The test requires you to do a few trials. The first one is a series of a few tests. They test your strength, ability to use spells, speed, nimbleness, and finally your endurance. The second test, of course, is a combat test, sometimes we fight the professional adventurers or the staff but if it's mutual we can fight other testers. And finally, the written test. Yeah, no way I'll pass this one. It's mostly for adventurers who want to study trading, politics, and anything like taking care and building up a town or city. A male dragon-born introduced himself. "Hello, I am Dummis Balhazar it is nice to meet you." Despite his politeness, I couldn't help but silently chuckle at his name. "I am aware of how my first name sounds but I hope you all can hold in any chuckling." I could see a glance in my direction. "First is a test of strength, please follow me." With all of us behind we followed into a room with a magical contraption. "This right here will take your hit and turn it into a numerical score based on how strong you punch. Please, try not to hold back." He stepped to the side and let people do the test.
1-10 is the lowest, 11-20 is average, 21-30 is above average and 31-40 are those with really impressive strength anything higher is just proof that your strong like seriously what's wrong with you? something tells me you've taken one too many trips to the gym if you're even at a score of 31. most people got a score from ten to 25. But Mr. Masky over here, yes Ill call him that, got a score of 35 he was really up there but something feels off. Either I'm just crazy, which may be likely after all that monster meat I've eaten. Or, he's not showing everything he has. Eventually, it was my turn. I threw a punch and got a score of 29, despite my high stats. WHY?! Abysmalls are hot garbo. After a couple more tests we move on to combat, some people walk up to each other but I feel a tap on my shoulder. "...Hey you... Fight me..." The female voice spoke I felt an intense amount of pressure. Who is this? What does she want with me? I turn and see a short dark green-haired woman with black markings on her face and a tattoo of a star on her neck, I didn't see her in the test, is she a part of the staff? no... I don't see a badge that shows it... I try to look at her stats.
CANNOT BE APPRAISED
"Don't try it, I won't let you do something like look at my stats." My heart beats with fear. Does she know I can see stats?! HOW?! I'm sweating profusely and preparing to grab my sword when another voice speaks. "Sorry, we've already agreed to pair up." A person walked next to me, it was Mr. Masky! "I see, well next time then." She walks away and I take a very shaky breath out. "You alright? What did you do to attract someone from Organization Astral?" Organization wha? I'll have to ask about them later. "No, I don't, Thanks, by the way, I'm jane Wellington, what's your name? "call me Tamura, Tamura Atsumori" I can't help but notice his horns. "You're an Oni?" I asked. "And you're an Abysmall." Let me explain. most human races or human-like races like elves, demons, demi-humans, and Abysmalls have the normal level-up thing going on. But there are monster races, and they have evolutions. Evolutions can evolve into different branches depending on the monster's route of choice but some are rarer. Onis is the result of goblins turning into ogers and then ogers into high oger to onis. onis look like humans but they have horns. There aren't many. The reason is that goblins and orcs tend to have high pride for their race so they don't evolve willingly all too often. That, and most are killed before they evolve further. But evolution comes with huge stat increases making them really powerful if they keep evolving and sometimes it can end up in a one-of-a-kind monster.
"Well, I apologize for force volunteering you to fight me." What do you mean?! Dude you saved my skin 100 percent! I pat his back laughing a bit. "It's ok, you did it to help me, and I wanted to fight you anyway so this works out!" I smile at him and a little later everyone takes turns fighting oh and by the way, there are fewer people than when we started, the reason is that their stats were far too low to even make it past the first test so there are only thirty out of the 70 of us, I know its a lot but that's how this world is. If you can't be strong enough to pass simple tests you'll just be dead meat out there. Soon it's me against Tamura. "I hope you don't hold back on me, I know onis are known for their strength but I still want to go all out!" Pulling out my greatsword I prepare for battle He pulls out a slightly curved blade" woahhhh a katana I guess oni are in Japanese mythology a lot.
"begin!" The lizardman signals the battle to begin. And Instantly Tamura charges me, going for an upward swing but I barely block it and parries him away then doing a slash to the side but he backs away faster than I can swing He's stronger and faster so if I wanna win I'll need to take my time and parry his attacks and force my own openings. He runs around me and comes at me again this time I parry and use shadow bind. This seems to alarm him as I use this opening to strike at him using enrage to slam my sword into him. He barely manages to break free but he didn't dodge it completely as my sword cut his arm a bit to the point where he couldn't use it and now there's a small creator where I swung. "Just stay still what are you a nat?!" His body sparked with electricity. Oh, so that's how he got free. Looking at his skills I see an Electric cloak, it increases his speed exponentially but it drains his mana pool fast. "And die because you're crazy? I don't think so."
