I am your subordinate; Tests;

In the midst of chaos Kerren thought about his decision. Revealing that he awakened at the age of 16 with just a little bit of magic crystals and no proper training beforehand wasn't something that happened every day, every year, even. Moreover, the his that he got from awakening would've shocked them too! Of course, no sane person reveals a skill if it's passive, but boasting was still a thing.

Even if he revealed it - so what? It's not like he was being forced to do something, it's just that he will receive way more attention than if he did that normally... However, a problem did exist because of that. For the time being it's was unwise for for him to do what he initially wanted.

Well, okay, if awakening at 16 without any external help was still acceptable, geniuses exist after all, clearing a dungeon alone under everyone's noses wasn't, which is even worse is that nobody even knew you could clear it! So, how did you know? Just an accident? Like the one happened with your awakening? Haha! Let's torture him till he tells the truth boys.

That's what would probably happen if Kerren did something like that. He wasn't as stupid as that, obviously, moreover, it's not like he could even clear it on the first day. Knowing the objective and being able to complete it were two completely different things. Also, it was still early for him to even enter the real dungeon. For newly awakened people the university had an ample amount of tests that they should undergo to determine their rank accurately.

Ranks that humans imagined to themself weren't really a thing in the real world, it was just a simplified thing for the masses so they could quickly classify people, faroving some of them and laughing at others, it wasn't like it was even fixed, personal growth was, of course, a thing, but most of the time those who awakened couldn't improve themself to an extent of being "promoted" to a rank above. It was possible, of course, but people didn't really know that due to limited knowledge.

Their strength rose naturally and with training, most of the people, however, chose to rely on numerical stats that the character window was showing them. They pursued those numbers thinking that it was a correct way to go. Of course, they were not wrong, but the method they chose was. They relied on books and buffs one could receive from dungeons, sometimes rewards were so simple that it just added some stats to you or boosted your body somehow, it wasn't rare and most people though that it was the only way to "grow".

For a long period of time it was, until one of the many geniuses invented a new alchemy potion that boosted your stats directly. Not only many people shocked by the effects of it, many tried to steal the formula! Of course, the story is way longer than that, but there's no point in talking about it, since because of Kerren he wouldn't even exist in this life.

Why? Because Kerren didn't even know who the hell was the inventor! It was a top-secret in his previous life, he distributed some potion on his own at first, but really soon it was as if he dissappeared completely. Which was to be expected. Potions, however, didn't stop circulating on the market and soon became a norm. Well, even if Kerren knew the guy, then what? Would Kerren force him to brew potions? They were too expensive even if their real value was 1/10 of what it was in his previous life.

Moreover, he appeared in 15 or so years from now on, which was too long, it was way easier for Kerren to learn alchemy himself than to wait for that guy to appear.

But again, rising too far above the rest wasn't a great idea, those who did... well, let's just say that they weren't all that happy after certain people noticed them.

Okay, enough with the empty talk and thoughts about the future, you should know already that Kerren wasn't going to do something as stupid as sticking out too much. Moreover, if he could - he wouldn't even stick out at all. He didn't really want all that attention, it was simply a method for him to "snowball" into becoming strong, which had it's own cons and pros, but was mostly undesired by him.

Why? Well, how will you do things if u're constantly being watched? What if you wanted to do something questionable or surreal? That would alert people greatly, involving you in great danger, Kerren was the same. Now he will have to pretend that his awakening was... sh*t at the very least. If he revealed that he got a unique skill on top of awakening so early... a war will break out. Not a real one, between some guilds that wanted to get him... some wouldn't allow others to get what they wanted no matter the cost, so... yeah, it wasn't a thing he wanted.

Thus, Kerren decided to "hide" his real status. It was, of course, a thing, you could checkmark a thing that said "Hide information" in your status... yeah that does sound absurd and it was more like... Well, it makes so others cant see what you see, those panels that people called statuses could be seen by others if one didn't checkmark it. It still didn't show a lot of information, personal data was hidden no matter what and couldn't be shown to others unless they or you yourself had a special artefact or skill.

It, however, had questionable efficiency. Remember "Inspect"? Who said you cant inspect other people?... Nobody! You could! Of course, the effect of it depended on the level of the skill, but if one wasn't proficient in skills that hide your presence or strength even level 1 inspect could unravel the mystery, even if one's strength was far above the caster. What did inspect add with levels? Lets just say that if you had a mole somewhere deep inside and the other person had a level 9 inspect skill he would tell you that there's more than just one... Level 12 inspect? He'll even know the exact amount of atoms in your body and the time they have left until they run out of energy...

Of course, level 12 skills didn't exist as of yet, people at this time only had access to level 8 skills at best, which weren't all that bad, and even in Kerrens previous life they were very good, it's just that no level 12 skill users appeared yet...

Well, was that interesting? I hope so, because it's a boring part now! What am i talking about? You see, all this time Kerren was writing a damn test!!! Why do you think i had to talk for so much!? What test? Why a test? What is going on? Well, let's get to explaining.

The test after awakening, in some cases awakened got some "sacred" knowledge and didn't even realise it, the test specialised on such topics, and if one passed even one question he was given more questions, so Kerren didn't even bother asking, he played his "Arrogance above heavens" self and wrote "I dont know" everywhere he could.

The third question of yours, "What is going on?" is kind of hard to answer, because i myself dont really know. Kerren already "passed" the test and now he was about to take one that determined his physical provess. While doing that test he couldn't really use mana, but it was not prohibited, it's just that he will be placed in another category from those who used pure physical strength.

