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The fruits of the trial, though, were tantalizing in their sweetness. The choice of closure was completely unacceptable, and people argued that the challengers had failed because of their lack of talent. Brad Hargreaves had full confidence that he would pass the ordeal, and therefore entered the Trials with the People’s support.

Usually, the process takes no longer than an hour. That doesn’t mean the trial is short, but the time inside and outside the rift is different.

A survivor’s testimony explained it like this:

“The Tower of Trials is a space that has a different flow of time from the world we live in. The 10 hours spent in it may be 1 minute or 10 seconds in reality. What is certain is that the human body can withstand one hour in reality, and if you can’t get out in that time, there is a high probability of becoming a lost child of the dimension…or a ruin.”

Brad Hargreaves lasted five minutes.

He wandered out of the Tower with huge, dark pupils full of fatal fascination, a stream of high-pitched giggles falling out of his serious lips. His face did not agree with the laughter that escaped his lungs. He, who was called Britain’s best talent when forming the seventh circle at the age of only 20, was unable to withstand the Tower’s trials and eventually lost his mind. It had a tremendous impact on the magic society at the time. Brad Hargreaves’ mental strength exceeded human limits, and he had a strong will to proceed with five stages of mana room training. When Brad Hargreaves appeared in ruins, and the people waiting for him to return safely were speechless.

“Nobody can deny the genius of Brad Hargreaves. In his growth, people were convinced that no one better than him could exist. However, if even he collapsed in the Tower of Trials, it is nothing less than a disaster and too dangerous for a growing wizard to enter. Therefore, the Towers of Trials around the world will be closed until further notice.”

It seemed a good judgment, but some still wanted the challenge.

People’s greed is endless and eventually repeats the mistakes of the past. Despite the precedent of Brad Hargreaves, some people secretly challenged the Tower, but their endeavor was unknown.

Why? Because none were successful, Brad Hargreaves’ ordeal was the last official record.

For Kang Min-hyuk, the challenge was also not considered an official but informal challenge under Avid’s authority.

“Have you had enough time to consider your decision?” asked Avid, looking intently at Kang Min-hyuk.

Avid knew how crazy it was. Klinssman was only a first circle wizard. Regardless of his physical prowess, there was no way that a single-circle wizard could endure the trial. Nevertheless, Avid could not reject his request. It wasn’t because of his trust for Klinssman, but because he had faith in his background’s significance. Therefore, he allowed the plague of trial.

Whoosh.

The wind blew, tousling a field of lush, green grass. At the center of the field, an imposing structure stood. It was difficult to categorize…its formation couldn’t exactly be called an architectural design…instead of bricks, the shape of the Tower had been drawn together through the confinement of dimensional cracks to keep them away from society. The world within was a different realm from the one left behind. The way back home would not be straightforward.

Kang, Min-hyuk nodded. “I’m ready.”

“I know.”

Avid led the way. He didn’t ask for a doctor, but he firmly warned Min-hyuk, who moved closer to the Tower of Trials.

“Never be fooled. The moment you get swept away by that dimension; your mind will be lost forever.”

They were the last words that Kang Min-hyuk heard before he was engulfed by the deepest darkness he’d ever known.

* * *

Hwaak-

His consciousness expanded.

The moment he stepped into the ordeal tower, he felt the whole world twist except for the ground beneath his feet.

Kugugugugugugung.

A guttural roar rang through the dark. Then, like a big bang, deafening weight struck Kang Min-hyuk.

BOOM!

The world had changed. It felt like floating in the middle of the universe. Suddenly, the words of the survivor came to mind:

“The ordeal of the tower is painful because the world revolves around ‘self.’ Every change that occurs applies immense pressure on the challenger; this manifests as extreme pain that crushes the body and presses against the mind. The human mind eventually collapses beneath the intolerable weight.”

His words were true. The world shifted senselessly around Kang Min-hyuk.

Pabababak.

