Chapter 116: Begging for Mercy!!!

In that hurried instant, Arkatiz clenched her fist and hooked it toward Zhao Nan’s abdomen. Before the punch even landed, the sheer pressure of the wind it generated flattened his clothes against his body.

*Bam!*

Zhao Nan’s body skidded backward, dragging through the mud for several meters before finally coming to a halt. He held his hands protectively over his stomach, his palms already torn and bleeding.

"To think he could actually block a punch from Arkatiz..."

Kazuha Aoi looked on in disbelief. While it was true that Limiters could use the Freezing Field and played a vital role in countering the Nova, that did not mean they were on par with the Pandoras. With the frail constitution of a Limiter, it was impossible to resist a Pandora’s attack—especially one like Arkatiz, who ranked among the very best in the academy!

"Hmph... not bad," Arkatiz remarked, clearly surprised by Zhao Nan’s defensive capabilities. "It seems you aren't just an ordinary Limiter."

Zhao Nan shook his hands, the bones in his palms feeling as though they were about to shatter. For some reason, a surge of irrational rage flared within him; the Pandora before him had suddenly become detestable. He felt an urge—an urge to tear Arkatiz to pieces.

Subtle, strange changes began to ripple across his face, his skin taking on a texture resembling a honeycomb. Zhao Nan let out a cold hum, and a pale blue light radiated from beneath his feet. In the eyes of a Pandora, this was the signature power of a Limiter: the Freezing Field!

"Naive. Do you really think you can suppress me with that?"

Arkatiz sneered. With a powerful leap, she launched herself into the air, narrowly evading the sphere of the field. Taking advantage of her elevation, she twisted her body mid-air to strike back.

Yet, in that very moment, a massive force completely locked her body in place. Losing control, she plummeted from the air. The overwhelming pressure made it impossible for her to even stand; she could only brace her hands against the ground, struggling desperately to stay upright.

"An omnidirectional Freezing Field! How is that possible!" Arkatiz looked at Zhao Nan in terror.

It wasn't just that it was omnidirectional; the sheer power of the field far exceeded her expectations. Based on her own development of the Stigmata, even three or four ordinary Limiters shouldn't have been able to suppress her!

Ignoring her shock, Zhao Nan struck like lightning the moment she hit the ground, his speed immense as he planted a hand against her abdomen.

*Flame Dragon Strike x2!*

*Boom!*

Two dragon-shaped flames erupted from his palm, exploding against Arkatiz’s midsection before they could even fully form. The massive impact and explosive force sent her body flying high into the air, her clothes shredded, revealing glimpses of skin beneath.

"Hmph!"

Zhao Nan pushed back with one hand, and a powerful whirlwind propelled him high into the sky as well. In the air, he locked Arkatiz’s movements with the Freezing Field once more and smashed his fist into her head with a force of at least several hundred pounds.

*Ah!*

She was slammed hard back onto the ground. The Freezing Field did not cease; a trace of madness flickered in Zhao Nan’s eyes as he rained down brutal blows upon her. One hand maintained the field, while the other unleashed powerful, high-level skills the moment their cooldowns expired.

*Boom, rumble.*

Before long, clouds of dust rose into the air. A crater formed in the ground, and Arkatiz lay within it, unable to move, blood seeping from the constant barrage of skills.

"Stop!"

A sharp blade was held quietly against Zhao Nan’s neck, the cold steel biting into his skin. Behind him, Kazuha Aoi said with a stern expression, "Keep overloading your Stigmata power like that, and you'll lose your life!"

After the relentless assault, the irrational rage in Zhao Nan’s heart seemed to subside. Kazuha Aoi’s words jolted him, the hostility dissipating as the power of the Stigmata began to recede.

*Too many Stigmata... even if my body doesn't feel the strain, if I'm provoked, controlling them becomes difficult, or even risks a total breakdown...* The thought flashed through his mind.

"Are you clear-headed now?"

Even as she spoke, Kazuha Aoi did not relax her synchronized biological armament for a second.

Zhao Nan suddenly turned his head and said, "Student Aoi, perform the 'Baptism' on me!"

"What..."

Then, his consciousness went blank. He felt a powerful impact in his mind, his body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious before he even hit the dirt.

Zhao Nan frowned, looking at the two unconscious figures before him. "This is truly troublesome... Wind of Listening!"

In the nearby woods, someone was clearly approaching at high speed. Without a second thought, Zhao Nan hoisted the two of them onto his shoulders and activated Wings of Flashing Wind, disappearing into the forest.

"There was a battle here!"
"Who would dare to break the rules like this?"
"Continue the search!"

***

"Wait... Brother Nan, who are these..."

Inside the Limiter’s dormitory, Xiong You stared in shock at Arkatiz and Kazuha Aoi, who were laid out neatly on the beds. He hesitated, "Brother Nan, you wouldn't have..."

Zhao Nan shook his head. "Don't let your imagination run wild. Some things happened, and they discovered me... or rather, they discovered that I can use skills."

"Then what should we..."

"I used a sleeping potion; they won't wake up for a while."

"But leaving them here isn't a solution," Xiong You frowned. "Arkatiz is a celebrity in the academy; they won't ignore her disappearance. And Kazuha Aoi is the granddaughter of the head of the Pandora Project—if she goes missing, we'll have big trouble!"

Zhao Nan listened in silence.

Xiong You paced back and forth, muttering to himself, "Even if we keep them trapped, there's a good chance they'll be discovered eventually. Miss Fenina and Xiao Nan have almost finished their adaptation training, and we've gathered plenty of intelligence here. Why don't we leave? We can undergo the baptism after we leave, gain the Freezing Field ability, and still have the means to complete our mission!"

"We can't leave for the time being," Zhao Nan said suddenly.

"Why?"

"The Stigmata..." Zhao Nan frowned. "Using the power of the Stigmata too much can easily lead to a breakdown. If we can't solve this problem, obtaining the Stigmata’s power is nothing more than a burden."

"What if... we just keep them asleep until we leave?" Xiong You gritted his teeth, his expression hardening.

Zhao Nan exhaled. "I've tried. Their mental strength is immense when they're awake, and they have high immunity. I don't have much of the sleeping potion left; it will run out sooner or later."

"What are we going to do then..."

"Kill them, and be done with it," Zhao Nan said, shaking his head. "It's only an instance dungeon anyway; they aren't fundamentally different from the monsters."

With that, he walked toward the bed.

"Kill..." Xiong You’s face changed, and he stepped directly in front of Zhao Nan. "Please, don't! If you have to kill someone, just kill the one next to her!"

"What's the difference between killing one and leaving the other?" Zhao Nan frowned. "What are you doing?"

"If you kill them, I'm going to lose it with you!"