Alright then - let's get started," Scarlet said, her voice snapping everyone back to focus.
At her signal, a team of assistants rushed in, laying out sleek black pads across the floor like a well-rehearsed drill, each one pulsing faintly with Nexus.
They looked like simple mats but everyone in the room knew better.
As they finished setting up, Scarlet's gaze swept across the group.
She paused, just for a split second, her eyes flicking toward Boros - unintentional, but noticeable.
"One at a time," she said, voice sharpening. "You'll go one at a time. Let's see what you're really made of."
A guy from the crowd stepped forward, dropping to the black Nexa pad as the room quieted. With a sharp inhale, he began.
Thud... thud... thud...
Each rep triggered a dull pulse of blue light beneath hum, the pad reacting to pressure, form and rhythm like a silent judge.
"Yo," someone whispered, "this thing's reacting to his breathing."
"No joke," another muttered. "These pads are scary accurate."
The guy finished his set and stood, panting as his result popped up on a small crystal display beside Scarlet.
[Output: Inconsistent force. Lack of core stability.]
[Result: 12.5 / 20]
A few heads turned, already starting to measure the competition.
Scarlet nodded, then pointed. "Next."
Rael Stren cracked his knuckles and stepped forward confidently.
"Let me show you what an actual push-up looks like."
His reps were steady and controlled, muscles flexing with clean precision. The pad beneath him responded with a steady glow, analyzing every point of contact.
Even the assistants watching near the walls looked impressed.
[Output: Balanced reps. Strong frame control. Moderate burst force.]
[Result: 14.2 / 20]
He smirked as he stood. "Told, you."
From the back, a quiet voice replied, "Not bad for someone who talks as much as he breathes."
Scarlet gave a subtle nod. "Not bad."
"Next."
Next up, came a wiry man who looked way too relaxed. He glanced around, then dropped into a position with a smug grin. But his reps were choppy, barely touching full depth, his hips jerking awkwardly.
He slammed through 20 before quickly hopping up. Scarlet stared at the crystal screen.... and frowned.
[Irregular force pattern detected. Manual override attempted.]
[Result: 2 / 20]
"Stop right there," she said coldly.
The man froze mid-step.
"You were bouncing. And the pad picked up an abnormal weight shift pattern."
"I-I wasn't -!"
"The pad doesn't lie. Off the line. Scarlet snapped. "One more stunt like that and you're out of the exam."
Then came another man - taller, leaner - with shaggy hair and a sharp, focused look in his eyes. He said nothing as he got into position. No ego, no posturing. Just calm, deliberate movement.
That calm didn't last for long. His first push up hit hard, the pad flaring brighter than before. Each repetition had a crisp, flawless rhythm. Controlled power. Precision.
Scarlet watched closely her brow lifting slightly as the results followed.
[Output: High-impact drive. Consistent performance. Core strength optimized.]
[Result: 17.6 / 20]
Whispers broke out from the crowd as Jonas stood up, barely winded.
"Yo... who is this guy?"
"I swear I've seen him before -"
"Of course you have, dumbass," someone cut in. "He's literally been doing the tests with us all day."
"No, not like that," the first guy replied, eyes narrowed. "I've seen him somewhere else."
A different voice chimed in, "That's Jonas Tyrek. Heard he trained under Guild scouts or something."
"Damn, that's where I know the name from...."
"Damn he's good."
Rael Stren whistled under his breath. "Okay, that was clean."
Jonas simply nodded and returned to his spot, not even sparing a glance at the others
........
"My, my.... 17.6 as the highest so far?" the hooded man chuckled from the shadows above. His voice laced with playful intrigue. "Impressive. But the girls had higher scores."
His subordinate stood behind him, arms folded. "Yes sir.... But not everyone's taken the test yet."
A sly grin crept across the man's face as he leaned back and crossed his legs, fingers slightly tugging at the edge of his cowl.
"Mm. Fair point. Let's see who else surprises us."
.......
Then came Lykon Vren, cocky as ever. "Alright, alright, lemme show you what a real man looks like."
He dropped into position and began blasting reps like a man possessed - but his form was erratic, his elbows flared, and his body kept jerking forward to cut corners.
[Output: Weak endurance. Poor arm recovery.]
