Soon enough, Sumir would undoubtedly awaken two A-level innate talents!
His eyes gleamed with excitement as he was about to dig into a feast, but then he suddenly realized something:
The energy contained in the Beast Flesh of the Bloodline was so potent that after just one piece, he was already full!
He couldn't eat anymore!
In frustration, Sumir quickly searched his room, grabbed a small pouch, and stuffed several pieces of Beast Flesh of the Bloodline into it.
He had it all figured out. Over the next month, he would carry the pouch with him and whenever he could manage to eat something, he'd immediately consume a piece of Beast Flesh of the Bloodline.
Sumir knew he had to not only save up money but also race against time!
He needed to digest enough resources before the Player Trial began!
After a brief moment of thought, he made a firm decision.
"I'm not sleeping!"
In his room, Sumir cleared a small space, activated his Shadow Step, and used it to accelerate his nutrient absorption by burning through his stamina...
He practiced like this for over an hour.
By 5 AM, he finally left his apartment, took the first subway, and headed to the Players' Association in New Los Angeles, where he was scheduled to complete his Reserve Players certification.
…
The Players' Association was the most important building in any city.
It served the true elite of the new era — the players — so it was always constructed with the full power of the city behind it.
The building before Sumir was a magnificent complex, towering several hundred meters high and spanning nearly a thousand square meters. It seemed like a city within a city.
Above it, in the sky, floated a sword-and-shield symbol, held aloft by some kind of exotic energy.
Beneath the symbol was a sleek, futuristic building filled with layers of glass structures.
Sumir's subway station was called Players' Association · Reserve Players Area, and to reach the Registered Players area, he would need to travel four more stops, showing just how expansive the entire association was.
Sumir quickly made his way inside.
On the way, most of the young men and women were walking toward the association with confidence, but those leaving the building all had gloomy expressions, defeated by their failure.
Only a few had joyful looks on their faces, clearly having passed the certification test for Reserve Players, but they were in the minority.
Sumir didn't pay much attention to others. He swiftly walked into the association's interior.
Inside, everything was still extravagant. Above him, dazzling, giant chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and the polished floor tiles gleamed brightly.
Sumir approached a service window, where a young woman dressed in a long skirt and black stockings stood. She greeted him with a radiant smile, revealing a perfect set of teeth.
The staff member noticed that Sumir's clothes were very cheap, but she still spoke to him in a notably gentle tone.
"Hello, how can I help you?"
According to the training provided by the Players' Association, players from poorer families were often more easily touched by respectful treatment, so the staff member was particularly warm and welcoming.
"I'm here to apply for the Reserve Players assessment."
"Okay, please wait for a moment."
The staff member moved quickly, handing Sumir a ticket number before personally escorting him to a waiting room. In the meantime, another staff member took over the window.
Sumir, following the flow, quickly sat down, silently took out the leather pouch at his waist, and began chewing on a piece of dried meat.
At the same time, his feet trembled slightly as he activated his Shadow Step technique, forcing himself to stop mid-movement. While this action didn't provide much practice, it allowed him to burn energy and helped him consume another piece of meat more quickly.
…
"Number 1465, please proceed to Reserve Players Assessment Room 34."
Half an hour later, Sumir heard the announcement and followed a friendly staff member to the assessment room.
As he walked away, the rest of the students in the waiting room, a group of young, beautiful female students, began excitedly calling out.
"Haha! I won the bet! Sumir didn't even glance in our direction once until the very end!"
"Hurry up, hurry up, give me the money!"
The group laughed and joked, but among them, one black-haired girl in the center remained silent.
"Vivian, what's wrong? You should be happy! You passed the Reserve Players assessment, didn't you?"
"I really envy you. Your dad goes out on adventures just to find a Crimson Bloodfruit for you, boosting your physical stats by 0.2!"
"Yeah! Vivian, this is your moment to shine. Don't forget us when you're on top. You're now a Players' Association Certified Platinum Newcomer!"
