Chapter 317: Champion Tests
Swish—!
Kai’s pupils dilated as a gleam flashed toward him.
It was too fast for him to see, but he knew that it came from a hidden hole in the mouth of the snake statue across from him as he heard a hiss, which was the finish line. He tilted his head in the sliver of time that separated life from death, and felt the projectile whistle past his ear, close enough to stir his hair.
He heard a clanging sound behind him, but he only picked up his pace.
As fast as he could, he sprinted and reached for the button perched atop the snake statue’s head.
Pressing it was the sign of completion of the first step, so he rushed.
Kai dashed forward, utilizing every muscle in his body as the mechanical crossbow inside the snake statue’s skull began to cock for another shot. He could hear it clearly. Additionally, the boulder behind him rumbled closer, shaking the ground with every rotation.
Gritting his teeth, he leaped forward to make the extra few feet.
And then he slammed his palm against the button and then slid across the sand ground.
Above, the holographic timer froze.
Kai flipped around and immediately panted heavily, chest rising and falling as he desperately gasped for breath. Sweat gathered on his brows and ran down the side of his face—before dripping to the sand.
He had completed the first test, the agility test, and it was brutal.
Considering his current strength, an obstacle course should not be too hard.
But unfortunately, the difficulty could be set to up to Scion Supernal.
Kai had climbed a thick wall using a rope while dodging spiky traps that emerged from holes along its surface. Each one tested his reaction time. He had leaped over a wide trench, only to find an energy barrier waiting on the other side.
He fell, fought his way back up through more traps, and then shattered the barrier.
It was impenetrable, but there was a holographic counter on it.
Five punches were needed to break it.
And then there were the needles that shot at him during that phase and had nearly taken his eye.
Next came the thick water—a heavy, resistant pool that clung to his limbs and rapidly drained his stamina as he crossed it. He had barely climbed out before the boulder began rolling from behind, forcing him into a dead sprint toward the snake statue and its final, sneaky trap.
It was exhausting.
Even for his inhuman physique, the obstacle course was too much.
It’s even harsher than our morning exercise during a bad day. Much harsher.
Kai swallowed his saliva through his dry throat and looked to the side, finding Layra was also in the same condition as him. She was still standing, but bent forward with her hands firmly on her knees.
She was so exhausted that she couldn’t even raise her gaze lest she passed out.
Just then, before they could recover, Vassa approached them with a clipboard in hand.
"Two minutes and five seconds for the Emerald Princess. As for you, Red Prince, two minutes and forty-one seconds. You’ve been beaten by more than half a minute, and you want to court Archangel Morriva?" She clicked her tongue repeatedly and shook her head. "Above average, but not good enough to dream for her."
"What’s the fastest record?" Layra asked through gasps.
Her competitiveness was riled when she heard they were simply above average.
Not excellent.
"Fastest record was held by the Golden Princess—about five years ago," Vassa replied after a moment of thinking. "She is the Supernal of Artemis, Goddess of the Wilderness. A Supernal of Hermes was present that year, and yet she was still faster. Her record was one minute and ten seconds."
"By the Gods..." Layra shook her head in shock. "That’s too fast."
"How is that even possible?" Kai chuckled lightly. "Must’ve an Angel by choice."
"Yes, she was. She has eight Divine Locks." Vassa confirmed Kai’s assumption, and then went to the side. "Come on, let’s move on to the next test. Strength test. You can drink the clear water from the fountain to recover."
Kai and Layra’s heads snapped up at the word—water.
Ahead, Vassa was already standing beside a small fountain near the next test course. Its flow was soundless—and its surface rippled with a faint, sparkling sheen that caught the light like liquid gems.
Neither of them needed a second invitation.
Both rushed forward, grabbed the provided chalices beside the fountain—scooped the shiny water, and chugged it down. It only took a few seconds for them to empty the chalices. Layra and Kai drank like they were both stranded in the desert and finally found an oasis.
It tasted like salvation.
Instantly, the exhaustion vanished.
Every ache and tremor in their limbs dissolved the moment the water dropped down to their stomachs. It tasted impossibly pure—cold and crisp and faintly sweet. Kai’s eyes widened as he felt his stamina surge back.
It was as if he hadn’t only done the agility test a minute ago.
He reached for another cup, but Vassa slapped his hand away.
"Two drinks," she said flatly. "Make them count."
Kai pulled his hand back, chastened.
For water that could recover stamina as quickly as it did, it must be a miraculous water.
He was too greedy to think that he could drink it as much as he wanted.
"What kind of water is this?" Layra asked.
