NOVEL NEXT Chapter 15: Chapter 15
The next day, they landed near a river in the Split Mountain area. A small hut was there, but it was dilapidated. Ives suspected that this place had been used as an exam site, and perhaps this was the first time in years since the last time an exam took place there.
After the participants exited the aircraft, they all looked up and saw a mighty mountain with a split line in the middle. After roughly estimating it, the mountain was at least three kilometers high or more. The participants who saw this naturally swallowed their saliva.
"I-isn't this too high?" said one of the participants.
"One mistake, and we will die." Another participant commented.
"Keep an eye on your step, and climbing this mountain wouldn't be a big deal," one participant with a climbing background commented while stretching. This was a challenge specially designed for him, and he was confident he could clear it easily.
"I heard that there are a lot of Spider Eagle nests here. When climbing, be sure to keep an eye on your surroundings." Another participant provided important information.
As the other participants discussed, Ives kept looking towards the summit. He was doubtful whether he could pass this obstacle. This was his first time, and he knew little about rock climbing techniques.
"Ives, are you okay?" Seeing him lost in thought, Biscuit asked.
"I was just thinking about how we'll climb it." He shook his head. He could force himself to try, but it was uncertain whether or not it would work.
"Wait, I got an idea!" Ives suddenly remembered something.
"Oh?" Biscuit was curious.
"If it works, we can reach the summit in no time, but it's just as dangerous as climbing it normally." Ives nodded. If his memory served him right, there's one alternative way to 'climb' it.
He planned to take advantage of the strong winds inside the mountain split, which could lift them straight to the top of the mountain.
"What is it?"
"As the name suggests, this mountain has a long split that is flowed by a river. Right in the middle is a zone where the uplifting wind is concentrated; we can take advantage of it."
"You mean we can use that boost to reach the summit?!" Biscuit's eyes immediately lit up.
"Correct, but we must climb at least ten meters high in that central zone."
"Oh, that won't be a big deal then. Isn't this way safer than what they did? Falling into the water is better than hitting the ground after all," Biscuit said as she pointed to the participants who started climbing the mountain from the flat area.
"Let's go there quickly."
"Alright." Nodding, Biscuit followed Ives towards the mountain split. Since a river flowed beneath it, they needed to swim to the central area.
At first, he thought the flow inside would be strong and challenging to swim, but it turned out to be relatively calm.
Swimming for several tens of minutes, they almost reached the central zone they aimed for. And indeed, the further into the center, the stronger the wind.
"Ives, there's a mound up ahead; let's climb up there."
Nodding in agreement, Ives and Biscuit swam closer. But, just as they were about to grab on and try to climb up, a loud thud and a tremor occurred. Looking up, Ives was confronted with a woman standing gracefully after making a superhero-style landing. That person is...
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