The First Interstellar Energy Gambler

Gu Yu looked around and saw that no one was paying attention to what they were talking about. He lowered his voice and said, “I heard that the exam is divided into two stages. One is computer-based testing and the other is a practical test. Computer-based testing means testing our mental power by machine. I don’t know the specific methods and principles of how they plan on testing our mental power. Anyway, my brother said that it isn’t difficult. But the actual practical test is more difficult, and we’ll have to extract element liquid on the spot.”

“So that’s how it is.” Lin Luo nodded. It seemed that the assessment wasn’t going to be very difficult to pass.

While they were chatting, batches of candidates entered the assessment room. Those who failed came out in about ten minutes, while the rest continued on to take the follow-up practical exam. In general, the assessment speed was still very fast.

“Please enter the assessment room on the right numbers 221 through 240.” Finally, it was Lin Luo and Gu Yu’s turn to take the test.

The assessment room on the right was divided into a total of twenty small compartments. The twenty candidates were left to randomly choose a compartment to test in.

Lin Luo chose a room nearby at random. After walking in he found that there was only one table inside, and on the table was a silver metal helmet.

“Welcome examinee number 233. Please close the door and walk in front of me.” The metal helmet spoke with a gentle electronic voice.

Lin Luo closed the door and walked to the table.

“Please place me on your head.”

Lin Luo put the helmet on his head. This helmet was much lighter than he expected. After wearing it, he didn’t feel any discomfort.

“The test will now begin.”

As the electronic voice fell, Lin Luo plunged into darkness.

*********

Ten minutes later, Lin Luo took off the helmet sweating profusely.

“Test passed. The mental power is rated level S, and the potential is rated level S. Please continue on to participate in the second phase of the assessment.”

When the compartment door opened again, a staff member was already standing outside the door. He smiled and said to Lin Luo, “Congratulations on passing the first stage of the assessment. Please follow the passage on the right to the next stage of the assessment.”

Lin Luo walked towards the innermost passage of the room in accordance with the staff’s guidance, while those candidates who failed the examination were taken away by the staff.

Following the passage, Lin Luo came to the second floor. There was a total of eight rooms, and each room contained an examiner to test the candidates’ practical ability face to face.

“Xiao Luo! You passed too!” Gu Yu was sitting in the waiting area and waved at Lin Luo when he saw him.

“Yeah.” Lin Luo walked over and sat down beside him. He was very happy to see someone he knew.

“How were your results in the first stage? My mental power rating is only B, but the potential is A level!” Gu Yu puffed out his chest with pride.

Lin Luo: …

He really didn’t know how to answer that question…

Seeing Lin Luo embarrassed face, Gu Yu thought his grades were too mediocre, making him too embarrassed to say, and so immediately changed the subject out of sympathy.

“The assessment was much harder than my brother said! It actually pulled us into the virtual spiritual realm and let us use mental force to penetrate a wall and shoot balloons and stuff. It was about to exhaust me!” Gu Yu grumbled.

Lin Luo nodded, this kind of assessment method was indeed quite surprising. It was likely done in order to assess their degree of mental control.

“Wait for the practical test. I don’t know if my remaining mental power is enough to extract the element liquid. If you can’t extract even a little bit, then the test will be marked as a fail…” Thinking of it, Gu Yu’s small face suddenly wrinkled like he bit a bitter melon.

“It’s okay. The time given for the practical test should be relatively long. Take advantage of the fact that there are a lot of people in front of you, and use this time to hurry up and recover your mental strength.” Lin Luo comforted.

“Okay.” Gu Yu closed his eyes and began to relax and calm his mind. No matter the length of time, he could recover at least a little.

Lin Luo didn’t feel too tired. He quietly observed the faces of other people in the room. They all wore bitter melon faces similar to Gu Yu, and only a few people looked more confident.

At this time, the door of room one suddenly opened, and a tall, dark-skinned man walked out of it dejectedly, took the number plate from his chest and handed it to the staff at the door.

Before the door closed, Lin Luo heard an old sounding voice from inside the door coldly snort, “Hmph, opportunistic and self-defeating.”

The tall man’s head sunk even lower, and he sped up his pace as he hurried downstairs.

This made Lin Luo curious; how was it possible to be opportunistic during the actual exam?

“Next, number 124.” The staff checked the next number on the light brain and let the candidate he called enter the room.

===========Little Theater===========

[Skull’s Little Theater]

Little Metal Helmet: Please break the wall~

Xiao Luo: [Turns and accidentally smashes the whole wall down like paper] Whoops, I’m sorry! Accident, it was an accident, sorry! What did you say just now before that?

Little Metal Helmet: Loading module…… Please pop the balloons~

Xiao Luo: [Steps on balloons while backing away from wall debris] Pop the what? Where? I don’t see anything though? What did you say to pop? Also did I step on something?

Little Metal Helmet:  ｜┘°□°｜┘︵ ┻━━┻

Little Metal Helmet: Examinee is level SS. Thank you for testing. Please obediently exit this helmet with no extra movements and no further program destruction. Thank you, goodbye. Test program will close in three, two, one… [program closes]

Xiao Luo: [sweat drops] …there was a test just now?

===========Translator’s Corner===========

I realized that the titles between Stone Gambling Association ranks, Energy Administration ranks, and energy liquids might have people a little mixed up between them. Similar ranks between the two organizations do NOT share names to help people keep them separate, and I’ll go add the below table to the glossary later on (and if the two organizations accidentally did share rank names in a one-off case in any previous chapters that should have been fixed):

Stone Gambling Association Ranks:

 

Beginner: 0 – 99 pts

Intermediate: 100 – 999 pts

Advanced: 1000 – ? pts

Professional: (point req unknown)

Master: (point req unknown)

Energy Administration Ranks:

 

Junior: under 30% purity – unknown badge color

Mid-Rank: 30% to 60% purity – silver badge

Senior: over 60% purity – gold badge

(Senior rank gains the ‘Energy Master’ title)

Liquid Purity:

 

Primary: 0% to 30%

Intermediate: 30% to 60%

High: 60% to 80%

Excellent: 80% to 90%

Pure: 90% to 100%

(Pure quality has never been made.)