Chapter 14: Calm and Unperturbed

“Are you ready?” a burly man holding a mallet asked the group of five.

Once they nodded, he exchanged a look with his companion, walked over to the giant bell, and raised the heavy mallet.

*Bong— Voom—*

One of them struck with all his might.

The Echo Bell released a lingering resonance.

The five people standing beneath it were instantly struck as if by a physical blow.

They coughed up blood and fell unconscious one after another!

The people watching from below all showed looks of terror.

“Just one strike? How can it be this terrifying?”

Seeing that none of the five above had been spared, the mages who were just thinking they might endure three strikes felt their hearts go cold.

“Is this a joke? They all fainted just like that?”

The Blue-robed Mage turned pale with shock at the scene.

“Echo Steel can be used to craft weapons that specifically counter mental-type mages. The power it possesses is no joke,” Qiaolin explained.

“But… but this is too exaggerated! The level of those mages is definitely not lower than mine! To not even be able to withstand one strike… then what should I—”

*Bong— Voom—*

While the Blue-robed Mage was feeling anxious, another group of mages underwent the test.

Without exception, none of them could endure even a single strike.

“Gah!”

The test subjects were all shaken by the sound waves until they spat blood.

A few High-rank Mages managed to endure until the second strike, but that was as far as it went.

In less than 20 minutes, half of the participants had been eliminated.

“Do the mages of the Kingdom of Nolan always use such a twisted method to measure Mental Power? Aren’t they afraid of leaving permanent side effects?” a thin man standing at the back of the line asked.

He was none other than Karl’s mercenary, Black Smoke.

“So what? This will only reduce the obstacles for us in conquering this weak and incompetent Empire. What a bunch of fools!”

Snake Eye looked at the mages who had retreated to the back, their spirits severely damaged.

Even after waking up, they rolled around on the ground, clutching their heads in agony.

Even when the Physicians stepped forward, they could only temporarily alleviate the pain.

As Black Smoke had said, if they weren’t treated effectively and in time, they would be left with side effects that would be difficult to heal.

“Master Osaran, why are you here?!”

A Physician looked at the old man in front of him in surprise.

The elder made a gesture for silence and opened his palm.

A magic circle condensed, and low, profound incantations transformed into physical Mana Charms that surrounded the mentally traumatized mages.

Gradually, their expressions began to relax.

After treating this group, Osaran sat in a corner, panting.

When he shed his ornate robes, he looked like nothing more than an ordinary old man.

Qiaolin seemed to sense something.

His gaze pierced through the crowd and landed on the resting Osaran.

A slight curve appeared at the corner of the young man’s lips.

“These are magic tools provided by Master Karl. They can defend against five impacts. Remember to keep them close to your bodies during the assessment.”

Karl’s attendant quietly approached Snake Eye and her group, slipping three red Prayer Beads into their pockets.

“Five times? Is there a need for that many? Didn’t they say enduring three strikes would be enough?”

Bear Rock asked.

“There are only three spots to enter the manor this time. Those three spots must be yours. To ensure everything goes perfectly, we are naturally providing you with the highest grade of magic tools. According to Master Karl’s estimate, that guy might very well endure five impacts.”

Karl judged that Qiaolin’s strength was at most equal to his own.

Even if he were some undiscovered genius, he would only be able to endure until the sixth strike.

If he could still endure beyond that, he would be completely outside the realm of humanity.

How could someone like that be so keen on learning human magic?

It was absolutely impossible!

“Don’t worry. When it comes to Mental Power, I’m not weak either,” Snake Eye said indifferently.

“I estimate I can endure three impacts. As for what kind of monster possesses the willpower to go further, I’ve certainly never seen one.”

“Very well. Then on behalf of my master, I wish you a triumphant victory—”

*Spurt!*

After enduring one strike, the Blue-robed Mage felt like his head was about to explode.

His blood flowed backward and sprayed from his mouth!

“Dammit!”

Fortunately, he had not lost consciousness.

