Shunya adjusted his collar for the fifth time.
It still felt weird wearing a uniform. The grey jacket with a small silver emblem on the sleeve made him look… somewhat official. Like he belonged. Except he did n't feel like that at all.
The examination hall was way bigger than he imagined.
There were hundreds of seats lined up like a battlefield of desks. Rows upon rows of young cultivators sat quietly, heads bowed, all with sharp eyes and focused auras. Some wore robes. Others wore armor. One guy in the back looked like he had just come from a funeral. Or was attending one.
Shunya swallowed nervously.
"I don't think I'm ready," he muttered.
The system pinged calmly in his head.
[SYSTEM INFO DUMP LOADING...]
"Welcome to the N.C.G.O. Basic Cultivation Exam! Remember, this exam determines your eligibility to operate within cultivation society. Failing will result in embarrassment, emotional damage, and possibly minor exile. Good luck!"
"Wait. Exile?!"
[Joking. Probably.]
[Confidence level: 47%]
Shunya sighed and slumped into his chair.
Across the hall, Naomi caught his eye. She gave him a small nod. Not exactly encouraging. More like, "Don't be an idiot."
Next to him, a short girl with green hair was already sharpening her pencil with ki energy.
On his other side, a bald guy was meditating with his eyes open.
"Am I the only normal person here...?" Shunya whispered.
The Exam Begins
A loud gong rang from the front of the hall.
A tall elder with long white hair floated to the center stage. Literally floated. He didn't touch the ground. His robe fluttered dramatically as he held out a scroll in one hand.
"Let the Written Examination… begin!" he declared.
Papers flew from the sky like snow.
Each test paper gently landed on the desks. Shunya's fluttered down and smacked him in the face before sliding into position.
[SYSTEM TIP: [Basic Knowledge Scroll Loaded!]]
[You now have 10% increased memory recall. Try not to panic.]
He glanced at the first question.
Q1. Define the Five Spiritual Roots.
Shunya blinked. "...There are five?"
He looked around. Everyone was scribbling intensely.
Naomi's pen was moving like a sword. Vikoria, two rows behind, had her hand resting against her cheek as she wrote peacefully.
Shunya scratched his head.
"Okay, okay. Think. Spiritual roots… root vegetables? No. Focus."
He summoned the System's Hint Mode.
[HINT ACTIVATED:
Spiritual Roots refer to the five elemental pathways — Fire, Water, Earth, Metal, and Wood. Most cultivators align with one, but some rare ones can merge multiple.]
"Oooohhh," Shunya muttered, quickly scribbling the answer.
Moments of Panic and Clarity
Q3. What is the difference between Qi and Spirit Qi?
Shunya: "They're… friends?"
> INCORRECT.
Q5. What is the legal distance for cultivating near a Sacred Beast's territory?
Shunya: "Define legal."
> INCORRECT.
Also: Sacred Beasts bite.
Q7. List three types of cultivation techniques used by Hard Rank cultivators.
Shunya tapped his pen. "Can 'Punch Really Hard' count?"
> Debatable.
Accepted. (1/3 correct)
Time ticked by slowly.
Shunya began sweating halfway through, not from the difficulty but from existential dread.
"Why do I need to know how many petals a Spirit Lotus has?" he mumbled.
SYSTEM RESPONSE:
"Because that's where your healing elixirs come from, dummy."
Tiny Win, Big Moment
Suddenly, halfway through the test, Shunya paused.
There was a question about Mana Flow Disruption in Young Cultivators.
He remembered something Vikoria mentioned on the rooftop.
Something about how children in poor regions couldn't cultivate because of unstable meridian flow. That they needed patience, not force.
Shunya blinked.
He wrote an answer that sounded... kind.
And right.
Time's Up
"Pencils down," the Elder said.
The papers flew back into the air like startled pigeons.
Shunya slumped in his seat, exhausted.
Then Naomi walked by his desk.
She paused.
Looked at him.
Then gave him a slow, almost invisible thumbs up.
Shunya's heart did a little dance.
Then froze when he saw Jean Keyar walking in from the hallway.
Jean smiled warmly.
"Hope you didn't write 'punch really hard' again," he said.
Shunya laughed nervously.
Just as Shunya reached for his bag, the system gave one last ping.
[ SYSTEM NOTICE: "Combat Test scheduled for tomorrow morning. Physical exam. Monster included. Breakfast recommended."]
Shunya's face paled.
"...Monster included?!"
[Location: New Fornia Southern Fields
Target Beast Rank: Normal
Survival Rate: 71%
Confidence Level: ...35%]
"Oh no," he whispered.