Adventurer ranks

Ryul raises his hand and says, “Can you explain us how the ranks work? Like, how come someone like me who never trained got an A rank?”

“Nobody really knows how a rank gets allocated.” Kiara answers. “There are a lot of theories, though. Some believe everyone is born with a rank, yet it lies dormant until the goddess awakens it. Others believe the goddess awards it based on how worthy you have proven yourself in the years prior. Then there are some who believe it is all about how you ask the goddess for power. There is really no definitive answer, so I feel it is best to simply consider yourself lucky for having received such a high rank and make the most of it.”

Everybody seems to listen closely. I bet they are all thinking about how they addressed the goddess while standing in the magic circle. Even I now think back on how I asked the goddess for power.

“Even though I can’t give you a clear answer on why you received the rank you got, allow me instead to explain the different ranks to you."

“Adventurers are separated into 6 ranks. The lowest is rank E and the highest being rank S. Based on the rank an adventurer gets, he receives a certain amount of skills and, in case of a magic users, receives a certain number of magical elements he can train in. Typically, the higher the rank, the more skills or magic that can be learned. Each rank also comes with a strength upgrade. The lowest strength upgrade being for E ranks and the highest strength increase being for S ranks.” Kiara says, explaining the overall system. Then she starts going into the details per rank.

“The rank E adventurer only receives a slight physical strength increase. He can also receive a skill/magic slot on their adventurer card but E ranks with a skill are rare. In case of a magic wielder, they will always have 1 magical element. However E rank magic wielders are limited to only being able to use basic spells in the element that they have been given.”

“A rank D adventurer receives a slightly greater strength increase. Not much more than an E rank, but it is still quite useful. D rank adventurers, unlike E ranks, always get to have 2 skill/magic slots on their card. When it comes to rank D magic wielders, they also have just 1 magical element, like their rank E counterparts. However, rank D casters can learn up to advanced spells in their element.”

“When it comes to rank C adventurers, they get a decent physical strength upgrade. Plenty women who classify among the C ranks are stronger than most non-awakened men. Rank C adventurers also have the advantage of being able to use 4 skill/magic slots. C rank casters also have a leg up on their rank D counterparts as they can have mastery over 2 magical elements instead of 1.”

“When a promising adventurer receives his or her B rank, they receive a significant boost to their physical strength. Still nothing super human, though most people would require years of training to gain this level of strength while a rank B receives it instantly. The rank B adventurer always has at least 4 skill/magic slots and some of them are even lucky to have up to 5. What separates the B rank casters from C rank is that the B ranks can combine their 2 magical elements for even more powerful spells.”

“The rank A adventurer is a person whose physical strength gets close to super human levels, but is short of it by just a hair. Each of them has at least 6 skill/magic slots they can learn, with some of them being able to learn a 7th. When it comes to rank A magic wielders, they can do everything a rank B does AND have room for a 3rd magical element they can use.

“Finally, there is rank S. This is the rarest rank to be had and so far, there are only 11 adventurers currently alive who have achieved rank S. These are the people who have such a physical strength increase that it really puts them as more powerful than even the strongest humans, regardless of their muscle mass. Those of rank S can have 7 skill/magic slots and magic wielders also learn 3 magical elements, which puts them on par with the most accomplished A ranks. However, when someone receives an S rank during the ranking ceremony, the goddess [Imris] will appear in person before the newly discovered S rank and offer him/her the opportunity the choose a gift. This gift can be any ability they can imagine. Upon choosing, the goddess will grant them this ability as a [gift from the goddess]. You could consider that a bonus 8th skill. This then places the S rank firmly above the A rank.”

Since I don’t know my rank, I have been listening quite attentively. Each of the ranks Kiara explained could be mine. But could S really be a possibility for me? I double check the section with the skills and there are only 7 slots for skills and magic elements. I guess that means the [gift from the goddess] is a secret skill. Though as far as I know, I could later be revealed to be a B class and then the question marks on the last 2 are erased. But suppose I am shown to be an S rank at the end of this month. What gift would I ask for from the goddess? And what gift did Kase ask to receive?