CHAPTER 25: SPEED TEST

Silva stood before the examiner again, his body still cooling down from the punch test. His breathing had steadied, but his heart was still beating hard against his chest. Sweat trailed down his forehead and jawline, yet his eyes were sharp. He had no plans of slowing down now.

The examiner flipped through the holographic note board. "Alright, next is the speed evaluation. Like I said before, we’ll run you through a series of tests. The grading scale is the same as strength, F through S. Your result will depend on your reaction time, agility, and sprint output."

He looked up at Silva, scanning his expression. "Ready?"

"I told you, I’ll be fine," Silva replied firmly. His voice was steady, confident, maybe too confident for someone who was supposed to be F-ranked.

The man gave a small nod, clearly curious about this kid who had already shocked him twice. He gestured toward the far end of the room where a narrow stretch of polished flooring gleamed under the overhead lights. Embedded into the floor were faintly glowing lines, each a marker tied to the system.

"This is the first test, short burst sprinting. You’ll run from here to the end line, about thirty meters. The sensors will track your acceleration and maximum velocity. For an F-rank, anything above six seconds is the usual. For a B, you’ll need to clear it under four seconds."

Silva’s lips tightened. Thirty meters sounded simple, but he knew very well this wasn’t about just running, it was about how fast the body could explode into motion, how much raw speed he could generate.

"Step up to the starting mark," the examiner instructed.

Silva walked to the glowing blue line. He crouched slightly, loosening his shoulders, and planted one foot back. He didn’t train as a runner, but his instincts told him what to do.

"On my count. Three... two... one... go!"

The moment the word left the examiner’s mouth, Silva launched forward. His foot hammered against the ground, propelling his body forward like a released arrow. The sudden burst startled even him, his body responded faster than expected.

The glowing lines on the floor flashed as his feet crossed them in a blur. His breaths were sharp, his movements powerful but controlled. His legs carried him faster than any casual athlete could hope to match.

In a heartbeat, he slammed across the end line. The device above blinked red, numbers flashing in the air.

[3.82 seconds.]

The examiner’s eyes widened. "That’s... that’s a B."

Silva bent forward, hands on his knees, chest rising and falling quickly. He had pushed himself harder than he thought he would. "Not bad," he muttered between breaths.

The examiner checked his board, clearly rattled again. "That’s more than ’not bad.’ Do you realize the majority of new recruits struggle to even cross the C-rank mark in speed? You’re sitting here with back-to-back B results."

Silva didn’t reply. He wasn’t here to explain himself. He was here to move up.

"Alright," the man said after a pause, adjusting his collar. "The next one will test your reflex speed. It’s not about running, it’s about how quickly you can react." He pointed toward a circular platform near the side of the room. It looked like a raised disc with panels on its surface, each glowing faintly with pale light.

"This is called the reflex panel. When you step on it, the system will activate and begin flashing lights at random intervals around you. Your job is to strike them as quickly as possible. Every delay is calculated, and your average response time determines your rank."

Silva’s brows furrowed slightly. "So... like a reaction game?"

"Something like that, except on a much harsher scale. The panels will light faster the longer you last. For a B-rank, you’ll need an average reaction speed under 0.35 seconds."

Silva stepped onto the disc, rolling his shoulders again. "Let’s get it over with."

The examiner pressed a button, and immediately the platform pulsed. A red panel lit up on Silva’s left. Instantly, his hand shot out and smacked it. Another one lit up in front of him, he struck it. Then another behind him, he twisted and slapped it before it could fade.

The pace was slow at first, manageable. Silva’s eyes darted rapidly, his body flowing smoothly as if anticipating the next flash before it appeared.

But soon, the system sped up. Lights began flashing in rapid bursts, almost too quick for the eye. Silva’s movements sharpened, his hands and feet shooting out like lightning. BAM—BAM—BAM! The sound of him striking the panels echoed in the massive hall.

His breathing grew heavier, his hair sticking to his damp forehead, but his focus never wavered. He wasn’t going to stop until the test forced him down.

The panels lit in a final wild barrage. Silva’s limbs blurred, each strike coming the instant a panel glowed. Then it ended, the lights died down, the platform going still.

The examiner quickly checked the numbers. His eyes widened for the third time today. "Average reaction time... 0.36 seconds. That’s your first C, but you barely missed B."

Silva stepped off the platform, chest heaving, but his lips curled into the faintest smile. "Guess i can’t win all

The man shook his head, clearly baffled. The physical strength didn’t really tell what rank a person would end with, as that would have to be on his ability, but this was still crazy.

The examiner sighed, typing rapidly into the holographic board. "Fine. Rest for a minute. You’ve got one more in the speed category, the endurance sprint. You’ll run a hundred meters this time, and the system will calculate both your consistency and acceleration.

Silva’s fists tightened. One more.

He walked back to the treadmill, rolling his shoulders, standing there and waiting.

The examiner raised his hand. "Three... two... one... go!"

Silva’s legs exploded against the ground. His body shot forward, faster than before. The wind rushed past his ears, his muscles screaming under the sudden pressure, but he didn’t falter. Every stride carried him like a predator chasing prey.

Halfway through, his lungs burned. The weight of fatigue tried to claw at him, but his demonic healing pulsed, feeding strength back into his muscles. His eyes narrowed. He wasn’t slowing down.

He crossed the hundred-meter mark with a final burst. The system above blinked again, processing his numbers.

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