Tikona

“The test is simple.”

Barton bent down and dragged a half-worn wooden box from under his desk.

He opened it to reveal a thick stack of scrolls made from rough beast hide.

“Draw one.”

Barton was a man of few words.

“Each of these scrolls corresponds to a monster threat that the Association has recently monitored and needs to be eliminated or driven away. Everything from the lowest-level goblin harassment to tougher creatures holed up in abandoned mines. Whatever you draw, you complete. If you complete it to standard, the badges are yours. If you fail, or if you retreat…”

He paused.

“Then it proves you are not yet worthy of embarking on a true adventurer’s path.”

Xia Ya raised an eyebrow.

This simple and direct method was very much in line with Barton’s military style.

He glanced at Beilixiya beside him.

The girl had already recovered from her earlier embarrassment, her eyes once again calm and focused.

Her tail swayed gently behind her, indicating anticipation rather than nervousness.

“Understood.”

Xia Ya nodded, stepped forward, and thrust his hand into the wooden box without hesitation.

His fingers brushed against the rough hide scrolls.

He randomly grabbed one and pulled it out.

Untying the string, he unrolled the scroll.

On it, a ferocious monster was depicted with concise text and crude lines: a massive, humanoid body covered in coarse, dark brown fur, with muscles as solid as rock.

Its large bull-like head was crowned with a pair of sharp, curved horns, its eyes were blood-red, and it clutched a giant stone axe in its hand.

The top of the scroll was clearly marked:

Target: Minotaur

Location: Abandoned Lumberyard (Edge of the Black Forest, west of the city)

Threat Level: C+ (Requires a three-person team for coordinated subjugation)

Mission Requirement: Eliminate or expel, and bring back its horns as proof.

“A Minotaur?”

Xia Ya clicked his tongue.

“A C+ rank, recommending a three-person team? Tsk, not bad luck at all.”

He wasn’t afraid, he just thought the difficulty was a bit substantial for a “rookie test.”

Beilixiya leaned over to take a look.

“Young Master, this is…”

“What? Scared?” Xia Ya teased her deliberately.

In truth, they had defeated far more powerful opponents during their “death-courting” escapades long ago.

Beilixiya immediately straightened her back.

“Beilixiya is not scared! Beilixiya can protect the Young Master! It’s just…”

She hesitated, glancing at the “recommends a three-person team” note.

Just then—

Bang!

The heavy oak door to the registration room was slammed open, crashing against the wall with a loud bang, instantly shattering the solemn atmosphere in the room.

A slender figure rushed in like a whirlwind, bringing with her a gust of cool air.

The newcomer was a girl, looking to be around Beilixiya’s age, perhaps fifteen or sixteen.

The most striking thing about her was her long, golden hair, which shimmered in the room like molten gold.

Her skin was a healthy tan, and her delicate features had a wild, flamboyant edge, especially her eyes—which, like Beilixiya’s, had vertical pupils!

She wore a set of practical adventurer’s leather armor, simple in design but covering all the vital areas.

At her waist hung a uniquely shaped scimitar, its hilt inlaid with a red crystal.

The most crucial identifying feature was a pair of small yet sharp, metallic-gold horns standing proudly amidst her golden hair!

A tail, also covered in fine golden scales, swished restlessly behind her, betraying its owner’s current impatient mood.

“Hey! Old man! When does my registration test start? I’ve been waiting forever!”

The girl’s voice was clear and loud, carrying an undeniable vitality and… a touch of impatience.

Her gaze swept the room, landing first on Guild Master Barton, then naturally shifting to Xia Ya and Beilixiya.

When her eyes met Beilixiya’s, her vertical pupils contracted sharply.

The impatient look on her face was instantly replaced by immense surprise and curiosity.

Her gaze wandered back and forth between Beilixiya’s silver-grey horns, amber dragon eyes, and the tail behind her, finally settling on the outline of the massive, cloth-wrapped weapon on Beilixiya’s back.

Her eyes were filled with undisguised inquiry and… a light that seemed to recognize a kindred spirit.

The moment Xia Ya saw the golden-haired, golden-horned girl with crimson-gold vertical pupils rush in, his heart felt like it was seized by an invisible hand!

‘It’s her! Tikona Flame!

That name exploded in his mind like a clap of thunder!

One of the three default protagonists from “Dragon Maiden Nurturing Manual.”

She possessed the extremely rare “Crimson Gold Flame Dragon” bloodline, had a fiery and direct personality, and was a super-proactive character who was crucial in driving the main plot forward.

