《Endless Evolution: Last Star》


 Chapter 1: Failed Experiment

    <h4>Chapter 1: Failed Experiment?</h4>


    "Garbage! Another failure! I knew there would be no use from the poor slums!" The man in the white coat eximed furiously, tossing aside the tablet.


    On the hologram screen were pictures of girls and boys between sixteen and eighteen years old. Under their faces, there was only one thing written - Applicant.


    "Agh... Fucking government, we''re wasting valuable Spark Seekers on finding talent in this scum! The odds are always too low!" The scientist shouted, looking out the wide window at the vast room made only of metal.


    By the walls were youths, in their eyes was no fear only endless sadness, because none of them had any talent.


    A creepy creature with bulging bones, four crystal wings, and three amber eyes with vertical pupils flew around the room. The monster had four short limbs that only asionally twitched and a long tail with a particrly wide ss tip.


    Among the twenty people, only one girl was not tested, and the Spark Seekers moved toward her.


    The girl covered her head with her hands, not wanting to meet the gaze of the disgusting monster, whose crooked jaw was dripping saliva.


    The Spark Seeker raised its tail, looking at the girl through a mirror. The monster saw everything through an X-ray - her bones, organs, eyes and veins as well as the tiny fire in her chest.


    "Rrrrrk! Rrrrk! Rrrrk!" The monster began to make strange noises, which instantly caught the scientist''s attention.


    Its eyes went wide and its body trembled.


    "Natural Talent in a brat with no bloodline...! Unbelievable!" The scientist eximed, then pressed a button, and the massive mechanical doors opened.


    "You are free to go. Go back to your rooms, you will be returned home tomorrow." The scientist waved his hand carelessly and the youths immediately rushed forward, away from the monster.


    The Spark Seeker was puzzled, not understanding what was going on, and when thest young man ran out of the room, the monster decided to follow them too.


    However, the doors closed, and the only thing left was the cold stare of the scientist holding some sort of device.


    "Tsk. Lucky at least someone had talent this time, but what a pity your mirror only works for one day." The scientist snorted before pressing a button.


    Beep. Beep. Beep.


    A beep sounded, and with a red spark, the monster exploded, shaking the entire room that was already sealed.


    Flesh chunks with sshes of blood filled the room, ending the life of yet another monster killed in the name of the survival of an entire race.


    "Argh, alright, time to call it a day with work." The scientist shook his head about to press another button.


    "Can you hear me...?"


    Suddenly another voice came from the room.


    Turning around, the scientist saw a young man with short ck hair and blue eyes. Like the rest of the young men, he was dressed in tattered clothes, dirty and battered by life.


    ''What the hell...?'' The scientist was shocked, ''I didn''t notice him? How is that possible?''


    The scientist quickly picked up the tablet and found a young man matching his appearance.


    "Adam Vinter... Just as scum as the others..." The scientist muttered before turning to the young man.


    Adam was covered in the monster''s blood from head to toe, but it didn''t seem to bother him at all. He looked a little too detached.


    "Looks like I didn''t pass the test... Can I go now? I was told we''d get some credits and food for a couple of days after the test... It would really help my family out." Adam uttered, worrying only about that.


    The scientist touched his forehead with his fingertips, shaking his head from side to side with aplicated expression.


    "There are no other Spark Seekers on this base yet... The wait is too long and bringing this kid back and then returning him for a test is too troublesome... Well, I don''t think he has the talent I was lucky enough to get today, so... it''s settled." The scientist muttered, conducting a monologue before pressing a button.


    At the same moment, the metal room shuddered, sagging downward slightly and trembling, as if something that held its weight was gradually loosening its grip.


    "What''s happening?! Let me out of here!" Adam eximed, trying not to lose his bnce.


    The scientist shrugged nonchntly.


    "Sorry kid you''re just unlucky. I don''t know how I didn''t notice you, but it doesn''t matter. In a minute I''ll forget about you as well as the whole world."


    Adam wanted to shout something, but before he could do so, the room snapped off the hook at breakneck speed falling downward.


    Before the scientist revealed a view of lifelessnds, covered only in dust and sand, that very soon would be another sandstorm, a sign that soon the monsters woulde out to hunt.


    "Lana Tiates... Your future will be bright now, I hope you be an outstanding Phantom."


    Then, the scientist looked down at the raging river, dirty and stinky, filled with waste and dark oil.


    The metal container plunged into the river, with a mighty ssh, half submerged in the water and speeding away into the Dead Lands, a ce unprotected by the city''s high impregnable walls and battle turrets, here any hunter would fall prey to the countless monsters passing through the wastnd.


    ''No! No! No! I have to get out of here! I can''t die here!'' Adam inwardly eximed, trying to catch his bnce in the constantly rocking container.


    Eventually, he managed to scramble into a corner next to the corpse of the Spark Seeker, only to find himself in another part a few secondster due to the sudden jolt.


    The river led to a tarke a few kilometers from Citadel F1 - Farlun, this was where waste had been dumped for many years, especially from Morton Observatory - the farthest research point on the south side of the citadel.


    Leaving an already used Spark Seeker was too risky, as other monsters could smell it and attack Morton Observatory, so the scientists there always dropped the ''trash'' into the river leading to the tarke.


    Adam was of no value as a slum dweller, so it was unlikely that the scientist would be punished for what he had done.


    In a world where every day could be thest for an entire race, few people cared about moral values, because what was the point if without power people would just die?


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Adam pounded his fist on the metal wall, shattering his knuckles into blood, but all was useless.


    "Shit! Why did this happen to me!?" Adam eximed in agony and despair, bringing his fists down on the wall, but all he achieved was a muffled ringing.


    In his futile attempts, Adam hadpletely forgotten where he was and that it wasn''t safe to be noisy in a ce like this.


    Two sharp, long ws, like des pierced the solid wall of the metal container, showering cascades of sparks at Adam.


    Before the ws could get close enough, Adam sprinted away, retreating into the far corner.


    Then, two creepy paws opened the container like a tin can as a long snout with an extended jaw and two rows of sharp teeth entered.


    The monster turned its head to look at Adam, then it looked at the dead Spark Seeker. Naturally, Adam was the less valuable prey, so the monster moved towards the Spark Seeker.


    Adam didn''t know what to do, because even if he managed to escape in the Dead Lands it was impossible to survive alone.


    Whoooooooosh.


    A massivence with a spinning silver tip pierced the monster''s body, tearing it apart.


    Then, a tall silhouette wearing loose clothing that protected from the dry desert wind appeared in front of the passage.


    The man raised his steampunk sses, revealing his joyful green eyes as a wide smile passed over his face.


    "Damn, boy, how did you end up here?" The man waved his hand, exposing it to the monster.


    A white vortex appeared in front of his palm, as various runes began to emerge from the monster, like DNA data. There were only a few, but the man was pleased with the result.


    Adam''s eyes went wide as he knew what it was. Revolve - A unique ability that only - Phantoms possessed!


    "Not bad, not bad at all. I doubt I would have been able to kill Two wed Cat so easily if it hadn''t been distracted by you!" The man pulled out hisnce and took a step forward.


    "Come on,e with me, on the way you can tell me what happened to you. I am a Phantom of the First Rank, you have nothing to fear with me!" The man said confidently holding out his hand to Adam.


    Adam nodded quickly approaching the man.


    ''Yes! I''m saved!'' Adam inwardly cheered.


    Then, a thread, thinner than a hair with a sharp sheen, passed before Adam''s eyes, quickly moving away from him.


    The man''s head fell to the ground, a fountain of blood gushing from his neck, flooding Adam whose eyes were wide with horror at the monster behind the man.


    "No!" Adam leaped towards thence and dodged the thread that passed next to his head, leaving a long but not fatal cut.


    Immediately, the monster''s broad paw came down on Adam, who managed to grab the spear at thest moment.


    "DIE!!!!" Adam screamed from the depths of his soul, channeling all his strength into thence, the tip of which automatically began to rotate due to momentum.


    The monster''s paw burst into flesh and blood, and the bone shattered into splinters, flying next to Adam''s face, leaving scratches on it.


    Then, thence reached the monster''s chest,pletely piercing it before thence broke and malfunctioned


    The monster''s carcass fell in front of Adam, with its eyes wide open, but alreadypletely empty.


    "Agh... Agh... Agh..." Adam was breathing heavily, and his heart was pounding furiously.


    For some reason, even after a while, his heartbeat didn''t slow down, it only kept speeding up until Adam''s eyes shone brightly.


    In his pupils appeared a silhouette like a seed that began to grow rapidly in all directions, changing Adam''s life forever.


    [Your Evolution Tree has been awakened!]


    [You can summon Revolve to absorb genes!]


    [Warning!]


    [You killed the Silver Weaver!]


    [Absorb the Silver Weaver''s gene if you want it to be your Initial Gene!]

 Chapter 2: Eclipse

    <h4>Chapter 2: Eclipse</h4>


    There was only one way to be a Phantom, in fact, a superior beingpared to ordinary humans, and that was to awaken a natural talent or Spark. At least that was what every resident of Citadel F1 knew.


    However, there was another way, which was carefully concealed, because it would cause chaos - thousands of people would die in the hope of bing one of the Phantoms, which would soon lead to the Citadel''s downfall.


    Killing the monster - this was the second way, but the killing had to happen in a 1 vs 1 battle, no one had to help the person, and no one had to be around, otherwise, the monster''s initial gene would destabilize, and would not be able to awaken the Evolution Tree in the person.


    Good or not, the fact that the man in front of Adam died gave him the opportunity to be a Phantom, even though he was on the verge of death every second of this short battle.


    "I... I could do it...? I killed the monster...? Wait... I awakened the Evolution Tree? Did I really have the Spark all this time?" Adam smiled madly as a rush of adrenaline and a hurricane of emotions went through his body.


    Bing a Phantom was the dream of every resident of the Citadel, because it was the only possibility for a bright future, for not being afraid of death from monsters.


    [Warning!]


    [Hurry up and use Revolve while the monster gene can still be the initial gene!]


    The messages like a cold shower brought Adam back to normal as he quickly crawled over to the Silver Weaver.


    Adam had never used Revolve before, but something inside him was trying to break free, and he just let the feelinge out.


    At the same moment, a white vortex appeared in front of Adam''s palm. The Silver Weaver''s body trembled slightly as a multitude of runes began to emerge, tending to the center of the vortex and entering Adam.


    [You have obtained the Silver Weaver Gene!]


    [Since this is your first gene it bes your initial gene!]


    [Your Evolution Tree began growth!]


    Adam''s eyes grew deeper, while his mind plunged into the depths of the abyss, finding itself in a starry space where it seemed the entire universe could fit.


    However, none of the millions of stars caught Adam''s attention, for his gaze was focused on only one - a white seed sprouting rapidly, bing a young tree with only a few branches.


    A stream of runes swept by Adam''s side, turning into a ball of thread that took its ce in the center of the Evolution Tree.


    The Evolution Tree shuddered, releasing ripples outward, making space shake. Around the ball of thread, a carved circle appeared on the tree trunk, emitting white energy, light and free.


    [You have reached the First Circle of Evolution!]


    Then, as if in response, a star flew out from the ball of thread, piercing into Adam''s be. His blue eyes shone brightly, revealing a new world to him.


    [You have received the Order of your Initial Gene - Silver Weaver]


    [Weaver''s Needle


    Make thread be an original tool that can be used to both kill and sew fabric, even if it is reality itself].


    Naturally, Adam had many questions, for as a person from the slums, he had little to no knowledge of the power of Phantoms. However, there was no one to help him, he had to find out for himself.


    His mind returned to the real world, where there was nothing but a ruptured metal container and corpses.


    ''Think... think... How do I get out of here...?!'' Adam inwardly shouted, trying to remember everything he knew about the Dead Lands.


    ''Caravans... Right... There''s definitely still a few days until the next Eclipse, so it should be pretty safe here now, right? At least there are definitely Phantoms here!" Adam eximed happily, walking over to the man and stripping him of his clothes.


    Not that he wanted to do it, but he had no other choice. Without these things, he would just suffocate in the sandstorm, and the goggles would be a great defense.


    Eclipse was both a feast and a gue. It happened about once a week, not during the day, but at night, causing the moon to practically disappear and plunge the entire world into darkness. For these twelve hours, the Citadel, all the military, and the Phantoms prepare for a whole week - to survive the waves of monsters.


    Eclipses have been happening for as long as the fall of the Last Star, an event that descended as long ago as this world has existed.


    After the fall of the Last Star, the brightest andrgest of all, the world was forever changed. Much of the became an uninhabited wastnd, monsters appeared, and people with superpowers arose.


    It is said that Eclipses are happening to bring back the light of the Last Star, but these are nothing more than rumors.


    Step. Step. Another Step.


    Adam stepped out of the container, passing over the corpse of the Silver Weaver to see the Dead Lands he had heard about all his childhood. It was impossible for the citizens of the city to survive in the Dead Lands, only the Phantoms could fight the monsters.


    "What the hell...?" Adam gulped, as his eyes went wide at the sight of hundreds of monster corpses, some of which were already covered in sand.


    Adam turned around, looking at the decapitated man, "Did he do it or that monster? Wait, I''ve never heard of a Silver Weaver... Is this really a monster from the Red Book?"


    There were countless monsters in the Dead Lands, each one had its own abilities, strength, and unique appearance.


    Monsters were the main enemies of mankind, so a single directory was created to record every monster, all possible information, and photos. The main directory was called - White Book and its copies were distributed even to the inhabitants of slums since everyone had to understand what were capable of ordinary monsters.


    There was also a Red Book - for especially dangerous and quite rare monsters. The information about most of them was notplete, a small part of them didn''t even have photos, also only nobles and Phantoms had ess to the Red Book.


    "Well, I won''t get excited ahead of time. After all, I only know about 1/5 of the monsters in the White Book, so the chances of such luck are too slim..." Adam muttered before heading further, pacing amongst the monsters.


    Usually, dead carcasses attracted other monsters who wanted to fill up on free food, but when there were so many corpses, it started to scare them away.


    Naturally, Adam wasn''t the one who killed these monsters, but anyone who looked at him from afar walking among dozens of corpses wouldn''t risk it and would just move away.


    Adam''s eyes widened as he realized he had forgotten something important, then he pointed his hand at the nearest monster and summoned Revolve.


    However, the vortex was unable to pull any genes out of the monsters.


    "Agh... I was hoping it would work. This is disappointing..." Adam frowned, moving towards the high sand hill.


    In order to get genes from a monster, one had to participate in its kill, so Revolve would have some connection to the monster to get the genes. The conditions weren''t as strict as for igniting Spark, but it was an important rule affecting the entire world.


    Only Phantoms or, at the very least, thetest weapons could eventually obtain new genes, though no weapons could help against strong monsters. There was simply no way the scientists could manage without the Phantoms because, without the monsters'' genes, humanity would have perished long ago.


    ''Well, not that I want to face the monsters, what I need now is to find a way back to the Citadel...'' Adam muttered inwardly, climbing to the top of the hill.


    The vast expanse ofnd opened up before him, but he saw nothing but dunes, lonely sandy slopes, and a brutal wind blowing everything in its path.


    Unfortunately, even though Adam had climbed to a high point, he hadn''te across a caravan. Something like that he would have noticed.


    ''Shit... I''m definitely not going to make it to the Citadel alone. I need to think of something, if I don''t find the caravan I''ll certainly end up in some monster''s jaws sooner orter.'''' Adan pondered with a frown, scratching his chin.


    Suddenly, the clouds thickened over the desert, and electrical discharges sparked among them. Everything happened very quickly, and in a few seconds, a cascade of powerful lightning bolts struck the ground.


    The lightning cascade disappeared, but not the thunder clouds, they only expanded, covering arger andrger area.


    At the same moment, hovering electric discharges appeared among the sand, which from time to time abruptly changed their position like ball lightning.


    "That''s..." Adam muttered, staring at a small object that appeared in the same ce where the lightning cascade had struck.


    A round blue stone with protruding crystalline rods spaced equally apart, the ends of which were ttened like disks, but they didn''t touch each other. From time to time, electrical discharges passed among them, running from one rod to another.


    "False Orb... Na way... Am I really that lucky...? I found an Artifact...?"


    Adam couldn''t believe it, because it wasn''t even that each Artifact had unique abilities and were extremely rare, but that the Artifacts were worth a fortune! One Artifact was more than enough to lift his family out of poverty!


    At the same moment, a long eel, normally floating on the bottom of the river jumped out of the sand. Electric shocks traveled all over its body, causing it to sound like thunder.


    Then, the eel sank into the sand only to jump out in another part of the anomaly.


    Adam gulped, his face pale, and doubts began to brew within him.


    However, very soon all his uncertainty was washed away by an unshakeable determination to change his life once and for all.

 Chapter 3: Anomaly

    <h4>Chapter 3: Anomaly</h4>


    "Electric Eel... White Book Monster, but..." Adam muttered, looking at the majestic creature that had lightning discharges constantly running through its body.


    Adam was ready to fight an ordinary White Book monster, but the one in front of him was not quite like that. It was an Anomaly version of the Electric Eel or an Anomalous Electric Eel, and in that case, in terms of strength, it could reach even those monsters from the Red Book.


    ''Whatever! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, at least I can see its action, all I have to fear is the asional jolt of electricity and these clots...'' Adam looked at the lightning balls scattered throughout the anomaly.


    To the Electric Eel, they posed no threat, but to Adam one hit could be fatal.


    Gathering his thoughts, Adam ran forward, heading down the hill. He had to hurry because very soon everyone would being here, and not just some random Phantom, but whole squads or even caravans passing nearby.


    In general, to get the artifact Adam had to dodge ball lightning, kill the anomalous monster, and do it all quite quickly.


    The task was difficult, and frankly, Adam had little chance, he realized it himself, but they were not zero.


    Even if he had be a Phantom only an hour ago, his body was stronger and faster than any human''s. After all, the monster''s initial gene was linked to the Evolution Tree - allowing humans to evolve, to fight monsters.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Adam entered the anomaly territory, and the Electric Eel immediately turned its attention to him. The monster arced over Adam before mming its tail into the ground.


    A wave of sand crashed down on Adam, forcing him to cover himself with his arms.


    Electric Eel warned him not to go any farther, it was the first andst warning, and Adam had only one chance to retreat.


    Suddenly, Adam''s eyes changed as white threads appeared among them, looking like the roots of the Evolution Tree as his veins swelled.


    ''Given its physique, I only need one good attack to win, but first... I have to make it show what it can do!''


    Adam ran forward, keeping a close eye on the ball lightning. The fact that they were just wandering around rather than making him their target was a great advantage to Adam.


    "TTTTRRRRRKKK!!!"


    The Electric Eel made a strange cracking sound, irritated by Adam''s decision. Then, the monster soared as high as it ever could and gathered electrical discharges near its head.


    In a heartbeat, a powerful bolt of lightning rained down on Adam, at a speed impossible for a human.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed as he jumped backward, dodging the lightning that struck right behind him at thest moment.


    The powerful explosion raised waves of sand, tossing Adam aside and turning millions of grains of sand into tiny ss crystals.


    *Cough*


    Adam climbed out of the sand, coughing and turning to see Electric Eel towering over him.


    "Hah, you may be an Anomalous one, but even you need time to summon lightning again, don''t you?" Adam smirked, ring mockingly at the Electric Eel.


    Adam was right, the monster did need time to build up a charge, however, the menacing maw was enough to kill a man.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Moving in a zigzag trajectory, the Electric Eel gradually elerated as if being pushed out of the air. The monster was rapidly approaching Adam, about to sweep through him and leave only the lower part of his body.


    This was the decisive moment, whether Adam would win, whether he would take the artifact, and whether he could change his life - everything was at stake for one attack.


    The Evolution Tree trembled as well as the ball of thread, Adam''s starting gene.


    At the same moment, his eyes shone brightly, and white energy flowed through the veins of his right arm. In a heartbeat, a cascade of snow-white threads appeared out of nowhere, first enveloping his arm, then transforming into a long needle the size of a sword.


    Adam used Order for the first time, but he wasn''t worried about making a mistake, because this ability, this gene was now part of his body.


    It took time to learn to read, to speak, or even to walk, but breathing was a natural process that everyone could do from the very first second of their birth. The same was true for Order - Adam had yet to learn the mastery, but he didn''t need to learn to summon the Weaver''s Needle.


    In the moment before the attack, Adam''s mind shed back to the fragments of his father cutting up fish. It had only been a few times because getting any meat in the slums was a daunting task.


    Adam remembered his father''s every move as the old knife passed along, cutting the belly of the fish in two.


    ''Right... Nothingplicated, I don''t need to shoot fire and summon lightning to defeat a creature of blood and flesh!'' Adam inwardly eximed, stepping forward.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    The Electric Eel swept right over him, fluttering his hair and whipping the sand sideways with streams of wind moving erratically from behind its huge body.


    "Now!"


    Adam swung the needle, plunging it into the Electric Eel''s throat and rushing forward, cutting through the monster''s flesh and ripping its belly open.


    Before the Electric Eel could realize anything, its blood flooded the sand around it, while huge organs, one by one, fell out of the monster''s body, quickly plunging it into oblivion.


    Bam.


    Electric Eel copsed to the ground, twitching for a few more seconds until the monster''s eyes wentpletely nk.


    Adam breathed a sigh of relief while the needle fluttered into snow-white threads disappearing into the void.


    "I did it... I was able to defeat the anomalous monster..." Adam muttered, then his eyes went wide, "Right, I don''t have time to waste! The artifact first!"


    Adam was so enthusiastic that he hadpletely forgotten to collect the genes from the Electric Eel with Revolve - all he cared about then was picking up the False Orb that was in the same spot.


    Dodging several balls of lightning flying nearby, Adam finally approached the False Orb, with electrical discharges running between its rods.


    Taking onest look around, Adam bent down, intending to pick up the artifact and take it with him so he could sell it and make a fortune!


    However, as soon as Adam touched the False Orb, a powerful electric shock went through his entire body. His body shook, and he could barely stay conscious, but he didn''t back away, instead stepping forward, clutching the False Orb tightly in his hand.


    "I''ll take you no matter what it costs me!" Adam eximed as his eyes glowed, filling with white threads or branches from the Evolution Tree.


    False Orb trembled violently as if trying to break free of Adam''s grip. But, as it did so, the False Orb flew out of Adam''s hand in a blue sh, entering his chest and heading straight for the Evolution Tree.


    The artifact soared next to the Evolution Tree, moving around it like a satellite surrounding a.


    Localized clouds of electrical discharges condensed over the False Orb as if carrying some of its biome into that space.


    [Evolution Tree and Primary Gene have epted the artifact!]


    [You have received your first artifact, the False Orb!]


    [Activate the Artifact to reveal its properties!]


    "What...? No... No... No! I didn''t want to absorb it?! How do I get the artifact out?!" Adam eximed, looking at his chest. Very quickly he realized what a mistake he had made.


    As a citizen of the slums, Adam simply didn''t know about how artifact hunting happened. He knew of their existence and price, but nothing more.


    Adam didn''t know about the special containers for collecting artifacts, nor about the protective gloves to resist the artifact''s recoil. This was the only way to collect the artifact without absorbing it, which was a huge risk because the artifact could simply destroy the entire system.


    "NOOOOOOOOO!!! My money!!!"


    Adam cried out, falling to the ground and looking up at the sky with his arms spread out to the side.

 Chapter 4: Reflexes

    <h4>Chapter 4: Reflexes</h4>


    There was no way Adam could change what had already happened, the artifact was inside him, bing part of his power, just like the Evolution Tree and Initial Gene. Now, all he could do was ept the artifact and use it to be stronger.


    "Right... I''m a Phantom now... I''ll be able to make money killing monsters, and the artifact will help me do that! I shouldn''t hope for a one-time gain like selling an artifact, it''s better to y the long game!"


    Then, Adam headed over to Electric Eel and summoned Revolve. Silver Weaver aside, this was the first monster Adam had ever absorbed genes from.


    Several blue runes embraced by electricity entered the vortex, heading into his space where his mind was simrly transported.


    "Agh...? What''s going on?" Adam muttered puzzled, looking at the Evolution Tree and the hovering Electric Eel runes in front of him.


    A massive white book with an atom sign on the cover appeared out of the cosmic particles. The book opened, and the Electric Eel''s genes headed to the first page, the topmost line.


    [The Electric Eel gene has been ced in the Vault!]


    [You can open the file of any of your genes for more information.]


    "Vault...?" Adam stared at the book that was technically his own database, his collection, and possibly part of the force.


    Adam, like a young explorer, advanced towards the Vault and touched the book that had be small enough for him tofortably hold it.


    Absorbed with interest, Adam clicked on the first line where the Electric Eel gene was located.


    Then, an image of the Electric Eel shed before Adam, precise and extensive, as if someone had photographed it during Adam''s fight.


    [Anomalous Electric Eel (X1) - First Circle, Green Threat Level.


    First stage in cognition - ess primary information about the monster and a photo.


    Second step in cognition - ??? (10 Neutral Genes required.)]


    "10 Neutral Genes? Green Threat Level?"


    However, no one was going to answer Adam''s questions. The only thing that was clear to him was that the Phantoms'' capabilities were far more extensive than he had realized.


    He had to acquire new genes and evolve as much as he could.


    ''Whatever, I have to activate the artifact first, everything elseter.'' Adam pondered before advancing towards the False Orb, hovering next to the Evolution Tree.


    [False Orb (First Rarity Level)


    First Trait - ??? (Any gene is required. Given the artifact''s rarity level, only genes from monsters of green threat level and above will do.)]


    "Oh, I have one!" Adam eximed, using the Anomalous Electric Eel gene.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    The rune flew out of the Vault, entering the False Orb.


    The artifact trembled as if it was ready to explode at any moment, but as the electrical discharges came out, the artifact returned to normal and began to shine a little brighter.


    [First Trait - Lightning Reflexes


    Electricity has be a part of you, you may not be able to create lightning at will or cause a cascade of thunder, but with your new reflexes you can dodge them as easily as you dodge a throwing ball]


    Adam spent his single gene, activated the Artifact, and was ready to return.


    He took onest look at the Evolution Tree, the False Orb, and the Ball of Thread, smiled, and closed his eyes, leaving the inner space.


    Adam opened his eyes only to see the vast wastnd and sand dunes again.


    The anomaly slowly faded away, the lightning bolts dispersed, and the clouds scattered, for without the artifact, it could not continue to grow and exist. The artifact was the core of any anomaly, constantly releasing its energy outwards.


    "Oh, looks like I finally got lucky." Adam smirked, looking at the long line of vehicles in the distanceing down the hill.


    Even if the Artifact was no longer there, any anomaly attracted a lot of attention. Everyone knew the value of artifacts, so as long as there was a chance to at least see them, it was worth it.


    "Hey! You!"


    A girl with a long red braid and green eyes shouted out from the first truck. Like all the people in the caravan, she was wearing loose clothes made of wide fabrics, for protection from the ever-present sand.


    Adam turned around but did not go to meet her, he just stood still watching the caravan carefully.


    One day, Adam climbed an old abandoned tower in a slum that overlooked the Dead Lands. He was lucky enough to see the caravan, but the one in front of him was muchrger.


    Each armored vehicle had the red fox''s head painted on it, staring intently and menacingly. Between the vehicles were several trucks with huge storages, containing both supplies and dead monster carcasses, as well as materials from them.


    Crackle.


    With a kick of her foot, the very same girl stepped outside, heading towards Adam. She cast a quick nce at the dead Electric Eel, nodded slightly, and stopped.


    "My name is Lisa, I''m the leader of the Fire Fox Squad and a First Rank Phantom." Lisa said vigorously, extending her hand.


    Adam responded to the handshake.


    "Adam... Just a loner who was unlucky enough to end up here."


    "Hmm? How did you end up here alone? The Scorching Desert is probably the worst area to go hunting alone." Lisa raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    Adam didn''t answer, instead, he turned around, looking up at the high city walls.


    "When do you n to return? I''d like to join you, temporarily."


    Lisa touched her lips, "You don''t seem to be particrly social. Were you the one who killed that monster?"


    Adam nodded.


    "Hey! Stop wasting time! What are you guys up to?!" A voice rang out as a muscr man with a broad sword behind his back that was as big as he was stepped out of the car.


    "Oh, that''s Jacob, the first captain, the grumpy damn type." Lisa said nonchntly.


    "What? I just don''t want to put our squad in danger. The sooner we get out of here the better. That the anomaly is clearing was obvious before we stopped." Jacob said, scratching the back of his head with an annoyed expression.


    Lisa nced at the anomaly and asked, "Did you collect the artifact? I''m sorry, but if you want to join us, we want 3% of its value."


    Adam shook his head.


    "Agh? Do you really think we''re going to take you along for free!" Jacob frowned.


    Adam nced at the center of the anomaly, "I didn''t collect the artifact, I absorbed it, so there''s no way I can give it to you."


    Lisa and Jacob''s eyes went wide, they were clearly surprised by something, though Adam had absolutely no idea why.


    "Hahahahahahaha! Dude, you are one hell of a lucky guy!" Lisaughed, "Going out alone on a hunt in the Scorching Desert, being the first one near an anomaly, and getting the right artifact for your Evolution Tree and Initial Gene! Damn, I even got tired while I was listing all that."


    Adam''s eyes sparkled, then he tilted his head, and his gaze grew darker.


    "Every great fortune was preceded by an equally great failure..." Adam uttered, while images from the experiment shed before his face, especially the scientist''s face.


    Lisa shrugged, "Okay, then we want 20% of the materials from that monster." Lisa pointed at the Electric Eel, "Transportation and sales we''ll handle ourselves, as a bonus food and water, how''s that?"


    Adam shook his head, "Fine. I just want to get home, the rest isn''t that important."


    Then, Adam turned around, directing his gaze to a distant point - Morton Observatory, where was the one who had already be his target forever. Until the death of one of them.

 Chapter 5: Red Book

    <h4>Chapter 5: Red Book</h4>


    An armored truck, cut across the sandy wastnd, leading more than a dozen simr vehicles.


    Adam sat in the back seat, looking out at the Dead Lands with a bored look. Every time he heard about the Dead Lands in stories or from someone, he got goosebumps, but now he didn''t feel that way, at all.


    For some reason, he felt calm, overly peaceful, and even cozy, despite the Dead Lands being a dangerous ce, even for Phantoms.


    ''What a strange feeling... Yesterday, facing a monster was my worst nightmare. Today the worst and the best happened at the same time, now I look at them as pack animals...'' Adam internally muttered, looking at the group of monsters in the distance.


    They were tearing apart the body of the Electric Eel - what was left of it after Lisa and her squad had put the most valuable things in the vaults - like teeth or scales.


    Adam wasn''t arrogant, he was just being honest with himself. He didn''t know if he could handle these monsters or not, but he was pretty sure that the Silver Weaver was on a whole other level.


    "Hey! Stop making such a stern face! Come on, have a drink with me!" Lisa eximed, holding out a bottle of strong drink to Adam, her cheeks already flushed.


    "Nah, that''s impossible. I''m seventeen, you know?" Adam waved his hand.


    Lisa raised an eyebrow, "Hmm, so what! There are no limits in the Citadel! If you have the opportunity you should drink!"


    After trying a few more times, Lisa gave up and tossed a can of soda to Adam.


    "Well, that''s another matter." Adam opened the soda can, savoring the drink.


    In fact, Adam did his best not to shriek with joy and smile broadly, for this was the second time he had tasted soda. The vor was excellent, sweet, and carbonated, it was like a celebration for a slum resident.


    "Seventeen years? That said, you hunted alone and killed an anomalous monster without getting hurt, at all. I''ll be honest, I don''t like you, you''re one hell of a suspicious type." Jacob uttered, keeping his eyes on the road.


    Adam shrugged, tossing the already empty soda can out the window.


    "That''s your right. I''m not going to be friends with you, I''ve only joined you until the moment I return, then we''ll never see each other again." Adam said calmly.


    "Tsk. I wish I could end all of this right now, but we have one more Nest to clear before we return." Jacob snorted before turning the wheel sharply, checking the data with the map.


    ''Nest... right? Adam wondered.


    The monsters were different, each different from the other, and in some ways, they were even simr to humans. Among them, there were strong and weak, leaders and loners, as well as their own social order. Some monsters preferred to act alone, but others gathered in packs and formed Nests.


    "Who is our target?" Adam asked aloofly.


    "Lizards!" Lisa eximed happily, the alcohol had clearly taken its toll on her. However, getting anything more out of her was difficult.


    Jacob realized this too, so he tossed Adam a tablet, where a 3D image of their victim was open.


    [Thick-headed Desert Lizard - White Book, White Threat Level.


    Features:


    -An extremely tough forehead, unlikely to be pierced by even the sharpest sword.


    -Protective scales absorb most of the energy of st or crushing attacks.


    -Good resistance to fire.


    -Slow, clumsy, and possesses low intelligence. Strongly relies on the pack leader].


    Adam was slightly surprised, for this information was only avable on a special database, OpenEye, which only the high-ranking residents and, of course, the Phantoms had ess to.


    This was only the first page, the rest of the pages contained monster descriptions, loot, and even approximate habitat points, everything there was to know about these monsters, and even more.


    ''Wait, they don''t know I just became a Phantom, so... it wouldn''t be weird if I checked something out, would it?'' Adam pondered before clicking the buttons.


    As he had anticipated Jacob showed no reaction. Phantoms could spend hours exploring OpenEye, after all, there was constantly something being updated and added.


    Adam quickly opened the White Book directory and typed in - Silver Weaver.


    [Nothing was found for your request.].


    The simple message immediately answered all of Adam''s questions.


    ''Hah, Lisa called me lucky, but then even I didn''t realize Silver Weaver was a Red Book monster... Fuck, that''s crazy...'' Adam inwardly muttered with a happy smile, then his face froze when he realized he could check something else.


    ''Red Book...''


    Adam typed, going into the directory. The first page out of many did not have Silver Weaver on it, so he decided to type the monster''s name into the search as he had done with the White Book.


    TTTRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSKKKKKKK!!!


    The truck came to an abrupt stop, knocking the tablet out of Adam''s hands and causing him to hit his forehead on the front seat.


    Before he could realize anything, Lisa snatched the clipboard out of his hands, checked the location of the Lizards, and exited the truck, mming the door.


    "Alright! Our target is fifteen Lizards! Mostly we''ve just been asked to clean out the Nest, but one of the Observatories is willing to pay well for each fang!" Lisa eximed vigorously before picking up a massive ck box from the truck roof.


    She quickly opened it and equipped her weapon - two dark metal gauntlets covered in thick, heavy tes with multiple vents.


    "YES!!!"


    The rest of the Phantoms eximed with equal intensity before bursting into action.


    Adam wanted to take the tablet in hand, but Jacob stepped ahead of him.


    "Hey, you can look through the directoryter, right now, we have a task toplete. The sooner we deal with these lizards, the sooner we can get back to the Citadel." Jacob said coldly, picking up his sword.


    Adam shook his head and followed him.


    Looking around, Adam saw that only a third of the men had gone to fight the Lizards, the rest stayed by the trucks. They looked tense and held guns in their hands, some rifles, some shotguns, and some pistols.


    "What are you stopped for? Is this your first time seeing the Harvesters? Come on, kill the monsters, rest while they butcher them, and go home. Stop wasting time!" Jacob waved his hand, rushing into the fight.


    Adam raised an eyebrow.


    ''So they''re not Phantoms then? Well, it makes sense, someone has to do the dirty work.'' Adam thought for a moment.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, the Lizard, who had been hiding nearby under the sand all this time, stealthily approached him.


    The lizard''s long tail swept toward Adam like a whip. The sharp tip could easily pierce his head.


    Adam didn''t notice the monster, or rather toote, so he didn''t have time to react to the attack.


    Then, Adam''s eyes shed as electric shocks ran through his body, and his head jerked reflexively.


    The tail swept right next to his neck, leaving a light cut, trickles of blood streaming down.


    Adam turned around, destroying the lizard with his disdainful gaze.


    In a heartbeat, white threads wrapped around his arm, and he leaped at the lizard, plunging a long needle into the back of its head that wasn''t protected by a sturdy forehead.


    Swinging the needle to the left, Adam sliced through the monster''s neck, cutting a massive chunk of flesh.


    "Fuck... That was dangerous..." Adam muttered, touching the neck and summoning Revolve.


    [The Thick-headed Desert Lizard''s gene has been ced in the Vault!]


    Then, Adam looked at the battlefield.


    The Lizards were not strong opponents, so gradually the Phantoms were winning. Lisa was particrly effective, she was simply turning the Lizards into chops with her fists.


    ''Hmm... The directory said that they rely heavily on their leader, but in that case, where is it? Where is their leader?''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground shook, sand tumbled from the tops of the dunes in waves, and before anyone could realize it, a huge head emerged.


    The giant jaw, like a world-eater, swallowed tons of sand along with several trucks and dozens of people. The harvesters were unable to defend themselves, so when the jaw copsed, streams of their fresh blood poured outward, flooding the surface of the desert.


    The excited Lisa instantly turned pale, and every Phantom had goosebumps running down their bodies.

 Chapter 6: Prime

    <h4>Chapter 6: Prime</h4>


    The worst thing that could happen during a hunt was the appearance of a monster that the hunters were unable to deal with. This put the entire mission in danger, as well as the lives of the squad.


    In order to avoid such incidents, the Phantoms had hundreds of people working for them, constantly updating OpenEye and keeping in contact with them.


    The Fire Fox Squad received their mission only after all Nests'' locations were established, as well as the weather, time of day, and all the necessary information to sessfullyplete the mission.


    In this way, risks were minimized, and Phantoms were only sent on missions they couldplete without serious losses.


    In fact, only the loss of a Harvester was considered coteral damage, and if even a single Phantom died during a mission, it was a failure, because, for several years of work, one Phantom could clear dozens of Nests. After all, it was ten times easier to find a new Harvester than a Phantom.


    "Fuck! It''s Prime Type!" Lisa eximed, abruptly removing the re gun from her belt andunching the rocket.


    A red plume with a bright sh illuminated the area, sending a signal to the Citadel. A few secondster, Lisa''s bracelet activated, showing a blue screen where several messages show up.


    "Everyone! We have tost five minutes before they take us out of here!" Lisa eximed, kicking aside the lizard running at her.


    At the same moment, the Harvesters and Phantoms ran as far away as possible from the huge lizard who had already destroyed part of their squad. Adam did the same, standing up next to Jacob and Lisa.


    "What the fuck is Prime Type doing here?" Jacob eximed, holding his sword in front of him


    ''Prime Type...?'' Adam inwardly muttered, looking at the huge lizard destroying one truck after another.


    No one tried to rescue the loot as well as attack the lizard, because everyone realized they wouldn''t be able to handle this thing.


    Lisa quickly clicked on her tablet, finding this very monster in the catalog.


    "Prime Thick-headed Desert Lizard... Blue Threat Level... Shit, there''s less than a 1% chance of a Prime Type appearing! Today is the worst day ever!" Lisa eximed irritably, turning around to the Citadel''s walls.


    "How much more time do we have?" Jacob asked.


    Lisa nced at the bracelet, "Three minutes, but... it looks like we won''t be able to just watch from the sidelines anymore..."


    Prime Lizard had already destroyed the entire caravan. Losing all the loot they had collected was a big blow, but keeping alive was much more important.


    It was always possible to kill more monsters and gather resources from them, but there was no way to resurrect someone from the dead.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The Prime Lizard slowly moved towards them, shaking the ground beneath its massive paws. Its eyes kept changing their target until they stopped on Lisa.


    Lisa''s eyes went wide as she eximed, "Everyone! Get away from me!"


    At the same moment, dozens of people ran away from Lisa like from the gue, the only one left standing was Adam. He wasn''t used to fighting, today was the first time in his life, so he was extremelyck of experience.


    "What...? What the fuck are you standing there for?!" Jacob shouted as he sharply grabbed Adam''s arm, tossing him aside.


    Adam rolled down the sand hill while Prime Lizard approached Lisa.


    She held her position until thest moment before her eyes shed, and her veins swelled.


    Bright mes enveloped her gloves, then she put her wrists against each other with open palms and created a torrent of me beneath her, throwing her high up.


    Prime Lizard swept right under her, clearly surprised that Lisa was able to dodge.


    "Hah, you may be out of our league, but you''re still dumb!" Lisa uttered with an excited expression, pushing herself from the air with a stream of fire.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Cutting through the currents of air, with a whistle a long tail plunged into her belly. Her eyes opened wide, a stream of blood rushed from her mouth while waves of pain traveled throughout her body.


    Bam.


    Like a projectile, Lisa copsed to the ground, and waves of sand surged upwards.


    "Lisa!" Jacob shouted, before removing two grenades from his belt and throwing them directly at the Prime Lizard.


    His example was followed by everyone else, both the Harvesters actively firing all their weapons and the Phantoms using gear and Orders.


    For a brief period, the attacks were so numerous that Prime Lizard was engulfed by various shes of light, explosions, and elemental forces.


    However, the monster was simply heading forward, moving to Lisa - to its primary goal.


    "Tsk. There''s no way our attacks can break through its armor... Fuck, there''s only a little bit left!" Jacob bit his lip before rushing forward.


    He was taking quite a risk, but it didn''t matter, because he had to save Lisa, who was still recovering from the hit.


    Jacob acted collected, Prime Lizard spotted him and attacked, but Jacob was ready for it as he ducked and his eyes tensed.


    Tiny ice crystals appeared on his fingertips, and he threw them at Prime Lizard. The crystals exploded, covering everything around it in a thickyer of ice and freezing the monster''s paws.


    ''Nice! Just a little more!'' Jacob inwardly cheered, getting close to Lisa.


    Prime Lizard almost broke the ice, but Jacob clearly had plenty of time.


    The sand in front of Jacob trembled as two Lizards appeared in front of him. Because of Prime One, he hadpletely forgotten that they hadn''t destroyed the whole Nest, a few monsters still remained.


    The Lizards mmed into him with their thick foreheads like bulls, throwing him to the side and robbing him of any hope of saving Lisa.


    "No! No! No! Somebody help her!" Jacob eximed before falling into the sand.


    However, everyone was far away, many were too afraid to do anything. Prime Monsters weren''t something that normal Phantoms were prepared for, it wasn''t their level. Only someone skilled enough like Lisa could fight against such monsters for a while.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Adam appeared from behind the hill, quickly running towards Lisa as thest person who could help her.


    Two Lizards reacted quickly, trying to ram him, but Adam simply jumped over them, closing to his target.


    "Dodge!" Jacob shouted as the sharp tip of the Prime Lizard''s tail rushed towards Adam.


    Adam didn''t see the monster''s tail since he was running towards it with his back, but his reflexes did not need to.


    Abruptly, as if someone was controlling his body by strings, Adam twisted at a strange angle, at the limit of his body''s capabilities.


    The tail swept right over his head, and for a moment he saw himself in the reflection.


    Then, Adam picked Lisa up off the ground and looked around to see where he could escape.


    However, there was nowhere to run, for a huge shadow covered the entire battlefield.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Dozens of missiles rained down on the Prime Lizard, with crushing explosions. It didn''t do any damage to the monster, but it slowed it down for a couple of seconds, which was enough for several huges of heavy steel stakes to fall on the monster.


    Even a monster as strong andrge as the Prime Thick-headed Desert Lizard couldn''t tear aparts specially designed for such situations.


    Adam looked up, only to see a huge airne that looked more like a spaceship.


    Several stairs descended where everyone immediately rushed to, while dozens of men in ck military armor fired rifles, aiming for the monster''s eyes.


    "Come on! Hurry up! Get on top!" Jacob shouted, urging the others on.


    Thest to go was Adam, who climbed up with Jacob, holding Lisa up.


    "Is she okay?!" Jacob eximed, getting on top and examining her.


    To Jacob''s relief, Lisa was breathing, and her heart was beating, faster than normal, but that meant she was alive, and that was all that mattered to him.


    Then, the man in charge of the rescue squad approached Jacob, discussing something with him.


    At the same time, Adam sat at the wide window, watching the Prime Lizard depart as their ne flew away, returning to the Citadel.


    It seemed like it was all over, but that was only true for the Fire Fox Squad.


    A fighter jet flew over their ne, from which a man in desert clothing and wide goggles protecting him from the wind jumped out to Adam''s shock.


    Was it possible to survive a fall from such a height? Who was he?


    A series of questions raced through Adam''s mind, but soon none of it mattered anymore.


    The man''s hands were covered in dense white energy, like a me with boundless power. Then, the man put his hands together and brought them down on Prime Lizard''s head like a hammer.


    A shparable to a supernova explosion tore the monster apart. A crater like a meteorite crater was formed dozens of meters around, filled with the blood of the giant monster.


    Adam''s eyes went wide, sparkling like a child seeing a cartoon for the first time.


    That was exactly how he imagined the Phantoms to be, exactly how he wanted to be!

 Chapter 7: Natural and Artificial

    <h4>Chapter 7: Natural and Artificial</h4>


    "Fucking Prime..."


    "Shit... We were doing so well..."


    "No way... We worked so hard, and it''s all gone..."


    Phantoms and Harvesters muttered with pale and dark faces, some worried about lost profits and some mourning fallen friends.


    Among them, Adam was the only one who wasn''t depressed, for the scene of Prime Lizard killed by Phantom had encouraged him to the core.


    "Agh, that wasn''t bad." The man muttered, looking at the dozens of pieces of flesh scattered around him.


    The few remaining lizards were just as destroyed by the shockwave as the entire Nest.


    Sometimes, a single powerful attack was enough to solve all the problems of hundreds of others. It was a telling difference in might.


    "Is that it? I can go back?" The man uttered, touching the earbud in his ear.


    ''Not yet. Even though it''s not ording to n, there''s one ce I want you to check.'' A serious female voice sounded,ing from the Citadel.


    "Agh? You know that the superiors are going to swear, right? It''s not good for Second Rank Phantom to waste so much time on something obscure." The man scratched the back of his head uncertainly.


    ''Just trust me, dammit!'' The girl shouted, ''If I''m wrong you''ll be back quickly, but if I''m right... Then we can add to the Red Book!


    "What...? Do you think there could be a Red Book monster in Scorching Desert? Even if there is... I don''t want to take a picture of a corpse. Let someone else do it."


    ''Damien, why can''t you just listen to me?! Any addition to the Red Book is a real achievement! You love awards, don''t you? I''m sure you could get a few extra days off for something like that.'' The girl moved into the negotiation stage.


    Damien''s eyes lit up, as a sly smile appeared on his face.


    "Oh, you decided toe in trumps? Well, this might actually interest me. Fine, where to go?" Damien uttered, rubbing his chin.


    Beep.


    A message appeared on the screen of his bracelet, then a map with a blinking red dot automatically opened.


    "Tar Lake...? Personal trash dump of the Morton Observatory? Fuck, I agreed to this for nothing." Damien frowned.


    ''Quit whining and get to work.'' The girl muttered.


    "Agh, I don''t have a choice either way." Damien shook his head before tearing forward.


    A wave of sand rose behind him as he ran at wind speed straight towards the point, demolishing everything in his path. Even if some Lizards were still buried in the sand, no one would risk attacking Damien. In fact, his speed and strength were enough to tear a Lizard to pieces on the run without even stopping.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Raising the dust, after a few minutes Damien reached his goal. Dozens of monster corpses, most of them already covered in sand, and a metal container on the shore of the Tar Lake were in front of him.


    Damien frowned as he immediately sensed that something was wrong. Upon reaching the container, Damien saw an unusual monster torn apart, a brokennce, and a decapitated naked man.


    "Beth, I sent you the photo, but..." Damien muttered, staring at the Silver Weaver.


    ''That monster isn''t in the Red Book...'' Beth whispered in a trembling voice.


    Damien frowned, "We''ll obviously get a much better reward for this kind of information, won''t we?"


    ''Yeah... That''s definitely true...''


    "However, I don''t like all this, what''s more, there''s a dead Phantom here." Damien stepped forward, bent down, and removed the bracelet from the man.


    "Torsten Seiden... First Rank Phantom..."


    ''Did he die fighting the monster?'' Beth asked.


    "Hmm... Well, the monster certainly killed him, but it looks like there was someone else here." Damien narrowed his eyes, looking at the old, tattered clothes next to the man.


    ''Another Phantom?''


    "Possibly, but I doubt it. Another Phantom came here in torn clothes, defeated an unknown monster, and yet took the clothes but not the bracelet? Only someone who was in shock and unaware of the importance of the bracelet could do such a thing, meaning not Phantom." Damien muttered, putting the bracelet into his pocket with a deep look.


    ''...''


    Beth was silent for a while, it seemed that what she heard really shocked her.


    ''Wait... If it''s true, then that means there''s a Naturalborn one somewhere right now?'' Beth''s voice trembled as if something incredible had happened, on the verge of the impossible.


    Damien nodded, "Well, that''s only if I''m not mistaken. Hah, today has turned out to be surprisingly interesting. Naturalborn absorbed the gene of an unknown monster... Alright, it''s time to head back. Let the military and scientists deal with the rest."


    Damien hefted the Silver Weaver and pressed a button on his bracelet. Soon enough, the very same fighter aircraft came, ready to pick him up.


    ...


    This was unknown to ordinary people, however, even many Phantoms did not think about it, as the Citadel government tried not to bring it up.


    These were Naturalborn Phantoms and Artificialborn Phantoms.


    Everyone knew that in order to be a Phantom, one needed a Spark. The government, as well as some Phantoms, knew that there were two ways to be a Phantom - either a talent or a 1 vs. 1 fight.


    Though in the first case, it depended on having talent - a dormant Spark, these Phantoms were the Artificialborn ones. They were helped to kill their first monster so that their Spark could shine and the Evolution Tree could grow. In fact, 99% of Artificial Phantoms did not know that they were Artificial ones, nor did they know that Natural ones existed.


    However, no one in the government wanted this to be known, nor did they want anyone to know that there was a second way to awaken the Spark.


    The government''s logic was clear and simple. If ordinary people found out about the second way, they would go to die trying to be Phantoms. If the Phantoms learned that there were Natural Ones, the future generation of Phantoms would not want to be Artificial Ones and, as a result, would also die even though they could have a bright future.


    The difference between a Natural Phantom and an Artificial Phantom was very simple: potential.


    The Spark appeared in a 1 on 1 fight was brighter and stronger. The Evolution Tree that sprouted in a stressful or deadly situation was bigger and more powerful. The Initial Gene was not disturbed by the genes of others, so it gave all its power to the Evolution Tree.


    All of this made Natural Phantoms significantly different from Artificial ones in the future, like talented person and ordinary one.


    Also, Natural Phantoms had another useful feature - highpatibility with Artifacts. It was much easier for a Natural Phantom to find a suitable Artifact for itself, as its Evolution Tree and Initial Gene only rejected a small fraction of Artifacts.


    ...


    While Damien was carrying an unknown monster that had been defeated by an unknown person to the Citadel, Fire Fox Squad was approaching Fort Norton - the main military base on the north side of the Citadel.


    "Is everything alright?" A man in military uniform asked, walking up to Jacob.


    Jacob nodded while medics carried Lisa away on a stretcher. He knew she would be well taken care of and soon would be ready to rush back into battle.


    "Dous, you saved us. If you would havee even a minuteter, things could have ended much worse." Jacob said, scratching the back of his head.


    "You shouldn''t. It''s my duty to do everything I can to help the Phantoms, without you all, the Citadel would have fallen a long time ago. Though the missiles are useless against strong monsters like that lizard, but they were able to save your lives, so the benefit is definitely there." Dous said seriously, like a true military man.


    Then, Dous took a deep breath and pulled out a tablet.


    "Now for the unpleasant... Prime Lizard killed 23 Harvesters, and 3 more Phantoms wounded, but nothing serious. And..." Dous uttered, turning to Adam and pointing to his bare wrist, "I see you lost your NEP, tell me your name or ID so I can issue you a new one."


    Adam tilted his head in confusion, "NEP...?"


    It was the first time he''d heard of it because, unlike the other Phantoms, it hadn''t been added to the database yet, and no one knew it.


    "Hmm? Are you hurt?" Dous asked, clearly not understanding what was going on here, "Maybe you hit your head?"


    Jacob''s eyes went wide when he realized something.


    "Wait... You didn''t have NEP from the beginning!"


    Dous red at him, "Hold on... This guy isn''t a member of your squad?"


    Jacob shook his head, "An anomaly appeared near us, we got damn excited and arrived there five minutester, but he was already there, as well as a dead anomalous monster. Also, he absorbed the artifact."


    A sharp glint passed among Dous''s eyes as he stared at Adam, it seemed he was beginning to suspect something.


    Adam smiled oddly, "I passed out during the experiment and then ended up in the desert next to a dead Phantom, looks like I got pretty lucky!"


    There was little chance that anyone would believe such a lie, but Dous nodded understandingly.


    "I see... It''s happened a few times before... Well,e with me, I need to get you processed, officially."


    Adam nodded, quickly running after Dous, hoping he wouldn''t get in trouble for it. After all, the world of the Phantoms was uncharted territory for him.


    Jacob was left alone, rubbing the back of his head, puzzled, "Well... Maybe I should visit Lisa?"


    ...


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam and Dous walked down a long, empty hallway, though Adam thought it would be crowded since a lot of Phantoms had to get their NEP.


    Dous opened the door, and sat down across from Adam in a simple room, with poor lighting with only two chairs and one table.


    "Young man, now it''s time for a serious conversation. You don''t have to lie to me. All Jacob''s thoughts are focused on Lisa right now, so he hasn''t even realized what nonsense you said back there." Dous grew serious, crossing his arms over his chest.


    "How did you be a Phantom? How did you end up in the desert? And... did you really absorb the artifact without difficulty?"


    Adam gulped. That was not what he expected, at all. Right now, he felt like he was being interrogated.


    Perhaps for some, the reasons for Dous''s behavior were obvious and logical, but for Adam, who was clueless, everything was murky and anxious.

 Chapter 8: Operator

    <h4>Chapter 8: Operator</h4>


    Fire Fox Squad had returned to the Citadel hours ago, and all this time, the two men in Fort Norton had a long conversation. However, everythinges to an end at some point just like this talk.


    "I''m Naturalborn Phantom...?" Adam muttered, pointing to himself.


    Dous nodded with a serious look, "Yes, but you don''t have to tell anyone that. To everyone, you''re just an ordinary Phantom who awakened his talent just like everyone else. I''ll handle the paperwork, so no one will be suspicious of your recent appearance."


    Adam sighed, he stared at the ceiling for a while.


    In thest few minutes, Dous had made him recount everything that had happened to him, from the beginning of the experiment and defeating the Silver Weaver, to his encounter with the Fire Fox Squad.


    "What about Aiden Henk? Will he be punished for what he did?" Adam asked as his gaze grew darker. It was the same scientist from the Morton Observatory.


    "Agh, Adam I understand how you feel, but given the circumstances, the best solution would be to keep the situation quiet. Even if I wanted to help you, no one would let me. A conflict between the chief scientist of one of the Observatories and Naturalborn Phantom is thest thing our Citadel needs." Dous tried to exin.


    Adam answered nothing, his gaze only gradually growing darker like the depths of the abyss, then he abruptly returned to normal and nodded.


    "So... What next?" Adam tilted his head.


    "I''m going to ask you to stay here for a few hours. I''ll try to get things done as quickly as possible. You''ll be home by tonight. Should I notify your family?" Dous said seriously.


    Adam shook his head, "Nah, I want to surprise them."


    Dous smirked, pulled a small book out of his inside pocket, and handed it to Adam.


    "Here. It''s the only entertainment I can give you, hopefully, you won''t be too bored."


    Then, Dous walked away.


    "What...? The print edition of the White Book...?" Adam yawned, "Well, it''s better than just staring at the ceiling."


    Time passed, and soon enough Dous returned with arge ck case.


    Click.


    Dous opened the case, spreading out the documents, a bracelet, a metal card as well as a sh drive across the table.


    "Here, this is your NEP - Navigational Explorer Processor, your ID is 14113." Dous said, moving the bracelet towards Adam.


    "14113? My name? Not too original." Adam raised an eyebrow, equipping the NEP.


    "Hahaha, well, it is what it is." Dous slid a metal card forward, "There are 10,000 credits here. Usually, Phantoms get 3,000 to 5,000 as a starting bonus, but you... you''re a special case."


    Adam''s eyes went wide as if he had seen something impossible. His whole family lived on 100-200 credits a month, sometimes they couldn''t even get that small amount. So now he had enough money for several years toe!


    "However, I don''t advise you to rx. It''s bad to live in slums, but it''s cheap, so in the third ring you won''t be able to live on a few hundred credits." Dous pronounced before handing him a stack of papers.


    "This is your house. It''s rented for 1 month, after that you''ll have to pay for it yourself. The monthly fee is 1,100 credits."


    "Damn! This is unbelievable!" Adam eximed happily, looking at the photo of his new home.


    The Third Ring was the area above the slums, where either the wealthy, the civil servants and military, or the Phantoms usually lived. Crime was less there, conditions were better, and even the air was cleaner.


    "Fine, now on to the most important part." Dous smirked, taking Adam by the wrist and inserting the sh drive into his NEP.


    "Agh? What are you doing?"


    At the same moment, his NEP activated, and three holograms shed up - pictures of girls with various, and extremely detailed information about them, from eye color to breast size.


    The first thing Adam thought of made his face turn red, and he looked at Dous puzzled.


    "I understand your surprise, but it''s not what you thought, your personal life will be decided without my help. Adam, even though you''re new, you must have realized that someone was in constant contact with the Fire Fox Squad, especially Lisa, didn''t you?"


    Adam nodded, remembering how several messages came through on Lisa''s NEP.


    "Usually, only squad leaders and experienced Phantoms have their personal assistants, while the rest are handled by the general department. But, you''re like I said - special case. These girls are ordinary people, but each of them is very valuable since they are Operators."


    "Operator...?" Adam muttered, looking at the girls.


    Dous nodded, "Yeah, the Operators'' job is extensive, they tell their Phantom all the important news, discuss proposed missions, create strategy, and think through possible oues. Information about monsters, their numbers, loot, strengths and weaknesses, and much more. All of this is handled by Operators. Obviously, personal Operators have more efficiency and skill."


    Adam nodded, "I see... Something like brain and muscle, right?"


    Dous shrugged, " Sort of."


    Then, he pointed to the girls'' profiles, "I realize this seems cynical to some degree, but this has all the information on them, all of it, and they''re aware of it. "It''s all about you choosing the best Operator for you. I advise you to think twice."


    "All girls are different, both in appearance and personality."


    Adam nodded, "Yeah, I can see that..."


    For the next few minutes, Adam carefully read each girl''s profile, and each time, he was as surprised as the first. Now he knew all their history, skills, fears and achievements as well as even what they preferred to wear or eat for breakfast.


    "How about Odile Cerfbeer?" Dous pointed to the first girl with a bright smile, pink hair, and below-average height, "She''s smart and kind, did well on her exam and did well on her tests."


    However, Adam didn''t answer anything, obviously, he didn''t need someone soft and caring like Odile.


    "In that case maybe her?" Dous pointed to the second girl. She had short blue hair, medium height, and a calm look with round sses - Nancy Rou.


    Adam shook his head, "I''ve made up my mind. Logic tells me it could be a mistake, but I need someone like her to get better."


    "I want her." Adam tapped the photo of thest girl - Silvana Desio.


    "Ouch... This is going to be a rattling mix." Dous muttered, surprised by this choice.


    Silvana had medium-length ck hair, green eyes, and a stern, cold stare, with no hint of a smile or friendliness.


    "Can I see her?" Adam asked.


    "Sure... As her Phantom, you have the right to contact her at any time. Likewise, I must warn you. Silvana adheres to the strictest chain ofmand, but she is not an obedient subordinate and will demand that you give your best, just as she does herself."


    "A warning? That''s usually what people say before something bad happens, but... I haven''t heard any downsides." Adam said detachedly.


    Dous''s eyes went wide, then he smiled broadly.


    "Alright. Follow me. I''ll take you to the door, further on your own."


    ...


    Crackle.


    Mechanical door opened into one of the buildings on the grounds nearest Fort Norton.


    Perfect cleanliness, dozens of blue screens, and a few holograms of monsters was the first thing Adam saw.


    Then, a tall girl in a tight ck suit stood up from her chair and with her hands at the hips bowed low.


    "Adam Vinter, my name is Silvana Desio, and I will be your Operator. It is an honor to work with you, Naturalborn Phantom."


    Silvana paused for a moment before raising her head. Her cold gaze met with Adam''s smile, but as soon as he opened his eyes Silvana sensed the seriousness in his stare - just what she needed.

 Chapter 9: Virtual Zone

    <h4>Chapter 9: Virtual Zone</h4>


    Adam sat at the table while Silvana brought four sses filled with different liquids - water, juice, coffee, and tea. The sses were equally spaced apart like a self-respecting perfectionist.


    "Mr. Adam, I didn''t know what you preferred, so I prepared everything I had at once." Silvana said seriously, bowing slightly.


    She stood in front of the table though he sat and just waited for him to make his choice.


    ''Damn... Dous was right when he said that Silvana is tough on the chain ofmand. Well, I don''t mind, let her do what she wants, but... something needs to be fixed.''


    Adam nodded, "Thanks, but I''m not thirsty, I prefer soda."


    "Understood. Mr. Adam, next time I won''t make the same mistake." Silvana instantly replied.


    "Agh... Silvana, sticking to the subordination is your choice, but since this is about me after all, I want you to just call me by my first name. The rest is fine with me." Adam waved his hand, taking a ss of water.


    Silvana bowed, "I canply with that request."


    "Fine, I want to go home, but before I do... Do you have any options on how I could get stronger? Maybe training or some kind of mission. As an Operator, can you help me with that?" Adam asked, leaving the half-empty ss on the table.


    Silvana nodded.


    "I thought of it as soon as Mr. Dous informed me of you. I was hoping you''d ask, and it turned out to be for good reason." Silvana uttered before pulling out the tablet and clicking a few times.


    "I''ve already selected five suitable missions for the first time. All of them are avable forpletion within this week. All have Level One difficulty." Silvana ced the tablet on the table, and five holographic images appeared with all the information about the missions - time, task, number of monsters, approximate location, reward, and more.


    "Hmm?" Adam tilted his head, "Silvana, what does this mean?"


    [Get Fangs of Fire Wolves - White Threat Level, V1.]


    "It''s a ssification of the difficulty level of the quest. It''s pretty simple, let me exin it to you. V1 means that you will only encounter monsters of the specified threat level on the mission. That is, if there are 10 Fire Wolves, they will all be of White Threat Level." Silvana calmly said while raising a finger.


    V2 means that on a mission, you can encounter monsters of a higher threat level by a maximum of one step, and such monsters are up to 10%. That is to say, among 10 Fire Wolves, there will most likely be 1 Green Threat Level monster, but no more than that. V3 means up to 25%, and V4 up to 50%.


    Naturally, the higher the V-Level, the greater the reward." Silvana finished her exnation, leaving Adam some time to think.


    "I see... Is it possible that a monster of a higher threat level will appear through green? If we''re talking about missions with a white threat level." Adam asked, with a slight wave of his hand.


    Silvana nodded, "Yes, but there is no difficulty level for such a situation because it is considered a mistake by the mission department. It could easily get you fired because it could get Phantom killed."


    Adam''s gaze deepened as he remembered the incident with the Thick-headed Desert Lizards. This was exactly what had happened to the Fire Fox Squad because a Blue Threat Level Monster had appeared that was impossible for them to deal with.


    "I apologize for being rude, but if you''re thinking about today''s case, I can tell you more about it." Silvana offered.


    "Sure. I''d like to hear how it came to be that a Blue Threat Level Monster appeared. It was a Prime Type, what is it?" Adam uttered, with obvious curiosity in his eyes.


    Silvana picked up the tablet, entered the mission ID of the Fire Fox Squad, and all the information appeared in hologram form, with pictures and reports. Silvana removed everything not needed, including a list of Lisa''s injuries, and left only two photos - Lizard, regr, and Prime one.


    "Prime Type is the strongest individual among the entire species of a particr monster. The difference varies from species to species, but most often, Prime Type is rated one threat level higher than regr individuals. Missions where a Prime Type is expected to appear arebeled as V-P, for example, V4-P would be the hardest mission at a given threat level." Silvana said, clearly and measuredly.


    Adam understood everything, Silvana was exining well enough that he didn''t need to ask questions twice.


    "Are you interested in any particr mission? I know you absorbed the artifact, but may I know what level of rarity it is?" Silvana asked respectfully.


    "Sure. False Orb, First Rarity Level." Adam nonchntly replied.


    He was just getting used to living as a Phantom, as well as working with the Operator, but he realized that Silvana was his main ally. She would guide him during missions and keep in constant contact with him, so there was no room for mistrust in their alliance.


    "Amazing. Find your first Artifact and it immediately turns out to be First Rarity Level. For your information, the chances of finding them are ten times less than the Zero Rarity Level."


    "Hah, you''re probably right, though I''m still not sure if it was luck or just payment for failing too hard." Adam smiled bitterly.


    Silvana''s gaze changed. Like Adam, she knew a lot about him, not everything, but Dous had detailed all that had happened to Adam after the experiment.


    "I see... In that case, you need green threat level genes, don''t you?" Silvana asked protractedly.


    Adam didn''t answer, as he needed to check it out. His eyes shed brightly and his mind drifted to the Evolution Tree.


    The artifact was floating, surrounded by thunderclouds just like before.


    [False Orb (First Rarity Level.)


    First Trait - Lightning Reflexes.


    Second Trait - ??? (Requires 10 of any green threat level genes.)]


    "10 genes of green threat level." Adam replied.


    Silvana nodded, "In that case, I think we should start with a few V1 missions, then move on to V2 to build up the required number of genes over time. I can reserve a mission for tomorrow. Morning or evening?"


    "Hold on." Adam raised his hand, "First I want to rest and meet my family, but I don''t mind at all spending tomorrow training. Any suggestions?"


    "Oh, forgive my haste. I didn''t think of you at all." Silvana quickly apologized, bowing slightly.


    Then, she picked up the tablet and said, "There are two options. You can always fight in the arena with a suitable opponent, but in my opinion, that''s quite inefficient. We''re fighting against monsters, not humans, so a virtual zone would be the best option!"


    "A virtual zone...?" Adam muttered. It was the first time he had heard of something like that.


    Silvana nodded.


    "I can create any zone for you, as well as any monsters that are in the database. It''s especially useful before a mission where you''ll have to fight the same monsters."


    "Hah, consider me ready! Let''s do it tomorrow morning!" Adam eximed excitedly.


    "Sure, as you wish." Silvana calmly replied, but even she couldn''t hold back her slight smile that appeared for a moment.

 Chapter 10: Family and the Virtual Zone

    <h4>Chapter 10: Family and the Virtual Zone</h4>


    After a few short phrases, Adam headed for the exit. Silvana was still standing in the same spot.


    "Adam, if you don''t mind I want to rify something." Silvana uttered, turning to him.


    "Hmm?"


    Silvana coughed before saying, "You know all the information about me, even what kind of underwear I have, so in case you try to get close - you better not. I''ll just reject you, and it will critically interfere with our working rtionship. There are enough people in the world to find a lover outside of a working rtionship. If you want, I can help you with that."


    Adam got a strange look. Perhaps he had expected Silvana to bring it up, but not like this.


    "Don''t worry, it won''t happen. You and I are partners, that''s more than enough to be the best versions of ourselves."


    Silvana nodded silently.


    ...


    "Daddy, what''s going on?" A 7-year-old girl with ck hair and blue eyes muttered, looking around anxiously.


    Gary, a middle-aged man with gray hair and green eyes, struggled to smile and said bitterly, "I don''t know... Trici, I think everything will be fine! We just have to wait, right?"


    He turned to a tall figure in a military uniform, who was standing by a white-washed wall, on the first floor of a two-story house in the Third Ring.


    However, the military man did not answer, he did not even look in Gary''s direction.


    "Hey! Damn it! You have to answer our questions if you forcefully brought us here!" A woman with long ck hair and azure eyes said sternly, not afraid at all.


    "Leona... Maybe we shouldn''t..." Gary said uncertainly.


    "We''ve already exined everything to you." The military man suddenly replied.


    Then, he turned to Leona.


    "We are following orders and are not at liberty to tell you anything. We ask you to wait a little longer." The military man calmly answered.


    "Tsk. Surely nothing good awaits us!" Leona snorted, crossing her arms over her chest.


    A few minutester, they heard the sound of a car, a shortstop, and the car drove off. Nothing out of the ordinary, but soon the door opened, and a young man wearing desert clothes and a surprised look came inside.


    "Mom...? Dad...? Trici...?" Adam muttered with wide eyes.


    "Adam? What...? What''s going on here? We were told you''d be staying at Morton Observatory temporarily."


    "Well... It''s a long story."


    At the same moment, the military men nodded to each other and quickly left the house like ghosts. Their mission was aplished, the rest was up to Adam.


    ...


    Only in the middle of the night, when Trici had long since fallen asleep, Adam was able to exin everything properly. However, he did not tell that Aiden Henk had sent him to his death and that he had be a Natural Phantom. Only Dous and Silvana knew the full version of events.


    Nevertheless, the fact that he became a Phantom was a real celebration for their family.


    "It''s unbelievable... my son became a Phantom. It''s more like a dream than reality." Gary whispered, fumbling nervously with his fingers.


    "I''ve always believed in you. I hope you don''t ck off because this is just the beginning of your journey." Leona said sternly but didn''t hide her satisfied smile.


    Adam smirked, "Sure, tomorrow will be my first training, and soon new missions await me. This is our new home now, and we''ll never have to go back to the slums again."


    There was silence, a simple silence where only their breathing could be heard. But there was no need for words, for their happy smiles showed everything.


    ...


    Beep. Beep. Beep.


    6 AM, Adam''s NEP erupted from several messages, bringing him out of a deep and much-desired sleep. A lot had happened the previous day, so he needed a reboot.


    "Agh...? What''s going on?" Adam mumbled sleepily, pressing the NEP.


    A 3D hologram with Silvana in gym clothes shed above the bracelet.


    "Adam, are you still sleeping? We have a workout from 7 to 9, then we''ll have the virtual zone avable all day. Should I call you a car, or will you get there yourself?" Silvana said quickly.


    That Adam was surprised and puzzled it was clear from his baffled look, but he quickly realized that staying asleep was not an option.


    "Sure... Call me a car, only I have to take a shower first."


    "Whatever you say." Silvana nodded, disconnecting herself.


    Adam took a deep breath, looking out the window at the view of the Third Ring. Dozens of houses and windows glistened in the sunlight that had only recently risen from the horizon.


    "Well, I should have been ready for this, right?"


    ...


    Silvana had already done her morning workout and handed the protein shake prepared for Adam, she watched his workout.


    The gym was divided into two sections or rather each piece of equipment was duplicated twice for regr humans and Phantoms. The strength of the Phantoms was on a different level, so some of the heaviest weights for regr humans for the Phantoms were beginner weights.


    "Shit! How much more is left?" Adam gritted his teeth as he lifted the heavy-weight barbell. He felt like his chest was about to burst, but each time, he eventually made it through.


    "Two more sets, and we''re done for the day. I''ve recorded all your metrics, and next time I''ll create a workout program more suited to you." Silvana uttered, tapping something on her tablet.


    As always she waspletely serious in every aspect.


    "Agh... Agh... Agh..." Adam breathed heavily,ing to his senses. Today was the first time he had ever worked out in general, after all, where would a slum resident get the money for a gym?


    "Didn''t think I''d say this, but I''m ready to do a few more sets." Adam said with an excited smile.


    Silvana shook her head, "That''s not a good idea."


    "Hmm? Why?"


    "Adam, you''re a Phantom, if you overestimate your strength and can''t lift the weight, there''s no way I''m helping you. To me, even 30% of what you lift is like a mountain. Don''t forget that we are different." Silvana calmly exined, making Adam think for a moment.


    "So... Now can we go to the Virtual Zone?" Adam asked with curiosity in his eyes.


    Silvana nodded.


    "Normally, to get ess to the Virtual Zone, you have to wait a few days, the line is long, and the rooms are few, but since you are Naturalborn in the system you have a special position. Only the department heads know about it, so don''t worry about getting in trouble with other Phantoms because of it." Silvana exined.


    "I see... Well, I''m ready!"


    "By the way, I also picked up a suitable mission for you. Would you like to see it? In that case, I''ll create simr monsters." Silvana suggested while handing him the tablet.


    [Extract Paws of the Living Strings (White Threat Level V1)]


    "Living String...? I''ve never heard of such a monster." Adam muttered, reading the information about the task he could start as early as tomorrow.


    "They''re monsters from the White Book. Their poption isn''t thergest, but they''re extremely useful and would be great opponents for a first mission. Not too easy, but not difficult either." Silvana said calmly, "I''m sure, considering you defeated a Green Threat Level Monster earlier, you''ll do fine."


    Adam nodded.


    ...


    The Virtual Zone department at Fort Norton - third floor.


    "What?! Why can''t I use the virtual zone chamber?!" A young man with two swords behind his back shouted irritably.


    "Sorry, we already sent you that it was a bug in the system. You and the other Phantom logged into the S-03 chamber at the same time. However, the other Phantom was a few seconds faster, but your name was written. We deeply apologize." The girl bowed low in a formal manner.


    "Oren... It happens sometimes, can we just rest today?" The shy-looking girl muttered, touching his sleeve. She was clearly the Operator.


    The young man frowned, "Z, this is wrong. Even if it''s a mistake, aren''t we entitled topensation? Could there be another option?!"


    At the same moment, two silhouettes approached her and walked up to the window.


    "Good morning. We have a virtual zone camera rented at 9:05. Here is our ID." Silvana calmly said.


    "Sure! Camera S-03. It is at your disposal today!" The girl said excitedly.


    "Thank you." Silvana nodded, heading onward. Adam followed her with interest, looking around.


    There were a lot of Phantoms here besides him. Phantoms were very rare in the slums, so Adam had only seen them a few times in his life, however, now there were more of them in one hall than he had ever seen before.


    Only a small fraction of them had Operators.


    ''I see... As Dous said, getting a personal operator is a privilege. I''m really lucky, and I should take advantage of it!'' Adam enthused.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly, Oren stood between him and Silvana with great grimace.


    "Wait a minute..." Oren muttered, ''''It looks like we''re the ones who caused the system to malfunction. We applied almost at the same time, so... How about we find out who''s more deserves it?!"


    Oren gripped the hilt of his swords crossed behind his back, ready for battle.


    "Agree!"


    Silvana and Z didn''t say anything, they just waited for their Phantoms to make a decision.


    "Nah, there''s no point in me fighting humans."


    Adam just waved his hand, walking past Oren.


    Silvana''s mouth corners went up.


    Oren froze in ce, but soon, his face contorted in anger, and he threw one of his swords straight at Adam.


    Thanks to his reflexes, Adam dodged easily, tilting his head slightly to the side as the sword swept over his shoulder.


    However, Silvana didn''t have the same ability, and there was no way she could dodge.


    Ssh!


    Silvana''s eyes went wide when the tip of the sword stopped right in front of her pupil. The wind rippled her hair because of how sharply Adam gripped the sword hilt, practically twisting his wrist.

 Chapter 11: The First Test

    <h4>Chapter 11: The First Test</h4>


    Phantoms despite their superpowers were still humans, so conflicts between them were inevitable - for different reasons.


    Adam''s cold gaze stared at Oren, he was ready to blow a hole in him with just his eyes.


    "What the hell did you do?" Adam said menacingly, tossing his sword aside.


    Oren didn''t say anything, he just stared at Adam in shock, as if not understanding how Adam had caught his sword or what he had just done.


    Silvana stepped forward, staring intently at Oren.


    "Do you even realize that you just almost killed or at least critically wounded the Operator?" Silvana said sternly, there seemed to be no resentment or hatred in her. Oren had broken the rules, to her that was the most important thing.


    "I... I... I don''t know..." Oren mumbled uncertainly.


    "We''re sorry!" Z suddenly eximed and bowed low. She pped Oren on the back, causing him to do the same.


    Adam looked around, only to see dozens of stares directed solely at him. No one was looking at Oren or Z or even Silvana, who just now might have been seriously hurt.


    "You have a choice to make, both for yourself and for me." Silvana said calmly, pointing at Oren and Z, "Just say the word, and I''ll make a detailed report. It could be both of them being punished or just him."


    Though it was Silvana who could be the one to suffer the most, she had no vote. Her Phantom had to make the decision.


    Adam nced at Oren''s sword, then looked at his hand and turned forward.


    "I''ve already said. I''m not fighting humans." Adam waved his hand, motioning to S-03''s chamber.


    "Agh...?"


    Oren raised his head puzzled, meeting Silvana''s cold gaze.


    However, she said nothing and simply followed Adam''s lead.


    "Well... I''m still not good at keeping my emotions under control..." Oren muttered, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.


    Z puffed up her cheeks, "You need to do something about this right away. Maybe a fight in the arena?"


    Oren nodded slightly.


    ...


    Cracking.


    A massive mechanical door opened, leading into two rooms, onerge and spacious, the other small but filled with monitors and various devices.


    "Do you want a special location or the ssic desert?" Silvana asked, speaking to Adam from the small room.


    "Hmm... Where do the Living Strings usually reside? Where would I have to go on a mission?" Adam thought for a moment.


    "To the northwest region of the Scorching Desert. There''s less sand, more rocky terrain, and pretty strong winds. Also, I want to make the monsters 10% stronger than they are in reality, is that okay?" Silvana asked, clicking on the tablet.


    Adam nodded, "Sure. Let''s get started already."


    "As you wish, but before we do. You must realize that this is all just a simtion. The pain will be real, but the wounds are not. Even if you are killed, you will only feel a slight shock, but you will recover quickly." Silvana exined before pressing the button.


    At the same moment, the entire room was plunged into darkness.


    Random streams of wind came out of nowhere, growing stronger with each passing moment, fluttering Adam''s hair and rippling his clothes. Lonely sand flew past him, only to hit the impregnable rocks jutting out from beneath the surface here and there.


    There was nothing around but a vast wastnd and danger. Adam was alone with himself, for Silvana had disappeared as well.


    "Oh, Silvana wasn''t lying... This is really no different from the real experience. No wonder there''s such a long line for these cameras, even among the Phantoms." Adam looked at his hands, on which tiny grains of sand were falling, few in millions.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Then, some creature began to emerge from the ground, very quickly digging itself out and revealing its silhouette.


    Adam was aware of his mission tomorrow, but he didn''t make a thorough study of his opponents. If he hadn''t gone to the virtual zone, he definitely would have done so, but now he had the opportunity to fight them and experience things for himself.


    Living String was a creature with a long body covered in protective chitin, with six long, thick paws at the bottom and four thin but fast and light at the top.


    On the upper paws passed strongly stretched threads, like strings that were sharp as des and could cut through any armor.


    Living Strings were blind, however, their long whiskers and hundreds of tiny hairs all over their bodies allowed them to navigate perfectly in space. Theirst means of attack were their powerful jaws with two rows of teeth - smooth and sharp in the front, and curved and bent at the back to make sure they didn''t let go of their target.


    ''Well, well... Even though Lizards and Living Strings are White Book monsters of the same threat level, that one looks much more menacing, that''s for sure.'' Adam muttered internally before forcing his Evolution Tree to awaken.


    A long needle made of hundreds of threads appeared in his hand, and his eyes sparkled, he was ready for battle.


    Living String tilted his head, seeming to sense what Adam had done, before heading in his direction, slow and measured.


    With each passing meter, the tension increased. Adam was determined to kill the white threat-level monster on the first try.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Living String roared forward, abruptly changing its location with each leap. Even though this was a desert, thanks to its paws, Living String was moving so fast that Adam could hardly keep up with its movements.


    ''It doesn''t matter how fast it is. I have enough reaction to dodge and counterattack!''


    The monster thumped its front paws against each other before sinking them into the sand and unleashing a high wave at Adam - harmless, but cutting off his vision.


    Then, four paws passed through the sand curtain, copsing on Adam.


    His pupils narrowed as the strings swept close to his face. He swung his needle sharply from top to bottom, severing two of the left paws. Blood rushed outward, partially covering his face, with a cold and determined look.


    ''Great! Just a little more!'' Adam inwardly eximed, before attacking once more.


    "Agh...?"


    However, his hand didn''t move, nor did he feel like he was holding anything at all. His gaze traveled to the side - to his flying hand with the needle disintegrating into particles.


    Crackle.


    Before Adam could do anything, the Living String''s paws thrust into his abdomen, opening his belly and turning his organs into a bloody mess.


    Infernal pain consumed Adam along with the agony.


    His eyes darkened, and when he blinked the monster disappeared, as did the desert.


    "Did I lose...?" Adam muttered in a disbelief.


    Silvana nodded, "Yeah. You don''t have to worry about that. It''s okay to lose in your first battle, that''s what the virtual zones were created for."


    "Tsk. It wasn''t supposed to happen. Can you summon it again?"


    "Sure."


    Silvana pressed the button, and Adam plunged back into the battle.


    She stared intently at the monster selection screen where it was clearly written -


    [Four-Legged Living String (Green Threat Level, Red Book.)]


    Notes:


    -Extremely dangerous in closebat, all other things being equal it can defeat 5 to 10 of itsmon fellows.


    -Extremely effective in desert terrain, bing 1.5x faster.


    -Not rmended for beginner Phantom training due to its overly painful attacks].

 Chapter 12: Victory

    <h4>Chapter 12: Victory</h4>


    Streams of blood rushed over Adam, covering his entire body. A few drops fell on his face, next to his cold eyes, while the corners of his mouth slowly lifted upward, forming an enthusiastic smile.


    Living String, shrouded in wounds, missing most of its limbs, and with a wide hole in its chest, finally fell to the ground. Its green blood, soaked into the sand, while a strong wind tried to cover the monster, wanting to quickly turn it into another club in the desert.


    "Agh... Fuck... That was hard." Adam muttered tiredly, falling to his knees.


    The space around him shattered into shards, and he found himself in a spacious room.


    The door opened, and Silvana walked toward him. She was striding in high heels with a short formal skirt, holding a clipboard in her hands.


    "Damn... Looks like I was lucky to deal with a Green Threat Level Monsterst time... Living String turned out to be much stronger than I thought. It''s only a White Threat Level monster, I still have a lot to learn, right?" Adam muttered with a bitter smile.


    There was no emotion on Silvana''s face, no tion or disappointment, just her usual seriousness.


    "Well, there is some truth in what you say, but only partially. Let''s start with the dry numbers." Silvana said calmly, clicking on the tablet.


    "In 8 hours and 35 minutes, you died 74 times, 51 times you managed to wound the monster only slightly, another 22 times you almost killed the monster, and only 1 time you won. I''ll be honest, considering it''s a White Threat Level Monster that''s a mediocre result."


    Adam''s face darkened.


    "However, I took the nerve to deceive you." Silvana said sharply before bowing low, "It wasn''t Living String, but a monster much stronger. I will ept whatever punishment you choose."


    "What...?" Adam''s eyes went wide in a daze, "Wait, then who have I been fighting all this time?"


    Without raising her head, Silvana handed him the clipboard.


    [Four-Legged Living String (Green Threat Level, Red Book.)]


    Perhaps the threat level was only one level higher, so technically Four-Legged Living String shouldn''t have been much more difficult than the Anomalous Electric Eel.


    However, the White Book and the Red Book existed for a reason. Only rare and therefore extremely dangerous monsters could be included in the Red Book.


    Among the millions of monsters, there was a huge number of monsters that were on the same threat level, so it was logical that some monster was much stronger than another even though they were on the same threat level. Also, a lot of things were affected by the terrain and the enemy, so it was situational.


    "Oh, I see... Hah, that was my first Red Book monster, albeit one created by virtual reality." Adam grinned, reading the information on his already defeated opponent.


    Then, he looked over at Silvana, whose head was still bowed low.


    "Hey, Silvana, I don''t think you should take this so personally."


    "No. I insist that you choose to punish me. Trust is the foundation of the rtionship between Operator and Phantom, I should have warned you, but I followed my selfishness and did what I thought was best." Silvana said quickly, with all the responsibility she could muster.


    "Hahahahahahahahaha!"


    Adam''sughter spread throughout the room, confusing Silvana. This wasn''t the reaction she had expected at all.


    "Fine, like I said I respect your decision, so I will punish you. I didn''t have any time yesterday, so I didn''t clean my room, get on it." Adam waved his hand.


    Silvana raised an eyebrow.


    "Wasn''t yesterday the first day in your new home?"


    Adam shrugged with a slight smile on his face.


    "Is that it? Practice was great, but I definitely need to rest." Adam stretched, yawning widely.


    Silvana nodded.


    "Yes. By the way, how many Harvesters do you need? I''m talking about tomorrow''s mission. If you haven''t forgotten, it starts at 10 AM."


    "Harvesters...?" Adam scratched the back of his head in puzzlement. He had thought he would be going it alone and hadn''t thought about it at all.


    "Sure. Someone should gather materials from the monsters, as well as you''ll be given transportation. Unfortunately, the best I can negotiate for is a heavy truck with supplies." Silvana exined.


    "I see... Well, in that case, pick someone up, but I don''t want it to be too crowded. After all, in case of a threat, I''ll have to defend them, and that could be problematic."


    "As you wish." Silvana nodded.


    ...


    Just as Adam had said, Silvana arrived at his house in the evening with a full sanitary kit.


    Gary and Leona were surprised, but Adam simply told them not to worry about it.


    "Hah, my son has such a hottie in his charge." Leona smirked.


    "Leona... I don''t think we should talk about our son''s partner like that." Gary scratched the back of his head.


    Leona raised an eyebrow, "Come on. Adam''s a big boy now. To have a hottie like Silvana at his disposal would be a great aplishment!"


    Adam, who was drinking tea almost choked.


    "Mom... Are you sure this is something you should be telling your son?" Adam said with a strange face.


    Leona just smirked slyly.


    "Mommy! Look what I did!" Trici eximed happily, walking down the stairs to the first floor. In her hands, she held a toy castle assembled from a construction kit.


    p.


    Trici slipped and fell, hitting her forehead right on the ground. However, she didn''t scream or start crying, but as soon as she saw her ruined castle tears were ready to burst from her eyes.


    ''Oh, this is bad...'' Adam inwardly muttered about to get up and help his sister.


    However, before he could do anything a tall silhouette with a calm gaze towered over Trici.


    Silvana looked at Trici. She didn''t bother to help her up, instead, she began to put the broken pieces of the castle back together, making Trici''s eyes glow.


    ''Hah, is this a punishment or a reward? Well, not that I''mining.'' Adam inwardly shrugged, not hiding his smile.


    ...


    The next day, one of the gates to Fort Norton - the departure pad for the mission.


    Adam was standing next to arge truck. Silvana was in her office, keeping in contact with Adam from afar.


    Step. Step. Another Step.


    Two figures approached Adam, catching his attention.


    "Hey! My name is Felix!" The young man said with an excited smile, poking himself in the chest. He had ck hair and green eyes.


    "Good afternoon. We look forward to working with you. My name is Verna." The girl with blonde hair said respectfully, bowing slightly.


    Adam raised an eyebrow carefully examining them. He had seen the Harvesters from Fire Fox Squad before, but back then the situation was extreme, and he didn''t have much time.


    Like Felix, Verna had a case in her hand that held all the necessary tools - hammers, knives, saws, pliers, and more.


    On their belts, they had a first aid kit, as well as several grenades and a pistol with prepared mags hanging on the ties on their pants, as well as a walkie-talkie and a taser. On their backs were massive backpacks with supplies and extra gear in case of danger.


    "Hah, I see you''re on full alert." Adam smirked.


    "Sure!" Felix eximed.


    "Alright then, let''s get started." Adam uttered before getting into the passenger seat. Felix got into the driver''s seat with Verna in the back.


    Adam didn''t know how to drive, but even if he had that skill he wouldn''t be allowed to be a driver in a group like this where he was the only Phantom.


    In case of danger, the Phantom had to react quickly, so there shouldn''t be a situation where the Phantom would have to leave the driver''s seat. Making Harvester a driver was a popr practice in small teams.


    ''Are you ready?'' Silvana asked. Her voice transmitted into Adam''s earbud.


    "Yeah, let''s go!"

 Chapter 13: The Hunt

    <h4>Chapter 13: The Hunt</h4>


    The armored truck cut across the wastnd approaching its northwestern part, closer to the cliffs and the strong winds.


    Adam looked out the window with a calm expression, having been watching the samendscape for some time now. There were plenty of monsters in the Scorching Desert, but the sights were almost nonexistent.


    Felix drove, ncing at the tablet from time to time, as Silvana updated their route once in a while so they wouldn''t run into other monsters.


    Their target was only Living Strings, they needed to collect at least 10 paws, so considering that a normal Living String only had two front paws, they needed to kill 5 monsters. Sure, at any time on Phantom''s orders, the Operator could cancel the mission, but that was fraught with the loss of valuable reputation.


    A Phantom who couldn''t aplish even the simplest mission was one big problem and a ck hole absorbing budget and manpower without results.


    "Hell yeah! We''re almost there!" Felix eximed excitedly, driving up the hill and stopping abruptly at its very top.


    In the distance Living Strings were walking back and forth, this was not a Nest but just one of their habitats. The Nests weren''t asrge, and the bunch of monsters were much bigger, but with enough power, they could be dealt with much faster.


    "Here we go." Adam uttered before getting out of the car.


    He made his way down the hill while Felix and Verna prepared for action. They were to put the truck in a convenient spot, take up firing positions, and be ready to help Adam in case of danger.


    "Are you ready? Silvana asked, in a serious voice.


    "Yeah. Two or three at once I can probably take on." Adam nodded before bursting into action. His eyes shed as the threads wrapped around his right arm, quickly turning into a long needle.


    Felix''s and Verna''s eyes went wide as they nced over.


    "Order in the form of a weapon? You don''t see that very often..." Felix muttered.


    Verna nodded, "What''s more it''s a needle. Not that it means anything, but of all the Phantoms I''ve worked with, none of them had such an unusual weapon. It''s both a spear and a sword at once, right?"


    Felix shrugged, "Something like that. Anyway, we''ll see everything now. No point in guessing."


    At the same moment, Adam approached the first Living String, unlike the Four-Legged one he''d fought, the regr Living Strings didn''t have such powerful lower legs and protective chitin. One look was enough to realize how much weaker they were.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Adam swung the needle, slicing the Living String vertically. Green blood gushed outward, but not a single drop fell on Adam since he turned sharply to face the next opponent, who was already close to him.


    In nearly nine hours in virtual reality, Adam had learned to navigate the desert terrain perfectly. Perhaps not as well as the monsters living here, but it was more than enough to win.


    Two paws with sharp strings descended on Adam, intending to cut him into pieces.


    Felix and Verna grabbed their pistols. This was far from their first mission, so they knew when the dangerous moment coulde.


    "Agh...?" Felix''s eyes went wide.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed as he took a step back, letting the monster''s paws sweep right in front of his face. The tips of his hair rippled while a powerful stream of wind whistled over his shoulders.


    Then, Adam stepped forward, plunging the needle into the monster''s jaw and ripping its head away from its body with a sharp movement of his arm.


    "Look out!!!!" Felix shouted, realizing that Adam couldn''t see that the enemy was closing in on him.


    But that wasn''t quite right.


    The monster''s paw came towards him, and Adam twisted the needle in his hand changing his grip, blocking the monster''s attack. The sharp string was a few centimeters away from his face, but it couldn''t cut the needle consisting of hundreds of threads.


    "Not bad, butpared to the Red Book one, you''re really weak." Adam uttered before running forward.


    White sparks flew off the string like two shing swords unable to ovee each other''s durability.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Adam ducked as the monster''s second paw swept over his head before leaping forward, rushing past the monster.


    As his feet touched the ground, a streak ran down the monster''s body before its torso rolled diagonally, falling to the ground.


    "Three down, two more to go, right?" Adam muttered, kicking the dust off his shoulder.


    ''Sure. However, 10 paws is not the maximum, you can collect as many as you have energy for. We won''t get the extra reward, but we can sell them on the market. Money is always useful.'' Silvana spoke up, ''Watch out. There are two more Living Stringsing from the north, from the looks of it they will be working together.''


    Adam nodded calmly before rushing into the fray.


    "Hey... Surely this is his first mission? To be honest I was a bit worried about going along with Phantom the rookie, but watching his actions I can''t say he''s a novice." Felix said, watching Adam deal with the two Living Strings.


    Verna nodded, "Not only that, look he''s not touching the upper paws. At first, I thought it was a fluke, but this is the fifth monster, and not a single upper paw is damaged."


    "Wow... I just now realized that." Felix scratched the back of his head in surprise.


    The Harvester job was obvious, but not simple. They needed to obtain monster parts in the best condition possible. Naturally, Phantoms could and often damaged monster parts during battles, it was inevitable.


    So, it was a real blessing for Felix and Verna that Adam was careful not to damage valuable materials.


    "Yeah. I guess that''s why he has the personal Operator, even though he''s only a rookie. Surely the people upstairs know how to define talent. Otherwise, none of this would make sense."


    [The Living String Gene has been ced in your Vault!]


    [The Living String Gene has been ced in your Vault!]


    [The Living String Gene has been...]


    Adam continued killing monsters and collecting their genes, leaving a line of corpses behind him.


    When his needle went through the fifteenth monster, the remaining Living Strings looked at each other and ran away. No one wanted to sacrifice their lives to defeat a seemingly invulnerable foe.


    Some buried themselves in the sand, and some ran as far away as they could.


    "Well, mission aplished I guess." Adam pronounced, touching his earbud before sitting down on the nearest rock.


    ''You did a great job. However, there''s no need to rx. There are no monsters nearby, but no one can see the future.'' Silvana said seriously.


    Adam nodded slightly.


    "Good job!" Felix eximed happily, stopping the truck in the middle of the corpses.


    "Adam, you can rest now. Leave the rest to us!" Verna vigorously said, running up to the first monster.


    Click.


    Verna opened her case, revealing a set of tools that any surgeon or butcher would envy.


    "Okay, this will do for this chitin." Verna took out a long knife with a thin de and a white spray bottle, coating the knife with it.


    Then, in a few smooth motions, she separated the upper paws and bound them tightly. Felix did the same, asionally transferring the finished upper paws to the cargo area of the truck.


    ''Hah, so this is what it means to be a Phantom. In a way, it''s evenforting. Dead Lands is a dangerous ce, but things change when you''re the one hunting the monsters and not them hunting you.'' Adam pondered with a slight smile on his face.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Felix dropped all 30 upper paws of the Living String, knocking the dust off his hands.


    "All done. We can go back in!" Felix eximed happily.


    Adam nodded, "Sure, that''s what we''ll do. It''s good enough for the first mission."


    Beep. Beep. Beep.


    Suddenly Adam''s NEP started shing red, as several system messages appeared on the screen.


    "What the hell...?"


    ''It''s an SOS signal!" Silvana eximed, "Five kilometers to your west! Rust Squad is in serious trouble!''


    "What am I supposed to do? Is there anything I can help them with?" Adam asked.


    ''I''m afraid you''re the nearest Phantom. Their squad isn''t veryrge consisting of only three Phantoms and seven Harvesters, just three trucks. I''m trying to rify what''s going on over there, but they don''t seem to have time for that.''


    Adam nodded.


    "Got it."


    Then he looked at Felix and Verna.


    "Looks like our work isn''t done yet."


    "Sure. We''re ready to do whatever is necessary." Felix and Verna replied at the same time.

 Chapter 14: Rust Squad

    <h4>Chapter 14: Rust Squad</h4>


    Felix was driving at full speed, cutting through the wastnd and looking serious. Squads often ran into trouble, but more often than not, the Phantoms simply canceled the mission and returned to the Citadel. It was much better than getting into a suicidal fight and losing valuable people.


    However, sometimes there were situations when it was impossible to escape, you just had to fight and wait for help.


    A warne could not fly out to help each Squad as was the case with Fire Fox Squad. There were only a few of them on each Fort, and they would only fly in for particrly difficult cases and those that were close to the walls.


    Unfortunately for the Rust Squad, this was not a situation for which the Fort''s forces would be activated, however, the defense department was doing their best to save them.


    Adam, Felix, and Verna, thanks to their location, were the first to arrive on the spot in a few minutes.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Several massive silhouettes about five to six meters tall were approaching the Rust Squad huddled in a ring.


    There were about ten monsters in total, each of them was a huge figure covered in stone armor that as part of their body protected them. Along the cracks in the armor was protruding flesh, showing that they were living beings.


    The monsters had bulky legs that left a massive footprint in the sand and shook the ground with every step. The torso of the monsters was wide and grew even closer, rising to their massive shoulders, it seemed that not even a cannon shot with an explosive shell could hurt them.


    The most notable detail was their hands or rather, their dual appearance. To their massive fists were attached cannons with glowing magma at their bases, ready to attack at any moment.


    "What are those big guys?" Adam muttered in a daze.


    ''Stone Goliaths. White Threat Level, White Book.'' Silvana hastily replied, ''However, they are much stronger than the Living Strings. They''re not as fast, but it''ll be harder to break through their defenses, and one attack will be enough to turn you into a pancake. Also, beware of the cannons on their arms.


    Adam nodded before stepping out of the truck and calling upon his needle again.


    "Do not engage, against such monsters, I will not be able to protect you. However, you will be able to help with grenades, right?"


    "Sure. It''s unlikely that even a direct hit will hurt the Stone Goliaths much, but part of their armor will definitely be broken." Felix said confidently.


    Adam nodded silently before running forward.


    This region of the Scorching Desert had much less sand and more stones. The sand was only a smallyer, so with each step, Adam got faster and faster.


    On the hard surface, during the battle, he could finally feel how strong and swift his body became. He could feel every step he took as the power flowed through his muscles, rebounding with a slight pulse in his legs.


    ''Alright, this is the way it''s supposed to be. I''m Phantom now, I''m strong and fast, but not invincible...'' Adam muttered inwardly as he moved towards the nearest Stone Goliath.


    At the same moment, two grenades flew over his head.


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!


    The crushing st, designed specifically to break through armor, shattered the sturdy stone frame, revealing the gruesome flesh on the Stone Goliath''s shoulder.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed as he jumped up, plunging the needle into the monster''s shoulder and through to the neck, leaving a long cut. Streams of blood rushed outward flooding all around while the huge monster slowly died.


    "Agh... Agh... Agh... Fuck, that was hard." Adam breathed heavily, looking at his right hand. His fingertips trembled slightly, and his wrist whimpered. Cutting through the stoneyer closer to the neck, though badly damaged was a difficult task.


    Bam.


    The Stone Goliath''s body fell to the ground with a tter, raising a cloud of dust.


    Then, all the Phantoms and Harvesters turned their attention to it, they finally got a short respite after a long defense.


    "Great! The backup has arrived! No giving up! We just need to hold out a little longer!" A man with thick ck hair and a mustache eximed before tearing forward, holding the massivence with both hands.


    His eyes sparkled as torrents of wind enveloped his legs like whirlwinds. He became several times faster, in a heartbeat, crossing several meters and thrusting thence into the Stone Goliath''s leg.


    The stone armor tried to withstand the pressure, but it was useless. Thus, the man smashed the Stone Goliath''s leg into splinters, causing the monster to fall.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Several grenades were right in front of the monster''s face, tearing the armor apart.


    ''No! That''s not enough!'' Adam inwardly eximed, realizing that the grenades wouldn''t be able to kill Stone Goliath.


    "Agh...?"


    His gaze was caught by a bright red shing from the second Phantom of the Rust Squad. It was a tall girl with red hair who was holding a bow created from mes. She quickly drew the bowstring, releasing a fiery arrow.


    With a whistle, cutting through the air currents in its path, the arrow mmed into the monster''s head, blowing it up. Bloody shards were scattered around, as well as red-hot rocks.


    ''Adam, the man with Lance is named Aron, he is the leader of the Rust Squad. The girl with the red hair is La, and the third one is Cody.'' Silvana said quickly, handing Adam the necessary information.


    Even though she was dozens of kilometers away from Adam, she could see everything through the cameras in his NEP. The cameras were in different locations, so whatever position Adam''s arm was in, Silvana had a full view.


    "Third one...?" Adam was puzzled.


    At the same moment, the three Stone Goliaths stopped and pointed their cannons at the Rust Squad. They heated up quickly, ready to fire at any moment.


    "Everyone, get behind me! Hurry up!" Cody eximed, running out in front of Aron and La. He had a massive ck shield with many protective tes and grooves to fill with energy.


    Cody''s eyes shed as his shield shone brightly, coating itself in ice that became several timesrger than the shield, covering them like an impregnable wall.


    Then, red-hot rocks began to fly out of the Stone Goliaths'' cannons, at a tremendous speed as if they were machine guns.


    "NO! I''m not making it!" One of the Harvesters eximed, trying to run to the ice shield.


    However, no sooner had he taken the next step than a red-hot rock exploded his head, plunging him into darkness forever.


    The same fate befell two more Harvesters. The red-hot stones made wide holes in them, they only missed by a few steps, and it doomed them.


    "FUCK!!! This wasn''t supposed to happen!" Cody eximed furiously, holding his shield tightly with both hands.


    The ice barrier absorbed all the damage into itself, but everything else was a death zone.


    ''Adam, run!'' Silvana shouted as one of the Stone Goliaths pointed its cannons at him.


    Before Adam could realize anything, several of the rocks were already right in front of him.


    Electric shocks passed through his eyes as his body began to move automatically. With a sharp sweep of his arm, the needle split the rocks in front of him, then Adam''s body twisted several times in different directions, passing the rocks right next to him.


    Aron, La, Cody, and the Harvesters watching got shocked looks on their faces, for they knew that it was almost impossible to dodge the direct fire of the Stone Goliath.

 Chapter 15: Destroyer

    <h4>Chapter 15: Destroyer</h4>


    Adam''s heart sped up, adrenaline flooding through him while his breathing slowly came back to normal.


    ''Are you okay?'' Silvana asked, trying to remain calm.


    Adam nced at the few scratches on his legs and arms before nodding.


    "Yeah, but I wouldn''t want to be in that situation again." Adam nodded.


    ''Stone Goliaths can only perform this attack once every few minutes. You and everyone else are safe for the moment, but you need to kill them as soon as possible!''


    Adam nodded and rushed forward without further ado.


    Aron, Cody, and La did the same. Together, they could quickly kill one or two Stone Goliaths and then proceed to the next one.


    One by one, the Stone Goliaths fell to the ground, without their cannons, they weren''t as formidable. Their strikes were powerful but slow, it wasn''t difficult for the Phantoms to dodge.


    "Alright! There''s still a little more to go!" Cody eximed joyfully.


    Over the next few minutes, the Rust Squad dealt with most of the Stone Goliaths. With the help of Felix and Verna, Adam killed another one.


    "Hahaha, look! More help ising!" Aron pointed to the east.


    More than ten trucks were moving from that direction. It was a squad, with a significant number of Phantoms.


    Adam smiled rxedly.


    ''There are only four Stone Goliaths left... When that squad gets here, it will be over. Hah, the first mission was harder than I thought.''


    Adam swung the needle, choosing his next target, he wasn''t going to rx just because help was approaching them. He had to make the most of it.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the ground shook as the sand in the distance began to rise upwards, as if a mountain wasing out of the earth.


    A huge creature over ten meters tall and the size of an entire mansion rose up. It seemed to be a Stone Goliath, but it was muchrger, with a frightening aura and seemingly unbreakable armor.


    Magma flowed from its two cannons, seeping into the grooves in its armor and back into a body that looked as if it had emerged from the mouth of a volcano.


    As soon as Silvana saw this monster she immediately eximed.


    ''Adam! It''s Prime Stone Goliath! Green Threat Level, Red Book!''


    A chill ran down Adam''s back. The waves of goosebumps did not want to let him go. The realization of how strong the enemy in front of him was affected him.


    Four-Legged Living String was also a monster of the Green Threat Level, Red Book. However, it took him 74 attempts to win, and after 70 attempts, he already knew everything about the monster, its every move and attack.


    The regr Stone Goliath was stronger than Living String, so the same was true for Prime One. Moreover, in the virtual zone, Adam was just fighting a rare subspecies of the Living String, not the Prime version.


    ''Damn, there''s no way I can handle him alone, but there''s a lot of us, right?'' Adam pondered as he looked away.


    Before the trucks stopped, the Phantoms climbed on top of them and attacked with everything they had. Multiple projectiles, lightning bolts, and fireballs destroyed the Stone Goliath''s armor.


    Then, the Rust Squad entered the battle, dealing with thest of the Stone Goliaths with the help of the other squad''s fire support.


    Adam smiled.


    He was impressed by what the Phantoms could achieve working together.


    ''Yeah, even armored giants won''t be a problem for us. We just need a little caution, and that''s it.'' Adam mused while the squad approached them.


    ''DODGE!!!''


    Silvana''s voice broke like a p of thunder in his ear. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Adam saw something red and bright, but extremely hot. It seemed as if the sun itself wasing at him.


    Without hesitation, Adam jumped backward, rolling down the deserted slope.


    He lifted his head only to see a huge magma blob flying above him, going somewhere far away.


    Then, Adam saw another sh that, like a meteor falling from the heavens, rained down on the rushing squad.


    Before the Phantoms could do anything, the magma clot reached the ground, exploding and unleashing its full power outward.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground shuddered as streams of sand rushed upward like tsunami waves. Everything within a radius of hundreds of meters was destroyed. The sand turned to scorched earth, covered in glowing embers and corpses falling to ash.


    Adam''s heart began to beat faster, and a slight panic gripped him.


    He had seen many dead monsters, many people had died before him already, especially from Prime Lizard, but it wasn''t like this... it was different then. He was surrounded by experienced Phantoms from Fire Fox Squad, and a warne was rushing to their aid, but now he was almost alone.


    ''In one attack it wiped out an entire squad... No fucking way...'' Adam muttered inwardly, while his fingertips trembled.


    Cody, Aron, and La were in about the same state, however, this was far from their first mission, and they realized that they had to act.


    "Let''s go! Even if it''s Prime One, it should be a while before the next shot is fired!" Aron eximed, giving orders.


    La nodded, creating a ming bow, being ready tounch a fiery arrow at a seemingly invincible opponent.


    "Agh...?" La''s eyes went wide when Prime Stone Goliath bent down and picked up a huge boulder from the ground, clutching it between its hands and turning it into rocks.


    "No..." Aron muttered in a disbelief.


    Cody stood in front of them, creating an ice barrier when Prime Stone Goliath bent back hard and threw the rocks at them with all its might.


    With a whistle of wind, the rocks broke through the ice, making fist-sized holes in the remaining members of the Rust Squad. Some were left headless, while others were torn apart, bing chunks of flesh.


    "Adam! Look out!" Felix shouted as the rocks headed towards Adam.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Rocks whizzed by him, leaving streaks in the sand and miraculously not hitting him. One of the rocks hit their truck, splitting it in two, leaving itpletely unusable.


    Felix and Verna jumped aside at thest moment, pinning their heads to the ground and hiding behind the sand hill.


    ''ADAM!!!'' One of Silvana''s many screams finally reached his mind, bringing him out of his stasis.


    "I... I''m here!" Adam hastily replied.


    ''Run! There''s no way you can handle Prime Stone Goliath. I''ve already reported it to the defense department! In ten minutes, help will arrive here!'' Silvana quickly said.


    "Ten minutes...? I... I''ll try to hold out!" Adam uttered before running in the opposite direction of Felix and Verna. However, he couldn''t believe his words.


    ''Running away from that monster?! THIS IS FUCKING IMPOSSIBLE!'' Adam internally eximed, ring at the Prime Stone Goliath, who was breaking another stone, turning it into rocks.


    ''Run... I have to just run... Otherwise, I''ll end up like them!''


    Adam looked at the scorched earth and the Rust Squad, or rather, what was left of them - just soulless corpses.


    He was pushing himself to the limit, his legs were already aching, but he had hope that with each step, his chances of survival were increasing.


    Then, Prime Stone Goliath bent down again, about to throw the stones. Adam saw every movement of the monster, and then something changed in his gaze, for he realized that here it was - death.


    ''Run? Hahahahahahahahaha! You know it''s impossible!''


    Suddenly, Adam heard a voice, and the world seemed to stop, everything slowed down a dozen times.


    The unknown voice seemed toe from the depths of his being as if his genes and DNA were transmitting its intentions directly into his mind.


    ''Fight! Just like you did earlier! Just as you will do now!'' A thunderous roar, like a call that could inspire an army, traveled through his entire body, reaching even the farthest corners.


    Then, Adam''s Evolution Tree shuddered, as his Initial Gene and False Orb sparked like a cascade of lightning.


    Adam''s eyes filled with blood, his veins swelled, and electric shocks ran through his pupils when the rocks were already in front of him.

 Chapter 16: Fallen Giant

    <h4>Chapter 16: Fallen Giant</h4>


    "Why the fuck did Prime Stone Goliath show up there?!" A man in a military uniform shouted out irritably.


    Besides him, there were many other people in the vast room, sitting in front of wide monitors and constantly tapping on keyboards and talking to someone.


    "We don''t know! It''s not supposed to happen! We''re trying to send everyone who can even, in theory, get there!"


    At the same moment, most of the monitors shed red from the bright explosions that destroyed all the Phantoms.


    "Wait... Are they all dead...?"


    "No! There''s still one left!" Someone eximed, pointing to the screen where Adam was.


    As an exception, Silvana had given them ess to the cameras on Adam''s NEP so the defense department could react faster.


    "Adam Vinter...? Phantom rookie...? He only got his license a day ago..."


    The work continued, but no one hoped that Phantom rookie could survive for even a minute.


    However, soon their eyes went wide with disbelief, and if not for the work, none of them would have taken their eyes off the truly mesmerizing view.


    ...


    Adam didn''t know what was happening to him, it was unlikely that anyone could give an answer, but he knew one thing for sure - he had to fight to the very end.


    His body was working at the limit of its capabilities, a little more, and it seemed that he could be torn apart.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Adam swung the needle sharply, shattering into shards every rock in his path. He had no fencing skills, but his reaction was enough to survive the Prime Stone Goliath''s attack.


    Then, Adam rushed forward, running at the limit of his abilities.


    ''Adam! No! You need to run!'' Silvana eximed, trying to get through to him.


    ''Silvana, what are his weaknesses? Give me all the information you can. Do whatever it takes to make sure we win. That is my order.'' Adam said seriously, sprinting over to Aron, or rather what was left of him.


    Adam took Aron''snce in his hands, staring intently at the Prime Stone Goliath.


    Silvana was silent for a few seconds, then Adam heard a calm and measured voice.


    ''Prime Stone Goliath - its armor cannot be pierced, however, there are two weak points - its cannons, the temperature there is so high that they can explode if subjected to outside force. The second weak point is the gap between the neck and the head.''


    Adam frowned, despite Silvana''s words, he saw nothing but imprable armor in that area.


    ''The monster knows this too, so its head is held against its chest, its wide jaw like a shield covering the weak spot. Also, I suggest you head over to the Rust Squad. One of their Harvesters had a grappling hook, maybe you can win with that.''


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Before Silvana could finish, Adam rolled sharply, raising waves of sand. His pupils moved quickly in different directions until Adam finally found what looked like a gun hook, the perfect tool for climbing mountains or tall buildings.


    ''Look out!'' Silvana eximed as the Prime Stone Goliath pointed its cannons at Adam again.


    Energy swirled to gather in them, causing ripples to spread through the air.


    Then, with a bright sh, two huge magma clots flew forward, heading towards Adam at tremendous speed.


    ''Decided to spend everything to kill me? Too bad you don''t know about human technology!'' Adam internally eximed before pulling the trigger on the grappling gun.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    The hook flew out, the tip of the sharp spike clinging to the rock at the bottom of the sand hill.


    At thest moment, Adam drew on the hook, avoiding the magma clots that swept right over him.


    This time, he didn''t look at them as divine retribution, all his attention was focused on his opponent.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Prime Stone Goliath broke a huge stone before unleashing a hail of rocks on Adam, but as if seeing the future, he effortlessly dodged each projectile.


    ''Great! You can attack right now!'' Silvana eximed.


    However, Adam didn''t, he abruptly jerked aside, as into that spot fell the goliath''s fist, raising a pir of sand.


    "ROOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!"


    Suddenly, the Prime Stone Goliath roared furiously, its howl could be heard for miles around, attracting both monsters and Phantoms.


    Then, its cannons began to gather energy again, but Adam was ready for this. He had been waiting for this moment.


    Crackle.


    Using all his strength, Adam gripped thence tightly, crumpling its hilt. His teeth grated against each other from the intense pressure, all for Adam to make his strongest throw ever.


    The metalnce, like a lightning bolt of human evolution, swept through the rings of wind, smashing straight into the base of the magma cannon.


    BOOOOOOOOM!


    A deafening explosion destroyed the goliath''s right arm, causing it to lose its bnce and fall sideways to the ground.


    At the same moment, a second cannon fired,unching a magma projectile into the air.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    The hook caught on the monster''s jaw, allowing Adam to get under the protective veil of the goliath, who still hadn''t recovered from the shock.


    Finding himself face to face with the goliath''s weak point - the quivering ugly flesh lurking beneath the armor, Adam began his massacre.


    His needle was like a butcher''s axe, carving out chunks of flesh, drenching everything in blood, and causing the monster unimaginable suffering.


    Prime Stone Goliath tried to get rid of Adam, but it was almost impossible - it was like pulling out a parasite under the skin with your bare hands: you could see it, but you couldn''t reach it.


    ''Adam... enough...'' Silvana whispered after an unknown amount of time, for Prime Stone Goliath was already dead


    "Agh... Agh... Agh..." Adam, breathing heavily climbed out of the bloody inferno like a demon from the underworld, mounting on the monster''s broad torso.


    His entire body was covered in crimson blood, his eyes were empty with only a drop of remaining sanity, his fingertips trembling.


    "Victory... I''ve won..." Adam muttered before dropping to one knee, looking around.


    There was nothing but corpses here beside him, monsters and humans alike. Phantom or Harvester, it didn''t matter, everyone was dead who had been involved in the battle. Only Felix and Verna were alive, as they were too far away and hid behind a desert hill.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Suddenly, shadows - creatures that looked like a hybrid of a rat and a fox, with fast paws, three fluffy tails, and tenacious ws - approached the corpses of the monsters from all sides.


    They began to tear apart parts of the Stone Goliaths, taking them away piece by piece.


    The scavengers were an undetectable part of the world.


    Several scavengers headed towards the huge torso, but they stopped upon meeting Adam''s threatening gaze.


    Instinctively, he defended his prey, releasing a frightening aura that caused the scavengers to rush in.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A few hundred meters away, a gigantic monster that seemed to be as big as Prime Stone Goliath rose up from the ground.


    However, before the monster could take a single step, its body was pierced by a huge azure spear the size of a mountain.


    Then, a warne with several ck fighters appeared in the sky.


    "Well... done Adam.... Well done..." Adam muttered before passing out.


    The tips of his fingers touched the body of Prime Stone Goliath. Though Adam had already fallen into sleep, his body was active, and it wanted its reward.


    A white vortex appeared under his palm, absorbing the special opponent''s genes for a long time.


    [Prime Stone Goliath Gene x10 - has been ced in your Vault!]

 Chapter 17: Second Trait

    <h4>Chapter 17: Second Trait</h4>


    Dangerous missions happened all the time and quite often something went wrong. After all, it was impossible to know everything. The monsters were constantly changing their locations, new species appeared and stronger ones took the ce of the weak ones. Sometimes they united, and sometimes they split into small groups.


    Sure, Citadel tried to help every Phantom who was in trouble, but sometimes it was too difficult to do so.


    Unfortunately, there were times when even the full force of the Fort could not help. Stronger Phantoms and warnes just couldn''t make it before the monsters destroyed every Phantom in their path.


    This is exactly what happened to the Rust Squad, but their situation caused the death of another squad.


    Usually in these situations, there were no survivors and the missions were called Dead Missions. The Defense Department did its best to make dead missions happen as rarely as possible, but reality dictated its own terms.


    In the end, this time there was only one Phantom left alive, asleep on the chest of a defeated stone goliathparable to giants.


    Monsters like a gue kept appearing in the region, wanting to avenge the fallen prime one, but they didn''t stand a chance. A few Phantomsparable to Damien destroyed everything in their path - not just because they could, but to avenge their fallen fellows. The monsters were not destined to escape.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    A random piece of shrapnel flew aside, heading straight for Adam''s neck with its sharp end. If no one helped Adam he would be seriously injured, but at thest moment, he jerked his neck withouting out of sleep.


    ...


    October 13th, 11:43 a.m. - in one of the military hospitals on the territory of Fort Norton.


    With a wide yawn, Adam woke up, slowly opening his slick eyes. The first thing he saw was a girl in a white coat filling his IV.


    It took a while before she noticed him.


    "Mr. Adam! You''re finally awake!" The nurse eximed in surprise.


    "Yeah, feeling like I''ve been asleep forever, though I''m notining at all." Adam shrugged.


    The nurse smiled, "You''re not far from the truth. It''s been a full three days since the incident in the scorching desert. Would you like something to eat? I''m sure you''re hungry."


    "That won''t be necessary."


    A stern voice spread from the aisle where Silvana appeared with a paper bag.


    "Oh, your Operator is already here, in that case, I won''t disturb you." The nurse smiled before leaving the room.


    Adam''s gaze followed her out.


    Step. Step. another Step.


    Silvana towered over Adam before sitting down in a chair, crossing her legs.


    "Did you like this nurse? If you wish, I can find out more about her so your first date can be a sess."


    Adam scratched his cheek and said, "Is that even legal?"


    "Quite."


    "Agh... Don''t be, I''m not looking for a rtionship right now, I have plenty of other tasks to do."


    "Understood." Silvana nodded before pulling out a variety of food from the bag.


    There was everything, meat, fish, vegetables and fruits, nuts and sweets as well as something not healthy like chips and sodas. All in all, there was enough food to feed a whole squad and everyone would find something to their liking.


    "I didn''t know what you''d prefer, so I brought everything so you''d have something to choose from." Silvana said calmly.


    Adam, surprised turned to her.


    "You''re the one who cooked everything? Operators are trained to cook...?"


    "Most of it was actually cooked by me, some of it I bought. No, cooking isn''t in the mandatory Operator training program, but I figured it would be useful. A good meal has a positive effect on morale and thus a sessful mission will have a better chance ofpleting." Silvana exined with a totally serious face.


    Adam sighed, threw a quick nce at the food, and chose meat and shrimp.


    Silvana just nodded meaningfully, memorizing his choice.


    For the next ten minutes, only scratching sounds spread through the room.


    "Damn! That was delicious!"


    "In that case, I''d like to go straight to working on mistakes."


    "Hmm?" Adam gave her a questioning look.


    Silvana handed him a clipboard where his fight against Prime Stone Goliath was analyzed moment by moment. She wrote out timecodes pointing out what he had done wrong or how he could have acted in a less risky manner.


    Adam asked about moments he didn''t understand and Silvana gave him a detailed answer. Even though the fight was over and the opponent was defeated, mistakes had to be corrected to prevent them from happening again.


    "Silvana, you made a mistake here." Adam uttered pointing to thest point.


    "What, maybe you misunderstood what I meant?"


    Adam shook his head.


    "You say that I could throw the needle into the second cannon to do even more damage to the goliath and eliminate the magma clot from identally hitting me. However, I can''t throw my needle, don''t you know that?"


    Silvana''s eyes went wide as if something impossible had happened.


    "I think you took that into consideration because when I fought Four-Legged Living String, the first time the monster cut off my arm, the needle just split into threads." Adam exined.


    Silvana touched her fingertips to her forehead with a dark look, she wasn''t used to being wrong, to her it was uneptable.


    "I apologize. I''ll be more careful next time." Silvana replied in a slightly shaky voice. She wanted to say something else, but Adam stopped her with a wave of his hand with an open palm.


    "Just don''t make me punish you again, I don''t have the imagination for that. Everyone makes mistakes, moreover this is a minor one." Adam waved it away.


    "By the way, there''s something I''ve been meaning to ask you."


    "Yes? I''ll answer any question you have."


    Adam defiantly summoned Revolve, a light white swirl appearing in his hand.


    "I fell asleep, but apparently my body decided to absorb the goliath''s genes on its own, but that''s fine. The thing is, I got ten genes at once."


    Then, Adam''s eyes sparkled and his consciousness was transported to the Evolution Tree.


    The Vault opened before him at his will. On the fourth line was now a rather long inscription.


    [Prime Stone Goliath (x10) - First Circle, Green Threat Level.]


    "Sure. This is what makes Prime Type monsters so valuable and desirable prey, though dangerous." Silvana nodded.


    "Prime monsters are the strongest members of their species, so it''s not strange that they have many more genes inside them than their weaker rtives."


    Adam nodded thoughtfully.


    "Yeah... but Stone Goliaths have a white threat level, and by killing one Prime one I got 10 green level genes at once. That''s astonishingly advantageous."


    "You shouldn''t say such stupid things." Silvana said sternly as she stared intently at Adam. Her cold gaze gave him a slight shiver.


    "That you won this battle is a true miracle. Partly to your credit, but partly you were lucky to have entered the Resonance."


    "Resonance...?" Adam muttered. The word was unfamiliar to him.


    Silvana nodded.


    "In the heat of battle, I didn''t realize it right away, but it did happen. Resonance is a special state when Phantom genes reach their limits for a short period, and then the same thing happens to the Phantom. It can''t be learned and controlled, though the chances can be increased."


    "How?" Adam asked vigorously with genuine curiosity. He too realized that this strange condition had helped him win and stay alive.


    Silvana smiled bitterly before answering, "Being on the verge of death. In most cases, that''s when Resonance appears."


    "Damn... that option doesn''t work for me." Adam scratched the back of his head sadly, then his eyes went wide as he remembered something.


    "Right! I''ve collected enough genes!" Adam eximed happily, steering his mind towards his artifact.


    [False Orb (First Rarity Level.)


    First Trait - Lightning Reflexes.


    Second Trait - ???? [Requires 10 of any green threat level genes.]]


    Without hesitation, Adam used all the genes of the Prime Stone Goliath. They flew into the artifact in green shes, causing it to shake.


    [Second Trait - Lightning Step


    Your body is used to electricity, so now it''s time to use that power on a higher level.


    Through your legs, electric shocks pass through your body, making you somewhat faster. If you wish, you can channel more electricity to make you even faster for a short period]

 Chapter 18: Dark World

    <h4>Chapter 18: Dark World</h4>


    "Did you get anything worthwhile?" Silvana asked, looking at Adam''s glowing eyes.


    "Yeah, it looks like it. I want to try this as soon as possible! Let''s go to the virtual zone!" Adam eximed excitedly, ready to rush into battle right now.


    New abilities were always something exciting, encouraging further action. It seemed that Adam could no longer be stopped.


    "Excluded." Silvana said sternly.


    "Agh...?" Adam tilted his head.


    Silvana didn''t answer anything, she just showed him a tablet with a picture of him, or rather a 3D model of him. It showed all the injuries he''d received, many he hadn''t even realized he had.


    "During the Resonance, you didn''t pay attention to this, but in those few minutes, you seriously scarred your body. You may not listen to me, but I strongly suggest you rest for a week. The whole time you''ll only be working out and eating well. Moreover, you could use some rest after what you''ve been through."


    The Phantoms were just as human as the others, not on the outside, but on the inside. They were just as happy, sad, and most importantly afraid.


    If it wasn''t for the stress experienced by Adam after Morton Observatory, he could have easily panicked. Most of the rookie Phantoms would have just ingloriously died four days ago.


    "I see... I didn''t realize it was this bad, since I feel fine." Adam muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    "Also, you need to tighten up your knowledge. You''ve only recently be a Phantom, so you''d do well to learn more about monsters, how to get stronger, and think about choosing your Nexus."


    "Nexus...? What is that? Some kind of condition again?" Adam was puzzled.


    Silvana shook her head, then she clicked something on her tablet, and dozens of photos of various equipment appeared in front of Adam, be it a huge sword, a crossbow,bat gloves, or jewelry. All of them looked special somehow as if they were custom-made.


    "Surely you must have wondered by now why Phantom weapons can damage monsters, but grenades or high-volume explosive rounds can''t." Silvana pronounced.


    Adam''s eyes went wide, for even though it was obvious, he hadn''t given it much thought.


    "Yeah... sure..." Adam muttered, scratching the back of his head.


    Silvana narrowed her eyes.


    "Anyway. Nexus is a special piece of equipment that only Phantoms can get because your Initial Gene will be the mainponent of your future Nexus. Usually, Phantoms make their Nexus into some sort of weapon, but I think in your case it doesn''t make sense."


    "Because I have a needle, right?" Adam sighed.


    Silvana nodded.


    "In theory, you could build your Nexus as soon as you got your license, but it''s best to do it after the first few missions. Given the challenges you''ve faced before, you should already have an idea of what you need for future battles."


    Adamy back on the bed, putting his hands behind his head.


    "When do I have to make a decision?


    "I rmend you do it in these three days. One day to prepare and another three days to build the Nexus. It will be exactly one week, and you can rush into battle."


    "I see... I want to ask one more thing. I don''t have any restrictions on the Nexus, do I? I mean, I can choose to wear a turret shield and a long cloak and knee-high boots, right?"


    Silvana smiled slightly, "Sure, but it has to be something necessary. Creating another Nexus is possible, but adjusting will be problematic, so most Phantoms take this choice very seriously, after all, it''s likely your first Nexus will be yourst."


    "By the way..." Silvana muttered with a serious face.


    "Hmm?"


    "Are sure you don''t want that nurse? A night with her would help you recover faster." Silvana raised a finger as if saying something instructive.


    Adam''s eye began to twitch, he couldn''t believe what he was hearing, but all he could do was ept it.


    After all, it was he who had chosen Silvana as his Operator.


    ...


    By evening, Adam had left the hospital, he could have stayed here for a while if he wanted to, but he wanted to get home as soon as possible.


    Silvana tried several times to get him a car, but Adam refused because he wished to walk along the Third Ring. He had wanted to get here for a long time, he had a home here now, but he hadn''t been anywhere else.


    "Well, well, you''re awake now. Amazing, especially after what happened to you."


    A calm voice sounded, from a man standing at the corner of the alley. It seemed like he was here for a reason, waiting for someone.


    "Hmm? Are you addressing me?" Adam pointed to himself, puzzled.


    The man blew out a puff of smoke, sping a nearly smoked cigarette between his fingers, and turned to Adam. His silhouette was hidden not only by the night darkness but also by his long coat with high cor and bowler hat, only his green eyes, like emeralds, were visible.


    "Yeah, Adam Vinter, to see you. You know, the video of your fight against Prime Stone Goliath has be popr in tight circles. Military, Operators, Harvesters, employees of various departments, and even the Phantoms appreciated the young talent who suddenly appeared a few days ago." The man muttered in a deep voice.


    Adam frowned, he felt a strange tension.


    "However..." The man looked at the cigarette before tossing it aside and saying, "I was impressed by something else. The way you survived after what happened at Morton Observatory."


    "Who are you?" Adam asked coldly, clenching his fists tightly.


    The man pulled a card out of his inside pocket with the image of a ck swan on it.


    "Here. Comes. Say you''re from Wilfred, and you''ll be escorted where you need to go. Perhaps we can help you with Aiden Henk. I know you don''t fight humans, but some of us are more like monsters than humans."


    With those words, the man vanished without a trace, seeming to dissolve into the darkness, leaving a card in Adam''s hands with only two words written on it - ''Lower Ring''.

 Chapter 19: Choosing the Nexus

    <h4>Chapter 19: Choosing the Nexus</h4>


    Walking in the pouring rain, Adam returned home. His ns to take a stroll around the Third Ring had been ruined not only by the bad weather but also by a strange man who had mysteriously appeared and disappeared just as much.


    ''Wilfred... Apparently, he knows that I was left out of the Morton Observatory test, but nothing more. ck Swan... I''ll have to find out about that as well as the Lower Ring, where the hell is it?'' Adam pondered with a grimace before opening the door.


    Citadel F1 was divided into many sectors, it was the ce to find everything or more. Everyone knew about the slums, Third Ring, Second Ring, and First Ring. Each of these four zones was smaller and richer than the previous one, but Adam only now recognized that there was another Ring.


    "Brother! You''re back!" Trici eximed joyfully, rushing over to Adam.


    His little sister''s smile was enough to free his mind from all the heavy thoughts and focus on something important - family.


    "Hey, how''s it going? Are you getting used to your new room yet?" Adam, with a happy face, mussed Trici''s hair.


    "Ughum! By the way, thank Silvana from me again..." Trici shyly said.


    "Hmm?" Adam raised an eyebrow.


    "She gave me a VR headset, there are so many interesting games on there! I can''t stop ying them!"


    ''Well, well, first a constructor, now something bigger, right? Knowing Silvana, it''s unlikely she did it for nothing though... the important thing is to keep Trici happy.''


    At the same moment, a tall silhouette emerged from the kitchen.


    "Oh, Adam, you''ve recovered so quickly, I can tell you''re my son!" Leona eximed vigorously, clenching her fist.


    Adam''s face twisted as Leona held a cleaver covered in blood, her white chef''s apron looked like a butcher''s, and it was all emphasized by her smirk.


    "I take it we have meat for dinner tonight, hah, in the slums, we could only dream of such a thing." Adam scratched the back of his head.


    "Not just meat! Also, shrimp! Everything just the way you like it!" Leona uttered before returning to the kitchen.


    ''Silvana... Damn, you really are omnipresent.'' Adam thought.


    Leona, as his mother, knew what Adam''s favorite foods were, but when they lived in the slums they had only eaten meat a few times, shrimp was out of the question. So, only one person could tell about it so quickly.


    After dinner, Adam headed to his room, sat down at his PC, and began searching for what he wanted to know about.


    He spent a few hours mulling over the Nexus, just as Silvana had said it was the choice of a lifetime.


    ''I don''t need a weapon... a shield either, maybe a coat?'' Adam pondered, scrolling through dozens of photos of various Nexuses.


    Then, he shook his head.


    ''No, I have to think not about what I want or what would look cool, but what might be useful.'' Adam leaned back in his chair.


    He stared at the ceiling for a long time, remembering all his battles, against Silver Weaver, against the Lizards, against Living Strings, and of course against Prime Stone Goliath. Then, his eyes went wide as he had an idea.


    "Right! That''s what I need... but, I need Silvana''s help, she''s probably asleep by now... though it''s still worth writing." Adam muttered before sending Silvana a few messages.


    It was already veryte, and even he was getting sleepy. After all, he had been resting in the hospital for most of the day, and he was a Phantom, which meant he could sleep a few hours less than a normal person.


    Adam stretched, about to sink into bed, but as soon as he stood up from his chair he got a response from Silvana.


    "Holy shit...? Is she even asleep?" Adam tilted his head in shock, "Is she definitely human? Maybe she''s actually a robot?"


    ...


    After a hard workout, Adam and Silvana sat together at a cafe known for its wide selection of steaks.


    Silvana ordered only a cup of coffee and dessert, while Adam destroyed one steak after another. Not only because he was hungry, but also because he had the opportunity. He had more meat on his te now than he''d eaten in a year. That kind of thing couldn''t be more gratifying.


    "Are you sure this is the kind of Nexus you want?" Silvana asked with a serious expression. Holograms with various articles and Nexuses floated in front of her.


    Adam raised an eyebrow.


    "Is there a problem?"


    "No. Honestly, I''m a little surprised. Obviously, I''ve been thinking about what kind of Nexus would be good for you, too, and I was going to give you my options. Well, you''ve exceeded expectations. It''s not a weapon, has no ws, emphasizes your Order, and still gives you what you, so desperately need. I''m just concerned that you made this choice in just one day."


    Adam shrugged nonchntly.


    "It just means I''ll get my Nexus sooner and can spend a few days practicing."


    Silvana nodded, took the cup in her hand, and took a short sip.


    "By the way. Silvana, do you know anything about ck Swan?" Adam asked, shoving down a piece of meat.


    "Hmm? Since when did you be interested in birds? ck Swans are a rare species of swan, and there are only a few dozen of them living in the Citadel, under protection." Silvana replied, slightly puzzled.


    Adam waved his hand, "I''m not talking about a bird, but some group, gang, or organization, I''m not exactly sure. Here, look at this."


    Adam pulled out a ck card, ced it on the table.


    In a heartbeat, Silvana''s eyes went wide, she quickly closed the card, hiding it under her palm.


    "Who the hell gave you this?"


    "If I''m not mistaken that man''s name was Wilfred. Although it might not have been him, this man suggested I visit the ck Swan, and it seems to be in some Lower Ring." Adam replied calmly, not taking the situation as seriously as Silvana, though she had her reasons.


    Silvana''s face went pale. It was the first time Adam had ever seen such an expression on her face, he even lost his appetite.


    Then, Silvana paid the bill through her tablet and quickly headed for the exit.


    "Come on. This is not the ce to talk about it."


    Adam hurriedly, finishing thest bite followed her.


    ''She paid for me? Hah, that''s nicer than I expected.'' Adam thought.


    While Silvana''s worry was growing, Adam was thinking about other things altogether.


    ...


    With the lights dimmed, surrounded by monitors, Adam sat across from Silvana at her home.


    "Adam, what do you know about the Citadel? Don''t take my words as rude, but it''s pretty hard to get an education in the slums."


    "Well... I only know about the walls, the Three Rings, the slums, and the observatories. I think everyone even an infant knows that. Although, bing a Phantom has broadened my knowledge a bit." Adam replied quietly.


    Silvana sighed heavily.


    "In that case, you are about to learn something new about our Citadel." Silvana said before snapping her fingers.


    A massive 3D model of the Citadel appeared between them. If Adam wanted to, he could zoom in on a particr ce and examine every neighborhood or even building that interested him.


    However, Adam immediately noticed that when he reached the ground level where the high walls began, the hologram did not end. There was something else underground.


    There were buildings and streets there too, but almost everything was under a veil of darkness, like a forbidden zone.


    "This is the Lower Ring. I''d say it''s the flip side of the coin of our Citadel. The people there don''t obey the government, they''re not under the control of departments or affiliated with the military, at least officially. There isn''t one force that controls everything, it''s all divided into areas under the influence of one of the organizations." Silvana exined in a cold voice.


    "And... ck Swan is one of them." Adam muttered.


    Silvana nodded deeply.


    "I suggest you don''t mess with them. Not that the Lower Ring is an enemy of the Citadel, but they have their own methods and rules, both in society and in fighting monsters." Silvana calmly replied, fully confident that this was the end of their conversation.


    "No."


    "What...?" Silvana puzzled as she looked at Adam.


    She got a shocked expression, and a chill ran down her spine with natural goosebumps.


    Adam''s eyes seemed to swirl like merciless whirlwinds in the depths of the abyss, gathering into themselves all the darkness and misery of this world.


    "I will go there, to the Lower Ring and the ck Swan."


    "But... Why...?"


    "Because some people are more like monsters than monsters themselves."

 Chapter 20: The Lock and Key of Evolution

    <h4>Chapter 20: The Lock and Key of Evolution</h4>


    "Silvana... Will you support me? Will you help me get to ck Swan?" Adam asked in a calm voice, with an emotionless face.


    Silvana sighed, and her expression returned to normal, remaining as serious as usual.


    "I am your Operator, so I will do everything in my power to help you, but I''d like to hear what happened to you before you entered the Dead Lands. Mr. Dous didn''t give me all the information about you, your first hours as a Phantom remain to me shrouded in a veil of mystery."


    Adam nodded slightly, "Sure. Trust between Phantom and Operator must be maximized, so I think it''s time to tell what happened at Morton Observatory."


    ...


    After a few moments, Silvana nodded deeply, her gaze growing a little darker.


    "Aiden Henk... To be honest, I''ve heard a few times that he was involved in various scandals, but he''s the chief scientist of the Morton Observatory, so... it hasn''te out in public."


    "If you know about it, but ck Swan probably has more information on him, don''t they?"


    Silvana sighed.


    "Sure. You''re probably not the only one who has been treated the same way. I know that many scientists consider the government''s initiative to search for Sparks in the slums to be a failure and pointless. The chance is too small that a person whose parents aren''t Phantoms has a Spark."


    Adam leaned back in his chair and looked intently at Silvana.


    "What do you think? Does it make sense to give people from the slums a chance?"


    Silvana smiled slightly.


    "Of course, after all, if it wasn''t for their initiative I wouldn''t have such a capable Phantom, no, a partner like you." Silvana replied sincerely.


    However, this did not lift Adam''s mood at all, on the contrary, his face only became darker.


    "Yeah... The problem is that to some extent, Aiden Henk was right. I didn''t have a Spark, I wasn''t even noticed by the Spark Seeker, like a nk te. As ironic as it sounds, if Aiden Henk hadn''t been such an inhuman bastard, I wouldn''t have ended up in Tar Lake, and I wouldn''t have be Naturalborn Phantom."


    Silvana''s eyes went wide. She had nothing to reply. Adam was right, a series of coincidences and creepy events were a major factor of why he ended up here now.


    "Anyway... First, you need to build your Nexus and finish your week''s vacation. Then, after a few missions when you get stronger, it will be a good time to head to Lower Ring. I''ll help you get to ck Swan." Silvana said calmly.


    Adam nodded silently.


    "What are you going to do if, with ck Swan''s help, you can finally bring Aiden Henk to justice?" Silvana asked with a slight wave of her hand.


    "Well... that depends on what I find out. Even though he sent me to my death, I didn''t want to kill him. He should have been punished, but not executed. However... maybe the ck Swan will disagree with that, and maybe they''ll be right."


    ...


    The conversation was difficult, so until the night before they just stayed silent, immersed in their thoughts. Adam was supposed to go home as usual, but at one point, he fell asleep in his chair.


    Silvana didn''t wake him up and instead sat down to work, preparing an important document that would help Adam develop.


    The Phantoms had many paths of power: Artifact, Nexus,bat experience, training, and even knowledge. All of these factors could create a real chasm between the two Phantoms.


    However, there was another factor in front of which everything else no longer seemed so significant - the Cirlce.


    The Evolution Tree as well as the Initial Gene had to evolve, they were the two main points in a Phantom''s strength, like the brain and heart of a simple person. One could live without one lung or kidney just as one could live without an artifact or nexus, but not without a heart or brain.


    It might seem that it was easy to be stronger by absorbing more genes from different monsters, but that was only partially true. Only ordinary people not rted to the Phantoms thought so, and if the Operators had heard them, they would have smiled bitterly.


    Silvana realized that Adam didn''t know about this, so she had to make him understand as much as possible.


    The development of the Artifact, or Nexus, was somewhat straightforward, at leastpared to the development of the Evolution Tree and the Initial Gene.


    ...


    "Agh...? Where am I?" Adam muttered, squeezing his eyes shut from the bright light of the monitors falling on him.


    [5:45]


    Dawn was about to break soon.


    ''What...? I fell asleep at Silvana''s house?'' Adam looked around, ''What''s more, it looks like someone overestimated their powers.''


    Adam smiled slightly at the sleeping Silvana. She had fallen asleep right at her desk. On the monitors were open various articles, photos, and videos, as well as a central document that she had created especially for Adam.


    She was going to close the file and go to sleep. However, the sleep deprivation and overwork were too much.


    "Well, I can take care of her a little this time, right? But... what is it?" Adam muttered, walking over to the monitor and peering at the file name.


    [Lock and Keys: Evolutionary Progression.]


    Adam wasn''t going to read the file, he wanted Silvana to exin everything to him, but once he started he couldn''t stop.


    His eyes sparkled, like a warrior who has seen the path to power, but a hard and fair - a challenge for a worthy one.


    ...


    Hourster Silvana awoke, but not from the sunlight, no sunlight entered her room, but from the smell of badly over-roasted coffee. It literally knocked her out of sleep with a direct hit of vigor.


    She usually followed a schedule and always got up on her rm clock, but yesterday had been a challenging day.


    "Oh... right, I didn''t bother to wake him up." Silvana muttered before heading into the kitchen.


    There she saw Adam, who had already made breakfast: spicy noodles and eggs, but was battling the strongest opponent in his way: the coffee machine.


    After all, where would a coffee machinee from in a slum?


    "Here. We need to press here." Silvana said calmly cleverly fixing the situation.


    Adam flinched slightly at the sudden voice but quickly regained hisposure and turned around with a smile on his face.


    "Well, well, looks like we switched roles this time?"


    "Only for breakfast. Right after that, we''ll practically have a lecture waiting for us. It''s important for your future as a phantom." Silvana said seriously.


    Adam shrugged.


    "You''re talking about the Lock and Keys, aren''t you?"


    "Agh...?" Silvana''s eyes went wide, "How do you know that?"


    "Sorry, I just saw the file, I didn''t want to read it, but I couldn''t stop now."


    "And...? Did you figure it out? What do you think about it? A lot of Phantoms when they first find out the path they''re supposed to follow are pretty upset." Silvana muttered.


    However, Adam only smiled broadly.


    "Hah, this is fucking awesome! Some parts of it scared me, though."


    Silvana nodded, "Fine, then let''s talk about it again. Right after we eat."


    ...


    "Did you understand everything?" Silvana asked sternly after a four-hour conversation.


    Adam grabbed his head. Even though he had read the file, Silvana had exined everything to him in such detail that his mind was overwhelmed.


    "Fine, then it''s time to create your first Neutral Gene and unlock the Lock!"


    Without further ado, Adam''s eyes shed brightly and he was transported to the Evolution Tree. He had 15 Living String, but he also had one gene of the Thick-headed Desert Lizard.


    It was the perfect contender for the first attempt.


    ''Alright, it''s already inside me, I just need to concentrate.'' Adam muttered before extending his arm forward.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    A white gene flew out of the Vault, a massive white book - simple, but it had once belonged to a living being.


    The gene floated in the air while something slowly appeared around it, some sort of round object emerging from the darkness.


    "Hah... I did it! I can summon it the first time, though... not that it''s hard." Adam eximed happily.


    The object was a structure with a wide metal ring as its base. Inside the ring, two cone-shaped figures were looking at each other, they were pointing towards each other but their sharp tips did not collide, keeping a gap between them.


    Then, into the empty space headed the gene, the tips of the cones pointed at it.


    It was the Transmutator - the tool of all Phantoms with which they could do one simple but crucial thing: turn genes into neutral ones.


    The ring began to rotate as the cones did, faster and faster, putting enormous pressure on the gene and forcing it to change until it lost its shapepletely and became a perfect gray sphere.

 Chapter 21: Thousand

    <h4>Chapter 21: Thousand</h4>


    The Transmutator had aplished its task, creating Adam''s first neutral gene. He could use it to increase his knowledge of any monster, at least partially, but now he had a more important task before him.


    Adam made his way to the Evolution Tree, majestic and resilient - the base of his power. He touched the snow-white bark, and the tree trembled.


    [Use 1 neutral gene to gain ess to Lock!]


    Adam heard the harsh voice and smiled slightly.


    "Sure, that''s what I came here for. It''s time to see what I have to put up with to be stronger."


    Then, a gray sphere flew into the Evolution Tree at his will. In fact, it was only a drop in the ocean or rather a lone star in the entire universe that Adam was to conquer.


    However, even the greatest me was ignited by a single spark, weak and fleeting, giving birth to something momentous.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The Evolution Tree shuddered, grew a little taller, just a millimeter, and under the ring surrounding the Initial Gene, something began to appear.


    A triangr mark with elongated ends and arched ribs slightly drawn inward was carved into the bark of the tree.


    It was a Lock.


    Then, three keyholes appeared, one for each end. Keys were needed to open them, but that wasn''t the first obstacle in Adam''s path. Before that, he needed to get rid of something else.


    Whooooooooosh.


    A multitude of ck chains, tied around the trunk of the Evolution Tree, blocked off the keyholes. In the center of the Lock, a vortex pattern appeared, dark and deep like the londs of the ocean.


    [Release your Lock: 0/1,000 neutral genes.]


    "Shit... Though I read about it in the document, seeing it in person is actually intimidating. However, it''s not the biggest problem yet, is it?" Adam muttered looking at the vortex.


    He wasn''t the first Phantom in history, so he knew the others.


    Adam nced at the vortex, smiled bitterly, and returned to the real world. His eyes stopped shining brightly as he met his gaze with Silvana.


    "How did it go?" Silvana asked protractedly.


    Adam smiled slightly, "I was able to summon the Transmutator, it''s something incredible, though I now know how to get neutral genes, even if I''m afraid it will take me months to get the 1,000 to remove the chains."


    Silvana shook her head, "It''s not as much as it may seem, though it will definitely take work to get it."


    "Hmm?" Adam gave her a questioning look.


    "The different Threat Levels exist for a reason, everything in our world is borate. So, with the Transmutator, you can turn 1 green threat level gene into 10 neutral genes. So you need to kill 100 Green Threat Level monsters or 10 Blue Threat Level monsters." Silvana exined.


    "Wait... Doesn''t that mean I can kill a Prime Blue Threat Level monster and immediately get 1,000 neutral genes?"


    Silvana nodded.


    "You got it right because 1 blue gene = 100 neutral ones. Then, you''lle to the next and final stage of unlocking the castle."


    "Sure, you already mentioned that." Adam nodded.


    In order to gain ess to the keyholes and begin creating the Keys, the Phantom had to go through the final ordeal dubbed - Beginning Monster.


    Lock, through the vortex, would signal Phantom where the right monster was, which was the catalyst for releasing all the energy through the vortex and destroying the chains. Lock needed the gene for that particr monster, and each Phantom had a different Beginning Monster.


    The problem with this mission was that, in most cases, the Beginning Monsters were rather strong and dangerous creatures, often resulting in the death of the Phantoms.


    But, that wasn''t the main problem, but the fact that the Phantom had to kill its Beginning Monster alone. More precisely, the military or Harvesters could help, but not other Phantoms, otherwise, the Evolution Trees would destabilize the monster''s gene.


    "When you collect enough neutral genes and defeat your Beginning Monster, then you will be stronger, it will be a new step in your evolution." Silvana exined, "Then, you will be a K1 First Rank Phantom."


    "K1? What does that mean?" Adam tilted his head in confusion. The document he''d read hadn''t mentioned it.


    "Well, monsters have their own threat level, type, and book grade. Missions have a difficulty level of V, Artifacts have a rarity level, obviously Phantoms have something like that too. You probably remember the man who destroyed the lizard in Scorching Desert when you joined Fire Fox Squad, right?" Sivana asked in a serious voice.


    Adam nodded. He remained deeply impressed with Damien''s power.


    "You still have a long way to go to get to that level, but getting K1 will be the first step. Phantoms get that prefix in the system when they unchain Lock and defeat their Beginning Monster.


    Then,es K2, K3 and K4 ordingly. Nothingplicated here, each promotion is for one key. When you pass the final challenge on your way to Second Circle, you will officially be a Second Rank Phantom.


    For your information, only 5% of all Phantoms manage to pass all the trials and collect enough genes. The rest either give up or die, although thetter is moremon." Silvana exined with a slight wave of her hand.


    Adam nodded deeply, what Silvana said made sense and sounded logical.


    "You said it would be listed in the system, like V1 or V2 on missions, but what about Prime? I mean, are there any other special prefixes that a Phantom can get?"


    Silvana smirked - a very rare emotion for her.


    "Just open your NEP and you''ll see for yourself."


    Adam was puzzled, but he did as Silvana said. To ess his profile he had to click on his ID, in the corner of the screen.


    [Adam Vinter, First Rank Phantom, EX]


    "Ex...? What the hell does that mean?" Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    "Extra or a special designation for Phantoms who can defeat opponents much stronger than their level. You haven''t even revealed your Lock yet, so technically you''re K0-Level, but you were able to defeat a Prime Stone Goliath, it didn''t go unnoticed." Silvana said contentedly. This was a result that both Phantom and Operator could be proud of.


    "Oh... I see... It''s unexpected, but it''s nice to have someone appreciate your achievements at face value. That was dangerous and my best fight so far." Adam muttered in a daze.


    There was silence.


    After a short pause, Silvana said, "I think that''s enough talking for today, it''s time for practice, and then we''ll head to the Forge!"


    "Forge?" Adam tilted his head, then his eyes went wide.


    "Right... I have to do my Nexus today! Let''s go! We don''t have a minute to lose!"

 Chapter 22: Incubator and the Golden Egg

    <h4>Chapter 22: Incubator and the Golden Egg</h4>


    The Forge is an important and crucial ce for all of humanity in the past. It''s where both the way to effectively kill and defend was born, in the name of family or the name of hatred, everyone had their own way.


    With technological advancement, the forge lost its effectiveness. Swords or axes were no longer needed. What was the point of strong armor and a long spear if an urate shot from a rifle was enough to end a fight?


    All weapons for the army were created in factories, from ammunition and pistols to ballistic missiles and fighter aircraft.


    However, the Citadel had forges, not for ordinary people, but for the Phantoms. After all, they were the ones who were more effective with a sword than a machine gun.


    "Wow... That looks cool, I won''t hide it." Adam muttered, looking at the huge mechanical gate like an entrance to another world, made of iron and steel.


    "This is Inferno Forge, the cksmith is already waiting for us." Silvana said calmly before taking a step forward.


    The gate, with a loud crack, came into motion, opening piece by piece, faster and faster.


    "cksmith...? Is my Nexus really going to be forged between hammer and anvil, like in ancient times?" Adam raised an eyebrow.


    Silvana shook her head.


    "Of course not, your Nexus won''t be forged like some sword, it will grow like a parasite or a virus, for example."


    Adam grumbled, "You know... That''s not a goodparison."


    Silvana just shrugged.


    They moved forward, asionally real robots passed by them, not many, but the fact that they existed was a surprise to Adam, as well as the fact that they turned to him, nodded, and moved on.


    Entering the main hall, Adam saw his cksmith.


    To his puzzlement, it was a girl of average height, with blond hair disheveled in all directions, big sses, and bags under her eyes. Dozens of empty coffee cups strewn across the table were as indispensable to her as a white coat.


    "Good afternoon." Silvana said respectfully, "Mrs. Orin, do you have everything ready?"


    Orin turned around abruptly and smiled broadly.


    However, she didn''t look at Silvana, who was waiting for her answer, but at Adam before rushing at him with a slightly crazed look.


    "You''re Adam Vinter, right?! Yes, it''s definitely you! You! You!" Orin eximed happily like a child or rather a fan seeing their idol.


    "Damn, I saw your fight against Prime Stone Goliath! It was incredible! Especially that moment when you entered Resonance... Agh... your eyes and veins got so tense... Agh, it was bliss, that night I only thought of you..." Orin whispered, squeezing her hands between her thighs while she was drooling.


    ''Well... Some people are just more liberated than others, aren''t they? It''s not at all what I expected, though. She''s like a fanatic!''


    "Mrs. Orin, don''t forget about the chain ofmand." Silvana said sternly, "What you do in the evenings is your own business, but right now you''re at work and Phantom is in front of you. Be serious."


    Orin threw her a strange look before snorting.


    "Pfffft! Nerd! No fun with you." Orin stuck her tongue out, then she took a deep breath, "Fine, follow me. I''ve already got everything ready."


    Walking into the special room set aside for Adam''s Nexus, they saw what every Nexus began with.


    It was a tall pod with a pale green liquid inside. Dozens of wires and thick tubes were connected to the shell of the pod, with as many different indicators.


    "Here, here''s your Incubator!" Orin eximed vigorously, looking at the pod then at Adam, waiting for his reaction.


    "Oh... This thing looks like you could grow a clone in here, doesn''t it?" Adam''s eyes went wide.


    Orin touched her lips with a thoughtful face, "Yeah, in theory, yes, you can make flesh, but the point? Anyway,e to the main panel, and we''ll get started!"


    At the same moment, Orin went to theputer to the side, checking the sensors. All indicators had to be normal for a sessful Nexus build.


    "Fine, everything is normal. Now just ce your palm on the panel, be prepared, it will hurt. Also, don''t resist, or I won''t be able to get some of your Initial Gene." Orin said seriously. The preparations were almostplete, all she had to do was press the button.


    "Hmm? Does this have any negative consequences?" Adam asked slightly concerned. After all, his Initial Gene was the basis of his power, the most important part.


    Orin shook her head.


    "From such minor damage, your Initial Gene will recover in a few days. The only downside is that you''ll be about 10-15% weaker for the same amount of time, but then you''ll be back to normal. That''s enough questions. I still have a lot of work to do." Orin replied quickly.


    Adam nodded slightly before putting his palm down.


    Then, the white streaks shone brightly, and thirteen thin needles, slightly thicker than a hair, stabbed into Adam''s palm. If he were a mere human, he probably would have screamed in pain, but since he was a Phantom, clenching his teeth and making a fist was enough to withstand it.


    ''Agh...?'' Adam''s eyes went wide when he felt something change.


    Emptiness and darkness surrounded him, a frightening butforting feeling, only for a moment, but it was enough to feel the full spectrum. It was then that a tiny part of his Initial Gene entered the capsule.


    "Hmm? A thread? How curious. I''ve never seen such a thing." Orin tilted her head, looking at the silver thread capable of growing into something great.


    "Is that all...?" Adam turned to her.


    Orin nodded.


    "Yeah, in a few hours, I''ll beunching metals and other materials into the capsule. I will mold the shape of your Nexus usingsers and maic action. In three days you cane back and retrieve your Nexus."


    "Hah, in that case, I''ll look forward to it!"


    ...


    Three dayster, after the training session, Adam and Silvana were sitting in a caf¨¦, going to Orin''s afterwards. In the morning they received a message that Adam''s Nexus was ready.


    "By the way, it''s been about eight or even nine days since I got to Dead Lands... Why hasn''t there been an Eclipse yet?"


    "It already has." Silvana calmly replied.


    "What...?"


    "You slept for four days, and on the third day, there was an eclipse. Nothing out of the ordinary, the monster level was normal, as well as the destruction and casualties."


    "I see..." Adam muttered as his gaze grew darker.


    "In case you''re wondering, the next eclipse should be in about four or five days."


    "Hey! It''s you!"


    Suddenly, an energetic voice came from outside as two silhouettes, a girl and a boy, approached them.


    The young man had short gray hair and two swords behind his back, while the girl had round sses and lush pink shoulder-length hair.


    "You... What do you want?" Adam frowned, for it was Oren and Z. Oren had almost seriously hurt Silvana earlier because of their little argument over the virtual zone chamber.


    Obviously, he wasn''t too happy to see them.


    "You''re still mad, right? Come on, it happened a week ago! I just have a temper, and there''s nothing I can do about it." Oren pronounced, kindly.


    Silvana nced at him.


    "What do you want? We were about to leave, so if you have something to say, I suggest you do it as soon as possible." Silvana said sternly.


    Oren sighed heavily, scratching the back of his head.


    "Anyway. I just want to apologize again. Z said a good way to do it would be to suggest a joint mission. I can be hot-tempered, but I''m a worthy ally, I guarantee it!" Oren poked himself in the chest with a finger.


    Silvana looked at Adam.


    "What do you say?"


    "Overall, I''m fine with it, but I have to get my Nexus first." Adam shrugged.


    "Sure!" Oren energetically replied before looking at Z, "Show them."


    Z nodded and ced the tablet on the table with the mission information.


    [Steal the Egg from the Golden Searchers. (White Threat Level, V2)]


    "Oh, this mission is a bit more difficult than myst one, right?"


    "Yes, but you''ll do fine, however... I have to ask you a few questions before I do it." Silvana replied calmly and looked at Z.


    She was neutral towards Oren, even though he had almost hurt her. To Adam, she looked though sternly but obediently like a subordinate, but when her gaze met Z''s...


    Adam and Oren certainly saw a spark between the girls, or rather two trying to fight each other but colliding in the center.


    The rivalry between the two personal Operators might have been moderate, but in a situation like this, each of them was willing to do anything to show their Phantom who was the best.


    ''This is going to be tough...''


    Adam and Oren thought at the same time.

 Chapter 23: Nexus and Soul Cry

    <h4>Chapter 23: Nexus and Soul Cry</h4>


    Women were marvelous creatures, while absolutely terrifying in anger. But, that wasn''t nearly as meaningful as two girls trying their best to prove that someone was worse, especially if they were Operators before their Phantoms.


    The table they were sitting at had already be the main center of attention for all the visitors. No one dared to disturb them but continued to watch as spectators of the unfolding story.


    Adam and Oren had already made their peace with the situation an hour ago. They ordered cocktails, and enjoying them with tubes in their mouths, waited for the end of this epic battle.


    "Fine. Based on all the data you''ve provided, I recognize that this mission was chosen under eptable conditions." Silvana said calmly before waving her hand, removing the holographic documents, hovering above the tablet.


    "Hah, just admit already that I did a great job!" Z eximed energetically, crossing her arms over her chest.


    "Are you done?" Adam asked, "When do we leave for the mission?"


    "Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. More importantly, who won?" Oren joined in.


    "Tomorrow, but none of us have won, yet!" Silvana narrowed her eyes.


    Z replied in the same way.


    "Oren, I don''t want to keep you, we need a few more minutes, you''d probably be better off walking."


    Adam and Oren looked at each other, shrugged, and left the cafe together. They passed each other a few phrases on the way.


    Then, Silvana and Z''s faces changedpletely. They no longer looked like they were ready to tear each other apart, instead, they smiled.


    "Hah, I told you this would work." Z said confidently, cing her feet up on the table. Next to Oren, she would never do such a thing.


    Silvana smirked, "Yeah, getting in touch anding up with a n before they met was a good idea."


    Z nodded, "After all, we are women first and foremost, and only then Operators. If there were to remain a conflict between these two it could affect the mission, there''s no way we can let that happen."


    "Sure, but you''ve actually had a few mistakes." A sharp glint passed between Silvana''s eyes.


    "Oh,e on." Z leaned her elbows on the table while a dangerous grimace spread across her face.


    ...


    Only ten minutester, Silvana and Z walked out of the caf¨¦.


    "Hey, I hope we don''t have to wait any longer for you?" Oren asked, waving at them.


    "Of course not!" Z quickly replied, standing up next to Oren, "You''re going on a mission tomorrow, at lunchtime."


    "What about the Harvesters?" Oren nced at her. Z just pointed at Silvana.


    "Adam, if you don''t mind we''ll take Felix and Verna on the mission again."


    "Sure. Everything was fine until the Stone Goliaths showed up, hopefully, nothing like that will happen this time." Adam sighed heavily.


    "Fine, in that case, see youter! I''m sure it will be an exciting mission! What''s more, we''ll be well paid for it! Bye!" Oren vigorously said, walking away along with Z.


    Before disappearing around the corner, Z turned around onest time and showed Silvana her tongue without Oren seeing it.


    Silvana frowned, clenching her fists.


    "Is everything okay?" Adam raised an eyebrow.


    "Yes, sorry." Silvana nodded.


    "I think we should take your Nexus and study the mission ahead. The Golden Searchers are not the easiest of opponents. Moreover, there will definitely be someone from the Green Threat Level among them since it''s V2."


    "Sure, let''s do it!" Adam eximed, full of enthusiasm.


    ...


    The massive door opened, Adam and Silvana entered the Inferno Forge where Orin was already waiting for them.


    "Hello, handsome!" Orin eximed in her characteristic manner.


    Adam scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed and puzzled. Orin was acting a little too assertive, but Adam couldn''t say he didn''t like it. After all, it was hard to find someone who didn''t like sincerepliments.


    "Mrs. Orin, is everything ready?" Silvana asked sternly.


    "Sure! The result is just as you wanted! Even better!"


    Once in the room with the pod, Orin and Silvana stepped aside, making way for Adam. He slowly stepped forward until he stopped a meter away from the pod, wide-eyed as he watched his Nexus floating in the pale green liquid.


    It was a pair of gloves, ck with tiny tes covering them like scales on majestic dragons. Metal inserts protected vulnerable ces, creating a contrast between white and ck, but that wasn''t what made them Nexus.


    Above, from the wrist, a silver thread ran along each finger, stretched to the limit like a string on a violin, strong and sharp.


    Orin smiled, pressed a button, and all the liquid went down quickly, emptying the pod. Then, a mechanical tform caught the falling gloves and offered them in front of Adam.


    Without hesitation, Adam put the gloves on, but the expected shock did not ur. He didn''t feel that they were anything special, though he could feel a strange energy emanating from the threads.


    "I understand your confusion." Orin nodded, "There''s nothing strange about it since you need to activate them."


    "Agh...?" Adam gave her a questioning look.


    "Each Nexus can only use a certain Phantom because the Initial Genes must match. Just concentrate and let your Nexus know that you are not a stranger but its master, a parent if you will." Orin exined.


    Adam nodded and did as she said. His Evolution Tree trembled slightly as well as Initial Gene, then his eyes shed, and a direct signal headed for his gloves.


    In a heartbeat, several needles hidden inside the gloves pierced his wrist, but not a single drop of blood spilled, for they were all absorbed.


    At the same moment, Adam''s mind traveled to the Evolution Tree where something began to happen.


    Next to his Evolution Tree, an exact replica of the gloves appeared in front of the artifact.


    [Weaver''s Treasure


    The gloves are ideal for one who is used to working with a needle, providing excellent protection for the weaver''s hands and increasing the overall strength and speed of the needle through the connection of the threads into a single intertwining system.


    First Trait - First Melody: Soul Cry]


    Adam quickly read the description of First Trait, and his eyes shone brightly.


    Then, he, with an excited smile, looked at his gloved hand, turning the backs of his palms towards each other and slowly bringing them closer together.


    Orin''s eyes went wide when she realized what Adam was about to do.


    She waved her hand and eximed, "No! Not here! In the arena!"


    However, Adam didn''t hear her anymore, all his attention was focused on wanting to see what his Nexus was capable of.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The silver threads shed together, and when Adam swung his arms up and down sharply, like a musician drawing his violin bow across the strained strings of a violin.


    A pleasant melody spread around, sending ripples through the air, but that was only for Adam.


    For the others, it was a horrible scream as if from a mad siren, making the mind and soul of everyone who heard it hurt like from a hundred piercing des.


    All electronics shut down, monitors went out, and lights shattered.


    Only after a few seconds, Adam turned around and saw Orin and Silvana with blood dripping from their ears, eyes, nose, and mouth. It seemed like a little more, and their heads would explode, but thankfully the effect of the melody soon wore off.


    "Fuck... that was painful... but beautiful at the same time... That''s one of the best Nexuses I''ve ever seen..." Orin wheezed before passing out as well as Silvana who nced at Adam.


    She wasn''t mad at him, she was just sorry for what happened, with a slight sadness.

 Chapter 24: Exoskeleton

    <h4>Chapter 24: Exoskeleton</h4>


    Operators, Harvesters, Military, Harvesters, cksmiths, Phantoms, and all those who worked to protect the Citadel were valuable assets, their condition was constantly monitored, so when Orin and Silvia fell to the ground their bracelets shed bright red, calling for an ambnce.


    A few minutester, in addition to the doctors in white coats, a squad of military personnel ran into Inferno Forge, looking for the cause of the ident. If someone had injured the Operator and cksmith right in the Forge, it was either a dangerous criminal or some monster that had managed to enter the Citadel.


    However, sometimes neither assumption proved to be correct.


    "What...? Phantom...?"


    One of the military muttered, pointing his rifle at Adam, who was standing motionless next to the pod. He didn''t know what to do in a situation like this, so he just put his hands up, trying to show that he wasn''t the enemy.


    "Commander... What do we do?" The military man asked without taking his eyes off Adam.


    A woman stepped forward, she was the only one not wearing a helmet and her face was uncovered, and on her head was a military beret with a sharp peak. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a look that had seen a lot.


    "Oh... Looks like we have quite a tricky situation here." The woman looked around, ncing at Orin and Silvana.


    Then, she nced at Adam.


    "Hey, you just got your Nexus, didn''t you?"


    The military men looked over, puzzled. They didn''t see any weapon in Adam''s hands, nor did they see a case where that weapon could be located.


    "Fools, his Nexus is his gloves. I won''t judge you though, it''s not often you get a Nexus like that." The woman shrugged nonchntly.


    Adam nodded slightly.


    "Yes... Orin tried to stop me, but I didn''t listen to her. I just couldn''t stop anymore, my hands were moving on their own." Adam exined, not trying to justify himself in any way.


    "I see. My name is La, I think I understand the situation, but you still have toe with me and file a report. If Orin or Silvana file aint against you then we will have to act, I hope you understand that."


    La waved her hand, signaling the military to stand back and the doctors to carry Silvana and Orin away. La was about to leave, but as soon as she took a few steps she stopped, touching the earbud. Her face changed several times, from frowning and puzzled to excited.


    Then, another military man entered the room, but it was clear from his clothing that he was from a different squad. Someone had definitely sent him here for some purpose.


    In the man''s hands were several cases, simr to the ones Lisa had used against the lizards in Scorching Dester.


    "Well, well, young man, looks like you''ve piqued the interest of someone up top." La turned around, looking at Adam curiously.


    "All charges against you are dropped, but Mr. Dous wants you to do something." La smirked, kneading her shoulder.


    Adam''s eyes went wide.


    "Dous? How does he know what happened here..."


    La shrugged.


    "That old man has eyes and ears everywhere, surely he knew you were supposed to pick up your Nexus from Forge today. Whatever, Mr. Dous wants you to fight me." La uttered with an excited expression.


    "No." Adam replied sharply, "I don''t fight against humans."


    "I know, great motto, but it won''t be a mortalbat, it''ll be a sparring match. What''s more, you don''t have a choice because now I''m interested in it too."


    "You want to fight me? We met a few minutes ago. You can''t have any more reason to do so than Dous." Adam frowned. He didn''t want to be made an enemy because of this situation.


    "Well, there are two reasons why I would attack you anyway. One, Dous wants to see what you and your Nexus can do. After all, that''s pretty important information. Two: I''ve been given a unique opportunity to test out a new gear and I''m not going to miss this chance!"


    At the same moment, La opened thergest case.


    There was a ck suit covered with protective tes, made of an extremely strong yet flexible material.


    "Not bad, not bad at all." La uttered with a smile, examining herself in the suit.


    "Mrs. La, this is still experimental, so the ''Andromeda'' Exoskeleton has a few limitations and high power consumption. After you turn on the generator on your chest you''ll have five minutes." The man standing against the wall said.


    La nodded before opening the second case which was smaller.


    Therey thebat gauntlets, with jet engines built in to maximize the power and eleration of the impact.


    "Damn! That''s what this is! Did you originally make these for me?" La eximed happily.


    The man shrugged.


    "Many different weapons were created at once, so I was ordered to bring the most suitable one for you. Also, don''t forget to open the third case."


    La nodded, opening thest and smallest case.


    "What is this...?" La was puzzled.


    Underneath the ss box, in full protection,y a metal capsule with a green liquid inside and a long needle.


    "It''s the X-01 amplifier, the very first butpletely safe version. In short, for 30 seconds it will give you abilities partiallyparable to when Phantoms enter a state of Resonance. Of course, the effect won''t be as strong, but it''ll still temporarily elevate you to the next level." The man calmly exined.


    "Side effects?" La asked with a stern look.


    The man nodded slightly.


    "Severe fatigue, dizziness, vomiting, headaches, hunger, thirst, and more, but nothing critical or that won''t go away in 24 hours."


    La sighed, put the syringe on her belt, and handed Adam the syringe. He had already resigned himself to the fact that La wouldn''t back down, so he was ready for a fight.


    "I hope you''re ready. I know you underestimate me since you''re a Phantom, but I''m sure with all this, I can make you tense up! After all, I''m best at punching people!" La eximed with an excited expression before smacking the generator on her chest.


    Blue lines of energy spread throughout her exoskeleton, filling her body with power.


    "As a final note, I wouldn''t advise you to let him swipe the threads on his gloves, the exoskeleton protects your body but not your brain from sound." The man said calmly.


    La nodded and took a step forward.


    At the same moment, she approached Adam at breakneck speed withplete seriousness in her gaze. After all, she was military, and her main duty was to follow orders.


    Now, she had to show the full potential of an exoskeleton and a mere human with only physical power and technology.


    The engines on her gauntlets activated, allowing her to attack at top speed.


    In a heartbeat, her fist came down directly on Adam, who was still standing motionless.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Streams of air blew sideways, causing ripples from the point of impact. The engines were running at full power just as La did, but it wasn''t enough to make Adam budge.


    "I told you already. I don''t fight people." Adam muttered, one hand restraining La''s fist.


    La''s eyes went wide. No matter how hard she tried, she simply couldn''t hurt Adam''s gloves. Not only were they durable, but they also absorbed some of the damage without any recoil.


    The man narrowed his eyes, seemingly not expecting this result at all.

 Chapter 25: Bright Future

    <h4>Chapter 25: Bright Future</h4>


    ''It can''t be... I''m sure my punch was powerful enough to knock back a White Threat Level monster... There wouldn''t have been enough momentum for more, but isn''t he a rookie?'' La inwardly muttered with a puzzled look at Adam.


    Adam swung his hand, causing La to bounce away, then he serenely headed towards the exit as if she wasn''t there.


    "Where are you going?!" La eximed belligerently, ready to fight.


    "To the hospital. I have those I need to keep an eye on. I don''t have time for these games." Adam said seriously, "Find someone willing to fight, I''m sure among the Phantoms, you''ll find one easily."


    La bit her lip until it bled, she was both humiliated and hurt by the situation, so she decided to use ast resort to make Adam get back into the fight.


    The motors on her gauntlets shed brightly as on each gauntlet three cells of electric darts opened. As if from a crossbow, they flew out, approaching Adam at great speed.


    He heard a distinct click, but he didn''t turn around, because even something that fast couldn''t hurt him.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Adam jerked his head a few times, darts flying close to his neck, but none reached their target.


    "Bye." Adam waved his hand slightly with a final nce at the man.


    The man only nodded a bit, adjusting his hat, which cast a shadow over his face.


    "What the fuck was that...?" La muttered confused, not believing what was happening.


    The man shrugged.


    "Even though he''s a young man, he seems to have principles. He said he doesn''t fight humans, so we can''t force him to do it. Don''t worry, you''ll be able to experience that gear again soon, though with a different Phantom."


    La sighed heavily.


    "Shit... I definitely wouldn''t go to a party with him, otherwise it would be too boring one."


    ...


    Orin and Silvana were hurt at the same time, so they were put in the same hospital and the same room.


    Adam was a bit worried, after all, he was the cause of what happened. Orin and Silvana had a right to be angry with him, Adam knew that.


    "Hey. How are you?" Adam said awkwardly, entering the room with a bag filled with fruit and sweets.


    To his surprise, Orin and Silvana were perfectly fine. Orin was ying something on her tablet while Silvana was reading some articles.


    "Adam! Hah, I knew you''de!" Orin eximed happily, tossing the tablet aside.


    "Unexpected, I thought you''d spend this time practicing." Silvana nced at Adam.


    Adam smiled slightly.


    "I''m sorry about what happened, I don''t know what came over me." Adam picked up the bag, "Who''ll have the choctes?"


    "Here! I''m ready to eat them all!" Orin eximed vigorously.


    Silvana stared at the bag.


    "One apple will be enough for me. We''ve been told not to eat much anytime soon, though we''re fine."


    "Are you sure?" Adam asked worriedly, handing her the apple.


    Silvana nodded.


    "Sure, your Nexus''s ability turned out the way you wanted it to, it''s a mass attack. The pain is strong and piercing, but it''s not powerful enough to kill, though, for a few seconds, all the enemies around you will be stunned, that''s for sure."


    Adam smiled bitterly.


    "Even in a situation like this, you''re making a serious assessment. You know, sometimes you just have to forget about everything and enjoy your apple with a rest."


    Silvana didn''t answer anything, she just took a bite of the apple.


    "Well, she''s right." Orin pronounced, shoving the candy into herself, " I watched your fight against Prime Stone Goliath like many people. You have no problems with speed and firepower, perhapscking in defense, but the reflexes from the artifact fix that. However, if you were surrounded by ten or twenty monsters at once, you wouldn''t be able to do anything."


    "Yeah, I know. After all, it''s my Nexus and my idea." Adam nodded.


    Orin''s eyes went wide as if Adam had said something unusual.


    "Really? All Phantoms think about their Nexus, but more often than not they choose their Operators'' ideas or consult the cksmith."


    "Well... I just wanted something simr to my needle and something I could use in any situation." Adam scratched the back of his head.


    Orin smirked as she continued to eat.


    After a while, Adam sat down next to Silvana with a slightly sad but deep look in his eyes.


    "Thinking about something?" Silvana asked.


    Adam nodded.


    "When I lived in the slums, I thought the only chance for a better life was to be a Phantom, and you can''t say I was wrong. Harvesters, Operators, Military, cksmiths, there are so many different options, but they''re only avable to those who live in the Third Ring and above."


    Silvana and Orin nced over at each other. They were not originally from the slums, so it was hard for them to understand how Adam felt. After all, there were hardly any Phantoms from the slums, the chances were too slim, especially Naturalborn Ones.


    "Well, unfortunately, that''s how our world works." Silvana said calmly, "The main goal of our Citadel is to survive, which means morality takes a back seat. It''s easier to train people from the Rings, as well as the greater chance that Phantoms will be born there."


    Adam bit his lip until it bled. He wasn''t stupid and realized that from the government''s point of view and cold calction, that was true, but not for someone from the slums, not for his family!


    "However, things are gradually improving. You probably don''t know this, but in thest 10 years, slums have decreased by 3.5%, and average wages have increased by 7.3%. Sure, that''s not enough for global change, but progress is not standing still. At this rate, there may be nothing left of slums in a few decades, but that''s too positive a prediction." Silvana exined in her typical manner.


    Adam sighed heavily, looking up at the ceiling.


    "By the way, you have a little sister, right?" Orin asked.


    Adam nodded.


    "Yeah, Trici, she''s seven years old."


    "Oh, then she can go to any of the academies next year. Maybe she''ll make a good Operator, a cool Military, or a creative cksmith. The options are many." Orin offered, in a way as if it was something obvious.


    Adam looked at Silvana, "What do you think?"


    "Sure, Orin ispletely right. Trici can be anything she wants from a store worker to a personal Operator or cksmith. However, it''s all quite difficult and pretty expensive. Moreover, there''s always the chance that she''ll be a Phantom, and then she''ll have to rebuild." Silvana nodded deeply.


    Adam wanted to say something, but Silvana interrupted him, which was not like her at all.


    "I''m not too familiar with her, but from what I''ve seen she has the set-ups to be a cksmith. It''s more important to her that the project she''s spent time and effort on be intact than herself. She''s also a pretty active kid."


    Silvana nced at Orin.


    "Am I saying that right?"


    "Yeah. Adam, the cksmiths don''t just build Nexuses, those are special orders, we mostly work with weapons, technology, and robots. Anything that can help the military." Orin exined.


    Adam had a dark look in his eyes at first, but now his eyes were wide open, shining brightly.


    He realized that unlike him, his sister had a chance at a future without violent experiments and deadly fights for life.


    Trici could be a cksmith like Orin, creating things that would help ordinary people survive in this cruel world!

 Chapter 26: Golden Searchers

    <h4>Chapter 26: Golden Searchers</h4>


    "Are you sure about this? Trici can actually be a cksmith? From what I''ve heard it''s a pretty difficult and dangerous job." Leona muttered thoughtfully, with one leg draped over the other.


    Adam nodded.


    "Orin said she would help her. She has connections at the academy, but it''s up to Trici. What''s more, I''m entitled to a discount since I''m a Phantom." Adam exined.


    "And... How much is the tuition?" Gary asked with a worried expression.


    They had spent their whole life in the slums, it was impossible for their family to pay even 1.100 credits to rent the house where they now lived, only Adam bing a Phantom had helped them out of such a difficult economic situation.


    However, as their standard of living increased, not only their ie increased, but also their spending. Even if Adam became a Phantom, it didn''t mean he had infinite money.


    "Well... Depends on the Academy, but at the one Orin attended, the cost for one year is somewhere around 200,000 credits..." Adam said, scratching the back of his head.


    Gary and Leona looked at each other, they knew they couldn''t even make that much in ten years. It was beyond their capabilities.


    "So... How much do you have already?" Leona asked, keeping calm, "Trici won''t turn 8 until spring, which means she won''t be able to start studying until next fall. Do you think you can save up the right amount of money in that time?"


    Adam sighed heavily and tapped his NEP.


    "Given what Mr. Dous gave me, thest spending, and what I earned from thest mission I have 11,000 credits, but they gave me a bonus for killing the Prime Stone Goliath, so I have a total of 15,000 credits."


    Leona nodded deeply.


    "I see. The situation isplicated. The amount is indeed huge, but we have plenty of time. I''m sure you can raise quite a lot of money in a year. Leave the house and Trici to us, we''ll take care of that, concentrate on Phantom''s tasks."


    "Sure." Adam smiled slightly.


    In fact, the academy Orin attended was one of the most expensive, there were more affordable options, but Adam didn''t want to mention that.


    He had already discussed it with Silvana, and she had made rough calctions. Even if Adam didn''t have a sessful career, he should have enough money without major idents. It wouldn''t be an easy task, since the amount needed was serious, but it was possible.


    "Leona... Maybe we should get a job too? Third Ring pays a lot better than the slums." Gary suggested.


    Leona shrugged.


    "We could do that, but only one of us. However, it might be worth spending as much time as possible on Trici, since you won''t be able to get a high-paying job. One mission Adam''s, will bring in more credits than a few months."


    "Stop." Adam said seriously.


    "You''ve worked your whole life for pennies, in horrible conditions so that Trici and I can have food on the table. Spend your time on yourself and Trici, it will be more than enough."


    Leona and Gary looked slightly embarrassed.


    Adam had be much more serioustely as if he had matured a few years. It was unusual for them to experience such concern, but it didn''t make it any less pleasant.


    "By the way... Aren''t we forgetting the most important thing?" Gary asked, "If Trici doesn''t want to be a cksmith, then none of this makes sense."


    Adam smiled slightly.


    "You know something?" Leona raised an eyebrow curiously.


    "Well... Silvana recently gave Trici, a VR Headset, and sometimes she checks to see what games she''s ying and what she''s doing. Anyway, most of the time she''s trying to be some sort of engineer and can spend hours thinking about how to make her weapons better to defeat the next opponent. If she doesn''t want to be a cksmith, I''m going to lose faith in this world." Adam shrugged.


    Leona and Gary looked over at each other, nodding happily.


    ...


    The next day, Adam was ready to move out on the mission and was on site right now.


    "Hah, today is going to be an interesting mission." Felix muttered, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.


    "Hm? Something wrong?" Adam nced at him.


    Verna leaned in with a slight smile on her face.


    "He''s just worried. Usually, there are always a lot more Harvesters than Phantoms, but you don''t need a lot of Harvesters for this mission. What''s more, in theory, you don''t even need to kill anyone."


    Adam shrugged.


    "That''s good, we almost got killedst time, hopefully, we won''t have that problem now. I''ve only been to the Dead Lands twice, but each time, there was some chaos going on."


    Felix''s eyes shone brightly.


    "Adam... When you fought Prime Stone Goliath you looked so cool, I wish I could be as strong as you someday." Felix said in embarrassment.


    Adam''s gaze darkened and grew deeper.


    "Well, I assure you, you wouldn''t want to be in my shoes. It was scary, like walking on a sharp de, one wrong step, and you end up in the abyss, but even if you kept your bnce, you''d be in pain from the cuts until the very end."


    Felix flinched, he hadn''t expected such gloominess from Adam.


    "Hey! Sorry for the dy!" Oren eximed, running up to them.


    Adam smiled slightly.


    "That''s okay, you''re practically on time."


    Adam touched his earbud.


    "Are we all set?"


    ''Sure, you may begin.'' Silvana uttered.


    Z did the same, but each of them only maintained contact with their Phantom.


    "I''m back driving again!" Felix eximed happily, jumping into the truck.


    ...


    Their current mission was different from the one Adam had done before, or the one Fire Fix Squad had done.


    The Golden Searchers were in the west of the Scorching Desert, quite close to the edge of the territory. However, unlike other monsters, they didn''t just walk around the vast wastnd looking for food and an enemy, because, in some ways, Golden Searchers were like humans.


    "Is this our target?" Adam asked, lying on a bare rock that was only partially covered in sand. His gaze traveled up the hill, with a wide entrance to a cave with several creatures around it.


