Chapter 154: ***Spoilers, title at the end***

To not much of a surprise, two black plated knights stepped forward and took their places in front of Aiden. 

The one on the right pulled the large full body length broadsword from his back with such momentum that a small gust of wind reached Aiden and fluttered the side of her hair. The one on the left also grabbed the huge, towering shield and equipped it with his left arm. As he put the huge steel door down to the ground, it actually blocked almost 90% of his body, even with his broad physique. On his right, a simple, iron longsword was ready to slice and thrust ahead.

Once they got ready, they did not say a word, nor did they make any sudden movement. They kept staring at the much smaller boy in front of them. Despite their terrifying presence this youth didn't seem to be affected even by a bit, he kept looking at the hooded figure, the leader of the examiners on the upper floor.

There were no words exchanged for a while, yet the atmosphere became tenser by the moment. After a while, the unarmed man to the left of the leader yelled out towards the boy.

"Get ready you runt, what are you waiting for? They are your examiners, you have to face them, otherwise, don't even dream of becoming an official adventurer of the guild!"

Aiden did not even look at him, much less answer him, he kept his piercing gaze on the hooded figure. Suddenly his eyes began to emit a golden hue, his expression became fiercer. 

The group on the stand could feel the pressure behind his gaze. The unarmed-looking man to the right yelled out again.

"What are you doing, brat?! Do you want us to-" However, he was silenced when the hooded figure raised its right arm. Immediately the pressure they felt from the boy, lessened and gradually disappeared.

The figure slowly lowered its arm. Finally, its unnatural heavenly voice could be heard all across the room.

"I do apologize for the inconvenience we may have caused you, young Aiden. We simply wish to test your potential, there is no ill-will here. Let me offer you this. If you can defeat these two fine knights, not just your exam will be successful, I will immediately give you a 2-star rating. You will start as a Rank 2 adventurer on the spot."

"But Leader, we can't-" The man to the right tried to speak again but was silenced by the raise of the right arm again. Nobody else dared to speak up in the group after that.

After a momentary pause, he continued.

"But do not be afraid. If you fail to overcome this increased challenge, we will still give you the usual 1-star, and you can start just like everybody else. Think of this test as an extra, I myself would like to see how much potential you have inside you."

Although the offer did sound nice, Aiden didn't smile, nor seemed satisfied by his words. With a calm tone, he asked.

"Why is this beneficial to me? Honestly, I don't see the point. What do you want?"

"What do you not understand brat! You can be a Rank 2 from the start! Every newcomer's dream would be this, yet you are asking why is it good?!" The man to the right angrily yelled out. This brat couldn't understand and appreciate the gift he is bestowed upon, and even dared question his leader's good will! 

Actually, it wasn't just him finding the boy's words offensive, almost the entire group frowned and looked at the boy with contempt and disdain.

The man could barely contain his anger anymore and not explode on the spot. He turned towards the hooded figure and asked.

"Leader, allow me to teach this brat a lesson, he doesn't even understand how lucky he is…"

Raising its arm for the third time, the leader silenced the grumbling group.

"No. His concern is understandable, we are in the wrong here for putting him through such trouble with no explanation."

Then turning towards Aiden, the figure spoke with an apologetic undertone to the heavenly melody it emitted.

"My apologies for the inconvenience, Aiden, but let me refrain from answering your questions for the time being. After you pass this hurdle and complete the test ahead of you, I promise I will give you a proper explanation. Would this work?"

The man on the right once again wanted to speak up and voice his displeasure but he did not dare to anymore. He did remember to teach this brat a lesson later for his insolence against the leader.

Aiden silently looked at the figure for a while before eventually he sighed and nodded.

"Alright, I accept your terms." The reason he didn't argue any further was that he truly did not feel any hostile intent from it, just curiosity. The hooded figure seemed genuinely interested in him, or to be more precise his power. Unlike the man to its right, from whom, he could sense something.

While he will not reveal his secrets to anyone besides his family, he could still probably easily defeat the average humans and adventurers, his parameters are way above the norm. His draconic heritage made him stand high above them. 

With the deal made, Aiden finally looked at the two statuesque knights in front of him. They did look rather impressive compared to the rest of the warriors he faced so far, he had to admit. There was a certain… presence, or aura that radiated pride and fearsomeness towards their foes. 

Looking at both of them, he asked with an honest tone.

"How will we do this? Are you guys going to fight together? Or do you want to go one by one? I don't really mind either way. If you want my honest advice, I would suggest going together though, but it's up to you."

Neither of them spoke, but the intent they released became much denser, thicker suddenly. The knight on the right raised his giant broadsword with both hands and stepped forward. 

At the same time, the guy on the left raised his shield and held it in the air. He cocked his right arm back, and looked at the boy, ready to charge at the first sign of action.

"Together it is then…" Aiden muttered. In the next instant, his eyes began to glow once again in their golden luster, and he clenched both of his fists. A small smile expectantly curved at the edges of his lips, looking forward to the upcoming battle.

In response, the knight with the shield released a loud yell, and while holding the shield in front of him, launched himself forward and bolted towards the boy. Halfway through he thrust both his shield and his cocked arm in an attempt to push against any sort of attack and deal critical damage at the same time.

The other one didn't lag behind and charged forward as well with his humongous weapon raised above his head.

Facing both knights at the same time, Aiden's lips curved into an even broader smile. He planted his left and right feet on the floor. He activated his [Mystic Martial Arts] skill with thought and guided the flow of energy to both of his fists. He did not use any of his transformation abilities but relied on his own boosted strength. 

As he felt the energy flow into his clenched fists, a thin golden barrier was formed. In the next moment, as he felt both knights approaching, he thrust both of his first forward, hitting both the huge shield and the tip of the blade that was already swung towards his head in an attempt to slice him apart.

As the opposite forces clashed together, a loud bluster rang throughout the room alongside a large amount of dust that was kicked up high in the air due to the shockwave that was created.

To Aiden's surprise, however, none of the knights were flung back but could hold their grounds. The large steel shield, neither the edge of the broadsword could withstand such blow, and both cracked. 

Both knights jumped back, creating a bit of distance between them and Aiden. They did not fly into a rage, nor did they begin a second push against the boy, but instead, they both began to inspect the status of their equipment as if they weren't in the middle of a battle currently. 

Seeing as how the broadsword was simply beyond a simple repair and would need to be reforged, the knight threw it to the side, and raised his gloved hands in front of him, and clenched it into fists. His steel gauntlet could still dish out rather destructive blunt damage after all.

The shield wasn't in any better shape either. The boy's simple punch carried such tremendous power that the steel door couldn't withstand it, and a huge fist-like bent could be seen on it. Tiny cracks could be seen rushing to all sides of the shield from the point of impact. Just like his colleague, he also threw the destroyed armament to the side and raised his still mint-condition sword as his lonesome weapon.

However, before they could launch a second wave of attacks, clapping could be heard from the upper floors, and a happy and melodious tune reached their ears.

"Marvellous! Just as I expected! We can stop the test now, there's no reason to continue and cause more damage. Aiden, you passed!"

Title: Aiden, Rank 2 Adventure