Attribute Testing

Ruther finally stood up from the table he was sitting at, and left his scroll behind.

The attribute testing chamber was set up a bit like a lounge on the right side. In the very center, against the back wall, was the display panel where Max had been thoroughly reviewing the stats of free agents.

The left side, however, was divided into three lanes. Each lane had a starting line, and different obstacles set up.

Ruther now moved over to the first of the three lanes.

“This is the Attack Power testing lane. It’s simple. There is a target at the end. Hit it with all you’ve got. Your score is calculated from a single hit. Here’s the catch, you can use any weapon or skill you have. The idea is that you use your most powerful move here. If you have a finisher, you can use that.”

“Don’t misled them, Ruther,” came the calm response of the boy who had been sitting in meditation. “No one uses their finishing move of this, that would be giving far too much information away.”

“What Ruther means is, just use any middle powered technique you have. Just, don’t be a baby, use at least a bit of your power behind it,” Max said.

Wei looked from the meditating boy to Max, and then to Ruther. Ruther had a solemn expression on his face, and seemed to be contemplating something silently. Max had a greedy expression on his face, eagerly waiting to see how strong the new recruits are.

“Ahem,” Leah cleared her throat, “can we use a weapon on this test?”

It was as if a collective sigh was released from the three boys. They looked frustratedly at one another. Wei could understand the expression — if this wasn’t a girl, they would thoroughly trash him right now. However, Leah was a girl, so they couldn’t just rip her apart as they would like too.

“And what else, no, I mean, yes, of course you can,” Ruther replied reluctantly.

The meditating boy put his face in his hands and looked down. Max, apparently the least intelligent of the group, couldn’t wipe the thoughtlessly eager expression from his face, mouth gaping as he waited for the new martial artists to show him their worth.

Leah gritted her teeth, and then took the initiative.

“Okay, then, Wei, if you don’t mind me, I’ll be going first,” Leah said, stepping up to the line.

Wei nodded, secretly glad for Leah’s initiative. He wanted to see where she was at, and from there he could decide how much of his own power to display. Of course, this kind of strategy relied on observing the reaction to her score from the three seniors present.

Taking her bow from her back, Leah exhaled, and then slowly withdrew a single arrow from her quiver. She stood strong and proud, leveling the bow and notching the arrow.

Then she pulled back on the string, and let loose a ‘twang!’

The arrow whistled through the air across the testing lane, and slammed into the target. There was a bit of a delay, followed by a whirring sound and a chime.

Without missing a moment, Max spun and returned to the display panel. He began to furiously scroll the display to the bottom.

Wei Wang squinted his eyes. He had to understand what the truth was. How much power do most juniors actually record here? Quietly, he moved across the chamber to stand behind Max and peer over his shoulder.

Finally, max reached the bottom of the list.

“Rank 246 - Leah Levi - Attack Power 23 - Speed Unknown - Magic Efficiency Unknown - Total Power 169 - Team Rising Lightning”.

Wei frowned. So Leah was currently ranked dead last. However, looking up one line, he read the entry for the junior in rank 249.

”Rank 245 - Alex Eminnaco - Attack Power 16 - Speed 18 - Magic Efficiency 36 - Total Power 349 - Team Victory Tigers”.

I see, so it’s like that! Leah only tested her Attack Power so far, so naturally she’s in last place. However, her Attack Power is actually much higher than the person in rank 245! In that case, she must not be the lowest junior in the sect! Wei was relieved as he read out the numbers. So there was some hope, after all.

“Hm, she can hit for 23 already. And, she didn’t even use a technique like we told her too. That was just a basic attack.”

“23 is good for a first grader, but it’s not good enough for us!” Max said with a sigh. “In order to beat the Proud Pack, we need someone who can hit for at least 60.”

Wei raised his eyebrows at this. Okay, so 60’s my target, he silently thought. If I can manage just less than that, it would be optimal. However, the truth is, I’ve never even tried this kind of test before. I have no idea how these numbers are measured. There doesn’t even seem to be a unit with them.

“Hm, Wei, do you want to give it a shot?” Leah asked from the side.

”Hmm, yes, I think it’s my turn, isn’t it?” Wei Wang replied.

With that, Wei returned to the Attack Power testing lane. In truth, since he was a hand-to-hand combat martial artist, all he could do was run down the lane and strike the target. When he thought about it, however, that was perfect. It would give him space to warm up. In that case, a Jump Kick made the most sense.

Okay, I think I see how this works. Most people probably end up showing off their most powerful non-technique attack. That’s a good way to judge. No one wants to come off as weak, but why would you reveal your technique on just the testing panel? Leah must have figured that out as well, and that’s why she just took a shot with her bow.

With that, Wei launched from the starting line without another thought. He grit his teeth as he ran, but forced himself not to activate his origin Chi. When he neared the target he leapt into the air and threw out his foot in front of him.

However, just as he was about to connect he suddenly pulled his foot back just slightly.

