章節 21: The Day

Caleb and James didn't take long in the library before they left. From the look of things, they were clearly there in search of Max as visiting parents hours had long passed.

"What was that for?" Bella asked, but the clever Max just blew off the question.

Hours passed and Max had no other choice than to return back to his room. He already cooked up a story to tell Caleb and James just in case they ask. However, Max opened the room door and realized that Caleb and James were no where to be found.

"Where could they be?" He asked himself and shut the door. Seating on his bed, Max summoned his system book to check what his tomorrow quests might be.

"Thousand Pages of death." He voiced out slowly even though he was the only one in the room.

< Exp: 2 >

< Daily tasks completed: 1 >

"Well, tomorrow is another day." Max muttered, but just as he was about to close the book, he received another message that caught his attention.

< A new page has been unlocked >

"Does this mean new ability?" Max muttered with a grin and watched the book flip itself.

[ Congratulations Wielder, you've unlocked a new stat.]

"Stat? Not ability?"

< Rewarded Stat: Agility >

< Agility: 5>

< Complete daily tasks to upgrade agility >

Just as Max was going through the new page, the steel door was being scanned from outside, meaning James and Caleb were back.

Max quickly sent the book away and lie down on his bed, pretending to be asleep to avoid their questions.

"He's already back." Said Caleb.

"Yeah, I knew he will be back before we return from the gym." James added and walked towards his own bed.

Max decided to sleep off. After all, the earlier he sleeps the better for him.

The next day morning.

"Max opened his eyes and was greeted by tons of messages from his system and suit.

< Daily task completed >

< Rewarded Exps: 10 >

< New Quest detected >

< Gather 100 Exps to unlock a new page >

Max looked around and James was already awake, standing by the window with a cup of coffee in his hand. Max wondered how James got his hand on a coffee this early, but then the realization struck him that today mark the begining of their training and 10 GPs were promised to be rewarded daily.

Caleb on the other hand was no where to be found. However, the splashing of water was being heard from the bathroom, so that should be Caleb. Max looked at his wrist and he also received his 10 points as promised.

"Good morning James." Max greeted and stood up from his feet as he walked towards the dashboard to order a cup of coffee.

"Morning Max. It seems like you've been avoiding us. What's up?"

"What! No I'm not... not avoiding you guys." Max stuttered.

"Hmm... I see."

Just as they were talking, the speakers echoed.

[ Good morning students. Today is the day. Every students should report to the centre hall before 10am]

Caleb walked out from the bathroom and greeted Max. He said the same words James said to Max about him avoiding them. Indeed Max was avoiding them, but of course he couldn't admit it.

James and Max took turns to freshen up before 10am. Few hours later, they all made their way towards the centre hall.

Just few minutes of them arriving at the hall, the hologram lady appeared to address them. As always, her presents always cause calmness among the students.

'Good morning everyone. Today marks the beginning of your training. Everyone of you have different abilities and ranks, so we're going to start with selection of classes. We're not going to force any class on you, but we're going to recommend classes.

They're two major classes. The theory and practical. The theory classes covers the fundamental knowledge and understanding of abilities and their usage. In these classes, you'll learn about the mechanics, history, and various aspects of abilities. It's crucial for building a strong foundation in how your abilities works.

The practical classes, on the other hand, are about honing your skills and putting theory into practice. You'll be working on control, precision, and expanding the limits of your abilities. These classes are more hands-on and involve training exercises.

After the assessment, those who excel might be offered specialized classes in advanced topics and classes. We encourage you to explore and push your abilities to the fullest.

Now, let's get started with the assessments. Line up, and we'll guide you to the appropriate testing areas."

The students formed lines and began to move towards the assessment areas as instructed. Max, James, and Caleb exchanged glances, wondering which path they would be recommended for.

As they approached the assessment area, they noticed several stations set up. Each station had a different instructor waiting to evaluate the students.

Max, James, and Caleb joined separate lines corresponding to their student numbers. A sense of anticipation filled the air as they waited for their turn.

When Max's turn came, he stood before the instructor, a stern-looking woman named Miss Anora with a clipboard in hand.

