Its eyes glowed.
Its muscles swelled.
Its Essence erupted outward.
Eden’s expression became serious.
"Berserk..."
He had seen this before.
A forced transformation.
A state where the creature sacrificed reason for raw power.
Kael stared at the monster.
"You regenerated?"
The creature charged.
Kael barely blocked the first strike.
Boom!
He was driven backward.
His golden blade shook violently.
"What strength!"
For the first time, Kael sounded genuinely frightened.
The Rogue watched from a distance.
Then he smiled.
"Perfect."
He turned.
And jumped.
He landed directly beside Eden and Lucy.
Lucy immediately rose her fists, charging them with her skill.
The Rogue glanced at them.
Eden’s eyes met his.
Neither moved.
For a moment, the battlefield seemed to disappear.
Eden could feel it.
The man’s presence.
His intent.
His confidence.
This wasn’t some desperate criminal who had gotten lucky.
He had planned this.
He had waited for Kael to let his guard down.
Then attacked him.
And now he had landed directly beside Eden.
Eden looked at Lucy.
"Go."
Her eyes widened.
"What?"
"Help Kael take down the boss."
She looked toward the raging boss.
"But you—"
"Charge your skill and flank it. Don’t overdo it and just support Kael."
Lucy hesitated.
"Eden, are you sure?"
He smiled.
It wasn’t his usual carefree smile.
It was the smile he wore when he’d already decided something.
"Just go."
Lucy clenched her fists.
She clearly didn’t want to leave him.
But Eden’s voice carried absolute certainty.
"Lucy."
She looked at him.
"Trust me."
Her expression tightened.
"...Fine."
She turned and sprinted toward Kael.
The Rogue watched her leave.
Then slowly looked back at Eden.
"You sent your partner away."
Eden rolled his shoulders.
"She isn’t my partner."
The Rogue chuckled.
"Then what is she?"
Eden’s silver eyes narrowed.
"Someone I don’t want you killing."
The Rogue drew another dagger.
"How noble."
Eden raised his fists.
"I wouldn’t go that far."
A faint orange glow began forming around his body
[Phase Shift — Offensive Mode]
"So..."
He cracked his neck.
"...let’s see what you’re worth."
Eden raised his hands.
The Rogue stood several meters away, Two daggers hanging loosely between his fingers.
Neither moved.
For a brief moment, the ruined street around them seemed strangely quiet.
The Rogue suddenly disappeared.
Not through Stealth.
He disappeared through sheer speed.
The ground cracked beneath his foot as he shot forward.
Eden barely raised his arm.
Clang!
The dagger struck his forearm.
Even with Phase Shift reinforcing his body, the impact stung.
Eden twisted his body, allowing the dagger to slide past him, and immediately countered with a punch.
The Rogue leaned backward.
Eden’s fist passed within centimeters of his face.
The Rogue grinned.
"Not bad."
He kicked.
Eden blocked with his elbow.
The impact sent him skidding across the pavement.
His shoes scraped against broken concrete.
Eden immediately regained his balance.
His heart was pounding.
’Fast.’
He had already expected the Rogue to be quick.
But this was ridiculous.
Even after leveling twice from the four remaining creatures...
Even after consuming dozens of corpses...
Even with Phase Shift increasing his physical capabilities...
He was barely keeping up.
The Rogue rushed him again.
A slash.
Eden dodged.
Another.
He leaned away.
A third came from below.
Eden jumped.
The dagger passed beneath his foot.
He landed behind the Rogue and drove his elbow toward the back of his neck.
The Rogue turned just in time.
Boom!
Their attacks collided.
Both took a step backward.
Eden smiled.
’I can read him.’
That was the difference.
The Rogue might have been faster.
Stronger.
More physically capable.
But Eden had something the man couldn’t possibly possess.
Thirteen years.
Thirteen years of fighting.
Thirteen years of watching monsters kill people.
Thirteen years of learning how to survive against opponents he had no business fighting.
The Rogue’s movements weren’t random.
His weight shifted before every attack.
His shoulders gave away the direction of his strikes.
His hips betrayed his kicks.
His eyes followed targets a fraction of a second before his body moved.
Eden saw it all.
The Rogue lunged.
Eden sidestepped.
A dagger sliced through empty air.
Eden drove his fist into the man’s ribs.
Thud!
The Rogue staggered.
Eden followed with another punch.
Then another.
A knee.
An elbow.
A final kick.
The Rogue was knocked several meters away.
Dust rose around him.
Eden breathed heavily.
His knuckles hurt.
But the Rogue...
Slowly stood up.
He looked down at his clothes.
Then brushed some dust from his shoulder.
"That’s it?"
Eden’s expression twitched.
The Rogue laughed.
"I expected more."
"You’re welcome to come closer."
The Rogue’s grin widened.
"You’ve got quite the mouth for a teenager."
"I’m nineteen."
"That makes it even weirder."
The Rogue raised his dagger.
"Your movements..."
His expression became more interested.
"They don’t belong to someone your age."
Eden’s smile faded.
"You’re surprisingly observant."
"I’ve killed plenty of people."
"So have I."
The Rogue paused.
Eden stepped forward.
"Well."
His eyes narrowed.
"Not in this life."
The Rogue stared at him.
Eden suddenly rushed forward.
The two collided again.
This time, Eden didn’t retreat.
He fought.
His fists moved faster than before, enhanced by Phase Shift.
The Rogue blocked.
Eden changed angles.
The Rogue countered.
Eden ducked.
A dagger skimmed over his hair.
Eden grabbed the Rogue’s wrist.
The Rogue twisted free.
Eden slammed his shoulder into him.
