Ensemble Leveling
Chapter 34: Mighty Obstacle
Upon completion of the ‘Smashing Through Mountain Path’, Jihoon devises a new plan for his approach toward the mountain peak. His ranking can’t drop below last anyway so he took his time. And from the distance he is seeing, many of the participants are already on the conflict with deployed sentinel constructs somewhere mid-height of it.
The destination flag at the top of the mountain fluttering within his sight but it is the winding turns of the climb makes the path lengthier than otherwise. Acknowledging his previous blunder that sends him careening off the trial into the wilderness below, he now needs to account his momentum during his movement toward the mountain path.
“Alright... Let’s do this”. Jihoon said as he proceeds in earnest.
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Exceed!
Classification: Song Magic
Rank: Intermediate
Effect (MAG 30):
-+[10*MAG]% (Currently: 300%) to all Physical Attributes of self.
'A music piece composed of unyielding defiance. Even if one’s circumstances have fallen into misfortune and ill-fate, hope only remains if one lives with determination. To surpass the previous self of yesterday, one must overcome challenges of today and tomorrow with confidence in self.’
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+Physical Attributes:
-STR: 13 (+39)
-END: 14 (+50.4)
-AGI: 14 (+42)
-DEX: 13 (+39)
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His own character theme, a solo electric guitar piece. The most standard, simplistic yet but always the most consistent and the foundation of any powerful combination of Linked Song Magic that he has. Compare to many other participants that are now ahead of him, his current state remains dead last in the competition.
But still not faltered, Jihoon made his steps no matter how meager by comparison.
With the effect of ‘Exceed!’ active, he made his march into the mountain path with deliberate precision. Accelerating and maintain his speed at its current limit, at 5 times peak human capability. Yet the mountain path is still remain a daunting challenge as it isn’t just the terrain but the deployed sentinels lies in their wake with his arrival.
Drawn out his decayed Judgement of Light again, the halberd imbued in shimmering light as his enhanced stats cleave them apart with relative ease. Something that is bound to change in later laps when even a sentinel could easily instantly end someone’s career.
The winding turns make the climb feel infinitely longer than it is, each obstacle extending the distance between him and the mountain's peak. His body empowered by the melody, now moves faster than before, yet it only highlights how far behind he is compared to the other competitors, who now scale the heights ahead of him.
Another clash again, each horde of sentinels on his way test his resolve unhesitatingly. Each swings their weapons at him with maximum allowed strength yet Jihoon deflects all of them swiftly. But the further he progresses, the more their numbers start to rise.
Not now, he can’t afford to lose his regained momentum already after all that he fought for. Mustering his force of will, the fierce determination that drives him forward smash through their numbers unhesitant. Not just physical obstacles that he surpassed but one of mentality, he refused to give up even in dire strait.
The core definition of ‘Exceed!’ after all, is to rise against the overwhelming odds no matter the setbacks.
The climb itself remains as a steep adversary as always but throughout the duration of Jihoon’s ‘Exceed!’ which last for 4 minutes, his 5 times peak human physical stats managed to achieve about a fourth of the mountain path. Not too bad for what he intends to do.
During the duration of it however, the top participants have reached somewhere close to completion of the ascent.
The helicopter which flew above him, exempt from the terrain that Jihoon had to manually traverse. The Doppelgangers have been performing his Song Magic for him and now they are about to perform Linked Song Magic, using ‘Exceed!’ as a foundation step.
“Perform SPIKA next”. Jihoon commanded the Doppelgangers through the unseen link of light between as he maintains his hurried pace.
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SPIKA
Classification: Song Magic
Rank: Intermediate
Effect (MAG 30):
-+100% to MAG
(This effect can only be stacked once and is overlapped by stronger similar effect.)
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+Non-physical Attributes:
-MAG: 30 (+30)
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Exceed! -> SPIKA
Classification: Linked Song Magic
Rank: Intermediate
Linked Effect (MAG 30):
+100% to MAG (This effects only applied once and can’t be compound by similar buffs)
(MAG 60)
+[10*MAG]% (Currently: 600%) to all Physical Attributes to self.
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+Physical Attributes:
-STR: 13 (+78)
-END: 14 (+92)
-AGI: 14 (+84)
-DEX: 13 (+78)
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Well, it looks disappointing right now compared to the mid-boundary 3-digit physical stats he achieved before. At his current state, he has gotten at least 9 times faster than peak human. This puts him somewhere on the lower rung of the current participants on overall capability.
