Chapter 391:Incomplete the test

Chapter 391: 391:Incomplete the test

Antony followed the signs toward C-19. A reinforced gate waited at the end of a concrete corridor.

An instructor stood beside it.

"Candidate 1472."

"Present."

"Core?"

"Stable."

"Weapon?"

"Ready."

"Ability?"

"Ready."

"Emergency surrender mechanism?"

Antony touched the red control built into his candidate wristband.

"Here."

"Activation removes you from the examination. Medical emergency protocols may remove you automatically."

"Understood."

The instructor checked the timer.

"Remember your objective."

Antony looked through the gate.

"Reach Delta."

The instructor nodded.

"Correct."

The gate opened and Antony stepped through.

The timer began.

[39:59]

"That’s immediate."

The gate closed behind him.

He sighed then started running. He used male form first since there was no reason to transform yet.

The street ahead split three ways.

Without a map or an arrow, Antony looked toward the skyline. Checkpoint Delta’s tower was barely visible beyond the buildings.

"Fine."

He chose the center route.

Thirty seconds later, something came through a broken storefront. He first heard claws scraping concrete.

He drew his handgun before a Tier One beast lunged. It was four-legged, lean with long jaw and fast.

Antony fired twice.

The first round struck its shoulder and the second entered its chest. The beast crashed onto the road and slid.

He kept his weapon trained on it but there was no movement afterwards.

He exhaled.

"One."

He started moving again.

A small notification on his wristband appeared.

[CONFIRMED BEAST NEUTRALIZATION.]

Antony glanced at it. There was no points or score for the kill which was weird on itself. He continued running.

Another beast appeared two streets later, then two more. He drew his sword this time. The first came directly toward him.

He stepped aside and drove the blade through its neck. The second attacked immediately but he kicked it away, strength surging through the strike.

The beast slammed against an abandoned vehicle. He finished it with the handgun.

The third hesitated.

Antony aimed.

It retreated into an alley. He almost fired, then stopped and watched as the beast disappeared.

He looked at the timer.

[36:41]

He had already spent more than three minutes on three beasts. He stared toward the alley then at the distant Delta tower.

"Why am I chasing you?"

He holstered the handgun then ran. The realization came slowly; the objective wasn’t kills, maybe kills contributed to evaluation maybe they didn’t, but every unnecessary fight cost time.

He increased his pace.

He passed another street. A beast roared from somewhere to his left but he ignored it. Another appeared ahead, this one blocked the road.

Antony changed direction but it chased him.

"Of course you do."

He ran through an abandoned shop. The beast crashed through the entrance clearly not giving up. Antony vaulted a counter, male form wasn’t ideal, he needed speed.

He drew power from his core and transformation began. While it took several seconds, it was too slow while being chased.

Antony jumped behind a concrete divider as claws struck the counter. His body shifted mid jump, his frame becoming lighter and the center of gravity changing.

Female configuration.

He pushed off immediately. The difference was immediate. The beast lunged but he slipped sideways.

It missed.

Instead of turning to fight, Antony ran through the rear door, across an alley and over a low barrier. The beast followed for perhaps twenty seconds before falling behind.

He smiled.

"That’s better."

He kept running.

The timer dropped.

[33:18]

A human scream came from ahead. He slowed as another scream came through.

"Help!"

He stopped.

Delta was forward-right but the voice came left. He looked toward the tower then toward the voice.

"Simulated civilian."

He remembered the briefing.

Simulated civilians may be present.

It was not required and there had been no explanation. He could ignore it since the objective said reach Delta. He took two steps toward Delta, then stopped.

"That’s definitely deliberate."

The academy wanted him to choose.

He sighed.

"Fine."

He ran left.

The voice led him into a partially collapsed building. A mannequin would have been easy; instead, Antony found a real person, or someone who looked real.

An academy actor, probably.

A middle-aged man wearing civilian clothing lay beneath a collapsed metal frame.

"Please!"

He approached.

"Are you actually injured?"

The man stared at him for a frw seconds before he started screaming again, more dramatically this time.

"My leg is trapped!"

"That wasn’t my question."

"Please help me!"

