Marco stirs awake on July 28th, excited for the events that he has planned for today, a little more training and he is finally ready to take the Adventurer’s Oath later today. The last week was a hellish montage of training with Oren and Mana practice interspersed with delicious meals cooked by Ethil and Doris. He helped with the occasional meal but was so busy with Oren and trying to push his limits with his Mana techniques that more often than not he went to sleep without eating dinner, the need for food seeming to lessen as his prowess with Mana grows.

  “I’m not sure how I feel about the lessened need to eat. I love food.” Marco thinks to himself as he pushes himself out of bed and walks into the bathroom. Not usually one for vanity, Marco indulges a little bit, peeling his sleep shirt from his upper body and sees the progress that the Mana as forced upon his body.

  Lightly tanned skin covers taut muscles a huge difference from his pale lanky frame from just over a week ago. He laughs at himself as he flexes a little, his ab muscles rippling slightly under his skin. “Damn! If I looked like this back home then my apartment may not have been empty so often.”

  Leaving the bathroom and entering the closet Marco quickly dresses in his adventurer clothes, the tight black fabric clinging to his body. He laces up his newest pair of combat boots; black leather shin length with laces making sure the boots are secure and not going to slip at the wrong moment.

  He quickly exits his bedroom, grabbing one of the breakfast flatbread burritos that he has become such a fan of. This particular one filled with crispy sweet potato, melty cheese, and sauteed mushroom, onion, and garlic seasoned with chipotle chiles and plenty of salt and pepper.

  The result is a spicy and delicious wrap that leaves Marco satisfied and ready for the day. While he eats Marco makes his way to the training area behind the Manor, he enters ring that Oren trains him in most often.

  “Welcome to your final day of training before your Oath, Marco.” Oren says, stepping out of a shadow.

  “Thank you for getting me ready Oren, I don’t think I could do it without you.” Marco says bowing deeply.

  Marco is put through his paces as usual, ending up gasping and heaving on the ground, working hard to keep his delicious breakfast in his stomach.

  “You are ready to take your adventurer’s test, more than ready actually. I have rarely trained a more competent pupil.” Oren says giving Marco a small bow of his head, a sign of respect from the older man. “Now go, you don’t want to be late for your test.”

  Marco nods and bids Oren goodbye. He leaves the manor quickly, moving through the streets of Woodholme with increase familiarity. He spends his walk through the city gazing at the architecture around him, the swirling spires of wood and stone still causing feelings of wonder to grow within him.

  He reaches the Guildhall pushing open the doors, quickly joining one of the lines so he can ask about his proctor’s location. The line moves quickly, much shorter than his previous trip to the Guild, he reaches the desk and is met with a familiar young girl.

  “Cassidy! How are you today?” Marco greets the guild clerk.

  “I’m doing alright, we have had a busy morning today.” Cassidy greets him, not remembering his name. “Come to ask about your proctor?”

  “Yes, I just need to know the location of my test.” Marco says.

  “Let me look it up for you.” Cassidy says, looking at the screen like Inscription screen in front of her. “Here is your information. Please report to the Copper job board and ask for Phil.”

  “Will do! Thank you, Cassidy.” Marco says, waving goodbye to Cassidy and heads toward the Copper topped job board.

  He focuses on the blank board, getting a System message for the first time in a while.

  *Ping* Copper Job Board Unavailable

  Adventurer’s Oath Not Detected

  “Interesting, the Oath is System backed.” Marco approaches the board and the man standing next to it. The common room of the Guildhall is strangely empty today, “Maybe it’s because its test day.”

  “Are you Marco?” Phil asks, a tall human man with black hair, pale skin, and green eyes.

  “Yes, I am, I presume you are Phil?” Marco asks.

  “I am! I will be your proctor today.” Phil says, “Please follow me to the basement where we can begin your tests.”

  Marco follows Phil through the common room of the Guildhall and down the stairs, reaching the landing in the basement Marco sees a cavernous space with practice rings, targets in spell ranges, and all sorts of workout equipment.

