The moment time was released, the chamber exploded back into motion.
Seung-hoo twisted his body in midair and locked eyes with Hyun-wu. There was no hesitation—he stretched his leg out and delivered a controlled kick to Hyun-wu's side. It wasn't meant to injure, only to knock him off balance.
Hyun-wu hit the stone floor with a grunt and slid backward a short distance.
A glowing number flickered above his team's score.
–1 point.
Their total dropped to 499.
Hyun-wu pushed himself up with his shield and stared at Seung-hoo in disbelief.
"Dude! You just made us lose a point!"
Seung-hoo landed lightly and raised both hands. "Sorry! Rules are rules!"
Across the arena, Seo-yeon and Kim had already clashed.
Kim planted his staff into the ground and shouted, "Fireball!"
A burst of flame rushed toward Seo-yeon, but she spun sideways, the heat brushing past her shoulder. She dashed forward, her boots skidding on the stone, and swung her dagger toward Kim's arm.
Kim barely blocked in time, muttering, "Ice!"
A shard of frost shot out, forcing Seo-yeon to leap backward. The two circled each other like predators, neither willing to commit fully.
"Force throw!" Kim yelled next, waving his staff forward.
A wave of invisible pressure shoved Seo-yeon back several steps. She slid but didn't fall, digging her heel into the floor.
Their scores flashed again.
457 – 457.
"Tied?!" Seo-yeon shouted. "You're not bad for a mage!"
"Stop complimenting me and fight!" Kim snapped back, launching another spell.
Meanwhile, Hyun-wu charged toward Seung-hoo with his shield raised high.
"Come on! You're not getting another free point!"
Seung-hoo ducked under a wide shield swing and tapped Hyun-wu's side with his elbow. It wasn't hard, but it counted.
Another number flickered.
–1 point.
Hyun-wu groaned. "This game is rigged…"
Seung-hoo jumped back, breathing harder now. "You're just too slow!"
Hyun-wu growled and stomped forward again, swinging his shield low this time. Seung-hoo vaulted over it, flipping backward and landing near the center of the arena.
On the other side, Seo-yeon suddenly broke through Kim's spell pattern. She dashed straight at him, weaving between ice shards and fire bursts.
Kim panicked. "Wait—wait—"
Seo-yeon tapped his shoulder with the flat of her dagger.
+1 point.
Kim stumbled back. "Hey! That was cheap!"
"That's called speed," she replied smugly.
Their combined score shifted again.
The room echoed with footsteps, shouts, and the hum of glowing numbers constantly changing overhead. The jagged cave walls reflected the light of spells and movement, making shadows dance wildly around them.
Hyun-wu tried a different tactic. Instead of chasing Seung-hoo, he planted himself in front of Kim.
"Stay behind me!"
Kim nodded quickly and raised his staff. "Then I'll support you!"
Seo-yeon noticed and smirked. "Oh? Hiding now?"
She sprinted forward, aiming to slip past Hyun-wu's shield. Hyun-wu slammed the shield into the ground, blocking her path.
Seung-hoo saw his chance and rushed in from the side.
"Hey, big guy—look over here!"
Hyun-wu turned too late.
Seung-hoo lightly struck his back.
–1 point.
Hyun-wu shouted, "That's unfair teamwork!"
Kim yelled, "You said teamwork was allowed!"
The numbers overhead flickered again, jumping and shifting as hits landed on both sides. Sweat ran down their faces, and their breathing grew heavier with every exchange.
Seo-yeon jumped back beside Seung-hoo. "Okay… this is actually fun."
Seung-hoo nodded, eyes sharp. "But if we get careless, we'll lose everything."
Across from them, Hyun-wu tightened his grip on his shield while Kim raised his staff again, magic gathering at its tip.
"But I have speed," Seung-hoo whispered under his breath.
Before Hyun-wu or Kim could react, Seung-hoo vanished from their sight.
To them, it was as if the air itself swallowed him. One second he was standing in front of them, and the next—nothing. Even Seo-yeon's eyes widened in shock.
"…He disappeared?" she muttered.
Hyun-wu turned his head quickly, panic flashing across his face. "Where'd he go?!"
Kim spun around, staff raised. "I don't sense him—"
Tap.
Tap.
Two light touches landed on their shoulders at the same time.
Hyun-wu and Kim froze.
Behind them stood Seung-hoo, calm and almost casual, holding Seo-yeon's dagger between his fingers. He had positioned the blade carefully, not cutting, only making contact.
The numbers above them flickered.
–1 point.
Their team score dropped again.
454 points remaining.
Hyun-wu slowly turned his head. "When did you get back there…?"
Kim stared at Seung-hoo like he was seeing a ghost. "That speed… that wasn't normal."
Seo-yeon blinked, then suddenly looked down at her belt. Her hand reached for her second dagger—and found empty air.
"…Wait."
She checked again.
She only had one dagger left.
Her eyes snapped up to Seung-hoo's hand. "He took my dagger."
Seung-hoo glanced at the weapon he was holding and awkwardly smiled. "Borrowed."
Seo-yeon groaned. "You stole it in the middle of a fight?!"
"You weren't using it," he replied quickly.
Hyun-wu backed away a step, raising his shield again. "That's not fair. You teleported."
"I ran," Seung-hoo corrected. "Very fast."
