Chapter 292 – Sheets and Surprises
Erynn and Kael kept moving forward.
The rhythm was no longer the same as during the fight. Less tense. More attentive. As if, for the first time since entering the Labyrinth, they were allowed to think.
Erynn broke the silence.
— The body the Labyrinth gave me… it's not bad.
He lowered his eyes to his hands, opened them, let the mana flow.
— It has enough mana. Really enough. Even if it's a lower‑rank A specialized in support, the amount is almost equal to that of my real body.
He paused.
— Erynn must have been someone talented.
Kael turned his head slightly.
— Physically, it fits.
Erynn smiled faintly.
— Red hair, long, tied in a ponytail. Slim, lean build… not really a frontline fighter, but clearly not fragile either.
Kael nodded.
— On my side, it's the opposite. The body I have… it's more enduring. More robust. I feel like I have more energy than in my original body. As if I could take hits longer without exhausting myself.
— Logical, murmured Erynn.
He suddenly stopped.
— Wait.
Kael froze instantly.
— What?
— I want to check something.
Erynn opened the character's statue mentally, like opening a forgotten interface. A slight shiver ran through him.
— Let's see… what exactly are his abilities.
Aeris—or rather Erynn—sighed.
— Honestly, I don't expect anything amazing. It's support. Aside from basic buffs…
The sheet appeared in his mind.
And he fell silent.
— …Ah.
Kael frowned.
— "Ah" in what sense?
Erynn reread slowly.
**Main Ability – Mantle of Convergence**
The bearer's mana naturally adapts to the closest ally, amplifying the efficiency of their actions without increasing energy expenditure.
Passive effect, constant.
Works even without conscious activation.
— …
Kael blinked.
— That's… that's not bad, right?
Erynn let out a brief laugh.
— "Not bad"? It's an extremely rare support ability. It means that as long as I'm near you, your output increases without you realizing it.
— So all this time…
— Yes.
— …You were boosting me without knowing.
— Exactly.
Kael stayed silent for a second.
— I'll accept the apology in advance.
— Very funny.
Erynn recovered.
— And you, Kael. Could you check the abilities of your body?
Kael closed his eyes, searched in turn.
— So… let's see… body reinforcement, yes. And mana infusion into the blade.
Erynn raised an eyebrow.
— Mana infusion into a weapon, almost all mana users can do that.
He crossed his arms.
— Except you, before.
— Thanks for reminding me, Kael muttered.
— As for body reinforcement, if it's just infusing or coating the body with mana, that's basic too. Everyone can—
— No.
Erynn stopped cold.
Kael opened his eyes.
— It's not that.
— …Explain.
Kael inhaled.
— It's neither infusion, nor coating, nor external fortification.
He searched for words.
— It's internal adaptation. My body strengthens itself according to constraints. Muscles, bones, nerves… everything adjusts progressively, as if learning to endure.
He clenched his fist.
— The more I fight, the more stable my body becomes.
Erynn stayed silent for a moment.
— …Alright, that's much more interesting than expected.
He tugged lightly at his mantle.
— And on top of that, we can use our skills freely.
He lifted his eyes around them.
— Seriously… what is the Labyrinth trying to do?
Kael shrugged.
— No idea. But if I'd known I could do this from the start, I'd have struggled less.
He glanced at Erynn.
— Why didn't you tell me earlier?
Erynn looked away slightly.
— …I didn't think of it.
— Seriously?
— Sorry.
Kael sighed, then smiled.
— Forget it. It's fine.
They resumed walking.
Then Erynn spoke again.
— Could you check if there's a hidden skill?
Kael blinked.
— A hidden skill?
— Yes. Just in case.
— I don't think so. The Labyrinth already spoiled me enough.
He stopped nonetheless.
— Wait… that's strange.
Erynn raised his head.
— What?
— Why are you asking me that, suddenly?
Aeris looked away.
— No idea. It just crossed my mind.
— Liar.
— Probably.
Kael sighed, then checked anyway.
Silence.
Then—
— …Oh.
Erynn turned instantly toward him.
— What?
Kael stared at the void before him.
— What is this…?
**Latent Skill – Igniferous Heart**
Dormant fire‑type mana.
Manifests only when physical limits are exceeded.
The more the body is pushed to the extreme, the more internal heat rises.
Kael burst out laughing.
— Wait… so I had fire power from the start?!
Erynn stared at him.
— …
— Seriously?! I could've burned stuff?!
— …
— Tell me you've got something hidden too.
Erynn slowly turned his head away.
— We'll talk about it later.
— ERYNN.
— …Maybe.
— WHAT IS YOURS?
Silence was his only answer.
And somewhere, in the Labyrinth, something seemed to smile.
Chapter 293 – What Burns When You Insist
They hadn't gone a hundred meters further before the world began to react again.
