Chapter 12 – First Real Exam in the New World
Nation: Great Void Nation (Ranked Second in the World)
Date: 36/5/670 – Void Calendar
Location: Night Watchers Headquarters, City No. 87
(First Person POV – May Blackheart)
I sat on one of the benches in the Night Watchers headquarters and reflected on how I had spent the last day. Like a proper student, I had done my best to prepare.
"Host, you had at most eaten more food than usual, and it was mostly fatty food," Cellular Adaptation replied.
"Okay, I can swear to god you can hear my thoughts without me noticing," I said silently.
The blue text appeared instantly.
"…I was just stating facts."
The reply made my right eye twitch slightly, but I held my temper. Getting angry on the day of the exam would be counterproductive.
"So, got anything important from overhearing the conversations of others here?" I asked internally.
The reply was quick and easy to understand.
"There is a talent test before the first exam. After that, there are matches. There are approximately 600 examinees, so there will be first-round matches, then semi-final matches, and finally a final match. Only the top 50 will advance to the full Night Watcher examination. Even then, only 25 will fully become Night Watchers after the two-month training period."
I was genuinely pleased to discover this new function of Cellular Adaptation. The ability to gather and filter information from conversations around me was incredibly useful.
"Better term is information gathering," the system corrected.
"Okay, you are overhearing my internal monologue."
"I do not understand what the host is saying currently, as I am busy gathering information from others."
I let the bastard slide. The 'information gathering' was important. The function was straightforward: my enhanced hearing picked up everything within range, and Cellular Adaptation filtered out the useless noise—like the bets being made by a few men in the corner—while feeding me only the relevant details.
I leaned back against the bench, observing the crowd. Hundreds of hopefuls filled the waiting area. Some looked nervous. Others tried to appear confident. A few radiated the kind of arrogance that usually came from having powerful family backing.
This was my first real exam in this new world.
I intended to pass it.
(First Person POV – Chief Darius Vale)
I had come here right after the funeral for the dead officers. The ceremony had been moved because of today's exam and several other important administrative matters.
I currently sat in one of the observation chairs inside the talent testing room. The chamber was mostly white, sterile, and reinforced. In the center stood a table with a single black sphere resting on it—the Talent Assessment Orb. It measured how efficiently a person could absorb and circulate Void Energy. Ten percent absorption indicated an H-rank talent. Every additional ten percent represented a significant increase in rank. The highest recorded was ninety percent.
The orb determined talent rank. Hidden cameras throughout the room identified the talent type by recording how the subject's Void Energy reacted. The entire room was enclosed by specially reinforced glass designed to withstand blows from Second Physical Star rank individuals, just in case a talent awakened violently.
Talents were mindless tools. They didn't distinguish between friend and foe. Like a gun, they simply fired when triggered. The difference lay entirely in how one learned to use them.
"Chief Darius, you are losing interest again. Please pay attention."
I was snapped out of my thoughts by my deputy. The bastard looked weirdly smug.
"What is there to notice when all of them came here to join the Night Watchers?" I replied, annoyed by his expression.
"Oh come on, have a little faith. Who knows? A few of them might join the police later. Some are just here to test their luck or try again after failing previously."
I rolled my eyes but said nothing. He was partly right. Many previously failed applicants returned each year. The Night Watchers' exam was free and offered more detailed results than private testing facilities, which charged fees. Some only came to gain a clearer understanding of their talent before trying again the following year.
Soon, a new name was called over the speakers.
"Lily, please come into the talent testing room."
I frowned slightly before smoothing my expression. It seemed she was a naturally born slum resident. There were two types of people from the slums: those born there—the majority—and those sentenced there as punishment for crimes. The main difference was in their names. Naturally born slum residents usually had only one name. Sentenced individuals carried both a given name and a surname.
The girl named Lily walked into the room with a slightly nervous but hopeful expression. The first thing I noticed was how small she was compared to most people her age.
"Wow, she is cute," one of the exam overseers muttered.
"Cuteness doesn't mean passing, talent, or high talent rank," another overseer replied coldly. It was clear the second man had taken offense to the comment.
I ignored them both and spoke through the intercom.
"Miss Lily, all you need to do is touch the orb on the table for a maximum of ten seconds."
The girl nodded and approached the black sphere. She placed her hand on it gently. The orb began to glow rapidly. A few seconds later, it stopped.
The absorption percentage read 63%.
The entire observation room fell into shocked silence.
Sixty-three percent meant her talent rank was around C-rank. This girl had the potential to reach Sixth Star or higher. What shocked us even more was the talent type and name revealed by the cameras.
Talent Type: Mental
Talent Name: False Reality
It was a terrifying talent. It could create illusions so powerful they felt completely real. In simpler terms, if the girl created a bow and arrow and fired it, the victim would feel the pain and impact as if it were real, even though no physical wound existed. Used correctly by someone intelligent and resourceful, it was nightmarishly effective.
I noticed the overseer who had dismissed her "cuteness" now looking at the girl with clear greed in his eyes, as though she were a valuable prize. I decided to intervene.
"Looks like cuteness doesn't mean talent or talent rank," I said dryly over the intercom, "but talent and talent rank certainly seem to improve one's cuteness."
My comment snapped everyone out of their stunned silence. The room filled with amused expressions, especially from the overseer who had called her cute. He now wore an extremely smug look as he stared at his colleague.
I ignored the reactions and spoke again.
"Kid, you are allowed to leave. Please wait for the next set of instructions to be explained shortly."
Lily nodded rapidly and hurried out of the room, heading back toward the examinee waiting area.
Several more candidates were tested after her, but none came close to matching her results. Most registered H or G-rank talents. We were nearing the end of the current batch when the next name was called.
"May Blackheart, please enter the talent testing room."
A girl with mismatched eyes walked into the room.
Her right eye was pure black—like an abyss of endless darkness. Her left eye was blood red—like a sea of blood. Her hair was pure black, as dark as night itself. The moment she stepped inside, the entire observation room seemed to grow quieter.
Even from behind the reinforced glass, I could feel it.
This one was different.
End of Chapter 12
(Word count: 1,398)
Author's Note Response:
I've cleaned up the grammar, improved the flow, fixed inconsistencies, and expanded the scene while staying faithful to your intended plot points. The talent testing mechanics are now clear and professional.