Ch20 – Second Round of Evaluation

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The decaying decor of the dilapidated mental asylum faded away, and blank, endless white surrounded Zong Jiu.

[Chance task in progress.] 

A piece of white paper and black pen floated down slowly from the sky, landing in front of the white-haired young man.

Zong Jiu took the paper, unscrewed the cap off the pen, and with a vigorous calligraphic flourish, wrote the names of Messiah and Sheng Yu.

 

 

In any case, he was absolutely certain about Sheng Yu.
Messiah was so perfectly disguised that even if the evidence was overwhelming, Zong Jiu couldn’t say it with conviction.

Whatever.
One of them was right anyway. 

The system’s voice resounded in the empty white.

 

[Please wait… System is detecting… Your answer has been submitted.]

[The post-match evaluation will begin shortly.
You will be instantly transferred in 30 seconds to the location: Broadcasting Studio.]

After the white paper tugged free from Zong Jiu’s fingers, it hovered up slowly and spontaneously combusted.

 

Zong Jiu massaged his hands which were aching faintly from using too much force brandishing the hammer earlier, contemplating.

He hadn’t only acquired an S-rank prop, he also didn’t leave out any dangerous challenges, and saw through the ins and outs on the instance by standing on the shoulders of a giant, Zhuge An.
Just based on these factors, his evaluation in this instance certainly wouldn’t be anything low.
Even scuttling up three ranks in one stroke wasn’t outside the realm of possibility.

At the thought of this, Zong Jiu took the time to fish out something from his pocket.

That black iron box was still emitting a resplendent gold brilliance from his hand. 

He opened the iron box, gently brushing the stack of cold, golden playing cards placed inside.

[It is detected that you are holding on to an S-rank prop.
Do you wish to keep it in your system backpack?]

Zong Jiu unhesitantly chose ‘Yes.’

He was right about to be sent to the broadcasting studio.
If he didn’t keep it now, when the time came everyone would see the golden radiance of the S-rank prop in his hand. 

This S-rank prop could be considered as something he had acquired without much effort, if at all, and the only person who had seen him taking it was indisposed by Zong Jiu with a hammer.
Since there weren’t any living eyewitnesses, why not keep it as a hidden ace? He could catch people unaware that way.

As he mulled over this, the space once again began to fragment and restructure like a jigsaw puzzle.

Chandeliers of pure gold hung down from a high vaulted ceiling, and their gilt tips refracted streams of iridescence that cast upon the deep red carpet, as if plating it in a thick and magnificent layer of dissonance.

At some point in time, a white plaster statue of heavenly deities was erected, encircling the reddish-gold hall.
Their eyes were tightly shut, holding onto divine swords or olive branches in their hands.
Their expressions were grave. 

Zong Jiu appeared directly on the step for the E-ranks.
When he appeared, the hall was already bustling with people, and many trainees were still being transferred here intermittently.

The number of people who had cleared each instance and the time that they cleared were different, yet everyone managed to appear together.
From this, the system had probably blurred the passage of time, allowing all trainees to assemble at the broadcasting studio at this moment regardless of the time of their clearance.

 

This power had long superseded human capabilities.

Zong Jiu recalled that Zhuge An previously said the system would obscure the contenders’ memories of the real world, and a pensive look formed between his eyebrows. 

The reason that he was unaffected was most likely because he was a novel transmigrator, thus didn’t go through the normal process and slipped past the net.

Unfortunately, Zong Jiu had read too little of the novel, to the extent that he hadn’t even dug into the core of the universe containing the vast infinite loop.
But from an outsider’s point of view, he kept feeling that there was a sinister conspiracy behind this Thriller Trainee competition.

Alas, it’s not a good thing to abandon a book midway.
Had Zong Jiu finished the novel, then he wouldn’t be in such a mess now.

After approximately five minutes, everyone had assembled. 

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Zong Jiu scanned around him.
The trainees in the hall were all ashen and pale with fright.
Just by a rough estimate, the numbers had dropped by about half.

