Kai established the order.

First the creatures — ten six-armed ones surrounding him.

Without them on top of him, he could focus on the administrator without the divided attention that had cost him two numb arms and a headbutt.

Second the administrator — specifically the core.

Without the creatures as a distraction, he could search for the point the traps were covering.

Third the traps — using Qi Step to navigate the chamber without activating them against himself.

The plan had logic.

The problem was the execution.

---

Kai launched the first strike at the six-armed creatures — Deep Resonant Impact to the nearest one’s side, the point where it had worked in the labyrinth levels.

The creature absorbed the blow.

It didn’t retreat.

’The triple layer of scales.’

’Resonant Impact pierces simple material. With triple layer, it needs more concentrated Qi.’

More concentrated Qi meant more preparation time.

More preparation time meant the creature’s other five arms arrived before the strike came out.

Two of the six arms connected — one on his right shoulder, one on his left side.

Kai went to the ground.

He got up activating the area pressure trap under his foot — the upward push pulled him out of the six arms’ radius before they completed the second cycle.

His right forearm had absorbed the shoulder blow and was responding poorly.

’The plan needed the creatures to give way to Resonant Impact.’

’They don’t give way with the triple layer.’

’I need another angle.’

---

[DraconicLegacy: (ಠ_ಠ) THE PLAN FAILED AT THE FIRST STEP (ಠ_ಠ)]

[Dr_Snow: the triple layer of scales neutralizes standard Resonant Impact. needs more Qi than Kai can prepare with six arms on top of him.]

[Drakeking: the plan was logical. the execution found a variable the analysis didn’t cover.]

[Jack_Moore: Kai on the ground twice in a minute. his right forearm responding badly.]

[Chris_Murray: (╥_╥) (╥_╥) (╥_╥)]

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

[Martijn_Wiesma: the admin is watching. doesn’t intervene because it’s waiting to see what Kai does with the broken plan.]

---

Kai recalculated on the move.

’If Resonant Impact needs more Qi and more Qi needs more time and I don’t have more time available with six arms...’

’I change the order.’

’First the administrator. If I neutralize the core, the creatures lose their source.’

’Or they don’t lose it because the administrator generated them with full access and they probably function independently.’

’Probability they function independently: high.’

’Probability they lose coordination without the active administrator: also high.’

’The second scenario is enough.’

He turned toward the administrator.

Three steps — deliberately activating the area pressure trap on the first to gain momentum, the gravity trap on the second for the pivot, and dodging the transmitting discharge trap on the third because his right forearm was no longer in condition to absorb two more seconds of inactivity.

He reached the administrator.

Right shoulder — Deep Resonant Impact straight to the chest distortion point.

The administrator raised its arm.

Kai passed underneath.

The shoulder connected.

The existing distortion expanded.

The core flickered behind the material.

’There.’

The administrator counterattacked — palm to the chest with transmitting energy.

Kai took it because there was no dodge angle available without leaving the core’s radius.

His entire torso stopped responding for three seconds.

Three seconds without breathing properly, without the torso muscles executing the instructions his brain was sending.

Kai went backward.

Not by decision — his body simply didn’t hold.

---

The six-armed creatures arrived in those three seconds.

Four of them — their upper arms converging from different angles, coordinated without the central direction the big one normally had because the administrator had improved the autonomous coordination.

Kai couldn’t dodge.

The four arms connected simultaneously.

Left shoulder. Right side. Left knee. Lower back.

He went to the ground.

He stayed on the ground for two seconds while his torso recovered function and the marks of the four simultaneous impacts processed what had arrived.

’This is bad.’

The administrator looked down at him.

"Is it still a problem?" it said.

Kai didn’t respond.

He got up.

His right forearm responded halfway.

His torso worked but protested with every deep breath.

His left knee had the creature’s impact added to the labyrinth levels.

Standing.

The administrator tilted its head.

"You keep getting up."

"Yes."

"Why?"

Kai looked at it.

"Because there’s still something to do."

---

[DraconicLegacy: "BECAUSE THERE’S STILL SOMETHING TO DO" — KAI]

[Dr_Snow: four simultaneous blows and he got up. his torso nonfunctional for three seconds and he got up.]

[Drakeking: the original plan failed. the second attempt failed. Kai is standing processing the third.]

[Jack_Moore: "why?" "because there’s still something to do" — the shortest and most complete possible answer.]

[Brandon_Haddan: (╥_╥) HOLD ON KAI (╥_╥)]

[RagingMutant: ┗(°0°)┛ ┗(°0°)┛ STANDING ┗(°0°)┛ ┗(°0°)┛]

[Martijn_Wiesma: Kai with his right forearm at half, torso protesting, left knee accumulated. "there’s still something to do." correct.]

---

The administrator looked at the panel.

[User Kai Reno — current status]

[Right forearm: functionality reduced 60%]

[Torso: functionality reduced 40% — recovering]

[Left knee: functionality reduced 30%]

[Active Qi: stable — level increasing]

[Locked abilities: 17]

[The system cannot project when the user will reach their limit]

"Your system can’t deduce when you’ll give in," the administrator said.

