Chapter 218

A few moments before the three of them vanished from the street.

“Mana is gathering around his eyes,” Suri muttered.

The words barely left her lips before Chelle reacted.

Power rippled outward from her in silence as her [Nullify Zone] unfolded—an invisible net pressing against the air itself. It was subtle, almost gentle, but Kana felt it immediately. The hum of mana in the street dulled, as if the world had taken a cautious breath and refused to release it.

The man stiffened.

Just for a fraction of a second—but it was enough.

His confidence cracked then cursed under his breath. Surprise flickered across his face as his gaze snapped downward, hands already moving toward his sleeve.

He didn’t expect that, Kana realized.

Then her mind raced.

A scroll.

She recognized the item immediately. She had used it herself twice. The familiar scroll. The man was able to react so quickly.

[Teleportation]

Would Chelle’s skill suppress it? Could a dungeon-crafted item be treated like a normal skill? Or—

Kana didn’t wait to find out.

“Run to him. Now!” she shouted. There was no hesitation behind her. All of them ran towards the server with all their might. Chelle and Suri quickly lifted their skirts, Opel dropped his shield while Asha was already running towards the man as soon as she got a glimpse of the [Teleportation] scroll.

Kana’s body moved before the command fully formed. The world lurched as the distance between them collapsed. Cold air screamed past her ears, boots striking stone in a rhythm too fast to count.

Everything else blurred.

She was close—so close.

Light ignited beneath the man’s feet.

Kana’s heart slammed against her ribs.

Time stretched.

Not truly—but it felt that way, like the world was hesitating, uncertain which future to commit to.

She glanced over her shoulder. The closest to her was Boris, it must have had something to do with the training he had before to address his slowness by crouching then using all the force generated from his legs through his heel, the result—at least he was fast at the start. Boris was charging hard, teeth bared, spear raised—but he was just outside the circle of forming light. One step too far. One breath too slow.

No—

She wasn’t sure if Boris made it to the circle. Kana snapped her gaze forward.

The man was smiling.

Not wide. Not cruel.

Satisfied. As if she were just playing in his hands all along. Kana could only curse under her breath.

The teleportation light flared brighter, lines of mana twisting into impossible geometry. The air thickened, pressing against her skin like deep water.

Then—

Black.

A fraction of a second where everything vanished. No sound. No weight. No direction.

And then—

Light exploded around her.

Blinding. Overwhelming.

Kana stumbled forward, boots skidding against unfamiliar ground as her senses scrambled to catch up. The cold felt different. The air smelled wrong. The street—the others—

Gone.

Her vision cleared just enough for one terrifying thought to settle in:

And wherever she was now—

She was alone with the Phantom Thief. No. Her [High Awareness] came back and felt a huge man a few paces away behind her. It was definitely Boris. She felt relieved. Well. At least she was not alone.

Then the blinding light vanished. Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the new place.

Cold air rushed in to replace it, sharp enough to sting her skin. Kana’s boots scraped against rough stone as she steadied herself, the echo answering back far too clearly. 

She could feel them. 

Breaths—too many of them. Uneven. Nervous.

Weapons were raised around her.

Steel sang softly as swords shifted grip. A spearhead hummed with restrained force. Bowstrings creaked, drawn but not loosed. Somewhere to her left, a staff pulsed faintly, its wielder struggling to keep control of the spell forming at its tip.

“Can’t believe you two were quick enough to get caught in my [Teleportation]. I thought I was at a safe distance.”

A man muttered the words, irritated more than impressed.

The voice came from her side.

Kana was finally able to open her eyes.

She stood in the middle of a room or perhaps it was a basement. Crude lanterns burned along the walls, their flames shuddering. Men and women surrounded her in a loose ring, some old enough to have scars carved deep into their faces, others far too young to be holding weapons at all. Their clothes were layered and practical. Most of them were wearing commoner clothes.

And there, just a few steps away, stood the man.

The server from the auction house.

The old disguise was gone. No bent posture. No timid smile. His hair was thick and black, curling slightly at the edges, his jaw sharp beneath faint lines of age. She thought that maybe they got the wrong person. But it was his eyes that betrayed him. 

Kana’s instincts scream.

Mana coiled thickly around them, dense and subtle at the same time, like oil floating atop water. Her [High Awareness] barely brushed against it.

The man exhaled slowly. “Quite capable,” he said, genuine this time. “You’re making things difficult, young lady and that lad behind you.” A pause. Then amusement crept in. “Or should I say… young warriors?”

A smaller voice broke the tension.

“Uhm…”

It wavered, uncertain. A child’s voice. Kana eyes scanning and found a small kid probably not more than ten years old on the farthest side, watching them.

