The main hall stood apart from the rest of the campus.
Unlike the sprawling collection of academic buildings surrounding it, the structure was almost self-contained—a massive rectangular building roughly half the size of the main campus itself. Its wide glass entrance reflected the afternoon sunlight, while several banners bearing the emblem of the university hung above the doors.
Normally, it would have been packed with students.
Today, however, Eden saw almost no one.
"Probably arranged by Luvian."
He stopped several meters away from the entrance.
Eden glanced toward the main hall.
’Let’s get this over with.’
He activated Stealth.
His body vanished.
Eden walked toward the entrance and slipped inside.
The moment he entered, the atmosphere changed.
The building was almost completely empty.
Rows of seats stretched across the enormous central hall, all of them completely unoccupied.
But Eden wasn’t interested in the stage.
His eyes immediately found the two people standing near the center of the hall.
Luvian.
And one of his lackeys.
Luvian stood with his arms crossed, casually listening to the other student speak.
The lackey looked nervous.
"He’s not coming."
Luvian said nothing.
The lackey scratched the back of his neck before letting out an exaggerated sigh.
"Guess we wasted our time."
He smiled.
It wasn’t a friendly smile.
It was the kind that made Eden’s stomach twist.
"Well... if Eden isn’t going to show up, I suppose we’ll just have to go after that little girl instead."
Mihui.
The moment her name was implied, something inside Eden snapped.
Stealth ended.
Eden appeared directly beside the lackey.
His hand shot forward.
Crack.
His fingers wrapped around the man’s jaw.
The lackey’s eyes widened.
"Wha—"
Eden lifted him off the ground with one arm.
His feet kicked uselessly beneath him.
Eden stared directly into his eyes.
"You shouldn’t have said that."
Red Essence began spilling from Eden’s body.
The lackey’s expression changed.
"What—"
The crimson energy crawled over Eden’s arm before spreading across his entire body.
Teeth.
Eyes.
Distorted mouths.
The Essence moved like something alive.
The lackey’s face went pale.
Luvian’s expression shifted for the first time.
A shiver ran down his spine.
’That skill...’
’I’ve heard about it from Isaac but...’
’...But seeing it up close is different.’
Eden tightened his grip.
The red Essence surged.
The lackey’s body was suddenly covered in bruises.
Then cuts.
Then deep purple marks.
He screamed.
Eden didn’t even blink.
The Essence continued tearing through him without actually killing him, overwhelming his body in an instant.
Boom!
Eden released him.
The lackey was blasted across the room like a rag doll.
He smashed through one wall.
Then another.
Then another.
Concrete and glass exploded outward as his body disappeared into the next section of the building.
Silence followed.
Dust slowly drifted through the air.
Eden lowered his arm.
The red Essence faded.
Luvian stared at the destruction.
Then he sighed.
"That was rather excessive."
Eden looked at him.
"You threatened my family."
"Your family?"
"Mihui."
Luvian shrugged.
"I suppose I shouldn’t have used her."
His tone was strangely casual.
"But I’ll admit something."
He uncrossed his arms.
"I wanted you here."
Eden said nothing.
Luvian smiled.
"Everything I’ve heard about you has been interesting."
He began walking forward.
"You beat Isaac."
Another step.
"You’ve finally grown out of that pathetic shell of a human you used to be."
Another.
"And now you’ve got that..."
His eyes briefly flicked toward the remnants of the destroyed walls.
"...interesting skill."
Luvian stopped.
"Right hand to god, I wasn’t planning to harm you, Eden."
Eden’s expression didn’t change.
"How generous."
"I’m serious."
Luvian smiled.
"My words earlier were harsh, but I actually wanted to scout you."
"Scout me?"
"Yes."
Luvian spread his arms slightly.
"After the Tryouts, I’m going to create my own guild."
Eden raised an eyebrow.
Luvian continued.
"I know what people think of me. Rich kid. S-Rank father’s son. Arrogant bastard."
"At least you’re self-aware."
Luvian ignored him.
"But there’s one thing everyone forgets."
His eyes sharpened.
"Even a genius like me can’t do everything alone."
Eden stared at him.
Luvian smiled.
"You’ve got talent. More than I initially thought."
