Chapter 89: Double Dungeon Incident (9)

Levi went quiet.

Everyone in the room knew what that meant.

Neville continued.

"By the time I arrived, the other contestants were already dead, along with Cecil, their designated supervisor."

"Eden too was in a state near death, and fighting for his life. He was using an extremely powerful Skill that continued even after he had lost consciousness."

"I’ve heard of it before." Choi said, thinking back to the massive explosion on Campus.

Neville looked at him.

"Any idea what it does?"

"No."

"But..."

Levi frowned.

"But?"

Choi paused.

"It’s the first time I’ve seen an ability like that ever since Gaku appeared."

That name left a particularly bad aftertaste no matter which one of them spoke it.

Apollo’s eyes narrowed.

"In that case we’ll have to do our best in recruiting Eden."

"Or..."

"We’ll have to keep a tight watch on him."

Neville nodded.

"I’m certain he wont turn out like Gaku. Choi can probably back me up on this."

Neville continued.

"That said, It’s only a matter of time until Eden becomes a National Level Asset. It would be in our best interest to have a decent relationship with him."

Apollo leaned back.

"Interesting."

Levi looked toward Choi.

"There’s something else."

Choi turned.

"Huh?"

Levi folded his arms.

"Beyond the possibility of someone altering the gate..."

"Our readings didn’t even detect the double dungeon."

Neville’s gaze sharpened.

"So what you’re thinking is that..."

Levi’s expression became colder.

"Perhaps someone inside the Association made sure we didn’t detect the double dungeon."

Levi continued.

"The Crimson-Crow Guild."

The room became silent.

Choi frowned.

"You think they have a spy?"

"I’m saying it’s possible."

Levi tapped the table.

"Someone could’ve hidden the fact that the first Warp Gate led to a double dungeon."

Apollo stared at him.

"And what would Crimson-Crow gain from that?"

Levi hesitated.

"That’s what we don’t know."

Apollo nodded slowly.

His blue eyes became sharp.

"If they wanted the candidates dead, there were easier ways."

Neville remained silent.

His mind briefly returned to the ruined dungeon.

Something about the entire situation felt connected.

But he couldn’t prove it.

"Keep investigating."

Apollo stood.

"And increase security for the last round. I want the entire Silver Wing strike team present."

Everyone nodded.

---

Mihui sat beside Eden’s hospital bed.

She had fallen asleep in the chair.

Her head rested against the side of the mattress.

Her pink hair was messy.

Her eyes were red.

She looked exhausted.

She hadn’t left the entire week.

Not once.

Doctors had tried.

Nurses had tried.

Kael had tried.

Sonne had tried.

Lucy had tried.

Even Choi had gently asked her to go home and sleep.

She refused every time.

"I’m staying."

That was always her answer.

Neville had visited several times.

But unlike everyone else, he never told her to leave.

Instead, he talked.

Small things.

Nothing important.

Sometimes he brought snacks.

Sometimes a drink.

Once, he brought an absurdly expensive box of sweets and simply placed it beside her.

Mihui had eventually started talking back.

Those conversations helped.

But she still stayed.

Her hand remained wrapped around Eden’s.

Eventually, the hospital door opened once more.

Mihui slowly woke.

A silver-haired young man stepped inside.

Elio.

He paused when he saw her.

"Sorry."

Mihui rubbed her eyes.

"It’s okay."

Elio looked toward Eden.

"Can I come in?"

She nodded.

Elio sat down.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Mihui looked at him.

"You’re a friend, right?"

"..."

"Something like that. I’m Elio"

"I’m Mihui."

"His Sister?"

Mihui smiled faintly, looking down at Eden’s hand.

"Not exactly. Our relationship is... complicated. But you can view me as his family."

Elio nodded.

"Nice to meet you then."

Mihui looked back toward Eden.

"He’s always doing things like this."

Elio tilted his head.

"Like what?"

"Getting into trouble."

She smiled sadly.

"He never listens when someone tells him something is dangerous."

"..."

Mihui looked at him.

Elio stared at Eden.

"You know..."

He hesitated.

"I don’t think Eden is the kind of person who gives up."

Mihui’s expression softened.

Elio continued.

"I don’t know him very well."

A faint smile appeared.