    Oren nodded.


    "I''ve dealt with Golden Searchers once before, but then it was a small group hunt, and here they have a Closed Nest, Underground Type."


    "Closed Nest...?" Adam gave him a questioning look.


    ''Nests are divided into two types, open ones and closed ones.'' Silvana quickly replied, ''When you and the Fire Fix Squad attacked the Lizard Nest, it was the open type. The difference is quite simple - an open type doesn''t have its own base, but only territory that is hunting grounds like a lion pride. The closed type is more united and often much more dangerous, like a colony of ants.''''


    "Oh. I see... In some ways, they are actually like insects." Adam nodded with a deep gaze.


    The Golden Searchers were of average height and slightly shorter than most humans. They had two long arms with three outstretched fingers and two thick legs with two long outgrowths with sharp ends sticking into the ground.


    Their muscr bodies were covered with protective dark scales that glistened in the sunlight. At their elbows were short but sharp des that most of the time were hidden under the broad tes protruding from their arms.


    Along their spine was a goldenb made up of thousands of tiny hairs that swayed slowly in the breeze. Their yellow eyes were narrowed with square pupils filled with agility and obvious visual sharpness.


    A long horn growing from their foreheads curved back to the back of their heads, creating a hoop that could be used to both defend and attack.


    The final detail was their powerful jaws suitable for grinding stone into dust and dissolving enemy flesh, thanks to the acid in the veins in their mouths.


    "They''re not really strong, but since it''s V2, we''ll meet their enhanced versions, so be prepared." Oren uttered.


    Adam nodded.


    "By the way, where is the Golden Egg located? I saw the reward for the mission, from the looks of it, we''re going to have quite the challenge."


    Oren smirked.


    "We don''t know exactly, but there''s only one Golden Egg in the entire Nest, so they''ll guard it with all their might."


    "Hah, in that case, let''s not waste any time, the sooner weplete this mission, the less chance of anything happening again." Adam vigorously said before jumping off the cliff, sliding down.


    Oren shrugged, following after him.

 Chapter 27: Wings

    <h4>Chapter 27: Wings</h4>


    Felix and Verna approached the entrance to the Nest, as close as they could, hiding behind the truck.


    There were no other monsters around, so they only needed to keep a close eye on the Golden Searchers. In non-critical situations, the Harvesters had to take care of their own safety, the Phantoms had other tasks.


    Theck of other monsters besides Golden Searchers was one of the advantages of the Closed Nest. Other monsters were simply afraid to approach because they knew that Golden Searchers would destroy them, like insects, they were willing to do anything to protect their nest.


    "Do you think they can handle it?" Felix asked worriedly.


    Verna nodded.


    "Sure. Golden Searchers aren''t the strongest monsters, even if it''s a V2 mission. Adam is strong, but he mightck experience, however, in that case, Oren can help him."


    At the same moment, two shadows approached the first Golden Searcher who was standing farthest away from the entrance to the Nest. Apparently, that one was a guard or something.


    Adam was the first to step forward, drawing attention to himself.


    "RRRRRRKKKKK!!!"


    Golden Searcher made a cracking sound before lunging forward, about to destroy the intruder.


    Adam, with a calm expression bounced back, allowing Oren to act, who appeared out of nowhere, right in front of the monster. He swung his paired swords, slicing off the Golden Searcher''s head with ease. A fountain of blue blood gushed from the monster''s neck, flooding everything around it.


    "Not bad, that''s your Nexus, right?" Adam asked, pointing at Oren''s swords.


    The swords were identical, like twins, with long crimson des, no guard, and a ck hilt. Even the sheen running across them from the sun was identical.


    Oren nodded.


    "Even a sma de would have trouble cutting through their protective scales, but that''s no problem for my swords!"


    "What are they called? I understand each Nexus has its unique name, right?" Adam asked.


    "Sure, they''re the Bloody Twins. Don''t ask about the ability, you''ll see it soon." Oren smirked confidently.


    "Fine, we don''t have time anyway."


    Adam grew more serious as he stepped forward, holding his palms quite close together.


    "Hey, I suggest you cover your ears, as tightly as you can."


    Oren didn''t argue and did as Adam said. Z had warned him about what Adam''s gloves were capable of, so he didn''t want to be in Silvana''s or Orin''s shoes.


    Then, Adam whipped the threads against each other, creating a terrifying scream for everyone but him that easily disarmed a dozen monsters.


    The Golden Searchers grabbed their heads as if they were ready to explode. Every monster waspletely disoriented.


    A long needle appeared in Adam''s hand, and his legs were covered in electric shocks.


    In a heartbeat, Adam found himself in front of Golden Searcher, stabbing the needle directly into the monster''s head, then he repeated this many times.


    Before the effect of the First Melody had passed, each monster''s eyes were forever empty.


    [Golden Searcher Gene has been ced in your Vault!]


    [Golden Searcher Gene has been ced in your Vault!]


    [Golden Searcher Gene has been ced in your...]


    Adam got 10 Genes in total, it was only White Threat Level, but considering how fast he did it, the result was impressive.


    Oren also used Revolve, taking the gene of the Golden Searcher he had killed.


    "You collected as many as ten genes? That means you can unlock a second knowledge about them!" Oren eximed with an excited expression.


    "Right..." Adam''s eyes went wide when he opened his Vault where all his genes were located.


    He had been wanting to check what it meant ever since he absorbed the Anomalous Electric Eel gene, but every time the genes were needed for something else.


    [Golden Searcher (X10) - First Circle, White Threat Level.


    First stage in cognition - ess primary information about the monster and a photo.


    Second step in cognition - ??? (10 Neutral Genes required.)]


    There were no enemies around, so Adam could spend this time converting 10 Golden Searchers Genes into neutral ones using Transmutator


    Felix and Verna were gathering materials from the Golden Searchers. Their horns and des growing from their elbows were especially valuable.


    Not all of the monster materials were valuable, much of it was trash, but what the Harvesters collected was enough to keep the Citadel''s factories running at full capacity around the clock.


    The monster materials were mainly used for three purposes: to create various equipment, both weapons and armor with tools, to use as rare building materials to fortify important facilities, and as a source of energy.


    Each Harvester knew what was useful in which monster depending on the type of monster and its Threat Level. As well as what tools were needed for extraction. After all, every Harvester had to pass a serious exam that they had been preparing for for years.


    [You got 10 Neutral Genes!]


    The Transmutator stopped, disappearing into the darkness only to humbly wait for the next time it woulde in handy.


    Then, at Adam''s will, the ten gray spheres headed to the Vault, to the line allocated to Golden Searchers.


    [Golden Searcher (-) - First Circle, White Threat Level.


    First step in cognition - ess to primary monster information and photos.


    Second step in cognition - Artificial Experience: Thanks to the synergy of genes, now when you fight this type of monster, you will act as if you have been fighting against them for years. Your movements and attacks will be more precise, and you will be able to anticipate their movements more easily].


    The third stage in cognition is ??? (100 neutral genes are required.)]


    "Artificial experience... I wonder how that works." Adam muttered with a deep gaze.


    He was a bit surprised because he was expecting to get some sort of additional information as a bonus, not something that would affect hisbat skills.


    Then, Adam remembered that he still had the genes of the Living Strings, x15.


    While he still had time, Adam turned all the genes into neutral ones and also got the second step in the knowledge of the Living Strings. The bonus was the same - Artificial Experience.


    Then, he moved on to the strongest monster that he had defeated up to that point.


    [Prime Stone Goliath (-) - First Circle, Green Threat Level.


    First stage in cognition - ess to the primary monster information and photos.


    Second step in cognition - ??? (Need 10 neutral genes)]]


    ''Hmm... Even though Prime Stone Goliath is hundreds of times stronger than Golden Searchers, I need the same amount of genes, but... maybe I won''t get the same effect, right?'' Adam pondered while rubbing his chin.


    "All done!" Felix eximed, waving his hand.


    "Almost all the materials we collected were in perfect condition. That''s already a good result, but this is just the beginning, right?" Verna asked with a slight smile on her face.


    Adam nodded.


    "Sure, it was just a warm-up. After all, Golden Egg is in the heart of the Nest."


    "Exactly! However, before we go any further I have something to do. Didn''t want to stop the Harvesters from doing their job, so... look!" Oren said confidently before standing among the corpses of the Golden Searchers.


    Adam raised an eyebrow in puzzlement.


    Then, Oren swung his swords, and their crimson des trembled slightly.


    Gradually, streams of blue blood began to flow out of the Golden Searchers and soak into the swords, making them slightlyrger, sharp spikes appearing on the blunt sides of the des.


    "Oh, not bad. Now your weapon is even stronger, and how long will this effectst?" Adam asked with a curious expression.


    "Yeah, not as long as I''d like, but ten monsters is enough for me for half an hour! However, we won''t stop there, right?" Oren grinned widely.


    Adam nodded slightly, stepping forward.


    "Felix, Verna be careful. You may have to enter the Nest, or you may have to run away quickly."


    Felix and Verna looked at each other, their faces growing serious.


    Then, Adam and Oren approached the entrance to the ce where there were hundreds of Golden Searchers, and about 10% should be Green Threat Level.


    Step. Step. Another Step.


    Adam and Oren stepped forward, lighting their way with the shlights built into their NEPs.


    They also had another pair of shlights on their chests, near their shoulders. The light was bright enough to make the dark cave look like the sun was, right there.


    Every now and then, cracking sounds and eerie sobs came from the depths. The nature of these sounds was unknown, but Adam and Oren realized that they had to be ready to take the fight at any moment.


    "Here!"


    Oren suddenly eximed before rushing forward.


    Then, three golden des with something simr in structure to an insect wing headed towards Adam.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed as he struck off two of the des with a swipe of his needle and caught the third. His gloves were unscathed, something like that wasn''t enough to cut Nexus.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Oren swung his swords, intending to kill the tall monster, but the silhouette dodged at thest moment.


    "Looks like it''s because of it this mission has a V2-Level, doesn''t it?" Adam muttered, narrowing his eyes.


    There was a Golden Searcher in front of them, but it was different from the ones they had killed earlier. That one was a little taller than Adam and Oren, had a better physique, and most importantly, two golden wings behind its back.


    The underside of the wings was covered in sharp des, ready tosh out at their target at any moment.


    ''Adam, be careful. It''s a Two-Winged Golden Searcher, Green Threat Level.'' Silvana said in a serious voice.

 Chapter 28: Queen and King

    <h4>Chapter 28: Queen and King</h4>


    The Two-Winged Golden Searcher was definitely stronger than its younger fellows. Winged One was determined to destroy the intruders with its own strength, and the monster had a full arsenal.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    With a p of his wings, Golden Searcher unleashed a hail of multiple des on Adam and Oren.


    In theory, thanks to his lightning-fast reflexes, Adam could have tried to fend off each de, but they had a n of action for situations like this, and Adam was going to follow it.


    He stood behind Oren, who had already crossed his swords at right angles. His eyes shone brightly as hundreds of bloody droplets appeared around them, hanging in the air as if defying gravity.


    Then, Oren clenched his teeth, and each drop became t, a crimson barrier covering them, protecting them from the des. Only tips passed through the barrier.


    ''When I got my Nexus, I solved one of my shorings, but here''s the defense I may stillck in critical situations. It looks like Oren and I make a pretty good team.'' Adam pondered with a deep gaze.


    The barrier opened in the middle, and, at the same moment, Adam''s legs were covered with electricity. He forward at his top speed, hurriedly plunging the needle straight into the Winged Golden Searcher''s chest.


    "What...?" Oren''s eyes went wide, watching the needle slowly enter the monster''s flesh without any resistance.


    ''Adam has a somewhat special Order.'' Z''s voice boomed in the earbud, ''There is a limit, but his needle has an increased pration ability, as the thrust concentrates all the power into one point. Like a spear, but the effect is stronger, so imprable armor for your swords is not the same for Adam''s needle.''


    Oren nodded before dramatically throwing his swords forward.


    Crackle.


    The swords mmed into the monster''s shoulders, shallowly, but enough to make Golden Searcher lose its bnce for a moment.


    "Good job!"


    Adam pulled out a needle, piercing the monster''s head from bottom to top. One precise attack was enough to make Golden Searcher stop pping its wings forever.


    "Who''s going to take Gene?" Adam asked.


    Even though they both participated in killing the monster, only one of them could get the gene. Genes couldn''t be separated into parts, only whole ones.


    "How about I take this one? You take the next one, then I''ll take the third one again." Oren suggested.


    Adam shrugged.


    Oren smirked, summoned Revolve, took the gene, and followed Adam.


    Like all Phantoms, Adam needed genes, and the more of them the better. He wasn''t going to chase that goal or get himself in trouble for it.


    After all, a few strong, high-threat monsters could rece hundreds of regr ones, what he needed to focus on was experience.


    Phantoms differed not only in strength, or whether their Lock was open and how many Keys were inserted, but also inbat experience. All factors were needed at once to get to the top.


    As they continued to move further into the depths of the Nest, Adam and Oren killed over forty Golden Searchers and ten Winged Ones along the way. They divided the genes equally, leaving a path of corpses behind them.


    Gradually, they came to one of the most important rooms for Golden Searchers - the egg incubator.


    "Damn... Each of these eggs is worth quite a lot, if we clear the entire Nest, you can make a pretty good profit!" Oren eximed happily, looking at the dozens of white eggs lying in cells of flesh and golden hair.


    There was serious security in front of this room, but Adam and Oren jointly managed to make it through. After all, the Golden Searchers had nothing to oppose them.


    "Hm? Why would anyone buy eggs anyway? I mean, you can hardly make weapons or build anything with them." Adam asked with a confused expression.


    ''There''s a lot of energy in them.'' Silvana replied, ''You might find this strange, but over the years, mankind has figured out how to get energy from just about anything. Monster eggs with concentrated energy are excellent biofuel. They''re unusable for anything else, I wouldn''t rmend trying scrambled eggs from them.''


    Adam shook his head.


    "Obviously, it''s going to take me a long time to get used to this."


    Oren checked the entire room and making sure the ce was safe and the eggs were intact, he ced andmine in the center.


    "What?" Adam tilted his head in confusion, looking at the shing ck explosive device.


    Oren waved his hand, looking at the eggs with a slight smile.


    "This is just in case the new Golden Searchers decide to be born at the worst possible time for us. They only need a few hours to reach adulthood, but the mine won''t let them. If nothing happens, Felix and Verna will easily defuse the mine. Don''t worry, they''re trained for that like so many other things."


    Adam nodded deeply.


    He wouldn''t have done something like that himself, but he knew it was smart, and extra caution was never a bad thing.


    No one was safe in the Dead Lands, so any action that increased the chances of survival had to be done. Adam was fully confident that Oren had acted correctly and was making notes to himself.


    After another hour and a mountain of corpses, Adam and Oren reached thest room. They had killed over a hundred monsters and were tired, but as soon as they saw the goal of their mission a surge of energy ran through their bodies.


    "Damn... Not that I prioritize money, but why do I feel like this is worth a fortune?"


    Adam muttered, looking at the huge egg in the center, in the very depths of the Nest.


    Next to the Golden Egg were many Golden Searchers, especially the Double-Winged Ones. They already knew that there were intruders in their Nest, so they focused on the most important thing, the Egg of their future king.


    "What happens if someone hatches from the egg?" Adam asked, staring intently at the monsters.


    The Golden Searchers stared at them angrily but did not attack because their goal was to protect the egg, everything else was unimportant.


    ''The mission will be failed.'' Silvana said coldly, ''However, that''s the least of the problem. The King of the Golden Searchers is the rarest and strongest of their entire species unless you count the Prime ones.


    ''King of the Golden Searchers is a Blue Threat Level monster and stronger than most monsters of the same threat level. Inparison, the Prime Lizard that killed part of the Fire Fox Squad wouldn''tst even a minute against the King. The King would have torn the Lizard apart and then devoured it, skin and bones.''


    Adam gulped.


    He had gotten much stronger since that day, but not strong enough to even think about fighting such a monster.


    Oren realized this as well. He wasn''t worried as he knew the chances were minimal, after all, the egg couldn''t just hatch.


    "Queen. Only the Queen can awaken the King and make hime out of the egg. She can do it anytime after three months, but usually, the Queen waits for the maximum time limit of six months." Oren exined.


    At the same moment, a tall creature with a slender torso flew out of the gorge. It was the Queen.


    The Queen''s physique was different, it was built for speed and agility rather than strength, covered in golden scales. The Queen had three curved horns and four wings studded with des that struck against each other, creating a nging sound like a hundred bells.


    ring at Adam, the Queen unleashed two pairs of des from her elbows and pointed at the intruders.


    Then, dozens of Golden Searchers rushed forward, changing their objective from protecting the egg to destroying the intruders.


    ''Fine, there''s a lot of you, and that''s what I need.'' Adam muttered inwardly, clenching his fists tightly and bringing the strained threads of his gloves closer together, about to plunge the entire space into a terrifying howl that pierced every creature''s soul with boundless fear.

 Chapter 29: Massacre and the Fallen Queen

    <h4>Chapter 29: Massacre and the Fallen Queen</h4>


    Oren hastily covered his ears as an eerie howl spread from Adam''s gloves, stopping the wave of the Golden Searchers, but the Winged Ones were able to resist, slowly stepping towards them.


    "No... It''s not enough... One more time, I can do it again." Adam muttered, looking at his slightly trembling hands.


    Nexus''s Trait couldn''t be used unlimited times in a short period. It all depended on the strength of the Phantom and the Trait, but on average, the Phantom could use his Nexus once every three hours. This meant that in a day''s mission, there was a maximum of four uses.


    Adam used Soul Cry at the very beginning, and when they reached the depths of the Nest, his Nexus and himself recovered from the recoil.


    Using Nexus two times in a row was possible, but it had the risk of Adam not being able to use his hands for several minutes and seriously overloading his body. A third time in a row was a lethal dose for most Phantoms, leading to immediate heartbreak.


    Oren''s eyes went wide. He hadn''t expected Adam to take such a risk, but they had discussed that it was possible. After all, there were two Phantoms on this mission, so Adam could take the risk and trust his partner.


    The taut threads made contact again, emitting a second eerie scream, only ten seconds after the first one.


    "RRRRRROOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!!"


    Golden Searchers roared in pain, holding their heads and scratching their face. They tried to get rid of the noise that was tearing their minds apart, but it was impossible to do so. If one could not resist Soul Cry, it would give out its full effect.


    The Winged Ones also fell to the ground, unable to move, and even the Queen was stunned. She had barely reacted to the first Soul Cry, she just wrinkled up, but now she was trying her best to withstand the pressure.


    Unfortunately, even Oren was no exception, because even though he covered his ears with his hands quite tightly, they still started to bleed just like his nose, but the damage was eptable.


    "Argh!"


    Adam eximed in pain, looking at his trembling hands as if they were pierced by thousands of invisible needles. In fact, they were actually bleeding due to a few burst veins.


    "Good job." Oren said seriously, "Leave the rest to me while you rest and watch my work!"


    Then, Oren rushed forward, swinging his crimson swords, each time cutting off the head of some monster.


    Oren didn''t act chaotically, for he knew that first, he had to reduce the total number of opponents, and the easiest way to do that was to kill the ordinary Golden Searchers.


    They werepletely stunned, and for Oren, it was like fighting against immobile dummies or slicing cabbages.


    In just thirty seconds, he had killed all the Golden Searchers, but Winged One and, naturally - Queen, remained untouched by his sharp des.


    ''You still have about fifteen to twenty more seconds. Then, the effects of Adam''s Nexus will wear offpletely. I hope you realize that.'' Z''s voice sounded in his earbud.


    "Sure. That''s why I killed the weaklings first, they will be my weapons!" Oren eximed, disying his swords to the sides.


    Blood from dozens of monsters headed towards the Bloody Twins, infusing them with power and making them 20% bigger and wider, covering them with long, sharp spikes on the blunt side.


    The effect was much stronger than the first time, as there was a lot more blood, so Oren was ready to act.


    Without hesitation, he headed towards the first Winged Golden Searcher, who was already slowly regaining consciousness. A few more seconds and the monster would be able to move freely, but Oren wasn''t going to let that happen.


    Two crimson des from below traveled towards the monster''s shoulders, cutting off its arms. Streams of blue blood rushed out, while Oren walked through the monster like a shadow.


    Two lines ran across the Winged Golden Searcher''s torso, then the monster split into four pieces, slipping and falling to the ground.


    ''Good. Nine more to go, then you''ll have to deal with the Queen.'' Z said, helping Oren concentrate.


    Oren was in the middle of a battlefield strewn with corpses, Z, on the other hand, was sitting in front of a multitude of monitors to which the cameras on Oren''s body were connected. She was an extra pair of eyes and ears for him, constantly dropping in clues.


    ''Are you okay...?'' Silvana asked with a slightly worried voice, ''You didn''t have to do that. You could have stuck to the first n - gradually killing the Golden Searchers while protected by Oren''s bloody barrier.''


    "Don''t worry about me." Adam sighed heavily, watching the carnage that his partner was massacring with satisfaction.


    The Winged Golden Searchers had already recovered and joined the battle, but Oren was unstoppable.


    He easily dodged the monsters'' attacks, and his des were now strong enough to pass through their protective scales like a hot knife through butter.


    Minute by minute, the Winged Golden Searchers became fewer and fewer until they were all in the dark abyss. Some were simply decapitated, smooth, and clean, while others were cut into tiny pieces by Oren, perhaps even enjoying it.


    "Whew... Now you." Oren sighed heavily, cing one sword on his shoulder and pointing the other at the Queen.


    The Queen would not engage in battle, for there was no way they could protect their warriors. Oren was always too close to them and just as quick to kill.


    If the Queen dared to unleash a hail of golden des on Oren, she would most likely pierce her subjects, not him.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The queen pped her wings, causing the des to tter against each other, making a singr ringing sound that filled the whole ce.


    Adam hadn''te to his senses yet, and the Queen knew it, so she decided to deal with Oren, who was the main threat. If she could kill him, then Adam would not be a problem.


    The most important thing for her was to keep Golden Egg alive, after all, she could easily give birth to hundreds more Golden Searchers, but the King was a different matter.


    ''Why isn''t he dodging?'' Adam inwardly muttered, looking at the hundreds of des hailing towards Oren. There were so many of them that it gave the illusion that it was a single stream, there were no gaps.


    "Hah, you decided to use them all at once? That was your big mistake!" Oren eximed confidently as his eyes sparkled.


    Very soon, a bloody dome appeared around him, but it was clearly not enough to defend against the Queen''s attack.


    Well, that was why Oren made his swords part of the defense, causing the blood umted on them to spread throughout the barrier.


    Previously, the des would stab into the barrier unable to get through it, but now they simply bounced off, flying off to the side.


    "Damn, letting your warriors die led you to this situation! It was your mistake, stupid monster!" Oren eximed joyfully.


    The Queen was confused, she was fast but not strong, and her main weapons were unable to pierce Oren''s defenses.


    The Queen''s only option for survival was to awaken the King!


    With a p of her wings, the Queen approached Golden Egg, and her fingertips shone brightly.


    "Shit! We can''t let this happen!" Oren eximed about to rush into battle, but Z stopped him, rying new information to him.


    Oren nodded slightly and abruptly dropped to one knee, revealing his shoulder.


    Then, behind him appeared a silhouette whose legs were covered in electrical discharges.


    Adam climbed up onto Oren, who was a springboard for him and leaped forward at full speed, approaching the Queen, who was trying to awaken the egg.


    His eyes shone brightly, and in his hand appeared a long needle made of hundreds of intertwined snow-white threads.


    "Farewell, fallen queen."


    Adam muttered, thrusting the needle into the center of the Queen''s chest, which was where the heart of the Golden Searchers'' was located.


    The needle dyed blue blood, ending the life of the monster, the queen, and the mother who had never been able to give life to her beloved offspring.

 Chapter 30: Warped Space

    <h4>Chapter 30: Warped Space</h4>


    Each mission had an ending, positive or negative, depending on fate.


    Adam had already been in critical situations twice, but now it was time, he could rest and take a deep breath.


    "We won, right?" Adam muttered, looking at the breathless body of the Queen.


    "Yeah, we definitely did. The mission was wlessly aplished." Oren patted him on the shoulder encouragingly.


    Adam smiled.


    He didn''t show it, but he was genuinely thrilled with histest attack, rather their teamwork that made it possible.


    It wasn''t just him and Oren, if they were the only ones involved in the mission, they wouldn''t have been able to operate so smoothly and efficiently. Silvana and Z had contributed greatly to their victory, even though they were many kilometers away.


    This was exactly how he had envisioned Phantom''s work. It may not have been as deadly and epic as the battle against Prime Stone Goliath, but no one needed to be on the verge of death all the time.


    "By the way, take the Queen''s genes." Oren waved his hand, "In return, I''ll take three more Winged Golden Searchers."


    "Are you sure?" Adam asked, puzzled.


    "Of course." Oren shrugged, "After all, you hit the final strike. What''s more, if you turn them into neutral genes, the exchange will be more than fair."


    Then, Silvana''s voice echoed in Adam''s ear.


    ''Queen of the Golden Searchers is a Green Threat Level, Reb Book. So you''ll get a bit more genes than usual, but not as many as for Prime Type. It''s a slightly different level.'' Silvana exined.


    "I see..." Adam nodded thoughtfully before summoning Revolve.


    [Queen of the Golden Searchers Gene x3 - has been ced in your Vault!]


    ''Hmm, interesting. It seems hunting rarer and stronger monsters is really a good way to get stronger as fast as possible. However... I don''t want to fight someone like Prime Stone Goliath again, that was frightening.'' Adam internally pondered while gathering the genes of the other monsters.


    The mission wasplete and more, for they hadn''t just obtained a Golden Egg, they had destroyed an entire Nest. They wouldn''t get any extra reward from the mission department for this, but it opened up another opportunity for them to collect a veritable mountain of materials.


    For over two hours, Felix and Verna collected wings, des, and horns of the Golden Searchers as well as the usual eggs. The truck was filled to the limit, and only one untouched object was left in the entire Nest - Golden Egg.


    "I hope the king won''t wake up because of our touch?" Adam scratched the back of his head.


    Oren shook his head.


    "Only the Queen can awaken the King, to some extent, that''s the limitation of all Golden Searchers, for their King is actually incredibly powerful."


    "By the way... I can''t understand something. I''m addressing all of you, Silvana, you and Z." Adam said seriously.


    "Sure. We''re all listening to you."


    They spoke at the same time.


    "This may seem logical to you, but I''ve only recently be a Phantom, and the variety of monsters confuses me. For example, there''s the Golden Searcher, but there''s the Winged Golden Searcher, whose threat level is higher. In theory, either of them could be Prime Type, right?" Adam asked with a wave of his hand.


    Oren nodded.


    "Yeah, the chances are slim, but there are Prime versions of them living in some Nest."


    "Then, there are rarer monsters like the Queen and the Four-Legged Living Spring. In most of the cases they are noted in the Red Book, am I confusing anything?"


    Oren nodded again.


    "That is correct, however, the King of the Golden Searchers is also in the Red Book and is a rare subspecies of the species. Golden Searchers have a long hierarchy, so their King is a Blue Threat Level monster. Well, you already know that." Oren shrugged.


    Adam touched his chin.


    "In that case... In theory, there could be a Prime King dwelling in some Nest, couldn''t there?" Adam suggested.


    Oren''s face contorted as if he had heard a death sentence.


    "Is something wrong?" Adam was puzzled.


    "Nah, it''s fine. I was just imagining how horrible it would be. It''s possible, because although Kings are rare, there aren''t too few of them in general, just have to look for them. Obviously, some of them are weaker, and some are stronger. I think Silvana can exin it better than I can." Oren waved his hand, heading towards Golden Egg.


    ''Oren is correct.'' Silvana said calmly, ''It''s just that the odds are incredibly slim. You''d rather win at the casino than face the Prime King, though you wouldn''t have time to even think about it. Prime King would kill you in a second. To give you an example - only four Prime Kings have been documented in thest ten years. We barely have a few photos.''


    "I see... Well, now I''m starting to get a better understanding of how things work around here."


    Crackle.


    Oren, wrapping both hands around the Golden Egg, lifted it up, heading for the exit. The egg was the size of a man and heavy enough, that normal humans would have to team up to lift it.


    When they left the Nest, the sun had already passed the zenith line, about to sink below the horizon in a few hours and give way to the lonely moon.


    "Good job! Now we can go home!" Oren eximed happily, tying Golden Egg to the top of the truck. Very tight and possibly rough, still Golden Egg wouldn''t get hurt even if it got hit by a missile.


    "Can we go back?" Felix asked with a tired look.


    "I guess so!" Oren smiled widely.


    Then, his face became more serious, as well as Adam''s.


    ''North of you, a few kilometers away, one group of Phantoms was caught in an ambush. From the looks of it, they''re not doing well.'' Silvana quickly informed Adam, as did Z to Oren.


    Felix understood everything from the looks on their faces.


    "Shit... Do we really have to rescue someone again?"


    "No."


    Adam coldly replied.


    "But... Adam, they need our help!" Oren eximed in a confused manner.


    Adam nodded with a deep gaze.


    "I know, just as well that I''m not going to risk any more of my men. Felix and Verna survivedst time by a miracle, and so did I. We''re tired and exhausted, we won''t be of much use, and if we die, leave morality behind, it will be a huge loss to the Citadel."


    Oren wanted to say something, but the words just stuck in his throat. Somehow, he felt he couldn''t condemn Adam for such a decision.


    "Let''s go back home. I want to see my family, like all of you." Adam waved his hand, heading toward the truck.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, a hundred meters away from them, space distorted as if a huge invisible object had appeared, causing everything around it to warp.


    The transparent sphere trembled slightly, gradually increasing its momentum, emitting a strange sound as if the universe was about to escape somewhere.


    Adam stared at the sphere as if mesmerized, while the others quickly walked into Truck.


    "Why is he standing...?" Oren muttered in confusion, then he got a shocked expression.


    "Fuck! Adam! Hurry up and run away!" Oren eximed, rushing out of the truck.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly, with a loud shuddering sound like a thousand disks at the roll of thunder, the sphere shrank,pletely disappearing, just like Adam.


    "Agh...?"


    Adam''s eyes went wide.


    Then he stopped hearing Silvana''s voice for the first time in days, finding himself, all alone. Only the freezing wind and massive kes of snow surrounded him, preparing him for a brutal blizzard.


    "Where am I...?"

 Chapter 31: Mother Nature

    <h4>Chapter 31: Mother Nature</h4>


    "What happened...? Why did I lose contact with Adam...?" Silvana muttered with a worried expression.


    A few seconds before the transparent sphere had shrunk, Adam''s NEP had begun to malfunction as well as the other equipment on him. She had lost not only the video record but now the connection to him as well.


    "Hey, I have some bad news for you." Z said, joining her channel, "Adam was hit by a spatial anomaly... It''s unknown where he is..."


    Silvana''s face went pale.


    The worst thing that could happen to the Operator was to lose his Phantom or the connection to him. If the Operator couldn''t maintain contact with his Phantom, then it was like the Operator didn''t exist.


    Without hesitation, Silvana sent requests to all necessary departments and Fort Norton. A Phantom caught in a spatial anomaly had to be found as soon as possible, for it could result in both injury and death.


    "What are we going to do...?" Felix muttered in confusion, "We have to find Adam, don''t we?"


    Oren shook his head.


    "We don''t know where he is, the only clear thing is that he''s somewhere very far away if Silvana has lost contact with him. As much as I hate to say it, we should go back to the Citadel now,plete the mission, and get some rest."


    "What... but... we have to do something!" Felix eximed.


    "Silence!" Oren waved his hand, "Don''t forget you''re a Harvester and must obey Phantom''s orders. Do as I say. Anyway... by the time we get to the Citadel more work will have already been done on Adam''s search than we could do in a week."


    Felix''s gaze deepened as he nodded.


    The situation wasplicated, no one wanted to give up or lose Adam, but the reality was that nothing depended on them.


    "I hope everything will be alright." Verna uttered, looking off into the distance, "Spatial anomalies aren''t something we can predict..."


    ...


    While, Silvana, Z, and dozens of other people were doing their best to find Adam, he ran into an unexpected problem.


    "Brrrrrrrr! Why am I so cold?!" Adam muttered, clutching himself with his hands and slowly stepping forward.


    Adam had spent all his missions in the Scorching Desert, it was a suitable area for young Phantoms. There were many dangerous monsters in the Scorching Desert, but most of them, could be handled by even the weakest Phantom.


    It was obviously hot in the desert, high temperatures were his constantpanion. Clothes were appropriate, so it was like going from a resort beach straight to the top of a cier.


    In fact, if Adam had been a mere human, he would have frozen all his limbs off in ten minutes. However, even with Phantom''s body, Adam wouldn''t be able to survive more than a few hours without a heat source.


    He urgently needed to find a way to get warm or get out of there.


    ''Maybe try to make a fire? Nah, until this snowfall is over, I don''t think I can do that... Apparently, it takes a really strong me to make these trees catch fire.''


    The sparse fir trees towered over the entire snowy terrain like immovable giants. They were as tall as skyscrapers and so wide that ten people needed to hold hands to surround them.


    The bark of the snow fir trees was tough and thick, and the needle-like foliage was long and thick, all to survive in such unfavorable conditions.


    Breathing on his palms and having been through meters of snow and torrents of brutal wind for an hour now, Adam felt a shaking, faint, almost imperceptible.


    "Is that a monster...? Wait, maybe it''s another Phantom!" Adam smiled widely before running towards the vibrations.


    Even if it was a monster, it was at least something. Moreover, Adam felt strange, for in over an hour, he hadn''t met anyone or anything, not even the silhouette of a monster in the distance that would quickly disappear. It seemed that no one was there but him.


    Reaching the slope, Adam stopped, cing his hand on the bark of the nearest tree.


    His eyes went wide, and a pleased smirk appeared on his face at the sight that opened up.


    A girl of medium height, with two red pigtails and green eyes, was swinging a battle hammer with a crimson head. Every few attacks, energy waves traveled through the hammer, and the next strike caused a fiery explosion. Like Adam, she was dressed in desert clothes.


    She wasn''t doing this out of boredom, but because she was in the middle of a battle. She was surrounded by strange monsters - with round bodies covered in thick white curly fur. However, their creepy jaws, long ck legs, and paws with sharp ws showed that they were not at all like cute creatures.


    It was the Snow Clinxes.


    ''Hmm... Considering there are so many of them they probably aren''t very strong, moreover, it looks like she and I are about the same level.'' Adam pondered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    Then, one Snow Clinx leaped at the girl from behind when she didn''t see it, and with a swing of its paw, left long cuts on her back with its sharp ws.


    "Argh!" The girl cried out in pain, but quickly recovered herself, continuing to fight. After all, her life depended on it.


    Adam realized he could no longer stand by and just watch her fight, clearly outnumbered.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Adam leaped forward, rolling down the snowy slope and summoning a needle along the way.


    He should have rested properly in the Citadel after the mission, but circumstances had decided otherwise. Adam may not have been ready to use his Nexus, but he had enough energy for Order as it was for a short battle.


    "Hold on! Help is here!"


    Adam shouted, running up to the first monster.


    The girl turned around, a smile quickly forming on her face, but all talkter - they had to deal with the monsters first.


    Snow Clinx jumped back, dodging Adam''s needle, but no sooner had the monster taken another step than Adam attacked again, plunging the needle right between the monster''s eyes.


    Snow Clinx weren''t really strong opponents, perhaps some of the weakest, but they had one thing that made them formidable opponents - there was a hell of a lot of them.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    From beneath the snowdrifts, a whole army of the Snow Clinxes appeared and immediately rushed into battle.


    "Shit! There are too many of them! Hey, you! Come to me! I''m going to use my Nexus, protect me!" The girl eximed, raising her hammer high.


    Adam nodded and stood beside her, fighting off the Snow Clinx that like mad beasts were attacking them from all sides.


    Needle easily wounded them and tossed aside, but there were too many opponents.


    "Away! You fucking snowballs!" The girl shouted as her hammer burst into mes.


    A bright pir of fire soared upwards, vaporizing all the snow around them and burning the nearest Snow Clinxes.


    The others ran away in fear, but not because they were afraid of the girl, but because of their intolerance to the heat. They urgently needed to find a cold ce.


    "Phew... I thought I was done for..." The girl sighed heavily, falling to the ground, "That spatial anomaly ruined my day..."


    "What...? You got caught in an anomaly too?" Adam asked, surprised.


    "What do you mean too...? No way... I''m not the only one like that!?"

 Chapter 32: The New Team

    <h4>Chapter 32: The New Team</h4>


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Several massive fir trees fell to the snowy surface, unable to resist a needle capable of passing through even the densest fabric.


    A few more minutes and the trunks of the spruce trees were sliced into equal bars.


    Adam would have done it sooner, but he simply had no way to build a fire. There were no dry branches as well as leaves. It was constantly snowing, and the fir trees were hard and sturdy. However, that has all changed now.


    "Nera! It''s done!" Adam waved his hand, standing in front of the mountain of timbers.


    Nera closed the NEP with a heavy sigh, slung the hammer on her shoulder, and headed towards him.


    "Bad news?" Adam raised an eyebrow.


    "Yeah, no matter how hard I tried I couldn''t contact themunications department or any military base. Well, either way, we need to warm up first. Maybe the smoke will attract the rest of us who got hit by the spatial anomaly if there are any more losers like us."


    Then, Nera raised her hammer high above her head and used her Nexus again. She had only done this recently, so she would have to face the consequences, but it was better than dying of cold.


    Just as the hammer reached the ground, the frozen ground was bare from under a thickyer of snow, and a fire as tall as a multi-story building ignited. mes covered the underside, passing through the gaps, igniting the heat source they so desperately needed.


    Jets of smoke immediately headed upward, traveling straight toward the clouds.


    "What are we going to do? I mean, how long are we going to wait? In a few hours, it will already start to get dark. When night falls our chances of survival will be greatly reduced." Adam asked with a slightly worried voice.


    In his time as a Phantom, Adam had already been on three missions, though the first time had been more than spontaneous. However, each time it happened during the day because the night was a special period when the most dangerous monsters came out to hunt.


    In addition to the already known parameters, all missions were globally divided into two types - day and night.


    No Phantom neer who has not yet revealed his Lock was not allowed to take night missions, because the risk was too great. For the mission department, it would be like sending a Phantom to his death.


    Not only were there more monsters at night but there were new species much stronger and more aggressive. In fact, the difference was so great that there was a separate section for them in the White Book and Red Book. Unofficially, they were called the Night White Book and the Night Red Book.


    "Tsk. You''re right. If we''re not far from the Citadel, the air fighters will be able toe for us in an hour, at most two hours if we''re very far away. In that case, let''s wait exactly one hour. That should also be enough time to warm up and rest." Nera suggested.


    Adam nodded and sat down in front of the fire, cing his palms forward. A smile quickly appeared on his face.


    Perhaps there was only cold and brutal wind around them, but the campfire was a kind of oasis in this world of cold where gradually even coziness was emerging.


    "By the way, how did you get here? Or rather, you were on a mission, right?" Nera asked.


    "Yeah... We dealt with the Nest of the Golden Searchers, luckily we killed the queen before she awakened the king. It''s kinda weird not hearing my Operator anymore. I''m even starting to miss it." Adam smiled slightly.


    Nera''s eyes went wide.


    "What...? You have your personal Operator!" Nera eximed, looking at him intently, "I thought you were a newbie! You don''t even have a Nexus!"


    Adam raised an eyebrow, then he looked at his gloves.


    Nera made an awkward expression, she realized toote that his Nexus wasn''t a weapon.


    "Wow... I wish I had my own Phantom too. Unfortunately, it''s almost impossible to get a personal Operator if you haven''t already revealed your Lock, though squad leaders are granted that privilege..." Nera muttered with obvious sadness in her voice.


    Adam''s gaze grew deeper, he knew it. If he hadn''t been a Naturalborn Phantom, he wouldn''t have met Silvana.


    ''Hmm... So it turns out Oren is also a Naturalborn one? Although, he may have performed well on the first missions. They might give him a personal Operator for that too.'' Adam pondered while looking at the constantly changing mes.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    There was a scraping of snow from tentative but wee footsteps that came from two directions at once.


    Two silhouettes in desert robes stepped forward, looking around.


    As Nera had suspected, the smoke from the fire had indeed attracted other Phantoms who were as unlucky as they were.


    On the left was a tall guy with blue hair, azure eyes, and a long bow behind his back. On the right was a girl with pale skin, gray hair, and a cold gaze. In her hands, she held a long staff that looked like many intertwined branches, with a light green smokeing from the tip.


    "Oh... So it turns out I''m not the only one like this... What luck!" The young man eximed, running up to the fire.


    Nera smiled.


    "Hello, my name is Nera, this is Adam."


    "Nice to meet you! I''m Mark! I just became a Phantom a few days ago! I apologize if I give you any trouble." Mark bowed low with an excited expression.


    Adam nced at the girl.


    "What about you?"


    The girl lifted her chin arrogantly, looking away.


    "Katrin, and unlike this guy, I''ve been a Phantom for a while now and realize the situation we''re in. My Operator is not responding. We need to hurry up and get out of here if you want to survive."


    Mark''s eyes sparkled like a child''s.


    "What...? Do you have your Operator?! How cool!"


    Katrin ruffled her hair with a wave of her hand.


    "Pffft, I performed well in my first missions and got my Operator after only two months. I won''t lie, it''s unlikely you''ll get the same results, but you just keep trying." Katrin smirked, "Well, I think we should get going, I''m warmed up, we need to get out of this area before nightfall."


    "Wait!" Nera eximed, "We already have a n! We have to climb to the highest point so the signal can reach our NEPs!"


    Katrin narrowed her eyes.


    "You think you can boss me around? I bet you don''t have an Operator either. I should be leading our team!" Katrin clenched her fist.


    She wanted to say something else but stopped because a silhouette rose from the ground and blocked her view.


    Adam had his back turned to her. He scratched the back of his head and pointed to a massive rock in the distance, from the peak of which he could see everything.


    "So... We need to go up there, right? Damn, it''s pretty high, but if we try we can make it before it gets dark!" Adam said excitedly before moving forward.


    "Hey! Don''t you dare ignore me! Maybe you want to fight for the right to lead!" Katrin said irritably, pointing her staff at him.


    Adam waved his hand. A dangerous glint ran down the strained threads on his gloves.


    "Nah, take this to someone else. I don''t fight humans."


    It was worth it for Katrin to hear this as her eyes went wide, and she froze in ce.


    Having your personal Operator gave many advantages, but one of the most important was that the Operator kept in constant contact with their Phantom. They trained together, prepared for missions, and kept an eye on the other Phantoms as well, becausepetition was a constant.


    Many Phantoms watched videos of other Phantoms'' fights, learning and trying to get better by spotting mistakes.


    ''Oh, the Nexus gloves and that phrase... Looks like we have a chance of surviving...'' Katrin muttered internally, took a deep breath, and followed Adam as well as the others.


    Although apart from this small argument, everything was quiet, in fact, it was a game of survival where the most valuable currency was time.


    As soon as the sun went below the horizon line, the countdown to their deaths would begin.


    With their powers, it was impossible to resist the monsters of the night.

 Chapter 33: Ten Minutes of Hell

    <h4>Chapter 33: Ten Minutes of Hell</h4>


    The group of four, slowly but surely moved towards the highest point, trudging through the high and dense snow. The wind, as the guardian of thesends, tried to drive them away, but their will was unbreakable.


    "Are you sure this is where we need to go...? Maybe we should have hidden somewhere better? I''m certain they''re already looking for us. No one''s going to let four Phantoms go missing." Mark muttered, shielding his face with his hands from the snowfall.


    Nera nodded.


    "If we get to the top, our NEPs will most likely pick up a signal, then help will be sent to us immediately. At the very least, we''ll be reported to nearby squads."


    Katrin frowned.


    "Come on, cut the crap. It''s pretty obvious we''re the only ones here! Something is going on in this area, but we don''t know it, or we should have met someone by now!"


    Mark waved his hand worriedly.


    "Maybe we''re just unlucky, or maybe there are always a few Phantoms in this area...?" Mark suggested with a confused expression.


    Katrin sighed heavily as she nced at Adam.


    "What do you think? Aren''t you tired of not saying anything?"


    "Just keep moving forward. Whether it''s a special situation here now or not it doesn''t matter. Getting to the top and catching a signal is our best bet. The only thing that will save us is for help to arrive before nightfall, otherwise, this is where we''ll die."


    Adam''s cold voice caused her to shiver. Katrin hadn''t expected this at all from the neer, who was supposed to behave much like Mark, only a little more focused.


    Katrin narrowed her eyes.


    ''I see... Something has obviously happened to him, it seems his path to bing a Phantom is different from mine, but how...?'' Katrin pondered with great grimace.


    Phantoms might have superpowers, but after all, they were human and had the same emotions.


    Katrin strived to be the best - it might seem that their goals with Adam were simr, because he too wanted to climb as high as possible in the pyramid of power, but it was not quite so.


    For Katrin, the main goal was not to be objectively the best withoutparison with anything but to make others worse than her. She had already aplished a lot for her age, and a persona like Adam, made her worry.


    Bam.


    A massive club of snow fell down the slope as Adam reached the top of the cliff. The view before him was beautiful, peaceful yet frightening because there was nothing for miles around.


    Snow, massive fir trees, and a heavy blizzard blocked the view beyond a certain point. It seemed that they were under a kind of dome, but something was visible through the blizzard - the sun going below the horizon.


    Another half hour and the moon would rise instead of the sun.


    Not a single night outside the walls of the Citadel was peaceful, only in this stronghold of humanity was it possible to feel safe.


    Beep. Beep. Beep.


    A few minutes passed as Adam''s and Katrin''s NEPs almost exploded from the influx of messages. Their Operators had finally gotten a signal and immediately took advantage of it.


    ''Adam! Can you hear me!?'' Silvana eximed worriedly.


    "Sure... Where am I, what is this ce?" Adam looked around.


    ''Deste Forest... It''s very far from the Citadel, and there''s no one near you right now. There''s been a massive blizzard raging around Deste Forest for days now, so the mission department has decided not to send Phantoms here yet.''


    Adam frowned.


    "Sounds like bad news, doesn''t it?"


    ''Yes, but there are some good ones. The blizzard also scared away most of the monsters, so that''s already helped you get here safely unharmed.'' Silvana exined.


    ''''Well... I doubt that particrly dangerous monsters are afraid of the blizzard, especially if they live here. Moreover, help will probably be dyed because of it, right?" Adam''s gaze grew darker and his voice deeper.


    After a brief pause, Silvana nodded.


    ''Correct. In fact, the moment your NEP got the signal, the fighter flew out of the fort. Help will arrive in about forty minutes, perhaps a few minutes longer.''


    "What! Only one fighter! What the fuck!" Katrin eximed furiously, stomping the ground.


    She hadn''t overheard Adam and Silvana''s conversation, for she had her Operator who had told her everything.


    ''Don''t worry. One fighter will be more than enough since the most important thing is to get to you as soon as possible.''


    "What about firepower? Even if help arrives in forty minutes, we''ll still have to fight off the night monsters for ten minutes. We''ll need to be rescued from their clutches." Adam frowned, realizing how difficult the situation was.


    ''Even though there will only be one Phantom per fighter, he can handle any opponent in Deste Forest. After all, this is the same Phantom that saved you and the Fire Fox Squad from Prime Lizard.''


    Adam''s eyes went wide as a slight smile formed on his face.


    "Fine, then we''ll wait. I want to see what he can do again."


    "Shit! Couldn''t they have sent more aircraft?!" Katrin shouted irritably, kicking at the puffs of snow.


    Nera looked at her menacingly.


    "Calm down. What we need to do now ise up with a defense strategy. We''re going to have to survive out here for ten whole minutes."


    Katrin''s face grew more serious as she nodded deeply. In any other situation, she might have said something caustic, but right now there was no room for jokes.


    "Hmm? Ten minutes? We haven''t encountered any monsters before then. Maybe we''re just lucky." Mark suggested, scratching the back of his head.


    "Don''t be silly." Nera frowned, "This is going to be the hardest ten minutes of your life, so far!"


    ...


    The sun had gone below the horizon, which for the inhabitants of the Citadel was a sign that they needed to go to bed to get up tomorrow awake, full of energy for productive work.


    For some, it was the beginning of a fight for survival.


    Ten minutes or 600 seconds is not much, is it? It''s hardly enough time to eat breakfast, but everything is inparison.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Many silhouettes emerged from under the snowdrifts with a loud crunch. Like shadows, they immediately scattered all over the area, some already attacking each other even though only ten seconds had passed.


    The night monsters had been waiting for this moment, they had just woken up, so they only noticed that there were people here after thirty seconds, but that could hardly be called good news.


    "They''reing! Just as nned, I''ll start first, then I''ll stand in support!" Katrin eximed intently, looking at several monsters running straight at them.


    They were Frotocs - somewhat resembling giant bunnies, only with four eyes, sharp ws, and two outgrowths like ice des arcing from their bodies from shoulders to back.


    Despite their size and thick fur, they moved extremely fast and agile. Their jaws were ready to be the first to taste the delicious human flesh.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Katrin''s eyes shone brightly as she touched the ground with her palm.


    A multitude of green roots quickly came out, curling around the monsters'' paws and stopping them at least temporarily.


    Then, Katrin bounced back behind Mark and Adam, while Mark quickly fired electric arrows at the monsters'' foreheads.


    However, the arrows just bounced off their dense fur unable to prate the thick hide.


    "Alright! Another 400 seconds, and we''ll be saved!" Nera eximed, tightly clutching her hammer.


    ...


    At this time, somewhere between the Citadel and Deste Forest, a ck airfighter swept through the air currents.


    "Hey, how long until we arrive?" Damien asked, lifting his sleep mask, his legs draped over the table.


    "By all calctions, in exactly 450 seconds." The pilot replied without taking his eyes off the path.


    Damien was silent for a while. In fact, he was listening to what Beth - his Operator - was telling him.


    "Nah, this is taking too long. Speed up, or they''ll die." Damien waved his hand nonchntly.


    The pilot flinched.


    "I can''t... We''re already flying at the limit."


    "Are you sure? You can''t even beat forty seconds?" Damien raised an eyebrow.


    The pilot nodded.


    Then, Damien stood up and walked over to the pilot, cing a hand on his shoulder.


    "In that case, let''s do this. When Deste Forest is a hundred seconds away,unch a supersonic missile, I''ll hitch a ride on it." Damien said in a calm voice.


    The pilot''s eyes went wide in disbelief.


    "Mr. Damien this is too dangerous! This is pure insanity!"


    "Yeah, for you." Damien nodded, then his gaze grew colder.


    "Because if you refuse, I''ll wring your neck right now. The Citadel doesn''t need a military that isn''t willing to risk saving the Phantoms."

 Chapter 34: The Power of One Man

    <h4>Chapter 34: The Power of One Man</h4>


    A pir of me rained down on the Frotocs, causing their thick fur to burn and run away from the heat they hated.


    "Agh... Agh... Agh..." Nera breathed heavily, holding her hammer with trembling hands.


    "You did it for nothing, you''ve used your Nexus too much in thest few hours." Katrin said seriously, "You''re going to make me feel like shit too."


    Then, Katrin''s staff trembled as three seeds flew out of its tip. They emitted a thick green smoke with a strong pine odor.


    Each seed flew into their chests, quickly covering part of the surrounding area with roots through which the green pulses traveled.


    "Hm? What is that...?" Mark muttered puzzled, looking at the seed.


    Katrin smirked.


    "The seed lives for thirty minutes, and for that time you have be 20-30% stronger, depending on your abilities. Also, the seed will be able to protect you from one strong attack, but will disappear immediately afterward."


    Mark and Nera nodded returning to the battle. They had to chase away the remaining Frotocs before the rest of the monsters got here.


    300 seconds to help.


    "Hey Adam, what do you say?" Katrin turned around, expecting praise for herself. Adam''s opinion seemed to be the only one she cared about.


    However, once she looked in his direction her eyes went wide.


    Five massive Frotocs surrounded Adam, but they were all dead. There were thin but extremely deep holes in their foreheads as if something had pierced their brains. Streams of blood flowed downwards, turning into a river that quickly ran down the slope.


    ''What...? He was able to break through their hide? Right, it''s a feature of his Order... Fuck, maybe I should take a chance and change my Initial Gene? If I continue to be a support, people like him will always take all the glory for themselves!''


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    In front of the fleeing Frotocs, a silhouette over five meters tall appeared from the ground. Its body was covered in white fur, with two paws as thick as hammers and skinny legs. Its chest was massive.


    The long horns curved in a disk-like arc towards the monster''s back, with sharp tips that were more dangerous than any de.


    Bam.


    The monster brought its massive paws down on the Frotocs, turning them into bloody blobs. A single attack was enough to break their bones and tear their hide under extreme pressure.


    "This one looks much stronger." Adam frowned.


    ''It''s a Horn Crusher, only inhabits the Deste Forest - Green Threat Level, Red Book. You''ll have to deal with it, as help won''t arrive for another 250 seconds.'' Silvana exined.


    She checked on the map every few seconds to see where Damien''s fighter was. The speed was steady, but not fast enough.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The Horn Crusher was approaching, shaking the ground with each majestic step it took.


    "Hey, Mark, is there any way you can stop this behemoth? What''s your Nexus doing?" Katrin shouted.


    Mark flinched slightly. Katrin was pushing him too hard, as he could barely keep up with this pace of battle.


    Then, before he could reply anything, everyone heard two voices, one female and the other male.


    ''My name is Silvana, I''m Adam''s Operator, I''ll be assisting Mark.''


    ''Hello! My name is n, I am Katrin''s Operator, and I will be assisting Nera. Please take our advice and give us all the information.''


    After a few seconds, the n was ready. Nera stood in defense against any sudden monsters that might appear out of nowhere, and Mark began to act.


    His hands were trembling slightly, and his forehead was beading with sweat, he was worried but not afraid.


    Waves of energy rippled across his bow as a massive lightning arrow with a long tip emerged from the bowstring.


    Drawing the bowstring to the limit, Mark fired, the wind ring moved aside from the considerable momentum while the arrow was heading towards Horn Crusher at a tremendous speed.


    "What?! I''m not doing that! Why the fuck does it have to be me?!" Katrin eximed irritably with a great grimace, touching her earbud.


    However, she didn''t have time to talk because Horn Crusher was already approaching, as well as Adam.


    His legs were covered with electric shocks, while he quickly ran straight at Katrin with a confident look.


    "Tsk. What a shame. Don''t even think I would ever do something like that!" Katrin eximed before getting down on one knee in front of Adam and raising the staff above her.


    Then, Adam jumped on the staff, and with the help of Katrin''s momentum, who swung the staff upwards and his lightning, Adam charged straight towards the Horn Crusher at a tremendous speed.


    At the same moment, the tip of the lightning arrow expanded, bing an electrical covering Horn Crusher. The spheres on the exploded but did not do any damage to the monster, Horn Crusher''s hide was too strong.


    However, the most important thing was to hold the monster back, even if only for a few seconds.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Adam appeared in front of Horn Crusher like a shadow, appearing on the monster''s head between the sharp horns. Then, he turned and jumped back, plunging the needle into the back of the monster''s head and running it down its back, tearing as much flesh as possible and as deep as he could.


    Horn Crusher tried to throw Adam off of him, but its thick paws couldn''t reach its back and the lightning blocked all movement.


    A few seconds of trying ended with the monster''sst gasp as he fell into a puddle of his own blood.


    "Agh... Agh... Agh..." Adam was breathing heavily, but he had no time to rest, for the next Horn Crusher was alreadying out of the thick spruce trees.


    Attack after attack, fight after fight, second after second, their team fought without sparing themselves, because their lives depended on it.


    In two hundred seconds they defeated dozens of Frotocs and a few Horn Crushers, but they were seriously wounded. Adam had one arm broken, Mark and Nera had tearing wounds, and Katrin had used her Nexus twice and several Orders. If she did one more thing, her heart might explode.


    "Is that all...?" Mark muttered in a trembling voice, "It seems like the monsters have decided to retreat..."


    "No... That''s not good at all... If they left it means they don''t want to take the prey, meaning us, from someone else..." Katrin uttered with difficulty standing on her feet, she had to lean on her staff.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Young fir trees, fell, revealing a huge silhouette behind them. The monster looked like a Horn Crusher, only it was several timesrger, with two pairs of horns and legs covered in ice armor.


    "Fuck..." Adam whispered, looking at the Prime Horn Crusher.


    Its two bloodshot eyes stared at them intently with an eerie smirk. They were exhausted, and against such a monster they didn''t stand a chance.


    It seemed that this was the end, as there were only 30 seconds left before help arrived, and that would be enough time for the monster to tear them apart.


    However, as Prime Horn Crusher took a step forward, something passed through the veil of blizzard a few kilometers away.


    Adam turned around, seeing a missile with a fiery exhaust. Strangely enough, on the missile was a man who was bncing on it like a surfer on chaotic waves. On his feet were knee-high boots with energy lines.


    ''Wait... It''s him... No way...'' Adam muttered internally.


    Katrin smiled widely, she seemed to know who this man was too.


    "Hah, using a missile to get here faster...? Fucking psycho." Katrin shook her head as Damien jumped off the rocket.


    The rocket flew over them, crashing right into the Prime Horn Crusher. The deafening explosion shook the air but did not do any damage to the monster.


    "ROOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!!!"


    Prime Horn Crusher roared furiously, instilling terror in anyone who heard it.


    "Shut up! It''s already over! After all, I''m here!" Damien eximed with an excited expression as his legs became covered with white energy like mes.


    Then, making a turn, Damien sharply brought his foot down on the monster''s head, sting it apart like a meatball.


    Pieces of flesh flew aside, and the horns embedded in the ground.


    "Alright! In thirty seconds, a fighter jet will be here to give us a well-deserved rest and hot chocte!" Damien vigorously uttered as the ground shook.


    Hundreds of meters away from them, in the midst of Deste Forest, a huge shadow with a long body and many arms like an ancient beast appeared.


    ''''Oh, it looks like even I won''t be bored. Purple Threat Level? Not bad, not bad at all." Damien smirked.

 Chapter 35: Man vs. Monster and Seeds of Hope

    <h4>Chapter 35: Man vs. Monster and Seeds of Hope</h4>


    Every monster had its own threat level, and for a young Phantom like Adam, the green threat level, red book, was the limit even though he was a Naturalborn Phantom and had an artifact.


    Dealing with the blue threat level was impossible for him, as it was for most Artificialborn Phantoms who had revealed their Locks.


    However, the blue threat level was not the limit for monsters. In this world, even within the First Circle, some monsters could easily handle King of the Golden Searchers, a monster that was one of the strongest members of the Blue Threat Level.


    Purple Threat Level was the next level that no Phantom with an open Lock could handle, it required keys.


    For Adam, Nera, Mark, and Katrin it was 100% death, but fortunately or unfortunately this monster did not appear to kill them, or rather they were not the reason for the creature''s awakening.


    To cause a volcanic eruption a light jolt was not enough, something of earthquake level was needed, and Damien was that factor.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    A long body covered in blue scales like an ancient lizard wriggled, soaring upward to tower over the other creatures of the lower order.


    Six broad webbed wings with sharp ws on the far points opened, generating powerful wind currents capable of creating a whirlwind.


    Twelve short but dangerous paws with sharp ws twisted with crackling muscles, preparing for battle, while behind them a long tail with a massive ice crystal at the end slowly swayed from side to side.


    "ROOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!!


    The monster''s roar made everyone except Adam falls to the ground and grabs their heads, trying to endure the horrible echo that was tearing them from the inside out. Streams of blood poured from Adam''s ears, but he was able to withstand the pressure.


    Damien nced at him as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    ''Oh, looks like it''s him after all... Clearly, he''s Naturalborn One, a needle and a Nexus glove with silver threads... Well, now''s not the time for that, I have something more interesting waiting for me!'' Damien inwardly eximed, looking at the monster whose gaze was directed solely at him.


    ''Listen to me carefully everyone, I am Beth, Damien''s Operator.''


    Suddenly a calm and collected voice sounded in their earbuds, Silvana and n were no exception.


    ''The monster that appeared before you is called - Azure Frost Smander, Prime One, Purple Threat Level, Red Book. Obviously, you can''t handle one of these, so I suggest you hide somewhere until Damien can deal with it. Then, a fighter jet will arrive here, and you can go home.'' Beth said seriously.


    "It''s not very polite to break into our closed channels, you know?" Katrin frowned.


    ''Shut up.'' Beth said menacingly, ''The situation is critical, and as an Operator of a Second Rank Phantom my status is now higher than yours. Just keep quiet and obey.''


    "Pffft! You can only be formidable with us. I''m sure with Damien you act like an obedient bitch!" Katrin snorted irritably.


    ''My rtionship with Damien is none of your business. Just do what I say if you don''t want to die.'' Beth replied coldly.


    Katrin waved her hand, walking over to the nearest rock.


    "Fine, I''m not going to fight anyone else anyway. I''ve done my maximum."


    Then, the others joined her, and Damien headed forward.


    After a few steps, he stopped at the edge of the slope with a confident smile on his face, looking at the Azure Smander.


    "Hey, we don''t have much time, the most I can give you is one minute." Damien said, showing his index finger, "So let''s do without forey, let''s start with the fun part!"


    Azure Smander nodded slightly as if it could understand what Damien was saying, then it spread its paws apart, channeling energy into them.


    In its palms, frost energy umted in the form of spheres that quickly began to expand, forming a massive portal of icy vapor.


    Then, a giant block of ice, like an iceberg, lunged forward at breakneck speed, whipping through the wind currents like something unstoppable.


    Damien smirked.


    "Alright, I''m d you listened to me!" Damien eximed before bending down, channeling energy to his feet, and leaping with all his might.


    The ground beneath him cracked due to the immense pressure, the white energy caused an explosion throwing him high up.


    Then, Damien''s fists coated with energy as he attacked, straight into the sharp end of the ice block.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    Cracks spread across the entire block, shattering it into dozens of massive shards. Tiny ice dust flew aside at the first rush of wind, coating Adam''s ck hair, who watched Damien wide-eyed.


    Adam knew that this attack would have killed them, but Damien only needed one blow to get rid of the threat.


    "Wait... What will he do now...? There are hundreds of meters below him, even if he survives the fall, Azure Smander will obviously use that time to seriously injure him!" Mark eximed in a worried voice.


    ''Don''t worry. For Damien, it''s just like for you to kill an ordinary White Threat Level monster. Just observe and learn.'' Beth nonchntly said.


    Then, Damien smirked and jumped off the nearest ice debris, then another and another, gradually approaching Azure Smander.


    His speed and strength were enough to use the flying-down debris as tforms for his jumps.


    Before Azure Smander could do anything, Damien was already in front of the monster, his eyes wide with shock.


    "Hey! I didn''t really want to waste my Nexus on you, but you''re too big, and I can''t fly, you need wings for that, you know? So, I''ll make it quick just don''t be afraid." Damien smirked as his boots activated and streams of wind covered them.


    Then, Damien slightly bent his body forward, and behind him appeared a circr barrier of tightlypressed air that came from his boots.


    "ROOOOAAAAAARRR!!!"


    Azure Smander roared furiously, unleashing a sound wave that should have deafened Damien, but Damien had predicted that long ago.


    He bounced off the wind barrier, quickly finding himself behind Azure Smander. However, if the monster''s attack was unsessful, it wasn''t true for Damien, who had one of the monster''s twelve paws clutched in his hands.


    "Do you think you''ll die if I rip off all your paws? Well, we''ll know that answer in eleven seconds!" Damien smirked before abruptly turning around and bouncing off another wind barrier.


    Azure Smander roared in pain, pping its wings and paws in an attempt to knock Damien down, but all was to no avail.


    After all, when the difference in strength was so great it was no longer a fight between predator and victim or an equal duel between two fighters - now it was the hunter finishing off his prey.


    "Unbelievable... So this is what a human is capable of..." Nera muttered in awe watching Damien.


    Only six seconds was enough for him to remove half of Azure Smander''s paws, and very soon it would be over.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, a ck fighter jet flew through the storm stream, heading straight for Adam and the others.


    Azure Smander spotted it and extended its remaining four paws, about to destroy the fighter.


    "Hey! Don''t you dare get distracted! I''m your opponent!" Damien smiled before he swept through the monster''s paws, cutting them off with the whirlwinds on his boots.


    Then, he climbed high up, watching Azure Smander, whose body was covered in its own blood.


    "Agh... I hate to end this so soon, but circumstances are adjusting. Well, I had a good stretch, thanks." Damien shrugged before bouncing off the wind barrier onest time.


    He thrust his legs forward, and a whirlwind pierced the monster''s chest, tearing Azure Smander apart.


    Blood merged with the wind currents, recoloring the vortex scarlet, under Damien''s enthusiastic smile, the shocked looks of the others, and thest howl of the Azure Smander.


    ''Try and fight whatever it takes, and someday you will experience the joy of battle besides fear and stress. All in the name of survival, in the name of us - humanity.''


    Beth''s voice spread through their minds, that like seeds would grow in them, giving hope for a brighter future.

 Chapter 36: Recovery and Lollipop

    <h4>Chapter 36: Recovery and Lollipop</h4>


    Adam, Nera, Katrin, and Mark sessfully climbed into the fighter and left Deste Forest as fast as possible.


    Naturally, Damien was here as well. In front of him, on the table was a massive azure crystal - the only thing left of the Azure Smander, as it was the most valuable part.


    "We are approaching the citadel. We will arrive in ten minutes." The pilot said calmly as his voice spread throughout the fighter via the speakers.


    "Alright! Soon, we''ll be home, and this long day will be over!" Damien waved his hand, sitting rxed in his chair with his legs draped over the table.


    "Excuse me..."


    Katrin timidly approached him, which wasn''t like her at all. Usually, she acted much more confident and even cocky.


    "Hmm? You need something hottie?" Damien smirked, directing his gaze from her face to her bosom.


    ''Naughty...'' Beth muttered.


    Katrin nodded.


    "Yeah, I wanted to thank you for your help. Without you, we would have died!" Katrin bowed low, she sounded more than sincere.


    Damien shrugged his shoulders.


    "You don''t have to thank me. I was going to booze tonight and spend the night in thepany of lovelydies, but you''ve given me a much more interesting time!"


    "Mr. Damien... Pardon my rudeness, but didn''t you only fight the monster for one minute?" Mark asked, scratching the back of his head.


    Damien smirked.


    "Rookie, sometimes even one second can be so important that your whole life is decided! Adam, am I saying this right?" Damien nced at Adam, who was half asleep sitting in the corner.


    He was very tired, more than the others, also he was badly hurt, especially his broken arm.


    "Agh...? One second can decide a life...?" Adam mumbled slurred, "Yeah, I guess I''d agree with that."


    Damien only smiled silently, putting on his sleep mask with a light p.


    "That''s it, go sit somewhere out of the way." Damien waved his hand like an annoying fly away, turning to Katrin, "Your selfish intentions are as obvious as the fact that you need a shower. You stink."


    Katrin blushed with embarrassment and shame, but she didn''t fight with Damien, she had no right to.


    Adam was falling asleep, andstly, he nced at Damien, who cast a curious nce at him. It seemed that their brief acquaintance would not end there.


    ...


    The fighter descended, everyone was asleep, not just Adam. Damien was the only one who remained awake because for him it was nothing more than entertainment.


    A group of military officers and medics met them and immediately sent them for medical examination. No one woke them up, instead, they were injected with sleeping pills and a dose of vitamins.


    Among the military, there were several Harvesters that took the azure crystal, rting it to the research department.


    On the way out of the fighter aircraft, a rxed Damien was met by La - the woman who wanted to fight Adam in the forge.


    "Would you like to talk? I think we have a lot to discuss." La offered casting a nce at Adam, the doctors carrying him away.


    "Oh, I thought you were going to invite me to your ce for the night. I wouldn''t say no, you know?" Damien smirked.


    ...


    La and Damien stood on the Citadel wall, overlooking a vast wastnd lit only by a lonely moon. The cold wind blew against them like a mutepanion ready to overhear their conversation.


    "Looks like you made it through without a problem, as usual." La waved her hand.


    Damien shrugged.


    "Yeah... but I''ll be honest if he hadn''t been among the missing, I wouldn''t have pushed things so aggressively," Damien smirked.


    "Sure. Naturalborn Phantoms have been showing up less and lesstely. Not everyone in high ces agrees with this intention of the government, but honestly, it is the right decision." La nodded with a slight uncertainty in her gaze.


    Damien sighed.


    "It''s simple, I can see why they do it."


    "Hmm?" La gave him a questioning look.


    "They want to bet on quantity over quality since we already have quality. It''s much more effective to make ten Artificialborn Phantoms than to send them to fight a monster 1 vs. 1. If 10% of them can win, it''s already a sess. Moreover, quantity is already a quality in itself. Ten Artificialborn Phantoms can definitely handle one Naturalborn One."


    Damien replied while looking at a few silhouettes in the distance. They were the squads of Phantoms that had taken over the night missions.


    La sighed heavily, scratching her forearm awkwardly.


    "You say that... but if you had the power to change that, would you make your Phantom path different? I mean, would you change the beginning?"


    "You know the answer to that." Damien shrugged nonchntly, "If you''ve been through the ordeal of life, the real hell, there''s no way you''d want to erase that event from your history because it''s your greatest victory - the victory that became the sprout of your future self."


    La didn''t answer anything, she just bit her lip with a deep, thoughtful look.


    "By the way... I heard that the development department hase up with something really interesting. You were the first to try out the exoskeleton, so maybe, soon, Naturalborn Phantoms will be a lot more." Damien said with a slight smile.


    "Pffft!"


    La snorted as she crossed her arms over her chest.


    "That young man, Adam, he wouldn''t even fight me even though I did my best to do so! He said he doesn''t fight humans! Damn him!"


    "Hahahahahahaha! Yeah, I heard that, not a bad line, by the way... what about my guess?" Damien''s gaze became sharper, "With an exoskeleton, it''s really possible to kill a monster and be a Naturalborn Phantom?"


    La sighed heavily.


    "No one knows yet. The exoskeleton that I tested a couple of days ago was the first one. Right now, it''s being tested and upgraded, nothing more. It will take a lot more time and experimentation to find out about the possibility of bing a Naturalborn Phantom. I''m sure it won''t be as easy as we''d like it to be."


    "Hah, yeah, it looks that way." Damien shook his head, then he smiled widely, looking predatorily at La.


    "So? How about we brighten this night with each other after all? Military women are my weakness, you know that."


    "Agh, you''re lucky I like strong men."


    "Hahaha, that''s me!"


    ...


    Adam opened his eyes.


    It had been a little over twenty-four hours since they had gotten back, the fatigue and sleeping pills had yed their part.


    However, he was not on a bed with a white sheet but immersed in a green liquid inside a special medical pod.


    In the end, besides the many bruises and scratches, he had one major injury: a fracture. However, a few muscles were badly stretched, on the verge of tearing, and that also needed a long treatment.


    A normal person with a fracture would have to wait a month or more for the wound to heal, but it was different for Phantoms.


    Turning around, he saw a girl with long purple hair tied back in a ponytail. She was monitoring his vitals on a tablet. She was sucking on a lollipop, moving it from one side to the other with a thoughtful look.


    "Hmm? Awake? An hour earlier than I expected. Well, all the better." The girl shrugged, opening the pod and letting Adam step outside.


    He came outpletely naked, he didn''t realize it since he was in mild shock.


    The girl looked down at him, stopping her gaze on his face and just below his waist, longer than she should have.


    "My name is Jena, I''m your doctor, but it''s not that important. I have a question for you." Jena uttered, pulling a lollipop out of her mouth and pointing it at Adam.


    "What...? Sure, ask."


    "Will you be my lover?"

 Chapter 37: The Cunning Love Plan and the First Monster

    <h4>Chapter 37: The Cunning Love n and the First Monster?</h4>


    Some people could prepare for years to say one important phrase, such as a deration of love. However, others could do it as nonchntly as one could imagine.


    Adam felt rxed, since the medication was still in his blood, so his range of emotions was not as powerful as usual. It was as if he was in a semi-sleepy state.


    "Lover...?" Adam muttered, looking at Jena, considering her just as she had him before, "What do you mean?"


    "Sex. Silvana didn''t tell me what kind of women you like, but I thought I''d take a chance. I''m quite flexible in my tastes, so you won''t be bored with me for sure. What''s more, I''m intelligent and educated. I can always take care of your wounds." Jena was assertive, leaving Adam no chance.


    Her intentions were not entirely clear, did she like Adam, or did she want to get close to him because he was a Phantom? Both were possible, either separately or together.


    "Although... Considering you chose Silvana, you must like strong and serious women. I fit that criteria. Maybe it''s the short hair. I could cut it." Jena suggested, looking at Adam curiously.


    Adam scratched the back of his head.


    "I bet if it wasn''t for the elephant dose of medication in my body I''d be so discouraged I wouldn''t be able to say a word..."


    Jena smirked, then she pointed at Adam.


    "How about this? You tell me what kind of women you like, and I''ll go out with you!"


    "Hmm? Hey, I''m sleepy, not stupid. You need a date, not me, so it''s you who should offer something in return." Adam raised an eyebrow.


    Jena''s eyes went wide as an odd smile appeared on her face.


    She bit down on her finger, thinking about what she could offer.


    "Fine, how about this - for the next month, I''ll be your personal doctor. Meaning, you won''t have to rely on military hospitals anymore. I''m a good doctor, you can verify that by asking Silvana." Jena said seriously.


    "Hahaha, I bet a lot of guys are jealous of me right now. This is probably one of the best deals in the world." Adamughed lightly, as much as his emotions allowed.


    Then, he ran his gaze over all of Jena''s curves and smiled slightly.


    "I agree. We''ll deal with the dateter, but I''m ready to reveal my tastes to you now. You''ve been straightforward with me, it caught me off guard, so... I''ll return the favor." Adam smirked.


    Jena lifted her chin.


    "Go for it! I''m listening to you!"


    Adam snapped his fingers, not hiding his desires as many would like to do.


    "I like tall girls with big butts and firm thighs, athletic and stern. Let''s say it''s one of the archetypes." Adam shrugged.


    Jena examined herself as if checking to see if she matched the list, then a smirk appeared on her face.


    "What kind of food do you like? I''m sure you haven''t had a chance to explore the Third Ring yet, let alone other parts of the Citadel. I know a lot of good ces." Jena looked at Adam predatorily.


    Adam waved his hand, walking past her.


    "I''m sure you''ve already found out from Silvana. She tried to hook me up with every girl that came my way, so she must have told you all about me."


    Jena only nodded slightly, for Adam was right.


    ...


    Adam got dressed and left the hospital heading home. He didn''t think about anything and just enjoyed the blue sky and the noise of the crowded streets. Perhaps the medication was still on, or he might have been in the mood for it.


    Just as he approached the house he saw a few messages that had arrived on his NEP a few hours ago.


    Oddly enough, the messages were not from Silvana, but from Dous. They were supposed to meet tonight in the research department.


    ''Hmmm... Looks like it''s something important. Could it be rted to Damien? Well, I''ll find out soon enough, but right now I have more important things to do.'' Adam thought before walking into his house with a smile on his face.


    ...


    Crackle.


    The mechanical door opened, and a tall girl with ck hair and green eyes stepped inside.


    Jena, busy working, abruptly turned around and smiled broadly.


    Before Silvana could say anything, Jena jumped on top of her with a pleased expression on her face.


    "Thank you! Damn it, I''m going on a date with him! I didn''t even think I''d make it! Your n to be direct and assertive worked!" Jena eximed happily, hugging Silvana tightly.


    Silvana sighed and pulled Jena away from her, who seemed ready to burst with happiness.


    "Yeah, I realized that offering him was useless, it needed action from someone who really wanted it. You became the perfect option." Silvana said coldly, keeping her arms crossed on her chest.


    "Yes! Damn, I''ve been following him ever since he defeated Prime Stone Goliath! I want him!" Jena uttered, with a slight fanaticism in her voice.


    Then, she was confronted with Silvana''s sharp gaze. She looked at Jena not as a person but as if she were an appraiser looking at a gem.


    Jena was slightly confused, she didn''t understand why Silvana was looking at her like that.


    "I heard what he said. I finally recognize his preferences, and you should work on yourself. Your hips and butt are smaller than mine. How do you want to seduce him with those results? You''ll go to the gym tomorrow, I''ll put together a workout program for you." Silvana said sternly.


    Jena frowned as she puffed up her cheeks.


    "What...? Hey, I may have some work to do, but I definitely look pretty good!"


    "Oh, really?" Silvana stepped forward, narrowing her eyes.


    A shiver went down Jena''s spine.


    "Statistically, 80% of Phantoms in rtionships date other Phantoms. If you want to be one of the 20% you have to try hard. Be special on the inside and the best on the outside."


    Silvana continued, "A lot of people say that the most important thing is the soul, the inner personality, but whether you like it or not, the appearance matters because it''s the first thing we see. To know what kind of person is inside is possible only if appearance attracts you otherwise there will be no further interaction."


    "Yourpetition is the Phantom girls that can often be together with Adam during missions or training. Moreover, they are of the same status, so you need to get past those barriers, and matching Adam''s preferences will be the best solution. After all, you''re the one hunting him, at least for now."


    Jena nodded deeply, she was clearly upset by such a harsh reprimand from Silvana, but that couldn''t stop her. After all, her goal was attainable, 20% was not 0%.


    ...


    The ck car stopped, the driver opened the door, and Adam stepped inside, heading for the research department at Fort Norton.


    The ride passed in silence, Adam only stared out the window with a wistful look asionally ncing at the moon illuminating both the Citadel and the Dead Lands.


    "We''re here. Good luck." The driver said before moving off.


    A girl in a formal suit led him inside the huge iron and concrete building. Then, she left him in a long empty hallway at the end of which Damien was waiting for him, leaning against the wall.


    "Hey! Long time no see!" Damien waved with an excited smile.


    Adam nodded.


    "What am I doing here?"


    Damien just pointed to something behind him.


    At the same moment, a strong hand fell on Adam''s shoulder.


    "To show you the results of our research." Dous pronounced with an excited look.


    The door opened, and they entered a wide room where there was a multitude of high-end machines and scientists in long white coats.


    There were many things of interest here, but the main one was a huge pod filled with a blue liquid, inside floated a long-dead creature.


    "Silver Weaver..." Adam unknowingly uttered.

 Chapter 38: The Silver Weaver and the Hundreds of Rats

    <h4>Chapter 38: The Silver Weaver and the Hundreds of Rats</h4>


    Thick ck fur, hard and resilient even after death covered Silver Weaver''s entire body like thousands of sharp needles capable of frightening any, even the bravest opponent. A long tail with thick bone slowly swayed among the bubbles like the echo of a powerful weapon.


    Silver threads ran along the monster''s paws with short but extremely sharp ws, no shield could protect against them. Layers of tiny scales covered the monster''s belly in several rows, asionally sending a glint outward.


    An elongated neck transitioned into a wide mouth with two rows of teeth and two eyes with sharp vertical pupils. Two pairs of ears, of varying length and size, were at the bottom and top of the head, like the webbing of a lizard.


    Many ces on the Silver Weaver showed scars, rips, cuts, and countless other wounds.


    Adam was not the sole cause of all these injuries, though he had inflicted the most powerful andst one.


    "So many scars... At first, I didn''t even notice it... Is that really why I managed to kill it?" Adam muttered in disbelief. He didn''t know if he should try to hide it or not, since Dous and Damien already knew everything anyway.


    "Maybe, but we highly doubt it." Dous replied, "Those scars are old since apparently Silver Weaver became strong rather than being born that way."


    Adam gave him a questioning look.


    "Ghm." Dous coughed, "Monsters like Phantoms can get stronger, you should have realized by now that monsters are not one unified army or race. If given the chance they will kill each other and eat each other. Obviously, whoever survives after dozens of such battles bes stronger than those who lose."


    Dous continued, "Given the number of scars and the approximate age of Silver Weaver as you say... we have an assumption that at the very beginning of his journey, he was an ordinary white threat-level monster, but that was a long time ago."


    "Was...?" Adam muttered uncertainly, "In that case, what threat level would you give Silver Weaver?"


    Dous sighed heavily.


    "Well... That''s not an easy question, since we haven''t seen what that monster is capable of inbat. Before you came here, we didn''t even know what the correct name of this monster was."


    Then, Dous scratched the back of his head and said, "Well, based on the physical evidence we''ve gotten, the research department is inclined to believe that the Silver Weaver is at least a purple threat-level monster."


    "Purple Threat Level...?" Adam trembled as his eyes went wide, "No... That can''t be. You must be mistaken about something. The Azure Smander in Deste Forest had the same threat level... If I were to meet such a monster as a mere human, there''s no way I would be able to defeat it..."


    Damien smirked.


    "Yeah, this is where we get to the most interesting part!"


    "Agh...?" Adam was puzzled.


    "Most likely, the Silver Weaver was heavily poisoned, but the effects of the poison had already passed by the time you faced him. Because otherwise, you wouldn''t have been able to be Naturalborn Phantom since someone else''s genes would have affected the Silver Weaver''s gene and destabilized it!" Damien exined.


    Adam got aplicated look on his face. Understanding what he heard was difficult, and realizing it was even harder.


    "I see... I didn''t have Spark... which means my only opportunity to be a Phantom is to kill a monster 1 vs. 1 without the genes of other creatures interfering..." Adam muttered with a deep gaze.


    Dous nodded.


    "We have two theories as to what happened near Tar Lake. First one: Silver Weaver had just gotten rid of the poison in his body and was looking for a quick recovery and headed to Scorching Desert to kill and eat a lot of weak monsters. The Silver Weaver met you and was about to kill you as another victim, but you were able to fight back and through luck win.


    Second one: Silver Weaver was dying of old age or some old injury that slowly but surely killed him over the years, but in this case, it''s almost the same thing. That might exin why you were able to defeat him since he was probably at the minimum of his power at the time."


    Everyone was silent for a while. Only the thumping of keyboards from the working scientists in the research department could be heard.


    Then, Damien stepped forward and looked at Adam.


    "Hey, we didn''t bring you here just to show you a previously unknown monster that appeared out of nowhere. We have a proposition for you." Damien said calmly but had a sly smile on his face.


    "I don''t know what you''re trying to say, but I have a bad feeling about this." Adam frowned.


    "Hahaha, Damien, why are you scaring him?" Dousughed, "Although... it could really be dangerous."


    Damien lifted his chin, casting a sly look at Adam.


    "I want to give you a localized hell, under my responsibility as Second Rank Phantom. I will send you to the edge of the Scorching Desert, bordering another area known as the Rusty Ruins. It''s home to the Desert Mechanical Rats. They''re weaker than the Desert Rats, but they are much, much more numerous. They''re breeding like the gue in one of their Nests. Do you see where I''m going with this?" Damien smirked as he raised an eyebrow.


    "Adam, how many more neutral genes do you need to unlock your Lock?" Dous asked.


    Adam shrugged.


    "I''m not sure... In Golden Searchers Nest, I''ve collected quite a few genes as well as Deste Forest, but I''m not likely to have collected even 20%. Still, 1,000 neutral genes is really a lot." Adam sighed.


    "Exactly! That''s why I want you to single-handedly clear that nest! There''s supposed to be a squad heading there in two days, but we''ll beat them to it!" Damien eximed with an excited expression.


    Adam scratched the back of his head as he nced at Damien.


    "Are you going to help me?"


    "Nah." Damien waved his hand, "I''ll be in the distance watching you. My Evolution Tree and Initial Gene are too strong. If I get involved in killing rats, you won''t be able to collect their genes. They''ll just disintegrate and disappear." Damien shrugged his shoulders.


    Then, he stepped forward, towering over Adam.


    "If you want to unlock your Lock before the next Eclipse, you have to set up a real meat grinder there, a fucking genocide of hundreds of rats. Then, and only then, can you find out what your Beginning Monster is and finally step forward!" Damien''s eyes grew cold, and Adam felt real pressure.


    Adam remained silent until he nodded, "Fine, I''ll do it. Honestly, I''m sick of being stuck in one ce. I want to be as strong as you, but... Why do you both have such an interest in me?"


    Dous interjected into the conversation.


    "Adam, you are showing promise, and it is our responsibility as elders to help you grow. Don''t forget, everything we do is in the name of protecting the Citadel and humanity."


    Then, he sighed.


    "That will be all for now. I will contact Silvana and exin everything to her. She''ll probably object, but there''s nothing she can do against your orders."


    "I see... Well, I''ll meet you tomorrow then..." Adam nodded, heading towards the exit.


    "Sure." Dous uttered, then the doors closed.


    Damien smirked, standing next to Dous and looking at the Silver Weaver curiously.


    "You know... The head of the mission department is going to be furious about what we''re about to do. I won''t indulge your chaotic desires anymore. This was thest time, at least with Adam." Dous said quietly.


    Damien''s corners of his mouth went up.


    "Sorry, I''m just too curious about what his Beginning Monster will be like. Naturalborn Phantom getting the gene of a monster unknown until now... Thatbination hasn''t happened in a long time."


    Dous shook his head.


    "One such case is standing right next to me now..."


    "Oh, don''t make me feel embarrassed."

 Chapter 39: All are equal, but some are more equal

    <h4>Chapter 39: All are equal, but some are more equal</h4>


    A ck fighter was hovering over the border between Scorching Desert and Rusty Ruins. The fighter didn''t have some sort of rescue mission, though there was a Second Rank Phantom on board who was watching the scene below curiously through binocrs.


    Adam, surrounded by dozens of monsters, fought killing one after another. Desert Mechanical Rats were ordinary white threat-level monsters, but their numbers were huge. A single Nest could contain up to a thousand individuals and sometimes even that limit was easily broken through.


    Such Nests were very valuable to the new Phantoms because in a way it was a rtively easy way to get arge number of Neutral Genes.


    However, for such missions, squads of arge number of rookie Phantoms were always assembled so that each of them would get a lot of genes and the risk of even simple injuries would be minimized.


    Soon enough, in a few hours, the head of the mission department would be shouting in fury in his office at both the workers and the military who had allowed what was happening right now.


    In a way, Adam was extremely selfish, for such missions were called Golden Missions - extremely easy and effective for both the growth of the Phantoms and the Citadel.


    Golden Missions were rare because not all monsters could grow to a poption like Desert Mechanical Rats and still be weak enough for newbie Phantoms.


    Getting to the Golden Mission was somewhat of a reward because getting so many genes so easily and quickly could not be obtained anywhere else.


    Naturally, Adam was not supposed to be here. All of this had only happened because of Damien''s wishes.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    A ck fighter with azure wings swooped right over Damien''s as something fell on the ne, heavy enough to make the fighter sway slightly.


    Then, the hatch opened and a girl with long azure hair wearing a tight eastern dress with gold patterns stepped inside. She looked coldly at Damien, who paid no attention to her at all, continuing to watch Adam, who had already killed hundreds of rats.


    "Do you even realize what you''ve done?" The girl frowned, crossing her arms over her chest.


    Damien turned around, putting the binocrs away.


    "Oh, Frida, what a surprise. You finally decided to go on a date with me? You know, it''s not the most romantic ce, but I don''t mind." Damien shrugged nonchntly.


    "Shut up!" Frida shouted angrily as her hair whipped up and the aura emanating from it made the yer shake like a storm.


    "Hey, you better calm down. We''re not alone here after all." Damien calmly said pointing at the pilot.


    "Pfffffffft!" Frida snorted but the shaking stopped, "You need to pick up Adam Vinter right now and report it to the missions department. In a little while the Desert Mechanical Rats will restore their poption and a deserving squad will get their Golden Mission."


    Damien waved his hand.


    "I''m not going to do that. I''m not your subordinate, and what''s more, to some extent, you yourself are to me for what''s going on right now."


    "What...?" Frida''s face contorted.


    Damien smirked.


    "Adam''s battle against Prime Stone Goliath, was just the beginning of their appearance, and it was you who saved him then, wasn''t it? Otherwise, after such a glorious victory, he would have died."


    Frida rolled her eyes.


    "I did it because Phantom was in trouble, and the missions department got it wrong, the monsters were much stronger than they should have been. I would have done the same thing If it had been anyone else. Why can''t you understand that no one is special? This Golden Mission shouldn''t go to Adam alone." Frida''s voice grew serious.


    "Because you''re wrong." Damien quickly replied, raising his binocrs and returning to watching Adam''s battle.


    "Hmm?" Frida frowned.


    "You''ve been trying hard for years to prove that everyone is equal under the rules, but that''s not true." Damien said nonchntly.


    "No one is special. Every Phantom, cksmith, Harvester, Operator, and Military is important. We all work together for the same goal, we all have our own responsibilities, but we all obey the same rules." Frida waved her hand.


    "That''s not true. I''m special. You''re special. Adam is special. The very fact that there are Naturalborn Phantoms and Artificialones already calls your ideology into question. I''m not arguing that everyone is important, but someone is more important."


    Damien continued, "Now that things are organized and rtively calm, you have the opportunity, to promote thoughts of equality. But as soon as things get serious again, your hateful cynicism about reality will return. The strong and talented are more important than the weak and ordinary. There''s nothing you can do about that."


    "You bastard!" Frida eximed furiously, clenching her fists tightly.


    She walked over to Damien and grabbed him by the cor with a furious grimace.


    "And...? What do you n to do next? Are you going to fight me? Right here?" Damien arrogantly said.


    "Yes. I''ll do that, and you''ll stop the mission! I''ll make you go for it even if you''re stubborn!" Frida shouted.


    Damien looked away with a bored look.


    "What mission? I haven''t heard of Phantoms being sent on a mission where there are no living monsters."


    "Agh...?" Frida turned around as her eyes went wide.


    Adam, using Revolve, was absorbing dozens of genes from the Desert Mechanical Rats. Hundreds of corpsesy around him, and the desert ground was covered in dark oil-like blood.


    His hands were trembling, his body was covered in scratches, and he was breathing heavily, but no more monsters were in this Nest, not a single one.


    "He killed them all...? But... How? When I flew here, he only killed about 20%... I was hoping to convince you to finish the mission in half an hour when there should have been about 60-70% of Nest left." Frida muttered in a disbelief.


    "Yep." Damien shrugged, getting out of her grip and stepping aside.


    Damien ran his gaze over the already dead rats and said, "This is exactly what I was telling you about. Your calctions are correct, for an ordinary, inexperienced Phantom rookie who was helped to kill his first monster and kept in hothouse conditions. In two weeks, Adam has been through more trials than many rookie Phantoms go through in a year."


    A sharp glint passed through Damien''s eyes.


    "He''s a Naturalborn One, he has an excellent Operator and a matching ambition with an inherent persistence. In some ways, he''s even fearless, as 99% of Phantoms would run away in a Prime Stone Goliath situation. He, on the other hand, has begun to fight, moreover, he is favored by luck since he has entered Resonance."


    Frida bit down on her lip, clenching her fists tightly from the anger bubbling inside her. She had to say something, or Damien would be right, and she couldn''t let that happen.


    "Exactly! He''s just lucky! If he hadn''t entered the Resonance, he would have died!"


    "Yes." Damien nodded, "Just like in absolutely any other scenario. However, if you never buy a lottery ticket you''ll never win at the casino, because you just don''t give your luck a chance to show itself."


    "That''s sophistry! Damn it! What are we supposed to do now? One Phantom has taken over the entire Golden Mission!"


    Damien''s corners of his mouth went up.


    "Oh, now I''ll invite you to the show that will happen tomorrow once Adam recovers. For he now has enough genes to reveal his Lock! Soon, he''ll be fighting his Beginning Monster! Hah!" Damien eximed with an excited expression before jumping down.


    Bam.


    Dust kicked up as Damien stepped forward, passing through the veil.


    "Ready? I''m warning you, your Beginning Monster is almost guaranteed to be awfully strong." Damien asked.


    Adam turned around, looked at his needle in the sunlight, and muttered, "Yeah, I can feel it..."

 Chapter 40 Beginning Monster

    Chapter 40 Beginning Monster


    To turn hundreds or even thousands of genes into neutral ones required not only the Transmutator that every Phantom possessed, but also time. Adam had created his first neutral gene in less than a minute, but when the workload was muchrger, the process would take much longer.


    "How are you feeling?" Silvana asked, sitting in front of her monitors at home. She turned around, looking at Adam, who was lying on the floor, but his gaze was focused and deep. "It''s okay..." Adam muttered, but his consciousness was not here but in front of the Evolution Tree.


    It had already been hours since Adam had woken up and he immediately set about transforming the genes.


    Adam could have spent some of the neutral genes on cognizing the monsters in his Vault, but he decided to leave that task forter. His main goal right now was to unlock his Lock and find the Beginning Monster.


    "Maybe we should take a break? I''ve prepared some interesting sodas with tropical vors. You haven''t tried those yet." Silvana suggested.


    Adam shook his head.


    "Nah, I got up early this morning since I want to finish before lunch. I''ll know where my Beginning Monster is right away, correct?" Adam asked as his Transmutator turned dozens of gene rats into neutral ones. They were all headed to the Vault, on a separate page. "Sure. I''ll start making dinner then. You still have about an hour left, don''t you?" Silvana asked, heading towards the kitchen.


    Adam nodded.


    "It''s almost done. There are about 200 genes left. I didn''t even realize it could be so draining and take so long..." Adam muttered in a low voice. Adam was up before dawn, so even though it was only 8:45 he was almost done, he had been doing this for almost five hours.


    When the aroma from the kitchen wafted to Adam, he finally finished with a deep sigh.


    "All done?" Silvana asked without taking her eyes off the cooking. "Yeah... This is incredible..." Adam uttered as he opened his Vault. The book opened and a thousand gray spheres flew out, exactly the same. They surrounded Adam like tinys around their star, slowly rotating.


    From the moment Adam collected the thousand genes, he began to feel strange vibrationsing from somewhere far away. Now they were even stronger and the chains around his Lock trembled.


    Adam had not yet channeled a single neutral gene into the vortex, but the vortex was already in motion, in anticipation of the inevitable.


    ''Well... It''s about time we got started, isn''t it?'' Adam muttered inwardly.


    Then, he nodded and with a slight smile on his face waved his hand.


    All the neutral genes headed towards the vortex in a single stream, quickly disappearing into it.


    [ 10/1,000 neutral genes.]


    [ 150/1,000 neutral genes. ]


    [ 670/1,000 neutral genes. ]


    [ 838/1,000 neutral genes.]


    [ 999/1,000 neutral genes. ]


    Thest neutral gene entered the vortex and began to transform into something else. The vortex became muchrger, covering 1/5 of the entire Lock, and in the center of the vortex appeared a round white crystal like a magic ball that allowed him to see the future. Adam slowly walked up the Evolution Tree to his Lock, whose chains were shaking violently. It seemed that they could break at any moment, but it took a powerful impulse to make it possible.


    It was impossible to see anything in the crystal, since there was only fog inside, blocking the field of vision.


    Adam touched the crystal as if mesmerized. For some reason, it was his only wish then, because he wanted to know where his Beginning Monster was.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, a gray stream of stars burst out of the crystal with many white lights that quickly surrounded Adam like a ster neb. Around him, Adam saw dozens of different images, both something useless - starry sky or rusty debris, and fragments of monsters and images of territories.


    A tall silhouette, with two arms and legs slowly paced among the tall rusty pirs towering over the ruined ground. The sun was reced by the moon, as were the constetions to a blue sky with clouds floating serenely.


    Thunder, rain, and strong winds were the constantpanions of this long series of fragments as if they had escaped from someone''s memory or had been created to bring together a fateful meeting.


    Then, the crystal turned pale, and the star stream dissipated, leaving Adam alone.


    Adam blinked, finding himself in the real world and slowly rising from the ground, holding his head with his fingertips. "I take it you''ve already seen everything, right?" Silvana asked with a serious expression.


    Adam nodded.


    "Yeah... but honestly I thought it would happen a little differently. I''ve seen fragments, and I can feel the pulseing from far away, but I don''t know the exact location."


    "Don''t worry, this is exactly how it''s supposed to be. However, you won''t have to go blindly on impulse, because I''ll help you find this ce. Tell me everything you see, about any rock and even the position of the stars in the sky. I can probably pinpoint the location to within a hundred meters." Silvana said confidently.


    Adam smiled as his gaze traveled towards the kitchen table.


    "Sure... but lunch first!"


    "As you wish." Silvana nodded, pulling off her apron. ...


    Right after lunch, Adam told Silvana everything in great detail, first about the territory leaving the monster forter. In the end, all he saw was a silhouette.


    Silvana used all this information and in less than an hour was able to find the exact location. She clicked on the mouse, and the monitor showed many pictures taken from towers and fighters. "This is Rusty Ruins, when you were fighting the rats you were balling on the border with this area, however, from that point, you couldn''t see anything but sand and bits of metal." Silvana exined, pointing to the photo.


    Adam''s eyes went wide. Unlike the Scorching Desert where there were only desert dunes and cliffs to the east, the Rusty Ruins seemed to be a moreplex and dangerous ce.


    In the outer part of the Rusty Ruins, there were only scraps of metal, both massive pieces and tiny gears or nails covering the cold concrete.


    The deeper into the center of the area the more dense the ruins themselves became, up to huge shattered buildingsposed entirely of iron and metal.


    Adam''s Initial Monster was located in the north of the Rusty Ruins, besides the center, it was the most dangerous region.


    There was the Iron Alley - the center of the north, which was a cascade of massive buildings. In the middle was a long path with hundreds of rusty pirs with sharp peaks. It was these pirs that Adam had seen in the star fragments.


    "I see... This area is harder than Scorching Desert, right?" Adam asked, looking at the pictures. Silvana nodded.


    "Yes. Rusty Ruins has more missions, more monsters, and a higher average difficulty. However, that doesn''t matter now. Tell me more about the monster." "Well... I only saw a silhouette." Adam scratched the back of his head.


    "It doesn''t matter. I need to figure out what this monster roughly resembles." Silvana replied sharply.


    Adam shrugged his shoulders. Many monsters were simr to each other, so there was a good chance that Adam could practice in the virtual zone.


    "There''s not much to tell. Probably no more than three or even two meters tall, two legs and arms, five fingers, no wings or tails or anything like that. I didn''t see the head, it was hidden behind the columns." Adam nonchntly replied.


    However, as soon as he looked at Silvana his eyes went wide. Never before had he seen Silvana in such a state.


    She got goosebumps, her gaze went nk, and her fingertips trembled, she couldn''t say a word.


    "Adam... Are you sure about this...? More specifically, can you say that your Initial Monster possessed a human physique?" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Adam nodded. If it wasn''t for the eerie auraing from the monster, and the overly long arms with fingers, he might have thought it was human.


    Silvana let out a heavy sigh, headed for the medicine cab, and immediately popped a handful of pills, taking long breaths.


    Adam waited for answers. In fact, he was too shocked by this behavior of Silvana''s and he knew that it didn''t mean anything good to him.


    "I''m sorry... I just needed to calm down. Say, Adam, do you know of a game called Abyss Souls?" Silvana asked, turning to him. "No... I didn''t have any money for games, you know." Adam shook his head.


    "Sure... Anyway, the point is that in this game, you have to fight monsters, regrs, and bosses to get through. All neers think that the most dangerous bosses are huge and scary giants, but... Experienced yers know that the strongest bosses, for many impassable, are very simr to humans."


    Adam gave her a puzzled look.


    "I say this since the game was designed to fit the format of our world. Prime Type is not the only Type of monsters. The one that became your Beginning Monster is the Anthrapomorph Type or not scientifically - the Crown Type." Silvana said seriously with a deep gaze.


    "And...? How strong is Crown Type?" Adam asked, expecting the obvious answer.


    "Very strong... If you asked me the odds, I''d say 50/50." Adam gulped as his heart began to race.


    The battle for power was proving to be more difficult than he had thought it would be.


    Hi, in the past two chapters I wrote Initial Monster instead of Beginning Monster. I''ve already corrected it. Just to not confuse you guys.

 Chapter 41 Crown Type

    Chapter 41 Crown Type


    Adam wanted to reveal his Lock before the next Eclipse, but his ns were not destined toe true. Sometimes, expectations had to be altered to fit reality, or what was expected might never happen.


    The first thing Adam did was to find out all the information about Crown Type, with Silvana helping him as always. He had to know what kind of enemy he would fight against.


    "Agh... This is not something I could be prepared for..." Adam muttered holding the tablet in his hands.


    Prime Type - was assigned to a monster that was the strongest individual of a certain species. In fact, it was a small group of individuals in a species that were significantly stronger than their fellows. More often than not, they were either born that way or slowly grew stronger.


    Unlike them, Crown Types were mostly lonely. There was no one weaker or stronger among their kind, as they had moved so far down the evolutionary chain that they were practically a new species. The dinosaurs and themon chicken would be ideal forparison, for they were the closest rtives, but they were obviously infinitely far apart on all factors except DNA.


    That''s why no matter what species a particr Crown Monster came from, they were a different species, both in the Citadel directory and the Vault.


    Other than that, Crown Monsters almost always traveled alone, they didn''t have Nests orrge groups. However, this did not mean that hunting them was easy, on the contrary, the Crown Type was much stronger than the Prime Type, with all other things being equal.


    Their power had a simple reason - Crown Monsters were undefeated, literally. They had evolved for years and had gone through deadly battles, one after another, every single time. They survived because they never lost and always grew stronger after their fights until they finally became Crown Type.


    Their appearance, specifically their anthropomorphic physique was somewhat of a mystery. Scientists supposed that it was due to their evolution being shaped solely forbat. The human physique had no advantages in the form of extra arms or tails, but also had no disadvantages, so everything depended on mastery and skill. Moreover, even though the physique was the same as humans, it didn''t mean that Crown Type looked like humans, they could have powerful jaws, long fangs, and sharp ws. Also, their bodies could be covered in scales, tes, or chitin, everything was individual.


    Crackle.


    The iron gate opened as Adam and Silvana entered the chamber of the virtual zone. Normally, even Naturalborn Phantom would have had trouble gaining ess to the chamber within hours of requesting it, but Silvana had sent the request directly to the missions department.


    The fact that Adam''s Beginning Monster was a Crown Type put him in a unique and difficult position.


    If he seeded, he could make a real breakthrough in the path of power, but the chances of failure were just as great.


    Adam and Silvana had to do their best to make the odds stop being 50/50 and shift to 60/40 or even 70/30. The missions department and all other departments had to help them achieve that goal.


    "Where do we start?" Adam asked, looking at the wall. Behind the wide one-way ss stood Silvana in front of theputers.


    "First, we need to figure out how well you can fight against this type of opponent at all. I''ll load the weakest known Crown Type into the simtion." Silvana said before pressing a button.


    Unlikest time, the simtion didn''t start creating a special desert-like biome. Adam simply found himself in the middle of the arena, in the center of the ancient colosseum. There was more than enough space for maneuvers and directbat.


    Then, a silhouette with a human build appeared out of the darkness.


    "This is Granite Ghost, Green Threat Level, Red Book." Silvana exined while the monster emerged from the darkness.


    Adam smiled bitterly.


    "Exactly the same parameters as the Prime Stone Goliath... and you said it''s the weakest known Crown Monster?"


    Silvana nodded. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Yes. With a 99% probability, your Beginning Monster will be stronger. Well, it''s time to get started, good luck."


    Step. Step. Another Step. Granite Ghost approached Adam with a calm gaze.


    Granite Ghost''s body was covered by a solid dark stone armor with sharp ends on its shoulders and head that covered it like a sinister helmet. Granite Ghost had only three fingers instead of five, but they were long and sharpened. There were t outgrowths on his elbows and knees - for extra defense and speed.


    Granite Ghost''s eyes were not human-like, they were ck, with three white pupils. Instead of a mouth, there was a tear made of a web of purple crystals, asionally shing with bright light.


    "Hmm... Perhaps it''s all aboutck of experience, but you don''t look strong at all." Adam muttered as his eyes sparkled and a needle appeared in his hands.


    Granite Ghost tilted his head with interest watching Adam, then he lunged forward, shaking the ground beneath him.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed as he swung the needle, about to pierce his opponent. Adam had almost reached his goal, the tip of the needle was heading towards Granite Ghost''s chest, and in a moment it would pierce it.


    Crackle. Before Adam could realize anything, a stone fist mmed into his face.


    The impact, threw Adam aside, blood spurted from his broken nose, and waves of pain traveled through his entire body.


    "Fuck! That was intense!" Adam eximed, quickly regaining his bnce and stopping.


    However, Granite Ghost was already in front of him, delivering the next blow.


    Adam took a step to the side, dodging.


    "Agh...?"


    Adam''s eyes went wide as the world in front of him tilted. Only a secondter did he realize that Granite Ghost had kicked him in the legs, knocking him off bnce.


    Then, Granite Ghost stepped forward, grabbed Adam by the arm, and with all his might, mmed him to the ground.


    The loud crack of Adam''s breaking bones spread through the arena, only to be soon silenced by the Granite Ghost''s fingers that went deep into his eyes, piercing his brain.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Granite Ghost disappeared, falling apart into particles just like the arena and Adam''s wounds.


    He came to his senses, slowly rose from the ground, and looked at Silvana in shock.


    "How does it feel?" Silvana asked. She had clearly expected this result. "Very strange... so much so that I even forgot about the pain, though it wasn''t real anyway. It felt like I was fighting against a human instead of a monster, a very experienced person who knows how to fight exactly in 1 vs. 1." Adam muttered, staring into the void.


    Silvana nodded.


    "Crown Type are the perfect warriors, unconquerable and invincible. That''s what makes them different from the others. A Desert Lizard or Rat won''t throw you over their shoulder or grab you, but a Granite Ghost will." Silvana exined.


    Adam nodded with a thoughtful look.


    "It''s the same as martial arts and what the military teaches... Being able to fight against other monsters means nothing against a Crown Type..."


    "I didn''t expect you toe to that conclusion so quickly. You''re right, but let''s not waste time. Next try?"


    "Sure." Adam nodded, and Silvana started the simtion.

 Chapter 42 Crystal Weapon and Special Mission

    Chapter 42 Crystal Weapon and Special Mission


    As the day turned to night, life went on, both for the normal people and the Phantoms hunting monsters.


    Some of them had been to all the Rings inside the Citadel and a few areas in the Dead Lands during the two days, while some stayed in the same room and did only one thing - trying to get better time after time.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Adam fended off a cascade of blows from the Granite Ghost using only his hands. His gloves eliminated the damage to his palms and reduced the recoil several times, allowing Adam to keep up his active pace for a long. Then, with a sharp gaze, Adam used his Order and swung the needle, cutting off the right arm of the Granite Ghost. It was the first time in over a hundred attempts that he had been able to get this far. Now, Adam waspletely confident in himself and that he would win.


    ''Fine, now he should try to dodge, knock me off bnce somehow - perhaps with a push and try to pierce my head with his fingers. However, I''m not going to let that happen!'' Adam internally eximed, rushing forward.


    Adam was about to deliver the final blow, but just at that moment, energy streaks ran down Granite Ghost''s arm, and a long purple crystal, sharp as a sword, grew out of his palm.


    Tremble.


    The collision of the needle with the crystal made a strange ringing sound that caused ripples in space, and then Granite Ghost turned sharply and shed Adam diagonally. Adam tried to defend himself, but he couldn''t get a block out in time.


    "Fuck! So he''s had a weapon this whole time?! Since when do monsters even have weapons?! Adam eximed, hitting the ground with his fist irritably.


    "Heh."


    "Hm? Was it just me, or did you just grin?" Adam frowned, casting a nce at Silvana.


    Silvana shook her head.


    "I''m sorry, it''s just that I''ve waited so long for the moment you discovered it. This was stage two. Do you want to take a break, or do you want to continue?" Adam kneaded his shoulder with a calm look.


    "Pffft. It''s all right. A few more tries, and I can win. It''s only a matter of time."


    ...


    Three dayster.


    Adam,pletely unharmed, without scratches or cuts stood over Granite Ghost. A long, silver needle had been thrust into the stone chest of the defeated and defeated Crown Monster.


    It took longer than Adam had anticipated, but he didn''t know that it wasn''t a bad result, on the contrary, he managed it faster than expected.


    ''Damn... When I went to the Operators Academy I was hoping that my Phantom wouldn''t be aplete moron... That was enough for me, you can never build up over expectations, or you''ll be sorely disappointed. However, I was lucky to find a diamond in the rough. I''m really lucky he chose me to be his Operator. Sometimes luck decides entire fates...'' Silvana pondered while looking at some list or - a ranking.


    [Battle Against Practice Crown Monster (Granite Ghost)


    Participants: K0-Level Phantoms.


    Average number of attempts in the first stage - 480


    Average number of attempts in the second stage - 734]


    Then, Silvana clicked on Adam''s profile. [Adam Vinter


    Number of attempts on stage one - 140


    Number of attempts at stage two - 235]


    "Hey! How did I do? I hope it wasn''t too bad?" Adam asked.


    "Ghm." Silvana cleared her throat, "I''ll be honest, it''s a little better than the average score."


    Adam paused for a moment.


    Then, he asked, "Are you lying?"


    Silvana flinched as she lowered her gaze.


    "Y-Yes... I apologize... I did it again..." Silvana said in a trembling voice. She had once again broken the golden rule between Phantom and Operator - absolute trust. For someone like Silvana, it was likemitting all the deadly sins at the same time.


    Adam smiled bitterly.


    "Actually you..."


    "Stop." Adam said sharply.


    "What, don''t you want to know your results?" Silvana was surprised. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Adam shook his head.


    "Well... It hardly matters in any way. Just tell me, in your opinion are my chances now more than 50/50?" Adam smirked.


    Silvana nodded.


    "Sure... I''d say you''re closer to 70/30, but that''s the maximum. However, the military will help you in the beginning."


    "Hmm? What does that mean?" Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    "I think we need to rest first. After all, it''s no good upying the chamber if we''re already done."


    "Fine."


    ...


    The mechanical door opened, and they stepped out into the corridor. Adam was tired, but his gait was upbeat and confident. He had been taking breaks, physically he was full of energy, but mentally was pretty much exhausted. After all, he had been in virtual reality for five days, almost a full week, and the entire time, he had only fought the same opponent, constantly losing.


    "Hey... What''s going on here?" Adam asked, looking around.


    For some reason as soon as he stepped out of the chamber, the other Phantoms, Operators, and even the department employees, looked at him with surprise. "Khm." Silvana coughed, "I think there are several reasons here. Surely your long battle against the Crown Monster must have attracted attention, as well as your results that you didn''t find out about..."


    "I see. So that''s normal, right?" Adam nced at her.


    "Yes."


    Adam shrugged. He didn''t care about the others. Right now he needed to get some rest, talk to Silvana about the next n, and head to Rusty Ruins on Iron Alley.


    ...


    The sodas and mountain of burgers were the perfect relief from both hunger and mental fatigue thanks to the fulfilled sweet but forbidden desire to eat something unhealthy and inrger portions.


    Silvana exined to Adam everything he should have known. The Missions Department always made special missions for Phantoms that were going to reveal their Lock and kill the Beginning Monster. She had applied five days ago, so by now, everything was ready.


    All the Mission Department needed was a signal from Adam, and the mission could begin at any moment.


    ...


    The next day, at dawn, Adam was on his way to one of the runways at Fort Norton with fire in his eyes. He was excited not only because he was going to his toughest fight yet, but also because he was going to be sent to Rusty Ruins in a fighter aircraft!


    Adam had been on fighter jets before, but only because of Damien and the rescue mission, however, now it was all prepared exclusively for him. Next to the fighter, there were also two military helicopters with squads with special long-range weapons. A woman in a military uniform stepped forward. She had a stern look, blue hair braided, and brown eyes.


    "Mr. Adam, you''re just in time. My name is Elda, and I will be in charge of the military part of this mission. Silvana must have told you everything in detail, didn''t she?"


    Adam nodded.


    "Yeah. I don''t think there''s any need for you, though. I''ve seen a supersonic missile do no damage to a monster... Isn''t that just a pointless risk?" Adam suggested.


    Elda smirked.


    "I assure you, it isn''t. We may not be able to harm your Beginning Monster, but we can make the first part of the fight easier for you by increasing your overall chances of sess. You can rest assured of that." Elda said seriously.


    "Fine, in that case, I''m relying on you." Adam said as he walked past Elda.


    Soon, the fighter jet took off as well as the military helicopters, and Adam''s fateful mission began.

 Chapter 43 The Tragedy of the Rusty Gears

    Chapter 43 The Tragedy of the Rusty Gears


    The fighter jet took off from Fort Norton quickly, heading towards Rusty Ruins. Right behind the fighter, two helicopters headed out in ordance with the special mission.


    The helicopters couldn''t catch up with the fighter, but there was no need to because Adam wouldn''t jump right onto Iron Alley, because that would be suicide. His goal was to get to the north of the Rusty Ruins - and follow the pre-determined route to reach his goal. With information from the mission department and Silvana''s help, Adam could easily make his way through the rusty structures straight to Iron Alley.


    His Beginning Monster couldn''t go missing, for in a way they were constantly in contact and sensing each other as they awaited the fateful battle. They were in the same position - if Adam won, he would be stronger, if Beginning Monster won, it would be stronger. The reward was one - power, the punishment the same - death.


    Due to Adam taking the Golden Mission solo, he had already reached his limit. Without defeating the Beginning Monster, he couldn''t destroy the chains as well as improve his Artifact or Nexus. Evolution Tree and Initial Gene obviously couldn''t grow with Lock covered in chains.


    "Ready?" Pilot asked in a serious voice.


    "Yes. It''s time to move on." Adam pronounced, opening the hatch.


    "Good luck. I hope I''m not going back to the Citadel alone tonight." The pilot uttered, gesturing with a wave of his hand away from his head.


    Then, Adam jumped off and after a few dozen meters, opened his parachute. Unlike Damien, he could not fall from a height of several hundred meters without damage.


    Adamnded next to two tall rusty buildings, dropped his parachute, and looking at the NEP headed forward.


    From time to time, he had to change his route or wait in one ce longer than expected. Silvana kept him informed of all the movements of the nearest monsters, she got information from the cameras on the helicopters that hovered over the area.


    ''Damn... This ce actually looks more dangerous than the Scorching Desert... I never thought I''d say this, but I''d like to return to the desert now.'' Adam pondered, looking down from the top of the building at a long troop of mechanical monsters.


    The monsters were made up of rusted metal, gears, pistons, and engine parts. It was a mix, but a bnced one, not a pile of junk but a deadly construct.


    A squad of massive monsters with wide arms, covered in rusty pipes, moved confidently forward in a single row. With each step, streams of vapor emerged from the valves on their heads, slowly spreading into the air.


    ''It''s all right. You can move on. They won''t notice you since they''ve only just started their route east.'' Silvana calmly said.


    Adam nodded and jumped down, flying through empty floors where maybe other Phantoms had once been.


    Building after building, street after street, turn after turn, Adam approached a ce with tall pirs, their sharp peaks pointed skyward.


    ''Are you sure you''re ready? You can wait a few more minutes if you need to. Once you meet your Beginning Monster, there will be no turning back.'' Silvana said sternly. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Well... I won''t lie, I''m worried, but the longer you dy the inevitable, the more anxiety builds up. Only one of us will be leaving Iron Alley tonight, either me or him."


    Then, Adam stepped out from behind the building and, after a few steps, strode onto the metal tform that made up Iron Alley. At the same moment, Adam''s calm gaze swept forward directly to the same serene gaze that was already watching him from the other end of the alley.


    "Here you are... Brass Puppet..." Adam muttered, looking at his Beginning Monster. For some reason, he knew the name of his opponent immediately, the information just appeared in his head. Brass Puppet as any Crown Monster, only had two arms, legs, and one head. He was a little over two meters tall.


    A dense, solidyer of brass covered its mechanical body, which was made up of many parts fastened with levers, rods, and gears as if they were imitating human cartge and tendons. Three rusty des like metal feathers emerged from Brass Puppet''s shoulder, and on his head was an ugly crown of seemingly molten copper wires, with pointed spikes.


    In Brass Puppet''s chest was aplex clockwork mechanism consisting of many cogs of different shapes and sizes, asionally moving and making the engine that hid behind them tremble - like a heart.


    Brass Puppet stepped forward and pointed his weapon at Adam - a massive rusty key with a long pointed de. On his left arm were severalrge gears with pointed edges like ninja shurikens.


    Adam nodded, smiled slightly, and his eyes shone brightly.


    Hundreds of silver, indestructible threads merged together, and the sharp end of the long needle aimed at the fateful enemy. Then, the main stage of the mission began, and dozens of red dots from thesers fell on Brass Puppet. In no time, every military man took a shot. Dozens of massive projectiles surrounded Brass Puppet, exploding and releasing outwards any metal corroding acid and strong electrical discharges.


    Sure, it couldn''t kill Brass Puppet, the monster wouldn''t even be harmed, but it should slow him down and give Adam a much-needed advantage.


    Adam''s gaze grew serious, he stepped forward, about to attack.


    However, he stopped abruptly, waves of shivers going through his body.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Brass Puppet swung his key, cutting through the green-blue veil of acid and electricity. Then, Brass Puppet lunged forward, towards one of the pirs and pulled it out of the ground with one hand.


    Before anyone had time to realize anything, Brass Puppet threw the pir, like an ancient warrior with his spear. The force and speed were so great that the pir pierced one of the helicopters like a lightning strike, sting it with most of the soldiers.


    "No! I am your opponent!" Adam eximed in a rush, trying to draw the monster''s attention to himself.


    However, Brass Puppet didn''t give in to the provocation even though he heard Adam, which was clear from the monster''s quick nce in his direction. It was as if Bruss Puppet was saying - ''Wait until I deal with the unwanted onlookers.''


    "Retreat! Maintain fire!" Elda eximed, giving orders.


    Despite the situation and the already considerable casualties, she remained serious. After all, she was an experienced military officer and understood the risks involved.


    "Commander, what about the others?" One of the military eximed.


    "Commander...?" The man muttered with wide-open eyes. His face quickly turned pale from the sight of blood trickling down from Elda''s decapitated neck. A gear with sharp edges stuck in the wall of the helicopter right behind Elda.


    Elda''s head flew off to the side, spinning in the air while other gears flew behind her, turning the second helicopter into nothing, as well as the lives of the soldiers.


    Adam couldn''t take his gaze off Elda''s head, whose empty eyes were staring straight at him, as if he were the culprit or... as a hope?


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!


    The helicopters reached the ground, exploding with scarlet mes and bing just another iron wreck among countless others in the Rusty Ruins. Only dark blood was the sign of this tragedy until it faded away.


    ''Adam, the main thing is not to panic! Giving in to your emotions and desire for revenge is the worst thing you can do! Three deep breaths!'' Silvana said quickly, realizing the state Adam was in.


    However, he didn''t answer anything.


    His gaze was calm and cold, there was no trembling or panic, just a slight grimace representing whatever was going on inside him.


    "Agh... I warned them... Shouldn''t they be more experienced than me and realize what a Crown Monster fighting as a human is capable of?" Adam shook his head with a deep sigh.


    "Fine, I''ll be more persistent next time, if they don''t value their lives, then I''ll do value them... Because, tonight, I''m getting out of here alive!" Adam eximed, as electric shocks covered his legs.

 Chapter 44 Key and the Door

    Chapter 44 Key and the Door


    The death of fellow mates could be a traumatizing experience, easily plunging into panic and leading to just one more death. However, it could have had the opposite effect - the realization that it was necessary to give one''s best for survival.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam ran forward across the metal tforms, gradually getting faster and faster.


    Brass Puppet responded in kind. Steam came out of the tubes on his legs, quickly raising the temperature, the metal tes covering his legs turned red, then Brass Puppet, at great speed, rushed straight at Adam.


    They both moved at the same speed, using the full power of their legs and skill.


    ng.


    The silver needle collided with the sharp de of the rusty key, causing chaotic air currents to blow dust off Iron Alley.


    Then, they attacked again and again, recognizing each other''s strengths and limits, each time unleashing a cascade of red-hot sparks. Brass Puppet became Adam''s Beginning Monster for a reason - their opponent had to be simr to them. The resemnce didn''t have to be literal, the genes had no eyes or ears, but they could sense something that was much deeper - the origin of power. ''Adam, a prolonged exchange of attacks with him is not to your advantage. Unlike you, Brass Puppet has sharpened gears, and your needle can''t break his weapon. Furthermore, your Nexus isn''t as effective against a single opponent as it is against a group. I''d say you should aim for clockwork. Surely, if you destroy the engine, Brass Puppet will probably die.'' Silvana said calmly, turning her full attention to the battle.


    "It''s not as easy as it looks!" Adad gritted his teeth, struggling to maintain the pace of the battle.


    All he had was his speed, reflexes, and needle, but Brass Puppet''s arsenal was no less impressive.


    Whoooooooooooooooooosh.


    Brass Puppet spun around, kicking Adam sharply in the stomach, throwing him more than ten meters away.


    Before Adam''s back touched the ground, three new gears appeared on Brass Puppet''s left arm, and the monster bent its body forward.


    ''No!'' Adam''s pupils narrowed as he swung the needle, deflecting the first gear. He dodged the second with a shake of his head to the side, but the third was already critically close to him.


    The gear almost hit his arm, but at thest moment, Adam swung his arm, trying to frame his hand, hoping that his gloves could reduce the damage. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Tremble. The strained threads of the gloves collided with the gear, tossing it aside without any damage to himself.


    Adam''s eyes went wide as he looked at his Nexus with slight surprise.


    "Right...? These threads shouldn''t be much different from what my needle is made up of... That changes things, that changes a lot..." Adam muttered before reflexively jumping back from the sharp tip of Brass Puppet''s key.


    Previously, Adam had used his gloves for protection or recoil containment, but only the material they were made of and not the threads. He had only used the threads to activate Nexus''s Trait, but now it was time to learn something new. ''Don''t rx. You still haven''t dealt Brass Puppet a single attack.'' Silvana said seriously.


    "I know, but I don''t see any gaps in his defenses..." Adam muttered, reflecting on one attack after another.


    Gradually, he began to use the threads on his gloves, transferring some of the attacks to them, so he finally had a moment where he could attack without fear of getting hit back.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Adam stepped forward confidently, plunging the needle in. The sharp tip went straight for the clockwork at breakneck speed, aiming for the engine behind the cogs. Brass Puppet arched backward at a strange angle-impossible for the human body since bones would break and muscles would tear. However, for one made of cogs, it was possible.


    "Agh...?"


    The needle swept along the monster''s chest, leaving a long cut that went all the way to the shoulder, but the clockwork remained unharmed, continuing its job of maintaining the death machine.


    Then, Brass Puppet stepped close to Adam and grabbed his arm tightly. The monster didn''t try to cut Adam, he realized that his key couldn''t damage the needle in any way.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Before Adam could realize anything, the tubes on Brass Puppet''s hands let off steam, and the monster, using all his new power, threw Adam away.


    Ifst time it had been a few meters, now Adam felt like he''d been shot out of a cannon like a ball.


    With his back, he crashed through several sheets of metal sticking out of the ground before breaking the wall of the building and falling in the middle of the cold, iron floor.


    "Fuck..." Adam muttered, looking at the dust particles falling from the upper floors of the building, trickles of blood dripping from the corners of his mouth.


    Faint rays of white light streamed through the wide windows, falling solely on Adam, lying on the ground amidst the metal debris.


    Step. Step. Another Step.


    Brass Puppet approached serenely, sharpening the de of his weapon against his own hand. A cascade of sparks flew out, making the de sharper and deadlier.


    ''Adam! You must rise and prepare to block! Otherwise, you will lose and die!'' Silvana eximed worriedly.


    However, Adam did not reply. He just smiled slightly and thrust the needle into the ground. The needle lost contact with him, so it disintegrated into threads, slowly flying over him.


    Silvana saw this through the cameras and began to truly panic. She didn''t know what was going on in Adam''s mind, because from her perspective, it looked like Adam had given up because of his wounds.


    A shadow from Brass Puppet fell over Adam, towering over him. Brass Puppet tilted his head as if in confusion, then he gripped the hilt tightly and raised the weapon high above him.


    Without hesitation, Brass Puppet brought the key down on Adam, intending to cut him in two, not noticing how the corners of Adam''s mouth lifted up just slightly to form a sly smirk.


    At thest moment, Adam mmed the back of his palms against each other, simultaneously mping the de of the key between the threads and letting out an eerie scream like that of a dying siren.


    Even the creature of metal and gears couldn''t resist it and froze in ce for a moment.


    It was enough for Adam to rise abruptly from the ground, summon a needle, and attack straight into the clockwork, going through all the cogs and piercing the engine.


    ck oil trickled outward, traveling along the snow-white needle and reaching Adam''s arm, falling to the ground in droplets, one by one. "Hah, you fight like a human and even understand a bit of strategy, but here''s the cunning and insight you clearlyck." Adam smirked, pulled out a needle, andunched about ten more attacks.


    Cuts covered the entire body of Brass Puppet, who didn''t even try to defend himself. He held onto his chest, as if struggling to stop the inevitable - to save his wounded heart.


    Then, due to the umted wounds, Brass Puppet fell to one knee, resting his hand on the ground.


    ''Finish him off! Right now!'' Silvana shouted.


    "Sure!" Adam rushed forward without dy, aiming straight for the monster''s head.


    Brass Puppet, feeling the tremors from Adam''s footsteps, quickly rose up and did thest thing he could - stab a sharp de right into his engine.


    "What...?" Adam stopped from shock, the first thing he thought was that Brass Puppet was going to blow himself up.


    Then, Brass Puppet turned the key right into his engine, as if opening a forbidden door, leading to a destructive force.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    All the air around Brass Puppet was instantly incinerated, turned into nothingness. Brutal torrents of wind rushed away as if trying to escape as far away from the hearth of chaos as possible. Streams of scarlet mes surrounded Brass Puppet, heating his body to the limit, the steam constantly emanating, creating the illusion of a mirage.


    The Cogs in the clockwork began spinning at their limits, burning the oil and melting the cut edges of the engine, forcing them to recover. "Hey... You said that in Abyss Souls, particrly strong bosses have what''s called two stages, right?" Adam muttered, waves of shivers passing through his body, "Looks like you can congratte me for getting past the first one..."


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Brass Puppet swung the key, from bottom to top, sending a ming de across the ground.


    Adam took a sharp step to the side, dodging the ming step.


    ''That was damn fast...''


    Crackle. The metal fist copsed into Adam''s jaw, coating it with cracks with a loud crunch and throwing Adam himself aside, causing him to spin in the air due to the insane inertia from the abnormal force of the blow. He fell among the debris, bleeding with blurred vision.

 Chapter 45 Death by Rusty Plague

    Chapter 45 Death by Rusty gue


    Brass Puppet stepped forward confidently, leaving ming footprints on the ground that melted even the sturdy iron floor.


    Part of Adam''s face was covered in severe burns, and the sharp metal debris had left many cuts on his body, making him bleed.


    ''Adam! Adam! Get up! You have to do something!''


    Silvana''s voice rang in his ears, but Adam heard nothing. The Brass Puppet blow had given Adam a severe brain concussion, and he was barely staying awake.


    The only thing Adam saw - was an approaching fiery silhouette with a massive key in its hands. Adam could feel the heat from the fire even ten meters away, and the feeling of imminent death left his body with nothing else to do but squeeze everything out of itself.


    ''Get up.''


    A calm voice spread through Adam''s mind, strange and mechanical, the same as it had been in the battle against the Prime Stone Goliath.


    Adam took a deep breath, scratching the floor with his fingers in an attempt to get up and continue the battle.


    ''No me can burn forever. Everything has a beginning and an end, especially a fire this bright. Even the greatest stars will extinguish at some point, this is just a spark inparison. You need to survive that period, and you can only do that by igniting your own me.''


    ''You know that... And you were ready for it...''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Evolution Tree and Initial Gene shuddered just as they had thest time Adam had entered Resonance. However, now Lock and especially the chains were also affected.


    The chains shook vigorously, and a few of them broke, it was still a long way from fully releasing Lock, but some of the energy was able to escape through the vortex heading up the Evolution Tree, causing it to grow.


    Then, Adam''s eyes filled with blood, his veins swelled, and his breath began to emanate a frosty vapor as if from the farthest reaches of the north.


    "Hey... Looks like I have a second stage too, doesn''t it?" Adam smirked, clutching the needle tightly as his blood trickled along it.


    Brass Puppet stopped in shock, staring at his opponent. He didn''t seem to expect that a human could get out of this position and be stronger - just like he had done with his key.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Brass Puppet swung his key, unleashing a fiery de. Adam ducked, repeating the previous episode, and Brass Puppet''s fist was right in front of Adam''s face.


    However, this time, Adam set the threads on his glove, under the blow, dispersing the mes and sending sparks from the scratches on the monster''s metal arm.


    Brass Puppet''s eyes went wide in disbelief.


    "Surprised? Did you really think the same attack would seed twice?" Adam said coldly before blocking the key''s sh.


    Brass Puppet tried to hurt Adam, but the key couldn''t get through the needle, only particles of me passing over Adam''s shoulders unable to hurt him.


    Then, Adam with an ice-cold look, stepped forward, getting as close to Brass Puppet as possible, and reached forward with his left hand. Before Brass Puppet could realize anything, Adam ripped several tubes and gears from the monster''s shoulder, simply crushing them and throwing them away. The mes should have burned him, but the gloves were strong enough to withstand the ze.


    "ARRRRRRRRRRRTTT!!!"


    Brass Puppet made a sound for the first time - which was like a mechanical shriek, painful but fierce like the roar of a wild beast. Adam was a bit taken aback, he didn''t expect that Brass Puppet could make any sound, but he quickly recovered and attacked.


    A long diagonal cut was left along his chest, then Adam attacked again, but Brass Puppet had alreadye to his senses. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    From all the tubes on his body, thick steam came out, raising the temperature even higher and making the cogs spin faster.


    Even for Brass Puppet, whose body was metal, such a strain was too much, he wouldn''t be able to sustain this me for long, but... it was also a test for Adam, who had to endure this deadly period.


    Bam.


    Brass Puppet''s fist plunged into Adam''s stomach, burning his clothes and throwing him backward. Adam smashed through the wall with his back and flew outward, ending up above a whole district of buildings that were much smaller and below them.


    To the east of their battle point, right now there was arge squad with several Phantoms and ten Harvesters. They were fighting against some Nest -rge monsters made of metal with hammer arms and horns with electric shocks running between them.


    Their hunt was proceeding at its usual pace, and they noticed a Phantom flying out of a building, who was aiming at the ground right next to them.


    "What''s going on?" The man with the massive sword muttered, ring at the Adam approaching them. He had ck hair and a thick beard.


    A woman with red short hair and confident blue eyes stepped forward. "Tsk. Looks like some cocky Phantom can''t handle the mission. There was no SOS request, but I''m sure he won''t make it without help."


    The man raised an eyebrow.


    "Pam, I think we should help him."


    She nodded, "Yeah, Zaron, you''re right. Then, we''ll ask the mission department for half of his bounty. We shouldn''t work for free, you know?"


    ''Back off! You need to get off this area now!''


    Suddenly, in their earbuds came a worried voice that proceeded from their Operator in charge of this mission. The Operator had just received information from Silvana.


    ''He''s fighting against his Beginning Monster! You must get to a safe distance as soon as possible!''


    Zaron wanted to say something to his squad, but Pam stopped him.


    "Come on. Some newbie''s Beginning Monster isn''t going to hurt us. We have a whole squad of Phantoms here and..."


    A sharp gear covered in me swept through her, slicing Pam''s body in two, with blood bubbling outward.


    "Agh...?" Zaron''s eyes went wide in disbelief.


    Then, red-hot metal legs came crashing down on top of him, nailing him to the ground and crushing his head.


    By then, all the other Phantoms and Harvesters had realized what was happening, and Adam reached the ground, finding himself among them.


    However, neither the dead Zaron and Pam, nor the shocked Phantoms and Harvesters caught Adam''s attention. It wasn''t that he didn''t care about them, it was the Resonance.


    All of his genes had been activated to the limit for only one purpose - to defeat Brass Puppet. That way, even if the world was about to end, Adam would only focus on his opponent.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Brass Puppet bounced off several buildings, flying high up and creating new gears.


    Then, mes rained down hail upon Adam, squad, and monsters, destroying everything in its path.


    For Brass Puppet, Adam was the main target and that was why everyone else had to disappear. "No! Run!" Someone eximed, only to be left headless a secondter.


    One Phantom after another fell to the ground unable to resist the ming gears as well as the Harvesters, who didn''t stand a chance.


    The number of casualties was steadily increasing, and not only among the humans, the hunted monsters were already dead as well.


    In this scorched earth, among the destroyed iron buildings, only Adam and Brass Puppet remained surrounded by corpses.


    However, they continued to fight, trying to tear each other apart as if they were not the cause of this massacre.


    At the same moment, one squad a few hundred meters away was trying to escape from a monster with a humanoid physique - one of the Crown Type. But, it was unlikely that any of them would be able to survive.

 Chapter 46 Respect

    Chapter 46 Respect


    While Adam and Brass Puppet were tearing each other apart, fighting at the top of their abilities, the Missions Department and Fort Norton were in the midst of chaos in one of the departments.


    The mechanical door opened, and a man with shoulder-length gray hair, a short beard, and a cigarette tucked behind his ear walked into a room with a multitude of people and screens. "Dous! Damn it! Why do I keep hearing your name over and over again when something goes wrong in my department''s work?!" Gauter eximed irritably, addressing a man in a ck military suit standing in the center of the room. Dous nced back and waved his hand slightly as if inviting Gauter to join him.


    "First, this guy took the Golden Mission, and usually there should be a serious punishment for something like that, not a follow-up special mission!" Gauter continued to grumble, approaching Dous. "Now I find out that he''s the reason a squad of Phantoms died who almostpleted their mission! That guy is nothing but trouble!" Gauter burst out, waving his hand unhappily.


    Dous didn''t answer anything. He just pointed forward, at the main screen.


    "Hmm?" Gauter raised an eyebrow and turned around, then his eyes went wide at the sight of endless shes of key and needle with cascades of sparks flying sideways. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    They were watching the fight with Adam''s NEP, but they had another point - from Phantom, who was lurking a few hundred meters away. He was here on a solo mission, but when he saw what Brass Puppet and Adam had done, he started recording the fight from atop a building. "Fuck... So he''s still alive? I thought Crown Type should have killed him by now..." Gauter muttered in a disbelief.


    "Gauter, I lost two units of the military as well. No one expected his Beginning Monster to be so strong even if it was Crown Type. The Phantoms from that squad didn''t listen to their Operator, though... it''s unlikely they would have escaped in time." Dous exined with a deep sigh.


    He was an experienced military man, and over the years he had already lost hundreds or even thousands of his subordinates. Considering the constant missions, Eclipses, and monster hordes, the number wasn''t that impressive.


    Hundreds of Phantoms died every year, so casualties among the military and Harvesters were not as notable, though it was still a significant problem. Cumtively, the Citadel was home to about 50 million people, taking into ount the Upper Ring and Lower Ring. Nearly half a million people were military, and that was just from the poption in the Upper Ring. A few hundred thousand more worked in various departments. Upper Ring had more people living than Lower Ring, ording to thetest information, so the percentage of people involved in fighting monsters was enormous, especially if considering the elderly, children, and those who were studying at the academies.


    "What will you do next?" Gauter asked with a serious look. He realized that this situation was unusual. Dous shrugged.


    "There is nothing we can do." "There''s no point in sending in the military or other Phantoms since Adam is fighting his Beginning Monster. We can only watch and keep a fighter flying around to pick it up right after the battle. All other squads have already been alerted and are heading back to the Citadel."


    "Hm? Have they? I could be wrong, but I think there was supposed to be another squad there, though they''ve probably already finished their mission. I''ll have to check that out." Gauter muttered before pulling out his tablet.


    Crackle.


    At the same moment, something flew into the wall of the building, destroying it where Phantom was - recordingbat from afar.


    "What the hell...?" Someone muttered in a trembling voice. The Phantom turned around, only to see the tattered body of another Phantom, which seemed to have been thrown on top of the building with tremendous force.


    Then, a tall silhouette surged upward,nding next to the corpse. It was a real knight - wearing an intimidating armor that glistened in the sun and two swords crossed behind his back. However, the Steel Knight didn''t even have to use one, as his arms were covered in blood up to his elbows, dark drops constantly dripping down.


    "The hell... Another Crown Type? But, why didn''t this squad send out a signal for help?" Gauter frowned.


    Dous shook his head.


    "They probably didn''t have time. You know yourself that if a monster kills part of the squad in the first few seconds, the squad members just run away in an attempt to escape."


    Gauter clenched his fists tightly, gritting his teeth.


    "Shit! In one day in Rusty Ruins, we lost two squads of Phantoms, and not only that..." Gauter nced at the fighting Adam, "Dous, this guy is going to die no matter what. He can''t stand up to two Crown Monsters."


    Dous nodded with great grimace.


    "I know."


    Sure, Dous could send some of the Second Rank Phantoms, but even with fighters, it would take time to get north of the Rusty Ruins, by which time there would be nothing left of Adam.


    Step. Step. Another Step.


    Steel Knight approached Phantom, who panicked and attacked him with fire projectiles. However, the Steel Knight didn''t stop, the mes couldn''t hurt him, and the projectiles just bounced off his imprable armor. "No! Get away from me! Get away!" Phantom eximed in horror at the Crown Type.


    The Steel Knight stopped in front of Phantom, looked down at him, and raised his hands at shoulder level.


    Then, without emotion, Steel Knight mmed his palms together, sting Phantom''s head. The Steel Knight simply stepped forward, crushing Phantom''s body under his feet and watching the battle between the fire and white sh.


    "How horrible..." The girl, one of the workers shuddered at the gruesome scene.


    Dous and Gauter didn''t even blink. When the Steel Knight appeared, to them, Phantom and Adam were already dead.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    The Steel Knight leaped forward, approaching the battle scene. The battle between Brass Puppet and Adam obviously interested him, so much that he was willing to participate without taking sides.


    Needle and ming key collided, creating a fiery explosion and throwing Adam and Brass Puppet aside.


    In thest few minutes, they had both suffered serious wounds. Adam''s left arm was covered in burns and practically torn due to the numerous cuts, it seemed as if a bear had attacked him and brought its ws down solely on his arm.


    Brass Puppet, basically lost his arm with gears, as well as part of his shoulder and multiple protective tes all over his body. Something was destroyed by Adam and something simply burned due to the high heat, the engine was still going strong.


    They were about to attack each other again, but hearing the heavy footsteps of the Steel Knight was the first time they were distracted. The uninvited guest''s aura was powerful enough for them to pay attention to him.


    ''Wait... Is that another Crown Type...? What the fuck is going on here?'' Adam internally muttered, a shiver went through his body. To his surprise, Brass Puppet abruptly turned around and approached the Steel Knight. It only took a slight jolt for their foreheads to collide, so close they were.


    The Steel Knight looked at him thoughtfully, unafraid of the mes that were right in front of him.


    "AAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTGGGGG!!!"


    With his mouth wide open, Brass Puppet unleashed a mechanical, eerie roar shuddering through space at the Steel Knight.


    The department workers who heard this roar through Adam''s NEP covered their ears, some fell to the ground instinctively, trying to escape from this nightmare.


    However, the Steel Knight didn''t even move. He slowly turned his head, looked at Adam, and turned around. In a few leaps, he was on the highest building and crossed his arms over his chest, watching the fight.


    The Steel Knight didn''t utter a word, and obviously, Brass Puppet didn''t scare him, but one thing was clearly visible in his aura and movements - respect.


    Dous''s eyes went wide, he was astonished. "Hah... Hahahahahahaha! Looks like his Beginning Monster turned out to be as persistent as him!" Gauter eximed with a slightly insane smile.


    "No way... Then... Then he can still be saved!" Dous eximed about to call for Second Rank Phantom''s help.


    However, Gauter''s palm falling on his shoulder stopped him.


    "There''s no need for that. You must let him finish because if you prevent him from defeating his Beginning Monster now, it will ruin his path." "But... What about the Steel Knight...?"


    Gauter shook his head.


    "You don''t have to worry about that, he''s epted the rules of this game and won''t break them. Whether Adam survives or not is up to him as it should be." Gauter pronounced as he looked at the main screen, "Moreover, it looks like it will all be over soon."

 Chapter 47 Recognition and Growth

    Chapter 47 Recognition and Growth


    "Agh... Agh... Agh..."


    Adam was breathing heavily, his strength was running low, however, his opponent was in the same position.


    Brass Puppet''s mes became a bit weaker, and his engine slowed down because otherwise he would simply burn up, even his body couldn''t withstand the pressure for so long.


    Obviously, in such situations, the fighters only had two options - continue beating each other up, gradually, attack after attack to bring someone to exhaustion and win, or...


    "Do it all in one attack... right?" Adam muttered, looking at his needle.


    Even in Resonance states, he wasn''t invincible. He just used all his resources to the max, but that didn''t mean the resources were infinite. Regardless of power, every me would extinguish at some point, and it was going to happen to them soon. Whoever faded first would never me again.


    "I don''t know... Whether you understand me, but I at least hope so." Adam said with a bitter smile on his face.


    Then, he pointed the needle at Brass Puppet.


    "I think we''ve cut each other up enough... It''s time to call it a day, isn''t it?" Brass Puppet didn''t reply anything, but instead of his usual dash, he just took a few short steps forward.


    ''Adam... Good luck.'' Silvana said quietly, hoping with all her heart that Adam would win. "Good. Then, it''s time to begin!" Adam eximed with an excited smile before rushing forward. Brass Puppet immediately responded in kind. Adam already had nothing, he used Nexus, entered Resonance and his left arm was unusable. Onest attack was all he had left.


    Dozens or even hundreds of gazes were watching him fight. It was important, not just to him, but to every military man, Phantom, or Harvester.


    If he lost, it would only be another dark day consumed by a rampage of monsters. The promising Phantom, two military squads, and two Phantom squads will simply disappear from history. However, if Adam wins, it could be the official birth of a talented new-generation Phantom. Rookies have always been important because soon they will no longer be rookies and will be the future of the Citadel.


    Brass Puppet attacked first, he swung his key sharply, sending two diagonal ming des at Adam.


    Adam''s eyes went wide as he slid underneath them and immediately blocked the oing attack from above.


    Then, Adam thrust the needle, trying to pierce Brass Puppet''s neck, but the monster parried the attack at thest moment. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Before Adam could realize anything, Brass Puppet stepped back, changed his grip on the key, and repeated Adam''s attack, aiming straight for his heart. Adam should have tried to dodge, but instead, he smirked and shifted his body slightly to the right.


    A stream of blood rushed outward as the sharp tip of the key pierced his shoulder, burning his clothes and flesh. Even Phantom''s body wasn''t capable of withstanding something like this for more than ten seconds. "I don''t think I''ll be able to use my arm anytime soon, so giving up my shoulder won''t be such a big loss, right?" Adam smirked before swinging the needle, cutting off Brass Puppet''s other arm. Then, Adam threw the needle away and with full determination thrust his hand straight into the clockwork, passing through the red-hot cogs and grabbing the engine. The cogs burned and tore at his flesh, but the pain couldn''t stop Adam, for victory was so close. Crackle. Crackle. Crackle. The pipes connected to the engine burst until Adam pulled the heart from the other side. His hand, covered in burns, was pouring with dark oil leaking from the pipes.


    At the same moment, the fire disappeared, and Brass Puppet began to cool rapidly, losing its life force.


    Just as a man could not live without his heart, Brass Puppet could no longer exist without its engine - its foundation.


    Bam.


    Brass Puppet dropped to one knee, raising his head and looking at Adam, over whose head the hoop of the sun shone like a halo. Part of his face was covered with burns, as was the left side of his body. His arm and shoulder seemed likely to fall off his body at any moment, and the number of cuts was innumerable. Then, Brass Puppet let out a final cracking sound and silently fell to the ground.


    The Steel Knight watching this scene took his hands from his chest, cast Adam a thoughtful stare, and disappeared in an unknown direction. Adam looked at the engine in his hand and smiled slightly. "Hah, this may be weird, but I''ll keep it... It will be my trophy from the most important opponent so far."


    Adam fell to the ground, it was hard for him to stay conscious, moreover, the fighter was already heading towards him at full speed. His victory had caused a genuine celebration in the missions department, but there was something he had to do before anything else.


    Using thest drops of his power, Adam reached out with an open palm. Faint particles of white energy turned into a tiny vortex, but it was enough to gather the Brass Puppet gene.


    A brightly shining rune emerged from Brass Puppet like a crucial star amidst the vast cosmos, only to disappear into Adam''s Revolve. Brass Puppet''s gene entered Lock, causing it to glow vividly and release all the energy gathered from 1001 genes.


    Adam lost consciousness, and the thick chains shattered into small shards, simultaneously.


    All the energy traveled up the Evolution Tree and towards the Initial Gene, making them shake and the Evolution Tree grow.


    An energy pir came out from Adam''s body, rushing upwards for more than ten meters. The air trembled, and rings were created around the pir, running from the bottom to the top, gradually gaining speed and concentrating all the power into one point.


    "What the fuck...?" Gauter muttered in disbelief, "Why is his pir so high? Hah, damn, Dous, you''ve found a real treasure... You may not have superpowers like the Phantoms, but your intuition is already a superpower in itself!"


    Dous didn''t answer anything, for he was just as surprised. He stared wide-eyed at the ghostly silhouette of Adam''s Evolution Tree, which soon disappeared along with the pir.


    [You''ve unlocked your Lock!]


    [Collect the first Key to advance further!]


    The Evolution Tree continued to grow, and with it came new messages that Adam couldn''t see, but its threads trembled, ready to evolve.


    Hi, hope you enjoy the story as much as the fight against Brass Puppet!


    Arlemit

 Chapter 48 Development and New Opportunities

    Chapter 48 Development and New Opportunities


    A mission worth dozens of lives had finally ended. In some ways, it was a true triumph, for despite the dire situation, Adam had managed to win, but... such a victory had a significant price.


    "Do you think he''ll be alright?" Jena asked, nervously biting her nails. In front of her, in the center, was Adam, lying in a medical pod.


    Silvana red at her.


    "I''m the one who should be asking you, you know?"


    Jena sighed heavily.


    "I know, but I can''t say anything yet. In fact, Adam could either wake up in a few hours or slip into aa. His injuries were on the verge of being critical..." Jena muttered, directing her eyes to Adam''s left arm.


    She had to spend the whole night stitching the pieces of flesh back together to make it look like a hand again.


    The healing solution was able to quickly heal Adam''s burns and cuts. Jena used special remedies to make sure Adam had no scars, but that didn''t mean he waspletely healthy.


    His body needed some kind of reboot. If he opened his eyes he could go to training tomorrow and a weekter on a mission, but there was no telling when that would happen.


    ...


    At the same time, Adam opened his eyes, but he saw not medical equipment and Jena with Silvana, but a starry sky as well as a massive snow-white tree. The Evolution Tree continued to grow, absorbing the energying out of Lock into itself. Everything was happening very fast, as if in rewind, especially for Adam. In fact, his mind was trying to reach a moment in real time, three days after the battle with Brass Puppet.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle. The Evolution Tree became a few meters taller, but the main focus was on the branches - two special ones appeared among them. There were runes carved on them, asionally shing due to the energy flowing through them.


    On the left branch was drawn the sign of a needle, while on the right branch was drawn the sign of a w. [Your first Order received the first Trait!]


    [You have received the second Order!]


    [Your Nexus can evolve to open a second Trait!]


    Adam wanted to find out more about this but was led away by a trembling Lock, or rather, one of the keyholes.


    [Create the first Key to open the first keyhole!]


    [To create the Key you need the following things:


    1) 10,000 Neutral Genes - for the shape.


    2) Ten First-Rarity Level Artefacts - for the key.


    3) Midnight Crystal - for a motion] n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Adam''s eyes went wide. He was only able to collect 1,000 neutral genes because Damien had sent him to Golden Mission solo. It wasn''t likely to happen again soon, and even if it did, he would need ten Golden Missions in solo! It was impossible that so many resources would be allocated to a single Phantom!


    ''Midnight Crystal... What the hell is that? Although, I should probably be more worried about the ten artifacts. It looks like I need months to get it all together, and that''s just for one key. Damn, no wonder Damien is so strong if he went through all this.'' Adam pondered with aplicated expression. Then, Adam shook his head and finally looked at what new abilities he had gained. His eyes opened wide, filled with delight, doubt, and soon, eptance.


    "Well... Now, all that''s left is to get out of here, right?" Adam turned around, directing his gaze upward.


    At the same moment, a white sh blinded Adam, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut hard, closing them.


    As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Silvana and Jena talking about something, but soon they noticed him and smiled happily. Even Silvana didn''t hide her emotions, after all, she wasn''t a robot and had been worried about Adam during his mission.


    Jena immediately opened the pod. She, though tentative, hugged him tightly while the water flowed down.


    "Adam! You''re awake! We were just talking about you yesterday that you might go into aa, but it''s all over!" Jena eximed happily.


    Adam turned around slightly confused. He looked at his hands, then at his body, and finally touched his face.


    "Oh... Unbelievably, I feel even better than before the fight. Jena, you did that, didn''t you?" Adam asked, amazed.


    Jena blushed, shyly turned away, and muttered, "Yes... It wasn''t easy, but for your sake, I was willing to do even something more difficult!"


    "Khm." Silvana coughed as her gaze traveled below Adam''s waist, "I don''t want to ruin the moment, but I think you should get dressed, and we could all meet for coffee in a couple of minutes."


    Adam only scratched the back of his head with a slight smile. Gradually he was starting to get used to this sort of stuff, because when things got serious, embarrassment didn''t bother anyone, but in normal life, it was back to normal again.


    ...


    "Hmm... So it''s not just that Jena healed all my wounds, right?" Adam asked, stirring about ten sugar cubes into his cup of coffee. For some reason, he wanted as much sugar as possible, and Adam decided not to resist the urge.


    Silvana nodded.


    "You unlocked your Lock and got rid of the chains, so you''ve gotten a lot stronger. You''re still a long way from the level of the Second Rank Phantom, but now you''re officially a K1 moreover, you''re also an Extra one." Silvana exined. Then, she sighed heavily.


    "Normally, I wouldn''t say that, but today is okay. In just under a month, you''ve made it this far, and that''s impressive. However, you have to realize that the constant death-defying situations yed a big part in it... I don''t know if that''s good or bad, but Phantoms are like metal, they harden and be stronger only under high pressure."


    Adam shrugged.


    "I guess I just get lucky and unlucky from time to time, just like most people. I''d still have to fight my Beginning Monster, one way or another."


    Adam was about to take a sip, but suddenly, his eyes opened wide as if he remembered something important. "The engine... Where''s Brass Puppet''s heart? I had it in my hands, that''s for sure!" Adam eximed as if he had lost his treasure.


    "Don''t worry. I have the engine in a special container. The Research Department wanted to take it away, but I didn''t let that happen since it was your personal booty that the missions department didn''t order." Silvana exined and opened a picture on her tablet.


    Adam grinned contentedly. He wanted to have the engine, he wanted to remember this victory, for that day had split his life in two again.


    "By the way, besides your physical stats getting better, you must have gotten new abilities as well, right?" Silvana raised an eyebrow, looking intently at Adam.


    "Sure."


    "In that case, you''ll probably want to test them in action. I''m sure, on an asion like this I can get us assigned a chamber in the virtual zone."


    "Of course! I''m ready to do that right now!" Adam eximed with excitement as silver threads shed deep into his pupils.

 Chapter 49 New Opportunities

    Chapter 49 New Opportunities


    Adam faced the Brass Puppet again, but this time not in Rusty Ruins, but in the colosseum created in the virtual zone. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In fact, it was not a fully urate version of the Brass Puppet, because one fight against Adam was not enough to fully explore this version of the monster. However, all physical stats were rendered quite urately, as well as weapon sharpness and armor density.


    Crackle.


    Adam swung the needle, slicing off Brass Puppet''s head. In the virtual version, Brass Puppet couldn''t proceed to his second ''stage'', so given Adam''s greatly increased power, he won after only a few minutes.


    "Well, in a way it''s even a little sad, but it''s already a passed point. Silvana, can you create someone stronger? Someone that I would find difficult, but possible to defeat." Adam asked.


    "Sure. I''ve already chosen a suitable candidate."


    At the same moment, Brass Puppet disappeared, and the empty colosseum changed to a dense forest with tall trees and massive rocks ced here and there. Then, a tall, muscr creature covered in thick green fur and red around the belly emerged from the clots of dark smoke. The monster had six pointed ears with long hairs, two legs, and two long front paws with sharp short ws, as well as a powerful jaw and four vicious eyes.


    "This is Reckless Torok. Blue Threat Level, White Book. It''s hard to say how strong it is, but it''s definitely not the weakest of the Blue Threat Level. I''d say Reckless Torok is just below average." Silvana exined, "Shall I tell you about his weaknesses and strengths?"


    Adam shook his head.


    "I shouldn''t. I didn''t even get to test my new arsenal on Brass Puppet, but I''m sure this guy won''t lose that easily!" Adam''s eyes sparkled when the needle appeared in his hand, but this time something different happened. A multitude of threads floated in the air around Adam''s hand as if waiting for amand.


    [Weaver''s Needle


    Make thread be an original tool that can be used to both kill and sew fabric, even if it is reality, itself


    First Trait: Two Weaver''s Grip.]


    [Two Weaver''s Grip


    Choose which grip to use depending on what goal you want to achieve. No fast and agile opponent, no distant attacker, no brute force will be able to take you off guard.


    You now have something to respond to in any situation].


    "Well, let''s see what you can do." Adam smirked as the loose threads turned into one thick thread. It bound his palm and the needle. The connecting thread was a meter long and could both lengthen and shorten.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Adam grabbed a part of the thread and began to spin his needle like a hammer on a chain.


    Previously, Adam had to hold the needle in his hand at all times, throwing the needle like a spear was impossible, but now that problem was no longer there.


    "Rooooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrr!!!!"


    At the roar of the Reckless Torok, Adam threw the needle like a harpoon. The needle quickly hit the monster''s shoulder, digging deeply into it, but it didn''t seem to matter to the Reckless Torok.


    "Agh...?" Adam was slightly puzzled, Reckless Torok just stood still.


    Then, Reckless Torok grabbed the connecting thread and pulled Adam sharply towards him, lifting him into the air.


    Adam was inexperienced in using such a weapon, he didn''t fully realize that his needle and his arm connecting by the thread could be used against him.


    "ROOORRGG!!!"


    Reckless Torok snorted, knocking Adam to the ground with a loud crack.


    Adam''s eyes went wide with pain, but he quickly came to his senses and jerked his arm, pulling the needle towards him.


    "Hah, dangerous stuff, but if I learn how to use it properly, I can do a lot of interesting things, can''t I?" Adam smirked, casting a nce at Reckless Torok''s paw.


    There was a long and rather deep cut, running down the monster''s paw, though Adam obviously hadn''t attacked its paw. It was all about the connecting thread, which due to its sharpness was a deadly weapon in itself.


    Reckless Torok noticed it too, frowned heavily, and ran at Adam with all his might, clenching his fists tightly.


    "Oh, looks like it''s time to move on to something more suited for closebat, right?" Adam said with a smile of anticipation as the connecting thread separated.


    The loose threads wrapped extremely tightly around Adam''s arm, and especially his fist, holding the needle as firmly as possible as if making his arm and the needle one thing - one weapon. In this form, Adam''s attacks were stronger, faster, and more urate, and the recoil from parrying was much less due to the denseyer of threads. However, this grip also had disadvantages, because Adam''s movements were somewhat restricted. He could not sharply turn the needle in his hand to block an attack from another direction, he had to move his whole arm to do so.


    Well, against a slow opponent with powerful but predictable attacks, this was probably the perfect solution.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble. Reckless Torok''s fists rained down on Adam, who defended himself with his needle. The ground shuddered as cracks split beneath Adam across the soft soil that could barely withstand such pressure.


    "Yeah, I can feel it. If I hadn''t opened my Lock and used that grip, my arm would have broken, but now... It''s only a slight recoil!" Adam swung the needle, leaving a long cut on Reckless Torok''s paws.


    "ROOOOAAAAAARRRR!!!"


    Reckless Torok continued to attack while Adam defended and counterattacked. Very soon, only a few minutester, dozens of trees and rocks were destroyed, and the monster''s body was covered in blood.


    However, Reckless Torok didn''t look like he was about to lose at all, on the contrary, he was getting stronger with each passing second, his attacks getting harder and faster.


    ''I see... This firepower isn''t enough to defeat you without struggling and special tactics. Well, good thing it''s not all I have. Time to call it a day!'' Adam internally eximed before jumping back.


    His needle disappeared, and his eyes shone again as he used his second Order, apletely new weapon in his arsenal.


    Dozens of dense threads turned into a gauntlet reaching up to his shoulder with long, sharp fingertips that reced the ws. Nexus''s threads were not ovepping, they matched the Second Order as they were parts of oneplex force.


    [Weaver''s Silver ws


    Sometimes to get the job done there is no need for elegance and pedantic precision as with the needle. In such cases, brute force is required, capable of tearing through any fabric or flesh of the enemy as well as anything that stands in the way].


    Reckless Torok ran at Adam, quickly approaching and shaking the ground from his heavy footsteps.


    Adam with a calm gaze, raised his left hand as his fingertips shed brightly. Then, an energy wave traveled through the entire gauntlet.


    At the same moment, five vertical threads like sharp desunched forward, cutting the ground in their path and quickly shing with Reckless Torok.


    The threads traveled onward just as Reckless Torok. Reckless Torok took another step and fell, splitting into five even pieces.

 Chapter 50 First Ring (Part 1)

    Chapter 50 First Ring (Part 1)


    "How does it feel? I bet you feel invincible right now." Silvana asked, turning off the simtion. Adam didn''t answer, he just stared at his left hand with a deep look. His hand was shaking slightly and the skin was cracked in some ces, like from a hard fall. Sure, it was impossible to get injured in the virtual zone, but that wasn''t really true. If the virtual monster killed or severely injured Adam, everything would return to normal once the simtion was over. However, if he used his Nexus two times in a row, his arms would hurt, the same thing happened now.


    "Is something wrong?" Silvana asked, walking into the room. "I''m not sure... My second Order definitely has more destructive power than the needle, but I''m hurt too. The recoil is weaker than from the Nexus, but I can feel it." Adam uttered, turning to Silvana. Silvana nodded.


    "One attack was enough to kill Reckless Torok, obviously something like that would have a heavy load. Don''t forget that before you opened Lock, it was impossible for you to defeat Blue Threat Level. Reckless Torok would simply crush you because of the trivial difference in physical strength."


    Adam nodded. He knew he had to learn how to use his new abilities, and moreover, he still had Nexus and Artifact development ahead of him. There was more than enough work to do. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Hey, I wanted to ask you about something. It''s about the Key..." Adam muttered, but he didn''t have time to finish. Silvana gestured for him to stop. "Hmm? Is something wrong?" Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    Silvana shook her head and said, "You need to stop and slow down a bit. You''ve gotten stronger and wanted to test your new abilities this fine, but now you need to rest. Moreover, it''s not good to not keep your promises."


    "What? A promise? What are you talking about?" Adam tilted his head. He didn''t remember anything rted to it, for all his thoughts were centered only on the force, development, and future missions.


    "Jena. She was personally involved in your treatment as promised. If you were in a military hospital, you would have woken up only after a couple of days, and it''s unlikely that the military doctors would have been so diligent in removing the scars from your body. However, you still haven''t fulfilled your second promise. You told her your preferences, but you haven''t gone on a date with her yet."


    Silvana looked stern, it seemed like she was reprimanding him, though she just wanted to get Adam to rest.


    Rest was an important part, both physically and emotionally. A man''s will and mind could get ahead of his actual capabilities. It was obvious from the outside, so Silvana had to control it.


    Adam scratched the back of his head. In fact, he''dpletely forgotten about it, but he realized it was impossible to refuse.


    "Yeah, you''re right. Jena has done a great job, but where do I start...? Before I became a Phantom, I was always hanging around the slums, picking up trash to sell or looking after Trici. I have no real experience with girls."


    Silvana nodded.


    "It''s normal to get a little overwhelmed, but I assure you going on a date is a lot easier than going through what you''ve managed. I''m sure Jena will be in touch with you soon."


    Adam didn''t notice it, but at that moment Silvana was typing something on her phone. Her hands were behind her back, as usual, so Adam had no reason to suspect anything.


    Beep. Beep. Beep.


    At the same moment, a few messages from Jena came in on Adam''s NEP, some of which were pushy and stiff, pointing out his promise.


    "Speak of the devil... right?" Adam sighed, then a slight smile appeared on his face, "By the way, do you know anything about the Amber Ocean restaurant?"


    Silvana nodded.


    "Sure. It''s an extremely highly rated restaurant in First Ring known for its seafood and quality meats." Silvana exined.


    "The restaurant..." Adam''s eyes sparkled.


    There were no restaurants in the slum, and going to the nearest one in Third Ring, their family simply didn''t have the money. Maybe it was strange to some, but right now Adam felt like a kid before Christmas expecting something new and cool that he hadn''t had ess to before.


    His life had changed too drastically from nobody to K1 Phantom. He needed time to adjust and ept his new life instead of just being a monster killer, a tool in the hands of the Citadel.


    "Surely I must have to dress specially somehow, and everything in Amber Ocean must be awfully expensive, right?" Adam asked worriedly.


    Silvana smirked.


    "Well, if you want, I''ll pick out a variety of formal suits for you, but you''re the Phantom. You can go to even the most expensive restaurant in your pajamas, and no one will look at you funny. Your status doesn''t depend on your looks, clothes, or education but on your aplishments in Dead Lands - nothing could be more important than that."


    Adam nodded with a deep gaze. Frankly, he liked that, because before he''d be a Phantom, that was how he''d envisioned them - free, willful, and slightly chaotic.


    "Now, about the money. You needn''t worry about it. Unfortunately, or luckily you''ve never yet managed to return to the Citadel afterpleting a mission, so... Every time, I''ve had to pick up the reward from the missions department. You can just check your ount and see how many credits you got for any given mission." Silvana waved her hand slightly as the corners of her lips went up. Adam immediately did so, and his eyes went wide.


    Dous had given him 10,000 credits at the beginning, but in almost a month, he only had about 8,000 left, and that was considering he didn''t have to pay rent on the house this time.


    The average wage, if one could call it a part-time job, in the slums was 75-125 credits per month. For ordinary people not working for the Phantoms, the average sry in the Third Ring was between 1,000 and 1,500 credits.


    Then, how much could a rookie Phantom get afterpleting his missions?


    [Collecting Paws of the Living Strings - 2,000 credits


    Additional reward for destroying the Prime Stone Goliath - 3,500 credits.


    Complete destruction of the Golden Searchers Nest, kill the Queen, and get the Golden Egg - 7.500 credits.


    Bonus reward for bing K1 Phantom and defeating Crown Type Monster, Brass Puppet - 15.000 credits].


    Thus, Adam''s ount total was - 35,780 credits, taking into ount the mission rewards and his savings. This statistic took into ount everything from the mission rewards themselves to the sold monster parts collected by the Harvesters and the already counted share as in the case with Oren. The two of them fought against the Golden Searchers. "Wow... I didn''t even expect it to be this much. Now I don''t have to worry about money." Adam muttered with a happy smile.


    Silvana nodded.


    "I think now is a good time to get some rest, the date will be tonight, so until then you can be with your family. I''m sure they were more worried about you than anyone else since this is the kind of thing the military department reports personally. They''ve gotten messages about your condition every time."


    Adam smiled and said, "Yeah, you''re right. Although, I can''t wait to see what''s in the First Ring! It''s the center of the Citadel, after all!"

 Chapter 51 First Ring (Part 2)

    Chapter 51 First Ring (Part 2)


    "Well, well, my boy is going to be an adult today, isn''t he?" Leona smirked, wiggling her foot and looking intently at Adam.


    Adam scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. He hadn''t told his parents about this, but it had taken his mother a few minutes to realize from the glint in his eyes and the dreamy look on his face. However, Leona was wrong about something.


    The main reason for Adam''s excitement wasn''t the date with Jena, although that was a big part of it, but the fact that tonight he''d be at the First Ring. It was a ce he had wanted to go to for a long time, because the wealthiest and most powerful people lived there, as well as many Phantoms.


    In fact, if he wanted to, Adam could already afford to live in First Ring, if he didn''t have to take care of his family financially. However, Adam had no regrets, he knew that if one day he reached Damien''s level, money would no longer matter.


    ...


    At the same time, in another house, a simr conversation was going on between two girls. One of them looked like she was sending her daughter off to get married, even though they were a simr age.


    "Fine, that''s not bad. If Adam was honest about his preferences, he''ll appreciate your butt." Silvana said confidently, looking at Jena, getting ready for her date. Hourster, she finally picked out a suitable outfit, there was a whole mountain of different clothes around.


    "Are you sure...? Don''t you think it''s too casual?" Jena muttered, looking around herself.


    She was wearing evening clothes, a ck blouse with long sleeves and open shoulders, neat sapphire earrings, and skinny jeans that emphasized her curves.


    Silvana shook her head.


    "Don''t worry. Adam won''t be in a suit, I''ve taken care of that. One of you Phantom, so you don''t need to try and impress the public, you need to seduce Adam, isn''t that what you want?" Silvana narrowed her eyes, her sharp gaze making Jena flinch.


    "Of course I want to! Damn! When I saw his fight against Brass Puppet I almost exploded with excitement... Agh... When he ripped his heart out... it was incredible." Jena muttered as her cheeks flushed, and a slightly crazy smile appeared. Silvana nodded, walked over to Jena, and pulled something out of her pocket.


    It was a palm-sized rectangr package,pletely ck, with only - 0.01 written on it. Jena''s eyes went wide as her face turned tomato red.


    "Don''t ask unnecessary questions. You know what it is, what it''s for, and how to use it so it won''t be your first andst date, don''t you?" Silvana whispered.


    A stunned Jena only nodded slightly with a gulp. ...


    Adam and Jena didn''t meet in the Third Ring, they took the trains at the stations and made it to the First Ring in less than half an hour. The trains traveled along the maic rails at an incredible speed of 600 km/h.


    "Holy shit..." Adam muttered, getting out of the subway station and looking around.


    Bulky buildings with different designs and shapes, skyscrapers reaching for the heavens, overhead roads and tunnels, as well as thousands of people and hundreds of cars were all around him, and that''s just what he managed to notice in the first few seconds.


    "Damn, I wish I could stay here for a while longer, but... that wouldn''t be good at all, would it?" Adam smiled bitterly, nced at his NEP, and headed towards Amber Ocean.


    It was his first time in First Ring, so getting to the restaurant was only possible with a map. Adam was dressed in simple clothes partiallybined with desert clothes for the missions since that had be his mostfortable kit. In general, he looked fluent and aesthetically pleasing as a traveler, no one would call it tasteless.


    Adam didn''t notice it, but at the sight of him, some people turned around with puzzled faces. But, soon enough, surprise was reced by puzzlement, some even had a look of delight. They definitely realized who had run past them. Not everyone who lived in the Citadel was connected to the Phantoms or the departments, someone had to grow food, sew clothes, create entertainment, develop new technologies, and so on.


    Most people didn''t have ess to the Dead Lands or the work of the departments and the military. However, that didn''t mean that people didn''t know what was going on in the Citadel, on the contrary, they kept a close eye on the progress of the Phantoms and the departments, because their future depended on it. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The Military Department and the Missions Department posted on their websites records of the Phantoms'' battles, as well as detailed reports on each mission.


    Naturally, no one was interested in the reports, but the records quickly got to various sites specialized for the Phantoms, and some of them became popr. Most of all, people liked bloody and brutal battles, necessarily ending with the victory of the Phantom.


    Oddly enough, Adam was one of the most popr Phantom rookies, as he already had two fights that fit that criteria.


    "Hey! You''re Adam, right?" Some man eximed, turning in Adam''s direction.


    However, Adam didn''t stop, he thought it was addressed to someone else. After all, he didn''t even realize that someone could actually recognize him on the street.


    After a while, Adam stopped next to a jewelry store, but not to choose a ring for himself but to choose one of the two paths offered by the map.


    The door opened, as out stepped a middle-aged woman, some of her hair was gray and her face was covered with wrinkles.


    "See youter, I hope I''ll be back soon..." The woman muttered as she said goodbye to the salesman and looked sadly at the ground, not noticing anyone.


    Bam.


    She crashed into Adam, and if it was a light jolt for him, the woman fell to the ground as if she had collided with an iron wall.


    "Oh, I''m sorry! I didn''t see you there!" Adam quickly responded by extending his hand.


    However, the woman was in no hurry to get up. As soon as she saw Adam her eyes went wide, filled with bitterness, and began to water as if in anticipation of crying.


    "You... It was you..." The woman muttered, "You got my daughter killed!"


    Adam threw a shiver. He had expected anything but a murder usation from a mere woman.


    "Wait, there must be some mistake!"


    Before, Adam could say anything, the woman showed some pictures of the girl on her phone. It took Adam a few seconds to realize who it was - Pam, she and her squad were on a mission when Adam was fighting Brass Puppet. All members of the squad, including Pam were killed by Brass Puppet.


    At the same moment, Adam''s look changed, but it wasn''t remorse or guilt. His eyes grew colder, and Adam withdrew his hand, no longer offering the woman help.


    "You can think what you want, but they were given amand to get out of there. That they stayed there is entirely their fault and their decision. Dead Lands is a dangerous ce, I''m not crazy to specifically attack other Phantoms. There are more than enough monsters to kill us." Adam said coldly, confidently heading towards Amber Ocean.


    Silvana had given him all the information about the squad as well as their conversations. Adam didn''t me them for being overconfident, it was their decision, but that was why no one had the right to me him for their deaths.


    The woman didn''t know how to react, she didn''t know what reaction she expected, but surely not that Adam would reprimand her.


    She ended up just crying, for another time these past few days. She hardly had any tears left to shed for her grief.

 Chapter 52 First Ring (Part 3)

    Chapter 52 First Ring (Part 3)


    Adam had gone from one state to another, and now, he needed to change again as he approached Amber Ocean.


    It was a three-story building in an eastern style with blue pagoda-like tiles and pointed peaks. In ce of the walls was amber ss reflecting the light of the night streets,plementing the very center of the Citadel.


    Every minute someone entered the Amber Ocean. They were wealthy men in expensive suits and women in luxurious dresses. This ce screamed that it was only for the elite.


    Not far from the entrance, there was a tall girl with long purple hair. She cast a stern, annoyed look at the passersby, but as soon as she saw Adam, she changedpletely.


    "Adam! Did something happen on the way?" Jena asked for Adam was a littlete.


    Adam scratched the back of his head.


    "Well... Nothing serious. It''s just that the first time you use the subway, it takes a while to figure things out."


    Jena blinked a few times, then she smiled understandingly and took Adam''s hand. They approached the entrance, talking about something.


    In the background, they looked like a young couple who didn''t belong in such an upscale restaurant.


    The hostess standing in front of the restaurant frowned slightly. Jena was dressed eptably, but Adam was absolutely not, there was a huge gap between him and the man in a suit.


    However, when Adam raised his hand, scratching back of his head andughing slightly, his sleeve fell down revealing the bracelet on his wrist.


    As soon as the girl saw Adam''s NEP, her eyes went wide, and her expression changed. She was now smiling broadly as if she had the most important guests heading her way.


    "Good evening. I wee you to Amber Ocean! Do you have a reservation?"


    Adam turned pale.


    "Damn... I didn''t think of that at all."


    Adam wanted to say something else because he had to remedy the situation somehow, but the girl beat him to it.


    "Oh, you don''t have to worry about that! We always have a few free tables on the second floor for the Phantoms. Would that be okay with you?"


    "Yeah, sure." Adam hastily replied. As if he had a choice. It was already a great stroke of luck that Amber Ocean had been so considerate.


    In fact, it wasn''t just Amber Ocean. Almost all high-end stores, restaurants, banks, and so on were trying to do extra favors for the Phantoms. Naturally, to arge extent it was done out of selfish thoughts, it was profitable to have a good rtionship with the Phantoms.


    However, to some extent, they did so because they were truly grateful for what the Phantoms were doing. After all, if it weren''t for them, there would be no restaurants, no stores, no Citadel. The monsters would have destroyed everything in their path, and no one would have stopped them.


    Step. Step. Another Step.


    Following the girl, Adam and Jena went up to the second floor, approaching the table next to the window.


    They attracted attention, at first, they looked puzzled.


    ''What was that inappropriately dressed guy doing here?''


    Many thought exactly that.


    However, they soon realized that he was a Phantom, and a few people even recognized him. They might have wanted to approach and ask something, but the people visiting Amber Ocean knew what manners were.


    Half an hourter, their table was full of various dishes and cocktails. Adam had a variety of shrimp and meat, while Jena decided to indulge in sds, although it wasn''t exactly her choice... Silvana had put her on a strict diet to get faster results. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Hah, I feel like I''m in heaven. This... this is just great!" Adam said joyfully like a child.


    Jena said nothing, for the pure joy emanating from Adam needed no words, it wasplete and genuine. Such a thing was not often seen in a world built onpetition and blood. Soon, the young man sitting at the opposite table got up and walked towards them, a wry smile on his face.


    "Well, well, if it isn''t Adam Vinter? A neer that has managed to make some noise." A young man with short ck hair and green eyes said confidently. Adam raised an eyebrow, turned, and asked, "Do I know you?"


    The young man shook his head.


    "Nah, my name is Oscar Hunt, though it''s rather insulting that you don''t know my name though I know yours."


    Jena frowned.


    "Hey, we''re actually on a date. Could you please get out of our way? It''s fucking rude, you know?"


    Oscar furrowed, his gaze growing colder and the look directed at Jena filled with contempt.


    "Oh, so this is your girlfriend? I''m not judging you for choosing an ordinary human, but in that case, you should have taken someone sexier. Look, take an example from me." Oscar said, pointing to his table where the girl was sitting.


    Adam frowned slightly, but not because of Oscar''s words, but rather at the way the girl looked - like a doll with a ton of makeup, an overly revealing dress, and a silly face. No naturalness or authenticity, just pure lust with nothing behind it.


    "Whatever, did you want something? My food''s getting cold, and it''s pretty expensive here." Adam waved his hand.


    Oscar smirked.


    "I want to fight you. You know, there''s been a lot of rumors about you among the Phantom newbies. You suddenly appeared, just out of nowhere, and immediately got into various trouble and survived every time! You''re not from the nobility, have no bloodline, ande from the slums, but your fights against Brass Puppet have be incredibly popr."


    Then, Oscar bent over, staring intently into Adam''s eyes.


    "However, a lot of people also think that you were just lucky and survived because of the sacrifices of others. You know, you even have an unofficial title now - The Last Survivor. Most of the people around you died violently. I want to show that you''re just an ordinary Phantom who was lucky enough to get the Spark. You were born in the slums, and you''ll always be a part of them."


    Adam listened carefully, a sly smile already appearing on Oscar''s face.


    Then, Adam shrugged.


    "I''m not interested in that. Good luck finding an opponent."


    Oscar''s eyes went wide in confusion. He was sure he''d done enough to provoke Adam.


    "Pffft! You''re nothing but a pathetic coward! I''m sure that''s why you came here with that ugly girl since you know you don''t deserve any better! You and your family are just as worthless as you were before! When you die they will all go back to the slums!"


    Jena clenched her fist tightly, her teeth gritting and her veins swelling with anger. If she could she would have punched Oscar right in the face by now.


    Oscar smiled contentedly. His n had worked perfectly! Jena was seething with rage, which meant...


    ''What...? What the fuck?!'' Oscar inwardly eximed in disbelief from Adam''s calm look.


    "And? What did you expect? That I''d get up and start fighting you?" Adam raised an eyebrow.


    "But... Are you really so pathetic that you would let someone insult your family?!" Oscar eximed.


    Adam sighed heavily.


    "You''re a fucking clown, that''s it. I''ve heard more insults in the slums than you can utter in your whole pathetic life. If I were to attack you, I''d do as you wish, nothing more. Also, you''ve embarrassed yourself enough already, I don''t need to do anything." Adam said coldly, casting a nce around the hall.


    Oscar''s performance could not go unnoticed.


    People were looking at him with obvious disapproval, even if they didn''t hear what he said, his noise disturbing the others.


    "However, even if you are an asshole, I might consider your offer."


    Oscar''s eyes narrowed.


    "I knew that hurt your feelings! I''m ready to fight you tonight and destroy you! I will prove that Phantoms without bloodlines are nothing!" Oscar eximed happily, anticipating his victory.


    Adam reached forward, rubbing his thumb and finger like a merchant.


    "Agh...?" Oscar raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    "Pay up. You need this fight, not me. You live in First Ring and so dependent on the idea of bloodlines, you must be from a wealthy family. If you want to fight me, I demand 50.000 credits, otherwise never bother me again if you are not even capable of that." Adam said confidently, he had nothing to lose. He could manipte Oscar any way he wanted, Oscar''s dignity was now on the line. Oscar clenched his fists tightly, gritted his teeth, and uttered, "Fine... In three days. In Arena A-03, I will tear you apart!"


    Adam extended his hand with his ID open at the NEP. Oscar transferred the money and annoyed returned to his table.


    "Adam... Are you really going to fight...?" Jena, shocked by what happened, asked.


    "Sure, why not? After the battle with Crown Type, I realized I needed somebat experience against such opponents. Moreover, I just earned more than I had. That''s a hell of a bargain. Maybe I should go work as a manager, what do you think?"


    Jena only sighed heavily, then she smiled slightly. What Adam had done was clever, it made her even more eager to get it!


    At this time Adam was enjoying his meal as if nothing had happened. As a man from the slums, he was practically immune to such maniption.


    The date progressed at a good pace, and when the sky was covered in stars with a shining moon, it was time for Jena to do what she wanted for a long while.

 Chapter 53 Three Forces

    Chapter 53 Three Forces


    Night is a unique time of day because, for children, the darkness is the most terrifying time and not only for them. Many terrible things weremitted under the cover of night, but it is difficult to find an adult who would not understand how beautiful was a calm, starry night when you were left only to yourself.


    It was at night, when people wanted to do things that would be too awkward or dangerous in daylight, and intimacy was one of them.


    Adamy on the bed looking up at the stars moving slowly across the dark sky. Adam pondered that there was one more star in the sky at some point - the brightest one being the end of the old world and the beginning of the new one - the one he now lived in.


    ''I wonder... If the Last Star hadn''t fallen, what would be happening to me now? Am I... Am I beginning to enjoy the world as it is more and more?'' Adam muttered inwardly before turning around.


    His gaze drifted to Jena lying next to him, she was asleep and naked, just like him. Adam''s heart had been ready to explode with emotions and sensations a while ago, but now there was only calmness and peace.


    Then, Adam looked at the skyscrapers and buildings that surrounded them. On this particr day, they decided to stay one night in a hotel.


    Adam was determined to get revenge on Aiden Henk, the scientist who had thrown him into the Dead Lands, almost condemning him to death. However, more and more often, Adam thought that if it hadn''t happened, he wouldn''t have be the Phantom.


    "Hah, fate is a cruel thing. When you managed to survive, you are happy for your achievements, but... the voices of a thousand others, those who couldn''t, no one will ever hear." Adam smiled bitterly with a deep look before closing his eyes and sinking into sleep.


    ...


    The strong smell of aromatic coffee was the cause of Adam''s, awakening followed by breakfast prepared by Jena.


    Usually, Jena was strict and assertive, however, now she was sweet which was even a little strange.


    Anyone could pick up a sword, but only a master swordsman could be a god of death on the battlefield.


    It was a date, not a new life together, so soon they were back in the Third Ring, each in their own homes.


    Then, Adam started preparing for the fight against Oscar. He had three days, and it was the perfect incentive to hone his new skills to mastery.


    Adam realized that the moreplex andplex an ability was, the more potential it had.


    Anyone could pick up a sword, but only a master swordsman could be a god of death on the battlefield.


    ...


