6th Floor Ascension Tower Exam
Registration day for the 6th Floor Ascension Tower exam. The registration hall was filling up with those who had just reached 6th Circle or had failed the previous exam and were retaking it.
"Jang Yanghu! You here too?"
"Yeah. I barely missed it last time."
"Barely? You got knocked out early. I saw the whole thing."
"Whoa, you got dropped quick too, and you're saying you saw that?"
The two bantered back and forth like old friends. Both had failed the last 6th Floor Ascension Tower exam and were here for a rematch.
"Gotta pass this time. My girlfriend keeps nagging for that limited-edition ring from Phoenix Hall on the 6th floor. My ears are gonna fall off."
"Tsk tsk. That's why you gotta stay single like me."
"We're not kids anymore—wipe those tears and say that."
"Huh? Why are tears coming out?"
They goofed around with silly jokes before both glancing toward the same spot.
"See those two fat kids over there? Rich brats from the Jin family."
"Where...? Oh! The rich kids?"
Where they were peeking sat two massively overweight guys, each easily over 100kg, side by side.
"Heard they just hit 6th Circle too."
"Money's the best. Those Jin kids literally bought their way up with cash."
"Just look—they both advanced around the same time. High mage status is buyable now."
The targets of their whispers were the twin brothers from the Jin family. The Magic Tower had major factions, but beyond them were powerful clans wielding immense influence. The Jin family was a famously wealthy merchant dynasty known far and wide.
"Rumor has it they ate enough elixirs to buy a whole city."
Those rumors swirled because the Jin twins had poured fortunes into boosting their magic circuits.
'The Jin brothers...'
Kim Jehyun sat at the very back of the registration hall, hood pulled low over his robe. He'd been plotting his path to Mana Core Stage 7 while waiting when he overheard familiar names and reacted.
—Acquaintances of yours?
'Eh... acquaintances might be generous.'
Before regression.
Jehyun had never crossed paths with the Jin brothers. They lived in different worlds. But they'd bumped into each other once by chance.
—What's this? Some bug.
—Whoa, looks pretty old but still stuck at 2nd Circle.
They'd mocked him as they passed. Eyes like he was street trash. That gaze still burned in his memory—it had shattered his pride.
Though brief, they'd reeked of elitist superiority.
—Hoh, such an encounter?
'Yeah. Fate, I guess. Didn't expect to run into them here.'
Jehyun chuckled inwardly.
Then—
"Huh? K-Kim Jehyun?"
Someone spotted him and yelled. They'd passed by and noticed his trademark black robe with the phoenix emblem.
"Kim Jehyun? What's he doing here?"
"Where...? Whoa, it really is Kim Jehyun!"
Everyone in the hall gawked in shock.
"No way—he already hit 6th Circle?"
"Insane... impossible!"
It was understandable. Jehyun had just reached 5th Circle. His presence here defied logic.
"Mage Kim Jehyun, right?"
"...Yes. Hello."
Jehyun hadn't expected recognition. But people seemed more interested in him than he'd thought.
"You ascended to 6th Circle, so you're here...?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Whoa... incredible."
Most 6th Circle mages were in their forties or older. The prodigies barely scraped mid-thirties. They expressed awe with mature restraint.
But their shock ran deep. His blistering growth to 6th Circle stunned them. Some stared in outright disbelief.
The Jin brothers eyed him too—with a different glint. They scowled as attention shifted from them to him.
* * *
Exam day. All eyes turned to the 6th Floor Ascension Tower exam.
Rumors of Jehyun's 6th Circle ascension had spread like wildfire.
"These vermin...!"
Jin Sihwan, the younger Jin twin, trembled with rage, his double chin quivering as he gripped his smartphone.
"What's up? You'll smash your phone again."
"Bro! Look at this. Bugs saying we bought our circles again."
Jin Gihwan, the elder, took the phone from his brother and scrolled through. It trashed them as rootless cash mages while hyping Jehyun as an unprecedented genius.
"..."
A cold smirk curled on Jin Gihwan's lips after reading.
"Idiots think anyone can ascend with money."
They had devoured rare elixirs like candy, true—but 6th Circle demanded innate talent too. That's how they'd reached it.
"Jin Sihwan."
"Yeah."
"Let's show 'em in this exam. If our power's just 'money-built.' And whose talent truly shines."
Jin Gihwan glanced between the newly announced exam theme and Jehyun, lips twisting upward.
