Chapter 27: An Eerie Understanding Between the Old and the Young

Click!

A loud mechanical sound echoed as the elevator-like door, straight out of a sci-fi movie, slowly opened, revealing a crowd of people at the entrance.

—It was said that this gymnasium was specifically designed with such a door, funded by a large investment, purely for the grandeur of events like this.

Leading the group was an elderly man, a bit chubby, with white hair and beard, resembling Santa Claus in appearance.

As soon as they entered, everyone's movements paused; some even wondered if they had walked into the wrong place.

These were the observers for this assessment, including representatives from various academies and leaders of well-known superhuman organizations. Although they had participated in numerous assessments for selected candidates before, this scene was a first for them.

The hundred or so candidates scattered around the hall were also stunned. Seeing the diverse group at the entrance, they quickly guessed that the assessment was about to begin.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, the chubby old man burst into a hearty laugh, his voice full of energy, and he spoke to the candidates:

"Hahaha! Good! It seems this year's candidates are different from the past—strong mental fortitude and lively personalities."

"Very good! That's how it should be! Why should young people hide their sharpness and be so timid? If there's food, you should eat!"

"How about this… hmm," the old man glanced at the clock on the wall and continued, "It's 9:10 now. We'll wait until 9:30 before starting to explain the assessment. Feel free to do as you please, don't mind us."

After speaking, the old man smiled kindly and stepped aside. The others who had entered with him also took their seats behind the spacious judges' table.

Soon after, a team of people dressed in special uniforms entered, forming a group. They held papers and pens, and sat down in an orderly manner.

If anyone paid attention, they would notice that their number matched the number of candidates exactly.

The chubby old man continued to walk towards the crowd, as if he had some sort of magical presence. Despite everyone knowing he held a significant position, his presence seemed to diminish, making it easy to overlook him.

At this moment, Liam remembered the red envelope he needed to show Sofia. Just as he was handing it to her, a voice suddenly appeared by his ear.

[Wind: I think you should be careful. It seems a heavyweight has arrived.]

The ability of "Voices of All Things" had somehow given Liam this information, prompting him to turn around.

By now, the chubby old man had already reached Liam and Sofia, just in time to see Liam handing a red envelope to Sofia.

Smiling, he said, "Oh dear, did I come at a bad time? This young man giving a young lady a letter, and I accidentally saw it."

Hearing this, Sofia quickly turned around, blushing slightly, and hurriedly explained, "No, you misunderstood… This is something he confiscated from a God Servant. It seems to have some kind of restriction on it, and I was just about to come find you."

"Also, Headmaster, you still walk as quietly as ever."

With that, Sofia handed the red envelope to the chubby old man. He accepted it but didn't examine it immediately.

He was now staring at Liam in surprise, or rather, the two of them were staring at each other.

The old man was keenly aware that this boy had turned to face him before he even spoke, meeting his gaze directly. And judging by his demeanor, it wasn't just a coincidence—he had turned specifically to look at him.

"You… sensed that I was coming?" the chubby old man asked, intrigued, showing great interest in Liam.

"It wasn't me who sensed it; it was the wind," Liam replied, shaking his head.

Liam's response left the old man momentarily speechless before he burst into laughter.

"Kid, you're interesting. I like you!"

He then turned to Sofia, "Is this the E-level talent you recommended for special admission? Not bad, you have a good eye!"

He then shook the red envelope in his hand, "And this, he…"

"Yes, it's about what happened the other day," Sofia answered quickly.

The chubby old man nodded, then closed his eyes, sensing the red envelope in his hand. His face maintained a kind smile, as if it were a permanent fixture, with no other expression.

After a short while, he opened his eyes and asked Liam, "Did you try to examine it?"

"No," Liam replied truthfully, "I was about to, but my intuition told me not to."

"Good, sharp intuition. This restriction isn't something you can handle yet," the old man said, flipping his fingers as the red envelope vanished from his hand, not mentioning it again.

Then, Liam and the old man locked eyes once more, both feeling a mutual sense of understanding.

In perfect synchronization, they both extended their hands toward each other.

Liam: "Hello, it's an honor to meet you."

The old man: "Kid, how've you been lately?"

This bizarrely synchronized scene left Sofia, who was watching from the side, completely baffled. Standing there, she had no idea what these two were up to.

The two didn't linger, their expressions turning serious for a moment before they shook hands.

[Replication successful, acquired C-level talent—Presence Concealment!]

[Automatically upgrading talent...]

[Talent level upgrade successful—Stealth: You can reduce your aura and presence at any time, making it difficult for others to detect you.]

Liam had a clear objective: to try his luck and see if he could replicate a talent. Although he succeeded, what surprised him most was the level of this ability.

This man was clearly a big shot, with a significant position and power, yet his talent was only at the C-level?

That didn't seem right!

Liam looked up in surprise and confusion at the elderly man before him.

The old man, clearly sensing something as they shook hands, maintained his calm expression but was visibly puzzled, also staring back at Liam.

The two stood there, gazing at each other with identical looks of bewilderment, as if they were mirror images despite the vast age difference.

"Haha, good! Very good!" The chubby old man was the first to break the handshake, laughing heartily and nodding at Liam without saying anything further. He motioned for Sofia to discuss something with him, and the two left.

The twenty minutes passed quickly, and the hall soon cleared as everyone returned to their seats. No one was so engrossed in eating that they stayed until the last minute; in fact, the food area had been empty for the past five minutes.

Even Liam had returned to his seat early, as his goal was simply to eat, not to draw attention.

When the time arrived, the judges exchanged glances before the chubby old man stepped forward again.

He still wore the same kind smile, his squinted eyes hidden in the wrinkles on his face, as he clapped his hands and said,

"Alright, time's up. Hello, students, my name is Cain. You can call me Headmaster Mo or just Old Man Mo if you prefer."

"Now, let me explain the content of this assessment to you all."