After an anxious wait of approximately five minutes, a distinct patter of footsteps echoed from the corridor beyond the door.
Moments later, four figures emerged into everyone’s view.
The instant they stepped through the doorway, a throng of eager candidates swarmed them, pressing in so tightly there was no room to move.
“What did they test for in the re-evaluation?”
“How did you do?”
“Was it difficult?”
The questions, though varied in phrasing, all revolved around the re-evaluation, each candidate openly expressing their fervent hope of passing.
After all, having progressed this far, no one wanted to fail the re-evaluation and miss the chance to join Tiandu University.
Yet, not everyone had been an academic ace during their school days.
Even the four candidates who had just completed the test were curious, but before they could offer any answers, the broadcast system crackled to life once more.
“Candidates Number Two, Number Thirty-Two, Number One Hundred Eighty-Four, and Number One Hundred Ninety, please proceed immediately to the examination rooms. Candidates Number One, Number Ten, Number Thirty-Six, and Number Two Hundred Forty-Three, please prepare.”
The newly summoned candidates entered the corridor with palpable reluctance, while the tallest among the previously surrounded group finally broke their silence.
“The content of the examination… surely, you all have a pretty good idea, don’t you? It’s precisely as many of you have surmised.”
“After all, what else could possibly be tested?”
A hint of displeasure clouded all four of their faces, suggesting their performance had been less than stellar.
“An ability demonstration?” someone in the crowd ventured.
“It seems that’s right,” another voice affirmed, and Huang Xiu, who had been quietly observing from the back of the crowd, subtly nodded in agreement.
In truth, the moment she had laid eyes on the application form, she had already deduced the likely format of the re-evaluation.
It would involve demonstrating one’s abilities, highlighting how they aligned with the details provided on the form, and ultimately proving one’s inherent value and potential.
Candidates who had indicated battle-related roles would likely be assigned combat-oriented tests.
Those who had specified roles like crowd control or support would face similar, tailored assessments…
‘So what will my test content be?’ Huang Xiu found herself wondering, a surge of curiosity washing over her.
Among the multitude of candidates, it was certain that more than one had listed multiple specializations.
Indeed, the majority might have even selected two or three different roles.
However, those like her, who had boldly declared themselves ‘all-rounders,’ were likely exceedingly rare—perhaps even a singular anomaly.
****
The second group of candidates had already vanished into the depths of the corridor.
The speculation regarding the test’s specifics instantly became the central topic of discussion for everyone still waiting.
Each person strained to unleash their imagination, attempting to glean inspiration from the fantastical worlds of anime and novels.
A few particularly gregarious individuals even found themselves at the center of attention, surrounded by eager listeners as they held forth with spirited discussions.
“My guess,” one of them declared confidently, “is that it’ll be a battle between Awakened individuals. That’s how it always goes in novels and anime.”
A spiky-haired young man, standing atop a table, exuded an air of wanting all eyes to be on him.
‘How wonderful!’
Huang Xiu observed him with a pang of envy.
She was certainly not one to socialize easily; quite the opposite, she harbored a touch of social anxiety.
Consequently, in the presence of strangers, she invariably maintained a dignified ‘reserve,’ her manners impeccably polite.
She projected an air of subtle, almost imperceptible distance.
Such overtly flamboyant actions were something she felt utterly incapable of performing, perhaps for her entire life.
“Hey, everyone, look at this!” A sudden exclamation, quite loud, erupted from the right side of the plaza.
The nerves of those present were already frayed, and their attention was instantly seized by the sudden sound.
Huang Xiu was no exception; she immediately pivoted, her gaze following the source of the noise.
The right-hand wall of the plaza had, at some unknown point, transformed into a massive screen, now displaying an enormous leaderboard.
“‘Re-evaluation Score Ranking’?” someone whispered, reading the title aloud.
It comprised a total of two hundred ninety-nine entries.
Presently, the first line slowly refreshed, revealing a string of finely printed text.
