Passed the test

Drogo's magic missile was blocked by Gleson's Flame Shield, but instead of stopping and waiting for Gleson's instructions, Drogo chose to continue his attack. The light from the magic missile had not completely dissipated, but a second-level magic spell, Ice Arrow, had already taken shape in Drogo's hands. With a soft drink from Drogo, a meter-long and arm-thick ice arrow shot towards Gleson.

Gleson had just blocked the magic missile and was about to dispel the defensive magic in his hand and comment on the situation when he suddenly realized that Drogo's next attack had arrived, causing his hair to stand on end in fright. Of course, second-level magic couldn't really hurt him, but anyone who unexpectedly saw such a large ice arrow flying towards them would have the same reaction.

Gleson quickly condensed the Flame Shield that had already started to dissipate and faced Drogo's Ice Arrow. With a snap, the Ice Arrow collided with the Flame Shield that had not fully solidified, shattering into small ice fragments. The ice fragments scattered and flew, then disappeared into the air as water elements.

But at the same time that the Ice Arrow was blocked, Gleson's Flame Shield also disappeared without a trace. A second-level magic Ice Arrow had actually broken a fifth-level Flame Shield, which was something that would never happen under normal circumstances. However, the Flame Shield was hastily condensed by Gleson and had not yet fully solidified, which made this impossible occurrence a reality.

Gleson was not angry but rather happy that the Flame Shield had been broken by Drogo. Although this was an exam, he had indeed said that everything should be based on practical combat. That is to say, in a real battle, how could he have the opportunity to dispel magic and chat with his opponent?

The better Drogo performed, the happier Gleson felt. He was already thinking about being Drogo's guide after the exam and bringing him into the Mage's Guild.

"Okay, let's go again," Gleson shouted loudly, but he soon realized that Drogo didn't even need his reminder. Because even the previous wave of attacks had not yet ended.

Just like the magic missile before, Drogo's ice arrows were not one, not two, but three.

The first and most powerful ice arrow broke through Gleson's guard due to his negligence, while the other two, although noticeably smaller, still carried formidable power and followed closely behind, now approaching Gleson.

Two ice arrows arrived simultaneously! Gleson, now unable to either counter or block with his magic, despite being a mid-level mage, remained calm. He quickly chanted a spell, and his raised hands turned a sandy yellow color.

Drogo's eyes lit up as he recognized the spell: a low-level auxiliary magic called Stone Skin. Gleson's hands, under the effect of Stone Skin, looked like they were wearing gloves made of rock as he grabbed both ice arrows.

Crack! Crack!

The ice arrows were shattered by Gleson's bare hands. Surprised by how easily his magic was defeated, Drogo hesitated to attack again. It was during this gap that Gleson took the opportunity to speak, while releasing a fire shield to protect himself.

He was startled by Drogo's strange magic, and as an examiner, it would be extremely embarrassing if he were hit or even injured by a candidate.

"Kid, who is your teacher?"

"Teacher?" Drogo was taken aback by the unexpected question. He didn't have a teacher. If he had to say, the only one who could barely be counted as a teacher was Matthew, who he had killed.

Drogo remained silent, and Gleson raised an eyebrow. "Fine, don't tell me. Do you really think I can't tell?"

Gleson said, "Drogo is even stranger. He doesn't think the other person can tell he's a necromancer, let alone that his magic comes from Matthew. But why would he say that? What did he see?"

Drogo had doubts, but he couldn't ask. This feeling made him uneasy. He thought it would be better to get his identity as a mage and leave immediately.

With a shrug, Drogo said, "Respected Lord Gleson, I don't know what you're talking about. I just don't know if I passed the test."

Gleson sensed Drogo's intention to leave and narrowed his eyes. "Do you think it's over? It's not that easy. Keep attacking and use all your skills."

Drogo secretly sneered at Gleson's cunning look. He thought, "You want to see my skills? You're not ready for that yet."

Bowing slightly, Drogo said, "Then I'll continue. Please be careful, Lord Gleson." As he spoke, he attacked again.

Gleson suspected that Drogo was deliberately hiding his strength and was already prepared. But to his surprise, Drogo only used a first-level fireball magic this time. He didn't even use the special rapid-fire technique, just a simple fireball spell.

"What's going on?" Gleson was puzzled. He easily shattered Drogo's fireball with his own fireball spell, and his fireball still attacked Drogo even after breaking his magic.

