Ignoring Hoggus's scolding, the two continued to cling to each other.
After about fifteen minutes, a distortion rippled through the space around Wormir.
*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!* A spiritual light materialized once more, marking another breakthrough from the Heartscape World.
Dr. Voodoo awakened.
The moment he opened his eyes, he found four figures already standing before him.
"Four... Hoggus, Chen Chen, the Mystic Sorcerer, and Kazusa, who seems to be Chen Chen's girlfriend."
Still emerging from the hazy state of the Heartscape World, Dr. Voodoo's eyes flickered as he instantly recognized everyone present. A multitude of thoughts raced through his mind. *To think I'm the fourth to emerge. Even Miss Kazusa has surpassed me.*
Since the three were already before him, it meant that even if he passed this trial, his performance would clearly lag behind theirs.
*Damn it! As expected, my parents and brothers still have too much influence on me.* Seemingly dissatisfied and resentful of his performance, Dr. Voodoo suddenly remembered something. His slightly furrowed brow slowly relaxed.
"This time in the Heart Incense World has greatly enhanced my power, especially my Magic Arts. Many of my spells are Soul-based and Undead-based, and their effectiveness has improved significantly as my Soul abilities have strengthened. After this battle, I'm confident I could even fight Chen Chen."
No one noticed Dr. Voodoo's internal drama as Chen Chen turned to Hoggus. "Dr. Voodoo is awake now. Janos is the only one left to break through. Should we wait for him?"
The elimination process should theoretically be strict, especially for the third assessment. If it were conducted as a tournament-style duel, the second assessment should have eliminated the appropriate number of candidates beforehand. With five candidates remaining and four already awake, Janos was the extra one.
Though Chen Chen didn't mind having an extra opponent, he worried about Kazusa. Her strength was relatively low among the group, so fewer opponents would naturally be better for her.
"No need to wait for him," Hoggus replied to Chen Chen's question, nodding toward Janos. Following his gaze, they saw that in Janos's Mirror of the Mind, he was completely entangled by a monstrous entity covered in tentacles and compound eyes—a creature straight out of the Cthulhu mythos.
Low groans emanated from within the monster's body. The light of battle had long since faded from Janos's eyes, replaced by the unmistakable will to merely cling to life.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
A surge of soul power, overwhelmingly radiant and filled with the aura of light, erupted from Hoggus's body.
*Boom!*
The blast struck Janos's soul form, which had failed to break through his Heartscape World and had already lost all will to fight.
*Crack! Crack! Crack!*
The Mirror of the Mind hovering above Janos's head shattered under the force of Hoggus's soul power, its fragments scattering like stardust and vanishing into the skies above Wormir. With a sudden scream, Janos jolted awake, looking at the bewildered faces before him.
"Janos has failed the second assessment. I, Hoggus, God of Order, now officially announce the passing candidates for the Supreme Mage assessment: Chen Chen in first place, the anonymous 'Mysterious Person' in second, Kazuya Shimotsuki in third, and Dr. Voodoo in fourth."
Hoggus smiled warmly at the four candidates. "Next, you four will face the final test to become Supreme Mages."
He looked past the four candidates to Janos, who stood behind them, his face deathly pale. "As for Janos, he will be immediately transported back to Kamar-Taj once his Soul returns to his body. It is with great regret that you will not become a Supreme Mage."
The gathered Soul power surged forward in a tempestuous gale, tearing open a portal in the space of Vormir. Janos was swept into this Soul storm, flailing wildly like a headless fly.
After sending Janos away, Hoggus turned his attention back to the four candidates. "Very well, the remaining four candidates, please follow me to the site of the third assessment."
"Whoosh!"
As Hoggus finished speaking, a spatial portal crackling with even greater energy materialized before Chen Chen and his group.
"Don't worry, this portal is far more refined than the last one," Hoggus assured them, then plunged into the swirling vortex. Seeing him lead the way, Chen Chen took Kazusa's hand and followed, with the Mystic Sorcerer and Dr. Voodoo entering one by one.
"The first assessment was supposed to be easy, just to screen for candidates with basic competence," Agamotto complained to Oshtur on the main examination ground. As the first Supreme Mage, he took the selection process very seriously.
Hearing Agamotto's rare complaint, Oshtur's elegant, delicate face curved into a gentle smile. She spoke to the seemingly restless Agamotto, "There's no need to worry. I believe that girl named Kazuya Shimotsuki will pass. Though her strength is modest, I sense she possesses considerable fortune. The second assessment should be no problem for her."
"As for that mysterious sorcerer and Dr. Voodoo, I've already assessed their mental state and strength. It's only a matter of time before they break through the Heartscape World, so there's no need to worry."
"As for the sorcerer named Janos, I don't have high hopes for him. While his power surpasses Kazuya Shimotsuki and Kazusa, he falls far short of them in terms of mental fortitude, willpower, and potential for good fortune."
Agamotto nodded in agreement and then asked, "What about Chen Chen?"
Throughout the Supreme Mage selection process, Ommegotu had never offered any evaluation of Chen Chen.
At the mention of Chen Chen, Ommegotu's usually calm eyes flickered, and a hint of hesitation appeared. "I cannot evaluate him!"
"What? You can't evaluate him?"
"Yes, I cannot. His existence transcends..." Ommegotu seemed to be searching for the right words to describe Chen Chen, but none came to mind. He shook his head slightly. "Never mind. You'll understand soon enough."
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