, and E-rank with faint pink cores.”

Once Evelyn finished explaining the ranking system, I found myself slightly stunned. Back on Earth, it had been a numerical system that determined a mage’s mana capacity. This new color-coding system presented an intriguing perspective, opening doors to unexplored theories that I couldn’t wait to delve into.

“Vick, are you okay?” Evelyn asked, her voice breaking through my thoughts.

“Yes, I’m fine,” I said, offering an apologetic smile. “Just lost in thought for a moment there.”

With renewed focus, I raised my hands and approached the orb.

As my palms made contact with the orb’s smooth surface, I sensed a subtle tingle of energy. The sensation was both warm and tingling as if a gentle current of electricity coursed through my palms.

For a few moments, nothing seemed to happen, but then the orb transformed before my eyes. It shifted from a deep shade of red to green, then to blue, and finally to a dazzling swirl of gold. Just as I thought the process was complete, the orb surprised us both by settling into a brilliant silver hue.

The vivid transformation left me speechless, uncertain of what the result meant.

I released my hands from the orb’s surface and shifted my gaze to Evelyn, whose expression had turned blank. Feeling a slight unease, I cleared my throat, causing her to jump in her seat.

“Oh, my apologies!” Evelyn exclaimed, her cheeks flushing slightly. “I... I just can’t believe this is happening...”

“Huh?”

“You are the first adventurer to achieve a rank higher than B in over two years.”

I scratched my head, perplexed by the revelation. “Really? I would have thought A-rank adventurers were more common.”

Evelyn chuckled softly, her eyes gleaming with amusement. “You would think so, but the truth is, out of our seventeen thousand members, there are only about one hundred A-rank adventurers.”

I blinked, taken aback by the scarcity of A-rank adventurers. The number seemed remarkably low, considering the vastness of the guild.

“That’s shocking,” I muttered, my thoughts swirling with newfound understanding. With this new insight, Evelyn’s initial shock now made more sense.

“How about S-rank adventurers? Can you tell me how many S-ranks there are in the guild?”

Evelyn shook her head, a touch of regret in her voice. “I’m afraid I’m not privy to that information. However, as part of the protocol, I must take you to meet the guild master. He should have access to much more information than I do.”

“So be it,” I said, a grin spreading across my lips as excitement surged through me. “Lead the way, Evelyn.”

I walked alongside Evelyn as we retraced our steps down the corridor, passing by the door that led to the staircase.

“Aren’t we taking the stairs?”

Evelyn chuckled, shaking her head. “Oh no, we’re not climbing twenty-seven flights of stairs. We’ll take the elevator instead.”

Her reply brought a smile to my face, realizing that I shared her sentiment about avoiding the arduous ascent. Together, we made our way to the elevator, stepping inside as the doors opened. Evelyn pressed the button for the thirtieth floor as the doors began to close.

“You’re about to meet one of the most influential figures in all of Everlorn,” Evelyn said as the elevator started going up.

“Wait, really!?”

Evelyn nodded. “Guild Master Chase is one of the ten S-rank enhancers in the entire continent.”

“The guild master is an S-rank?!” I asked, a surge of excitement growing in my chest.

“Yes, he’s quite strong... Aside from being the Guild Master of the adventurer guild, he is also a member of the Celestial Enclave.”

“The Celestial Enclave?”

“The Enclave is a court, comprised of one hundred and fifty of the most influential figures across the entire planet. They basically make the rules, which are then passed on to the rest of Everlorn...”

As I continued listening to her story, I started to feel a hint of anxiety creeping down my back. This guild master sounded like a president of sorts, on top of being a powerful mage and influential figure. Even though part of me felt like I didn’t deserve to meet someone of such a high caliber, the warrior in me was filled with anticipation to see what the strength of an S-rank adventurer was like.

“Any tips on how I should act when I meet him?”

“Just be yourself and stay calm. Contrary to popular belief, the guild master is quite relaxed and easygoing.”

I nodded, absorbing the information and mentally preparing myself for the encounter.

With a soft ding, the elevator came to a stop, and the doors opened to reveal the thirtieth floor.

Stepping out of the elevator, I was greeted by a breathtaking sight. The thirtieth floor was nothing like the other floors. The entire floor was just one big room.

The room was vast, with large windows offering a breathtaking view of the city. Sunlight streamed in, casting a warm glow on the elegant furnishings and intricate decorations.

Despite the surreal panoramic view, my attention was immediately drawn to the two massive polar bear guards stationed in front of the elevator. They stood tall and imposing, dressed in grey suits that accentuated their muscular frames.

As I met the gaze of one of the guards, I sensed a strong and vigorous intent emanating from him. It was clear that he was purposefully releasing his mana in a feeble attempt to intimidate me.

“Can I help you with something?” I asked, hoping to get some clarity on why he was trying to scare me.

I felt my hands clench in irritation as the guard continued to stare me down, disregarding my question completely.

What’s his deal? Does he have a problem with me or something?

Refusing to be intimidated, I locked eyes with the guard, allowing my own aura to flow. I focused my bloodlust on the guard, making sure to project one clear message.

I’m not someone you want to piss off...

The polar bear flinched momentarily, taken aback by the thickness of my intent. However, he quickly regained his composure, refusing to back down.

“I think it’s best if we all calm down,” Evelyn suggested, sensing the tension in the air.

When neither of us replied, she pressed on. “Perhaps we should stop before someone gets hurt?!”

“I’ll stop if he stops,” I replied, without breaking eye contact.

“Guys, this isn’t the place to be doing this!” Evelyn’s words hung in the air, a silent challenge between the guard and me. We stood locked in a fierce stare-down, neither willing to back down.

“That’s enough!” a deep and commanding voice suddenly echoed through the room.

As those words reverberated, a thick and powerful wave of mana swept across the floor. It was as if an invisible force had descended, breaking the intense stare-off between the guard and me.

Instantly, a shiver crept down my spine, goosebumps prickling my skin. Fear gripped me as I sensed an overwhelming aura so potent, it could be likened to that of a demon duke.

As swiftly as the aura appeared, it dissipated, leaving an eerie silence in its wake.

Amid that silence, a tall man dressed in a black and white suit stepped forward with an air of authority. His red hair and thick beard complemented his muscular frame, adding to his already imposing presence.

The room fell into a hushed stillness as all eyes turned to the man. Evelyn, ever composed, stepped forward, breaking the silence with a polite greeting. “Good evening, Guild Master Chase.”

“Good day, Evelyn.”

“I have brought a new member who has just achieved the rank of A,” Evelyn said, gesturing in my direction.

Guild Master Chase nodded in understanding, his gaze shifting toward me. The moment his eyes locked on me, my throat tightened, and I felt like a small squirrel who’d accidentally stumbled in front of a wolf.

So, this is the power of an S-Rank adventurer...

“I’m William Chase,” he said, his deep voice carrying an air of absolute confidence. “Would you care to tell me your name?”