Reece landed in the third phase of the tutorial with a flash of light, his surroundings gradually coming into focus. As he adjusted, a familiar, unwelcome sight met his eyes: a vast cavern filled with glittering, jagged crystalline formations, stretching as far as he could see.
The Crystal Abyss. This particular zone was infamous, a challenge typically reserved for the third phase of the tutorial, designed specifically to test one's mana manipulation and sense. Unlike the earlier zones, this place required more than just brute force; here, precision and control over mana were paramount.
The Crystal Abyss was known for its unique properties. Massive, translucent crystals jutted from every surface—walls, floor, and ceiling—reflecting and refracting light in dizzying patterns that disoriented those unaccustomed to mana manipulation. Ambient mana in the air was unusually dense, and the crystals seemed to resonate with it, creating a faint hum that reverberated through the cavern.
For anyone with a basic understanding of mana sense, this place was an overwhelming cacophony of signals. But for Reece, it was an easy hurdle, as he was able to interpret the ambient mana patterns with minimal effort mostly thanks to his soul sense.
"Y'know, Prima," he muttered, taking in the eerie, shimmering scene before him. "I'm honestly surprised there are people here. And some are even in the second phase of this zone! Maybe I underestimated them."
"Perhaps they aren't as hopeless as we thought," Prima replied with a hint of amusement. "But I suspect most of them are only here because they grasped the importance of mana sense after the Administrator's warning. That, or they had enough privilege and training to be taught the basics beforehand."
Reece stepped off the platform, his presence immediately drawing the attention of the six people stationed nearby. They were gathered in front of a massive, opaque crystalline wall, which was blocking further progress. The moment they noticed him, frustration flared in the eyes of one of the men.
"Great! Another dead weight who got here by dumb luck! Dammit !" the man sneered, standing up with his spear in hand. His irritation was palpable as he glared at Reece.
Before Reece could respond, a woman with short blue hair, dressed in standard adventurer's gear, spun around and shot the man an angry look. Her pale blue eyes blazed with annoyance, and Reece could sense a sudden spike in ambient mana as her emotions flared.
"Shut up, Greider!" she snapped. "All you've been doing is whining and moaning, and I can't stand it anymore! If you think you're so great, then go on and break through this wall yourself! Or are you still sulking because the others left us behind?"
The man called Greider, clearly affronted by her outburst, clenched his jaw but didn't respond. Instead, he turned to the crystalline wall, placing his hands on it and closing his eyes, as if trying to sense something through it. The others looked on in silence, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife.
As this was happening, a tall, muscular man with a kind expression approached Reece, smiling in a way that seemed out of place given the charged atmosphere. "Hello there. My name's Havier," he said, extending a hand. He was dressed similarly to Reece, though he wore a cloak over his tunic, and Reece's mana sense detected a faint magical aura coming from a wand holstered at his waist.
"Reece," he replied, accepting the handshake with a polite nod.
"Apologies for the shouting earlier," Havier continued, glancing back at his quarrelsome companions. "We've been stuck here for a while now. Two other trial takers like us managed to break through the wall just before you arrived, but neither bothered to share any hints on how they did it. It's… frustrating."
"Oh?" Reece replied, fighting the urge to laugh. The situation struck him as absurdly amusing, but he kept his expression neutral. "So what seems to be the problem with the wall?"
A soft, warm voice chimed in from behind Havier, and Reece realized there was someone else concealed by the man's broad frame. "We've tried everything—physical and magical attacks alike. But nothing seems to affect it," the voice said, and a woman stepped into view. She had a soft, rounded face with delicate features, almost doll-like, and her gaze was calm yet calculating.
"Veridiana," she introduced herself, inclining her head slightly. "A pleasure to meet you, Reece."
"Likewise," he replied with a slight bow of his own, though inwardly he was already growing weary of these formalities. Next time, he'd skip the introductions and get straight to the business of clearing the trial.
