Bertram took the form and filled in his martial arts level and special abilities, but he left out his unique physique, which was his secret weapon.
The middle-aged man frowned as he looked over Bertram's form. "Martial arts level F, special ability: Silver Threads. I've never heard of that ability before. Unfortunately, it's not even at level F, so it won't be much help in actual combat."
"Alright, Benson, let's test his combat skills," the middle-aged man said, turning to a burly man standing nearby.
"Benson is also at level F and is one of our senior sparring partners. If you can last thirty moves against him, you'll pass."
The burly man, Benson, stepped forward, cracking his knuckles against his chest. His face was rugged, and he wore a menacing grin. His fierce aura made everyone around him shiver a bit, feeling uneasy.
Having a senior sparring partner conduct the assessment was quite harsh for the Chaoyang Martial Arts School.
Everyone knew that an average level F fighter wouldn't last even ten moves against a senior sparring partner.
"How many moves do you think this kid can last?"
"He looks like a sheltered flower from some school. If he can last five or six moves, that'd be impressive."
"You can't imagine the strength of a senior sparring partner!"
To become a senior sparring partner at Chaoyang Martial Arts School, one needed several years of experience.
As the assessment began in the training arena, Benson charged forward like a massive tiger. His hands moved like giant pincers, and his leg muscles were agile, ready to counter any reaction from his prey.
"That's the Hunting Style. It looks simple, but when mastered, it's terrifying..."
"Benson is using this move right away. He probably wants to defeat the kid immediately!"
Seeing the scene unfold, some people began to explain Benson's moves.
With such rapid speed, they tried to imagine how they would counter the attack. They realized that no matter what, they couldn't confidently avoid the move.
While everyone was pondering how to deal with the attack, they suddenly noticed that they hadn't even seen the young man's movements clearly. The seemingly inevitable hunting move missed, and the young man appeared behind Benson, his hands gripping Benson's vulnerable neck.
He dragged Benson backward, slamming him to the ground. Benson's face turned blue and purple, unable to resist.
Was it over just like that?
"A seasoned sparring partner, defeated in one move?" Everyone was left in a daze.
A middle-aged man was dumbfounded, even snapping the pen in his hand unconsciously.
"Did I pass?" Bertram asked.
"Y-yes, you passed..." The middle-aged man finally snapped out of it and murmured.
The middle-aged man politely led Bertram into their martial arts school. He then whispered something to a nearby person, who left and soon returned with the head of Chaoyang Martial Arts School.
"Young man, are you sincerely here to be a sparring partner at our Chaoyang Martial Arts School?" the head asked seriously.
"That's right!" Bertram nodded affirmatively.
Although with his current skills, he could join a better martial arts school, his goal was that mysterious girl.
"Alright then. I have a client who requires a sparring partner with high standards. If you can gain her approval, you should earn at least 100 Dawn Coins!" the head added.
Bertram was slightly taken aback. In his life simulation, he had worked as an ordinary sparring partner for a while before gaining the head's recognition and being introduced to the mysterious girl. Now, the head was getting straight to the point.
It seemed that the changes in his abilities had triggered a series of butterfly effects, leading the master to recognize his strength earlier than expected.
"Thank you, Master. I'm willing to give it a try!" Bertram said.
"Alright, follow me," the master replied, leading Bertram slowly towards the back of the martial arts hall, entering the largest training ground within the facility.
At that moment, in the center of the training ground, under the direct sunlight, stood a girl dressed in a white training outfit. Her straight posture exuded both flexibility and valor. Her long, smooth black hair was tied into a high ponytail, giving her a clean and sharp appearance. In her right hand, she lightly held a long sword.
Her face was covered with a white dog mask, revealing only her eyes. Those clear eyes sparkled as if they contained a galaxy.
To Bertram, she seemed to blend seamlessly with the environment around her.
Was this the mysterious girl from his life simulation? The one who defeated him in just ten moves?
Bertram's heart grew serious.
"Young lady, this is a new sparring partner. Even seasoned sparring partners can't last a single move against him," the master said respectfully to the mysterious girl.
Perhaps it was the last sentence that finally moved the mysterious girl.
"Alright, let him try," she said, turning around. Her tone was devoid of any emotion, as if she was isolated from the world.
Bertram felt an immense sense of caution. The mysterious girl's combat abilities were terrifying. Last time, he couldn't even withstand ten moves against her.
"If you can last thirty moves against me, you win," the mysterious girl said.
"Thirty moves? Is that enough to be your sparring partner?" Bertram asked, slightly surprised.
"If you can last thirty moves, then next time, my goal will be to make you last no more than twenty moves. The time after that, no more than ten moves. When you can't last ten moves, our sparring sessions will end," the mysterious girl explained further.
This mysterious girl had an impressive aura.
Bertram's competitive spirit was ignited.
If she wanted him to last thirty moves, he was determined to last forty, maybe even fifty.
If she said that in future sparring sessions, his moves would dwindle, he would do the opposite—he would increase his moves and one day, truly surpass her.
Bertram stepped into the training ground.
"Empty-handed or with weapons?" the mysterious girl asked.
"Empty-handed!" Bertram didn't have any notable weapon skills at the moment.
The mysterious girl immediately raised her longsword and shot it toward the side of the training ground. It embedded itself deeply into the stone slab, even with the sheath still on.
"I will suppress my power to match your F-rank!" the mysterious girl added.
Only at the same level could they truly test their combat abilities.
As soon as she finished speaking, she moved. Her feet pushed off the ground powerfully, and she shot toward Bertram like an arrow from a bow, growing larger in his vision with each passing second.
As she closed in on Bertram, her first move was simply a clenched fist, followed by a punch!
The powerful force around her fist was like a tornado, rushing toward Bertram.
Wow, the same level of power in this mysterious girl's hands was beyond what ordinary people could achieve.
That was the refinement of strength!