He was alive. He should be dead right now. Or, at the very least, bleeding to death on the floor.

The boy was more than alive though.

The kid was smirking at him.

What the heck just happened?

Max pulled his hand away, a pinkish aura surrounding his hand, shattered into a million pieces.

Is that—

Is the boy’s trait the same as the shield slime’s? Is that why he couldn’t deal any damage towards it?

“You insolent boy,” shouted Samuel Archer. “You’ll now see the real power of a true climber.”

Max shrugged.

“Look, that sounds great,” the boy replied. “And thanks for the offensive ability. But I got a preliminary test to complete.”

17

Max turned back to the shield slime, while Samuel Archer fumed behind him.

Max felt a change inside of him. It was his mimic ability transforming itself into the special lightning attack Samuel Archer had come at him with.

“Smart thinking Max,” cheered Sakura from above. “Now complete the test!”

Max cracked his neck. The test was almost over.

He knew from previous experience that he passed out after using the minotaur ability four times. He had used a stolen ability only once so far: the slime’s energy shield against Samuel Archer. So he had two more ability shots left before he was in danger of passing out.

That should be enough to finish this.

He ran at the shield slime and raised his fist. This time he willed his mimic ability to conjure lightning all around his arm and fist.

He then smashed it into the shield slime.

CRACK!

The slime’s smile disappeared as its energy shield shattered.

“Not so happy-go-lucky now, are you?” shouted Max, swinging another fist of lightning into the monster.

With the energy shield destroyed, the lightning attack coursed through the shield slime, electrocuting it to death.

It collapsed into a puddle of sludge. Then it turned silver and disappeared completely, leaving a small copper stone and some coins in its place.

Sakura cheered from above.

The clerk entered the room once more and said, “Congratulations, Max Rainhart, you have passed the preliminary trial to enter the climber academy. You’re now officially enrolled!”

Sakura leapt from the balcony, landing on the floor gracefully, and rushing over to Max.

“That was brilliant,” she said. “You had no means to defeat the shield slime at first, so you took advantage of the setting around you to alter the situation and make the battle more in your favor. Well done, Max!”

The celebrations were cut short by a scowling voice. “That’s outrageous. The boy didn’t beat shield slime on his own. I contest this preliminary test.”

The man narrowed his eyes at Sakura and Max could tell he was being serious.

“You can’t do that, can you?” said Max.

Max also couldn’t understand what he’d done to bother this guy so much. Why was he so against him entering climber academy?