Without hesitation, Leeroy and his two siblings launched themselves at the cliff face, beginning the ascent with nothing but their bare hands
Ethan stood below, watching in disbelief. 'They're just going up like that? No safety gear? No ropes?'
Earlier, he'd stretched his senses as far as 500 ters—and even then, the summit remained hidden, swallowed by an unbroken expanse of vertical stone that bled into a thick blanket of low-hanging mist. Just how high was this cliff?
He wanted to ask if this was the only way up, but there was no ti. Leeroy, already transford, was moving at an incredible speed. He moved with a ridiculous ease, more like a damn mountain goat than a wolf.
Ryan, on the other hand, had a Runic Parchnt stuck to his arms. Each ti his fingers gripped the rock, they dug into the stone like claws, leaving behind five small holes.
Every ti Ryan dug in, the stone cracked with a crunch that echoed down the cliff. Ethan winced at the sound—it was like watching soone peel open concrete with their bare hands. The runic parchnt on Ryan's arms flickered faintly, like they were breathing
Even Evelyn was using her energy, her fingers extending into ten thin tendrils that adhered to the rock face, allowing her to climb with surprising speed.
In the blink of an eye, they were already 100 ters up.
Ethan stood frozen at the base, completely dumbfounded. 'What the hell…?'
He'd seen so wild things in Ethereal, but nothing quite prepared him for watching three people scale a vertical cliff like it was a jungle gym.
He thought about his own abilities and realized he had no climbing skills. In Ethereal, cliffs like this were just part of the scenery, climbable with the right gear or easily bypassed with a teleport scroll. Now, the brutal difference between simulation and reality hit him like a punch to the gut. No UI, no inventory—just skin, muscle, and fear.
And If he didn't start climbing soon, he'd lose sight of them entirely.
He glanced around for any other way up—ledges, paths, even a tree to shimmy. Nothing. Just flat stone and almost vertical death.
Gritting his teeth, he began his ascent. After about fifty ters, Ethan's shoulders scread with effort. His fingers throbbed against the stone, already raw from scraping against the rough surface. Sweat slicked his palms, and every microscopic shift in grip sent a spike of panic racing down his spine. It felt like gambling with death every ti he moved. His legs trembled beneath him, offering no help at all.
He had no choice but to move sideways, positioning himself directly below Ryan. Using the holes Ryan had carved into the rock, Ethan began to climb, one painful step at a ti.
After another 50 ters, Ethan couldn't go on. His arms were swollen and throbbing with pain.
'Damn it, is this really what I suck at?'
Above him, Evelyn and Ryan had stopped at the 100-ter mark, looking down at him. Ryan's smug expression was clear even from this distance. Leeroy, anwhile, was already 300 ters up, hanging from a rock with one arm, his sharp claws digging into the stone. He looked down at Ethan with a smirk, clearly enjoying the sight of Ethan struggling.
Ethan was in an awkward position. He couldn't push himself any higher—the cliff stretched endlessly above him, and offered no clues about how much farther he had to go, or if there was even a top at all. And going down? Not only would he be humiliated, but it was also nearly impossible. The holes Ryan had made were easy to climb up, but descending would be a different story. One wrong move, and he'd plumt to his death.
At this height, a fall would an certain death. He didn't have the kind of power Mr. Kane had. Ethan had seen Mr. Kane descend from the sky, though he hadn't been able to gauge the exact height. What he did know was that the man had landed so hard he'd cratered the solid rock beneath him, yet his body had remained completely unhard. The sheer strength of Rowan's father was terrifying.
Now, stuck in this precarious position, Ethan wished he were back in Ethereal. There, he could just use Wingbeat and float down safely. Once on the ground, he could find another path up the mountain.
The thought made him pause. Wingbeat… He reconsidered the term.
"Owl Form: Activate!"
Whoosh…
A faint, almost comical owl-like shadow erged from Ethan's body, hovering behind him.
"Wingbeat…!"
