Chapter 18: The Ability Assessment Begins

On the energy testing field, Li Chenqiu felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and slowly opened his eyes.

So, they really could monitor his voice.

Realizing this, a smirk tugged at the corner of Li Chenqiu’s mouth, a glimmer of mischief flashing in his eyes. Although he couldn't kill Gong Ran just yet, it was quite amusing to mock him in front of everyone.

Li Chenqiu tilted his head back, looked up at the azure sky, and sighed, "To become the Director of the Special Abilities Bureau in City No. 11, one must be a big shot. Just what kind of talent does this Gong Ran actually have?"

As he said this, Li Chenqiu stroked his chin, his face etched with a thoughtful expression.

Meanwhile, in the screening hall, Gong Ran was already drenched in sweat. He gripped the armrests of his chair nervously and whispered to Zhang Kong, "Start it quickly! Get someone to maintain order in the field."

"Understood," Zhang Kong nodded and began walking out of the hall.

But it was already too late.

After a moment of feigned contemplation, Li Chenqiu’s eyes suddenly brightened. "Although this Gong Ran isn't as capable as Zhang Kong, he isn't entirely useless. He relied on being a kept man to become a Director at such a young age, and he’s so extremely rational that he didn't even care about his own son's life, choosing to sit safely in the rear and orchestrate things. In the end, even though he failed to kill the Awakened and couldn't save his son, at least he survived himself. I wonder if this face of mine is good enough to be a kept man too!" Li Chenqiu looked envious, his eyes filled with longing.

Inside the screening hall, everyone’s gaze was once again fixed on Gong Ran, including the high-ranking officials in the front row.

"Director Gong, is what this kid is saying true or false?" Ma Tianjiu turned around, his face full of gossip. He hadn't expected someone who looked so unremarkable to be so ruthless. Even a tiger wouldn't eat its own cubs; this man was more venomous than a beast!

"Ahem!" Gong Ran coughed drily, his face ugly, and he glared at Ma Tianjiu like a hawk. "My child passed away just last night. Are you so keen to rub salt into my wounds?"

Ma Tianjiu stiffened, offering a sheepish smile. "My apologies."

With that, he turned back to the giant screen, his face cold, and remained silent.

...

On the testing field, just as Li Chenqiu was about to continue his performance, a booming voice echoed over the speakers: "All personnel, assemble in the center of the field and line up by number!"

Hearing this, the crowd began to shuffle toward the center of the square. Seeing this, Li Chenqiu dropped the idea of further mockery and joined the crowd. Under the guidance of the staff, three distinct groups formed in the center of the square.

One group consisted of only three people—two men and one woman. This was the Elemental ability group.

Another group had eight people; this was the Special Ability group.

Li Chenqiu’s group was the largest, with forty-three people. This was the Physical Enhancement group, and Li Chenqiu stood at the very end of the line.

"Hmm?" Li Chenqiu’s gaze swept across the crowd, and he immediately spotted a young man his own age standing in the Special Ability group.

It was his best friend, Qi Mingyue.

They lived in the same building and had been together from kindergarten through elementary, middle, and high school. Brawling and playing together had become the norm, and walking home together was a habit. Since Qi Mingyue was also from a single-parent household, and his father had an unspoken affection for Li Chenqiu’s mother, the two were as close as brothers.

For a moment, Li Chenqiu felt a flicker of distraction, and a subtle ripple disturbed the calm surface of his eyes. He subconsciously took a step forward, but quickly pulled back, his gaze turning flat as he looked ahead.

The past could not be reclaimed, nor was there any need to reminisce.

The moment Li Chenqiu became an Awakened, he and the rest of humanity became parallel lines—close, but destined never to intersect.

Just then, a middle-aged man in uniform stood at the front of the line and shouted at the top of his lungs, "On the testing field, keep your mouths shut! Don't say things you shouldn't, especially the one at the very back of the Physical Enhancement line."

His name was Ma Qian, the chief coordinator for the Energy Testing Day. After saying this, Ma Qian cast a sharp look at Li Chenqiu.

The crowd, confused, followed Ma Qian's gaze toward Li Chenqiu, their eyes wide with curiosity and bewilderment.

Facing their stares, Li Chenqiu pointed at himself in confusion. "Me?"

"Stop gossiping about others," Ma Qian said coldly. He then continued, "Remember your positions. The testing will not be conducted all at once. We will start with the Elemental group, then the Special Abilities, and the Physical Enhancement group will be last. All Elemental users, follow me. Others are free to do as you please, or you may watch if you wish."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked excited. Who wouldn't want to see the power of Elemental abilities? Li Chenqiu was no exception; he was quite curious about how his "Extreme Water" compared to others' elemental powers.

Led by Ma Qian, the group arrived at the left corner of the square.

The silver ground looked out of place with its surroundings. A half-meter-high black iron railing enclosed the area, and a five-meter-tall silver cube sat in the center, with intermittent blue lines flowing across its surface.

Ma Qian stood before the railing and shouted, "Number one, enter."

Under everyone’s gaze, a quiet-looking girl walked out of the crowd, stepped over the railing, and entered the silver area.

*Zzzzt!*

A crackle of electricity sounded a second later. Before anyone could react, four blue beams shot up from the corners of the field. They stopped at a height of fifteen meters, then extended and connected to one another, outlining a deep blue square in the air. The moment the square formed, a pale blue transparent screen spread from the intersection points, completely shrouding the area.

"This..." The girl stood there, bewildered, and turned to look at Ma Qian.

"Don't worry, the barrier is there to protect you and everyone else. Listen closely: attack the testing body—that cube—with everything you've got. In one minute, it will display your ability rating," Ma Qian said, pointing at the silver block.

"Okay!" The girl nodded, closing her eyes to steady her emotions and breathing.

"So that’s how they test energy. I thought it was a duel—whoever wins gets the higher rating."

"You think this is a street fight? This is the age of technology!"

"Exactly, the spec—"

"No loud talking!" Ma Qian turned and barked sharply.

The shout silenced the field instantly. No one dared to speak loudly anymore.

On the testing platform, the girl let out a long breath. Her deep black pupils began to shift toward a glacial blue.

A crisp "crackling" sound erupted around her. Shards of ice condensed in the air, and under her control, they gathered together, morphing into sharp icicles!

"Holy crap, it’s a variant of the Water element—Ice!"

"The attack power of the Ice element is much stronger than Water! So jealous!"

"Why did I have to awaken a Physical Enhancement ability? Sigh!"

The crowd whispered among themselves, some envious, some frustrated.

Meanwhile, standing in the corner, Li Chenqiu’s pupils trembled slightly as he stared at the icicles the girl had condensed, unable to look away for a long time.