After lining up and filling out their forms, nearly two thousand candidates soon gathered in the Sixth Special Venue for the Hero Certification Exam, a large stadium. Under the examiners' guidance, they split into different groups and prepared to take the various physical tests in an orderly fashion.
"Candidates, form two lines!"
"Keep order!"
"No chatting. Please stay quiet!"
"Take the tests strictly in the order listed on your forms. When your number is called, step forward and get ready."
"..."
Inside the stadium, which had been divided into different testing areas, Annie was also standing in line under the guidance of the staff keeping order.
"Look!"
"How did a little girl like her end up taking the test?"
"No idea..."
"Can she even lift a barbell?"
"I bet she could lift one with five kilos on it?"
"I think even five kilos would be too much. Look at her tiny arms and legs. There's no way she can lift it."
"Maybe she came with her family and cried until they let her join in for fun?"
"Could be..."
"What a reckless thing to do."
"I bet she'll get zero on the physical test. She couldn't possibly score any higher!"
"Hahaha..."
At that moment, a group of burly, muscular men standing behind Annie in line whispered and pointed at her, saying all sorts of mocking and nasty things. They were treating her like a joke.
"..."
(~￣▽￣)~
Annie had heard them, of course, but she didn't care much. She wasn't going to bother dealing with those jerks just yet. Instead, she planned to get back at them openly later.
(...)
(lll￢ω￢)
"Attention, Group Six!"
"..."
"The 1,500-meter run is about to begin. The event consists of one lap around the track surrounding the venue. Only the first-place finisher will receive