"What's that?" Joseph asked dumbly, staring at the viscous liquid pouring endlessly from the top of the stone pillar.
"Oil," Caesar replied, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead. "A mechanism constantly pumps oil to the top, making it flow without pause. The trial of the Hell Climb Pillar demands we ascend from its base to the summit."
Joseph gaped, pointing downward as his voice quivered. "But if it's covered in oil, won't it be insanely slippery?"
Caesar gravely nodded. "Precisely why it's called Hell Climb Pillar—it's a climb out of hell itself."
Joseph laughed awkwardly, raising his voice theatrically. "And if we can't make it up, we'll still get rescued, right?"
Lisa Lisa cast him a sidelong glance, her silence making the answer painfully clear.
"Y-you're joking, right? Maybe I should just go home—saving the world really isn't my style," Joseph stammered. For once, he genuinely thought about backing down. He was young; there was so much of life he'd yet to enjoy.
Unfortunately, saying "no" wasn't an option. Suddenly, something hooked around his feet, and before he knew it, he was tumbling through the air, landing in the pool of oil with a resounding splash.
"D-damn it!" Joseph ran his fingers furiously through his oil-soaked hair. Before he could regain his composure, two more splashes sounded nearby: Caesar and Ray Chu had also fallen into the oil pit.
"Did that vile woman push you guys down, too?" Joseph's mood lifted considerably upon seeing he wasn't alone in his misery.
Ray Chu glanced at him wordlessly. Truthfully, if Ray hadn't allowed it, even Lisa Lisa wouldn't have been able to force him down.
Standing knee-deep in oil, Ray Chu silently stroked the marble pillar, absorbed in thought.
Next to him, Caesar growled softly at Joseph. "Don't insult our teacher! This must be one of Lisa Lisa's special training methods. All we have to do is give it our all and conquer this pillar!"
Joseph twisted his lips unhappily. "Easier said than done…but I guess there's no choice now."
His breathing grew heavier, the oily scent filling his mouth.
Joseph stared upward at the smooth marble column, watching the slick oil cascade endlessly down its seamless surface. Even with his natural optimism, he couldn't help but frown deeply.
No footholds, no gaps to grip—just sheer, oil-slick stone. They couldn't use tools or devices—only Hamon-powered climbing allowed. This was the true challenge of Hell Climb Pillar.
Even seasoned Hamon practitioners might fail here; could three young novices succeed?
It had already been fifteen grueling hours since they'd plunged into the pit. While normal people might hold out through such deprivation, the Hamon warriors' endurance was far superior. Yet, as each minute passed, their stamina inevitably declined.
Caesar had painstakingly ascended eight or nine meters, each tiny movement upward testing his spirit and willpower to the extreme.
As for Joseph, he'd tried dozens of times already but slipped after barely a meter each attempt. He couldn't even properly get started.
"Damn it… Is this where I quit?" Joseph wasn't the type to give up easily. Though outwardly carefree and frivolous, deep within him flowed the Joestar bloodline's unyielding courage and determination.
Yet, for the first time, Joseph felt utterly powerless.
"Speaking of… Ray hasn't even moved. Did he give up?" Joseph's gaze drifted aside, settling on the figure sitting cross-legged, motionless at the bottom of the oil pit. If he hadn't sensed Ray Chu's breathing, Joseph might have thought him dead.
Suddenly, Joseph rubbed his eyes incredulously. "Am I seeing things because I'm so tired?"
But it wasn't an illusion. The man, who'd sat perfectly still just moments ago, began to move—or rather, something strange and indescribable happened: his body gradually rose until he was floating atop the oil's surface.
"The density of oil is roughly between 0.91 and 0.93 g/ml. Floating on it is even harder than walking on water!" Despite his casual demeanor, Joseph did have some scientific grounding, courtesy of his schooling back in rural England.
Ray Chu's eyes opened abruptly. For an instant, Joseph felt an invisible ripple brush against him, vanishing so quickly he questioned whether he'd imagined it.
"Oh good, you're finally awake!" Joseph was desperate for someone to talk to, especially someone who might sympathize with him over a certain tyrannical woman. Maybe together, they could plot their escape from this infernal trap.
Ray Chu nodded faintly, then walked calmly across the oil's surface under Joseph's astonished gaze, stopping at the base of the pillar. He placed all ten fingertips gently against the stone, savoring the new power pulsing rhythmically through his blood.
Hamon!
Before, Joseph had merely introduced Ray Chu to Hamon in its simplest form—like eating or sleeping, an instinctual action. But after hours of quiet meditation, Ray Chu had come to grasp the subtle rhythm of breathing, channeling oxygen from his lungs into his bloodstream, energizing every cell in his body and imbuing his very flesh with Hamon's power.
What took countless Hamon masters decades of effort, Ray Chu had managed in mere hours.
Partly, it was because Ray Chu was a martial artist with bodily awareness far surpassing ordinary practitioners. His extensive travels across worlds had granted him unique insight into cultivation. But equally essential was the Hamon Breathing Mask he now wore, assisting him to quickly master Hamon's unique frequency.
Such a device was surely modern, unavailable in ancient times—a testament to science as the true driving force of human advancement.
But now wasn't the moment to ponder technology. Escape was the immediate priority.
Ray Chu's fingers fluttered lightly across the pillar like a pianist's across ivory keys. Then something astonishing happened—his fingertips seemed to possess a magnetic grip, firmly adhering to the slick marble, easily bearing his entire weight as he began ascending, step by deliberate step.
"Whooooaaaa!" Joseph cried out in amazement. Watching Ray Chu's fingers rhythmically adjust their hold on the pillar, he experienced a flash of inspiration akin to discovering a new continent.
"I get it! Channeling Hamon through the entire palm drains energy quickly and can't be sustained. But focusing Hamon solely into the fingertips strengthens and prolongs the grip!" Joseph's Hamon talent was monstrous—just one glance and he replicated the technique perfectly, finally clinging successfully to the pillar.
"You finally figured it out, JoJo!" Caesar had noticed the commotion below. Though outwardly aloof, Caesar had quietly watched Joseph—descendant of his grandfather's old friend—with hidden approval. Seeing Joseph progress genuinely pleased him.
At the pillar's summit, Lisa Lisa gazed downward impassively, though a hint of admiration flickered briefly in her eyes. As a Hamon master, she understood the secret technique intimately—but she would never simply tell them. Discovering it themselves was an integral part of their trial.
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bonus chaps
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200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
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