"Get to the point."
"I’m offering you a place beside me."
Silence.
Luvian’s smile widened.
"We forget everything that’s happened between us. The school. Isaac. Everything."
He extended a hand.
"Come with me."
Eden looked at the hand.
Then at Luvian.
Luvian continued.
"I can promise you wealth. Status. Connections. Honor."
Eden stared at him for another second before finally speaking up.
"Shut up."
Luvian’s smile disappeared.
Eden’s voice was quiet.
"You crossed a line."
He clenched his fists.
"And now you want me to stand beside you?"
Orange Essence erupted around Eden’s body.
[Phase Shift]
[Offensive Mode]
His muscles tensed.
His posture lowered.
Luvian’s eyes widened.
For the first time, genuine surprise appeared on his face.
"You..."
A grin slowly spread across his face.
"So that’s it."
Eden narrowed his eyes.
Luvian laughed.
"I knew it."
Fire suddenly erupted around him.
Flames spiraled upward from the floor.
Heat flooded the room.
"You’re exactly the kind of person I thought you were."
Luvian’s smile became vicious.
"A obedient dog needs to be trained first."
Eden’s expression went blank.
Then he disappeared.
Luvian barely reacted.
Boom!
A fist slammed into his cheek.
His head snapped sideways.
At the same instant, fire exploded from beneath him.
The blast sent Eden flying backward.
He twisted through the air and landed on his feet.
The floor beneath him cracked.
Luvian wiped a thin line of blood from the corner of his mouth.
He looked at it.
Then smiled.
"You hit hard."
Eden didn’t answer.
A blue barrier erupted around the exterior of the building.
It spread upward like a dome, enclosing the entire structure.
Eden’s eyes shifted toward it.
’A barrier?’
’No.’
He could feel the Essence.
’Binding.’
’A specialized skill designed to isolate an area.’
Luvian laughed.
"I figured we’d need some privacy."
Eden’s eyes narrowed.
"So that’s why the building was empty."
"Exactly."
Luvian raised one hand.
Fire gathered around his fingers.
"I don’t like people interrupting me."
The temperature inside the hall skyrocketed.
Eden’s clothes fluttered from the pressure.
His silver eyes remained fixed on Luvian.
S-Rank skill.
He knew what that meant.
The gap between ranks wasn’t something ordinary attributes could simply erase.
But Eden wasn’t ordinary anymore.
His attributes had climbed dramatically after the double dungeon.
And Phase Shift’s Offensive Mode multiplied what he already had.
Luvian thrust his hand forward.
A massive wave of fire surged across the hall.
Eden charged directly into it.
His body blurred.
Boom!
His fist collided with the flames.
The impact detonated.
The shockwave tore through rows of seats.
Eden emerged from the explosion.
He swung.
Luvian blocked.
Another explosion.
Luvian countered with a flaming knee.
Eden twisted.
The attack grazed his ribs.
Pain exploded through his side.
He retaliated with an elbow.
Luvian ducked.
A burst of flame erupted from his palm.
Eden crossed his arms.
He was thrown backward.
He smashed through several seats before catching himself against the floor.
He immediately pushed himself upright.
’Strong.’
’Very strong.’
The difference wasn’t as large as Eden expected.
At least not in raw physical attributes.
His eyes narrowed.
’I can keep up.’
Luvian charged.
Fire gathered around both fists.
Eden met him head-on.
The two collided.
Fist against flame.
Another clash.
Then another.
The hall began to shake.
Each exchange created explosions powerful enough to tear apart the surrounding seats.
Eden slipped beneath a flaming punch and drove his fist into Luvian’s stomach.
Thud!
Luvian’s eyes widened.
He was sent flying several meters backward.
A wall of fire erupted between them before Eden could follow.
Eden jumped backward.
Flames roared past his face.
He felt the heat even from several meters away.
’That’s going to be a massive problem.’
Eden wiped blood from his cheek.
His skin was already beginning to blister.
Luvian’s attacks were simply too destructive.
His physical strength might be comparable.
His speed might be manageable.
But every mistake against an S-Rank skill carried consequences.
Eden could afford to take a punch.
He couldn’t afford to take a direct hit from those flames.
