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Of course, descending is easier than climbing, but were these stairs really harsher than what that mountain had put me through?

I paused.

There was a fine line between confidence and arrogance.

Just like on Spirit Mountain, I didn’t know what challenges these stairs might present.

No matter how hard and grueling the training on Spirit Mountain had been, I should not approach this trial with a light heart.

However...

I want to try.

Without the help of internal energy, without the use of blessings, I wanted to challenge this so-called “infinity” with my physical body alone.

After a moment\'s pause, I decided to do just that.

Tap tap tap!

I thought it over as I sprinted up the stairs. No matter how powerful Alderson was as one of the Archmages of Seven Colors, he couldn’t possibly have made an infinite number of actual stairs.

So why had he named it “Infinity”?

Was it simply to intimidate the climber? Or was it actually endless somehow?

Probably both, I concluded with a chuckle. Alderson was a mage, after all.

Just from the earlier riddle, I knew the old man’s personality wasn’t the best.

The shape of the stairs was wicked too. The spiral design made it impossible to gauge how far I’d climbed or how much farther I had to go.

With no idea where the start or end was, forced to keep facing forward and climbing, it was no wonder this staircase was called the “Stairs of Infinity.”

In that sense, it’s similar to Spirit Mountain.

Back then, I’d felt a similar sense of disorientation. I’d been unable to see above or below because of the fog surrounding me.

Even then, I’d had FAD with me, lent to me by Fourth Senior Brother so he could keep track of my progress.

In terms of sheer maliciousness, these stairs might be the worse of the two.

I like it.

Right now, the unknown aspect of this challenge was what fascinated me.

I had spent 100 days on Spirit Mountain.

In that time, I had completely eliminated the gap between my mind and body, and my stamina had increased several times. All thanks to the strongest fire technique.

And yet, since my regression, I hadn’t truly pushed myself to the limit. The fight with Juan had been too one-sided... As for Tangtata, he still wasn’t someone I could handle. And there wasn’t anyone among the young heroes that I could really call a worthy opponent.

That was why these stairs were the perfect test.

“...This is good,” I muttered to myself.

I ran for about an hour and a half before my body started to heat up. But my breathing was still stable.

Should I pick up the pace a bit? Or should I hold off a little longer and observe the situation?

I still didn’t know the full length of these stairs, so I couldn’t act hastily.

However, I realized something: Taking my time and conserving my energy with a leisurely pace just wasn’t my thing.

Then let me just put on a bit more speed—

As soon as I made up my mind and bunched up my muscles to start sprinting, I abruptly came to a stop. But not voluntarily.

The stairs had ended. Now, situated in front of me, was a wall.

“What the...”

I had almost slammed face-first into it.

At this moment, a cold, mechanical voice reached my ears.

[Congratulations. You have passed the Rainbow Floor.]

That’s it?

As if in response, a flash of light filled the area and the scenery changed.

The cold, dark colors of the staircase and the stone walls disappeared and were replaced by an old-fashioned library with an air of antiquity.

But that wasn’t what was important to me.

...That really was the end.

I was left sad and disappointed. If I had known, I would have sprinted full speed from the start.

Feeling a bit regretful, I clicked my tongue and started to look around.

A library, huh... No wonder the tattoo at the nape of my neck is tingling faintly.

Of course, this place feels nothing like the gloomy Underground Library. First of all, it’s well lit.

I could see no windows, but there was a warm light radiating from the chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

[Welcome to the Floor of Knowledge!]

[※ Rule Number Two ※]

[More than three incorrect answers will result in a penalty.]

There were questions here too...

Did all mages think the same?

Well, although there were penalties here too, it was unlikely I would have my tongue cut off or my eyeballs gouged out if I messed up.

Though they could still pull some mean pranks on me.

How funny.

It was surely a coincidence, but once again, I felt a sense of deja vu. This was like a less intense version of an ordeal I’d already undergone. It kind of felt like I’d gotten a practice round beforehand without meaning to.

Been there, done that. But it kind of feels like cheating, in a way.

Did I feel guilty, though? Not in the slightest.

What’s the problem I’m supposed to solve, anyway?

I was standing in the middle of the library when a book flew out of nowhere and hovered in front of me.

Flip flip flip.

The book flipped to a certain page on its own, and then I heard a voice.

[This is the first question.]

“Ah.”

So this is how it works.

The pages stopped flipping, and I leaned in closer to read the question.

***

Alderson’s eyes were nearly popping out of their sockets as he stared at the screen. His voice trembling, he said, “Th-that young hero, what is his name?”

“He should be...” Morland flipped through the profiles submitted earlier by the two houses and responded, “Blonde hair, purple eyes... he should be Luan Bednicker.”

“Luan Bednicker? The youngest child of the Lord of Blood and Iron?”

“Y-yes, that is correct.”

“But that can’t be. I heard he was a talentless failure who didn’t receive any blessings...”

Morland couldn’t say anything in response to that. He had heard similar rumors himself, after all.

Bednicker’s youngest child.

