Chapter 47: Intelligence Test
The Intelligence Test commenced.
Ain’s vision flickered, and a world of white replaced the total darkness. He became the only colorful strokes on a pure white canvas. Simultaneously, a stream of information poured into his mind: the test instructions. As his vision swiftly adjusted, he rapidly linked the sight reflected in his eyes to the test instructions he’d just received. “So, this is the Intelligence Test…”
Ain was only dazed for a split-second before he dashed towards a floating white stairway in front of him. The Intelligence Test was fairly simple. Before him stood a towering and endless maze of floating staircases, platforms, bridges, and portals. His task was to navigate this complex maze while solving various problems presented during the process. His score would be determined by the maximum height achieved in the test’s one-hour duration. Moreover, to keep him on his toes, the minimum passing score was not provided.
At this moment, Wisdom Root displayed its remarkable effects. Ain’s thinking speed instantly accelerated. Usually, his true cognitive abilities were subconsciously suppressed, but slowly, he was beginning to adapt.
While sprinting, he briefly glanced up at the maze. The sight was instantly branded in his mind. In the chaotic floating maze, he discerned a continuous path to the limits of his vision. There was only a single stairway in the beginning, but it quickly split into several more in varying directions, with some even heading back down. Straight bridges and wide platforms were also sprinkled here and there.
Upon reaching the stairway, Ain started climbing without hesitation. However, right after the third step, he suddenly jumped off the side! “It’s possible to go off the path, and even fall,” he confirmed quickly. This discovery was extremely important.
Returning to the stairway, Ain rushed up straight until he encountered the first intersection at a square platform. A flat bridge continued straight while a stairway steered left. Without pause, he headed up the left stairway. At the top, a rectangular platform unfolded with five different paths. He chose a straight bridge this time, but upon reaching halfway, he paused. Floating adjacent to him, three meters away, was a flat circular bridge. It was closest to him at this exact point. This was a shortcut he’d found in his mind!
While preparing to jump, Ain’s eyes subconsciously glanced down. At this moment, a realization struck him. He was already over fifty meters high! Below him was only a white abyss with sparse pathways. Immediately, his mind was struck by a bout of dizziness with an onset of vertigo. His stomach churned, heartbeat quickened, and palms grew sweaty. Unexpectedly, amidst all this, an electrifying thrill also crept up his spine with adrenaline coursing through his veins.
Unwilling to waste time, Ain took a deep breath, encouraging himself, “It’s only three meters away…”
A three-meter jump wasn’t difficult for Rank-1 Spirit Masters. Glancing down one last time, he lowered his body and jumped. The stairs and bridges were all two meters wide. He had sufficient space to land. Drawing a perfect parabola, he accurately reached the circular bridge.
“Phew,” Ain breathed out in relief. During this brief pause, he observed the paths ahead. After quickly planning his route, he rushed out again. Time was of the essence. For nearly a minute, he accurately navigated the maze. However, soon, his advance was barred on a white platform.
“This should be the first problem,” he thought. Aside from the maze itself, the Intelligence Test included problems that served as obstacles. There were several portals and stairways, blocked by a thin membrane, connected to this square platform. On a white slab in the middle, a riddle was inscribed. Ain read the text out loud, “The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?”
Riddles tested one’s unrestrained thinking and the ability to form illusory connections. His brain started churning. In just three seconds, countless thoughts flashed past his mind. With shining eyes, he answered, “Footsteps.”
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As soon as his voice fell, the white slab suddenly vanished. The thin membranes blocking the connected paths also dissipated. His answer was correct. However, he wasn’t content with his own performance. “I’m not too familiar with riddles. I could’ve been quicker if I was…”
Shaking his head, Ain continued on. The route in his mind kept updating as new maze sections became visible. By this point, he’d also begun realizing the challenge posed by portals. Their destinations were unknown. Usually, it wasn’t too far, still within visual range from the portal, but he had to travel through them to discover it. If the portal wasn’t useful, then his time was wasted.
