Chapter 90 - When Limits Are Tested

The air was thick with tension as Sung Ja-In and Gregor faced off, their bodies already moving in a flurry of strikes and counters. Each motion was deliberate, the sharp sound of fists meeting flesh punctuating the otherwise eerie quiet of the battlefield. The Don darted in with a sweeping kick, his movements precise and imbued with what unmistakably was Ki. Gregor countered with a swift elbow, the force behind it enough to make the air around him hum.

Their exchange was brutal, unrelenting, neither man giving an inch. Sung’s strikes carried the faint, shimmering glow of Ki, each blow growing sharper and more destructive. He pressed forward, his attacks flowing seamlessly into one another, each movement calculated to push Gregor further on the defensive. The soldier met the onslaught with brutal efficiency, his strikes heavy and decisive, a testament to his relentless training and the power that surged through him.

And then, it happened.

Sung lunged forward, his fist surging with Ki, aimed directly at Gregor’s chest. The man’s body responded instinctively, his own punch already in motion. The two fists collided with an earth-shattering impact, the sheer force of their clash sending a deafening shockwave rippling outward.

The wave of energy tore through the surroundings, shaking the ground and splintering the earth beneath them. Trees swayed violently, their branches cracking and groaning as if in protest against the unstoppable force. Dust and leaves were sent spiraling into the air, the world momentarily reduced to chaos as the battlefield absorbed the tremendous power of their collision.

Both men held their ground, their fists still locked together in a brutal stalemate, the energy of their clash lingering in the air like a storm refusing to dissipate. Sung’s voice broke through the cacophony, steady and sharp.

“You’re not invincible.”

He said, his lips curling into a defiant smirk despite the strain in his body.

“Not anymore.”

Gregor’s eyes darkened, his expression shifting into something far less human. His pupils seemed to flicker with shadows, the weight of the countless souls within him pressing against the surface. He didn’t respond with words, but his teeth bared in a snarl as he pushed harder against Sung’s fist.

Their standoff lasted only seconds before Gregor suddenly twisted his body, breaking the deadlock with a powerful knee aimed directly at the Don’s ribs. Sung Ja-In reacted instantly, stepping back just enough to evade the blow, though the sheer force of it left the air humming with its velocity.

He retaliated, his movements fluid and precise, stepping into Gregor’s space with a sharp spinning kick aimed at his opponent’s shoulder. The kick was fast, almost impossible to follow with the naked eye, and it connected with a dull thud. The force of the blow sent Gregor skidding back several paces, but he didn’t falter.

Instead, the man’s body shifted low, his foot pivoting as he launched himself forward in a grappling maneuver. His arm snaked around Sung’s torso with frightening precision, aiming to throw him off balance and slam him into the ground. The Don countered with a swift elbow strike to Gregor’s jaw, the impact amplified by the Ki flowing through him.

Gregor grunted, staggering slightly, but his grip remained firm. He twisted his body, attempting to drive his enemy into the dirt. Sung responded by planting his feet firmly and bending backward, flipping out of Gregor’s hold with a gymnastic agility that defied belief.

The exchange grew faster, and more violent. Sung Ja-In’s strikes were relentless now, each punch and kick carrying the unmistakable weight of Ki. His attacks weren’t just powerful; they were precise, aimed at the weak points Gregor instinctively guarded. A sweeping kick sent him stumbling again, but the soldier recovered quickly, lashing out with a brutal hook aimed at Sung’s temple.

Gregor’s attacks were brutal and efficient, a stark contrast to Sung’s flowing and strategic movements. The soldier’s fists came down like hammers, his body moving with the disciplined violence of a trained killer. Yet, as they exchanged blow after blow, the Don began to notice a shift.

Gregor’s movements were growing erratic. The dark miasma swirling around his body seemed to pulsate violently, almost as if reacting to the emotions roiling within him. His strikes became wild, his form less controlled. He swung with reckless abandon, his face twisting into an unsettling grin.

"You’re enjoying this."

Sung said, ducking under a wild punch and delivering a swift kick to Gregor’s side. He laughed, a guttural, almost inhuman sound.

"And you’re not?"

His voice was laced with a dangerous edge, and as he spoke, the miasma surrounding him began to condense, forming into jagged, wing-like shapes that bristled with dark energy.

Sung Ja-In’s fists glowed faintly with Ki as he launched another series of strikes, his movements fluid yet devastating. His attacks crashed against Gregor’s miasma wings, each hit sending visible ripples through the dark, pulsating energy. The miasma cracked in places, tiny fractures spiderwebbing outward, but Gregor didn’t flinch.

The soldier’s grin twisted into something grotesque, a rictus of pure insanity. His yellow miasma-infused eye burned with the intensity of a predator on the hunt, its unrelenting glare reflecting a hunger for destruction that knew no bounds. The other eye, a lifeless, milky white, stared vacantly, as if the last remnants of humanity had been stripped from it. Gregor’s laughter erupted—wild, unhinged, and devoid of any rational thought. The sound was a cacophony of madness, carrying a sharp edge of agony and defiance, reverberating through the battlefield like a death knell. It wasn’t just a laugh; it was the sound of a man teetering on the brink of complete oblivion.

Sung could see it clearly now: Gregor’s mind was unraveling, his soul caught in a downward spiral into chaos. The power he wielded came at a terrible cost, and the toll was evident. The miasma that cloaked his form wasn’t just a weapon—it was alive, an amalgamation of the tortured souls that bolstered his strength. Thousands of final moments of agony, hatred, despair, and betrayal roared within the miasma, their cacophony seeping into Gregor’s very being.

