"Leon, are you okay?"

Someone's voice caught Leon's attention. This was a person he already knew. The person who always accompanies him when he travels to various countries.

When Leon turned to his side, he saw a man with white skin wrapped in a thick jacket and a blanket which he shared with him.

"I'm okay, Alex. It's just... I feel like I'm having a very long dream." Leon frowned while slowly massaging his head.

Memories that shouldn't have existed before appeared in Leon's head which made him a little dizzy.

I need time to calm down what I'm thinking. It felt like two of the same movies playing simultaneously in my head with two different endings.

While massaging his head, Alex offered Leon a glass of warm tea.

"Can I ask you about something?"

"Just ask. "

"I'm curious why you climbed to the top of Mount Everest alone without bringing enough supplies. It's just that no sane person in this world would do that. You didn't even bring an oxygen tank in case the atmosphere is thin here."

Leon was silent when he heard Alex's words. He sipped the tea little by little to warm his body.

Everest… so that's it, this is a test. There was no way that I, who had been transferred to Maple City, would suddenly wake up in a small cabin on Mount Everest.

If so, the memory I have in my head is also probably part of the previous test.

Leon looked at Alex while remembering the past in his head. Throughout his life, if there was one person he spent the most time with, it was Alex.

"I'm just a beginner climber. I saw some articles saying that Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world, so I thought it might be a good idea to climb that place. So here I am."

"So you decided to climb it? On the first day, you started climbing?" Alex asked with his mouth open.

"Well, can you blame me? I saw a lot of articles saying that they were successful. So I went on YouTube, bought all the climbing gear, and prepared everything that was said on YouTube for a week."

"Yeah… I don't know if you're stupid or what, but climbing Mount Everest on your first day of climbing was a stupid choice. Besides, do you even know the hiking trail on this mountain?"

Of course, I know. I've been to this place twice and the memory still feels so clear. However, Leon didn't say this and continued to play the role of his past self who didn't know anything.

Currently, Leon did not lost his memory like before. He underwent this test as Leon who had lived much longer with more experience.

He was Leon, the person chosen as the Leader of the magic tower of Babel, and the person who had become a Tier 1 magus.

"What do you think?"

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Alex thought for a bit and shook his head. "Of course not. Do you think a normal human being would go climbing Mount Everest without proper preparation?"

"Of course not. But this makes me the first person to do it, right?" Leon laughed as he remembered what he had done at that time.

"You're quite strange you know that right?"

"Of course. Everyone says I'm strange. But hey, I can be proud when I say I will climb Mount Everest on my first day of hiking."

Leon and Alex laughed while enjoying hot tea. The two finished their drinks and got ready for bed.

Leon thought about it for a while before looking at Alex. The atmosphere became a little awkward when Alex felt Leon's gaze on him.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing, here I will hug you and we can be alone on this blanket together."

"Wait… Wait a minute. You know I'm not gay."

"Who said you were gay? Enough of the bullshit and come into my arms. We can warm ourselves together and be alone without anything to worry about."

"That just sounds so wrong in so many contexts."

Leon laughed when he saw Alex's rejecting face. "Wait, you don't think that's weird, do you? What I mean is, we'll keep each other warm because there's only one blanket you have. If we don't share, one of us will get cold and freeze here. You know we are at an altitude of more than 4000 meters, right?"

"Makes sense. But don't touch me at all. Did you hear that?"

"Yeah-yeah, I know. Let's go to sleep quickly." Leon immediately lay down and slept soundly with Alex beside him.

…

In the middle of the night, Leon woke up from his sleep.

The atmosphere outside the cabin was still full of snowstorms which would likely continue until morning. The biting cold seemed to penetrate into the bones but Leon didn't really care.

"It really takes me into nostalgia. We will climb Mount Everest in the morning when the storm has subsided and we will reach the top."

That's what should happen. That's what happened in the past.

There's just a blizzard outside. In the midst of this fierce blizzard, Leon breathed in cold air which entered his lungs.

"There's no mana coming in. This means that I can only rely on myself and my body in the past. Even if I start practicing Magical engineering, it will be useless."

All the magic I have will be useless. Even if I knew all the basics, it would be meaningless in this place.

After all, this was just a test conducted by Blood Shadow to test himself. Who knows what Blood Shadow wanted to see and judge, Leon couldn't act rashly.

Especially when he still had a contract with the system.

But… this did not prevent him from what he already had. Leon could say that he was quite impressed with the methods that the Blood Shadow he summoned had.

"From what I know, you guys are experts in using magic related to shadows and blood. But to meet someone skilled with Consciousness…"

It truly shows the value you have as a magus. Even if I can't get Felix, I have to get this guy.

The value of a Magus who was skilled at breaking into consciousness was truly high. Leon only knew a little, but from what Babel had, Consciousness played a very important role in the fight with the Magus.

That's because, of the three aspects possessed by a living creature, the body only functions as a vessel, the soul as a data bank, and consciousness as an operator.

"Excellent in body and constitution, then you will have rapid development. Excellent in soul, then body problems will not hinder you. But if you excel in consciousness, then what limits you is only the Path you choose."

"And someone who excels at all three, there is only one known person in the history of the magic tower of Babel." Leon immediately stopped and did not continue his thoughts.

"Ummm…. Leon… right?" Angelin looked at Leon who was looking at the snowstorm outside.

"Are you unable to sleep?"

"No... it's not that I can't sleep, it's just that sleeping too long isn't my style." Leon smiled as he looked at Angelin.

She looked like a 30 year old woman, even though her actual age was only 25 years old. She looks like a normal woman who likes climbing. Her hair is blonde with a blue tint which is typical of European people.

"I heard this is your first time climbing. Are you really okay?"

"Oh, sorry. I overheard the conversation between you and Alex. Sorry if that bothers you."

Leon smiled slightly when he heard that. "It doesn't matter. But I'm curious, what do you mean by asking if I'm okay?"

Angelin breathed a sigh of relief. "Just curious. I'm currently working on a study about the effects that humans have when they're in extreme situations."

Leon looked at Angelin and looked into her eyes. Their eyes met and looked at each other in the silence of the night.

"That's really interesting."