Just like that, Ain continued climbing through the maze. At times, he even had to traverse the stairs and bridges upside down. In twenty minutes, he was over two thousand meters high. He’d encountered several obstacles such as riddles, puzzles, and even a few spells. It was surprising to find spells in the Intelligence Test. Regardless, they were utterly incoherent with no real effects. Only a successful cast was required to proceed. For him, the difficulty wasn’t too high. The spell runes just had more variations.
Once thirty minutes had elapsed, Ain found himself at another rectangular platform. The paths here weren’t blocked, but glancing up, the correct path couldn’t be discerned anymore. There were no dead ends as every path continued seamlessly beyond his vision. At the center of the platform, there was a white circular slab. There was a passage inscribed on it. Quickly reading through, he muttered, “So that’s how it is…”
On the slab was a traveler’s tale as he climbed to the peak of a mountain. Ain’s path forward was to mimic the traveler’s route, particularly the directions. However, the traveler’s path lacked clear descriptions. Everything was stated indirectly.
“In the beginning, the rising moon was to the traveler’s left. This will serve as my reference. The upcoming directional clues will be oriented with regard to this reference,” Ain decided. Having memorized the passage, he started analyzing it swiftly. Once the preliminary route was determined, he quickly set off. He chose the stairway to the right of the circular slab. Moving in this direction, the white circular slab was on his left, just as the moon was to the traveler’s left.
In the story, the traveler followed the wind, noting the lunar shadows facing away. At one point, a sudden landslide caused him to stumble back down. The traveler had to circle around, moving against his previous direction. With the moon overhead, the traveler followed a mysterious fox, traveling around the mountain. As the sun rose, a large bird snatched him up, casting a long shadow down the mountain…
The tale was full of twists and turns. Without hesitation, Ain sprinted along the path inferred from the minor details. About five minutes later, his footsteps suddenly paused at an intersection. “There’s no path,” he said skeptically with some faint panting. He’d already reached the conclusion of the traveler’s tale. Only one more path remained. However, the direction he’d deduced was an empty void. There was no path there…
To Ain’s right was a stairway heading down. Across from him was a portal. To his left was nothing but the white abyss. He was supposed to turn left here…
“Did I make a mistake somewhere?” He frowned, hesitation visible in his eyes. There was even panic sprouting in his heart. In just seconds, he hastily reviewed all his choices, meticulously comparing them against the tale. “No, I’ve followed all the clues correctly. There is only one path. Did I start off incorrectly? No. That can’t be it. There’s only the circular slab for reference in the beginning. The side with the passage inscribed is naturally the front. Heading right from the slab was the only correct choice…”
Ain’s mind continued racing uncontrollably. He reviewed his choices several times. Recalling the alternate paths, he overlapped the route he’d deduced. None of them were a match. Only this path matched perfectly, except for this final part. Fear started manifesting in his heart. Would he fail the test because of this? The timer had only reached thirty-five minutes from the one hour duration. His score shouldn’t be enough to pass with so much time remaining. As he stood still, hesitating, the mild panting from the sprint didn’t diminish. Its source subtly shifted to his anxiety. He tested the possibility of an invisible path, but it was just wishful thinking. He hesitatingly probed the air with his foot but failed to uncover any hidden paths.
Ain glanced around unsurely. Should he try one of the other two paths? While he pondered, a solution he’d unknowingly ignored suddenly came to mind. “Heavenly Secrets… Can I use Heavenly Secrets to discover the correct path?” His eyes brightened with this thought. He’d never used his Heavenly Secrets ability, so he didn’t immediately think of it. Moreover, he was subconsciously averse to wasting the Heavenly Whispers on trivial matters. To him, this ability held great potential. He’d always envisioned accomplishing grand matters with it. But why should he limit it as such? Why not use it here? This was the perfect opportunity!