Finn felt awkward. He really didn't want to stand out too much at this time!

However, he was suddenly thrown to an interview-slash-interrogation with the Guild Branch Master and the elders themselves!

Apparently, one of the three old men at the side was the Lotus Town Branch Guild Master, Thussalem!

No one knew because the branch head rarely joined in these things, but it so happened that the old man was feeling bored and capricious and sat in a few tests, which happened to include his.

Now…those old men all looked at him with sparkling eyes, as if he were a treasure they found.

"Your potential is so high, how can your level be so low at your age?" they asked, genuinely confused.

"Yeah, it's so mysterious."

"Can you tell us more about yourself?"

Finn immediately turned on his shameless lying skills. "I was… sickly, and I couldn't even absorb a core for a while."

They all looked at him in pity, though their faces also looked like they were pitying the world for the loss. "My child…when did you awaken?"

He was reluctant to answer this honestly, so he adjusted it a bit. "Less than a year ago."

"And you're already tier 3?!" They screamed, and Finn wanted to rub his ears.

Hey, if they found out it had been a few months, would his ears bleed?

"Well, yes," he mumbled. "I… I'm relatively weak for my age; there's no need to make a big deal out of 'potential' when it hasn't even manifested yet."

"No, you don't understand. It has been a very, very, very long time since we've seen someone with S potential! Do you know what this means?"

"Err…"

Is it okay to say he didn't want to know?

It was useless, though, because the old men would definitely yell it at his ears anyway. "This means you can upgrade to a Titan!!"

"...I see…"

"WHY ARE YOU NOT EXCITED ABOUT THIS!?"

More than excited, Finn felt… dread.

And sure enough—

"This means you can be a hero!"

"A hero! A hero!"

"We must train him well!"

He cursed internally. After what happened to his parents, the words like 'hero', 'sacrifice', and 'charity' made his stomach tumble in distaste.

The old men were wholly unaware of the thoughts swirling in his head, however. "You were born in the right era, when the monsters are gaining power again!"

"We must maximize his potential!!" the branch head said, waving his hands around passionately. "Make an announcement!!"

Shit.

"We cannot let outsiders know!"

"Yes, yes! What if those bastards from the Mercenary Guild decided to steal him away from us?"

"Worse, they could try to kill him!"

Shiiiitt

The more Finn heard, the more worried he was and the more he wanted to go home. At least in the Inn, there were a lot of rules, and there was a barrier; each one would protect him a lot more than being around here.

"Listen, old men…" he said. They paused, watching intently on what he'd say.

They were probably thinking he'd say some things like he would be grateful for their help, yada yada, and he wondered if they'd be mad if he said otherwise.

He heard that these old men were all at least at the peak fortified state. Not to mention, many branch masters in the capital region were even in the Apex state. If they wanted to kidnap him and make him train the whole thirty hours of the day, then he'd have little choice!!

He had to be very, very careful. With great power—even if he had yet to actually feel it—came great responsibility, burdens, and hassles, and he seriously wanted none of that.

"I'm a bit…ill, so—"

"We can find the best alchemists and healers for you."

"..."

"Er… can we talk about it after I become an adventurer?"

"Silly lad," the guildmaster said. "You're already one!"

"Isn't there another test?"

The passionate Elder Waeron, the one who took the second test for him, couldn't help but add. "The Guildmaster himself said you're already one, so you don't have to—"

"I'd like to take it."

"What?"

"I don't want to place anyone in awkward positions, and I am not comfortable skipping steps."

Don't get him wrong: Finn loved skipping steps.

However, he could take several extra ones if that meant he didn't have to deal with these old men!

…

As for the last exam, it was more of a practicum for survival skills. Every examinee would be sent about ten kilometers into the danger zone.

This was within the level 0 area, which had small amounts of beasts, but for people who didn't go to danger zones, encountering a single beast was terrifying, not to mention deadly.

They were given one day to head back, which, considering the pace of normal treks, was very possible.

The catch— other than the fact that they could encounter beasts—was that they'd be sent out only an hour or two before dusk. This meant they'd spend the night there! Even if they were allowed to bring their own weapons and potions, most people simply wouldn't be reassured.

Everyone had different expressions on their faces while they were gathered in the large plaza, with some senior guild members. Most were anxious, though, and understandably so.

The old men looked at Finn in concern. Fortunately, they followed his request to not treat him differently in public, otherwise he was sure his 'illness could resurface'.

So now he was just standing amongst the other examinees, listening to the examiner give an overview of what they had to do to pass, and finally call themselves adventurers.

"There are now 61 examinees. We will be placing you at equidistant spots in the danger zone, approximately 10 kilometers away from here.

"You will be grouped and dropped by threes to fours, but you can decide whether to cooperate, fight, or ditch your teammates.

"Please know that there will be no extra protection, but you can bring your own equipment and items to this excursion. You will truly be on your own, so don't expect backups or rescues if you encounter danger," he said.

"Whether you die because of beasts or humans, then you can only count yourselves unlucky.

"If —and this is a big if—you're lucky to have one of the proctors nearby, then you can ask to be rescued. However, that will be an automatic disqualification, and you'd have to retake the exam.

"That said, if you wish to back out of this exam, you are free to do so," he said. "You can retake and pay the exam fee again, but you can head straight to the third exam."

They allowed ten minutes for the examinees to think about this, some of them having family members at the side to discuss with.

In the end, only a dozen people were left, and many of them because they were too injured from the first exam, so they were not confident they'd survive this one.

Most people stayed, though, because they took the exam knowing what to expect. Not to mention, many of them did not live here, so it was impractical to return another time when they could possibly complete all tasks in one trip.

The examinees were ushered to different carts, which all went to the north gate to the danger zone, separating and heading to slightly different directions as soon as they passed the gates.

The third exam starts now!

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