His mind, already battered from years of war, was now a battlefield of its own. The relentless flood of memories from the tormented souls overwhelmed him: visions of betrayal as friends turned on each other, screams of terror in the face of death, the bitter curses of those who had died with unfinished vendettas. These echoes of suffering clawed at his sanity, tearing apart the boundaries between the soldier and the countless damned who fed his power.

Yet, for Gregor, there was no fight against the corruption anymore. His mind, fractured and burdened by the weight of their anguish, could no longer distinguish between himself and the legion of souls tethered to his essence. The man he once was had faded, replaced by a creature of instinct and fury. His thoughts grew primitive, a haze of violence and raw survival. His movements became more erratic, driven not by strategy but by an animalistic need to destroy.

The miasma itself seemed to reflect this transformation, writhing and coiling around him like a serpent. It pulsed with its own malicious will, responding to his frenzy with a chaotic rhythm. Gregor’s breaths came in ragged, guttural snarls, more beast than man. He no longer flinched at Sung’s attacks or even acknowledged the pain ripping through his body. Pain was meaningless to him now, drowned out by the dark tide that consumed him.

And still, the voices of the damned pressed on, digging deeper into his soul. Their hatred became his hatred. Their despair became his despair. Their agony became his strength, but it was a strength that carried with it the weight of an unrelenting storm. For every ounce of power he drew from the miasma, he lost another fragment of himself, another piece of the soldier who had once fought for something greater.

Now, Gregor was a vessel—an empty, feral shell controlled by the echoes of a thousand shattered lives. His once-proud stance had devolved into a predator’s crouch, his unrelenting yellow eye tracking Sung with the intensity of a beast stalking its prey. There was no longer any trace of a man fighting for victory; all that remained was an entity seeking to destroy.

He didn’t care about defense anymore. His body barreled forward, taking hits that should have made any man falter. Sung’s Ki-infused punches landed hard, splintering bone and flesh, but Gregor didn’t even blink. Instead, he kept attacking, his movements feral, the dark miasma on his body writhing as if it had a will of its own.

For a brief moment, Sung felt his lips twitch upward into a small smirk. He couldn’t help it—this battle was exhilarating. The precise counters, the explosive impact of their attacks, the raw, unfiltered clash of power and will—it reminded him of something he hadn’t felt in years. It wasn’t honor, dignity, or vengeance driving him now; it was the thrill of the fight.

Even as Gregor’s strikes grew more erratic, Sung maintained his upper hand. His calculated precision and the increasing power of his Ki allowed him to chip away at Gregor’s defenses—or lack thereof. But the man’s relentless assault forced the Don to stay on his toes.

Then, Sung felt the familiar surge within his body: the cooldown on his [Space-Distortion Step] skill had ended.

Gregor lunged at him, his entire right arm engulfed in black miasma, claws of darkness extending toward his prey’s throat. Sung Ja-In disappeared in an instant, reappearing at Gregor’s blind side with an explosive burst of Ki. His fist drove into the soldier’s ribs with enough force to make the ground beneath them tremble.

However, Gregor didn’t even stagger. The dark miasma around him reacted, twisting unnaturally as if alive, tendrils lashing out toward the Don. Sung teleported again, appearing high in the air to avoid the attack.

The miasma surrounding Gregor’s twisted body surged, coalescing into a pair of devil-like wings. With a single powerful flap, he launched himself into the air, pursuing Sung Ja-In like a predator zeroing in on its prey.

Sung’s Ki flared around him as he ascended, the intense glow standing in stark contrast to Gregor’s ominous black aura. The air battle that followed was a spectacle of light and shadow, a clash of raw power and deadly instinct.

Gregor’s first attack was swift and brutal. His miasma-coated claws raked through the air, each swipe generating arcs of dark energy that crackled ominously. Sung evaded with a sudden burst of speed, his first teleportation taking him behind Gregor. Without hesitation, he struck with a precise spinning kick aimed at the man’s shoulder. The impact was strong enough to crack the miasma armor, sending a ripple of golden energy through Gregor’s form.

But Gregor, operating on pure instinct, reacted with unnerving efficiency. He spun mid-air, his wings folding into sharp, blade-like shapes that slashed toward the Don. The movement was too quick to avoid completely; Sung deflected one wing with his forearm, his Ki forming a protective barrier, but the second grazed his side, tearing through his robes and drawing blood.

Gregor’s relentless assault continued as he launched himself forward, his claws glowing with concentrated miasma. Sung teleported a second time, reappearing several meters above Gregor, and retaliated with a downward strike, his Ki-empowered fist aimed at the corrupted soldier’s back. The blow connected, shattering more of the miasma coating and forcing Gregor to lose altitude momentarily.

Still, the monstrous husk showed no sign of pain or hesitation. With a roar, Gregor’s wings expanded, propelling him upward in a spiraling motion. The miasma around him condensed into a vortex of dark energy, and he slashed at Sung with unrelenting ferocity.

Sung barely managed to dodge, his body twisting acrobatically to avoid the lethal claws. He gritted his teeth as Gregor closed the distance once more, forcing him to use his final teleportation. In a flash of golden light, the Don reappeared directly above Gregor. This time, he unleashed a barrage of Ki-enhanced strikes—fists, elbows, and kicks—all aimed at the soldier’s vulnerable spots.