    "I heard what happened to Amber Ocean, I must say I''m surprised. You were able to get him to pay you such arge amount of money, but... it was still reckless. You shouldn''t have agreed to it." Silvana said calmly, sitting down at the table. They were having coffee after practicing in the virtual chamber. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Adam cast a nce at her.


    "Why? You think I''m going to lose?''


    Silvana shook her head.


    "No. You will definitely win, I would even say it will be too easy for you. Oscar Hunt is a K1 Phantom like you, however, unlike you, he hasn''t even fought a single Crown Monster yet. He didn''t even dare to kill a Granite Ghost in the virtual zone to set his time." Silvana exined.


    However, although she answered his question, it didn''t make the situation any clearer. He still didn''t understand anything.


    "Agh... Adam, don''t you understand? It won''t just be a fight between you and Oscar, there will be an audience there."


    "And...? It''s an arena, someone will be watching our fight. I''m sure there''ll even be bets and stuff like that." Adam waved his hand.


    "Sure, but the thing is, among them will also be those who want to recruit you." Silvana nodded deeply.


    Adam raised an eyebrow.


    "Recruit? Do you mean squads? Isn''t it bad to get a few offers? I don''t mind teamwork sometimes, you know." Adam shrugged nonchntly.


    "Not squads, because the fight won''t be in Dead Lands, but in the center of the Citadel, in the First Ring. As you know, where there are no monsters, people start fighting each other, because if there''s nomon enemy you have to make one. Obviously, I''m not talking about civil war, there''s a more refined and nasty way of doing it - politics." "Politics...? Does that make any sense? It''s obvious to everyone that our main purpose is to fight monsters and defend the Citadel, does anyone disagree with that?" Adam said outrageously. He couldn''t believe that anyone could be against it.


    Silvana shook her head.


    "Of course, it''s not about that. If the goal is clear, what about the way to achieve it? That''s what all arguments are based on. I didn''t want to burden you with this too early, but the situation leaves me no other choice." Silvana said before pressing something on her tablet.


    Several holographic images floated above the table.


    "These are the main organizations in the Citadel. Each has its own ideology as well as symbol. Take a close look at them before I continue."


    The emblem of a blue flower with six pointed petals - Azure Lotus.


    The emblem of a cracked broad sword engulfed in ck mes - Dark Order.


    The emblem of a silver cross with five rubies covered in heavy blood flowing downwards - Crimson Path. "Adam, you must realize that there are millions of people living in the Citadel, it''s a huge resource, and everyone thinks they know how best to use it. Let''s start with the Azure Lotus. Their goals are pretty simple - equality between Phantoms, departments, and ordinary people.


    ording to their ideology, everyone works for the Citadel, for humanity, giving as much effort as possible. It''s not absolute equality, of course, but you get the idea."


    Adam nodded. He felt a little strange, like he was in a history ss, even though this was part of their world.


    "Next, Dark Order - in some ways, they''re the opposite of Azure Lotus. They believe that the Phantoms are the most important, and no one should doubt that. Furthermore, the Dark Order believes that a Phantom can afford as much as its abilities deserve. Roughly speaking, the stronger you are the higher your position overall."


    "I see... Apparently, they have the most influence, right?" Adam asked.


    Silvana nodded and said, "Yes, their position is natural and easy to realize as well as understand. By the way, Damien is one of the pirs that Dark Order stands on."


    Adam smiled, "Hah, that''s not surprising. That''s probably why he gave me Golden Mission so easily, even though he wasn''t technically entitled to it."


    "Thest one is Crimson Path. They''re not as influential as Azure Lotus or Dark Order, but they''re slowly growing. Their idea is based on bloodlines and that Phantoms should make an effort to preserve bloodlines and create new ones. All to get more youths to have Sparks."


    Adam nodded understandingly. He remembered Oscar''s words, which rhetorically were quite simr.


    "Also..." Silvana paused as if it were something important, "They don''t talk about it in public, but among a higher circle, they actively promote the idea of Naturalborn Phantoms. Crimson Path believes that Naturalones are far superior to Artificialones and that we should take the risk of letting some people try to be Natural Phantoms."


    Silvana looked intently at Adam.


    "They don''t know it, but to them, you would be a very important member."


    Adam sighed heavily.


    "Fuck... Don''t we have enough problems with monsters? Why do people always try to make things soplicated?"

 Chapter 54 Change of Plans

    Chapter 54 Change of ns


    Two dayster, early in the morning, Adam was on his way to the virtual zone. He wanted to take a walk because he was tired of constantly seeing four walls around him - his room and the virtual chamber. During this time, he had already fought quite a few monsters of blue threat level. Silvana had chosen monsters of different builds and abilities so that Adam could fully realize the range of his powers.


    Adam wanted to cross the road, but as soon as he stepped forward, a dark car abruptly appeared from around the corner and stopped right in front of him, blocking the road. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ''What the fuck...?'' Adam frowned, ''Can''t you drive properly?''


    The car door opened as out stepped the driver, a man in a free military uniform with red fabric lines barely visible as he moved. The man looked at Adam, nodded respectfully, and opened the passenger door.


    Puzzled, Adam saw only elegant crossed legs in red stockings, as well as smelled a pleasant aroma.


    "Come on in. Don''t worry. We''ve already alerted your Operator. You can make sure of that, just make it quick." A calm female voice sounded.


    Adam nced at his NEP, nodded, and got into the car. Silvana''s messages didn''t say anything specific, but she said it was best he didn''t refuse.


    Stepping inside, Adam was greeted by a girl with short shoulder-length crimson hair and sharp amber eyes. She was dressed in a tight oriental red dress and long leather gloves covering her soft skin.


    Adam knew immediately from the bracelet on her arm that she was also a Phantom, but there was no need for NEP.


    Adam had been able to sense the auras of other Phantoms before, but after he''d opened Lock, it had been taken to a new level. He could practically see a semi-transparentyer of scarlet aura around the girl, shivering and changing rapidly.


    The car moved, and the girl smirked.


    "Adam Vinter, it''s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Zera Cryen, and I havee here to Third Ring on behalf of Crimson Path." Zera said majestically.


    Adam raised an eyebrow.


    "I take it this has to do with my fight against Oscar?" Adam suggested. There was no other reason for Zera to appear.


    Zera nodded, satisfied.


    "Yeah, but your fight has already been canceled." Zera nonchntly said.


    "What...? Oscar didn''t inform me anything." Adam was puzzled.


    Zera waved her hand as contempt appeared on her face.


    "That idiot is a simple Artificial K1-Phantom, he didn''t even realize what a stupid thing he was doing. You would have beaten him so easily and quickly that the fight would have been over before the spectators stopped betting."


    Adam frowned.


    "Oscar may not be the most friendly man, but we had a deal. I don''t think you''re in any position to decide that for him. Moreover, he''s fulfilled his part of the bargain, so I''m required to fight him, and it doesn''t matter if the fight is interesting or not."


    "Oh, you''re wrong." Zera smirked, "Oscar has been trying to join Crimson Path for a long time now, so for his probationary period, he was put under my control. Don''t worry about the money, consider it a goodwill gesture."


    Adam sighed heavily. He didn''t understand how a simple trip to a restaurant could end this way. Moreover, it hadn''t even been a week since his ns had changed again, and he had no way to influence it.


    "Whatever, let''s say there''s no fight now. What''s next? I''m not interested in politics, at least as long as I have a more important goal - killing monsters." Adam said coldly.


    Zera smirked, then she abruptly leaned forward, meeting Adam''s gaze as close as possible, their foreheads practically colliding. "Strict, cold, and confident, because you have a clear goal, right? However, to achieve your goals, you need to have resources, or in our case, power!" Zera pronounced, advancing towards Adam''s neck.


    "You''re a Natural Phantom, moreover right after your first mission you became an Extra One, but... that''s not even the most important thing. You know, a lot of people in Crimson Path would have doubts about you since you''re from the slums."


    Adam was puzzled by Zera''s actions but decided to ignore them, it was the best way to make her lose interest. "Because of the purity of the bloodline, right? As I''ve learned, you believe that a Phantom can''t be strong without the proper bloodline."


    Zera paused for a moment.


    "No, or rather, that''s not entirely true. Crimson Path believes that a Phantom with two parents who were Phantoms has more potential than a Phantom with one parent, and even more so than a Phantom with neither parent being a Phantom.


    Then, Zera grabbed his chin and said with a hazy look, "Extra Natural Born Phantom with a strong Initial Gene, non-weapon Nexus - that''s your brief description at the moment. However, another one was recently added - killing a Crown Type that was a Beginning Monster. For your information, it''s quite rare."


    However, it''s not an unbreakable rule, it''s just that the odds depend on it. With more potential, you are more likely to kill more monsters, simple as that. However, all bloodlines have to start somewhere, don''t they?" Zera said calmly, taking rare deep breaths.


    Then, Zera grabbed his chin and said with a hazy look, "Extra Natural Born Phantom with a strong Initial Gene, non-weapon Nexus - that''s your brief description at the moment. However, another one was recently added - killing a Crown Type that was a Beginning Monster. For your information, it''s quite rare."


    Zera continued staring intently into Adam''s calm blue eyes, "We believe that a Crown Type monster is a specific indicator for a Phantom with strong genes, after all, only the worthy one can have such dangerous opponents, right?"


    Zera was silent for a while, then she closed her eyes and headed towards Adam''s lips.


    Adam''s eyes went wide as he jerked sharply to the right and without hesitation threw Zera away from him. She had definitely crossed the line.


    "Oh... Looks like I''ve been rejected. That''s a shame. I heard about your girlfriend, her name is Jena, I believe, isn''t it?" Zera''s eyes narrowed.


    Adam didn''t answer anything.


    "I don''t want to pry into your personal affairs, but if I were you, I''d make her a lover, nothing more. I have some cute boys too, but they''re not Phantoms, and they''re not fit to breed with me." Zera said calmly as if it was something natural. Adam frowned.


    "It''s been interesting learning more about Crimson Path, really, but you better tell me what you want from me, or I''ll leave."


    Zera nodded.


    "Fine, I''ve had enough fun, but I want to remind you that I''m currently single. I don''t mind carrying your child in the future unless, of course, you die in a year." Zera bit her lip.


    A shiver ran through Adam''s body at Zera''s forthrightness. Compared to Jena, this was a whole other level, for Zera spoke thenguage of nature and evolution - the strongest survived, meaning they were the ones who bred.


    "I want to help you. No strings attached, just good memories of Crimson Path and the artifacts you so desperately need." Zera offered.


    "What...? Artifacts?" Adam asked, remembering that his main goal was to create the first Key, and artifacts were one of the necessary materials.


    Zera nodded.


    "Tomorrow, my squad is going on a special mission, the Cluster Mission. In the Rusty Ruins, right in the cluster of abnormal zones that appeared a few days ago. On behalf of Crimson Path and myself, I invite you to join me this time. I''m sure you''ll be able to collect quite a few artifacts."


    Zera smirked, she knew Adam wouldn''t refuse, for it was too profitable.

 Chapter 55 Dark Experiments

    Chapter 55 Dark Experiments


    "Good luck at training! I''ll meet you tomorrow!" Zera said excitedly as she escorted Adam out of the car.


    "Oh, right! I almost forgot. Take this." Zera leaned over, extending her hand forward, holding a simple-looking sh drive.


    Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    "What''s this?"


    Zera smirked.


    "A gift, from me and our mutual friends by now. Open the file with my name first if you don''t want to spoil your appetite."


    Adam frowned slightly but didn''t refuse. Something told him it might be something interesting because Zera was an unusual person. Then, Adam contacted Silvana and cast her a hard, annoyed look after the training in the virtual zone.


    "Khm. I apologize, I should have warned you beforehand. It''s just... things happened so fast, and I couldn''t say no to them. I had to act on the situation." Silvana said guiltily, lowering her head.


    Adam sighed.


    "I see... First Ring is the center of the Citadel not only for its wealth and entertainment, it''s the center of organizations and people with their goals." Adam touched his forehead with his fingertips, "Damn, we saw each other for the first time, and ten minutester she offered to get her pregnant. That''s definitely not normal."


    Silvana coughed.


    "It''s not exactly like that."


    "Hmm?"


    "In fact, you would have gotten such an offer from many hardcore followers of the Crimson Path, because they consider polygamy to be the standard, as it helps spread strong genes faster. However... it has a dark side besides the lust and pleasure that may have entered your mind." Silvana''s face grew paler. Adam listened silently. He wasn''t a hypocrite, and he didn''t hide the fact that he had such thoughts, for he was a young man, and Zera was pushy and sexy. But, Silvana''s face showed that there was something cruel behind it.


    "The women of Crimson Path have no appreciation for children who couldn''t be Phantoms. When it turns out that a child doesn''t have Spark despite having two Phantom parents, the best thing that can happen is exile from the family. The women of Crimson Path don''t feel bad about it, because to them it''s just a misfortune on the road to sess - the birth of a new Phantom."


    Silvana continued, "They might even send the children to the slums, or at best some of themon people who believe in Crimson Path will take them in."


    "Common people...?" Adam asked curiously.


    "Sure. In fact, most of the representatives of the Crimson Path, Azure Lotus, and Dark Order are ordinary people. After all, they''re not closed sects but organizations."


    "But... Aren''t the Crimson Path in favor of blood purity?" Adam was puzzled.


    "Yes, but they''re not against humans, no one is against ordinary people. Their followers also hold to blood purity, which is why ordinary people who are members of Crimson Path will never have children with Phantoms so as not to decrease blood purity." Silvana exined.


    Adam nodded with a deep gaze.


    "I see... Well, at least they are consistent, and their goals are clear. Anyway, I want to see what''s in here." Adam said, showing a ck sh drive. Silvana nodded, and they headed from the kitchen to her room. She inserted the sh drive, and a file opened with two folders: [Zera<3] and [???].


    Adam opened the first folder, and the screen filled with nude pictures of Zera''s. She had obviously prepared for their meeting.


    "Hmm... Honestly, after everything I''ve heard it doesn''t seem all that surprising." Adam muttered, feeling strange, as if the forbidden fruit was no longer so and its value had diminished.


    Silvana nodded.


    "Should I open the second one?"


    "Sure."


    Click.


    Silvana clicked the mouse, and their eyes went wide at what they saw. Adam''s veins swelled, and his hands clenched into fists, and Silvana was ready to throw up, barely holding back.


    If in the first folder, the main character was Zera, in the second it was Aiden Henk, or rather his experiments and hidden incidents. Blood flooded the walls, dead young men, adults, and even children, all of them were consumed by fear and suffering before dying under Aiden''s cold gaze. Some photos showed people lying on operating tables, others were torn apart under the paws of monsters. Some screamed in despair, but for all of them, the oue was the same - death.


    "What the fuck is this...?" Adam muttered while his eyes traveled through the pictures, from the very first to thest one - which was different from the others. On thest one, there was a picture of a ck swan whose wings were covered in blood. "Looks like what happened to you at Morton Observatory was no exception..." Silvana muttered with a dark face.


    "Furthermore... It''s ck Swan, right? So they''re connected to either Crimson Path or Zera... and they''re actually plotting something against Aiden Henk." Adam said with a dazed expression.


    He hadn''t expected things to escte to this, and he didn''t know what to do now.


    Silvana took some time to calm down.


    "I would suggest telling the military or the research department, but... we both know that someone is protecting Aiden Henk if he can afford to do experiments like this."


    Adam nodded. He knew that because even Dous was powerless.


    However, if Aiden was untouchable in the Upper Ring, that didn''t mean no one from the Lower Ring could get to him.


    "In any case, it''s too early for me to try anything. I''m sure the mad scientist has his followers. Perhaps Zera can tell me a little more about it." Adam pondered, rubbing his chin.


    Silvana nodded.


    They didn''t speak again, and Adam returned home. They had fought against monsters, but that didn''t mean there weren''t monsters among humans, inside their souls. ...


    The next day as agreed, Adam headed to the tform to leave for the missions.


    Zera and the other members of the Scarlet River Squad were already there. Unlike all his previous missions, this time there were many more people. About ten Phantoms and thirty Harvesters, as well as several trucks. Everyone was fully equipped, for they were going on a Cluster Mission.


    Cluster Missions were formed around clusters of anomalies, a rare but extremely dangerous phenomenon. Not all anomalies quickly appeared and disappeared in random ces, some grew and were not going to stop spreading across more and more territory.


    The process was slow, but it had to be stopped, otherwise, there could be too many anomalous monsters that would lead to unnecessary casualties among Harvesters and Phantoms.


    Also, in some ways, Cluster Missions were simr to Golden Missions, but for the reward of monster genes and artifacts, titanic efforts had to be applied. The anomalies themselves were dangerous, not to mention the monsters that appeared with them and were enhanced versions of their fellows due to the anomaly energy.


    "Hey! I''ve been waiting for you!" Zera vigorously said with a wave of her hand. Beside her stood two more Phantoms that were obviously in charge of this squad after her.


    ''Well, it''s time to get into what''s already be my favorite thing to do, isn''t it?'' Adam smirked, then nced at his gloves, ''Hopefully, we''ll get someone strong, and I can improve on you.''n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 56 Ice Creatures

    Chapter 56 Ice Creatures


    "It''s Hazel! She''s number two in our squad!" Zera eximed vigorously, pointing at the girl standing to her right.


    Hazel had short blue hair, sses, and azure calm eyes. She was considerably shorter than Zera and looked modest, but her gaze was annoyed.


    "And this is Dargo! He''s the third inmand!" Zera announced, indicating to a muscr man with short gray hair.


    Dargo stood by the truck with his arms crossed over his chest. He looked away with a calm, confident look, then turned and nced at Adam.


    "Hi." Dargo nodded slightly before turning away again. He watched the other Phantoms and Harvesters with some concern.


    "Nice to meet you." Hazel said calmly, "I saw your fight against Brass Puppet. You made a lot of mistakes, but it was still impressive."


    Adam was puzzled.


    "Thanks, I guess..."


    "Come on! It''s time to set off! I''m sure it will be an interesting mission! Cluster Missions never go quietly!" Zera vigorously said, opening the door to the truck.


    Hazel and Dargo headed for their trucks. Scarlet River Squad had a lot of Phantoms, so they could also be drivers, which Zera did.


    "Hey! Get in my seat?" Zera waved her hand, then a sly grin appeared on her face, "Or maybe you want to lie on myp? I don''t mind, you know."


    Adam shook his head and without further ado sat down next to Zera. He was sure she would get sick of it at some point, it was hard to tell how right he was. Each truck had ck cases attached to it, some were inside, like in Zera''s one. It was their Nexuses, but Adam was surprised at how big the cases were for Zera, Hazel, and Dargopared to the other Phantoms.


    "What, interested in seeing my Nexus?" Zera grinned.


    "Well, I won''t hide it, though Hazel seems to have something more interesting. Her case is bigger than herself. By the way, are they members of the Crimson Path, too?"


    Zera shook her head.


    "Out of the entire squad, it''s just me and Dargo. I worked with them before figuring out my worldview, and that''s a good thing. What we do in the Citadel shouldn''t sh with the battles in Dead Lands. It''s the same with work and rtionships, it''s best not to mix them." Zera replied calmly before hitting the gas.


    Adam nodded and closed his eyes, sinking into his space. His Evolution Tree had evolved, and the Initial Gene had gained a new ability and improved on a past one, but Adam had not yet reached the limit of his power at K1 Level, for his Artifact and Nexus were still the same as they had been before the battle against Brass Puppet.


    [Weaver''s Treasure


    The gloves are ideal for one who is used to working with a needle, providing excellent protection for the weaver''s hands and increasing the overall strength and speed of the needle through the connection of the threads into a single intertwining system. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    First Trait - First Melody: Soul Cry


    Second Trait - ???? (10 Purple Threat Level Genes required)]


    Adam nodded, then his gaze went to the Artifact hovering on the opposite side.


    [False Orb (First Rarity Level.)]


    First Trait - Lightning Reflexes.


    Second Trait - Lightning Step.


    Third Trait - ???? (Requires 1 Purple Threat Level Gene and 3 Zero Rarity Level Artifacts.)]


    Adam looked thoughtfully at his gloves floating amongst the starry sky. He thought he would be able to get them all after he opened the Lock, but the situation was moreplicated.


    ''Damn, besides needing a hell of a lot of resources to create the Key, I can''t even get my full power without genes and artifacts.'' Zera was right, this is a really profitable mission because the total I need is 13 artifacts, that''s a hell of a lot!''


    Then, Adam closed his eyes and returned to the truck.


    They had already approached the Rusty Ruins, heading towards the slope that overlooked the western part of the area.


    The route had been prenned so they wouldn''t run into any monsters, although that was unlikely. It was now early morning, and most monsters preferred to stay away from the anomaly cluster because it could be a threat to them as well.


    "Here we go." Zera uttered, exiting the truck, Adam followed her.


    Adam took a few steps forward, standing on the edge of the slope, and as soon as he did so he was hit by a freezing torrent of wind. Memories from Deste Forest instantly filled his mind, but he was in a different ce now.


    "Shit... This is not the same as the anomaly I took my artifact from..." Adam muttered with a dazed expression.


    Ahead, hundreds of square meters of frosty winds stretched out, passing among the icy iron buildings. Here and there, ice crystals emerged from the ground, and the low temperature made itself felt even at a kilometer''s distance.


    Each anomaly had its own center with an artifact and many monsters as well as the strongest elemental effects. There were over ten frost anomalies in this cluster, maybe even dozens, and each one had at least one artifact!


    "Damn... Even though I can''t see them because of the energy shell, they''re definitely artifacts, aren''t they?" Adam asked with a dazed expression.


    He had already forgotten that inexpressible feeling when he saw his first anomaly and received the False Orb. Artifacts were one of the pirs of the Phantom''s power because only their bodies could absorb and withstand it. They could grow, evolve, and grant their owner new abilities.


    "Sure, there are enough of them here to buy out an entire neighborhood in the Third Ring. Although only an idiot would sell artifacts, after all, it''s a valuable resource." Zera calmly said while looking at the monsters in the distance.


    Archers with massive bows were moving leisurely among the roads, their iron armor was covered in a thinyer of ice, and the frost wasing from the edges.


    They were Frost Archers - Blue Threat Level, White Book.


    Hovering above them were mechanical birds or gargoyles. They were much fewer than the Frost Archers, but their wide wings and long necks showed that they could spot any threat.


    However, Frost Archers and Mechanical Gargoyles were not the main threat in this ce. In fact, even though the Scarlet River Squad had not yet entered the territory of the anomaly cluster, some of the creatures were looking straight at them.


    ''Adam, these are the Ice Chasers. You should be careful with them, they''re much stronger than Frost Archers or Mechanical Gargoyles. Blue Threat Level, Red Book. Moreover, there might be enhanced species among them, it''s unlikely but possible.'' Silvana exined.


    Ice Stalkers had two long paws with three ice ws on top of their palms and powerful legs. Their bodies were covered in a thickyer of ice broken into crystals, like massive scales glistening in the morning sun.


    The Ice Stalkers had no eyes, only powerful jaws with three long tongues and a strong tail with a lengthy ice de slowly swaying from side to side. They already felt the threat and were ready to defend their territory, because if the Phantoms took the Artifacts, they would disappear, just like the other monsters.


    "Alright. Time to get to work." Zera said confidently, heading towards her case.

 Chapter 57 The Trap

    Chapter 57 The Trap


    Most Phantoms carried cases for their Nexuses on missions because only a few Phantoms had a Nexuspact enough to not need a case. Adam was lucky in a way, he just had to put on his gloves, which he was used to, while some had to lug around a giant case.


    Crackle.


    Zera pulled his briefcase out of the truck and quickly opened it.


    A strong odor of blood mixed with metal came out, and Adam could smell it, as he was closer to the others.


    Then, Zera picked up a long battle scythe, with a ck handle and a slightly curved crimson de, the outer part had serrated des to tear flesh.


    "Impressed?" Zera smirked, swinging her scythe and cing it on her shoulder.


    Adam nodded.


    "Yeah... I won''t hide it, I haven''t seen the scythe yet. It''s aplex weapon, that much is obvious to anyone. You must have spent a lot of time training to fight with it, right?"


    Zera smiled slightly as she nodded. "After I cut myself for the thousandth time, then I stopped counting, and that was a few years ago... One time I practically cut my arm off because I made the wrong move, then I hated my Nexus." Zera muttered with a calm look, ncing at the cold de.


    Then, Hazel and Dargo walked up to them.


    Hazel had a massive crossbow behind her back, but it was half mechanical, made of metal andplex technical parts. Instead of arrows, there was a capsule of acid, brightly glowing and ready to corrode anything it touched.


    Dargo''s Nexus, on the other hand, looked less spectacr, but no less interesting. With one hand, he held a massive stone circr shield that appeared to be partially broken, as dark cracks ran from its center to its edges.


    ''I could be wrong, but that shield must weigh a hell of a lot... Looks like, in terms of strength, Dargo is top-1 here.'' Adam pondered, grading his allies.


    Meanwhile, Silvana was telling him about their abilities, because he had to know what his mates were capable of. "Where do we start?" Hazel asked, looking at the Mechanical Gargoyles.


    Zera smirked, "You know. First, we need to get rid of them, and we can start right here, can''t we?"


    Hazel nodded silently and swung her crossbow, taking aim.


    Dargo raised an eyebrow as he took a few steps to the side, getting behind Hazel.


    Adam watched the scene curiously. Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The crossbow shuddered as several indicators on it glowed brightly just like the lines next to the capsule. Then, a dense, long projectile ofpressed acid flew out of the barrel. The recoil from such a long shot threw Hazel backward, but Dargo caught her carefully. It was obviously not the first time he had seen it.


    The projectile was heading toward the Mechanical Gargoyle at breakneck speed. Hazel calcted the trajectory, so her hit was inevitable.


    At the same moment, Ice Chaser turned its head and swung its tail, thrusting its sharp de into the piece of metal. With a swift movement of its tail, Ice Chaser threw the piece of metal into the projectile, knocking it away and causing it to explode. Hundreds of acid droplets headed towards the ground, but they turned into ice before they could touch the surface.


    "Shit. Since when did monsters get so smart?" Zera frowned, crossing her arms over her chest and stomping her foot irritably.


    Hazel adjusted her sses.


    "Well, looks like they won''t let us kill them from afar. It''s to be expected, though."


    Dargo stepped forward.


    "Alright, I''ll go first, stay close to me. The rest of the Phantoms will follow us, and when we clear the first area, the Harvesters will join us."


    Then, without further ado, Dargo descended the slope, sliding a few meters before stopping and facing the brutal freezing wind that had been crashing into the wall all along.


    However, this was no obstacle for Dargo, he didn''t need to cover himself with his shield. He simply stepped forward, and soon the others appeared behind him.


    ''Hmm. Zera wasn''t lying, apparently, they''ve been working with each other for quite some time now, they have a well-coordinated team with lined-up roles.'' Adam pondered, assessing their actions.


    This was the second time he had found himself in a squad, though the first one hardly counted, given the circumstances. "First center in about three hundred meters. Be ready, I''m sure the Ice Chasers and Frost Archers will attack us as soon as we enter their territory." Zera said confidently, looking around.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    A few stepster, a whistling sound was heard from outside, as if something was whizzing through the wind at great speed.


    Dargo''s pupils narrowed as he swung his shield sharply, fending off the ice arrow. It shattered into tiny fragments, turning to dust under the pressure.


    However, that was only the beginning, for ahead, behind a fallen pir, several Frost Archers lurked, ready to fire. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At the same moment, Zera sprang forward, running straight at the icy arrows, but there was no fear in her gaze.


    Leaping forward, Zera swung her scythe diagonally, cutting the arrows, then she immediately jumped forward, quickly finding herself among the Frost Archers.


    The monsters rapidly tried to shoot again, but before they could pull their arrows out of their quivers, Zera whipped her scythe around her, slicing off their heads.


    "Hah, Zera as always, she acts wless." Hazel, who had criticized Adam, gave Zera the highest praise.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Metal dust sprinkled from the building to the left, as a Mechanical Gargoyle flew over them, casting a shadow from its broad wings.


    Everyone was wary, staring intently at the monster, all but one.


    For some reason, Adam ran forward, ignoring the Mechanical Gargoyle, because he realized it was a distraction.


    The massive silhouette appeared above Zera, bringing its long paw and sharp ws down on her. Zera''s eyes went wide, waves of shivers running through her body, for she noticed toote that the Ice Chaser had approached her.


    Tremble.


    Three ice ws collided with the silver needle firmly anchored in Adam''s arm since he used Second Grip.


    The ground beneath him cracked from the powerful pressure as a ring of air spread around due to the impact.


    "You''re smart, right?" Adam muttered, staring at Ice Chaser, whose long tongues were heading towards his face like a sly snake.


    Adam sighed, "Compared to the intelligence of the Crown Monster you''re still in the beginning stages."


    Ice Chaser tried to attack, but Adam swung his arm sharply, throwing the massive monster aside.


    Without difficulty, Ice Chaser did a somersault in the air,nding confidently on the ground. However, instead of continuing to attack, the monster jumped to the side, hiding in one of the buildings.


    "Thank you..." Zera muttered, realizing that she had made a mistake. It was unlikely that she would die, but she could be injured, and that would jeopardize their mission.


    Adam nced at her with a calm look, about to say something.


    "Look out!"


    Dargo''s shout spread. However, before they could react, a frost geyser burst out of the ground right next to them, with massive crystals growing rapidly.

 Chapter 58 The Anomaly Center

    Chapter 58 The Anomaly Center


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Adam, using the second grip, attacked Ice Chaser time after time, simply shattering the monster''s armor into small pieces, turning it into frosty crumbs.


    Ice Chaser tried to defend and counterattack, but Adam overwhelmed the monster with an endless series of attacks. Soon enough, part of the monster''s body was no longer protected by armor, and then Adam was able to pierce the monster''s heart, which was well below the waistline.


    Then, Adam turned around, looking at the battlefield.


    The road they were on was covered with ice crystals that had grown up and were frosty. Many were injured, for the crystals were sharp, and it was impossible to predict their appearance, only to react.


    Mostly Harvesters were injured, but a few Phantoms also received minor damage - scratches and cuts, no fractures.


    Zera was at the center of the battle from start to finish. She destroyed several Frost Archers and one Ice Chaser.


    Dargo, due to his crushing power and great defense, was able to stand up to the two Ice Chasers. The other Phantoms helped him with firepower, and soon they defeated the most dangerous enemies. Hazel dealt with the majority of the Mechanical Gargoyles, they were perfect targets for her Nexus.


    ''Hmm... My needle couldn''t get through particrly strong armor before, but now I have the ability to shatter the enemy''s defenses. Honestly, despite the days I''ve spent in the virtual zone, I can feel exactly how much stronger I am now...'' Adam inwardly muttered as he looked at his needle.


    He realized that the virtual chamber was only a simtion, but he expected that this experience was better than nothing.


    ''Now I''m beginning to doubt that... One monster killed in the real world, with blood and pain of pure violence... gave me more insight than hundreds of simted ones. I guess real experience can''t be reced, can it?'' Adam smirked, before canceling the Order and stretching his shoulder.


    p.


    Dargo powerfully pped his palms together, drawing attention to himself.


    "Alright. After a short break, we''ll head to the first anomaly center. Harvesters get to work. You don''t have much time!"


    People got to work, at this time Adam approached Zera.


    "You made a mistake, and considering I''m the only one who noticed it, it doesn''t usually happen, does it?" Adam asked with a serious expression.


    He may not have been on many missions, but all of his missions were dangerous and even deadly. He had to learn fast if he wanted to survive.


    Zera looked away.


    "I''m sorry... It''s because of you."


    "Hmm?" Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion, since he hadn''t said anything to Zera before, he certainly had no way of influencing her.


    "It won''t happen again, be sure of that." Zera said calmly, waved her hand, and walked past him.


    Adam stood still, looking at the departing Zera when Hazel appeared beside him.


    "This is your third mission, but you''re already acting so mature, if I may say so. That exins the increased interest in you from Zera." Hazel sighed as he cast a reproachful nce at him.


    "You didn''t understand anything at all, did you?"


    Adam just shook his head. If Hazel could answer his questions, all he could do was listen to her.


    "Although, unlike Zera, I''m not a member of Crimson Path, as her longtime friend Ipletely understand her as well as the ideology of the Crimson Path. She was trying to impress you, but instead, you had to save her. I think you have a rough idea of how she feels now. I''dfort her if I were you, she''s such a cutie when she''s upset." Hazel smirked.


    "No."


    Adam''s curt reply took the smile off Hazel''s face.


    "Isn''t this supposed to be a difficult mission? What about your mates? What about the Harvesters? I have less experience than you, but it was enough for me to see the stones turn people into shredded chunks of flesh once to try to save as many lives as possible."


    "But..."


    Adam waved his hand.


    "What''s more, no one forced Zera to do it, it was her personal whim, and she''s fine now, but if it keeps happening again and again, one day it''s going to cause a catastrophe."


    Hazel remained speechless. She thought she could help Zera and bring her and Adam closer to each other, but in the end, she only made him angry - an option she hadn''t even imagined.


    ...


    After a short rest, the Scarlet River Squad continued to move on to the anomalies, for now, they were only on the outer part.


    Killing monsters one by one, they reached the first center, where among the ice crystals and frosty steamy their first artifact. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Broken Snowke, Zero Rarity Level, not bad. Nothing spectacr, but as a resource for development it''ll do fine, it''s at least easy to collect." Dargo uttered, taking a special container and gloves to the Harvesters.


    Adam watched Dargo''s actions with curiosity, for this was the second artifact on his journey, and he had never seen what artifact gathering was supposed to look like before.


    He picked up his artifact with his bare hands and had to absorb it, but since he was a Natural Phantom, his Evolution Tree and Initial Gene epted the artifact.


    The Broken Snowke looked true to its name, a crystalline object withplex patterns shattered in random ces as if someone had broken it.


    In fact, if Adam wanted to, he could rece his artifact with the Broken Snowke.


    Sure, there was no way he would do that, because Broken Snowke was a Zero Rarity Artifact, and it wasn''t developed.


    "Here we go..." Dargo muttered, carefully cing the artifact into the container and closing it. He must not touch the artifact with his skin, otherwise, the absorption process would start, which could lead to serious problems.


    Then, Dargo handed the artifact to Harvester, and the ice crystals began to break down. The effect wasn''t particrly strong, after all this was a cluster of anomalies, and there were dozens more ahead - especially the center one.


    "Zera, we''re going to head that way, right?" Dargo asked, looking ahead.


    In the distance, a tall beam of light could be seen streaking up to the clouds. It was a highlypressed frost vapor, with cold wind currentsing from it, and the atmosphere in the entire cluster kept the temperature low.


    "Sure. Let''s take the main artifact, then we''ll have a much easier and faster time gathering all the others. After all, we only have ten hours for this mission before night falls." Zera said seriously, as an experienced Phantom had already recovered from her mistake.


    ...


    Three hourster, after walking for about a kilometer and leaving behind hundreds of monster corpses, the Scarlet River Squad reached the center of the main anomaly as well as its artifact.


    "Damn... I figured it would be like this, but we got lucky anyway." Dargo muttered while looking at the Second Rarity Level Artifact.


    Everyone was gazing admiringly at such a rarity, feeling ted after a hard series of battles.


    Strangely enough, Adam was not one of them. He turned around from time to time, looking at the corpses of the Ice Chasers and Frost Archers. ''Weren''t there too few monsters...? No, more importantly. Where''s the final one?'' Adam pondered, feeling that something was missing, some very important detail.


    At the same moment, Dargo touched the artifact, about to load it into the container.


    Then, a bright sh blinded everyone, sending shivers down their spines.

 Chapter 59: Mirage and the Ice Jail

    Anomalies were, in some ways true miracles, the nature of which knew everyone, whether an experienced Phantom or just a young boy from the slums.


    However, most people forgot that the anomalies were not treasure chests, but dangerous zones where to get the reward you had to pass through trials.


    This was where the hidden threat of all anomaliesy, or rather... quiterge and powerful ones because monsters and natural disasters were not the only threats,ing from anomalies.


    The artifact that Dargo held in his hands looked like a dark, cold sphere, made of very dense ice or metal.


    However, as soon as he touched it, even though he was wearing special gloves, a bright sh came out of the artifact that blinded everyone.


    At the same moment, the dark sphere cracked, shattering the outer shell that crumbled down, revealing the true form of the artifact... or was it not really an artifact?


    An azure eye filled with blue mes opened wide, looking first at Dargo, then at the others.


    Zera, Hazel, and Dargo froze in shock and horror, for they were the only ones in the squad to realize what was happening there.


    "Everyone! Defend yourselves!" Zera eximed as fast and loud as she could. Her voice came from the very depths of her soul, bringing the threat.


    At the same moment, a blue me sphere with an eye flew upward, escaping Dargo''s grip.


    In no time, hardly anyone had time to prepare and realize what was happening here, the azure eye shone brightly again, covering the entire area of the main anomaly with a wave of light.


    Every Harvester and Phantom was hit by this light since there was no way to hide from it. Even if someone managed to close his eyes or cover himself with his hands - it was useless, the light from the azure eye passed through any obstacles.


    Adam was no exception, as soon as he blinked he realized that there was no one around - only fog and intense cold that surrounded him from all sides.


    ''What''s going on...? Is this some kind of hypnosis? Could it be an illusion? Is such a thing even possible?'' Adam pondered, a multitude of questions filled his mind, but he had no time to ponder because the danger was already right in front of him!


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    The ghostly de headed straight for him at great speed.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed as he managed to react at thest moment and called out his needle. He deflected the lunge and counterattacked back, wounding the invisible opponent.


    Then, another attack followed, this time it was much faster and more urate, but Adam was ready. He fought for his life, for by the cascade of sparks, he realized that a single misstep could lead to his death.


    Soon, Adam forgot he was on a mission with the Scarlet River Squad, he also forgot about the anomaly cluster and lost all sense of time.


    He didn''t know how many seconds, minutes, or hours he had been in this strange ce, because every moment he had to fight, sometimes getting wounded.


    ''Fuck! How many more times do I have to injure you to kill you?!'' Adam inwardly eximed before making a risky lunge forward.


    He held his arm out in front of him, allowing the ghostly de to pierce his arm. A bright pain spread through his body, but now Adam had a chance to grab his opponent!


    "Gotcha." Adam smirked, looking at the needle that was slowly entering his enemy''s ghostly body, filling with blood.


    Then, the frosty mist began to swirl rapidly, growing thicker and thicker. Adam swung the needle, splitting it, but it was useless.


    He blinked, and to his surprise, he was back in the real world, and his many wounds, including the cut on his arm, were gone. However, that wasn''t the correct definition, because just like in the virtual zone, those wounds simply never existed.


    Adam looked around, and his eyes went wide, his body covered in goosebumps, an intense anxiety built up deep within him.


    All the Phantoms and Harvesters around him were encased in ice crystals. None of them were injured, at least on the outside, but they couldn''t move, and they all had the same look in their eyes - like a fighter a second before losing his mortalbat.


    Also, Adam couldn''t hear Silvana, for his earbud was broken, it was when the azure eyes shone brightly for the second time.


    It seemed he was the only one left who hadn''t fallen under this curse of icing, and all that remained was a blue ming orb hovering above the ground.


    Near the center of the main anomaly, there were now three tall crystals with azure mes burning inside them somehow. From each crystal came a ghostly trace that, from time to time, was disrupted, but it was possible to track the target.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    A crunch from the ice was heard from the side.


    Adam summoned an igloo, preparing to fight, but there was no need, for it wasn''t a monster but Zera - she, too, passed the trial.


    "Zera... What the hell is going on here...?" Adam muttered with a dazed expression. He had never heard of such a thing, it was like a nightmaree true.


    Zera''s gaze grew darker as he nced at the azure eye.


    "We call it a Mirage - a rare but dangerous phenomenon that sometimes bes part of an anomaly or cluster. You can think of it as a trap, it''s easier that way, but it''s a fair trap, to some degree." Zera sighed heavily.


    She tried to remain calm as panicking was no use, and it would only make an already shitty situation worse.


    "Trap... fair one...? What the hell does that mean?!" Adam frowned, clenching his fists tightly.


    "Look." Zera pointed to an icy disk hovering above the azure eye. There were 180 small cells on the disk, and three of them were already burning with blue mes, the fourth was ready to sh in a few seconds.


    "Is that a timer...?" Adam muttered as his eyes went wide.


    Zera nodded.


    "Yeah... I''ve been in a Mirage once before, so I can assure you that they all have their rules. In this case, it''s simple, we need to destroy these three crystals with fire inside, obviously, they are powering this disk. Given the number of cells, we have three hours to do that, it''s already a little less than that..."


    Adam nodded.


    He felt that these crystals were unusual, a lot depended on them.


    "Wait... What happens if we don''t make it in time or decide to leave here and disobey the rules?" Adam shuddered, expecting an unwee answer.


    "We can''t know for sure, but most likely the crystals will shrink or explode, tearing our squad members apart. No one will survive after that, not Harvester, not a Phantom Private, nor Hazel and Dargo..." Zera muttered, biting down on her lip until it was bloody.


    Adam looked away, his gaze traveling along the nearest me trail that to his surprise ended almost right next to them.


    "Zera... Looks like we don''t have time toin about our situation. Our opponent is already waiting for us." Adam said seriously as he stared at the Ice Chaser approaching them.


    However, unlike the ones they had already killed, this one had two horns and was slightly taller.


    The monster''s aura overwhelmed them, but they couldn''t escape because they had to destroy the blue me that burned in the monster''s chest.

 Chapter 60: 2 vs 2

    There were two members of the Scarlet River Squad left, Adam and Zera were the only ones who had managed to avoid the effects of the Mirage.


    In fact, they could have escaped from the anomaly cluster if they wanted to, after all, they had passed its trial, but did they really have such an opportunity?


    Neither Adam nor Zera were going to abandon the rest of the Scarlet River Squad.


    Three hours was more than enough time to destroy the crystals and ruin the Mirage, but... nothing in Dead Lands ever came easy.


    If they wanted to achieve their goal, they had to shed sweat and blood.


    The Dual-horned Ice Chaser slowly approached them, with a wide grin on his face, he seemed to realize that he was much stronger, and now his hunt was about to begin!


    "What do we do?" Adam asked, preparing for battle. He stepped forward, holding the needle tightly and piercing the monster with his gaze.


    Zera swung her scythe.


    "I''ll attack first, try to distract him, and break some of his armor, then you finish what you started. Your needle will easily pass through his flesh, right?"


    "Sure. You don''t have to worry about that." Adam nodded calmly, ring at the monster.


    He was about to say something else before their fight began, but for some reason, his expression changed drastically.


    Whoooooooosh.


    A frosty sh, whizzed right before his eyes, coating the tip of his nose with a thinyer of ice.


    If Adam had taken even one more step, he would have been turned into an ice statue by now.


    However, the source of this attack was not the Dual-horned Ice Chaser, but someone else, someone who was far enough away to remain invisible until now.


    "Fuck... Looks like our n needs to be changed immediately..." Adam muttered, looking at Frozen Archer standing on top of a building a few alleys away.


    Unlike the Dual-horned Ice Chaser, Frozen Archer was not much different from his weaker kin.


    Hecked a quiver and had a long ice cape. He created arrows out of highlypressed frost vapor, for a few seconds, making it so strong that even steel would seem brittle.


    "Adam... This is the Elusive Frozen Archer... In terms of strength, he and the Dual-horned Ice Chaser are about equal, as they are both Blue Threat Level and are in the Red Book." Zera exined.


    "I see... I''ll take on the archer, ok?" Adam asked while Elusive Frozen Archer was about to take the next shot.


    Zera nodded.


    "Do as you see fit. If we want to save our mates, we have to defeat them as well as the third one. We simply have no other option."


    At the same moment, they both tore off in different directions, heading towards their opponents.


    Perhaps they should have fought 2 vs 2, together instead of separately, but it took them a second to realize the failure of that idea.


    Even with just the two of them, they wouldn''t be able to quickly deal with the Dual-horned Ice Chaser, and the Elusive Frozen Archer would constantly attack them from afar, sooner orter, he would hit, then their fight would end in defeat.


    Adam needed some time to reach Elusive Frozen Archer, he ran forward, dodging the ice arrows. Every time an arrow hit the ground, it would cause an ice st with cold vapor freezing everything around it.


    ''Alright, Zera, you can do this. You''ve already gotten into Mirage once before... Although, this time ispletely different. Now I''m going to have to save someone, instead of someone saving me.'' Zera internally muttered with aplicated expression.


    Her eyes shed as many drops of blood appeared around her. They followed her and rotated slightly like satellites around a.


    Then, Zera swung her hand, and all the drops turned into sharp des, simultaneously raining down on Ice Chaser.


    Ice Chaser smirked, despite the clear threat the monster did not dodge.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Ice Chaser''s tail came into motion, slowly at first, moving forward, then the sharp de at the tip abruptly elerated to extreme speed.


    Each bloody de was shattered into small fragments, unable to reach Ice Chaser''s body.


    "Defending yourself? Fine, that''s not all I''m capable of!" Zera eximed as her eyes shed brightly again, she was about to use her Second Order.


    Her fingertips on her left hand covered with thick blood that soon began to shake. Then, she swung her hand like a wild beast with its ws.


    The blood clots quickly increased in size, turning into a massive bloody whirlwind, demolishing everything in its path.


    Ice crystals flew off the ground, flying away while the sharp des of the swirl headed towards their target.


    This time, Ice Chaser was not going to stand still, however, he also did not want to run away - it was beyond his dignity.


    Ice Chaser bent his body forward, tilting his head and pointing his sharp horns directly at the scarlet vortex.


    Then, his veins, hidden under the ice armor, filled with energy, and the tips of his horns shone brightly, creating a tiny sphere between them.


    The sphere was the size of a grain, but, it was dense enough to contain immense power.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    The sphere exploded,unching a devastating beam, quickly destroying the swirl, the bloody wind was too weak to resist for even a moment.


    Ice Chaser smirked insidiously, raising his head, wanting to see the desperate expression of his opponent.


    Droplets of blood dripped from Zera''s scythe, its de ring brightly as she swung the scythe from top to bottom.


    At the same moment, the vertical bloody de sliced the energy beam in two and quickly reached Ice Chaser.


    The monster''s instincts were literally screaming at it to run away, but Ice Chaser didn''t make a move. The monster only smirked onest time, for it had already epted its defeat - for monsters, it was equal to death.


    The bloody de sliced Ice Chaser in two without any resistance before vanishing a few meters back.


    Zera smiled contentedly before dropping to one knee and letting out a heavy sigh. A trickle of blood dripped from the corners of her mouth, and her gaze became tired.


    She had used her Nexus and Second Order, so this reaction was predictable but inevitable.


    "Alright, even though I had to lose a lot of energy, I made it through... I need to help Adam." Zera muttered before turning around, searching her gaze for him.


    Her eyes went wide when Adam reflected the ice arrow and using the first grip, plunged the needle into Elusive Frozen Archer''s shoulder, preventing the monster from escaping with his cape.


    "Looks like he doesn''t need my help." Zera smiled slightly, giving herself time to regain her strength.


    ...


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Adam swung his arm, causing the needle to move upward, about to pierce Frozen Archer''s head, but the monster managed to dodge at thest moment.


    However, the sharp, long connecting thread sliced off Elusive Frozen Archer''s arm.


    Then, Elusive Frozen Archer''s cape trembled, covering it with a thick, cold fog, he was about to disappear.


    "Nice try!" Adam eximed, pulling himself towards the needle using the connecting thread as the needle stabbed into the ground.


    Silver threads appeared around his left arm, and soon four sharp ws, stabbed into Elusive Frozen Archer''s chest before he could disappear.


    "This is something I haven''t tried before, but it''s never toote to learn something new, is it?" Adam said as his fingertips shone brightly, releasing de-sharp silver threads that cut Elusive Frozen Archer from the inside out.

 Chapter 61: Zeras True Essence

    Silver threads covered in cold blood tore the flesh of the powerful monster apart, leaving Elusive Frozen Archer no chance of survival.


    Such an attack was probably the deadliest Adam was capable of. If some armor could protect against his threads, then pure flesh waspletely vulnerable, like soft tofu wavering from any knife touch.


    "Alright, now I need to help Zera." Adam muttered, looking down at his bloody hand.


    "Who are you going to help?"


    A confident but satisfied voice sounded behind him.


    Adam turned around, and his eyes grew wide, Zera stood confidently on her feet, and her opponent had been dead for some time now.


    "Oh... I guess that sounded overconfident in this situation, didn''t it?" Adam smiled, looking up and down at Zera. She wasn''t hurt, but she was also more tired than Adam, since he hadn''t used his Nexus.


    The Nexus was an extremely powerful but energy-consuming weapon. To some extent, because of this factor, Zera performed worse than Adam, since it took her more resources, even though her opponent was slightly stronger.


    Zera shrugged her shoulders.


    "Perhaps, although you had to run to your opponent. I''m sure Elusive Frozen Archer dodged your attacks many times."


    "Yeah, it wasn''t the most enjoyable, but it was also a fairly easy fight. Anyway, we have onest target left, don''t we?" Adam said before looking off into the distance.


    Amidst the freezing wind and strong mounds, there were clearly visible trails of azure mes that for some reason rose high up as if soaring.


    To Adam and Zera, there was nothing strange about this, since they had already seen their opponent.


    It was a huge four-winged Mechanical Gargoyle with a massive jaw andrge eyes that looked in different directions, observing every living thing underneath it.


    Soon, the Mechanical Gargoyle red at them, and frosty spheres formed under its wings.


    Then, dozens of crystals rained down on Adam and Zera like a hail of judgment, bringing only destruction.


    Adam and Zera looked at each other, then jumped aside to dodge the attack.


    The building floor copsed due to the amount of damage, bing another echo of the battles in Rusty Ruins.


    The Mechanical Gargoyle was hovering high above the ground, but that didn''t mean Adam and Zera were powerless. If Hazel had been with them, things would have been much easier, but they had one option to bring the Mechanical Gargoyle down to the ground.


    Adam threw his needle so that the sharp thread tied around the Mechanical Gargoyle''s neck like a hook. The thread couldn''t cut through the monster''s armor, but it wasn''t necessary.


    "Alright, I might not be able to throw you to the ground, but it should be enough!" Adam eximed, pulling with his arm, pushing down with all his might.


    "ROOOOAAAAAAAAAAARRRR!!!!"


    The Mechanical Gargoyle let out an eerie, mechanical roar as it tried to resist, but it was unlikely to have any effect on Adam and Zera.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Taking advantage of the situation, Zera jumped from the highest point of the building, climbing onto the Mechanical Gargoyle''s back.


    A few seconds were enough for Zera''s scythe to rip through some of the monster''s armor, revealing a vulnerable point - the energy core beneath the iron pipes.


    Zera gripped the weapon tightly in her hands as a sharp glint passed across her eyes.


    "ROOOOAAAAAARRRR!!!"


    The Mechanical Gargoyle began to actively wriggle as if sensing its imminent death. This threw Zera''s bnce off, but she managed to stay on top of the monster by stabbing her scythe into the two mechanical wings.


    Because of all the wounds, especially in the wings area, the Mechanical Gargoyle began to descend rapidly, heading towards the ground along with Zera.


    "Zera!" Adam eximed, removed his needle, and quickly headed downwards, trying to make it before they copsed.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Adam didn''t make it in time, and before he could run to them, the Mechanical Gargoyle reached the ground.


    "ROOOAAAARRRR!!!"


    The mechanical gargoyle pped its wings, throwing Zera aside. The monster wanted to fly away, but as soon as its entire wings were in motion, bloody des mmed into them, stopping them and giving Zera time to turn wings into scrap metal.


    She moved as fast as she could to deal with the monster as quickly as possible, for this was theirst obstacle to freeing their mates.


    ''Fine... Just a little more. All that''s left is to destroy the core!'' Zera inwardly eximed, spinning the scythe.


    "Zera! Run away!" Adam shouted, but it was toote.


    The Mechanical Gargoyle''s core glowed brightly as all the energy released out of it in an instant. The monster decided to sacrifice himself but to take at least one of them.


    Zera''s eyes narrowed as she held the scythe out, however... the inevitable had already happened.


    Most of her body was sealed in ice crystal. She couldn''t move, only the right side of her head was free, allowing her to see and barely say anything.


    "Zera!" Adam eximed, hurriedly running up to her and making his way through the icy debris.


    Adam immediately used Second Grip and hit the ice crystal with all his might, going to break it.


    Tremble.


    A small shard, quite tiny, less than a seed, broke off from the huge crystal. However... the consequences for Adam were far more serious, for his veins swelled as he clutched at his arm, trying to take away the intense pain of the recoil.


    He felt as if he had hit the steel wall with his bare fist, without thinking of the impact.


    "I''m sorry... I rushed and failed you again..." Zera muttered with a sad look.


    Adam shook his head.


    "You don''t have to say it, it''s okay. We killed three monsters, so soon, Mirage''s curse should break, shouldn''t it? Then, you and everyone else will be free."


    Zera nodded, or rather she would have wanted to if she wasn''t immobilized.


    "Yes, soon the crystals will no longer be able to power the disk, and the whole system will copse."


    Adam smiled bitterly.


    Cold.


    A strange feeling settled inside them when they felt the cold, not from the low temperature but from the presence of death that seemed to be right beside them.


    Then, Adam and Zera saw a bright sh of thick frosty vapor a few kilometers in the distance.


    "ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRR!!!"


    The furious roar of the unknown monster quickly reached their ears, instilling nothing but fear.


    "Adam... You have to run, right now! You won''t be able to deal with this monster alone! It''s most likely thest monster of this Mirage, we didn''t notice the fourth crystal!" Zera eximed.


    Adam gulped, his fingertips trembled, but soon he clenched his hands into a fist and approached Zera.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Adam attacked, bringing his needle down on the ice crystal time after time despite the intense pain with each strike.


    "No! Stop! You''d sooner break your arm than free me! Adam! You have great genes and potential! You must survive to give life to a stronger generation!


    If you die, the future you can create will be lost!" Zera shouted sincerely.


    "Shut up. I''ve already made my decision. We are too close to sess to back down." Adam said calmly before delivering the final strike.


    Just as Zera said, the moment the crystal cracked, his arm broke, even though he had a second grip and a sheath of threads.


    "Argh!" Adam cried out in pain, though he was prepared for it, it was impossible to hold back.


    The chunks of ice fell apart, releasing Zera from her ice prison, who was in true shock. Her gaze towards Adam changed, staring at him with respect and recognizing him as a hero.


    "Shit, that hurts. Whatever, I can still use my left arm. We''re gonna win!" Adam eximed.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground shook, heralding the imminent appearance of an unknown but powerful monster whose roar could terrify anyone.


    Zera looked up shivering, blinked slowly, and smiled bitterly.


    Adam couldn''t have suspected anything.


    "Zera, you''ll be able to use your Nexus again, right?" Adam asked, trying to think of a battle n.


    Zera appeared in front of him and silently looked at him with a calm gaze.


    "Ah...? Zera, is something wrong? We don''t have much time!"


    "Thank you... I appreciate what you''ve done, and I''m willing to give you everything I have... I''m sure you can win no matter how strong the opponent is." Zera muttered.


    Then, Zera took a step forward, approaching Adam closely, and smiled.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    The crimson de slid into the flesh, passing through Zera and Adam at the same time.


    Streams of blood flowed from the corners of their mouths, Adam''s eyes went wide, and their blood fused together, flowing down the scythe de.


    "Crimson Exchange..." Zera muttered, and her eyes shone brightly.

 Chapter 62: Despair in the Sight

    Adam''s eyes slowly clouded over, the blood was rapidly leaving his body, and he could feel himself weakening,pletely bewildered and lost.


    However, as soon as Zera''s lips came into motion, emitting a low whisper, everything changed.


    The crimson de of the scythe that had pierced their bodies shuddered, turning into blood and heading towards Adam, to his chest.


    The blood turned into a scarlet cross from which many red threads emanated, they covered Adam''s body and stuck into the ces where he was wounded.


    Adam immediately felt better, power spread through his body as if he got a second breath.


    "Good luck... I''ve bet everything on you, and I''m sure you won''t fail, but... you have to remember. You only have fifteen minutes." Zera muttered before copsing.


    Adam caught her gently with both hands, for his fracture was no longer a thing. The scarlet cross and red threads worked like an exoskeleton, they would maintain his condition and give immense strength until the energy ran out.


    "Thank you. Now I not only understand you better but also what some of us are fighting for..." Adam muttered with a deep gaze.


    He jumped aside, leaving Zera far away so that she would be safe, because soon he would have to fight a very dangerous opponent.


    Adam didn''t notice it, but as he stepped back, Zera opened her eyes slightly. She didn''t have a drop of energy left, she was exhausted, but she was still conscious. Even if she had used all her will, she wouldn''t have been able to move a finger.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground shook, and soon a massive shadow appeared in the distance.


    Adam stood confidently on his feet, waiting for the monster that wasst in the cluster of anomalies.


    "ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRR!!!!"


    There was a furious roar as the huge silhouette leaped forward, smashing through the iron building, effortlessly destroying everything in its path.


    "Oh... You must be pretty damn strong, aren''t you?" Adam muttered, feeling the monster''s eerie aura that was definitely above the blue threat level.


    Adam looked at the Blizzard Harbinger, Purple Threat Level, and White Book.


    Monsters of such power shouldn''t be in the east of the Rusty Ruins, however, the anomaly cluster was adjusting the general rules. Normally, only in the north or center could someone so dangerous appear, but the present could not be changed.


    Blizzard Harbinger possessed a long body with four legs like a beast from the myths. Hundreds of ice scales were his defense, impregnable, able to repel any attack. Sharp ws leaving long streaks on the ground spread the threat.


    A thick, broad tail with a massive ice crystal like a hammer could bring down the enemy of the Blizzard Harbinger to turn it into nothing.


    From the monster''s powerful jaws came curved fangs, created not to cut, but to tear flesh to shreds.


    Blizzard Harbinger turned its head with two long horns, staring intently at Adam as if trying to figure out if he was his opponent.


    "Come on! I''m ready to fight you!" Adam eximed as he swung his hand, summoning the needle.


    The Blizzard Harbinger bared its fangs, epting Adam''s challenge and heading forward, the ice breaking beneath the massive monster.


    Adam waspletely focused, watching Blizzard Harbinger''s every move.


    Then, Blizzard Harbinger''s ws dug into the ground, and eyes wide open, he was ready to attack, and Adam prepared for it.


    However, Adam soon realized that there was no intimidation in the monster''s gaze, only desperation and pure pain.


    "ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!"


    Blizzard Harbinger roared as something dragged Blizzard Harbinger backwards.


    Yes, that''s exactly what happened, the monster that must have weighed more than a few tons was being dragged backwards as if Blizzard Harbinger was not a predator but someone''s next victim.


    Then, the monster''s thick tail flew off to the side, sliced off at a perfect angle as if it had been done by someone who had been wielding a sword for decades.


    "No fucking way..." Adam muttered in disbelief as a gray sh swept through the entire Blizzard Harbinger.


    Two sharp des sliced apart Blizzard Harbinger''s flesh, turning the monster''s insides into a bloody mess.


    In fact, it wasn''t even a battle or a decent kill. Blizzard Harbinger was simply cut like a piece of meat, like a pig in the hands of a butcher, neither escaping nor resisting was impossible.


    Blizzard Harbinger was still alive despite all the wounds, but he was bleeding out fast, and only a couple minutes remained before he would die from his wounds. The mysterious predator didn''t bother to finish him off, after all, it wasn''t Blizzard Harbinger who was its target.


    "You... It''s you..."


    Adam shuddered, for, strangely enough, he had previously met the one who just shed Blizzard Harbinger.


    Dark drops of blood, like scarlet rain, fell on the majestic armor, only to head for two long swords, sharpened on both sides.


    Through a slit in his helmet, amber lights could be seen - the eyes of the Steel Knight, who stared intently at Adam, waiting for him to acknowledge.


    "I see... You didn''t get the chance to fight me then, though you certainly wanted to, didn''t you? You were able to wait, but your patience hase to an end." Adam said with a slight smile on his face.


    He didn''t know why, but seeing the Steel Knight again made him smile as if everything had fallen into ce.


    Blizzard Harbinger was not the ''final one'' that Adam had been thinking about for some time. However, now all doubts were gone.


    Their fight had not yet begun, but since Blizzard Harbinger was dying, soon Mirage curse would be broken, and the members of the Scarlet River Squad would be free.


    However, it would beter than Adam''s fifteen minutes woulde to an end, by which time - the oue of their fight would already be settled.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Without warning, the Steel Knight rushed forward, holding his swords tightly.


    Adam was wary. He was more worried not about how strong the Steel Knight really was, but about the two swords. Previously, Adam hadn''t fought such opponents since this was his second Crown Monster, though... it was more than most K1 Phantoms.


    Silver threads covered his arm tightly, preparing for a sh.


    Then, two swords rained down on Adam from top to bottom, leaving him only a second to react and defend himself.


    The ground beneath him cracked, and his veins swelled with tightly clenched teeth.


    ''Holy shit! What kind of abnormal power is this!?''


    In this case, it was important to realize that Adam was now much stronger than usual thanks to Zera''s ability. At this moment, his body was at the Resonance level, roughly speaking, Adam was one step higher than in themon state.


    ''Despite all this... One attack is enough to suppress me!'' Adam internally eximed, trying to throw back the Steel Knight who was pressing down on him with all his might.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    The Steel Knight abruptly turned around, kicking Adam and knocking him dozens of meters aside.


    After smashing his back through several ice crystals, Adam stopped in a pile of metal next to a building.


    The Steel Knight was in no hurry, he stepped slowly, giving Adam time to realize the kind of situation he was in.


    "No... At this rate, I won''t be able tost even one minute..." Adam muttered, then his eyes went wide as he realized something.


    Adam''s gaze went to Blizzard Harbinger, who was going to die of bleeding in a few seconds.


    Then, Adam rushed straight for Blizzard Harbinger.


    If he could participate in the killing of the Blizzard Harbinger, if he could somehow connect his Evolution Tree to it, he could absorb some of the genes! The three of them were roughly equal in strength, so it wouldn''t break any rules!


    It wouldn''t be enough to unlock the Second Trait of his Nexus, but... only one gene was enough for the Third Trait of his artifact.


    ''Other than that, I need three more Zero Rarity Artefacts, but that shouldn''t be a problem!'' Adam inwardly eximed, knowing that the Harvesters had enough artifacts. He just needed to get to the trucks and get them.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Adam threw the needle, plunging it straight into Blizzard Harbinger''s head, finally killing the monster just moments before Blizzard Harbinger would die its death.


    ''Nice! All that''s left is...!''


    The iron fist came crashing down into Adam''s face, immediately breaking his nose and tossing him aside again.


    However, it was as if Adam had been expecting this as he abruptly pulled the thread, dragging himself towards the Blizzard Harbinger and whizzing past the Steel Knight.


    ''When I upgrade my artifact, you''re finished!''


    Adam''s eyes shed as electric sparks flew between them.

 Chapter 63: Pure Brutality and Chaotic Thunder

    Like any other Phantom, Adam was able to summon Revolve, the basis that separated Phantoms from mere humans, aside from the Evolution Tree. Without Revolve, it was impossible to collect genes and thus be better.


    However, in order to collect a monster''s genes, one had to participate in its killing, so that before the monster died, the Evolution Tree could ess the genes - like a thief who needed to look closely at a lock to find the right lock picks.


    Adam knew this, which was why he was in such a hurry, for if Blizzard Harbinger died, the Steel Knight would be the only one whose Evolution Tree would be in contact with Blizzard Harbinger''s.


    A white vortex swirled rapidly under Adam''s palm as Blizzard Harbinger''s body trembled.


    Then, a tiny, purple gene flew into Revolve, immediately heading for Adam''s Vault.


    [Blizzard Harbinger Gene, Purple Threat Level, x1 - has been ced in the Vault!].


    Now, Adam has only one target left - three Zero Rarity Level Artefacts.


    Normally, to find three artifacts, one would have to spend a lot of time looking for anomalies, but in this case, it was much easier.


    When Scarlet River Squad moved towards the cluster center, they passed through several anomalies and collected almost ten artifacts - all of them were stored in the most protected truck that was fourth in the chain - right behind Dargo.


    However... although Steel Knight didn''t know what Adam''s n was, but he as Crown Monster was smart enough to realize that he must stop Adam.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    The Steel Knight jumped sharply towards Adam as his swords vibrated. Each sword, shook several hundred times a second, bing like a sma cutter that destroyed atoms in its path.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed as he quickly put up a block.


    A cascade of sparks flew off to the sides, but then something made Adam feel real fear - several silver threads were shredded by the Steel Knight''s swords.


    Never before had such a thing happened, his threads were indestructible, at least until now.


    ''I see... There''s definitely nothing wrong with my threads, it''s just that he''s putting incredible effort into cutting them one by one!'' Adam inwardly eximed. Steel Knight''s sword slowly passed through his needle.


    Adam couldn''t counterattack from this position, so he decided to do what he needed now - run!


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Electric shocks went through his legs as he abruptly found himself a few meters away from the Steel Knight.


    Everything happened so suddenly that the Steel Knight didn''t react in time, and his swords copsed to the ground.


    The ice was turned into dust as frosty vapor rose up, whizzing over Steel Knight''s shoulders.


    Adam cast a nce at the Steel Knight and quickly ran away, moving towards the trucks that were about a kilometer away in the distance.


    It would be the longest 1,000 meters of his life.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Steel Knight''s legs trembled in the same way as his swords, then he turned into a silver sh - at a tremendous speed approaching Adam.


    Even using the Second Trait of his Artifact - Lightning Step, Adam wasn''t fast enough to break away from the Steel Knight.


    Moreover, unlike Adam, there were no obstacles for the Steel Knight here.


    No matter what object was in his path, be it a concrete wall, a piece of metal, or an ice crystal, the Steel Knight did not change his direction.


    He simply destroyed each object, heading towards Adam in a straight trajectory - which meant the distance between them was rapidly shortening.


    ''This isn''t good... I''m sure if he gets to me, I won''t be able to withstand his onught for long, however...'' Maybe I''m in too much of a hurry?'' Adam pondered as he stared at the Steel Knight, crushing ice blocks with his swords.


    Then, Adam stopped, not far from the trucks that were only a hundred meters behind.


    Since the trucks were so close, it was natural that the members of the Scarlet River Squad were all around them - trapped in ice crystals. They would soon be released, but that would only happen after their fight.


    Steel Knight also ended his run, he didn''t understand what Adam was doing, and the first thing he thought was that it was a trap.


    Steel Knight doubted, so... he decided to provoke Adam.


    Crackle.


    Without hesitation, the Steel Knight shattered the ice crystal with one of the Harvesters inside. As a result, the man''s body burst into pieces under the pressure.


    Adam frowned but didn''t give in to his emotions since this was the worst thing he could do in this situation.


    "I didn''t even know you were going to show up. This can''t be a trap! I just want a fair fight!" Adam said sincerely, clearly hiding something.


    The Steel Knight stared at him intently, then nodded and quickly rushed forward.


    In no time, a silver needle and two vibrating swords collided, then another and another.


    Quite expected, Adam began to lose quickly. The Steel Knight was faster and stronger. Soon, Adam''s entire body was covered in a multitude of wounds.


    ''Come on! This has already worked twice! I have to do it if I want to win!'' Adam inwardly shouted, clenching his teeth tightly and following every strike of the Steel Knight, who was gradually bing faster and deadlier.


    Adam''s goal was simple - he wanted to enter Resonance to take another step forward.


    He realized that even if he got the Third Trait of his Artifact, he wouldn''t be able to defeat the Steel Knight in one powerful attack. Besides that, he needed something else, and Resonance was the perfect option.


    Being under a deadly threat was the best way to increase the chances of that, but for some reason, Adam didn''t feel like he could enter Resonance at all.


    ''No! No! No... I have to do this for my n to work!''


    The Steel Knight swung his swords, leaving long cuts on Adam''s chest, plunging him into vivid pain.


    Adam started to act reflexively, trying to think of a new n.


    ''Idiot...''


    Suddenly in his mind rang a voice that had already sounded twice before when he was in Resonance.


    ''You know it''s wrong... Only by focusing on one goal can you do it... don''t think about anything but your enemy!''


    At the same moment, the Steel Knight made a sharp lunge, about to pierce Adam''s heart. The sword cut through the wind currents quickly approaching Adam''s chest.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Before the Steel Knight could realize anything, Adam stepped forward, grabbing the Steel Knight''s arm and smoothly throwing him over himself.


    His movements were precise and focused with perfect uracy, as the vibrating sword passed right next to his face, leaving a long cut on his cheek. Indeed, now he was focused on only one target,pletely immersed in Resonance.


    The Steel Knight quickly rose from the ground, getting into a fighting stance, but strangely, Adam did not attack.


    Then, Steel Knight turned around and saw Adam kick the door to the truck, pulling out three identical ck containers and quickly opening them.


    The three artifacts swept in front of Adam''s cold gaze that pierced the Steel Knight - as if preparing him for inevitable defeat.


    The Steel Knight was about to act, but it was toote, for Adam grabbed the artifacts and held them tightly to his chest.


    The artifacts shone brightly just as his eyes, turned into white shes and entered his chest, plunging his mind into another space.


    The Violet Gene and three Zero Rarity Level Artifacts entered the False Orb - causing it to tremble more violently than ever before.


    [Third Trait - Thunder Punishment


    At first, lightning passively improved your reflexes and body, then you learned to use it partially at will to increase your speed, so now it''s time for the next stage - creation.


    Use the energy of lightning to destroy any enemy, turning it into nothing more than a handful of ash].


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The air rippled as electric shocks traveled through Adam''s fingertips, quickly bing incredibly dense, like thick sma.


    High in the sky, chaotic random discharges appeared above the Steel Knight. They quickly traveled from one ce to another, bing faster and stronger.


    "I hope you don''t die after this. I got a really deadly weapon!" Adam eximed as he clenched his fist tightly.


    At the same moment, a massive thunderbolt, rained down on the Steel Knight with speed beyond sound, unleashing its enormous temperature on the Steel Knight''s armor - vulnerable to electricity.

 Chapter 64: Earthquake

    In order to use any ability to its fullest potential, it took practice to understand the best ways to apply it. This rule was almost absolute


    However, when Phantoms received a new ability, they immediately had a certain knowledge of how to use the ability.


    Thus, when Adam unlocked the Third Trait of his Artifact, in a moment he knew what ability he had received and how to use it. It wasparable to being able to breathe, apletely natural process that required no training.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Electric shocks instantly traveled across, from the sky to the ground, as the thunderbolt unleashed its full power on the Steel Knight


    Normally, his armor was his defense, even opponents of the same threat level would hardly be able to damage his armor, however, the metal was a great conductor of electricity and was also capable of melting!


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    At thest moment, all the Steel Knight could do in the split second allotted to him was raise his sword high, trying to use his weapon as a lightning rod.


    Lightning traveled towards the sword tip, immediately melting it and passing through his arm, traveling to his feet through his entire body, and descending into the ground.


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    The sword as well as the Steel Knight''s right arm melted due to the high temperature and dripped down to the ground, depriving the Steel Knight of half of his strength.


    Part of his armor was deformed due to the heat, and cracks appeared on his head and right shoulder, it seemed that if the lightning was a bit stronger, the Steel Knight would be blown up.


    "Agh... Agh... Agh..."


    Adam was breathing heavily. Use of the Thunder Punishment wasparable to Nexus, but if Nexus put a heavy strain on Phantom''s body, Third Trait drained Adam''s energy reserves. He could still use his Order but couldn''t summon another Thunder Punishment for the next few hours.


    "Shit... As I suspected... You survived. Well, I''d be disappointed if that was the end of it." Adam muttered with a bitter smile, trying to regain his senses.


    Then, he nced at the scarlet cross on his chest. The red threads had already loosened slightly, for ten minutes of the fifteen minutes had already passed.


    Adam had only 300 seconds left to win, or he would remain here, among the icy debris - forever.


    Step. Step. Another step.


    The Steel Knight took a few steps forward, ring at Adam. It was unknown what the monster was thinking, but from his posture, it was clear that the Steel Knight had underestimated Adam.


    Adam took a deep breath, about to get back into the fight, but no sooner had he taken a step than he stopped because of the Steel Knight.


    The Steel Knight thrust his hand into the ground, then his whole body shook, the vibrations were happening so fast that soon they began to spread across the ground.


    "What the hell...?" Adam muttered in disbelief as he found it hard to keep his bnce.


    Very soon, the ice sheet began to break as the damaged buildings one by one began to fall like a massive earthquake.


    The area was not veryrge, yet the quake might grew steadily - reaching a point where massive cracks spread across the ground, opening gaps to nowhere.


    Several crystals containing Harvesters and Phantoms fell into these gaps, the cold rock shattering them, turning into trickles of blood flowing downwards.


    ''Bastard... did he do that to piss me off? No, he must know that he can''t provoke me like that, moreover, he''spletelycking in morals. So there''s another reason for this!'' Adam inwardly uttered, trying to keep his bnce.


    Then, the Steel Knight reached out his hand, grabbed his sword, and swung it,unching an almost invisible kic de of vibrations at Adam.


    Adam''s eyes went wide as he abruptly jumped aside, the de flying right next to him, slicing through the ground and creating new gaps in the earth around him.


    At the same moment, the Steel Knight rushed forward, nimbly jumping over the gaps, quickly changing his position, ending up here and there, gradually surrounding Adam. The Steel Knight made it so that it was unknown where he would attack from next time.


    ''I see... He created a suitable battlefield for himself. Shit! I only have three minutes left! Will he attack or not?!''


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Steel Knight swung his sword,unching another kic de at Adam, however, that one was slower and weaker. It seemed Steel Knight couldn''t use this ability often.


    Adam swung the needle to deflect the kic de, but he realized toote that the Steel Knight disappeared.


    A stream of blood rushed from Adam''s back as the sharp de of the sword left a long sh on it, cutting into his flesh.


    "Argh!!!!" Adam eximed in pain, but quickly regained his senses, attacking the Steel Knight.


    However, the Steel Knight was no longer behind him, as he continued to quickly jump around Adam again, preparing for his next deadly attack.


    ''Fuck! Even if he can''t use his ability once more, he''ll surely think of a way to distract me. I can''t wait for an attack from behind, because he''s all around me, he''s everywhere!'' Adam eximed to himself, clenching his fists tightly and gritting his teeth.


    He urgently needed a n of action. The goal was simple - take away the Steel Knight''s advantage, but how?


    Then, electric shocks went through Adam''s eyes when he realized he could use the Steel Knight''s weapon against himself!


    Adam smirked as he leaped forward - into the biggest gap. Though there was only darkness below, it wasn''t a portal to hell, just a split in the ground.


    With a needle stuck into the wall, Adam was able to stop about midway, where there was enough room to maneuver but not too narrow. His feet touched both sides of the gap.


    It didn''t take long for the Steel Knight to realize he had epted Adam''s rules and stepped down into the gap as well.


    His sword trembled, but he could no longerunch the kic de, so the Steel Knight simply rushed forward at his top speed.


    He sliced the ground with his sword and, before he collided with Adam, made a sweeping motion, throwing a cloud of dust at Adam.


    However, the sword could not hurt Adam, for it was stopped by silver ws woven from hundreds of strong threads.


    Adam gripped the Steel Knight''s sword tightly, the de quickly sliced through the threads, leaving cuts on Adam''s arm, but for a while he could withstand it.


    "Alright, it''s time to call it a day, isn''t it? I only have 30 seconds left, I have to hurry!" Adam eximed before swinging the needle.


    However, he aimed not at the Steel Knight''s head but at his wrist, loosening his grip for a moment.


    This was enough for Adam to rip the sword out of Steel Knight''s hand, toss it aside, and grab Steel Knight.


    Adam brought the Steel Knight''s head down against the wall, while the silver ws of his gauntlet, slowly dug into the damaged armor.


    "I''ll be honest... If it wasn''t for the help of my mate, I would have lost to you, because... you only have ten seconds tost before you win..." Adam muttered with a sad look before crushing the Steel Knight''s head, crumpling it and shredding it into pieces.


    Soon, the scarlet cross began to dissipate, and now Adam had only one thing left to do - absorb the gene of the Crown Monster!


    Technically, this would be the first time since Brass Puppet was the Beginning Monster for Adam in the first ce.


    Adam''s genes waited and trembled in anticipation of the great reward!

 Chapter 65: Melting Ice

    Bam.


    Adam was thest to climb out of the rift, along with the Steel Knight.


    Yeah, he could have left the monster below, but Adam wanted to savor this moment, not rush - he deserved it.


    "Well, well, looks like I saved everyone this time, although... considering there were still casualties, I sound pretty cynical, right?" Adam muttered, looking around with a slight smile.


    Adam didn''t have ''Good Hero'' obsessions, someone who wished to save everyone and anyone so that there would only be goodness and peace in the world.


    Adam understood and recognized for himself that his life was more important than the lives of people he didn''t know until that day.


    Sure, if he had the opportunity to save the Harvesters and the Phantoms in the crystals, he would surely do it. However, if there was any risk to his life in doing so, then he wouldn''t even think about it.


    His life mattered not only to him but also to his family. Adam had to remember it always, there were those for whom he was the center of the universe, and to lose him was like starting doomsday.


    In the meantime, while a tired Adam took a short break for himself, the eastern region of the Rusty Ruins was slowlying back to normal.


    The Mirage was destroyed, and the main anomalous monsters were dead. The anomaly cluster was quickly losing its energy and scattering.


    Normally, in such a situation, the Phantoms would immediately run to the center - to receive the reward for dispelling the Mirage. It was logical and understandable, but Adam had something more valuable.


    "Well, I don''t know why I feel like I''m going to get something extraordinary, but I hope my instincts aren''t failing me, otherwise I''ll be disappointed!" Adam smiled widely before extending his hand.


    A white vortex appeared under his palm and at the same moment, the Steel Knight''s body trembled.


    Unlike situations with other monsters, things were different now.


    Normally, a gene would just fly out of the monster''s body, but now, hundreds of energy threads wereing out of the Steel Knight''s body like white mes covering it.


    Then, five purple genes came out and quickly flew into Revolve, however, he didn''t even pay attention to it because his gaze was focused on something else.


    It was a star, bright and majestic.


    Looking closer, Adam realized that it was a gene too, but a moreplex one, as if it were made up of many other smaller ones.


    The star flew into Revolve, and Adam found himself in his space in front of the Evolution Tree, which, for some reason, was trembling slightly.


    ''What''s going on...? Is the tree going to grow? But... Shouldn''t I be gathering the Key for that? Adam muttered puzzledly.


    Then, a star swept past him.


    Oddly enough, thisplex gene didn''t go to the Vault, unlike all the others, that one was like Adam''s first gene, heading straight for the Evolution Tree.


    Soon, the star reached its goal, stopping above the Initial Gene and bing part of the Evolution Tree. Moreover, the star also took a unique shape, like Adam''s Initial Gene that looked like a ball of thread instead of just a nameless rune.


    The star turned into a triangr shield with two crossed swords behind it in a mirror sphere. This gene was much smaller than the Initial one, and not as significant, but now, it was part of Adam''s power, part of himself.


    [You absorbed the gene of the Steel Knight - Crown Type Monster!]


    [You opened the cell for the Power Gene!]


    [You received your first Power Gene!]


    Adam''s eyes shone as a multitude of runes appeared in front of him, showing him his new power.


    [Steel Knight


    Trait - Steel Will]


    ''This is...'' Adam muttered with a dazed expression as he read the description.


    [Steel Will


    You have gained a portion of the power of an extremely capable monster - the Steel Knight, one of the pirs of power of which was experience. Now, you will learn much faster and more efficiently, especially if you are training with a weapon.


    Also, you have be slightly stronger and faster, and your defense has also increased minorly].


    Adam''s eyes went wide, for some reason, he was expecting something like this.


    The Steel Knight was clearly more experienced and physically superior to him, Adam had only been able to win because of his abilities and Zera''s amplification.


    However, now he was getting a piece of what he was missing.


    "Hah... When I first became a Phantom I thought that in a few months when I gained experience I would be one of the strongest, reach the minor top... Damn, how much stronger is someone like Damien really than me? What''s the abyss between us?" Adam pondered with a deep look.


    Then, he smiled bitterly and returned to the real world.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    There was a scraping of metal behind him, Adam turned around sharply, but he wouldn''t have to fight anymore, it was Zera.


    "Hey... Looks like you won, doesn''t it?" Zera muttered, ncing at the corpse of the Steel Knight.


    Adam nodded, then got up from the ground and headed towards the steel sword - the only one of the two since the first one was melted.


    "Hmm? You''re going to use it?" Zera raised an eyebrow, "In your hands, it will be ineffective since there is no link to the genes, you know?"


    "Sure." Adam shrugged, "I don''t need this sword as a weapon, I have my needle for that. This sword will be a second item in my collection, as a memory keeper and source of remembrance of a great battle in my history."


    Zera''s gaze changed, bing deeper.


    "I see... That makes sense. This is your second fight against Crown Type, right? Moreover, you were probably on the verge between life and death again..." Zera muttered.


    Adam smiled.


    "Something like that. It might seem strange to you, but I want to remember worthy opponents, the ones that made me better, even if they are monsters. By the way... remembering not only your enemies but your allies as well." Adam uttered as he looked at Zera, putting his palm to his chest.


    "Agh...?"


    Zera''s eyes went wide.


    "Thank you. Without your sacrifice, I could not have won. I would have died, and now I wouldn''t be standing here but in the Steel Knight''s ce."


    Zera was silent for a while, then she grinned contentedly.


    "Pffft! I just made a bet, and I was right, as always though! You''re good, I can''t argue that, but don''t forget that alone you can''t beat someone like Steel Knight right now..."


    Zera tried not to show it, but she was ttered and genuinely worried about Adam. Even someone as inexperienced in rtionships as Adam had no trouble understanding that. He epted it and just smiled slightly.


    "Well... It wasn''t without casualties either way, though... We''re actually lucky that so many people survived, considering we got into the Mirage."


    Adam only sighed heavily.


    Zera shook her head, then she smiled broadly.


    "By the way. It''s about time we went to the center! I''m sure you''ll be amazed to see what''s left after Mirage! Rewards and artifacts await us!" Zera eximed, so much so that she was in pain from her open wounds and clutched her stomach.


    "Hah, I hope you''re right. I need artifacts!"

 Chapter 66: Three Conditions

    After about ten minutes, the ice had melted considerably, and all the members of the Scarlet River Squad were free.


    The Phantoms were able to break their crystals when their upper body became unbound, and then they helped the Harvesters, for they couldn''t do so. Without the help of the Phantoms, the Harvesters would have had to wait for the ice topletely melt.


    "Mirage..." Dargo muttered with a deep gaze, "We had no information about it... Damn, the chances were so slim, but it still happened."


    Zera nodded.


    "Only Adam and I were able to get through the trial, luckily we were able to destroy the Mirage, though it took some sacrifices for us to do so..." Zera replied. She was calm, but deep inside, she regretted that they didn''t know about the Mirage because things could have been different.


    If more Phantoms, or at least Dargo and Hazel hade through, the four of them would have easily defeated all the anomalous monsters, and even the Steel Knight wouldn''t have been an obstacle in their way.


    "How many casualties do we have...?" Hazel asked, biting her lip, "If we saved even half of the squad, it would already be a miracle considering the circumstances."


    Zera smiled bitterly.


    "Well... In this case, I have good news for you, if it can even be called that. Thanks to Adam, the fact that he defeated Crown Type one, we''ve only lost 25% of the Harvesters and 10% of the Phantoms."


    Hazel nodded deeply.


    "I see."


    Then, she looked intently at Adam and, to his surprise, bowed low.


    "Thank you. I may sound cynical, but 25% and 10% is infinitely better than losing 100%! I thank you not only for saving the lives of the members of the Scarlet River Squad but also for the fact that I can now speak and breathe. I failed the Mirage trial, and if I had died, it would have been my fault alone."


    Dargo nced at Hazel, nodded slightly, and did the same. He wasn''t as wordy as Hazel, but his posture said it all and without words.


    Adam was embarrassed as he scratched the back of his head. He turned to Zera, trying to start a conversation with her somehow to dispel this awkward situation, however... Zera bowed low too, without raising her head.


    Then, Adam turned around, looking at the Phantoms and Harvesters, they, one by one, began to do the same.


    Recognition and respect were the least they could give Adam for saving their lives.


    Sure, some of them had lost friends or even family today, but they were alive, and that was the best thing that could have happened to them in Dead Lands.


    Adam didn''t bother to say anything, he epted their intentions with a serious look and nodded, not wanting to reject their sincere feelings.


    After a while Zera looked up, Hazel and Dargo followed, soon everyone else returned to normal.


    "Khm. I think it''s about time to get to the fun part, don''t you?" Zera coughed, then her gaze traveled upward.


    Where Mirage had started, where the center of the anomaly cluster had been, there was now a huge sphere of misty blue energy that slowly rotated as if a hurricane was inside.


    On the ground, there was a stone disk, a third of the cells of which shone brightly, but there was nowhere else to get energy because the crystals as well as the Mirage had been destroyed.


    "Go ahead. You have to do it." Zera pointing to the disk, "Break it and get the Mirage treasure!"


    Adam nodded, clenched his fist tightly, and brought it down on the disk.


    He had almost no strength left after the fight with the Steel Knight, but he could stillnd one punch.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The disk cracked, and it shattered, releasing all of its energy.


    At the same moment, the misty sphere shuddered and in a moment opened up, revealing several artifacts hovering above the ground.


    At the center of the First Rarity Artifacts was a single Second Rarity Level - in the form of a crystal azure eye with a vertical pupil.


    Considering that on their way to the center, the Scarlet River Squad found about ten Zero Rarity Artifacts and zero First Rarity ones, this bounty was enough to cover all the loot from the entire anomaly cluster!


    Naturally, the main treasure was the Second Rarity Artifact. While the First Rarity was 10 times rarer than Zero ones, the Second one was 100 times rarer!


    However, these were not the correct numbers, because not every anomaly could contain a First or Second Rarity Artifact. The anomaly had to be eitherrge enough or in a dangerous region. Well... sometimes could really get very lucky indeed, but it was rare.


    "Adam... You want to take it...?" Zera muttered, looking at the Second Rarity Artifact.


    "No." Adam replied sharply.


    Adam didn''t know what this artifact was capable of and wasn''t willing to risk it. His artifact, False Orb, already had Three Traits unlocked, it wasn''t the limit. He could further develop his artifact and go beyond Traits.


    Zera nodded. She had seen the fight from afar and realized that it didn''t make sense for Adam to change his artifact. He had to improve his artifact, which was his weapon and part of the power he was used to using.


    Phantoms sometimes changed their artifacts, but many preferred not to because it was like losing a weapon you had been using for a long time, only to rece it with something new, not sure if the new one would be better than the old one.


    After all, the experience was a priceless resource, because to earn it you had to spend another priceless resource - time.


    "In that case, you should take the First Rarity Level Artifacts, it would be a worthy exchange." Zera suggested.


    "Sure. I was going to do exactly that. This was my first Mirage, and hopefully, I won''t have to face something like this soon." Adam muttered with a deep gaze.


    He had received many rewards, ranging frombat experience to artifacts with Power Gene. However, this was no easy ride, but a dangerous mission, for no one was safe from the death that was always around in Dead Lands.


    p.


    Zera pped her hands together, drawing attention to herself.


    "Alright! Help will be arriving soon, but until then, we have to get all the artifacts and monster parts for the missions department! Let''s go! We don''t have much time! It''s time for you to get to work!"


    "Yes!"


    The members of the Scarlet River Squad simultaneously replied, spreading out across the anomaly cluster area. The artifacts, whether Zero or First Rarity Level, were waiting for someone to collect them, and the Scarlet River Squad had enough containers for that.


    In the meantime, Adam stepped aside, sat down on a cold iron block, and closed his eyes with a deep sigh.


    He had seen it for a moment during the battle, but at that time, all his attention was focused on the Steel Knight instead of the artifact.


    [False Orb


    First Trait - Lightning Reflexes


    Second Trait - Lightning Step


    Third Trait - Thunder Punishment]


    [The maximum number of Traits has been reached!


    You must evolve the artifact to Second Rarity Level in order to gain further Traits!]


    [Required:


    1 - 10 Purple Threat Level genes


    2 - 10 of any Zero Rarity Artifacts


    3 - 1 Essence of a suitable element!]

 Chapter 67: The Invitation and the Walls

    Soon, military helicopters arrived at Rusty Ruins, they took the wounded and escorted the trucks of the Scarlet River Squad back to the Citadel. Everything went smoothly and quietly, as a fighter aircraft with a Second Rank Phantom hovered over them.


    The power of this Phantom was enough to prevent any monster from approaching the area. The Phantom''s aura simply suppressed the monsters, intimidating them like a top predator to which all others were just prey.


    ''Hmm... Apparently, it''s not Damien, I''m sure he wouldn''t miss the opportunity to show off and put on some kind of show.'' Adam pondered, looking at the fighter while Hazel was sitting in the driver''s seat.


    Zera was too exhausted and injured, but she refused to get into the helicopter - she chose the back seat in her truck to be closer to Adam and Hazel.


    Soon, as they approached the walls of the Citadel, the fighter left them and headed north at great speed - far beyond the Rusty Ruins.


    Adam gulped, for that could only mean one thing - the Second Rank Phantom had just gotten an urgent mission and had to destroy some monster to get rid of the threat.


    Then, Adam remembered Prime Stone Goliath - his first strong opponent in the battle with whom he almost died.


    Now, Prime Stone Goliath would be an easy opponent for him - one swing of its silver ws would be more than enough to win.


    Between Prime Stone Goliath and the Steel Knight, there was a true abyss in power, but Adam could only ovee it with Lock revealed. There were still many stages ahead before he reached Second Circle and became a Second Rank Phantom.


    Adam wondered only one thing - how dangerous a monster was the target of the Second Rank Phantom?


    The mere thought of it gave him a slight shiver, but also anticipation, for he saw the potential and the opportunity to be stronger.


    The massive gate opened to let their squad inside.


    The high walls of the Citadel were both physical and moral support for every inhabitant and Phantom. They radiated protection and strength - something that was much needed in this world.


    Thousands of military men patrolled the walls, keeping an eye on the surroundings.


    Sure, the machine guns in their hands were useless against the monsters, but no one was going to use them, because there were more powerful weapons on the walls - massive turrets withser cannons.


    In fact, these turrets, unlike most other weapons, were capable of damaging White or even Green Threat Level monsters.


    However, these turrets could only be used on walls, because they used a huge amount of energy from the Citadel.


    "Agh... It''s been a long mission... It''s finally over..." Hazel sighed heavily as they arrived at a stopping ce already inside the Citadel.


    Then, she looked back at the other trucks, the Phantoms and Harvesters had gotten out of them, they were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.


    "Damn... I''ll have to go looking for Phantoms and Harvesters again to fill the empty seats... How I hate to do that! Fuck!" Hazel eximed furiously, pping her hands on the wheel.


    Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    Hazel noticed this and exined, "Those who died today... I will always remember them as well as the other members of our squad, but life goes on just like missions. It takes staffed squads to take down monsters further, so... I''m obligated to do it like many others."


    "And... How many times have you done this before? How many times have you had to find new mates?"


    Hazel shook her head.


    "This is the fourth time in these three months, but this is the most serious one. Being a squad captain can be pretty tough, you know?"


    Adam nodded slightly.


    He hadn''t thought about it before, because today was the first time he was working with a ratherrge squad.


    Captains not only had to be leaders for others but also to take casualties and rece them cynically, because they couldn''t jeopardize their living allies for the sake of not offending the already dead ones...


    "What do you n on doing?" Hazel asked, lying on the wheel with an exhausted look on her face.


    "Well... I''m going to get some rest first. It''s been a rough day." Adam sighed, getting ready to get out of the truck.


    "Wait." Hazel said quickly and opened her NEP.


    Beep.


    Adam received a message, the address of some ce in the Second Ring.


    "It''s our squad''s favorite bar where we always gather afterpleting missions - sometimes to celebrate, sometimes to grieve." Hazel exined.


    Adam clicked on the message and immediately had a map with a picture of the bar.


    "ck Shell? Sounds good."


    "Hah, of course. It was my choice, I have pretty good taste."


    "Yeah, and you''re not short on the desire to tter yourself." Adam smirked.


    Hazel frowned.


    "Just show up tomorrow at 7 P.M, and that''s it." Hazel waved her hand slightly irritably.


    Adam nodded with a slight smile on his face.


    "And..." Hazel muttered, "We''d always be happy to work with you again. I''m sure Zera would love to see you on the battlefield."


    "Maybe that will happen." Adam''s corners of his mouth turned upward as he walked forward.


    As soon as he took a few steps he saw someone in the distance whose voice had always been with him, but not on this mission.


    Silvana stood next to a tall white building, staring intently at Adam, her arms crossed over her chest.


    "Hey!" Adam waved his hand, running up to Silvana with a pleased expression on his face.


    Losing contact with his Operator was always unsettling, as Phantom was left only alone with himself and his instincts -pletely cut off from the world.


    "Why did you refuse to take the helicopter?" Silvana asked sternly as she narrowed her eyes, "Even without examining, I can tell that you are badly injured. I haven''t gotten all the data yet, but from the information I have, I know that you got into the Mirage."


    Adam smiled as he poked himself in the chest with his thumb.


    "I won, and I can stand on my feet, so why not do it and enjoy the view of the Dead Lands?"


    Silvana sighed.


    "Hey, weren''t you worried about me?" Adam smirked.


    "Worried, so much so that I did this..." Silvana muttered, raising her hands.


    Her ck manicured nails were chewed off at the edges, and bite marks were visible on her thumbs. Apparently, Silvana couldn''t rest until she got the signal from the military helicopters.


    "I see... Well, I think it''s about time I told you what happened. It will also give me a better understanding of everything. Furthermore, I have a few questions for you." Adam nodded understandingly.


    "Hmm? Adam, all talkter! First, you have to undergo a medical examination! Jena is ready to receive you now!" Silvana eximed as she waved her hand. Even she, always cold and calm, couldn''t contain her emotions.


    "Fine, but first, I want to know what Essence is. It is needed to develop my artifact. Without it, I will go no further. That''s an order." Adam said measuredly.


    Hisst words were enough to make Silvana gulp. She realized that the best option to get her way was to answer Adam''s question.

 Chapter 68: Essence

    "I heard there was a Second Rarity Level artifact in the anomaly cluster, you decided not to take it, didn''t you?" Silvana asked quickly, trying not to dy the start of Adam''s treatment.


    Adam nodded.


    "Good. In most cases, it''s better to keep developing your artifact rather than start over with a new one. Anyway, Essence is the most importantponent to the evolution of an artifact, though, I think you already understand that." Silvana said seriously.


    Adam only nodded once more, wanting to hear about where Essence could be obtained.


    "Essence is obtained in about the same way as genes - through Revolve. However, to get Essence, you need to kill a special type of monster - the Essence Type."


    Adam''s eyes went wide as the mes of battle ignited inside him. For some reason, he immediately wanted to fight this kind of monster even though he didn''t know anything about them other than the name.


    "Essence Type...? How strong are they? Are they stronger than Prime Type? Are they more dangerous than Crown Type?"


    Silvana sighed heavily.


    "It''s difficult to answer this question because each Type has its own specific traits. Prime Type are the strongest of their species. Crown Type are fighters who survived hundreds of battles, perfect killing machines. Essence Type has done the same as most Phantoms, not counting the neers."


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Adam raised an eyebrow with curiosity in his gaze.


    Silvana pointed at him.


    "Essence Monsters just like you absorbed the artifact."


    Adam''s eyes went wide.


    In each anomaly, there were special monsters that received part of the element from the anomaly and became anomalous ones.


    However, the monsters did not absorb the artifacts, since the artifact was the center of the anomaly and released its energy to make its defenders stronger.


    "Essence Monsters were strong enough that the artifact''s energy didn''t tear them apart. Moreover, the strength and sturdiness of the body alone weren''t enough for that in their case. Monsters like the Essence Ones have an innate great control over energy, so they intuitively know how to subdue the artifact and use it if necessary."


    Silvana continued, "The artifact quickly bes one with the monster, then turns into a pure core of energy with a specific element, that''s what we call - Essence."


    Adam nodded deeply.


    "I see... The stronger I get, the harder it bes to progress. Well, I guess it''s only fair since strength can''t be gained the easy way." Adam muttered, clenching his fists tightly.


    Silvana sighed.


    "I have nothing more to add. I''ll give you more detailster. I''ve told you the basics. Can we finally get to work on your health?"


    "Sure..." Adam yawned widely, "That''s enough to..."


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Adam passed out, falling to the ground.


    "Adam!" Silvana eximed quickly catching him.


    Silvana flinched.


    Scarlet River Squad had already dispersed, and she somehow needed to get Adam to Jena.


    Sure, she could call for a car, but the nearest road was a few alleys away. Moreover, Adam''s back had the Steel Knight''s sword on it. He didn''t feel it, but the sword weighed several dozens of kilograms, so... for Silvana, the total weight was unbearable.


    ''Damn. Even I wasn''t prepared for this... Because you have to do everything in time and listen to your Operator!'' Silvana inwardlyined, trying to think of what to do.


    Then, a tall shadow with broad shoulders fell upon her.


    Silvana raised her head as her eyes went wide.


    "Do you need help?" Dargo asked, his arms crossed over his chest, "It''s a rhetorical question, you don''t need to answer."


    Before Silvana could say anything, Dargo picked up Adam and headed forward.


    "Thank you." Silvana said briefly.


    Dargo shrugged.


    "On this mission, he became a member of the Scarlet River Squad, so it''s my duty as captain to take care of everyone."


    Silvana nodded understandingly.


    Soon, they reached the road, a car would be arriving soon, so Dargo and Silvana just waited.


    Of the Citadel residents that passed by, some were department employees, and some were regr waiters or office clerks, but they all saw Adam''s wounds, especially the wide cut on his back, and nodded deeply in respect.


    Dargo and Silvana did not react in any way, for it was the Phantoms'' duty to protect the Citadel, and thus its inhabitants.


    "Operator." Dargo calmly said, addressing Silvana, not by her name but by her status, "You are lucky to have such a capable Phantom as Adam. You must make sure he can climb as high as possible and be one of the main forces of our Citadel in the future."


    "Sure." Silvana quickly replied with sparkling eyes, "It''s my duty, and I will do everything in my power to make even the wildest dreame true!"


    "Good." Dargo nodded approvingly as a ck car stopped in front of them.


    ...


    For the next few hours, Jena did everything in her power to cure Adam as quickly as possible. The sooner she got rid of his wounds and possible scars, the better his condition would be.


    At this time, Adam''s mind wandered within his space.


    The Evolution Tree emitted a calm, white light that had a calming effect. His gaze traveled to his Nexus, gloves hovering amidst the void.


    Adam smiled, besides developing the artifact, this was thest way he could be even stronger.


    ''What Zera did was definitely an ability of her Nexus, it was really powerful, and obviously, it wasn''t First Trait but Second one... Hah, I wonder what I''ll get when I obtain the genes then? I don''t have much left.''


    Then, Adam closed his eyes,pletely falling into sleep, both physically and mentally.


    ...


    "Jena, you did a magnificent job as always!" Adam said energetically, looking at his hands.


    Jena smiled, fixing her hair, "I''m d you liked it. I tried."


    Adam, Jena, and Silvana walked down the streets in Third Ring, drinking coffee as many people passed by them. Coffee was the perfect drink to recover from something stressful, especially if someone was sharing this difficult time together.


    "We should stop by my house." Silvana said suddenly, tossing the empty cup of coffee into the trash. Unlike Jena and Adam, this was already her third one.


    "Hmm? Why?" Adam raised an eyebrow.


    Silvana nced at her phone and said, "Zera Cryen delivered your part of the loot to me. I decided it would be best if the artifacts weren''t close to your family."


    "Agh... I see." Adam nodded.


    "By the way. I think it''s about time you got your eye on a storage unit." Silvana suggested, "As time goes on, you''ll have more and more artifacts, maybe monster parts or just rare items. It all needs to be stored somewhere, and home is definitely not the best ce."


    "Storage..." Adam muttered, remembering the sword of the Steel Knight and the engine of the Brass Puppet, "Yeah, that''s a good idea, but first the artifacts!"


    "Sure." Silvana smirked.


    Adam didn''t yet know how big a chunk of the mission reward Zera had decided to give him. It was a decision of the entire squad, though, and fully deserved because, without him, no one would return home.

 Chapter 69: The Phantom Storage and the Black Shell

    The sun was nearing the horizon line about to go into the sunset when Adam, Jena, and Silvana approached Silvana''s house. Inside was arge silver chest with an electronic lock.


    "Oh, so that''s how it works." Adam muttered. It was the first time he''d ever been rewarded for a mission with anything other than credits. Unlike money, artifacts couldn''t be turned into mere numbers in code, they had to be stored somewhere and in something as well as moved.


    Silvana nodded.


    "To be honest, I didn''t expect Zera to be so generous. Though... Considering you literally saved them, it makes sense. After all, you alone did more than the entire Scarlet River Squad, so your share is impressive." Silvana uttered before entering the code.


    Crackle.


    The chest opened, revealing two sections, arge one taking up 95% of the entire chest and a small one containing only one item - a sh drive.


    Before moving on to the most interesting part - the artifacts, Adam decided to check how much money he got for this mission. After all, Scarlet River Squad contained many members and each of them had to get a share, so the reward couldn''t be too big.


    Silvana remained silent, waiting for Adam''s reaction, soon she got what she wanted.


    "Holy shit!" Adam eximed, looking at the five-digit figure, "30,000 credits for one mission! Hell yeah! I''m one step closer to my goal!"


    Jena and Silvana looked at each other, slight smiles appearing on their faces. They genuinely enjoyed seeing Adam''s joy, fully deserved and earned with blood.


    "This was a Cluster Mission for K1 Squad, so nothing is surprising about it. Sure, other Phantoms and especially Harvesters got less, but Cluster Missions are always very profitable. However, the main value of the Cluster Missions isn''t the money, it''s the artifacts."


    "Yeah, you''re right, now I won''t have to worry about not having artifacts anymore. At least temporarily." Adam smirked, staring at the chest.


    Inside were 10 First Rarity Artifacts and 10 Zero Rarity Artifacts. Just enough for Adam to evolve his artifact in the future and to create a key, or rather one of the threeponents.


    "Hey, be honest. Did you consult with Zera? The reward is too perfect for what I need." Adam cast a nce at Silvana.


    Silvana looked away.


    "Maybe just a little."


    Adam smirked.


    "Alright. Now, shall we head to storage?" Adam asked, dusting off his hands.


    "By the way..." Jena muttered, touching her lips, "Storage is a paid service, right?"


    Adam''s face went pale. He hadn''t thought of that at all. It wasn''t that he wasn''t willing to pay, but he didn''t need the extra spending. After all, he needed to raise a few hundred thousand for Trici''s training.


    "Don''t worry. A medium-sized warehouse will be enough for you at first. It''ll cost 500 credits per month, in a year it''s only 6,000 credits, that''s only 20% of what you earned from this mission." Silvana exined calmly.


    Adam frowned.


    "500 credits? I don''t mean to sound greedy, but my house where my whole family lives costs 1.100, and it''s a whole two-story house with a garden!" Adam waved his hand. He didn''t understand how a simple warehouse could cost half of his house.


    Because it wasn''t a simple warehouse.


    ...


    The mechanical door opened as they stepped inside the iron-walled chamber,rge enough as four separate rooms crammed into one.


    The door closed, and on it lit up a panel with the initials - A.V.


    "Oh... Now I think I''m starting to realize what I just gave half a thousand for." Adam muttered, looking around.


    Storage wasn''t just an empty room with cold walls, there was everything one could think of to organize their stuff.


    Many shelves stand for armor or weapons, boxes for artifact capsules, and even special containers with low and high temperatures for special items. Also, there were plenty of regr boxes for simpler things.


    "By the way. You can put in a request to have all your items directed here. They''ll be left next to the door in a special section so you can pick them up without anyone knowing what''s in your storage." Silvana exined with a slight wave of her hand.


    "Yeah, that would be great, but now it''s time to make this ce not so empty!" Adam eximed, pulling out containers of artifacts and inserting them into the cells on the wall.


    Twenty cells were filled with various artifacts, then Adam walked over to the stands and a long table running along the wall.


    The engine of the Brass Puppet, Adam ced on a maic tform, the engine hovering above it as if in zero gravity. The Steel Knight''s sword was locked into a special metal stand, the mps were almost invisible.


    "What do you think?" Adam smiled, turning to Silvana and Jena.


    Jena tilted her head, taking a closer look at the changes in the interior, "Not bad, especially for a start. I''m sure, you won''t have enough of this storage in a few months."


    Silvana nodded.


    "I agree. It''s a good start. Coming in here after a while, you''ll be able to remember all your battles and challenges, to realize what you went through to get where you are."


    Adam sighed.


    "Yeah, I never used to understand how people could spend a lot of time, effort, and especially money to put together a collection of some things. However, now I realize that the memories of the hardships ovee are worth so much more. Well... only if you have extra money..." Adam said with a slight smile on his face.


    Although Adam didn''t have all the money in the world, he wasn''t stupid and realized he could easily raise enough money for Trici''s training.


    Now, he didn''t have to worry about food or a roof over his head, which meant his thoughts and desires could focus on something other than a handful of coins.


    Power gave not only the ability to protect someone, it allowed freedom - the most precious thing a human could possess, even time wasn''t as valuable.


    ...


    After spending time with his family and getting some rest, Adam devoted some time to himself and at 6 P.M., headed to the Second Ring, right to the ck Shell.


    The Second Ring was different from the Third and First one, primarily because of its size. The Second Ring was thergest area in terms of territory and was somewhat of a mixture of the luxury and diversity of the First Ring and quiet neighborhoods with residential buildings like the Third Ring.


    "Hmm... This should be right here, correct?" Adam muttered, checking the map. He was almost to the ck Shell, he only had a few hundred meters to go.


    Bam.


    Suddenly, from the corner came a man who, with a confident look, ran straight into Adam. The man was a mere human, so the impact threw him back.


    The man''s back touched the ground as he grabbed his knee and screamed, "Help! I''m being attacked by the Phantom! It''s Adam Vinter, that crazy rookie!"


    At the same moment, many people on the streets turned around with puzzled expressions on their faces.


    Then, in the distance, red and blue lights from police cars appeared. They came too early, so it was obvious that someone had called them in advance.


    ''What the hell...?'' Adam waspletely shocked, not understanding what was happening.

 Chapter 70: Proud Wing

    Up until this point, Adam hadn''t been out in the city much, he had only been to First Ring once and spent most of his time either at home or in Fort Norton.


    Roughly speaking, this was the first time Adam had ever been on such a busy street where literally hundreds of people rxed after a hard day''s work. They were gathering to spend time with each other, some just chatting and some having a drink and a bite to eat.


    However, this also meant that it was the perfect ce to attract the public''s attention, those who needed it could use it for their own gain.


    "Argh!!! Somebody help me! He just attacked me! These Phantoms have gonepletely insane! They''re doing whatever they want!" The man screamed as hard as he could to get as many people as possible to turn around and look in their direction.


    To Adam''s surprise, some people actually frowned and looked at him with obvious disapproval or even contempt. They were few, about 1/20th of them, maybe a little more, but it was enough to make Adam feel ufortable.


    At the same moment, a police car stopped as a girl with a short ck braid and serious ck eyes got out.


    "My name is Giana. What''s going on here." The girl asked. She was wearing a dark blue police uniform and all the necessary equipment.


    "He...!" The man eximed, pointing at Adam, "He attacked me. I was just walking along when suddenly he hit me so hard that it threw me back!"


    Giana looked at Adam, then she held her gaze for a long time on the man.


    "I see. Mr...?"


    "Adam... Adam Vinter."


    "Mr. Adam, you''re the Phantom, right?" Is your NEP on right now?" Giana asked, looking at Adam''s wrist.


    His NEP was under a long sleeve, almostpletely hidden, only a small part resembling a watch was visible.


    At this point, the man''s eyes went wide as he realized how badly he had screwed up.


    "Sure. Here, you can check. I didn''t do anything." Adam hastily replied, offering Giana his NEP.


    Adam showed the recording that was being kept constantly.


    Normally, it was optional, but Silvana insisted that Adam not disable that feature. It seemed she supposed that such a thing could happen at some point.


    The recording only showed Adam''s and the man''s feet, but it was enough to see who ran into whom and who was at fault.


    "Thank you for your help, now I think I understand what''s going on here. Agh, they always do the same thing." Giana shook her head with a heavy sigh.


    "They...?" Adam asked, puzzled.


    "Hey!"


    A surprised shout came from behind them.


    Strangely enough, that voice was familiar to Adam, even though it was quite a long time ago, but he remembered it clearly.


    Adam turned around as his eyes widened.


    It was Lisa and Jacob, the leaders of the Fire Fox Squad, who were the first Phantoms Adam had met. In a way, he owed them his life, for no one knew what would happen to him in the Scorching Desert if they hadn''t helped him.


    Lisa smiled broadly, bottles of beer in their hands, they had not wasted this evening.


    Then, their faces changed when they saw the man lying on the ground pretending to be in pain. It was obvious to them what had happened.


    "Well, well, Proud Wing, there''s no way you''re going to give up your pathetic attempts to discredit us, is there?" Lisa frowned, stepping forward.


    Jacob sighed heavily.


    "Hey Adam, it''s a shame we meet again under these circumstances."


    Adam nodded slightly as he asked, "Proud Wing? What''s that?"


    Jacob shook his head, pointing at the man.


    "Here." Giana said as she leaned over and grabbed the man''s arm, lifting his sleeve and revealing a wrist that had a tattoo of a broad wing with sharp feathers on it.


    Then, Giana''s look became more serious.


    "You''re going to be in big trouble. It''s my duty to keep order in this neighborhood and you not only vited it but falsely used Phantom of it!" Giana said stiffly, cuffing the man''s hands and leading him into the car.


    "No. You don''t understand! I may be setting this up now, but this is a real problem! We have to control the Phantoms! There are more of us! We''re more important!!!"


    However, his words couldn''t stop Giana, and soon they were heading straight to the police station, where a whole mountain of problems awaited him.


    Adam scratched the back of his head, he was puzzled, and no one had exined to him what had just happened. His only hope was on Lisa and Jacob.


    "Looks like this is the first time you''ve run into them, right?" Lisa asked, approaching Adam and cing a hand on his shoulder in a friendly manner.


    Adam nodded.


    "Proud Wing... the tattoo on your wrist, is it some kind of cult?"


    "Well... Technically, it''s a political organization, but your term fits better. The Proud Wing aren''t as numerous and influential as the Big Three, but they act aggressive and fanatical about their ideas." Lisa exined.


    "They want control." Jacob pronounced, entering the conversation, "They think the Phantoms are dangerous, and we need to be controlled, kept on a leash like wild hounds. Frankly, they annoy me, just stupid bastards who don''t realize what we''re sacrificing for them!"


    Adam looked off into the distance, at the departing police cars.


    "Hmm, maybe he''s not wrong."


    "What?!"


    Lisa and Jacob simultaneously eximed with eyes wide with shock. They couldn''t believe what they were hearing.


    "I''m sure there are some real evil or crazy people among the Phantoms, but... there are some among regr people too. He''s right that Phantoms can be dangerous, but he''spletely wrong that we''re all like that. At least, I haven''t met any yet, unlike humans... There''s one bastard among them..." Adam muttered tightly, clenching his fists.


    Jacob and Lisa nced over, they didn''t know what or who Adam was talking about but decided to ignore it.


    "By the way, I''ve heard about you. You seem to have aplished a lot since we met, don''t you?" Lisa smirked, throwing her arm around his neck and pressing herself against him.


    Adam could smell the strong odor of alcohol from her. He pulled her hand away and nodded slightly.


    "Yeah. I can''t say it''s been easy, but I won''tin. I''m pretty happy with what I''ve been able to aplish up to this point."


    Jacob smiled.


    "Good job."


    "Yeah!" Lisa eximed, "Just don''t be an arrogant stuck-up bastard like some of the newbies do, because the rest of us don''t stand still. Me and Jacob recently became K1 Phantoms! Damn, my Beginning Monster made me tense up!"


    Beep. Beep. Beep.


    Adam was about to say something as he got a few messages from Zera.


    "Damn! I need to run, I''m alreadyte! Sorry guys, we''ll talk some other time! Nice meeting you!" Adam said quickly before running to the ck Shell.


    Lisa and Jacob looked at each other, shrugged, and clinked their beers before draining them to the bottom.


    "More?" Jacob asked.


    "Sure!" Lisa replied without hesitation.

 Chapter 71: The Shooting Range

    In a hurry, Adam finally reached the ck Shell. It was a tall, dark building on a street corner, lit by pleasant square lights that seemed to levitate in the air.


    "Adam! You''ve finally arrived!" Zera eximed happily when she saw him, "Damn, I thought you weren''ting anymore. Honestly, I was worried."


    "Agh... Agh... Agh.... I''m sorry, something just happened on the way over. I wasn''t counting on it andpletely forgot about the time." Adam replied,ing to his senses.


    Zera gave him a questioning look.


    "Some idiot from Proud Wing crashed into me and made a real show of ming me for everything! Well, it''s a good thing the cops handled it all quickly, and I didn''t have to waste any more time." Adam exined.


    At the same moment, Zera''s lookpletely changed as if she had seen something repulsive and hateful.


    "Proud Wing... Shit, I hope those stupid bastards all die one day. They just don''t know what they''re doing! Phantoms are the past, present, and future! We need to evolve as quickly and efficiently as possible to protect the Citadel, and they want to limit us! Tsk.


    It''s a good thing only fanatics and idiots support them." Zera snorted with a great grimace.


    Adam didn''tment on that in any way, he just nodded slightly. He thought that for Zera, who was a member of the Crimson Path, this was a normal, expected reaction.


    "Agh, alright, I don''t want to think about it. We should be resting today! Let''s go, the others have already started without us! We have to hurry, or else they''ll eat everything!" Zera vigorously said, took Adam''s hand, and went inside.


    Scarlet River Squad took up the entire left side of the bar, several tables were filled with various food and alcohol, all for a lively evening.


    Adam sat at the same counter as Zera, Dargo, and Hazel. Adam didn''t often drink alcohol, so tonight was a new experience for him since he had never tasted so many kinds of beer before, along with some interesting appetizers.


    Phrase by phrase, everyone found some topic to discuss, and Adam was no exception. Mostly, they talked about their past missions, the aplishments of other Phantoms, and their ns for the future.


    Phantoms, like ordinary people, needed to rest because emotional well-being was more important than physical health in most cases. It was impossible to fight well when depressed.


    "Alright! It''s about time we went to the shooting range!" Hazel eximed as she abruptly stood up with her eyes burning with anticipation.


    "A shooting range?" Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    Hazel nodded.


    "Sure! It''s the best thing ever!"


    "Adam, have you ever shot a gun before?" Zera asked, looking at him with a slight smile on her face.


    Adam shook his head. He had never held a gun in his hands, he wasn''t military, so he did not need for it, especially after bing a Phantom.


    "In that case, I think you''ll like it. Come on. What''s more, whoever can earn the most points will get a prize from ck Shell!" Zera offered as she held out her hand.


    Adam hardly had a choice, so he only smiled back, though he didn''t mind. In fact, he was even slightly curious.


    ...


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    The massive shooting range was directly below the ck Shell, a few floors below. It was a spacious room, fully soundproofed to avoid disturbing the others and concentrate on the task.


    Not all members of the Scarlet Rivel Squad chose to participate, so threenes with a few people in eachne was enough for them.


    "Alright! Rules as usual." Dargo said, pping his hands, "Everyone takes seven shots three times, totaling twenty-one shots. Whoever scores the most points wins! Hitting the outer ring is one point, hitting the inner ring is three points, hitting the center is seven points!"


    "Hell yeah! Let''s get started already!" Hazel eximed happily, getting first.


    At the same time, Dargo and Zera were also firing.


    Dong!


    The first round began as they quickly executed their seven shots since they only had ten seconds to do so. They fired the same revolvers.


    "Yes! As always I''m the best!" Hazel jumped up, clenching her fist.


    In seven shots she was able to get 32 points, Dargo 25, and Zera 19. They went back to the end of the line, and the next ones started shooting.


    Soon, Adam had the revolver in his hands. He was a little surprised at how heavy it was, then nodded and aimed.


    Dong!


    Adam, as aplete beginner, only hit a few times and totaled 11 points. It wasn''t bad for the first time, but Adam wasn''t satisfied, at all.


    ''Damn! That''s practically the lowest of the lot! There''s no way I''m winning this way!'' Adam inwardly eximed, staring intently at the target.


    He did this until it was his turn again, his only desire was to hit the center as many times as possible.


    When he picked up the revolver again, for some reason his Evolution Tree trembled, and his Power Gene - Steel Knight, shone brightly.


    At the same moment, Adam felt strange, as if the world had slowed down, the revolver became lighter, and the target seemed to be much closer.


    He gripped the revolver morefortably and fired seven quick shots.


    "Wow, beginner''s luck, right?" Zera smirked, looking at Adam''s second result - 35 points out of a possible 49, a total he already had 46.


    "Not bad, maybe if you get lucky again you might even be able to outrun Hazel!" Dargo chuckled, "Normally, we don''t stand a chance against her, but she''s had so much booze that there''s still hope!"


    "Hey! I''m not an alcoholic! I just wanted to rest!" Hazel eximed displeased.


    Dargo justughed.


    "Well, I''ll try, I have one more try!" Adam replied with a slight smile on his face and walked back.


    Then, a shiver ran through his body as he felt the effects of his Power Gene. He was holding the revolver for the first time but was already learning faster than the others. It was real!

 Chapter 72: Consolation Prize and Invitation to the Academy

    "Yes! I win!" Hazel eximed joyfully, jumping up with a clenched fist.


    In the end, Adam was able to score 85 points and Hazel, an incredible 101 points.


    However, had Hazel not been drunk and fully focused, out of twenty-one times, she would have hit everything in the center. For a Phantom, whose Nexus was a long-range weapon - uracy was not an issue.


    Adam inhaled heavily.


    For a moment he thought he might actually win, but he was still a long way from Hazel''s level. Well, in fact, he didn''t need shooting skills at such a high level.


    "Hey, don''t feel bad! You performed just fine!" Zera patted Adam''s shoulder encouragingly.


    "Yeah, I guess the shooting range isn''t where I have topete with Hazel if I want to win." Adam nodded, looking at the target. Hisst three shots had been urately centered.


    For the Phantom, precision with firearms was nothing special, as their senses and instincts were on a different level from normal humans. However, it was only possible to maintain stability with a certain level of skill.


    "Here!"


    Zera handed Adam a chain with a bronze bullet.


    "What''s this?"


    Zera smiled.


    "A constion prize! Your score deserves it, especially considering it was your first time."


    "I see..." Adam muttered with a slight smile on his face as he pressed the bullet to his chest.


    He had just gotten another item that would be an important part of his collection.


    ...


    That evening, like all the others, came to an end, and soon the next day began.


    Adam''s head was filled with various thoughts, usually at times like this he devoted his energy to training, but not today. He was somewhat disappointed in the virtual chamber, he would definitely use the virtual zone to practice, but only for initial experience.


    Adam decided to concentrate on his thoughts and just watch the videos of the other Phantoms'' battles along with Silvana. She was an excellent analyst, so with her help, Adam could learn from the mistakes of others.


    Beep. Beep. Beep.


    Several messages showed up on his NEP.


    "Hmm?" Adam raised an eyebrow, then he got a confused expression, "What the hell...?"


    ...


    Step. Step. Another Step.


    Adam entered one of the many coffee shops in the Third Ring, with the clear purpose of meeting Silvana and an unknown guest.


    "Oh, he''s finally here! Hey! Over here!"


    A man with a pale green suit eximed, waving his hand.


    Adam looked away, with mild curiosity and puzzlement.


    Across from Silvana, sat a man with slicked-back blond hair and green eyes. He wasn''t a Phantom, since he didn''t have NEP, nor did he have an aura, but he was obviously no ordinary person.


    "Hi." Adam said to Silvana, then he turned to the man.


    "Good afternoon. My name is Artan Fritz!" Artan pronounced, extending his hand.


    Adam responded with a handshake and sat down next to Silvana, she moved forward, making room for him.


    "Adam Vinter, though I think you already know that." Adam said calmly, looking intently at Artan.


    Atran nodded with a slight smile.


    "I won''t waste your time, and I''ll tell you right away why I called you here. I want to interview you and invite you to the Phantom Preparatory Academy!" Artan eximed energetically.


    Adam raised an eyebrow.


    "An interview...? You can forget about that right now. I''ve had enough of idiots from Proud Wing recognizing me and trying to charge me with assault. I''d like to hear more about the academy. How do you prepare Phantoms? Isn''t Spark the only chance to be a Phantom?"


    Artan sighed heavily. He wanted to interview Adam, it would be a real aplishment and sensation for him, but he was ready for rejection.


    After all, the Phantoms were not celebrities who only looked for fame and poprity. For the Phantoms, the most important thing was their strength and authority, so Artan was doomed to fail from the start.


    "That''s right, there''s no way to know if a person will be a Phantom, or not until they have Spark at a certain age. However, some do have a good chance due to bloodlines, also such academies aren''t academies like others."


    Adam raised an eyebrow, showing that he didn''t understand what Artan was talking about.


    "Agh. Look, because of my position, I know that you are a Naturalborn Phantom, so you don''t know what process the other Phantoms go through, the ones who got Spark during the test." Artan said with aplicated expression. He didn''t want to bring it up, but otherwise, he wouldn''t be able to exin anything.


    Adam listened attentively. He hadn''t given it much thought, but now that Artan had mentioned it, he was curious.


    "Khm. Unlike your case, once a person is found to have Spark, they are sent to a preparatory academy for a week. We give them training, drills, theory, and practice. Then, together with a special squad they go to the research department and kill the prepared monster there." Artan exined.


    "I see... Well, that makes sense. However, I don''t understand why you would go to an academy like that if you don''t know whether you''ll have Spark or not?" Adam asked, confused.


    Artan smirked.


    "People are arrogant and presumptuous, especially those whose parents are Phantoms. You know, it actually increases the odds. Yeah, getting Spark doesn''t work for everyone, but it can bepared to a simple physics or math exam, I guess."


    Artan shrugged.


    "Not everyone sure to pass the exam does so, and the same goes for Spark. For this reason, rich families with two Phantom parents have quite a few children, anything to ensure that at least one of them seeds and can continue the lineage."


    Silvana gave Artan a hard look.


    "Yourparison is incorrect. If you study well, 100/100 students will pass the math test, however, Spark''s appearance depends only on luck."


    Artan smirked.


    "Wrong."


    "What...?" Silvana frowned.


    "You''re right in theory, but never all students will pass the test. It''s just not possible. Whatever, we''ve gotten off-topic. Adam, what do you say? Would you like to spend one ss with me at the academy as a special guest?"


    Adam didn''t answer right away, he hesitated, rubbing his chin with aplicated expression.


    Then he nodded.


    "Fine, but only once. I''m just curious to see how it goes. One will be enough to satisfy my curiosity."


    Artan smiled broadly.


    "Perfect! In that case, let''s set off right now! We only have half an hour left!" Artan eximed pointing to his watch on his wrist.


    Adam''s eyes went wide.


    "What...? Right now?!"


    Artan didn''t answer anything, he just headed towards the exit of the coffee shop, moving to his car.


    Adam turned to Silvana, hoping to get an answer from her at least.


    Silvana only nodded slightly, confirming Artan''s words.


    "Shit! He knew I''d agree from the start!" Adam snorted, shook his head, and followed Artan''s lead.


    Adam had already agreed, so he had no right to refuse.


    ''Well... Perhaps it would be helpful for me to see the faces of the real neers and their thoughts about Dead Lands. What happened to me isn''t normal, I need to see how things should be in ordinary situations.''

 Chapter 73: The Fateful Encounter

    Soon, Adam, Artan, and Silvana found themselves in front of various buildings that spread over a ratherrge area in this region of the Third Ring.


    This area was specifically designated for the P35 Preparatory Academy. Preparatory academies were always located near military bases and branches of the missions department and research department.


    Everything needed to be close by so that the week-long training could be as efficient and extensive as possible in a short period.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Heading down the tall corridor, they passed many teachers who nodded at the sight of Artan, showing their respect.


    Then, they entered the hall with dozens of people waiting for them.


    All of them had already awakened Spark a few days ago, so this ss was specifically for future Phantoms, not for those who hoped to be them.


    Silvana sat at the back of the ssroom, and Adam sat in the front row, next to another Phantom that Artan had invited. He was a young man with a confident grin and short ck hair. His aura was weaker than Adam''s, as he was a K0 Phantom.


    Artan started the lecture - mostly he talked about how important the Phantoms were, the seriousness of their future position in this world, some statistics, and such stuff.


    Soon, it was time for the most interesting part - interacting with the real Phantoms.


    "Hah, I know all the seats are taken today because this is a special lecture, and you''ve waited for what you came here for!" Artan eximed vigorously as he waved his hand.


    "Adam, Kody,e on stage with me!"


    Without hesitation, Kody quickly rose and headed towards Artan, it seemed that he had been waiting for this moment since the beginning - more than the students.


    Adam nodded slightly and followed him.


    At first, all the students'' attention was focused on Kody, because he was the Phantom - what they were fated to be in the near future.


    However, when Adam appeared, there were whispers throughout the audience, some students seemed to recognize him.


    "Alright! While we still have time, you have the opportunity to ask the Phantoms the questions that bother you the most!" Artan uttered, then he pointed to the center of the audience at a short girl with sses.


    "You, ask the question first. You''ve been looking at them instead of me since the beginning, so I''m sure you have something to ask." Artan said confidently.


    The girl gulped, she was worried, it was obvious.


    "Hey, don''t be shy. I''m ready to hear you out!" Kody smiled, stepping forward.


    "Sure..." The girl muttered, "In that case... Tell me about Dead Lands. Is this ce really as dangerous as they say it is?"


    Silence.


    Everyone wanted to hear the answer because their lives could depend on it - this was important knowledge. Sure, the academy would tell them about Dead Lands in great detail, but hearing it from Phantom was a different matter.


    "Nah." Kody replied quickly with a wave of his hand.


    Adam raised an eyebrow.


    "In Dead Lands, you will face monsters, but you will win because you will always have your mates and Operators with you. Moreover, the departments and military will always be able to help you."


    Then, someone raised a hand, Kody smiled and pointed at that young man.


    "Monsters! What can you say about them?"


    Kody shrugged.


    "Like I said earlier, there''s no need to worry about it. The Mission Department will always give you all the information you need. Your job will be to arrive at the point - kill the monsters you know beforehand and return home."


    Then, Kody continued answering questions, taking all the attention for himself.


    At the same time, Adam''s patience was starting to run out, but not because no one was asking him.


    ''Fuck... What is that idiot talking about?! He talks like being a Phantom is an easy job, almost a forever vacation that gets paid extra!'' Adam inwardly eximed,pletely outraged by what was happening.


    "Enough!"


    Adam put a hand on Kody''s shoulder with a great grimace.


    "Agh...?" Kody gave him a puzzled look, "Hey, sorry for taking all the glory for yourself, but they made their own choices. You can only me yourself for being so boring!"


    Adam sighed heavily.


    "That''s not the point. Tell me, have you ever been on missions once? How many times have you fought in Dead Lands?"


    Kody went pale for a moment, but he quickly regained hisposure and confidently poked himself in the chest with his thumb.


    "Of course, I am! I''m sure I have a lot more experience than you! Newbie, you shouldn''t try to hurt my feelings, for I know how to behave in Dead Lands."


    Silvana shook her head with a deep gaze.


    Apparently, Kody didn''t recognize or know Adam, unlike some of the students. It wasn''t surprising, since out of all the Phantoms, only a small fraction had seen Adam''s aplishments.


    "Maybe some Phantoms think Dead Lands is a dangerous ce, but only unskilled idiots can think that! Hahaha!" Kody waved his hand arrogantly, trying not to get out of character.


    Adam''s veins swelled as he clenched his fists tightly, but Kody didn''t notice it - continuing to y the part.


    "Phantoms die from monsters, but it''s their fault. They''re probably either cowards or weaklings who didn''t listen to the mission department and decided to do things their way. I generally think that...


    Crackle.


    Adam''s fist came down on Kody''s face before he could finish his disgusting speech.


    Adam didn''t hold back, he attacked full force, so considering that Kody was K0, the impact threw him back a few meters, making him collide with the wall at high speed.


    No one dared to make a sound, no whispers, no talking, no questions, it was all over.


    Everyone looked at Adam, expecting something from him. Perhaps an exnation, an apology, or maybe something else.


    "I''m sorry, I have to leave after that, but..." Adam uttered, heading towards the exit. The eyes of the students followed his every move.


    "You should know that everything Kody has told you is a lie. Dead Lands is a dangerous ce where only blood, pain, and death await you.


    Cruel monsters, anomalies, and bad luck will haunt you in hopes of ending your existence. Departments sometimes make mistakes, and so do people, and also... somedays one monster attack is enough to make a whole squad of dozens of people nothing left."


    With those words, Adam stepped out into the hallway.


    Strangely enough, those words were enough to override everything Kody had said before, for Adam was sincere, and everyone could feel it. Perhaps the blow to Kody''s face had added credibility, but it didn''t matter, since the students got the valuable experience, they hade here for.


    At the same moment, a door opened at the far end of the hallway. A tall girl with long ck hair and calm blue eyes stepped out of the room. She, like Kody, was a K0 Phantom and hade here to answer the students'' questions.


    It was nothing out of the ordinary.


    However, as soon as Adam saw this girl his eyes went wide, and dark feelings immediately filled his soul because this was Lana Tiates - the only one who had Spark during Aiden Henk''s test at Morton Observatory.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Driven by emotion, Adam lunged forward, grabbing Lana by the arm and pinning her against the wall before she could realize anything.


    He was going to find out everything about Aiden Henk from her if a pawn like her had any information.

 Chapter 74: Pawn and the Unknown Phantom

    Lana found herself pressed against the wall as her eyes went wide, with astonishment. She didn''t expect anyone to attack her, especially here - at the preparatory academy!


    She couldn''t even move since Adam vastly surpassed her in strength. Since she had be a Phantom, Lana had never felt so helpless before, because she was an Artificial K0-Phantom while the Natural K1-Phantom was in front of her.


    Even if they were on the same level, Lana would have to try hard to get out of Adam''s grip.


    At first, she wanted to call for help or use her Order, however, after a few seconds, she recognized Adam.


    "Wait... Isn''t that you...? But, is that possible?" Lana muttered in disbelief.


    They had also had a medical examination before taking the test, so the youths had time to get a good look at each other.


    "Yeah... Aiden Henk decided to get rid of me, and now you''re going to tell me what happened next." Adam said coldly, squeezing Lana''s shoulder tightly.


    "Let go, you''re hurting me!"


    In response, Adam only pressed even harder.


    "Tell me!"


    "I don''t know what to tell you! After the test, Aiden Henk attended to me personally, and after two weeks, let me kill a monster prepared in advance." Lana eximed.


    Adam clenched his teeth.


    "Experiments. What about experiments? Did the same thing that happened to me happen to someone else?"


    Lana shuddered.


    "I don''t know. Aiden only trained me and performed examinations. Before I became a Phantom, I lived at Morton Observatory! I don''t know what experiments you''re talking about."


    "Adam, that''s enough."


    Suddenly, from outside came Silvana''s calm voice. She had heard the entire conversation, and in fact, she knew that Lana was there. It wasn''t a problem for her to get the test results from Morton Observatory.


    "Shit. I just want to find out if he did what we saw. If he did, then I can make a decision..." Adam sighed heavily, letting go of Lana.


    He looked at her once more, and something caught his eye - a long scar stretching from Lana''s shoulder to her arm.


    "Hmm? Where did you get it? Did Aiden Henk forbid you to go to a military hospital? A scar like that would be easily removed by a good doctor with the right equipment." Adam asked, calming down a bit.


    "Don''t say that..." Lana muttered, it seemed that Adam''s words offended her, even though he was talking about Aiden.


    Adam gave her a questioning look.


    Lana touched her scar.


    "It was a lot bigger a while ago. I got this scar during a battle with a monster to be a Phantom and light my Spark. Mr. Aiden made the scar several times smaller, he said he would get rid of itpletely in a few treatments."


    Adam and Silvana nced over, for something about Lana''s words was odd.


    "Wait... You fought a 1 vs. 1 monster?" Adam raised an eyebrow.


    "Sure. I became a Phantom, what else was supposed to happen?"


    Adam and Silvana fell silent.


    They realized that Lana was speaking sincerely and not trying to deceive them, it could only mean one thing - Aiden Henk had limited her information field, and she still didn''t know how Phantoms went through their first fight.


    "Could you tell us more about how it went down? Did someone help you? Was the monster immobilized? Please answer us, it''s very important." Silvana asked.


    Lana looked away to the side.


    "I can''t... Mr. Aiden forbade me to talk about it. He said it was too early for others to know about such an easy way to fight the first monster."


    Lana, like Adam, had lived in the slums all her life, so if Aiden wanted to, he could convince her of almost anything. After all, he had everything, and Lana only had her status as a rookie Phantom whose path Aidenpletely controlled.


    Silvana tried to convince Lana, but she just kept quiet, it seemed impossible to convince her to talk.


    Whooooooosh.


    A multitude of silver threads appeared next to Adam''s left hand.


    In a heartbeat, Lana''s neck ended up trapped between the silver ws. Adam wasn''t choking her, but he only needed to squeeze his fingers a little to inflict life-threatening wounds on Lana.


    "Tell me everything in detail. What kind of monster was it, how did your fight go? What condition was the monster in, and did anyone help you?" Adam said calmly, but his look made Lana flinch, goosebumps went all over her body.


    Lana gulped. She was left with no other choice, and humbled, she began to speak.


    "It was Frost Wolf, White Threat Level, White Book. Mr. Aiden gave me a weapon, a long sword with aser de. Frost Wolf was previously captured by other Phantoms and Mr. Aiden injected the monster with a huge dose of the strongest sleeping drug.


    Naturally, it didn''t put the monster to sleep, only slightly weakened it. The monster had heavy shackles on its paws, weighing several hundred kilograms, but after a while Frost Wolf got rid of them.


    However, because Frost Wolf was weakened and acted slower than usual, I was able to win in the end. But... I got horrible wounds, I almost died, even with all of Mr. Aiden''s knowledge, he had a very hard time healing me and practically pulled me out of death''s grip...


    I''m such a failure... just nothing..." Lana muttered as tears came out of her eyes, she slowly rolled down the wall to the bottom.


    "I was lucky to fight the monster using Mr. Aiden''s method, the Frost Wolf was weakened, and I had a weapon, but I still almost lost. Shit... Compared to the others, I''m really nothing..." Lana continued to self-defeat under the shocked stares of Silvana and Adam.


    Adam and Silvana looked at each other.


    Then, they thought of only one thing - ''Was Lana actually Naturalborn Phantom?''


    Well, they only had one option to check this, and the uracy depended on Lana''s answer.


    "Lana, I''m sorry for being rude earlier, but this was important to me. However, I need you to answer one more question." Adam pronounced, his voice calm, "Do you have the Artifact? Did Aiden Henk say anything to you about it?"


    Strangely enough, Lana didn''t struggle any further.


    "Yes... I know what artifacts are, I''m a Phantom, too. Mr. Aiden hasn''t found the right artifact for me yet. My Evolution Tree and Initial Gene didn''t want to ept the artifacts Mr. Aiden had.


    I''ll probably have to find ice one, to match with the Frost Wolf Gene." Lana said quietly with a slight wave of her hand.


    Lana didn''t realize it, but she had just answered their question, which they hadn''t asked her.


    If Lana had a problem with artifactpatibility, then she couldn''t be a Naturalborn Phantom.


    In that case, could she be different in any way, or was she just like all the other Phantoms?


    "Hey... Lana, what about your first mission?"


    "Pffft!" Lana snorted like an offended child, "Mr. Aiden said he picked up the regr Phantoms, but he must have set them up so I could prove myself because, on my first mission, I saved them! I''m a rookie rescuing experienced Phantoms! Hah, I''ll never believe that. Mr. Aiden just decided to give me a confidence boost, but...


    I wish he''d trust me more."


    Adam and Silvana looked at each other again. Lana had be surprisingly talkative, she seemed worried about her progress and wanted to impress Aiden. To her, he was a teacher and a major ally, while to Adam, he was a mortal enemy.


    "Thanks for answering my questions..." Adam muttered, shocked.


    Silvana quickly followed him, and they moved away to a safe distance where no one could overhear them.


    "She''s definitely not Naturalborn Phantom, is she?" Adam asked, he wanted to bepletely sure.


    Silvana nodded.


    "Sure. Even Naturalborn Phantom can''t absorb absolutely all artifacts, but the chances that none of the artifacts Aiden Henk had was a match for Lana are minimal. I''d say the chances are zero."


    Adam sighed heavily, shaking his head.


    "However... Apparently, she turned out to be a bit more capable and stronger than the other Phantoms, even if they were also neers... Either, Lana is just talented, or... calling her an Artificalborn Phantom we''re making a mistake..."


    "Fuck... What does he do in hisb...? Looks like torture and cruel experiments aren''t his only interests." Adam muttered with a deep gaze, trying to make sense of it all.

 Chapter 75: Reflections and the imminent meeting with an old adversary

    The next few days after the events at the prep academy, Adam spent the next few days taking time to spend with his family and thinking.


    Before bing a Phantom, he spent most of each day surrounded by his family, his loved ones. However, a month ago, that all changed.


    Sure, there were reasons for that: missions, training, important cases, and serious injuries after which he could fall into sleep for days.


    His family understood, no one was going to me Adam for being too busy.


    Thanks to Adam bing a Phantom, now, his family, besides duties, also have opportunities - the opportunity to live in a good house and neighborhood, make new acquaintances, and go to museums, cinemas, and restaurants.


    Leona and Gary could devote their free time to each other, to getting used to living in the Rings instead of the slums, and to teaching Trici.


    Originally, they had nned to send her to some regr school for general education, however, the VR Headset given by Silvana was enough for a basic level.


    Trici not only yed games and learned about the cksmiths, but also studied with the programs Silvana sent her from time to time.


    Since Trici had already decided what she wanted to be in the future, she didn''t need to learn everything at once, just in case.


    To be a cksmith, in addition to desire and natural inclination, she also needed knowledge in certain areas, which Trici studied hard, as much as she could for a child.


    When Adam was alone and was tired of reading the news and looking at the list of missions, Phantom battles, and so on, thoughts of Aiden Henk and especially ck Swan came back into his mind.


    He didn''t know when he should have gone to the Lower Ring - after all, that ce could be really dangerous, since neither the government nor the military had any power there. It was the dark side of the Citadel, and it wasn''t a fact that even Phantom could feel safe there.


    "Agh... I think I need to reach the power limit in K1 first. There''s still a long way to go before that, I have to evolve the artifact, improve the Nexus, and create the Key. Out of all of these, the closest I''ve gotten to Nexus is..." Adam muttered as he closed his eyes.


    In order to improve his gloves, he needed 10 Purple Threat Level Genes, he already had 5, so he didn''t have much left.


    "Hmm... Also, I need 10,000 genes to create a key form. When I first opened my lock and saw this, I thought it would take me months, but it''s actually not such arge amount. After all, I already have half of it, even a little more..." Adam uttered, looking at his genes.


    In order to unlock Lock, he had to collect 1,000 genes, Damien helped him with Golden Mission.


    But, that didn''t mean Adam needed ten of those same Golden Missions now because 1 Purple Threat Level Gene = 1,000 neutral genes.


    Then, Adam simply fell asleep.


    For the first time in a long time-perhaps too long-he felt the gentle and warm embrace of an invisible entity that was close to many of us -ziness.


    Strangely enough, Adam fell asleep for a really long period this time. He slept for twenty-four hours, and nothing could wake him up.


    He didn''t notice it, but his Evolution Tree shuddered slightly and grew a few millimeters.


    Even the greatest warriors needed a decent sleep - just like the most ordinary person.


    ...


    Waking up to the sunlight falling on his face, Adam checked his NEP, for he received over ten messages from Silvana.


    "Damn... It sure is nice that someone cares about me, but sometimes you wantplete silence..." Adam mumbled sleepily, yawned widely, and checked the messages.


    Adam''s eyes went wide as a slight smile appeared on his face while a fire of anticipation lit up in his eyes.


    Silvana knew what Adam needed to move on, so she worked towards it.


    ''There are two potential missions uponpletion of which you may be able to improve the Nexus and develop the artifact. There''s also another mission, but I don''t know if you''ll take it. We need to talk things over.


    "Well, looks like it''s time to get to work, right?" Adam smiled, looked out at the bright sun, and headed for the door.


    ...


    "Hmm?" Adam raised an eyebrow, looking at Silvana puzzled, sipping his cocktail through a straw.


    "You want me to go c K0-squad to Golden Searchers Nest tomorrow? I don''t mean to be flippant, but I''ve already fought those monsters. What''s more, I don''t really feel like following someone, either alone or with some interesting squad like I did with Zera''s one." Adam said with a wave of his hand.


    Silvana''s corners of her lips lifted, forming a sly smile.


    "First of all. It will be useful for you to have subordinates, moreover, the K0 Phantoms will surely be able to learn a lot from you, after all, they have been Phantoms longer than you, but you have already surpassed them. The reason is - they haven''t been in deadly situations, and you already have valuable experience in this area.


    Secondly. Don''t you need Purple Threat Level Genes?" Silvana tilted her head leaning on her palm.


    "Yeah... but, Golden Searchers are white and green threat-level monsters. Even if it''s a big Nest and there will be a King there, it''s only blue threat level. If I don''t want to kill hundreds of monsters, I should only focus on purple threat ones." Adam shrugged, continuing to drink his cocktail.


    However, Silvana didn''t seem to ept Adam''s rejection. The reason wasn''t that she wasn''t listening to him, but because she hadn''t specified one detail.


    "Sure, but, Adam... There''s a reason why this mission requires a K1-Phantom."


    Adam raised an eyebrow. He hadn''t been on such missions yet and didn''t know all the conditions.


    "It''s pretty simple. A day ago, the missions department determined that in addition to hundreds of Golden Searchers and a few Queens, there is also a Prime King in this huge Nest." Silvana calmly said, looking at Adam''s face, which was rapidly changing.


    When he and Oren had been on their mission in Golden Searchers Nest, he heard quite a few horrible things about the king of those monsters.


    The Prime version had to be even more impressive! Prime King was going through several threat levels, and could be a real challenge even for a K1-Phantom!


    "Hehehe, if it''s the Prime King of Golden Searchers, then I''ll definitely get enough genes to improve my Nexus, won''t I?" Adam muttered, chuckling evilly.


    In fact, he was somewhat like Damien now. He wanted to see what the Second Trait of his gloves would be, but at the moment, he was even more interested in the fight against Prime King.


    "Fine! I guess it won''t be a big deal if I help the lower-level Phantoms. After all, we have to help each other, right?" Adam smirked.


    Silvana, with a slight smile on her face, nodded.


    "No doubt about it. It''s always important tobine the pleasant with the useful."


    "Alright! I''m ready right now!"

 Chapter 76: Unexpected Allies

    Adam was in high spirits as he headed towards the mission pad. Yesterday, he and Silvana had discussed all the details, so today, early in the morning it was time for him to meet with the Travelers Squad.


    It was a small-sized Squad, consisting of five Phantoms and ten Harvesters. For arge Golden Searchers Nest, this was more than enough, considering they had K1 Phantom - Adam Vinter - with them.


    Naturally, for Adam, the main goal was to fight the Prime King of the Golden Searchers and get purple threat genes to improve his Nexus. After this mission, he would take another step forward towards the first Key!


    ''Hmm... Besides genes and artifacts, I also still need some Midnight Crystal. I asked Silvana about it, but she said I first need to reach a peak level of power before I reach that stage... Well, it looks like it''s going to be something difficult.'' Adam pondered as he approached the Travelers Squad.


    The first person to notice him was a girl with green hair and brown eyes. It was Barna Worlon, K0-Phantom and leader of Travelers Squad.


    "You''re finally here! I was worried that something had happened. We''re only a few minutes away from the mission starting." Barna said respectfully as she bowed slightly.


    Adam nodded.


    "Is everyone here? I hope the mission department wasn''t wrong, and I can fight the King!" Adam clenched his fist with an excited expression.


    Barna nodded as she looked sideways at the squad members. The Phantoms and Harvesters were talking about something, but as soon as Adam arrived, they stopped.


    Adam''s eyes went wide, for among the five Phantoms, he was familiar with three at once!


    In the center stood, Katrin, the girl Adam met in Deste Forest. She had gray hair, blue eyes, pale skin, and the same cold stare as before.


    To Katrin''s right, was Mark, another member of their temporary group at Deste Forest. His blue hair was slightly longer, and his azure eyes were full of enthusiasm.


    These two were already enough to surprise Adam, however, Katrin and Mark were just as shocked, especially Katrin.


    They didn''t know who their K1-Phantom would be, only Barna and her Operator had that information.


    However, the most interesting part was ahead, because the third Phantom was Kody!


    While Kody, Mark, and Katrin stared wide-eyed at Adam, a fifth Phantom stepped forward. He was a stout man with short ck hair and a scar over his right eye.


    "Hi, I don''t know what happened to the others, my name is Sirgus! I''d be happy to work together with you! I watched your fight against Brass Puppet, it was impressive!" Sirgus said excitedly, extending his hand.


    Adam, with a slight smile on his face, responded to the handshake.


    Then, he looked at Kody. He had a band-aid on his nose, it was obviously badly damaged or even broken for some reason.


    Step. Step. Another Step.


    Kody stepped forward, meeting Adam''s gaze and clenching his fists tightly.


    Barna nced at them, slightly rmed, for the tension between them could be felt by everyone. It was so obvious, it almost felt like matter.


    Then, Kody sighed and bowed low.


    "I apologize for yesterday!"


    Adam was shocked. He hadn''t expected Kody''s behavior to change so drastically. It seemed that in that moment, faith in humanity could have been born in someone.


    "Looks like you two know each other, right?" Barna asked, ncing not only at Kody but also at Mark and Katrin.


    "Yeah, something like that. They''re all excellent Phantoms, so our mission is definitely going to be a sess!" Adam said, showing a thumb up with a bright smile.


    Kody''s eyes went wide. After all, Adam didn''t have anything specific to say about him. It caused him to smile slightly and a good feeling in his chest.


    "That''s good." Barna nodded, "I hope your luck doesn''t turn against you this time, Adam."


    "Hmm?" Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Do I have any problem with luck?"


    Barna, Katrin, Mark, Sirgus, and Kody had strange expressions on their faces. All of them knew Adam''s mission history for one reason or another, even Kody - he had a serious motivation for it.


    "Adam... you may be used to this by now, but what''s happening on your missions with surprising frequency is not normal." Katrin muttered, scratching her cheek.


    In fact, when she saw Adam, she had begun to envy his sess greatly, because she was still a K0 Phantom and was preparing to fight her Beginning Monster. However, she knew the cost of Adam bing a K1-Phantom so quickly.


    Adam shook his head.


    "I don''t know what you''re thinking, but betterplex missions than simple ones. What''s more!!! Even if I''m unlucky, I''m still alive and ready to fight! Everyone, let''s go!" Adam waved his hand slightly annoyed, and sat down in the truck.


    Barna sighed heavily, putting her fingertips to her forehead.


    ''Yeah... You''re still alive, after all, you''vee out victorious from every battle, but what about the others? It seems like when you show up in the squad, no one else has a chance to be the main character.'' Barna inwardly muttered before sitting down next to Adam.


    ...


    Golden Searchers mostly lived in the Scorching Desert - their squad was headed here, to the northeastern part, the farthest and most dangerous.


    Scorching Desert considered the area for Rookie Phantoms, as most of the monsters living there were White or Green Threat Level.


    In fact, a monster like the Prime King of Golden Searchers was an anomaly and the strongest that could even appear in the Scorching Desert.


    Finding information about such monsters was one of the top priorities of the mission department because if some K0-squad encountered the Prime King, no one from the squad would survive.


    Fortunately, it was easy to find out about the arrival of such monsters. The Prime King of Golden Searchers was the strongest in this area, he stood at the top of the food chain, and no one could oppose him.


    "Hey, have you met Adam?" Kody asked, riding in the same truck with Karin, she was driving and Mark.


    Katrin nodded.


    "Yeah, we were unlucky enough to get hit by a spatial anomaly, but we were saved by Damien."


    "Damien...?" Kody''s eyes went wide, they literally sparkled.


    Damien was one of the few Second Rank Phantoms, so his name was known by almost every Phantom, after all, he was one of the pirs their Citadel stood on.


    Katrin could well be called a true Damien''s fan. Bing a Second Rank Phantom was her main goal.


    "Yes. He''s just like you imagine him to be, free-spirited, energetic, egotistical, boisterous, and most importantly... insanely strong." Katrin uttered, gripping the wheel tightly.


    Her gaze was directed at Adam, who was driving ahead.


    Damien''s interest in Adam was another reason why Katrin envied Adam. In her case, though, it was an impulse for progress and motivation.


    Even negative feelings could be put to good use, it all depended on the person and the mindset.


    ...


    Soon, the Travelers Squad reached a point - the huge Golden Searchers Nest of the open type.


    That meant all the rooms, structures, walls, and buildings were on the surface instead of deep underground.


    "Oh, looks like I can already feel it." Adam smirked, looking into the distance of the nest where a powerful aura was emanating from.

 Chapter 77: Prime King and the Magic Book

    The Travelers Squad didn''t waste time and immediately rushed into the Golden Searchers Nest.


    The Nest wasrge, so there were a significant number of White and Green Threat Level Golden Searchers here.


    Well, their squad had enough power to deal with all of them. Adam didn''t even have to do anything, Barna, Sirgus, Mark, Kody, and Katrin were Phantoms who had been through a lot of missions.


    Yeah, they may not have beaten their Beginning Monster yet, but that was just a matter of time, not everyone was suited for such a rush and extreme as Adam. Someone needed a smooth and measured development for asting result in the future.


    "Take your time, I can handle this group on my own. Save your strength for the next ones." Barna said calmly as she pulled out her Nexus.


    She didn''t have a massive case like many Phantoms, in fact, her Nexus was quitepact, and she almost always carried it with her.


    ''Hmm? A book?'' Adam inwardly muttered, looking at Brana''s Nexus.


    It was a dark book with ck pages and white runes etched on each one.


    Then, Barna muttered something, and energy particles appeared above the pages, dense and bright as tiny stars.


    Barna stretched her arm forward, and the shes burst forward, crashing into the Golden Searchers and inflicting tearing wounds simr to the burns of a brutal me.


    "Alright! I''ll finish them off!" Kody eximed before leaping forward, tightly clutching his long sword with a scarlet de.


    One swing was enough to make the monsters'' heads fall to the ground, and they moved onward - along a lonely corridor with high walls.


    Barna, like Mark, had a long-range Nexus, she had a magic book, and he had a bow. Such Nexuses had one specificity that would have puzzled ordinary people.


    If a normal person saw Barna''s attack right now, they would think that she was using her ability or Nexus''s Trait.


    However, that was not the case. What Barna did was a normal attack, not a Trait. She spent a bit more energy on that attack than Kody, who made a broad swing of his sword.


    After all, she couldn''t fight monsters by beating them with a book in hand-to-handbat... She needed some way to attack, and her Nexus gave her that option.


    Sirgus had arge triangr shield made of dark metal. In some ways, he was simr to Dargo in this, for they both focused on defense and the hardness of their muscr bodies.


    "What a powerful aura..." Mark muttered, shivering slightly.


    Adam nodded.


    "Yeah, it''s probably from Prime King. Anyway, we''ll get to the target soon, for now, let''s keep moving forward."


    Travelers Squad''s goal was very simple, they had topletely destroy the Golden Searchers Nest as well as collect as many golden eggs as possible.


    With Adam''s help, they were able to aplish this task quite quickly.


    When Barna, Katrin, and the others were in a difficult situation, Adam would easily rescue them. In his current state, he could defeat two Brass Puppets using only his needle, perhaps even without wounds.


    However, Adam did not use his power too often and actively. After all, his goal was to deal with the Prime King, which was why K1-Phantom was needed for this mission.


    He only helped the others at critical moments, when his inactivity could cause others to be seriously injured or possibly die.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Kody''s scarlet sword lit up with red mes as he cut apart a massive Golden Searchers, Green Threat Level.


    "Not bad. Kody, you have great skills!" Sirgus said enthusiastically, patting Kody on the shoulder encouragingly.


    Kody looked embarrassed, his cheeks slightly flushed.


    "Thank you... I''m trying to show the best I can, but I clearly stillckbat experience. After all, this is only my second mission. I''m lucky you epted me into your squad." Kody muttered with a happy smile.


    Adam, standing to the side nodded deeply.


    ''If this is only his second mission then that exins everything. Well, it''s not scary to make mistakes, it''s scary not to try to fix them, right?''


    Then, passing over dozens of corpses of the Golden Searchers, they headed towards a glowing passageway, nothing could be seen beyond the bright sunlight from the dark room.


    Adam was the first to emerge, and his eyes went wide. The ones they fought before were only a test of their abilities.


    Hundreds of Golden Searchers stood on the high sand walls, staring intently at their squad, but not as warriors or fighters, but as if they were viewers who hade to the Colosseum to watch an exciting battle.


    The reason for this strange behavior was quite simple - the Prime King was here, and he wasn''t the only one.


    "Shit... So he''s actually here..." Mark muttered in disbelief, "I mean, I believed the information from the missions department, but knowing and seeing it is different..."


    Barna nodded.


    "From the looks of it, it''s time for us to step aside. You might not be able to tell from me... but inside, I''m just shaking with fear staring at that monster..." Barna muttered, taking a few steps to the side, looking at the Prime King.


    The Prime King, befitting his status sat on a golden throne in the distance, looking down on everyone else. Next to him were three Queens, ready to obey his every wish, as well as all Golden Searchers. He was the greatest warrior of their race.


    Theoretically, only the Essence King or some Golden Searchers who had gone through many evolutions and eventually became Crown Type couldpete with the Prime King of Golden Searchers among their species.


    "Well, well, it seems that in such a huge Nest, there''s surprisingly only room for the two of us, isn''t there?" Adam smirked, looking at the Prime King. He was fully prepared for battle.


    Outwardly, Prime King looked as he should - a majestic version of the usual Golden Searchers, only stronger by a factor of ten.


    Prime King was tall, about three meters high. His muscr, lean body was covered in protective dark scales that did not shine in the sun at all, unlike other Golden Searchers.


    On his arms and legs, the Prime King had a dense covering of some white material that looked extremely tough, like chitin, as if it were his armor, equipment like humans.


    From his back, grew two huge golden wings, unlike the Queen''s wings created for throwing des, the Prime King''s wings were heavy and wide like shields.


    The Prime King''s head did not have horns resembling disks, nor did he have a golden line running along its spine. The Prime King had long golden hair, that looked like millions of stretched golden threads.


    The Prime King did not have des growing out of his elbows, for he had a real, full-fledged weapon. Next to his throne, a huge golden spear with a ck tip and white hilt was thrust into the ground.


    The spear radiated power, showing that only the worthy one could use it to achieve his goals.


    Adam sighed heavily, unable to hide his smile and slight unease.


    After all, Prime King was a Purple Threat Level Monster, Red Book.

 Chapter 78: King vs. Phantom.

    Barna, Sirgus, Mark, Katrin, and Kody stepped aside.


    In fact, there was a special ce on the sand walls for them where no Golden Searcher stood. It seemed the Prime King had long ago sensed Adam''s aura and prepared for their fight.


    "Now the most important moment hase..." Barna muttered with a serious expression.


    "It''s even a little sad that the sess of our mission depends on only one Person in the end." Mark''s gaze grew sadder.


    Sirgus walked over to him and patted his shoulder.


    "Don''t worry about that. We''ve aplished our task, now it''s Adam''s turn. Sure, we won''t be able to handle Prime King, but this is a great opportunity to learn something. We all have great futures ahead of us, don''t we?"


    Mark smiled happily. He was the youngest in the squad while Sirgus was the oldest. Such words actually encouraged him.


    Katrin sighed heavily. She wished she could be in Adam''s shoes and be the main force of their squad, but she knew her capabilities and limits. The best thing she could do in this situation was to follow the fight closely.


    Adam headed forward towards the center of the arena, he looked around then pointed at Prime King.


    "Hey, how long do I have to wait for you? Come on, take your spear and fight me!" Adam eximed with an excited expression.


    However, the Prime King was in no hurry to give in to Adam''s temptation. Instead, the Prime King pointed at Adam, and the three Queens rose up, gazing at Adam as their only victim.


    "Come on. Haven''t you already tested our abilities? I don''t want to fight them, I''ve already killed a Queen once, and I''m not going to waste my time on that!" Adam waved his hand.


    However, the Prime King was not going to change his mind.


    The Queens pped their wings, heading straight for Adam.


    ''Cover your ears.'' Silvana''s calm voice echoed in everyone''s ears. They knew what awaited them, so without further question, they did as she said.


    Then, Adam shook his head and pped the threads on his gloves against each other.


    It was unlikely that the Prime King would suffer much damage from his First Trait, so that wasn''t a mistake to use one of the abilities for it. After all, his Trait wasn''t effective against a single strong opponent, and this way would save his energy.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Sonic ripples spread around, quickly reaching the Queens as well as the hundreds of Golden Searchers.


    Golden Searchers grabbed their heads and fell to the ground, struggling to withstand this eerie pressure. If they were a little closer, their heads would definitely explode, all of them at once.


    The queens were stronger, they were on a slightly different level. However, at that moment it didn''t seem so.


    They stopped, in torment. The Queens looked angrily at Adam, but they could not advance any further.


    ''Agh...? Was his Nexus that strong?'' Katrin internally muttered in a confusion.


    Her puzzlement was understandable, but easily exined.


    Adam had yet to reveal the Second Trait of his gloves, however, that didn''t mean that the First Trait was at the same level of power as before. His First Trait, First Melody: Soul Cry, had gotten much stronger after Adam revealed his Lock, and the same was true for his needle.


    "Shit... If he wanted, he would have killed them all at once... This is so cool!" Kody eximed with an excited expression as an enthusiastic smile appeared on his face.


    The Prime King shook his head, rose from his throne, and spread his majestic wings wide.


    Slowly, his wings came into motion like massive tes capable of shifting an entire mountain.


    A few ps were enough to mercilessly throw the Kings away, they simply crashed into the walls.


    Then, the Prime King stepped forward, pulling his spear out of the ground.


    "Damn... If it wasn''t for your wings and defense tes, you would be extremely simr to a Crown Type. Well, let''s see what you can do!"


    Strangely enough, Prime King stopped, but that didn''t mean that their fight was canceled. In fact, right now, he was preparing to attack.


    Whoooooooosh.


    As fast as possible, the Prime King leaned forward and threw his spear at Adam.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed. He hadn''t expected the first attack of the Prime King to be something so bold.


    The Prime King had just lost his weapon!


    Adam quickly jerked to the side, but there was still a long cut on his face. A few drops of blood trickled out, and in them, Adam saw his reflection as well as the spear, which, for some reason, shone brightly.


    ''No fucking way...'' Adam inwardly muttered, shifting his gaze to the Prime King, whose hair shone in unison with the spear.


    Then, as if fulfilling Adam''s fear, the spear turned into a golden sh and was quickly in Prime King''s hand.


    "I see... So it''s okay to not try to knock the weapon out of your hand. That''s unfortunate, I was going to get rid of your spear, but it looks like that''s impossible." Adam frowned, putting his hand out to the side and summoning the needle.


    He didn''t use any grip, he needed his needle free to block every attack of the Prime King.


    Adam waited for the attack, however, the Prime King was inactive. He just pointed his spear at Adam and stared at him arrogantly, his eyes gradually filling with irritation.


    ''This is strange... Is this his way of telling me that it''s my turn to attack?'' Adam pondered.


    Then a wide grin appeared on his face as an evil n was just born in his mind.


    "Hah, I didn''t expect such consistency from a monster, this is even higher level than in a knight duel. Well, you asked for it yourself. I attack!" Adam eximed as he swung his hand tightly, clenching his fist.


    Prime King tilted his head. The monster had expected Adam to rush into battle after such a speech, but the Prime King wasn''t the only one. Barna, Katrin, and the others also did not understand what was happening.


    However, Adam wasn''t doing tricks. He was serious because he was already attacking.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Several electric shocks ran through Adam''s fist.


    In no time, a massive thunderbolt crashed down on Prime King, shaking the space and sending ripples through the air.


    Instinctively, the Prime King realized that he needed to defend himself. He didn''t even see the thunderbolt, he just didn''t have time for it.


    His massive wings moved again, covering him like a protective dome with the tip of a spear sticking out of the top.


    Lightning struck the spear - as it was the tallest object in this small area. Powerful electrical discharges traveled all over the Prime King''s body, heating it greatly. A few golden feathers began to melt, but due to the overall impact area, Prime King could withstand this attack quite sessfully.


    "I hate to sound arrogant, but you''re not really the equal of a Crown Type, for you''re much weaker."


    Adam''s calm voice rang out.


    Then, five silver ws stabbed into the golden wing, passing through Prime King''s defense.


    Before the Prime King could realize anything, Adam clenched his ws around the monster''s arm, tearing it off and tossing it aside.

 Chapter 79: Enemies Among Our Own

    Prime King''s left arm flew off to the side, sttering his dark blood around, under the shocked gazes of both the Travelers Squad and hundreds of Golden Searchers.


    It came as a surprise to everyone, for they all knew how strong an opponent Prime King was, for he stood at the top of this area! There were hardly any monsters in Scorching Desert that could match him in might.


    Strangely enough, but for Prime King, Adam was probably the worst opponent.


    Many people, especially neers, didn''t understand why the Prime King of the Golden Searchers was so strong, even though the regr Golden Searchers were only White Threat Level Monsters.


    Aside from being strong and fast, which didn''t make it any different from the others, the Prime King had excellent defense. His dark scales were extremely durable, and if there was any powerful attack, his dense golden wings could protect him.


    In fact, in this, Prime King surpassed even the Steel Knight.


    After Adam used Thunder Punishment, Steel Knight lost his sword and arm, while Prime King had only damaged a few feathers out of a hundred.


    For most Phantoms, Prime King''s defense would be a real problem, to deal with it, Phantom would have to spend a lot of time and a bunch of resources, gradually wounding and exhausting Prime King.


    However... In Adam''s case, things were a bit different.


    His First Order didn''t have any unique ability, as it was simply a massive sword-sized needle made up of hundreds of silver threads. However, his threads had an additional armor-piercing ability.


    It was simple, what Zera could not prate with hier scythe, but only scratch, Adam would easily pierce or possibly cut through. This effect was simrly transferred to his Second Order.


    Thus, the silver ws passed through Prime King''s molten wings without difficulty, ripping out the monster''s arm and moving on, straight for his head.


    Prime King''s eyes went wide. He realized that he had to dodge, or else their fight could end, right now!


    However, just as Prime King wanted to bounce back, he realized that he couldn''t move. A silver thread from Adam''s first grip was twisted around his legs.


    Crackle.


    Adam gripped the Prime King''s neck tightly with a cold stare.


    ''The Steel Knight didn''t have a suitable defense to reduce the damage from Thunder Punishment. However, he still found a way, then made me try hard for victory. Well, this just goes to show that Scorching Desert is past its prime. I have to move on.'' Adam internally muttered, intending to break Prime King''s neck.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    At thest moment, Prime King''s golden hair trembled and headed sharply towards Adam''s hand like taut ropes. They curled tightly around his hand, trying to dy the inevitable.


    Sure enough, the Prime King was able to make some gains, for no matter how hard Adam tried, he couldn''t strengthen his grip. Slowly, his fingers unclenched just a little more, and Prime King would be able to get out of the death clutch.


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    Drops of blood fell to the ground, flowing down Prime King''s chest from one wound in the very center. On the other side, a long silver needle covered in blood came out, glistening faintly in the sun, only asionally showing its value.


    Prime King was concentrating too much on Adam''s ws, he hadpletely forgotten that Adam''s needle was a fearsome weapon. He didn''t have many opportunities to find out for sure, though, except for this one - the first andst.


    Bam.


    The Prime King copsed to the ground, kicking up dust slightly and holding onto his chest as if trying to pull something out, but it was already done.


    Adam let out a heavy sigh and swung his ws, attacking the three Queens. They watched the scene with horror.


    They didn''t fight back, and soon, the silver ws cut them into several pieces, allowing Barna and the others to no longer worry about the sess of the mission. Without the Queens, there were no more opponents in this Nest that could pose a threat to them.


    However, it was unlikely that the Golden Searchers would be fighting anymore.


    The Queens didn''t even try to dodge Adam''s attacks, because once the King died, it was over for them.


    Adam had won, and they had lost, and for the monsters, it was just like death. There was no difference.


    "Alright, there''s no need to be upset, it''s better to end quietly than a disaster, isn''t it?" Adam smiled bitterly.


    Then, a fire lit up in his eyes, for he had aplished what he hade here for! He not only wanted to fight Prime King to test his skills but because he needed the genes!


    Adam dropped the blood from his needle and pointed his hand towards the Prime King, summoning revolve. Soon, five purple genes emerged from the monster''s body, entering Adam''s space.


    [You have obtained the Prime King of the Golden Searchers Genes x5!]


    ''Only five? Well, that''s probably logical, right? If I had gotten seven or even more so ten, then this fight wouldn''t make any sense!'' Adam pondered over the power of the Prime King.


    Prime King was the strongest monster among Golden Searchers and in Scorching Desert, but not the strongest among Purple Threat Level. The same Steel Knight was much higher in the power rankings and was much more dangerous.


    At this time, Barna, Katrin, and the others were quickly massacring the remaining Golden Searchers. Without the King, the monsters lost all motivation and hardly fought back, as if the most important thing in their lives was gone.


    "Phew, did we really do it?" Katrin muttered, brushing the sweat off her forehead.


    "Damn! Adam made it look so easy! Hopefully, soon, I too can fight Prime King and win!" Kody eximed with an excited expression.


    Barna shook her head with a heavy sigh.


    Kody raised an eyebrow.


    "Is something wrong?"


    Barna nodded.


    "Adam recently defeated a Steel Knight. That monster is stronger than Prime King, so we shouldn''t be surprised by his victory, but that doesn''t mean Prime King is weak. It''s just that K0 and K1 Phantom arepletely different levels of power."


    Kody shrugged.


    "Whatever. That doesn''t mean I can''t aim for the same level. I don''t mind evolving slowly, the important thing is the results!" Kody clenched his fist vigorously. There seemed to be no limit to his enthusiasm.


    Adam nced at the Prime King''s corpse and touched his earbud.


    "Is that it? Mission aplished?" Adam asked.


    ''Yes. All the Golden Searchers have been killed.'' Silvana calmly replied, ''All you have left to do is...''


    "Silvana? Hey, can you hear me?!"


    Adam tried to call out to Silvana, but no matter what he did, she didn''t answer, for some reason, the connection was cut off.


    "Guys... We killed all the monsters, right?" In that case, what is this?" Mark pointed puzzledly at a mechanical sphere floating high in the sky.


    Electric vibrations were emitted from the sphere, forming a transparent maic dome covering the entire Nest.


    The sphere was clearly made with human technology, it was not a monster skill. However, the barrier didn''t look like it was protecting against monsters.


    It was more like they were caged by someone''s will with no connection to the Citadel!

 Chapter 80: Words Dont Matter (Part 1)

    "What''s going on..." Mark muttered in confusion, looking around.


    Sirgus frowned.


    "I don''t know, but I heard of a story where the same thing happened... and the ending wasn''t good, at all."


    Barna, looked around carefully, preparing for battle. An ally wouldn''t use amunication-blocking barrier, would they?


    Booooooooooooooooom.


    There was a deafening explosion, tearing down the sand wall, then several silhouettes stepped inside, just under ten in total.


    Strangely enough, they were all Phantoms, it was clear from their powerful auras and the NEPs on their wrists.


    ''Wait... Why are their NEPs ck...?'' Katrin was puzzled.


    The NEPs of all Phantoms were white, perhaps gray if it was an old model and the hull was dirty and damaged. However, the NEPs of these Phantoms looked new but were also ck.


    Leading the way was a woman wearing ck and red clothes. In fact, her clothes were the same style as Katrin''s or Barna''s, suitable for the desert terrain. However, the colors were adhered to very strictly, as if it were important. On her back was a massive ck case, obviously heavy, for something important.


    She had long red hair, blue eyes, and a sharp chin line. Her gaze was cold and arrogant, for she was the strongest here, her aura matching the K1-Phantom.


    "Who are you?" Barna stepped forward with a menacing gaze.


    She was the leader of the Travelers Squad and had to act ording to her status. It didn''t matter that the woman in front of her was stronger, after all, she wasn''t going to fight humans.


    After all, all mankind had onemon enemy - monsters.


    "Travelers Squad, right?" The woman asked, casting a nce at Barna, then she looked at Adam.


    A slight glint of contempt swept across her eyes, it was clear that she wasn''t going to talk to Barna, who was weaker than her. Status didn''t matter when there was a difference in power.


    "As we suspected, K1-Phantom was sent here. Well, someone had to kill the Prime King, didn''t it?" The woman smirked, the she held out her hand.


    "My name is Mirna, I''m an officer of the Ruby Dew. Pleased to meet you." Mirna said quietly, waiting for Adam to shake her hand.


    However, Adam did not. His instincts told him that he couldn''t expect anything good from Mirna.


    "Barna is the leader of this squad, you should talk to her if you''re in charge. I''m just helping them on this mission." Adam said coldly.


    Katrin and Mark looked at each other, slight smiles appearing on their faces. What Adam did was important to them.


    "Pffft. Suit yourself, I didn''t expect you to turn out to be so ill-mannered. In the Lower Ring, not shaking hands is the ultimate show of disrespect, you know?" Mirna raised an eyebrow.


    "Lower Ring...?" Kody muttered in confusion.


    "Tsk. I knew it." Sirgus clenched his fists tightly as his eyes darkened. As the most experienced of their squad, Sirgus had assumed it immediately, but couldn''t bepletely sure. However, after Mirna mentioned the Lower Ring, he had no more doubts.


    Adam frowned.


    "So you''re from the Lower Ring? Well, that exins your ck NEPs. What do you want? We''ve already finished the mission."


    Mirna smirked.


    "Hah, even though you''re a K1-Phantom, you seem to be rather naive."


    The broad-shouldered man standing behind her smirked.


    "He''s from Upper Ring, what''s more, he''s young! He''s just another talented rookie, nothing more. There are plenty of weaklings like him in Upper Ring!" The man mockingly said.


    Mirna waved her hand.


    "Grut shut the hell up. I''m trying to make sure we get home a little early. Don''t you dare interrupt me again!"


    Grut shrugged with a slight smile.


    Then, Mirna looked at Adam.


    "Anyway, go back to your fort and report the failure of the mission. You can me us for everything if you want, we don''t care. The resources, especially the golden eggs will be ours." Mirna said calmly, there was an unwavering confidence in her voice.


    "That''s not going to happen. Find another Nest, I''m sure there are plenty of them in the Scorching Desert. You have quite arge squad, so you''ll do fine." Adam red at Mirna, showing that he wasn''t going to back down.


    Adam spoke for the entire Travelers Squad because Barna, Katrin, and the others were not going to give up what they had worked so hard for!


    Mirna sighed heavily.


    "Alright." Mirna shrugged nonchntly, then she quickly pped her hands together.


    Bam.


    A silver bullet flew out from the north side of the Nest and exploded Barna''s head, leaving her no chance of survival.


    Her body fell to the ground, under the shocked stares of the others. No one could believe what had happened.


    "Barna... no..." Katrin whispered, shaking with panic.


    "Hahahahaha! Look at their faces!" Grutughed, walking over to Adam.


    "What''s the matter? Shouldn''t you be pissed right now? Maybe you''ll be engulfed in mes of rage and beat us all up? Hehehehe, the Upper Ring is filled with weak-willed idiots! Come on, do something!"


    Adam blinked several times, looking at the already dead Barna. It took him a few moments to realize what had happened.


    Then, he slowly turned around, looked at Mirna, and shifted his gaze to Grut.


    "You see? I told you it was a good idea. They''re easy to break, unlike us they haven''t seen the dark side of the world! Hahaha!" Grutughed evilly.


    Adam let out a heavy sigh, slowly releasing the cold steam rushing over his shoulders.


    His fingertips stopped shaking, and Mirna''s eyes went wide as she came into motion.


    Smack.


    However, before she could take another breath, Adam''s palms came down on Grut''s head like two hammers, sting it under tremendous pressure.


    Scraps of flesh, eyes, and teeth flew apart, rolling across the sandy floor next to the decapitated body that had copsed to the ground.


    "I haven''t been to the Lower Ring yet, but one man from there, once told me - some of us are more like monsters than humans..." Adam muttered in a calm voice. Unconsciously, he emitted an aura that made the dark Phantoms shiver.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Adam jerked his head when a silver bullet flew close to his neck, almost hitting it, but Adam''s lightning-fast reflexes prevented that from happening.


    "Prepare yourselves. I will kill every one of you. I spare no monsters." Adam uttered as his eyes shone brightly.


    ...


    At the same moment, he found himself in his space, heading towards the gloves serenely floating not far from the Evolution Tree.


    He had collected the required number of genes, exactly 10 purple threat genes, which meant he could finally upgrade his Nexus.


    Adam walked over to the gloves with a cold stare and swung his hand.


    The Vault opened, and ten purple genes flew into the gloves. Adam quickly read the Second Trait of his Nexus and nodded deeply.


    ''Agh... I''ve waited so long for this moment, and it''s going to end up with me using this power against other Phantoms. Well, sometimes we just don''t have a choice, right?''


    ...


    For everyone else, only a moment passed when the threads on Adam''s right glove shone brightly.


    Then, over his palm, energy particles appeared, turning into tiny threads that quickly formed into a spinning sphere of hundreds of simr threads.

 Chapter 81: Words Dont Matter (Part 2)

    [Weaver''s Treasure


    The gloves are ideal for one who is used to working with a needle, providing excellent protection for the weaver''s hands and increasing the overall strength and speed of the needle through the connection of the threads into a single intertwining system.


    First Trait - First Melody: Soul Cry


    Second Trait - Silver Swirl]


    Adam''s Second Trait of his Nexus had only appeared a few seconds ago, but he was already using it, his targets were not monsters - but humans. Well... there was no telling if they were worthy of being called humans after what they''d done.


    Then, something changed in Adam, for his internal morality barrier had broken. The silver bullet that killed Barna shattered the ss wall in his mind, separating the simple young man from the slums and the powerful Phantom who could survive in the Dead Lands.


    Mirna, the most experienced of the dark Phantoms squad, recognized this immediately in Adam''s gaze. Several times in her life, she had seen something like this before, and each time, it had led to only one thing - disaster.


    Whoosh,


    Electric shocks ran through Adam''s legs as he swept past Mirna, heading for the nearest Phantom in his path.


    "No! Dodge! Fuck! Run as fast as you can!" Mirna eximed with a worried face. Her arrogance andplete confidence in her impunity had vanished, for now everything was serious.


    A spinning sphere of hundreds of threads rained down on the Phantom''s face, slicing it into tiny pieces in a split second. The man''s head seemed to have identally fallen right into a meat grinder with fast and extremely sharp des.


    Silver Swirl dispelled, but Adam''s attack didn''t end there. He could use the Second Trait of his Nexus once more, for it was a two-stage attack, and the first one required little energy since it was a single-target attack. The second stage would be just as energy-consuming as Zera''s ability.


    Adam defeated the Prime King quickly enough, but he had spent a lot of energy and abilities, so he couldn''t afford to use the full power of the Silver Swirl.


    "Shit! Kill the others! I''ll take this bastard on!" Mirna eximed, dropping the case, swiftly opening it, and pulling out her Nexus.


    It was a long halberd with a ck hilt and a straight purple de with three iron rings at the beginning, just like the one at the end of the hilt.


    Adam didn''t have enough energy for Silver Swirl or Thunder Punishment, but he could always summon his Order.


    The silver, binding thread went through the girl''s shoulder, cutting off her arm and causing her to scream in pain.


    All but Mirna were K0-Phantoms, so against Adam, they didn''t stand a chance. He only needed one sessful attack to end their lives. To him, they were no stronger than green threat level monsters.


    Adam stepped forward, swinging the needle, he was going to cut off the girl''s head with it, the only obstacle was the girl''s neck.


    Tremble.


    Mirna appeared behind the girl like a ghost, blocking the silver thread with the de of her halberd. The six rings shuddered on impact, making a light sound that made Adam feel weaker for a moment.


    "Run, stop standing here! I''m not going to protect you anymore, so you better get the fuck out of here unless you want to lose your life besides your arm!" Mirna shouted furiously, but the concern was clearly audible in her voice.


    The girl nodded, holding the open wound from bleeding ran forward.


    Mirna smiled. She had already lost two members of her squad, but at least she was able to save one badly injured one.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    A lightning arrow flew into the neck of the girl, who already had a happy smile on her face.


    Droplets of blood flew off to the side, passing in front of Mirna''s eyes, quickly opening wide.


    Adam turned around, he was dazed too because the one who had shot was Mark - the youngest, kindest, and most naive in their squad.


    Tears were streaming from his eyes, his teeth were clenched tightly, and his hands were trembling, but he held his bow steady. What he had done was likemitting a mortal sin to him, however, he had to, because Mark didn''t want anyone else to die.


    "BASTARD!!! I''LL BURY YOU ALIVE!!!"


    Mirna screamed in rage, as her hair whipped up.


    She quickly ran forward, preparing to cut Mark in two with a swing of her halberd.


    A wide shadow cast over Mirna''s world as, for some reason, Mark began to move away from her, though he stood motionless in his spot.


    "I am your opponent. K1 vs K1. All''s fair." Adam said confidently, grabbing Mirna''s head and bringing her to the ground.


    "Agh!" Mirna yelped in pain before rapidly standing up and ring at Adam.


    She swung the halberd menacingly, pointing the sharp tip of the de directly at him.


    "Do you really think you can handle me? Even if you defeat the Prime King, it means nothing to me except that you''re exhausted!"


    "That doesn''t matter. What are you suggesting I should do? Make a deal with you? After everything that''s already happened?" Adam narrowed his eyes.


    Mirna bit her lip.


    "You can say nothing, it doesn''t matter. If I make a deal after you killed Barna, I''ll never be able to look at myself in the mirror again. We fight now, today is the end of it." Adam said confidently, taking measured breaths.


    He was willing to do whatever was necessary to win. Adam didn''t know if the Phantoms were all like this in the Lower Ring, or if they had run into ouws. It didn''t matter.


    Adam decided to concentrate on two things - avenging Barna and protecting the remaining Phantoms of the Travelers Squad.


    Katrin, Sirgus, Mark, and Kody were also facing a challenge, because there were four of them and five Phantoms against them, and another one was hiding somewhere!


    It was the shooter that killed Barna, that Phantom was the main target of their squad.

 Chapter 82: Words Dont Matter (Part 3)

    "What''s the n?" Mark asked worriedly, looking at the five Phantoms running towards them.


    There was a clear killing intenting from them, but that didn''t scare Katrin and the others, because it meant they had to act seriously.


    "If you don''t mind, I''ll takemand. Adam won''t be able to help us yet, so we need to handle this ourselves." Katrin spoke up, looking around.


    No one had agreed to make her captain yet, but she didn''t need to, it was just a formality for her. She was already thinking out a n of action and preparing orders.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Katrin swung her staff as her eyes sparkled. Many roots emerged from the ground and enveloped the Phantoms. However, this would only hold them back for a brief period, but that was what Katrin wanted.


    "Follow me!" Katrin eximed, heading towards the passageway leading deep into the sand temple.


    They didn''t run away, but changed their position to a more favorable one, for they were in a difficult situation. They were outnumbered, 4 vs. 5, though there were 6 enemies, and it wasn''t Mirna, busy with Adam.


