It was the dawn of a new year, and winter—softened by the sun's steady, hopeful touch—was beginning its slow, graceful yield to the burgeoning strength of spring. A breath of fresh air, carrying the faint, sweet scent of thawing earth and distant burgeoning life, drifted through the city streets, actively melting the last stubborn vestiges of frost and undeniably lifting spirits that had long been pressed under winter's grey cloak. The light itself seemed brighter, imbued with a nascent warmth.
Lux, having embraced the change, now wore her hair in a meticulously woven crown braid, its intricate coils framing her face. She looked almost radiant beneath the season's gentle, awakening light. The distinct blend of her hair's natural colors—her pale blonde streaked with vibrant, almost startling blood-red strands—gave the striking appearance of pure gold laced with rich crimson, like a living banner of dawn and dusk eternally entwined, a unique and unforgettable mark.
She was now an F-ranked adventurer, a tangible mark of her progress in this new life. Her advancement had come slowly, painstakingly, through a series of mundane but challenging surface quests, but it had come surely, cementing her place within the Guild. With this hard-won progress came new studies, deeper insights into the hidden workings of the world. She had, to her immense satisfaction, begun learning the intricate art of runes from both the ancient Bernie and the gruff but surprisingly patient Eitri. Eitri, after much grumbling and a series of reluctant glances at her, had finally agreed to teach her in exchange for a steady supply of iron ingots, a precious commodity which Lux, with unshakeable conviction, had promised to retrieve from the dungeon once she finally gained access.
Thanks to her innate mana perception, sharpened and refined by Bernie's guidance, she'd made swift progress in understanding the flow of ambient energy. Though her control was still limited, crude, she could now apply minor runes onto metal. The results were, admittedly, unrefined—basic tools that functioned only for a short while before degrading, their inscribed mana dissipating like morning mist. But it was a profound beginning, a concrete step into a world of deeper magic. Runes, Bernie had explained, were not mere symbols; they were characters deeply infused with mana, imbued with specific intent, and inscribing them properly, effectively, was no small feat, requiring both precision and spiritual communion.
Today marked a significant turning point, a culmination of her weeks of arduous preparation. Lux stood at the threshold of her rank advancement exam—not a grand, flashy display of power, but a practical, unvarnished sparring match against a senior adventurer from the Guild. No glamour, no arcane flourish, no dramatic special effects—just raw steel, honest sweat, and unwavering spirit. It was a test of fundamental skill, endurance, and heart. The air in the Guild's training yard hummed with a different kind of tension than the ballroom, a tension born of anticipation and the promise of a true challenge.