Is This Damn Thing an Employment Test?

Blue Star, Huxin City, Heavenly Might Tower.

In the lavish reception hall, the white-haired middle-aged man kept tapping his fingers against the desk, faster and faster, making the several elders seated in the hall grow uneasy.

Madman Chu!

Within Pilgrimage, those three words had once been a name known to all, a reputation carved from mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Although Chu Qingtian had already reached the age of forty-seven at the time, he was still an exceptionally formidable expert in the virtual gaming world.

In virtual gaming, while virtual games could disregard a player's physical limitations, as players grew older, neither their concentration nor energy could compare to their younger days. Even their neural reflexes would decline.

Yet Chu Qingtian had continued fighting on the front lines. With his strength alone, he battled four Saint-ranked experts. Those three Saint-ranked experts were all in their prime, with concentration and neural reflexes at their peak, yet they had still lost to Chu Qingtian.

Afterward, Chu Qingtian wiped out a city with one spear and defeated the Blazing Sun Guild, which had been poised to challenge the giant guilds. From then on, the name Madman Chu shook all of Pilgrimage.

However, another incident was what truly made the name Madman Chu known by everyone.

It had been an internal conflict within Heavenly Might. Chu Qingtian had clashed in ideals with another Heavenly Might founder whose name could not be mentioned. At the time, everyone in Pilgrimage thought Chu Qingtian would compromise, because that unmentionable founder had five Saint-ranked experts following him.

Instead, Chu Qingtian broke completely with that unmentionable founder.

That incident had nearly caused Heavenly Might to fall into the ranks of first-rate guilds. Fortunately, Chu Qingtian had held off the attacks of several first-rate guilds, barely preserving Heavenly Might's standing in Pilgrimage.

Now, although Chu Qingtian was nearly fifty and his temperament had long since been smoothed down, becoming much gentler toward others, his expression was currently somewhat gloomy—so gloomy that the elders present felt chills run down their backs.

"Secretary Zhang still isn't here?" Chu Qingtian glanced at the time on his watch, his brows knitting even tighter as he directly questioned the elders beside him. "Didn't you say Secretary Zhang was already on her way?"

"Guild Leader, Secretary Zhang was on her way, but that was five minutes ago. From her residence to the guild, she'll probably still need another minute or two," an elder with a grizzled beard carefully explained.

"This Secretary Zhang is getting more and more outrageous." Chu Qingtian's voice was icy. "Making us wait here is one thing, but doesn't she know Su Wuming is here today? She's already made Su Wuming wait over an hour. Anyone might think we're trying to give Su Wuming a show of force."

"Today is Su Wuming's employment test, and it concerns Heavenly Might's reputation. If young people like Su Wuming think there's nothing special about Heavenly Might, their asking price will absolutely soar into the heavens!"

The several elders present deeply agreed, and their expressions became much more solemn.

Although Heavenly Might was currently one of Pilgrimage's five giant guilds and appeared awe-inspiring to outsiders, only one's own family knew its own affairs. With Pilgrimage on the decline, Heavenly Might had already expended enormous manpower and resources opening up new replacement games.

Heavenly Might currently did not have much spare money left. If Su Wuming passed the employment test easily, proof of such ability naturally would not come cheap. But if they could make Su Wuming feel that the employment test was somewhat difficult, then they could set their price a little lower.

Because this employment test was so important, they had decided to entrust it to the guild's chief steward, Zhang Qingwei, who was also the head of Human Resources. Several of the guild's Saint-ranked experts had undergone employment testing with Zhang Qingwei back then, and the prices negotiated had all been quite ideal.

"By the way, why hasn't Zhao Hu come? Didn't he say he wanted to meet Su Wuming today?" Chu Qingtian swept his gaze over the venue and discovered that Zhao Hu, who had been constantly clamoring to see Su Wuming, was unexpectedly absent.

After all, Zhao Hu had always wanted Saint-ranked experts to develop new games, but Heavenly Might's current Saint-ranked experts all had their own duties. Otherwise, they simply had no interest in developing new games and only wanted to raise their strength in Pilgrimage.

As a newly recruitable elder, Su Wuming was absolutely someone Zhao Hu would want to win over with all his might.

"I contacted Elder Zhao Hu. Elder Zhao Hu said he didn't have time," the grizzled elder explained.

"No time? What is he doing?" Chu Qingtian could not help but be surprised. "Developing the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty is what Zhao Hu values most. What could be more important than recruiting a Saint-ranked expert to go help him?"

