This gave Senior Ceeran an even greater impression of Rui. He watched, impressed, as Rui spoke with the researchers of the Longranger Sect directly as Senior Ceeran was no longer able to keep up with him in the conversation, deferring to the experts of the process.
Once the doubts were resolved, the tests began immediately.
“Test RQst5s100 will commence soon.” One of the researchers spoke into a recording device. “This test entails testing static accuracy of the Pathfinder technique of the subject at a range of hundred meters with a target of size five.”
He turned towards Rui, nodding.
Rui turned, looking at the target a hundred meters, quickly executing the ODA system effortlessly before firing a Sonic Bullet in the distance.
THWOOM
BANG!
In less than a second, the bullet struck the red center of the target.
A perfectly accurate shot.
No one was surprised, hundred meters may be extremely difficult for Martial Apprentices, but Martial Squires and their evolved brains atop the boosts provided by the advancement of their Martial Paths allowed them to achieve this degree of accuracy fairly handily.
However, the expressions of the team and Senior Ceeran grew increasingly more excited as the experiments progressed.
By the time Rui reached five hundred meters, Senior Ceeran already had a smirk on his face. It was quite evident that he liked what he was seeing. He paid close attention to Rui as Rui fired each shot, especially his demeanor. He noted that Rui’s exhibited the kind of behavior one would exhibit when one was engaging in mental math, which is what Rui was actually doing, as opposed to someone hyper-focused on the target.
At seven hundred meters, even the voice of the researcher narrating the outcomes and the proceedings was starting to get disaffected as he became increasingly impatient and excited.
At nine hundred meters, Senior Ceeran had a small outburst of energy as Rui succeeded in striking the target from that distance. The same distance he proclaimed to kill Herguson Meine from. This was irrefutable proof that everything he uttered was the truth and that this was truly and wholly the real deal!
At one thousand meters, a bead of sweat trickled down Rui’s forehead as he just barely managed to get the shot on target, clenching his jaws as he strained himself to the limit.
𝒪𝒱xt.𝒸𝚘𝐌
It was only at one thousand and one meters that his expression fell as he finally missed the target entirely.
“Tsk, seems that this is my limit, for now,” Rui sighed.
“You should be ecstatic, jumping in the air with pride,” Senior Ceeran chuckled at Rui’s disappointment.
“Perhaps, it’s just a little irksome because I know that this isn’t my absolute limit, I can do better as time goes on,” He sighed.
“The fact that you’re starting off this well is an extremely good sign, young man. I don’t think there’s a single eighteen-year-old Martial Artist out there who can even dream of accomplishing what you just did!” He exclaimed. “Your future is bright, and your potential is limitless!”
“Thank you,” Rui nodded.
The remaining tests progressed smoothly. Rui’s Pathfinder technique was tested in ways that even he hadn’t tried prior. By the end of the evaluation, Rui had walked out with a much greater understanding of his own technique than ever before.
There were some things offered by a systematic scientific approach that he simply could not replace with his sharp observation, no matter how shrewd he was. The power of the Pathfinder technique was undeniable. Senior Ceeran had lost the dignity that a Martial deputy director was supposed to maintain as he lost himself immersing himself in the study of Rui’s techniques.
“Just watching you has given me tremendous amounts of inspiration, more than I know what to do with it.” The man had a hard time restraining his excitement. “I just need one more step to the Master Realm and you may have provided me with a solution!”
Rui raised an eyebrow. “One step away from the Master Realm?”
“I am a Master candidate.” The man nodded absentmindedly. “I’ve been at the zenith for nearly two decades, trying to figure out how I ought to take a step to the higher Realm!”
Rui jerked back in surprise as he took a good look at the man. He looked remarkably young, most certainly not as old as a man who had spent more than ten years stagnating at the peak of the Senior Realm.
Rui narrowed his eyes. (‘Has he consumed a longevity potion?’)
Rui was aware that entering the Squire Realm prolonged life to a certain extent, but it would not justify the youth the man seemed to display. Was there perhaps a similar effect when one entered the Senior Realm? The information surrounding the details of Martial Artists of higher Realms was so inscrutable that many such details were entirely out of reach of someone like Rui.
The man however continued mumbling to himself, pacing back and forth, unaware of Rui’s confusion.
“Uh, sir?” Rui cautiously coaxed.
“Hm?” He looked up.
“The various tests are over.” Rui reminded him. “Is there anything else that needs to be done before we can negotiate the recompense and remuneration?”
“Oh, silly me. I almost forgot about that part, having been so absorbed in my own thoughts.” He shook his head. “Of course not, let us head back to my office immediately, we have much to discuss, young man.”
Rui suspected that the Martial Union, or rather the Longranger Sect, would not be insincere with their recompense. The terms of this deal would singlehandedly decide whether Rui would ever be willing to sell his techniques to them ever again. If Rui felt cheated, they would never ever benefit from his brilliance ever again, and they probably knew it.
Hell, Rui wouldn’t be surprised if they offered remuneration that was even greater than what the technique was worth, just to ensure he develops a particularly good impression of the Sect as fair and charitable.