Chapter 240 - Striving For The Best

Everyone wanted to see how far they could go, but it didn't seem as though they intended to start going up to the next step any time soon, while the other two students had already gotten off the staircase.

One of them managed to make it onto the third step, but then was flung off the staircase by the pressure and couldn't handle it, while the other gave up on the second step.

Once one stood on one of the steps, they would experience a sudden surge of strain that would test whether their willpower was up to par, and if it wasn't, they would be launched flying off the staircase.

The best-case scenario was to only be flung off and landing on the ground, but if one pushed themselves too much despite their mind, spirit and body being unable to keep up, they could suffer irreversible internal damage.

Because of that, after reaching the third step, most wouldn't seek to go any further and wouldn't be able to, while it would usually take students quite a while to get onto the third step.

Despite appearing to merely be a large staircase with giant steps, there was much more to it than that and one could only understand it by experiencing the pressure themselves.

It was almost as if the staircase itself was pushing anyone that wasn't worthy or able to defeat its own will, and as one got higher up the steps, the will of the staircase would grow stronger and make it increasingly difficult for one to climb higher.

Seeing that some students were becoming restless, seeking to see the result and also wanting the third round to be on the same day, the invigilator of the second round made an announcement.

"Just a reminder to all students. There is no time limit on the second round of the Inner Academy Examination, while the event can take up to three days. If this stretches on too long, the third round will merely have to be delayed until tomorrow," 

After hearing that, the students no longer dared to complain or moan about how long Damian and his friends were taking, as they either simmered down to continue to observe, or left to do something else.

The news would circle around the academy anyway and each branch of the academy had one of those staircases.

It required many skilled, experienced and powerful array masters and craftsmen to produce the staircases, and also required the principal himself to be involved in their creation. Most had never seen him or even knew much about him, but he was known to be a legend and be extremely powerful and capable.

Along with the time and effort that went into producing the staircases, they also cost an astronomical amount to create and maintain, but it was worth it to test the students.

But one thing that most students wouldn't realise was that they could use the staircase to temper and train their bodies under the pressure that was perfect for pushing their bodies past their limits.

Along with that, it would train one's mind, spirit, and willpower, as long as one knew how to endure and benefit from the pressure without harming themselves.

Most would miss that opportunity, but Damian definitely wasn't and his friends followed suit.

An hour passed since Damian had made it onto the sixth step and most had gotten bored and left, knowing that news of the results would eventually reach them.

However, those that stayed, were elated to see that Damian finally seemed to be ready to move onto the next step as he stood up.

Utsusu was in awe of how intricate and complex the design of the staircase was, while Damian felt the same way about its effects and both wanted to see what it would be like at the top.

Supposedly the staircase would bear down a pressure that would have an equivalent effect on every individual, depending on their power, but what would the final step feel like.

Would the pressure be too overwhelming for anyone to handle?

But if that was the case, why was that step even there for.

Whatever it was, Damian was planning on reaching it and experiencing it for himself, while he had also heard about Darren's record, and wanting to break it, seeing Darren as a worthy individual to compete with.

As soon as Damian lifted his foot to place it onto the seventh step, there was a giant increase in the pressure that bore over him. Any small increase would make it much more difficult to get up the staircase, and this increase was far from being little.

Which made the climbing of the ninth step appear even more impossible, but giving up wasn't something that Damian would ever do.

Sensing that he had gotten up and begun making a move onwards, his friends all got up and clenched their teeth as they also put their foot out towards the seventh step.

It appeared as though making it to the seventh step was no longer a feat that they could do as easily as making it to the sixth step, and it was as if the pressure was on an entirely different level.

Remaining calm, focused and enduring the strain their mind, body and spirit were experiencing, they struggled to make any more progress and there seemed to be a wall stopping them from surpassing the sixth step.

Damian was experiencing something similar, and it was why he had taken the time to strengthen his body under the pressure to be able to handle it more easily, however, he wasn't going to let anything hold him back from reaching the top.

Looking to his sides to see his friends struggling just how much he was or even more, Damian smiled to himself, but was by no means content with matching them.

Always striving for the best he could achieve was what Damian stood for and he was about to display that to his friends and the world.