This F-Rank Bubble Mage Is Too OP!-Chapter 35: The Second Trial (Part-2)

River only needed to reach the Heartstone on the giant floating rock.

But that was easier said than done.

Suspended in a shimmering bubble, River extended his senses through his [Bubble Creation]—the same Mana Gathering technique that he revised to do something else. Instead of drawing mana into his core, he inverted the method—spreading his senses outward like a net, allowing him to perceive more than what his eyes could see.

At that moment, time seemed to slow.

The rocks drifting in this fragmented world—some the size of buildings, others no larger than pebbles—froze in the air like silent giants. Their trajectories, rotations, and mana signatures etched themselves into his perception as if painted across a still canvas.

Above, the sun peeked through thick storm clouds, casting broken rays of light that refracted across the floating debris. It looked beautiful—and terrifying. frёeweɓηovel_coɱ

Calling this space a void felt inaccurate. It wasn’t black and empty. It was a shattered dimension with no ground, no gravity, and no solid footing. Just floating chaos.

River took a steady breath.

The chaotic ballet of stones now mapped out in his mind, he channeled mana into the base of his bubble. It responded instantly, tilting and drifting through the gaps between tumbling rocks. His control was deliberate—fast, yet measured. Any mistake, even the smallest miscalculation, could crush him in an instant.

One by one, he passed the obstacles with fluid precision, weaving through the labyrinth of floating death. His bubble skimmed the edges of jagged stones, brushing past them by mere inches.

There were no explanations given for Trial Two. No hints. Only one clear objective:

"Reach the Heartstone without perishing."

Which was already more than what Trial One offered.

But as River moved deeper into the maze, something felt... off.

It was too easy.

He narrowed his eyes. The placement of the rocks, the rhythm of their movements—it was as if someone had designed this path with an illusion of difficulty. Like a stage meant to lull a cocky Hunter into complacency.

River wasn’t falling for it.

His senses remained sharp, his mana at the ready.

Then, it happened.

As he slipped past a large chunk of stone, something shifted behind him. His instincts screamed. His senses blared like sirens.

River spun his head around—and his eyes widened.

The very rocks he had just passed were no longer floating harmlessly.

They were moving.

No—chasing.

Their motions were unnatural, breaking the logical trajectories they had moments ago. The debris spun toward him at accelerating speed, each one targeting him like a predator scenting blood.

"Of course..." River growled under his breath. "They were baiting me."

His mana flared as he pushed his bubble into a steep dive, narrowly dodging a slab of stone that came spinning from above. Another boulder surged from his left—he veered right, just in time to avoid being crushed.

The trial wasn’t just a puzzle.

It was alive.

Adaptable.

Aggressive.

This wasn’t just a test of navigation. It was a test of endurance, perception, and control. A misstep wasn’t just failure—it was death.

The Heartstone glowed faintly in the distance, still pulsing like a heartbeat—calling to him. Daring him.

And River?

River narrowed his eyes, sweat beading down his forehead.

"Alright," he muttered, mana swirling fiercely at his fingertips. "Let’s dance."

Using his Mana Control, River surged forward at high speed. In any normal space with gravity, such acceleration would have been impossible. But in this chaotic dimension, where the rules of physics twisted like a serpent devouring its own tail, mobility was his only advantage—and he would use it.

Still, River couldn’t afford to go wild. Every bit of mana spent was a slice taken from his lifeline. Here, in this deathtrap of swirling stones and disjointed gravity, running out of Mana was the same as signing a death certificate.

He slipped through narrow crevices between spinning rocks, the surface of his bubble grazing jagged edges. It shuddered from the impacts, the outer layers warping and shrinking under pressure, but it held.

Barely.

"Come on," River hissed, as a slab of stone the size of a truck rushed at him from above. He dipped down, narrowly dodging, only for another boulder to swing across his path. He clenched his fist, forcing more mana into the bubble.

The barrier thickened—but his MP dropped.

12 MP...

11 MP...

10 MP...

The number ticked down with every adjustment.

"Sh*t! If this goes on I’ll run out of mana before I even reach the Heartstone!" River spat, his voice strained.

He glanced ahead—there it was.

The Heartstone.

Glowing faintly red, like a polished gem drenched in blood. It looked small, barely the size of a fist, but it pulsed like a second sun amidst the chaos.

Just a few more hundred meters.

But every time he moved toward it, the rocks shifted. Almost as if they sensed his intent, forming walls or firing toward him in erratic patterns. It wasn’t random. It was targeted. Alive. Adaptive.

River stopped abruptly in midair, his bubble freezing in place.

His breathing was ragged. His mana was low.

He needed to reset the situation—create breathing room.

Lifting his arm, River summoned a new set of bubbles—giant ones this time. With quick mental commands and precise control, dozens of oversized bubbles materialized around him in a tight formation, forming a layered dome—a mobile fortress in the sky.

Each bubble shimmered with interwoven threads of mana. Thick. Dense. Reinforced.

And immediately, dizziness struck.

His vision blurred. His body swayed. He barely had time to look at the numbers before the alarm bells in his head started screaming.

9 MP...

7 MP...

5 MP...

Less than 10...

"Damn it..." River groaned, clutching his forehead.

Outside, the sound of colliding energy echoed like the roar of a collapsing mountain.

Boom!

Crash!

Whump!

The fortress of bubbles shuddered under the impact of boulders colliding from every direction. Some burst on impact, but many held, bending and rebounding like living shields. The mana inside them trembled, trying to absorb the chaos.

River knelt inside the core bubble, sweat dripping down his face as he watched his remaining MP flicker like a dying flame.

He gritted his teeth.

"I have to get through those damn rocks..." he whispered, eyes sharp and focused, "before they get through me."

With trembling hands, he placed both palms on the bubble’s interior. Instead of launching forward recklessly again, he closed his eyes and began absorbing mana with his [Mana Gathering] technique.

The fortress of bubbles would buy him time—but not much.

Every second was precious.

Every breath counted.

And if he couldn’t recover at least enough MP to push through the final defense...

Then the Trial would end here.

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