New Record

"Please proceed into this room. The test will commence shortly."

Cyrus entered the room as instructed by the receptionist. The walls were all painted white, giving the impression of a sterile environment. He looked around but there was nothing of note to catch his attention. As he waited for his test to begin, he suddenly heard a creaking sound that echoed through the chamber. It was similar to the sound of a microphone being switched on.

*Clank*

*Tap, Tap*

"Ahem, 1, 2, 1, 2. Can you hear me clearly?"

"Yes, I can hear you," Cyrus responded, the sound of his voice bouncing off the empty walls.

"We are ready to begin the examination. You have two options to pass this test. Either survive for five minutes against your opponent or defeat it before the timer runs out. As for the dummy party member that will be summoned shortly, please do not focus on it. As previously mentioned, its main purpose is to assess the danger level of your ability towards allies."

"Any questions before we start?"

Silence followed.

"Best of luck!"

*Clank*

As she finished speaking, a brilliant light illuminated the room, enveloping Cyrus in its radiance. From the light, a creature slowly took shape, materializing before his eyes. To his surprise, the creature that stood before him was one he recognized. It had four slender, furry legs, a compact body, and a massive head that held it all together. The monster possessed antennae on the top of its head and razor-sharp edges at its base, making it the ideal opponent for a new hunter.

"I see, a Lesser Ant. Well, this will be much easier than I had anticipated."

***

Meanwhile, in a separate room, the receptionist stood next to a man wearing a long white coat who held an electronic device for taking notes. He watched the monitor intently as they reviewed the examination results.

"Is this today's examination? Why is he completely covered in cloth in this sweltering heat? I can't even see his face..." the man in the white coat remarked.

"I didn't ask about it as it didn't go against association rules. I apologize. If it's of concern to you, I could have him remove the coverings," the receptionist replied.

"It's alright. If he's accepted for the license, he'll have to reveal his appearance to us," the man in the white coat said.

"Hmm... So he has an offensive-type ability. Oh! And it's one that causes damage to allies. It's not every day you get to see one," he said with a mix of curiosity and surprise.

Pausing for a moment, he considered his next move before continuing. "Now, let's see how long he can last agains-."

"..."

"Excuse me, miss receptionist," the man said, gasping for air. "What happened to the virtual monster? And why is he... naked?"

The receptionist was clearly flustered. "H-he... he killed it!"

The man was stunned. "He what? Not even ten seconds had passed since the creature appeared! How did he do it?"

The receptionist quickly activated the operational terminal and ran the recording back to ten seconds ago. As they watched the footage, they could hardly believe their eyes.

"Unbelievable," The man muttered, shaking his head in awe. "I've never seen anything like it."

[Replaying recorded video]

As the Ant materialized inside the virtual room, Cyrus strode towards it purposefully. He stopped five meters away and waited patiently for the creature to fully form. In a burst of light, Cyrus's body began to glow orange as sparks ignited and burst into flames, burning away his clothes and leaving him naked. His opponent, also engulfed in flames, was quickly reduced to ash. The two witnesses watching the recorded video were stunned, unable to believe what they had just witnessed. It was an unprecedented event, one that had never been seen before.

"Operational terminal, what's the quickest time an examiner has ever completed the virtual combat assessment?" The man asked, his voice shaking with excitement.

The terminal beeped and responded, "[Previous record completed by S-Ranked Mil Avant-Garde: 00:00:22:53]."

The man heart was pounding as he nervously awaited the next response. Finally, the terminal beeped again and announced, "[Current record completed by Cyrus Strongmen: 00:00:9:34]."

"I cant believe it... that man surpassed the Sword's Saint undefeated record..."

"Display the recorded damage output for both the Ant and dummy ally," he commanded.

The System responded, [Damage inflicted: 15 points per second on both targets for a duration of 4 seconds. Total damage: 60 net damage.]

[Element used: Fire,] it noted.

The man was impressed by the amount of damage the examinee had inflicted. "Unbelievable," he murmured to himself. "Considering the Ant's health pool is only 50 points, we can safely say that it took less than three seconds to kill it."

"Operational Terminal, can you provide any additional information on the examinee's ability?"

[Examinee's ability has been identified as a form of pyrokinesis, allowing for the manipulation of flames. It appears to have a self-damaging effect, as the user's own body is also affected by the flames. However, it also has the potential to cause significant damage to opponents.]

"It seems that this ability has both strengths and weaknesses. We will need to monitor the examinee closely and take precautions during future assessments."

"Operation Terminal, what was the extent of the damage he sustained?" The man demanded urgently.

[Damage taken during assessment: 6 points of health] the terminal responded.

"Only 6 points? That can't be right! This ability is broken! So, he inflicts 15 health points of damage for every 1.5 points of damage he takes? That's ridiculous!" the voice exclaimed in disbelief.

"RECEPTIONIST !" the man called out sharply, his voice demanding attention.

The receptionist quickly turned to face him, her eyes wide with surprise. "Y-yes, sir?"

"Bring this man to my office immediately. I will personally hand him his Hunter's license."

The receptionist nodded quickly, scurrying away to fetch the man.

"What a monster," the man muttered quietly to himself.