"Wish me luck," Bella said to Max as she walked in front of the shooting machine to begin her test.
"Good luck!" Max waved back at Bella.
"So, are you guys like friends now?" James asked.
"Yeah, something like that," Max replied, focusing his attention on Caleb, who was approaching them with a tired face.
At this point, Caleb's suit was glowing orange as a result of using too much energy, and it's not like it got him anywhere.
Bella looked pretty confident as she walked straight up in front of the shooting machine. A few seconds later, the machine started shooting out balls towards Bella.
Unlike Caleb, Bella's agility level was on another level. She swiftly dodged every single ball until the machine reached level 8. At level 8, the balls being shot at Bella became faster, and in addition, the number of balls increased at an unexpected rate.
"Argh!" Bella yelled as the first ball struck her arm.
"I can do this!" She convinced herself and tried to outrun her current agility level. At this point, Bella's suit had already turned orange as well.
A few seconds later, the shooting machine leveled up to level 9. Bella was expecting the speed to increase a little, but it was twice the speed of level eight, and so a total of 10 balls hit her in a short period of time.
"Your agility test is over. Now move over to the next test," the instructor said to Bella after noting something on his tablet.
"She's good," James whispered to Max.
"Yeah," Max grinned.
Max was already aware of Bella's ability to control wind, and from his knowledge of wind users, they're swift as the air doesn't obstruct their body movements, but rather supports them.
Bella walked up to the dumbbell and held it. The weight of the dumbbell automatically raised back to 150 pounds, and the countdown began in no time.
Since Bella was a lady, everyone was expecting her to lift the dumbbell when its weight dropped to 50 pounds or less. But surprisingly, at 70 pounds, Bella was able to lift it up above her head.
The instructor made his record with a faint smile, clearly impressed with how Bella's strength defied expectations.
"You may join the others," said the instructor after recording Bella's agility level as 7 and strength as 7, making her a level 3 student in the school.
"James Carter, you're next," the instructor called out for James.
"Oh, it's my turn?" James asked as he walked forward.
Scarlett Jayden, on the other hand, remained calm with a straight face as the others got along. For some reason, she felt like they were not on her level. And seeing Max there only triggered anger.
James stood in front of the shooting machine and waited for the instructor to begin the test. Seconds later, the machine started shooting out balls.
James was still trying to keep his ability a secret from other students, so he decided not to use it during this agility test. Even though James and the others were in different session, other students could see them through the transparent glass walls that separated their sessions.
James did pretty well on his own until he got to level 8. However, knowing that level 9 would be twice as fast as level 8, he was ready for a real challenge.
The machine leveled up, and just as predicted by James, the speed was incredibly fast. From Max's view, he could tell that James wasn't using his telekinesis ability, as none of the balls changed their route. James was determined to pass the agility test without revealing his unique skill.
Despite the fast-paced balls, James displayed remarkable agility. He dodged most of them, but a few still managed to hit him. He was determined to cross level 9 without relying on his telekinesis.
Finally, the machine leveled up again, but shocking, the machine stopped shooting out balls.
"What is happening?" James asked. "Didn't you mention that there were a total level of twenty?" He asked the instructor.
The instructor remained quiet and allowed the system to answer that question.
[ Second machine is activated. Agility test will resume in 5... 4... 3... 2...1... ]
Before James or any other students could understand what was going on, another machine started shooting balls at James from behind. Before he could try to make any move, couple of balls already hit him.
"I wasn't ready!" James shouted after the machines stopped shooting, indicating the end of the test.
The instructor recorded his score and said, "Never let your guard down no matter what.
Slightly frustrated, James approached the bumbbell. It's weight was back to 150. Immediately the countdown started, James lifted it above his head with his telekinesis ability. He only used his ability because students might not still figure out his specific ability, although they might suspect either strength or telekinesis.
The instructor chuckled after seeing James lift up the bumbbell. Other students from other session saw his act and were impressed and jealous. After the canteen fight, James was quite popular.
The instructor recorded James as a level 5 student and sent him to join the others. He looked at his tablet and then glanced at Max and Scarlett.