* * *
"This exam's theme: mana control test."
The proctor announced it. Everyone nodded—they'd expected as much.
'Knew it'd be this.'
It was one the Matapju had taken. Shape pure mana clumps into specific forms. Tested fine mana control.
For example, mold mana into a pig.
'Not easy like drawing a horse.'
Why many 6th Circle mages failed on first try. No pre-set spells—just raw mana sensitivity and control to sculpt.
'Still, Matapju took it.'
Two themes rotated for 6th Floor. Jehyun drew the Matapju's again.
—This one's better, no?
'Right. Easier to break records.'
Current records were all Matapju's. Matching his exam gave edge—unknown scoring on the other.
'No need to gamble.'
Wrong theme might cost rewards. Treasure chests had yielded gems like Dragon God Temple tickets—no guarantee next wouldn't.
'Anyway, this plays to my strengths.'
Jehyun's eyes gleamed. Dragon Horn had exponentially boosted his mana sensitivity and capacity. He could hold his own against 7th Circle—not guaranteed win, but no easy loss. Despite the gulf, his stats bridged it absurdly.
Such a mana control test? He'd outdo 7th Circle mages.
"We'll begin shortly."
The proctor addressed the hundred-odd examinees seated in ten rows.
6th Floor was one-shot. Progressive missions; fail deadline, out. Relative scoring—only 20 of ~100 passed.
"First mission: Form a mana sphere this size, hold 3 minutes. 10-minute limit."
She floated a soccer-ball-sized mana orb. Examinees conjured theirs.
Warm-up. Fail this? Question your 6th Circle.
Minutes later, all 97 succeeded. Zero dropouts.
"All pass. Limbered up? On to stage 2."
The proctor smiled brightly. She looked peer-age but was 7th Circle elite.
Another orb formed, wobbling before shaping into a star.
"Oh..."
Some gasped at her fluid control. 6th Circlers knew the skill required.
"Transform yours to this. Hold 3 minutes. 10-minute limit."
Examinees focused grimly. Real test started.
"Ah!"
"Ugh."
Regrets echoed. External mana clumps were tough to puppeteer.
6th Circle qualified entry, but advanced shaping demanded years.
"Time. Nos. 14, 22, 28, 37... 89 fail. Exit per staff."
11 out. 86 left. More drops ahead—many barely scraped stage 2.
'Jin brothers surprisingly solid?'
Jehyun, breezing through like breathing, eyed them. Thought they'd brute-forced with elixirs, but they handled well.
—Without you, they'd be top here.
Alkasha spoke. Their control exceeded expectations. One might've won sans Jehyun.
Then, sensing his gaze, one twin met eyes—and sneered.
'...?'
Jehyun tilted his head at the sudden provocation.
'What?'
First post-regression encounter. No connection—why the hostility?
Jehyun smirked and looked away. Their drama irrelevant.
Jin Sihwan's face crumpled at the ignore. Unaccustomed to slights, he seethed.
'You bastard... Let's see that face after I win.'
His glare burned as stage 3 began.
"Next: stage 3."
Animal shaping. Jump from geometric stage 2.
"Pig."
Proctor sculpted a lifelike pig orb. Examinees marveled at detail.
'Pig.'
Jehyun, amused it resembled the twins, instantly shaped one.
The proctor's eyes widened.
'One-shot?'
She always formed sphere first, then shaped. Jehyun bypassed—mana erupted straight into pig form.
'Impossible... Rumors of his talent, but this...'
Goosebumps rose. Examinees missed it, focused; she and broadcast viewers didn't.
Viewers shivered at Jehyun's mana mastery. Stark proof of his freakish talent.
"Stage 3 done. 37 dropouts."
Nearly half gone. Stage 4: Pig with color—add luminescence mid-shape. Brutal.
"Ugh."
"Ah!"
More groans. 23 failed stage 4.
Majority culled. Endgame neared.
Stage 5: Monster—orc. Larger, finer control. Difficulty doubled.
26 left. Passers graduate.
"13 stage 5 dropouts."
Final: 13 passers. Now, crown winner, chase records.
Jehyun and Jin brothers among them.
'He made it this far?'
Jins hadn't seen Jehyun test—too focused. Viewers rioted over his dominance, but they were clueless.
'But win's ours.'
Upcoming stage even they weren't sure of. Others would fall.
Then reality hit.
Jehyun was another level.
"Insane... impossible!"
The Jins voiced what all felt.