Did Kerren care? No. Would he ever need to use his pure physical strength from now on? Well... maybe? If he was in a really dangerous situation or half-dead somewhere in Ujlabi desert then yeah, but otherwise? Dream on. Mana could allow one to strenghten one's body to absurdity. Lifting a place with a pinkie? Make it five planes, who cares in they collapse under each other...

The hell is Ujlabi desert? Well, to be short - a giant desert that is cursed or something, mana is barely even there, of course, if you have potion or crystals you wont feel any problems, but if not? Well... The whole desert that felt like a small planet didn't have enough mana to "charge" 10 gramms of 100% pure A crystal. How bad is that? If left alone those 10 gramms will charge in three months in Kerrens world which didn't even have much mana at all, it was scarce, even. I'm also talking about his current world, in his previous life you'd only have to wait for one and a half months or so.

Well, anyway, Kerren took the test. It was simply as hell. All he needed to do was to punch a thing they told him to punch. It was, obviously, another artefact that calculated the power of the punch. For some reason, however, whoever made them didn't care about usability, thus adding his own system to calculate power. Why use what's normal and could be understood? Lets just say and the strength of your punch was 5. What does that mean? Well, buy a manual that explains it!

You think i'm joking? Look again.

- The hell does a 7 mean? -- Kerren asked people around him as he looked on a number above the plate he just hit. It was bent.

Kerren then asked again - Hello, people, are we playing hide and seek? What reward will get for finding you? -- he was trying to joke or something, i dont even understand what that meant...

As he was trying to think of another joke...

- Excuse me -- a guy he met previously suddenly said, it was the guild recruiter or god knows who he is -- Our guild master wants to talk. -- he delivered.

- What guild master? If he wants to talk - What does it have to do with me? Oh, is that another test? Then... I'm happy that he wants to talk, tell him that talking is usually done between two people, but if he wants to, he can talk to his own reflection somewhere -- he made a joke! Why, you ask? Well, if i were to answer it... Kerren looked like he was getting his emotions back, but to be honest with you... i liked him better when he didn't talk that much.

- Please dont joke around... -- he started to sweat... His guildmaster wasn't a guy who liked to joke around, he was a soldier, old one at that, those people were usually hard approach or to even talk to...

As the guy tried to come up with a reason or something so Kerren would follow him, another man came closer to and tapped him on his shoulder. As he was about to look who it was, that "who" talked...

- I see u've awakened, huh? -- it was a giant old man who said it, he was wearing a white tuxedo and looked like a damn tiger, scary -- Want to spar with me? -- he then added his unreasonable questin.

- Spar? You know, your question is as unreasonable as me, accepting would mean that i'm damaged in the head, so i'd gradly accept it since i indeed am damaged in the head, but sadly - i'm taking a test, and if i didn't i have things i need to do urgently, excuse me. -- he gave several sentences worth of words as an answer instead of saying no or something... why is he talking so much?!

- Boy, i am your guildmaster. -- he suddently said.

- Old man, i am your subordinate. -- Kerren answered.

They were both silent until a clerk or something that brought test results said...

- Kerren did you use mana while you performed that punch? -- he had a strange look on his face and it was red, as if he was running a lot.

- Huh? Oh, yeah i did, what of it? -- he answered before looking at whoever even asked that.

- Oh, that explains it... It shows that the strength of that punch was about the same as the punch of a B rank warrior... -- he quickly explained. He was talking a lot and tried to make Kerren understand what exactly his punch was, adding examples like crushing cars or something like that so Kerren wouldn't misuse his power. A punch like that could kill any of his fellow students easily, so it was dangerous if he got angry and didn't know how strong he was exactly.

- Yeah yeah, enough with that. Do i get any benefits for that or not? -- he counter-attacked the guy by asking his own question, so he at least talks about something Kerren was interested in.

- Uhmm... Well, your score IS good, but sadly, since u've used mana u're placed in the category with all of out students... Your rank is currently... 143... Oh, wow, that is unprecedented for a first year! -- he suddenly said and never stopped, he told Kerren that he was really strong and talented yada yada...

- Next test, please. -- he interrupted again, not giving poor guy a chance.

- Oh, yes yes, i'm sorry - the guy answered while nodding his head like a chicken that he was.

He immediately took Kerren to another room that was basically right by the one he was in. This room, however, was different. Instead of one target in had many, they filled all 3 walls that were free and the the only difference between them was their size and where they were in the room.

- This test is easy, Kerren, all you have to do is to hit as many target as you can in a span of one minute, you can use any method you want, of course, but it is advised to use a projectile skill like the basic "Mana-bolt" or "Mana-arrow", as i just said you can use ANY method, so if you know "Bolt-rain" or "Arrow-rain" you can use them too, if fact, some other of out students did when they took this test! -- he then started telling Kerren about those students as if Kerren cared, he didn't.

Soon, he left the room leaving Kerren alone with countless target. Oh, and while i'm at it - their diamater varied from around 2 cm to 0.2, so the test was harder than you thought it was. If they were big - who the hell would call it a test? Also, in case you wonder how to pass it - it was really simple, they only counted HITS, meaning that you could just stay and hit the same target repeatedly, strength of those hits didn't really matter and as long as your hits amounted to 30 or more - you passed with a good grade. Of course, doing like that that wont give you a a place in the rankings, but u'll still pass, okay?