It was getting late.
Vael decided to register at the guild.
He strolled through the city, taking in the sights — merchants closing up, adventurers laughing, some limping, some proud.
As he approached the guild building, he felt it.
Emotions everywhere.
Excitement. Pride. Fear. Greed.
His incubus senses tingled.
In front of the door stood a bald man with a broad sword strapped to his back.
"Oy, kid. If you want to enter, gotta pay."
Vael looked at him calmly.
He could feel it.
Jealousy.
Probably because one of the man's female companions had been staring at Vael.
"Aye look," Vael said casually, "I put this on my mama, I ain't paying. Slide before I do something to you."
His gravity rune was still active on his body.
And even with it weighing him down, he knew he could hurt this man.
Bad.
"Oh, so you tough?" the bald adventurer sneered. "That's the rules, kid."
He grabbed Vael's shoulder and applied pressure.
Vael looked at his hand.
Then grabbed it like it was nothing.
Shrugged him off.
The man stumbled back.
Surprised.
Vael smiled.
The man lunged.
Or at least — he thought he did.
Velvet Reality had already activated.
To him, he was swinging.
In reality?
He was shadowboxing the air.
Vael walked past him.
The man's buddies stared.
"…dumbass."
Vael pushed open the door.
Inside the Guild
It was loud.
Rowdy.
Adventurers drinking, arguing, bragging.
He walked to the counter and smiled.
"I'd like to register."
Heads turned.
Some intrigued.
Some lustful.
Some older women — real cougar energy — started catcalling.
"This a rowdy place," Vael said, glancing at the name tag.
Miss Jesse — Witch.
She smirked.
"Yeah. Like this all the time. Robert keeps things in check."
She pointed to a massive orc with tribal tattoos standing near a pillar.
"Damn he big as hell," Vael muttered.
She grinned.
"He deters most nonsense. And you… you handsome. Look like trouble."
Vael smirked while filling out his information.
He handed her the paper.
She looked at it.
"…You're fifteen?"
"Basically an adult though."
She studied him.
"Do you understand the risks and dangers?"
"Yes ma'am."
He looked directly into her eyes.
That gold-and-violet gaze.
She exhaled.
"Whew, boy. I see why those cougars saying they'd buy everything you sell."
She pinched his cheek.
"Alright. You'll take a mock battle and multiple measurements — mana, physical strength, all that."
"Bet."
She pointed down a hallway.
Strength Assessment
Several instructors stood inside a testing chamber.
In the center sat a massive square stone block engraved with gravity runes.
One instructor read his form and laughed.
"Check this out. Fifteen."
They chuckled.
Vael smiled calmly.
"Hey. How 'bout a bet?"
They looked intrigued.
"If I push that block to the end of the room, three silver coins."
The men exchanged looks.
Easy money.
They formed a mana pact so no one could cheat.
Vael quietly deactivated his gravity rune.
Relief washed over his body.
"Whew. That's better."
He approached the block.
The instructors grinned.
"Lunch on you."
Vael took a stance.
Planted his feet.
And pushed.
The block scraped violently across the floor with explosive force —
And slammed into the far wall.
Cracking it.
Silence.
The rune display glowed.
Weight Equivalent: 1,200 kilograms
(About 2,645 pounds.)
The instructors stared.
"…what?"
Vael blinked.
"Huh. I've grown a lot."
He looked back at them and coughed.
"Cough it up."
Slowly, three silver coins were handed over.
Their expressions had changed.
This wasn't normal.
And this was with him previously training under gravity.