The vine descended like a falling blade from the sky.
For an instant the entire chamber seemed frozen in time. The massive tendril of living vines twisted violently as it crashed downward, powerful enough to shatter stone and crush a human body instantly.
But at that exact moment—
Eternia Sinclair finished the final syllable of her chant.
A pulse of ancient mana erupted around her body.
The air distorted.
And Eternia vanished.
The vine slammed into the ground with explosive force.
BOOM.
Stone shattered. Dust burst outward across the chamber. The impact left a crater where she had been standing only a fraction of a second earlier.
Yet Eternia was already standing several meters away.
Her silver hair fluttered slightly as the energy surrounding her body slowly stabilized.
The ancient spell had completed.
Mana from the surrounding environment flowed into her body like a rushing river, merging with the mana circulating through her magic circuits.
She took a single step forward.
The stone beneath her foot cracked slightly.
"…Incredible."
Even Eternia herself could feel the overwhelming difference immediately.
Her muscles felt lighter.
Stronger.
Every movement carried explosive speed.
More importantly—
The circulation of mana inside her body had accelerated dramatically.
The ancient spell amplified everything.
Strength.
Speed.
Reflexes.
Mana flow.
Even her senses had sharpened.
She could hear the faint vibration of the vines twisting through the air.
She could see the subtle fluctuations of mana within the golem's core.
It was as if the world itself had slowed down around her.
But Eternia knew very well that such power came at a price.
Ancient magic always had a defect.
Every spell carried some form of backlash or instability that made it dangerous to use.
The spell she had just cast enhanced the body's capabilities dramatically.
However…
For most people, the increased sensory input would become overwhelming.
Sight.
Sound.
Mana perception.
All amplified simultaneously.
Without exceptional mental control, the user would lose focus almost instantly. Their mind would be flooded by too much information, causing confusion or even complete mental collapse.
And the higher the tier of ancient magic…
The more severe the defect became.
Many ancient spells had side effects so extreme that even experienced archmages avoided using them.
But Eternia simply exhaled calmly.
Because this particular spell…
She had used it countless times in her previous life.
During those long years spent surviving alone, she had relied on ancient magic almost daily.
Training.
Fighting.
Escaping death again and again.
Through repetition, her mind had adapted to the strain.
Even now, as a child, she could maintain control without much difficulty.
Her eyes sharpened.
"Now then…"
The vine golem roared silently as its tendrils whipped through the air once again.
Dozens of vines shot toward her simultaneously.
But Eternia moved first.
Her body blurred.
The enhanced speed from the ancient spell propelled her forward faster than any normal child could react.
She dodged between the attacks effortlessly.
And raised both hands.
Magic circles appeared instantly.
Two of them.
Simultaneously.
Double casting.
A technique most beginner mages struggled to perform even with simple spells.
But Eternia had practiced mana control for four years straight.
For her…
It was natural.
"Zero Circle Spell."
Her voice remained calm.
"Stone Pebble."
Small fragments of stone lifted from the ground around her.
At the same moment—
Another magic circle formed.
"Zero Circle Spell."
"Small Flame."
Tiny sparks of fire ignited in the air.
The two spells hovered side by side.
Then Eternia performed something extremely difficult.
Magic Fusion.
The spells collided.
Stone.
Fire.
Mana compressed and twisted violently as she forced the two structures to merge.
A new spell formed instantly.
Molten energy erupted outward.
"Fusion Magic—Lava Splash."
A burst of molten rock shot forward like a blazing projectile.
The attack slammed into the vine golem's body.
SPLASH.
Burning lava spread across the creature's vines.
The organic material instantly began to burn and crumble.
The golem recoiled violently.
But Eternia did not stop.
She was already moving again.
Her enhanced speed allowed her to reposition constantly throughout the chamber.
Every few seconds—
Another fusion spell formed.
"Lava Splash."
BOOM.
"Lava Splash."
CRASH.
Molten rock exploded across the vine golem's body repeatedly.
The creature attempted to retaliate.
Its vines lashed wildly in every direction.
But Eternia's movements were too fast.
She darted between attacks like a silver shadow.
Her mind calculated every movement with perfect precision.
In her previous life…
Magic Fusion had been nearly impossible for her.
The technique required extreme control over mana structure.
Even slight instability would cause the spells to collapse.
But Shatter's old body had terrible magic circuits.
They simply couldn't maintain the necessary precision.
Yet now…
With these perfect circuits…
Everything was different.
The fusion spells formed smoothly.
Effortlessly.
Eternia smiled faintly as she launched another attack.
