MTL NOVEL Chapter 7: Robots!
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Inside the exam hall, Present Mic's voice boomed over the crowd, explaining the rules for the practical exam. He was hyped up like a DJ at a rave, and honestly, it was impressive how he managed to keep that energy up without collapsing.
As Present Mic began the explanation, his voice echoed across the hall like he was hosting the world's loudest game show. "Alright, listeners! Welcome to the U.A. Entrance Exam! The battlefield is set, the stakes are high, and it's time for YOU to prove you've got what it takes to be a hero!"
Izuku was already clutching his notebook, scribbling furiously like his life depended on it. I glanced around, half-listening to Present Mic's spiel while also noticing some potential future heroes. A few stood out—like some spiky-haired girl with an aggressive vibe, a pinkish girl with nice assets, and a couple of others who looked promising. Not bad, U.A., not bad.
"In the practical exam," Present Mic continued, "you'll be dispatched to a replica city where your mission is simple: Dispatch as many villains as you can! Each villain you defeat will net you a certain number of points. The more points, the better your score. But watch out! If you're taken out, you're OUT. Got it?"
I caught Izuku's hand shaking as he wrote. "You okay, Waterworks?" I asked.
He nodded, though he looked ready to pass out. "I'm just… trying to take everything in."
Before I could mock him for over-preparing, Present Mic went on. "There are three types of villains…"
"FOUR TYPES, ACTUALLY!"
The interruption came from a tall, bespectacled guy with the stiffest posture I'd ever seen. He shot out of his seat, one hand slicing the air like he was calling a penalty. "The guide clearly states there are four types of villains! It's unbecoming of an esteemed institution like U.A. to make such an egregious oversight!"
The entire hall went silent for a beat, save for Present Mic's awkward chuckle. "Uh, yeah! I was just about to get to that! Thanks for the… passionate input, kid."
Bespectacled Stick-in-the-Ass Dude bowed stiffly and sat down, his face still a mask of self-righteous indignation.
The System pinged in my vision.
[NEW QUEST: TEACH FOUR-EYES SOME MANNERS.]
Reward: Skill Unlock — Limit Breaker.
Oh, this was about to be spectacular. I leaned over to Izuku and whispered, "Watch this."
I stretched obnoxiously, cracked my knuckles, and then raised my hand, voice dripping with bored amusement.
"Yo, Optimus Tryhard, I'm sorry, but did you just interrupt a professional hero mid-sentence to correct his script?"
Iida's head snapped toward me like I just insulted his ancestors. He adjusted his glasses with the intensity of a man about to recite the entire U.A. student handbook from memory.
"It is imperative to uphold the standards of an institution like U.A.!" he declared, voice stiff enough to make a ruler jealous.
I tilted my head. "Right, right. Super important. Just like it's super important to shut the hell up and let people finish their sentences before you jump in like you're a malfunctioning spell-checker."
A few chuckles rippled through the class. Iida's eye twitched.
"This isn't about grammar," he insisted. "It's about accuracy and professionalism—qualities expected of heroes."
I leaned forward, resting my chin on my hand, eyes sparkling with pure, unfiltered menace.
"Oh, totally. Because nothing screams 'hero' more than barging into a conversation like a Jehovah's Witness at 7 a.m. to remind everyone that grammar matters."
More laughter. Even Present Mic looked like he was holding back a snort.
Iida's jaw clenched. "I was simply—"
"Nah, we get it, man," I interrupted, mimicking his stiff-ass posture. "You wake up every morning, iron your soul along with your uniform, and get a hard-on for rules. But maybe, just maybe, you could save the TED Talk for an audience that gives a shit."
Silence.
Iida's face was turning red, but he didn't say a damn thing. Victory.
[QUEST COMPLETE! Reward Unlocked: Skill — Limit Breaker.]
A new notification popped up in my vision.
[Limit Breaker (Active): Unleash unparalleled power by increasing physical stats by 300%, but the longer this skill remains active, the more irreversible damage is done to your body, mind, and soul, with death as the final consequence upon deactivation.]
Not bad. I grinned to myself as Present Mic finally moved on, explaining the point values for each type of "villain." The crowd's attention shifted back to the exam, but I could still feel Glasses Guy's glare boring into the back of my head. Whatever. He would thank me later when he realized "Chill" was an important part of being a hero.
"Now, remember!" Present Mic wrapped up. "There's one special type of villain worth ZERO points. It's big, bad, and best avoided unless you're looking for a fight you can't win! Good luck out there, listeners!"
