## **Chapter 5: Strength Test**
*(From the novel "I Became the Gamer Who Controls Reality")*
Tanish Verma's words were clearly directed at Vivaan Sharma, but Vivaan didn't seem offended.
The combat test in the college entrance exams was crucial — it could shape a person's entire future. Whether one could enter a top university, secure a stable job, or even gain access to the higher ranks of society often depended on the results of this test.
Moreover, a teammate's strength also meant safety. No one wanted to risk their life because of someone else's weakness.
Even Vivaan once dreamed of getting into a reputed academy. Before discovering the m
Mysterious Phone , that was his only path to becoming stronger and making use of his talent. So, he fully understood why Tanish said what he did.
After speaking, Tanish stopped and looked directly at Vivaan.
Riya Malhotra turned to him and said calmly, "Nilesh Tonde" might be excellent, but I still believe Vivaan is the best choice."
Standing beside them, Rohit Nanda nodded thoughtfully. "Riya, you're known for your judgment. Vivaan is talented, no doubt, but this test is very important to all of us. We should be careful. Let's do this — if Vivaan agrees, we can have a simple test. Once the results are out, it'll be clear if he suits our team."
"Rohit's right," said Tanish immediately. "That's fair."
"What kind of test?" asked Riya.
Tanish rubbed his hands together. "That's easy. I'm the weakest among the three of us. Let Vivaan compete with me. If he beats me, he's qualified to join. That's not unfair, right?"
Riya turned her eyes toward Vivaan, waiting for his response.
Vivaan knew it was time to speak. If he stayed silent, he might lose the chance to join their group. Even if he wasn't eager to team up, this was the strongest team in the academy — joining them would improve his own chances in the combat exam.
"I'm fine with it," Vivaan said. "But real combat is risky. It won't be good if someone gets injured."
Tanish chuckled. "Vivaan, I know you've been training in the Ascetic Meditation. Your Strength and Constitution must be strong, but your Speed is probably lacking. Don't worry, I won't take advantage of that. How about we just compare Strength?"
Riya frowned slightly.
Tanish practiced the *Lightning Art*, a Primordial Energy technique that specialized in explosive bursts of power. He had even mastered a matching Skill Crystal — *Lightning Fist*. Though only Rank 1, among normal high schoolers, few had even one Skill that matched their Energy Art.
Riya didn't know much about Vivaan's family, but seeing that he cultivated a body-based technique without ever buying Energy Crystals, she assumed his background wasn't wealthy. If he couldn't even afford cultivation crystals, it was unlikely he had any Skill Crystals.
And in his duel with Reva Rathore, he hadn't used any Skills at all.
Riya bit her lip but said nothing. *Let's see how Vivaan handles this,* she thought.
---
"How are we comparing Strength?" Vivaan asked.
"The school has a Strength-measuring device, but numbers are boring," Tanish replied with a smirk. "Let's just trade punches. Whoever steps back first loses. How's that?"
"I think it's better to use the machine," Vivaan said after a pause.
"What, are you afraid I'll hurt you?" Tanish sneered.
Vivaan smiled faintly. He was actually more worried about hurting *him*.
Tanish's *Lightning Fist* was no secret — it was powerful, but still within limits. Vivaan, however, had the *Vigor Divine Fist*. If he used that, a single punch could easily shatter bones.
"Alright," Tanish said, pretending to sigh. "Since you're scared, we'll use the school's device."
---
The **Testing Hall** was quiet during lunch break. Rows of metal instruments lined the walls, glowing faintly under white lights.
Inside, **Arvind Rao**, the instructor, was checking each machine for maintenance issues. He had just stepped into one of the pod-like energy scanners when he heard the door open.
Peering out from the observation window, he saw **Riya Malhotra**, **Tanish Verma**, **Rohit Nanda**, and **Vivaan Sharma** enter. He raised an eyebrow in surprise.
All four were among the top students of Guide High School — though Vivaan's recent decline was well known. For them to come together at this hour was unusual.
*Could they be forming a team for the combat exam?* he wondered silently, staying hidden to watch.
---
"So, who's going first?" Tanish asked as he stood before the Strength-testing machine.
Vivaan shrugged. "You can go."
"Alright," Tanish said confidently. "Everyone gets three tries. The best score counts. I'll start."
He took a deep breath, circulating his Lightning Art. Then, with a sharp exhale, he slammed his fist into the metal plate of the testing device.
The plate trembled with a heavy sound, and the screen behind it flickered with moving numbers before stopping at **7.0**.
Tanish hadn't used *Lightning Fist*, only his base Strength. He smiled in satisfaction — a score of 7 was far above the average for high school students.
---