Lucy was having a terrible time.
The boss monster was enormous.
Its four arms moved with terrifying speed, each strike capable of destroying a building.
And almost every attack was aimed at Kael.
Kael was the primary damage dealer.
His golden Essence Blade cut through the monster’s flesh with every opening.
But the damage never lasted.
The wounds closed almost immediately.
"Again?!" Kael shouted.
He barely blocked another strike.
The impact sent him sliding backward.
Lucy stood several meters away.
Her fists were glowing.
She had charged her skill for several seconds before rushing forward.
Her fist slammed into the monster’s side.
The attack actually pushed its body slightly.
Lucy smiled.
"I did it!"
The smile disappeared almost immediately.
The wound began regenerating.
"...Oh."
The monster turned.
Lucy immediately backed away.
Her skill required charging.
And she couldn’t maintain it for long.
Every attack she landed disappeared almost as quickly as it came.
’I need more time.’
She looked toward Kael.
He was fighting desperately.
The monster was becoming stronger.
Lucy gritted her teeth.
"I need to help."
She began charging again.
Essence gathered around both fists.
She moved around the battlefield.
Behind the monster.
If she could strike it from the rear while Kael occupied its attention—
Maybe she could create an opening.
She waited.
The monster swung at Kael.
Kael dodged.
Lucy rushed in.
She raised her fist...
...only for the monster to suddenly turn around.
Both of its rear arms swung toward her.
Lucy’s eyes widened.
’It saw me?!’
The enormous arms descended.
She froze.
There was nowhere to run.
The shadow of the monster covered her.
"I—"
Her voice trembled.
"Eden!"
The arms came down.
Lucy closed her eyes.
’...’
Nothing happened.
A gust of wind passed beside her.
Something grabbed her.
Her body was lifted from the ground.
The impact never came.
Lucy opened her eyes.
Eden was holding her.
For a moment, she simply stared.
"E-Eden...?"
He was covered in dust and blood.
But he was standing.
Alive.
And mostly unharmed.
Eden carefully set her down.
"You okay?"
Lucy nodded quickly.
"Y-Yeah."
She looked him over again.
"You are..."
"I’m fine."
"But the Rogue—"
"Handled."
Eden reached into his pockets.
He pulled out two small daggers.
F-Rank.
The Rogue’s weapons.
Lucy stared.
"You killed him?"
Eden glanced at the daggers.
"Something like that."
He handed one dagger between his fingers and examined its balance.
Then looked at Lucy.
"Listen carefully."
His tone became serious.
"Stay back."
Lucy frowned.
"What?"
"Charge your skill."
He pointed toward the boss.
"Charge it as much as you possibly can."
Her eyes widened.
"But—"
"Every bit of Essence you have."
Lucy looked confused.
"Why?"
Eden didn’t answer.
Instead, he stepped forward.
"I’ll help Kael."
He spun the two daggers once before gripping them properly.
"And I’ll cover for you."
Lucy hesitated.
"Eden..."
He looked back.
"Give me a sign when you’re ready."
She swallowed.
"...Okay."
Eden turned toward the boss.
Orange Essence began covering his body once more.
[Phase Shift]
[Offensive mode]
His Strength increased.
His Agility surged.
He lowered his body into a stance.
Two F-Rank daggers rested in his hands.
Behind him, Lucy began charging.
Her Essence grew denser.
The berserk roared ahead.
Eden smiled.
"Let’s finish this."
Then he disappeared forward.
The moment Eden disappeared forward, the berserk boss roared.
Eden’s eyes narrowed.
The boss swung one arm downward.
He ducked.
A second fist came from the side.
Eden jumped.
The third arm swept across the battlefield like a wrecking ball.
He flipped over it.
Then he disappeared.
[Stealth]
His presence vanished completely.
The boss froze for a fraction of a second, its crimson eyes scanning the area.
That was all Kael needed.
"Now!"
Kael rushed forward.
Golden Essence erupted from his body as he swung his blade upward.
The golden sword carved a deep gash across the monster’s chest.
Dark blood sprayed across the ruined street.
