Chapter 34: Vessel License

How could he have been so reckless?

Of course, it was a terrible idea for anyone else to know the true extent of what had awakened inside of him.

He was grateful for the system.

But why? It was protecting them.

No. He couldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. He came here for a purpose and he needed to finish it.

The crystal finally stabilized.

---

[AFFINITY EVALUATION]

PRIMARY AFFINITY: WIND

GRADE: 6 (A-RANK)

POTENCY: HIGH

COMPATIBILITY: EXCELLENT

SECONDARY AFFINITY: LIGHTNING

GRADE: 5 (B-RANK)

POTENCY: MODERATE

COMPATIBILITY: GOOD

[UNABLE TO DETERMINE FULL AFFINITIES]

[EVALUATION INCOMPLETE]

---

Aris frowned at the display. He tapped the machine’s interface in front of him, frowning deeper.

"That’s... unusual." He looked at Emeric. "The machine is showing interference. Like something is blocking a deeper scan."

He gestured to Emeric to exit to booth.

"I’ve never seen this before. The machine rarely malfunctions."

"I don’t know what to tell you," Emeric said, keeping his voice neutral. "I awakened recently. My abilities are still developing. I don’t fully understand them myself."

Aris studied him for a long moment. Then he shrugged and made a note.

"We’ll proceed with what we can read."

He led Emeric to the next station—a smaller crystal, this one designed for skill assessment.

"Place your hand here. The machine will detect and catalog your active skills."

Emeric pressed his palm against the crystal.

It flared. The display appeared.

[SKILLS DETECTED]

SKILL: DEVOTION LEDGER

RANK: A

TYPE: UNIQUE

NOTES: Unrecognized skill classification. Purpose unknown. Further analysis required.

SKILL: REGEN

RANK: E

TYPE: BIOLOGICAL ENHANCEMENT

EFFECT: Accelerated natural healing.

[ADDITIONAL SKILLS UNDETECTABLE]

---

Aris stared at the display.

"Devotion Ledger?" He tapped the crystal. "That’s not a standard skill classification."

He looked at Emeric, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"I’ve never seen that before. And the machine is showing interference again. Like something is blocking it."

His tone had shifted. He was suspicious now.

"Is there something you’re not telling me, Mr. Halden?"

Emeric met his gaze.

"I awakened recently. This is all new to me."

It was the truth. Just not all of it.

Aris held his gaze for a long moment. Then he made a note on his clipboard.

"Fine. Your assessment is incomplete, but we’ll proceed."

He led Emeric to the physical assessment area.

"Last test. Show me what you can do. Strength, speed, endurance."

Emeric moved through the tests.

He lifted weights that would have strained most Tier 9s. His sprints were fast, his agility sharp. His endurance held through continuous exertion without fatigue.

Aris recorded everything, his expression shifting each time.

"Impressive physique for a Tier 9. You’ve been training?"

"Extensively."

"Good. That’ll keep you alive."

Twenty minutes later, Emeric held his official Vessel License.

[VESSEL LICENSE — OFFICIAL ISSUE]

NAME: Emeric Halden

ID: EMR-895-03459

AGE: 22

TIER: 9th Tier

VESSEL RANK: E

AFFILIATION: None

ISSUED: Bloomtide 4th, Year 895 MD

EXPIRY: Annual Renewal Required

---

Emeric stared at the rank, unable to hide his disappointment.

"E-rank?" He looked up at Aris. "Based on my evaluations, I should be—"

"The machine interference worked against you." Aris cut him off. "Your affinity assessment was incomplete. Your skills were partially undetectable. We can’t give you a higher rank without complete data."

Emeric said nothing.

"On the bright side," Aris added, "E-rank still gives you access to F and E-rank rifts. That’s enough to start. If you want to rank up, you’ll need to clear rifts and prove your capabilities. The Guild tracks success rates and performance."

"Understood."

"You can check the Vessel Guild’s bulletin board for job requests, rifts that need clearing and parties looking for new members."

"Parties?"

He had never thought about joining a party.

"One more thing." Aris’s expression turned serious. "As an E-rank, I strongly recommend you don’t attempt rifts alone. Join a party first. Get experience. Rookies die because they overestimate themselves."

Emeric pocketed the license.

"I’ll keep that in mind."

He turned and walked out.

---

Outside the evaluation center, the guild was busier than when he had gone in. Emeric looked down at the license in his hand.

E-rank was not what he expected but maybe it was for the better. It didn’t matter anyway; it was a start.

He walked to the bulletin board, scanning the available jobs and rifts that he could take on.

Several E-rank rifts were available but none permitted solo clears yet.

He scanned further and his eyes finally settled on one:

[RIFT — RANK E: MOSS SERPENT CAVERNS]

[STATUS: OPEN (Solo Permitted)]

[ESTIMATED DURATION: 2-4 Hours]

[RECOMMENDED TIER: 9th — 8th]

[REWARD: Tier Progress, Material Drops, Guild Credits]

Emeric stared at it, considering the possibility.

His mind quickly went to the last time he came back from a rift dive alone. He had nearly died.

No. Isolde would have his head for sure this time.

She needed to be aware of his plans.

Chapter 35: THE HUNT

The royal messenger arrived at midday.

Emeric had gotten back home no longer than two hours.

He heard the horse first—hooves pounding against the dirt road, slowing as they approached the small house. Then a knock at the door.

He opened the door to find a man in royal livery, holding a sealed parchment bearing the Magenta crest.

"Emeric Halden?"

"Yes."

The messenger handed him the scroll. "From His Majesty’s Royal Court. You are commanded to attend."

Emeric took the scroll. It was heavy. The wax seal was intact.

The messenger bowed and left without another word.

Emeric closed the door and stared at the parchment in his hands.

Isolde wheeled into the sitting room and her eyes found the scroll.

"What is it?"

He didn’t answer. He broke the seal and read.

(ROYAL SUMMONS — OFFICIAL DECREE)

To: Emeric Halden, House Halden

You are hereby commanded to represent House Halden in the Annual Royal Hunt. The Hunt shall commence at dawn on the seventh day of the month of Ember’s Rise and shall continue for three days within the Azure Mountain Regions.

All able-bodied male nobles of rank are required to participate. Failure to attend will result in forfeiture of social standing and potential censure from the Crown.

Accommodations will be provided at the Royal Hunting Grounds. Bring your own weapons and supplies. Mercenaries and retainers are permitted but must be registered upon arrival.

By order of Her Majesty, Queen Sylvia Magenta.