Chapter 38: Plan B

[Devour]

Another tree fell in the centipedes way.

[Devour]

Another.

The massive trunk collapsed sideways.

The centipede plowed through it.

Again.

And again.

Eden continued moving backward while attacking.

Every tree he destroyed created another obstacle.

Every obstacle lasted less than a second.

The creature simply tore through them.

’It’s not enough.’

Eden’s Essence was already dropping.

’It’s barely slowing down.’

Lucy and Sera were getting farther ahead.

The doors were closer to them now.

Eden could see them clearly.

"Come on..."

His legs burned.

The creature roared behind him.

The sound shook the forest.

Eden looked over his shoulder.

The monster was almost on him.

He used Burst Step.

His body vanished forward.

He reappeared several dozen meters ahead.

The sudden movement cost a chunk of Essence.

He needed another plan.

The girls finally reached the doors.

Lucy and Sera crossed the threshold.

"Eden!"

Lucy turned around.

"Hurry!"

Eden stopped.

He stared at them.

Then at the approaching monster.

The distance between them was shrinking rapidly.

He knew.

Even with the Burst Step Skill, he was too far away to make it in time.

His eyes moved toward the doors.

Then the Essence threads Sera had shown them came back to him.

Several Empty Gates.

All of them with the same doors.

Connected.

If he sealed this one...

There were others.

Somewhere.

He only needed to find another.

Lucy was still shouting.

"Eden, come on!"

He looked at her.

"Get out of this gate!"

Her expression changed.

"What?"

Eden raised his hand.

Devour erupted.

The red Essence spread across the doors.

Lucy’s eyes widened.

"Eden!"

The ancient structure began to glow.

The black runes lit up one after another.

Sera immediately understood.

Her eyes widened.

"He’s sealing it."

Lucy grabbed the doorframe.

"What are you doing?!"

"Eden!"

The doors began closing.

"I said get away from there!"

Sera grabbed Lucy’s arm.

"He has a plan!"

"He’s staying behind!"

"He knows what he’s doing!"

"That’s not the point!"

Lucy tried to pull herself free.

Sera tightened her grip.

"If you go back in, you’ll die with him!"

Lucy stared at Eden.

Her eyes were wide.

"Eden!"

He gave her a faint smile.

"Go!"

The doors slammed shut.

The final thing Eden saw was Lucy’s terrified face.

Then darkness.

Silence.

The glowing runes faded.

The door was sealed.

Eden stood alone.

He exhaled.

"...That should do it."

The centipede emerged from the trees.

Eden looked at it.

"Now..."

He unsheathed his sword.

"...where’s the next one?"

Eden activated everything.

[Phase Shift]

[Offensive Form]

His body surged with power.

Heir’s Pride activated immediately after.

His attributes rose.

His Essence output increased.

Then Stealth.

[Stealth]

His presence vanished.

Finally—

[Burst Step]

He disappeared.

The forest blurred around him.

He moved between the enormous trees as quickly as he could.

One hundred meters.

Two hundred.

Three hundred.

He didn’t know where he was going.

He simply followed the faintest sensation of Essence.

’There has to be another one.’

Sera had found seven.

They were connected.

There had to be another door somewhere.

He just needed to survive long enough to find it.

Eden pushed harder.

Then stopped.

His instincts screamed.

Something was behind him.

He turned.

Nothing.

"..."

His eyes narrowed.

Stealth was active.

He couldn’t be seen.

At least...

He shouldn’t be.

A shadow moved.

Eden’s heart dropped.

The centipede emerged from between the trees.

It had followed him.

Directly.

It knew exactly where he was.

Eden’s expression hardened.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!"

The monster’s humanoid upper body turned toward him.

Its eyes locked onto his position.

Even through Stealth.

’It can see me!’

Eden barely had time to raise his sword.

The creature attacked.

One massive arm swung downward.

Eden blocked.

The impact was catastrophic.

Boom!

His body was launched.

He tore through one tree.

Then another.

Then a third.

The fourth tree finally stopped him.

His body slammed into the trunk.

Something inside his chest snapped.

Eden coughed.

Blood sprayed from his mouth.

He dropped to the ground.

For several seconds, he couldn’t breathe.

’My ribs!’

’At least three—’

’Maybe more?’

His entire torso screamed.

Eden tried to move.

Pain exploded through his body.

"Fuck..."

His vision blurred.

He forced himself onto one elbow.

’That would’ve killed me.’

There was no doubt.

’If it weren’t for—’

[Warrior’s Spirit]

The C-Rank passive had been activated the entire time.

His durability was increasing because of his injuries.

It wasn’t healing him.

It wasn’t undoing the damage.

It simply made his body harder to break the more damaged he became.

And right now...

He was damaged.

Very damaged.

Eden gave a breathless laugh.

"Guess you’re useful after all."

The ground trembled.

Eden looked up.

The centipede was already above him.

Its enormous body blocked the sky.

One of its arms rose.

Eden’s body refused to respond quickly enough.

Again.

The attack came down.

Then—

A sword flew past Eden’s face.

The blade struck the creature.

Another followed.

Then another.

Then dozens.

Hundreds.

Golden-white blades rained from the sky.

The centipede recoiled.

Its arm swept through the air.

Several swords shattered.

But more replaced them.

They swarmed around the creature like a storm.

None dealt meaningful damage.

The black armor barely scratched.

But they distracted it.

The creature roared.

Eden stared.

"What..."

Another sword flew past.

Then another.

A calm voice spoke from somewhere above him.

"Get up."

Eden looked upward.

A man stood on one of the floating swords.

He wasn’t standing on it like someone balancing on a weapon.

He stood as though the sword were solid ground.

Two fingers of one hand were extended.

Dozens of blades moved with them.

Every subtle motion of his fingers changed their trajectories.

Another hand rested near the hilt of a sheathed blade at his side.

White gloves.

White armored clothing.

A long white robe.

A white mask covered his entire face.

There were only two holes for his eyes.

The openings curved upward.

Almost like the mask was smiling.

Long black hair flowed behind him.

Pale blonde streaks ran through it.

The man looked down at Eden.

"Quickly."

Eden stared.

For a moment, the pain disappeared beneath his confusion.

’Who the hell is this?’

The swords moved again.

One massive blade descended toward the centipede.

The creature smashed it aside.

The blade shattered.

Before the fragments could fall, they transformed.

The larger sword split into dozens of smaller ones.

They immediately changed direction and attacked again.

Eden’s eyes widened.

He had never seen a skill like this.

The man looked at him.

"You’re going to die if you remain there."

Eden forced himself onto his feet.

His ribs screamed.

He tightened his grip around his sword.

"Who are you?"

The masked man didn’t answer.

Instead, he turned his hand.

Every floating sword shifted at once.

A path opened through the forest.

"Questions later."

The centipede roared.

The masked man glanced toward it.

Then back toward Eden.

"Run."

Eden stared at him for another second.

Then his instincts took over.

He Burst Stepped toward the opening.

The masked man followed.

And behind them, the enormous Abyss Creature tore through another ancient tree and began its pursuit.

The forest shook again.

And the hunt had only just begun.