Chapter 8: A Prodigy’s Awakening

The Commander has arrived, too…

Oh my, this is absolutely outrageous…

Amid the clamor, the highest authority of the Tianfeng Security Zone made his entrance, and throughout the vast Testing Plaza, countless survivors could hardly hide their excitement.

Especially the trainees; nearly everyone craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the towering figure gracing the square.

As the strongest in the Security Zone, not everyone is privileged enough to see him.

Amid their awe, the trainees looked enviously at Yenir, who was enveloped in an acoustically isolating shield.

A mere test, yet it stirred such a commotion.

In the history of the Tianfeng Security Zone, it was truly unprecedented.

“What’s the situation?”

With a composed expression, after landing, Xiao Hai fixed his gaze directly on Yenir and asked in a low tone.

Carrying a faint scent of blood, his back bore a Giant Battle Sword that had apparently only just been sheathed not long ago.

Stepping forward, Liao Tian, the Military Commission’s representative, bowed respectfully before quickly beginning his introduction:

“Commander Xiao, as mentioned earlier, this is Yenir – a male ordinary trainee, eighteen years old.”

“Six minutes ago, his test was rated A, four minutes ago it jumped to S – now, it seems to be challenging SS level!”

“Due to the lower grade of our Test Crystal, we’re still unsure of the true level of his innate talent.”

After speaking swiftly, Liao Tian patiently stood aside, awaiting further questions from Xiao Hai.

With exceptional perceptiveness, he immediately figured out that the Commander had rushed back from the battlefield — a clear sign of how seriously Yenir was regarded.

“Oh?”

“The test is still underway!?”

His eyes widened in astonishment.

Xiao Hai, a Third-Tier Awakened, nodded slightly, his typically imposing demeanor now tinged with genuine admiration.

When he first received the news, Yenir was only suspected to be S-level.

He had believed that such talent was extraordinary enough to warrant his personal appearance, yet the scene exceeded his expectations.

With a sweeping gesture of his hand, he barked orders to the surrounding troops:

“Lockdown, everyone! Retrieve Yenir’s records at once!”

With a note of admiration softening his usual commanding tone, Xiao Hai inspected Yenir’s back closely.

As if a thought occurred to him, he subtly tilted his head and asked Liao Tian without a trace of emotion:

“On my way here, I heard there was a disturbance at the Testing Plaza beforehand?”

“Some reports claim that this kid forcibly participated in the test by holding an Awakened hostage – is there any truth to that?”

His tone remained unyieldingly authoritative.

Liao Tian, standing aside, was taken aback; though the Commander’s words carried no overt malice, his seasoned nature could easily detect an undercurrent of displeasure.

Could it be that the locals nearly jeopardized Yenir’s chance for testing?

Without pausing, Liao Tian hurriedly explained, swallowing his pride:

“Reporting back to the Commander.”

“There was indeed a conflict earlier, but it was all a misunderstanding!”

“When I saw Yenir, I immediately noticed something unusual about him; he remained remarkably calm. Once I confirmed he wasn’t infected, I didn’t hesitate to let him take the test! I thought, with his impressive training, he might just be a prodigy!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than several high-ranking officials from the Security Zone were taken aback, their expressions turning oddly unsettled.

As they looked at Liao Tian’s earnest face, a strange feeling of unease crept into their hearts.

Was it admiration, or a worry over missing out on talent?

What a joke! When Yenir stormed into the Testing Plaza, you, Liao Tian, treated him like an insignificant insect — nothing more than a pawn to bolster your own authority.

Who was it that said even if talent was detected, the individual should be tossed into a laboratory as a test subject?

Amid their murmurs of discontent, none dared to call Liao Tian out.

Everyone knew that the Commander himself had come, clearly emphasizing the importance of this matter.

If Xiao Hai had known, Yenir might never have even gotten a chance to test — Liao Tian would have ordered him killed on the spot, if not dragged down along with him in outrage!

Losing even one prodigy, rated at least S-level, potentially SS-level, would be an irreparable loss for any Security Zone.

Glancing briefly at the nervous Liao Tian, Xiao Hai nodded ever so slightly, accepting the explanation.

“Very well.”

“As senior members, it is our duty to identify and nurture every potential talent.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than a brilliant flash of light burst before Xiao Hai’s eyes, a dazzling beam shooting straight into the sky!

What the—?!

“Bang-bang!”

With several successive cracking sounds of shattering fragments, the Test Crystal on stage exploded in an instant!

Huh?!

Having been watching Yenir closely since his arrival, Xiao Hai was startled by the sound; before he could fathom what was happening, a fragmented test prompt rang out.

“Test… complete… Test level: SS!”

Though the prompt was intermittent and faint, when it sounded, it struck the crowd like a thunderclap.

Xiao Hai was taken aback, and upon realizing the test was over, his normally steady heart began to pound uncontrollably.

Silence fell over the entire hall as everyone stood frozen in disbelief, unable to trust their own ears.

Yenir… he tested SS level!?

Even the Test Crystal couldn’t contain his talent and shattered instantly!?

It was as if a dream — all the high-ranking officials from the Security Zone who had rushed over wore expressions of exhilaration and shock, rendered speechless.

None had expected that in an ordinary test, a genius like Yenir would emerge!

SS level! Truly SS level! The entire Huaxia Battle Zone collectively has fewer than ten of them!

“Excellent!!”

After a brief moment of shock, Xiao Hai suddenly roared, his face alight with excitement as he looked at Yenir, who appeared lost in thought on stage.

He paid no heed to Yenir’s current state, assuming the young man was simply too stunned to react immediately.

His eyes shone with admiration and excitement.

Gone was his usual icy demeanor — Xiao Hai burst into hearty laughter and strode towards Yenir in a most congenial manner.

“I never expected such talent to emerge in our Tianfeng Security Zone!”

“Yenir!”

“Very good!”

With a smile on his face and under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Xiao Hai stepped directly beside Yenir, beaming as he said:

“Yenir, congratulations on testing for SS-level talent!”

“Now, tell me, what reward do you desire? I assure you, I’ll grant it!”

“I have reported your status to the top brass of the Battle Zone. I’m confident that soon, prominent figures will take notice of you.”

After speaking, Xiao Hai looked at the young man with evident delight, but upon closer observation, he noticed a hint of discontent and puzzlement on Yenir’s face.

Xiao Hai was momentarily taken aback, unable to shake the feeling that behind Yenir’s expression lay a touch of dissatisfaction with the talent test outcome!

“Yenir!?”

“Yenir!? The Commander is talking to you!”

Several high-ranking Security Zone officials, alarmed by Yenir’s continued silence, shouted nervously in an attempt to rouse him.

A second later, Yenir finally seemed to come to his senses, nodding silently in response.

On the testing stage, he observed the admiring and envious gazes, yet his face revealed little emotion.

The reason was simple.

He clearly recalled that his talent was SSS-level — the highest possible rating for a human.

Yet who would have thought that the Test Crystal here had already reached its limit?

Looking at those excited faces, Yenir hesitated for a moment before suppressing the urge to test again.

To truly gauge his talent, he might need to be transferred from a larger battle zone.

After all, the influence of an SS rating was just enough.

More than his test results, what truly captivated him now was the loaded Sword God System.