“SorSparrowBattleTeique,FirstForm.”

Suddenly,themountaioshake.Atreetoppledtowar

ButIdidn’tdwellonit.Irested.Afteraboutanhour,Ifeltrecoveredenoughandstoodup.

“Oh?”

Tweer,thefigurefisdemonstration.Imimickedit.

Quietly,Imuttered,

Heonlymuttered,“ain.”Butdespitehispint,hebeganclimbingwithfulleffort.

Thesteward’svoiceechoedagain:

Therewerefivedistinctmoves.Afterpletingthem,Iwasdrenchedi,myqipletelydepleted.

“Bytheway...whatisaLife-BoundTeique?”

Timepassed.

Thegroundtrembled.Atmountainrosebeforeme.Injustafewbreaths,thesummitwashiddenbyclouds.

“Halfanhourremaining.Interferencewillnowbegin.”

“gratutions.You’vepassed.Restfornow.Thefinaltrialwillbegininhalfanhour.”

Then,fromfarbelow,Iheardthestewardcallout:

Thistime,somethingcriticappeared:theactualteique.

Theeokeup:

AmIsupposedtoclimbthat?

Thefirstformtainsfivemoves.”

So,Icalledforth“me.”

Sofar,I’veohalf-dead.

“Itmeansateiquethatisfatedtomatchyouperfectly.Trainingityieldsresultswithhalftheeffort.”

TomakeacultivatoratFoundatioablishmehismuch—itwastheequivalentofanordinarypersontrainingintenselyforhours.

Themountaiobesappingmystrength.

Notimetowaste.Iimmediatelyleaptandbeganclimbing.

“I’mready.Let’sbeginthefinaltrial.”

Halftheeffort...?

likeaflowingstream.

“Youmustreachthesummitwithinhalfanhour.Succeed,arialisplete.”

Islowedslightly,curiouswhetherthisso-calledinterferencecouldaffect“me.”

Idon’tknowhowlongI’dbeenclimbing,butexhaustionstartedsettingin.

Panting,Iasked,

“ThisisthefirstformoftheSorSparrowBattleTeique.

Igaveaweaknodandcolpsedontheground.

Aminiaturefigureappearedinmymind,demonstratingamartialsequence.Meanwhile,appeared: