This was the second physical evaluation Xiao Lin was going through since he entered the academy. It was more or less the same as the last time. There was a door that looked like a security check in the room, and a red beam of light descended from it. Since the Black Iron-rank meant higher attributes, the evaluation took around forty seconds this time.
After waiting for a few minutes, the student union members looked at Xiao Lin’s numbers. The moment he looked at it, a man who was wearing a watch exclaimed, “What even attributes!”
Another one shook his head, saying, “Strength 24, Agility 26, Intelligence 25, Physique 26. You did reach the requirement for Black Iron-rank, but these attributes are really very even.”
Xiao Lin furrowed his eyebrows. “Is there anything wrong?”
“Ah, how do I put this...” The one who initially spoke paused before continuing, “Junior, didn’t anyone tell you before that having even attributes isn’t a good thing? Even though the numbers look like you’re a jack of all trades, the truth is you’re just very average.”
The man waved his hand, finding it difficult to articulate. “You might not be familiar with our evaluation process, so let me just explain it. Even though it is said that having 100 total attribute points would mean you’re at the Black Iron-rank and be able to live in the New World without any side effects, the academies have started to prioritize combat ability in the recent decades. That’s why, attribute scores aside, you need to pass a combat evaluation as well.”
The one next to him continued, “The test taker will have to defeat a virtual opponent in order to get the certificate. Please don’t misunderstand, we’re not trying to mess with you; those are just the rules.”
Xiao Lin’s lips twitched. They said that, but why did their faces look so gleeful? Did they really think he would fail the next step?
If he failed, then the gambling pool would continue until someone else was able to pass, and a lot of people would be able to avoid losing their money.
However, Xiao Lin was not afraid at all. Tidying up his shirt, he smiled and said, “Will you be my opponents?”
“No, of course not. We’ll be using a simulation tool. We’ll configure a Black Iron-rank opponent as your opponent. Obviously, you can choose to face a magical or physical opponent.”
Xiao Lin shook his head, somewhat understanding what they tried to tell him earlier. Having even attributes might mean he had no weaknesses, but he had no strengths as well. The student union probably never configured an opponent for someone like him, so no matter if he was facing a physical or magical opponent, he would be on the short end of the stick in attributes.
Having one attribute be extremely high was completely different from having a few attributes being equal. The former would be able to use stronger spells or sword skills, while the latter would not have any attributes at the Black Iron-rank.
At least, that was how the evaluators were looking at Xiao Lin. Even if Xiao Lin’s skills had been acknowledged, that was just among the first-years. Anyone else looking at his attributes would think that he only attained 100 attribute points to reach the Black Iron-rank, and distributing his attributes evenly like that would affect his combat ability.
Xiao Lin was not worried at all. He showed a strange smile and said, “I’ll try them all.”
“Yes, huh? What do you mean?”
“Don’t you have both physical and magical opponents? I’ll just test myself against both. It’ll be more convincing that way.”
The few of them exchanged looks, and one of them could not help but say, “You can, but based on the rules, if you fail an evaluation, you won’t get your certificate. Even if you choose two, failing one would fail you completely. Are you sure?”
“I’m cool with anything,” Xiao Lin said nonchalantly.
“Fine, follow us then.”
The simulated combat room was in a large room next door. Xiao Lin was already quite familiar with the system, but his eyes brightened when he saw that it was a new type of system. He could not help but ask, “Isn’t this a little different from the other systems?”
The one leading the way paused before saying in surprise, “You’ve come across these systems before?”
“I use it basically every day.” Looking at their shocked expressions, Xiao Lin decided to change the energy stones himself. The student union members moved to stop him, but looking at how practiced Xiao Lin looked, it was obvious that Xiao Lin was not lying.
The men in charge of the evaluation were all confused. The virtual combat system was expensive to use. Even they would be happy to just use it once a month. He said with a hint of admiration, “Ah, the student union uses the newest model. The functions are more complete... Whatever, seeing as you’re familiar with it, I won’t explain too much.”
The attributes for the evaluation had already been pre-prepared. The total attributes were always set at 100. The physical opponent had 40 Strength, 15 Agility, 15 Intelligence, and 30 Physique.
Worrying that Xiao Lin would not understand, they explained a little. “These numbers are based on a Black Iron-ranked orc. You should already know from your history classes that the orcs are basically our greatest enemy. The academy believes that if you can’t defeat one at this rank, it would mean nothing, even if you entered the Black Iron-rank.”
Xiao Lin nodded before heading into the room. Once the system booted up, he understood what was different about the new model. He was no longer surrounded by cold metallic walls, but instead an uneven mountain ground with sharp spikes.
The newest model could even simulate different environments, giving an extra level of realism. It probably used illusion projection magic. Xiao Lin knew that spell was invented by the colonists, and they used it on their phones, but the virtual combat system used it on a much higher level.
The opponent quickly appeared. With the new model, the opponent was even more life-like. It even had various protective gears on it. The gears might not have been real, but during the battle, damage would be reduced based on the gear.
A strength of 40 was quite a high number for most freshmen, but since the agility was set to be quite low, it could be circumvented with speed, meaning it was not an issue for Xiao Lin.
The battle was starting, so he activated Miracle.
Under Miracle, he could convert 50% of his other attributes to any one attribute. His current total was 101 points, and his Strength attribute was at 26. Thanks to Miracle, his strength momentarily increased to 63, basically giving him an immense advantage.
No tricks, no strategies, not even bothering to think too long.
Even if his agility dropping affected his speed, thanks to Phantom Steps, he managed to maintain his speed advantage. With Xiao Lin’s charge, he stabbed his sword forward, immediately dropping the virtual orc’s health to zero.
The evaluators had not even prepared themselves when the battle came to an end.
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