Antony sighed, this was definitely part of the test. He examined the frame, it was heavy. His female form wasn’t ideal. Another transformation would cost energy but it was necessary.

He initiated it.

Several seconds later, male Antony returned. He gripped the metal, power from his core flowing through his body as he lifted.

The frame moved and the civilian pulled his leg free.

Antony released the metal.

"Can you walk?"

The man tried but collapsed. Antony stared blankly at him.

"Naturally."

"Please don’t leave me."

He looked at the timer.

[30:02]

Ten minutes had gone by. Checkpoint Delta was still far away, he could leave the civilian here, maybe an academy team would collect him but what would he do if this were real?

Antony crouched.

"Get on."

The man climbed onto his back before he stood. Male form made the weight manageable.

"Where am I taking you?"

The civilian pointed.

"Evacuation marker two streets north."

Antony stared in disbelief.

"That’s not toward Delta."

Of course the man didn’t respond. He started moving, the civilian wasn’t light but strength helped. He reached the evacuation marker after nearly two minutes.

A green zone was painted on the street.

The moment he entered, academy personnel emerged from a reinforced doorway. They took the civilian without offering any praise ir score.

One simply said, "Continue."

He rolled his eyes and rubbed his temples as he stared at them.

"That’s it?"

The instructor looked at him.

"Your timer is running."

He looked at his wrist.

[27:51]

"Oh shit."

He turned to his female form again. This was another cost but worth it.

He accelerated.

For the next several minutes, Antony avoided almost everything. He crossed through alleys, vaulted barriers and used vehicles as cover when automated turrets activated.

A warning light appeared before the first turret fired. He ducked as rounds struck concrete behind him. He was probably in the training rounds this time. He wasn’t stopping to inspect them.

He crossed another street, then reached an underground entrance. A sign showed the tunnel connecting almost directly toward Delta.

Antony smiled.

"Finally."

Several candidates were entering. He followed, then stopped. Something bothered him; cracks ran along the ceiling, fresh dust lay on the floor and one support beam had bent.

A red marking was half-covered near the wall.

STRUCTURAL DAMAGE - SECTION B

A candidate rushed past.

"Move!"

Antony pointed upward.

"This tunnel looks unstable."

The boy barely glanced.

"It’s the shortest route."

"That doesn’t make the ceiling stronger, it’s unsafe."

"We have forty minutes."

He disappeared inside with two others following. He stared after them. The route could save several minutes. He looked at the cracks, then at the timer.

[22:44]

"Absolutely not."

He turned around. Thirty seconds later, a deep rumble came from underground.

Antony stopped as dust erupted from the entrance.

His eyes widened.

"You have got to be kidding."

Emergency lights flashed. Academy personnel moved somewhere inside.

He stared for another second, then ran. The long route was better than being buried. He had heard enough about people being buried recently.

The next district contained more beasts. He encountered two fighting over something in the street. Both Tier two and directly between him and his route.

He could fight them, maybe thirty seconds or one minute; instead, Antony picked up a broken piece of concrete. He looked toward an alley on the opposite side and threw it inside.

The concrete smashed against a metal door. Both beasts reacted. One immediately charged toward the sound and the second followed.

Antony waited until they were gone before crossing behind them.

He smiled.

"No kills."

He checked the timer.

[18:13]

Delta was getting closer.

He could see the checkpoint tower clearly now. Another candidate ran past him, covered in blood, probably beast blood.

The candidate had a massive smile.

"Fourteen!"

Antony looked at him.

"What?"

"Fourteen kills!"

The candidate sprinted ahead. He watched him, then looked at his own wrist.

Three confirmed kills.

He’d killed another beast while crossing a blocked road earlier.

Was fourteen better? Maybe.

He frowned.

The academy hadn’t told them how they were being assessed.

He continued.

A Tier Three beast appeared three streets from Delta.

He stopped immediately.

It was large, with an armored hide and four thick limbs. It stood directly in the intersection. Two candidates were already fighting it; one used an energy-enhanced sword while another fired a rifle.

Antony watched.

The Tier Two beast slammed one candidate through a vehicle door.

His eyes widened.

"That’s definitely not worth it."

He looked around. The side street were blocked so he focused on the only possible route.