Chapter 24 : Chapter 24
Chapter 24
The tests were over quickly.
Shao Huayu calmly walked out of the training room, tugging at his tight collar, his tone regretful. "It was okay, just so-so."
He didn't perform exceptionally, but he didn't make any mistakes either.
It was all very standard. Now it all depended on the performance of the remaining few students in Class S, Shao Huayu thought.
"Am I next?" Song Xiaoran, standing by the control console, suddenly asked.
"Yes," Li Xuehua nodded.
"I need to discuss something with you," Li Xuehua paused, her tone hesitant. "Because Student Song's ability also has a healing effect, I was wondering if I should switch you to the test procedure for control-type abilities..."
"Hmm..." Song Xiaoran looked confused upon hearing this.
As a commoner, he, like Ji Qing, was completely ignorant of the ability testing procedures. Previously, his condition wouldn't have even allowed him to complete a full set of tests.
Does the Federation simply classify abilities into several types and then test them separately based on type? In that case, the classification of ability types should be quite important.
"Is there any difference from the testing procedure for attack-type abilities?" Song Xiaoran asked.
"I'll send you the test items for both attack-type and control-type abilities to look at," Li Xuehua said with a smile, her attitude gentle. "However, if the test results aren't ideal, it would be best to go through the healing-type procedure as well."
Li Xuehua said seriously, "The test results will be recorded in your student file and are quite important for your future development."
After hearing Li Xuehua's words, Song Xiaoran immediately stopped browsing the list of test items.
"Then never mind, let's just do the attack-type," Song Xiaoran said seriously. "I already know the procedure for attack-type abilities. I'm not familiar with the other two."
Li Xuehua: "...Are you sure?"
Song Xiaoran: "I'm sure."
"But can you provide me with a few plant seeds?" Song Xiaoran asked with a sincere look. "My ability doesn't have much offensive power on its own and needs external assistance."
Li Xuehua asked, "Do you need a specific type?"
Song Xiaoran shook his head. "No. As long as they're plant seeds, it's fine."
"Alright, please wait a moment then," Li Xuehua said with a gentle smile. "I'll have someone bring you a bag of ivy seeds, about fifty or so."
Song Xiaoran nodded. "That's enough."
After Song Xiaoran finished speaking, a dead silence fell over the entire area. This time, no one dared to comment on Song Xiaoran's unfamiliarity with the ability test.
As the saying goes, one person plants the tree, and another rests in its shade.
Ji Qing leaned against the wall with a cool expression, staring blankly at the ceiling. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have done that. He had originally thought only seven people would be watching, but he didn't expect the number of spectators to increase exponentially.
"Have none of you been tested before?" Zhou Que, having overheard the conversation between Song Xiaoran and the teacher, muttered under his breath. "That can't be right. Shouldn't ability tests have been around since we were kids?"
Do you even take your status as a noble disciple seriously? Ji Qing complained inwardly.
"There's a difference between Central City and other towns," You Xingluo, standing nearby, explained helplessly. "Ability tests are free in Central City, but in other towns, you usually have to pay."
"Not everyone will go out of their way to get tested. In most cases, it's enough to just confirm that you're an ability user."
It seems my performance just now was normal... Ji Qing secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He could only say that being the first to test was really disadvantageous for him.
But during the mental strength test, Shao Huayu had suggested he go first.
It would seem abnormal to suggest going in reverse order again at this point.
Compared to one's ability, it was indeed more necessary to delay the test for the quantifiable mental threshold. Ji Qing's heart instantly calmed down a lot. His decision had not been wrong.
Zhou Que suddenly said, "Speaking of which, You Xingluo, which type are you planning to test for?"
"Me..." You Xingluo's tone was hesitant. "Support-type and special-type should both be fine. This ability is quite mysterious, so either type will do."
...So that's what the ability type classification was for?
Ji Qing was stunned. When he was listening to Li Xuehua's lecture earlier, he had wondered why the inaccurate classification of ability types wasn't changed.
It turned out to be linked to the ability testing system.
In that case, changing one thing would affect everything else. It was indeed better to stick with the existing classification. After all, if it were made too complicated, it would only make the testing process more redundant.
While the few of them were chatting, the teaching assistant brought the seeds Song Xiaoran needed.
Song Xiaoran nodded in thanks with satisfaction.
But before stepping into the training room, he paused and asked with a worried look, "Teacher, if I don't control my strength well and damage the room too severely, will that count towards my score?"
"Ah..." Li Xuehua was stunned.
"Because the seeds need to take root to sprout," Song Xiaoran's gaze involuntarily drifted to the concrete floor at his feet as he said self-deprecatingly, "I might not be able to control the extent. Hmm... forget it, let me try first."
That sounds terrifying, Ji Qing thought.
But no matter how worrying it sounded, it had nothing to do with them as students. Song Xiaoran stood smoothly in the first room of the ability test. Although his words had sounded severe, now that it had come to this, he could only give it a try.
"Ready—" the cold female robotic voice sounded again.
"Three."
"Two."
"One."
As the countdown ended, Song Xiaoran opened his palm, revealing the ivy seeds he had just received.
The seeds instantly sprouted, grew, and branched out into dense vines. Then, the verdant vines, like blades, instantly pierced the moving targets at the end of the room.
In the blink of an eye, the entire room was covered in green.
On the display screen, Song Xiaoran's figure was obscured by the vines, as if he were being protected by layers of plants.
"That's a huge commotion..." Ji Qing calmly commented as he looked at the screen covered in vine leaves.
He thought, It seems Song Xiaoran can't control his ability very well. But that was normal. Plants were living things with their own laws of survival, not as easy to control as inanimate objects.
"Student Song?" Li Xuehua looked worried.
