With the conclusion of Ye Shenlin's assessment group, only the group of Tendo and Caroline remained for the current round of assessment.
Regarding whether the two could pass the assessment, not only were Chen Kong and the others relaxed, but the dimensional comment section on Site 13 was also in a "chilling out, watching the show" mood, not even bothering to discuss predictions of victory or defeat.
After all, in their eyes, Tendo's assessment was merely a formality.
If even Tendo couldn't pass the assessment, then few people in the entire New Federation would be able to pass.
[Assessment teleportation begins. Current examinees: Tendo Simei, Caroline]
A faint blue starlight membrane rose from the ground, enveloping the two people standing side by side.
Tendo was still playing with the commemorative silver coin in his hand, producing a crisp 'clink' sound, clearly unconcerned about the assessment and very much at ease.
Caroline, however, was quietly adjusting her wrist device, her emerald pupils scanning line after line of data streams.
Even if it was just a formality, she wanted to ensure that no accidents would occur.
The next second, the light suddenly contracted, and the two figures vanished from the resting hall.
When the two opened their eyes again, the ground beneath their feet was no longer the smooth and clean floor tiles of the resting hall, but cracked plaza bricks.
A faint black mist seeped from the dark brown cracks. Stepping on them felt like stepping on a damp sponge, accompanied by a subtle, vaguely sticky sensation.
The distant skyscrapers tilted crookedly, their glass curtain walls shattered into spiderwebs, and steel bars exposed, resembling the broken bones of a giant beast.
The air was permeated with a smell similar to moldy old books—the oppressive aura unique to the realm of Eternal Nightmare.
"Current environment Star Energy concentration is stable, no special anomalies..."
Halfway through her sentence, Caroline looked up at a spot not far away, her gaze suddenly freezing.
Tendo followed her line of sight and looked back, only to see a dilapidated, old-style residential building standing alone in a patch of ruins on the north side of the plaza, not far from them.
The red-brick walls were bleached by rainwater, and a faded blue sheet was still hanging on a balcony. A window on the fourth floor was open, and a ceramic flower pot could be vaguely seen placed by the window.
Against the backdrop of the surrounding broken walls and debris, this building seemed exceptionally bizarre, as if it had been 'cut out' from another space-time and forcefully embedded into the ruins.
Tendo suddenly walked up to the old-style residential building and gently touched the ancient wall.
The rough brick surface carried a genuine coolness, and some detached wall paint rubbed off on his hand.
All of this felt so real, so real that it was hard to believe this was merely a projection constructed by Star Energy with physical tactile feedback.
"Do you find it strange?"
Just as Tendo was observing the old-style residential building, a soft, childish voice, yet tinged with authority, suddenly came from the east side of the plaza.
As the anime camera zoomed in on the speaker, everyone quickly saw the little raccoon administrator slowly walking toward Tendo and Caroline, treading on black mist.
This time, just like in the previous assessment rounds, it adopted the posture of a hunter playing with its prey.
Not only was its expression very serious, but even the surrounding black mist had subsided considerably.
It stopped three meters away from Tendo, looked up, examining the residential building, and spoke with rare emotion in its voice.
"In my Eternal Nightmare, everyone's most cherished subconscious possession will manifest as a projection."
"Some have seen their families before the fall, some have seen the scene of their first acquisition of Star Source. And no matter which one it is, these are the scenes they care about most in their subconscious. But you, Tendo Simei, are different... Your memory projection is completely blank."
As the words fell, the little raccoon administrator suddenly raised its paw and pointed toward the strange old-style residential building.
The next second, the seemingly real residential building in front of everyone's eyes suddenly glowed with a translucent sheen.
Immediately afterward, it was as if someone had pressed the 'dematerialize' button. The brick walls, sheets, and flower pots gradually became transparent, eventually revealing the interior.
But strangely, the inside of this old-style residential building was empty, with no floors and no stairs, only a chaotic black mist, as if the building had only ever possessed an 'outer shell' from the beginning.
The resting hall erupted in an uproar.
Chen Kong abruptly sat up straight, staring at the empty-shell building on the screen.
"What does this mean? Does it mean Brother Tendo has nothing precious in his subconscious?"
As if having heard Chen Kong's words in the resting hall, the little raccoon administrator in the assessment field suddenly spoke.
"It's not that there's nothing, it's that I can't see anything."
The little raccoon's voice carried confusion. It circled Tendo twice, its paw leaving shallow marks on the ground.
"I can vaguely capture some scattered past events, like sunbathing outside the base, or guiding others on the training ground."
"But these are all like 'shards floating on the surface,' or rather, things you allow me to see. As for the memories truly hidden in the core, the ones that could trigger emotional fluctuations in you, I... can't see anything."
At this point, the little raccoon administrator suddenly grew sentimental.
"There are many reasons for this situation. One is that your soul rank is comparable to mine, or even above mine."
"Another situation is that you possess some kind of special talent concerning the soul."
"And the third is that you appeared suddenly, which is why your past is blank."
"I'm not clear on which specific reason it is for now, but compared to these, I'm actually more curious about something else..."
With the words spoken, the little raccoon administrator looked up at Tendo, its golden bell gently shaking.
"Tendo Simei, do you... feel fear?"
Tendo was silent for a few seconds, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the commemorative silver coin in his palm.
Sunlight fell on his face through the gaps in the ruins. Half of it was bathed in light, and the other half was hidden in shadow. His eyes, which were usually always smiling, were now stained with a softness that others could not decipher.
He lowered his head to look at the little raccoon by his feet, a faint smile curving on his lips.
"Of course I feel fear too."
The little raccoon administrator was stunned, even the tail it was wagging stopped.
Caroline's pupils also slightly contracted because this was the first time she had ever heard him say the word 'fear' since she met Tendo.
While the little raccoon administrator was in a daze, Tendo spoke the 'thing' that he feared.
"It's just that what I fear is never failure or death, but loneliness."
"Just like this empty building, only an outer shell remains, nothing inside. It's very desolate, very boring, isn't it?"
The little raccoon stood frozen on the spot, the black mist around its body beginning to thin out.
Tendo's answer, rather than 'fear,' was more like 'dislike.'
Yet, it couldn't think of any reason to refute him, because it could sense that Tendo was not lying.