[Assessment Remaining Time: 1 minute 25 seconds]
[Outside the Assessment Stage: Abandoned Mall]
Ding-a-ling!
The crisp sound of a bell rang out again. The small Raccoon Administrator stepped into the abandoned mall on its short legs.
It looked at the dust-covered shelves, a hint of a smile flashing in its round eyes, and its voice echoed through the empty mall.
"I have to say, you are very clever and you certainly know how to utilize your Star Source."
"Purely in terms of the basic qualities an Explorer should possess, you have passed."
Inside the mall, facing the Raccoon Administrator's praise, Mi Yao not only did not respond but also maintained his composure as much as possible, not daring to make the slightest movement.
He could feel the Raccoon's gaze sweeping over the shelves, stopping several times on his 'toy box.'
Coincidence?
Mi Yao didn't think so.
It must have truly detected him, but for some reason, it chose not to expose him immediately.
As Mi Yao's thoughts raced, the Raccoon Administrator suddenly walked towards his location.
"But, the purpose of the assessment is to have you all demonstrate your full potential."
"If I let you pass just like this, the assessment would be far too easy."
Following its words, the Raccoon Administrator put away its bell.
"Since you've reached this point, it's a good time to show you another option for the Calamity-Grade—one that is... an option besides the Domain."
As the last word fell, the Raccoon's body suddenly radiated a faint golden Star Energy!
The Star Energy surged out like a tide, enveloping its body, causing its size to begin rapidly expanding.
The Raccoon, originally only half a meter tall, instantly grew to 5 meters, 10 meters, 20 meters...
Boom!
The ceiling of the abandoned mall was shattered. Steel bars and concrete rained down like heavy drops.
The Raccoon's fur hardened into armor, each strand shimmering with a metallic luster. Its originally cute little paws turned into massive bear claws that slammed onto the ground, instantly crushing a 10-meter-diameter pit.
At the same time, its eyes turned golden, flashing with the oppressive power of a Calamity-Grade Star Beast. Even the surrounding Star Energy began to become turbulent.
As the Raccoon Administrator's transformation ended, a description of the transformation appeared on the dimensional screen.
[Calamity-Grade Ability: Dynamax (Second Form)]
[Description: A special form of Calamity-Grade Star Beasts that breaks through physical limitations. By activating its Star Marrow Fluid, the body size is amplified by 10-100 times, simultaneously gaining three major effects: 'Constitution Amplification,' 'Star Source Enhancement,' and 'Pressure Domain.' The cost is a 10-fold increase in Star Energy consumption speed.]
'Holy moly! The Raccoon's Dynamax is so cool! A 20-meter bear is too overwhelming!'
'So the Calamity-Grade has a Dynamax Form!'
'I feel like it's more than just a size increase; there should be other special effects.'
Under the influence of the Calamity-Grade Dynamax, Mi Yao's 'transformation' could no longer be sustained.
He stood amidst the rubble, looking up at the colossal Raccoon, which was over 20 meters tall, and gave a wry smile. "So, the Calamity-Grade has a backup plan besides the Domain, too..."
The Raccoon looked down at him, its golden eyes holding a hint of anticipation.
"Come on, Mi Yao. As long as you can survive the remaining time, you pass the assessment."
Following its words, the Raccoon Administrator raised its enormous paw and slammed it down heavily toward Mi Yao.
Before the paw even landed, the ground was deeply indented by the wind pressure. Even the Shadow Wolves that had appeared earlier scattered, daring not to approach.
This was the Calamity-Grade, a walking 'Calamity,' not something human strength could easily resist.
Boom!
The paw hit the ground, and the earth instantly shook violently.
The magnitude of the shock was sensed even by the other people outside the assessment stage.
When the dust cleared, Mi Yao's figure reappeared before everyone.
But when people clearly saw Mi Yao's condition, everyone fell silent.
Although Mi Yao in the picture had narrowly dodged the Raccoon Administrator's attack, his condition was not good.
Not only was half of his body stained with blood, but his right arm was dangling like a rag, clearly dislocated or fractured.
Yet, Mi Yao seemed to feel no pain, running headlong into the distance without looking back.
Fight?
He would have to be crazy to fight the Raccoon Administrator in its current state.
In the face of an absolute disparity in strength, 'skill' simply cannot compensate for the difference in 'stats' between the two sides.
Mi Yao understood this more clearly than anyone.
Furthermore, in his view, the core of this game was hiding.
Direct confrontation with a 'plot BOSS' like this was undoubtedly a very irrational choice.
However, escaping from the Raccoon Administrator now was clearly not going to be an easy task either.
Just as Mi Yao ran a few steps, the sky-obscuring palm struck down again.
Boom!
Amidst the swirling dust, Mi Yao's figure burst out of the smoke.
And behind him, the old-school arcade machine symbolizing the Arcade Master Star Source reappeared.
Subsequently, a strange light enveloped his body, which finally materialized into a sleek maglev sports car.
[Star Source: Arcade Master (Specialist Type)]
[Ability: Need for Speed]
[Effect: Can materialize different grades of Need for Speed vehicles depending on the Star Energy consumed. While driving, 'Nitrous Boosts' are randomly refreshed. Consuming them temporarily increases speed.]
Mi Yao drove the materialized maglev sports car, transforming into a streak of light and shadow, weaving continuously through the ruins.
At this moment, the assessment scene suddenly became fascinating.
It was clearly a race for life and death.
Yet, Mi Yao turned it into a spectacular scene comparable to an AAA video game.
Behind him was a constantly chasing behemoth, and in front was a maglev sports car navigating the ruins with various high-difficulty techniques.
If everyone didn't know this was reality, they would suspect they were watching a launch trailer for a new game.
In this chase, Mi Yao's maglev sports car executed a spectacular drift, flying between two buildings that were about to collapse, and finally came to a stop.
Screech!
With a burst of sparks, the maglev sports car's tires left two skid marks on the ground.
And not far from him, the constantly pursuing Raccoon Administrator also stopped.
Because the assessment time was up.
The Raccoon Administrator reverted to its original form and walked up to Mi Yao, who also let his Star Source ability dissipate, saying with a smile, "Well done, you passed."
As it spoke, the Raccoon Administrator took out an Explorer Badge from its hand and handed it to Mi Yao.
This badge was currently only an Apprentice Badge. Once Mi Yao passed the final theoretical assessment, he would officially become an Explorer and could accept missions to explore fallen zones.
Looking at the badge in his hand, Mi Yao was filled with mixed emotions.
The difficulty of this assessment... was far greater than he had imagined.