Chapter 35: The Potential of the Red-Eyed

The long corridors of the Silver Falcons were completely different from the loud entrance hall of the guild.

Old swords hung from the walls alongside broken monster horns and faded banners from past expeditions. In several places, magical lamps burned with a soft blue light.

The group’s footsteps echoed through the stone hallways.

Gareth walked ahead of them, his hands calmly clasped behind his back.

The three children followed closely.

Again and again, they passed members of the Silver Falcons.

A tall spearman immediately stopped when he saw Gareth.

“Guildmaster Gareth.”

A little farther down the corridor, a mage gave him a slight bow.

“Good day, Master Gareth.”

Even heavily armed adventurers stepped aside as soon as Gareth approached.

Yun Yun looked visibly impressed.

“Everyone kind of listens to him...”

Kaien slowly nodded.

“He really is the leader, after all.”

Meanwhile, Lyra was already writing everything down in her diary.

“The Silver Falcons apparently possess a strongly developed hierarchy.”

Gareth smirked slightly.

The group continued around a corner.

A woman was leaning casually against a stone pillar.

Long blonde hair fell over her shoulders.

Her left eye was completely black.

The right one, however, was missing entirely.

A long scar ran across the right side of her face.

Despite that, there was something dangerously calm about her gaze.

A curved sword hung at her hip.

The woman grinned as soon as she saw Gareth.

“Well, look who it is.”

Her voice was rough and confident.

“The great Gareth himself.”

Gareth rolled his eyes slightly.

“Nerissa.”

The woman’s grin widened.

Nerissa pushed herself away from the wall and studied the children.

Her attention seemed to settle on Yun Yun and Lyra almost immediately, particularly their red eyes.

“And who are the little ones?”

She leaned forward slightly.

“New recruits?”

Gareth gave a calm nod.

“We’re testing their potential.”

His gaze shifted toward her.

“Could you bring Eldros here, please?”

Nerissa raised an eyebrow.

“I want him to examine their magical potential.”

Gareth paused briefly, considering something.

“And tell him to bring the orb.”

Nerissa’s grin immediately widened.

“How interesting.”

She briefly ran her tongue across her lips.

“I’d be happy to.”

She raised one finger.

“Under one condition.”

Gareth was already starting to smile.

“And what would that be?”

Nerissa slowly pointed toward the children.

“After the test is over...”

Her single eye gleamed faintly.

“I want to see the little ones fight.”

Kaien swallowed nervously.

Yun Yun, on the other hand, suddenly looked interested.

Lyra immediately wrote something down in her diary.

Gareth let out a deliberately annoyed sigh.

“You really only ever think about fighting.”

Nerissa grinned proudly.

“Of course.”

Gareth eventually waved a hand dismissively.

“Fine. You have permission.”

Nerissa laughed quietly.

“Perfect.”

She turned around and casually disappeared down the corridor.

The group continued onward until they eventually reached the Silver Falcons’ training grounds.

A massive courtyard opened up before them.

Adventurers were training everywhere.

Swords crashed against one another.

Magical projectiles exploded in the distance.

Some warriors practiced against wooden dummies, while others fought each other directly.

Kaien’s eyes immediately lit up.

“Whoa...”

Yun Yun looked around with clear excitement.

Lyra, on the other hand, was more interested in observing the different weapons and fighting styles around the courtyard.

A few minutes later, Nerissa returned.

Beside her walked a man with brown hair and clear blue eyes. Tucked beneath his arm was a dark glass orb.

The moment his gaze fell on Yun Yun and Lyra, he came to an abrupt stop.

“You...”

He stared at the two of them.

“You have red eyes.”

His voice carried genuine shock.

Even Gareth smiled slightly at his reaction.

Eldros stepped closer, his blue eyes now shining with unmistakable interest.

“I’ve never seen humans with red eyes before.”

He studied Yun Yun and Lyra the way a researcher might study a rare discovery.

“The two of you probably possess abnormal magical potential.”

Yun Yun’s face immediately turned red with excitement.

“Really?!”

Lyra confidently crossed her arms.

“Of course we do.”

Nerissa laughed.

“I like the little one.”

Eldros carefully placed the orb on a stone table.

His voice became calmer.

“One at a time, you will place your hand on the orb.”

He looked seriously at the children.

“When you touch it, calm your mind.”

He gestured toward his head.

“Think about nothing.”

Yun Yun nodded with concentration.

“After a while, your mana will naturally begin to harmonize with the orb.”

His blue eyes grew more serious.

“And then your subconscious will react.”

Lyra immediately began writing everything down.

“The color of the orb will reveal which element you are naturally most attuned to.”

Yun Yun slowly stepped forward.