"State your full name and ability," she instructed.

Max cleared his throat. "Max Hernandez, and I have the inspection ability."

"What?" Miss Anora questioned Max because she wasn't expecting to hear such a rare ability from a student. And on the other hand, Max had forgotten that his inspection ability wasn't recognized by the school.

"Oh. Sorry, I mean to say that I'm a plain user." Max quickly clarified.

Miss Anora nodded and made some notes on her clipboard. "Thank you, Max. You may proceed to the next station."

Max followed suit and advanced to the next station, wondering what kind of training he would be recommended for as a plain user.

Meanwhile, James was also going through his assessment. He faced an instructor who appeared to be in his late forties, with a beard and a no-nonsense demeanor.

"James Carter, and I have the telekinesis ability," James stated confidently.

The instructor nodded and instructed him to demonstrate his telekinesis. James focused, and a nearby object began to levitate, moving at his mental command. The instructor watched closely, assessing James's control and finesse in manipulating the object.

Finally, after a few more demonstrations, the instructor gave a thoughtful nod. "Impressive control, James. Please proceed to the next station."

James' confidence swelled as he moved forward, wondering if his telekinesis skills would lead to a recommendation for practical classes.

When Caleb's turn came, he stood before a middle-aged male instructor, feeling a bit nervous.

"State your full name," the instructor instructed.

Caleb cleared his throat. "Caleb Aubrey."

The instructor waited for him to mention his ability, but Caleb had none to mention. He felt a pang of disappointment as he explained, "I don't have any ability."

The instructor made a note on his clipboard. "Thank you, Caleb. You may proceed to the next station."

Caleb moved to the next station, uncertain about which class he would be recommended for. He hoped that being a plain user wouldn't limit his options too much.

The next station was a vast hall filled with various apparatuses and obstacles designed to test the students' physical strengths and agility. The hall was large, and the floor was made of a special material that allowed for different tests to be conducted.

One corner of the hall was designated for agility tests. A series of shooting balls were lined up, ready to challenge the students. The balls fired off one by one, and the students had to dodge them as best as they could. As each second passed, the balls' speed increased, making it progressively more challenging to avoid them.

The other corner of the hall was equipped for testing physical strength. There were weights, pull-up bars, and various equipment to assess the students' strength levels.

Max found himself in a station with James, Caleb, Scarlett, and Bella. They were to each take turns facing the agility test. Caleb was the first to step up.

"Make sure you avoid as many balls as you can because we're going to rate you when a total number of 10 balls struck you in a specific level." The instructor made the rules clear to Caleb as he walked in front of the shooting machine that was few distance away.

The shooting balls began at a manageable speed, but even so, Caleb struggled to avoid them. His agility seemed lacking as he was struck by several balls even before the machine could level up. There were total number of 20 levels, and level one is the first level.

James and Max were embarrassed for Caleb because he's letting them down in front of the ladies.

In no time, the 10 balls hit Caleb while he was still in level one. The instructor shook her head and take her record. From her expression, one could tell that whatever she wrote down wasn't positive.

Caleb was directed to the strength session and was asked to lift up a bumbbell. The heaviness of the bumbbell started from 150 pounds and should be lifted as quick as possible. With every passing second, the weigh of the bumbbell keeps dropping by one pounds. And as it drops, it gets lighter and so, students are expected to lift it above their head while the pounds is higher to get a better rating.

The count down begin and Caleb placed his hand on the bumbbell to pick it up from the floor, but 150 pounds was super heavy for him. Caleb waited for the number to drop until it gets to 100 pounds.

But after 50 more seconds, Caleb wasn't even able to lift it off the floor, talk less above his head. The count down continued and Caleb wasn't still able to lift it. On getting to 45 pounds, caleb managed to move the dumbbell.

"Yes!" Shouted Max and James to try cheering Caleb up.

Caleb managed to lift it above his head at 35 pounds. The instructor recorded his agility as 2 and his strength as 3, ultimately categorizing him as a level one student. If there was a lower level than one, it would be Caleb.

Next up was Bella.