Chapter 23 - Iridium Crystal

After handing the completed form to the Adventurers' Guild employee, Willow and Aria followed him through the guild's corridors.

The man led them to a wide door at the end of a corridor. Before opening the door, he looked back over his shoulder and appraised Willow with a brief glance, and only then opened the door with an easy push. In front of him was a small room with a few paintings and two sofas. In the center, on a wooden table, lay the object everyone had been waiting to find: the Iridium Crystal.

The crystal was no bigger than the palm of an average adult hand, had a shade between purple and pink, and emitted no glow, at least not yet.

"Please, Mr. Willow, sit down." The clerk pointed to the sofa on the right.

Willow nodded, and Aria was about to follow him.

"Ah, excuse me, ma'am, but only the examinee should sit down."

"Okay, sorry about that." Aria said and stood by the door.

Soon, the official sat down on the sofa opposite the one Willow was sitting on and gently opened the glass dome in the compartment where the Iridium Crystal was.

"Mr. Willow, when you touch the crystal with your dominant hand, you will immediately feel a little weaker because it will consume some of your mana. As it consumes your mana, the crystal should begin to emit a glow that will tell us your power level so that we can fit you into a proportional rank. When you're ready, please touch the crystal."

Willow glanced at Aria, who gave him a slightly encouraging smile. He then looked forward and held out his right hand, hesitating briefly before finally resting his fingers on the smooth, cold surface of the crystal. For a moment, he didn't feel anything different. The crystal looked like an ordinary stone, cold and lifeless. It was then that he felt his vision flicker a little and then felt the crystal heat up exactly where he was touching it, warming Willow's fingertips.

When the promised glow lit up inside the crystal, it was a timid glow, no brighter than a candle, but as the connection between Willow and the crystal deepened, the glow gradually began to grow until it reached Willow's face.

The Guild official adjusted his glasses over his face. "Interesting... A Rank E." He looked at Willow again. "I'd ask you to keep your hand there for a few more moments, Mr. Willow. The full analysis process isn't over yet."

Willow felt compelled to ask, even though he was still slightly tired from the mana drain. "Is it... common to prolong contact? I thought rank was the only analysis required."

The clerk gestured with his hand, indicating patience. "Commonly, yes. But the crystal also has the ability to indicate the candidate's affinity and area of expertise. The color of the glow reveals additional information, determining their aptitude in magical abilities, sometimes even the magical element that fits most strongly, and also whether their strongest abilities are physical, depending on the variation in hue. This step is essential for guiding adventurers in the right direction, whether for combat or even for support and tracking missions."

The glow didn't get any brighter, but began to take on a vivid and peculiar scarlet-red hue. The light began to reflect softly on Willow's face, tinging his features with that almost flaming color. With each passing second, the reddish aura seemed to expand beyond the crystal, encircling Willow's fingers, and tracing a slight halo around them.

Aria, who was leaning against the door, straightened her spine, and her lips quirked into a smile while the employee was almost dumbfounded.

"How curious... Even though it's a preliminary analysis, this intense scarlet hue indicates a different affinity. Most adventurers with magical abilities receive variations of blue and yellow, while those inclined towards physical combat tend to illuminate the crystal in green. The color red, however, is something... rare."

"And what exactly does red mean?"

The official hesitated, pursing his lips as if searching for the right words. "I'm sorry, but my experience can't tell you exactly. I've never seen it happen..." He looked at Aria, as if hoping she might have some clarification; after all, she was an elf.

Aria seemed happy to explain. "That particular tone is unusual, no doubt. However, in an ancient study of elves, there was mention of a similar effect in elves who have a balanced potential of forces. This means that there is no predilection for magic or physical strength, but a harmonization of the two aspects. This red actually indicates total balance. The question is: you can be tremendously talented in both aspects, or terrible in both."

The clerk raised his eyebrows, as did Willow. "Total balance, Miss Aria?" He cast a curious and respectful glance at the elf, then turned to Willow. "Mr. Willow, let me make it clear that possessing a balance between magic and physical strength is extremely unusual. Normally, each individual manifests a natural inclination."

"Does that mean... that I can follow any path?" Willow asked.

