The armed river crossing was only the beginning. After they used every possible method to cross the rushing river and successfully reached Brand, a new round of tests pushing their physical limits awaited them.
Earth Trial—Mountain.
The test was simple: reaching the mountaintop meant success. But the environment for this climb was unlike anything they had ever experienced.
"Why is this happening? My body feels so heavy."
"Mine too. It feels like something is pressing down on me. What the hell is this?"
"Look up there. Is that His Majesty the King's Dragon?"
A massive figure could vaguely be seen on the mountain peak. By now, everyone in Piltover knew one thing: their King kept a Dragon.
As a fantasy creature, Dragons had always appeared in all sorts of fictional works. Whether they served as villains to highlight heroes or as allies of justice, they were symbols of power.
For centuries, this sea had been built around kingdoms. Nations belonged to royal families, and the possessions of those royal families could represent the nation itself. That was a common belief here.
Most people felt quite proud that their King kept a Dragon.
"Is this heaviness caused by His Majesty the King's Dragon?"
And indeed it was. The Earth Trial tested them within a Gravity Field. The adolescent Mountain Wyrm controlled earth-element magic, one aspect of which was gravity.
Those climbing the mountain were now moving under Terra's gravity.
Though it was only twice normal gravity, it was an enormous burden for people who had just completed an armed river crossing.
This was not as simple as carrying a heavy load. Under this Gravity Field, even a single strand of hair weighed more than before. Their physical limits were being challenged from every direction.
Even if someone lacked the strength to