    Sirgus walkedst, behind Mark, who stumbled here and there, though there were no obstacles on the ground. He was obviously very nervous, and what he did put a lot of pressure on him.


    He had only recently been able to fully take on the role of a Phantom and kill monsters, but today, he killed a human being, just like himself.


    Click.


    There was a resounding click as a silver bullet flew out from the distance, with a whizzing spin, heading straight for Mark. The gunslinger wanted to avenge his fallen mate, but Mark was not alone.


    Sirgus was ready for it, so his eyes shed as he swung his arm.


    At the same moment, in front of him, a dense stone wall appeared out of the ground. However, it was not enough to stop the silver bullet, though it lost most of its inertia.


    The silver bullet flew into Sirgus''s triangr shield, leaving a light scratch.


    "Hah, not bad, if I hadn''t used my Order, then maybe the bullet would have pierced the shield. Alright, it''s about time we set a trap for those bastards!" Sirgus smirked, steppingst behind the temple wall.


    ...


    Adam nced at Katrin and the others, watching them disappear down the temple aisle.


    "What''s wrong? Are you worried about them?" Mirna said caustically.


    "Sure. They are my mates. How can I not care about them? However, I''m not worried about whether they''ll make it or not, that much is clear. You''re going to lose." Adam said calmly, shifting his gaze to Mirna.


    Mirna frowned as she swung her halberd, holding it with one hand behind her. The other hand was set forward, with the palm looking upwards like a martial arts master.


    ''Oh, looks like, unlike me, someone taught her how to fight, this is definitely some kind of martial art. Well, death experience and instincts shouldn''t be any worse, should they?'' Adam muttered internally, swung the needle, and clutched it tightly, using a second grip.


    Adam took his time, he calcted what he was capable of. Battles against Brass Puppet and Steel Knight had taught him that one saved ability could lead to victory.


    However, Adam''s arsenal for this fight was practically empty. He had already used Nexus Traits, Thunder Punishment, and Second Order.


    ''Hmm... The best I can count on is a needle and a single summon w with Silver Swirl, while she has everything and is full of energy. Well, the situation is clearly not in my favor, which means to win, I have to act dirty, risky, and sacrifice something, but what?''


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    A lightning arrow flew out from the sand temple, crashing into the mechanical sphere, causing the barrier to go down.


    ''Adam!''


    Silvana''s worried voice swept through Adam''s mind like a refreshing stream.


    Mirna realized that she, and her entire squad, had been put on a timer. Once a rescue squad, including K1-Phantoms or a single K2, got here, it would be over for them.


    She ran forward, ring intently at Adam, intending to kill him as quickly as possible, help her men, and get out of there.


    "Hi, I''d love to chat with you, but I''m a little busy right now. I''m sure the others will tell you all about it." Adam said with a slight smile on his face, "It was good to hear you."


    ng.


    The purple halberd de collided with the needle, once again making an unpleasant sound. It wasn''t enough to hurt or disarm Adam in any way, but it was annoying.


    Then, their weapons collided again and again, each time sending outward a cascade of sparks and sonic vibrations spreading around.


    Now and then, Mirna would try to attack Adam with her arm, but he would either dodge or block each time, aided by his lightning-fast reflexes.


    ''Hmm... So, she uses sound? Interestingly, it''s different from fire, wind, or water... The sound could be truly terrifying.'' Adam pondered, trying to find a good moment to attack.


    "Stop defending yourself! If you don''t want to attack, I will!" Mirna eximed as her eyes shed.


    At the same moment, the air in front of her palm shook, then several sound waves crashed down on Adam, throwing him backwards.


    "Argh!" Adam vomited blood, as the sound traveled through his body, unhindered.


    However, this was not Mirna''s actual attack.


    "Die!" Mirna eximed, swinging her halberd. The purple de glowed, as Mirna used her Nexus.


    The dense, sonic de quickly headed towards Adam, cutting everything in its path.


    In fact, the sound didn''t exactly cut through objects, for itcked sharpness since it had no physical form. The sonic de, because of the hundreds of vibrations passing through in a split second, seemed to pull the objects apart, separating them.


    That mattered because unlike a normal iron de, a sonic one would not lose its sharpness after hitting several obstacles.


    ''Adam, this is your first time fighting such an opponent, but you will be able to block this attack.'' Silvana said quickly.


    She was watching the fight through Adam''s NEP. She didn''t just worry about Adam and tried to do her job as an Operator, helping him and gathering possible information.


    ''However, you have to do it with a lunge, not a swing. If you just try to block like a sword, the sonic de will go through your needle and cut you!''


    Adam only had a few seconds to digest the information and make a decision.


    Naturally, he had no reason to distrust Silvana, after all, it was the basis of the Phantom and Operator rtionship, so... his next action was obvious.


    Sliding along the ground, stopping abruptly, before Adam''s eyes shed fragments of other Phantoms'' fights that he had watched as part of his training.


    His needle was gripped tightly in his hand because of the second grip, so he couldn''t turn it, but there was no need to, for he was about to repeat a famous move from ssical swordsmanship.


    Adam put one hand behind his back, bent his body down slightly, and took a step forward, simultaneously thrusting the needle forward like a rapier.


    The tip of the needle collided with the sonic de, shattering it into vibrating clots.


    The weakened waves traveled next to Adam''s face, rippling his ck hair under calm blue eyes.


    ''Alright, she can only use her Nexus one more time and with serious consequences. It''s a good start, but there''s still a long way to victory!''


    Booooooooooom!


    A fiery explosion erupted in the sand temple. Katrin, Kody, Mark, and Sirgus were not standing on the sidelines, their battle was in full swing!

 Chapter 83: Words Dont Matter (Part 4)

    "Great! Keep up the good work! I''ll help you!" Katrin eximed vigorously, swinging her staff and using her Order once more.


    Roots coiled around Phantom, wielding a massive ice axe. The man was already prepared for this, so he chopped the roots down almost immediately.


    "Tsk. These aren''t monsters, they think fast and adapt to the situation right during battle..." Katrin muttered, throwing a nce around the entire battlefield.


    She had already used her Nexus, the seeds were making the others stronger, everyone but her. She didn''t have enough energy for herself.


    Last time, in Deste Forest, she had only been able to create three seeds, but since that day, she had progressed, and now four of her allies were under her protection at once!


    Whoooooooosh.


    Kody blocked Phantom''s attack with a long spear, took a few swings, and bounced back, breathing heavily. There were a few cuts on his chest, and fatigue was slowly consuming him, but overall, he was fine.


    "Hey... Mrs. Captain." Kody smirked, "Can you use your Order twice in a row? I need you to hold them off for at least a few seconds."


    Katrin frowned.


    "I don''t mind trusting you, but I''ll be useless after this. I''ll barely be able to walk, that''ll be my limit."


    Kody nodded as he cast a nce at Mark, who along with Sirgus was trying to hold off four Phantoms. They had already killed one - the very first one to run into the temple. He thought Katrin and the others were escaping, but they quickly set up an ambush by standing behind the walls, it was simple and sudden.


    "Sure. Just do it, because I''m not going to hold back either. I haven''t shown what my Nexus can do yet, you know?" Kody said coquettishly.


    Katrin rolled her eyes but didn''t refuse, tapping her staff on the ground.


    Roots came out of nowhere, forcing the Phantoms to stop.


    "What, again?!" The woman with daggers in her hands eximed irritably, "I''m so sick of this! These roots make no sense they only get in the way!"


    For some reason, the woman, as well as the other Phantoms felt the temperature rise dramatically, as if a volcano had appeared right next to them.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Kody confidently ran straight at them, while drops of red-hot magma fell from his sword, realva covering the de.


    The Phantoms'' eyes went wide as they realized they had fallen into a simple but truly effective trap! They were immobilized, which meant they were an easy target for a deadly attack!


    "Shit! Hurry up! We have to get out of the roots! Use your abilities!" Someone eximed, summoning a stream of fire.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Clearly following the n created by just a few gestures, Mark fired a lightningpound arrow that split into several parts and covered the dark Phantoms with an electric.


    It didn''t matter if the electricity went through their bodies or if they were able to block it with their Nexuses, the most important thing was that they wasted valuable time.


    "Great! Now it''s my time to shine! You motherfuckers are fucked!" Kody eximed with an excited expression, bringing his sword down on them.


    He wasn''t aiming at anyone in particr, his sword wasn''t going to cut anyone now, it had a different purpose.


    The tip of the sword touched the ground.


    A bright spark blinded everyone for a moment.


    Then, a magma explosion with a few meters radius destroyed everything around them, whether it was human bodies or the sand walls surrounding them.


    ...


    "No..." Mirna muttered as her face turned pale. From far away, through the mes and thick ck fog, she could see the burned bodies of her mates. Some were trying to move, but they were only death convulsions, nothing more.


    The only ones left of her squad were herself and the gunslinger, who Katrin and the others had already moved out to find.


    "Shit! This wasn''t supposed to happen! You... YOU! This is all your fault! You gave those brats confidence!


    If I kill you, they''ll stop!" Mirna eximed as her aura intensified and her eyes sparkled again.


    Adam''s gaze shifted to Mirna''s hand, he was ready, he braced himself for the sound waves, but nothing happened.


    Well, he just looked in the wrong ce...


    "DIE!!!!" Mirna shouted the sound rings came from her mouth, shaking the air and heading towards Adam, quickly passing through him.


    Mirna, as a siren, could make a target wish to die with her scream, just to make this suffering stop.


    "ARGH!!!"


    Adam grabbed his head while trickles of blood flowed from his ears. Ironically, he had to experience something simr with his Nexus Trait.


    With each passing moment, Adam was getting more and more painful, the sound didn''t hurt his body much, but his ears were in hell. It was unknown how much longer he could take it.


    Suddenly, quiet ssical music started ying in his right ear, loud enough to interrupt Mirna''s scream, but not annoying.


    Adam immediately took advantage of this, covering the other ear tightly and thus creating some bnce. Somewhere distant, Mirna''s scream could still be heard, but it was tolerable.


    Adam smiled slightly. He didn''t need an exnation to understand what had happened. He could only feel grateful that he was lucky to have such an intelligent Operator.


    ''Even though she is a few kilometers away from me, she still helped me in the battle. Hah, so it''s a 2 vs. 1? Well, I don''t mind.'' Adam smirked, bursting forward.


    Mirna''s screaming gradually ended, but the result shocked her.


    ''What...? How the fuck can he move! He must be bleeding and suffering from the most brutal agony! What the fuck is going on here!!!?'' Mirna internally eximed.


    Whooooooosh.


    Before she coulde to her senses, Adam was already in front of her, swinging the needle and leaving a long cut on her chest. Then, he kicked her in the stomach, knocking her backward.


    Mirna rolled over the sandy ground, dust covering her, blood clots left behind her like traces of her pain.


    "Bastard... I don''t know what trick you used, but... There''s nothing you can do against it!" Mirna eximed, rising from the ground.


    She swung her halberd in a circle before thrusting the de into the sand and using her Second Nexus Trait.


    Electric shocks covered Adam''s legs, he wasn''t going to wait for his opponent to prepare an attack, but... Mirna had already done everything. She didn''t need preparation, just energy, and a single movement.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground shook as four purple columns of some strong dark metal emerged from the sand. There were many purple scratches on the columns, randomly covering them like wild ancient runes.


    "What is this...?" Adam muttered in confusion, looking around.


    The columns surrounded him on all sides, ready to unleash their full power on him at any moment.


    "Hah, I didn''t think I''d have to use this against Upper Ring Phantom, but you really made me work hard!" Mirna smirked before striking the halberd and making the six rings on the handle tremble.


    The columns glowed brightly, releasing endless waves of destructive sound, heading towards the center, at their only target - Adam.

 Chapter 84: Words Dont Matter (Part 5)

    Mirna, in a short period, used her entire arsenal, to finish off Adam. It was her only goal, especially after what had happened. For that, she was willing to sacrifice everything she had, and her Second Nexus Trait was the final step.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The sound waves made the air shake, bringing the powerful vibrations down on Adam. Unlike Mirna''s scream, these waves were much stronger, designed to shatter their target into pieces rather than simply destabilize.


    "ARGHHHHHHH!!!" Adam screamed in pain as small wounds opened up all over his body. It felt like his body was being torn apart, though that wasn''t wrong.


    The worst part was that Adam couldn''t do anything, literally. Due to the dizziness and extreme headache, he couldn''t think of anything except trying to cover his ears. Against something like this, ssical music was clearly not enough.


    Even Silvana''s voice waspletely muffled, even though the earbud was right in his ear, but the sound waves prated much deeper, filling the entire space.


    ''Think... Think, Think! I have to do something or I''m just going to blow up like a balloon soon!'' Adam eximed, making an effort to focus. His mind quickly raced through everything he had, but no n came up.


    Then, amidst the darkness in his mind, a single silver thread ran through - like a clue that his subconscious was guiding him. His eyes focused on his gloves, or rather, on threads stretched like strings.


    ''Right... Not without consequences, but I can use my First Nexus Trait once more. A second, just a second of peace and quiet, that''s all I need...'' Adam muttered to himself before turning his wrists and mming the threads against each other.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Soul Cry spread outward, creating a buffer zone around Adam where his sound collided with the sound waves of the columns.


    The power of his ability was much weaker than four columns from Second Trait, but Adam got what he wanted - a second''s silence.


    Without wasting even a moment, Adam rushed forward, quickly exiting the area of columns and finding himself right in front of Mirna.


    Unlike Adam, who had a short break after defeating Prime King, Mirna used all her abilities in a few minutes. Her body was under a lot of stress time after time, especially after she used the First and Second Nexus Trait.


    Normally, this was the maximum, because one could not endure activating the Nexus three times in a row - it would cause her heart to burst.


    However, now Mirna had no other option. She was too weak to fight Adam. Even if she blocked his attack, he would just knock the halberd out of her hands.


    Mirna opened her mouth wide as her eyes shed. A horrible scream was about to erupt at any second.


    Crack.


    The needle stabbed into her neck, severing her vocal cords anding out the other side with a bloody tip.


    Mirna''s gaze lowered, staring at the silver needle in disbelief and realizing what had happened.


    "I... Don''t... do..." Mirna wheezed with difficulty, barely able to be understood if one didn''t keep listening.


    "I don''t know what you want to say, but words don''t matter, only actions, and you''ve already done enough." Adam said coldly, swinging the needle with all his might and ripping Mirna''s head off.


    Adam shook his head, took a deep breath, and turned around. He didn''t have time to deal with his thoughts, he had to make sure the others were okay first.


    However, his eyes went wide and a chill ran down his back as he quickly headed towards them, though... He couldn''t change anything anymore.


    ...


    "Alright! I''ve got your back! Let''s go! All we have to do is catch up to him!" Sirgus eximed, running forward with his shield disyed in front of him. His shield was covered in a denseyer of stone - his Nexus Trait, with this he could not be afraid of silver bullets.


    Up ahead, a few dozen meters away, was thest Phantom of this squad. It was a gunslinger, wearing ck and red armor and short silver hair. In his hands was his Nexus, a massive sniper rifle.


    He had been hit in the leg by Mark''s arrow, just like Mark, who was lying against the sand wall. The silver bullet had pierced his shoulder, making it impossible for him to archery until he fully recovered.


    Katrin, after what she had done in the sand temple, could barely move, so now it was up to Sirgus and Kody. Well, silverhead was injured, and Sirgus had a decent defense, so their victory was only a matter of time.


    "Stay right behind me. Don''t let him aim for your head!" Sirgus said seriously when the distance between them and the gunslinger shortened.


    "Sure." Kody nodded, moving right behind Sirgus like a stone wall.


    The gunslinger''s eyes changed, his gaze going nk as he realized that this was the end for him. However, Sirgus couldn''t see it, he was too focused on the rifle.


    Then, the silverhead took a deep breath, and his eyes sparkled. The rifle''s muzzle shone brightly, and with a fiery burst, a bronze bullet flew out.


    Sirgus''s eyes went wide as he used Order, summoning a stone wall and tightly holding a shield.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    The bronze bullet passed through all obstacles with ease, ending up right in Sirgus''s chest.


    Sirgus stopped abruptly as Kody crashed into him, who didn''t understand why Sirgus hadn''t moved.


    "Hey, we''re almost there!" Kody said irritably.


    Sirgus looked at his chest, which asionally shed with a bright light. A bitter smile and an epting look appeared on his face.


    ''Well, at least I''ll die with a team instead of alone surrounded by monsters...'' Sirgus inwardly muttered before turning around and pushing Kody as far away from him as possible.


    Kody''s eyes went wide, full of iprehension, but soon, an unsettling feeling filled his mind due to Sirgus''s slight smile. It was a farewell that reced any words.


    The bullet exploded, tearing Sirgus apart, his arms, legs, and shield flying off in different directions, instantly removing him from the history of this world.


    Katrin and Mark''s faces went pale. They didn''t want to believe it happened.


    Kody, on the other hand... Well, his sword burst into red mes as he charged at the gunslinger like a wild beast with the sole desire for revenge.


    The red de sliced the rifle apart, and a few more swings left several bloody cuts on the gunslinger''s body, clearly painful.


    Then, Kody cut off the gunslinger''s arm, pinned him to the ground, and with a ferocious look, clenched his sword tightly, about to pierce the gunslinger''s head.


    ''Wait!'' Silvana''s voice echoed in Kody''s earbud, ''We have to find out what they were doing here! We have to question him! Don''t kill him, at least not yet!''


    "Argh!!!" Kody roared, bringing his sword down.


    The de was stabbed into the ground, right next to the gunslinger''s face, burning his skin, but leaving him alive.


    At this time, Adam and Mark were running up to Kody, while Katrin... she slowly walked towards them with a nk stare.


    She snapped her earbud, not wanting to listen to this anymore, and gripped her staff tightly.

 Chapter 85: K2

    "Agh... Agh... Agh..." Kody was breathing heavily, exhaling hot steam to symbolize his anger and the rage bubbling up inside him.


    He had to use all his strength to suppress that feeling, at least to the point of not finishing the gunslinger off right now.


    The gunman gulped, he didn''t know for what reason he was spared, but he was grateful to fate for that and didn''t dare to interfere in any way. He just watched, hoping that this was the end. After all, prison and trial were infinitely better than death.


    As long as you''re alive, you can change everything, from the smallest to the greatest. However, if you''re dead, nothing else matters.


    Adam stopped, nced at Sirgus, and clenched his fists tightly.


    Then he looked at Kody and said, "Silvana stopped you, didn''t she?"


    Kody only nodded slightly, he didn''t even have the energy to say anything.


    "Forget it." Adam said coldly, "I''ve already made my choice with my enemy, so now it''s up to you alone to decide. If you want to do it, do it. No one will judge you for killing a murderer."


    For a moment, Kody''s eyes sparkled, as if he wanted to hear it. Somehow, Adam''s authority was infinitely greater than Silvana''s, who was the Operator.


    But... Kody just shook his head.


    "No. I had to do it either right away or no more. Though I hate to admit it, Silvana is right. We need to find out who they are and why the fuck they''re attacking us! On people!" Kody eximed with aplicated expression, biting his lip until it bled.


    Adam nodded deeply, closing his eyes.


    He opened his eyes only to see Katrin''s silhouette, her gray hair rippling in the wind and a detached look devoid of feeling.


    Then, her staff, like a club, came down on the gunslinger''s head. It wasn''t enough to kill Phantom, so Katrin kept hitting and hitting, not going to stop.


    ''Stop it! Somebody calm her down!'' Silvana eximed, realizing that a little more and they wouldn''t get another chance to find out about Ruby Dew.


    "Silvana..." Adam said calmly, looking at Katrin with tears streaming from her eyes, "Shut up. That''s an order."


    Silvana didn''t want to, but she obeyed as she had to. All she could do was watch the brutal scene, soaking in the overwhelming grief even miles away from the site.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    There was no telling how much time had passed or how many attacks Katrin had made, but she had nowhere else to hit.


    The gunslinger''s head had turned into a bloody mess, now it would be hard to even identify him, which would require fingerprints or teeth.


    "Did... Did it end up like this...?" Mark muttered, falling to his knees with trembling hands.


    He nced around the entire battlefield and his eyes filled with more sorrow.


    "We defeated the Golden Searchers, even Prime King wasn''t a problem for us, no one was hurt, just minor injuries... However, as soon as the humans appeared then only deaths began..."


    For the next few minutes, no one said anything.


    They all needed rest, both physical and mental, especially the second one.


    Unlike Zera''s squad, where unfortunately already used to deaths, for Adam, Kody, Mark, and Katrin it was a new experience.


    Sure, Adam had seen other Phantoms and Harvesters die before, but not at the hands of humans, and he didn''t know any of them well.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Soon a military helicopter flew up to them, slowlynding on the ground and opening up.


    A man with a powerful aura stepped out. He had thick gray hair, amethyst eyes, and a calm gaze.


    His lean body was covered by a long ck coat, with a high cor covering part of his face - up to his nose.


    "Travelers Squad, isn''t it?" The man asked, casting a quick nce at them all and the situation around. He was aware of what had happened here, though he only found out about Sirgus''s death now, though he didn''t look surprised.


    "Yes... We have sessfullypleted the mission and wish to return to the Citadel. Right now." Adam said calmly, realizing that the man was there to help them.


    "Sure. My name is Tron. I''m K2-Phantom, and will apany you in case Ruby Dew isn''t the only one." Tron said calmly, pointing to the helicopter.


    Adam nodded, ced his palm on Katrin''s shoulder, and said:


    "Let''s go. We''ve done enough already. There''s no reason for us to stay here any longer..."


    Katrin nodded silently, following him as well as Kody and Mark.


    Tron was looking around intently, for some reason, he felt a slight anxiety. When such a feeling urred to K2-Phantom, it could not be ignored.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly, the sand temple, as well as the entire Nest shook like an earthquakeing from below.


    At the same moment, dozens of Kings of the Golden Searchers flew out of the walls. There were about twenty of them, all of them dripping yellow liquid, as they had just hatched from their eggs.


    Adam, Katrin, Kody, and Mark froze in ce. In their condition, handling even one King would be a difficult task. Moreover, they didn''t understand where Kings came from!


    Tron nodded slightly.


    "Looks like tonight the Queens here decided to awaken the golden eggs and their turn came just now. Well, you''re lucky it only happened now, or I wouldn''t have anyone to save." Tron waved his hand before taking a few steps forward.


    The Kings immediately directed their gazes at him as the strongest creature.


    "You will fight them...?" Mark asked in disbelief.


    "Hmm... I don''t think that''s the right word, but yes, I''m going to kill them all. After all, Phantom''s job is to destroy monsters and protect its fellows. That''s exactly what I''m going to do." Tron uttered as his eyes shone brightly.


    A ss de appeared in his hand that quickly flew upwards, but its target was not Kings. The de soared over Nest, then shuddered and began to divide several times until there were twenty des.


    Then, Tron waved his hand carelessly, and twenty ss des pierced all the Kings. The monsters'' heads were simply sliced off, flying off to the sides and letting streams of blue blood gush from their necks.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    The decapitated corpses of the monsters simultaneously fell to the ground, raising a low cloud of dust.


    "Alright. We''ve finished. When the Harvesters gather all the materials and return to the Citadel, you will receive your mission report." Tron said calmly, stepping up into the helicopter.


    Adam gulped, he knew that even for him, it would not be easy to kill so many Kings at once. However, for K2-Phantom, for someone who stood one step above him, it was as easy as breathing.


    ''Tron might not be as strong as Damien, but... This is the level I should aim for! If Tron was here, there''s nothing the Ruby Dew squad could do... Shit!'' Adam inwardly snorted, following Tron.


    Oddly enough, the others were having simr thoughts.


    "Good. This shouldn''t be a tragedy for you, but a motivation." Tron whispered as if he could read their minds.


    The helicopter lifted off, taking them away from this perishing ce where more people died than should.

 Chapter 86: Silence

    "You shouldn''t me yourself." Tron said calmly with his eyes closed, sitting back in the chair, "You did more than was necessary. There were more opponents, but you not only survived, but you were also able to overpower everyone."


    Silence.


    No one bothered to answer Tron.


    Only after some time, Adam looked at him and said, "It''s not about how we did... Humans shouldn''t be our enemies, at all. We should be killing monsters, not each other."


    Tron nodded.


    "I used to think so too, once upon a time." Tron stretched out, "However if you want to move on, you''ll have to ept that."


    "Lower Ring... Do all the people there really want us dead...? Do they have a reason for that?" Katrin muttered with a nk stare.


    Tron shook his head.


    "This isn''t about the Lower Ring, it''s a shame you had to deal with it so early. Monsters are the enemies of our race, but there are Upper Ring or Lower Ring viins among us, it doesn''t matter."


    Tron sighed heavily.


    "Sure. It''s unlikely that any squad from the Upper Ring will attack you since it''s monitored, but sometimes it happens. It all depends on the situation. What you must remember is that you must always fight like you did today. No matter who the enemy is, if he wants to kill you and hurt your mates, that''s enough to consider him a monster."


    Adam, Katrin, Mark, and Kody nodded slightly.


    They knew that Tron was right because they had already decided it for themselves when the gunslinger killed Barna.


    However, now they had to realize and ept - killing a human was not easy in a world where the only enemies of ordinary people - monsters.


    ...


    Soon, the military helicopter returned to the Citadel, and the Travelers Squadpleted their mission. Technically, it was a sess, for they had lost two Phantoms, no Harvesters, and destroyed the Prime King, but... For Adam, Katrin, Kody, and Mark, it had been the ckest day.


    For the next few days, none of them did anything, just a simple routine to help take their minds off things. Well... when they were alone with themselves, the thoughts just consumed their minds. It was as inevitable as what awaited them on day three...


    Step. Step. Another Step.


    Adam, in an all-ck suit, walked forward with a deep gaze, along with Silvana, who was also dressed in all-ck.


    Unfortunately, they had to dress like that not because of the theme party, but because of one of the worst things that could happen in life - a funeral.


    Katrin noticed Adam and approached him with a calm look.


    "Hi... The weather''s appropriate today, right?" Katrin muttered, looking up at the gray sky covered in overcast clouds.


    Adam nodded.


    "That''s even better. I don''t want the sun shining brightly at a time like this. Light is obviously not something that''s going to help."


    Then, Mark and Kody approached them. They said nothing and just watched as the military honored Barna and Sirgus before plunging their coffins deep underground.


    The cries of their friends and loved ones did not end from the beginning until thest second. Everyone understood and epted it, barely restraining themselves from getting emotional, as well.


    In fact, the coffins were empty as the funeral was a formality to follow tradition. Barna and Sirgus had already been cremated, and their Nexuses dismantled for biomaterials. Their ashes were stored in a special building deep underground where thousands of cells of dead Phantoms rested.


    It was cynical to some, but the government and military had to be practical. One way or another, there was simply no room for the graves of all the dead Phantoms.


    It was necessary to just ept that and do the best that was possible under the conditions at the Citadel.


    Sure, there would be enough ce in the Dead Lands for every dead person in history.


    But... Could it be done to those who were fighting for the survival of humanity? Moreover, too many Phantoms had already disappeared without a trace in Dead Lands.


    ...


    Hourster, Adam and Silvana were the only ones left in the graveyard area. Adam wasn''t hungry and didn''t want to discuss what had happened like the others, because he had seen everything with his own eyes.


    Soon, the rain started to fall, pouring cold drops down on Adam and Silvana.


    "You can go now. You don''t have to stand with me. I don''t know how much longer I''ll be immersed in my thoughts until it''s enough for me." Adam said calmly, just staring at one point, into the void.


    Silvana shook her head.


    "You know I won''t do that. I''ll stay with you for as long as you decide. I''m not going to leave you at a time like this. Not now, not ever."


    Adam nodded.


    After a while, he asked:


    "We screwed up, didn''t we? I mean, with us killing the gunslinger. He was thest of their squad."


    "You want to find out who they are and find them, don''t you?" Silvana asked, she had been waiting a long time for Adam to ask her that.


    "Sure. I think it''s almost time to head to the Lower Ring. It''s given me one more reason to do so."


    Silvana shrugged.


    "I''ve already tried to find information on Ruby Dew, however... My searches have resulted in rather meager oues. All I could find out was that it''s a medium-sized organization in the Lower Ring and that they''ve been involved in controversial events many times before, but no details."


    Adam shook his head.


    "Damn. I know it would be wrong to let a gunslinger live. However, now we''re in trouble for it."


    Adam sighed.


    "Decisions have to have consequences, don''t they?"


    "Absolutely." Silvana nodded, then the corners of her lips lifted slightly, "However, that doesn''t mean all is lost. The problem isn''t the dead gunslinger, it''s that I don''t have ess to that information."


    Adam gave her a questioning look.


    "Hmm?"


    Silvana smiled slyly.


    "It''s simple. We need to go to someone who can find out about Ruby Dew. To do that, we need an Operator of a higher rank than me."


    Operators like the Phantoms had their own ranks. They didn''t have to take any tests or exams for that, because their rank was tied to the rank of their Phantom. However, the rank was only held if the Operator performed well on the more difficult missions.


    A Phantom could give up its Operator and that would result in a lowering of the Operator''s rank. It was rare, but it did happen.


    "I take it you already have some sort of option, don''t you?"


    "Sure. We could ask for help from some K2 or K3-Phantom. However, in our case, we have a much better option. I''m talking about Damien and his Operator." Silvana exined.


    Adam''s eyes went wide.


    "Normally, K1-Phantom would have a hard time getting help from Damien himself, but I''m sure he won''t turn you down. That''s the kind of person he is, he''s willing to indulge his own interests." Silvana smiled confidently.


    "Alright, but do it tomorrow. I have to visit someone tonight."


    "As you wish."

 Chapter 87: Home of the Strongest

    In Third Ring, near Fort Norton, Adam stood in front of the door to one of therge apartmentplexes with over ten stories in each house.


    He rang the bell, and soon, the door opened. It took a few minutes, but it was remarkably quick, considering it was deep night and most people were asleep now, especially those who had to go to work tomorrow.


    "Adam...?" Jena muttered with her eyes wide open. Unlike her strict doctor''s uniform, she was now in blue pajamas with a pattern of teddy bears floating on clouds. Nothing out of the ordinary for pajamas.


    Adam picked up a bag filled with various snacks, drinks, and sweets.


    "Sorry to intrude so abruptly, but how about we watch some stupid shows?"


    Jena nced at Adam''s all-ck suit, blinked a few times, and smiled bitterly.


    "Hah, I won''t hide it. I''d rather have you rip those pajamas off me right here and now, but... Your option is more than worthy it, too. Come on in." Jena uttered, stepping aside.


    This was Adam''s first time in Jena''s apartment, but her smile made him immediately feel cozy.


    Deep down, he hoped he would be wee in this ce, and his hopes were realized.


    Nothing happened that night that Adam hadn''t warned about in advance. They just ate snacks and watched shows.


    Sure, Jena wanted things to go a little further, but she suppressed the feeling since she knew today wasn''t the right day.


    As enjoyable as the process was, everything had its time. On some days, certain things were best avoided, because they wouldn''t have any effect anyway.


    Eventually, Adam fell asleep on Jena''sp while the sun slowly rose from the horizon.


    "Well, well... Burst into my house, left me unsatisfied, and now I''m going to have to pump myself full of coffee all day to keep myself awake. Agh, it was definitely worth it. After all, it''s moments like that are what make the difference between a partner and just a sex partner, isn''t it?" Jena muttered before heading for the kitchen.


    ...


    Adam woke up only a few hourster, covered with a carefully arranged nket.


    On the table was a cup of already cold coffee and a note tucked under a te filled with chocte chip cookies.


    Adam, drowsy, took the note, ran his eyes over it, and unknowingly a smile appeared on his face.


    "Hah, looks like next time I''ll need to bring more than a few choctes and a soda, right?" Adam muttered, folding the note and taking a sip of coffee.


    Jena wasn''t here, so Adam couldn''t thank her enough for making him feel so much better.


    After every hard moment, one needed a reset, to throw the weight off his shoulders, to cast off the shackles. The marks remain, they make one stronger, but the heaviness is gone - only the desire to move on.


    "Alright, stop thinking about it. You can''t bring back the past, you can''t see the future, but the present is quite possible to change!"


    With these words, Adam left Jena''s apartment and contacted Silvana.


    An hourter, they were already in Second Ring, because here was the home of one of the strongest people in the entire Citadel. Some Second Rank Phantoms lived in the First Ring. It was the center of luxury and the city''s infrastructure.


    However, many chose the quieter option. The Second Ring, unlike the First Ring, had enough space for massive houses - actual cottages.


    "Damn... Damien certainly isn''t a modest person, is he?" Adam said, looking at the three-story house in front of him.


    In fact, many even ordinary people, especially politicians and businessmen had bigger houses, but this ce had a special aura about it.


    Everything around, from thendscape to the other buildings, seemed to be trying to show that this particr house was the main one. It seemed that even the sun shone more often here.


    "Let''s go. Beth told us toe in when we arrived." Silvana said quietly, waiting for Adam to make the first move.


    Crackle.


    The main doors opened as Adam and Silvana entered the hall.


    The first person they saw was Beth, she was at Damien''s house today, and she had a clear purpose for this.


    "Yes! Another one down! Do you think you can beat me?! I''ll show you all!" Beth eximed, ying some kind of VR headset game.


    Adam and Silvana looked at each other.


    They didn''t know what to expect from Beth, but certainly not this.


    "Agh...? I was killed...? No. How did that happen!" Beth eximed irritably. She obviously wouldn''t be able to continue ying anytime soon.


    Then, Beth took off her VR headset, sighed heavily, and turned around.


    At the sight of Adam and Silvana, her eyes went slightly wide.


    Beth, had shoulder-length brown hair, green eyes, and a calm, arrogant look.


    "Oh, so you''re already here. That''s good." Beth muttered, pulled out her phone, and sent Damien a few messages.


    A short timeter, Damien appeared on the second floor, moving toward the stairs to say hello to them. However... his appearance was not at all appropriate. Well, that''s what everyone but him would have thought.


    Droplets dripped from the ends of his thick ck hair, for he had only been out of the shower, as he wore nothing but a towel covering the area below his waist. His green eyes were filled with desire for life, enthusiasm, and curiosity, as well as boundless self-confidence and pride.


    Moreover, two girls in their underwear were walking beside him. They clearly wanted Damien to return to the bedroom rather than leave them.


    "Well, well, look who is here." Damien uttered with an excited expression.


    Adam''s eyes were wide open, and his jaw might have dropped to the floor. Silvana was surprised too, but not so much, for she knew of Damien''s chaotic behavior. However, this was his home, and he could do what he wanted.


    Beth''s face hadn''t changed at all. She wasn''t his girlfriend like a rtionship between Operator and Phantom should be. Over the years of working together, she had gotten used to it.


    Then, he stopped and pulled the girl''s hands away from him with obvious arrogance in his movements.


    "That''s it for today. Go back home."


    "But... Weren''t you ready for another round...?" One of the girls asked in a worried voice.


    "Shut up. Just do as I said, and that''s it because something more interesting is waiting for me now! Beth, am I saying this right?!" Damien eximed, clenching his fist.


    Beth nodded.


    "Quite possibly, but I''d still rmend you get dressed first. We have guests, after all."


    Damien looked at the towel, then at Adam and Silvana, and nodded slightly.


    In a few minutes they were sitting at the table, and now everyone was dressed, including Damien. He was wearing a red leather jacket and tight ck pants as well as two dark bracelets.


    "Beth briefed me on what happened with Travelers Squad and what you want to know about Ruby Dew. However, are you sure you want to get involved in this?" Damien asked with a slight smirk on his face.


    Adam was about to answer, but Damien beat him to it, interrupting him.


    "Because if you go to the Lower Ring right now with a charge against Ruby Dew, you''ll be chopped into meat cubes before you can blink an eye."

 Chapter 88: The Influence of Genes

    "What...? Is this really that dangerous a ce?" Adam asked in disbelief.


    He didn''t mean to sound arrogant or cocky, but he thought that within the Citadel, he was quite strong.


    After all, he was a Naturalborn K1-Phantom. It was still one of the beginning stages, but he had alreadye a long way and had be considerably stronger.


    Damien nodded slightly.


    "For you, yes. I mean, in the Lower Ring, for decades, ordinary people have been living there and doing their stuff. There wouldn''t be a problem if you were a simple guest. However, once you start learning more about Ruby Drew and the situation in the Lower Ring, you''re bound to get into trouble soon."


    Adam nodded with a deep gaze.


    However, he wasn''t upset, because it just meant he needed to get a little stronger. Regardless of his ns in the Lower Ring, that was one of his main goals.


    "Well, in that case, I should follow my n. After this mission, I was going to hunt for the Essence Monster, looks like it''s the right time."


    Damien smirked.


    "Oh, you want to upgrade the artifact, right? Right choice, it''s better to gradually grow your power than to constantly change it like toys."


    Then, Damien''s gaze became more serious, which was even slightly frightening.


    "However... I wouldn''t do that right now if I were you."


    "Hm? Why?" Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    "It''s simple. You''re going to die." Damien said nonchntly.


    There was no threat or mockery in his voice, and it wasn''t an assumption. Damien spoke as if it were a fact, as simple and unyielding as an axiom in math. It was scary to the core.


    "But... Why? I''ve already gone through many dangerous battles before. I''m sure it will be difficult this time, but not so much that I''ll die! Brass Puppet and the Steel Knight were indeed a deadly threat! I''m sure Essence Monsters were not ranked higher than Crown Type!" Adam eximed, slightly indignant.


    He believed that Damien had underestimated him. It was entirely possible since their strength levels were drastically different.


    However, Damien was not prejudiced. In fact, he was even slightly optimistic due to his temperament.


    "Well... There are two factors involved. Let''s start with the simple one - the danger of the Essence Monsters." Damien said with a slight smile. He wanted to continue, but seeing Beth''s bored face, he changed his mind.


    "Alright, I''m going to get myself something to drink and grab you guys one as well." Damien stood up abruptly, heading for the kitchen, "Beth, tell him about Essence Type. It''ll be good for Silvana, too."


    Beth''s eyes went wide, then her gaze lit up as if she finally had a chance to engage in her favorite thing - exining.


    "Alright! Then let''s get down to work!" Beth eximed vigorously, pulling out a tablet and calling up a multitude of holograms.


    For the next ten minutes, Adam had to absorb more information than he was ready for.


    Damien deliberately stayedte, for he knew Beth would give all the details. Once, he had gone through this.


    In any Operator-Phantom pairing, the Operator was the brain and the Phantom the muscle. Sure, that didn''t mean the Phantoms were dumb, but no Phantom knew as much data as the Operator, and no Operator had as muchbat experience as the Phantoms.


    Each had their weaknesses and strengths. The important thing was to understand that and use it for good, for themon goal.


    "I see... Fuck, looks like I was overconfident..." Adam muttered towards the end of Beth''s exnation.


    What was most important to Adam was the main difference between Essence Type and other monsters.


    If Prime Type were some golden midpoint of a particr species, and Crown Type was the true peak in battle mastery, then Essence Type concentrated on one area - firepower.


    ''Essence Type are like mages in the world of knights - they possess destructive power thanks to the abnormal energy from the absorbed artifact.'' Beth''s words once again echoed through Adam''s mind.


    Adam, during his battles with Prime Stone Goliath, Brass Puppet, or Steel Knight, had been wounded repeatedly, but thanks to his instincts and the toughness of his body, he was able to keep fighting. The wounds were numerous but not fatal.


    However, against Essence Type, Adam wouldn''t be able to act as risky. The reason was simple - if he missed one direct attack, he would be turned into dust by the enormous energy possessed by Essence Monsters.


    That meant that Adam needed to change his fighting style which he had already gotten used to. He should act in a more disciplined and tactical manner.


    "Alright, stop thinking about it." Damien broke into their conversation, jolting Adam out of the thoughts he was sinking deeper into.


    Adam came to his senses as he saw the red can of soda in front of him - he couldn''t have asked for better.


    "Fine, I think Essence Type makes sense to you now. However, the reason why you will die if you go to fight Essence Type now is - you!" Damien vigorously said, pointing at Adam.


    Adam got a confused look.


    "Me...? I mean, you''re saying it''s because of ack of skill? I''m ready to fix it and prepare myself properly for a battle with Essence Type." Adam said confidently. He wasn''t afraid of obstacles, but he didn''t act like he was omnipotent either.


    Every problem needed a different approach, he had learned that long ago while living in the slums.


    Damien shook his head with a bitter smile.


    "Nah, it''s not about your skills. Saying that the reason is you, that''s exactly what I intended with no hidden meaning. Look, I''m about to tell you something that only Second Rank Phantoms know, so listen carefully."


    Beth rolled her eyes.


    "You know you''re not supposed to do that, right?" Beth crossed her arms over her chest with a judgmental stare.


    Damien shrugged.


    "Well, if Adam wasn''t Naturalborn Phantom then I wouldn''t bring it up, but it''s important. His life could depend on it, so consider me taking steps to save him. Once again." Damien grinned.


    Then, he sat down across from Adam and put his fingertips to each other.


    "Adam, tell me, do you consider yourself a lucky person or, conversely, an unlucky one?" Damien''s mouth corners raised.


    Adam was caught off guard by such a strange question, but he decided to answer:


    "Neither. I think I''m somewhere in the middle, like most people. I''ve had both bad and good things happen to me, doesn''t time equate everything to the same value?"


    "Hehehe." Damien chuckled evilly, "You''re wrong, because you are, simultaneously more lucky and unlucky than others. More precisely, you are suchpared to Artificialborn Phantoms and especially ordinary people since you''re a Naturalborn Phantom."


    "What...? What are you talking about?" Adam muttered in a trembling voice as his heart began to beat faster.


    "Naturalborn Phantoms naturally attract bad luck and good luck to them. Not in all aspects, it won''t make you win or lose more often at the casino, but in Dead Lands, where there are a lot of monsters, it definitely has an effect. The monsters sense your powerful genes, your full Evolution Tree, and a solid Initial Gene."


    Damien raised his chin as he narrowed his eyes.


    "To make it finally clear to you - if you were an Artificalborn Phantom, it''s unlikely that your Beginning Monster would be a Crown Type, and it''s unlikely that a Steel Knight would follow you."


    "Thus, when hunting an Essence Monster, you''ll have bad luck - the monster will be strong as hell - and unknown luck!"


    Adam''s eyes went wide, and a chill ran down his back while fragments of memories of all his fights shed through his mind.

 Chapter 89: Elemental Training

    Adam stared deeply into the void. After Damien''s words, he realized that every fight and every event that happened in Dead Lands had a reason and that was the fact that he was a Naturalborn Phantom.


    Sure, just because Adam had stronger genes didn''t mean he could change fate, but his chances of facing such strong opponents would be many times less!


    "However..." Adam muttered, "Although I''ve faced dangerous situations because of my status, I''ve also gotten some benefit from it. Being a Naturalborn isn''t a curse, it''s something moreplicated, isn''t it?"


    Damien nodded with a slight smile and sparkling eyes. Deep inside, he was d that Adam wasn''t scared but decided to deal with his situation.


    Many Naturalborn Phantoms, when they discovered the influence of their genes on the world around them, became real cowards afraid of any rustle. They lost confidence in themselves, and med their genes for any failure, rather than analyzing their mistakes or working on themselves.


    This tendency was the main reason why it was forbidden to tell the Phantoms until they reached Second Rank or at least K4.


    Most people didn''t need to know some things, because they misunderstood them due tock of experience and led to disasters.


    As cynical as it may sound, sometimes keeping people in the dark was the best solution for their own good.


    The Citadel government had set up many simr prohibitions: Information on the second way to be a Phantom, the existence of Natural and Artificial Phantoms, and many more.


    "Yeah, you''re thinking in the right direction, it''s not a curse but a double-edged sword, that way everyone''s luck and bad luck can be interpreted. Imagine the sword of an ordinary man is rusty and covered in dust. One edge is good luck, the other is bad luck.


    Sure, you can kill someone or cut something with such a sword if you want to, but it will be difficult and time-consuming to do so, just useless against something stronger.


    Then, imagine an ordinary sword - this is Artificialborn Phantoms. The edges are sharper as well as deeper in luck and bad luck.


    The Last One is a sword sharpened to its limits. The edges are thin, capable of cutting through any obstacle, and luck and bad luck are at the peak of their powers. These are Naturalborn Phantoms." Damien exined, holding his palms out as if there was an imaginary sword between them.


    Adam nodded thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.


    "Now that I think about it, I realize I didn''te here for nothing. If I fight against Essence Monster like I did against Brass Puppet, I''ll be dead in the first minute. Then, I''ll get a shitload of wounds. So, my only option is to dodge Essence Monster''s attacks?" Adam asked with slight puzzlement.


    "Well... There''s another way, but you''d have to ask her about it." Damien said, pointing at Silvana, "I''m sure she was going to tell you about itter, but the moment is now."


    Adam turned around, looking at Silvana curiously.


    Silvana coughed.


    "Before the mission with Travelers Squad, it was too early to discuss it, and after the mission... Well, we all needed a little time to recover. Anyway, there''s a special training program for the battle with Essence Type."


    "Training...?" Adam tilted his head in confusion, "Like when I fought Granite Ghost in the virtual zone?"


    Silvana shook her head.


    "Not exactly. We''ll definitely do that, but only at the very end. Before that, you''ll need to go through the Seven Day Elemental Circle and create Elemental Roots."


    "The Elemental Circle... Elemental Roots?" Adam muttered with a nk stare. It was the first time he''d heard of it.


    Silvana sighed heavily.


    "Honestly, I wanted to put this moment off as long as possible, gradually preparing you. Now that you''ve found out, there''s no stopping you. The reason for my concern is simple - it fucking hurts."


    Adam''s eyes went wide, but not because the Elemental Circle was a serious test, but because Silvana swore.


    If she did that, then things were really tough.


    "In brief. Upon sessfulpletion of the training, your body will be much more resistant to elemental damage. Normally, this isn''t a strong necessity, but against Essence Type, it''s a must for a sessful hunt."


    "Well..." Adam said at length, leaned on the back of his chair, and looked up at the ceiling with a thoughtful look.


    "Apparently, pain isn''t the main problem. After what happened in the virtual zone, I can hardly be surprised."


    Damien chuckled insidiously.


    "Damn! He understood everything just from your intonation and look. Youmunication level is quite impressive, especially considering you''ve been working together for a little over a month."


    Silvana sighed heavily.


    "The thing is, not all Phantoms agree to go through the Elemental Circle. The problem is that this training can be fatal."


    Adam didn''t seem surprised, he only asked with a calm look:


    "How much?"


    "15%..." Silvana replied, biting her lip, for it was almost one in seven.


    "Wrong." Beth said sharply, looking intently at Silvana.


    "What...? But I checked all the avable directories and libraries. It says 13.75% to 16.25% everywhere!" Silvana uttered, shocked. She was sure she wasn''t wrong.


    Beth shrugged.


    "Those are the odds for Artificialborn Phantoms, it''s a little different for Adam. He''s a Naturalborn Phantom, and they''re better at absorbing artifacts, which means they''re inherently more resistant to elemental damage."


    "Oh, looks like you''re going to make me happy now, right?" Adam looked at her, with some hope, for 15% was indeed a lot.


    Beth smirked as she crossed her arms over her chest.


    "Sure, but don''t get your hopes up too high, because the odds only go down to 10%."


    "Luck and bad luck!" Damien eximed, pointing his fingers at Adam and Beth.


    Adam smiled bitterly, clenching his fist.


    "Well, it''s one in ten, and surely the human factor affects it too, this isn''t a casino, right?"


    Beth didn''t answer anything, she just smiled slyly. That was enough for Adam to get his answer.

 Chapter 90: Bastion (Part 1)

    Wasting no time, Adam and Silvana began preparations to pass Elemental Circle.


    To do so, he traveled to Fort Norton, enduring severe shock, fire, cold, and powerful wind currents, as well as deep immersion for long periods.


    This was not Elemental Circle, but only preparation for it, for the training that could make Phantom stronger was not something simple.


    Ssh.


    Adam swam out of the water, reaching the edge with a heavy sigh. He took a moment to recover, then lifted his head, meeting Silvana''s gaze.


    "Did I pass?" Adam asked with hope in his voice.


    Silvana nodded.


    "Thirty-three minutes. I''m sure you could have done better if you took this training more seriously, but it''s enough." Silvana said in a calm voice, turning off the timer.


    Adam shrugged his shoulders.


    "Alright, that was thest one. Honestly, I got tired of being constantly tased and attempting to burn me. It was really scary at first..." Adam muttered, remembering what happened yesterday when they just started.


    As soon as they arrived at Fort Norton with a request to prepare for Elemental Circle, they went to a special section. Silvana took care of the paperwork, and Adam found himself in the chamber.


    The first thing that came to him were several military men dressed in fireproof suits and holding methrowers.


    Before Adam could realize anything, a fire stream was headed towards him. The first thing he thought was that he was going to burn up, but... nothing happened.


    He was hot and a little sore, but his body wasn''t even slightly burned.


    Only then, did Adam realize how big the difference between Phantoms and ordinary people was.


    If it had been some monster''s mes, he would have been badly burned, but... if it had been an ordinary fire, he might not even notice its effects.


    It was the same with electricity, wind, and cold.


    Any ordinary person would have frozen in seconds in the special ice chamber, but Adam felt even better here than in the Deste Forest. Then, if it wasn''t for the fire, he wouldn''t have been able tost a few hours.


    "Sure." Silvana said, looking at Adam, "Now we''re ready to head to Bastion."


    "Bastion...?" Adam muttered in a confusion.


    Silvana nodded.


    "Sure. Unfortunately, you can''t go through the Elemental Circle in the Citadel, only training in the special chambers in either of the Forts." Silvana exined.


    "No, that''s not what I''m talking about. What is Bastion? Is it some building outside of the Citadel...?" Adam suggested with wide eyes.


    Silvana looked away.


    "I''ll tell you when we''re on our way, it''ll be more obvious then. What''s more, the fighter aircraft is already waiting for us."


    "A fighter...?"


    Silvana smiled.


    "I asked Beth for permission, and she agreed to help us with it. Normally, we''d have to use the helicopter, but that would be too long. Come on. We have no time to waste." Silvana waved her hand.


    Adam had no other option but to follow Silvana. After all, he had to start going through Elemental Circle.


    ...


    The man in ck clothes stood next to the fighter, smoking a cigarette and looking out at the sun, brightly illuminating the Dead Lands.


    Then, he turned around to meet the gazes of two silhouettes moving towards him.


    "Oh, you''re finally here. I''ve been waiting for you." The man said, raising a hand in greeting.


    "This is our pilot - Lang Hayes, he will take us to Bastion Radon." Silvana said calmly.


    "Hey, nice to meet you." Adam stepped forward, shaking Lang''s hand.


    Lang frowned slightly, but not because he disliked Adam, the reason was something else...


    "Oh, sorry. I went a little overboard." Adam uttered, hastily removing his hand.


    Lang smiled.


    "That''s okay. It''s good that you have a strong grip. I hope we don''t get attacked because our flight willst quite a while." Lang replied, moving towards the fighter.


    "Long...? How long?" Adam raised an eyebrow.


    Lang shrugged, "Half an hour, maybe a minute faster or longer, I''m not sure. A lot depends on the weather and the monsters."


    Adam was slightly puzzled, for he had expected the duration to be much longer - at least several hours.


    However, he soon realized that given the fighter''s tremendous speed, thirty minutes was actually arge gap.


    "Alright, let''s get going. The sooner we get started, the sooner we''ll be there. Adam, this is your first time visiting Bastion, isn''t it?" Lang asked with a kind smile.


    Adam nodded silently as he looked at Silvana, who hadn''t exined anything to him yet.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The fighter took off, heading north and flying over the Rusty Ruins, as well as over other areas, among which were many wastnds without a hint of life.


    "Maybe it''s time already?" Adam looked intently at Silvana.


    "Sure. It''ll just make a lot more sense from here." Silvana said, looking off into the distance.


    Then, she pulled out her tablet, and before Adam appeared an image of a huge fortress, like a castle surrounded by high walls, made of concrete and iron. Adam thought he was looking at a smaller version of the Citadel, for the base had striking simrities.


    "This is Bastion Radon, one of the few Bastions that our Citadel has managed to build and protect over thest few hundred years. From the outside, Bastion looks like a mini Citadel, and it''s no mistake to think so. There are virtually no differences."


    Silvana continued, zooming in on the image.


    "Bastion Radon also has Military, Phantoms, cksmiths, and a lot of regr people minding their business. The main function of the Bastions is to expand our territory, the territory of humanity. They are outposts that allow us to cover arge area for exploration and resource gathering."


    Adam nodded with a deep gaze.


    Most ordinary people knew about the Bastions, for it was taught in schools and academies alike. However, Adam had been neither of those two, just the slums, and that was it.


    "But... How did Bastion Radon survive? I mean, Bastion is in a danger zone, much smaller and weaker than the Citadel. Night and the specific Eclipse should be so dangerous that Bastion Radon would have been destroyed after a while, wouldn''t it?" Adam asked with a worried expression.


    Silvana smirked.


    "Well, that''s true, the monsters are dangerous and aggressive, but some Bastions have been standing for over a hundred years since the Citadel has a special defense mechanism for them - Phantoms."


    Silvana raised a finger like a teacher.


    "Each Bastion has several K4-Phantoms residing there, but that''s not all. Each Bastion is the responsibility of a certain Second Rank Phantom. If the K4-Phantoms fail to deal with the threat, they can definitely hold off the monsters until the Second Rank Phantom arrives, then it''s all over."


    "I see... So Damien is also watching out for some Bastion as well, isn''t he? Is it really Bastion Radon?" Adam asked with curiosity.


    Silvana smiled slyly.


    "No. Damien does not belong to any of the Bastions, for he has a different mission. He protects our Citadel."


    Adam''s heart began to race, for he had not even realized that Damien stood so high.


    At the same moment, somewhere in the distance, a silhouette with two massive wings and a sharp beak was approaching their fighter with the sole intention of defeating the one whose genes screamed for battle.

 Chapter 91: Bastion (Part 2)

    Lang''s fighter had reached the halfway point, they had a little over ten minutes to go before they reached Bastion Radon.


    In the meantime, Silvana was answering Adam''s questions regarding Bastion. There were many questions, some silly or insignificant, but Silvana would not refuse Adam. It was her direct duty to inform him as well as she could.


    Suddenly, Adam''s eyes went wide.


    "Hmm? Is something wrong?" Silvana asked, for she didn''t understand what had caused Adam such a weird reaction.


    At the same moment, the fighter turned at a strange angle, allowing the winged monster to fly over them.


    "Shit! What the fuck... Big-billed Toro? What''s a Red Book, Blue Threat Level monster doing here?!" Lang eximed in confusion, "They should be in a nearby area, but we''re flying right between two territories! This should be a safe road!"


    Adam''s gaze deepened as he stared intently at the monster, slowly turning around tounch another attack soon.


    Big-billed Toro''s body was covered with hundreds of yellow feathers with ck tips, and its size was impressive. Considering the wingspan, Big-billed Toro was the size of a one-story house, although without the wings Big-billed Toro was much smaller, but still impressive.


    Even though they were in fighter aircraft whose engines were running at full power, it was no problem for Big-billed Toro to catch up with them. In fact, it seemed that Big-billed Toro could move even faster, but there was no need to.


    "Adam, what do we do? Should I try to break away or are you going to fight the monster?" Lang asked in a rush, "You have to make a decision quickly!"


    "Sure. I''ve already made it." Adam nodded, "Do whatever is necessary so I can fight it."


    Lang nodded and slowed the fighter considerably, so much that they were just hovering in the air. Then, the main gate opened, revealing a ce for Adam to fight.


    Had Lang not done so, the pressure from the altitude and speed would have thrown Adam outward, leaving no chance of survival. He would either crash fromnding or from a Big-billed Toro attack - airspace was the best location for this monster.


    Silvana nced at Adam and stepped aside, gripping the handrail tightly with both hands. Unlike Adam, she had a hard time keeping her bnce in this situation, and any shaking could get her in a lot of trouble.


    "ROOOOAAAAAARRRR!!!"


    Big-billed Toro roared furiously before pping his wings, creating a powerful momentum.


    Adam narrowed his eyes as he prepared himself for battle. However, no needle or silver ws appeared in his hand. It seemed he was up to something, and only Silvana could see it.


    Big-billed Toro was quickly approaching the fighter, opening his beak wide, about to swallow Adam or break the fighter altogether.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Adam stepped forward, throwing his arm forward with a rapidly spinning Silver Swirl. Adam didn''t take any chances and immediately used his Second Nexus Trait, for he needed to eliminate the threat as soon as possible.


    Dozens of strands, sharp as des, sliced through the monster''s beak, leaving long cuts, but that was only the beginning, for soon, the Silver Swirl reached the monster''s throat and flesh.


    "RRRRRRRRRGH!!!!" Big-billed Toro let out a pitiful, screaming click for help, but it was just him and Adam here, whose attack was tearing the monster''s neck apart.


    Then, Adam''s eyes shed brightly when a needle appeared in his right hand in a first grip. Adam threw the needle forward, slicing off Big-billed Toro''s head with a connecting thread.


    Bam.


    The monster''s massive body rushed downward, heading straight for the ground only to crash and leave its bones there forever, at least until the scavengers arrived.


    Big-billed Toro''s head remained in Adam''s hands.


    He looked into the monster''s empty eyes, turned to Silvana, and asked:


    "Hey, can this monster''s beak be useful? Should I keep it?"


    Silvana nodded.


    "Yes. Big-billed Toro''s key is extremely durable, even your threads couldn''tpletely destroy it. We''ll turn it over to the missions department when we arrive in Bastion Radon."


    Adam smiled slightly.


    "Alright, now I understand a little more of what Damien was talking about. Again, something happened that normally shouldn''t have, and now I know it wasn''t an ident. At least not always." Adam sighed, setting the monster''s head aside and closing the gate.


    "Well doned, well done." Lang uttered before turning the engines back on to maximum.


    As expected, ten minutester they approached the Bastion Radon, so close that Adam could see it through the window.


    "Damn... It''s huge!" Adam eximed with eyes shining with delight, looking at the high walls and hundreds of buildings inside with thousands of streets!


    Silvana smirked.


    "Sure, several million people are living in Bastion Radon. Compared to the Citadel, it''s not that many, but that''s only inparison. Each Bastion isrge enough to function on its own in the case of a disaster. We hope it never happens, but you always have to be prepared for anything, especially the worst."


    Adam nodded with a deep gaze as his eyes traveled downward.


    He could see several Phantom squads fighting the monsters just like around the Citadel. Although the distance between them was great, he could see everything clearly thanks to his keen eyesight.


    Unlike the Phantoms of the Citadel, these Phantoms were wearing winter clothes. Not too frumpy, because the Phantoms were not very cold, although because of the monsters and anomalies'' presence, this cold acted on the Phantoms, not like in the elemental chamber in Fort Norton.


    Their clothing also protected them from the wind and was necessary for the Harvesters, since they weremon people, albeit with good physiques.


    Their equipment and trucks were also different because they were customized for this territory - covered with high snow.


    Everyone had shovels and incendiary grenades. Trucks were more like massive snowmobiles.


    The snow was not dangerous, but it slowed down movement, which could be deadly when fighting monsters that felt perfect in this area. It was necessary to get rid of the snow on the way.


    "This is it, right?" Adam asked, looking at the huge crystal in the center of Bastion Radon, leading down to the very bottom, even underground.

 Chapter 92: Bastion (Part 3)

    The fighter slowly descended to thending site at Fort Calden, the main fort of the Bastion Radon. Several militaries were waiting for them, to register their arrival and make sure everything was in order.


    Adam looked around with a sparkling gaze, observing Bastion, the city, and the massive crystal - the center of Bastion. This crystal was the reason why they hade here because Bastion Radon was built on Monster Nest.


    Bastion Radon was not the only ce where Adam could go through Elemental Circle, however, it was the most convenient option. Rtive to the previous generations of Phantoms, he was quite lucky, because they had no such feature.


    They had to do it in Dead Lands, however... technically Adam would have to go there as well without leaving Bastion Radon.


    A woman with blonde hair and a stern look in her eyes - like most of the military - stepped forward. She was wearing a dark uniform and a beret with a sharp peak.


    "Mr. Adam Vinter, K1-Phantom, my name is ra Aley." ra rapidly spoke holding her arms crossed behind her back, "It is a pleasure to wee you to our Bastion. You came here to pass the Elemental Circle, didn''t you?"


    Adam nodded with a serious look.


    ra sighed heavily.


    "Fine, I''m sure you know the risks, but I must warn you that this time things may be even more dangerous."


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Adam asked in confusion.


    Silvana was interested too, for she hadn''t been told about this and didn''t have any further information.


    "Follow me. We haven''t epted any Phantoms wanting to go through the Elemental Circle for a week now. We were going to refuse you as well, but... someone interfered." ra coughed before turning around and heading for the car.


    Adam and Silvana looked at each other. It was obvious who ra was talking about because only someone influential and interested in Adam''s mission could change the decision of the Bastion Radon military.


    "Good luck, guys! If I''m free, I''ll be sure to pick you up! I hope everything works out for you!" Lang uttered, waving his hand with a bright smile.


    "Sure. I''m sure it''ll be fine." Adam nodded.


    ...


    Rattle. Rattle. Rattle.


    The iron doors opened as they entered the center of the Bastion, descending to the lowest point on the elevator. Through the ss panels, there was a clear view of the crystal towards whose base they were moving.


    "Surely you know that it is possible to pass the Elemental Circle in our Bastion since there is a Nest of Prismatic Elementals at the bottom." ra exined.


    Adam raised an eyebrow as his eyes grew slightly wider. No one had ever told him about this, he didn''t even know it was possible.


    Bastion, the ce where millions of people lived was built right above Monster Nest as its base. Not next to it or across from it, but literally in the same ce.


    But... Why?


    "Oh... I guess I should tell you more about that." ra muttered, seeing Adam''s puzzled face.


    Adam nodded.


    "Well, every Bastion needs a power source to keep the city, the defense guns, and the barrier running. There are many different ways to get energy, but in the case of our Bastion, it''s be something special - the Nest center, that crystal that runs through the entire Bastion." ra said, pointing back with her thumb.


    "So... monsters are living at the bottom of Bastion?" Adam asked in disbelief.


    He realized that the crystal was an extremely valuable resource if Bastion was built around it, but he wasn''t sure it was worth the risks. Either way, living near monsters was dangerous or even deadly.


    ra shook her head.


    "We narrowed the size of the Nest as much as possible to leave the crystal and areas for the Elemental Circle. If we shrink the area even more, the crystal will copse. It will be a true disaster."


    Then, ra smiled bitterly.


    "As always, all credit goes to the Phantoms. Over a hundred years ago, a one Second Rank Phantom used all his strength to defeat a Second Circle Prismatic Elemental. It was a great battle, but we received no less reward in return."


    Threat Level, Red and White Book as well as Types, were necessary to indicate the approximate might of a particr monster. However, all of these were insignificantpared to Circle.


    Once Adam became a Phantom, he reached the First Circle of Evolution. Next was the Second Circle, but getting to that was extremely difficult because it meant he would be a Second Rank Phantom, passing through many obstacles along the way.


    Thus, Phantom had to deal with a truly formidable opponent in order for Bastion Radon to possess something unique.


    "But... It seems like you''re in trouble now, isn''t it?" Silvana narrowed her eyes, she was slightly annoyed. Adam had a 10% chance of a lethal oue during Elemental Circle, so they didn''t need the extraplication.


    ra nodded.


    "For some reason, the Prismatic Elementals have started showing up again, it hasn''t happened in quite some time. We haven''t decided what to do about it yet since Nest hasn''t expanded, and we can''t afford to constrict it any further, like I said."


    ra turned to Adam.


    "You don''t have to go through Elemental Circle right now. In fact, I would advise you to wait until we get this problem sorted out. Elemental Circle is a difficult trial in itself, and if you are interrupted by Prismatic Elementals your chances of failure increase."


    Adam shook his head.


    "My job is to strengthen my body, so there''s no point in running away from danger when I have to face it head-on. The most important thing is that I can handle the Prismatic Elementals, how strong are they?"


    Silvana quickly replied.


    "Blue Threat Level, White Book. They shouldn''t be a danger to you, however... there are individuals much stronger among their kind. Though, considering this Nest has been cleared many times already, no one too strong will show up. That''s for sure."


    "Your Operator is correct." ra nodded as the corners of her mouth lifted upward, forming a slight smile.


    Then, they stopped as they reached the lower level of the Bastion - Floor -1.


    Unlike the Citadel, there was no division into Lower and Upper Ring, the entire Bastion was under theplete control of the military and government. Well, crime did happen, but not enough to create a separate zone within the Bastion where the military was powerless.


    ra led them to a tform that overlooked the Nest of Prismatic Elementals and the base of the Bastion Radon.


    "Damn... So this is where I have to spend the next week, right? Looks like it''s going to be tough." Adam muttered, ncing at the various types of elements covering the vast area.


    Ice crystals, fiery geysers, bubbling waterfalls, a constantly shaking earth, a hurricane zone, and a field of endless lightning discharges as well as many more.


    Each area denoted some element or several at once as well as their altered forms. All in all, it was the perfect ce to expose Phantom''s body to most of the elements.

 Chapter 93: Seven Days (Part 1)

    Adam was preparing to go to the first elemental zone and start his seven-day training. His goal was to create Elemental Roots. It would take considerable effort andplete control of the situation.


    "Ready?" Silvana asked, sitting in front of the monitors. They were in a special room created for Operators to keep an eye on their Phantoms as they passed Elemental Circle.


    There was like a bed, a fridge filled with food, and a shower - everything to keep the Operator in ce all the time. Sure, sometimes Silvana would have to be distracted to sleep like Adam, but she would be assisted by military personnel who would keep a constant eye on Adam and the Prismatic Elementals.


    "Sure. What wille first? Fire?" Adam asked, not knowing that it actually mattered. He just assumed.


    Silvana shook his head.


    "From all the information I''ve been able to gather, the best option would be to start with the ice zone. That way, your chances of sess will be a little higher."


    Adam shrugged. He had to go through all the zones toplete a full circle anyway, so it didn''t make any difference to him where to start.


    "By the way... When we arrived at Bastion Radon, I got a message from Beth..." Silvana muttered as her gaze became darker.


    "Hm? Is something wrong?" Adam raised an eyebrow.


    Silvana sighed heavily. Then, she stood up, walked over to Adam, and showed her phone.


    Beth: ''Let him not use the ability. If there''s a problem, let him rely on his bare fists. Well, that is if you want to increase your chances of sess and are confident in your skill.''


    Adam frowned slightly.


    "Fighting Prismatic Elementals with my bare hands? I mean, it''s unknown if I''ll have to face them, but is that okay? Are they definitely our allies?"


    Silvana shrugged.


    "I don''t think Beth would joke, after all, she knows better than anyone that Elemental Circle is no joke. Anyway, it''s up to you to decide. I''ll be watching you and helping as much as I can, as always."


    Adam smiled as a me lit up in his eyes.


    "Fine, then let''s not waste any more time!"


    ...


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The ice crunched beneath Adam''s feet as he headed for the tall crystals. Dense frosty vapor emanated from them, seeking to lower the temperature to the limit.


    If a mere man had been here, he would havested only a few minutes before freezing to death, turning into an ice statue.


    However, Adam hade here to get used to this cold, for he was wearing almost nothing but ck pants. His torso and feet were bare, nothing protecting him but his body.


    "Well... I guess trying to keep warm will be useless, so it''s better to ept the inevitable right away and try to adapt, isn''t it?" Adam looked around, walked over to the ice crystal, and sat next to one.


    Then, he just closed his eyes and tried not to think about the cold. He knew his body could take it. That wasn''t as bad as Deste Forest, but he was going to spend 24 hours here without a warming fire or warm clothes!


    After a few hours, Adam was still shivering from the cold, for the first hour it was much easier to endure the low temperature, but then it got worse. He couldn''t fully adapt to the cold. Gradually, a thinyer of ice covered his shoulders.


    At the same time, the steam from a hot cup of coffee was passing in front of Silvana''s focused face.


    "Well... I guess I should be ashamed of myself for being in the heat now while Adam freezes, but every job has its perks, right?" Silvana muttered, watching Adam intently.


    Sometimes just watching was already a challenge because even after nine hours, Silvana hadn''t moved. She kept observing what was happening on the monitors and staring intently at Adam, even though... nothing was happening, nothing at all.


    Then, sixteen hourster, Silvana''s eyes closed. She could have stayed awake much longer if she chose to but didn''t want to put Adam in danger, so she had to be always full of energy. All for the sake of achieving theirmon goal.


    ''Cold... I''m very cold...'' Adam inwardly whispered, as if afraid to waste energy on an extra word. He had been trying to deal with the cold for twenty-three hours now, but he still hadn''t been able to achieve any result.


    On the contrary, almost his entire body was already covered by an iceyer, and a little more, and he would take real damage.


    It was harder for a Phantom to get burned or frostbitten than a normal person, but if it happened, there were a lot of problems.


    ''Am I doing something wrong? Hmm...'' Adam wondered, trying to concentrate and distract himself from his body, which asionally shuddered.


    ''Right... My goal is to create Elemental Roots. Silvana exined to me what it is, but can she knowpletely? She just passed the information to me, since she doesn''t have an Evolution Tree. I have to feel it myself...'' Adam pondered before taking a deep sigh and unconsciously holding his breath.


    He didn''t breathe for about ten minutes until his heart began to slow down because of his environment and the low temperature.


    Gradually, his heart beat slower and slower, as did all the processes in his body. Only his thoughts had the same speed, being somewhere far away.


    Then, Adam opened his eyes, but what he saw was not ice crystals, but a starry sky and his Evolution Tree.


    His gaze naturally traveled downward - to the massive roots that were the beginning of the foundation of his power.


    "Oh, I guess I''m finally starting to realize what I was supposed to do." Adam muttered as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    He looked at the little sprout growing out of the starry void. It was tiny with a single blue leaf covered in frost, but it was enough to spread an intense cold, a true freeze to millions of stars.


    [You have received your first Elemental Sprout!]


    [Get seven of any Elemental Sprout to create an Elemental Root!]


    The ice sprout shook slightly, causing a slight ringing sound that knocked Adam out of space, bringing him back to the real world.


    Then, he opened his blue eyes. For a moment they seemed to reflect an ancient iceberg, majestic and lonely, capable of withstanding any frost.


    A thickyer of ice covered with cracks, simultaneously shattering and releasing Adam from this useless prison. For now, such weak cold was nothing more than a pleasant breeze for him.


    Adam examined his body, clenched his fist, and looked around with a deep gaze.


    He had passed the first zone, and one of the seven days of his long training was over. However, this was only the beginning, and the real challengesy ahead.


    Silvana wasn''t awake yet, she needed another half hour or so, and Adam wasn''t going to bother her.


    He had to find out where to go next, but before that, he should deal with one problem.


    The tall creature of ice crystals, slowly headed in his direction, seeing Adam as a worthy adversary who epted the ghastly cold.

 Chapter 94: Seven Days (Part 2)

    Silvana, drinking tea while reading an old book, was in an ancient library that seemed to have no end. Bookcases surrounded the entire space, going so far into the darkness.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Suddenly, a loud cracking sound like breaking ss snapped Silvana out of her thoughts, forcing her to stop reading and look around.


    Cracks appeared in the massive ss dome covering the library, emitting golden light. They spread rapidly until the dome broke, and a cold torrent of wind rained down on Silvana.


    "Agh...?" Silvana drowsily opened her eyes, looked at the long ago cooled coffee, and directed her gaze to the monitors.


    The crackling wasn''t going anywhere, on the contrary, the sound became clearer, the more she drifted off from sleep. Then, she finally realized what the cause was, and her eyes went wide, and shame filled her mind.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Adam smashed his fists into blood, bringing them down on the Prismatic Elemental. The monster tried to protect its head using hands with long sharp fingers, but then Adam simply shifted his aim to the monster''s chest.


    Although the crystals on the Prismatic Elemental''s body were rough and harsh, scratching off the skin on Adam''s knuckles, there was hardly any blood. More urately, it was too cold for blood to actively flow.


    It was worth noting that Adam had followed Beth''s advice, and hadn''t used his abilities as much as Nexus. Gloves hung on his belt - for a critical situation.


    ''Fuck... What an idiot I am... Why didn''t I wake up sooner?'' Silvana internally uttered nervously, biting her finger.


    The Ice Prismatic Elemental was a Blue Threat Level, White Book, monster. Normally, Adam would have dealt with such an opponent with a single swing of a needle. However, when his only weapon was his fists, the process became more difficult.


    "Agh... Stop defending yourself. I''m sure it hurts me a lot more than you right now, though... The cold helps." Adam muttered, looking at his fists.


    At the very beginning of the battle, Adam noticed something strange - the feeling of pain had changed.


    He didn''t know if it was from the cold or because of Elemental Sprout, but it was present. The pain was no longer as vivid as before, but it had be more distinct. It allowed Adam to react faster, and not be so distracted by the painful sensations.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    The Prismatic Elemental, as if it had heard Adam''sint, spread its arms open and thrust them forward. Sharp fingers aimed for Adam''s eyes, about to pierce them and end his life.


    Electric shocks shed through Adam''s pupils as he grabbed the monster''s hands by the wrists and clenched his teeth tightly.


    Then, he brought his forehead down on the monster''s head with all his might, causing it to crack just as the ice beneath them did.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Adam continued. He was in pain too, but the Prismatic Elemental was even worse. Its head literally shattered like ss, releasing imprisoned cold vapor.


    "Damn... This is the way I''ve never fought monsters before..." Adam muttered before summoning Revolve.


    [Received Ice Prismatic Elemental Gene - x1, Blue Threat Level.]


    ''Good morning...'' Silvana said quietly in a guilty voice. She could sleep, but shouldn''t have to do so at such important points.


    "Oh, just in time." Adam smirked, looking at the ice crystals that he no longer needed.


    "Where to next? Fire? That would be nice, though I''m used to the cold, I can''t say it''s a pleasant sensation."


    ''No. Water, I sent you the coordinates...'' Silvana uttered with obvious guilt in her voice.


    Adam already knew Silvana well enough and how the rtionship between Phantom and Operator worked to understand what Silvana wanted from him.


    "Alright, alright, I get it. You made a mistake like you think you did, and you want to be punished. In that case, for the next six days, you will cook for me, no cafes or restaurants." Adam said sternly.


    ''Sure! I''ll do my best!'' Silvana responded vigorously, going to regain some of the trust she believed she had just lost.


    Adam nced at the coordinates and turned off the earbud.


    Then, after a few seconds, Silvana''s eyes went wide as she realized that for the next six days, Adam would be going through Elemental Circle.


    ''Hah, he tricked me. Honestly, I didn''t expect that... Well, I''ll do itter then. Right now, I need to get back to work!''


    ...


    Twenty-four hourster.


    Adam surfaced from the water, taking a calm, long breath as his blue eyes became deeper, like the bottom of the ocean, vast and powerful.


    [You have received your second Elemental Sprout!]


    Now, at the roots of his Evolution Tree, there were two sprouts, one azure and one blue, with single leaves. They differed from each other in structure as they represented different elements.


    "Five more, right? Well, it''s not as easy as I thought it would be, but I''ll manage." Adam said, remembering how he had spent thest 24 hours.


    He had plunged into theke below the waterfalls time after time, trying to hold his breath as long as possible. However, it was only at the very end that he realized that wasn''t his goal, for the water wasn''t an enemy.


    The water did not try to drown him, though he made active attempts. For fishes, water was home, and for humans, it was a source of sce when it came to morality.


    A few minutes of meditating under the waterfall,pletely immersed in his thoughts was enough to make Water Sprout appear - potentially the most easily essible of all.


    "How strange... I found it so easy to breathe. Not that it was hard to do before, but it feels that way now." Adam muttered again, experiencing a new, strange but pleasant sensation.


    ''Adam, you''re doing great. At this rate, you will sessfullyplete Elemental Circle. Next up is wind.''


    Adam''s eyes went wide. For some reason, he remembered how Damien had fought in Deste Forest.


    ''Looks like it won''t be as easy as water and ice. Those two elements are calm, trying to pacify you, but wind obviously isn''t, right?'' Adam asked with a slight smile on his face.


    Silvana nodded.


    ''Correct. That''s the point. I think you''ve already figured out what the elements will be at the end, though... I might surprise you.''


    Adam shrugged.


    "The important thing is that I get through all of them. I need five more, it''s doable." Adam pronounced, looking at an area with powerful storms in the distance.


    Amongst the rocky terrain, walked a few tall silhouettes for whom this ce was home.


    Adam smirked and headed forward. After some hardening of his body, he was ready to face the wind currents head-on.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    As Adam stepped away from theke, several Prismatic Elementals emerged from the water. They were about to follow him and attack, but something stopped them - Adam''s stride.


    The Water Prismatic Elementals were the least warlike of all, so Adam''s apparent power andck of hostility were enough for the Water Elementals to abandon their ns.


    They looked at each other, nodded slightly, and disappeared into the watery surface.


    ''Hah, after a few hours already, I started to notice you. If you were aggressive, I''d have a problem, though... I doubt they''d be the same.'' Adam chuckled inwardly as he stared intently at the Wind Prismatic Elementals.


    The distance between them was great, but they had already spotted him, waiting for the intruder to invade their home.

 Chapter 95: Seven Days (Part 3)

    A strong wind was hitting Adam''s chest, trying to force him to leave thisnd. However, Adam was not going to stop, for this was his next destination.


    The Wind Prismatic Elementals looked at Adam, but no one would attack him. Moreover, not a single Prismatic Elemental even moved.


    In fact, Adam''s trial had already begun, for each step he took was more effort than the previous one.


    At first, Adam moved in a rxed manner, hands in his pockets with his chest pushed forward, waiting for the battle with the Prismatic Elemental.


    However, his opponent was not the monsters but the wind, soon forcing him to cover himself with his hands.


    ''Shit... I just entered this area, but I already feel such pressure. But... What I need to do here to get Elemental Sprout?'' Adam pondered with great frown, as dust particles and tiny stones were constantly blowing at him along with the wind.


    Adam had already realized that Elemental Sprout only appeared after he had passed the elemental trial. There were no strict rules, after all, this wasn''t an exam. He had to focus on his intuition, looking for hidden paths to his goal.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    When Adam had walked about 100 meters, the Wind Prismatic Elemental jumped towards him. Its body consisted of several stone rings holding back chaotic wind currents, forming a simr shape to a human body.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed as he prepared for battle.


    However, the Prismatic Elemental did not attack him for some reason. Instead, the monster tilted its head, examined Adam, and pointed towards a cliff 300 meters away.


    Then, the Prismatic Elemental took a few strange steps as if it was swaying like a leaf in the wind and ended up on the peak of the cliff.


    "Bastard... Decided to y with me? Fine, I''ll get you, and you''ll have to admit defeat!" Adam clenched his teeth, stepping forward.


    He felt no anger or the usual coldness towards monsters. The Prismatic Elemental ignited apetitive spirit within him, for now, it was a contest between the two of them.


    If Adam could defeat the Prismatic Elemental in its own area, then the test would definitely not be a problem.


    But... Soon Adam''s me was no longer burning as brightly as in the beginning, for after reaching 200 meters, Adam was faced with a problem - he could no longer take a single step.


    ''What the fuck...?'' Adam''s shuddered, a chill ran down his back at the realization of how helpless he was.


    A dissonance went through Adam''s mind because of the situation he faced. He had defeated foes like Brass Puppet, Steel Knight, and Mirna, all of them worthy opponents. However... now he was unable to do anything about the mere wind.


    ''Shit... If I try to run or jump forward, the wind will just blow me away, I mustn''t lose contact with the ground.''


    The Prismatic Elemental, watching Adam held out a hand and waved it mockingly as if calling to him.


    Adam''s eye twitched as a nervous smile appeared on his face.


    "Fine, even if this wind cuts me to pieces, I''ll get to you!" Adam gritted his teeth, leaned his body forward, and took a short step forward.


    At this pace, Adam could only take fifty steps in an hour. Yes, one step in about one minute. The problem was that sometimes he didn''t calcte his powers, and the wind threw him back a few meters, and for one step, he had to take ten more.


    Then, another twenty steps went by, and it was hell for Adam as the wind became like razor-sharp des - slicing his skin.


    ''Adam, you need to go back! You still have plenty of time toe up with a new n!'' Silvana said worriedly, looking at Adam''s body covered in blood.


    A few more minutes and the minor cuts would be a real threat that could drain Adam and lead to his death.


    Adam nodded slightly, he realized that Silvana was right. He took onest look at the Prismatic Elemental, who stood serenely on the rock. There were only 30 meters between them, but that distance seemed as great as infinity.


    However, Adam did not leave as he had intended, for something caught his eye: the wind currents. They were as chaotic as the Prismatic Elemental''s earlier steps, but that didn''t mean they were meaningless.


    At the same moment, Adam blinked, and his eyes became clearer, like pale sapphires without impurities or ws.


    ''Adam! Adam... Ada...''


    Silvana''s voice grew fainter and fainter until it disappeared, along with all sound. It seemed, that all of Adam''s senses, had been silenced to focus on one - the vision.


    Then, Adam saw a certain consistency in the wind currents and started walking in different directions instead of just forward.


    Going in a straight line was the shortest way to the cliff, but that didn''t mean it was the easiest option.


    Sometimes, it was worth changing your n, perhaps slightly, to reach your goal rather than trying to go through the unpassable.


    "Too bad I realized it sote, but betterte than never, right?" Adam uttered, standing in front of the Prismatic Elemental at the peak of the cliff.


    Their bodies swayed slightly from side to side, avoiding the sharp des of wind, meeting only harmless currents. They fluttered Adam''s hair and brought with them an uplifting freshness.


    At the same moment, a third sprout appeared before the roots of the Evolution Tree. That one was gray, trembling slightly as if it might fly apart at any moment, but it clung tightly to the other two sprouts.


    [You have received your third Elemental Sprout!]


    "Alright. Since I passed the test, how about we fight!" Adam offered confidently, clenching his fists.


    The Prismatic Elemental took a step forward and... disappeared.


    "Tsk. Suit yourself. Hey Silvana, which zone is next? Looks like I''m ahead of schedule this time." Adam asked with an enthusiastic smile.


    Silvana was about to answer, but Adam didn''t have time to listen to her as his pupils narrowed from the sudden attack.


    However, it wasn''t the Wind Prismatic Elemental he''d challenged.


    It was a round stone sphere, covered in soil and roots with sharp spikes protruding from it, flying straight at him at breakneck speed.


    Adam reacted quickly with his reflexes and caught the sphere, but one of the spikes stuck into his palm, spurting out blood.


    "What the fuck...?" Adam frowned, looking to the side.


    In the distance, stood a massive Stone Prismatic Elemental, nearly four meters tall, with broad shoulders, arms, and legs huge as hammers.


    Then, without waiting for Adam''s response, the Stone Elemental touched the ground, tearing out pieces of rocks, roots, and soil to create a new sphere.


    "I hope my next target is the stone zone. Because if it''s not, I''ll be damn disappointed." Adam asked, clenching his fists.


    "Yes. That''s zone four. However, you should be careful, it''s both the easiest and hardest area of all. Many Phantoms, due to their inattention and overconfidence, have failed the training or even died at this stage." Silvana exined in a serious voice.


    Adam nodded and jumped forward, not going to wait for the Stone Elemental to throw projectiles at him.

 Chapter 96: Seven Days (Part 4)

    Adam jumped forward, dodging the stone sphere flying at him, and found himself right in front of the Prismatic Elemental.


    He had already entered another area where he was about to undergo the next challenge, but all his attention was focused only on the Prismatic Elemental.


    Bam.


    Adam attacked with all his might, using his heightened senses. He acted more calmly, was more attentive, and also operated clearly. Slightly, but it increased the effectiveness of his every action, including his strikes.


    Sometimes, a few small steps could equal or even rece the progress of a burst. The key was to find a way to take those small steps without straying from the general path.


    From the collision of Adam''s fist with the Prismatic Elemental, light vibrations traveled across the stone b on the monster''s chest. Blood flowed from Adam''s knuckles, but... The Prismatic Elemental wasn''t injured.


    "Hah, possess strong armor, right? Well, I can easily deal with it!" Adam vigorously uttered as he extended his arm in his usual motion.


    However, at thest moment, he stopped as his eyes went wide.


    The Stone Elemental''s massive arm, crashed into Adam, swiping him aside.


    ''Adam!'' Silvana eximed rmed. She didn''t understand why Adam stopped and didn''t react to the monster''s attack.


    The Stone Elemental was strong but slow, Adam had enough time to dodge.


    Bam.


    Adam crashed into the rock, slowly rising with a dust cloud. He held his head with a slight frown while trickles of blood poured from his forehead.


    "Don''t yell like that, it makes my head hurt even worse." Adam sighed heavily as he nced at his hand.


    "I wanted to summon the needle. I''m too used to the fact that if the enemy''s armor is strong, the needle can easily handle it. However... While I can, I n to follow Beth''s advice. I think I''m slowly beginning to see the point of making it harder on myself this way." Adam uttered as he got into a fighting stance, keeping his fists clenched.


    Fighting using only the strength of his body was something new to Adam, but it was better to understand his limits.


    After all, neither needles, gloves, nor silver ws increased his physique or reaction speed. It was a weapon whose effectiveness depended on the initial performance of the owner.


    The Stone Elemental stepped forward, then around their arena, towered several dozen shadows asrge as the Stone Elemental.


    Adam gulped. He realized that without using his abilities, he wouldn''t be able to handle them all.


    ''Shit... Am I really going to have to break Beth''s advice? Moreover, I still have to figure out how to get Stone Sprout...'' Adam pondered, looking around.


    Soon, he noticed that the other Stone Elementals did not move. Instead, they raised their massive legs, copsing to the ground in a certain rhythm.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The shaking caused powerful vibrations, making Adam lose his bnce and crack the stone bs of the arena.


    "''What the fuck...?!'' Adam inwardly eximed, trying to keep his bnce and not fall over.


    Bam.


    While Adam was distracted, the Stone Elemental had already reached him, plunging its fist into Adam''s stomach and tossing him aside.


    ''Adam! Are you okay?'' Silvana asked, realizing that the monster''s blow was powerful. She could clearly hear Adam''s bones crunching, perhaps his lower ribs cracked.


    "Yeah... For I seem to have figured out what is required of me." Adam smirked, touching his fingers to the ground.


    He felt a shiver, it was constant and seemed natural. All Adam had to do was adapt to keep his bnce.


    "Alright, let''s see how long it takes me!" Adam eximed excitedly, preparing for battle.


    ...


    Five hourster, Adam spat out a clot of blood while everything in front of his eyes was blurred.


    The Stone Elemental was badly wounded, Adam''s hundreds of blows had almost shattered the monster''s armor, but that didn''t mean Adam was close to victory.


    With each passing hour, he felt worse, as the constant shaking he couldn''t escape from made him dizzy and gagging.


    It seemed the Stone Elementals weren''t going to help their brother, only one of them had to leave here alive.


    ''Fuck... A little more, and I won''t be able to stand up straight...'' Adam muttered internally, swaying from side to side.


    Then, his eyes went wide when he realized he didn''t want to stand anymore.


    "Hah... I tried to catch the rhythm like Wind Elemental, but that''s a different challenge, isn''t it? To understand thend, you have to get closer to it!"


    Whoooooooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, the Prismatic Elemental threw a stone sphere with sharp spikes at Adam. Normally, he would have chosen to dodge or repel the attack, but this time... Adam simply fell to the ground.


    The sphere flew over him, but that was thest thing on his mind because, for the first time in a long time, he didn''t have a headache. All he felt was a slight vibration going through his entire body, like a massage, rather than a hard shaking that was absolutely unbearable.


    "Fine, what''s next?" Adam smiled bitterly, realizing that he was trapped, for he could not stand up.


    The Stone Elemental was closing in on him, about to finish off his opponent.


    Then, a fire lit up in Adam''s eyes, and a devious smirk appeared on his face.


    ''Right, if I can''t adapt, then I should just change the location to suit me!''


    The Stone Elemental attacked, unleashing its massive fist that could surely blow Adam''s head off.


    Adam somersaulted forward, whizzing underneath the Stone Elemental and pouncing on the monster''s leg. His physical strength was enough for the Stone Elemental to lose its bnce and gradually fall to the ground with its broad back. A cloud of dust rose upwards, covering the two silhouettes.


    "Hah, that actually worked. Standing on you, I can practically feel no shaking at all! Well, in that case, let''s get started!" Adam smirked before attacking, driving his fist into the Stone Elemental''s head.


    Adam didn''t notice it, but after a few hundred blows, he began to beat with a certain frequency, like a metronome. In fact, he was naturally ustomed to the stomping of Stone Elementals when he started doing something simr himself.


    Yeah... stomping on the ground and hitting the monster''s head was not the same thing, but there was something simr because Adam was returning some of the energy into the ground, through the monster.


    At the same time, a new fourth elemental sprout with a triangr stone leaf and a zigzag shape began to grow in his inner space.


    [You have received your fourth Elemental Sprout!]


    Adam took a deep breath as he looked at the Stone Elementals around him. Gradually, each of them stopped stomping, as they recognized that Adam was no longer affected by it.


    Then, the monsters knelt on one knee as a sign of sorrow for their fallen mate and as a sign of respect for Adam, who won in a fair fight, before turning around and walking away, leaving Adam alone.


    ''Congrattions, it looks like you almost made it through Elemental Circle, much faster than I expected.'' Silvana praised him.


    ''Hmm? Almost? I mean, four out of seven is more than half, but there''s still a long way to go.''


    ''Well... Look to the east, and you''ll figure it out. That''s your next zone.


    Adam did as she said, and his eyes went wide.


    In the distance, there was a zone where menacing purple lightning raged along with the ming streams, and Prismatic Elementals fought each other.

 Chapter 97: Fire and Lightning

    "Two at once, right? Now I see what you were talking about. If I pass fire and lightning, I only have one zone left." Adam said with an excited smile.


    To be honest, over the past four trials, Adam had missed the purebat - the feeling he had experienced against Steel Knight or Brass Puppet.


    Seeing the Lightning and Fire Prismatic Elementals attacking each other, Adam realized that in the dual-zone, he would definitely be able to satisfy his desire.


    ''Yes. However, you should be careful. The Lightning and Fire zone is usually the most aggressive. Well, you can see the reason for that yourself.'' Silvana exined.


    Adam nodded, then he looked around, seeing many other zones besides lightning and fire.


    There were more than seven elements: water, fire, ice, lightning, wind, and earth were not the only ones. Combinations of other elements, their slightly altered versions, andpletely different powers, such as the sound that Mirna used, were also considered separate elements.


    It was too broad a spectrum of powers to be put into four, seven, or ten categories. The world, genes, monsters, and people were multifaceted, perhaps infinite, like a vast universe.


    "Hey, which zone will be thest one?"


    Silvana smiled slightly.


    ''Go through the fifth and sixth first. I won''t reveal it to you for now. However, you won''t be disappointed and get what you want. I can promise you that.''


    "Tsk. Whatever you say. There''s no point in thinking about it anyway. We have to deal with one obstacle first before we move on to the next, don''t we?" Adam said confidently, stepping forward.


    Soon, he felt the heating from the double zone, goosebumps went down his body, and his hair rose upwards due to the slight electrical shocks.


    Even though he had gotten close enough, none of the Prismatic Elementals had paid attention to him yet.


    Adam felt strange as if he was an extra here. The monsters were too busy fighting each other, and some intruder didn''t interest them.


    "Hey! I had high hopes for you!" Adam eximed.


    Then, he frowned, clenching his fists tightly.


    "Tsk. If you don''t want to start first, I''ll do it myself!"


    Adam rushed forward, but before he could attack, a random strike from the Lightning Prismatic Elemental knocked him aside.


    Adam wasn''t the target of the Lightning Prismatic Elemental, he was just getting hit, and it was starting to really annoy him.


    Then, he tried again and again, but it always ended up the same. The Lightning Elemental or Fire Elemental would just throw him aside, preventing him from joining the battle.


    "What the hell...?" Adam muttered confusedly. He had expected a lot of things, but not this.


    For the first time in his Phantom path, he was faced with monsters ignoring him, and didn''t know what to do!


    ''Adam... Try to concentrate on something else. After all, you''re not here to fight every monster you meet.'' Silvana said calmly, reminding Adam of the challenge.


    "Yeah, sure." Adam nodded slowly, looking around.


    Then, he noticed that in the center was a special crystalposed of fire and lightning energy. Although dozens of monsters fighting each other in this area, they were bypassing the crystal.


    It seemed that the crystal was their treasure, or they just couldn''t reach it as their opponents prevented them from it.


    Adam did not yet realize what challenge awaited him here, but one thing was obvious to him: if the Prismatic Elementals did not want to fight him, then he would set himself another target!


    Whoooooooosh.


    Instead of fighting the Prismatic Elementals, Adam decided that he could just sidestep them and take the crystal. He didn''t know what would happen then, but he was sure it would somehow move him forward.


    However, it wasn''t as easy as he had expected. Even though the Prismatic Elementals didn''t attack him directly, they kept him from passing as he was constantly getting hit by random attacks.


    Sure, if Adam had used his abilities, he might easily cleared his path, but then he was unlikely to pass the challenge as needed for maximum effect.


    "Alright, it looks like I won''t be able to do it this way. In that case... I have to choose another n, right?" Adam spent some time thinking beforeing to one conclusion -


    He had to proceed slowly and calcte his every move ahead.


    Neither the Lightning nor Fire Prismatic Elementals were winning. In fact, their shes repeated almost the same scenario time after time.


    Adam shook his head and began the torturous and long work - theplete opposite of his expectations from this zone.


    In the first hour, he could only pass the first row of monsters, the second row already took him three hours, and the cost of time only continued to grow.


    Strangely enough, but the test of two of the most aggressive and active elements of the six encountered, turned out to be a patience challenge.


    Adam realized that sooner orter, he would be able to reach the crystal, but every time he failed and had to start all over again, his irritation grew stronger, like a me raging inside him.


    Only after thirty-two hours, had he made any progress. He managed to sleep, regain his strength, and continue his routine. In over eight hours of sleep, no one had tried to attack him, he had realized this long ago, so he didn''t even bother to find a safe ce.


    Step. Step. Step. Step.


    Adam, with his hands in his pockets, approached the crystal, passing through all the monsters. From the outside, it looked like he could see the future and knew their every move, but in reality, it was the result of a hundred attempts and work on mistakes.


    "Agh... Sometimes only by endless attempts can one achieve sess, right? Well, even if it works, it''s always nice to just get lucky." Adam muttered before bending down, about to pick up the crystal.


    However, before he could do so, a change happened in his inner space and two new sprouts appeared: one purple like lightning and one red like mes.


    [You have received your fifth Elemental Sprout!]


    [You have received your sixth Elemental Sprout!]


    Adam smiled happily as he clenched his fist with a satisfied smile on his face. Of all the trials, this was the hardest and most painful for him personally, because Elemental attacks were not weak.


    "I can be proud of myself, right?" Adam asked, looking around at the fighting Prismatic Elementals.


    He realized that he had no reason or desire to interrupt them because he was expecting a finale!


    ''Yes. You''re almost done. I''ve sent you the coordinates for thest zone. Be careful, because I originally wanted to choose another zone for you, but Beth interfered with my ns. I agreed since I knew you would have done the same.'' Silvana exined, and a message arrived on Adam''s NEP.


    "Sure. I''ve already been through too much to stop." Adam said confidently, leaving the double zone.


    Soon, he arrived at thest zone, covered in a light purple mist, dark rocks, and iron pirs sticking out of the ground.


    He hadn''t seen a single Prismatic Elemental yet, but as soon as he approached this area, he felt a powerful pressure.


    "What...?" Adam''s eyes went wide as he dropped to one knee from shock.


    His weight had increased several times because he was in a gravitational zone!

 Chapter 98: The Last Zone

    The crunch of a chocte bar echoed through the spacious room, where only two people were watching Adam on the monitors.


    "Oh, so his Operator sent him to the gravity zone? Unpopr choice. I''d even say it''s the most dangerous." A man sitting in a chair with one leg ced over the other spoke up.


    A shadow covered his silhouette, and only his sharp eyes were visible under the cover of darkness. However, like most people, he was not opposed to savoring something delicious and sweet.


    "Yes." ra nodded. Though she was a high-ranking military officer, she stood with her back straight, holding her arms behind her.


    "Well, this will be a big step forward for him. After all, Adam is one of the few who could potentially be a Second Rank Phantom." The man said quietly, taking a bite of a chocte bar.


    ra took a deep breath.


    "I hope that you are right. The more strong and capable Phantoms there are the better. Especially in such unsettled times..."


    The man cast a quick nce at ra before continuing to watch.


    ...


    Adam had already gone through six different elements, he was ready for anything but didn''t know what Silvana prepared for him.


    "What is this...? Is it gravity?" Adam muttered in disbelief, looking at his hand.


    Once he entered the seventh zone, he had to use more effort for every action than before.


    ''Yes. You are only in the outer part of the zone, so the closer you get to the center the stronger the effect will be.'' Silvana exined,


    "I see..." Adam said slowly rising from the ground.


    The extra weight was probably something he could get used to, like many things, though Adam would always feel the increased heaviness.


    It could bepared to Adam suddenly gaining a few extra kilos without changing his appearance. If a person weighs 80 kilograms, he will be able to move at 160 kilograms, slowly, with heaviness, but he could.


    But, if a person weighing 80 kilograms suddenly bes six times as heavy - 480 kilograms, he will not even be able to stand up, and his bones will be broken.


    However, the Phantoms were much stronger than normal people. While the maximum for normal people was about x3 their original weight, for a Phantom, even x5 wasn''t a serious problem, only weighing them down like shackles.


    "If I''m not mistaken I''m about one and a half times heavier now. It''s not pleasant, but I''m almost used to it." Adam said calmly, looking around.


    At first, he was surprised because Silvana didn''t reveal thest area, but the effect wasn''t as strong, at least not yet.


    Adam searched for something to catch his eye. He had to figure out what needed to be done in the gravity zone for the seventh sprout.


    Then, in the distance, he saw a slight distortion of the air and the wind currents rushing towards something. In that ce, many iron pirs were trying to reach the center but stopped by the ground.


    "Hm... It definitely won''t be easy, but I can''t stop. Moreover, I have plenty of time left to finish Elemental Circle." Adam uttered as he closed his eyes and found himself in his space.


    He cast a nce at the six sprouts that were slowly coiling around each other like vines. They were trying to be something whole but were missing thest detail.


    However, that was not what Adam wanted to check. It was important for him to know the condition of the sprouts because the first of them was about to reach the end of its life.


    The reason why Elemental Circlested for one week was quite simple - after six days, the sprouts would start dying like nts that didn''t have enough strength to survive in this cruel world.


    Only when there were enough of them could they withstand the test of fate and continue to evolve.


    Adam still had about 36 hours before the ice sprout would start to die, but he didn''t want to take any chances and was determined to finish everything in the next 24 hours.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam stepped forward, for every ten meters, feeling the pressure increase slightly. It wasn''t critical, but it had a cumtive effect, and soon Adam would have to really try to stand on his feet.


    "Shit... This is getting hard." Adam muttered, climbing up onto the ledge from which many iron pirs protruded. By this point, his weight was already at 5x and that wasn''t the limit.


    Once on the ridge, Adam''s eyes went wide at what he saw.


    In the distance, about a kilometer away, there was a dense ck sphere hovering above the ground. It was small, about the size of a ball, but so heavy that its mass distorted space and made all other objects strive toward it.


    The effect was simr to how thes revolved around a star, but that one was devoid of light because it was a ck hole!


    "Hah, simr to the ck hole, right? However, if it''s dense enough, it''s not a mistake, technically." Adam smiled bitterly as he descended down the slope.


    Thanks to his experience in other zones, he knew it was necessary to move to the ck hole, but... Adam hadpletely forgotten that he wasn''t here alone.


    Crackle.


    A tall silhouette appeared behind him, the ground cracked beneath its powerful feet.


    Adam turned around, he hadn''t realized it was a Gravitational Prismatic Elemental.


    However, before he could realize anything, the Prismatic Elemental grabbed him by the face, lifted him off the ground, and ran forward - straight toward the ck hole.


    The Prismatic Elemental was strong and fast, and its grip was firm. Moreover, the increased gravity was not a problem for the Prismatic Elemental, and Adam felt extra gravity after every meter passed.


    ''Adam! You need to get out of the grip! If he carries you another few hundred meters, your body won''t have time to adapt to the gravity!'' Silvana said quickly, ''Don''t risk yourself! You can always use your abilities!''


    Adam frowned tightly, clutching the monster''s wrist, scratching his palms.


    Tough purple granite with sharp, short points like spikes covered Prismatic Elemental''s body. Purple smoke wasing out of the Elemental''s shoulders, and its head had several horns around it, creating the silhouette of a strange crown.


    "Bastard. Maybe gravity doesn''t work on you, but I get the full effect!" Adam eximed before striking the monster''s wrist with all his might, using his fists folded into a hammer.


    This attack was barely close to causing any damage to the Prismatic Elemental, but it was enough for the monster to loosen its grip.


    At the same moment, Adam was affected by a zone effect that was many times stronger than before. In that short period, in the Elemental''s grip, Adam passed 300 meters out of 1,000 meters on his way to the ck hole, so... it was time to face the consequences.


    Bam.


    Adam''s body copsed to the ground as if an invisible hammer smashed him down with tremendous force.


    "ARGH!!!!"


    Streams of blood rushed from Adam''s mouth and nose, his painful scream echoed around him, drowning out the cracked earth.


    If Adam had slowly moved forward one step at a time, this wouldn''t have happened, but the Prismatic Elemental wasn''t going to let him go, especially now.

 Chapter 99: Seven Sprouts

    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The ground was breaking under the powerful footsteps of the Gravitational Prismatic Elemental, while he steadily approached Adam, who had yet to adapt.


    ''Fuck... I have to get up, or he''ll just finish me off.'' Adam muttered inwardly, clutching the ground and gritting his teeth as he rose.


    First on one knee, then gradually on his feet, but trembling badly, like a fawn, who was taking its first steps. Adam needed time to adapt, but even then, fighting at x10 weight was much harder.


    "Hey, that one is stronger than the other Elementals, isn''t it?" Adam asked, feeling the powerful aura of the Gravity Elemental. It was enough for him to conclude.


    ''Yes. Except for the evolved Elementals, Gravitational One is the strongest because it is in the Red Book. However, its strength will increase as you get closer to the ck hole because you will be weaker and slower.'' Silvana quickly exined.


    Then, she continued.


    ''If you want to win without abilities, you should aim for his limbs. If the Elemental loses an arm or leg, the bnce of his body will change, which means he''ll need to get used to the new weight. It won''t take him long for that to happen, but it will be enough for you to win.''


    Adam smirked.


    "Alright, in that case, I will!" Adam said confidently, stepping forward with his fists clenched tightly.


    Sigh.


    The Elemental''s fist headed towards Adam, almost reaching his face.


    Adam''s eyes filled with surprise, he didn''t understand how the monster could move so fast, but it didn''t matter now, he had to block the attack!


    Adam defended himself with his arms, crossing them in front of him like a shield with a confident smirk.


    ''I may not be able to kill you in a few swings of the needle, but my body is strong enough to withstand the attack of the Blue Threat Level monster!''


    The crunch of bones.


    The impact, threw Adam back a few more meters as the Prismatic Elemental leaped high up, not caring about the gravity that pinned Adam to the ground.


    Adam''s eyes went wide as he stared at his hands shaking from the recoil.


    ''What the fuck...? It was an ordinary punch, but why was it so powerful?! I doubt even a Steel Knight''s punch would have such momentum! ''


    ''Adam!'' Silvana''s voice broke out in his mind, ''It''s all about gravity! Yes, your speed doesn''t affect your defense, but weight also affects the power of the blows of an Elemental whose body is made of solid granite! Moreover, dodge, right now!''


    "Agh...?"


    Adam looked up, only to see the Prismatic Elemental aiming at him. His legs were pressed tightly together,ing down on Adam like a heavenly spear.


    Instincts took control of Adam''s body for a moment, as he jumped back, not thinking about where, but about making it as fast as possible.


    In a heartbeat, the Prismatic Elemental reached the ground, causing a crushing st that threw Adam back a few more meters.


    From the Elemental''snding, a wide crater was left with a surviving chunk of earth. The monster stood in the center, staring menacingly at Adam.


    Adam rolled over the ground from the shockwave, trying to stop, but he was barely able to do so.


    "Fuck!" Adam screamed as theyer of stone was reced by brightly glowing crystals, illuminating this Nest like the sun on the surface.


    This happened many times in seconds as Adam still couldn''t stop until, at one point, something blocked the light of the crystals with its tall figure.


    Their gazes met as the Prismatic Elemental''s foot plunged into Adam''s stomach, throwing him dozens of meters away.


    Silvana, watching the fight from the side, bit down on her finger until it bled. At that moment she began to regret telling Adam about Beth''s message.


    ''Shit! Shit! Shit! I knew it wasn''t necessary! Adam came here to create the Elemental Root, not to suffer! Fucking Beth, does she really think Adam is Damien?


    There''s a whole abyss between them and...!'' Silvana inwardly scolded as a chill ran down her spine at what she was thinking.


    She turned her head from side to side, took a deep breath, and came to her senses.


    ''Calm down. I''m not the one making the decision here, Adam is. What''s more, he can handle it. That''s my job to support him. No one bes great immediately, you have to go the hard path first!''


    Well, Silvana could hardly help Adam, she had already done everything she could on her part. Sure, if Silvana had convinced Adam to use his abilities, then everything would''ve changed, but he was too stubborn to give up in the end.


    He would have gotten the seventh sprout and Elemental Root, but he would have lost to himself. It was unknown which of these was truly more important to Adam and was in priority.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Minute after minute, the Gravitational Elemental attacked Adam using various moves. Adam tried to defend and counterattack, and eventually, he began to seed.


    However, the Gravitational Elemental was pushing Adam towards the ck hole, where he was finding it harder and harder to fight.


    Adam didn''t know how much more his original weight had already be, but he kept fighting no matter what. He adapted, but the pain was constant with every move he made, even lifting his arm and holding it was a challenge.


    All he wanted to do was fall down and leave this ce, but he knew that would lead to his imminent death.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Adam and the Prismatic Elemental attacked simultaneously, plunging their fists into each other''s faces.


    The impact threw them apart as their backs touched the ground. The Prismatic Elemental quickly got up, running towards Adam.


    But... Adam couldn''t do the same.


    He turned around with difficulty, seeing the ck hole beside him - only ten meters away, where the gravity was enormous, almost maximal.


    Then, a chill ran down his back, and goosebumps covered his body. He realized that he struggled to even lift a finger, let alone get up off the ground.


    ''No... Adam, you have to get up... Right now!'' Adam uttered to himself, clenching his teeth tightly.


    He leaned his hand on the ground, barely lifting himself a few centimeters.


    However, the main problem was not gravity, but a terrible pain, bright and distinct, spreading throughout his body. It seemed like his body was ripping apart, and the more he resisted, the worse the pain would be.


    Adam didn''t know it, but that was the test of this zone for someone who wasn''t immune to gravity like the Prismatic Elemental.


    Back then, Adam was fighting for his life and to achieve his goal. For the sake of that, he could endure any pain.


    "ARGHHHH!!!" Adam roared like a wild beast as his eyes filled with blood and several veins burst.


    At the same moment, the Prismatic Elemental raised his fist to attack, about to finish Adam off.


    A purple spark appeared in Adam''s inner space, giving life to the seventh sprout.


    Then, he felt a forgotten lightness, as well as incredible strength, as if he had thrown off the shackles weighing several tons and restraining his every movement.


    "Hah... It feels so good to fulfill a goal, even if through pain..." Adam muttered with a happy smile beforeunching his strike.


    Crackle.


    The Prismatic Elemental''s head exploded from Adam''s fist, shattering into splinters, the massive body fell at his feet, pressing into the ground.


    Silvana''s eyes went wide. Previously, Adam''s attacks could only scratch the Prismatic Elemental. This was a whole other level!


    "Alright... Only the most important thing left." Adam muttered tightly, clenching his blood-covered fist.

 Chapter 100: Elemental Root

    Adam nced at the ck hole floating serenely above the ground and smiled slightly.


    He could feel the seven sprouts slowly merging together, but... they needed a little push from their owner.


    ''You can do it right now. There is no more threat around.'' Silvana said calmly, barely containing her emotions.


    Though by nature Silvana was cold and serious, right now she wanted to jump for joy, for she was genuinely happy for Adam.


    If a month ago they were strangers to each other who decided to work together, they gradually became inseparable partners.


    "Hey... With Revolve, I can absorb Essence from Essence Monster, right?" Adam asked.


    "Yes... but why did you decide to ask that now?"


    Adam smirked.


    "I was just wondering what would happen if I tried to absorb it." Adam stepped forward as his eyes shone brightly.


    Silver threads covered his left hand, turning into ws, then a white swirl appeared under his palm.


    Before Silvana could realize anything, Adam reached forward, clutching the ck hole.


    Silvana''s eyes went wide, to her shame, she didn''t know what would happen in such a case. She didn''t even know if it was possible to absorb the energy blob with Revolve.


    However... Someone watching Adam at that moment knew the answer to that question.


    "Well, well, the urge to experiment? That''s good. Someday it will make him burn hard, perhaps too hard, but without it, you can''t know what is beyond theprehension of others." The man sitting in the shadows smirked. He was clearly pleased with Adam''s decision.


    ra looked at him with a confused expression.


    "Revolve can absorb anything...? Even simple energy...?" ra asked in disbelief.


    "Hah, of course not. In that case, energy crystals would be prepared for the Phantoms, and we''d never get tired. Eternal killing machines." The man smirked.


    Then, he continued.


    "Revolve can only absorb things that are rted to genes, but that doesn''t mean only genes alone. As you know, Essence also falls under that category, because it bes part of the monster and, therefore, linked to genes."


    ra frowned.


    "In that case, he''s risking for nothing now. A ck hole in the gravity zone is dangerous. If he makes a mistake orcks force, the explosive power will tear his arm into pieces of flesh." ra said seriously. She had seen enough deaths and gruesome injuries in her life, both ordinary humans and Phantoms.


    The man waved his hand, getting up from his chair and heading for the exit.


    "Normally, this wouldn''t make sense, but considering he''s creating Elemental Root right now, it will have an effect. He won''t get stronger, but this way he''s controlling the process. Anyway, I''m off. There''s nothing else to see here."


    Before ra could say anything, the man disappeared, leaving behind several chocte bar wrappers.


    "Tsk. Do I have to clean up after him again? I bet he does that on purpose when there''s no one else around." ra frowned, but soon a slight smile appeared on her face.


    Among the people living in the Second or First Ring, as well as in the centers of the Bastions, some underestimated the work of the Phantoms. More specifically, themon people thought that the Phantoms were getting too much money, power, and opportunities for hunting monsters.


    They could not be med for this, because the government never publicly showed the tragedies and horrible deaths of the Phantoms, entire squads.


    This information wasn''t ssified, anyone could ess it if they wanted to, but... people didn''t like to search, they preferred to discuss what they were shown.


    However, the military didn''t have that luxury. After the Harvesters, they knew best what was going on in the Dead Lands, and were often victims themselves.


    Thus, the closer themon man was to the work of the Phantoms, the more he respected what they did. The military and Harvesters were the most loyal and even devoted to the Phantoms. They were willing to do anything for them because they realized that the Phantoms were their future and hope.


    ...


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ck hole trembled, slowly destroying Adam''s silver ws. However, he wasn''t going to back down, for he wanted to find out what would happen when his Revolve consumed the ck hole.


    "Come, just a little more!" Adam frowned as he squeezed the ck hole tighter, damaging, both himself and the dark object that began to deform under the pressure from all sides.


    Soon, a white vortex began to suck the ck hole into itself like a cosmic funnel.


    Adam''s eyes sparkled. He saw that his idea was sessfully aplished.


    However, he didn''t yet know how big a mistake it was, for one thing, it was an unpleasant process.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The ck hole ended up in the Adam''s inner space. Theoretically, anything that Revolve was capable of absorbing could fall in here, but... it wasn''t Adam who decided what could be inside, it was something else.


    While, the purple liquid flowed through the inner space among the stars, looking for a new home, the Evolution Tree began to tremble.


    Then, after analyzing the new object in space, the Evolution Tree shone brightly, causing the violet liquid to run away.


    At the same moment, Adam''s eyes opened wide, and powerful pain points spread throughout his body. He felt an eerie pain, everywhere at once, while purple liquid wasing out of his body, from his eyes, nose, and ears.


    "ARGHHHHHHH!!!"


    Adam screamed in agony, so far, nothing more painful had ever happened to him.


    If gravity was pressing on him from the outside, now something like this was from the inside. The pain was barely endurable, and the worst part was that Adam didn''t know the cause.


    After a few minutes, when Adam almost passed out, the purple liquid was almost out of his space. However, a small part remained, unwilling to leave the ce as if it had a special purpose.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Before turning into an Elemental Root, one of the Sprouts decided to separate and headed towards the purple liquid. It was a gravitational sprout - thest and most difficult for Adam.


    Sprout twisted around the purple liquid like a vine, actively absorbing it and growing slightlyrger. Also, the seventh sprout now had three leaves instead of one like the others.


    "What the hell... What''s going on...?" Adam muttered while trickles of blood flowed from the corners of his mouth.


    Then, without Adam''s help, the seven sprouts began to fuse into one, bing Elemental Root.


    Adam''s eyes shone brightly, temporarily changing color seven times: blue, azure, green, brown, purple, red, and violet.


    The seven sprouts turned into a massive root that was slightly smaller than the others but was worthy to be a part of this great power - settling in the center, like the base of a mountain.


    Elemental Rootbined all seven colors, but violet dominated significantly, covering over 70% of the root.


    [You got Elemental Root!]


    [For some reason, one of the elements dominates more than the others. The dominant element has been chosen, no random selection]


    [Touch the Elemental Root to understand the effects of your new power!]


    "Good..." Adam muttered with a slight smile before falling asleep.

 Chapter 101: Recovery in Bastion and prepare for Eclipse

    Adam finished Elemental Circle faster than most Phantoms. It didn''t take him seven full days, but just over five.


    However... Adam decided to take a chance and absorb the ck hole from the gravity zone, and it couldn''t go without consequences. Especially, for his body.


    Moreover, the wounds he received during the ordeal didn''t vanish anywhere. It took time and medical attention for Adam to be ready to return to battle again.


    ...


    "Oh..." Adam sighed, slowly opening his eyes, seeing light instead of thick darkness for the first time in a long time.


    "It''s... It''s too bright." Adam squeezed his eyes shut, covering himself with his hand.


    Whoosh.


    Silvana swung her arms, closing the curtains, leaving a gap for only a few rays of sunlight.


    Before Adam could say anything, Silvana held out a container of prepared food. It was obvious that she had made it herself rather than ordered it.


    "I see... Punishment, right? Well, looks like I didn''t manage to trick you." Adam smiled, taking the container.


    Silvana nodded with a calm look. Strangely, she was used to seeing Adam injured and waking up in the hospital room. It was a natural process, a part of life that would be repeated, again and again.


    Adam was about to take his first bite when his gaze traveled to his left arm, covered in several tiny scars.


    Silvana noticed it and said:


    "The doctors have done their best, to get rid of the scarspletely, you need to go to Jena, she can easily handle it. Although... You did hurt your arm pretty badly trying to absorb the ck hole."


    Adam smiled bitterly, raising his hand and examining his palm for a while.


    "Huh, looks like I should be punished for my stubbornness as well. Let these scars remain, for now."


    Saying this, Adam remembered Sirgus, his fallen mate. He had a scar, though he could definitely get rid of it. Adam didn''t know why, but now he began to understand.


    Scars were the only physical embodiment of memories that could not be lost, unlike photos or records. Perhaps scars often reminded of something painful or bad, but they were still part of a particr person''s history.


    "Sure. How do you feel? What you did at the end was a surprise, but Elemental Circle itself is quite a dangerous challenge. Fortunately, you could not just survive it, but pass it." Silvana smiled slightly. She couldn''t help but be pleased at another one of Adam''s sesses.


    "Not only that." Adam smirked as he closed his eyes, moving into inner space.


    Silvana got a confused expression.


    "Agh...?"


    "Though it was insanely painful, it wasn''t useless. It looks like Elemental Root was supposed to randomly choose a core element, but I was able to influence it."


    Adam had no particr preference for an element. He didn''t dream of being able to summon fireballs, or waves, or freeze entire rivers. He was willing to use whatever fate gave him, whether - silver threads or a lightning artifact.


    However, if he had to choose from the seven elements in his sprouts, he would pick the gravity one. He remained impressed by the zone effect and the power of the Prismatic Elemental, who had practically defeated him.


    Adam took a few steps, approaching the Elemental Root and touching it.


    [Gravitational Elemental Root


    Through your trial, in a tough form, you have been able to temper your body like a master cksmith forging a sword out of a hard metal. Your senses have be slightly sharper, and your resistance to elemental damage has increased significantly, as well as the limit of what you can withstand.


    Gravitational Part: Your gravitational bnce has been a little expanded and bnced, slightly increasing your speed and strength through various processes. Also, your resistance to gravitational effects far exceeds your resistance to other elements].


    Adam nodded contentedly as he took a few steps back and looked at his Evolution Tree.


    Great work had been done since he had be a Phantom. His Evolution Tree had gotten bigger and got additional branches, Power Gene, and Elemental Root.


    "Damn... If I had seen this in the beginning, I would have thought that with such an Evolution Tree, I would be omnipotent, but..." Adam nced at Lock and the three keyholes, "So far, I''ve only taken one step forward."


    ...


    Adam spent the next few days at Bastion Radon, in no hurry to leave. At Fort Calden, he''d gotten the treatment he needed, but some of his wounds required time to fully recover.


    During this time, Adam had gotten a better idea of how things worked at Bastion Radon and how Bastion differed from the Citadel.


    In fact, the only major difference was that Bastion Radon seemed to be a unified ce. Sure, it had its organizations, and leaders that fought with each other and rivals. However, they were at the mercy of their Second Rank Phantom, and everyone epted it.


    In Bastion Radon, there was no division into factions like in Citadel, much less Lower and Upper Rings. It was a single mechanism, doing everything to evolve with full confidence in its supreme protector.


    Ordinary people couldin endlessly about their lives and be dissatisfied with something, but, deep inside realized, that they owed everything to the Military and the Phantoms.


    ...


    Crackle.


    Adam stepped out of the shower stall, tying a towel around his waist and moving toward his clothes.


    Oddly enough, someone was standing in the aisle, amidst the streams of steam.


    "Hey, is it just me, or has your body be much more desirable?" ra said with a mischievous smile on her face.


    Adam was surprised by her appearance, but he also cast a quick nce at his body.


    Only then did he realize that all his muscles had be more defined, and his overall shape was closer to perfect proportions. The reason was that he lost a few kilos in a week, as well as the struggles he was going through.


    "What are you doing here?" Adam tilted his head in confusion.


    ra had watched him pass Elemental Circle, but this was their second encounter.


    "You''re going back to the Citadel one of these days, aren''t you?" ra asked with a dangerous glint in her eyes.


    Adam nodded quietly. There was nothing more for him to do at Bastion Radon. He was almost recovered,pleted Elemental Circle, and was ready to move on.


    One of his goals was to go to the Lower Ring, but before that, he needed to reach the peak of his power in K1. His Artifact was thest stage, which meant Essence Monster was his main opponent.


    "Well... I suggest you stay a little longer because there''s going to be an eclipse in two days."


    "An eclipse...?" Adam muttered in a daze.


    He missed it all the time because he was wounded and took a long time to recover from his missions, but every Phantom had to go through the eclipse constantly.


    "Yes. We don''t know why, but there have only been two eclipses in thest month, meaning their frequency has decreased. However, we know when the next one will be and that it will be strong, because the monsters have be too active."


    Silence.


    ra smirked, "Agree. It''s a personal request from both me and the Phantoms. Moreover, you might be able to see or even fight a new-to-you Type of the Monsters."


    "Agh... Another Type...?" Adam muttered as an excited smile unknowingly formed on his face.

 Chapter 102: The Elevator

    The wind currents swept over Adam''s shoulders, lightly ruffling his ck hair, which rose slightly longer. His blue eyes grew, not only deeper but filled with the wisdom of painful experiences and aplishments infused with delight.


    His gaze was fixed on the bright sun, which would disappear over the horizon in a few hours and leave its ce for the moon.


    The moon brought peace and tranquility, just like the countless stars in the night sky.


    However, no one would see the moon today, for it was the day of the Eclipse.


    Eclipses urred at night, hiding the moon and causing almost all light to disappear, even in the dark.


    Adam had spent the past two days preparing for the Eclipse, more on the informational side. In those two days, however, he''d had time to do some training and eaten enough to fill himself up for a month.


    Eclipses were nothing new to Adam, as they were to everyone in the Citadel. However, all he knew was that the Eclipses were dangerous, and the Phantoms put a lot of effort into defending their home.


    "There won''t be any night monsters among the invading monsters, right?" Adam muttered, wanting to be sure of his knowledge.


    ''Most likely. Although the time is appropriate, night monsters rarely gather inrge groups, especially in massive waves of monsters that will strike the Bastion. However, the most important factor is the light.'' Silvana said calmly.


    At the same moment, several massive spotlights shone brightly, illuminating everything in front of the northern gate of the Bastion Radon. The lights would be an arena for the Phantoms, giving them an advantage and a shield from the night monsters.


    These spotlights weren''t the only ones, but most were still inactive as their turn woulde at night.


    Sure, the monsters were not afraid of light, they were creatures tearing their enemies apart without fear and with true violence.


    Still, the spotlights had their uses, especially during the Eclipse, not just on a normal night.


    As Silvana had said, the night monsters did not bunch up in groups, much less in waves. Moreover, the light annoyed them since they weren''t used to it. It didn''t affect their fighting ability, but these two factors greatly reduced the chances of them appearing on this night.


    However, this only really worked during the Eclipse. If the Phantoms went on a normal night mission, they didn''t have any bright spotlights or monster waves.


    ...


    ''Adam, you need to move to your squad. You''ll be defending the left area in front of the north gate.'' Silvana said calmly, asionally receiving data and rying information to him.


    "Sure. It''s almost time." Adam muttered, walking along the wall - towards the elevator.


    He passed next to the military men, who were especially numerous today. Their rifles were useless, but grenades could distract monsters, andser turrets could hurt White and Green Threat Level Monsters.


    The military men nodded respectfully with serious faces. They knew that against monsters above Green Threat Level, only Phantoms could help them.


    "Alright, twenty minutes left, right?" Adam muttered, nced at his watch, and reached for the elevator panel, about to head downstairs - to the gate.


    "Wait!!!!"


    Suddenly, a worried voice sounded as a girl in blue winter clothes headed towards the elevator. Her eyes were filled with anxiety and seemed... shame?


    At thest moment, Adam reached his hands forward, preventing the elevator from closing. With a little effort, he pushed aside the iron tes, weighing several hundred kilos each.


    Then, the girl rocketed forward, finding herself right next to Adam.


    "Whew! I made it, thanks for holding up the elevator!" The girl said with an excited smile, fixing her blue hair. The unruly ends were constantlying out of her neatly folded ponytail, bobbing in front of her light freckles and green eyes.


    "Wait... You''re..." Adam muttered, slightly surprised, for he knew who the girl was.


    The girl''s eyes went wide as she held out her hand.


    "Hey, you''re Adam, aren''t you? My name is Alexia, nice to meet you!" She said vigorously.


    Adam nodded, shaking her hand.


    "Yeah, me too."


    Alexia was no random Phantom, for she was the leader of the K1-Left North Squad. This Squad was not official, since it was created for this night to defend the left area of the north gate.


    There were two squads at each gate, as well as four more at diagonal points, creating a protective circle of Phantoms around the Bastion. Their primary goal was to hold off the monsters until morning, killing monsters was a secondary goal.


    There were also K0, K2, K3, and K4-Squads, all located at different points and distances from the Bastion. All of this had been thought out and calcted beforehand for maximum effect.


    Alexia had be their leader. That could only mean one thing - she was worthy of it as well as her skills.


    ''Hmm... Just like in the picture, she doesn''t look like someone strong or formidable at all. However...'' Adam pondered, looking at Alexia as his gaze headed towards her Nexus.


    Like Adam, Alexia''s Nexus was not a weapon, butbat gloves, made of cold metal with several tubesing out of the far side of the gloves, near her elbows.


    ''Her Nexus doesn''t look at all as harmless as she does. Moreover, even though we''re about to fight waves of monsters, she looks as carefree as a child.''


    "Adam... You''re looking at me so intently." Alexia muttered, with flushed cheeks biting her fingertip, "Do you really like me?"


    Adam raised an eyebrow puzzled, crossed his arms over his chest, and turned away with a calm look.


    "This isn''t the first time you''ve defended Bastion Radon, is it?"


    Alexia''s corners of her mouth lifted upward slightly.


    "You''re not wrong."


    Adam nced at her.


    "Do you have any advice? It''s my first time."


    Alexia nodded.


    "Beat your enemies, help your allies. However, if you decide to go it alone, take control of your area and stay out of my way."


    A slight chill went down Adam''s back, for Alexia''s appearance and soft tone didn''t match her words, at all.


    ''Interesting...'' Adam internally muttered, ''Looks like my squad has a really strong leader this time.''


    Crackle.


    The elevator opened.


    Adam and Alexia walked through the grand north gate, heading for the left area, where several dozen Phantoms were already waiting for them. Some didn''t look particrly strong, but there were enough people here with powerful auras - they couldpete with Adam.


    "Agh..." Alexia took a deep breath, looking at the sun going behind the horizon line, "It''s going to be a long night tonight. I advise you not to die because that''s not cool!"


    "Tsk. Thanks for the tip." Some Phantom smiled bitterly, shaking his head.


    It seemed Adam wasn''t the only one who was surprised that someone like Alexia was their leader, but no one was going to figure it out. They had one goal - to defeat the monsters. There were no enemies here, only allies.


    Soon, after thirty minutes, the sun was gone, allowing the moon to gradually rise. However, instead of the moon, everyone saw only a thin disk of light - the only thing left of the moon in the eclipse.


    Then, all the floodlights turned on simultaneously, illuminating the area around Bastion.


    "ROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRR!!!"


    The terrifying roars echoed in the distance, resonating amongst themselves like the belligerent howls of an entire army.

 Chapter 103: Monster Type

    The terrifying roar was heard by everyone. Not only the Phantoms and Military but the residents of Bastion as well.


    Sure, ordinary people had nothing to worry about, or rather... nothing depended on them. They could only hope that the Phantoms would fulfill their task, as always.


    Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.


    After just a few minutes, hundreds of shadows appeared in the distance, moving straight at them with tremendous speed.


    There were many monsters, but their auras were stable and moderately strong. Enough to be a threat to K1-Squad, but for the sake of victory, they would have to try hard.


    The monsters targeted opponents with the right level of strength. Roughly speaking, the Left North Squad won''t face a monster whose threat level is higher than the purple one. However, it was unlikely they would encounter green ones, and they definitely wouldn''t face white threat-level monsters.


    "Who''s that?" Adam asked, staring intently at the running monsters. The light had already gotten on them, thus Adam could get a closer look at them.


    ''It''s Snow Imots, Blue Threat Level, White Book.'' Silvana replied calmly.


    Snow Imots had a muscr build with broad chests and chunky paws. They moved like goris, using their powerful hind paws and shaking the ground with their front ones.


    They were protected from the cold by a thick hide, not every de could cut through it, but only a particrly sharp one. An additional defense was the dense white fur.


    Snow Imots didn''t have ws, but they had something better - powerful jaws with two long fangs extending beyond their maws.


    Adam stepped forward, intending to be one of the first to face the Snow Imots. He didn''t run from challenges and was ready to fight the monsters for as long as it took.


    ''Wait.''


    However, Silvana''s voice stopped him.


    ''Don''t be in a hurry. The eclipse willst for quite a while, until sunrise, meaning you should save your energy for the whole night. There''s no point in wasting energy, much less abilities, on such weak monsters. If one of themes up, kill it, but with simple attacks.'' Silvana said confidently.


    She knew what Adam was capable of as well as Snow Imots, and it was obvious to her that Snow Imots were too weak.


    After all, although everyone in the Left North Squad was K1-Phantoms, they were not equal. Some had just revealed their Lock, while others were at the peak of their strength and would soon be ready to create a First Key.


    Adam cast a nce at Alexia. Unlike the other Phantoms, she was in no hurry to join the fight. She nodded from time to time as she listened to her Operator.


    "Come on! What are you waiting for? The monsters are right in front of us!" A man with a long spear eximed, rushing into battle like a mad warrior.


    "ROOOAAAAARR!!!" Snow Imot roared furiously, lunging at the man, extending his powerful paws, heavy as hammers, towards him.


    The man smirked, took a step forward, and swung his spear, ending up behind Snow Imot and leaving a long cut on the monster''s chest.


    Then, the man continued to attack until Snow Imot helplessly fell to the ground.


    "Hahaha, that was easy!" The manughed confidently.


    Bam.


    A massive paw threw the man aside, causing his eyes to go wide with bright pain. The man rolled over the snow, unable to stop, while Snow Imot stepped forward, but... that one was a little different.


    Instead of two long fangs, it had four, and the blue runes on its powerful paws shone brightly. It was Fury Snow Imot - Blue Threat Level, Red Book.


    Oddly enough, Fury Imot did not attack the man further, instead, the monster headed towards a stronger opponent - Alexia.


    However, Alexia wasn''t paying attention to Fury Imot at all, she just looked away with a thoughtful gaze. It seemed that Fury Imot was not worthy of her concern.


    "ROOOAARRRR!!!"


    The monster sensed this, going into a rage at such neglect towards itself. Fury Imot ran at Alexia, shaking the ground beneath it.


    "Look out!" Someone shouted, but... Alexia didn''t react in any way.


    Bam.


    The monster''s fist came down on her face, plunging her into the ground, into the depths of the high snow. Blood spurted from her nose, and her gaze finally stopped being hazy.


    "What the hell...?" Alexia raised an eyebrow in confusion, "You decided to fight me? Are you serious? Damn, I can''t believe it. Have your instincts snapped?"


    It seemed that not only Phantoms but also Fury Imot was puzzled, for Alexia was looking at him like a harmless animal. Even if she was stronger, the reactions were too careless.


    "Alright, you decided to do it yourself." Alexia shrugged before stepping forward.


    Whoooooooosh.


    In a dash, whizzing across the snow and slippery ice, Alexia found herself right in front of Fury Imot. She jumped slightly, just enough to bring her fist down on Fury Imot''s head, from top to bottom, diagonally.


    Vibrations went through the monster''s thick hide, like ground from an earthquake, then the impact, nailed Fury Imot''s to the earth, and the momentum from the impact exploded the monster''s head.


    "Agh...!"


    Alexia yawned, stretching, it seemed as easy for her as killing a mosquito.


    The phantoms looked at her in surprise for a while, then they smiled and went back to fighting. It was important for them to see what their leader was capable of. It greatly increased their fighting spirit!


    ''Oh, that was strong...'' Adam pondered while being impressed.


    He looked at his fist with a deep gaze.


    ''Hmm... I might be able to kill that monster with one punch, but would I be able to blow its head off? Well, I''ll find out soon. I haven''t tested my new powers in battle yet!''


    Soon, the Snow Imots became much less, it seemed that the Left North Squad had dealt with the first wave of monsters.


    However, someone special soon appeared in the distance. It was a single Snow Imot, with others following behind, and gradually, more and more of them appeared.


    This Snow Imot did not have extra fangs or protective tes on its body, nor was it a Crown or Essence Type.


    But, there was one detail that distinguished this Snow Imot from all the others - a visible blue aura around it, an icy crown on its head, and cross-shaped pupils as if signaling an unshakable order.


    At the same moment, Snow Imot opened its maw wide, letting out a roar that spread for hundreds of meters around.


    However, there was no rage or malice in its roar - only the majesty and warlike spirit of a military chief of a formidable army.


    As the roar passed, the bodies of the other Snow Imots were covered in the sameyer of blue energy, and their pupils turned golden.


    With the arrival of this unusual Snow Imot, and especially after its roar, all the Phantoms became wary. No one was smiling anymore, only serious faces and the mood for a bloody battle.


    It was easy to understand their reactions because the monster in front of them was one of the Conqueror Type!

 Chapter 104: Conqueror Type

    Prime Type, Crown Type, Essence Type, and Conqueror Type - these and all existing Types, were created out of necessity, not for convenience in categorizing monsters.


    Each Type was different in some way because if a monster was simply stronger or bigger than the others, threat level and white/red book were more than enough to determine the danger of the monster.


    In a way, Type was a reward, a title that only the worthy could earn. Those who possessed something unique, towering above the rest.


    Prime Type was the epitome of strength and power. Crown Type represented experience and countless battles, and Essence Type was pure firepower.


    The Conqueror Type was somewhat unusual even among the other Types, as the main threat of this Type was not the monster but its subordinates.


    Snow Imots were Blue Threat Level monsters, even a thousand of them were not capable of defeating dozens of Phantoms working together.


    However... any army, even the weakest, could be many times stronger and more effective with the arrival of a worthy leader.


    Conqueror Snow Imot not only boosted the morale of its fellows but actually made them stronger. It was enough to move them one step higher, making them almost as strong as Fury Snow Imots.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    The Snow Imots burst forward, with blue auras around their bodies and golden eyes filled with confidence.


    "Alright. Keep your distance and split into small groups! If you''re going to use abilities, take turns! You shouldn''t needlessly waste such a valuable resource!" Alexia said confidently before rushing forward. Despite her words, she ran alone with a serious look.


    Adam cast a nce at her. He realized that Alexia was strong, but wasn''t sure if it was the right decision.


    "Hey! You!" A man with a massive sword called out to Adam, with two other Phantoms standing beside him.


    "Let''s work together before this wave is over."


    ''Agreeing would be the right thing to do.'' Silvana said calmly, ''They''re quite capable and won''t be a burden to you. At least for the first wave.''


    Adam nodded.


    "Sure. If there are too many Snow Imots, I''ll use my Nexus. You can count on me." Adam said calmly before running up to them.


    A few secondster, their group of four faced the first boosted Snow Imots.


    The monsters were slightlyrger, five, but their temporary leader took on two of them, holding them back until the others could help him.


    ''Hmm... At the moment, I''m able to handle most Purple Threat Level monsters, these ones are obviously weaker, but will it be easy without abilities?'' Adam pondered, taking a step forward.


    Snow Imot''s pupils narrowed as the monster raised its paw to attack, thrusting its tight fist towards Adam.


    Snow Imots had no unique abilities, unusual body parts, limbs, or organs. All they could count on was their powerful bodies and massive fists.


    Phantoms, when fighting Snow Imots, had to avoid the strengths of their opponents, thus Adam would have to dodge this strike to thenunch a series of quick attacks. This was the most pragmatic and effective way to battle Snow Imots.


    However, Adam wasn''t going to dodge, he just clenched his fist tightly and countered in the same way.


    Smack.


    Their fists shed, one was several times bigger, like a giant about to smack an ant.


    However... if the ant was big enough, then lifting even a dozen giants wouldn''t be a problem.


    Tremble.


    The impact caused a ring of wind diverging to the sides as the momentum traveled through Adam''s arm straight to the monster''s fist.


    "RRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!"


    The shockwave threw Snow Imot aside with a painful roar, as three of the monster''s four fingers were broken.


    Adam looked at his fist as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    ''I could probably throw him back before passing Elemental Circle, but not that far, and I wouldn''t break his fingers.'' Adam pondered, gradually realizing exactly how much stronger he had be.


    Adam was under no illusions. He realized that Elemental Circle as well as Elemental Root were mostly defense mechanisms. It made him stronger, but only a little bit, one step. Adam just wanted to find out how long that step was and activebat was the most appropriate ce for that.


    "Good job. It looks like someone decided to focus on physical strength, doesn''t it?" The girl with red hair smiled as she swung her long axe.


    Without resistance, the axe entered the monster''s shoulder, letting out streams of blood flying in front of the redhead''s predatory eyes.


    "You''re right. They''re not bad." Adam muttered, staring at the leader of the group and the young man with blue hair. Together, the five of them formed quite a powerful team. None of them had yet to use their Order.


    ''Yes, but you shouldn''t rx, you haven''t dealt with your opponent yet.'' Silvana said calmly.


    Adam turned around.


    Snow Imot was holding onto his paw with a pained look, and strangely enough, the monster decided to retreat!


    ''''He''s running away...? This aura, not only made them stronger but also gave them a boost in intelligence?" Adam raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.


    Then, he shrugged and ran forward with all speed. Under his quick and powerful strides, the ice cracked, preventing the monster from getting too far away.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Adam leaped forward, jumping over the monster and doing a somersault. His foot came down right on Snow Imot''s head, driving it into the ground with a loud crack from the breaking skull.


    "Alright, this one''s ready." Adam shook the dust off his hands and summoned Revolve.


    [Received the gene of the Snow Imot (Enhanced) - x2]


    ''Hmm? Two genes at once? Hmph, it looks like Conqueror Type not only transferred its power to them but also made their internal resources reach the next level.'' Adam internally muttered before heading forward, for the next group of Snow Imots was already moving to their side!


    Their group was doing well without any problems. Only their leader had to use his Order, as he was constantly taking on two or even three Snow Imots.


    Soon, the Snow Imots began to avoid them as they realized they couldn''t win. However, this was happening everywhere, because even with a boost, Snow Imots couldn''t defeat so many K1-Phantoms.


    There were still localized battles in some ces, but there was one spot that Snow Imots avoided, like the gue.


    Strangely enough, only one person was standing there, Alexia, with over twenty corpses of the Snow Imots lying around her.


    There was a little blood on her face, and her gaze was calm and serene as usual. She stretched her shoulder as she slowly stepped forward towards Conqueror Snow Imot.


    It seemed like her battle was easy or even harmless, but... an unprepared person would probably be horrified by the sight.


    Snow Imots weren''t just lying dead on the ground. Their bodies had been torn apart, some had their heads blown off, some had their spines ripped out, and some had just been turned into a piece of meat.


    "Fine, the next wave should being soon, so let''s finish this quickly." Alexia said with an emotionless face, staring intently at Conqueror Snow Imot.

 Chapter 105: Worms

    When a dangerous opponent appeared on the battlefield, especially some Type, everyone prepared for a serious fight. This was natural, after all, any Type was dangerous and could lead to death if the Phantoms were reckless.


    However, this was only true if the powers were equal. Sure, Conqueror Type, like any other Type, was no joke, but... it wasn''t like that for everyone.


    "Shit... What they said about her is true..." Some Phantom muttered with wide eyes and a nervous smile on his face.


    The girl standing next to him nodded.


    "Yeah, good thing she ended up in our Bastion this week. Even though she looks more dangerous than the monsters, it''s much better to have someone like her on your side than against, isn''t it?"


    The Phantoms tossed words around, giving each other their impressions. They had a little time to take a break before the next monsters appeared.


    Adam was no exception, he too, without taking his gaze away, stared at Alexia for a while.


    She was sitting on top of Conqueror Snow Imot''s head, with her legs hanging down. It would have been all right, but the monster''s body was twisted at odd angles in some ces, as if someone had taken it by the paws and started whirling it in different directions, breaking it like a toy.


    Broken bones protruded outward like open fractures, and the monster''s organs were scattered around, falling out of its gutted abdomen.


    Despite this gruesome scene, Alexia didn''t look mad, tired, or scared, at all. There was hardly any emotion on her face. She just, from time to time, looked at the area that was under her control.


    Now, she was not just the leader of their Squad, but a top predator who was going to destroy anyone who entered her territory.


    ''Hey, I don''t remember you looking at any woman for so long. Is that love at first sight?'' Silvana said with a slight sneer.


    Adam shook his head.


    "No. I just feel something strange. I wouldn''t be surprised if some Phantom berserker, fierce on the inside and menacing looking on the outside, did this to Conqueror Snow Imot."


    ''Well, I''m sure you know you shouldn''t judge people by appearances. Appearances can be deceiving.''


    Adam nodded.


    "Yeah, but I don''t fully believe that. One way or another, all of our actions, decisions, and temperament, affect our lifestyle and therefore - our appearance. Maybe slightly, but still. Seeing a scene like this is just too contrasting."


    ...


    Time passed, and soon, a second wave headed towards them. Among them were also Snow Imots, but this time, there were massive lizards with long legs and wide webbed necks.


    However, it was still Blue Theat Level, nothing the Phantoms couldn''t handle.


    As Silvana had said, Adam wasn''t using his abilities, trying to conserve as much strength as possible. With his stamina level, he could dash from side to side and hit with his fists for a week.


    Horned Lizards were no problem for him, to defeat one such monster, Adam only needed to throw a couple straight punches to the lizard''s face or rip its horns out of its head.


    ''One more and another and another and another...'' Adam muttered to himself endlessly, killing one monster after the other.


    This went on for a while until he realized that no more monsters wanted to approach him. It was the natural reaction of monsters - their instinct of self-preservation.


    Adam was not the only one who was alone on the battlefield. Alexia and several other Phantoms out of the dozens were also in the same situation.


    They were the strongest in their squad and had to wait for the next waves of more powerful monsters to arrive.


    However, none of them were going to stand by and watch their teammates fight their monsters and get wounded. This was not a survival game where only one winner could be, but a war where you had to kill your enemies and save your allies!


    "Tsk. Decided you can avoid me? Fine, I have a way to reach each one of you!" Adam''s eyes glowed as the needle appeared in his hand, the first grip.


    Then, he began to gradually unwind it, lengthening the connecting thread and preparing to throw.


    Adam looked for a suitable target, and soon, he saw several lizards surrounding the man with arge shield. He tried to defend himself, but the lizards kept crashing into his shield with their sharp horns, gradually pushing him back.


    The other Phantoms were too busy to help him, they had to solve their own problems first.


    "Fuck, where did so many of youe from? I''m used to defending, but not against this kind of pressure!" The man gritted his teeth, looking at his trembling hands. He felt that just a little more and the Horned Lizards would be able to break through his protection.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly, he saw in the distance a light glint that traveled across a long silver thread. Then, the thread passed through the Horned Lizards, cutting them into even pieces, with perfect precision, as if a surgeon was working with a sharp scalpel.


    The man was puzzled for a brief period, then he looked at Adam, who nodded slightly and headed on - to the aid of another Phantom.


    "Hah, I was hoping that this time I could perform at my best and be one of the captains, but... I''m clearlycking in strength. I definitely need to get new abilities otherwise I''ll be standing still!" The man shook his head,ining.


    Well, he didn''t have time for that, as two more Horned Lizards were already aiming for him.


    "Shit!" The man''s eyes went wide as he swung his shield, defending himself.


    ...


    Like the first wave, the second wave soon came to an end.


    "Damn... It''s been a long time since I''ve seen so many monsters, dead ones..." Adam muttered, looking around. He had already killed dozens, and the Phantoms had already killed over a thousand.


    However, this was not the limit, it had only been two hours, it was still a long night ahead and the most dangerous monsters had yet to appear.


    Adam nced at Alexia, she had fought the most dangerous monsters in the second wave as usual - the two Prime Horned Lizards.


    This time, Alexia couldn''t manage without wounds - there were a few scratches on her face, but that was all the price for using just her Order. Other Phantoms could kill these lizards too, but they would have to expend a lot more resources to do so.


    ''Hm... I''ve met Phantoms stronger and more experienced, but among my level, she''s the most impressive. Even Zera can hardlypare to her. I wonder if she is already at the peak of the K1.'' Adam pondered while gazing at Alexia.


    For some reason, his eyes kept returning to her, even though he didn''t want to.


    It wasn''t sympathy as Silvana had suggested, he just wondered what she was hiding. At least he hoped she was.


    Soon, snow clouds rose in the distance, as something was throwing tonnes of snow upwards, moving towards them.


    It was obvious that these monsters were huge, as their silhouettes looked like ancient snakes - immense and creepy, but... they had no eyes.


    "Fuck... I didn''t think they would show up this early." Someone muttered looking at the creepy jaw of a massive worm, with a thousand teeth rotating inside.

 Chapter 106: Giants (Part 1)

    In the third wave, things were getting much moreplicated. The Snow Imots and Horned Lizards hadn''t disappeared, they were moving toward the Left North Squad, but now they weren''t the main threat to the Phantoms.


    Several huge worms, each the size of a train, were bearing down directly on the Phantoms with the sole intention of turning them into chunks of meat by slicing them with their sharp teeth.


    "Silvana." Adam said seriously, preparing for battle.


    ''Yes. This is Worm Crushers, Purple Threat Level, White Book. However, I''m sure some Type will appear soon, so be prepared to face the Red Book one.'' Silvana quickly replied while rying the necessary information to him.


    "Hm. Such a fitting name... Those jaws look more than dangerous." Adam frowned.


    Several rows of teeth rotated rapidly in the worms'' jaws like des in a crusher capable of turning anything into dust.


    ''Sure, but aside from their jaws, the Worm Crushers have nothing else. However, if you get caught in the jaw, you''ll have to use half your arsenal to get out alive.


    Adam nodded and stepped forward.


    Their squad was set up specifically to defend this area, for one night, just for this Eclipse. So, they only had the leader - Alexia, though the squad was really big, even without the Harvesters. They would get to workter, gathering massive amounts of resources.


    Still, in such arge squad, besides the leader, there were bound to be captains. Not necessarily tomand the others. The main purpose of captains was supposed to be to take on strong monsters that posed a threat to the others.


    True, the mission department and the military could have appointed captains in advance as they did with the leader, but they didn''t, for one simple reason - it had to happen naturally.


    Monsters chose opponents of roughly equal strength, so there was nothing stopping the Phantoms from doing the same. There was no need for words, for the first two waves, everyone had already understood their role.


    "Well, well, looks like we have a lot of work to do before we can stand in their ces... In one of the next Eclipse." The man with the thick beard muttered, shaking his head.


    Up ahead, away from the other Phantoms and quite a distance from each other, stood six Phantoms. In the center was Alexia, the leader, the others had just be captains or second-inmand.


    ''One out of six, right?'' Adam internally muttered as his gaze traveled to Alexia, ''Well, more like one out of five. I can''t match her, yet.''


    Adam stood to his left, to his right was a redhead with an axe - they had been on the same team during the first wave. Farther away was a man with ck hair and a huge triangr spiked shield, even though the monsters were fast approaching, he wasted no time and smoked with a careless attitude.


    ''This is Ester Rynger and Owen Yaxley.'' Silvana said, ''They''re definitely not inferior to you in strength, and they probably even outperform you in experience.''


    Adam nodded and shifted his gaze further - to a woman in long ck robes and a dark book in her hands. Then, to thest one - a man with gray hair and a massive bow emitting white vapor through six gaps at the base.


    ''Bryda Hille and Fred Hemmingsen. They both specialize in ranged attacks, so I''d suggest keeping an eye on them. If you lose them, your squad could be in real trouble.''


    Adam nodded. He didn''t have a ranged weapon like Bryda and Fred, as well as protection like Owen or a massive axe like Ester. Still, his arsenal was no less impressive than the others.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    A powerful torrent of wind headed toward them, signaling the approach of the Worm Crushers.


    There was no more time to think, for the opponents were already right in front of them.


    "Alright! Cover me!" Ester eximed with an excited expression before rushing forward. Her axe burst into a bright red me, hot enough to melt the snow around her - clearing her path.


    Adam looked at the four Worm Crushers. He realized that Alexia wouldn''t fight them, because... none of the Worm Crushers were heading towards her. The monsters realized what she would do to them if they dared to challenge her.


    ''Hmm. Suppose Ester handles one, Owen holds off the second, and in the meantime, Bryda and Fred shoot the third. In that case, it''s settled.'' Adam nodded slightly before turning around.


    Ten meters before him, he saw a massive round jaw with rotating teeth and only darkness in the depths. The Worm Crusher carried on at tremendous speed, breaking the ice in front of it and consuming the snow like a ck hole.


    Despite this, Adam remained calm since, in his mind, he saw how he would win with just one attack.


    ''Surely, you must have a thick and tough hide. That would be a problem for others, but not for me.''


    Electric shocks covered his legs as he jerked sharply to the side, dodging Worm Crusher''s jaw at thest moment. The worm swept onward like a train, but Adam wasn''t about to stop either.


    He called out a needle, plunged it into the worm''s body with ease, and ran forward at full speed, slicing his opponent lengthwise.


    Even if Worm Crusher realized how great a mistake it had made, speed and inertia wouldn''t allow it to stop fast enough - before Adam inflicted critical wounds.


    The blood of the massive monster poured over meters of ground, leaving a long crimson line behind it as Worm Crusher lost his strength.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Losing control of its body, Worm Crusher ran into the icy debris, breaking it and graduallying to a stop, knocking a ton of snow into a single pile, leaving behind a wide trail of pure ice.


    Worm Crusher was dying, its life was quicklying to an end, and with each second its heart beat slower and slower until all movement stoppedpletely.


    Adam walked towards the monster''s head with a calm gaze, and reached forward, causing a white vortex to form.


    [Received the gene of the Worm Crusher - x1, Purple Threat Level!].


    ''Good job. The rest of you are almost there as well.'' Silvana said encouragingly.


    Adam jumped on the Worm Crusher, looking out over the entire battlefield.


    The remaining Phantoms were fighting Snow Imots and Horned Lizards. They didn''t need to face the Worm Crushers, so gradually, they would have to cope.


    Then, Adam looked at his fellow captains.


    "Hahahahahaha, don''t you dare run away, I''m not done yet!" Ester eximed with a mad grin, slicing her Worm Crusher to pieces. Either in a few seconds, she would burn it or cut it up, there were no other options.


    Bryda bombarded the massive worm with projectiles from the thick darkness, while Fred fired several shots of mist arrows once a second, passing through the monster.


    Owen was the only one who was focused on defense rather than attack. However, that didn''t mean he had to wait for help from the others.


    "Hey, you want to eat me huh?" Owen smirked, holding back the monster''s jaw with his shield with no apparent difficulty, "Well, I''m afraid you''d rather break your teeth before you eat me!"


    Owen''s eyes shone brightly as his shield was covered in a dense blueyer of energy,ced with spikes. Then, he stepped forward, and the spikes became dozens of times longer, piercing the Worm Crusher like a hundred spears, bloody tipsing out the other side.


    Alexia nced at Owen and nodded slightly. She looked forward with a calm gaze as if expecting something.

 Chapter 107: Giants (Part 2)

    The third wave, soon the fourth one, passed without notable problems or casualties. A few Phantoms were wounded, some had to leave the battlefield at the risk of death, but 80% of their squad was ready to continue fighting, and 60% still had quite a bit of energy. Only a small fraction was exhausted.


    "Damn, I doubted the effectiveness of the military, but this is actually impressive." Adam muttered, looking at the group of monsters in the distance.


    Snow Imots were heading towards Phantom, who was busy fighting the Horned Lizard, but he didn''t need to worry about his safety.


    Whoooooooooooooooosh.


    One of the manyser turrets on the walls fired, releasing a dense beam of electromaic energy. The turret''s battery instantly dropped to zero, quickly starting to charge from the thick wires running along the walls - to the generators inside Bastion.


    In no time, theser reached its target - causing a devastating explosion and ripping the flesh of the Snow Imots apart. Blobs of snow flew off to the sides, along with ice crystals for the painful roars of the monsters.


    However, theser turrets couldn''t kill Blue Threat Level monsters, since Green Threat Level was their maximum under the right circumstances.


    However, injuring or simply stopping the Snow Imots was more than enough for the Phantoms to take action in time.


    Given the inhuman speed and reflexes of the Phantoms, the help of the military, and the direction of the Operators, it was all bing a single mechanism that worked without fault.


    Still, that was until something would interfere with the process, something formidable and breaking the established rules.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground shook as tall silhouettes appeared in the distance - each taller than ten meters, and it seemed to be because of the distortion, for by the obvious rumbling, they were approaching true giants!


    Adam narrowed his eyes, trying to get a good look at the monsters through the fast wind with thick particles of snow blowing from side to side.


    Massive feet sank to the ground, shattering the ice under their unsupportable weight. Dense tes of ice covered the giants'' entire bodies, especially their broad chests and long, sprawling arms with few joints. Sharp crystals surrounded their wrists like bracelets, carrying only death and majesty.


    Their heads were connected to their bodies not by a neck, but by a singleyer of ice going to their shoulders, covering them tightly like a hood.


    "Someone they remind me of..." Adam muttered, remembering one of his most difficult opponents.


    ''Yes, there are indeed simrities between Artic Colossuses and Stone Goliaths. However, Artic Colossuses are much stronger because they are Purple Threat Level. Their weaknesses are the cores in their chests, but you can''t see them since they''re hidden by thick ice armor.'' Silvana exined.


    Adam nodded, clutching his needle tightly. He knew that therge monsters were formidable creatures. Sure, they were slow, but you had to reach them first to take advantage of that.


    At the same moment, Artic Colossus, who walked ahead of the others, raised its massive arm, extending it forward.


    Then, the crystals on its wrist shone brightly and rained down on the group of Phantoms not far from Adam.


    A few secondster, the crystals were already flying over him with powerful wind streams. Then, Adam could have done something about it, but he froze in ce as fragments from the past shed through his mind.


    The scene of the stones thrown by Prime Stone Goliath tearing the Phantoms apart was seared into his mind. It was the first time he''d seen that even a Phantom''s life could be cut short in an instant by something as simple as the throw of a sharp stone.


    In this case, however, Adam''s help was not needed. It was unlikely that he could intercept every crystal or destroy it. There was someone among the captains with the right abilities for the case.


    "Get behind me! Huddle up!" Owen shouted, holding out a shield in front of him.


    The phantoms reacted quickly, they knew that if it was Owen, they had nothing to worry about. Some even used the ability to get to a safe zone faster.


    Owen smirked, raising his shield slightly and letting the ice crystals crash into it. He didn''t use Order or his Nexus, for it simply wasn''t necessary.


    Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Ice crystals shattered against Owen''s shield, meeting the imprable defense like an unbreakable fortress.


    But... Such a perfect defense seemed to be not enough for Owen.


    "Tsk. This is too boring!" Owen smirked before swinging his shield to the side and clenching his fist tightly.


    Such careless behavior was to be punished by fate, for thest crystal had not yet had time to hit the shield and was heading straight for Owen''s chest.


    However, Owen''s fist proved stronger, colliding with the crystal and shattering it as solidly as ss.


    Adam''s eyes went wide with surprise for a moment. He wasn''t sure he could do the same, even after getting Power Gene and Elemental Root.


    ''Hmm, high defense, especially against ice. Moreover, unlike everyone else, he''s dressed like on a forest hike, not to the northern gate.'' Adam pondered, ncing at Owen, who was wearing a ck leather jacket and wide pants with arge belt.


    ''Is it possible that he has Elemental Root too? His main element is ice?'' Adam suggested, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    The young man stepped forward and bowed low before Owen.


    "Thank you! Those crystals looked dangerous! I don''t even know what would have happened to us if you hadn''t intervened!"


    Owen smirked, lighting a cigarette.


    "Don''t sweat it. Just buy me a drink sometime, and we''re even."


    The young man raised his head as he wanted to say something.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    However, a powerful earth tremor interrupted him, drawing the attention of the other Phantoms as well.


    The Artic Colossuses hadn''t disappeared anywhere, for Owen just deflected the attack of one of them. The monsters were slowly getting closer, and in less than a minute, they would be right in front of their squad.


    "Damn, they look formidable. It''s probably because of their size though." Owen scratched the back of his head with a nonchnt look.


    Alexia raised an eyebrow, then she turned to Fred.


    "Hey, you can get rid of them, can''t you?"


    Fred narrowed his azure eyes while the cold wind made his gray hair slightly ripple.


    "Suppose. But, I don''t want to waste too much energy on them. There are stronger opponents ahead of us. I''d rather leave my abilities forter stages."


    Alexia frowned slightly as her aura increased.


    However, their sh was not destined to happen, for Bryda stepped forward.


    "No need to fight. If Fred wants to save energy, then fine. I can deal with them instead. Either way, this night, each of us will have to use all our abilities. I don''t mind being first." Bryda said sincerely, clutching the book, her Nexus, to her chest.


    Alexia nodded.


    "Good. Just hurry up. They''ll be attacking again soon. I don''t want anyone to die from a little thing like these guys." Alexia nonchntly said clearly not considering the Artic Colossuses as menacing opponents.


    Bryda nodded silently as her eyes shone brightly and the book shook.

 Chapter 108: Giants (Part 3)

    ''Hmm? Can she deal with them all in one attack? Damn, the long-range Nexus has its advantages, doesn''t it?'' Adam watched Bryda''s actions with curiosity.


    He had only seen one Phantom before who would use something like a magic book, even though it was just a form of her Nexus. That person had been Barna, and... not that he wanted to remember it too often.


    The other Phantoms watched Bryda with no small amount of interest - in breaks, fighting off Snow Imots and Horned Lizards, the monsters weren''t going to stop for their watching.


    The Artic Colossuses continued to move forward, striding majestically and casting their cold stares at the Phantoms.


    Everyone would think that they were the final threat, once defeated the Phantoms could breathe a sigh of relief. However, those who experienced enough knew that this was not the entire threat of the Eclipse. It wasn''t the beginning, but for the final monsters, the Artic Colossuses were too weak and most importantly - not threatening enough.


    Yes, the big and scary Artic Colossuses were just an intermediate stage for Bryda to deal with - alone.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Several dark blobs appeared next to Bryda and quickly grew into jaws with insidious grins. They looked like demons with endless hunger and bloodlust.


    With caustic smiles, the ghosts circled around their mistress for a while before heading towards the Artic Colossuses. One way or another, their sole purpose was to fulfill Bryda''s wishes.


    That was one of her Orders, and the power of her Nexus was just beginning to manifest.


    ''Damn, even though she''s also a K1-Phantom, it looks more powerful than my abilities.'' Adam pondered, looking at the dark runes flying out from the pages of her book.


    The runes flowed upward in a single stream, condensing into a massive ck sphere that floated high above the ground like a dark star. It seemed that Bryda had decided to create her own sun, calm and barely visible.


    At the same moment, the wraiths sank their jaws in with the Artic Colossuses. They wanted to devour even these giants, but their sharp teeth could not chew through the giants'' armor, only gradually gnawing in, leaving scratches. However, Bryda summoned them for another purpose, since they were not a weapon but a sacrifice, in this case.


    "Alright, don''t forget to remind me to take the genes off themter." Bryda muttered while trickles of blood flowed from the corners of her mouth.


    He closed the book abruptly.


    At the same moment, the sphere hovering above the ground trembled, as if about to explode or release something.


    Then, several rings of light traveled through the sphere, and when they disappeared, a dense ckser with a white glow flew out of the sphere.


    Bryda frowned heavily as she waved her hand, from right to left, changing the direction of theser.


    "Argh!" Bryda coughed up blood, falling to one knee, but her task was already done, for nothing could stop theser.


    Artic Colossus swung his arm, trying to get rid of the toothy wraith, but soon, it had to raise its head, only to be met by the oingser.


    The st of darkness shattered the giant''s icy armor, causing all the toothy ghosts to explode like bombs whose fuse had just been lit. Then, theser continued on, traveling through each Artic Colossus, creating a series of seemingly endless explosions.


    The giants tried to defend themselves, sensing a clear threat, but all their attempts were unsessful, doomed to failure.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    The icy chunks of their bodies fell to the ground with a tter, raising waves of snow mixed with dark blood.


    Not a single Artic Colossus was left alive, Bryda had killed every single one of them, so her mission wasplete.


    "Kha! Kha! Kha!" Bryda coughed up blood due to the extreme overload of her body. Bags appeared under her eyes, speaking of her obvious exhaustion.


    Tap.


    A man''s hand fell on her shoulder, patting it several times.


    Bryda turned around, meeting Owen''s gaze, a cigarette clenched in his teeth.


    "You''ve done well. But, such powerful attacks must require a tremendous amount of energy. It''s probably going to be hard for you to even walk right now, isn''t it?" Owen asked calmly.


    Bryda smiled shyly as she nodded slightly.


    "Something like that. I just need a few minutes, and I''ll be back to normal..." Bryda muttered.


    Owen, nodded, then a wide grin appeared on his face.


    Without hesitation, he picked Bryda up, throwing her over his shoulder, and headed off with a careless look.


    Bryda''s face flushed red as she quickly began pounding her fists on his back.


    "What are you doing...?! Let me go! Now!"


    Owen only smirked and gently pped her arse a few times.


    "Hahaha, I doubt there''s anything you can do right now. Just rx and let me help you."


    After that, Bryda''s face was as red as a tomato, and she no longer had the moral strength to resist, however... nor the desire either.


    "Couldn''t you have picked me up in your arms... like a knight...?" Bryda barely audibly muttered with cutely puffed cheeks.


    Adam had been watching Bryda intently the whole time, from the very beginning to this moment. Owen''s trick interested him the least of what he saw.


    ''Something on your mind?'' Silvana asked, ''You''re looking at her so intently as if she were the main treasure of this world.''


    "Well... I''m just thinking about it. Her firepower is clearly superior to mine and she easily handled the Artic Colossuses, it would have taken me more time and effort. However, if she had fought against a Steel Knight or Mirna... she wouldn''t just lose, she''d be killed."


    ''Yes. You''re probably right. Some are strong in one thing, some are good at another. You yourself probably realize that''s more than normal.''


    Adam nodded as his gaze went to Alexia.


    ''However, she''d have no problem doing both, would she?'' Adam thought.


    With the fall of the giants, the fifth wave wasplete. This time, the monsters were gone for quite a while, it allowed the Phantoms to rest a bit, but there was a reason for the dy.


    It was the calm before the storm - numerous and aggressive.


    With the arrival of the sixth wave, over a thousand monsters were heading towards their squad. Among them were hundreds of Snow Imots, Horned Lizards, and dozens of Worm Crushers. There were no Artic Colossuses, it was unlikely they would show up yet as they were small in number, which was logical considering their size.


    The Phantoms prepared for another serious challenge, but, the captains were not eager to fight, nor was their leader.


    "Fine, they may not be very strong, but it won''t take much effort for me to kill them." Fred casually said, slowly stepping forward.


    The Phantoms looked at him with puzzled faces. They couldn''t believe that he had the ability to kill over a thousand monsters by himself.


    "Tsk. You just took an easier task with a more favorable gene ratio." Ester snorted displeased, swinging her axe onto her shoulder.


    Fred frowned, throwing her a scornful look.


    "Shut up. Just watch me take down a whole wave of monsters single-handedly. That would take you a shitload of time." Fred uttered as his eyes shone brightly and the white vapor, emanating from his bow began to condense into a long, snow-white arrow.

 Chapter 109: Four Nightmares and One Terror

    "Hey, you two are alike in some ways, aren''t you?" Owen smirked, tossing aside a cigarette only to take the next one.


    Bryda asked with a slight frown:


    "Who are you talking about?"


    "Him." Owen pointed at Fred, who was preparing to attack.


    The monsters were running fast, in ten seconds, they would be hundreds of meters away and colliding with the Phantoms. Fred had little time to do what he had in mind.


    Bryda shrugged her shoulders.


    "He has a long-range weapon like me. That''s where the simrities end. We crossed paths a few times, getting into squads for missions. He''s a capable guy, but his temper is crap."


    Owen chuckled.


    "The main thing is that he''s good at killing monsters. The rest isn''t important."


    At the same moment, Fred muttered something, taking aim, as his arrow reached the limit of its power.


    However, he wasn''t aiming at the monsters, but upwards - into the sky.


    "It''s a bit moreplicated than Golden Mission, but... I''ll get a lot of genes for one cleared wave. I''ll always find somewhere to spend them." Fred narrowed his eyes before releasing the bowstring.


    A snow-white arrow flew out of the bow with the speed of lightning, releasing a ring of wind around it, heading straight for the stars.


    The arrow contained a huge amount of energy and was unstable, shaking violently.


    Reaching its maximum height, the point where the arrow would begin to descend, its tip shone brightly, exploding along with the entire arrow like a firework, unleashing hundreds of white projectiles.


    The projectiles covered the whole battlefield like tiny bombs quickly approaching the ground, right on top of the running monsters.


    Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam.


    In a heartbeat, dozens of explosions rained down on the snowy ground, covering it with blood and parts of torn monsters. Even the Worm Crushers couldn''t resist the hail of snow-white arrows, as their hides weren''t thick enough to save their lives.


    A few Snow Imots and Horned Lizards managed to survive, by some miracle, they were just lucky. But, Fred quickly fixed that by firing a few quick, urate shots. The arrows pierced their heads before dissipating into white vapor.


    "That''s it, then. I think that''s enough for now." Fred said calmly, exhaling the cold vapor and covering his face with the high wool cor of his jacket.


    "Tsk. Even though I don''t like you, I have to admit it wasn''t bad. You can only use it one more time, can''t you?" Ester asked with a slight smirk.


    Fred threw her a sharp look.


    "One more time, or two more times in a couple hours, it''s just like with any other Nexus, dumbass."


    Ester frowned as her axe erupted in scarlet mes.


    "Hey, is it just me, or is your tongue too long? I can shorten it, free of charge."


    Fred lifted his chin arrogantly, looking Ester up and down.


    "You speak as if I would let a barbarian like you touch me. It wouldn''t happen even in your wildest dreams."


    Ester''s eye began to twitch, and her fingers trembled, passing over the hilt of her axe and clenching tightly.


    Owen, watching the scene from afar, smirked.


    "Well, well, do they really dislike each other that much, or is it an implicit sympathy? At least one of them has."


    Bryda looked at him with a strange face.


    "Don''t you think that''s not what you should be worrying about right now? The next wave will be arriving soon enough!"


    Owen waved his hand nonchntly.


    "Come on. We''ve both defended Bastion or the Citadel more than once during the Eclipse." Owen said with a slight smile, then his face turned cold and his gaze serious.


    "You know that close to dawn, a few hours before, there will be a time when we can no longer joke around or rx for a few minutes. Then, it''ll be lucky if we have the energy left to exchange a few phrases."


    Bryda nodded silently.


    The most dangerous monsters came near the end of the Eclipse, as did the massive waves. It was a growing effect as the longer the Eclipsested, the more powerful monsters it attracted and took control of.


    Even during the war, there were quiet moments. If one was serious even during them, one could go insane. Owen was experienced enough to understand that.


    ...


    The seventh and eighth waves were almost entirely taken by Ester.


    She didn''t use too many abilities and just chopped her enemies to pieces, however, at the end of the eighth wave she ran into trouble.


    "Fuck! Get the fuck off me!" Ester eximed as she battled back Snow Imots and Horned Lizards, some she chopped with her axe and tossed aside with a powerful kick. She had a unique solution for each one.


    However, soon, there were too many monsters, and no one was in a hurry to help her. It wasn''t that the captains wanted to hurt her, no, she just had to use something more than simple attacks and First Order.


    "Tsk. I didn''t want to waste energy on you, but it looks like I have no other choice!" Ester eximed before raising her axe high.


    All the mes abruptly disappeared as she plunged the axe deep into the ground.


    It seemed like a simple attack that didn''t hit the target, but it only took a few seconds for the ground to start shaking and the ice to split.


    "Hah, I may not be good at shooting, but I have something more crushing!" Ester eximed, pulling her axe out of the ground.


    At the same moment, streams of me rushed upward, burning the monsters in a heartbeat. Everyone near the fiery geyser was turned to ash, no exceptions.


    "Alright, this is different!" Ester uttered with an excited smile as she set the axe on the ground, leaning against it.


    During the ninth wave, everyone worked together, even Alexia, who was usually inactive or only took on particrly strong monsters.


    Adam used his Second Order, with one sweep of his silver ws, cutting several dozen monsters into even pieces. He still hadn''t used his Nexus or Artifact''s Traits. He could still use them because in less than two hours the dawn shoulde.


    Dawn was the most desired yet dangerous event during the Eclipse. It was the end of this terrible ordeal but also the peak when deadly opponents would enter the battlefield.


    "Oh... Looks like it''s started, doesn''t it?" Adam muttered, staring at the hundreds of shadows in the distance.


    This time there were a few new species among the monsters, not really strong but annoying, just like the Artic Colossuses.


    However, the monsters didn''t run further, they stopped, waiting for someone.


    Behind them appeared a numerous pack of wolves with sharp ws and long fangs. They were among the top predators in this region.


    Then, four huge wolves came forward with crystal ridges along their spines, their tails slowly swayed from side to side while saliva dripped from their ghastly maws.


    Still, though it was enough to scare anyone, Alexia kept her eyes on the center - waiting for the strongest monster of this Eclipse, the one who would be her opponent.


    Soon, a massive shadow revealed itself, causing Alexia to grin contentedly.

 Chapter 110: Azure Wolf and the 6th Rank

    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Climbing up the icy slope, a massive shadow gradually appeared, causing even the massive wolves to step aside.


    This creature was not their leader, but, the wolves could feel nothing but respect and awe for such a strong and ferocious creature. Like any monsters - they ced absolute power above all else. Everything rest was insignificant in front of pure might.


    The phantoms trembled, naturally out of fear, even though the monster had not yet appeared, its aura was all-consuming and terrifying.


    However... for a certain one, there were goosebumps of anticipation and even joy, for the expectations had finally paid off.


    "Come on. Don''t make me wait any longer..." Alexia said in an interrupted voice, rarely breathing.


    Soon, the light fell on a massive shadow, revealing long horns pointing backwards along the broad head, rising up at the very end like deadly spears.


    Then, two blue eyes with vertical pupils cast their gaze across the battlefield, slightly revealing its wide jaw with massive teeth and six long fangs.


    The monster stepped forward, exposing its four massive paws with short but strong ws and arge, muscr body with a thick hide. The monster had no protective scales or dense fur, not even aser de could damage its hide, only scratch it, that wasn''t a guarantee.


    A fat tail with bone rings swung slowly from side to side with arge spiked sphere at the end, which, like a hammer, coulde down on someone''s head, easily blowing it up.


    "Who the hell is that...?" Adam muttered, his fingertips trembling and his pupils dted.


    ''That''s bad...'' Silvana sighed heavily, ''It''s a Frost Beast, Purple Threat Level, Red Book, still... That''s not all you need to know about this monster.''


    "What, what are you talking about? Isn''t that already enough?" Adam was puzzled. He didn''t realize what could be worse than a Purple Threat Level, Red Book, monster. This was the peak of power.


    Silvana said after a short pause:


    ''As you know, even amongst the same Threat Level, the strength of monsters can differ dramatically. Nothing is surprising about that, but in some cases, it can be critical. Starting at the Blue Threat Level, esspecially strong monsters have their own Rating. The higher the monster is in the Rating, the stronger it is. It''s as simple as that.''


    Adam nodded deeply.


    ''I see... It''s not hard to guess where you''re going with this. Frost Beast is ranked quite high, isn''t it?"


    ''Unfortunately, you''re right. ording to the mission department, Frost Beast is 6th Rank among all Purple Threat Level monsters. In other words, there are only five monsters stronger than him, Frost Beast is almost at the peak.'''' Silvana exined in a serious voice.


    Adam nodded as he shifted his gaze to the wolves that slowly approached them, while Frost Beast stood still, waiting for his opponent to show itself.


    The strongest was only supposed to fight the same - the strongest.


    "What about that one? I hope that wolf isn''t in the Top 10?" Adam asked, pointing at one of the four massive wolves. He wasn''t interested in the other monsters, he had already picked his target, and it seemed that the monster was already set to ept his challenge.


    ''Azure Wolf, the one you''re looking at is a Prime Type. Purple Threat Level, Red Book. They''re quite strong, butpared to the Frost Beast, they don''t seem that dangerous.'' Silvana quickly replied.


    Adam sighed.


    "Alright, it''s time for me to get to work, isn''t it?" Adam uttered, stepping aside.


    At the same time, dozens of different monsters ran forward at Left North Squad. Snow Imots and Horned Lizards were soon right in front of Adam, but, he didn''t even look at them.


    That was not a mistake, for the monsters just rushed past him, moreover, they avoided him, not wanting to confront him because they knew it was not their level. A simr thing was happening to the other captains, especially Alexia.


    For dozens of meters around her, there wasn''t a single monster. They were afraid of her like the gue, unwilling to give their lives for nothing. The monsters knew that Alexia would kill them in a heartbeat.


    Adam would have liked to defeat the strongest monster like he usually did, but he wasn''t stupid and wasn''t going to let arrogance ruin him. He realized that he probably didn''t stand a chance against Frost Beast, and even if he did... he wasn''t the most worthy opponent.


    If he wanted to fight the strongest monster, he had to be the strongest in the squad. It was simple.


    "RRARK!!!!"


    Prime Azure World furiously growled, slowly walking around Adam, staring at him intently as if he were his victim.


    "Hey, this is thest wave, right?"


    ''Yes. There''s not much time left before dawn, or rather... not enough time for another such wave to appear. However, that doesn''t mean you need to dy. There''s still plenty of time for the monsters to kill every Phantom if you don''t defend yourself.'' Silvana said seriously.


    Adam nodded.


    "Good. So I can finally not hold back. Well, in that case, let''s start with simple." Adam stretched his hand forward, electric shocks running through his fingertips.


    Before Azure Wolf could realize anything, Adam clenched his fist, unleashing a mighty thunderbolt as fast as sound and as hot as sma on the monster.


    Azure Wolf had no time to dodge, Adam did everything quickly, much faster than against the Steel Knight when he just got the Third Artifact Trait.


    Practice only gave Adam a few milliseconds of advantage, but it was enough to give Azure Wolf time for one action: a swish of his tail.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    The sharp tip of the tail mmed into the thunderbolt, quickly absorbing all the energy and channeling it along the crystal ridge running along Azure Wolf''s spine.


    The blue crystals glowed brightly, seemingly ready to explode at any moment, but somehow they managed to resist the pressure and save Azure Wolf from taking any damage.


    Then, Azure Wolf''s eyes shone brightly as well as the depths of its maw, as if like a dragon before it would burst out its destructive fiery breath.


    "Oh... That was unexpected..." Adam muttered with a stunned face when the electric shocks went through his legs.


    At the same moment, Adam turned into a lightning sh, at thest second dodging the devastatingser that partly used his energy.


    "Dodge!!!" Phantom eximed, only to see theser rip through his mate''s body, then ending his life as well.


    Though Azure Wolf used the energy from Adam''s thunderbolt, it was only enough for a few seconds of theser.


    Well... It was too much, for many on this brutal battlefield.


    Theser turned into nothing, dozens of Phantoms and monsters that happened to be under an attack that wasn''t intended for them. It was impossible to defend themselves, for many of them had not even realized what had happened yet, they were already dead.


    "What the hell...?" The girl whispered while trickles of blood flowed from the corners of her mouth. She lowered her gaze, seeing the wide hole in her chest, organs spilling outward, quickly plunging her into eternal darkness.


    Adam, standing in the distance, with waves of shivers running through his body stared at the bloody trail left by theser.


    Sweat broke out, and a chill ran down his spine as he realized he was as much or even more responsible for their deaths than Azure Wolf.

 Chapter 111: The Second Stage

    Phantoms died, very often, and not umonly. It was because a weaker Phantom was next to a stronger Phantom, who was fighting a powerful monster. It happened from time to time, and it had happened to Adam.


    When he fought the Steel Knight, several Phantoms died in the earthquake that the Steel Knight had caused with his ability.


    However, there was nothing he could do about it, then he was forced to stay close to the Phantoms that were trapped in ice crystals.


    However, this time waspletely different.


    ''No... If I hadn''t used the third trait, the wolf wouldn''t have had so much energy... It''s only because of me that thisser is so powerful.'' Adam inwardly muttered with a pale face.


    ''Adam, calm down. Casualties are inevitable, you must realize that.'' Silvana said serenely, trying to set him at ease.


    "Shut up!!! These aren''t victims! This is practically murder, just not by my hands!" Adam growled harshly.


    Silvana was taken aback for a while. Adam had never shouted at her before, but Silvana wasn''t about to take offense. It only showed that the situation was close to critical.


    ''Settle down. I''m trying to help you, you know that as well as the fact that you can''t change the past. You can only affect the present, and you have to do that. You''re a Phantom, so get to work and kill the monster before there are more victims!'' Silvana said belligerently, igniting a powerful me in Adam.


    Adam''s face returned to normal, and the trembling stopped. This was exactly what he needed to hear right now.


    "Yeah, you''re right." Adam nodded, summoning the needle, a second grip, "The Phantom''s job is not to defend against monsters but to kill them, to eliminate the threat."


    Then, without further ado, Adam lunged forward, colliding with Azure Wolf, whose sharp ws came down on his needle, but Adam easily blocked the attack.


    The ice beneath him cracked, clots of snow flying before his eyes while he pierced the intimidating Azure Wolf with his gaze. The monster was several timesrger than Adam, but its strength wasn''t enough to make Adam''s arm shake or lose his bnce.


    "I can''t resurrect those you''ve already killed, but... I can save those who were going to be your next targets." Adam uttered, taking a step forward.


    Azure Wolf''s eyes went wide, since he couldn''t stop Adam, he had to step back, leaving streaks on the ice from his sharp ws.


    Adam attacked, quickly raining his needle down on Azure Wolf''s head.


    sh.


    Azure Wolf blocked the attack with his sharp ws, cascades of sparks flying off to the sides.


    sh. sh. sh.


    Then, again and again. Although Adam attacked using only one hand, his speed, and second grip allowed him to gradually overwhelm Azure Wolf.


    The monster struggled to react to Adam''s lunges, asionally falling short and taking light wounds.


    Azure Wolf realized that eventually, the cuts would be too many, the bleeding would intensify and would lead to a mistake that Adam would surely take advantage of. Azure Wolf couldn''t let that happen, so the monster decided to use a trump card that Adam didn''t have.


    "ROOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRR!!!"


    Prime Azure Wolf roared furiously, covering the entire battlefield with its howl and causing the other Azure Wolves to stop, turning their heads in this direction.


    "What the hell...?" The young man, whose right hand was bleeding, muttered in a puzzled way. He had fought Azure Wolf, but right now, the monster wasn''t paying any attention to him.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Before the young man could realize it, Azure Wolf was rushing forward, heading for Adam as well as hundreds of its fellows.


    The dozens of Phantoms could breathe a sigh of relief, for they no longer had to fear the sharp ws and powerful jaws that would tear them apart. However, they couldn''t help but worry about the fate of one of the captains of their squad.


    "Adam! Run away!" Owen eximed. He was well aware of the danger Adam was in, as someone who always protected others.


    However, it was already toote.


    There were too many Azure Wolves, not a single gap between them, crowding the entire space like endless packs of rats.


    Fred, standing in the distance, frowned as his eyes glowed, and he pointed his bow upward, aiming at the sky and gathering energy for the cluster arrow.


    Bam.


    A second before Fred was to release the arrow, something mmed into him, throwing him aside.


    "What the fuck are you doing?!" Fred shouted, ring hatefully at Ester, who had purposely crashed into him.


    "I''m the one who should be asking you! You can''t control your arrows, can you? A few of them will probably hurt Adam! You''ll just blow him up along with the monsters!" Ester eximed, waving her hand.


    Fred got a frightening grimace.


    "You stupid bitch! You just killed him! His speed is enough to dodge most of my arrows! Better to get a few wounds from my attacks than be torn apart by hundreds of wild wolves'' jaws! That''s exactly what will happen now because of you!"


    Ester flinched as she turned around, looking at Adam, there was no one to help him. She acted instinctively and hastily as usual, but this time she had to sacrifice something to save Adam rather than trying to make everything perfect. Hurt him, but save him - it would be the right choice.


    ''Adam! Try to escape! If you reach Owen, he can protect you!'' Silvana shouted, realizing that against so many opponents, Adam couldn''t stand a chance.


    However, when her voice sounded in Adam''s earbud, the first jaw was already in front of his face. Adam had no choice but to act here and now.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Adam brought his fist down on the wolf''s head, plunging it into the ground, then he stepped forward and bounced off the wolf, jumping as high as he could.


