Eden twisted midair, his free hand flashing through a quick sign. The talisman ignited, burning with spectral energy.

  "Summoning—Purifying Flame of Agaves!"

  From the void, violet flames erupted, swallowing the stag-beast in an inferno. Eden kicked off the air with a [Burst], propelling himself out of reach before landing smoothly a few meters away.

  The stag screeched, its thrashing form engulfed in fire, the scent of charred fur thick in the humid air.

  [ +19 SP ]

  The reptilian brute snarled, its wounds closing too fast.

  Eden clicked his tongue. "Figures."

  Reaching into his utility belt, he pulled out a fresh leaf talisman, this one inked in deep silver. With a flick of his wrist, he slapped it onto Puma’s barrel. The sigils pulsed, absorbing his flux and glowing in eerie violet patterns.

  "Let’s see how you heal from this."

  The beast lunged. Eden sidestepped, raised Puma, and fired. A single shot was out, sharp and precise. The bullet struck true—straight into the creature’s open maw. The impact sent a tremor through its body. Cracks spread across its form like fractured glass. Then, in a silent explosion of ash, it disintegrated into nothingness.

  [ +12 SP ]

  Silence fell. The only sounds were the distant echoes of battle, rustling through the verdant trees.

  Yigo returned to Eden’s side, his spectral tail flicking as his form flickered. Moments later, his energy exhausted, the fox disappeared in a puff of embered mist, leaving behind a charred leaf that fluttered to the damp ground.

  Eden exhaled, spinning Puma once before holstering it.

  "Yeah, yeah. I know. Should’ve saved the talisman," he muttered before Vex could even ask the question.

  ‘Then why, Patron?’ Vex’s voice resonated in his mind.

  ‘I never made that talisman from a leaf and silver blood before. No clue if it’d work or not. Better to test it here than in a fight where my life’s on the line.’

  ‘True words, Patron.’

  Eden rolled his shoulders, a small smirk tugging at his lips. Then, he extended a hand and uttered with mild excitement—

  “Harvest.”

  Like shadows rising from the abyss, three immaterial entities slithered from the remains of the fallen creatures. Black as ethereal charcoal, two of them held solid forms, while the third wavered like smoke in a breeze.

  A subtle yet absolute force pulled them toward Eden’s palm.

  [ Harvest Results:

  +2 Dark Spirits

  +1 Spirit Wisp

  +4 Soul Residue

  +2 Blood Essence ]

  Eden studied the dark spirits for any lingering hostility before absorbing them into his inner world. They melted into his chest like ink dissolving into water. The Blood Essences would be valuable—useful for crafting stronger, more stable talismans, among other things.

  The wavering spirit was different. A fragmented, unstable existence. It could be wounded, or merely a scattered fragment of a thought, an echo left behind. Commonly known as a spirit wisp, such entities lacked consciousness, driven only by chaotic instincts and faint, fragmented memories absorbed from the world.

  It couldn’t be channeled into a spell, bound as a shikigami, or merged into an object. But it could be dismantled and refined into soul residue—a key material for crafting sigils, dolls, marks, weapons, potions, and countless other tools of a Soulmancer.

  The problem? Refining required a spiritual flame and a proper refinery.

  Neither of which Eden had. Nor did he know anyone who did.

  "Now," Eden shut off his night-vision goggles, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Let’s up the game a little."

  After inking another talisman with a Blood Essence and storing the remaining one in the empty water container, he moved toward his next target.

  The swordsman.

  He was locked in combat, closely watched by a raven shikigami, as he battled a Vinorhine—a monstrous hybrid of rhino and plant. Thick vines twisted around its body, creeping over its wounds as it healed. The more damage it took, the stronger it became if left unchecked.

  From a safe vantage point, Eden observed the fight unfold. He wasn’t interested in the Vinorhine—his real focus was the swordsman’s capabilities.

  The beast charged, uprooting trees in its frenzy.

