Chapter Eight: Ability Assessment

Chapter Eight: The Ability Assessment

Descending the stairs, Xia Zheng spotted Zhang Ziqi, whom he had met once before. Upon seeing him, she strode over and said, “Come on, top student, I’ll take you to the training area.”

“Alright, thank you.” Xia Zheng felt a bit intimidated by this girl; she struck him as overly bold.

Zhang Ziqi led the way, while Xia Zheng trailed half a step behind. From the back, he noticed that although her figure wasn’t as voluptuous as Claire’s, it brimmed with youthful energy. Unbidden, his mind began to compare her with the others.

He considered Zhang Ziqi, Felina, and Claire—each had her own charm. Claire exuded a mature allure, with the air of a professional woman; Felina was also mature and enchanting, yet her military bearing gave her a bright, clear-cut presence; Zhang Ziqi was radiant and spirited, with a sweet, adorable quality.

“What are you thinking about?” Zhang Ziqi glanced back and saw Xia Zheng staring dazedly at her. She couldn’t help but tease him.

Xia Zheng blushed and stammered, “Nothing, just letting my mind wander.”

“Hmph, daydreaming is off-limits too! You don’t seem like the honest type,” she retorted, giving him a glare that made him even more embarrassed. If anyone deserved the title of innocent novice among men, it was him—especially when teased by a pretty girl.

The training area was a kilometer from the office complex, separated by a buffer zone and a copse of trees. If Xia Zheng had come alone, he might not have found it at all.

Now he understood why the Heavenly Blade Squad had chosen to base their company here. The real estate in Polant City was nearly all developed; to acquire a hundred mu of land would cost a fortune—far more than just a few hundred million.

In the past, the Polant district was considered suburban, but in recent years, its economy had boomed. Especially after the fall of Evernight City, numerous industries and investments shifted to other regions, and Polant City was among the beneficiaries. In the past decade, land prices had skyrocketed beyond recognition.

At the entrance to the training area, Xia Zheng noticed a high-tech atmosphere. The buildings formed an L-shape; the smaller, sky-blue one was for general training and accessible to all staff.

The main structure was the ability training center, a white building primarily for elite members. Regular staff could use it only by exchanging contribution points for time. Here, standing at the entrance, was Chu Yan—the captain of the Heavenly Blade Squad and the company’s founder—waiting for Xia Zheng.

“Boss, I brought him for you!” Zhang Ziqi called out when she saw Chu Yan, immediately abandoning Xia Zheng and playfully acting spoiled. The adoration and affection in her eyes were obvious, and Xia Zheng felt a pang of jealousy. But he quickly collected himself.

Though he had excelled in the entrance exams, that was in the past. From the moment the results were posted, he had to start from scratch and could not rest on his laurels.

With this realization, his fleeting despondency vanished, and he returned to his usual composure—a fact not lost on Chu Yan, who eyed him with curiosity.

“Well done. You’ve worked hard today; here’s a reward of one hundred contribution points,” Chu Yan said, sending Zhang Ziqi off with a hundred points. She seemed dissatisfied, preferring his usual, affectionate gesture of patting her on the head.

Chu Yan turned to Xia Zheng. “Xia Zheng, I’ve reviewed your résumé and must admit you’re an outstanding talent. Vice President Roberts also personally recommended you. Our Heavenly Blade Squad sincerely hopes you’ll join us. I understand you’re eager to become a member of the ability user squad, but let me be clear: this team is not a game. It’s full of both opportunities and mortal danger. If your ability fails to meet my expectations, you won’t be admitted to the squad—you’ll be assigned clerical work. Therefore, I’ll be testing your abilities now. Are you willing?”

“Yes, Captain Chu. I’m willing to undergo any fair assessment. Joining the ability user squad is my main reason for coming here,” Xia Zheng replied without hesitation.

“Very good. You’re an ambitious young man—not like some hothouse flower. Come with me.” With that, Chu Yan beckoned him forward. The two stepped through the automatic doors, with Zhang Ziqi tagging along.

Inside, Chu Yan led Xia Zheng into the elevator. Noticing Zhang Ziqi following, he frowned. “Why are you coming?”

“Bored!” she shot back, equally annoyed. Chu Yan shook his head. For some reason, Xia Zheng felt Chu Yan was indulgent toward her, though not in a romantic way.

They reached the third floor, where the rooms were spacious and constructed from unusual materials. They appeared as soft as sponge, but when Xia Zheng touched a wall, it was astonishingly hard and seemed to sap his strength. He quickly withdrew his hand.

“These are special rooms built from Nullstone,” Chu Yan explained. “Nullstone is a rare material that weakens all kinds of abilities, making it ideal for defense and containment. It’s commonly used in ability user prisons and training facilities, providing excellent protection.”

Xia Zheng nodded as he listened, asking questions as they came to him. He’d read a little about Nullstone online, but Chu Yan’s explanation was far more detailed.

