A test? Or something more
Shadow Nexus, a secret organization created by influential warriors whose network spans all around the world, operates in black markets, and engages in information trading, among other activities.
The Shadow Nexus isn't an evil organization but rather an information provider. While it may be involved in illegal trades, it does not participate in terrorism or any similar activities.
In the novel, not much is mentioned about the organization or the hidden marketplace. Alex learns about the organization through a supporting character who plays a significant role in Alex's growth and holds a high position in the Nexus. This character also provides Alex with desired information.
Damon and Davis make their way through the streets of an underground town, which is sparsely populated, with tall buildings displaying billboards with unknown characters.
During their journey, Davis introduces Damon to the Shadow Nexus and explains its operations. Davis mentions that all the characters in the organization are written in a dead language called Atlantean, which members of the Nexus need to learn.
Damon pays close attention to Davis's words until they arrive at a small cafe located in the middle of the street. The cafe's interior is predominantly made of wood, with soft lighting and a peaceful atmosphere.
The cafe's decoration is tasteful and not overly extravagant. At first glance, it may not appear to hold significant value, but upon careful examination, one can notice that the items and wood used on the walls are rare luxuries and could be costly to replace if damaged.
The entire cafe exudes an aura of refined taste, appealing to people with a discerning eye for aesthetics and those who possess considerable wealth.
"Follow me," Davis says, leading Damon to the cafe's second floor and opening the door to a VIP room, allowing Damon to enter first.
Damon's gaze falls upon papers and stationery items placed on the table as he steps inside.
"You have three hours for the test; your time starts now," Davis says without looking back at Damon, closing the door and not waiting for a response.
"Wait... what?" Damon, now locked inside the room, is taken aback by what he hears and looks at the timer indicating the start of the test.
***
In the control room, Davis and another man sit together, lazily watching live footage of Damon while enjoying their tea.
"So, he's the one you talked about?"
"Hmm," Davis replies, confirming the man's question, and the man pulls out his tablet, searching for files related to Damon in the Black Church's database.
***
Name: Damon Starfall
Father: Edward Starfall (Deceased, former S Rank Warrior)
Mother: Eleanor Starfall (Deceased, former S Rank Warrior)
Talent: Combat Eye
Element: Fire
Rank: False Warrior
Battle Spirit: N/A
Church Ranking: Rookie
History:....
Remarks: Cautious and intelligent young man with excellent business IQ and a hardworking individual.
Potential: EX
***
The man thoroughly reviews Damon's information and raises an eyebrow.
"A fire elemental with combat talent? That's impressive. His intelligence and business skills are also noteworthy, considering how much money he has earned in such a short time."
".. But what's more interesting is his parents' identity... Does he know?"
The man expresses astonishment, directing his question to Davis.
"Yes, we're not sure, but I think he does. Otherwise, I don't believe he would join a terrorist organization despite his considerable abilities."
"But why is he here?"
"For a test."
"A test?"
"During the past five months, he seemed occupied with earning money and other things. This test is designed to assess whether he's neglecting his studies. If he is, he'll face some light punishment for wasting our time."
The black church is an organization that doesn't care much about money and believes solely in talent and strength.
The church is strict with its rules and the tasks assigned to its members. It doesn't matter if Damon is a business prodigy or a prized talent of the church; he is expected to study and get recruited in Scheld Academy, which benefits both him and the church. The focus is not on earning money. If Damon is found slacking off and not preparing for the exam as he is supposed to, he will receive harsh punishment from senior members of the church.
"As if I would believe that. Just for a test, I don't think you would bring some random kid, even if talented, to a place like this. Tell me, why did you bring him here?"
"Haha..." Davis chuckled upon hearing the man's words and grinned, maintaining eye contact.
"You guessed it right. I didn't bring him here for just a simple test."
"Someone is really interested in the kid and wants to meet him."
"Who?" the man asked, but Davis didn't answer and simply smiled mysteriously before turning his gaze back to the screen.
"It's better for you not to know who it is. Go and close the cafe, and we should also take our leave."
"He will be arriving any moment from now."
***
"The first leader of the Civilian Association?" Damon thought to himself as he meticulously tackled the annoyingly complex test that Davis had assigned him for the past three hours. With just a few questions left, he couldn't help but ponder the true purpose behind Davis's actions.
Sure, it made sense for Davis to assign him a test. After all, Davis was responsible for supervising Damon's preparation for the entrance test to Scheld Academy. But why did he introduce him to Nexus? Nexus was a notoriously secretive organization, and someone like Davis wouldn't simply bring a kid like Damon here just for a written test. There had to be something more to it.
As Damon continued to wrestle with the questions, thoughts of Davis's true intentions consumed his mind. Soon, he completed the entire test, relieved to be done with the frustrating ordeal.
Ding Ding Ding
The timer rang, signaling the end of the test. Damon let out a sigh of both relief and curiosity as he placed the pen down.
He was never considered a genius or a bookworm, merely an average individual when it came to intelligence. Although he had gained knowledge from the system and engaged in brain exercises to improve his memory, his underlying intelligence remained unchanged. When it came to learning on his own, he still faced the same challenges.
Sighing, Damon stood up from the chair and stretched his arms, only to freeze as he heard the creaking sound of the gate opening behind him. Turning around, he saw the wooden gate wide open, and suddenly, the corridor lights and the lights in the room all went out, plunging everything into darkness.
His body tensed, and he instinctively took a defensive stance, peering cautiously into the pitch-black surroundings. His vision was obscured, rendering it nearly impossible to see anything. But then, an intense burning sensation gripped his eyes, and translucent blue lines streaked across his field of vision, reminiscent of an augmented reality display.
Approaching him rapidly, he heard the unmistakable sound of metal clanging, barely managing to dodge the first attack thanks to his passive talent, Combat Eye. It was the first time his talent had activated since his transmigration, enhancing his reflexes and physical abilities.
As he continued to move, more streaks of translucent blue lights closed in on him with astonishing speed, but Damon's incredible agility allowed him to evade them. The cycle of attacks and evasions repeated several times, until finally, one of the strikes landed, piercing Damon's shoulder with excruciating pain.
"Aargh!"
The attack revealed the source of his assailant. Dark obsidian chains, seemingly melting into the darkness, each adorned with a menacing blade at its end. They were relentless, launching further assaults that Damon struggled to avoid. Eventually, they pinned him against the wooden wall, inflicting more wounds, though luckily, none were life-threatening.
"Aargh!"
In that moment of agony, the chains abruptly vanished, causing Damon to collapse onto the floor, his hands tightly clutching his injuries.
"Hmm, not bad. Just as I expected from his son," a deep and emotionless voice reverberated through the room, sending shivers down Damon's spine. He looked up and saw a tall man clad in a black suit, a cigar dangling from his lips. Behind him, a purple magic circle hovered, while black chains encircled him like serpents.