Kael landed several meters away, breathing heavily.
"It worked!"
Eden reappeared behind the boss.
"Keep hitting it!"
The monster turned.
Eden was already moving.
He activated Phase Shift’s offensive mode again, pushing his Strength and Agility as far as his current attributes allowed.
His body blurred.
One dagger stabbed into the monster’s thigh.
The other slashed across its abdomen.
He immediately kicked off its body and vanished again.
The boss roared.
Its massive arm crashed down where Eden had been standing.
Boom!
Concrete exploded.
Eden reappeared above it.
Both daggers plunged downward.
They pierced the monster’s shoulder.
He twisted the blades before ripping them free.
The wound was deep.
Very deep.
But Eden watched it close.
Flesh twisted.
Muscle reconnected.
The bleeding stopped.
Within seconds, the wound was almost completely gone.
Eden’s expression darkened.
"Damn it."
’Regeneration.’
That was the problem.
He could hurt it.
Kael could hurt it.
Lucy could hurt it.
But none of their attacks were lasting.
The moment they created an opening, the monster simply healed.
’We’re going to run out of stamina before it runs out of blood.’
The boss swung all four arms.
Eden jumped backward.
One fist missed his face by inches.
Another destroyed a nearby building.
A third slammed into the ground.
The fourth came directly for him.
Eden vanished.
[Stealth]
The fist passed through empty air.
Kael immediately understood.
"Again!"
He charged.
Golden Essence gathered around his sword.
The blade became brighter.
He swung with everything he had.
The attack struck the boss’s side and tore through layers of flesh.
The monster stumbled.
Kael gritted his teeth.
"Stay down!"
It didn’t.
The wound began closing.
Kael’s expression stiffened.
"You’re kidding..."
Eden reappeared beside him.
"Don’t bother trying to kill it."
Kael glanced at him.
"What?"
"Just keep damaging it."
"That’s your plan?"
"For now."
The boss screamed.
Both men separated as its four arms smashed down.
The ground cracked.
Chunks of asphalt flew through the air.
Eden rolled beneath another strike, stabbed upward into the creature’s stomach, and immediately activated Stealth again.
The boss lost sight of him.
Its attention snapped toward Kael.
Kael’s eyes widened.
"Seriously?!"
The monster charged.
Kael planted his feet.
Golden Essence exploded around his sword.
"Come on, then!"
He met it head-on.
The collision shook the battlefield.
Kael was pushed backward.
One step.
Two.
Three.
His boots dug into the ground.
The monster’s strength was overwhelming.
Kael’s arms trembled.
Blood from the Rogue’s earlier stab had already soaked through his clothes.
Every movement reopened the wound.
Yet he refused to fall.
Eden watched from the shadows.
’He’s reaching his limit.’
Kael’s breathing was ragged.
His face had gone pale.
Still, he raised his sword.
The monster swung.
Kael blocked.
Clang!
The impact sent him flying.
He crashed into a destroyed vehicle and rolled across the pavement.
Eden’s eyes narrowed.
He almost moved to help.
Then Kael stood.
The golden sword remained in his hand.
Eden couldn’t help but be impressed.
’Considering he got stabbed through the stomach earlier...’
Kael wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.
’He’s... surprisingly persistent.’
The monster roared.
Despite the situation, Eden almost smiled.
’Yeah.’
’He really is impressive.’
For someone who had just been stabbed by an assassin, thrown around by a berserk D+ boss, and forced to fight continuously without rest, Kael had lasted far longer than Eden expected.
Eden vanished again.
The monster’s attention snapped away from Kael.
Stealth.
Its crimson eyes searched desperately.
They found nothing.
Eden appeared beneath its arm and cut across its ribs.
The monster turned.
He vanished.
Kael attacked.
The boss turned toward Kael.
Eden appeared again.
Another wound.
Another disappearance.
Another opening for Kael.
The two gradually found a rhythm.
Eden would draw the monster’s attention.
Stealth.
Kael would attack.
The monster would turn toward Kael.
Eden would strike again.
It wasn’t elegant.
It wasn’t powerful enough to end the fight.
But it worked.