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Chapter 65 The Unexpected Third Round
Grandpa Wei's impassioned words stirred the hearts of everyone present.

"Professional Warriors" hold a high status in the Mountain and Sea Federation and even the five great nations, and are respected and loved. They possess privileges and enjoy various benefits that ordinary people do not have.

But in return, they also bear an inescapable responsibility: to combat the maze disaster, protect the city, and safeguard the millions of people.

Perhaps some are driven by fame and fortune, some by wealth, and some by a genuine willingness to fight and sacrifice for the cause of humanity... But no matter what, once one becomes a hero, one has no choice but to take on the responsibility.

Everyone present was well aware of this.

They had long been prepared for this.

"Next."

President Wei Xuan composed himself and said in a deep voice.

"Before I present you with your Professional Hero Certificates, I have one more important announcement to make..."

The old man paused briefly before continuing:

"As decided by the highest meeting of Gucheng, a system reform will be implemented starting with the 17th Professional Hero Examination. As you have all seen, the originally closed examination process was broadcast live this time."

His gaze drifted to the camera drones around him.

He then added:

"In addition to this, a third round of practical assessment will be added on the basis of the original two rounds of assessments, namely the civil and military assessments."

As soon as this statement came out, the whole place was in an uproar.

Even the viewers in the live stream were incredibly surprised.

There's a third round of assessment?!
"There is no need for you to worry."

At this moment, Old Master Wei nodded.

"The third round of assessment is voluntary. You can still get a certificate if you don't want to participate... But if you choose to participate, the examiners and the association will upgrade your star rating based on your performance."

"This will be a completely new way of promotion."

The professional warrior level is divided into five stars.

One star is the lowest level, which is the level you can receive immediately after passing the assessment. Five stars is the highest level, which requires brave warriors to actively participate in disaster relief missions and monthly daily tasks, accumulate enough Federation contribution points, and be reviewed and promoted accordingly.

Naturally, the higher the star rating, the stronger and more experienced the warrior, and the higher the corresponding benefits and status.

There are also corresponding restrictions on the star rating for those who hold positions in certain special industries and organizations.

For example, the Bureau of Overlooking the City's Demystification Division, the City Defense Force, the Special Operations Group of the Public Security Bureau, the Foundation's Security Force, the Hermes Merchant Alliance's Wilderness Delivery Service, etc...

Therefore, star rating is extremely important for professional warriors. It determines whether they can continue to climb up the pyramid of human society.

Compared to the previously blocked promotion channels, the current performance evaluation system reform provides a brand-new promotion method, namely, merit-based promotion.

For the very few outstanding examinees, the official body and association will conduct a detailed evaluation and award them a higher-star certificate to match their excellence.

"?!"

As soon as this statement came out, the whole audience was shocked.

Not only were people in the live stream discussing it, but many of the brave warriors in the viewing area on the second floor of the association couldn't sit still and started a heated debate about it.

Most of them were only one-star or two-star warriors, and they valued promotion immensely.

Who would have thought that assessments could now be skipped?!

"However, I must make a solemn statement here."

Grandpa Wei raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

As the murmurs subsided, he said in a deep voice:
"The third round of combat assessment will be a true baptism of blood, and the probability of casualties is hard to estimate. Please consider carefully before making a decision."

"This year's practical assessment will begin tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM in the 'Sugar Witch' maze (Spade 2). Completion is not mandatory; the final evaluation will be based on performance during the exploration process."

After the old chairman finished speaking.

Of the 29 people present, Yu Jiali was the first to raise her hand.

"I attended."

The short-haired girl stepped out of the line, her face full of fearlessness. As a promising candidate, she had come in last place in the previous assessment, and she was seething with resentment, looking for an outlet for her frustration.

Perhaps only real-world experience can truly showcase her talent.

"A brave and loving little girl."

Grandpa Wei smiled with appreciation.

"In the final test of the martial arts exam, you were the only one among the candidates who was willing to help your companion. Not bad."

Upon hearing the old chairman's praise, Yu Jiali coughed slightly, feeling a little awkward, and lowered her eyes.

Her hand groped around the hem of her skirt, as if trying to find a lollipop to suck on and ease the awkwardness.

Top floor of the association building.

Upon seeing this, Police Inspector Yu Zizi chuckled and took out her phone to snap several photos.

She finally managed to catch her younger sister making a fool of herself, and she used that moment to blackmail her for several months' worth of face masks.

"I'll participate too."

Jiang Tianjie, a young man with a buzz cut, followed closely behind and stepped out of the group to raise his hand.

As a new member of the Gucheng No. 1 Defense Team, he didn't want to embarrass his older brother. He also wanted to make a good impression on Captain Ning Meng.

Following that, four seeded candidates—Xiao Yuzhe, Carlisle, Lin Xiner, and Nagata Anzu—stepped forward to apply for the third round of assessment.

The pressure then fell on Wang Xi.

All eyes were on him.

As the "dark horse" who broke the Gucheng record twice in this assessment, everyone was eager to see his statement.

Wang Xi raised an eyebrow and said:

"I have a question."

"Young man, please speak freely."

"Old Master Wei said with a smile."

He had a good impression of this outstanding young man.

“Um…” Wang Xi nodded. “The third round of assessments starts tomorrow morning, so where are we staying tonight? We're not going to have to take the subway home and then come back tomorrow, are we?”

He really cares about this issue.

His home district, Nest City, was quite far from the Heroes' Guild. The round-trip fare would cost him about 50 credits, enough for a decent fast food meal.

