Chapter 71: Lord’s Trial

The three remaining Crimson-Crow members barely had time to react.

Eden moved.

His body blurred beneath the effects of Corrupted Surge and his Dark Matter enhancement.

The first C-Rank raised his weapon.

Eden’s Aura Blade passed through it.

The weapon split in half.

So did the man behind it.

The second tried to retreat.

[Burst-step]

Eden appeared in front of him.

One thrust.

The purple blade pierced through his chest.

The third turned and ran.

Eden didn’t even bother chasing him.

He simply threw his aura blade at him, the concentrated mass of Essence piercing him through his back hard enough to throw him against the stone wall with enough force to crack it.

Silence returned.

Eden stood among the corpses.

Three C-Ranks.

All dead.

’I Should probably report this to Choi later.’

’Especially those strange purple plants...’

Before he could investigate, something enormous suddenly crashed onto the ground beside him.

Eden jumped.

"What the—?!"

Dust erupted through the chamber.

Something massive slid across the stone floor.

Eden stared.

It was the Minotaur’s head.

Attached to it was Its entire spine.

Eden’s eyes widened.

He slowly looked toward the other side of the chamber.

Obsidian stood there.

The Black Knight’s armor was covered in blood.

The enormous Minotaur corpse lay behind him.

Eden stared at the body.

Then at Obsidian.

Then back at the body.

"...Did you just rip its spine out?"

Obsidian nodded.

Eden’s expression became slightly pale.

"With your hands?"

Another enthusiastic nod.

Eden swallowed.

"...Right."

For a moment, he genuinely wondered whether Obsidian was holding back when Eden had fought him.

After all, this was the same creature he’d fought only a short while ago.

Back then, Obsidian had been terrifying.

But now Eden had strengthened him with Corrupted Surge and Dark Matter.

And apparently that combination had turned Obsidian into a walking catastrophe.

Obsidian walked toward Eden.

Then lowered himself onto one knee.

Eden stared at him.

Despite the grotesque display of violence, the Black Knight looked almost... proud.

Eden sighed.

"You did a good job."

Obsidian remained kneeling.

A System notification appeared.

[Level up! ×2]

Eden blinked.

"Oh?"

He opened his status.

[Level: 151]

His eyes widened.

"...151."

He looked at the number again.

Then at his rank.

Then smiled.

"B-Rank."

A proud smile appeared on his face.

He had finally crossed the threshold.

He had spent so long chasing this moment in his previous life.

Back then, reaching B-Rank had felt like an impossible dream.

Now...

He had reached it at nineteen.

Sylvia’s voice immediately appeared in his mind.

[Congratulations, Master.]

Eden smiled.

"Thanks."

[You sound happy.]

"I am."

He looked at his hands.

"B-Rank."

There was something strangely satisfying about saying it.

But the feeling lasted only a few seconds.

Eden looked toward the Minotaurs corpse.

"Alright."

He cracked his neck.

"Let’s get what we came for."

The Minotaur’s corpse was enormous.

Searching through it was disgusting.

Eden cut through thick muscle.

Checked the stomach.

Searched beneath its armor.

Looked through its belongings.

Nothing.

"Where the hell would they put a key?"

Sylvia remained silent.

Eden sighed.

"You aren’t going to help?"

[I am helping.]

"How?"

[I’m keeping you company.]

"That’s not helping."

Obsidian crouched beside the corpse.

He began inspecting it.

Eden looked at him.

"Can you find anything?"

Obsidian shook his head.

"Wonderful."

The search continued.

Minutes passed.

Then ten.

Then twenty.

Eden eventually found himself lying halfway inside the Minotaur’s ribcage.

"This is so fucking disgusting."

Eventually, Obsidian suddenly pointed.

Eden crawled out.

"What?"

The Black Knight pointed toward a section of the Minotaur’s kidney.

Eden cut it open.

Something metallic fell onto the ground.

Clink.

Eden stared.

A strange rune-shaped object.

It looked nothing like a conventional key.

There was no handle.

No teeth.

No obvious mechanism.

Instead, it resembled an ancient symbol carved into a piece of dark metal.

Eden picked it up.

"This is it?"

He could feel Essence inside it.

But there was a problem.

He had absolutely no idea where it went.

Eden looked around.

The chamber had several walls.

No doors.

No obvious entrances.

Nothing.

He sighed.

"Of course."

He looked at the Crimson-Crow corpses.

"If only they had survived long enough to tell me where to put it."

Silence.

Eden sighed again.

"That was sarcasm."

Sylvia spoke.

[I know.]

"Good."

He began searching.

Half an hour later, Eden was standing before a seemingly ordinary stone wall.

Obsidian stood beside him.

Sylvia had manifested briefly and was examining the wall as well.

"There has to be something here."

"We looked through the entire chamber."

Eden ran his hand across the stone.

Nothing.

He pressed his Essence into it.

Nothing.

Obsidian struck the wall.

Nothing yet again.

Eden stared at him.

"...I appreciate the enthusiasm."

Sylvia suddenly raised a hand.

"Wait."

Eden looked toward her.

"What?"

"Here."

She pointed toward a tiny indentation.

Almost invisible.

Eden crouched.

The strange rune-shaped key fit perfectly.

The trio heard a loud click the moment he inserted it.

The wall trembled.

Ancient runes appeared across the stone.

Eden stepped back.

The wall began opening.

Stone moved with a grinding sound.

Dust filled the air.

Beyond it was darkness.

The kind that seemed to swallow even Essence.

