He was relieved to be back in reality, and the chill in the air of the training facility was a welcome contrast to the oppressive heat of the virtual world he had just left.
He wiped his brow with the back of his hand and took a deep breath. "That was a tough one," he blunted out as he came down from the training podium.
Asher looked at Egon sternly, his expression unreadable. "While you did pass the trial, you did so with a lower ranking than we expected. I thought you had the potential to ascend to the elite level, but I'm starting to think otherwise. You were nothing more than a bragging piece of crap," he spat. "If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have even considered taking you in. You've been a complete disappointment."
As Egon's heart sank, he caught sight of the list on the holographic screen, showing his ranking at number 800.
"But I passed successfully and even used abilities I hadn't used before," Egon protested. "I did some powerful attacks."
