THE HUNTER EXAMINATION

Through the translucent glass window pane, Xin sat comfortably, garbed in his school uniform, a stark contrast to his earlier battle attire. He indulged in a simple yet satisfying meal—a bowl of steaming noodles accompanied by delicate cubes of tofu and a side of savory baozi. The tendrils of steam from the noodles mingled with the chill of the night air, creating a mesmerizing dance of warmth and cold.

Adjacent to his delectable spread lay a renowned comic by Mythos—the same entertainment company responsible for the movie he had watched earlier. In a serene moment, Xin wielded his chopsticks with practiced dexterity, lifting a mouthful of noodles to his lips after a thoughtful cooling blow.

A contented smile graced his lips as he alternated between bites of noodles with tofu and baozi. "Ah, there's truly something special about the combination of instant noodles and tofu," he mused aloud, the words resonating with the pleasure of the moment. With each mouthful, he found solace in the familiarity of the food.

Amid Xin's joyful immersion in his noodle feast, a girl of raven locks and a school uniform made her presence known. Gracefully settling beside him, she delicately tucked her hair behind her ears, revealing the subtle presence of earphones nestled there, before delving into her own meal. A sense of shared tranquility enveloped them as they both relished their food, the clinks of utensils harmonizing with the soft background chatter.

In the midst of their parallel moments of solitude intertwined within the cozy confines of the eatery, Xin's senses honed in on a peculiar haste in the girl's actions. Suddenly, her hastiness took an unexpected turn as she accidentally swept Xin's beloved comic book into her belongings, mistaking it for her textbooks. Before he could react, she had darted off, her earphones rendering her impervious to his attempts to address the situation.

"Wait, hold on a minute!" Xin's voice fell on deaf ears, his plea drowned out by the melodies playing in her ears. A dilemma unfolded before him: to abandon his treasured noodles or to salvage his pilfered comic book. Frustration etched across his features as he debated his course of action. "Tsk, this comic book thief won't get away with it," he muttered.

As the doorbell of the convenience store tinkled, indicating her exit, Xin sighed and chose to quell his annoyance, opting to remain seated and savor his meal. "It's a pity to waste good food."

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Hunter Examination Building

Within a building adorned with pristine white walls, elegantly highlighted by touches of gold and accents of black, a congregation of awakeners had assembled. Xin, having concluded his task at the counter of submitting his personal details, notably his age to meet the qualifications as a hunter.

As part of the process, a piece of advanced technology resembling a small screen was affixed to his chest. This screen prominently displayed his assigned number. Following this, he was led to a capacious chamber occupied by fellow awakeners, all situated before an array of cutting-edge technologies poised to evaluate their respective abilities.

While awaiting his turn, Xin attentively observed his fellow awakeners engaged in the process of testing their abilities. His gaze was particularly drawn to the section dedicated to evaluating their distinct skills, all of which had been precisely recorded by the system.

As these awakeners harnessed their skills, a remarkable phenomenon unfolded – their attire underwent a transformation. Intriguingly, this alteration was beyond their control; it was an automatic feature bestowed by the system.

This metamorphosis in their garb was an inevitable consequence triggered the moment they activated their skills.

In the spacious evaluation chamber, two recognizable figures entered the scene. A girl with raven-dark hair and eyes as deep as obsidian took her place in the back of the strength assessment area.

Assuming a well-practiced stance, her feet were firmly planted shoulder-width apart. The front foot pointed slightly towards the target, while the back foot was turned outward. With precision, her lead hand hovered closer to the impact cushion, while the rear hand guarded her chin on the opposite side.

Her upper body twisted slightly to the side, the leading shoulder projecting forward and the trailing shoulder drawn slightly back. As she unleashed a straight punch, her rear shoulder surged forward, propelling her hips and channeling force into her back arm. This energy transfer culminated in her arm extending straight toward the target, her knuckles, specifically the first two, aimed to make solid contact.

Upon her fist connecting with the cushioned pad, a ripple of force cascaded through the room, capturing the attention of fellow awakeners and leaving them entranced. Amidst the murmurs and glances, Xin couldn't shake the feeling that he had encountered her before, her face etched into his memory even from a distance.

Embedded within the chamber's walls was an expansive window, affording a view into an adjacent area designated for testing awakeners' agility. This room was a labyrinth of challenges, riddled with an array of traps and simulated bullets that materialized from concealed openings in the walls. Amidst this treacherous environment, a familiar figure could be seen through the frosted glass.

Sporting blonde hair with a playful pink gradient at its tips, complementing striking blue eyes and adorned with an assortment of piercings. As observed from the vantage of the expansive window, we witness the adept agility of this figure within the confines of the agility testing room.

The traps within the room sprang into action, triggering a series of obstacles and simulated bullets that sought to challenge the awakeners' nimbleness. With an almost preternatural grace, the blonde-pink haired individual fluidly maneuvered his way through the obstacles. He utilized a combination of precise footwork, swift twists, and well-timed leaps to elegantly sidestep pendulum-like axes, vault over retracting spikes, and narrowly evade torrents of simulated bullets.

The room underwent a perilous metamorphosis, resembling a dance floor of danger as the traps choreographed a lethal performance aimed at entrapping the agile participant. However, his movements testified to his expertise in controlling his body and his remarkable attunement to the environment. With an exceptional ability to predict the timing and paths of the traps, he adeptly maneuvered through the hazardous scenario, demonstrating an astonishing finesse in his navigation of the perilous challenge.

After an awakener completed his round of assessments, the next participant was summoned. "Number 56," the announcement echoed.

Xin nodded to himself. "Looks like it's my turn," he muttered under his breath.