He could only look toward Qiaolin with a look of regret.

‘What an embarrassing display… I hope you can pass…’

Qiaolin met his hopeful gaze and nodded slowly.

After the Blue-robed Mage left the stage, Qiaolin’s number was called.

The one who went up with him was a cold-faced woman with purple hair.

Her true identity was the mercenary assassin, Snake Eye.

‘Is this the guy Master Karl has been so wary of? He looks quite ordinary.’

Qiaolin sat cross-legged beneath the Echo Bell along with the others.

“Are you ready, everyone?”

Everyone nodded slightly.

The bell ringer spat on his hands and slammed down a heavy strike!

*Bong— Bong—*

A low chime rang out from the point of impact.

When the sound waves hit the mages, they passed directly through flesh and bone.

As if ice were being shattered, their souls were shaken.

“Argh!”

Two mages fainted on the spot.

Except for Qiaolin and Snake Eye, who appeared completely unaffected, the remaining mage barely managed to steady himself.

He gritted his teeth and endured, even as blood slowly trickled from his ears.

After the injured personnel were taken away, the second strike exploded in everyone’s ears.

The sound seemed to turn into physical ripples.

A visible airwave erupted from the center.

Although it wouldn’t affect the physical body, one of the mages began bleeding from all seven orifices and collapsed to the ground.

At this moment, everyone’s attention focused on the two figures beneath the Echo Bell.

“Is there something wrong with my eyes? Someone actually endured the second chime?!”

“That black-haired kid looks like the guy who shattered the Mana Measuring Stone earlier!”

“The person who tore up the entire floor this morning also seemed to be him!”

People began making various guesses about Qiaolin’s identity.

No one dared to look down on him anymore.

Every sign indicated that the other party was definitely an eccentric, peerless Great Archmage!

*Bong— Rumble!*

Under everyone’s gaze, the bell ringer struck the giant bell with force once again.

The third chime!

This was the passing standard set by Osaran.

Anyone who endured three impacts possessed the ability and qualification to learn his magic!

Qiaolin and Snake Eye remained unchanged.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

The first people to endure three impacts today had finally appeared.

What was even more exciting was that they didn’t seem to have any intention of withdrawing!

*Bong— Rumble—*

This was the fourth chime of the Echo Bell.

The sound was as heavy as a block of lead, shaking the surrounding magic barriers and causing faint ripples.

*Bong— Bong—*

The fifth chime!

This time, Snake Eye’s body finally moved.

Her brow furrowed slightly—not because her mind was affected by the sound waves, but because the magic tool she used to defend against the impact—

Exploded…

*Bong— Voom—*

The sixth chime!

Snake Eye let out a muffled groan. She opened her eyes and glanced at Qiaolin.

The other party was sitting calmly, looking as if he were asleep.

‘Are you kidding me? This is already the sixth chime!’

*Bong— Bong— Voom—*

The seventh chime!

Snake Eye felt like the bell ringer wasn’t striking the bell, but her very soul.

Her consciousness trembled, but she could still—

The eighth chime!

“Argh!”

This sound was like a roar of muffled thunder in her mind, causing Snake Eye’s breathing to stop.

Immediately after, her consciousness felt as if it had been flattened, and she fell unconscious.

“She fell?! She endured until the eighth chime! Heavens?! Is that even human?!”

Karl, who witnessed all of this from the stage, now had a pale face.

He didn’t care about Snake Eye’s collapse; that was irrelevant.

What mattered was the youth who had been sitting calmly under the Echo Bell the entire time.

He had endured eight impacts, yet he still looked as if nothing had happened!

*Boom!*

The ninth chime!

The entire field fell into a deathly silence.

Even the magic tools on the bell ringers themselves shattered one after another.

If they continued, the test subjects might be fine, but the staff would likely be shaken to death first.

The two bell ringers looked at each other with determined gazes and then struck simultaneously.

*Boom— Boom!*

The tenth chime, the eleventh chime!