Proof of the Adventurer (Part 2)

Ignoring the attention projected onto him by these individuals, Victor chose the chair farthest from them and sat down, pulling out a yellowed map, his gaze scattering across the leather scroll that was no longer than his elbow.

Driven by the instincts of both humanity and the assassin, he always felt that there was something in the young man's eyes that instinctively instilled fear in him. This thought made Buffy even more curious about Victor, while also instilling a sense of dread. Such a description is indeed somewhat self-deprecating.

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The registration screening has concluded, and Buffett announced that qualified candidates will have half a day to purchase the necessary items for the exam and to rest. After lunch, they will set off for the first examination venue

It is unclear whether the person before me belongs to the former or the latter

The response he received was a resounding slap, so forceful that Cohen staggered back several steps before regaining his balance

Registration is the first round of screening, and those who are physically unfit or lack the necessary abilities will be eliminated at this stage. If the number of deaths during the examination is too high, it will affect the reputation of the Adventurers' Guild. The examiners will eliminate those who are incapable before the formal examination.

How about it, do you want to take action here? Consider your identity; Eric from the Shadow Guild has not left yet. If he learns about your and your companions' actions during this time, the vice president would be more eager than anyone to cut your throat. Although it would be easy for it to deal with a character like Vina, Victor does not wish to reveal his identity. Moreover, its expertise lies in evil and necromantic spells; casting them in front of everyone would only expose its true nature as a necromancer.

That bastard Eric, not only took my money but also dared to report me.

Indeed, they are companions, with equally simple minds

Having received the stamped registration form, Victor walked towards the area indicated by the examiner without looking back

Once they reach a high level, almost without exception, all mages will devote their body and mind to the study of magic, showing little interest in obtaining the Adventurer's Certificate. As an advanced mage, why would one want to pursue the Adventurer's qualification that is typically required for apprentice mages in mercenary groups

Under the direct gaze of the Lich, Buffy averted his eyes

The sound of knocking on the door was followed by the voice of the butler

"You bastard, how dare you be so arrogant..." Vina clenched her fists tightly, ready to charge at him in a fit of rage

"Have you forgotten what I told you last time?" Gandel Jalladi's usually solemn face showed a hint of anger as he said, "I told you not to trouble Victor Wood again"

Among the applicants, there are indeed some individuals with considerable abilities who have been eliminated, while most of those selected are nothing more than ordinary novices. This is completely inconsistent with the Adventurers' Guild's stated purpose of 'seeking hidden talents among the populace.' What exactly are the criteria for this so-called Adventurer Examination?

"Keep an eye on this guy, I always feel like he's here to cause trouble," Buffett quietly advised Eric

For priests and mages who primarily rely on chanting and language, sound is an irreplaceable foundation. Although there are mute individuals who have overcome this barrier to become high-ranking church officials or archmages, they are indeed a rare few. The majority of mute individuals are unable to transcend the series of troubles brought about by their inability to vocalize, thus remaining at the ranks they attained earlier for the entirety of their lives

Father!" Cohen exclaimed in astonishment. He was the only son in the family, and his father was resolute. Could it be that Wood was truly the illegitimate child of some prominent figure?

"Prince Talandar... How could it be Prince Talandar? How dare he..." Before the words were finished, Cohen received another slap.

Wina's complexion turned pale, and she trembled with anger

The selected candidates are divided into three groups based on their abilities: the strongest group, the second group, and the weakest group. There is also a significant difference in the number of individuals between each group, with the first group consisting of a total of nine individuals, the second group having twenty-seven individuals, and the third group being the largest, with a number exceeding one hundred.

"No, I have to find a way... I must make it to the final level no matter what." In the dormitory, Cohen paced back and forth, deeply contemplating how to prepare for the exam in two days.

After carefully reviewing some information about the examination, Victor felt somewhat anxious. Without revealing his identity, he was uncertain whether he could successfully navigate through the challenges until the end. However, in order to gain admission to the Crystal Dawn Academy, he could not afford to miss this opportunity; he certainly did not want to remain in this small town serving as a free apprentice to Fisher

On the day of registration, Victor rushed to the Adventurers' Guild early in the morning, only to find it already packed with a sea of people, the once spacious guild hall now filled with a dense crowd.

The Adventurer's Certificate is an excellent opportunity. This essential examination for adventurers is held only once every three years. Those who fail not only face a ban from taking the exam for up to two sessions, but may also encounter life-threatening dangers. Additionally, the preferences of the chief examiner vary each time, leading to differences in moral standards, which results in varying criteria for the examination in each session.

