Chapter 60: The Tryouts (3)

Far beyond the crowded streets and the countless Awakened gathered for the tryouts.

Deep within another Gate, Seraphina stood before another pair of enormous sealed doors.

The dungeon around her was empty.

Again.

The architecture was familiar by now—the same ancient stone, the same unnatural lack of monsters, the same oppressive silence that seemed to swallow even the smallest sounds.

And, most importantly...

The same runes.

Seraphina narrowed her eyes.

Her Lord’s Eye Skill activated.

The world changed.

Ordinary stone disappeared beneath layers upon layers of information. Essence flowed through the dungeon like an invisible nervous system, every trace of power becoming visible to her perception.

The runes covering the massive doors were not isolated.

They were connected.

Every single one.

Dark Essence threads stretched from symbol to symbol, weaving together into a complicated structure that seemed almost impossible to decipher.

Seraphina had spent hours studying them.

Perhaps longer.

She wasn’t entirely sure anymore.

She had stopped caring about the time.

Her hands moved slowly through the air.

Dozens of blue Essence threads floated before her, created by her own power. Some were thick. Others were barely visible. She manipulated them with minute movements of her fingers, carefully threading them between the ancient runes without allowing them to touch.

One mistake.

One careless movement.

And the entire structure might collapse.

"Come on..."

She whispered.

Her eyes followed one particular thread.

"If Eden could do it..."

Her fingers shifted.

A strand moved between two runes.

"...then there has to be a way for me to do it too."

She remembered the way his Devour had somehow consumed the ancient seal that was placed on the doors itself.

But seeing it and understanding it were two completely different things.

Seraphina wasn’t satisfied with simply knowing that Eden could do it.

She wanted to understand how.

Her Lord’s Eye had never failed her before.

She could see Essence.

She could see its movement.

She could see the connections between skills, objects, and living beings.

But these runes...

They were different.

Ancient.

Almost as if they had been designed specifically to resist observation.

"This place is definitely hiding something."

Seraphina smiled faintly.

Her fingers moved again, before a familiar sound interrupted her.

Footsteps.

Her expression immediately changed.

The threads froze.

Seraphina slowly glanced over her shoulder.

A man was walking toward her.

Pristine white clothing.

A long white robe.

A sheathed blade resting at his side.

Long hair flowing behind him.

And a white mask covering his face.

There were only two openings for his eyes.

The mask looked like it was smiling.

Seraphina recognized him immediately.

Eden’s description had been surprisingly accurate.

’So that’s...’

’Ryuhei.’

She didn’t move.

Ryuhei stopped several meters away.

His posture was relaxed.

Almost careless.

His gaze moved from Seraphina to the sealed doors.

Then back to her.

"Those doors aren’t for you to touch."

His voice was calm in a way that made him seem untouchable.

Seraphina raised an eyebrow.

"And who exactly decided that?"

Ryuhei didn’t answer.

He simply looked at her.

"This place isn’t for you to investigate."

A quiet laugh escaped Seraphina.

"That’s rather presumptuous."

She finally turned around completely.

"I was actually wondering when you’d show up."

Ryuhei’s eyes narrowed slightly behind the mask.

Seraphina smiled.

"I assumed you wouldn’t let me investigate these places forever after hearing the whole story from Eden."

She lifted one hand.

"So I prepared accordingly."

The air changed the moment her fingers snapped together.

Countless blue Essence threads appeared around Ryuhei.

They had been there the entire time.

Invisible.

Waiting.

Now they surrounded him from every direction.

Hundreds of them.

Some were stretched horizontally.

Others vertically.

Some were wrapped around his arms and legs.

Several were positioned directly beside his neck.

Seraphina’s smile widened.

"If you take even one step forward..."

She gently moved two fingers apart.

One of the threads tightened.

"...they’ll cut you into pieces."

Ryuhei looked at the threads.

Then at Seraphina.

He didn’t seem particularly impressed.

"Don’t."

Seraphina’s expression twitched.

"That’s it?"

"I’ll warn you one more time."

Ryuhei’s voice remained perfectly calm.

