Volume One: First Signs of Brilliance Chapter Forty-Two: The Test (Part Two)

If she hadn't witnessed it with her own eyes, she would never have believed it. Even being present and seeing it firsthand, her heart was still filled with a complex sense of disbelief.

In all her years, she had never come across a monster like Wang Jue.

This was no mere challenge across ranks; it was a monstrous leap across nearly six minor realms. The thought even crossed her mind—could this fellow truly be an unrivaled prodigy within his own level?

Even the members of their hunting squad, each considered a genius in the eyes of outsiders, paled in comparison to Wang Jue; the gap was simply too vast.

There is no hurt without comparison.

Suppressing her urge to recruit Wang Jue for the hunting squad, Lan Yiyi tried to keep her tone as usual. "Next, let's test your speed."

"Alright."

Wang Jue didn’t say much more. Determined to leave as soon as possible, he had already resolved to cooperate completely. Yet, when his gaze drifted to Lan Yiyi’s impassive expression, he couldn’t discern whether she was pleased, dissatisfied, or harboring any other thoughts.

Whatever plans Lan Yiyi had, with her strength, if she intended to act against him, he would be powerless to resist. It was better to simply comply.

The speed test results came out quickly. Though not perfectly accurate, they were close enough.

"One hundred meters in five seconds, averaging twenty meters per second—not bad at all."

When Wang Jue burst into speed just now, he did feel a bit uncomfortable. After all, this was his first time taking such a test; he rarely even ran before. To have him sprint a hundred meters at full speed was truly a challenge.

If he had the chance to practice a few more times, he would likely be even faster.

Curious, Wang Jue turned to Lan Yiyi. "Captain Lan, how would you rate my speed?"

"Your speed? It’s almost on par with a ninth-level Body Tempering warrior." Lan Yiyi praised him sincerely. "You’re only at the third level of Body Tempering, yet your strength and speed are enough to rival someone at the ninth level. Your abilities are truly astonishing—genius-level. Are you satisfied with that assessment?"

Lan Yiyi knew she herself hadn’t been this strong at the third level; she only reached such power at the sixth level. Compared to her, Wang Jue was beyond terrifying.

To call him a genius was almost an understatement—he was a monster, and a fearsome one at that.

A terrifying prodigy. A monstrous talent.

Normally, some gifted third-level Body Tempering practitioners might be able to take on someone at the fourth level, perhaps even challenge a fifth-level opponent, but they certainly couldn’t stand against someone at the sixth level.

To be able to rival a ninth-level practitioner while only at the third—this was truly abnormal.

Wang Jue’s prowess stemmed partly from his advanced cultivation method, and partly from his overall physical enhancements.

It was the combination of these factors that allowed him to reach this level.

Of course, at present, Wang Jue was only equal to ninth-level practitioners in terms of strength and speed. In a real fight, he would likely lose more than he’d win.

After all, his greatest weakness was his lack of martial techniques.

Any martial art, the higher the level of mastery, the more formidable its power.

"A genius?" Wang Jue tried to maintain a calm exterior in response to Lan Yiyi’s words, but inside, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement. The word "genius" had never been associated with him—not since childhood.

Whenever he saw those so-called “geniuses” others spoke of, he would have been lying to say he never envied them.

He had grown used to being seen as useless, never imagining he would one day become the genius others envied.

Truly, the world is full of wonders; never draw conclusions before the end.

"Yes, a genius. With your talent, anywhere you go, people will want to recruit you." Lan Yiyi made no attempt to hide her intention.

At first, she hadn’t been certain, but after these two tests, her mind was made up: she had to secure Wang Jue for her squad.

To recruit him?

Her meaning was unmistakable. Wang Jue understood what she was getting at, but he knew this was only the beginning, and didn’t let pride or carelessness get to him.

At most, he was just a bit pleased.

There were no doubt countless geniuses in this world—perhaps not so many as to flood the land, but certainly not few. Yet, those who truly became powerful were exceedingly rare.

A dead genius is no genius at all.

Throughout their conversation, Lan Yiyi had been quietly observing Wang Jue, noting that he showed no arrogance or conceit at her praise, which only increased her approval.

"The reason I called you here today was, first, to assess your abilities and, second, to ask about your plans for the future."

Lan Yiyi spoke directly, never one for unnecessary words. "Are you interested in joining the hunting squad?"

