Chapter 13
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Episode 4 - New Record [1] ─────────────────────────────────
"The test is relatively easy; it is carried out inside an
"What is it about, or what do I need to do in this test?"
Doyle nodded, took a breath to give a long explanation, and replied.
"Once inside the test there will be a Sequence 9 Anomaly. You must not kill it or take any kind of action, since, as you heard before, sir, the test must be completed in the shortest possible time. In short, it must be cleared as quickly as possible. As for what you have to do, the School Leader said that I cannot tell you; you, sir, must figure out the way to escape. Of course, you can die a total of three times if the Anomaly finds you…"
Doyle continued moving his mouth without stopping; however, this helped me understand more about this test.
Basically, it is a test that every new member of the Supernatural Registration Department usually takes on their first day.
This test has two objectives.
First, it is to evaluate the performance, development, intelligence, decisions, and thoughts of the new member who enters the test.
Second, it also serves to demonstrate whether they will know how to use their supernatural abilities rationally and intelligently.
'It is a well-thought-out test with a clear purpose; it was never mentioned whether official Anomalous members took this kind of test.'
As the thought arose, I quickly arrived at more questions.
'I have to figure out how to escape; that means it is a Passage with puzzles, and it is set in a store. Also, there is only one Anomaly…'
After some deep thought for a few minutes, I told Doyle that I had said nothing and was waiting for a response.
"All right, but I was wondering, what happens if I die all three times?"
Doyle nodded and replied.
"You die in real life or fall into a coma. This could be an inconvenience, sir; however, you have the option to say 'I give up,' and you will automatically return to the real world, so in reality there is not much danger. However, the sensation of dying remains real, and unless you have a strong mind…"
I stopped Doyle from talking for half an hour while I thought.
'In reality there is no danger. It shouldn't be anything dangerous, and I could take advantage of this opportunity to test my abilities.'
The idea arose momentarily. Although it was not allowed to attack the Anomaly, my abilities were not actually for attack but rather for support, to make a situation more favorable.
Just when I was thinking, an idea came up.
'If I need to escape in the shortest possible time, doesn't that mean I can write and make time favorable to me?'
That means that, as long as I am not discovered, I can finish the test in record time, if possible.
Nodding, I told Doyle, who had fallen silent.
"Alright, let's go now."
Nodding, Doyle rose from his seat, walked toward the door of my office, and opened the door. Still holding it open, Doyle waited for me to leave.
Somewhat bewildered, yet remembering that an assistant made life easier, I walked forward and crossed the door.
Behind me, Doyle had already closed the door of my office, walked quickly, and then guided me toward a particular room.
Above the door, there was a sign that read "Authorized personnel only." Without hesitation, Doyle opened the door.
Behind the door were gas lamps, illuminating the relatively large room.
There were seats as well as a desk where there were papers, apparently records of old files.
At the end of the room, there was a chair, and above the chair were hands holding a crystal of a black-green color.
As I looked at the crystal, my Supernatural Vision suddenly activated.
What I could see was a distortion that covered a radius of one meter, enveloping the chair.
The first thought that arose was.
'That crystal creates an artificial Passage where some Anomalous being with certain capabilities can shape the artificial Passage and insert a weak Anomaly but with certain special powers…'
Seeing the crystal, Doyle spoke while picking up some papers, as well as a timer and a pen.
"Sir, that crystal is what allows entry into the artificial Passage I mentioned, and it is where you will take the Record Test. You only need to sit in that chair while injecting your Supernatural Power into the crystal."
Nodding while still looking at the crystal, I sat in the chair and then looked at Doyle, who was sitting in front of me with a timer on the desk beside him.
He was also holding a sheet of paper with a pen, and there was a seal next to the timer.
"So you record everything that happens, or do you only record the time?"
Doyle nodded.
"Only the time, sir. This is because it is impossible to see inside the Artificial Passage unless an Observer is present and projects a moving image of the interior, but as you can see, it is only the two of us."
Frowning, I recalled what Doyle had said earlier and asked.
"Then how will you know if I use my abilities or not?"
Doyle nodded and said.
"That is easy. If you, sir, use your abilities, the Supernatural Power of the crystal will automatically increase, and I will be able to know that you are using a skill. However, some Anomalous Paths tend to have more Supernatural Power than others, so it would be difficult to know if you are using your abilities, and there are also abilities that do not use Supernatural Power, as well as the ability to conceal Supernatural Power."