Bang!

Watching the fireball coming towards him, Drogo didn't even dodge. He let the fireball hit his chest with a loud explosion.

This scene frightened Gleson. He was hoping to bring Drogo into the Mage Guild, but he didn't expect that his small fireball would knock him down. Although the fireball had lost most of its power after colliding with Drogo, it was still a sixth-level mage's spell. The temperature alone was not something an ordinary person could bear.

However, in Gleson's opinion, such a situation should not have occurred at all. Judging from Drogo's previous performance, he was most likely hiding his true strength and the second level was not his limit at all. Even if he really only had the strength of a second-level mage, he should have been able to withstand the fireball just now.

"Hey, are you stupid? Why didn't you dodge?" Gleson shouted as he rushed towards Drogo with a gust of wind, using both Wind Walk and Gale Magic.

"Ugh..." Drogo opened his eyes slightly, only to see Gleson's hairy and sturdy face. His thick lips were almost touching his face, and a pungent smell entered Drogo's nostrils.

Drogo quickly held his breath and thought to himself, "Damn, this guy must have just eaten garlic."

Of course, his current appearance was just an act. As long as he wanted to, he could easily break the fireball spell. Even if Drogo didn't resist, and even if the fireball wasn't weakened, it would not really hurt Drogo. This was because Drogo was wearing the armor of a Poison Arrow Iron Beast, which, despite its ugly appearance, had excellent effects and innate magic resistance.

Rubbing his chest, which was not actually injured, Drogo stood up and said to Gleson, "Respected Lord Gleson, my spiritual power has been exhausted, and I am unable to release any magic at the moment. I don't know if I have passed this exam..."

Gleson seemed to have completely ignored Drogo's words. He looked at Drogo pretending to rub his chest and his eyes almost popped out.

"You're okay? You were hit by my fireball, and you're still okay?"

Rolling his eyes, Drogo wondered if this guy really wanted him to be hurt. But of course, he couldn't say that, so he just bowed and said, "Respected Lord Gleson, it's all thanks to your mercy."

"Hmph, the kid knows how to talk," Gleson said, not surprised for too long. He knew very well that what really blocked his magic was the black armor on Drogo's body.

With his knowledge, he couldn't identify the strange armor's material, but it appeared to be made from some kind of monster's shell. Drogo didn't bring it up, and it was evident he didn't want to talk about it, so Gleson refrained from asking. It was akin to Drogo not mentioning his mentor, which could potentially involve the family's secrets.

Drogo saw that Gleson had regained some composure and asked, "I'm curious about my exam results..."

Gleson snorted and said, "You passed. Your rank is... Second Rank."

Gleson paused, and in reality, he didn't want to say that Drogo was only a Second Rank because until now, he believed that Drogo's true strength was not that simple. Regardless of how skillful Drogo demonstrated his magical abilities during the exam, the strongest magic he used was only at the Second Rank level. Nevertheless, no matter what he thought, he had to admit that Drogo's performance was qualified.

"Haha, thank you, Gleson, for your help," Drogo replied, satisfied with the outcome. He didn't care about Gleson's speculations, as he knew that they would all be wrong. How could Gleson possibly know that Drogo's real strength was at the Fifth Rank, only one step behind his own, or that Drogo's mentor was a renowned and infamous necromancer? Even if Gleson racked his brain, it would be impossible for him to figure out these things.

Gleson's eyes darted around, scrutinizing Drogo from head to toe. He begrudgingly said, "Wait here for a moment, I'll have someone bring your badge and robe."

Soon enough, a servant brought Drogo's badge and mage robe. The badge was made of iron and depicted an intricate wand, representing the identity of a novice mage. The mage robe was similar to the one Gleson wore, the standard style of Dominic continent.

Drogo maintained a composed expression, but in his heart, he was laughing out loud. These items represented his true identity as a mage, and he also gained the corresponding status. On this Dominic continent, mages were natural nobles, and they could enjoy some special privileges almost anywhere. With this identity, Drogo's path forward would be much smoother.

After all, they were men, and there was nothing to avoid. Drogo immediately put on his mage robe and wore the iron badge representing his novice mage status on his chest. He was about to bid farewell to Gleson, but when he looked up to speak, he shuddered because he noticed that Gleson's eyes were peculiar, carrying a hint of... lasciviousness.