Lin Ye did not make many preparations. After the proctor nodded to indicate that the test could begin, he merely planted his feet at random, took a deep breath, and threw a punch.
[Basic Attack LV5]!
Lin Ye had not invested the precious skill points gained from leveling up into this most fundamental skill.
But over these past ten-odd days, during that sleepless, relentless grind of leveling and monster-killing in the ruined city, the thousands upon thousands of times he had swung his staff and thrown his fists had forcibly raised this skill from LV1 to its current level cap of LV5 through sheer accumulated proficiency.
At this moment, even a casual Basic Attack from him could deal final damage equivalent to 120% of his base strength.
Thus, this punch that seemed utterly ordinary, without the slightest flourish, already contained power basically on par with some well-practiced basic martial techniques.
“Bang!”
A dull, thunderous boom exploded through the spacious, noisy gymnasium, its tremendous force instantly drowning out the sounds of testing from all the surrounding venues.
The proctor responsible for recording Lin Ye’s results was so startled by the sudden bang that his hand jerked violently, nearly dropping what he was holding.
That heavy punch-force target, forged in one piece from special alloy and capable of withstanding over a thousand kilograms of violent impact, was actually sent swinging violently backward by Lin Ye’s seemingly casual punch!
Beep beep beep…!
At the same time, the numbers on the huge LCD screen directly above the punch-force target flashed and jumped wildly.
At last, the numbers froze.
[567 kilograms].
“Test Site No. 3! Test Site No. 3 has an equipment anomaly!”
“Technician! Check the equipment at Test Site No. 3 immediately!”
“Examinee Lin Ye, please wait where you are and do not leave! Prepare for a retest!”
After the initial shock, the proctor in charge of this area immediately shouted through the communicator on his chest.
His voice carried a hint of incredulous urgency. The other students and proctors not far away all turned to look.
A trace of astonishment also rose in Lin Ye’s own heart.
The same [Basic Attack], when fully charged and drawing upon the strength of his entire body, was still clearly different from such a casual strike.
But even so, the value from his casual punch was already more than twice what it had been two weeks ago.
The announcement requiring a retest immediately drew Chen Meng’s gaze from the sidelines, where he had been waiting.
His brows furrowed. As Class Seven’s homeroom teacher, he naturally had to take responsibility for any situation his students encountered in the examination venue.
Very soon, a technician in blue work clothes came jogging over from the other end of the venue, toolbox in hand and panting for breath.
He connected a portable diagnostic device to the punch-force target and operated rapidly on the light screen with his fingers. A string of complicated data streams flashed past.
A few minutes later, he said in puzzlement, “All core components of the instrument are normal. The reading curve of the force sensor shows no logical errors. There is no problem with the machine itself.”
Hearing this, the proctor was also stunned.
He glanced once more at the registration form in his hand, then finally said to Lin Ye, “Student, although there is no problem with the equipment itself, there is a major discrepancy in the data. According to the relevant rules and regulations, you must still undergo a retest.”
Chen Meng’s expression instantly darkened, revealing a trace of displeasure.
Since there was no problem with the equipment, that proved the result just now was real and valid. Why insist on a retest?
This was not merely wasting precious examination time; it was also, in front of everyone, a disguised questioning of his student!
After finishing the inspection, the technician tactfully stepped aside.
The proctor continued to explain neither humbly nor arrogantly, “Teacher Chen, please understand our work. If an examinee’s test data shows a huge difference beyond the threshold compared to his past archived records, then according to the examination procedure, we must conduct at least one retest.”
“This is to ensure the absolute accuracy of every result and the fairness and impartiality of the examination. If your student truly possesses this strength, then wouldn’t testing again just happen to prove himself?”
Chen Meng’s eyes, sharp as a fierce tiger’s, glared fixedly at the proctor.
He was strict and unsmiling when teaching at school.
But outside, especially when it concerned the honor of his own students, he was famously unreasonable—an utterly protective teacher.
However, in the end, he still suppressed the anger in his heart and did not flare up on the spot.
This was the site of the joint baseline exam, and everyone was watching. He could not let his own impulsiveness bring negative consequences to his student.
He merely walked to Lin Ye’s side and patted him on the shoulder. He did not say much, only giving him a firm look filled with trust and encouragement.
Lin Ye also nodded solemnly to his teacher.
He knew why this proctor was so insistent on having him retest.
Because the electronic registration form in the other party’s hand clearly recorded every mock exam and baseline exam result he had achieved from his first year of high school to the present.
In the most recent record, his punch force had only just barely broken two hundred kilograms.
Now this value of 567 kilograms was simply far too different. It had already exceeded the normal range of strength growth, so naturally it would arouse suspicion.
And he had come here today precisely to smash all doubt and questioning to pieces!
Under the dual confirmation of the technician and the proctor, Lin Ye’s retest began anew.
This time, he was slightly more serious.
His feet parted slightly, shoulder-width apart. His center of gravity sank a little, his breath drew inward to his dantian, and in an instant, a subtle change came over his entire bearing.
Power surged from his waist and hips. His force was like an awakening flood dragon, penetrating upward joint by joint along his spine, transmitting in an instant through his extended shoulder and arm, finally pouring without reservation through the edge of his fist!
“Boom!”
Another muffled sound rang out, heavier than the previous one!
The entire punch-force target trembled violently from the blow!
The numbers on the target’s screen once again began to jump wildly at high speed. This time, however, the process was clearly much steadier, and finally they came to rest firmly on a brand-new figure.
[612 kilograms]!
The instant he saw that number.
The corners of Chen Meng’s mouth, which had been tense all along, curved into a smile.
A surprise!
What the hell was called a surprise? This was a fucking surprise!
This value was not only nearly twice as high as the admissions standard line for martial arts universities, it had also basically caught up to those top students in Class One!
Just as the entire venue’s attention was still focused on Lin Ye, Test Site No. 4 not far away suddenly erupted with even louder clamor and heartfelt exclamations of amazement.
Looking toward the sound, Lin Ye saw a familiar tall figure. She wore a tight black training outfit, and her neat ponytail drew a clean arc behind her head as she slowly stepped back from the punch-force target.
It was her?