He used healing magic on himself to stop the bleeding but it seems it's not really good enough to fully heal him. good as long as I can cripple him at least a little in this fight I have a better chan- wait a minute something feels off... My danger sense is going off I look away from him and see multiple balls of water floating around. Great water AND electricity magic?! but what is he doing you may ask? He shoots powerful electricity into the water droplets and the electricity scatters and dances in the balls of water before striking at me! I yell in pain as I get struck "Jerk! that's a dirty tactic!!" He basically made it so I won't know where he’ll strike! Jokes on you though I have danger sense! The next bolt comes down at me and I jump out the way. HA, not so tough no- "GAH!" The electricity followed me?! it must've been because of my sword! Dang, it! What do I do?! As the electricity comes at me I do my best to dodge and while I dodge some I still get stuck! but hold on... Mr. Oni over there hasn't moved a muscle.
Can he not move? makes sense this must need a lot of focus and it's not as I can just run at him the electricity comes at me because of my sw- THAT'S IT! "I'm sick and tired of this so I'm gonna end it now!" He says to me as he charges up a really powerful strike that'll probably knock me out cold. Welp, now or never. I run at him with all I got "Did you give up? disappointing" He says and then strikes down the electricity. And at that moment I threw my sword at him. And the electricity curved away from me and flew at him. Realizing the danger he turns off his focus on the skill to block my sword but even if he blocks it the electricity flowing through shocks him hard and I run at him punching him in the face and makes him fly into the wall and when the dust settles he was out cold against the wall.
"Oops, I overdid it." I ran over to him and checked his pulse and sighed of relief, still alive. Medical mages came in and healed him up and I notice the green-haired woman get up and leave. Seriously who is she?! did I make an enemy already?! "Ugh..." Tamura regained consciousness. "You hit way too hard you weren't that strong in the strength test" I laugh at the comment. "Well, we couldn't use skills in the exams. Sorry for punching your face in though." I help him up. "Try to look alive. We still have the written test, though I'm really sure I'll fail." I laugh a bit. "I might fail too. I think you knocked out any educational knowledge I had with that punch. After recovering we took the test which I can definitely say I failed. I GOT A NEGATIVE 80 HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?! anyways despite that fact In the next few days I and Tamura got it at rank C+ after the results were in. Which is above average so I'm satisfied. Tamura also approached me shortly after. "Hey, I don't normally do this but It was pretty fun fighting you so, I'm hoping you're okay with partying up." A party huh? I guess some quests are gonna be hard to do on my own. "Sure I'll party up with you. It seems fun." I'm officially in a party
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In an Organization Astral outpost
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"I see. And you are sure she had the Appraisal and Status check abilities?" A distorted voice comes in through what seems to a projection. "Yes, she had both and she's an Abysmall." The mysterious figure ponders what to do "Do what you can to keep an eye on her, try to team up with her and keep her close, if she's the one end her, I've spent too many years of my revival regaining my power to be stomped on by another of HIS kind... Even after death... Even after the Dampening of strength, I put on his people Those worms are still alive and IN MY WAY!" The figure slams his hand into the table and silence falls into the room. "I will do everything to ensure your success" The green-haired woman ends the call and grabs her staff before leaving the area.
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Back with Jane and Tamura
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"let's rest up early and work tomorrow. There are better jobs in the morning so we can get paid well" Tamura advised. We were in the guild eating some dinner at the place he actually has off his mask. His face has a scar on it. A big one too. No wonder he had it on It could intimidate people. "Alright then ill see you soon-" I look at the door alarmed as my danger sense goes off and I feel that overwhelming presence from yesterday and Tamura from the looks of it senses it too. The green-haired woman from the other day looks around and walks to us and she stops reading our expressions and suddenly the tense air is gone. I suppose she hid her presence but it's too late at this point. "I apologize if I made you stressed I'm Stephanie Bronze, a Barron. I would like to join your party If that's alright with you of course." I and Tamura stare at one another what should we do? We can't say no, can we? If we do will she kill us? UGH, why does the outside world need to be so hard on me?! Whatever our next answer is. We need to be extremely cautious of our wording.
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