Chapter 69 | The Test
Chapter 69: 69 | The Test
Inside, the association was even busier than outside.
They eventually walked into the main building’s lobby, and Andrew had to consciously stop himself from staring like a tourist.
The ceiling soared nearly fifty meters high. Crystal chandeliers floated in mid-air, held by anti-gravity fields that shimmered faintly.
A massive reception counter curved along the far wall, staffed by half a dozen people in sharp uniforms.
Constant strode up to the counter. The young receptionist, a woman with neat brown hair and a polite smile, looked up.
"Welcome to the Ultra Associati—"
She stopped. Constant had placed the black card on the counter.
The woman blinked. Her pupils contracted. For a fraction of a second, she thought it was a prank.
A black-grade license? It belonged only to the absolute peak figures—the strongest of the strong, the elite among elites.
Her hands trembled slightly as she picked it up to scan. Then she looked at the old man’s face.
And her expression completely crumbled.
"P-Principal Constant... " she gasped.
She shot to her feet so fast her chair rolled backward and bowed deeply, nearly parallel to the counter. "W-Welcome, sir! How may I assist you?"
"Should I call the director? Would you like refreshments? Do you wish to check in for special admission? Should I prepare a private lounge?"
She kept going, words tumbling out like a waterfall. Constant waved a hand.
"Enough."
She shut her mouth instantly.
The old man scratched his beard. "Just get me that young brat."
The receptionist’s brain seemed to short-circuit. "...Young... brat?" she repeated, as if the words didn’t make sense.
Constant frowned, like he was trying to recall. "That brat. Your director." He pointed upward.
The woman froze. Calling the director—one of the most powerful figures in the entire city, a brat?
But this was Principal Constant. If anyone could say that, it was him. Swallowing hard, she grabbed the communication device.
"Y-yes, immediately!"
She connected the line. "Principal Constant is here requesting to see Director—".
Before she could finish, the line clicked dead.
Andrew noticed her stiffen. A second later, a door to the left side of the lobby swung open and five men in perfectly tailored black suits stepped out.
Without any hesitation, all five bowed respectfully in unison. "Sir."
The lead man, a calm-faced man with greying temples, stepped forward. "You are here. We are ready to assist with your immediate needs."
Constant raised an eyebrow. "Where’s that brat?"
The man smiled politely. "The director is currently outside the city on a mission."
Constant’s eyes narrowed. "On a mission? How can that brat go on missions himself? He has people for that."
Then his expression shifted slightly, turning thoughtful. "Don’t tell me... He’s trying to break through the Supreme Realm?"
The suited man’s smile didn’t waver. "I know nothing regarding that matter. He only informed us he would be unavailable and does not wish to be disturbed."
Constant clicked his tongue. "Tch. Fine. Be that way." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder at Andrew and Monica. "Then get these two their licenses."
The man glanced at them, then bowed again. "That will be done. Scan their abilities. Run the assessment. Issue their licenses."
He snapped his fingers. Two other suited personnel stepped forward, a man and a woman, both young but with sharp, professional expressions. They smiled at Andrew and Monica.
"Sir," the man said to Andrew.
"Ma’am," the woman said to Monica.
"This way, please."
Andrew was briefly thrown off. The guy was at least three times his age, but he was addressing him like he was a VIP.
hi
s was what power looked like. Status.
The weak bowed. And he would climb high enough that everyone, no matter their age, would one day bow to him.
’Let’s see."
Without a word, Andrew and Monica followed the two staff members deeper into the facility.
Principal Constant and the lead suited man headed off toward a nearby observation room, their voices fading into casual conversation.
---
Inside the observation room, massive holographic screens floated in the air.
The lead suited man, whose name was apparently Mercer, gestured toward the displays.
"The license examination is straightforward, Principal Constant," Mercer explained.
A battlefield simulation appeared, showing a lone figure facing a charging wave of beasts. "The test measures combat capability. If you successfully survive and defeat one wave of beasts, you qualify as an F-Rank Ultra."
The screen shifted, showing two waves. "Defeat two waves: E-Rank. Three waves: D-Rank. Four waves: C-Rank. And so on."
The images kept climbing. B-Rank. A-Rank. S-Rank. SS-Rank. SSS-Rank. Each rank required more waves, each wave stronger than the last.
Mercer folded his arms. "The beasts summoned will always match the candidate’s own level of strength. So a talented beginner might fight goblins, while an experienced hunter faces wyverns. The principle remains the same: survive the waves, and your rank rises accordingly."
Constant stared at the screen, a faint smile on his lips. "And those two? What will they face?"
Mercer glanced at a secondary screen that had flickered on, showing Andrew and Monica being led into separate testing chambers. "We shall see. Their baseline data is already being read by the system."
---
In a quiet corridor, Andrew and Monica stopped outside two large metal doors. Each door led to a private testing chamber. Through a glass partition, they could see the same kind of machine they’d used back at the academy: a virtual pod.
Andrew turned to Monica. "Looks like we’re doing this solo."
Monica’s smile was soft, but there was steel behind it. "I’ll be fine. You just focus on your mission."
Andrew smiled. "You too."
Monica laughed. She reached out and squeezed his hand once. "See you on the other side."
Andrew watched her step into her chamber, the door sealing behind her with a low hiss.
Then he walked into his own. He lay back, and the lid closed over him.
Darkness.
When Andrew opened his eyes again, he was standing on a vast, empty battlefield.
Gray skies and cracked earth, stretching endlessly to a horizon.
A mechanical voice boomed across the empty plain.
[Ultra License F-RANK EXAMINATION BEGINNING...]
[PREPARING FIRST WAVE...]