5th Floor Ascension Tower Exam (3)
“Faction Leader!”
The middle-aged man, who had been lounging with his feet propped up on the desk, puffing on his pipe with a languid expression, spat out a puff of smoke as he responded to the call.
“What?”
“They cleared up to stage 10.”
“What? What's stage 10?”
“Come on, you know—the one we designed for the 5th Circle Ascension Tower exam venue.”
“……”
The man took another draw from his pipe.
And after three seconds of thought, he removed it from his mouth and spoke.
“……Yeah, I remember now. We helped the former faction leader design the Ascension Tower exam stages back in the day.”
“Yes, exactly that one.”
“And someone cleared all 10 rounds? Hold on…… That wasn't even meant to be clearable. You're saying they actually…… cleared it?”
The middle-aged man's languid demeanor vanished as he bolted upright. The drowsiness that had been weighing him down fled in an instant.
He recalled the three terrain types they had created to assist the former faction leader.
'We designed stage 10 to be absolutely impossible……'
Even the once-in-a-generation genius, the Magic Tower Master, had knelt before that stage 10 wall.
A fresh 5th Circle mage couldn't possibly defeat a thousand monsters led by an A-rank equivalent to a 6th Circle.
“And get this—the record for the coastal zone, where the Tower Master himself set the benchmark, has been broken in stage 10.”
“……Who the hell cleared that?”
Choi Deok-hwan, leader of the Golem Faction, stared in utter disbelief. Unbeknownst to himself, he had set aside his pipe and was fully focused on his subordinate's report.
“His name's Kim Jehyun.”
“Kim Jehyun?”
The familiar name made Choi Deok-hwan tilt his head. He'd been holed up in his workshop all day, immersed in his latest research…… But if even he recognized the name, this guy was no ordinary talent.
“You know, the mage who developed the overlapping magic circle with the Phoenix Hall recently.”
Choi Deok-hwan slapped his knee.
He'd thought the guy was a mad genius from the rumors alone. But to break through stage 10?
“Wait…… Wasn't he only 1st Circle back then?”
“He was 1st Circle then, but he's already hit 5th Circle.”
“No way, that makes zero sense.”
Choi Deok-hwan's eyes widened as he stared at his subordinate, who merely shrugged.
“If it's true, it's insane. Reaching 5th Circle already is mind-blowing enough, but clearing stage 10…… Hold up.”
Choi Deok-hwan's face drained of color mid-sentence.
“D-Doesn't something come after clearing stage 10?”
“Huh? I shut off the broadcast right after he cleared stage 10…… One sec. Whoa! What the—? Isn't that a Sea Serpent?”
Choi Deok-hwan snatched the subordinate's smartphone and stared at the screen intently.
There it was—the handiwork of that lunatic former faction leader.
Now he remembered what that madman had done.
* * *
Sea Serpent.
A sea dragon-type marine monster resembling a giant eel.
Estimated rank: A+ to S+.
Known as the lawless tyrant of the seas, the Sea Serpent wielded overwhelming combat prowess in the ocean.
Mature adults were rated S to S+, and even juveniles received A+ ratings for their formidable power.
'Its size…… Not a full adult.'
Kim Jehyun's eyes gleamed.
A true adult would exceed 20 meters, but this one was only around mid-teens.
The mana waves it emitted fell far short of S-rank.
'Manageable.'
Jehyun's eyes sharpened further. An S-rank might have been a stretch, but A+ was within his grasp.
Especially since he wielded lightning magic, the Sea Serpent's natural counter, boosting his odds even higher.
―A Sea Serpent, huh. It's been ages.
At that moment, Alkasha spoke up.
―These things have a fatal weakness called the reverse scale. Aim there, and you could drop it in one hit.
'Reverse scale?'
Jehyun shot Alkasha a puzzled glance, prompting a detailed explanation.
―Indeed. They're half-baked pretenders. A disgrace to true dragons. That's why they have such a glaring vulnerability.
Jehyun nodded at Alkasha's words.
'A fatal weak point around the neck……'
He focused his gaze on the Sea Serpent's neck.
'Dragon Eye.'
Activating Dragon Eye, Jehyun strained his vision, scanning the area.
'It's a golem, not a real monster, so I wondered if it even had a reverse scale…… But there it is.'
A single scale gleamed around the Sea Serpent's neck, harder than any other.
The size of an adult man's palm—that was its reverse scale.
'Whoever made this is a genius. Implementing that level of detail.'
