'The green crystal first, to stabilize the glyphs. Blue to synchronize the rings. Red last to finalize the alignment. Simple.'
Without hesitation, Kyle placed the green crystal on its pedestal. The obelisk responded immediately and its runes glowed brighter and rearranged into coherent shapes.
Next, he slotted the blue crystal. The golden rings above the obelisk slowed and their erratic rotations became fluid and rhythmic.
Finally, he approached the red crystal. As he placed it on its pedestal, the obelisk vibrated and its runes aligned perfectly with the gentle spin of the rings.
A sharp chime echoed through the chamber, and the entire structure lit up in radiant gold.
[Trial Complete. Floor 5 Cleared]
'That wasn't too difficult. Even someone without any knowledge on runes would figure it out with trial and error,' Kyle thought before rewards sounded in his head:
[Rewards Acquired: Mana Focus Sphere, 1,500 Gold Coins]
Kyle was surprised at the new reward that he was notified on. 'Mana focus sphere?'n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
[Mana Focus Sphere: Increases mana regeneration by 25%. Valid for 30 minutes only]
Kyle sighed after seeing that the new item won't be useful for him since he didn't recover his mana unlike other mages, but he stored it and the gold coins in his inventory regardless, save for the Ascension Orb.
Like usual, he channeled his mana through the orb and the chamber began to dissolve once more.
[Ascension Initiated. Prepare for the sixth trial]
Kyle soon found himself standing on a vast, open plain under the sky.
The deep, resonant voice returned, cutting through the quiet.
[Sixth Trial: Complete the 5-kilometer course im in 10 minutes]
[10:00].
Kyle glanced far ahead, and since there weren't any obstructions, he could see a long tower up ahead.
It seemed almost absurdly far, yet the instructions were clear. This was a test of raw speed, and he couldn't help but feel some amusement at the simplicity of it, as he ran 10 kilometers almost every day.
'A speed trial? They're really just handing this one to me,' Kyle thought, already visualizing the path ahead.
The course wasn't entirely straightforward; the glowing pillars indicated subtle curves in the route, and small obstructions rose that would require careful maneuvering at high speeds.
For any other Beginner Mage, the challenge would lie in balancing agility and endurance to finish within the time limit.
For Kyle, however, it might as well have been over before it began.
He inhaled deeply, rolling his shoulders to loosen up, and then surged forward without activating any spell.
>SWOOSH!CRAAACK âBOOOOM!SWOOSH!<
The arrow managed to leave the bow, maybe because of the strength Kyle had released it with... But it missed entirely, flying the opposite direction of the target instead.
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