Kyle gasped, blood trailing down his jaw as his body slid against the wall—not ordinary earth, but some weird, solid material—that he had just slammed into.
A grimace twisted his face. He realized at once that two of his ribs, along with several other bones, had shattered the moment the giant hurled him aside like a bothersome fly—despite the fact that this fake body of his held the strength of a 5th-stage Celestial.
Even so, at a rapid pace, the torn flesh and the shattered bones were already knitting themselves back together as the energies stored within his body surged to heal him.
However, it would still take a few long seconds before he was fully recovered.
Yet his glowing green eyes gleamed with unshaken resolve. But the resolve faltered when they suddenly locked onto Ares, who was searching for an exit with the others.
In Ares’ and everyone’s gazes, Kyle caught astonishment, and they all seemed deeply moved by his efforts to go so far to assist them—stirring a pang of guilt within him.
That was only natural—after all, to them, it was unthinkable. No sane individual would stand against such a terrifying enemy just to help others flee, not even close friends.
Therefore, Kyle avoided everyone’s gaze.
Because he knew that if they learned the truth, they would want to beat their past selves for ever being moved by his help.
Kyle wasn’t standing against the powerful giant purely out of noble intent. He was the first to step into this place and the only one to look around without fear of the monster.
Because of that, he had noticed what the others hadn’t—he had caught sight of the golden crystal cradled in the giant’s arms, pulsing softly like a treasure from legend. No one else had seen its glow—only him.
At first, he had intended to let them all cross this place safely and leave, so he could slip back and claim the crystal in secret, relying on his luck... but just who could have thought that the giant hadn’t been asleep at all, merely pretending?
So, he knew he was guilty. He wasn’t just buying them time—he was also scheming to get his hands on the golden crystal. He wasn’t sure what it was... but something about it told him that even the strongest Celestial might never be able to obtain it.
He had to admit that his luck was indeed working—it hadn’t been utterly useless. The problem was that even though it led him to treasures, those treasures were guarded by enemies powerful enough to crush him.
Kyle licked the blood from his lips, ready to vanish again. His instant teleportation skill had only grown stronger with time, a lifeline that had saved him countless times before.
However, before he could vanish and put distance between himself and the giant, a crushing force clamped around his leg. His vision tilted as he was yanked upward, the world spinning in a dizzy blur. In that daze, he looked up to see huge fingers pinching his leg as if he were nothing more than an insect. Finally, his gaze met those familiar glowing golden eyes, burning with a mix of terrifying power and a spark of excitement.
The giant’s earlier confusion had vanished, replaced by a gleeful gaze that studied him as if it had found a toy. At that gaze, a chill ran down Kyle’s spine as he swallowed. He tried to move—but his body refused to obey.
A powerful natural force had enveloped his body, holding him firmly in place. He let out a low chuckle despite the pressure, droplets of sweat trickling down his forehead as the glowing golden eyes quietly scanned him.
It had only been a few small seconds, but Kyle couldn’t take it any longer. The power of those golden eyes rattled his mind, as if they were trying to read and manipulate his thoughts. Kyle’s deep, raspy, resonant voice echoed through the silent cavern, filling the space where no one dared make a sound.
"Hi... how about you let my leg go? Even a bug can be dangerous when cornered by a life-threatening situation, you know, hm?"
His words made those searching for an escape route shudder against their will.
Indeed, only Kyle was audacious and bold enough to still have the guts to speak out.
Seeing his resolve, for a fleeting moment, they felt the strong urge to fight the giant alongside him—but they knew that it was impossible to defeat such a powerful foe.
The best they could do right now was remain composed and use the time Kyle was buying them to quickly find an exit.
And if they succeeded, they trusted that with his teleportation ability, he would be able to escape as well. So, they poured all their focus into searching for a way out.
The giant looking at Kyle understood what the human was saying, and for a second, it felt the urge to laugh at him—but it couldn’t.
Kyle blinked, and a few symbols flared to life around him, instantly drawing all the natural and divine energy within him and surging toward the giant’s eyes under his command. The giant hurriedly shook its two heads but couldn’t evade all of them.
The symbols were tiny yet blindingly fast, as if their controller were unleashing every ounce of his mental power to move them.
Two small symbols successfully slipped into one of the giant’s eyes. It froze for a moment, yet nothing seemed to happen.
The giant blinked, then sneered at Kyle, its lips curling in mockery—only to falter when it heard the human whisper a single word.
"BOOM."
The soft word that reverberated within the whole cavern was instantly followed by the roar of an actual explosion, as the symbols that had slipped into one of the giant’s eyes detonated, forcing the towering creature to unleash a loud, blood-curdling scream.
Kyle, whose leg was pinched in the giant’s grip, was once again hurled through the air—but this time the furious strength behind the throw left him dizzy, his head spinning.
A harsh groan escaped him as he crashed down, his body battered and barely able to move. Yet at that very moment, Cassian’s clear voice rang out from the distance.
"We found the exit! This way!"