Jarmin stood on the platform, his eyes ablaze with his green aura as he gazed intensely at the testing dummy. The ground beneath his feet began to crack, and the green aura surrounding his body intensified, pulsing with raw power.
"Alright, you may begin," Miss Mizu instructed, her voice cutting through the tension in the air.
In that moment, Jarmin launched himself forward with sheer force. The platform beneath him shattered as he swiftly approached the testing dummy—a mere E rank kobold. In a split second, he unleashed his power, his right fist becoming a blur as it struck the dummy with incredible force. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air, flattening the dummy's head as it crashed into the ground with a massive thud, completely destroyed with one attack, just like Jarmin intended.
Miss Mizu, though she pretended to remain calm, couldn't hide the vein throbbing on her forehead, a clear sign of her frustration. She muttered under her breath, tightening her grip on the tablet in her arms. "And that makes three," she said in a low, frustrated tone.
With the testing dummy defeated, Jarmin cast his intense gaze at the scoring board. His eyes narrowed as he noticed his points: 608. He gritted his teeth, knowing his score was nowhere close to Alex's.
Suddenly, applause echoed through the room. Jarmin thought it was someone mocking him, and he swiftly turned around, ready to confront whoever dared to belittle his efforts. But to his surprise, he found the applause was coming from Richard, the only one who chose to acknowledge his effort.
"Boss, you..." Jarmin muttered, his voice filled with emotion as Richard commended him for his efforts. Though no one else chose to clap along with him, Jarmin didn't care. As long as he was acknowledged by the person he looked up to, that was more than enough.
"You did well, Jarmin. Just as I expected," Richard spoke in a calm, reassuring tone, diffusing the earlier air of tension that had surrounded Jarmin as he was dead set on getting a score as high as Alex's.
"Thanks, boss," Jarmin said, his gratitude could be seen as he slowly descended from the platform and chose to walk up to Richard, standing by his side. The weight of Richard's approval lifted a burden from Jarmin's shoulders, filling him with a sense of pride and accomplishment. For him, this moment meant more than any score on a test. It was validation from the one person whose opinion truly mattered to him.
Miss Mizu then let out a sigh as she muttered, "Well, that's enough of that. Luna and Luella, it's your turn to measure your combat abilities. Right after the both of you are done, it will be..." She directed her gaze at Richard, narrowing her eyes before adding, "Richard's turn," ending with a low undertone.
The system's voice echoed in Richard's head, saying, [+2 Plausibility points]. Gazing at the red hovering window beside him that only he could see, he mused, "Seven plausibility points should be enough to change my hair color. All that remains is the amount for my eyes and physique." He smiled slightly, then mused further, "Well, I'm not in a rush. Once it's my turn to shine, I'll be sure to dazzle everyone with my abilities and obtain enough plausibility points."
With that, Luna headed to the arcane power testing platform, her steps echoing as she did, her power being telekinesis. Luella, on the other hand, made her way to the physical power platform with a calm but serious expression, her power, physical acelleration.
As they slowly climbed onto the platforms, the boys of the class couldn't help but gawk at them, their eyes following the girls' every move.
Among the onlookers was Mellden, a boy with striking blue hair, piercing blue eyes, and a pair of glasses perched on his nose. Despite his slightly fit physique, his arcane power was Aqua Blue, it allowed him to control water.
Standing beside him was Gordon, tall and of normal build, with brown hair and purple eyes. His power, Rocky, granted him the ability to control the wight and density of any object he touched. Together, they formed a rather awkward duo, their contrasting abilities and rather weird personalities often leading to amusing situations.
Using his middle right finger to adjust his glinting glasses, Mellden spoke to Gordon in a slightly intense tone, saying, "Comrade, the time has finally come. The goddesses have descended upon the arena, ready to give us a show that shall forever be etched into the corners of our memory." By "goddesses," he was referring to Luna and Luella, their rather attractive appearance catching the attention of the boys.
"Indeed," Gordon replied in an equally intense tone, his purple eyes glowing slightly. "Forget just our human memory; it may one day fail us." Turning to Mellden, streaks of purple light following his eyes as he did, he asked, "So, did you get it?"
Mellden chuckled slightly as he muttered, "Who do you think I am? I wouldn't miss this for the world." With a mischievous grin, he adjusted his glasses slightly with his right middle finger. Then, still wearing that grin, he used his right hand to adjust his jacket, while his left hand reached inside and pulled out a smartphone. The grin on his face widened as he did so, anticipation gleaming in his eyes.
Showing the device to Gordon, he mumbled with an intense tone, "I present to you, a smartphone. Although now obsolete technology, it is the only device left that allows you to record a video of a person without their permission," he smiled at the end.
Gordon, with his purple eyes gazing intensely at the smartphone, asked, "And have you verified this?"
Mellden replied, "Indeed." Gordon then smiled mischievously, and as he did, he added, "So we are ready." Both of them then redirected their intense gazes at Luna and Luella, their cheeks slightly reddened.
Gordon then spoke up again, saying, "The other women in our class leave much to be desired."
Mellden adjusted his glinting glasses again as he replied, "Indeed, their features never seem to meet our expectations. But our goddesses haven't let us down yet. And although we may never dare to approach them due to the existence of Richard, with this," he lifted up the smartphone, opening the camera app and about to click record, "we shall always be able to keep them close to our hearts."
Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind them and grabbed the smartphone. The duo were taken by surprise, swiftly turning around, ready to confront whoever decided to spoil this grand moment they had been planning for.
But as their sights landed on the figure behind them, they froze. "W-what is he doing here?" they both mused, fear etched on their faces. The person in question was Richard. In a split second, he crushed the smartphone in his right hand as he spoke with a serious tone, "So, what do you guys think you are up to?" His green eyes glowed brightly, looking down upon them as if they were trash.