The Agency's Suicidal Entrance Exam

"Hello everyone, my name is Maria Bachmann. I am today your examiner. I and my team prepared various tests for you, which will test your body's condition and even your special powers. The test will be held in the form of an obstacle race. Only those of you, who manage to clear the course, have the right to become one of our trainees." Maria Bachmann was a little woman. She had brown hair, which was styled as a bob. With her intelligent blue eyes, she scanned the crowd below her.

She was a strong ability user herself and could easily see through other people discovering their mana levels. Of course, this crowd of around 1000 people was full of trash, but she could still make out some hidden talents.

With firm eyes and a strong voice, she said, "I know that all of you want to become Agents of this Agency but I have to warn you. If you aren't prepared then you might lose your life. As agents, you will risk your life every day to maintain public order and save the civilians of our beautiful island. So, of course, we have to test your willingness to risk your life.

As such the first test begins at this door behind me." Maria Bachmann pointed with her thumb over her shoulder in the direction of a big door with the inscription 'Test Ground Danger Level 5'.

"After you step through this door there is no turning back before the test ends. Of course, you are allowed to use all of your abilities to clear the obstacles though you are forbidden from destroying them. Attacking other participants is permitted as well. Of course, if you kill someone or cause permanent damage to another person you are disqualified.

One last thing. We will stop your time and create a ranking based on this. The fastest 10 people to solve this will get a single Limit Breaking Mushroom." She opened her pocket and took a blue mushroom with red dots out. She held it high in the air for everyone to see.

"These mushrooms allow you after consumption to train one of your body's attributes, for example, your strength, beyond its limits.

I advise you to rank as high as possible. These mushrooms are extremely rare and even someone like me can't get them easily if I want to. Furthermore, if you want a high position in the agency then without saying a high ranking in your entrance exam is what you need to advance as fast as possible." Maria Bachmann stepped back from the speaker's podium.

"Let the test begin! You have 2 hours until the time ends." Then she disappeared through the door.

One week after Dave brought his stuff into the lab he already had to participate in the entrance exam of the Agency. Ayano, who was upset with his behavior during the bank robbery, prohibited him from using his [Aprrentice Hero's Skin] in public.

"Dave, as you know I have good connections to the Agency and I tell you they are already checking the whole village for the idiot, who thought it would be cool to play hero," said Ayano to him back then. Following this statement, Dave had no other choice but to apologize. He knew how much she helped him and he was sure if he had thought things through a second longer, he would have been able to come up with a little less drastic plan.

Nevertheless, he didn't really understand, why the Agency would hunt someone down, who saved other people's lives. In his opinion, he only did what everyone would have done with his power. Ayano didn't want to answer his questions. She only said, "I won't tell you how to treat the Agency. Just believe me one thing! Those, who are against the Agency live in the shadows and aren't able to live a normal life. Consider yourself as warned! I won't repeat myself." Then she left him alone to his training.

Right now Dave stood in a crowd of around 1000 people and listened to Maria Bachmann's words. When she left through the door everything went silent. Someone whispered, "Should we just go in there?" then someone else said, "Are you insane? Whoever steps up first gets chased by 1000 people. Don't forget we are allowed to attack each other during the trial. Of course, it is much easier if you start as the last person."

'So this is what everyone is thinking,' thought Dave. 'But does it really matter to me? Are there people stronger than me here?' Dave watched the other people in the crowd. 'I can't measure their strength. I should ask Ayano next time for a way to do that.' Dave shook disappointed his head. 'I guess it can't be helped. I have a way to solve this problem. I just have to bet everything on my agility stat.

I doubt there is someone here much faster than me.' Dave rushed forward to enter the door. At the same moment as he came to a decision 3 other people had the same idea.

A red-haired young man around 18 years old, a blonde young woman around 19 years of age, and a guy around 24 years old with pitch-black hair. The 4 of them looked at each other.

"It seems we all had the same idea." The man with red hair said. "I guess it can't be helped, we have to fight it out during the race." A happy smile played around his lips. Obviously, he was quite hot-headed and couldn't wait to fight with everyone else.

"Ehm, sorry but can't we just do the course without fighting? No need to make it even harder for us."

While the blonde girl and the red-haired man were discussing, Dave and the black-haired man had the same idea. They didn't bother to argue. Both of them simply stepped through the door and ignored the other two.

"Arrgghh, you dare to disrespect me? You don't know who I am. My father is a Senior Agent of the agency. He even reserved me a place in his team."

The red-hair couldn't stand their behavior and barked at them.

Dave was used to this kind of behavior since he was always at the bottom in line during his gaming carrier. So his ability to ignore bullshit was on a completely different level. The black-haired man, in contrast, wasn't used to this and answered, "So that means if I make it so you don't pass the test then there is a free spot in a Senior Agent's Team? Good to know boy!" These words made the blonde guy go crazy. "Just wait, it is not me, who will suffer but you."

Then with an explosion from his hands, he shot forwards into the room, the black-haired guy following him on his heels.

Dave and the woman kept their distance from them trying to not get in the focus of their rage.

'So what kind of obstacle is awaiting us.' thought Dave. 'Uh, this is not an obstacle course but a freaking dungeon.' In front of Dave lay pathways, which would fit in a fantasy dungeon but not in the modern high rise building of the agency.

There were hatchets swinging from right to left. Trap doors with water under them. In the water swam piranhas and crocodiles. A rope that they had to balance on crossing over a giant shark tank. Walls that blocked their way and a maze to confuse them. Naturally, there were many more. Of course, the obstacles themselves weren't the only aspect of the exam. What made it even harder was the fact that you had to run kilometers from one obstacle to another.

'Wait a moment. How the hell is this fitting inside a single building? Is that the effect of an ability? I have to ask Ayano when I see her later.'

For Dave, this course wasn't that hard. He could harden his bubbles to create a very effective shield. He could levitate over some obstacles or run just through them. His high agility stat, which reached S grade the day before, and his A grade Stamina and strength made it possible for him to run an extremely long time extremely fast.

'I can do this.' Right now he was in the third position. Right behind him was the blonde woman. Her ability had to be something that created a golden light because from time to time a yellow glimmer appeared in her palm. Looking back at her to make sure she wouldn't attack him from behind he focused his gaze to the front. While traversing the obstacles one after the other these two were fighting each other the whole time.

The red-haired man seemed to wield some kind of fire ability and the black-haired guy pulled a purple sword out of thin air and used some black glowing abilities. Dave ducked and escaped by a hairs breath an incoming spear.

"Uiii, that was a close one." He jumped over a wall and then climbed a rope. At the top of the rope was a slide installed that was around 500 meters long. It would bring him back on the ground level. At the end of the slide, Dave could see a fire burning. "They really want to kill us," Dave mumbled to himself. He just wanted to jump into the slide, when he suddenly heard a female voice behind him.

"Please, wait. Hufff, Hufff." The blonde-haired woman stood behind him completely out of breath. "Please let us cooperate."

"Why should I cooperate with you? How would that help me?" asked Dave. He had no problem with that girl but he didn't want to lose against those two in the front and this woman had no strength left to run at his speed.

"I am an enhancer. I can boost your stats and abilities. I really am not going to hold you back." She said pleadingly.

"Yeah, whatever... It doesn't really matter to me I will be ranked in the top 10 either way..." Dave answered shyly.

'It wouldn't fit my ability if I left a woman in need behind.' Sighing he grabbed her hand and jumped into the slide.