I’ll be the Red Ranger
Chapter 87 – The Three Exams

- Oliver -

"So let's talk about how your evaluations will proceed," the General started.

“Starting tomorrow, your gauntlets will call you to enter the testing area. There are a total of thirty-six testing areas—six per floor.” The hologram stopped displaying the General for a few minutes as it showed the map of the gigantic facility and where the testing areas would be located.

“The moment you receive the notification, you must immediately proceed to the testing location, with a maximum delay of fifteen minutes,” he emphasized, his tone making it clear that punctuality would be crucial.

The trio exchanged glances, aware of the importance of that information. The silence in the room was broken only by the subtle hum of the holographic projectors.

“Throughout this week, you will undergo three tests. The first one will be a defense operation,” the General announced, pausing momentarily to allow everyone to absorb the information.

“You will be placed in the center of an arena with sixty divisions.” The hologram transformed again, this time displaying a circular arena of colossal proportions. Sixty separate divisions appeared, each with a metal pillar rising behind a marked space on the ground. “Your mission is simple: defend your pillars against the opponents that will be released into the area. With each successful defense, stronger enemies will be sent.”

The hologram images illustrated combat robots emerging from the entrances around the arena, advancing toward the recruits. Next, they showed intense battles, with challengers fighting increasingly powerful machines.

“In the first waves, we will start with training combat robots, and as the rounds progress, we may even send Mechas,” the General explained.

A murmur spread through the dormitory. The idea of facing Mechas, even in simulation, was intimidating. Oliver felt a chill down his spine and a spark of excitement. This was the type of challenge he had been preparing for.

Suddenly, his gauntlet vibrated gently, emitting a soft beep. He looked at the device on his wrist, which was flashing with new notifications.

| New achievements created

| ■■■■■

| Destroy 100 combat robots

| ■■■■■

| Be the last one remaining in the Tower Defense

| ■■■■■

| Destroy a Mecha

Oliver reflected for a moment, his eyes fixed on the holographic interface of his gauntlet. ‘Wait, I can receive new achievements?’ he wondered. ‘Are they unique to me, or are they also offered to others at the Knight level?’

Athena, the serene voice of his artificial intelligence, responded in his mind:

“They are created according to your experience but can also be offered to others.”

As he absorbed this information, the imposing figure of the General continued his speech in the hologram before him.

“You will be evaluated based on the quality of your tower defenses, the number of opponents defeated, and your survival time. The first-place winner will automatically qualify for the next stage, while the others will be compared with the other recruits until we reach the quota for the second phase.” The General explained.

Oliver expected more details about the rules, but it seemed there would be no additional information. A feeling of unease took hold of him. ‘Does this mean there are no more rules? Will it be like the introductory test at the Academy?’ the boy pondered, remembering the exam.

“You will find more information about the composition of each wave in your gauntlets,” Sebastian commented.

At that moment, the recruits' gauntlets vibrated gently, indicating the arrival of new data. Detailed holograms began to float above their wrists, displaying statistics, tactical schemes, and profiles of potential adversaries.

“This initial evaluation will take place throughout this first week,” the General continued, while the surrounding hologram showed images of the thirty-six facilities being modified and enhanced. “After completing all evaluations, you will be called for the second test, which will aim to assess your ability in offensive and assault operations.”

“In this second test, you will encounter a basic example of an assault operation. Your objective will be to retrieve an item located at the end of a labyrinth. However, you will have a five-minute time limit. You must enter, find the item, and exit within this time.”

The hologram began to display the labyrinth in detail, highlighting possible routes, traps, and points of interest. Mini mechas were shown patrolling the corridors, their metallic silhouettes reflecting the ambient light.

“All of you will have access to the labyrinth’s plans and the specifications of the opponents you will encounter,” the General concluded.

Some mini mechas were presented by the hologram, allowing them to gauge the size and aggressiveness of their opponents.

“Your evaluation will be based on the time required to complete the test and the integrity of the recovered item,” the Ranger explained.

Oliver reflected on the information. ‘There’s no specified number of opponents. So the focus will be on entering and exiting as quickly as possible,’ he thought, already devising strategies in his mind.

“All of you will be ranked, and based on the number of available slots, you will be taken to the final test,” the General explained.

Again, his gauntlet vibrated gently, emitting a soft beep.

| New achievements created

| ■■■■■

| Eliminate 100 opponents within the labyrinth

| ■■■■■

| Complete your labyrinth challenge in under 3 minutes

| ■■■■■

| Complete your labyrinth challenge in under 1 minute

‘Maybe these rewards can help me in the next exam?’ Oliver considered the possibility as he saw new achievements being added to his Traits menu.

“After the second exam, all who achieve the minimum score will be automatically approved as Officers and can attend the officer academy of their choice. However, those who wish to become Rangers must participate in a final test.”

Oliver glanced at Isabela, sitting on one of the beds beside him, her eyes fixed on the hologram, and at Katherine, who had stood up, trying to hold back the anxiety rising in her throat. He imagined the upcoming challenge would be even more complex and possibly risky.

“Each of you must go through the Evaluation Crystal,” the General explained.

This time, the hologram displayed a massive transparent crystal floating in a chamber illuminated by ethereal lights. The crystal emanated an enigmatic aura, and its surface was completely polished.

Oliver remembered having seen the item before; it was the same one used in their Energy capacity evaluation.

“All of you have already been exposed to this evaluation process; however, this one is a bit special. Instead of assessing your Energy level, it will evaluate your connection with the Z Crystal and the efficiency you have with each type of crystal,” the General commented as he walked toward the crystal and placed his hand on the object.

The General walked up to the holographic representation of the crystal and extended his hand, touching its shimmering surface. Immediately, the crystal began to glow in various colors, from deep blue to intense red, passing through shades of green and gold. Symbols and data started to project into the air around it, displaying their information.

| ? Yellow - 81%

| ? Blue - 3%

| ? Red - 1%

| ⬛️Black - 0%

| ?Pink - 0%

“This efficiency level will indicate your ability to extract power from your Ranger Armor according to the type of crystal you are using,” Sebastian explained, his firm voice echoing through the dormitory.

Oliver didn’t know, but that information had not previously been disclosed to civilians or lower-ranking military personnel. Only officers who had undergone the evaluation and attempted to become Rangers knew its existence. However, as more officers sought to join the Rangers each year, information gradually began to leak. It reached a point where it was more beneficial for the NEA to make it public and earn additional goodwill from the population.

“The sum of your points will be used to qualify you; however, you will need to have at least 60 points to be approved, and you can only choose a division where you have at least one efficiency point,” the Ranger explained.

As Oliver was still digesting the information, the General turned his gaze to someone out of sight, probably an assistant backstage. After a brief nod, he continued speaking.

“Ah! We have received some questions on our channel about the quotas for each evaluation level,” the General announced, pausing for a moment while consulting a document on his personal hologram. “Currently, we have approximately 600,000 students taking this exam. Only 60,000 will pass the first test, and just 6,000 of them will be able to participate in the third exam. Finally, we expect approximately 3,000 of these will be invited to join a Ranger division.”

‘It’s a bit more than they had informed us at the academy,’ Oliver thought, feeling a chill run down his spine. ‘Only 0.5% will have access to a division.’

The General raised his gaze, his expression serious but determined.

“I wish you all good luck. Let the exams begin!”

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