Rin carefully observed each contestant taking the test, but none had given him such a feeling since Yuuki...until...
"Number 202 – Milion."
A young man in dirty clothes and slightly blond hair came forward. He was about 1m85 and seemed well-built. His eyes reflected unyielding will as he entered the machine.
After a few seconds, the soldier announced the score out loud:
"Number 202 - Physical Test - Grade: A."
Rin smiled and gently teased Alliong, "Oh, is he part of your inner circle of 'Prodigy' too?"
"No, not at all," Alliong replied nonchalantly.
"Number 202 - Responsiveness Test - Grade A."
"Number 202 - Strength Test - Grade A."
The crowd was in turmoil. Getting an A on a test was rare enough, but getting three without anyone knowing about it was remarkable.
"From today, his life will change!"
"Given his outfit, he comes from the slums. What luck, he can now rise!"
Alliong looked at Rin, who was snickering and sighed helplessly. "Let me guess, you think 'prodigies' are just that, huh?" Then, with a mysterious tone, he added: "Wait until you see the overall scores and you will understand. Even among prodigies, there is a ranking."
"Yes, yes, Mr. Great Prodigy," Rin joked, curtsying.
----
"Number 356 – Shen Yi."
"It's the turn of number 1 of this generation!!!"
"Come on Shen Yi!!!"
Shen Yi, still calm, walked steadily towards the machine and entered it.
"Number 356 - Physical Test - Grade: S."
He then went through the tube of the second test as if nothing had happened.
"Number 356 - Reactivity Test - Note S."
Shen Yi positioned himself in front of Lieutenant Jin without showing the slightest pressure.
"I know the Shen family focuses on swordsmanship, but do your best here, young man..." Lieutenant Jin began.
Before Lieutenant Jin even finished speaking, Shen Yi, with a murderous look, threw his arm towards his chest and put all his strength into it.
Shiuuuuuu.
A slight wind stirred Shen Yi's hair and the atmosphere remained frozen for a second as the candidate and judge looked into each other's eyes, one's hand against the other's chest.
"Ahahaha, not bad at all! Number 356 - Strength Test - S Rating."
Across the gym, Alliong looked at Rin, "The difference between Yi and Milion's score is only one letter, but that gap is monstrous."
Rin didn't speak, keeping his seriousness. He watched Shen Yi walk towards the waiting room, feeling his blood boil to a rarely seen level.
With a big smile, Rin spoke extremely audibly: "I can't wait, so excited! Ahahaha, so that's what old Ryu was saying. Quick, quick, I want to take the test too!"
Alliong didn't know whether to laugh or cry and just shook his head.
But unbeknownst to them, another person had heard this, it was Lieutenant Jin: "So that's who the monster Ryu raised. I hope he's not as difficult to deal with as Ryu, otherwise It's going to be complicated for his future hunting comrades," he sighed helplessly before resuming his work.
----
"Number 589 – Shin Genryu."
"Number 589 - Physical Test - Grade: A."
"Number 589 - Reactivity Test - Grade A."
"Number 589 - Test of Strength - Grade A."
Rin didn't pay attention to these scores, but Alliong's face caught his attention, it was dark. "Did you digest it badly? I told you to leave me more than half, ahaha!"
Alliong looked at him blankly: "Never in my life will I leave you more than half, you crazy fool!" He observed the young man heading towards the waiting room: "He's a monster among monsters."
Rin didn't understand: "Why would he be a monster and not Milion?"
"Just because he's also a prodigy, and even an elemental-type spiritual semi-awakened, so the physical test is supposed to be his weakness," Alliong sighed.
Rin immediately understood what they were trying to tell him: Million, who seems to be focused on physique, has the same score as one of the prodigies, but that's his weakness!
"There are two prodigies left, so you and another, right?" Rin asked curiously.
Alliong pointed to the girl 12th in line: "She's the latest prodigy and, if all goes well, her physical scores will be catastrophic."
"Downright catastrophic???" Rin wondered.
"Rin, do you know what the most coveted type of stigma is?"
Rin thought for a moment and replied without much thought: "A stigma that can destroy everything."
"Hahaha, not wrong, not wrong," Alliong laughs, surprised by this answer, but keeping a smile. "It's the opposite of that. She's one of the few half-awakened, she's spiritually focused...and she has a half-stigma of healing."
"I understand now, she's part of a safety net where the great powers aren't afraid to hurt themselves to kill the things outside, as long as they come back alive," Rin rubbed his chin.
The girl's turn, as expected by Along, came soon after.
"Number 601 – Shanna Matri."
The young girl with a childish face, 1m65 tall, and curly brown hair walked forward with a confident gait. She looked calm, but a glint of determination shone in her eyes as she walked towards the machine.
"Number 601 - Physical Test - Grade: C."
A murmur of astonishment ran through the crowd at this announcement. A C in a physical test was not common at all, especially in this context where it is one of the miracles that people talk about!
"Number 601 - Reactivity Test - Grade B."
The murmurs increased as the second result was announced. Some seemed perplexed, others impressed by the combination of results.
"Number 601 - Strength Test - Grade: D."
At this point, a heavy silence fell over the room. Shanna Matri's results were far from impressive, and the disappointment was palpable in the air.
Rin, Alliong, and the other observers were stunned by these unexpected results. However, Alliong kept his cool and whispered to Rin, "I told you, his area of expertise isn't physical."
Rin nodded, now realizing that Shanna Matri's grades were what Alliong had anticipated. The young girl, with her specialization in the spiritual field, showed very different results from those of the other participants.