The relentless assault forced Gregor to retreat briefly, his wings folding in to shield his body. Sung took a moment to steady his breathing, knowing he was out of teleports and now dangerously vulnerable.

Gregor’s instincts flared, guiding him with an animalistic precision. His blank eyes, devoid of thought, still seemed to sense an opening in the battle. Sung Ja-In had just completed his final teleport, and the subtle shift in the air—the brief moment of vulnerability—did not escape Gregor’s subconscious. His body responded before his mind could even process it.

Miasma surged from his back, pooling around his right arm like liquid shadow. It crawled up his skin, dark tendrils spiraling with a life of their own, thickening and condensing as they formed an unnatural extension of his arm. The miasma twisted into an even more grotesque claw, sharp and jagged, as if it were made of shattered obsidian. It vibrated with an unholy energy, crackling with dark power.

With a violent jerk of his wings, Gregor lunged forward like a missile. His body seemed to fold in on itself as he propelled himself through the air, the claw now spinning with horrific speed. The swirling miasma left streaks of darkness in its wake as it began to rotate, twisting tighter and faster with every passing moment. The very air around the claw distorted, rippling, and tearing as the dark energy gathered momentum. It became a living drill, a force of destruction that could tear through anything in its path.

The spinning claw didn’t just cut—it crushed, twisted, and ground down. As Gregor’s body hurtled toward his objective, his whole form seemed to blur with the speed of his attack. There was no calculation in the movement—no thought. Just the savage urge to strike, the primal need to tear apart anything in his way.

Sung’s eyes widened as the realization struck him: he couldn’t evade. They were mid-air, leaving no room to maneuver. He crossed his arms in front of him, channeling his Ki into a defensive technique. His arms moved in a fluid motion, spiraling outward to disperse the energy of the attack, a martial arts maneuver known as the ‘Heaven’s Breaking Shield’.

But Gregor’s sheer power was overwhelming. His spinning drill-claw pierced through Sung’s defense like a hot knife through butter, slamming into his chest with bone-crushing force. Sung’s body shuddered from the impact, pain exploding through him.

Yet, amid the searing pain and the relentless pull of Gregor’s spiraling attack, the Don’s mind raced, fueled by a mixture of instinct and sheer will. His body screamed for him to pull away, but something deeper, something learned from his previous battle, pushed him forward. He had faced Katya—her relentless strategy, her way of turning the tide with sheer determination. Her tactic had been brutal yet effective, a willingness to accept temporary damage to get close enough to strike with deadly precision to the point that she had claimed one of his eyes. Sung's respect for her in that moment was unspoken but profound. He understood that sometimes, the only way to win was to embrace the pain, use it to fuel the counterattack. He had to fight with the same raw, calculated aggression.

The Don tightened his grip on the present moment, refusing to back down. Instead of retreating, as instinct urged him, he leaned into the assault. Letting Gregor’s overwhelming momentum bring them closer, he surrendered to the inevitable, letting the deadly spinning form of his demonic enemy and the miasma claw hurtle him forward. Sung’s Ki surged, his inner energy flaring in a brilliant explosion of golden light that illuminated the battle space, lighting the darkened sky around them.

He did not falter. With a growl, Sung’s hands locked onto Gregor’s spinning form, gripping with a strength that seemed to come from the core of his very being. His palms ignited with Ki, the energy pooling around his arms and intensifying with every fraction of a second. The dark miasma claw, a twisted construct of energy and shadow, collided with his hands—and then began to crack. The force of Sung’s Ki bore down on the dark energy, snapping it with a terrifying force, making it clear that he had regained a bit more of his use over it. The claw shattered like brittle glass under a hammer, the shards of miasma disintegrating in all directions. Gregor’s hands, along with the claw, were crushed by the Don’s infamous iron grip, his intense Ki shattering them into a mass of bones and skin.

For just a moment, Gregor’s body stilled. It wasn’t out of pain—Gregor could not feel it—but the sudden destruction of his hands, his very extension of destruction, disoriented him. His instincts faltered, and in that moment, he became something more than a mindless beast. He was still, for the briefest of seconds, a soldier, a warrior... It was all that Sung Ja-In needed.

The Don did not hesitate. He tightened his grip, his Ki flooding into his hands as he seized the opening with deadly precision. His body shifted mid-air, spinning with a force that could only be described as ferocious. With the momentum of their combined movements, Sung used every ounce of strength he had left to hurl Gregor downward, sending him plummeting to the ground with a force that seemed to defy nature itself. The air around them seemed to collapse with the intensity of the impact, the very atmosphere reverberating as though a cannon had fired.

The ground shattered violently beneath Gregor’s impact, the earth cracking open like a massive wound. Dust and debris billowed into the air, obscuring the battlefield in a thick, choking cloud. The shockwave from the crash rattled the terrain, shaking the very ground they stood upon. Sung hovered above, his breathing ragged but steady. He held his position for a moment, watching the dust settle with grim anticipation.

As the haze of debris parted, the devastation revealed itself. Gregor’s body lay motionless at the center of the crater, a testament to the brutality of the attack. The dark miasma that had enveloped him, that had been his very essence, was beginning to dissipate into the air, leaving only the shattered remnants of his form. His eyes were blank, unfocused—nothing more than empty vessels.

Sung Ja-In hovered in mid-air, panting heavily, his body battered from the brutal battle. His limbs were sore, his chest heaving with every breath, but his gaze remained fixed on Gregor's fallen form below. The echoes of their fight lingered in his mind—every strike, every close call, and the intensity of the battle. Despite his exhaustion, Sung knew he had won.

