As soon as the core members heard that the selection had officially begun, some immediately rushed toward the Stairway to Heaven, while others chose to wait patiently for the right moment. Among those who remained still was the young man, Finn.
He quietly observed the Adventurers begin their climb. The first four steps of the staircase seemed easy for most. Finn noted the pride and arrogance on the faces of those who ascended—until they reached the fifth step. That was when things changed. Their pace slowed, their breaths grew heavy, and some stopped entirely at the sixth step. All of them were only at the 1st Level of Scarlet Gold Rank.
Despite the sweat dripping from their brows, none of them wanted to give up. They couldn't accept that they couldn't even reach the tenth step. Did that mean they were worthless?
As the struggle continued, a loud shout suddenly drew everyone's attention.
"I am the most talented young Adventurer in my clan! I refuse to believe this is all I can do!" cried a young man standing defiantly on the sixth step.
He took one bold step forward…
BANG!
A powerful force slammed into him, flinging his body from the sixth step. He crashed down and lost consciousness on impact. Noah, watching closely, gave a signal to one of the Core Elders, who immediately rushed forward and fed the unconscious boy a pill—a standard Recovery Pill used to replenish both physical stamina and soulforce.
"You've all seen what happened," Noah spoke calmly. "Though I admire his determination, the truth remains: this is his limit. The Stairway to Heaven decides who may proceed and who is unworthy. With each step, your talent is being measured. If the Stairway finds you lacking, it will reject you—just like what happened now."
Despite the warning, the core members' resolve only deepened. The fear of failure burned in their minds, but so did the desire to rise above it. One by one, more young Adventurers began their ascent, including Ashe, followed by Lore and others unfamiliar to Finn.
Most of them passed the tenth step with relative ease. Their movements were light and controlled. Interestingly, those who made it higher were generally younger than the ones stuck below.
While Finn continued to watch silently from a distance, Leo approached him.
"Finn, I'll go ahead and begin my climb," Leo said.
"I'll be rooting for you," Finn replied with a nod.
Leo gave a small bow, smiling warmly. "Thank you, Finn. I'm certain you'll make it to the next round. I'll be waiting for you on the steps."
With that, Leo turned and began his ascent.
Meanwhile, where Noah and the other elders stood…
"I heard that boy Leo reached 3rd Level Scarlet Gold Rank just a few months ago," Marcus remarked, watching Leo. "I can't believe he advanced so quickly."
"I heard the same," Noah replied. "His talent at that age is impressive. Why not take him as your personal disciple? He could very well make it to the final fourteen."
"I'll think about it," Marcus replied, stroking his beard. But then, his eyes shifted to someone still standing at the bottom. "Hmm? That boy hasn't moved yet?"
"Elder Marcus, do you think he's already giving up?" Noah asked with a smile.
Marcus shook his head firmly. "Unlikely. That boy needs this opportunity more than anyone else—to protect his clan. And besides, I don't think he's the type to back down so easily."
"You seem quite fond of that young man, Elder Marcus," Noah said with a knowing tone.
"If you had seen how he blocked Ashe's punch that day," Marcus said seriously, "you'd think differently too. He handled it with perfect calm—like he had complete control. And mind you, neither of them used soulforce. One is a mere Gold Rank while the other is Scarlet Gold. And yet…"
"I'd like to see the talent that Kiden recommended," Noah said, his expression softening. A faint memory of his youth with Kiden crossed his mind, momentarily taking the smile off his face.
"Sect Master Noah, there's something I forgot to mention," Marcus added. "I don't know why, but… when I saw Kiden Sylveria that day, I had the feeling he's planning something. His rank kept rising despite being without support. Do you think—"
"No," Noah interrupted, shaking his head. "He made a promise. I trust he'll keep it."
Yet despite his own words, even Noah wasn't entirely convinced.
"I hope you're right," Marcus murmured. "Because if not… this could lead to something terrible."
Noah was about to respond—but then noticed movement at the base of the staircase.
"At last. He's moving."
--
Finn took his first step onto the Stairway to Heaven.
No pressure.
A few Adventurers discreetly watched his movements, trying to study him. Even Ashe paused at the twenty-first step, eyes now fixed on Finn.
