My Wife is a Hidden Big Shot

Chapter 439 - 403: Membership Selection (Part 3)

Just then, a massive, reflective wall of ice shattered with a crash.

A small path leading further up the mountain appeared behind it.

It turned out they hadn’t reached the true summit yet, but were on a smaller peak within The Ertolier Mountains.

The woman from Esteros stared at the shards on the ground, finding it hard to believe they were actually made of ice.

"The other three have already gone up the mountain."

Aurora Sinclair pointed to the footprints not far away and said calmly.

"Then let’s hurry up, too."

The woman from Esteros anxiously started running toward the small path.

But the two of them remained unhurried, prompting the woman from Esteros to stop again. "What are you dawdling for?"

Aurora Sinclair was observing the peak. The cliffs on both sides were steep and smooth, and the only path up the mountain was covered in a layer of ice.

’Walking slowly on the path would be easier than climbing the cliff, but there’s no telling what dangers lie ahead.’

"We can’t take this path," Aurora Sinclair warned, but the woman from Esteros didn’t believe her. "Why not?"

"It could be dangerous."

"What danger could there be here? This is a tryout for the alliance, not a life-or-death trial. If you’re not going, I am."

The woman from Esteros scoffed inwardly and darted toward the path.

Aurora Sinclair watched her for a moment, then pointed at the adjacent cliff and was the first to start climbing with a rope.

"We’ll go this way."

This route was just like their previous climb—a perilous, vertical ascent.

The two of them climbed slowly, one after the other. Every time they reached a large patch of frozen earth, they would rest for a few minutes, eating something to regain their energy.

It was unclear how long they had been climbing.

Suddenly, a rumbling sound echoed from the summit, as if something was rolling down.

The pair, who had been resting on a patch of frozen earth, immediately stood up and looked in the direction of the sound.

They saw several massive boulders rolling down the mountain path at high speed.

If they had been on that path, there would have been absolutely no place to dodge the rocks.

Aurora Sinclair’s eyes darkened.

She could faintly hear the shouts of the other four people.

’It’s just a tryout for the alliance. Why is it so dangerous?’

The two resumed their climb. The peak was so high and steep it felt as if it had no end.

After climbing onto another patch of frozen earth, Aurora Sinclair looked suspiciously at a section of the cliff face.

"Morgan, have we been here before?"

Alvin Morgan glanced at the marks left by pitons on the rock wall and sneered. "It looks the same, but it’s just an illusion. Someone wants to trap us here forever."

***

The Ertolier Mountains were covered in ice and snow year-round, the mountain paths thick with frozen earth.

A man in thin clothes listened with a dark expression as a subordinate knelt on the ground and reported.

"Sir, all five have been rescued, but those two are completely unharmed."

"Hmph... They’re tougher than I thought."

"Sir, should we make another move?"

Hearing this, the man’s expression hardened. He shot his subordinate a glare. "Do you want those old foxes to find out?"

"Then..."

"They got off easy this time. They must die in the next round!"

"Yes, sir!"

「Elsewhere.」

Aurora Sinclair and Alvin Morgan successfully reached the highest peak of The Ertolier Mountains.

Vincent Lawson had been waiting for them at the summit for a long time.

"Congratulations on passing the first assessment."

But before he could finish speaking, an immense pressure washed over him. Vincent Lawson’s face changed drastically as he channeled his "Power" to resist, but this pressure was even stronger than that of the three chairmen of The International Martial Alliance.

A cold voice suddenly rang in his ear, "You’re not qualified to kill me..."

"Is... is there... some kind of misunderstanding?" Vincent Lawson asked, his eyes filled with awe as he struggled to stay upright.

But the pressure on him intensified, almost forcing him to his knees.

Just then, the voices of the other five people drifted up from below the summit. "Damn, what the hell is this place?"

"Did we die and go to heaven?"

"Don’t jinx it! We’re still on the mountain."

"Oh my god, we’re not dead..."

Immediately after, the sound of their footsteps and panting grew closer.

Aurora Sinclair glanced at Alvin Morgan. Seeing him nod, she finally withdrew the Power of Heaven and Earth.

Vincent Lawson looked at Aurora Sinclair, his heart still pounding with fear.

’I never expected her Strength to be this terrifying.’

"What was that all about?"

Vincent Lawson wiped the sweat from his forehead, his tone now tinged with reverence. "This is our first assessment. It primarily tests a candidate’s courage, perseverance, and strength."

"Causing landslides, rolling boulders, setting up obstacles—that’s all part of the assessment?"

Vincent Lawson nodded. "All of this is conducted within our control. We would never let you face any real danger."

Aurora Sinclair studied him for a few more moments. "How many more assessments are there?"

"There are four more. Each of the five of us is in charge of one."

Aurora Sinclair nodded slightly.

As the three were talking, the other five finally reached the summit. Strange expressions appeared on their faces when they saw Aurora and Alvin.

Vincent Lawson composed himself and said to them grimly, "Unfortunately, you did not pass the first assessment. You’ll have to try harder in the upcoming ones."

At that moment, the Westerner suddenly pointed at Alvin Morgan and asked through gritted teeth, "Did they pass?"

Vincent Lawson glanced at Aurora Sinclair and Alvin Morgan before replying coolly, "Only the two of them passed the first assessment. Now, you all need to descend the mountain quickly for the second round."

With that, he suddenly turned, dashed in a certain direction, and leaped off a cliff, shocking everyone.

When the others rushed over, they discovered a massive snow-covered slope. All one had to do was slide down to reach the bottom of the mountain.

Vincent Lawson was descending at an incredible speed, clearly using something like a snowboard or skis.

"Let’s go..."

The two Southelanders didn’t hesitate, leaping off the cliff to follow Vincent Lawson’s route.

The Amerian and the Westerner followed suit and jumped, leaving only the woman from Esteros, who hesitated as she looked at the man and woman who had yet to jump.

"How are you two getting down?"

Aurora Sinclair glanced at her, took Alvin Morgan’s hand, and said coolly, "By jumping."

Then the two of them quickly followed the others, sliding down the mountain.

The woman from Esteros was taken aback for a second, then clenched her jaw and jumped.

The group of seven slid to the foot of the mountain in less than two hours, which was much faster than the ascent.

By then, night had fallen. The mountain blocked the moonlight, making it impossible to get one’s bearings.

A strange man’s voice echoed again: "Find your way out of here, and find me..."

His voice seemed to come from all directions, reverberating through the area with an eerie quality.

"Ditto Miles, light the way."

"Yes, Master."

A beam of light suddenly shot out from Aurora Sinclair’s arm, illuminating the path ahead.

The area was a barren wasteland. There were mountains on all sides, and the vast expanse before them felt like a no-man’s-land.

"What are you doing?"

Suddenly, the panicked voice of the Westerner came from not far away.

The two Southelanders were robbing the Westerner of his belongings.

The Amerian Man tried to stop them but was immediately grabbed by the throat by one of them. "Strength is king here. If you don’t want to die, hand over your food!"

As he spoke, he released his Advanced Martial King Power Domain.

It turned out they had also been hiding their true strength.

The Amerian Man and the Westerner instantly dropped to their knees.

Alvin Morgan saw the two Southelanders turn to face them with hostile expressions after dealing with the other two men. He immediately raised his weapon warily and stood in front of Aurora Sinclair.