The fates of all those people who had disappeared was a foregone conclusion.

From the looks of it, this first one-man show instance was the system’s way of sifting through this huge base of trainees.

The most drastic decrease in headcount was among the lower steps of F, E, and D-ranks.
Where it was packed full previously, there was now ample space for each person on the steps.
Besides the lowest three ranks, the upper three ranks had also thinned to varying degrees, though only a dozen or so were cut from the originally two hundred people strong A-ranks. 

As for the only step without any change…

The white-haired young man raised his eyes and gazed at the highest part of the hall.

From afar, Zhuge An and Messiah were both ranked among them.
Apart from the elusive No.
1 who had yet to show his face, the nine thrones were all firmly occupied.

In truth, Zong Jiu was also a little curious about the legendary No.
1 who wasn’t even known by name. 

However… someone who made even a person like Zhuge An wary couldn’t possibly be good news.

[Assembly of all trainees are complete.
The post-match evaluation will begin promptly.]

[At the end of each round, the lowest rank will be eliminated.
According to the rules of the competition, trainees who receive an F-rank after this second round of evaluation will be automatically sent to the punishment instance.]

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection.
If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

[The punishment instance is single-player mode.
Eliminated trainees who survive the single-player punishment instance will be given a revival chance.] 

Cr atf nblmf ofii, jii atf M-gjcx agjlcffr bc atf rafq yfibk Ibcu Ale ofii lcab yilcv qjclm.

Ktfs tjv pera fzqfglfcmfv j wjrrjmgf lc j ufcelcf tbggbg lcrajcmf.
Ktfs tjv yjgfis wjcjufv ab frmjqf klat atflg ilnfr, jcv cbk atfs ralii tjnf ab yf gffnjiejafv?

 

“Pa’r cba ojlg, la lrc’a jr lo kf tjnf rqfmlji qgbqr ilxf atf nfafgjcr, kts rtbeiv kf yf agfjafv ilxf atlr?!”

“I don’t want to stay in this goddamn broken place anymore, I want to go home…” 

“It’s hard enough to survive, why do we need to be evaluated again?”

No one wanted to die, but the infinite loop held a knife over every person’s head.

And no one knew when that knife would fall.

The system turned a deaf ear to these voices. 

 

[The evaluation will begin from the lowest rank before proceeding to the next rank.
When all the evaluations have been completed, all the trainees will once again move to their according rank.]

[The evaluation will be completed in two stages.
First, the system rating; second, the instructor’s rating.
The final evaluation will be the median of the two ratings.]

[The number of survival points will be distributed according to the final evaluation rank and trainees can use the survival points to enhance themselves and increase your odds of survival.] 

[Panoramic camera turning on…]

In the trainee dormitories, live broadcast was disabled by default.
It was only during specific show segments, such as the most anticipated evaluation section, that the mass live broadcast be turned on.

The moment the system enabled the live broadcast, viewers from the infinite loop immediately poured in like a tidal wave, and a large barrage of comments shot out like rain in the bullet chat.

[Woohoo, I’m in! It’s finally time for the second evaluation, I’m so nervous!] 

[Omg, there are visibly fewer people in the studio now.
Those poor newcomers, /candle.jpg]

[I guess the one-man shows were split into two extremities.
It was beautiful, I camped in Black-Robed Azan’s live broadcast watching him do his thing, and the newcomers safely rode his coattail all the way out without any sense of horror.
Who would have thought that this bigshot is actually such a saint?]

[Black-Robed Azan’s live broadcast was so peaceful? I guess they didn’t meet any of the Holy Templars.
I think all the newcomers in the venue next door died when Team Cursed and Night Clan went for each other’s throats.]

[Ha? Upstairs, that’s what you call intense? You must have missed the live broadcasts in Master Zhuge and the Holy Son’s venue.
They actually met an invincible supernatural entity in their instance, and there were also moles with different identity cards in the same instance… If I recall correctly, only three people survived this instance.] 