Yun Yun carefully placed her hand on the orb.

At first, nothing happened.

The courtyard seemed to fade into silence.

She slowly closed her eyes.

Emptiness.

Nothing but darkness.

Then, in her mind, she found herself lying on her back.

An endless sky stretched above her.

Beneath her roared a vast ocean.

No land.

No people.

Only water.

Endless and immeasurable.

The orb slowly began to glow blue.

A beautiful, calm shade of ocean blue.

But the water grew colder.

Colder and colder.

The wind became sharp.

Ice slowly formed across the surface of the ocean.

The color of the orb changed.

Brighter.

Colder.

Almost white.

Frost suddenly spread across its entire surface.

CRACK.

The orb exploded with a deafening sound.

Fragments scattered across the table.

Several adventurers who had been training nearby turned around in alarm.

Eldros froze completely.

Nerissa grinned with excitement.

And Gareth...

burst out laughing.

“I’ve never seen anything like that before!”

He amusedly slapped his own shoulder.

“Very impressive.”

Lyra was already writing everything down at a frantic pace.

“The orb exploded.”

She paused to think.

“Very dramatic.”

Gareth turned toward Eldros.

“Well?”

A broad grin spread across his face.

“What exactly do we have here?”

Yun Yun slowly opened her eyes again.

Her body swayed slightly as she struggled to regain her balance.

Before Lyra could react, Kaien had already caught Yun Yun.

Yun Yun smiled at him immediately.

“Thanks.”

Kaien’s face turned red, and he quickly looked away.

“N-No problem.”

Eldros took a deep breath before beginning his explanation.

“Yun Yun possesses an exceptionally high talent for Water Magic.”

His gaze shifted toward the frozen remains of the orb.

“But that alone does not explain the explosion.”

His expression grew more serious.

“It appears that she was born with a Subclass Magic.”

Kaien blinked in confusion.

“Subclass Magic?”

Eldros nodded.

“Each main element has several subtypes.”

He began to list them.

“Fire, for example, includes Flame Magic, Explosion Magic, Smoke Magic, and Lava Manipulation.”

As he spoke, even some of the nearby adventurers began listening more closely.

“Lightning mages can develop Thunder Magic or Magnetism.”

He briefly pointed toward a metal wall.

“Some can even use Magnetism to run along walls.”

Yun Yun stared at him in amazement.

“Others develop Light Magic.”

Eldros paused briefly.

“And a rare few can send electrical impulses through their brains to think faster.”

Lyra stopped writing in the middle of a sentence.

“That sounds unfair.”

Nerissa laughed quietly.

Eldros continued.

“Water has Ice, Mist, Poison, and Healing Magic.”

He raised a finger.

“Air can develop into Sound Magic, Flight Magic, Scent or Tracking Magic, and Wind Blades.”

Kaien looked genuinely impressed.

“Earth, on the other hand, has Nature Magic, Sand Magic, Metal Magic, and Crystal Magic.”

Eldros let out a quiet sigh.

“Some Earth mages can even create gold or silver.”

Yun Yun’s eyes widened.

“Really?!”

Eldros nodded at once.

“Highly illegal, by the way.”

Nerissa grinned.

“And extremely profitable.”

“Nerissa.”

Gareth’s voice made her immediately raise her hands innocently.

Eldros cleared his throat and continued.

“There is also Mind Magic.”

Kaien immediately grew nervous.

“Wait a second... people can read minds?!”

“A few of them.”

Kaien immediately took a step back.

“That’s creepy.”

Yun Yun nodded in complete agreement.

Eldros eventually turned his attention back to Yun Yun.

“Yun Yun is clearly a Water Mage.”

He gestured toward the frozen shards.

“And she appears to have been born with Ice Magic.”

His voice became serious.

“That is extremely rare.”

Yun Yun’s eyes immediately began to shine.

“Normally, a Subclass Magic only develops after years of training.”

Yun Yun practically squealed with excitement.

In an instant, she threw her arms around Lyra.

“Did you hear that?!”

Lyra was nearly crushed.

“Yes... unfortunately.”

Yun Yun grinned happily.

She then ran straight toward Kaien and hugged him as well.

Kaien immediately froze.

His face turned bright red.

Gareth had to laugh.

“Not so fast, little one.”

His gaze shifted toward Lyra.

“We still have one more person to test.”

Eldros sighed at the sight of the destroyed orb.

“I’d better get another one.”

With that, he began walking away.

Meanwhile, Nerissa watched Lyra with a dangerous grin.

She lightly licked her lips again.

“Now I’m curious about you, little girl...”

Her single black eye remained fixed on Lyra.

“Something tells me...”

Her grin widened.

“...that you’re going to be interesting as well.”