Chapter 159: Testing (1)

After three seconds, the blinding light settled down, condensing into an intricate golden-white runic seal that sank into the core of the orb, permanently locking my soul signature into the academy’s master database.

The room returned to its normal, quiet illumination.

I pulled my hand back, rotating my wrist casually. "How’s that? Did it record properly?"

Lord Victor took a slow, steadying breath, adjusting his crimson tie with trembling fingers as he forced his professional composure back into place.

He tapped a sequence on his desk, bringing up a new set of glowing holographic arrays. Lord Victor stood up from his chair, buttoning his suit jacket with a smooth, professional smile.

"That officially concludes Phase One of your admission," Lord Victor announced, gesturing toward a private doorway leading to the inner testing chambers. "Now... let us proceed to Phase Two. This next phase will evaluate your practical soul capabilities, aptitude, and affinity, which will determine the specific classes, combat tracks, and specialized academic guidance Avalon Academy will tailor for your growth."

"Lord Victor," I said, stepping beside him down the long, polished corridor. "I don’t really get why we need to run all these capability tests on me. My Astral Soul handles reality manipulation. I don’t have a specific class limit or specialized category. I can pretty much fit into anything."

Lord Victor kept a steady pace, holding his hands behind his back. He turned his head slightly, offering a calm, knowing smile.

"That is precisely why this testing is necessary, Seth," Victor replied. "Your power is far too versatile. When an Awakened possesses an uncapped, flexible foundation, throwing them into random training tracks creates chaos. We need to measure your base capabilities so we can assign proper classes, structure your growth, and ensure you progress at a stable rate in the right direction."

He paused near a set of heavy steel doors, looking at me directly. "Of course, the final decision regarding which track you follow still rests entirely in your hands."

I nodded, seeing the logic in his words. "That makes sense. Thanks for looking out for me, Lord Victor."

Victor waved his hand dismissively, though his expression grew slightly serious. "It is my job. Besides, allowing someone with your level of authority to go down the wrong path without guidance would be disastrous. It would mean demise for everyone."

I let out a soft chuckle, keeping my hands in my pockets. "Don’t worry. That’s never going to happen."

We resumed walking, stepping onto a long glass sky-bridge that led toward the central evaluation spire. As Victor led the way, I thought about my dear system.

’Paige,’ I thought. ’Lock in. I’m going to ace every single one of these tests.’

[Hmm? What happened to Mr. Lowkey?] Paige chimed in inside my mind, her tone dripping with playful sarcasm. [I thought you hated attracting attention, boss? Weren’t you the guy who just wanted to sleep twelve hours a day and avoid high-society drama?]

I shrugged as I walked. ’That was the original plan, but let’s be realistic. My Astral Soul drew eyes across the entire world the second it unsealed. Standing beside women like Yoona means I can’t play weak or stay in the background anymore. If I want powerful people joining my Sovereign Deck, I have to look the part. I promised Yoona I’d share her burdens, and I intend to keep my word. So many reasons not to be lowkey.’

[Fufufu~ Look at you being a responsible, reliable boyfriend!] Paige giggled, sounding thoroughly pleased. [Alright, Host. I’m locked in. Let’s make sure these evaluators remember your name for the rest of their lives.]

At the end of the sky-bridge, Victor pressed his palm against a scanner. The heavy double doors hissed open, sliding into the walls.

The room inside looked like a set pulled straight out of a multi-million-dollar sci-fi movie, except every piece of hardware was entirely real. Towering walls built from dark spatial alloys lined the perimeter, fitted with high-frequency kinetic sensors, holographic telemetry screens, and massive physical impact pads. The floor was paved with reinforced concrete reinforced by glowing runic wards.

A team of eight senior evaluators and technicians in white administrative lab coats was already standing near the central control console.

The moment Victor and I walked in, all eight technicians stopped what they were doing and stood straight.

"Good morning, everyone," I said, offering a polite nod.

The staff members blinked, clearly surprised by my relaxed, respectful demeanor. A few of the older evaluators smiled warmly and greeted back.

"Good morning, Seth," the lead evaluator, a tall man with a scarred chin named Dr. Marcus, said politely. "It is a pleasure to meet you. We have prepared the testing floor according to Lord Victor’s clearance directives."

"We will split the evaluation into distinct phases," Victor announced, stepping back toward the observation glass. "Phase One will measure your raw physical metrics, strength, speed, structural durability, and output, without active magical augmentation."

Dr. Marcus nodded, gesturing toward the primary testing platform in the center of the hall. "Whenever you are ready, Seth. We will start with raw impact force."

I walked over to the designated red square on the floor. Positioned directly in front of me was a massive hydraulic impact column crafted from dense, dark adamantine alloy. Connected to the back of the column was a series of heavy shock absorbers and a glowing digital telemetry display.

"This is an S-Tier Impact Anvil," Dr. Marcus explained through the floor speakers. "Standard high-tier physical Awakened average around twenty to forty tons of impact force on a plain strike. Take your stance and hit the pad with a single physical strike. No active magic, just raw body mechanics."

I stood in front of the massive metal block. I didn’t drop into a complex martial arts stance, nor did I wind up my arm dramatically. I simply adjusted my stance, took a breath, and threw a straightforward right punch directly into the center of the pad.

BOOM-!!

A sound like a cannon shot detonated through the testing hall. The shockwave blew backward, rattling the heavy glass of the observation booth. The massive adamantine column slammed violently backward into its housing, compressing the hydraulic shock absorbers all the way to their physical limit.