All the participants turned to Alden.

Those who started to doubt their decision lowered their heads, while the ones who remained firm answered no without hesitation.

"Give me your test number if you want to withdraw from the test." Alden extended his right hand.

The hesitant ones looked at their numbers intently.

They carefully thought about the advantages and the disadvantages because it was related to their future as awakeners.

The brown-haired man squeezed his number before finally shifting his gaze to Alden. "I won’t quit. I would become nobody if this kind of test scared me."

"Me too! I will continue the test!"

"My dream is to become a powerful awakener! If a mere 1-star magical beast can shake me, I will never achieve it."

"Sir, I’m sorry for showing my pitiful side, but I won’t quit. I will pass the test, join a Pillar Organization and make my dream come true."

One by one, they made up their minds to continue the test.

Alden’s lips curled up into a smile as he saw the determination in their eyes. "Good! That’s the right mindset for awakeners!"

Once the puma had killed Vael, it turned to the participants and let out a loud snarl, sending a message that it would kill anyone who dared to face it.

But its efforts were in vain because the participants had conquered their fear and were determined to pass the test.

"Participant number two. Go to the arena and face them." The magical beasts could still fight, so Alden decided not to change them.

"Understood." Participant number two leapt high into the air.

The moment she landed on the ground, she shifted into her partial transformation and charged at the puma without hesitation.

The golden tiger showed no sign of wanting to fight her, so she decided to face the puma first before dealing with it.

Unfortunately, she only managed to eliminate the puma but was unable to kill the tiger.

However, she didn’t lose her life like Vael, as she surrendered before the tiger could beat her to death.

The test continued.

Even though they had never faced magical beasts before, some of the participants managed to pass the test.

Of course, they were heavily injured, but their wounds didn’t ruin their future because a 3-star healing mage treated them immediately.

Once the medical staff took the injured participant out of the arena, Alden turned to the waiting area. "Number thirty-six. Go down and take the test."

Lucas glanced at Ren and Elara before finally walking down the stairs.

He didn’t say anything, but his expression made it obvious that he wanted them to watch closely and see just how wide the gap between them truly was.

"Lucas, kill the magical beasts quickly and let everyone here know how strong you are!"

"Boss, show them what someone from our district can do!"

Mason and Caleb shouted from their chairs.

Caleb had regained consciousness because the medical staff had treated them.

Lucas turned to the Elemental Organization’s area before finally focusing on the test.

A moment later, two magical beasts stepped into the arena.

The white ape charged at him immediately, while the black lynx waited for the right time to launch a deadly attack.

Unlike the previous participants, Lucas was not struggling to fight them.

He was only at a disadvantage in the first few seconds.

After that, the flow of the fight was completely under his control. His strikes even always landed on their bodies as if he could read their movements easily.

"I will end this now." The moment Lucas pointed his staff forward, streams of water flowed from the ground and gathered before him.

Shortly after the sphere of water formed, it split into two and shot forward like bullets fired from a gun.

The magical beasts tried to avoid it, but their efforts were in vain as the speed of his strike was so fast.

*Crack...

Their skulls were badly fractured, and their bodies were sent flying into the air.

Even though the white ape and the black lynx were still alive, only a thin line separated them from death.

Mason and Caleb were thrilled with the result of the battle and immediately praised him.

"Nice, Lucas! You are indeed the best!"

"Haha! I knew you would pass the test easily."

The other participants who passed the test were all in bad condition, so it could be said that Lucas was the strongest among them.

"Not bad," Lena stated.

Ravenna didn’t say anything, but her gaze made it clear that she was a little interested in him.

"Tch!" Cassandra clicked her tongue in annoyance.

The Nexus and Aether organizations had been at odds for over a century, so she wasn’t happy to see them gain a good mage.

Of course, her displeasure was not deep because Lucas hadn’t shown anything impressive during the test.

Lucas didn’t kill the magical beasts immediately and turned his head toward Ren and Elara.

’This is what real strength looks like.’

He believed they could not do the same, so he wore a smug face.

Ren and Elara showed no reaction, as his achievement was nothing special. After all, they had killed more than two magical beasts since they became awakeners.

"Participant number thirty-six, do you want to try facing three magical beasts?" Alden asked.

