5th Floor Ascension Tower Exam (2)
“Kakakak.”
“Gaaah.”
Two hundred and fifty-six sea monsters came charging at Kim Jehyun.
He knew they weren't real monsters, but the sight of hundreds barreling down on him all at once was enough to send chills racing down his spine.
In the face of that monstrous tidal wave, Kim Jehyun summoned Raidoo's mid-tier familiar, the Thunder Bird.
Pzzzt!
A massive burst of sparks erupted around him, and a bird of pure lightning twice his size materialized.
“……!”
The onlookers' eyes widened in shock.
A bird of lightning. They'd never seen anything like it.
“What is that?!”
“A divine beast?!”
“No, look—its whole body is made of lightning! That's a spirit. A lightning spirit!”
“H-Hah…… I don't even have the energy to be surprised anymore…… A lightning spirit…… I can't even fathom the depths of that guy. It's like peeling an onion—endless layers!”
The commentators screamed in disbelief.
They'd expected Kim Jehyun to blast the monsters with lightning spells in Round 8, like before.
But out of nowhere, a lightning spirit appeared.
Lightning spirits were exceedingly rare, even among spirit users—only a handful had ever contracted one.
And now a mage like Kim Jehyun had one under contract.
“Indeed…… Let's see what this new lightning spirit from Mage Kim Jehyun can do!”
With the commentator's eager words, the Thunder Bird dove into the oncoming horde of monsters.
Whoosh.
The Thunder Bird shot straight up into the sky, then from its lofty perch unleashed a barrage of lightning feathers at the sea monsters below.
It looked just like a storm of electric rain pouring from the heavens.
“Gaaahhh.”
“Ka, kakak.”
The sea monsters fell helplessly under the onslaught of lightning.
Some tried to fight back amid the chaos.
“Gaaaaah!”
A serpent-eel-like monster fired a water cannon from its mouth at the Thunder Bird, while a massive crab-like beast spread its claws and unleashed a powerful jet of water.
They were close enough to hit the Thunder Bird hovering in the sky.
If it didn't evade quickly, it'd be shot down without a chance to dodge.
But the Thunder Bird transformed into a streak of lightning, weaving through the volley of attacks from dozens of monsters.
Incredible speed.
Pzzzt!
Zigzagging through the air, it left trails of electricity in its wake, plunging into the monster ranks, electrocuting those around it with blinding speed.
“Ga, gaaahhh.”
“Grraaah.”
The sea monsters it brushed past suffered massive lightning damage.
After carving a pentagram through the horde, the Thunder Bird halted dead center among them.
At the same moment, it folded its wings to its chest, gathering lightning energy.
Pzzzt!
A torrent of sparks exploded from its body.
The sea monsters instinctively sensed the danger of the impending attack.
“Gaaaaah!”
Too late, they unleashed everything they had at the Thunder Bird.
But it was already over.
An explosive surge of lightning erupted from the Thunder Bird, radiating outward in all directions.
Flash!
The exam hall flooded with blue light.
The immense lightning energy roiled like an explosion.
Groooar.
The defensive magic array enveloping the arena activated furiously.
This power surpassed the 6th Circle threshold.
The Thunder Bird's devastating lightning shook everything nearby.
“…….”
The commentators gaped in stunned silence, words failing them.
One, covered in goosebumps, hugged his arms tightly.
'This is the power of a spirit summoned by a mage who just hit 5th Circle……?'
It was insane. Utterly impossible.
This went far beyond 5th Circle—hell, it transcended 6th Circle, reaching its pinnacle.
Even seeing it with their own eyes, the sheer force sent tremors through their bodies.
A whisper escaped his lips unbidden.
“Out…… out of spec……”
There was no other way to put it.
An out-of-spec existence. Kim Jehyun couldn't be measured by their standards.
Everyone knew how absurd it was for a mage to wield spirit power like that.
Those who'd doubted he'd struggle this time had all vanished.
The space was now filled with people in awe of Kim Jehyun.
Meanwhile, he prepared for Round 9 without pause.
No one but Matapju had ever cleared Round 9.
Even Round 8, which he'd just passed, had only three passers in history besides him.
The infamous Round 9. Everyone thought only Matapju could do it.
But today, someone might achieve that legendary feat again.
Bathed in expectant gazes, Kim Jehyun entered Round 9.
“Kiaaaah!”
Round 9 wasn't just 512 monsters.
Elite and named monsters appeared in droves—B+ bordering on A- rank.
Tough opponents even for 5th Circle power.
Gulp.
Someone swallowed hard at the sight of their overwhelming force.
Everyone held their breath, watching Kim Jehyun.
Could he clear this round effortlessly too?
The thought hung in every mind.
As if to meet their expectations, explosive lightning mana surged from Kim Jehyun once more.
Pzzzt!
Intense sparks flew from his hands.
His mana reserves were ample.
The power of Dragon Blood provided him with an endless well of mana.
The Thunder Bird's massive display in Round 8 had consumed a huge amount proportionally.
'Without Dragon Blood, I'd be exhausted from the drain.'
But with Dragon Blood, his mana exceeded 100—a three-digit figure—plus high regeneration.
His depleted reserves from Round 8 were refilling rapidly.