  The swordsman, however, didn’t panic. He moved with precision, evading the attacks rather than clashing head-on, testing the creature’s defenses with swift, probing strikes.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Eden narrowed his eyes.

  The swordsman’s speed was impressive—his movements light, his attacks carrying the unmistakable sharpness of wind-attribute flux. No doubt, he was a specialist, someone who had honed their abilities toward a singular focus.

  But something was… off.

  What’s with the positioning of his legs? The Achilles tendon shouldn’t stretch that much. And his ankles? They shouldn’t be able to support those angles, let alone propel him with such speed.

  His feet adapted perfectly to whatever surface they landed on, producing near-instantaneous acceleration with each step. Through the shikigami’s eyes, Eden hadn’t noticed it. But now...

  He activated [Ethereal Vision].

  Ah. That explains it.

  The swordsman's energetic structure wasn’t fully human. The flow of flux through his body was… altered.

  Genetically engineered. No doubt about it. They must have enhanced his reflexes, his overall movement speed—yet if his abilities as a Mancer remained all-rounded. That would give him an edge even over other specialists.

  Unlike me.

  I’m something of an all-rounder Mancer—someone who balances offense, defense, and utility instead of excelling in just one. But this guy? If he has a strong will, my mental tricks won’t work on him. In a straight-up fight, he has the advantage.

  The three primary specializations of a Mancer: Damage. Defense. Speed. Many Mancers choose to be all-rounders for adaptability, for survival. But specialists? They dominate in their chosen field.

  Specialists—single-point experts. All-rounders—mediocre at everything. The outcome shouldn’t need an explanation.

  In my opinion, no path is objectively superior. Specialists have glaring weaknesses. All-rounders lack mastery. Masters of no craft, weak against true specialists—whether Mancer or beast.

  Among specialists, people claim there’s no inherent advantage between types. But I fear defense types the most. Damage versus speed? It’s situational. One might win, the other might lose, depending on the fighter.

  But a capable defense specialist? Against a damage or speed specialist, the fight drags on with no clear winner. Some defense-type Mancers specialize so deeply that even high-tier damage specialists struggle to break through their defenses.

  And that… is a problem.

  Anyway, I can do without a sword. Not my preferred model, anyway. With that thought, Eden turned to leave.

  “Going somewhere?” A voice rang out from the front.

  Eden reacted instantly, dropping into a stance—one hand gripping Puma, the other reaching for a leaf talisman.

  “Is it right to watch a movie without paying for the ticket?”

  The voice echoed again. Eden activated [Ethereal Vision], scanning for the source. There—same energetic signature as the swordsman who had been battling the Vinorhine moments ago. Only now, he was leaning casually against a tree.

  But that fight… was still going on.

  Using his shikigami’s eyes, Eden confirmed it—the swordsman was still engaged with the Vinorhine.

  So, what was this?

  Twin? Doppelg?nger? Mirage?

  “What,” Eden asked, relaxing his grip on Puma, “would you have preferred? That I joined the fight?”

  “Ohohoh, that would’ve been up to you.” The swordsman’s double chuckled. “But still, I’m no work of art for you to watch without paying.”

  “You poor or something?” Eden deadpanned, subtly scanning his surroundings.

  “Ahahaha! Not at all.” The young man—Arnold—laughed, stepping forward. “Leave behind what you gathered from the beasts, and you can go.”

  “Mmm? You mean the spoils of my hunt?” Eden’s tone turned amused. “Isn’t that a little arrogant? Even for someone with a double?”

  Arnold laughed again. “And how did you know it was me?”

  Eden shrugged. “I don’t know who you are. Just that you and the other one have the same scent, aura, and everything else.”

  “So you can sense it?” Arnold stepped out from behind the bushes. His gear—just like everyone else’s in this test—masked his facial features completely.

  Eden studied him carefully. His presence… I didn’t even notice it. That was odd. Very odd. He prided himself on his senses.

  "For how long have you known I was here?" Arnold pressed.

  Eden kept his voice neutral. “Does it matter?”

