The training ground fell silent as Liam stood before the iron slab, his fist still pressed against the cold metal. The seconds ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity. Ten seconds passed, even so, nothing happened. The iron slab remained silent, its verdict hanging in the air like a dark cloud.
"Fail!" the guards announced, their voices cold and unyielding. They signaled the other guards to take Liam away.
Liam didn't panic, but confusion washed over him. He had surely reached the first stage; he knew it in his bones. So why didn't the iron slab ring? Why didn't he pass the test? His mind raced as he tried to make sense of the situation.
The guards moved in, their grips firm as they began to lead Liam away. Rin watched in horror, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and disbelief. She had trusted Liam, and believed in him. She had dreamed of living with Liam for the rest of her life, but now it seemed like it was all for nothing.
"No, wait!" Rin cried out, her voice filled with desperation. "He passed! He has to have passed!"
Liam turned to look at Rin, his eyes filled with a mix of confusion and determination. "Rin, I did reach the first stage. I don't know why it didn't ring, but I did."
Rin's eyes welled up with tears, her mind racing with doubts. Only Liam knew he had achieved the first stage, but the others in his team didn't. He could very well be lying to them. The thought sent a chill down her spine. If Liam had lied about achieving the first stage and wasted his time helping her, she couldn't bear to live any longer.
"Liam, please tell me the truth," Rin pleaded, her voice choking with emotion. "Did you really reach the first stage?"
Liam's expression softened, his voice filled with sincerity. "Rin, I swear on my life, I reached the first stage. Something must be wrong with the slab or the test. I don't know what, but I did achieve it."
The Joon brothers exchanged worried glances, their faith in Liam wavering. "Liam, are you sure?" Joon Ho asked, his voice filled with doubt. "If you didn't pass, then..."
Soo Min looked at Liam with tear-filled eyes, her small frame trembling. "Liam, please don't let it be true. You have to pass."
The guards, growing impatient, tightened their grip on Liam. "Enough talking," one of them barked. "You failed the test. Now come with us."
As the guards apprehended him, he quickly asked the system, "What's going on? Did I truly not reach the first stage?"
[Do not question the integrity of the system.] The system's response was stern and immediate.
Liam persisted, "Why did I fail the test?"
[You did not fail the test.] The system's reply only deepened Liam's confusion.
If he hadn't failed, the iron slab should have rung with the specific frequency, but it didn't. The anomaly left Liam bewildered. As the guards grabbed him by each arm and began to drag him away, he looked up at the commanders, his eyes searching for the Crimson Shadow.
He wanted to see his reaction, to check if he would intervene.
Although Liam wasn't worried—he knew he had reached the first stage—he was curious and confused about the iron slab's failure to respond.
Suddenly, a voice commanded, "Stop!"
Everyone expected it to be the Crimson Shadow since it had now become quite obvious that he favored Liam for some reason, but it was Stone Ox who had spoken. He ordered the guards, "Let him go."
The guards hesitated for a moment before complying, releasing Liam from their grip. Stone Ox, along with the other four commanders, jumped down from the cliff and surrounded Liam, who was now more confused than ever.
"Did I pass the test?" Liam asked, his voice filled with curiosity. He knew he had passed, but the question of the iron slab not ringing remained unanswered.
"But he failed the test," one of the guards commented, his voice laced with disdain.
Lin Xueya, one of the five commanders, replied sharply, "You have no authority to declare who passed or failed until we decide. No one can go against our decision."
The tension in the air was palpable, the question still hanging unanswered.
Suddenly, Liam received a notification.
[Congratulations. You have unlocked a new A-rank skill - Absolute Silence.]
The use and description of the skill popped up on the next screen.
[Absolute Silence: Any form of first attack, be it a skill or technique, no matter how weak or powerful, will be silenced, but still deal full damage as originally intended. No one will be alerted as long as no other person stands within the one meter radius. However, if the attack covers the area bigger than that, the skill wouldn't work. It will not be activated.
Cooldown: 12 hours.]
Now, all of Liam's questions were answered. He asked the system in his mind, "Do the commanders know about this skill?"
[The commanders are skilled enough to realize the phenomenon. It's a well known but hard to master technique.]
"How did I get it then? Last I remember, you were still an asshole without any ass… or a hole."
[Because you are practiced it when you were killing the guards, you dipshit.]
Liam then asked, "Why is the skill named so badass if its use isn't as impressive as the name suggests?"
[The skill name will not change when the skill rank is upgraded. Most of the skills you will receive will have the name of their final form.]
Crimson Shadow stepped forward and announced, "He has passed the test."
Liam's team erupted in cheers, and their faces beamed with relief and happiness. They waited eagerly for Liam to come to them so they could congratulate him. But Rin couldn't wait.
She rushed to Liam, her eyes filled with tears of joy and relief. She hugged him tightly in the middle of the training ground, in front of everyone, without thinking of the consequences.
Liam, usually secretive and unsociable, hugged Rin back. He kept the hug short to make it seem more like a friendly embrace, but the gesture was filled with genuine affection and gratitude.
The other team members also joined them and congratulated him.
While it was a moment of celebration for them, for others who were still waiting for their turn, were shitting their pants.