Chapter 80: Retainer

The next few days passed quickly.

For most of the Awakeneds who had survived the first round of the Association’s tryouts, they were days of rest.

For Eden, they were anything but.

"B-Rank."

Eden stood in front of a massive Gate.

The air around the entrance distorted faintly, the familiar pressure of a Gate leaking into the surrounding area.

Then he glanced toward the Black Knight standing beside him.

"Ready?"

Obsidian nodded.

Sylvia stood on Eden’s other side, arms folded.

"I’m ready too, Master."

Eden glanced at her.

"You don’t even fight."

"I know."

"Then what are you ready for?"

Sylvia smiled.

"Moral support."

Eden stared at her.

"You?"

"Yes."

Eden thought back to the several nights Sylvia had spent doing something completely different to him

’More like Oral Support...’

"Some Support you are."

"I beg your pardon?"

Eden sighed.

"Whatever."

He stepped through the Gate.

The difference between C-Rank and B-Rank Gates was immediately obvious.

The moment Eden entered, an enormous roar echoed through the forest.

The trees were massive.

The creatures were larger.

And the ambient Essence was noticeably denser.

A group of monstrous wolves emerged between the trees.

Eden barely glanced at them.

"Obsidian."

The Black Knight stepped forward.

Dark Matter surged.

The next moment, the wolves were dead.

Obsidian tore through the group with overwhelming efficiency.

Eden didn’t even need to move.

The System chimed.

[Experience acquired.]

Eden blinked.

Then another notification appeared.

[Experience acquired.]

He looked at Obsidian.

"...Huh."

Obsidian turned.

The experience had actually been credited to him.

His eyebrows rose.

"So I get the experience from your kills too."

Obsidian nodded.

Eden stared at him for a moment.

Then smiled.

"That’s useful."

The implications were obvious.

If Obsidian could continue growing stronger, Eden could theoretically send him into Gates by himself.

Obsidian would clear them.

Eden would receive the experience.

And Eden wouldn’t even need to be there.

That’s almost absurdly convenient.

Of course, there would be practical limitations.

Obsidian’s current Dark Matter reserve was still tiny.

Only five percent.

And while he was overwhelmingly powerful for his current state, Eden couldn’t simply throw him against anything without knowing the risks.

Still...

It was something worth remembering.

"Come on."

Eden started walking deeper into the Gate.

"I want to see how far you can go."

The answer turned out to be:

Very far.

B-Rank monsters that would have required entire teams of Awakeneds were being torn apart by Obsidian.

A giant serpent that could swallow a truck whole was ripped in half.

A pack of winged beasts was annihilated before they could even descend.

A gigantic armored creature barely managed to raise its weapon before Obsidian’s fist shattered its chest.

Each time, Eden received the experience.

And each time, Eden became more convinced that having Obsidian around was almost unfair.

The biggest problem wasn’t difficulty.

It was boredom.

After clearing several Gates, Eden eventually sat on a large rock.

He sighed.

"This is getting boring."

Sylvia sat beside him.

"You’re complaining because you’re too strong?"

"Yes."

She smiled.

"Poor Master."

Eden looked at her.

"Don’t."

Eden glanced toward Obsidian.

The Black Knight was standing motionless several meters away.

"Let’s spar."

Obsidian tilted his head.

Eden stood.

"I want to practice."

The guardian’s technique had left a deep impression on him.

He had started calling it the Recoilless Technique.

Not because that was its official name.

It probably wasn’t?

But because it was the easiest way for Eden to describe the principle.

Every movement became the beginning of the next.

No wasted motion.

No unnecessary reset.

No separation between attack and defense.

Everything flowed.

"Don’t hold back too much."

Obsidian nodded.

Eden smiled.

"Good."

The first spar was brutal.

The second was worse.

The third destroyed half the clearing.

By the fifth, Sylvia had started standing farther away.

"This is why I said you two should spar somewhere more spacious."

Eden ducked beneath Obsidian’s fist.

"It’s not my fault this thing destroys everything in it’s Path!"

Obsidian’s blade came toward Eden.

[Burst-Step]

Eden Burst Stepped away.

The Blade struck the ground.

The earth exploded.

Eden reappeared behind him.

Dark Matter blade.

Obsidian blocked.

Eden rotated with a kick, but Obsidian caught his leg.

Eden used the contact.

[Burst-Step]

He vanished.

Obsidian immediately turned.

Eden appeared above him.

Obsidian raised his Sword defensively.

The impact sent both backward.

Eden grinned.

"Again."

They continued sparring for several hours that day.

Over the following days, this became a routine.

Clear a B-Rank Gate.

Collect experience.

Search for anything useful.

Then spar.

Eden trained his Burst Step.

His Dark Matter Manipulation.

His ability to fight while injured.

Most importantly, his Recoilless Technique.

Lucy repeatedly asked him to join her for a Gate raid during those days.

Each time, Eden declined.

Lucy: "Are you free today?"

Eden: "No."

Lucy: "Another Gate?"

Eden: "Yes."

Lucy: "Can I come?"

Eden: "No."

Lucy: "Why?"

Eden: "Training."

Lucy: "You could train with me."

Eden: "Not the kind of training I’m doing."

The messages eventually became increasingly exasperated.

Lucy: "You’re avoiding me."

Eden had stared at that message for several seconds.

Then replied:

Eden: "I’m training."

He had received a very unimpressed response.

He didn’t blame her.

But he had a reason.

The guardian had given him something more valuable than a ring.

It had shown him a new way to fight.

And Eden wanted to master it before the next round.

On the final day before Round Two, Eden entered another B-Rank Gate.

The fight was over quickly.

Obsidian annihilated the boss.

Eden received the experience.

Then, instead of leaving immediately, Eden looked toward the Black Knight.

"One more."

Obsidian nodded, though the exhaustion in his "face" was evident.

And so, they fought once more.

The fight continued for several minutes.

Until Eden suddenly stopped.

His eyes widened.

Obsidian’s movement felt familiar.

Far too familiar.

The Black Knight stepped forward.

His Sword flowed into a second attack.

The second became a third.

There was no recoil.

No wasted movement.

No hesitation.

Eden’s eyes widened.

"Wait."

Obsidian attacked.

Eden blocked.

The Black Knight immediately redirected the motion into another strike.

Eden slipped past it.

Obsidian rotated.

Another attack.

Eden smiled.

Then laughed.

"You’re actually learning?"

Obsidian stopped.

Eden lowered his hands.

"The Recoilless Technique."

Obsidian looked at him.

Eden shook his head, almost amused.

"You learned it from me."

The Black Knight nodded.

Eden stared at him for a moment.

Then his expression softened.

A strange sense of pride filled his chest.

He looked at Obsidian from head to toe.

"You’re already doing this at five percent."

Obsidian remained silent.

Eden laughed.

"Seriously."

He shook his head.

"You’re ridiculously strong."

Sylvia smiled from nearby.

"He was one of Zephyros’ Retainers after all, Master."

"I know."

Eden looked toward Obsidian.

"And this is only five percent of what he used to be."

That thought was both exciting and slightly terrifying.

If Obsidian could fight like this at five percent...

What would happen at twenty?

Fifty?

One hundred?

Eden couldn’t wait to find out.