The room buzzed with nervous excitement as everyone began filing out toward the exam zones. I followed Izuku, who looked like he was one bad pep talk away from passing out.
"You've got this," I told him. "Just don't trip over your own feet, and you'll be fine."
He nodded, though his grip on his notebook was still white-knuckled. "I… I'll do my best."
As we reached the entrance to our assigned zones, a familiar face appeared: Ochaco Uraraka. She gave us a quick wave and jogged over. "Hey, good luck, you two!"
"Same to you," I said with a grin. "Try not to show off too much, alright? I would hate to see the judges get distracted."
She laughed, shaking her head. "You're something else."
Izuku looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole, so I gave him a nudge. "Say something, Waterworks. She's not going to bite."
"G-Good luck!" he stammered, bowing so low I thought he might snap his spine.
Ochaco giggled and waved as she headed to her starting point. I smirked at Izuku. "Smooth as ever."
I was assigned to a different division than Izuku, so we ended up splitting off as the massive crowd funneled toward their respective gates. Walking through mine, I took in the sight of the fake city sprawled before us. The design was straight out of some disaster movie, all carefully crafted chaos. I cracked my knuckles, smirking at the thought of breaking stuff guilt-free.
Just ahead, I spotted the pink girl I had noticed earlier. She was leaning casually against a lamppost, stretching like this whole thing was a warm-up session. Yeah, she was definitely standing out, but not for the "I am trying too hard" reasons some of these other noobies had going on. I strode up without hesitation and grinned.
"Hey, girl. Did you blush seeing me, or are you this beautiful all the time?"
She blinked, clearly caught off guard, then smirked. "Depends. Are you always this cheesy, or did you save it just for me?"
"Cheesy? Just for you, girl." I shot back. "Why waste time when I could get your name instead?"
She chuckled and started walking off toward her spot without answering. "Maybe if you survive the test, I will think about telling you."
Not bad. U.A., not bad.
Present Mic's voice snapped me back to the main event. "ALRIGHT, LISTENERS! THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A COUNTDOWN IN A REAL BATTLE. WHAT ARE YOU ALL WAITING FOR? MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!"
[NEW QUEST ALERT: CONQUER THE U.A. ENTRANCE EXAM!]
Objective: Prove your worth at U.A. High by scoring high in the practical exam. Achieve greatness—or at least don't get crushed by a zero-pointer. Multiple paths to victory await you.
Quest Rewards:
1st Place:
Title: "The Prodigy"
Skill Unlock: Hero's Momentum (Passive) - Slightly increases movement speed and reaction time at all times.
Stat Boost: +10 Strength +10 Agility, +10 Intelligence.
Item Unlock: "All Might's Autographed Training Gloves" - Boost Strength by 15%.
Special Perk: Your name will be announced during U.A.'s opening ceremony, earning immediate attention from students and staff. Enjoy the ego boost (and the haters).
2nd or 3rd Place:
Title: "Rising Star"
Skill Unlock: Precision Strike (Active) - Your next attack deals double damage and has a 50% chance to stun robots for 2 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds.
Stat Boost: +5 Strength, +5 Intelligence.
Item Unlock: "U.A. Training Jersey" - Reduces stamina consumption during Quirk usage by 10%.
Perk: A solid start. Gain recognition from U.A. teachers and upperclassmen.
4th to 10th Place:
Title: "Contender"
Skill Unlock: Combat Instinct (Passive) - Slightly increases dodge chance against incoming attacks.
Stat Boost: +2 Agility, +2 Strength.
Item Unlock: "Standard U.A. Gym Shoes" - Boost movement speed slightly when sprinting.
Perk: Hey, you made it. That's more than most can say. You'll need to step it up, but there's potential here.
Below 10th Place but Passed:
Title: "Barely Made It"
Skill Unlock: Tenacity (Passive) - When your stamina drops below 10%, you gain a temporary +3 boost to all stats for 5 seconds.
Stat Boost: +1 Stamina.
Item Unlock: "Damaged Robot Fragment" - A reminder of how close you were to failure. Absolutely useless, but hey, cool paperweight.
Perk: You passed. That's it. Nobody is impressed, but you've got potential to grow—or crash and burn. Your choice.
Fail to Pass the Exam:
Title: "The Dropout"
Penalty: All current XP cut by 50%.
Perk Lost: You'll need to work harder to prove yourself in future scenarios. NPCs at U.A. may initially underestimate you.]
There was a moment of stunned silence before people started scrambling into motion. It finally clicked for most of us that "villains" in this scenario meant robots. Massive, stomping robots were already appearing at random intervals down the streets.