The street vibrated.
Not a violent tremor.
An adjustment.
As if the environment recalculated their presence and disliked the result.
The remaining buildings slowly cracked. Beneath the concrete appeared luminous inner structures, lines of data running like veins under artificial skin.
This city was only a layer.
An interface.
— It's starting again… Kael murmured.
— Yes, Erynn confirmed. The scenery just remembered we exist.
In front of them, the air contracted.
Then shapes appeared.
Not a wave.
Not an army.
Only three silhouettes.
But different.
Their armor was thicker, engraved with incandescent geometric symbols. Their mana was dense, stable, almost… clean. Too clean.
One carried a technological sword, white blade traced with glowing circuits.
The second held a modern pistol, compact but charged with unsettling condensed mana.
The third leaned on a modular energy halberd, its blade subtly shifting shape with each pulse.
— Not mass soldiers, Kael murmured.
— No, Erynn confirmed. Executors.
He narrowed his eyes.
— At least upper B rank. Maybe lower A.
— Great, Kael sighed. I love when the Labyrinth brings out the premium versions.
He instinctively placed himself in front of Erynn.
— Always the front line, huh? said Erynn.
— Always. If I die, note that it was heroic.
— I'll note mostly that you're still doing this without thinking.
The first executor attacked without warning.
A vertical strike. Heavy. Precise.
Kael blocked.
This time, the impact was different.
His arm absorbed it… but something gave way inside. Not a fracture. A saturation. As if his body refused to absorb more.
He stepped back.
— Kael—
— I'm fine.
An obvious lie.
He clenched his teeth and went back on the offensive.
Strike.
Parry.
Impact.
Again.
His breath shortened.
His heart raced too fast.
And suddenly—
A heat.
At first light.
Then oppressive.
— …You feel that? Kael asked, worried.
— Yes, Erynn answered immediately. And I don't like it at all.
The temperature around Kael rose.
Not outside.
Inside.
His chest burned. His muscles seemed incandescent. Each movement became easier… and far more dangerous.
— Kael, stop pushing, Erynn ordered. You're triggering something.
— I… I think it's—
The executor struck again.
Kael raised his arm.
And the mana answered.
Not like before.
A dark red flame burst from his forearm, enveloping the enemy's weapon. The metal heated instantly, warped… then exploded into incandescent fragments.
Silence.
The three executors stepped back half a pace.
Kael froze, staring at his hand wrapped in fire.
— …Oh.
Erynn blinked.
— So yes. It was real.
— I'M BURNING?!
— Yes.
— BUT I'M NOT BURNING MYSELF?!
— Because the fire comes from your mana core, not from outside. Technically, you are your own problem.
Kael inhaled sharply.
Each breath fed the heat.
— Erynn… I feel like if I keep going, I'll—
— Collapse, Erynn confirmed. Or lose control. Or both. In the wrong order.
He raised his hand.
The wind gathered.
Then—
Nothing.
The mana refused to respond as usual.
Erynn frowned hard.
— …Of course.
— WHAT?! Kael shouted.
— The Labyrinth is restricting me.
He forced it.
The wind appeared… weak. Precise. Limited.
— Ohh, he said with a crooked smile. The Labyrinth is trying to restrain me.
— This is not the time to be happy!
— Yes. It means it's panicking.
He examined the limits.
— No area attacks. No massive compression. No black lightning.
— …You actually have a list?
— Yes. It's long.
The executors advanced again.
Erynn raised his hand.
The wind answered.
Not like before.
Not like a storm.
But it answered nonetheless.
A precise, sharp, almost surgical flow unfolded around them. Projectiles were deflected to the millimeter. Trajectories slightly altered. Just enough to create openings.
— …Interesting, Erynn murmured.
Kael looked at him between burning breaths.
— What?!
— The Labyrinth is trying to restrain me…
— BUT?
— But it's not really succeeding.
He condensed the wind.
An invisible blade took shape.
Then he hurled it in a tornado.
The first executor barely blocked.
All three were forced to retreat sharply.
— It can't cut me off, Erynn said calmly.
— It can only try to channel me.
The wind changed nature.
Less spectacular.
But infinitely denser.
— It wants me to play a role, he continued.
— But it has no right to lock me inside it.
The executors hesitated.
Slightly.
But real.
Kael still trembled. The fire flickered around him, unstable.
— I'm afraid of burning everything around me…
He glanced at Erynn.
— And since when can you wield a blade?!
Erynn placed his hand firmly on his shoulder.
The contact was immediate.
The Mantle of Convergence activated.
Kael's heat stabilized. Not extinguished. Channeled.
— You're not burning because you're on fire, Erynn said.
— You're burning because you refuse to let go.
He paused.
