The Golem Mage

726: 1st Test 3.

726: 1st Test 3.

The student, determined to make the most of his remaining chances, decided to apply the lesson from his earlier failure, this time, he clenched his fists without channelling any mana.

The crowd, particularly those who believed themselves to be on the same level as the mage, watched intently, as none of them wanted to miss even the slightest detail, hoping to glean some insight for his own attempts.

“Ahhh!” The mage roared, his fist flying toward the towering black monolith, a louder, more resounding thud echoed as his punch connected.

All eyes followed the white light rising up the center of the stone, it surged past the peak of the second bar, filling the third completely.

The light moved steadily upward, reaching close to the peak of the third bar before faltering and settling just shy of it.

“Third bar, high rank, not enough.

You’ve got one last chance, don’t be a disappointment,” Instructor Duran said from the side, his words toeing the line between encouragement and mockery.

The mage clenched his jaw, his frustration boiling over, he refused to fail here, especially when he was so close, he was starting to feel If only he had reached the Peak Tier 3 realm, this thought lingered bitterly on hiss mind, as he felt it would have been much easier.

He felt that way as he is a High Tier 3 mage, and he was convinced the monolith was gauging his realm and that his current level wasn’t quite enough to reach the Peak third bar.

With a defiant roar, he summoned every ounce of his strength and threw his final punch, channelling all his anger and unwillingness into the strike.

Bang!

The impact was thunderous, reverberating across the venue, pain shot through his fist, and he could feel the skin on his knuckles had split.

He didn’t care.

Eyes closed and head bowed, he prepared to accept defeat.

“Well, would you look at that,” Duran’s voice rang out, this time tinged with approval.

“You’re not a disgrace after all—Peak Third bar.”

The words of Instructor Duran jolted the mage out of his daze as his eyes flew open to focus on the monolith.

The white light remained fixed at the peak of the third bar, unwavering this time.

“Pass!”

The confirmation rang loud and clear, bringing a wave of relief to the mage, he had managed to retain his status as a direct disciple.

Smiling through the pain, he descended from the stage, clutching his bloodied right hand.

Despite his injuries, a sense of accomplishment radiated from him.

Witnessing this, many of the other students, particularly those at the High Tier 3 realm, were emboldened.

If he could pass, they reasoned, perhaps they could too, provided they gave it their all.

“Next!” Instructor Duran’s voice rang out again.

A rush of students scrambled forward, eager to take the next turn, but Duran quickly organized them into a line, most were High Tier 3 or Peak Tier 3 mages, each determined to prove themselves.

With a clearer understanding of the rules and having observed the previous attempt, the students began their trials, hitting the monolith with everything they had from the start.

However, it soon became evident that raw determination alone wasn’t enough.

For many High Tier 3 mages, despite their best efforts, reaching the peak of the third bar proved impossible, they failed, even after using all three attempts.

At first, they had believed the monolith measured their realm, but now, they realized how mistaken they had been.

The monolith wasn’t testing their magical realm, it was testing their physical strength.

It evaluated the raw resilience and power of their bodies.

The Peak Tier 3 mages fared better because their breakthroughs had strengthened their physiques through a natural “baptism” that came with advancing to the next level, this made their bodies slightly more durable and capable of enduring greater strain.

As for the first student who passed, the truth to his success was quite simple.

He had succeeded not because of his realm but because his physical strength was already nearing that of a Peak Tier 3 mage, fuelled by his anger and desperation, he had been able to bridge the gap and push himself beyond his limits,

Since then, no other High Tier 3 mages had been able to replicate the first student’s feat.

One by one, many of the mages were demoted to the rank of normal disciples, a fate that sent ripples of anxiety through the venue and the second year students present.

With the capital severing its support for the War God Mage Academy, the institution’s dwindling resources had forced a change in priorities, the academy could no longer afford to nurture every student equally.

Instead, so they shifted focus to cultivating only the most promising talents.

Those deemed less exceptional were relegated to the status of normal disciples, where they would face fierce competition for resources and opportunities, including specialized classes.

“Next!” Duran’s commanding voice echoed again, this time, to the ears of the students, it was as if a demon lord had spoken, ready to seal their fates.

By this point, Duran had demoted more disciples in a single day than anyone could recall, spreading fear among the first-year students.

The atmosphere grew heavier when a Peak Tier 3 mage failed to meet the standard, unable to surpass the high Third Bar and reach the peak even after three attempts.

No matter how hard he tried, his results plateaued below the peak Third Bar, while many of the students couldn’t understand why he had failed, the High Tier mages present immediately recognized the issue.

The student’s breakthrough to Peak Tier 3 had been achieved through the use of lower-quality medicinal pills, this left his foundation unstable and incomplete, delaying the solidification of his realm.

Though his mana pool had increased, but his body had not fully undergone the transformation necessary to harness the full power of his rank, so without mana to supplement his strikes, his physical strength fell short, making him unfit to retain the title of direct disciple.

“Next!” Duran called again, his voice as sharp and final as ever, this time, Alec turned toward the twins, gesturing for them to step forward as he was prepared to make a move.