Chapter 23: Chapter 23 – The Crown of Adaptation 2

Leon’s eyes widened.

"...That’s—"

Kael’s voice dropped.

"...Fusion magic..."

An art considered nearly impossible at their level.

Yet Eternia didn’t stop there.

She added more.

A fourth spell.

Reinforcement.

The structure stabilized.

The fusion intensified.

Her staff trembled slightly as the energy gathered.

Her mana drained even faster.

"...Finish it."

The Minotaur charged again.

Eternia stepped forward.

And released everything.

The fused spell erupted.

A concentrated blast of compressed, accelerated wind exploded forward.

The impact was instantaneous.

The Minotaur’s body froze mid-charge.

Then—

It split.

Cleanly.

From shoulder to waist.

The force tore through its massive frame, ripping apart flesh, bone, and mana core alike.

Silence followed.

The creature collapsed.

Its body hit the ground with a heavy thud.

Dead.

Completely.

Eternia lowered her staff slowly.

Her breathing remained steady—

But her mana pool dropped sharply.

"...Done."

She stepped forward and reached into the Minotaur’s remains.

Her fingers closed around the glowing object inside.

The mana stone.

Larger.

Denser.

More valuable than the others they had collected.

She pulled it free.

Behind her—

Leon and Kael stood frozen.

"...You..."

Leon’s voice was barely above a whisper.

"...You’re only First Circle..."

Kael’s eyes narrowed sharply.

"...And you just used fusion magic."

Not once.

But multiple times.

At a level even trained mages struggled to achieve.

Eternia didn’t respond.

She turned toward the deeper corridor.

"...We’re not done."

Her voice remained calm.

Unshaken.

"We need to move."

Leon blinked.

"...Move?"

Kael frowned.

"...You’re still standing?"

Eternia didn’t slow down.

"Follow me."

There was no room for discussion.

No time for questions.

Her mana continued draining rapidly.

Adapt was still active.

Still consuming.

Still enhancing.

She needed to finish this.

Now.

Leon and Kael exchanged a quick glance—

Then followed.

They moved fast.

Faster than before.

Eternia led the way.

Her staff moved constantly.

Spells fired in rapid succession.

Each monster they encountered—

Fell instantly.

Wind blades.

Compressed bursts.

Occasional fusion strikes.

Everything died.

Quickly.

Efficiently.

Relentlessly.

Leon barely had time to engage.

Kael’s runes activated less frequently.

Because Eternia was already clearing the path.

"...She’s not human."

Kael muttered under his breath.

Leon nodded slightly.

"...Yeah..."

They continued forward.

Collecting cores.

Advancing deeper.

Until—

Eternia stopped suddenly.

Her eyes narrowed.

"...There."

She extended her senses outward.

Mana detection.

Pushed to its absolute limit.

The dungeon map formed faintly in her mind.

Corridors.

Walls.

Open spaces.

And—

An exit.

Far ahead.

"...Found it."

Her voice was sharp.

"Straight ahead."

Without waiting—

She ran.

Full speed.

Mana surged through her legs.

Acceleration pushed her body forward at incredible speed.

Leon and Kael followed immediately.

The corridor blurred around them.

But—

Eternia’s vision began to distort.

The edges darkened slightly.

Her breathing grew uneven.

"...Too fast..."

The mana drain was catching up.

Adapt was still active.

Still consuming.

Her First Circle pulsed erratically.

Her balance wavered.

But she didn’t stop.

"...Almost there..."

Her grip on the staff tightened.

Her body pushed forward.

One step.

Then another.

Faster.

Faster.

Her vision blurred further.

Her hearing dulled.

Her thoughts scattered.

"...Just... a little... more..."

The exit was close.

So close.

But—

Her body was reaching its limit.

And as the darkness crept back into her vision—

Eternia Sinclair kept running.

Straight toward the exit.

Unaware of what awaited her next.