Chapter 93

Chapter 93
## Chapter: 93

### Chapter Title: The Spear Wielder

—

“Did you catch the news? A human among the latest recruits has pushed his handicap settings to the absolute limit.”

“There’s always a few lunatics who show up thinking they’re special.”

“True, but has anyone actually lived through the maximum restrictions besides that ‘Spear Wielder’ from a couple of years back?”

On the mid-slopes of the peak.

Various Beastkin lounged upon the jagged rocks of the precipice, passing the time with casual talk.

“Aria, what’s your take on this?”

“······.”

“Right, I forgot. Your mouth is sealed shut because of your own constraints.”

“······.”

Aria, the beastkin cloaked in the hide of a white tiger, remained perfectly still, appearing entirely indifferent to the conversation.

It wasn’t merely a lack of interest—it was as if the world around her had ceased to exist.

She was currently lost in a profound state of inner focus.

*‘The path of combat is infinite. There is no ultimate ceiling. One must simply chase the horizon forever. Compared to true mastery, I am still a mere novice.’*

She sought enlightenment through the fires of discipline.

Her ambition was to outshine her father by carving out a unique legacy in the world of martial prowess.

However, she had encountered a standstill.

Her advancement in skill had remained frozen for an entire year.

*‘I lack a challenger here who can push me. That is why I have stopped growing.’*

She understood the root of her stagnation, even if only vaguely.

She lacked a true peer.

Nothing on this peak possessed the spark required to rouse her sleeping competitive drive.

Yet, she was powerless to change her circumstances.

It wasn’t just this mountain—she suspected that even if she scoured the corners of the earth, she would find no one capable of igniting her warrior’s spirit.

She was a miracle of talent that surpassed all other geniuses.

A peerless prodigy destined to one day eclipse the White King himself.

—

### Spear Wielder

“Master, you don’t seem particularly invested in the seventh Main Quest?”

Master directed a sharp glare at the uninvited visitor.

“······Whether I care or not, why does that concern you, Black Night?”

The legendary nine-tailed fox, Black Night—a member of the Seven Heroes—pushed up her shades and offered a cunning smirk, looking sharp in her tailored suit.

“I simply stumbled upon some fascinating rumors. I heard your elite hit squad was wiped off the map. And while they were hunting Phantom, no less.”

“If you’ve come here to peddle gossip you found in the gutter, leave before I lose my patience.”

He had kept the details of that failure under a heavy shroud of secrecy, yet it had slipped through.

No, it couldn’t be a leak.

His followers were beyond reproach in their loyalty.

That silver-tongued fox must have employed her Charm Bead to extract the truth from someone.

“How frightening~ Are you sure you don’t want to hear the intelligence I’ve gathered?”

“It’s likely garbage regardless.”

“Even if it concerns the Black King?”

The Black King.

A titan of power whispered about in the same breath as the White King.

Information regarding such a figure was, by definition, beyond price.

“······Take a seat.”

Tch. Master clicked his tongue in irritation.

He knew that the data Black Night occasionally provided was always authentic.

In the realm of information brokerage, she had no equal.

“The legions of the Black King are currently converging on the Trainee Mountain.”

Black Night took her seat with a graceful motion and cut straight to the chase.

“To what end?”

“Perhaps because the daughter of the White King is stationed there?”

Master’s brow darkened with a heavy scowl.

“The Black King has remained in the shadows for years. Why would he suddenly target the White King’s offspring? That would be a declaration of total war.”

Such a move would trigger a cataclysmic conflict between the two monarchs.

A disaster that could not be contained.

Every settlement caught in the crossfire would be reduced to ash.

Yet, the White King and the Black King had maintained a tense neutrality ever since their legendary stalemate two decades ago.

Neither had been able to claim victory.

Black Night’s eyes sparked with a predatory light.

“What if he managed to acquire a ‘secret weapon’ capable of finally felling the White King?”

“Supposing he did······ how does that involve me?”

“My dear, brilliant Master. Think for a moment—this is the ultimate opportunity to align ourselves with the Black King.”

“You are implying we should seize the White King’s daughter and deliver her to him?”

He understood her trajectory perfectly.

It was the very scenario he had been silently contemplating with dread.

Essentially, it meant betting on the Black King and making a permanent enemy of the White King.

Master let out a heavy breath.

“Even if we entertained the idea, the Trainee Mountain is inaccessible. And even if we breached the perimeter, the White King’s daughter is no easy target. Abducting her is a fantasy.”

