Zael didn't rush anymore.
That was the first thing that changed.
Before, every fight, every movement had been about efficiency. Speed. Killing fast, moving faster. The Abyss had forced that pace on him.
Here—
That pace would break him.
He took another step.
Slow.
Measured.
The moment his foot landed, the pressure surged again—sharper this time, like a blade pressing against the inside of his body.
His muscles tightened instinctively.
Wrong.
Zael caught it immediately.
"…Not like that."
He exhaled and forced the tension out.
Instead of resisting—
He adjusted.
The Dao Pool stirred again, unstable for a brief second before he guided it back into rhythm.
Not perfectly.
But enough.
Another step.
The pressure shifted again.
Different this time.
Not stronger—
More precise.
Like it was targeting something specific.
Zael's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…It's adapting."
Not him.
The mountain.
Each step wasn't just heavier.
It was smarter.
Testing different aspects.
Control.
Balance.
Foundation.
If he forced through one flaw—
The next step would target another.
"…So I can't brute force this."
Good to know.
He moved again.
By the sixtieth step—
Sweat had started to form along his neck.
Not from exertion—
From concentration.
Every step now required intent.
His breathing had fallen into a strict rhythm.
In.
Hold.
Out.
Move.
Repeat.
The Dao Pool pulsed in sync.
Not perfectly stable—
But no longer chaotic.
That alone told him something.
"…It's working."
Not because it got easier.
But because it stopped getting worse.
That was progress here.
Another step.
Then—
A sudden shift.
Zael froze mid-motion.
Not physically—
Internally.
The Dao Pool spiked.
Violently.
For no reason.
No external trigger.
No increase in pressure.
Just—
Instability.
His expression hardened slightly.
"…No."
That wasn't random.
The mountain wasn't just testing control.
It was provoking failure.
Creating imbalance—
Then watching how he handled it.
Zael steadied his breathing immediately.
Didn't suppress it.
Didn't panic.
He let the surge run—
Then guided it.
Redirected it.
Smoothed it.
Not perfectly.
But enough to prevent collapse.
Seconds passed.
Then—
It stabilized.
Zael exhaled slowly.
"…So that's the trick."
Not just control when things are stable.
Control when they aren't.
He stepped forward again.
This time—
Ready.
—
Further down the mountain—
Auralis stopped moving.
"…Tch."
The pressure had hit her differently.
Where Zael felt internal strain—
She felt resistance.
Heavy.
Like the mountain was pushing back against her existence itself.
"…Annoying."
She rolled her neck slightly.
Cracked it.
Then took another step anyway.
The ground beneath her foot trembled slightly—
Then settled.
A grin spread across her face.
"…So you push back, huh?"
Good.
She preferred it that way.
Behind her, the others weren't doing as well.
The spear user had dropped to one knee.
Sweating.
Struggling just to stay upright.
"…What the hell is this…" he muttered.
The dagger girl wasn't much better.
Still standing—
But barely.
Auralis glanced back once.
"…Told you to stay."
Neither responded.
They couldn't.
Aurelia, however—
Was still moving.
Slowly.
Calmly.
Her steps were lighter.
Not easier—
But… smoother.
Like she wasn't fighting the pressure.
She was moving around it.
Auralis' eyes narrowed slightly.
"…You're cheating."
Aurelia didn't look back.
"…No."
A pause.
"…I just understand it differently."
Auralis snorted.
"…Same thing."
Then she moved again.
Because stopping here—
Wasn't an option.
—
Higher up—
Zael reached the seventieth step.
His pace had slowed.
But his control—
Had sharpened.
The Dao Pool pulsed steadily now.
Still reacting.
Still unstable at times.
But no longer out of control.
Each fluctuation—
He caught.
Each imbalance—
He corrected.
Not automatically.
Not instinctively.
Consciously.
That was the difference.
Another step.
The pressure changed again.
This time—
It didn't target his power.
It targeted his body.
His muscles tensed involuntarily.
His breathing hitched.
His balance shifted.
Zael adjusted immediately.
Foot placement.
Posture.
Breathing.
Everything.
"…Full system test."
Not just energy.
Not just control.
Everything.
Body.
Mind.
Foundation.
Understanding.
If any part failed—
The rest would follow.
Zael took another step.
Then another.
Each one heavier than the last.
But each one—
Cleaner.
More controlled.
More deliberate.
Then—
He stopped.
Because the figures ahead—
Were no longer blurry.
He could see them now.
Clearly.
Some were ahead of him.
Closer to the peak.
Others—
Were not moving.
Standing still.
Or—
Collapsed.
Zael's gaze lingered on one for a second.
A figure frozen mid-step.
Not dead.
But not moving either.
"…Failed?"
Maybe.
Or stuck.
Either way—
It didn't matter.
He looked away.
And continued.
Because this path—
Didn't allow hesitation.
—
At the base—
More figures appeared.
Different directions.
Different strengths.
Different auras.
All drawn here.
All stepping onto the same path.
And as they did—
The mountain responded.
Not uniformly.
Individually.
Each step.
Each person.
Each flaw.
Each strength.
Tested.
Measured.
Judged.
—
Higher still—
Zael reached the eightieth step.
His breathing was heavier now.
His body strained.
His control—
Pushed to its limits.
And still—
No help.
No system.
No talents.
Just him.
And yet—
He didn't stop.
Didn't slow.
Because now—
He understood.
This wasn't about reaching the peak.
It was about becoming someone who could.
Zael took another step.
And this time—
The pressure didn't increase.
It changed.
Again.
Sharper.
Deeper.
Targeting something new.
Something—
He hadn't noticed before.
Zael's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…So you're not done."
Of course it wasn't.
Why would it be?
He adjusted.
Again.
Step by step.
Higher and higher.
Toward the peak.
Toward the end of the trial.
Or—
The beginning of something else.