New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live-Chapter 1092: The Heavenly Ascent

Of course, even though they were ascending the steps, albeit at a plodding pace, they all knew that with each step getting more challenging, they would never make it to the top.

After a few dozen steps, some of the group were already getting exhausted and regretting their course of action.

Alexander could see their mana pools rapidly depleting, and was worried they might fall unconscious on these stairs.

What would happen to them if they fainted on them? Would they be safe?

The fox, who had stopped at the first plateau, which happened to be the hundredth step, looked at them struggle, and smiled.

Even though he wasn’t impressed by those who he could tell were about to give in, they had still made it further than many of his younger disciples, and on their first try, at that.

He imagined this was a great moment to weaken the biggest threat in the group, the one whose power levels were barely waning with every step he took.

"You know, Mr. Leduc, there might be a way to spare your friends the humiliation of failing the heavenly ascent. Care to hear about it?" he asked, raising his voice just enough so that Alex would hear him over his grunting.

Alex’s eyes immediately whipped upward as their gazes locked.

"Tell me," Alex replied without hesitation.

"You can transfer the burden of their steps to yourself, if you wish. I need but snap my fingers, and their burden becomes yours. Or if you wish to share it, you can choose between yourselves, and I’ll make it so," the fox offered, a snide smile on his lips.

Alex grit his teeth, knowing if he started taking their burdens, his own would rapidly expand past his tolerated levels. But he didn’t want his friends suffering the humiliation of everyone seeing them collapse, much less get hurt.

But he could tell some of them couldn’t continue this way. Rì-Chū, who had barely awakened before they reached the sect, was still weakened, and reaching the thirtieth step was already an achievement.

And he wasn’t the only one about to kneel under the pressure, either. Killian, Cory, and Winston were all three starting to look pale.

Surprisingly, the only one amongst them who hadn’t a mana lobe, Liu Yan, seemed determined to push forward.

Alex couldn’t even understand where he was dredging the mana inside him from, as the normal mana reserves in his body should have long since dried out.

But, even though his friends looked like they had better days, the will in their eyes spoke more words than he needed to hear.

And Alex wasn’t the only one to see it.

"Let’s make it fair. I can see that your friends are determined to carry their own, so I will not ease their burden entirely. How about this: I lock their challenge at the step they currently are, and you carry their extra burden starting there until you reach the hundredth step," the fox said, his conniving smile plain for them to see.

However, a few of Alexander’s group members had their piece of mind in adding to this deal.

"I refuse to let him carry my burden. I can do this!" Jonathan barked, his eyes fierce.

"Me too!" Violette chimed in, gripping her staff in both hands.

"I would rather die than let him hang that over me going forward. I’m doing this on my own," David scoffed, raising a middle finger at the fox.

"I agree with his sentiment," Kary added, although she remained courteous.

Alex smiled at his friends’ determination and turned his head to look at Jin-Sil and Liu Yan.

Jin-Sil grinned at him, giving him a silent nod, while Liu Yan only hesitated for a single second.

"I’m good. I trust you... I trust us, to get through this," Liu Yan said, a slight shiver in his voice as he did.

Alex nodded and turned to the ones who looked worst for wear.

"I wish I could say I could take more of this. If all the steps feel like this one, I can make it to the top, but no more," Killian said, giving a regretful look to Alexander.

He felt nauseous from every step he took on the staircase, and he couldn’t understand why. But any more than this, and he would have to curl over and throw up.

Cory gave Alex a nervous chuckle.

"I’m sorry. Healing the disciple earlier has already made me tired. I don’t think I can take much more of this..."

Alex shook his head at him.

"Don’t worry. There is no shame in it. I’ll carry your burden."

Winston and Rì-Chū looked at Alex apologetically, but both remained silent.

Winston was ashamed that he couldn’t shoulder more of their burden as the party’s tank, but it was what it was. He was tired, and his knees threatened to buckle if he took a step more.

As for Rì-Chū, well, he was too tired to even reply. His mana lobe was hurting, and his mana channels felt like liquid fire had raged through them.

Forcing his mana to cycle like this was physically hurting him, and the sooner it stopped, the sooner he could feel better.

If there was a solution to that, even if it meant relying on Alexander, he was willing to take it.

Alex knew of his state through his perfect mana senses, and he wouldn’t ask him for more, anyway.

Turning his head to the fox, he opened his mouth to speak.

"It seems my friends know what they can or can’t take. Those who chose to take your challenge will do so unimpeded. As for the others, I shall take their burden on, and make a mockery of your staircase."

The fox chuckled at his defying words, but accepted his terms.

"Very well."

Snapping his fingers, he modified the formation a little on the stairs, which was easy for him, since he had made it, and crossed his arms in wait.

"I’ll wait for you on this plateau. Good luck, mortals. You will need it."