    If Adam could fly, he would easily escape to a safe distance, but without wings, it was impossible. So Adam only dyed his death for a few seconds, after which he would fall to the ground, right into the open jaws of the wolves.


    The silver needle shattered into threads as Adam''s eyes shed. The currents of wind elerated, thickening around Adam as if he were the center of an impending storm.


    Then, he ced his hands above each other, palms inward, as if holding an invisible ball.


    The particles of energy turned into hundreds of threads, quickly forming a Silver Swirl, but, this time, the sphere was several timesrger than when Adam had fought the Phantoms of the Lower Ring.


    Now, he was using the second stage of his Second Nexus Trait - using two hands and multiple times more energy.


    "I might not be able to destroy the Artic Colossuses with a single attack, but it will be more than enough for you." Adam muttered before throwing Silve Swirl directly at the wolves.


    The threads spun fast and deadly, like thousands of tiny des, gradually expanding their kill zone, for one purpose - to kill as many monsters as possible, to cut them apart, leaving no chance of survival, of seeing the next dawn.

 Chapter 112: Frost Beast

    Less than a minute ago, hundreds of monsters were running straight at Adam - at their prey that surely could not escape their powerful jaws and sharp ws.


    However... in just a few seconds, the monsters were already escaping Adam, not as a predator but as a natural disaster, devastating and all-consuming in its unmitigated violence.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    The first silver threads, passed through the Azure Wolves, cutting them to pieces, rapidly unwinding and increasing its kill zone like a flywheel of death.


    "What the fuck..." Ester muttered in disbelief.


    Soon, thest, longest threads reached the monsters, not letting go of any wolves. The threads cut through their tails passed through their throats, and diagonally - perfectly straight, slicing through their heads along with their brains and eyes filled with primal fear.


    The ground also could not escape the silver threads. They left hundreds of random cuts on the ice, gradually turning into bizarre patterns where thick dark blood flowed, soon tending to merge into a single river.


    Tap.


    Adam descended to the ground as Silver Swirl vanished, standing among hundreds of corpses whose only cause - was him.


    His fingertips trembled, and drops of blood dripped from the tips of his gloves, showing the price he had paid for this attack. Numerous wounds covered his hands like hundreds of cuts.


    "Well, well... I don''t think I''m supposed to feel this..." Adam muttered, looking at the torn-apart monsters. His voice was calm, even quiet and peaceful, but there was a slight smile on his face - from aplished work.


    Owen took a deep breath.


    "Fuck... So that''s what his Nexus can do, that''s impressive. Seems like defending against his threads would be difficult even for me."


    Bryda gulped.


    "It''s actually insane... Unlike me, Adam''s battlefield is meleebat, yet he has such a destructive ability. His Initial Gene is something extraordinary for sure."


    Fred rose from the ground, shook off the dust with a calm look, and cast a disdainful nce at Ester.


    "You''re lucky his Nexus proved so useful. Otherwise, his death would have been entirely your fault, and don''t you dare interrupt me again!"


    Ester smirked. It seemed that Fred''s words didn''t hurt her at all.


    "Hah, my intuition didn''t fail me. Perhaps I sensed from the beginning that he would do well. How would you know otherwise?"


    Fred raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a strange face, as if to say - ''Are you serious?''


    Ester wanted to say something, but soon, her eyes went wide, and a slight shiver ran through her body.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    The two Prime Azure Wolves, rushed straight towards Adam, realizing that he was now the main threat to all the monsters. They had to kill him, or else more monsters would die from his silver threads. Prime Azure Wolves acted on instinct, eager to get rid of the threat.


    They only needed a few seconds to reach Adam and attack him, stepping their massive paws over the torn bodies of their fellows.


    "Shit!" Ester sprinted forward as the Prime Azure Wolves had already reached Adam, bringing their paws down on him.


    Adam''s Silver Swirl was enough to kill the Prime Azure Wolf he was fighting, another one before that was killed by Ester and Fred, so these two Prime Azure Wolves were the only ones left.


    Fred, Bryda, and Owen were alert, going to help Adam in any way they could. They had to get the attention of the Prime Azure Wolves, or Adam would be in serious trouble.


    They hadn''t expected this, so they should have hurried since the Prime Azure Wolves were already attacking.


    ''Stop!''


    Suddenly, Silvana''s voice spread into their earbuds, she, as well as the other Operators, had ess to all channels, for an emergency like this.


    ''Stay back!'' Silvana said quickly, in a worried voice.


    However, she seemed to be worried not for Adam, but for them, which was very strange for everyone, since it was Adam who was in danger.


    Well, soon, Owen and each of them realized the reason for Silvana''s strange behavior.


    Whoooooooosh.


    A silver sh rippled through the ice crystals and the cloud of cold vapor that rose from the attacks of the Prime Azure Wolves, revealing Adam thrusting his needle straight for the monster''s throat.


    He was facing two powerful foes at once, but Adam was not afraid, for he was in a special condition at the time. His veins were swollen, and his eyes were bloodshot, concentrating on one thing only: the fight.


    Before the deadly threat, Adam entered Resonance, bing dangerous not only to every monster in his sight but also to his allies.


    The main goal of the Phantom, or any hunter, is to kill its victim or monster. During Resonance, this goal reaches an absolute peak where nothing else matters and is coteral damage.


    "Oh, it looks like we don''t have to worry about him. The fact that he was in a dangerous situation yed to his advantage." Ester muttered with a slightly surprised look, watching Adam''s battle.


    He dodged the Prime Azure Wolves'' attacks in time, shing their skins with his needle in return, leaving more and more small wounds on their bodies.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Several white arrows flew over Ester''s shoulders, stabbing into the back legs of the Prime Azure Wolves.


    "Hmm?" Ester turned around, puzzled.


    Fred snorted.


    "Chances are if I get too close to him, I''ll get punched in the face too, but... he could use some help from afar. You should go handle the other monsters, or do you want to keep being as useless as you are?"


    Ester''s eye began to twitch as an innocent but threatening smile appeared on her face with narrowed eyes.


    "I swear. If I could, I''d chop you up with my axe, identally..." Ester said with a trembling voice.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    In response, Fred fired a few more shots,pletely ignoring Ester as if she wasn''t there.


    "Hahaha, those two could make a great couple, what do you think?" Owen smirked, rubbing his chin.


    "Watch out!" Someone eximed, turning to Owen.


    At the same moment, a massive Fury Snow Imot appeared behind Owen, pointing its paws towards his head.


    Bam.


    Without turning around, Owen swung his massive shield, throwing the monster aside with such force that Fury Snow Imot, wouldn''t be able to recover for a while yet.


    "Hmm... So far, so good. The fact that Adam has entered Resonance makes things a lot easier. However, there''s only one problem left." Bryda muttered, shifting her gaze from Adam to Alexia.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Alexia stepped forward confidently, stepping into the arena - an empty area freed by the monsters, especially for her and Frost Beast.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    With each step of the Frost Beast, a shiver spread across the ground, growing stronger and stronger as it approached Alexia.


    "Alexia... She''s strong as hell, but... Frost Beast is an unfortunate opponent for her." Owen said, looking at Alexia whose eyes shone brightly.


    She mmed her fists into each other, causing a cascade of sparks.


    At the same moment, her arms and legs were covered in a denseyer of ice, with sharp crystals pointing in one direction, creating a flow effect.


    "Using ice to defeat the Frost Beast... 6th Rank. It might not be easy at all."

 Chapter 113: Replacement

    After Adam''s attack, and his entry into Resonance, the battle of the Left North Squad split into three zones.


    Ester, Bryda, and Owen fought Worm Crushers, Snow Imots, and Horned Lizards while helping the other Phantoms. They had this opportunity thanks to Adam, who was in the second zone, they didn''t have to worry about Prime Azure Wolves. Only Fred was left to help Adam.


    Things were rtively stable in the first two zones, there were almost no casualties, and the Phantoms were doing as well as Adam, who was at the peak of his powers.


    However... the future of the third zone was uncertain.


    Bam.


    Frost Beat stomped powerfully on the ground, stopping and looking at Alexia''s feet and hands, covered in a solidyer of ice, with an evil smirk.


    If Alexia was fighting against a fire monster or a monster with any other attribute, her opponent would be seriously wary. Her confident gaze and powerful aura showed that Alexia was going to win no matter what.


    However... Her opponent was Frost Beast, a monster living in the extremely cold region of the Dead Lands. He was so well adapted to the cold that he didn''t need thick fur, unlike Azure Wolves, as his tough hide and various body processes allowed him to survive even the most brutal blizzard.


    However, Alexia didn''t seem worried about it at all.


    She got into a fighting stance, with a serious look and an excited smile on her face. Alexia hopped in one ce, quickly changing the position of her feet, back and forth, like a professional boxer warming up for an important fight.


    Frost Beast stuck out his wide tongue, narrowing his eyes, epting her challenge and just as much showing his desire.


    "Come on! Start first!" Alexia shouted.


    It was unlikely that Frost Beast could understand her words, but the intentions were crystal clear.


    Crackle.


    Frost Beast bent his head to the ground, thrusting his long horns into the dense ice, breaking it and making it glow bright blue.


    Alexia got goosebumps all over her body, for a secondter, two des ofpressed frost headed towards her, cutting ice crystals in their path.


    ''Block it? No... I have to act carefully.'' Alexia thought before bouncing to the side.


    Then, Frost Beast, leapt forward, raising his massive tail high with a spiked sphere on the end.


    Frost Beast was going to smash Alexia to the ground with one powerful attack.


    However, Alexia was experienced enough to know what to do in such a situation - jump in return!


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Frost Beast''s tail crashed to the ground, causing a real earthquake for a second, splitting the ground into bs of ice and releasing cold steam from the londs.


    However, the smirk quickly fell off Frost Beast''s face, as Alexia jumped high up, right before the attack.


    "Hah, you think something like that could hurt me?" Alexia smirked, bringing her fists down on Frost Beast''s head.


    Her physical power would have been enough to st Prime Azure Wolf''s head, considering she used two hands and attacked from top to bottom.


    But... Her opponent was much stronger than a monster that wasn''t even in the Top-10.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A tremble spread through Frost Beast''s body, absorbing the full kic power of Alexia''s attack.


    "Agh...?" Alexia''s eyes went wide, for she was unable to achieve the intended effect.


    Not only was Frost Beast not hurt, but the monster didn''t even tilt its head, it seemed that Alexia''s attack wasn''t powerful enough.


    Owen, who was watching the fight from afar, frowned heavily. He saw how Frost Beast''s hide was absorbing the cold.


    Frost Beast sank his ws into the ice and turned around sharply, bringing the tip of his tail down on Alexia and tossing her aside.


    At thest moment, Alexia managed to put up a block, but her right arm still bled as the spikes pierced her skin.


    "Fuck. I didn''t expect you to be so tough." Alexia frowned, spitting out a clot of blood.


    Then, she looked up only to get a new wave of shivers throughout her body.


    Energy waves passed along the Frost Beast''s horns, building up apressed sphere of light between them. With every fraction of a second that passed, the sphere grewrger andrger until it exploded, releasing a bright beam of light as vivid as the sun, but as destructive as a nuclear reactor explosion.


    Without hesitation, Alexia darted to the side, avoiding the deadly beam. The strike zone was quite wide, so she managed at the veryst moment, losing half of her neatly arranged ponytail.


    ''That was dangerous, but... now, I have the opportunity to counterattack. It probably needs a short break after such a powerful ability, but... I have to pick another ce to strike. Maybe the stomach or throat? Yeah, something like that.'' Alexia pondered, stopping abruptly and turning towards Frost Beast.


    The spiked sphere plunged like a projectile into Alexia''s stomach, causing her eyes to go wide and vomit blood because of the vivid pain.


    For a moment, she looked up only to see Frost Beast''s tail, which had be several times longer, thanks to the bone rings that had previously been tightly pressed against each other and now had arge distance between them like a folding club.


    The impact threw Alexia back dozens of meters, and Frost Beast immediately ran forward. With its size and muscles, the beast was quickly able to catch up with Alexia in a few short jumps.


    ''No way!'' Alexia inwardly eximed, putting up a block in front of her.


    Bam.


    A heavy paw came down on Alexia, throwing her to the ground. Frost Beast didn''t stop there, continuing to attack.


    Alexia was in a dangerous situation, for all she could do was defend herself, constantly taking some damage due to the pressure from Frost Beast''s attacks.


    "ROOOAAAARRRRRR!!!"


    Frost Beast roared furiously, put his paws together, and brought them down on Alexia.


    Alexia''s pupils narrowed, she realized that this attack was enough to finish her off, so she quickly stood up, bouncing back at thest moment.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    The ws swept right in front of Alexia, as the shockwave threw her backward, causing her to lose her bnce and fall onto the solid ice.


    Frost Beast snorted, clearly unhappy with his failure. Then, the monster stepped forward, swinging his tail from side to side and slowly walking towards Alexia, lying on the ground.


    The Phantoms began to worry, for the situation was rapidly getting close to critical. If Alexia lost her battle so easily, there would be no one left to stop Frost Beast.


    At this time, Alexia slowly rose from the ground, leaving bloody marks on the ice from her fingers.


    Her gaze was calm, but not because of the seriousness but because of the coldness in her eyes.


    She got to her feet, looked up at the night sky nearing dawn, and sighed slightly.


    "Well... You gave me quite a hard time, though... that''s exactly what I was hoping for." Alexia uttered and spread her ponytail.


    Then, with her bloody hands, she slicked her hair back, and her lookpletely changed, as well as her expression.


    "This is what I need! Now I can tear you apart and fully enjoy the process!" Alexia eximed with a mad grin as a hard frost began to emanate from her gloves, even the sun would feel the chill.

 Chapter 114: Absolute Zero

    It constantly seemed like there was something wrong with Alexia. She looked like a sweet girl, with a bright smile and an innocent, neatly styled ponytail. However, her phrasing waspletely out of character from time to time.


    Then, everyone could understand the reason for this, for it wasn''t because of Alexia''s, strange temperament, but because of the mask, she wore until that moment.


    Bam.


    Alexia smacked herself in the chest as all the coldness headed into her body, making her skin, first,pletely pale and then even slightly blue. Her hair shone brightly just as her eyes changed color from green to azure.


    "So bastard, are you ready? You have exactly three minutes. If you canst them, you''ll win, but... I sure as hell doubt it!" Alexia eximed with an excited expression before tearing forward at tremendous speed.


    Her silhouette blurred, and every step she took, left cracks in the ice.


    Frost Beast''s eyes moved quickly from one point to another, trying to keep track of Alexia, constantly changing her position.


    Then, a cold vapor came out of the tubes on her gloves, and several streaks shone brightly as if liquid nitrogen was flowing through them.


    "Suck it!" Alexia shouted at the moment, finding herself right in front of Frost Beast.


    Before Frost Beast could realize anything, Alexia''s fist came down on the monster''s head, creating a powerful ice st that froze even the air around it.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Vibrations traveled through the monster''srge body, only for the momentum to eventually throw Frost Beast backwards. It was only one meter, but considering the size of Frost Beast and Alexia, it was an incredible result.


    "Hahaha, is that the best you can do? Go! Show the power of the 6th Rank!" Alexia smirked, attacking again and again.


    She wasn''t going to stop, delivering a hail of blows each creating a small ice st.


    After she used her Second Order and channeled the cold into her body, she became both, faster and stronger, almost reaching Resonance level without entering Resonance. It was just her ability.


    The ice sts upon strikes were a result of her First Nexus Trait and wouldst for some time until the frost energy ran out.


    However, the most important thing was the change in Alexia''s behavior. She became more aggressive, less concerned with her defense, and more focused on being able to deal as much damage as possible.


    Normally, this would be the wrong fighting style, but considering Alexia had be much stronger for a short period, it was the best option.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Punch after punch, Alexia''s fists tore chunks of flesh away from the Frost Beast. Droplets of blood rushed outward, pouring down Alexia''s belligerent face.


    Sure, even her ice sts couldn''t seriously damage Frost Beast''s hide, however... All she had to do was get to the monster''s flesh, freezing it to the point that it fell away from the body.


    "Come on! Show me what you can do! I''m getting bored!" Alexia eximed before jumping at the Frost Beast.


    She grabbed the monster''s horn with one hand, thus she could clutch the monster''s eye with her other hand.


    Then, with an insane grin, she with a sharp movement of her hand, ripped out the right eye of the Frost Beast, flooding her body with a stream of blood.


    "RRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!!"


    The pitiful roar spread for hundreds of meters, instilling fear and terror, not only in the humans but also in the monsters. However, it was not the roar that was frightening, but its cause, for if Frost Beast roared in pain, then his opponent was an even bigger monster.


    Crackle.


    Alexia grasped Frost Beast''s horn tightly, quickly breaking it and ripping it out of the monster''s head along with a piece of hide and flesh that was quickly torn from the body with strings of veins and blood vessels.


    However, this time, Frost Beast did not growl in pain, since the monster had already realized that he had to give up everything for a chance to win.


    At the same moment, the bone rings on his thick tail began to shatter, releasing the ice crystals hidden beneath them all along.


    Then, Frost Beast swept its tail to the ground, causing dozens of crystals with sharp spikes to appear. They were growing in random directions, but there were so many of them that Alexia was immediately under attack.


    Alexia''s pupils narrowed as she jumped back, turning in midair.


    Several crystals left scratches on her sides and shoulders, but none managed to pierce her. In fact, Alexia remainedrgely unharmed.


    "Hah, not bad, but what next? Will you summon more crystals? I can easily dodge them or destroy them!" Alexia swung her hand sharply, smashing the nearest crystal with her fist.


    The crystal was several timesrger than her, but it shattered into tiny shards, practically turning to dust. The crystals were sharp, but also quite fragile.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Frost Beast began to thump the ground with his massive tail.


    However, no new crystals appeared, though Alexia was ready for it. Only after a while did she realize what Frost Beast was actually doing.


    "Shit..." Alexia muttered, looking at the waves of monsters moving towards her. They were pretty much all the monsters the Left North Squad was fighting.


    Every time Frost Beast''s tail hit the ground, it caused vibrations that attracted more and more monsters. Moreover, when the blue waves from the vibrations passed through the monsters, they would be a bit stronger and faster, advancing to the next stage of power.


    Alexia was strong, but even she would have problems if she had to fight hundreds of monsters at once.


    The problem wasn''t even that she might fail. No, she would definitely kill as many Snow Imots, Horned Lizards, and Azure Wolves as necessary. However, she would waste valuable time doing so, because, after a few minutes, the effects of her Second Order would start to fade away.


    Then, she would hardly have enough strength to defeat Frost Beast. Well, unless she entered Resonance, but she couldn''t count on that.


    The Phantoms were about to help her, but soon they stopped, from the intense cold that with the wind currents reached even them. It was an unusual cold, and one filled with energy, for it was the only way the Phantoms could begin to freeze, just like normal humans.


    "Decided to call your friends for help? Fine, then I''ll kill everyone right here and now!" Alexia eximed before cing her wrists against each other with her palms upright.


    Then, all the lines on her gloves shone brightly, and a dense frost began to run down the tubes,ing out of the inner gaps on her wrists.


    The icy vapor turned into a tiny ring, but it was as cold as a frosted star, lowering the temperature to a minimum.


    "Absolute zero..." Alexia whispered before moving her hands away from each other, thus allowing the ring to expand and spread hundreds of meters around like a shockwave.


    In a heartbeat, each monster turned into an ice statue as if time had stopped for them, and Frost Beast was no exception. Through the open wound in his head, his brain froze, plunging him into eternal darkness, cold and lonely.

 Chapter 115: I Want More!

    The phantoms of the Left Noth Squad stared at the frozen monsters with wide eyes. They felt like they had entered some magical world, or a museum, for the monsters still looked like alive, even though... they had already been dead for a few seconds.


    "Argh!" Alexia fell to her knees, while a stream of blood flowed from her mouth. She used every ability she had, including her Nexus.


    Considering Alexia''s physical strength, it wasn''t critical for her. She could still fight after a short break if she needed to. However, she would definitely not be able to use her Nexus for the next few hours, one Order at most, that was her limit.


    "I made it through. Good... I killed the 6th Rank. Damn, too bad it wasn''t someone from the Top 5, then... it would have been a whole other level, things would have been different." Alexia muttered with a slight smile on her face.


    She nced around the entire battlefield, looking at the Phantoms and monsters.


    In fact, Frost Beast had done them a great favor by summoning most of the monsters here. In that case, the monsters gathered in one ce, allowing Alexia to kill them with Absolute Zero.


    Thus, those Phantoms that were destined to die or receive wounds were able to avoid this unfortunate path.


    Sometimes, under certain circumstances, even the enemy''s actions could be a salvation. Well... or was it stupidity mixed with the desperation of one particr enemy?


    "Hah, there''s a reason she became our leader. I never doubted her." Owen smirked, leaning on his shield. There was a bloody cut above his right eye, pouring blood over part of his face, but overall, he was fine. So were the others.


    "Tsk. I was just starting to warm up. It''s over, isn''t it?" Ester muttered, looking around.


    Fred lifted his cor, hiding part of his face, and touched Ester''s shoulder.


    "Ouch!!!" Ester shrieked as a bright pain traveled through her body.


    "You idiot. A few more minutes and you''d have gotten so many wounds you wouldn''t be able to move on your own." Fred coldly said.


    Ester smiled bitterly, dropping to one knee.


    "Yeah, you''re right, but... we don''t have anything else to worry about." Ester nced at the horizon.


    The moon, hidden by a dark sphere, was already approaching the horizon line. The Eclipse wasn''t over yet, there was still a little less than an hour until the moon wouldpletely disappear. However, they had definitely defeated all the monsters in their area.


    "By the way... Alexia handled the Frost Beast, but what about him...?" Ester muttered while directing her gaze to the north.


    Streams of steam wereing from a young man with ck hair and blue eyes. Blood covered his body, and the silver needle slowly spread out into many threads.


    Two massive corpses of the Prime Azure Wolvesy at Adam''s feet, torn and cut apart. Adam used every opportunity he had to deal damage to the Prime Azure Wolves, so he didn''t aim to win with one precise attack.


    In the end, Prime Azure Wolves looked like they were caught in a meat grinder before they died. Harvesters would have to do some serious work to extract some materials from them.


    ''Adam, you''ve done well. You''ve already surpassed yourself and by the looks of it, your task as Left Norh Squad isplete. You can rest like the rest of us.'' Silvana said with a slight joy in her voice that she could not hide.


    Adam didn''t immediately reply, because... something was wrong.


    "Is it already over...? But, I''m not done yet..." Adam muttered, ncing at his body.


    Even though he had already defeated Azure Prime Wolves, he had yet toe out of Resonance. His veins were swollen, and his eyes were filled with blood. His instincts and all of his senses were at their peak, and it seemed to be even higher than when he had fought the Prime Azure Wolves.


    "I... I want more..." Adam whispered, like a child who had lost his favorite toy, suddenly and without the possibility of a recement.


    The Phantoms were discussing what had happened with satisfied faces. They hadn''t a moment to rest and talk in thest two hours.


    "Damn, Alexia is simply amazing with her power. Did you see what she did to Frost Beast? It''s insane!" The young man uttered with a wave of his hands.


    His buddy nodded.


    "Yeah, having a strong leader is important. After all, during Eclipse, the most important thing isn''t strategy or tactics, but pure power! I wonder how the other squads are doing? After all, it looks like we''re already done! Hahaha!"


    "Hey... What is this? What''s going on over there?" Someone said, pointing to the east, where the Right North Squad was supposed to be, also defending the north gate of the Bastion, only on the other side.


    "What the hell...?"


    The blue sh, traveled from one point to another, killing several Phantoms each time. The Right North Squad was far away, so they shouldn''t have seen it, but... there was a solid reason why the Left North Squad Phantoms could see it in detail.


    The Right North Squad Phantoms were running towards them! With frightened faces!


    Moreover, along with the Right North Squad, two more K0-Squads were also moving towards them, because the mysterious monster was chasing them!


    "HELP!!!!"


    One of the Phantoms screamed in terror, then... a blue sh tore him apart, with bones and chunks of flesh flying out. Then, the same fate befell another Phantom and another.


    Alexia''s eyes went wide as something happened that no one could have expected. Against the Right North Squad came a monster so strong that they failed their mission. Moreover, they couldn''t even escape because the monster was chasing them.


    Soon, Alexia and the other Phantoms of the Left North Squad were able to see who was behind the blue sh.


    It was an anthropomorphic creature, a little over two meters tall. The monster''s body was covered with light armor of dark cold metal, with manyrge tiles and massive tes not connected to each other - it gave special mobility with good protection.


    In the monster''s hands were paired ice des exuding cold vapor and covered in a thickyer of human blood. Hundreds of tiny blue crystals on the monster''s head created the effect of real hair, while the monster''s azure eyes constantly rotated, looking for a new victim.


    The monster''s face, up to eye level, was hidden by a metal mask with various patterns and runes, like a seal concealing a ghastly essence.


    It was a North Keeper, a Crown Type Monster, and one who held the 4th Rank among the strongest Purple Threat Level monsters!


    Alexia''s eyes shone brightly as an excited smile appeared on her face. She rose from the ground, clenching her fists tightly - ready for the next battle.


    "4th Rank... This is what it''s all about. I may be tired, but I can still fight! I have to!" Alexia muttered, taking a step forward.


    Bam.


    Just as she lifted her foot, something swept to her left, knocking her down, but not as if she was the target, but as if she was in the way and someone decided to toss her aside.


    Before she fell, Alexia looked to her left as her eyes went wide from Adam, who with an eager face, rushed forward, with the sole purpose - reach the North Keeper faster.


    Alexia noticed Adam''s swollen veins and bloodshot eyes, making her feel resentment inside.


    ''He entered Resonance... but... I want that too! I want to fight!!!''

 Chapter 116: The Power of Desire

    Globally, the Phantoms had many different worldviews, some believing in equality between humans and Phantoms like Azure Lotus or something more radical like Crimson Path.


    Still, the Phantoms could not resist their nature despite their ideology. Logic and politics were one side, but inner desires were quite another.


    Things varied from Phantom to Phantom, but many of the stronger Phantoms often experienced the pure pleasure of fighting monsters.


    True, every fight with a monster was dangerous and could lead to death, especially against strong monsters. However, the Phantoms had two solid reasons to feel pleasure in seemingly dangerous situations, even if they were drenched in blood and badly wounded, and any mistake could lead to their death.


    In defeating monsters, the Phantoms felt the same joy that ordinary people felt when they achieved some sess, whether it was a project at work, a rtionship, or a sessfully passed exam.


    The second reason was the Phantoms'' hunter''s side, the longer they fought, the more they got the taste for it.


    It seemed that this effect could grow to infinite heights, with every monster killed and blood spilled, making them want to fight an even stronger opponent.


    Thus, as long as Phantom had strength, he could fight with an excited smile on his face, and Resonance was especially affected by it - leaving only one thing in Phantom''s mind: his next target.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Without thinking of anything but the dangerous monster, Adam lunged forward, bringing his needle down directly on North Keeper.


    In a heartbeat, North Keeper bounced aside, missing the silver needle right in front of him.


    However, in no time, Adam attacked once more, acting at the limit of his power. The tip of his needle was rapidly approaching North Keeper''s head.


    North Keeper''s pupils narrowed as he reached out, pulling towards him a random K0-Phantom that ran past them, trying to get as far away as possible.


    The speed was too much for Adam to react in time, ending up with his needle deeply entering Phantom''s shoulder, slicing through flesh and bone.


    "ARGGHHHHHH!!!" The young man cried out in pain, bright waves of agony spread throughout his body.


    Adam''s eyes went wide with the realization of what he had just done. K0-Phantom, who had recently been a mere youth, was now screaming in pain because of his needle, his attack.


    Crackle.


    Adam grabbed the young man''s arm and sharply tossed him aside, hitting the other Phantoms, who continued to move forward without stopping.


    "Away! Get out of my way if you don''t want to get hit!" Adam shouted before abruptly turning around and kicking North Keeper.


    In a heartbeat, North Keeper put up a block, crossing his des and greatly reducing the power of Adam''s kick. However, the impact, threw him back a few meters, sending him into midair.


    Adam immediately followed him.


    If this situation had happened a few missions ago, Adam would most likely have been paralyzed for a while by the fact that he had injured another person. North Keeper would have definitely taken advantage of this weakness to wound or even kill him.


    However, now, Adam had enough experience and cold blood to realize that he shouldn''t regret what he had done.


    For every second that he would hesitate before attacking North Keeper, the monster would kill one Phantom. Thus, one wounded K0-Phantom was an insignificant cost.


    However, Adam was not only acting from the logical side. His main goal was to kill North Keeper, not to save the Phantoms, so... right now, his priorities were clear and indestructible.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam quickly ran towards North Keeper, intending to strike as well as the monster. A sharp glint ran across North Keeper''s ice des exuding menace, and his eyes narrowed. It seemed that North Keeper was ready to cut Adam into four pieces with his next attack.


    There were still a few seconds before Adam reached North Keeper, but... North Keeper felt a powerful chill run down his back before Adam even got close to him.


    Then, North Keeper sharply turned around only to meet Alexia''s eyes. Her fist was already raised to attack, she was exhaling cold vapor, and her skin was slightly blue with glowing hair.


    Adam had thrown her aside, but now... with her veins swollen and bloodshot eyes, Alexia was ready to fight, since she entered Resonance!


    She was eager to fight, and her genes responded to her will, allowing her to be as strong as possible.


    Bam.


    Alexia''s fist came down on North Keeper''s jaw, with such force that Frost Beast''s head would surely explode.


    Whoooooooosh.


    North Keeper flew dozens of meters, smashing into ice crystals and eventually ending up in a massive drift of snow, raising a high wave as if from an explosion.


    Adam and Alexia stopped for a moment. They looked at each other and smiled slightly.


    They gazed at each other closely, focusing their attention on eyes, hair, mouths, necks, and breasts as well as the breathing that soon they began to share.


    It seemed that even their hearts began to beat the same to maximize synergy. Their genes were in the same state, for the same purpose, and so now they had one path.


    Adam was about to say something, but... before he could utter a sound, a blue sh flew out of the snowdrift, instantly reaching their level.


    Adam and Alexia''s eyes went wide as North Keeper''s arms reached out to them.


    In a heartbeat, North Keeper grabbed them firmly by their heads, pushing their foreheads against each other with tremendous force.


    A cracking sound like breaking bones spread around, causing Adam and Alexia to lose consciousness for a moment.


    "Bastard!" Alexia eximed, taking North Keeper by the arm and pulling it sharply.


    Adam reacted quickly, realizing what Alexia was about to do, and grabbed North Keeper''s other arm.


    They pulled the monster''s arms in different directions with all their strength. Perhaps neither Adam nor Alexia could use their abilities anymore, especially Nexus, but, it didn''t affect their physical power. They were tired, but the effects of Resonance were enough to make them forget about the exhaustion from the past fights for a while.


    North Keeper''s pupils narrowed as his flesh began to tear and even bleed. A few more seconds, and he might actually be left without two arms after underestimating his opponents.


    Well... In fact, it was still a big question of who was underestimating whom.


    Step.


    North Keeper took a step forward, clenching his fists tightly and using all his strength to force his hands into motion. Even though Alexia and Adam held them tightly, it didn''t stop North Keeper.


    Then, North Keeper''s palms collided with each other, as well as Adam with Alexia.


    Following, North Keeper swung his arms, tossing Adam and Alexia aside - straight towards the sharp crystals in the distance.


    Owen, watching the fight, frowned, as he cast a nce at his shield.


    ''Tsk. Somehow, I had a feeling from the start that I would need it. Good thing I trusted my intuition.'' Owen muttered internally as his eyes shone brightly.


    His shield trembled slightly, about to be filled with powerful energy - all to help Adam and Alexia win theirst battle in this Eclipse!

 Chapter 117: The Fall of the North

    The Phantoms, pursued by the North Keeper, watched in horror as the monster fought Adam and Alexia.


    Some of them were experienced enough to realize how strong these three were, while the neers werepletely baffled, so much so that someone was even going to help them!


    "Come on! If we all attack together, we''ll kill him! We shouldn''t run away like before! This way we''ll just be chopped up like pigs in a ughterhouse!"


    They were K0-Phantoms, not very experienced, but active and enthusiastic. However, in this case, it was simple stupidity that would only lead them to death.


    "Freeze!" Ester eximed loudly enough to be heard by all the squads approaching them, "Get out of there as soon as possible! Either North Keeper will kill you or those two! There''s nothing you can do! Right now, you''re nothing more than coteral damage!"


    The Phantoms were willing to believe Ester, after all, many saw what Adam had done, but at the same time, they didn''t want to abandon their fellows. They understood why Adam had done it, he had a valid reason.


    Whoooooosh.


    North Keeper burst into a cascade of sharp crystals, aiming his des at Alexia.


    Her pupils narrowed as she perfectly dodged North Keeper''s de that swept close to her face, leaving a thin cut on her cheek.


    Then, she quickly attacked, but North Keeper managed to put up a block.


    Alexia''s smirked, "Hah, you think that''s going to help you? I''ll break through any defense if I have to!"


    She twisted her wrist sharply and stepped forward, creating a momentum that threw North Keeper back - towards the Phantoms.


    ''Why the fuck are they still standing here? I told them to leave!'' Adam inwardly resented it, for he knew that neither he nor Alexia was going to stop.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Alexia sprinted forward in pursuit of the North Keeper. She clenched her fist tightly, intending to attack again, and it was unlikely that North Keeper was ready to block her blow, for his hands were trembling slightly.


    "Agh...?" The young man''s eyes went wide when he felt a cold hand on his shoulder.


    Before the young man could realize anything, the North Keeper pulled him to himself, using as a human shield.


    The young man saw Alexia in front of him and smiled slightly. He knew she would stop, but he felt bad for preventing her.


    Crackle.


    Alexia''s fist plunged into the young man''s chest, ripping through his flesh and quickly reaching North Keeper''s stomach, causing his eyes to go wide with pain.


    The young man looked at Alexia in disbelief. He couldn''t ept that Alexia had actually done this.


    Before moving on, Alexia only cast a cold nce at him - without a bit of regret or guilt.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!"


    This was enough to cause the K0-Phantoms to panic. They ran away as fast as possible, not wanting to be Alexia''s next victim.


    While dozens of people ran west, some moved east - quickly joining his partner.


    "Finally, we''re the only ones left here." Adam said calmly, bringing his needle down in a second grip.


    "Yes!" Alexia eximed, attacking at the same time as him.


    North Keeper could no longer use the other Phantoms to defend themselves, so now only their mastery decided everything.


    Every second, Adam and Alexia were attacking. Adam''s attacks were slower, but much stronger and more urate thanks to the second grip, while Alexia was just throwing a hail of blows at North Keeper.


    North Keeper didn''t have any special protection other than his armor, the main purpose of which was to make him faster without restricting his movements. He could only rely on his des, reaction, and speed, and so far... that was more than enough.


    ''Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! How strong is he?!'' Alexia inwardly eximed while cascades of sparks flew before her eyes.


    The North Keeper''s hands moved faster and faster with each passing second. Although Adam and Alexia, thanks to Resonance, were attacking with perfect timing, North Keeper was just faster. It wasn''t difficult for him to block their attacks with his ice des and sometimes even counterattack, leaving cuts on their bodies.


    "Owen!" Bryda eximed, turning towards him.


    "Yeah... I know. I just had to get ready. They won''t have much time, so I had to wait out the right moment." Owen smirked before using his Nexus.


    His shield was covered in thick blue energy, actively burning like a me.


    Then, he raised his shield high and knocked it to the ground. All the energy vanished in an instant.


    At the same moment, from the sky, like a heavenly blessing, blue rays fell on Adam and Alexia, leaving azure, spiky crosses on their chests.


    "Alright... That''s it for now..." Owen whispered, before copsing without strength.


    Adam and Alexia felt a powerful surge of energy, they became faster and stronger, and their fatigue seemed to disappear. However, this effect would onlyst for a few minutes, then they would feel even worse than before.


    ''We should end the fight right here and now!'' Adam and Alexia thought simultaneously.


    Soon, North Keeper could no longer handle the pressureing from Adam and Alexia. Then, neither the position of the moon, nor the beginning of dawn, nor the words of their Operators mattered.


    Everything was decided in a few fractions of a second, too fast for anyone but the three of them to understand the situation.


    Whoooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Fred, standing in the distance, began to prepare a powerful shot. His arm was stretched to its limit, holding a huge energy arrow - that one was different from all the ones he had used before.


    Adam and Alexia cast a quick nce at Fred, realizing what they had to do.


    Then, Adam lunged forward, bringing his needle down on North Keeper with all his might, forcing him to use two swords to defend himself.


    Alexia immediately took advantage of this, dashed next to North Keeper, and knocked him down, only to grab his leg and throw him high up.


    It seemed to make no sense, but soon, the white arrow came close to North Keeper, ending up right in front of his face.


    Fred smirked. Another second, and he would kill the 4th Rank monster!


    Crackle.


    Without hesitation, North Keeper grabbed Fred''s arrow, clutching it tightly like a projectile.


    "No way..." Fred shuddered in disbelief.


    With the next breath, North Keeper threw Fred''s arrow at the nearest cluster of Phantoms - causing a devastating explosion that killed more than a dozen.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Adam bounced off Alexia''s shoulders, jumping high enough to thrust his needle, urately piercing North Keeper''s neck.


    North Keeper''s eyes went wide as he swung his des, about to sh Adam, but Adam simply used Second Order, summoning silver ws and defending against the des with his arm. It was more than enough for one attack.


    At the same moment, Alexia jumped after him, but she wasn''t going to attack, for their time wasing to an end!


    Crackle. Crackle.


    Alexia grabbed North Keeper''s legs tightly, at the knees, before pulling her arms down with all her might, while Adam swung his needle upward.


    North Keeper''s head snapped off, as well as the lower part of his body, revealing his bulging insides and a river of blood pouring all around.

 Chapter 118: Dawn

    Bam.


    Adam and Alexia fell to the ground, crawling up and leaning on each other''s backs with theirst strength. They were breathing heavily, just staring into the void and asionally at the North Keeper torn into three pieces.


    "You know... We make a pretty good duo." Alexia interrupted with a slight smile on her face.


    They were gradually exiting Resonance, their mission was aplished. Moreover, Owen''s buff had ended as well, so... it was unlikely that they would be able to at least get back on their feet anytime soon.


    "Yeah... That wasn''t bad. It''s a bit of a shame I couldn''t beat 4th Rank by myself, but... I couldn''t have done it without you." Adam sighed heavily.


    After a short pause, Alexia coughed and asked:


    "Adam... The two of us fought, but the genes and, most importantly, the Power Gene, only one of us will be able to get..."


    Alexia was not ready to demand Adam to give up something so valuable. She had to make it fair, after all, they had both put effort into winning.


    "Take it." Adam waved his hand nonchntly, "I already have enough genes for whatever I need. After all, I''ve killed three Prime Azure Wolves."


    "But... Power Gene isn''t just simple genes used as a resource for growth. Power Gene will actually make you stronger." Alexia muttered.


    Adam shrugged nonchntly.


    "Meh. I already have Power Gene. North Keeper was definitely stronger than the Crown Monster I killed, but I don''t think I''ll be able to use that gene, unlike you. You use ice, don''t you?"


    Alexia nodded.


    "Sure. I already have a Power Gene, but this one is much stronger and more suitable for me. Thank you. I''ll be sure to pay you back, someday."


    Adam didn''t answer anything, he just nced at the battlefield. In a few minutes dawn was about to break, as the moon, covered by a dark sphere, was almost disappearing over the horizon. With a little more time left, Adam''s first Eclipse would be finished.


    "It''s a shame it had to happen like this..." Adam whispered, staring at the dead young man with a massive hole in his chest from Alexia''s blow.


    Alexia nced at Adam with a hard stare.


    "You think I''m a monster?"


    Adam shook his head as he looked up at the faintly dark sky, changing to a lightyer from the approaching dawn.


    "If this had happened at the beginning of my journey, I would have hated you. However... He, as well as the others, had ample opportunity to escape, moreover, Ester and the Operators told them too. I won''t say I think it''s normal, but I realize that sometimes there''s no choice."


    Alexia didn''t answer anything. She just nodded with a deep look. During the Resonance, her emotions had been affected as well, now she was rethinking everything that had happened.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly, out of nowhere, came a tremendous pressure that made the Phantoms forget how to breathe. Then, ten meters in front of Adam and Alexia, a huge creature over six meters tall appeared from the ground.


    The monster''s body, like that of an evil spirit, started from a single point, gradually growing wider and wider at the top, with thick flesh and iron tes here and there. The monster had two long paws, no legs as it hovered above the ground, and a massive, horrible jaw with protruding teeth.


    At that moment, all sounds of imminent death disappeared, for every Phantom instantly realized that this monster was higher than Purple Threat Level, significantly!


    Neither Adam, Alexia, nor anyone else in their squad was able to hurt this monster that appeared at the very end of Eclipse.


    Adam blinked.


    "Agh...?" Adam''s eyes went wide as a man appeared between them and the monster, standing with his back to the monster.


    The man had thick ck hair, dark eyes, and a serene expression. A long ck coat covered his muscr body with broad shoulders. Unlike the other Phantoms wearing winter clothes, he wore what he wanted rather than what was necessary.


    "Hey, looks like you''ve run into some unexpected problems, haven''t you?" The man waved his hand with a slight smile on his face.


    " Watch out!" Adam eximed as the monster extended its paw towards the man.


    In a heartbeat, the monster''s ws reached the man, touching his shoulder. A sharp glint traveled down the ws, about to tear the man apart.


    However... the man simply stepped forward, keeping his hands in his pockets as if he were out for a walk.


    At the same moment, the monster''s body began to swell as if from a ghastly infection bloating the flesh before exploding, leaving behind only a few chunks of dark flesh.


    "Oh, so you defeated North Keeper?" The man tilted his head, rubbing his chin thoughtfully and looking at the monster''s corpse.


    The man nodded a few times.


    "Not bad, not bad. I was hoping the two of you would prove yourselves in this Eclipse, and I wasn''t wrong. Adam, for your information, you took quite a risk while going through Elemental Circle. I wouldn''t advise you to do that again." The man carelessly said.


    ''Who is he...?'' Adam inwardly muttered.


    Silvana, as if reading his thoughts said:


    ''This is Erden Hage, Guardian of the Bastion Radon. He is the strongest Phantom of this Bastion and the nearby region. Apparently, he has been keeping an eye on all the squads during the Eclipse... To help in emergencies.'' Silvana said quickly.


    Adam''s eyes filled with realization, and Erden saw it.


    "Alright. Your work is done, as is mine. Thank you for helping to protect my Bastion. Come back if you wish." Erden said calmly before stepping and disappearing right in front of Adam''s and Alexia''s eyes.


    Adam and Alexia looked over to each other, smiled slightly, and... passed out, colliding foreheads.


    ...


    The Eclipse was over. The first rays of sunlight were the most wee thing for every Phantom. None of them had ever before, wished to see sunlight so much.


    Many died, many more were wounded, but... they had aplished their mission. Thousands of monsters were killed, and millions of Bastion residents could wake up with peace of mind, just like any other day.


    Sure, not all citizens understood what the Phantoms had to go through during Eclipse, but... to those closer to the Phantoms, it was more than obvious.


    All the gates of the bastion opened as hundreds of trucks and helicopters flew to the aid. The military and doctors had to give the Phantoms urgent medical treatment, and the Harvesters had to begin their direct duties.


    They had to cut the monsters into pieces, as there was plenty of material.


    Each Eclipse was as much a tragedy as it was a celebration. In a single night, Citadel and Bastions would get as much material from monsters as from hundreds of missions, though more likely even much more.


    Sure, some monsters were too badly damaged to be useful, but only a small fraction.


    Crackle.


    Erden ate a piece of chocte bar while standing on the north wall. His gaze traveled to Adam and Alexia, who were being carried away on a stretcher to the helicopter, then to the other Phantoms.


    "Is it just me, or were there too many monsters this time?" ra, standing next to him, muttered with a hard look.


    Erden nodded.


    "Yeah... It''s not even the quantity, but the quality. I can''t remember thest time K1-Squad was attacked by Top-5 monsters."


    Erden continued with a sharp look.


    "Well, perhaps that''s why the Eclipses have be less frequent. We have to prepare better, or there will only be more casualties."

 Chapter 119: Coming Home

    Soft rays of sunlight,ing through the window, fell on Adam''s face. He frowned and turned away, not wanting to wake up - sleep was too sweet and pleasant to give it up.


    However... the sun''s rays weren''t going to give up on him, soon forcing his eyes open.


    The first Adam saw Silvana, sitting near, with a calm face, reading something on her tablet.


    Then, he directed his gaze to his left, watching Alexia. Unlike him, she had been awake for a while now, and, right now, she was... practicing...


    Whoosh. Whoosh. Whooooooosh.


    Alexia quickly punched the air, boxing with a serious look. Afterpleting a series of punches, Alexia immediately did a few push-ups despite half of her bandaged body.


    "Fine, I want a snack!" Alexia said demandingly, turning to the young man who sat next to her bed, taking the same position as Silvana.


    The young man had back-length blue hair, perfect facial features, and deep blue eyes as calm as the ocean.


    Considering Alexia''s temperament and her formidable gaze, out of the two of them, it was this young man who looked more handsome and cute. Most girls wouldn''t be able to resist his re.


    "Sure. I''ve got it all set up, as always." Louis uttered before pulling out a container of onigiri andrge meatballs. It was the fifth such container, with four more, empty, resting by the window behind him.


    Alexia approached Louis as he fed her from his fork, with a caring smile on his face. It seemed that Alexia was long ago used to being treated this way, as there was no emotion on her face, and she just went back to practicing.


    "Oh... Adam, are you awake...?" Alexia muttered as her cheeks flushed slightly.


    Adam scratched the back of his head, puzzled.


    "Yeah, though I''d prefer to sleep a little longer." Adam muttered, looking at the sun at zenith, "I feel like I haven''t enough."


    Silvana red at him.


    "Adam, do you realize this isn''t the same day as Eclipse, right? You and Alexia slept for three whole days, and Alexia only woke up a few hours ago."


    Adam nodded deeply.


    Then, Silvana showed the prepared containers of his favorite food - meat and shrimp.


    Adam might have wanted to ask something else, but he was so hungry that he immediately forgot about everything when he saw the appetizing piece of meat.


    ...


    Wiping the sauce from his mouth, Adam finally came to his senses, satisfied. It took Silvana several servings to feed Adam.


    "So... You''re Alexia''s Operator, right?" Adam asked, looking at Louis slightly puzzled.


    This was the first time he had ever seen a male Operator. Although he had only seen one Operator before - Z, Oren''s Operator, they had a run-in in the virtual zone and then, in a joint mission.


    Louis put one foot over the other, smiled, and nodded.


    "On her first mission, Alexia killed so many monsters that she practically did everything alone. The missions department and the military noticed it, so I''ve been keeping an eye on that crazy kid ever since that day."


    "Hey! You''re only two years older than me! What''s more, I''m thirsty!" Alexia said sternly, clearly displeased with what Louis had said.


    Louis nodded, as he pulled four items out of the container - coffee and bitter chocte, as well as chocte milk and an eir with heavy cream.


    "I wasn''t sure what you''d choose. It looks like you''ve just be very mature. So... What will you take?" Louis smirked. He knew what the answer would be.


    Alexia lowered her gaze to the floor, clenched her fists, and took the milk and eir. She sat down on the bed and with puffed-up cheeks, started drinking the milk through a tube.


    Louis shrugged and took a sip of the double espresso, opening the chocte bar.


    Adam watched this duo with curiosity. Louis clearly cared for Alexia, for although he teased her, he was here all the time and had prepared Alexia''s food and favorite sweets. He knew his task as Operator as well as her partner, someone who could banter or cheer her up at the right moment.


    "Hey, Adam." Louis addressed him.


    "Hmm?" Adam gave him a questioning look.


    "You''re from the Citadel, aren''t you? I mean, you don''t live in Bastion Radon." Louis asked.


    Adam nodded.


    "Yeah, once I get some rest, I''ll return to the Citadel. I have challenging missions ahead of me, but I want to go home first."


    Louis smiled.


    "So do we."


    "Agh...?" Adam tilted his head in confusion, "Don''t you live in Bastion Radon?"


    Louis shrugged.


    "Yeah, but we moved to the Citadel a while back. There are more opportunities, missions, and allies there. We only came back to Bastion Radon for Eclipse because the military asked us to."


    Adam''s eyes went wide as he looked at Alexia, who was listening intently to their conversation but not showing it. She was enjoying her dessert.


    ''Was she called in on purpose? Though...'' Adam pondered as he remembered the situation in the shower after Elemental Circle, back then ra hade to him with a proposal, ''The same thing happened to me. Moreover, Erden Hage... He knew what my name was, so... prominent Phantoms are closely watched, aren''t they?''


    Well, it was no secret, that the military, the missions department, and the government were constantly monitoring the progress of the Phantoms, both squads and individuals.


    It was important to reduce the risks of missions and to divide resources. The government tried to avoid discrimination by power level, but it was a natural process.


    Those who were stronger and more capable than others could kill more monsters, and thus save more allies and ordinary people.


    However, even if someone became overly arrogant because of this, it was not the government''s problem. Their job was to make sure the Phantoms were as effective as possible - to raise the capable ones and forget about the weak ones.


    "Silvana, we don''t have any more business here, do we? I mean, I wanted to leave even earlier, but suddenly I had to get involved in Eclipse." Adam asked with a slight wave of his hand.


    "No. I can order a fighter at any time. Just let me know." Silvana replied calmly, crossing her arms over her chest.


    "Let''s fly together." Louis suggested.


    Adam raised an eyebrow as he looked at Alexia. She finished her eir, tossed the empty milk to Louis, and stood up. Louis, with a slight smile on his face, caught it, not saying anything.


    "I agree. I want to get back to the Citadel as soon as possible because my favorite event ising up!" Alexia said energetically, looking at Adam.


    Adam only tilted his head.


    "Three days from now, there will be a Scarlet Light Fair - in the First Ring, thergest square, where there will be tens of thousands of people and various activities. Bothmon people and Phantoms are going there." Silvana quickly exined, realizing that Adam didn''t know about it.


    "The Scarlet Light Fair...?" Adam muttered as a happy smile appeared on his face like a child, "Sounds interesting!"


    This will be Adam''s first time attending something like this. His first opportunity.

 Chapter 120: Coming Home (Part 2)

    Adam and Alexia headed toward the takeoff pad to the fighter that had been waiting for them for a while.


    Silvana and Louis walked beside them, as faithful helpers and mysterious guards whose sole purpose was to assist their Phantoms.


    They could have taken the elevator out of the city straight to the takeoff pad, but, Alexia decided to walk along the walls since there was something else she had to do before leaving Bastion Radon, for a very long time.


    "It''s been a few days since we were there, hasn''t it?" Alexia muttered, looking at the massive bloodstains in front of the north gate.


    The Harvesters had already taken all the monsters as well as the materials from them, but the blood had yet to evaporate. The wind needed a little more time to blow ice crystals and crimson clots of snow across the region.


    For some monsters, however, the blood of other monsters was a worthy sustenance. As always, scavengers were and found a way to use everything to survive. In this cruel world, all ways were good, since it was impossible to be stronger if you were already dead.


    "Sorry to disturb you!"


    Suddenly, a man - one of the military personnel - approached them and bowed low with his hands at the hips.


    "Hm? Do we know each other?" Alexia raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    "No. My name is Misk! I just want to express my infinite gratitude for what you''ve done! I was one of the military who tried to help your unit by aimingser turrets!" Misk said vigorously, practically shouting out every word he said.


    Alexia nodded.


    "Thank you. We did our job, just like you. If we keep this up, we''ll continue to have our walls - the defense of humanity - standing firmly on thesends."


    Misk happily smiled as he pounded his fist into his chest. As a military man, he was honored to receive praise from Alexia, who was one of the strongest K1-Phantoms.


    Alexia nodded and headed forward, along with the others.


    From time to time, other military men approached them, some of them addressing Adam. He wasn''t the leader of the Left North Squad, but he did enough outstanding things to make the military remember him for a long time.


    asionally, Adam would nce at Louis, who now behaved very differently than he had in the hospital. In front of strangers, he didn''t even dare say a word without Alexia''s permission. He stood behind her like a servant, both hands holding the ck case with her Nexus.


    Now and then, however, a sly smile appeared on his face, showing that he understood where and how to act.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Soon, they entered the tform where Adam and Silvana were to see an old acquaintance.


    Lang, with his arms crossed over his chest, leaned against his fighter, keeping half his face covered by the visor of his beret.


    "Oh, you''re finally here." Lang smirked, looking at his former passengers.


    "You turned out to be free this time, didn''t you?" Adam smiled, staring at Lang with a slight grin.


    Lang shrugged.


    "We pilots can''t expect an order from any particr Phantom. There are far fewer fighters than Phantoms, so we have to act quickly and efficiently, on schedule."


    Adam nodded.


    There were significantly more military personnel than Phantoms, as well as any other departmental employees, but Phantoms were not the rarest of professions in the Citadel.


    There weren''t as many fighter pilots or cksmiths, but the government was trying to do everything it could to increase their numbers. They worked with several Phantoms at once and could fulfill several orders in one day, so their small numbers weren''t critical.


    "Alright. It''s time to go home. I hope no one attacks us this time!" Lang said excitedly as he climbed into the fighter.


    Adam nced at Alexia with a bitter smile. He remembered Damien''s words that Naturalborn Phantoms attracted luck and bad luck more strongly than normal humans and Artificialborn Phantoms.


    Last time, his alone had been enough for them to be attacked by a Big-billed Toro, but... things were different now.


    During the preparations for the return, Adam had plenty of opportunities to find out that Alexia was a Naturalborn Phantom, just like him. It was also quite possible that one of their squad captains was in the same situation, but that needed to be rified.


    In that case, the monsters would have a strong desire to attack them, thus Adam was already ready for battle - to defend his fighter again.


    ...


    ''Hmm... Really?'' Adam muttered, looking out the window at the Citadel. A few more minutes and they would be at thending pad, their trip would soon be over.


    Adam was fully confident that they would have to fight off dozens of monsters as their genes would attract strong ones - inrge numbers. In the end, they didn''t encounter a single monster.


    The reason was that Adam misunderstood Damien''s words, or rather, he focused all his attention on only one part - failure. It was a double-edged sword that also presented the second side - luck.


    Well, it was actually a distorted concept for ease of exnation.


    The fact that there were two Naturalborn Phantoms in one fighter at once was enough to discourage monsters from attacking them. It was a kind of representation of the luck of the double-edged sword.


    Although it didn''t change the fact that they could be attacked by a particrly strong monster, that wasn''t the case this time. Their genes were only increasing the odds, not setting up the future.


    "Agh... We''re finally here!" Alexia uttered, stretching her arms up with glowing eyes.


    "I love Bastion Radon, my home, but this ispletely different!" Alexia eximed, ncing around Three Rings, at the thousands of streets and the millions of people living in them.


    Adam felt strange. Unlike Alexia, he had been born in the Citadel, not the Bastion, but most of his life, he hadn''t felt that way. He was an outsider like Alexia, someone just getting used to a new life.


    The Slums were different from Three Rings, much more so than Bastion was from the Citadel. Bastion was just a smaller version of the Citadel, while the Slums were a blight right next to civilization.


    "By the way, Adam, you''re pretty strong, so, you must have joined some organization by now, right? Surely it must be someone from the Big Three, right?" Alexia asked with genuine curiosity.


    "The Big Three...?" Adam muttered in confusion, then his eyes went wide when he realized what she was talking about.


    Adam shook his head.


    "Nah, I only recently found out about it in detail. I definitely haven''t decided yet, and I don''t even know if I''ll ever make a choice." Adam waved his hand.


    Alexia narrowed her eyes. She moved closer to him, stared at him intently, and smiled slyly.


    "Come on. Given your power and experience, you''ve seen enough to have an opinion. How about this, just tell me which of the Big Three you definitely wouldn''t join?" Alexia was being facetious, so Adam decided to answer.


    "Agh... Alright, but you won''t hear anything else from me. I''m not joining the Azure Lotus. There can''t be equality even among Phantoms, let alone ordinary people. That''s something I''ve made absolutely clear about." Adam coldly said, showing that this was the final position.

 Chapter 121: Coming Home (Part 3)

    "Not the azure Lotus, right?" Alexia muttered with a detached face. Her thoughts seemed to drift very far away.


    Not that Adam cared about Alexia''s opinion, but he wouldn''t want to fight with her if she was going to join Azure Lotus. It would be an unfortunate set of circumstances, or rather -pletely impossible.


    "Great! Sounds to me like they''re stuck in their fantasies! It''s like they don''t live in the real world! How can equality exist where even monsters and artifacts have different ranks? Pffft! They''re just a bunch of idiots and idealists." Alexia waved her hand with a great grimace.


    Louis, standing next to her, smiled and said:


    "Azure Lotus are naive, but at least it assures others that their intentions are open. It''s enough that they''re doing what they can for the good of the Citadel, but there''s no way someone like them should be more than a powerful organization."


    Silvana entered the conversation.


    "Sometimes naivety and straightforwardness can be equated with innocence and kindness. It''s good that such an organization exists as a buffer zone, though you''re right. They can''t get their hands on power, or dark times wille for the Phantoms, then for the entire Citadel and humanity."


    Louis nodded approvingly. If Silvana was a responsible teacher, Louis was a cunning strategist.


    "So... If your choice is not Azure Lotus, then that leaves only two options, right?" Adam raised an eyebrow, looking at Alexia curiously.


    Alexia nodded, clenched her fist tightly, and said with burning eyes:


    "Ever since I knew about the Phantoms, I dreamed of bing one. Then, after many obstacles, I heard about the Big Three. I already knew who I wanted to be like!" Alexia grinned as she eximed, "One day, I want to be as strong as Damien! So I will join the Dark Order, sooner orter!"


    ''Damien, right? Well, it''s no wonder, that someone who defends the Citadel is so admired.'' Adam pondered with a deep gaze.


    He didn''t have the same enthusiasm as Alexia, but he realized that if he had the chance, he should learn from Damien everything he could.


    Not to blindly follow the instructions of the strongest, but to take the best and beware of the ws, trying to adjust to them.


    "Well, in that case, good luck." Alexia said with a wide smile, extending her hand to Adam, "Hopefully we can fight together again soon."


    Adam nodded, responding to the handshake.


    "By the way. I look forward to seeing you at the fair! See youter!" Alexia vigorously said, walking away from the takeoff pad.


    Louis just waved them off with narrowed eyes before following his Phantom, not taking a step away from Alexia.


    "What are we going to do?" Silvana asked in a calm voice.


    Adam scratched the back of his head.


    "I''m not sure... How about we just rest? I think, after the fair, I''ll be ready to go hunting Essence Monster."


    Silvana nodded.


    "As you wish."


    ...


    For the next three days, Adam and Silvana hardly saw each other, which had hardly ever happened up to that point.


    There was nothing wrong with their rtionship, they hadn''t had a fight or anything. From the moment they arrived at Bastion Radon and even before, they had been constantly with each other.


    Soon, they would meet again, so a few days before the fair was the perfect time for them to rest.


    Even the best of friends, a tight-knit couple, or close family members needed some time away from each other, once in a while.


    A change of scenery or some time alone with yourself was just what they needed.


    Moreover, Adam hadn''t seen his family in a long time, as well as they.


    "Fair?" Leona muttered, tilting her head. They were all sitting together at the dinner table, something that hadn''t happened in a long time.


    Trici and Gary were also looking at it curiously. Apparently, there were no exhibitions, fairs, or museums in the slums. In this ce, people hadpletely different priorities than various entertainment.


    "Oh! I''ve heard about the fairs from my friends! They say one of the biggest ones ising up in a couple of days, the Scarlet Light Fair! My friends were therest year, and they absolutely loved it!" Trici eximed with an excited expression.


    "Friends?" Adam raised an eyebrow, enjoying his mom''s delicious soup. Silvana was a good cook, but for every child, it was Mom''s food that would be the most wee and cozy, it was an invible rule.


    "Hahaha, our Trici turned out to be a sociable girl! In a month she''s been able to make friends through games, and they''ve been to our house a few times already!" Garyughed, clearly happy for his children''s progress. Finally, their lives were starting to get better, on all fronts.


    "I see..." Adam smiled bitterly before continuing to eat. He was a little sad that he had missed such an important event as Trici making friends, but he knew that it was only possible because he had be a Phantom.


    ''Fine. When Trici enters the academy, things will get even better. With her background, she can definitely seed and be a cksmith. Who knows, maybe I''ll take an order from her hands someday?'' Adam pondered, remembering that he needed money for his sister.


    Then, he opened his NEP and checked his bnce. He knew he should have been paid quite well for fighting in Eclipse, but when he saw the amount, his eyes went wide.


    [Your bnce: 307,787 credits.]


    It only took a moment for Adam to realize that he had received over 100,000 credits for Eclipse!


    Thus, in just over a month, Adam had almost earned the necessary amount for Trici''s education at the cksmith academy!


    "Hmm?" Trici''s eyes sparkled.


    "First of all, we''re going to the Scarlet Light Fair in two days. Second, be ready to enter the cksmith academy next year."


    Trici blinked a few times, realizing what she had heard.


    Over the past few weeks she had been kindled with the idea of bing a cksmith, but she, as a child, due to her naivety, didn''t realize that Adam was in on it. Naturally, she had no idea that Silvana had purposely given her different games to choose from to figure out what she wanted to be in the future and if she had potential.


    It was practically magic to Trici, and all she could do was feel pure delight and childlike, innocent joy!


    "Brother!" Trici eximed as she hugged him tightly. It took Adam an effort not to spill the soup due to such a sudden attack.


    "Hey, careful!" Adam uttered, mixed with excitedughter.


    "Fair! I want to go to the fair and then go straight to being a cksmith! I want to do what''s in the game, in life! I want! I want! I want!"


    "Hahaha, alright. You''ll have to wait a little longer with the academy, but we''ll go to the fair, that''s for sure!"


    Leona and Gary looked at each other as easy smiles appeared on their faces, filled with parental happiness.


    Adam may have been a monster-killing Phantom, and Trici may have already aspired to create deadly weapons, but for Leona and Gary, they would always be their children and no one else.

 Chapter 122: The Fair

    Scarlet Light Fair was everything at once - there were rides as well as stores with various cafes, food trucks, and games!


    The fair was held in First Ring, in one of the main squares - a rare ce for First Ring to have such arge open area. From time to time, there was something big happening here.


    Yeah, outside the Citadel monsters were raging, and in Dead Lands, there was nothing but devastation, but that didn''t mean millions of people had to live in eternal grief and despair.


    If the Citadel intended to survive, it simply needed to keep the people, the departmental staff and the Phantoms actively working, each on their own task. That required an appropriate level of morale. The fairs were perfect for that.


    However... It didn''t always work as intended. Or rather, sometimes, some distorted the original purpose of an event.


    "Hmm? Why are these people dressed like that?" Trici tilted her head, looking around. Today was the first day she''d gone to Frist Circle, but all her attention was focused on the fair.


    Skyscrapers and borate infrastructure were not as impressive and interesting to a child as cotton candy and stuffed toys as gifts.


    Adam and Trici chose light,fortable clothes, nothing shy or strict. However, some people dressed in such a way to show their wealth and influence with all their might: expensive suits, watches, rare purses expensive nes, and much more.


    "Well... They figured the fair was a good ce to show off." Adam shrugged, stepping forward.


    "Maybe we should have dressed like that too? I can feel their strange looks..." Trici muttered puzzled. She didn''t yet understand arrogance and the attempts of others to elevate themselves through money and status. Unfortunately, it was something she only realized as an adult.


    Adam waved his hand nonchntly.


    "There''s no need. After all, I have something much better."


    Then, Adam tugged at his sleeve, revealing his wrist and NEP.


    At the same moment, the people got awkward expressions across their faces and abruptly turned away. Arguing with Phantom was thest thing they wanted to do.


    After all, regardless of the hidden reasons, people came to the fair for one purpose - entertainment!


    "Brother! I want to try this! My girlfriends said it''s really delicious!" Trici eximed vigorously, pointing to the taco food truck.


    "Oh, interesting." Adam muttered with mild curiosity.


    He usually ate what Silvana cooked, and she tried tobine his favorite ingredients into the meals, keeping the dish wholesome. Fast food was not in his diet, except for sodas and burgers.


    Crackle.


    Adam and Trici were simultaneously trying a popr and familiar food to others, but new to themselves.


    If anyone would have seen them then, they would have thought they hadn''t eaten in days, for there was too much pleasure on their faces from the ordinary, albeit delicious, taco.


    Rarely did anyone from the slums manage to make their way into the inner zone of the Citadel, especially in the First Ring. More often than not, it was due to finding Spark and bing a Phantom.


    Such people needed time to get used to a life full of opportunities and something new.


    "This is so good! This is incredible!" Trici eximed happily with eyes shining with delight.


    Adam silently finished his meal before ordering a few more. Considering he was a Phantom, he could eat several dozen and not feel too satiated. His body stored and absorbed energy at a much higher volume than ordinary humans.


    "I hope Mom and Dad try this too! I''ll have to ask Mom to make something like this!" Trici said, licking her fingers with a slightly goofy look.


    Adam smiled, stroking Trici''s hair.


    "I''m sure they''ll even find something more interesting! However, you and I aren''t going to fall behind, are we?" Adam looked in the direction where there were many food trucks and cafes.


    Trici knew right away that this was their main focus at the Scarlet Light Fair, at least the first of many!


    Leona and Gary also came to Scarlet Light Fair, in fact, there were four of them, but after going through the main entrances they decided to split up.


    Sure, Trici wanted them to continue on together, like any child, but Adam realized that this was the best option.


    Trici was always at home, very rarely going out with her new friends. There was nothing wrong with that, especially considering her hobbies in VR games, where she got a lot of information about both the world and her future profession.


    However... Leona and Gary were adults, husband and wife, who finally had some free time on their hands. They didn''t have to worry about money, and Trici was now grown up enough to entertain herself.


    So they could spend that time with each other, both at night and at the fair, living like normal people.


    ...


    An hourter, Adam and Trici had tasted everything they could. Despite being a Phantom, Adam felt full - not physically, but mentally.


    Burgers, hot dogs, tacos, burritos, sushi, fried chicken, and more - greasy, unhealthy, but dangerously delicious food in the right environment left them no chance.


    "Hmm... What''s going on like that?" Trici tilted her head thoughtfully, touching her lips.


    Adam didn''t answer anything, he held his stomach and stared at the sky with a nk stare. Nothing interested him then.


    "Brother!" Trici pushed him with puffed-up cheeks.


    "Agh! What''s wrong!" Adam eximed, and Trici finally got him to turn around.


    There was a crowd not far away, next to a cafe with an interesting card house design with mixed board games. However, they weren''t standing in a row in front of the entrance, but around something.


    "Khm." Adam hesitated, rubbing his chin, "Well... Maybe there really is something interesting in there. Let''s take a look."


    Adam mustered all his strength to get up while Trici, easily overtook him with sparkling eyes.


    ''Damn... I have many abilities, but every kid has almost limitless energy, that''s for sure.'' Adam shook his head, trying to keep up with Trici.


    Trici couldn''t make it through the dense crowd, but once Adam arrived, they had no trouble getting further ahead. He just had to swing his arm to push the man away, making way for himself.


    Sometimes, the Phantom''s power could be useful for something simple and trivial, not just killing monsters.


    As they made their way to the front row, they could finally see what was going on there. Four people were ying dominoes, under the gaze of the crowd.


    Strangely enough, Adam knew each of the yers, for it was Jena, Louis, Silvana, and Hazel - the captain of Zera''s squad, Adam had gone with them on the Cluster Mission to hunt for artifacts.


    Silvana had a serious face and a sharp look, Hazel was calm, asionally looking at the dominoes and pondering her next move, Jena was more nervous than the rest, and Louis... well, he looked like he had already won.


    "Brother, what is this?" Trici asked with a puzzled look.


    Adam scratched the back of his head, "It''s dominoes." Then, he quickly exined the rules to her.


    Dominoes wasn''t the mostplicated game, but it couldn''t be called simple. To not lose, you had to think about your next moves, because if you made a mistake and didn''t have the right tile, you would fall behind the other yers.


    Obviously, Jena did it worse than the others, she clearly wanted to win, but she didn''t have enough skills to do so. However, one couldn''t really me her. When she sat at the same table with Silvana and Louis, her chances of winning became 0%.


    Tap.


    Silvana bet herst tile, thus bing the first to get rid of all the tiles. Then, there was Hazel and Louis, who beat Jena by just one step. It seemed that if she had a little luck, she might even be able to beat Louis! At least she thought so...


    "Alright! Mrs. Jena has been eliminated, after a short break, we will move on to the next game!" The male host of this little show eximed energetically, trying to keep the crowd enticed in the proceedings.


    "No... I wanted to win..." Jena muttered frustratedly, leaning back in her chair.


    Hazel cast a nce at her.


    "Don''t be upset. Everyone is strong in their own area. If we were taking a human body knowledge test, there''s no way you''d lose." Hazel tried to cheer her up, in a rather odd manner.


    Jena frowned as she crossed her arms over her chest.


    "That''s my job, not everyone is a doctor, but everyone can y board games! It''s different." Jena snorted as she nced at the crowd until she stopped at Adam...


    He only smiled slightly and waved his hand in greeting.


    This made Jena blush, for now, she was even more sorry for losing when Adam red at her.


    "Hey, looks like you''re expected." Louis smirked, "Let''s go. It''s about time you got a shot of moral support. You need to make room so we can move on to the next game."


    Jena rolled her eyes, stood up, and walked away. She''d lost, so she had nothing more to do at the table.


    Louis was right, Jena wanted some support, and Adam could definitely give it to her. After all, they had opportunities to get to know each other a little better.


    Soon, the show host returned with a deck of cards and a sly smile. Everything was ready for the next game, after which only two contestants out of three would remain!


    -------------------------


    Hi, this is the author. Sorry for the dy, I had some IRL problems to solve and they took a lot of time and effort. Another chapter will be up in a few hours!


    I hope you like this story!

 Chapter 123: The winner of the second round

    "Hey... I didn''t even know you''d be here." Jena muttered, approaching Adam with slightly flushed cheeks.


    Adam nodded as he looked at Trici.


    "I promised my sister. I wanted a vacation myself though. I''ve never been to a fair before, and as I see, there''s plenty to do here." Adam pointed to a table.


    The show host was alreadyying out the ying cards, everyone got eight cards, the suits weremon, but there was one special card, a dark monster with wide wings and long ws against the blue moon. This game was called Old Monster, in honor of one rather popr but simple card game, but with its own design.


    One of the three yers had nine cards because someone had gotten a Monster, in this case, it was Hazel. However, that didn''t mean that she had a Monster because Silvana or Louis could have a Monster, even though they had eight cards each. Hazel could have all the regr cards, or maybe she was the one who ended up with the monster.


    Sure, it was obvious to the audience, but not to everyone. For example, Adam had only seen Louis''s cards, and a sharp glint ran through his eyes.


    Jena smiled.


    "Yeah. Old Monster, is a simple game anyone can y, even a child. However, that doesn''t stop them from using tactics, psychology, and deception, because they can ask questions of each other. Some will tell the truth, some will cheat."


    "Hmm... What are the rules?" Adam tilted his head. He hadn''t yed any card games before, though he''d heard of them. In the slums, various gangs had it as their only entertainment, but Adam was lucky not to be among their group.


    Jena looked at him with mild interest. Such Adam''s naivety attracted her. It created a contrast, between his talent and power as a Phantom and the simple young man, who was trying to get used to a simple, happy life.


    After all, people without monsters were able to think of enough things capable of changing the world to entertain themselves or improve life.


    "It''s simple. If a yer has a pair, they discard it to get cards, one yer offers the other to choose a random card from their hand. The turn goes clockwise. Whoever ends up with the Monster loses. It sounds simple, but if you have someone tricky ying against you, it gets a lot moreplicated." Jena quickly exined before the first move of the Old Monster began.


    Louis needed to choose one of ten cards. If Hazel had the Monster, he had an 11.11% chance of picking a bad card anding one step closer to defeat.


    "Come on. How long can we wait?" Hazel frowned, not wanting to show Louis any emotion.


    "Well, I just wanted to stretch the pleasure. If I choose Monster, it''s going to be sad." Louis shrugged before choosing the leftmost card.


    He turned it around and sighed heavily.


    "Hahaha, he got the Monster right away!" Someone in the crowd eximed with an excited smile.


    Jena smirked evilly. She was pretty sure things had not gone ording to n for Louis from the start.


    "It can''t be helped." Louis said calmly, shuffling his cards.


    Trici watched silently, staring intently at Louis. She wasn''t the only girl whose eyes were on him. However, if all these girls were looking at him with lust and desire, Trici was curious to understand what his n was.


    After all, she was too young for some handsome guy to charm her. Children were attracted to other things, and Louis seemed to notice that.


    He turned to Trici and smiled, charming the girls, but they soon became upset when they realized that none of them were his target.


    "Looks like I already have an audience, and it''s the sister of someone I know. How curious." Louis''s corners of his mouth went up as he covered part of his face with a fan of nine cards.


    Then, it was Hazel''s turn to choose a card from Silvana''s hand.


    "Yes! A pair!" Hazel eximed happily, discarding two cards and reducing her total from eight to seven. Compared to her, Louis now had two more cards.


    However, Silvana didn''t get upset since she had also lost one card. Now, she had to pick a good card from Louis.


    "Take this one." Louis said pointing to the center card, "With a good chance it will be a pair."


    Silvana narrowed her eyes, but did as she said, a secondter discarding a pair of red cards.


    Hazel gulped. She was sure it wasn''t luck, and Louis actually knew something. She was getting very nervous while Louis''s hand slowly moved closer to her cards.


    "Oh, looks like I got lucky this time." Louis smiled as he looked at the pair.


    Thus, round after round, sometimes they would just swap cards since no one was able to get a pair. Then, Silvana took a card from Louis and collected four of the same suit, which meant she could discard all of them at once, which she did.


    Thus Silvana had no cards left and was the first winner. This wasn''t the end of their game, it just meant that she moved on to the final.


    Only Louis and Haze were left. One would have to leave, and one would have to fight Silvana.


    "Take this one." Louis said, pointing to his card. After Silvana left the game, the turn changed, and now Hazel had to take the card from Louis.


    Hazel frowned, she decided not to trust Louis, and she ended up choosing Monster. Her face turned pale, for Louis had two cards total.


    "Phew..." Jane sighed with relief, "If he had a pair, he would have won by now."


    Trici nced at her, touching her lips.


    "You want him to lose?"


    Jena nodded.


    "Yes. He seems like a nice guy, but I''m annoyed by his sly grin."


    Trici nodded, then she turned to Adam. She pointed at Jena and said:


    "Brother, is that girl your wife?"


    Adam and especially Jena blushed. No one would have asked them such a question even if they knew about their rtionship, because it was inappropriate and tactless. However... could a child know anything about tact? Trici just asked because she felt like it, nothing more.


    "Did I do something wrong...?" Trici muttered, quickly changing her gaze from Adam to Jena. Their silence was unnerving and made Trici anxious.


    Tap.


    Adam patted Trici on the head, watching the game.


    "No. It''s too early for me to get married. However, that momentes for everyone at some point. You''ll be a bride someday too, won''t you?"


    This time it was already Trici who blushed, lowering her head and biting her finger. Trici may not have fallen in love with anyone yet, but she knew about weddings and love from the games and books she''d read and the stories Leona told her.


    "Come on. Take this one." Louis pointed to the right card.


    This time Hazel decided to trust him and... it turned out to be the wrong card not giving her a pair.


    Whoooosh.


    Before Hazel could realize anything, Louis took her left card and collected the pair, turning out to be the second winner!


    "Shit!" Hazel eximed angrily, realizing that she had been tricked like a child.

 Chapter 124: Whos the real winner?

    "I''m sorry. I just got lucky." Louis waved his hand nonchntly, a sly smile on his face.


    Hazel narrowed her eyes as she tapped something on her NEP. At the same moment, a message came through on Louis''s phone with some credits forwarded.


    "Nice doing business with you." Louis narrowed his eyes.


    Hazel waved her hand, "I don''t like to lose, but it can''t be helped. By the way, do you know where Alexia is right now? I wanted to talk to her."


    Louis nodded.


    "Sure. Go to the north end of the fairgrounds. You''ll see everything there."


    Hazel''s eyes went wide.


    "Wait... You don''t mean to say that..."


    Before Hazel could finish, the show host interrupted her, walking in front of her holding a wooden ying board.


    Louis just waved his hand, showing that he would not tell her anything more about Alexia. Although Hazel was not familiar with Alexia, almost every captain of a sufficientlyrge squad knew about one of the strongest K1-Phantoms.


    Hazel had to hurry up and recruit Alexia for at least a few missions before Alexia moved to K2. Then, they would no longer be able to work together, only rare joint missions and promotion to K2, as well.


    The final game of the three was chess!


    Unlike card games, chess had no room for luck, it was pure strategy with the need to think dozens of moves ahead to ensure victory.


    "Oh, I''m afraid exining the rules of chess won''t be easy..." Jena muttered, turning to Adam.


    "You don''t have to. I know about chess. My father is quite good at it." Adam said seriously, "It''s probably the only board game I''m familiar with, though. However... what is it...?"


    Adam was a little puzzled since the set of pieces was not exactly standard. Each yer had one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, and two bishops. However, there were seven pawns instead of eight.


    Thus, instead of a pawn that should stand in front of the king, there was a piece unknown to Adam - a dragon.


    The dragon had two wide wings, a long tail, and a wide open mouth as if it was ready to unleash its fiery breath.


    "I see that some of you are puzzled!" The man vigorously eximed, "These are the special pieces, usually used at fairs and other entertainment events. The only change is the new Dragon figure!"


    The man continued, pointing at the dragon:


    "Once per game. A yer may destroy his dragon to remove three enemy figures that were next to the dragon! There are no exceptions, this way, the dragon can even beat the king!"


    Adam smirked. A piece like the Dragon didn''t fit the strict rules of chess, but for the fair, it was a fitting solution.


    Louis and Silvana nodded as Louis made the first move since he was ying for white. He took the dragon and stepped two squares forward, the maximum distance this piece could travel in one move.


    "Hey, who are you gonna cheer for?" Adam asked, turning to Trici.


    Trici tilted her head, she looked at Louis, then at Silvana. It wasn''t hard for her to make a choice.


    "Silvana! Go for it! You will win!" Trici eximed, not at all afraid to draw attention to herself.


    Silvana tried not to be distracted by Adam and Trici during the games, even though she had noticed them for quite some time now.


    However, after that, even she couldn''t hide a happy smile before quickly returning her serious look.


    Louis had seen enough to make a decision, however he still had many moves to make before a winner was clear.


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    Silvana and Louis were making moves quickly. It looked like they were heading for a draw, because, so far, they had taken the same number of pieces from each other. Well, no one had used the dragon yet, and it was the strongest piece of all that could turn the game around in one move.


    "Damn, it''s been a long time since I''ve had to think things through so meticulously..." Louis muttered, touching his forehead with his fingertips before taking the dragon by the head.


    The figure slowly swayed from side to side before ending up in front of Silvana''s rook and two pawns.


    Louis removed the dragon from the board as well as Silvana''s three pieces.


    Silvana frowned, for she could not respond in kind. At most, she could expect to destroy two pieces with her dragon since Louis had taken care to ce his pieces safely.


    However, after a little thought, she noticed that Louis''s king was in a vulnerable position.


    Tap.


    Silvana destroyed only one piece with her dragon, then it didn''t matter what Louis'' move was because, on the next move, Silvana would set an easy checkmate with her queen.


    "Agh... I give up." Louis sighed heavily, knocking over his king, "I was only a little short. If you hadn''t made that move, I would have won."


    Silvana looked at him intently and only held out her hand:


    "That was a good game." Silvana uttered.


    Louis responded to the handshake.


    Adam and Jena looked over at each other. They were both pretty good at chess, enough to realize that Louis had given in on purpose. Obviously, Silvana saw it as well, but she had no choice but to ept victory, for Louis had only given her one chance, after which she would lose.


    "We have a winner!" The show host eximed, "Winner, please choose one of the two awards!"


    The man pointed to the stands behind him where there was a dragon statuette, a piece erged several times, and a special chess set with exclusive ck and red coloring and pieces.


    Many in Silvana''s ce would have chosen the unique chess set, however... when Silvana saw Trici''s shining eyes, her decision changed.


    Trici was looking at the huge dragon with incredible desire, and Silvana just couldn''t resist the sincere childish joy. However, one could hardly me her.


    "A dragon? I didn''t expect such a stern-lookingdy to choose a statuette, but it''s your decision! Once again, congratte the winner of our little game!" The show host eximed.


    p. p. p.


    Apuse spread throughout the crowd, making Silvana feel slightly proud.


    Louis, just leaned back in his chair, watching Silvana, who with a dragon statuette approached Trici.


    "Hey, it''s been a while, hasn''t it?" Silvana smiled.


    "Yes. It''s so good to see you!" Trici jumped up happily.


    Silvana nodded, handing her the dragon statuette.


    "Here. This is for you. Consider it my gift to you for your long absence."


    Trici''s eyes went wide as she jumped at Silvana, ready to explode with happiness.


    A wave of emotion went through the entire area, leaving no one indifferent. Silvana, Ama, Jena, and the people in the crowd were genuinely smiling. Someone even decided to p to appreciate Silvana''s act.


    "Unbelievable! I didn''t even expect such sacrifice from our winner!" The show host eximed, handing Silvana a chess set as a bonus award.


    "Here. This is the best I can offer. Moreover, whoever wants to buy interesting board games, figurines, and costumes,e into my store! I''m sure everyone will find something suitable!"


    The crowd, with radiant smiles, streamed toward the entrance.


    The only one who wasn''t smiling was Louis, but not because he was resentful of defeat. He was staring intently at the two silhouettes in the distance that didn''t notice him, though they were gazing at Adam.

 Chapter 125: An Unexpected Place

    Silvana won the game, Trici got a dragon statue, and Jena got a chance to spend time with Adam. Everyone was happy, moving on to where Hazel had gone earlier - the cosy contest!


    "Wow... They''re so beautiful!" Trici muttered wide-eyed, looking around.


    Men and girls hade here to show off their costumes and practiced moves. Most were parodying popr video game characters or Phantoms!


    Many of the Phantoms had stand-out looks, clothes, fighting styles, and most importantly - abilities!


    It didn''t take Adam and the others long to find someone to cosy Damien, even if it was a girl... To his surprise, Adam even found someone who cosyed Erden, even though he was not in the Citadel but in Bastion Radon!


    ''I see... Regardless of where the Phantom is, if he''s strong, killing monsters, performing feats to protect humanity, he''ll be recognized even at the ends of the world. However, Second Rank Phantoms are less numerous than the others, so that''s not surprising, right?'' Adam pondered, looking for Alexia.


    Soon, they saw her, standing next to a girl in a blood queen costume - a tight dress, scarlet wings behind her back, and a pattern of ever-flowing tears.


    The girl had changed so drastically that Adam didn''t even immediately realize who it was.


    "Zera...?" Adam muttered, walking up to her. He still didn''t fully believe it was her. Adam hadn''t even assumed that Zera was into cosy.


    Zera turned around in surprise, but right after Adam, her gaze shifted to Jena. It only took them a moment to understand what was going on, and it seemed that lightning bolts of red and purple appeared between them, trying to suppress each other with a powerful discharge.


    Adam got a strange look on his face. He hadn''t expected this at all, or rather... he knew that such a sh was possible, but approaching Zera he was just d to see her, nothing more.


    Step.


    Zera stepped forward,ing closer to Jena, almost right up to her.


    "Hmm... A mere human, and you want to be the Naturalborn Phantom''s girlfriend?" Zera muttered in a dangerous tone, "I hope you''re not going to have sole rights to him?"


    Jena gulped. She was a mere human, and Zera, a K1-Phantom. Moreover, like Adam and Alexia, Zera was also the Naturalborn One, otherwise she wouldn''t have be the leader of one of the strongest K1-Squads under Crimson Path''s patronage.


    Sure, Zera wasn''t as strong as Alexia. It was likely that Adam had already surpassed her. However, she was stronger than most K1-Phantoms, and for a valid reason.


    Also, some of her abilities were specific, sometimes not very effective, and sometimes able to change the whole situation, like against Steel Knight. If it wasn''t for her Second Nexus Trait, Adam wouldn''t have been able to handle Steel Knight.


    Zera couldn''t show her maximum fighting potential like Alexia, who had all the traits adapted for a long battle, but she had her advantages.


    Jena was nervous, but Silvana''s nce was enough to make her remember how she had to act if she wanted to be in a rtionship with Phantom.


    "Why? You want to fight me for him?" Jena smirked slyly, "I knew from the beginning that it wouldn''t be easy, but I''m not going to back down just because you''re the Phantom and I''m not!"


    Zera''s eyes went wide, then she smiled slightly.


    "I see. All I want is for you not to be his only woman. As a doctor, you should realize how important it is to increase the birth rate of strong Phantoms. I''ll warn you right away, I''ll be spending the night with Adam at some point, however, I wouldn''t mind if you joined us."


    Jena waved her hand.


    "You can try."


    Adam, who was listening to all of this, just shook his head.


    Initially, both Jena and Zera had a strange stance on rtionships, especially Zera. Adam wasn''t at all surprised to hear her say that, since she was a member of the Crimson Path, so... her remarks might have been even more radical.


    Soon, Adam''s eyes went wide, as he realized that there was someone who was too young to listen to such conversations.


    He turned to Trici and inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.


    Silvana, with a calm face, was standing behind Trici, covering her ears - she hadn''t heard anything to begin with. Trici just looked around puzzled, trying to figure out what was going on.


    "Girls." Silvana said coldly, looking at Zera and Jena, "I''m sure each of you has a chance at a rtionship with my Phantom. However, you must not forget that only Adam decides whether he will have one woman, ten at once, or none at all. Also, at the moment, she is the only one among you who is equal in power to Adam."


    Silvana pointed to Alexia, standing off to the side. It wasn''t her first day as a Phantom, so she knew what the rtionship between Phantoms and humans could be. Moreover, it was just as important that Adam was a male.


    There were millions of people living in the Citadel. Men and women were equally numerous. However, this was only true among ordinary people or departmental employees, except for the military.


    When it came to the Phantoms, there were slightly fewer men among them, insignificantly, a few percent, but, in numbers, it was thousands. It wasn''t that Spark was more likely to show up in women, the odds were equal for everyone.


    Men more often choose Nexus as a melee weapon or some sort of defensive option like a shield. Women were more likely to choose a ranged weapon, be it a magic book, bow, or staff.


    Perhaps the reason for this was the men''s temper and aggressiveness, or perhaps they just wanted to fulfill their childhood dream of being a knight with a sword and shield going forward against monsters.


    Thus, men were more often in the vanguard. If the monsters turned out to be too strong and the mission failed, there were more casualties in the vanguard than in the rearguard.


    Sure, it wasn''t an absolute rule.


    Owen had a shield, as well as Fred used a bow, while Ester and Alexia fought in closebat, risking getting injuries.


    "Hmm...?" Adam raised an eyebrow as he and Alexia nced over.


    However, they didn''t even blush as they realized they couldn''t be a couple. Perhaps they could be a great fighting duo, battling against dangerous monsters, but not lovers.


    Silvana removed her palms from Trici''s ears.


    "I missed something important, right?" Trici puffed up her cheeks, crossing her arms over her chest with a disgruntled face.


    Adam frowned, ring intently at Zera and Jena, for they were the ones who had started this.


    Zera gulped, after her speech, it would be unfortunate to mess things up with Adam.


    "Of course not!" Zera said spiritedly, smiling widely, "I was just practicing my character''s lines. Would you like to hear it?"


    Trici''s eyes shone brightly.


    "Sure!"


    Adam smiled and walked over to Alexia.


    "Hey, I didn''t think you liked something like this. Did youe here for a particr thing?" Adam asked.


    Alexia shook her head.


    "Nah, I want to see the show though. It starts right now!"


    At the same moment, on the main stage -


    Wearing a battle outfit like a mechanical knight, a girl with gray hair and pale skin stepped forward.


    Adam''s eyes went wide, for it was Katrin. Moreover, another knight wasing to confront her - in dark armor and with long horns. It was Kody!

 Chapter 126: Military Rodeo

    "Brother, do you know these people?" Trici asked pointing at Katrin and Kody. They were in the center of a short skit, fighting demonstratively and asionally throwing out clich¨¦d remarks.


    Adam nodded as a satisfied smile appeared on his face.


    "Yeah. I''ve been on a few missions with them, and I can tell you that at this rate they''ll soon be stronger than me." Adam watched Kody and Katrin intently.


    Ordinary people couldn''t sense it, but Adam focused on their auras.


    In the time he stayed at Bastion Radon and took to rest before the Scarlet Light Fair, Kody and Katrin had reached K1. Sure, it had taken them longer than Adam, but they certainly hadn''t gotten into dangerous situations like he did.


    Gradually, there were more and more people, and soon Trici couldn''t see anything. She tried to stand on her toes, but it was unlikely to help her.


    Whoooosh.


    Adam abruptly lifted her up, throwing her over his shoulders, giving Trici a whole new view. She was now above everyone and could see absolutely everything!


    "Fall dark hero!" Kartin eximed, swinging her sword and tossing Kody aside. He did his best to fall as naturally as possible, he would make a pretty good actor.


    "Argh... I... I lost..." Kody muttered, holding his sword with a trembling hand before letting go of his weapon, and closing his eyes.


    It was unlikely that adults and experienced people would be impressed by such a performance in some theater, but this was happening at a cosy exhibit at a fair! If people were here, they hade hoping to see something like this. Thus, everyone was satisfied.


    p. p. p.


    The apuse spread, and Trici pped especially vigorously. Adam and the others were not left out.


    Kody and Katrin bowed low, leaving the stage and making room for the next actors. They weren''t the first, and they wouldn''t be thest, by this point over ten different scenes had already passed.


    "Hey! You guys did great!" Zera waved her hand, approaching Katrin and Kody.


    "Hmm? You two know each other?" Adam raised an eyebrow, tilting his head in confusion.


    Zera nodded.


    "They were with my squad on a mission recently. Honestly, I didn''t want to take them since they just became K1s, but Hazel talked me into it, and I haven''t regretted it. They''re great Phantoms!"


    "Adam! It''s so good to see you!" Kody eximed, walking over to him and shaking his hand.


    Then, his gaze traveled to Trici, who with a broad smile, waved at him.


    "You''re a badass! I wanted you to win!" Trici pointed at Kody with shining eyes.


    Katrin''s eye twitched.


    ''At first I thought she was cute, but now she pisses me off, just like Adam in the beginning!''


    Alexia stepped forward, drawing attention to herself.


    "Are you two going to be discussing this child''s y for long?" Alexia smirked, "You can go on if you want, but then you''ll miss something interesting!"


    Everyone stared at her intently, waiting for an answer.


    "The war rodeo!" Alexia eximed, clenching her hand tightly into a fist.


    "What...? What''s a rodeo?" Adam tilted his head as he looked at Silvana.


    Silvana sighed.


    "I''ll exin everything along the way. The military rodeo starts in ten minutes. It will be one of the highlights of this fair. Alexia is right, we should hurry."


    "In that case, let''s go!"


    Oddly enough, it was Trici who said this, with her arms stretched upwards and eyes sparkling with excitement. However, the others were curious too, so with theirrge group, they headed forward.


    Louis joined them on the way, before passing through a tall iron fence divided into several sections or rings around the arena.


    The third, second, and first rings were spectator areas, but only the Phantoms could enter the first ring, the closest one. It wasn''t about their privileges, but that it could be deadly for ordinary people!


    "Are you sure you want to take her with you?" The military officer at the entrance asked, pointing at Trici, then he looked at Silvana, Jena, and Louis, "Your Operators could be in danger too since the first ring is the highest risk of being attacked."


    "Under attack by who?" Adam asked, slightly puzzled.


    The military man was about to reply, but Louis overtook him.


    He put a hand on Adam''s shoulder and said, "The monster. The military has caught a monster and will fight against it as if trying to ride it. Why is it called a rodeo? Well, you''ll find out for yourself soon enough."


    Adam nodded walking on. He wasn''t worried about anything happening to Trici or the others.


    There were five K1-Phantoms among them, even Steel Knight or North Keeper would be powerless in such a situation. Obviously, the military would not fight such dangerous monsters, especially, right in the center of the Citadel!


    As time passed, more and more people gathered, they knew what would happen in this arena - the first public battle of humans against monsters!


    Sure, the military could kill a White Threat Level monster withser turrets or huge amounts of explosives, but in that case, White Threat Level was the limit.


    However, something special was going to happen today. The military department was going to demonstrate how the military could deal with the monsters using thetest developments.


    Soon, a military man stepped onto the tform, speaking confidently into the microphone:


    "I request silence."


    His powerful voice was enough to silence even the children who usually liked to make noise.


    "We have been testing and developing special equipment for a long time, allowing ordinary people to fight monsters." The military man said seriously.


    However, that was enough to get all the people''s attention. Yeah, they knew that the military would be fighting a monster, but they didn''t know the details.


    "Right away, I want to say that there''s still a long way to go, and equipment will never be able to surpass the power of the Phantoms, that''s an undeniable fact. However, we have already taken a big step forward, and this is just the beginning of our path!" The military man eximed, waving his hand.


    At the same moment, four tforms appeared from the ground - onerge and three much smaller ones.


    On therge tform, in an ice cage, was a huge bull with a long metal tail covered with spikes and three massive horns.


    It was a Three-horned Buffalo, White Threat Level, White Book. It was one of the weakest monsters, but it had good speed and strength without having any dangerous abilities in its arsenal.


    On the three tforms were military - two men and one woman that was familiar to Adam, it was La. She was the one who had wanted to fight Adam in Orin''s Forge when he had first used his Nexus and injured Silvana.


    La had been one of the first to get a taste of the newest gear, a still unfinished version. However, they were now wearing fullypleted exoskeletons, all tested and ready for actualbat.


    The crowd looked curiously at the ck military suits, covered with protective tes for defense and mobility. In the center was a generator from which emanated mechanical threads throughout the suit.


    "This is the Andromeda Exoskeleton - V03S. The third, stable, and newest version of the onlyexoskeleton type, so far." The military man exined, "However, that''s not all the development department has been able to aplish!"


    At the same moment, the military opened their cases, which contained special weapons.


    "This is the False Nexus or FN!" The military man majestically eximed, "With FNs, the military will be able to defeat this monster!"

 Chapter 127: The Power of Technology

    The foundation of humanity''s power was the Phantoms, specifically their Evolution Tree and the force of their genes. However, a human body without an Initial Gene, there was no way it could be as strong as a K0-Phantom, it was simply physically impossible.


    No matter how experienced a military man was, no matter how dense andrge his muscles were, it was simply not enough, as the difference in strength was too great.


    It was like a man trying to defeat a bear with his bare hands. The bear was superior to the man in everything - speed, strength, defense, and arsenal. The man had only fists and muscles, while the bear had sharp ws and an incredibly powerful jaw.


    However... Everything changed dramatically if a man had a weapon, for example: a gun. One shot was enough to defeat a beast several times bigger.


    People were sure that sooner orter, they would be able to defeat monsters withrge-caliber weapons, bombs, or rockets. However, they quickly realized that even White Threat Level monsters were too durable.


    They seemed to be protected by the genes, absorbing some of the damage onto themselves and blocking the rest with their tough skins. In the end, even supersonic fighter missiles were ineffective.


    Laser turrets showed that killing monsters was possible, but they were too energy-consuming and immobile. Turrets were only on walls, powered by generators the size of entire houses.


    In the end, the development department came to the only true solution - they tried to copy the power of the Phantoms but with technology instead of genes. Thus, the first prototypes of exoskeletons and FNs appeared.


    Sure, it was still a long way from the Phantom level, but it was hundreds of times better than stationary turrets.


    After all, if the military could defeat White Threat Level monsters on their own, it would make the Phantoms'' job easier and raise the control of territories to a new level!


    ''Hmm... Looks like they didn''t seed here, what every military man dreams of.'' Adam inwardly pondered, staring intently at La.


    He could sense that her aura as a being had hardly changed. It was clear from her gaze that she had killed monsters before, as the military previously conducted tests and battles to show the public the finished result.


    However, she was unable to be a Phantom, neither an Artificial one, much less a Natural one. It was obvious that it was impossible to ignite Spark by killing the monster with the Exoskeleton and FN.


    ''Well, it''s even a little sad. Some military men spend more time training than Phantoms, but without genes, one can''t be seriously strong.'' Adam pondered with a deep gaze.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The triple-horned Buffalo was trying to break through the ice cage created by the Phantom. Slowly, the monster seeded, and cracks began to form in the ice bars, but the military had plenty of time to prepare for the fateful battle.


    Sure, any Phantom would have no trouble dealing with this monster, but right now it wasn''t the Phantoms who were the main fighters.


    La opened the case and put on her FN, just like the first time, it wasbat gauntlets. The first soldier had a massive sword with thread-thin wires with powerful electric shocks running through it.


    The second military man took out a massive triangr shield with several tes heated to extremely high temperatures. With these, the military man could leave severe burns on the monster''s body.


    "ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRR!!!"


    At the same moment, the Triple-horned Buffalo finally broke free from its capture.


    La and the two military menunched into action immediately. The man with the shield stepped forward, about to take on the furious Triple-horned Buffalo''s attack.


    The Phantom Rookie would not be able to block such an attack due to ack of strength and experience. Thus, the oue of their sh was crucial.


    Bam.


    The three horns collided with the shield, but they couldn''t break it, however, the momentum was powerful enough to throw the man back a few meters.


    The military man skillfully did a somersault in the air andnded on his feet, staring intently at the monster to which his partners moved closer.


    "Take that!" The sword-wielding military man swung his massive weapon, plunging the sharp de straight into the Triple-horned Buffalo''s back leg.


    As expected, the FN had trouble getting through the monster''s tough hide. Otherwise, the man would have simply sliced off the Triple-horned Buffalo''s head with one sharp swing, as any Phantom would have done.


    However, that didn''t mean the man was going to give up.


    "AAARRRRGGHH!!!" The man roared like a beast, directing all his power towards the sword and pressing down on the hilt as hard as he could.


    This had its effect, for the energy flowing through the threads from the engine traveled to his hands and sword, increasing the pressure and force of the electrical discharges.


    In this way, the sword severed part of the Triple-horned Buffalo''s leg, revealing its flesh with clots of dark blood.


    "RRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!" The Triple-horned Buffalo howled in pain before swinging its tail like a whip, bringing it down on the man.


    The man''s pupils narrowed as he put his sword out in front of him at thest moment for defense.


    The spiky tail curled around the sword, snatching it from the man''s hands in a sharp motion and tossing it aside.


    Then, the Triple-horned Buffalo attacked the man, but he dodged the tail that flew over his head and ran for his sword.


    The monster realized that this wasn''t supposed to happen and was about to ram the man, but... La was already here!


    She hadn''t entered the battle yet, so it was time for her to show what she was capable of.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    La unleashed a hail of blows at the Triple-horned Buffalo''s head, each time using more energy from the generator.


    Unlike the two men, she actively used the generator - first channeling the energy into her legs for speed and now to her arms for maximum damage.


    Soon, the Triple-horned Buffalo exhaled a puff of steam through its nostrils and mmed its hooves into the ground, forcing La to take a few steps back.


    She was about to continue attacking, but the Triple-horned Buffalo made a run-up, quickly pointing its horns at her.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The energy transferred to her legs again, giving La eleration. At thest moment, she was able to dodge the monster''s dangerous attack, which would have surely hurt her badly. After all, the exoskeleton didn''t offer imprable protection.


    "Look out!" The man with the shield eximed, trying to get to the Triple-horned Buffalo as fast as possible.


    The monster wasn''t going to stop, moving straight towards the First Ring - to Adam. Triple-horned Buffalo had to hit something or move a very long distance to stop, so... a collision with the iron fence was inevitable.


    Trici''s eyes narrowed at the sight of the monster bearing down on her, however, the rapidly building fear was gone when she saw Adam step forward.


    He reached out his hand with a calm face and grabbed the middle horn of the Triple-horned Buffalo, stopping the huge monster instantly.

 Chapter 128: Im Scared

    The spectators scattered to the sides, trying to escape the Triple-horned Buffalo. Sure, they were in the second and third rings, but they were mere humans, and even a White Threat Level monster was a deadly threat!


    However... For K1-Phantom, an opponent of such strength was no more dangerous than a kitten.


    Although, no, that was an incorrectparison. A kitten could scratch a human, especially if its ws hit the eyes, but... The Triple-horned Buffalo was nothingpared to Adam.


    Adam didn''t even have to strain to hold a monster that weighed several hundred kilograms. In fact, the Triple-horned Buffalo could have made Adam tense up, at least take a step back if the monster had continued to try to ram Adam.


    But, Adam''s genes, on an instinctive level, suppressed the Triple-horned Buffalo, showing that it had no chance of winning. Gradually, Adam loosened his grip, not afraid that Triple-horned Buffalo would decide to attack.


    Triple-horned Buffalo looked away only to meet the gazes of Alexia and Zera, who as well as Adam, could easily handle that problem.


    Bam.


    Before Triple-horned Buffalo came to its senses, the man with the shield mmed into the monster, drawing attention to himself.


    "Hey! We''re your opponents!" The man said confidently, ready to fight.


    After all, Triple-horned Buffalo had not nned to attack Adam and the other Phantoms, it was a consequence of La dodging the monster''s ram.


    Turning to the man Triple-horned Buffalo was relieved. When Adam, Alexia, and Zera were in front of it, Triple-horned Buffalo felt like it was nothing, worse than an ant, their aura overwhelming, destroying it from the inside out.


    However... now in front of it was a man with practically no aura - the simplest person any monster could handle!


    Bam.


    La''s fist plunged into the Triple-horned Buffalo''s jaw, from bottom to top, causing the monster to lose consciousness for a moment.


    She continued to attack in one spot to give her ally a chance to deliver a critical attack!


    "I''m here!" The swordsman eximed before thrusting his sword into the Triple-horned Buffalo''s throat.


    This was possible because La''s hail of blows tore the monster''s hide, lowering its defense and revealing its weaknesses.


    Ssh.


    Streams of blood gushed from the Triple-horned Buffalo''s mouth, flooding the ground, the monster''s eyes went wide with iprehension. It seemed like it was something unreal for the monster to lose to mere humans!


    Bam.


    The massive carcass fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust, under the gazes of the spectators.


    La and the two men breathed a sigh of relief and shut down the generators. They were clearly tired after this fight, but they were not exhausted. They only needed a short break to regain their strength, thus they could fight on.


    p. p. p. p. p.


    Soon, the entire arena was filled with apuse.


    People were thrilled with what the military had done. Sure, not everything went smoothly, but minor problems didn''t matter over the fact that the military was able to kill the monster! They did it with gear, not huge stationary turrets!


    The Phantoms weren''t left out either. They respected the progress of the military and the work of the development department. They understood better than anyone how important and difficult a task it was to fight monsters.


    However... in the eyes of the Phantoms, there wasn''t the same enthusiasm as there was in humans. It wasn''t that the Phantoms were afraid of being reced or anything like that, the reason was simple - it wasn''t enough.


    ''Hmm... It took training, teamwork, and three people to kill one White Threat Level monster, considering that that one is among the weakest.'' Adam pondered, with a deep gaze.


    It was the same opinion held by the others. At the moment, exoskeletons and FNs gave the military potential, but not actual power.


    "It''s actually impressive." Silvana said confidently.


    "Hmm?" Adam gave her a questioning look. He recognized the effort and work done by the military, but this result couldn''t be called anything significant.


    "You should think of it as a first sessful attempt rather than the end result. Sure, with this kind of performance, the military won''t be able to handle even the simplest mission. If it''s a small Nest, with only ten monsters, you''ll need 30 to 50 military personnel. It''s too irrational." Silvana said calmly.


    Louis nodded with a slight smile on his face.


    "All those military will be able to be reced by one or at most two K0-Phantoms if they are Phantoms for more than a week. It''s not that there are more Phantoms than military, just the opposite. However... it''s unlikely that the development department has the capacity to equip even 1% of the military."


    "Yeah... They have a lot of work to do before the military can take on some missions, even the simplest ones, but it would be a big step forward for all mankind." Zera sighed heavily.


    Silvana continued:


    "However, if the military can reach the point where one person can handle a single White Threat Level monster, then that changes everythingpletely. In that case, a group of ten military men will be able to clear a small Nest. Don''t forget that this is only the first exoskeleton and its third version."


    Adam nodded deeply as he looked intently at La.


    He was one of the first of the Phantoms to see an exoskeleton in action. However, besides the exoskeleton and the FN, back then, La had something else. Amplifier - a capsule, with a special liquid and a long needle to inject into the body.


    ''Hmm... They weren''t given Amplifier this time, with it, they can be even stronger. However, if it imitates Phantom''s Resonance, it should put great pressure on their bodies. It''s dangerous.''


    Soon, several Phantoms carried the Triple-horned Buffalo away, and the military departed.


    Zera, Kody, Katrin, and Alexia discussed what had happened, each having their own ideas and suggestions. They were curious to see what else the development department could create in the future!


    At this time, Adam stepped aside, keeping an eye on La, who had gone far outside the arena and sat by the wall with a detached look. Fragments of the battle seemed to sh before her eyes.


    A shadow fell over La as she tiredly raised her head.


    "Hey." Adam waved his hand with a calm look.


    La''s eyes went wide. She hadn''t expected to meet him here. They''d only seen Adam once, but it was enough to memorize each other.


    "You fought well. Looks like this exoskeleton is a little better than the one you used against me earlier."


    La nced at Trici, who was sitting on Adam''s head and looking at La with sparkling eyes.


    Trici pointed at La and said:


    "You''re awesome! That bull was so big! But you were able to win! Although, my brother is still stronger!!!" Trici eximed vigorously.


    La smiled, but... soon the smile distorted, slowly disappearing from her face.


    Then, her eyes got wet, and tears flowed from them, with such force that La couldn''t stop them, though she tried to do so.


    "Brother... Did I do something wrong...?" Trici worriedly asked. She decided that she was guilty of this.


    Adam shook his head, "I doubt it..."


    "I... I was so scared!" La eximed, staring at Adam like an innocent child who met the cruel side of life for the first time.

 Chapter 129: Fight Like a Phantom

    "Were you scared...?" Trici nced away, touching her lips thoughtfully, "You all looked very brave, especially you! A few blows and the bull fell to the ground! That was fantastic!"


    Adam sighed heavily, dropping to one knee in front of La and pulling Trici off his back.


    "Trici, be quiet, it''s not that simple here... right?" Adam muttered intently, looking into La''s eyes.


    Perhaps if the onlookers who were pping in honor of the military''s triumph saw La now, they would be disappointed. However, Adam had a very different emotion - understanding.


    "You have won. That''s the main thing. None of you are injured, and the monster has fallen. For a first public battle, you did great, but... that''s not what you''re worried about, is it?" Adam asked, taking La''s hand.


    Quick tears fell onto his palm, dripping down in thin streams and soaking into the dry earth.


    "Yes... I thought I was truly strong with my new gear, but... that''s not the truth. Watching the Phantoms fight and helping them by firing rifles is different from facing a monster in closebat..."


    La continued, tilting her head down as if she didn''t want to show the world her tears and pitiful state.


    "If I had made a mistake, the Triple-horned Buffalo would have pierced me with its horns. I managed to dodge, but... what if there had been more than one? What would happen if the fight was long and there were dozens of such attacks? Sooner orter, I would have made a mistake..." La spoke lower and lower, soon shifting to a whisper.


    Adam could hear her clearly. However, he would have understood her even if she hadn''t said anything. He had once been in an even more desperate position than La.


    La smiled bitterly.


    "Hah... I thought that soon, with the development department''s progress, we would be able to fight even Green Threat Level monsters, 1 vs. 1! Damn... how stupid I was to think that... The three of us barely defeated the weakest monster, and now I''m sitting here...


    trembling in fear..."


    La looked at Adam and asked, shivering violently:


    "In your eyes, I''m nothing, right? You would have killed that monster in one blow. You wouldn''t even have to use your abilities!"


    Adam sighed heavily.


    Then, he shook his head and stared at her with a sharp look.


    "You''re not nothing, you''re human, and that''s your mistake." Adam said confidently, causing La to get a puzzled look on her face.


    "You did the Phantom''s job while acting like a human. You shouldn''t think that sooner orter, the monster''s horns will sink into your body and kill you. You have to think that if you dodged once, it will be much easier to do it again, and soon the monster will be helpless against you."


    Adam continued, while La listened to him as if mesmerized. There was a wide gap between the military and civilians, but between the military and the Phantoms, there was an abyss.


    "I didn''t realize it right away either, but with time... Khm, you''ll even start to enjoy it, and the more dangerous the situations are, the more adrenaline will be in your blood. Fighting monsters isn''t an exam where you have to do everything right, it''s a primal process where you must adapt and get into the flow."


    Adam squeezed La''s hand tightly, rising from the ground and forcing her to get on the same level as him.


    "The monster isn''t afraid to kill you or get hurt, so you must act the same way. You now have the weapons to handle the weakest monsters, which means there will only be more toe."


    La gulped, she didn''t know what to say, for she felt strange. Sure, Adam was a K1-Phantom, his status was much higher than hers, but... he had been a Phantom for a little over a month and was much younger than her.


    La, like many, had trained since childhood in the military academies, then promoted for many years, wlessly following hundreds of orders and visiting Dead Lands frequently.


    However, Adam''s words were filled with wisdom and experience, like a truth engraved on a grail that everyone needed to know in order to survive in a world dominated by monsters!


    "Brother, lift me up!" Trici eximed with puffed-up cheeks, stretching her arms up.


    Adam nodded, throwing Trici onto his shoulders.


    "Good luck. Our world is a dangerous ce, but not a hopeless one. We can handle even the most dangerous monsters, I''ve learned that for sure." Adam waved his hand, heading towards the food truck where the others were.


    La smiled bitterly, taking a deep breath.


    She looked up at the sun that was heading towards the horizon line, slowly disappearing behind the walls of the Citadel.


    ''Damn... For a moment, I even believed in Azure Lotus... They were so active saying that exoskeletons and FNs were a way for humans and Phantoms to match, but... it''s not about the weapons. ''


    ''Unlike the military, the Phantoms fight in Dead Lands all the time, which means that those of them who survived didn''t do it solely because of their abilities... They were able to do it because of the personalities they became, not by fearing monsters, but by hunting them...''


    Then, for La, came perhaps the most important day of her life.


    Sure, the military was one of the most loyal groups of people to the Phantoms. But, watching the Phantoms fight and trying to step into their shoes were very different things.


    La nced at the generator in the chest of her exoskeleton. Compared to the first two versions, this one was 20% more efficient and most importantly - more stable.


    ''Hmm... They were able to improve this model pretty fast, but... How long will it take for the development department to create apletely new, more powerful exoskeleton?'' La pondered with a detached gaze, looking off into the distance.


    ...


    At this time, Adam returned to the others, while Alexia looked at him with a sly smile. She was obviously up to something, and Adam had to be involved!

 Chapter 130: Arm wrestling

    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Adam and Trici crunched on chocte popcorn, which cost only a few credits per serving and could be afforded by anyone.


    "Arm wrestling?" Adam raised an eyebrow, looking at Alexia, who had just offered him a challenge.


    "Yes!" Alexia eximed with an excited expression, "The fair will be over in a few hours, so we have to make it! We don''t have much time left! I want to find out which one of us is stronger!"


    Adam scratched the back of his head, puzzled as he looked at Silvana, she shrugged, and at Louis, he just smiled bitterly. Alexia had already made up her mind, so stopping her was almost impossible.


    "Brother, go for it! You can win!" Trici eximed happily, stuffing a whole handful of popcorn into her mouth.


    "Agh... Well, I guess there''s nothing wrong with that." Adam sighed.


    Alexia smiled slyly, stepped forward, and grabbed his hand. Then, she ran forward at breakneck speed, demolishing everything in her path.


    Adam barely had time to react, holding Trici so she wouldn''t fall off his shoulders. The others looked at each other and followed with steady strides, they didn''t need to hurry.


    ...


    "Hah, I wonder who will win..." Kody muttered, looking at Adam and Alexia, who were preparing for battle.


    They walked over to a special table, made of highly durable material so the Phantoms wouldn''t break it by crushing it with their elbows. However... sometimes even that wasn''t enough.


    "Pffft. That''s a stupid question. Of course, it''s Alexia!" Katrin snorted as she turned aside, flipping her hair.


    "You''re wrong." Trici puffed up her cheeks, "Brother is strong!"


    "Agreed!" Jena clenched her fist, with an excited expression.


    Silvana held Trici in her arms, looking at Adam and Alexia with a calm face. She didn''t show it, but she was a little worried. After all, arm wrestling was a confrontation of not only pure strength, but reaction, speed, and technique!


    "Alexia is very strong! She''s one of the strongest K1-Phantoms, that''s why Adam will lose!" Katrin arrogantly said.


    Zera smirked, "Oh, so you''re a fan of Alexia''s? I can''t say I agree with your bet, but I understand you."


    Trici turned away with her arms crossed over her chest.


    "Think what you want! Brother isn''t going to lose! That''s for sure!"


    Katrin showed her tongue, making faces.


    It was also unclear which one of them was the kid...


    "Ready?" Alexia smirked, putting her arm forward with her elbow bent.


    Adam nodded, squeezing her palm tightly. Then, his gaze traveled to Louis, who stood beside them, acting as referee.


    "Start!" Louis signaled with a wave of his hand.


    Whoooooooosh.


    In a heartbeat, Alexia brought Adam''s arm down on the table, easily winning the first round!


    Adam''s eyes went wide, he didn''t even have time to realize anything. Alexia acted so fast that Adam didn''t react.


    "Hah, if you lose one more time, I will win! I suggest you take at least one round, or you''ll embarrass yourself in front of your sister!" Alexia smirked, letting go of his hand and preparing for the next round.


    Adam gulped. Then, his eyes narrowed, and he asked:


    "You weren''t this strong during Eclipse, were you?" Adam frowned.


    Alexia got a confused expression. Louis smiled slightly.


    "Hah, you figured it out that easily? Yeah, you''re right. It''s all about the North Keeper. I used to have a Power Gene, but North Keeper''s gene made me a bit stronger. Just look at what I can do now!" Alexia uttered before taking a deep breath.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Alexia blew a freezing stream of air right into Adam''s face. His cheeks flushed red, bing covered in a thinyer of ice, tiny ice crystals appeared at the tips of his hair.


    He felt pleasantly fresh, like a mild winter.


    "Oh... I see. Your Power Gene turned out to be unusual and suits you perfectly. Well, let''s get back to where we started." Adam muttered, squeezing Alexia''s hand again.


    Alexia grew serious. She realized that this time, Adam wasn''t going to let himself be defeated so easily.


    "Start!" Louis swung his hand again, and Alexia moved sharply.


    Adam''s hand almost approached the table, but he managed to stop when it was less than a centimeter away.


    Then, using all his strength, he slowly raised his hand, gradually pressing Alexia''s palm against the table.


    Alexia frowned. She wanted to beat Adam with speed again, but he was able to hold back. Considering his grip remained the same, he was able to apply a little more force than her and win.


    "Wait... It''s going to be the final round now, isn''t it?" Kody muttered, looking at the others.


    Silvana nodded.


    "It''s about to be decided now, though... this result is already enough to show that their strengths are roughly equal. Sure, arm wrestling is infinitely far from realbat, but you or Katrin would probably lose 2-0."


    Kody scratched the back of his head with a confused face.


    "Yeah... I guess you''re right. When Adam hit me, I knew right away..."


    Trici turned to him sharply with a puzzled expression.


    "You fought my brother?" Trici tilted her head.


    "Well..." Kody looked away, "I just made a mistake, and it helped me regain my senses. In fact, I''m grateful to your brother for that, though it probably sounds strange."


    Trici stared at him for a while before returning to watching the fight.


    Adam and Alexia were trying to suppress each other, however, their hands did not move, though they were shaking violently. They used all their strength, but it seemed like they wouldn''t be able to budge.


    But... could there be a draw in arm wrestling? Their arms couldn''t just hang in the air, sooner orter, someone would run out of strength.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Cracks went down the table, and before they could react, it shattered, leaving Adam and Alexia''s hands in the air.


    Louis chuckled, covering his mouth.


    "Well... Looks like you should settle for a draw this time." Zera muttered with a strange face.


    Adam and Alexia blinked a few times, trying to decide if they should have continued with the other table or left it at that.


    "Brother!" Trici jumped out of Silvana''s arms, quickly running up to Adam with a happy smile on her face.


    "I knew you wouldn''t lose!" Trici eximed in excitement.


    Adam scratched his cheek.


    "I won''t lose...? Right, you don''t have to win to not lose, do you?" Adam smirked, casting a nce at Alexia.


    She just shrugged.


    "Khm." Louis coughed, drawing attention to himself, "In twenty minutes, the burning of the crimson tree will begin. Then, in an hour and a half the fair will close, so... I think we should hurry to see the main event of the Scarlet Light Fair!"


    Adam tilted his head.


    "The burning of the scarlet tree...?"


    Louis nodded.


    "Yeah, that''s thest main event of the fair. Then, it''ll still be possible to stay for a while, but there won''t be anything else big happening."


    "Brother, let''s go take a look! Moreover, I want ice cream!" Trici eximed, trying to climb up Adam as if on a tree.


    Adam took her hand, throwing her on his shoulders, and turned to the side.


    Behind a few buildings, he could see the branches of a massive tree specially made of scarlet paper for one purpose only - to disappear in bright mes.


    "Alright. Then let''s not waste any time!"


    Thus, their group headed towards the center - where hundreds of other people were moving!


    Louis turned around, narrowing his eyes. It seemed that someone was lurking in the distance, chasing after them.


    ''Damn... Looks like they decided to give the Phantoms trouble again... We need to be careful.''

 Chapter 131: Crimson Tree

    Every fair had to have some ending, and it wasn''t about hours of work, but something meaningful after which the visitors could smile a bit, forever engraving this day in their memory as something good and interesting.


    The organizers tried to make sure that people would not be bored all day long, which was quite a challenge considering that the Scarlet Light Fair was held in the First Ring.


    People who lived here saw a lot of things, and it was hard to surprise them, as well as those who went to First Ring for something special.


    The burning of the crimson tree was the solution to the finale.


    Nothing special, no contests, tournaments, or auctions, but beautiful and majestic!


    Moreover, it was a symbolic gesture towards the Phantoms, for the basis of their power was also a tree, only a little different... of apletely other level.


    "How much longer do we have to wait?" Katrin asked with a frown, looking around. She wanted to see the crimson tree burn, but it was hard for her to be there because the amount of people was huge!


    Katrin felt ufortable in such arge crowd. She didn''t like being in crowds and wanted to get out of there as soon as possible, but her desire to see the burning crimson tree was even higher.


    "It''s going to start soon. Just wait a little longer." Silvana said coldly, "However if you want, you can leave. I''ll be here as long as my Phantom stays."


    Katrin''s eye began to twitch as she gritted her teeth.


    "By the way, Katrin, Kody, you have Operators, don''t you?" Adam asked.


    Not every Phantom got their personal Operator, only squad leaders and especially capable ones. However, this rule only worked for K0-Phantoms.


    Regardless of a Phantom''s previous aplishments, if they reached K1, they were given a personal Operator. It was a rule with no exceptions.


    Adam had heard Katrin''s Operator once before when they were trying to survive in Deste Forest before Damien came to their rescue. However, he knew nothing about Kody''s Operator.


    Kody scratched the back of his head.


    "Well... My Operator recently broke her leg, so she decided to stay home."


    "What the hell...?" Katrin muttered wide-eyed, staring at Kody, "The same thing happened to n... He said some girl ran into him. They fell down the stairs together... Remind me... what''s your Operator''s name?"


    Kody gulped. He knew that not only his Operator was hurt in that situation, but some other young man as well.


    "Herna... Her name is Herna." Kody said uncertainly.


    "You bastard!" Katrin eximed, sharply taking Kody by the cor.


    Everyone was shocked by this abrupt change in Katrin''s behavior.


    "Where was Herna in such a hurry that she hurt my n?" Katrin narrowed her eyes, burning Kody with a re.


    Kody flinched. He was confused, not knowing what to do. Even though he had known Katrin for a while, this was the first time he had seen her so angry.


    Tap.


    Zera ced a hand on her shoulder, jerking her away abruptly, releasing Kody and allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief.


    "Calm down. Sometimes these things happen. Instead of attacking each other, you''d better visit your Operators after the fair!"


    Katrin clenched her fists and stepped aside. She was usually irritable but calm, however, when it came to her Operator, she easily lost control over her emotions. It was both cute and dangerous at the same time.


    Adam and Trici were just looking at the crimson tree, licking ice cream. Adam''s was vani, and Trici''s was chocte, covered in thick caramel.


    Crimson tree was a huge origami because it was made of paper, very dense, and soaked in a special liquid for increased durability.


    Sure, the organizers could have chosen a different material, but they wanted nothing left of the crimson tree at the end - showing that this was the finale.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Several sparks appeared around the edges of the circle, quickly aiming for crimson tree roots. Within seconds, the fire reached the tree, quickly rising upward and traveling toward the long branches.


    Trici''s eyes went wide with excitement, as did all the onlookers. She even stopped eating her ice cream, though it hadn''t seemed possible before.


    "How beautiful..." Trici muttered looking at the intense red me that was getting bigger by the second.


    "Yeah. It was worth our expectations anding here." Adam muttered with a slight smile on his face.


    Soon, all the sounds fell silent, only the burning me remained, under the gaze of hundreds of people.


    Some looked at the crimson tree because it was beautiful, some remembered important parts of their lives, and for some, it was a good opportunity to share the moment with their family and friends.


    Adam watched the fire that gradually dissipated, leaving only a pile of ashes behind.


    ''Well... Even something that big and great can be turned to ash in just a few seconds, isn''t it?'' Adam inwardly muttered with a slightly sad look.


    Then, he closed his eyes, moving into his space.


    Unlike ordinary people who could only observe the crimson tree, Adam had his tree - the Evolution Tree.


    Adam blinked and saw what his Evolution Tree used to be - much smaller, without the two mighty branches, Power Gene and Elemental Root.


    ''Hah, I hope you never burn, because if you do, it would surely mean I''m dead.'' Adam smiled bitterly before returning to the real world.


    "Bye, everyone!" Zera eximed vigorously, waving her hand and running off, seeming like she was in a hurry to get somewhere.


    Kody and Katrin looked over at each other.


    "Yeah, we should get going too. I think we better listen to Katrin''s advice and pay a visit to our Operators." Katrin said calmly, nodding her head.


    "I''ll see you around!" Kody smiled, following her.


    Adam nced at Alexia.


    "You''re on your way out too, right?"


    Louis nodded, "There''s one more ce we want to go before the fair closespletely, so we should hurry since we only have one hour left."


    "Bye. I hope we get to fight someone strong someday! Maybe even at the next Eclipse!"


    Jena walked over to Adam, kissed him gently on the cheek, whispered something, and walked away with a slight smile on her face.


    Silvana sighed, turning to Adam.


    "Should I call a car, or is there anything else you haven''t done?" Silvana asked.


    Adam hesitated, rubbing his chin. Obviously, he hadn''t been to all the interesting ces at the fair, as even ten days wouldn''t be enough time to visit every single one of them.


    "Brother, I''ve seen one ce! I want to get a toy!" Trici uttered, tugging Adam''s by the hair.


    "Hmm? Isn''t that enough for you?" Adam pointed to the dragon statuette in Silvana''s purse.


    Trici quickly shook her head with puffed-up cheeks.


    "I want another one! The gold slime one! He''s super cute! I saw him in one game. I want to get one here!"


    "Agh..." Adam sighed heavily, "Well, show us the way. We have less than an hour, let''s see what we can do."


    "Yes!" Trici eximed, pointing west.


    In fact, it took five minutes to get to their desired location, but Trici kept confusing turns and leading them in the wrong direction, so only after fifteen minutes did they reach a small shooting range where they could win stuffed toys!


    "Here! I want this!" Trici eximed, pointing to a massive golden slime with a cute smile.


    For this, Adam needed to knock off a certain number of points. Good thing he''d been in a shooting range before, and this was his opportunity to test his skills.


    Silvana frowned, for she, like Louis, felt that someone was always following them and they were going to show up soon.

 Chapter 132: Right Mistake (Part 1)

    "Oh, you want to try your luck?" The man in the cowboy hat asked, smiling broadly at his probablyst visitors.


    "Yeah... What do you have to do to get the golden slime, that seems to be the grand prize, doesn''t it?" Adam asked, pointing to the toy.


    The man shook his head.


    "No. The grand prize was taken just a few hours after I opened. It was a huge rainbow slime, you had to hit the center ten times to get it." The man pointed to a round target behind him with a small red dot on it.


    "By the way, she was a Phantom like you, if I''m not mistaken, her name was Hazel. She did it in just one try! I''ve never seen anything like that."


    Adam smiled bitterly.


    "Yeah... I know her. I tried to beat her in a shooting range once, but she easily defeated me. Well, let''s get started. How much does it cost per try?"


    The man looked around at the crowds of people moving toward the exit and waved his hand:


    "Ten credits. To get the golden slime you have to hit the center at least five times or try again."


    Adam nodded, paid, and picked up the antique shotgun. It had been specially modified to shoot rubber bullets instead of shotgun shells, and it was also much lighter so that even a child could use it.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    A few shots and Adam hit six times right in the center. That was enough for Trici to get what she wanted.


    "Yeah! It''s so soft! Just like I wanted!" Trici eximed, cradling a golden slime that was almost as big as herself.


    Then, another toy caught her eye - a simple green slime, much smaller than the golden one.


    "Oh, you want to try to get it? It''s not very hard, you only have to hit the center once, and I''ll give it to you. Normally, the terms are moreplicated, but you''re myst visitor, so... let''s do it that way." The man suggested.


    Trici agreed, but... she stopped as she remembered something important.


    "Brother! Can we get more ice cream...?"


    Adam rubbed his cheek, puzzled. He wasn''t sure if the stores were still open.


    "Here." The man pointed north, to a small ice cream stand, "If you hurry, you can make it, they should still be open. I know the owner, he always works until thest minute, as do I."


    Adam nodded.


    "Silvana, keep an eye on her, I''ll be right back!" Adam uttered, quickly running forward.


    Silvana nodded, walking over to the man and paying for Trici''s attempt.


    "Go ahead. I''m sure your brother will be very happy if you can do it." Silvana said with a slight smile on her face.


    "Yes!" Trici eximed excitedly, taking the gun in her hands and aiming as urately as she could.


    Step. Step. Step.


    At the same moment, as if waiting for this moment, a group of men came out of the corner with devious smirks on their faces.


    "Hey, do you mind if we ask you a few questions?" A muscr, bald man said with a sly smirk.


    Silvana frowned heavily as she nced at the man''s wrist - there was a tattoo of a broad wing with sharp feathers.


    ''Proud Wing... Bastards, so it was them all along? What''s more, they''ve made preparations.'' Silvana bit her lip, looking at the cameras that some of them had.


    "Guys, I''m not epting any more visitors." The owner of the shooting range waved his hand, "Go away. There''s nothing for you to do here. The fair ends in ten minutes!"


    "Old man. Shut up." The man snorted, clenching his fist tightly, "Otherwise, I''ll make sure you won''t be able to talk for a long time. You''ll be picking your teeth on the ground!"


    The old man gulped. They may have both been simple men, but against such a mountain of muscle, he didn''t stand a chance, and neither did Silvana...


    Thanks to her training, Silvana was stronger than most ordinary people.


    However, she was weaker than the average military man and definitely couldn''t handle a group of trained men. After all, she was just a mere human.


    ...


    Adam ran back quickly, holding a chocte ice cream for Trici, and a strawberry one for Silvana, which he decided not to take for himself. He only needed a minute to get back, but after a few seconds, he stopped with a horrible grimace on his face.


    A powerful punch to the jaw knocked out the shooting range owner. Silvana was on the ground. She couldn''t help Trici.


    Trici on the other hand... She was doing her best not to cry, looking at the golden and green slimes lying on the ground, in the dust.


    The reason Proud Wing did this was very simple - they wanted to provoke Adam, and they knew that by now there would be a crowd around the range.


    In fact, if Adam had not returned or had dyed for a few minutes, Proud Wing would not have seeded. People would start asking questions and realize they did it for no reason, then they would be med and the police would arrest them.


    However, since Adam was in a hurry to get his sister ice cream as quickly as possible, everything went ording to Baldhead''s n. After all, now, he could redirect all the attention from their group to Adam by talkingplete nonsense.


    "There, he''s finally here! That Factom just beat up that man and hurt those girls! I don''t know what they did to this Phantom, but his attempt to apologize with ice cream is impossible after what he''s done!" Baldhead eximed, waving his arms and drawing attention to himself.


    Many people in the crowd frowned or got strange expressions since what Baldhead was talking about soundedpletely unrealistic. Moreover, some people had been here from the beginning and saw what happened.


    However, Baldhead knew that this could happen and prepared in advance.


    "I saw everything! It really happened!" Someone in the crowd eximed.


    "Yeah! Me too! Phantoms do mayhem all the time!"


    "We should punish him!"


    Other people didn''t see it, but everyone who shouted had a wing tattooed on their wrist, neatly hidden by their sleeves.

 Chapter 133: Right Mistake (Part 2)

    "Yes! It''s his fault!"


    "The Phantoms are getting more brazen every day!"


    "We have to do something about it!"


    There were some people in the crowd who tried to tell others that Adam was innocent and that Baldhead and the other members of the Proud Wing had set the whole thing up.


    However, there were fewer of them than the fake persons, and their voices were simply lost among the shouts of the imed witnesses to the incident.


    Adam didn''t understand anything. He didn''t even realize that such a thing could happen. So, for the first few seconds, he just stood still, but he quickly came to his senses and ran up to Trici.


    "I didn''t do it! He''s lying! It''s my sister and the Operator!" Adam eximed, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists tightly. The ice cream had long since fallen from his hands from shock when he saw what had happened.


    "Hahaha, yeah it''s true!" Baldhead waved his hand with an evil smirk, "However, that doesn''t mean you didn''t do it. We Proud Wing has seen dozens of cases of Phantoms beating up family members, especially Operators! There''s nothing they can do to you, and someone has to deal with it!"


    Someone standing behind their group raised their camera high, a glint of light streaming across the lens.


    "We''ve got it all filmed. Later, I can show the video to anyone who wants it!"


    Baldhead pointed at the young man.


    "See? You can''t get away with this. You did it. There are enough witnesses here. However, I''m no viin, and it''ll be enough for me if you apologize to them, to me, and pay arge fine!" Baldhead smirked.


    In fact, Adam and Silvana knew perfectly well that they hadn''t recorded anything, because Adam hadn''t done it.


    However, there was no way to prove it, not now. Fake persons would just run out of the crowd, supposedly to watch the video, and one of them would identally break the camera.


    It was their way of not having to justify false usations, because they didn''t need the video to get Adam in trouble - public judgment from dozens of people was enough.


    "Apologize to you...?" Adam frowned heavily, gradually his rage growing.


    "Adam! They''re provoking you! Don''t give in to that!" Silvana eximed, trying to do something in this situation.


    Baldhead sighed heavily.


    "Come on. You just injured three people! However, can''t you even apologize? Is your arrogance as a Phantom really that great?"


    Then, the man turned to the crowd and eximed:


    "This is exactly why we need Proud Wing and Azure Lotus! Phantoms are our heroes, but not all of them! Many we must control and restrict, or disaster might strike!"


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam approached the baldhead, burning him with his gaze. His veins bulged, and his eyes were bloodshot. He seemed ready to explode with fury at any moment - that''s how angry he was.


    "Damn, do you really want to continue this? Maybe you''ll hit me? Tsk. As usual, Phantoms can only solve their problems with force!" Baldhead smirked.


    He was going to provoke Adam further, even if Adam attacked him. It was necessary to aplish his mission.


    However, Adam held back. He knew that if he did so under dozens of stares, he and his family could be in trouble.


    Baldhead realized this, so he decided to fix the situation, leaving Adam no chance.


    He leaned over to Adam and whispered:


    ''Come on, do it, or else... I''ll get your sister in trouble more than once...''


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Adam''s body immediately came into motion as his fist headed towards the man.


    Baldhead''s pupils narrowed. He could hardly see anything because Adam was moving too fast. He hadn''t been prepared for this! No one warned him that the Phantoms were so strong!


    However... he didn''t even know that getting hit by a Phantom was the most harmless thing that could happen to him.


    Bam.


    Adam''s fist went through the man''s head, sting it like a meatball due to the immense force.


    Pieces of flesh, blood clots, and parts of the brain, along with eyes and teeth, flew apart, covering the ground around him.


    The man''s already decapitated corpse fell down, raising a cloud of dust.


    "Agh... Agh... Agh..." Adam breathed heavily, exhaling hot steam, slowlying to his senses.


    For the first few seconds, he didn''t even realize what had happened, and neither did the crowd, but... soon everyone figured out that it was real.


    "AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"


    People screamed in fear, running away in panic. Some stayed behind, staring intently at Adam, but soon, they too, were gone, not wanting to stay here a second longer.


    Surely, in such arge crowd, there were some people who had filmed the whole thing, and now Adam would certainly be in trouble.


    It didn''t matter who he was, businessman, politician, military, or Phantom, he had killed a man in front of dozens. Moreover, this happened when he was used of assaulting three other people!


    The situation was worse than anything!


    "Adam!" Silvana eximed anxiously, running up to him. The members of the Proud Wing were the first to run away, their hearts nearly stopping with fear when Adam killed the baldhead.


    Adam said nothing, he just looked at his bloody fist, then nced at the baldhead.


    Slowly, he realized that he had just killed a civilian, but... He didn''t feel any regret about it. Moreover, he felt nothing. It hadn''t happened even when he had killed Mirna and the other dark Phantoms from Lower Ring.


    He sighed heavily, falling to one knee.


    "Brother!" Trici, with her face covered in tears, ran to him and hugged him.


    Adam just slowly stroked her head, thinking about what would happen to him next. Somehow, thew worked not only for the ordinary people but for the Phantoms as well.


    Murder was one of the worst sins a person in the Citadel could do.


    ...


    Thirty minutester, when the fair was already closed, several police cars pulled up to the entrance. Among them were several Phantoms, for they knew that the ouw was a Phantom.


    However, they did not have to fight, for Adam did not resist. He realized he could do nothing now, and he didn''t want to. He had to wait until tomorrow to try to change the situation.


    "Brother, don''t go! I''ming with you!" Trici shouted, grabbing his leg and not wanting to leave.


    The two police officers were about to pull her away, but as soon as they walked up to Trici, a chill ran down their backs from Adam''s stare. It was piercing and overpowering, instilling terror in them.


    It seemed that if they took another step, Adam, in his current state, would attack them, and no one could help them.


    He was a Phantom, so there was no point in handcuffing him, only hoping he wouldn''t fight back.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll be back soon." Adam, with a slight smile, said, patting Trici on the head, "For now, stay with Silvana, and don''t let mom and dad worry too much, okay?"


    "Ughum!" Trici nodded, biting her lip - trying to hold back her tears, but she failed miserably. Salty drops fell quickly to the ground, dripping off her cheeks.

 Chapter 134: Punishment

    Adam had be a Phantom for a little over a month, and his start was differt from most Phantoms.


    After all, he didn''t just be a Naturalborn Phantom, he was the victim of an experimt by an influtial scitist - Aid Hk.


    In a way, this immediately doomed him to increased atttion from certain individuals. Starting with Dous, who helped him with the documts and history of bing a Phantom, and ding with Dami - who was curious how far Adam could get.


    With Dous and Dami, however, Adam had little contact with them and had only se them a few times. However, in his short Phantom path so far, he got to know a lot of people, some of whom had some influce.


    Alexia, Zera, Ow, Fred, Katrin, Ja, Hazel, and many others - almost every one of Adam''s acquaintances soon found out what had happed to him at Scarlet Light Fair.


    Silvana told some people about it, and some saw it on the news. Moreover, on certain websites, it was possible to find the momt of Adam''s attack as well as all the gory details in full color.


    Naturally, many people wanted to punish Adam, especially the Proud Wing and Azure Lotus members. They were obsessed with Phantom control and equality betwe all sectors of society. Although these two concepts were already contradicting each other,... it didn''t bother them.


    Everyone was worried about him, especially Silvana, Ja, and his family.


    Louis, Alexia, and Silvana were doing their best - at least being allowed to talk to Adam, but it was impossible, yet. He was at the police station, waiting to see the investigator.


    Adam was sitting at a desk, in a small dimly lit room with only onemp.


    Crackle.


    After a while, the door oped, and a middle-aged woman with long blond hair and a stern look came inside. In her hands were a tablet and a folder of documts.


    "My name is Raina. I am in charge of your case. I''ve checked your history, and I can tell you there was no problem with you before. What happed? Tell me in detail." Raina said calmly, but her voice caused tsion.


    Adam sighed heavily as he looked up.


    "I''ve be set up. I''ve told you this before. I''m not going to say anything else, because you won''t list to me." Adam waved his hand.


    He had be here for more than an hour, so his patice was graduallying to an d. He was ready to be punished for murder.


    Raina coughed and looked at the wall - at the one-way window.


    Th, a man with a powerful aura, short dark hair, and an emblem of a blue flower with six petals on his shoulder tered the room.


    "This is Prago Avino. K-Phantom and a member of the Azure Lotus." Raina said respectfully, "He was a major contributor to the gathering of evidce against you and the punishmt."


    "Hmm? Shouldn''t that be up to the judge?" Adam frowned. He didn''t want anyone from the Big Three, especially from Azure Lotus influce his fate. He knew Azure Lotus and Proud Wing were in frequt contact.


    "Silce." Prago said sternly, slowly sitting down in his chair and looking inttly at Adam.


    Adam gulped.


    Among the K-Phantoms, he had be one of the strongest - his victory on North Keeper was proof of that.


    However, in front of the K-Phantom, he was weak, like a White or Gre Threat Level monster in front of him. They were at differt levels of strgth, and in a direct sh, Prago would win a hundred out of a hundred times.


    "You killed a man, at the very d of one of the most popr fairs!" Prago frowned, clching his fists tightly.


    "Yeah... I admit that the actions of that group are blurry and notpletely clear. It''s likely that they''re not telling us something, since we couldn''t find any confirmation of their ims. For some reason, the cameras in that area were turned off."


    Adam clutched his shoulders, biting his lip. He realized that Baldhead''s group had done everything they could to set him up, ev if it would have ded in a less bloody way...


    "Anyway, what you did before is not at all as important as killing a man. Dozs of people saw it, and you don''t dy it, so... We''ve already handed you your punishmt."


    "We?" Adam raised an eyebrow, piercing Prago with a look.


    Prago nodded.


    "I didn''t make this decision alone, but along with the police, members of the Proud Wing, and the military."


    Adam''s gaze only grew harsher wh he heard of the Proud Wing.


    Prago sighed heavily.


    "You don''t have to look at me like that. They were in the discussion because you killed one of them, no matter who he was or what he did. Now he''s dead, and you''re the reason why."


    "Hah, how convit. If he had hurt my sister or my Operator one more time, I would have done it again. I''m ev more sure of that now than I was before." Adam snorted, showingplete disagreemt.


    Whooooooosh.


    Prago swung his hand, tossing the table aside and grabbing Adam by the cor.


    Oddly ough, Adam could dodge the first time, thanks to his reflexes and experice... For some reason, it was easy for him to predict what trajectory Prago''s hand would take.


    It seemed like Prago was only using his overwhelming physical might, and Adam had more experice than him because otherwise, he wouldn''t have be able to dodge!


    However, is it possible for K-Phantom to be more expericed than K-one?


    However, the second time, Adam failed to dodge, and Prago mmed him against the wall with a sharp motion, causing him to gasp in sharp pain.


    "List to me. You killed a man, and you will be punished for it. It''s my job as a member of the Azure Lotus to watch out for people like you who think it''s normal!"


    "Whatever he did, he didn''t deserve to die like that! You''re going to jail for six months, minimum! Be ready!" Prago shouted with pure anger.

 Chapter 135: The difference in the value of lives

    Bam.


    Prago mmed his fist into the wall, right next to Adam''s face, leaving a long cut on his cheek and a deep dt in the wall.


    Th, Prago put Adam back in ce, picked up the table, and sat down on a chair. He wt from furious topletely calm extremely quickly and that was not a good sign.


    "Anyway, if you were an ordinary man, you would have be locked up for several years or ev decades, however... some military officers did everything to minimize your stce. How it annoys me!" Prago growled, clching his fist tightly.


    As a member of the Azure Lotus, he wanted full equality betwe all sectors of society, so he wanted the Phantoms to receive the same punishmt as ordinary people. However, ev he couldn''t increase Adam''s stce beyond six months.


    There was logic in Prago''s words, because getting only half a year in prison for killing a man in public, in the First Ring, was the minimum punishmt. If some military officers hadn''t helped him, it would have be two or three years.


    However, Adam wasn''t going to put up with it. He realized that against Prago he didn''t stand a chance, but... he couldn''t lose six months rotting in jail and wasting his pottial.


    "Khm." Raina coughed, "That''s not all. Adam Vinter, you''re going to Fall Hill Prison, north of the Second Ring, for half a year. You''ll be there for six months, and if you don''t cause trouble, you''ll be released in five. Furthermore, you must pay a fine of 00,000 credits and obey all orders of your ward unless you want your stce increased."


    Adam frowned as anger began to bubble up inside him.


    In fact, he felt no guilt for killing Baldhead, for he hadn''t ev expected it to happ.


    Since Adam had be a Phantom, he had never fought a normal person before, and he wouldn''t do it, because he had no reason to.


    What ordinary person would provoke K-Phantom? There was only one answer: a suicidal one.


    Baldhead and his group were new to Proud Wing, so their superiors just used them, not ev warning them of the danger.


    Adam realized this, and it only made him angrier, since it meant that someone in Proud Wing or Azure Lotus was watching him closely and had decided to remove him, at least temporarily.


    ''Tsk. Maybe Aid Hk did it...? I doubt he''d be interested, though. He may be a crazy bastard, but surely he''d rather spd his time on his experimts than on political intrigue.'' Adam pondered internally, burning Prago with a re.


    Tap.


    Raina tapped the table and said:


    "That''s it for now. You won''t cooperate with us, so the stcees into effect immediately. I hope prison will reform you. Monsters kill people every day, so we don''t need Phantoms doing it too."


    "People...?" Adam raised an eyebrow with a cold stare.


    Raina gulped, a chill running down her back.


    "Tsk. Do you disagree with that? Do you think there are losses only among the Phantoms?" Prago snorted, unleashing his aura on Adam.


    Normally, that should have be ough to silce the K-Phantom, but... It weakly affected Adam.


    The reason was that Prago''s aura, although strong, was not threating, as if it wasn''t infused with the experice of difficult fights and the blood of deadly situations. Also, Adam was a Naturalborn Phantom, and that yed a role.


    Prago, as an Artificialborn Phantom, didn''t know that Adam was the Naturalborn One. The fact that he was a K-Phantom couldn''t help him get that information, ev his status as a prison ward was useless.


    Finding out that some Phantom was the Naturalborn One was a difficult task achievable only in a few cases.


    First, any Naturalborn Phantom, with the help of his Operator, could find out if another Phantom was a Naturalborn One. For example, Silvana had ess to the special sources through which Adam had learned that Alexia was a Naturalborn Phantom. That required time.


    Secondly, the Natiuralborn Phantom himself could tell someone, but it had to be another Naturalborn Phantom or someone with special status, like Ja. She was his personal doctor, but she had no right to tell anyone about it.


    Sure, plty of ordinary people in the military, departmts, and politicians had this information, but they were all trusted individuals and carefully controlled the situation.


    Ev if someone like Ja or Silvana had told someone about the Naturalborn Phantoms, they would have be quickly found and stopped. The person they told it to would be scared ough that he wouldn''t say anything.


    That was why Prago got a baffled look on his face. He didn''t understand why Adam only slightly flinched at his aura, ev though he was just a K-Phantom!


    "Monsters don''t just kill Phantoms, it''s true. Harvesters and military personnel also die a lot, but the Phantoms are the ones who fight the monsters.I have noints about ordinary people, especially departmtal workers. However... the one I killed, the bastard from Proud Wing, I don''t feel sorry for him." Adam waved his hand.


    Bam.


    Before he could say anything, Prago burst from his seat and brought his fist down on Adam''s face.


    At thest momt, Adam managed to block, crossing his arms in front of him. However, it only slightly reduced the blow, the impact threw him back.


    "How dare you say that?! You killed an ordinary man, and you don''t feel any guilt?! Ev if he wasn''t the best person, that doesn''t mean he deserved to die at your will!" Prago eximed furiously, his veins swelling with anger.


    Adam wiped away the trickle of blood and slowly stood up.


    "Yes, because by giving me trouble, he''s already killed several Phantoms and dozs of people." Adam said confidtly.


    Raina and Prago nced over, they didn''t understand what nonsse Adam was talking about. Baldhead was an ordinary man and... how could he kill others if he was dead himself?


    "Hah, looks like you''re too stupid to realize that. Actually, I thought, you as a K-Phantom, should have known that already."


    Adam stepped forward.


    "I killed that man, and now I''m going to prison for six months. That means all the monsters I would have killed in that time - will survive, and someone will face them sooner orter, a small fraction of them will die. Phantoms and Harvesters sometimes die wh fighting monsters, ev a child knows that."


    Prago and Raina gulped. They hadn''t ev thought about it from that side, because... it was too immoral, yet true!


    "The truth is that a month of not having me - K-Phantom - in Dead Lands would be worse for the Citadel than losing that man''s tire life. He wasn''t a military man or a departmt employee, but a mere cker, no... he was a parasite since he only made trouble for others."


    Moreover, the fact that Adam''s words were true was dangerous to Azure Lotus''s ideology of equality betwe Phantoms and humans.


    What equality could they talk about wh a month of one''s life was more important than years of another?


    "Kid... Be prepared, I''ll do anything to make your life in prison a living hell. By the rules, I''m not going to break thew, unlike you little bastard!" Prago clched his fists tightly.


    Th, after a momt''s silce, Raina quicklypleted the paperwork and led Adam down the hall.


    The police officers were already waiting outside to take him to the prison.


    Prago didn''t want to go with him, because he had onlye here to see Adam in person. He hoped to hear Adam''s reptance, but instead... Adam had just pushed him into a cruel reality.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Raina stepped confidtly, heading for the exit. She wasn''t worried that Adam would run away because th he would be immediately caught by the Phantoms working for the police - especially for such cases.


    Tap.


    Raina stopped abruptly as a tall figure appeared from the corner - a man with gray hair and unusual amethyst eyes. The high cor of his long ck coat covered half of his face - up to his nose.


    Adam''s eyes wt wide, for he was familiar with this man. It was Tron - the K-Phantom that helped them leave Gold Searchers Nest after the sh with Mirna and dark Phantoms.


    "What...? What are you doing here...?" Raina muttered in a disbelief.


    Tron cast a cold nce at her.


    "Don''t worry, I''m not gonna intrude on you. However, I have to talk to Adam. Wait for him outside." Tron said calmly, but his voice sounded like a heavly order.


    "But... You''re not supposed to be here! You have to leave, now!" Raina was about to protest.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Tron''s powerful aura made her forget how to breathe and drop to one knee. Ev Adam felt the heaviness.


    ''Damn... This is a whole other level. It seems that although they''re both K-Phantoms, Tron is stronger than Prago.'' Adam noted.


    "You''re an ordinary human and can''t give me orders. You must obey, do your job, and don''t interfere with me. I said - wait outside." Tron said macingly.


    Raina, without a word, rushed away. She did not wish to stay here a momt longer or experice Tron''s wrath.


    Th, Tron turned to Adam with a calm gaze.


    "Looks like you''re in trouble, doesn''t it?" Tron muttered, "I''ll tell you right off the bat, I''m not going to help you avoid punishmt."


    Tron''s eyes turned cold, "After all, you killed a human, it can''t pass unnoticed. However... rules only work wh the forces are equal, after all, the weak obey the rules of the strong, and the strong ones only respect their own rules, don''t they?"


    Adam blinked a few times, trying to understand what Tron was talking about.


    Tron waved his hand.


    "Never mind that. I came here for one reason - I have a message for you. It''s from Dami."

 Chapter 136: The First Days

    "A message from Dami...?" Adam muttered with a slight hope in his voice.


    Adam wasn''t stupid and realized that if Dami wanted to, he could get him out of any problem. After all, Dami alone was keeping millions of people alive. His wish was practicallyw, though... there were those in the Citadel who could stand up to ev him.


    Tron nodded. He came here on a quick mission and th left. However, he also had a personal interest.


    "Yes. I don''t have much time so list. It''s a quote - ''Don''t forget that besides Azure Lotus, there are two other powerful forces. Perhaps you should act using theirws if the equality and hypocrisy of the Azure Lotus doesn''t appeal to you.''"


    Adam got a strange look on his face for this was more of a mystery than advice. Sure, he knew about Dark Order and Crimson Path and the ideologies they followed. However, he didn''t quite understand how that was supposed to help him in Fall Hill Prison.


    "Also, I''ll give you one more piece of advice, from me. If you want to get through six monthsfortably, get involved with someone from Crimson Path, especially the wom. It depds on how long you''re going to stay there, though, and whether you can get out. Bye." Tron waved before heading off a the corner.


    Adam blinked a few times, mulling over Tron''s words.


    "Wait!"


    Th, he jerked forward, about to ask him something, but... Tron was gone, it seemed like he had just disappeared.


    "Crimson Path... Well, that makes sse. If they act like Zera, it''ll give me an advantage... However... What did he mean about whether I can get out and how long I n on being in prison...?" Adam muttered in confusion.


    At the time, thoughts of escape had not yet tered his mind, just guesses, because he was not nning to escape.


    If he escaped from prison, sooner orter, he would be caught, right? What''s more, bing a fugitive criminal would make life very difficult for his family.


    ''I have to do five months and go back to normal... or I have to realize what Dami and Tron wanted to convey to me. Phantoms and prison... that in itself sounds weird...'' Adam shook his head before heading for the exit.


    Ev though he was a K-Phantom, this was the first time he had ever be in trouble with the governmt and thew. He wasn''t surprised that there was a prison for Phantoms in the Citadel, after all, they were humans too and couldmit crimes.


    Someone had to control it so chaos wouldn''t break out inside the Citadel. Sure, only Phantoms could restrict the freedom of other Phantoms, but... were the prisons mandatory?


    Tap.


    Adam oped the door behind which Raina and several police officers had be waiting for him for some time. This wouldn''t have happed if he was amon criminal, but things were differt for the Phantoms...


    Raina didn''t say anything. She just pointed at the car with a worried expression. She was clearly affected by her counter with Tron. His aura almost broke her in seconds.


    Wh ordinary people with power faced Phantoms, especially from the Dark Order, their worldview would change for a while, until things returned to normal until the next confrontation.


    Raina could be strict and arrogant in front ofmon criminals, but not in front of Phantoms.


    Yeah, the problem could be solved if there were other Phantoms among the police force, but... That was impossible as it was too irrational.


    Only a tiny fraction of the Phantoms rarely visited Dead Lands, doing some necessary work in the Citadel.


    For example, Prago - was a ward at Fall Hill Prison, and it was already a great loss because instead of killing monsters as K-Phantom, he was keeping an eye on Phantom criminals.


    The governmt was doing its best to reduce the need for the Phantoms to work inside the Citadel, but in some ces, it was necessary.


    The car shifted, heading straight for the Second Ring.


    Soon, they descded into an underg tunnel. After just a few hours, they reached the Second Ring.


    The Citadel was huge, but space was limited, so the prison was underg - only the administration building was on the surface - it wasn''t ev walled off.


    Raina oped the door, and Adam stepped outside, following her.


    From the outside, it looked like he was some important person with his servants rather than a criminal.


    ''Well.... Well... This doesn''t look cool at all...'' Adam muttered, ncing a.


    There were only dless tunnels leading to differt ces on the sewer level.


    The Lower Ring was also at the bottom of the Citadel, however, it was much, much deeper - dozs if not hundreds of meters down.


    The trance to Fall Hill Prison was a massive gateway with a long passageway of snow- walls and soft blue lighting.


    The designers involved in the prison construction believed that such tranquil colors would help the Phantoms return to normal faster, get rid of their criminal past, and start fighting in Dead Lands again.


    Appartly, the governmt wanted the Phantoms to live well so they wouldn''t have any problems because their performance in Dead Lands and the safety of the Citadel depded on it.


    "Adam Vinter, right?" A man in square sses asked from behind a ss barrier in the small room.


    "Yes. Stced for six months for murder." Raina nodded.


    The man looked something up in his tablet and sighed heavily.


    "I see... Proud Wing... them again. Raina, you don''t want to admit it, but among them are the ones who cause nothing but trouble."


    Raina frowned, clching her fists tightly.


    "v, he killed a man!"


    "Yeah... yeah... Just like some of the other Phantoms after countering the newbies of the Proud Wing. Are those really coincidces? Whatever, Raina, is right, youmitted murder, so you''ll have to stay here for the next five months." v waved his hand nonchntly. He didn''t seem to agree with Azure Lotus or Proud Wing ev though he was a mere human.


    "Five months...?" Adam tilted his head in confusion.


    "Sure. After that long, you''ll be free if you don''t cause trouble. I understand your confusion, but you''ll soon realize that you have to try hard to make trouble here."


    "Khm." v coughed, as he slurred, "Perhaps ev less..."


    Adam''s eyes wt wide for a momt.


    Th, v looked at Adam and handed him a box containing a set of  clothes, a bracelet with a scre, and a gray card with the number - ''0'' on it.


    "Here. Also, you''ll have to give up your NEP and Nexus for the duration of your stce. Don''t worry, your Operator and frids will be able to contact you through this bracelet or any other means." v exined.


    "I see..." Adam nodded, taking off his gloves and NEP. He didn''t argue, his gloves were his weapons, and it would be strange if he was allowed to ter the prison with a weapon.


    However... The fists of any Phantom were already weapons themselves, for they were more powerful than any hammers and their palms sharper than any spears. They didn''t need weapons to make the threat.


    "Good." v nodded and pressed a button, making contact with someone, "L,e to the main trance."


    Raina cast a hard look at Adam and headed for the exit.


    Her job as a police officer was already done, now Adam was a prisoner, and she had to get back to her regr duties.


    A momtter, the  mechanical doors oped as a short girl with scarlet hair and two long pigtails stepped forward.


    Her eyes sparkled, and she had a slight smile on her face like a child who saw something interesting.


    "This is L, she will help you get settled in and answer all your questions. You can also go to her at any time for help. Technically she''s one of the Wards, but in fact, she''s just your F-Zone''s assistant." v said calmly, it wasn''t the first time he had to exin something to a baffled Phantom.


    It didn''t help much, though.


    The more Adam listed, with each passing second in Fall Hill Prison the weirder he felt. It seemed to him that he had arrived not in a prison but in a hotel with unusual rules.


    As a slum dweller, Adam was well aware of what prisons, or rather, their parodies in slums, were capable of. Not from his own experice, but from stories and rumors.


    However, something was bothering him. He felt mildly curious and ev anxious, as if Fall Hill Prison was not a peaceful ce, at all.


    "But... Who''s the real ward th?"


    "Oh, shouldn''t you already know? This is Prago Avino, K-Phantom. This is K-Prison, so he alone is ough to keep an eye on you. It''s not that simple, though. I''m sure you''ll figure it out soon ough. In fact, you should go now." v nced at L, who approached Adam.


    "Hello!" L said vigorously as she bowed low, "My name is L Hane, please, follow me. I will take you to your cell and tell you about our prison."


    Adam nodded, following her.


    L walked beside him, pacing at the same pace.


    At this time, v put away Adam''s stuff in the safe and sighed heavily, looking at his departing back.


    ''Adam Vinter, right? The police have no ess to the Phantoms'' activities outside the Citadel, so... Raina and Prago don''t know yet that they''d be better off listing to Dous and just giving him a fine... Something interesting ising, or maybe a disaster...?''

 Chapter 137: First Days (Part 2)

    Adam followed L, ncing at her clothes - a loose ck and red dress and navy tights. L didn''t look like a ward, more like a tour guide, which is exactly what she was.


    "Appartly, this is your first time in prison, isn''t it?" L asked with mild interest.


    Adam nodded.


    "Yeah... I won''t hide it, I expected this ce to look a little differt..." Adam nced back at the  walls with built-in blue lights suring them in this passageway.


    "I see... It''s noticeable. Lately, though, fewer and fewer Phantoms imprisoned, and some prisons have ev closed. Not that there are very many, but that''s the trd. I''m not sure if it''s because the Phantoms aremitting less crimes, though." L shrugged carelessly.


    It seemed that, unlike Raina, she didn''t feel so strongly about the Phantoms.


    It might have seemed strange to some since the prison ward was a member of the Azure Lotus. In that case, it would make sse for the Phantom prisons to be just like normal prisons.


    However, Prago didn''t own this prison as well as Azure Lotus. They had some influce, but the administrative buildings were always under the governmt''s jurisdiction.


    If Prago or Azure Lotus wanted Fall Hill Prison to exist under the geral rules, they had to change all the Phantom prisons in the Citadel. Obviously, it could only be done if Azure Lotus became significantly more influtial than Dark Order or Crimson Path.


    "By the way. Are you a member of some Big Three organization?" L asked as if it was very important to her.


    Adam shook his head, "Nah. I hav''t made my choice yet and I don''t know if I will. However, after what happed, I will definitely never join Azure Lotus. Although, some of my frids are members of Crimson Path."


    L smiled as she stopped abruptly.


    "Hmm? Is something wrong?" Adam threw her a puzzled look.


    L removed part of her dress, exposing her shoulder and turning to Adam.


    Oddly ough, on her shoulder was a tattoo of a ck cross with drops of blood dripping from the ds - a blood cross.


    "That''s... That looks almost idtical to the emblem of the Crimson Path." Adam muttered slightly surprised.


    The emblem of the Crimson Path was a silver cross with five crusted rubies with dripping blood.


    L nodded.


    "I only rectly joined the Crimson Path, so my cross doesn''t have rubies yet, they have to be earned, you know? Especially for ordinary people... Well, it must be, because my tattoo is differt from the ones the Phantoms have." L whispered with a bitter smile.


    "Hmm?" Adam gave her a questioning look with obvious curiosity.


    "Here..." L pointed to her tattoo, "As you can see, the cross is not silver but ck. Furthermore, if I had rubies, they would be smaller than those in Phantom''s cross. However,  of this is necessary. Both humans and Phantoms get tattoos at will. But carrying the emblem is mandatory for active involvemt in the organization."


    Adam nodded.


    Prago also had an emblem of a blue flower with six petals.


    Adam looked a. No one was rushing them, so this was a great opportunity to learn L''s motivations and a little more about the Big Three, the Crimson Path.


    "L, I don''t mean to be rude, but why did you decide to join Crimson Path? I mean, it''s pretty obvious that formon people the best conditions are in Azure Lotus or Proud Wing, but not in Crimson Path." Adam asked.


    L smiled, covering her shoulder with her dress.


    "Well... It''s a long story, but I don''t mind sharing it with you. It''s all about one Phantom. You could say he became an adoptive father to me. At least that''s what I always thought." L muttered, pressing her palms to her chest.


    "Unlike the idiots that join Azure Lotus and especially Proud Wing..."


    For a momt, a look of contempt appeared on L''s face. Obviously, as a member of Crimson Path, she disliked the members of the Proud Wing.


    "Unlike them, I''ve se monsters since I lived in the slums... One day, I climbed up a nearly destroyed tower that was only slightly higher than the walls. Th, I saw Dead Lands and how the monsters destroyed a military helicopter, tearing the m apart."


    Adam nodded slightly. He knew what L was talking about, because he was from the slums too, and he knew that there were such towers. Anyone could climb them if they wanted to, ev a child.


    Sure, Three Rings also had many high points, but some were only essible to military or departmtal employees. However, of those where the average person could get to, it was impossible to see Dead Lands.


    It was all about perspective and the size of the Citadel. It was so big that the residts of the First Ring could only see the Second Ring and part of the Third Ring, they couldn''t see the slums, let alone the Dead Lands.


    "I see... I''m from the slums as well. Until a month ago, I had the opportunity to be on one of the towers." Adam took a deep breath, remembering the years in the slums.


    He hade out of them only a month ago, but it seemed to him that he had lived there in a past life, perhaps ev longer ago. It wasn''t surprising, though, considering how much his life and himself had changed.


    "Seriously...?!" L''s eyes wt wide as she walked over to Adam and took his hands tightly, "Unbelievable... Slum Phantoms are so rare... since almost no one there has a dect bloodline. The chances of igniting a Spark being in the slums are far less than in other regions."


    Adam shrugged with a carefree smile, "Well, I just got lucky. Sometimes it just takes a little fortune to change your life, doesn''t it?"


    For some reason, L''s gaze grew darker as she took a step back.


    Adam raised an eyebrow, puzzled, not realizing what was causing L''s reaction.


    "Sorry, it''s about my story. This Phantom saw me in the tower, he was standing on the walls of the Citadel. Next, in one leap, he reached me, picked me up in his arms, and smiled broadly. That same day, he took me to his house, where there were several slum kids like me."


    L continued, "He was a member of the Crimson Path and a pretty strict person. I did maid work, trying to keep the house clean, and I was happy with everything. Thanks to him, I finally stopped worrying about a roof over my head, and not having anything to eat. I got a taste of what real life was like."


    L paused for a momt:


    "Ev though he was a member of the Crimson Path, he treated me very well, as if I were his daughter. Damn, that year was the first time I got nice clothes and wt to the movie theater, and it happed many times!"


    Adam continued to list without interrupting. He realized that L''s situation was not unique. It or something simr had happed to hundreds of people, especially those in difficult situations.


    Lora took a deep breath.


    "Phantoms and humans are unequal, it''s true, that''s why we have to do differt things. I''m not capable of fighting monsters, but I can clean and cook, someone can build and paint. So we have to do everything within our abilities!"


    L put her palm to her chest, taking a step forward with a proud look.


    "However, I can''t cook, clean, or live if Phantoms don''t kill monsters, that''s the key differce. That''s why I joined Crimson Path - because we ordinary people should make it easier for the Phantoms to fight monsters so that we can live and get up in the morning in peace. That the quality of life will rise, and there will be a lot less kids like me - living in slums and starving!"


    Adam nodded.


    "I see... Thank you for your sincerity, I understand a little more now. However, humans can fight monsters too."


    "Hmm?" L looked at him, puzzled.


    Adam pointed to his ear where his earbud usually was.


    "Operators, Harvesters, military, cksmiths, departmtal workers, and many others. They may not have weapons to cut through the skin of monsters, but they make sure our swords are sharper and more urate than ever."


    L nodded understandingly, with a slight smile on her face.


    "Yes. You''repletely right, they''re helping - doing what they can as they should."


    Th, Adam held out his hand and asked:


    "You were talking about the Phantom who took you in. How is he now?"


    L''s face darked as her fingertips trembled.


    "He died. On one of the missions, his squad was attacked by a monster that was too strong... No one survived."


    "I''m sorry..." Adam lowered his head.


    L shook her head.


    "You shouldn''t be. He didn''t die only because he was a Phantom, but because ordinary people who have never left the walls of the Citadel don''t die from monsters. Phantoms suffer far more than we do."


    Adam nodded.


    After a short pause, they headed onward, to the gate leading to the F-Zone of the Fall Hill Prison!

 Chapter 138: Aura

    Fall Hill Prison was divided into several zones, much like any prison. However, in Fall Hill Prison it wasn''t to keep the prisoners in one ce, it was for a different reason.


    Everyone who entered Fall Hill Prison went straight to the F-Zone, as did Adam. It was the first zone where the most people stayed.


    It wasn''t about what kind of crime the Phantom wasmitting, it was about how far he could get....


    The first test for each prisoner was the main gate - which Adam approached, apanied by L.


    "Please. Put your hand on the gate and be ready. This may be unexpected, as everyone knows a neer ising soon." L smiled sweetly before taking a step back. She had been on the same level with Adam before, but now she decided to make way for him.


    Adam paid no mind to such a gesture and simply touched the gate.


    With a loud crack, the gate slowly opened, releasing a bright, snow-white light that blinded Adam for a moment.


    Then, before the light passed, Adam stepped forward, and crossed the gate line, entering the F-Zone.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    As soon as Adam''s foot touched the ground, a tremendous pressure came down on him. He had experienced this before when fighting against Steel Knight or Mirna, but it was different.


    The Steel Knight''s aura was emanating from him and exerting a general pressure on Adam as well as everything around him, but now dozens of origins were directed solely at Adam.


    Various auras, of different powers descended upon Adam, gradually increasing in intensity.


    First, a slight shiver went down Adam''s body, then a chill down his back, and soon, his fingertips began to tremble. His condition was getting worse with each passing second.


    "Well, well, he''s doing well. A lot of newbies would have passed out already at this point." A mysterious voice boomed out, spreading throughout the room.


    "Hah, that''s only part of it. Sooner orter, he won''t be able to stand it and will fall, it''s inevitable." A caustic voice rang out.


    At the same moment, the pressure on Adam increased to the point where he fell to one knee, and everything in front of his eyes went ck.


    "ARGH!!!!" Adam spat out a mouthful of blood, feeling his skin ready to tear, his bones to break, and his mind to sink into darkness for hours.


    Adam hadn''t expected such a reception but quickly realized what he needed to do.


    If he was being suppressed by other people''s auras, then he had to use his own!


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Adam clenched his teeth tightly as his pupils narrowed. His Evolution Tree trembled, and an aura began to emanate from it.


    An aura was some sort of indicator of a creature''s pure power, be it a Phantom or monster. The aura was the quintessence of all aspects of the Phantom''s power: the amount of energy, the energy density, the experience gained in bloody battles, the knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as instincts, potential, and sheer physical strength.


    In general, everything that somehow affected the power of the Phantom, except for external factors that were constantly changing, was clearly visible in the aura.


    They could not be separated from each other, because without abilities there could not be experienced, and without physical strength, there could not be energy, because the body had to withstand its power. Everything was interconnected andbined in one ce - Evolution Tree.


    Nevertheless, all of these factors intertwined and came out in the form of an aura when the Phantom activated the Evolution Tree as if using an ability.


    The aura itself had no color or physical embodiment, however, that was not the case for the Phantoms, however, sometimes even normal humans could see more than they should.


    Adam slowly rose from the ground, clenching his fists tightly while dozens of eyes were directed at him.


    At first, no one could see anything, but when Adam''s aura became strong enough, most of the Phantoms could see the silhouette of white-hot fire actively spreading in all directions around Adam.


    The pressure immediately became much weaker, though the extraneous auras didn''t go anywhere, just Adam''s aura working as a shield. It upied the area around him, preventing the other auras from affecting his body.


    "Oh, he''s still standing on his feet... unbelievable." Someone muttered, genuinely amazed.


    "In that case, let him try to endure thest stage! I don''t believe he''ll be one of the few rookies who can resist!" A stern voice rang out as several streams of auras changed.


    Previously, the various auras pressing down on Adam looked like shapeless streams with rounded ends like arcs or invisible falling meteorites. These caused Adam''s aura to ripple, or white-hot mes whose tips moved quickly but kept other people''s auras from pressing down on Adam.


    Now, a few of the streams of auras or invisible meteorites turned into transparent des.


    They effortlessly cut through the outeryer of snow-white fire as they moved toward Adam, passing through his aura that grew denser as they approached their owner.


    Adam felt a sharp pain, but it soon stopped, for his aura was able to contain the des, only a few millimeters from his skin. The des needed just a single tug to break through Adam''s aura and do real damage, but it was not to be.


    L''s eyes went wide, as well as many of the prisoners. They hadn''t expected Adam to be able to endure such a thing, for it could only mean one thing - he would soon be leaving the F-Zone! Sooner orter, it would definitely happen, considering his sess in the beginning.


    The power of the aura was also influenced by another factor that not everyone knew about - the origin of the Phantom. With equal factors, a Naturalborn Phantom would have a stronger aura than an Artificialborn one.


    L was a member of the Crimson Path, but, she was too low-ranked to know about the existence of Naturalborn Phantoms. Thus, Adam''s power seemed even more unusual and terrifying to her and the other Phantoms.


    Soon, the strangers'' auras weakened and released Adam, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief. He had passed the test that most failed, and that couldn''t go unnoticed.


    Crackle.


    The gate at the very end of the F-Zone opened, revealing a tall figure that stepped confidently forward. His powerful footsteps echoed out, causing every prisoner in the F-Zone to turn around.


    "Holy shit... What''s that bastard doing here?" The woman frowned, crossing her arms over her chest.


    "I don''t know... but considering he showed up so quickly, he was expecting this... Hah, looks like our neer has already made some enemies." The man smirked, shaking his head with a bitter smile on his face.


    The prisoners turned around, looking at the warden of their prison, Prago Avino, and the only K2-Phantom in this remarkable ce.


    His gaze and Adam''s met, showing only disdain and slight contempt.


    "Come to greet me in person?" Adam narrowed his eyes, "What''s next? Attacking K1-Phantom? On an F-Zone prisoner?"


    Prago smirked.


    "Hah, looks like you''re starting to understand how this prison works, right? If it were up to me, though, you wouldn''t have any special areas or facilities. You''re lucky Azure Lotus isn''t the main organization in the Citadel, yet..." Prago''s voice grew harsher at thest words.


    Then, his gaze drifted to the confident Adam.


    "I came here to show you that you shouldn''t get cocky. You were able to withstand the aura attack of these F-Zone scum, nothing to be proud of. However... most can''t even handle that."


    Prago took a deep breath.


    "Since this is your first time here, let me give you some advice - ''Stay in the F-Zone and spend your six monthsfortably, otherwise there''s only pain and suffering waiting for you.'' Well, to make you believe me, I''ll demonstrate." Prago shrugged before his pupils narrowed slightly.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    In a heartbeat, another aura descended upon Adam. This time, there was only one source - it came from Prago, who stood calmly in the distance.


    Moreover, Prago''s aura had a distinct shape and wasn''t something as simple as a stream, sphere, or de, like the prisoners who had attacked Adam before.


    Prago''s aura had the silhouette of a monster - with long arms woven from dozens of roots, crooked fingers with dead petals, and a strange head. The monster had no face - just two ghastly flowers instead of eyes and a horrible jaw that struggled to open as if tearing its own flesh - all to sink its fangs into its victim.


    Before Adam could realize it, the monster swung its paws upward, tearing Adam''s aura apart effortlessly.


    Blobs of white-hot me quickly dissipated while a newyer of aura strived to protect Adam, but it was toote.


    The monster thrust its paws into Adam''s stomach, opening its mouth wide as if roaring.


    At the same moment, Adam fell to the ground, as a stream of blood gushed from his mouth.


    It was only Prago''s aura and not the real monster, so neither Adam''s body nor his clothes were harmed. The monster''s ws were only a representation of how Prago''s aura crushed Adam, breaking him under tremendous pressure.


    Adam''s mind quickly clouded over, and only darkness filled his eyes.


    Then, the tips of his Evolution Tree trembled, releasing white sparks as if trying to create something above the Evolution Tree in Adam''s space, but... he wasn''t ready for it, yet.


    In Fall Hill Prison, he either had to waste six months of his life or learn what the Phantoms were capable of when there were no monsters around, only humans.

 Chapter 139: F-Zone

    The ghastly jaw of the flower monster appeared out of the darkness, with its long paws eager to tear flesh apart.


    "ARGH!!!!"


    With a shriek, Adam woke up,ing out of the nightmare. He didn''t know how much time had passed, but it seemed that his dream onlysted a few seconds, as the monster''s silhouette immediately woke him up.


    "Oh, you''re finally awake. I''ve been waiting for you." L uttered, with a slight smile on her face.


    Adam looked around.


    The first time he had heard of prison, he had expected to spend his next six months in a filthy cell, with rusty bars and a bed with a torn mattress. Sure, his expectations changed when he saw the passage to Fall Hill Prison and learned a little more about the ce.


    However, there was no way he could have expected this...


    He was on a simple but clean bed, opposite him, L was lying on the white couch, reading aic book with a carefree look.


    There was nothing else, the shower, kitchen, and so on were shared in the F-Zone, but that wasn''t what surprised Adam the most.


    ''No bars...?'' Adam inwardly muttered, looking at the open passageway. There was nothing preventing anybody from entering his cell as well as leaving it since not only bars but there wasn''t even a door!


    Ignoring L, Adam got up from the bed and headed for the exit.


    The first thing he saw was a dozen prisoners - all of them were dressed in white, just like him. However, there was a big difference between them and Adam, because they were downstairs on the first floor, and he was on the top one.


    A few seconds were enough to realize the difference between the first and the second floor. There were many more people on the first floor, and there were several Phantoms in the cells. Only on the second floor, the Phantoms had private rooms where no one would disturb them.


    "You seem surprised, don''t you?" L uttered, walking over to him and holding up theic book in front of her dress.


    Adam nodded.


    "Why am I here? I just got into the F-Zone... then why are they at the bottom, and I''m at the top?" Adam realized that being on the top floor was a privilege that had to be earned.


    "I''d say you''re lucky, but you''re not. You deserve to be up here. Let me tell you all about it in more detail in the dining hall." L said, pointing to arge room in the distance.


    There was nothing like this on the first floor, it was a unique feature for a second floor.


    Adam nodded, looking around.


    The F-Zone had the most people, several hundred, but there were only ten cells on the second floor, and only six were upied. One of which was now home to Adam.


    All of them had calm faces, full of humility and boredom... it seemed like they weren''t even going to approach the main thing in the F-Zone - the gate!


    "I mean, that''s..." Adam muttered, looking at the massive gate opposite the one he hade into the F-Zone. Prago had gone through them earlier.


    L nodded.


    "These are the gates to the next zone. As you can see, they are slightly different from the one you came through. Come, I''ll tell you all about it. What''s more, I''m starving." L waved her hand, stepping further away.


    Adam cast a nce at the gate before following her.


    The exit gate was the same as the entrance one, but it had one major difference - green lines around the edges.


    They sat down at a table, and L took two trays of food: nothing special, rice, vegetables, and some low-quality meat. Of the drinks there was only water, tea, and coffee without any variety.


    "Well... I guess I shouldn''t have expected better food than this in prison, should I?" Adam muttered, gazing at the rice that looked like some sticky, unvored mess.


    L shrugged.


    "Every zone has a different set of food. Moreover, you''re on the second floor, so you can eat whenever you want, and besides water, you have coffee and tea." L said, in a way, as if Adam should be happy with such an assortment.


    Sure, Adam had eaten quite poorly for most of his life, but during his time as a Phantom, he had gotten used to not denying himself anything in terms of food. With his ie from the missions, he could afford any food in any quantity.


    "Hmm? There''s no dining hall downstairs?" Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    L shook her head.


    "The first floor gets food either, three times or five times a day. It depends on each Phantom individually. Furthermore, they only have water, nothing more. Also, as you may have already noticed, they don''t have individual cells, their cells are much smaller than yours and don''t have a couch." L exined, continuing to eat with an obvious appetite.


    Adam nodded deeply.


    "So why did I end up on the second floor?"


    L pointed to Adam''s pocket where his cardy.


    Adam pulled out the card, and his eyes went wide. Originally, his card had a number on it - ''0'', now the number was three digits - ''999''.


    ''''Are these some kind of points...? But, why do I have so many of them? How do I use them?" Adam looked at the card puzzled.


    "You don''t. You can''t spend points, because they open up opportunities for you. For example, those with 100 points in F-Zone can eat five meals a day, those above 300 can spend more time on the inte, those above 700 don''t have to do work from the Guardians, those above 900 get in on the second floor." L said quickly.


    In reality, the life of a prisoner was affected by almost every point received, but L exined about the most important benefits and milestones in this system.


    "Guardians''?" Adam tilted his head.


    L nodded.


    "Each zone has its own Guardian. All of them are fairly strong K1-Phantoms from Azure Lotus. Here, Azure Lotus was able to use their influence by relying not only on Prago but on the other Phantoms to keep the entire prison under control."


    L continued as she pointed to Adam''s card.


    "When you reach 999 points, you have a unique opportunity - to challenge the Guardian of the Zone and get thest point to reach 1000. That will be enough to open the gates to the next zone just for you."


    Adam put the food aside, not intending to eat it, and directed his pensive gaze to the ceiling.


    "You got 999 points because you were able to withstand an attack by the prisoners'' auras. It happens to everyone, and only some are able to withstand it. Furthermore, you were personally attacked by Prago, that carries weight too." L waved her hand.


    Adam nced at one prisoner who was bored looking and reading something, his card also had 999 points on it.


    "Why is he still here?" Adam raised an eyebrow.


    L sighed heavily.


    "Because he lost to the Guardian. Don''t think they''ll be easy to defeat because, unlike you prisoners, the Guardians have Nexuses. That will make it much harder. I think you understand."


    Adam didn''t answer anything. He just looked at his hands - it was unusual to be without his gloves.


    "By the way!" L eximed energetically, "You have to pass the strength test on the first floor! Let''s go!"


    "What...?" Adam was puzzled, but had no choice since L had already run off waving at him.

 Chapter 140: Test of Strength

    Beep. Beep. Beep.


    Adam''s prison bracelet vibrated, glowing green. Oddly enough, it was Silvana, who finally got a chance to contact him.


    ''Adam!'' Silvana eximed. They had notmunicated in over a day, and she had received no information in that time.


    "Hey. It''s been a while since we''ve been in touch, right?" Adam smiled, following L''s lead.


    ''Louis and I are trying to get a face-to-face meeting with you and somehow get your sentence reduced. However... so far, we''re not having any luck. Azure Lotus and Proud Wing are doing everything they can to stop us, and they have enough evidence to keep your sentence as it is...'' Silvana muttered frustratedly.


    She was an Operator, and her main job was to help her Phantom, not just in Dead Lands, but in any situation or aspect of life. That she had been powerless when Adam was in this situation was worse than any curse on her. It seemed that she had failed her mission as an Operator, something she had been preparing for her whole life.


    "Agh, about that..." Adam uttered protractedly, "Don''t sweat it."


    ''What?!'' Silvana was shocked, ''If I don''t do anything you''ll lose six months of your life! Five at best! That''s still too much!''


    Adam shook his head, casting a nce at the exit gate.


    "I''ll be out of here soon, though I don''t know the details yet, but I definitely won''t be here for five months. I can feel it."


    ''Are you sure...?'' Silvana was confused. She didn''t know what was going on at Fall Hill Prison and didn''t understand how Adam was going to get out of there early.


    Adam nodded with a bitter smile.


    "Do something useful instead. Find me an Essence Monster with a lightning attribute or one that will fit my artifact, figure that out too. I''m sure Essence Monster is already waiting for me, but there are always some dys." Adam smiled bitterly before stepping forward.


    ''Fine. I hope you know what you''re doing. However, I''ll call you every day, and hopefully soon you''ll tell me what''s going on.'' Silvana said seriously. It had never happened before that she knew less than Adam.


    Adam shrugged nonchntly.


    "Sure. I''m certain you''ll be surprised. I''ll see youter." Adam said, ending the call.


    "What are you waiting for?" Adam raised an eyebrow, looking at L. She was standing at the door leading to the stairs to the first floor.


    "Go ahead. Open it. Only someone with enough points can do that." L pointed to a slot in the door where a card had to be attached.


    Crackle.


    The door opened as Adam and L went downstairs.


    In the middle of the first floor was a massive stone b with a white crystal in the center. With this object, the Phantom''s striking power could be measured depending on the final color of the crystal.


    "What''s that?" Adam pointed at the b.