  “Wow this is a huge basement.” Marco says, his voice echoing slightly in the huge space.

  Phil leads Marco through the basement past workout equipment and Mana measuring equipment. They end up in front of a ten-foot-tall black metal tower, there is a small screen like square on the side, Phil heads toward the screen immediately.

  “Please stand in front of the equipment and engage your buffs when I say to,” Phil says, poking the air in front of the screen to the side of the tower. “Start with Strengthening and then shift to Enhancements.”

  Marco stands in front of the tower, waiting for Phil to tell him to start. “Okay, I’m ready whenever.”

  “Begin.” Phil says.

  Having turned off his buffs prior to the test, Marco reengages his buffs at what he thinks of as his passive level, the amount that he can keep going forever.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  He continues to ramp up the Mana consumption of his buffs until the tower behind him makes a chime, he stops increasing the Mana and just holds the current level, just under what he calls active mode.

  “You may shift from strength to reflexes and perception.” Phil says. Marco follows the directions, time stretching before him slightly as his enhancements return. He ramps up the Mana, getting to just below the threshold of ‘active’ once again when the tower chimes.

  “Very good! The speed of activation and consistency of Mana flow is very good.” Phil comments, “Moving on to the next part of your test. Please use both your buffs and enhancements and run the obstacle course. It is designed to be impossible without at least baseline buffs.”

  Marco walks over to the start of the obstacle course, flaring both buff and enhancement as high as they can go. He begins the obstacle course; fifteen-foot jump, spinning beam to move across, twenty-foot vertical jump. He’s through the first section, moving onto the section with swinging logs, arrow walls, spike traps, and pitfalls.

  Phil watches Marco with amazement, the young man makes the hardest Copper rated obstacle course look like a walk in the park. Marco’s buffs and enhancements received very high ratings as well.

  Marco continues to run through the course, entering the next section of the obstacle course. Mana traps, [Fireballs], [Air Blades], [Earth Spikes], and [Vortex] traps. He continues to dodge, weave and jump through the traps and eventually ends up at the other end, completing the course.

  Marco, slightly out of breath, stands a little bit confused at the end of the course. “I thought it would be harder. This is nothing compared to Oren’s training.”

  “Very well-done Marco!” Phil exclaims, “You made that look easy. On to the combat portion of the test.” Phil starts to move away from the obstacle course, waving Marco to follow him. They head toward one of the practice rings, an Inscribed chain runs the perimeter of each practice ring, automatically deflecting magic back inward to prevent bystanders being hurt. “You will be fighting me for the combat portion of the test.”

  “Okay, is there any specific rules for the fight test?” Marco asks, starting to go through the fight stretches that Oren taught him.

  “Other than the obvious; do not aim to cripple or kill. No.” Phil says, taking off his outer coat, black just like the rest of his clothes. “These practice rings are Inscribed with judgement sensors and enchantments. The ring will begin the match with a similar chime as the tower.”

  “I’m ready whenever.” Marco says, already increasing his buffs and enhancements, and preparing to activate a spell.

  The chime sounds.

  Phils eyes widen in shock as Marco rushes in a blur of speed. His [Earthen Armor] snaps into place around him, reminding Marco of a knight's armor back home. Marco’s fist impacts hard rock and he jumps back [Salt Skin] forming around his chest.

  Phil takes a step forward but is immediately sent reeling by a [Salt Bolt] to the chest, shattering some of his armor. Marco closes in for another set of attacks, [Salt Skin] shifting down and covering his arms and fists, small spikes covering the knuckles.

  Marco lands another punch, shattering the [Earthen Armor] in that area. His follow up strike is blocked and Marco is tossed away from Phil when a part of the platform shoots up below him. Marco, a small pressure starting to build around him, charges at Phil once again.

