Eldritch Assassin: Reincarnated With An SSS-Rank Devouring System
Chapter 70: Trial Of Adaptation (II)

Chapter 70: Trial Of Adaptation (II)

The silence didn’t last for very long.

A faint tremor ran through the ground, it was subtle at first—like the heartbeat of something ancient waking beneath the canyon floor. Kael’s legs tensed instinctively. His injuries screamed, but his grip on the dagger only tightened.

Then came the footsteps. Not rushed, not loud, but measured and deliberate.

They approached from all sides.

The mist thickened again, curling like smoke. Kael’s vision flickered—fatigue clawing at the edges of his mind. His breath came in short, ragged pulls. Blood from the last fight still trailed down his hip and shoulder, his right arm limp at his side, but was slowly healing.

The system had said Phase 1 Complete. That meant this was only the start.

A figure stepped out from the fog. It held a short sword and wore light armor. Level 21. Another emerged—looking tall and wiry with a spear in hand. Then two more behind them, one with a broad axe, the other with steel knuckles wrapped in leather bindings.

Four of them.

No, five—Kael’s eyes narrowed as another figure peeled from the mist, a female form wielding a long, hooked chain.

They weren’t just strong, they were different. It felt like facing a more refined or stronger version of his level.

The first wave had charged him head-on. Brute strength and relentless pressure.

This wave... watched.

Kael took one shaky step back. His foot brushed a stone, and he paused. The terrain still shifted beneath him—he had to be careful. The canyon was part of the trial.

The spear-user moved first. A feint, clean, and calculated.

Kael pivoted to the side, just enough to avoid the jab—but the knuckle-brawler was already there, closing the gap with frightening speed. A fist slammed into Kael’s ribs, forcing a grunt from his throat.

He dropped low and retaliated with a sweeping leg kick—connected—but the enemy jumped over it, spinning into a brutal axe kick that Kael barely avoided.

He stumbled back, breath burning in his lungs.

"Too fast." he grimaced.

The worst part was that there was no Primal Energy allowed or even burst techniques. No reinforcements. Just him.

Steel hissed through the air.

Kael turned just in time to deflect the shortsword with his dagger. Sparks flew. The female with the chain circled wide, her eyes sharp. The axe-wielder moved to cut off his retreat. They were forming a net—surrounding him like wolves.

Kael knew what this was.

Pressure.

This trial tests not just strength—but decision-making. Positioning, endurance, instinct during high-pressure moments.

Another jab from the spear. Kael redirected it with a twist of his hips, then stepped into the strike zone—too close for a follow-up. He jammed his elbow into the spear-user’s jaw and ducked under a sweeping chain aimed for his neck.

The axe came crashing down.

Kael threw himself sideways, tumbling into the dirt. His shoulder flared white-hot with pain. He grit his teeth and forced himself up—but too slow.

The knuckled fighter was already on him.

A punch smashed into his temple. Stars exploded behind his eyes. He staggered—then dropped just in time to avoid another swing. He countered low—dagger slashing the thigh—and rolled backward into a crouch.

His chest heaved. Every breath he took felt like knives to his lungs. The blood loss was also catching up.

They weren’t even giving him a second.

Another slash and another jab followed. Another wild swing of that chain. Kael blocked one, dodged another, and got grazed by the third.

He had to move.

Kael burst forward. Not at the axe-wielder. Not at the spear. He went for the one with the chain.

Surprise flashed in her eyes as he closed the distance—too fast, too reckless. She swung the hook—but Kael ducked under, shoulder-checking her hard. The chain snapped taut as she stumbled.

Kael grabbed it—twisted—and yanked.

She came crashing forward.

He followed through with a brutal headbutt, denting her facials, and then drove his dagger into her shoulder. She cried out and tried to pull away but it was too late.

He spun her into the path of the axe-wielder.

Crunch!

The axe hit her instead. She dropped instantly.

Kael didn’t wait. He used her body as cover, dashed toward the spear-user, and slashed upward. The man backstepped, but Kael pressed, ignoring the stinging pain in his limbs.

Another stab—parried.

A kick to the gut—Kael caught the leg and wrenched it sideways, sending the enemy sprawling to the ground.

He moved to finish—

A blur.

The knuckle-user crashed into him from the side like a boulder. Kael flew, hit the dirt hard, and tumbled.

Pain flared everywhere.

System Ping—[HP reduced to 47%]

His vision wobbled.

He blinked.

Blink again.

The sky above was gray, clouded. A bird passed silently overhead with its wings stretched wide.

Kael’s hands twitched. He couldn’t stop now.

He pushed up slowly, joints screaming. He could barely hold the dagger in his left hand. His right was useless. His back was soaked in blood.

The axe-wielder advanced.

The spear-user limped behind, still injured but not out. Knuckles stood at the center, breathing steady.

Three left. He was cornered again.

"Hehe..." A sound escaped his throat. A half-laugh. Half-growl.

He took a step forward, then another. The enemies hesitated, looking confused.

Kael’s eyes narrowed. His body was wrecked. But his steps were solid. Because for all their strength...

He wasn’t afraid of them anymore.

They closed in. Kael struck first.

He dashed low—aimed at the injured one. Spear-user didn’t expect the speed. Kael’s dagger slashed across his gut. The man fell with a gasp, clutching his stomach.

Two left.

The axe came for his head.

Kael ducked under—just barely. The wind howled as the blade passed above. He stepped in—too close for the axe to swing again—and drove the hilt of his dagger into the enemy’s nose.

Crack!

The man stumbled, blood pouring down his face.

Kael leapt—arm locked around the neck—and dragged him down, twisting his body mid-fall.

They crashed.

Kael stabbed once—twice—until the system pinged.

[Opponent Defeated.]

One left.

Knuckles stood there, face blank. The man didn’t speak, he just raised his fists.

Kael exhaled. His knees buckled, but he didn’t fall.

They charged.

Fists flew—Kael parried, blocked, dodged, barely surviving each hit. He struck where he could. Chest. Ribs. Thigh.

It wasn’t pretty, It wasn’t clean, but he lasted.

Until finally—he slipped inside the enemy’s guard. And drove his dagger into the heart.

They both fell.

Kael landed on top, chest heaving, and his face pale.

System Ping—[Phase 2 Complete.]

[Next Phase Initiating in 60 seconds.]

Kael lay there for a long second and then laughed. He couldn’t even feel his body anymore.

But still...

He forced himself to sit up. Wiped blood from his mouth and healed himself with Adaptive Regeneration while he waited.

If the trial wanted more...

He’d give it hell.