Chapter 281 – Mental Testing
[The Haenden star system had existed in the universe for billions of years. Twenty thousand years ago, humanity was born there. In the long process of evolution, humans developed powerful mental abilities, with their intelligence, lifespan, and physical qualities reaching unprecedented new heights. With this, the people of the Haenden star system conquered space, migrated to other stars, and reached the peak of their civilization.]
[However, the humans of the Haenden star system did not fully realize the highest potential of their mental powers.]
[Then, alien beasts descended. The Haenden star system faced an unprecedented disaster.]
[As the Rose Star withered, humanity’s potential was finally unleashed. Those with innate mental strength emerged in droves, gigantic mechas appeared, and the technology for selling mental powers rapidly matured, maximizing the utility of mental abilities.]
[You had entered the world of mental powers.]
[The world of the mental power system and the world of the supernatural ability system were two realms that had no intersection.]
[Yet, your presence briefly created a connection between the two worlds. Mental power was not entirely unrelated to you. It served as the driving force and catalyst for supernatural abilities, allowing you to avoid the fatigue and bodily damage that came from using supernatural powers, enabling you to exert the true strength of those abilities.]
[This inner core advises you to gather enough mental power, as the road ahead is long and challenging. Cherish the opportunities before you.]
Tu Ran had tightened her grip on the chopsticks and asked, “How do I collect it? Does buying it from others count?”
[Sure.]
[Because you have this inner core, you possess a privilege that ordinary people do not have: by killing alien beasts, you will also receive corresponding amounts of mental power.]
Tu Ran thought to herself, “…Why does this mode feel so familiar?”
“Is there a limit?” Tu Ran asked nonchalantly while picking at the food on her plate.
[No limit.]
Tu Ran raised an eyebrow; this meant she could kill to her heart’s content.
She liked this mode.
“Will you switch modes? Can other advanced abilities do the same as you?”
[Of course not. This ability is not an ordinary one. Not all abilities can evolve like mine.]
“Evolve?” Tu Ran chuckled lightly, “Do you know what you sound like right now?”
[What?]
“A system. Ever heard of it?”
[I won’t assign you tasks or force you to execute them; I will only provide suggestions at appropriate times. The choice is yours.]
“Well, that’s true.”
…
In the afternoon, the mental power test took place.
In this world, there were two ways to obtain mental power. One was being born with it, like Tang Ying, born with strong mental power, quite rare in this world.
The other way was to buy mental power from others to replenish one’s own reserves. Some wealthy individuals or those in need of mental power would acquire it through this method.
Although mental power had many benefits, ordinary people didn’t need it much in their daily lives. To make the most of mental power—such as extending one’s lifespan—required a certain critical level, where a quantitative change led to a qualitative shift. Since most people’s mental power did not reach this level, rather than keeping it without any use, it was better to sell it directly.
The military had a dedicated department for collecting mental power, which was supplied entirely to front-line soldiers.
In the past, most people who could operate mechas were those with naturally strong mental power and didn’t require mental power supplied by ordinary people.
However, due to the continuous battles in recent years, powerful individuals with strong mental power had fallen one after another to the alien beasts, leaving a large portion of the military now at only a moderate level of mental power. These soldiers had to rely on collected mental power to support the operation of their mechas.
This afternoon’s mental power test aimed to find those with naturally strong mental power among this batch of military reserves. Without exception, such individuals would receive increased training in the future.
However, with the extreme shortage of mentally powerful individuals and the maturity of mental power sales technology, mental power was no longer the sole criterion for evaluating a reserve soldier. This was also why the mental power test was not conducted on the first day of training.
There were over a dozen mental power testing machines. When Tu Ran and Ai Meigui arrived, there were already many people there, so they chose a line with fewer people.
Mental power testing was actually quite routine for everyone. Almost everyone had been tested multiple times since childhood and had a good sense of their own mental power level.
Today’s test was simply more official and accurate, and the results would be reported and recorded directly in the files.
While Tu Ran waited in line, a dozen mentally powerful individuals had already been identified ahead of her.
Each time a person with strong mental power appeared, the testing device would flash a red light and announce, “Congratulations to the Haenden star system on welcoming its newest strong mental power individual,” repeating it three times to ensure everyone heard.
