Chapter 13: Rigged Test
The chairs are laid out in rows after rows. Julius is sitting on a chair in the last row.
I sit on the first chair at the edge of the last row, 4 chairs away from Julius.
I press yes at the panel.
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Congratulations!
Plot armour rank: 6->8
+6000 Plot points
Extracted Talent:
Luck Rank S
Extracted Spiritual Roots:
Godly spiritual roots.
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Warning:
Two spiritual roots cannot exist in one body.
The host has two options.
(1)Spend 10000 points to use two spiritual roots.
(2) Abolish [Rare Turtle spiritual roots] for [Godly Spiritual roots]
[Godly spiritual roots]
+40% cultivation speed.
+30% defence.
+20% attack.
[Rare Turtle spiritual roots]
+10% defence.
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...
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...
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I choose the second option.
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Exchange success!
Current spiritual roots:
Godly spiritual roots.
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I'm in no position to make a fuss whether the system decides to give me something or not. After all, my life is a lot easier thanks to the system. Just a few points, I can get them from completing more quests.
"Attention!" A knight on the stage shouts.
Most of the chairs are filled up.
The knight looked around in disgust, occasionally darting his eyes at me and some others.
I am dressed in my Academy attire so I'm standing out. But I'm not the only one.
There is a woman over there in the first row sitting on the second chair to the right. She is dressed in a sleeveless red dress that goes down to her knees. The dress is decorated with flower embroidery and laced with a bit of gold at the edge.
With Silver hair and silver eyes... Is that the Nelson family? She looks way older than both Irina and me so she could be her older sister.
I cannot remember her name...
Then, there's another one. A man with a brown ponytail and black eyes. He is wearing a blue robe with a design of a fire dragon around the chest.
...
Mei Xiaolin, a lazy cultivator, is the only outworlder who does not set up a sect but instead an Academy.
The other cultivators, however, set up their sects and have recruited millions of disciples from every race including the Kobold race and elves race. I have to admit. Humans' potential is the largest. However, the ability to cultivate is stronger for other races. I don't see why those cultivators won't take the other races as disciples.
That also means that the competition is tough. Very tough.
As of now, there are 8 sects as 9 outworlder cultivators remain in this world.
This man must have a high aptitude to be part of the dragon sect.
Finally, the last one. She is sitting beside the man as well as wearing the same robe with her arms interlocked with his. A lover?
A burly figure wearing a simple white t-shirt and jeans steps in.
!!!
Brown hair and brown eyes with a goat moustache... That man is the deputy general, Orland Joker, the fucker who betrayed my father.
I clench my fist.
No. I need to hold it in. I cannot defeat him yet...
Orland throws a glance at me as he steps up the stage.
The glance turns into a glare as he stares at the badge on my shoulder, a red badge.
From the lowest grey badge, I instantly went up to the highest red badge.
?
Showing hostility from the start...
"Welcome everyone. There seems to be more than usual this time so I hope I will not be disappointed. The first trial is potential. If you have no talent, you are hopeless. There is nothing at the end of the road except an excruciating death." Says Orland.
I don't like the way he is phrasing that.
"Each of you will receive a number behind your brochure and when it is your turn, come up the stage and touch the crystal. The crystal will start to glow. The stronger the glow, the better potential you have. The first one, please step up."
I turn around my brochure to find a small "18" written behind.
The first person to step up has a well-built body as he was a construction worker. He places his hand on the crystal with anticipation.
The crystal flickers a bit like a lightbulb before staying at a dim glow.
"Low talent. Trash. Get out." Says Orland.
"W-What but-"
The knights on standby drag the man out of the room through the door beside the chairs.
The second person is a young boy who is on the verge of starvation. He walks up slowly and touches the crystal.
Suddenly, the crystal lights up and flickers again. The light becomes the intensity of a bathroom light bulb, not very dim but not bright as well.
Orland stares at the boy. "Below mediocre talent. However, you are lucky we are short of manpower, you pass."
A knight escorts the boy out of the room through another door to the right of the stage.
