Chapter 37: Promotion Ceremony

Seeing Kelly’s earnest stare, Meng Linna smiled.

“It’s a C-rank spell!”

Compared to the Thunder Pillar, Lightning Spear was weaker but faster and less mana-heavy.

It was the foundation of lightning attack spells.

Meng Linna dared to use a C-rank spell publicly for two reasons.

After absorbing the spellbook’s magic, her strength hit C-rank.

She was still D-rank only because Miao Miao Niya hadn’t scheduled her promotion.

Second, she’d bought a shady lightning prayer book on the black market.

Not a clean source, but it covered her spell learning.

“So, Teacher Big Dream’s already C-rank strong?”

Stone Fang grabbed her shoulders, shaking her.

“How long you been hiding this?”

“I wasn’t hiding! When I learned water spells, I was near C-rank. The guild’s swamped with promotions. I haven’t officially announced it, so I didn’t tell you.”

“True.”

Stone Fang nodded.

“Thanks to your Marigold Potion, adventurers are bolder. Everyone’s leveling up fast. Isn’t that great? If they’re bolder, potion sales should climb.”

Meng Linna daydreamed about the future.

***

“Wait!”

Miao Miao Niya waved Meng Linna over.

“Your promotion test is up. Come when you’re free.”

“Finally!”

Meng Linna’s patience was wearing thin after days of waiting.

Stone Fang raised her hand.

“We want to watch. That okay?”

“No problem. Just wait a bit. I’ll finish here and take you.”

After waiting for Miao Miao Niya to handle some paperwork, they headed to the testing room.

Adventurer ranks were A, B, C, D.

A-rank was the peak for most.

Higher ranks existed but were rare.

As a combat-heavy job, ranks tied to strength.

Cheating was nearly impossible.

Promotion tests used devices to measure stats.

If you met the minimum, you faced a combat trial.

“Clench your fist, arm at heart level. Don’t talk or move.”

Miao Miao Niya strapped a device to Meng Linna’s arm and pressed a button.

With a “beep,” the strap tightened her muscles.

“Strength: D-rank. Agility: D-rank.”

The device read her stats.

Stone Fang clenched her fist.

“No worries. Teacher Big Dream’s a mage. Physical stats don’t matter.”

“True.”

Miao Miao Niya nodded.

“You’re registered as a faith warrior. But you’re useless in melee. How about changing your class to mage?”

She’d reviewed their reports and knew Meng Linna’s water spells.

She met mage standards, despite limited spells.

Meng Linna nodded.

“Please do.”

“Done.”

Miao Miao Niya checked the class-change box and led her forward.

“Now, test your mage abilities.”

She handed Meng Linna a black gem.

“Pour in your mana. No holding back. It’ll flow back after.”

Meng Linna took the gem, worried.

“Won’t mana reflux harm me?”

“Theoretically, no. Our guild’s device is modified. I don’t know the tech, but it’s safe. Just one rule: empty your mana. Otherwise, reflux could mess you up.”

“Sounds sketchy.”

Unconvinced but compliant, Meng Linna started.

The device blocked her mana regen.

Pouring mana felt like exhaling while holding her breath.

No recovery, just output.

Suffocating.

“Relax. Dizziness is normal when mana’s low.”

Miao Miao Niya gestured for her to sit.

“Mana: C-rank.”

The device read out within a second of her stopping.

Her drained mana flowed back through her fingers.

The reverse surge felt odd.

But with regen blocked, no residual mana clashed, avoiding a circuit overload.

“Not bad. You meet the minimum promotion requirement.”

Miao Miao Niya recorded her mana data.

“Ugh.”

Mana reflux made Meng Linna dizzy.

Low mana drained her mentally.

Rapid recovery felt like motion sickness.

“Rest a bit. Then we’ll set up the next test.”

“Another test?”

Meng Linna’s face fell.

Her D-rank test didn’t have this.

“It’s a promotion. You need to prove C-rank strength. Defeat a C-rank monster solo within a time limit.”

Miao Miao Niya placed a monster index in front of her.

“Good news: you pick the monster.”