When it was Tu Ran’s turn, she placed her hand on the device, closed her eyes per the instructor’s guidance, focused her attention, gathered her mental energy, and transferred it from her left hand to the device.
The device displayed results as percentages:
Strong mental power scored 100%.
Excellent mental power was 80% and above.
Intermediate mental power ranged from 50% to 80%; as far as Tu Ran knew, most military members fell within this range.
Slightly lower mental power ranged from 30% to 50%, which was the level for most ordinary people. At this level, mental power did not provide a significant advantage, so most civilians opted to sell theirs.
The lowest range, 10% to 30%, represented the least gifted individuals, the minimum standard for military recruitment. Mental power at this level made operating a mecha wasteful, and individuals in this range were better suited for other departments.
Results below 10% were unheard of in recent years within the Haenden star system.
Some high-ranking officials had even considered adjusting the testing equipment’s scale, removing the sub-10% level and refining other categories.
But, in front of everyone’s watchful eyes, the value on the device before Tu Ran stopped at just 2%, only barely increasing by a single point.
The result panel was a floating display, with the data large and clear enough to be seen from the end of the line.
Because of Tu Ran’s impressive performance earlier that morning, many people were paying attention to her mental power level, and now everyone was staring at her result panel.
When some people saw the value of 2%, they couldn’t quite believe it and rubbed their eyes to take another look.
Tu Ran opened one eye and, upon seeing her own number, thought: …Just as I expected.
Ai Meigui, who had been standing behind her, leaned forward and exclaimed, “Sister Tu Ran, did we humans forget to include you in our evolution?”
Tu Ran could only respond with silence, feeling at a loss for words.
Even the instructor found it hard to believe his eyes; he hadn’t seen such data in many years. He glanced at Ye Hongci, who was not far away. Following Ye Hongci’s signal, he adjusted the device again, eliminating any potential sources of error, and had Tu Ran repeat the test.
Tu Ran wanted to tell him that there was no need for a retest, as this was her actual level.
However, seeing Ye Hongci’s persistent gaze, she placed her hand back on the device.
“Concentrate your energy, and do it slowly, slowly inputting it into the device. Don’t rush; take your time,” the instructor’s voice came to her ears.
Tu Ran followed his instructions carefully.
In the end, the device displayed: 1%.
Tu Ran widened her eyes, “Huh? How could it be even lower?”
The instructor’s expression grew increasingly grim.
Ye Hongci couldn’t remain calm either; she personally approached to inspect the device and instructed Tang Ying, who had been standing nearby, to place her hand on it.
Tang Ying’s reading showed that the device was functioning correctly: 100%.
Ye Hongci had never anticipated such an outcome.
The crowd behind them erupted in chaos. Many still vividly recalled the scene from earlier that morning when Tu Ran had fought against Tang Ying, and everyone assumed she would score at least at the excellent level during the afternoon mental power test. To their shock, she registered only 1%! The disparity between her mental power and her actual abilities was staggering.
People began discussing among themselves while keeping an eye on General Ye’s expression.
Anyone with insight could see that General Ye placed significant importance on Tu Ran and was likely considering her as the next candidate for nurturing, akin to Tang Ying. However, with this situation arising, it became complicated; after all, the minimum recruitment threshold for the military was 30%.
Tu Ran looked at Ye Hongci, understanding that opportunities must be fought for.
She had made up her mind to join the military when she learned during lunch that mental power could be used as energy for abilities. Only by entering the military could she have the chance to slay alien beasts and gain more mental power. If she had to rely on buying it, she would remain a poor person, unable to afford it.
“General Ye, isn’t it true that mental power can be improved later? This 1% doesn’t mean I’ll always be at 1%. I hope you will allow me to join the military; I will prove through my abilities that I won’t remain at 1% forever,” she stated earnestly.
Before Ye Hongci could respond, Tang Ying, standing behind Tu Ran, interjected, “Mental power levels are innate and very difficult to improve. Even if improvement is possible, it’s usually within a range of just 5%. From 1%, you might only reach 1.05% or 1.06%—that’s hardly a substantial change.”
Tu Ran smiled lightly and replied, “Who is the reference for this data? Just because they could only improve that much doesn’t mean I can’t achieve more.”