Jehyun's lips curved into a grin. It made taking the beast down a breeze.
'Alright then……'
Immense mana began condensing in Jehyun's hand.
Pzzt.
Sparks flew as lightning mana surged wildly.
“Gaaaaah!”
Reacting to the mana, the Sea Serpent let out a roar and charged at Jehyun with terrifying speed.
But it was like offering its neck on a platter.
'Thunder Bird.'
At Jehyun's will, the Thunder Bird shrank rapidly to the size of his fist, then plunged into the gathered lightning mana.
Flash.
A blinding blue light flooded the arena.
'Spirit Magic: Lightning Spear (A+).'
A massive bolt of electricity formed a long spear in Jehyun's hand, drawing in ambient mana to intensify its power.
'One shot, no mistakes.'
Jehyun's focus peaked. He pulled his shoulder back, then thrust forward, hurling the thrashing spear at the Sea Serpent.
Flash.
The spear tore through the air, illuminating the surroundings in brilliant light.
* * *
“We just got word from the administrator. Th-That mage Kim Jehyun is treating the Sea Serpent as part of the exam and wants to continue.”
The commentators were thrown by Jehyun's decision.
They never expected him to take on the Sea Serpent.
“Ah…… Even for Mage Kim Jehyun, facing a Sea Serpent head-on seems too much……”
“Agreed. And he's probably exhausted after clearing 10 rounds…… What's he thinking?”
Everyone watching assumed Jehyun couldn't win a straight fight.
Gaaaaah.
As the Sea Serpent roared and closed in, they gripped their seats, eyes glued to Jehyun and the beast.
“The Sea Serpent is ch-charging! ……Mage Kim Jehyun has formed a lightning spear in his hand. Wh-What just happened?”
“……!”
Right after Jehyun hurled the spear, a blinding light erupted, revealing the fallen Sea Serpent.
They blinked in confusion, unsure what had transpired.
“He dropped it in one hit!”
“Insane……! How?”
“Zooming in on the fallen Sea Serpent. Ah…… Its neck is charred black. The lightning spear hit right there…… Ah! No way!”
“What is it?”
“That's it! The Sea Serpent's weak point. A dragon's reverse scale! He targeted it.”
The commentators pieced it together, realizing the absurdity of Jehyun's feat.
“……It's theoretically known that lesser dragonkin like Sea Serpents have reverse scales. But spotting it in combat isn't easy. Yet he found it instantly and struck true. That's Kim Jehyun for you.”
The reverse scale wasn't a huge secret. But knowing and exploiting it were worlds apart.
Sea Serpents could fall easier if you hit the neck scale, but pinpointing it mid-fight was near impossible.
“And he nailed it! Found the exact spot and hit it perfectly! His mana sensitivity and control must be off the charts!”
“Man, this guy's a thrill ride.”
The audience grasped Jehyun's achievement through the explanations.
The communities watching the broadcast erupted once more.
Witnessing Kim Jehyun shatter expectations again, praise for him surged.
This exam made even those who dismissed him for his low circles realize their error.
Of course, haters existed everywhere, but not here. Even they were speechless before his display.
Thus, Jehyun etched an unprecedented record in the 5th Floor Ascension Tower Exam.
1st:Kim Jehyun (All Rounds Clear) - New
2nd:Choi Hanseom (9 Rounds)
3rd:Gu Dongyeol (8 Rounds)
4th:Yoon Dongyeol (8 Rounds)
……
……
* * *
“Whew.”
Back at his dorm after the exam, Jehyun flopped onto the bed.
Staring blankly at the ceiling, his lips twitched upward.
Clearing stage 10, then slaying the Sea Serpent in 11—the thrill of triumph coursed through him.
Emerging to thunderous applause and awe had been exhilarating. The high lingered.
Then his smartphone buzzed. An unexpected contact.
“Golem Faction Leader Choi Deok-hwan? Wants to meet for something important……”
Jehyun replied he'd rest tonight and reconnect tomorrow.
“Now, time to check my rewards.”
Jehyun grinned, pulling an emerald-glowing chest from his inventory.
'Sotosoh's Treasure Chest+10.'
A +10 chest guaranteed at least legendary grade, no matter the luck. As a skill chest, it promised S-grade or better.
'Skills boost combat power more than items.'
Heart pounding, Jehyun opened it.
Whoosh!
A blinding light poured out, the emerald glow absorbing into his body.
Congratulations. You have acquired the Soul Collect skill.
'Soul Collect?'
Jehyun blinked, checking the skill details.