CHAPTER 95: FUCKING RUN, YOU ALL.

The chamber echoed with silence, the air heavy with age and moisture.

Water dripped steadily from the ceiling into the dark lake behind them, each drop a whisper in the quiet gloom.

Ethan stepped forward, toward the fractured wall, eyes drawn to its jagged veins like a moth to flame.

The wall didn’t look like it had collapsed under the pressure of time or nature. No, there was precision in the way it had broken—lines too clean, arcs too intentional.

Like scars etched by a blade rather than cracks carved by age.

Ethan knelt, gloved fingers brushing against the dust-caked surface.

As the grime peeled away, deeper grooves revealed themselves beneath, forming a swirl of cuts—interwoven patterns that intersected like a deadly dance.

"These aren’t just random breaks," he murmured, brow furrowed. "They’re sword marks."

Reyna stepped up behind him, arms crossed, her eyes narrowed like a predator surveying prey. "You sure?"

"Look here." He pointed at an arc that split three stones cleanly. "This cut goes through solid granite like it was paper... and see the edges? They’re scorched. Like the blade burned through instead of just slicing."

Reyna crouched beside him, squinting. "Tch. That ain’t no common merc’s blade."

"No," Ethan said, standing slowly. "This was technique. Controlled. Deliberate. Whoever did this... knew exactly where to strike."

He took a step back, eyes scanning the ruined surface, then spoke in his mind.

"System, scan this wall. I want everything. Every detail."

A soft chime echoed inside his skull.

[SYSTEM: Affirmative, boss! Initiating deep scan... 🛰️]

A faint vibration hummed through the air as Ethan felt the familiar flicker of System’s attention honing in. Moments later, shimmering symbols appeared in his vision.

[Scan Complete][Target: Cracked Wall Section | Condition: Damaged][Findings: A mana-conductive switch was once embedded behind this wall, used to control a submerged bridge mechanism. The switch has been destroyed—intentionally.][Destruction Type: Sword Technique][Estimated Time of Destruction: 73 Years Ago][Conclusion: Sabotage]

[Good news, boss! I can replicate the function of the destroyed switch using your mana!]

Ethan exhaled slowly, his voice a low whisper in his mind. "System... you’re a lifesaver."

[SYSTEM: I know. ]

Still, something about the sword marks gnawed at him. A memory. A whisper of a tale from long ago.

"System... those sword cuts. They’re not normal. Can you identify the technique used?"

The hum returned, this time lower—more methodical. Lines of code flickered behind his eyes.

[Analyzing aura remnants... resonance detection complete.][Match found: Technique belongs to the ancient sword art—Heavenly Severance.]

Ethan’s breath hitched.

"Heavenly Severance..."

He had read about it only once, in the forbidden section of an imperial archive. A phantom sword art—fluid, beautiful, and fatal. Legends spoke of it cleaving through mountains.

Of slicing through armies with a single arc. Of the one swordsman who had mastered it... and vanished without a trace.

No one dared speak that swordsman’s name anymore. Not because they had forgotten—but because remembering was too dangerous.

"System... who used this art?"

[SYSTEM: Access restricted.][Only information available: The practitioner was once an imperial legend.][Alias: None. Title: The Phantom of Severance.]

"Locked away, huh?" Ethan muttered, shaking his head. "Of course it is."

But then, another pop-up flickered into his vision:

[SYSTEM NOTICE]You have unlocked a new system feature: [Sword Arts Interface]Skill Tree Expansion: ENABLEDStored Techniques: 1 (Hidden – Heavenly Severance)

Ethan blinked in surprise. A new window unfurled before him, stylized like a sheathed blade etched in golden threads:

[Sword Art: Heavenly Severance]Status: LockedCondition to Learn: ???Progress: 0%

"System... you mean I can actually learn this someday?"

[SYSTEM: Absolutely, boss. Once you’ve hit the required physical, mental, and mana thresholds, I’ll unlock the art for training. You’ve already got the data stored.]

Ethan’s heart pounded. "Now that’s a damn good bonus."

"Alright, we’ve got bigger things to deal with. Let’s fix this switch."

[SYSTEM: Copy that. Place your hand on the center of the destroyed circuit. I’ll channel mana through you and re-activate the control sequence manually.]

Ethan stepped closer to the fractured groove that once housed the mana circuit. The pattern still pulsed faintly—like a heartbeat lost in time. He reached out and pressed his palm against the cold stone.

At first, nothing.

Then—a ripple.

Blue sparks danced across his fingertips. A web of glowing lines surged from his hand, creeping through the cracks like a reawakened river. Runes buried deep in the wall flickered alive with ancient power.

Across the chamber, the lake stirred.

First, a single bubble rose. Then dozens. The water began to tremble violently. Murky ripples spiraled outward before parting in a wide arc as something massive stirred beneath.

Stone platforms emerged from the water—one by one—rising with a mechanical groan. Covered in moss, cracked by time, but unmistakably a bridge.

Runic symbols along the edges pulsed with golden light, guiding a path straight across the lake.

Reyna’s eyes widened. "You did it."

Ethan allowed himself a rare smile. "System, how long do we have?"

[SYSTEM WARNING: Uh-oh!][The mechanism is unstable! Mana circuit is deteriorating!][You’ve got 10 SECONDS before the bridge collapses again!][Better run, boss!!]

"What?!"

The calm was shattered. The stone underfoot vibrated.

Ethan shouted over his shoulder, "Move! Go! RUN!"

Reyna didn’t wait—her body surged into motion like a fired arrow, boots hammering onto the slick stone path. Daniel blurred into lightning, vaulting across the first gap with a burst of static.

Liora glided next, her robes streaming behind her, face tight with focus.

Ethan charged after them, heart pounding in rhythm with the crumbling bridge.

[7 seconds.]

Stone behind them shuddered and dipped—then vanished into the lake.

[6 seconds.]

Water gushed into the newly opened gap. One section gone.

[5 seconds.]

Ethan leapt across it, landing hard and rolling to his feet.

[4 seconds.]

More slabs cracked and splashed behind him, disappearing into the depths.

[3.]

Reyna reached the far end first, turning back with her hand out. "Come on!"

[2.]

Ethan pushed every last ounce of strength into his sprint. The final slab beneath him tilted.

He didn’t hesitate.

He jumped.

[1.]

He cleared the last meter with a grunt, catching Reyna’s hand mid-air as they both stumbled into the dark corridor beyond.

A thunderous slam echoed behind them.

The bridge collapsed entirely.

And the archway they had just passed through... sealed shut with a metallic groan. Runes across it went dark. The path back was gone.

Silence.

Only their ragged breathing remained.

Ethan leaned against the damp stone wall, eyes wide, chest heaving.

"That," he said, voice low, "was too close."

[SYSTEM: Hehe. Just another day being awesome.]

Reyna cracked a grin, fangs peeking out. "You better not die before me, weakling."

Ethan wiped sweat from his brow, eyes narrowing as he peered ahead into the deeper shadows.

"No chance of that," he said. "Now let’s see what was so important that someone tried to bury it forever."