Chapter 24: Ability Assessment

Ling Fengyan was overjoyed at Ye Yang's arrival. He immediately sought out several familiar Hunter mentors to introduce him, specifically highlighting Ye Yang's connection to his father.

Watching a group of people take turns praising him, Ye Yang couldn't help but blush. Being a celebrity's son was truly troublesome; he couldn't understand why everyone seemed so fond of it.

"A test? No problem, I'll arrange it for you right away!" Ling Fengyan was highly efficient. Within minutes, everything was ready in a large hall inside the academic building. The center of the hall was empty, with a series of instruments lined up along the perimeter.

The first step was an ability classification test to determine what kind of superpowers Ye Yang might possess. This was his greatest concern. Ling Fengyan’s metallic shielding, Sang Shi’s magic cannons, and Wang Feng’s lightning were all incredible abilities. Even Lin Tian’s flame was quite decent, despite its lower level.

"Ye Lingyun’s son is at the academy? Taking a test?" News spread like wildfire. In an instant, the area outside the hall was packed with people, including many who weren't even Hunters, all eager to join the spectacle. Ye Yang felt awkward; he desperately hoped he wouldn't embarrass himself with some inexplicable or useless ability.

"You don't need to do anything. Just focus your mind and stare at the screen," Ling Fengyan said, ushering Ye Yang into a massive mechanical pod. It was just large enough for one person to stand in. With a *click*, a green fluorescent screen lit up in front of him. Ye Yang stared intently, praying silently.

One minute passed, then five, then ten. With a *hiss*, the door opened, and Ling Fengyan’s large head poked in.

"Did you fall asleep?" Ling Fengyan asked, puzzled.

"Huh? No, why?" Ye Yang was dumbfounded. His eyes were strained to the point of bloodshot; how could he have fallen asleep?

"Not asleep? That’s strange. Try focusing your attention more. Um... try imagining yourself fighting a zombie," Ling Fengyan said, frowning.

Ye Yang frowned as well. Was something wrong? Could his ability really be that bizarre? It better not be like that guy Yao Jun’s! If it was, he would rather die than become a Hunter.

Another minute passed, then five, then ten. The door opened again, and Ling Fengyan’s head appeared once more.

"You... you should come out for now," Ling Fengyan said with a bitter smile.

Stepping out of the pod, Ye Yang was taken aback. Wang Feng had arrived, along with many others, including Sang Shi and the young Hunter girl named Tingting.

Everyone glanced at him simultaneously, then performed the exact same gesture: shaking their heads and sighing.

A bad feeling rose in Ye Yang’s gut. He immediately asked Ling Fengyan, "What’s wrong? What is my ability? It’s not going to be something like 'eating monsters,' is it?"

Ling Fengyan shook his head with a strange expression and sighed, "Don't worry. You're a newcomer, after all. Many people don't have their abilities activated the moment they step in here; they emerge gradually."

"What does that mean?" Ye Yang looked blank.

"It means you have no ability!" Wang Feng stated bluntly.

"What? N-no way! I’m immune to zombie infection! I don't mean the kind Sang Shi has, I mean real zombies!" Ye Yang roared in disbelief. Sang Shi... ran off in tears.

"That doesn't prove anything. All Hunters are immune, and there are some humans who aren't infected due to their constitution," Wang Feng frowned.

Ye Yang fell silent. He really had no ability? Would it appear later? Looking at the expression on Ling Fengyan’s face earlier, the chances didn't seem very high.

"Don't worry. Let's try something else. Um... let’s calibrate your type first; maybe we'll find something," Ling Fengyan said with a dry laugh.

The so-called ability classification was meant to observe physical anomalies. While it couldn't immediately identify the specific attribute of an ability, it could distinguish whether someone had latent potential that could be guided and induced.

***

The type calibration was a rather miserable experience: it involved electric shocks.

A special current was used to stimulate Ye Yang’s body. If he were a Power-type, his body would instinctively counter the current; the intensity and data comparison would judge him accordingly. If he were a Defense-type, his body would automatically generate resistance; if he were a Speed-type, his body would shake violently.

A giant computer stood before Ye Yang, analyzing and calculating every movement to generate a score. The category with a score significantly higher than the others would be his所属type. The accuracy of this calibration was said to be over 99 percent.

However, the process was unbearable. The current wasn't strong, but it made him numb from head to toe—even his private parts felt completely deadened. The calibration lasted a full ten minutes. The moment the tingling sensation faded, Ye Yang let out an involuntary sigh of relief. If it had continued any longer, he might have done something truly humiliating.

Like losing control of his bladder, or... ahem.

"What are the results?" Ye Yang asked the moment it ended. Ling Fengyan’s expression was extremely strange, and he didn't answer for a long time. Wang Feng spoke up instead.

"Perception attribute: 11 points. Defense: 15 points. Speed: 16 points. Strength is the highest at 19 points!"

"..." The room fell deathly silent. It was so quiet Ye Yang wanted to die. What did this even mean? He mustered his courage and asked, "Are these scores... considered high?"

"The total is 100, and the passing grade for the highest attribute is 80," Wang Feng replied, his expression unchanged, while Ling Fengyan’s face was twisted like a withered chrysanthemum.

"Pfft..." Ye Yang felt like he was spitting blood. At that moment, he felt so inferior he wanted to commit suicide to apologize to the world. A total of 100? 80 to pass? And he didn't even reach 20 in any category? The highest was only 19? If this were an exam, he was an idiot among idiots!

"Should we continue with the Demon Power test?" Ling Fengyan seemed to have given up. Ye Yang had already buried his head under the table. Wait... what was Demon Power? Oh, forget it, he didn't want to know. He didn't even want to continue the test.