"The hunting squad?" Wang Jue looked up sharply. He had thought she simply wanted to recruit him as a subordinate, but hadn’t expected her to invite him to the hunting squad itself.

He didn’t answer immediately. After confirming she wasn’t joking, he lowered his head in thought before replying, "The hunting squad must be dangerous, right? With my current age and abilities, I’m afraid…"

There were three main squads in the safe zone: the Security Squad, the Guard Squad, and the Hunting Squad.

The Security Squad handled disputes among ordinary people. The Guard Squad protected the safe zone from external threats.

Both the Security and Guard Squads could be seen from time to time.

But the third, and by far the most formidable—the Hunting Squad—remained shrouded in mystery.

They rarely appeared before the public.

Thus, everyone in the safe zone knew of the Hunting Squad’s existence, but not what they actually did.

As the name implied, the Hunting Squad specialized in “hunting”—their usual prey were either criminal warriors or the myriad star beasts roaming the wilderness.

In Wang Jue’s mind, the Hunting Squad was an extremely dangerous place.

Not that the squad would harm him, but accepting their invitation meant he would be expected to carry out missions—there would be no freeloading.

Especially when it came to facing dangerous, ruthless criminals; he had plenty of reservations.

After all, the Hunting Squad seemed, in every way, like a profession where one’s life hung by a thread—who knew who would fall next?

"Don’t worry. At your age, we would only be training you for now. It’ll be some time before you truly join the Hunting Squad," Lan Yiyi said at the right moment, as if sensing his apprehension.

However, there was something she hadn’t mentioned—this was not just training, but observation as well.

If Wang Jue ever displayed unsavory behavior during this period, the squad could easily change their minds.

Otherwise, recruiting ingrates or traitors would only cause trouble.

As the most mysterious and powerful of the three squads, the Hunting Squad’s recruitment process was stringent, filtering candidates layer by layer.

Only those who passed every test would be admitted.

Others would at most become peripheral members.

Wang Jue fell silent.

He could not agree to this lightly; it was a decision that would shape his future.

He had considered joining a major organization.

The larger the organization, the easier it was to access resources and information.

But what gave Wang Jue pause were the rules.

As the saying goes, there can be no order without rules.

No matter the size of the team or organization, rules were essential.

The bigger the organization, the stricter the rules.

Usually, joining a major organization was like signing away your freedom.

Wang Jue had no desire to be sold out by others, nor did he wish to die a senseless death.

Now, with Lan Yiyi’s offer to train him, the benefits were obvious—he might even learn news about the diamond-shaped gem he was seeking.

Yet, he truly had no wish to be tied to an officially sanctioned organization.

Strictly speaking, the military was just a catch-all term; each safe zone had its own military structure.

The three squads—Security, Guard, and Hunting—were essentially local paramilitary forces, not part of the formal military.

Compared to unofficial organizations, official ones might have better access to information and resources, but their rules were far more rigid.

In an official group, even trivial daily affairs were tightly regulated—this not allowed, that forbidden—leaving one wondering what was left to do.

Generally, opportunities often came hand in hand with danger. What choice was correct now?

Should he agree?

Or refuse?

For the moment, Wang Jue could not decide.

"Enough, there’s no need to rush. You can make your decision before the exam," Lan Yiyi said, careful not to push him too hard, lest she scare him away.

She had already prepared herself for responses like, "I need to discuss it with my family," or "I need some time to think it over."

Wang Jue exhaled. "Understood."

In the end, he didn’t give an immediate answer; after all, there was still about a month until the exam.

He planned to observe how things developed in the meantime.

As if a great weight had been lifted, Wang Jue felt much lighter. "By the way, Captain Lan, can I ask what rules the hunting squad actually has?"

"Oh? Why does that interest you?" Lan Yiyi was momentarily surprised, but quickly decided to be honest. "Of course there are rules—chiefly, you can’t use force recklessly, you mustn’t reveal your identity, and whenever the organization calls, you must drop everything and return immediately, and so on."

"Is that all?" Wang Jue asked skeptically.

Lan Yiyi nodded. "If you want to avoid restrictions in the hunting squad, there are two ways: become a core member, or remain a peripheral member."

At this, Lan Yiyi seemed to open up, giving Wang Jue a meaningful look. "No matter where you go in this world, every organization has rules. If you don’t want to be bound by them, then strive to become someone who sets the rules yourself."