Chapter 11: Nerve Reaction Speed

Old Jiang seemed quite confident!" Instructor Wu Tong said with a smile, though his gaze remained fixed on Luo Feng as nearly everyone present watched the young man, awaiting his test results.

Luo Feng stood before the punching bag, his legs suddenly exploding with force. With a slight twist of his waist and hips, powerful energy surged through his body, channeling into his arms. His fist, like an arrow from a fully drawn bow, streaked forward with a residual shadow, and with a "thud," it smashed into the bag.

A hint of triumph flashed in Luo Feng's eyes as he exclaimed, "That felt amazing! The force really came through." Glancing at the display screen, he saw "1101kg."

"Good," "Not bad," came immediate praise from several martial artists in the crowd.

Instructor Wu Tong stroked his chin and nodded. "Kid's got potential. He remembers not to lose his balance when throwing a punch. If he went all out for maximum force and lost his center of gravity, it might be suicidal in a real fight against monsters. Nice work," he added.

"Haha! Luo Feng's practical combat skills are top-notch," Instructor Jiang Nian laughed. "He once defeated three advanced students who were his equals in strength and speed—clean and efficient!"

Hearing their praise, Luo Feng felt a surge of exhilaration.

As a teenager, he had twice collapsed unconscious, only to emerge with enhanced strength and speed. That's when he vowed to become a formidable martial artist. True warriors demanded exceptional practical skills. Though he hadn't joined the Elite Martial Hall, he practiced basic swordsmanship and footwork techniques online, slowly accumulating experience at home.

"That's a promising young talent. Pass!" Instructor Wu Tong casually took an ID card and swiped it through the machine. "Next up, Bai Yang."

Luo Feng returned to where the other candidates were waiting.

"Not bad, Crazy," Yang Wu whispered in surprise, smiling as Luo Feng gave him a thumbs-up.

...

The eight candidates quickly completed the "punching power test," with only one unlucky soul failing—his punch measured 892kg, just short of the qualifying line. Seven remained for the speed test.

"Go!" Instructor Wu Tong activated the speed testing device.

"One by one, in reverse order. First up, Yang Wu," the instructor ordered. Previously, Yang Wu had been last in the punching test, but now he was first in speed.

Yang Wu took a deep breath. He had failed the speed test nearly ten times during his quasi-warrior assessments.

With a "thunderous" roar, Yang Wu's boots struck the ground, his powerful arms swinging and legs pounding as he accelerated to his limit. His face twisted in agony, veins bulging on his forehead, he sprinted through the speed zone, even letting out a muffled growl.

"I must pass!" he roared inwardly as he stopped.

Trembling, he glanced back to see Luo Feng giving him a thumbs-up. It was as if he'd reached heaven.

"Haha! Yang Wu, you're lucky. You barely made it," Instructor Jiang Nian chuckled.

Yang Wu sprinted to the screen, which read "25.1m/s."

"Phew, that was close!" he laughed, knowing that a slight dip in condition could have cost him another failure.

"Alright!" Instructor Wu Tong smiled as he pressed the button. "Next."

One by one, the candidates tested their speed. Luo Feng had been second in the punching test, but now he was second to last in speed.

Soon, it was his turn.

"Luo Feng," Instructor Wu Tong called.

"Crazy, break a leg! We're going to the warrior combat assessment together," Yang Wu encouraged, receiving a nod and smile from Luo Feng as he stepped onto the track. After adjusting his breathing, he bounced lightly on the spot, exuding a relaxed demeanor unlike Yang Wu's brute-force approach.

With a "whoosh," Luo Feng burst forth like a leopard, his speed visibly exceeding everyone who had gone before.

"How's it feel?" Luo Feng asked, turning to see Yang Wu also giving him a thumbs-up. Even Instructor Wu Tong and Jiang Nian nodded in rare approval.

The screen read "28.6m/s."

"Impressive speed—way above the qualifying line," Instructor Wu Tong said with a smile. "Last one, Tong Guan."

...

After the punching and speed tests, one was eliminated in each, leaving five candidates. The third test was the "neural response speed assessment."

"Follow me," Instructor Wu Tong led the group, including the remaining five, to the "Neural Response Test Chamber" connected to the training hall.

The spacious room, about a hundred square meters, was dwarfed by the massive training hall they had just left. At the front of the device stood a towering, precious-looking machine with dozens of nozzle-like openings, more numerous than a Gatling gun's.

"First up, Tong Guan," Instructor Wu Tong announced.

The bearded man stepped into a three-meter-sixty diameter circle.

"Dut!" The machine's switch activated.

A hazy red light erupted from the edge of the circle, enveloping the tester like a misty red veil.

"Remember, you must not leave the circle. If you do, you fail. Touching the red light will result in a deduction," Instructor Wu Tong warned before adjusting the machine's intensity levels—ranging from intermediate student assessments to top-tier warrior training.

"Start!"

The machine's massive muzzle began spinning, and dozens of nozzles erupted with red light, streaking erratically into the circle.

The bearded man's eyes locked onto the front, his body darting in all directions through the gaps between the "bullets."

"Thud! Thud!" He was hit twice in quick succession.

But the "bullets" were rubber-tipped and not particularly painful.

Time ticked by.

The bearded man desperately dodged, but after a minute, Instructor Wu Tong pressed the button to stop the machine. The central screen displayed the results: "57 hits, 3 light touches. Failed, eliminated!"

"Just a bit short," the bearded man muttered as he stepped out of the circle.

"Next, Luo Feng."

After exchanging fist bumps with Yang Wu, Luo Feng stepped into the circle.

Facing the machine's muzzle, he took a deep breath. Before joining the martial hall, he had practiced his footwork at home, making evasion his strongest skill. "Before the college entrance exam, I usually got hit 50-55 times in 60 seconds. Now with my improved physicality and quicker reflexes, passing the test should be a breeze," he thought.

"Remember, don't step out of the circle. Touching the light will cost you points," Instructor Wu Tong warned before pressing the button.

"Dut... dut..."

The machine's muzzle spun up to high speed, and dozens of nozzles erupted with red light, rubber bullets hurtling toward Luo Feng.

"Hmm?" His eyes locked onto the targets, calculating their trajectories as he moved like a agile cat, dodging left and right. Some bullets were too fast to avoid, and he took his lumps.

As Luo Feng deftly evaded, the onlooking martial artists began to discuss him.

"This kid's reactions are impressive," one remarked.

"Fast and agile, with a solid foundation. Look at his feet—they're like a cat's paw pads, never losing balance with each movement. Such footwork isn't something you'd achieve without natural talent or ten years of hard work," another admired .

The martial artists marveled at his skill. While physical strength could be trained, footwork and swordsmanship relied on experience. It wasn't just about brute force.

"Woof!" The machine's muzzle slowed to a stop, and the screen displayed the results: "28 hits, 0 light touches. Excellent!"

Instructor Wu Tong beamed. "Well done, Luo Feng. Once the official documents are issued and your information is registered into the citizen database, you'll be a quasi-warrior !"

Luo Feng clenched his right fist. "I did it!"

He had finally become a quasi-warrior!

"Remember, Luo Feng, the warrior combat assessment is on August 1st. Report to the Extreme Martial Hall in the morning, and under the instructor's lead, you'll join other quasi-warriors to hunt monsters outside the human base. Once you pass the practical test, you'll be a full-fledged warrior," Instructor Jiang Nian said with a smile.