7 Proving One's Skills
On the way back, Foo was trying to distract the others from any... uninteresting topics. Thanks to his defusing skills, although the topic yet again reached titles and classes, it was still on safe grounds:
"So, titles are really rare!" Einar explains. "It is almost impossible to get one. And only legends speaks of people with two titles. They show the systems recognition of one's skills or personality. You are really lucky to have one! Although hard work was obviously even more important."
``Titles are really that rare? Right...`` Foo thought.
"And it is even more impressive to gain a title at the moment of awakening. Normally only the class will appear at the awakening. Skills and titles that one have `earned` before the awakening usually does not appear until the first time you do something related to it after the awakening. The only known exception is when the system recognize them beyond any doubt. For example there have been someone who was raised as a `Hero` by the temples on the orders of God, and that person then started with a `Hero` title."
``Oh dear. Lets not mind it... Lets not mind it...`` Foo chanted inwardly.
Without any further incidents they reached the guild again. However the door was now open. The others did not notice that the colleague had joined them, but this sight sent shivers down the colleague's spine. Able to make guesses about what it could mean, he considering fleeing. But then again, he really wanted to watch the ranking examination. Gritting his teeth he decided to hide in the crowd, and hope that the excitement would keep other thoughts at bay.
When entering they could see a man fuming with anger standing in the middle of the room. He had top quality adventurer clothing, a muscular stature and the clear feeling of a superior. The oppressive aura that he emitted caused the raucous crowd to quite down.
"AND WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!" The man bellowed. Stunning the entire crowd.
Puzzled, Einar answered: "Eh? We are preparing to do a ranking examination? This little brother here are registering as a adventurer." While pulling Foo to the front.
"Oh, this `brother` Huh?`` The man says, carefully observing Foo. Noticing that he looks like a run-of-the-mill rookie, and almost like a good-for-nothing noble, except that he did not seem to have any backing nor capital. ``I see. An acquaintance of yours has come to register, and you decided to give him some special treatment and shirking your responsibilities?"
"No! Branch master, i can explain! This..." Einar hurries to explain. However the man interrupts with a beaming smile that send shivers down the spine. "It does not matter! It does not matter! Of course there are no problems here! Your dear brother have even come to register, how can i not welcome him personally. In fact, as he is your brother, i must definitely do him the honor of conducting the ranking examination personally!"
The creepy sugar-sweat tone, and the murderous vibes made all present to pity the fate of Foo. Alas, why did Einar have to bring such a tragedy upon him!
Dragging a Foo that was bewildered about the situation, the branch master walked through a door in the back and arrived at an indoor arena. The crowd quietly following, promising to pick up the resulting pieces so that they can give him a proper burial.
When arriving at the middle of the arena, the man released Foo and flashed a token while shouting: "Commence the ranking examination!" and suddenly a screen appeared in the air, stating:
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Ranking examination
Examinee: Foo
Examinee's rank: Unranked
Examiner: Branch master of the `City of beginnings` adventurers' guild
Examiner's rank: E
Expected grade: Unranked
Combat experience: None
All damage, including deaths will be reset at the end of the examination. Please do not hold back!
Start in 10 seconds!
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Grinning widely, the man explains: "The rules are simple, we fight. Anything is allowed, and your rank will be based on how much damage you do to the opponent, and how much damage you receive. Of course, one can give up if they realize that you have no chance at all. However the strength of the opponent does not really matter, as your fighting and dodging skills can also affect the ranking, especially when the ranks between the examiner and examinee are as substantial as in our case. Giving up equals a complete defeat, and would such likely mean that you would fail. And in the case you are too stubborn or `somehow` incapable of announcing your defeat, the examination will end when you finally die. Of course, you will be revived, so no fears there."
Walking away to take up a more blunt and rusty weapon from a weapons rack, the man turns to Foo and eye him like a predator observes his pray.
A more inexperienced fighter might have thought that the new choice of weapon were to make it easier on Foo, but everyone present, including Foo, knew that choosing the blunt and rusty weapon, was only to inflict more damage and pain, holding of the death as long as possible while continuing to torture the poor victim.
But Foo was certain of victory. All his hours and hours of playing the martial fully immersive virtual reality games was a preparation of this fight! Definitely not a waste of time! Back then he was clearly just preparing for this, he was absolutely not a gaming addict!
He took a stance that surprised his opponent, but when the man thought back on the system message that said that Foo had no combat experience whatsoever, he calmed down. ``So what if you could copy a proper stance you have seen somewhere? Even if you could to some degree copy the fighting moves too, it would be greatly inferior to true skills, and you are way too weak too!`` Deciding to let Foo make the first move, so that he could not be called a bully.
An then the next system message came:
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Start!
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Foo felt really confident. Although he did not know what amount of strength the ranks represented, he was once called `One man army`... wait! That was actually somehow one of his titles, so he should still be called that?
Busily thinking of what move from his huge repertoire that he should use to finish his opponent of, he absentmindedly asked: "By the way, how would I indicate my surrender, should I want to?"
"Oh getting scarred now?" The opponent taunted. "It is really simple. Given that you still can speak, of course. You just have to say ´I surrender´ and the..." But he was interrupted by a system message:
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Ranking examination results
Examinee: Foo
Examiner: Branch master of the `City of beginnings` adventurers' guild
Victor: Foo
Damage received: None
Damage given: Complete defeat
Resulting rank: F
Congratulations!
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Everyone was silently staring at that screen. But then Foo got another screen.
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Congratulations on proving your worthiness of the title [Cheater]!
Your unrivaled talents in cheating have unlocked the class `Cheater`!
Your unrivaled ability of speech has given you the title [Silver tongue]!
[Silver tongue]
A master of words. Can bend truths into lies and lies into truths.
Able to defeat opponents with a single sentence.
Able to convince people of anything!
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Foo was completely stunned. Then he despairingly exclaimed: "No! It is not like that! I did not mean to! It was just a reflex! A reflex!"
Hearing Foo's words, the sincerity in his voice, and taken back by the shock of the way that he lost, the branch master coughed blood and fainted on the spot.
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Your skills with words are beyond measure!
You have inflicted critical and fatal damage on an expert with higher ranking than you with just some words!
The title [More fatal than curses] gained!
[More fatal than curses]
Your casual words are more potent than even the most powerful curses.
Curses have no effect on you!
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Foo just wanted to cry.
