Mythos Of Narcissus: Reborn As An NPC In A Horror VRMMO-Chapter 314: Took Breathing Too Fast

The fight lasted longer than expected.

Minutes passed, then more, and yet neither combatant relented.

Lupina and the Theogrunt clashed over and over again, each engagement sending shockwaves across the battlefield. Every impact sent tremors through the earth, air, and even the fabric of Theotech resonance that crackled faintly with the sheer force being exchanged.

They were locked in an unending cycle of attack and counter, neither side gaining full control.

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But I knew better than to mistake this as a true stalemate.

Charis watched the battle unfold with an intrigued expression. "They seem equally matched," she noted, the soft glow of her silver eyes flickering slightly in the ambient light. "The intensity transpired for a very long duration in a consistent manner."

Verina, standing beside her with arms crossed, remained silent for a moment before offering her own input. "No," she corrected, her tone smooth, lacking any real inflection—but the hint of smugness was there, buried beneath the monotone face. "They're not."

Charis raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Verina tilted her head ever so slightly toward the battlefield. "Watch closely," she instructed. "In every exchange, Lupina is always the one receiving the short end of the stick."

As if to prove her point, the next clash unfolded in the exact same pattern.

Lupina surged forward, her wings slicing through the air, her rock-textured feathers bracing against the force of the Theogrunt's devastating spiral lance. The two met in another brutal collision, the sheer inertia of the moment splitting the air with a deafening crack.

But—just as before—Lupina was the one to stagger, the force of the impact throwing her back a fraction more than the Theogrunt.

She recovered fast. Too fast for a normal combatant. But fast wasn't enough.

Because the Theogrunt never lost momentum.

Charis frowned. "Even if the difference is minuscule, surviving this long is still a good result, isn't it?" She turned to me, her expression expectant. "Father, does this mean her performance might actually be better than Verina's?"

At that, Verina let out a soft chuckle, an almost imperceptible shift in her deadpan expression—but the smugness laced within it was unmistakable. "I'd like to hear this answer."

This might be a chance for me to tease Verina, but I like to play fair when it comes to giving judgment and analysis in front of my daughter.

I exhaled, shaking my head slightly. "No," I said simply. "This is a completely different case than Verina's fight."

Charis tilted her head slightly in confusion. "Why?"

It seemed like she was still a little bit too inexperienced to see the bigger picture. Then again, she was still clearly a reminiscent of someone.

I gestured toward the ongoing battle. "The fight between Verina and the Theogrunt wasn't stopped because one of them faltered," I explained. "It was stopped because the sheer scale of their power meant that the battle could become catastrophic—needlessly so—for data that could easily be calculated within the neuromorphic system."

Charis narrowed her eyes slightly, processing my words.

"I see," she murmured.

"If I don't stop it, it's estimated that Lupina and the Theogrunt could keep going for days."

Charis blinked. "Days?"

"Not counting the Ordeal, of course," I added casually.

Verina's lips curled ever so slightly—a shadow of a smirk. "Endurance alone means nothing in a fight," she mused. "If neither side can land a decisive hit, the battle never ends. And even then…"

Said the one who was estimated to never land any decisive hit for days.

She turned her head slightly toward Charis, amusement glinting in her usually unreadable gaze.

"I, for one, have enough firepower and arcane energy generation to sustain my fighting style indefinitely," she stated, completely matter-of-fact.

Charis gave her a look. "That's not something to brag about."

Verina shrugged. "It's simply a fact, not an attempt of bragging." Then, with an almost playful tone, she added, "The only thing that can truly defeat me is a precise, absolute hit without motion or cause… or an instantaneous erasure beyond my awareness."

I chuckled, amused. "Quite the specific countermeasures you've defined for yourself."

"It pays to be aware of one's weaknesses," Verina replied smoothly.

I shifted my gaze back toward the fight.

Lupina, still locked in the relentless cycle of engagement, had no intention of stopping. Even if she wasn't winning, she wasn't losing either.

But this fight was never about winning.

The data had already been gathered. The experiment was complete.

It was time to put an end to this.

And so, with a calm, decisive voice, I spoke.

