Inside the Training Ground
Everyone gathered on one side of the training ground, eager to watch Noel's assessment.
Some soldiers whispered among themselves while others studied her from head to toe.
Guard 2: "I think she's a Beta." 🤔
Guard 5: "Yeah, I think so too." 🤔
Guard 3: "Then let's make a bet!"
"Beta or not?" 😏
Everyone: "DEAL!" 😎
Apparently, watching someone take a test was more exciting than doing their actual jobs.
Meanwhile, the assistant stepped forward.
Assistant: "Alright. We'll conduct only three tests."
"Based on your results, we'll decide what kind of training you'll need." 😊
Noel: "Okay." 🙂
Assistant (thinking): Why does she only say 'Okay'...?
Stay calm.
Don't get angry.
He forced a smile.
Assistant: "The first test is weightlifting."
"The second is rope climbing."
"And the third is a puzzle test."
"These tests will help us understand your abilities." 😊
Noel: "Okay." 🙂
Assistant (thinking): I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE! I'M GOING TO LOSE MY MIND! 😤
Assistant: "If you keep answering with only 'Okay,' then—"
Noel looked up at him with innocent eyes.
Noel: "Sorry, sir." 🥺
Assistant: "..."
His anger disappeared instantly.
Assistant (thinking): WHY DOES SHE LOOK SO SAD?! NOW I FEEL LIKE A VILLAIN! 😭
Assistant: "I-It's okay."
"Let's begin."
"Bring the stones." 😅
Six guards immediately stepped forward.
Three Alpha guards carried one enormous boulder together, struggling under its weight.
The other three brought smaller stones of various sizes.
The assistant gestured toward the collection.
Assistant: "Look, you can try lifting any of these."
"It's perfectly fine if you can't lift the big—"
He stopped.
Something was wrong.
Everyone around him had suddenly gone silent.
Their eyes were wide, their mouths were open, and a few soldiers looked as though they'd just witnessed the end of the world.
Assistant: "Huh?"
He slowly turned around.
Assistant: "😱"
Everyone: "😱😱😱"
Noel was casually holding the BIGGEST BOULDER above the ground.
One hand.
Just one hand.
And she looked as though she was holding a pillow.
Noel: "Like this?" 🙂
Assistant: "..."
His eye twitched.
Assistant (thinking): Stay calm...
Don't panic...
THAT BOULDER REQUIRED THREE ALPHAS TO CARRY! 😱
Assistant: "O-Okay..."
"You can put it down now."
Noel gently placed the boulder back on the ground.
BOOM!
The ground trembled slightly.
Several soldiers instinctively stepped backward.
Guard 2 (thinking): BETA, MY FOOT! 😭
Guard 3 (thinking): I BET MONEY ON BETA! I'M FINISHED! 💸
The assistant wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Assistant: "Next is rope climbing." 😊
Please let this one be normal.
PLEASE.
---
Test Number Two: Rope Climbing
They moved to the climbing area.
A thick rope hung from the ceiling, extending all the way to the second floor.
The assistant pointed toward it.
Assistant: "For this test, you only need to climb until the—"
He looked up.
And froze.
Assistant: "...What the?!"
Noel was already hanging from the VERY TOP OF THE ROPE.
She looked down at him with a cheerful smile.
Noel: "Sir, is this high enough?" 🙂
Everyone: "😱😱😱"
The rope reached the second floor.
Even experienced soldiers struggled to climb that high without stopping to rest.
Meanwhile, Noel looked like she was enjoying a morning stroll.
Assistant (thinking): WHY AM I STARTING TO FEEL SCARED OF HER?! 😭
He pointed upward.
Assistant: "COME DOWN!!" 😤
Noel: "Okay." 🙂
She climbed down effortlessly and landed on the ground.
Not even a little out of breath.
Assistant: "..."
Assistant (thinking): Two tests.
Two impossible results.
And she hasn't even broken a sweat.
WHAT EXACTLY AM I DEALING WITH?! 😭
He took a deep breath and forced himself to smile.
Assistant: "So far... everything is good."
"Now, let's move on to the last test." 😊
Assistant (thinking): I'm absolutely sure she can't do this one.
There's no way she can defeat a puzzle designed by our kingdom's finest minds! 😏
---
Test Number Three: The Hard Button Disaster
The assistant led Noel toward a strange-looking machine.
Three large buttons were displayed on its front.
EASY
MEDIUM
HARD
The assistant proudly explained the rules.
Assistant: "This is a puzzle test."
"There are three buttons: Easy, Medium, and Hard."
"Press one, and the machine will give you a question."
"If you answer correctly, you'll move on to the next question."
"There are three questions in total."
He looked at Noel.
Assistant: "Understood?" 😊
Noel: "Okay." 🙂
Assistant: "..."
Fine. I'll let that one slide.
He gestured toward the machine.
Assistant: "Go ahead. Press a button." 😎
Noel stepped forward.
Before she could touch anything, a nearby guard hurried over to help.
Guard: "Here, let me help you press it."
His finger moved toward the buttons.
Guard: "Press—"
CLICK!
The machine activated.
The guard stared at the button he'd accidentally pressed.
His face slowly turned pale.
Guard: "...Shit." 😥
The assistant turned toward him.
Assistant: "What happened?" 😑
The guard swallowed nervously.
Guard: "S-Sir..."
"I accidentally pressed the HARD button."
"I'm sorry!" 😥
Assistant: "..."
Assistant: "HOW COULD YOU?!" 😡
Before the guard could defend himself, a mechanical voice echoed throughout the training ground.
Machine: "QUESTION NUMBER ONE." 😑
The entire training ground fell silent.
The assistant stared at the machine.
The guard stared at the machine.
Noel stared at the machine.
And every soldier present suddenly regretted coming to watch.
Assistant (thinking): WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE HERE, AREN'T WE?! 😭
To be continued...