With a slow, weary descent toward the ground, Sung prepared to land, each movement sluggish from the toll of the battle. But before he could reach the earth, a massive figure loomed above him, again something he couldn’t see because of his missing eye. From several meters up, Kurayami's enormous form appeared in his blind side, the hulking tiger and Kazue atop it, taking full advantage of Sung's moment of vulnerability.

The tiger’s presence was terrifying. The massive beast towered over him, its fur rippling with elemental energy. The beast’s electric aura crackled around its form, its eyes wild with primal fury. Kazue, now fully recovered and with a strange needle protruding from her head for some reason, balanced on the massive creature’s back. The tiger’s enormous mouth opened wide—so wide that Sung Ja-In could have easily been swallowed whole. The air around them crackled with static energy as Kurayami’s mouth snapped shut, aiming for Sung’s body as if to bite down on him with the force of a compressing machine.

The Don, still reeling from the last fight, barely had time to react. With a grunt of effort, he pressed his arms and legs against the sides of Kurayami's massive maw, his body infused with Ki to prevent the jaws from snapping shut. The force of the tiger’s electric power surged through him, and sparks flew as he gritted his teeth, enduring the brutal shock. The electricity burned through him, painful but manageable, his body wracked with the intensity of the tiger's electric current as he struggled to maintain control.

In that brief moment of being locked in the tiger's grip, Kazue took advantage of Sung’s compromised position. She quickly launched herself from Kurayami’s back, her movements swift and calculated. As the massive tiger’s jaws continued to snap around the Don, Kazue reached him, her body aligned perfectly with his chest. She extended her arm and, with a fluid motion, unleashed her [Enhanced Thunder Piercing Hand] skill, a drill of pure electricity aimed directly at Sung’s chest.

The Don’s body was still trembling from the tiger’s electric assault, but he had just enough time to recognize the incoming attack. He twisted his torso in a desperate attempt to evade, making Kazue’s electric drill miss the man-shaped paper that had been stuck to his body earlier, but the strike still landed with devastating force. A surge of electricity shot through Sung, and the blow sent shockwaves of pain radiating from his chest.

Sung’s strength faltered for a split second, his body unable to fully control the fall. His form dropped toward Kurayami's open maw, but instinct kicked in again. With a grunt, he summoned another surge of his remaining Ki, channeling it into his right leg. In one swift, powerful motion, he launched an upward strike toward Kurayami’s jaw. The blow landed with a resounding thud, a shockwave rippling through the air as his leg connected with the tiger’s massive chin. The force was so intense that even in free fall, the air itself seemed to tremble.

"Kurayami!"

Kazue shouted, her voice breaking through the chaos. The tiger, now stunned by the force of Sung’s counter, staggered backward and fell heavily to the ground. Kazue, still atop the beast, maintained her balance, but Kurayami’s massive form hit the earth with a thunderous crash.

Sung, battered and nearly spent, managed to land heavily on the ground. His knees buckled under his weight, but he kept himself upright, breathing heavily. Despite the strain, he forced himself to stand, his body aching from every movement. Kazue landed gracefully next to the unconscious beast, her posture unshaken. She was unharmed, but the tiger lay motionless, its energy completely drained by the brutal impact.

The Don’s body trembled as he stood, his chest still aching from the powerful strike Kazue had landed, but he was alive. And that was enough—for now. Despite the pain and the overwhelming exhaustion, he stood tall, eyes locked on the girl as she approached. His body was battered, and covered in cuts that would have killed a normal man. His blood soaked his clothes, and his movements were slow, but his spirit remained unbroken. With a grim expression, he adopted a defensive stance, every muscle tensed, prepared for the next attack.

Kazue's voice rang out, a mixture of concern and command.

"Surrender. You’re barely standing. We won’t hurt you anymore, I promise."

Sung’s lips twisted into a humorless smile, his laugh a low rasp.

“As long as you’re Lord Varek’s enemies, I won’t fall. As long as I breathe, all of you, allies of that traitor Zhen, will die.”

Kazue gritted her teeth, her face hardening.

"Then I’ll deal with you myself."

Her eyes flashed with determination as she screamed.

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"Please attend to the injured!"

She glanced toward Chloe without turning her head, her voice sharp and urgent. The pink-haired girl, still somewhat distanced, nodded in agreement, her expression resolute. She immediately turned and sprinted toward the location where Gregor’s motionless body was.

Sung’s gaze followed Chloe for a moment, his mind racing. He chuckled softly, then muttered.

“I can simply deal with that nuisance of a healer first.”

But before he could even shift his weight, Kazue was in front of him, her movements a blur. Her left steampunk gauntlet, glowing red-hot, aimed directly at his face.

Caught off guard once again by his missing eye, Sung Ja-In barely had time to react. His body, still battered and broken, screamed in protest as he twisted to evade the incoming strike. It was a hair’s breadth escape; Kazue’s gauntlet grazed his side, leaving a burning mark on his skin. The pain surged through him, but he managed to roll away from the impact.

Even as he moved, every part of him screamed in agony. His vision blurred in his right eye, the cuts across his body deep and relentless. His left side burned with the effort, and the deep wound in his chest had become a constant, gnawing pain. His hands were slick with blood, fingers trembling from the strain. A normal person would have died ages ago with the kind of damage he had sustained—yet here he was, still standing.

