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"Therefore, this will be given as a reward to the player. Please keep it and use it, Mr. Lathan," said the guide named Senia with a smile.
A reward, huh? That's quite beneficial. It's worth it, even if it's not much.
I closed my status screen and then moved to the area indicated by the guide. There were several physical testing devices for players.
"Here, Mr. Lathan, we have equipment to check the physical strength of newly awakened players. Please use it to measure your attribute levels," said the guide.
As mentioned earlier, these tests are conducted with sophisticated and futuristic equipment provided by the association. The strength level is measured using a gauge, similar to the strength-testing machines found in arcades.
"Okay, I'll start with the 'Strength' attribute gauge," I told the guide.
"Please proceed, Mr. Lathan. We've already set up the equipment," the guide responded.
Honestly, I'm not very athletic, but my physical condition is slightly above average due to my previous job as a cleaner. I prepared myself and threw a punch at the device's padding. The numbers displayed how strong my punch was.
"What's next?" I asked.
"You may repeat the test up to three times, Mr. Lathan," the guide replied.
"Alright, then," I said.
I took a stance and punched the device a second and third time. The numbers varied slightly, but not by much.
"Next, we will test your agility with a treadmill," the guide announced.
Agility is measured by running on a treadmill. This is also quantified and calculated by the robot provided by the association.
I walked to the treadmill, and the robot adjusted the speed levels accordingly.
"The robot will set the speed levels suitable for newly awakened players," the guide explained.
I started walking on the treadmill, which began at a normal pace and gradually increased in speed. After some time, I began to feel exhausted.
"Alright, that's enough for the agility test. You may take a 5-minute break before proceeding to the endurance test," the guide said.
I stepped off the treadmill as it gradually stopped. A robot entered the room and offered me a bottle of water and a towel to wipe off my sweat.
"Hahh hahh, I thought this would be easy, but it's not as simple as I expected," I muttered.
Five minutes later, the guide returned and gave me instructions.
"Next, we will test your endurance. This test involves a robot administering electrical shocks," the guide explained.
The endurance level is tested with a robot that delivers electric shocks equivalent to a punch. The amount of electricity administered affects the level of pain experienced by the test subject.
"Don't worry, Mr. Lathan. The robot's calculations are precise enough to gauge the appropriate output for each player," she said.
"Okay, I'll proceed," I replied.
"Please go to this area," she indicated.
I walked to the designated area, where the robot had prepared the equipment. There was even a comfortable chair for me to sit in while I waited.
I sat down, and the guide attached several electrodes to different parts of my body.
"Starting in 3… 2… 1," said the guide.
Electricity began flowing through my body. At first, I didn't feel anything, but gradually, I experienced numbness and muscle spasms. After about 7 minutes, the pain intensified, reaching a point where it felt like my limit.
"Are you alright, Mr. Lathan?" the guide asked.
"Ugh, I'm fine. I didn't expect the electric shock to be this intense," I said.
"Sorry, Mr. Lathan. This is within the tolerance level of your body for electrical stimuli," she replied.
"Honestly, I'm a bit surprised that you could withstand such a high level of electricity. It's slightly above average for newly awakened players," she added.
"Well, it's alright," I said.
I got up from the endurance test chair and sat next to the provided chair.
"Please drink this low-grade potion, Mr. Lathan. It will help alleviate some of the pain," she said.
I drank the potion immediately. It's standard procedure for the Hunter Association to provide various necessities.
"Now, after the physical attribute tests, we will proceed with the magical attribute tests. Next to me is the 'Dexiver Ω', also known as Dex-Omega," she continued.
"To summarize, this tool is an alternative version of the Dexiver, used for testing dungeon magic power," she explained.
Next to her was a rectangular, thin device with a circular hole in the center. It emitted a mix of magical energy from dungeon stones and electromagnetic waves.
"Please insert your wrist into the device next to me. It will detect the magical aura within your body," she explained.
"Alright," I said.
I walked to where the guide stood and faced the Dex-Omega device. I lifted my hand and slowly inserted my fingers into the device until it reached my wrist. It felt like putting something into an interdimensional space—my "Inventory." There was a slight numbness in my hand, probably due to the electromagnetic waves.
"How long will this take?" I asked the guide.
"Not long, Mr. Lathan. It will take about 2 to 3 minutes. Dex-Omega needs time to identify the magical energy within the player," she replied.
