Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Survival Emergency Capability Test

"This guy is a monster..."

In the crowd of examinees, someone swallowed hard, their eyes flickering with shock.

If the seeded contestants performed exceptionally, they could understand. After all, those six young people were all geniuses cultivated by the government and powerful conglomerates.

But this young man named Wang Xi clearly didn’t belong to any faction. He was an unknown ordinary person, just like them.

Yet, his performance wasn’t just outstanding—it even surpassed those geniuses.

No flashy abilities, no extravagant equipment or items. Just one man, one sword, balanced in both offense and defense, so powerful it was suffocating.

’A commoner genius?’

No.

’He should be called a monster!’

"This year’s examination is truly full of hidden talent."

In the corner on the right side of the venue, several sharply dressed examiners in suits stood ramrod straight. One of them, a middle-aged man with glasses, remarked with emotion.

"The Chairman and the leaders of the Overlook Bureau were right in their judgment. Starting from this year’s batch, the new generation of Heroes will likely start emerging rapidly."

"Brother Bai, worried about the younger generation catching up?"

Another slightly younger female examiner chuckled.

"Heh, of course I’m worried... If the new generation surpasses the old, an old-timer like me won’t have such good treatment anymore."

The middle-aged examiner, Shi Bo, said jokingly.

But soon, he shook his head.

"But I also hope that’s the case. Only with batch after batch of increasingly outstanding Heroes can our descendants thrive on this land and our civilization continue to exist."

"New stars like this..."

Shi Bo’s gaze, fixed on the arena, was filled with anticipation.

"The more, the better!"

The other young examiners exchanged a glance. Stirred, they let out a wistful sigh and turned their gazes back to the arena.

In the sofa area of Cupid Housekeeping.

"Hey, hey! That handsome guy used this exact move! He held off those candy people during the aftermath with just a crowbar and saved me!"

Zhu Yuhe pointed to the screen of her phone, excitedly sharing with her colleagues.

Lei Wen, Gao Fen, and the others looked astonished.

"With a powerful expert like Brother Wang protecting you, how could anything happen to you, Sister Zhuzi...?"

Yu Zihan remarked with a smile.

He had subconsciously changed how he addressed him, calling Wang Xi "brother." In reality, he was a year older than him. But in Yu Zihan’s view, the strong deserved respect, and calling him "brother" was no loss to him.

"Hehe, that’s true."

Zhu Yuhe had a lovestruck expression, holding her phone in one hand and cupping her blushing cheek with the other.

"What do you guys think? If it’s a boy, we’ll call him ’Wang Can,’ and if it’s a girl, ’Wang Lan’?"

"..."

Everyone exchanged glances.

’This...’

’She’s already picked out names for the kids?’

"Sister Zhuzi, don’t you think you’re getting a bit..."

Yu Zihan coughed and spoke cautiously.

"Ah!" Zhu Yuhe snapped back to reality, her gaze slightly evasive. "You’re right, I wasn’t thinking it through!"

Then she muttered another sentence:

"That handsome guy’s physique is like a monster’s. I’m afraid I won’t be able to handle it. I’ll start working out tomorrow!"

"???"

Everyone was completely baffled.

’Is... is she already actively trying to get pregnant?!’

...

...

「Around four in the afternoon.」

The second part of the combat exam finally came to an end.

Of the nearly seven hundred examinees in the arena, more than half were injured.

Among them, over a hundred were too severely injured to continue with the subsequent tests and were forced to withdraw for emergency medical treatment. Another nineteen were unfortunately struck in vital spots by the black balls and died on the scene, resuscitation efforts having failed.

The originally clean and tidy venue was now littered with scattered black balls, bloodstains, and fragments of equipment.

Brutal!

The remaining examinees were mostly gasping for breath, their faces pale. Looking at the state of the arena and recalling the whistling storm of black balls that felt like a hail of gunfire, they couldn’t help but feel a lingering fear.

At the same time, they were filled with reverence for Professional Warriors.

Although this was just an exam, it was no child’s play.

’People can actually die!’

"Next, we will be entering the final test of the second round of examinations: the survival and emergency response test."

The middle-aged examiner, Shi Bo, led his team to the front of the crowd, his calm and steady voice echoing through the venue.

"The casualty rate for this section is even higher. If you are not confident, you may apply to withdraw now."

The man swept his gaze over the crowd, his eyes serious behind his glasses.

His voice grew cold.

"Listen up. Once the test begins, there is no turning back. You either hold on until the very end or die during the exam... This is the only chance you will get to choose!"

As soon as he finished speaking,

a commotion immediately broke out in the crowd.

The examinees’ faces changed slightly. They looked at each other, and a constant low murmur arose.

Even through the camera lens, the millions of viewers in the livestream chat could feel the intense, tense atmosphere.

The entire venue was filled with emotions of anxiety, hesitation, confusion, and unwillingness to give up.

"Examiner, I... I apply to withdraw."

Finally, a pale-faced young man was the first to speak, his voice low. He limped out of the formation and bowed his head deeply.

As if in shame, yet also with reluctance:

"My left leg is injured, and I don’t have the stamina to continue..."

As he spoke, his voice trailed off.

But the people around him faintly heard him mention his elderly parents and his little sister who was still in school.

Clearly, he wasn’t confident he could survive the next test. And if he died, his family might be shattered.

