Path of the Unmentioned: The Missing Piece Chapter 236: Fractal Veil [14]

The silence after the strike was almost deafening.

Kyle groaned, lying on his back, staring up at the smoke-stained sky.

Every muscle in his body ached, his chest heaving as though the air itself had turned heavy.

"Ahhh... my back"

He muttered, rubbing at the sore spot with a grimace.

Beside him, Cedric hit the ground with an equally rough crash.

For a second neither of them spoke, too drained to even move.

Then, slowly, Kyle rolled onto his side.

His tired eyes caught the scene before him and froze.

The mammoth’s massive skull had been separated cleanly from its body.

Its enormous fra, larger than so houses... now lay motionless, collapsed like a mountain finally brought low.

Black blood gushed from its neck in a fountain, soaking the fractured stone and filling the air with a sharp, tallic scent.

But what stunned him most was the line of destruction that stretched beyond the corpse.

The canyon itself bore the mark of his strike. The deep scar carved into the rock was easily two inches wide and ran for what seed like forever, splitting through stone and earth alike.

It wasn’t just a wound. It was proof that for one brief mont, his blade had been unstoppable.

Kyle let out a shaky laugh under his breath.

’Holy shit... that was so cool.’

"Idiot"

A sharp voice cut through his thoughts.

His smile faltered.

Zalrielle’s voice echoed inside his mind, laced with frustration and just a hint of worry.

"Who told you to use that attack? You were not ready"

She scolded, her tone biting, like a teacher chastising a reckless student.

Kyle winced.

’Oh, co on... it worked, didn’t it?’

She sighed, exasperated.

"That’s not the point. Do you even realize what you just risked? You still can’t control spirit mana properly. I told you not to use it in a fight, and yet you ignored ."

Kyle chuckled softly, though there was no real humor in it.

He could still feel the aftermath of channeling that power.

His veins fells like they are on fire, the pain in his mana channels that scread with every small movent.

But then Zalrielle’s tone softened, just slightly.

"Still... although I hate to admit it... you did handle the spirit mana smoother this ti. You didn’t force too much at once. That’s the only reason your body isn’t shattered like last ti."

Kyle blinked at that. She wasn’t wrong.

The last ti he’d tried spirit mana, even in simulation, the backlash had nearly destroyed him from the inside. This ti... the pain was brutal, yes, but survivable.

’Its progress’

His gaze drifted to Cedric.

The blonde sat upright now, mouth slightly agape, his long sword resting limply at his side.

His wide blue eyes weren’t on Kyle, but on the massive destruction left in the wake of their Kyle’s strike.

He looked like a man staring at the aftermath of a natural disaster.

Kyle frowned.

"Cedric?"

Cedric didn’t respond. He just kept staring. Then, slowly, as though in a daze, he turned to Kyle. His hand lifted, shaking slightly, and he pointed at him.

"Y-you—"

Kyle tilted his head.

"What?"

Cedric’s mouth opened and closed, trying to find the right words. Finally, he just exhaled sharply, shoulders sagging as though giving up.

"What was that attack?"

Kyle rubbed the back of his neck, looking away. He’d been expecting that question, but facing it head-on still made him uncomfortable.

"Oh, that?"

He said casually, though his tone was far too forced to sound convincing.

He had known it might co to this. He couldn’t keep hiding forever. With the Vesper already hunting him, more attention on his abilities hardly mattered.

Still, exposing himself recklessly was out of the question. He would only reveal what was necessary, never more than that.

And today had been one of those situations where he had no choice.

"That..."

Kyle said finally, eting Cedric’s eyes,

"...was the reward I got from the Black Gate."

For a mont, Cedric just blinked at him. Then his expression twisted into stunned disbelief.

"You... you got an attack-type reward?"

Kyle shrugged.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Why?!" Cedric’s voice cracked. "I only got minor regeneration!"

He thrust out his arm, and sure enough, faint cuts and scrapes along his skin were already closing, knitting together in seconds.

Kyle stared, his jaw slack for just a second before he masked it with a forced laugh. Inside, however, he felt a sharp pang of envy.

’Minor regeneration? That’s... insanely useful.’