“I think I’ve seen her before.”

Kana felt several heads turn.

“That’s right,” the boy continued, louder now. “She’s from the recent annual tournament. She’s the one who beat that strong empire swordsman.”

A ripple passed through the circle.

Kana grimaced inwardly.

Heartbeats betrayed them. Several spiked at once. Fear. Recognition. Doubt. A few slowed, disciplined but wary. They were nervous. No. They were scared of her.

“Please surrender,” the man said, his tone shifting—smoother now, “Drop your weapon. We don’t want to hurt anyone.”

He gestured faintly as he took a single step forward.

“You are completely surrounded.”

Kana remained still.

For a heartbeat, nothing happened.

Then she felt it.

A faint ripple—subtle, almost polite—brushed against the edge of her senses. Mana gathered, not explosively, but with precision, coiling around the man’s eyes like a living thing reaching outward. Again.

Not an attack.

A lure.

The kid made her head turn around earlier. He’s trying to draw my attention. Realization hit her. Does it have something to do with the activation condition of his mind type of skill? Like Rin? This is dangerous!

“Boris!” Kana shouted, snapping her eyes shut. “Close your eyes! Don’t look him in the eyes!”

Boris staggered beside her, still reeling from the teleportation. “Alright—where is Thorne—”

“Unlike you,” the server said calmly, almost regretfully, “your friend reacted just a bit slower.”

Kana’s breath caught.

“He is now under my control,” the man continued. “Surrender now, and I’ll make both of you forget what happened tonight.” A pause. A faint smile in his voice. “Not a bad deal. A peaceful way to end the night.”

Kana clenched her jaw.

He had a point.

Too good of a point.

If she surrendered, this could end cleanly. No blood. No pursuit. Just a memory wiped away like ink washed from parchment.

But that was exactly the problem.

She didn’t know him.

She didn’t know any of them.

What if the memory loss wasn’t temporary like what happened to Valdis? What if Boris woke tomorrow bound to commands he didn’t remember agreeing to? What if they weren’t even in the kingdom by then? Worse, they were somewhere in the empire.

As Kana kept her eyes shut, thoughts raced—fast, sharp, unforgiving.

The enemies surrounding her… were not exactly as strong as Zel or the guild master. All of them were nervous. Their heartbeats betrayed them. Most of them couldn’t be higher than level ten. Some of the youngsters barely knew how to hold their weapons steady. They were probably here to watch the spectacle or simply waiting for that man.

The server himself carried no blade. No staff. No visible combat gear.

And his words echoed again in her mind.

Boris is under my control.

His skills were perhaps related to mind control or mind manipulation. A hybrid between Rin and Suri?

That meant Boris could move at any moment. However, not by Boris’s will—but only Boris’s body. It means Boris wouldn’t be able to use any of his skills.

Kana exhaled slowly.

Surrender meant gambling their future.

Fighting meant certainty. She could win against them, especially if Boris was not really Boris himself.

Kana tightened her grip around her blade.

“Sorry,” she said softly, eyes still closed, voice steady as stone. “I don’t trust stranger deals without principal Light’s skills.”

“If you’re going to use the big guy against me,” Kana continued, her tone dropping, sharpening, “We have quite a long history. He never won against me. So getting him will not change the outcome.”

She almost forgot. Boris had always defeated her before they awakened. He will probably not remember anything that I said tonight…

Kana of course wasn’t really confident, what if they had powerful items or cheat-like skills? If they fear her.. She might be able to capture the phantom thief without resorting to violence. She cleared her throat.

“My class is similar to a [Scout].” Her voice was calm, cold, echoing through the basement,“ I have a skill that allows me to see everyone here without opening my eyes.”

“It was one of the reasons I was able to guess where the imperial student went whenever his body vanished.” Kana pressed further.

Someone swallowed audibly.

“If you surrender now,” Kana continued, voice deeper this time, “I will make sure no one here gets hurt.”

She turned her head slightly toward the man. Her eyes remained closed.

“Phantom Thief.”

A forced laugh escaped him. “You’re surrounded,” he said. “Do you really think you can win against all of us?”

Kana tilted her head.

“Seven,” she said. “Eight, including you, have weapons raised against me.” Kana paused, “Two are children. Two more are standing behind them, watching this spectacle.”

Silence for a few heartbeats. 

“Do you still think,” Kana finished softly, “that I’m lying?”

No one moved.

The air now was full of tension after they knew Kana’s identity.

The thieves felt it—felt the moment tilt, like the world leaning toward violence.

Kana moved.

And the night finally broke.

Boris’ spear was approaching her at full speed with all the intention to finish her off.

Post note:
Mind controlled Boris vs Kana!
Hope you enjoy the chap 🙂