  “Yes. Yes, it does.” Arnold’s tone carried a note of finality. “It’ll decide what I do with you.”

  “Yeah… you do realize we have body cams on us, right?” Eden said casually.

  “And I hope you realize those cameras can be easily destroyed, right?”

  Of course, I do. That was exactly what I planned to do with his.

  Then—Eden’s gaze flickered to Arnold’s helmet. The socket where the camera lens should have been was… empty.

  Tch. Is already off. Just like mine. Which meant—neither of us wanted others to know what we’re capable of.

  The technology to transmit visual feed directly from the eye to an HQ existed. But it was banned unless used with consent.

  “Guess that means neither of us wants to be watched,” Eden mused.

  Arnold smirked. “Oh? No, no. That’s not the case for me. I come from a somewhat prominent background. My usual abilities are well known.” He said it without a hint of hesitation. “It’s a requirement if you want to establish yourself in a Union. Earn trust. Secure a spot in a team.”

  “Mmm, that’s if you want to join a team. I wasn’t trained for that purpose,” Eden replied, his words carefully measured. His gaze sharpened as he sensed ripples of eagerness in Arnold’s energy. “Were you planning to attack me?”

  “Pfft, what made you think that?” Arnold smirked.

  “What if one of us dies?” Eden shifted his weight onto one foot.

  “That wouldn’t have been an issue at first. But you don’t seem ordinary either. So I suppose I’ll have to let you live. Would be a hassle if you had someone influential backing you.” Arnold drew his serrated sword.

  “Mmm? That’s reassuring,” Eden said, channeling flux into a leaf talisman. His lips curled into a pleased smile. “Allowing me to live… What beautiful words. The melody of survival, the thrill of another fleeting moment. Simply wonderful.”

  “What the hell are you on?” Arnold asked, stance tightening.

  “Don’t mind me. I have a tendency to dramatize things.” Eden grinned. “ERUPTION!” He flicked the talisman mid-air. Flames erupted, spiraling into a raging inferno that surged toward Arnold.

  A single step. A slight push off his toes—Arnold blurred out of the way. Another step brought him slashing at Eden in a seamless counter. Flux and mental power surged around Eden’s arm as he blocked the strike, his other hand leveling Puma at Arnold’s ribs.

  Bang!

  Arnold dodged before the bullet even left the barrel. He spun mid-air, delivering a sharp kick toward Eden’s neck.

  Eden ducked low, sweeping at Arnold’s leg—but the latter vaulted into the air, twisting as his blade carved through the wind. A razor-sharp arc of wind blades tore toward Eden. He raised a combined flux-mental shield, the invisible force shattering the attack upon impact.

  Arnold landed a few meters away, making no move to follow up. He simply studied Eden. “Mental power, huh?”

  Eden cracked his neck. “Genetically engineered, right?”

  “Something like that.” Arnold spun his sword idly. “Psychic?”

  “More or less.” Eden pulled another talisman, pointing toward Arnold’s feet. “Mechanical enhancements or DNA mods?”

  “Feline DNA.”

  Eden nodded. Arnold charged.

  “Mesric Four—Arua-hano!”

  Arnold’s sword slashed diagonally, its tip igniting with energy. A massive wildcat’s head materialized, its jaws wide open as it lunged to consume Eden whole. The spectral beast crashed into the ground, detonating on impact. A crater formed, sending dirt and howling winds outward. Every plant in the vicinity withered into brittle husks.

  Eden perched atop a tree branch, where his crow shikigami had been moments before. “Decay? Poison?”

  Arnold turned, locking eyes with him. “Decaying wind.”

  “Yeah… I don’t want to know what that does to human flesh.” Eden leveled both revolvers and fired.

  Arnold moved like a shadow, tiptoeing through the barrage with effortless grace.

  “You’d recover in a few weeks,” Arnold called out with a smirk. “And a lot of moisturizer.”

  “Yeah, I think I’ll pass on that.” Eden smirked, holstering Puma and Tyago before plucking an apple from thin air with a flick of his wrist.