NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: The Test Dungeon Begins
Date: 11/03/2020
Time: 9:15 AM
As Ankush stepped through the glowing gate, a sudden pull enveloped his body, like stepping through an invisible current.
For a brief moment, everything fell silent.
Then—
The world shifted.
---
9:16 AM – Inside the Dungeon: The Infinite White Void
Ankush's vision cleared, and he found himself seated in an endless white expanse.
No walls. No ceiling. No horizon.
Around him, other students materialized one by one, each sitting in identical floating chairs, a black panel hovering in front of them.
A deep, mechanical voice echoed through the void.
> "Welcome, candidates. The Pre-Awakening Examination is about to begin."
A massive floating screen materialized in the air.
> "Each correct answer grants additional free attribute points upon Awakening."
> "Each incorrect answer results in immediate expulsion."
> "You have three hours. The test begins now."
A white timer appeared in the corner of his screen.
> Time Remaining: 3:00:00
And then, the first question appeared.
---
9:16 AM – The First 10 Questions (Cleared Instantly in 5 Seconds)
The first few questions?
Too easy.
Ankush's fingers moved before he even finished reading.
> Q1: If a machine part fails 5% of the time, what is the probability it will function properly?
> Answer: 95%.
Correct.
> Q2: The standard deviation of a normally distributed variable is 4. If the mean is 20, what percentage of data falls between 16 and 24?
> Answer: 68.2%.
Correct.
> Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6…
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Each answer took less than a second.
By the time five seconds had passed, Ankush had already reached Question 10.
A system message popped up.
> "Congratulations. You have completed 10 questions."
> "You have earned 10 free attribute points upon Awakening."
> "You now qualify for an F- level talent."
Not stopping.
---
9:18 AM – 20 Questions Cleared (Global Record Broken in 2 Minutes)
The difficulty barely increased.
> Q20: The Navier-Stokes equation is primarily used to describe which phenomenon?
> Answer: Fluid flow.
Correct.
A new system message popped up.
> "Congratulations. You have answered 20 questions."
> "You now qualify for an F+ level talent."
> "You have earned an additional 20 attribute points."
He still had 2 hours and 58 minutes left.
This was just a warm-up.
---
9:30 AM – 50 Questions Cleared (Now in the Top 0.01%)
At fifteen minutes in, Ankush hit Question 50.
> Q50: A beam subjected to pure bending experiences what type of stress distribution?
> Answer: Linear stress distribution.
Correct.
A soft pulse of warmth flowed through him.
A new message appeared.
> "You have answered 50 questions."
> "You now qualify for an E+ level talent."
> "Total attribute points: 100."
---
10:15 AM – 100 Questions Cleared
Ankush was already approaching realms only geniuses reached.
> Q100: What is the Schwarzschild radius, and how is it calculated?
> Answer: (Formula selected).
Correct.
A new system message appeared.
> "You have answered 100 questions."
> "You now qualify for a C– level talent."
> "Total attribute points: 500."
---
11:00 AM – 200 Questions Cleared (Maximum Stat Points Achieved)
The questions had become ridiculously difficult.
But Ankush's mind was a machine.
He had already memorized the foundations of everything he needed.
> Q200: Develop an optimal non-equilibrium thermodynamics framework for mana-based entropy control in multiversal systems.
Ankush smirked.
> Correct.
A sudden message flashed in front of him.
> "Congratulations. You have answered 200 questions."
> "You now qualify for an S level talent."
> "Total attribute points: 10,485,750."
> "No more attribute points will be awarded for further questions."
Ankush blinked.
That was it?
Even if he answered more, he wouldn't gain any additional stats?
The system had hard-capped the growth beyond this point.
He chuckled.
> "Fine, let's see how far I can go without a reward."
And he continued.
---
12:00 PM – 600 Questions Cleared (Now at Universe+ Talent Level)
Ankush exhaled.
It had taken 2 hours and 45 minutes.
600 questions answered.
The final system message flashed.
> "You have answered 600 questions."
> "You now qualify for a Universe+ level talent."
> "Total attribute points: 10,485,750 (Max Achieved at 200 Questions)."
His entire body buzzed with warmth.
But then—
Question 601 appeared.
---
12:02 PM – The Impossible Question
> Q601: Derive a complete and provable formula for transdimensional mana flow and universal consciousness integration.
Ankush's fingers froze.
His breath stilled.
He understood every word individually—but together, the question made no sense.
This wasn't something a human could solve.
A question beyond physics, beyond magic, beyond even theoretical frameworks.
Something even divine beings wouldn't understand.
His heartbeat slowed.
For the first time in this test… he didn't have an answer.
Time passed.
One second.
Two.
Three.
Then—
A loud buzzing sound echoed through the white void.
> "Incorrect. Expulsion initiated."
The world shattered around him.
Ankush was thrown out of the dungeon.
---
12:03 PM – Reality Returns
His eyes snapped open.
For a moment, everything was too bright, too loud.
He had returned to reality.
The exam center was in front of him, but everything felt slightly surreal.
The officials at the entrance barely glanced at him.
To them, he had failed.
His parents, who had been waiting for him, rushed forward, their faces filled with worry.
His mother grabbed his shoulders. "It's okay, Ankush. Don't be sad. You tried your best."
Tried his best?
Ankush felt like laughing.
No one knew what had just happened inside.
No one would ever believe he had solved 600 questions.
To them, he had failed.
And that…
Was absolutely perfect.