From Real to Realm

“Do you think we’re ready for the Ashen King?” Amarisse asked, twirling her fork.

Val took a sip of her drink. “I’d like to think so. We’ve been able to handle the first three floors so far. It’s the next logical step.”

“It would be a good test of our abilities,” Cera said, leaning against the table. “The Ashen King is the first boss level creature in the dungeon. The floors beyond him are harder than what we’ve dealt with so far.”

“But Tamsin said he won’t be back for at least another couple of days,” Mina said, licking her lips as her food was set in front of her.

“I don’t want to do it without Lynesia,” Val said, sighing. “She’s part of our group. I don’t feel right pushing forward without her.”

Amarisse nodded. “Well, you’ve got a couple of days at least to fix whatever happened between the two of you.”

“In the meantime, I think everyone should get re-evaluated at the guild,” Cera suggested. “You can’t stay Bronze 5th Class forever.”

Mina perked up. “What’s that like?”

Cera shrugged. “It’s different for each class and your fighting style. The guild decides the best way to test you.”

Val stayed quiet. She’d already had one explosive test within the guild. If something else even remotely similar happened again, she’d end up drawing too much attention. The last thing she needed was people slowing her down or getting in her way.

“Well, since it’s an individual test for each of us, I’ll probably do mine tomorrow,” Amarisse said, sitting back in her chair. “Higher rank opens some different doors, for all of us.”

Val glanced at the guildmaster’s loft set in the ceiling of the main lobby of the guildhall. Theoden was likely aware of her affinity test, but never made a point of bringing it up—another test, whether disaster or pass, would likely be passed on to the guildmaster.

“Well, everyone should get some rest,” Val said, standing from the table. “If we’re taking on a boss, then take the next few days off. Check your gear, sharpen your weapons, ready yourselves.”

Everyone nodded their heads. Val could see it in their eyes; they were pumped.

Val walked home alone again. After Tamsin dropped the Ashen King bomb on them, the group stopped to eat and talk things over. By now the sun had fully set, and the magical lampposts were alight.

The Ashen King…

Thanks to being the first boss within the dungeon, there was plenty of information about it. However, Val wasn’t a rookie adventurer anymore. After what she’d been through, she knew better than to expect the dungeon always to follow its own patterns.

Val planned on visiting the guild around noon. If Amarisse planned on doing her re-evaluation tomorrow, she’d likely do it early in the morning. In that case, Val could sleep in a little extra before showing up to do hers.

What are they going to expect?

Cera said it all depended on her class and fighting style. Val didn’t have one fighting style, though. Maybe that was it? What if they pressed her in various ways to test her adaptability on the fly?

“There’s no point in guessing,” she said to herself, pushing the door open to her place. “I’ll find out tomorrow.”

It wasn’t long before she had hot water up to her chin. Val was leaning back in the tub with steam fogging up the entire bathroom. A long, hot soak was always welcome after a delve. It was also the ideal time to clear her mind for the day.

We need your help.

Val sighed, looking up at the ceiling.

Not us… For those who’d suffer if we’re right.

“What do I do?”

No amount of soaking in a bath could get rid of the new weight on her shoulders.

Val climbed out of the water, bending over to pull the plug. As the water drained, she wrapped a towel around her. As she walked through the bathroom, she stopped in front of the fogged mirror. She could barely make out her features, and for just a second, she almost looked like her old self staring back.

What would my old self think of this?

She shook her head, wiping away the fog from the mirror. It didn’t matter anymore what her old self would think. After spending a year on this new world, she couldn’t be compared to her old self anymore.

“I need some fucking sleep.”

Val’s eyes slowly opened. Soft rays of the sun were leaking through the small gaps in her curtains. It was obviously past morning by now, inching closer to midday by the second.

“I don’t remember falling asleep.”

She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. It was the first time she could remember sleeping in in a while. With a grunt, Val slipped out of bed, yawning as she walked through the room. The cool air lingering low to the ground gave her goosebumps, but she ignored it. The grumbling from her stomach was currently leading the way.

After finishing some brunch that Marxus’ wife was nice enough to make for her, Val started getting ready. Different scenarios flitted through her mind as each strap was tightened. This re-evaluation could be done in many ways, some easier than others.

“Fuck, am I nervous?”

Val shook her head, laughing. “I really am.”