Kazue’s gauntlet spun for a second strike, but Sung managed to stagger back just in time, barely dodging as the red-hot metal passed a hair’s breadth from his chest. His right arm was heavy, his vision dimming from the loss of blood, but his survival instinct was still strong. Unlike his brutal encounters with Katya and Gregor, this fight felt different. The girl’s attacks were somewhat precise but strangely restrained. Her gauntlets, infused with electric and heat energy, barely hummed with power, as if she was deliberately holding back.

Despite his injuries, Sung Ja-In’s martial arts instincts remained razor-sharp. He knew how to read his opponent's movements, especially someone like Kazue, who was still a novice compared to seasoned fighters like him. Her strikes were too predictable, lacking the subtlety and fluidity of a trained warrior. She relied heavily on the raw force of her gauntlets, swinging them in arcs of burning metal and crackling electricity—but there was no finesse, no true mastery behind her technique.

Sung danced around her attacks, his footwork light despite the heavy toll the fight had taken on him. He anticipated each swing, each charge of energy, easily evading her strikes with minimal movement. Her gauntlets, powerful as they were, lacked the unpredictability and precision that the Don had grown accustomed to. He saw the openings before she did, reading her intentions even before the gauntlets started to swing.

Kazue's first strike came down in a wild arc, aiming for his head. Sung ducked under it, his body swaying with ease as the gauntlet scraped past his shoulder. He didn’t waste a second, quickly countering with a sharp jab to her ribs, catching her off guard. She stumbled back, surprised by the suddenness of his attack, but recovered swiftly.

She came at him again, this time with both gauntlets thrust forward, the red-hot metal crackling. Sung pivoted, slipping to the side, and delivered a powerful punch straight into her face. The impact sent her head snapping back, a spray of sweat and blood splattering across the air. Kazue stumbled but quickly righted herself, her eyes filled with frustration. She growled, clearly determined not to give up.

Sung pressed the advantage, moving in close. Kazue’s response was to swing wildly, trying to catch him in the chest with both gauntlets in a desperate move. He evaded with a simple sidestep, his body growing increasingly worn, but his reflexes were still sharp. In a swift motion, he swept his leg forward, landing a solid kick to her stomach. The force drove her back, but she held her ground, eyes narrowing in defiance.

Kazue’s body heaved, clearly struggling to maintain her composure. She lunged at him again, but this time, Sung was ready. With his left arm raised in defense, he caught one of her gauntlets and twisted it, using her own momentum against her. As she staggered, he punched her across the jaw with his right fist. The impact echoed through the air, and Kazue staggered once again, her lips bleeding.

The girl panted, her breathing heavy but determined. She wiped blood from her mouth and shot him a defiant glare.

“I won’t stop. Not until this is over!”

Sung, battered and broken as he was, couldn't help but admire her resolve. But he knew the truth—Kazue was a fighter, but not yet a warrior. Her attacks were still rough, and unrefined. She lacked the experience that he had honed over years of combat. Despite her strength, despite her will, he could see right through her every move.

Kazue lunged at him again, her gauntlet swinging in a savage arc aimed directly at his head. the man’s reflexes kicked in—he ducked, just narrowly avoiding the red-hot metal, and side-stepped to her left. With the opening she left behind, Sung retaliated instantly, landing a sharp punch to her side. Kazue staggered, but much to his surprise, she didn’t slow down. Her body, bruised and battered from the hits, didn’t seem to affect her resolve. She immediately righted herself and came at him once more, undeterred.

Sung couldn’t help but marvel at her persistence. Each hit she took seemed to fuel her even more, her movements becoming more erratic, less controlled, yet still full of determination. It wasn’t that she was strong—no, that was clear. She lacked the refined technique he had, but her spirit… her will to fight was relentless. Despite the punishment she was taking, Kazue kept going, rising each time with unwavering resolve. It was almost as if she was trying to prove something.

But despite her tenacity, her inexperience was unmistakable. Her attacks lacked finesse—wild swings of her gauntlet, predictable patterns. It was this very inexperience that Sung continued to exploit. As each strike came his way, the Don danced around her, evading her blows with ease and occasionally countering with a well-placed strike of his own. He landed a punch to her face, sending her back a few steps, and then a swift kick to her midsection that left her gasping for air. But every time, she recovered, getting back to her feet in defiance, her breath heavy but her eyes burning with determination.

It wasn’t until Sung’s Ki flared up once again that he felt the familiar pulse of his teleportation ability—his skill was again ready to use. Without wasting a second, he teleported behind the girl, hoping to catch her by surprise. The instant he reappeared, though, he was shocked to find that Kazue had anticipated his move. She wasn’t standing still, waiting to be attacked. No, she was already on the move, sprinting away from him with the swift grace of someone who knew exactly what he was planning.

Sung Ja-In hesitated for a moment, then, realizing what was happening, he teleported again—this time aiming to intercept her mid-run. But again, Kazue changed direction just in time, evading his grasp. The man’s breath quickened as the frustration mounted. She was intentionally avoiding him, not because of luck, but because she knew about his skill.

His mind raced. Did she knew exactly what it entailed? Did she knew the exact limitations of his teleportation? His eyes narrowed as he pieced it together. Five times. He had five teleportations at his disposal before his skill entered in cooldown again. And Kazue, that amateur fighter, had figured it out.

