Chapter 4: The First Battle

The moment Garret the Crusher shouted for volunteers, the examinees hesitated. No one wanted to go first.

Without a second thought, Reo stepped forward.

"I'll go."

Lucia clicked her tongue. "Show-off," she muttered, but her eyes gleamed with excitement.

As Reo walked toward the training arena, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.

"Reo… use only half of half of your power in this exam, okay?"

It was Celestia, the goddess who had reincarnated him.

Reo sighed inwardly. Seriously? You're showing up now?

Celestia giggled. "You're too strong already. If you go all out, you'll break the test."

Fine, fine. I'll hold back.

"Good. I'll be watching, my cute little hero~"

Her voice faded.

Reo smirked. Alright, let's do this.

---

Challenge 1: Combat Evaluation

The training field was silent as Reo faced off against a guild instructor—a tall, muscular man wielding a massive greatsword.

"You sure about this, kid?" the instructor asked. "I won't hold back."

Reo cracked his neck. "I hope not."

Garret, the exam supervisor, raised his hand.

"Begin!"

The instructor charged forward, swinging his sword with enough force to shatter boulders.

The other examinees gasped. "That's too much for a beginner!"

But Reo barely moved.

CLANG!

With just a flick of his wrist, he parried the massive sword with a single dagger.

The instructor's eyes widened. "What?!"

Reo smirked. Half of half of my power, huh?

Before the instructor could react, Reo vanished.

Shadow Step.

In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind his opponent.

With a swift strike, he placed his dagger against the instructor's neck.

"Game over."

The entire training field fell silent.

Garret's eyes narrowed. That movement… That technique… Where did this kid learn such skills?

Lucia, watching from the sidelines, grinned. "Tch. Show-off."

---

Challenge 2: Magic Control Test

For this test, mages were required to demonstrate their control over magic.

Reo stepped forward, placing his hand over the magic crystal orb.

Most examinees could only make it glow faint blue or green.

Reo's, however, flashed gold and black.

The instructors gasped.

Garret's eyes narrowed. "Dual Element Affinity?"

Reo stepped back, hiding his smirk. Yeah… better not reveal too much yet.

"Pass," Garret said shortly.

---

Challenge 3: Monster Hunt

The final test required participants to hunt down goblins in the nearby Shadowvale Forest.

Reo and Lucia were grouped together.

"Alright, let's make this quick," Lucia said, unsheathing her sword.

Reo nodded. "Let's go."

They entered the forest… unaware that something far stronger than goblins was waiting for them.

(To be continued…)