Around 5 more people were thrown out with only 1 more being accepted before Irina's older sister steps up to the stage. She touches the crystal and it instantly lightens. The crystal is not even flickering, it's pure bright light.
"Good, A talent better than average. You are greatly welcomed in the army, Eri Nelson."
"Thank you, Sir Orland," Eri says as she walks out of the room.
Eri? That's her name? I've never heard of her before...
Did she die without accomplishing anything huge?
6 more were tested afterwards until the duo disciples is up.
Both of them walk to Orland. He gestures for them to go through the door, which means they automatically pass.
"What?! How can they just pass-"
A head was rolling on the floor. It was the head of a man who tried to voice out his dissatisfaction. Nobody tried to question Orland anymore.
I stare at the head. That cruel bastard.
The one after them is Julius. He struggles to stand up before walking up the stage. Once he places his hand on the crystal, an abundant blinding light shoots out of the crystal, blinding almost everyone.
A crack can be heard and the crystal shattered.
"T-This is... The godly spiritual roots!! Amazing!! We have a once-in-a-century genius here, quickly, bring him in!" Exclaims Orland.
The atmosphere afterwards becomes bleak. Orland has found what he was looking for so he has lost interest in the rest.
Next is my turn, I step up to the crystal.
"Oh? Oh, it's you. Quickly get this over with." He says.
I place my hand on the crystal expecting a flashbang. But, there was nothing. The crystal just stayed as it is.
"What? Zero talent with zero affinity?!" Exclaims Orland.
...
What?
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The crystal can only detect Innate Talent formed by the host's soul. Thus, extracted talent cannot be detected in any way.
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"Hahahahaha!! Who would've thought that the tournament winner was a talentless brat?"
I sigh, I'm used to this but...
I take out a golden plate and pass it to Orland.
?!
"Let's give the Academy some face, alright? I'm here on a Joint admission exercise." I say.
"What?..."
He takes the plate and examines it.
"...tch."
"Fine, I can let you off for this trial. However, you will have to clear the next trial on your own. Hehe..." Says Orland, smirking.
"Hey. Want to bet how long the talentless brat will last?" One of the knights behind Orland whispers.
"I bet that he won't even get past the second trial."
"Darn it. Fine, I bet that he can get to at least the third trial."
"Heh, thanks for the donation. There is no way he can get past the next trial."
I pay no attention to them and leave.
The door leads to the outside where a knight escorts me into the third section. We went into a huge building with extra layers of barriers and fences surrounding it. Outside, I can already hear all the growling, the monsters they have captured live here.
It might be just my imagination but...
I sense killing intent from almost every passing knight. They are glaring at me and smirking.
Is it the Igniz family? They have quite a large influence in the military.
That's fine. Come at me, throw whatever you have at me. It will be a valuable experience and training.
I smile at the knights looking at me.
!!!
They click their tongue in frustration and look away.
The knight unlocks the gate of the fence and ushers me in.
Once I open the door and step into the building. I can see a very high ceiling with hanging rectangular lights. The right sides are cages with no monsters in them yet while on the left side, only one cage is occupied by a tortured Kobold.
...
"AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" A scream can be heard down the corridor of echo.
The knight points at a line at the front. It's the line of candidates waiting for their turn to be tested. The first person in the queue is standing behind a closed double door that is guarded by two knights.
The queue is on the left side of the double door. The right door swings open as a knight carries a mortally wounded old commoner out. There are traces of scratches on his arms and bites on his leg...
That's signs of an Envir! A category 5 monster. Does the army expect ordinary commoners who have malnutrition to kill a category 5?
However, another young commoner with a well-built managed to step out of the door unscathed, with only a few scratches on his fingertips.
I see what is going on now...
The people that the army deemed useless or unwanted will perish at the second trial by matching them against powerful monsters.
While those that are deemed as useful cannon fodder can pass the trials easily.
As for me...
I smile anxiously, it's probably the Category 6 dark elve inside.
Elves and dark elves have a certain aroma that is distinguishable but easily missed if one does not pay attention or is aware of it. I smell the aroma of a dark elve in this facility.
...
This might be slightly tough.
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