Levi Ashworth stood before the imposing steel gates of the Fighter's Guild examination hall.
His calloused fingers trembled slightly as he clutched a worn photograph—his sister Maya, taken three years ago when she could still smile without pain creasing her features.
"Fifty times," he whispered to himself, the number tasting bitter on his tongue. "This has to be it."
Behind him, other hopefuls chatted nervously or stretched their muscles in preparation.
Most were younger than his twenty-two years, their eyes bright with dreams of glory and fortune.
Levi had once possessed that same fire. Now, only desperation remained.
"Well, well. Look what the gutter dragged in."
The voice made Levi's jaw clench. Kane Blackwood approached with his usual entourage—three muscle-bound fighters who'd passed their examinations on the first try.
Kane's expensive combat gear gleamed in the sunlight, a contrast to Levi's patched leather jacket and worn boots.
"Didn't think you'd show your face again after last month's disaster," Kane continued, his perfectly styled blonde hair catching the light. "What was it? Knocked out by a training dummy?"
Snickers rippled through the crowd. Levi's grip tightened on Maya's photograph, but he forced himself to remain silent.
Every credit he'd saved over the past year had gone toward this examination fee. He couldn't afford to be disqualified for fighting.
"Leave him alone, Kane." A young woman stepped forward, her long black hair tied back in a practical ponytail.
She wore simple but well-maintained gear, and her dark eyes held a spark of intelligence that made Levi's chest tighten. "Some of us are here to actually pass, not to play games."
Kane's smile faltered. "Elena, sweetheart, I'm just giving our friend here some friendly advice. Maybe he should consider a different career path. Street sweeping, perhaps?"
Elena Voss—Levi recognized her from the guild records. A healer who'd been climbing the ranks steadily, known for her quick thinking and steady hands. She'd never spoken to him before.
"Your 'friendly advice' sounds more like bullying," Elena replied coolly. "Save your energy for the examination."
The sound of grinding metal interrupted their exchange. The massive gates began to open, revealing a dark corridor beyond.
A guild official emerged—a scarred woman in her forties with steel-gray hair and eyes that had seen too much death.
"Candidates, listen up!" Her voice carried across the courtyard without effort. "I'm Proctor Hendricks. Today's examination will take place in Sector Seven of the Grimwald Ruins. Your objective is simple: survive for two hours and retrieve one of the fifty crystalline markers hidden throughout the facility. Only those who return with a marker will pass."
Murmurs of excitement and fear swept through the crowd.
The Grimwald Ruins were notorious—a failed mining operation that had been overrun by shadow beasts three decades ago.
The guild used different sectors for various purposes, but Sector Seven was considered moderately dangerous.
"You'll be dropped off in groups of five," Hendricks continued. "Medical teams will be on standby, but understand this: we cannot guarantee your safety. Three candidates died in last month's examination. If you're not prepared to bleed for your license, leave now."
No one moved.
"Good. Form your groups."
The courtyard erupted into motion as candidates scrambled to find teammates. Levi watched as Kane effortlessly gathered three other promising fighters, their laughter echoing off the stone walls.
Elena stood apart, clearly waiting for the right moment to choose her allies.
"Levi, right?" A hand touched his shoulder. He turned to find a thin boy with nervous eyes and twitching fingers. "I'm Marcus. Want to team up? I know you've... well, you've got experience with the examinations."
Experience.
That was one way to put it. Levi had failed so many times that he knew every trick, every common mistake, every way things could go wrong.
But he'd never managed to get them right.
"Sure," Levi said. His voice came out rougher than intended.
Two more candidates joined them—a burly man named Torres who smelled of alcohol and kept checking his weapon belt, and a quiet girl named Yuki who couldn't have been older than eighteen.
Not exactly the dream team, but beggars couldn't be choosers.
The transport to Sector Seven was a cramped military vehicle that reeked of oil and fear-sweat. Levi found himself sitting across from Elena's group, which had formed around her natural leadership. She caught his eye once and offered a small nod—acknowledgment, maybe even encouragement.
"First time?" she asked during a lull in the engine noise.
"Fiftieth," Levi replied honestly.
Her eyes widened slightly. "You're persistent."
"I have to be."
Something in his tone made her study his face more carefully. "Family?"
Levi's hand moved instinctively to his jacket pocket where Maya's photograph rested. "Sister. She's sick."
Elena's expression softened. "I understand. My younger brother was born with a rare blood condition. The treatments cost everything my family had."
"Was?"
"He's stable now. It took time, but..." She met his eyes directly. "Don't give up. Sometimes the fiftieth time is the charm."
The vehicle lurched to a halt before Levi could respond. Hendricks' voice crackled over the intercom: "Sector Seven, north entrance. You have exactly two hours from the moment you exit this vehicle. Good luck."
The doors slammed open, revealing a gaping hole in the earth surrounded by rusted mining equipment.
Emergency lighting cast eerie shadows across the metal framework that descended into darkness.
The air smelled of damp earth and something else—something wrong.
"Remember," Torres whispered, adjusting his twin daggers, "the markers are usually guarded. Shadow beasts are attracted to their energy."
Yuki nodded silently, her bow already in hand.
Marcus fumbled with his spell components, nearly dropping a crucial focusing crystal.
"Stay together," Levi said, surprising himself with the authority in his voice. "No heroics. We find a marker, we get out."
They descended into the ruins as one group, their footsteps echoing off the narrow metal stairs.
The emergency lighting grew sparser as they went deeper, forcing them to rely on handheld lights that created dancing shadows on the rough-hewn walls.
"There," Elena's voice carried from somewhere ahead. "Red glow, about fifty meters down the main tunnel."