Seeing his interest, Chu Yan went on, “However, Nullstone is scarce and expensive due to high demand. It comes in grades 1 through 7—corresponding to Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Commander, King, Emperor, and Cataclysm levels.”

“What grade does your company have here?” Xia Zheng asked.

“Our training rooms are mostly level 1 and 2, with only one level 3 room,” Chu Yan replied, gesturing toward a pair of rooms on the right. Xia Zheng looked and saw someone inside training.

A white-haired young man, wearing only sports shorts and alloy gauntlets, was repeatedly punching a training dummy. It looked like ordinary boxing practice.

Zhang Ziqi moved to the glass, pressed a button, and shouted, “Cedric, are you a princess or just hungry? Put some force into those punches!”

“Bullshit!” Cedric’s expression darkened. He swung a fist at the glass beside Zhang Ziqi, and the compressed air blasted against the window like a tangible bullet.

Bang!

Startled, Xia Zheng instinctively moved to dodge, but Chu Yan held him back. “Watch closely.”

Xia Zheng was amazed to see the glass completely unscathed, no matter how many times Cedric’s heavy air-punches struck it. All he managed was a cacophony of noise.

Chu Yan adjusted a control, and the din decreased, leaving only a series of muffled thuds that sounded almost like flatulence.

Zhang Ziqi proceeded to taunt Cedric in various ways, provoking him until he was panting with exhaustion and had to stop.

“Nice!” Zhang Ziqi returned, refreshed. Chu Yan shook his head and led the way onward. Xia Zheng hurried after him, deciding it would be wise never to cross this girl—she was a little demon.

At last, they reached their destination: a level 1 training chamber, strong enough to withstand attacks from a D-rank ability user. It was unoccupied. Chu Yan switched on the lights and entered, with Xia Zheng following. Zhang Ziqi, familiar with the controls, set the defenses to the lowest level—since Xia Zheng wasn’t even E-rank, higher settings would just waste energy and reduce the room’s lifespan.

Chu Yan made no objection; the lowest setting was probably sufficient for Xia Zheng’s destructive power—if his ability was not combat-oriented, extra precautions would be unnecessary.

“Alright, Xia Zheng, let’s test your ability attribute,” Chu Yan said, activating a device. This one required him to lie down for a scan, rather than stand.

“Do I… need to undress?” Xia Zheng asked hesitantly.

Zhang Ziqi burst out laughing. She found this boy’s awkwardness oddly endearing.

Chu Yan chuckled too and shook his head. “Just take off your jacket and lie down.”

Relieved, Xia Zheng set his jacket aside and lay on the device for the scan.

A warm current seemed to sweep through his body, starting at his toes and gradually climbing—ankles, calves, knees, thighs, hips, abdomen, chest, shoulders, neck, lips, nose, eyes—all the way to the crown of his head, before fading away.

“Hm?” Chu Yan checked the results. The device displayed “No Result.” He frowned.

Zhang Ziqi came over and shook her head. “No Result” could mean the ability was too weak to detect—or, rarely, too strong to register—but the latter seemed unlikely.

Xia Zheng sat up and noticed Chu Yan’s unhappy expression. His heart sank. “Captain Chu, you can be frank with me. I can handle it.”

“Let’s try another device.” They ran the scan again—still “No Result.”

“Try one more.” Chu Yan was growing disappointed, as was Zhang Ziqi. Still, even if Xia Zheng couldn’t become an ability user, he was a decent talent for logistics. But the fifty-thousand annual salary was definitely out of reach now; the high-achiever before them could no longer stay with the Heavenly Blade Squad.

The third device produced the same result. This time, Chu Yan gritted his teeth and fell silent. Others had gathered by now, and their gazes toward Xia Zheng changed. If he couldn’t join the ability user squad, he’d have to leave—Heavenly Blade Squad wasn’t about to pay a rookie fifty thousand a year for clerical work.

Even Vice President Claire, a veteran and ability user who had shifted to administrative duties, earned only thirty thousand. For a newcomer like Xia Zheng to earn the company’s highest salary in a purely clerical role would be demoralizing for everyone.

Xia Zheng once again faced rejection, but this time he felt neither dejection nor pain. He believed firmly in his own power; no one understood his body better than he did. Though he hadn’t learned how to harness his ability, he never doubted its existence or potential. He remained confident.

“Captain Chu, may I make a suggestion? Machines are inanimate, and data doesn’t tell the whole story. Even if the results are impressive, does that guarantee excellence?” Xia Zheng broke the silence.

Chu Yan’s mind stirred. It was true: in this age of technology, people depended heavily on machines, but sometimes technology failed—or rather, its assessments of human potential were incomplete. Humanity was a species capable of surpassing its own limits.

The Azure Federation held a core belief: when technology becomes a cage, humanity must break free to pursue true liberty—not blind faith in machines, but the full realization of human potential.