Test - Part 1

The next morning, Tyrin woke up feeling renewed. He was excited about the improvement in his status. However, Gertrudes' words from the previous day echoed in his mind: a high status, on its own, meant nothing. He would need to train hard to maximize his body and adapt to his new power. Determined, he got up early, but his training plans were interrupted when Gertrudes called him to the room.

Unsure of what to expect, Tyrin entered the space. As soon as he stepped inside, he noticed something was off. Gertrudes was pale, with dark circles under her eyes, but her gaze retained its characteristic intensity. Her eyes analyzed him as if trying to unravel a mystery.

"Tyrin," she began in a serious tone. "Today, we're going to do something different."

Tyrin frowned, intrigued. "Of course. What would that be?"

Gertrudes took a deep breath before responding. "I want you to show me your full status, but not just in numbers. We're going to run some tests. I need to confirm something. And after that… we'll have a serious conversation."

The gravity in her voice made Tyrin swallow hard. "Is everything okay? Did I do something wrong?"

She shook her head slowly, her face heavy with concern. "No, you didn't do anything wrong. But… something about you doesn't make sense. And we need to figure it out before anyone else notices."

A chill ran down Tyrin's spine. For the first time, he began to question whether what he considered "normal" might actually be something very different—and perhaps dangerous.

"As you know," Gertrudes continued, crossing her arms as she paced around the room, "I can't directly see your status. All we've done is allocate your points based on your goals. However, I've noticed something intriguing: you mentioned being level 7. But the results seem… inconsistent. I want to test the effectiveness of the points we allocated."

"And how do you intend to do that?" Tyrin asked, intrigued.

She pointed to the table behind her, where four strange items rested. Tyrin examined them curiously: a thick glove made of plastic material, similar to the ones his mother used in the boiler; a rounded strip of cloth, seemingly useless; a pair of goggles that resembled those used in piloting lessons; and a metal box with an open top.

"Can you use and test these items?" Gertrudes asked.

Even with his head full of questions, Tyrin nodded.

"Perfect," she said, with a rare encouraging smile. "We'll start with the glove. Put it on and squeeze your hand with all your strength. At the same time, I'll wrap this strip around your shoulders, up to the height of your elbows. It will tighten progressively. Let me know when you're near your limit. Don't worry, the strip is designed to release before it can seriously hurt you. This is just a test of strength and resistance."

"All right. I trust you, professor."

"I'm glad to hear that. Now focus. I want you to give it your all."

After preparing, Gertrudes stepped back, giving space for the test to begin. The strip began tightening around his shoulders. At first, it felt like a weak hug, like that of a child. But as time passed, Tyrin felt the pressure increase alarmingly. It was as if he were squeezing himself, and then as if a steamroller were crushing his muscles.

With each passing second, the discomfort turned into intense pain. His legs began to tremble, but he bit his lip and held firm. Meanwhile, Gertrudes observed him attentively, jotting down notes in a notebook. Her expression was a mix of fascination and concern.

"Impressive," she murmured, but Tyrin barely heard her. His mind was focused on enduring the growing pressure.

As he was squeezed to his limit, Tyrin clenched his fists with incredible strength, fighting to withstand the pressure. The strip seemed alive, tightening more and more, testing his muscles and his determination.

"You can stop, Tyrin. Thank you for holding out as long as you could," Gertrudes said, with a mix of relief and fascination.

As she collected the items Tyrin had used, Gertrudes confirmed what she had already suspected. His point distribution in strength and resistance was, in fact, extraordinary. But that only made everything more confusing.

"Now, onto the next test. Put on these goggles and then place your hand inside this box, please," she instructed.

Without hesitation, Tyrin obeyed. As soon as he put on the goggles, he was transported to a completely different place. It was a vast white space, resembling a frozen plain. Suddenly, a voice echoed, as if speaking directly into his ear:

The voice echoed in his ears:

"Welcome to the speed aptitude test. Your mission is to dodge the balls that will be launched at you. Good luck."