Having almost finished her first chalice in a single gulp, she savoured the rest with slow sips.
"It was made of purified water that was mixed with divine herbs—from a powerful Supernal of Asclepius, the God of Medicine and Healing," Vassa replied as she walked to the next test field. "It didn’t only recover stamina, but also heal any wounds. Both of you need not worry about going all out, especially in this next test."
Once they were both revived, they went to the next test.
Unlike the agility test, the strength test was composed of two tests.
Now, the three of them stood in front of a steep slide—with an abrasive surface. Its incline angled sharply toward a massive boulder resting at the bottom. The boulder was round, completely spherical, and it sat at the start of the incline, kept there by a ledge on the sand ground.
A hole gaped in the wall, leading outside—the only way through.
"First strength test," Vassa announced—turning towards the two. "This one measures overall muscle coordination. Push the boulder up the slide and through that hole, simple. Change the difficulty on that panel over there."
Beside the boulder, a holographic interface shimmered.
Even from a distance, Kai and Layra could already see its settings glowing faintly.
"I’ll go first." Kai stepped forward and examined it.
Currently, the difficulty was set to Grade-0 Aspirant Supernal. He considered for a moment—his gaze flicked between the setting and the boulder, and then he reached out to increase the difficulty to Grade-1 Aspirant Supernal.
Should be easy enough.
Kai’s strength stat was one of the lowest, the second-lowest to be exact.
Regardless, he believed this difficulty was based on average Supernals. He was certain now that his divine bloodline was equal to, if not greater than, the bloodline of an Olympian God. So, he should be able to handle this much.
As soon as he pressed confirmed, the floor beneath the boulder slowly descended.
It descended into a hidden room below, and a new boulder rose to replace it, and this one was bigger. Heavier. Kai cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders, stepping toward it to make his attempt.
"Good luck, Kai. Don’t lose to me again now, or it’ll be embarrassing." Layra cheered.
Kai clicked his tongue—he didn’t know whether she was cheering him on or ridiculing him.
Either way, he pushed.
At first, the boulder was locked in place, heavier than he thought it would. Kai leaned forward and braced his shoulder against it, boots digging into the sand floor, and pushed. It wouldn’t budge at all.
He stopped and raised a finger to tell Layra to shut up as she was about to say something.
Certain that he could, he took off his boots and tried again.
Finally, the immovable bulk moved.
Just a fraction, a creak of stone against sand.
But at the first streak of momentum, it kept moving. Kai felt every ounce of its weight—as he drove it forward. The ground was flat at first, manageable, but then came the incline. Almost instantly, the boulder stopped dead.
Kai’s face flushed.
He had raised the difficulty himself, and now he was stuck.
Just the embarrassment of failing in front of Layra was enough for him to push even harder.
And once again, the boulder moved and began to climb.
Thank the Gods that the surface of the incline was abrasive, giving him traction. Inch by inch, he forced the boulder upward. His muscles trembled. Sweat poured down his face, and a grunt rumbled in his throat.
But he reached the top.
He shoved the boulder through the hole and watched it roll down the path outside—and then turned, disappearing into another opening that led back to the hidden room underneath. Kai was satisfied with the result.
Vassa, on the other hand, was not.
"Raise the difficulty." She said firmly. "I think you can manage more than that."
Kai returned and did as she said—Grade-2 Aspirant Supernal difficulty now.
The second boulder was bigger, and the climb was even more brutal. Kai’s entire body shook by the time he reached the top, but somehow, he made it. It was a great struggle, but as Vassa suspected, he was strong enough to do it.
And she also accepted that this was his limit.
Like the previous test, it was above average for champions.
Layra went next. She started at Grade-1 and barely reached the top. As a Supernal of Apollo, strength was not her forte, and it was obvious. Perhaps her strength stat was the lowest stat she had.
She paused at the top to catch her breath.
It seemed to be her limit, which wasn’t surprising at all.
After a moment of rest, they moved to the next test right beside—a spherical platform with a massive, broken pillar hovering above it, held by nothing but energy. Kai and Layra knew the test even before Vassa explained.
"Next, we would measure—your absolute strength." She stated, and gestured with her open hand to the test machine. "This machine is famously called the Atlas Hold. I’m sure from the name alone, you already know what to do. Just hold out as long as you can as the weight gradually grew heavier."
"What’s the average?" Kai asked, already dreading the machine.
"No need to know about that. We are testing your limits—so do your absolute best. Don’t fret about broken bones or anything; we have the fountain to deal with that."
"Great... Absolutely remarkable."