Eden stared into the passage.

"Found it."

He stepped inside.

Obsidian followed.

Sylvia dissolved back into Dark Matter.

The passage continued downward.

Far deeper than Eden expected.

Eventually, the tunnel opened into a massive cave.

Eden stopped.

Ancient writings covered the walls.

Thousands of them.

Some were carved directly into stone.

Others appeared to have been burned into it.

The symbols were unlike anything Eden had seen before.

He approached the nearest wall.

"Can you read these?"

Sylvia’s voice came quietly.

[Some.]

"Some?"

[They’re extremely old.]

Eden narrowed his eyes.

"Try."

He placed his hand against the writing.

Essence flowed into it.

Nothing happened.

He tried again.

More Essence.

Still nothing.

Then he noticed a sentence repeated across several sections.

Sylvia manifested and began reading.

"The Ruler..."

He followed the markings as she continued.

Another line.

"He who stands where the trials begin..."

Another.

"He who judges those who seek what lies beyond..."

Eden’s eyes narrowed.

"The Ruler of Trials."

The cave remained silent.

She continued reading.

"Three doors shall open..."

"One shall offer strength..."

"One shall offer knowledge..."

"One shall offer death..."

Eden frowned.

"What does that mean?"

"I’m not sure, Master.’

They moved farther into the cave.

More writing.

"The worthy shall walk beneath the eyes of the unseen..."

"The unworthy shall leave nothing behind..."

"The hand that reaches for power must first prove that it can bear it."

Eden stared.

This sounded less like instructions and more like a warning.

Then he noticed something.

The writings weren’t simply telling a story.

They were responding to his Essence.

Every time he channeled power into a section, more symbols appeared.

Eden’s expression changed.

"Oh."

He understood.

"This is a sequence."

He followed the markings.

Left.

Right.

Down.

Then the center.

He placed both hands against the stone.

Essence poured into the carvings.

For several seconds, nothing happened.

Just as Eden was about to give up, Blue flames erupted along the walls.

One torch.

Then another.

Then dozens more.

Hundreds of torches ignited simultaneously.

The entire cave was illuminated by cold blue fire.

Eden slowly looked around.

At the far end of the cavern stood a figure.

Tall.

Massive.

Humanoid, though calling it a Human would be generous.

Its body looked as though someone had carved a demon out of black stone.

Two enormous horns protruded from its head.

Four arms extended from its torso.

Two held long spears.

The other two rested at its sides.

Black robes hung from its body.

Its face was expressionless.

Yet its eyes glowed faintly.

Obsidian immediately stepped forward.

Dark Matter surged around him.

Eden raised a hand.

"Stay back."

Obsidian stopped.

Eden stepped forward alone.

The creature looked at him.

Then, unexpectedly, it spoke.

"You have come."

Eden froze.

The voice was deep.

Ancient.

But perfectly understandable.

"You can speak human language?"

The guardian tilted its head.

"To an extent."

Eden smiled slightly.

"Good. Saves me some trouble."

The guardian stared at him.

"Do you truly wish to proceed?"

Eden’s smile faded.

"Yes."

"You understand that this is a trial?"

"I do."

"You may die."

"I know."

Eden summoned his Aura Blade.

Purple Essence gathered along the edge.

"You’d bettet worry about yourself instead."

The guardian remained silent.

Then one of its four hands tightened around a spear.

"So be it."

Eden’s expression sharpened.

"Let’s do this."

[Corrupted Surge]

Crimson Essence erupted around him.

His attributes surged.

The guardian’s eyes widened slightly.

Then Eden felt Dark Matter flow through his body.

Sylvia’s voice whispered inside his mind.

[Ready?]

"As ready as I can get."

Dark Matter wrapped around him.

The guardian’s expression changed.

For the first time, genuine interest appeared in its eyes.

"...Interesting."

Eden frowned.

"What?"

The guardian stared directly at him.

"Two Seeds."

Eden’s eyes narrowed.

"Two what?"

The guardian didn’t answer.

Its gaze remained fixed on Eden.

"You carry two Seeds within your vessel."

Eden’s grip tightened around his Aura Blade.

He had absolutely no idea what it was talking about.

’Two Seeds?’

’Is it referring to Essence and Dark Matter?’

’Or something else?’

His mind raced.

But the guardian suddenly lowered its stance.

Eden immediately abandoned the thought.

Whatever the creature meant, he could investigate afterward.

Right now, he had a trial to survive.

The guardian moved.

So did Eden.

Their weapons collided.

The impact shook the entire cave.

Eden’s Aura Blade screeched against one of the guardian’s spears.

The second spear came from the side.

Eden ducked.

It passed inches above his head.

He twisted his body and slashed upward.

The guardian blocked.

Another collision.

Then another.

The guardian’s movements were terrifyingly precise.

Two spears attacked from completely different angles.

Eden blocked one.

Dodged another.

The third arm moved.

Eden barely saw the attack.

He jumped backward.

The spear struck the ground where his chest had been.

The entire stone floor shattered.

Eden landed several meters away.

His eyes narrowed.

’This thing is strong.’

’Without a doubt a B-Rank.’

The guardian slowly lifted both spears.

"You possess strength."

Eden raised his Aura Blade.

"But strength alone..."

The guardian’s four arms shifted.

"...will not complete this trial."

Eden smiled.

"I wasn’t planning on winning with strength alone."

The guardian’s eyes glowed.

"A clever answer."

Eden tightened his grip.

[Burst-step]

Then vanished.