Chapter 72: Just A Theory

The cavern shook from the sheer force and intensity of the fight.

Eden’s Aura Blade collided with one of the guardian’s spears, and the resulting impact exploded outward in a wave of purple Essence.

Boom!

The stone beneath their feet shattered.

Eden slid backward, his boots carving two deep trenches into the ground as fragments of rock flew past his face. He immediately twisted his body, avoiding the second spear that swept through the space where his head had been.

The guardian followed.

Four arms.

Two spears.

And yet, somehow, it wasn’t the number of weapons that made the creature terrifying.

It was how effortlessly it used them.

Eden ducked beneath another thrust and swung Aura Blade upward.

The guardian blocked.

Clang!

Purple sparks erupted.

Eden’s muscles tensed.

Again.

He stepped forward.

The guardian’s upper spear moved.

Eden parried.

Its lower spear came from the opposite side.

Eden twisted.

One of its rear arms suddenly moved.

Eden barely saw the strike.

[Burst Step]

Space warped.

Eden vanished.

The guardian’s fist tore through empty air.

Eden reappeared behind it.

’Got you!’

He swung.

The guardian turned before the blade reached its back.

Its spear intercepted Aura Blade.

Eden’s eyes widened.

The guardian’s four arms moved in sequence, one after another, each attack flowing naturally from the previous motion.

There was no hesitation.

No adjustment.

No wasted movement.

Eden was forced backward.

The guardian advanced.

Its spear stabbed.

Eden blocked.

Another came.

He deflected it.

A third arm struck toward his ribs.

Eden twisted away.

The fourth swept low.

He jumped.

The moment his feet left the ground, the guardian thrust both spears upward.

Eden’s expression changed.

"Tsk!’

He couldn’t dodge in midair.

So he used Burst Step again.

The world distorted.

He vanished from between the spears and reappeared several meters above the guardian.

Eden kicked off the cavern ceiling.

The entire section of stone cracked beneath his foot.

He descended like a missile.

Aura Blade pointed downward.

The guardian crossed both spears above its head.

The impact sent a shockwave through the cavern.

Chunks of stone the size of cars broke loose from the ceiling.

The guardian sank several meters into the ground.

Eden landed on one knee.

Dust rolled across the battlefield.

For half a second, there was silence.

Eden slowly raised his head.

His silver eyes narrowed.

’I hit it.’

The guardian emerged from the crater.

Not a scratch.

Eden’s expression flattened.

"...Seriously?"

The guardian simply raised one of its spears.

"Again."

Eden’s eyebrow twitched.

"You could at least pretend that hurt."

"I could."

The guardian’s stance shifted.

"If I hadn’t blocked it."

Eden stared at it.

Then he grinned.

"Fine."

He lowered his body, preparing another attack.

Several meters away, Obsidian stood motionless.

The Black Knight watched every exchange with his usual unreadable expression.

Beside him, Sylvia folded her arms.

She had manifested outside Eden’s body again, her pale hair drifting slightly in the residual Essence currents filling the cavern.

Although the fight wasn’t particularly in her Master’s favor, she had no doubts he would win.

She smiled.

"Are you worried about him?"

Obsidian immediately turned his head away.

Sylvia blinked.

Then giggled.

"That was a very fast answer."

Obsidian remained completely still.

"You’re not convincing anyone."

The Black Knight crossed his arms.

Sylvia covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.

"Don’t worry."

She looked toward Eden.

Their Master was currently being thrown through the cavern wall.

The impact created a crater nearly 20 meters wide.

Sylvia didn’t even flinch.

"He’ll be fine."

Obsidian glanced toward Eden.

Then back toward Sylvia.

She smiled.

"Believe in our Master."

Obsidian slowly nodded.

Eden crashed through another wall.

Stone exploded around him.

He landed inside the new crater, immediately rolling to the side as two spears pierced through the rubble.

’He isn’t giving me any chances to recover!’

He sprang up.

’But what throws me off the most are his attributes.’

The guardian’s attributes were identical to his own.

That much was obvious now.

Strength.

Agility.

Vitality.

Essence.

Perception.

Every single one.

Eden had tested it repeatedly.

Every time he increased his output, the guardian matched him.

Every time he accelerated, the guardian accelerated.

Even their Essence fluctuations were almost identical.

It wasn’t merely similar.

It was exact.

’It’s matching me.’

Eden narrowly avoided a spear.

The weapon passed within centimeters of his cheek.

He retaliated with Aura Blade.

The guardian blocked.

Eden used Burst Step.

The guardian reacted.

Eden changed direction.

The guardian followed.

He feinted high and attacked low.

The guardian anticipated it.

Eden’s eyes sharpened.

He parried another strike and immediately rotated his wrist, attempting to redirect the guardian’s spear toward its own body.

The guardian released the weapon.

Eden’s blade passed through empty air.

’No...’

The guardian caught its spear with another hand.

Eden’s pupils contracted.

’It’s adapting.’

Not merely matching him.

Learning him.

And perhaps more importantly, the guardian wasn’t trying to kill him.

If it wanted to finish the fight, there had already been several openings.

Too many.

When Eden had fallen from the ceiling, the guardian could have stabbed him.

When Eden’s footing slipped after a Burst Step, it could have crushed his chest.

When Aura Blade was blocked and Eden’s arms were briefly exposed, it could have driven a spear through his throat.

It didn’t.

Instead, every time Eden made a mistake, the guardian punished him just enough to force him to correct it.

A strike to the shoulder.

A kick to the ribs.

A spear grazing his side.

Never lethal.

Never enough to end the battle.

’Is it teaching me?’

Eden’s grin widened.

That realization changed everything.

"Alright."

He wiped a thin line of blood from the corner of his mouth.

"I understand."

The guardian tilted its head.

"Do you?"

"You’re not trying to beat me."

Eden’s Aura Blade rose.

"You’re trying to teach me, aren’t you?"

The Guardian remained unimpressed.

"Do you really have the time to come up with such absurd theories?"

Eden laughed.

"Oh I don’t think it’s just a theory, though."