Professional mountaineers needed at least five and a half hours to reach the summit of Mount Fuji.
Yet a group of children carrying backpacks and ski gear had far exceeded their expectations.
Vincent, at the front, did not even need ski poles, and by the halfway point, he was only breathing a little harder.
Without relying on any potions, he had already pulled far ahead of Cedric in second place.
"Phew, phew—" Rolf took another gulp of Strength Enhancer. "Is this the benefit of exercising regularly?"
Cedric panted heavily and pushed back the half-full bottle. "I can still keep going."
Rolf turned to look at the two young witches supporting each other. "They're terrifying too."
It seemed like they were competing out of spite, yet perhaps they were not.
"The pressure Vincent puts on us forces us to improve, and the pressure we put on him will force him to improve as well."
Cedric quickened his pace, leaving Rolf with a resolute back.
Hermione and Daphne, each leaning on a ski pole, slowly passed him.
"I'm not admitting defeat!" Rolf gritted his teeth and charged after them.
At the very back of the group, Kenny and Jennifer chatted and laughed together.
Neville, the closest person to them, had already become a tiny black dot.
"What's the point of competing over speed? It's better to be a little romantic."
Even without any particular intentions, they were still much faster than the Muggles who had also come to climb the mountain.
At this pace, everyone would probably reach the summit by the afternoon.
Vincent was the first to arrive.
At an altitude of 3,775.63 meters, he had not stopped to rest even once. Even he was now taking deep, heavy breaths.
Half an hour later, Cedric, who came in second, collapsed from