Beginning of Cultivation
Chapter 171: Preparing for the Test

Chapter 171: Preparing for the Test

The feeling of being protected felt somewhat strange to Nora, but in truth, he did not dislike it.

To him, Alice’s relationship had long surpassed that of an ordinary acquaintance. No matter what she did, he always found himself pleased by it.

The security guard glanced at Alice’s E-rank Hero certification and immediately nodded before stepping forward to unlock the door.

With the press of a switch, the massive iron doors slowly slid open on either side.

The guard then gestured courteously toward them and said:

"Please, come in. Head straight down this path, and you’ll reach the main hall."

Though Alice undoubtedly knew the way, protocol required him to give directions regardless.

"Thank you." the two of them said in unison before stepping forward, with Nora following closely behind Alice into the hall.

As they approached the entrance to the main hall, the automatic doors slid open.

The sight within left Nora in awe.

It wasn’t overwhelmingly extravagant, but it exuded an unshakable sturdiness—so much so that even if terrorists bombed this place, it seemed like it wouldn’t so much as tremble.

Seeing his stunned expression, Alice chuckled and teased:

"Hehe, impressive, isn’t it?"

"Yeah... This place is truly extraordinary. No wonder it serves as the headquarters for the strongest among humankind."

Alice nodded in agreement before saying:

"Let’s head straight to the reception desk."

Before Nora could respond, she suddenly grabbed his hand and dashed forward at full speed.

She moved with such incredible swiftness that Nora felt like a mere bag of luggage being hoisted off the ground.

Was his arm dislocated? Of course not. Alice was experienced enough to control her speed and strength to match what Nora’s body could endure.

As they neared the reception desk, Alice came to an abrupt stop—but unfortunately, Nora wasn’t as lucky.

His body, still carrying its momentum, continued forward until—

BAM!

His head slammed directly into the service counter, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.

"Where am I? Who am I?"

Nora clutched his head, his expression dazed as he mumbled incoherently. At a glance, one might have thought he had hit his head so hard that he’d lost his memory.

Meanwhile, Alice was utterly flustered. She had only meant to tease him a little, never expecting that she would turn him into an idiot instead.

With a face full of worry, she grabbed him by the collar and began shaking him vigorously. As she shook, she frantically exclaimed:

"Are you okay? Don’t turn stupid on me! I’m sorry, alright?"

However, the expression on Nora’s face gradually twisted—not because he was touched, but because... he couldn’t breathe!

He struggled desperately, his hands slapping repeatedly against her arms in a frantic plea for release.

Realizing that something was off, Alice hurriedly let go, looking sheepish as she muttered:

"S-Sorry... I didn’t mean to."

Nora staggered to his feet, brushing imaginary dust off his clothes—even though, in reality, the Hero Association’s headquarters was spotless, and there wasn’t a single speck of dust on him.

Rubbing his forehead, he looked at her helplessly and sighed:

"I was only messing with you a little... I didn’t expect that I’d nearly die for real. And worse, I almost got strangled to death by you."

Hearing this, Alice awkwardly scratched her head. But then, her eyes suddenly brightened, and she shot him a look of reproach.

"Wasn’t it because I was worried about you? Besides, you’re the one who tricked me first!"

As she spoke, her eyes welled up with tears, shimmering as though they were about to spill at any moment.

Nora panicked.

He hurriedly waved his hands and, with an apologetic look, said,

"Alright, alright! I’m sorry! It was my fault, okay?"

The moment he admitted defeat, her tears magically disappeared. In their place was a bright, beaming smile.

"Hehe, I forgive you!"

At that moment, Nora was silently cursing in his mind:

"Damn it, I was nearly strangled to death, yet somehow I’m the one at fault? Sure, I was the one who teased her first, but shouldn’t this at least end in a draw?!"

Just then, the receptionist, who had been struggling to hold back, finally snapped.

"Look, if you two have business here, hurry up and get it done! This isn’t a place for public displays of affection—I’m not interested in watching your little couple drama!"

In unison, both Nora and Alice turned and retorted:

"We’re not in that kind of relationship!"

Both Nora and Alice shouted in unison at the receptionist.

However, the man merely scoffed, his face filled with disdain.

"Listen to yourselves." he sneered.

"Not even a dog would believe what you just said, let alone a person. Either state your business or get out."

Despite his irritation, his professionalism remained intact. If they were here for official matters, he would still assist them properly.

Nora and Alice were momentarily at a loss for words but quickly regained their composure. Alice took out her certification and stated,

"This guy has already reached F-rank Hero level, so we’re here to register him. Get him tested and issue his certification quickly."

Seeing her credentials and hearing her words, the receptionist raised an eyebrow in surprise.

After all, new heroes were incredibly rare—hundreds of thousands of people, and only one might emerge.

That said, every new hero was a boon to humanity. With a brighter attitude, the man responded,

"Alright, alright. Give me a moment, and I’ll arrange a test for him immediately. You’re welcome to come along, too, since you’re an E-rank Hero."

"Got it. Thanks." the two replied before promptly following behind him.

The receptionist, in reality, was just an ordinary human. The Hero Association didn’t have the luxury of assigning heroes to desk jobs that didn’t require superhuman abilities.

.....

After walking for a while, they arrived at a large iron door. The receptionist pulled out a key and unlocked it.

Inside was a relatively small room, with a weightlifting rack at its center. A quick glance revealed that the barbell weighed 500 kilograms.

Turning toward Nora, the receptionist said:

"I’ll need your fingerprint. If you have identification, that would be best. If not, it’s fine."

"Sorry, I left my ID at home." Nora admitted without hesitation.

The receptionist didn’t seem to mind. As long as they had a fingerprint scan, the system could retrieve official records—assuming the person was a legal citizen.

"No problem." he said.

"This isn’t a main entrance checkpoint, and you’re about to be a registered hero anyway, so it’s just a minor formality."

Nora nodded and pressed his fingerprint against the scanner.