Yui and Zalarosa did not know what to do.
Zalarosa (hesitantly):
"Yui… should we really go? Honestly, I don't want to leave this floor. I feel a terrifying power behind those stairs."
Yui (said fearfully):
"I feel it too… but we have to go. Let's move."
Yui and Zalarosa dashed toward the stairs and reached them—
and suddenly, a gigantic monster appeared before them, standing nearly sixteen meters tall.
Rio:
"I've started to feel bored... someone has arrived!"
Rio sensed that someone had come.
Adventurer 1:
"Is this the final floor?"
Adventurer 2:
"It seems so."
Adventurer 3:
"Hey, look over there—there's someone sitting down… Is he the final monster here?"
Rio:
"Welcome, welcome to the final floor. Honestly, I never expected anyone to reach this place so quickly."
Adventurer 1:
"Who are you? Are you a monster? …Everyone, get ready!"
The man ordered everyone to prepare for battle.
Rio:
"Not so fast. Let's get to know each other first. My name is Rio."
After a while, the adventurers introduced themselves.
Marina, Araios, and Gaidan—the leader.
Gaidan:
"So… will you fight us alone?"
Rio snapped his fingers, and they were transferred to another place.
The Location:
A massive stone arena atop an abandoned mountain within the labyrinth.
The sky was covered in clouds, mist surrounding the area, as if it were a legendary hall forgotten by time.
The Opponents:
Three mid-rank adventurers known as—
"The Heavenly Seal Trinity."
Araios: Light-element swordsman — strikes at inhuman speed.
Marina: Ice and water-element sword user — freezes the air and controls liquid blades.
Gaidan: Earth and nature duelist — his body is hard as steel, with living roots and stone swords moving around him.
Rio stood before them, his sword still sheathed, his eyes calm…
yet a strange gleam flickered in his right eye.
Gaidan:
"You alone? Against the three of us?"
Marina (mockingly):
"He's brave… or foolish."
Araios (his body glowing):
"Let's finish him quickly. Maybe we'll get something valuable from him."
But Rio did not retreat.
He raised his head and calmly said:
Rio:
"…Eye of Eternity — Level One."
✦ [Eye of Eternity – Level One] ✦
Seeing weak points on bodies as blue markings.
Seeing points of strength as golden glows on joints or weapons.
Seeing the flow of energy within their bodies.
Partial control of time within his field of vision: he can slow their movements by 50% for ten seconds, once every two minutes.
And seeing the past and everything in the world.
The moment his eye ignited, everything changed.
He saw Araios's aura erupting from his chest like a sun.
He saw a weak point on Marina's neck… and a small crack in Gaidan's stone sword.
Rio (coldly):
"You are strong…
But your strength is completely visible to me."
The Beginning: Sacred Cyclone
Araios began the attack—he vanished completely…
then appeared before Rio with a light strike that nearly sliced the air itself.
But Rio shifted at an extremely slight angle… barely noticeable.
He avoided it entirely.
Marina:
"He dodged his speed? Impossible."
Marina then charged forward, spreading her palms.
From both hands, water swords formed and spun around her like a vortex…
then merged into a massive ice spear she hurled at Rio.
Rio focused his right eye, slowing time within his domain.
He stepped lightly, jumped onto the spear, and slid upward along it.
Rio:
"Precise… timing."
He descended from the sky toward Gaidan, who detonated the ground and sent waves of stone shaped like spears.
But Rio pressed his hand to his sword and whispered:
"Technique: Invisible Sever."
A strike unseen.
And the moment he landed… the stone spears collapsed, and a crack appeared on Gaidan's armor.
Pressure of Battle
All three attacked at once.
Araios from the front.
Marina bombarded him with a storm of ice spears, blades, and freezing gales.
Gaidan summoned beasts of mud and stone behind him, forming earthen cages to trap Rio.
But Rio… smiled.
Rio:
"So I'll use the second ability of this eye."
One of the abilities of Level One: Thread of Control
Using the Eye of Eternity (Level One), Rio can see fine "energy threads" connecting the environment and kinetic force.
He can lightly touch these threads with his sword, altering movement directions or disrupting attacks—such as deflecting an assault with a simple touch.
He raised his sword lightly and slashed the air.
Suddenly… Araios's light veered off course.
Marina's spear shattered before reaching him.
And the earth beasts lost their balance.
Araios (shocked):
"What happened?! …What did that monster do?!"
Marina:
"Did he… redirect our attacks?"
Rio:
"Not yet.
This is only… the beginning."
Skill: Complete Deconstruction
Rio used a skill he had acquired a month ago—at full power.
He began to see the flow of energy within their hearts…
feel the pulse of their nerves…
and hear the whispers of their thoughts…
Then he began to dance with his sword.
Against Araios: a strike behind the neck—light extinguished.
Against Marina: his blade passed through water vapor… reaching the weak point in her shoulder.
Against Gaidan: a diagonal slash—ripping open the crack in his stone sword, then shattering it into fragments.
The three fell to the ground… exhausted… their swords scattered.
Rio, sheathing his blade:
"No one is unbeatable.
But I… see everything you hide."
The End
The three retreated in silence. Araios finally spoke:
"You… are incredibly strong."
Marina:
"If the three of us hadn't fought together… we would have died."
Rio:
"Even together…
you weren't enough.
I simply chose not to kill you—out of mercy."
He turned his back and left them amid the dust…
then the three adventurers vanished, reappearing outside the labyrinth—outside the forest.
Rio had returned them to the city.
Gaidan (with a bitter laugh):
"That monster… he really defeated us.
It's a good thing he didn't kill us."
Marina:
"You're right."
To be continued…