CLEAVER OF SIN Chapter 720: Mountain

As Asher willed Virelass into his hand, the rapier manifested seamlessly. With a fluid movement, he traced a slash across the ground, marking his third Position Mark. He was uncertain of their exact whereabouts, as Instructor Mira had been the one to teleport them there. Recalling Instructor Jane’s actions during her first class, Asher was convinced Instructor Mira wouldn't return them to their personal quarters.

Besides, who could even estimate the distance from here to their rooms? The journey on foot, or even a run, might very well serve as part of their early morning warm-up routine before the true training commenced, ensuring their bodies were sufficiently prepared for the ensuing challenges.

Asher firmly believed Instructor Mira had provided everyone with a single strike, allowing them to ascertain their location and mark it for easier retrieval later. They were granted only one attempt, and failure was strictly disallowed beyond that singular opportunity—a rigid constraint mirroring the Academy's very ethos.

Asher’s gaze shifted sideways. There stood Finch, a wide grin stretching across his face, his entrepreneurial instincts taking over. To Finch, this unfamiliar territory presented a valuable avenue for earning Academy points. Ordinarily, students would be reluctant to expend points and might attempt to navigate back independently. However, given the impending training, everyone would likely be too depleted to even manage a stroll, let alone find their way back to their dormitories without aid.

Asher could practically discern Finch’s thoughts from his expression, yet he remained silent. He simply inclined his head as Virelass was reabsorbed into his soul. His contemplation was interrupted as Instructor Mira’s voice sliced through the air with an unnerving, placid calm.

"We shall commence your physical conditioning without delay; unnecessary time has been squandered," Instructor Mira declared. She gestured behind her with her thumb. "Do you observe the mountain situated behind me?" Her question was clearly rhetorical. "Your objective is to ascend to its summit. Upon reaching the peak, you will have ten minutes for respite before initiating your descent. You are permitted to use only your bare hands and legs," she stated with unwavering clarity, leaving no room for ambiguity.

Although their Astra energy was curtailed, certain abilities, such as Finch’s and Asher’s soul-bound weapons, clearly did not depend on it. Consequently, she needed to provide explicit clarification to avert any misunderstandings or attempts to exploit loopholes, ensuring absolute adherence.

The students’ eyes finally registered the imposing mountain before them. They were certainly aware of its presence since waking, but had not bothered to truly scrutinize it. Now, beholding it in its full glory, their eyes could not help but widen in sheer astonishment. After all, this was the most colossal mountain they had ever laid eyes upon.

It was unmistakably an artificial construct. The sheer magnitude of its height and unnatural width defied natural formation, its sheer scale seeming to exceed the boundaries of what they considered possible, almost as if it were erected solely to test their mettle.

They could not help but inwardly seethe. Had they retained unrestricted access to their Astra energy, reaching the summit would have taken mere minutes. Even without it, relying solely on their physical prowess, the task would have been accomplished with relative ease. But now, burdened by the oppressive gravitational effect and compelled to inch their way upward, they were destined for an arduous ascent.

Asher let out a soft sigh, silently shaking his head. Indeed, scaling a mountain offered a comprehensive, full-body workout within a single physical training session. He understood that the mountain’s exceptional height and expanse were deliberately designed to account for everyone’s inherent physical capabilities and endurance.

"Proceed," Instructor Mira commanded, her tone stern, her voice carrying a weight that bore down upon them as relentlessly as the invisible force.

At her directive, a contingent of students surged forward instantly, plunging into the training without a moment’s hesitation. Others paused briefly, but their indecision evaporated as they felt Instructor Mira’s formidable presence bear down on their already burdened frames, compelling them into action.

Thus, more than five hundred students advanced toward the mountainside, their hands seeking purchase on any available holds as they began to propel themselves upward. The mountain’s grips were solid and unyielding, robust enough to withstand their straining grips without fracturing. At their current cultivation level, even a casual hold could reduce ordinary stones and rocks to mere dust.

Initially, the climb proved manageable. Participants discovered small crevices and edges for their fingers and toes, steadily ascending with controlled, composed movements that conserved energy.

’Truly wicked,’ Asher mused. Typically, mountains of this magnitude featured ledges or flat areas suitable for brief respites. However, this specific mountain offered no such conveniences; true rest was only attainable at the summit.

Furthermore, clinging to the mountainside was not a viable option. Maintaining such a position demanded significant grip strength and constant muscle engagement, draining stamina just as swiftly as climbing and rendering it an inefficient strategy.

The most challenging aspect? The absence of footwear. Participants hadn't worn shoes to the training, much like one wouldn't wear them to bed. While some had donned socks, they had since removed them, recognizing the obvious impracticality of climbing in them.

Asher was positioned ahead, with a few others beside him. Teo and Thalric had already moved forward the moment Instructor Mira gave the signal. Asher, however, did not hasten to overtake them. This was not a competition for the first to reach the peak; it was purely a training exercise, not a race.

Besides… had anyone truly considered the consequences of a slip or fall?

Would Instructor Mira intervene, or would she remain uninvolved, allowing the Crownstar Life Rankers healer to step in at the critical moment and restore the students before demise could claim them?

Asher dismissed the thought, choosing not to indulge in such unnecessary speculation. If he fell and the Instructor did not save him, he resolved to utilize Virelass for his own salvation without hesitation.

An hour had already elapsed, and Asher began to detect a subtle strain within his being… yet it was no more than a faint tingle. He hadn’t even broken a sweat, as if his body hadn't yet fully registered the activity as genuine exertion. His breathing remained even, his grip secure, and his movements precise and measured.

But Asher understood this was merely the prelude. He had not yet reached the mountain's midpoint; the summit remained a distant goal, and the true test awaited him higher up the arduous ascent.