She snatched her halberd as she walked through her front door. It wasn’t like her to be this nervous over a test. However, a very different feeling was beginning to bubble forth. Excitement.

The streets and people around her were nothing more than blurs to her. It was like her mind became hyper-focused the moment she latched onto her excitement. A re-evaluation wasn’t just a simple test the guild was giving her anymore. She didn’t want them to go easy on her; she needed to be pushed. After everything, it was time to see what kind of progress she had made since first getting her badge.

When Val finally reached the guild, she made her way to a different counter on the left side of the main lobby. A man was sitting behind it, glasses low on his nose as he worked. Due to the angle of the counter, she couldn’t see exactly what he was writing.

“How may I help you?” he asked, setting his pen down gently.

“I’m here to do a badge re-evaluation.”

“Name, please?”

“Valnarei Rose Strouss, Hybrid.”

The man stood, straightening out the front of his uniform. “One moment.”

He turned and stepped into the room directly behind his counter. The door gently closed behind him, leaving Val to stand there and wait.

Val used this time to look around the lobby. It was just as busy as usual, maybe more so. The constant snowfall had forced just about every adventurer to start hitting the dungeon. Back in the summer, the lobby was usually busy. Now it was consistently packed. The sound of the door opening behind her made her turn back around.

“We will need to update your file.”

“What do you need to know?” she asked, leaning against the counter.

He sat down. “Well, I am assuming the only thing that has changed is your level, correct?”

Val nodded. “Yeah. I just hit level five recently.”

After scribbling for a few seconds, he continued. “Have you officially joined a chapter?”

“Not yet.”

He left that line blank. “Alright. Well, then that’s all we needed to update. I’ll check to see if they’re free to do a re-evaluation.”

Val moved to a nearby table to sit down. She didn’t know how long it would take for them to be ready for her. The other adventurers throughout the lobby were moving amongst themselves. It looked like more than a handful of groups were doing last-minute checks for a delve. Others were either planning or discussing amongst themselves. What they were talking about, Val couldn’t tell.

Her knee was bouncing. She told herself it was from excitement, but deep down she knew the truth. It was anxiety about the evaluation. This would determine her new badge rank, but it wouldn’t be permanent. If she wanted to come back in the future to test again, she could. Maybe by then, she’d have some skills to really show what she could do. It wasn’t long before the man came back to wave her over to the desk.

“They’ll be ready shortly,” he said, writing something down. “When they’re finally ready, the proctor will come to retrieve you.” He handed her the paper. “Give this to the proctor; it has your information.”

Val took the paper before walking back to her table. For minutes, people walked past her table. Most paid her no mind, but others showed recognition when they saw her. It wasn’t often people recognized her, but she knew why some did.

You’ll stand out with a haircut like that.

Val still remembered the warning.

“Valnarei Strouss?”

The sudden deep voice caught her off guard. She’d been so immersed in her thoughts that she didn’t realize someone had approached.

“That’s me,” she said, standing up.

“Good, follow me.”

She followed the stout man through a set of double doors. It was a short hallway with a room on one side, then opened into a larger arena-style room at the end. When they crossed the threshold into the arena, she noticed several people talking at the far end.

“This is your first time, correct?”

She nodded, handing over the paper. “It is. I was told it was best to get a re-evaluation before pressing further into the dungeon.”

“Whoever suggested that is smart. A higher ranking opens new doors.”

Val looked around the room. It was one of the more bland rooms in the guild. She noticed markings across the floor and walls. Gashes, burns, scrapes. Decades, maybe even centuries of evaluations were left forever embedded in the gray stone of the room.

“Is she ready?”

The man she was following nodded. “I believe she is. I can feel the tension just being near her.”

Val tilted her head.

How?

“Excellent. I’ve been looking forward to her re-evaluation.”

Val stopped walking, hair standing on end. “How do you know who I am?”

Everyone in the room was wearing heavy robes that obscured most of their features. Aside from their voices, it was hard to tell their genders, their age, or really anything about them. They were all facing her.

“Gilded Mire keeps a tab on anyone abnormal," one of them said.

Another nodded. “Ever since your affinity test, we’ve been waiting to test you.”

The man who had escorted her joined the rest of the group. “We have a theory about you, Valnarei. A good hypothesis requires testing.”

“I told that researcher I wasn’t willing to be a test subject.”