That is… if it is strictly just running toward a destination.
The free-spirited melody of SPIKA echoed again, as the Doppelgangers onboard the helicopter moved to and organized all the instruments they brought with them with haste. The path of mountain winding up and down, like life itself having its ascent and descent.
SPIKA’s key signature is E-flat minor. It is the key of worry, and distressing lament. And the active yearning and pursue of hope no matter how small. All of that whimsical and free-spirited nature would eventually dissolve away as the tone itself become too undeniable to be hidden by note progression.
Once the song entered its middle progression. The pace of the song started to become frantic as if desperately trying to keep up the façade of frolic it had in the beginning.
This piece is what earned him the title of Maestro in Absence. It’s such a profound compositional piece that the surface listeners only hear the innocent frolic above but not the wistful parting of said thing beneath it.
Bittersweet wisdom etched in a decade after the Gates appeared in his world. The lighthearted nostalgia that will never return. Jihoon made peace with it as he continues to stride forward in hastened speed again.
Deliberate and precise steps once again turned into blurred cyclical motion. As if reflecting in the frantic nature of SPIKA, his leg motion once again moved in frenetic pace.
Arms fully extended to the back. Facial features contorted as teeth bared and eyes clenched in determined rage. Slowly but surely, he is catching up to the competition once again.
Twisted and coiled like a serpent that the path he has taken, each time a sharp turn threatens him to just throw him off the route. Yet despite all of that, his movements remained precise. His body twist and leans into every curve, narrowly avoiding the missteps. A delicate balance of power and control that he maintained during this section of the trial.
On the route toward the destination, more of the sentinel constructs are deployed. With his current stats, he quickly rush through their formation and moved on without stop or letting them hinder him any longer than required. Their shattered form scatters behind as Jihoon continues onward.
Daunting his path maybe but his determination burned fierce with every step. He couldn’t lose his momentum now—not after everything he had fought through to regain his place in the race. The relentless tempo of SPIKA echoed in his ears, its free-spirited melody driving him onward, its undercurrent of wistfulness pushing him forward with urgency.
As Jihoon moved deeper into the climb, the participants who had once left him far behind now came into view. They were the scattered lower-rung competitors, struggling against the same mountain path and massed sentinels that Jihoon had overcome on his own. Their placement was simply that they have a headstart against him.
To them, his appearance again was a shock. He had fallen dead last due to his high-speed blunder but now he was tearing his own way through with speed and fury. Something that a lot of these participants couldn’t keep up after fighting over hundreds of sentinels until now.
With swift motion, Jihoon started to overtake each one of them consistently. From dead last back into top 200, then to mid-rank with each passing second. Like a master musician striking a chord with precision. The winding path no longer felt like a barrier but an extension of the music, his body in the moment a conduit for the song’s frantic, bittersweet energy.
Jihoon overtook another group of racers, their surprised faces registering only for a moment before he disappeared from their view. The scattered lower-rung participants were no match for his pace now. He was catching up, one step at a time, breaking through their ranks just as he had broken through the sentinels.
With the duration of SPIKA being 5 and half minutes. His effective movement speed roughly at 7-times peak human due to the difficult terrain. He had officially completed 80% of the mountain trial, given this entire stage has the length of a marathon in his world. Worst is that the whole duration of this stage was like… 15 minutes since participants first reached this mountain path.
Now, that SPIKA is approaching its end, it is time for the climax to be performed.
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Smashing Through Mountain Path
Classification: Song Magic
Rank: Intermediate
Effect (MAG 30):
-+[3.5*MAG]% (Currently: 105%) to all Physical Attributes of self.
-+[5*MAG]% to AGI and DEX for every obstacle encountered during duration. (Max: 10 stacks)
If in a difficult mountain region. Stack is set to max.
-Increased mental clarity during high-pressure situations. (Improving reaction time, focus)
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Exceed! -> SPIKA -> Smashing Through Mountain Path
Classification: Linked Song Magic
Rank: Intermediate
Linked Effect (MAG 30):
+100% to MAG of self (This effects only applied once and can’t be compound by similar buffs)
(MAG 60)
-+[5*MAG]% to AGI and DEX for every obstacle encountered during duration. (Max: 10 stacks)
If in a difficult mountain region. Stack is set to max. (Currently: 3,000%)
-Increased mental clarity during high-pressure situations. (Improving reaction time, focus)
-+[13.5*MAG]% (Currently: 810%) to all Physical Attributes to self.
