The Next Morning.

"... I'm so screwed." Finlay laid in his bed, looking at the message prompt for the next exam. It looked like there were too many decent chefs in the world. We were overwhelming the ICR division of the I.U. so much so that they had to change the format of the last exam. Instead of the 1-1 sparring that was their usual approach. They'd now be fighting a hardlight Holo of a non-sapient animal. Randomly selected from their creature catalogue.

"I agree."

"Gee Spec, thanks for the boost of confidence."

"Would you prefer I lied to you Finlay?" His Holo-companion seemed to get more talkative by the minute, first it was questions about food, now it's sarcasm and sass. Though he may be imagining it.

"No... though I would like some amount of information, some glimmer of hope... please tell me there's nothing super ridiculous in those catalogues. "

"......... Query analyzed. I'm sorry Finlay. There's simply not enough combat data on Human-Xeno combat, What examples I do have are assumedly of peak-condition Humans, and well... you're not exactly a big fighter, are you?"

"I'm... Fit, Just not Korean Jesus fit." True enough, his only real workout was chopping logs for the smoker and lifting boxes of produce. Cardio was a bitch, until this new suit. "But that shouldn't matter too much, you make me a speed maniac!"

"...Speaking of which, Finlay. I understand you were excited about being able to do such stunts... but did you even notice the compensation I had to draw from you to allow such antics?"

"...Gonna need you to dumb that down a bit for me Spec, I think I know what you're saying... but I've never been good at paying attention."

"Are you aware of the calories I had to burn?"

"...we burned calories? I mean yeah obviously we had to have, but I didn't feel that much different."

"Finlay I make those movements possible to you, but everything has it's cost. Did you think it mere coincidence you ate twice your usual portions that day? I'm starting to wonder if you you'd notice if your hands were missing."

"...you're going down a disturbing train of thought."

"oh for fucks sake, You don't only get the benefits of the Hummingbird Finlay, you get it's weaknesses too. Some of it's other physical miracles as well, like it's Torpor."

"... you mean it's version of sleep?"

"So you do have a brain in there."

"Food and birds, dude. It's kinda like my thing... can we try it?"

"I wouldn't recommend it. For now... Let's go over our worst case scenarios for the Exam." Showing Finlay an Image of a large green shaggy yak, by Finlay's guess. "This is the Vhanki of the Asadi Homeworld. An ambush predator, they prefer large grassy plains........"

That's how Finlay spent the rest of his rest day, Receiving a crash course in dangerous and fantastical Beasts of the Universe. Not unlike many of the other Examinees, culinary department or otherwise.

In China Xiao Lu, Better Known as "War-Hammer dude" Spent his day training with his Tiger Holo Bai Ze. Both in and out of Holo-boost mode, Sharpening his skill to as fine an edge as he had on his knives.

Kathleen Clark, former Armee de Terre, turned full-time French Chef. Already confidant in her combat ability, continued to practice with alien ingredients. A Marbled Newt Holo she called Nunny sitting comfortably on the counter.

Berthold Burisyuk hunted with a bow and arrow Alongside his Holo-Companion Yuri, A Samoyed. both to train and to get meat for dinner... not that he needed to. Total trust-fund baby.

Hada Ryou, was busy destroying anyone willing to challenge her on the Judo mats. Her forever kitten Holo, Aiko, keeping tally of her wins and losses. Today? 34-0.

These 5, while not the only ones to be taking the Exam, They would be of the few to set the Danger rating to 10.

=================================================================================

1PM the Next day.

Finlay sat in the Prep-room, his foot tapping in anxiety. Just for today all the Examinees had been loaned weapons based on what they had selected for the second exam. So now he had a Hard-light Machete, Awesome. They had also been told that while their lives are Guaranteed, Injury may be possible... less awesome. Lastly... Before an examinee entered the stadium, they were given a rather open choice. The danger rating, both a method of determining who wanted the positions the most, and how ready the medical team should be to stop the match. Live viewings of Battles from around the planet were playing on the screen, it really was like a sporting event... there were plenty of level 7 battles and a few very brave 8's.

"...I'm ready."

"Are you sure? your Heart beat-"

"Of course I'm not ready, but it's do it or don't... and they fucking made it Go Big or Go Home... so we're going big....oh fuck."

Stepping up to the stadium entrance, he was halted by a Hard-light screen. It was simple, a scale of 1 to 10, green at one and a very clear indication of danger with red and black at 10. Two shaky fingers met the slider and quickly whipped the slider to 10 before he put his hands behind his back... more so to stop himself from going down a level. A 20 second timer appearing, a last chance to change his Danger rating.

"Ohhhhh, don't you fucking tempt me..."

Heart pounding in his ears he watched the timer tick away to nothing, longest 20 seconds of his life. The hard light wall faded and he was allowed to continue forward. Speakers blaring his information to the world. His Height, Weight, Holo-companion, Work history, the size of balls... Not really, just what danger rating he had selected. He would be Facing a ... Jorbun... Fuck. As he stepped out onto the field he could see the Holo being constructed, already damning his luck. Almost as tall as 2 Elephants stacked on top of each other, the monstrosity somewhere between a Pangolin and a Drugged up Bull, The Clawed and armored forelimbs nearly touching the ground. Those Horns were just adding insult to injury... it's already a clawed death beast... couldn't cut him some slack with a male?

"Hey Spec... Suit up please... Now." Flicking his Hardlight weapon on. "Really wish I had a gun right now..."

"Now where's the fun in that?"

"Not going home in a full body cast."

"Point taken... Now what do we do with large ground bound Beasts?"

"Stab them in the eyes.... the ones right fucking next to the horns the size of a fucking bus." Lightly hopping in place as a new timer counted down, loudly. 10...9...8...7...6... 5.... 4....3..... 2..... 1.

The Jorbun immediately started out with an over head swing of it's right claw, Finlay met that move by diving forward and to his left. Checking behind him, he could see the claw began to drag toward him in attempt for the worlds shittiest rabbit punch. He jumped toward the armpit , then used his double jump to land on the beasts stomach, the other arm closing in. He jumped again away from the beast, then kicked off the Holo-pad to go for it's ugly mug landing on it.

"Sup, Bitch. YAH!" Quick stab to the holo's left eye, before jumping away yet again... he wished they toned down the realism a bit... the yowl of pain and the thrashing...so unnerving. he jumped before touching the ground to avoid hurting something in the landing. Turning the Machete off as he rolled. Staring the Holo-Jurbon down as it recovered from it's reeling, looking back at him.... It was wary of the fellow predator now.

"C'mon Squinty.... Fuck around and Find out." Turning the blade back on and pointing it at the Jurbon, staring it down in it's remaining eye... and then it hissed and fizzled away. "Uhhhhh... is it supposed to do that?"

"Finlay P. Roberts... PASS. Condition: Repel attacking beast."

"oh... thank you God!" Turning the blade off and walking to the exit. Spec coming out of the suit as Finlay slumped against a wall.

"Well done... now here's hoping they select you."

"That was the scariest thing I've ever done..."