"Scarlett, please step forward," said the instructor.
Scarlett walked quietly in front of the shooting machine and waited for the test to begin.
However, the instructor noticed that many other students were more focused on watching their own session. Just like James, Scarlett was also very famous in the school since the first day. Some gave her the nickname "finger girl" after she broke Nash's fingers.
[The test will begin in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...]
The machine started shooting out balls, but Scarlett didn't attempt to avoid any of them. For some reason, she didn't feel like showing off her agility level or strength. In a place like this, it's best to keep your capabilities to yourself.
"What is she up to?" a male student from another session voiced out.
"Why isn't she moving?"
"I think she can't move that fast," said another student from another session.
"Stupid! You scumbag, can't you tell that she's not moving?"
The instructor was also wondering why Scarlett wasn't avoiding the balls. A few seconds later, a total of 10 balls hit Scarlett.
"Would you like to retake the test another day?" Mr. Lazlo, the instructor, questioned Scarlett. He was a friend of Sergeant Cressida and had heard a lot about Scarlett from her mother. He expected Scarlett to do more than the average first-year students.
"Will all the students who got hit at level one retake the agility test?" Scarlett replied to Mr. Lazlo with a challenging tone.
Come to think of it, Caleb was the only student that ended the agility test at level one.
"Very well, Scarlett. You may proceed to the next test," Mr. Lazlo glanced at Scarlett and decided to let her have her way.
"Scarlett moved over to the area designated for the strength test. The dumbbell was back to its 150 pounds, and the countdown began.
Scarlett didn't try lifting the dumbbell until it reached 40 pounds. As the weight on the dumbbell dropped to 40 pounds, Scarlett finally decided to show a bit of her strength. She lifted it with ease and held it above her head. Everyone watching was disappointed, but they were all aware that Scarlett was holding back her strength and agility."
Mr. Lazlo shook his head and exhaled heavily. He didn't know what level to attribute to Scarlett, but he knew that she was capable of far more than she was displaying.
Mr. Lazlo noted her strength and made his record, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration at Scarlett's restraint. He decided to classify her as a level 3 student considering her rank in ability.
Scarlett, having completed the strength test, joined the others who had already finished their assessments. She remained enigmatic and unfazed.
"Max Hernandez, please step forward." Said Mr. Lazlo.
Max was eager to participate in this test. With a bright smile, he walked in front of the shooting machine. Just before the countdown began, his system sent him a few notifications.
< New Quests Detected >
< Receive 10 Exp per level completed>
< Surpass your limit to unlock a new page >
When Max saw this quest, he was reminded of the quest he received in the morning, which required him to gather 100 Exp to unlock a new page, potentially granting him a new ability.
Currently, Max had only 2 Exp, which meant he needed 98 more to unlock a new page.
"If every level gives me 10 Exp, that means I should be able to gather more than 80 points from this agility test," Max thought to himself with a grin.
There was another quest that Max didn't investigate: "Surpass your limit to unlock a new page." He didn't bother himself with it because he wasn't sure what the system meant by that.
It didn't take long before the countdown started and the balls began flying in the air. At level one, the balls were faster than Max had expected. It seemed like the agility of ability users was much higher than that of plain users. However, Max knew for a fact that he was determined to gather his 98 Exp from this agility test, even if it meant reaching level 10 like James.
The level kept upgrading after every 60-second countdown, with each level becoming more intense and challenging.
< +10 Exp rewarded >
Max received this notification after completing his first level and continued to receive more until he reached level 8. By this point, Max was exhausted, and a few balls had already struck him. Only two more balls, and he would be out of the test.
< Agility level: 5 >
< Upgrade Agility level with 50 Exp? >
The system asked Max this, offering him the opportunity to upgrade his agility level with 50 Exp. However, Max hesitated, thinking that 50 Exp was too much to trade at the moment. What if he couldn't regain those 50 Exp after the agility upgrade? He asked himself.
Hello guys. Pls keep voting. I'm going to tag voters in the next chapter.
Creation is hard, cheer me up! Trying to overcome a writer's block