After an intense struggle for the lead against the direct heir of the Sunhwan family, Min A-rin finally broke through into the skies above Mount Mist.
‘This fog is too thick,’ she thought, her brow furrowing.
Dense fog seeped from the mountain slopes, blanketing everything in sight. Her vision was completely obstructed, making it nearly impossible to see.
‘Where did the Sunhwan family’s heir disappear to?’
In conditions like these, searching was futile. Min A-rin abandoned any attempt at finding the girl who had vanished into the mist and instead turned her focus entirely toward flying.
She needed to remain vigilant, as danger could come from any direction.
‘I can’t see a thing.’
The closer she flew to the mountain, the thicker the mist became, blurring the line between open and closed eyes. All around her was a pale haze. Mist above, mist below—everywhere, only mist. As she continued navigating blindly, her sense of direction gradually became muddled.
‘…’
How high had she climbed?
Was she even still heading upward?
Could she really be certain about that?
Perhaps she was actually descending?
Unable to distinguish anything clearly, certainty itself was slipping from her grasp.
‘Can’t I clear some of this fog?’
She knew she couldn’t remove all the mist covering Mount Mist, but at least she could try to clear enough for visibility. Min A-rin swiftly activated her magic with a flick of her hand, attempting exactly that.
“Damn…!”
It only lasted for a fleeting moment. The fog dispersed briefly, but immediately rushed back in from every direction, swallowing up any cleared space.
Frustration surged within her as she bit her lip, annoyed that her efforts had failed. However, she knew she needed to control her emotions. Feelings could amplify magical power, yet they were equally difficult to manage. Exceptional mages were expected to remain rational, controlling both their emotions and their magic at all times.
Taking a deep breath, Min A-rin recalled her family’s teachings. She stopped flying, suspending herself mid-air, and entered a brief meditation. Moving blindly was pointless when she didn’t even know her own direction.
‘If clearing the fog is impossible… I’ll have to use a detection network.’
She released a pulse of mana around her, analyzing the surrounding space. Only then did she realize the truth.
“…A barrier. No wonder I couldn’t disperse the fog with magic.”
The mist wasn’t merely natural—it was magically enhanced to disorient and mislead anyone entering it. A form of barrier magic, subtly intertwined with natural fog, was the reason she’d missed it earlier.
‘I can’t dispel something that covers the entire mountain alone. The only option left is finding the predetermined path out of the barrier.’
Barrier magic typically fell into two categories. The first completely trapped its victim with no entrance or exit, while the second twisted paths, leaving only hidden routes accessible. Clearly, this was the latter.
‘It seems impossible to reach the summit by flying.’
Her detection could identify paths on the ground but revealed nothing above. Meaning there was no skyward path available. Any further airborne exploration would just waste her time.
Reluctantly, Min A-rin canceled her flight spell and descended carefully onto solid ground.
“I don’t enjoy physical exertion, but there’s no other choice,” she sighed, stretching lightly.
She guessed she had landed roughly halfway up the mountain. Immediately, she expanded her detection magic along the ground, searching for the hidden path that led upward.
The mountain was thick with mist.
Entering Mount Mist was easy enough, but the higher we climbed, the denser the fog became, blocking visibility completely.
“Gyeon-woo! Are you still there?”
“Yeah, I’m right here!”
The fog was so heavy that even Yeon Ha-neul, who should’ve been right next to me, was invisible. Forced to stay in constant contact, we anxiously called out to each other.
Then, suddenly—
Kieeeek!
[You’ve encountered monsters!]
[Goblins (Rank 01) x3]
We had to face monsters emerging abruptly from the mist.
“Ha-neul, be careful! Goblins ahead!”
“I just noticed them myself!”
Normally, we’d have sensed their presence from far away, but in these conditions, neither side could detect the other until nearly face-to-face.
The goblins themselves were just as startled.
Kiek?
[You’ve encountered a monster!]
[Kobold (Rank 01) x1]
“Ha-neul, one more over here! I’ll handle this one!”
“I’m counting on you!”
The monsters, similarly hindered by the fog, barely recognized our presence until it was too late. Encounters happened unpredictably, forcing rapid, decisive actions. Whoever reacted first held the advantage.
Swish.
I stepped back quickly, swiftly slicing through the neck of the kobold that emerged beside me. Pivoting sharply, I turned around and finished off a goblin attempting an ambush from behind.
Kieeek…!
Ha-neul efficiently dispatched the other two, sparing me extra effort.
Yet, monsters weren’t the only danger lurking in the mist—traps were another hidden peril.
Click! Whoosh!
I heard a faint mechanical sound and the rushing of wind.
Immediately turning toward the source, I shouted urgently, “It’s a trap! Dodge it!”
