Every seat in the observation ring of the arena were occupied.
A thousand powerborns were gathered at the arena, all waiting to see how the examination would turn out.
The final examination was a common practice in the Resistance. New powerborns who felt ready to carry out advanced missions were assessed in the arena.
Three months had passed since Mark began his training at the Resistance; three months of hard work and experimentation
Today, everyone was to bear witness to the new strength he had amassed.
Rumors had spread of the magnificent powerborn, who carried a DNA strain that had never been seen before.
It caught the interest of the soldiers, even the superiors, who were eager to witness what marvels the boy could perform.
Almost every member of the Resistance who were free from duty was present.
Captain Savannah was also present, seated in a VIP section of the observation ring, along with her fellow superiors, and top-ranking officials of the Resistance.
All were in attendance, except Mark.
"Where is the boy?" A superior asked.
"Patience, Nicholas." The captain replied in a calm tone. "He is fond of losing his way."
*****
On the other side of the base, Mark sat alone in his room, head buried between his legs, lost in deep thought.
Throughout the past three months, he had been unable to sleep properly.
He was haunted by his sole ambition.
Finding the man who brutally murdered his mother
To achieve this, he toiled and sweated to build himself up to his strongest version, denying himself any rest in the process.
His efforts were not in vain, as the system rewarded him for his hard work.
Now, all that was left was to pass the final exam and head back into the world.
With each passing day, he was one step closer to achieving his goal.
But as the days went by, Mark felt his personality shift.
It began slowly at first, a gentle feeling of rage and helplessness when he realized that the man who killed his mother could be ten times stronger than he was.
But after a while, it became more than that. It was something darker and ominous.
His rage had slowly turned to a deep-seated resentment, and every shred of joy Mark ever harbored slowly began to fade.
Natalya was the first to notice this development. She tried to convince Captain Savannah to halt his training and send him to a therapist instead.
However, the captain refused. Her only concern was to make Mark as strong as possible and use him as a tool to end the Anti-Manipulation Agency, once and for all.
*****
The small crowd had grown restless, wondering if the 'Wonder Boy' was ever going to show up, when the lights in the arena began to crackle.
Soon afterward, the main doors to the battle zone opened wide.
Most spectators began to cheer as a lone male figure, dressed simply in a dark blue hoodie and sweatpants, walked into the arena. He took off his head covering and stared up at his audience, basking in their admiration.
"His eyes…" Captain Savannah observed. "He already activated his aura."
"If he begins that way, he'll pass out before the end of the test." One of the superiors commented.
Captain Savannah disagreed but kept her opinion to herself.
Let's see how it goes, she thought.
Natalya Stone sat right behind her boss. For some reason, she was visibly worried.
No, she wasn't worried about Mark losing his breath. There was something different about him, and she could feel it.
"Stay calm, Officer Stone. He'll be alright."
Natalya felt a little relief when she heard Savanna's voice in her head. Her uneasiness persisted, but she managed to remain composed as the events unfolded.
Finally, the arena doors closed shut.
The exam had begun.
*****
The night before, Drey Bedford tried to explain the exam procedure to Mark.
"There are two stages," He began. "The first stage is a Spatial Awareness Test. There'll be multiple opponents attacking from different directions. The faster you take them out, the better. If it's too much for you, you can tap out anytime."
"Sounds easy. What next?"
"The second stage is a one-on-one Power Test. You'll be facing a powerborn with a different strain."
"Okay. Do you know who it is?"
"Can't say for sure. But the goal is to test your technique and creativity. It'll be quite difficult."
Mark scoffed.
It didn't matter who it was. He had no intention of letting anyone delay his mission.
*****
Standing alone, in the very center of the arena, Mark could sense the eyes of every spectator watching him.
In his heart, Mark felt like a gladiator, tasked with only one goal.
Target elimination.
"Aries?"
["Yes, Mark"]
"Show me my stats."
["Confirmed"]
[USER STATS]
Health - 100/100
Strength - 65/100
Speed - 55/100
Stamina - 65/100
Skill - 60/100
Agility - 45/100
Toughness - 70/100
[Rank: D-Tier]
When it was time for the examination to begin, Captain Savannah pushed a button on her digital wristband.
The next moment, two dozen figures ran into the room, dressed in combat uniforms that were a close imitation of the PCA standard. Each was armed with a disruptor.
Two dozen assailants, one target.
This had never been done before.
A sudden hush descended on the arena. A hundred eyes eagerly watching the spectacle.
To most, it was the match of a lifetime.
To Mark, it was a piece of cake.
Without hesitation, he released a continuous blast of lightning from both hands simultaneously, raising them in opposite directions toward the assailants.
Most ducked out of the way, narrowly avoiding instant electrocution.
A few of them, however, weren't so lucky. They fell unconscious as megavolts of electricity coursed into their system.
The spectators cheered and applauded at the feat. Many of them had never witnessed a lightning user in action.
Captain Savanna was impressed. Mark's continuous discharge signified that he had built up his endurance.
However, this test wasn't about endurance.
Mark's bolts of electricity cut through the wall panels and flooring in the arena, until the smell of burnt metal filled the air.
Soon, Mark decided it was enough and placed his arms down.
Your turn.
He couldn't have been more unprepared.
As soon as he deactivated his aura, Mark felt a massive force hit him from behind, propelling him across the arena.
As soon as he recovered, he immediately rose to his feet ready to strike back.
Before he could counter, Mark felt a warm fluid flow down his right cheek. He quickly bent his head low and felt at the spot with his finger.
It was blood. His blood.
His ears were bleeding!