‘Ding!’ As he foot connected with the target it rang out and even shook. Shockwaves seemed to ripple out from the center of the target.

Back in the lounge came the sound of shuffling footsteps, and as Wei collected himself and turned around, he heard an exclamation.

“59! With just a kick! Is he an attack power expert, then? Do you think his speed and magic are low?” Came Max’s voice.

”You watched him run just now, could you call that slow?” Ruther replied.

”Still, that alone isn’t enough to defeat any of the Proud Pack members.”

“Hah, he’s already rank 243 with just his kick. Look, total power 443. He’s higher than both Alex and Ronald.”

“Okay, okay, maybe he has some talent, or some potential, but give me a break, a first grader against the Proud Pack?”

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”We need to check his other scores before we make a decision.” The one who spoke last was the boy who had not yet been named. He had risen from his meditation position and was now standing with the other two by the display panel. Next he turned, and looked at Wei with narrowed eyes. “Okay, let’s see your Speed.”

He gestured at that Speed lane. However, at that moment Leah stepped forward once more.

“I’m sorry, but I think I said, I’ll be going first. So, if it’s okay with you Wei, I’d like to try,” Leah glanced at Wei, but Wei only nodded assertively back. Leah was doing a great job, and Wei was thankful for it. The last thing he wanted was to go first, and risk giving away too much information. It was good to find out where Leah was, and see the reaction from the three seniors before taking the test.

“In this test, all you have to do is reach the back wall. However, I’ll just tell you now, so that you know, there will be obstacles that come from the right and the left, and if you don’t dodge them in time, then, well, consider yourself out of luck.”

“I believe,” the unnamed boy said, “The first time Max took this test, he was disqualified and ended up with a black eye instead.”

”I’m a tank, okay! When I was 12, speed just wasn’t my thing! But now, my Speed score is up to 73! I can ace this test, easily. I’m no worse than the slowest Proud Pack member!”

“But that still makes you equivalent to the slowest member of their team. If we are going to defeat them, we need to do better than worst!” Ruther replied, then he turned to Leah. “Ok then, Leah, let’s see what you’ve got.”

Leah nodded, setting her jaw. She had put her bow away, and now crouched down on the starting line. Then, without warning, she shot out!

Almost immediately a thick round obstacle shot out of the right wall. Leah launched herself into the air, narrowly escaping the first obstacle through sheer speed.

As she hit the floor, the second obstacle came from the right. However, she ducked into a deft rolll and continued moving, cross the first two without a hitch.

As she got to her feet again, the third obstacle came out, and this time she had to jump backwards, pivot to the right, and then launch forward again.

Fourth obstacle, left pivot and forward jump. Fifth obstacle, backpeddle and then straight forward!

’Ding!’

The trio quickly checked her score while Wei watched, hesitantly. As he did, his mind churned. He had ranked too highly on the first test. In reality, he didnt want to get forced into a situation where he would be pressured to leave his team this early on.

If he consented to a trade, he would quickly find himself out of his league, outclassed, and then considered trash. Once he was thrown into the figurative garbage bin and transferred to a much weaker team, well, there’s no coming back from that kind of strategic error.

On the other hand, if he impressed these seniors too much and then refused a trade anyway, that was even worse! Then he would be known in his own league as a target, and maybe even attract unwanted attention from other seniors! If that happened, every single match would become two or three times more difficult right off the bat!

“Wow, she got a 43 on her first try! Look, she actually overtook Alex Emannico already! Now, she’s rank 246 and he’s rank 247!”

With the addition of Wei Wang’s name on the list, both Alex and Leah had already moved down a position. That was why, even though Leah had just ranked up, her overall ranking score didn’t change. Instead, the junior named Alex Emannico had dropped down two positions!

Wei frowned. Leah had gotten a 43, and that was considered very good. In that case, he would throw this time.

He teed up at the starting line and shot off. At first, he decided to give it his all. When the first obstacle came out, he dodged to the side without stopping. On the second, he did the same, and then the third.

However, when the fourth came out he stutter-stepped, and then, dodging backwards, fell on the floor! Without pause, he got his legs underneath him and shot out again, backpedaled to dodge the fifth obstacle, and then crossed the finish line.

An air of silence filled the room. Wei turned to see cold stares emanating out at him with murderous auras.

Max and Ruther didn’t even bother to look at the display panel. Only the unnamed boy even bothered to check it.

“19.”

“Trash. Come on, let’s go. It was wrong to get our hopes up with these first graders. That boy can hit, but he’ll never even get a shot off,” Ruther said, already heading towards the door.

“Wait!” Leah shouted as they went, “You haven’t shown us how the Magic test works yet!”

“Figure it out yourself!” Max shouted as the three of them disappeared from the room at last.

“Jerks!” Leah shouted, but her shout fell on nothing but empty air. They were long gone.

“Leah, its okay. The tests seem pretty simple, we can just figure it out without their help,” Wei had moved across the Speed lane again and now stood by Leah’s side.

“But, they called you trash, Wei,” Leah complained.