[Core collapse mid-set.]
[Result: 10 / 20]
"Still higher than some of you," Lykon grunted rolling his shoulder.
Another voice from the back snorted, "You looked like you were swimming, not pushin'."
As a test continued, all eyes kept flicking toward the entrance.
Someone muttered, "Where's that white haired guy? Think he'll break these pads too?"
Scarlet glanced toward the door without meaning to - a subtle, almost unconscious motion - then turned back to the scores, her voice crisp.
"Next," Scarlet said flatly, her voice echoing across the silent room. "You - step up."
Every head turned.
From the back wall, Boros straightened out of a lazy lean, brushing off invincible dust from his shoulder.
Footsteps echoed. Calm. Measured. Heavy with intent.
His face was emotionless, but those cold eyes pierced the space ahead.
"Tch.... Damn Kinuko," he muttered as he walked, "making me play along with these weaklings. I hate being ordered around..... This better lead me to that fire bastard."
Not a soul in the room spoke. The same guy who broke two Nexa pressure pads-tech forged from crystallized Nexa ore, once reserved for elite Guild training halls. A secret only the Golemworks Guild knew how to craft.
Was now walking up like it was just another Tuesday. No name. No title. No origin. Just a white-haired anomaly wrapped in mystery.
Whispers followed him like shadows:
"That's the guy who shattered the pads...."
"He's not even from any known Guild....."
"Is he even registered? He just showed up."
"Maybe he's a plant? A fake?"
Some still whispered he was a scam. Others chalked it up to a fluke. But nobody dared say anything out loud now.
Boros finally stopped in front of Scarlet, lifting his chin ever so slightly as his eyes locked with hers, a hint of menace under that calm voice.
"So," he said, "what the hell do you want me to do?"
Scarlet blinked.
Just once.
For a second, she didn't answer. The presence he carried - it wasn't something any standard recruit should have. It was a sharp. Controlled. Dangerous.
Her fingers twitched at her side. She clicked her tongue softly, masking the hesitation behind her usual cold tone.
".....The push-up calibration test," she said, stepping back. "Just follow the signals and perform as many proper reps as you can.
"You'll be graded accordingly."
Even then, her voice had lost some of its edge.
From the crowd, a few murmured:
"Did you see that? She hesitated."
"Scarlet never does that."
"Who the hell is he?"
.......
"Well, would you look at that...."
The hooded man leaned forward, eyes narrowing beneath his cowl.
"Everyone seems so interested in him." A mischievous grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.
His subordinate tilted his head. "Yes sir. I wonder who he is."
The hooded man didn't look away. He stretched forward, interlocking his fingers with a soft crack of the knuckles.
"Hush now... I want to see where this goes."
........
Boros didn't wait for further instructions. He stepped forward, into position like he'd done this a thousand times - with nothing but disdain in his eyes.
The Nexa pads lit up beneath him, waiting.
Scarlet tapped the calibration screen.
"Begin."
The pads chimed.
Boros moved.
His form was sharp - every push-up like a piston. Clean. Explosive. Unbroken.
But what stunned the room wasn't just the speed or precision. It was the sound.
The floor thumped beneath him with every rep. Not sloppy. Not rushed. Each one landed with pinpoint control, sending subtle vibrations across the platform.
Scarlet's brow twitched.
Again.
And again.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
The pads started flickering - registering high output.
[Too high.]
As if they were struggling to keep up. A soft beeping pulsed from her console.
Scarlet frowned and tapped the display.
[Still functional.]
[Still recording.]
But the numbers were climbing - fast.
In the crowd, someone broke the silence:
"Is he.... breaking them again?"
"No way. That's the advanced pad set."
"I don't even think he's breaking a sweat...."
Lykon, arms folded in the back, narrowed his eyes. "That monster..."
Jonas exhaled, lips tight. "He's not human. I'm sure of it."
Scarlet squinted at the readings again, then looked back at Boros - who hadn't slowed. If anything he was pushing harder.
Each rep hut heavier than the last.
THUMP.
THUMP.
The system beeped again, Scarlet leaned in close.
".....What the hell?"
Another beep. Then two. Scarlet leaned in-
and the pads sparked.
'...What the hell?' she muttered, just as the lights flickered.