My Supernatural Girlfriends Spoils Me Rotten-Chapter 368: Journey To The Center 8

Shery slowly stopped crying. Her sobs grew quieter. Her face stayed wet with tears, but she didn't care anymore.

She wiped her eyes and sat up a little straighter. Having someone there to lean on reminded her that she wasn't alone.

It was kind of ironic—she was supposed to help him, but somehow, he ended up as the one supporting her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to take up your time like this. You're my boss, and I should've been more professional."

Asher stayed quiet for a moment, letting her collect herself. He kept his hand on her shoulder to show her everything was okay.

Finally, he spoke.

"It's fine," he said in a calm voice. "You don't need to apologize for making a mistake. Everyone has moments when they need someone to talk to. It's okay."

Shery looked up at him, still unsure. She wasn't used to opening up to others, but somehow, he made her feel like it was okay.

"Is it really okay for me to be happy after what I did?" she asked, quietly, as if seeking permission more than an answer.

"Your past doesn't define who you are now or who you can become. Everyone regrets things. I've made mistakes too."

Shery frowned slightly. "You? What kind of mistakes could you have made?"

Asher gave a small, wry smile. "When I was younger, I used to bully kids at school. Took their lunch money, picked fights. It wasn't smart, but I was just a stupid kid."

Shery blinked. " Really?"

"Yeah," Asher laughed a little. "I wasn't always... well, who I am now. Things just got out of hand, and somehow, I ended up here."

She stayed quiet, trying to picture it. It didn't make sense that someone like him used to bully people over lunch.

Then it hit her—maybe he meant some kind of combat school where kids were trained to fight from a young age

If she knew that just a few years ago he was attending a normal school with no idea of powers at all, she would've started cursing herself for being so untalented.

Still, the way he tried to comfort her pushed away her doubts.

Her heart started pounding. No matter how hard she tried to stay calm, she knew he could probably sense it.

It was no use. Now that she had fallen for him, he looked even more handsome—almost like he was glowing.

She slapped her face gently, shaking the thought away. Right now, she was his employee.

But now that she had accepted her feelings, she made a silent promise. She'd do more. Work harder. Prove that she was useful to him.

They didn't waste more time and headed to the counter. Shery spoke to a male clerk, explaining that Asher wanted to take the rank test.

The clerk asked for identification. Noticing he was newly registered, he explained that some additional information was required.

He handed over a clipboard with instructions and started going over the steps.

"First, you'll undergo the Physical Test."

"It's a standard check of strength, speed, endurance, and overall fitness. Nothing complicated, but important for tougher missions."

"Next comes the Energy Level Test," the clerk continued. "This measures how well you can control and use your energy. It's key to ranking up. Weak or unstable energy makes it hard to pass higher-level missions." freewёbnoνel.com

"Finally, the Combat Test. This one matters most. You'll fight multiple opponents, and your performance will be judged. That'll decide your combat rank. But keep in mind, combat rank isn't the same as Merit rank. Everyone starts at F in Merit. Combat rank just lets you take harder missions."

Asher nodded. No way he was failing any of that.

With his dragon body, he could fight warriors who trained their whole lives.

And when it came to energy, even Pantheon had once said he carried more than most people ever could.

As for the combat test? They'd need to bring in someone around S- Rank just to make him break a sweat.

This test was already in the bag.

Once the paperwork was done and the 20,000 units for registration were paid, the clerk gave them a ticket and directed them to the waiting area.

"Please wait in the lobby until you're called," he said, pointing to a wide room filled with other participants.

Asher and Shery moved to a quiet corner with a few empty seats. The lobby buzzed with low voices. Some people looked nervous. Others, excited.

Shery leaned a bit closer and started explaining that Starfront was famous for being a place where people without powerful backers could make a name for themselves.

But that also meant it was risky. Many members were treated like disposable labor.

It wasn't rare to see them sent off to galaxies desperate for soldiers.

"Is war common?" he asked.