"But I don’t think he’s in this state because of his own reckless behavior."

He looked toward Eden.

"If anything, I think he gave it his all to come out of that situation as unscathed as possible."

"Not for himself. I don’t even think he cares much about his own well being that much."

Mihui looked at him.

Elio’s voice became quieter.

"He did it for you. He probably cares far more about you than he does about himself."

He paused.

"I think he just refuses to believe that losing means the end."

Mihui stared at Eden.

Her eyes began watering again.

Elio stood.

"As I said, I don’t know Eden very well."

He gave her a small smile.

"But I don’t think you should sit here waiting for him to come back."

Mihui blinked.

"What?"

"You know him best."

"He’d probably be annoyed."

She laughed through her tears.

"Yeah."

"He’d probably tell you to go home."

Mihui lowered her head.

Then smiled.

"...You’re right."

Mihui for the first time in a week, finally stood.

She gently squeezed Eden’s hand.

"I’ll be back tomorrow."

She looked at Elio.

"Thank you."

Elio nodded.

"Of course."

The door closed behind her.

---

Somewhere Beyond Consciousness...

Eden opened his eyes.

A crimson sky stretched endlessly above him.

A black eclipse covered the sun.

Beneath his feet was an endless sea of blood.

Eden stared around.

"What...?"

He looked down.

Then forward.

Corpses stretched into the distance.

Humans.

Abyss Creatures.

Everything he had devoured.

Everything Devour had consumed.

They filled the horizon.

Eden’s face became pale.

"Have I..."

"Died?"

He slowly walked forward.

His footsteps disturbed the blood.

’So this is it.’

He looked at the eclipse.

After everything...

This was where he ended.

He clenched his fists.

"Why?"

His voice echoed.

"Why did I get another chance?"

Nothing.

"Why did Mendax give me his authority?"

Eden stared at his hands.

A skill powerful enough to devour almost anything.

A skill that had carried him farther than he ever dreamed possible.

And yet, even with such a powerful skill, he had died anyway.

"Was this all pointless?"

His voice cracked.

"I was given the chance to change my fate."

He laughed bitterly.

"And I wasted it."

The crimson sea rippled.

Eden looked up.

A presence appeared behind him.

Familiar.

Otherworldly.

Impossible to mistake.

Eden froze.

He immediately turned around.

A man stood there.

White halo.

Serene expression.

Eyes that seemed to look far beyond Eden himself.

Mendax.

The being who had appeared at the moment of Eden’s death in his first life.

The being who had stopped time.

The being who had given him his authority.

The being who had sent him backward.

Eden’s eyes widened.

"You..."

Mendax smiled.

"You seem disappointed."

Eden stared.

"Am I dead?"

Mendax tilted his head.

"Does it matter?"

Eden’s fists tightened.

"You gave me this chance."

Mendax said nothing.

"You gave me your authority."

Still nothing.

"Why?"

Mendax smiled.

"I already told you."

Eden frowned.

"You still don’t seem to understand."

Eden stared at him.

Mendax stepped closer.

He placed a hand against Eden’s shoulder.

"You don’t need to change or look back."

Eden’s eyes widened.

Mendax smiled.

"Just keep moving forward."

The crimson world began to fracture.

"That’s all that matters."

Eden’s vision blurred.

"Mendax!"

The figure began fading.

His voice echoed across the endless sea of blood.

"I’ll be waiting for you..."

The eclipse cracked.

"...in the deepest parts of the Abyss."

Everything turned white.

Eden gasped.

His eyes opened.

A white ceiling.

The smell of disinfectant.

A hospital room.

For several seconds, he simply stared upward.

He breathed.

Once.

Twice.

His chest hurt.

His entire body hurt.

But he was alive.

"...What?"

Eden slowly turned his head.

Someone was sitting beside his bed.

Silver hair.

Purple eyes.

Elio.

The young B-Rank calmly peeled an apple with a small knife.

He glanced toward Eden.

Their eyes met.

Elio’s expression remained blank.

"You’re awake."

Eden stared at him.

Then at the apple.

Then back at him.

He had expected anyone else. Sophia, Mihui or Lucy. Perhaps even a worried Sylvia.

So why is it that Elio sat there instead?

’...Why is he here?’