Candidate 212, Score: 48, Grade: Intended Admission Unit: Jurisdiction Bureau;
As the text materialized, the broadcast system resonated once more:
“We shall now announce the examination room regulations. All candidates are strictly forbidden from engaging in loud chatter, leaving the examination room without authorization, or participating in any altercations.
The unauthorized use of abilities within the examination room is prohibited; severe infractions will result in penalties in accordance with the Present World Management Regulations.
Furthermore, please be advised: This examination is jointly organized by the Void Realm Jurisdiction Bureau, the Void Realm Conquest Bureau, Tiandu University, and the National Higher Vocational Colleges. Admissions will be determined by a mutual selection process between candidates and the respective institutions.”
The announcement played three times in succession before finally ceasing.
“Wait, isn’t this supposed to be Tiandu University’s entrance examination? What are these other three institutions doing here?”
“Mutual selection? Does that imply that if we don’t perform well, no institution will choose us?” A flicker of fear crossed someone’s face.
They had arrived here, burdened with the expectations of their teachers and families, fueled by aspirations for the future, and imbued with the inherent pride of being an Awakened individual.
To fail… to slink back home in utter disgrace, what a humiliating prospect!
“That can’t be right… someone with only 48 points got admitted.”
Someone muttered, their voice hushed.
After uttering the words, they seemed to realize the impropriety of their statement, a chagrined expression crossing their face as they promptly clamped their mouth shut.
Nevertheless, another person readily picked up where they left off.
“Indeed, 48 points is clearly a failing grade. From the looks of it, the Jurisdiction Bureau must be the fallback option.”
Candidate 212, who had been aware of his poor performance, was nevertheless stunned to discover he hadn’t even achieved a passing score.
Upon hearing his score so freely dissected and criticized, his expression immediately soured.
He snorted, “The exam was far from simple. I’d love to see how many points *you* can score, you armchair strategist.”
“At least higher than you,” the other person scoffed, retorting instantly.
“Oh, you’re invincible, aren’t you? The King of Talk.”
They sneered with utmost sarcasm.
“The Jurisdiction Bureau isn’t so bad, at least it’s a civil service position!”
A girl swiftly interjected with a joke, effectively diffusing the tension in the atmosphere.
“After all, a stable government job is the ultimate goal in life. We’ve just saved ourselves at least fifty years of detours.”
A ripple of laughter spread through the assembled crowd.
Generally speaking, after the preliminary examination, the Jurisdiction Bureau would seize the opportunity of delivering admission tickets to contact the screened Awakened individuals, granting them temporary Void Realm access.
They would also impart fundamental information concerning Awakened individuals and the Void Realm.
This constituted the standard procedure for the admissions examination.
Instances like Huang Fu, who had been preemptively recruited by Professor Yuan, were exceptionally rare exceptions to this rule.
Thus, for these ordinary candidates, the Jurisdiction Bureau was already a familiar entity, and their impressions of it were generally favorable.
To be able to join the Jurisdiction Bureau was, by no means, an undesirable prospect.
Amidst the chatter and laughter, the leaderboard refreshed once more, with the previous entry now shifted downwards.
Candidate [Number], Score: [Score], Grade: Intended Admission Units: Jurisdiction Bureau, Conquest Bureau.
And now, the current lowest score was also revealed.
Candidate [Number], Score: [Score], Grade: Intended Admission Unit: Jurisdiction Bureau.
“Oh my god, how did I only get [score] points?!” A candidate suddenly dropped to their knees, their face a mask of utter disbelief.
While they knew their performance was subpar, they hadn’t expected it to be *this* abysmal!
“The Jurisdiction Bureau really is the fallback option, after all.”
The candidates in the crowd, witnessing that even a candidate with [a low score] had been admitted by the Jurisdiction Bureau, initially felt a surge of panic. No, that wasn’t right—their hearts no longer fluttered, their hands no longer trembled, and even their spines straightened with renewed confidence.
With a guaranteed fallback, what was there to fear anyway?
At worst, they’d simply become an ‘evil’ civil servant!