"No."

"That’s impressive..."

"Thanks?"

The administrator closed the panel.

It looked toward Serah and Lira.

Serah’s markings were at fifteen percent — the structural ice had consumed the rest, her left shoulder with visible damage where a triple-layered-plate creature had connected before the ice froze it. She kept fighting. With what was left.

Lira had her left arm with marks from the two-meter tentacles that had wrapped before she threw them.

Zero magic.

Her right foot with the pattern of a gravity trap she’d activated unintentionally when she stepped back. She kept fighting. With what she had.

The administrator calculated.

"Time plays against you," it said, without taking its eyes off Serah and Lira. "Not against me."

"I know."

"The two of them are going to reach their limit before you reach mine."

Kai didn’t respond because it was true.

"So," the administrator said, "let’s speed this up."

---

The administrator’s arms rose toward Serah and Lira.

The concentrated blue energy it had used in the columns at the start of the combat, before switching to hand-to-hand.

Direct.

One column toward Serah.

One column toward Lira.

Serah raised her primordial aura — the remaining fifteen percent all at the blocking point, her markings in the irregular pattern of effort at the limit.

The column struck the aura.

The markings dropped to eight percent.

Lira had no aura to raise.

She dodged — the SS lateral step, the one with the exact timing, the one she’d executed thirty times against the administrator and now executed against the column.

The column was wider than the administrator’s arm.

The edge caught her on the right shoulder.

Lira went to the ground.

She got up.

Her right shoulder wasn’t responding fully.

---

Kai saw it.

Both impacts. Serah’s markings at eight percent. Lira with her right shoulder and left arm and zero magic and her feet in a chamber full of gravity traps.

Serah’s fifteen percent now eight.

And the administrator preparing the next attack.

Something changed.

Not in the Qi — the Qi remained active and stable as it had been throughout the combat.

In something else.

Deeper than the Qi.

Deeper than the techniques and the plans and the real-time analysis.

Something that twelve years in the ring had covered with layers of discipline and that the layers of discipline weren’t covering at this moment.

Kai looked at the administrator.

Looked at the arms raised toward Serah and Lira.

And stopped smiling.

---

[DraconicLegacy: (ಠ_ಠ) HE STOPPED SMILING (ಠ_ಠ)]

[Dr_Snow: in 56 Chapters Kai has smiled in every fight. this is the first one where he hasn’t.]

[Drakeking: Serah at 8%. Lira on the ground with damaged shoulder and arm. that’s what turned off the smile.]

[Jack_Moore: "something deeper than Qi" — the narrator described it without naming it. we all know what it is.]

[Brandon_Haddan: (°ロ°) (°ロ°) KAI’S FACE (°ロ°) (°ロ°)]

[RagingMutant: (╬ Ò﹏Ó) (╬ Ò﹏Ó) NOT THE SMILE (╬ Ò﹏Ó) (╬ Ò﹏Ó)]

[Martijn_Wiesma: the admin attacked Serah and Lira directly. that was the mistake. the combat just changed nature.]

---

[System — notification]

[The system detects change in user’s state]

[Active Qi: stable → accelerating increase]

[Cause: unclassifiable]

[The system notes that Kai stopped smiling]

[The system notes that Qi is increasing without Kai having initiated any technique]

[The system notes that there are 17 locked abilities]

[The system notes that the unlock conditions for several of them have just been met simultaneously]

[The system processes] 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

[The system continues processing]

[The system updates]

[Abilities unlocking: processing]

The administrator felt the change in Kai’s Qi before seeing it.

The blue points of light where the eyes should be fixed on Kai.

"What," the administrator said, with a tone that had been absent the entire combat, "are you doing?"

Kai looked at it.

"Nothing yet."

"Your Qi is increasing on its own."

"I know."

"Why?"

Kai didn’t respond immediately.

He looked at Serah — her markings at eight percent, standing, with the ice she had left ready. She was looking at him.

He looked at Lira — shoulder and arm, standing. She was looking at him.

He returned to the administrator.

"Because you touched something you shouldn’t have touched."

---

[DraconicLegacy: ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ "YOU TOUCHED SOMETHING YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE TOUCHED" ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ]

[Dr_Snow: Qi increasing on its own without Kai initiating any technique. the system processing multiple simultaneous unlocks.]

[Drakeking: abilities unlocking in parallel. the system is processing several at the same time.]

[Jack_Moore: Serah and Lira looking at him. both standing despite everything. that’s what activated something.]

[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°)┛ ┗(°0°)┛ ┗(°0°)┛]

[Martijn_Wiesma: viewers: 27,100,000. the number rises with Kai’s Qi.]

[The system notes that Kai’s Qi keeps increasing]

[The system notes that the locked abilities are unlocking]

[The system considers that the administrator made the mistake Kai warned it would]

[The system waits to see how many abilities unlock]