Chapter 508: Aim for the Top

The elders of the aeromorphs led Adrian to the trial site which is the actual cliff that he needs to climb. The cliff is basically about nine thousand meters high which probably got its height from the tallest mountain in the real world.

Adrian gazed at the grand natural structure as he could see that the cliff is not ordinary, and the top is even riddled with snow. There are also holes in the cliff which could be where some of the aeromorph warriors use as their training area.

"I have got to say that the Savage Steep is more intimidating up close. This is the first time that I felt being small despite visiting other places. I guess it is not only trees that are grander in The Wilde." Adrian commented as the view took his breath away.

"Do not tell me that you are getting cold feet now. I even took you to the elders so do not embarrass me. I basically endorsed you even though I did not know that your ultimate goal is to kill the Wolf of Disaster. If you pass this test, I would like to join your crusade against it." Scarlet stated with determined eyes.

Adrian could feel that Scarlet has something against the Wolf of Disaster. She would not simply say that she wants to partake in the raid if she has nothing against the Wolf of Disaster. Then again, Adrian does not mind the extra help because he needs it.

Ashana did not ask him to recruit the three overlords if he is not outclassed by a large degree. If he probably arrived after the dark god, this world would have been overrun by the demon wolves and Fenris would rule it. 

"It is a good thing that I prioritized the evolution of my soulbounds while the dark god is still trapped in the fallen imperial capital. Or else…it could not only be the dark god that will be back in full power. Let us just hope that the followers of the dark gods are not thinking of bringing another one here." Adrian thought as he unfurled his wings.

When Adrian unfurled his wings, the elders of the aeromorph race could be seen gasping in awe. Adrian's wings are powerful yet looks cool. For their beastkin species, the wings are also used as a way of considering who is attractive. 

"You can start any time that you are ready. Give it your all so that you can have an audience with the Great Western Overlord." The oldest elder of the aeromorphs stated.

"I will start then." Adrian replied as he flew up with great force.

The first half of the entire cliff is not that difficult for Adrian to fly. The first quarter of the way is just a gentle breeze which is refreshing for Adrian's face since The Wilde is rather hot and humid. The second quarter of the cliff is where some strong winds started to roll but it is still manageable for Adrian.

It is when Adrian reached the halfway mark when winds that could be heard started to appear. By winds that could be heard means that the wind is so strong that it produces an audible sound. Adrian struggled each time that he rose despite only rising about a centimeter per minute.

"His wings are truly strong as he did not have difficulty when he reached the halfway mark. But this trial really starts at the middle part of the cliff. Looking at his form, we can say that he is an amateur flyer and is planning to brute force the trial." Elder Guila, the eagle elder of the aeromorphs, stated her conclusion that is not biased.

"You say that but did you not also use brute force to ascend until the top. His way is much like what you used when you were younger." Elder Sparrow, who is the smallest elder, stated.

"It is not a bad idea as demons are known to be very sturdy by nature due to their unique constitution. The only difference between the younger you and the boy is that you were rash, but he is careful. You can see that he is ascending steadily with the air current in mind." Elder Alba, the oldest of the elders and an albatross aeromorph, stated her opinion.

"It seems that the elders are praising the guest. Do you think that he will be able to reach the top despite none of the current generation of our warriors being unable to?" Scarlet asked as she is curious. She wanted to know if the young demon boy has a chance of reaching the top according to their observations.

"That is difficult to foretell as we do not know his entire capabilities. I do know that he will not be able to ascend if he goes at this rate. The air currents at this time of year are not in favor of those undergoing the trial. This is one of the reasons why we do not easily conduct trials at this time of year." Elder Quago, who is the owl elder of the aeromorphs, stated.

"Oh! He is using magic." Elder Sparrow stated as he saw a magic circle being formed and wrapped around Adrian.

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[You have used Chrono Shift.]

[You have successfully activated the ability.]

[The area you are in seems to have a special field that can interrupt with magic. You only have a 50% chance to successfully cast your spell.0

[If your spell casting is cancelled, you will experience body paralysis for one second due to your magic circuits being overloaded.]

"Well…that is promising." Adrian thought in a sarcastic tone as he deduced that he will not be able to reach the top without using magic. 

Adrian reached the 60% mark due to using Chrono Shift, but he is met with another dilemma. Wind blades started to appear and would occasionally hit Adrian. Each wind blade that hit decreased his health by 0.3%.

Adrian knew that he could tank it, but the wind blades grew in number the higher that he ascended. His health decreased by 10% in about five seconds due to being continuously hit. He wanted to evade but a small tilt of his wings would make the wind blow him away.

A giant wind blade is suddenly hurling towards Adrian's direction, and he managed to see it. The speed of the wind blade is still fast so Adrian lowered his wings which made him return about thirty meters down. Just a small tilt in the wings and he erased thirty meters of hard work. 

Adrian managed to evade the giant wind blade, but he went back a great distance. He needed to think of another strategy which is why he activated the shields that his battle armor could create. A three colored barrier materialized to protect Adrian from the wind blades. It also helped him resist the air current that tries to push him back.

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"It seems he is using a skill embedded in his armor. He is now covered with what looks like three barriers. It seems to be elemental barriers that are fire, water and earth." Elder Quago stated.

"Since magic could not be easily used, armor abilities are what should be best for him at the moment. Abilities that your armor could use is still part of one's own abilities. You can tell that this young demon is not normal for having an armor that has a rare skill." Elder Alba stated as she watched Adrian's progression.

"He seems to be struggling with the wind blades and the increased wind pressure. The wind blades are very deadly this year due to the strong winds that the monsoon carries. I am impressed that he managed to reach that part in such a small amount of time." Elder Sparrow stated as he also watched Adrian's progression with great enthusiasm.

"He vanished! Oh! He reappeared again. It seems he is now using his spatial manipulation skills. He suddenly froze and descended a few meters!" Elder Guila stated as she is now enjoying the show.

"It seems that the elders are enjoying the trial. I guess there is not many exciting things in our territory since the warriors would first deal wit it. The elders will only move if the entire village would be damaged after all." Scarlet thought as she also watched how Adrian progressed. 

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"What the fudge! I became stunned for a second and I flew forty meters down. Can I actually finish this? Should I just push myself to the fullest and die trying? Will I revive at the place I die or below the cliff?" Adrian thought as he pushed himself to overcome the air current.

Adrian is now becoming desperate as he got pushed back a great distance just because of one spell failure. His stamina is also dropping at an alarming rate which means he could die from exhaustion if he does not finish this trial in a short amount of time.

"Should I try my initial plan?" Adrian thought as he could see that ice shards are now mixed in the air current.