Yes. With neither arrogance nor servility, Victor answered using his tongue without averting his gaze.

The pursuit of knowledge is endless

"Father, I heard you were looking for me." As the most notorious dandy in the town, Cohen's demeanor was a stark contrast to his usual frivolous behavior.

It is truly rare... a mute person has also signed up, thought Buffy, who was responsible for the first round of reviews.

The soldiers... Their special and unique posture reminded the lich of some memories from its past life

Mr. Buffett Suville is visiting.

The undead do not need to eat or sleep, and naturally, Victor does not need to prepare like an ordinary examinee; he is contemplating the strange occurrences he has just witnessed

Without the Magic Association, a small principality like Talan would have no weight in the West Asia Alliance. Everything changed the moment Fernandez became Duke. He married the only daughter of Emperor Albert, the distant Princess of Nottingham

Gandell glared angrily at his ungrateful son, wondering how he could have such an offspring, who was nothing but a fool

Damn it, who stipulated that adventurers must take exams

In just twenty years, with the support of the strongest empire in the South, Talan rapidly transformed from a poor principality into one of the leading economic powers within the alliance, entirely relying on a network of connections. If it were discovered that Fernandez was entangled with another woman and had even fathered a son, the furious Nordin Empire might very well send troops to annihilate the entire principality

Advanced Mage

If it were not to draw out the true Frostwolf and to observe the movements of Jingyao, the Lich would have eliminated her along with another companion two days ago

Suppressing the feeling of displeasure, it once again focused its energy on the map

Arrogant? I am merely acting in self-defense. It is truly unprecedented to hear an assassin berate a failed target for being arrogant

"Do not forget, pleasing Fisher is your task." Upon hearing the reminder from behind, Cohen curled his lips in disdain and responded vaguely. After returning to his dormitory, he smashed everything he could, yet still felt unsatisfied.

This time, the Adventurer's Certificate examination must not go awry, after all... that individual is also participating. Even if it is a mute, one must not let their guard down

Ke and Tu Shuwen stood with their hands hanging down, not daring to touch their already swollen cheeks, let alone refute.

This time, the charming and lovely Vina was no longer seated at the reception desk; instead, it was replaced by the celebrity Miweila—Eric, the vice president of the Shadow Guild, whose bald head stood out conspicuously among the crowd

"Shut up! You idiot, don't bring trouble to the Jaladi family." Hearing footsteps in the corridor, Gandel scolded Cohen, who was covering his face.

As soon as he thought of how he had specifically called Amodeo yesterday and given him some compensation to keep quiet, Cohen couldn't help but curse inwardly

"Please let him in." With a glare at Cohen, Gandel waved his hand at him, signaling that he could leave.

I never expected that Wood, who always appeared so shabby, is actually the illegitimate son of Duke Mendel. This is a closely guarded secret; if it were to leak out...

"You better be careful; don't get eliminated by other candidates before I kill you myself," Vina said with a fierce threat before leaving. She also noticed the scrutinizing gaze of Buffy. Since Victor was using a tongue stick, it was easy to detect the content of their conversation, so she could not stay long. Her choice to act during the risky examination was because killing during the exam was not considered a crime.

Bang!

Victor sneered as he gazed at Vina's departing figure

Although there are several thousand participants, only one-tenth actually qualify for reference.

This small action, which is rarely noticed by others, was discovered by Victor. Although his gaze was scattered across the map, it does not mean that all of his attention was focused there

"Who is it? Wood's father..." He is unwilling to accept it, a country boy who appeared out of nowhere, not only snatched the title of first in his academy but also put him in a position where his father threatened to expel him.

Behind Eric stood Buffy, whose sharp, knife-like gaze instilled fear in every applicant. When Victor approached Eric to submit his application form, Buffy shifted his attention from the crowd and focused intently on the young man standing before him

Yes. The youth turned his gaze away, no longer looking back.

In accordance with his father's instructions, Cohen requested to be accepted as a disciple by Fisher. The old man set forth extremely harsh conditions, insisting that Cohen must pass the Adventurer's Examination with the highest score; otherwise, the matter would be off the table.

Whether it is Feili, or Aima, along with this woman named Weina, with their limited abilities, they dare to impersonate the third-ranked assassin organization of the principality's forces

In the two days following the announcement, the small town of Miweila experienced a sudden surge in population, as candidates flocked from various regions of the southern land to participate in the examination. Given that the examination venues have traditionally been located in remote areas, and considering that this year's examination was originally set in the southern part of Talan, the guild's sudden announcement to change the examination sites did not provoke much controversy.

