"And that concludes the first Trial," Flora stated as Jak made his way down the steps. "Congratulations to those that passed. You're officially one step closer to becoming adventurers. To those that didn't? Don't dwell on it. Just keep moving and do your best during the next assessment."
"We'll give you a ten-minute reprieve so you can collect your thoughts and ready yourselves for the next phase," Margaret finished, her eyes following the redhead. "Use your time wisely."
None of the examinees said anything in response, their gazes locked onto the approaching youth, who appeared to be largely disinterested in the whole affair. With a serious look, Jak Yanda walked over to the group that had triumphed over the first hurdle, heading to the back, the crowd quickly parting to allow him through. Now that the hood had been removed, everyone could see just how intense an expression the youth possessed, hues almost as red as his hair never giving anyone a second look. The confidence was present, but no one could sense any sort of cockiness or condescension—something most found odd considering how strong the redhead was.
(("So, this is the power of an Elemental Rookie??")) Margaret thought, just as captivated as the rest of the newbies. Even after the glow had faded, she could still feel the remaining hot tendrils of magic licking the side of her face. (("This must be what he told me to watch out for. It goes beyond what a starting adventurer should be capable of."))
"It's because he's been training for those three years," Flora said, continuing Margaret's line of thought while snapping the receptionist back to the present. "Ever since he disappeared, he's been working himself to the ground—unrelenting and never settling."
Margaret glanced at the blonde. "Not that I'm doubting you, but how can you be so sure of that?"
Flora tilted her head, a smile spreading across her face, something akin to nostalgia passing briefly through her eyes as she looked at Jak. "Call it a hunch."
"That aside, how is Jak even a Rookie? No one here seems to know of him or his name," Margaret said, once again turning her attention toward the redhead, violet hues narrowing. "Aside from you and Mako, that is. If he's a Rookie, then shouldn't his name be somewhat familiar?"
"It's been three years since the Bird Massacre," Flora responded. "In that time, Jak's identity and name were buried before they could truly shine, swept aside by the new wave of ongoings throughout the worlds. Despite being a candidate who got in through… unconventional means, and one who displayed remarkable talent, it's impossible to remain famous for long without some sort of major impact."
"But he was a Rookie."
Flora shrugged. "It's much easier to fade into obscurity than you might think—especially if you disappear for years on end without any news or development. Just think about the number of worlds that exist and the sheer amount of information that passes through day after day."
After that, the conversation between the two slowly died out. Aside from the realization that the redhead was an abnormality, Margaret had nothing else to discuss, and Flora clearly had nothing else to add. The duo merely stood in silence, glancing around the room, occasionally writing things down on their clipboards. After the full ten minutes previously allotted to the examinees had transpired, they once again got back to business, acting as if nothing had happened.
"We will now continue from where we left off," Margaret announced as the dual receptionists made their way forward once again. "We hope that you have used the appropriate hiatus to gather yourselves accordingly. Give it your all in the following Trials."
"With the first test concluded, let's change up the scenery," Flora said as she reached up and snapped her fingers—a quick flick that even the violet-eyed receptionist nearly missed. "We'll need a wider room."
Right on cue, the room shimmered and rippled, akin to a drop of water landing in a small puddle, before warping into something else entirely. What was once a solid square room transformed into a wide, rectangular space filled with various items, such as a racetrack, boxes painted on the floor, and a massive wall made of some kind of gray, rubbery substance. No remnants of the previous room remained, and Margaret found no traces of illusions being used—only small hints of magic that permeated the air around them. No matter how many times she saw the room shift, it still boggled her mind as she surveyed the area with bright eyes.
"For the second test, we'll be conducting a physical assessment, although a much more simplified version." Flora held up three fingers, brown eyes flicking between the groups. Her other hand poked Margaret in the side, clearly meant to ensure she was focused and ready to continue explaining. "Putting it simply, you'll each participate in three activities: sprinting to test speed, dodging to test reflexes, and punching to test overall strength."
"After each test is done, you'll be given a score. Should that score be too low and we detect that you were able to enhance your body using magic, the examiners will then discuss how many bonus points should be added." Margaret lifted her clipboard and began rifling through it, sifting through pages until she located the sheet with the examinees' names. "This trial is run in groups of five, and you each get three attempts at each exercise. Your best score will be the only one counted. When I call your name, step up to the first exercise. First up: Yanda, Jak."
The next test, like the last, was conducted in reverse alphabetical order, meaning the same five examinees would go first again, regardless of status. Margaret wasn't sure why they were including the Rookie in the first group, but she didn't question it as Flora showed the others—aside from Jak—where to stand. As WGC workers, their job was simply to follow and enforce the rules. Wondering why the World Guild Center did something was pointless; it had to be done whether they liked it or not.
(("Probably because they're already aware of the power he wields,")) Margaret reasoned as she strolled toward the other end of the field. (("There isn't any need to make him go last this time around."))
After traveling a significant distance, the receptionist turned around and faced the group of five, who now stood in a neat row side by side. Jak stood to the far left, yet he was by far the most eye-catching, his bright red hair making him stand out among the rest.
"In a moment, we will begin the first test," Margaret announced from her position across the field. "The first test will be a simple sprint. It's designed to test your acceleration and top speed. Make sure you give it your all."
"Um, but where exactly are we running to?" one of the examinees asked. "Are we just gonna run toward you? And how are you gonna keep track of how fast we go?"
As if on cue, the area in front of them shifted, white lines appearing before the five of them—long, straight lines that led to the end of the lengthy field. Margaret stood to the right side of the newly formed track, nose raised as she elevated her hand. She didn't bother answering the newbie's question; it wasn't required of her. She only needed to tell them what to do and when to do it.
