Chapter 66 That test is pure nightmare fuel!
1442 Words
“Holy crap! That was terrifying!” he yelped, patting dust off his clothes. “I swear, I almost left this mortal plane! My mind was *this close* to shattering!”
“Ms. Smith, never again! That test is pure nightmare fuel!”
Still babbling dramatically, he turned and saw Adam still standing calmly in the testing zone. His eyes widened.
“Whoa, bro! Seriously impressive! You lasted *that* long? You’re clearly way stronger than me!”
“The future of humanity’s in hands like yours, not losers like me!”
Adam was now certain: Kenny was hiding something. But why?
Just then, Smith spoke up firmly:
“Based on today’s results, your official rating is now B-class. Which means… your 'Bonus Time’ is gone.”
“What?!” Kenny froze, then immediately launched into a full-blown meltdown. “No! You’re killing me! I can’t live like this!”
“I’m only D-rated! I don’t have a B! I don’t have a B!!!”
Watching Kenny wail like he’d just lost his last lifeline, Adam frowned in confusion. Diana leaned over and quietly explained what the “Bonus Time” meant.
At Orienta University, access to the Simulated Training Chambers was an extremely limited resource. These chambers allowed superhumans to create custom virtual environments ideal for cultivation. Usage time had to be earned through missions or academic performance.
To support lower-aptitude students, the university guaranteed a small monthly allotment of chamber time to anyone rated D-class or below—as long as they met basic trial requirements. This guaranteed minimum was known as the “Bonus Time.”
Kenny was now one sob away from clinging to Smith’s leg.
But Smith ignored him. She was genuinely frustrated with him—here was someone with real talent, yet he wasted all his energy scheming for easy credits instead of training.
Now that Adam understood, he finally got why Kenny had faked weakness.
Unbelievable. What a weirdo.
Once Smith had firmly shooed the still-complaining Kenny aside, she turned her full attention to Adam.
As the Deity’s Aura climbed to A-rated intensity, she asked gently:
“How are you holding up, dear? Still okay?”
Adam checked in with the whispering pressure in his mind. Honestly, it was milder than the first time he’d used *Hearing of Everything*. He gave a calm shake of his head—*no problem*—and replied:
“It’s fine. I’m actually pretty used to this kind of thing.”
But Smith misinterpreted his words.
She assumed he’d grown accustomed to Deity-level pressure from his recent battles in the arena—facing Acolytes, maybe even Deities themselves. A pang of sympathy struck her.
“You’ve been through so much already,” she said softly. “Forced to carry burdens that shouldn’t have been yours.”
“Now that you’re at Orienta University, take it easy. Grow at your own pace. And don’t listen to all that nonsense Thomas spouts.”
“If anything’s troubling you… my door is always open.”
Adam: ???
Where did that come from? That’s… oddly personal.
But he sensed the genuine warmth in her tone and gave a quiet nod of thanks.
From the sidelines, Kenny pouted. “Why does Ms. Smith never talk to me like that? So unfair!”
Finally, the Deity’s Aura generator hit maximum output—but Adam showed only a light sheen of sweat. His expression remained steady, focused.
Smith beamed with pride and satisfaction. She halted the trial and turned to Diana:
“His aptitude is on your level—truly top-tier. Looks like Orienta University has struck gold again this year.”
She walked over and handed Adam a freshly issued SID card.
Adam glanced down. His superhuman level now read **Level-5**. Under *Superpower Rating*, it displayed a bold red **S**.
Wait… that didn’t sound right. When he’d copied Diana’s power through his system, it had clearly stated **SSS-rated**.
Without thinking, Adam blurted out:
“Huh? Only S-class?”
The words hung in the air.
The moment Adam spoke, Smith and Diana froze in surprise—and Kenny’s jaw practically hit the floor.
“Only S-class?”
Was that even something a human would say?
“Bro,” Kenny groaned, shaking his head dramatically, “you’ve got some serious nerve calling S-class ‘only.’ How am I supposed to feel as a D-rated guy?!”
Kenny was back to hamming it up again, acting like the university’s unofficial mascot.
After a brief pause, Smith burst out laughing. “You’ve certainly got confidence! Do you even realize how many people would trade half their lifespan just for an S-rated aptitude?”
“But… your confidence isn’t entirely unfounded. You’re not *just* S-class.”
“That red ‘S’? It actually stands for 'S+'—meaning your talent exceeds standard S-rated limits. You’re in the absolute top tier of human potential.”
“Long ago, ‘the Father of All Superhumans’ did define SS and SSS tiers—but since his time, no one’s been able to reliably distinguish or verify those levels.”
“So now, any aptitude beyond S-class is simply marked with a red ‘S.’”
She smiled warmly, then added playfully, “So tell me—what tier do you think you’re at? Confident it’s SSS?”
“They say an SSS-rated superpower, fully awakened, could literally reshape reality.”
Adam gave a polite but vague smile. He didn’t elaborate.
His superpower had clearly labeled *Absolute Freezing* as SSS-rated.
Reshape reality… So neither he nor Diana had even scratched the surface of their powers’ true potential.
With the test concluded—and Kenny still sulking like a kicked puppy—everyone else left in high spirits.
As Adam prepared to leave, Smith pulled him aside like a doting aunt, peppering him with questions about daily life: meals, sleep, routines. Adam, unaware she’d already been briefed by Thomas, found her sudden warmth oddly disorienting.
“You play online games to relax? That’s fine—but don’t get addicted!”
“You still hang out with random internet friends? Listen, the online world’s full of predators. Don’t trust strangers with your heart.”
“And absolutely no online dating! The waters are deep—you can’t handle it!”
Those were her final words as Adam walked away.
Behind her, Diana stood with fists clenched so tight her knuckles turned white.
Later, as Adam and Kenny headed back together—Diana stayed behind to handle administrative tasks—Adam finally asked:
“Your aptitude’s clearly high. Was faking weakness really worth losing your safety net over?”
Kenny’s face instantly twisted in exaggerated offense. “What are you talking about?! I’m solidly D-rated! Don’t slander me!”
Adam: …
Alright. This guy’s beyond help.
Then, out of nowhere, Kenny’s expression shifted—his eyes distant, voice suddenly weary, as if he’d seen through the illusion of the world itself.
“Why kill yourself grinding every day? Superhuman duty? Not my problem. If the sky falls, tall people will catch it. And if they can’t? Then we all go down together.”
“Face? Honor? Status? People who care about that stuff haven’t evolved past caveman instincts.”
“Real benefits are right in front of you—if you don’t take them, someone else will. I’m comfy in PR. I don’t need your ‘noble cause’ nonsense.”
He yawned widely, stretching toward the setting sun with theatrical flair.
“Well, there goes my Bonus Time. Total bummer. But hey—I recruited a solid new member. Not a total loss.”
“Catch you later, bro! Hit me up if anything comes up!”
And with that, he vanished down the street in a flash.
Adam watched his retreating figure, frowning in silence.
There was something… off about Kenny. His shamelessness felt so natural, so effortless, that it almost seemed *normal*.
All in all—a strange one.
Now that he’d arrived at Orienta University—a sprawling campus the size of a small town—Adam decided to explore a bit.
He pulled out his phone, instinctively about to message Icecream…
But just then, the app Kenny had installed pinged with a notification—a red dot blinking insistently.
A distress call had just been posted. Urgent. Out of the blue.
From his earlier chat with Kenny, Adam knew practical credits were hard to earn. One hundred twenty total? Nearly impossible without taking serious risks.
Remembering Kenny’s mantra—“First come, first served!”—Adam immediately tapped in to claim the request before anyone else could.
Only then did he read the details.
- Writer
