Laverna's final week of training pushed her beyond every limit she thought she had. The first three weeks had been about building her foundation, learning to move like a shadow, fight with precision, and speak with calculated elegance.
But now, everything she had learned was about to be tested, with no room for hesitation or second chances. This week was not just about demonstrating skill; it was about proving whether she could adapt, deceive, and thrive under real pressure.
Shin no longer gave her instructions. The time for lessons was over. Now, she had to prove she had absorbed everything.
"Tonight, you will infiltrate the guild's training compound undetected," Shin told her one evening, his expression unreadable. "Your objective is simple: retrieve the marked scroll hidden inside without being caught. Fail, and you start from the beginning."
Laverna swallowed hard. This wasn't just another drill; it was a real mission. A real test.
She had spent the last three weeks preparing for this moment. Now, it was time to see if she was truly ready.
The guild's training compound had been designed specifically for novice rogues, as Yuri had once mentioned. It was one of many such facilities scattered across the Hunters Guild, each dedicated to honing the skills of stealth operatives, thieves, and scouts.
It was filled with traps, pressure plates, and hidden alarms meant to sharpen one's stealth and thievery skills, skills that mirrored what Laverna needed as a kunoichi. This wasn't a simple exercise. It was a battleground for deception, agility, and survival.
Dressed in black, she moved through the shadows like liquid, her breathing steady and controlled. Every step was calculated.
Every movement is deliberate. She scaled the outer walls without a sound, pressing her body against the cold stone as she surveyed the guards below.
These weren't just random sentries, they were hand-picked instructors from the Hunters Guild, each specializing in different forms of combat, warriors, spellcasters, rangers, and, most notably, rogues who could see through most deception. They weren't just here to guard the compound, they were here to test her.
She dropped into the courtyard, rolling into the cover of a stacked supply crate just as a patrol passed by. The old Laverna might have panicked, held her breath, and prayed they wouldn't see her. But now, she waited. Observed. Became the shadow.
This was no longer about running or hiding. This was about owning the darkness.
She was no longer the helpless slave who cowered at the sound of approaching footsteps. Now, she was the unseen force, the whisper of movement no one noticed.
Minutes passed, and she slipped inside. The compound was vast, but she navigated it with precision, recalling every route Shin had forced her to memorize.
Every doorway she approached, she listened. Every hall she crossed, she checked for traps.
Each movement was instinctive now, her muscles responding before her mind could process. This was what being a kunoichi felt like: control, precision, and an eerie sense of calm in the face of danger.
Then, a flicker of movement, a hidden pressure plate disguised beneath the rug. 'They really aren't going easy on me.'
She avoided it, continuing onward. But as she rounded the corner, a gust of wind brushed her cheek. Her instincts flared.
She ducked just as a razor-thin wire snapped at head level, a barely audible click echoing in the hall. 'So, this is how they test rogues.'. She exhaled slowly, pulse steady despite the near-miss.
If this had been her first week of training, she would have been caught already. But not now.
She moved with certainty, weaving through the dangers set before her. They wanted her to fail. She refused to give them that satisfaction.
Finally, she reached the target room. The scroll sat on a wooden pedestal, unguarded. Too easy.
Her instincts screamed at her. 'A trap.'
She exhaled, scanning the room, then traced her fingers over the faint string tied to the scroll. A trip mechanism. With one careless grab and alarm would sound.
A smirk tugged at her lips. 'Nice try, Shin.'
She was no longer just training. She was proving to herself, to Shin, to the Hunters Guild, that she belonged in this world now.
Instead of disarming it, she pulled out a throwing knife and severed the mechanism from a safe distance before swiftly snatching the scroll. But just as she turned, a shadow loomed in the doorway. One of the rogue instructors stood there, arms crossed.
"Not bad," he mused. "But let's see how you do under real pressure."
Before she could react, the lights dimmed, and multiple figures emerged from the darkness. A test within a test. This was the real challenge.
Laverna didn't hesitate. She pivoted, flipping over a table as a dagger whizzed past her. She had to move fast. If she hesitated for even a second, they would overwhelm her.
The rogue lunged, but she sidestepped, using the very shadows he once hid in against him. Her training with Shin had prepared her for this exact moment.
The kunoichi did not fight head-on. She deceived, manipulated, and vanished before her enemy knew what happened.
With a final maneuver, she threw a small pouch to the ground, one of the few tricks Shin had let her carry. A burst of smoke erupted, cloaking the room in thick mist. She slipped past them, vaulting through the window and scaling the walls before the sound of pursuit even began.
When she landed outside the compound, Shin was waiting, arms crossed, a small smile playing at his lips. He was proud of what she had accomplished in the past few weeks of intensive, grueling training.
This was no longer the uncertain girl who had struggled in the beginning. She was sharper, faster, and more in control. Seeing her now, standing tall with confidence, only reinforced his belief in her potential.
She tossed the scroll to him, smirking. "I believe this is yours." Shin caught it effortlessly, his reflexes sharp as ever, barely even glancing at the motion before securing it in his grasp.
For the first time, Shin didn't correct her stance or point out a flaw. Instead, he nodded. "Good. You're ready."
His words sent an unexpected thrill through her, warm and electric. She tried to brush it off, but the way his eyes held hers made it impossible to ignore. Her tail flicked behind her before she could stop it, betraying the satisfaction curling in her chest.
Unbeknownst to them, members of the Hunters Guild had been watching closely. Shin's failure with the Lichtenstein family had left many wondering if he was doomed to mediocrity, but seeing both him and Laverna grow had shifted their perception.
The guild, despite its brutal nature, was a family, and whether they realized it or not, the guild had already begun rooting for them. "Damn, she's really something now, isn't she?" one of the guild members murmured, watching Laverna with admiration.
"Shin's training really put her through hell, but look at her now. Like a proper rogue," another added with a smirk.
Yuri, standing nearby, folded her arms and smiled proudly. "They're both growing faster than even they realize. Give it time, and they'll surpass all expectations."
One rogue leaned over to his companion, whispering, "Laverna's not just getting stronger, she's turning into quite the beauty."
Before he could say anything more, Yuri shot him a playful glare. "Back off, boys. She's got enough on her plate without you lot swarming around her."
The rogue raised his hands in surrender, laughing. "Alright, alright, big sis. We get it."
Laverna, overhearing, rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile tugging at her lips. It was strange, this feeling of being looked after, of having people in her corner.
The murmurs of approval grew, quiet nods exchanged between veteran hunters. They had been skeptical, but now? They were invested. Whether Shin and Laverna knew it or not, they had the full weight of the Hunters Guild behind them.
Just then, the Guild Instructors stepped forward, their expressions unreadable. One of them finally spoke, his voice carrying authority. "Congratulations, Laverna. What you just completed wasn't just a test, it was the official licensure exam for Rogues."
Laverna blinked, processing the words as the instructor continued, "And you passed with flying colors on your first attempt. That means your job advancement mission is complete."
Murmurs of approval rippled through the gathered hunters, and even Yuri couldn't hide her proud smirk. Laverna had come far, and now, she stood among them as a full-fledged Rogue. The instructors stepped forward, offering their congratulations before departing, leaving behind the weight of her newfound status.
This moment marked the beginning of Laverna's rise to reputation. She had transformed from a struggling novice into a force to be reckoned with, and the guild had taken notice. Shin watched her with quiet pride, knowing she had earned every ounce of respect now directed her way.
But just as she was about to bask in the achievement, a voice cut through the silence. "Not so fast," Yuri stepped forward, their tone laced with intrigue. "Your other challenge begins now."