"When I bring my hand down, you run," Margaret said simply, barking the orders loudly enough for all to hear. "I'll give you a countdown, and when I say 'GO,' sprint nonstop to the end like your tail's on fire."
"10."
"9."
The area grew even quieter as the onlookers held their breath, the only sounds coming from the current runners and the purple-haired woman.
"8."
"7."
"6."
The examinees all took their stances at the starting line, which was nothing more than a large white rectangular box indicating where to place their feet.
"5."
"4."
"3."
Margaret could barely hear herself over the pounding of her own heart as she watched everyone prepare to sprint forward. She had done this dozens of times that day, yet she had never felt the same intensity she did now as she readied herself to bring her hand down.
"2."
"1."
"GO!!"
Before any of the examinees could fully clear the starting line, a loud BOOM echoed as the redhead launched himself forward, becoming a literal blur of black and crimson as he raced down the track. Margaret barely had time to register the teen's speed as he barreled past mere moments after she dropped her hand, a sharp wind ruffling her clothes and hair as he skidded to a stop. The room remained silent as the other examinees completed the test, crossing the finish line nearly five full seconds after Jak.
None of them came close to the speed the youth had demonstrated, and even more astonishing was the fact that he didn't appear to be out of breath as he waited for his results to appear. Meanwhile, the other contestants were clearly winded from the full 180-meter sprint.
(("…")) Margaret's mind struggled to comprehend what she had just witnessed, her body unmoving at the side of the track. Even after everyone crossed the finish line, all she could do was swivel her head and stare.
One by one, numbers appeared over everyone's heads, informing them of their completion times as well as their overall scores beneath them. However, Margaret had no interest in anyone else's results as she waited for Jak's numbers, quickly writing them down the moment her body allowed movement.
Ding!
1.17 seconds.
That was how long it had taken him to run the full 100 meters, completely commanding the room. While everyone else clocked times between five and six seconds and scored between 200 and 250 points, Jak maxed out the score at 300—earning nearly half of what he needed to pass the physical assessment.
Margaret wasn't even sure how he had moved so quickly. She had been too far away, and Jak had blown past her before she had time to analyze anything. It seemed impossible for it to be purely physical strength; no young newbie had ever reached that speed at such an age. Even demi-humans struggled to achieve that level of acceleration, and many of them were built for speed and agility.
"He shifted his magic," Flora explained, seeming to read Margaret's mind as she approached. Rather than looking surprised, the blonde appeared amused. "Right before the start of the run, he moved nearly all of his magic to his legs and core muscles, giving himself an amplified sprint. As he ran, he redistributed it evenly to maintain balance and increase his speed with each step."
"But that's—"
"Impossible for even a newbie to do, considering the complexity of shifting one's internal magic. Even experienced adventurers struggle with that," Flora finished, shaking her head as she took the clipboard from Margaret and documented the remaining scores. She didn't seem surprised by Jak's result—if anything, she appeared to have expected it. "What's more, he controls the flow by instinct alone. He was able to do that as a child, so it makes sense he still can."
"Instinctively control internal magic as a child?!" Margaret whispered sharply. "No way in hell. Controlling magic that efficiently at that age is literally impossible. Even elves couldn't do that, and you're telling me it was instinctual? I call bullshit."
Manipulating internal magic at a young age wasn't unheard of, just exceedingly rare—rare enough that bonus points were awarded to examinees capable of it. But this was something else entirely. The number of known individuals capable of instinctually shifting their internal magic with such speed could be counted on two hands, and every single one of them was famous across multiple worlds.
For someone like Jak—who could do it as a child—to be completely unknown was absurd to Margaret.
Flora shrugged as she handed the clipboard back. "Believe it or not, he did it. You'll see it again in the next two tests. For now, let's finish up everyone else's runs."
Margaret had nearly forgotten they were still in the middle of the Trials, Jak's overwhelming speed having completely captured her attention. Regaining her composure, she ushered the others aside and called out the next group of examinees, who approached hesitantly. Jak had displaced a sizable chunk of earth when he sprinted, leaving two of them without proper footing.
Flora fixed it with a wave of her hand, allowing the trial to continue smoothly.
Nothing notable happened after that. Everyone completed the sprint three times with relatively average results, with the exception of Carson Unoma, who finished with a time of 3.34 seconds and a score of 280. Margaret no longer paid much attention to anyone else as the first physical test concluded far faster than the magical assessment had.
With spirits high and chatter filling the room, Flora eventually separated from Margaret and approached the examinees, causing them to immediately quiet.
"Congratulations on making it this far," Flora said. "We will now proceed to test number two of the physical assessment."
She raised her hand and waved.
"This test focuses on reflexes and composure under pressure. Be warned—this one can seriously injure you, so keep your guard up."
The room shifted once more.
Five towering figures materialized, clubs in hand. Puke-green skin, grotesque faces, and nearly naked bodies covered only by cloth around their waists marked them as Goblin Guards. Though slow, they were strong enough to crush a low-rank adventurer in a single blow and typically guarded the entrances of low-tier dungeons.
"These will be your opponents," Flora said calmly. "Your goal is to avoid being hit for as long as possible."
The goblins roared, saliva flying as their shouts echoed across the chamber.
"The longer you survive, the more points you earn. Upon reaching 300 points, the monsters will be incapacitated via electric shock, allowing extraction." Margaret struggled to speak over the noise. "Bonus points will be awarded for blocking attacks, disarming them, or knocking one down. We'll begin with the Reinstatement."
Flora turned to Jak, who stood unfazed, crimson eyes locked onto the roaming monsters.
"Jak, you're up first," she said with a smirk. "Go out there and knock 'em dead."