Grey Gate, Foggy Mountain Ascent III.
Upon entering the gate, I raised my head and scanned the surroundings.
“Ocean? Paved road? At least there are no monsters nearby…”
Candidates, including Yeon-ha and me, stood on a secondary road. To either side lay an open sandy beach and the blue sea. The sound of waves mixed faintly with the clip-clop of hooves.
“Where does this road lead?”
I shifted my gaze along the road. Behind us, the road abruptly ended, replaced by a pristine white expanse—meaning this gate didn’t reflect the world behind us. Ahead…
“A mountain?”
Beyond the crowded road, a fog-shrouded mountain loomed.
[Clearing conditions are being relayed in order.]
[This gate has already been cleared.]
“…”
A message floated before my eyes. Since the gate was already cleared, it seemed the exam wasn’t about clearing it.
Then, a voice echoed from above.
[Now, we will explain the second practical exam.]
“…”
Tiny winged spheres, round in shape, flitted through the air—Screen Eyes, artefacts for transmitting video and audio. The voice came from them.
[The road you stand on leads to Foggy Mountain.]
At this, the crowd, previously restless, turned as one toward the foggy mountain. Yeon-ha and I also looked at the mountain we’d spotted moments ago.
[An exit to leave the gate is generated at the summit of Foggy Mountain. You may reach the exit at the summit by any means.]
“…”
[Your score will be graded based on the time taken to reach the exit, with grades assigned every 30 minutes: 1st grade within 4 hours, 2nd grade within 4 hours 30 minutes, 3rd grade within 5 hours, 4th grade within 5 hours 30 minutes.]
Screen Eyes repeated this across the area.
I distilled the key points from the explanation.
So…
This is a race against time.
Judging by the candidates’ eager gazes, I wasn’t the only one thinking this. Some were already preparing to sprint, and a few had even bolted ahead.
“Hey, that’s cheap!”
“Isn’t that guy breaking the rules?!”
[Before the second practical exam begins, candidates must wait behind the marked line on the ground. Those crossing the line will be penalized without exception. Please return immediately.]
The candidates who’d rushed forward hurried back behind the line.
The Screen Eye, now hovering overhead, continued.
[The second exam will begin shortly. Please set the timer function on your Gate Watches promptly.]
“…”
[Countdown begins. 10, 9, 8, 7…]
As the 10-second countdown started, no one spoke. Only the sound of waves filled the air, tension palpable.
[…5, 4, 3…]
I prepared to sprint, channelling mana to warm up my body.
The countdown ended.
[…1, 0.]
The Screen Eye beeped.
[The second practical exam begins now.]
Candidates started running.
“Get out of the way up front, you’re blocking the road!”
“Hey! Did you just push me?!”
The road wasn’t narrow, but with so many candidates, it was a struggle to overtake. The crowd moving in one direction caused congestion, making it impossible to push ahead.
As we ran, I heard scuffles break out among candidates.
This isn’t working.
I sighed, watching the candidates blocking the way ahead. It seemed impossible to break through their tightly packed ranks.
If I just kept running like this, I wouldn’t score high.
Then Yeon-ha spoke.
“What do you think?”
“About what?”
“The second exam. What exactly are the evaluators testing here?”
Ten minutes into the exam, she ran alongside me without breaking a sweat. For her, running on the road was easier than the five-year training she’d endured, and she was essentially jogging to avoid colliding with others.
I felt the same way.
Speaking of which, what do you think?
After pondering Yeon-ha’s question, I answered,
“The first exam tested mana, so the second probably assesses stamina.”
If climbing a mountain was the goal, it must be to gauge our physical endurance. That’s why candidates, including us, weren’t sprinting mindlessly but pacing ourselves. The journey to Foggy Mountain was long, and we needed to conserve energy for the climb.
“I agree, but is that all they’re testing? They mentioned earlier that 1st grade requires reaching the summit within 4 hours.”
“Right.”
“If we keep running at this pace, can we make it in 4 hours? Even without resting?”
“It’s possible, but tough.”
I answered without hesitation. This was a problem I’d been mulling over since Yeon-ha raised her question.
At this rate, we wouldn’t earn 1st grade.
That’s why I thought, This isn’t working.
In that sense…
“It’s not just about stamina. They might also be testing how we reach the summit.”
I agreed with Yeon-ha’s thought.
Thinking back, the Screen Eye had explained earlier, “Come by any means.”
