On the first day of the assessment, the air in Giant Tower Academy carried a fragrance distinctly different from its usual iron and sweat—a delicate scent named "knowledge."
The so-called written exam was, in essence, a large-scale intelligence filter. The questions covered a vast spectrum, from the "History of Giant Tower City's Establishment" to a "Field Guide to Common Dangerous Wilderness Organisms," from "Basic Laws of Physics" to "Bureau Emergency Avoidance Regulations." There were even questions testing logical reasoning and fundamental computational abilities. Its purpose was singular: to weed out the truly "dense," those oddballs who defied the very limits of human cognition, with nothing but muscle between their ears. As long as one wasn't such an anomaly, diligently completing the exam virtually guaranteed a basic C-rank evaluation.
In the examination hall, Xiang Lie wrote furiously. He felt his brain had never operated at such a high speed. Each word was like a heavy barbell plate, demanding all his strength to lift from the depths of his memory, then carefully set onto the answer sheet. Finally, in the very last second before the bell signaling the end of the exam, he wrote his final word.
Stepping out of the exam hall, the sun shone brightly, yet Xiang Lie felt as if he had just completed a three-hour, heavy-compound training session; he was completely drained.
"Xiang Lie! Over here!" Gao Fei was already waiting outside the exam room, waving excitedly as he saw Xiang Lie emerge. "Well, well? How'd you do?" Gao Fei's face was alight with pride, clearly very satisfied with his own performance. "I think I nailed it this time! Those questions were practically free points! That last essay question about the application of the Law of Conservation of Energy in practical combat? I rambled on for over eight hundred words! I think an A-rank evaluation is a sure thing this time! Hahaha!" He clapped Xiang Lie's shoulder, asking expectantly, "How about you? Did you also find it easy?"
"Uh…" Xiang Lie looked at his friend's confident face, then recalled his own awkward grimaces of intense contemplation in the exam room. His old face flushed red, and he stammered, "I think… I should… probably pass with a C."
"A C? That humble?" Gao Fei paused, somewhat incredulous. "No way, Brother Lie, this exam wasn't hard at all. Even I, who rarely reads, found it simple."
Hearing his friend's words, Xiang Lie's face burned even redder, almost dripping blood. He couldn't possibly confess that to answer a question like, "A degraded form is chasing you at 60 kilometers per hour. You are driving a beat-up car with a maximum speed of 55 kilometers per hour. The straight-line distance between you is 500 meters. Approximately how many seconds do you have to contemplate your life?" he had spent half the time drawing stick figures on his scratch paper and listing a long string of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems, could he?
"Ahem," he cleared his throat, forcing a change of subject. "Forget it, forget it. Whether it's a C or an A, as long as we pass, we can participate in the practical combat assessment this afternoon. That's when our true fate will be decided. The highest ranking is S-rank!"
At the mention of practical combat, Gao Fei immediately forgot about the written exam and grew excited again. "You're right! This afternoon, it's all on us, brother!"
…
Meanwhile, in the academy's faculty office.
A white-haired old professor, responsible for grading the exam papers, wore his reading glasses, a pained expression on his face as he stared at an answer sheet before him. His brows were tightly furrowed, as if he were trying to decipher an ancient, mystical text.
"Is this student… an imbecile?" He pointed at a calculation problem on the paper, his hand trembling with frustration. The question was: "1000 - 7 = ?" And on the answer sheet before him, in a flourishing script, was the answer— "873."
"Eight hundred and seventy-three? How did he subtract seven from a thousand and still have over eight hundred left?" The old professor was utterly bewildered. He even picked up his pen, repeatedly calculating on his scratch paper, trying to understand the student's thought process. "Could it be… there's some deeper philosophical logic I'm missing?" he mumbled to himself.
He massaged his aching temples and looked further down.
"Essay Question: Please briefly describe your understanding of 'strength.'"
Answer: "Strength is the ultimate throne that carries the soul and will. When your trapezius muscles are magnificent enough, like two unshakeable mountains, your soul gains its most solid foundation! Only then can your thoughts gallop without restraint, and your will truly reign supreme! This is the true essence of strength!"
"…" The old professor fell silent. He felt his worldview had been impacted like never before. He adjusted his glasses, trying hard to recall the name. "Xiang Lie… Xiang Lie… I seem to recall the name. Oh, I remember now, he's that young man who trained his neck until it almost disappeared, with trapezius muscles so large you could hang two oil bottles from them!" He removed his reading glasses, letting out a long sigh. "Forget it," he picked up his red grading pen and, next to the "873," drew a large, exasperated circle. "To train muscles to that extent, one's brain… might indeed not have much left to spare. For the sake of his 'philosophy,' I'll… give him a passing grade."
…
In the afternoon, the results were posted.
On the enormous electronic screen, lists of names scrolled by. Next to Gao Fei's name was a golden "B" grade, making him almost jump with joy. And Xiang Lie, at the very bottom of the list, found his own name, followed by a barely passing, grey "C."
"Whew…" Seeing this result, Xiang Lie let out a long sigh of relief, but his back was instantly drenched in cold sweat. That was close! Just barely… just barely, he wouldn't even have qualified for the practical combat assessment! If he had truly been eliminated due to failing the written exam, he didn't know how he would face Mo and the others, or Mister Yi's expectations. A powerful wave of lingering fear washed over him.
"A C is fine! No problem, Brother Lie!" Gao Fei patted his shoulder comfortingly. "The written exam isn't important! The practical assessment is the key!"
Soon, all the students who passed the written exam were gathered in the academy's central grand arena. An instructor stood on a high platform, announcing the rules through a megaphone: "The practical combat assessment is voluntary! I must warn you all, the practical assessment carries a certain level of danger. Every year, candidates are injured during the assessment, and some even… suffer severe, debilitating injuries! Therefore, I'm giving you one last chance to choose!"
However, the moment his words fell, a thunderous shout erupted from the audience below.
"Sign up!"
"Sign up!"
Looking out, almost all the male students had raised their hands without hesitation. As the only comprehensive institution of higher learning in Giant Tower City, the academy valued physical fitness and combat potential above all else. It could be said that every male student who entered here, from their very first day, had only one goal: to pass the S-rank assessment and become one of those who stood above others!
After the instructor briefly explained the assessment rules, the registration portal opened. Xiang Lie and Gao Fei, without hesitation, pressed the "confirm" button on their student terminals, deciding their fates.