Chapter 225: Natural-born Genius
Evangeline advanced cautiously, her detection skill silently sweeping the tunnels ahead. Adyr followed just behind her, his movements steady but watchful, prepared to respond without hesitation. Victor remained at the center of the formation, shielded as the least capable fighter at the moment. Selina and Dalin covered the rear, their footsteps quiet as the group continued deeper into the passage.
"We should have bought a healing Spark," Victor muttered, sounding unusually dispirited for someone like him. Both of his arms hung limply at his sides, seemingly useless.
"It’ll be our first priority next time," Selina replied calmly.
Support-type Sparks weren’t just rare and highly sought after—they were also expensive. Especially those with healing abilities. Failing to secure one wasn’t exactly their fault, considering their budget constraints.
Adyr said nothing at their complaint. He was, inwardly, amused. He himself had evolved first through the Dawn Raven, granting him a remarkable recovery speed simply by consuming fresh meat and absorbing life force. His second evolution, the Mind Drake, enhanced both his physical and mental regeneration further. In short, their ’healing problem’ didn’t concern him.
"Which region are you in right now?" He asked, without breaking his focus on his surroundings.
They had already met each other in the other world. Now, he was curious how far their current location was from Velari—the kingdom where he stood.
Selina answered once again. "Somewhere between the Outer Region and the Midlands. A unified region called Pacthold."
At that, Adyr raised an eyebrow, visibly more interested. He knew the name. The Velari archives held detailed maps of the area.
Pacthold... A transitional region situated between the end of the Eastern Region and the start of the Midlands. What made it notable was its neutrality: it belonged to neither a single race nor a single Path.
They’re strategically in a good place, Adyr thought.
The presence of multiple races and Path practitioners made Pacthold dangerous. But it was that same diversity that made it the strongest region in the area. Selina and the others advancing quickly wasn’t surprising.
If he ever planned to push into the Midlands—territory where Rank 5 Adepts and stronger figures roamed—he would have no choice but to pass directly through Pacthold.
The conversation seemed to catch Evangeline’s attention as well. Without slowing, she glanced back over her shoulder, her red eyes narrowing slightly. "Pacthold? My body is there. In an inn."
Beneath her surprising appearance, there seemed to be a hidden sting. Unlike Selina and the others, who could leave their bodies unconscious and immobile in the other world under Eren’s care—allowing them to move freely and without worry on Earth—Evangeline was forced to entrust her body to an inn. To secure it, she had to pay a substantial amount of energy crystals.
And now, being the only surviving player in Shelter City 8, only made her situation more precarious.
"That’s not so bad, then. At least we’ve covered the team’s investigative weakness," Victor said with a grin, his meaning clear.
Evangeline smiled in response, having expected the comment. Though Dalin was difficult to get along with, their team was strong. Joining them was far more sensible than struggling to survive alone.
Lost in thought, calculating her next strategic moves in the other world, Evangeline’s skill suddenly detected unusual vibrations up ahead. "There’s something ahead," she warned.
She focused on the density and shape of the vibrations approaching her vision, then spoke without hesitation. "Looks like normal mutants. Maybe 20 or 30 of them."
The tension in the group eased immediately after hearing her report. Knowing an unknown enemy was just ahead was unsettling, but as long as something like those two extraordinary mutants from earlier weren’t involved, regular mutants weren’t much of a threat. Especially since a certain man was leading the assault.
Adyr stepped forward, drawing his black sword from the sheath on his back. "Stay back. I’ll handle this."
As they neared the source, his [Sense] stat picked up faint cues—nothing as sharp as Evangeline’s skill, but enough to alert him to movement ahead. Subtle shifts in the tunnel’s shadows and the faint, restless stir of air hinted at something waiting further on.
After pressing forward a little more, they came upon a wide clearing. There, standing motionless as if lying in wait, were 28 mutants. Their eyes glinted with anticipation, muscles coiled, ready to strike the moment they advanced.
Dalin’s gaze sharpened as she studied the mutant group blocking their path. "Feels like someone sent them here just to slow us down."
The others nodded in silent agreement. Selina’s voice came softly from behind, calm yet certain. "If that’s true, it means we’re heading the right way."
Adyr reached the same conclusion without saying a word. Coating his blade with Malice, he surged forward toward the waiting mutants.
Heads flew with every swing. The creatures barely reacted before their bodies crumpled to the ground in pieces, unable to mount even the slightest resistance.
All the while, the unknown enemy didn’t sit idle. The ground beneath his feet shifted without warning. Rocks broke free from the tunnel walls, and sharp stalactites crashed down from above. Each trap was clearly intended to slow him, trap him, or kill him—but none of them worked. He kept advancing, completely unfazed.
"Can someone tell me who he is?" Evangeline asked, her tone curious, her red eyes lingering on the figure cutting through the enemy. Out of everyone, she knew him the least.
From what she’d learned so far, Adyr didn’t even have a surname. Rising so far, so fast, in a world like this without any known background... it shouldn’t have been possible.
"He’s my brother," Victor answered, managing to sound serious, as if that explained everything.
"Some people are just born naturally gifted, I suppose," Dalin muttered, her tone more grounded, though not without frustration. As a Ravencourt, she had grown up certain of her superiority. She’d begun her second-generation mutations before the age of 8, backed by family wealth and influence. Music, dance, combat—every form of training money could buy, she’d received. Her entire life had been structured and optimized.
And yet, watching Adyr, she found herself forced to accept something she’d never believed before.
Natural-born genius might actually exist.