Extra's Ascent

"Aldrich, your courage is truly something to admire. It's blindingly impressive," Trevor began, his tone laced with concern, "but in this case, I'd say it borders on irrational."

Trevor's worries weren't unfounded.

He wasn't anxious about the act of walking on water itself—any mystic with an average knowledge of mana manipulation should be able to pull off walking on water with ease.

The real challenge lay deeper.

Walking on water, or any surface for that matter, was a fundamental skill achieved through extensive mana control.

By circulating mana and directing it to their soles, mystics could create a stable connection, allowing them to traverse even the most challenging surfaces.

Like how spiders could crawl on walls, and how cockroaches could do the same without tipping off.

In that similar way do mystics pull off walking on walls or water?

By adapting to the law of push and pull, the property of the mana circulated in the sole is configured into something that would match the flow of what they intend to step on, allowing for a magnetic-type sole.

It is a process that comes off as natural once one starts feeling and circulating mana. Yet still, there are does who would find it difficult to understand.

But for students who had made it this far into the Eldora Institute testing phase? The understanding part is not the problem.

It is something else.

The real test was beyond walking on water, nor is it to ascertain whether they could do it or not.

It is instead to see how long they could maintain it if they do attempt, especially on a vast, unpredictable ocean.

One of the crucial criteria to keep the mana in the sole flowing is through concentration. If you lose that, the mana is immediately cut off from the sole.

The waves here weren't gentle; they crashed relentlessly, with enough force to destabilize even seasoned sailors.

Maintaining balance in such rough waters requires an extraordinary level of concentration.

For those who hadn't completely mastered their control, losing focus for even a moment could mean plunging into the depths.

And then there was the question of mana reserve.

How long could they sustain it?

The officials had given them a two-day window, but not everyone had the stamina or mana to last that long.

Success required more than just skill; it demanded endurance and a keen sense of resource management.

To survive the challenge, candidates needed to meet at least one of three criteria.

First, they had to find the island within the two-day limit.

Second, they had to possess enough mana to sustain their journey for the entire duration.

Third, and perhaps the trickiest, they needed to control their mana output so precisely that they could stretch their reserves far beyond their usual limits.

Option three was a gamble most wouldn't dare take, leaving only the first two as viable paths. Trevor knew this all too well.

"I get it, Trevor," Aldrich replied, his voice steady. "But we don't have the luxury of time. This is a do-or-die situation. We either go for it now or risk losing everything."

Around them, the scene was growing more intense.

Inspired by Dante's fearless charge into the waves, other candidates were starting to make their moves, pushing forward despite the risks.

Trevor hesitated, weighing his options.

Aldrich needed him to come along—not just for support, but for reasons he hadn't yet shared.

"What about you, Fiona?" Aldrich turned to her.

He already knew the answer.

Fiona wasn't just any candidate.

She was one of the few who had aced the entrance tests with distinction, along with Dante Pendragon, who had effortlessly outshone his peers.

"I'm going," she confirmed, her voice firm.

"See that, Trevor?" Aldrich grinned. "Even the delicate lady is ready to face the danger. What's it going to be?"

Trevor took a deep breath.

The decision was inevitable.

After everything he had endured to get his admission, backing out now wasn't an option.

It would be a waste to quit before the real challenge had even begun.

"Alright, I'm in," Trevor finally said, resolve hardening his expression.

It was the rational choice to make.

Around them, others had gone but many candidates were still hesitating, torn between fear and ambition.

Their worries weren't unfounded.

Losing control or running out of mana in the middle of the ocean meant certain doom.

But that's exactly what the officials wanted them to think.

The challenge wasn't just physical; it was psychological.

They were testing the candidates' resolve, pushing them to confront their limits of do or don't.

What the candidates didn't know was that the officials had contingency plans put in place for those who happen to lose their concentration and are unable to circulate mana in their sole.

Dion and his partner Stella had announced their retirement to the island ahead of them, but in truth, they are there now, watching over every student using an observation Art.

And if ever there happens to be a student in trouble, say in the process of drowning after losing concentration, Dion is prepared to use his teleportation abilities to rescue them.

The Institute acts tough and unruly with their exams, yet they would never truly risk the life of a student without any surveillance put in place to ensure their safety.

Of course, the candidates had no idea.

The uncertainty was part of the test.

Aldrich, Fiona, and Trevor approached the shoreline, the wind whipping around them.

The waves lapped at their feet, cold and relentless.

Aldrich closed his eyes, focusing.

He opened his mana reserves, directing the flow toward his soles.

Slowly, steadily, the energy gathered, creating a firm connection between his feet, the slipper he had on, and the shifting ground beneath.

"You guys ready?" he asked, turning to his companions.

Fiona nodded, her expression calm and composed.

Trevor, standing to Aldrich's left, gave a determined nod.

Together, the three of them stepped forward, their mana-infused soles carrying them onto the churning waters.

The journey had begun.