Lucas was taken aback by his question, as Alden had never asked it of any of the previous participants who had passed the test. "Sir, is there any benefit to it?"

"If you manage to defeat them, the Nexus Organization will treat you better than those who only defeated two magical beasts." Alden gave Lucas the chance because he could still fight. "Don’t worry. You will still pass the test even if you lose the fight. Just try not to get killed by them."

An unexpected happiness consumed him.

’Special treatment?’

His surprised face slowly turned into a smile.

"Yes. I would like to try it." His future would be much better if he could get special treatment, so he would not let the opportunity slip away.

"Great!" Alden liked Lucas’s bravery. "Bring them to the arena now."

The two awakeners standing in front of the passage nodded their heads before finally heading to the cage.

A moment later, three magical creatures stepped into the arena.

The golden lion dashed toward him immediately, while the hobgoblin and the snake followed it from behind like its subordinates.

Unlike the previous white tiger, the lion was aggressive right from the start.

He was from a race that stood at the top of the hierarchy, yet here he was treated as a tool for the test, so he rushed toward Lucas with anger burning inside him.

*Roar...

The lion let out a thunderous roar when it was close to Lucas.

Lucas’ soul shook for a moment and the Aqua Arrow he was about to use collapsed just before it could fully materialize. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The magical creatures didn’t waste the opportunity and attacked him from three different directions.

Even though he was cornered, Lucas didn’t surrender immediately. The chance to get special treatment didn’t come easily, so he would not give up unless he had no other choice.

’I need to do something.’

He forced his mind to find a way to turn the tables, but it wasn’t easy, especially when he was bombarded by countless strikes.

"Facing three magical creatures is still too much for him." Lena could tell that Lucas would lose the fight soon.

"So he is only a little better than average mages." Ravenna’s gaze turned to disappointment.

She had previously had high hopes for him, but they shattered in the next second, as he had been at a disadvantage from the beginning of the fight.

"He looks so pathetic!" Cassandra was no longer envious of the Nexus Organization.

Lucas could only run without being able to counterattack, so she knew he was nothing special.

"Lucas, be careful!"

"Boss, just surrender if you can’t handle them."

Mason and Caleb wore worried expressions because their future could be bleak if Lucas suffered a permanent injury.

"Damn it!" Lucas gritted his teeth in fury.

’Should I just give up?’

He took a quick glance at Ravenna and the others.

He wanted to join the Nexus Organization with special treatment, but his current strength was too weak to face three magical creatures at once.

If he continued the test, there was a high chance he would die in the arena.

He didn’t want that.

He still had a long journey ahead of him, so the thought of withdrawing from the test popped into his mind.

Bang!

Lucas’ body slammed into the ground and rolled violently across the arena.

As soon as he rose to his feet, the three magical creatures were already close to him, ready to unleash their attacks and end his life.

Lucas’ eyes widened in terror when he realized the situation he was in.

He hadn’t prepared any magic to defend himself, and they charged at him from three different directions, so he knew his life was at stake.

Since he didn’t want to die, he had no other choice but to give up on the test. "I surrender!"

The moment those words left his mouth, the guardian rushed towards him to save him.

*Woosh...

The guardian’s speed was so fast that he seemed to vanish from his spot and reappear right in front of Lucas.

The magical creatures were unhappy with it and chased them immediately.

"Roarr..." the lion and the snakes jumped at them while the hobgoblin swung his massive sword.

Once the guardian put Lucas down safely, he turned around and released his aura. "Kneel!"

An overwhelming pressure crashed down on them, forcing them to collapse directly onto the ground.

Since the guardian was a 3-star shifter, the magical creatures could only show their fangs and stare at him angrily.

"Participant number thirty-six, don’t let your failure weigh on your mind. You are still young. You can still be a powerful mage in the future." Alden tried to cheer him up.

"Thank you for the kind words, Sir," Lucas replied politely.

Alden then ordered the awakeners in front of the passage to take the tiger back to the cage.

Once there were only two magical creatures in the arena, he immediately said, "Participant number thirty-seven. Go down and take the test."

Ren turned to Elara before finally smiling. "Kill the magical creatures and show everyone here how amazing you are."

"Un." Elara nodded before finally walking down the stairs.