'Hmph. Let's see what you're really capable of,' Ashe thought. 'Elder Marcus and Father both think you're exceptional. I want to see if that's true.'
Lore, noticing Ashe's pause and where her attention had shifted, frowned and picked up his pace. He had just reached the thirty-second step, and already he was beginning to feel the pressure.
Meanwhile, Finn climbed past the fifth step effortlessly—only to find someone already waiting there.
"Well, we meet again, Finn Doria," said Todd, grinning smugly.
Leo, now at the fifteenth step, noticed Todd's posture and expression. He wanted to intervene, but doing so would mean forfeiting—something he couldn't afford.
"You again?" Finn frowned. "What do you want?"
He wasn't in the mood for games. He hated being bothered when he hadn't done anything wrong.
"Haha, nothing much. I just wanted to propose a little wager," Todd said loudly enough for the others to hear.
The nearby core members groaned.
"Todd! What stupid idea are you planning now?!" Leo shouted from the fifteenth step.
Todd glanced at him and scoffed. "Hmph. What's the problem? This is just a simple wager between two core members. I'm not breaking any rules."
Leo looked toward the elders, but they didn't react. He clenched his fists and turned his gaze back to Todd and Finn, helpless to interfere.
"Well, Finn Doria? Are you even brave enough for a simple bet?" Todd sneered.
"Who said I was refusing?" Finn said coolly.
Everyone was stunned—even Ashe raised an eyebrow.
Todd blinked in disbelief. "You agree?"
"Are you deaf?" Finn replied flatly.
"Hmph. I didn't expect you to accept so quickly," Todd sneered. "But good. Let's see if you have what it takes. Whoever climbs higher wins. That's all."
"And the punishment?" Finn asked, his tone calm. "There should be a penalty for losing."
Todd's smile widened. "Of course. The loser kneels before the winner."
The crowd fell silent. Kneeling—especially in public—was a sacred act meant only for one's parents, ancestors, saviors, teacher, or master. Was Todd trying to publicly humiliate Finn?
"That's it?" Finn asked.
"You accept?" Todd asked again, almost shocked.
"I already said yes," Finn replied.
"Good. Let's begin. I hope your knees are ready," Todd mocked, then continued his climb.
Lore led the way with Ashe close behind. Both began to feel the increasing pressure. Soon, Lore was forced to stop at the fiftieth step, panting hard.
"I'll admit it. You're more talented than I am, Ashe," he said with a tired smile.
She didn't respond and simply continued upward. Lore grimaced but didn't say another word.
With grit in her heart, Ashe pressed on, reaching the sixtieth step—pushing herself past her limit. Just then, soulforce surged through her veins. A powerful, radiant aura burst forth from her.
"She's broken through to 4th Level Scarlet Gold Rank!" Marcus exclaimed.
Noah nodded in approval, pride visible in his eyes. Ashe was his daughter in all but name, and in that moment, he was genuinely proud.
Having reached a breakthrough, Ashe finally sat on the sixtieth step, watching the others.
Admiration sparkled in the eyes of every onlooker. She wasn't just beautiful—she was immensely talented. At only sixteen years old, she had already surpassed most of them.
'Truly a gifted Adventurer,' Finn thought from below.
Now at the sixteenth step, Todd was visibly struggling. His breathing had become ragged, his face contorted with frustration—especially since Finn matched his every step without breaking a sweat.
"I won't let you surpass me! I'll prove the gap between us!" Todd screamed. "I'm from the Lightning Wind Family! There are no weaklings in my clan!"
But try as he might to convince himself, Finn's presence only fueled his desperation. He pushed further—
BANG!
He was thrown off the staircase, tumbling down in a heap.
Still conscious, Todd saw the looks of pity in the eyes of those around him.
"Finn Doria won the bet!"
"I can't believe Todd Lilytel lost to someone at 9th Level Gold Rank! He lost at his own game," one of the core members muttered.
Leo sighed in relief. He hadn't expected Finn to win so easily—but he was grateful nonetheless.
High above, Finn looked down at the fallen Todd. His voice echoed, cold and mocking:
"Now you understand the difference between us. You lost. Compared to me… you're nothing but trash."