Oliver finally stood at the center of the room. The primary light in the arena shone directly above him, casting sharp shadows and allowing him to see his surroundings clearly. His eyes were locked on the far end of the arena, where the two machine guns would emerge.
[Level 1 initiated]
The announcement of the start of the test appeared floating in a hologram in front of him, but there was also a sound signal. Even so, the boy found it difficult to concentrate; his adrenaline was sky-high, and his heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. At another time, he would have stopped to breathe, but he didn't have that luxury.
In an instant, the two machine guns emerged from their hiding spots and began aiming at him.
| TUF! TUF!
The shots were fired. Oliver had entered the arena thinking there might be some kind of pattern to the shots, but seeing the guns in front of him, he changed his mind. They didn't fire randomly. It seemed as if some kind of intelligence was targeting the worst possible spots, making it more challenging to dodge.
Sometimes, the shots were continuous; other times, they came in bursts, making it tricky to prepare for the next move and requiring every ounce of concentration to avoid being hit.
[Level 2 initiated]
According to the official, this was the limit of the average human. Even with the tricks in the shooting patterns, Oliver didn't feel the difficulty level was that high. Moreover, he wasn't getting tired yet. He had worked with Wave Disposal for a long time, and his body had grown accustomed to working all day.
[Level 3 initiated]
This was the level that had eliminated the most recruits, and it was no coincidence. Oliver could tell that the increased speed of the shots had made things much more complex; bursts barely existed anymore. But for some reason, he still felt in control.
"The Orks were faster," Oliver thought. Not that he could dodge the Orks, but his reaction time had improved after the life-or-death experience of the previous day.
Another problem that he had only just noticed was that the shots had stopped ricocheting. Although they no longer moved, they began accumulating on the floor, making it difficult to maneuver and even posing a risk of tripping.
[Level 4 initiated]
Internally, Oliver celebrated a small victory but couldn't express it verbally. His breathing was heavy, and he wanted to push to the limit to prove himself. But with each new shot, it became more challenging.
[Level 5 initiated]
At the start of level 5, a new gun turret appeared behind him at the back of the room. The noise alerted Oliver, but the exhaustion and difficulty were overwhelming. He managed to dodge the first two shots but didn't expect the third turret to have a different firing rhythm.
| PAM
As soon as he dodged the first two shots, a third one hit him in the back. The impact knocked the wind out of his lungs and sent him crashing to the ground.
"I'm not going to throw up. I'm not going to throw up," the boy silently pleaded to himself.
[Test finished]
[Calculating …]
[Evaluated status: Agility]
[Grade: Knight]
"Yeah!" Oliver screamed in his mind, happy with his performance. But at the same time trying not to let his emotions show on his face.
The boy got up from the arena and started walking toward the exit. His back was painfully sore from the shot.
"Good thing I didn't throw up," Oliver thought, considering it a real possibility.
The officer looked the boy up and down while jotting down some information on a floating screen before him.
"Well done, Knight. Congratulations... Oliver, right?" The officer raised an eyebrow as he saw the boy nodding, confirming his name. "A Nameless; Congratulations nonetheless."
Hearing that a Nameless had performed better than most recruits caught their attention, especially among those who felt diminished after training so hard only to 'lose' to someone like him. Oliver didn't take it too seriously; this wouldn't be the first or last time he'd be judged because of it.
"Those who have finished return to the end of the line and wait for the test to conclude." The officer reminded everyone, taking the chance to hurry the next recruit along.
The following recruits had similar results to the others, with some making it past level three but most being eliminated at that stage.
With one exception. A recruit was eliminated in the very first level, taking two shots to the face. As soon as he fell to the ground from the shots, two white figures appeared on either side of him. Before anyone could understand what was happening, they placed the recruit on a stretcher and vanished again as if teleported.
Oliver had never seen anything like it, and his surprise was as common as many others.
"Recruit disqualified," the officer announced to everyone.
Once again, murmurs spread among those taking the tests. They hadn't imagined that disqualification was a possibility, making some even more fearful of the upcoming trials, except for one person.
Alan seriously considered taking two shots to the face simply to be disqualified in the first level. But deep down, he knew that his House must have pulled some strings to ensure he couldn't be disqualified.
On the other end of the spectrum, Isabela grew even more nervous. Like many others there, this was her dream. She needed this to become a Ranger.
"Indeed, those who don't at least reach the average human level won't be able to withstand the next stages. Did you really expect anyone could be part of the army?!" The officer asked them.
The officer's words drew everyone's attention, making them take this and the upcoming tests more seriously. For many, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Yes, fighting in the army was dangerous and, for some, a death sentence. However, the pay was so good that it would ensure a good life for those who otherwise had no opportunities.
However, this focus was quickly shattered when the next recruit took her first step into the test arena.
The girl walked swiftly to the center of the arena, yet she drew considerable attention. Her long blonde hair was almost white, and her delicate but solemn features gave her an air of fairy-tale beauty. To many, she seemed like she had stepped out of a storybook and into the New Earth Army.
[Level 1 initiated]
[Level 2 initiated]
[Level 3 initiated]
[Level 4 initiated]
The first four levels went through quickly, and she seemed to be barely exerting herself. Her speed and grace were perfectly matched. Her movements were light and subtle but enough to avoid being hit.
[Level 5 initiated]
Even with the addition of a new turret, she seemed unfazed. Clearly, with the change in rhythm, she had to adjust her dodges, but it wasn't a significant challenge for her.
"Freaking impressive! So that's how I should have done it?" Oliver thought. "... but could I even do something like that?" He questioned whether seeing someone pass this level would be enough for him to perform differently.
[Level 6 initiated]
A new level began, but neither the number of guns nor the projectiles increased. This left many recruits puzzled about what had changed. For those observing closely, the projectiles had shifted from bouncing to sticking to wherever they hit. After a few seconds, the center of the room was rendered unusable.
[Level 7 initiated]
A fourth turret appeared opposite the third turret. Now, all four corners of the room had a turret. With the center covered in sticky projectiles, the girl had to choose a position that was closer to one of the guns.
Still, this level wasn't enough to eliminate her.
[Level 8 initiated]
At level 8, the firing speed increased dramatically until a shot hit her leg, eliminating her from the test.
[Test finished.]
[Evaluated status: Agility]
[Grade: Bishop]
"Impressive. We have our first Bishop! Congrats." The official looked again at the girl's file and pronounced her name, but Oliver was too far away. Despite his curiosity, he couldn't hear her name.
But it wasn't just the officer who was impressed; everyone around was also unsure of what to think. Oliver still didn't fully grasp what each Grade meant yet, but Alan and Isabela knew the level of training or talent required.
Obviously, achieving a Bishop level in a status wasn't enough to automatically place her in the First Battalion. However, it will make a strong impression on the officers evaluating her.
"Your brother would be proud of your performance." The officer commented.
The girl raised one eyebrow and gave a faint smile.
"Thank you, professor." She spoke in a calm and low voice, to the point that Oliver could barely hear her.
The girl continued walking to the end of the line and passed quickly by Oliver, who was frozen at the brief glimpse of her deep gray eyes.