Chapter 9
There were many choices.
So, which Arcana should he replicate?
“I have an offensive Arcana already. Should I replicate a life-saving one? I’ve heard that the training assessment is a practical field test, and sh*t will hit the fan if I get killed by a Direbeast!”
2
Thinking of this, Ling Jiu looked at Wang Jiabao. If there was an ability to save his life, then Wang Jiabao’s Shadowform was undoubtedly the perfect choice.
“Guess I’ll go with him!”
Ling Jiu quietly replicated Wang Jiabao’s Arcana, and as he passed by the washroom, Ling Jiu deliberately touched his stomach. “I need to go to the can first. My stomach feels a little uncomfortable!”
“All right! Just come over quickly!”
Li Kai and Wang Jiabao did not doubt him as they left on their own. Ling Jiu entered the washroom and locked the door. After he confirmed that there were no cameras, he issued the assimilation command.
Voooshh!!
Although he had already experienced it before, that kind of headache where his head seemed like it was about to blow up still caused him much agony.
2
Ling Jiu covered his mouth and forced himself not to scream as he endured the pain.
Ten minutes later, the assimilation was complete, and Ling Jiu wiped the cold sweat off his forehead with a pained expression. If he could, he really did not want to go through the process again. It was just too painful.
1
After a short rest, Ling Jiu tried his newly-gained Arcana. With a thought, his body gradually disappeared and a black shadow simultaneously appeared on the ground.
It was quite a strange scene to only have a visible shadow without the person, but that was the Shadowform Arcana!
It was an Arcana where one became a shadow!
A few seconds later, Ling Jiu exited the Shadowform state and felt very satisfied with his new Arcana.
“I heard Wang Jiabao mention that one can see the shadow in bright places, but in a dark environment, nothing can be seen at all. If used well, there will be unexpected effects!
3
“Let’s go eat!”
As he arrived at the canteen, Ling Jiu purposely bumped into someone while he ordered his meal, and indeed, he found that the Replication Arcana was on cooldown.
9
“So it’ll be another two months before I can use it again!”
…
“After two months of studies and practices, all of you have made some progress. Today, let’s test it out briefly!”
During the afternoon training session, Instructor Bai Yang did not ask everyone to practice on their own as usual. Instead, he announced a test.
“The test is very simple. It will test Arcana control!” Instructor Bai Yang glanced at everyone. “Let me see what level you’ve reached with the control of your Arcana!”
“Yes, Sir!”
“Which one of you would like to go first?”
“Me!”
The 15 newbies looked at each other, and a tall teenager stood out. He was called Lin Xiaochen. His Arcana was Fire Manipulation, and he liked to show off!
“All right, you may go first!”
Instructor Bai Yang nodded slightly.
Lin Xiaochen moved to the center of the training ground, raising his right hand. With a roar, a cluster of crimson flames suddenly surged out of his hand. The flame danced on his palm, and he could not feel any burning sensation.
1
“Go!”
Lin Xiaochen performed a hard wave, and the flame shot toward a target three meters away. However, just as it was a meter away from its target, the flame weakened and dissipated.
“The attack range is only two meters!”
Instructor Bai Yang looked at Lin Xiaochen. “A proper Level 1 Arcana has a range of three meters. Yours fell a bit short, so you need to work hard!”
5
“Yes, Sir!”
1
Lin Xiaochen blushed and stepped back sheepishly. His showboating did not achieve the desired effect.
“Next!”
“Me!”
Zhao Xiang stood up as a water ball the size of a watermelon appeared in his hand. The water ball spun around and kept its spherical shape just like a certain someone’s Rasengan1.
9
“Go!”
Zhao Xiang let out a low growl, and the water sphere shot out like a cannonball, instantly striking the track three meters away.
However, the power of the water orb was too dispersed, and it immediately dissipated upon striking the target. It turned into a pool of water and failed to destroy its target.
“The range is enough, but the control of your Arcana is still rough. Your water ball is flashy but pointless without any offensive capabilities!” Instructor Bai Yang commented.
Zhao Xiang’s expression turned dour as he slinked back into the crowd.
4
Soon after, the others showed off their own Arcanas one after another. The variety of Arcanas made the event look like a dazzling magic show.
However, as Instructor Bai Yang commented, everyone’s control of their Arcana was still very rough, and the displayed Arcana was no different than a magic trick.
“Next!”
The instructor looked at Ling Jiu and Li Kai. They were the last two, and Li Kai suddenly became nervous. He could not help but look at Ling Jiu.
“Let me try!”
Ling Jiu walked to the center of the training room, and under everyone’s gaze, he grabbed the air, and a rock three meters away flew up.
Compared with the first rock Ling Jiu manipulated, this rock flew smoothly and steadily. It was unlike the first time when it trembled and looked like it was about to fall at any moment.
The rock instantly shattered as dust and debris scattered all around. In the blink of an eye, the rock had turned into a rock spear.
It was one meter long, as thick as an adult’s thigh, and extremely sharp like a stalactite on the ground.
3
“Go!”
Ling Jiu pointed at the target, and the rock spear ripped through the air, shooting toward the target three meters away. With a snap, the target was pierced by the stalagmite.
It was not over yet. The moment the spear passed through the target, it suddenly stopped before turning back toward Ling Jiu. Then, the dust, as well as debris, flew up and gathered onto the surface of the rock spear.
A moment later, the rock returned to its original state, and Ling Jiu put it back in place.
Clap, clap, clap!
Instructor Bai Yang led the applause, and everyone else joined in when they saw it.
Instructor Bai Yang was full of praise. “Your control of your Arcana is quite proficient. You can almost accurately control it within a three-meter radius, and its lethality is good. You are the best performer so far, and I hope you can continue to work hard!”
“Thank you!”
Ling Jiu had a polite smile, but his heart was exploding with laughter. The feeling of being able to showboat before everyone sure was cool. I’m just too lame.
“Ol’ Ling, you’re just too amazing!”
When he returned to the group, Li Kai’s eyes were full of admiration.
“You can do it too. Come on!”
Ling Jiu patted Li Kai on the shoulder.
“I’ll try!”
Li Kai took a deep breath and walked to the center of the training room. Compared with Ling Jiu’s skillful and precise control, his mastery was just as clumsy as the rest…
1
“All of you have been training for two months now, but I’m not happy with the results. Aside from Ling Jiu, your control over your Arcanas are a bloody mess!”
1
After the rest, Instructor Bai Yang commented, “Is it because you guys haven’t been taking the class seriously? Or have you lot not practiced after work? In short, if all of you are still at this level after four months, I can only say that you will definitely be eliminated!”
Eliminated!
Everyone was shocked when they heard that. It was an unacceptable result to them, regardless.
Once eliminated, they would be fired. Humiliation aside, everything that the company had given to them would be taken back: the villa, the wages, the Gene Arcana secret technique, all of them would be taken back.
9
What was scarier was that the trial assessment was for the entire base city, and all newcomers would participate in the same assessment. If they failed, no other organizations would want them.
10
The consequences would be pretty much… terrible!
“I’ve said everything that I needed to say, and it’s the same as always. If you want to pass the test, practice seriously and don’t just think of playing around!
“That’s all. You should know what to do!”