Leonel took deep breaths, pushing himself up the rest of the way.
If this most recent thought of his was correct, that would mean that the creator of [Dimensional Cleanse], or at least whoever it was that set up this competition, did in fact want him to use his mind over the raw strength of his body. It was just that now, rather than applying it to puzzles, he or she wanted it applied in battle.
Leonel would still remember the borderline narcissistic comments the creator of [Dimensional Cleanse] had left in the first part of their technique. Back then, Leonel had been in the Joan Zone and his life was on the line every minute of every day, and yet he still couldn't help but chuckle. Even now, with his body in such a state, he was caught between rolling his eyes and laughing some more.
When he framed things like this, if the creator was really the one who set up this fiasco, it was no wonder it was all so sadistic. That person was really a bastard.
'97 seconds…' Leonel thought to himself.
He had to make it to the next spirit in that time or else he would have to fight the one he just had again. The distance wasn't far, just a kilometer. But in this endless stretch of road Leonel felt like banging his head against a wall.
'There's got to be something to this…'
The truth was that Leonel was at a striking disadvantage. It was very rare for those with powerful bodies to choose [Dimensional Cleanse] of all things to practice. They would usually pick a technique that could supplement their power, not their mind.
But, back when Leonel was choosing [Dimensional Cleanse], he hadn't awakened any of his Lineage Factors. His mind was the only strength he had thanks to his ability. He hadn't really had a choice… He had simply made the best choice he could.
Unfortunately, that led to a state where now his Metal Body, rather than being an asset, was actually the worst detriment to him. He shouldn't feel so heavy right now, at least not at such early stages. But, the situation was exasperated by his Metal Synergy Lineage Factor.
Ironically… Leonel would have had an easier time had he left his Metal Body at Tier 1 before entering this place.
Not only was his body heavier to start, but the blue Force that entered his body after every victory worked on percentages. This meant that the added weight he experienced was also greater than that of others. It was as though the creator of [Dimensional Cleanse] was snubbing his nose at Leonel for being a muscle head that dared to pine after his precious technique.
As though this wasn't bad enough… This place was located in an unknown Higher Dimension. The pressure Leonel was experiencing as someone in the mere Third was simply unprecedented.
The misfortune of it all was that Leonel didn't have the luxury of whining about it.
There was no road back. Leonel's Force Arts didn't work so he couldn't even try to teleport away from this place. Stepping off of the light road meant certain death. And, to top it all off, there was nothing but an endless abyss to his back.
If it wasn't for the beauty of the blue star, all of this would feel like nothing more than a death trap.
Leonel took a measured step forward. He had already calculated the pace he needed to maximize his rest time while not being forced to fight the same spirit again. But now, he had to think of a solution. He couldn't just continue like this. If he did, there would eventually come a point where he couldn't hold on any longer… And by then, only death would await.
Leonel wasn't a fool. In fact, he was being overly optimistic right this moment. The truth was that he had already reached his limit.
Every subsequent spirit was always between 5-6% more difficult to defeat. This was calculated using a combination of Leonel's added weight, along with the spirit's increase in defenses and skill.
If Leonel fought more passively, he felt that he could at most defeat three more spirits. But, even if he couldn't see to the end of the light road, he could definitely see three kilometers ahead… And that was enough to know that that put him no closer to his destination.
What was the conclusion…?
100% chance of death.
For Leonel, whose very foundations were rooted in logic, there was no false hope birthed in his heart, nor was there a steely determination… All there was left was the acceptance that if he didn't change something, he was finished. And, he had 97 seconds to think of it.
Even though he would last three more rounds, he had already calculated that he would suffer grievous wounds after just the first… They would definitely be terrible enough that even if he did figure something out, he would be finished.
Leonel's gaze was left with nothing but an eerie calm.
They say that when one faced death, their lives would flash before their eyes. But, nothing of the sort happened to Leonel. Maybe it was because he wasn't like other individuals, or maybe it was because the control he had over his mind was too great… Whatever it was, it saved him valuable mental strength, all of which was focused on a solution.
What did he have? He had his King's Might. He had his Spear Domain. And he had his spears.
He knew that this trial would never allow him to rely on anyone else, so he didn't even consider using Little Blackstar, Candle or Vice. He also knew that there was no Force allowed to be used here other than the Force [Dimensional Cleanse] produced, which should be Star Force.
Leonel's eyes narrowed. Maybe that meant that it wasn't that his Force or Mage Arts were useless, but rather that Mage Arts that used Forces other than Star Force couldn't gather the energy they needed with these restrictions.
A small crack opened in Leonel's logic as the chance of death fell to 99.9%.