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  The labyrinth carried a heavy air. Rows of cells carved into the rock held imprisoned monsters, their glowing eyes watching the battle unfold in the claustrophobic corridor.

  Pumpkin stepped forward. The glow of her orange flames lit up the tunnel as she swung her black sword. In an instant, the man floating before her touched the ground, then vanished.

  She was in a complicated situation. Her abilities weren’t ideal against that kind of opponent, the type focused on movement.

  His name had never been revealed, so Pumpkin and Sentil simply called him the Teleporter. Beneath his white cloak, he wore a full-face mask of the same color. His movements were minimal, he would vanish, then sometimes float again.

  His class wasn’t higher than Sentil’s. In theory, he shouldn’t have been a problem for either of them. But in practice, even two against one, the fight was difficult, he simply couldn’t be hit.

  Sentil gripped his short blade, wrapped in a cold mist that froze the ground beneath his feet. He used his [Ice Manipulation] together with an extra skill called [Ruler’s Armament].

  Simply put, this ability allowed him to imbue the effects of a high-affinity technique into a weapon. At that moment, his sword was [Ice Manipulation] itself.

  Pumpkin did the same, but, unlike many assumed, her ability wasn’t [Fire Manipulation]. She used [Ruler’s Armament] together with her unique skill, [Nuclear Fission], a class (S) ability.

  The “flames” covering her blade weren’t fire at all, they were pure nuclear energy.

  Using such a destructive and corrosive unique skill in a controlled way was something only a handful of people could do. Pumpkin was one of those rare cases.

  The probability was one in a million, but sometimes, a human being, a species born without innate abilities, could be born with one if a miracle occurred.

  Pumpkin was one of those miracles.

  Since birth, she had possessed the innate skill [Grace of Mana], which granted her absolute control over her own energy—and a mana capacity deemed impossible for a human.

  Thanks to that, she could manipulate nuclear energy with such precision that it would only harm those she intended to, and wouldn’t explode unless it was her will. Otherwise, anyone near her would drop dead instantly.

  If she were to release her unique skill completely, the collapse of the entire labyrinth would be inevitable.

  Pumpkin wasn’t the best person for close-quarters combat. In an open field, alone, she would’ve already won by releasing the nuclear aura of [Nuclear Fission].

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  But this was different. With Sentil and Victor nearby, and with possible evidence hidden within the labyrinth, that option was off the table.

  A sharp sound, the air tearing, echoed. Suddenly, the Teleporter appeared in front of Sentil.

  “Welcome to my spatial field,” he said. His voice echoed in every direction.

  Then he vanished again. A strike came from behind, Sentil spun around just in time, raising his sword to block the dagger aimed at his back.

  The Teleporter disappeared again, frustrated.

  Sentil’s unique ability was different from what one might expect. Called [Royal Guard], it was a class (A) skill.

  Basically, his body instinctively knew how to defend itself from any attack, within limits. It didn’t mean he could endure every strike, only that his body reacted in the most optimal way possible.

  Since it was class (A), any attack above that tier could break through his defense. But against this opponent, physically weak and with no clear offensive techniques, it was perfect. The Teleporter wouldn’t be able to harm him through conventional means.

  Pumpkin spun her sword rapidly, cutting through the air with force. Each swing made the tunnel tremble, but none hit their mark.

  Like Sentil, she had trained with swords since youth. Her extra skill [Swordmaster] enhanced the performance of her blade attacks and similar weapons.

  At one point, she unleashed a strike wrapped in orange nuclear energy, but the attack vanished.

  Sentil ducked just in time as the blast reappeared behind him.

  “He can do that too?” he asked, standing up.

  “This isn’t good… what an annoying guy,” Pumpkin replied.

  The Teleporter appeared on the ceiling, upside down, arms crossed.

  “You’re both far too slow. You’ll never hit me like this.”

  Realizing that even her attacks could be teleported left Pumpkin perplexed. She would have to restrain herself even more.

  She clenched her teeth, she wouldn’t be fooled twice. Her heart raced beneath her armor; she hated being cornered.

  The rhythm of attack and retreat continued for thirty seconds—but for Pumpkin, it felt like minutes.

  Using her mana to heighten perception and accelerate thought, time itself seemed to slow. Focused, she observed every detail of her opponent and the battlefield.

  Then she noticed something, something nearly imperceptible to the human eye: the Teleporter needed a fixed point, a solid surface to anchor his distortion.

  So far, he had only teleported when some part of his body touched the floor, the ceiling, or the walls. He couldn’t teleport while floating.

  That limitation revealed much. It meant his spatial manipulation ability was below class (A).

  “Prince…” she muttered. “Time to fall.”

  Sentil understood immediately and nodded.

  Within seconds, cold spread across the ground, sparing only the two of them. The sound of expanding ice echoed through the corridor.

  Pumpkin extinguished her blade.

  Then the Teleporter appeared right in front of her.

  ‘You’re clever, orange girl... but that doesn’t cancel out my [Spatial Domain]. Ice still counts as an anchor for me.’

  With that thought, he lunged forward, drawing his dagger, aiming for the slit in her helmet. It would have been a clean hit, if something unexpected hadn’t happened.

  The frozen ground broke apart.

  Pumpkin began to fall, Sentil too, slightly higher up. The rock gave way, and all three plummeted to the lower floor.

  Without a surface to anchor to, the Teleporter was left suspended in midair, completely vulnerable.

  Even though he tried to float, Sentil was right above him. Realizing the situation, he tried to apologize.

  “No! Wai—”

  Before he could finish the word, Sentil’s blade pierced his chest. Ice spread through the wound, freezing his body within seconds.

  When they hit the ground, the enemy was unconscious, encased in a thick layer of ice. Sentil had reinforced the freezing to withstand the fall’s impact.

  Pumpkin stood up unharmed, gazing at the frozen figure.

  “Not bad. That actually took some effort,” she said with a half-smile.

  “He won’t be escaping,” Sentil replied, looking down the tunnel ahead. “Let’s go find Victor.”

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