Dark Moon Era Chapter 89: Control

Su Yao had left a reminder for Tang Ling before he left, and Tang Ling had etched the words in his heart.

"If nothing happens during the test, don't expose your full strength. I might not be certain about a lot of things, but there's a simple and practical rule in self-defense, and that is laying low. Lay as low as possible.

"If something does happen during the test and you are confident that you can pass, then don't make it loud. The enemy is hidden in the dark, so pretend you don't know anything. You'll gain a better observation that way, got it? All you need to do is observe."

His Precise Instinct allowed him to accurately calculate everything about his body even though it was not necessary to control himself to this level of precision. Still, passing the test and remaining low profile was definitely achievable for Tang Ling.

However, the problem appeared.

After the first punch, Tang Ling's Precise Instinct told him that he was punching with 577 kgs of force, but the monitor on the strength tester was 497 kgs. 

There was an 80 kg difference in the measurement!

If there was no one behind this, Tang Ling would have never believed that the measuring machine that could be as precise as five decimal points would make such a huge mistake.

At the same time, he felt a chill in his heart. He was still a target of being directed against even though he or Su Yao hoped that it was all just speculation.

After concluding that someone was behind this, Tang Ling reacted quickly and instantly feigned a lost and confused reaction which was reasonable for the situation. He was trying to see who around him would display a flaw.

He did once highly suspect Alan, but Alan's reaction and actions were utterly reasonable. There was not a bit of pretentious act in the man. Tang Ling's Precise Instinct was also very sensitive to other people's micro reactions, and he was certain of it.

Only Lionel showed a little unusual reaction. The instructor unconsciously twisted his damaged hands and he could be viewed as still holding a grudge towards Tang Ling.

Could it be Lionel?

Tang Ling was almost certain that Lionel was behind this, but he also believed Su Yao's words. The man had claimed that Lionel was not that capable. Even if the instructor knew about any of it or was part of it, there must be an invisible hand behind him.

The troublesome thing was how should Tang Ling overcome the problem?

He must pass the test, but with an 80 kg difference in the measurement, it would mean he had to punch with 650 kgs of force to be able to pass the strength test.

Doing so would go against his decision to lay low.

Since the one responsible for the tinkering must know something about him, if he really punched that hard, coupled with his weak talent ratings earlier, it would make him a standout.

Nevertheless, it seemed like Su Yao had expected the situation since he told Tang Ling that passing the test is a must. He did not tell Tang Ling about the rest or what he should do because he trusted Tang Ling's wisdom and his ability to improvise.

Tang Ling had to overcome the problem himself.

"If there's no problem, please continue. The punch you threw just now will be calculated into the average score," Alan reminded Tang Ling.

Alan was not disappointed at all. Six out of seven passing the test with higher standards than the previous years was already a very good result.

Tang Ling feigned nervousness as he took something out of his pocket, cocked his head backward and poured it into his mouth.

"Tang Ling, this is against the rules." Yang Kong frowned. He was very disappointed that Tang Ling would resort to this kind of petty action.

The huge difference in the punching force and the new passing standards could be bridged with some special items which could grant the candidate explosive power.

In fact, there were many items that could achieve that power.

Tang Ling must have his sources since he was Su Yao's valued nephew. It was nothing but normal for that crazy man to provide Tang Ling with something.

Yang Kong snatched the item away from Tang Ling's hand. It was a small empty test tube. After Yang Kong seized the test tube, Tang Ling looked even more helpless and nervous.

"What is this?" Yang Kong said strictly.

"H-High nutrition paste. I...I…" Tang Ling tried to defend himself.

Yang Kong looked a little more relieved. If it was a high nutrition paste, it was not against the rules since it was provided by the First Reserved Camp last night. It was up to the young warriors to decide when they wanted to drink it.

Moreover, most of them brazenly took the high nutrition paste before the test since it was actually something that they had discussed earlier.

"Check it. If it's really a high nutrition paste, let him continue." Alan quickly provided a fair solution to the situation.

The test for the high nutrition paste was not that difficult. In less than two minutes, the warrior who took the test tube for testing came back and verified that the test tube did indeed contain high nutrition paste without any extra ingredients.

Instructor Thuja heaved a breath of relief. From his point of view, Tang Ling was a reliable kid that could perform steadily. If he really committed to some unwise act, it would really be disappointing. He believed that Tang Ling was only nervous.

Besides, could the poor performance be related to him not drinking the high nutrition paste? Although the high nutrition paste would not provide an explosive power-up, it was a very helpful supplement to boost one's body.

The young warriors had been through some harsh training, and their bodies were like dry sponges, so in theory, they could absorb the high nutrition paste better which might more or less help in their performance.

Of course, the result put Yang Kong at ease. He did not want to see the young boy that Fei Long admired end up in such an ugly position.

Thankfully, although the boy's mentality somehow took a step backward, he did not cross the line. Knowing that he was allowed to continue the test, Tang Ling showed gratitude on his face.

He stood back in front of the strength tester and continued.

551 kgs, 553 kgs… Punch after punch, the numbers displayed were very stable and it continued all the way to the 50th punch. The deviation from all the numbers that he displayed was not more than 5 kgs.

The lowest was 550.73947 kgs and the highest was 555.71384 kgs.

His result barely crossed the line but was even worse than Andy's.

Still, there was something commendable about the numbers which was the steady control of his power that resulted in the small differences in the numbers.

"Strength test, pass," Yang Kong announced the result, but he saw Tang Ling was panting heavily, so he could not help but comment, "You seem tired."

Indeed, Tang Ling was a lot more exhausted than the other young warriors after their tests.

His face was red and he was sweating like a waterfall as he panted violently. Even his arm muscles started to tremble uncontrollably.

"I gave my best in every punch." Tang Ling answered half-truthfully.

As for the truth? Only he himself knew about it. His exhaustion was caused by the control of his strength as he intentionally limited his punching force.

Those with experience knew that Tang Ling's method was similar to the saying 'if you are strong enough, you can lift heavier weight'. It might seem easier but was actually very consuming of one's stamina.

Tang Ling was not on that level yet, but it was true that limiting his own punching force was exhausting.

His actual punching force was between 810 and 820 kgs, and it was only under normal conditions. If he gave it his fullest and unleashed his skills, he could reach above 900 kgs. It was the miraculous effect from the replenishment Su Yao had brought him last night.

Chapter end