Tests

Glenn observed his opponent, Mary, carefully preparing himself for the challenge that lay ahead. If he were to categorize her using his knowledge of games, she would undoubtedly fall under the Rogue class. Her weapon of choice was a pair of short daggers, and her lithe physique suggested she relied on agility for both offense and defense.

After this initial assessment, Glenn decided to engage fully. He conjured an invisible Magic Bullet and aimed it at Mary's right leg. The spell surged through the air, but Mary swiftly deflected it with her knife, creating a startling metallic clang. Glenn had not even registered her arm's rapid motion in self-defense.

Unfazed by the exchange, Mary remained composed. Glenn recognized the need for a change in strategy. He unleashed a barrage of Magic Bullets, firing them rapidly at a rate of forty-five bullets per minute. While this might not have matched Earth's basic firearms, he felt that it was definitely impressive. If he had this back when he met the creature in the forest, he wouldn't have almost pissed himself.

The shots were very cost-effective, and Glenn calculated that he could sustain this pace for at least five minutes, considering he didn't have to worry about his own defense. However, Mary seemed to effortlessly predict the trajectory of each bullet, dodging or blocking every single one.

Understanding that this approach was futile, Glenn decided to try something different. He halted his bullet barrage and concentrated his mind. Mary shifted from one foot to the other, consulting a rusty pocket watch.

Glenn began to circle slowly around Mary, resuming his attacks at a slower pace. His shots were now more potent and precise but demanded greater concentration. This allowed Mary more time to prepare her defenses.

Glenn's focus narrowed to a single objective: striking the hand that held Mary's knife. He maintained a precise three-second interval between each shot while continuing his circular movement. He hoped he would be able to tire the hand holding the weapon, leaving her with no defense.

Mary laughed, struggling to comprehend Glenn's unconventional tactics as she blocked yet another shot. Although Glenn's attacks were stronger, they weren't enough to wear her down. As Glenn completed his circuit around Cary, he halted, fixing her with a determined gaze.

Mary shrugged dismissively. "Whatever you're attempting, it's not enough. Care to change your tactics?"

In response, Glenn fired another Magic Bullet with his right hand, which Mary easily blocked. However, he immediately followed it in the millisecond with another shot, causing Mary to stumble and lose her footing. He considered calling this technique "Double Shot", but it felt too lame to give a name to this trick.

Seizing the opportunity that he created, Glenn flicked his finger. The sound of thirty cannons firing simultaneously filled the air as thirty Magic Bullets, previously held in reserve, rushed toward Mary from all around her, creating a cloud of swirling dust.

"And that's how you do it," he gloated, sure of his victory after this feat of strength.

While circling Mary, he had meticulously prepared thirty delayed Magic Bullets from different directions to ensure a direct hit, all the while keeping his attacks up in order to divert her from his actual goal.

He had prepared thirty projectiles, all coming from different directions, so he was pretty sure that he would have at least hit Mary. He had thought about this attack after reflecting on "The World" and the knife scene. He couldn't stop time, but his opponent wasn't going to move or attack him, so it was the best moment to try it.

The dust gradually dissipated, revealing an empty space where Mary had stood moments earlier. A blade lightly pressed against Glenn's neck from behind, and a cheerful voice exclaimed, "And that's how it's done! I did warn you it wasn't enough, but good effort nonetheless."

Glenn turned to find Mary unharmed, standing proudly. He sighed, wondering if he had failed the test. Mary sheathed her knife, producing a sheet of paper and jotting something down.

Even though he knew that his opponent was certainly more experienced than him and probably stronger, Glenn couldn't help but feel frustrated. He had literally no idea of how he had lost, and he felt dejected, even though he still had a few tricks up his sleeve that he hadn't used, like his Implosion.

As she finished scribbling, she held the sheet toward Glenn, intending for him to pick it up. Taking it, he received a light tap on his shoulder.

"Don't take it too personally; you're still green. But you've got some promising ideas. With more training, you'll improve," she encouraged before pointing him toward the next area for the Power Test and swiftly moving on to assess another candidate.

Glenn looked at the sheet in his hand. "Recommended for All-purpose Combat Classes, with a potential of twenty? What does that even mean?" he pondered, feeling a sense of confusion.

Diamanes, who had been strangely silent, broke the silence with a mocking tone. 'Well, it means you just got schooled, and you've got a lot to learn,' he quipped. Moving around with Sahro had made him shy, lacking the space to engage in his usual banter.

Glenn couldn't help but sigh at the exchange. He then headed toward the Power-testing area, thinking that Sahro had probably performed better than him. After all, Sahro was a combat specialist, and Glenn had a lot to learn to catch up.

Looking around, he finally found Sahro, who was similarly heading toward the Power-testing area. They met halfway and shared their results. Apparently, Sahro had completely defeated his opponent, who hadn't taken him seriously.

