Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 2498: Soul Challenge

”Weʼre missing one? Who is it?”

”Emery Ambrose… a beast-man from a small border-town faction,” an assistant replied, sounding unimpressed.

A few scoffs rippled through the elite alchemistsʼ section. ”Heʼs only in the Magus realm and barely passed the last challenge. Just eliminate him already,” one of them sneered.

Before the examiner could declare, a voice rang out from the crowd.

”I am here. I am Emery… I am ready.”

Heads turned as Emery emerged, his calm demeanor masking the rush heʼd felt to arrive in time. He had ensured Levi received proper treatment before returning, barely reaching the testʼs final round. Despite the murmurs of skepticism around him, Emery confidently walked toward the obelisk.

The task was straightforward enough to understand: channel his soul energy into the monument and endure its trial.

The crowd watched with little expectation as the seemingly unremarkable Magus approached the monument. Even the fey girl, who had bested all others with her 90-rune feat, spared him only a passing glance before looking away.

Emery stood before the towering obelisk. He took a deep breath, centered himself, and channeled his spirit energy into his arm. As soon as his hand touched the monument, his consciousness was wrenched from his body.

He found himself standing in a vast, surreal structure—a labyrinthine building of infinite doors and spiraling staircases. The air was thick with energy, every step echoing as if the space itself were alive.

”This is the soul trial... interesting” Emery muttered to himself, quickly assessing his surroundings.

By the time he reached level 61, the trial began to show its true nature. Each level was a battleground of elemental forces—torrential water cascades, walls of searing flame, deadly lightning storms, shifting earth, entangling plants, roaring winds, fields of razor-sharp ice, and traps of unyielding metal. These were no ordinary challenges; each required an intricate understanding of the corresponding elemental law to overcome.

The challenge was clear: ascend through the levels of this labyrinth, each more treacherous than the last. The first thirty levels of the trial posed little challenge to Emery. He navigated them with ease, his experience and instinct allowing him to breeze past traps and puzzles designed to test the basics of skill and awareness. However, as he advanced to the next thirty levels, the difficulty increased significantly, demanding more focus and effort.

By the time he reached level 61, the trial began to show its true nature. Each level was a battleground of elemental forces—torrential water cascades, walls of searing flame, deadly lightning storms, shifting earth, entangling plants, roaring winds, fields of razor-sharp ice, and traps of unyielding metal. These were no ordinary challenges; each required an intricate understanding of the corresponding elemental law to overcome.

The trials were relentless. Emery found himself hacking through dense, enchanted forests where every branch seemed alive and hostile. He scaled towering icy cliffs, the cold seeping into his very core as he struggled to maintain his footing on slippery ledges. He plunged into lakes of molten lava, forced to craft intricate shields to survive the unbearable heat.

Each level was a unique test of intellect and endurance. The elemental forces were not just obstacles but living manifestations of the laws themselves, adapting to his strategies and pushing him to his limits.

Fortunately, Emeryʼs transmutation technique gave him an edge. He transformed barriers into bridges, neutralized flames with conjured water, and restructured earth to shield himself from lightning. He adapted quickly, drawing on both his knowledge and creativity to turn each levelʼs challenge into an opportunity to improve.

But the trial was unforgiving. By the time he passed level 81, three days had elapsed. Emeryʼs mind felt stretched thin, his soul energy depleted from the constant mental strain. Yet the trial offered no respite.

From level 81 onward, the challenges shifted from elemental traps to something far more sinister—pure energy. Emery was thrust into alternating environments of radiant light and suffocating darkness.

One level would be flooded with warm, blinding light, every corner pulsing with soothing but overwhelming energy. The light seemed to probe at his soul, testing his resolve to maintain clarity and balance amidst its purity. The next level plunged him into chaotic darkness, a place where his senses were drowned in shadows and his mind was assaulted by whispers and illusions.

These levels tested not just his strength or skill but his very identity. Emery quickly understood why so many acolytes failed here—only those with extraordinary soul strength could withstand such extremes.

Yet Emery had an advantage that others lacked. His life had been a constant balancing act between light and dark forces, a duality he had embraced rather than feared. Drawing on this harmony, he navigated the treacherous paths, enduring both the relentless light and the consuming dark with equal determination.

Still, the strain was immense. Each step forward felt like wading through quicksand, each challenge more taxing than the last. Emery could feel the weight of the trial bearing down on him, his soul stretched thin by the opposing forces.

By the time he reached level 90, a full week had passed. This final stretch was a culmination of all that had come before. The trial no longer alternated between light and dark but combined them into a single, volatile force. Light and darkness swirled together in chaotic harmony, each seeking to overpower the other.

The environment was a maelstrom of energy, a battlefield where the slightest misstep could mean failure. Even Emeryʼs Mastery in Dao struggled to maintain balance amidst the opposing forces. His mind was battered, his body exhausted, but Emery refused to give up. With gritted teeth and unyielding determination, he pushed through the final levels, step by agonizing step.

Ten agonizing days passed in the soul realm, though in the real world, it had been a mere ten minutes.

The spectators, who had initially dismissed him, were now transfixed. They watched in awe as the monumentʼs runes lit up one by one, climbing steadily from the base toward the summit.

”Eighty-five… eighty-six… eighty-seven…”

By the time he reached the 90th rune, gasps echoed through the courtyard. Even the Skyroot patriarch rose from his seat, his normally stoic expression giving way to astonishment. Ꞧ𝓪Nȫ𝐛Ɛś

”Who is this Magus?” he demanded, turning to his aides. ”Find out everything about him.”

Meanwhile, the fey girl watched with wide eyes, her earlier dismissal replaced by intrigue. The 91st rune began to glow, surpassing her achievement.

Murmurs spread like wildfire among the onlookers.

”Heʼs passed her…”

”Who is this man?”

But Emery wasnʼt done yet. With a final surge of effort, he pushed himself to light the 92nd rune. The obelisk blazed brilliantly before suddenly dimming, signaling the end of the trial. Emeryʼs consciousness was forcefully ejected from the soul realm.

He opened his eyes, breathing heavily but standing firm. Around him, the courtyard was silent, the spectators too stunned to speak.

Emery glanced at the examiner, ”Did I pass the test?”

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