Running blindly on the road wasn’t the only solution. We needed another approach.
“The question is, how?”
“Ugh… Right.”
“To earn 1st grade, we need to think.”
Just then.
“Whoa? What’s that?!”
“Is it flying?!”
Someone shouted in surprise.
Immediately, I witnessed something swiftly passing above the road.
I focused on the sight.
That’s…
A girl with fiercely fluttering red hair soared on a staff. She seemed intent on flying straight to the mountain summit.
…Min Arin, I suppose.
As far as I knew, among the candidates, only one female student had high enough mana, abundant magic, and red hair to pull off such a feat—Min Arin of the Mad Dog Min clan.
She’s in the same exam hall.
One of Kang Strong-bell’s party members, she was a character in the game known for her pride, strong self-esteem, and obsession with being superior. This led to frequent clashes with Kang Strong-bell early in the story.
Once her episodes are cleared, she joins the party and her personality changes, becoming a sharp-tongued yet shy character.
Of course, failing to clear her episodes led to a bad ending.
My thoughts shifted.
Now that I think of it, didn’t Min Arin top the admissions rankings in the game?
From my past life’s memory, that’s what happened.
Min Arin likely earned 1st grade by flying like that in the second practical exam and dominated the other exams too.
I tore my gaze from her receding figure and said to Yeon-ha,
“Heaven.”
“What?”
“Can’t you fly like her?”
“Hmm, not impossible. I’d fly differently, though.”
“How?”
“I didn’t see it all, but she used levitation magic to make herself and her staff lighter than air, maintained that state with a stabilization spell, and accelerated with a fire-element propulsion spell. Basically, like attaching a booster to a hot-air balloon?”
…You’re explaining that while running?
“And you figured it out from a glance?”
“I get a rough idea by observing the spell’s structure. Plus, I’m using levitation magic now. That’s why running isn’t tiring.”
“You were using it without telling me?”
“You said before not to rely too much on magic.”
“Still, you could’ve mentioned it.”
“I just did.”
“Alright, you’re impressive.”
“Are you annoyed?”
“Let’s finish our conversation.”
“What were we talking about?”
“How you’d fly.”
“Oh, right. I was thinking of using wind-element magic to fly.”
“Then let’s do that.”
“But there’s a problem.”
“What?”
“I can fly alone, but controlling it with you would be tricky. We might end up flying upside-down. Is that okay?”
“…Never mind.”
That’d be a mess.
I abandoned the idea of flying with her magic.
“So you can fly alone?”
“I can manage alone.”
“Then go ahead to the summit. No need to adjust for me.”
“No way. It’s only meaningful if we go together.”
“But we might not get 1st grade?”
“I’m fine with passing. Plus, if I get 1st grade alone, I’d stand out. I’d rather not draw attention.”
“So you’re holding back?”
“It’s not holding back… It’s strategically conserving energy. Think about it—if there’s an unexpected variable on that mountain, what then? Better to save mana for the unforeseen.”
“You’ve got a point.”
Truth be told, I didn’t want to climb alone for hours either.
I’d hoped for some company.
So I was grateful Yeon-ha stayed by my side.
“Hey, Jian-woo, look over there!”
At that moment, Yeon-ha pointed to the right.
I followed her finger.
Whoosh!
Beyond the guardrail, the sea stretched out.
Suddenly, the sea had frozen.
And across the frozen sea…
“…”
Someone was lightly bounding as if stepping on the ground.
A petite girl.
She’s also in this exam hall.
Grey hair, violet eyes.
By enhancing my vision with mana, I barely discerned her features and immediately identified her.
She was also a game character.
“Nam Yoo-ri of the Flexible Southern Nam clan.”
“Oh, so she’s from the Ten Great Clans. That’s why she can freeze the sea? The sea doesn’t freeze easily. To freeze it with magic would require a complex process, and doing it on that scale would consume a lot of mana…”
“Maybe she didn’t freeze it the way you’re thinking?”
“Then how?”
“She probably rearranged the water molecules. The Flexible Southern clan’s magic is advanced in that direction. Ah, alchemy? To me, it’s all the same.”
Nam Yoo-ri of the Flexible Southern clan.
She was quite a troublesome existence.
Depending on the story’s flow, she became an enemy or an ally.
For now, it’s best to avoid entanglements with Nam Yoo-ri.
Whether by story or personality, getting involved with her was exhausting.
Better to steer clear.