“We can find an agent to sneak in. It’s not as if entry is restricted solely to players, right? Mercenaries, fortune seekers, outlaws—there are plenty of denizens of Pangeniar who would risk everything for a mountain of gold.”

······ It was a valid point.

If the price was right, Pangenians desperate to enter the Trainee Mountain would be lining up.

However, that wasn’t how he operated.

Master only put his faith in those who swore fealty to him.

“Regardless of her parentage, her actual level should be relatively low. You are well aware of my capabilities.”

“Then deal with it yourself.”

“Master. Why do you think I brought this to you in the first place?”

“······You’re looking for funding.”

“Spot on! I knew you’d understand. An operational budget of 20 million gold. Plus my personal commission: 30 million gold.”

A grand total of 50 million gold.

With the high-end auction approaching, such an expenditure would be a significant blow to his coffers.

“That’s daylight robbery. What is my return on this investment?”

“Hard data on Phantom. The gratitude of the Black King. I’ll even make sure your name is mentioned prominently in his ear.”

“You truly believe you can uncover Phantom’s secrets?”

Black Night gave a confident toss of her head.

“He has to be on the Trainee Mountain regardless, doesn’t he? A figure like Phantom can’t help but leave a trail.”

“Do not treat him lightly, or you will pay the price.”

Black Night ran her tongue over her lips, smiling as if the whole world were a playground.

For Master to say such a thing?

“Oh? Is that why you’ve been sitting in the dark? Are you terrified?”

A wave of murderous intent rolled off Master.

“······Repeat that.”

“Are you afraid that if you poke him, you’ll get burned again?”

His previous attempts to sabotage Phantom had been disastrous.

There had been no gain—only a compounding series of failures.

Now she saw the truth behind Master’s hesitation regarding the Trainee Mountain.

Given his ruthless nature, he would have invaded the peak with everything he had by now, without her even needing to suggest it.

········· Master was paralyzed by fear.

He was afraid that his entire kingdom would turn to dust.

“One more disrespectful syllable, and I will tear your tongue from your throat.”

“Fine, fine, let’s calm down. Let’s discuss whether Phantom has any chance of taking the top spot in the rankings this time.”

Black Night moved the conversation along before things turned violent.

Master exhaled slowly, shaking his head.

“··· He won’t.”

“And why is that?”

“The level ceilings for each class are strictly defined.”

“What if Phantom has secured a legendary or special class?”

“Even then, he would be capped at level 24 at the most.”

“Gracia is currently leading at level 24, right?”

“Correct. Even the most prestigious class couldn’t possibly break through to level 25 in that environment.”

It was common knowledge that even a Sword Saint class hit a wall at level 24 in terms of proficiency.

Even with a more exotic title, reaching 25 on the Trainee Mountain was statistically impossible.

“What if he bypassed the usual proficiency bonuses?”

“Even with a 1,000% acceleration in growth, it doesn’t matter. Level 25 is an unreachable summit there.”

Once you hit level 19, the experience required for proficiency scales exponentially.

Breaking into 20 is a feat, but the jump from 24 to 25 is a literal nightmare.

The mountain’s hard cap was 24.

Therefore, Phantom could not claim the top rank this time.

Especially with Black Night acting as an unpredictable new factor in the equation.

—

《You have stepped into the ‘Lava Trainee Zone.’》

《Your fire resistance has surged due to the influence of ‘Origin Flame.’》

《Sword Proficiency has climbed to Lv. 16.》

《Achievement Unlocked: ‘Tireless Trainee.’》

《Fame +40.》

Amidst the scorched, smoking earth.

In the heart of the ‘Lava Trainee Zone,’ where rivers of liquid fire churned just beneath the surface, I continued to drive my blade through the air.

The Trainee Mountain becomes increasingly hostile as one ascends, forcing candidates into brutal environments to squeeze out every drop of proficiency.

“······ Is that man even human?”

A nearby trainee watched the display in utter disbelief.

This individual had reached the halfway point in a mere three days.

He hadn’t stopped for a single moment—not for a minute, not even for a second.

Granted, others had reached this height in three days before.

*‘But he looked like a complete amateur when he first showed up.’*

Those others were already ‘refined’ before they started the climb.

They weren’t burdened by maximum handicaps.

But this man was different.

Total restrictions, and he had started with pathetic proficiency levels.

Roar!

Even with the aid of healing spells, mental and physical exhaustion still accumulates.

Yet this trainee showed no signs of cracking under the pressure.

