Rune (3)–evaluation...
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The chamber doors rumbled open, revealing a vast, open arena bathed in the pale glow of overhead lights.
The ground was smooth stone, lined faintly with faded marks from countless previous battles.
At the far end of the chamber stood a dummy robot — humanoid in shape but bulkier, slightly larger than a full-grown adult male.
Its metallic body gleamed under the lights, thick plates overlapping like armor, and faint mechanical whirring could be heard as it subtly shifted in place, as if eager for combat.
The purpose of the final test was simple — brutally simple.
Each participant would face the dummy one-on-one.
Evaluation would be done by how much damage you can inflict.
However, the test would also automatically end if the participant sustained too much damage — determined by the safety bracelet we were all wearing.
If the bracelet broke, it was over.
But victory or defeat wasn't the true measure.
The real evaluation was based on how well we fought.
How efficiently we used our tools.
How creatively we adapted under pressure.
A voice crackled to life through a speaker mounted high on the wall.
"Test taker No. 12."
I stiffened and stepped forward instinctively.
All eyes shifted toward me.
"Are you ready?"
I gave a firm nod without hesitation.
"Good. Commencing test."
The dummy’s mechanical eyes flared to life, burning a menacing shade of crimson.
A sharp tone echoed in the chamber.
[Test is Commencing!]
The dummy immediately came alive, its movements jerky at first but quickly smoothing out into something dangerously fluid.
It began to stalk forward, assessing me with eerie precision.
I tightened my grip.
This was it.
Fighting the dummy wasn’t particularly difficult — it had no hidden magic tricks or devastating abilities.
It relied purely on its speed, strength, and mechanical resilience.
But there was a catch.
I could only use what I had personally created during the second test.
No external items.
No learned skills.
No backup plan.
Only my crafted runestones and my wits.
Still, for me, it was almost laughably easy.
'Compared to the monsters I've faced before... this is nothing.'
Calmly, I reached into the small pouch strapped to my side and retrieved the fruits of my earlier work:
- One Penetration Runestone
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- Two Explosion Runestones
- One Frost Runestone
They pulsed faintly with stored power, ready to be unleashed.
Nearby, a selection of basic weapons was laid out on a simple rack.
I quickly chose a dagger — short, light, and perfect for quick movements.
Its blade caught the chamber lights, gleaming sharply.
The dummy suddenly lunged.
Its metallic legs propelled it forward with a surprising burst of speed, its heavy frame moving like a blur.
Unfazed, I moved.
In my right hand, I clutched the Penetration Runestone.
In my left, I gripped the dagger.
Channeling my mana into the runestone, I swept it across the dagger’s blade.
The stone shattered into motes of blue light, and a faint silver aura instantly coated the blade.
[Temporary Penetration Effect has been engraved on dagger!]
I could almost hear the hum of power vibrating through the metal.
The dummy’s core whirred violently, gears grinding as it absorbed the damage.
Then, with a sharp mechanical screech, it exploded into motion.
It charged forward with terrifying speed, its heavy metal feet hammering the stone floor, sending small cracks radiating from every step.
At this pace, the dummy was a silver blur, a relentless battering ram that couldn’t easily change direction once committed to a charge.
A small smirk tugged at the corner of my lips.
'Perfect.'
I swiftly pulled out the Frost Runestone, its surface cold to the touch, faint wisps of mist curling around my fingers.
Without hesitation, I hurled it directly at the dummy’s legs.
Crack!
The Frost Runestone shattered on impact, releasing a sudden explosion of chilling blue mist and forming a sheet of jagged ice around the dummy's lower limbs.
The dummy’s steps immediately faltered.
Its legs, now slick with frost, skidded uncontrollably on the stone floor, forcing it to stumble awkwardly.
For a split second — just a fraction of a breath — the dummy froze entirely, its internal systems scrambling to deal with the sudden environmental change.
It tilted its gaze downwards, shifting focus to its immobilized legs, trying to twist free from the frozen trap.
'Now!'
Without wasting a second, I reached into my pouch, yanking out both Explosion Runestones in a single fluid motion.
Funneling mana into them, I hurled them with all my strength directly at the dummy’s head.
Boom! Boom!
Twin explosions erupted in quick succession.
The first blast hit square in the faceplate, sending a shockwave of smoke and shards of heated metal outward.
The second explosion amplified the first, enveloping the dummy’s entire upper body in thick, rolling black smoke.
The chamber shook slightly under the force, and hot wind brushed against my skin.
The dummy's optical sensors — its eyes — flickered violently within the cloud, struggling to regain visual focus.
It stood frozen for just a moment, blinded and disoriented.
That was my opening.
I dashed forward, cutting through the thinning smoke.
The dagger in my hand gleamed fiercely, still coated in the faint silver aura of the Penetration enchantment.
I could feel my heartbeat pounding in my ears, the adrenaline sharpening every movement into something almost instinctual.
As I closed the distance, the dummy barely reacted — its systems still rebooting from the sudden barrage.
