Because of possessing the black crystal, Allen's mental power is much stronger than that of ordinary people. Therefore, when he was about to step on the thousandth step, he was keenly aware that there must be something wrong with this place. It was very likely that he would
I encountered some things here that I didn't want to see.
"Can I brute force it?" He laughed to himself.
Thinking of this, he began to try to build a mathematical model in his mind and find loopholes in the rules, just like he had done before when studying "illumination", so as to break Merlins' magic.
But he soon gave up.
Merlins' magic is so complicated that even a supercomputer would take several days to construct the spell model, let alone Allen himself.
So, he shook his head helplessly and chose to climb the thousandth step.
"What is supposed to come will come." He told himself silently.
Then he heard those cold words: "Only by overcoming fear can we continue to move forward."
"Fear, I didn't expect it to be such a test... But, what is the thing I'm most afraid of... exactly?" Allen was a little nervous about this, but also a little curious, "Could it be working overtime around the clock?
?"
He laughed to himself.
The expected stern boss did not appear.
What appeared in front of him was a piece of green grass. Dotted with scattered small white flowers, they shone in the sunlight.
On the grass, a group of children ran around laughing and playing hide-and-seek games, and the air was filled with a happy atmosphere.
Allen found himself back in his childhood.
He stood on the side of the grass and silently watched the group of children playing happily, feeling yearning rising in his heart.
"Can I join you?" he heard himself ask in a childish voice.
No one responded to him.
The sun is still shining brightly and the children are still laughing.
He was alone.
The sun shone on him, but he looked very cold.
It was only then that Allen realized that what he feared most was loneliness.
…………
at the same time.
Selena Solomon is still immersed in memories, with the expression on her face changing.
"As a lady, this is the obligation you should fulfill for your family."
Her father, Duke Solomon, placed the engagement contract in front of her and said to her coldly.
Selena lowered her head and looked at the two dazzling names written on the engagement contract.
She could almost imagine her future life: ending her teenage career, getting married to an old man twenty-five years older than her, having children for him, and then wearing the widow's hat early after the old man died.
Black veil.
She thought: It turns out that the life of a so-called "lady" is no different from a grave.
"I refuse."
She took a deep breath and for the first time in her life, she mustered up the courage to speak to her father.
"Rejection is invalid," the father replied.
She laughed at herself, lifted up her skirt, made an elegant curtsey to her father, held the engagement contract tightly in her hands, and turned around to leave.
This time, her face was frighteningly pale, but she didn't shed a single tear.
…………
In the vast white mist, Howard was still falling downwards.
"Young man, cheer up!" He heard a voice whispering deep in the clouds.
But in the weightless state, Howard could no longer tell the direction. He could only feel that he was falling very fast. Maybe in the next second, he would come into contact with the ground, and then fall to his head and bleed.
"I can't do it," he replied.
"But you haven't tried it yet," the voice said.
"No."
"You are giving up on yourself."
"I have failed," Howard's voice sounded exhausted. "I have been climbing up since I was born, but the top of the mountain is too far away. It's time to rest."
"Remember that song? It's the one your mother often hums around you."
Howard thought for a moment and hummed a few words softly: "...trees will fall, swords will break, and eagles will fall from the sky; the wind will be strong, the ground will be slippery, and it will rain heavily all the way; if you fall, don't be afraid, just wipe it dry.
The tears started from the beginning..." At this point, he suddenly changed the topic, "After all, ballads are just ballads. It's easy to say it, but how many people can actually do it?"
The other party was silent for a long time, and then slowly said: "Why don't you look down?"
"down?"
"Yes. You used to just stare at the top of the mountain. Maybe looking back, you will gain something."
"But I'm afraid," Howard's voice trembled slightly, "I'm afraid that if I look back, I will be back to where I started. All my efforts will be in vain."
"It's better than falling to death."
After saying this, the other party was silent again.
So, Howard took a deep breath and tried to look down, only to feel that his adrenal glands were burning rapidly.
The fog gradually faded away, and the scenery on the ground was clearly displayed in front of him, like a colorful map heading towards him.
He saw the slums where he was born, his mother wearing a gray skirt and working hard in a textile factory;
He saw the school where he studied. Dozens of students shared a yellowing textbook, showing eyes eager for knowledge;
He saw the University of Cambridge located by the river, with the breeze blowing and the willow branches swaying, like an isolated fairyland;
…
"It turns out that I have come so far without even realizing it!" He sighed deeply from the bottom of his heart, "It seems... that it's not that difficult to start over again, right?"
Then he opened his arms.
A gust of wind blew and he flew up.
…………
Gary Buegaard fell down on the stone steps, looking at each other with his "mother".
"Mom, are you okay?" he asked, "No one is giving you any trouble, right?"
Mother held the rolling pin and shook her head: "I'm fine. Take care of yourself first."
Gharib felt his heart sinking.
He knew his mother's character: she would only take matters into her own hands and would never tell anyone, especially Gharib.
"Just wait," he said with a slight frown, "when I become an official magician, I will take you over from the colonial plane."
Mother nodded, then shook her head: "You take care of yourself first."
Thinking of his mother being alone in the colonial plane without anyone to take care of her, Garib was so angry that he wanted to stamp his feet.
Shit! This damn level actually requires him to overcome his fear!
But can he really overcome such fear?
Pooh!
If you force me like this, I will try my best to show you!
Garib stood up, looking at the invisible barrier, eager to try.
…………
"To be honest, I really didn't expect that I would be afraid of loneliness," Allen said to himself with a wry smile on his face, standing in the white mist, "After all, I have long been accustomed to living alone over the years.
."
"Habit does not mean liking," a voice echoed in his mind, "Although you don't want to admit it, I know that you long for friends and enjoy the feeling of being noticed."
"That's true." Allen did not deny it.
"But have you ever thought about it," the voice continued, "as your power becomes stronger and stronger, your friends will be far behind you, and you will be the only one left on the road ahead.
?"
"That's too far away," Allen shook his head, "I haven't thought about it yet."
"Then please open your eyes and take a good look."
As soon as he finished speaking, the sunny lawn disappeared together with the children playing hide and seek.
Instead, there was a huge, empty and spacious palace.
Thick columns support the high dome, coupled with exquisite murals and reliefs, it looks like a palace of gods in myths and legends.
There is no light in the temple.
On the high stairs at the end of the hall, there is a single chair placed condescendingly. The shape is ferocious and intimidating.
Allen sat on it, with no expression on his face.
It was quiet all around.
Loneliness is the eternal melody here.
"This is the end of power," said the voice in my head, "Do you like it?"
Allen lowered his head, looked solemn, and did not answer.
But a few minutes later, he suddenly stood up and his eyebrows relaxed.
Immediately, the silent and solemn scene in front of him suddenly shattered like a mirror.
"Are there any other options?" he asked.
"No," the voice replied, "This is the only way. You have no choice."
"No, you are wrong," Allen retorted, "The roads are all made by people. As long as someone is willing to try, there will naturally be a new road."
"Those who do this are basically dead," the voice said with a joking smile, "otherwise, how could we call them 'martyrs'?"
Allen also laughed.
"It's still early!" He said in a relaxed tone, "Anyway, I have to thank you today."
"Why are you thanking me?" the voice asked in confusion, "I didn't help you."
"Thank you for helping me see my fear," Allen slowed down and said seriously, "for helping me find the direction and courage to move forward."
"But... aren't fear and courage contradictory to each other?"
"People can only be brave when they are afraid," Allen replied, "because of fear, they will fight hard." (1)
As soon as he finished speaking, all illusions disappeared.
Allen returned to the stairs in the mist.
At this moment, there is no barrier that can stop him.
He walked forward, briskly and joyfully.
…………
Mage Tower, next to the light curtain.
Merlins stared at Allen's figure intently, and muttered silently: "That's right...people can only be brave when they are afraid."
Beside him, the toucan quacked a few times and asked, "Merlins, did you guess it right? What is he most afraid of?"
Merlins shook his head.
"I don't know," Merlins replied, then paused for a moment and added, "To be honest, only they themselves can see the things in the illusion."
"Hey, are you finally willing to admit that you can't do it? Isn't the demiplane yours? Why can't you see it?" Toucan said in the same mocking tone as before.
"I placed the 'Mirror of the Soul' on the thousandth step," Merlins explained. "It is an artifact left by the gods in ancient times, and its rank is even above the legend. Everyone who comes close to it
, you will get an opportunity to have an inner dialogue with yourself. If you are not lost in the illusion, your mental strength and willpower will be greatly improved."
"But, Merlins, if I read it correctly, your student's mental strength seems to have not changed at all..." Toucan asked doubtfully.
"Maybe it's because his own mental power is already strong enough!" Merlins smiled bitterly and shook his head. He really couldn't think of any more reasonable explanation.
…………
At the same time, in the auditorium of Cambridge University.
The students onlookers also stared at the light curtain attentively, as if they themselves were participating in the assessment.
"How about we make a bet?" Jeffrey suddenly whispered, "There are currently four people standing on the 1,000th step. Let's bet on who can break through this level first? You don't have to bet too much, just a few pennies.
."
"Okay," a few people nearby agreed with a smile, and wanted to have some fun, "Who do you bet on to win? Anyway, I bet on Selena. Beautiful girls, you have to support me."
"For the honor of Cambridge University, I bet on Howard."
Jeffrey thought for a while and said: "Then I choose Alan York."
"What a good roommate." Others smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
Jeffrey chuckled.
He just felt that there were not many others betting on Allen. If Allen could really take the lead, then he would make a huge profit. But if Allen loses...it doesn't matter, the worst is to ask Allen to pay for it himself.
Anyway, he has plenty of money.
But what happened next surprised him.
The moment he finished speaking, he saw Allen break through the obstacle and begin to move forward quickly.
"Oh, damn it!" Jeffrey cursed in his mind, "Alan, you bastard, you really just left!"
At the same time, several people around him thrust coins into his hand, cursed at the same time, and vowed never to gamble with Jeffrey in the future.
Jeffrey shook his head.
He secretly regretted why he didn't raise the stakes just now. In this way, he could make a fortune. Although he was not as rich as Allen, who had a fortune of hundreds of millions, at least he didn't have to deal with it when he was in the restaurant every day.
The price is fussy.
…………
"Sorry, Mom, I have to go first."
Gary Buegaard turned around, took one last look at his "mother", then plucked up the courage and ran towards the invisible barrier with long strides.
As a brat who is fearless, his mother far away from home is Gharib's only weakness, and what he fears and worries the most.
But even so, he can't go home yet.
Because he knows that only by staying in the Braden Kingdom can he become stronger; only by becoming stronger can his mother not be bullied.
Because of fear, he must become braver.
Thinking of this, the illusion quietly shattered, and the mother's figure also disappeared.
Gharib was finally able to cross this step and continue moving forward.
However, I don’t know if it was his illusion, but even after the illusion was shattered, his mother’s voice still echoed in his mind:
"You brat, you must take care of yourself!"
His eyes suddenly became moist.
…………
Howard opened his arms, like an eagle spreading its wings, flying high in the white mist.
Because he is afraid of falling, he must fly high.
Because he is afraid of falling, he must not be afraid of setbacks.
In the blink of an eye, he flew back to the original stairs.
He landed firmly on it, feeling lingering fear.
The illusion disappeared.
…………
Selena stands in her pink bedroom filled with dolls.
The engagement contract was held in her hands.
It was a thin piece of paper, very fragile. As long as she tore it gently, it would break into pieces.
…………
(1) From "A Song of Ice and Fire: Game of Thrones".
ps1: Two chapters combined into one chapter, 4,000 words. It’s not easy to separate chapters, so I put them together.
ps2: Please give me a recommendation vote! At the same time, I would like to thank the book friend Mars Chestnut for the 1100 reward!