Sure, his Sovereign of Dread ability was cool, maybe even more powerful, but regeneration? That was the kind of skill that could save soone’s life ten tis over.

He forced himself to shake it off.

’No, no. Sovereign of Dread is cooler. Definitely cooler.’

Kyle pushed himself unsteadily to his feet. His body scread in protest, but he ignored it, glancing sidelong at Cedric.

"By the way," he said casually, "you used your space affinity pretty openly back there."

Cedric froze mid-motion. His golden brows furrowed, then he laughed, scratching at the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Well... you guys already knew, didn’t you? Lyra and Sylvie aren’t the type to run their mouths. It’s fine."

Kyle sighed.

That was Cedric for you.. reckless, confident, maybe a little too trusting.

He didn’t say it aloud, but the truth gnawed at him. If this whole Fractal Veil really was an exam, then Cedric had just exposed one of his most powerful secrets to whoever was watching.

And Cedric had probably drawn even more attention than him.

Before either of them could say more, a voice echoed from above.

"HEY! YOU GUYS ALIVE?"

Kyle craned his neck.

Lyra was leaning over the ridge, her ruby eyes wide with worry.

"Yeah, we’re alive!"

Cedric called back. Kyle raised a hand weakly in confirmation.

Monts later, the others appeared at the edge of the crater.

Cassian, Sylvie, and Eleanora, all peering down at the two of them.

"Can you get us out of here?" Kyle asked.

He tried to sound nonchalant, but even he could hear the exhaustion in his voice.

The spirit mana had left him hollow. His mana channels still burned as though they were on fire, every breath a reminder of the price he’d paid.

"Hold on," Lyra said.

She pressed a hand to the ground, her eyes glowing faintly. Erald mana shimred, and thick roots erupted from the cracked earth.

They slithered like serpents before wrapping securely around Kyle and Cedric’s torsos.

The roots lifted them gently, pulling them upward like a mother carrying her children.

Kyle let himself relax into it, though he had to grit his teeth against the sharp ache coursing through his body.

When they finally reached the top, the roots set them down carefully. Kyle’s knees buckled the instant his feet hit solid ground.

He staggered, nearly collapsing...

...and was caught.

Eleanora appeared beside him in a flash, steadying him with a firm grip. Her crimson eyes studied him with quiet concern.

"You okay?" She asked softly.

Kyle forced a small smile, though his voice ca out weak.

"Yeah."

She didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t press either.

He noticed the pale tint to her own skin, the fatigue in her posture.

She’d burned through a lot of mana too. For a second, their eyes t... tired, but alive. That was enough.

Around them, Cassian was already making a fuss, his energy apparently limitless.

"That was insane! You two—no, that attack—what even was that?! I an, BOOM! The mammoth’s head just—"

He gestured wildly with both arms, miming an explosion, his eyes shining with childlike excitent.

Lyra wasn’t far behind, shaking her head in awe.

"I can’t believe I just saw that. Kyle, Cedric... that was incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it."

Kyle rubbed at his temple, embarrassed.

"It was nothing."

"Nothing?!" Cassian laughed. "You cut through a canyon. A canyon! Don’t even try to downplay that."

Sylvie stood a little apart from the group, her wand clutched close to her chest.

Her glasses slid down her nose as she adjusted them nervously, her eyes flicking toward Kyle only to dart away again. She seed small, quiet, her earlier ferocity gone.

Then, Kyle caught Eleanora’s worried gaze on him, and for once, he let a genuine smile slip across his face.

"That darkness dragon attack of yours... was amazing."

Her cheeks colored faintly. She turned away, muttering sothing under her breath.

"Idiot," she whispered, barely audible.

Kyle blinked.

"What? What was that? I didn’t hear you."

"Nothing,"

Eleanora cut in smoothly, her lips twitching in amusent.

"You’re hearing things."

Kyle frowned and glanced at her, but let it pass. His body still ached too much to argue.

For now, the battle was truly over.

The mammoth lay dead, the canyon scarred, and though every one of them bore exhaustion, they were alive.

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Author’s Note:

And that’s a wrap for this arc!

I’d love to hear your thoughts, whether you enjoyed it or not, any feedback would be really helpful.

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