She instantly regretted not having Song Xiaoran choose the control-type testing procedure. Song Xiaoran's own degree of mutation was already severe, and now...
"I'm here, Teacher," Song Xiaoran responded.
He directed the vines to pull away the leaves covering the camera, his eyes serious. "Although it looks like a big commotion, it's actually still within a controllable range."
"Teacher, can this situation count as a score?"
Song Xiaoran pointed at the target he had pierced with a vine branch and said dejectedly, "I didn't cheat, it's just that... how should I put it... I always have trouble controlling the force... and before I knew it, the vines had blocked the camera."
His expression was as if he was annoyed with himself for not controlling it well again.
"I don't think anyone would think you cheated," Li Xuehua said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. But seeing that the student was unharmed, the stone in her heart was finally lifted.
"It's common for plant-type abilities to go out of control," Li Xuehua comforted him gently. "You're not the only one who's troubled by this. And—"
"The data has been successfully recorded by the control console. Please proceed to the next item."
"Okay."
Needless to say, the subsequent situation went smoothly.
Song Xiaoran successfully finished the ability assessment, but he had an extra step compared to Ji Qing and Shao Huayu: after each item, he would ask if the score counted and, incidentally, if he needed to pay compensation.
In the final hostage rescue game, Song Xiaoran inadvertently allowed the ivy to take root successfully. He squatted by the concrete floor destroyed by the plants and sighed helplessly.
He looked just like a dejected puppy.
Ji Qing found it both amusing and helpless. Previously, he hadn't thought Song Xiaoran and Xie Chang'an would be friends, as their personalities were polar opposites. But now it seemed...
The two of them might get along quite well.
After Song Xiaoran came out, the next person was Zhou Que.
Zhou Que faced Ji Qing and Shao Huayu, patting his chest confidently. "Although I can't compare to you two, I'll definitely do better than Song Xiaoran!"
...That hit a nerve.
Song Xiaoran, who was about to squat back in the corner, paused, his gaze falling gloomily on Zhou Que. Zhou Que's words were practically singling him out for criticism.
Shao Huayu's expression almost cracked.
Even Liu Mu, who was mixed in with the Class A students, couldn't help but slap a hand over his own face. Damn it, Zhou Que, shut up already! Don't add to my workload!
Watching Zhou Que's retreating back, You Xingluo also tugged at the stiff corners of his mouth.
You Xingluo smiled wryly. "He doesn't have any ill intentions."
"I know," Song Xiaoran said calmly as he approached the group. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have helped me at the beginning of the semester. However..."
Song Xiaoran's gaze suddenly landed on Ji Qing. "I saw you performing so effortlessly just now, but I didn't expect it to be so troublesome in practice..."
"It was your first time being tested too, right?"
It seems he's targeting me, Ji Qing understood. So he casually shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, I haven't been tested much before. After all, there's no need to do tests specifically on a daily basis."
"Indeed, as long as the ability is usable, that's enough," Song Xiaoran agreed sincerely.
After saying this, Song Xiaoran turned and left. Shao Huayu secretly watched his retreating back, somewhat unable to figure out his intentions.
He had thought something was wrong. Was it just to chat with Ji Qing for a bit?
Perhaps Song Xiaoran himself was dissatisfied with his performance just now, so he sought Ji Qing's opinion. After all, in the current Class S, they were the only two commoners.
In that case...
"You're doing a pretty good job as number one," Shao Huayu suddenly turned to Ji Qing, his tone relieved. "I was originally worried about how to integrate him into the class, but now it seems there shouldn't be a problem."
"Hmm?"
"Healing-type ability," a playful smile touched Shao Huayu's lips. "A team always needs someone who can control the field. Although he passed the test for an attack-type, his ability..."
"Is clearly more suited for control-type and healing-type."
"I felt that too," Ji Qing nodded in agreement. "Compared to the attack-type that pursues destructive power and precision, the Wood ability can provide good support."
"If it weren't for the fact that there are too many people watching now, I would have supported him in going through the other procedures," Shao Huayu glanced at the Class A students present, his tone turning cold. "But forget it for now. He probably has no interest in being watched."
While the two were talking, Zhou Que's ability test had reached its end.
As he had claimed, he achieved a better score than Song Xiaoran. Although, part of the reason was that it was Song Xiaoran's first time taking the test, and he had no experience at all.
Next up was You Xingluo.
"Alright, it's my turn," You Xingluo shrugged helplessly. "I'll go with the special-type testing procedure. There are too many people here, and I want to finish quickly."
Watching You Xingluo retreating back, Shao Huayu suddenly said, "There's nothing to see in their tests."
"Hmm?"
"Ling You'er will definitely choose the special-type as well," Shao Huayu murmured, explaining, "But the testing procedure for the special-type is based on personal judgment. It all depends on the teacher's criteria."
"If it were switched to the support-type, there would still be a quantifiable standard."
"Got it," Ji Qing understood instantly.
Using the college entrance exam as an analogy, abilities like attack-type and support-type were the regular army of the college entrance exam, where ability strength could be directly reflected through test scores. The special-type, however, was like an art student, where the teacher's subjective judgment would be added.
Ji Qing asked, "In that case, wouldn't it be better to test for the support-type?"
"No need," Shao Huayu waved his hand dismissively. "The potential of these two's abilities is right there. It doesn't matter if they pass the support-type test or not. And to be honest..."
"It's just one test. The impact is limited."
Shao Huayu paused and teased Ji Qing with a smile, "You can't believe everything the teacher says. Do you really think people from our Class S will end up in a situation where they can't find a job?"
That's definitely not going to happen, Ji Qing thought back to his possible career paths. If worst comes to worst, I can always go back to being the leader of my Infected organization.
...Damn, why does that sound more and more pathetic the more I think about it?