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墨書 Inktalez
"This isn't right. Where is everyone?"
Freyr looked around and reached down to feel the ground, but he still couldn't find anything resembling a mechanism. The hard surface beneath him didn't seem to swallow fleeing prey like the soft mud of a swamp.
He then turned his gaze to other areas where battles were still ongoing, noticing that the injured Examines were quickly rescued by a group of strangers.
After a moment, he realized there wasn't even a single Injury on the ground.
If this wasn't a mechanism, then the most likely explanation for what was happening involved the special abilities possessed by these people. This was the only interpretation that made sense.
Speaking of special abilities, in his previous life, Freyr had heard about the existence of such individuals. To be honest, he thought those rumors were utterly absurd. Even with his authority to dissect the past, he couldn't uncover any clues. However, the rumors circulating in society referred to these powers as Abilities.
To put it simply, if we consider the perfect example of Gene-Enhanced Humans, individuals like Freyr, who possessed almost no side effects from their physique, were incredibly rare—one in ten thousand.
Every one of Freyr's past companions was an exceptional Gene-Enhanced Human, including the current Xiong Tai. After undergoing transformation, these individuals would eventually develop an Immense Strength over time. As time passed, their latent potential would gradually manifest in their physicality. The most effective and direct method for unlocking this potential was a technique known as awakening the body's hidden shackles.
This was commonly referred to as Gene Lock. According to scientific research, there are six known forms of Gene Lock. Generally, a typical Gene-Enhanced Human could awaken to the Second Stage at most, which could be considered Ultimate. Beyond that lay even more powerful beings who could achieve greatness upon greatness.
In this era, no matter where one went, it was impossible to escape the constraints of a hierarchical system. Freyr had even enlisted in the military to obtain legal proof of citizenship. The Gene-Enhanced Humans existed beyond ordinary classes and formed another tier within this new hierarchy—a massive pyramid.
The lowest tier was where Freyr currently found himself: the so-called Super Star tier. Individuals in this tier lived lives that were quite different from ordinary people; their status depended on their physical prowess. To outsiders, those in this tier appeared glamorous and impressive.
However, the competition within was enough to crush a person and could lead some individuals to develop self-loathing thoughts. This kind of mindset was something new psychologists struggled to address through communication and targeted treatment with patients—much like facing an incurable disease and resigning oneself to an impending death; it was a mental affliction akin to cancer of the soul with no remedy.
This psychological burden might not lead to death but could instill extreme feelings of isolation in these individuals. In their prolonged solitude, they would talk to themselves to fill the void left by dwindling human connection.
In his previous life during Aiki 777, Freyr would never forget that catastrophic disaster—the apocalypse when calamity struck and civilization decayed; he became the last person on Earth.
Up to this point, Freyr shook his head vigorously to keep himself awake.
He didn't want to recall those things; living through them again felt like a luxury he couldn't afford. What else could he hope for?
"It seems the rumors about Ability aren't false. Perhaps I've encountered it."
"Hmph, interesting. I really want to observe Ability up close."
For everything happening before him, he chose to try and believe. After this, Freyr felt that moving along a completely different trajectory into the future meant that the apocalypse symbolized by 777 would not come again. He was willing to wager his life on it!
Meanwhile, Chou had already qualified in second place. Freyr hesitated for a moment, while Atate showed no urgency in seeking him out. After seeing Freyr wandering near the Bell Tower, Atate turned back in his direction.
Freyr approached quickly, and Atate smiled slightly. "The team qualified in first place as usual. Everyone needs to take a moment to rest and not get involved in the battle. You need to have a hunter's mindset now; there are some things you can't change. Just sit back and watch. When it's time for you to come over, you must obediently follow the orders given."
Freyr nodded silently and turned to walk under a cluster of trees, leaning against one to rest.
As he rested, thoughts raced through his mind. Perhaps he should do some exercise to tire himself out, allowing some useless thoughts to roll away.
But now he didn't want to move at all. Leaning against the tree, he squinted his eyes and gradually relaxed.
Many things swirled through his mind, letting his thoughts run free. This state of being undistracted was quite nice; it saved him from the time spent healing from worries that led to mental breakdowns and tears. For some time now, he often dreamed of apocalyptic scenarios; whether 777 signified the future or if he would never escape the shadows of the past remained unclear.
Sometimes he would wake up in a sweat from nightmares, leaving others wondering if he had done something wrong. He always seemed to have bad dreams at night.
There's a saying: if you don't think about it, you won't dream about it. Living in the moment without a care was how a young man in his twenties should live.
Sure enough, after using this method, his thoughts became somewhat clearer. He took a short nap, likely a form of subconscious sleep, which allowed him to get enough rest while still being aware of his surroundings—a survival technique that swept away his fatigue in that brief moment of sleep.
Looking at the slightly familiar faces before him, he noticed that the number of people had decreased significantly since he had fallen asleep. Perhaps this farce was about to come to an end. Those who managed to pass the Hunter Assessment truly had it tough; they were elite individuals selected from a sea of over a thousand participants. By the end of the first round, more than half had been eliminated, and in the second round, only about twenty remained. Among those twenty, only half would become Professional Hunters of the Hunter Association.
He watched as the remaining few struggled to finish their battles. It was genuinely exhausting to witness. Fortunately, when he woke up, they were nearing the end. After a few kicks and punches, the last two standing emerged as victors.
The two winners reported to Atate, who congratulated them on their success before confirming that no one else remained. He then stood up, brushed off the dust from his pants, surveyed the empty surroundings, and shouted, "The assessment is over; assemble now!"
The other successful candidates hiding in various places began to emerge. The most frustrated were the two from Group A, who didn't even have time to rest. They followed the group for a while before returning to a building constructed by the Hunter Association.
They entered a spacious hunter hall that was already empty.
Atate smiled and said, "Sit here for a moment while I consult with the President. You should try to rest as much as possible because you might not have any time to relax afterward. Alright, I'm off."
Upon hearing Atate's words, many furrowed their brows. What did this mean? It implied that the test wasn't over yet! Just as they were about to call out, they noticed that he had already vanished.
Once again, this situation—he left so quickly! Freyr exclaimed in surprise.
As they entered the Classroom Hall, some initially sat stiffly upright due to nervousness. However, after waiting for a long time without anyone arriving, their habitual slouching began to show.
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