Ethan had assud he'd need to flap his arms to activate the skill, but instead, the owl shadow behind him began flapping its tiny, stubby wings. His body lightened in an instant, as though soone had reached inside him and scooped out all his weight, leaving behind nothing but air and adrenaline. The pain in his shoulders vanished, replaced by a surreal, buoyant sensation that made him feel like he might simply drift away.
Though he could still feel a faint pull of gravity, the strain on his arms was gone.
Ethan tested his newfound ability, hooking a single finger onto a small protrusion in the rock. His body, now as light as a helium-filled balloon, shot upward effortlessly. Even on the sheer cliff face, where there were no obvious handholds, the friction from his palms and the soles of his shoes was enough to keep him moving.
What surprised him even more was that Wingbeat retained its in-ga chanics. Every ti the owl shadow flapped its wings, a gentle push propelled him forward, just like the forward montum he'd experienced while gliding in Ethereal.
"Haha!" Ethan couldn't help but laugh.
Using his hands and feet, he grabbed onto whatever he could find, pulling himself up with almost no effort. He was climbing faster than he ever thought possible.
Above him, Ryan and Evelyn exchanged glances, their eyes narrowing in surprise.
"Bro, you lost… carry !" Evelyn's face lit up with a mischievous grin after the initial shock. She flipped around and clung to Ryan's back.
"Hey, hey! Be careful!" Ryan nearly lost his grip on the cliff as she jumped onto him.
"Ugh, you two are in cahoots, aren't you?" Ryan grumbled as he started climbing again.
"Hehe…" Evelyn stuck out her tongue playfully and tightened her arms around his neck.
Ryan sighed, gripping the rock tightly as he climbed another 10 ters.
Earlier, the two of them had stopped to make a bet. Ryan had wagered that Ethan wouldn't be able to climb up on his own, while Evelyn had bet that Ethan would find a way. So they'd paused to watch him struggle.
Unbeknownst to Evelyn, Ryan had already prepared a Runic Parchnt in his sleeve—a high-grade Lightness one he'd crafted at his current level. Despite his usual carefree deanor, Ryan had been ready to fire the parchnt at Ethan if he fell.
Whoosh…
Ethan's figure shot past them in a blur. All Ryan and Evelyn saw were the soles of his shoes as he soared upward.
For a long second, Ryan could only gape. 'What kind of guy is this?'
He couldn't beat Ethan in a fight, couldn't outrun him, and now he couldn't even outclimb him! And here he was, ready to save the guy just monts ago.
Evelyn, on the other hand, was thrilled. "Co on, bro! Let's catch him. Giddy-up, giddy-up!"
"Hey… I'm not a donkey, I'm your brother!" Ryan shot back, annoyed.
"Says the guy carrying up a cliff, Evelyn snorted, tightening her grip around him.
Ryan paused, with a dumbfounded look playing on his face, clearly not expecting her response.
"Hehe, Brother, I know you still have that Lightness thing. Look at him—he's using so kind of ability, just like your charms. Don't you want to see who's faster?" Evelyn patted his shoulder encouragingly.
"What's in it for ?" Ryan asked, climbing half-heartedly.
"If you win, I'll cook you…" Evelyn whispered sothing into his ear.
Ryan's eyes lit up. "That stew? The one you made last ti? Oh, hell yeah. Deal."
"Shhh… don't shout! Big bro can hear you!" Evelyn smacked his shoulder.
Ryan glanced upward and muttered, "Who cares? That stuff was amazing! No way I'm letting him stop from having it again."
With that, he grabbed the cliff with one hand and pulled out a parchnt with the other, slapping it onto his chest.
Whoosh… A swirling vortex of air enveloped him and Evelyn.
After a mont of thought, Ryan flicked his wrist, sending another parchnt flying. It arced gracefully through the air before landing on Evelyn's back.
Hum… The swirling air around them intensified.
Satisfied, Ryan began climbing again, this ti with Evelyn on his back. With each push, they shot upward in large leaps.
Leeroy, who had been the fastest climber, was now moving at a snail's pace. He stared in disbelief as Ethan waved at him with a grin before continuing his ascent.
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