At that moment, the crowd was speechless.

Adrian had ascended as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

Faced with such a sight, no one could say much beyond admiration. Even if the Holy Son claimed Adrian had cheated, many secretly wished they could cheat the same way.

Lacking Adrian's means, all they could do was envy him.

Finnian chuckled. "Haha! You really caught us all by surprise, kid. Still, I'll count this as you repaying me a favor."

For Finnian, the outcome couldn't have been better. With a broad smile, he seemed to have achieved his desired result. Adrian's successful climb was all that mattered to him.

Once Adrian had vanished, the focus shifted to the rest of the group and their trials.

When Adrian opened his eyes again, his entire body ached, but an oddly comforting sensation flowed through him. Surveying his surroundings, he realized he was now in a pond.

"Where am I?" he asked.

Though uncertain about the place, Adrian knew he had cleared the trial and arriv