Three minutes later, the device's light gradually dimmed, indicating the end of the magical power test.
"Everything has been tested without significant issues. You may wait in the waiting room for 30 minutes. Your number will be called for us to provide your player card and the test results," the guide said.
"Alright, thank you," I replied.
"You're welcome, Mr. Lathan. I hope you get the best results," the guide said with a smile.
I walked out of the testing room and into the waiting area.
Hmm, I've finished the tests, but Faiz hasn't arrived yet. Maybe his work isn't ready yet? Well, I'll contact him when I get home.
While waiting, I decided to check the features that appeared when I was tested on my status screen earlier.
"Status," I said.
The status screen appeared with a glitch in front of my face.
||Name: Lathan Louvain
||Level: 1
||Age: 18
||Race: Human (??)
||Job: None
||Affiliation: None
||Str: 7
||Agi: 8
||Int: 24
||End: 13
||Luck: 20
[|Main Skill: OverLimit (?)|]
||Subskill: Observe (lvl 1), Inventory (lvl 1)
.
.
.
Hmm, it's the same as usual, and there's a hide status display button. It seems like an on/off switch for the game settings. It's just to make the status screen visible in the standard blue color.
The OverLimit skill makes the impossible possible. I'm excited to uncover more features of this system. After reviewing my status screen, I closed it again. I waited while listening to music. Soon, I heard an announcement over the sound system and removed my earphones to listen.
"Queue number 241," the voice said.
"That's my number," I murmured.
I stood up from the waiting chair and walked toward the counter across the room. The announcement system continued calling other numbers, but my focus was on the results of the tests. The guide had said that the results would provide an initial view of my potential as an "Awakened." Naturally, I was eager to know.
At the counter, an association staff member greeted me. "Welcome, Mr. Lathan. Here are the results of your physical and magical attribute tests, along with your player card for future association purposes," they said, handing me a sealed envelope.
"Thank you," I said as I took the envelope. I felt a twinge of excitement. Carefully, I opened the envelope and saw a plain white card with my name written on it, and a chip in the lower right corner. There was also a sheet of paper detailing my test results.
The results were as follows:
|| Str: F
|| Agi: F
|| Int: D
|| End: E
Overall Rating: Rank E.
Honestly, I wasn't too surprised given my low stats.
I stepped out of the association building with a light step. The fresh evening air was a relief. The surroundings seemed brighter, perhaps because I had completed all the tests or due to the anticipation of what was to come. It felt like my world was about to change.
As I walked, I pulled out my phone and sent a message to Faiz. "I'm done with the tests. Where are you now?" While waiting for his reply, my mind continued to wander about the results and my potential abilities. My magical power was quite high; maybe I have a chance to become an arc mage?
A few minutes later, my phone buzzed. It was Faiz's reply. "Sorry, man, I'm a bit late. Had some issues at work. I'll be there soon."
"It's okay," I thought. At least I had time to think more about my future in this new world.
While waiting, I decided to try to understand more about the mysterious *OverLimit* skill. Given how important this skill seemed, I needed to comprehend it better. However, when I tried to access more details about the skill on my status screen, only a question mark appeared. "Hmm, it seems it's not something I can uncover right now," I muttered.
I sat on a bench in the park near the association building, gazing at the evening sky. Thoughts about how I could leverage my skills and powers to survive in this new world kept swirling in my mind. Moreover, if the *OverLimit* power could truly push beyond normal limits, I might have a bigger chance than I initially thought.
"I need to start planning," I thought. This world won't wait for anyone, especially not for the newly awakened. If I want to survive, I need more than just physical strength. I need information, allies, and a well-thought-out strategy. I don't know what will happen next, but one thing is certain—I will become stronger than anyone else, and I will use this power to my advantage.
"It's time to make a big change in my life," I murmured with a small smile.
Soon after, Faiz arrived. "Sorry for being late, bro. I had a lot of stuff to deal with, so I couldn't wait for you in the waiting room," he said, smiling tiredly.
"No worries. I just finished up myself," I replied, getting up from the bench.
"You seem optimistic," Faiz commented as he noticed my expression.
"Yeah, I think this is the beginning of something big," I answered confidently.
We walked together, discussing what we would do next and how we could make the most of everything that had happened today. The world, though changed, remained the same as before—full of mysteries and threats. But with a bit of luck and intelligence, maybe I could handle it.
~~To be continued~~