Liam put on the black shirt, pants, and jeans they had been given for the test.
I can do this, I can do this, I can do this...
Liam breathed deeply, in, then out.
The exercise did nothing to calm his pounding heart, though, and how could he not be nervous?
He was about to participate in one of the toughest exams in the country, and one with one of the lowest acceptance rates around.
Calm. Down, Liam ordered his heart.
The only thing it seemed to think was that he needed to do more cardio.
Liam walked out of the small changing room he had been assigned and joined the steadily growing crowd gathered at the centre of the testing dome.
Liam stared at the colossal structure as he walked.
Stretching nearly two kilometres from one end to the other, the test site boasted a pristine running track that hugged its outer edge, while an enormous field of vibrant green occupied the centre.
Liam's eyes swept across the field.
There was far too much equipment on it for a simple fitness test, he concluded, narrowing his eyes.
Some obstacles looked designed to measure agility, others raw strength, and a few looked completely out of place.
Whatever the Academy had planned, it was clear they intended to test far more than whether someone could just run fast.
He turned his eyes upward and gaped at the steel trusses that crisscrossed beneath the domed roof, supporting rows upon rows of floodlights and observation booths.
Large digital displays hung from the ceiling, their blank screens waiting to spring to life.
Is this really a school facility? Liam thought as he reached the group. Feels less like a school facility and more like a military training ground.
Liam quietly exhaled.
...So this is Dawn Academy's entrance exam. The pressure is way too much. I can already feel failure's already breathing down my neck...
He soon reached the crowd of applicants standing on the track.
Barely two dozen of them had gathered, and every one of them gave off a unique presence.
Some stood confidently with folded arms, others stretched in silence, while a few wore expressions that betrayed their nerves.
Liam's roaming eyes then noticed a girl with short grey hair turn to him, frown, and hold her nose.
Liam was shocked to the core at the reaction.
D-do I smell bad?! That was definitely towards me, right?!
Liam shuffled dejectedly to the back of the crowd.
It wasn't the first time this had happened anyway.
Whenever he was near people with especially sharp senses, they would react to his scent.
It wasn't something he understood, being the one who released it, but from observing others' reactions, doing some research, and asking a few questions, he came to realize that the scent he gave off was the fault of his Venma.
Just another thing to blame on the darn thing. I thought that deodorant was supposed to completely mask any scents... or maybe her senses are just crazy sharp?
As Liam agonized over the matter, a large man wearing a black uniform with a brown-coloured insignia on his chest and scars all over his arms walked up to the applicants.
He gave off an intimidating presence, his sharp black eyes flitting from one teenager to another.
They paused in a mixture of disbelief and confusion at the sight of a short, plump boy at the back.
Well, this isn't good. The quality of applicants has dropped... although, there are a lot more than expected.
Last year there were none, and the year before that there were ten, and only eight remained.
I wonder how many will drop out today...
The man cleared his throat, and all attention shifted to him.
"Attention! All of you, form a straight horizontal line! Be quick about it!"
There was a lot of disorder, and a few collisions, but they formed a proper line in under one minute.
Mark sighed internally at the sight before delivering the beginning of his message.
"Welcome, all of you, to the Dawn Academy Hunter Course Entrance Examination. I am your proctor, Mark. I will now brief you on the upcoming challenges, so pay attention."
Mark paused to observe the various expressions in front of him.
Impatience, fear, confidence... is that boy bored?!
Mark glanced at one of the boys at the far right.
His expression was guarded and devoid of any emotion, but the way he carried himself and his slightly downturned eyes gave off a faint air of disinterest.
Curious...
"Alright, listen up. This examination consists of five stages, each designed to evaluate different aspects of your aptitude for the Hunter Course. Understand this well: placing first in a race will not guarantee a high score..."
The applicants remained silent, no doubt going over his words.
Mark did a full about-turn on his heels and began to walk, almost marching, towards the centre field.
"Follow me!" Mark barked. "We'll begin Stage One with a ten-metre sprint. Everyone follow me."
The large screens hanging from the ceiling flashed as if waking up and displayed the following words in large white lettering:
[STAGE ONE: PHYSICAL APTITUDE]
****
"Alright. First up is a fifty-metre dash."
Mark pointed at a drone hovering beside him, a black display mounted on its front.
"This drone here will measure how much time you'll take."
Liam zoned out after hearing the instructions, focusing on warming his body up with stretches and increasing his oxygen intake with deep, drawn-out breaths.
"It is best for someone like you to increase your lung capacity. With your power, oxygen is a must."
Liam sighed as his father's words settled in his mind.
He listened to the steady beating of his heart and focused as the blood in his veins rushed faster.
Okay, I can do this.
Liam opened his eyes, watching as one by one his fellow applicants covered the distance in less and less time.
The first boy, a blond named Caesar, had taken roughly eleven seconds to finish seconds.
The quiet girl after him, green bangs covering her eyes, managed roughly nine.
Everyone else had done better.
Liam glanced in Caesar's direction, noting his downcast expression.
I feel sorry for him, having to watch exceptional people beat his time immediately after his turn. But he didn't do all that badly when you think about it. A lot of people in his own weight class would've taken longer.
Liam straightened up as his name was called, and he glanced at Caesar one last time.
That being said, I have no desire to do any less than my best.
So sorry, Caesar, but you'll have to watch a little longer.
Liam took his place at the starting line, focusing his senses on the moment Mark said 'go'.
For every sprint before his own, Mark had thrown around a few fake-outs, making the other applicants nervous.
It's definitely a test of concentration and response, and definitely reaction time—
"You know," said Mark, making Liam flinch, "the quality of the applicants here has dropped a little. It's a shame..."
Liam frowned as he tuned out Mark's voice.
What exactly was the trick here?
After all, the drone beside the proctor only began displaying the timer when Mark said the word 'go'...
Unless... the command wasn't the trigger.
Liam's eyes flicked back to the drone.
The timer never started until the display changed.
That was actually very likely, as there had been times Mark never outright said the word 'go'.
Sometimes he would say 'begin', or 'start', confusing whichever unfortunate applicant was at his mercy.
Liam's skin bristled with goosebumps as he turned his attention to the still image of green zeroes.
[00:00:00]
Ignore his words.
The moment the clock starts, move!
As he focused, his heart beat faster and faster, his entire body heating up as he waited impatiently for the display to change.
"...To see young people like you move forward—"
[00:01:48]
Liam felt his body move before his mind screamed:
GO!