The mist violently swirled, and suddenly, a massive log hurtled toward us. I desperately rolled aside just in time, narrowly avoiding the trap. The log crashed into a tree nearby and came to a halt. Had I reacted even slightly slower, I could’ve died.
I clicked my tongue in disbelief.
“Fog, monsters, traps… Climbing just one mountain is tougher than I thought. Ha-neul, are you hurt?”
“I’m fine. But… don’t you think the fog is getting even thicker?”
“Definitely. At least before, I could roughly find you by your ears. Now even that’s impossible. Don’t wander away.”
“…You’ve been using my ears to find me?”
“They stand out clearly, so yes.”
“Hm… Well, it’s better to be visible than invisible, I suppose.”
“Anyway, what about the barrier? Any luck?”
“Dispelling it seems impossible. After examining its structure, I realized it’s powered by magical objects scattered across the mountain.”
“So, we’d have to destroy each of those objects? That sounds like it would take too long, especially under these circumstances.”
“Exactly. I doubt the examiners expect that approach, either.”
“Then we have no choice but to continue like this… How about clearing the mist? Any success?”
“I’ve been trying repeatedly, but it’s not working well. Sorry.”
“No worries. Nothing to apologize for.”
Although I hadn’t expected climbing Mount Mist to be easy, reality was certainly harsher than I’d anticipated. I resigned myself to continuing as we were, without hoping for shortcuts.
At least I already knew the path. I raised my head, carefully observing.
‘We just have to follow that flow.’
Despite the dense mist obscuring everything else, I could faintly perceive the mana currents running across the barrier’s formation. Streams of mana glowed faintly blue through the thick fog, flowing steadily in one unified direction.
If Ha-neul and I were correct, that mana flowed toward the barrier’s exit—meaning it led to the mountain’s summit.
The way upward.
Amidst deteriorating senses and indistinct paths, our only reliable guide was the multitude of mana streams dancing overhead. With this compass, I was confident we wouldn’t get lost.
“How much time is left?”
“About one hour and twenty-seven minutes.”
“Then we need to pick up our pace.”
“In this situation? Isn’t that dangerous?”
“It’ll be fine. Trust my instincts. Ha-neul, just stay close and don’t stray.”
“Well, your instincts haven’t failed us yet. I’ll trust you.”
With determination renewed, we pressed onward into the mist.
If the process of entering the trail up Mount Mist was meant to test the examinees’ ingenuity and physical strength, then the climb from the mountain trail to the summit served to assess entirely different qualities.
[Haven’t we been walking in circles for ages?]
[Are you sure this is even the right path?]
[Are we really heading upward right now?]
First: the ability to maintain a clear sense of direction and find one’s path through the confusion of a magical barrier.
[I can’t see anything in front of me…]
[Guys, where are you?]
[How am I supposed to maintain the detection field all the time?!]
Second: the capacity to spread a detection field to perceive one’s surroundings and maintain this state consistently, gauging spatial structures and sensing hidden presences.
[Guh!]
[Trap! Watch out!]
[Kieeeek!]
Third: quick reflexes and instantaneous response to unexpected attacks. Among other things, the examiners could evaluate numerous factors from the examinees ascending the path. Indeed, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that passing the second practical exam depended primarily on this section.
Naturally, the examiners’ attention now shifted toward those students who had already reached the mountain trail.
“About forty percent of examinees have entered the climbing route of Mount Mist.”
“Move the surveillance artifacts in that direction to observe them carefully. Are the cameras placed throughout Mount Mist functioning properly?”
“Yes, sir! Every single camera is operational.”
Though the mountain itself was heavily shrouded in mist, the examiners’ screens showed significantly less fog. This was because most of the mist was magically conjured illusions, deliberately filtered out by specialized recording artifacts placed around the site.
“Hmm, they’re really struggling.”
Thanks to this system, the examiners could clearly observe the examinees even amidst the thick mist.
At that moment, Min A-rin from the Mado family appeared on the large central screen.
[Huff, huff… Why is this mountain so high? This is ridiculous…]
“This examinee… has terrible stamina.”
“I’d say so.”
Min A-rin was gasping heavily, staggering as she climbed. Compared to her earlier graceful flight toward Mount Mist, her current condition was visibly poor.
“Well, she’s used quite a bit of mana already. It makes sense she’d be exhausted.”
“And look at the altitude. At this height, she’s probably suffering from altitude sickness.”
High altitude meant less oxygen, causing various physical symptoms. The barrier magic covering Mount Mist amplified this, tricking examinees’ minds into perceiving a much higher elevation, greatly increasing these effects. Min A-rin was currently caught in this very spell.
And thus—
[Click!]
[…Huh?]
