Monsters and Phantoms had a special rtionship, and they fought with each other constantly.


    On the side of the people from the Citadel, the Phantoms were the hunters and the monsters the prey, but it was not umon for them to switch ces.


    However... what would happen if two hunters started fighting? Usually, it was impossible, even the sh between Adam and Iren was only a brief conflict that ended quickly and without serious wounds.


    However, when the dark Phantoms appeared, meaning the Phantoms from the Lower Ring, then everything changed.


    Whooooooosh.


    x''s foot mmed into Adam''s arm, who barely had time to put up a block. The impact, sent him skidding across the ground, Adam struggling not to lose his bnce.


    "Oh, not bad, but how about this?" x smirked, as dark mistpletely covered his body.


    In a heartbeat, x''s legs emerged from the mist, while his body spun in the air like a coil at tremendous speed.


    "Argh!!!" Adam yelped in pain as x''s legs plunged like a spear into his stomach, so fast that he didn''t have time to react.


    Chunks of dark energy appeared at x''s feet before ck streams emerged from them - it was condensed smoke, looking like the mes of a rocket st, showing how much energy was concentrated in one point.


    The pulse traveled through Adam''s entire body, throwing him backwards with such force that he couldn''t maintain his posture. He spun around in the air, unable to regain his bnce or make contact with the ground.


    "Hey! Don''t run away!" x smirked with burning eyes before rushing forward.


    With each step, he disappeared only to reappear a few meterster, leaving behind a plume of ck smoke.


    Before Adam''s eyes everything was rotating, the ground was quickly reced by sun and salt crystals, rotating at different angles.


    Whooooooosh.


    Suddenly, the light from the sun disappeared as x showed up in front of Adam, covered in dark smoke. The next thing Adam saw was x''s fist smashing into his face.


    Adam flew aside like a projectile, skidding across the salty ground and leaving a long trail.


    "That''s not all!" x quickly approached Adam, kicking Adam right in the face with a sharp turn.


    Crackle.


    x''s foot stopped a centimeter from its target, for Adam''s hand blocked it, clutching it tightly as if with a steel grip.


    Adam''s eyes were cold, filled with a quiet anger that was reflected in his gaze that seemed to burn through x.


    ''Oh, looks like this isn''t going to be as easy as we nned...'' x inwardly muttered with a bitter smile.


    Whoooooooosh.


    In a heartbeat, Adam stood up and grabbed x by the throat. It seemed as if he wanted to strangle x or, in a more violent case, break his neck. But... it was much more serious than that.


    Crackle. Crack. Crack.


    Electric shocks ran through Adam''s hand, making his fingertips glow brightly and burning x''s skin.


    x looked up - at the umting lightning bolts as waves of goosebumps went through his body. He was literally shaking with the realization of what could happen to him if he didn''t escape!


    x''s eyes shone brightly as the dark smoke shuddered rapidly, absorbing into his body. Before the thunderbolt could hit its target, x disappeared, ending up twenty meters away.


    Tremble.


    The ground shuddered as the thunderbolt copsed, raising waves of salt that clotted off around.


    "Looks like you underestimated him, didn''t you?" Tirana uttered, ring menacingly at x.


    x brushed away a trickle of blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.


    "Something like that. I wanted to deal with him while he still didn''t know what was going on, but if I hesitated for a moment, I would probably die. Even with Elemental Root, I wouldn''t have been able to withstand a direct hit from his lightning."


    Tirana didn''t answer anything, she just turned around, staring intently at Adam standing in the distance.


    Their gazes met, and a spark seemed to pass between them, allowing Adam to realize that Tirana was simr to someone. Though Tirana was standing twenty meters away, Adam could clearly see her and sink into her eyes.


    Oddly enough, perhaps it was an effect of his instincts or active genes, but for a moment he saw Mirna''s silhouette.


    Adam''s eyes went wide. It was enough for him to realize what was happening here in detail.


    Then, lightning covered his legs and... He ran away at full speed, heading for Iron Beacon.


    Adam was furious that Tirana''s squad took his Essence, but he realized that against eight K1-Phantoms, he didn''t stand a chance.


    Moreover, x and Tirana were on about the same level as him. It was too dangerous to stay here, so the best thing Adam could do in this situation was to join the other Phantoms.


    However... What chance did Adam have of running away from eight Lower Ring Phantoms when speed wasn''t his specialty?


    Whooooooosh.


    Two Phantoms whose legs were covered in wind currents quickly reached Adam, surrounding him on two sides.


    Tirana realized that Adam was an unusual Phantom, after all, he had killed her sister, which in itself was an aplishment. They knew that the first thing Adam would do was try to escape.


    Well, they would have been happy if he had attacked them in anger, but Adam wasn''t that stupid, maybe in some moments, he was like that before, but not now.


    ''Adam, I''ve put in an emergency SOS request, and several squads have already responded positively. What''s more, I''ve alerted Fort Norton and a fighter with K2-Phantom is on its way here.'' Silvana said quickly, rying all the necessary information to Adam.


    "Fuck the K2-Phantom. This is taking too long!" Adam eximed, and at the same moment, one of the two Phantoms appeared right before him.


    Adam''s eyes went wide as he summoned a needle, blocking the Phantom''s strike, out of his opponent''s hands came a wave of wind throwing him aside - trying to distance Adam as much as possible from Iron Beacon.


    "Tsk." Adam gritted his teeth, "How long until the nearest squad gets here? I can''t hold out much longer on my own!"


    Silvana sighed heavily, ''They''re in a hurry, but at best, they''ll need four or even five minutes. That''s the best I can promise you. However, if you run in their direction, you can get help faster.''


    "Where?" Adam asked as he cast a nce at Iron Beacon, "That way?"


    Bam.


    The two Phantoms attacked simultaneously, forcing Adam to put up a block. Their job wasn''t to kill or injure him, they just had to keep him in one area, and the wind currents helped them with that.


    Bam.


    They tossed Adam aside, causing his back to crash into the salt crystals. Then, the Phantoms stood on opposite sides of him, constantly directing wind currents at him.


    ''No, oddly enough, the nearest squad is not near Iron Beacon. They''re in Salt Vige, near some of the ruins. I''ll guide you, but first, you need to get out of here somehow.'' Silvana said seriously.


    The situation was an emergency, but she had to remain calm. If she panicked, then the same thing could happen to Adam, and that would be the end of everything.


    "Shit." Adam frowned, trying to think of a n of action.


    However...


    He didn''t have time, because the three Phantoms standing in the distance were ready to attack him,unching multicolored projectiles at him.