Lira had the same problem expressed differently.

Twelve creatures with two-meter tentacles heading toward her. Zero magic available. The eight-hundred-year stance that was all she had.

The first tentacle reached for her neck.

Lira dodged it with an SS lateral step — the same one she’d used thirty times against the administrator, the one with the exact timing for the extension range of the labyrinth tentacles.

The two-meter tentacle reached her anyway.

Lira dodged further.

The second tentacle came from the other shoulder.

Lira dodged, and the first wrapped around her left forearm instead of her neck.

It squeezed.

Lira clenched her teeth.

Eight hundred years of SS vampiric existence meant her base physical strength, without magic, was still considerably superior to most things in Aethon.

She grabbed the tentacle with her right hand and pulled.

The creature went flying by the tentacle.

It hit two of the ones behind it.

Lira used the two seconds of resulting space to reposition.

"This," Lira said, to no one in particular, "is worse than the labyrinth."

---

[DraconicLegacy: LIRA THROWING CREATURES BY THEIR TENTACLES WITH ZERO MAGIC]

[Dr_Snow: Serah at 25% markings with sixteen creatures left. the numbers don’t add up.]

[Drakeking: Lira has eight hundred years of base physical strength. without magic she’s still SS in endurance.]

[Jack_Moore: "this is worse than the labyrinth" — Lira giving the honest assessment in real time.]

[Brandon_Haddan: (╥_╥) Serah at 25%. Lira without magic. Kai with ten upgraded creatures plus the admin. (╥_╥)]

[RagingMutant: (╬ Ò﹏Ó) (╬ Ò﹏Ó) (╬ Ò﹏Ó)]

[Jesse_Williams: the admin perfectly calibrated the difficulty level so the girls can’t handle it comfortably. Kai can’t ignore them.]

---

Kai knew it.

The fraction of attention that had been calculating where Serah and Lira were during the entire labyrinth now had concrete information, and the information was that twenty-five percent markings against sixteen upgraded creatures plus Lira without magic against twelve more wasn’t enough.

It wasn’t enough, and he knew it, and the administrator knew it, and that was exactly the point.

The administrator closed in from the flank while Kai handled the six-armed creatures.

Palm to the right shoulder — the transmitting blue energy at the contact point.

The right shoulder stopped responding.

Kai pivoted using the strike’s momentum — his right shoulder useless, his left still functioning — and launched his left elbow to the administrator’s side.

The administrator absorbed it with its energy-covered arm.

The transmission came through the elbow to the left forearm.

Both arms out for two seconds.

No arms. Ten creatures around him. The administrator a meter away.

Kai went to the ground — knee, then foot, knee used as an upward impulse point — and launched a headbutt to the administrator’s chest.

No arms. With his head.

The administrator stepped back half a meter.

His arms recovered.

---

[DraconicLegacy: ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ THE HEADBUTT ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ NO ARMS ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ]

[Dr_Snow: "no arms. with his head." — the most direct description of the situation and Kai’s response.]

[Drakeking: both arms disabled simultaneously and Kai found the third available impact point.]

[Jack_Moore: the admin stepped back half a meter from a headbutt. the Qi was in his head too.]

[Brandon_Haddan: ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ]

[RagingMutant: ┗(°0°)┛ ┗(°0°)┛ HEADBUTT WITH QI ┗(°0°)┛ ┗(°0°)┛]

[Jesse_Williams: Kai has twelve years of martial arts and that includes head techniques. the admin didn’t have that in any database.]

---

[System — update]

[Survival points: threshold reached]

[New ability unlocked: Complete Body — use of any body point as an impact surface with active Qi]

[The system notes Kai was already doing this instinctively]

[The system notes formalizing it as an ability increases efficiency by 34%]

[Locked abilities remaining: 19 → 18]

[The system also notes that Kai is dividing his attention between the admin and the creatures]

[The system considers that the current biggest problem]

[The system waits to see how he solves it]

The administrator saw the update.

"Another ability."

"Yes."

"From using your head as an impact point."

"Yes."

"How much longer can you keep this up?"

Kai looked toward where Serah was absorbing a creature’s blow on her shoulder and counterattacking with the ice she had left, and where Lira was throwing the third creature by the tentacle with the face of someone who has decided complaining can wait.

"Less than I’d like."

The administrator followed his gaze.

"The two of them are strong," it said. "For what they are."

"They are."

"But not enough for twenty upgraded creatures in that state."

"I know."

"And?"

Kai looked at it.

"And I have to finish this before they reach their limit."

The administrator tilted its head.

"How? You’ve spent the whole fight unable to touch my core. The traps cover the entire chamber. You have ten creatures on top of you and two friends at the limit of their capabilities."

"Three problems."

"Yes."

"Order matters."

Kai looked at the six-armed creatures surrounding him.

Looked at the traps on the floor.

Looked at the administrator.

And the system updated again.

---

[System — update]

[Multiple combat situation analysis — processing]

[New ability unlocked: Field Priority — ability to assess and order multiple simultaneous threats with active Qi as sensor]

[The system notes this ability required a minimum Qi level that Kai reached in this combat]

[The system notes it was ability 14 on the locked list]

[Locked abilities remaining: 18 → 17]

[The system considers the order Kai just established to be correct]

[The system waits to see if he can execute it]

The administrator looked at the third combat update.

The blue points of light where the eyes should be glowed brighter than before.

"Three abilities unlocked in a single fight."

"Looks like it."

"Against me."

"Yes."

"That," the administrator said, with a tone that no longer had any of the layers it had had before, "is genuinely concerning."

---

[DraconicLegacy: ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ "GENUINELY CONCERNING" ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ THE ADMIN ADMITTED IT ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ]

[Dr_Snow: Field Priority. Qi sensor for multiple threats. it was ability 14 on the list. needed the Qi level from this combat.]

[Drakeking: three abilities unlocked. the admin has access to all the information and still says it’s concerning.]

[Jack_Moore: "order matters" — Kai already has the plan. just needs to execute it with his side at the limit and his arms going numb.]

[Brandon_Haddan: ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ]

[RagingMutant: ┗(°0°)┛ ┗(°0°)┛ ┗(°0°)┛ SEVENTEEN LOCKED ┗(°0°)┛ ┗(°0°)┛ ┗(°0°)┛]

[Jesse_Williams: the admin created the perfect conditions for Kai to unlock abilities. ironically.]

[Current viewers: 26,300,000]

[The system notes that Kai has a plan]