The two days following Erik's encounter with Mira flew by, but each moment was filled with anticipation and resolve. Erik knew that the final test awaited him at the Guild—a chasm that, if crossed, would change his life in Etrium. In the quiet solitude of these waiting days, Erik focused on training, honing his skills, and preparing for what lay ahead.
Erik's days were filled with meticulous planning, physical training, mental exercises, and strategic planning.
However, the most important aspect of his preparation was more than just physical. Erik concentrated on creating new neural links for the Chameleon Veil brain crystal power during this time.
Despite the difficulty, the process went surprisingly smoothly. Erik attributed this to the advanced neural link-development technique developed by the supercomputer, which made it very simple for him to make new ones.
During this intense training session, Erik completed two neural links for the Chameleon Veil. The newly formed links acted as bridges, allowing his brain to communicate with the brain crystal and increasing his control over its power and control mana.
Aside from the intense training, Erik had also been proactive in gathering intel about the nature of the upcoming test. The Guild held its secrets close, but the biological supercomputer was an entity beyond ordinary constraints.
Thanks to its sophisticated capabilities, Erik managed to gather some crucial information about what lay ahead.
According to what he had learned, the Guild devised a simulated quest, a trial that would test a Novice's skills, tactics, and grit. The setting was unusual; the Guild had previously built a specialized arena to test Mercenaries upgrading their ranks.
This arena was created to mimic real-world scenarios, with a variety of challenges that could put every aspect of a mercenary's abilities to the test.
Erik had been tasked with rescuing someone. A person was kidnapped in the fabricated story. His mission was to save this person, navigating the arena's numerous trials and fighting robots and flesh-and-blood mercenaries attempting to stop him.
The idea was simple: the Guild wanted to evaluate Erik's abilities in areas other than combat, such as strategic planning, decision-making, adaptability, and resilience. It was a test that would put Erik's physical prowess, mental acuity, and heart to the test, and it would ensure that what the young man had proven in the previous tests wasn't a fluke.
Knowing this, Erik's training became more focused. He mentally simulated different scenarios, weighing potential outcomes, strategizing, and honing his skills for this mission.
He felt a rush of adrenaline rush through him as the test approached. Everything had been building up to this point: the training, the planning, and the anticipation. The arena awaited him, as did his fate.
***
Erik stepped out of his hotel room into the early morning air as the test day arrived. He quickly summoned a taxi and directed it towards the Guild Hall, eager to face what lay ahead.
Fortunately, the Guild had kept their promise. Erik's identity, details, and video footage about his tests were kept private, and his arrival at the Guild Hall mainly went unnoticed.
Nonetheless, his reputation preceded him. Whispers of 'Erik Kay,' the enigmatic novice with impressive test scores, floated through the crowds, even as Erik himself slipped inside the guild unrecognized.
The area around the Guild Hall was alive with activity. Erik could feel dozens of pairs of eyes scanning the crowd as he made his way through the throng of people inside the guild hall, looking for fresh faces that could potentially belong to the famed Erik Kay.
As curious onlookers speculated about Erik's identity, they noted every new face that came into view and every conversation a Novice had with the clerks.
Erik Kay, the person they were looking for, moved among them unnoticed, his anonymity providing a cloak of invisibility that allowed him to navigate the crowd freely.
Erik made his way to the registration desk, his face hidden beneath the hood of his cloak. A young woman, engrossed in her computer, raised her head as he approached. "Can I assist you?" she asked, her voice full of practiced politeness.
Erik replied, "I came here to take the Novice's practical test."
"Name?"
Erik silently took out his phone and typed a message before handing it to her.
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I'm Erik Kay; please don't say my name aloud; I prefer privacy.
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The words on the screen glowed brightly. The woman's eyes widened slightly as she read the message. She nodded quickly, her hands flitting across her holographic keyboard as she pulled up his profile on the computer. "Mr.," she said quietly, her voice barely audible. "A driver will transport you to the Arena, where the test will take place."
She turned to face him, her gaze moving to his hidden face. "If you're going to take the test, you might want to mask your face," she suggested. "It will be broadcast."
Under his hood, Erik frowned. "Why would it be streamed?" he asked, his voice skeptical.
The woman gave a small smile, maintaining her professional demeanor.
"This is something we always do for the practical tests," she explained. "It assists test-takers in finding good parties or guilds to join. It allows them to demonstrate their abilities to the guilds."
Erik processed the information, comprehending its utility. Nonetheless, the thought of his face being broadcast for all to see sent a shiver down his spine. He thanked the woman and walked away, immediately donning a new mask he bought here in Testrovsc's Rest.
He still had the previous mask he used when he killed Logan, Conal, and Orson, but he couldn't use it for obvious reasons. Erik exited the building to await the man.
A few minutes after his conversation with the clerk, Erik noticed a man approaching. He was dressed in a plain driver's uniform and held a sign with the same symbol Erik had seen on his profile page on the woman's computer.
It was a guild symbol used to identify its members. "Erik Kay?" asked the man, his gaze sweeping over Erik. He smiled as he nodded in agreement, though his eyes remained professionally detached.
"I'm your chauffeur. "Are you ready to go?"
Erik nodded once more, pulling his cloak tighter around him. He followed the man to his car, keeping his head down to avoid drawing attention to himself.
The vehicle parked outside was unremarkable, much like the man driving it. The driver entered the front seat and started the engine as Erik settled into the back.
They walked away from the guild hall, leaving curious stares and whispers behind. Erik couldn't help but feel excitement as the familiar sights of the guild faded into the background. The final test was about to begin, and he was more than prepared.
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