Chapter 25 : The Final Trial (1)
A burst of light effect.
It was a common effect in Tune World whenever a reward appeared.
But the brightness of the emanating light was exceptional, so I immediately sensed something special.
‘Could it be a Tune with this kind of radiance?’
My heart pounded as I stood before the reward.
‘Is it really a Tune? If it is, what kind of Tune would it be? Since it came from defeating Ainsitel, it should be related… Could it be a Tune that spews flames?’
Though I am human, my heart is a Dragon Heart, making me akin to a half-human, half-dragon.
If I could breathe flames from my mouth, wouldn’t it look like a Breath attack?
All sorts of thoughts flashed through my mind, heightening my anticipation.
I waited for the radiating light to subside.
Everyone seemed to forget to breathe as they stared at the light.
Staring so intently at the blinding glow, my eyes began to feel slightly strained.
The light was sucked into a single point.
The golden stone had vanished, but the wing pattern embedded in it now floated in the air.
It was a pattern I had never seen before.
There was a time when I prided myself on knowing every Tune, having played Tune World so passionately.
Yet, I had no idea what ability this translucent wing held.
‘To think there was a tune I didn’t know about.’
My heart raced.
To know there were still mysteries in this world I hadn’t uncovered.
This body isn’t a game character.
Since there’s no way to remove a Tune once acquired, a bad Tune could negatively impact my future.
Yet, my hand was already reaching toward the translucent wing.
It was an impulsive act, but that was fine.
A Tune related to Ainsitel shouldn’t have poor performance.
Even if it did, the knowledge I possessed wouldn’t vanish.
Devising a new combination to match it would be another kind of fun.
Whoosh!
Flames blazed behind my back.
My teammates flinched and stepped back in surprise.
[You have acquired the Tune, ‘Wings of Ainsitel Lv.1.’]
[You can fold and unfold the Wings of Ainsitel.]
Information about the newly acquired Tune, [Wings of Ainsitel], was engraved in my mind.
Vibrant, multicolored wings resembling Ainsitel’s sprouted from my back.
Soon, within the blazing flames, the wings’ colors began to shift.
[The Wings of Ainsitel are synchronizing with the user.]
The flames burned in a myriad of colors, as if devouring the hues within the [Wings of Ainsitel].
After burning for a while, the wings turned pure white, as if the flames had scorched away their colors.
I manipulated my will to extinguish the flames first.
My teammates, who had distanced themselves in surprise, cautiously approached.
“…Can I touch it?”
“Just a moment. It’s my first time trying this too.”
Kiyot approached with curiosity, but I stopped him for now.
I wasn’t yet fully in control of the Tune’s abilities.
“All right, it’s fine now.”
“Leader! Me too!”
Even Blaze joined in.
Everyone rushed toward the wings, stroking the white feathers.
“So soft…”
Their touches tickled, as if the wings were part of my body.
I folded the large wings forward and touched them myself.
I folded and unfolded them, ignited flames on them, and extinguished them again.
“I’m going to try flying for a bit.”
“Be careful!”
With my teammates’ cheers behind me, I spread the [Wings of Ainsitel] wide.
With a powerful flap, a gust of wind rose, and my feet lifted off the ground.
As the wings, feeling like an extension of my body, flapped, I soared higher and higher.
I leaned forward, moving my wings rapidly.
Cutting through the wind, I looked down at the shrinking scenery of the maze below.
“This feels great.”
* * *
Team 7 emerged from the maze.
Everyone was scorched and covered in wounds, but their expressions were brighter than anyone’s.
“Whoa, their gear has changed?”
“I should’ve gone into a tough maze too.”
People buzzed as they saw Kiyot dragging a massive axe as large as himself, along with the rest of our team, decked out in new equipment.
Having emerged with the maze’s rewards, we drew everyone’s envy.
I had no intention of revealing the abilities of my newly acquired Tune, so I deactivated the [Wings of Ainsitel] before stepping outside.
“Shh! The supervisor will check the record stone soon.”
Time flows differently inside and outside the maze.
Whether we spent 72 hours or 7 hours inside, those who entered together exited with only a few minutes’ difference.
Knowing this, we didn’t immediately take the portal out after clearing the maze.
Instead, we spent the remaining time testing our new equipment and Tunes.
At that moment, Team 8’s record stone turned red.
[Labyrinth of the Resurrected - Breakthrough Failed]
“Looks like Team 8 didn’t make it.”
Those who entered the undead labyrinth didn’t survive.
Though not as difficult as the Lava Zone, it was a high-difficulty maze.
The kids who had excelled enough to enter it lost their lives.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Balua knelt before the maze Team 8 had entered.
He placed a hand on the record stone, offering a silent tribute.
Without anyone’s prompting, everyone at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony followed Balua and knelt.
After a brief silence, Balua stood up.
- Don’t make a fuss and wait quietly.