  The Mana pressure surprises Phil, usually being a complex skill that takes many years to learn, it also slows Phil just enough that Marco is able to make contact once again, the punch rocking Phil’s stone cover head backward. A follow up kick sends Phil reeling into the chain circling the arena, Marco doesn’t let up his relentless series of strikes.

  Phil adapts his strategies, his knight like armor forming spikes and spines, protecting him from the strikes. Marco changes his fighting style, switching to damage spells and crowd control.

  One [Salt Bolt] and then another and another, then there are dozens hovering around Marco. He has moved most of the Mana out of his strengthening buffs and into his pool that he uses for active casting.

  The [Salt Bolts] fly at first a few and then many, the thudding sounds almost like gunfire as they hit the [Earthen Armor] around Phil. Each bolt that strikes Phil breaks off pieces of his armor and Phil starts to panic as more [Salt Bolts] shoot toward him in what seems to be a never-ending hail.

  Marco slows his barrage slightly worried that he will hurt Phil. He pauses, still ready to summon armor or evade a strike, and waits for the cloud of earth and salt debris to disperse.

  A shape charges out from the cloud, ragged chunks of his [Earthen Armor] falling from his body. Small spots of blood are visible from beneath the earthen and salt dust, but Phil charges at Marco at full speed, still both still having Mana to spare. Phil swings a haymaker punch at the younger man, Marco ducks the blow and retaliates with a left hook to the gut, somewhere missing pieces of [Earthen Armor].

  Phil doubles over with a wheeze, briefly losing control of his Mana and allowing his armor to dissolve. He quickly raises his hands and the chime sounds again, ending the fight and bringing a System message to Marco’s vision.

  *Ping* Congratulations you have passed the combat examination

  Marco checks on Phil, ensuring that the other man was alright, and then celebrates internally happy with his success.

  “Sun, kid you are a monster in the ring.” Phil says, breathing heavily, “Congratulations Marco, you have passed the Adventurer tests.” He holds a hand out and Marco shakes it gently, letting his buffs and enhancements fade back to their passive form.

  “Thank you, Phil. The fight was exciting, it is the first time I have gone nearly full out.” Marco says.

  “You had more? Damnation Marco, you’re going to be a terror on the wall in a couple of days.” Phil claps Marco on the back and starts to move toward the stairs that lead back to the common room.

  They don’t exit the stairwell on the common room but continue to the second floor and head toward a familiar room.

  “Ah, young Marco. Congratulations on passing all your tests. Are you ready to the swear the Oath.” The Guildmistress says, poking her head out of her office.

  “Yes, I am. Guildmistress.” Marco says with a bow.

  “Very well. Come in to my office.” Samirah says, moving out of the doorway and ushering Marco into the room. “Please hold out your dominate hand.”

  Marco follows the instructions, raising his right arm palm up, just about waist height. Samirah takes his hand, beginning to exert a fraction of her Mana pressure.

  “Marco, formerly of Earth and now of [Salt], touched by Woodholme and Cursed by circumstance. Do you swear to uphold the Law of the Sun: Care for others, Uplift those that need it, Grow and Learn.” Samirah says in a powerful tone, ringing with some otherworldly quality that Marco cannot identify.

  “I do.” Marco swears, and gasps slightly as a burning pain radiates through his right hand, a small symbol, a nine-pointed sun.

  *Ping* Welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild

  You may now accept jobs from Orichalcum and below job boards

  You have sworn an Oath

  “Welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild Marco. I know the System gave you permission for Orichalcum and below jobs but I’d like to ask you to work your way up, do at least five jobs from each board leading up to Orichalcum so you can get used to the Guild.” Samirah says, clapping Marco on the back having to hover several feet off the ground to accomplish the feat. “You are now cleared to fight with House Ivory at the wall.”

  Marco exchanges niceties for a while longer and then begins his short journey home. Glancing up at the sun, it appears to be close to noon time, the sun nearing the apex of the sky. Marco speeds up slightly hoping to catch lunch at House Ivory, the sisters mentioned this morning that they were going to follow his recipe for bibimbap and serve it for lunch.