The crowd's expressions were strange.

Old Master Wei was slightly taken aback.

The examiner, Spears, standing next to the president, coughed and explained:
"The Heroes' Guild has a dedicated rest area, which is no worse than a hotel. The examinees will be arranged to stay here, and we will set off for the maze entrance tomorrow morning."

Wang Xi smiled happily.

Immediately afterwards, an even more crucial question was asked:
“Is food included?”

"..."

Everyone lowered their heads silently, looking somewhat tense.

The examiner, Spears, took a deep breath and said:
"It's all included. Dinner, late-night snack, and breakfast before we leave tomorrow morning will all be provided by the association's canteen. Eat whatever you like."

Wang Xi straightened his expression, stepped out of the queue, and solemnly said:

"I'll participate!" At this very moment.

The live stream chat was filled with comments flashing by.

"I'm dying of laughter. If you need anything, burn some paper money for me."

"I thought Sixth Brother was going to ask Chairman Wei some earth-shattering philosophical question..."

"Liu Shen really loves to eat."

"Food is precious, I understand."

"I seriously suspect that if the association didn't provide food and accommodation, Liu Shen would just pack up and leave."

"He certainly didn't forget the ultimate goal of the assessment."

"Cute."

Top floor of the association building.

Yu Zizi and Ning Meng noticed that Section Chief Chu beside them seemed to be looking down at her phone. The moment they turned their heads, the silver-haired girl had already pressed the screen-off button.

"Chu Nai, were you sending a comment just now?"

Ning Meng exclaimed in surprise.

"No." The silver-haired girl's expression remained unchanged as she smoothed her hair and said calmly, "I just checked the time."

Yu Zizi and Ning Meng exchanged a glance.

They exchanged a glance.

Section Chief Chu seems to be lying, but there is no evidence.

...

...

Ultimately, far fewer people volunteered to participate in the third round of practical assessments than expected.

Besides Wang Xi and six other candidates, only three other candidates with relatively outstanding performance signed up.

The remaining 19 examinees all abstained.

They passed the assessment, so they're not stupid; they have that much self-awareness... Although the third round of practical combat offers a chance to advance to a higher star level, it's clearly designed for geniuses. Where do they get the qualifications and confidence to take on the challenge?

You might die if you try it.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Passing the professional skills assessment smoothly is already a stroke of luck; what more could one ask for?

The president was not disappointed. Instead, he offered them words of encouragement and personally presented them with certificates.

It's called a certificate, but it's actually a silver hard card.

It's about half the size of a palm and made of extremely tough material. Its surface is matte and frosted, and it sparkles under the light, like countless stars.

Besides the name, number, and photo, the front also features a gleaming golden pentagon. Below it are two lines of text: "South Continent Valley City Warrior Association" and "Passed the 17th Professional Warrior Examination."

The back features a blue shield design with a six-pointed star in gold detailing in the center—the very symbol of the Heroes' Guild.

As for the 10 people, including Wang Xi, who signed up for the third round of assessment, they have not yet received their certificates. They will be awarded them after the practical training concludes.

...

...

It's around 7pm.

Wang Xi ate heartily in the association's canteen.

Unfortunately, today's assessment livestream has ended and will not start until the next morning, so there are no camera drones here.

Otherwise, the viewers in the live stream will enjoy another exhilarating mukbang show.

Compared to the bustling scene during the day, the large dining hall was rather quiet at night.

Only Wang Xi's table was having a meal.

Besides him, there were nine other examinees.

This was the first time anyone had ever seen Wang Xi eat, and they were all astonished, some even forgetting to pick up their chopsticks.

Ding-ding-ding-ding!

In no time, an empty bowl was laid out. The black-haired youth didn't even glance at it, and picked up a full bowl of white rice to continue eating.

Suddenly, Wang Xi's movements froze.

His sharp eyes peered out from behind the bowl.

"Eat! Why aren't you eating?"

"Ah……"

Jiang Tianjie started picking up food and eating, jokingly saying:
"I didn't realize you could eat so much, buddy. You're going to bankrupt the association."

"It's a blessing to be able to eat."

Wang Xi smiled, then pointed to the large chicken leg on his plate and politely asked:

"Do you want this chicken leg?"

"Thanks, but I won't eat."

Jiang Tianjie waved his hand.

The next second, the black-haired youth reached out with his chopsticks and took the chicken leg from his plate.

Jiang Tianjie was taken aback, and so were the others.

"If you don't eat, I will."

Wang Xi took a bite and chuckled.

"..."

Jiang Tianjie's eye twitched, as if he had never seen such a shameless person before.

Or perhaps it should be said that he holds grudges.

He made a joke and lost a chicken leg.

Jiang Tianjie glanced at everyone and noticed they were all suppressing their laughter. He was, after all, the younger brother of "Thunder Hammer" Jiang Tianhao, and he had his pride.

After coughing once, he imitated Wang Xi in a serious manner, pointing to the fried pork chop on his plate and saying:

"This pork chop..."

"The guy who provides meals."

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Xi's chopsticks flew over again and snatched the pork chop away.

"..."

Jiang Tianjie opened his mouth.

As Wang Xi munched on his pork chop, his gaze swept around and noticed that everyone had finally started eating, quietly pulling their plates towards them.

It seemed as if they were afraid the young man would offer a kind greeting.

Wang Xi smiled and glanced discreetly at the food they had ordered; it was all just normal portions. He couldn't help but wonder, did these people's cultivation cards not increase their appetite?

(End of this chapter)