“Forget it. Listen, in a season or two, we will thoroughly defeat them in the arena, okay? You can count on it!” Wei didn’t want to tell her he had thrown that test on purpose.

”O-ok, if you say so, Wei,” Leah said. Then, tentatively, she turned to the display. “Wei, look! You went up!”

Curious, Wei moved over to the display. In reality, his speed was much higher than he had shown, so whatever rank it had him at was already an underestimation. Still, he didn’t fully understand how all the scores were calculated yet, so he couldn’t help but be curious.

“Rank 239 - Wei Wang - Attack Power 59 - Speed 19 - Magic Efficiency Unknown - Total Power 586 - Team Rising Lightning”.

So I’ve already gone up that much, with just that fumble? Hm, maybe I need to be even more careful on the Magic test, Wei thought.

With that in mind, Wei couldn’t help but turn towards the third lane, the Magic Efficiency test.

“How do you think it works?” Leah asked timidly.

In the Magic Efficiency lane, there was a large crystal ball on a podium in the very center. Even though all three lanes shared the same shape and dimensions, it was obvious this lane worked a bit differently.

Wei pondered it for a moment, and then had an idea.

“If its like a Jade Tablet, you have to put your hands on it for the origin Chi sparks to transfer. Judging by the looks of it, you just walk up to it and place both hands on it, and then maybe it handles the rest?”

“Hm, okay,” Leah didn’t seem convinced.

“Since those bullies are gone, how about I go first this time?” Wei asked.

“Yeah, that sounds good. I’m not really sure about it, yet. So, you go first, Wei,” Leah replied.

“Okay then, I’ll try it!” Wei said.

He crossed the threshold to the lane, and nothing happened yet. Walking slowly but confidently, he approached the crystal ball. Standing there looking down at it, it was like a swirling ocean of stars was somehow trapped inside that pitch black orb.

Wei reached out his hands and laid them on the crystal ball.

Nothing happened.

A moment passed, and still nothing.

“Wei, maybe you have to try cultivating like that?” Leah gestured.

“Okay, I’ll try it,” Wei said. Then, he began to circulate the Phoenix Ascending Hidden Flame mantra silently.

At that moment, Wei saw a vision of a flaming bird leap from his core and fly directly into the pitch black orb. Suddenly, it was as if a mighty vortex of energy erupted within the orb, pulling on everything that Wei had.

At that moment, he lost control even of his own cultivation. The Phoenix Ascending Hidden Mantra began to circulate madly within his core, going faster and faster.

He couldn’t stop it. He had meant to hold something back if possible, but now he was actually being pushed to his limits! And not just his limits, but almost past them!

His body burned with fire. At that moment, even his vision turned to flame. The room itself seemed to be made of searing white hot energy. Everything morphed around him. It was like staring directly into the energy world, perceiving the origin Chi directly.

Then, with a snap, it all stopped and Wei fell backwards.

’Ding!’

“Oh, you did it, Wei! Let me check,” Leah said from behind. “This is… Wei, your score is gone. I can’t find it. Wait, maybe it’s up here?”

There was silence for a moment, and Wei got up off his butt and turned to see Leah scrolling upwards diligently, looking for his name on the display.

“Wei…” She said. At that moment it was as if all the blood drained from her face. Her jaw had dropped, and she stopped scrolling. “You better come and take a look yourself.”

Wei Wang walked back to Leah’s side and looked to where she was pointing on the display.

“Rank 139 - Wei Wang - Attack Power 59 - Speed 19 - Magic Efficiency 218 - Total Power 2,220 - Team Rising Lightning”

Wei’s heart sank. If the rankings here could be expected to correlate to ages, Wei was already ranked around a 15 or 16 year old. Even the bullies from before didnt come close. They were only 13, and were competing at the top of their class. At max, they would be competing with 14 year olds in the next league up.

Under normal circumstances, Wei would have been delighted to know he was as strong as a top 15 year old. In this case, however, nothing could be worse. These scores were public knowledge. By the next day, the entire sect would know there was a 12 year old whose Magic Efficiency was high enough to rank him just under the 16 year old age bracket.

Wei thought that once those bullies left, he could probably manage to hide his score from them. Now, however, it wouldn’t just be them. Every single team would start eyeing him from the beginning. In every single match, he would be a target.

And not only that, but with a score like this…

Wei stumbled backwards from the display panel.

With a score like this, he would even be targeted outside the arena matches. If senior teams couldn’t poach him, they would target him instead. And if they couldn’t target him…. The real scoundrels might even go for his teammates! If a 16 year old student were to attack Na Alakee outside of the arena, or Aaron or Leah! No, it was too much to think about.

”Leah, we need to go to our barracks. As soon as everyone gets back, I’ll have to explain to them what happened.”

”What do you mean, Wei? Isn’t this great news?” Leah asked, surprised at Wei’s sudden expression of horror.

“No, I’ll explain later. Come on, let’s go, before anyone finds out.”