The comment was like a stone thrown into calm water, stirring up thousands of waves.

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[???? Did I hear it right? Invincible? /puzzled cat.jpg]

 

[Wtf, nani? An invincible supernatural entity?? Damn it should be on S-rank difficulty right? How can it appear in the first round, what’s going on?]

While Thriller Trainee was in full swing, the melon seed-eating audience in the infinite loop weren’t idle either. 

Many data analysis gurus had opened forum threads sorting things out, even picking out the system’s difficulty settings for the first instance.

According to the analysis, there was a high chance that the system would set the difficulty level of the one-man show instance according to the overall strength of the participating trainees.
This would explain why the difficulty of an instance that didn’t contain any A-ranks were several times easier than an instance with an S-rank.
The reason behind this was that there were only ten S-rank trainees in total, and each of them represented the cream of the crop.
The system would naturally raise the average difficulty of the entire instance in order to create a more immersive experience.

Incidentally, one of the analysis gurus spent an entire thread analysing the Mental Asylum.

The presence of two S-rankers indicated that this instance wouldn’t be anything easy for sure.
But even so, the appearance of an invincible supernatural entity that appeared at the end was a little overboard, not to mention the S-rank prop within the instance.
So, the analysis guru cautiously speculated that there could be another unknown presence among the participants of that instance. 

“Guys, do you think… the live broadcast room that no one managed to find, could it be…”

The speculation was slightly terrifying, but not completely baseless.

Avid fans had scoured the listings in vain to find No.
1’s live broadcast room.
After the system made it clear that No.
1 possessed privileges beyond anyone else, everyone speculated that that person could have simply used his authority to shut down his live broadcast.
In any case, no one could verify this.

As for this speculation, everyone couldn’t help but be convinced.
Otherwise, no one could explain why an S-rank prop and an invincible supernatural entity would appear at the same time in the first round of the competition.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to call it beneath him, even. 

While the bullet chat and forum roared with intense discussion, the broadcasting studio finally got down to business.

The ornate grotesque chandeliers began to dim one after another.

Light flared and spotlighted down from the vaulted roof.
Aside from the lowest step, the entire hall plunged into deep darkness.

[F-rank trainee evaluation in progress… System rating is being released…] 

Instantly, different coloured letters appeared above the heads of the trainees with purple F-rank badges on their chests.

SABCDEF were distinguishable at a glance according to their respective colours: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple.

On the lowest step were, without exception, newcomers cut from the same cloth.
They were all newcomers who had neglected developing themselves in the real world.
They had little overall strength, and therefore took the lowest rank in the preliminary evaluations.

The system did not expect much of them.
As far as the eye could see, the system ratings of the F-ranked trainees weren’t high overall, and most of them still remained purple. 

Once again receiving F-rank in the second evaluation, many trainees crumbled to the ground and cried.
A thick cloud of gloom hung over the whole hall.

The instructor rating followed suit.

 

The trainees received a similar rating evaluation from the instructor as the system.
Where the system gave an F, the instructor gave an F.
There were practically zero instances of the instructor giving an F to an E-rank rating from the system, or an E to an F.

The two evaluation letters hovered in the air for a few minutes before combining to form a new letter.
Simultaneously, the badges on the trainees transformed. 

The letters and colours of the badges of those who had promoted to the next rank changed, while the badges on those who were once again assigned F-rank remained as they were.

Only one of every few dozens of F-rank trainees had the fortune of promoting to the next rank.
Each of them wore delight on their faces, conflicting harshly with the hysterical F-ranks around them.

[F-rank trainee evaluation complete.
E-rank trainee evaluation will proceed promptly.]

It was challenging for low-ranking newcomers to make much stride.
Just like when the second round of evaluation for F-ranks was completed, the highest rating given to nearly ten thousand people was no more than a D, and there were few of them. 

So, the evaluation of the bottom three ranks shouldn’t hold much surprise.
Regardless of where they watched it from, in the live broadcast room or on the higher steps, everyone was disinterested in the opening show.

