Chapter 13 – Silent Growth Is Better Than Loud Progress
(First Person POV – May Blackheart)
I entered the talent testing room and immediately took in my surroundings. A simple table stood in the center with a black orb resting on its surface. To the side, a thick wall of reinforced glass separated the testing chamber from an observation room where several older officials sat watching. Their expressions ranged from bored to mildly interested.
The intercom crackled to life.
"May Blackheart, please place your hand on the talent testing orb for ten seconds. This will allow us to examine your talent and talent rank."
I nodded slowly and approached the orb. The moment my palm touched its cool surface, I felt a controlled stream of Void Energy begin flowing into my body.
"Remember the plan," I told Cellular Adaptation silently.
The system didn't respond, but I felt the shift instantly. The flow of Void Energy decreased dramatically as Cellular Adaptation temporarily deactivated my highest-ranked absorption traits and suppressed my natural intake rate. The goal was simple: appear average. Strong enough to be useful, but not strong enough to draw dangerous attention.
The orb began to glow. After a few seconds, it dimmed again, stopping just before the ten-second mark.
"Amount of Void Energy absorbed: 56.89%," Cellular Adaptation reported.
That would likely register as D-rank. Perfect.
Shit. I'm a genius without even trying.
Cellular Adaptation wisely chose not to comment on my internal monologue this time.
I lifted my hand exactly at the ten-second mark, not a fraction of a second earlier or later. A moment later, the intercom spoke again, relaying the results to both me and the observers.
Talent Name: Survivor's Body
Talent Rank: D
Possible Secondary Talent: Shadow Control (Rank Unknown – Appears Weaker)
I kept my expression neutral as I turned and walked out of the room with calm, measured steps. Behind my composed exterior, my mind was spinning.
Why had the orb given me completely different names than my actual talents? Cellular Adaptation had remained silent on the matter, which suggested even it was uncertain. I made a mental note to investigate later.
(First Person POV – Chief Darius Vale)
When I heard the name "May Blackheart," I had assumed she was just another slum citizen trying her luck. Then she walked in.
Something felt wrong the moment she entered the room.
As she placed her hand on the orb, I noticed it—the shadows in the corners of the observation room seemed to deepen, as if they were leaning toward her. The effect lasted only a few seconds before everything returned to normal. I didn't have time to fully process it before the results appeared on the main display.
Talent Name: Survivor's Body
Talent Rank: D
Possible Secondary Talent: Shadow Control (Rank Unknown – Appears Weaker)
I froze in my seat.
Two talents. One D-rank and another that could possibly be E-rank. A genuine genius, nearly on par with the girl who had manifested "False Reality" earlier. I needed to pull her files immediately. But first, I had to remain professional. First impressions were critical in these examinations.
Before anyone else could speak, a deep voice cut through the intercom.
"Miss May Blackheart. You are allowed to leave the talent testing room. Please wait in the examinee area for now. Someone will be along shortly to transfer you somewhere more… proper for someone like you."
I turned to see who had spoken and immediately looked away. It was the Overseer of the Night Watchers headquarters for City No. 87. I hadn't even noticed him enter. When he took interest in someone, it was never random.
The girl—May—nodded slightly and left the room with a cool, confident stride. There was something ancient about her. Not in appearance, but in presence. It felt as though something far older than her sixteen years rested beneath that human shell.
I shook the thought away. Why had my mind gone there? For a brief moment, my darker emotions had stirred in a way I hadn't felt in years. I glanced at the other observers. None of them seemed affected, at least not outwardly.
Was I imagining it? Or was there truly something about that girl?
(First Person POV – May Blackheart)
I walked back into the large waiting area where the rest of the examinees were seated. Several groups had formed, chatting excitedly about their talent test results. I ignored them and found a relatively quiet bench near the edge of the room.
Why had the testing orb assigned me fake talents? "Survivor's Body" and "Shadow Control" were clearly the closest matches the system could find in the lower ranks. Cellular Adaptation still hadn't commented, which meant it was either analyzing the data or equally confused.
"So, got any theories on why that happened?" I asked it directly. I was too lazy to dance around the subject.
It took a few seconds before the blue screen appeared.
"Possible Reason One: The database only contained 'Survivor's Body' and 'Shadow Control' as the closest matches to Cellular Adaptation and Shadow God Domain at that talent rank. Possible Reason Two: The testing orb deliberately selected the closest approximations within the detected absorption range. Either way, the host must be careful. The reported talents are significantly different from your real abilities."
I nodded. That made sense. I would need to be cautious moving forward.
My gaze drifted across the room until I found who I was looking for.
"The girl's name is Lily," Cellular Adaptation informed me. "She is the one currently surrounded by that group of girls. From the information I have gathered, she possesses a C-rank talent with a powerful illusion-type mental ability called False Reality."
I looked in the direction the system indicated. Sure enough, Lily was being swarmed. The attention seemed to be making her deeply uncomfortable.
Well, I thought. This should be fun.
I rose from my seat and walked toward her with silent steps. Only a few people noticed me moving, and even fewer bothered to keep watching. To them, I probably looked like just another H-rank or Normal candidate. How wrong they were.
I reached the group just as the girls were piling on compliments, trying to curry favor.
"Wow, you have such a powerful talent!"
"It only took you two months to reach First Mental Star? You're a true genius!"
"You didn't even have resources in the slums, right?"
Their flattery was only making Lily more anxious. I chose that moment to speak.
"It must have been painful reaching that point without any support," I said quietly, appearing directly behind her.
Lily jumped slightly in surprise but nodded, looking shy. She really was quite cute.
"Host seems to have taken a liking to her," Cellular Adaptation observed.
"I used to be quite the player in my past life," I replied internally, offering the girl a warm smile.
"Yes… it was quite hard," Lily answered softly.
A few minutes later, after I had Cellular Adaptation release a subtle trace of Shadow God Domain's aura, most of the crowd quietly dispersed. It was convenient to have a naturally terrifying presence.
Lily and I got along nicely after that. She seemed shy around most people, but I was not most people. I slipped my arm around her shoulders in a casual, friendly manner. To any onlookers, we simply looked like two oddly close friends talking.
"So, Lily," I asked casually, "what kind of things do you like to eat or do back in the slums?"
"I like honey candies… and I enjoy reading books from time to time," she replied, shifting slightly under my arm. Her cheeks were faintly pink. It was adorable.
We continued talking like that for some time—light, easy conversation that slowly put her at ease. I needed her to see me as a friend, not just another examinee.
Soon, a loud announcement echoed through the hall.
"All remaining examinees, please proceed to the central combat arena. The physical examination will now begin."
I felt a small spark of anticipation.
The real test was about to start.
End of Chapter 13
(Word count: 1,387)