He attempted to pursue her without using his teleportation, but the swampy terrain was proving difficult to navigate. Every step felt like it was costing him more energy than it should, and Kazue was already too far ahead. He could feel the sweat trickling down his face, his body heavy with exhaustion. He couldn’t let her wear him down like this.

He gritted his teeth and teleported again, appearing right in front of her. Kazue’s eyes widened in realization, but it was too late. This time, Sung wasn’t trying to surprise her, he wasn’t trying to outsmart her with an attack from behind because that was what she expected. No, this time, he wanted to face her head-on. He wanted her to know that he was still in control of the fight.

Kazue’s reaction was a mix of surprise and frustration. She tried to react, but Sung didn’t give her a chance. He landed a brutal, bone-crushing punch directly to her face, a hit so powerful that it twisted her body in mid-air. She flew back several meters, her body slamming hard into the muddy ground, a cloud of dirt and water rising around her.

The Don stood in front of Kazue, his chest heaving as blood dripped down his battered body. The wounds that marred his skin burned with every breath he took, his chest aching from the deep injury that he could feel with every pulse of his heart. He had taken a brutal toll in this fight, but there was no time to slow down now.

However, much to his surprise, the girl rose to her feet again, despite the blood splattered across her face. She was battered, her body barely holding together, but her eyes still burned with a fierce defiance. Sung had expected her to stay down after that crushing blow, but she was anything but finished. Her spirit was as unyielding as ever, and though her body was on the brink of collapse, he knew her will to fight would carry her further than most would have ever lasted.

With a cold breath, Sung asked.

“Why were you running?”

Kazue, still panting from the effort, looked back at him with a grim smirk.

“I know about your limit. You can only teleport five times consecutively. I just need to keep running until you use them all.”

Sung Ja-In raised an eyebrow, momentarily stunned by her words. She had figured out his skill’s limitation—that was unexpected. But as he thought about it more, a sneer of realization crossed his face. Did she reveal that? How foolish. She could have used that to her advantage and kept him guessing, yet she’d given it away so easily… Maybe she wasn’t as cunning a fighter as he originally thought, but an idiot. The knowledge made her too predictable, but it also sparked an idea in his mind.

Kazue suddenly turned and began running again but Sung didn’t hesitate. He used his last teleport, appearing behind her with a flicker of energy. He wouldn’t let her run just like that. With the force of his entire body behind it, he delivered a heavy descending kick aimed at Kazue’s back. The impact sent ripples through the air, the force so intense it disturbed the surrounding environment.

Kazue, though exhausted, barely managed to evade the attack with a desperate leap to the side, her body jerking with the effort. She slid to a halt, her movements slow but still deliberate, her breathing ragged. the Don’s eyes narrowed—she had barely escaped, but it was clear her stamina was waning.

The terrain shifted beneath their feet as they moved from the swampy marsh to more solid ground. Kazue stopped abruptly, turning to face Sung once again. Her eyes were sharp, and she stood tall despite the pain she was clearly enduring.

“That’s your fifth teleport, you can’t use it again for a minute.”

Kazue said, her voice strained but steady. Sung’s frown deepened as he processed her words. She even knew about his cooldown period? He had underestimated her—she was more perceptive than he had given her credit for, even though she was not the brightest of people. Yet despite the growing frustration, a smile slowly crept across his face.

“That’s true.”

Sung Ja-In said, his voice calm and confident.

“I can’t use my teleport for a minute. But that doesn’t matter. I still have plenty of ways to end this normally.”

Even so, both fighters were panting heavily, their bodies battered and bruised from the intense battle. Kazue’s breath came in ragged gasps, her limbs trembling from the strain, but she was still standing, determined. Sung, on the other hand, was in far worse condition. His chest heaved with each breath, and his blood continued to seep from numerous wounds, staining his clothes and the ground beneath him. Despite this, he kept moving, albeit slowly. He dragged his feet across the solid terrain, his steps measured but deliberate.

Then, with a sudden surge of energy, a powerful burst of Ki erupted from Sung’s body, filling the air with an overwhelming presence. He threw his head back, laughing darkly, the sound low and filled with certainty.

“My Core Meridian is half healed now.”

He declared, his voice calm but chilling.

“This is the end for you.”

Both of his hands began to glow intensely, the golden Ki radiating outward, casting an almost blinding light as it surged through his body. The sheer force of the power was enough to make the ground beneath his feet tremble, and a sense of finality hung in the air. Kazue’s eyes narrowed, her body stiffening as she prepared for the inevitable clash.

But the girl wasn’t about to back down. She lifted both her gauntlets, her body still mysteriously fighting against the pain, and she activated her most powerful skills.

“No, I will stop you.”

She said, her voice steady but fierce. Electricity crackled in the air as her [Thunder Piercing Hand] activated on her right gauntlet, and searing heat began to envelop her left gauntlet, as [Burn the Witch!] roared to life. Sparks danced between her hands, the air around her flickering with the raw power she had conjured. She was ready.

Sung Ja-In smiled, it was a victorious smile, he knew it was over. And then, in an instant, his passive skill [Karma Retribution (Passive)] activated.

In that brief moment, as Kazue prepared to unleash her powers, Sung automatically teleported directly in front of her even though his skill was still on cooldown, his Ki-filled hands moving faster than she could react. He grabbed both of her gauntlets with crushing force, the golden Ki around his hands pushing against them with immense pressure. With a terrifying crunch, he crushed her gauntlets in an instant.

But just as he was about to continue to destroy even Kazue’s hand alongside her weapons, something unexpected happened. His vision blurred, the world around him spinning for a moment as a sharp buzzing noise filled his ears. A disorienting wave of confusion washed over him.

