Chapter 51: Unlike Essence

The collision of their blades sent a shockwave through the dungeon.

Eden’s feet dug into the stone.

The Black Knight didn’t move.

For a single second, the two remained locked together.

Purple Essence crackled around Eden’s Aura Blade.

Dark energy crawled along the Black Knight’s weapon.

Eden’s eyes narrowed.

"...You’re strong."

The Black Knight gave no response.

It simply pushed.

Eden’s arms trembled.

Then he pushed back.

The two separated.

Eden slid backward several meters, his boots carving lines into the stone.

The Black Knight landed effortlessly.

Neither had gained anything.

Eden stared at it.

The knight raised its blade.

Eden grinned as he rushed forward.

Their weapons collided again.

The impact shook the entire chamber.

Eden swung from the left.

The knight blocked.

Eden immediately reversed the angle.

The knight parried.

Eden kicked.

The knight twisted away.

Its blade came for Eden’s throat.

Eden ducked.

The black blade passed over his head.

He responded with a slash toward its ribs.

The knight blocked again.

Their exchange accelerated.

Neither could gain an advantage.

Eden’s Aura Blade carved through the air again and again, while the Black Knight’s weapon moved with frightening precision.

They weren’t merely exchanging blows.

They were destroying everything around them.

A missed slash from Eden carved a massive trench through the dungeon wall.

A swing from the knight tore apart a stone pillar.

Eden ducked beneath another attack.

The Black Knight’s blade continued past him.

An entire section of wall exploded.

Eden glanced over his shoulder.

"Even just one of those slashes will kill me if I take it head on."

Another attack came.

He barely blocked.

The impact sent him flying.

Eden crashed through a wall.

He rolled across the floor, coughed, and immediately pushed himself back up.

His ribs hurt.

He spat blood onto the ground.

"Ugh."

He wiped his mouth.

"So much for taking a break."

The Black Knight emerged from the dust.

Its silhouette was almost entirely black.

At first Eden had assumed that was simply the color of its armor.

But now that they were fighting at close range, he could see the truth.

The knight wasn’t black.

Not really.

There was a strange energy covering its entire body.

It flowed across the armor like smoke trapped beneath glass, wrapping around its shoulders, arms, torso and legs.

Even its cape was made from it.

The dark substance moved constantly.

It rippled despite there being no wind.

And its weapon...

Eden’s eyes narrowed.

That wasn’t really a sword either.

The blade was entirely made from the same black energy.

It had shape.

Weight.

A cutting edge.

But it wasn’t metal.

"Just what are you?"

The Black Knight stepped forward.

Eden sighed.

"Yeah. Didn’t think you’d answer."

The knight swung.

Eden blocked.

The impact nearly broke his stance.

Eden twisted his wrist and redirected the weapon.

Then attacked.

The knight countered.

They collided again.

Eden’s eyes remained focused.

’That definitely isn’t a normal weapon.’

He’d seen Essence weapons before.

He’d seen skills that manifested weapons.

But this was different.

The knight wasn’t holding a weapon made from something else.

It was shaping that strange black energy into one.

And it wasn’t just decorative.

It was incredibly dense.

Worse—

Eden noticed something else.

His Aura Blade had changed.

A small piece of the purple blade had chipped away.

He frowned.

’What?’

The Black Knight attacked again.

Eden blocked.

Another portion of Aura Blade broke apart.

"...How?"

Eden pulled back.

His eyes narrowed at the dark blade.

It wasn’t simply damaging Aura Blade.

The blade would have regenerated immediately if it was simple damage.

Rather that damaging the Aura Blade...

It was corrupting it.

The purple Essence around his weapon flickered where the two blades had collided.

Eden immediately dismissed Aura Blade.

Then recreated it.

Purple Essence surged into his hand.

A fresh blade appeared.

"That’s annoying."

"Probably a skill of yours, huh?"

The Black Knight attacked.

Eden blocked.

Another piece chipped away.

He dismissed it again.

Recreated it.

Then channeled his Paralysis skill into the blade.

Purple Essence changed slightly, taking on a faint blue tint.

Eden swung.

The blade struck the knight’s armor.

Nothing.

No reaction.

Eden’s expression flattened.

"...Right."

’I’ll have to hit it more often for it to work.’

’Then again...’

’Would Paralysis even work? That thing is a higher rank than my Skill.’

The knight didn’t give Eden the time to think.

It retaliated.

Eden barely blocked.

He was sent backward.

He landed in a crouch.

’The paralysis is too weak.’

’The skill is still C-Rank.’

’Against a B-Rank Boss, the effect is practically meaningless.’

Eden clicked his tongue.

"Need something stronger."

He considered Burst Step.

For a moment, the idea was tempting.

One burst.

One sudden acceleration.

Maybe he could break through.

Maybe he could land a decisive blow.

But Eden immediately rejected it.

’Too expensive.’

He was already exhausted.

He’d been fighting hundreds of Essence Knights before this.

Then he’d been forced through the creation of Corrupted Surge.

Even with his vastly improved regeneration, he couldn’t afford to waste large amounts of Essence on unnecessary movement.

’If I burn through my reserves now, I’m dead.’

The Black Knight charged.

Eden met it.

Their blades collided.

The floor beneath them shattered.

Eden’s knees bent under the force.

He pushed.

The knight pushed back.

Neither gave.

’I can’t outlast it either.’

That was becoming obvious.

His body was already injured.

His breathing was uneven.

The knight, meanwhile, showed no signs of exhaustion.

Eden’s only advantage was his ability to adapt.

And right now, he needed something to adapt to.

The Black Knight attacked again.

Eden dodged.

The knight stepped aside.

Eden swung again.

The knight blocked.

Another piece of Aura Blade disappeared.

Eden dismissed it.

Recreated it.

Then immediately infused Paralysis again.

The cycle continued.

Attack.

Renew.

Attack.

Renew.

His Essence was slowly draining.

The knight’s dark weapon continued to corrupt his Aura Blade whenever they collided.

"You’re really annoying."

The knight swung.

Eden ducked.

He drove his shoulder into its chest.

BOOM!

The Black Knight staggered.

Eden followed with a slash.

The knight blocked.

Eden kicked.

The knight caught his leg.

Eden’s eyes widened.

The knight threw him.

Boom!

Eden smashed into the ground.

He rolled away just before the black blade stabbed down.

The sword buried itself in the floor.

Eden kicked the knight’s wrist.

It released the weapon.

Eden’s Aura Blade flashed.

The knight barely blocked.

They separated again.

Eden’s chest rose and fell.

His eyes remained locked on the knight.

’Come on.’

He needed something.

Anything.

Eden’s focus on the battle was disrupted by a system notification.

Eden’s eyes widened.

[Skill Rank-up!]

[Paralysis — C-Rank "B-Rank.]

Eden blinked.

"...How convenient."