Liam put on the black shirt, pants, and jeans they had been given for the test.
I can do this, I can do this, I can do this...
Liam breathed deeply, in, then out. The exercise did nothing to calm his pounding heart though, and how could he not be nervous? He was about to participate in one of the toughest exams in the country, and one with the lowest acceptance rate ever.
Calm. Down. Liam ordered his heart.
The only thing it seemed to think was that he needed to do more cardio.
Liam walked out of the small changing room he had been assigned and joined the steadily growing crowd gathered at the center of the testing dome.
Liam stared at the colossal structure as he walked. Stretching nearly two kilometers from one end to the other, the test site boasted a pristine running track that hugged its outer edge, while an enormous field of vibrant green occupied the center. Liam's eyes swept across the field. There was far too much equipment on it for a simple fitness test, he concluded, narrowing his eyes. Some obstacles looked designed to measure agility, others raw strength, and a few looked completely out of place. Whatever the Academy had planned, it was clear they intended to test far more than whether someone could just run fast.
He turned his eyes upward and gaped at the steel trusses that crisscrossed beneath the domed roof, supporting rows upon rows of floodlights and observation booths. Large digital displays hung from the ceiling, their blank screens waiting to spring to life.
Is this really a school facility? Liam thought as he reached the group. Feels less like a school facility and more like a military training ground.
Liam quietly exhaled.
...So this is Dawn Academy's entrance exam. The pressure is way too much. Failure's already breathing down my neck.
He soon reached the crowd of applicants standing on the track. Barely two dozen of them had gathered, and every one of them gave off a unique presence. Some stood confidently with folded arms, others stretched in silence, while a few wore expressions that betrayed their nerves. Liam's roaming eyes then noticed a girl with short gray hair turn to him, frown, and hold her nose.
Liam was shocked to the core at the reaction.
D-do I smell bad?! That was definitely towards me right?!
Liam shuffled dejectedly to the back of the crowd.
It wasn't the first time this had happened. Whenever he was near people with especially sharp senses, they would react to his scent. It wasn't something he understood, being the one who released it, but from observing others' reactions, doing some research, and asking a few questions, he came to realize that the scent he gave off was the fault of his Venma.
Just another thing to blame on the darn thing. I thought that deodorant was supposed to completely mask any scents...or maybe her senses are just crazy sharp?
As Liam agonized over the matter, a large man wearing a black uniform with a brown colored insignia on his chest and scars all over his arms walked up to the applicants. He gave off an intimidating presence, his sharp black eyes flitting from one teenager to another. They paused in a mixture of disbelief and confusion at the sight of a short, plump boy at the back.
Well this isn't good. The quality of applicants has dropped...although, they are a lot more than expected. Last year there were none, and the year before that there were ten, and only eight remained. I wonder how many will drop out today...
The man cleared his throat, and all attention shifted to him.
"Attention! All of you form a straight horizontal line! Be quick about it!"
There was a lot of disorder, and a few collisions, but they formed a proper line in under one minute. Mark sighed internally at the sight before delivering the beginning of his message.
"Welcome, all of you to the Dawn Academy Hunter Course Entrance Examination. I am your proctor, Mark. I will now brief you on the upcoming challenges, so pay attention."
Mark paused to observe the various expressions in front of him.
Impatience, fear, confidence...is that boy bored?!
Mark glanced at one of the boys at the far right. His expression was guarded and devoid of any emotion, but the way he carried himself and his slightly downturned eyes gave of a faint air of disinterest.
Curious...
"Alright, listen up. This examination consists of five stages, each designed to evaluate different aspects of your aptitude for the Hunter Course. Understand this well: placing first in a race will not guarantee a high score..."
The applicants remained silent, no doubt going over his words. Mark did a full about turn on his heels and began to walk, almost marching, towards the center field.
"Follow me!" Mark barked, "We'll begin Stage One with a ten-metre sprint. Everyone follow me."
The large screens hanging from the ceiling flashed as if waking up and displayed the following words in large white lettering:
[STAGE ONE: PHYSICAL APTITUDE]
****
"Alright. First up is a ten meter dash," Mark pointed at a drone with a black display at its front that hovered beside him, " This drone here will measure how much time you'll take."
Liam zoned out after hearing the instructions, focusing on warming his body up with stretches and increasing his oxygen intake with deep, drawn out breaths.
"It is best for someone like you to increase your lung capacity. With your power, oxygen is a must."
Liam sighed as his father's words settled in his mind. He listened to the steady beating of his heart, and focused as the blood in his veins rushed faster.
Okay, I can do this.
Liam opened his eyes, watching as one by one his fellow applicants covered the distance in less and less time. The first boy, a blond named Caesar, had taken fifteen seconds. The quiet girl after him, green bangs covering her eyes, managed roughly twelve. Everyone else had done better
Liam glanced in his direction, noting his downcast expression.
I feel sorry for him, having to see exceptional people beating you right after your turn. But he didn't do all that bad when you think about it; after all, a lot of people in his own weight class would have taken longer.
Liam straightened up as his name was called, and he glanced at Caesar one last time.
That being said, I have no desire to do any less than my best. So sorry Caesar, but you'll have to watch a little longer.
Liam took his place at the starting line, focusing his senses on the moment Mark said 'go'.
For every sprint till his own, Mark had thrown around a few fake-outs, making the other applicants nervous.
It's definitely a test of concentration and response, and definitely reaction time-
"You know," said Mark, making Liam flinch, "The quality of the applicants here has dropped a little. It's a shame..."
Liam frowned as he tuned out Mark's voice. What exactly was the trick here? After all, the drone beside the proctor only began displaying the stop-clock when Mark said the word 'go'...
Unless... the command wasn't the trigger.
Liam's eyes flicked back to the drone.
The timer never started until the display changed.
That was actually very likely, as there were times Mark never outright said the word 'go'. Sometimes he would say 'begin', or 'start', confusing whichever unfortunate applicant was at his mercy.
Liam's skin bristled with goosebumps as he turned his attention to the still image of green zeroes.
[00:00:00]
Ignore his words. The moment the clock starts, move!
As he focused, his heart beat faster and faster, his entire body heating up as he waited impatiently for the display to change.
"...To see young people like you move forward-"
[00:01:48]
Liam felt his body move before his mind screamed:
GO!