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+Physical Attributes:
-STR: 13 (+105)
-END: 14 (+122)
-AGI: 14 (+533)
-DEX: 13 (+495)
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He probably had blundered his combination somewhere, but at the end, this is a choice that he made. Now with his movement speed limit at 53 times peak human, combined with the narrow route of the mountain. This probably would be another recipe for disaster that he brought himself upon.
But with no fear or hesitation, he starts to accelerate once more. Another sharp turn is ahead of him which would have become another repeat of that blunder of his previously unthoughtful Mach run but...
His body shifted sideway, reorient itself toward the turn’s direction while the momentum threatens to throw him off the edge. All while the leg motions still move in cyclical blur too fast for naked eyes.
As if likening his own body motion like that of a motorcycle, he performed the equivalent of a drift with his own body as he plunged one hand into the ground as it claws into the dirt as if tearing it apart trying to fight against the momentum he rode before.
Like a rally motorcycle navigating a hairpin curve, Jihoon’s body leaned into the turn, his hand acting as an anchor as he scraped through the soil. His legs continued their rapid motion, but his balance enhanced by ‘Smashing Through Mountain Path’ allowed him to keep control, navigating the curve with precision. The sheer audacity of it left the audience watching him stunned.
“Did… did he just drift with his body?!” one of the commentators shouted in disbelief, barely able to keep up with what had just happened.
“No way! I’ve never seen anything like that! He was going too fast to make that turn, but he… he pulled it off!” the other co-commentator added, her voice rising with excitement.
The crowd erupted in cheers as Jihoon, against all odds, made the impossible look effortless. The other participants ahead, now within his reach, glanced back, their expressions a mix of shock and confusion as Jihoon rapidly gained on them.
"How is he doing that?!" one of the racers muttered, eyes wide as Jihoon drifted through yet another sharp turn, cutting down time and distance with each maneuver.
Every time he approached a sharp bend, Jihoon repeated the move—plunging his hand into the earth, leaning his body into the turn, and drifting through the narrow, winding path. His speed was too fast for the sentinels to react in time. Each time they tried to intercept him, he was already gone, moving past them in a blur before they could even swing their weapons.
With every drift, every sentinel bypassed, Jihoon’s rank climbed. The competitors ahead of him, who had once left him far behind, were now within striking distance. His speed, though limited by the difficult terrain, was still unmatched in precision and efficiency.
One by one, Jihoon surged past them, their faces filled with disbelief as they watched him tear through the mountain path like a storm. His pace, once slow and deliberate, had now turned into a lightning-fast blur of motion. The narrow and treacherous mountain path could no longer hold him back.
Jihoon’s mind was in a state of clarity that he could hardly imagine describing in fitting words. As the melody of ‘Smashing Through Mountain Path’ played, a sense of tranquility encompassing him as if there’s truly nothing left to worry about. He truly felt unstoppable as he genuinely felt that he could smash apart all the obstacles in the mountain path.
Soon, his presence would be felt by the top-rankers of the race.
For the duration of the final link, at effective speed of 12 times peak human due to difficult terrain. Jihoon quickly starts to reach toward the peak within… a minute and a half.
At the very top ranking, Fenrir Snowbreak, Legolas Virentleaf and Zorn the Ironclad whose placement has exchanged of each other throughout the duration except for the little moment when Jihoon managed to overtake them briefly. And now, that they have reached the very peak ahead of anyone else. The destination flag is now within a striking distance.
The current first place holder is Fenrir Snowbreak, a beastfolk girl with wolf ears and white hair like snow is rushing down the path at great speed. No surprise right there as she hailed from the Solros Winter Wonderland of northern Absence.
Just behind her, in a close second, is Legolas Virentleaf, the elven prodigy of Alberenth Faewild, western Absence. This guy has been absolutely flawless with his strategic maneuvering, using their trained agility and dexterity to keep pace with that born natural talent.
Zorn the Ironclad, the dwarf warrior! Despite his bulk and armor, he’s been holding steady in third place, relying on his enhanced endurance and brute strength to plow through obstacles that others have to avoid.
The same as during the start, and the same it is now.
