Reincarnated as an Energy with a System - Chapter 1859: I Gate

Chapter 1859: I Gate

Ning walked into a hall with the rest of the test takers. A few men came out, handing them some sort of card. Ning took the card and looked at what was written on it.

[I]

He raised an eyebrow in confusion and waited.

“Everyone who has received your gate letter, please head over to that gate,” the woman on the announcer explained.

Ning looked at the room and saw ’A’ written on it. So he had to go find the ’I’ gate now. B through L were to his right, so Ning started walking. A rather long walk later, he finally arrived at the I gate and stood before an empty wall in wait.

He looked around in the room and saw that there were only 12 people inside, most of them younger than 25 years of age. Only a female satyr and a male lizardfolk looked any older than 25. Even then, Ning was still the oldest at 35 years old.

The announcement came again. “The test shall begin in 2 minutes.”

Everyone got alert and waited as the next 2 minutes passed. When it finally did, the massive wall lifted off the ground, pulled up as light spilled in from outside.

Once the wall was fully gone, Ning could see what lay before him. His eyes went wide in shock as a massive city lay within the testing area, all too real to Ning’s eyes.

It was around 16 blocks in total, in a 4 by 4 pattern, the outside a circular shape. Ning looked to the side and saw the many other rooms with participants in them that had opened as well.

“You may begin.”

No sooner had the announcement come than the people ran out of the room.

Ning stepped outside as well, taking a better look at his surroundings. He wanted to see where the judges were at first, but for some reason, he could not see them at all.

What he did see were cameras all around, so he could only believe that the judges were watching him through those cameras.

Ning finally stepped down, his eyes searching for anyone in trouble.

There were people inside the city, acting like regular people who were on their way to do their mundane day-to-day tasks, unbothered by the sudden appearance of new heroes. Cars and buses went around without stopping, traffic lights turning on and off all the same.

It was almost as if these people had taken a chunk out of a real city and placed it in here. Compared to this, the testing ground the agency had was nothing. A failed attempt at copying, if even that.

The wannabe heroes spread out immediately, going to find someone to help. Ning knew he needed to leave soon as well, but he also knew he couldn’t run around. He just had to keep his eyes open.

He walked through the first block for a few minutes and came across a young girl who stared up at a real tree.

Ning looked around for a moment before moving toward the little girl. Getting close, he could see some redness on her skin, like she had some Imp blood, but not a lot.

“Hello,” he spoke up. “Are you alone?”

The girl, no more than 8 years old, turned toward Ning and seemed scared. She stepped back a little, her hands raising to her chest in fear.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” Ning said quickly. “Where is your mommy?”

“Home,” the young girl said, her big eyes still not entirely free of fear.

Ning couldn’t tell if the young girl was genuinely scared or if this was acting. He was certain this was acting, and if so, he had to give her an applause.

His eyes moved to the tree she was staring at and saw what looked like a cat up there. Upon closer look, he could tell it was a plushy, albeit a rather realistic one.

“Is that your cat?” Ning asked.

“Sir Featherbottom went up there and won’t come back,” she said. “Mommy will be angry if we don’t return for lunch soon.”

Ning nodded and looked up. In a single jump, he reached the top of the tree and grabbed onto a branch. With his other hand, he grabbed the cat gently before landing back on the ground.

Ning handed the cat back to the young girl. “Here. Don’t let Sir Featherbottom leave your side again, okay?”

The girl nodded. “Okay.”

“Come. I’ll take you back to your mother.”

Ning had only wanted to take the young girl back to the house and was surprised when the door opened and a woman stepped out with a thankful look.

“Sir Featherbottom always gets himself in trouble. Thank you for getting him off the tree and bringing my little girl home. Would you like to step in for some tea?”

“Oh, I would love to, but I must decline,” Ning said. “There are others out there I must help. Take care.”

Ning said his goodbye and left the house, a bit curious if what he had done had counted for anything. Surely it had, right?

Ning left the area in search of more people to help. He was only half a block away when he saw a couple walking by while holding each other’s hands. They weren’t far off before a man stepped out of the bush with a knife in his hand.

“Hand over all your valuables, or else…”

Ning shook his head. “Not on my watch, you don’t,” he said silently, dashing forward to help the two.

However, before he got there, something flew from the side, striking the thief in the hand and knocking his knife aside.

Ning paused, surprised. Then his eyes turned toward a woman on the opposite side of the road, holding two floating pieces of stone in her palm.

She jumped, crossing the entire road in a single leap, and arrived next to where the thief was.

“There will be no crime,” the woman said, her head held high. “Not while I am here.”