After his long explanation, I began to consider whether my only ability of making my words come true would be detected by Doyle or not.
'Mhm, in that case I should say this…'
Looking at Doyle, I said.
"I want to do a test. I will use my abilities right when I enter, then when I come out you tell me whether you detect it or not. Of course, it is only a test, so I will enter one more time."
Doyle nodded with shining eyes.
"Incredible, sir. With that, if you use an ability and I do not detect it, then it means we will wait for an Observer to come and evaluate you. In the case that I do detect it, you will come out and then reenter to officially begin the Record Test."
"..."
Nodding, I began to suspect that this Doyle could see and understand more than what a person would normally be able to.
'Is this a side effect of being beaten without any reasonable explanation…'
My face went blank for a few seconds, but I sighed and soon nodded at Doyle.
Then I extended my Supernatural Power, which I could naturally control simply by being an Anomalous, instantly, without the need to experiment or learn under anyone else's guidance.
Soon, my vision darkened.
I felt my entire body slowly disappear from where I was sitting, leaving the room.
Soon, my eyes regained visibility.
The first thing I saw was a place with shelves full of products, a grid-patterned ceiling, with no gas lights or candles lit anywhere.
The convenience store was in complete darkness; however, my surroundings were still visible within a range of about two to three meters.
'So this is the Artificial Passage. As Doyle said, it's relatively large, enough to run short distances and hide from whatever lurks here…'
Quickly, I used my Supernatural Power, and a golden illusory quill appeared between my fingers, already held firmly.
Then I wrote a simple sentence.
"Doyle, who was observing the crystal, realized that there was an increase in Supernatural Power and thought that it would not be necessary for an Observer to come to the test; therefore, he was mistakenly deceived."
Looking at the strange letters that distorted the air where they were written.
I nodded to myself.
'I didn't feel the probability drop much, so this is a success.'
Then I looked around for a second before saying,
"I give up."
Soon my vision darkened, and after a few seconds, I returned to reality.
Sitting on the chair, I raised my head, waiting for Doyle to say something.
"Sir, fortunately I sensed the increase in Supernatural Power, so it will not be necessary for an Observer to intervene. Therefore, you may begin the test without any problem."
I nodded, while hiding a smile.
'I deceived my assistant that easily. This ability of mine, depending on how I use it, deceiving others will not be impossible, as well as making them believe what I say… like a false report.'
Perhaps this was one of a king's abilities: to deceive his subjects and make them believe the truth in order to remain in power.
Smiling inwardly, I noticed another detail.
'Also, after deceiving Doyle, that means that if I use my ability this time, the increase in Supernatural Power will not appear or will not be visible to Doyle, so I will be able to use my ability without any problem.'
Smiling once more, I nodded to Doyle and said,
"That's good. I don't like cheating, so the result of my test is good."
Doyle nodded cheerfully as he said,
"You are very admirable, Mr. Sherlock."
Nodding, I then used my Supernatural Power once more and re-entered the Artificial Passage.
Once again, I found myself in the convenience store as I observed my surroundings more carefully.
Then a golden illusory quill appeared as I wrote,
"Sherlock Holmes was lucky to find the first clue much faster than other members, allowing him to get an idea of how to escape and secure first place; moreover, due to his luck, the Anomaly does not find him very quickly after obtaining the first clue."
Once I had written what I wanted to make real,
I felt my Supernatural Power being consumed by my ability, and the probability had fallen to the limit.
If the probability was less than 50% and dropped to 49%, that meant my words would not become reality, and therefore I would have to write something more convenient.
And this time, it had fallen to exactly 50%, the limit for my words to become real.
'Of course, this ability is not omnipotent, so there is room for error and a variable may occur.'
Sighing, the first thing I did was look at the shelves.
I wasn't sure what the clue was; however, I managed to see a door.
'That's the exit, which means I need to find a key or…'
While I was thinking, I suddenly heard noises near my position.
I quickly realized that I had already discovered the first clue, so according to my words, the Anomaly would find me shortly after finding the clue.
'I didn't think it would be this fast.'
Feeling relieved but at the same time nervous, I quickly searched for the next clue.