To them, this was just an appetiser.
The real feast would only start from the C-ranks.

And in the midst of this mindless watching, someone suddenly asked a question in disbelief.

“Hold on.
Is that… a red rating?” 

Red.
The most striking and the most prestigious of the seven colours, also the colour representative of S-rank.

Immediately, a veteran snorted.
“Are you kidding me, we’re only at the E-rank evaluation.
They’re all newcomers, to have the system assign them an S, are you sure you aren’t sleepwalking?”

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But, in the next second, his eyes popped open incredulously.

In the sea of purple and blue intermingling beneath, there really was a blinding scarlet splintering everyone’s vision, imprinting deep into their eyes. 

Fireworks blew up in the bullet chat.

[WTF! My eyes aren’t deceiving me right!! An E-rank newcomer actually got an S from the system rating!]

[??? What kind of bullshit are you on, how can… hold up… fuck.
Sorry.
I’m the one talking shit!!]

[Oh my god, an E-rank with an S-rank rating? Did the system bug out?] 

[I checked thrice, exited the live broadcast and re-entered, even zoomed in several times.
I must admit… the system really did hand out an S-rank rating.]

[…uhhh, am I the only one who has noticed how weirdly good looking this E-rank is?!]

 

[I did notice, I did, he really is; but the system couldn’t have given him an S because he’s good looking, right? Upstairs, where did your brain go?]

Like a symphony pulled to rest, deafening silence fell over the broadcasting studio.
Everyone stared in shock at the brilliant red letter above the man amidst a cluster of blue and purple like the brilliance of a moon surrounded by a host of stars, rubbing their eyes dazedly. 

“An S-rank rating? How is that possible?” Many people exclaimed in shock.

What did it mean for an E-rank newcomer to get an S-rank rating from the system?

While they didn’t know who the instructor was, nor the criteria of the instructor’s rating evaluation, unlike the element of inconsistency that an instructor would possess, the system was doubtlessly a fair and impartial existence that couldn’t possibly show any favouritism.

Although the system firmly dictated their life and death, it was innately a program that had been set up, cold and heartless, mechanically following a set of rules and procedures to do things.
It didn’t have a physical body, let alone the slightest human emotion. 

Many of the contenders had once speculated that the system was possibly a product of a higher dimensional being, which was why it possessed powers that appeared godlike in the eyes of humans.

For this reason, obtaining an S-rank rating was all the more terrifying.

For this implied that this E-rank newcomer had hit almost all the points prepared in advance by the system.

This included challenging danger zones, deductive reasoning, prop acquisition, strength evaluation, etc. 

Or, put another way, how could the system give an S-rank rating to someone at the penultimate rank, beneath them all? Moreover, this was even a newcomer!!

The young man stood there casually as he indifferently received the millions of speechless, measuring gazes.

His unparalleled beauty and abnormal hair and eye colour already made it easy for Zong Jiu to stand out from the crowd and become the centre of attention.

Now, the red letter above his head doubtlessly ignited intense scrutiny on him again. 

The row of thrones had been silent from the beginning of the evaluation process.

And now, the silence was finally broken.

On the ten thrones that symbolised the ultimate glory and status at the very top of the entire broadcasting studio, No.
5 suddenly inclined his head.

“Is this newcomer so fierce? Maybe he’ll end up being our colleague.” 

No.
5 was a top-notch exorcist.
Compared to those contenders at the peak with all kinds of eccentricities, his personality was smooth and easygoing.
His strength itself was beyond doubt, yet he didn’t have any fixed guild and often formed teams in the wild, so he could freely talk to anyone.

No.
6 sneered.
“Colleague? The number of people in the higher ranks are fixed.
If a new S-rank is added, that’ll mean that one of us will surely be squeezed out.
What are you trying to insinuate?”

 

Regardless of who gets squeezed out, for these contenders at the peak, it was the greatest disgrace.

It was one thing to be unable to defend their S-rank throne, but the other was even a newcomer, how could they bear it? 

