Each student simply had to place a hand on the scanner. The machine would instantly detect both their ability rank and their current level.
One after another the students moved forward. In some, an E rank ability came out while their current level was F. Some had slightly better current levels but lower ability. Most of the students remained in the lowest ranks.
As the students continued to be tested, disappointment began to spread through the crowd.
Kajun observed that about a hundred students had been tested and almost all of them had been E rank or F rank. It became clear that shouting slogans loudly did not magically increase anyone's ability.
Kajun felt he could only hope that he would at least get a D rank.
Just then, Woojin casually mentioned a memory from the past. Earlier, children's ability used to be detected at just four or five years old. Why now, at fifteen?
Kajun looked a little surprised at the comment. He replied that this was a very old matter.
He explained that in today's world, ability was extremely important. Not only society and the schools valued it, but the parents as well. Yet children with high ability were very rare. In the past, when parents learned in early childhood that their child had little talent, many of them could not accept it. Some would even abandon the children.
In that period the streets were filled with children who had been thrown out because they were considered to have less talent. To prevent that tragedy from happening again, the government made a new rule. The talent test would only be conducted at fifteen years of age.
Woojin finally understood and nodded quietly.
A little while later, another student came to the machine. He placed his hand on the scanner, and the result came out. Potential rank C. Current level E rank.
Many students were shocked. At last a C rank contender had come forward. That student was feeling very proud of himself. He began thinking that many high schools would hold out offers to recruit him.
But his pride soon vanished.
An official suddenly came up to him and asked calmly whether he really thought he had passed the test. The student was confused.
The official announced that due to a violation of the rules of the competition, the student was immediately disqualified.
The student could not believe his ears.
The official explained. He had tried to cheat. In anger, he told him that the latest model of detection machine had been installed in this competition. This device did not only detect ability and power; it could also analyse the actual age of the competitor.
According to the machine, this student was not fifteen years old. He was nineteen.
Many students in the arena were shocked to hear it. He might have C rank ability, but at nineteen he had reached only E rank. That was actually considered very weak.
Kajun was surprised that the detector was so powerful that it could detect age as well.
But Woojin suddenly grew restless. If the machine could detect age, then there was a serious problem. Technically, his age should have been thirty-two.
Meanwhile the disqualified student was escorted out of the arena and blacklisted from the high schools.
Woojin was thinking that this situation was not good. The Divine Rhino Corps was present here too. If his identity was revealed, things could become extremely dangerous. He thought fast. Revealing his identity in any way had to be avoided.
Kajun saw that Woojin was deep in thought. From his expression it seemed he was thinking of leaving the competition. Kajun asked whether he intended to withdraw.
Woojin did not answer immediately. He was still searching for another way.
Then the same thugs he had fought with earlier suddenly appeared again. Their leader saw Woojin's expression and began teasing him. It looked like he was ready to retreat. He had decided to leave the competition.
An official noticed the noise and immediately informed the instructor.
A member of the group joked, asking what he had been hiding behind. Like a twenty-year-old D rank challenger pretending to be a young student. Others said that Woojin had not looked like a normal student even before.
The comment hurt. He felt bad, but he could not reveal the truth.
Kajun began to grow nervous. For a moment he was afraid that Woojin would meet the same fate as that disqualified student. A doubt had been born in him. The situation had suddenly become very dangerous, and now he would have to pull away immediately.
Kajun's doubts kept rising. Was he also the same kind of student, disqualified for hiding his age? This thought came to him because ever since the machine's age-detection ability had been revealed, Woojin's behaviour had become strange.
But Woojin gave no reaction. He did not want his secret to come out. So he simply turned around and acted as if the allegations had no meaning at all.
The moment he started walking, the thugs' leader called out. What was he doing? Trying to escape?
With a wide smile he said that attempted murder and murder are the same crime. His tone was clear. He was deliberately provoking Woojin, and kept making fun of him. Getting out of this situation so easily would be a very naive thing to expect.
Woojin kept moving forward, trying his best to ignore them. Compared with the big problems he was dealing with, this small quarrel was nothing. His current mission was more important than wasting time here. But the students around him were already joining in the fun.
Some commented softly that you kill a chicken to frighten the monkeys, and this was a good example of it. Others said that whether Woojin went up on the stage or not, he had to be punished. Someone said that pretending to be a young student was truly shameless. Another student said that he had narrowly escaped falling into his trap.
Hearing all this, Kajun was confused about the person he had only just met. He could not decide whether to believe the allegations or not.
At the same time, two officials came towards Woojin. They spoke calmly. He would have to register his name and his information and cooperate with them. Everything would be handled according to the rules and the law.
Woojin let out a long sigh. It was not a sigh of relief at all. He felt that now only one way was left.
The leader of the thugs laughed and said that from that point on, Woojin had no choice.
But Woojin stayed calm. He simply said that he would go on stage and take the test.
The students around him were stunned to hear it. If the detector caught him on the charge of hiding his age, then going on stage would only increase his humiliation.
But Woojin never accepted the accusation of hiding anything. He only said that he wanted to take the test.
Having said this, he walked calmly towards the stage. The officials followed him. The leader of the thugs kept looking at him with confused eyes, wondering what was going on inside that boy's mind.
In front of the crowd, the members of the Divine Rhino Corps were also monitoring the ongoing assessment. One of them noticed the commotion near the queue and grew curious. But the snake handler simply said that this was not their business now.
Woojin came up on stage. Everyone in the arena was looking at him, waiting to know the result of the detector.