Free Web NovelChapter 6: Chapter 6: The Three Tests
The Combat Puppet Hall was colder than the Stat Pressure Hall.
Rows of black iron puppets stood motionless along the walls, each shaped like a humanoid warrior. Their eyes were dark crystals, and their joints were reinforced with dull silver plates. At the center of the hall stood a large arena marked with defensive formations.
Instructor Han Shuren stood near the entrance with crossed arms.
"The Combat Puppet Test measures reaction, combat awareness, attack timing, defense, and adaptability," he said. "The puppet will adjust to your level. It will not kill you, but injuries are possible."
Some students immediately became nervous.
Han Shuren’s expression did not soften.
"If you are afraid of injury, leave now. The Tower will not be gentler."
No one left.
Fear was one thing.
Public shame was another.
The first student stepped into the arena.
The puppet activated.
Its crystal eyes lit up, and it moved with sudden speed. The student barely lasted thirty breaths before being struck in the chest and thrown out of the arena. A healing assistant quickly checked him and confirmed he was not seriously hurt.
One by one, students entered.
Some performed well. Most were average.
Those from major families had clear advantages. They had received combat training since childhood, had access to better techniques, and understood how to face pressure. Commoner students with awakened talents sometimes had stronger raw power but lacked experience.
When Qin Lian entered, her performance surprised many.
She did not attack aggressively. Instead, she moved quietly, avoiding direct clashes and striking the puppet’s joints at precise moments. Her steps were light, almost soundless. After three minutes, the puppet’s left knee joint locked briefly.
Han Shuren’s eyes sharpened.
"Qin Lian. Excellent perception and control. Combat style: evasive precision."
Qin Lian walked back without expression.
Qin Mo entered next.
At first, he looked half-asleep.
The puppet attacked.
Qin Mo dodged by a hair’s breadth, stumbled, waved his sleeve, and somehow caused the puppet to step on a formation mark he had lightly scratched into the arena dust with his foot. The puppet froze for one breath.
Qin Mo tapped its chest plate and stepped back.
Han Shuren stared at him.
"You modified the formation dust?"
Qin Mo blinked innocently.
"Was that not allowed?"
Several students looked confused.
Han Shuren was silent for two breaths.
Then he said, "It is allowed if you can do it under combat pressure. Qin Mo. Excellent formation awareness. Poor posture. Lazy footwork. Needs correction."
Qin Mo sighed. "That sounds troublesome."
Qin Yuheng smiled.
Qin Yuchen entered after him.
His style was clean.
Too clean.
He did not overpower the puppet. He did not dodge dramatically. He simply watched, calculated, and moved. Every step seemed chosen before the puppet completed its attack. When he struck, he struck only when necessary.
After five minutes, Han Shuren stopped the match.
"Qin Yuchen. Excellent tactical prediction. Good foundation. Lacks killing momentum."
Qin Yuchen bowed and left.
Then Zhao Tianyu stepped into the arena.
The atmosphere changed.
Crimson energy spread from his body. His eyes carried a faint beast-like glow. The combat puppet attacked, but Zhao Tianyu did not retreat. He met it head-on with a punch.
Bang!
The puppet’s arm shook.
Gasps sounded from the watching students.
Zhao Tianyu attacked fiercely, each strike carrying explosive power. He did not have Qin Yuchen’s calculation or Qin Lian’s precision, but his raw aggression was extremely strong. After several exchanges, he slammed his palm into the puppet’s chest and forced it back three steps.
Han Shuren nodded.
"Zhao Tianyu. Strong offensive pressure. Good talent compatibility. Weak defense discipline. Excellent overall."
Zhao Tianyu walked back proudly.
His gaze landed on Qin Yuheng.
Now it was Qin Yuheng’s turn.
When Qin Yuheng stepped into the arena, the whispers grew louder again.
"Let’s see how strong his fruit-awakened talent is."
"He reached sixth section in the pressure test, so he should not be weak."
"But combat is different."
"If his talent is only body enhancement, he may rely on brute force."
Qin Yuheng stood before the puppet.
He did not draw a weapon.
Han Shuren looked at him. "Ready?"
"Yes."
The puppet’s eyes lit up.
It moved instantly.
Its right fist shot toward Qin Yuheng’s chest.
Qin Yuheng shifted half a step.
The fist passed beside his robe.
The puppet followed with a sweeping kick.
Qin Yuheng stepped back, then forward, entering the puppet’s blind angle. His palm landed lightly against its shoulder joint.
Not hard enough to damage it.
Just enough to interrupt its rhythm.
The puppet turned.
Qin Yuheng retreated.
For the next several minutes, he fought like water flowing around stone. He did not show overwhelming strength. He did not release thunder. He did not use the full speed granted by his SSS-grade body talent.
Instead, he displayed solid fundamentals.
Dodge.
Parry.
Counter.
Withdraw.
Observe.
Repeat.
Han Shuren’s expression gradually changed.
This was not the style of someone relying on a newly awakened body talent.
This was trained control.
More importantly, Qin Yuheng’s timing was too stable.
He never panicked. Never rushed. Never showed off. It was as if he had already decided the exact level of ability he wanted to reveal.
After five minutes, Han Shuren raised his hand.