And now, Jihoon was closing in on them, his body a blur as he surged up the mountain. He had managed to overtake them briefly earlier in the race, but now he was right behind them again, his legs moving faster than any of the others could comprehend.
The top three competitors could feel the shift in the air as Jihoon approached. His pace quickened, and once a clear path to the flag is within sight, in an instant did his body accelerate to 52 times peak human speed—breaking the sound barrier with a deafening boom. The shockwave echoed across the mountain, sending a tremor through the rocky terrain.
“What the—!?” Legolas glanced back, startled by the sudden sonic boom behind them.
“Impossible… He's doing it again!” Fenrir growled, her wolf ears twitching at the sound.
But before any of them could react, Jihoon had already caught up to them, and in a split second, he passed them entirely, his speed propelling him directly toward the flag. His body moved like lightning, a blur of motion that none of the top-rankers could match.
As he closed in on the flag, time seemed to slow for everyone watching—Jihoon reached out, his hand stretching toward the fluttering flag in the wind.
Jihoon’s hand grasped the flag, and confirmed his arrival. He had done it. He had reached the peak, his comeback complete. But the race wasn’t over yet and there was still the run back to the starting point. The moment his hand touched the flag, Jihoon knew he had to turn around and descend the mountain with the same intensity he had used to climb it.
Just as Jihoon prepared to turn and make his way down, something unexpected happened.
The ground beneath him shook violently, and a low, ominous roar echoed through the air. The once clear sky above the peak darkened, and suddenly, the terrain around the flag tremored. Out of nowhere, a massive sentinel construct materialized—a creature unlike any of the sentinels the participants had faced thus far.
Designed in the shape of a griffon in mythology. With towering size, the body of a lion and the wings and head of an eagle. Its form seem to shimmer in ethereal magic flow, eyes emulating the sharp and fierce intelligence that they would have. Then it lets out a powerful screech before unfurling its wings and locking upon him.
“What the—!?” Jihoon skidded to a halt, his eyes widening in shock. He had expected a clear run down the mountain, but this was something else entirely.
The commentators watching from afar were just as stunned. “A boss fight? No one told the participants about this!” one of them exclaimed, their voice filled with disbelief.
“That construct—it’s targeting Jihoon specifically!” the co-commentator added. “Is this some kind of hidden challenge for whoever reaches first place?”
Jihoon knew that this trial supposedly reflect what happened in the Odyssey but he certainly didn’t expect them to even go as far to make the first place holder the Odysseus to suffer like the story.
The answer quickly became clear as the griffon lunged at Jihoon with terrifying speed, its claws slashing through the air, aimed directly at him. Jihoon barely had time to react, using his enhanced reflexes from Smashing Through Mountain Path to dodge the first strike. But the beast wasn’t letting up—it circled around in the air, preparing for another attack.
As Jihoon squared off against the massive sentinel, Fenrir, Legolas, and Zorn reached the flag, verifying their arrival. They exchanged quick glances, realizing the gravity of Jihoon’s situation. However, none of them seemed eager to stick around and help.
“Good luck with that,” Fenrir muttered, her wolf ears twitching as she sprinted off toward the descent.
“I’m not getting involved in that,” Zorn grunted, his heavy form already moving toward the path down.
Legolas, the last to glance back at Jihoon, gave a short nod of acknowledgment before turning to leave. “He’ll handle it,” he said, more to himself than to anyone else.
And just like that, Jihoon was left alone to face the griffon.
The beast let out another ear-piercing screech, its massive wings flapping as it charged at Jihoon again. He clenched his teeth, his decayed halberd, Judgment of Light glowing with shimmering power as he prepared to defend himself.
As the griffon descended upon him with terrifying force, Jihoon’s mind raced. The race wasn’t over. He had to survive this and make it back down the mountain, fast.
“Alright, then,” Jihoon muttered under his breath, gripping his halberd tightly. “Let’s finish this.”
First, [Observant]. Know your enemies and every battle comes out victorious.
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Sentinel Construct Model 22 - Griffon
Name: *none*
Level: 2??
Race: Non-sentient Mechanical Construct
+Physical Attributes:
-STR: 160
-END: 150
-AGI: 5??
-DEX: 4??
