Melee Mage

Of course, not every S-rank adventurer possessed city-destroying capabilities.

Pure destructive power wasn’t the sole metric for measuring one’s strength. Some specialized classes, though lacking world-ending destructive force, could still cause immense trouble for their enemies.

For instance, the former owner of Aliciel’s “Night’s Kiss” was an S-rank assassin. She excelled at assassination, a perfect counter to fragile mages, but asking her to instantly reduce a city to ashes was a tall order.

Nevertheless, S-rank remained a goal for countless individuals.

Above S-rank were SS, SSS, and the ultimate, EX!

With each tier, one’s power increased exponentially, and above EX were the gods!

Her sister, Alicia, was EX-rank. In the entire theocracy, she was the strongest, surpassed only by the Elven High Priest, the twelve-winged Seraphim, and the Holy Hero.

Having such a formidable sister, Aliciel had felt immense pressure since childhood, especially since she herself lacked any aptitude for cultivation. It was as if Alicia alone had exhausted the family’s potential.

Now, she could only realize her dream thanks to the potion her sister had prepared.

“…”

Ciel shook her head, refocusing her attention on the crystal ball. She calmed her mind and channeled her mana into it.

Hum—!

The next moment, the entire crystal ball erupted in a dazzling light. The brilliant luminescence illuminated the entire room, drawing the gazes of countless people.

The brighter the light from the crystal ball, the denser the user’s mana. The brightness had already reached the crystal ball’s limit; any brighter, and it would likely shatter.

“S… S-rank mana capacity!”

Seeing the “S” appear on the crystal ball, a commotion broke out. Even the dark elf attendant wore a look of astonishment.

An S-rank mana capacity meant this maid’s combat power was at least A-rank. With such a level, being a maid was a tremendous waste of talent; she could easily become a powerful mage.

Aliciel was not surprised by this result. In fact, she had expected it. If she didn’t even have S-rank mana, it would be a waste of the potion her sister had painstakingly prepared.

However, just as Ciel was feeling a little smug, a small “C” appeared on the crystal ball. The smile on the dark elf attendant’s face froze.

“Potential… C.”

A person’s potential determined their upper limit.

A C-rank potential meant that for the next few decades, or even centuries, until her death, it would be difficult for Aliciel’s strength to break through. Her mana capacity would remain at the S-rank level.

Ciel was not too disappointed by this either. After all, she had only become strong through her sister’s potion. To put it bluntly, she was a forced-growth product, a semi-finished article. Without some great opportunity, her potential was likely capped.

Although her potential was low, the dark elf attendant dared not underestimate Ciel. Even with a fixed upper limit, her S-rank mana capacity still made her a formidable individual.

“Miss, please follow me. The examiner is ready. You can be tested now.”

Led by the attendant, Aliciel arrived in another room. Pushing the door open, she found herself in a spacious, circular arena.

Many adventurers were already sparring and practicing inside.

The guild would dispatch instructors to test adventurers’ strength and give them a preliminary assessment. If one demonstrated great power from the start, they could receive a corresponding rank, skipping the process of slowly leveling up through quests.

Of course, occasionally, some powerful individuals would play the fool, deliberately hiding their strength.

“Are you the maid with S-rank mana and C-rank potential?”

A clear voice sounded in her ear. Looking down, she saw a cute girl who appeared to be only thirteen or fourteen years old, looking up at her.

She was wearing a gothic lolita dress interwoven with blood-red patterns. Her pale skin, crimson eyes, and the fangs peeking out from the corners of her mouth all indicated that the girl before her was a vampire!

“Bloodrose. You should have heard of that title.”

“Oh? The legendary vampire princess who has lived for hundreds of years, known as the Vampire Sage, and who brought her clan to seek refuge in the Theia Theocracy after hearing of its reputation for embracing all?”

“That’s me. You’re in luck. I happened to be passing by and decided to take a look.”

The vampire princess named Bloodrose sized up Aliciel. Though she appeared young, her tone was that of an elder.

“At first, I thought some great family was using a secret art to mass-produce S-rank powerhouses by sacrificing future potential in exchange for immense mana. But on second thought, even if such a thing existed, it wouldn’t be displayed so openly. This familiar starry aura… you must be one of that girl’s people.”

This Bloodrose was indeed worthy of her title as a sage. She had directly sensed the Stardragon power within Ciel, and the “girl” she mentioned was likely Alicia.

After all, in terms of age, Alicia was indeed a little girl in her eyes.

“Hello, Lady Bloodrose. It is an honor to meet you.”

Ciel curtsied, lifting her skirt in a formal greeting, and spoke softly.

“So, when shall we begin the training?”

“Quite eager, aren’t you? Fine, let’s begin. Attack me with all you’ve got. Let me see what you’re made of.”

Bloodrose stood with her hands on her hips, her expression confident, giving off the impression that she was just here to play.

Aliciel said no more. She bent slightly, lowered her center of gravity, and assumed a combat stance.

With a flick of her hands, the newly acquired throwing knives, “Night’s Kiss,” appeared in her grasp.

Ciel threw three knives first. With three whooshes, the beautiful, crystal-like knives broke the sound barrier, heading straight for Bloodrose’s neck, chest, and abdomen.

“Hoh, quite fierce.”

Bloodrose clicked her tongue in admiration. She took out a real rose from her bosom and tossed it lightly. The rose split into three, colliding with the incoming knives.

Blood-red petals scattered in the air, and the three knives fell to the ground with a crisp clatter.

“Yo, these knives are quite pretty. Did you make them yourself?”

“You could say that, Lady Bloodrose. Now, I’m going to get serious.”

With a flick of her right hand, Aliciel recalled the knives from the ground. She then took out a dagger and bent her body like a drawn bowstring, ready to strike.

“?!”

Noticing Ciel’s posture, Bloodrose’s expression turned serious, and the smile on her face vanished.

Bang—!

The next moment, with a heavy thud, Aliciel’s right foot stomped on the ground. Her body shot out like a fully-drawn arrow released from its string. The specially made floor beneath her feet instantly cracked and caved in, forming a large crater.

“Another close-combat mage! Is that S-rank mana of yours just for show?”

As Aliciel charged forward, Bloodrose shouted with a hint of annoyance.