"By the way, let me see your card."
One of the girls reached over and pulled out a card from the waist of her dress. It was a platinum-colored card, engraved with Vivian's ID.
This was the Platinum Newcomer Card given to those who showed extremely high potential during the Reserve Players assessment!
It meant the association recognized that she had a strong chance of awakening D-level innate talents or higher.
However, when it came to innate talents, Earth's research had been progressing slowly, and the association's predictions had only a 47% accuracy rate.
Vivian might not ultimately awaken any innate talents either, but that didn't change the fact that she had considerable potential.
This year, among the Reserve Players of New Los Angeles, only three people—Vivian included—had received the Platinum Newcomer Card!
As the other female students observed Vivian's calm demeanor, they grew bored and shifted the conversation.
"What do you think Sumir is hoping for by participating in the test?"
"The Reserve Players assessment costs 1000 dollars to register, isn't he just wasting his money?"
"His performance in school is pathetic, if his physical attributes even break 0.5, I'd be surprised. What's he doing here? Has he lost his mind?"
They weren't being malicious—just gossiping. They were more frustrated with Sumir for wasting his money than anything else. He didn't seem like he came from a well-off family, so spending 1000 dollars on the test felt like a waste.
Only Vivian frowned at this.
"We're all classmates, there's no need to talk like that."
"Sumir has his reasons for taking the test."
Vivian's tone was more thoughtful and composed than the others, but her words immediately shattered the lighthearted atmosphere in the room.
The other girls awkwardly laughed.
"You're right, you're right."
"We don't even know Sumir well enough to judge him, do we?"
Vivian nodded, her frown not fully disappearing.
"Let's just wait for Molly to finish her assessment, then we can head back."
"I passed the test, but bumping into Sumir might make him feel uncomfortable."
Her understanding and sensitivity were clear, but her expression still lacked the joy of someone who had just passed the assessment.
Vivian's brow remained furrowed as she thought deeply.
…
As for Sumir, the assessment went smoothly.
The tests for the three attributes were much like those he'd undergone at the Lone Wolf Club, but the equipment here was more advanced, and the testing limits were much higher.
Sumir was able to learn his exact attributes: Strength 1.04, Agility 1.1, Constitution 1.05.
But after completing the attribute tests, there was still the final assessment.
He entered a designated room where a humanoid robot, wearing crimson gauntlets, bowed to him.
"Hello, test subject. I will now deliver a full-strength punch."
"You are required to catch my attack without dodging."
"Alright, I'm ready." Sumir replied politely to the robot.
The next instant, Sumir's pupils contracted. The robot suddenly unleashed a series of rapid, unpredictable movements, and a punch came straight at him. The attack was highly unusual, with strange shimmering lights swirling around the robot's body, making it harder to avoid.
This was the effect of a skill—an active skill at that!
It was a skill that could only be mastered by Registered Players!
In an instant, Sumir could only raise his hands to shield his chest.
Bang!
With a dull thud, he felt himself being violently sent flying.
As the robot's punch generated a shockwave, Sumir felt as if the innate talent seed nourished by the Beast Flesh of the Bloodline had also been activated, releasing waves of energy.
Since he had just consumed the beast meat, the amount of energy wasn't overwhelming. It was like a gentle breeze passing by.
But within that breeze, flashes of violet-red light flickered!
These flashes of light were enough to tear through the robot's protective energy field.
Whoosh!
The storm quickly subsided.
"Hmm?"
"What's going on? The test should have ended by now, right?"
When Sumir regained his bearings and got back to his feet, he paused for a moment, confused. According to the rules, after withstanding the punch, he should've immediately received his test results—why was there no response?
Sumir waited patiently for two or three minutes, but it remained eerily silent.
"Why isn't there any announcement?"
"Is the Players' Association system glitching?"
He stood there, puzzled, his brow furrowed in uncertainty.