"This is…" Even Manager Desmond, who had seen his fair share of geniuses, was stunned. "To get level 2 in all the assessments, how is he not a level 2 evolver already?"
Usually, a genius was someone who could skip a level on a single assessment test. For example, Alissa excelled in her mind and physical tests, but she was lacking in terms of endurance.
"I believe it is because Participant Grey evolved just a week ago. He most likely hasn't begun practicing martial arts," Secretary Selene interjected. "Meaning, this is his base strength after undergoing metamorphosis."
"A week ago." Their minds buzzed.
"This…" No one in the room knew what to say anymore.
"I should inform the City Lord immediately!" Manager Desmond couldn't help but say.
"Father is in seclusion right now, Grandpa Desmond," Lia suddenly interjected. "He will be out after a month."
"Oh, is that so?" Manager Desmond paused and then nodded.
"The combat assessment is beginning," Manager Victor said as he pointed to the TV.
Everyone immediately shifted their focus back to the screen.
Back in the simulated world, everything around Grey changed drastically. Soon, an open battlefield appeared in front of him, covered in a red miasma beneath a pitch-black sky.
This was without a doubt a simulation of a corruption field!
"Are my enemies corrupted beings?" Grey mused, and he soon found the answer to his question.
A surge of corrupted beings abruptly materialized before him. Each one was at the 1st level of the 1st rank.
Seeing this, Grey smirked.
Eliminating corrupted beings was his specialty!
"Roar!" Without wasting time, the horde of corrupted beings surged forward. He believed there were at least ten thousand of them rushing toward him.
"Isn't that a bit too much?" Manager Victor said, rather speechless. "All of them are at the 1st level of the 1st rank too!"
Usually, during a combat assessment, the Eterna system would configure corrupted beings according to a participant's level. There would normally only be ten to twenty of them.
But this?
This looked like a massive army!
"…" Lia was completely numb at this point. She had already come to terms with the fact that this guy was a different breed, and she no longer felt any shock.
She just watched with a calm expression, already able to predict what was going to happen next.
Sword energy surged out of Grey's body like a tidal wave, distorting the red miasma across the battlefield until it took on a deep shade of purple.
Then, Grey rushed forward, sword in hand.
The sudden burst of his speed left a sonic boom in his wake, propelling him toward the horde of corrupted beings like a cannonball.
Seeing him advance, the corrupted beings roared in unison. Their aggression flared as they charged, desperate to tear him apart.
Buzz!
Nexus energy crackled like lightning as Grey unleashed the Zenith Sword Art. In an instant, dozens of corrupted beings before him were shredded into fine pieces, the air vibrating with the raw power of the technique.
It didn't stop there. Dodging a claw swipe, Grey flowed seamlessly into the next sequence of the Zenith Sword Art. His blade burned like fire as hundreds of corrupted beings fell under its force. Sparks of energy danced around him, illuminating the chaos.
With a straight punch, the black-hole-like head of a corrupted being burst open, and Grey didn't pause. He surged forward. Each step, each strike, and each swing of his sword was a flawless continuation of the Zenith Sword Art, leaving wave after wave of corrupted beings falling in his wake.
The more he pushed forward, the more relentless the massacre became. Grey moved like a storm of steel and fire, completely unstoppable in his assault.
The core rule of the combat assessment was simple: battle for as long as you can until you fall under the attacks of the beasts. But even tens of thousands of corrupted beings couldn't stop Grey!
He kept going as more and more corrupted beings flooded toward him.
This was the true power of an evolver at the 2nd level of the 1st rank taken to an entirely different level!
Before his metamorphosis, he could take on two or three peak 1st-level, 1st-rank beings at best at the same time. But after his metamorphosis, he could take on thousands as long as his energy reserves held out.
Outside the simulated room, the viewers could only stare at the unfolding scene with their mouths wide open.
"He… how are the corrupted beings falling so quickly under his blade?" Manager Victor's breath hitched.
Corrupted beings were the hardest things to kill on Blue Star, and most evolvers struggled against them. Yet, they were falling under Grey's blade like common trees in a forest.
"…" Lia continued staring calmly at the screen.
Eventually, inside the simulated battlefield, the corrupted beings stopped coming. By that time, Grey's energy reserves were almost completely emptied out.
He believed that if a higher-level monster came now, he would definitely die.
However, to his surprise, the moment that thought crossed his mind, a massive monster appeared with denser energy and a much larger build.
And the worst part was that there were five of them.
Through the Eterna System, he immediately identified them as 3rd-level, 1st-rank monsters.
"…" Grey's expression immediately darkened.
Why did it skip from the 1st level straight to the 3rd level?
He felt like he was being bullied right now. There was absolutely no way he was winning this.
"But I should try my best." Grey's eyes flashed with cold intent as he charged forward with full momentum.
He couldn't stretch out the fight for long. Since that was the case, he had to give it his all! He utilized the stance and sword movements of his Zenith Sword Energy. Making micro-adjustments to his posture, he charged. He was going to display the Zenith Sword Art at its maximum capability.
Boom!
Grey targeted the monster in front. His sword and the corrupted monster's claws collided, distorting the very fabric of the air and sending violent waves of wind across the battlefield. Immediately, the monster overpowered him. His body was forcefully pushed back by the beast's sheer strength.
Moving with terrifying speed, the monster descended with its sharp claws, threatening to tear him apart. Grey's reflexes flared, allowing him to dodge narrowly, but the beast still managed to land a shallow scratch across his shoulder.
"Tch." Grey clicked his tongue and forced some distance between himself and the monsters.
It was impossible. He wouldn't be able to defeat this monster unless he utilized his Nexus Overlock. Since there were five of them, even that wouldn't be enough to save him.
Still, Grey tried his best to land at least a single hit on one of the larger corrupted beings. He rushed forward several times, but each attempt proved futile. Eventually, his vision flashed, and he was pulled back into the real world. Beside the TV, a new screen displayed his combat capabilities.
[Combat Rank: level 2, 1st Rank]