'This whole exam is stupid,' Hajin thought, his grip tightening as the golden aura around his fist began to hum.
He knew the Guildmaster had set this up as a filter, a way to cull the weak and humble the arrogant. It was a test designed to be impossible, a wall that was never meant to be climbed by a group of rookies.
'But I'm not playing by their rules anymore,' he decided, his mana flaring in perfect synchronization with Juna, Elise, and Sable.
The entire arena seemed to hold its breath while the four of them moved as a single entity. Their combined aura erupted into a blinding golden pillar that reached the ceiling, the sheer pressure of it making the air itself scream.
"Now!" he shouted.
They struck the core at the exact same millisecond.
The impact was shockwave that blew back the remaining applicants and sent a massive cloud of dust into the air. The pedestal groaned under the weight of the force while the ground beneath it shattered into a dozen pieces.