"This place isn’t meant to be investigated by the likes of you."

"By the likes of me?"

Seraphina’s smile disappeared.

"What does that mean?"

Ryuhei remained silent.

Seraphina took a step closer.

"You clearly tolerated Eden."

No response.

"You even helped him escape."

Her eyes sharpened.

"So why is he any different?"

"What makes him so special for you to tolerate him?"

Ryuhei’s gaze shifted toward the sealed doors.

Seraphina frowned.

"Answer me—"

Yet another set of footsteps interrupted her.

This time, they came from behind Ryuhei.

A man stepped into the chamber.

Black and silver clothing.

A long dark coat.

Blonde hair.

Golden eyes.

His expression was relaxed.

Almost bored.

He glanced at Seraphina.

Just once.

And everything disappeared.

The blue threads surrounding Ryuhei vanished.

Not cut.

Not broken.

They simply...

Dissolved.

Seraphina’s eyes widened.

"What—?"

Her body suddenly felt heavy.

Her Essence reserves plummeted.

It was as though something had reached inside her and simply erased a massive portion of her power.

Her knees nearly buckled.

She caught herself against the stone wall.

"What did you..."

Her breathing became heavier.

She immediately activated Lord’s Eye.

The result was horrifying.

Her Essence wasn’t being drained.

It was being dissolved.

Ryuhei was affected too.

Barely.

His posture remained straight, but Seraphina noticed the subtle change in his breathing.

’So he isn’t immune to this guy’s skill either.’

’He’s simply much better at hiding it.’

Ryuhei stared at the blonde man.

Then spoke.

"Abel."

The blonde man’s relaxed expression vanished.

His golden eyes hardened.

"You."

The single word carried far more hostility than Seraphina expected.

Abel took another step forward.

"How dare you show your face here again?"

’He isn’t... showing his face though?’ Seraphina thought to herself.

Ryuhei didn’t react.

"I’m guarding this place, the same way you are."

Abel scoffed.

"Same way I am? Don’t make me laugh!"

"You and I have very different reasons for ’guarding’ this place."

His eyes narrowed.

"And as far as I’m concerned..."

"I’m not the one who went inside."

Silence.

"With another stranger, at that."

Ryuhei said nothing.

Abel’s expression darkened.

"You really thought I wouldn’t notice?"

A long pause followed.

Then Ryuhei finally spoke.

"You know it just as much as I do."

"This place is fundamentally necessary for the second layer."

Seraphina’s eyes flickered.

’Second layer?’

Abel’s face twisted.

For the first time, his calm demeanor completely disappeared.

"Necessary?"

A bitter laugh escaped him.

"That’s what you’re calling it?"

Ryuhei remained silent.

Abel’s hands clenched.

"You’re a selfish dog."

Golden Essence began gathering around him.

"A rude, disgusting piece of shit."

The air trembled.

"And most important of all, you’re a lying god damn bastard."

The golden Essence intensified.

Seraphina instinctively stepped back.

Abel’s eyes burned with anger.

"Has Nyx not given up enough already?"

Ryuhei’s expression remained unreadable behind his mask.

"Does she not deserve to rest?"

"It may be cruel."

Ryuhei’s voice was quiet.

"But it is necessary for the Lower Realm."

Abel stared at him.

Then laughed in pure, boiling anger.

"Do you even hear yourself?!"

"You sound exactly like him!"

The golden Essence exploded outward.

"The bastard who caused all of this in the first place."

Ryuhei’s hand moved toward his sword.

"Mendax."

Ryuhei unsheathed his blade the instant the name left Abel’s mouth.

A sharp metallic ring echoed throughout the dungeon.

At the same time, several additional blades formed around him.

Seraphina stared.

Ryuhei didn’t even look at her.

"Leave."

She hesitated.

Then Abel’s golden Essence surged again.

The ancient dungeon shook.

Ryuhei’s voice became colder.

"Now."

Seraphina gritted her teeth.

She had a thousand questions.

But even she understood when a situation had become too dangerous.

She turned toward the exit.

Behind her, steel and golden Essence collided.

And the ancient dungeon disappeared into chaos.