[Princess Charlie has acquired the Class Skill: Spectral Barrier.]

Luke had made the call—for purely strategic reasons. He knew the skill would fit Charlie's style: sword in one hand, barrier in the other. It just made sense. He'd been torn between this and Spectral Arrow Barrage, but in the end, pragmatism won out.

The arrow skill? It would only catch the mantis off guard once. Maybe. And Luke had no idea how much mana it burned. Worse, he couldn't safely engage the creature while the arrows were raining down—if he timed it wrong, he could end up right in the blast zone.

At best, it was a one-time trick. After that, the mantis would figure it out and just step out of the attack zone. That left Luke in a corner—with no follow-up, no angle of approach, no backup plan.

Sure, they'd have a ranged skill. But it'd be useless once the monster adapted. Worse, once it locked on to them, closing distance would be nearly impossible. They'd be stuck facing a creature that was faster than either of them could react to. And that was game over.

So the barrier won.

He'd put Charlie in front, barrier active, and wait for his opening. The setup wasn't perfect. Far from it. But it was the only shot they had. The whole scenario was stacked against them. Luke knew that. But there was no fixing it now. It was this plan... or die in that cave.

[Spectral Barrier (Rare)]: A translucent barrier that rises to absorb incoming damage, whether physical or magical. It consumes mana while active. While the barrier holds, it reduces damage taken, allowing the Death Knight to withstand brutal blows and devastating spells alike. Fireballs, lightning bolts, and other high-level magic are included. However, its durability has limits. Powerful strikes can shatter the barrier, and maintaining it depends entirely on your mana pool. Use it wisely. Like any defense, it comes at a cost.

Charlie raised her left hand.

A soft glow formed in front of her, taking shape. A faintly blue, translucent rectangle appeared, edged with subtle lines. It floated in front of her arm like a hovering magic shield. Almost like liquid glass.

Luke stepped closer and pressed his palm against it.

Cold. Solid. Buzzing with static energy.

Charlie took a few steps forward. The barrier followed perfectly, hovering steadily in front of her movements.

"Mobile… that's perfect," Luke muttered, observing. "You can fight with your sword in one hand and pop the barrier with the other. It's like having your own personal support."

Charlie nodded and then lowered her arm. The barrier faded with a soft flash.

Luke pulled up her status screen.

"Two mana per second... and you've got 410 total. So that's just over three minutes of uptime if you keep it running nonstop."

He rubbed his chin.

"We'll need to be smart about it. No keeping it active all the time. Only turn it on in critical moments. Use it like a reactive shield. And if you can, save it for the big hits. The Mantis is fast, but it's also a brute. If this thing can soak even one of its charges, it'll be worth every drop of mana."

His gaze shifted toward the tunnel ahead. The distant sounds of insects echoed against the stone. Centipedes. The buzz of winged things. The low growls of other monsters.

Luke spun his kukris between his fingers.

"Well… there's only one way to test that barrier."

A slight grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Let's head into the fight."

***

A giant ant barreled straight toward Luke—but something moved faster.

Charlie stepped between them.

Her barrier flared into existence, a translucent blue wall snapping into place just as the ant collided head-on. The impact sent the creature skidding backward, legs flailing as it tumbled across the dirt.

The moment the pressure eased, Charlie dropped the shield, spun, sword already in hand, and struck. One clean arc. One decisive blow.

[Princess Charlie has slain a Gladiator Ant – Level 15]

Before the body even hit the ground, something dropped from above. Fast. Heavy. Sticky. A spider the size of a bear, descending in wild zigzags, spewing webs as it closed in.

Charlie raised the barrier again. Calm. Steady. Holding ground as the creature lined up for an attack. The instant it shifted to strike, her barrier vanished. Charlie launched forward. Her sword plunged deep into the spider's abdomen, dragging a shriek from the beast as it crashed down.

Desperate, the spider fired another strand of web—thick, sticky, fast. The barrier snapped back up. The web hit, stuck, tension pulling tight. Without hesitation, Charlie dropped the shield, yanked the web toward her, and surged forward. One step. One strike. A clean cut through chitin and flesh.

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[Princess Charlie has slain a Jumping Spider – Level 14]

The ground split open behind her. A centipede erupted from the soil, all gnashing mandibles and churning legs, rushing straight for her. Barrier up. The creature slammed into it, driving her back two meters, feet dragging through the dirt—but she held. Then the barrier vanished. Her sword shot forward. Straight line. Clean execution.

[Princess Charlie has slain a Cave Centipede – Level 14]

From a distance, Luke watched. Quiet. Focused. Observing every movement, every mistake, every correction. Charlie wasn't just learning how to summon the barrier. She was learning how to fight with it. How to read the rhythm of an attack. When to hold. When to release. When to turn defense into offense.

But it wasn't perfect. Luke noticed the cracks.

The Spectral Barrier wasn't infinite. It didn't simply hold as long as there was mana. There were physical limits baked into the skill's structure. Every heavy impact left its mark. Fractures spread like thin fault lines across the surface, spiderwebbing outward with each hit. Even if Charlie deactivated the shield before it collapsed entirely, the damage lingered. It was like holding a cracked window in place. Still functional. Still standing. But one wrong move from shattering.

And when it shattered... the penalty was brutal. The skill wouldn't just break; it would become unusable mid-combat, taking far longer to recover than simply letting it drop manually.