The middle-aged examiner shook his head.

It wasn’t out of disappointment.

Rather, it was to offer comfort, to show that it was all right.

"A Hero isn’t just about blind courage. Sometimes, it’s about knowing when to retreat from the torrent... Making a decisive choice, preserving your life for a greater purpose, and understanding the weight of your ambition is not cowardly avoidance."

The man nodded and said:

"Son, there’s no need to be ashamed. You have already done very well. Your family and friends will be proud of you."

"Thank you."

The young man clenched his fists and took a deep breath.

The immense pressure, self-blame, and guilt in his heart dissipated with the examiner’s words. At the same time, an even stronger fighting spirit surged within him.

He bowed deeply to the examiner, then turned and bowed to the crowd and the cameras.

"I will be back next year!"

The young man declared loudly.

After speaking, he strode toward the venue’s exit under the guidance of the association staff.

Soon, more examinees made their decision and applied to withdraw, one after another.

A moment later.

Fewer than four hundred examinees remained in the venue.

"Very good."

The middle-aged examiner scanned the remaining people and smiled.

"It seems you all possess the determination to face death for the sake of becoming Professional Warriors. In that case, I shall wait and see what you are capable of."

"The second round of the examination continues!"

As he finished, the crowd felt the ground beneath them begin to tremble.

RUMBLE.

The all-metal floor of this area actually began to rise slowly. Before long, they were ten meters off the ground, high up in the venue.

The middle-aged examiner began to explain the rules of the final section.

The survival and emergency response test.

Each batch of examinees would undergo the test simultaneously, and they would be shot at by training dummies from all four sides of the venue.

Among the black balls being fired, a very small number would be marked with digits, which symbolized points. What they had to do was survive the barrage and find the numbered balls.

Exit passages would randomly open on the four iron walls of the venue. They could leave with the numbered balls they found at any time, and their final score would be judged by the number of points they accumulated.

"A word of warning."

The middle-aged examiner said in a grave voice.

"The longer you stay in the arena, the more points you can certainly get, but the danger will also increase... It’s very possible that by the time you want to leave, it will already be too late."

"If it really comes to that—"

His expression was blank, his tone indifferent.

"Neither the examiners nor the association staff will intervene to save you. So please, choose carefully."

Soon, the first batch of examinees, including the six seeded contestants like Yu Jiali, walked down the stairs from the side of the platform and arrived at the center of the arena.

The other several hundred people watched from above.

KLANG KLANG KLANG KLANG KLANG!!

The floor in front of the four iron walls opened up, and training dummies emerged one by one.

BEEP—

With a single beep, the test began.

A continuous series of loud THWUMPS sounded as the training dummies on all sides opened fire simultaneously. In an instant, the crowd above could only see countless black afterimages, forming what looked like a massive, intersecting net that descended upon the twenty people in the center.

The examinees’ faces changed slightly, and they sucked in a sharp breath.

This level of saturation attack was terrifying.

It was completely different from the previous Defense Ability test. Although that was also dangerous, they only had to face a single training dummy. But now, they were surrounded on all sides. The slightest lapse in attention and they would be smashed into pulp by the black balls...

Even the spectators felt their hearts tremble with fear, to say nothing of the examinees standing in the center of the arena.

Their hearts felt like they were about to stop at that moment.

BANG!

BANG! BANG! BANG!!

A girl in a dark blue bodysuit flashed forward, striking out with both fists. She unleashed a flurry of punches that accurately slammed into the incoming black balls, creating loud bangs.

One by one, the deformed black balls were knocked away, falling to the ground. Their outer rubber layers burst, revealing metal cores indented with fist marks.

"Lin Xin’Er! Don’t break the balls!"

The buzz-cut young man, Jiang Tianjie, felt his eyelid twitch and quickly reminded her. At the same time, he took out a square Tower Shield and blocked another direction.

A continuous series of loud CLANGS rang out, but he didn’t retreat a single step, standing like a reef in a black tide.

His gaze had just swept over a fallen black ball marked with a "9," and he was about to reach out and pick it up.

A figure flashed past and had already snatched the ball.

"Everyone for themselves."

Lin Xin’Er said coldly, without looking back.

As she spoke, she had already strode away, leaving the group and proactively approaching the training dummies on the north side.

Jiang Tianjie’s brow furrowed.

He held up his shield, blocking the fierce barrage while dodging the black balls coming from other directions. He ducked his head to the side and asked:

"What do you guys think?"

"The same. Everyone for themselves," Carl said with a smile, walking toward the east side. Strolling leisurely, he raised his mechanical arm and with a THUD, firmly caught a black ball. Turning it over, he saw it was marked with a "J."

"Not bad luck. 20 points."

The blond-haired young man whistled.

In the rules the examiner had just explained, J, Q, and K represented 20, 30, and 50 points, respectively. They were the hidden, high-scoring Flower Mark Balls.

After these two seeded contestants left, Xiao Yuzhe from the Overlook Bureau also silently broke away from the group and headed to the west side.

His actions spoke for his intentions.

Everyone for themselves!

"Fine! This avoids any vicious competition!"

Jiang Tianjie snorted coldly.

He said to Yu Jiali and Nagata An:

"Let’s cooperate. We’ll split the numbered balls evenly!"

"Okay."

The two beautiful women nodded in agreement.

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