Not at full strength, but enough for Round 9.
'Even I, with five dragon powers inherited, find this no cakewalk…… Matapju's no joke. He cleared this?'
Kim Jehyun smirked, thinking of Matapju.
The current Matapju surely wielded far greater power than he imagined.
A wall to surpass someday.
He shoved the thought aside and focused on the monsters.
'Thunder Field, Thunder Cross, Thunder Cannon.'
In an instant, he layered three 5th Circle lightning spells.
A field brimming with lightning energy spread before the charging monsters.
Any that passed through suffered minor electrocution, their lightning resistance sharply reduced.
Then twin streams of concentrated lightning crossed diagonally, raking the monsters.
“Gaaahhh.”
Those hit directly burned up and collapsed in droves.
And it didn't end there.
Kim Jehyun's follow-up Thunder Cannon swept through in a straight line, obliterating everything in range.
Not just one—he relentlessly cast from both hands, flooding the field.
Pzzzt!
Vast electrical power blanketed the arena.
Monster screams filled the air.
They dropped dead without even reaching him.
The Thunder Bird wasn't idle either.
After raining lightning, it unleashed bolts from its body, darting through the fray.
All 512 monsters fell in under five minutes.
'Whew.'
Kim Jehyun exhaled lightly.
The Thunder Bird demanded immense mana for its power.
Combined with his spell barrage, his overflowing reserves dwindled fast.
'But it's manageable.'
His eyes gleamed.
What he'd shown rivaled the pinnacle of 6th Circle—and without going all out.
Awesome.
“I-Incredible……”
“Cleared Round 9 in u-under five minutes.”
They'd thought he'd pass, maybe.
But wiping them out in under five? Unimaginable.
Seeing him stand tall amid hundreds of fallen foes sent shivers through everyone.
Round 10 followed immediately.
The final round of the 5th Floor Ascension Tower exam.
Now everyone gripped their seats, watching intently.
Even the great Matapju hadn't cleared Round 10.
Could Kim Jehyun set a new record?
“He doesn't look worn out at all!”
“Will he etch his name into Magic Tower history? We await!”
As the commentators spoke, 1,024 golems erupted from the water surface, surging at Kim Jehyun.
“Gaaaaahhh.”
An eerie sonic wave echoed across the field.
Upper bodies human-like, lower tails of a mermaid—the sirens.
“Here come the sirens!”
The culprits that had stopped even Matapju in Round 10.
A-rank monsters in their own right.
The sirens' strange waves enveloped the thousand-plus monsters.
Their ferocity intensified.
'Mana enhancement buff.'
The sirens' unique trait.
The horde's power surged.
To clear Round 10 easily, Kim Jehyun knew he had to take out the sirens first.
'Then.'
Blue light poured from his eyes.
A Dragon Horn sprouted from his forehead.
His mana, amplified twice through horn and gauntlet, roiled in his hand.
'Lightning Spear.'
A spear of lightning formed in his grasp.
Pzzzt!
He gripped the sparking spear, pulled his arm back, and thrust forward.
Shuuuuaak.
It tore through the air, piercing the siren's chest dead center.
“Ga, gaaahhh.”
The siren screamed as lightning engulfed it.
One shot.
The field dominator crumpled.
“……!”
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
Tremendous destructive power and precision.
Proof he perfectly controlled that massive condensed mana.
No spirit or participant could mimic that mana manipulation.
The battle flowed smoothly after.
Without the sirens, the regulars fell to his spells and the Thunder Bird.
When it ended, only Kim Jehyun stood.
“Kim Jehyun! Yes! He did it—Round 10! A new unprecedented record!”
New record set.
He'd shattered Matapju's mark again—with overwhelming firepower.
The crowd went wild.
Even skeptics now agreed: he'd surpass Matapju.
An emerald-glowing treasure chest appeared before Kim Jehyun with the message.
As he smiled in satisfaction and reached for it—
Clear the 5th Floor Ascension Tower Exam Hidden Round: Slay the Sea Serpent
🎁 Reward: Upgrade existing reward ['Sotosso's Treasure Chest+5'] to ['Sotosso's Treasure Chest+10'] massively enhanced.
'……Sudden quest?'
Kim Jehyun stared puzzled at the message when—
“Gaaaaaaaahhh!”
A colossal single monster burst through the water, radiating immense pressure.
The ground beneath Kim Jehyun trembled from its aura.
'……!'
His eyes widened at the newcomer.
Just one, but its presence dwarfed all previous foes.
“Sea Serpent?”
“W-Why is that here?!”
The commentators yelped in horror.
This shouldn't be possible.
The sea outlaw. Dragon-kin Sea Serpent.
No way a 5th Circle could handle it.
A clear exam glitch.
Round 10 was supposed to be the end—yet this appeared after.
The exam overseer rushed in frantically.
“Mage Kim Jehyun! Something's wrong. The exam's over—please exit……”
She called out, panic evident.
“No, it's fine. This is part of the test too. I'll finish it.”
But Kim Jehyun shook his head.
'Sotosso's Treasure Chest+10 guarantees at least a legendary skill. Can't pass that up.'
In his eyes, the Sea Serpent before him looked like a treasure chest—emerald-glowing, marked +10.