“That data is based on the experiences of many predecessors; how can you be so sure that you are different from them?” Tang Ying’s voice turned icy.
“Of course, it’s because I only have 1%; who among my predecessors can say the same?” Tu Ran said with remarkable calmness, as if that 1% was something to be proud of.
Tang Ying was momentarily taken aback by her audacity and couldn’t find the words to respond. She simply turned her face away, refusing to look at her.
Unfazed, Tu Ran shrugged and turned her gaze to Ye Hongci. “General Ye, you’ve seen my abilities with your own eyes. Everything I’ve achieved has been self-taught on the wasteland star; I didn’t have a teacher like you to provide systematic guidance. I’ve come this far purely through my own exploration.”
Tu Ran skillfully played the sympathy card. “I had no exposure to mental power growing up; I only heard about it after arriving at the main star. Today was my first time testing my mental power.”
“Although the results were disappointing, I believe they do not represent my full capabilities. I hope you will give me a chance to go to the front lines and slay alien beasts—just for three days. If my mental power level doesn’t increase during that time, I will leave on my own and not waste the military’s resources. You can also take back the 10,000 mental power you planned to reward me, counting it as part of my resource consumption for those three days.”
Tu Ran spoke earnestly, balancing her demands and concessions; three days would not lead to excessive consumption of mental power, even for the most energy-intensive mechas.
After careful consideration, Ye Hongci nodded slowly. “You can keep the 10,000 mental power; since it’s a reward from me, it doesn’t need to be returned. For now, focus on your training. Once you’re proficient with the mechas, I’ll send you to the front lines. After three days, we’ll retest. I sincerely hope… that you can truly improve.”
Ye Hongci gave Tu Ran one last penetrating look before turning and leaving the testing area.
In her eyes, Tu Ran saw both hope and a heavy burden.
This battle-hardened leader ultimately chose to take a risk on her as an uncertain variable, which suggested that the situation on the front lines must not be optimistic.
Tang Ying did not leave immediately with Ye Hongci. Being slightly taller than Tu Ran, she locked eyes with her, her gaze half-lidded and commanding.
Tu Ran stood her ground, matching Tang Ying’s intensity without losing her composure. She maintained a casual stance, with a faint smile on her face, somehow managing to hold her own against Tang Ying.
The tests continued in an orderly manner, yet half of everyone’s attention was on the confrontation between Tu Ran and Tang Ying, glancing at the two with the natural curiosity of onlookers.
Tang Ying was the first to look away, leaving behind a parting remark: “Don’t let the General down,” before turning to leave.
Tu Ran watched her retreating figure, her smile fading.
“Let’s go,” she said.
Ai Meigui had finished her test, scoring 72%, which was two percentage points higher than her previous result on the Hope Star, and she was quite pleased.
…
After two hours, all the reserve soldiers had completed their tests. There were thirty-one individuals with strong mental power, two hundred and six with excellent mental power, while the majority fell into the intermediate category.
Those with mental power levels below 30%, especially those who had not performed well previously, were sent away from the training ground.
The overall level of this batch of military reserves was not impressive, and Ye Hongci wore a troubled expression.
With the situation on the front lines pressing, every second in the training field was crucial. After the mental power tests concluded, everyone moved to the simulation room for their first encounter with the beasts.
This was the first time most of the reserve soldiers had seen a 1:1 scaled three-dimensional projection of the beasts.
In the open area in front of the sword-shaped building, a projection of a beast suddenly appeared out of nowhere. No one cared about how it was projected; everyone was focused on one question: why was this beast so enormous?!
The known height of the sword-shaped building was 271 meters, and this beast stood in front of the sword, nearly matching its height, while its width was more than three times that of the building’s base.
Tu Ran looked up at the alien beast, her mind already drawing comparisons between it and the largest alien species she had seen before, which was Kangzhu.
Next to this beast, Kangzhu seemed like nothing more than a child.
The hybrid resembled a grotesque blend of animal and human, with bizarre features that, while ugly, still retained some recognizable traits.
**TN
Kangzhu – the half human, half horse(?) the one with two human upper bodies sharing one lower animal body; one always depressed, the other one always angry