The official tilted his head. "Not exactly any path. The balance suggests that you will be versatile, but to truly master both magic and physical combat, you will need to train each with equal dedication. So, Mr. Willow, your potential doesn't limit you to a single choice, but requires you to develop each aspect in a balanced way. It's a complex route, but one that offers unique rewards."

Aria smiled, crossing her arms as she watched Willow. "From the moment we met, I thought you had latent potential. It seems I wasn't wrong."

"Well..." the official continued, closing the glass dome over the crystal. "I believe we're ready to register Mr. Willow as a rank E adventurer with an undefined specialty. This, of course, does not interfere with his current rank."

The clerk recorded everything on an official document, with the Adventurers' Guild letterhead in gold and fine inscriptions along the edge. He stamped the sheet, and the sound echoed through the small room.

Willow felt, in a way, that stamp was a seal on a new phase of his life in the Ether world. Now he was past the first phase and needed to start making plans.

"Mr. Willow, we're looking forward to seeing how much you grow in the guild." The official said.

Aria gave Willow a wink, now clearly satisfied with the result of the assessment. "Well, it looks like we have a lot to plan for. Who knows what awaits us out there?" She then held out her hand to Willow, inviting him to follow her out of the room.

*

A week later...

Since the day Willow left the guild as a mere novice, a few things have changed. Since then, he and Aria have tackled a few monster-hunting missions around Pavagar.

Life as an adventurer was tough, marked by constant challenges, but working with Aria made things easier.

Now, on that cloudy afternoon, they found themselves in the middle of a clearing covered in dry leaves, with the shy sun descending over the horizon, bathing the forest in a twilight gold. Ahead of them, three Black Wolves with Long Fangs were advancing towards Willow, who turned his spear to lunge at them. He was the one on the front line, and any mistake would mean an opening for the creatures to attack.

Aria was a little behind, with her bow ready and a magic arrow already tensioned on the string. Her arrows were composed of pure mana and as soon as they hit their target, they dissipated into particles of light, leaving only the wound from the impact.

When the first wolf ran up, barking loudly, Willow waited until the last second before moving. With an agile step to the side, he dodged the direct attack and tore into the creature's left flank with the tip of his spear.

The wolf let out a howl of pain and fell backwards, blood dripping down its dark fur and onto the grass.

[You have killed 1 Long-Tusked Black Wolf and gained +800 XP!]

Meanwhile, the other two wolves approached, growling in unison.

"Two more coming up on the right." warned Aria, with another arrow ready. She released the string, and the arrow of light sliced through the air, hitting the second wolf directly between the shoulder blades. The wolf died on the spot.

Willow didn't have time to praise his companion, because another wolf was already advancing, and he swung his spear to block the blow of its claws. Unfortunately, the wolf was strong and managed to throw Willow's spear aside, leaving Willow unarmed.

Aria began to run to the side, trying to find an angle for a shot that wouldn't hit Willow.

However, when the wolf advanced towards Willow again, the brown-haired man moved his right hand slightly and his spear rose into the air and impaled the monster.

[You killed 1 Long-fanged Black Wolf. You gained +800 XP!]

[Leveled Up!]

"Well done, Willow!" Aria exclaimed.

"That was... a lot harder than I thought." he said, letting out a tired but satisfied smile.

Aria approached, lowering her bow as she surveyed the battlefield with a critical eye. "Don't worry. Their agility really is a problem. However, now that we're used to fighting together, the advantage is clear."

"That's true. With you in support, things are much simpler. By the way, I've just gone up another level."

Aria raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms as a satisfied smile appeared on her face. "Seven levels in a week... You're moving fast. Faster than a lot of newbies out there."

"Yes, and I'm trying to evolve everything in balance too."

+

[Nickname: Willow

Age: 23

Class: Divine Seducer

Level 16: 0/24000 EXP

HP: 170/170

MP: 120/100

Attribute | Value

Strength: 40

Intelligence: 45

Agility: 30

Charisma: 35

Constitution: 30

Wisdom: 12

Dexterity: 30

Perception: 30

Attribute Points: 10

Skill Points: 1

Arcane points: 0.]