"Move on to the strength test," the officer ordered.
Raze nodded slightly and walked toward the pillar.
'I need to complete my quest… but I'm probably going to fail,' he thought.
His steps were steady, but his chest felt tight.
Standing in front of the pillar, he drew in a deep breath and clenched his fist. His muscles tensed as he decided to put everything into the strike.
'They won't find out about my half-ling status, right? It isn't that obvious…'
He threw his fist forward.
CRACK!
His knuckles slammed into the pillar, and a small fracture spread across its surface. Raze lifted his gaze to the glowing panel.
[Strength: 15]
A hush fell over the group before whispers spread.
"Fifteen? From someone with no awakening?"
"Did you see that crack?"
"That's not normal…"
The officer's eyes narrowed.
Before the tests had begun, he'd reviewed the files on his tablet—names, awakenings, bloodlines. Everyone had something listed.
Everyone except Raze.
At first, he'd dismissed it as an error.
Now… he wasn't so sure.
The boy had taken down a combat robot with his bare hands. And now this.
'Is he hiding an awakening?' the officer thought, his gaze flicking from the pillar back to Raze. 'That strength… for an unawakened human, it's unthinkable.'
Felix didn't whisper like the others.
His grin faded into a thoughtful frown as he watched Raze. To everyone else, the result was strange.
To him, it was interesting.
'He's not ordinary,' Felix thought, a quiet excitement stirring.
After the strength test, Raze moved to the track and took his stance. His eyes fixed forward, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
'I wonder how fast I can go. It won't raise suspicion, right?'
If anyone asked, he could always say he used to run track. A simple excuse.
He inhaled.
Then he exploded forward.
Gasps followed almost immediately.
"No way he's that fast!"
"He doesn't even have an awakening!"
"Wasn't he the one who barely passed the combat test?"
Felix didn't join in. He just watched, a small smile on his face.
The officer's suspicion deepened.
Raze wasn't anywhere near the bloodlines but for an unawakened, this speed was far beyond normal.
The glowing markers lit up one after another as Raze pushed himself harder, wind tearing past his face.
'I've never run this fast in my life!' he thought, legs burning as he crossed the line.
BEEP!
"Forty-seven seconds," the officer said.
The murmurs returned.
Before they could grow louder, the officer raised his voice.
"Quiet."
The line settled immediately.
He glanced at his tablet, then back at Raze.
"For someone without an awakening, that result places him above the academy's average."
A few students stiffened.
"These are recorded results," the officer continued flatly. "Not opinions. If anyone has an issue with that, outperform him."
No one spoke.
Raze bent over, catching his breath. A flicker of pride surfaced—then faded.
'Did I go too far?'
He straightened and walked to the sidelines, joining Beatrix and the timid boy.
Felix watched him quietly.
'For someone without a bloodline… he's definitely worth sticking around for.'
A familiar sound echoed in Raze's head.
[Quest completed]
[You have received 100 EXP]
[100 / 100 EXP]
[Level Up — Level 2]
[New skill acquired]