A child whom even the Lord of Blood and Iron, who valued blood ties above all, had deemed hopeless and cast out.

One rumor he clearly remembered was that Luan Bednicker was a lunatic who had sold off his family’s prized sword.

And the merchants, after realizing they’d bought the Bednicker family’s sword for dirt cheap, ran straight to the Bednicker estate.

Some claimed that it was a trap set by the lord himself for the merchants, but no one knew for sure.

Alderson glanced at the screen with a complicated expression. “Hmm... It seems that without any blessings, he must have focused on physical training to make up for it. Now that I look again, that’s one impressive physique.”

Slightly calmed down, Alderson sipped his tea to moisten his dry mouth before leaning back in his chair again.

“An impressive physique, yes... but if he solely relies on his body, he’ll be in for quite the challenge. The Tower of Trials demands a well-rounded participant more than anything else.” Alderson nodded, his expression slowly twisting back into a wicked grin. “It’ll be quite the sight when his grin, inflated by arrogance from easily conquering the stairs, twists into pure despair... Kehehehe!”

“Um... Headmaster?”

“What now?”

“Luan Bednicker just cleared the second floor...”

***

[Congratulations. You have passed the Floor of Knowledge.]

It was that robotic voice again.

It couldn’t have been more than thirty minutes. I’d cleared the second floor much faster than the first, but to be honest, it felt like I was cheating this time too.

Maybe people should call you the Trivia God instead of the Martial God, I said with a slightly jaded tone.

The Martial God responded with a short laugh.

[It’s simply good luck. What today’s people record as history is, to me, memories and relationships.]

It doesn’t seem like you only know about the past. Your knowledge is quite extensive overall.

[Really? I’m not quite sure.]

I had the help of the Martial God this time as well.

Seriously, even a history professor at this academy would barely hold a candle to him when it came to discussing history. That was how vast and deep his knowledge was.

Take one of the problems we’d been given, for example.

[In general, the level of one’s arcane arts is determined by the colors one can manipulate. What is the recommended order for mastering colors in modern arcane arts?]

I definitely knew the language, but I had no idea what it meant.

Unlike the questions Lise had thrown at me, the questions on the Floor of Knowledge were all free-response... and most of them were outside my area of interest.

This was the moment I learned that the level of one’s arcane arts was decided by the colors they could manipulate.

Obviously, I had no idea what the answer was and just stood there frozen, but the Martial God spoke with his usual calm voice.

[Choose between red or purple, whichever suits your disposition. From there, it’s a matter of going either in order or in reverse order. Once you’ve mastered all seven colors, you can choose one and focus on it or you can move on to the mixed-color phase.]

Apparently, the Martial God wasn’t well-versed just in martial arts but also in history, mythology, heroic figures, and even arcane arts.

Thanks to him, I was able to clear the Floor of Knowledge without much trouble...

[Welcome to the Floor of Training!]

[※ Rule Number Three※]

[The use of blessings is forbidden on this floor.]

[Violators will face penalties.]

* * * * *

* * * * *

My surroundings changed as I heard that voice again. This time, I was greeted by a gray room with three doors lining the wall—similar to the first floor.

As expected, there was a sign in the middle. It was the longest sign among the three I’d seen, so I began to read it slowly.

[Congratulations on reaching the third floor, you who possesses boundless stamina and vast knowledge!]

[On the fourth floor, a great reward awaits you, prepared by the great archmage—Alderson of the Violet!]

[Of course, not just anyone can set foot in such a precious place, right? To enter the fourth floor, you must pass three tests!]

[Test your “strength,” “speed,” and “agility”! If you can achieve a total score of 150 points, you may proceed to the next floor!]

Strength, speed, and agility.

I looked at the doors colored red, blue, and green.

[Room of Strength.]

[Room of Speed.]

[Room of Agility.]

“Hmm...”

So they’re measuring my physical abilities this time, huh? Interesting.

My immediate thought was to start with the Room of Strength, but I promptly changed my mind and moved toward the Room of Agility instead.

Agility, specifically reaction speed, was the most heavily influenced by exhaustion.

Strength and speed, on the other hand, were less impeded.

Click.

I opened the door to the Room of Agility and was left in a daze by the wide, open space.

Before me was a spacious room—the largest I’d seen since entering the tower. In the middle of the empty room stood a single signpost.

[Welcome to the Room of Agility!]

[This room’s test consists of four stages.]

[You must dodge the projectiles by any means necessary.]

“Projectiles?” I questioned, but the voice continued without care.

[Beginning Stage One.]

Whirr!

A hole appeared in the wall in front of me, big enough to fit my head through.

I was standing there, staring at the hole, when I suddenly heard—

Thwip thwip thwip!

With quiet sounds, balls began shooting out of the hole.

“...!”

They were coming at me fast.

I immediately twisted my upper body to dodge the flying balls.

Thud! Bang!

The balls collided with the wall behind me. From the sound alone, I knew that getting hit would leave me with more than just a small bruise.