Both crashed through the remains of a storefront.
Glass shattered around them.
The Rogue kicked Eden through a wall.
Eden crashed into the street.
He rolled, coughed once, and immediately stood.
"Okay."
He wiped dust from his mouth.
"You’re tedious."
The Rogue laughed.
"You haven’t figured it out yet?"
"Figured what out?"
"I’m better than you."
Eden stared at him.
Then smiled.
"Are you?"
The Rogue’s grin faded slightly.
Eden pointed at him.
"You know, if you’re actually stronger than me by that much, this is pretty embarrassing."
"What?"
"You’ve been fighting an F-Rank."
The Rogue’s expression hardened.
Eden continued.
"Even with my weird skill and whatever attributes I’ve stolen, I’m still only F-Rank."
He tilted his head.
"And yet you’re struggling to put me down."
The Rogue’s eyes narrowed.
Eden chuckled.
"Which means..."
He spread his arms.
"You can’t be higher than E-Rank."
Silence.
The Rogue’s eye twitched.
Eden smiled.
"Ballsy, though."
The Rogue’s expression darkened.
"Excuse me?"
"You tried to assassinate a C-Rank."
Eden glanced toward Kael, who was still battling the berserk boss.
"While being an E-Rank."
His smile became sharper.
"All because you can turn invisible."
The Rogue’s grip tightened around his dagger.
"Careful."
"What?"
Eden shrugged.
"Did I hit a nerve?"
The Rogue’s Essence exploded outward.
BOOM!
Eden’s feet slid backward.
The man’s expression had completely changed.
The playful amusement was gone.
"Shut up!"
He charged.
Eden’s eyes widened.
The Rogue was faster.
Much faster.
CLANG!
Eden blocked the first strike.
The second came immediately.
He twisted aside.
The third caught his shoulder.
Blood sprayed.
Eden gritted his teeth.
The Rogue didn’t stop.
He attacked relentlessly.
Dagger.
Punch.
Kick.
Dagger.
Every movement flowed into the next.
Eden was forced backward.
His mind worked at full speed.
’Too fast.’
He barely avoided a stab to the chest.
But predictable.
The dagger passed.
Eden grabbed the Rogue’s wrist and slammed his forehead into the man’s face.
The Rogue stumbled.
Eden punched him.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The Rogue finally retaliated with a knee to Eden’s stomach.
Eden doubled over.
The Rogue grabbed his hair and threw him.
Eden smashed through a wrecked vehicle.
Metal bent around his body.
For a moment, he didn’t move.
Then his hand pushed against the wreckage.
Eden stood.
Blood trickled from his forehead.
He laughed.
The Rogue stared.
"You’re insane."
"Maybe."
Eden wiped the blood away.
"But you’re not exactly normal either."
The Rogue charged again.
This time Eden met him halfway.
Their fists collided.
The shockwave blew dust away from them.
Eden ducked under another dagger.
He struck the Rogue’s jaw.
The Rogue’s head snapped sideways.
Eden followed with a kick.
The Rogue blocked.
Eden grabbed his leg.
The Rogue’s eyes widened.
Eden slammed him into the ground.
Boom!
The pavement cracked.
The Rogue rolled away before Eden could follow.
He stood slowly.
Both men were breathing heavily now.
Eden’s body was beginning to ache.
His Phase Shift was consuming Essence.
His stamina was dropping.
And yet the Rogue still looked relatively fine.
Eden clicked his tongue.
’He’s tougher than I thought.’
The Rogue looked at him.
"Enough."
Eden raised an eyebrow.
"Already?"
"I’ve had enough of playing with you."
A strange chill ran down Eden’s spine.
The Rogue lowered his daggers.
"I’m ending this."
Eden’s eyes narrowed.
The Rogue’s Essence disappeared.
His presence vanished.
His body faded.
’Stealth.’
Eden’s eyes widened.
"So that’s your trump card."
Nothing.
No footsteps.
No Essence.
No presence.
The battlefield seemed to swallow the Rogue completely.
Eden stood still.
He couldn’t see him.
Couldn’t hear him.
Couldn’t sense him.
A normal Awakened would be helpless.
Eden smiled.
"Then I guess it’s time to use mine."
Red Essence erupted from his body.
The air distorted.
Mouths opened within the crimson energy.
Teeth emerged.
Eyes blinked from impossible places.
The Rogue suddenly became visible.
His expression changed from confidence to terror.
"What—?!"
The red Essence surged toward him.
"Wait!"
The Rogue tried to run.
The mouths opened.
"WAIT!"
The first tendril wrapped around his leg.
He screamed.
"HELP!"
Eden watched silently.
The Rogue slashed desperately at the Essence.
His daggers passed through it.
Nothing happened.
More red Essence swallowed his arms.
His chest.
His head.
"No! Please!"
Eden’s eyes remained cold.
"You should’ve thought about that before."
The red mass tightened.
The Rogue’s scream disappeared.
Devour continued until only the two daggers remained.
Eden stood there, staring at the empty pavement.
He exhaled.
"...I only won because he underestimated me."
He looked down at his hands.
"And because I have Devour."
A System window appeared.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[Skill Acquired]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Stealth [D]
Hides the wielder’s presence from perception.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Eden blinked.
Then smiled.
"Well."
He opened his status.
His Level had risen again.
Four times.
He allocated every single attribute point into Strength and Agility.
He didn’t hesitate.
If he couldn’t keep up with fast opponents, he needed speed.
If he couldn’t overpower them, he needed strength.
Simple.
Eden closed the System.
"Now..."
He looked toward the boss.
"...let’s see how Lucy’s doing."