"Slow down."

  Arthian stopped. Hand raised in signal.

  Elene following behind stopped immediately. "Again?"

  "Yes," he answered. "But this time *worse*."

  He felt it before the rules activated. The void in his chest abnormally quiet. Not stillness, but being *muted*.

  Energy around them solidified like water frozen in air.

  "Try moving your hand," Elene said.

  Arthian raised his hand. Very slowly. Like moving through thick liquid.

  "It's heavy," he said, teeth gritted. "The world is saying *you have no right to move in my place*."

  Void Field didn't respond. Absorption didn't occur. Even basic circulation was *locked*.

  This wasn't an attack. This was a *command*.

  The territory holder's area rules began operating fully.

  Footsteps sounded from all sides. Unhurried. Unhesitating.

  System lackey soldiers. They didn't need skill. Just obedience.

  The encirclement closed in.

  "You!" Elene shouted. "Run!"

  "Can't run," Arthian replied, voice calm to the point of frightening. "My body is heavy like being buried in mud."

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  One soldier smiled. Looked at Arthian who could barely move.

  "*Exception*," he said, voice hoarse. "How valuable, I wonder?"

  Another turned to look at Elene. Greedy smile appeared immediately.

  "Bonus?"

  Arthian saw that image. Saw death threads crossing her form.

  *No.*

  But he didn't lunge. Didn't shout. Didn't plead.

  He *assessed*.

  *Area rules freeze energy but don't freeze external impact.*

  When the lackey soldier lunged at him, Arthian didn't dodge.

  He spun to *receive* the attack deliberately.

  *BAM*

  The impact force blasted his body backward. Bones cracked. Blood spurted from his mouth.

  Elene shouted. "Arthian!"

  But he smiled despite the pain.

  Because in that split second, he *felt* the rules' resistance waver.

  *If rules won't let me move, then what if I'm attacked...*

  Another soldier attacked. Arthian didn't defend. Didn't dodge.

  Took it fully.

  *CRACK*

  Ribs broke. More blood flowing.

  But the invisible cage holding him began to *shake*.

  "What's it doing?!" one soldier shouted.

  Arthian laughed. Voice hoarse. Blood flowing from his mouth.

  "I'm using *you*," he answered. "As a *hammer*."

  *BAM BAM BAM*

  Repeated attacks hammered into his body. Using each impact force as a hammer pounding the invisible cage.

  Pain. Grievous. Near shattering.

  But rules weren't designed to withstand what *accepted pain to break free*.

  Finally, with the last impact—

  *SNAP*

  A resistance thread snapped.

  The void flowed back for just a split second. Not enough to absorb.

  But enough to *move*.

  Arthian rolled out of the spell circle. Fell to the ground outside. Breathing rapidly. Body shattered.

  The lackey soldiers froze. The command was *intercept*, not *chase across territory*.

  They retreated.

  But at the same time, Elene was left with another soldier group.

  "Elene!" Arthian tried to stand but fell.

  She didn't scream. Didn't beg. Didn't run to him.

  She stepped back once. Let her near-disintegrating body *fade*.

  Reducing existence. Reducing attraction.

  One soldier grabbed her arm—but what he caught was lighter than expected.

  Like grabbing mist.

  Elene met his eyes. Still. Not challenging. Not pleading.

  "If you're going to kill me, hurry up," she said, voice level. "I don't want to waste time here."

  The lackey soldier froze. Not from mercy, but because the system didn't order *risk*.

  Elene wasn't worth it. Not reward. Not threat.

  They released their grip. Retreated back into the territory.

  When everything ended, Arthian stood leaning against rock wreckage. Body trembling.

  Elene walked over and stopped at a distance.

  "You used yourself as a hammer to pound rules," she said. Not a question.

  "Yes," Arthian replied.

  "That's insane."

  "I know."

  She looked at him long, then smiled faintly.

  "But it worked."

  Arthian looked back at the territory he was expelled from. Tone low. Dry. Clear.

  "Now the entire rift has reason to kill me."

  Elene nodded slightly.

  "Then keep going," she said. "Before the rules think of new methods."

  A pause.

  "And next time, don't let me see you use yourself as a hammer again."

  Arthian looked at her. "Why?"

  She turned away. "Because it makes me *afraid*."

  He was stunned.

  "Afraid that one day," she continued, voice soft, "you'll pound all the rules, then shatter yourself too."

  Silence fell.

  Arthian didn't answer, but inside he knew.

  She was right.