Benchmark Test

The following morning.

Led by the Grand Priest, the entire squad arrived at the open testing area in the inner layer of the pyramid.

The so-called benchmark test consisted of:

Strength

Endurance

Agility

Magic

Only those whose overall score met the standard, or who achieved an S-rank rating in any single assessment, were qualified to apply to the pyramid for the "Chosen Candidate Assessment."

Just as the squad arrived at the testing area.

The supervising priest of the Sun Temple led another squad there.

When the two teams caught sight of one another, both sides revealed looks of disbelief... Most people believed their own team's progress far surpassed the average and should have left other teams far behind.

Who would have thought that the two teams' progress would be exactly the same? They had even run into each other head-on in the testing area at the same Time Node.

Only Han Dong, Demps, and the little monk Gu Xu from the opposing side showed little change in expression.

Still.

The upcoming assessment would not involve any conflict of interests, so it did not matter that they had encountered each other early.

Drawing on the connection they had built during the Ascension Competition, Han Dong stepped forward and shook Gu Xu's hand, proactively expressing his goodwill.

The moment their hands met, a Consciousness Connection was established between them.

Gu Xu went straight to the point. "Was Novikov's death, as well as the complete annihilation of the Alleles squad, related to you?"

"Yes... I killed him at the critical moment.

"Otherwise, once Novikov's plan succeeded, every one of our squads would have been in danger."

"What was his goal?"

"To use the most perfect Xenomorph flesh—the body of the Xenomorph God—to complete himself and achieve the final breakthrough of a