"War?" She let out a breath. "Yeah, pretty common. The universe is huge. There's always someone trying to expand, take control, or defend their territory. But most of the time, it stays contained in a few galaxies."

She leaned back. "Groups like the Truth Seekers or the Ancient Ones don't bother with those unless something major's at stake. To them, it's just part of the universe's cycle."

"Sounds like we're just small players in a much bigger game," he murmured.

"We all are," she replied with a wry smile. "But honestly, I think we're better off than those overpowered beings. They're so strong, I bet they get bored. No challenges. No real struggle. That's gotta feel empty."

She shrugged, like having too much power was a problem she'd never envy.

Asher raised an eyebrow. "Speaking of SSS+ Rank, how many actually reach that level? And how many are still alive?"

Shery crossed her arms and looked thoughtful. "Well, I don't know the exact number, but from what I've heard, only six are known to the public."

"Tell me more."

"Let's see. The first one's easy. The Dragon Monarch, Gregory."

Asher expected that. Pantheon mentioned him before.

"Then there's the Death Monarch, Ashfall. Controls death. His power's a cheat during war times—the more people who die, the stronger he gets."

"Third is the Space Monarch, Logia. Rumor says she can shrink entire planets to the size of her hand."

"Fourth is the Time Monarch, Chrono. Like the name says, he can stop time."

"Then there's the Evil Monarch, Baal... ruler of all hell."

"And the last one…" she hesitated.

"Why did you stop?" Asher asked.

"Sorry. It's just that the last one isn't official yet," Shery said, glancing around like someone might be listening.

"But I've heard talks. They say the old God of Heaven, Solion, was killed by one of his daughters."

"I need a name."

She hesitated, then said, "Her name is Angeline. The Divine Seeker."

"That's it? That's all you know?"

"Yeah. Not much to go on, and I don't know if it's true. I mean, an SSS+ Rank dying? Sounds crazy. So don't take my word for it."

"Alright." Asher didn't push further. Most of the names matched what Pantheon had told him, except for Baal and the old God of Heaven.

Hell and Heaven existed in this universe.

They were placed in a special zone with unique rules, totally separate from regular space.

Kind of like the Desolate Zone—where that chainsaw-like sword had been found—but with one big difference.

Pantheon said Heaven and Hell weren't on planets. They floated in endless space with no clear beginning or end.

With how massive that zone was, it made sense that countless versions of Heaven and Hell existed.

Just as the two were busy talking more, his number was finally called, and Shery was allowed to watch as his registered manager.

They were led to another room about the size of a basketball court, along with the other participants.

There, he saw sets of what looked like advanced punching machines, a large treadmill that could fit four people, and some kind of pulley that measured a person's pulling strength.

All of them looked pretty basic, but he could tell from the materials used that these things could withstand a lot of pressure.

"You've gotta be kidding me. Don't tell me this kind of test is standard," he couldn't help but chuckle at seeing the similarities to those he saw in movies.

But then again, this was the most direct way to measure people's physical ability.

The first participant, a burly man with thick arms stepped up. He took a deep breath, settled into his stance, and let loose with a powerful punch.

BOOM!

The machine vibrated, and the numbers flashed across the screen. 105,000 Newton.

It was an impressive feat back in home planet. It meant that the punch was equivalent to a solid object colliding at 50 to 60 km/h.

But here, it was below average, quickly proven when the second contestant landed a punch with 300,000 newtons of force, easily surpassing the first.

The third participant shattered that with a punch of 900,000 newtons of force.

More and more participants took the test, but and highest recorded was around 1,500,000+ newtons.

However, this does not reflect their full power, as they weren't allowed to use enhancements or other boosters—only their pure physical abilities.

There were also those who relied on their gadgets, weapons, or IQ to outmaneuver their opponents. So overall, the combat test was really what mattered the most.

BOOOOOM!

Another punch echoed, this time from a man with four arms. The numbers rose quickly, finally stopping at 6,500,000 newtons.

Some gasped, while others, more knowledgeable, expected this to happen.