’I could use Devour.’
The thought came naturally.
His eyes flicked toward Luvian.
’One clean activation.’
It was his trump card.
He had planned for this.
From the moment he’d walked into the building, he had already decided that Devour would be the final answer if Luvian became too dangerous.
But...
Something felt different.
A faint red glow seeped from Eden’s shoulders.
He hadn’t activated Devour.
Yet the Essence was leaking out anyway.
Tiny crimson wisps crawled across his skin.
Eden’s expression darkened.
’What...?’
The red Essence seemed to twitch.
Almost as if it were calling to him.
’Not now.’
He clenched his fists.
The crimson energy receded slightly.
But it didn’t disappear.
It remained.
Waiting.
Hungry.
Eden’s jaw tightened.
’Why does it feel like it’s getting impatient?’
Luvian suddenly appeared in front of him.
Eden’s instincts screamed.
He ducked.
A flaming fist passed over his head.
Eden drove his knee upward.
Luvian blocked with his forearm.
Eden immediately followed with a punch.
Luvian twisted aside.
Another punch.
Blocked.
Another.
Blocked.
Eden’s movements became increasingly aggressive.
He wasn’t trying to overpower Luvian.
He was studying him.
His stance.
His breathing.
The timing of his attacks.
The slight movement of his shoulders before he released fire.
The way his weight shifted whenever he prepared a larger spell.
’There!’
Eden saw it.
A tiny opening.
His fist accelerated.
Luvian moved to block.
Eden vanished.
Stealth.
Luvian’s eyes widened.
"What—?"
A fist slammed into his ribs.
Crack!
Luvian was sent flying sideways.
Eden reappeared several meters away.
He didn’t give him time to recover.
He vanished again.
Luvian spun around.
Nothing.
"Tsk!"
He unleashed fire in every direction.
Flames engulfed the hall.
Eden remained invisible.
His body appeared behind Luvian.
A fist drove toward his back.
Luvian turned at the last moment.
He blocked.
But Eden’s fist still connected.
Luvian staggered.
Eden smiled faintly.
"Got you."
He pulled his other fist back.
Purple Essence began coating his knuckles.
Luvian’s smile disappeared.
"What is that?"
Eden didn’t answer.
[Paralysis]
The D-Rank skill flowed through his Essence.
Normally, Eden used it with his daggers.
Those daggers were gone now.
Both broken.
He had no weapon left to rely on.
So he had adapted.
’If I can’t stab him...’
He tightened his fist.
’I’ll punch it into him.’
Eden swung.
Luvian blocked.
The impact still sent Essence into his body.
A faint purple mark appeared beneath Luvian’s skin.
He didn’t notice.
Not yet.
Eden stepped away.
One hit.
He watched Luvian carefully.
Then another.
Luvian’s fire exploded outward.
Eden barely dodged.
A flame grazed his shoulder.
He ignored it to the best of his abilities.
He rushed forward again.
Their fists collided.
Fire exploded.
Eden’s knuckles split.
He attacked again.
Another purple trace entered Luvian’s body.
Again.
Again.
Each strike was small.
Almost meaningless.
But that was the point.
Paralysis didn’t need to stop Luvian immediately.
It only needed time.
Eden could feel the skill spreading through his opponent’s Essence.
’Come on!’
Luvian suddenly slammed both hands together.
A massive sphere of fire formed between his palms.
Eden’s eyes widened.
The air itself distorted from the heat.
Luvian grinned.
"You’ve been impressive."
The flames grew.
"But you’re still underestimating me!"
Eden lowered his stance.
Red Essence crawled faintly along his arms.
Eden’s eyes sharpened.
Luvian thrust both hands forward.
The fireball exploded across the hall.
Eden vanished.
[Stealth]
The flames swallowed everything.
Walls cracked.
Seats disintegrated.
The floor split apart.
And somewhere inside the inferno, Eden moved.
His body reappeared behind Luvian.
His fist was already pulled back.
Purple Essence covered his knuckles.
Eden grinned.
"Gotcha!"
His fist slammed into Luvian’s back.
Boom!
The entire hall shook as Luvian was sent flying across the entire Hall, crashing into a wall.