"Nexus!!"
An announcement rang out as Nexus looked up. Ronan patted his back and gave him a thumbs-up. Thanking him, he quickly made his way toward the testing room.
"Best of luck."
He could hear Ronan's distant voice cheering him on; hearing this, he couldn't help but smile. Although he doesn't know what the future may hold for them, at least for now, he doesn't regret being friends with him.
Entering the room, he walked toward the virtual pod. Just as he was about to touch the pod, the world around him started to distort. He didn't panic as he noticed that his consciousness was being sent into the Virtual Void.
"Welcome, Dear citizen Nexus."
The Goddess's voice rang out as he looked at the pure white world around him; this world, though virtual, seemed to stretch to infinity.
"Goddess?"
Nexus called out in a confused and questioning voice, after all, from what he had gathered, the one administering his test would be staff in the Virtual Void, not the Goddess.
"Dear Citizen Nexus, sorry for the abrupt transfer."
"Due to the Protection level you have been given, it has been calculated that me taking your test is the safest way for you to remain hidden."
"After your test finishes, I shall add it to your fake account. If your rank is high enough, I shall even demote it in your fake account. If you don't want it, you can display your original rank."
Hearing her words, Nexus nodded his head, although he couldn't be sure of his current strength, but if it is high enough and the staff sees it, then it will become a suspicious point.
Although the chances of the staff being a spy are very, very low, it's still better for confidential knowledge to be known to a few people.
"You can do as you wish, Goddess."
Nexus replied as he moved his body. Although it was a virtual world, he didn't feel any discomfort. The feeling of his body, both in the virtual and the real world, was the same.
"You can start your challenge anytime you are ready."
Hearing her words, Nexus closed his eyes. This was his first battle in this life; just thinking about it, his battle spirit started to rise.
"I am ready, goddess."
"Understood..."
The goddess's voice was heard as it slowly faded away. The space a hundred meters away from him started to distort as a human figure, the same height as him, appeared. The human's figure eyes opened as Nexus's body tensed.
His foot pressed against the ground as he applied force, pushing himself forward. In an instant, he reached the speed of sound without making any noise.
His figure appeared behind the white figure as, with one swift motion, he crushed the white figure's neck. He let go as the figure fell limp to the ground.
Just as he was waiting for the next challenge, he felt something from behind. He quickly moved out of the way as the white figure, now completely healed and stronger than before, stood in front of him.
"So this is the test."
He muttered as he moved forward with a great burst of speed, his eyes became focused like a hunter as he pounced like a tiger. In an instant, he ripped the head off the white figure's body.
Looking at the head in his hand, he crushed it with great force. As he looked at the crushed skull, it started to liquify, and the white liquid flowed toward the body, making a new head.
"So that's why it didn't bleed."
Nexus muttered as he looked at the figure whose strength had increased by another notch. Without a moment's waste, he appeared before the figure and plunged his hand into its chest.
His hand ripped out from the other side, but he didn't feel any internal organs; it seems this figure was more of a solidified liquid than a true organic being.
Looking at the figure that was completely healed and was ready to attack him, he gave a kick to the abdomen, sending the figure flying.
This time, the figure didn't die in one hit. Although its lower body was gravely injured, it still managed to cling to life. Appearing before the figure whose body was starting to heal, he kicked him in the abdomen, separating the upper and the lower half.
The white figure died, but Nexus didn't feel any joy. He watched in silence as the two separated, half turned into white liquid, and joined once more to create the figure.
Looking at the figure whose strength had risen again, he kicked him in the chest. The figure quickly moved as he blocked his attack with his hands. Nexus, with swift motion with his free hands crushed the figure's skull, killing it again.
The figure after dying was reborn once more. Just as he was about to make a move, he fell into a momentary daze, sensing an attack to his soul, his body roared as he woke up.
Looking at the figure's hand, which had turned into a sharp blade, and inching closer to his next, he twisted his body, dodging the attack. In one single motion, his body spun as he gave the white figure a kick to the jaw, sending him flying up.
He kicked the ground as he jumped up, making his hands like a tiger's claw; his fingers dug into the white figure's chin as he ripped off his head once more.
Then, with his other hand, he gave a palm strike, sending the figure's body flying as it landed in the distance. Looking at the skull that was turning into liquid, he tried to stop them from combining, but wasn't able to.
Looking at the white figure that was standing up, he kicked the ground as he rushed toward it. The soul attack came once more, but this time, he was ready; the blood energy combined in his body burned, resisting the attack.
Although he still fell into a momentary daze, his momentum didn't slow down; he appeared before the figure as he did a palm strike, ready to tear the figure's chest open.
This time, the figure's reaction was faster than before as one of its hands turned into a shield blocking the attack.
DUNG!!!
A dull sound rang out as the shield cracked into pieces, but it still did its job as it managed to block Nexus's attack. His other hand had already turned into a sword as its tip pointed at Nexus's head.
His hand moved as his two fingers caught the sword; he applied pressure as he cracked the blade. Now, with both its hands out of commission, the figure was helpless to block the kick from Nexus.
The kick landed as its chest burst into pieces. With his free hands, he punched all the pieces, sending them flying into the distance.
"Stay dead for a while."
Nexus said as he quickly started to stabilize his body. After this battle, his stamina was starting to run low. Although it may have seemed like a one-sided fight, he still had to exert a lot of his strength.
After regaining some stamina, he looked at the figure that stood once more; its presence had become stronger than ever. Nexus's instinct even warned him of the danger of death; his battle spirit rose even more as his speed reached three times the speed of sound.
His muscles started to twitch as he looked like a charging tiger, containing both its majesty and destructive power.
The white figure seems to have grown smarter as his hands started to deform. He quickly formed a spear shield as he also rushed toward Nexus with full force.
The wild and the artificial beast clashed as ...