“I’mready.Let’sbeginthefinaltrial.”

“Halfanhourremaining.Interferencewillnowbegin.”

“gratutions.You’vepassed.Restfornow.Thefinaltrialwillbegininhalfanhour.”

Sofar,I’veohalf-dead.

Islowedslightly,curiouswhetherthisso-calledinterferencecouldaffect“me.”

Suddenly,themountaioshake.Atreetoppledtowar

Theeokeup:

Panting,Iasked,

ButIdidn’tdwellonit.Irested.Afteraboutanhour,Ifeltrecoveredenoughandstoodup.

“Itmeansateiquethatisfatedtomatchyouperfectly.Trainingityieldsresultswithhalftheeffort.”

Timepassed.

likeaflowingstream.

“Youmustreachthesummitwithinhalfanhour.Succeed,arialisplete.”

TomakeacultivatoratFoundatioablishmehismuch—itwastheequivalentofanordinarypersontrainingintenselyforhours.

Igaveaweaknodandcolpsedontheground.

Themountaiobesappingmystrength.

So,Icalledforth“me.”

Thesteward’svoiceechoedagain:

Thistime,somethingcriticappeared:theactualteique.

Tweer,thefigurefisdemonstration.Imimickedit.

“Oh?”

Thefirstformtainsfivemoves.”

“SorSparrowBattleTeique,FirstForm.”

Notimetowaste.Iimmediatelyleaptandbeganclimbing.

AmIsupposedtoclimbthat?

Idon’tknowhowlongI’dbeenclimbing,butexhaustionstartedsettingin.

Then,fromfarbelow,Iheardthestewardcallout:

“Bytheway...whatisaLife-BoundTeique?”

“ThisisthefirstformoftheSorSparrowBattleTeique.

Halftheeffort...?

Aminiaturefigureappearedinmymind,demonstratingamartialsequence.Meanwhile,appeared:

Thegroundtrembled.Atmountainrosebeforeme.Injustafewbreaths,thesummitwashiddenbyclouds.

Heonlymuttered,“ain.”Butdespitehispint,hebeganclimbingwithfulleffort.

Quietly,Imuttered,

Therewerefivedistinctmoves.Afterpletingthem,Iwasdrenchedi,myqipletelydepleted.