    "Part of one Purple Threat Level monster - the Rainbow Armadillo. It doesn''t have any dangerous attacking abilities, but its defense is above reproach. Rainbow Armadillo is probably the most well-defended monster in the Purple Threat Rating. Azure Lotus must have worked hard to bring it here." L exined.


    Then, she pointed at the crystal and continued:


    "If there are only four colors - white, green, blue, and purple. Those who can hit hard enough for purple get 999 points and a chance to fight the Guardian."


    Adam pointed to his card about to say something.


    Bur, L beat him to it.


    "Sure, you already have 999 points, but aren''t you curious what your score will be?"


    Adam smiled, heading towards the stove.


    "Fine, let''s give it a try, right after this, I''m outta here." Adam waved his hand.


    "Hey! Good luck, handsome." A woman with curly scarlet hair said, biting the tip of her pinky finger with a predatory smile.


    Adam turned around.


    "Do I know you?" Adam tilted his head.


    "Nah, but if you want you can get to know each other better. I can evene to your cell at night if you let me in, of course."


    Adam frowned.


    "You think I''m going to stay here? All I need to do is defeat the Guardian. I''ll do it today."


    The woman shrugged with an innocent smile.


    "That''s what everyone thinks. However, everyone on the second floor has already tried and lost. You''re sure you can handle it, but it''s obvious to everyone that you''re going to be one of us."


    Adam snorted, approaching the stove.


    He stared at the white crystal for a while before clenching his fist tightly. He took a step forward and attacked, but... at thest moment, he stopped.


    The prisoners looked at each other puzzled, they didn''t understand why Adam didn''t finish his blow which seemed quite powerful because of the wind currents that appeared.


    ''No... That''s not it at all. I can hit much harder, I just need to feel like I''m in a fight... Like in Dead Lands!'' Adam inwardly muttered before taking a step back and closing his eyes.


    He took a deep breath, remembering all of his fights. Strangely enough, but among all those he had fought: Prime Stone Goliath, Brass Puppet, Mirna, Prime Azure Wolves, and North Keeper, it was the Steel Knight that stood out the most in his mind.


    Perhaps it was because the Steel Knight gene was in Adam''s Evolution Tree, or maybe it was because that was his most iconic fight.


    ''Right... Defeating you gave me not only experience but real strength.'' Adam muttered, ncing at his Power Gene.


    Then, he opened his eyes and stepped back a few meters before properly sprinting up.


    Before he struck, Adam jumped high up, bringing his fist down on the white crystal from top to bottom. For a moment, his Power Gene shed, and the veins on his fist swelled.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, Adam''s punch reached the crystal, causing the b and the ground to shake.


    Energy waves began to emanate from the crystal, spreading across the dark b - white at first, then the crystal turned green and after a second reached blue.


    The prisoners'' eyes went wide, for the crystal''s color was changing too fast!


    After another second, the crystal turned purple, but... it seemed that this was not the end.


    Even Prago and Raina didn''t know about Adam''s aplishments in Dead Lands, they had to use outside sources to get that information, and that would take time, if they could learn anything about Adam at all.


    Thus, the prisoners knew nothing about Adam, his powers, or that he had fought against North Keeper - Top-4 of the Purple Threat Level during Eclipse.


    Sure, he was paired with Alexia, but they were both exhausted.


    Compared to North Keeper... Well, Rainbow Armadillo didn''t seem like such an invincible opponent when it came toparing it to a Top-5 monster.


    Bam.


    The b shattered into small pieces under Adam''s onught. Only a few bleeding scratches remained on his fist, but very soon there would be no trace of it.


    Adam clenched his fist tightly, smiled, and turned to L under the shocked looks of the prisoners.


    "Hey, how do I challenge the Guardian to a duel?"


    "Your... your card... Put it on your bracelet and pick amand..." L muttered in a disbelief.


    Adam nodded, doing as she said.


    His card glowed, and in a minute, the entrance gate opened - revealing a new silhouette with a powerful aura.

 Chapter 141: The Guardian

    Every prisoner at Fall Hill Prison had the opportunity to improve their conditions of sentence. To do so, they had to do something very simple - move to the next zone.


    However, to do so, they had to defeat the Guardian - K1-Phantom from Azure Lotus, given that the prisoner didn''t have his Nexus. This made the challenge much more difficult.


    Thus, if the prisoner from the second floor and the Guardian were normally equal in strength, then without his Nexus, the prisoner had no chance of winning. The Nexus was an important pir of Phantom''s strength, and losing such a powerful weapon was critical.


    Step. Step. Step.


    A girl in a blue military suit stepped forward confidently, holding a huge ck case. She had azure eyes, a firm, sharp gaze, and ck hair with curls down to her chin.


    She walked through the gate, looked at the prisoners, and jumped down.


    The prisoners quickly moved away from her, for some of them had already been hit by her blows. Not during a duel, but when they refused to do tasks, then they regretted it greatly.


    "You''re the one who challenged me to a duel?" The girl asked, looking intently at Adam.


    Adam nodded with a slight smile on his face.


    The girl waved her hand with a serious look.


    "Go away if you don''t want to die."


    At the same moment, all the prisoners returned to their cells, well, except for the Phantoms from the Second Floor. They had the privilege of watching the fight from above - from the best possible seats.


    Then, as the prisoners closed their cells, an energy barrier appeared along the walls, left there beforehand by some powerful Phantoms so that the prisoner and Guardian wouldn''t destroy the prison during the battle.


    "My name is Narata, I am F-Zone Guardian, you have scored 999 points and challenged me. If you can defeat me, you''ll pass to the next Zone, however, I wouldn''t count on it."


    Without waiting for Adam''s words, Narata opened her case, revealing a massive sword that was almost as big as herself.


    Narata sighed, swung the sword a few times, and got into a fighting stance. She was ready to attack at any moment.


    Adam nced at her weapon, feeling a slight envy. The fact that he didn''t have a Nexus, and Narata did, affected him more than he thought.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Without warning, Narata lunged forward, swinging her sword at high speed.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed as he put up a block, allowing the sword de to sink into his arm, just above the elbow.


    Then, Narata spun around sharply, plunging her foot into his stomach.


    Before Adam could recover, Narata used her First Order. A denseyer of water covered her legs, and arms, making her faster and much stronger.


    Within seconds, Narata attacked several times, hitting Adam and ripping his clothes to shreds. All he could do was dodge, reacting at thest moment in time to keep the sword from slicing his head off.


    "Fall!" Narata eximed, as her eyes shed and her sword trembled.


    Several cells on the sword opened up, turning it into ance with an extremely wide cone-shaped tip. Then, streams of water rushed out of the cells,bining into a single wave that crashed down on Adam.


    The impact was enough to throw Adam backwards, causing him to m his back against the wall.


    Narata did not continue to attack, instead, she stood in the center of the arena, ring at Adam. After the First Nexus Trait, her sword returned to normal, which should have been enough to win.


    "Give up. I don''t know what Nexus you have, but without your weapon, there''s nothing you can do to me." Narata said confidently with a frown on her brow.


    The prisoners began to whisper. They didn''t see anything out of the ordinary, though. Narata had dealt with the past challenger in the same way. She was strong and had the advantage in the form of Nexus, so to everyone, the result was obvious.


    "Well, well, I warned him." The scarlet-haired woman shook her head. She had seen this sort of thing many times before.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam slowly took a few steps forward, looking around.


    Then, he looked at Narata. His eyes were wide, clearly surprised, even shocked, as if he saw something extraordinary.


    "Hah, you have no idea how many times I''ve seen that look. I won''t attack you if you surrender right now, and don''t challenge me to a duel again. I think you''ve already realized, that you don''t stand a chance against me." Narata said confidently, slinging her sword onto her shoulder.


    Adam nced down at his arm, where a shallow cut remained from Narata''s first attack. There was a slight pain, with a few trickles of blood running down his elbow before falling to the ground in crimson drops.


    Adam stared at Narata, and his lips came into motion.


    "You''re a Guardian of the F-Zone, right...?" Adam asked uncertainly.


    Narata nodded with an arrogant smile.


    "Sure. I am engaged to stop brave ones like you. Few people can even get me to tense up, though!"


    Adam nodded understandingly, scratching the back of his head.


    Then, his nk, serene gaze fell on Narata, like that of a simple man who just wanted an answer to his only question.


    "In that case... Why are you so weak...?" Adam muttered, waving his hand slightly.


    Narata''s eyes went wide with waves of shivering throughout her body.


    She as well as the rest of the prisoners sensed that Adam wasn''t trying to mock or appear arrogant - he was sincere and didn''t actually understand it.


    "Am I weak...?" Narata muttered, her lips trembling, "Absurd! Utter nonsense! Just look at you! I only needed one series of attacks to leave dozens of wounds on your body!"


    Adam nced down at himself and pulled off his t-shirt, previously shredded by Narata''s sword.


    Oddly enough, there wasn''t a single cut or drop of blood on his muscr body. It seemed that Narata''s sword simply couldn''t cut through his skin, but he dodged every attack.


    "No way... Even if you dodged my sword... the water stream should have torn through your flesh! You should have taken serious damage!" Narata shouted in disbelief.


    Adam shrugged.


    "I''m telling you you''re weak. It was enough for me to summon my Order for a second to stop your Nexus Trait. Anyway... Let''s just finish this. Obviously, I should be moving on to the next zone by now, and you''re just an obstacle in my way." Adam waved his hand before taking a step.


    At the same moment, electric charges engulfed his legs, and after a few quick leaps, he found himself right in front of Narata. His speed became much faster, more than Narata could have expected!


    His eyes were nk, staring down at Narata not as a human but as a weak monster.


    His mouth hung open, letting out a cold vapor drifting over his shoulders like a calm but inevitable sign of disaster.


    Crackle.


    Before Narata could understand anything, Adam''s fist plunged into her face, breaking her nose and knocking out several teeth, throwing her backwards for meters with a loud crack.

 Chapter 142: The Next Zone

    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam stepped forward serenely with a bored look on his face. It wasn''t because he was arrogant or shy, but because he was acting naturally.


    Defeating a weak opponent with a single blow wasmonce for him if he was attacked by a White or Green Threat Level Monster.


    Sure, Narata was somewhat stronger than those monsters, but for some reason, the difference between her and Adam was too great.


    It seemed like they were at different levels, even though they were both K1-Phantoms.


    "Argh!!!!" Narata threw up a mouthful of blood, looking at her own teeth floating in a crimson puddle on the white-washed floor.


    Narata tried to get up, but everything in front of her eyes was blurring due to severe dizziness. If her defenses had been a little weaker, Adam''s punch would have just knocked her out, for hours. In a way, she was even lucky she remained conscious.


    "How... How is it possible..." Someone muttered, staring at Adam and the defeated Narata.


    To the prisoners, this scene seemed like something impossible. They couldn''t believe, that the Guardian of their zone couldn''t do anything to Adam.


    "Hmm... You were sure you left a lot of cuts on my body, so you didn''t see me dodging, did you?" Adam asked, walking down to Narata.


    Narata looked up at him with bloodshot eyes, with obvious rage in her gaze.


    "Die!!!!" Narata shouted, swinging her sword with herst strength.


    Tap.


    Adam pped his palms together, trapping the sword de between them, right in front of his face. A little more and Narata would have been able to do some serious damage to him, but that was not going to happen.


    It wasn''t that Narata was weak, as Adam had to use his palms to hold back her sword. She was just slower, and not as urate, and it seemed that Narata had considerably less experience even though Adam had been a Phantom for just over a month.


    That was not a small number, many rookie Phantoms died in their first week, but, there were enough Phantoms in the Citadel that had lived for decades and hunted sessfully. Compared to them, Adam was still a neer who was just taking his first steps on the path to power.


    Adam just saw all Narata''s movements, like a seasoned warrior who had been through bloody wars fighting against an ordinary soldier who had juste out of the academy. The contrast and difference between the two was so great.


    After all, a Phantom''s power wasn''t just expressed in Nexus, energy, and ability - experience was one of the most important pirs of any Phantom''s might.


    Moreover... Narata was an Artificialborn Phantom, so... against Adam, she didn''t stand a chance.


    Not just because Adam was a Naturalborn Phantom - this result was abination of several factors at once.


    "I''ve felt like this before, not long ago." Adam muttered, remembering his brief fight with Prago at the police station.


    Sure, Adam had lost, the difference in strength between them was too great for Adam to do anything. However... he couldn''t get rid of the feeling that Prago''s movements, although powerful and fast like K2-Phantom''s, were clumsy and inurate...


    Moreover, on an instinctive level, he felt that Tron was much more dangerous as a creature than Prago, even though they were both K2-Phantom.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Adam kicked Narata, throwing her aside and snatching the sword from her hands.


    "You know. It''s not fair that you, as a Guardian, fight me with such a strong advantage." Adam uttered, taking Narata''s sword by the edge.


    Narata''s eyes went wide when she realized what Adam was intending to do.


    "No! No! No! Stop! You''ve already won! I''m weaker than you!


    I admit it!" Narata shouted, begging Adam to stop.


    Adam loosened his grip slightly as he red at Narata.


    "If you answer my question, then I won''t do it and just walk to the next zone. I just want to make sure of something."


    "Sure! Ask! I''ll do whatever it takes to satisfy you with my answer!" Narata eximed in desperation.


    Adam''s gaze filled with a slight sadness.


    ?*?#¡Ò??+¡Ì?@§Ô$-¡Ò§ä%¦Ò+§Ô?§Ö¡Ò-+


    "How many Crown Monsters have you killed?"


    Narata gulped and said in a trembling voice:


    "None..."


    Adam nodded understandingly.


    "I thought so."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    At the same moment, Adam''s muscles tensed to the limit, his teeth clenched, and the veins in his arms bulged from the extreme pressure.


    He was exerting all his strength, pressing down on Narata''s sword for the sole purpose - to break it apart!


    No one could or would stop Adam.


    The prisoners watched him with snide smirks, enjoying the unforgettable show.


    "I don''t know how many times you''ve been to Dead Lands or how many missions you''vepleted, but... If you spend your time beating up other Phantoms and not hunting monsters, you don''t need a weapon." Adam said coldly before snapping the massive sword in two.


    Narata stared at the shards of her sword flying off to the sides with wide, shaking eyes. She couldn''t believe that the prisoner she was supposed to defeat had not only crushed her but had literally taken away her ability to be a Phantom in the near future.


    Rebuilding Nexus was possible, but it was a long process that would take weeks to months.


    Bam.


    Adam tossed aside the parts of the huge sword that weighed several dozen pounds each and turned to L.


    "I have defeated the Guardian. What do I need to do next? How do I get to the next zone?" Adam asked with a confident look.


    L slowly pointed to his card and muttered:


    "Just put it on your bracelet... because the Guardian has already admitted defeat which means you now have enough points..."


    Adam looked at the card where there was now a four-digit number - ''1000''.


    Then, as if someone was watching them from the ceiling a passage opened up. It wasn''t big enough for a human, but for a smaller object, it was just right.


    "Oh... This is the kind of service I didn''t expect at all." Adam smirked, looking at the drone heading straight for him.


    A green box was attached to the drone that was several timesrger than the drone itself.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    The drone flew up to Adam, left the box in front of him on the ground, and flew away through the same passageway.


    The box opened like a present, revealing what kind of gifts were inside for the one who was able to defeat the Guardian of the F-Zone!


    "Hah. Just what I needed!" Adam smiled contentedly.


    The box contained a new set of clothes, a green one, an equally green bracelet, and a green card with the number - ''0'' on it.


    Adam quickly changed his clothes, updated his bracelet, and picked up the card.


    "I see... I had to get 1000 points not to open the gate but to get this box, didn''t I?" Adam nced at L.


    L nodded.


    "Yes... If you want to get all the bonuses in the D-Zone you''ll have to get 999 points again, then challenge the Guardian and go to the next zone. You''ll get a new card each time since the card color only has one function..."


    Adam turned around, looking at the second floor.


    "To open the gate, right? Well, in that case, that''s what I''m going to do now!"

 Chapter 143: D-Zone (Part 1)

    Adam had defeated the Guardian, so now he could advance further. L walked up with him to the second floor, standing behind him.


    "Just put a card to it, right?" Adam muttered, looking at the massive gate in front of him.


    L nodded.


    "Sure. You''ll be leaving the F-Zone after this." L said with a slight sadness in her voice. Adam didn''t understand what was the reason for the change in her voice.


    Then, he reached forward, but no sooner had he touched the gate than it opened, and his card shed.


    Oddly enough, another girl was waiting opposite him, clearly older and more experienced than L, with a confident stare and a sly grin.


    She had short ck hair and green eyes. In some ways, she was simr to Silvana, but she didn''t look as severe as her loose ck and green clothes, wide pants, a vest with three buttons, and a tilted beret with a sharp peak.


    "Hey! It''s been quite a while since someone got out of F-Zone on their first day of sentence. That''smendable!" The girl smiled broadly.


    Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    "Calissa... Take care of him, tell him all about the D-Zone..." L whispered frustratedly, lowering her head.


    Calissa smirked and stepped over the gate line, which made L''s eyes go wide. It seemed that Calissa was not supposed to do that.


    "You shouldn''t be so surprised. I''m sorry, but I overheard your conversation on the way to the first gate. I don''t think there''s anything wrong with switching for a while. I''ll keep an eye on F-Zone while you head onward, along with Adam."


    Calissa was obviously making L a favorable offer, however, it seemed to be a statement rather than a question. Calissa had already made up her mind, and all L could do was agree.


    However, she had no reason to refuse!


    "Sure! Thank you so much!" L eximed happily as she jumped on Calissa about to hug her tightly.


    However, Calissa just took a step to the side, dodging L, who hit her forehead on the floor.


    "Less expression. I''m only doing this because I was wondering how long it would take me to get back to my Zone. I''m sure you can exceed my expectations." Calissa smiled slyly, gazing at Adam.


    Adam shrugged, stepping over the gate line.


    Beep. Beep. Beep.


    At the same moment, a message popped up on his bracelet.


    [Your time limit has been reduced by 36 days!]


    Adam''s eyes went wide. He had expected that he would have some way to reduce his sentence, after the clue from v. However, he didn''t think it would be so straightforward.


    L quickly ran up to Adam and held up a finger with a smart look, starting her exnation. It was obvious how excited she was to get back to her work.


    "Every time you pass into the next Zone, your sentence is reduced by 20% In your case, it''s 36 days!" L said energetically.


    Adam nodded understandingly, and then he started counting something, each time curving his finger with a slight nod.


    "Wait... That''s D-Zone, right?" Adam asked.


    L nodded.


    "Shouldn''t there be an E before the F...?" Adam scratched the back of his head puzzled. He figured that the zones were numbered alphabetically, and the closer to the beginning - the harder the zone was. He wasn''t wrong, though.


    "You''re right, there is an E-Zone here, it''s just that it''s empty at the moment. Usually, there were too many prisoners in the F-Zone, so they were transferred to the E-Zone, which had the same conditions as the F-Zone. However, as I said earlier, there have been fewer prisoners among the Phantomstely." L smiled.


    Adam sighed.


    "I see... In that case, if I can get through all the zones, I should be able to get out of the prison in a couple of days, right?"


    L nodded uncertainly.


    "Yeah... It''s possible, in theory. True, there have been a few prisoners that have managed to make it to thest zone, in which case they would only have a week left of their sentence, no matter what their original sentence was. But I think it''s too early to tell what awaits you at the end. You have to get there first."


    Adam shrugged, heading forward.


    He felt quite confident because, during the fight against Narata and Prago, he learned something about this prison. Especially, about the other Phantoms.


    ''Not all Phantoms have been through as many dangerous battles as me or Alexia. During Eclipse, we were all K1-Phantoms, however, someone clearly stood out. Hmm, I used to underestimate the importance of experience, but after fighting Narata, I realized that some Phantoms hadn''t even killed Crown Type Monsters yet.'' Adam pondered with aplicated expression.


    ''Furthermore, I can''t know this for sure, but it feels like she''s very rarely in Dead Lands. Maybe it''s because of her work here, or maybe it''s because she doesn''t want to risk her life, or maybe she''s just afraid of facing monsters again...''


    Bam.


    L crashed into Adam''s back, who suddenly stopped. He was just staring at the ceiling with a thoughtful look.


    "Ouch! Why did you stop...?" L tilted her head, puzzled, rubbing her forehead.


    "Phantoms have superpowers, but... they can also be afraid or weak like Narata, can''t they?" Adam muttered, asking the question. It was actually a rhetorical one, not requiring an answer from anyone.


    L''s eyes went wide.


    "Narata was weak?" She couldn''t believe what she was hearing, "I mean, you beat her, so you have the right to think so, but plenty of Phantoms lost to her."


    Adam waved his hand.


    "I know what I''m talking about. A real Phantom, with more experience and a desire to kill monsters instead of wasting his time in prison, would have defeated her as easily as I did. She''s like a greenhouse nt, growing in afortable environment with no stress or trials."


    Then, Adam headed forward without saying anything. L gulped as she silently followed him.


    Before, Adam had always kept in contact with the leaders of the squads, or with strong Phantoms that were skilled and liked to hunt monsters. Somehow, he could sense it and didn''t need to see auras or hear what the Phantom was saying.


    It was enough of a facial expression for Adam to realize that Alexia had killed hundreds of times more monsters than Narata and had been in Dead Lands dozens of times more often.


    That''s not to mention that Alexia had probably fought much stronger monsters than Narata, and neither had Adam.


    Narata wasn''t the only one, especially in Azure Lotus, but Adam had yet to learn and realize that not all Phantoms were equally strong and experienced.


    And... it wasn''t about their talents or origins, but something else that Adam, living in the slums, hadn''t even considered.


    ...


    Crackle.


    The massive green gate opened, casting a bright light upon Adam.


    As soon as he entered the D-Zone, he immediately released his mighty aura - using all the power he had, for he already knew what would happen next.


    Strangely enough, no one began to attack him with their aura, except for one powerful source...


    ''Oh... Looks like this is going to be harder than I thought...'' Adam pondered as he looked at the massive, blurry silhouette of an axe.

 Chapter 144: D-Zone

    Adam was highly impressed when Prago defeated him using only his aura. However, he hadn''t had a chance to question anyone about it.


    Sure, L had to answer his questions, and she was willing to do so for as long as necessary, but she was a mere human.


    Adam could only learn more about auras from another Phantom who was either at Prago''s level or at least close to it.


    Adam just now got the opportunity for that. However... first, he had to withstand a direct attack.


    The axe was aiming straight for him, about to slice through his aura and do some real damage!


    Adam was strong, there was probably no one in D-Zone who could handle him in an even fight when using all abilities and Nexus, but... this battle only involved auras!


    ''Fine... This axe doesn''t look as dangerous as Prago''s aura, moreover, it looks like this aura isn''t finished yet.'' Adam pondered, looking at the axe that was blurry as if it was only the initial stage of aura evolution.


    "However... This axe is far more dangerous than formless streams of auras or simple des. I must do something to defend myself." Adam muttered before clenching his fists tightly.


    At the same moment, the axe circled in the air,ing down on him from top to bottom and cutting through the firstyers of aura with ease.


    The axe slowed down as it reached the middleyers, but it continued onward. Definitely, at this rate, the axe would soon reach Adam.


    Adam understood what he needed to do. He had a powerful aura that spread like a white me in all directions, but because of that the density was too weak. To protect himself, he had to increase the density, and the only way to do that was to condense the aura at one point!


    "Hahaha, kid, if you want to defend yourself against my attack, you need to do something about it right away." A confident voice resounded from the depths of the D-Zone, "You have a mighty aura, even a bit scary, but you''repletely unskilled at using the power you got in battle! It''s a shame!"


    Adam frowned, but he paid no attention to the provocation. He knew he still had a lot to learn, but right now the other thing was important.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    He pointed his hands forward, tensing his fingers as if trying to channel his aura to them as energy.


    However... aura was different from energy and should be used differently.


    Adam didn''t know that yet, so he didn''t seed, the aura remained the same as before.


    Crackle.


    The axe advanced further into the inneryers of Adam''s aura. He had less and less time left to do anything about it.


    "Hey, I''m giving you my first andst piece of advice! To make your aura obey, you have to want it!" The voice said with a confident smirk.


    ''Want to...?'' Adam muttered puzzled, ''What the hell is he talking about?! I want to stop that axe! I''m doing everything for it!''


    ''Come on! I just want to condense you! I don''t need anything more than that! Do it!'' Adam inwardly eximed, thest words shifting to almost a beast-like roar.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    At the same moment, sparks came out from the tips of his Evolution Tree, like when he faced Prago, but then Adam was unconscious and didn''t notice anything.


    The sparks grewrger andrger until they began to form something above the Evolution Tree - something new that Adam''s power system had never seen before.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    As if obeying Adam''s will, more than half of the aura headed towards his hands, forming in front of him a circr shield that collided with the sharp de of an axe.


    If Adam was even a secondte, the axe would pass through the inneryer of his aura, and then he would only have to bleed out in agony.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The axe trembled violently as it tried to break through the round shield, but in the end, the massive weapon couldn''t even leave a scratch on the small shield.


    "Tsk. You made it." The man snorted, though with a satisfied smile before swinging his arm.


    The axe shuddered, splitting into multiple streams and returning to the man before being absorbed into his body like any aura and disappearing.


    "Argh... Argh... Argh..." Adam fell to his knees, breathing heavily. For some reason, he felt tired, as if he had gone through a long and dangerous fightsting several hours.


    Their shsted about a minute, but for Adam, it was a real ordeal.


    "What the hell...? Why do I feel so weak...?" Adam muttered, looking at his trembling hands.


    "Hahaha! Don''t you worry so much! It''s fine!" The manughed before jumping down from the second floor.


    The D-Zone, like the F-Zone, had two floors, and the conditions for getting hit on the second floor were the same. So, the man who attacked Adam was one of the strongest in D-Zone.


    Step. Step. Step.


    After a few steady steps, the man stopped, and Adam looked up to meet his gaze.


    Strangely enough, Adam immediately sensed from the man an aura simr to that of Zera, Owen, or even someone as strong as Alexia. Compared to Narata, this was a whole other level.


    "Hi. My name is Edir, someone interesting has finally arrived!" Edir smiled slyly with narrowed eyes as he poked himself in the chest with his thumb.


    Edir had slightly curly brown hair, dark emerald eyes, and a few rare freckles set on his nose. In his ear was a silver earring.


    Then, Edir leaned over, holding out his hand to Adam.


    "Adam... My name is Adam..." He said, slowly standing up.


    Edir nced at L, slightly surprised, then nodded understandingly.


    "I kept wondering where Calissa had gone, but now everything is falling into ce." Edir sighed as he turned towards the exit gate, with blue lines around the edges.


    "Adam, you''re not going to stay here for long, are you?"


    Adam nodded.


    "In that case, you might want to learn something new. The power of the aura! Good thing you came, now I''m not bored!" Edir smiled widely, cing a hand on Adam''s shoulder. It seemed like he had been waiting for him for some time now, Adam specifically, not someone random.

 Chapter 145: D-Zone (Part 3)

    Adam and L followed Edir, who was heading for the stairs leading to the second floor. Unlike Adam, L had been to the D-Zone many times before, so she wasn''t as surprised as Adam.


    ''What the fuck is going on here...?'' Adam internally muttered, looking at the prisoners on the first floor.


    In the F-Zone, the prisoners had no entertainment, just socializing and exercising without sports equipment. However, the D-Zone prisoners had many more ways to entertain themselves and brighten up their leisure time!


    The prisoners in themon room had couches, bookcases, and even a gym with a few exercise machines!


    Sure, each of them could afford a lot more on the outside, butpared to F-Zone, it was a significant improvement in quality of life.


    Moreover, on both the first and second floor, each prisoner had a separate cell. The cells on the first floor were smaller and more modest. They were simr to Adam''s past cell, with a bed and a couch.


    "You don''t seem faintly surprised, do you?" Edir smirked, striding forward confidently with his hands in his pockets.


    read-first-at-MVLeMpYr


    Adam nodded.


    "I take it. In the following zones, I will see conditionsparable to the best hotels in the Citadel... Hah..." Adam smiled bitterly.


    "Yeah. You''re right." Edir waved his hand nonchntly.


    Adam''s eyes went wide, for he wasn''t serious about this. However... he also hadn''t expected Edir to answer him, not L.


    Crackle.


    The gate opened, as they climbed to the top - the second floor. Like in the F-Zone, there was a dining room, but... Adam immediately noticed the differences.


    If in the dining room of the F-Zone, there were only trays of food, that appeared on a conveyor belt, in the D-Zone several cooks were working! Two girls cut the ingredients, while an experienced-looking man constantly prepared the food.


    They weren''t just cooking for the Phantoms on the second floor, the food went down to the first floor on the conveyor belt, but the Phantoms on the second floor had the opportunity to choose and order just like in a restaurant.


    "Hey! Chef, three steaks, a sd, and a mango ice cream with caramel!" Edir said, rather casually as if he had done this many times before.


    The chef, with a sharp look, only nodded, getting to work.


    Just ten minutester, the food was on the table that L had brought them.


    "Bon appetit!" Edir folded his hands together, a wide smile on his face, before beginning his meal.


    "Adam...? Why aren''t you eating?" Edir raised an eyebrow, "Are you a vegetarian? However, you haven''t touched the sd either."


    Adam shook his head as he pulled out his card, with the number ''0'' on it.


    "You won''t get in trouble for me eating here? I mean, you have to have at least 900 points for that, don''t you?" Adam asked.


    Edir shook his head.


    "I brought you here, so it''s fine. What''s more, you''re not going to stay here for long, are you?" Edir smirked, setting a juicy piece of steak on his knife.


    Adam nodded with a serious expression.


    "By the way... I have a simr question for you." Adam muttered with a concentrated look as he cut his steak.


    "Hmm?" Edir gave him a questioning look.


    "Why are you here? Your aura isn''t as powerful as Prago''s, but I''m sure it''s enough to pass for C-Zone or even B-Zone. You''re strong and know things I don''t, not yet." Adam said calmly. At thest words, a sharp glint passed across his eyes.


    Edir chuckled evilly.


    "Well... I was just waiting for you. I was informed of your arrival by Tron, or rather he did it through my Operator, and she then told me, anyway you get the idea." Edir shrugged, continuing to eat.


    Adam paused.


    "Tron...? You two know each other...?" Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    Edir nodded.


    "Something like that. If it weren''t for his message, I would have gotten a lot farther, but I decided to wait for you. In fact, I thought you''d need more time, I gave you three days, after which I would have left D-Zone. However... he wasn''t lying when he said someone special was going to Fall Hill Prison."


    "How much did he tell you about me?" Adam narrowed his eyes.


    Edir smiled wryly.


    Then, he waved his hand carelessly.


    "Nothing more than that. He didn''t even tell me your name. Just that an unusual guy ising soon. Honestly!"


    Adam sighed heavily. He didn''t know if Edir was telling the truth or not, however, it didn''t really matter.


    "What are you in here for? What''s your sentence? Why you didn''t go any further and decide to stay in the D-Zone? And... This isn''t the first time you''ve been here, is it?" Adam asked several questions at once.


    Edir scratched his chin as if wondering if he should answer that.


    "Alright, I hope you don''t get off in the next zone. I''ll tell you a little about myself." Edir looked sideways at one of the two cook girls.


    "You''re right. This is my second time here andst time, I made it to thest Zone in three days and got out in ten days, even though I was supposed to be in jail for two years. This time, I locked up for a year, upon arriving at the Citadel, I had a dispute with another squad that stole a valuable Nest from our squad."


    Edir continued, gesturing vigorously. It was obvious, that he had no regrets about the incident and recounted it as an interesting memory.


    "Me and my guys did all the work, and those bastards took the most important thing. At first, I wanted to settle things amicably, but... pretty soon they pissed me off...


    Anyway, I beat up a few Phantoms, and I broke the Nexus and almost all the bones of their head bastard. He''s lucky I didn''t kill him." Edir snorted as if regretting that he hadn''t done more, even though he could.


    Then, Edir nced at the food, especially the mango ice cream.


    "I could have waited for you at the F-Zone, but I think you''ve seen how disgusting the food there is. It''s okay to eat there, but... it''s not worth it. The conditions here are quite normal." Edir leaned back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head.


    Adam finished his meal in silence, pushing the tes aside and staring intently at Edir, releasing his powerful aura.


    "Fine... I think that''s enough talking. I don''t know if you''re just bored and need a partner or if you have some hidden motives, but... I want you to tell me how to use aura. Teach me."


    "No." Edir replied sharply.


    Adam''s eyes went wide with a slight shiver through his body. He hadn''t expected Edir to say no, after all, he had said the exact opposite a few minutes ago!


    Edir pointed to his green card with a sly smile on his face.


    "I''m sorry, but until you reach 999 points, I''m not going to train you. More specifically... I won''t tell you how to learn this power, the training will be on you." Edir uttered.


    Before Adam could say anything, Edir whispered:


    "I''ll give you a hint. You can challenge anyone on the second floor and win to get 999 points. They have no right to refuse. But..." Edir waved his hand, "I don''t advise you to challenge me, even if you win I''ll take offense and won''t help you!"


    Adam''s eye began to twitch. Indeed, Edir just wanted to watch Adam fight someone!

 Chapter 146: Two Fires

    Adam red at Edir, clearly unhappy with the way events were unfolding.


    Edir just smiled slyly, he knew that Adam had no choice but to take his advice. After all, even without Edir''s desire, Adam needed 999 points to challenge the Guardian of the D-Zone to a fight.


    "Argh... Damn, I''ll have to fall for your advice, but... After that, you''ll tell me everything!" Adam waved his hand irritably, heading for the exit of the dining hall. He didn''t care who he fought, he would challenge the first person he saw.


    L tilted her head, looking at Edir, puzzled.


    "Why did you trick him?"


    "Hmm, what are you talking about? Everything I said was the pure truth." Edir red at her.


    "Technically yes..." L muttered, poking at a lettuce leaf with her fork, "But... there are plenty of other ways to get 999 points. The fact that he withstood your attack is enough. He just needed to report it."


    "L, don''t be stupid." Edir said sharply, causing L to freeze in ce.


    Then, Edir looked intently at the departing Adam.


    "Most Phantoms, only learn about the power of auras when they reach K2. However, if you find yourself in prison or the Lower Ring, it happened during the K1 period. There''s nothing good about it." Edir said coldly.


    L''s eyes sparkled, showing genuine interest.


    "The power of the aura is dangerous because when direct attacks or improper use of this power, it''s the inside of the body that gets hit, not the outside...


    I''ve seen a couple of cases where Phantoms'' organs were literally turned into a bloody mess due to the pressure of trying to control this power too early. When reaching K2, there''s that risk too, but because of the increased durability, it''s much less." Edir exined.


    L''s eyes went wide.


    "Oh, it''s like with Elemental Root, isn''t it?!" L asked with an excited expression.


    Edir smirked.


    "Wow. You''re an ordinary person, and you know about this? Yeah, you''re right about something, but Elemental Root is obtained by undergoing a long training of seven days. The aura power is different, and it''s best if Adam figures it out for himself. He has to awaken this power in a difficult battle."


    Edir continued.


    "From what I understand, he was able to withstand Prago''s attack. That is quitemendable. So, in Dead Lands, he managed to make significant progress as a K1-Phantom. All right, the fight should be starting soon. We should get ready to watch it." Edir smirked as he waved his hand towards the cook girl.


    "Cutie, two chocte milkshakes and caramel popcorn!"


    The girl rolled her eyes but got to work. She couldn''t refuse Phantom with 999 points to fulfill the order. After all, she was getting paid very well for work at Fall Hill Prison.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    At the same moment, a powerful shaking went through the entire D-Zone as if from strong, precise blows. Then, there were several white shes of light as if from fast threads, and soon silence fell.


    Edir''s eyes went wide as he abruptly rushed forward, not waiting for the cook girl to prepare his order. L hastily followed him.


    "Shit!" Edir shouted, falling to his knees in despair and staring at the ceiling with his arms spread out.


    The reason for this behavior was simple - L''s questions had made himte.


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    Crimson drops of blood dripped from Adam''s fist, falling to the ground.


    "Damn... And you''re not badd, didn''t expect to lose so fast..." The man smirked, wiping the trickles of blood flowing from his nose.


    On his chest was a long cut left by a white needle, not deep, but dangerous enough for the prisoner to admit defeat.


    In fact, Adam had some advantage over most prisoners. It wasn''t that he was very strongpared to the other K1-Phantoms, or even that he was a Naturalborn One.


    The prisoners didn''t have Nexus, but that wasn''t so critical for Adam because most prisoners, unlike him, had Nexus as a weapon, not an armor piece. His needle was his weapon, capable of easily resisting Narata''s huge sword if necessary.


    "Fuck. L, you made me miss a show like this!"


    L lowered her head guiltily. Not that Edir waspletely serious, but L realized that to some extent she was at fault.


    "Whatever. He won, so I need to keep my promise." Edir shook his head, about to jump down.


    However... He stopped, for it seemed Adam was not going to wait for Edir to do what he must.


    He tapped his 999-point card against his bracelet, challenging the Guardian of the D-Zone.


    After a few seconds, as if the Guardian had expected it, the gate opened, revealing a tall silhouette with arge bow behind him.


    Edir scratched the back of his head with a confused expression.


    "Well, well... He spent so long asking me about everything, I thought he preferred to take things slowly, but it looks like he just wanted to eat..."


    L looked worriedly at Adam. Strangely enough, she was starting to worry about him, after all, Guardian of the D-Zone was much stronger than Narata!


    Sure, they were all K1-Phantoms, both prisoners and Guardians, only Prago was a K2-Phantom, and everyone else was on the same level.


    However, Azure Lotus was one of the Big Three, they definitely knew how to rate the power of a particr Phantom. They had their internal ranking for this purpose, just like many other organizations.


    Because of this, it was quite easy to arrange the Guardians so that each Zone would have a stronger Phantom.


    Step. Step. Step.


    A young man with short gray hair and a confident smirk, on his face, stepped forward, passing through the gate line.


    A powerful aura and confidence in victory emanated from him. He red at Adam but did not consider him as a worthy opponent.


    "You''re the one who challenged me to a fight, aren''t you?" The young man asked, casting a scornful gaze at Adam, "My name is Lorko!"


    Adam simply showed his card.


    "Yeah... I''m surprised you figured that out. Judging by how quickly you showed up, you''ve been waiting for this moment and have been watching my fight through the cameras... Agh... That''s pretty pathetic." Adam shook his head as if he was upset by his soon-to-be opponent''s action.


    Lorko''s eye began to twitch, he hadn''t expected such disrespect for himself. On the contrary, he wanted to scare Adam with his quick appearance and mighty aura.


    "Pfffft! Anyway, everything will be decided in battle, and there''s nothing you can do to me!" Lorko eximed menacingly before jumping down to the first floor and grabbing his bow.


    At the same moment, the prisoners stepped aside, running into their cells and activating the protective barriers. They had already seen Lorko fighting and knew well enough that his attacks were highly damaging.


    Whooooooooooooosh. chapter-hosted-on-MVLeMpYr


    Lorko''s eyes shed as his arrow burst into scarlet mes, dramatically raising the temperature around him.


    Adam got into a fighting stance, preparing to summon the needle.


    But... no sooner did he take the next action than his pupils narrowed, not from Lorko''s attack, but from surprise and bewilderment...


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    A thinyer of ice covered the ground at Lorko''s feet as a fist zing with blue fire mmed into his face, throwing him several meters away.


    Edir sighed, exhaling a cold vapor before stepping forward and getting right in front of Lorko, kicking him in the stomach with all his might.


    "ARGHHHHHHH!!!!"


    A painful scream spread around, causing some to flinch and others to smile broadly in anticipation of his uing actions.

 Chapter 147: The Will (Part 1)

    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    The kicks continued, each time causing a light explosion of blue mes, particles of which flew apart, freezing the ground around.


    Lorko no longer had the strength to scream, he just waited with a pained look until his agony finally stopped.


    No one expected events to unfold this way, because... Edir had just broken some very serious rules.


    Adam had challenged the Guardian of the D-Zone, so no one was supposed to interfere in their fight. However, Edir decided that he could disregard that rule.


    Moreover, Lorko... the Guardian, was not strong enough to counter Edir even once. All his attempts were helpless and couldn''t make Edir even tense up.


    For a crushing victory, Edir only needed to use his Order, his physical strength, and blue mes to overwhelm the Guardian.


    Soon, Edir stopped, took a deep breath, and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket.


    Most didn''t pay much attention to it, but... where did Edir get cigarettes from? Perhaps they could be obtained in future zones, but the F-Zone and D-Zone simply didn''t have cigarettes, and neither did another item...


    Click.


    Edir opened the lighter, holding the cigarette up to the vibrant green me, a few seconds was enough for thick streams of smoke to head upwards.


    "Agh... That was refreshing..." Edir muttered before swinging his fist, taking out the blue mes.


    Then, an unpleasant sound came from the speakers mounted in the walls, as if someone was adjusting a long-term unused microphone.


    [Prisoner N#... no... Edir, you broke the rules by attacking a Guardian who came out to fight against another prisoner. You probably know what that means, don''t you?]


    The mechanical voice spread throughout the D-Zone, causing some prisoners to flinch.


    They realized that only Prago could handle Edir quickly, which meant... he would being here soon!


    However... Edir wasn''t worried at all. His gaze was calm and collected, but not because he was going to fight Prago. No, he had another n.


    Even if he was strongpared to the other K1-Phantoms, against a K2-Phantom, he didn''t stand a chance. The difference in power was too great.


    "Yeah, I know how things work, that''s why I prepared myself. I mean... I attacked Adam''s opponent, so... it''ll be fair if he attacks mine, won''t it?" Edir said nonchntly, ncing to the corner of the room - right into the small ck camera.


    [What are you talking about...?]


    A mechanical voice said uncertainly.


    Edir smirked.


    "Come on. You should know where I got this from." Edir picked up the pack of cigarettes, then he returned it to his pocket and pulled out something else.


    Adam''s eyes went wide, and a wave of shock spread throughout the D-Zone, for in Edir''s hand was a blue card with ''999'' points!


    [You want to challenge the Guardian of the C-Zone to a fight...?]


    A mechanical voice anxiously asked.


    ''''Yeah, Adam will fight my Guardian because I fought his one. That sounds fair, doesn''t it?" Edir slowly wiggled the card, practically touching his bracelet.


    [Yes... In that case, it''ll be fine. It''s none of my business, but it''s not good to do that. You''re forcing Adam to fight a stronger opponent because of your act].


    Edir shrugged as he cast a hard look at Adam.


    "Don''t bother. You don''t realize it, but I sense that Adam as well as myself, is starting to get annoyed at theck of a worthy opponent. Am I saying all the right things?" Edir turned to Adam.


    Adam said nothing, he just clenched his fists tightly. He wasn''t a mad berserker who was ready to throw himself at every man he met for blood and battle, but... His desire for a new power was obvious and unconcealed.


    Without Edir''s prompting, he had already realized that he had to master the aura power himself, after all... no one had helped him when he went through the Elemental Circle or received his Initial Gene.


    "Still... I''m sure it won''t be enough to give Adam a real challenge." Edir yawned widely, waving his blue card.


    [What...? What the hell are you talking about?]


    The mechanical voice was baffled.


    Then, Edir, with a sudden movement, hid the card in his sleeve like a skilled trickster. Even the Phantoms couldn''t see anything, his speed and timing were wless.


    After a second, Edir swung his hand again, sping two cards between his fingers, one purple and one blue....


    ''What the hell...?'' Adam internally muttered in disbelief. After all, this meant that Edir was already not only in the C-Zone, but also in the B-Zone!


    Before anyone could realize anything, Edir tapped two cards to his bracelet, challenging two Guardians to battle at once.


    Perhaps any prisoner Edir had set up like that would have felt pure resentment or even hatred toward him. After all, because of Edir, Adam would have to fight two powerful Guardians from the next Zones!


    novel-hosted-MvLeMpYr


    However... that didn''t apply to Adam.


    L''s eyes went wide from gazing at Adam, who had an anticipatory smile on his face, and a confident look.


    His aura was hidden, but everyone could sense on an instinctive level that Adam was ready for battle, and the only thing that mattered to him was that his opponent was strong!


    Moments merged into seconds, then turned into minutes until the blue gate opened again, revealing two silhouettes of identical height.


    Oddly enough, both Guardians were girls that looked suspiciously like each other. One had bright pink long hair and blue eyes, while the other had toxic green hair with azure eyes.


    Their clothes were the same colors as their hair and eyes, quite mottled and eye-catching.


    "Twins...?" Adam muttered puzzled, he hadn''t expected the two Guardians to look so much alike.


    Edir nodded with a wide grin on his face.


    "The one with the pink hair is Trana, and the one with the green hair is Krana. I''ll tell you a secret, Krana is a bit stronger." Edir said, whispering thest words as if no one was supposed to know except Adam.


    Krana frowned, casting a disdainful nce at Edir.


    "Tsk. Do you think this is a secret? Obviously, I''m stronger since I''m Guardian of the B-Zone!" Krana said confidently, cing her palm on her chest.


    "Not true! You just got lucky during the test!" Trana frowned, like any twin trying to prove she was better than the other.


    Krana waved her hand nonchntly, an arrogant smile appearing on her face.


    "Calm down. Your older sister will take care of everything. You, as the younger one, don''t have to worry. I''ll handle all our problems." Krana said proudly.


    Trana''s veins swelled as she clenched her fists tightly.


    "You''re only three minutes older than me! Damn it!" Trana eximed furiously, "Stop mentioning it all the time! Three minutes is just three minutes! It doesn''t mean anything! You just got lucky!"


    "Hahahahaha, you don''t have to get so stressed out about it." Krana smirked. She was clearly enjoying teasing her sister.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    However... A powerful pressure spreading like white mes made her look away.


    "Hey... Did youe here to sort out sisterly problems or to stop a prisoner?" Adam said menacingly, ready to fight.


    Krana and Trana instantly got other faces and prepared to fight.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Edir jumped high up, finding himself on the second floor next to L. Then, he quickly ran forward and returned secondster - with two chocte milkshakes in his hands.


    "I waste for thest fight, but I''m fully prepared for this one!" Edir smiled, passing one milkshake to L.


    "Thank you..." L whispered modestly.


    "Hmm... Sometimes a missed opportunity in one moment can turn out to be a fortunate moment in the near future, right? I mean, I''d rather drink this milkshake while watching the Adam vs Trana and Krana fight, because it''ll be much more interesting than Adam vs Lorko, right?" Edir uttered, with a slightly curious face.


    "I don''t know... I guess you''re right..." L scratched her cheek uncertainly.


    Crackle. Crackle.


    Krana and Trana opened their ck cases, revealing their Nexuses.


    Expectedly, their Nexuses were almost identical, with only minor differences.


    Trana had a long battle scythe with a straight de, while Krana''s scythe had a curved de, perfect for tearing the flesh of their enemies.


    "By the way... Before we begin. Did you both ignite your Spark at the same time? Simple curiosity. This is the first time I''ve met twin Phantoms, you know." Adam shrugged.


    Krana quickly replied, poking her thumb at her chest.


    "Hah, I did it a month early! It''s no surprise though, since I''m the older sister!" Krana was proud of this.


    Adam nodded.


    He had thought that if one twin was a Phantom, then the other would meet the same fate, but Krana and Trana were just one of the rare examples of both twins bing Phantoms.


    Moreover, the dy between the appearance of their Sparks was negligible.


    Adam nodded deeply, and his eyes shone brightly.


    ''They are strong, though they behave entrically. Fine, with their help, I can awaken my aura!''

 Chapter 148: The Will (Part 2)

    "He''s not a simple K1-Phantom, right...?" Trana whispered so that only Krana could hear her.


    Krana nodded as her gaze became serious. It was quite rare for that to happen.


    "He just got into Fall Hill Prison today, so... we haven''t had time to gather all the information about him yet. What''s more, my Operator said that someone is interfering with them, as if someone doesn''t want us to know about his aplishments in Dead Lands."


    "Anyway... Be careful sister. I can see that he''s untrained in the use of aura, but... he has more than enoughbat experience for all Guardians..." Trana muttered with a dark look.


    "Sure."


    Whoooooooooooooooosh.


    Krana and Trana swung their scythes, des touching causing a cascade of sparks. Then, they simultaneously lunged forward, aiming straight for Adam, from different directions.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed as he summoned the silver needle, taking a step back.


    Krana''s scythe de swept right in front of his eyes, while Trana''s weapon moved towards his stomach.


    ''Quick!'' Adam internally eximed, managing to block Trana''s attack at thest moment.


    Trana''s eyes went wide, she didn''t seem to understand why her scythe couldn''t cut through Adam''s silver needle.


    "Something wrong?" Adam smirked before turning around and kicking Trana right in the stomach.


    "Argh!"


    Her mouth and eyes went wide with pain, and for a few seconds, she couldn''t even breathe. Apparently, Adam''s kick was more powerful than she had realized and was ready to take.


    Perhaps in Krana''s ce, any older sister would have started to worry about her younger one, but Krana was well aware of what Trana was capable of. She wasn''t going to waste her time with useless worries!


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Instead, Krana''s movements became faster and deadlier. She was going to overwhelm Adam, not allowing him to have even one free second!


    Cascades of sparks flew off to the sides, while Krana''s green hair appeared here and there, like a haunting ghost that would never let go of Adam.


    It had been a long time since Adam had faced such pressure. He felt that, unlike Narata, Krana hadbat experience, and they hadn''t used their abilities yet!


    "Sister!" Trana eximed as she appeared behind Adam.


    Krana only nodded slightly.


    Then, they stretched their arms forward, and their eyes shone brightly, they acted quickly and synchronized. It was obvious that if they weren''t the most coordinated of sisters, they were excellent fighters in pairs.


    At the same moment, the air in front of their palms trembled, followed by wind currents that rained down directly on Adam from both sides.


    Adam''s eyes went wide as he put the needle in front of him, in an attempt to defend himself against the direct attack, but... He realized toote that the streams didn''t have a single point where the full power of the blow was concentrated.


    Such an attack could only be blocked by a massive shield or a wide barrier, but not by a thin needle!


    Bam.


    Streams of wind quickly nailed Adam to the wall, tearing his clothes to shreds like hundreds of tiny des. Even the energy barrier couldn''t resist, shattering into shards and letting the wind through, which left many cuts on the white wall.


    "Don''t stop!" Krana eximed before turning her hand and intensifying her wind stream.


    Trana nodded and did the same.


    This was a form of their First Order, something Adam had, for his First Order - Weaver''s Needle, had two grips that worked as forms of ability. He could use them depending on the situation.


    L''s eyes went wide, with incipient anxiety inside. She wasn''t a Phantom and couldn''t fully understand how strong Adam or Krana with Trana was, but she knew that the barrier was extremely strong. Not every Phantom was capable of breaking it down so easily!


    "Krana and Trana have simr abilities and weapons... Hmm, I''ve always wondered how they could be so lucky..." L muttered, touching her lips thoughtfully.


    "Lucky? You seem to be missing something." Edir smirked, finishing his milkshake, but the cook girl was already preparing another one for him. He was making the most of his opportunities as a prisoner, and he wasn''t embarrassed about it at all.


    Maybe he just didn''t have a conscience...


    "What...?" L gave him a questioning look.


    Edir grinned, leaning on his arm and looking intently at Krana and Trana.


    "Creating simr Nexuses is not difficult at all. I think you should know that, even though you''re an ordinary person, you have a special position, so... you know more than others."


    L nodded silently.


    "To get simr abilities, you have to kill simr monsters or the same monster, you''ve thought of that, haven''t you?" Edir uttered with a slight shake of his hand.


    "Yes... Isn''t that right? If it''s not about luck, then they got simr genes on purpose." L shrugged. It seemed obvious to her.


    Edir shook his head, showing how naive and clueless L was.


    "Each Phantom, even if they are twins, has their own unique Evolution Tree. Thus, even if Krana and Trana killed two identical monsters and received two identical Initial Genes, their Evolution Trees would make adjustments to their future development." Edir said calmly. He didn''t mind sharing this knowledge with L, which not every Phantom possessed.


    "I see... Because of the Evolution Tree, Krana and Trana would have slightly different abilities..." L nodded understandingly, "In that case... How did they do it?"


    Edir waved his hand.


    "It''s simple. They killed the twin monsters."


    L''s eyes went wide.


    "There are such things? I mean... My adoptive father told me about the different Monster Types... Prime, Crown Type, and a few others..." L scratched the back of her head awkwardly.


    Edir nodded with a sly smile.


    "Sure, but it''s not a separate Type, after all, twin monsters don''t have any unique features or outstanding strength. They are simply rare monsters, as rare as Twin Phantoms are. Such monsters have perfect synergy and almost the same set of genes. They, like humans, must have been born at the same moment from the same creature."


    "Oh... You know so much... Unbelievable..." L was genuinely amazed.


    Edir just shrugged as if it wasn''t something important, or worthy of praise.


    "I can''t know this for sure, but I''m sure Azure Lotus put a lot of effort into finding and catching suitable twin monsters. As I said earlier, they are rare and valuable."


    L nodded, moving her gaze back to the battle.


    "Agh... Agh... Agh..."


    Krana and Trana were breathing heavily, it was obvious that the prolonged use of wind currents had cost them quite a lot of energy. However, it wasn''t something critical, they would fully recover after a while.


    True, it was only First Order - the lowest energy-consuming ability in any Phantom''s arsenal. However, when using the forms, a lot could change.


    In Krana and Trana''s case, their energy expenditure depended on how long they would maintain the wind currents.


    "Were we able to get him?" Trana asked, casting a nce at Krana.


    "I don''t know, probably yes. Obviously not enough to defeat him, but... we definitely should have seriously injured him." Krana said, waving her scythe, staring intently at the cloud of dust that rose due to the debris of the walls.


    Soon, the smoke veil settled, revealing Adam''s silhouette and his silver needle -pletely intact.


    A few trickles of blood ran down his muscr torso, but... this was not at all the result Krana and Trana had hoped for.


    "What the fuck..." Trana muttered in a disbelief.


    Adam''s wounds didn''t look like de cuts, but as if sharp shards of ss had pierced into his chest. Sure, the wind had been able to cut through his skin and cause blood, but there were more scratches than cuts.


    "Tsk. Just as I thought. He has Elemental Root." Krana snorted with a great grimace.


    Trana''s eyes grew wider.


    "What?! Are you sure...?!"


    Krana nodded confidently.


    "He didn''t use any defense ability, that''s for sure. In that case, he was only able to withstand our attack so well because of his natural resistance to elemental damage. You know you can only achieve such a thing with Elemental Root."


    Trana sighed heavily, then she smiled widely.


    "I see... However, we didn''t expect such a simple attack to be enough to defeat him, did we?" Trana smirked, preparing for the next attack.


    "Sure."


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam slowly stepped forward, ring intently at his opponents. He felt slightly annoyed because the wind was not what he had expected from Krana and Trana.


    story-source-MVLeMpYr


    "Hey, I wasn''t willing to fight you so you could try to nail me to the wall with mere wind! Show me your auras! I''m sure you know how to use them!" Adam said menacingly, leaning his torso forward.


    Electric shocks traveled across his eyes as well as a sharp glint across his silver needle. He was ready to attack at any moment.


    However...


    Krana and Trana were not going to honor his request. They had their own vision of battle!


    Their eyes shone brightly with golden light as well as their palms as if a radiant sun with great heat lurked within them!

 Chapter 149: The Will (Part 3)

    ''What the hell...?'' Adam internally muttered, looking at Krana and Trana in shock, ''Isn''t their element the wind? In that case, what the...?!''


    Krana and Trana simultaneously took a step forward, extending their palms like martial artists in a precise, crushing attack.


    At the same moment, rings of golden light emerged from their palms, like the echoes of a bright sun exploding.


    Electric shocks passed across Adam''s eyes as he abruptly found himself a few meters away. Rings of light swept forward a momentter as he disappeared.


    If Adam had dyed even for a second, the light rings would have burned him like holy mes, leaving not even a handful of ashes.


    "Holy shit..."


    Someone muttered, looking at the molten wall - the extremely strong materials couldn''t withstand the heat as the temperature was so high that the concrete began to melt, flowing down in thick streams.


    There was dark smokeing from Krana and Trana''s palms, but their hands were not injured, just very hot - enough to leave a burn on a normal person upon touch. Phantoms could withstand much higher temperatures than normal humans.


    "Hah, sounds like someone''s surprised, doesn''t it?" Krana smirked, swinging her scythe, holding the weapon behind her back.


    Adam only narrowed his eyes.


    Trana pointed to his eyes, which still had electric shocks among them.


    "You''re not the only one with an active artifact." Trana smirked.


    "Artifact...?" Adam muttered as his eyes went wide from how he hadn''t realized it for so long. Adampletely forgot that the other Phantoms had artifacts besides him as well.


    However, Adam had a good reason for that, because, until this point, he hadn''t seen the other Phantoms use artifacts. To be exact, among the Phantoms that Adam had fought against.


    He could only keep a close eye on his opponents, the most evident among them was Mirna.


    "Yes, an artifact! As you can see, we have the same ones too!" Krana said proudly. It seemed that, unlike her sister, she was happy to be a twin.


    Krana swung her scythe, pointing it at Adam, and said:


    "Many artifacts only work as passive reinforcement. However, that doesn''t mean that these artifacts are weaker, they just don''t give powerful active abilities, but instead make the Phantom itself stronger." Krana exined.


    Adam nodded.


    He knew what Krana was talking about because his artifactbined both passive and active abilities. In his case, it went in stages, from lightning-fast reflexes to a crushing thunderbolt that could melt even the strongest metal.


    "Fine, but you couldn''t hit me with your attack. I''m sure it wasn''t the First Trait of your Artifacts, so... You can''t keep doing that all the time." Adam narrowed his eyes as he rushed forward.


    Electric shocks traveled through his legs, making him even faster.


    "Hah, you don''t even know what you''re talking about!" Kranaughed as her eyes shone brightly with golden light again.


    Trana did the same, heating her palms vigorously.


    Adam''s eyes widened for a moment, he was ready for another attack from the twins.


    But... Krana and Trana weren''t going to use the same trick twice. They realized that if Adam could dodge the first time, he would do it even easier and faster the second time.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Krana and Trana swung their arms, running their palms over the des of their scythes, causing them to shine brightly.


    Silver threads wove around Adam''s arm as he used his second grip to increase the power and speed of his attacks.


    However, there were two opponents against him, and he only had one weapon. In order to defeat Krana and Trana he had to act much faster than them!


    "Let''s see what you can do!" Krana eximed before rushing forward.


    sh.


    Golden sparks flew aside as the light de, and the snow-white needle collided.


    Strangely enough, Adam was slowly overwhelming Krana, she had to take a step back and lower her trembling arms slightly to withstand Adam''s onught.


    If they were to fight 1 vs. 1, the winner would''ve decided quickly enough, but Krana always had a loyal ally!


    "Sister! I''m on my way!" Trana uttered as she appeared behind Adam, aiming the tip of her scythe, right at his neck.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed as he tilted his head back, letting the hot de sweep over his nose.


    For a moment the world seemed to stop when he saw his reflection in the golden de - the heat from the light contrasted strongly with his cold and collected blue eyes that constantly sparked with electricity.


    If it wasn''t for his artifact, he might not have been able to dodge such dangerous attacks so effectively. Adam always did it at thest moment, and it gave him a significant advantage!


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Adam turned sharply, throwing Krana''s arm aside and knocking her off guard for a moment while she regained her bnce.


    Then, toward the end of the turn, Adam''s backside palm smashed into Krana''s face, throwing her aside.


    "Sister!" Trana eximed worriedly. Unlike her older sister, she didn''t have enoughposure to continue attacking Adam when her sister was hurt.


    "You idiot! Don''t stop!" Krana shouted despite having just received a powerful punch to the face.


    Bam.


    As soon as Trana shifted her gaze to Adam, his fist plunged into her stomach, damaging her even more than Krana.


    With that, Adam threw the twins to different parts of the room, leaving only him left in the center.


    There were scarlet marks on the white floor from the fallen blood clots, but none of them belonged to Adam.


    Krana and Trana were the only ones hurt, nothing seemed to help them - not their abilities, not the power of the artifact, not even Nexus Traits.


    "Well, well, I honestly didn''t expect him to be so strong." Edir smirked slyly, popping a handful of caramel popcorn into his mouth.


    L nodded as she reached out for the popcorn, intending to take just one piece.


    Tap.


    Edir pped her hand quickly as if chasing away a pesky fly.


    "Ouch!" L shrieked, rubbing her palm with a frown on her face, "What the hell? You shared a milkshake with me before!"


    Edir nodded, his face was calm, without any emotion.


    "Yeah, but that popcorn is mine. Don''t put your hands in other people''s food. If you want one of these then go ahead and order it. Just say it''s for me, and they''ll make you whatever you want." Edir waved his hand.


    L puffed up her cheeks, but she didn''t bother to leave. She was much more interested in watching the fight unfold than leaving to get popcorn or a milkshake.


    "Sometimes I don''t understand why they even call you prisoners. You do what you want, and you get what you want. It''s more like you''re guests at some hotel." L muttered, resting her hands on the railing, and putting her head on top of them.


    Edir chuckled evilly.


    "Hmm?" L gave him a questioning look.


    "You''re right, but you''re forgetting one nuance. To get popcorn or even be able to watch the fight from above, you have to be strong! Strengthes first!"


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    As if in resonance with his words, Krana and Trana slowly rose from the ground while their auras grew intensely. They were finally ready to unleash an aura attack on Adam.

 Chapter 150: The Will (Part 4)

    "Tsk. I didn''t think we''d have to take advantage of his weakness to win." Krana frowned, spitting out a clot of blood.


    Trana took a deep breath, trying to strengthen his aura as much as possible.


    "There''s no need to think about it. We just need to defeat him, that''s all. He''s not an easy opponent, I''m willing to admit that. However, I''m not going to lose!" Trana eximed as a stream of pink aura emerged from her body.


    Krana smirked as she looked at her younger sister. Although they looked simr and even had the same Initial Gene, their personalities were vastly different.


    "Fine, I''ll support you. As always." Krana smiled bitterly before casting a nce at Adam.


    He stood motionless in ce, holding his needle tightly. From time to time, there was a dangerous gleam along the silver threads, showing that Adam was on full alert.


    "You wanted us to use the power of auras, didn''t you? You were able to get us to do it, you can be proud. However, for someone who doesn''t know how to use auras, it''s a fatal mistake!" Krana shouted before releasing her aura.


    At the same moment, green and blue mes shuddered, quickly transforming into silhouettes above Krana and Trana.


    Adam had only seen something like this once before - when Prago had attacked him, transforming his aura into a flower monster.


    ''Oh... So this is what their auras look like in full form... It''s different from the weapons that attacked me before.'' Adam pondered, looking at the tall silhouettes.


    Long, tattered coats covered the silhouettes, as well as bandages hiding the faces of the strange monsters Krana and Trana had summoned. The silhouettes had only one hand each, holding an old, rusty scythe as if taken from death itself.


    Adam was wary. A chill ran down his spine. It seemed that Krana and Trana''s auras could have easily ended this fight.


    "No argument there. Your physical stats are strong, and thanks to your needle, you can fight even without Nexus. I have to admit that if you had the power of your aura, there''s nothing we could do to you." Krana said calmly before extending her hand forward.


    "But... That''s just my guess, and the reality is much harsher, especially for you!"


    At the same moment, Krana and Trana''s silhouettes simultaneously shifted from their spots, lunging at Adam.


    Krana and Trana didn''t move as they concentrated all their strength on controlling auras. This was their main advantage against Adam, and they had to use their full potential.


    Perhaps Adam should have used his artifact now and quickly gotten to Krana and Trana, attacked them, and prevented them from using their auras, but... that wasn''t what Adam wanted.


    He desired them to attack him with their auras from the start, so he had to answer them in return!


    ''Agh... I might be making a mistake, but this is the fastest way to learn the aura power.'' Adam inwardly sighed before clenching his fists tightly - in one burst, letting all of his aura out.


    Adam''s aura, as before, was simply a white me - the initial form of aura that every Phantom possessed.


    The only difference from the auras of other Phantoms that could not use the aura power was that Adam''s aura was denser, more intense, and rich in bloody battle experience.


    That allowed him to suppress the aura of other Phantoms, but only if they didn''t know how to use their auras as well as he did.


    sh. sh.


    Silhouettes, swung their scythed, cutting through the outer and middleyers of Adam''s aura with ease.


    Adam''s eyes went wide since he hadn''t expected the silhouettes to be so strong, since even Edir''s aura axe needed some time to reach the middleyer!


    Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.


    Edir devoured the caramel popcorn without stopping, crunching happily.


    "Hehehe, either he''s going to lose in agony now and stay here for a long time, or he''s going to reduce his sentence by several times today. Which do you think will happen?" Edir smirked, ncing at L.


    L looked away with puffed-up cheeks.


    "If you want me to answer that, you''ll have to share the popcorn first!" L snorted irritably.


    Edir rolled his eyes, handing over the nearly empty box.


    L''s eyes zed over like a child who finally got the desired yummy treat. MVLeMpYr-official-text


    "I think Adam will win!" L eximed vigorously.


    "Agh..." Edir took a deep breath, "It would be nice, but he doesn''t seem to understand what he needs to do."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The silhouettes continued to cut through Adam''s aura with their scythes, soon they reached his shoulders, thrusting the sharp des straight into Adam''s body!


    "ARGHHHHHHH!!!" Adam cried out in pain, falling to one knee and grabbing his wounded shoulder.


    Krana and Trana nced over, wide grins appearing on their faces. Though they hadn''t originally wanted to take advantage of their opponent''s weakness so brazenly, they had no other choice.


    Now, all they had to do was watch as Adam gritted his teeth, trying not to scream in pain while the transparent des cut him from the inside.


    The aura scythes of the silhouettes did not directly harm him physically, for his clothes were intact, as well as his skin, but his inner space was suffering, which was already affecting his organs and flesh from the inside out.


    ''Come on! I can''t take it much longer! If they can master their auras, then so can I!'' Adam inwardly eximed, trying to convince his Evolution Tree or something else to act, he didn''t know which part of his powers he needed to appeal to.


    Edir shook his head. He understood what Adam was doing, and he knew it was wrong.


    ''Agh... You shouldn''t ask your power to help you... after all, it''s not a separate entity or personality, it''s a part of you...'' Edir internally muttered, ''You should control it just like any part of your body. You don''t ask your hand to clench into a fist, do you? You just...''


    Suddenly, Adam''s gaze changed to that of a cornered beast - desperate and extremely dangerous.


    Then, he forgot about the pain and roared:


    "Whoever or whatever you are, destroy these ghosts! I order to you!"


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    At the same moment, all the branches of his Evolution Tree sparkled, releasing white-hot streams of energy - just like the threads in his Initial Gene.


    The energy quickly turned into a massive circle covering the entire Evolution Tree.


    For a while, the center was empty, but soon, a massive silver needle appeared - slightly blurred, as if it hadn''t fully formed yet.


    But... the outer part of the circle was solid andplete, it was ready to begin fighting!


    [The Aura Seal had been created!]


    Adam heard the familiar mechanical voice that always appeared when he became stronger. Instinctively, it brought a sly smile to his face.


    [The Aura Seal is not yetplete, so you can only use the initial form of your power.]


    [Activate your The Will to order your aura to act!]


    Then, Adam stretched his hand forward as his eyes shone brightly, deep in his pupils appeared silver threads capable of cutting through anything.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    His aura transformed into a massive silver needle that ripped the ghosts apart in a single motion.

 Chapter 151: A-Zone (Part 1)

    A massive silver needle hovered above Adam, like his faithful protector ready to deal with any opponent.


    The needle trembled slightly. It was semi-transparent and somewhat blurred, like a shadow of the true power of Adam''s The Will.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Trana and Krana''s ghosts were torn apart, but they recovered quickly, taking some energy from their masters.


    "Agh... Agh... Agh... It''s hard... It''s really hard..." Adam whispered with a dark look. With each passing moment, he felt rivers of energy drain out of him, for one purpose only - to keep The Will active.


    Adam''s eyes darkened, but... He was experienced enough to realize that it was uneptable to shut down at a moment like this. He would either win or lose, he simply had no other option.


    sh.


    Adam swung the needle, leaving a long and deep cut on his left arm - from shoulder to elbow. It didn''t damage his arm in any way in terms of functionality, as the muscles and tendons were intact, but, it gave Adam what he so desperately needed - rity.


    A bright sh of pain cleared his field of vision, removing the blurriness and giving Adam some time to sort out the threats.


    ''Alright, I''m not sure I know how to use this The Will... but, all I need is to get rid of those pesky ghosts!'' Adam frowned as he swung his hand.


    This time, the ghosts acted more cautiously and defended themselves with their scythes, blocking the ghost needle. Moreover, gradually, the needle diverged into transparent threads, showing that Krana and Trana''s auras still surpassed his own.


    However, Adam had solved the main problem, and now he didn''t have to worry about enemy auras tearing him from the inside since he had a loyal protector as well!


    "Sister!" Trana eximed anxiously, "What should we do?!"


    Krana quickly nced at the ghosts, at the ghostly needle, and then at Adam, who was running straight at them, not nning to stop.


    "Tsk. We have no choice but to keep fighting him. From the looks of it, he has very little energy left. Creating an Aura Seal and using The Will for the first time takes a terrifying amount of power. The fact that he''s still conscious and on his feet is a miracle!" Krana said before rushing into battle, loosening the control of her aura.


    Trana immediately followed her.


    They had mastered The Will and created the Aura Seal at the exact moment during their long training. Back then, they couldn''t even summon their aura since they had cked out for more than ten hours, and when they woke up, they felt weak and exhausted.


    Soon, their auras would exhaust each other, however, it no longer mattered as much as before. The two aura users didn''t fight using only their auras, it was only a part of their power, and thanks to the difference in might the fight could be over quickly.


    For example, Prago only needed to use his The Will to defeat Adam, he didn''t even need to move or attack. Roughly speaking, The Will allowed Phantom to defeat weaker opponents with little to no energy and abilities.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam held his needle tightly, keeping a close eye on Krana and Trana, who were moving quickly towards him. Their feet touched the ground simultaneously, achieving full synchronization and acting as one mechanism.


    Krana and Trana had already used their abilities, The Will, and even the artifact trait, but they had something else in their arsenal, their Nexuses.


    "Let''s go! We can win!" Trana eximed as her eyes shone brightly and the de of her scythe trembled.


    Krana did the same.


    Then, they stopped and mmed the scythes against each other, causing a powerful shockwave, and making the energy barrier shake.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Trana and Krana began to rapidly swing their scythes as if preparing for a powerful attack, however... In fact, they had already attacked.


    "What the hell...?" Someone muttered, looking at the wind des hovering in the air in front of Krana and Trana.


    After each swing by scythe, two to four wind des remained in the air. They were actively vibrating, sending shivers outwards.


    Indeed, in any other situation, Krana and Trana wouldn''t hold the des in the air - it was unnecessary, as they could immediately release them, bringing down on their enemy. MVLeMpYr-official-text


    But, Adam had no room or time to maneuver. His only option for victory was to go straight ahead and knock out his opponents. Naturally, Krana and Trana understood this.


    "Sister... I can''t take it anymore..." Trana muttered, falling to one knee. Cumtively, she had already created over fifty Wind des and that was her maximum.


    Krana nodded, stopping. She, too, was running low on energy.


    "This is enough. If he can withstand even that, then... he deserves this victory. We did everything we could." Krana sighed heavily, reaching forward andunching all of her wind des at Adam.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed as he abruptly stopped throwing his left arm forward.


    In the few seconds it took Krana and Trana to prepare an attack, Adam had already realized what they were going to do and figured out how he could respond to it.


    Adam could only make one powerful attack in his current state, and his choice was simple as silver threads quickly cascaded around his left arm.


    As Adam moved his hands, the threads transformed into a dense gauntlet with w-like, sharp fingertips.


    "There are many des, but I can cut them all!" Adam shouted, waving his ws from bottom to top as if wanting to cause a shockwave.


    At the same moment, five silver threads came out, finding themselves against each other so tightly that it was practically a shield.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Without resistance, the silver threads shattered the wind des, but only the center part, the rest were aimed at Adam.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed as he abruptly turned his body, allowing the des to sweep behind his back and in front of his chest, only a few centimeters from his body.


    Powerful wind currents fluttered his hair, while the tips rippled before his azure eyes.


    Bam.


    Krana and Trana jumped away from the silver des before they mmed into the wall, cutting it several meters deep.


    If Fall Hill Prison was not underground but amid the city streets, this attack would have caused severe destruction and even civilian casualties.


    "No... it can''t be..." Trana muttered in disbelief, looking at the destruction.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    A tall silhouette appeared in front of her, electric shocks whizzing around its feet.


    Trana''s eyes went wide as Adam grabbed her and threw her to the other side of the arena - right into her sister, causing the twins to collide with each other at high speed.


    Adam made several leaps, finding himself right before Trana and Krana.


    He raised his needle high, about to unleash the deadly weapon on his opponents.


    "Bastard...!" Trana muttered with herst strength, pulling her arm forward.


    Before the irreversible had a chance to happen, Krana carefully hugged Trana, lowering her arm and moving forward - putting her back up to the strike, but protecting her little sister.


    Bam.


    Adam fell back on the floor like a statue, since his hand was still raised, but no longer clutching anything as the needle dissipated.


    Smiling bitterly, Adam closed his eyes - sinking into darkness.

 Chapter 152: A-Zone (Part 2)

    The final battle wasn''t exactly what the prisoners had expected.


    Adam had passed out without making onest attack, and Krana and Trana sat against the wall, breathing heavily and thanking fate that Adam hadn''t finished what he''d started.


    "And... Who won in the end...?" L muttered with obvious anxiety in her voice, as she nced at the prisoners.


    They too, were puzzled. It was clear from their facial expressions. The prisoners on the second floor were no exception.


    Some were rubbing their chins thoughtfully, some were scratching the back of their heads, and some were ready to argue with their buddy to find out the truth. However, it wasn''t up to them to decide the final oue.


    Whoooooosh.


    Edir abruptly lifted L into his arms and jumped onto the railing, causing her eyes to go wide.


    "What are you doing...?! Put me down!" L shrieked embarrassedly, holding up her dress that tended to fall over her and expose the lower part of her body.


    However... That couldn''t stop Edir, who with a smirk on his face tilted his head, peering at what L was so desperately trying to hide.


    "White...?" Edir raised an eyebrow, making L''s face as red as a tomato, "Hah, how boring, but I admit it. There''s something in such pure innocence."


    Then, Edir jumped down, dropping L to the ground and heading towards Adam. His stride was rxed with his hands in his pockets.


    "Hey, both of you, so we don''t have a problemter. You admit defeat, right?" Edir asked, addressing Krana and Trana.


    His voice was calm and harmless, but as soon as Krana looked up, a chill ran down her spine.


    Edir''s smile radiated nothing but a hidden threat, and his narrowed eyes, like that of a lurking snake, were focused on his potential victim.


    "Yes. He won. There was nothing we could do." Krana acknowledged, not allowing Trana to say anything.


    Unlike her older sister, she didn''t realize that there was a hidden meaning in Edir''s question, and they only had one correct answer.


    "Good." Edir smiled as he looked into the camera in the corner of the room.


    As if by his will, a drone soon flew out of the ceiling with a strangely white box. However, inside was not the white set of clothes worn by the prisoners in the F-Zone, in the initial zone.


    Edir nodded, but soon, a grimace appeared on his face.


    "Hey, I''m going to move on too. Come one. If I want to, I''ll deal with those twins right now. No one wants that, right?" Edir rolled his eyes.


    Crackle.


    Soon, a second drone arrived with the same white box that was meant for Edir.


    Then, Edir smirked and threw Adam on his back, heading into the next zone.


    "L, grab the boxes and follow us." Edir waved his hand without turning around.


    "Agh...?" L blinked, puzzled, "Where to?"


    read-only-on-MvLeMpYr


    Edir chuckled evilly.


    "To the A-Zone!"


    ...


    "You know... That was an incredible fight!"


    Someone''s voice came through, very distant and muffled, being barely audible.


    "Damn... Enough... Stop talking about it already..."


    "But...!"


    After a while more, the voices repeated themselves, bing clearer and clearer each time, as if they were getting closer.


    Then, Adam finally opened his eyes after a long and pleasant sleep. He didn''t know how many hours he slept, but his head was splitting as if from a bad hangover.


    "Adam!" L eximed energetically, jumping on top of him.


    Adam wasn''t ready for this, and he just wanted toe to his senses, so he threw L off him, and strangely enough, she fell not on the floor but on the other side of the bed.


    ''What...?'' Adam turned around, looking at L lying on the huge bed. Her eyes were shining brightly, and she had a satisfied smile on her face, obviously happy to see him.


    However... Adam was more surprised by the bed, it looked more like a bed in a king''s quarters than a prisoner''s. It was so big that it could fit several people and still have room to spare.


    Then, Adam nced at the rest of the cell - quickly noticing Edir.


    He wasn''t paying attention to Adam, though he''d obviously heard that he was awake. It was impossible not to notice, though, because of L''s shriek.


    Edir was focused as he had a gamepad in his hands and was sitting in front of a massive screen ying some game.


    It was obvious that he was using all his reflexes to win, but...


    "Damn! How to get through this fucking level!" Edir eximed, nearly breaking the gamepad in his hands, but he quickly calmed down and came to his senses.


    He turned around, waving his hand to Adam in greeting.


    "Where are we?" Adam asked, slightly puzzled.


    He realized it was one of the following zones, but he was confused due to the fact that they had defeated three Guardians in one zone.


    "Hah, isn''t it obvious? We''re in the A-Zone! The most luxurious ce in this prison!" Edir eximed, getting up from his gaming chair and heading for the exit.


    "Come on. You''ve got to see this. I''m sure you''ll be as surprised as I was when I first got here. For that matter, I still can''t believe someone would allow such a thing." Edir waved his hand.


    Adam nodded, rising from the bed. As soon as he did so, he felt like lying down again, the mattress was really soft and took all the pain out of his back after the fight.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam headed for the exit next to where Edir was standing and stepped outside - into the main hall of the A-Zone.


    "Holy shit..." Adam muttered in a disbelief.


    There were only about twenty Phantoms in the A-Zone, and unlike the other zones, there was no second floor, but every Phantom in the A-Zone rested as if in the best hotel in the Citadel!


    A bar with an experienced bartender, an open kitchen with professional chefs ready to cook anything the prisoner ordered, massive TVs, full Inte ess, and various gaming devices.


    It didn''t end there, as the Phantoms had all sorts of exercise equipment at their disposal, and services such as massages, a swimming pool, and several gaming tables for board games.


    "Hey! You! Hurry up!" A middle-aged woman shouted unhappily, ring menacingly at the contentedly cute-looking young man. He was dressed in a ck suit with a white shirt like all the attendants in A-Zone.


    "Y-Yes...! I beg your pardon!" The young man flinched, quickly running up to the woman with a tray with a bottle of expensive wine.


    He bent down, poured the wine into a ss, and handed it to the woman.


    She licked her lips, put one leg over the other, and nced at the other young man who had been massaging her shoulders all this time. Oddly enough, she was dressed in an expensive dress and ck heels rather than prison clothes.


    "My oysters should be ready by now, shouldn''t they?" The woman smirked.


    "Sure. I''ll get them now." The other young man calmly replied. It seemed, that unlike the first one, he had been working here for a long time and was used to the specifics of his duties.


    The woman nodded contentedly and waved her hand toward the first young man.


    "Have a seat. Keep a lonelydypany."


    "Y-Yes!"


    Adam shook his head with a heavy sigh. He didn''t understand this woman at all.


    Then, after seeing a few more scenes like this, Adam''s eyes traveled further to something important - the ck gate with a massive gold letter on it - ''S''.

 Chapter 153: Where better to go?

    There were enough things in the A-Zone to keep the Phantom interested and entertained for the remainder of his imprisonment.


    The rules worked the same for everyone, so those who could get to the A-Zone, that is - defeat Krana and Trana, their sentence reduced to 20% of their original length.


    However, that wasn''t entirely true.


    If Phantom behaved well and didn''t cause any problems to Guardians or other prisoners, he could appeal for a reduction in his already greatly reduced sentence.


    For example - Adam had only 35 days left to go out of the original 180. However, he would have no problem getting out in three weeks, or at most 25 days.


    However, this was not the limit.


    The A-Zone was the final zone for most Phantoms, but it wasn''t actually that.


    The final zone was the S-Zone - the ck gate Adam was looking at.


    "S-Zone... If I get there I get my freedom, right?" Adam asked, with a mesmerized stare.


    Edir didn''t answer anything, he just looked at L. After all, it was her job to exin something.


    The A-Zone, unlike the other zones, didn''t have its guide, since those who made it here usually already knew everything themselves. Also, some of the twenty Phantoms in the A-Zone had been here before, Edir wasn''t the only one who had been to Fall Hill Prison twice.


    "Oh, right!" L said vigorously.


    Then, she coughed and proceeded to exin with an intelligent look:


    "S-Zone is thest zone, if you pass it, you can get your freedom immediately."


    Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    "If I pass it? Shouldn''t my sentence be reduced by 100% then? I should have 0 minutes left of my 180 days, shouldn''t I?" Adam asked with a wave of his hand.


    L sighed heavily.


    "You probably forgot, but I told you earlier that if you reach thest zone, your sentence is reduced to one week, no matter how long it was originally, a year or ten years."


    Adam nodded as his eyes became sharp.


    "Who do I have to beat in the S-Zone? Although... no, who do I have to beat in the A-Zone, and how do I get enough points to challenge the Guardian to a fight?"


    L shook his head.


    "Look at your card."


    Adam mmed himself in his pockets, fumbled for the card, and pulled it out.


    The card was white, but in the center was a thick ring divided into three empty cells. Obviously, the cells needed to be filled in, but how and for what?


    "In the A-Zone, prisoners don''t have points, as it''s just meaningless. Everyone who made it here is definitely in the Top-100 strongest K1-Phantoms, there are usually no exceptions." L exined, making Adam''s eyes go wide.


    This was the first time he''d heard anything about rankings among Phantoms, not just monsters.


    Adam nodded understandingly. It made sense that the Phantoms had their rankings, but no one had ess to one single ranking. Each organization had its rating, as did the missions department and even the military.


    Somewhere they agreed with each other, and somewhere they didn''t. This was not surprising, as it was often very hard to determine the pure power of a Phantom.


    The Phantoms had different abilities, different roles in the team, as well as differentplexity of missions and their amount.


    discover-stories-on-NovelFire


    Moreover, some Phantoms acted only alone and some only in squads, some did both. There were too many factors as well as situations where one Phantom could outperform another.


    However, no rankings, noplicated thinking, and a lot of factors were needed to realize that someone like Alexia was much stronger than most Phantoms of the same level.


    "So... How do we fill these cells?" Adam asked thoughtfully, rubbing the back of his head.


    L nced at the rest of the prisoners.


    "You have to challenge three of them and win. Then, you can challenge the Guardian of the A-Zone to a fight and make your way to the S-Zone."


    Adam nodded, turned abruptly, and stepped forward, clenching his fists tightly. There was a visible intent from him in his actions.


    Tap.


    Edir''s hand fell on his shoulder, stopping, ready to rush into the fight, Adam.


    "Hey, take your time. You just woke up after a pretty serious battle. Not that Krana and Trana were very strong, but you''re still feeling the fatigue from The Will''s awakening, aren''t you?"


    Adam narrowed his eyes, and then he nodded.


    "Yeah... You probably know more about it than I do. Do you want to tell me how I can get to the same level as Trana and Krana?"


    Adam realized that although he was able to summon the ghost needle, it was only the first step of what The Will could do. His Aura Seal would have to be much stronger for his Aura to be some creature, not just a nameless and unstable weapon.


    "Hey, didn''t you see that I''m at the same level as you?" Edir shook his head with a bitter smile, "All I''m capable of is just summoning a phantom axe... Nothing more..."


    Adam rolled his eyes.


    "Enough of this spectacle already. You knew someone from F-Zone, couldn''t handle your monster aura. Even L realizes that you held back and could have defeated Trana and Krana."


    L quickly turned her head, looking back and forth at Adam and Edir.


    ''What...? Edir is actually that strong?!'' L inwardly eximed. This was a surprising fact to her.


    "Agh... You can''t be fooled. Even though you''re young, it seems like you''ve already lost your childish naivety. Many people retain it for decades toe and can''t get rid of it. Well, let''s do something more important first." Edir uttered, walking past Adam.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    Edir stopped, poking his chest with his thumb.


    "Clothes! We''re still wearing that tasteless stuff. There are any clothes of your taste here, and even a professional designer to help you with your selection! I already know what I want, though."


    Adam nodded, looking at the other Phantoms.


    They were all wearing different outfits of different styles, and only the two of them were still in the old outfit.


    Beep. Beep. Beep.


    At the same moment, Adam''s new bracelet vibrated - it was a call from Silvana.


    "Hey, you just called me the other day. Did something urgent happen?"


    ''Recently...? Adam, what are you talking about? It''s been thirty hours since myst call...''


    Adam''s eyes went wide as he looked at L.


    "How long have I been asleep...?"


    L turned away, whistling thoughtfully.


    "Fifteen hours..."


    Adam sighed heavily, shaking his head.


    "I see... Anyway, did you want something?"


    ''I know you said not to worry, but I almost got your case reviewed. Also, I can request a meeting with you in a few days!


    Adam scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.


    "Forget it."


    ''Agh... Adam, what are you talking about?'' Silvana asked anxiously. She knew nothing about the situation and thought Adam had given up. She had only assumed the worst about prisons.


    "At least I''ll be out in a week, and now... It''s time to update my closet!" Adam said vigorously as he headed for the clothing boutique.

 Chapter 154: Choice of Clothing and the First Guardians Weakness

    Silvana, as an Operator, could find almost any information, however, even for her, there were some limitations, and everything took time.


    It would have to be at least a few days before she could find out from the former prisoners of the Fall Hill Prison how things worked in this unusual ce. novel-hosted-NovelFire


    There was no other way for her to find out, since she had never worked at the prison and was just a normal person, nor did she have any Phantom friends who could tell her more.


    It would have been a big help to Adam, but... in his case, things were moving too fast since he was stronger than most of the other Phantoms of his level.


    Adam had been in prison for about two days, and that was including his long sleep after the fight with Krana and Trana. In that time he had managed to make it to the A-Zone, a ce where most prisoners stopped and waited until their time was up.


    Sure, a lot of people tried to go further to get their sentence reduced to one week, but getting to the S-Zone was hard. To pass the S-Zone... well... those who dared to do so faced an overly formidable challenge.


    Crackle.


    Edir emerged from the changing room, showing off the clothes he picked out.


    "What do you think?" Edir asked, slicking his hair back.


    L''s eyes went wide, shining brightly. She hadn''t realized that the right clothes could change Edir so much.


    Out of the many choices and thousands of clothing items, Edir favored a loose, ssic style with an eptable amount of essories.


    A gray jacket, ck vest, and white shirt tucked into wide dark pants and strangely enough... white sneakers... It seems that in terms of shoes, Edir couldn''t choose beauty overfort.....


    On his left hand were two identical engraved rings, and on his right one was a wide, clean bracelet as if made of marble. Around his neck was a simple metal chain without any additional marks.


    "Not bad, not bad at all, but..." L looked at Edir''s sneakers, and her eye began to twitch, "Did you have to ruin everything for the sake offort?"


    Edir smirked.


    "Of course I did! Nothing is more important thanfort, though, as you can see, I''m willing topromise." Edir said, pointing to the vest.


    Crackle.


    From a room a little farther away came Adam.


    "Oh, I knew it would fit you perfectly!" The girl designer tilted her head, pping lightly but not separating her palms from each other, just the tips.


    "How strange..." Adam muttered. He was slightly puzzled since this was different from the usual casual clothes he always wore. That said, he was thoroughly pleased with the result.


    "Something wrong?" The designer smirked.


    Adam shook his head, casting a nce at himself in the mirror.


    "Nah... I''m starting to get used to it... It was probably worth the whole hour we spent here, though... I''m seriously unconvinced about that." Adam scratched the back of his head, gazing at his new look.


    The top was of a dense ck material that encased his muscles, effectively showing every curve of his body that had been through many dangerous fights. It was a special material, so Adam didn''t feel heavy or stuffy, since the breathability was excellent.


    The pants were wide underneath, getting a little bigger towards the bottom, and then tapered sharply into ck shoes - big, flexible, and sturdy enough to withstand all his sudden movements.


    "Maybe some essories?" The designer suggested with an obvious sparkle in her eyes.


    Adam shook his head.


    "I think that''s enough. Let''s see how I feel in battle." Adam muttered, stretching out his arms as if like an athlete warming up before a run or a long workout.


    Adam didn''t notice it, but it was obvious to Edir and even L that the girl designer was just devouring him with her eyes. She was clearly in awe of the way he looked.


    ''Agh... I tried the same style once too, but it doesn''t suit everyone.'' Edir inwardly sighed while shaking his head.


    "By the way. If you like everything and want to buy the same set or maybe something new, then contact our design firm! We have our stores in all of Rings!" The girl uttered, holding out a business card to Adam.


    Adam was puzzled, but soon... the realization came to him as to why everything at A-Zone was the way it was.


    It wasn''t just that Crimson Path and Dark Order interfered with the structure at Fall Hill Prison. Ordinary people and especially big businesses contributed to the system!


    Sure, there were only twenty Phantoms in the A-Zone at the moment, but several hundred passed through in a year, and each such Phantom likely either already possessed a fortune or would do so in the near future.


    Such clients were worth the risk of trying to provide their services in prison!


    Yeah, in a way it was crazy, but not many people wanted to miss an opportunity like this.


    Adam stepped forward, approaching Edir with a serious look.


    "Are we done?"


    Edir adjusted his cor.


    "Yeah. Come on, let''s go get a mint ice cream cone, and I''ll tell you more about The Will. However... I''ll have a favor to ask of you for that favor."


    Adam''s eyes narrowed.


    "Sure. Say what you want."


    Edir nced at the ck gate leading into the S-Zone.


    "Obviously, after we talk, we''ll proceed to fill in the cells in our cards."


    Adam nodded slightly. He wasn''t going to stay at Fall Hill Prison one extra day. If he had a chance to get out today, he was going to do it, and he would try until someone or something stopped him.


    "Then, whoever fills the three cells first, I want to be the one to challenge the Guardian of the A-Zone. I''m sure you''ve had enough fun with Trana and Krana. In my memory, you''re the first to fight two Guardians at once." Edir smirked.


    "The first? Yeah... but that was because of you. You had the cards of three zones at once, how did you do that?" Adam asked with obvious interest.


    Edir lifted his chin arrogantly.


    "You want me to tell you my secrets, right? Well, there''s nothingplicated about it. I made it to B-Zone by simply suppressing all the Guardians with my aura. They didn''t fight me since they had already lost to me, before, when I was here the first time."


    Edir continued:


    "I was going to move to A-Zone, but that''s when I got the message from Tron and went back, picking up random prisoners'' cards on the way. That''s about it."


    Adam''s eyes went wide, for he had realized something very important.


    A prisoner from the F-Zone couldn''t go to the B-Zone unless he defeated a few Guardians, but... if the prisoner was already in the A-Zone, he could move freely throughout the prison!


    For Adam, this opened up a good opportunity to do something he had wanted to do for some time now.


    ''Narata... right?'' Adam muttered inwardly, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, ''I may not be a psychologist, but the reason for your weakness is beginning to make sense to me, because... you''re weak by choice. You certainly could be somewhat stronger. Well, I''ll leave that forter.''


    Then, Adam raised his gaze to Edir.


    "Come on. Let''s go, get your ice cream already. Tell me how to enhance your aura."


    Edir narrowed his eyes.


    "Sure. As soon as possible."

 Chapter 155: The Curse in Blessing (Part 1)

    "Your mint, strawberry, and vani ice cream! Please enjoy ande to ourpany at Second and First Ring!" The sales girl said with a bright smile on her face.


    Then, she started making ice cream for another prisoner, who was ready to pick up ten servings at once.


    "Looks like this ce is pretty popr." Adam muttered, looking at the prisoners that asionally approached this stall.


    "Sure, but honestly... their ice cream is pretty damn expensive. When I was a K0-Phantom, it took me a long time to get to theie level where my heart wouldn''t break from the pain of paying for a single ice cream cone." Edir said with a heavy sigh. read-first-at-NovelFire


    It was obvious that despite the endless smirks, the taunts, and the fact that he hid his power, Edir had gotten where he was through a thorny path and not by luck or someone else''s help.


    Adam understood him, just as he realized that not all Phantoms were millionaires and incredibly rich just because they were Phantoms.


    K0-Phantom, who had just started his journey and usually didn''t show incredible results on the first missions could certainly afford to live in the First Ring, but a businessman with two or three bakeries was wealthier.


    However, the owners ofrge corporations andpanies were richer even than K2, K3, and K4-Phantoms, but at this level, it was not so important.


    Money and influence could give power, but... what was the point when a single K4-Phantom was strong enough to destroy an entire neighborhood and hundreds of experienced military personnel?


    The only way ordinary people could allow themselves to fight the Phantoms was if they were protected by other Phantoms, which the Proud Wing under the auspices of Azure Lotus did.


    Adam''s eyes widened slightly as he, only now, realized that everything in Fall Hill Prison was free.


    "Okay, let''s cut to the chase." Edir said as his gaze became serious, and his aura became slightly more powerful.


    Adam nodded.


    "When you fought Trana and Krana, an Aura Seal appeared over your Evolution Tree, and you were also able to use The Will, the general name for the power of the aura."


    Adam narrowed his eyes.


    "What about the needle? Previously, I was attacked with des, just like you with the ghost axe. This is the first stage, isn''t it?"


    Adam realized that the power had to grow in stages, so he needed to find out how to advance further.


    "Yeah, you''re right. This stage doesn''t have an official name, but we prefer to call the first stage of Spirit - Weapon."


    "Spirit...?" Adam asked, puzzled.


    Edir nodded.


    "Your needle, my axe, Trana and Krana''s creepy ghosts, and even Prago''s flower monster are all Spirits. The shape of your Spirit is inside the Aura Seal. Well, I think that was obvious without me saying so."


    Adam ate his ice cream in silence for a while with a thoughtful look.


    Then, without taking his eyes off the process he asked:


    "How do I reach the next stage? At first, I thought only a K2-Phantom like Prago could do it, but Trana and Krana have done it as well as you..."


    Adam hadn''t seen Edir''s second stage Spirit yet, but he had full confidence in Edir''s abilities. Moreover, Edir himself had indirectly confirmed it earlier.


    Edir sighed heavily.


    "It... it''s not that simple. I mean, you should have noticed by now that unlike Evolution Tree, Nexus, or Artifact, The Will has no clear terms, no actions, no resources, nothing."


    Adam''s eyes went wide as he quickly immersed himself in the inner space.


    He nced at the Aura Seal, flew up, and touched it, but nothing happened. There was no way he could affect the circle or the needle hovering in the center. It seemed like it was all static, and didn''t have a connection to him.


    "See?"


    "Yeah... it''s a little weird." Adam muttered, opening his eyes.


    "To strengthen your Spirit, you must go through an even more serious battle than against Krana and Trana, where the big bet will be on your aura. Many in my position would not advise you to do so until K2." Edir said, by thest words, his voice had grown cold and hard.


    Adam cast a hard stare at him.


    "Why? You did it, even Krana and Trana did it. Not that I''m diminishing their merit, but both of them lost to me, so obviously I stand above them in strength."


    Edir, with a slight smile, waved his hand.


    "Hehehe, it''s not that you''re weak or can''t handle it, it''s the risks. I think you fully felt how much pressure it is on your body to create an Aura Seal and summon your Spirit. You endured it and were able to keep fighting, that''s really impressive. It shows that your strength and endurance are at a high level."


    Adam nodded with a serious look.


    His Elemental Root, Power Gene, and Natural Origin had a significant effect on his physical stats and damage resistance.


    "But... The second stage of the Spirit... that''s a different matter. I can''t know that for sure, but I am confident that Trana and Krana did it slowly and for a very long time."


    "Hahaha, the pressure from the abrupt transition from first stage to second stage Spirit would have broken all their bones and ripped their flesh apart!" Edir smirked, about to continue eating the ice cream, but... it had already melted.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Edir jumped over the booth and scooped a few balls of ice cream. The sales girl was shocked, looking at him in disbelief, but she didn''t say anything.


    "Anyway, given your skills and fighting style you''re used to doing everything through mortalbat. That''smendable, but it also means there''s a risk of serious injury if you awaken a second stage at an unfortunate moment." Edir nonchntly exined, looking at the mountain of ice cream balls.


    He smiled and whispered, ''Hah, that''s the one!''


    Adam rubbed his chin thoughtfully.


    "So... either long training and gradually reaching the second stage or sudden progress in a dangerous fight, but... If I''m not ready for it, the pressure will just break me, literally. Am I saying this right?"


    Edir nodded.


    "What did you do?"


    Edir paused, a smirk appearing on his face.


    "I did it during the fight, but... I got lucky, in a way. My opponent was dangerous, but I could dodge all the attacks, however, if I had made a mistake even once, I would have taken critical damage. Thus, my body was not weakened by wounds and cuts, and I was able to sessfully survive the pressure from the second stage."


    Adam nodded deeply, pondering the options.


    Sure, he wanted to do it during the battle, not just because it was somethingmon for him but because he was cing a big bet on his Elemental Root.


    ''Hmph... my Elemental Root possesses a gravitational element. If I understand it correctly, it should help me deal with the pressure if it''s of the physical type. Damn, it''splicated...''


    "Watch out!" L shouted, looking at Edir, who opened his mouth wide, swallowing several ice cream balls from his tower at once.


    Then, he took another bite and another with ease, eating the whole thing.


    "Alright. It''s time to fill the cells, but... who will be my first victim?" Edir smirked, casting a nce at the woman drinking wine and oysters.


    She smiled slyly, clearly ready for his challenge.

 Chapter 156: The Curse in Blessing (Part 2)

    Step. Step. Step.


    Edir stepped forward confidently, in his ssic suit, keeping his hands in his pockets and raising his chin to cast an arrogant nce at his soon-to-be opponent.


    "What a handsome fellow, care to keep mepany? These cute boys are boring me already." A woman with crimson hair, the tips curling at her shoulders, uttered.


    Then, she lowered her gaze, looking at Edir''s shoes, and frowned heavily.


    "Well... Even the sun has spots, doesn''t it?"


    Edir didn''t answer anything. He just smirked and walked right up to her, towering over her and casting a shadow from his broad shoulders.


    "If you were a little younger, I might even have a crush on you, but..." Edir nced down at her exposed cleavage, "The best I can offer you is a fight. I need to fill three cells to challenge the Guardian, you know."


    The woman waved her hand, releasing the attendant and taking the wine ss, slowly shaking it from side to side.


    "My name is Milisa, nice to meet you, cheeky." Milisa extended her hand, but not for a handshake but for Edir to kiss her palm like a knight.


    Edir narrowed his eyes, casting a menacing re at her.


    "If you don''t ept my challenge to fight right now, I will burn you as a witch, along with your clothes."


    At the same moment, Edir pulled his hands out of his pockets, causing them to burst into blue mes.


    The wine ss that was close enough to the blue me turned frosty, and a thinyer of ice formed on the wine.


    That did not frighten Milisa at all, however. She put the ss down on the table and stood up as her eyes shed red mes.


    "You can give it a try. You want to fight a Guardian, right? Well, I doubt you can beat even me!"


    Adam cast a confused gaze at them, while the other prisoners turned their attention to the imminent fight.


    "Hmm? They''re going to fight right here? Considering their abilities they''ll destroy everything here." Adam was sure that the energy barrier that was in the other zones wouldn''t be able to contain Edir and Milisa''s power.


    L shook her head.


    "Don''t worry. There''s a special arena in the A-Zone for that."


    "What? Where?" Adam turned around, trying to find the entrance to the arena, but there was nothing around.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, the ground shook as in the hall center, a circr tform opened up - an elevator leading to an underground arena.


    "Even lower?" Adam tilted his head in confusion, "Isn''t Fall Hill Prison underground? I mean, that''s the risk of running into the Lower Ring, isn''t it?"


    L smiled slightly as if Adam was sayingplete nonsense and acting naive.


    "Well, Edir brought you here, so no wonder you don''t realize where the A-Zone is."


    Adam raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest with a slight frown.


    L proceeded to exin with an intelligent look.


    novel-hosted-NovelFire


    "As you know, Fall Hill Prison is located underground. From one zone you go from one area to another at the same elevation, but going from B-Zone to A-Zone, you take the elevator up a level higher."


    L looked up at the tform leading to the arena. Edir and Milisa had already stood on it, ready to descend.


    "Given that there is a passageway leading to the elevator, the A-Zone is sort of diagonal from the B-Zone. Thus, the arena underneath the A-Zone is opposite the B-Zone - behind an extra solid wall several meters thick."


    "I see... Well, let''s see what Edir can do." Adam uttered, grabbing a soda and heading towards the tform, but...


    Whoooooooosh.


    The tform abruptly slid downward, closing the passage.


    Adam turned around confused, looking at L.


    He wanted to watch the fight and thought there were spectator seats downstairs.


    L didn''t answer anything, she just pointed to the floor.


    Then, all around the A-Zone, several tforms opened up, revealing transparent bs through which they could see everything that was going on in the arena.


    Moreover, wide screens emerged from the walls, ready to show Edir and Milisa''s fight from all angles in perfect quality so that the audience wouldn''t miss a single moment.


    "Agh... This is why I love my job." The ice cream seller girl smiled, cing her elbows on the table, and resting her cheeks on her hands.


    "At first, I thought it was a terrible idea to sell ice cream in prison to phantom inmates, real crazy, right? Well, every day here is like a magical colosseum."


    Then, she looked at Adam.


    "Hey, you''ll be fighting soon too, won''t you?"


    Adam gave her a hard stare.


    "Yeah... Looks like you''ve been around for a while. Seen a lot of battles and probably how the Guardian fights, haven''t you?"


    The girl nodded with a sly smile.


    "Looks like you''re pretty confident in your abilities like Edir, but getting into the S-Zone won''t be easy. Even if you can get three cells together, the Guardian will wipe you out."


    Adam shrugged nonchntly, causing the girl to look slightly surprised, her eyes widening.


    "It''s not that important since I won''t be the one fighting the Guardian, he will." Adam pointed at Edir, who had already started to release his aura.


    The arena was divided into two areas - so that multiple Phantoms could fight at once if necessary.


    Well, right now, all attention was directed to only one area.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Milisa''s hands burst into mes as her eyes shone brightly.


    She wasn''t going to hold back and was ready to act in full force - using her Second Order.


    A ming sphere appeared between her palms, quickly lengthening into a fiery projectile ready to strike her opponent with one precise attack.


    "Hey, what''s the rush?" Edir smirked, turning his aura into something more than just blue transparent mes or an axe, "I want to show off in front of someone, so... You''ll have to summon your Spirit as well. I know you''re capable of it."


    At the same moment, a clear silhouette of a creature of steel and metal appeared over Edir, with long ws engulfed in fire and a head like the hearth of a furnace with constantly emanating mes.


    Milisa became nervous as she found it hard to breathe.


    "Fine... As you wish."

 Chapter 157: The Curse in Blessing (Part 3)

    Blue and red mes - high and low temperatures - cold and heat, ice and fire: all of these could be said about the battle of Edir vs. Milisa.


    All this was the beginning of a great fight between the wielders of two simr yet opposite abilities.


    The red and blue Spirits shed, destroying themselves and showing that the aura powers were roughly equal.


    With a bright shbining the two colors, the duel began as Edir and Milisa simultaneously moved from their spots.


    All eyes were fixed on them, someone sure to learn something from this fight. There was every reason to do so.


    ...


    Step. Step. Step. Join the adventure on m,vlemp _y,r.


    Edir looked bored as he headed toward the arena center, toward the tform that would lift him and bring him back to the A-Zone.


    With each breath, he exhaled vapor with particles of blue me that soon fell to the ground like hundreds of snowkes due to the low temperature.


    Milisa was covered in blood that didn''t flow at all since it was frozen. Her breathing was stable, nothing threatened her life, but her eyes were empty since several powerful attacks had disabled her.


    "Agh... I wanted more. Well, what else would you expect from someone who enjoys wine and oysters so much without the most precious thing of all - freedom." Edir muttered, returning to the A-Zone.


    The many prisoners stared at him wide-eyed, he paid no attention to anyone. Now, he wanted to somehow get rid of the bitterness of frustration that was literally devouring him from the inside out.


    He wasn''t a wild beast ready to attack anyone, so... he''d chosen the tried-and-true method of many years.


    Ssh.


    The amber liquid of strong alcohol poured from the crystal bottle into the ss, covering a round ice block.


    "I''ll rest for now. I suggest you hurry up." Edir muttered, taking a sip. He didn''t look anywhere, but Adam realized - Edir was addressing him.


    "Sure." Adam nodded, seeking an opponent for himself.


    Edir had already filled one cell, and in just two fights, he would be able to challenge the Guardian.


    True, Adam would not fight Guardian, but given their unusual situation, if Edir defeated Guardian, they would both make it to the S-Zone.


    Not because Gurdian will be defeated and everyone could do the same since the passage will be open, but because Edir recognizes Adam. He would just let him through or say they are equally strong, and that''s it. Everyone understood that, so even such a formality was not necessary.


    ...


    Whoooooosh.


    The ghostly needle collided with the transparent spear, then again and again, each time creating a cascade of colorless sparks that soon disappeared into the void.


    "Fuck. Why the fuck is his Spirit so strong?!" The man gritted his teeth and growled, trying to resist Adam''s aura.


    Phantoms didn''t always use The Will at the beginning of a fight, since if the opponents were of equal strength there wasn''t much need for it.


    However... if one was superior to the other, it allowed one to get an advantage, and Adam had already realized that.


    He stood still, waving his hand from time to time and thus controlling his Spirit.


    The needle could act without his supervision, but then the uracy, speed, and power of the attacks as well as the density of the aura suffered greatly.


    Adam wanted to get used to his new power to understand its capabilities, advantages, and disadvantages, as well as how to make the ghost needle turn into something bigger and reach the second stage.


    ''Hmm... Perhaps this is overconfident, but it seems my needle is stronger not because it''s a needle but because my aura is much denser due to abination of various factors...'' Adam internally muttered sharply, waving his hand from top to bottom.


    Crackle.


    The needle pierced the spear, shattering it into tiny shards. Then, it rushed towards the man, passing through his chest.


    "Argh!!!" The man spat out a mouthful of blood, but the damage wasn''t enough to end the fight.


    "Bastard... Satisfied? Can we move on to the real fight?!"


    Adam didn''t answer. He just swung his arm, letting the needle pass through the man once more, but... nothing more happened. The man didn''t seem to have taken any damage, though that was it.


    "Hah, surprised? Just to think, you have such a powerful aura and Spirit, yet you''re aplete novice at this." The man shook his head with a bitter smile, "However, that means you deserved to get that kind of power. I can''t help but admit it."


    Adam gave him a questioning look.


    "Idiot, I''m talking about how an aura can''t hurt more than once!" The man eximed, causing Adam''s eyes to go wide.


    The man continued, "You broke my Spirit, so your aura attacked me. I took a fair bit of damage, as you can see."


    The man showed his bloody hands and looked at the crimson spot on the ground.


    "But, that''s the end of it. If it were some K1-Phantom rookie in my ce, he would have fainted after your attack, but I''m strong enough to keep fighting on." The man said proudly.


    Adam nodded understandingly.


    Aura had no physical embodiment, it couldn''t leave a cut on a body or tear clothing. Now, Adam realized how important it was.


    "Fine." Adam bowed slightly, "Thank you for the exnation. I now have a better understanding of how and for what to use The Will. However... I still need to fill my cell."


    At the same moment, lightning streaked down Adam''s legs as he became much faster - attacking with all his might.


    ...


    By mid-afternoon, Edir and Adam had finished two fights each - each time with victory on their side. The second time they fought simultaneously, filling two boxes in the arena.


    Edir looked for his next opponent now and then, teasing L. Each time, he became more and more persistent, and L gradually gave in, though she didn''t even realize if he was serious or just ying with her to relieve his boredom.


    Adam spent his free time lying on the couch that Milisa had previously upied, after the fight with Edir, she had gone to the infirmary and then to her cell to recover.


    He pondered, trying to figure out how to make the Aura Seal evolve so that Spirit would transform, but Adam didn''t know how to do it. Moreover, he had one important question that remained unanswered.


    ''Second stage...? Does it have to be rted to the monster of my Initial Gene, or does the form of the creature depend primarily on me and my power?''


    Sure, Adam could have asked Edir this, which he did, but Edir didn''t give him an answer, or rather, he told him not what Adam was hoping for.


    ''If I tell you, you''ll get too hung up on my answer. Just do as you feel you have to, up to this point, this tactic has worked, so I see no reason to deviate from it.'' - is what Edir said.


    "Agh... Whatever... While Edir hasn''t challenged the Guardian yet, there''s something else I have to deal with. I don''t know why, but I feel like it''s going to be a one-way trip to S-Zone."


    Adam jumped over the couch heading for the gate, but not to the S-Zone, but to the B-Zone, for his ultimate goal was the F-Zone, where Narata was supposed to be.

 Chapter 158: The Curse in Blessing (Part 4)

    Step. Step. Step.


    Walking from one light spot to another, stepping through the darkness, Adam strode leisurely along the long passageway.


    If some new prisoner saw him, one would think he was a Guardian or a prison employee. It would be impossible for a neer to think, that Adam had just arrived in this prison a few days ago and was an inmate like most of the Phantoms here.


    Well, Fall Hill Prison had its own rules, though they weren''t much different from the way this world worked and the ideology of the Dark Order.


    The strong could afford more than the weak - everyone understood that, and in Fall Hill Prison that system was elevated to a controlled one, as if in a game. Sure, Azure Lotus had to make greatpromises since it works that way.


    Crackle.


    A door in a long hallway opened abruptly.


    "What... what are you doing here!" Krana eximed with her eyes wide open. She was still covered in bandages in some ces, as she had not yet fully recovered from their fight.


    Adam raised an eyebrow.


    "Were there other passages here all along?" Adam nced around, watching the sides.


    Krana shook her head with a heavy sigh.


    "Of course... are there rooms and passageways for the staff, or do you think the guards, guides, and employees are always in the zones and sleeping with the prisoners?"


    "Sister, who are you talking to?" A weakened voice sounded behind Krana, as a silhouette slowly approached her.


    "YOU!!!!" Trana eximed, pointing at Adam with a shaking hand.


    Adam sighed.


    "What, can''t I walk around here? I defeated you, in case you forgot." Adam waved his hands. your chapter source mv-l,e mp _yr


    Krana and Trana nced over as they gulped. In fact, they had no right to forbid Adam from being here. He could go anywhere he wanted, except S-Zone.


    "Anyway. I''m looking for Narata. Do you know where she is?" Adam asked nonchntly, without any hidden meaning or malice.


    Krana frowned, and Trana narrowed her eyes mistrustfully.


    "What do you want from her?" Krana was wary, "I hope you realize that as a prisoner of the A-Zone, you can''t challenge a Guardian of the F-Zone, right? You''ve already defeated both her and us, so... don''t cause unnecessary trouble."


    Adam waved his palm in front of his face as if to show that he didn''t even have that in mind.


    "I just want to talk to her, though... since you''re here. Can I ask you one question?"


    Krana and Trana nced over again, then they nodded at the same time. Though they didn''t trust Adam, they felt he didn''t have any hidden intentions.


    "Why are you here? Why did you choose to work in this prison rather than continue fighting in Dead Lands?" Adam asked sincerely.


    Trana smirked as she lifted her chin and ced an open palm on her chest.


    "Hah, how do you know about our battles in Dead Lands? We''ve always been in that prison since it''s our duty to keep an eye on criminals like you."


    "Come on. It''s pretty obvious to anyone on my level that you''ve been here for a while and are actively fighting in Dead Lands, unlike Narata and... Guardian of the D-Zone." Adam scratched the back of his head since he had forgotten Lorko''s name.


    Trana froze in ce, they couldn''t say anything in response.


    Krana took a step forward with a light sigh. She realized that it was better to tell it like it was.


    "Alright. You''re right. We''ve only been here for two weeks, and we''ll be here for just as long. We were asked to do so by the higher-up members of the Azure Lotus, and what''s more, we were fine with it ourselves."


    Adam gave her a curious look.


    "We were told that here we would be able to strengthen our auras by fighting strong Phantoms. We were skeptical at first, but... There are some really strong opponents among the prisoners. For example - you or Edir..."


    "By the way... He''s been here before, so... how could you two have crossed paths?" Adam tilted his head in confusion.


    Krana smiled bitterly.


    "Well... This is not our first time here, but the second one since the first time wested twenty days out of the thirty required. The reason is very simple - Edir beat us so badly that we couldn''t continue working here. Our treatmentsted over two weeks."


    Krana continued, "This month, we are back again, and he is here again. It''s pretty ironic. Anyway, we''ll be back at Dead Lands in two weeks, since the Phantoms are supposed to fight monsters, not humans, you know?"


    Adam nodded understandingly. As he had originally thought, Krana and Trana weren''t much different from him or Edir, but... Narata was a different case.


    "Thank you for your honesty. Don''t worry about Narata. I''m going to ask her the same thing, after which I''ll return to A-Zone."


    Krana and Trana got dark looks. It seemed like this was not going to be an easy task at all.


    "Well, you can try, but even we didn''t get an answer from her. I don''t know why, but she''s afraid to talk about her true motives." Krana muttered with a slight sadness in her eyes.


    Adam nodded, heading towards the gate.


    "Hey, you!" Trana shouted, causing Adam to re at her over his shoulder without fully turning around.


    Trana threw her arm forward, "We won''t lose next time! We''ll fight again when we reach K2, do you understand?"


    Adam smiled as he nodded slightly.


    "Sure, how can I deny myself such a rare opportunity to defeat the twins twice?"


    Trana puffed up her cheeks as she clenched her fists tightly.


    Tap.


    Krana ced a palm on her shoulder, reassuring her little sister.


    "Come on. The tea''s already gone cold. There''s no point in continuing this."


    "Right... but we won''t lose again, you got that?!" Trana belligerently uttered, making Krana''s eyes go wide.


    Krana smiled bitterly.


    "Whatever you say. I''ll support whatever decision you make, as always."


    ...


    Twenty minutester, Adam finally reached the gate leading to the F-Zone.


    The gate was at the end of the hallway, and Adam needed to take ten more steps to reach it.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly, the gate opened, revealing a tall silhouette.


    Narata, already sans ck case was returning from the F-Zone, kicking dust off her shoulders. Obviously, she had just fought someone and easily won.


    After all, she was the Guardian of the F-Zone, and most of the prisoners were weaker than her. Not everyone was destined to go further and reach the final zone, like Adam and Edir.


    Crackle.


    The gate closed, taking away the light from the F-Zone and leaving only a dim glow in the long passage, with dark gaps.


    Narata looked up as her eyes went wide from Adam, who was staring intently at her.


    "What are you doing here? What do you want...?" Narata frowned.


    "I want to know - why you''re here and not in Dead Lands? Why are you fighting humans and not monsters? And... You could definitely be a lot stronger than you are now, but you''re holding yourself back. But, why?" Adam said calmly.


    Narata waved her hand.


    "I''m not going to say anything to you. Go back to your A-Zone and enjoy the royal treatment."


    She turned, and a shiver ran down her spine at the sight of silver threads weaving around Adam''s right hand, forming amongst the darkness a snow-white needle that hadn''t even been needed before.


    "Well, I feel like this is important to me, so... you have to do it. Maybe we can help each other, who knows? Holding everything in isn''t helpful at all." Adam uttered, stepping forward, making an echoing thud.


    Narata froze in ce as fragments of their fight shed before her eyes - especially how Adam had broken her Nexus with just his bare hands.

 Chapter 159: The Curse in Blessing (Part 5)

    Step. Step. Step. Step. Step.


    Each of Adam''s unhurried but steady steps echoed, the muffled sound bouncing off the walls as it approached Narata and consumed her like a haunting nightmare.


    Invisible chains of fear seemed to envelop Naratapletely, preventing her from moving.


    Soon, like an inevitable fate, Adam approached Narata, looking down at her from top to bottom due to the difference in their height.


    "Please don''t touch me... I''m just a weak and talentless Phantom... nothing more..." Narata muttered in a trembling voice, but... it would be obvious to anyone that she wasn''t sincere. Her fear, however, was more than real.


    It could only mean one thing - she was afraid to tell anyone about her feelings and the reason even more than Adam in his current state.


    Even though their first meeting happened only a short time ago, a lot had changed between the two of them. Adam no longer wore the prisoner''s outfit but was dressed in dark clothes that contrasted with the snow-white needle and the dim lights in the hallway.


    Adam paused, it seemed he wasn''t quite sure how to make Narata talk. He didn''t want to overdo it, he needed to keep the bnce: not too rough, but not too gentle, either.


    Tap.


    Slowly and even somewhat softly, Adam poked Narata in the shoulder with his palm.


    "Agh!" Narata''s back touched the wall as she gasped, not from the push but from shock, for Adam hadn''t applied any force at all.


    ''What...? He''s not going to fight me?'' Narata inwardly muttered in disbelief, looking at Adam.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Without warning, silently and calmly, Adam brought his arm up to attack, sharply thrusting the needle into the wall, right above Narata''s shoulder, piercing her ck curly hair.


    Adam bent over slightly, so that his serene eyes were on the same level as Narata''s wide-open eyes, while she breathed intermittently due to her elerated heartbeat.


    She realized that if Adam had actually wanted to do this, the needle would have pierced her head, not the wall. One narrow hole would have been enough to make her eyes lose their light forever.


    "You''re very nervous, it''s obvious to everyone. In that case, let''s do it this way - I swear not to tell anyone what you''re hiding. You have no reason to trust me, but... you only have my word, it''s the best I can offer." Adam muttered before pulling the needle out, taking a step back, and canceling his Order.


    Narata was silent for a long time as if considering all her options. She hardly had a choice, though.


    "Fine... but not here, we''ll go where there are no cameras or microphones... Follow me." Narata whispered, taking slow steps towards the door.


    Adam nodded, silently following her.


    After all, this was a prison, so not only the prisoners were watched here, but the Guardians and employees as well.


    They had their own rooms, dining halls, showers, and everything they needed, but they were under constant supervision - everyone understood and epted that.


    However, someone like Narata, who had been working at Fall Hill Prison for quite some time, knew a ce where they didn''t have to worry about tracking.


    Crackle.


    At the end of the staff passageway, Narata pushed aside a stove and walked behind the wall into a narrow aisle of massive pipes.


    Adam and Narata had to move sideways since there was hardly any space.


    "Where the hell are we?"


    "Before the prison was built in this ce, there was a small warehouse next to where the sewer pipes ran. And... there''s still a room here, though it''s more of a utility room for old tools, but somewhere you could rest for a while." Narata exined before reaching the widening passageway and approaching an old wooden door.


    Just as Narata had said, it was a back room, a small room with a decrepit table and two backless chairs. Usually, such things could only be found in slums.


    Adam closed the door and sat quietly across from Narata, waiting for her story.


    Narata sighed heavily, realizing there was nowhere to run, and looked up at Adam.


    "You wanted to know why I''m here fighting Phantoms and not the monsters in Dead Lands, didn''t you?"


    Adam nodded.


    "Well... Let me ask you one question first."


    "Sure. Go on."


    "How did you be a Phantom?" Narata asked with a serious look.


    "I want honesty from you, so I''ll answer as it is. I was lucky enough to be part of the experiment even though I''m from the slums and have no bloodline. I got Spark, then it''s just like everyone else - the preparatory academy and killing a monster with the help of other Phantoms." Adam said confidently.


    Narata smiled.


    "Agh... Yeah, we all go through that, don''t we?" Narata muttered, twirling a lock of hair. For some reason, her gaze was filled with a fleeting sadness.


    Narata continued after a brief pause, looking at the table instead of Adam:


    "And... What did you feel at that moment?"


    Adam hesitated, he couldn''t tell the real story since Narata didn''t know about Naturalborn Phantoms, so... he quickly came up with a believable version that at the foundation was true.


    "Well, it was a difficult day, I had mixed feelings, but overall... My dream finally came true. I became strong and got the chance to not only improve my life and my family but to fight monsters. I won''t hide it, that was difficult and dangerous at first, but... it''s what I''ve wanted since I learned about Phantoms, Dead Lands, and monsters - ever since I was a kid."


    Narata nodded slightly.


    "I see... Just as I thought you and I werepletely different... though that was obvious from our fight. I understand you better now."


    Adam wanted to say something, but Narata beat him to it, raising her head and making Adam''s eyes go wide with a chill running down his spine.


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    Massive droplets dripped down Narata''s cheeks and fell onto the table, breaking with bursts of grief. Her eyes were streaming with tears, and her whole body trembled as if in panic.


    "But... Tell me, Adam... Have you ever thought that not everyone wants to be a Phantom?! I didn''t choose this life!!!" Narata''s scream pierced the walls, and Adam''s consciousness forever sealed itself into his soul.


    Sobbing, Narata tucked her face into her hands, not wanting to show such a self to the world - wishing to hide from everyone.


    "I... I never wanted to fight monsters... They''re scary... very scary...!" Narata cried like a child who finally revealed her secrets and inner worries.


    "Constant training... genes... teamwork... and endless deaths...! I can barely even stand the sight of blood! What the hell kind of Phantom am I?!


    I can''t keep fighting like the others with crazy grins, covered in monster guts! I... I''m just useless trash..." Narata muttered, still not looking up.


    It was quite some time before Adam was able toe to his senses. Narata was right, he had never thought about it - to him that was something surreal, simply impossible.


    "Then... If you didn''t want to be a Phantom... What path did you follow before this? What did you want to be?" Adam asked sincerely, still in a state of shock.

 Chapter 160: The True Dream

    In a world where every day could be thest and humanity was surrounded by countless monsters, the only saviors were the Phantoms.


    They were humanity''s only weapon capable of killing monsters and bing stronger as a result.


    That the Phantoms were the defenders of the Citadel and the creators of the future - knew everyone, without exception.


    Sure, many people were living in the Citadel, millions, no... tens of millions! So, not everyone had the same good opinion of the Phantoms. But, even Proud Wing never said the Phantoms were unnecessary, let alone that they should be gotten rid of.


    Everyone from the military to themon people and Proud Wing understood and recognized that without the Phantoms, the Citadel would not have existed long ago.


    So bing a Phantom was everyone''s ultimate dream, wasn''t it? After all, if one lit the Spark, he would gain superpowers and the ability to control destiny with his own hands! Only Phantoms could deal with monsters and change things.


    True, a lot of things were also influenced by the power and money the Phantoms had. Many people wanted to be Phantoms just because of these two factors.


    Unfortunately, one could only be a Phantom through luck. People could hope for Spark to appear, and all they could influence was the odds - if the one possessed a decent bloodline.


    Indeed, there was another way, but... the government and the Big Three had made a titanic effort to ensure that only a limited number of people had information about the Naturalborn Phantoms.


    Thus, neither Adam, nor themon people, nor the Phantoms, would ever think that there could be someone like Narata - a Phantom who didn''t want to be a Phantom.


    Well, actually, if Adam had started thinking about it, he would have realized that it was a real thing.


    The appearance of the Spark depended solely on luck, so it was a double-edged sword.


    It didn''t matter what Narata''s dreams and goals were, what path she had chosen, or how much effort she had already put in and was willing to keep doing it - once she had the Spark, none of that mattered, because now she had only one option - to be a Phantom.


    Narata wasn''t the only one, though it was a minority of cases, but it was a real problem that most people didn''t even know existed.


    It wasn''t surprising, though, because Narata didn''t want to talk about it for a reason.


    Imagine an ordinary person who dreamed of bing a Phantom, but never awakened Spark.


    If such a person stood in front of Narata at that moment, he would have seriously condemned her for cowardice and for not deserving the privilege of bing a Phantom.


    Unfortunately, the vast majority, especially amongst themon people, would have gone straight to insults, hardly anyone trying to understand Narata. Even, among the Phantoms, there would be few willing to understand the situation, for them, Narata was a weakling and a coward.


    People like Narata had no other option but to stay as far away from the Dead Lands as possible and from her direct duties.


    From her perspective, being a Guardian in Fall Hill Prison was a hundred times better than shivering in fear and risking her life to fight against creepy monsters.


    Moreover, simple wisdom was also at work here - you couldn''t make any real progress without a sincere desire and fire in your eyes.


    "What...? What did you say... I... I didn''t hear..." Narata muttered, lifting her head slightly, and looking at Adam with wide eyes.


    "I won''t say I understand you, I don''t, but I realize you wanted to be someone else. Who, maybe a cksmith?" Adam suggested, trying to steer the conversation to another topic.


    Narata took a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling with a heavy gaze. Strangely enough, the tears were slowly bing less and less.


    "Screw it... I''ve already said too much already, so... if you want to listen..."


    Then, Narata stood up, confidently resting her hands on the table and staring intently at Adam.


    "I wanted to be an Operator! Yes! I''ve always been fascinated by the idea of being able to help kill monsters without fighting them! Guess what?!" Narata said menacingly, as she approached Adam as if trying to prove something to him.


    However, it was obvious that she was letting her feelings out and was ready to spill everything she had umted over the years.


    "You! I wanted to be the Operator of a Phantom like you! Strong, talented, and willing to fight monsters! I... I... I wanted to serve my Phantom faithfully like any worthy Operator!


    Damn! I tried harder than the rest of my friends who eventually became Operators!" Narata eximed, causing Adam to freeze in shock again for a while.


    Narata clenched her palms into fists.


    "Don''t be silent! Say something! I''m here crucifying myself in front of you, and you can''t even say a word?!"


    Adam''s fingertips came into motion as he wanted to do something, but at thest moment, he changed his mind as he came up with a better idea. He fully understood that Narata was being as sincere as possible.


    "Silence!" Adam said formidably, and Narata closed her mouth.


    "Sit back down!" m-vle|mpyr exclusive


    Narata did so quickly, without objection. She shuddered, rumpling her clothes, clearly nervous that her words had angered Adam.


    But... Adam just smiled kindly, taking away all of Narata''s worry.


    "Well, how are you feeling? I mean, if you were an Operator you''d be obligated to follow your Phantom''s orders without question." Adam asked with a slight smile.


    Narata gulped, then she looked at her hands with a surprised realization that the trembling had stopped.


    "What...?" Narata muttered in disbelief, then she turned to Adam, "Calm and... safe... How strange..."


    Adam sighed, put his hands behind his head, and said rxedly:


    "Just do it."


    "Agh...?"


    "Be an Operator. Sorry, I''m already taken, but there are plenty of Phantoms that need Operators with as much enthusiasm as you."


    Narata''s eyes went wide. She didn''t understand how she could do it, but... in that moment... her already dead and long-buried dream, began to grow again.

 Chapter 161: A Real Opportunity

    "What...? Adam, I don''t think you realize how difficult this is..." Narata muttered with a happy smile.


    She was d that there was someone who could understand her, but one couldn''t just get rid of the Phantom status and be someone else.


    Phantom, unlike cksmith, Operator, or Harvester, was not a profession. It couldn''t be learned in a few years at the academy and change professions if desired. A military man could be a medic, a Harvester could be an Operator, but the Phantom could not be anything else - it was a blessing and a curse.


    If such a fate was the dream of the one, then it was a blessing, and if it was someone like Narata, then it was a true punishment from the heavens.


    Adam was silent for a while, eyes closed and pondering something. It seemed he had some option, and that gave Narata hope.


    "Narata... You joined Azure Lotus because it allowed you to be here, and as a Phantom not wanting to be a Phantom, you''re close to their ideology ofplete equality, aren''t you?" Adam asked, trying to make sense of the situation.


    Narata nodded uncertainly.


    "They don''t know my true reasons, so... yes, to some extent, I used them."


    Adam smirked, then he remembered Tron''s words. He hardly knew a situation like this would happen, but Adam could take advantage of it.


    "Hah, you''re smart, but... you picked the wrong organization." Adam smiled slyly, "You should use their rules and ideology to get out of your situation."


    Narata tilted her head in confusion.


    "Look. Obviously, there''s no way for you to go to Crimson Path. They praise the Phantoms and their bloodlines. I can''t know for sure, but something tells me that for Crimson Path, a Phantom not wanting to be a Phantom is like a heretic refusing a blessing." Adam exined.


    Narata nodded. She knew this, for she had been considering for a long time which organization to join.


    "There is only one option left out of the Big Three - the Dark Order." Adam said as if that was the answer to her problem.


    "Dark Order... Adam, they glorify strength. To them, the most important thing is power, everything else is not as important as pure power... A weak Phantom afraid of monsters like me will be nothing but a target for them to mock." Narata muttered with evident bitterness in her gaze.


    Adam shook his head.


    "You''re wrong. Their basic idea is that the Phantom can get and do anything, depending on his strength. If you''re as strong as Damien, you can do anything you want, if you''re weak, then your options are severely limited."


    Narata didn''t say anything, she just listened to him carefully with hope in her gaze.


    "But, who says being weak is bad? Maybe being weak gives you fewer opportunities than being strong, but... everyone gets what their strength deserves." Adam uttered.


    Then, he smirked and pointed at Narata.


    "You are weak, and you have no desire to be powerful. In that case, wouldn''t it be better to serve as Operator to some Phantom who is vastly superior to you? Moreover, I take it you don''t need to go through the study again, right?"


    Narata nodded vigorously.


    "Is that really possible? If so, I won''t even have to rebuild my Nexus... my weapons will be help and information, not a huge piece of metal..." Narata muttered, biting her lip almost to the point of bleeding.


    Adam put his hands behind his head and said with a careless smile: "I don''t know."


    "Agh...?" Narata''s eyes went wide, "You were so confident about it!"


    Adam shrugged, "Well, this is the first time I''ve encountered something like this, so... I think we need help."


    Get hooked on mvl _emp _yr novels.


    Tap.


    Adam tapped his bracelet, calling Silvana. He wasn''t worried that anyone could overhear them, since if it was done via the bracelet, Narata would have asked him to take it off before entering the room.


    ''Yes? Is something happening? Silvana answered quickly, not even ten seconds had passed.


    "Well... Something unusual. Do you have any way to contact Damien? At least leave him or Beth a message. Also, if that doesn''t work, try contacting Tron."


    ''Fine, do I need to give them a message?''


    Adam nodded.


    "It''s a long story, so listen carefully, hopefully, Tron and Damien will understand us correctly." Adam cast a nce at Narata.


    She was clearly nervous, but she didn''t stop him. After what she''d heard, she was willing to risk sharing her story with those who could, in theory, change her life.


    Time was running out.


    Silvana hadn''t been able to contact Damien or Beth, which wasn''t surprising. They were busy people, and Adam was just an acquaintance, nothing more.


    But... Tron responded rather quickly, Silvana had his contacts after Tron had saved Adam''s squad after the battle with the Phantoms from the Lower Ring.


    Moreover, after realizing the situation Tron was able to do what Adam and Silvana couldn''t - contact Damien. They were from the same organization, so for Tron, it was much easier.


    Beep.


    Adam''s bracelet shed as a 3D model of Damien appeared who was wearing a strange costume - both light and heavy, covering some parts of his body and leaving others exposed. Apparently, he was now somewhere in Dead Lands for some mission.


    "Hey, I''m a bit busy, but Tron exined everything to me. Meet him in three days. And... as an afterthought..." Damien paused briefly, "It''s possible."


    Then, Damien disconnected, they obviously wouldn''t be able to contact him again anytime soon.


    Sure, the issue hasn''t been resolved yet, and there may be problems ahead, but... Damien''sst words were enough for Narata''s heart to start beating faster and her eyes to shine brightly.


    "YEAH!!!!" Narata eximed happily, jumping on Adam with her arms spread out.


    She clutched him tightly, unable to contain her emotions. It seemed to her that her nightmare and curse were finally beginning to pass, and it was all only because of Adam and his persistence.


    "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Narata repeated, pressing Adam''s head hard against her chest.


    Adam''s hands came in motion, heading towards Narata, and about to pull her away, but... he stopped, dropping his hands with a bitter smile, on his face.


    "Oh... I''m sorry, I... I was just too nervous..." Narata stepped back. She calmed down a bit only after a couple of minutes.


    "It''s alright. So... in three days, your fate will be decided, right?" Adam smiled, ncing at Narata and her breasts, between which his face was clutched. It wasn''t noticeable under her military uniform, but Narata possessed something other women might envy.


    "Ughum." Narata nodded, but soon her eyes went wide, "Wait... three days? Even if you made it to the A-Zone, you still have a month to go... I can''t do it without you..."


    Adam looked up with a slight smile.


    "Well, I don''t know if Damien said that on purpose, but I think I''ll be out of here pretty soon. I''m sure... Right now, I''m missing something interesting, so... I guess I''ll head back to the A-Zone." Adam said, heading towards the exit.


    He wasn''t wrong, because Edir wasn''t going to wait for Adam, who had mysteriously disappeared. Edir was already fighting against the Guardian of the A-Zone.

 Chapter 162: Strange Relationships

    Crackle.


    The door closed, leaving Narata alone in the dusty old room. If it weren''t for theck of cameras, no one would havee here. Who would have thought that this would be Narata''s happiest day ever?


    True, nothing was decided yet, they had to meet with Tron first, but... she had hope and that was the most important thing. Moreover, Damien''s words, the Citadel''s protector, were more important to her thanws and social rules.


    Narata clenched her fists tightly with a wide smile on her face.


    "Yes!"


    ...


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Edir fought against a girl dressed in ck with shoulder-length dark hair and the same eyes.


    Oddly enough, unlike the other Guardians, she didn''t use Nexus and fought against Edir with her bare hands like all the other prisoners.


    With each blow, ck lightning streamed through her arms, tearing Edir''s blue, cold mes away before they could recover again.


    Step. Step. Step.


    At the same time, Adam returned to the A-Zone. He wasn''t surprised to see that all the prisoners had their eyes on the arena or the screens, showing the fight from all angles.


    "Hmm? Where are her weapons?" Adam asked,ing to L.


    "Oh, you''re back." L turned around abruptly, she was focused on the fight and didn''t even notice his approach.


    Adam nodded.


    "Yeah... It took longer than I originally nned, but it was definitely worth it. Our world is much more interesting than it seems, even within the Citadel, there is so much going on and so many secrets..." Adam muttered with a deep gaze.


    L got a strange look, but she didn''t question it. After all, the other important thing right now was Edir''s fight against the A-zone Guardian.


    "This Crita - the strongest Guardian in the Fall Hill Prison. Unlike the other Guardians, she principally doesn''t use Nexus since she believes she can defeat anyone without that advantage." L exined quickly.


    Adam nodded, paying attention to their facial expressions. Edir had a sly smirk, and Crita had a serious look. But, she seemed to be more focused not on the fight but on Edir, not because he was her opponent, but for another, more important reason.


    "Agh... There''s something else I have to tell you. Just don''t share it with anyone! It''s a secret!" L said carefully, with a finger ced to her lips.


    Adam gave her a questioning look.


    "Crita... She''s Edir''s ex..." L whispered, in Adam''s ear.


    Adam''s eyes went wide as the corners of his mouth lifted.


    "That''s interesting, but...I don''t see any anger or hatred in her gaze, just desire."


    L sighed heavily.


    "Well... It''s Edir''s fault." L whispered, looking at Crita with a sad look, "As you know. This is Edir''s second time in this prison and the first time he made it to S-Zone too. Then, they were still together, and Crita asked him not to fight and just wait in the A-Zone."


    Adam nced at Edir, then at Crita. It seemed that the reason for their breakup wasn''t standard at all, because usually after a breakup either both or one hated their ex.


    "Then, Crita fought using her Nexus and lost... At the same moment Edir broke up with her, though no, that''s not quite right. He stopped their rtionship." L exined, looking intently at Edir.


    "Hmmm, stopped it? What does that mean?" Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion. In his mind, a rtionship was either active or not.


    L scratched her cheek in puzzlement.


    "He said he wouldn''t date someone who couldn''t defeat him with the Nexus. Honestly, I don''t understand Crita. If I were her, I would have forgotten about him a long time ago. How can you want to be with someone again who broke up with you like that?" L frowned. She clearly didn''t approve of Edir''s actions.


    Adam rubbed his chin thoughtfully.


    The rtionship between Phantoms was supposed to be different from that between normal humans, but that didn''t justify Edir in any way. The reason was Crita.


    "Pfffft! You just don''t know anything about Crita." A familiar voice sounded next to them. Strangely enough, it was Milisa, that had yet to recover from her fight against Edir.


    L and Adam gave her a questioning look.


    Milisa sighed heavily.


    "Crita is just a lovesick fool."


    Adam and L nced over, unsure if they had heard everything correctly.


    "I don''t know why, but she''s willing to do anything to get back with Edir. Sure, he''s powerful, but doesn''t she have self-respect and pride?" Milisa cast a hard look at Crita, "All in all, these two definitely have an abnormal rtionship, and it''s still unclear who is crazier. Edir, who left her because of her weakness, or Crita, who can''t let him go."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, their fists collided, releasing electrical discharges and particles of blue me.


    Edir smirked, simultaneously with Crita jumping back.


    "I''ve had enough of this! I''m going to make you change your mind now!" Crita eximed belligerently as her eyes shone brightly.


    Thick bolts of lightning flowed down her arms to her elbows, containing an intimidating, destructive power.


    Edir said nothing, he just responded in kind - preparing to use his Second Order.


    Blue mes engulfed his hands, while a tiny sphere appeared between his palms, slowly rotating and absorbing the streams of fire, gradually increasing its power.


    "Alright. Ready?" Edir asked with a confident smirk.


    Crita nodded silently with a deadly serious look.


    "Last time, you almost cried when I beat you without Nexus. Let''s see what''s different now!" Edir took a step forward, extending his arms.


    The sphere stopped, glowed brightly, and released umted power in a single stream of fire.


    Crita responded instantly - vertically mming her palms together and unleashing a wave of ck electricity so dense it was practically a sma seeking to destroy everything in its path.


    As expected, the mes and lightning shattered each other, covering the floor with a thinyer of ice that quickly crumbled due to the asional electrical discharges.


    Then, even though the sphere and the electrical wave were still trying to suppress each other, Edir rushed forward - passing through the two elements.


    It left several wounds on his body, tearing his suit apart, but it didn''t seem to bother him.


    Crita''s eyes went wide, it was obvious, that she was ready to give up because Edir''s fist was already aiming for her stomach.


    However, at thest moment, she put up a defense, stopping his fist that for some reason seemed light and even weak... as if Edir had done it on purpose.


    "Hah, not bad." Edir grinned before grabbing Crita''s shoulders and knocking her down with one swift motion - dropping her to the ground.


    "Give up." Edir said arrogantly, looking down at her. He seemed to be putting Crita through some test that only he understood.


    Stay tuned with mvle-mp _y,r.


    Crita''s heart began to race, she realized there was nothing she could do from this position.


    ''No... It''s not over yet!'' Crita inwardly eximed, trying to strike Edir''s legs with lightning.


    However, before she could do anything, his palm was on her neck. One split-second movement would have been enough to take Crita''s head off.


    But...


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Edir suddenly lifted Crita in his arms like a groom his bride and kissed her quickly under the eyes of dozens of prisoners. He didn''t hesitate to squeeze her ass, enjoying his prize.


    "Good." Edir smiled sincerely, "Now you are no longer a cowardly girl, but a real woman ready to go for your goal. Now we''re a couple again!"


    Crita didn''t answer anything, she just with trembling eyes, touched her lips, not understanding or believing what had just happened.


    Edir... Well, his actions and ways were actually strange, but some were crazy about it.

 Chapter 163: S-Zone

    L''s eyes went wide, though she wasn''t the only one with that reaction. One couldn''t me her, what Edir had done was not at all like a prisoner fighting against a Guardian, however, it wasn''t like a couple solving their problems either.


    "Hey, how are you feeling? That was a pretty good fight, wasn''t it?" Edir smirked, looking at Crita.


    Crita was slowlying to her senses, and the first thing she noticed was Edir''s hand on her ass. It seemed Edir wasn''t going to stop enjoying her firmness.


    "Have you no shame at all?!" Crita eximed, waving her arms and legs with a flushed face.


    Edir lifted his chin, then abruptly lowered his head, almost colliding with Crita''s foreheads. His narrowed eyes were directly in front of her, and the tips of his hair fell over her cheeks as if trying to hide her embarrassed face from view.


    "Do you mind? Just say the word, and I''ll stop right now, and even put you on the ground. You know, I respect my partner''s wishes. But... We both know that''s not going to happen, don''t we?" Edir whispered, in a sly voice.


    In fact, Edir wasn''t lying. It was enough for Crita to ask him to stop and he would do it, but Crita just turned aside and muttered:


    "Just take me outside the gate, and that''s it. Stop making this mess. You know me too well."


    "As you wish princess." Edir smirked, making Crita blush even more. No one had ever addressed her like that except Edir, and he knew perfectly well that it was her weakness.


    However, he was in no hurry to leave, because there was someone else, who intended to go to the S-Zone.


    Stay with m _v _l _e _mp _y _r.


    "Hey, how much time do you need?" Edir turned around, speaking to Adam, who was watching him intently.


    Adam red at him and simply pointed a single finger before confidently stepping toward the first prisoner he saw.


    Step.


    The ground at Adam''s step shook, causing his next victim to shiver. It was a regr prisoner of the A-Zone who was watching the fight with a cocktail in hand.


    "Wait! Take your time. I surrender, you can have your cell." The man put his hands up. He had no desire to fight, especially when the chances of winning were very slim.


    Adam looked at his card, nodded, and headed for the dark gate.


    L looked back and quickly followed him. She was with Adam from the F-Zone, and she was going to go all the way to the end because the finals were near.


    At the same moment, the arena tform rose, revealing Edir carrying Crita in his arms.


    He lowered her to the ground only when they reached the gate.


    "Hopefully, there won''t be a problem with him going through as well, right?" Edir asked, pointing at Adam.


    Crita threw him a stern and cold stare, not the way she looked at Edir.


    "Even if it''s you asking for it... I can''t go against the rules. However, I can pass judgment in other ways. You, release your aura, but without Spirit, just show your pure power." Crita said menacingly, pointing at Adam.


    "Fine." Adam nodded with a calm face.


    He didn''t want to fight against Crita, especially after learning about the additional circumstances. If he could pass on simply by releasing his aura, then it was a great deal.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, a threatening aura began to emerge from Adam''s body like a white-hot me seeking to consume everything around it.


    Crita released her aura as well, dark and sharp as lightning. The two auras collided, and gradually Adam''s aura engulfed Crita''s, putting serious pressure on her.


    Until Edir swung his hand, sshing the ck and white auras with a blue one.


    "Hey, that was enough, wasn''t it?" Edir asked with a sly smile.


    Crita nodded uncertainly. She didn''t want to show it, but she didn''t expect Adam''s aura to be so strong.


    "Alright, then we''re off." Edir waved his hand, heading towards the dark gate that had already opened.


    Crita wanted to say something but hesitated due to her timidity, and Edir beat her.


    "I''ll be out of here soon, and we''re going on a date that same day. Do you understand me?" Edir uttered, looking at her intently.


    Crita nodded quickly a few times as if this opportunity would be lost if she didn''t.


    "And... Quit this dump already..." Edir muttered scratching the back of his head, "If you want, you can go on missions with me."


    Crita''s eyes opened wide with happiness because Edir had never wanted to take her on missions together in the Dead Lands before. His reasoning was very simple - Crita was too weak, and he didn''t want to risk her life.


    No one knew it yet, but it wouldn''t be a couple of hours before Crita was writing her resignation letter. Now, she had no reason to be here and not in Dead Lands.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam, L, and Edir were heading for the S-Zone, which was essed by a long but not very tall staircase.


    The S-Zone was the highest point in Fall Hill Prison, except for the main building - if one got there, one could leave the prison safely, but one had to go through the S-Zone to get there.


    "You two seem to have a very unusual rtionship, don''t you?" Adam asked, ncing at Edir.


    "I wouldn''t say that." Edir said rxedly, holding his hands behind his head.


    "Hmm?" Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    Edir sighed heavily.


    "Adam, every rtionship is unique and has nuances, especially if it''s a rtionship between Phantoms and especially if, in your rtionship, one is a prisoner and the other a guardian. I couldn''t bepletely sure about Crita before, because she always gave up halfway through."


    Edir continued with a deep gaze, it was obvious, that this was actually important to him.


    "She always wanted to go on missions together, but I knew that with an attitude like hers, sooner orter, tragedy would befall us. I''m not ready to lose someone close to me, you know? I''m ready to insult and offend, but to keep someone alive. That''s a price worth paying."


    Adam said nothing, he only nodded in agreement, though he didn''t fully understand what Edir was talking about. He needed either time or to be in his shoes topletely understand.


    Both - Edir and Crita were somewhat older than him and had more experience in areas where Adam was aplete novice.


    "L... So what''s in store for us in the S-Zone?" Adam asked, "Is there a Guardian we need to defeat?"


    L took a deep breath, lowering her gaze to the floor.


    "As I said earlier. Crita is the strongest Guardian, besides her, there are no other Guardians in this prison." L muttered.


    "We have to defeat the Warden." Edir said sharply, not waiting for L to mention it.


    Adam''s eyes went wide.


    "But... It''s Prago... He''s a K2-Phantom!" Adam waved his hand, realizing how slim their chances were.


    "Yeah... That''s why we won''t be out of here until a week from now..." Edir sighed heavily, remembering how Prago had beaten him upst time.

 Chapter 164: Ally

    Each time a prisoner passed into the next zone, their sentence was reduced by 20%. This rule worked without exception until the prisoner reached the S-Zone. Then, the original sentence was reduced to a week, no matter how long the original sentence was.


    In fact, to some extent, it was a purely symbolic period, as the conditions of the S-Zone were more like a 5-star resort than a prison.


    But, those who managed to get to the S-Zone did not need personal cooks, services like massages, and various entertainments. They could get it all on their own. It didn''t matter to them, all they cared about was getting their freedom.


    However, to do that, a prisoner had to defeat Prago, and that seemed to be an impossible task.


    Prago was a K2-Phantom, regardless of his skills, the simple difference in level was enough for the K1-Phantoms to not stand a chance against him.


    "Do we have to fight against Prago only 1 vs. 1?" Adam asked, casting a nce at L.


    L shook her head.


    "You can challenge him alone, but if you follow the rules, up to three prisoners can fight Prago at once. Sure, there have been times when more prisoners attacked, but then other Guardians woulde to the rescue, and then Prago would personally make life difficult for anyone who broke a rule."


    Adam nodded.


    "I see... So it''s only 3 vs. 1. Well, we already have two, don''t we?" Adam nced at Edir, who looked at Adam with a baffled face and pointed at himself.


    "Hey, I already fought against Prago, and it was a damn bad idea. Do you want me to get beaten up again? Come on, we can just wait a week, drinking cocktails and watching movies. Seven days will go by fast, you won''t even notice." Edir suggested, he clearly thought that was a bad idea.


    Adam smirked.


    "Is someone really afraid? You have the advantage. You''ve fought him before, which means you know what he''s capable of."


    Edir narrowed his eyes, saying nothing. It seemed he was beginning to think about it, but he wasn''t ready to ept Adam''s offer yet.


    "What''s more, you probably should have felt something strange when fighting Prago."


    "Hmm?" Edir gave him a questioning look.


    Adam sighed, "In some ways, Prago and Narata are simr. Even though Prago only attacked me twice, it was enough to realize that he has a clearck ofbat experience."


    Edir''s eyes went wide.


    Adam continued, "I didn''t realize what it was at the time, but after the fight with Narata, it finally came to me. I think if we can find someone of our level in S-Zone, we''ll at least have a chance."


    Edir was silent for a while, then corners of his mouth went up, and a sly smirk formed on his face.


    "Alright, but, we''ll only get one shot at this. If we fail, we''ll just wait until the end of the week before we get out of here."


    Adam smiled contentedly.


    L looked back and forth between Adam and Edir. She couldn''t believe they were serious.


    However, their task wasn''t impossible. Sure, K2-Phantom was much stronger than K1-Phantom, but the difference wasn''t infinite.


    If their target was a Second Rank Phantom, it wouldn''t matter how many allies they had. Even a thousand K1-Phantoms wouldn''t be able to do anything against Second Rank Phantom.


    It would be like trying to defeat North Keeper with the strength of ordinary people without weapons. Even ten thousand wouldn''t be enough.


    But, Adam and Edir although they were K1-Phantoms, were on the border and were about to be K2-Phantoms soon. Each of them only had a few steps to take, most of the way was already behind them.


    Moreover, theirbat experience and skills were superior, and if they had the same ally, against the rtively weak K2-Phantom, they stood a chance.


    Adam had no doubt that Prago''s strength was below averagepared to the other K2 Phantoms. He was sure of it when he met Tron at the police station.


    The difference in their auras was too obvious, even in a calm state.


    Step. Step. Step.


    They reached the entrance gate, entering the S-Zone.


    Unlike the A-Zone, there were only six prisoners here, considering Adam and Edir, there were now eight. Most of them would be out in a few days or even tomorrow, so... the atmosphere was calm, even too much so.


    Boredom literally floated in the air.


    The S-Zone had even more service and entertainment than the A-Zone, but the Phantoms hardly used it. Most just lounged on the plush couches, watching or reading.


    "Well. If we lose, we''ll spend the rest of the week like this. Not so bad, but no luxury is more valuable than freedom, is it?" Edir sighed, looking at the simple door at the end of the S-Zone.


    It looked like the other staff doors since if one went through it, one could go outside. As soon as a prisoner left the prison, he was free, and it didn''t matter if it was after the end of his sentence or before.


    "So... Do you know any of them?" Adam asked, pointing to the six prisoners.


    Edir shook his head.


    "Nah. This is the first time I''ve seen them all, but... I know who we need." Edir said confidently, raising a finger.


    Adam cast him a questioning look.


    "Support." Edir smirked, "Look, I take it we both don''t have defense or healing skills, do we?"


    Adam nodded. His abilities werepletely focused on attack, only with his Nexus could he defend himself to some extent, but Soul Cry was more of a disable, for stopping opponents than some sort of shield or barrier.


    "Well, now you know what I''m talking about. We need someone to make us stronger to bring us even closer to K2-level. Furthermore, if our future ally has some healing, that''s a real jackpot!" Edir eximed with an excited expression.


    ...


    Adam and Edir spent the next hour trying to find a suitable ally, but after talking to three of the six, they found only disappointment.


    "Agh... That was only half, so... we still have a chance, right?" Edir muttered, not believing what he said.


    "Sure. We''ll get lucky sooner orter, though... We can''t ignore the fact that we have very slim choices." Adam sighed heavily, realizing theplexity of the situation. m|vl|e|mp|y|r article


    Bam.


    Suddenly, a can of soda flew at Adam. Reflexively, he caught it without spilling a drop on the floor.


    "Hey, you two idiots! Stop bothering everyone!" A girl with long, thick green hair eximed with a highly irritated face.


    Edir frowned.


    "Who the hell are you? We haven''t gotten to you yet, but it looks like it''s time."


    The girl smirked, nting her bare feet on the leather couch. Her body was covered by an unusual white outfit, loose and sturdy - not restricting her movements.


    "My name is Ka, and both of you are getting on my nerves. You won''t find an idiot here who wants to fight Prago."


    Adam stepped forward, staring at her intently.


    "But... You could have just waited and said no, but instead, you decided to speak first. Tired of waiting, aren''t you?" Adam said calmly.


    Ka bit her lip.


    "Oh, what an incredible deduction. Maybe you should have gone to detective work?" Ka said mockingly.


    "Are you going to help us or not?" Edir waved his hand irritably.


    Ka smirked, narrowing her eyes.


    "That depends on what you''re willing to offer."

 Chapter 165: Warden

    "And?! What the hell do you want?!" Edir irritably growled, ring at her intently, "Money? Artifacts?"


    Ka bit her pinky finger with a sly smile on her face.


    "Hah, you think I''m incapable of making money on my own? Furthermore, I don''t need artifacts right now. I want to get something that money usually can''t buy."


    Adam asked:


    "What''s that? You can get almost anything in the S-Zone. What exactly do you want from the two of us?"


    Ka paused for a moment before pointing to her bare feet.


    "I want you two K1-Phantoms to give me a foot massage!" Ka eximed vigorously.


    "Fucking fetishist! This is the first time I''ve ever seen you!" Edir eximed, with great grimace, "Don''t even expect me to do that, nor from Adam!"


    Ka looked away, clearly not expecting Edir to back out so quickly.


    "Pfffft, then find another idiot who agrees to fight with you against K2-Phantom."


    "I don''t mind." Adam said confidently.


    "Agh...?" Ka turned sharply and Edir''s eyes went wide.


    Adam cast a nce at Ka''s feet.


    "I have no desire to stay in prison for one extra minute. Moreover, I have an important appointment in three days, so there''s no way I can afford to lose another week. If massaging your feet equals freedom, that''s the best deal."


    Ka and Edir looked at Adam puzzled, they had not at all expected him to be so serious about such a seemingly mocking request.


    Adam continued, "What''s more, I can''t say I''d be disgusted. You obviously take care of your feet, they''re as smooth as jade scraped by the best sculptor."


    Then, Adam lowered himself, but before his hands could touch Ka''s feet, she pulled her legs away with a face as red as a tomato.


    "Is something wrong?" Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    "Idiot... I lost all desire after that. Did you really have to say those things with such a serious face?" Ka muttered, ncing away.


    Then, she waved her hand nonchntly.


    "Fine, I''ll join you. If I can get out of here tomorrow, it''ll be worth it. Saves me five days of my life."


    Adam and Edir nced over, nodded, and smiled.


    They may not have expected it to happen this way, but most importantly - they managed to aplish the goal.


    "Alright, I hope you didn''t just throw sodas at us for no reason. You have the right abilities, don''t you?" Edir smirked.


    Ka lifted her chin arrogantly.


    "Sure. I said I''d help you, so I''ll do my part. If I were you, I''d be worried about you being able to keep up with me. I only work with the best."


    Edir wanted to say something, but Adam stopped him with a raised hand.


    "Wait. First, I want to learn about Prago''s abilities and weaknesses, then what each of us is capable of in detail, we''ll prepare a n, get some rest, and challenge him to a fight tomorrow." Adam suggested.


    Ka and Edir looked at each other and nodded thoughtfully. They had no reason to refuse since Adam''s n was simple, effective, and clear.


    So from that moment until the next morning, the preparations for perhaps their toughest battle continued.


    As Adam and Edir had hoped, Ka possessed the abilities they needed, moreover, her artifact had one powerful active Trait. All in all, she had as many as three abilities.


    Sure, if they had their Nexuses, their chances of victory and abilities would be much higher, but they had to act on the situation.


    None of the other prisoners had any desire to fight Prago, but they watched Adam, Edir, and Ka with curiosity.


    It was obvious to the prisoners in the S-Zone that defeating Prago was possible, but doing so was not easy at all. There was about a 10% chance of sess, and that was if Adam, Edir, and Ka did everything right and had good luck.


    "10%... right?" Adam asked, washing his face in front of the mirror.


    "Yeah, they usually say something like that." Edir replied, waving his hand. He was rxed on the couch, eating caramel popcorn.


    "That''s not... urate... information!" Ka uttered, taking a breath after each word since she was in the process of actively exercising.


    Edir cast a puzzled look at her.


    "To say that there''s a 10% chance of winning, you need at least 10 fights, preferably 100, for a roughly urate result. We have no statistics, no record of past fights and their numbers, or who exactly fought against Prago and how." Ka replied without distracting herself from her workout.


    Adam nodded.


    "Yeah, that makes sense. Either way, we have to do the best we can. Not that we''ll lose much if we lose, but it''ll be a lot better to win." Adam uttered, wiping his face and warming up.


    Edir cast a nce at Ka.


    "Hey, you got up an hour earlier than us, and you still haven''t stopped for a minute. Time for a break, don''t you think about that?"


    "I have to be on full guard. I''m going to put my body under some serious stress, and a little workout will help me with that." Ka replied quickly.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam headed for the door.


    "Alright, I expect you in ten minutes. Already have to fight." Adam waved his hand slightly without turning around.


    Edir shrugged, tilted the box, and popped the rest of the popcorn into his mouth. He chewed it quickly, tossed the box aside, and followed Adam with fire in his eyes.


    Ka stopped, took a deep breath, and looked at her hands. Unlike her feet, her palms were covered in small scars. Sure, she could easily remove those scars with the help of a skilled doctor, but... many Phantoms left scars as important memories.


    It was enough to just look at a scar, and fragments from the past would immediately appear in her memory, no matter how long ago it had happened. The memories could be bad or good, but they were all part of the history of a particr person.


    No matter how high you flew - you couldn''t forget how you crawled and what you had to go through to get your wings.


    "Fine, I can handle it." Ka whispered, clenched her hand into a fist, and followed Edir.


    Soon, they were in the middle of the hall. Strangely enough, it was already empty.


    Apparently, the prison staff had learned of their ns to challenge Prago, so... overnight they had prepared the hall of the S-Zone for the fight, turning it into a proper arena.


    Adam was going to use his bracelet to challenge Prago to a fight, but there was no need.


    Crackle.


    The door opened, revealing the silhouette of a tall man with short ck hair and azure eyes. A long blue coat covered his body with an explicit six-petal flower emblem.


    "In the end, you managed to get here in just three days." Prago said in a menacing tone, "Impressive. Not surprising, though, given your track record in Dead Lands."


    Adam stepped forward, releasing his aura.


    "Oh, so you finally found out about me. Took you longer than I thought it would."


    "You''re acting too arrogant for a K1-Phantom!" Prago eximed, releasing his azure aura.


    Adam''s aura was quickly torn apart, struggling to withstand the pressure that was soon to tear him from the inside out.


    But... He wasn''t alone this time.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Edir and Ka instantly released their auras, green and blue ones. They headed forward like spheres, pushing away Prago''s creepy aura and allowing Adam''s aura to recover.


    Then, the three auras - white, green, and blue collided with Prago''s azure aura.


    Adam, Edir, and Ka, even with the three of them, didn''t have enough strength to suppress Prago and try to wound him that way, but they aplished the incredible - they were able to stop Prago''s aura.


    "Well, well... Looks like we''re in for something interesting." One of the prisoners muttered wide-eyed.


    Discover gems at m-vle-mp _yr.


    The reason for the prisoner''s surprise was quite simple. The fact that they were able to stop Prago''s aura meant that their auras were roughly equal in strength.


    Sure, it didn''t mean that Adam, Edir, and Ka were equal in pure power to Prago - only a fight could show that. However, they could no longer fear Prago''s aura, at least not until they got to the point of using The Will.


    Adam smirked. Now, he had a real confidence in winning, not just a desire to do it.


    However, there was still more toe - the sh of auras was just a prelude before the actual fight.


    "You. You''re going to lose today, and I''m warning you. We won''t just walk out of here, you won''t be able to get back on your feet for a while after our fight. A lot of people have died in the time you''ve taken from the Phantoms here. You and your ego are the only ones to me." Adam said menacingly with a hard stare.


    Prago frowned but said nothing, he just held his hand up as if expecting something.


    At the same moment, a passage opened in the ceiling as a drone with a massive ck case flew up to Prago.


    Adam, Edir, and Ka were alert. They shouldn''t have forgotten that they weren''t just fighting a K2-Phantom, but a K2-Phantom with a Nexus, while they were deprived of that privilege!


    Crackle.


    Prago opened the case, revealing a long halberd with a ck hilt and a dark blue de with two short spikes on the side.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Prago swung the halberd, causing air currents and leaving a long cut on the ground.


    "Come on. Attack. All of you together. It wouldn''t be the first time I''ve tamed arrogant children like you. Especially you." Prago pointed his halberd at Adam, "There''s something wrong with your story. It''ll be interesting to find out by beating you up."


    -----------------------------------------------------


    I''m sorry for the dy. There''s another big chaptering up in a few hours.


    I hope you''re enjoying it.

 Chapter 166: K2 vs. K1

    The tension rose quickly, while the four auras calmed down until theypletely disappeared. There was no need for the auras yet, which meant... it was time for something more substantial than intangible power!


    Adam and Edir stepped forward simultaneously, using their First Orders.


    Silver threads covered Adam''s right hand, turning into a needle and gauntlet, he used a second grip.


    Whooooooosh.


    Blue and cold as ancient ice mes covered Edir''s palms, particles passing before his emerald eyes.


    As they had nned, Adam and Edir would be in the vanguard and the only attackers. Sure, Ka could fight, but only using her physical power - fists or kicks, her abilities had other purposes.


    Crackle.


    Ka clenched her hand tightly into a fist as her eyes shone brightly with green light - she was using her Second Order.


    Spiky vines came out of her fist, leaving scratches on her palms and causing scarlet trickles of blood to gush out that would soon reach the ground in a hail of droplets.


    Despite that, it wasn''t all the pain Ka had to go through. Not to forget that K1-Phantom''s skin couldn''t even be pierced by an extremely sharp knife, and the spikes could deal with it easily.


    Crackle.


    Ka clenched her fist tightly, shattering the root and wounding her palm, only for something to appear on Adam and Edir''s chest - on the right side, where the heart was.


    ''Not bad, not bad at all. Ka didn''t say it would be that painful for her, but it''s for the best. She''s determined to win.'' Adam smirked inwardly at the unusual flower of three green petals.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Before he could realize anything, the petals had twisted and thrust their sharp tips into his chest, piercing through his skin.


    ''Oh, she didn''t warn me about that.'' Adam frowned slightly, though, the pain wasn''t too vivid, more like the prick of a thick needle.


    Then, a pulse went through the petals that covered his entire body, then another and another, filling Adam''s body with new power.


    He felt himself be a little lighter as well as stronger. All in all, his physical parameters went one level higher.


    "Not bad, right?" Edir smirked, tightening his fist as he nced at Adam.


    Adam nodded.


    "Yeah..." Adam muttered, remembering Katrin. She had a somewhat simr ability, but Ka''s one far surpassed it.


    "Hey, are you done?" Prago asked calmly, with an arrogant look.


    Whoooooooosh.


    He swung his halberd, resting the weapon on his shoulder, looking arrogantly at Adam and Edir. Prago didn''t care if it made a difference, he didn''t see the K1-Phantoms as equal opponents.


    However... though he tried to hide it, Ka noticed that Prago was shocked when his aura failed to advance any further. That had either never happened before or was an exceptionally rare event.


    "Sure, sorry for the dy." Adam replied as he slowly stepped forward.


    As soon as his foot touched the ground, electric shocks went through his legs, and he rushed forward, along with Edir, who acted simultaneously.


    Since Edir had fought Prago before, he told Adam and Ka everything he knew about their future enemy.


    The halberd was a worthy weapon - its functionality was particrly impressive. Prago could sh, stab, defend, parry, and still maintain a good distance from his opponent.


    However, the halberd had two serious disadvantages: speed and the fact that it was a two-handed weapon. Sure, Prago could hold the halberd with one hand if he wanted to, but that would inevitably result in a loss of grip strength and bnce.


    Thus, Adam and Edir attacked from different directions. Adam was slightly ahead, clutching his needle tightly.


    Bam.


    Adam brought his needle down on Prago with all his speed and strength.


    Until thest moment, Prago stood still until he came in motion, swinging his halberd from bottom to top.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A cascade of sparks was followed by a violent shiver that traveled down Adam''s arm and then engulfed his entire body.


    Though Adam had created the Aura Seal and learned to use The Will, his physical stats hadn''t changed much since their first encounter, and neither had his abilities.


    Prago had surpassed him before, now that he was fighting his Nexus, the difference was even more significant.


    "Is that really all you''re capable of?" Prago asked in a majestic voice, while Adam''s hands shook, trying to resist the pressure from Prago. However, though Prago was acting arrogant, he couldn''t afford to use only one hand and held the halberd firmly with two.


    Prago narrowed his eyes, freeing his hand for a few seconds. Then, his eyes shone brightly, and a round disk of water appeared in front of his palm, it vibrated and flew into Adam, exploding with a powerful ssh.


    "Agh!" Adam''s mouth fell open at the painful impulse, while the water tore at his clothes.


    The impact, threw him back a few meters, knocking him off the ground and sending him into flight.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Edir''s fist approached Prago''s face, coating his cheeks with a thinyer of ice.


    Prago jerked his head back sharply, letting Edir''s fist pass in front of his face.


    From the movement of his eyes, it was obvious that he saw it first, then dodged, he was just being very fast rather than using experience or honed instincts like someone of Tron''s level would.


    Edir snorted but didn''t stop. With his other hand, he stood on the ground and abruptly kicked Prago right in the stomach with a sharp turn.


    "Too slow!" Prago shouted before quickly grabbing Edir''s leg just before it was about to sink into his stomach.


    Then Prago easily lifted Edir and mmed him to the ground with all his might.


    "Argh!!!" Edir cried out in pain as clots of blood gushed from his mouth, and his eyes opened wide with trembling pupils.


    "Get out of here, trash!" Prago roared, kicking Edir in the stomach and throwing him to the other end of the arena.


    Someone in the prisoner spectators shook his head with a heavy sigh.


    "Well... The difference in strength is too great. It''s not easy to ovee the damage difference with just teamwork and decentbat experience. It takes something more than that." The prisoners muttered, clearly frustrated that Prago would go undefeated again.


    "Wait... Something''s not right." The other prisoner uttered, looking intently at Adam.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam calmly stepped forward with a confident smirk on his face. It looked like he hadn''t just been attacked, but had done some serious damage to Prago. Obviously, that was not true.


    Bur... His smile wasn''t insane. It had a clear reason.


    Prago frowned, staring intently at Adam''s blood.


    Adam''s torso was slightly damaged from Prago''s attack since it was his First Order. Blood was flowing out of the few remaining wounds from the water st, but, the trickles were not going downward, but straight toward the three-petal flower on Adam''s chest.


    That was no coincidence, for the blood was literally flowing upwards, not downwards. The same thing was happening to Edir, the blooding out of the corners of his mouth, quickly heading towards the green flower, actively soaking into it.


    Then, one of the three petals turned red, saturated with blood. It trembled slightly and let out a scarlet ripple that traveled through Adam''s body, bringing new strength.


    Adam clenched his fist and smiled contentedly.


    "Level up, just like in the game, isn''t it?" Adam cast a nce at Edir.


    Edir chuckled evilly.


    "Yeah, you''re right."


    Then, Edir turned to Ka, "Hey, if you had told me about your powers the first time we met, I would have fallen at your feet!"


    Ka''s face rapidly reddened, realizing in what context he was saying it, but she couldn''t let that distract her, so she quickly shook her head and returned with a serious face.


    "Bastards... So you did it on purpose?" Prago frowned, clutching his halberd tightly, then smirked deviously, "However, it doesn''t matter. Even if you''re able to be stronger with her ability, the wounds you receive will outweigh the benefits of the enhancement!" Prago waved his hand irritably.


    Adam and Edir nced at each other, then Adam looked at Ka. She nodded with a serious look, and her eyes shone brightly, using her First Order.


    A light, green energy covered her palms before she stepped forward and swung them as if about to unleash air des. However, such attacking abilities were not in Ka''s arsenal.


    Instead of des, out of the energy wisps appeared many small green leaves with tiny sparks on them like pollen.


    The leaves flew in front of Adam and Edir, left sparks on them, and disappeared into the void. The sparks soaked into Adam and Edir''s bodies, greatly elerating their regeneration or immediately healing minor wounds.


    Prago''s eyes went wide when he realized what kind of game Adam and Edir were going to y with him.


    Even though he was a K2-Phantom, his stamina and energy were not infinite.


    Prago realized that if Adam and Edir kept getting stronger when they were injured, and Ka kept healing them to get rid of the negative effects, sooner orter he would lose in a battle of attrition.


    In that case, Prago had only two options: either defeat Adam or Edir with one powerful attack, but... Prago had one more option - he had to get rid of the root of the problem! .


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Prago sprinted forward, heading straight for Ka. If he dealt with her, Adam and Edir would lose quickly!


    "Keep your filthy hands off her!"


    Adam and Edir eximed at the same time, simultaneously bringing their feet down on Prago''s face.


    The stream of blood rushing from Prago''s nose reflected Adam and Edir''s exited smiles with the evident mes of battle in their eyes.

 Chapter 167: Eager for Strength

    Ka had a special position in this battle - she was the most important member of the team, as without her, Adam and Edir would have no way to continue fighting further.


    Sure, without Adam and Edir, it would be impossible to talk about victory because for that they needed pure firepower. But, they had two attackers in their squad and only one support.


    To some extent, Adam and Edir depended on Ka, and they realized it.


    So, as soon as Prago made her his target, Adam and Edir reacted instantly.


    Their attack was done simultaneously, almost perfectly, not only because they knew what to do but shared one desire and goal - to protect Ka. She made them stronger and healed them - bing the core of their force.


    Enjoy tales on m-vle-mp _yr.


    Bam.


    The impact threw Prago aside, forcing his back into the wall.


    However, unlike Adam and Edir, who had taken serious damage from Prago''s attacks, Prago was barely hurt. Sure, he had a bloody nose, but that wasn''t exactly an aplishment, especially since they were able to catch Prago off guard.


    "Well, looks like we''re stillcking in firepower. Tsk. He was tougher than I expected, it''s probably an effect of his artifact." Edir snorted irritably, realizing that they would have to work hard before they could do any meaningful damage to Prago.


    That was a seriousplication because even a few of Edir''s direct attacks were not enough to surpass Prago''s one powerful strike.


    "Bastards. You think you can stop me always?" Prago greatly grimaced as his pupils shed and energy traveled towards his halberd.


    Adam and Edir became wary, simultaneously jumping back and getting into fighting stances.


    The problem was that they didn''t know all of his abilities. Sure, Edir had fought Prago before, but he couldn''t force Prago to use his full arsenal against him. All Prago showed in that fight was just a few abilities, he didn''t use his Nexus Traits.


    That was not surprising since Edir was a K1-Phantom and Prago was a K2-Phantom, a K2-Phantom couldn''t be so weak that in a 1 vs. 1, he would need all his arsenal against K1-Phantom.


    "You can make one sessful attack, so you think you''ve won? Hah, screw it. I''ll deal with you right now, and the first one will be that annoying bitch!" Prago roared before stepping forward.


    Oddly enough, he acted much faster this time since this move was part of his First Nexus Trait.


    A blue sh went through his entire body as he thrust his halberd forward in a heartbeat, instantly tilting his body and pushing his arms out.


    It happened so fast that Adam and Edir had literally a split second to react and make a decision. There was no time to do anything, they could only rely on their instincts.


    Whooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Prago''s halberd released a dense stream of water that was not blue but white, like the waves of a mighty waterfall as tons of water rushed down.


    The stream was more like aser that reached Ka almost immediately, even though she was more than ten meters away from Prago.


    p.


    Edir was closer to Prago than Adam, so he acted first. Edir quickly pped his hands together, sting his blue me right in front of the water stream.


    Sshes of water flew apart, the smallest of them turning into ice crystals, but... it clearly wasn''t enough.


    The rest of the stream quickly moved on, breaking through the water ssh and throwing Edir aside with a shockwave.


    Then, next in line was Adam, who already knew what he was going to do.


    Apparently, his needle was too thin for him to use to defend himself and absorb the force of the stream, but he could do something else - attack back!


    Whoooooooosh.


    Adam pierced the stream with his needle, splitting it into several pieces that scattered in random directions and possessed only a fraction of the original power.


    However... Adam hadpletely forgotten that his needle was not invulnerable.


    Of all the opponents he had fought before, the Steel Knight had done the most damage to his threads with his razor-sharp swords, but Prago''s water stream had even more destructive force.


    Adam''s eyes went wide, watching as the water tore his needle apart, starting from the tip and quickly approaching the rather thick and particrly strong base.


    Sure, the flow slowed slightly, but it wasn''t enough to use up all the energy of the Nexus Trait.


    Prago smirked. He realized that the power of the water stream wasn''t enough to hurt Ka, but if it could do serious damage to Adam, it was a worthy result.


    ''Shit!'' Edir inwardly eximed, seeing Adam''s needle shattered, but, no sooner had the water stream reached his hand than a palm covered in a denseyer of silver threads with sharp ws appeared in front of it.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Using Silver ws, Adam tried to squeeze the water stream, gradually seeding and breaking its remains apart until there wasn''t even a single ssh left.


    Sure, almost all of the threads on his palm were torn apart, exposing his skin, but... it could easily be fixed, just needed a few seconds.


    A couple of threads from the top of the gauntlet, moved towards his palm,pletely closing the gap.


    Prago frowned. He hadn''t expected Adam to use his Second Order so soon and not even lose it.


    Adam nced at Ka, made sure she was okay, and nodded slightly.


    "Hey, I think it''s time to move on to more action, don''t you? He''s already used Nexus, so... we''re one step ahead." Adam said seriously, turning to Ka.


    Ka nodded, narrowing her eyes. They had a prepared n, and she knew what she had to do.


    Then, she clenched her fists tightly, and the tips of her long green hair shone brightly with a golden light.


    Her hair lifted slightly, to shoulder level, and a multitude of golden lights appeared above her - like portals to other worlds.


    "Go!" Ka eximed, and at the same moment, golden ghostly hands flew out of the lights like a hail of arrows raining down on Prago.


    Before Prago could realize anything, Adam and Edir were rushing forward - blue cold mes and silver ws were right before his face.


    Strangely enough, Prago, K2-Phantom and proud Warden of the Fall Hill Prison felt a chill run down his back - that was a harbinger of fear.


    Another fraction of a second and Adam''s ws would sink into his face, precisely piercing his defenses and tearing him apart, severely damaging and disfiguring him.


    "No! Get away from me!" Prago eximed fearfully, clutching his halberd tightly and quickly using his Second Nexus Trait as his only option to get out of this situation.


    Bam.


    Prago copsed the halberd to the ground, causing the entire arena to shake and triggering the destructive waves that soon reached Adam and Edir, throwing them aside.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    A silver needle stabbed into the ground, while sharp ws advanced through the water flow - splitting it.


    Then, realizing that his time was running out, Adam lightly swung his fingers, releasing five smooth silver threads right in front of Prago''s face, causing his eyes to go wide with fear.

 Chapter 168: Fury and Calm

    The S-Zone prisoners were very few, excluding Ka and the newly arrived Adam and Edir, there were only five of them.


    However, that day, the fight between Prago and Adam''s squad was watched by many more people than five, and the reason was not because of L, who was a guide and not a prisoner.


    Screens appeared all over the zones, even in the F-Zone and D-Zone, though originally they were not supposed to be there due to the prison conditions.


    Each prisoner had the opportunity to watch three K1-Phantoms fighting against a K2-Phantom.


    The fairly experienced Phantoms from B-Zone and A-Zone immediately realized that the fight would be interesting because when Adam''s squad didn''t lose in the aura sh, it meant that they could surprise, and they did!


    "ARGGGHHHHHH!!!"


    Prago''s painful scream spread throughout the S-Zone, sting throughout Fall Hill Prison over the speakers as if breaking out of the screens to be a living nightmare for anyone who saw the gruesome scene.


    "FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! Bastard! I''ll rip you to pieces!" Prago roared like a wild beast, swinging his halberd in front of him and holding his face with his other hand.


    Adam''s attack seeded, leaving on Prago''s face five clear cuts that went through his skin, releasing streams of blood flowing rapidly downward.


    Adam sighed heavily. In a way, the fact that he didn''t have Nexus was an advantage to him, because he didn''t have to save energy to use Nexus Traits.


    However, that didn''t mean he could use his silver ws constantly, specifically the active part of his Second Order - five released silver threads.


    "Hahaha, right on target!" Edir eximed with excitement, disregarding the many tearing wounds on his body - received when he crashed into the destructive waves.


    Ka gulped, staring at Prago, it was actually even hard to look at and was scary to imagine the agony Prago was in.


    If a regr K1-Phantom had been in Prago''s ce, Adam''s silver threads would have gone through his head, cutting him into straight pieces.


    Even if it had been someone at Edir''s level, the threads would have gotten stuck in his head, unable to travel any further, but... apparently, that would have been enough to be fatal.


    However... Adam was not satisfied with the result.


    ''Holy shit... How high is his defense?'' Adam inwardly muttered, clenching his fists tightly while a single trickle of blood came out of the corner of his mouth.


    ''I attacked at such close range, but deep cuts are all I could get? However... It''s unlikely he can survive another attack like that.'' Adam got into a fighting stance, preparing for their opponent''s next move.


    The silver gauntlet disintegrated into many strands, while in his right hand appeared a needle in the first grip.


    Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.


    Adam spun his needle quickly, gradually swinging and elerating, getting ready for a deadly throw.


    Edir also decided to change his tactics and brought his hands back slightly with his palms open like spears. His blue mes concentrated on his fingertips instead of his entire hand, greatly increasing the damage but reducing the area.


    The cold effect also underwent a change, a thin trail of ice covering his palms. Edir began to exhale a frosty vapor with each breath.


    Of the three petals, two were already fully saturated with blood.


    Adam and Edir had received their second enhancement, and they only had one more to go, after which Ka''s ability would reach its limit. Also, the golden hands continued to hover in the air, waiting for Ka''smand to attack.


    They were on full alert, and their enemy was bleeding. Who would have thought that K2-Phantom would be in this position?


    "Hah, didn''t you say you were going to tear me apart? You don''t seem to be in any hurry to attack at all." Adam smirked, "Well, in that case, I''ll do it first!"


    At the same moment, Adam threw the needle forward - it split the air currents with a whistle as it approached Prago, but Adam wasn''t aiming directly at him.


    He threw the needle in such a way that it swirled around Prago, aiming the tip at his back, creating two threats at once: the needle and the sharp thread capable of cutting through even steel.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly, Prago stepped forward and opened his mouth wide with a fierce stare, only to clench his teeth sharply - severing the connecting thread.


    Adam''s eyes went wide, while his needle disintegrated into multiple threads, losing contact with him.


    ''He''s opened up!'' Edir appeared sharply behind Prago, about to take advantage of their enemy''s vulnerable position.


    "How I''ve had enough of you! It''s useless against me!" Prago shouted, grabbing Edir by the neck at thest moment.


    His fingertips stopped in front of Prago''s eyes, unable to advance any further. There was no longer the fear and iprehension in Prago''s gaze that before - now only anger and a desire for revenge for the pain he had received.


    "You''ll be the first!" Prago roared, mming Edir to the ground with all his might.


    "Argh!" Edir cried out in pain, with clots of blood gushing out of his mouth.


    The ground cracked under Prago''s strength as he continued to squeeze Edir''s neck, almost breaking it. Then, he didn''t think that he had no right to kill prisoners, his anger for his face was too great.


    Bam.


    Adam''s fist plunged into Prago''s stomach, knocking him unconscious for a moment, but he couldn''t toss Prago away as he would have with a weaker opponent.


    Then, Edir freed himself from Prago''s grip and with both feet, attacked Prago''s face with a sharp, spear-like thrust.


    Without further ado, Adam and Edir continued their hail of blows, not intending to stop even for a moment. Ka swung her hand, sending the golden hands on the attack. Their damage was low, but their numbers were considerable, and they constantly distracted Prago, who couldn''t concentrate on Adam and Edir.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Adam and Edir continued to batter, covering Prago''s entire body with bruises.


    ''Fine, it''s time!'' Adam internally eximed as he bounced back.


    Edir''s eyes went wide for a moment as he knew what that meant - they had discussed a simr scenario while making the n.


    That meant that Edir had to hold Prago alone for a few seconds. It was a difficult but possible task.


    ''Alright, it''s my time to shine!'' Edir eximed internally, pointing his palms towards each other and creating a blue sphere between them.


    He didn''t wait for it to reach full power and immediately detonated it, releasing a stream of cold fire onto Prago, and leaving a trail of dense ice on the ground.


    "It won''t work against me! Your fire is useless!" Prago eximed, holding out his halberd in front of him.


    The dark de of the halberd cut through the blue me stream with ease.