"Stop."
The puppet froze.
Qin Yuheng stepped back and bowed.
Han Shuren looked at him for several breaths.
"Qin Yuheng. Good combat foundation. Excellent emotional stability. Attack power not fully displayed."
The last sentence caused several students to look at Qin Yuheng differently.
Attack power not fully displayed.
That was almost saying he had held back.
Zhao Tianyu’s face darkened.
Qin Yuheng returned calmly.
Qin Mo whispered, "Instructor Han is not easy to fool."
Qin Yuheng replied, "I did not intend to fool him completely."
Qin Mo opened one eye slightly.
Qin Yuheng looked toward the third testing area.
"If you look too weak, people step on you. If you look too strong, people fear you. The best position is between doubt and contempt."
Qin Mo was silent for a moment.
Then he smiled lazily.
"Cousin, you are more troublesome than I thought."
The final test was the Tower Adaptation Test.
Unlike the first two, this test did not measure simple strength.
The students entered a chamber filled with Tower energy simulation. Inside, they would face illusions of pressure, monster killing intent, environmental changes, and mission prompts. The purpose was to see how quickly they could adapt to the Tower’s strange laws.
This test was especially important.
Some people had strong talents but poor Tower compatibility. They became disoriented inside the Tower, reacted slowly to mission changes, or suffered from energy rejection.
Others had moderate talents but excellent adaptation, allowing them to survive difficult floors.
The chamber was enormous.
At its center stood a circular formation.
Students entered one at a time.
Most lasted between three and five minutes before being forced out by dizziness or panic.
Zhao Tianyu lasted eight minutes.
His result caused another wave of admiration.
"Eight minutes!"
"That is definitely top-tier among new students."
"His Tower compatibility is high."
Then Qin Yuheng stepped in.
The moment the formation activated, the world around him changed.
The academy chamber disappeared.
A black wasteland appeared beneath his feet.
The sky was gray. Broken towers floated upside down in the clouds. In the distance, countless beast eyes opened in the darkness.
A system-like prompt appeared.
[Simulation Mission]
Survive the first wave.
A pack of shadow wolves rushed toward him.
Qin Yuheng’s eyes remained calm.
He knew it was an illusion.
But the killing intent felt real.
He moved.
Not too fast.
Not too slow.
He avoided the first wolf, struck the second, turned his body, and used the momentum to evade the third. His mind processed the terrain, enemy speed, attack rhythm, and mission wording.
Survive the first wave.
Not kill all enemies.
So he conserved energy.
The first wave ended.
The scene shifted.
[Simulation Mission Updated]
Find the safe zone before the fog closes.
A poisonous fog appeared behind him.
Qin Yuheng looked around.
The obvious path led toward a glowing stone gate.
Too obvious. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
He turned instead toward a broken black tree. Beneath its roots, faint wind marks moved against the fog.
A hidden path.
He followed it.
The simulation flickered.
Outside the chamber, the monitoring crystal trembled.
The instructor responsible for the test frowned.
"His adaptation speed is high."
Behind the observation window, the silver-haired woman narrowed her eyes.
"He noticed the hidden path?"
The old man beside her smiled.
"Interesting."
Inside the simulation, Qin Yuheng completed mission after mission.
He did not show overwhelming combat power. But every time the Tower Law changed, he adapted quickly. When the mission required killing, he killed. When it required survival, he avoided fighting. When it required observation, he slowed down. When it required sacrifice, he searched for loopholes.
At the tenth minute, the simulation intensified.
[Final Pressure]
Tower Law Distortion.
The sky cracked.
An enormous eye opened above the wasteland.
A wave of pressure descended.
Qin Yuheng felt his hidden panel tremble.
[False Tower Law detected.]
[Primordial Origin Evolution resonance suppressed.]
[No threat.]
No threat.
The pressure that made other students collapse felt like a heavy wind to him.
But Qin Yuheng could not continue too long.
That would be suspicious.
At twelve minutes, he deliberately staggered. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
At twelve minutes and thirty breaths, he allowed the formation to push him out.
When he opened his eyes, the chamber was silent.
The instructor looked at the record.
"Qin Yuheng... twelve minutes."
The students froze.
Twelve minutes.
Four minutes longer than Zhao Tianyu.
Zhao Tianyu’s face became extremely ugly.
Han Shuren looked at Qin Yuheng deeply.
High above, the old man behind the observation window laughed softly.
"Move him higher on the observation list."
The silver-haired woman asked, "Hidden Seed candidate?"
"Not yet," the old man said. "But close."
On the crystal tablet, Qin Yuheng’s record changed.
Qin Yuheng
Stat Pressure Test: Sixth Section
Combat Puppet Test: Excellent control
Tower Adaptation Test: Twelve minutes
Evaluation:
Concealed strength highly suspected.
Observation priority increased.
Qin Yuheng lowered his eyes.
He had tried to remain moderate.
But it seemed the Tower Adaptation Test had still revealed too much.
Even so, he did not regret it.
The Tower was his true battlefield.
And if he wanted resources, academy status, and access to better missions, he could not hide as a complete weakling.
From today onward, he would let people doubt him.
Let them guess.
Let them underestimate him.
But never let them see through him.
