The two stood on opposite sides of the tunnel. Alen rested his hands calmly on the hilt of his sword.

[Paradox Spiral Art: Berserk!]

Zane’s eyes turned completely bloodshot as he saw Serene’s body crash against the wall. A massive amount of killing intent filled the cavern. The shadow below his feet began to expand, and his eyes turned pitch-black as he completely lost control.

Dark shadows started to emit from his entire body, instantly snuffing out the light of Serene’s small floating sun. A freezing chill of dark magic filled the room. Zane no longer cared about logic or reason.

*BOOOOOOM!*

A dense shadow covered Zane’s fist as he vanished and appeared directly in front of Alen. With bloodshot eyes glaring into Alen’s calm ones, Zane punched forward.

[Phantom Step!]

But before the strike could connect, Alen vanished. Zane’s fist was only able to hit a fading afterimage.

*BOOOOOOM!* *CLATTER!*

A massive shockwave of stone debris and dust exploded outward from the sheer impact of Zane’s punch hitting the wall.

Zane snapped his bloodshot eyes toward Alen, who had reappeared just a few feet away.

Alen didn’t get the luxury of resting. Zane appeared directly before him again, his fist now coated in burning darkness.

[Paradox Spiral Art: Shadow Type - Destruction Fire!]

Alen didn’t wait for the punch to land. He stepped away quickly, teleporting another few feet back.

The ground where Zane’s fist struck was instantly burned by the intense heat of the dark fire, leaving the stone completely scorched in milliseconds.

Zane didn’t stop. He moved with incredible speed, enhanced by his berserk mode. He fought like a wild monster, landing devastating attacks that destroyed the surrounding cavern.

Alen was just barely able to dodge the flurry of attacks as both of their figures blurred across the battlefield.

Zane chased him wildly. The more time passed, the more sanity he lost, completely surrendering his sense of self to the darkness.

"You motherf*cking scumbag! You are going to die by my hands! AHHHHHHH!"

Suddenly, Alen switched tactics from defensive to the Battle-mode.

[Phantom Step!]

His figure blurred and he reappeared directly behind the incoming, dark fire-wielding Zane.

The shadows under Zane’s feet instinctively tried to protect him like loyal guards, charging aggressively at Alen. But before they could touch him, Alen gently tapped the hilt of his sword against the back of Zane’s head.

[Nexus Elemental Art: Sound Type - Calming Voice]

Suddenly, Zane stopped in his tracks as the shadows trying to protect him lost their form.

A sweet, calming voice echoed directly into Zane’s mind, forcing his berserk body into stillness. The growing insanity in his eyes slowly faded.

<Please Zane. You’re hurting yourself, stop for me...>

The voice was a perfect mimicry of Serene’s. By using his Sound magic, Alen had learned how to copy other people’s voices. He could match their exact vocal frequencies and transmit the sound directly into someone’s mind. It was a harmless technique, perfectly designed to calm down a berserker like Zane.

As Zane heard the voice, his body suddenly gave way. He lost consciousness and collapsed onto the cold stone floor.

*Thud!*

As his berserk mode ended, the massive physical and mental toll crashed down on him. He lay completely helpless. The mana inside Zane’s body was completely exhausted, and several of his mana veins had burst from the sheer strain of his dark magic.

If Alen wanted to end him now, it would be effortless. Zane’s protective shadows had fully receded since his unconscious will could no longer sustain them.

Alen stood still in the clearing, glancing at the surrounding cavern. The area was covered in burning debris and deep craters. Fortunately, the overall structure of the chamber was still sturdy, so the ceiling didn’t collapse from the chaotic battle.

Alen turned his eyes a few meters away to where Serene lay still. He looked at her calmly and started walking over.

*Tap...* *Tap...* *Tap...*

The sound of his footsteps echoed through the silent dungeon. He knelt on the ground and looked at Serene’s peaceful face. He raised his hand, and a massive ball of water began to form in his palm.

As the water ball floated above his hand, he lightly pushed it toward her. The water ball lost its structural integrity and splashed heavily onto Serene, soaking her completely.

She gasped and opened her eyes.

She looked at her surroundings in pure confusion as water dripped from her hair. She then glanced at Alen, who was standing over her.

"Wait, where am I? And why am I wet—wait! Ouch! It hurts..."

She immediately clutched her chest as the intense pain from Alen’s earlier punch finally hit her.

Alen looked down at her calmly, without a single ounce of guilt on his face.

"You were under the control of some kind of shadow parasite, though I don’t know the exact details..."

"I just sensed that your body was continuously sucking mana from that blonde guy. It felt highly unusual, so I tested my theory by hitting you. It seems my guess was right."

Serene glared at him.

"I have no idea what you’re talking about! But why the hell did you hit me so hard?! And why am I completely soaked?!"

Alen looked at her with an innocent expression.

"Oh, my bad. I didn’t know who was controlling your body or how strong the shadow was... That’s why I used nearly fifty percent of my full force in that attack."

"...And as for being wet... you just looked a bit dirty, so I thought I could help you clean up."

"Oh, you don’t have to thank me. It is my responsibility to help my teammates."

He turned around and walked over to sit on a nearby rock.

"Ughh!... W-Who is even thanking you?! You scumbag!"

she yelled, glaring daggers at his back.

Looking down at her drenched clothes, she quickly cast a gentle wind spell to dry herself off.

"Damn that scumbag... Hmph! I will surely put him in his place once we leave this trial!"