This F-Rank Bubble Mage Is Too OP!

River closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

Threads of mana coiled around him, drawn in by his refined Mana Gathering technique. His body absorbed the energy like a thirsty sponge, each second feeding his depleted reserves.

10 MP…

23…

57…

84…

100.

Full.

His eyes snapped open just as the first cracks spread across his bubble fortress.

The protective layers surrounding him trembled under the relentless assault of flying boulders. Each rock slammed into the shimmering wall of mana with enough force to crush a small building. One by one, the outer bubbles shattered—bursting in a flash of light before vanishing into mana dust.

But River didn't panic.

He didn't move.

Instead, he waited.

He watched.

Timing is everything.

The fortress thinned.

Three layers left.

Two.

One.

Then—nothing.

The final shell ruptured, exposing him to the rushing chaos of debris and distortion. And at that precise moment, River acted.

With a sharp exhale, he infused a burst of mana into his back. Dozens of [Bubble Bombs] surged into place behind him—layered, pressurized, and volatile. In an instant, he triggered them.

Boom!

A brilliant explosion erupted behind him, the controlled blast launching his body forward like a cannonball. The shockwave tore through the air, scattering nearby debris and cutting through the chaos like a spear.

River's body shot forward, accelerating.

His bubble reformed in front of him, compact and tight, shaped to thread through the narrow cracks between the massive boulders ahead.

He didn't steer with wild movements—only minute shifts of mana, small pulses that redirected his trajectory by inches. That was all he needed.

An opening.

Another.

Then a sliver of space between two colliding rocks.

He passed through just as the boulders slammed into one another behind him.

Too close.

But he was through.

The Heartstone was closer now—glowing like a burning ember at the core of the storm.

River's breath quickened, but his eyes stayed sharp.

"This trial… it's not just about dodging," he muttered. "It's about knowing when to move. When to wait. When to burn your power."

He'd almost rushed too early.

Almost wasted mana again.

But now?

He had control.

With another small explosion from a [Bubble Bomb] under his feet, River propelled himself upward, twisting around a jagged rock and regaining momentum.

He moved like a dancer through the wreckage—flowing, bursting, rebounding.

Calculated chaos.

His mind drifted back to the First Trial.

Eye to Eye, Mind to Mind.

A simple phrase. Yet now, it echoed in his mind with profound weight. It wasn't just a title—it was a warning. A lesson disguised as a test. The first trial didn't demand brute force. It demanded introspection. It demanded a level of self-awareness most Hunters would never bother to reach.

"If I was short-sighted, if I rushed in like a fool… I would've lost," River muttered, his voice quiet but resolute.

He would've fought his clone endlessly, wasting his strength until death claimed him. It was only by understanding the mirror—not destroying it—that he passed.

It wasn't just a physical challenge. It was philosophical. Psychological. Strategic.

This wasn't an ordinary F-Rank Quest.

Not by a long shot.

The Trial wasn't here to reward anyone for swinging hard enough.

It was trying to mold something—or someone.

Someone capable of going beyond the surface.

Of seeing what others missed.

"Mind to mind," River whispered, his gaze hardening. "If that trial was about insight, then this one is about control."

The Heartstone pulsed in the distance, a single beat in the chaos. River surged forward.

Explosions reverberated around him as the giant rocks collided and crumbled. Shockwaves rippled through the chaotic void, creating distorted pulses in the space around him. It was as if the Trial itself wanted to crush him—twist him into nothingness.

The rocks didn't just fall—they hunted him, drawn toward his mana like predators sensing blood.

They compressed from all directions, aiming to cage him, to end him.

But River wasn't having it.

With a sharp flick of his wrist, Bubble Bombs detonated one after another behind him, each explosion launching him faster through the narrowing gaps. The pressure on his bubble was immense—nearly unbearable. His protective shell wobbled, flexing to its limit, but held.

Barely.

His senses screamed in warning. Every pulse of mana from the environment painted a clear truth in his mind:

One wrong move and he'd die. Instantly.

He didn't hesitate. There was no room for second-guessing. No time to breathe.

The Heartstone loomed in the distance, beating like a heart wrapped in flame. It hovered atop a massive floating platform, surrounded by jagged, rotating stones that moved like sentinels—guardians trying to deny him entry.

River narrowed his eyes.

"Almost there…"

Up ahead, a new wave of stone fragments spun into view—larger than the last, sharper, faster.

River smirked.

"You want to play?"

His mana surged outward.

With a sharp pulse, he conjured a Bubble Fortress, layers thick and reinforced with precision control. The barrier exploded outward, meeting the oncoming rocks with a thunderous clash.

The air trembled. The impact ignited a radiant burst of light as debris scattered in all directions. A curtain of dust and mana danced across the void like mist caught in a storm.

His MP dipped sharply, numbers plummeting across his mental interface—but this time, he was ready.

Before the meter could even brush below 10, River unleashed another cluster of Bubble Bombs behind him—compact, refined, and angled for propulsion rather than destruction.

Boom!

The kickback rocketed him forward, flames and wind trailing behind like the tail of a comet. His bubble warped with the pressure, groaning as it strained to keep him intact.

The platform was seconds away.

His heartbeat thundered in his chest, matching the rhythm of the glowing Heartstone.

Closer.

Closer.

A final boulder spiraled into his path.

River didn't slow.

He didn't veer.

He conjured a bubble bomb in front of him, ramming through rock with a burst of explosion!

Bang!

The fragments flew everywhere as River crashed down onto the floating platform—his bubble absorbing the impact and bursting with a hollow pop.

He rolled twice before catching himself, one knee skidding against the smooth obsidian surface.

Then silence.

No more flying rocks. No more distortions.

Just the sound of his ragged breathing and the dull, powerful pulse of the Heartstone ahead.

River slowly stood.

His cloak was torn. Scratches lined his arms. His MP was nearly gone.

But he was alive.

And more importantly—he made it.

The Heartstone stood before him, glowing like an ember plucked from a dying star. Light pulsed from its core in rhythmic beats, as if it were alive—watching him.

River wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Trial Two…" he muttered, a grin forming on his face despite the pain shooting up his side, "You're gonna have to do better than that."