While Maki was busy checking the system, Nemuri was still on the call.
The call was about the second part of the test, and Maki needed to attend it. It would be happening the next day. The examinees were being given one day to rest and another day to review and compose themselves for the next battle.
Naturally, those who passed the survival examination would be called back for the second test, which was knowledge-based.
Examinees with 500 points and above would be called back to U.A. for the final part of enrollment. That would be the knowledge test—the ultimate boss—which would decide which class they would be placed in.
In this world, where anomalies, Hollows, villains, dangerous monsters, and unpredictable phenomena existed, knowledge and information were the most crucial things one could have. There were many factors to consider in every scenario: the setting, the environment, the people, the victims, the location, and the anomaly itself.
Without information and knowledge, rushing in blindly would lead to predictable disasters—unless someone was Superman and could do everything in a single second.
But no. Each examinee had different strengths and weaknesses. To ensure their students survived, U.A. needed to assess their comprehension and intelligence.
Even All Might—strong, very strong—was placed in Class A during his first year because of his knowledge about the world. Thankfully, in his second year, he was transferred to Class S and proved himself. Still, without the help of his sidekick, Sir Nighteye, All Might would have rushed in recklessly whenever someone needed help. That was a mistake. Some anomalies and even Hollows could mimic human language. Some anomalies looked very similar to mutants. One wrong move, and lives would be lost.
That was why U.A. was known throughout the world—because of Nezu and his High-Spec ability. He could see many routes and possibilities on how situations should be handled within his domain.
The difference between humans and anomalies was that humans could adapt and think about how to counter anomalies, while anomalies relied purely on destructive capability.
Those who believed strength alone could solve everything were no different from anomalies themselves—causing havoc and inevitable loss.
Strength without knowledge was like a spear without a shield. And if one could not protect oneself, how could they protect others?
That was why it was an academy—a place of study and training in a specific field. It included general education, specialized training, talent development, and the promotion of excellence.
Many examinees who barely passed the survival exam would ultimately fail because of the final test.
But this time, that pattern might need to be broken—because of someone who was strong but dumb as hell.
That was why Nemuri knew from the very beginning that Maki wouldn't be able to get into Class S in his first year, even though he was powerful. She had tried to explain everything to him, but a fish brain was always a fish brain. He had a short memory and a very brief attention span.
After the call ended, Nemuri looked at the man beside her, who had his eyes closed.
She whispered, "If only you had received a recommendation… you'd definitely be in Class S."
Of course, there were exceptions. Those who received recommendations were not ordinary. They came from strong backgrounds with solid, powerful abilities. They didn't need to take the knowledge test. If they passed the recommendation exam, they would automatically be placed in Class S. Only someone strong like Maki could pass that.
But Maki was an unknown variable who appeared out of nowhere. His background was mysterious. Most of all, they needed to assess his basic knowledge about the world.
Even if he passed into Class S through strength—
Nemuri didn't believe he could answer even one question correctly.
She knew how his brain worked. He was good at cooking, music, and daily tasks. But when it came to knowledge about the world, he barely knew anything. In fact, he didn't really care.
She shook her head. "Whatever happens, happens."
Maki didn't know his intellectual abilities were being looked down on. He was still focused on the system because he was about to make another draw.
He maneuvered the system and chose the One Piece category. Below the box, it stated that 500 points were needed for a draw. Tomorrow, it would be 600.
"Here goes nothing," he said to himself, then pressed it.
The crystal-like chest shook and shattered, and from it a golden orb appeared. He clicked it, and foooosh—it shot out from the system panel and entered through his forehead, sinking into his skin.
He waited.
Nothing happened.
He inspected the first system panel and saw a new ability listed under the One Piece category:
[ABILITIES] – BIG THREE
[ONE PIECE]
> Moa Moa no Mi (details)
>Armament Haki – Awakening Stage (details)
> Conqueror Haki ( Awakening stage)
>The Voice of All Things (Passive)
[BLEACH]
> Nnoitra Resurrección: Santa Teresa (details)
>Chad Fullbring: Brazo Derecha de Gigante, Brazo Izquierda del Diablo (details)
>The Shield of Balance: Freund Schild (Passive)
[NARUTO]
> Three-Tomoe Sharingan (details)
>Hashirama Physique 100% (details)
He saw the brand-new ability: The Voice of All Things. It was marked as passive, so he couldn't view full details. He simply nodded, thinking it might activate on its own later.
He moved again to the second panel and chose the Naruto category. A smaller panel appeared with the crystal chest and the 500-point requirement. He spent the points to unlock it.
The chest shook and shattered. Another orb appeared and shot directly into his forehead.
RooOOooOOosh…
Information about a single technique flooded his mind. It felt as though his brain processed everything in a second, along with detailed knowledge of how to use it. Minutes passed before the technique fully integrated into his consciousness.
He opened his eyes wide in disbelief.
"Such a thing exists…" he muttered. "Just what kind of the universe created this?"
He placed his hand under his chin and thought carefully.
It wasn't an exaggerated technique—but he couldn't believe someone could clone themselves in the thousands.
What he had received was the forbidden technique: Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.
Everything he needed to perform it was already there. Just like before, he didn't need to form hand signs. The system had updated everything for him to execute it easily.
He thought about creating four clones at once.
The moment he finished thinking
Fuuuuuuush!
Four clones appeared instantly in clouds of white smoke.
They stood in front of him.
It really worked.
He stared at them, and all of them nodded their heads in sync.
Maki was stunned.
What he didn't realize was that he didn't even need the orb to perform the technique. His Hashirama physique alone could have allowed him to execute cloning techniques. His greatest flaw was his ignorance of the abilities already in his arsenal.
The clones looked at each other and nodded.
There were now five Makis standing in the living room—each over 7.9 feet tall.
And Nemuri?
Her mind stopped functioning.
"WHAAAAAAAT—?!" she screamed.
All five Makis turned toward her in confusion.
"Why? What happened?" they asked at the same time.
They looked around the living room.
There was nothing wrong.
Except… there were five of him.
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😏😏😏😏😏AM N. NOT.