"That's enough."

Lupina, in the middle of another high-speed maneuver, screwed up.

The abrupt end to the fight—paired with her extreme momentum—sent her flinging herself into the distance.

"Oh shi—"

A distant boom echoed across the battlefield as she crash-landed somewhere far beyond the site.

The Theogrunt, in contrast, stopped immediately—effortlessly, elegantly, without wasted motion.

It simply returned to the gathering point, as if nothing had happened.

Lupina, meanwhile, was probably rushing her way back to our location, considering that the barrier we put up were quite great in parameters.

Verina chuckled. "That was predictable."

Charis covered her mouth, suppressing a small laugh. "I'm just impressed she lasted this long."

"Perhaps we should have stopped her before she yeeted herself into orbit," I mused, watching as Lupina finally reappeared, muttering under her breath about stupid sudden fight stoppages.

Still, with the battle concluded, I shifted my attention elsewhere.

Using my perceptive extension, I reached toward the research effort at the cliff of nothingness.

At this point, that should be its official denomination.

And as expected, Viviane and Kuzunoha were still deep in analysis—layers upon layers of data, calculations, and theories spiraling into place within the neuromorphic system.

Still no major breakthroughs.

Still no definitive answers.

A slow, methodical process, as expected.

Though, I noticed that the two of them realized something could progress their current research.

But still, since there were no urgent updates, I turned my focus back to the present.

"Five-minute break," I announced. "Before we move on to the next round."

The timing was impeccable, as planned.

The Heavenly Maids—the new embodiment of professionalism in my bastion after a stern discipline and positive reinforcement—had already arrived at the site, gracefully delivering food and drink to each participant.

This time, they were the ones who took the helm of the kitchen. I already gave them a proper guide book that I've written myself, alongside a fancy and realistic illustration drawn on every side of recipes and orders.

And with practiced efficiency, they moved among us, offering refreshments with warm smiles—as if this were just another ordinary day in the bastion.

And just by smelling the food alone, I could already tell that it should be a great break time for those involved in this test.

Verina accepted her food with a nod of acknowledgment, so was the other witness, like the basstioneers and the curious Duolos.

Charis, ever polite, thanked the maids before picking at her portion with quiet contemplation.

She seemed to comfort the taste tailored by the Heavenly Maids.

Because of that, the Heavenly Maids smiled with pride, as they gazed at me like a toddler waiting for praise for their masterpiece of a doodle.

I merely smiled and nodded at them. Anything more than this requires them to make a dish that makes my daughter brimming with joy as she puffs her cheeks like a hamster.

Lupina, of course, inhaled her food with the enthusiasm of someone who had not just been flung halfway across the battlefield.

Her tail flicked behind her as she tore through her plate like a starved beast, alternating between bites of food and gulps of water with an efficiency that would have put lesser beings to shame.

The steam from the freshly prepared meal curled in the air, the aroma of rich spices and well-cooked meat mixing with the lingering scent of battle. Yet, even as she devoured her portion with reckless abandon, her expression still carried the faintest trace of dissatisfaction.

"Tch." She clicked her tongue, reaching for another piece of meat. "That was fun, though."

I chuckled, watching her with amusement. "I'm sure you'll enjoy the next round."

That caught her attention, and she finally slowed her eating, tilting her head toward me with intrigue. "Oh? Is it time for me to team up with Verina?"

Verina barely acknowledged the question at first. She took her time with her drink, lifting the cup to her lips with the same patience that defined her entire existence.

Only after she had swallowed did she shifted her gaze toward Lupina.

"Try to keep up."

Lupina grinned, fangs glinting ever so slightly as she leaned forward. "Oh, please. I'm gonna make this next fight less of a snore~!"

Verina didn't react beyond the slow, movement of setting her cup down. But the air between them shifted ever so slightly—a quiet, unspoken challenge.

After a while, Charis who was mindful of time, tapped the edge of her plate lightly before turning to me. "Break's almost over."

I nodded, standing from my seat.

"Then let's begin the next round."

The third bout was about to start.

Lupina and Verina—together—against a single Theogrunt.