In the original story, she and Beilixiya were “fated rivals” who fought epic battles later on due to their opposing factions and beliefs.

Even after Beilixiya joined the protagonist’s party, their relationship was like fire and water.

A cold sweat nearly broke out on Xia Ya’s back.

He had schemed and planned, avoided the original plotline, and brought Beilixiya to his side early, all to stay away from these fated protagonists.

How had he run into one on the very first day of the test?! Was this the damned course correction of the world?!

He subconsciously wanted to pull Beilixiya a few steps back, to get away from this “source of trouble.”

However, Beilixiya, standing beside him, had a completely different reaction.

The moment Tikona burst in, Beilixiya’s gaze was firmly captured.

‘One of her own kind! And such a dazzling, vibrant one at that!’

The sense of resonance from deep within her bloodline made her amber dragon eyes light up instantly, filled with pure curiosity and a subtle hint of affinity.

She even tilted her head slightly, carefully studying Tikona’s golden horns and crimson-gold vertical pupils.

Tikona clearly sensed Beilixiya’s gaze and the aura of their shared heritage.

She completely ignored Xia Ya and darted over to Beilixiya in a few steps.

“Wow! You’re a dragon-kin too?! What bloodline? Silver Dragon? Steel Dragon? The color of your horns is so unique! Silver-grey! And your tail…”

As she spoke, she actually reached out curiously, wanting to touch the tip of Beilixiya’s tail as it hung behind her!

“My Beilixiya is not for just anyone to touch.”

Xia Ya stepped forward, interrupting Tikona’s presumptuous action. The two of them were now glaring at each other.

“Tikona,” Barton’s voice carried a hint of helplessness, “how many times have I told you, knock! And call me Guild Master!”

“Tikona Flame, your assessment mission.”

“Is to complete this Minotaur subjugation mission with these two.”

“What?!”

Xia Ya and Tikona exclaimed in unison, though Xia Ya’s voice was filled with resistance, while Tikona’s was pure surprise and dissatisfaction.

“Assist them? Why? I can handle it myself!”

Tikona immediately protested, pointing at the scroll in Xia Ya’s hand.

“It’s just a Minotaur, isn’t it? I can take it on by myself…”

“This is an assessment mission, not an opportunity for you to play the hero.”

Guild Master Barton cut her off coldly, his gaze stern.

“The mission scroll clearly states ‘recommends a three-person team,’ and you are, coincidentally, three people.”

His gaze swept over Xia Ya and Beilixiya, finally landing on Tikona.

“The rules permit forming a temporary team to complete the assessment mission. Either accept it and go with them, or forfeit your eligibility for this assessment and go back to the end of the line!”

Tikona was taken aback.

She glared at Guild Master Barton, then at the disgusted look on Xia Ya’s face, and finally, her gaze fell on Beilixiya, who stood quietly to the side, her eyes full of curiosity and goodwill towards her.

She bit her lip, seemingly weighing her options.

‘Don’t agree! Don’t team up! Stay away from us!’

Xia Ya pleaded internally, but the reality was, he seemed to have no reason to refuse the Guild Master’s arrangement.

“Hmph! Fine, a team it is!”

Tikona finally stomped her foot in a huff, pointing at Xia Ya.

“Hey! You! Let me see that mission scroll! Let’s get this straight, don’t hold me back! And you,” she turned to Beilixiya, her expression instantly changing from cloudy to sunny, with a natural sense of closeness, “I’m Tikona! And you? Your weapon is huge! It must be really powerful, right?”

Faced with Tikona’s enthusiastic gaze, Beilixiya lowered her head a little shyly.

“My name is Beilixiya von Wolfgang. This is ‘Wrath of the Stars,’ forged for me by my Young Master.”

“Wow! Wrath of the Stars! Such a cool name!”

Tikona’s attention was immediately captured.

She circled around Beilixiya and the greatsword on her back, her earlier displeasure seemingly vanishing into thin air.

Xia Ya watched the two dragon-kin girls who had so quickly “hit it off” and felt his vision go dark.

‘It’s over. The gears of fate seem to be turning uncontrollably.’

He clutched the Minotaur scroll, feeling it weigh a thousand pounds in his hand.

“Then, the assessment begins. Target: the abandoned lumberyard at the edge of the Black Forest, west of the city. Time limit: bring back the Minotaur’s horns before sunset. Good luck to you.”

He waved his hand as if shooing away flies.

“Now, immediately, get out of my office.”