Her diminished mental clarity left her particularly vulnerable to illusions—another criterion being assessed by the examiners. This was meant to measure the examinees’ ability to discern illusion magic.
[Whoooosh!]
The logs hurtling toward her from the side were, in fact, mere illusions. An average examinee would recoil instinctively in fear.
[I’m already exhausted, and now this nonsense?]
But Min A-rin was no average examinee. She calmly continued her weary steps without flinching. The illusory logs harmlessly passed through her.
“She’s definitely from the Mado family.”
“It looks like she’s unaware of the altitude spell affecting her subconscious, yet she immediately recognized the illusions.”
“Considering her condition, she’s clearly unaware that she’s experiencing magically-induced altitude sickness.”
The examiners praised Min A-rin highly for her swift discernment of illusion magic. Then, one of them shifted the topic:
“So, is the student from the Mado family currently in first place?”
“No. According to her exam marker, Min A-rin is in second place.”
“Then first place must belong to the examinee from the Sunhwan family.”
“Oh, she’s appearing on screen now.”
The central screen shifted. Instead of Min A-rin, who had been wiping sweat from her brow, it showed Cha Eun-sol from the Sunhwan family. The examinee with distinctive green eyes was…
[Munch munch.]
“…Is that examinee eating right now?”
“She sure seems to be enjoying herself…”
Cha Eun-sol was casually nibbling on sausages. The examiners watched dumbfounded as she leisurely ascended, munching away without concern.
“One would expect her to struggle in the mist. Even Min A-rin hesitated briefly, but Cha Eun-sol shows no signs of confusion.”
“And she easily distinguishes the illusions.”
“No signs of altitude sickness either. Her stamina is incredible, considering her elevation.”
“Maybe it’s because she’s a Spirit Summoner?”
“Perhaps spirits residing on Mount Mist are guiding her path.”
“That would make sense. With spirit assistance, barrier magic would be significantly less effective. No wonder she’s currently first.”
[Munch munch.]
“What exactly is she eating?”
“Looks like sausages.”
“Definitely sausages.”
“But wait, where did she get sausages from? Did she bring them from outside?”
“Well, we didn’t forbid bringing food. If we allow devices, potions, and other tools, sausages aren’t exactly a major concern.”
[Munch munch.]
“Still… she’s eating quite a lot.”
“A real big eater, isn’t she?”
Examiners knew those who carried the name of Sunhwan family typically had lively expressions. But Cha Eun-sol’s blank-faced munching made them reconsider. What a strange girl, they all thought.
“Then who’s currently third?”
“The examinee from the Yeonseong family.”
“And fourth?”
“Ah, tied for fourth are the examinee from the Singum family and Instructor Hong Ye-na’s disciple.”
“A tie for fourth, huh?”
“They’ve just entered the illusion area.”
“And they’re appearing on screen now.”
Cha Eun-sol’s leisurely dining scene faded, replaced by Do Gyeon-woo and Yeon Ha-neul swiftly climbing the increasingly steep slopes.
No—they weren’t just climbing; they were running uphill without showing any sign of breathlessness.
“Did those two drink some kind of potion?”
“Even potions wouldn’t completely negate this difficulty.”
“Maybe they’ve neutralized the subconscious magic?”
“Neutralized it? Even the Mado family’s examinee didn’t seem aware of the spell.”
“Instructor Hong Ye-na’s disciple is there, after all.”
“Impossible….”
Examiners sighed incredulously at the bunny-eared examinee energetically moving ahead. Could she really possess that level of magical proficiency?
At that exact moment:
[Click! Whoooosh!]
A trap activated. Logs, a mixture of illusions and physical objects, charged toward Do Gyeon-woo and Yeon Ha-neul.
[Gyeon-woo!]
[Just trust me and follow!]
“Can he tell illusions apart?”
“Too many traps have activated at once. Some logs are real.”
“This could be dangerous.”
The examiners watched intensely, their eyes widening in surprise.
Do Gyeon-woo was effortlessly avoiding only the real logs, completely ignoring the illusions, and emerging from the trap area without hesitation.
“How did he immediately distinguish illusions without even looking?”
This was different from Min A-rin and Cha Eun-sol. They at least saw the illusions clearly. Do Gyeon-woo didn’t even glance toward the illusions, acting as if he knew precisely what they were from the start.
Their questions were quickly answered by Do Gyeon-woo’s casual voice from the screen:
[See? I told you my instincts were excellent.]
[Yes, yes, good job.]
[…Why does it feel like you’re treating me like a child?]
[I’ll just trust little Gyeon-woo from now on—.]
The examiners stared in silence.
People who carried the Singum family’s name usually spoke cautiously and sparingly, as solemn as wielding their swords.
Yet clearly, Do Gyeon-woo was an exception.
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