The fight had shifted into something raw—reckless, dangerous, brutal.
Each of them was burning through the last of their strength. Even Johnson, broken and battered, was still forcing himself to swing, to move, to fight.
Keal, though, wasn't the type to surrender. No, he was giving it everything as well. He refused to let them win.
His eyes locked on Johnson. The weakest link. Eliminate him first.
Keal lunged, fist glowing red, aiming to smash Johnson's skull—
—but his strike never landed.
Fai's hand shot out like lightning, seizing Keal's wrist mid-swing. With a sharp twist, he redirected the attack off course. Keal staggered—open.
Johnson didn't waste the chance. He slammed his fist against Keal's elbow. The joint buckled with a sickening crunch, forcing Keal's arm into an awkward bend.
Before Keal could even hiss in pain, Fai was there again—his knuckles colliding with Keal's nose.
CRACK.
Blood sprayed. Keal howled, stumbling back, clutching his face.
Two hits. One after the other. Elbow and nose shattered in an instant.
But Keal wasn't finished. His red-glowing hand clamped over his broken elbow, and with a surge of energy, the bone snapped back into place. The glow dimmed. His arm was functional again, though weaker, trembling with pain.
Both Fai and Johnson froze for half a second, confusion flashing in their eyes.
He can heal himself too?
They had thought his mutation was simple—something about turning battles in his favor. Not offensive, not directly harmful. But then he had weaponized it—launching energy waves, striking with destructive force. And now he was… healing?
Just what the hell was his mutation?
Neither of them had the strength to ask. The only thing they knew—the fight wasn't over.
So they kept going.
Johnson's body screamed in agony. Every step felt like fire, every punch like tearing open his wounds. His muscles were shredded, his breath ragged. But he pushed. He used every dirty trick, every scrap of street-fighting instinct he had.
Fai wasn't faring much better. His stamina was nearly drained, his legs weak, but his speed kept him alive. Barely.
Two broken boys against one monster. But still—they fought.
Keal's strikes grew more savage, reckless, his patience snapping. Exhaustion etched itself into his movements, but he refused to collapse.
With a desperate roar, Keal lunged at Johnson again, his glowing hand blazing with murderous intent.
Johnson couldn't move fast enough. But Fai could.
He slipped in front of Johnson like a phantom shield, seizing Keal's arm once more. Then, with every last ounce of strength, he drove his knee into Keal's ribs.
THUD.
Air exploded from Keal's lungs. His body folded forward—
—and Johnson smashed his fist into the opposite side of Keal's ribcage.
Keal's body twisted under the force, wheezing for air.
Still, he didn't drop. Not yet.
That's when Fai decided. This ends now.
He backed up two steps, then launched himself upward, twisting in the air. His body spun, momentum building—until his heel whipped around in a brutal hook kick.
The kick smashed into the back of Keal's skull.
CRACK.
Keal's eyes rolled back. His body went limp, collapsing like a felled giant.
Unmoving.
Breathing—but unconscious.
Fai landed, knees buckling. He dropped onto one knee, chest heaving. Johnson collapsed beside him, gasping, his body barely holding together.
They had won. But their victory was a hollow one—bought with pain, blood, and what little strength they had left.
Their stamina was gone. Their HPs were at rock-bottom. Their bodies were bruised, broken. And the assessment wasn't over.
The world was quiet now. Too quiet. No screams. No clashes. Only their exhausted breathing.
Then—
[Ding]
[AN OPPONENT HAS BEEN DEFEATED]
[Ding]
[QUEST 1]
[YOU ARE NOW IN STAGE TWO OF THE ASSESSMENT, AND YOU ARE BEING PREYED UPON BY EVERYONE FOR YOUR GOLDEN COIN.]
[PROVE TO THEM THE STRENGTH OF A FAIRY: OBTAIN AS MUCH GOLDEN COIN AS YOU CAN!]
[REWARD]
[1 COIN = 50 EXP]
[EACH OPPONENT DEFEATED = 50 EXP]
[REWARDS WILL BE GIVEN AFTER THE QUEST STATUS IS COMPLETE.]
[NUMBER OF COINS OBTAINED]
[8]
[NUMBER OF OPPONENTS DEFEATED]
[4]
[NUMBER OF ACCUMULATED EXP]
[550 >>> 600 EXP]
[QUEST 2]
[ADDITIONAL QUEST]
[DEFEAT YOUR LONG-TIME ENEMIES]
[FOR SO LONG, THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE HAS MISTREATED YOU. TEACH THEM A LESSON THEY WILL LIVE TO REMEMBER.]
[QUEST REQUIREMENTS: DOMINATE AND DEFEAT EVERY SINGLE INDIVIDUAL OF THIS GROUP]
[QUEST REWARDS]
[EACH OPPONENT DEFEATED = 50 EXP]
[EACH OPPONENT DOMINATED = 50 EXP]
[NUMBER OF OPPONENTS DEFEATED = 3]
[NUMBER OF OPPONENTS DOMINATED = 4]
[ACCUMULATED EXP = 300 >>> 400]
[REWARDS WILL BE GIVEN ONLY WHEN THE QUEST STATUS IS COMPLETED.]
[QUEST STATUS: ONGOING]
[QUEST 2: COMPLETE]
[ALL TARGETS DEFEATED AND DOMINATED]
[EXP: 300 >>> 400]
[BONUS REWARD: +100 EXP]
[Total EXP for QUEST 2 = 500]
"We did it," Johnson whispered, voice raw and broken.
"Yeah," Fai muttered, barely audible. "We really did."
Johnson glanced at Keal's unconscious body. "What do you think will happen to him?"
Fai didn't answer right away. He tilted his head back, gazing at the sky where the clouds had parted just enough for the stars to peek through.
"…Doesn't matter," he finally said, voice low. "He won't hurt me anymore. He won't hurt anyone else."
For a long moment, they just lay there in silence. Not awkward silence. Earned silence.
Johnson gave a tired smile. "Hey… thanks for coming back."
Fai let out a shaky breath, eyes closing. "Thanks for staying."
Under the pale light of the stars, two boys who had been broken by the world, abandoned by fate, now lay side by side—not just survivors, but victors.
Not only of a battle—but of themselves.
Fai felt something inside him shift. For the first time in years, the chains of his past cracked. He was free. Free enough to begin again.
Exhaustion claimed them both. Soon, they were sprawled in the grass, asleep under the bright, watchful moon.
But the maze wasn't empty.
From the far end, faint footsteps echoed. Steady. Approaching.
Someone was coming.
********
Thanks a lot for the vote
sheikh ,
Anna Grace .
And thanks for reading so far
I appreciate all the support you guys have been giving the novel .
Trust me , It's all the motivation I need
********
Thanks a lot for the vote
sheikh ,
Anna Grace .
And thanks for reading so far
I appreciate all the support you guys have been giving the novel .
Trust me , It's all the motivation I need