The Exorcist shrugged.
“I don’t mean that.
I just feel that this guy’s potential is a little terrifying.”

The golden-haired Holy Son joined the conversation as well.
“I never expected that he would actually be the third surviving contender.”

“You were both in the same venue?” No.
6 asked.

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Messiah nodded. 

A sad, compassionate smile graced his face as before.
“He’s a very interesting child.
But an invincible entity appeared at the final moments of that instance and we got separated.
Now, I’m glad to see that he survived.”

Among the ten people, No.
4, who didn’t see eye to eye with Messiah, harrumphed, fully expressing his attitude with this sound.

As they chatted on this side, another powerful S-ranker soundlessly studied the white-haired young man.

Zhuge An, who had been meditating with his eyes closed all this while, suddenly opened his eyes and glanced sharply down. 

He didn’t expect… that this person actually managed to obtain the S-rank prop.

As he was in a hurry to return and ascertain another matter, Zhuge An’s overall completion of the Mental Asylum wasn’t as high as Zong Jiu’s even though he was the first to clear the instance.

Zhuge An’s eyes mildly swept over the brilliant red letter above the white-haired young man’s head, narrowing his eyes.

The S-rank rating on the white-haired young man’s head was like a catalyst that shook the entire hall.
Even three of those up there, who had remained silent and aloof at first, entered an intense discussion because of him. 

There wasn’t anyone not watching him. Everyone was watching him.

He was the focal point of millions of gazes.

“From the looks of it, the top ten S-ranks will be shifted.
I wonder who it’ll be…”

“I can’t believe I’m being outdone by a newcomer.
What the hell did he do in the first instance to receive such a high system rating without any special props?” 

“Who knows, the Holy Son said that only three people survived in that instance.
But that’s already stepping on top of us.”

The A-rank trainees whispered to each other with dark expressions.

 

Everyone was well aware that it was impossible for newcomers to have special props.
To achieve such a rating without any special props, even calling him a demon would be an understatement.

“Don’t talk so much first, isn’t there still the instructor’s rating? What if it’s just an A-rank; getting straight S-ranks is too dramatic.” 

Someone said, unconvinced.
But his voice was drowned out by the turbulent wave of discussion.

He wasn’t the only one to think this, but they were helpless to the fact of it.

During the F-rank evaluation, the instructor ratings basically followed the system ratings.

But who could have expected that such a terrifying dark horse would emerge from the second last rank? 

Zong Jiu stood idly.

He was indifferent to the evaluation he obtained.
Even if he jumped from E-rank to S-rank, he didn’t feel it was something to brag about.

After all, he had once shot to the peak and was blessed by the heavens, an internationally acclaimed magician who had been hailed as a god.
But after breaking his hands, he had, too, fallen off the clouds and hit rock bottom, and had drowned his sorrows in alcohol.

After being tempered by countless cycles of hope met with despair, he could now be described as a man with a mind so steady it would remain unmoved even if a mountain collapsed before him, his eyes never blinking even if an endangered deer appeared by his side. 

Rank wasn’t Zong Jiu’s ultimate goal.
His aim was clear, and that was to heal his hands.
Then, he would continue to pursue his own grand vision of a magician.
Of course, the higher it was, the better, because the system also said that the rating directly corresponded to the amount of survival points he got, and there were many benefits and privileges that came along with it; it would be a waste to turn it down.

As the crowd discussed it, a system prompt came again.

[E-rank trainee evaluation in progress… System rating has been issued, instructor rating will be issued promptly.]

Abruptly, the entire hall quietened again. 

This time, it was an even deeper silence, and many people wore undisguised astonishment on their faces as they stared in disbelief at the other rank emerging from the white-haired young man’s head.

The young man frowned, and lazily raised his eyes.

The next second, the corners of his mouth pulled tight and his pale pink eyes instantly sharpened.

Next to the brilliant red S-rank, an even more conspicuous purple rank crept up. 

F.

The instructor had given him the lowest rating of F-rank for the previous instance!