Kang Min-hyuk assumed that the blue space above him must be the sky, or a version of it, at least. Mana fell quickly, creating a meteor shower as the ground shook and a wave of mana rushed in. His eyes were peeled wide open: it was a world he had never experienced before…it was real, there were no Illusions at play. There are no words to describe the mind-altering state of that place.

“The longer spent in the Tower of Trials, the stronger the increase in mental power. A wizard, whose magic relies on mental power, is bound to be greedy for the sweet fruit.”

Right behind Min-hyuk was a passage that led outside following a short walk. It doesn’t seem a long way, but there was a reason people return in ruins. In most cases, the mind collapses first while striving to achieve results. In some cases, they are swept blindly away, becoming a lost child of the Tower. In the end, only those who have the strength to withstand the pressure and harbor the will to control themselves can go out of the realm with their spirit in-tact. Many people faced the endeavor like a performance, and the bravery they expressed was less courage and more like ego. Kang Min-hyuk had no intention of being greedy.

Kukukukukukukung.

The space transfigured. As the ground rose, a green light burst into the sky, and when it settled, it became a huge mountain that instantly made Kang Min-hyuk look like a small dot at its feet. The space did not stop there; it continued to change. Only the place where Kang Min-hyuk stood was static. He was at the center of space.

The changes occurring around him gained momentum and pressure; they poured into Kang Min-hyuk’s senses undiluted and profound.

“Strange.”

He muttered calmly to himself. According to an article written by experienced Trialists, they experienced intense pressure from the beginning.

“A kind of pressure you’ve never experienced. From start to finish, the trial pushes incredible pressure upon the challenger, who must escape before the mind collapses under it.”

It was strange.

Definitely strange.

Humans weren’t adapted to inhabit that place; there were no exceptions. All those who passed the trial argued that they had a really painful time due to the PRESSURE. Nobody disputed it, of everybody who entered the Tower, it was a universal experience. Kang Min-hyuk had expected pressure.

“Why don’t I feel it?”

He found out later. The phenomenon people spoke about did not apply to him at all.

* * *

The Tower of Trials is not like a game quest. People just created a ‘system,’ knowing that supernatural phenomena are a catalyst for magic.

What is the Tower’s makeup, what level of pressure is in the Tower, and how long should I endure? The answer to these questions is not decided through God’s suggestion but by numerous challengers through excruciating trial and error. However, the experience could not always be seen as whole and true, and when variables occurred, people inevitably died.

Nonetheless, there were indisputable facts. The pressure of the trial is very strong, and the challengers suffer from the beginning.

It was weird for Kang Min-hyuk…if anything, he felt quite…serene.

The qualities that past challengers had emphasized were not felt at all, and Kang Min-hyuk’s body calmly accepted the currents around him. It was stable – quite different from what he had been led to believe.

‘Why the hell?’

Was it due to his mental stamina? No…it couldn’t be that.

Among those who challenged the Tower of Trial, there were many ancient circle wizards. To that extent, he must have a superhuman mental power, but it is not reliable to say that his mental power is stronger without any basis. Or is it simply because his constitution fits well with this world? It could be such an absurdly simple reason. There is much to be said for the moment where intention and coincidence merge.

Kang Min-hyuk left his body to the flow around him. As time goes by, the pressure ascends, and the more he endures, the stronger his mind. He began to breathe—deep, full breaths, in and out, inviting the tension. Instead of rushing wildly, he chose to survey his surroundings and move through them with purpose. Kang Min-hyuk looked around quietly at the spot for the first time, and the surroundings disturbed his vision, shifting endlessly.

He could have watched it for a long time, and perhaps he did. At some point, he felt his eyes change.

“Huh?”

Mana flowed in a constantly changing system. It reminded him of Suhomun’s deliberation. If the human body is a microcosm of the world (and the world a microcosm of the universe), that flow can induce mana – it is a creative force. Previously, the world’s changes were perceived as a series of events, but on closer inspection, we see the truth: mana’s flow moves all things.

Kukukukung.

The realm transformed once again. Kang Min-hyuk quietly followed the flow of the world.