Reversing my grip on the dagger for better momentum, I thrust the blade forward with all my strength.
Crack!
The dagger pierced through the chestplate, right at the center — the dummy’s core.
The metal groaned in protest as the dagger slid deep into the vital circuits housed inside.
For a second, the dummy convulsed violently.
Its arms jerked spasmodically, sparks flying from the damaged core, joints locking and unlocking without order.
The red glow in its eyes dimmed... flickered... then died.
[Target Defeated.]
The announcement echoed through the chamber.
The dummy’s frame gave a final shudder before collapsing to its knees with a heavy metallic crash, and then falling face-first onto the stone floor.
The bracelet on my wrist flashed green — a sign of successful completion without sustaining critical damage.
The dummy lay still on the floor, sparks faintly crackling from its broken core.
Its once-glowing red eyes were now dim, lifeless.
"Congratulations! Now please move back."
Hilton’s voice echoed crisply from the speaker above.
I pulled the dagger free from the dummy's body with a sharp metallic scrape, flicking off the remaining debris.
Without a word, I turned and calmly exited the chamber, my boots echoing lightly against the stone floor.
Outside, the waiting room buzzed with tension.
Other test takers glanced up as I entered, some with nervous expressions, others with steely resolve.
I took a seat quietly, resting back against the cold wall while the next participants were called in one by one.
Time passed.
The tests dragged on for hours, the faint sound of combat and announcements leaking from behind the heavy doors.
One after another, the test takers trickled back into the waiting room — some looking relieved, others disheartened, clutching broken bracelets as proof of their failure.
Whispers filled the room, theories and gossip swirling around like smoke.
Finally, the last participant returned, and the intercom buzzed to life.
"All tests are now complete. Results will be announced shortly."
A wave of tension swept over the room.
---
Meanwhile, inside the Instructor’s Room—
A large, dimly lit chamber filled with dozens of massive screens displaying live feeds and detailed statistics.
The air was heavy with concentration as instructors moved swiftly between stations, analyzing data, recalculating scores, and finalizing the evaluations.
At one particular station, Instructor Hilton stood rigidly in front of a screen, arms crossed, his sharp eyes glued to the numbers flashing by.
His brow furrowed in deep thought, a rare seriousness lining his usually calm demeanor.
Noticing this, a female instructor approached, her clipboard tucked under her arm.
"What’s wrong, Instructor Hilton?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity.
"You look like you’ve seen a ghost."
Hilton didn’t turn.
He continued staring at the screen, as if trying to confirm what he saw.
"Nothing." he said slowly, before adding,
"It’s just... this player is really interesting."
"Oh? Who are you talking about?"
She leaned over to peek at his monitor.
"Test taker No. 12."
"He completed the dummy test faster than anyone else... and not a single scratch on him."
The woman’s eyebrows raised slightly.
"Now that you mention it..." she murmured.
"Even during the earlier tests, he was remarkable. All answers perfect, the quality of his runestones outstanding for a beginner. Almost unnatural."
Hilton nodded silently.
"What do you think his final score will be?" he asked.
"Hmm... judging from the results, maybe an S+, if not borderline SS." she guessed thoughtfully.
"Definitely among the top, but nothing unheard of."
Hilton didn’t answer.
He simply kept watching the main display, waiting.
Soon, a loud beep echoed across the instructor room.
Finalized results began appearing on the large central monitor — name after name, ranking after ranking.
Instructors began to murmur amongst themselves, pointing at players who failed, those who barely passed, and a few who scored high.
Hilton, however, stood silently, his gaze locked onto one name alone.
And then—
"What the...?!"
"No way!"
Gasps and startled exclamations erupted around the room.
Hilton’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second — the only visible crack in his otherwise stoic facade.
Across the giant screen, the result for Test Taker No. 12 flashed brightly:
[SSS+]
A golden glow framed the letters, making them stand out even more starkly against the other mundane ranks.
"SSS+?!"
"That’s... that’s the highest possible grading!"
"Is it an error?"
Another instructor hurried over, eyes wide.
"No one has ever received SSS+, not even in the previous generations!"
"The system automatically locks scores to S+ unless something extraordinary happens!"
The female instructor who had been speaking with Hilton earlier stared at the screen in disbelief.
"An unrestricted SSS+..." she whispered,
"In this tower, only one being has scored such results."
"Who?"
"Odin, the king of Asgard!"
"Is it true?"
"Yeah, Odin was once curious about this grading. So he called the principal and took the test. His results were also SSS+."
The room buzzed with a strange mixture of excitement, awe, and unease.
All the instructors instinctively turned their heads toward Hilton — as if expecting him to say something, to offer an explanation.
But Hilton simply crossed his arms, a rare smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Looks like we’ve found something... very interesting."
"No — someone exceptional."
The monitors continued to blink, but everyone’s attention remained fixed on that single result, the letters SSS+ gleaming like a brand new legend about to be born.
But whether it was legend or destruction, only time will tell.
