Chapter 71: Test (I)

Jackson stared at the figure floating high above the square, and a strange feeling slowly rose within his heart.

He was deeply moved.

Dean Maxwell hadn’t done anything.

He wasn’t attacking anyone, nor had he deliberately released his power toward the crowd.

He was simply floating there.

Yet even from such a distance, Jackson could feel an immense pressure weighing down on his body.

It was difficult to describe.

It felt as though the entire sky had suddenly become heavier and was pressing against his shoulders, forcing him toward the ground.

Jackson’s breathing became slightly heavier.

His muscles instinctively tensed beneath the invisible pressure.

This was especially shocking considering his current strength.

He was already standing at the peak of the Second Sequence, only one step away from the Third Sequence.

Even so, he could clearly feel the overwhelming difference between himself and the man in the sky.

If he, someone on the verge of reaching the Third Sequence, could feel this much pressure from Maxwell’s presence alone, Jackson couldn’t even imagine what the students who had only reached the First Sequence were experiencing.

Most of them probably felt as though an invisible mountain had been dropped onto their shoulders.

This must be the first time I’ve experienced the magical pressure of a Life Transformation expert...

Jackson’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He had heard countless descriptions of Life Transformation experts.

But hearing about something and experiencing it personally were two completely different things.

This pressure alone had already given him a much clearer understanding of the terrifying gap between the realms.

Just as Jackson was lost in thought, a voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.

"According to what I know, without even lifting a finger, an Awakened who has experienced the First Life Transformation could easily defeat all the students present here simply by releasing their force field."

The voice carried a hint of curiosity.

Jackson’s pupils contracted.

He immediately turned his head.

A young man with golden hair was standing beside him.

His golden hair was somewhat messy, yet it somehow suited his confident appearance. A faint smile rested on his lips, and his eyes carried an unmistakable sense of self-assurance.

Jackson’s entire body stiffened.

The hair on the back of his neck stood upright.

When did he get here?

Jackson’s expression remained calm, but his mind was anything but.

Perhaps he had been too engrossed in observing Dean Maxwell.

Or perhaps the pressure radiating from the Legendary-Rank hunter had distracted his senses.

Whatever the reason, he hadn’t noticed the young man approaching him at all.

That alone was enough to make Jackson take the stranger seriously.

The golden-haired young man didn’t seem to care about the surprise flashing through Jackson’s eyes.

He simply continued speaking as though the two of them had already been having a conversation.

"According to the information I’ve gathered, an Awakened who has experienced the First Life Transformation possesses a force field powerful enough to suppress everyone below that realm."

Jackson’s eyes flickered.

A ripple of surprise appeared within them.

He wasn’t completely ignorant about the power of Life Transformation experts.

Over the past few days, he had spent a considerable amount of time browsing through the Hunter Association’s forums and collecting information about the higher realms.

After all, once he reached the Third Sequence, the world he knew would change.

He needed to understand what awaited him.

According to the legends circulating among Awakened, once someone completed the First Life Transformation, everyone below that realm was nothing more than an ant in their eyes.

Jackson had always considered that statement somewhat exaggerated.

Such descriptions were common in cultivation manuals, hunter forums, and stories meant to inspire awe in younger Awakened.

They made the gap between realms sound almost absurdly large, instilling respect and fear toward those who stood at the top.

But now...

Jackson silently experienced the pressure weighing down on his body.

His expression gradually became serious.

Perhaps it wasn’t an exaggeration after all.

If Dean Maxwell could make someone like him feel such immense pressure without even deliberately targeting him, Jackson could only imagine what would happen if Maxwell actually released his force field.

The difference between the realms might truly be as terrifying as the legends claimed.

Beside him, the golden-haired young man’s expression became increasingly interesting.

The corners of his mouth slowly curled upward.

It seemed that Jackson’s reaction had caught his attention.

A faint, knowing smile appeared on his face as he continued watching the scene unfolding before them.

Jonathan looked at Jackson for a moment before giving a slight nod.

"My name is Jonathan Spark. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

As he spoke, he extended his hand toward Jackson.

Jackson glanced at the outstretched hand for a moment before lifting his eyes to Jonathan’s face.

"The pleasure is mine."

He said the words politely, but he made no attempt to introduce himself.

There was no reason to reveal his identity to someone who had appeared beside him without making the slightest sound.

Jackson still couldn’t understand how Jonathan had approached close enough to speak beside his ear without being noticed.

That alone made him wary.

He didn’t have a particularly good impression of the golden-haired young man.

Jonathan didn’t seem bothered by Jackson’s cold response.

Instead, the faint smile on his lips widened slightly.

Interesting.

It seems there’s more to him than meets the eye.

Jonathan’s gaze remained on Jackson as he quietly observed the aura surrounding him.

A few moments earlier, Jonathan had been casually assessing the newly awakened students gathered in the square.

He had seen hundreds of young Awakened already.

Most of them were easy to read.

Their strength was roughly within the range he expected from students of their age, and their auras revealed little that was particularly noteworthy.

Then he noticed Jackson.

At first glance, there was nothing unusual about him.

He looked completely ordinary.

There was no particularly intimidating aura surrounding him, nor did he deliberately release his magical power to attract attention.

Yet Jonathan’s senses told him something completely different.

Beneath that seemingly ordinary exterior was an enormous amount of magical power.

It was so dense that Jonathan immediately became interested.

This guy...

His eyes narrowed slightly.

He’s going to be my rival at the academy.

Jonathan had no idea what Jackson’s talent was or what kind of abilities he possessed, but