Veridiana continued, her tone shifting to a more businesslike cadence. "Since you managed to make it through the previous zones, I assume you have some degree of mana sense. If you'd be willing to take a look at the wall, I'd be very grateful. If you find anything useful, name your price—I'll do my best to repay the favor."
Reece nodded, though inwardly he and Prima were still chuckling at the absurdity of the situation. "Let me take a look."
With that, he walked toward the massive crystalline wall, noting how Greider was pressing his hands against it with intense concentration. He chose a spot a few feet away, placing his own hand on the cool, unyielding surface. His soul sense immediately picked up faint mana vibrations running through the crystal—a resonance that suggested the wall was actively absorbing and dispersing any mana directed at it. This was a clever barrier, one designed to repel brute force and reward finesse.
Reece turned his attention inward, letting his mana circulate through his heart and brain in a smooth, steady rhythm. He could feel the wall's mana signature pulsing gently, and it didn't take long to recognize the solution. This wasn't just about having mana sense; it was about fine-tuning mana manipulation. To pass through this barrier, one had to match the frequency of their mana with the frequency of the wall's resonance. It was a basic but essential principle of mana control.
Reece sighed and walked back to the group, an amused smile playing on his lips as he addressed Veridiana and the others, who had been watching him expectantly.
"I've figured out the trick," he announced, his tone casual. "But since I seem to be considered 'dead weight' around here, I think I'll just give you a hint and be on my way."
Greider scowled, fists clenched and approached Reece from the back. "What the hell do you mean by that? Out with it, you dead weight!"
Veridiana smacked Greider's hand off Reece's shoulder before he could finish his sentence, shooting him a furious glare. "Greider! Shut up and let him talk!"
Reece chuckled, savoring the reactions of the six climbers before him. "Since you're so keen to know… here's a tip. You've all learned basic mana sense, and some of you have dabbled in mana manipulation. Combine those with an understanding of frequencies that you know from sound waves and the like, and you should be able to pass through. Good luck."
With that, he turned and began walking back to the crystalline wall, fully expecting them to possibly not piece together the solution from his hint.
And as expected, as he was a few feet from the crystalline wall, "Wait! Just… hold on a second!" Isolde, the blue-haired woman, called out, her voice tinged with desperation. She clearly wasn't ready to give up.
Before Reece could respond, Havier blurred forward, appearing directly in his path. The man's expression was a mixture of frustration and pleading. "Please, Reece. We'll pay any price you ask. Just… help us a bit more. We're willing to negotiate."
Reece rolled his eyes, suppressing the urge to laugh at their desperation. "It's interesting how I go from 'dead weight' to 'valuable ally' the moment you realize I know something you don't," he said, his voice laced with sarcasm.
Tired of playing games, he decided that his drama break was over for now. With a slight flick of his hand, he unleashed a faint aura of primal mana, infused with his soul sense. The aura spread throughout the cavern, blanketing it in a powerful but controlled wave of energy.
The effect was instantaneous. Havier, Veridiana, Greider, and the others suddenly dropped to their knees, eyes wide with terror. Their underdeveloped senses were overwhelmed by the raw, primal force radiating from Reece, and in that moment, they were struck by the stark realization that they were in the presence of someone far beyond their understanding. They couldn't even breathe, the weight of his aura pressing down on them like a vice feeling like a chokehold on them.
"Now then," Reece said softly, his voice carrying a cold edge. "That's a much better position for those who ask for help, no? I've already given you a tip. What you do with it is none of my business. I pray we do not meet once more…"
With that, he turned on his heel, heading toward the crystalline wall once more. He reached out, placing his hand against it, and with a gentle pulse of his mana, he matched the wall's resonance frequency. The crystal shimmered, and a portion of it became translucent, forming a passage through which he stepped effortlessly.
The others stared in stunned silence, still on their knees, as Reece disappeared into the depths of the Crystal Abyss, leaving them to grapple with what they had just gone through.