My Girlfriends Are Hardcore Yanderes - Chapter 182

Chapter 182: Up or Down Part 1
“Let me test it out first,” he stepped forward. A small ball of fire appeared in his palm, its light casting flickering shadows on the cold stone walls.

He flicked his wrist, and the flame surged ahead. It streaked through the air for a moment before dimming and vanishing.

‘They neutralize my spells?’ he muttered, narrowing his eyes.

He tried again, this time conjuring a solid shard of ice. It shot forward and splintered into shards before falling downward. His brows furrowed as realization dawned.

The speed at which they fell was unnaturally fast, far quicker than their weight would suggest.

“It’s not that the flame was ineffective,” he glanced back at the group. “This place has some sort of gravity spell. It’s pulling everything down.”

“A trap that looks like an easy choice,” Meria crossed arms. “Classic Eryx. They want us to believe both paths work, but only one really does.”

Talira stepped to the edge of the platform, her wings unfurling slightly. “If down is the easier path, then it’s also the more obvious one. Which means it’s likely the wrong way.”

“Or they want us to think that and pick the harder path,” Rhea countered, her tone filled with frustration. “Either way, it’s designed to waste our time.”

“What do you think we should pick?” Talira asked, turning her attention to Asher. He had been helpful so far, so they wanted his opinion.

“Let’s head upward,” he suggested.

“Alright, I’ll go since I can fly,” Talira offered, spreading her wings and gliding toward the nearest slab.

Before she could reach it, a heavy pressure slammed down on her. Thinking quickly, she used a wind spell to lighten the pressure just enough to land on the first slab.

Determined not to embarrass herself, she moved to the next one, and then the next. With each jump, the air grew heavier.

By the time she reached the 20th slab, she was kneeling, breathing heavily. She glanced up, seeing at least thirty more ahead.

‘I could keep going. But I’d have to release my strongest spells. I don’t think that’s a good idea.’

She looked down and saw the others still watching from below. For a moment, she hesitated, doubt creeping in.

‘Should I use more than 70% of my power?’ she muttered under her breath. She had a spell that could potentially break through. It was a hidden trump card—one she wanted to save for the tournament.

Most of her team was powerful, so there was a good chance they would pass this test and become her rivals. If she showed them too much, she would lose the element of surprise.

While she struggled, more groups began appearing at different openings.

They watched her closely, some whispering to each other as they observed her attempts.

A few stepped forward, each trying a different method to reach the next slab. One sorcerer attempted to leap from one to the next with a burst of fire beneath his feet, but the flames flickered out too quickly.

Another tried to fly, only to be weighed down by the same invisible force that Talira had felt.

Finally, a sorcerer with blue wings, tinged with yellow at the tips, stepped forward.

His sharp features set in determination, he had had enough. His gaze burned with resolve, the test mocking his abilities.

He was no ordinary sorcerer—he had even managed to light up 10 stars.

A surge of power erupted around him as his body twisted and transformed into a large, magnificent purple flaming bird, its wings crackling with intense energy.

The entire place lit up, and the temperature rose with his transformation alone.

Without wasting any more time, he soared past Talira, leaving a trail of blazing light in its wake.

He passed the 20th, then the 30th slab, soaring like a rocket streaking upward. The very air crackled with power, and every eye was fixed on him, watching, waiting for him to conquer the impossible.

For a moment, it looked inevitable—everyone expected he would reach the top in one continuous burst of power.

However—

By the time he reached the 35th slab, the pressure was too much, and the exhaustion from sustaining such intense form caught up with him.

With a final burst of effort, the bird faltered, its wings faltering under the strain.

He forced his body to land on the 35th slab, the flames around him sputtered out.

Sweat poured down his brow, his breath coming in heavy gasps. Despite the failure, the other sorcerers remained silent. They didn’t mock him; they recognized the sheer difficulty of what he had attempted.

“I don’t think this is possible!” he shouted, his voice echoing down. He refused to believe that anyone could actually make it to the top.

And he wasn’t the only one who thought so. Most of the sorcerers, weaker than him, accepted his words. After all, what they had just witnessed was nearly impossible to replicate.

Soon, most of the sorcerers decided to head down first to investigate. Before leaving, they watched Asher’s group in silence, but none of them said a word. They were enemies in this place, so there was no need to get friendly with them.

Meanwhile, the birdkin with blue and yellow feathers landed next to Talira and raised his hand.

“Join us,” he offered, finding her attractive and seeing her as a strong potential partner.

She could tell from miles away what he was after, so she simply ignored him.

Seeing this, the male birdkin’s face turned sour, but he didn’t argue. Talira was stronger than him, and he had just exhausted most of his energy from his flashy display.

He joined his group along with the others. The steps downward were deeper, but they quickly made their way through.

Talira also jumped down, no longer interested in wasting energy to prove herself only to fail in the end. She was confident she could make it past the 40th slab, but beyond that, it was uncharted territory.

“Should we head down too?” she inquired.

“Yeah, there’s no point in wasting our time here,” Rhea responded, and the others silently agreed with the decision.

“Let me try,” Asher spoke up. He had been silent for a while, knowing they thought he would just silently agree with them.

They all paused, looking at him as if they hadn’t expected him to speak at all.

Meria was the first to break the silence, raising an eyebrow.

“Are you sure?” Her tone was calm but skeptical.

Kira glanced sideways at him, an almost playful curiosity in her eyes.

“What, no more acting weak?” she teased, though the hint of genuine concern was there beneath her words.

Asher stood still for a moment before taking a slow breath.

Everyone watched him, and they felt his presence had become less imposing.

Then, he jumped to the nearest slab, using only the strength in his legs, and then to another.

He kept going, and they expected him to stop soon, but he passed the 20th, the 30th, and the 40th without showing any signs of trouble.

Finally, he reached the 50th slab and was only one step away from the finish line.

He looked back at them and shouted, “Make your energy completely undetectable.”