Kim frowned. "You moved so fast even Seo-yeon couldn't track you."
Seo-yeon crossed her arms. "Okay, that's annoying."
The chamber buzzed with tension again. The glowing scores hovered above them, constantly shifting, as if reminding them that every movement mattered now.
Hyun-wu took a deep breath. "Alright. New rule. We don't let him move freely anymore."
Kim nodded. "I'll cover the area. Wide spells."
Seo-yeon smirked and rolled her shoulders. "Good. Because next time, I'm aiming for him first."
Seung-hoo stepped back lightly, spinning Seo-yeon's dagger once before holding it properly. "You're welcome to try."
The air seemed heavier now. Everyone could feel it—the game had changed.
Hyun-wu slammed his shield into the ground. "Come on then!"
Kim raised his staff, magic gathering again. "Ice—"
Seo-yeon lunged forward at the same time, using Hyun-wu as a distraction while cutting toward Kim's side.
Seung-hoo didn't rush in this time. He watched, eyes sharp, waiting for the smallest opening. His breathing was steady, but inside, his heart was racing. Every step, every second mattered. One mistake and their points would drop.
Seo-yeon barely avoided a blast of frost and slid across the stone floor. "You're getting better at this, Kim!"
Kim gritted his teeth. "Stop dodging!"
Hyun-wu charged again, shield raised high, aiming straight for Seung-hoo. "You're not disappearing again!"
Seung-hoo shifted his stance, lowering his center of gravity. His grip tightened around the dagger.
"Let's see if you can keep up," he murmured.
Seung-hoo moved again.
To Hyun-wu, it felt like the world had split into fragments.
One moment, Seung-hoo was in front of him.
The next—he was gone.
A blur shot past the jagged cave wall, then another blur streaked across the opposite side of the arena. Seung-hoo bounced from wall to wall, his footsteps so light they barely made a sound, his body weaving through shadows like a flash of lightning.
Hyun-wu turned in circles, shield raised, eyes wide.
"Where—where did he go now?!"
Kim tried to track him with his staff, swinging it from side to side. "I can't lock onto him! He's too fast!"
Seo-yeon watched in stunned silence for half a second. "…He's abusing the rules."
Tap.
Hyun-wu felt something touch his shoulder again.
He flinched and spun around, swinging his shield wildly—but there was nothing there.
–1 point.
The glowing numbers above their team flickered.
Hyun-wu groaned. "Not again…"
Seung-hoo reappeared a few steps away, already moving backward before Hyun-wu could charge. He vanished once more, a streak of motion ricocheting off the stone wall.
Kim shouted, "Hyun-wu, stop spinning! You look like a broken compass!"
"I CAN'T SEE HIM!" Hyun-wu yelled back.
Tap.
This time, the dagger touched Kim's arm.
–1 point.
Kim jumped back. "Hey! That was my sleeve!"
Seung-hoo's voice echoed from somewhere behind them. "Sorry. Rules are rules."
Seo-yeon crossed her arms, half annoyed, half impressed. "You're really enjoying this, huh?"
Seung-hoo didn't answer. He was already moving again.
Left wall.
Right wall.
Ceiling ledge.
Back to the ground.
Hyun-wu tried to predict his movement and slammed his shield forward, but hit only empty air. His shield struck the stone floor with a loud clang.
"Stop moving so weirdly!" Hyun-wu complained.
Tap.
Another touch landed on his back.
–1 point.
Hyun-wu slumped forward slightly. "I hate this game…"
Kim raised his staff and fired a wide burst of ice, covering half the arena. "Freeze him out!"
Seung-hoo ran straight through the attack zone, leaping over frozen patches and skimming along the wall. The cold air brushed his clothes, but he slipped through untouched and appeared behind Kim again.
Tap.
–1 point.
Kim stared at the number above their score as it dropped again. "…This is robbery."
Their combined points continued to fall.
From 454…
to 430…
to 400…
Seo-yeon laughed despite herself. "You two look like you're being haunted."
Hyun-wu planted his feet and shouted, "Stay still and fight like a normal person!"
Seung-hoo's voice came from somewhere above them. "You said yourself—speed counts as fighting."
Tap.
Hyun-wu yelped. "He's bullying me!"
Kim tried to swing his staff backward, but Seung-hoo was already gone, appearing near Seo-yeon for just a second before vanishing again. She raised an eyebrow as he passed.
"You're really not holding back, are you?"
"Not anymore," Seung-hoo replied quietly as he disappeared once more.
Hyun-wu and Kim stood back-to-back now, spinning slowly, trying to cover each other's blind spots.
"Don't let him touch us," Kim said nervously.
"I'm trying!" Hyun-wu snapped.
Tap.
Both of them froze.
The dagger lightly touched Hyun-wu's shoulder again.
–1 point.
Their score flickered down to 378.
Hyun-wu dropped his shield slightly and stared at the glowing number. "…We lost seventy-six points already."
Kim exhaled sharply. "At this rate, we're going to hit zero."
Seo-yeon looked between them and Seung-hoo, her expression shifting from amusement to focus. "Okay. This is getting serious."
Seung-hoo stood a short distance away now, breathing steadily, still holding Seo-yeon's dagger. His eyes were sharp, his body relaxed but ready to move again at any second.
"I told you," he said softly, "speed matters."