"In this life…"
"…I won't bow to anyone."
Not nobles.
Not monsters.
Not even fate itself.
Another molten projectile exploded across the vine golem's body.
Large sections of its vines were now burning or completely destroyed.
The creature began slowing down.
Its attacks grew weaker.
But Eternia refused to give it time to recover.
She continued her relentless assault.
Jump.
Cast.
Reposition.
Fire.
Lava splashes struck the golem again and again.
The chamber filled with smoke and heat as burning vines collapsed across the floor.
Finally—
Only the central core remained protected by a few remaining tendrils.
Eternia stopped.
Her eyes locked onto the glowing core within the creature's chest.
"…Time to finish this."
She raised her hand again.
But this time…
She did something different.
Stone fragments gathered around her fists.
Mana shaped them into solid armor.
Gauntlets of compressed rock formed over both of her hands.
"Zero Circle Spell."
"Stone Gauntlet."
The ancient spell enhancing her body still remained active.
With the additional reinforcement of the gauntlets—
Her strength had increased dramatically.
Eternia bent her knees slightly.
Then—
She dashed forward.
The ground cracked beneath her feet as she accelerated.
The vine golem attempted one final attack.
But Eternia moved faster.
She slipped between the tendrils.
Reached the creature's chest.
And punched.
CRACK.
Her stone gauntlet smashed directly into the glowing core.
The crystal shattered instantly.
The vine golem froze.
Then its entire body collapsed into lifeless vines.
Silence filled the chamber.
Eternia exhaled slowly.
"…Done."
The ancient spell faded gradually as the surrounding mana returned to normal.
Her body felt slightly tired, but nothing severe.
Compared to the exhaustion she experienced using ancient magic in her previous life…
This was nothing.
Eternia turned toward the pedestal.
The staff remained exactly where it had been.
Golden energy radiated softly from the crystal at its tip.
Up close, the craftsmanship was even more impressive.
Runic engravings flowed along the shaft like delicate veins of magic.
The crystal pulsed with steady power.
Eternia gently lifted the staff.
The moment her fingers wrapped around it—
She felt the connection immediately.
The staff resonated with her mana.
Amplifying it.
Stabilizing it.
Her lips curved into a satisfied smile.
"With this…"
"…I'll be even stronger."
But as she admired the weapon—
Something else caught her attention.
In the far corner of the chamber…
A small metallic ring lay partially hidden among the debris.
Eternia walked closer.
The ring's surface contained tiny runic engravings.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"…Storage magic?"
She slipped the ring onto her finger.
A faint magical space opened within her mind.
A small pocket dimension.
Large enough to store several items.
Eternia blinked in disbelief.
"…Seriously?"
Subspace storage rings were extremely expensive magical items.
Even wealthy merchants rarely owned one.
Many commoners could spend their entire lives working and still never afford such a treasure.
Yet the Sinclair family had placed one inside a training maze for children.
She sighed softly.
"These nobles really are absurdly rich."
Still…
For Eternia, this was an incredible discovery.
As an illegitimate child, she would not normally have access to such valuable equipment.
Finding one here was pure luck.
She placed the staff into the storage ring.
Then checked the remaining space.
Inside she discovered two more items.
A cloak.
And a small magical book.
Eternia pulled the book out briefly.
The spells written inside were unfamiliar.
Complex.
Strange.
Even with her extensive magical knowledge, she could not immediately recognize them.
"…Interesting."
But she closed the book again.
This was not the time to study.
The arena trial was still ongoing.
She placed everything back inside the storage ring.
Then turned toward the exit of the hidden chamber.
Her next objective remained the same.
Find one of the golden mana stones.
And escape the maze.
Meanwhile—
On the opposite side of the labyrinth—
Another battle had already ended.
A massive metallic golem lay crushed on the ground.
Its molten core had melted through its armor plates.
Standing atop the wreckage was Etherius Sinclair.
His breathing remained steady.
In one hand he held a newly claimed magical staff.
On his fists were a pair of enchanted gloves glowing faintly with mana.
He looked down at the ruined golem calmly.
Then lifted his gaze toward the distant maze corridors.
A powerful aura radiated quietly from his body.
"…This trial is too easy."
Far away—
Eternia stepped forward through another corridor of the labyrinth.
Her staff now resting inside her storage ring.
Mana flowing steadily through her circuits.
Her silver eyes burned with determination.
At the same time—
Both twins spoke quietly to themselves.
"…This will be my overwhelming victory."
Powerful mana flared around them both.
And the maze continued to tremble under the rise of two extraordinary mages.