*‘The smoke is so thick visibility must be zero. Is he not afraid?’*

His vision had failed him long ago.

It wasn’t just his eyes—all his physical senses had been stifled.

Only the sensation of pain remained.

It was a living hell that would break anyone.

Yet the man continued his rhythm, completely unfazed.

He was suppressing his basic survival instincts through pure, unadulterated willpower.

Was such a feat even within the realm of possibility?

He had transformed, substituting his lost senses with a mental construct of his surroundings.

The observer was left speechless—the stories didn’t contain anything like this.

《Sword Proficiency has climbed to Lv. 17.》

Another level gained.

Only half a day had passed since he reached 16.

Noticing the man’s progress, the onlooker felt his breath hitch.

*‘His speed is unnatural.’*

These were heights that took some people months or even half a year to conquer.

To do it in three days was beyond logic.

Even seeing it with his own eyes, he found it hard to believe.

Soon, the man moved beyond the volcanic region.

He pushed further into a more dangerous territory.

《You have stepped into the ‘Storm Trainee Zone.’》

《Your wind resistance has surged due to the influence of ‘Origin Wind.’》

《Achievement Unlocked: ‘Unstoppable Trainee.’》

《Fame +50.》

Into the heart of the Storm Trainee Zone.

The gales were so violent that simply maintaining a grip on a weapon was a struggle.

A single lapse in concentration would result in being swept away to a certain death.

It was notorious as one of the most grueling ‘elemental lands’ of the mid-peak!

*‘This will surely stop him.’*

Losing the freedom of movement for his sword made this exponentially harder than any previous trial.

But that assumption was also proven wrong.

Slash! Whish!

He allowed his blade to ride the currents of the gale.

He was reading the wind, neutralizing its force by moving in harmony with it.

《Sword Proficiency has climbed to Lv. 18.》

······ It took only a single day.

The time it took to level up and dominate the zone.

《You have stepped into the ‘Deep Sea Trainee Zone.’》

《Your water resistance has surged due to the influence of ‘Origin Water.’》

《Achievement Unlocked: ‘Limit Challenger.’》

《Fame +50.》

Ultimately, the watching trainee stopped trying to make sense of it.

—

My Hidden Trait, ‘High Druid of Great Nature.’

Because my elemental affinities had evolved, my resistances to the environment were through the roof.

That allowed me to glide through the ‘elemental zones’—the peak’s most infamous obstacles.

*‘Level 19 is the expected threshold for these elemental trainee zones.’*

I was blind.

I could not hear, nor could I smell.

Despite this, I moved forward with absolute confidence.

*‘Hidden Trait: Mutation.’*

Mutation provided me with the ability to perceive the path even with my eyes shut tight.

It functioned like a biological sonar—a primitive ‘knowing,’ but more than sufficient for this ascent.

《Sword Proficiency has climbed to Lv. 19.》

《You have conquered all ‘Elemental Trainee Zones.’》

《Achievement Unlocked: ‘Challenger Who Saw the End of Elemental Zones.’》

《Fame +100.》

《The emerging constellations of Baekseongjeon watch your meteoric growth with wide-eyed wonder.》

《Three constellations have submitted proposals for apostle contracts.》

Under normal circumstances, finishing these zones doesn’t yield special achievements.

However, the maximum restrictions triggered hidden bonuses.

I pressed on to a higher elevation.

《From this point forward, trainees are prohibited from offering guidance.》

《Subsequent zones are determined by the trainee’s specific traits.》

《Initiating the next Trainee Zone challenge.》

《You have entered the ‘Chaos Trainee Zone (10).’》

As I moved forward, the world shifted.

The Chaos Trainee Zone.

The other trainees and the Saint Se-ah were no longer by my side.

I was on my own from here on out.

Sss!

Rustle!

Clang!

But shortly after entering, I felt a surge of curiosity.

*‘I didn’t think anyone else would be here.’*

The deepest reaches of the Chaos Trainee Zone.

This was a place only accessible to those with maximum handicaps and high proficiency levels.

Yet, someone had arrived before me.

Was it a person?

Or perhaps a specific trial generated just for me.

My senses were still blurred.

However, Mutation offered fragments of information I could piece together.

*‘The Spear Wielder?’*

There was a sharp, focused energy radiating from the tip of an invisible weapon.

The cadence of the movements was unmistakably that of a master of the spear.

They weren’t moving at a blinding speed.

They must also be under the weight of maximum restrictions.

But I didn’t have the luxury of pondering the situation for long.