“What… What just happened?”

For a split second, he felt disoriented, the sensation of everything shifting out of focus. His head swam, and the buzzing in his ears grew louder. His thoughts slowed as he took a half step back, his body barely able to hold steady. He looked at Kazue, who was still standing, looking at him.

The world around him felt dizzy, his thoughts slipping away. He staggered, taking a hesitant step back, his body struggling to maintain its balance. The buzzing in his ears intensified, growing into a dull thrum that rattled his mind, clouding his perception. His body felt as though it was fighting against him, and the sensation was maddening.

He glanced toward Kazue again, who was still standing, though her breath came in shallow gasps. But before he could dwell on it any longer, a sudden notification flashed in front of his blurred vision.

⌠You have been attacked and have failed to fulfill the requirements!⌡ ⌠Skill [Karma Retribution (Passive) Lv8] and skill [Space-Distortion Step Lv7] are now sealed.⌡

The message hit him like cold water. His mind scrambled to process it, even in his dizzy state. He saw it now—Kazue’s right leg was raised, crackling with electric Ki.

“She… She counterattacked me at the exact moment I teleported!?”

Sung’s thoughts raced as the realization slammed into him. Kazue had known exactly what he was about to do, and not just that—she had anticipated it perfectly. His mind flashed back to when she had revealed she knew about his teleportation skill's cooldown. He had thought she was foolish for giving him that information, but now it was clear: It had been a ruse. She had used it to make him overconfident, baiting him into relying on his passive skill, which she also knew about.

At the perfect moment, when he had teleported, Kazue had launched her counterattack. Her leg, charged with Ki, had shot upward with terrifying precision, striking him square in the jaw. The force of the blow sent a shockwave through his head, disorienting him completely.

“Dammit, Park Zhen…”

Sung cursed, his body trembling, struggling to stay upright. Through the haze of confusion, he saw Kazue charging at him again, her right gauntlet glowing as a drill of electricity formed around it. She was coming for him with deadly intent, but Sung’s only eye was wide open, staring at her, unable to react. His body wouldn’t obey his commands, and his Ki was unresponsive due to his mental imbalance. He could only brace himself for the final blow.

But it never came.

Kazue’s electric drill came to a sudden halt just inches from his chest. A light punch, a mere fraction of the force he expected, landed instead. The blow didn’t even send him flying.

“What…?”

Sung thought, his eyes straining to comprehend what had just happened.

As the punch landed, Kazue’s gauntlet shattered into pieces. The electric core embedded within it sparked and fizzled out as her right hand was exposed, the palm bloodied, her fingers twisted from the previous grip. Her crushed gauntlet fell to the ground in a heap, its once-powerful charge extinguished.

⌠Warning⌡ ⌠The treasure [Enhanced Steamgear Knuckle - Rank D] has received catastrophic damage! It has become unusable for the rest of the scenario or until properly repaired.⌡

Kazue, still trembling, held her damaged hand in the air, and Sung could see the depths of her pain. The left gauntlet, still barely holding together, crackled with the last of her remaining energy.

Tears welled in Kazue’s eyes as she stood, her breathing shallow and ragged. It was then that Sung noticed something he hadn’t before: the small needle embedded in her head. It was a needle Chloe had put there, designed to block her pain receptors. Without it and the effect of her ‘Outstanding Rookie’ title heavily boosting her physifical stats, the girl would have been writhing in agony from the intense damage to her hands and the wounds she had endured throughout the fight.

However, even with that much of a handicap, Kazue’s final attack had failed, and for a moment, it seemed as though she had nothing left to give. At least, that was how it appeared to Sung Ja-In. He was recovering rapidly, enough to start emanating waves of Ki so powerful that the air itself felt suffocating. Though still not fully recovered, he managed to gather enough strength to speak, his voice low and dangerous.

“This was your last chance.”

He said, his Ki surging violently around him.

“And it failed. Now, I’m ready to finish this.”

He didn’t need his teleportation skill when his Ki had nearly returned to full strength. Kazue had no chance now. But before he could press his advantage, a chuckle interrupted his thoughts.

The girl laughed, though it was laced with pain, and her voice cracked with the effort of stifling it.

“Ow, ow…”

She muttered between laughs. Then, with a defiant smile, she spoke again.

“No, there’s no other chance for you. It’s already checkmate.”

The Don frowned, perplexed, and before he could ask what she meant, Kazue explained.

“There are three things you failed to notice.”

She said, her voice steady despite her pain. Sung’s brow furrowed, and he glanced around.

“What?”

He demanded, his voice thick with growing confusion. Kazue didn’t wait for him to ask again.

“First, where we are right now.”

She said, her eyes gleaming with determination. Sung Ja-In looked around, but all he saw was a destroyed temple. Nothing unusual.

“What are you—”

Kazue didn’t let him finish.

“Second, you didn’t notice that one of us is missing.”

Sung blinked, trying to piece it together. He scanned the surroundings but couldn't make sense of it. Then it hit him.

Where was the giant robot?

He had been so focused on the battle that he hadn’t even realized it was gone. It had disappeared during his fight with Gregor, and he hadn't paid it any mind since. But Kazue wasn’t done.

“And finally… this…”

She said, gesturing around them.

“This is almost exactly like a scene from one of myfavorite series!”