— And for the record, I don't know how to wield a blade. I just threw very angry wind shaped like a sword.
— …That weirdly reassures me.
Kael inhaled deeply.
The fire condensed.
Smaller.
Denser.
More controlled.
An inner flame.
— There, Erynn murmured.
He thought.
How is it that the Labyrinth couldn't restrain me?
Is it because of my evolution… thanks to Azevran?
He smiled slightly.
Whatever the case… it's interesting.
— The Labyrinth tests excess, he said.
— Not mastery.
The executors attacked.
This time, Kael advanced.
Not like a beast.
Not like a hero.
But like someone who had understood that the true trial
was not to destroy…
…but to remain himself
when power insists.
The fire traced clean lines.
Controlled.
Every strike counted.
And above them, invisible but attentive,
the Labyrinth watched.
And, for the first time in a long while,
it hesitated.
Chapter 294 – Politeness Is a Weapon
Erynn extended his hand.
A gust burst forth at once.
— *Vector Gust.*
The blast struck the executor with the halberd full on, tearing him from the ground and sending him flying across the street like a clumsy projectile.
— Unauthorized flight, Erynn commented.
— Nice throw, Kael added with a grin, already rushing forward to exploit the opening.
He didn't have time.
— TATATATATATATATATA—
— BACK! Kael shouted, throwing himself backward.
A barrage of ultra‑rapid shots shredded the space he had occupied half a second earlier.
These weren't ordinary bullets.
Each projectile was a compressed mana core, encapsulated in an autonomous kinetic field. They corrected their trajectory mid‑flight, adjusted their density to the target, and on impact, they didn't pierce:
they triggered a directional micro‑explosion capable of destroying from within.
— Fractal impulse rounds… Erynn analyzed.
— Of course they are, Kael replied. Why would they ever be normal bullets.
Meanwhile, the executor with the halberd braked his trajectory by planting his weapon into the ground, carving a long luminous scar… then vanished.
Instantly.
— Behind—!
Too late.
The halberd fell—
**BOOM.**
Erynn appeared between them.
The shock made the air vibrate. Pressure wave. Dust. Cracked ground.
— Bad timing, he said calmly. Reserved zone.
Kael, for his part, blocked a strike from the executor with the sword using his flaming arm.
— GNN—!
The impact hurled him back violently.
Then the blows rained down.
Fast. Precise. Deadly.
Slashes opened across his torso, arms, sides.
— They're tough… Kael growled.
— And we're outnumbered, Erynn added.
— Thanks for the analysis. Very reassuring.
Erynn raised his hand.
The sky rumbled.
— *Thunderous Punishment.*
A massive bolt struck the halberd executor.
But he dodged.
At absurd speed.
— Seriously? Erynn muttered.
He followed up.
Invisible blades of condensed wind shot forth, slicing the air.
— *Scalar Blade Rain.*
The sword executor barely parried.
The pistol executor fired again.
But suddenly—
The bullets stopped.
Frozen.
Suspended in the air.
Kael blinked.
— …Huh?
— Oh no, he murmured. He's making that face.
Erynn slowly closed his hand.
— *Inertial Halt — Divergence Zone.*
He explained calmly:
— I desynchronized their vector of existence.
— …In plain words?
— They exist. But refuse to move forward.
Then he twisted his hand.
— Return to sender.
The bullets shot back exactly along their original trajectory.
Faster.
Straighter.
The pistol executor barely had time to dive aside.
— DAMN—!
Explosion behind him.
— OKAY, OKAY, he panted. This guy isn't normal.
Erynn then raised both hands.
Lightning appeared.
But he modified it.
Compressed the mana, accelerated its propagation, erased all dispersion.
— *Absolute Rupture Lightning.*
These bolts didn't electrify.
They tore apart the energy structure of whatever they touched, ignoring all conventional resistance.
They struck.
But—
The halberd executor dodged again.
Instantly.
He appeared before Erynn.
Too close.
His eye glowed with an intense yellow light.
— *Isobaric Judgment.*
A monstrous pressure crashed down on Erynn.
But Erynn… smiled.
— Wrong choice.
He slowly clenched his hand.
— *Convergence Singularity.*
An infinite pressure was born.
It didn't just crush the executor.
It compressed space, matter, and local reality, forcing them to fold into a tiny dense sphere… like existence itself crumpled into a ball.
Erynn blew softly upon it.
The sphere evaporated.
Nothing remained.
— One less.
Kael stood dumbfounded.
— …You could have warned me.
— I thought about it, Erynn replied. Then I forgot.
He inhaled gently.
— *Zero Pressure State — Absolute Reference Axis.*
Erynn became the center.
Around him, all pressure nullified.
All force was redirected, dispersed, or returned to its source.
Bullets could no longer reach him.
Shockwaves broke apart.
