By the time the notice was posted, most of the academy already knew.
External evaluation would be conducted inside the grounds.
Not through sparring.
Not through written theory.
Through recognition.
Groups formed quickly.
Some had prepared in advance, whispering in dormitory corridors over the past week. Others scrambled to secure reliable members before morning.
The structure was clear.
Five members per party.
Two frontline.
Two backline.
One center.
Healer preferred.
Enchanter optional.
Efficiency mandatory.
Cain stood in the courtyard beside Rei.
Liora joined them without hesitation.
Aera followed shortly after, hands folded loosely before her.
Four.
One short.
They did not rush to fill the gap.
Rei glanced around at already completed groups and muttered, "We look incomplete."
"We are," Cain replied.
Liora's gaze remained forward. "Better incomplete than unstable."
Aera gave a small nod.
Before further discussion could form, the main gates opened.
A carriage bearing the crest of the Adventurer Guild rolled into the courtyard.
Conversations quieted immediately.
A middle-aged man stepped down first, dressed in deep green with a silver badge at his collar. Behind him, two assistants carried a polished pedestal draped in dark cloth.
When the cloth was removed, a spherical orb of translucent crystal was revealed.
It did not glow.
It did not radiate power.
It simply existed.
The guild official's voice carried across the courtyard.
"This evaluation determines your recognized combat level and your registered rank within the Guild."
No speech about destiny.
No lecture about honor.
Just process.
"You will place your hand upon the orb. Your level will be measured. Your rank assigned. Your guild card issued."
A faint ripple moved through the students.
Levels.
Until now, they had trained without numerical confirmation.
Now they would see where they stood.
One by one, names were called.
Hands placed against crystal.
Light formed within the orb like mist gathering in glass.
A small translucent window appeared above it each time, displaying the result.
Level.
Rank.
The numbers varied.
Some students stiffened at lower placements.
Others tried to hide relief.
Rei exhaled slowly when his name was called.
He stepped forward without dramatic posture and placed his hand on the orb.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then pale blue light swirled inside the sphere.
The mist condensed, sharpened.
A window formed.
Level 33
Rank: C
Rei blinked once.
Then he smirked faintly.
"Not bad," he murmured under his breath as he stepped aside.
Cain's name followed shortly after.
The courtyard felt quieter than before.
He approached without haste.
His palm rested against the cool surface.
The orb reacted immediately—
Light gathered.
Then—
For the briefest fraction of a second—
It flickered.
Not violently.
Not dramatically.
A faint distortion rippled across the surface, as if the light within hesitated before stabilizing.
Only Cain felt it.
A subtle pulse against his palm.
Then the glow steadied.
The window formed cleanly.
Level 34
Rank: C
No whispers rose.
No alarm sounded.
To the observers, it had appeared normal.
Cain withdrew his hand.
Baseline, he thought.
Rei glanced at him as he returned.
"You're ahead by one."
"Insignificant," Cain replied.
Liora's turn came soon after.
Her palm met the orb.
The light gathered swiftly, bright and controlled.
No flicker.
No delay.
The result formed without hesitation.
Level 42
Rank: B
A murmur rose this time.
Not shock.
Recognition.
Liora did not react outwardly.
She stepped back into place, expression unchanged.
Aera approached when called.
Her fingers rested lightly against the crystal.
The glow inside was softer—calmer.
Level 27
Rank: D
She bowed slightly and returned.
No disappointment.
No pride.
Just understanding.
When the final name was called and the last result displayed, assistants began distributing guild cards.
Thin metal plates engraved with each student's name, level, and rank.
When Cain received his, he felt the faint hum of embedded magic.
Emergency teleportation.
Single activation.
Dungeon use only.
His status window shimmered faintly in his vision.
Updated.
Recognized Level: 34
Rank: C
Nothing else changed.
No skill.
No reward.
Growth would come later.
The guild official addressed them one final time.
"Dungeon registration opens tomorrow. Floor access is restricted according to rank. Academy documentation has been pre-approved."
He paused briefly.
"Choose your entries carefully."
As the carriage departed and the courtyard slowly resumed its motion, students began calculating averages.
Four members stood together near the stone steps.
Cain: Level 34
Rei: Level 33
Liora: Level 42
Aera: Level 27
The average placed them within B-rank party qualification.
Rei let out a low whistle.
"Not bad for four."
Liora's gaze shifted slightly.
"We still lack a fifth."
Aera looked toward the notice board where registration times would be posted.
"There is time."
Cain glanced once more at the guild card in his hand.
The orb's brief flicker lingered faintly in memory.
Subtle.
Almost dismissible.
But not entirely.
Tomorrow, the first dungeon entry would begin.
Training had ended.
Measurement had begun.
And growth would no longer be theoretical.
---