As soon as Cohen returned home, he received a summons conveyed by the butler from his father, the current head of the Jaladi family.

A row of newly added wooden chairs is placed against the corner of the hall, with the exception of an elderly man, the rest are young people, three men and one woman

To speak frankly, I have already ascertained the identity of his father, who is not someone our Jaladi family can afford to provoke. If you dare to act against him again, be careful that I will expel you from the family

A pair of gray suede boots appeared at the edge of the view, and their owner was Vina, whom I had not seen for two days. Her originally charming face was now covered with frost, and her gaze lacked the usual softness. She glared fiercely at Victor, her expression so fierce that it could be described as gritting her teeth.

The Jaladi mansion is located in the west of the town and is the tallest and largest architectural complex in Mivira, far surpassing the grandeur of the town mayor's residence

He has always been puzzled as to why his father goes to great lengths to please that old man Fisher. He has only heard that he is an exiled noble from the Crystal Sun, but isn't he just the head of the Alchemy Institute? He truly cannot understand what value he holds.

From your appearance, it seems the gift has been received. On the day the task in Davos was completed, Victor spent ten silver coins to have a street beggar deliver a small box, about the size of a palm, to the Adventurers' Guild. Inside was a bloody finger, and the green snake-like tattoo caused Vina to resign from her position as receptionist upon receiving the anonymous gift

The red-haired youth curiously stretched his neck to take a look and discovered that it was a simple map of the Talan Duchy

From head to toe, finally resting on the mithril badge on the chest

Fernandes Mendel. Gandel's response made Cohen's face look worse than when he had just heard the name of the Grandmaster of the Shadow Guild

In order to conceal his identity, Victor did not personally kill Feli, instead throwing her to the sword spider to avoid having her corpse tainted by the aura of the undead. While a puppet corpse can indeed mask the unique deathly aura of undead beings, necromantic spells cannot be dispelled. As long as an adventurer brings the corpse back to Miweila, the Church of Light in the town will immediately be able to determine the cause of her death. The identity of 'Wood' that it possesses is so formidable that even the church does not dare to act against it, and it will not take risks with the library until then.

At this point, Cohen also began to feel a bit afraid

With a sharp sound, Eric stamped a red mark on the newly filled registration form: "You have passed, Mr. Wood. Please report to Group One."

"Sarachi, do not indulge in your own curiosity," gently admonished the man with golden hair among the four young individuals

Due to the dwindling number of people in the Adventurers' Guild, the conversation between Victor and Vina hardly attracted anyone's attention, except for Buffy, who had been watching them closely. He stood at a distance, his gaze never leaving the Lich.

As a complete wastrel, Cohen possesses only a slight talent for alchemy, while his other abilities are nonexistent. With skills like his, not only would he fail to achieve good results in the highly competitive adventurer examinations, but he would also be unable to pass the first round.

She recognized it; that was Emma's finger

Another one has appeared... The youngest among them noticed someone approaching their corner and quietly alerted the person beside them

The increasingly anxious Cohen finally realized how terrifying his previous actions had been. Since the Duke dared to take such a great risk, he must have a deep affection for that woman. If the two assassins from the Shadow Guild were truly successful, the Jalaridi family would surely face retaliation from the Duke. ... I might as well focus my energy on the Adventurer's Examination instead ...

Miss Vina, I have yet to take action against you. The first reason is that you did not personally carry out the assassination. The second reason, well, you are well aware of it. The real wolves are coming, and I believe it is more suitable to leave you to them

Thinking about the outcome of going to find Fisher during the day, Cohen felt even more dejected

Victor had been watching as Vina, who was causing trouble, walked away. He turned to glance at the portable timer placed on the table; the magical sand had completely run out. He gave a slight nod to Eric beside him

It may sound a bit absurd, but Cohen knows that the former Emperor of Nottingham, who was bestowed with the title of the Great Emperor, is capable of anything. The number of nations he has destroyed has already reached double digits. Even though this bloody emperor has abdicated for many years, as long as the princess returns and weeps...

Eric, who was also the president but had significantly lower rank, immediately blew the silver whistle in his hand, the clear sound signaling the candidates participating in the examination that the time was up

Victor cast his gaze upon the unfamiliar stranger he had never seen before, knowing that Eric, who sat at the reception desk, was merely a facade. The true person in charge was the man with the peculiar goatee.