The Unvanquished: Child of Nihility-Chapter 78: Questions Behind the Silence

Chapter 78 – (The apocalyptic history lesson–Questions Behind the Silence)

Without another word, he stepped off the stage and disappeared through the rune-slit wall.

And just like that–

Class ended...

---

The rune-etched door slid shut behind Instructor Calem, sealing the room in a lingering, breathless stillness.

For a moment, the class was drawn into an eerily quiet hush–no sound, no movement. The weight of the apocalyptic history lesson still coiled around the classroom like ghostly smoke. The survival of humanity... the brutality of the monsters... the rivers of blood that once dyed the land of Eden–all of it lingered in the minds of the new cadets.

Centuries had passed.

And yet... the threat remained.

Sealed behind those metal gear gateways.

If any of them thought their survival trial was cruel, then what of the scenes they had just witnessed?

Humanity, back then, hadn’t been warned. They weren’t alert, no were they prepared. It all began on an ordinary day... And collapsed just as quickly.

Meanwhile, these cadets–they knew about the trial. They had time, trained, equipment.

And still, one 3-Star Monster was all it took to fracture everything.

The silence in the room was no longer simple. It was heavy and Suffocating.

Until–

Ahem.

A soft cough... Followed by the faint scrape of a chair, and finally... the spark.

"What the hell was that?" a voice whispered. "And the threat’s still there–still behind those metal doors?"

"Wait... the three power paths?" another cadet in the second row murmured. "Cultivation, Supernatural... and Technology?"

"Why is this my first time hearing that?"

A ripple of quiet mutters followed–cautious, but building.

"Yeah... I thought it was all about spirit roots and breakthrough stages..."

"And what about those unknown warriors during the apocalypse playback? The ones with glowing armor and no mana aura?"

"They looked–damn–cool. Like something out of a forgotten sci-fi archive."

"I don’t even think they used mana."

And it wasn’t a wild guess.

Even in Eden, sci-fi innovation wasn’t entirely unknown. With the rise of advanced tech and experimental suits, some among the top powerhouses did wear exo-gear–though no one ever spoke about it openly.

---

Neo Laura’s half-lidded gaze drifted toward the group of speakers, her fingers brushing idly across the edge of her sleeve.

She didn’t speak.

But her smile returned, Subtle, and Knowing.

They’d just witnessed Eden’s ancient apocalypse–a catastrophe still echoing in the planet’s shadows. And yet... she wasn’t afraid.

Because she understood something the others didn’t.

’Whether Eden survives or falls... our generation will decide. And some of us...’ her eyes briefly flicked toward Morca’s still frame, ’...are not bound by Eden at all.’

---

Jack Voidspace, still unmoving in his seat, turned his head slightly. His blindfolded gaze aimed at no one in particular.

"You shouldn’t ask those questions too loudly," he murmured. "Some things Eden doesn’t teach for a reason."

It was the first time Jack had spoken since the lecture began and ended, and yet–no one heard him.

Had they heard him, they might’ve noticed the indifference in his tone... as if he already knew.

Which was strange–unnerving, even. Because what they had just seen was a guarded secret.

An unspoken history of Eden–sealed away from the public, never taught, not even within the ancient families.

And yet... Jack spoke of it like it was nothing new.

---

In the back row, Leo Mordric leaned forward, his tone flat and composed.

"We were shown the past for a reason. Either it’s about to repeat..." He paused. Then added, just loud enough to be heard "...or it never ended.

---

Once more, the class fell into silence. But this time–it wasn’t from fear... It was expectation.

Something had shifted.

Not just in what they’d learned... But in how they now viewed the academy itself. This was no school of theory, no hall of prestige–This was a place meant to sharpen blades.

Their blades.

Order. Silence. Control.

Those were Eden’s laws... And behind that silence... questions waited with fangs.

---

Morca sat motionless, his eyes lowered but not closed.The voices around him blurred into a low hum.

’Three power paths... unknown warriors... energy born from desperation...’ His mind didn’t reel with confusion. It stirred with confirmation.

Everything he had suspected... Now had form.

Everything he had feared... Now had a timeline.

And yet–

This moment didn’t belong to revelation... It belonged to movement.

---

He shifted slightly, eyes narrowing.

’I walk both paths now–cultivation and the supernatural... As for the third... technology... That one remains mystery for now.’

A subtle shift in the air brushed against Morca’s skin–barely a flutter, but sharp enough to draw him out of his thoughts.

He raised his head.

Laura was already standing, her black-red cloak trailed behind her like ink bleeding across water as she walked toward the exit.

She didn’t speak, nor did she look back.

