CHAPTER 229: I TOLD YOU, DIDN’T I?

"I told you, stranger, to never return. Didn’t I?" Captain Roderick said, his voice hard.

"And yet, here I am," Noah said, stretching both hands to his sides.

His voice was calm, but his grin carried a darker edge, something halfway between defiance and amusement.

Captain Roderick stood opposite him, sword gleaming faintly in the moonlight.

The air around the man rippled slightly with his power. He was the epitome of discipline, his power holding the weight of years of experience forged into every breath.

The captain’s eyes narrowed. "Why are you back? I warned you before. This monolith isn’t for you."

Noah tilted his head, letting the dim light catch on the edge of his dark cloak.

"The power I got last time wasn’t enough," he said softly. "I need more."

Roderick studied him, the furrow in his brow deepening.

There was no arrogance in Noah’s tone. Just quiet conviction, and that made it worse.

The man before him wasn’t simply reckless, he believed in what he was saying.

He lowered his sword slightly, his voice turning grave.

"I see it now," he said. "I misjudged you."

Noah raised a brow. "Oh?"

"You’re one of those types," Roderick continued, his gaze hardening. "The kind who thinks power is the only answer."

"You tell yourself it’s for the greater good. That you’ll save the world, protect others. But in the end, it’s never enough."

He paused.

"For people like you, the hunger doesn’t stop."

He raised his sword, the faint golden aura brightening around it until it painted his armor in cold light.

"And the road to hell, boy... is paved with good intentions."

He disappeared.

Noah’s eyes widened, instinct kicking in.

He barely registered the blur of gold before the captain’s sword slammed into his side.

Sparks erupted, the impact ringing through the barrier like a firing cannon.

Fortunately, Noah had already activated Aegis of Hades.

The armor of darkness wrapped around his body, absorbing most of the hit.

But even so, the sheer force behind Roderick’s swing sent him stumbling back several feet, boots grinding into the ground.

He retaliated immediately.

Darkness condensed around his hand, shaping into a sword. A weapon forged of soul and shadow.

He swung at Roderick in one fluid motion.

But the man was already gone.

"Heh. Nice try."

The voice came from behind him.

Noah turned just in time to see the flash of golden steel.

Roderick’s sword slammed into his back with bone-crunching force, launching him forward.

He crashed into the ground hard enough to crack it, dust and fragments of stone rising around him.

He gritted his teeth, his body screaming in protest.

The instant he hit the ground, he rolled, planting both hands against the cracked stone and twisting his torso.

His legs swung upward in a powerful arc.

Roderick raised his arm, catching the kick with his forearm.

The impact sent a shockwave through the man’s gauntlet, distorting the golden light around them.

"Persistent," the captain muttered. His other hand moved in a blur, sword slashing toward Noah.

Noah barely managed to push back, flipping upright in a fluid motion. The edge of the blade scraped across his armor, sparks trailing in the air.

The gap between their strength was staggering. Even with his enhanced body and Aegis of Hades, Noah could tell.

If he didn’t find a way out of this, he’d die here.

He tried to teleport, activating Null Stride.

But nothing happened.

The space around him was frozen, thick, like glass.

His eyes darted to the shimmering walls of the barrier, realization hitting him hard.

This wasn’t just a containment field.

It was a spatial lock.

Just like his own Pocket Cube.

He couldn’t teleport. Not unless Roderick allowed it.

"Damn it," Noah hissed, planting his feet and focusing on his opponent.

The captain’s expression hadn’t changed. Calm, grim, and focused.

Then, without warning, Roderick blurred to the side again, vanishing from sight.

Noah braced himself, his senses screaming. He could feel the displacement of mana in the air, subtle, but there.

He moved a split second before the blow landed.

The captain’s sword came down in a flash of gold and blue.

Noah ducked under it, rolling sideways, then turned, ready for the next attack.

But Roderick had already vanished again.

This time, his voice came from behind. "You can’t outrun me."

The blow came.

Noah didn’t think, he reacted.

Dark wings erupted from his back in a burst of mana, slamming outward.

The impact caught Roderick mid-swing, sending him flying across the barrier’s interior.

The man crashed against the far wall, his sword biting into the golden surface and leaving deep, glowing cracks.

Roderick grunted, steadying himself.

He disappeared once more, reappearing above Noah in the same instant, his blade poised for another strike.

Noah’s eyes widened, an idea sparking.

He thrust his hand upward, Void Bolt already forming.

He fired.

The bolt shot upward, screaming through the air, its violet light illuminating the entire barrier.

But Roderick was faster. He blurred sideways, narrowly avoiding the bolt.

Before Noah could follow up, the captain was on him again.

The first blow came from the left. Noah blocked.

The second came from above. He barely parried it with his sword of shadow.

The third came from the right, heavier and faster than before.

It struck him square in the chest.

The impact sent him flying backward like a rag doll.

He crashed into the golden barrier hard enough to crack it, the sound echoing like thunder through the clearing.

Before he could even breathe, Roderick was there.

The captain’s strikes rained down one after another, relentless and merciless.

His sword blurred, each swing faster than the last. The barrier itself trembled from the force, golden fragments flaring with every impact.

Noah tried to block, but the blows came too fast.

Aegis of Hades began to fracture under the strain, dark shards of mana peeling away into the air.

The force seeped through the armor, hammering into his body.

Bones cracked. Blood welled in his mouth. He felt ribs breaking, muscles tearing, every strike driving him further into the barrier.

And still, Roderick didn’t stop.

Finally, with one last blow, the captain stepped back.

Noah slumped against the glowing wall, blood dripping down his chin, his armor flickering weakly.

Roderick studied him, breathing steady. There was no hatred in his eyes. Only a kind of quiet regret.

"You’re strong," he said softly. "And reckless. I wish you were in the Royal Guard. I could have taught you, guided you... made you something greater."

He raised his sword, its edge gleaming in the light.

"But life doesn’t work that way."

Noah’s vision blurred. His body refused to move. The shadow armor around him was disintegrating, fading into black mist.

He could feel the mana leaking from his veins, slipping away like water through cracks.

Roderick’s sword descended.