[Beginning Stage Two.]

This time, two holes appeared, one on each adjacent wall, and they unleashed volleys of arrows.

As expected of stage two, the projectiles were much faster and more dangerous, but...

Maybe it was because I was more focused? I had an easier time dodging the arrows than I had the balls.

If stage two is two holes, then stage three will be...

[From stage three onward, there will be a risk of injury—and possibly death.]

[Do you wish to proceed?]

Were they serious? Stage one or two alone could have sent me to the afterlife; how much more dangerous were the last two stages?

Not that I was going to back down now. To technically no one, I said, “Start.”

[Beginning Stage Three.]

Clack!

There was a loud noise and holes appeared all around—front, back, left, and right.

What would come after balls and arrows?

My body tensed, ready to react immediately, when a projectile I hadn’t expected came flying at me.

Fwoosh!

It was discs.

Discs as large as manhole covers.

To make matters worse, they were edged with deadly blades... Getting hit by one of these wouldn’t end with an injury; I’d be sliced in half.

The discs flew far faster than the previous obstacles, and they weren’t coming at me randomly either.

They seemed to be aimed to cut off my escape routes.

Avoiding them all would be difficult. I could try to block them, but something kept me from doing so.

—You must dodge the projectiles by any means necessary.

The voice had instructed me to dodge the projectiles. That meant blocking might not be allowed.

I had no more time to think. I drew my sword from my waist with a quick motion and lightly tapped the nearest disc with the tip of my blade.

Keek!

The disc’s trajectory changed. It turned slightly to the left and collided with the nearest disc, causing a chain reaction.

Clank!

Clang!

Clang!

The discs crashed into each other and ricocheted away, embedding themselves into the walls.

Am I safe?

I mean, I hadn’t actually deflected them directly. My heart beating loudly in anticipation, I waited for the voice...

[Beginning Stage Four.]

“Phew.”

I’d passed—no, now wasn’t the time to relax.

What could stage four possibly be?

A loud noise came from above.

Baaang...!

With the sound of dirt and dust falling, I looked up only to gape at what I saw.

The ceiling was flipping.

The flipped ceiling was densely littered with hundreds, maybe even thousands of holes. It literally looked like a beehive, but massive.

There, inside the many holes, I saw something gleaming like cold metal.

Just as I was trying to make out what they were...

“...!”

Weapons of all kind came pouring out from the hole. There was a downpour of steel—swords, daggers, spears, axes, and more I didn’t even know the name of.

Clank, clank, clank, clank!

“...!”

How the fuck was I supposed to dodge this?

To avoid injury, I needed to immediately swing my sword, but somehow, I knew I would fail if I did.

Of course, there was no way to completely evade the raining weapons. It wasn’t a matter of physical ability, it was a matter of spatial density.

That meant I’d have to resort to a trick like in stage three, but I couldn’t force the projectiles to change their path this time.

So how would I—

At this moment, my gaze landed on the disc embedded in the wall.

Upon closer inspection, it looked less like a disc and more like a shield. And the projectiles coming from above just happened to be weapons.

My body moved faster than my mind could process.

I immediately ran to the shield and slid under it. I got into position and pushed the shield up with my hand to support it.

Thud!

Clank!

Bang!

It felt like a storm of weapons. The sound of them hammering down on my shield rang painfully in my ears.

My wrist was aching from all the jolting impacts by the time my surroundings finally fell silent.

[Congratulations! You have passed all the trials prepared in the Room of Agility!]

[...Calculating your score...]

[Please wait a moment.]

With a sigh, I crawled out from underneath the battered shield.

The weaponry scattered about soon turned into particles of light and disappeared.

Ah, I get it now.

Neither the bladed disc nor the torrential rain of weapons from the ceiling had been as dangerous as real weapons.

They were likely conjured items. Even if I had been hit, I probably wouldn’t have died—though it might have hurt like hell.

Somewhere, there was probably some unknown person enjoying watching people scream their heads off as if they had been struck by actual weapons.

Seriously, that twisted sense of humor of his...

Just as I let out a sigh, a small screen appeared in front of me, and before I could react, I saw words floating on the translucent display.

[Room of Agility All-Time Rankings.]

If it was the all-time rankings... it had to also have the records of all of those who had cleared the trials.

I scrolled through with my finger and a long list of names passed by.

Of course, all I was curious about was the top rankings.

I scrolled all the way to the top and spotted a familiar name.

[1st Place: Dellark Bednicker - 94 Points.]

[2nd Place: Leone - 87 Points.]

[3rd Place: Hyde Woodjack - 85 Points.]

[4th Place: Kayla Goldan - 84 Points.]

[5th Place: Glenn Scarlet - 81 Points.]

“...”

Come to think of it, the Lord of Blood and Iron was also a graduate of Kartel Academy, and he’d graduated after completing all the courses in just one year.

It felt a bit surreal. I’d never imagined I would get a chance to compare myself directly to someone like him in a place like this.

[Your score has been calculated.]

All right, it was time to see where I was at.

____