But something about the way she moved–quiet, composed–carried a weight. As if she had already read every question still swirling inside the lecture hall... and had chosen silence as her answer.

Morca exhaled lightly, letting the fog of thought evaporate.

He rose as well, his boots clicking softly against the polished obsidian floor. Hands tucked into his pants pockets, navy-blue fabric folding behind him as he strode forward–measured, calm–through the door and into the long, rune-lit corridor that curved toward the Central Zone stairwell.

For a time, only their footsteps echoed–hers light and deliberate, his steady and unreadable.

Then–

"Laura." His voice was soft, but certain as he called out to her.

She stopped.

Just a few step ahead of him.

She didn’t turn, She didn’t flinch, as she didn’t need to–she already knew who had called.

The silence between them stretched, as if suspended between meaning and reply.

Laura didn’t answer at first. Her figure stood still beneath the pale white glow of the corridor lights–half veiled in shadow, half bathed in brilliance.

Morca stepped closer–slow, careful, not wanting to press too hard into the fragile stillness. "A moment, please... Can I talk with you somewhere?"

He wasn’t even sure how to begin. His words came out measured, calm–not urgent. But there was something else behind them.

Not hesitation–Something curious. As if even Morca couldn’t explain why he needed to speak to her–only that he had to.

Laura finally turned slightly, just enough for her masked gaze to meet his.

But before her lips could form a reply–

The air twisted.

A ripple surged across the corridor–not loud, not sharp... but invasive. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Like poison bleeding through silk.

Then–

He appeared. Stepping through the shimmer of a semi-phased warp field, a tall figure emerged–clad in black metallic gear, its armor veined with pulsing green lines that glowed faintly with a sick, unstable hum.

His bare-neck skin was pale with a faint green undertone–not sickly, but unnatural... His presence exuded something between toxin and control.

Long green hair spilled down his back like serpents of forest venom, swaying gently with his steps.

But it was the way he stood–one clenched fist trembling ever so slightly–that spoke the loudest.

Like a storm held in check by the thinnest thread of self-restraint.

A man on the edge of unleashing something dangerous.Yet when he spoke, his voice was composed. Cold and Smooth.

"Laura."

Morca’s eyes narrowed instinctively.

Laura straightened, her earlier ease replaced by a composed stillness–respectful "...Master Gu."

Yes! The man was none other than Mr. Green Poison Gu–Laura’s newly aquire master.

He slowly unclenched his fist as green mist curled from between his fingers, hissing softly before evaporating midair.

"You’re late," he said, for a moment, he looked directly at Morca.

’So this is him? The kid who triggered the Tower’s pulse... Though he looks ordinary enough–yet those mismatched eyes... he’s not normal. He’s an anomaly, a walking contradiction.’ Then he shifted his gaze back to Laura.

"Leave the conversation for another day. You’re needed."

Laura glanced once at Morca–no apology, no farewell–just the faintest acknowledgment. A silent promise that the moment wasn’t lost.

"Understood," she said softly.

And in a flash of toxic-green spiritual warp mist, the two figures vanished. Leaving Morca alone in the corridor.

Still staring at the space they had stood.

And yet...

The air still hummed, faint and poisonous–like a warning left behind.

"Master, huh...? It hasn’t even been that long, and she already found one... She’s already mysterious on her own–and now she’s a student to someone even stranger."

"Hope she gives a proper response when I finally ask." Morca’s eyes dimmed–one swirling in abyssal black and the other glowing with quiet crimson flame.

---

Still standing alone, he exhaled slowly. The corridor finally settled, but his thoughts didn’t.

Just as he turned to walk away, a low, strange churn rolled through his core.

Grrrgh...

A quiet, subtle growl–his stomach, reminding him of something painfully mundane.

He blinked once.

"Tch... I almost forgot. My reserves are spent. Time to visit the cafeteria building like the others." His voice was low, amused.

Even for someone like him, food was still necessary.

Of course, once a cultivator reached certain stages, food became optional. Some could survive for weeks, even months, without it.

As for Morca?

He could last a single day–no more, no less.

He turned without urgency, sliding his hands into the deep pockets of his pants.

His footsteps echoed softly as he exited the class building.

---

Outside – EDA Central Zone

The afternoon sun hung lazily over the spired towers of Eden Domineer Academy. Cadets crossed the tiled street in pairs or clusters–some chatting, others brooding. A few simply drifted like dust across ancient stone.

Morca walked alone.

His uniform fluttered gently in the breeze, the subtle embroidery of crimson-black along his sleeves catching occasional glints of light.

He moved steadily. Not slow. Not fast.

Toward the Cafeteria Building, tucked near the southeast edge of the Central Region.

A place... even monsters wouldn’t dare invade.