    "Hah, you idiot. Do you really think I''m naive enough to hope to freeze you with a weakened ability?" Edir smirked insidiously, for this was a distraction.


    Unfortunately for Prago - he realized it toote.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Electric shocks traveled through Adam''s fingertips, gathering in destructive power.


    Prago''s eyes went wide, with shivers all over his body, but he couldn''t get away as dozens of golden hands flew sharply into him, holding him firmly in ce!


    "This is going to be a lot worse than those scratches on your face. I promise you." Adam said menacingly before clenching his fist, causing lightning discharges high above Prago.

 Chapter 169: The Trump Leftovers

    It took Adam less than a second to clench his fist and bring up the thunderbolt, a fraction of a second to be exact. However, for the spectators, and especially for Prago, the moment stretched out considerably.


    Wide-eyed, he stared at the umting electrical discharges that gradually merged into one powerful lightning bolt - falling on him like a heavenly punishment.


    However, the slowing effect was not helping him at all. His mind was acting much faster than his body could, so all Prago was left to do - was watch as the lightning consumed him.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Stone debris flew off to the sides, raising a cloud of dust around Prago, who was struck by the blue lightning.


    Edir took a few steps back, breathing heavily but measuredly.


    Despite Ka''s help and the absence of Nexus, his energy was not infinite. Sure, Ka could heal his wounds, but not restore his energy reserves, however, it didn''t affect his physical stamina.


    He could continue fighting using only his fists and legs if he wanted to. The rest depended on Ka and her energy reserves.


    "They won...?" L muttered in disbelief, with a glint in her eyes.


    The man standing next to her shook his head with a heavy sigh.


    "No... Apparently, it was his Artifact Trait, quite powerful, but I''m sure his Second Order would have done more damage - ending the fight. Prago''s defenses won''t be able to help him this time though, the lightning indeed pierced it."


    Plumes of dark smoke rose from Prago, the tips of his hair burning and turning to ash. Parts of his clothes were charred, leaving dark stains on his skin in those ces. In some spots, the lightning bolts had ripped through his flesh, revealing bleeding wounds.


    However...


    Adam greatly frowned, clenching his fists tightly.


    ''The Steel Knight was able to transfer most of the damage to the ground but still lost his sword and arm, but... Prago only took external damage...'' Adam pondered while staring at Prago intently.


    Adam had hoped to deprive Prago of the use of one of his arms or to inflict a serious wound at one point to slow Prago down, but all he had aplished was a multitude of not-very-deep wounds.


    Sure, the blood would still be flowing outward for a long time, and the waves of pain weren''t going to stop, but... It did almost nothing to prevent Prago from functioning.


    "I see..." Prago muttered with a detached look, "You''re different from the scum I''ve fought before."


    "Scum? You think you''re any different from them?" Edir grinned mockingly.


    "Agh...?" Prago slowly turned his head, looking at Edir.


    Edir wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb and pointed at Prago.


    "Among the K2-Phantoms, you are the real trash! If Tron from Dark Order fought against us, we would have lost in the first minute. You, however, don''t just risk losing, you might even die!"


    Prago''s pupils sharply narrowed, filling with genuine anger and rage. A distinct bloodlust began to emanate from him that everyone felt, even the F-Zone prisoners.


    It was obvious that Edir''s words had hurt Prago, for he realized it was true.


    "I didn''t think I''d have to lower myself to this, but I just have to make you regret what you said!" Prago eximed furiously before stretching his arm forward.


    His eyes shed brightly, and a fast, active water vortex covered his arm, but not tosh out and attack Edir, but to make a home for someone.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Before Edir or Adam could realize anything, purple tentacles came out of the water as if from a giant octopus.


    Adam''s eyes went wide as he jumped back, but to his horror, he found that the tentacles had already gripped him tightly!


    Edir and Ka were in the same position, unable to escape the deadly trap.


    Prago red at them, clenching his teeth and fist tightly inside the water vortex. This was his Second Order, and keeping his tentacles alive was difficult for him.


    When he was a K1-Phantom, he could only use his Second Order for a few seconds. The purpose of the tentacles was quite simple - to quickly appear, grab the target, and toss it aside with tremendous force. With the transition to K2-level, his energy reserves increased, but the power of the tentacles increased as well.


    "Argh!!!" Ka threw up a mouthful of blood, having her eyes filled with pain. There was nothing she could do, and it seemed that Prago had enough strength to crush her with his tentacles.


    But...


    Adam and Edir were not as helpless as Ka.


    Whooooooooooooooooosh.


    Silver ws tore the tentacles apart. On the other side - the blue mes partially froze the tentacles, allowing Edir to shatter them into small pieces.


    Before Prago could do anything, Adam swung his arm, releasing five silver threads, quickly reaching and slicing into even pieces the tentacles that held Ka.


    Ka felt all the pressure disappear, and she was able to breathe a sigh of relief, falling to the ground and slowlying to her senses.


    The blood gushing from the wounds traveled to thest petal on their chests - filling them with scarlet liquid.


    At the same moment, Adam and Edir received theirst reinforcement and became stronger by an order of magnitude, but... that wasn''t all.


    Looking at Ka bleeding, her organs obviously damaged, Adam and Edir felt the same thing - righteous anger, and their Evolution Trees answered their call.


    L''s eyes went wide, gazing at Adam and Edir''s swollen veins as well as the strained blood vessels in their cold eyes.


    "It''s called Resonance, right...?" L asked uncertainly to Phantom beside her.


    The man nodded with a satisfied smirk on his face.


    "Yeah. Well, they look like they''re serious about winning, but... They''ve shown everything they''ve got, while Prago probably has one more trump card left." The man said with a serious look, staring at the stunned Prago.


    No one knew the real reason for Prago''s astonishment, for he was staring at Adam and Prago as if he were seeing Resonance for the first time.


    Well... It was much simpler than that. Even though Prago was a K2-Phantom, he had never entered the state of Resonance. For him, it was an unreachable height, a secret wish that would never be fulfilled.


    But that was not surprising. A Phantom like Prago, who never risked his life for the sess of a mission or for the saving of his allies, always being safe and not taking serious risks and rarely visiting the Dead Lands, it was impossible to reach the state of Resonance for such a person.


    Step.


    Adam and Edir stepped forward simultaneously, finding themselves in front of Prago in a second and bringing their fists down on him.


    Prago swung his halberd to block, but no sooner had he done so than two fists plunged into his stomach - this time, Adam and Edir had enough strength to throw Prago aside!


    A stream of blood spurted from Prago''s mouth, then, Adam''s knee smashed into his face, while Edir quickly attacked him directly in the sr plexus.


    ''Wait... Am I going to lose...?'' Prago inwardly muttered as he stared at the two shadows in front of him, which kept moving and unleashing a cascade of endless strikes at him.


    Whoosh.


    A stream of leaves with green sparks flew in front of them, healing Adam and Edir, and allowing them to continue at their limits. Ka was hurt, but she preferred to help her mates rather than heal her own severe but not fatal wounds.


    ''No... I can''t let that happen...'' Prago muttered internally, his eyes shone brightly, and he unleashed his full aura, preparing to activate hisst trump card!

 Chapter 170: Third Order and Purpose of the Spirits

    Prago, as a K2-Phantom had many opportunities to be stronger, much more so than Adam or Edir, who were only K1-Phantoms. However, Prago did almost nothing to aplish this.


    Someone like Tron was significantly stronger than him, not only because of his toughness, extensivebat experience, and formidable aura but also because Prago had barely reached his potential as a K2-Phantom.


    In order for Phantoms to be stronger they had to constantly visit Dead Lands, fighting and risking their lives there. It was a path to strength - proven, effective, but dangerous.


    Sure, Prago had been to Dead Lands more than once, otherwise, he wouldn''t have been able to be K2-Phantom, but he always chose the safest and most reliable missions to develop slowly but surely.


    However, such cowardly tactics resulted in him never being in really hopeless situations, much less getting out of them as Adam and Edir had already done many times, even though they were only K1-Phantoms.


    Considering all the factors, Prago only had one trump card left - his Third Order, however, he still had his Spirit, which he had been saving until now!


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A blurred silhouette of a monster with arms and horns as eerie as intertwined roots appeared above Prago.


    Edir, realizing the seriousness of the situation, instantly used The Will to summon his Spirit - to counter Prago''s.


    However... it was obvious that he alone was not strong enough to do so.


    "I''m with you!" Ka eximed, summoning her Spirit and helping her aura to counter Prago''s one.


    It was necessary to realize that Spirits were not weapons, summoned beings, battle figures, or anything of the sort.


    Spirits couldn''t fight each other like summoned beings or ghosts, because they weren''t alive and they weren''t some Phantom ability. Meaning, that Ka could grab Prago with the golden hands summoned by her Artifact Trait, but not with her Spirit.


    Moreover, her Spirit could not fight Prago''s Spirit directly, only with its aura borders.


    Spirits were simply a form of the Phantom''s aura, nothing more. Sure, the power of The Will depended on whether it was the First or Second Stage, but nothing more.


    It was better to have a Second Stage than a First Stage Spirit, but that didn''t affect the Spirit''s abilities since it was all originally the aura.


    Sure, Adam''s Spirit was able to tear apart Trana and Krana''s Spirits, but that was just a representation of how his aura in the moment managed to suppress their auras with its power, and that was it.


    In general, Spirit and a simple shapeless aura in the form of an area or me were functionally no different, only the power, speed, and other parameters were distinct.


    Just as a simple aura could suppress a weak opponent, so could a Second Stage Spirit - in the second case, the damage would just be more significant.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Edir and Ka''s Spirits tried to resist Prago''s flower monster. However, the two of them were not enough. Gradually, their Spirits were pulled back, and their auras were torn apart.


    If this continued at this rate, soon Prago''s Spirit, would simply overwhelm them and cause serious internal damage.


    Whooooooooosh.


    A massive, ghostly needle appeared out of nowhere,ing between Edir and Ka''s Spirits, adding its aura to the overall defense.


    "Hahaha, that''s not enough! You at least need three Second Stage Spirits to hold me back! Sooner orter, you''ll fall!" Prago eximed with a crazy smile on his face. This first sess was a breath of fresh air for him. He had finally seeded at something!


    Bam.


    Edir stepped back, but not Adam, he shrouded his legs in electric shocks and plunged his fist deep into Prago''s stomach.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Prago''s Spirit shuddered as it was no longer under his control, which meant the density and overall power were greatly reduced.


    In this case, Edir and Ka were able to regenerate their auras, and now they were suppressing Prago''s Spirit.


    "Bastard! You think you''re faster than me? Do you think you can fight me one-on-one?! Have you forgotten how I beat you up at the police station and in F-Zone?!" Prago eximed furiously, ring angrily at Adam.


    Adam lifted his chin, looking arrogantly at Prago.


    "Really, in that case, why don''t you do it right now? Go ahead, all you have to do is defeat me, one more time." Adam uttered before turning around sharply, kicking Prago in the chest with a straight thrust.


    Prago''s pupils narrowed as he crossed his arms before him, putting up a block. Prago smirked, seeing Adam''s foot smash right into the center of his defenses, but... soon a chill ran down his spine.


    Oddly enough, the impact was powerful enough to knock Prago aside, even though some of the momentum was absorbed by his hands.


    ''What the hell...? Before, even a straight punch to the stomach couldn''t move me... Is this all an effect of Resonance and that green-haired bitch''s ability?!'' Prago inwardly mumbled in disbelief.


    Bam.


    Before he could realize it, Adam appeared in front of him, throwing another punch, then another and another, not about to stop.


    Prago''s Spirit was bing less and less stable, and Edir with Ka, sessfully took advantage of that.


    "Now!" Edir eximed, simultaneously with Ka directing their Spirits forward and ripping Prago''s Spirit apart.


    In a split second, Prago''s Spirit would surely recover, but that brief pause, the period of his defenselessness, was enough for the two Spirits to sink their ws into his chest.


    "Argh!!!"


    Prago fell to his knees, tearing a stream of blood flowing from his mouth.


    As if that wasn''t enough, Adam''s foot flew into his face, throwing him high up and causing him to fall backwards onto the hard cold floor.


    "They''re... Winning!" L said in disbelief, in the time she had worked at Fall Hill Prison, this had never happened before! True, she wasn''t the longest-serving employee, but... this period had been quite long.


    ''''Yeah... but he still hasn''t done what he originally wanted to do. His pride as a K2-Phantom is too high, but right now, he simply has no other choice..." The man muttered with aplicated expression.


    Their fight had reached the stage where Prago had only one trump card left, it appeared that even his Spirit was not enough for a stunning victory.


    Now, it was simple - either his trump card would crush Adam, Ka, and Edir, or it would be a failure leading to imminent defeat.


    Adam was about to attack, but at thest moment his instincts told him to retreat - he moved into line with Edir.


    Prago slowly rose from the ground, red at them, and his eyes shone brightly like two ghostlynterns.


    He channeled all the energy he had, causing the air to ripple and everyone who looked at him to shiver. Then, he used all his potential to win!


    Streams of water appeared around him, quickly transforming into some creature or shape - the huge toothy jaw of an ancient sea predator with empty eyes.


    "Using Third Order against K1-Phantoms... what a shame, but... I can''t let myself lose. Not to you!" Prago eximed, waving his hand andunching the toothed creature at them!

 Chapter 171: Second Stage Spirit

    The water monster was ready to devour anyone in its path, and even the solid floor that wasn''t its target was shattered into many pieces, covering everything around it with thick cracks.


    Edilr, Ka, and Adam''s eyes went wide. They had almost no time to think of how to defend themselves in such a situation - since dodging was pointless!


    With each passing meter, the water monster grewrger, as did its wide jaws with sharp, long teeth. The monster had already traveled to the middle of the arena, and that made it so massive that there was nowhere to run!


    Edir looked at Ka, nodded slightly, and rushed forward, ignoring Adampletely, though he was ready to take the damage if necessary.


    Well... It was part of their n, but not Adam, Edir, and Ka''s, but what Ka and Edir were discussing amongst themselves, without Adam present.


    They realized that Prago probably had some trump card, for he had to have a strong, destructive ability that he possessed as a K2-Phantom.


    In that case, there was a very simple question - which of the three of them should have sacrificed himself the most? Who should have received the most serious wounds?


    Logically, it should have been Adam and Edir since Ka could heal them and help them recover quickly, but Edir and Ka had decided a different way.


    They looked at the situation from a contrary perspective: If Prago is in a position where he has to use his trump card, it will be hisst action and a harbinger of the end of their fight.


    In that case, there was no point in Ka''s treatment - if Adam and Edir couldn''t fight after facing Prago''s Third Order, Ka alone wouldn''t be able to stand up to Prago.


    Edir and Ka decided to take all the damage since Adam was the one who needed to put the least amount of effort into breaking through Prago''s defenses. His abilities weren''t as devastating as Edir''s, and couldn''t help the team like Ka, but piercing armor was his specialty, somewhat.


    ''Agh...? What are they doing?'' Adam inwardly muttered, not understanding why he didn''t know anything about this.


    "Wait! Stop!" Adam eximed, trying to catch up with them.


    Edir waved his hand before summoning his Second Order:


    "Just do your part. As you can see, even against a weakling like him, it''s not easy at all." Edir smirked, channeling all of his energy into a ming orb.


    Ka in turn activated her First Order over and over - summoning streams of leaves, healing herself with Edir, and tearing the water monster apart. However, she was only able to do minor damage.


    "Hahaha, there''s no way you can handle this! Nothing will help you!" Prago eximed with a mad look. He was sure that he had already won. In his worldview, it was impossible for K1-Phantoms to be able to block K2-Phantom''s powerful attack.


    "Hey, idiot, do you want me to tell you something?" Edir shouted as an insidious smirk appeared on his face.


    Prago''s received a lost look.


    "Though the elements infused with energy and therefore different from normal and do not obey the usualws of physics and chemistry, but... the base remains. I mean, it''s rather reckless to threaten me with water when I possess ice!" Edir eximed with excitement, before unleashing his full power in a single stream of me.


    Prago''s eyes went wide, he realized that Edir was right.


    Sure, ordinary water wouldn''t be able to extinguish the Phantom''s hot fire, but if the Phantoms'' powers were equal and one used fire, and the other water, the first Phantom was at a disadvantage due to the vulnerability of the elements.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The water monster was trying to engulf the frost me stream, but it wasn''t easy to do so. Parts of the water were constantly freezing, turning into ice, and falling to the ground only to shatter into tiny splinters.


    All the Phantoms in Fall Hill Prison were watching this scene intently as if the oue of their battle was being decided right now.


    However... only Edir realized that this was not the case. He was experienced enough to see how even his icy mes were quickly depleted in the jaws of the water monster.


    ''Well... I''ve done enough... Though, there''s something I''m still capable of...'' Edir internally mumbled with a bitter smile before his hands erupted in bright blue mes.


    His body was already at its limit as well as Ka''s, they had used their Orders too often, but thanks to Ka''s ability, they could continue.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    The water monster, having lost half of its power, ripped Edir''s ming stream,ing straight towards him.


    "Even if I can''t destroy you, I''ll make the most of it!" Edir eximed before sharply pping his palms together, causing a massive me explosion.


    Then, in the final seconds, Edir dashed to the side, grabbing Ka and moving as far away from the epicenter as possible.


    The shockwave threw them apart, tearing Edir''s back and causing them to crash into the wall at high speed.


    Edir and Ka werepletely exhausted, they could barely stay conscious - getting further into the fight was out of the question. Now, only Adam was left, but... the water monster was not yet defeated!


    The water monster was about 1/10th of its original size, but it was enough to inflict terrible wounds on K1-Phantom. If Adam wanted to survive, he had to defend himself somehow!


    Adam''s eyes shed as silver threads covered his left arm, transforming into a massive gauntlet with sharp ws.


    Blood rushed from Adam''s mouth, his body was already at its limit, but he had no choice but to continue. There was simply no other way.


    Crack. Crack. Crack.


    The water monster''s teeth sank into Adam''s left arm, tearing the silver threads apart, yet shattering one by one.


    Each time, the teeth sank deeply into Adam''s arm, releasing blood and tearing his flesh, bringing with them waves of vivid pain, but... soon this torture was over.


    Massive drops of water fell to the ground as thest thing left of the water monster and Prago''s Third Order.


    "Agh... Agh... Agh..." Adam was heavily breathing as he looked at his torn left arm. Streams of blood flowed down from the torn wounds covering his entire limb. It was so bad that he couldn''t even clench his hand into a fist - the muscles and nerves were severely damaged.


    Tap.


    Prago fell to one knee while blood flowed uncontrobly from his mouth. He had used all his abilities several times, moreover, he had received many injuries during the battle, so he was also at his limit.


    In fact, it was unlikely that they had enough strength to just approach each other, but... in their case, they didn''t need it to damage each other.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Above Prago appeared his Spirit, slowly approaching Adam. His The Will was unstable and weak, struggling to hold its form.


    "Guess I don''t have any other choice, do I?" Adam muttered, realizing that he couldn''t afford to get hurt by the aura. He had to confront it!


    Adam reached forward, summoning his Spirit, and feeling his Aura Seal begin to tremble.

 Chapter 172: Without a Face

    "You think your weak Spirit, can handle mine? Maybe the three of you could do it, but you alone aren''t strong enough!" Prago eximed belligerently, waving his hand.


    The flower monster swung its creepy arms, trying to pierce Adam, but the ghostly needle stopped it.


    However... even though Prago''s Spirit was now weak and feeble, Adam was only a K1-Phantom with a First Stage Spirit, his needle was too weak to handle the Second Stage Spirit of the K2-Phantom.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Adam''s hand trembled as he tried to hold the needle, but gradually, the roots of the flower monster, like sharp ws tore apart the silver threads. If it continued like this, Adam''s Spirit would be defeated in a few seconds, and he would take serious internal damage, after which he would definitely lose.


    ''Come on... I know my aura can do more than that... This is the deadly situation Edir was talking about, isn''t it?'' Adam internally muttered with a great frown.


    His Aura Seal was shaking violently while sparks began to emerge from the tips of his Evolution Tree, but... it didn''t seem to be enough. Adam needed something else to make his Spirit evolve.


    ''Should I order my Spirit again? But... I don''t feel like I should do that at all...'' Adam pondered, then his gaze traveled to the flower monster, trying to find the answer to his question in Prago''s Spirit, in the seconds he still had.


    The flower monster looked fearsome and powerful, yet Adam didn''t feel it at all. He saw only hurry in its actions, and seemingly fear.


    ''Will my Spirit be the same...? No, I can''t allow that...'' Adam''s eyes went wide, ''If the Second Stage of the Spirit is a representation of myself, then it must be real... Prago is a fearful coward, and his Spirit seems dangerous and formidable, but it''s all just a fake...''


    Instead of Prago''s Spirit, Adam decided to focus on his own one. A blurry image appeared in his mind, like a vision out of nowhere, it gradually became more precise until it shone brightly - reaching its final form.


    Then, the sparks emanating from the tips of the Evolution Tree became dozens multiplied, turning into sma and absorbed into the Aura Seal.


    The needle mark hovering in the center split into hundreds of threads, transforming into something else - the Second Stage of the Adam''s Spirit!


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, the same processes began to take ce in the real world. Adam''s ghostly needle shattered into clots of aura, it seemed that Prago''s Spirit was finally able to break through Adam''s defenses, but... it onlysted for a moment, during which it was impossible to do anything.


    Adam''s aura became much denser and stronger, pushing back the flower monster''s ws.


    Then, the aura condensed into a single point, transforming into a tall creature consisting of ghostly white threads.


    The creature had no legs, only what looked like a transparent veil or the end of a long, tattered coat of silver threads that fluttered in the breeze.


    The torso was t and dense, gathering severalyers of threads, followed by the arms, one containing a long needle and the other muchrger with long fingers and sharp ws like those of a monster.


    The creature had a head, but no face, though... it could hardly be called a head in the usual sense of that word.


    From the shoulders, instead of a neck, came dense threads that divided into two parts, like wide petals. In the center, where the brain should have been, there was only a bright white light floating between the threads, protected by them.


    "What... He could do that right now... It took me years to do it!" Prago shouted in disbelief, unwilling to ept this reality.


    Then, he waved his hand.


    "Whatever, it''s not enough! You''re on your own! Moreover, I''ve already taken damage from your auras! It''s useless!" Prago eximed.


    In part, he was telling the truth. It was impossible to receive damage from an opponent''s aura once more, only after a long time, however... hepletely forgot about some details...


    "Agh... What... a bliss..." Adam muttered, taking a deep breath, as if heavy shackles had fallen from him.


    Then, his gaze traveled towards the flower monster and rested on Prago.


    "You''re right. In a normal situation, I alone wouldn''t be enough, but... just look at you and your Spirit." Adam smirked as his eyes narrowed with a sharp glint, "You''re both shaking."


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Adam swung his hand, and at the same time, his Spirit burst forward, tearing Prago''s flower monster apart and quickly moving on.


    Sure, Prago''s Spirit would recover soon, it seemed Prago had nothing to fear and could let Adam''s Spirit attack him.


    However... Last time, only Edir and Ka''s Spirits had pierced Prago''s chest, then Adam''s needle didn''t participate as it was too weak.


    Crackle.


    Prago''s mouth opened wide, releasing a new stream of blood as Adam''s Spirit''s left hand pierced his chest.


    It broke the final barrier separating Prago from defeat and the end of the fight. Everything in front of his eyes began to blur, slowly sinking into darkness.


    With hisst strength, he mmed his fist into the ground, trying to stay conscious, but it was as pointless as holding out hope of victory when everything had alreadye to its logical oue.


    Bam.


    Prago fell with a nk stare, bleeding and regrets growing deep inside his soul.


    Adam smiled bitterly, fell to his knees without strength, and looked up with a deep gaze that contained a zing me.


    "We won... It''s a victory..." Adam whispered as his Spirit exploded, spreading around hundreds of white bright particles.


    Like lonely snowkes, they slowly descended before dissipating into nothingness.


    That day, three prisoners, no... three K1-Phantoms, were able to show that sometimes even the difference in power level didn''t matter.


    The feared and unworthy K2-Phantom couldn''t stop them on their way to freedom and deservedly lost under hundreds of stares.

 Chapter 173: Freedom

    Step. Step. Step.


    Edir, with Ka''s hand on his shoulder, slowly stepped forward. His body was covered with numerous wounds, and his blood seemed to have drained so much that he shouldn''t have a drop left.


    However, there was a bright fire in his eyes and a satisfied smirk on his face. Ka was in a simr situation, only she was even more exhausted.


    "Not a bad fight, right?" Edir smiled, walking over to Adam.


    *Cough*


    Adam coughed a few times, clots of blood flying out.


    Then, he turned around and nodded with a bitter smile.


    "Yeah... I can''t say it was the best fight I''ve ever had, but it was definitely my best team fight." Adam uttered, rising slowly.


    Edir threw his head back.


    "Best because it''s the only one?"


    "Hah, you''re probably right, but I''m sure that''s not the only reason. Alright, we''re free now, aren''t we?" Adam asked, ncing at Edir and Ka.


    Ka sighed in relief, "Sure... Before we do that, we should get our Nexuses and stuff... we don''t want to leave without them at all."


    "Right... We need to head back down to the F-Zone, though..."


    Crackle.


    At the same moment, a drone flew out of the ceiling, but not with a box, but with a simple note. Itnded right in Adam''s hand.


    [Go to the prison exit. There''s no point in going back.]


    "Oh, apparently, one of the employees is watching us. Well, that''s good. It''s not that I can''t walk, but in our current state, even standing straight is pretty difficult." Edir shook his head.


    "Hey, don''t you have the strength to hold me up?" Ka smirked, yfully pressing herself against him, clearly with a note of mockery.


    Edir looked at her strangely, then dropped her hand from his and moved on.


    Bam.


    Caught off guard, Ka fell to the ground, hitting herself hard.


    "What the fuck are you doing!" Ka shouted irritably.


    Edir looked at her with a serious look and poked himself in the chest with his thumb, "I have a girlfriend, you know?"


    Ka''s jaw dropped, she didn''t know how to react to such words from Edir.


    "Guys!"


    Suddenly, L ran up to them, she was in such a big hurry as though, if she dyed for a second they would be vaporized. It was obvious how worried she was about them.


    Bam.


    L crashed right into Adam, who despite his weakness, easily held her back. After all, L was just a normal person, and on the physical side quite weak and light.


    "Hey, did you enjoy the show?" Adam smiled, stroking L''s hair.


    "You okay?!" L asked quickly.


    Adam looked over to Edir and Ka, then nodded slightly.


    "Sure, we''re hurt, but alive. I assure you, we''ve gotten used to this kind of condition by now, and I don''t even know if it''s good or bad. However, one thing I do know for sure is that we need to get out of here." Adam said, heading towards the door.


    Edir, Ka, and L followed him.


    It seemed that this was an opportunity for the other prisoners to gain their freedom. Not just from the S-Zone, but from all the other zones, because Prago was unconscious and no one could stop them.


    No one was moving. They all realized that it wasn''t that simple, and if they escaped now, the best they could hope for was persecution from Azure Lotus, and it was unlikely that Dark Order or Crimson Path would stand up for him.


    There was another reason - a trivial respect for Adam, Edir, and Ka.


    What they had done was an achievement that a minimal percentage of all Phantoms were capable of.


    Prago couldn''t bepared to monsters, after all, he was a Phantom, but he was a being at a higher power level, but... he still lost.


    This victory did note easily to them. Adam, Edir, and Ka were each on the edge, if they had been a little weaker, or if they had made a few more mistakes, it would have ended differently.


    Crackle.


    The usual door opened, leading to a simple service staircase. Climbing it, they reach the top floor of the Fall Hill Prison.


    The first thing Adam and the others heard was the usual city noise, especially from cars passing nearby, for they had juste out of the ground level.


    p.


    Suddenly, there was a quiet, confident p, drawing their attention.


    Strangely enough, it was v - the man who took Adam into prison, taking custody of his Nexus, NEP, and belongings. Other prisoners were going through the exact same procedure.


    "Congrattions, you were able to do what thousands of other prisoners are not capable of. I say this sincerely, as I was in awe of yourbat and teamwork. You did everything perfectly." v said seriously, looking at them intently.


    Edir waved his hand.


    "Come on, enough of this ttery. There are plenty of things we could have done better, but considering our team is one day old, we did really well."


    Ka nodded.


    "Agreed. Let''s get to the point. Where''s our stuff and especially the Nexuses?" Ka frowned.


    v sighed understandingly, fixed his sses with his finger, and pointed to the side, "Here. I''ve already got it all set up."


    They looked to the side, and happy smiles appeared on their faces.


    On the table were three ck cases of different sizes, with two sets of clothes each, NEPs, and some documents.


    "What are these clothes?" Ka asked, examining it.


    v shook his hand, "It''s simple. One set is the clothes you came here with, the other is an updated and clean version of what you''re wearing now."


    Adam slowly lowered his head, casting a nce at his torso. His clothes were tattered and shredded, he needed an update.


    ''Well, I''ve been satisfied on both the style andfort side, so worth picking up a new set.'' Adam muttered internally, with a slight nod.


    Crackle.


    Edir opened his case, pulling out his Nexus.


    "Oh yeah, baby! I missed you so much!" Edir eximed vigorously, swinging the axe with a single straight de and a rather long handle.


    His Nexus was something between an axe and a spear, suitable for an active and aggressive fighting style, with the ability to adjust to different situations.


    "Not bad, not bad at all." Adam uttered, nodding approvingly.


    "My turn!" Ka stepped out in front of opening her case.


    Inside was a long staff covered in thorny vines, there was almost no safe ce on it, but Ka knew how to use her weapon to keep from damaging herself.


    "What about you?" Edir asked, pointing at Adam.


    Adam sighed, opened the case, and put on his gloves.


    Edir and Ka looked over at him. They had expected Adam to have some unusual weapon, given his abilities, but it turned out to be much simpler than that.


    "Gloves, right? Not bad, not bad at all." Edir said, putting on and adjusting his NEP. Adam and Ka were doing the same.


    Then, they reached the documents.


    "What''s this?" Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion, turning to v.


    v smiled slyly.


    "This is the most interesting part. It''s your punishment, including your sentence." v continued, "As you know, by reaching S-Zone, your sentence is reduced to one week."


    Adam, Edir, and Ka nodded.


    "By defeating Prago, you gain your freedom right now, but not only that. Your punishment is canceled."


    Adam''s eyes went wide.


    "In other words, fines, some sort of restriction, or perhaps disciplinarybor - anything that was included in your punishment is now null and void. Even the fact that you were in this prison will be removed from all registers and records."

 Chapter 174: Taste of Freedom

    Be it a Phantom or a mere human, anyone who happens to be convicted and sent to prison as punishment gets more than just a prison sentence.


    More often than not, the prisoner also has to pay some fine, this is almost always required of Phantoms since they have money, but there is no point in sending them to prisonbor - it''s a waste of a valuable resource.


    Even if a Phantom reached the S-zone, which meant his sentence would end in just a week, it did not affect the other terms of his punishment. If Adam had to pay 200,000 credits, he had to do it no matter what.


    However... If the prisoners defeated the Warden and thus got out of prison, then everything changed.


    "Wait... Do I understand correctly that if a new employeees to work here tomorrow, he won''t even be able to find information about us in the prison registry?" Ka muttered with wide eyes.


    v nodded with a confident smile.


    "Not only in the prison registry, everywhere, and that applies not only to your current punishment but all previous ones, as well. You are nowpletely clean, and prisoners like you never existed. For the rest of the world, for the time you''ve been here, you''ve just been on vacation."


    Adam, Edir, and Ka looked at each other. They hadn''t expected something like this at all.


    The most important thing to them was freedom, but on top of that, they got a clean record, as well as the removal of all fines.


    For Adam, it was especially important because he needed money, and 200.000 credits was more than half of everything he had.


    It wasn''t critical, he could earn more, but it made his financial situation much better.


    "Enjoy the freedom and the bonuses for winning Warden. Never forget this day, for it is something only the strong enough can earn. Dead Lands and Citadel are not much different at their core, for they are all part of the same life in the same world." v said calmly.


    "Pfffft, enough of this philosophy, it''s already clear to everyone that if you''re strong, you can get more than the others." Ka snorted.


    v just shrugged his shoulders.


    "Hey, how about we have a party in five days?" Edir suggested, turning to Adam and Ka.


    Adam tilted his head in a confusion, "A party?"


    "Yes. I just want to rx! Invite your friends, I''ll be there with Crita. I''m sure you have those who were worried about you! Bring your friends! It''ll be fun!"


    Adam shrugged, "I don''t mind."


    Then, Edir turned to Ka, expecting the same response from her. But, for some reason, she looked away shamefully.


    However, they quickly guessed what the issue was. As soon as Edir spoke of friends, Ka''s gaze darkened, filling with sadness. She was obviously quite lonely, and perhaps she only had her Operator.


    Tap.


    Edir, with a calm look, grabbed Ka''s wrist and opened her NEP.


    "What are you doing?!" Ka eximed, trying to pull her hand away, but Edir''s grip was tighter than she expected.


    "Adding myself to your contact list. Adam and I will get in touch and arrange everything, you just need to get to the right ce at the right time." Edir said with a calm face before closing her NEP.


    He waved his hand and said with slight irritation.


    "And, put on some ssy dress, stop walking around like an out-of-ce person. You''re a young beautiful girl, not a patient in a mental hospital!"


    Ka was clearly outraged, it was obvious from her menacing look, but she didn''t say anything, soon - a slight smile filled with deep happiness appeared on her face.


    Adam only smiled bitterly. He noted to himself that Edir''s actions were harsh and abrupt, but always with a righteous hidden meaning.


    Even if Ka wanted to go with them, she was embarrassed to admit that she had no friends. Edir had easily solved that problem by turning the situation in such a way that he was forcing her toe, and her alone would be enough.


    Adam grabbed the doorknob, about to leave the prison.


    "Wait...!" L eximed uncertainly.


    Adam turned around, faced with her awkward expression.


    "I''ll meet you in five days, won''t I?" Adam asked with a slight smile on his face.


    L''s eyes opened wide, shining brightly like stars.


    "Sure! I''ll definitelye!" L energetically replied.


    After a short conversation, Adam, Edir, and Ka went off in different directions. Edir immediately called for his car, while Ka wanted to rest somewhere and headed to the nearest cafe. She also needed to contact her Operator.


    Tap.


    Adam opened his NEP, about to call Silvana, but at thest moment, he changed his mind and took his hand away.


    "Well... It would be better to have a surprise, wouldn''t it? Moreover, I need to get some rest..." Adam muttered, looked up, and took a deep breath, filling his chest.


    Even though he hadn''t been in prison long, especiallypared to those who stayed in F-Zone and D-Zone, Adam didn''t like the feeling of being restricted from freedom.


    Freedom was the greatest treasure a human, or any other living being could have. There were many ways to keep or lose freedom, but there was only one way to gain freedom - to take it by force.


    Sure, there was ample room for philosophy and debate, but in Adam''s case, power was the deciding factor.


    In some ways Fall Hill Prison was simr to Dead Lands, only with one nuance - in Dead Lands, there were no rules, and no one guaranteed the safety of life in case of failure.


    Perhaps that was one of the reasons why Prago avoided Dead Lands so much, as well as other Phantoms like him.


    However... it wasn''t a disadvantage for Adam, on the contrary...


    "Agh... I still have things to do at the Citadel." Adam muttered, remembering his family, the party, and the meeting with Narata and Tron, "But..."


    Adam looked away - where the Dead Landsy dozens of kilometers in the distance.


    "There''s no way I can deal with the urge to go back... to where I became who I am now."

 Chapter 175: Who Wants to be a Phantom?

    Crackle.


    The door opened, stepping into a room that was usually perfectly clean, cleaned as if for a visit from a king, but... This time was different.


    Dust or dirt was not what the eye fell upon, there was so much of it that it had be normal. Scattered shoes, clothes, and containers of food, especially instant noodles, were lying everywhere.


    Anyone who came here would have thought that this was the home of a dirtbag or someone who hadn''t wanted to get out of their house in years.


    However... this is where one of the people closest to Adam lived.


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    Silvana was typing rapidly on the keyboard trying to find something. It was obvious at a nce that she was looking for some information about the prison, the courts, and the police. Though, Adam had left her not to worry, but she wasn''t going to listen to him.


    "Khm. Looks like someone doesn''t know how to self-control at all, doesn''t it?" Adam uttered, leaning his back against the doorway.


    Silvana stopped, not believing that she had heard Adam''s voice. In fact, in any other situation, she would have noticed him as soon as he walked in, no, even earlier, she would have seen him on the cameras.


    But... right now Silvana was definitely not in her best condition.


    "Agh...?" She slowly turned her head, meeting Adam''s gaze, and her eyes went wide in disbelief.


    Adam took a slow step towards her with a calm look.


    Silvana began to tremble, even panic, but not because she was afraid of Adam, but because of what she and her home looked like now.


    To Adam, as his Operator, she had always been the perfectionist''s ideal, especially when it came to cleaning and appearance, but now... She just couldn''t let him see her like this!


    Before Silvana could say anything, Adam walked up to her and put his index finger to her lips as if telling her to be quiet.


    Though this was the first time he had been in this situation, in the time he had known Silvana, he already learned how to work with her and knew how to get her back on track.


    "I told you not to worry and find me a suitable Essence Monster, didn''t I?" Adam said seriously, "However... You''re still looking for ways to help me get out of prison even though I''m already free."


    Adam took a deep breath.


    "Let''s do it this way - you''re punished. As punishment, you''ll have to clean this ce up by the time I get back from my walk."


    Realizing that there was no way to increase this awkward pause, Adam quickly left Silvana''s apartment, allowing her to once again run his words through her head and from her thoughts go straight to work!


    Silvana didn''t want to look the way she did now in front of Adam, and Adam wanted Silvana to feelfortable, so... it was best for both of them to take a short pause to work out non-essential issues.


    Two hourster, Adam returned, and as soon as he opened the door, a new but familiar scene unfolded before him.


    Perfect cleanliness followed him, heading towards a girl in formal clothes, who was waiting for him in the middle of the aisle with her arms folded in front of her.


    Adam was clearly surprised, he hadn''t expected Silvana to be able to do so much in just two hours.


    He wanted to say something, but this time, Silvana was already ahead of him.


    She bowed low with their hands at the hips and said:


    "First of all - thank you. Secondly, I''m d you coulde back so soon, and I''m looking forward to hearing more about the whole thing." Silvana uttered in all seriousness.


    "Sure, but first, make me some coffee, and you''ll have something sweet, won''t you?" Adam uttered with a slight smile.


    Silvana smirked.


    "As you wish."


    Things returned to their usual pace fairly quickly, but the desire to move forward went nowhere, neither Adam''s nor Silvana''s.


    Adam exined everything to Silvana in detail - about the prison, the zones, the rules, the Guardians, and his fight against Prago with Ka and Edir.


    He wasn''t going to hide anything from Silvana, and he wanted her to know all of it. After all, as for the Operator, this information was useful.


    In the end, Adam left his conversation with Narata. Although he had learned a lot in prison and met some unusual people, his biggest shock was rted to Narata.


    "Oh... That''s actually amazing... To my shame, I''ve never even considered such a problem. It always seems like being a Phantom is just a reward, but where there''s a blessing, there''s always room for a curse, isn''t there?" Silvana muttered, pondering Adam''s words.


    Adam nodded, taking a sip of coffee. For some reason, that was the drink he wanted today. The sweetness of sodas and smoothies had worn off on him.


    "You''re going to meet her in three days?"


    Adam nodded.


    "Tron will still be there, he''ll probably be the one to decide if Dark Order will help her dreame true or not. Well, I''m hoping for the best, but no one knows what will happen then. Also, are you going to the party in five days?"


    Silvana''s corners of her lips lifted upward slightly.


    "Absolutely. We all need a proper rest. Furthermore, I''ll be interested to see Edir and Ka, from the looks of it they''re pretty capable Phantoms."


    Adam sighed, taking the next sip.


    Then, a short pause continued, while the atmosphere quickly filled with a distinct tension. It wasing from Adam, for he was finally ready to ask the question he had been contemting for days.


    "Silvana... After hearing my story about the prison and the story about Narata, also considering that you are my Operator, I have something I want to ask you." Adam said seriously, looking intently at Silvana.


    Silvana gulped, she wasn''t sure what exactly he was talking about.


    "Have you ever wondered about... no..." Adam bit his lip, "Did you ever want to be a Phantom?"


    Silvana''s eyes went wide.


    Few Phantoms would ask such a thing of their Operator, most would think of it as a ridiculous joke, but their situation was different. Silvana knew that Adam was a Naturalborn Phantom, which meant... as someone without Spark, she had the same opportunity.


    The reality was that if it was up to Silvana''s will, she could go to Dead Lands at any time, and fight the monster.


    If she killed the monster in a 1 vs. 1, then she would be a Naturalborn Phantom, that''s all.


    Adam hadn''t thought about this before, but the discussion with Narata had changed his mindset, making him look at the situation more broadly.


    If some Phantoms didn''t want to be Phantoms, then there had to be military men, Operators, and cksmiths who wanted to be Phantoms and were willing to do anything for it. Sure, in order to do that, one had to know about the Naturalborn Phantoms first.


    Silvana was silent for a long time, then confidently said, "Adam, please stand up."


    Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion, but he did as she asked.


    Silvana pushed the chair aside and, to Adam''s surprise, got down on one knee in front of him - like a knight, with a serious look on her face and her palm pressed to her chest.


    Adam was embarrassed, he hadn''t expected this or considered it normal, but he couldn''t bring himself to ask her to stand - Silvana''s gaze wouldn''t let him.


    She was more earnest than ever, without words - showing all her determination and confidence in the path she had chosen.


    It is important to remember that everyone has a unique route - everyone has different goals and dreams.

 Chapter 176: Three Days

    Adam stared at Silvana as if mesmerized, but not because he was charmed by her beauty or anything like that, no, it had a different, more sublime reason.


    Then, he looked at Silvana not like a man at a woman, or even like a Phantom at an Operator, but like a Warrior meeting another Warrior, with the same unwavering, confidence-filled gaze.


    Sure, their battlefields were strikingly different, but they could both fight. One with physical force, the other with support and information.


    Then Silvana slowly stood up and, without saying a word, punched Adam in the chest with her fist.


    Her eyes went wide, but not because of surprise that the damage done was zero - that was expected. Silvana was in pain because hitting Adam was like running into a steel wall.


    Adam lowered his eyes, gently took her wrist, and lowered her hand. Without waiting for her words, he walked over and made the simplest of coffees, using the coffee machine - under Silvana''s careful gaze.


    The whole process took only a few minutes, and the cup of espresso was in Silvana''s hand, with knuckles reddened from the impact.


    She took a sip, looked at the coffee, and with a calm look, said with a nce at Adam:


    "This is just awful. It''s better for both of us if I keep doing it." Silvana uttered, but strangely enough took a few more sips, drinking it all down.


    Adam smiled.


    "I''ll take a rest before the party, moreover I still have a conversation with Narata waiting for me. Will that be enough time to find the right Essence Monster?" Adam asked, moving on to something they were both good at -pleting missions in Dead Lands.


    Silvana nodded. She tried to hide it, but it was obvious that their short conversation, almost without words, gave her relief and peace.


    After all, even if they had different statuses in society, they were a team, and it was important that everyone did their jobs and followed their roles.


    "Don''t worry, though I spent most of my time trying to find a way to get you out of prison, I haven''t forgotten about your request. I have several suitable candidates, all of whom possess the lightning attribute. In five days, we''ll see what the missions department has to offer."


    "Nice. I didn''t think I''d ever say this, but I''ve missed Dead Lands already." Adam said with a sincere glint in his eyes.


    Silvana smiled bitterly.


    "I too."


    ...


    At about the same time, the only and strongest Warden of the Fall Hill Prison woke up in the medical room.


    Prago rose abruptly, in a sweat, as if he had been haunted by a nightmare for a long time. It took him a few minutes to regain consciousness and examine his bandage-covered, scarred body.


    ''You''re finally awake.'' A woman''s voice rang out, but Prago was alone in the room - the sound came from an earpiece deep in his ear.


    "I lost... I lost to the K1-Phantoms... It... it truly happened..." Prago muttered in disbelief, grabbing his face with his hand and looking at the world around him through his fingers.


    ''Yes. It''s a fact. Those three have already left the prison and are enjoying their freedom. Technically, though, already, these three have never been in this prison.''


    "Fuck that! It''s all fucking bureaucracy! It doesn''t change the fact that I lost to them! They beat me! Especially that bastard, Adam Vinter... Why is he so powerful?!" Prago eximed furiously, it seemed like anger was about to fill his mind and heart.


    For a while, there was only silence, no one said anything. Perhaps this was a bad sign, for Prago''s anger was only going to grow and expand.


    ''Have you spoken out? Are you feeling better?'' The girl asked as if such a reaction from Prago was something normal in their case and evenmonce.


    Prago sighed heavily.


    "Y-Yes, I''m fine. I''m sorry for yelling..." Prago''s voice changed drastically as if he was really ashamed.


    ''That''s all right. I know you didn''t mean it, but... Prago, maybe it''s time to stop trying to run away already?''


    Prago didn''t answer anything, he only clenched his fists tightly, it was obvious, that it was hard for him to talk about it.


    "How...?" Prago''s gaze darkened, "On myst mission, I miraculously survived... Even with our medicine, it took me two weeks to recover! I was literally picked up in pieces, and I was the lucky one! The others died immediately, and this has happened many times before!"


    Prago was obviously severely traumatized by past tragedies. He had been a Phantom much longer than Adam, Edir, or Ka, and had seen many more deaths.


    It was also the reason why he acted rtively cowardly and safe, though it still couldn''t keep him from facing another tragedy. Whoever you were and whatever you did - the Dead Lands was a dangerous ce, for any creature.


    ''We''ve discussed this many times, so I won''t repeat it for the thousandth time. You and I both know that the choice here is clear and simple - either you forget your fears and move forward, or you continue to feel sorry for yourself and rot in prison.''


    Prago wanted to say something, but his Operator beat him to it.


    ''It doesn''t matter who you are, warden, guardian, or prisoner, everyone in prison is deprived of their freedom. Anyone who stays in prison too long begins to rot, not on the outside, but on the inside - it''s even more dangerous.''


    The girl continued:


    ''But... Given that you''re a Phantom, the entire Citadel serves this function. If a Phantom stays too long in the Citadel, it bes a prison for him, no different from a normal prison.''


    Prago bit his lip, so hard that blood rushed out. He clenched his hands into fists and muttered.


    "I want... I want to go back... Find me a suitable mission... And, can I stay with you tonight...?" Prago asked timidly, like a child before his first major test in life.


    ''Sure. Wee back.'' The girl replied with a happy smile on her face.


    ...


    Step. Step. Step.


    Three days after leaving Fall Hill Prison, Adam was on his way to a simple, unremarkable cafe in Second Ring.


    Narata and Tron should have been there by now.

 Chapter 177: Last Days for Phantom Narata

    This caf¨¦ was rarely frequented, usually, the peak was after business hours when people left their offices to rest, but it was morning now, and the roads were pretty empty.


    Nevertheless, someone had been standing in front of the entrance for several minutes.


    A girl with azure eyes and ck hair looked around as if waiting for someone. Previously, she wore a strict military costume, but this time, she chose something looser, slightly revealing her wrists and shoulders, but the usual harshness was still there.


    "Adam!" Narata''s eyes went wide when she saw Adam walking in her direction.


    "Hey! Been waiting long? Sorry, I guess I''m a littlete." Adam scratched the back of his head awkwardly with a kind smile on his face.


    Narata looked at him, bottom to top, examining his clothes. Oddly enough, he was wearing the same thing he''d worn in S-Zone, though he was no longer in prison and wasn''t about to fight anyone.


    "Tron''s not here yet?" Adam tilted his head.


    Narata sighed.


    "Actually, he''s already inside... Came in a few minutes ago, I didn''t have time to run into him... At first, I wanted to go in, but... I''m too worried, so I decided to wait for you." Narata scratched her cheek shyly.


    Adam nodded understandingly and opened the door, waiting for Narata to enter.


    At first, she didn''t understand the meaning of the gesture, then she blushed and quickly headed forward.


    Tron was sitting at the farthest end - there were already four cups of coffee on the table, as well as pancakes with syrup. He must have ordered the first thing on the menu.


    As they got closer, Adam and Narata stopped in surprise for a few seconds, but it wasn''t Tron - it was the girl sitting next to him.


    She was quite tall, wearing clothes that exuded modesty and unremarkability. She had calm green eyes and a long, rather thick brown braid, neatly twisted.


    Unlike Tron, who rxed back in the padded chair and kept one foot on the other with his arms crossed over his chest - the girl sat with a straight back, keeping her palms on her feet like a student on an exam.


    "Oh, you''re finally here. That''s good, your coffee probably hasn''t had time to get cold yet." Tron muttered, casting a hard stare at them.


    Adam smiled, taking a seat. Narata followed behind him.


    Tron leaned forward slightly, looking at Narata for a while, then shifted his gaze to Adam.


    "Let''s start with you. I expected there would be no meeting because Damien had forgotten that you were in prison. However, despite all the difficulties you managed to do it. You and the other two Phantoms defeated K2-Phantom, that''s indeedmendable." Tron calmly said.


    Adam nodded with mes in his eyes, remembering that fight.


    "Would you like to join the Dark Order?" Tron asked sharply. It was obvious that he was more than serious, and all Adam had to do was answer positively to start the process.


    "No, not yet." Adam replied without a second thought.


    "Not yet... hah, whatever." Tron shrugged with a slight chuckle.


    Then, he red menacingly at Narata, making her flinch, but his attention shifted to the girl beside him, who hadn''t said a word yet.


    "This is Riska, she''s my Operator." Tron said nonchntly with a wave of his hand.


    Riska showed a bright smile and nodded.


    "It''s nice to meet you. I hope today ends well."


    She knew why Narata hade here too. Oddly enough, her smile was able to put Narata at ease.


    "Narata..." Tron said slowly, "I think you already know that it''s possible to fulfill your wish. However, it''s one thing to talk about it, and another to show it."


    "Agh...?" Narata tilted her head in confusion. She had no idea what Tron was talking about.


    Tron waved his hand.


    Riska nodded at his gesture and pulled some pictures out of her pocket.


    Adam and Narata were surprised, but they hadn''t had time to look at the contents of the photos yet. The mere fact that they were physical copies and not digital was enough to make their eyes go wide.


    Riska was an Operator, so she knew how to use technology, especiallyputers on the highest level, if she had pictures like this, it could only mean one thing - no one was supposed to see it.


    Then, Adam and Narata narrowed their eyes as they looked at the pictures, and shivers ran down their spines.


    There were only six pictures - it was the whole story of the girl Phantom. First, she was a neer to the academy, then on her first mission, she seeded. Next was training and a serious mission with many victims, fear, and horror in her eyes.


    In the fifth picture, everything was covered with corpses, the only survivor was the girl leaning on her huge spear. At the end, thest picture was an image of Riska''s.


    "What... What does that mean?" Narata muttered in disbelief. She shifted her gaze back and forth between the pictures and Riska. The girl in the pictures had the same hair and eye color, but Narata couldn''t say that these girls were much alike, though... she should have just looked closer.


    "Yeah, you got that right." Tron muttered.


    Riska smiled bitterly.


    "A few years ago, I was a Phantom, though... technically I still have an Initial Gene and an Evolution Tree, just like you all."


    Riska continued, "But... Phantom Riska Luiria no longer exists. I am Tron''s Operator and no one else."


    Narata gulped. Right here, in front of her, was a person who had gone through the path she was about to choose. It gave her an unprecedented confidence.


    Sure, Adam and Narata were extremely curious why Riska had made that decision, but they didn''t question her about it. Apparently, the root reason was the same as Narata''s - Riska never wanted to be a Phantom.


    "Sorry to be rude, but what did you do with your Nexus? I won''t ask anything personal anymore, please answer that." Narata asked with such an eager look as if her life depended on it.


    Riska smiled.


    "You don''t have to worry so much. My spear is fine, but I don''t have ess to my Nexus, and I don''t even know where exactly it is."


    Riska pointed at Tron.


    "Back then, I gave my Nexus to Tron. I don''t know and don''t want to know where my spear is." Riska''s voice was gentle and calm, but it changed abruptly.


    She narrowed her eyes and looked intently at Narata, like a strict teacher at her student.


    "Narata, there''s something you need to understand. Adam and Tron have Nexuses, for they are Phantoms. We shouldn''t have them, because Operators don''t have Nexuses. Do you understand that?"


    Narata flinched, then she gulped.


    True, Narata wanted to renounce the path of the Phantom and be an Operator, but it still wasn''t easy at all, even if she had the right determination. Even if her life wasn''t what she wanted it to be, she needed to discard everything she had and start practically from scratch.


    "Alright, that''s enough lyrics. You''ve learned a little about Riska, now I want to learn a bit about you, Narata. I want to make sure you''re ready to be an Operator." Tron said coldly.


    "Be prepared to take a simple test."

 Chapter 178: The Way of the Operator

    "Test...?" Narata muttered with evident excitement.


    Although she had previously studied to be an Operator and even passed the exam, she had forgotten some information during her time as a Phantom and needed to brush up on her knowledge.


    "Sure, but, I''m not talking about the technical stuff they teach at the academy. You know that without me, after all, you''re here because you always wanted to be an Operator and not a Phantom." Tron said calmly, but his voice was serious and oppressive.


    Then, Tron waved his hand.


    "Riska, slice my pancakes."


    She didn''t even hesitate to proceed to do Tron''s order with a genuine smile on her face.


    "Narata, you must realize that you are a failure." Tron said harshly, looking down at her from above.


    Narata shuddered. She knew Tron was stern, but she was not prepared for this at all.


    "You''re weak, you''vepleted very few missions while failing quite a lot and consistently showing mediocre results. However... All of that only applies to Narata-Phantom." Tron put his fingertips together.


    He sighed and said:


    "I don''t have much to say about the Narata-Operator, but as you realize I''m a fairly experienced Phantom and know what a good Operator should be like. I want to find out if your Phantom pride will keep you from being a good Operator. It''s critically important, to all of us." Tron said and looked at Riska for a few seconds, as if setting an example for her.


    At this time, Riska was still slicing his pancakes.


    "Adam, do you mind to help me?" Tron asked in a calm tone.


    "Sure." Adam nodded, "But, what am I supposed to do?"


    Tron smirked.


    "Nothing out of the ordinary. Just be a Phantom while in the same room with the Operator."


    Before Adam could realize anything, Tron pointed at him, looking intently at Narata.


    "Narata, pretend I''m your Phantom for this period."


    Narata quickly nodded several times.


    "Fine, in that case - give Adam a massage."


    "Agh...?" Narata''s eyes went wide in confusion. She didn''t understand at all why she had to do this.


    "NOW!" Tron shouted menacingly, causing Narata to stand up abruptly and quickly walk over to Adam.


    Though she wasn''t entirely sure if her actions were right, she decided one thing then - it was better to obey and do as Tron said.


    At first, Narata acted clumsily, but soon enough she realized the force she needed to apply and the pace she had to keep.


    Adam was puzzled, but soon he felt relief, and a slight smile formed on his face. Even though his wounds were already healed and almost all the scars were gone, the fatigue in his muscles remained, and Narata was actually making him feel better.


    "Here... Press a little harder here..." Adam muttered, pointing to his shoulder.


    "Ughum." Narata nodded, following his instructions.


    She felt strange. A few days ago, she had thought she was capable of defeating Adam in the F-Zone, and now she was serving him, and the most unusual thing was that it was essentially her desire and, to some extent - her goal.


    Tron waved his hand.


    "Riska, get behind me."


    Naturally, she did so without hesitation.


    Then, Tron picked up his fork and began eating the pancakes.


    "Adam, join me. This cafe may not be in the most favorable location, but they sure know how to make breakfast, I can guarantee that." Tron said mundanely, waving his fork with a piece of pancake on it.


    Adam nced at Narata, who continued to make him massages, sighed heavily, and started eating.


    With each second, with each pancake, Narata was getting more and more strange feelings. She simultaneously realized that she was doing what she was supposed to do - obeying her Operator''s orders - but something inside her was still trying to shake her out of this position.


    ''Is this really the pride Tron was talking about... Damn, I didn''t think I''d have a problem with this...'' Narata inwardly muttered as she frowned slightly.


    Narata looked up and met Riska''s bright eyes. Unlike her, Riska only had a smile on her face, her hands folded in front of her. She looked like the very embodiment of innocence, ready to do whatever Tron ordered.


    ''How... Judging from those pictures in Dead Lands, she fought even more aggressively than I did. It may not be Adam''s level, much less Tron''s, but she was also a Phantom...'' Narata pondered with a deep gaze.


    Then, Riska, lightly pointed at Narata''s wrist, where still was NEP.


    "Hm? Is something wrong?" Adam turned around as Narata suddenly stopped, even though she had maintained an excellent pace before.


    Narata shook her head.


    "Sorry, I just finally realized that it''s not easy to stop being a Phantom, but... I''m ready for it. If I want to achieve what I''ve always dreamed of, I have to act more confidently and give my all to my chosen profession." Narata uttered before crushing her NEP.


    Strangely enough, even the always cold and serious Tron smiled at that moment.


    He seemed to be waiting for her to do it, and that was a pretty important part of his test.


    "Hah, not bad. Fine, both of you, take your seats, it''s not good to leave food untouched - it''s disrespectful to the cook." Tron waved his hand.


    Narata''s eyes shone brightly, but not because she was allowed to eat, no, after all, she was an Operator, not a ve at the mercy of a tyrant.


    She realized that such a reaction from Tron meant only one thing - she had passed the test or, at least, was on her way to doing so.


    "Narata, there''s something you need to understand." Tron spoke up, "I had no intention of humiliating you or anything like that. The Operator''s tasks are much broader and more important than slicing pancakes or giving massages. Everyone understands that."


    Narata nodded, listening to him intently. Riska was enjoying her meal in the meantime, genuinely happy for Narata. They were in the same position, it was just that one of them had already traveled this thorny path.


    "However, the most basic thing is the ability to obey your Phantom, whether your Phantom asks you to gather information about his mission or cook him dinner. Those are your responsibilities - that''s the way our world works, and if you want to be an Operator, you have to be ready for it." Tron said calmly.


    Narata got a serious look.


    "Yes, I''m grateful to you. There was still some doubt inside me before we met, but now I remembered why and wherefore I wanted to be an Operator. I want to obey and be useful to my Phantom and the entire Citadel." Narata said confidently, cing her palm on her chest.


    Tron nodded.


    "Good, very good. In that case, we''ll do it this way - Riska will quickly help you recover as an Operator, given your graduation from the academy and your willingness to do so, it won''t take long. Then, we will ept you into the Dark Order and find you a suitable Phantom."


    Riska smiled, waving her hand.


    Tron continued:


    "But, you must realize that we demand results. I have one candidate for your Phantom - he''s not as tough as me, that''s for sure, but he''s also a member of the Dark Order, obviously. We value strength and results more than anything else, so be prepared."


    "Sure. I''ll do my best! I''m the Operator!" Narata eximed belligerently.


    Adam stared at her intently, strangely seeing the same confidence in Narata''s eyes as earlier in Silvana''s gaze.


    ''Hah... It''s amazing how a person can change when they are in their ce...''

 Chapter 179: Controlling the Power

    After Tron''s test was finished, Narata passed it sessfully. Their meeting continued, but not in the same tense atmosphere as before.


    Narata received Tron''s approval, learned a lot from Riska, and realized, with Adam''s help, that she had topletely renounce the Phantom''s identity.


    In fact, she was extremely lucky that Tron had decided to help them because such cases were quite few.


    Riska carefully stood up and looked at Narata.


    "I need to retire to the restroom, are youing?"


    Riska had some deal to Narata, or she wouldn''t have emphasized it so much.


    Narata nodded uncertainly. She had no idea what Riska wanted to talk to her about.


    The girls left, and Adam was alone with Tron. Perhaps this was a good opportunity to discuss sublime topics or serious matters, especially about monsters and the Big Three.


    But... Neither of them was in the mood for that.


    "More pancakes?" Tron asked with a raised eyebrow.


    Adam smiled.


    "Sure, I''m not full at all."


    ...


    Riska stood in front of the mirror, putting on light, pink lipstick, almost invisible considering the natural color of her lips.


    "Did you want something?" Narata asked, looking around.


    "Ugum." Riska nodded, removing her lipstick and standing in front of Narata.


    Then, Riska stretched her arms forward with her palms open. Narata looked at her, puzzled, not guessing her intentions.


    "Go ahead, ce your palms against mine and squeeze them tightly. I''ll do the same." Riska said with a serious look.


    Narata did as she asked and firmly gripped Riska''s palms, running her fingers through hers - their hands were in a tight lock.


    Riska tensed her fingers, which was evident in her swollen veins, and Narata did the same, exerting considerably more force.


    "Argh!" Riska frowned heavily as she dropped to her knees, looking up at Narata from below, but she made no move to remove her grip.


    Riska''s face was twisted in pain, it was obvious that she was actually experiencing it.


    Narata was shocked at what was happening. Her eyes went wide, she didn''t know why this was going on and what she had to do.


    ''What...? What''s wrong?'' Narata inwardly muttered in confusion, ''Riska is a K1-Phantom like me... Moreover, she seemed to be at an even higher level...''


    "Please... stop... it hurts..." Riska pleaded, clenching her teeth hard.


    "Oh... of course! Please forgive me!" Narata was quick to respond, releasing Riska''s hands.


    Riska finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    "What was that...?" Narata asked with a worried look.


    Riska smiled bitterly.


    "It''s something you haven''t realized yet. Narata, Operators don''t have the kind of power you used just now." Riska looked at her with a good-hearted look.


    Narata flinched, she was beginning to realize what Riska was trying to show her.


    "As you might have noticed. I haven''t used my Phantom power at all. I''m no different from a normal human, maybe only slightly stronger due to pastbat experience and training, but nothing more than that. In my current state, I could easily be defeated by two military men." Riska calmly said.


    Her words would have sounded like a real curse to any Phantom. However, there was no bitterness or disappointment in her voice. On the contrary, Riska sounded proud, as this was a true aplishment for her.


    "How... how did you do it...?" Narata asked with a curious look.


    Riska smiled weakly.


    "It''s nothingplicated. Just try to lower your power like you do with the aura. You won''t seed immediately, and it''ll take weeks to get the full effect."


    Narata nodded deeply, then put her palm to her chest and asked, "Is this permanent? I mean..."


    Riska shook her head.


    "If I want to, I can regain my full strength within ten minutes. It''s likeparing it to an engine - if you don''t use it, it will cool down and get dusty. However, once you give it fuel, the engine roars to life."


    Narata wanted to say something, she opened her mouth, but Riska beat her to it.


    "But... You don''t want to do that. Be an Operator, be like an ordinary person. It''s better to leave nothing from your past life behind, it''ll be easier that way, I speak from experience." Riska said seriously.


    Narata was silent for a while, then she nodded understandingly.


    "I... I''ll try my best. I want to be like you."


    "Good job. And... there''s something else." Riska narrowed her eyes, staring intently at Narata.


    Narata tilted her head in confusion.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Riska swung her hand sharply, grabbing Narata firmly by the side, or rather by a fold of fat, that was almost invisible, but Riska had no trouble spotting it.


    "Ouch. What''s gotten into you?" Narata frowned.


    "You see that? This is uneptable!" Riska eximed menacingly, with a fiery re.


    Narata just gulped, she didn''t have the strength to respond to Riska right now.


    "You''ve gotten weight in thest few days, haven''t you?"


    Narata quickly nodded a few times.


    "Agh." Riska sighed heavily, "I''ve had that too. Look, you realize that you have to look perfect as an Operator for your Phantom, don''t you?"


    "Sure... It''s basic, it''s been talked about many times at the academy..." Narata replied uncertainly, "Operators should always take care of their clothes, body, and hair. All to maintain the importance of status."


    Riska nodded.


    "Narata, don''t forget, you are no longer a Phantom, so you should watch what you eat and in what quantity."


    Riska continued with a serious stare:


    "If you''re a Phantom, it''s almost impossible to get fat - it takes a huge amount of energy, including simple calories, to use abilities, fight, and train. All energy is directed either to the muscles or to regenerate reserves. However, if you don''t fight and use your abilities like I do, you can gain extra kilos very quickly."


    Riska blushed slightly, covering her mouth with the palm of her hand as if she was embarrassed to talk about it.


    "Khm. When we first started working with Tron, I was eating like normal, and in just a month, I gained 10 kilograms. Damn... I was so embarrassed when Tron told me about it, and the worst part..." Riska bit her lip.


    "Hmm?"


    "Losing weight is damn hard... especially after you get used to eating in a day as much as the average person doesn''t eat in a week. Anyway, if I were you, I''d make sure you don''t have to go through it." Riska said seriously, cing her palm on Narata''s shoulder encouragingly.


    Narata nodded. She had never had this kind of problem before, but she knew from Riska''s look that she was better off not checking it out and going on a diet right away!


    Crackle.


    The door opened as Narata and Riska came out of the restroom, approaching the table.


    Their conversation went on for quite some time, and in that time, Adam and Tron managed to create a small disaster.


    The empty tes on their table could be used to build towers because there were so many of them.


    It was unknown how many pancakes they had eaten or if there was anything else at their feast, but no ordinary person could have eaten so many in such a short period.


    "Oh, you''re finally here. Would you like dessert?" Tron asked with a raised eyebrow. For a moment, his gaze shifted to Riska''s hands, to her reddened knuckles.


    Riska and Narata looked over at each other.


    "No. We''ll pass." Riska waved her hand with a slight smile.


    Tron shrugged before cing his order.

 Chapter 180: Sudden Darkness

    "I''m dying..." Adam muttered, holding his stomach, which was inted like a balloon.


    Tron had eaten just as much, maybe even more than him, but he looked more than normal.


    "Well, we had a good sit down and discussed a lot of things. It was a productive meeting." Tron said seriously, "Riska, we should go."


    "Sure!" Riska eximed energetically, rising abruptly.


    While Adam and Tron destroyed one dessert after another, Narata and Riska just waited and somewhere, deep down, envied them. They only ordered green tea.


    True, they wanted to join Adam and Tron, especially Narata, but she knew, that now she would have to pay a heavy price for it.


    She wanted to be an Operator, and she had to sacrifice something for that, even a seemingly trivial thing like food.


    "Adam, good luck. I don''t usually praise people, but you deserve it. However, don''t get overly arrogant, be confident but not cocky. That''s what you need to survive, not be just another talented newbie who dies in a couple of months because of his stupidity." Tron waved his hand, heading for the door.


    Riska quickly quickened her step and opened the door in front of him.


    "See youter!" Riska waved with a happy smile before hurriedly following Tron.


    Adam looked at Narata with a slight curiosity in his gaze.


    "How are you feeling? Looks like besides Tron, Riska had a chat with you as well, didn''t she?" Adam suggested.


    Narata sighed heavily.


    "Agh... I''m tired, pretty damn tired. But, I hope everything will be fine in the future. The most important thing is that I have a decent Phantom, everything else is not so crucial. Then I can reach my full potential and show what I''m capable of!" Narata said confidently, clenching her fist with a fiery gaze.


    Adam smiled, nodding his head slightly.


    "I see... Well, I don''t think you need to worry about that. If Tron has a suitable candidate, then it''s already decided. I, as a Phantom, can''t give you any useful advice, moreover, even as a Phantom, I''m still a newbie." Adam smiled bitterly.


    "However..." Adam''s tone became harsher.


    "However?" Narata tilted her head in confusion.


    "Something I''m sure of. Never lose that confidence in your eyes, that fire you have now. By keeping that me alive, you''ll definitely be able to keep going, no matter what." Adam said with a deadly serious look.


    Narata only nodded silently.


    ...


    Adam had fulfilled his promise to Narata, and now he had only one thing left to do in the Citadel before returning to Dead Lands - a party.


    Silvana and Adam worked with Edir and his Operator to organize everything as well as send out invitations.


    Everything was ready the day before the party, where everyone could rest and head back to Dead Lands.


    Adam walked through the city at night, in a rather dark district, practically unlit by streetlights - he wanted to enjoy the night sky. He had nothing to fear anyway.


    Then, he was in the Third Ring, practically near the border with the slums.


    "Well... It''s much different from the First Ring... It''s not noisy here, and that''s a good thing. Although, the darkness can be intimidating for many, can''t it?" Adam muttered thoughtfully, just staring into the void.


    "You''re absolutely right."


    Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, came a calm, deep voice. Strangely enough, Adam had heard that voice once before and knew who the owner was.


    Adam turned around sharply only to see a silhouette in the alley, the darknesspletely hiding it. The only thing visible was the high cor from a long coat, emerald eyes, and a half-smoked cigarette.


    "You... You''re Wilfred, aren''t you...?" Adam muttered in disbelief, "Or was it... Then it was someone else''s name?"


    The man smirked.


    "Nah. You got that right. Don''t worry, I''m not following or stalking you. I just saw you heading this way and thought it might be a good opportunity to meet again." Wilfred said calmly, blowing out a puff of smoke.


    Adam narrowed his eyes. Even if Wilfred was from ck Swan and willing to help him deal with Aiden Henk, that didn''t mean he had to trust Wilfred.


    Adam was much more naive than he was now. It wasn''t surprising, though, since his knowledge of the world was very limited, and hecked experience.


    However, after the encounter with Ruby Dew, namely Mirna''s squad, and the deaths of his teammates, he had be much tougher towards the Lower Ring.


    "Even so... What do you want?" Adam asked with a hard stare.


    Wilfred shrugged.


    "I don''t know. I just wanted to talk. Honestly, when I gave you the ck card, I expected our next meeting to be in half a year at best. More specifically, that you''d be strong enough to descend to the Lower Ring by then." Wilfred said calmly. He took out a new cigarette and lit it with the blue me of his lighter.


    Sure, Lower Ring wasn''t such a dangerous ce that one had first be a K2-Phantom to go there.


    Many people were living in the Lower Ring, millions to be exact. However, they were just doing their normal jobs, carrying out a routine life.


    Adam had moreplex tasks that required the strength not to die at the hands of some Phantom like Mirna.


    Though Adam hadn''t been to the Lower Ring yet, it didn''t require to be a genius to realize that the safety there was far worse than in the Upper Ring, it was too obvious.


    Moreover, he was an outsider who only remotely understood how this mysterious ce worked.


    "Half a year?" Adam raised an eyebrow, puzzled.


    Wilfred nodded.


    "Yeah, normally, we don''t expect to see new Phantoms in the Lower Ring until a year or moreter, but in your case, it''s different. Given your sess on your first missions, I immediately realized that you were talented, but... it''s only been about forty days, and you''ve already almost reached the peak of the K1. That''smendable."


    "And...? What''s next? We just talk, and you leave?" Adam clenched his fists tightly, not realizing if Wilfred had any hidden intentions.


    Wilfred slowly turned his head, staring at Adam.


    "Yeah, that''s exactly what''s going to happen. It''s too early for you to go to the Lower Ring, though, you know that without me. But, since we''re here now, I''ll tell you something - Aiden Henk, he''s continuing his experiments, and now he''s got not only the monster and the slum youths in his grasp, but other Phantoms as well..."


    Wilfred paused for a moment before continuing.


    "We''re notpletely sure, but he did something to a few Phantoms. Slightly, but they are different from the others, and we don''t know exactly what it is or how it happened. And... That''s actually kind of scary. Anyway, he''s killing people, and we have to stop it."


    "Tsk. Stop this bullshit!" Adam waved his hand irritably.


    Wilfred narrowed his eyes.


    "Do you really expect me to believe that''s all you care about? Even if you actually feel sorry for those Aiden Henk is experimenting on, you must have ulterior motives, don''t you?!"


    Adam frowned heavily. He wasn''t ready to believe that the organization from the Lower Ring was a bunch of do-gooders fighting for justice!

 Chapter 181: The Party (Part 1)

    Wilfred stared at Adam for a long time, getting an equally threatening look in return.


    Wilfred was hardly an enemy to Adam, but if he wasn''t an enemy, that didn''t mean he was a friend. Adam was experienced enough to realize that simple truth.


    Wilfred lit the next cigarette, smoked itpletely, and looked away with a thoughtful look. It was evident that it helped him calm down and gather his thoughts.


    "Fine, you are right, human lives are not the only thing we ck Swan care about. However, our and especially my reasons are none of your business, right?" Wilfred uttered, slowly shifting his gaze from the night sky to Adam.


    Ada gulped.


    Even though Wilfred didn''t let out his aura and seemed no different from a normal person, Adam felt a strange pressure. It definitely wasn''t an ability or an aura, he was sure of that.


    It seemed to be something else, yet more simple and even trivial. This pressure came from pure wisdom or pure confidence in his words. Adam couldn''t determine the cause, in a way, it was something new and uncharted for him.


    "You don''t have to worry about why exactly we want to get rid of Aiden Henk, as long as you have the same goal, do you?" Wilfred asked with a deadly serious expression.


    Adam sighed heavily, the reason wasn''t his next words but his eptance of the situation.


    "You want to kill him, right? Not that it''s against my moral principles, not anymore, but... I need rity. Is that what you can give me?"


    Wilfred flicked the ashes directly onto the floor, smirking.


    "Not anymore? Hah, so forty days ago, you had doubts? Well... If you think about it, it''s not surprising. I was like that once too." Wilfred smiled bitterly, then his gaze turned cold.


    Wilfred nodded, "Yes. We''ll kill him. The fact that he''s murdering people and experimenting on Phantoms is more than enough, regardless of our other reasons."


    "I see... The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?"


    "Exactly." Wilfred smirked, flicked out his cigarette, and took a step forward, plunging into the darkness.


    Adam didn''t bother saying anything or trying to catch up with Wilfred, because as soon as Wilfred moved, Adam realized it was pointless.


    ''ck Swan... Learning about them from the Upper Ring is difficult, at least for me and Silvana. We don''t have enough power for that.'' Adam inwardly muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    He pondered whether he could have been told more about ck Swan by someone he knew.Sure, he could just ask everyone, but that would be the stupidest thing to do.


    Also, he could try to find out something from Tron or even ask Damien about it, but... Adam wasn''t ready to talk to them about it and his goals.


    However... Adam had one option.


    "Right..." Adam muttered with a slight smile on his face, "Zera, then those photos ended up on the sh drive for a reason. Even if she doesn''t have any ssified information, she must know something."


    The darkness grew denser while the moon slowly moved across the sky aiming to reach the horizon line.


    With the next dawn, millions of people returned to their duties, some to the academy, others to work, or the Dead Lands to kill monsters. Everyone performed their task to keep thisplex mechanism functioning.


    However, people were not robots, which was both a benefit and a disadvantage, to recover from the usual routine work or mortalbat needed a rest and to have fun with friends.


    Adam was no exception, although he had released some of his tension during the fair, Fall Hill Prison was a long and difficult challenge,parable to Eclipse or the battle against the Steel Knight.


    In a way, Adam was a lucky man, because he had plenty of people to invite to the party.


    Everything was ready, so everyone just had to gather in one ce, because the party was going to start in an hour - in one of the expensive restaurants in the First Ring.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam walked slowly toward the building, which was almost as tall as a skyscraper, but he didn''t go any further, because he was waiting for someone.


    Soon, the door opened, and out stepped a girl with shoulder-length ck hair, wearing a gorgeous dress and a few pieces of jewelry to entuate her elegance.


    Anyone who saw this girl at that moment would thought she often wore dresses and had a sense of fashion, but... to Adam, it was like seeing a white crow - equally rare and surprising.


    "Is something wrong?" Silvana asked, fixing her hair.


    Adam was too used to seeing her in formal clothes and without jewelry. So, it took him a while to adjust.


    "Nah, it''s okay. Shall we go?"


    "Sure." Silvana replied with a serious expression. The dress, jewelry, and light makeup couldn''t change her personality. She was still the same.


    Adam and Silvana got into the car and headed straight to First Ring. They had to take the trains to get there on time, but Adam decided to pay more to get on the special route.


    "Oh, we got here a little early." Silvana muttered, checking the time.


    "Well, looks like someone made the same mistake, and somehow I''m not surprised at all." Adam smirked, looking at the girl with long green hair. Oddly enough, this time Ka wore a white dress that entuated her curves - she clearly followed Edir''s advice.


    Adam quickened his step.


    "Hey. Ka!" Adam waved his hand with a pleased smile on his face.


    "Agh...?" Ka turned as her eyes went wide, "Adam!"


    It seemed that she had been here much longer than she should, and was d to see the first person - knowing that this time no one had abandoned her and she could enjoy the party with people who could be her friends.


    ''Oh... So that''s what she''s like in real life.'' Silvana muttered to herself, immediately realizing what kind of person Ka was, ''This is very different from what I saw in her profile. At least from the information I''ve been able to get.''

 Chapter 182: The Party (Part 2)

    Silvana stared at Ka for a long time, as if trying to see something. Then, she walked over, stood next to Adam, and bowed low.


    "Hello. My name is Silvana, I''m Adam''s Operator, nice to meet you." Silvana said respectfully.


    As an Operator, she couldn''t disrespect Phantom, even if it wasn''t Adam. An Operator who did not know how to behave in public was a real disgrace, first of all insulting their Phantom and then everyone else.


    That was one of the reasons why social rules and etiquette were so important at the Operator Academy.


    "Oh, Adam told me about you." Ka''s eyes shone brightly.


    Silvana nced at Adam, "Is it true?"


    Ka replied, "Sure. We didn''t have much time, we were preparing for the fight against Prago, but we discussed various topics while we were resting."


    "I see. Well, I hope to live up to your expectations." Silvana nodded deeply with a serious look.


    Adam turned around as if looking for someone.


    "Ka. Did youe alone? I thought you were bringing your Operator with you."


    Ka looked away shyly, scratching her cheek.


    "It''s hard to imagine, but he''s even more shy than I am. He doesn''t like being in thepany of strangers. I know that, so I didn''t push it."


    Adam smiled.


    Tremble.


    He was about to say something, but suddenly there was a rumbling sound as if someone had broken or smashed a thing.


    Then, a man came flying out of the alley, blood trickling from his nose. He fell only a few meters away from Adam, Ka, and Silvana.


    Adam tilted his head in confusion. He didn''t understand what was happening or who might be fighting in the First Ring.


    "Is someone already drunk?" Ka raised an eyebrow, she obviously thought that was odd.


    "Bastard. Run away from here while your head is still on your shoulders!" A menacing voice rang out, causing the man to quickly stand up and run away with eyes full of fear.


    Adam and Ka smirked. It only took them a moment to realize who it was, and... action was more than appropriate.


    Following, Edir emerged from the darkness, wearing a formal gray suit - Crita walked beside him, wearing a loose white shirt and a ck, leather skirt. She gripped Edir''s arm tightly with a bright smile on her face.


    Oddly enough, there was another girl next to Edir. However, that didn''t make Crita jealous, for it was L! Though she wasn''t much different from the others in age, but her cute face and short stature, made her choice of a red, pretty dress perfect, she braided two long ponytails.


    "Oh, you''re already here. Are wete?" Edir raised an eyebrow, ncing at Crita.


    Crita shook her head.


    "That''s hardly likely. It''s a good thing we got out a little early, otherwise we wouldn''t have met L."


    "Yeah, what did you guys have going on?" Adam asked, slightly puzzled.


    "Tsk." Edir frowned, snorted, and waved his hand, "Only 9 P.M., and some idiot already had a few bottles and was bothering L. I''ll never understand people like that, how can one wish harm on a child?"


    "I''m not a child! I''m a grown woman!" L quickly eximed, with puffed-up cheeks and a grumpy face.


    Edir smirked mockingly.


    "You may be an adult, but you''re definitely not a woman. That''s what a woman looks like." Edir pointed proudly at Crita, "You''re a cute girl at best."


    Then, Edir turned, meeting Ka''s gaze and finally Silvana''s.


    "Oh, not bad, not bad at all. But..." Edir chuckled evilly, "Think for yourself who I''m talking about."


    They spoke a few words as they were about to enter the restaurant, but they didn''t notice the time had passed, so the others had already arrived.


    "Guys!" Kody ran vigorously forward, followed by Katrin. They weren''t a couple and were walking some distance apart, but it seemed that Katrin was fighting with herself not to close the gap.


    Not far away were Zera and Jena, oddly enough, they were talking about something as if they were best friends, though they frowned from time to time, and there seemed to be a formidable lightning bolt between them - they obviously had not resolved all their issues based on the rtionship with Adam.


    Tap.


    Suddenly, someone put a hand on Adam''s shoulder. He turned around, thinking it was Silvana, but he saw someone else entirely.


    "Narata?! When did you manage to show up?!" Adam burst out in surprise.


    "Hehehe, you should look at girls less, maybe you would have noticed me." Narata giggled the curly ends of her dark hair swept in front of her life-glowing eyes.


    Today, she wore a loose and even more revealing outfit than during the meeting a couple of days ago. She was adapting and getting used to her new life, getting better every day.


    In fact, Adam might not have noticed Narata partly because her aura was extremely weak. It was much stronger than Silvana''s or L''s, but barely reached K0-Phantom level.


    "Adam!" Jena and Zera said simultaneously, one with a friendly smile, the other with a sly one. However, their intentions were quite obvious. Neither of them was hiding a thing.


    "Hey, even though west saw each other less than ten days ago, it feels like it''s been forever to me." Adam scratched the back of his head, with slight awkwardness.


    Jena nodded.


    "We were all worried about you. Good thing you found a way to get out. You managed it in three days, and that already seems like a long time, I can''t even imagine what it would have been in six months."


    Suddenly, a displeased female voice came from around the corner:


    "Why am I even wearing this?!"


    "We''re going to a restaurant, not an underground bar. You have to choose appropriate clothing for certain ces." A calm voice replied, having long since gotten used to hearing eternal annoyance about this.


    Soon, Louis and Alexia showed up. Naturally, Louis was dressed superbly, like a butler in the castle of an ancient king, ready to do any order of his queen.


    But... The Queen was unhappy that she had to wear an ufortably short dress.


    "Shit! I''m a Phantom! Why the fuck do I have to dress like this?!"


    "For their sake." Louis smiled slyly, pointing at Adam and the others.


    It seemed Alexia should have been as embarrassed as anyone in her position, but... Alexia was who she was.


    "I came here to eat and drink! What''s the dress got to do with it?!" Alexia said openly.


    Louis shook his head with a bitter smile. Even if his patience was infinite, it didn''t mean he had the strength to argue with Alexia.


    Adam turned around, checking to see if anyone else was supposed to have arrived. He raised an eyebrow slightly as if that was the case, but he couldn''t figure out who it was.


    "I think we should be getting in by now." Silvana said calmly, "It''s already time."


    "Sure." Adam nodded.


    "Alright! It''s time to buzz! I like this rowdy girl already!" Edir eximed vigorously, pointing at Alexia.


    "Hah, you think you can drink more than me?"


    Edir arrogantly raised his chin, "Indeed. That''s not even up for debate!"


    ...


    Half an hourter, when it had already been raining heavily for twenty minutes, two silhouettes approached the restaurant doors, a girl with a long braid holding an umbre for both of them.


    "Well... Looks like we''re prettyte..." Tron muttered with a calm look.


    Riska nodded.


    "Yeah."


    "That happens sometimes, right?"


    "Sure. I''m confident it''ll be fine."


    Tron smirked.


    "Agh, let''s see how the K1-Phantoms, one of the talented ones, are resting."

 Chapter 183: Relationship and Connection with Phantom

    Tron and Riska went up to the second floor, where the main action of the party was taking ce.


    They left their umbre and Riska''s bag on the first floor. A restaurant employee offered to take Tron''s coat drenched in rain, but Tron refused, and no one was ready to argue with him.


    Adam was drinking a cocktail with a curious look, watching Edir and Crita, who were now the center of general attention.


    Edir may not have been the most polite and mannerly man, but he sure knew how to behave with women, especially the one he had chosen. The same could be said about his dancing skills.


    "Wow... I didn''t even think he was capable of that..." L muttered with her eyes wide open, watching Edir and Crita intently.


    They were moving gracefully like a perfect duo, showing how high their mastery was and how they enjoyed the process.


    Edir was the lead, guiding Crita, but sometimes she had to adjust to him as he asionally made minor mistakes. It wasn''t that he wasn''t as good as he wanted to appear, just thest time they had danced was quite some time ago.


    It was an important moment for both of them because back then, despite the stares of everyone else, their eyes were solely on each other.


    Crita didn''t hide her happiness at all - Edir tried to do so, but anyone could see that he was just as pleased with their rtionship as Crita, perhaps even more.


    "Graceful moves, it''s worth recognizing that. They''ve both, clearly spent considerable time and effort on this." Silvanamented, even though she was left impressed, though she was usually silently appreciative.


    Ka bit her lip, it seemed that, unlike the others, she felt an emotion other than tion, or respect for theirbor.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Suddenly, Louis approached Ka - his long blue hair swayed slightly, catching her gaze, making her look into his captivating azure eyes, a trap from which it was very hard for a woman''s heart to escape.


    Ka was puzzled, she didn''t understand why Louis had decided to approach her when he should have been looking after Alexia.


    Well... Right now, Alexia waspeting with Katrin in who could eat the most cakes, so Louis had some free time on his hands.


    Tap.


    Louis took Ka by the chin, lifting it slightly, but he didn''t look down at her, though he could - he was a little taller than Ka.


    "What the hell are you doing?" Ka frowned heavily, immediately grabbing Louis by the wrist.


    Most Phantoms that had been Phantoms for over a month had already learned to control their power in normal situations to avoid harming ordinary people - especially Operators.


    However... Ka was having some trouble with that. Before, she onlymunicated with her Operator or other Phantoms during missions.


    Thus, she was now squeezing Louis''s wrist a little harder than she should in a position like this.


    "Martialdy, could you loosen your grip? I''m in pain." Louis uttered with narrowed eyes and a friendly smile.


    "Agh... I didn''t mean to..." Ka ahhed, realizing what she was doing. Sure, it was Louis''s own fault, but she had an obligation to control her power as a Phantom.


    Crackle.


    At the same moment, there was the sound of a ss shattering.


    Katrin and Kody looked in confusion at Alexia, her fists clenched tightly and ss dust falling from her hands - the shards of a simple ss could not harm her skin and crushed to powder under the pressure.


    Alexia had clearly done it because of a sudden burst of anger, it only took a few seconds for the others to realize what had urred, but... Louis wasn''t going to let it happen.


    Louis nodded slightly, then gently took Ka''s hand and said with a sly smile on his face:


    "How about as an apology, you give me one dance? I won''t ask for more than that."


    Ka blushed heavily, unable to do anything soon, so she only nodded shyly.


    There was nothing to hide here - Ka had never danced with a man, especially one as handsome as Louis. If other girls who couldn''t take their eyes off Louis when he walked down the street saw her, they''d be very jealous of Ka.


    But jealousy was not the reason Alexia had broken the ss in anger. Louis understood that perfectly.


    Though, at that moment, Alexia was having fun with Katrin,peting in eating cakes, but she noticed that Ka''s grip was too strong.


    A few seconds of Louis''s pain, though it wasn''t even reflected on his face, was enough for Alexia to practically burn Ka with her gaze.


    In any other situation, Ka would have noticed it, but then the storm of emotions literally engulfed her, and she was only thinking about one thing - the dance.


    It wasn''t even about Louis or the fact that he was handsome, it was about the attention from someone in person.


    "Alexia... Are we going to continue?" Katrin asked awkwardly, but Alexia didn''t answer her.


    "Hah, looks like someone''s jealous doesn''t it?" Zera grinned wryly, realizing where Alexia was looking, "Don''t worry. I''m sure Louis just decided to give her a little confidence boost. He''s a good judge of people."


    Crackle.


    Before anyone could realize anything, Alexia grabbed Zera by the neck, squeezing hard with all five fingers, practically digging into her skin.


    "Don''t you dare say I''m jealous of him? Louis is my Operator, not my lover. But..." Alexia said coldly, tightening her grip, her gaze bing as sharp as deadly des.


    "Louis belongs to me, and I won''t let anyone hurt him. I swear, if I saw him wince in pain, I''d have smashed her face - into meat - by now." Alexia said menacingly.


    For that brief period, her aura and personality changedpletely - just like when she and Adam had fought the North Keeper during Eclipse.


    Zera couldn''t do anything, and Katrin was so shocked that she was confused, not knowing if she needed to intervene. She understood Alexia pretty well, though, because she had behaved the same way towards Kody during the fair.


    After a few seconds, Alexia took a deep breath and let Zera go.


    "Damn, I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to. Sometimes, all it takes is a moment for bizarre thoughts to consume your mind. I''m just really, really worried about Louis..." Alexia muttered sincerely.


    Zera and Katrin looked over at each other. It was just the three of them at this table.


    "Not taking it personally. We fully understand you. After all, we have Operators too. Protecting and caring for our Operators is our primary responsibility, isn''t it?" Zera smiled as if reading their thoughts.


    Katrin grinned.


    "Yeah, that''s for sure. If I see some bitch messing with n, I''m going to smash her into the wall." Katrin clenched her fist, fire burning in her eyes.


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    While Zera, Katrin, and Alexia shared their dark thoughts, there were two duos, dancing in the center of the hall - Edir & Crita and Louis & Ka.


    Sure, Ka had never danced before, but Louis was a real master at it. They didn''t move as gracefully as Edir and Crita, but steadily and confidently.


    A smile filled with joy appeared on Ka''s face, she was truly relishing this moment.


    "Looks like someone''s gained some missing confidence, doesn''t it?" Louis asked, gently taking Ka''s hand and pulling her to him.


    "Yeah... Something like that. I didn''t even know I could dance that well." Ka quickly replied, only blushing slightly.


    Louis nodded approvingly.


    "In that case, how about we do something a little more challenging?" Louis asked, quickly ncing at Edir, who responded in the same way. They didn''t need words to understand each other.


    "Agh?"


    Before Ka could realize anything, Louis swung his hand sharply, causing Ka to spin like a whirlwind.


    Simultaneously, Edir did the same, releasing Crita, who got a baffled look on her face.


    The girls whizzed by each other, only to find themselves in the arms of an estranged partner.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll get you back to your lover soon." Louis said with a sly smile, "You don''t mind mypany for a few moves, do you?"


    Crita''s face contorted as she arrogantly lifted her chin.


    "Fine, but don''t even think about touching me anywhere but my back." Crita said menacingly.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Without further ado, Louis pulled Crita to him as he had previously done with Ka, but keeping a distance.


    "Sure, that forbidden fruit is only for Edir, isn''t it? For him, you are willing to allow anything, but for others, you are an ice queen. How romantic." Louis smirked, driving Crita into the colors.


    She might have wanted to say something back, but they''d already taken a few steps, and it was time to change again.


    In his arms was Ka, clearly shaken by what was happening.


    "Is something wrong? You look confused." Louis asked, taking Ka''s hand.


    Ka shook her head.


    "It''s okay... It''s probably wrong to think so, but for some reason, I expected Edir to do more than that. I mean... He''s always groping Crita, and he''s not even shy." Ka blushed.


    Louis nodded, "Yes. Her and only her. That''s the whole point."


    Soon, oddly enough, Kody and Katrin joined them, bing the third duo. He had to ask her several times, though Katrin was actually ready to agree from the first, but she couldn''t admit it.


    "Oh, this is something I didn''t expect at all." Tron uttered, appearing next to Adam.


    Adam flinched, he totally forgot about Tron.


    ''Right... So that''s who I didn''t notice... I didn''t expect him toe.'' Adam inwardly muttered.


    ------------------------------------------


    Hi, sorry for the dy, only one chapter so far. I''ll try my best to post another chapter as big as this in a couple of hours.


    Hope you enjoyed it!

 Chapter 184: What is above love?

    There were far fewer men at their party than women - on the male side there were only Adam, Edir, Tron, Louis, and Kody.


    Well, that wasn''t surprising since Ka, Zera, Katrin, and Crita hade without their Operators, in which case there could have been even more men.


    Edir, Louis, and Kody were already dancing, enjoying the process like Louis or their partners like Edir and Kody.


    Katrin looked the most unhappy of them all, but she was also doing her best to keep up with Kody, who was dancing a little better than she was.


    "I''m a littlete, but it looks like, I''vee to the most interesting part, don''t you think?" Tron asked, looking at the three dancing duos.


    "Yeah, something like that. I didn''t even realize dancing could be so beautiful and calming..." Adam muttered with a thoughtful look.


    Tron looked around.


    "Not counting me, you''re the only man left, who doesn''t dance yet. Would you like to try?" Tron asked, a slight interest felt in his voice.


    Adam nced to the side, at Silvana, who was talking to Jena about something. They both looked great, each was good at something different, and their personalities were reflected in their appearance.


    Tron seemed to realize something from Adam''s puzzled stare, so he turned to Riska and said:


    "Get us some champagne. Then, we''ll go dancing." Tron said calmly.


    Riska only smiled slightly and nodded, walking away. She realized she wasn''t supposed to be here right now.


    "Are you in a rtionship with this girl?" Tron asked, ncing at Jena.


    "Kind of... Honestly, it''s all pretty confusing and weird. I''m constantly either fighting or escaping prisons or spending days in a dormant state trying to recover from a hard fight. Though... It''s all just excuses." Adam sighed heavily with a sad look.


    Tron was silent, he was listening to him intently.


    "I''m not sure I want a rtionship. And... it''s not about Jena at all, she''s a great doctor, and I don''t mind being with a regr person." Adam scratched his cheek in a baffled manner.


    Tron nodded understandingly.


    "After my question about the dance, you''re thinking about who to pick, right? If you go with Silvana, you''ll offend Jena that way, and if you go with Jena, you''ll leave Silvana out, and you definitely don''t want that."


    Adam''s eyes went wide, it was as if Tron had read his mind. Nothing was surprising here though, anyone could figure it out.


    Tron continued, "Adam, you have to understand something, things are a little different with Phantoms. For the average person, the most important person is usually a wife or husband. After all, it''s the person you''re creating a new family and future with."


    Tron nced at Riska, who was already walking towards them with two sses of champagne.


    "However, for Phantom, this is Operator. Sure, you and Silvana won''t be lovers as well as me and Riska, because sex and feelings aren''t the most important thing a Phantom can build a rtionship on."


    Adam looked at him puzzled, as if Tron''s words could dispel his doubts. He constantly felt he was missing something in his understanding of rtionships.


    ''If it''s sex and feelings for normal humans, then what is it for Phantoms? What could be more important than sincere feelings filled with love...?'' Adam muttered inwardly, trying to find an answer to this mystery.


    "With lovers, it''s sex and feelings." Tron said seriously, raising a finger, "With Phantom and Operator - it''s death, life, and power. You can ask any K2-Phantom or higher, and they''ll all tell you that the rtionship with the Operatores before all others, and it must be if you want life to be yours, death to be the monsters, and power to be yours inmon."


    Adam was about to say something, but Tron beat him to it, taking a step forward towards Riska.


    "Some say that there can''t be as much trust between Phantom and Operator as there is between lovers, but I believe that''s not true, and I have a strong argument for it." Tron said in a deep tone, making Adam listen to his every word.


    "Phantom and Operator have different statuses - one is subordinate, and the other is ruler, you are not equal, yet you value each other simrly. It is this unique dissonance that allows for an incredible level of trust. Sure, it takes time, like everything else in this world."


    Tron sighed: "I realize you''re still young, and perhaps it soundsplicated to you, but it''s quite simple."


    "I am as sure of Riska as I am of myself, and that will always be the case, and no woman, even the most charming, sexy, and caring woman, can outshine Riska, for that woman will be a lover, and Riska an Operator. Operators stand above lovers, above all."


    Tron said nothing more, he walked over to Riska, took a ss of champagne in a few gulps, and took her hand.


    Soon, they became the fourth couple in the room, dancing more beautifully than anyone else. With their confident moves, Tron and Riska took center stage, and even Edir & Crita didn''tpete with them.


    Adam stared at them for a while, trying to fully realize Tron''s words.


    It was worth remarking that Adam had been a simple guy, or rather an ordinary person, all his life.


    Like many in his position, he dreamed of getting rich, achieving sess, and marrying a beautiful girl to build a family with. Sure, it was a little influenced by the fact that he was a child, but the essence for mostmon people was simr.


    Now, Tron had shattered his understanding of rtionships a bit. However, Tron didn''t really do anything, he just reminded Adam that he was a Phantom and had to think like a Phantom, not like a mere human.


    A ce for the Operator began to form in his mind, for some reason, it was above everything, like the sun.


    It was unknown how much time had passed, but Adam''s nk stare came to normal. His eyes grew deeper, and for some reason, even his Evolutionary Tree shook equally once, as if returning his emotions to normal.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam took a confident step toward Silvana and Jena, who were still talking casually about something.


    Jena was the first to notice Adam since Silvana had her back to him.


    Jena''s eyes went wide, and a smile appeared on her face.


    However... Adam wasn''t heading towards her, at least not this time.


    Tap.


    Adam grabbed Silvana by the shoulder and turned her sharply towards him, making her look at him puzzled. Never before had he done something like this.


    "Silvana, I want you to dance with me. Not as a woman or a lover, but as my Operator." Adam spoke up, staring intently at her.


    Silvana was silent for a few seconds, then she handed the ss of wine to Jena and held out her hand with her palm slightly bent downward.


    "As you wish. You don''t know how to dance, so I''ll lead." Silvana replied without hesitation.


    Adam nodded, took her palm, and headed to the middle of the hall. Oddly enough, Tron and Riska smirked, looked at each other, and stepped aside to make room for thest duet.

 Chapter 185: Never?

    The fifth duo had formed, and there were no more men left in the room. Adam was thest, and he chose Silvana to lead his first-ever dance.


    The others moved an equal distance away from them, continuing to dance but slowing their pace considerably.


    "Well, well, looks like someone is finally realizing how to behave around women." Edir smirked. In fact, he was sure that Adam had learned something from him, though Adam had very different reasons for acting this way.


    "Tsk. You''re just lucky to have me. No girl would put up with an arrogant guy like you." Crita snorted unhappily, looking away.


    Edir shrugged.


    "I''m just saying about him acting confident." Edir nced at Adam and Silvana.


    Adam couldn''t dance, but since he was a Phantom, it wasn''t hard for him to adapt, thanks to his speed, strength, and reflexes. Moreover, his Power Gene - allows him to learn anything at a faster rate.


    "He holds her back confidently, doesn''t go any lower, but shows that she''spletely his." Edirmented, watching them with evident interest.


    "Hah, maybe you''re the one who should learn from him how to behave with women? He has more manners than you." Crita grinned.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Before Crita could say anything, Edir abruptly turned her around, and as soon as she stopped, she saw a massive chandelier hanging from the ceiling.


    Edir was holding her up with two hands to keep her from falling, and one of his hands was below her back, well, not that it was surprising in his case.


    "What do you say now? Should I be elegant or stay as I am?" Edir smirked, ncing at Crita with a predatory look.


    Crita blushed, realizing what Edir was about to do.


    "Fuck it. Just... just kiss me already!"


    "As you wish, my princess." Edir smiled.


    ...


    Adam and Silvana had be the center of everyone''s attention, but Adam didn''t realize it at all. Then, in his view, there was only Silvana and nothing else.


    He felt utterly strange, he had no loving or lustful feelings for Silvana. Her cleavage was open, but he only wanted to look into her eyes, not at her bosom, just as he didn''t have the urge to grope Silvana as Edir did towards Crita since they were lovers.


    Silvana''s emotions were unknown, her face was calm as always, but her gaze waspletely different.


    She didn''t understand, she was in the same situation as Adam.


    They both couldn''t describe what exactly they were feeling. They couldn''t even understand it, but one thing they were sure of - this felt right because they wanted to continue.


    "What''s going on... Why do I feel like they are somewhere else even though they are a few meters away from us..." Ka muttered, stopping.


    Louis smirked.


    "Someday, you will achieve with your Operator what Adam did with Silvana. You just need time to understand that." Louis said calmly, walking off the stage.


    Ka looked at him, puzzled, then quickly followed.


    "Wait! You... Have you and Alexia been through this before?" Ka asked in a trembling voice.


    Louis nced over at Alexia, who was with her feet propped up on the table, emptying a bottle of wine, and nodded slightly. It was more than usual for her, and Louis liked it.


    "A few months ago. Alexia and I may be different, but to the Phantom and the Operator, such trivialities don''t matter. None of that is important before death, life, and power." Louis spoke as if he was revealing the greatest secret to Ka.


    "How... How do I do the same with my Operator...? I... I want to do that too..." Ka bit her lip with an embarrassed face.


    Louis waved his hand.


    "Everything is brilliantly simple - how about you just talk to him first and then do what you truly want. I''m sure he''s ready for it by now."


    "You really think so...? He won''t turn me down...?" Ka was clearly unsure of herself, almost to a critical level.


    Louis smiled bitterly.


    "Before I get back to Alexia, let me share a secret with you that only the Operators know about."


    Ka''s eyes sparkled brightly, she felt like this was going to work for her, for sure!


    Tap.


    Louis poked Ka in the chest with a hard stare.


    "The Operators have significantly more time to think about you, the Phantoms, and our rtionship with you. Let me give you something trivial as an example - while you lie dormant for days after a dangerous battle, we eat ourselves up from the inside out with our worries. Every moment like that only adds to your value to us."


    Then, Louis turned around and, with a serious look, went to Alexia.


    Ka remained standing still, just staring into the void. Today had been an essential day for her, because not only had she be more confident and made friends, but she had a better understanding of her role as a Phantom.


    At this time, Adam and Silvana finished dancing. With onest movement, they came close to each other.


    Most in their ce would have kissed, but... neither Adam nor Silvana even cast a nce at their partner''s lips. Only their eyes were important to them.


    "What''s next...?" Silvana asked uncertainly, "Shall we dance again...?"


    Adam shook his head.


    "We need to rest. This dance... has exhausted me more than an hours-long fight." Adam pronounced. He wasn''t lying.


    Sure, physically, Adam was hardly tired, but mentally he was drained.


    Silvana nodded silently. They both needed a pause.


    For the next ten minutes, Adam just walked around the hall, not knowing what to do, his mind upied with various thoughts.


    Then, he spotted the balcony and immediately headed there.


    Strangely enough, he was greeted by a cloud of cigarette smoke, but it had a nice cherry smell that was an unusual one.


    "What... I didn''t know you smoked." Adam muttered with a dazed expression, looking at Louis.


    Louis smirked, flicking the ash.


    "Yeah, I don''t smoke in general, only on very rare asions. Usually, I don''t need more than ten cigarettes a month, but this is my third." Louis shook his hand, pointing to the cigarette clutched between his fingers.


    Adam smiled bitterly. He hadn''t heard Louis and Ka''s conversation, but he realized that Louis was mentally reliving some important moment from his life. Naturally, it had to do with Alexia.


    Adam stared at the blue moon for a while and at the dozens of skyscrapers of the First Ring. Compared to the slums where he''d lived all his life, it was like another world with technology a thousand years ahead of its time.


    "Louis... I was going to ask you something a few days ago, but I changed my mind, I didn''t want to bother you. But... I''m afraid I can''t contain my interest now. I got an answer from Silvana, but I want to hear it from you."


    Louis shrugged silently, blowing out a club of smoke.


    "Alexia Naturalborn Phantom, so... would you want to be like her? Would you want to be strong, kill monsters, and have your own Operator?"


    "Never." Louis replied before Adam could finish his sentence.


    "The first time we met, Alexiapletely changed my worldview. From a pathetic trickster, I became a wise man."

 Chapter 186: The Prince and the Queen (Part 1)

    "You''ve be a wise man from a pathetic trickster...?" Adam muttered with obvious interest.


    "Yeah... It''s not a very long story, but it''s a cautionary tale. If you want, I can share it with you. I''m in the mood for it today." Louis said quietly, blowing out a club of smoke.


    Adam nodded. So far, Alexia was the strongest Phantom he had met, among his level.


    Sure, Tron, Prago, Damien, and the others were far more powerful, perhaps dozens of times more dangerous, but that should be expected given the difference in level.


    Louis was Alexia''s Operator, naturally, he was part of their overall sess and had put considerable effort into it. He might not have been able to kill monsters like Alexia, but he could make it easier for Alexia to y monsters in greater numbers.


    "Well... Then let''s start from when I first graduated from the Operator Academy." Louis mumbled thoughtfully, "I''m not sure if you know, but Operators can apply themselves to a Phantom they''re interested in. I mean, I could pick some Phantom from the list and try my luck to be her Operator."


    Adam nodded slightly. He hadn''t gone through this, as his situation was different from the others. However, Alexia was supposed to be in the same conditions as him, but it had yet toe to that...


    "My original n was very simple - I wanted to find myself a cold girl who was willing to slice and chop monsters, turn them to ash, and wipe them into powder - all for the sake of killing them."


    "I quickly found a suitable Phantom, and she epted my request. It was supposed to happen - after all, I had some of the best grades in the academy. We even did our first few missions together."


    Louis pulled out his next cigarette, a mango-vored one, lit it with a blue me, and continued:


    "I called myself a pathetic trickster since I was sure I could control my Phantom. I wanted to make it the perfect weapon, a sharp sword that no monster''s hide could resist. Nothing horrible, just a simple maniption that allows me to greatly influence her actions." Louis shrugged with a thoughtful look.


    Adam flinched slightly. He didn''t think that was a proper strategy for interacting with people, especially between the Operator and the Phantom. Maniption was never a clean technique.


    However... Adam understood what Louis was talking about. Louis was sure he knew how to do it better and how to get a superior result.


    "And...? Did you fail? Did something happen to her?" Adam asked in a worried tone.


    Louis smiled bitterly.


    "Nah. We were doing fine. My n worked almost perfectly. Her personality matched my tactics, however... that was until I met Alexia." Louis directed the cigarette to his mouth.


    Adam gulped, listening to him intently.


    "As you know, Alexia is a Naturalborn Phantom like you, so... Dous immediately offered her several options as Operators for her. You and Silvana had the same thing happen." Louis waved his hand.


    "Yeah... That''s true, so how did you two meet? How did you be her Operator? Did she see your progress with another Operator and offer to be with her?" Adam suggested.


    "Hahahahahahaha." Louisughed, almost evilly chuckling, "You shouldn''t say such stupid things. Alexia is thest person who would choose her Operator based on data, ratings, or any important information."


    Adam smiled slightly, "Well, that''s probably true, then how did it happen?"


    Louis blew out a puff of smoke and said, "I went to the missions department to get some information and do some paperwork, for an Operator, this is a more than trivial task. I was drinking coffee and rereading the paperwork, so I didn''t notice her run out of the corner and crash into me."


    "Apparently, due to the difference in strength, I was the one who fell to the floor. She threw me back about a meter, though she didn''t even flinch." Louis shook his head, remembering the situation.


    ''What are you looking at, you idiot?! - "That''s what she said then." Louis shrugged helplessly, "Instead of apologizing, she also med it on me. At first, I thought she was just amon cocky girl, but when she picked up one of the documents, everything changed."


    An unusual smile appeared on Louis''s face:


    "Drips were dripping off the document from spilled coffee. It was ruined, there was basic information about the mission and the monster. Alexia read it and said -''Pfft, what kind of wimp would do such a boring job?''"


    Adam tilted his head with a curious look and asked, "Was it some kind of regr monster?"


    Louis shook his head.


    "Not at all, White Threat Level, Red Book. Considering we had onlypleted a few missions at that point, it was a truly formidable foe." Louis blew out a puff of smoke, continuing his story andpletely absorbing all of Adam''s attention.


    Adam''s mind seemed to be transported back to that time - back in time as a ghostly spectator.


    ...


    "Weak... What are you talking about?" Louis frowned intently, staring at Alexia, who looked like a lost teenager.


    "About this!" Alexia poked at the monster''s picture, "I just killed a few recently. I didn''t think anyone would create a mission for just one. The department needs to do a better job."


    Alexia nonchntly said, crumpled up the document, and threw it straight to the floor, though she could have easily thrown it in the trashcan, with her strength and speed, it would have hit the target. She clearly didn''t care that she was littering.


    Louis smirked.


    "Hah, I don''t know what you''re trying to prove, but you''re a beginner since you''re talking such nonsense. You couldn''t even kill my Phantom''s first monster. My Phantom is about to be one of the best. With my control." Louis said confidently, he evidently believed in his words.


    Alexia raised an eyebrow with a strange look as if it was Louis who was talking nonsense and not her.


    Then, she turned on her NEP and showed him the picture, making Louis''s eyes go wide.


    Alexia alone - standing in the middle of the desert, among ten corpses of monsters that looked like a cross between ants and lizards. Their bodies were covered in scales, with a long tail and tongues, but the same jaw and build as an ant.


    "Here. Do you believe me now? The mission department told me they were strong monsters, but... as you can see, they lied to me. I don''t understand why they couldn''t just exin that they were regr monsters." Alexia touched her forehead with her fingertips in a tired way.


    Louis gulped, he was silent for a while, letting the information he had received sink in.


    Then, Louis flinched, as he realized something.


    "Wait... You said you were going to the department for data, right?"


    Alexia nodded, "Sure, how else was I supposed to find out? Are you really so stupid?"


    Louis ignored her insult since his mind was focused on something else.


    "Why didn''t you ask your Operator that? If you''re so strong and talented, you should have been assigned an Operator by now." Louis asked, puzzled.


    Alexia waved her hand.


    "I know. I was offered three Operators on the very first day, then another and another. However, none of the ten appealed to me. I don''t see the point of them!" Alexia eximed menacingly, "I can kill monsters myself. Why do I need someone useless and weak?!"


    "Useless and weak...?" Louis muttered, not believing what he was hearing.


    His Phantom listened to hismands and did as he said, so they were sessful, and everything was going ording to his n. Louis''s maniption tactics were working.


    Alexia nodded.


    "Yeah. Operators can''t kill monsters. Their advice will only hinder me. How can they know what I should do during a fight if they''ve never fought and don''t know what I''m capable of?" Alexia waved her hand arrogantly, "Well, bye. Sorry about the coffee. I think you should get a new one."


    Louis, with a confused look, remained lying on the ground for a while longer. He just stared into the void while the spilled coffee soaked into the document, finally making it unusable.


    Over the next two days, Louis''s life changedpletely. All the time, he was gathering information about Alexia, especially about her fights.


    He viewed each of her fights from the professional side, thinking over what he would do in her ce and what instructions he would give her.


    The oue was devastating -


    Louis gripped his head, staring at the ceiling with a detached gaze.


    ''Out of all the situations in which she should die or be critically wounded, she somehow miraculously came out as a winner... Moreover, if I had been her Operator and she had followed my instructions, she would have definitely died in all those situations... I...'' Louis inwardly muttered.


    Then, his gaze traveled to Alexia''s profile. She still didn''t have an Operator.


    ''I can''t wield a sharp sword if I don''t have fencing skills... no... not even that... How can I tell someone how to swing a sword if I can''t physically lift the weight of the sword...''


    At the same moment, Louis took a huge risk - this was unusual for him. Normally, he always remained collected and calm. He had calcted his options and created backup ns. But, then, he felt he had to act now.


    Louis abandoned his Operator - which was a disaster for his reputation, then headed towards Alexia.


    Ding. Ding. Ding.


    After a few minutes, Alexia''s apartment door opened - Louis stood in front of her. He bowed low with his arms folded at the hips.


    "Agh? Is that you, what do you want?" Alexia asked, holding a packet of chips in her hands.


    "Please. Let me be your Phantom. I promise I''ll be better than the others!" Louis eximed, pressing his palm to his chest.


    "No. You''re useless." Alexia said sharply, closing the door before his face with a rumble.

 Chapter 187: The Prince and the Queen (Part 2)

    Louis was in some ways above the others.


    He was from a wealthy family, which gave him status, education, and manners. His handsome, intelligence, and cunning were the envy of everyone, and most importantly, all these advantages did not spoil him, but only allowed him to climb even higher.


    He became one of the best graduates of the most popr Operator Academy - such a thing could only be achieved by hisbor, desire, and boundless willpower.


    Obviously, considering all these factors, it was quite easy for him to find a capable Phantom, which he did. However, Louis took a risk, gave up his Phantom, and ruined his reputation - all for the sake of bing Alexia''s Operator.


    But... He was only wrong about one thing - Alexia turned him down.


    Bam.


    The door closed in his face, leaving himpletely baffled and lost. Strangely enough, this happens quite often - having calcted everything, mistakes are made in the most trivial things.


    Alexia didn''t open her door until morning, and Louis was still there. He was asleep, leaning against the wall, his blue hair falling over his shoulders. Back then, it wasn''t as long as it is now.


    "What are you doing here?" Alexia frowned, causing Louis to awaken from a deep sleep.


    "Oh... You finally came out..." Louis muttered, slowly opening his eyes, he was still sleepy.


    Alexia snorted.


    "Go away. If I see you here again, I''ll beat you up, and I won''t care that you''re a normal person." Alexia said confidently. There was no arrogance in her voice, only confidence in her words.


    "Wait! Wait! Why don''t you want me to be your Operator!" Louis uttered, standing up quickly. He realized that this was probably hisst chance.


    Alexia waved her hand.


    "It''s not about you specifically. I don''t need an Operator. What use are you to me?" Alexia stepped forward.


    "Don''t go!" Louis tore forward, grabbing Alexia by the shoulder.


    Before he could realize anything, Alexia turned sharply and gripped him by the throat. She had enough strength to lift him above the ground with one hand, gradually choking him.


    Louis''s face flushed red fromck of oxygen, he tried to unclench Alexia''s grip, but it was useless. His powers weren''t enough to move even her one finger.


    "You see? Your advice during missions will only hinder me because you''re not as strong as me." Alexia uttered, staring at him intently.


    "I... I can be useful not only duringbat..."


    "Hmm?" Alexia tilted her head in confusion. She loosened her grip slightly, allowing Louis to sigh.


    Louis nced to the side - seeing part of Alexia''s apartment. As he expected, it was a real nightmare for any appreciator of cleanliness andfort. Alexia didn''t care what or how much was lying around on her floor and other parts of her home.


    "I can clean... and also..." Louis muttered, trying to get Alexia''s attention, "I can cook really good!"


    At the same moment, Alexia''s eyes went wide, and she let go of Louis. He fell to the ground, coughing and holding his neck.


    "Is it true?!" Alexia asked with sparkling eyes, leaning over to him.


    Louis nodded, "Sure. Please, just give me a chance."


    Alexia touched her lips thoughtfully.


    "Aren''t you a cook or a janitor in that case? Is that what Operators are supposed to do?"


    Louis smirked.


    "An Operator''s job is to do whatever it takes to make his Phantom''s results improve and reach the possible maximum. If all you need to kill a powerful monster is a delicious dinner, then I''ll do whatever you want." Louis replied.


    In response, Alexia walked from side to side for a while, then she abruptly approached Louis - gazing intently into his eyes.


    "In that case, you are mine now. If I don''t like your food, I''ll reject you."


    Perhaps Louis should have smirked or responded boldly, which was his style. Maybe he should have chosen some more devious option, but...


    Then something happened to him. It was always him who was in control of the situation, even the fact that he was the Operator didn''t take away his confidence that everything was under his supervision.


    Louis just stared at Alexia, and all he could do was mutter a single word, "Yes..."


    "Good!" Alexia said cheerfully, as she walked back to the apartment, "I haven''t had breakfast yet!"


    Louis did nothing but clean and cook that day. It seemed that even his infinite patience was not enough to get the job done.


    Alexia was enjoying Louis''s help to the fullest, not at all embarrassed. There seemed to be no such thing as shame or tact for Alexia.


    Only deep into the night, Louis was able to sit down and rest.


    "Hey, do you need anything else?" Louis asked, looking up, but strangely enough, no one answered.


    "Hmm?" Louis looked over, only to see Alexia, who had already fallen asleep on the couch with a happy smile.


    Louis smiled bitterly, shook his head, and got up to cover her with the id.


    Strangely enough, he felt calmness then, that he never had before. Alexia was stronger than him, and she showed it, so he deliberately put himself in the second role in their duet. If he wasn''t in charge, then all responsibility wasn''t on him, which meant...


    ''It seems all this time I''ve only believed in my illusion that my control gives me confidence... only now, I can breathe a sigh of relief.'' Louis inwardly muttered, carefully covering Alexia with the id.


    Adam blinked a few times as if returning from a story that hadpletely consumed him.


    "What do you think? I don''t want to brag, but I think my and Alexia''s start is pretty special." Louis muttered, with a slight smile on his face.


    Adam nodded deeply.


    "Yeah, that''s definitely true. So you were able to save your reputation and be Alexia''s Operator because of your cooking and cleaning skills? Although... that''s silly... The whole point is that your understanding has changed..." Adam said thoughtfully.


    "Hahaha, well, you''re not wrong." Louis chuckled, "Sure, the reason is much deeper than a few cooked dinners. But, if I couldn''t cook, Alexia wouldn''t like my food, and thus our duo wouldn''t exist. Sometimes, even the greatest things can depend on trivial little details."


    Adam looked up at the starry sky, remembering the food Silvana had cooked for him.


    "Being able to cook is quite a useful skill..."


    Louis smiled slightly.


    "At Operator Academy, they teach both information gathering and how to properly boil eggs or give a massage. Over several years of study, we have covered every aspect. However... not all Operators are like me or Silvana." Louis said, a slight look of contempt appearing in his gaze.


    "Hmm?" Adam gave him a puzzled look.


    "Operators Academy is always divided into two blocks, male and female, which makes sense. We''re taught pretty much the same things, except for a few nuances, but overall, we''re pretty different as two groups."


    Louis continued, "First of all, not everyone wants to be an Operator. Many are sent to the academy by their parents because being an Operator is prestigious and important to the Citadel. They usually don''t even pass the first exam.


    Secondly, not all men are happy about the fact that they have to learn to cook, clean, massage, and so on, and must do it at the first request of their Phantom. It hurts their pride since they naively believe that Operators should only be concerned with preparing for the mission and gathering information about monsters."


    Adam gulped. He''d never wondered that bing an Operator wasn''t something one could do in a day like it was with the Phantoms. It takes time, knowledge, awareness of the role, and desire.


    "What about you? Did you want to cook and clean when you first found out?" Adam asked with evident interest.


    Louis sighed heavily.


    "I epted it as a necessity, but back then, I had very different ns in my head. However... it''s not like that now. I''ll tell you honestly - if Alexia wants, I''ll even put on a maid''s uniform for her and make her chocte cupcakes with lemonade. I have no shame for her. Her job is to kill monsters, and mine is to help her.


    That''s all." Louis uttered, nced at the cigarette, and frowned.


    He tossed the cigarette over the balcony and headed for the exit.


    "Well, I think that''s enough." Louis waved his hand, "I''m going to go check on Alexia. She''s probably drained the entire bar while you and I were talking."


    Adam said nothing, he only looked away thoughtfully. He hadn''t expected Louis''s story to be so unusual yet profound with a dose of irony.


    ''I wonder... What were Silvana''s goals when she entered the academy and before she met me? Did I change her like Alexia changed Louis, or did she stay the same...?'' Adam inwardly muttered.


    Time passed quickly, and soon, another person entered the balcony. Adam forgot his initial desire, but as soon as he saw her - he remembered.


    "Zera..." Adam said as an image of ck Swan and Wilfred appeared in his mind. Zera was the only one of his friends who was possibly rted to them.

 Chapter 188: The Reason Rules Exist

    "Oh, Adam, so you''ve been here all this time? We lost you." Zera smiled, holding a half-empty ss of wine.


    Adam nodded.


    "Yeah, Louis and I got to talking. However... originally, I wanted to talk to you." Adam said confidently, looking at her intently.


    Zera raised an eyebrow, puzzled, as she pointed to herself.


    "You remember our first meeting, right?" Adam asked.


    Zera smiled deviously.


    "Sure. Back then, you were soft and insecure, lost and bewildered, now you''ve changed quite dramatically." Zera bit her finger, "Are you still enjoying those pictures I prepared for you?"


    Adam shook his head.


    "I''ve only looked at them once."


    Zera frowned as she puffed up her cheeks. Then, she walked over to him, sighed heavily, and her eyes grew darker.


    "In that case, you''re talking about the second folder, aren''t you?" Zera muttered, looking forward.


    "Yeah... But, I''m not talking about Aiden Henk. I''ve already realized that he has a goal and will stop at nothing to achieve it. I don''t know the details, but the trend is clear. What I want to know is: How are you connected to ck Swan?" Adam said seriously, not taking his gaze off the skyscrapers in the distance.


    Zera''s face grew colder, it seemed she didn''t want to discuss the subject.


    "They knew I would want to meet you and asked me to give you these pictures, not of me, but of the experiments. I did it not because I''m with them, but because I owed them."


    Adam cast a quick nce at her, assessing the situation.


    "ck Swan, or rather several of their members, saved my little brother." Zera said slowly, clearly overpowering herself, it was obvious she was having a hard time talking about it.


    Zera continued, "He was just an ordinary man wanting to get rich quickly so he could enjoy life in the First Ring, he did it out of desperation..."


    ''Desperation...?'' Adam muttered inwardly, puzzled. He wasn''t quite sure why desperation was the reason for Zera''s brother''s desire to get rich. Well, all things in their own time.


    "He ended up in the Lower Ring trying to start a business there that wasn''t exactly legal. He thought it was the best and quickest option. Obviously, it didn''t end well. He was an outsider and an ordinary man, so... he was kidnapped and threatened to be killed."


    Zera paused, sighed heavily, and continued:


    "I didn''t know what to do, I needed to act urgently, but I couldn''t go down to the Lower Ring. I was only a K0-Phantom back then. And... ck Swan contacted me, they must have somehow overheard my conversation or seen my posts on various sites. I tried to do everything I could to save him, you know..."


    Adam nodded deeply. For a moment, he imagined that Trici would have been in Zera''s brother''s shoes, which made him shudder.


    "Anyway, they helped him out. Soon, my brother came home, and it seemed like this was the happy ending, but... if my only problem was monsters, life would be a lot easier."


    Zera bit her lip almost to the blood and said, "That day, we had a big argument. It got to the point where I realized the reason for his despair - unlike me, he didn''t have Spark and didn''t be a Phantom."


    Adam''s eyes went wide.


    Zera continued:


    "That only made things worse. We kept yelling at each other, and it got to the point where I told that I was Naturalborn Phantom..." Zera lowered her gaze, "That was my greatest mistake, after all a normal person shouldn''t know about that..."


    Adam looked at her intently, as he carefully ced a hand on her shoulder.


    "What happened then?"


    Zera smiled bitterly.


    "I think you''ve already guessed it. Rules and restrictions exist for a reason, don''t they?" Zera shook her head, "A few dayster, he went to Dead Lands, sneaking through the slums, and died. He wanted to be a Phantom like me, but... his desire made him blind, and hepletely forgot how risky it was."


    Adam nodded understandingly.


    Sure, not everyone obeyed the rules and prohibitions, especially the Phantoms - they usually allowed themselves more than others. However, some rules the majority tried not to break, and the secret about Naturalborn Phantoms was one of them.


    Zera''s younger brother was not the onlymoner who had died for this reason, there were thousands of them, buttely, every year, there have been fewer and fewer victims. For most, even the Phantoms, the Naturalborn Ones were not supposed to exist.


    "What are you going to do next?" Zera asked, trying to change the subject.


    Adam sighed heavily.


    "Well, I didn''t expect to go to prison, though I''m more d it happened than not. I learned a lot there and discovered more about the world and people." Adam said sincerely.


    Zera looked at him intently, frowning slightly because Adam hadn''t answered her question.


    "Oh, sorry. My next goal is Essence Monster, then I''ll fulfill thest condition and create my First Key to be a K2-Phantom." Adam waved his hand.


    He should have done this quite some time ago but didn''t regret slowing down. He had gained Elemental Root, unlocked The Will, his Spirit had evolved to Second Stage, and his synchronization with Silvana was as high as ever.


    He had nowhere else to grow, only two steps left to do: evolve his artifact and...


    "Midnight Crystal, right?" Zera said, obviously she knew about all the conditions too.


    Adam nodded.


    "Silvana hasn''t told me what it is yet, but it looks like mining it won''t be easy at all." Adam sighed.


    "Hah, you''re right. Well, I won''t take Silvana''s job away from her." Zera uttered, drained her ss, and headed back into the hall.


    Before she leftpletely, Zera stopped and turned around, ring at him.


    "I''m not in the mood today, not anymore, but... I''m not backing down. If you want, you cane to my ce any night, even with Jena, she and I have discussed it." Zera said calmly, but there was a deadly seriousness in her gaze.


    Adam only nodded slightly, realizing that this was important to Zera, especially since she was a member of the Crimson Path.


    But... Her offer made Adam think, but not whether he wanted to ept it or not, it was a little deeper than that.


    ''If I wanted to, I coulde to her, every guy''s dream, right? However... do I really want to? I bet, two months ago, when I wasn''t Phantom yet, I would have run over to Zera''s house that same night. I''m hungry, that''s true... but for something else...'' Adam inwardly muttered, closing his eyes and sinking into his space.


    He looked at his Evolution Tree, Artifact, Nexus, Initial Gene, Power Gene, Elemental Root, and The Will.


    All of this was not only part of his power, but also his history. Everything in this space mattered because it was the result of his efforts, aplishments, and blood from a life mixed with death.


    "Hah, a long way has already been passed, but...pared to true power, it''s nothing. The work has only just begun. Dead Lands, wait for me just as I wait for you." Adam clenched his fist with fire in his eyes.

 Chapter 189: Essence Monster (Part 1)

    A strong coffee aroma emanated from two cups of freshly brewed coffee. Adam was sitting at the same table across from Silvana, enjoying some chocte chip cookies.


    There were several cookies on the saucer in front of Silvana as well, but she hadn''t touched them yet, nor the coffee. She was checking something on her tablet with a serious expression.


    The party had ended a few days ago - a small part of that time Adam had spent hanging out with his family, but the rest had gone into preparing for the next mission.


    Sure, Fall Hill Prison, defeating Prago, uncovering The Will, and talking to Narata, Silvana, and Tron had taught him a lot, but none of it could increase his pure power.


    In the end, only in Dead Lands, could the Phantom grow stronger.Adam understood and was delighted to be going on his first mission in a long time.


    "So, who''s my target?" Adam asked, taking a sip of coffee.


    Silvana ced the tablet on the table, showing a picture of a monster.


    Adam''s gaze fell on the image of a massive stingray, but strangely, it was not in the water but high above the ground. The monster had a long, broad tail and oddly enough - six wings as if forged from metal.


    "It''s a Six-Winged Iron Stingray, Purple Threat Level, Red Book." Silvana exined, "A few weeks ago, a cascade of anomalies appeared in this region, they suddenly disappeared, and soon this monster showed up."


    Adam nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    "The Missions Department wanted to ce an order for that monster a week ago because it made the region too dangerous. However, I exined the situation and persuaded them not to ce the order and give you time to deal with it."


    "I see... How strong is it? I mean, is this monster in the ranking?" Adam waved his hand. After defeating the North Keeper with Alexia, he didn''t want to fight rtively weak opponents.


    Adam was sure that he needed to raise the difficulty level, or at least stay at the same level to progress further.


    Silvana closed her eyes for a while before replying:


    "Normally, this particr Essence Monster that absorbed the lightning artifact would be rated as a Top 15-20. However, since there was a cluster of anomalies and thus the central artifact was quite powerful, this Six-Winged Iron Stingray is a bit stronger. Maybe Top 12."


    Adam smirked.


    "Good. It''s certainly not a North Keeper, but it sounds pretty tough, too."


    Silvana set the tablet aside and took a bite of a cookie.


    "I''m sure you''ll do fine, but... This mission will be a little different than all the others."


    "Hmm?" Adam gave her a questioning look.


    Silvana sighed, "Unless you count the fight with Brass Puppet, this will be your first solo mission. You won''t even have the Harvesters with you, they''lleter to gather materials."


    Adam was confident in his abilities, but he quickly realized that they had a big problem.


    "Is something wrong?" Silvana raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at him intently.


    Adam scratched his cheek shyly.


    "Well... I''ll have to drive there alone, I don''t mind, but I don''t know how to drive..."


    "Hahaha." Silvana giggled, covering her mouth with her palm, such a reaction wasn''t typical for her.


    Adam frowned. He didn''t understand what was so funny about that. His family didn''t have money for a car, he had nowhere to get that skill.


    "Don''t worry. You won''t have to drive anywhere." Silvana waved her hand.


    Adam tilted his head in confusion.


    "Since it''s pretty far away and the mission is pretty important, the missions department has assigned a fighter specifically for you. Don''t get too excited, it''s just for this mission." Silvana calmly exined.


    "Cool! That way, I''ll be there very soon!" Adam clenched his fist with an excited expression.


    Silvana nodded, finishing her cookie.


    ...


    The next day, in the early morning, Adam headed towards Fort Norton, striding towards the fighter takeoff pad.


    Oddly enough, this time, it was Lang as well - the pilot that had brought Adam and Silvana to Bastion Radon.


    "Oh, it''s been a while, hasn''t it?" Lang waved his hand, smoking a cigarette.


    Adam nodded.


    "As far as I know, only the powerful and influential Phantoms have their own pilots. Is it really just luck that we''ve met again?"


    Lang shrugged nonchntly, "I guess. Sometimes, coincidences are crazy. I''ve seen stranger circumstances than this in my life."


    Then, Lang threw away his cigarette and waved his hand.


    "Come on. We''re scheduled to leave in five minutes, let''s not waste any time. And..." Lang paused, "Be ready. We''re likely to be attacked. I''ve passed through that region more than once, the monsters there are pretty aggressive."


    Adam nodded with a confident look. He realized that this was even more likely in his case, as he was a Naturalborn Phantom.


    ...


    Lang checked all the sensors, waited for themand, and took off heading for Rusty Ruins. However, the Six-winged Iron Stingray was not in the Rusty Ruins, or rather not exactly in that area.


    Their fighter was flying towards the border of the Rusty Ruins, where this area crossed with another, more distant andplex one - Salt Vige.


    Despite its name, it wasn''t just a single, small vige in the middle of the wastnd. Salt Vige was a vast area covered in thickyers of salt and sparse ruins protruding from the ground.


    In some ways, however, Salt Vige was like Rusty Ruins, for the closer it got to the center, the more structures and dangerous monsters there were.


    Adam didn''t have to worry about encountering something stronger than Purple Threat Level, because the Six-winged Iron Stingray was only a hundred meters away from the border of the Rusty Ruins.


    Beep. Beep. Beep.


    Suddenly, many red dots appeared on Lang''s radar - the monsters were getting closer.


    "Adam!"


    "Yeah, I got it. Well, I guess I won''t even have to fight against them." Adam smirked, ncing at the dozen monsters of medium strength. Previously, he would have needed to destroy each of them individually, but now he had another option!


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Adam''s eyes shed as his aura rapidly expanded to be a snow-white me, consuming everything around him.

 Chapter 190: Essence Monster (Part 2)

    Dozens of monsters with wide wings quickly approached the fighter, cutting through the wind currents.


    They resembled bats in some ways, especially in the shape of their wings. Their bodies consisted mostly of iron and gears, actively rotating to keep them alive.


    They were not dangerous in appearance, and some inexperienced Phantom would not take them seriously - that would be his fatal mistake.


    The fact that the mechanical bats could outrun a fighter controlled by an experienced pilot was enough to realize the level of threat they posed.


    Well, that didn''t mean they were adversaries for Adam. After all, in his current condition, he surely was one of the Top-20 strongest K1-Phantoms, due to abination of many factors.


    Sure, Adam could be even higher, for example, in the Top-10 or even in the Top 5, but everything depended on the situation, and it was impossible to know for sure his exact position in the rankings.


    Adam effortlessly handled every mechanical bat, a few swings of the needle would be enough, but... after Fall Hill Prison, he didn''t even need to take his hands out of his pockets.


    His aura was more than enough.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    White mes spread around for dozens of meters, increasing its area of effect. Sure, the density of the aura suffered from it, but Adam condensed it into onerge stream. He didn''t need to use Spirit to defeat the mechanical bats.


    The monsters tried to defend themselves from the white mes that they only saw for a moment, thanks to their weak auras. However... it was not enough.


    The mechanical bats took serious internal damage and, one by one, fell down, spinning rapidly and approaching the ground. They didn''t have enough resilience to withstand even the weakest attack by Adam''s aura.


    "Agh? Have they stopped?" Lang muttered in confusion, looking at the radar - the red dots were gradually getting farther away as the fighter moved forward.


    Adam looked at the fallen mechanical bats and returned to his seat.


    "Well, I''ve got them sorted out. You don''t have to worry about that." Adam shrugged.


    Lang gulped, then quickly ncing at Adam, he asked, "Hey... That was the so-called aura, right?"


    Adam looked at him slightly surprised. There was nothing strange about it, though. Lang was a fighter pilot, so he was familiar with many Phantoms, and he knew that usually, K1-Phantoms didn''t know how to use their aura to its full potential.


    Adam nodded with a satisfied smile.


    "I learned that recently. I''m not going to say it was easy, but... defeating weak opponents without wasting energy is pretty satisfying."


    Lang smirked, nodded slightly, and clicked on the radar. He quickly marked the area where the mechanical bats had fallen. The Harvesters would be able to use this informationter and gather materials.


    "How many more are left?" Adam asked, with fire in his eyes.


    Lang sighed heavily.


    "Not much. About ten minutes, but, I won''t be flying right up to the border. The Six-Winged Iron Stingray is quite a dangerous monster, moreover, it''s an Essence Type. However, the main problem is that it absorbed a lightning artifact."


    Adam nodded slightly. He understood what Lang was talking about.


    Lang wouldn''t be so worried if the Essence Iron Stingray had absorbed another element, such as earth or water. It wasn''t that lightning was stronger than earth or water, it was that lightning was one of the fastest elements.


    Lang realized that he would most likely just not have time to dodge the lightning shot if Essence Iron Stingray was capable of it. Such nuances and decisions distinguished an experienced pilot from a novice who had yet to realize the full dangers of the Dead Lands.


    "Sure. Just drop me off over the Iron Beacon. I''ll get myself from there." Adam said calmly, Silvana had warned him that this could happen.


    The Iron Beacon was an old structure located near the Rusty Ruins and Salt Vige border. The area around the Iron Beacon was marked on all the maps, as there were many Nests and various monsters.


    The Mission Department gave many missions in this area, and Iron Beacon was a popr ce for Phantoms and various squads.


    The monsters here were strong, but not as strong as in Salt Vige, and also... for some reason, this was the ce where anomalies appeared more often than in other ces.


    Maybe it was the number of monsters here, or maybe it was the Iron Beacon, no one knew for sure.


    "We''re in position. "Good luck. I hope this is far from thest time you and I met." Lang waved his hand away from his head with two fingers before opening the hatch.


    "Don''t worry. I''m not going to end my journey when I''ve only taken a few steps. There''s still a lot of work ahead." Adam said with a serious look, looking down - at the ground that was several kilometers below.


    Lang grinned, "That''s right."


    At the same moment, Adam jumped, opening his parachute when he was only a few hundred meters from the ground.


    No matter how much stronger he''d gottenpared to the day he''d be a Phantom, heights were still as dangerous to him as simple physical gravity.


    If he didn''t use the parachute, he would turn into a bloody mess when hended. Someone like Damien could just fall, his knees wouldn''t even be hurt.


    Bam.


    At high speed, Adam caught the edge of the Iron Beacon, finding himself on its peak. He strained his arm to climb sharply to the top, where he could see the farthest part of the Rusty Ruins and the beginning of the Salt Vige.


    "Oh, this isn''t bad at all... It''s even romantic in a way. If it weren''t Dead Lands, I''d want that view out my window." Adam muttered, looking at the uniquendscape unfolding before him.


    Distant structures and old buildings peeked out from underyers of salt, asionally reflecting the light from the bright, zing sun. This unusual white desert contrasted strongly with thend filled with rust, old metal, and iron dust that had long since be part of thend.


    Adam turned around, leaning on the fence. Right below the Iron Beacon and almost everywhere else were Phantoms.


    Adam could see nearly every squad, all of them, fighting monsters, nning their goals, or already resting while the Harvesters did their work.


    The area around the Iron Beacon was huge, as was the density of monsters here, so sometimes random squads or lone Phantoms would run into each other.


    The Mission Department had no way of controlling this due to the specifics of the area.


    All the Phantoms here were K1s since K0s would just die here, and there was nothing for K2s to do here - missions were waiting for them in more difficult areas.


    "Hmm... Teamwork definitely has its perks." Adam muttered, ncing at one squad in the distance - a girl with long blond hair was telling something to her mates.


    They listened to her intently, nodding from time to time. Obviously, she was their leader, and a lot depended on her.


    "Hah, their target looks pretty dangerous. I wouldn''t have wanted to meet someone like that when I first got to Rusty Ruins." Adam smiled bitterly, looking at the huge monster a few warehouses away from this squad.

 Chapter 191: Essence Monster (Part 3)

    Four mechanical arms emerged from the monster''s broad back, consisting of flesh and metal covering its vulnerable body.


    At the end of each arm was an inactive circr saw, all of them badly damaged from many battles, but still deadly to any of their victims.


    Any creature unlucky enough to be caught between four saws at once would be minced in a heartbeat.


    The saws were dangerous because, unlike a sharp sword or a long spear, they did not cut or pierce, but tore flesh apart, causing terrible damage, as well as profuse bleeding and, most importantly - insane pain.


    However, like any weapon, saws had their own disadvantages - unlike spears, they could not pierce the target through and instantly crush the heart or any other important organ.


    Moreover, it took some time for the saws to do their full damage, as the more they tore the flesh, the better it was for the owner of this unusual weapon.


    In addition to the four saws on its back, the monster had two paws with only two sharp ws, but long enough to pierce a wall several meters thick.


    On its chest were two massive tes that went all the way up to its shoulders. The legs were thick and somewhat crooked, to maintain an unusual bnce, short but sharp ws digging into the ground.


    Streams of mes were constantlying out of the monster''s head like a wild mixture of an enraged bull and a dragon as if the monster couldn''t contain them within itself.


    "What is that enormous thing?" Adam asked, the monster was actuallyrge - about five meters tall.


    ''Firebreathing Trinadon is one of the most dangerous monsters that can be encountered next to Iron Beak. It''s a Prime Type because it has protective tes and has four saws, Purple Threat Level, Red Book.'' Silvana answered quickly, sating Adam''s interest.


    Adam nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    Silvana continued, ''Firebreathing Trinadons have one global disadvantage - they are rarely in groups and at most go in twos or threes. In the case of Prime Type, however, they are almost always loners.''


    "I see..." Adam shifted his gaze from the monster to the squad that was almost ready to act.


    This squad was rtively small - five Phantoms and about ten Harvesters. They only needed a few trucks to get here.


    ''This is the Light Rain squad. Their leader is this girl with long blonde hair - Iren Lannd. She''s a pretty capable K1-Phantom, she has a lot of achievements.'' Silvana calmly exined.


    "Hm? A lot of achievements? What do you mean?" Adam tilted his head in confusion, while the Light Rain squad moved towards Firebreathing Trinadon.


    ''Well, I''d call her an honors student from the Phantom world. Both of her parents are K3-Phantoms, so she has a decent bloodline, which led to her having Spark. She went through the preparatory academy like everyone else, killed her first monster, and went to Dead Lands.''


    Silvana continued.


    ''Sure, unlike you or Alexia, her first missions weren''t apanied by incredible sess and equally great risks. But, in her case, things happened gradually, and she always managed to get through the challenges.''


    "Well, I can see by the look in her eyes that she''s quite experienced."


    Silvana nodded.


    ''She hasn''t failed a single mission yet, not counting emergencies. Her reputation is one of the best among the K1-Phantoms. She is foreshadowed to have a future as great as her parents.


    "Reputation?" Adam raised an eyebrow, interested, "Hey, what about me? Is there any information you got on me?"


    ''Khm... It''s not that simple...'' Silvana coughed, she hadn''t counted on Adam being interested in it at a time like this.


    "Agh... Looks like Iren''s reputation is a long way off for me..." Adam muttered, realizing everything by Silvana''s reaction.


    ''Something like that. Power rating and reputation are different and almost unrted things. I mean, reputation is determined by two factors - the feedback of themon people and the so-called critics, which includes everyone associated with Dead Lands, from Phantoms and Operators to departments and the military.


    "Oh, that sounds interesting. Tell me, what they say about me?" Adam asked, he was clearly curious but didn''t seem to give it any meaning.


    ''Well... Critics rarely leave reviews as they are too busy to do so, they have other tasks, and for them, the most important thing is that Phantom is strong and aplishes missions. They rely more on internal power ratings to judge some Phantom.


    Thus, 80% of the reputation of a particr Phantom is determined by the will of themon people. They usually only watch the popr edits of a particr Phantom''s fights as well as the popr videos of it filmed somewhere in the Citadel.'' Silvana calmly said.


    It was worth remembering that anyone could get detailed information about any mission from Dead Lands if they submitted a request to the missions department, including videos of the Phantoms'' NEPs. Almost no one did that, though.


    Everyone wanted to watch edited clips of another Phantom tearing apart monsters as if in some game. It was rare for ordinary people to watch missions in their entirety, and no one posted videos of failures, especially Phantom deaths...


    "80%...? Damn, that''s a lot. But, my reputation should be pretty high, shouldn''t it? I mean, it''s not like I''m a criminal. I didn''t do anything wrong in the Citadel." Adam assumed with a wave of his hand.


    Silvana was silent for a while, then she sighed, heavily as if facing imminent disaster and said:


    ''You''re wrong... And badly enough. You''re right, you''re not a criminal, but have you forgotten what happened at the fair?''


    ''Furthermore, although the records of your sentence have been deleted, there are photos of you leaving Fall Hill Prison online, as well as videos of Proud Wing and that woman you insulted even though she med you for her daughter''s death.'' Silvana muttered, recounting some of the events.''


    "What, I''m not guilty of any of that!"


    ''Yes. I agree with you, but that said, your reputation is still rated F-Rank.''''


    "Well... That''s not so bad, I suppose." Adam scratched the back of his head.


    ''Below F-Rank, there''s nothing.''


    "Shit..."

 Chapter 192: Essence Monster (Part 4)

    It might have seemed that Adam''s reputation was unreasonably low. After all, he was just a simple guy until recently, and as a Phantom, he had existed for about 50 days.


    Was it possible to do so much wrong in that time to get an F-Rank?


    Many people would think that there are better candidates for F-Rank. What about murderers? What about rude and immoral people whose actions are not ready to be epted by the majority of society? What about criminals?


    Well... The situation was such that Adam already fell under each of these criteria. Did he kill a person? - Yes, and it happened in front of dozens of people. Did he engage in immoral behavior? - yes, he didn''t care about the feelings of the woman, the mother of the dead Phantom.


    But... was Adam a criminal? Sure! Only criminals would be out of jail after murder, wouldn''t they?


    Naturally, each of these situations had many nuances, but... does anyone really think that society is willing to deal with the situation? People just saw what Adam did and immediately jumped to judgment.


    What''s more, Proud Wing did their job. Obviously, to them, a Phantom like Adam who killed a man was a serious threat.


    "F-Rank... I feel like I''m back in Fall Hill Prison again." Adam scratched the back of his head, puzzled, looking ahead. He wasn''t sure how he was supposed to feel.


    Then, his gaze traveled to Iren, who was already eager to act. Her Nexus was a long sword with a blue de and a triangr guard. The weapon was as graceful and deadly as she was.


    "In that case, what is her reputation? Surely the highest, right?" Adam suggested.


    ''You''re practically right. There are Phantoms with more impressive reputations than Iren, but she''s got a long way to go. She''s got an A-Rank. To get that kind of reputation in such a short period, you have to be a truly impable Phantom - in the eyes of the public.''


    Silvana continued, ''Her manners are excellent as an aristocrat she is kind since she is constantly helping people, and she hasn''t done anything criminal or controversial yet. Even the Proud Wing treat her normally.''


    Adam rolled his eyes.


    "I get it. She is someone who is loved by those who don''t know her, and hated by those who take all the glory." Adam inhaled.


    Silvana wanted to say something, but Adam interrupted her because of the urgency.


    "Hey... Can you make a request for help to them?" Adam asked suddenly.


    ''Why...?'' Silvana raised an eyebrow, ''I can try to contact them, but it''s better to wait for an official request for help. Then, you can act freely. Well, why are you even asking that?''


    Adam shrugged nonchntly, watching the start of the battle of the Light Rain squad.


    "Because they''re going to lose. It''s bound to happen."


    Silvana''s eyes went wide. She''d forgotten thest time she''d heard such unwavering confidence from Adam. He seemed to see the future, though he obviously didn''t.


    Step. Step. Step. Step. Step.


    At the same moment, Iren stepped forward, attacking in the vanguard.


    Next to her were two more Phantoms, one with a shield, the other with an axe. In the distance, there was a girl with a staff and a young man with a massive bow. They were in the rearguard and were supposed to cover their mates.


    Strangely enough, the young man with the bow kept looking at Iren, but not as her protector but more like a lover who couldn''t express his feelings in any way.


    "Die, you vile monster!" Iren eximed with a righteous look, bringing her sword down on the Prime Firebreathing Trinadon.


    However... the monster didn''t even react, while Firebreathing Trinadon was digging something in the ground among the debris, like a dog that had buried its bone long ago and was now trying to find it.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Iren''s hand trembled from the intense recoil, unable to cut through the monster''s tough iron armor.


    The Firebreathing Trinadon stopped and red at her. There was no rage or any anger in his gaze, just a slight annoyance at being distracted.


    "Rttsk!" Firebreathing Trinadon made a strange mechanical sound before swinging his right paw, cutting through the air currents with his two long ws.


    Iren quickly put up a block, holding the sword steady in front of her, holding her other hand at the blunt side of the de for more stabilization.


    However... It clearly wasn''t enough to keep Iren in ce. The Firebreathing Trinadon had a strength appropriate to his size.


    The impact threw Iren aside, but she did a somersault andnded, sliding lightly on the dusty, rusty ground.


    "Iren, I''ve got your back!" Romeo, the young man with the bow, eximed before firing an icy arrow.


    Crackle.


    The arrow simply shattered into splinters, unable to leave even a scratch on the Firebreathing Trinadon''s body. It seemed that circr saws were the main weapon of the Firebreathing Trinadon, but the monster''s defense and physical parameters were also at their best.


    "Romeo, take your time." Iren calmly said while knocking the dust off her shoulders, "This monster''s weak point is near its saws and neck, in the gaps between the iron tes. You shouldn''t just waste your energy like that."


    "S-Sure... I hear you!" Romeo hesitantly replied, he was afraid of doing something wrong in front of Iren.


    Then, Iren pointed her sword at Firebreathing Trinadon, and her eyes shone brightly. Purple waves of energy traveled along the sword de before ring up.


    Firebreathing Trinadon''s body became much heavier, the weight continued to increase until it reached the point where the monster could no longer stand on its feet.


    Purple streams as if separated from the northern lights, rained down on Firebreathing Trinadon, while Iren''s energy was quickly drained.


    Adam''s eyes widened in mild surprise.


    "Oh, gravity, right? This is the first time I''ve seen a Phantom with such powers. It''s curious." Adam stared intently at Iren.


    It seemed that she alone could defeat Firebreathing Trinadon by simply crumpling the monster into a piece of metal, but... Prime Firebreathing Trinadon was one of the strongest monsters K1-Phantom could face.


    Iren heavily frowned as she had to grab her sword with both hands to ease the violent shaking that started after using her ability.


    The more she exerted her power, the stronger the recoil would be - there woulde a point when she would no longer be able to restrain Firebreathing Trinadon.


    However... That was exactly the kind of situation she had mates for!


    Whooooooosh.


    The man with the shield ran forward, causing his shield to shine brightly and explode right before it was about to collide with the monster. Although it wasn''t enough to pierce through the monster''s armor, it was enough to heat it up, making it less durable.


    "Alright! That''s what it is!" The young man with the massive axe eximed with an excited expression. His eyes glittered, and the axe shed with bright mes, about to stab into the monster''s weakened armor.


    "Agh...?" The young man''s eyes went wide as two of the monster''s four arms came into motion. One saw headed to the left and the other to the right, only to whiz in front of the young man''s face.


    The next thing reflected in his eyes were drops of blood - only a fraction of the scarlet streams that rushed from the two wide cuts appeared on his chest.


    "What the fuck..." The young man muttered, not believing what was happening while the saws wereing out of his body.


    Adam shook his head, sighing heavily.


    "Yeah... They''re definitely going to lose."


    Crackle.


    Something fell on top of the Iron Beacon, but Adam seemed not to hear it...

 Chapter 193: Essence Monster (Part 5)

    Adam watched as the Light Rain squad fought against the Firebreathing Trinadon, but... could this have been a serious, perhaps even deadly mistake?


    Iron Beacon was the highest point in the area and, roughly speaking - the mainndmark. Sure, there weren''t any tourists or guides in Dead Lands who would be interested, well... there were monsters and Phantoms, which was a more meaningful audience.


    Adam took himself to the best spot - the top of the Iron Beacon, from here, one could see everything, not only as a curious onlooker but as a hunter stalking his prey.


    For many monsters, the Iron Beacon was a viewing tform or even a kind of arena, because not everyone was able to climb here.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Scratches on the old iron from three sharp ws, the unusual creature approached Adam, who was casually watching the Light Rain squad.


    The monster''s silhouette wasrge, but at the same time, it was not much different from a human. The monster had the same physique, after all, it was a Crown Type.


    It had two folded mechanical wings on its back and ws on its hands and feet like a swift eagle.


    On its head was a helmet made of bronze, mimicking the head of some predatory bird, with a long, sharp beak.


    Strangely enough, Silvana could see nothing, for Adam had put his hand on the railing, covering the NEP with his chest.


    Slowly, supremely smoothly, the sharp de slid into the monster''s hand, which had an unusually thick fan of many small knives on its wrist.


    The monster acted carefully, slowly, and measuredly. The monster sensed that Adam''s aura was strong, so the assassination had to be aplished in just one precise, confident attack.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The monster stepped forward, bent its body, and threw its right arm forward, aiming the de directly at Adam''s head.


    At the same moment, electric shocks passed through Adam''s eyes, and his artifact shuddered, forcing Adam''s instincts into action.


    His head reflexively jerked to the left, allowing the de to pass right next to Adam''s neck, but not hitting it.


    "Oh... That was dangerous." Adam muttered as his eyes shifted to the right - looking at his reflection in the de, as well as at the monster who didn''t seem to have realized what had happened yet.


    Whooooooosh.


    Without waiting for the monster to make its next attack, Adam turned sharply, whizzing by the de, and clenched his left hand tightly.


    Adam''s fist plunged into the monster''s chest, crumpling severalyers of metal sheets and throwing the monster backwards.


    The momentum was so strong that the monster had to open its broad wings consisting of hundreds of des to slow down.


    "Who is it? It looks pretty dangerous, at least it has enough knives to cut me into pieces." Adam asked calmly. The reason was not because of his arrogance or overconfidence, but since after Fall Hill Prison, he had be much better at determining the enemy''s strength by its aura.


    Adam felt that this was not at all the level of a North Keeper, or even a Steel Knight, however, that didn''t mean that the monster couldn''t kill him.


    ''Winged Harpy Assassin, Purple Threat Level, Red Book, Crown Type. I think you''ve already realized that although it''s Purple Threat Level, Assassin Harpies aren''t one of the most dangerous monsters.'' Silvana exined in detail.


    It was worth it to understand that before Adam''s battle against the Steel Knight or going through Eclipse, Silvana would never have said such a thing to Adam.


    Adam had gotten stronger, which meant Silvana had to talk about the new monsters based on their power levels.


    If Adam were to face a Green Threat Level monster right now, Silvana wouldn''t be worried about Adam. But... If it happened at the beginning of his journey, then she would do everything to convince him to escape as far away as possible.


    "I see... Well, although I didn''te here to fight a weak Crown Monster, this might not be a bad warm-up." Adam shrugged his shoulders before rushing forward. He didn''t bother to use any of his abilities.


    The metal sheets covering the top of the Iron Beacon crumpled slightly under his powerful strides, emitting a corresponding crackle and screech.


    The Harpy Assassin opened his wings wide and drew out two des, clutching them tightly and preparing for battle. There was no point in hiding anymore, he needed to use his entire arsenal to win.


    Whoosh.


    The Harpy Assassin''s wings came into motion as he appeared directly in front of Adam, swinging his swords from top to bottom, about to sink the des into Adam''s shoulders.


    Adam looked at the monster''s hands.


    ''Hmm... They''re quite long, perhaps even too long. So he won''t have time to react if I do this!'' Adam inwardly uttered before abruptly taking arge step forward.


    The monster''s attack seemed to reach its target, but... the des only pierced the air as the monster''s wrists fell on Adam''s shoulders. The pressure was considerable, but Adam could easily withstand it.


    Sure, the Harpy Assassin could swing his des to plunge them into Adam''s back, but that would take time, at least a few seconds - a luxury the monster didn''t have.


    Crackle.


    Adam grabbed the monster by the shoulders, plunging his knee sharply into the monster''s belly. Then, Adam tensed his arms and threw the Harpy Assassin over himself, dropping it to the hard iron floor with a tter.


    A second passed, and Assassin-Harpy came to his senses, only to see Adam''s foot crashing down on his head.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Then, again, and again, causing a rumble that spread dozens of meters around. This drew the attention not only of the monsters but also of the people who were quite close.


    "Agh? What''s going on over there?" Romeo muttered worriedly. He realized that if there were monsters on Iron Beacon right now, then their squad could be their potential target!


    "I don''t know, but we mustn''t get distracted!" The girl with the staff said confidently, directing streams of healing water towards the axe-wielding young man.


    After Firebreathing Trinadon''s attack, the young man received serious wounds, but they weren''t fatal so much as deep.


    "Romeo! Use your Second Order!" Iren shouted, dodging the four rapidly rotating saws. She was having a hard time doing it, but for now, her speed was enough to distract the monster.


    "Y-Yes!" Romeo replied as sparks appeared in his gaze. He clearly shouldn''t have reacted to her every word like that...


    Then, Romeo held out his hand, creating a massive ice crystal over Firebreathing Trinadon. It was clear from the look in his eyes that it took a lot of effort, but it was definitely worth it.


    The crystal trembled slightly before tiny pieces began to separate from it, each one transforming into a projectile with high speed and prating power.


    In this way, Romeo created a hail of ice projectiles, constantly attacking the Firebreathing Trinadon. Well, this would happen until the main crystalpletely depleted its energy reserves.


    Iren smirked contentedly.


    "Alright, great job! We can win this way!"


    ...


    At the same time, two shadows - two more Harpy Assassins - quickly headed towards Adam.


    "Oh, it looks like your friends havee here. Damn, you''re pretty durable, you know?" Adam muttered before bouncing back, dodging several des flying out of the monsters'' wings like feathers. The daggers stabbed into the floor, forcing Adam to step back a certain distance.


    The Harpy Assassins prepared to fight, but... Adam was not at all in the mood for it.


    "Take him and leave." Adam said coldly, pointing at the first Harpy Assassin whom he had pounded deep into the ground with his hits.

 Chapter 194: Essence Monster (Part 6)

    What was the main mission of the Phantoms - to kill monsters, right?


    Well, that was something everyone could probably agree on. In that case, what was Adam doing now? Why, instead of fighting the three Crown Monsters and killing them, he was telling them to leave?


    All of these questions Silvana was asking herself right now as she silently watched the situation unfold.


    The Harpy Assassins looked at each other in puzzlement.


    They knew what Adam was talking about because they were Crown Types and smart enough to do so. They didn''t believe his words, but when Adam walked past them, heading towards the edge of the Iron Beacon, the monsters realized he was serious.


    Without dy, they picked up their badly wounded fellow and quickly flew away, not wanting to test how strong Adam''s patience was.


    ''What... What was that?'' Silvana asked after a few seconds as the Harpy Assassins disappeared from their sight.


    "Do you mind?" Adam asked nonchntly, watching the developing battle from below.


    ''I can''t be against your decisions, but I''m just curious.'' Silvana replied confidently.


    Adam''s gaze traveled forward for a while as he muttered, "I''m just thinking about what I want at the moment."


    ''Hmm?''


    "Should I have killed them? Yes, that''s my job as a Phantom. However... should I do what I''m obligated to do or what I want to do?" Adam asked a seemingly rhetorical question.


    ''What you want...?'' Silvana was confused.


    Adam nodded.


    "They''re not particrly strong, but three Crown Type at once will hurt me and make me use abilities. I don''t need that, considering I''m going to fight an Essence Monster. Moreover, they''re durable, and I''d spend a lot of time on this fight." Adam directed his gaze to the Light Rain squad.


    "What I want to do now is to watch them fight because I''m interested. The strong can do what they want, can''t they?" Adam said, pointing to the cardinal rule of the Dark Order.


    Silvana didn''t answer, her gaze only grew deeper. In fact, Adam hadn''t done anything selfish, after all, his task was to kill the dangerous Essence Monster. In that case, it was unsafe to waste energy fighting other monsters.


    However, the main reason why he let the Assassin Harpies go was because he wanted to watch another squad fight.


    Sometimes, one person''s wish could decide the fate of millions.


    "Great! He''s seriously weakened! I''ll use my Nexus, and you guys finish it off!" Iren belligerently eximed before her sword trembled again.


    Four purple spheres appeared around Firebreathing Trinadon, hovering several meters above the ground. Each of the spheres, actively trembled, increasing the pressure on the inner region.


    Thus, the Firebreathing Trinadon in the center was immediately nailed to the ground. The monster couldn''t move any of its limbs, and the metal tes seemed ready to fly off its body.


    ''Unbelievable...'' Romeo inwardly muttered with awe, looking at Iren, he clearly considered her as a superior beingpared to the rest.


    "Alright! We''re going to get this done now! Romeo, help!" The axe-wielding youth eximed before his entire body was covered in mes, and he turned into a fire beam - approaching the Firebreathing Trinadon at great speed.


    Their squad had the right abilities to fight against an opponent like Firebreathing Trinadon. Iren could hold the monster down, Romeo could significantly cool the metal, and the axe-wielding youth could cause a drastic temperature difference with his mes.


    Thus, considering his highest physical power among the squad, the axe-wielding young man could destroy Firebreathing Trinadon in a single sessful attack.


    However... the monster also realized this. The Light Rain squad had made one critical mistake - they had forgotten that their opponent''s main weapons weren''t spinning saws or sharp long ws. There was a reason why this monster had that name.


    "Rkkkkttsk!!!"


    Firebreathing Trinadon started to make a strange metallic cracking sound, it seemed like it was all about the iron tes breaking due to gravity, but... that wasn''t the case.


    Adam''s cold eyes watched the Light Rain squad intently, it seemed that his eyes reflected what was going to happen in a few seconds. He was fully confident that the Light Rain squad wouldn''t be able to defeat such a strong monster.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The monster''s entire body turned bright red from the heat that umted inside, and before the axe-wielding young man could attack, Firebreathing Trinadon''s eyes shed.


    At the same moment, from all the gaps and especially from the monster''s head, came out deadly streams of fire - in an instant, turning Romeo''s icy arrows into water, then vaporizing into steam.


    ''Agh...?'' The axe-wielding young man''s eyes went wide when a wave of monster fire easily swept his mes, causing him to experience heat and soon severe pain.


    "Look out!" The man with the shield eximed, standing in front of everyone else except the axe-wielding young man. His shield shone brightly, creating a barrier of golden light in front of them.


    Then, the girl with the staff used her Order, summoning dozens of water bubbles, each capable of both, defending against attacks and healing deep wounds.


    However... could it help against the attack of one of the strongest monsters of the Purple Threat Level?


    As the mes collided with the barrier and water spheres, the barrier shattered into small shards, and the water instantly turned into vapor.


    "Romeo!" Iren eximed, realizing that he was the only one who could help them now.


    Romeo flinched, guiding his hand forward and creating ice crystals above him. At his will, they headed forward, only slightly weakening the overall power of the mes.


    Thus, half a minuteter, the entire area was covered in thick vapor, only the sharp peaks of iron buildings as well as the ming hearth from Firebreathing Trinadon were visible.


    "Agh... Agh... Agh..." Iren, Romeo, and the others were breathing heavily, they could withstand this attack thanks to theirbined efforts, but they had taken serious damage, every single one of them.


    Burns covered their bodies, but overall, they were fine. These wounds were minor, especiallypared to what could actually happen to them after such an attack.


    "Shit... That was stronger than I expected..." The young man with the axe muttered, knocking the dust off of himself. He managed to stay unharmed, but the monster''s mespletely consumed his attack.


    Iren''s gaze became sharper as she stared at the monster.


    "Our n failed, but it''s alright. Firebreathing Trinadon will need time to use such a powerful attack again. We can take advantage of that and win!" Iren uttered like a knight, raising the morale of her team.


    "Yes. You''re right!" Romeo eximed happily, clenching his fist confidently.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, the Firebreathing Trinadon began to tremble, the gears inside his body turning up the overall heat, causing red-hot steam to escape.


    The four circr saws lit up with scarlet mes, bing des capable of carrying only fiery death as a harbinger from hell.


    Iren gulped as the Firebreathing Trinadon stepped forward, leaving a ck trail on the ground as if from burnt coals.


    Adam sighed, shaking his head slightly.


    "Well... Looks like I''ll have to help them out. Why would they hunt a monster if even the five of them can''t defeat it?" Adam muttered as his eyes shone.

 Chapter 195: Essence Monster (Part 7)

    Step. Step. Step.


    Making the ground tremble and burning rusty dust, Firebreathing Trinadon gradually approached the Light Rain squad. Its appearance was menacing, and its aura was ready to suppress any Phantom.


    Since it was a Prime Type, Iren and her squad paid great attention to the monster''s extra saws and took advantage of the fact that Prime Firebreathing Trinadons were always loners.


    However... They forgot that Prime Types were the supreme members of their species, possessing supreme physical stats and naturally wielding all the abilities that other Firebreathing Trinadons might not have been capable of.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Adam jumped down from Iron Beacon, holding a silver needle. He couldn''t sustain a fall from such a height without seriously injuring himself - he should havee down gradually, but he didn''t have time for that.


    So Adam''s gaze was directed to the top of the beacon, as he threw the needle forward with a sharp motion, letting it pierce the iron sheets and catch on them like a hook.


    There was no opportunity for Adam to swing for a long jump since the connecting thread was sharp, unlike the ordinary rope, and easily cut through the iron tes.


    "Fine, that will be enough." Adam muttered before pulling himself up to the beacon and starting to run along it like some kind of ant capable of walking on walls - the needle holding him up.


    Then, descending as low as he could, Adam jumped to the top of the nearest building, doing a somersault.


    A bright pain spread throughout his body like several lightning discharges trying to reduce its power.


    The height was clearly a bit beyond what Adam''s body could withstand, but a properly performed somersault helped him escape injury.


    "Shit... If I fell on my feet, I''d definitely break them or hurt my knees. Height is a dangerous thing..." Adam shook his head, walking out to the edge of the building the monster and Light Rain squad were under.


    Romeo, Iren and the girl with the staff tried to do something to stop the monster or somehow cool it down, but the scarlet mes were undeterred.


    "Their attacks are too weak. Although... I''m not sure even Alexia could put out that iron giant. She wouldn''t need to, though. She''d just take it apart." Adam uttered, staring intently at the Firebreathing Trinadon.


    ''They''re trying to weaken his mes, but... it''s better to use his fire against himself.'' Adam pondered as electrical discharges umted in his hand.


    "Look! What''s that?!" Romeo anxiously eximed, pointing to the lightning bolts clustered in the sky.


    Irene''s eyes went wide, then she quickly realized what was happening.


    "Get back!" Iren ordered, moving as far away from the Firebreathing Trinadon as possible.


    At the same moment, a mighty thunderbolt appeared behind her back, blue lightning consuming everything. Romeo saw everything through Iren, or rather through the tips of her blonde hair fluttering in the wind.


    The first me particles, like scarlet petals, came in contact with azure electric discharges, as fast as light traveling through worlds.


    The next thing Romeo saw was a deafening explosion that grew louder and louder as each wisp of me released its power, charged with electricity.


    Naturally, it was Firebreathing Trinadon who suffered the most, even his sturdy armor couldn''t withstand this explosive inferno.


    Then, before the shockwave reached the Light Rain squad, Romeo saw the silver needle sweep through the series of explosions like an untouchable entity making its own way.


    ...


    "Agh... Agh... Agh..." Iren rose from the ground, coughing due to the dust and soot caught in her mouth.


    She nced around, and the first person she saw was Romeo - his leg was pressed under a massive stone b.


    "Romeo!" Iren rmed, quickly freeing Romeo. It wasn''t hard for her to lift such a weight.


    "Shit... What was that...?" Romeo muttered, clutching his head.


    "I don''t know..."


    Iren wanted to say something else, but...


    "ROOOORRGGHHHK!!!!" The monster''s mechanical roar distracted her, causing her to turn around sharply.


    "What the fuck..." Iren muttered with her eyes wide open.


    She carefully watched Phantom, who with a massive needle in his hands, was blocking all of Firebreathing Trinadon''s attacks, even though the monster was using its four saws and two paws.


    "Wait... Is that K2-Phantom? Who the hell is that? Why... why is he so calm?" Romeo asked bewilderedly, staring at Adam.


    "No... It''s not K2..." The girl with the staff gulped in a daze, "I know him..."


    Iren''s gaze turned serious, almost deadly - a sharp glint passed across her eyes.


    "Adam Vinter... That bastard... What''s he doing here?" Iren muttered through gritted teeth. It seemed that the girl with the perfect reputation was quite aware of those who were at the bottom of this subjective ranking.


    While the Light Rain squad stared intently at Adam, he too, saw something in front of him, and it wasn''t Firebreathing Trinadon at all.


    For some reason, his mind wasparing the monster''s movements to the Steel Knight''s attacks.


    Adam literally saw the silhouette of a creature whose gene was in his Evolution Tree. Sure, it was a Power Gene and not an Initial One, but that made a great difference.


    ''You have four saws, two paws, and the ability to breathe fire - a total of seven attack sources, not considering you can use your legs, shoulders, and body push... However, you still look less dangerous than a creature with two sharp swords and an iron will to fight...'' Adam inwardly muttered a slight sadness appearing in his gaze.


    Then, electric shocks went through his legs as he, in a heartbeat, found himself close to the Firebreathing Trinadon. Adam immediately felt the heating from the monster, but he didn''t need much time...


    "Your mes won''t have time to burn me or my threads..." Adam whispered as the glove on his left hand trembled, turning hundreds of threads into an eternal rotating sphere.


    Then, Adam swung the needle from bottom to top, creating a gap in the monster''s armor, only to plunge the silver sphere into it.

 Chapter 196: Essence Monster (Part 8)

    The me saws curved sharply, heading towards Adam, but... the next second, they stopped before reaching their target.


    Dark blood flowed like oil from a wide hole in Firebreathing Trinadon''s chest. The monster was trying to do something, to somehow reach Adam, to wound him or kill its enemy.


    However, it was already finished. Adam''sst attack, a silver swirl, had turned the insides of the Firebreathing Trinadon into scrap metal - unusable and ruined material, just like its life.


    Bam.


    The massive body, weighing several tons, fell to the ground with a crash, raising a cloud of rusty dust. Smoke billowed like waves, quickly spreading out, covering everyone and everything.


    Iren, Romeo, and the others had to shield themselves with their hands to keep the dust out of their mouths and eyes.


    Soon, as the dust settled slightly and revealed Adam''s silhouette, Iren took a step forward, confidently heading towards him with a menacing look.


    "Adam Vinter... What are you doing here?" Iren asked, clenching her fists. The others nced over and followed her. They were part of the same squad and had to support each other.


    Adam threw a re at her.


    "Isn''t it obvious? I saved you. You should thank me because a little more and Firebreathing Trinadon would have surely burned you into nameless coals." Adam said calmly as if speaking not his opinion but reading the facts.


    Iren frowned, she was not hiding her annoyance.


    "We didn''t need any help, especially from a bastard like you!" Iren waved her hand irritably.


    "Hmm?" Adam tilted his head in confusion. He didn''t understand why Iren had already moved on to insults even though they had known each other for less than a minute.


    "Don''t pretend you don''t understand!" Iren eximed, pointing at him, "You just took our prey! I''ll beining about you! Moreover, someone like you should be in prison!"


    Romeo had a puzzled expression on his face. Unlike Iren, he didn''t know anything about Adam. They had never been in the same squad, and Romeo didn''t keep track of who was at the bottom of the reputation rating.


    The girl with the staff realized this, so she bent down and whispered in his ear everything she knew about Adam.


    "What...? He killed a human?!" Romeo eximed in surprise. For him to hear such a thing was like seeing the embodiment of one of the deadly sins.


    Iren nodded with a serious face.


    "I doubt you''re interested in this, but Adam Vinter has one of the worst reputations. He''s been a Phantom for just under two months, but he''s already killed a man and done a lot of other bad things, and... even now he''s still going on!" Iren''s veins swelled with anger.


    Oddly enough, she actually believed what she was saying. It wasn''t even about what exactly Adam had done, it was about the fact that he had an F-Rank. To her, that was equivalent to beingbeled as a criminal or a murderer.


    Adam pointed to the Firebreathing Trinadon with a careless look.


    "Take it. I don''t need its genes. When your Harvesters collect the materials, my Operator will send you a check. I won''t take all of it, 50% will be enough."


    Iren''s eyes went wide at such insolence.


    "Hey! That''s not fair at all!" The axe-wielding young man spoke up, putting his axe on his shoulder.


    "Why?" Adam asked calmly.


    The young man looked back, "Because there are five of us, and you''re alone! What''s more, we didn''t ask for your help, so you shouldn''t have gotten involved at all!"


    Tap.


    The man with the shield walked up to him and ced his heavy hand on his shoulder. Unlike the others, his gaze was more serious, and his eyes were filled with experience.


    "Calm down. We have to admit that although there were five of us, we couldn''t defeat Firebreathing Trinadon in a few rounds, even though we nned to do it in the first series of attacks. However... Prime Type was stronger than we expected." The man calmly said.


    Then, he looked at the others.


    "Adam is giving us the genes, so 50% might be fair." The man suggested, hoping for agreement from the others.


    Romeo, the young man with the axe, and the girl with the staff looked at each other. They had mixed feelings, for deep down, they knew they could hardly defeat Firebreathing Trinadon without taking serious damage.


    "No! That''s out of the question! I''m not going to share the loot with a criminal." Iren said sharply, destroying any chance for an agreement.


    She pointed her sword at Adam and spoke menacingly:


    "I heard you''ve been imprisoned at Fall Hill Prison for half a year! If you''re here now, you''ve escaped from there! You will return with us to the Citadel and face thew!"


    Iren obviously didn''t know how Fall Hill Prison really worked. To her, Adam was an escaped Phantom criminal who was now preventing others from aplishing their missions.


    Adam looked at her intently.


    "So you faithfully enforce all thews in the Citadel? Doing everything to maintain your perfect reputation?" Adam asked with mild interest, piercing her with his cold gaze.


    Iren nodded.


    "We Phantoms are supposed to set an example for people. Themon people must believe in us and see that we are their future - the golden light of the entire Citadel. People like you are only destroying their faith in us!" Iren waved her hand.


    Adam nodded.


    "I see..."


    Then, Adam nced around with a serene gaze. He looked at the empty iron buildings, the rusty dust that, like dunes in the desert, covered the ces that radiated an aura of death because of the long-dead creatures buried beneath them.


    "But..." Adam muttered with a detached look before staring at Iren, "We''re not in the Citadel now."


    Iren, Romeo''s, and the others'' eyes went wide, realizing the meaning hidden behind Adam''s words. There were nows in the Dead Lands other than those that had existed since the beginning of the world - thews of nature.


    Adam sighed heavily, turned, and walked past Firebreathing Trinadon. Another opponent awaited him - much stronger and more necessary than a pile of ming metal.


    "Stop! Or are you going to say your famous line again?" Iren shouted. After the news had reported that Adam had killed amon man, Iren had spent a lot of time researching everything in the public domain about Adam.


    Adam said nothing back, he didn''t care. He helped them because they could die, he wasn''t going to just stand and watch five Phantoms die.


    "Famous line...?" Romeo scratched his cheek in a confused manner.


    The girl with the staff nodded.


    "I don''t fight against humans... That''s what he said a few times, but... I can''t remember thest time he said it... There''s only one video from the virtual zone section..." The girl replied uncertainly.


    Romeo whispered, mouthing the words to himself.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Iren rushed forward, quickly approaching Adam and swinging her sword from top to bottom. She was clearly serious, ready to wound him if necessary.


    Electric shocks passed across Adam''s eyes as he abruptly turned his body to the right, taking two short steps backward.


    "Agh...?" Iren''s eyes went wide. Her azure sword, as well she did, passed in front of Adam, under his calm gaze that was quickly bing colder.


    "Dead Lands taught me that it''s an idiotic rule, but... the price others have paid for it. Though we have different views, our goal is the same - so for you, I''ll teach that lesson for free." Adam said with obvious sadness in his voice.


    Then, before Iren could realize anything, Adam''s fist plunged into her stomach - making her feel a bright, piercing pain.

 Chapter 197: Essence Monster (Part 9)

    To be a great warrior, one must have experience.


    It was an important part for anyone who wanted to climb to the top, for anyone who desired to be the best in their field - no matter what the end goal was.


    However... Though most people know, they prefer to forget that experience was almost always gained in the process of something negative, be it defeat or true tragedy - someone''s death.


    There are hardly many cases in history when the winner learned more after a battle than the loser because mistakes are the best teacher and source of experience.


    Nevertheless... sometimes mistakes that be useful experiences for one, lead to the end of the path for others.


    Unfortunately, or luckily, Adam had already realized, felt, and seen it personally.


    "Argh!!!" Iren''s mouth opened wide, and her face twisted in pain from Adam''s blow.


    The impact threw Iren back a meter, it should have been more, but she managed to regain her bnce quickly.


    "I think I know what phrase you''re talking about, but I don''t use it anymore, because it''s not true." Adam said calmly.


    Iren spits up a clot of blood, wiping it from her mouth.


    "Iren! We''ll help you!" The young man with the axe said vigorously, ready to rush into battle.


    "Stop! Stand aside and keep back!" Iren eximed furiously as if this was more important to her than anything else.


    Iren stared at Adam, preparing for a fight.


    "If I can''t make him take responsibility for his actions, for killing an innocent man, then what use I and my perfect reputation?! Someone like him can''t be better than me!" Iren snorted before clutching her sword tightly with both hands and pointing it at Adam.


    ''Killing an innocent man? Pffft, you naive idiot.'' Silvana growled, displeased, ''If I were her, I''d do a better job of studying the circumstances of what happened. All the nuances and details matter!''


    Adam answered nothing, he just stared calmly ahead while the wind fluttered the tips of his ck hair. He realized that words were useless here - only actions could make a difference.


    Then, purple energy waves appeared above Adam, unleashing considerable pressure upon him.


    "Even Firebreathing Trinadon felt heavy with difficulty to move! Give up, and I won''t use my Orders!" Iren eximed with an excited expression.


    Adam looked around carelessly, shrugged, and took a step forward. It did get a little harder for him at first, but... Iren didn''t know that Adam was an unsuitable opponent for her.


    In a way, he was a natural enemy for her, on the elemental side.


    It was all about Adam''s Elemental Root. Even though he had taken the risk of absorbing the ck hole in Prismatic Elementals Nest, that made his Elemental Root choose the gravity sprout as its primary element.


    That didn''t mean that the resistance to other elements was weaker, but because of that, his Trait from Elemental Root was tied to gravity.


    Thus, among other bonuses, Adam had the highest resistance to this particr element.


    Considering his physical stats, Power Gene, and Elemental Root, Adam hardly felt the pressure from Iren''s gravity. He may have started to weigh a few kilos more, but it was too insignificant.


    "What... What''s going on...?" Romeo muttered in confusion. It was the first time he had ever seen Iren''s gravity so weak. Adam didn''t slow down at all, he just kept moving forward!


    "Hey. You got something on your mind?" Adam asked, finding himself in front of Iren. He pushed her sword away with his palm to walk further - practically colliding with her forehead.


    Iren blinked a few times as if she did not realize that this was reality.


    Never before, had an opponent of her level been able to stand so confidently on his feet under her force.


    "Get away from me!" Iren eximed as she swung her sword with a frightened look.


    Adam put his hand in front of him, blocking Iren''s sh with the threads on his glove - they were strong enough to only shudder like strings on a harp.


    "Why won''t my gravity work on you... What kind of trick are you using?!" Irene eximed.


    Adam looked away.


    Then he shrugged and calmly said, "I don''t know. Maybe it''s all because I''m just stronger than you? Maybe that''s what matters?"


    Iren''s face contorted, with anger and rage. She couldn''t admit that it was true.


    ''A bastard who doesn''t respect the rules can''t be better than me!'' Iren inwardly eximed before once again using her ability. Her eyes flickered, and her sword shed brightly.


    It put a serious strain on her body, blood came from the corners of her mouth and nose, but she wasn''t going to stop.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Four purple spheres appeared above Adam, about to do the same thing to him as to Firebreathing Trinadon. Iren could crush the monster to the ground, so Adam couldn''t avoid the same fate.


    Bam.


    Adam dropped to one knee as his eyes went wide. All his muscles strained to keep his face from falling to the ground.


    ''Oh... This is different from the one before. Shit, am I really not going to be able to take this?'' Adam internally muttered, clenching his teeth tightly.


    But, gradually, he could feel himself getting better. It wasn''t that Iren had weakened, though she couldn''t use that ability for too long, it was that his body was adapting.


    It could bepared to a heavyweight - if one took 100 kg at once, one would fall over from the shock, but if one gradually took 10 kg at a time, increasing the weight each step, no such problems would ur. Of course, this works only if one could initially lift such a weight.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Adam''s Elemental Root trembled, emitting a glow as the purple color slightly increased to upy a bit more area - this happened when necessary.


    The Evolutionary Tree was like a living organism and could adapt to the situation as a human did.


    "Well, there you go." Adam smirked before confidently getting to his feet.


    While Iren was trying to figure out if she was dreaming, electric shocks ran through Adam''s legs, and he disappeared from her sight.

 Chapter 198: Essence Monster (Part 10)

    The difference in power was a concept that everyone was familiar with, whether it was an ordinary person or a Phantom. No K1-Phantom would attack K2 One, as there was no chance of victory.


    However, when a K1-Phantom fought against another K1-Phantom, no one thought about the serious difference in might, especially a person like Iren.


    She was sure that she was stronger than Adam, but something didn''t go ording to n.


    In a way, she was unlucky that Adam had Elemental Root at its base with gravity, but only the weak could me bad luck for defeat.


    Before Iren could realize anything, Adam''s hand fell on her face, clutching her head tightly.


    Iren''s terrified eyes met Adam''s serene gaze as electric shocks passed in front of him, descending to his feet.


    Then, Adam quickly ran forward, holding Iren in front of him with only the strength of his grip. Everything was happening extremely fast, and due to the shock, Iren didn''t have time to react to such brazen actions from her opponent.


    Bam.


    Adam drove Iren into the iron wall, the metal tes breaking from her back. Iren''s pupils narrowed several times as if showing how bright the pain was.


    "Bastard!" Romeo shouted, and at the same moment, an ice arrow headed towards Adam, whizzing through the wind.


    Adam''s eyes shifted to the right as he jerked his head away, letting the arrow fly in front of him.


    Bam.


    Iren took that moment to kick Adam in the stomach and free herself from his grip.


    Soon, everyone stood next to Iren, preparing for battle. It wasn''t right for the Phantoms to fight against each other, but they were humans first of all - it was inherent for humans to fight, always and everywhere, no matter who they were fighting.


    Adam frowned slightly. It was not in his ns to fight with them at all, especially five at once.


    "You too?" Adam asked, staring at the man with the shield. It was obvious from the look on his face that he wasn''t thrilled with the way the situation had turned out, but he had no other choice.


    The man sighed heavily, "I''m sorry, but they''re my mates, I can''t stand aside when someone attacked our leader."


    Adam nodded deeply. In a way, he even respected that statement.


