Chapter 39: The Tomb of the Ruler

Eden ran.

Behind him, the forest was being torn apart.

The enormous centipede tore through one of the ancient trees with its armored body, sending splinters the size of cars flying through the air.

Eden ducked beneath one.

A sword shot past his head.

Then another.

Then dozens.

The blades moved through the forest like a flock of metallic birds, constantly changing direction as they attacked the creature from every possible angle.

None of them seemed capable of seriously hurting it.

But that wasn’t the point.

Every time the centipede focused on one of the swords, another appeared somewhere else.

Every time it tried to charge forward, several blades crossed its path.

And whenever the creature attempted to crush the swords with its massive limbs, the larger blades shattered—

Only to split into smaller ones.

Eden glanced over his shoulder.

The masked man was several dozen meters behind him.

Or rather, above him.

He stood effortlessly on a floating sword while controlling the others with two fingers.

It was absurd.

Eden had seen S-Rank combat footage.

He had watched some of the world’s strongest Awakeneds fight monsters that could destroy buildings.

But this was different.

The masked man wasn’t overpowering the centipede.

He was controlling the pace of the battle.

Every sword was exactly where it needed to be.

Every movement had a purpose.

And somehow, despite fighting an enormous B-Rank Boss, the man never looked rushed.

"Keep moving."

The man called.

Eden turned forward again.

"I’m trying!"

Another tree exploded behind him.

"Try faster."

"You think you’re funny?!"

Eden activated Burst Step.

His body vanished.

The world blurred.

He reappeared on the next massive tree and immediately jumped again.

The masked fellow followed effortlessly.

He didn’t even seem to need to jump.

One sword appeared beneath his feet.

Then another.

Then another.

He simply floated through the forest.

Eden almost found that more irritating than the centipede.

’Show-off.’

The centipede roared.

The entire forest shook.

The masked man glanced backward.

Then suddenly raised two fingers.

Every sword stopped.

For a fraction of a second, hundreds of blades hung motionless in the air.

Then they all moved at once.

The centipede was buried beneath a storm of steel.

"Up."

Eden looked at him.

"What?"

"I said up."

He pointed.

One of the trees beside them stretched higher than the others.

Its trunk was wider than a skyscraper.

Its branches disappeared into the darkness above.

"We’re going higher."

Eden didn’t argue.

He Burst Stepped upward.

One branch.

Then another.

Then another.

The higher they went, the colder the air became.

Eventually, the two reached the top of the massive tree.

Or what appeared to be the top.

The canopy stretched so far above them that even here, Eden couldn’t see the actual sky.

But the branches were considerably thinner.

The masked man landed on one.

The sword beneath his feet dissolved.

He sat down.

Just like that.

Eden stared at him.

"You’re sitting?"

"Yes."

’...?’

"I suggest you do the same."

"The monster is still down there."

"I know."

Eden looked down.

Far below, the centipede continued tearing through the forest.

The swords still surrounded it.

The masked man leaned back against the enormous branch.

"Sit."

Eden didn’t move.

"Are you serious?"

He looked at him.

"Very."

Eden narrowed his eyes.

Then finally sat.

The moment he did, the masked man spoke again.

"Don’t move."

Eden frowned.

"For how long?"

"Thirty minutes."

"Why?"

"Because if you move, it might detect the vibration."

Eden looked down.

Then at the man.

"...You could have said that before I sat down."

"I just did."

Eden sighed.

"You’re annoying."

The masked man closed his eyes.

"Be quiet."

And that was apparently the end of the conversation.

The first five minutes were miserable.

The next ten were worse.

Eden had never been good at staying still.

Especially when his ribs hurt.

Especially when a giant B-Rank Boss was somewhere beneath him.

And especially when the strange masked man sitting beside him refused to explain anything.

Eden eventually glanced sideways.

The masked man hadn’t moved.

Not even slightly.

He was sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, hands resting loosely against his knees.

Eden studied him.

Definitely weird.

There was something about him that didn’t make sense.

His clothes.

His mask.

His sword.

His skill.

His demeanor.

Something felt very off about him.

Eden looked at his mask again.

Those eye holes curved upward.

Even without a mouth, the thing looked like it was smiling.

Eden didn’t like it.

Thirty minutes finally passed.

Ryuhei opened his eyes.

Eden immediately spoke.

"Finally."

Ryuhei looked at him.

"What?"

"Now you can answer my questions."

"Can I?"

Eden stared.

"You said thirty minutes."

"I did."

"So?"

Ryuhei sighed.

"You talk a lot."

"I’ve been sitting silently for thirty minutes."

Eden rubbed his face.

"Who are you?"

The masked man looked at him.

"Ryuhei."

"Just Ryuhei?"

"Yes. If you must know, I’m with the association."

’He’s a member of the Awakened’s Association?’

Eden failed to believe it.

Everything felt disconnected.

The man claimed to be an Association member.

Yet he didn’t wear an Association emblem.

He didn’t behave like Choi.

He wasn’t remotely like Kael.

And he certainly didn’t resemble Neville.

Neville was relaxed, playful, almost childish even when he was fighting.

Kael was dramatic enough to announce his own entrance.

Choi was constantly calculating.

But this man?

He was fundamentally different.

Eden waited.

Nothing else came.

’He’s lying.’

"...Fine."

He pointed toward the forest.

"Any idea what this place might be?"

"The Tomb of the Ruler of Sorcery."

Eden paused.

"The what?"

Ryuhei looked toward the distant canopy.

"I said it’s the Tomb of the Ruler of Sorcery."

Eden frowned.

"That doesn’t explain anything."

"It wasn’t supposed to."

Eden stared at him.

Ryuhei continued.

"Long ago, five Rulers descended into the Abyss."

Eden’s eyes narrowed.

"Five Rulers?"

"Yes."

"Who are they?"

Silence.

Ryuhei silwntly stared at him.

Several seconds passed.

Eden raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

Ryuhei finally looked away.

"I’m trying to find that out too."

Eden didn’t believe him.

Not for a second.

Ryuhei continued.

"I know this place is the tomb of one of them."

"More precisely, it’s the Tomb of the Ruler of Sorcery."

"What about the other four?"

"..."

"...?"

"I don’t know."

Eden watched him carefully.

There was no obvious change in his expression.

...Not that Eden would perceive any with that mask on.

’He’s hiding something.’

Eden was almost certain.

Ryuhei knew more.

Much more.

But Eden didn’t press.

Not yet.

Instead, he asked,

"What makes this a tomb?"

Ryuhei’s gaze shifted downward.

"Someone built it."

"Who?"

"I don’t know."

"Why?"

"I don’t know."

Eden sighed.

"You really don’t answer questions very well."

"I answer the ones I can."

"Convenient."

Ryuhei ignored the comment.

"The person who made this place is also responsible for that giant centipede."

Eden looked down.

"The centipede?"

"Yes. It’s a..."

"...Guardian of sorts."

"A Guardian inside a Tomb?"

"Is it here keep people from reaching the tomb?"

"..."

"I don’t know. It would be wise to assume it has some sort of hidden role."

Eden frowned.

"So you were exploring this place before I arrived?"

"I was leaving."

"Leaving?"

"I’d already spent enough time here."

Ryuhei looked toward the distant trees.

"Then I saw you."

Eden blinked.

"You came back because of me?"

"You were being thrown through trees."

"Fair."

Ryuhei stood.

He stretched his arms.

His joints cracked softly.

Eden followed.

"So how do we get out?"

"Same way we came in."