"It seems he's participating in some game's test assessment." The grizzled elder shook his head. "Elder Zhao Hu said he absolutely had to secure that test assessment, or he'd be too ashamed to return to the guild. I couldn't persuade him otherwise."

"Fine. That's just the kind of person he is." Chu Qingtian no longer concerned himself with it and checked the time again. "Still not here?"

Just as Chu Qingtian was about to take out his phone and contact Zhang Qingwei directly, Zhang Qingwei strolled in unhurriedly, her face full of helplessness.

"Guild Leader, sorry to have kept you waiting." Zhang Qingwei took a deep breath and adjusted her mindset. "I've already prepared Blade Saint Su Wuming's employment test. I guarantee it will give Heavenly Might sufficient prestige."

"I hope so." Chu Qingtian glanced at Zhang Qingwei. He had originally wanted to give her a thorough scolding, but considering her brain condition—and the doctor's advice that she needed more sleep—he gave up on the thought. "Let's go to the employment testing room now."

Heavenly Might Tower, eighty-first floor.

This entire floor, covering an area as large as a small playground, had been completely converted by Heavenly Might into the guild's employment testing area. It was specifically used for routine testing of newly recruited members, while promotion assessments for existing members were also conducted on this floor.

The normally bustling eighty-first floor had been cleared entirely for Blade Saint Su Wuming's employment test today, leaving it rather empty.

"Brother Su, sorry to have kept you waiting. This is the head of Heavenly Might's Human Resources Department. She wasted quite some time earlier making adjustments for the test." Chu Qingtian smiled as he explained to the short-haired, brawny young man lying in the Virtual Game Pod.

Su Wuming was not very old, only twenty-five. He was a Saint-ranked expert who had risen to prominence in Pilgrimage over the past year.

As a solo player, Su Wuming had defeated several Blade Saints in just one year and squeezed into the ranks of the ten great Blade Saints. He was an exceptionally promising young genius. If Heavenly Might had not been sincere enough, it would have been very difficult to recruit a genius expert like Su Wuming.

"It's fine. It's all just gaming anyway. It makes no difference where I play." Su Wuming exited Pilgrimage and looked curiously at Zhang Qingwei, the head of Human Resources. As for Chu Qingtian's words, he did not believe a single one of them. "So, can we begin now?"

Su Wuming had heard plenty about guilds trying to force down prices. Making someone wait an hour was nothing. To disrupt a person's mindset and lower their price, some small guilds would even make recruits wait until the dead of night, refusing them coffee to stay alert and not allowing them to use the restroom. They exhausted every possible trick.

Waiting an hour now was merely a minor scene. It would not affect his condition at all.

"Yes."

Zhang Qingwei stepped forward. Just as she was about to have Su Wuming enter the combat game she had selected earlier, she suddenly thought of High Martial Descent's potential. Luo Wu Shang also needed experts, so this was the perfect opportunity to snatch one over.

With a flick and turn of her finger, Zhang Qingwei opened High Martial Descent in the Virtual Game Pod and softly said, "Elder Su, this is today's employment test game. You only need to pass this test assessment."

"Good! Today, I finally get to see the legendary Heavenly Might employment test." Seeing Zhang Qingwei casually select a new game's test assessment, Su Wuming immediately laughed and directly clicked into High Martial Descent's assessment test.

Using a new game's test assessment as an employment test, Su Wuming felt that Heavenly Might was looking down on him far too much. With his skill, no matter what game it was, it would be as easy as taking something from his pocket. Not to mention a new game's test—how difficult could it possibly be?

Then one second passed...

Two seconds...

Three seconds...

Su Wuming exited High Martial Descent's test assessment. Then he took another deep breath, paid 198 for a revival, and entered the test assessment again.

Three seconds later, Su Wuming woke up once more, then silently paid another 198.

After dozens of attempts in a row, even the longest Su Wuming had remained awake was only eleven seconds. Finally, Su Wuming took a deep breath and stood up.

"Sorry for disturbing you."

"???"

This scene left Chu Qingtian and the others present completely dumbfounded. They had no idea what had happened.

Then they saw Su Wuming cast a deep look at the dark-gray High Martial Descent icon in the Virtual Game Pod, before sweeping his gaze over Chu Qingtian and the others, his eyes filled with profound speechlessness.

Is this damn thing an employment test?

No! This was clearly a rejection test!

If they didn't want him to join, they could have just said so. Why bother using a new game's test assessment to brush him off?

Seven Shadows Spear!

Was this a game humans could play?

The second update would be up soon.