I wasted no time. "Alright, no pressure or anything," I said, giving the pink girl a grin before activating Limit Breaker. Instantly, my body surged with power as if I had just been plugged into a high-voltage outlet. Every muscle felt like it was ready to snap with energy, and the world seemed to slow down slightly.
I activated Quickstep and shot off like a bullet, dodging past people still frozen in place. My Analyze skill immediately lit up the weak points on a nearby one-pointer. A quick strike to its knee joint with my bat had it collapsing, and a sharp swing to its head knocked it out for good.
[+1 Point. Current Total: 1]
"I am the King of the World!" I yelled like a lunatic, swinging my steel bat over my shoulder as I charged down the fake city streets. The energy from Limit Breaker surged through my veins like liquid fire, making me feel unstoppable. A one-pointer bot rolled out of an alley, its sensors locking onto me. Without breaking stride, I vaulted over a chunk of debris and smashed my bat straight into its glowing red eye. The bot jerked once before crumpling into a heap of scrap.
A group of noobies clustered in the middle of the street, frozen like deer in headlights as a two-pointer barreled toward them. The thing wasn't moving fast, but the sheer size and noise were enough to short-circuit their brains. Not mine, though.
"Move it, dumbasses!" I barked, weaving through the group. I swung the bat at the robot's leg with a satisfying clang. Sparks flew as it staggered back, exposing the control panel near its chest. I leapt up, brought the bat down like I was hitting a home run, and smashed the panel. The robot fizzled out and collapsed.
[+2 Points. Current Total: 6.]
"Keep up, losers!" I shot over my shoulder, already scanning for my next target.
A one-pointer scuttled out of an alley, its camera-like head swiveling toward me. I didn't give it a chance to react. A single swing to the dome, and it crumpled like a cheap tin can.
[+1 Point. Current Total: 10.]
Ahead of me, a girl with short hair was about to get pancaked by another one-pointer. She tripped over some debris, landing flat on her ass as the robot raised its arm to smash her.
I didn't stop to think. Quickstep carried me forward in a blur, and I planted myself between her and the robot. The bat came down hard on its arm, bending the joint backward. The robot shuddered, sparks flying, before I drove the bat straight into its sensor.
[+1 Point. Current Total: 15.]
The girl blinked at me, clearly stunned. "Uh… thanks?"
"No problem!" I gave her my best grin, leaning on my bat like it was no big deal. "You can repay me by grabbing coffee later."
She stared at me for a second, then let out a short laugh. "You're ridiculous."
"Ridiculously good-looking," I shot back before darting off toward the next bot. I could feel her watching me as I left. Yeah, she was impressed. No doubt about it.
Another robot crashed through a nearby building, scattering rubble across the street. Some pink-haired kid with a skateboard darted past me, yelling something about "stealing kills." I ignored him. He could sulk later.
A trio of one-pointers came clanking around the corner, their sensors glowing like Christmas lights. I grinned. "Oh, you guys are just lining up for me, huh?"
The first one went down with a swing to the neck. The second tried to sidestep, but Quickstep had me in its face before it could react. I jammed the bat into its torso, wrenching out a mess of wires. The third managed to swing an arm at me, but I ducked under it and drove the bat into its knee joint, toppling it over.
[+3 Points. Current Total: 21.]
"Next!" I called out, already moving toward the next street. The sound of explosions echoed from somewhere nearby—probably Bakugo throwing his tantrums, as usual.
As I spotted a three-pointer lurching down the street, the pink-skinned girl from earlier slid across the pavement like she was riding on air, her hands throwing some kind of acidic liquid at the bot. The robot's head sizzled and popped, melting into a gooey mess. She stood up and gave me a quick smirk, wiping her palms on her thighs like it was just another day.
"Hey, that is KS!" I called out, swinging my bat onto my shoulder as I jogged toward her.
She tilted her head, pretending not to know what I meant. "KS?"
"Kill steal, obviously," I said, pointing the bat at the hunk of melting scrap. "You think acid gives you an all-access pass to steal points?"
She shrugged, already walking off. "You snooze, you lose. Try being faster next time."
I clicked my tongue but didn't bother chasing after her. Fine. She wanted to play that game? I would just have to rack up enough points to make her look like a warm-up act.
As I rounded a corner, I heard screaming—like real, proper screaming, not the excited kind. Some girl was pinned under a chunk of debris while a one-pointer crept toward her. She kicked her legs, but the robot was relentless, its arm raised to smash down on her like a gavel.