+Non-physical Attributes:
-INT: NAN
-CHA: NAN
-MAG: 133
-Active Skill:
+Wind Magic (Advanced)
+Sharp Sight [Imitation] (Advanced)
+Predator Instinct [Imitation] (Advanced)
+Aerodynamic (Intermediate)
-Description:
A massive mechanical griffon construct designed to mimic
the behaviors and hunting instincts of the legendary mythological beast.
Outfitted with advanced wind magic capabilities,
granting it immense speed and aerial agility, making it
nearly impossible to outrun or outmaneuver in open terrain.
Its mechanical design includes enhanced visual tracking and
predatory instincts, making it capable of detecting the slightest movement
or weakness in its prey.
Though non-sentient, it is relentless, programmed to pursue and destroy any target locked in its path.
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Jihoon’s eyes narrowed as the information processed in his mind. The griffon was a beast of raw power and speed, far beyond anything the other sentinels had thrown at him so far. Its strength and endurance were overwhelming, and its wind magic and predatory instincts made it nearly impossible to escape.
He immediately recognized that even with his current Linked Song Magic, there was no way he could outrun this thing. If he tried to simply descend the mountain and make it to the next checkpoint, the griffon would tear him apart before he could get far.
A drawn-out battle was inevitable.
Jihoon gritted his teeth. “So, running’s not an option... I guess we fight.”
He immediately switched his focus to his own magic. If the griffon had advanced wind magic and predatory instincts, Jihoon needed to rely on his own strengths: his versatility and the power of his Song Magic combined with his Light Magic.
“Golden Hour it is,” he muttered to himself, as his fingers started weaving the familiar sigils in the air.
Golden Hour was his Intermediate-class Light Magic—a tactical spell that allowed him to combine various Novice-class Light Magic techniques into a single cohesive strategy. By anchoring his spells into the ground in the form of luminal-substance weapons, he could enhance them and maintain a powerful magical circle that would boost his output while limiting his magic cost.
A spell of his own that came from his own enlightenment during his stranding with Aquarius. Of how the Golden Hour is both the most brilliant hour of the day occurs just before daybreak or sundown. Symbolizing the personal feeling of which he had nothing to lose.
Whether being the grizzled veteran or new blood having nothing, the only shared sentiments to do their best with all their given.
He began with Piercing Glare, summoning spears of pure light energy, sharp and radiant like sunlight piercing through a storm and a gaze too harsh for the eyes. One by one, the spears manifested and stabbed into the earth, glowing brightly as their power anchored the spell into the battlefield. He followed it up with Dawn’s Edge, a series of luminal-substance blades forming around him, each one shimmering with radiant energy like crack of dawn when the day arrives.
The ground beneath him began to glow as the magic circle formed, the light from the spears and blades connecting into a grid-like formation. The circle pulsed with raw light magic as the Golden Hour effect took hold, boosting the strength of his Novice-class spells into Intermediate-class power, all while maintaining the same mana cost.
The griffon sentinel, sensing the buildup of magic, let out a ferocious screech and flapped its wings. The wind magic surrounding it intensified, the air distorting as razor-sharp gales swirled around its form. It charged at Jihoon, claws extended, ready to strike.
But Jihoon was ready.
With a flick of his wrist, numerous Dawn’s Edges appeared as they shot toward the mechanical griffon mid-flight. It screeched once more in frustration as gleam blades of light scratched its body. Sparks fly as radiance clash with the barrier of wind surrounding it. As he is aware already, its END is still too much for someone of his capabilities.
The griffon twisted mid-air, using its agility and wind magic to deflect several of the spears, but a few found their mark, piercing into its wing joints and slowing its movements. The construct screeched again, its eyes glowing brighter as it prepared another charge.
Without hesitation, Jihoon followed up as he commanded the Piercing Glare spears to rise from the ground, each one homing in on the griffon’s exposed joints and weak points. The spears shot upward, leaving trails of light as they converged on the sentinel’s body
Jihoon clenched his halberd, feeling the radiant energy of Golden Hour surging through him. The battlefield around him was now bathed in light, his magic circle amplifying the strength of every spell he cast.
“This isn’t going to be easy,” Jihoon muttered to himself, eyes locked onto the griffon. He could sense the intensity of the battle that lay ahead—every moment would be a test of his resolve and precision.
The griffon swooped down again, its massive form cutting through the air with terrifying speed. But Jihoon stood his ground, his light magic shining brighter than ever, ready to fight the mimicry of mythological beast head-on.
The real battle had begun.