A feminine voice cut through the tension. “Of course. However, given your chosen path, it only makes sense to test you now.”

Val crossed her arms. “What is with your gimmick here?”

They shared glances.

“Ah, I understand what you’re asking,” the man who escorted her finally said. “We hide our identities during testing. While we may know the adventurer, we do not want them knowing who we are.”

Val rolled her eyes. “So it’s not like you were specially chosen to always do this?”

The feminine voice spoke again. “No. Proctors change periodically. It is our goal to remain as impartial as possible during these evaluations, hence hiding our identities.”

“What if one of the proctors knows me personally?”

“Then they are rotated out for someone else.”

Val sighed. “Alright. So, how does this work?”

Slowly, one by one, the proctors moved to different points around the room.

“Prepare yourself, Valnarei.”

The air in the room had shifted the moment everyone was in place. No one moved as Val slowly adjusted her grip. Her eyes flicked between the hooded figures, expecting something to happen any second now. She could hear her own heartbeat in her ears.

“Begin.”

Suddenly, one of the robed figures placed their hands on the ground. Val turned to face them, expecting some attack to come at her. However, instead, she watched as rocky arms rose from the ground. A stone golem rose from the ground like climbing out of water.

Val jumped back, giving herself room. None of the other robed figures moved yet.

“Just the two of us?” Val asked, eyes scanning the golem.

So far, Val hadn’t faced anything like this within the dungeon. Most things were smaller than her, but this golem was almost double her height. Its rocky skin looked tough, and she worried about breaking her weapon. The faint sound of grinding emanated from where it stood. Eyeless sockets stared back at her.

Apparently, the golem had had enough of waiting for her to make a move. It roared out before stomping toward her, gaining speed with each step. The ground shook with each heavy footfall.

Val bounced on her feet, readying herself. This was her first time fighting something like this without a party. Amarisse could grab its attention, Mina could probably cripple it with the right attack, or Lynesia could give additional barrier protection.

BOOM.

The golem slammed both hands down on the ground just as Val dove out of the way. The floor didn’t crack all that much as a slight shimmer fluttered outwards from the attack. Val was back on her feet before the golem could stand up straight.

Are they trying to fucking kill me?!

Val rushed forward. As soon as she was within reach, the golem blindly swung backwards in her direction. Somehow, she barely dropped in time to avoid getting slammed. Her hair fluttered just from the mass of his arm passing overhead.

“They’re trying to fucking kill me,” she muttered as she scrambled back to her feet.

The golem fully turned to face her.

“Well, jokes on them,” she said, cracking her neck. “I refuse to fucking die again.”

A flicker caught Val’s attention from her right. Then she jumped backwards as an ethereal arrow whizzed past her head. An ethereal archer stood there, notching another arrow in preparation.

“How the fuck?”

Val’s question was cut off as the golem rushed forward again. Not only did she need to dodge the behemoth in front of her, but the new archer as well.

Wait, where the fuck did it go?

The ethereal archer was gone.

“Fuck.”

The golem swung low. Instead of dodging backwards, Val pushed forward, sliding beneath the attack. Once she was inside the golem’s reach, she dug her heel in to push back up on her feet. In the same motion, she lunged forward, aiming for where a heart might be. To her surprise, the spike on her halberd dug in deep.

“BROOOAAAGH!”

The bellow it released sounded like stone being ground against stone. It rattled Val’s head because she was so close. Thankfully, she had the wherewithal to pull her halberd free of its chest.

Thunk.

Val felt something slam against her right shoulder. Whatever it was didn’t dig in, but it hurt like a bitch.

“Fuck!”

She rolled between the golem’s legs to avoid a deadly slam from the thing. When she finally got to her feet, she saw an ethereal arrow dissipating from her shoulder. In a panic, she pressed her hand to the place, expecting to feel wet warmth. However, there was no blood at all. The pain that lingered behind felt real enough, though.

The archer was preparing another arrow as the golem turned around. Brackish orange fluid was rolling across its rocky skin from the small hole in its chest. Val’s eyes flicked back and forth between her two adversaries. She had only focused on the golem for a few seconds, but the archer had taken advantage of that.

“What the fuck do I do?” she muttered, wincing as pain bloomed in her shoulder.

The archer aimed his bow at her, arrow pulled taut. The golem flexed its rocky fingers.

“Fuck me.”

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