Luke crossed his arms, frowning. The skill was strong. Really strong. But subtle. Demanding. It wasn't about brute force. It was about mastery. Timing. Self-control.

Charlie had won the fight. But even from here, Luke could see it—the fine web of cracks still ghosting across the barrier's frame, even as it floated dormant at her side. She was learning. Fast. But the margin for error? Razor-thin.

Luke pulled up her status interface, scanning it with a calculating eye.

Name: Princess Charlie Level: 11 Rank: F Class: [Death Knight (lvl 20)] Race: Skeleton Titles: [Servant of the Dark Lord] Health Points (HP): 704/730 Mana Points (MP): 189/410 Stamina: 659/890

Stats: Strength: 85 (125) Agility: 50 Endurance: 64 (89) Vitality: 73 Perception: 33 Intelligence: 41 Free Points: 2

Luke stared at Charlie's stats, his finger hovering over the free points. It was a dilemma.

Spectral Barrier drained a lot of mana. In long fights, especially against the Mantis, Charlie could end up completely out of resources. He wanted to put points into Perception. Give her better reflexes, better precision. He also considered Strength, to make sure her attacks stayed lethal. But... none of that would matter if she couldn't survive.

Without the barrier active, there was no way Charlie could hold her ground against the Mantis for long.

Luke let out a sigh.

"Damn... way different from when all I cared about was slicing orcs in half."

With no better choice, he allocated the points.

Stats Updated (Princess Charlie):

Intelligence: 41 -> 43 Free Points: 2 -> 0 Mana Points (MP): 189/410 -> 209/430

Who would've thought I'd be putting points into Intelligence for Charlie of all things.

Right after, he sent Charlie back into her soul form. As long as she stayed there, she would recover HP, mana, and stamina.

Luke turned toward the tunnel. He knew that path. Knew exactly what was waiting at the end of that hole. The rhythmic sound, like blades slicing through the air. The suffocating feeling of death looming nearby.

And that was exactly where he was headed—once she fully recovered.

Let's kill that damn Mantis.

***

Luke emerged from the hole, Charlie right beside him, sword already in hand, her gaze locked on the tunnel ahead. This was it. The real tunnel. The only path that offered even the slightest chance of escape. And standing between them and freedom... the Mantis.

"Let's go," Luke said. The plan was simple. Charlie would draw its attention. He would finish it.

Without hesitation, Charlie charged. The roar came seconds later—a screech of fury as the giant Mantis locked eyes on her and surged forward, bladed arms raised.

Steel met magic. Its scythe-like limbs hammered into her barrier with relentless force, each strike sending shockwaves through the air. Cracks spiderwebbed across the translucent surface almost instantly.

Charlie dropped the barrier, rolled, tried to reset—but the monster's follow-up was brutal. A sideways sweep caught her, tossing her like a ragdoll. She skidded across the dirt, sword stabbing into the ground to slow the momentum, then forced herself upright. Barrier up again. The Mantis pressed in, attacks constant, overwhelming.

And that—finally—was Luke's opening. He sprinted from behind. Silent. Fast. Spider Jump. The skill launched him high into the air, kukris drawn, body coiled like a living weapon. His target—the soft joint at the back of the creature's neck.

A perfect ambush.

Except... the wind shifted. The Mantis moved. Smooth. Instinctive. Its body twisted aside mid-swing.

No way!

Luke landed hard, momentum shattered. Before he could recover, the Mantis was already over him—faster than thought. The first hit sent him flying. Mid-air, the second caught his ribs. A third slammed into his back, folding him in half. His body spun, bounced off the wall. Bones cracked. Blood hit the ground before he did.

Vision blurred. Breath ragged. The monster didn't even pause. It charged, scythes raised.

Charlie dove in front of him. Barrier flared—a wall of light between Luke and death. The Mantis hit it like a machine. Strike after strike after strike. Nonstop. Each impact chipped away at the barrier, fractures spreading faster than they could fade.

Luke scrambled to reposition, trying to slip to the side—too slow. A scythe lashed toward him mid-step, blocking the path. The Mantis pivoted, forcing him back into the kill zone, cutting off every escape. Pressure. Constant. Overwhelming.

And then... the barrier shattered.

The explosion of force knocked Charlie back. Luke dove—but not fast enough. A scythe drove straight through him, pinning him to the ground. Pain detonated across every nerve. Blood pooled beneath him faster than he could process. The Mantis loomed overhead, mandibles wide, saliva dripping as it leaned in for the kill.

Charlie hit it from the side. A punch. Full force. The blow sparked against its exoskeleton—harder than bone. Reinforced. A skill. Metal limbs. The Mantis staggered. Only for a second. Long enough for Charlie to follow up—blade arcing in a perfect swing. The tip sliced across its face, splitting one compound eye open. Black ichor sprayed. The shriek was pure rage. Pure hate.

Luke coughed blood, stumbled upright, legs shaking, but ran anyway. Charlie grabbed him the moment he faltered, half-pulling, half-carrying. Behind them, the Mantis shrieked again, giving chase, tearing through the cavern like a freight train made of knives and muscle.

Then—Charlie shoved him.

A scythe came. Fast. Unstoppable. Razor-edged. It hit. Her body jerked once, then crumpled.

The notification hit like a hammer:

[Your servant Princess Charlie has been slain in combat.]

Luke collapsed sideways, barely breathing. The Mantis didn't slow. It surged forward, closing in for the final kill.

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