Her words lingered in the air for a heartbeat before she punched the ground. The moment her fist made contact, the terrain exploded into blue flames, [Burn the Witch!] had activated and its flames spread across the ground like wildfire. The fire seemed to have a life of its own, devouring the ground beneath them with shocking speed. Sung's eyes widened as the very earth beneath them cracked, revealing a massive hole. The ground, it turned out, was not real but a trap—a fake surface made up of dirt and flammable debris. Kazue’s fire had burned through it, and now, they were plummeting down into what seemed to be an endless abyss.

Sung barely had time to react. The hole was vast, impossibly deep, and as he fell, dizziness overcame him. When he finally hit the ground, his body slammed into the swampy terrain, and he had to take a moment to recover. His head throbbed, his vision swimming. As he regained his senses, he looked around, only to realize the strangeness of his situation.

This was a trap. But... what was the point?

He took another moment to scan his surroundings. There was nothing special there, just a hole he could escape anytime. But then, Sung glanced around for Kazue, expecting to see her nearby—but she was nowhere to be seen.

A crackling sound behind him caught his attention. He whipped around, but instead of attacking him directly, Kazue was standing far from him in a tunnel on the side of the hole. She had thrown something into the air—a cube.

The [Interdimensional Containment Cube].

Sung realized too late what was about to happen. The cube released its contents mid-air, and out came Sebastian's ‘Steamtread Goliath’—larger than he had ever seen it, and it wasn’t alone. A massive disk accompanied the robot, a disk so large it matched the diameter of the hole itself. The disk, imbued with Void Ki, descended rapidly with the weight of the robot behind.

Sung screamed as the disk began its descent. He had no time nor way to escape, no time to react. There was nowhere to go.

Desperation took hold of him, and the Don unleashed all the Ki he could muster. A golden dragon of pure Ki shot out from him, its size and power overwhelming as it raced toward the descending disk.

But it was futile. The golden dragon disintegrated upon contact with the disk, devoured by the Void Ki it carried. The disk continued its descent with no hesitation, and Sung Ja-In could do nothing but scream in frustration.

He turned to flee, running toward the tunnel Kazue had vanished into, but the swampy, unstable terrain at the bottom of the pit made every step a struggle. The muck slowed him down, each step harder than the last. It was too late. The disk was almost upon him.

With a final, desperate effort, Sung tried to throw himself toward the tunnel entrance, but the disk descended completely when he was just a couple of steps from the tunnel entrance, trapping him. He shoved his arms upward, using every last ounce of strength to lift the edge of the disk above his head, preventing it from crushing him. But he was stuck there, unable to do anything more.

Sung Ja-In was at his breaking point. His muscles screamed in protest, his vision blurred, and every breath felt like a dagger piercing his lungs. The disk's immense weight bore down on him relentlessly, worse still, the direct contact with the disk was absorbing his Ki, draining his power with every passing second. His body trembled violently, sweat dripping down his face as his teeth ground together in sheer desperation. From the tunnel above, Kazue watched him struggle, her expression one of grim satisfaction.

“You should have surrendered when you had the chance.”

She called out, her voice carrying a mixture of exhaustion and triumph. In her right hand, the Electroflux Core glowed fiercely, its energy output surging uncontrollably. Electrical arcs danced wildly around her as her ‘Atomclad Fist’ absorbed the core's unstable power. Kazue’s left gauntlet, heated to an intense, fiery red from its heat core, added to the chaos, sending plumes of steam and crackling sparks into the air.

With a grin that could only be described as mischievous, Kazue remarked.

“It’s a shame to lose the core, but I can always buy another one.”

Her tone was light, almost playful, but her intent was as deadly as the glowing energy swirling in her hand. The core pulsed violently, its electric rays lashing out in all directions like a furious storm. The air around it hummed with raw power, and the cavernous pit seemed to tremble under the pressure. Sung’s panic was immediate. He could see the culmination of her strategy bearing down on him, and he knew he couldn’t withstand what was coming.

“Wait, wait, wait!”

He gasped, his voice cracking as he struggled to plead. But Kazue wasn’t listening. She surged forward with a speed that defied her injured state, her gauntlet radiating an almost blinding light.

“Game over!”

She declared, her voice low but resolute. The punch connected directly with Sung’s chest, and the impact was catastrophic. Sung’s body convulsed as the Electroflux Core cracked against his torso, unleashing a burst of raw energy. Lightning surged through him, his scream drowned out by the deafening roar of the explosion. His body was flung backward with such force that it ripped him from his position, causing the massive Void Ki disk to finally drop completely into the pit.

The entire cavern shook violently as the disk settled with a thunderous crash. For a moment, all was silent save for the crackling of residual electricity and the faint hissing of Kazue’s overheated gauntlet. A translucent system window appeared before Kazue, its radiant glow illuminating the darkness around her.

⌠Enormous Sucess!!⌡ ⌠You have participated in the extermination of a target that is extraordinarily superior to the level of the scenario, a merit has been awarded based on your contribution.⌡ ⌠The title ‘Outstanding Rookie’ has evolved to ‘Prodigious Rookie’⌡ ⌠Congratulations!⌡

Kazue blinked at the notification, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to catch her breath. The faint glow of the system window illuminated her battered form, and the weight of everything finally hit her.

Her legs buckled, and she dropped to her knees, her gauntlet clanging softly against the rocky ground. The realization sank in—this time, the fight was truly over. The oppressive tension that had gripped her chest began to ease, replaced by an overwhelming exhaustion that threatened to consume her.