"Damsel in distress, huh? My lucky day," I muttered, activating Quickstep. The world blurred slightly as I closed the distance in seconds, my steel bat swinging hard against the bot's side. The metal crunched as it toppled over, one arm sparking uselessly. A quick smash to its head finished the job.
[+1 Point. Current Total: 26.]
"Hey, you good?" I asked, grabbing the chunk of debris and pushing it off the girl. She scrambled to her feet, dusting herself off.
"Yeah, thanks. That was… close."
I grinned, leaning on my bat. "Close calls are my specialty. If you really want to thank me, though, dinner works."
She blinked, then laughed nervously. "Uh, maybe after the exam?"
"I'll hold you to that," I said, already scanning for my next target.
A one-pointer burst through a window ahead, glass raining down as it scanned the street. Before it could lock onto me, someone darted past—a kid on a skateboard, yelling at the top of his lungs.
"Out of the way! That one's mine!"
I watched as he kicked off the ground and launched himself into the air, flipping the board over to smack the robot in the head. It staggered, but before he could finish it off, I was already there, driving my bat into its chest. The bot crumpled, sparking as its core gave out.
[+1 Point. Current Total: 29.]
"Hey!" the skateboard kid yelled, landing in a crouch. "That was my kill!"
I shrugged, twirling the bat lazily. "Finders keepers."
"You—" He looked like he was about to start a whole argument, but another bot appeared, and he skated off, muttering under his breath.
Not good, man. I am slow. At this rate, I will not make it. "How long have I been using Limit Breaker, System?" I asked, sprinting past another group of zero-pointers as they crumbled behind me like busted piñatas.
[FOUR MINUTES AND TWELVE SECONDS. GIVE OR TAKE. YOU ARE DOING GREAT, BUDDY. REALLY PUSHING THAT WHOLE 'LIVE FAST, DIE YOUNG' AGENDA.]
"Super helpful," I muttered, ignoring the surging power in my muscles. The effects of Limit Breaker felt like a sugar rush cranked up to eleven.
[JUST A FRIENDLY REMINDER: THE LONGER YOU KEEP THIS UP, THE CLOSER YOU GET TO DROPPING DEAD. MAY I SUGGEST DEACTIVATING NEAR RECOVERY GIRL? OR A CEMETERY. BOTH WORK.]
"Wow. Inspirational. Thanks."
Shit. I called out as I saw a girl about to get flattened. Me no likey flatty girls. A massive zero-pointer barreled toward her, its mechanical limbs swinging like it was trying to clock in for overtime destruction. The girl was scrambling backward, tripping over debris. Zero-pointers were pure nightmare fuel—big, bad, and built to ruin your day. No points, no glory, just pure chaos on wheels. And I had about as much chance of beating it as a virgin does of getting a date.
I activated Quickstep and bolted toward her, weaving through the street like my life—or hers—depended on it. The giant bot's shadow loomed over her, and she froze like a deer in headlights. Perfect. Just what I needed: a frozen damsel and a death machine.
"Move!" I yelled, but her brain was clearly buffering.
The zero-pointer's arm came down like a steel guillotine. I dove, hooking an arm around her waist and yanking her out of the way just as the ground cracked where she'd been sitting. "You wanna die? No? Then get up!" I snapped, dragging her to her feet as the bot recalibrated its aim.
She stumbled, her legs still spaghetti. "I—"
"No time for that!" I barked, shoving her ahead. Another swing came crashing down, missing us by inches. Dust kicked up everywhere, and my lungs were already cursing me for trying to play hero.
The zero-pointer's head swiveled, locking onto me now. Of course, it would. Why squash one civilian when you can stomp the annoying idiot playing savior?
"Yeah, great, let me just file a complaint with tech support," I muttered, grabbing a chunk of rubble and chucking it at the bot's face. Not my brightest idea. The rock bounced off with a sad clink, and now it looked mad—like, as mad as a giant robot with no emotions could look.
"Run!" I shouted at the girl, shoving her toward an alley. She hesitated, her survival instincts still on dial-up speed.
"You too!" she shouted back. Oh, cute, she thought I was being self-sacrificial. Adorable.
The bot's arm swung again. I Quickstepped to the side, narrowly dodging what was basically a building-sized wrecking ball. The girl finally got the memo and bolted toward the alley. The bot's sensors tracked her for a moment before snapping back to me. Guess I had its full attention now.
"Alright, big guy," I muttered, backing up. "Let's play a little game called 'Don't Kill Me.' Rules are simple: I run, you suck."
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