Before he could fully process the message, a snowball flew in his direction. It moved slowly, almost playfully. For a moment, Tyrin was reminded of his sister and the rare times they had been able to play together. The memory was sweet but fleeting. Soon, the speed of the balls began to increase.

Each new throw demanded more focus and quicker reflexes. What had started as a simple exercise turned into an intense challenge. Tyrin dodged instinctively, his movements becoming sharper and more precise with every second. After fifteen grueling minutes, he finally removed the goggles, panting heavily.

"I'm sorry, professor, but that last throw... I didn't even see where it came from," he admitted, wiping the sweat from his brow.

To his surprise, Gertrudes didn't respond immediately. She stood in front of a board, furiously jotting down notes, her eyes wide with both shock and fascination.

"So... you weren't lying after all!" she exclaimed, turning to face him.

Tyrin frowned, confused. "I'm sorry, professor, but I don't understand."

She sighed, clearly trying to collect her thoughts. "I won't lie, Tyrin. I'm completely stunned by your status. I need you to promise me one thing: never talk about it with anyone. Ever."

Her tone was serious, almost foreboding. Tyrin felt a chill run through him.

"But why? What's wrong with my status?"

"There's nothing wrong with it. It's... beyond normal. What you gain per level is completely outside the standard. Even with all my experience, I've never seen anything like it," Gertrudes said, pausing for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "Tell me, aside from my lessons, which other classes are you attending?"

"Well... I take piloting lessons, scouting, and I was thinking about starting dissections. Why?"

Gertrudes visibly paled at the last word. "Forget Professor Manfred. He's competent but untrustworthy—far too elitist. As for Professor Custer… I've fought alongside him before, so I believe he's reliable, but still, be cautious. Now, the dissection professor... don't even think about it! Just imagining that woman makes my skin crawl. She's... unsettling."

As she spoke, Gertrudes seemed to be thinking out loud, gesturing almost frantically. Tyrin waited patiently, trying to process what it all meant. Finally, after a few moments, she turned to him with a grave expression.

"Tyrin, you need to understand something: you are special. But in this world, special people are not treated kindly. They are studied, analyzed, and often... dissected before they've even had a chance to be understood. What I'm telling you right now must never, under any circumstances, leave this room. Do you understand what this means?"

Tyrin's heart raced. He swallowed hard and answered, "Yes, ma'am."

Gertrudes stared at him for a few seconds, as if making sure he truly grasped the weight of her words. Tyrin, for his part, tried to organize his thoughts. What did all this mean? He felt nervous, but he knew he had to stay focused.

"Good," Gertrudes said, finally relaxing a little. "Now, more than ever, we need to be careful. I'll help you as much as I can, but you need to be discreet. Don't trust anyone—not even the other professors. Only me. Is that clear?"

"Crystal clear, professor."

Tyrin didn't know what to expect from this point onward, but one thing was certain: his life had just changed forever.

"Basically, your potential is far greater than most people's. And to be honest, it's by a massive margin," Gertrudes said, looking at Tyrin with seriousness. "In fact, I'm not even sure I know of any noble whose potential comes close to yours. That makes this even more... alarming."

Tyrin felt the weight of her words hit him like a blow. "But then, what should I do? How can I hide this?"

There was real urgency in his voice. He could sense Gertrudes' concern, but at the same time, he knew he needed to find a way to protect this secret while continuing to improve and understand what was happening to him.

Gertrudes leaned forward slightly, as if she were about to share an even deeper secret. "Before I forget… you once mentioned a companion that wasn't native to your planet. Was it the same person who gave you the gene that gave you this?"

Tyrin nodded. "Yes, professor. But even he didn't know what it was. We're completely in the dark about it."

"And the egg? Have you checked its condition?"

"Yes, of course. It's with me. Since it hasn't hatched yet, I couldn't send it to the planet."

Gertrudes crossed her arms and took a deep breath. "Alright. Get the egg and bring it here immediately. I need to check something. I don't want to take any risks. It's possible we have more than one problem on our hands."