Strongest Mage with the Lust system

Chapter 856: Recruitment - Final Assessment Begins

Soon all the participants who managed to stay on their feet for thirty seconds after the third bell chime were handed obsidian plaques.

Although Max had only lasted two seconds in the vision, he hadn’t fallen to the ground, so he was considered passed.

Max didn’t feel happy about it but it was what it was. So, like everyone else, he waited for Meredith to announce what the next test was going to be.

Meredith didn’t waste time and announced, ”This time, we have eliminated all other tests, leaving only the final one. As long as you pass it, you will be taken in as Outer Hall Disciples. Not only that, if your performance catches any of the Inner or Core Hall Elders’ eyes, they might take you as their disciple and allow you to join Inner and Core Hall, so do your best.”

Pausing a bit to let the information sink in, she continued, ”For this final test, you’ll be sent into Beast Emperor Hall’s minor spatial realm where you’ll hunt down the mutated beasts. Each beast of the same cultivation realm you hunt will give you 10 Merit Points. If it’s a realm lower than you, it’ll give you 1 Merit Point and if it’s a realm higher than you, it’ll give you 100 Merit Points.

The trial will last a month. If by the end you have at least 1000 Merit Points, you’ll have passed the trial, if not, you are eliminated.”

’Oh?’ Max raised his brows in surprise upon hearing this.

Beside him, Rima frowned, ”Someone who hunts a Low-stage beast will get equal Merit Points to the one who hunts a Peak Stage beast of the same realm—that’s not fair. They should give the different Merit Points based on the beasts’ strength.”

”Do you think they don’t know this?” Max said, shaking his head.

Rima fell silent upon hearing this.

Similar murmuring arose in the crowd and someone couldn’t hold back from crying out the unjust of the rules.

To everyone’s surprise, Meredith immediately waved her hand and sent the one who cried out flying out of the city, shattering his plaque.

”The rules are rules. They won’t be changed just because you feel jealous of others having an easy time. If you are capable, you can also find Lower stage beasts.”

”Aside from this, I have a warning for you all—there is a good chance that you’ll die in the minor realm because there won’t be anyone to save you. Now, with all this said, you have two minutes, anyone who feels dissatisfied with the rules or is afraid of dying can leave the city.”

Saying this, Meredith closed her eyes.

Hearing this, many of the participant’s expressions fluctuated and soon someone left the city with their head down.

With someone taking the lead, over ten percent of the total remaining participants left the city.

After two minutes were up, Meredith opened her eyes and swept her gaze across those who stayed and nodded approvingly.

”You all are not bad. Talent and all else can be compensated for but courage can’t. As long as you survive this trial, with Beast Emperor Hall’s nurturing, I’m sure most of you will break past your limits and become stronger than you had ever imagined of becoming.”

Hearing such encouraging words from her, everyone was moved, even Max.

”Alright. It’s time.” Meredith glanced at the middle-aged Elder, who nodded, took out a white boned claw and after injecting his mana into it, he swiped it across the sky.

Rip!

Under everyone’s gazes, a rift was torn open in the sky, revealing a dense jungle within.

”Stabilize it!” Meredith shouted and started making hand seals. The middle-aged man did the same.

One after another, many complicated patterns appeared in front of them which they sent into the rift. Slowly, the rift’s fluctuations stabilized.

At this moment, Meredith and the Elder’s auras had considerably weakened.

Meredith waved her hand, ”Go in. Try to kill as many beasts as you can because the more Merit Points you have when you enter the Beast Emperor Hall, the easier time you will have.”

Hearing this, Max and others’, who were confident in themselves, eyes lit up, understanding what she meant.

”Thank you for the advice, Senior. I’ll try my best.” A woman dressed in white bowed in thanks, then summoned her companion beast—a three-meter tall, white furred wolf—and jumped into the rift.

Others followed and entered one after another.

”Let’s go.” Max held Rima’s hand and started moving toward the rift.

Rima nodded but couldn’t help asking, ”Are you sure you are alright?”

”Yeah. Except for the fact that I can’t access my dantian, I’m in top shape.” Max assured her before adding, ”Moreover, aren’t you with me? With us joining forces, we should have no problem fighting against weaker Tier 5 beasts.”

Rima nodded, ”Yeah. But let me be the vanguard this time, alright?”

”Sure.” Max agreed, putting a smile on Rima’s face. She finally had the chance to help him, to be useful to him.

...

”...”

A short while later, Rima, with a blank expression on her face, was standing at the bank of a river with a large crocodile beast’s corpse lying in front of her.

Just a few moments ago, she had entered the rift with Max but when she arrived here, she found herself alone.

Before she could even think why Max wasn’t with her, this crocodile attacked her.

Shua!

Right then, a figure suddenly appeared atop the river and started plunging down.

It was a girl who looked to be the same age as Leticia. She had entered the rift with her elder sister just now and appeared here.

”Ahhhh! Sister, save me.”

Noticing a crocodile suddenly appear where she was about to fall, she cried out in terror.

Rima snapped back to her senses when she heard the cry. Taking a breath, she concentrated her elemental mana in her throat and cast one of her magic spells, producing a sharp keening sound.

The crocodile, about to open its mouth and jump up to devour the falling girl, stiffened and the light vanished from its eyes.

Plop!

Swish!

Not wasting any time, Rima waved her hand and a rope conjured from her mana tied around the girl’s waist right as she fell into the river and pulled her out.

”Cough! Cough! Damn it. Why did I appear in such a dangerous location? Is the Beast Emperor Hall trying to kill—Huh? Who are you? Where is my sister?”

The girl coughed out a mouthful of water and started complaining as she stood up. But amidst her ramblings, she saw Rima, who she didn’t recognise, and put her guard up before looking around to find her sister but failed.

”I’m Rima and you appeared alone here. Your sister... she seems to have been sent to some other place.” Rima said distractedly, her heart heavy from worry.

”What?!” The girl cried out before her face turned red in anger, ”This damned Emperor Hall is really trying to kill us. How am I supposed to survive without my sister?”

Rima furrowed her brows in annoyance. Not wanting to stay near her any longer and hear her nonsense, she turned around and rushed away.

After finding a safe place, she sat down cross-legged, closed her eyes and began concentrating.

’Please stay safe until I find you, Max.’