Wang Feng remained silent, but Ling Fengyan quickly added, "That guy Yao Jun said this kid’s Demon Power is extraordinary, perhaps even higher than mine!"

"Hiss..." A gasp ran through the room. Almost simultaneously, several people rushed forward, grabbing Ye Yang’s hands and closing their eyes as if sensing something.

"That can't be right... Did Yao Jun really say that? Strange, is my perception level really that much worse than his?" The doubt in one person’s voice made Ye Yang want to die again. Needless to say, this "Demon Power" test was likely a bust too; it would probably be even lower than the previous scores.

"Test!" Wang Feng finally spoke, a single, resolute word.

The Demon Power test was even more uncomfortable. Several data cables connected to needles were inserted into Ye Yang’s body. It was excruciatingly painful, and he couldn't move an inch. But Ye Yang no longer cared; he just wanted... to stop embarrassing himself.

"Demon Power value: 23...?" Ling Fengyan’s jaw dropped. Ye Yang burst into tears. He didn't need to ask to know the score was pitifully low, so he kept his mouth shut.

The hall was silent. Everyone looked at Ye Yang with pity.

"Am I... not cut out to be a Hunter?" Ye Yang suddenly raised his head and asked with difficulty.

In truth, becoming a Hunter had just been a hope for Ye Yang. He had thought he might be a superhuman, given his immunity to infection and the fact that he had killed a mutant. But after meeting Lin Tian, one sentence from that guy had boosted his confidence a hundredfold!

"There is no one in this world more qualified to be a Hunter than you!"

Right! Hunters were created by his father; naturally, he was the most qualified. But yet... Ye Yang’s mood was abysmal. He felt that the word "humiliating" was an understatement.

Perhaps, as Wang Feng said, there were many people in the world immune to infection, and the time he killed the mutant was just pure dumb luck? Even he didn't know how he had managed it.

"Test him one more time!" Wang Feng suddenly said, his face cold. "This time, use the forced method to extract his latent Demon Power value!"

***

"No!" Ling Fengyan was terrified, waving his hands frantically. "His body won't be able to take it! He’s just an ordinary person. If you force the extraction... he will..."

"It’s your call!" Wang Feng didn't even look at Ling Fengyan, staring fixedly at Ye Yang. "If you don't try, you have zero ability to be a Hunter. If you try, at least there’s a glimmer of hope!"

"But this experiment is extremely dangerous. If your body can't handle it, you could be injured, crippled! Or even... you might die!" Wang Feng said coldly. "You are Ye Lingyun’s son. Whether you do it or not, the choice is yours!"

"Do I have a choice?" Ye Yang gave a bitter smile. Wang Feng was pressuring him, using his father’s name to do it! But then again, he was Ye Lingyun’s son—there was no reason why the son of the man who invented the Hunters couldn't use the power himself, was there?

Was his constitution poor? Ye Yang didn't know if his body had been damaged during those twenty years of being frozen, but even if it had, being a Hunter had become his dream. If he didn't try, not only would Wang Feng be dissatisfied, but he himself would always wonder.

"I’ll do it!" Ye Yang bit his lip hard. Ling Fengyan tried desperately to talk him out of it, but Ye Yang couldn't hear him anymore. Wang Feng wouldn't be dissuaded either. The two of them were locked in a stalemate, determined not to stop until the final result was reached.

"Everyone out! Except for me and the Doctor, everyone leave!" Wang Feng’s sudden order caught everyone off guard, but they obeyed. After all, he was the head of the military division and the leader of the Hunters.

Soon, the room was empty, leaving only Wang Feng, Ye Yang, and an old man with a long, white beard.

"No one is allowed to speak of the test results!" Wang Feng issued another strange command. The white-bearded old man nodded. Ye Yang was puzzled—why keep it a secret? Oh... he must be afraid of him losing face. Even though this guy was cold, he was actually quite considerate.

"It will be very painful, and it won't be short. Even if you can't hold on, you must," Wang Feng said coldly.

Ye Yang nodded fiercely; his mind was made up.

"If it hurts too much, you can scream, or even cry. It’s not shameful, because that pain is simply not something a normal person can endure," the white-bearded old man said firmly.

"Okay! But I’ll try my best to endure it," Ye Yang said through gritted teeth, though he regretted it immediately. Endure? There was simply no way to endure it.

Countless iron rings clamped down on his body. Four steel needles were inserted into the veins of his limbs, and two thinner ones were stuck into the top of his head. The needles weren't terrifying; they didn't hurt more than an IV drip. What was terrifying was the unknown energy surging through them. Was it electricity? Not entirely. The energy was scorching, hotter than magma, carrying with it a sense of distortion, even a sensation of being torn apart.

"Ahhh..." Three seconds. A mere three seconds, and Ye Yang couldn't help but roar. He felt as if his body were melting, or being twisted into a ball, or torn into shreds. All sorts of sensations surfaced, but they shared one thing in common: agonizing pain!

"Hold on! You must hold on!" Wang Feng was practically roaring, his eyes glued to the computer screen.

How could Ye Yang hold on? He could only barely stop himself from crying, but he couldn't stop the roaring and screaming. His voice quickly turned hoarse.

"It’s there! There’s a reaction!" the white-bearded old man suddenly exclaimed, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

"Hiss... hiss..." Ye Yang couldn't scream anymore; his throat had lost its voice. His whole body trembled violently, panting heavily. A wave of immense dizziness hit him; he was on the verge of fainting.

"Hold on! Let me see your limit!" Wang Feng roared again. Clarity returned for a fleeting second. Ye Yang wanted to answer, but he couldn't even open his mouth.