"Damn it! Why can’t I move? Ah! My legs, my legs have turned to stone! What’s happening? Waldo, what have you done to me?!"

"No! My legs have turned to stone too!"

"Why is this happening?"

"Ah!"

Panic and extreme fear were written all over their faces as they realized they were immobilized. Their blood circulation had become extremely slow, especially in their legs, which had nearly stopped moving altogether.

Their legs were rapidly turning into hard, cold stone and the petrification was spreading upwards through their bodies.

The half-elf’s body quickly became covered in a layer of gray-white. Once this color enveloped his skin, it became exceptionally rough, resembling the coarse surface of a rock. Cracks spread across his skin.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

It sounded like the splitting of stone. Waldo flicked his finger, and a stream of air, sharp as a bullet, shot out. There was a crisp sound, and the half-elf’s body, covered in web-like cracks, exploded like a stone statue, turning into a pile of complete rubble.

Seeing this, everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief. Then, gritting their teeth, they each took action to amputate their own legs, stopping the spread of the petrification.

"Ah!"

"Ah!" 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Ah!"

The remaining individuals cut off their legs and quickly retreated, their eyes filled with extreme hatred and twisted faces staring at Waldo.

They were both shocked and furious. Waldo’s attack had been too sudden, catching them off guard and leaving them unable to respond in time. In their panic, they were all struck.

Only the physically strong and burly beastman was able to resist Waldo’s petrifying power. He grunted, and the petrification effect on him instantly dissipated.

Everyone was in shock and anger.

"How can this person be so powerful? What kind of monster have we provoked?!"

They never imagined that their plan to ambush Waldo would backfire so disastrously. As soon as Waldo appeared, two of their group were dead, and two more were injured.

Although as trial participants, they could regenerate their severed legs in time, it was undeniable that their strength had been significantly reduced for the moment.

Alfred took a deep breath, struggling to suppress the almost face-contorting pain and tried to calm his wildly pounding heart, full of shock and fear. At this moment, he was truly afraid!

If the woman’s death at the beginning could be attributed to a sneak attack by Waldo, that wasn’t a big deal.

But then, with just a glance, Waldo had ensnared them all. Even if they were slow-witted or in denial, they had to admit that the methods and strength Waldo displayed were beyond their imagination.

Without a doubt, Waldo’s strength far surpassed theirs, enough to completely overpower them. Perhaps, in a head-to-head battle, the five of them might have had a fighting chance.

However, Waldo had seized the initiative from the start, killing two and seriously injuring two more. Unless something unexpected happened, they almost had no chance of winning.

The only option now was to flee, to find a way to escape from Waldo’s clutches.

"We’ve really messed up this time," Alfred thought bitterly. "Our first attempt at something like this, and we hit such a tough nut. Talk about bad luck!"

Initially, Alfred had even entertained the thought of using this method to obtain more super Source stones. His team would rise rapidly, sweeping through the dark lands and becoming standout participants in the assessment task. If they could catch the attention of the supreme rulers, that would be a huge win.

But now, Alfred realized that all these dreams had turned to dust. Dominating the dark lands? A mere fantasy! Whether he could even survive had become a significant concern.

"Why? Why is his strength so terrifying? Aren’t all trial participants supposed to be more or less on the same level? Why is his strength so much greater than ours? This is illogical!" Alfred’s breathing grew rapid and uneven.

In Alfred’s mind, thoughts and ideas flashed like scenes from a movie, rapidly appearing and extinguishing. His eyes, fixated and almost tangible with a terrifying murderous intent, were locked onto Waldo.

This man, with his cold, mocking black eyes, looked at them, his gaze exerting a powerful oppressive force, making everyone feel as if they were bearing the weight of a thousand pounds.

Suddenly, a thought struck Alfred. Even though he was reluctant to believe it, he couldn’t help but speculate.

"Could he be a second-level trial participant?!"

Alfred wanted to deny this bold guess, but reason told him that the prey he had targeted, the god-like Waldo before him, was indeed a genuine second-level trial participant!!!

"Damn it, he is a second-level trial participant! How could this be? Out of thousands of participants in the trials, there are only ten second-level participants. Why did I have to provoke one? Damn it all!" Alfred cursed inwardly, wishing he could slap himself. Of all people, they had to target a second-level trial participant!

If every trial participant is the strongest from their respective realms, a genius in their own right, then a second-level participant is a genius among geniuses. One can only imagine how terrifyingly powerful a second-level participant is.

The air was eerily quiet, with mysterious forces drifting aimlessly. Alfred and his remaining companions lowered their breathing. Waldo didn’t attack immediately but simply watched them with his dark eyes, seemingly harboring immense power.

During this time, the severed legs of Alfred’s two companions slowly regrew. They were highly vigilant, staring unblinkingly at Waldo, fearing a sudden attack. Naturally, they hadn’t given up resistance.

The energy within their bodies surged tumultuously, pounding like tides against their flesh. Their blood roared like a stampede of wild horses. In a moment, they could launch their strongest attack, ready for a life-and-death battle with Waldo.

Even if they were ultimately defeated, they would make Waldo pay a heavy price that he couldn’t bear. They were not soft targets to be easily crushed.

"Heh, are you afraid? Hand over the super Source stones to me, and I might spare your lives. We are all trial participants, I don’t wish to make things difficult for you," Waldo said in a deep voice.