“Look, other people are following her across the sea!”
“They’ll fail.”
“Huh?”
“She shows no mercy to those who don’t pique her interest. And those who brazenly try to ‘ride her bus’—are they interesting enough?”
“…Do you know her?”
“I’ve only heard rumours. Look over there.”
“…”
The frozen sea Nam Yoo-ri had crossed began to collapse rapidly.
Candidates following her suddenly fell into the sea as the ice floor crumbled.
Nam Yoo-ri paid no mind to those who’d fallen and continued forward.
“Don’t try to use her. If you mess up, you’ll face worse retaliation than that. Got it?”
“Ugh, yeah…”
We might face her in the exam.
I warned Yeon-ha in case that happened.
Meanwhile, we couldn’t afford to leisurely observe others.
We needed to find our own way.
But…
Damn.
I frowned.
The road was already blocked, and now…
“This keeps pushing and shoving!”
“Hey! Come here!”
“Stop butting in, I told you!”
“How about a fight?!”
Ahead, a brawl broke out.
It quickly spread to surrounding candidates.
“What a mess, what a mess…”
Eventually, they even pulled out devices and started swinging knives.
A massive battle erupted among candidates on the secondary road.
I too grasped my Military Green Sword.
Min Arin of the Mad Dog Min clan.
Having flown into the sky, she took in the receding ground.
She could see candidates startled by her, the bustling road, and those sprinting away.
Do they think running like that will work?
Min Arin let out a faint sneer.
Even if they ran as fast as rabbits, from above, they’d look like turtles crawling.
Too slow, far too slow.
To the eyes of the Mad Dog clan’s young griffin, those who couldn’t fly and just ran on the ground seemed pitifully weak.
They weren’t her match.
Thus, she was superior.
Special.
Indeed, among her peers, no one surpassed her.
She felt a certain sense of superiority.
…Black exam tickets?
Then, two candidates caught Min Arin’s eye.
They wore black exam tickets.
Who are they?
Min Arin felt a light curiosity toward those who shared her ticket color.
She decided to lower her altitude to check their faces.
A man and a woman…
From afar, she couldn’t discern their features clearly, but the man with black hair seemed fairly handsome.
Maybe even pretty.
At least, that’s what she thought.
And the woman beside him…
Rabbit ears?
The woman was an ayn.
Her hair, an indistinct white or blue, fluttered, and rabbit ears twitched atop her head.
Black exam ticket, rabbit ears, ain woman—if I recall, there’s only one.
Min Arin quickly identified her from her features.
She was quite famous among magic specialists, though the fame belonged more to her mentor.
In any case, someone from the Mad Dog clan wouldn’t be unaware.
The Seven-Colored Witch’s Disciple.
Hong Ye-na, who’d mastered the seven elemental magics and was envied by many mages.
Min Arin had long heard that her disciple, the same age as her, had applied to Golden Academy.
Confirming the existence of the mage she admired, Min Arin’s competitive fire ignited.
But I’m still superior.
Now that she’d spotted her, she couldn’t afford to be leisurely.
Regardless of why the Seven-Colored Witch’s disciple was running on the road, Min Arin would reach the Foggy Mountain summit before anyone else.
Thus…
The top admission spot is mine.
She’d prove her excellence.
Min Arin decided to increase her altitude and boost her power.
Then it happened.
Whoosh!
The wind blew from behind.
Mana was detectable in the wind.
Min Arin hastily turned around.
There was a being flying swiftly, just like her.
Who is this?
Black hair, green eyes.
The woman, radiating mana yet showing no signs of spellcasting, likely wasn’t a mage.
A spirit master.
Then her identity was clear.
From the Circulating Chariot Cha clan.
Along with the Mad Dog clan, a spirit master noble house among the Ten Great Clans.
Realizing her identity, Min Arin decided to shake her off.
But the moment she tried to boost her power—
“What!?”
The Circulating Chariot’s direct descendant accelerated.
An astonishing speed.
In an instant, she’d closed the gap and overtaken Min Arin.
Unlike Min Arin, who needed to adjust her spells, the spirit master merely commanded her spirit, incurring no casting time.
The difference between magic and spirit arts.
Still.
To overtake me?
She wouldn’t tolerate falling behind, even to someone from the Circulating Chariot.
“Just you wait.”
Boosting her magic’s output, Min Arin chased after her.
Thoughts of the Seven-Colored Witch’s disciple faded into the recesses of her mind.
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