Chapter 23 - Official Bronze Rank Hero
"Let’s start with the basics."
The examiner who introduced himself as Aaron, was a broad-shouldered man in his forties who looked more like a retired boxer than a Hero.
Currently I was at a corner where an octagonal crystal the size of a basketball rested.
Unlike Monster Crystals, whose colors varied depending on the monster they came from, this crystal was completely transparent.
It was an Awakening Crystal which resonated with awakened Aspects.
Its purpose was that it simply answered one question.
Has this person truly awakened?
Nowadays, there were plenty of frauds pretending to possess supernatural abilities.
The Awakening Crystal couldn’t identify an Aspect, but it could immediately tell whether one existed or not.
Aaron gestured toward it.
I stepped forward and placed my palm against the crystal.
Flash.
A brilliant white light burst from within the crystal before fading almost instantly.
Aaron nodded.
He tapped something into his tablet-like device.
"Do you understand your Aspect? Or did you awaken recently and you haven’t figured it out yet? Your answer will change the way I will evaluate you."
I considered the question.
There was no point mentioning the strange vision I had experienced.
"I know the basics. My Aspect mainly enhances recovery and stamina and it significantly improves my body’s healing ability."
Aaron’s eyebrows rose slightly.
"Oh? A body related Aspect."
He looked at me with renewed interest.
"Did you awaken during an accident?"
He had seen this before.
Although most Heroes awakened by absorbing Monster Crystals, a small percentage awakened naturally during moments of extreme emotional stress or life-threatening situations.
It wasn’t common.
But it wasn’t unheard of either.
"You could say that."
I chuckled weakly.
Then removed the glove from my left hand.
The atmosphere immediately changed.
Aaron’s eyes settled on my missing fingers.
His expression grew noticeably more serious.
"..."
He didn’t ask how it happened.
Instead, his gaze lingered on the cleanly healed wound.
His mind was probably connecting all the dots.
’Poor kid, he probably awakened while trying to survive and now he’s desperately chasing a Hero career because it’s his only chance.’
He finally looked back at me.
"Do you really want to become a Hero?"
"I do."
There wasn’t even a moment’s hesitation.
Aaron studied my face for several silent seconds.
I could almost hear his internal thoughts.
’He might end up getting himself killed.’
He sighed quietly.
"Listen, I am not trying to discourage you but the Hero profession isn’t kind. Especially to people who start with injuries."
"I understand."
"And you still want this?"
"Yes."
His expression softened slightly.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the kind of softness I wanted.
He looked at me in pity.
’Perfect.’
If he underestimated me enough, maybe getting a Bronze License would actually become easier.
Or so I thought.
Aaron looked down at his tablet like device before speaking again.
"In your case, I am changing the normal examination."
"Huh?"
He pointed toward a high-end treadmill positioned in another room.
"First, I want you to run until exhaustion. You said your Aspect specializes in stamina right? So I want to see exactly how much endurance it provides."
I nodded.
"After that, you will fight a monster."
"..."
"Don’t look at me like that, I just need to personally determine whether you possess enough practical ability to safely receive a Hero License."
He had a determined look as if he was trying to save my life.
"I won’t approve your application until I’m satisfied."
I stared at him as he stared back.
Apparently, pity only made the exam harder.
***
’Fuck! I have been running for almost an hour?!’
I cursed while keeping my expression calm.
The Rejuvenation ability was living up to its reputation.
My muscles felt tired, but not nearly as exhausted as they should have been.
Eventually, Aaron walked over and he looked genuinely surprised.
"That’s enough."
I immediately pressed the emergency stop and stepped off the treadmill.
"Haa..."
Even with the Aspect, an hour of continuous running wasn’t exactly pleasant.
Aaron made a few notes on his tablet.
"Your stamina won’t be a problem and what weapon do you use?"
"A Sword."
"Have you learned any particular style?"
"No."
He gestured for me to follow him.
The combat examination arena occupied almost half of the training facility.
Several applicants were already taking their practical tests.
Some sparred against instructors.
Others fought captured inside arenas separated by transparent energy barriers.
Outside those barriers stood several well-dressed men and women quietly observing the applicants.
They were also the recruiters here.
Every now and then one of them would scribble something before moving on to another candidate.
’They look like they are shopping.’
Freshly awakened Heroes were products.
Some expensive.
Some cheap.
Some never sold.
Aaron walked over to a nearby weapon rack before picking up a standard training sword.
"Use this."
I caught it instinctively as he threw that at me.
The balance wasn’t bad.
Aaron stepped outside the arena.
The barrier sealed behind him.
Now, I was alone.
A low rumble echoed as the floor in front of me slowly split apart.
A lift platform rose from below.
And standing atop it was a green-scaled monster with powerful hind legs and tiny clawed forearms.
Its narrow head resembled a mixture of a dinosaur and an ostrich.
Its yellow eyes immediately locked onto me.
"A Raptor."
I sighed.
Among low-ranked monsters, Raptors possessed an annoying reputation of being fast and aggressive.
For newly awakened Heroes who relied more on external weapons, they were considered one of the more troublesome practical examination opponents, if one was not familiar to their speed.
The creature slowly stepped onto the arena floor.
"RRAAAKKK!!"
The Raptor shrieked and exploded forward.
Its body blurred as it crossed the distance between us.
But I simply watched.
Compared to fighting an entire pack of Inferior Wargs, facing one fast monster felt strangely comfortable.
The Wargs had been more terrifying with their bloodlust and coordinated attacks.
But this creature was alone.
As the Raptor closed within striking distance, it lowered its body, preparing to leap directly at my throat.
I still didn’t move as it came closer and closer.
’Now!’
My left foot slid half a step sideways.
At the same time, I lowered my stance.
The Raptor’s claws sliced through empty air where my chest had been a fraction of a second earlier.
My sword flashed.
Slash.
Blood erupted.
The Raptor’s right leg separated cleanly from its body.
Crash!
Its momentum carried it forward before it slammed violently into the arena floor.
"KRAAAAHHH!!"
The monster writhed in agony.
The entire exchange had lasted barely a heartbeat.
And throughout this fight I had only used my right hand.
Before it could recover, I stepped forward.
And with a single thrust, the blade pierced straight through its heart.
The Raptor’s body convulsed once.
Its eyes slowly lost their light.
"This was easy."
Across the barrier, Aaron stared at me.
His eyes had widened slightly.
’His composure was truly something else, he waited until the very last possible moment before moving.’
Aaron silently watched the young man standing in the arena.
Most newly awakened Heroes either attacked too early or late.
The only one who didn’t were the children on High Ranking Heroes who were trained since birth.
Even when blood sprayed directly across his clothes, he hadn’t even blinked.
Aaron’s gaze drifted toward the missing fingers on Evren’s left hand.
’A young man who lost a part of his hand and still chooses to become a Hero.’
His natural talent wasn’t extraordinary.
But his courage and the ability to stay calm when facing death.
Those qualities couldn’t be taught and only be learned through experience.
Aaron slowly nodded to himself.
’With proper guidance, he could become an excellent Hero.’
He opened the barrier and walked into the arena.
A small smile appeared on his rugged face.
"Congratulations."
He extended his hand.
"From today onward, you are officially a licensed Bronze-Rank Hero."