Attacks collapsed before fully existing.
— In summary, he explained, as long as I'm in this state—
— Nothing can touch you? Kael cut in.
— Exactly.
The pistol executor was sweating.
A lot.
Erynn walked calmly toward him.
— Tell me… could you offer me your pistol?
— …Excuse me?
— It looks modern. Honestly, this technology is superb. Wow. How did you build such a masterpiece?
The executor blinked.
— …Here, these weapons are common.
He hesitated.
Then handed him the pistol.
— He's not going to spare me like this… at least I hope.
Erynn blushed slightly.
— Thank you for this gift.
He thought for a second.
— In exchange… you may leave.
Kael shouted from afar:
— HE'S TOO INNOCENT, DAMN IT!!
Kael grabbed the sword of the other executor.
But the man calmly placed his foot upon it.
Then delivered a violent kick.
Kael blocked, arms crossed, sliding backward with a dull impact.
— …Alright.
He smiled despite the blood.
— This one's mine.
And the Labyrinth, silent,
watched.
Very attentively.
Chapter 295 – Zero Pressure and Invisible Popcorn
The clash of blades still echoed.
Kael stepped back, blocked, counter‑attacked.
The sword executor was fast. Too fast.
Each movement left a luminous trail, each strike sought the blind spot.
— Seriously… Kael growled, taking a glancing blow on his shoulder.
— Could you AT LEAST breathe normally?!
— I'M TRYING!
A few meters away…
Erynn was sitting on a piece of collapsed wall.
He held the modern pistol in one hand, examining it from every angle, fascinated.
— Honestly… he murmured. The finish is clean. Balanced. And this mana stabilization system… it's elegant.
Beside him, the disarmed executor watched the fight, stiff, tense, unable to look away.
— …You're really going to let him fight alone? he asked nervously.
Erynn tilted his head.
— Hm?
— Ah, no. I'm watching.
He made a vague little gesture with his hand.
— As long as he doesn't die in the next thirty seconds, everything's fine.
— …WHAT DO YOU MEAN "AS LONG AS HE DOESN'T DIE"?!
Erynn smiled softly.
— You want an explanation, then?
The executor swallowed.
— Of… of what?
— Of this.
He stood.
Around him, the air seemed… calm.
Too calm.
No vibration.
No pressure.
— The Zero Pressure State, Erynn explained quietly.
He raised a finger.
— Normally, everything in the universe works with forces. Atmospheric pressure. Impacts. Waves. Reactions. Even mana exerts a constraint.
He took a step.
The ground beneath his foot did not sink.
It simply accepted his presence.
— In this state, I become the absolute reference point.
— All pressure around me is canceled, redistributed, or redirected.
He pointed his chin toward Kael.
— An attack coming at me doesn't strike.
— It disperses.
— Or it's sent back.
— Or it collapses on… nothing.
The executor opened his mouth.
Closed it again.
— …That's impossible.
— Correct, Erynn replied with a small smile.
— That's why it's a forbidden technique.
— Forbidden?!
— Yes. Because it breaks a fundamental principle.
He shrugged.
— The Labyrinth loves rules. That one, it can't enforce.
He tapped the pistol in his hand.
— It can limit power.
— It can channel roles.
— But it can't stop me from redefining pressure itself.
The executor swallowed hard.
— …What are you, exactly?
Erynn thought for a second.
— A bad student.
A violent crash rang out.
— KAEL JUST GOT SENT FLYING! the executor shouted.
— Mm. Yes.
Erynn looked.
Kael slid several meters, stood up spitting blood.
— OKAY! Kael shouted.
— HE'S STARTING TO PISS ME OFF!
— Want me to step in? Erynn asked sincerely.
— NO! Kael shouted.
— THIS IS PERSONAL NOW!
Erynn nodded, respectful.
— Good mentality.
He sat back down.
— You see, he continued calmly to the executor, that's also why the Zero Pressure State is forbidden.
— Because…?
— Because if I really move…
He smiled slightly.
— The fight ends.
A silence passed.
Then a massive crash.
— TAKE THAT! Kael roared, his flaming fist finally striking with precision.
Erynn tilted his head, interested.
— Oh. He's improving.
The executor beside him trembled.
— …You really let me go?
Erynn looked at him, surprised.
— Of course.
He shrugged.
— You gave me a pistol. We watched a fight together. It would be impolite to kill you now.
A pause.
— And besides… he added thoughtfully.
— I like honest people.
The executor backed away slowly.
Very slowly.
— …I'll leave.
— Good idea.
Erynn turned his attention back to Kael.
— Come on, he murmured.
— Show me how far you can burn… without losing yourself.
And somewhere, far away,
the Labyrinth noted silently:
**Forbidden technique detected.
Insufficient authority for suppression.**