Guided toward the strength evaluation area, Xin assumed a seemingly casual stance. With deliberate restraint, he delivered a jab to the impact cushion. The resulting shockwaves rippled through the air, drawing the gaze of his fellow examinees.

"His power is commendable, though his stance appears somewhat unrefined," an expert remarked in hushed tones among the other observers, positioned behind the one-way mirror glass encasing the evaluation chamber. Evidently, they were prospecting for fresh talents to bolster their guild's ranks.

"Tsk... I suppose that's about the limit to it," Xin murmured, his words reflecting a conscious effort to withhold his strength.

Exhaling a faint sigh, Xin's murmured words hinted at a conscious decision to hold back his true capabilities. This restraint marked his approach in all the evaluation tests. During the agility assessment, he showcased a fluid display of nimble and evasive maneuvers, demonstrating remarkable finesse without overtly revealing his full potential.

His deft dodges, executed with hair's breadth precision, captured the interest of the onlookers. "Impressive speed, albeit somewhat unpolished in execution," one voice remarked. Another chimed in, "He's kinda all over the place with his moves, like he hasn't had much training,"

During the defense evaluation, Xin faced a challenge in containing the extent of his stats. This test encompassed impact resistance, magical resilience, and endurance. In the room designed for the endurance trial, he encountered fluctuations in temperature, from the highest to the lowest extremes.

Unlike other evaluations, Xin had little to no control over hiding his stats in this scenario. The assessment demanded a transparent response, leaving no room for feigned injury. Despite the harsh temperature shifts, Xin's body exhibited no signs of distress; his resting bitch face remained, impervious to the dramatic environmental changes.

Transitioning to the impact resistance segment, the evaluation introduced simulated projectiles, ranging from blunt to sharp objects. Xin maintained his deadpan expression as he absorbed the force of the impacts, demonstrating his exceptional ability to distribute and neutralize force.

Similar calmness accompanied the magical resistance examination. Beginning with low-tier magical attacks, the evaluation escalated to the highest-tier magic, Thunderstrike. Xin's expression remained unchanged throughout the barrage of magical assaults, leaving observers astonished. At this point, Xin's unflinching demeanor had become a running gag.

As the evaluations progressed, Xin's feats left awakeners and observers astounded. Murmurs of envy and awe swirled among the spectators, and the sentiment to recruit him echoed within the room. However, such judgments would soon shift.

During the speed and perception evaluation, Xin exercised a more subdued display compared to the preceding trials. Having gained familiarity with concealing his true physical attributes, he managed to avoid drawing excessive attention this time.

During the skill evaluation, anticipation had waned among the onlookers. Xin, however, put on a serious expression, as if preparing to unleash his ultimate move. "Looks like he's gearing up," the crowd mumbled.

In a blur of superhuman speed, a dagger materialized in Xin's right hand. His movements were too rapid for the human eye to track, yet the dagger's appearance was a result of his inventory manipulation. Snatching the dagger with urgency, as though pursued by time itself, he seemed akin to a magician captivating an audience with a grand illusion.

With a subtle gesture, Xin activated a concealed mechanism embedded within the fabric of his shirt's chest. Assuming a poised stance, his attire underwent a remarkable metamorphosis. His once-unremarkable black shirt and pants evolved into a contemporary jacket, complete with a hoodie adorned in striking red and gold details.

While anticipation lingered in the air, it became apparent that the spectators were still waiting, their expectations not yet met. Xin, however, confidently emerged from the glass-enclosed room, indicating that his demonstration had concluded. The initial expressions of awe on the spectators' faces gave way to a sense of disappointment as they collectively voiced their reaction, "Wait, is that all?"

A voice of reason emerged from the crowd. "Even with his impressive defense, that alone won't make him a strong hunter," an awakener mused, acknowledging the need for a diverse skill set to combat the tower's formidable monsters.

Finally, within the concluding assessment chamber, Xin would undergo a test to determine his affinity for qi, holy, or mana energy, along with quantifying its magnitude. Placing his hand upon the elevated orb atop a futuristic table, Xin's actions were anticipated as the pivotal juncture.

With casual nonchalance, he rested his hand on the orb without hesitation. Nebulous hues swirled within the once-transparent orb, creating a kaleidoscope of colors. Static and pixels emerged on a wall-mounted screen, gradually coalescing into legible text.

Status Window

Name: Dao Xin

Level: 100

Affinity: Light

Class: Weapon Master

Qi: 1000

Mana: 0

Holy Power: 1

Skills: Creation

Interestingly, the screen did not include the awakener's common attributes, namely strength, agility, defense, speed, and perception. Curiously, the system deems it taboo to divulge these specific stats. This mysterious prohibition prevents any insight into an awakener's physical attributes, for reasons unknown. This peculiar limitation is viewed as an unjust advantage that could disrupt the balance and is consequently regarded as taboo.

The exclusion of health points from the screen's evaluation is attributed to the standardized scaling of HP across different races. If one is a human awakener, their health points remain fixed at 100,000 HP by default, except for regular humans who possess comparatively lower HP.

Health surpassing this value indicates non-human status or exceeding level 100. The screen, although accurate in certain aspects, does not encompass skills beyond those granted by the system.

The orb's display lacked data about chaos power, resulting in the presentation of Xin's initial awakened stats.

For some unknown reason, Xin's affinity to dark was also locked away from the orb's assessment.

"So, his class only grants him the ability to create weapons?" an awakener queried.

"Yeah, that sounds rather lame" another awakener chimed in.

"Underwhelming," remarked the men positioned behind the glass window.

"Indeed, he could have proven valuable if his class was aligned with his defense, akin to a tank," a bespectacled woman in a suit remarked.