Chapter 597: The Final Competition
Chapter 597: The Final Competition
Yes! Just drill under the table!
After receiving a reminder from the Pisces Director, the numerous participating cleaners suddenly realized the solution.
These talented deviants, no matter how intense the commotion they created, only clashed above the table's surface, never intruding into the space beneath. And indeed, none of them had suffered any attacks below their chests.
If it's that simple, why didn't you tell us sooner?
With more than two-thirds of the cleaners, unable to endure the torturous exam environment, glared at the Pisces Director with resentment. They impatiently crawled under the table, escaping the increasingly fierce battle above. Relief and survival shone on their faces.
However, once under the table, they couldn't continue their drawings on the exam papers since they couldn't see the 'tree' behind the Pisces Director. No matter how magnificent their 'trees' were, their scores were frozen at their current state.
...
Alright, the first batch of zero-scorers has been filtered out.
The black and white eyes, circling around the dream bubble, took note of all the cleaners who chose to hide under the table. The Pisces Director, seated cross-legged on the podium, picked up a pen and began marking zeroes one by one in the beastskin notebook.
The upper limit of a cleaner's ability is their innate talent, while the lower limit is their courage to face danger and their unwavering determination in adversity.
If one lacks the courage to take a risk in this safe environment where there's no real injury, no matter how great their talent, they likely won't have the chance to prove themselves.
Remember, the Cleaning Bureau has countless adversaries, and the anomalies they face are diverse. No one can guarantee they'll never encounter a setback. Even the mighty Twelve Directors might find themselves in seemingly hopeless situations.
If one doesn't even dare to fight when assured of safety, how can they possibly have the courage to face death when they truly step onto a dead-end path? Such individuals will never amount to much, and even if they get lucky, their demise is only a matter of time.
Hmm... Never mind, let's give those who hid under the table a single point. Zero is a bit too absolute.
Among those who hid, the Pisces Director noticed some who were still trying, occasionally poking their heads out, then retreating to continue drawing. He hesitated for a moment before adjusting their scores.
Those who didn't dare to emerge from under the table deserved zeroes; such cowardice wasn't worth any points. But for those who still peeked out, their willingness to try, despite knowing it was safe and could improve their talents, earned them a single point for their attitude.
They lacked the courage to face death, but as long as they didn't give up, there was still hope. Experiencing a couple more life-or-death crises might just be what they needed to build up their courage.
However, that was a matter for the future. The remaining one-third, currently screaming and gritting their teeth as they drew, were the Bureau's future pillars. Regardless of how long they endured or what they drew, they all deserved a solid thirty points.
The Pisces Director looked at the remaining cleaners with satisfaction and, amidst their pitiful wails, completed the initial scoring. Then, he waited for them to fully showcase their talents.
Under the weight of the pioneers' 'talents,' the minds of the remaining hundred-plus cleaners couldn't accommodate any extraneous thoughts. They focused solely on unleashing their abilities.
In less than three minutes, all the cleaners who hadn't hidden under the table had fully expressed their unique and distinctive talents.
Rusty chains, a mask with no holes, and a fox head with blue flames in its eye sockets;
Stitched puppets, a withered maze, and a music box with two skeletons dancing together;
Various bizarre images emerged from the exam papers, suppressed by the dark mist and flying feathers. They protected the cleaners beside them, who had drawn until they were exhausted, like unlucky souls falling into a murky sewer, floating aimlessly.
"Aside from these insufficient talents, there are still about twenty or so elites who, while not as skilled as Flying Feathers or Gray Mist, possess talents that are almost on par with the turbid flow. The Horned Man on Lyon's left is one of them."
"Haha, I guess I underestimated you."
The Horned Man chuckled coldly, holding the centipede ant he had drawn around his neck. He glanced at Lyon, who was standing nearby, his body covered in cuts from the Gray Mist and charred black by the Flying Feathers, almost unrecognizable as a human. "I didn't think you'd be so tough, even with your mediocre talents."
"..."
"Is it possible that I'm not tough, but I simply don't feel any pain?"
[Through the creator's detailed explanation, along with your own observations and summaries, you've gathered a large amount of information about 'Talents' and activated the abnormal badge 'Materialist Soul (Crimson)'.
Having thoroughly understood the rules between talents, your resistance to this anomaly has greatly increased, and you are now able to block out the influence of the deepest levels.]
Lyon, his face rapidly shedding flesh and blood, replaced by a mask with no holes, turned his head and glanced at the Horned Man, his body covered in cuts. He responded politely, "Not bad, you're not too bad either."
"What?!"
The Horned Man's eyes widened as he listened to Lyon's steady response and observed his body, ravaged by various talents, looking more like a monster than a human.
"With my own talent protecting me, I can barely endure the aftermath of two or three talents. But this kid has over forty talents from others, and they are battling it out. How can he just sit there like nothing's wrong?"
The Horned Man fell silent, watching Lyon, who, after responding, turned his expressionless face back towards him and sat straight in his chair, showing no reaction.
"This kid... is a bit outrageous."
The Horned Man's attention shifted to the woman beside Lyon, the woman in yellow, with a talent that was almost on par with the directors of Pisces. So, when she said she had the confidence to defeat everyone and help Lyon secure first place, it wasn't just hot air.
In that case... even if I can't completely eliminate this kid, I must do something to suppress his score as much as possible!
"Sir Twin Fish!" The Horned Man called out to the director, who was standing on a distant podium, his voice filled with trepidation. "I've finished my exam, can I move a little closer to the others?"
"Hmm?" Sir Twin Fish raised an eyebrow at the Horned Man's request, then replied with interest, "Go ahead, give it a try."
"I want to sit closer to the others."
The Horned Man glanced at Lyon, his body covered in cuts, and a smirk played on his lips. "When my talent approaches others, it increases their pressure. But when their talents approach me, it adds extra pressure to me... Shouldn't this be fair?"
"It's fair." Sir Twin Fish's white eyebrows quivered as he glanced at Lyon, whose body was relaxed despite being covered in cuts. "Enduring the pressure from others' talents is part of this exam. Feel free to approach whoever you wish; I encourage it."
"Additionally, I can reveal that the ranking in this assessment will be based on the duration of your endurance. Only when there's just one person left will this exam conclude... That's all I have to say; you may proceed as you wish."
(End of Chapter)
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