Beginning of Cultivation
Chapter 177: The End of the Test

Chapter 177: The End of the Test

Magnus’s words left Nora in deep astonishment. However, while he was surprised, it did not mean his line of reasoning was flawed.

A strike coming from oneself did not inherently mean it would not cause harm to its originator. Consider a simple example:

A gun can be used to shoot an enemy, but it can also be turned upon oneself. A fist can injure an opponent, but it can just as easily land upon its wielder.

There were countless such instances to illustrate that Nora’s thought process was far from foolish. However, the next time he considered this approach, he would have to take an additional factor into account—the possibility that his opponent might be immune to the damage inflicted by their own attacks.

"Let’s continue! No matter the gap in strength, I won’t back down!"

With a thunderous shout, Nora launched another assault toward Magnus.

The old man, seeing such fiery determination in the young warrior, could not bring himself to extinguish it. Instead, he let out a hearty laugh and said:

"Hahaha! Very well, let this old man see what you’re capable of. This time, I won’t use the power of lightning."

With those words, both of them simultaneously threw their fists toward each other.

Bang!

A resounding impact echoed as their fists collided. Yet, the outcome was clear—Nora was at a disadvantage, despite both of them exerting equal force.

The reason was obvious. The hardness of their fists was worlds apart—Magnus’s hands were far more tempered than Nora’s.

Nora’s knuckles trembled from the shock, yet he showed no intention of conceding. Clenching his teeth, he growled:

"Again!"

One punch.

Two punches.

Three punches...

Nora relentlessly unleashed strike after strike upon Magnus.

Magnus did not simply stand idle—he met each incoming blow with his own, striking at the exact same locations to match Nora’s ferocity.

Before long, Nora realized that his hands could no longer withstand the relentless exchange. His knuckles throbbed with pain, his fingers growing sluggish. Without hesitation, he switched tactics.

Retracting his fists in an instant, he swiftly swung his leg in a powerful arc, aiming a decisive kick straight at Magnus’s right flank.

Magnus, reacting immediately, raised both arms to block the strike before launching a counterattack of his own.

Thus, the battle escalated into a fierce contest of blows, a relentless exchange of fists and kicks as the two warriors clashed without pause.

Nora fought with increasing fervor, as if he had been born for battle. Despite the growing strain on his body, his attacks showed no sign of stopping.

.....

Ten minutes passed. By now, the outcome had been entirely decided—or rather, it would be misleading to call it a contest to begin with, for Magnus and Nora were never on the same level.

At the center of the room, two figures stood in stark contrast to each other.

One stood tall, unwavering, his body completely unscathed. The other lay sprawled on the ground, his body covered in wounds, his appearance utterly miserable.

Yet, despite how wretched Nora seemed, his injuries were not severe. He had not collapsed from excessive bleeding but from sheer exhaustion. Given some rest, he would recover quickly.

Alice, showing no sign of concern, walked up to Magnus with a bright smile. She had already discerned the situation and said confidently,

"President, was I wrong? He truly is something special, isn’t he?"

The battle-hardened aura that had surrounded Magnus moments ago had vanished, replaced by the demeanor of a kind and approachable old man once more.

With a satisfied nod, he gazed at the unconscious youth and remarked:

"You weren’t wrong. This brat is indeed a peculiar talent. Out of thousands, this is the first time I’ve seen such a case. Looks like I’ll have to send him on missions frequently."

That was how heroes were forged—through relentless missions and real combat.

After all, this world had no such thing as cultivation resources. Strength could only be earned through one’s own efforts.

Well, to be precise, it wasn’t that resources didn’t exist, but in the past two years, what little there was had only appeared once, leaving nothing behind for others.

Alice pondered for a moment before suggesting,

"Can I take on missions with him? It’s been a long time since the gateway connecting us to the demon world has appeared, after all."

The demon world—a realm of fiends, the invaders of Earth. Humanity had once set foot there, but for reasons unknown, the gateway had only appeared once in the past two years.

Magnus saw no issue with her request but couldn’t resist teasing her,

"Haha, and here I thought you two were just ’friends.’ From what I see, it’s more like—"

Magnus hesitated mid-sentence, piquing Alice’s curiosity. She urged him:

"Go on, don’t stop halfway like that."

"Best friends." Magnus finally replied, his tone casual.

Alice was momentarily stunned before bursting into laughter.

"Haha, you’re absolutely right!"

Just then, a staff member approached and asked:

"President, what should we do with him now?"

As he spoke, he gestured toward the motionless figure on the ground.

Magnus glanced over and replied nonchalantly:

"Don’t worry, there’s nothing serious. Just send him to the hospital for a bit of rest, and he’ll be fine in no time."

Reassured by Magnus’s words, the staff member nodded and said:

"Understood. I’ll call the medical team right away."

He immediately pulled out his phone and made the call.

Before long, two burly medics arrived, carrying a stretcher. Moving with practiced efficiency, they swiftly placed the unconscious young man onto it and rushed him toward the ambulance.

Once everything had been handled, the staff member turned to Magnus and said,

"I’ll take my leave to prepare his medical records."

"Mhm, go ahead. We won’t keep you from your work." Magnus replied, allowing him to leave. He had no interest in wasting anyone’s time.

Now, with only the two of them left in the room, Magnus turned to Alice and said.

"Aren’t you going to the hospital to take care of that brat? You seem quite concerned about him.

Alice simply smiled and shook her head:

"He doesn’t need me looking after him. This is nothing to him. I’ll just visit once he wakes up."

Magnus chuckled at her response:

"Haha, so taking care of him is out of the question, but visiting him for fun is acceptable? That’s an interesting perspective."

Alice felt completely misunderstood and quickly clarified:

"That’s not what I meant, President! I have absolutely no intention of taking care of him. I just thought it’d be fun to visit him, that’s all."