Chapter 26: What Remains

Devour spread.

Elias screamed.

The crimson mass climbed over his body.

His skin disappeared beneath it.

He clawed at the red Essence, but every movement only made it spread faster.

"Please!"

Eden stared directly into his eyes.

"I’m sorry."

For a moment, Elias seemed relieved.

Then Eden continued.

"But not for you."

The red Essence covered his face.

Elias’s screams became muffled.

Eden never looked away.

He watched.

Until the struggling stopped.

Until the screaming stopped.

Until there was nothing left.

Not even a corpse.

Only a sword remained on the stone floor.

Eden stood silently above it.

His eyes remained fixed on the empty space where Elias had been.

Then the System appeared.

[Level up! ×2]

[+4 Agility]

[Skill acquired.]

[Burst Step — A-Rank

Instantly crosses a designated distance through a rapid Essence-enhanced movement.

Essence consumption increases with distance and activation frequency.]

Eden stared at the window.

’Burst Step.’

’Seems pretty useful.’

Normally, he would’ve smiled.

Today, he couldn’t bring himself to care.

He dismissed the window.

His eyes moved toward the sword.

He walked over and picked it up.

It was surprisingly light.

A decent blade.

Probably worth something.

Eden wiped the blood from the edge with a piece of cloth torn from Elias’s clothes.

Then he sheathed it.

"At least I’m not leaving empty-handed."

His voice sounded tired.

He turned toward the main chamber.

And walked.

Back in the main chamber, the dungeon was almost unrecognizable.

Stone pillars had collapsed.

The floor was covered in cracks.

Bodies were scattered across the ground.

Eden’s eyes eventually landed on the dungeon boss.

The creature’s enormous corpse lay where it had fallen.

He approached it.

Eden stared for a moment.

Then raised his hand.

"Devour."

The crimson Essence spread across the monster.

It disappeared within seconds.

Another System window appeared.

[+5 Strength]

Eden closed it without reading the exact numbers.

He wasn’t interested.

Not right now.

He took several more steps.

Then stopped.

Amara.

Her body lay where she had fallen.

Her head was several meters away.

Eden stared at her.

His grip tightened around the sword he had taken from Elias.

He looked around.

The others were still there.

The three men.

The bodies of the other raiders.

People he’d met only a few hours ago.

People who had been talking.

Laughing.

Complaining about the dungeon.

Arguing over loot.

Now they were nothing but corpses.

Eden’s eyes moved from one body to another.

And then a thought entered his mind.

’How many attribute points would they give me?’

He froze.

His stomach twisted.

"No."

He looked away.

’Don’t think about that.’

He took another step.

But the thought returned.

His jaw tightened.

"Stop."

He rubbed his face.

It didn’t work.

He looked at Amara again.

’There’s no way to return her body.’

’Even if I call the Association, there’s no guarantee anyone would come quickly enough before the gate closes.’

’And even if they did, who’s to say they wouldn’t arrest me?’

’Even in the best-case scenario.’

’What would they do?’

’Take the corpses back?’

’Identify them?’

’Contact their families?’

’Maybe.’

But Eden knew how these underground raids worked.

Many of the people here had probably hidden their identities.

Some families might never even know where they died.

He stared at Amara’s body.

"I can’t bring you back."

His voice was barely above a whisper.

His eyes moved toward the others.

"But..."

He hated where his mind was going.

He hated how reasonable it sounded.

"But I can make this mean something."

His hand trembled slightly.

"No."

He clenched it.

"That’s just an excuse."

Silence.

He stood there for a long time.

He wanted to leave.

Just leave them.

Leave this all behind.

That would be the normal thing.

The right thing.

But another thought came.

’They’re going to disappear anyway.’

’Rot.’

’Be forgotten.’

’Their families won’t ever find them.’

’So wouldn’t it be alright if I...’

’Gave their Deaths meaning?’

’Infact, isn’t there a certain kindness to it?’

’Amara would want to help me grow stronger, right?’

Eden desperately argued with himself.

’If I stay weak, people around me will continue to die.’

’Just like this.’

His eyes lowered.

"I need the strength."

The words tasted bitter.

Eden looked at Amara.

"I’m sorry."

He raised his hand.

Devour activated.

Crimson Essence erupted across the chamber.

It reached Amara first.

Then the others.

Bodies disappeared one after another.

The red mass crawled over stone and flesh, consuming everything.

Eden stood still.

His eyes were visibly sad.

But then his mouth moved.

A faint smile appeared.

It wasn’t pride.

It was reluctant.

Almost ashamed.

The kind of smile someone made when they convinced themselves they had done something necessary.

More System windows appeared.

[+3 Essence]

[+1 Perception]

[+2 Strength]

[+1 Speed]

One after another.

Eden dismissed them.

He didn’t want to know the exact amount.

If he saw the number, he knew he’d start thinking about it.

And that was exactly what he didn’t want.

The last trace of crimson Essence disappeared.

The chamber became silent.

No bodies remained.

No bloodied corpses.

No proof that anyone had been there.

Only scattered equipment remained across the stone floor.

Eden stared at the empty space.

His expression slowly returned to normal.

But something inside him didn’t.

He looked at his hands.

They were clean.

That almost made it worse.

Part of him felt like he was the one who killed them.

He let out a long breath.

Then another.

His shoulders sagged.

"Enough."

He looked toward the dungeon exit.

’Home.’

That was all he wanted.

Mihui would probably be upset again.

She’d complain that he’d stayed out too long.

She might even have dinner waiting.

Eden almost smiled.

"Hopefully she didn’t burn it."

He sheathed Elias’s sword.

Then started walking.

Outside, the evening air felt strangely cold.

Eden stepped through the Gate and found himself beneath a darkening sky.

The city was still alive.

Cars moved through the streets.

People walked home.

Someone laughed nearby.

A completely ordinary evening.

As if nothing had happened.

Eden stood there for a moment, a strange emptiness taking root in him.

His hand tightened around the sword.

Then he started walking.

Toward home.

Toward Mihui.