Surprisingly, the Cleaner assigned to him didn't take it personally and instead asked him to spar with someone else, a Senior. The results of the second spar were vastly different, and Sahro also got his ass handed over to him.

Nonetheless, he was heavily praised for his skills at such a young age and received a recommendation for a Silver rank, which was the highest one could achieve without significant contributions.

Glenn sighed at his own inability to match Sahro's prowess, having a difficult time admitting that he was less skilled. He couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration.

'Don't worry; if you start using me more, you'll soon become much stronger than Sahro,' whispered Diamanes in his mind.

Glenn almost laughed out loud but held back to avoid Sahro's unwanted attention. 'Well, for now, you're honestly not very useful. Don't take it wrong; I'm actually starting to enjoy having another inner voice, but you don't add much to the power table right now.'

Diamanes couldn't retort, as the facts stated couldn't be more true. In his current state, he couldn't do much besides 'taking' low-level spells and using them only once.

'Well, later on, I'll be capable of much more, so hurry up and get to the Third Mana Circle, alright?' Diamanes implored, showing eagerness to be of more use.

During this inner conversation, Glenn and Sahro arrived in the new testing area, a small child in a white and red robe too big for him waiting for them. They arrived alongside a few other candidates and wondered what to do.

Glenn hesitated to ask the child if he was lost but decided to keep silent, discreetly asking Sahro to do the same. After a few minutes, the other candidates finished their tests and joined the group. An immense man with an equally immense sword crouched down near the child.

"Are you lost, kid?" he asked, attempting a gentle smile.

A steel column suddenly erupted from the ground, propelling the huge man into the air and making him fall a dozen meters away. A voice emerged from the small child hidden under the robe, sending shivers down Glenn's spine.

"I'm... Tom... I'll be the... Tester..."

It clearly wasn't a child's voice, and it was unusually raspy. Tom seemed to have a hard time even pronouncing one word, creating an unnatural cadence. When Glenn looked a bit more closely, he indeed discovered a tag on his robe, reading "Tom Delora".

'So he was from the same family as the other creep. Well, it kind of made sense...'

"I'll conjure... Steel pillars... For you to attack... Do your best...My cute maggots..."

An eerie laugh emanated from the robe as steel pillars manifested, numbering the same as the candidates, including the huge man who had been sent flying.

Tom was looking down from his own steel pillar, observing the candidates.

Glenn suppressed his instinctual urge to flee from the strange environment of the Cleaner's Workshop, but he held his ground, driven by a clear objective: money. In the end, it was all for financial gain, wasn't it?

Observing the steel column that appeared in front of him, Glenn pushed away his doubts and focused on his goal. He would use this opportunity to test his abilities since encountering a steel pillar as a target was a rare occurrence.

He fired a Magic Bullet, but besides a loud clang, nothing happened. The steel pillar appeared unscathed, confirming that he would need significantly more firepower to make an impact. He decided to reserve Implosion for later and concentrate on improving his Magic Bullet on the spot.

Stepping back for a moment, he outlined his objective: creating a hole in the pillar. When he thought about his world, Earth, there were tools capable of piercing even the strongest materials. One such tool was the drill.

Humans used drills with high-speed rotating bits to pierce through strong materials. Of course, for a five-meter-thick steel pillar, the equipment required would be considerably larger and more powerful than a handheld drill.

The idea struck him: if he could create a magical drill based on his Magic Bullet, perhaps he could shoot projectiles capable of penetrating anything. It was a fusion of magic and science. Ha! Science, b**ch!

Motivated by the prospect of shooting literal Magic Drills, he began formulating the spell in his mind.

---

Meanwhile, Sahro unsheathed his sword, enveloping it in a crimson light.

He assumed a battle stance and slashed at the steel pillar. For a moment, nothing happened, and then the upper part of the pillar slid down to the ground, leaving a diagonal cut.

"That should be enough, right?" Sahro asked, challenging anyone to surpass his feat.

While Sahro was displaying his prowess, Glenn completed his spell. It wasn't perfect yet, but it was functional. He extended his right hand forward, fingers outstretched, and began tracing a circular motion in the air, as if twisting the void itself.

Mana began to flow from his body, gathering into a spectral drill in front of his right hand, shimmering with an otherworldly radiance. Glenn thrust the drill with force, and it spiraled at a speed invisible to the naked eye.

A sharp sound echoed through the Testing Hall as the magical drill burrowed through the pillar, rapidly creating a one-meter-wide hole in the five-meter-thick steel. Glenn exulted in his accomplishment, maintaining the spell with unwavering determination until it pierced the whole pillar. He reveled in the freedom and absurdity of magic.

"I just love magic, I swear!"