CHAPTER 73: TRIAL DIMENSION (5)

Noel could already feel his Soul Power being drawn away.

It was negligible for now... but only for the moment. The pull was growing, and he knew before long it would drain everything, until nothing was left of him but a hollow corpse.

That’s why, when he saw the gate shimmering back into existence, he didn’t waste a second. He hurried through it with quick steps.

But, maybe this Trial Dimension really wasn’t meant for him.

On the other side, lying on the ground, was the unconscious Selena.

Noel rushed to her side and checked her condition. Thankfully, she was unharmed, only overwhelmed by the Apex relic she had just claimed.

He extended his arms to carry her out. But as soon as he touched her, he felt the suction force that had always been centered on him suddenly extend its clutches toward Selena.

His heart sank, and his expression hardened as he realized what was happening. He immediately pulled his hand back, but it was already too late — some kind of invisible thread had latched onto her.

Noel’s expression darkened as he felt the thread growing stronger in real time, and with it, the relic’s clutches on him also tightened further.

Everything was turning for the worse, yet Noel forced himself not to lose composure as he tried with all his strength to sever that thread.

He called upon his Destruction Law, the only reliable partner he had, but against this kind of unseen bond, even that praised power was at a disadvantage.

’No, it’s not the Destruction Law that’s weak... it’s me. I haven’t mastered it enough.’

Noel’s eyes glowed fiercely. It was the first time he had ever faced something like this, and unwanted thoughts slipped into his mind — that he should have trained harder, that he should have focused on the Destruction Law first, mastering it completely before pursuing other Laws.

But those were only distracting thoughts. He shook his head sharply, pushing them away, and renewed his focus.

He could simply do better in the future.

Clinging to that thought, Noel entered an unprecedented state of concentration. He condensed his Destruction Law into a blade-like edge, pouring every last shred of will into it, and with one decisive strike, severed the thread binding Selena to the parasitic relic.

Even in his success, the grimness of his situation pressed down heavier than ever though.

The relic pulsed with strength, feeding on the different kind of soul power it had acquired, Its growth was accelerating, and Noel frowned at the realization. But he knew he couldn’t afford to pause now.

He locked his senses onto the relic inside himself, making sure it wouldn’t lash out at Selena again. Only then did he gather her in his arms, carrying her carefully as he stepped out into the open air beyond the Trial Dimension.

Maybe things really weren’t meant to go his way in this dimension...

That thought struck him as he saw the countless people waiting outside.

Three of the four major factions were there, along with countless others.

He was already in an urgent situation, and he would have preferred not to be entangled with them. But, once again, his wishes weren’t answered today.

A few stepped forward first, spouting nonsense, their eyes gleaming with greed at what was his. And Noel’s gaze sharpened, and he spat back, "Cease your bullshit, and come on — let’s see who dies today."

Noel, gently put Selena at the side, before he started fighting with those trashes.

He was already injured... already exhausted. On top of that, he was still struggling against the scarf relic inside him, which was growing in strength with every passing second.

Every strike was agony. Every breath tasted of iron.

Still, he carved through the first wave, leaving broken bodies in his wake. Yet even with blood soaking the ground, the crowd didn’t disperse. They hesitated, but the hunger in their eyes never dimmed. His strength alone wasn’t enough to drive them back.

Noel straightened his back, his chest heaving, blood boiling in his stomach as if ready to burst. He could feel it clawing at his throat, desperate to be spat out. But he swallowed it down, crushing it with sheer will, and roared at the silent horde, voice cracking the air:

"WHO ELSE?!"

His vision blurred, his body seconds from giving out, but his eyes — his eyes still burned. He glared into the mass of enemies surrounding him, daring them, daring all of them to take a step closer.

He was never someone to bow his head.

And if this was his last moment?

Then so be it.

At least he planned to face it with his head held high and his back straight.

That’s why, as the battle escalated and his condition deteriorated, Noel didn’t complain. He just kept the grin etched onto his bloodied face.

But then, among the countless strikes crashing against him, he caught others mixed in — sharper, deadlier. His gaze shifted from the immediate horde to the distant spectators. And there, in the group of women, he locked eyes with the one at the front, smiling warmly at him.

His eyes narrowed.

’Those fucking bitches...’

He swallowed the curse, burying it in his throat, and forced his body to move faster, sharper — dodging even their treachery.

The situation kept changing, and at one point even Clarissa, Selena’s mother, had appeared, pushing him to use the Scarf — something he had wanted to avoid.

Strength seemed to leave his body, and at one point, Noel felt, that even seeing ahead had become difficult, he was lightheaded, and his body felt cold.

He remembered, faintly, the special stone within his storage ring, the last resort that could possibly save him. But he shook his head. He would not rely on that.

Instead, he endured.

He endured until no enemy directing its blade at him remained.

His chest heaved up and down, his blood dripping onto the dirt in steady drops. For a moment, it seemed he might fall with them.

But he didn’t. instead, with steps unsteady yet unyielding, he started walking.

He stepped over the pile of corpses, over twisted bodies that seemed in better shape than him, and went away — toward his home.