Balua announced to everyone, then inspected the record stones.
Though the mood had soured due to the mourning, the Coming-of-Age Ceremony was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Adjak family’s children to chase their dreams.
Even while glancing at Balua, people began whispering.
Keldric sidled up to me and started talking.
“Leader!”
“The team assignments are over. You don’t have to call me that anymore. I wasn’t even the team leader.”
But Keldric ignored my protests and kept whispering.
“Once a leader, always a leader. By the way, what do you think the next trial will be?”
“Hmm.”
Truthfully, I had a guess.
No, I was almost certain.
The next and final trial.
It would be a duel.
‘When Adjak underwent the Dragon’s Trial, I nearly died facing that furious red draconian.’
The memory of sweating through that intense battle was still vivid.
Interrupting my reminiscing, Keldric chattered on.
“This is a secret, but I think the next trial will be the last. It varies every year, but that’s what they analyzed in our district.”
His words left me speechless.
The adults in District 18, including the village chief, had done much to help the kids participating in the Coming-of-Age Ceremony.
But no one had thought to predict or analyze the trials.
As a result, I was the only one from District 18 to pass the third trial.
‘District 1 really is different.’
Did they even know the final trial would be a duel?
I looked at Keldric with suspicion, but he stared back with a clueless, innocent expression.
A perfectly pure, guileless look.
‘Don’t fall for it.’
I calculated the scores.
Up to the second trial, I was first with 58P.
Since no other team besides ours earned rewards in the third trial, we were surely in first.
I didn’t know how the points for the final trial would be distributed, but as long as I avoided facing Keldric and Soler, I could maintain my lead.
I turned to Keldric, who was still gazing at me with bright, sparkling eyes.
“Um… you don’t know, do you?”
“Know what?”
“You don’t know what the next trial is, right?”
“Nope, I don’t. Do you, Leader?”
Unable to handle his gaze any longer, I headed toward where Siriel was.
* * *
- The trial results will now be announced.
[Third Trial Results]
1st: Team 7 / 100% Breakthrough
2nd: Team 6 / 74% Breakthrough
3rd: Team 3 / 72% Breakthrough
.
.
I had expected it, but hearing the official announcement from the supervisor felt different.
I hugged my Team 7 comrades, savoring the victory.
Thud!
In the process, Kiyot’s new axe fell to the ground with a loud crash, but it was just a minor incident.
The current rankings were announced next.
[Current Rankings]
1st: Polarin Adjak, 108P
2nd: Keldric Adjak, 100P
3rd: Soler Adjak, 98P
4th: Balan Adjak, 88P
Thanks to our strategic team formation, the rankings hadn’t changed.
The victory in the Coming-of-Age Ceremony I had dreamed of was now within reach.
- I will open the portal to the next trial venue. Well done, everyone.
Balua displayed the final message, then turned away without looking at the participants.
Jadin watched Balua with admiration.
“As expected of Lord Balua, so dignified. He doesn’t linger on fleeting connections.”
…To me, it just looked like extreme shyness.
* * *
As I stepped through the portal, the dueling arena I had expected came into view.
It was the venue for the fourth trial.
And the supervisor for the final trial was none other than Tayon.
The participants who had traveled with him as their guide lit up with respect upon seeing him again.
Even among the special participants who hadn’t been under his guidance, his presence caused a stir.
“Whoa… Tayon of the Blue Moon.”
Jadin knelt with even more reverence than he had shown Balua.
Even the special participants, who had maintained sharp attitudes, became docile lambs before Tayon.
The only member of the Twelve Swords of Adjak affiliated with the Crows, Myeolji’s guardians.
Tayon’s reputation for taking on grueling tasks over glory was renowned across the districts.
“The final trial’s evaluation will be a duel.”
Unlike other supervisors, Tayon didn’t introduce himself.
He seemed to know he didn’t need to, carrying himself with quiet confidence.
He spoke only what was necessary.
“The duels will be one-on-one, and the winner will take 10P from the loser.”
From the first to the third trial, the points awarded had increased with each stage, so the fourth trial’s mere 10P felt underwhelming.
‘The key is taking 10P from the opponent.’
For me, losing points to Keldric or Soler could lead to an instant reversal.
The matchups were crucial.
“The current first-place participant will choose their opponent first. There are no restrictions on who can be chosen. Pick whoever you want.”
Tayon looked at me for the first time since taking the role of supervisor.
Our eyes met briefly.
But in that fleeting moment when he mentioned ‘first place’ and looked at me, I felt a surge of pride.
It felt as though he was acknowledging that I was living up to his expectations.
‘If I safely choose weaker opponents and win, my victory in the Coming-of-Age Ceremony is assured.’
“You have 30 minutes to choose your opponent.”
The moment Tayon finished speaking, someone rushed toward me.
“Leader! Fight me! Me! Please!”
What is this, seriously?
Keldric, the one I wanted to avoid most, started going wild.