Chapter 39
Kon(3)
[STOP]
The word echoed through the room like a supernatural decree, a force aimed not at the world, but at one man.
Kon.
His charge, once furious and unstoppable, was just a breath away from reaching its target when—
He froze.
Not from fear. Not from hesitation.
But from an invisible pressure that didn't come from outside, but from within. His own body betrayed him, halting mid-step as if someone had pressed pause on his entire existence.
The crowd gasped.
A novice had just stopped a One-Star?
But what most of them didn't realize was that Kon hadn't just stopped moving.
He had stopped.
His breathing halted.
His blood flow froze in his veins.
His Path methods ceased functioning.
His mana absorption came to a dead halt.
Even his vision dimmed—and gravity itself had paused around him, holding him upright like a puppet with cut strings.
The only thing that hadn't stopped was his life.
Presumably because IAM didn't have enough mana to fully execute such a technique, or perhaps—intentionally or not—he spared Kon from death.
It was the perfect chance.
Kon stood there like a statue.
Defenseless. Helpless. A beast caught in a trap.
But IAM wasn't in any state to deliver a final blow.
He collapsed to his knees, both hands gripping his locs as if trying to keep his skull from splitting open. His entire body trembled. His breath came out in ragged gasps. His head throbbed with the weight of something beyond him. Blood streamed from his left nostril—where his avien was located.
Mia kissed her teeth. "Tch. Rookie mistake."
As Bell had explained before, Ascenders at the Novice level lacked control. Their mana use was messy, bloated, inefficient—barely able to bring their visions into reality. Without a solidified concept, every action was like using a sledgehammer to press a button.
IAM had just tried to use a technique far beyond what his reserves could support.
He hadn't shaped it clearly, hadn't designated what exactly he wanted to stop.
And so—he stopped everything.
Even irrelevant processes, wasting immense mana in the process.
In this world, Ascenders could actually feel mana drain from their bodies. This can be quite disorienting and can be shocking experience when you are not used to it, especially IAM who had just almost emptied all of his reserves and this caused his body to go in shock.
IAM's avien, in a panic, tried to compensate by drawing back the mana he'd lost—resulting in ruptured veins and the nosebleed.
Losing a massive amount of mana all at once is dangerous.
That is why novices are recommended to practice using extremely week methods like their base method until they get used the feeling of losing mana.
And now he was on the floor, twitching, eyes half-glazed.
The formless influence disappears like smoke as the mana sustaining it collapses. Kon regains control of his body.
He had been in that state for five seconds.
His breathing returns with a sharp, audible gasp. He stumbles slightly, blinking rapidly like someone waking from a dream. His gaze darts around in confusion, then lands on IAM—crumpled on the ground like a broken doll, chest heaving, his locs hanging messily over his bleeding face.
Silence reigns for a beat.
Mia's eyes narrowed.
"This spar is over," she said firmly.
Then, Kon's expression hardens. His brows furrow, his jaw clenches. He begins to walk forward—slowly at first, each step deliberate and heavy. His shadow looms long across the floor, stretching toward IAM like a predator inching closer to its prey.
The crowd senses it too. Murmurs ripple out.
"Wait... he's still going?"
"Is he about to finish him?"
"Didn't Mia say the match was over?"
IAM, still on one knee, lifts his head just enough to see the advancing figure. His vision swims. Kon is blurry—just a hulking shape moving with quiet intent. IAM tries to stand but only makes it halfway up before his legs betray him.
Kon's steps grow faster.
Mia sees it. "Stop! This spar is over!" she yells, voice sharp as a whip.
Kon doesn't even flinch. His eyes are locked in.
"I said stop, you fucking fool!"
But the titan doesn't heed her. He raises one arm—massive, thick, veined—like a club ready to fall. His hand opens wide, almost lazily, but there's force behind it. He reaches out.
IAM winces, his weakened body bracing instinctively. His eyes squint shut. Was this it? Was Kon really going to strike him while down?
And then—
The hand grabs his shoulder.
Not roughly. Not violently. Just firmly.
And pulls him... up.
IAM stumbles upright, eyes wide in disbelief, adrenaline still screaming through his system.
Kon stares at him. His breath is ragged. But his face… isn't twisted with anger or triumph.
It's calm. There's a glint of something surprising—respect. Maybe even a flicker of pride.
Then, with a soft chuckle, he claps IAM on the back.
"Well done," Kon says, loud enough for the whole room to hear. "That was a great spar. I guess it's a draw, huh?"
The crowd erupted.
"Holy crap, that was amazing!"
"Yo, IAM held his own!"
"That last move was insane!"
"Maybe this IAM guy's not a loser after all…"
IAM's chest heaved. He looked around—at the cheers, the clapping hands, the sudden admiration.
Then his eyes flicked to Kon.
That look he gave him was the most IAM thing possible:
'Who the fuck are you? Do I know you?'
Kon barked a laugh. "Don't mind the insults, bro. It's just banter. As long as you back your words, all is fair. You earned my respect. You didn't back down—even with the gap between us."
Then, grinning:
"But I am taking revenge for that cheap shot to the balls."
IAM squinted at him. "Whatever… you're still ugly."
Kon's face dropped. "You want round 2? Gloves off? Full power?"
"Uhhh…"
Thankfully, salvation arrived.
"You two meatheads are gonna kill me one day," Mia sighed.
She wasn't worried, not anymore. Had she sensed something irreparable between them earlier, she would've never let them spar.
She turned her gaze to IAM, eyes sharp with evaluation.
"Well, both of you need to get healed. Thankfully, we've got a healer."
Her eyes flicked toward Jasmine, who blinked and shrank slightly under the attention.
"Uh, me? I haven't really mastered my method yet… and I kinda waste a lot of mana," Jasmine admitted in guilt.
Mia blinked. Then blinked again.
For all her battlefield experience…
She'd completely forgotten that part.