    "Wait... Give me another chance..." Iren waved her hand, not wanting to admit defeat. This was a big blow to her.


    "Iren... You... you can''t handle him alone!" Romeo said worriedly, he couldn''t bear to watch Iren suffer any longer.


    "SHUT UP!!!!" Iren shouted, pushing him aside. From the unexpected, Romeo fell to the ground with a shocked expression.


    Iren threw him a scornful stare before turning around to step forward, heading towards Adam.


    ''Well, well, how cruel.'' Silvana muttered, leaning on her arm with a bored look, ''His innocent eyes don''t deserve to be filled with resentment. It''s sad about the whole thing.''


    Adam only nodded slightly. He was lucky, he had never been in a rtionship with a woman like Romeo did, or rather... it wasn''t even a rtionship.


    He was willing to do anything for her, and she not only didn''t notice it but quietly disregarded it.


    "You know, he''s right. You can''t beat me. I think you''ve noticed that I''ve barely used my powers, so... if we fight seriously, you won''t just lose - you''ll die." Adam muttered with a calm look, but his words were as cold as the wind blowing across his face.


    Irene gulped. Somehow, she felt that Adam wasn''t trying to scare her, he was saying what might happen.


    "Tsk. Even if you''re telling the truth, it doesn''t matter." Iren waved her hand with a confident smirk on her face, "I''ve spent a lot of time learning something special. I''m sure you haven''t even heard of it, and neither have the rest of them."


    At the same moment, Iren extended her hand forward and a purple glow began to emanate from her, like quivering maic waves seeking to engulf everything around her.


    Then, Iren''s aura turned into a huge spear, majestic and powerful, capable of piercing any target in a single thrust - crushing down everything in its path.


    ''Damn, so she can use aura? What''s more, it''s a First Stage Spirit. I wonder where a girl with a perfect reputation learned it? Clearly, not in prison like me.'' Adam inwardly uttered.


    Iren expected to see a shocked or even horrified expression on Adam''s face, but... All she got was that he shoved his hands in his pockets, spreading his shoulders wide.


    ''What...? Doesn''t he feel the pressure from my aura...? Why is that bastard so calm? Iren muttered to herself, her fingertips trembling, ''Whatever! It doesn''t matter! If I wound him with my aura, I can win!


    He won''t be able to defend himself against Spirit!''


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    Oddly enough, Iren''s aura attracted unwanted guests to their battle. A multitude of monsters from Rusty Ruins, including Assassin Harpies, appeared on top of the iron structures.


    Adam looked around. There was no one as strong as Firebreathing Trinadon among the monsters, but there were actually a lot of them - it was a dangerous amount.


    ''What an idiot...'' Silvana muttered through gritted teeth, ''She''s the reason you''re all in danger now. Her aura isn''t strong enough to scare the monsters, so... she just involved them!''


    Adam sighed heavily, ncing to the side.


    "And? Did you achieve that? There are at least forty monsters here, I''m sure there will be more soon, and it''s all your weak aura''s fault." Adam said calmly, raising his voice on thest words.


    "What? A weak aura? They came here because my aura is strong! I''ll prove it to you!" Iren eximed beforeunching her spear straight at Adam.


    Adam''s eyes went wide, but not from the fact that Iren''s aura was dangerous but because of her careless action.


    "Holy shit... We''re surrounded by monsters and she keeps attacking me to prove her point. How can she even have a good reputation? She''s a horrible Phantom!" Adam growled as his eyes red.


    Adam realized that now he had to solve two problems at once - to subdue Iren, but not to kill her, and also to banish the monsters that were waiting for a good time.


    The monsters were like kites, waiting for the right moment to attack.


    They intended to do it a littleter when Adam or Iren would be injured since these two were the strongest of the humans here.


    Adam began to release his aura - immediately making it to full power.


    Before Iren''s purple spear could reach its target, it stopped unable to advance any further, as if it had encountered an insurmountable obstacle.


    "What is that...?" The man with the shield muttered in disbelief, looking at the ghostly creature made up of thousands of silver threads.


    Adam''s Spirit raised his left hand high, which was identical to Adam''s Second Order, a silver gauntlet with ws.


    Thus, Adam''s aura headed upwards, only to descend on the monsters around them, unleashing its pressure upon them.


    Light Rain squad was no exception, as well as Iren. The snow-white aura, simply pinned her to the ground, not allowing her to move.


    Adam didn''t pierce the Light Rain squad with his aura, it wasn''t his goal to hurt them, because if they didn''t possess The Will, they could pass out after hitting by Adam''s aura.


    In that case, Adam would have practically sentenced them to death, which he obviously didn''t want to do.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Some monsters started to release their auras, it wasn''t The Will, because such weak monsters didn''t have Aura Seal built yet.


    However, it was clearly not enough to break through Adam''s auras.


    Unlike other abilities, the aura had the unique feature of simultaneously attacking an almost limitless number of targets.


    Sure, because Adam spread his aura to all directions at once, his aura became less dense, but it was more than enough to get through the defense of the monsters.


    Thus, dozens of monsters received significant internal damage, dark blood came out of their jaws, some fell from the top of the building, rolling down the rusty dust below, and those who were stronger were able to stand on their feet and quickly run away.


    "That''s enough..." Adam muttered with a slightly weakened voice. Even though he didn''t want to, he had to spend some energy to use Artifact Traits and summon his Spirit.


    The aura attack alone wasn''t enough to kill even one monster, even the weakest one, but Adam achieved his goal - frightened by his power, the monsters ran away, not wanting to stay here anymore.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam slowly approached Iren, who was too weak to stand on her feet, she needed some time to recover.


    Adam''s ck boots appeared in front of Iren''s eyes as she hesitantly raised her head, facing his calm gaze.


    "I don''t know where you learned this, but your aura looks fake, otherwise, the monsters wouldn''t consider you an easy target." Adam uttered, stepping aside and ring at Romeo.


    "It''s none of my business, but if I were you, I''d stop running after her like a helpless puppy. The most important person in your life shouldn''t be a narcissistic bitch with reality perception problems, but your Operator." Adam said confidently as if repeating Tron''s words.


    Silvana didn''t react in any way when she heard it, or rather, she didn''t show it to Adam, but... her cheeks flushed slightly. Even she couldn''t contain her emotions when someone called her the most important person in his life.


    For many, it was the highest praise.

 Chapter 199: Essence Monster (Part 11)

    Adam''s silhouette moved farther away, disappearing behind the iron buildings and heading for the entrance to the Salt Vige grounds under Romeo''s gaze.


    For some reason, he couldn''t stop staring at Adam, even after a while when hepletely faded out of sight.


    ''Romeo! Wake up! You''re still in Dead Lands!'' a stern female voice boomed in Romeo''s ear, bringing him to his senses.


    "Agh... Yes, I''m here. Sorry, I got distracted." Romeo muttered, scratching the back of his head.


    Then, he stepped aside while the others recovered and discussed what had happened. Romeo sat down on the massive piece of metal, folded his hands together, and stared at the floor thoughtfully.


    Soon, the Harvesters joined their squad, after all their main target - Prime Firebreathing Trinadon was defeated,d and they had to gather materials.


    ''Romeo... Are you alright?'' The girl, his Operator, asked in a worried voice.


    Romeo nodded, looking at the rusty dust flowing through his fingers, "Yeah... I just need to think. Leave me alone..."


    "..."


    ...


    After about half an hour, the Harvesters finished their work and were ready to head back. Everyone was already seated in the trucks except Romeo, who was staring deep into the void.


    "Hey, Romeo, are youing?" Irene asked with a frown on her face.


    Romeo looked at her, seemingly with a slight hope in his eyes.


    "Don''t you have anything to say...?" Romeo muttered.


    "Hmm?" Irene raised an eyebrow in confusion, "What are you talking about? Do you want to deconstruct the mistakes made during the fight? We''ll get to thatter." Iren waved her hand nonchntly.


    At that moment, Romeo''s eyes grew darker.


    "I see..."


    Then, he happily smiled with narrowed eyes or rather tried to do so. In fact, his smile was infused with grief and pain, making his facial expression radiate an eerie aura that made Iren shudder.


    "In that case, I''m leaving the Light Rain squad."


    "What...?" Iren''s eyes went wide, she couldn''t believe what she was hearing.


    "I came here because of one special person, but... now in this squad, there''s no one special left for me anymore." Romeo muttered, while his gaze quickly changed.


    Then, he jumped off the piece of metal and headed towards the truck where no one was.


    "Wait! Let''s discuss this!" Irene eximed, reaching out a hand to Romeo''s shoulder.


    p.


    Romeo pped her palm sharply, causing her fingertips to be covered in a thinyer of ice.


    "Don''t you dare touch me?" Romeo''s eyes filled with hatred, bing as sharp as deadly des, "Sooner orter, someone will die because of you, or the decisions you make or the words you say..."


    Romeo didn''t say anything else.


    Iren just stared, baffled at her hand and Romeo walking away. She felt strange, not understanding what she had done wrong and why today was one of the worst days for her...


    ''Romeo... Are you sure? You were a good squad.'' The girl asked, realizing what her Phantom was feeling right now.


    "Yes. Adam Vinter... He''s right. What I was doing was not just naive and stupid, but pointless. My job is to kill monsters and protect my Operator... If Iren prevents me from doing that, then I don''t need her." Romeo muttered, cing his hand on the truck, about to get in the driver''s seat.


    Though his words were confident and his mind had made up its mind long ago, but his heart wasn''t ready yet, a little more time was needed.


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    Bitter tears sprang from Romeo''s eyes, while he frowned, clenching his teeth tightly, trying not to cry, but obviously, he couldn''t.


    At that moment he lost control of his power and clutched the iron door of the truck like a piece of paper, crumpling it with ease.


    Perhaps only Phantoms could be weak and powerful, pathetic and confident at the same time.


    ...


    "Here we are." Adam uttered, looking at his target - a Six-Winged Iron Stingray.


    The huge creature that must have floated at the bottom of the ocean was now hovering high in the sky, above the salty peaks that covered the long-weathered stone cliffs.


    Obviously, this was not the monster''s natural habitat, the Six-Winged Iron Stingray was here because it had recently absorbed a powerful artifact from a cascade of anomalies.


    Perhaps Six-Winged Iron Stingray continued to absorb possible energy or waited for other anomalies to appear to absorb them as well, it wasn''t certain.


    However, the fact remained. Iron Stingray was now in this region and had to be eliminated.


    Normally, only arge squad would be allowed to take on such a dangerous monster, because Iron Stingray was much stronger than Firebreathing Trinadon.


    However, Adam was in a special situation. He had proven that he could kill strong monsters even alone - he had Elemental Root, and most importantly, he needed this monster.


    If Adam wanted to develop his artifact, he simply required Lightning Essence.


    ''Adam, don''t forget that though Essence Iron Stingray is lower in the ranking than North Keeper, that doesn''t mean this fight will be easy.'' Silvana said seriously. She knew that Adam was rational, but no one was immune to overconfidence after a streak of sess.


    Protecting Adam from his own pride was one of Silvana''s tasks, among hundreds of others...


    Essence Type was dangerous because such monsters were initially exceptionally good at controlling their energy, but once they absorbed the artifact, their capabilities were pushed to a whole new level. This was especially true of their destructive power.


    North Keeper might have been faster and stronger, had a wider arsenal, and could defeat almost all Purple Threat Level monsters in battle, but... it was all about the number of possible mistakes.


    Iron Stingray could be exposed to many attacks, literally dozens, before being killed, while for North Keeper, a single powerful attack would be enough.


    "Silvana, how much damage do you think I can take?" Adam asked, not shifting his gaze away from the majestic being - from the six iron wings sweeping through the wind currents.


    ''I don''t know, but thanks to Elemental Root, it''s definitely not going to happen that you die in one attack. However, if I were you, I would do my best to dodge every attack. If you have a chance to avoid damage, you should use it, no matter what.''


    Adam nodded as his eyes sparkled.


    A silver needle appeared in his hand, the snow-white light reflecting off the salt crystals covering everything around him.


    It seemed that Iron Stingray had only noticed Adam now, or the monster was ready to ept Adam''s challenge.


    "WOOEHOOO!" Iron Stingray made a strange sound, both peaceful and threatening, before electrifying its wings.


    At the same time, the sky thickened, gathering into storm clouds that covered a vast area - so vast that an entire small city could fit there.


    Adam gulped.


    Iron Stingray hadn''t done anything yet, the monster was just getting ready to attack, but Adam already felt the forgotten emotion he''dst experienced during Eclipse. Adrenaline filled his body, and unwillingly, a slight smile appeared on his face.


    "Yeah... This is it, now I feel like I''m back. That I''m in Dead Lands!" Adam eximed while dozens of lightning bolts rained down on him from the sky as if to wee him and Iron Stingray was his first guest.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Adam rushed forward, using - Lightning Step - Second Trait of his Artifact. Electric discharges covered his legs, allowing him to move quickly and nimbly.


    Sure, the battle against Essence Monsters was a big problem for active artifact users like Adam.


    His Third Artifact Trait was useless against Iron Stingray, the monster wouldn''t just take no damage, it would absorb Adam''s attack and use that energy against him.


    However, Adam had an extensive arsenal, he had something to fight against any opponent.


    Lightning bolts would strike right next to Adam, leaving craters in the salt wastnd, but none of the strikes were able to reach him. Thus, Adam quickly made his way to the peaks covered in salt, climbing up them.


    "Alright. It''s time to bring you down to earth!" Adam eximed with a burning me in his eyes, bouncing off the highest peak.


    Then, his needle shuddered, going into the first grip only for Adam to throw it forward, straight at Iron Stingray.


    However, Adam''s goal was not to pierce the monster''s head and end the fight in one motion, he realized that was impossible.


    So, he decided to take this opportunity to tie the thread and needle around one of the monster''s six wings, which he did without difficulty.


    Iron Stingray didn''t immediately realize what had happened as the monster thought Adam had missed. The understanding came only when Adam jumped off the salt peak, but it was toote...


    Adam pulled his needle sharply downward, stretching the thread to its limit, plunging into the monster''s wing and soon cutting it off, with perfect precision, like a surgeon with a scalpel.


    ...


    In the heat of battle, Adam didn''t notice it, but several silhouettes were watching him, with NEPs on their wrists, but they were different from his one.

 Chapter 200: Essence Monster (Part 12)

    "It''s him, right?" The youngdy with long crimson hair asked, staring intently at the Phantom, who was fighting against the Six-Winged Iron Stingray.


    Her eyes were cold, she possessed sharp facial features exuding seriousness and elegance.


    "Yeah... It''s definitely him." A man with mussed ck hair and pale skin smirked. Unlike the girl who stood atop the ruins, looking out over Salt Vige, he was rxed, leaning against the wall nearby, only asionally casting a nce at Adam.


    He had a dark sleep mask that he decided to lift, looking up at his leader.


    "Hey, Tirana, you know we don''t have to kill him, right? I understand that you want to avenge your sister, but..."


    Whoooooosh.


    Before he could finish, Tirana''s right foot, like a de, headed towards him, but... the man didn''t even bother to dodge.


    He just looked up, at Tirana''s foot thrust into the wall directly above his head.


    "As always, unable to contain your emotions. I guess that''ll never get better." The man shrugged nonchntly, he had clearly gotten used to such antics.


    "Tsk. x, this isn''t about my emotions. That bastard killed my sister!" Tirana spoke out through gritted teeth and clenched her fists tightly.


    x red at her.


    "You and I both saw that battle filmed with her NEP, Mirna is responsible for her loss herself."


    Tirana frowned but didn''t bother to reply to anything. Yeah, Tirana was Mirna''s blood sister, it wasn''t surprising considering they looked pretty much alike, and oddly enough, they had both be Phantoms.


    Was it luck, or was there a special reason present...?


    Tirana turned around, looking at the several K1-Phantoms on the first floor of the ruins. They were all part of the squad and had onlye here for one purpose - to capture Adam.


    "Anyway, I''llplete our mission and won''t kill him, but don''t you dare stop me when I break his bones. No one said anything about that, did they?" Tirana asked calmly, as if she were talking about something casual.


    x waved his hand, returning the sleep mask to its ce.


    "Do as you see fit. After all, you''re the one in charge here."


    Tirana nodded deeply, clenching her forearms tightly. She wanted to tear Adam apart, but her restraint was enough to wait for the right moment and aplish the mission.


    Their n was simple but quite effective - just attack Adam after his battle against Iron Stingray.


    They were confident that Adam would win, just as they were sure that he would expend massive amounts of energy and effort to do so. For practically ten Phantoms, he would be an easy target.


    Sure, Tirana, x, and the others, taking advantage of the numerical superiority, could defeat Adam at any moment, but their goal was to capture him alive, not to kill him - that was much harder to do, so they didn''t want to risk it.


    ...


    "WOOOOORAAAAGH!!!" Iron Stingray wailed painfully, losing one of its six wings. Streams of scarlet blood rushed outward, flooding the ground covered in a thickyer of salt.


    "Great, but... Apparently, that''s not enough, is it?" Adam muttered, ring at his opponent.


    If Iron Stingray only had two wings like some bird, losing one wing would inevitably cause him to fall to the ground, but Iron Stingray still had five wings.


    Coming to his senses, Iron Stingray realized that Adam was indeed a dangerous opponent against whom a few lightning bolts were not enough to win. Carelessness could lead to death, anyone, be it a monster or human.


    shes of light traveled across Iron Stingray''s entire body, heading towards his jaw, where high-powered electrical discharges began to umte, forming a sphere.


    "Oh, from the looks of it, this is going to be something serious. Well, let''s see what the boasted firepower of the Essence Type can do!" Adam eximed with a serious expression before using the lightning step.


    Soon, Iron Stingray''s attack reached its power beforeunching straight at Adam like a death ray from a cold star.


    A blue ray of hundreds of lightning bolts shattered all the stone peaks in its path, taking a second to reach Adam.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed as his body instinctively jerked to the left, running at full speed across the rugged salt surface.


    Large salt crystals shattered beneath his feet as the huge lightning ray reached the ground.


    Adam wanted to turn around to see the results of the destruction, but as soon as he did, a chill ran down his spine.


    The lightning ray was chasing him, for Iron Stingray had enough energy to keep up this attack for a time!


    ''Holy shit! It''ll turn me into coals if I get caught!'' Adam inwardly eximed, realizing that he had to run.


    Because of the distance between them, Iron Stingray only needed to move slightly for the ray to travel dozens of meters on the ground.


    Even racing at the limit of his abilities, Adam was running out of time. Every fraction of a second, the lightning ray shortened the distance, inevitably closing in on him.


    Ahead, Adam could see several salt rocks,rge enough to hide behind, but... that was clearly impossible in his situation.


    ''Tsk. Even if it was Phantom''s ability, there''s no way to defend against that ray. I just need to wait for that bastard to run out of energy. I need to break the distance somehow!''


    The lightning ray was already so close that the salt crystals flying from the ground hit him in the back. It didn''t damage him, but it was an indication that the death ray was close.


    Then, Adam realized that he could use the rocks in front of him, not to hide behind them, but to get closer to them!


    Whoooooooosh.


    Without hesitation, Adam threw the needle forward, which easily pierced the rock and stuck into the ground.


    "Fine, I hope you''re sturdy enough!" Adam gritted his teeth, pulling at the connecting thread with all his might.


    His n worked - he was able to pull himself to the rock as if using a hook, quickly moving away from the ray that a momentter burned through the spot where he had just been.


    Bam.


    Adam sliced into the rock, jumped on it, and bounced away as far as he could, realizing that Iron Stingray''s energy was running out.


    The lightning ray reached the rock, burning through it like aser, but failing to reach Adam, it stopped. The ray quickly became thin and weak, and the energy flow was unstable until it shut downpletely.


    Iron Stingray tried tounch the ray again, but only electrical sparks appeared at its jaw, unable to be anything more.


    The monster needed some time to regenerate its energy, even Essence Type had a limit to it.


    Adam looked around, staring intently at the dark trail left by the lightning ray - it waspletely ck, the ray had burned everything in its path, and the same thing would happen to Adam.


    "Damn, Elemental Root is a good way to increase defense, but against something like this, it wouldn''t help me. Anyway, it''s my turn now. You''re not capable of anything right now, are you?"


    Adam was spinning his needle, about to cut off Iron Stingray some more wings. He realized that once Iron Stingray - a creature without legs and arms, would be on the ground, the oue of their fight would be predetermined.

 Chapter 201: Essence Monster (Part 13)

    As everyone knew, battles could only take ce in four global nes - onnd, in water, underground, or in the air.


    Sometimes, especially onnd, one had to fight against an opponent from another ne, and enemies who could fly were one of the worst and most dangerous possibilities.


    It was no secret that a better position in battle could give a significant advantage. When the monster was on top, hovering above the ground, and the Phantom was below - unable to reach his opponent, the Phantom''s chances of victory were much less.


    However, if Phantom had powerful long-range abilities, it equalized their chances, but what about Adam?


    Of all his ranged attacks, he only had his thunderbolt from Third Artifact Trait, but... using that against Iron Stingray was just stupid.


    So Adam was left with only one option, he had to reach Iron Stingray manually and bring the monster down to the ground.


    "Oh, looks like it''ll be our turn to act soon, doesn''t it?" x asked with a slight smile on his face, closely watching Adam''s actions.


    Tirana nodded deeply.


    "You''re probably right. Hell, I thought he''d waste more energy or, at best, get seriously injured, but it looks like our information on him is true."


    x smirked, putting his hands behind his head in a rxed manner.


    "Yeah. During the Eclipse, he showed his full glory, but it seems the whole time he''s been in the Citadel, he hasn''t been resting like we thought. It''s understandable for everyone that he''s gotten stronger, so... A Top-20 monster would hardly be a worthy opponent for him." x shrugged.


    Ssh.


    Droplets of scarlet blood that were only a tiny fraction of the crimson streams flowing from the monster''s torn wing passed before Adam''s focused eyes.


    Now, there was no admiration on his face, no crazy smile as he had during the Resonance in the battle against the North Keeper.


    He was acting like a professional, systematically weakening his enemy until their fight reached a critical point.


    So the Iron Stingray had already lost three of its wings out of six, that was half, and finally, the monster could no longer hold its enormous weight in the air.


    Two wings were on the right, one was on the left - the bnce was off. The two wings on the left were still enough to keep Iron Stingray hovering above the ground, but there was no way the one wing on the other side could do the job.


    Whoosh.


    Adam bounced back, waiting for his opponent to fall. Sure, Adam could have tried to do extra damage to Iron Stingray by simply climbing on top of the monster and attacking it, but that was too risky.


    Iron Stingray could justunch an electrical discharge all over his body and hurt Adam badly. There was no point in taking that risk.


    ''Excellent. I suggest you throw a needle at its head, gradually prating the monster''s skull. I''m sure Iron Stingray will try to defend itself and fight back with electric shots. However, Iron Stingray will definitely not be able to fly anymore. With three wings, it''s simply impossible to do so.'' Silvana said seriously.


    During the battle, she often spoke some hints to Adam. She didn''t control his actions, but she could remind him of something he forgot or didn''t notice, this allowed Adam to act more efficiently.


    "Sure, even though I''d like to finish this faster, sometimes it''s best not to rush. I just need to be patient a little longer before I upgrade my artifact!" Adam said confidently, spinning his needle.


    He stared intently at Iron Stingray, preparing tounch the needle straight into the monster''s head.


    Whoooooooosh.


    At the same moment, before Adam could throw the needle, a multitude of shes appeared above Iron Stingray.


    However... only a few of them looked like electric shocks - something to be expected from this monster.


    "What the hell...?" Adam''s eyes went wide at the hail of attacks raining down on Iron Stingray and tearing the huge monster into bloody shreds.


    Then, the shockwave spread apart, quickly approaching Adam and throwing him aside.


    For the first few seconds, Adam was focused on the remains of the Iron Stingray, after the cascade of attacks, several silhouettes appeared next to the monster - some of them immediately started collecting genes and most importantly - Essence.


    A young man in ck and red clothes, opened a steel sphere the size of a ball, directing it towards the hovering above the ground, a dense substance.


    The blue orb, asionally trembling and emitting electrical discharges was the very Essene of the lightning element that Adam so desperately needed.


    The Essence seemed to be made up of thick smoke, swirling rapidly around and striving to get to the center, that process was endless.


    Obviously, the young man didn''t need the Essence or was not allowed to absorb it with Revolve, so he simply sealed the Essence in a special capsule.


    Then, in the next blink of an eye, the young man moved away - he hadpleted his task, and there was no need for him to be here anymore. Their purpose was clear, they didn''t want to let Adam develop his artifact, but was he okay with that?


    Obviously not.


    "Bastard! Stop!" Adam eximed furiously, plunging the needle into the ground and stopping abruptly.


    He clenched his teeth in anger, electric shocks covered his legs as he rushed forward at breakneck speed, ignoring the other silhouettes near the Iron Stingray, he didn''t care about them.


    Adam''s speed was frightening, which was evident in the young man''s terrified look. He realized that if Adam got to him, it would be the end, and at this rate, it would be in a matter of seconds!


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly, ck smoke appeared in front of Adam, out of which a figure with ck mussed hair held up by a sleep mask appeared. Only part of his body was visible.


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t let you pass any further. Today is clearly your bad day." x smirked, lifting his chin arrogantly.


    ''Who''s that...?'' In Adam''s head came the first and only question before x''s foot emerged from the mist, that like a ghostly de aimed at his head.


    ''Adam! Defend yourself!'' Silvana eximed with all her might, bringing him to his senses, ''It''s the Phantoms from the Lower Ring! They must be from Ruby Dew! They''vee for revenge!''

 Chapter 202: Essence Monster (Part 14)

    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.

 Chapter 203: Essence Monster (Part 15)

    "Hm? A request for help near us?" Iren frowned, looking at her NEP and listening to her Operator.


    "What do we do?" The young man with the axe asked, shaking his hand uncertainly, "I know, it''s Adam Vinter, he and I just fought, but... We should help him if something serious has happened."


    Iren waved her hand arrogantly.


    "I''m not going to help criminals and murderers. He''ll only cause more trouble. Those are my orders as a leader!" Iren eximed menacingly, making the others realize that this was the final decision.


    Some disagreed with her, but if they worked together, they had to follow her instructions. After all, they respected Iren as their leader, for her decisions had saved their lives or led them to sess more than once.


    "Agh..." The girl with the staff sighed with a slightly sad face, "I hope he''ll be alright. We''re injured, and it''ll be better if someone else goes to help him, anyway."


    The axe-wielding young man nodded quickly several times, agreeing with her.


    However... there was someone in the Light Rain squad who now disobeyed Iren''s orders, for he was no longer her subordinate, nor was he a member of her team.


    Crackle.


    Romeo opened the door, ran out of the truck, and headed towards Salt Vige with an obvious rush on his face.


    Several Harvesters tried to stop him or at least try to find out what happened, but it was pointless. Romeo was determined to help Adam, even if he was far away.


    ''Are you sure? I''ve never seen you like this...'' Romeo''s Operator muttered hesitantly. Though she knew Romeo better than anyone else, today, he was acting particrly strange.


    "Yes. I''ve already made one good decision today! I feel like I have to do it! If he''s in danger, then it must be something special!" Romeo eximed with mes burning in his eyes.


    Perhaps he was trying to forget the pain that was tearing his heart, or maybe he wanted to change, to get closer to the new self that was born today.


    However, it didn''t matter at all. Any Phantoming to Adam''s aid was important, and Romeo could make a difference.


    Iren stared after him for a while, as a slight contempt appeared in her eyes. But... for some reason, it was quickly reced by a deep sadness, the nature of which she didn''t understand.


    ...


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Adam quickly swung the needle a few times, knocking away the stone projectiles. Normally, they should have been durable enough to break through any barrier, but the silver needle had no trouble breaking them into small shards.


    ''Shit... Even if I can get out of this ring...'' Adam muttered internally, ncing around at the six Phantoms that surrounded him, ''They''ll catch up to me, that''s for sure, but... These six are just subordinates, the real problem is these two...''


    Adam stared at x standing in the distance and at Tirana. x was not in a hurry to attack, his past actions might seem like his usual state, but he spent a lot of energy on a series of attacks and prolonged use of the dark smoke.


    x didn''t want to take any chances, Adam''s grip and subsequent thunderbolt had taught him a lot. He realized that if he made a mistake, Adam could actually turn him into a handful of coals. No one wanted such a fate for themselves, pathetic and inglorious.


    But... Tirana didn''t care about that.


    Step. Step. Step.


    She stepped forward confidently, shattering the salt crystals into dust beneath her powerful, steady stride.


    Oddly enough, neither she nor x had a Nexus, or rather, their Nexuses were not weapons like those of many Phantoms. Well, it was not time for them to unleash their full power, yet.


    "Adam Vinter. You don''t have to worry, we won''t kill you, at least not here and now." Tirana sternly said as she approached him.


    At the same time, the other Phantoms stopped attacking, giving Adam a brief respite. They didn''t care about that though, as they realized that Tirana was ready to finish their mission.


    They knew that Tirana wanted to torture Adam to avenge her sister, and no one was willing to stop her from doing so, not even x - he stood back and watched with a sly smile.


    "Hmm? Not here and not now? Didn''t youe here to avenge your sister...?" Adam asked in confusion. To him, that was the most obvious option.


    Tirana frowned as her aura intensified, but she took a deep breath and came to her senses. No matter what her desire was, she had a mission to aplish - that was the most important thing.


    "Yeah... We''re going to kidnap you, enough talking though. We only have a couple of minutes before help arrives, don''t we?" Tirana uttered, looking intently at Adam.


    She, like any experienced K1-Phantom, realized that in the event of danger, any Operator would immediately do dozens of different things to report the threat and help their Phantom.


    However... everything required time, which Adam simply didn''t have.


    Lasting three minutes against eight Phantoms was just unrealistic, especially since he had spent a lot of energy fighting against Iren and then against Six-Winged Iron Stingray.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Tirana''s eyes shed as a huge ming sword appeared in her hand. Its de was wide, and as tall as she was, this weapon definitely fell into the category - of greatswords. However, that was only energy since it was her Order.


    "Oh, apparently, we''re somewhat alike..." Adam muttered, ncing down at his needle. His Nexus wasn''t a weapon because he already had a weapon, Tirana was in a simr situation.


    Tirana raised her sword high above her head, burning Adam with her intense gaze filled with bloodlust and deep anger.


    The heat from the sword was so intense that it distorted the air, making it shake as if in a scorching desert.


    Adam nced at the other Phantoms that had stepped forward, not allowing him to leave the circle.


    Then, Adam grinned, embarrassing Tirana.


    "You know, to be honest, I found myself a bit disappointed in the Six-Winged Iron Stingray. This monster is like a walking distance to the sunpared to North Keeper''s strength. I was expecting a bit more from Essence Monster, maybe it''s even good that you took away that weak Essence." Adam shrugged, canceling the needle with a wave of his hand.


    Silver threads passed before his eyes before disappearingpletely.


    "What the hell are you talking about?" Tirana frowned, "You want to stall for time? You''re not going to make it!"


    Adam sighed.


    "Well, I just wanted to tell you that I didn''t use my Nexus, though... if you were watching me, you should have known that." Adam uttered before smacking the gloves against each other, causing each thread to sh and make a horrible sound like a siren''s howl.


    The sound waves spread around, they were powerful as if waiting for their moment for a long time.


    Someone grabbed their head, someone frowned or stepped aside, no one could ignore it.


    Adam immediately rushed forward, quickly breaking out of their circle.


    The two Phantoms quickly tried to catch up to him, not yet fully recovered, but Adam took care of that as he instantly summoned his Spirit, unleashing the full power of his aura on them!

 Chapter 204: Essence Monster (Part 16)

    Adam was used toing out of every situation as a winner, defeating every opponent he faced, and never giving up.


    However, his path was not filled with only one sess. It was not smooth and easy, especially for those around him.


    Perhaps it was his luck or his genes, but he had already seen many deaths of other Phantoms and military personnel, some right next to him, and he couldn''t protect them.


    Adam realized that right now he needed to escape, and to do so, he should use everything he had.


    His First Nexus Trait and using The Will, was a good option, stopping the eight dark Phantoms for a short period.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The snow-white aura emanating from the creature woven from silver threads made the Phantoms get down on one knee, it seemed that just a little more and their defenses would fall. Although they were members of the Ruby Dew and came from the Lower Ring, but that didn''t mean they possessed The Will.


    It was indeed a rarity among the K1-Phantoms, and to some extent, it was Adam''s trump card, but... It wasn''t as simple as it might seem at first nce.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    After a few seconds, Tirana and x summoned their Spirits, quickly overwhelming Adam''s one and making way for the others.


    "Let''s go! His aura won''t touch you! Get to him and stop him! Damn it, there''s six of you, he''s only one!" Tirana said menacingly, clenching her fist tightly like a belligerent leader.


    The Phantoms gulped as they ran after Adam.


    Sure, it would be more effective if Tirana and x did so, but they had to deal with Adam''s Spirit first. They had to suppress Adam''s aura so that neither they nor their squad members would take internal damage.


    ''Adam, be careful, they''re surrounding you!'' Silvana eximed.


    Adam nodded.


    "Yeah, I know." Adam muttered as his gaze became sharper.


    The next moment, one of the Phantoms appeared in front of him, aiming its massive spear directly at Adam''s chest.


    Adam turned his body, allowing the spear to pass right in front of his chest, under his intense cold gaze.


    ''Good. Those two may be strong, but these are clearly below my level. I can handle them!'' Adam inwardly uttered, about to attack the man in front of him. He clenched his fist tightly, bringing it up for a deadly attack.


    However... When Adam wanted to unleash his fist on his opponent, he realized he couldn''t do it.


    Turning around, he saw two Phantoms holding back his arm, while a third was summoning solid roots from the ground, moving towards him, the others ready to attack.


    Sure, Adam realized that he might be surrounded since he was alone and the enemy was indeed numerous, but never before had he found himself in a simr situation.


    Adam had fought against the Phantoms several times before, it had happened in both - Dead Lands and Fall Hill Prison, but it had never been a 1 vs 6 fight. Even against Mirna, it was a rtively fair 1 vs 1 fight.


    It was odd for Adam that two Phantoms at once were used just to stop his hand, instead of being decent, standalone opponents.


    However, that didn''t take away from the fact that it was effective. Adam was actually unable to move.


    Adam only had a few seconds to do something, and oddly enough, he was lucky because his left arm was free.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Adam''s eyes shone brightly as silver threads covered his left hand, transforming into a menacing gauntlet of w-like fingers.


    Before the Phantoms could realize anything, Adam''s hand thrust into the chest of one of them - the young man, who was holding his wrist with both hands.


    "Argh!!!"


    The young man''s eyes went wide as a stream of blood spurted from his mouth, a few dropsnding on Adam''s face, flying in front of his cold eyes.


    "If you were the first, I would question whether it was worth going to such drastic measures, but now I have no doubts." Adam uttered in a wistful voice while dark blood poured down his white gauntlet - the man''s organs had already been turned into a bloody mess.


    Then, his eyes shifted to the second Phantom - it was a middle-aged woman who stared shocked at him and at her dyingrade.


    Adam''s hand moved as the tips of his ws glowed brightly - bing a harbinger of the next death.


    Five silver threads, along with a gauntlet, passed through the man''s body, tearing it apart only to reach the woman and condemn her to the same fate.


    The threads cut her to pieces, limbs, and heads flying off in different directions, coating everything around with crimson liquid.


    Crackle.


    A long spear stabbed into Adam''s back, causing his eyes to go wide from the vivid pain that traveled through his entire body.


    Before Adam could do anything, a ming projectile flew into his chest, and a hail of steel needles rained down on him from above.


    A massive cloud of dust rose high up, leaving only Adam''s silhouette barely recognizable. Not a few secondster, Adam burst out, running quickly in the direction Silvana indicated.


    There was a moderate burn on his chest, trickles of blood flowing down his shoulders, and his back was aching from the deep wound from the spear.


    He was in pain, which was clear from his clenched teeth and fiery gaze, but he didn''t have time to feel sorry for himself or scream in agony.


    It was only two minutes before help arrived, which was the distance the nearest squad that had answered the call was at. However, if Adam ran in their direction, he would cut the time to one minute or less!


    "Bastard! You think you can run away after what you did?!" The man eximed with a furious look as yellow lightning bolts covered his legs - in some ways, his ability was simr to Adam''s one.


    The man''s lightning bolts didn''t speed him up much, however, they allowed him to move in leaps - abruptly disappearing from one ce and ending up in another.


    "Amplify me! I''ll stop him! Do it!" The man ordered, it seemed, that not counting Tirana and x, he was the third in charge of their squad.


    At the same moment, two Phantoms used their abilities, causing the man''s body to sh several times as if they had put a buff on him. It immediately affected his speed and aura.


    Then, when the man''s foot touched the ground, he disappeared only to show up right in front of Adam, who had only managed to run a few dozen meters in those few seconds of respite.


    A long dagger loaded with amber lightning appeared in the man''s hands, ready to plunge into Adam''s chest in the next blink of an eye.


    ''Shit! I won''t have time to dodge!'' Adam''s eyes went wide, realizing that the difference in their speed was too great - the best he could do was to summon his needle and try to defend himself at least partially.


    Silver threads emerged from the bits of energy trying to turn into a needle, but Adam''s time was too short. There was no way he could defend himself.


    Then, a snow-white arrow reflected in Adam''s eyes, leaving behind a calm plume that exuded power and arrogance.


    In a heartbeat, the arrow plunged precisely into the man''s shoulder, severing the hand that held the dagger.

 Chapter 205: Essence Monster (Part 17)

    The Squad had no time toe to Adam''s aid because even with all the factors and time that had passed, at best, Adam would have to travel another kilometer to get to the supposed location of his saviors.


    However... Who said the Phantom had to be right next to him to help him?


    Even ordinary people with guns could shoot at hundreds of meters, if it was a military man with a professional sniper rifle, then even a kilometer wasn''t a problem, although there could be a margin of error in uracy.


    In that case, could such a distance be a challenge for K1-Phantom, who was a true master of long-range attacks?


    "Yes! Right on target!" Ester energetically eximed, with an excited expression clenching her fist.


    Ester was the red-headed girl and one of the five captains of the Left North Squad during Bastion Radon''s defense against Eclipse. As before, her eyes were ame, and her trusty weapon was her massive axe.


    "Tsk. If we would have gotten here a few seconds earlier, I would have managed to shoot him in the head instead of the shoulder. Was it so hard to be a springboard for me to get in here faster?" A young man with gray hair and cold, azure eyes grumbled displeased.


    It was Fred, also one of the captains during Eclipse. Oddly enough, he and Ester were working together now, though, in Bastion Radon, they had argued with each other constantly and looked like water and me -pletely ipatible.


    "Pffft. It''s not my fault you''re so slow. You and I are partners, equal in status! I''m not going to be a stepping stone for you!" Ester said proudly.


    Fred narrowed his eyes as he raised his foot and kicked Ester in the back, throwing her off the top of the ruins.


    "Agh...?"


    Ester got a puzzled look, dropping down.


    She was only surprised for a moment, though, as she realized that they didn''t have time for idle conversation. Her gaze grew serious as she abruptly turned around andnded confidently on the ground, only to run forward - to Adam''s aid.


    Ester''s steps were strong and confident, but Adam was still surrounded by enemies and it took Ester at least a minute to reach him.


    Fred took a deep breath, pulling hard on his bowstring.


    "I didn''t think we''d meet in such a situation, but since I''m here, I''m obligated to help you..." Fred muttered as his eyes widened, and he fired three shots in a second.


    It wasn''t some kind of ability, just his supreme, honed-to-the-limit mastery. The few scratches on his fingertips were proof of that.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Three arrows flew at breakneck speed, cutting through the wind currents and aiming straight at the man with a lightning bolt.


    The man''s eyes went wide, then he forgot about the pain and his arm that hadn''t even hit the ground yet.


    ''I have to get out of here! I have to survive!''


    That was the only thing the man was thinking about at that point.


    His foot touched the ground and a sh of electric shocks carried him away ten meters to the side.


    Sure, he had lost an arm, and his weapon was now lying on the ground like his severed limb, but all of that was fixable - the most important thing was not to be the target of the misty arrows.


    "Bastard... Who did this...?" The man muttered, breathing heavily. Even if he was able to keep hisposure after such a severe wound, he needed time to recover.


    "Shit! Look out!"


    One of the four Phantoms eximed in panic, pointing upwards with a worried face.


    Amidst the gray sky that seemed to reflect the vast salt wastnd, a huge arrow flew with a particrly bright tip that glowed more intensely with each passing moment.


    Soon, the arrow exploded, covering the entire space with dozens of smaller arrows that, likeets, descended to the ground in an attempt to strike their enemies.


    ''Adam! Stay where you are! He attacked in such a way as not to hit you! I just received information about it from his Operator!'' Silvana eximed urgently.


    She realized that if Adam took even one step in the wrong direction, he might get attacked.


    Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam.


    In a hail of arrows, the white projectiles rained down on the saltnds, turning the dark Phantoms into nothing more than chunks of meat and flesh, with bones shattered and lives ended.


    Adam gulped, watching with a slight shudder as several shells fell right in front of his face, but none of them had wounded him yet - as intended. It was precisely for such asions that quickmunication between Operators was necessary.


    At the most active moment, Adam saw nothing but white shes, they engulfed the entire space as if the apocalypse hade.


    ''Hah... Now I understand how he destroyed so many monsters back then. From a distance, it''s not clear how terrifying this ability can be in certain situations...'' Adam inwardly mumbled with a bitter smile on his face.


    Even though Silvana hadn''t told him anything yet, he realized who hade to his rescue. He had seen this attack once before, and that was enough to remember the owner forever.


    Only a few secondster, when all the projectiles reached the ground, this hell was over.


    A cloud of dust rose several meters into the air, gradually settling with the salt crystals shattering into powder.


    As expected, the dark Phantoms died, but... only two of them - the Phantom who had lost an arm and another one, the one who had screamed.


    The others managed to survive, but not through luck - they were helped by something that was somewhat the opposite of Fred''s power, at least in appearance: ck smoke.


    A massive barrier of thick ck smoke covered the two Phantoms, created by x. Strangely enough, it was durable enough to withstand the many energy-filled arrows.


    Fred, who was standing in the distance and watching the situation closely, frowned heavily. He regarded this as a failure, and it was uneptable to him.


    "Tsk. What a bastard." Fred cursed before taking a deep breath and ncing around.


    "Whatever. Even though Adam is wounded, our secret weapon hasn''t even entered the fight yet."


    Fred couldn''t contain the smile that appeared on his face for a few seconds before jumping off the ruins, wanting to get closer to the battlefield and get into a better position.


    Whoooooooosh.


    x swung his hand, removing the barrier, it didn''t disappear into the void but headed towards his arm, transforming into a huge de running along his limb, from his wrist, and beyond his shoulder.


    "Looks like you won this round, doesn''t it? You still managed to hold out until help came to you." x said coldly, he was clearly not happy with how the situation unfolded.


    Adam smiled ironically. He was badly injured and exhausted, he had already used all his abilities, and at most, he would only be able to do one thing. It was hardly necessary, though, because, with the help of Ester and Fred, he was sure to win.


    However... Tirana had other ns for this, for she was pressing something in her NEP like a military officer calling for backup.


    ...


    Neither Adam, Fred, nor Tirana, none of them, had noticed it yet, but then, on the border between Rusty Ruins and Salt Vige, high in the sky, a wind began to build up.


    It was not someone''s ability, but a natural process that could give birth to something valuable and truly powerful...

 Chapter 206: Essence Monster (Part 18)

    "No way... We won''t win!" One of the two surviving Dark Phantoms eximed in panic. It was only thanks to x that he was still alive while Ester was moving towards them with mes in her eyes.


    "Shit! We have to run away! She... She''s probably just as strong!" The second dark Phantom shrieked at the sight of Ester.


    x frowned but did not say anything. He realized that after theirrades died in a hail of arrows, everyone would have lost faith in victory or the sess of the mission.


    Sure, x was wary, for this was not good for him at all. Even if help was already heading their way, they had to boost morale somehow. How could that be done?


    In that case, themander had two options - he could try to raise the morale of his subordinates with words, be it encouragement or threats.


    However... That may have been controversial in life situations, but inbat, there was always something more important than words - action.


    "Hahaha, watch out!" Ester eximed before jumping high and flying over Adam.


    Adam looked up as a smile appeared on his face. For some reason, it gave him confidence - Ester''s eyes filled with life, her active aura, and, of course, the huge axe that she held tightly with both hands.


    In a few more seconds, Ester would copse to the ground. A bright spark traveled down her axe, causing it to burst into scarlet mes.


    "Agh...?" Adam''s eyes went wide as something else appeared in the sky besides Ester.


    A shadow with a massive ming sword, quickly approached Ester, grabbing her by the head.


    "Tsk. Do you think you can do whatever you want in my presence? Unlike Adam, we have no orders not to kill you." Tirana growled through clenched teeth before tossing Ester aside.


    It was a simple throw, no ability, it all depended only on Tirana''s physical strength. However... it was enough to send Ester crashing into the ground at breakneck speed, sinking beneath theyers of salt.


    Tap.


    Tirananded, slowly stepping forward - to Adam. With each breath, she exhaled hot steam rushing through her shoulders, in front of her cold, confident eyes.


    In a heartbeat, she found herself facing Adam, as well as her knee that aimed to plunge into his stomach.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed as he put up a block, sensing how powerful this simple attack was. A slight shiver ran through his body, but that was only the beginning, for the next thing Adam saw was a ming swording at him from the right.


    In a heartbeat, Adam summoned a needle, probably the most he was capable of in the current situation, and blocked the attack.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Sparks flew off one by one, while the fire gradually burned away Adam''s silver threads, which seemed impossible for him.


    ''What...? Her Order is stronger than mine? But... Is that possible?'' Adam''s eyes went wide, he cast a nce at his trembling hands, ''No... There''s no way her First Order can burn my threads so easily.''


    Adam was more than confident in his abilities, and with good reason. In many fights, only particrly strong attacks had been able to destroy his threads, so he felt that something was wrong here.


    ''Wait... It''s only weird if it''s her First Order. But, it could be...!'' Adam inwardly eximed, not having time to finish his thought as Tirana stepped forward.


    Her left fist was covered in mes, only to crash into Adam''s stomach. Adam managed to put his palm out to block the attack, but it was hardly enough.


    The impact, threw Adam aside, while Tirana kept moving forward, literally catching up with him before his feet even touched the ground.


    Tirana raised her sword, about tounch a second attack. Unlike Adam, she had plenty of strength. She only used her Second and First Orders once each. When Adam''s needle would bepletely destroyed, it took him a few minutes to gather energy for his weakest ability.


    Moreover, Adam was already quite tired physically. If Tirana was as strong as Alexia, that was yet to be determined, there was no way Adam could win in his current state.


    The fight against Iren and Six-Winged Iron Stingray had taken away a considerable amount of his energy, something he wascking now.


    ''Shit, if they hadn''t taken Essence from me, things might have been different! Bastards, why the fuck did you decide to attack me now?! You had no way of knowing my next mission would be so difficult! Fuck!'' Adam internally shouted this situation was annoying him to the core, but there was nothing he could do about it.


    He had to survive somehow, somehow escape this ce, recover, and decide what to do next. Finding another Essence Monster suitable for him was impossible.


    Six-Winged Iron Stingray might have been perfect for all parameters - the monster was strong but not invincible, possessing the right element and having absorbed a powerful artifact from the anomaly cluster.


    Perhaps Adam would have continued his musings, but he had no time for that since Tirana was already right in front of him!


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, several snow-white arrows, splitting the air currents, approached Tirana. She didn''t look rmed or frightened, however, she seemed to be ready for it.


    It was impossible to dodge, for Fred had monstrous uracy - he had gotten even closer, so now he couldn''t miss.


    Tirana''s eyes shifted to the left as she swung her hand, opening her fist. A wave of me came out of her palm that blew the arrows away, turning them into nothing.


    "Tsk. What a bitch. She''s stronger than I expected." Fred muttered irritably, as his gaze traveled to Ester, who was rising from the ground.


    Fred sighed heavily.


    "Whatever. Adam isn''t so weak to lose in one attack, I need to change position." Fred muttered before bursting to the side. As an experienced archer, he knew that it was uneptable to stay in one ce.


    ''Agh? What the hell is that?'' Fred mused internally, looking up. The wind was acting strangely, pulling the clouds into multiple points, as if preparing for a massive tornado.


    At the same moment, Tirana stepped forward, bringing her ming sword down on Adam.


    Adam had no time to dodge, so he just had to take the hit with the hope that his Elemental Root would allow him to take less damage. It was possible, but he was going to get burned.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Right before the ming sword was about to descend on him, several arrows flew in front of Adam''s eyes, but... it wasn''t Fred.


    Fred''s arrows were ofpressed white mist, calm and majestic, while these were icy, trembling, and uncertain, but willing to help at all costs!


    Streams of steam rushed outward due to the collision of the ice arrows with the ming sword, buying Adam a few moments to bounce aside, a second before the sword whizzed toward the ground.


    Waves of salt soared upwards, flying in front of Adam''s eyes, which were directed sideways - at the heavily breathing young man, who was in a great hurry to make it in time.


    Well, Romeo seeded, he had just saved Adam.


    ''Good. Looks like I didn''t do it for nothing.'' Adam smirked.

 Chapter 207: Essence Monster (Part 19)

    Whether it was Adam or any other Phantom, Phantoms were obligated to help each other in difficult situations. Sure, some might refuse like Iren since no one could force them to, but most Phantoms were willing to help any fellow Phantom in trouble.


    Fred, Ester, and Romeo were here, and for the same reason, a few other K1-Squads that were near Iron Beacon or in the nearby ruins of Salt Vige were on their way.


    However... In especially dangerous situations, when a strong monster or aggressive Phantoms from the Lower Ring appeared, the Citadel would send help directly from the center. It was always a stronger Phantom.


    Sometimes, it could even be someone like Damien, one of the Second Rank Phantoms, but it happened more on his whim, and only if the mission could be finished quickly, so he would not waste his valuable time.


    This time, the dark fighter was quickly heading towards Iron Beacon. There was only one K2-Phantom inside, but that was more than enough for a mission like this.


    No matter how strong Tirana and x were, they were no match for the K2-Phantom, especially considering Fred, Ester, and Adam were on the battlefield as well.


    A man with calm eyes and short ck hair looked at the rapidly passing clouds. Iron Beacon was about thirty more seconds away and he would be in position.


    "Well... Who would have thought it would turn out like this?" Prago muttered, staring thoughtfully ahead.


    It had been a while ago that they were fighting to the death, and now Prago was going on a rescue mission for Adam.


    Crackle.


    A massive rock with a sharp tip pierced the cockpit, killing the pilot and stopping the fighter.


    Prago''s eyes went wide as he abruptly stood up and opened the ck case, pulling out his Nexus - a massive halberd with a sharp dark blue de.


    He hadn''t expected someone to attack him directly into the fighters at all, but he had no time to waste worrying about it. The pilot was already dead, and the best thing he could do was get ready to fight!


    Whoooooooosh.


    Prago rushed forward, jumping out of the fighter. He turned back only to see dozens of rocks turn the fighter into nothing.


    Then, Prago nced down, meeting his gaze with a fragile-looking girl with two long scarlet pigtails and a confident smirk on her face. However, her muscles would be the envy of any man, they weren''t massive, but they were tough and strong as steel twigs.


    "Run if you want to live!" The girl eximed, pointing her hands at Prago. On her wrist was a ck NEP - that was more than enough for Prago to realize what was going on here.


    "Oh... I see..." Prago muttered, with a calm look while currents of wind lifted his long coat.


    The girl gulped. She didn''t hear what he said, the distance between them was too great, but she saw his lips move.


    However, what rmed her were his cold, serene eyes as if he didn''t consider her a worthy opponent.


    ''Wait... What the fuck is going on here...? Isn''t he the same K2-Phantom that''s been sitting out all the time in the Citadel? Rumor has it he even lost a battle to three K1-Phantoms! He''s supposed to be trash, isn''t he?!'' The girl inwardly eximed before her eyes shone brightly.


    The air in front of her trembled as a multitude of sharp rocks appeared out of nowhere,unching straight at Prago.


    Prago couldn''t seem to dodge as he was in the air, and he needed to stop his fall or he would risk breaking his legs onnding. If K1-Phantom had been in his ce, thatnding would have resulted in death, not broken bones.


    Whooooooosh.


    Prago swung his halberd in front of him several times, smashing each of the rocks perfectly.


    Then, Prago released his aura immediately with Second Stage Spirit, unleashing harsh pressure on the girl.


    "Fuck... Looks like I''m out of luck this time..." The girl shuddered, gradually releasing her aura to deal with the pressure.


    There was still their fight ahead, during which everything could change, but something was obvious - this was not the same Prago that had fought against Adam, Edir, and Ka ten days ago.


    Sometimes it took only one thing to get out of the deep hole that a man had driven himself into with his fears and insecurities - for someone from above to show him how much light and life he was losing by sitting in the dark pit.


    Defeat for Prago was crushing, but it was through such defeats that one could changepletely. It didn''t take much time to be strong, and in Prago''s case, he just needed to catch up, it took determination.


    ...


    However, even if Prago was the winner, it wouldn''t happen quickly, and moreover, anything could happen during the fight. Now, Adam, Fred, and the others had lost their K2 savior, but Tirana and x were in the same situation.


    "Who''s that little brat?" Tirana frowned, casting her gaze at Romeo.


    Romeo stood in the distance, already ready tounch new arrows if necessary. He realized that from this distance Tirana could not hurt him.


    In fact, Tirana was in a difficult situation, Ester and Adam together were strong enough to overwhelm her, even with Adam''s exhaustion. Fred and Romeo could shoot at her at any moment and there was nothing she could do about it since they were out in the open.


    "Should I deal with him?" x asked as ck smoke began to cover his body.


    Tirana shook her head as she looked towards the ruins that were about a kilometer away from them.


    "No. The n is still the same, just don''t let him get away. Now, the situation haspletely changed, because time is short for them, not us." Tirana said menacingly, pointing her sword at Adam.


    "Agh? What the hell is she talking about?" Ester said, puzzled, rubbing the back of her head and approaching Adam.


    Adam smiled as he waved his hand.


    "It''s been a while, hasn''t it?"


    Ester smiled bitterly as a me reappeared in her eyes.


    "Yes. Back in battle, as it should be!" Ester eximed vigorously.


    Fred, who was watching them, shook his head.


    ''Damn, can''t you be a little more serious? One day she''s going to die because of this, it''s bound to happen.'' Fred pondered, preparing to fire, but something distracted him.


    Soon, everyone was paying attention, not just Fred, as several dozen shadows appeared from the far ruins. It only took them a few moments to realize what Tirana was talking about, for now, they had to run again, not fight.


    "We''re leaving...?" Ester asked uncertainly, clutching her axe tightly. She was ready to fight, but not suicidal.


    Adam wanted to say something, but he was interrupted by Silvana''s harsh voice.


    ''Adam! Look at the top!'' Silvana shouted.


    Adam immediately did, only to see three huge vortices located right above their territory.


    Lightning discharges were constantly appearing among the vortexes, powerful and aggressive, showing that it was electricity that was the main power here and not the wind.


    Then, the vortexes descended to the ground with bright shes in the center, creating some objects on the ground with a powerful, dense energy that only artifacts could possess!

 Chapter 208: Essence Monster (Part 20)

    The main danger of anomalies was that they could appear anywhere, anytime. Even the Citadel was no exception, but it was protected by powerful Phantoms that immediately dispelled all attempts of energy to turn into anomalies.


    However... Dead Lands was a different matter. It was the perfect ce for anomalies to appear because no one was going to prevent it, and moreover, in Dead Lands, there were constant battles that were a source of discharged energy.


    Thus, it was not umon for anomalies to appear in popr ces among the Phantoms and monsters, causing more monsters and Phantoms toe there, it was a snowball effect and a loop.


    "What the hell is this...?" x muttered in disbelief. Sure, an experienced Phantom like him knew what was happening now, but he just couldn''t imagine that their luck was so cruel.


    Well... If they knew how many Naturalborn Phantoms were gathered among them, considering the hundreds more Phantoms near Iron Beacon and the ruins of the Salt Vige, their astonishment would be reced with humility.


    However, even if there were dozens or even hundreds of Naturalborn Phantoms actively fighting monsters, it would not be a guarantee that an anomaly, even the simplest one, would appear. Otherwise, the Citadel would actively use this to cause anomalies wherever it was needed.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground shook like an earthquake when artifacts emitted electric shocks. It had yet to be determined what Rarity Level these artifacts were, but it was obvious to everyone that it was at least First Rarity Level.


    Usually, in a situation like this, the Mission Department would take on the most important task of distributing orders for artifacts so that all squads would have work to do.


    Moreover, the military was always involved, informing the Operators and working with them toe up with ns of action to take the artifacts and destroy the monsters as quickly and efficiently as possible.


    However, this was clearly not a situation where the usual rules and mechanisms would work. Yeah, it was all about the Dark Phantoms, whose numbers were somewhat staggering.


    "What... What do we do?" Ester muttered uncertainly, looking at the lightning discharges spreading across the salt wastnd.


    There were only three anomalies, but it was enough to be considered a cluster, and they were in the very center.


    Crackle.


    At the same moment, monsters filled with electrical energy began to emerge from the ground.


    Like the Electric Eel, the monster that Adam had defeated back in the beginning to obtain his artifact, these monsters were Anomalous Ones. This was not a separate Type, as such monsters were not strong enough for it and could only appear in anomalies.


    However, almost always, the Anomalous version of one monster or another was a bit stronger than the normal one, especially if the Phantom had an unsuitable element.


    ''There are quite a few of them, but all of them aren''t Essence Type,pared to Essence Monsters, these ones are just nothing.'' Adam pondered, staring sideways with a deep gaze.


    Deep inside, he still had hope to obtain Essence and thus try to win this battle, but he realized, that it was simply impossible.


    Even if some monster decided to absorb one of the three artifacts right now, it would take quite some time to transform into an Essence Type, and... considering how many Phantoms were here, no monster would get such a privilege.


    ''Tsk. Whatever, that''s not what I should be thinking about right now. I''ll still have a chance to get Essence, but first, I have to get out of here alive!'' Adam inwardly uttered, looking around.


    Dark Phantoms, Tirana''s backup, wereing from the north side, Tirana, x, and two Phantoms were on the west side, Adam, Ester, Fred, and Romeo were on the east side, and a huge number of Phantoms were approaching from the south.


    A small portion of these Phantoms were the help that had beening originally but had only approached this area now, however, the rest, that is - most of them were just random squads wanting artifacts. They didn''t even know that the dark Phantoms were here and Adam was in trouble.


    However, the Operators were doing their jobs, and soon everyone would know what was going on here.


    Sure, there were only three artifacts, but... since it was a cluster, the anomalies kept growing. Between the first three, the main anomalies gradually appeared others, not as powerful and with weaker artifacts, but they were there. Lightning bolts cut across the salt surface, striving for each other.


    ''Adam, you need to all pull together and wait for events to unfold. Right now, your main concern is not to be in the center of the carnage that is about to begin.'' Silvana said seriously. The situation wasplicated, for all Adam had was his needle, he was too exhausted for the rest.


    "Sure... Then, let''s get out there!" Adam uttered, grabbing Ester by the arm and rushing forward.


    Ester gasped, but she quickly regained herposure and followed him. They moved to the ruins near the location of Fred and one of the three main anomalies.


    "Agh...?"


    Romeo was beyond everything, so he got a confused expression on his face when Adam and Ester ran away. He didn''t know what to do, he had never acted in such chaotic situations.


    ''Romeo, can you hear me?''


    Oddly enough, it wasn''t Romeo''s Operator, the voice was female butpletely unfamiliar to him.


    "Yes... Who are you?" Romeo asked anxiously.


    ''My name is Silvana. I am Adam''s Operator. I will provide you with information from time to time, in a way, I run your squad from the Operators side since Adam is the key link in this case. Do you understand?'' Silvana said severely.


    If her voice had warmed slightly towards Adamtely, she was still as stern and cold as ever towards the others.


    "Sure. I got it!" Romeo said vigorously, "What do I need to do?"


    ''For starters, join the others. Your job will be to cover Adam, the mainbat tasks will be taken over by Ester and Fred.''


    "Got it!" Romeo quickly replied before running forward. He wasn''t stupid and realized that he couldn''t stay in one ce alone for long.


    Tirana and x looked at each other. They couldn''t see into the future, they didn''t expect the anomalies to appear now, so they had to act quickly.


    "We can''t retreat, we''ve used too many resources for that, so... there''s only one option left, isn''t there?" x said, looking intently at Adam and Ester, who had already run far away.


    Tirana nodded with a cold stare.


    They understood each other without words, it was one of the benefits of being in a co-team for so long.


    Dark smoke thickened around x as he reached out his hand, touching Tirana''s back. He couldn''t move them both at the same time, so... the smoke headed towards her.


    At the same moment, Tirana''s body trembled as she found herself only a few meters away from Ester and Adam, with her sword held high above her head.


    Adam turned around, as his pupils narrowed at Tirana''s predatory stare and her sword that was already aiming at them.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The ground shook, and right between them, a long shadow emerged from beneath theyers of salt and swept upward at breakneck speed, aiming for the heavens and casting a shadow from its huge body.

 Chapter 209: Essence Monster (Part 21)

    Ten minutes ago, in the middle of the salt wastnd, there were only a few people, dark Phantoms from Ruby Dew led by Tirana hunting Adam, but... in Dead Lands, sometimes, ten minutes was like an eternity, during which everything could change.


    What had been a battleground for some Phantoms had be a massacre where not everyone would survive.


    Obviously, the dark Phantoms would support Tirana and x, for they hade to their aid, so they would fight the Phantoms of the Upper Ring, of which there were the majority.


    However, the home of the Phantoms was not Dead Lands, but the Citadel, and they were not the owners, but the monsters!


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    A massive centipede with electric shocks running through its body and hundreds of legs with sharp tips burst out from beneath theyers of earth, clenching its ghastly jaws several times per second and emitting an eerie, snapping sound.


    If it wanted to, this centipede could curl around a tall building like a serpent from ancient myths, for one purpose only - to instill fear in anyone who came under its gaze.


    Waves of salt pushed Tirana and Adam & Ester further apart. Oddly enough, the monster''s appearance helped Adam & Ester escape Tirana''s swift attack, for x would no longer be able to move her, first, he had to get close to her and restore her energy.


    "Damn it! Where did youe from!" Tirana eximed furiously, did a somersault, andnded a few meters away.


    She looked up at Centipede, whose body was moving quickly since the monster hadn''t fully emerged from the ground yet. Given the way the electric shocks were traveling through Centipede''s body, it was obvious that this monster had appeared along with the anomalies.


    At the same moment, several insect-like monsters emerged from the ground, with long legs covered in chitin and dagger-sharp forelegs. Their bodies shimmered as they quickly rushed toward Tirana, her first target.


    However, Tirana was clearly not the best option for such weak monsters.


    "Away!" Tirana eximed furiously, bringing her sword down, causing a wave of mes to spread across the ground.


    In a heartbeat, the mes turned the monsters into handfuls of ashes that in a moment were carried away by a random wind current.


    Step.


    Tirana stepped forward before her mes stopped, bursting forward at high speed.


    The mes reached the Centipede, glowing its protective tes, but unable to prate such strong armor.


    The monster was angry that Tirana had attacked it, even though Centipede was not her target.


    "Rooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrr!!!" Centipede roared furiously, towering over Tirana, who wouldn''t even look at the monster. It wasn''t that she was afraid, no, on the contrary, she didn''t care because she had another, more important goal.


    The Centipede''s six eyes were intently focused on Tirana as electric shocks began to umte in front of the monster''s jaw. A few more seconds and the huge monster would deliver its crushing blow to Tirana.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    At the same moment, several projectiles flew into Centipede from the other side - it was the Dark Phantoms, and their task was to help their leader.


    Centipede couldn''t ignore it, as some of the attacks managed to damage its tes, so the monster turned sharply and headed towards the Ruby Dew squad.


    The wide tail of the monster came out of the ground and raised a wave of salt, high enough to cover everything within a few meters, but it created a kind of tunnel through which the surfers passed on the waves in the seas.


    So, Tirana simply elerated her stride, while the huge wave slowly descended on her, before crashingpletely to the ground.


    But, Tirana was already ahead, gradually catching up with Adam and Ester.


    ''Surely you''re hoping that these monsters and other Phantoms can hold me off, but that''s naive!'' Tirana inwardly eximed with a fiery look, ''Chaos has its advantages. In chaos, everyone bes equal because it''s unclear what''s going on!''


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Electric shocks ran through Adam''s eyes. His pupils shifted as he saw Tirana, who somehow was right behind them.


    Then, Adam pushed Ester away from him and jumped aside.


    A momentter, a wave of fire swept between them that would have left serious burns on their backs if they had collided.


    Adam and Ester looked at each other, they realized that they couldn''t run together anymore, moreover, they had different tasks - Ester had to protect Adam, and he had to escape somewhere safe.


    "You''re not leaving!" Tirana eximed, heading after Adam.


    However, no sooner had she taken a few steps than ice and mist arrows flew at her from both sides, left and right.


    At the same moment, Ester made several leaps,ing around Tirana from behind, with her axe drawn back to attack.


    Tirana''s eyes narrowed, she realized that if she dodged the arrows, Ester would surely hurt her. Tirana, as an experienced Phantom, could tell in an instant if Ester was worthy of being wary of her power.


    ''Fine, I can get rid of all of you at once!'' Tirana inwardly uttered before abruptly stopping and starting to spin in one ce.


    A plume of fire remained from her massive sword, creating a sort of protective barrier around it.


    As she suspected, it was enough to throw the arrows aside and protect herself.


    "Agh...?" Tirana''s eyes went wide as the broad de of the axe passed through her me barrier, slicing it apart.


    Then, Ester''s smirk appeared as she stepped forward confidently, seemingly not afraid of the mes at all.


    "Hey, do you really think I''m scared of fire like the others? Fire is my strength as well!" Ester said with an excited expression, swinging her axe towards Tirana.


    Tirana''s eyes went wide as she arched sharply, lowering her torso and allowing Ester''s axe to sweep right over her. She saw her face in the reflection of the axe de, and she didn''t like what she saw.


    ''Is that fear...? Shit! I''m not going to be afraid of some ordinary Phantom! Unlike Adam, she''s only slightly above average!'' Tirana inwardly eximed, clenched her hands tightly into fists, and rushed into battle.


    ...


    At the same time, Fred, standing in the distance, was preparing one of his most powerful attacks.


    The fog gradually thickened, turning into a huge arrow. It was an attack with only one charge, which was different from how Fred usually unleashed a hail of arrows on his enemies.


    This one arrow was more than enough to pierce Tirana, and it would definitely be the end for her.


    Earlier, Fred had tried to use this ability to kill North Keeper, even for him, the arrow speed was too fast to dodge, but... North Keeper just grabbed the arrow and broke it like ss.


    Well, it was a failure, but obviously, Tirana wasn''t capable of such crazy things.


    "Fine... Just a little more, and your head will explode... This is going to be perfect..." Fred whispered as if trying to enchant his arrow for sess.


    Soon a dark smoke appeared beside him, strongly standing out against the snow-white ruins covered in salt.


    "Agh...?" Fred''s eyes went wide as a thick ck mist appeared right in front of him from which a hand emerged, aiming for his neck.

 Chapter 210: Essence Monster (Part 22)

    Though to some extent Tirana was right, and it was really hard to understand anything in the chaos, everything was happening naturally.


    Tirana was fighting against Ester and Romeo, Adam standing off on the side, and Fred was facing an unexpected problem.


    Yeah, this was a bit different from their original n, as Fred was ready to kill Tirana, but x understood that too. He couldn''t let Fred get rid of Tirana, it would be aplete failure on his part.


    Crackle.


    x''s hand gripped Fred''s neck tightly, intending to strangle him, while x gradually appeared out of the dark smoke like a death ghost.


    "What the fuck...!!!?" Fred whispered, grabbing x''s wrist with his hand.


    x smirked, stepping forward.


    "What, is something wrong? Did you really think you could aim at my leader with impunity and I wouldn''t do anything to you?" x looked at Fred from top to bottom, making him feel humiliated and weak.


    Fred''s gaze traveled to his bow - the massive arrow disintegrated into smoke, Fred had to finish umting energy if he wanted to make this attack.


    Then, Fred jerked his right arm forward, striking x with his bow. Sure, the bow was not suitable for closebat, but it was his Nexus, which meant that the material was robust and hard.


    So it could bepared to a strike with an iron stick or even a bat, not too effective, but better than nothing.


    However... x didn''t even move. He realized that Fred was trying to scare him so that he would loosen his grip and give Fred a chance to free himself.


    "Hahaha, looks like you weren''t as smart as I thought. I haven''t heard of you, but from the looks of it you might be the most dangerous of them all, however... I''ll solve that problem soon!" x said menacingly, tightening his grip.


    Fred''s face began to pale fromck of blood, the bow fell out of his hand, and his veins began to inte as if ready to explode.


    x smirked, looking at Fred''s rolled eyes and already almost blue skin. A few more seconds and Fred would pass out fromck of air, the next thing that awaited him would be death at x''s hands.


    "Agh...?" x''s eyes went wide with a strange feeling somewhat akin to pain, but it was as if he didn''t feel it. x felt as if his skin was numb, like from a hard freeze or anesthesia.


    Then, x''s eyes lowered only to see a snow-white de of cold mist thrust deeply into his stomach.


    Before x had time to realize what had happened, Fred''s hand moved upward, cleaving x''s belly.


    "Bastard!" x eximed before bouncing back to a safe distance.


    He had a few seconds to remedy the situation before things reached a critical point.


    All the dark smoke that x had was heading towards his wound, filling it and preventing further bleeding.


    It was worth realizing that this was not a cure, x had simply frozen the progression of the wound so he could fight on, but now he would no longer be able to use his ck smoke in this form, and that was his First Order.


    "Well, well, looks like someone thinks too much of himself." Fred smirked, picking up his bow and slinging it to his back. There were special sps on his coat to keep the bow from falling off and holding it tight.


    x spits up a clot of blood with a great grimace on his face.


    "Son of a bitch... What is this?" x muttered, staring intently at Fred''s de.


    It wasn''t a dagger with a hilt, the de was an extension of Fred''s palm, like a massive sharp petal of cold mist, constantly vibrating.


    "Oh, are you so dumb you don''t realize that?" Fred said arrogantly, "My bow is my Nexus, that''s obvious to even the greatest fool, in which case I still have two Orders, don''t I?"


    x''s eyes went wide, it was obvious that he hadn''t expected this at all, but it wasn''t that he was stupid or inattentive, on the contrary, x was sure that Fred had already used almost all of his abilities.


    ''Wait... If a hail of arrows and a powerful arrow are his Nexus Traits, then is a multi-arrow volley in a second, just pure sleight of hand? I thought that was his First Order! Fuck! In that case... He still has Second Order, and he''s already injured me...'' x pondered, he was furious, but soon he calmed down.


    That alerted Fred. He didn''t expect x to appear out of nowhere, but then he quickly realized that he could have used it and pretended to be weak and helpless. Obviously, this yed into his favor, and now x was badly hurt.


    However... Fred realized that he was the one who was at a disadvantage.


    Sure, x wasn''t as strong in closebat as Tirana or Adam, but it was definitely his preferred range.


    Fred, on the other hand, was an archer, melee was not his preferred area ofbat, but... given his First Order... something was clearly wrong, wasn''t it?


    x sighed heavily.


    ''His First Order, the first ability he received, and yet his Nexus is a bow, not some kind of sword... Damn, there''s something off about this guy.'' x narrowed his eyes, then his gaze fell on his ck, wide bracelets covering his wrists.


    ''I might surprise you, too.''


    Then, x''s bracelets began to tremble, and his eyes shone brightly. A thick mist began to emerge from the bracelets, an intensely dirty mist that looked more like dust capable of engulfing everything around it.


    Fred took a step back, preparing for battle. Even if he could fight in close range, his bow was practically useless, but x''s Nexus was on full alert.


    ...


    It was unclear how much time had passed since their sh, but in the distance, a few kilometers away from Iron Beacon, a man with short ck hair stood among the ruined rusty buildings.


    It seemed that a storm had passed through here, bringing with it devastating torrents of water and sharp rocks that were left embedded in the ground as a memory of the great battle between the two K2-Phantoms.


    Prago''s body was covered in blood, dark drops dripping down his arms only to fall and soak into the ground covered in a denseyer of dust.


    His eyes were tired, exhausted, and seemed almost lifeless. But... A sufficiently experienced warrior would have easily realized that this was the aftermath of a battle ending in a thundering victory.


    "That... That wasn''t easy..." Prago muttered, raising his hand and looking at the head of the girl he was fighting.


    He held her by her long pigtails, drenched in blood as the girl''s head was severed and her body was somewhere amongst the debris, torn apart by his water currents.


    "It''s been a long time since I''ve felt this way... Dead Lands is a unique ce after all..." Prago muttered while the corners of his lips slowly lifted to form a delighted grin.


    ''Are you alright?'' A female voice sounded in Prago''s earbud.


    "Yeah. I''m perfectly fine. Now I realize that I was just wasting my time in the Citadel! Why be afraid of being killed when you can kill on your own?!" Prago grinned madly and tossed the girl''s head aside like useless trash.


    Then, he sighed heavily.


    "However... Lack ofbat experience is taking its toll... I''ve gotten too many wounds... Tsk." Prago frowned, staring at his bloody body.

 Chapter 211: Essence Monster (Part 23)

    Fred watched x intently as dark mist, like sharp dust, appeared around them.


    The streams slowly enveloped their battlefield, making it impossible for Fred to see anything.


    xpletely disappeared into his fog, and because of the noise from the dust, his footsteps and movements were silent, they were too quiet, and the noise just interrupted them.


    ''Shit... This isn''t good at all.'' Fred internally muttered, then whispered, "Mika, can you help me?"


    ''I''m sorry. There''s nothing I can do. What''s more, I don''t have any information on him, I don''t know what else his Nexus can do, but from the looks of it, he can''t use his First Order anymore because of his wound.'' The girl with a worried voice said, slightly frustrated, that she felt guilty because of her helplessness.


    ''I''m useless again...'' Mika mumbled, seemingly struggling to hold back tears.


    Fred smirked, his Operator was theplete opposite of him - an insecure, sentimental, and always-worried girl. However, this only allowed Fred to shine even brighter, in his own eyes.


    "Don''t worry about it. Just tell me anything you see or can tell me. I''ll deal with a sneaky bastard like that with no difficulty." Fred smirked, losing his calm expression for a while.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    "Oh, really?"


    A confident voice rang out as x''s knee smashed into Fred''s face, effortlessly breaking his nose. Streams of blood rushed outward, sweeping in front of x''s cold eyes, he was intent on killing Fred, no other oue suited him.


    Fred''s eyes focused as he swung his de sharply, intending to sh x, but at thest moment, x disappeared.


    ''What? He can teleport? I thought it was an effect of his Second Order!'' Fred was puzzled. In fact, he had deliberately set himself up for a hit, but his n hadn''t worked.


    ''It''s probably just this fog.'' Mika uttered, seeming like she could read Fred''s thoughts, ''I doubt it''s proper teleportation. It''s more likely he can just move quickly in this area. I suggest you get out of here and find a better position to fight.''


    Fred nodded, he obviously heard Mika, but he didn''t do as she said. He had his own n.


    Bam.


    In a heartbeat, x appeared in front of him, and before Fred could do anything, x''s fist plunged into his stomach.


    Then, again and again. x was constantly attacking from different directions, preventing Fred from reacting in time to counterattack. However, Fred managed to leave a few cuts on x, not too deep, but the blood was flowing.


    ''Hmm... It''s not as easy as I thought, but, he''s too confident that he''s invincible in this area. It''s too early to use my trump card, so... I just need to catch him being overconfident.'' Fred pondered before taking another hit and falling gracefully to the ground.


    It was impossible to guess that he had no trouble keeping his bnce and staying on his feet.


    Then, Fred pulled out his bow in a panic and started shooting in all directions. It seemed like he was just trying to hit x, hoping for luck, but it was not meant to be.


    "Hahaha, what are you doing? Do you think I won''t be able to dodge such pathetic shots? You don''t even realize how far your arrows are from me!" x eximed joyfully.


    Fred smirked for a moment as his eyes sparkled.


    "Yeah, I know. The next one will be even farther." Fred uttered before shooting upwards.


    Due to the thick dark fog, it was almost unnoticeable that this arrow was bigger than the others, especially its tip.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Immediately after the shot, x appeared beside Fred and kicked the bow out of his hands, depriving Fred of his main weapon.


    "Whatever, it''s time to call it a day. You are clearly no match for Adam Vinter."


    x''s gaze turned as cold as ancient ciers as he clenched tightly his fist, which easily could blow Fred''s head.


    "Well, maybe you''re right. I''m not really that strong in closebat, but do you think you''ve already won? You''re clearly below me in the rank of strength." Fred smirked as his gaze shifted to the side.


    x wanted to attack, but Fred''s gaze alerted him.


    "Bastard, where the hell are you looking?" x muttered before turning around.


    His eyes went wide with a wave of shivers throughout his body as he saw even through the dense fog dozens of bright white shes that grewrger andrger as they approached the ground.


    x quickly disappeared, trying to dodge the hail of arrows, but it was hardly possible.


    "Good. Things will be easier now." Fred smirked, rising to his feet and stretching his shoulders while the hail of arrows destroyed everything around him.


    Apparently, Fred knew exactly where the arrows were falling, so while x tried desperately to get away, Fred just stood there rxed.


    He even picked up his bow that was a few meters away from him, while the snow-white projectiles cleared the dark fog.


    Soon, there was nothing left of the fog, revealing x, who was hit by one of the arrows that stuck in his right shoulder.


    Gritting his teeth, x ripped the arrow from his shoulder, ignoring the pain.


    "Tsk. What''s next? Are you gonna try to shoot me? We both realize you can''t beat me. Sooner orter, you''ll fall from my blows." x frowned.


    Fred arrogantly lifted his chin with a mad glint in his eyes.


    "Hah, don''t you know that in fairy tales, light always triumphs over darkness? I guess I don''t have to exin which of us is darkness and which of us is light, do I?"


    x chuckled as his bracelets trembled.


    "Well, in fairy tales, light always triumphs over darkness precisely because they are fairy tales. In reality, it''s not like that at all!" x eximed as two streams of mist came out of his bracelets.


    Each stream turned into an exact copy of him, they were literally his smoke clones. Then, he and his clones began to run quickly around Fred, gradually speeding up.


    With each step, x grew faster and faster, soon bing a dark circle surrounding Fred.


    Shooting or attacking in such a case was simply pointless, Fred had no chance of hitting his enemy.


    "You know, you''re right. If fairy tales operated by the rules of real life, darkness would almost always win. That''s obvious to anyone who has reached a mature age. But, not everyone realizes the reason for it." Fred said calmly as if he were talking to his buddy rather than a deadly foe.


    Fred waved his hand and continued with an intelligent look:


    "Because the heroes, the good side, are always helped in fairy tales! They''ll lose in the real, cruel world because they''re stupid idiots!" Fred eximed as if this was an important topic to him.


    Then, before x was to strike from three sides, Fred''s eyes shed brightly, and his mist de shuddered.


    In a heartbeat, the de turned into a huge cross that was almost as big as Fred himself.


    "Unlike the stupid heroes, I''m freaking smart!" Fred eximed, bringing his cross down to the ground as if he were setting a seal.


    At the same moment, a bright white mist covered everything within a three-meter radius, bing a teau for dozens of bright shes that soon burst out in a multitude of light beams, tearing everything in their path.

 Chapter 212: Essence Monster (Part 24)

    x, like any experienced fighter, had his tactics for fighting against both monsters and Phantoms. Many people didn''t realize it, but unlike Upper Ring Phantoms, Lower Ring Phantoms usually had quite a bit of experience fighting against other Phantoms.


    This was logical, it was quite rare for truly bloody and deadly battles between Phantoms to ur in the Upper Ring.


    The Big Three, the military, and the government did their best to make it happen as rarely as possible because the main enemies of the Phantoms were monsters, not humans.


    However, this had its negative effects, there were fewer Phantoms in the Lower Ring, but on average, each of them was much stronger, especially in a battle against humans.


    Thus, x''s confidence in victory was more than reasonable, especially against an archer, but... Upper Ring was not a paradise. Many Phantoms in the Upper Ring had to go through just as hard a life as the dark Phantoms, and it seemed Fred was one of them.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Rays of light rose upward like pirs of heaven, tearing apart everything in their path, be it air currents, dust, or darkness.


    Naturally, x and his dark clones were no exception.


    ''What the fuck...? And... Why is it so beautiful?'' x inwardly muttered, looking at the rays of light surrounding him from all sides.


    It seemed that something was hiding within them, Fred''s fears and his hopes, for which he had to go through a lot. It was impossible to realize more in a moment, for soon x fell to the ground.


    Fred''s Second Order came to an end, the misty cross dissipated, and Fred fell to one knee. A stream of blood rushed from his mouth, this ability had cost him far more than it might have seemed.


    "Is that all...?" x muttered, looking up at the gray sky, while blood flowed endlessly from the corners of his mouth.


    Fred turned around, ring at his defeated foe.


    x was missing his right leg and left arm, and there were three wide through holes in his torso, his organs were destroyed, and the bleeding was irreversible.


    "Yeah, it looks like it. This is your failure, isn''t it?" Fred said calmly, rising to his feet. However, no sooner had he taken one step than his face twisted in pain, and he fell to one knee again, holding his chest with his hand.


    "Hehehehe... Looks like you won''t be able to continue the fight either... However, you won, and I lost, there''s no changing that..." x whispered as everything in front of his eyes slowly went dark, "Better to die at the hands of a decent man than at the clutches of a savage monster..."


    Those were hisst words, after which he closed his eyes, forever.


    Fred smiled bitterly, shaking his head.


    ''Fred, you''ve won! You... You did good!'' Mika said encouragingly.


    "Well... I was on the verge..." Fred sighed, leaning back against the nearly destroyed stone wall.


    Then, his gaze shifted to x.


    "If he could somehow survive that attack, it would be the end for me, I could do nothing against him..." Fred''s gaze darkened, "Whatever, my fight wasn''t the most important."


    ...


    It was true, out of the three active fights, two were already over.


    Prago had won and was rushing to the rescue, while Fred was recovering from a hard fight. However, they needed time toe back since their battles weren''t easy, but what about Ester and Romeo?


    Their job was to buy time for Adam so he could regain his strength and join them. Adam wasn''t going to run away, moreover, there was nowhere to run to. There were dozens of Phantoms, hundreds of monsters, and powerful anomalies.


    Sure, Tirana was a strong opponent, but against her was Ester with a simr element, and Romeo, who, with his ice, could give Tirana a lot of trouble.


    The fight couldst a really long time, and it was unclear who was going to win, in any case, the winner would be severely exhausted and injured.


    Well, it was all just theory... which didn''t always work, and it was not umon for things to turn out differently in practice.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Tirana stepped confidently, walking beside Ester and Romeo lying on the ground. Their bodies were covered in burns, but Tirana was almost unharmed.


    A few scratches and faintly bleeding cuts were all her wounds.


    "Wait..." Ester wheezed, trying to grab Tirana''s leg.


    Bam.


    Tirana, with contempt on her face, kicked Ester in the stomach, tossing her aside like a bag of trash not worth her attention.


    Romeo struggled to stay conscious, seeing only Tirana''s blurred silhouette in front of him. He didn''t have the strength to even get up, Tirana had driven him to his death state.


    A random stream of wind blew through, fluttering Tirana''s crimson hair while she looked around.


    The Dark Phantoms were not far away from her, rarely fighting monsters and other Phantoms, after all their main goal was to capture Adam, not kill everyone in their path.


    The anomalies grew thicker and thicker, while the monsters increased in number. It would take a lot of time to clear such arge cluster as well as the Phantoms, several strong squads.


    Tirana nodded slightly, realizing the situation she was in. They needed to capture Adam and get out of there before the chaos became all-consuming.


    "Can you stop hiding? Yourrades have already done enough!" Tirana eximed, pointing her sword at Adam.


    Adam became wary, ncing at his right hand. He could summon a needle and use a single Nexus Trait, but that was his maximum. Obviously, it was not enough to pass Tirana.


    ''Shit. What am I supposed to do? Even if I run away from Tirana, the Dark Phantoms will catch me! Maybe take advantage of the monsters? Tsk. That''s unlikely.


    Considering their numbers and Tirana''s strength, no monsters will be a threat to them.'' Adam pondered while Tirana gradually approached him.


    Then, Tirana looked to the side and pointed at Adam:


    "Grab him." Tirana majestically uttered, and several dark Phantoms instantly rushed forward, eager to fulfill her order.


    Adam''s eyes went wide when a secondter he had to summon a needle and block several ming projectiles.


    It looked like he waspletely surrounded, there were too many dark Phantoms, and no one could help him. Prago was too far away, and Fred wasn''t even able to stand on his feet confidently.


    "Kid! Look out!" The man eximed, charging into the fight with hisrades. Their squad consisted of ten Phantoms, and they were among those who had originally gone to Adam''s aid.


    "We''ll help you!" The woman in snow-white armor eximed before bringing her massive shield down to the ground and creating a golden protective dome around Adam and their squad.


    Then, the Phantom of their squad rushed into battle, supporting their leader and allowing Adam to rest in relief. Sure, it wasn''t enough, but first aid was the most important, other squads would being soon, and for the dark Phantoms that was a big problem.


    Tirana frowned as she rushed into battle, realizing that time was getting short.


    ''Great! This way, we can win!'' Adam said internally as a happy smile formed on his face.


    Adam watched as the Phantoms fought, and it was obvious that they were experienced fighters. However, Adam was not going to stand idly by, he was now ready to fight!


    Step.


    Adam stepped forward, and soon... the smile disappeared from his face.


    White electrical discharges ran through the bodies of the Phantoms in front of him, which was a harbinger of a devastating lightning strike that swept through the Phantoms and wiped them off the face of the earth, turning more than ten Phantoms from different Rings into nothing, leaving only a ck trail of glowing embers on the ground.

 Chapter 213: Essence Monster (Part 25)

    ''What...? Again...?''


    Those were the only two words that shed through Adam''s mind, watching as the limbs of the Phantoms that seconds ago were still alive flew off to the sides.


    The mes of battle burned in their eyes, some defending Adam and some about to capture him, but they were all Phantoms doing their jobs. They were human beings first, with a purpose, desires, and dreams.


    Now... There was nothing left of them, they didn''t even have time to realize what had happened because the lightning strike was so fast that even Adam''s reflexes, enhanced by his artifact, didn''t have time to work.


    "What the fuck..." Tirana muttered in a shaky voice, looking at the remains of herrades. About a third of all the Dark Phantoms that hade to her aid had just died. However, the squad that stood in for Adam died in its entirety.


    The golden protective barrier dome, unable tost even a moment, shattered into hundreds of shards that slowly dissipated into bright lights that seemed to be the souls of the dead Phantoms.


    Tirana and Adam were direct enemies, but they didn''t even look at each other then, even though there were only a few meters between them.


    They instinctively directed their gazes away, only to primal fear from the gruesome scene.


    The massive monster that was responsible for what had happened stood in the distance, in the center of the burnt earth, and molten salt.


    It was Thunder Demon.


    Thunder Demon had massive lower legs, long upper arms, with four fingers covered with stone-like spikes. There were severalyers of granite on his elbows and knees, for extra protection and better distribution of energy throughout his body.


    A long, thick tail swayed from side to side, asionally hitting the ground and causing a slight shiver.


    The monster''s entire body was covered with tough armor, in many ces with sharp spikes and edged, like des that could destroy any attack, because the armor was lined with severalyers, each ending a little before the previous one, creating the effect of razor des.


    Thunder Demon''s shoulders were covered with dozens of energy crystals that seemed to grow out of the monster''s body and were his personal power generator.


    In the monster''s chest, in the very center, was a massive blue sphere that constantly released random discharges of lightning - they spread out all over Thunder Demon''s body, along the lines in the folds between his armor.


    The monster''s head was elongated, with sharp lines, narrow eyes, and two long horns on its head pointing forward. The monster''s jaws were slightly open, revealing its numerous crystal teeth charged with energy.


    "No... Why exactly did this monster end up here..." Tirana gulped. Unlike Adam, she understood how terrifying Thunder Demon was.


    Adam shuddered, he didn''t even know what the monster was called, but all his instincts were screaming for him to run, as far away as possible.


    "Fucking hell..." Fred muttered, watching from a distance.


    "Silvana, what is that...?" Adam muttered.


    ''Adam, you need to run like every Phantom inside this Anomaly Cluster.'' Silvana said with all seriousness as if Adam''s life depended on her every word.


    Silvana continued:


    ''It''s the Essence Thunder Demon, and it was most likely the monster that absorbed the artifact from the past Anomaly Cluster. Apparently, the Six-Winged Iron Stingray just flew here, but didn''t make it in time because it was toote. That would exin why Iron Stingray didn''t have an open core of the absorbed Essence, since in his case, it happened quite a while ago.''


    Adam nodded.


    "I see... In other words, it is Thunder Demon who has the right Essence for me, correct?" Adam asked as his gaze changed, bing considerably deeper.


    ''Technically, they are both suitable because they are both Essence Type with the lightning attribute, but yes, it was Thunder Demon who absorbed the artifact that recently appeared here. However, don''t even think about fighting that monster.'' Silvana sternly said, in a cold voice.


    ''''Why...? This... this could be my chance!" Adam waved his hand, in disagreement. Even if Thunder Demon was a dangerous monster, he couldn''t be stronger, than North Keeper - that was Adam''s way of thinking.


    ''Adam! Essence Thunder Demon is the second strongest monster from Purple Threat Level!'' Silvana eximed, bringing him to his senses.


    "What...?" Adam muttered, not believing what he heard.


    ''Yes, Essence Thunder Demon is ranked as the second on the list. In other words, if North Keeper is Top-4, then Thunder Demon is Top-2.'' Silvana quickly replied, ''Even if you were in your prime, I wouldn''t let you fight it. It''s too dangerous.''


    Crackle.


    At the same moment, several attacks rained down on Thunder Demon, among them were me, water, and stone projectiles. The phantoms were ready to unite and kill this powerful monster.


    Thunder Demon raised its head, tilting it slightly, as if not understanding what these weaklings were trying to aplish.


    Then, Thunder Demon''s eyes shone brightly, and the monster rushed towards the nearest squad at a tremendous speed.


    The phantoms tried to retreat, realizing that their attack had failed. No one dared to get too close to the Thunder Demon and engage him in closebat.


    However... running away from the second most dangerous monster for the K1-Phantoms, was an almost impossible mission.


    Bam.


    Thunder Demon mmed his tail against the ground several times, causing it to shake.


    After a few jolts, a multitude of electrical discharges appeared in the air, cascading destructive lightning bolts down on the Phantoms, turning most of them into ashes.


    Adam, Tirana, and the dozens of other Phantoms watching this nightmare shuddered, a chill ran down their backs, and fear began to rise in their hearts.


    "NO! Get away from me! Gone!"


    One of the surviving Phantoms had a panic attack. He was unable to stand up and just waved his sword in front of him, trying to scare Thunder Demon. A pathetic and pointless attempt.


    Thunder Demon jumped forward, grabbed the man with both paws, and lifted him high above.


    Then, Thunder Demon began twisting the man''s body in different directions, breaking his bones and tearing his flesh.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!"


    The man screamed in hellish pain while the crackling sound of a dozen shattering bones rang out, but Thunder Demon wasn''t even going to stop.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    With a quick movement, Thunder Demon tore the man''s body into two pieces and deftly tossed them upwards.


    Thunder Demon raised his head, opened his mouth wide, and swallowed Phantom''s severed parts like a light snack.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Then, several anomalies appeared next to Thunder Demon, all this time, electrical discharges surrounded him.


    Artifacts were ready to be born, and they needed protectors because, besides the Phantoms, monsters were also threats to them.


    That caused huge centipedes to emerge from beneath the ground, towering over Thunder Demon as the main threat.


    It was unknown exactly how strong these centipedes were, but to kill one such, Tirana''s subordinates had to use half of their men.


    Being under the gaze of perhaps hundreds of people, given the Operators and military watching everything through the NEPs, Thunder Demon only smirked slightly before leaping high up.


    In a heartbeat, Thunder Demon reached the same height as one of the centipedes that came out of the ground first.


    Thunder Demon, just turned around and swung his tail, sting the head of the giant monster, the pieces of flesh of which scattered dozens of meters away, falling at the feet of some Phantoms.

 Chapter 214: Essence Monster (Part 26)

    Like the Phantoms, the monsters were capable of working as a team and cooperating to achieve amon goal.


    That rarely happened among the different subspecies, but monsters preferred not to fight when theirmon enemies, the Phantoms, were on the battlefield.


    However, monsters were not machines or soulless mechanisms, they were creatures of flesh and blood, for the most part. The most important thing was that monsters, even the weakest ones, had intelligence, and the stronger the monster was, the higher the intelligence was.


    Sure, intelligence had many purposes, but one of the most important was to have a mind and, as a result - a personality. Thus just like among the Phantoms, among the monsters could appear those whose character, whose actions were illogical, selfish, and destructive.


    Obviously, Thunder Demon was one such monster. However, the reason for his behavior was quite simple - he was stronger than the others.


    Damien, or even Adam during Eclipse, had the same joyful smirk on their faces while their attacks killed monsters one after another.


    This rare feeling - the pleasure of battle, which was deadly for everyone, could be so at any moment, because of an idental mistake, it could only feel the strong ones.


    If the one was weak, then instead of delight, he would feel only fear and awe in front of those who can achieve this state.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Thunder Demon''s eyes shed as his teeth shone brightly, and a dense energy emerged from his throat, quickly forming into aser.


    In a heartbeat, theser traveled through the centipede''s body, cutting it into several pieces.


    Every time theser touched the ground or the centipede''s hard protective tes, there was a lightning st causing a blue me.


    Given the speed of theser and how fast Thunder Demon was moving his head, it wasn''t long before everything was engulfed in a fiery inferno of explosions.


    In an instant, theser headed towards Adam and Tirana, not that they were Thunder Demon''s target, just that Thunder Demon was attacking everyone and everything in sight. This monster had no preference, at least not yet.


    Adam and Tirana fell to the ground simultaneously, theser passing right over them, causing explosions a few meters behind them.


    Adam gulped. He realized that even with Elemental Root, thatser would just cut him in two, nothing would help him against such pure destructive power.


    Boooooom.


    One of the explosions, the closest one, sent a powerful shockwave that threw the wounded Ester and Romeo aside.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed as he quickly rushed forward, caught them, and ran towards the ruins.


    No matter who his opponent was, first he had to protect those who came to his aid. One squad had already died, and there was nothing Adam could do about it, but now he had the power to change their fate!


    Tirana took a step forward, about to chase after Adam, but she soon stopped, clenching her teeth tightly with her fists.


    "Shit, how unfortunate is this!" Tirana growled in fury, realizing that she would most likely not be able toplete her mission unless something unexpected happened.


    ''Furthermore, where is x?! He always disappears when I need him!'' Tirana inwardly eximed as her gaze naturally traveled towards the ruins, she felt that x could be in the same ce where Fred was.


    However, instead of x, Tirana only saw particles of dark smoke that slowly rose up, only to dissipate and disappear forever.


    Tirana''s gaze deepened, and her eyes filled with sadness.


    "Oh... I see..." Tirana muttered, realizing that she would never see x again.


    Tirana nodded slightly. Now, she had one more reason to take revenge on Adam and his friends. Perhaps... her revenge stood much higher than the mission.


    Tap.


    Adam climbed the ruins, carrying Romeo and Ester to safety. The first thing he saw was the already dead x, his eyes were closed, and there was a slight smile on his face.


    "Hey, what''s up?" Fred waved his hand with a tired expression on his face.


    "Things are pretty bad, aren''t they?" Adam frowned, watching Thunder Demon tearing apart centipedes and other anomalous monsters.


    For him, it was a feast, bloody and boundless, for no anomalous monster could defend its anomaly from this nightmare.


    Fred nodded as his gaze grew serious. He already knew that Ester and Romeo had lost, since he had been watching everything from afar.


    "We need to wait for K3-Phantom or perhaps someone stronger to arrive here. Dealing with Thunder Demon in our position is almost impossible." Fred said seriously, he realized that the best thing they could do was to hide and wait.


    Adam looked around, at the anomalies that were spreading farther and farther away and the three main ones growing denser and more powerful. Then, his gaze went to the Thunder Demon, who was using his energy as if his reserves were endless.


    "Hey, soon his energy has to run out, right? Even if he''s an Essence Type, the way he uses his energy is too wasteful. For other monsters, aser alone would be equal to several full energy reserves." Adam asked, staring intently at Thunder Demon.


    Fred shook his head as he sighed heavily, letting Adam realize how naive his assumption was.


    "Well... With Essence Type, things aren''t simple at all. Especially if the Essence Type in the Anomalies Cluster with the right element. Just watch what this walking madness can do..." Fred muttered, watching Thunder Demon with a detached voice.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Fate seemed to have heard from the conversation and provided the opportunity to see things at their most vivid. However, the real reason was that the anomalies felt threatened by Thunder Demon and summoned a monster strong enough to defend itself.


    A huge shadowparable in size to a five-story building emerged from the ground. The creature had broad shoulders, a massive torso, and long arms and legs.


    If this monster were smaller it might have been a Crown Type, but there was one more thing that distinguished it from anthropomorphic creatures - two huge heads.


    Without waiting for Adam''s question, Silvana quickly said:


    ''This is the Prime Two-Headed Dark Tyrant. Normally, this monster is rated as Top-10 among Purple Threat Level, but considering that it''s an anomalous version, I think it''s around Top-9 or even Top-8, a lot depends on the situation, pure strength is quite difficult to determine urately.'' Silvana exined.


    Adam nodded.


    "Yeah... I can feel how powerful his aura is, but... Thunder Demon is much higher in the rankings, isn''t it?" Adam gulped, realizing that Dark Tyrant could do nothing against Thunder Demon.


    Thunder Demon was several times smaller than Dark Tyrant, but he wasn''t afraid of the giant monster in front of him. Anyway, their strength was at apletely different level.


    Sure, if Dark Tyrant was a Top-8, considering the help from anomalies, then the difference between them was only 6 positions, not much, right?


    Well, Top-5 monsters were significantly stronger than Top-10 ones, and those in the Top-3 were simply invincible creatures to Top-10 ones.


    That was why, instead of fear or at least seriousness, Thunder Demon only licked his teeth, with a predatory smirk on his face.

 Chapter 215: Essence Monster (Part 27)

    Dark Tyrant''s body was covered in solid granite armor that seemed built to withstand any attack, even the most powerful.


    Dense lightning energy spread throughout his body, allowing him to look down on everyone, not only because of his impressive height and size but because of his great strength.


    Slowly, Dark Tyrant stretched out his arms with open palms, pointing them at Thunder Demon, who was thirty meters away. However, given Dark Tyrant''s size, it was the equivalent of severalrge steps.


    In front of Dark Tyrant appeared a massive electric ring with three circles inside it, onerge and two much smaller ones on the sides of the main one.


    Obviously, Dark Tyrant was preparing a powerful attack, and Thunder Demon should either dodge or do the same, but he just watched his enemy''s actions with interest. It was all fun and entertainment for him.


    But... sometimes arrogance and overconfidence could bring down even the strongest and most capable. Thunder Demon was no exception to that rule.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The Dark Tyrant''s entire body sparkled, and its two heads opened their mouths wide, creating huge spheres filled with lightning energy.


    Then, after a few seconds, the spheres stopped growing, releasing their full power outward in the form of blue, electric beams. They hit the two side circles, merging into one in therger circle, bing a weapon capable of destroying an entire hill if desired.


    At the same moment, Thunder Demon grinned and raised his head high, pointing his long horns towards the sky.


    At his will, lightning bolts headed towards his horns, even if the anomalies were against it, not wanting to lose their energy, they could do nothing about it because Thunder Demon''s power was too great.


    So Thunder Demon used the anomalies around him to infuse his horns with the power of lightning. He couldn''t keep the electricity in his horns for long, but he didn''t need to.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    A second before the beam of the Dark Tyrant was about to reach its target, Thunder Demon attacked.


    All the energy from his horns came out in an instant, forming a thin, denseser, something like the one he had used to destroy the centipedes, but that one was clearly brighter and faster, aimed at a single target like a sniper shot rather than a stream from a methrower - long, but not very destructive.


    With a whistle of the wind, theser swept through Dark Tyrant''s beam, easily dispersing it into streams of blue me that in an instant lost all their power.


    Then, theser crashed into Dark Tyrant''s chest, gradually burning through Dark Tyrant''s armor.


    If Dark Tyrant had been a little sturdier or had an extrayer of protection, perhaps Thunder Demon''s attack wouldn''t have had such an effect, but... soon the armor turned red and melted.


    Theser pierced through Dark Tyrant''s armor and caused the huge monster''s entire body to crack trying to absorb the energy from theser. This was Dark Tyrant''sst chance to stay alive, all he had to do was hold on for at least a few more seconds.


    Adam watched the scene intently, unable to look away as if he were watching a battle that could change his entire life. Never before had he seen such pure destructive power and savagery, especially in a battle between monsters.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Dark Tyrant''s body shuddered before exploding under the Thunder Demon''sser.


    A huge monster no bigger than a five-story building was simply blown apart by a single attack from a creature many times smaller.


    Massive chunks of flesh, along with pieces of armor, flew off to the sides, covering the saltynds with dark blood, only to be soon forgotten and be one of the hundreds of hills due to the wind currents that would carefully cover them withyers of salt.


    Bam.


    The Dark Tyrant''s head crashed into the ruins, not far from Adam and Fred.


    They could see the lifeless look of a monster that could have been a threat to most K1-Phantoms. Now, it was just a piece of rapidly cooling flesh with ayer of stone armor.


    Then, Adam turned around, looking at Thunder Demon. He couldn''t believe that after such an attack, Thunder Demon was able to actively fight anymore.


    Adam''s eyes sparkled as a satisfied smile appeared on his face.


    ''Fine, now I see that you are not invincible. Even the strongest have to have their weaknesses and limitations, don''t they?'' Adam pondered staring at Thunder Demon, whose breathing had be heavy and intermittent.


    Thunder Demon lowered his head as if trying to recover and regain his strength. At that moment a n of action was beginning to emerge in Adam''s mind. He knew he had to seize this moment if he wanted to win, but... Fred didn''t feel the same way.


    ''Adam, don''t even think about it. You''re fooling yourself.'' Silvana said sternly, guessing from Adam''s smile what he wanted to do.


    "What? Why?! He''s at maximum vulnerability right now!" Adam eximed with a wave of his hand, "If I spent as much energy as he does, I''d be a mummy by now! His out-of-breath is the best we can hope for!"


    Silvana nodded.


    ''Sure. You''re right, about everything, but you just don''t understand something. Thunder Demon isn''t just strong, he''s smart. He realizes that this ce is like a personal nuclear reactor with infinite energy, all he has to do is eat a new uranium capsule and restore his reserves.''


    Silvana continued, while Adam tried to understand what she was talking about. Her example was quite difficult for him toprehend.


    ''If the radiation from uranium is destructive to humans, then for a monster, it will only be a source of energy. This is just an example, various monsters have different resistance to radiation, but you''ll soon realize what I''m trying to tell you. Just watch.'' Silvana said calmly as if she knew what Thunder Demon was about to do.


    But Silvana wasn''t the only one, Fred stared at Thunder Demon, not intending to do anything, because he knew it was useless.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Taking a few more breaths, Thunder Demon dashed away, but not towards the Phantoms or monsters, no, he was taking a short break from fighting. He had a more important task than another blood rampage.


    "Agh...?"


    Adam''s eyes went wide when Thunder Demon stopped next to one of the dozens of anomalies.


    It wasn''t one of the three main anomalies, as there was only a Zero Rarity Level Artifact here. Naturally, with a lightning attribute.


    The artifact looked like a round stone with several blue crystals showing outwards, electric discharges asionally emanating from them.


    Thunder Demon licked his teeth with obvious anticipation in his gaze before grabbing the artifact.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The artifact shuddered, unwilling to leave its home, dozens of heavy lightnings, like chains, tried to keep the artifact on the ground, but Thunder Demon wasn''t going to give up.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Thunder Demon ripped the artifact out of the ground with a sharp movement, looked at it with an appetite as if it were a gourmet dish, and opened his mouth wide and devoured it.


    There was a loud crunch, while Thunder Demon''s teeth broke the artifact into small pieces before swallowing it whole.


    Then, Thunder Demon''s eyes shone brightly, and electricity came out of his body, spreading in all directions.

 Chapter 216: Essence Monster (Part 28)

    Every Type was known to have its own features, and Essence Ones were no exception, on the contrary, in certain situations, they could be the most dangerous of all Types, and right now, dozens of Phantoms had the opportunity to witness the reason with their own eyes.


    Thunder Demon wasn''t just able to use the lightning anomalies to boost his attacks, it wasn''t a problem for him to eat an artifact to restore his energy reserves - yeah, just like that.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The electrical dischargesing out of Thunder Demon''s body left dark stains on the saltnds until they gradually stopped. This was a surplus that Thunder Demon didn''t need.


    "Well, I think you realize now that attacking him while he was out of breath would be simply stupid and useless." Fred said with a calm gaze, looking at Thunder Demon.


    Adam gulped.


    "But... Doesn''t that mean he''s just invincible? As long as the anomalies are here, he can fight indefinitely and not get tired!" Adam waved his hand in disbelief.


    Fred just shrugged. It was clear to him all along. Unlike Adam, he had fought Essence Type before, sure, it wasn''t as dangerous as Thunder Demon, but their capabilities were the same.


    ''Yes, but that''s not entirely true. Thunder Demon''s energy and abilities really have no limits in this situation, however, you must realize that energy is one thing and physical stamina is another.'' Silvana exined with a faint sigh.


    Adam frowned.


    "Even so. I''ll be old and dead before he runs out of stamina. I guess we have nothing left but to wait for help." Adam said with a serious expression.


    Silvana didn''t answer anything, but she smiled contentedly. She was d that Adam had chosen the safe option and would not put his life in danger again.


    Adam wasn''t the only one who had made that decision for himself, though. All the Phantoms hid wherever they could, Tirana''s squad was no exception. No one wanted to fight the Thunder Demon, as getting away from here was still a problem.


    Sure, with a cooperative effort, the Phantoms could get out of the anomalies around them, but it would take teamwork and most importantly - time. Certainly, Thunder Demon would not allow that to happen.


    The anomalies couldn''t hide as the Phantoms did, but the three main anomalies were strong enough to resist Thunder Demon if he wanted to absorb their artifacts.


    However, Thunder Demon would only do something like that again if he had to expend a huge amount of energy.


    Thus, even though there were dozens of Phantoms and hundreds of anomalous monsters imprisoned in a small area near Iron Beacon, nothing was happening.


    Thunder Demon stood alone in the center of this deadly triangle formed by three anomalies, ncing around baffledly.


    Strangely enough, the number of potential opponents didn''t matter when there was no one worthy among them.


    Well, it was Thunder Demon who was the worst here. He had rtively recently absorbed a powerful artifact and became an Essence Type, his instincts had led him here since he felt he could use all of his new powers here.


    Sure, he already performed several crushing attacks and brought death to many Phantoms and monsters, but this was not what he wanted.


    A sword with a sharp de had to cut and chop, flesh and blood, or it would rust and lose its purpose.


    True, Thunder Demon wouldn''t be weaker if he didn''t find an opponent now, but his desire was immense, so much so that he was willing to go to desperate measures!


    Step. Step. Step.


    Thunder Demon, with his powerful steps, stood in the center of the area, looked around as if with ast hope, and raised his head. He could take his time and find everyone who was hiding, but would that be a worthy battle?


    Of course not.


    "What is he doing...?" Tirana, sitting behind the salt hill, muttered, watching intently as Thunder Demon opened his jaw wide.


    Thunder Demon''s eyes abruptly went wide as his entire body trembled.


    "ROOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRR!!!"


    Then, a terrifying roar came out from the depths of his throat, spreading hundreds or even thousands of meters away. The Phantoms closest to Thunder Demon had their eardrums ruptured, their ears bleeding, and their faces pale with fear.


    "Is he calling for someone...?" Adam suggested, looking around, "But... who?"


    Fred frowned heavily, realizing that the situation had just gotten a lot worse.


    "Someone strong enough to fight him. Well, now it''s all down to luck. Hopefully, someone won''t be stronger than Thunder Demon or we can start writing wills right now." Fred bit his lip until it was bloody, with a great grimace on his face.


    Adam stared at Thunder Demon and whispered slightly lost:


    ''Stronger than Thunder Demon...? Wait, given the circumstances, it can only be one creature... Are we really going to be that unlucky...?'' Adam''s eyes went wide when he realized what could be waiting for them.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Strangely enough, someone did respond to Thunder Demon''s call. Some kind of creature, moving quickly towards the anomalies cluster, but not on the ground but in the air, using its two massive wings.


    However, Thunder Demon could start to rejoice, for along with this creature came several dozen others, not as strong as their leader, but capable enough.


    A random stream of wind reached Thunder Demon as he turned sharply towards the north. After a few seconds, he sensed powerful auras, and waiting a bit longer, he finally saw the first shadow that was particrly fast heading towards him.


    Naturally, all the Phantoms and even the monsters were staring in the same direction.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    The shadow stopped in front of the lightning barrier of anomalies, allowing everyone to get a proper look at it.


    It was a tall girl with pale skin, snow-white long hair, and violet eyes with two pupils that moved around from time to time.


    The girl had no breasts, only a t torso with a deep triangr neckline formed by her chestte, the edges of which were hammered into the girl''s flesh with steel nails. There was no blood, for the topyer of her skin consisted of tough jade, providing excellent protection.


    The girl''s arms up to her elbows were bare, then began high gauntlets with sharp edges and pointed fingertips.


    Two angel-like white wings grew from the girl''s back, showing her superiority over the rest of the creatures here. On her head was a silver tiara, partially hidden by the locks of her hair.


    The girl''s lower body was what set her apart from the Crown Type, for she had no legs, but instead had a wide iron dress like a battle princess, from underneath which emanated a soft and gentle white light, with particles falling downwards like innocent snowkes.


    The weapon of this unusual monster was a huge two-handed sword with a snow-white de sharpened on both sides and a long hilt.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Soon, a few more simr monsters appeared behind the girl, they were a bit shorter, not as beautiful and elegant, and their wings were gray and dirty.


    They had one-handed weapons and shields, but they all remotely resembled girls who had a chance to be as incredible as their leader.


    Their leader was Conqueror Jade Lady, the Top-3 among all Purple Threat Level monsters.

 Chapter 217: Essence Monster (Part 29)

    Sometimes, though very rarely, monsters could look even better than humans in some parts.


    The Conqueror Jade Lady was one of those monsters, but the other Jade Ladies weren''t nasty creatures and looked like humans unless one gazed into their eyes and looked above the waist.


    However, one could never forget that Jade Lady was a monster, her double pupils, wings, andck of legs were clear proof, moreover, humans couldn''t have skin as white as a sheet of paper.


    "Conqueror Type...?" Adam muttered, staring at the Jade Lady, he couldn''t take his eyes off her. It seemed that her beauty was mesmerizing, the perfect face was enough.


    ''Yes. Shees right after the North Keeper you defeated during Eclipse. Unlike Thunder Demon, Conqueror Jade Lady usually only appears at night, but it seems Thunder Demon''s roar caused her to break from her sleep ande here.'' Silvana calmly said.


    Then, she continued:


    ''The regr Jade Ladies can be found in the daytime, as you can see, the Ladies havee for their leader.''


    Adam nodded.


    "Yeah, I understand. She is Conqueror One, so without subordinates, she would be weaker than all the other Types. If she''s that strong, it means she''s smart enough to realize that Thunder Demon isn''t an opponent she can attack alone." Adam narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Jade Lady, who raised her massive sword in front of her.


    Fred breathed a sigh of relief. Out of all the options of who coulde to Thunder Demon''s roar, Jade Lady was the best, for their battle would be a long one - just enough time for the Phantoms to wait for help.


    "Well, it looks like luck is on our side this time... Though I hardly have the right to say that considering how many Thunder Demon has already killed..." Fred muttered with a dark look.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Jade Lady''s snow-white sword trembled, filling with the power of light like a bringer of heaven. Then, she elegantly raised the sword above her head before abruptly bringing it down.


    At the same moment, the smooth de of light cut through the hundreds of lightning bolts blocking her path, for one purpose only - so that Jade Lady could walk onto the battlefield, along with her subordinates.


    Jade Lady''s wings came into motion as she quickly found herself in the arena.


    Thunder Demon''s corners of mouth went up as he tilted his head, in a heartbeat, appearing directly in front of Jade Lady.


    Jade Lady''s eyes went wide, and all her four purple pupils focused on the horrible opponent in front of her. Although Thunder Demon didn''t have wings, his powerful legs were strong enough to jump dozens of meters up.


    Thunder Demon, with obvious delight in his eyes, slightly opened his jaw, showing his teeth filled with lightning energy, and then his paw fell on Jade Lady''s face, clutching her head tightly.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    With a sudden movement, Thunder Demon threw Jade Lady down, aiming to damage her first.


    However, Jade Lady was not about to let Thunder Demon take the initiative so easily and start dominating their fight.


    She opened her wings wide, slowing her fall considerably.


    "Damn, although she hasn''t used her Type''s abilities yet, but it looks like it won''t be easy for Thunder Demon this time at all." Adam suggested, watching as Jade Lady''s fall got slower and slower.


    Fred nced away with a skeptical expression on his face.


    "Yeah, except... Have we seen what Thunder Demon can do? Of course not, that bastard hasn''t been serious even once yet."


    As if to prove his words, Thunder Demon arrogantly raised his head and quickly spun around elerating his fall downwards.


    Then, upon reaching Jade Lady''s level, Thunder Demon abruptly stopped with all speed, copsing his tail onto Jade Lady''s stomach.


    There was a loud cracking sound, from the damaged jadeyer, and Jade Lady''s eyes went wide with pain.


    A shockwave in the shape of a wide wind ring plunged Jade Lady into the ground with such great speed that salt waves came off her fall like an explosion.


    "Holy shit..." Adam muttered, in disbelief, realizing that this was no ordinary centipede or Dark Tyrant, this was Jade Lady - Top 3! She had to be only slightly weaker than Thunder Demon!


    However, nothing was over yet, for Conqueror Type were not known for their physical or energy power, but for their subordinates.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Jade Lady''s sword shone brightly again as she swung her massive sword several times, releasing a hail of des at Thunder Demon.


    Thunder Demon narrowed his eyes,nded, and bounced to the side, dodging each de perfectly.


    That was the first time Thunder Demon chose not to block an attack, which could only mean one thing - Jade Lady could injure him. Thunder Demon felt it on an instinctive level.


    Then, Jade Lady put her palm to her chest, pointed her sword at Thunder Demon, and her snow-white hair soared upwards.


    A golden spark emerged from the tip of her sword, which instantly appeared on Thunder Demon''s chest.


    Thunder Demon looked down, scratching his chest with his sharp ws in an attempt to remove the mark, but he failed.


    Just now, Jade Lady marked him as a target for her subordinates, and the mark would only disappear on one condition - when one of them died.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Immediately, dozens of Ladies rushed forward, aiming their swords at Thunder Demon. Their bodies were now covered in a golden glow, making them much stronger than they were originally.


    However... Conqueror Jade Lady had a hidden ability in her enhancement that Thunder Demon was not yet aware of.


    Not a few secondster, dozens of monsters surrounded Thunder Demon, forcing him to defend himself.


    ...


    While Jade Lady and her subordinates were fighting against Thunder Demon, someone quite strong had already reached Iron Beacon.


    A few jumps were enough for a man with short ck hair and a dark blue coat to climb to the top. Most of his body and clothes were covered in blood, but it already dried, and... only a small portion of that blood belonged to him.


    "Damn, it took me longer than I thought to get here. Well, there''s not much left." Prago sighed heavily, looking ahead.


    Iron Beacon had the best view of the anomalies cluster, from where Prago could see everything in detail.


    "What the fuck... Am... I... Am I dreaming?" Prago muttered in disbelief, looking at the Thunder Demon tearing apart the Ladies with gray wings.


    ''Yeah, you got that right. It all started with the arrival of the dark Phantoms, they were trying to capture Adam, but as you can see, a lot has changed from your original purpose...'' The girl, Prago''s Operator exined.


    Prago nced at Thunder Demon, at Conqueror Jade Lady, and then his gaze shifted to Tirana hiding behind the salt hill.


    After a few seconds, Prago turned to the ruins where Adam, Fred, and the wounded Ester with Romeo were staying.


    Prago frowned heavily, literally burning Adam with his gaze.


    "Why...? Why is he hiding?"


    ''Should I ask him that? I can request ess to his channel.'' The girl asked.


    "No, Adelia, don''t you dare do that. I''ll find out for myself, moreover... it seems I have more important things to do..." Prago said sternly before looking to the east.


    A dark disk was rapidly approaching the anomalies cluster, which was another monster responding to Thunder Demon''s call, to his invitation to fight.

 Chapter 218: Essence Monster (Part 30)

    The circr creature was quickly approaching the anomalies cluster, about to join the great battle between some of the strongest Purple Threat Level monsters.


    It wasn''t as fast as Jade Lady, but another half a minute, and the creature would be in ce. In fact, it wasn''t a disk or even round, it was just a monster that could fold into that shape because it was an Obsidian Armadillo.


    However, the differences from a regr armadillo were significant, because Obsidian Armadillo was a Top-5 monster. Yeah, it wasn''t impressivepared to Thunder Demon and Jade Lady, but... Obsidian Armadillo could be surprised by its speed, abilities, and especially - its defense.


    The outer part of the Obsidian Armadillo''s body, including its back, head, tail, and paws, was covered with dark crystals that were sharp and incredibly strong.


    The crystals were so tightly packed that even a thin de couldn''t slip between them.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Obsidian Armadillo bounced high, crashing straight into the dense barrier formed by hundreds of random lightning bolts. Jade Lady had to use her sword to create a gap for a while, but for Obsidian Armadillo, it was much easier.


    The lightning bolts came at Obsidian Armadillo with all their might, and all they aplished was nothing. Just like that, Obsidian Armadillo took zero damage from the attack that Jade Lady was wary of.


    It was worth realizing that this one was a Prime Type, otherwise, it wouldn''t have been a Top 5 but would have been much, much lower in the rankings.


    Obsidian Armadillos were quiet monsters,pared to the others, they rarely fought and chose one partner for life.


    Considering these and many other various factors, this meant that Prime Types were rare among Obsidian Armadillos, as almost all of them were roughly equal in strength, and Prime One had to be one of the strongest of its species.


    However, when a Prime Type appeared among Obsidian Armadillos, it was so strong that it was rated as a Top-5, but... it wasn''t that simple.


    In terms of defense, Obsidian Armadillos were probably the best of all Purple Threat Level monsters, moreover, they had a unique ability that allowed them to use difficult situations to their advantage.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The crystals shook as the Obsidian Armadillo stopped, standing up on his massive paws, controlling the bnce of his body with his tail.


    Unlike normal armadillos, his belly was not a weak point, his stomach was covered in stic protective tes like any part of his body except for his jaw, nose, and eyes.


    The Obsidian Armadillo had two pointed ears, a small but powerful jaw with several rows of teeth, and a long, spiky tongue. All of his instincts were at the highest level, for their survival depended on it.


    Obsidian Armadillo looked around, ring at Thunder Demon and Jade Lady. His pupils narrowed, allowing him to see the fight at close range.


    For a while, Obsidian Armadillo watched the two strongest creatures battle, and he seemed ready to do so for a long time, but... soon, the tips of his ears trembled.


    In a heartbeat, Obsidian Armadillo curled into a ball, remaining in the same spot.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The sharp de of the halberd rained down on the dark crystals, causing a shudder throughout the monster''s body that quickly traveled to the ground.


    Prago frowned. Although he was a K2-Phantom, he wasn''t strong enough to kill the most protected monster of the Purple Threat Level with a simple attack of his Nexus.


    Obsidian Armadillo trembled, then began to rapidly spin, heading forward, unwilling to fight against someone who was a level higher in strength than him.


    "Tsk. Here''s the problem..." Prago snorted with a grudging face as he ced the halberd on his shoulder.


    Crack. Crack. Crack.


    Several anomalous monsters emerged from underground, quickly heading towards Prago. If they had a chance to get rid of even one threat to the anomalies, they should do so.


    For the monsters, Prago seemed to be the perfect target, for his aura was weak, and he had a strong odor of blood, indicating that he was badly wounded and exhausted.


    Prago turned around and looked at the monsters with a confused face. The monsters stopped, they didn''t expect Prago to notice them so easily.


    "Really?" Prago raised an eyebrow in confusion, "I don''t believe you can be so stupid. Unlike humans, you rely more on instincts than intelligence... Then why?"


    Prago tilted his head and looked down, seeing his bloody body.


    "Agh... I see..." Prago muttered with a deep gaze, "Well, you''re lucky I don''t have time to fight you."


    Prago turned towards the ruins and said with a heavy sigh, "I have to pay someone back. Sometimes, we all fall into the trap we helped others out of... It''s all about someone lending a hand in time, that''s all it takes to save a man''s fate."


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Prago swung his halberd behind him, raising waves of salt that scattered a handful of monsters.


    Then, with a confident look, he rushed forward, aiming for the ruins. From time to time, Prago nced to his left, at Thunder Demon, Jade Lady, and Obsidian Armadillo moving towards them, but he wasn''t going to engage in battle just yet.


    Prago was a K2-Phantom, but in front of him were three of the five strongest monsters a K1-Phantom could face.


    Only if Prago was at the peak of the K2 like Tron and was at his prime, he might not be afraid to attack them.


    Yeah, after the incident in the prison, Prago had gotten stronger, regaining his desire to fight and confidence, but he was still at the average level of the K2 and was exhausted after fighting another K2-Phantom earlier.


    All in all, Prago couldn''t handle Thunder Demon, Jade Lady, and Obsidian Armadillo alone in this state. He would triviallyck both energy and physical stamina, not to mention the more difficult parts of such a battle.


    "ROOOOOOOAAAAARRRRRR!!!"


    Thunder Demon roared furiously, shaking the ground again, but not because he wanted to call out new opponents, but because of the Ladies that had already shredded his entire body.


    They were strong and fast, having received considerable reinforcement from their leader, yet none of them could wound Thunder Demon really badly. Their swords only left light cuts on his body, but there were so many of them that it began to annoy Thunder Demon.


    Then, Thunder Demon began to beat his tail on the ground, and his eyes shone brightly, causing a cascade of lightning to rain down on the surrounding Ladies.


    Jade Lady waved her hand as if giving an order, and all the Ladies covered themselves with their wings and put up shields for protection.


    However... hardly such weak creatures were able to defend themselves against Thunder Demon''s wrath.


    The lightning bolts tore the Ladies apart, their protectiveyer of jade not helping them. They fell to the ground like statues, shattering into several pieces with nk stares.


    However... Jade Lady didn''t even frown, for she had been prepared for this from the beginning. Her sword shone again as each Lady''s eyes opened with a golden light.


    Then, parts of their bodies trembled, beginning to fuse and repair.


    Thunder Demon narrowed his eyes as his pupils shifted sharply to the side, and a smirk appeared on his face.


    Bam.


    A ck disk came out of nowhere and mmed into Jade Lady, who hadn''t even realized what had happened, yet.

 Chapter 219: Essence Monster (Part 31)

    Every warrior had to have either a tactic, a favorite strategy, or especially a sense ofbat, to know how to fight and how toe to victory was the most important thing.


    Certain tactics were usually used by the calcting or those who were slightly weaker than their opponent, and Jade Lady fit those criteria perfectly.


    Her position was lowerpared to Thunder Demon, and considering it was Top-2 and Top-3, the difference was significant. The monsters from the Top-99 and Top-100 were almost equal in strength, but the higher up, the more each position in the rankings mattered.


    Moreover, the Conqueror Type couldn''t directly fight against Prime, Crown, or Essence Types. In a 1 vs. 1, the Conqueror Type was the weakest, but that was the specialty of this Type because only they had subordinates they could empower.


    Jade Lady''s tactic was quite simple but effective - she was going to drain Thunder Demon, and her subordinates were the best way to do that.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    As soon as the golden glint coated Jade Lady''s sword, the shattered Ladies began to regenerate. Parts of their bodies attached themselves, bonding with a bright light before bing one piece again.


    Thunder Demon only smirked, he didn''t even look at the Ladies, for he didn''t consider them worthy opponents. He was watching someone who he thought was quite interesting.


    Whoooooooooooooooooosh.


    Hundreds of dark crystals, like indestructible des, spun at tremendous speed, leaving hundreds of tiny cuts on Jade Lady''s perfect, pale skin.


    Jade Lady''s eyes went wide as she swung her arm, trying to stop the spinning disk, but... she didn''t have enough strength to do it.


    The Obsidian Armadillo only elerated, causing Jade Lady to p her wings and fly high up, fleeing the encounter in shame.


    Strangely enough, all of her wounds were actively healing, she was able to restore her protective jadeyer as long as she had the energy to do so.


    Jade Lady looked at Thunder Demon and swung her sword, ordering her subordinates to step back and stand in front of her like her personal army.


    "Rgha... Rgha... Rgha..." Thunder Demon made a strange sound simr toughter, but not human, but a monster, with an obvious wheeze, and part of a menacing roar.


    Jade Lady frowned, she felt that Thunder Demon was mocking her.


    Whoooooooosh.


    At the same time, Obsidian Armadillo unfolded, standing up on the ground and looking at his would-be opponents. They had alle here for one purpose - to fight, so they had to be prepared to die.


    It was unknown how long these three would look at each other before they began to fight, but this was an opportunity for the Phantoms to take a break. But... was that really the case?


    Bam.


    A man with a long dark blue coat jumped onto the ruins, heading towards Adam and Fred with a confident stride.


    They hadn''t noticed him yet, for their gazes were fixed on the three monsters that could start fighting at any moment.


    "Hey, what the hell are you doing here?" Prago said menacingly, rising behind Adam.


    "Agh...?" Adam''s eyes went wide when he heard the familiar voice as he abruptly turned around only to meet Prago''s cold gaze.


    "Prago...?" Adam muttered, puzzled. He didn''t know which particr K2-Phantom had rushed to their rescue, and in fact, he had already forgotten about it. There was too much going on for him to remember such a small thing.


    Prago nodded deeply, looked closely at Adam, and said:


    "And? You''ve clearly fought, I can tell by your tired look and a few wounds, but... unlike them, you can still fight, can''t you?" Prago frowned, pointing at Ester and Romeo lying on the floor.


    Adam didn''t answer anything, he just stared at Prago, not understanding what he wanted from him.


    The first thing Adam thought was that Prago wanted to get him in trouble for what had happened at Fall Hill Prison, but he quickly realized from Prago''s gaze that it was something else entirely.


    There was no anger in Prago''s eyes, only irritation and obvious disappointment... in Adam, the one who had helped him get back on track.


    Adam nced at Fred and hesitantly said:


    "We... We''re waiting for help to arrive! There are dark Phantoms and three Top-5 monsters here! Even if I wasn''t injured and weakened, I''m not an idiot to fight them!" Adam waved his hand, seeming to realize what Prago was getting at.


    Fred wanted to say something, for he was inplete agreement with this n. It was pragmatic and most importantly - safe.


    In their situation, the most important thing was to survive, wasn''t it?


    Crackle.


    Prago abruptly grabbed Adam by the cor, pinning him forcefully against the wall with a deadly serious look.


    Adam tried to free himself from Prago''s grip, but he simply didn''t have enough strength to do so. After all, Prago was a K2-Phantom and was physically stronger.


    "What the hell did I just hear?!" Prago shouted like a fan genuinely disappointed in his idol, the sincerity was visible in every detail.


    Adam gulped.


    "Afraid to fight monsters? You? Dark Phantoms? Fuck you!" Prago growled as he mmed his fist into his own chest, "You''re fucked up and confident enough to fight against a K2-Phantom, against me, and win!"


    Prago continued his righteous speech:


    "After you beat me, humiliated me, and destroyed my old world, I was finally able toe back and be Phantom again. I thought that when I came here, I would see you standing in the middle of a sea of blood, tearing monsters apart, but... I only met disappointment!"


    Adam''s eyes went wide as something deep inside him clicked, and his gaze slowly began to change.


    "I won''t hide it, it was difficult, admitting defeat. I took advantage of my status and found as much information about you as I could. You never ran or hid. Shit, you killed a Steel Knight when you were almost a rookie and chopped apart Dark Phantoms even though you said you didn''t fight humans before!" Prago uttered, with a hard stare.


    Bam.


    Prago tossed Adam aside, pointing his halberd at him, a dangerous glint running across it.


    "Nothing stopped you before! You did what had to be done! Needed to kill a monster - you killed! Had to sh Dark Phantoms - you shed! Had to defeat a K2-Phantom to get out of prison - you won!" Prago shouted, his hand shaking slightly.


    Prago bit his lip, clenching his fist tightly.


    "Tsk. You are not the Adam Vinter I fought against. I don''t see you as the light that helped me out of the hole I put myself in! I see only the same dark, fearful blur I''ve been all along!"


    Prago was silent. At that time, Adam rose slowly and walked toward him.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam passed Prago, stopping at the edge of the ruins and staring at Thunder Demon, Jade Lady, and Obsidian Armadillo.


    ''Adam! Don''t even think about it! It''s too dangerous! Prago''s offer will only lead you to death!'' Silvana eximed in panic, realizing that Prago''s speech was having its effect.


    Slowly, Adam touched his earbud and said:


    "Silvana, shut up."


    Silvana''s face turned pale with shivers all over her body.


    At the same moment, Adam''s eyes filled with blood, and all of his veins swelled violently. His Evolution Tree was trembling vigorously, preparing to fight to the limit.

 Chapter 220: Essence Monster (Part 32)

    Resonance was the highest state that the Phantom could reach during battle. It most often appeared in deadlybat, but the true reason for it was something other than trivial danger.


    The Phantom''s desire to fight and conquer was the key element for the Phantom to reach the peak of its strength for a short period. Evolution Tree was actively shaking, forcing all of Phantom''s genes to work at their maximum potential.


    It could bepared to the adrenaline rush of an ordinary person, a hidden resource that couldn''t be utilized for long, but Resonance was on apletely different level.


    However, it was a dangerous power, leading to extreme exhaustion, so... Adam had to act fast.


    Tap.


    Prago walked over to Adam and ced a hand on his shoulder.


    "Good. I recognize you now." Prago smirked, then he turned to Fred, "Are you going to help us, or are you going to sit in the corner like a scared rat?"


    Fred rolled his eyes and slowly stood up, kicking dust off his pants.


    "Tsk. Like I have a choice. Youe in here and ruin everything." Fred said irritably, but he was already clutching his bow tightly, preparing to attack.


    "What''s the n here?" Adam asked, staring intently at Thunder Demon. Even though Prago was the strongest among them, it was obvious to everyone that Adam was going to fight Thunder Demon.


    Prago scratched his chin, looking at the entire battlefield. Then, his gaze stopped on Tirana, who was still hiding behind the salt hill.


    "Adam will take on Thunder Demon, you cover him." Prago pointed at Fred.


    Fred nodded, but soon, he frowned since there were two other dangerous enemies besides Thunder Demon.


    "What about Jade Lady and Obsidian Armadillo? I doubt they''ll just stand by and watch us fight." Fred waved his hand.


    Prago smirked.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll take the Obsidian Armadillo on my own. You simply won''t have the strength to prate its armor, that''s for sure." Prago said.


    It was worth realizing that just waiting it out wasn''t a safe option.


    Sooner orter, one of the three monsters would be exhausted, and then they would look for easy prey to regain their strength. Obviously, it will be Phantoms, which can be killed quickly and easily, because they are limited to the area of the anomalies cluster.


    Therefore, Fred''s n was also risky, as everything depended on luck - whether the monsters would find them or not. However, attacking three monsters from the Top-5 was even riskier... there was no right solution in this situation.


    "That only leaves Jade Lady, right?" Adam asked in a calm voice.


    Prago nodded as a sly smirk appeared on his face.


    "Yeah, don''t worry. I''ll take care of it. Not that I intend to fight against Obsidian Armadillo and Jade Lady at the same time, but you don''t have to worry about that." Prago said confidently before leaping forward.


    Prago waved his hand.


    "Wait for my n toe to action, then get started. You have a few minutes to gather your courage." Prago''sst words sounded before he disappeared.


    Adam and Fred nced over, nodding to each other. They had worked together before, not 1 & 1 but in arger squad, but they knew what they were capable of.


    ''Adam...'' Silvana muttered uncertainly. Never before had Adam spoken to her so roughly and powerfully at the same time. She had mixed feelings, figuring out which she didn''t have time to sort out.


    "I will fight Thunder Demon and take his Essence. You will assist me and tell me how I can kill him. Silvana, that is an order, is that clear to you?" Adam said sternly, leaving Silvana no other option but to obey.


    An Operator who couldn''t follow the direct orders of his Phantom was worse than garbage - this was told repeatedly to all Operators at the academy, it was an invible rule.


    ''But... Adam... That monster, Thunder Demon can actually kill you... I don''t want you to risk your life again... You have a safer option...'' Silvana muttered uncertainly. Adam''s words had a profound effect on her, and she was not like herself.


    "Silvana, you don''t fight, you help. If I were to listen to you, I would run away even from Prime Stone Goliath. Only I know the full extent of what I am capable of because I can feel it." Adam said calmly, clenching his fist tightly and looking at his swollen veins.


    Adam continued:


    "Shit, pull yourself together. I need you now, what happened to you? You''re the Operator - you can give advice, and I can follow it or not, but if I give orders, you obey!"


    Silvana gulped as a shiver went through her entire body along with a wave of shame. She herself felt that she was acting too emotional.


    Silvana was ashamed because what Adam was saying was the basis of all the basics of the rtionship between the Phantom and the Operator.


    After a few seconds, Adam sighed heavily.


    "Don''t worry. As always, I''ll be the sword and you the mind. Deal?" Adam said slowly, his words seemed to prate directly into Silvana''s soul.


    Silvana ahhed as her eyes went wide. The trembling stopped, and she felt everything fall into ce, the positions were clearly defined, which meant it was time to act!


    ''Yes. I understand you. I support whatever decision you make.'' Silvana gathered her thoughts.


    Adam nodded.


    "Good."


    Adam was acting unemotional, but the reason wasn''t Silvana or the situation, it was Resonance. His emotions were reduced to the extreme, leaving only seriousness, authority, and coldness in his voice.


    ''Although Thunder Demon surpasses you in strength, we can take advantage of hisck of seriousness and the fact that he only recently became an Essence Type. Given your abilities, we have a chance, but... there will be dire consequences. Listen to me carefully.'' Silvana said seriously, quickly telling Adam her n.


    From time to time, Adam nodded, while his gaze grew deeper and darker. Soon, everything on the battlefield blurred and seemed to disappear, except for Thunder Demon.


    Fred, who had been watching Adam all this time, nodded slightly. He had heard their conversation, only Adam''s part of it, but he understood what it was about.


    ''Well... After all, we''re not robots, rtionships are a tricky thing, especially when, with every battle, your life could be on the line.'' Fred mused as he closed his eyes, thinking of Mika, his Operator.


    She was the most vulnerable and insecure person Fred knew, but her sincerity was impable.


    ''Fine, my confidence is enough for both of us. It''s always about having someone to rely on, isn''t it?'' Fred smiled bitterly before grabbing his bow and getting into position.


    Unlike Adam he didn''t resonate, so he had to keep an eye on the whole battlefield at once.


    Fred nced at Adam, and a confident smirk appeared on his face.


    ''Well,st time it was you and Alexia against Top-4, North Keeper, now it''s you and me against Top-2... Let''s see what we can do.''


    Step. Step. Step.


    At the same time, Prago was approaching the three monsters, but strangely enough, he wasn''t looking at Obsidian Armadillo, but at Jade Lady floating in the air.

 Chapter 221: Essence Monster (Part 33)

    Step. Step. Step.


    Prago ran forward, stepping on the blood-covered salt ground. He was probably the only one here who could walk straight towards the three strongest monsters without fear of being killed instantly.


    ''What''s next? Take on Obsidian Armadillo and Jade Lady? Yeah, in your condition you''ll be able to hold them off for a while, but no more than that. You can''t stand up to two of them at once.'' Adelia said with a serious voice.


    Prago smirked.


    "Don''t worry about it. Like I said earlier, I''m not going to fight Jade Lady. I have a better candidate for that. However... I need to act quickly." Prago''s look became serious as he appeared next to Obsidian Armadillo.


    No one had noticed him yet, but thanks to his instincts, Obsidian Armadillo had managed to curl up, taking on a protective form that seemed impossible to prate. But, Prago wasn''t going to do that, at least not now.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    A water disk appeared in front of Prago''s palm as he attacked the monster. Sure, such a simple attack that was Prago''s First Order couldn''t hurt Obsidian Armadillo, his dark crystals just absorbed all the damage, but... the force of inertia from the momentum didn''t go anywhere.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The Obsidian Armadillo shuddered violently as the impact threw the dark disk aside, several meters away.


    Thunder Demon tilted his head in confusion.


    Just now, one of them had been attacked, but Obsidian Armadillo was not his ally. In this case, it didn''t matter whether Phantom or Monster, Thunder Demon just wanted worthy opponents, and Prago could be one.


    "Rgha... Rgha... Rgha..." Thunder Demon threateningly wheezed, as he was about to step forward to greet Prago.


    However... Prago wasn''t going to stay here for too long, after all, he didn''te here to fight.


    Prago extended his hand towards Jade Lady, as a water vortex appeared around his wrist.


    Jade Lady was wary, she narrowed her eyes at Prago and prepared to deflect the attack.


    Prago smirked as several powerful tentacles emerged from the water stream. Before the Jade Lady could realize anything, the tentacles were around her from all sides, preventing her from even opening her wings.


    Anyway, Prago was a K2-Phantom, and this was his Second Order. Even the strongest Purple Threat Level monsters couldn''t easily resist his attacks.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Multiple Ladies, simultaneously attacked the tentacles, trying to free their leader from captivity, but... their swords couldn''t even leave a scratch on the tentacles.


    "Hey, sorry for the intrusion, but I''m going to have to take her away. I think it would make sense to have onedy fighting against another, don''t you?" Prago smiled bitterly before drawing his hand to his side.


    Naturally, the Jade Lady couldn''t resist, though every time she swung her sword she chopped off parts of the tentacles.


    Then, Prago swung his arm sharply and tossed Jade Lady to the side, moving her from one point on the battlefield to apletely different one.


    That wasn''t the end of it, for Prago leaped forward, grabbed Jade Lady with his tentacles again, and lowered his gaze downward.


    Strangely enough, below him, a few meters away was Tirana, who was watching Prago with wide-open eyes.


    Deep inside, she hoped it was just a coincidence because Prago couldn''t have done all this on purpose, could he?


    Well... She was soon to realize that her hopes were futile.


    "Good luck!" Prago smiled broadly, waving at her like an old friend before throwing Jade Lady straight at Tirana.


    "Bastard!" Tirana eximed furiously, as her eyes shone brightly and a massive ming sword appeared in her hand.


    It seemed that Jade Lady was supposed to continue hunting Prago, but by the time Jade Lady reached the ground, Prago had already disappeared, ending up next to Obsidian Armadillo.


    Jade Lady obviously realized that she couldn''t defeat Prago, at least not without severe wounds, so she needed to choose an easier target.


    Tirana bit her lip to the blood as she looked at the dozens of Ladies striving to defend their leader. She realized that she could have died in this battle because she was facing the third strongest monster a K1-Phantom like her could encounter.


    Thus, Thunder Demon was left alone once again. Prago quickly made Obsidian Armadillo and Jade Lady find opponents, and only Thunder Demon had none.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    It was starting to really annoy him, Thunder Demon gritted his teeth, releasing outward electrical discharges from his jaw.


    Bam.


    At the same moment, a water explosion urred not far from Obsidian Armadillo Prago, who was already actively fighting. Then, a pir of light and a ming st appeared in another part of the battlefield.


    "ROOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!"


    Thunder Demon roared furiously, releasing random lightning discharges, turning the saltnds around him into a field of molten ck mass.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Before Thunder Demon decided to unleash his righteous anger, several misty arrows headed towards him.


    Thunder Demon''s eyes narrowed as he stretched forward his arm, catching the arrows and simply breaking them like fragile matches.


    If North Keeper could stop Fred''s most powerful arrow, it was no problem for Thunder Demon.


    "Rgha... Rgha... Rghaa..." Thunder Demon growled while staring intently at Fred.


    Fred was more than a hundred meters away from him, but his eyes were calm and filled with confidence.


    Thunder Demon waved his hand nonchntly as if to say, ''You may be weak, but I will fight you. It''s better than nothing and endless boredom!''


    Step. Step. Step.


    Thunder Demon took a few steps forward, about to speed up, but something made him stop.


    The monster abruptly turned his head to the side, only to see a ck silhouette sprinting across the salt hills and rapidly approaching him.


    Adam''s legs were covered in electric shocks, and in his hand was a snow-white needle. He may not have been at peak strength due to fatigue, but that only limited his abilities. His physical stats and the needle were with him.


    In a heartbeat, Thunder Demon realized everything as a wide grin appeared on his face, spreading across his entire face.


    "Rgha...?" Thunder Demon got a baffled look when Adam disappeared behind the salt hill. The monster turned around, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t figure out where Adam, who was in his field of vision, was hiding!


    Whoooooooosh.


    Several salt crystals, quite tiny, shed before Thunder Demon''s eyes. In thest of them, he saw a dark spot that quickly grewrger, for it was Adam''s reflection!


    "RGHAAA!!!"


    Thunder Demon roared,shing his tail behind him, fully confident that Adam had circled him from behind.


    However... The fisting down on his face was clear proof of how wrong he was.


    Crack. Crack. Crack.


    All of Adam''s muscles tensed to the limit, his punch was executed with perfect speed and trajectory, and his feet held him firmly to the ground, allowing him to unleash the full force of his body into a single point.


    A pulse, traveled through Thunder Demon''s head, making his skin tingle and spreading in waves across his face.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    The massive body of the Thunder Demon flew off to the side, causing the eyes of all the spectators to go wide.


    But... not even a secondter, the Thunder Demon spun in midair, bringing his powerful legs down to the ground.


    Thunder Demon''s eyes narrowed as he licked the trickle of blooding out of the corner of his mouth, while the mes of battle were actively burning in his gaze.

 Chapter 222: Essence Monster (Part 34)

    "Oh, that''s interesting. Looks like sending Prago was the right decision." The man in the dark military suit muttered, standing in the center of the spacious room and staring at the main,rgest screen.


    Dozens of people were working right now to resolve the incident with the dark Phantoms. However, it was only a small group at first, but soon, with the appearance of an anomalies cluster and Thunder Demon, everything changed.


    Dous sighed heavily, looking at the screens transmitting information from the Phantoms'' NEPs.


    "Agh... Well, now it all depends on individual performance... Thunder Demon, Jade Lady, and Obsidian Armadillo... In a way, they''re lucky it''s daytime, and the first one didn''t show up." Dous said with a serious look, "Otherwise, they would already be dead..."


    Dous was obviously talking about the strongest monster of the Purple Threat Level. As the head of the Fort Norton, he had seen thousands of battles against all sorts of monsters in his long career.


    Probably he knew better than most Phantoms what monsters were capable of, especially the strongest of them.


    Strangely enough, the weakest of the three in the current situation was Jade Lady. Sure enough, she was at the third rank, while Obsidian Armadillo was fifth.


    The thing was that Obsidian Armadillo was easy to run away from, but if one had to fight him, it was extremely difficult to break through his armor, almost impossible for K1-Phantom.


    Well, that was why Prago, who definitely had the strength to do so, came out against Obsidian Armadillo.


    "Hey, I had a tough fight before, and I just used Second Order, so... how about we attack each other until one of us falls?" Prago suggested, pointing his halberd at Obsidian Armadillo.


    It was unlikely that Obsidian Armadillo understood what he was saying, but such strong monsters were smart enough to understand everything by emotions, tone of voice, and gestures.


    Thus, the first thing Obsidian Armadillo did was curl up.


    Prago frowned, Obsidian Armadillo realized that fighting against Prago was deadly.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Obsidian Armadillo trembled as cracks appeared in its dark crystals. A thick purple mist emerged from the cracks, covering the entire Obsidian Armadillo in a dense substance.


    Prago raised an eyebrow, dashed forward, and brought his halberd down on Obsidian Armadillo with all his might.


    As soon as the de reached the mist, it slowed considerably, to the point where it soon came to aplete stop without ever touching a single crystal.


    Prago frowned heavily. Sure, it was his simple attack, but he couldn''t even get through the outeryer of defense of the Obsidian Armadillo, let alone the main one.


    "Any ideas?" Prago asked, touching his earbud, "I could use Third Order and kill him, but then I''ll just fall without strength and be useless."


    ''Well... Considering that lightning bolts are useless in this case, you''ll have to take your chances. If you don''t want to waste all your energy, you''ll have to open him up like a tin can and gut him.'' Adelia said confidently, directing her Phantom.


    Prago nodded as he looked around.


    "Yeah... I probably should hurry up."


    ...


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    The Ladies dropped to the ground like living projectiles, trying to wound Tirana, who was running away from them. It was the second time she had called upon her sword which was her Second Order, so the only thing she could count on in this situation was her Nexus.


    But... What was Tirana''s Nexus? It wasn''t a weapon, in that she was like Adam with his needle.


    ''Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I came here to quickly grab Adam Vinter and get back to the Lower Ring! Why the hell do I have to fight against Jade Lady now?! Fucking Phantom!


    Not only did he defeat our K2, but he''s giving me so much trouble!'' Tirana internally eximed furiously, dodging the Ladies.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Thanks to their sturdy bodies, the Ladies simply put their swords in front of them, folded their wings, and swooped down on Tirana at full speed. The salt crystals couldn''t harm them, after falling, they quickly recovered, flew up into the air, and attacked again.


    ''Considering that she can recover her subordinates, it makes no sense for me to waste my strength on destroying them...'' Tirana pondered, ''I don''t know if Adam Vinter will survive, but I must take my revenge... and fulfill my mission. I can''t waste all my trump cards on that bitch!''


    At the same moment, Tirana stopped abruptly, sliding across the salt surface. From the abrupt stop, her clothes fluttered, especially the chain around her neck with the golden cross and encrusted rubies.


    Tirana''s eyes glowed brightly when the cross burst into scarlet mes, releasing massive streams that headed for her back.


    In a heartbeat, the mes transformed into two unstable wings covering Tirana''s back like her loyal defenders.


    "Let''s see how strong your wings are." Tirana whispered, gazing intently at the Jade Lady.


    She hadn''t noticed it at the time, but as her wings appeared, Tirana''s veins swelled, forcing her to focus solely on her opponent.


    Her wings came in motion, turning her into a fire sh that ended up right in front of Jade Lady.


    Jade Lady''s eyes went wide, only to see a ming swording down on her at great speed.


    ...


    Random streams of wind swept across the saltnds, causing salt crystals to rise and fly between Thunder Demon and Adam.


    One hit from Adam, was enough for Thunder Demon to realize who was his enemy and he waspletely satisfied with this scenario.


    Sometimes, the wait was actually worth it.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The sphere inside Thunder Demon''s chest quivered vigorously, as energy traveled towards his throat, causing his maw to glow brightly as if holding back a powerful explosion.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed, for he had already seen this attack before.


    The moment Thunder Demon opened its jaw wide, unleashing an electric st, Adam had already dashed to the side, hiding behind the salt hill.


    However... barely a pile of salt could stop such power...


    Adam''s eyes went wide, staring at the bright blue sh that swept across the hill of salt in front of him, easily burning through it and heading towards Adam at breakneck speed.


    ''Adam! Dodge!'' Silvana eximed.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Electric shocks passed across Adam''s eyes as his body arched down towards the ground, allowing an electric ray to sweep right over him.


    Adam nced at Thunder Demon, dark smokeing from his maw as if from overheating.


    ''Wait... This isn''t the same attack he used against the centipedes... He could control the ray then, but now it''s more like a quick and deadly energy shot. Fuck...'' Adam frowned, realizing that he hadn''t seen Thunder Demon''s entire arsenal yet. The monster had only shown a fraction of what he was capable of.


    Then, Adam and Thunder Demon looked at each other. Oddly enough, the monster grinned contentedly, pointing at Adam''s feet with his long finger.


    "Agh...?" Adam was puzzled.


    In a heartbeat, electric shocks covered Thunder Demon''s legs, and the monster''s silhouette blurred, disappearing from Adam''s field of vision due to excessive speed.


    Whooooooosh.


    A massive four-fingered paw came down on Adam''s face, sinking its sharp ws into his skin, revealing a massive silhouette with electric blue eyes, behind it.

 Chapter 223: Essence Monster (Part 35)

    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The creature with the strongest defense among the Purple Threat Level was making every possible effort to hold its defense in front of K2-Phantom, who was diligently trying to reveal it.


    "Come on! I can''t waste any more time on you! I''ve been doing this forever!" Prago uttered, gritting his teeth while trying to pull apart the edges of the Obsidian Armadillo''s protective form.


    Prago was doing his best to open the Obsidian Armadillo, his muscles were tense, and his hands were shaking, like a man who couldn''t open a tightly twisted jar even though it seemed like an easy task.


    ''A little more! I can already see a gap!" Adelia eximed encouragingly. She realized that if Prago seeded, it would be all over for Obsidian Armadillo.


    However, Obsidian Armadillo also understood that. That was why it curled up into a protective form so that it wouldn''t have to fight against Prago directly.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    A long tail covered in sharp dark crystals wrapped around Prago''s arm, stabbing deeply and causing trickles of blood to rush out.


    However, this did not frighten Prago at all, on the contrary, it brought a wide grin to his face, for if Obsidian Armadillo went to such desperate measures, then he was at his limit!


    "Alright, all I have to do is push a little harder!" Prago eximed before abruptly thrusting his arms in different directions.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    At the same moment, a loud crackling sound was heard from the breaking crystals that were ovepping each other due to Obsidian Armadillo''s body bending at an unnatural angle.


    "RRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!"


    Obsidian Armadillo let out an annoyed wheeze as he tried to stop Prago with his fog and tail, but it was already toote.


    Prago''s pupils narrowed as a spiked tongue emerged from Obsidian Armadillo''s mouth with the speed of a harpoon.


    In a heartbeat, Prago jerked his head sharply to the side, missing the tongue on the left side of his neck, and several spikes left bleeding scratches.


    Then, Prago stepped forward sharply, cing his foot on the lower edge of the Obsidian Armadillo''s shell. In doing so, Prago freed one of his arms.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Before the Obsidian Armadillo could get its tongue back after the failed attack, Prago grabbed it tightly, not allowing the Obsidian Armadillo to budge.


    "Oh, looks like I finally managed to catch you, didn''t I?" Prago uttered in a calm voice before jerking his hand sharply, effortlessly ripping out the long tongue of the Obsidian Armadillo.


    Streams of blood rushed from the monster''s mouth, flying in front of Prago''s cold eyes as his lips came into motion:


    "You''re fucked."


    Cutting through the wind currents, Prago''s palm, like a spear, headed for the monster''s chest, piercing through the protective tes and severing Obsidian Armadillo''s insides into a bloody mess.


    Obsidian Armadillo''s eyes shifted downward, looking at Prago''s arm covered in dark blood that soon headed upward, splitting the monster in half.


    ...


    On the other side of the battlefield, a ming whirlwind rose up from Tirana''s wings that pped rapidly, driving away the Ladies rushing to help their leader.


    "Bitch! I warned you!" Tirana said menacingly, thrusting her sword into Jade Lady''s scarred back.


    Jade Lady had no mouth, so she couldn''t scream from the horrible pain, but it was obvious from her quivering four pupils how much agony she was in at that moment.


    Completely uncontained in her cruelty and bloodlust, Tirana smoothly cut off Jade Lady''s wings with her sword, while her own wings created a vortex protecting her from the Ladies.


    There was nothing Jade Lady could do, for as soon as Tirana fell to the ground with her first powerful attack, shepletely seized the initiative and began to dominate their battle.


    Crackle.


    A torrent of blood rushed out as Tirana ripped the first snow-white wing from Jade Lady''s back, revealing an unprotected area on her body.


    There was no solidyer of jade here, meaning Tirana could easily thrust her sword deep into the flesh, burning Jade Lady alive.


    It was worth realizing that Tirana had a limited amount of time, otherwise the Ladies would have made it through the me vortex. She had time to do her thing, though.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    The vortex dissipated, as well as Tirana''s wings.


    She looked around tiredly, watching the Ladies falling to the ground with empty eyes. Their leader, Conqueror Jade Lady, was defeated and literally burned.


    Tirana smiled contentedly. Her n worked perfectly, and her fire was proving to be the right tool for the battle against Jade Lady.


    "Fine... I still have a trump card left, even though I''m pretty tired, but with this, I should be able to kill Adam Vinter..." Tirana muttered with a bitter smile, clutching her amulet tightly.


    "By the way..." Tirana blinked a few times, "He''s supposed to be fighting against Thunder Demon, I wonder what''s going on there. I''m sure he''ll show his full potential in this fight if he''s going to survive..."


    Then, Tirana looked in the direction where Thunder Demon hadst been, and a shiver ran through her body.


    Thunder Demon, holding Adam firmly by the head, ran forward quickly, raising waves of salt.


    Strangely enough, Thunder Demon definitely had a target - one of the three main anomalies. It seemed that even Thunder Demon was hesitant to be in the epicenter of such a powerful anomaly, and that was exactly why he was going to throw Adam!


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Adam was hitting Thunder Demon''s paw, with his needle and fist as hard as he could, leaving some pretty deep wounds on the monster''s body, but it wasn''t enough to slow Thunder Demon down even a little bit!


    ''Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! He''s going to kill me with an anomaly!'' Adam inwardly eximed, starting to panic slightly.


    He realized that even with Elemental Root, he had no chance of withstanding such powerful lightning bolts, they would just tear him apart and turn him into dust!


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Adam''s Evolution Tree trembled as his gaze traveled to his hands, more specifically his gloves.


    Adam only had a few seconds to make a difficult decision, because if he used his Nexus now, he wouldn''t be able to do it again!


    ''Fine... Even if I do... I lose one trump card just like you!'' Adam eximed internally, threw the needle away, and put his palms together as his eyes shone brightly, allowing the gloves to form a rapidly spinning sphere of hundreds of silver, sharp threads.

 Chapter 224: Sacrifices and Lightning Bolt

    Even before the appearance of Tirana, not to mention Thunder Demon, Jade Lady, and Obsidian Armadillo, Adam was pretty exhausted from three battles in a row.


    First against Firebreathing Trinadon, then against Iren and Six-Winged Iron Stingray.


    Sure, up until Adam finally decided to enter the fight, given the time it took Prago to get there, Adam had managed to regain some strength, moreover Resonance was doing its job, allowing Adam to squeeze the absolute maximum out of his body.


    However, even in such circumstances, Adam could only use his Nexus one more time, First or Second Trait, in this case, it didn''t matter. After that, all he would be left with was some Order, after all, he had used his artifact quite a few times already.


    Thus, it was quite difficult to make a choice in a few seconds, but... when the end of this period meant inevitable death, Adam''s brain was working at its limit.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Thunder Demon ran forward in massive strides, approaching one of the three main anomalies at lightning speed. He would kill Adam, and leave him to the cruel and uncontroble thunderbolts.


    There was a satisfied smirk on his face, watching Adam''s hopeless face, who had no way of getting out of the Thunder Demon''s grip. Neither needle nor fist blows could hurt the monster''s arm badly enough.


    But... Thunder Demon''s overconfidence could have been fatal to him, for even when a silver sphere of hundreds of rapidly spinning threads began to appear between Adam''s gloves, the monster didn''t see it as a threat.


    They were already leaving scratches on Thunder Demon''s tough skin, but they were so shallow and not deep that Thunder Demon didn''t even notice. All he could see was the approaching anomaly that was quite close.


    "You think you can kill me just by holding my neck with your filthy paw?! Then I''ll show you that you need something much more than that!!!" Adam eximed in a thunderous voice before swinging his hand up.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Before Thunder Demon could realize anything, the silver threads tore his wrist, the thinnest part of his arm, apart. Individually, these threads weren''t really strong enough to injure a creature as formidable as Thunder Demon, but...


    The number of threads and the speed of the sphere''s rotation did their job, making it impossible for even the second-strongest Purple Threat Level monster to withstand the damage.


    Thunder Demon''s eyes went wide, as if not realizing what was happening. Drops of blood and shards of dark flesh flew aside while the silver sphere passed on.


    Thunder Demon''s gaze traveled to his hand that was heading towards the ground, torn from his arm. Even if it was possible to heal such a wound, definitely not during a dangerous battle.


    Obviously, since there was nothing else holding Adam by the neck, they stopped.


    Adam let out a heavy sigh and prepared to fight, expecting Thunder Demon to retaliate and attack right away.


    However... Thunder Demon was different from the others for a reason. Sometimes, it was impossible to understand what he would do next.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Thunder Demon lunged forward, rushing past Adam and tossing him aside with a sweep of his thick tail.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed as he put up a block, raising his arms to defend himself at thest moment. However, it still wasn''t enough to keep him on his feet, the impact threw Adam aside, forcing him to roll over the salt ground.


    ''Are you okay?'' Silvana asked in a calm voice when Adam was able to stop, gradually rising to his feet.


    Adam nodded.


    "Yeah... Something like that. Considering what might have happened if I hadn''t stopped him, I''m perfectly fine, but... what''s that sick bastard doing?" Adam frowned, staring intently at the running Thunder Demon.


    Blood was constantly flowing from Thunder Demon''s left arm, covering the white salt wastnd, but the bleeding and pain didn''t seem to bother the monster at all.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Thunder Demon leaped forward, heading straight for his hand that almost fell to the ground before it touched the salt, Thunder Demon swallowed it, opening his powerful maw wide.


    "Agh...?" Adam was puzzled.


    ''Did he just eat his hand? Right, surely he''s hoping to save it to cure his armter, isn''t he?'' Adam suggested it sounded more than logical to him.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Thunder Demon''s jaw began to move as a loud crunch was heard as if from the grinding bones.


    Fred, standing in the distance and watching the fight, frowned heavily.


    "Holy shit... He didn''t even think for a second before rushing forward and eating his own hand... It''s scary to imagine what he''ll do with that wound..." Fred muttered, ncing at the rapidly flowing blood from Thunder Demon''s arm.


    Even if it was Thunder Demon, there was no way to leave such a strong bleeding. Normally, an effective method to get rid of bleeding on the battlefield was to burn the wound or use lightning bolts to do so....


    However, here on their battlefield, there was a natural means by which Thunder Demon could solve this problem, even though it would be even more painful than using lightning bolts.


    Crackle.


    Thunder Demon lowered his arm to the ground, plunging it directly into the cluster of salt that covered absolutely everything in this area. The salt crystals coated Thunder Demon''s entire wound, absorbing both blood and moisture.


    "RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAGGG!!!"


    Immediately a hurt shout was heard, although the salt was an effective remedy, it was painful, and Thunder Demon felt it to the fullest.


    "Rgha... Rgha... Rgha..." Thunder Demon was breathing heavily,ing to his senses, and then his gaze went to Adam, but there was no hatred or anger in his eyes, only tion that Adam hadn''t turned out to be a weakling.


    ''Adam... Even though it looked strange, he did the right thing in his situation.'' Silvana said, catching Adam''s attention.


    "Hm? What the hell are you talking about? He''s a fucking psycho!" Adam waved his hand with a frown.


    ''Yes, but not only that. By eating his hand, he had regained some energy. Sure, he''s considerably weaker now, but it shows he knows what he''s doing, in every move he makes.


    Adam nodded, his gaze filled with seriousness and steadfastness.


    "Whatever. I only have one trump card left. If I can''t use it properly, he''ll kill me even without two hands..." Adam muttered as the silver needle appeared in his hand, conserving his remaining energy for something more.


    Fred sighed heavily, staring intently at Thunder Demon and narrowing his eyes.


    ''Obviously, he won''t be holding back any longer after this. Trump of the Thunder Demon... Shit, Adam, you should get ready. I''m not likely to be able to help you much with this.'' Fred inwardly muttered, gathering energy for a powerful arrow.


    This time, he would have more than enough time to make a perfect shot that would reach its target.


    "Rgha...." Thunder Demon growled, before arrogantly raising his chin and aiming his remaining hand at Adam.


    Then, the core in Thunder Demon''s chest began to actively shake, releasing electrical discharges on all sides thatpletely traveled through Thunder Demon''s body, filling it with power.


    An electric shiver traveled along Thunder Demon''s arm.


    In a heartbeat, before Adam could realize anything, a crushing bolt of lightning rained down on him.

 Chapter 225: Another Sacrifice

    Silvana, like any personal Operator, was constantly watching what was happening on the battlefield through the camera in Adam''s NEP, as well as several small cameras located all over his body.


    High technology allowed the small cameras to transmit clear images, of high quality and with no dy at all. However, because it was a technology, it was vulnerable, especially to external electrical influences.


    Thus, a second after Thunder Demon pointed his hand at Adam, the images on several screens shuddered as if during a severe disturbance.


    "No... If the connection still hasn''t been restored, then something very serious has happened!" Silvana muttered worriedly, almost in a panic.


    Though she hade to her senses after Adam''s words, there was nothing she could do about the fact that she was more worried about Adam than usual.


    Obviously, what had happened during the party had affected her more than Adam and more than she realized herself.


    "Shit... That''s not what I should be thinking about right now..." Silvana clenched her fists tightly, biting her lip, "Adam, has Elemental Root, he couldn''t take too much damage from just one attack!"


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    After a few seconds that seemed like an eternity to Silvana, the images on the screens returned to normal, and the first thing Silvana saw was Adam, who burst out of a cloud of dark smoke.


    There wasn''t much dust in the salt wastnd, so... the ck color could only mean that the salt had burned due to the high temperature, leaving this ''scar'' on the terrain for a long time.


    Adam ran to the side while dark streams of smoke wereing from his shoulders.


    "Silvana, what was that?" Adam asked intermittently, trying to hide behind a salt hill from Thunder Demon.


    Before answering, which was a mistake in this case, Silvana nced at Adam to make sure he was okay. Well, he wasn''t.


    Adam''s upper clothing had burned away, exposing his body, which was covered in burns in many ces, especially his shoulders and back.


    Elemental Root had actually helped Adam withstand the damage, but he could hardly afford to get hit by another attack like that.


    "He''s most likely using the energy from his core. It won''tst long, but at this time he''s at his strongest! I don''t know what he''s capable of, but I''m sure this lightning isn''t the worst thing that could happen to you!" Silvana replied quickly.


    Adam nodded with a deep look.


    Then, he nced back, looking at Thunder Demon across the salt hill.


    Their gazes met.


    Oddly enough, Thunder Demon didn''t smile this time, for it was as serious as possible - Thunder Demon now had a limited time to kill Adam.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Thunder Demon jumped high up, opening his jaw wide.


    A secondter, from his maw, severalpressed lightning orbs flew out like bombs quickly approaching Adam.


    Adam''s eyes went wide, filling with blood as his body instinctively lunged forward instead of backward - yes, he was moving toward the lightning orbs, not away from them.


    It was unknown if Adam''s mind was keeping up with the lightning-fast actions of his body, but something was certain: it was the right decision.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Orbs exploded a few meters behind him, for Thunder Demon knew that Adam would be running away and shot slightly forward to hit Adam urately. However, this allowed Adam to rush forward andpletely dodge the explosions.


    Salt waves rose up behind Adam, covering him from the front.


    Thest thing Adam saw was Thunder Demon approaching the ground after his jump.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    In a heartbeat, an electric sh, ahead with four sharp ws, cut through the salt cover behind which Adam should be hiding at that instant.


    "Rgha...?" Thunder Demon first got a baffled expression on his face as his ws failed to pierce anyone, Adam was no longer at that spot.


    Thunder Demon''s eyes shifted to the right, only to see Adam and his calm eyes with electric jolts running through them.


    Then, a silver gleam appeared, and Adam''s silhouette blurred, sweeping across Thunder Demon.


    "RGHAAA!!!"


    At the same moment, a massive stream of blood rushed from Thunder Demon''s shoulder, and a chunk of flesh carved by Adam fell to the ground.


    Instinctively, Thunder Demon grabbed his shoulder, trying to take away the pain, but he quickly realized that it was useless. He had other things to do - destroying Adam.


    Step. Step. Step. Step.


    Thunder Demon, instantly appeared in front of Adam, swinging his paw and bringing it down on Adam''s face from the left side like a p.


    With such speed and force, Adam''s skin trembled, and then the impact threw him aside, causing him to crash into the salt hill.


    But... before Adam could reach his target, Thunder Demon appeared in the middle of the path, abruptly raising his foot and plunging his powerful limb into Adam''s stomach, from the bottom to the top.


    This attack instantly broke Adam''s several ribs and caused him to bleed internally, making a stream of blood gushing from his mouth along with a grimace of pain on his face.


    However, the pain and broken ribs were not Adam''s biggest problem. There was terror in his wide-open eyes as the Thunder Demon''s horns were covered in electric charges.


    Adam didn''t have wings or any way to move in the air. Moreover, in this open area, there were no suitable objects he could hook onto with his needle.


    "NO!" Silvana eximed as tears rushed from her eyes. By mistake, her scream was heard by everyone who was then attached to their channel.


    Thus, Fred, before whose eyes flew particles of light from the mist arrow, heard it. The arrow was so huge and powerful that his bow was actively shaking as well as his hands.


    "Agh... Operators... Even if you try to appear cold and calm, soon you all start to worry about us... Well, not that I''mining, but it just makes things moreplicated." Fred muttered before releasing the bowstring.

 Chapter 226: The Last Sacrifice

    Sometimes, the situation seemed hopeless, not always being able to run away or defend against an uing attack, obviously, Adam was in that position.


    In a second, aser would fly out of Thunder Demon''s horns, sting Adam into hundreds of pieces, and no one and nothing would be able to protect him.


    Well, there were no secrets or cunning ns here, it was impossible to protect Adam, not even Prago was capable of it.


    However... the danger was not in the attack itself, but in what would happen when it reached its target. To avoid damage from the attack, it was not necessary to block it, it was possible to dodge or make the attacker miss.


    No matter how devastating the attack was, if it hit nothing, there would be no damage.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    The bowstring flew off Fred''s fingers with such speed and power that it left a deep cut, a really deep one, reaching down to the bone with blood pouring out heavily.


    If this was the effect of the bowstring, what was the arrow capable of? Well, more than the average K1-Phantom could imagine.


    To everyone watching the battle, it looked like the sudden appearance of a white star that, like aet, traveled in a perfectly straight line from the ruins to Thunder Demon. It happened so fast that when people blinked, it was already over.


    Thunder Demon''s body was covered in goosebumps, perhaps for the first time in his life, feeling the white death approaching him, parting the air currents and leaving behind a trail of pale mist.


    Instinctively, Thunder Demon stepped forward, or rather, he forced his body by any possible means to somehow move further, tilting his body, redistributing his bnce, and rxing.


    But... He needed to be ten times faster to avoid the consequencespletely, but probably his instincts had just kept him alive.


    The mist arrow flew through Thunder Demon,pletely severing his tail along with arge chunk of back flesh, revealing a wide bloody wound.


    Plunging into the salt wastnd, the arrow traveled several meters, lifting the salt as high as if there was an explosion from a hundred kilograms of explosives, but it was a pure force of inertia and speed.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    In the next instant, Thunder Demon''s horns gathered enough energy to fire aser.


    Despite Fred''s best efforts, theser headed straight for Adam, passing to the left of his head, over his shoulder.


    Several electrical discharges from the fast-movingser touched Adam''s skin, only a few, but enough to tear his flesh as if from the sharp talons of a huge hawk, swift and deadly.


    Adam''s eyes went wide at the vivid pain, but it quickly faded into a blur as something more important happened - he survived.


    Adam had seen what Thunder Demon had done to Dark Tyrant, the same thing would have happened to him, but Fred had saved him from that terrible fate. He had to seize this unique opportunity!


    Tap.


    Landing on the ground, Adam nced at Thunder Demon, his core had stopped shaking, and the monster was breathing heavily, trying to deal with the effects of the gruesome injury.


    Fred, standing in the distance, smiled bitterly before copsing to the ground. The world turned over in front of his eyes before remaining hazy and stopping at Adam, struggling to see what was happening on the battlefield.


    "Well... The rest is on you... I did more than I should have... Hah, fucking much..." Fred whispered with thest of his strength, but there was a satisfied smirk on his face. He felt he had started the downfall of the Top-2 monster.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Adam rushed forward, quickly reaching Thunder Demon. However, Thunder Demon was not going to stand still and wait for Adam to kill him. They were both badly injured, but they could keep fighting.


    "RAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!!" Thunder Demon roared aggressively, unleashing his four ws, his only remaining weapon on Adam.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed as he reached out to the side, summoning a silver needle and rushing into the fight.


    Even given his abilities, Power Gene, and Naturalborn origins, Adam wasn''t prepared to fight Thunder Demon in closebat directly, sharp strikes from the side yes, but not a prolongedbat.


    However, now that Thunder Demon lost his tail, one hand and used up the energy reserve from his core, Adam was ready for it.


    It was simple, Adam had no other option. If he didn''t attack right away, Thunder Demon would head to the nearest artifact and recover. Adam couldn''t let that happen, especially after what Fred had done for him.


    sh. sh. sh.


    The silver needle collided with four long, sharp ws, each time causing a cascade of sparks to fly before Adam''s eyes.


    Adam had the advantage, he was slightly faster and more urate, allowing him to leave scratches on Thunder Demon''s body, one after another, but... he didn''t have that much time.


    ''Just a little more...'' Adam muttered, staring not at his opponent''s attacks but somewhere else, a more important ce.


    Adam realized that it would take him forever, a luxury Adam didn''t have. His physical stamina was much lower, so he was just waiting for the right moment.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Each of Thunder Demon''s attacks forced Adam to take a few steps back or even a leap, otherwise the recoil would have broken his arm.


    They moved across the battlefield like two shes, one white and one blue, leaving a trail of dark blood behind them.


    No one but them dared even move, they were the center of attention, and their fight seemed to be the only thing that mattered.


    Everyone was watching the oue with bated breath, and among them were not only the Phantoms on the battlefield but everyone watching from the Citadel or even the Bastions. Such an event could not help but attract wide attention.


    ''Adam, you need to hurry. He''s getting faster and stronger, if you don''t do it now, there might not be another chance.'' Silvana said anxiously.


    Adam exhaled a cold vapor before fending off another powerful attack, then another and another. It seemed as if he hadn''t heard Silvana.


    "Don''t worry... I can already see myself killing him..." Adam whispered, looking serenely at the enraged Thunder Demon, it was the only thing he could see then.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Adam bent over, letting Thunder Demon''s ws pass over him, then he lunged forward, leaving a wide bleeding cut on Thunder Demon''s side.


    Before Thunder Demon could turn around, the needle whizzed past him, bringing a silver thread closer to the monster''s neck.


    Thunder Demon''s eyes grew wide as he realized what Adam was about to do. A little more, and his head would fly off his shoulders.


    Without hesitation, Thunder Demon raised his arm, the one without a hand, letting the silver thread tie around it and easily cutting it down to shoulder level.


    He had already epted the loss of his arm, so Thunder Demon didn''t even pay attention to it before he lunged at Adam.


    Before Adam could retrieve his needle, Thunder Demon kicked him in the chest, digging deep into the flesh with his sharp ws.


    The binding thread tightened, it was ready to tear, which would have resulted in the loss of the needle. For some reason, Adam couldn''t let that happen, he needed the energy.


    Adam jerked his arm sharply, forcing the needle back to him at high speed, while he was in flight from Thunder Demon''s powerful kick.


    Crackle.


    Thunder Demon opened his jaw wide, and the next thing Adam saw was electricity-filled teeth snapping the thread, causing the needle to shatter into many pieces.


    "Fuck..." Adam muttered before crashing into the salt hill, sinking deep inside it.


    Thunder Demon nced at the ground, where blue powdery amongst the white salt - the tips from his teeth cut by Adam''s thread.


    "Rghaa..." Thunder Demon growled before leaping forward and digging his paw into the salt mound Adam was inside.


    Whooooos.


    The shadow flew outward, dodging the deadly ws, but there was no escape, for a secondter, Thunder Demon appeared in front of Adam, bringing his ws down from above.


    Adam stepped aside, the ws passed right in front of him but left scratches on his chest, then Thunder Demon attacked again and again, each timeing close to doing serious damage to Adam.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Adam tried to block the attacks with his gloves, with threads on them, but it was difficult and ineffective.


    "ROOOOAAAAAAAAARRRR!"


    Thunder Demon roared furiously, opening his maw wide and using his second and only remaining weapon, his sharp teeth and powerful jaw.


    ''ADAM! BEND!'' Silvana screamed, realizing that Thunder Demon was about to devour Adam, one bite was enough to remove half of his body.


    However... Adam didn''t move away, his pupils narrowing as he took a step forward instead.


    Thunder Demon''s paw swept close to his face, ws leaving four deep cuts on his cheek as Adam''s eyes began to glow brightly.


    Soon Adam''s eyes reflected the silver threads weaving around his left arm.


    Adam took a step to his left, it seemed he wanted to dodge Thunder Demon''s jaw, but given the distance, it was impossible.


    Whoooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Adam''s entire right arm disappeared at the arrival of Thunder Demon''s head, tearing Adam''s arm off with a loud crunch of bones and a ssh of blood.


    A whirlwind of emotions swept through the soul of every observer that was reflected in their eyes, some were frightened, some were rmed, and some couldn''t believe what had happened.


    Only a few, among the strongest, noticed that even though Adam''s hand was engulfed in Thunder Demon''s jaw, his eyes were calm.


    Crackle.


    Five silver ws, capable of piercing anything, thrust into the massive blue core, which cracked, breaking into several pieces, quickly losing its light.

 Chapter 227: The Silence and the Rumble.

    Silence.


    Silence.


    Silence.


    Nothing could be heard but the wind currents brushing the salt crystals and the shattering core of the Thunder Demon.


    The core of Essence Monsters was more important than organs, brain, or heart, for it became part of the monster by binding with its energy. No core, no energy, no life.


    That was why, every time the pale blue pieces fell to the ground, Thunder Demon''s eyes would lose their light. In fact, Thunder Demon had already died, otherwise, he would have killed Adam in that long time, because their shoulders were pressed against each other.


    And... each of them had something to lose, some had to lose an arm, and some a whole life.


    "Agh... Good..." Prago smiled bitterly, looking at Adam with pride in his gaze, "I recognize him now. There''s no shame in losing to someone like him at all..."


    ''Tsk. Where''s your pride like K2-Phantom?'' Adelia snorted, and after a brief pause, looking away, she said, ''However, I''m not at liberty to say anything. It was mind-numbing...''


    Such was the reaction of most, but... there was someone left in the area who was not enraptured by Adam''s triumph, that one had a different goal...


    "What?" Prago turned, ncing at Tirana, who was stealthily heading towards Adam.


    Her gaze was grave, and the cross around her neck was gradually engulfed in mes. It seemed it needed some time to reach full power before Tirana could use her most mighty attack and kill Adam.


    ''Hah, did she think I wouldn''t notice her? How naive!'' Prago inwardly eximed before lunging forward, about to stop Tirana.


    Crackle.


    But... no sooner did he take a few steps than his heart ached violently, and everything in front of his eyes went dark.


    "Agh...? What''s going on? Am I hurt?" Prago mumbled lost, examining his body. Strangely enough, other than the usual wounds, he didn''t see anything new.


    ''Prago... Fuck, your neck.'' Adelia muttered, looking at the purple stain on Prago''s neck, right where a few scratches from Obsidian Armadillo''s tongue remained.


    Slowly, Prago touched his neck, then he turned around, staring intently at the already dead Obsidian Armadillo.


    "You bastard... Why the fuck did you have poison...?" Prago muttered before copsing, passing out.


    At the same time, several Phantoms that were hiding behind the salt hills tried to stop Tirana. They felt they had to do at least that in return for Adam defeating Thunder Demon and thus saving them all.


    However, Tirana had allies too, the dark Phantoms stopped the Phantoms before they could even get to Tirana.


    So no one else could stop Tirana, her path was clear, and she still had about a hundred meters left to reach Adam. Considering her speed it wouldn''t take long.


    Oddly enough, out of everyone who could see what Tirana was doing, Adam was the only one who wasn''t paying any attention to her.


    Instead, he broke off a horn from Thunder Demon''s head and smiled slightly.


    "I''ll take this for myself, for my collection, and as an evesting memory of you." Adam muttered tightly, clutching the horn as if it were the ultimate reward.


    Then, Adam took a step to the side, letting Thunder Demon fall.


    Adam stared at his defeated opponent for a while. During their battle, Thunder Demon had lost his tail, one arm, and suffered dozens of serious wounds, but... Adam was no exception.


    Thunder Demon''s jaws were firmly mped shut, preventing anyone from getting close to Adam''s arm locked inside, even after his death, for this was his ultimate glory in their battle.


    "Well..." Adam whispered while trickles of blood flowed from the corners of his mouth, and his calm gaze was on Thunder Demon.


    "You took something from me, so... it''s time to give something of equal value in return, isn''t it?"


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At that moment, the Thunder Demon''s body trembled as it released all of its energy into a huge electric orb that seemed as powerful as a distant star.


    It was Thunder Demon''s Essence. Apparently, his Essence was the strongest among all the Essence Monsters of the Purple Threat Level.


    Yeah, Thunder Demon was a Top-2, but... Top-1 wasn''t an Essence Type. Among the Top-5, only Thunder Demon was Essence One.


    Did Essence quality affect the final result when the artifact evolved? Yes, but, it was all individualized. Sometimes, the effect could be almost imperceptible, and sometimes, it could give great power.


    "Oh, this is really beautiful... It looks much better than Essence of the Six-Winged Iron Stingray, and... how many of you..." Adam uttered while looking at the dozens of purple runes orbiting around Essence, likes around their star.


    By defeating an ordinary monster with Revolve, Phantom could gain 1 or 5 genes, depending on the variety and rarity of the monster.


    If Phantom defeated a Prime Type, he would usually get 10 or more genes, but... It was the pure power of the monster that determined a lot, which was reflected in the ranking.


    "Too bad I have so little time left... otherwise, I would have stood here for hours just admiring this magical view..." Adam muttered before holding out his hand, with his palm open.


    Step. Step. Step.


    By this time, Tirana was already getting close to Adam, and her amulet, her Nexus, was zing with scarlet mes, ready to unleash its full power!


    ''Great, I made it in time!'' Tirana inwardly eximed as her cross shone brightly.


    All the fire headed towards her body, covering her with me armor, powerful and majestic.


    Tirana immediately received a significant boost to her speed and strength, albeit for a short time, but it would be enough for her to fight Thunder Demon while the armor was still on.


    ''No! Fuck!'' Fred, with a hazy look watching the battle from afar, inwardly eximed. His eyes went wide as he tried to stand up and grab his bow, but...


    "What...?" Fred wheezed, realizing that his body wasn''t obeying him. His maximum was just to extend his arm, nothing more.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Tirana jumped high up, raising waves of salt and holding the huge ming sword firmly above her with both hands.


    "Adam Vinter! You are done!!! I will avenge my sister and friend!" Tirana eximed furiously, about to bring the sword down on Adam.


    Slowly, without any of the anxiety that everyone had, but not him, Adam turned his head, meeting Tirana''s gaze.


    Tirana got goosebumps with a wave of shivers all over her body, even though she was at the peak of her powers right now. She was in Resonance and was using her Second Nexus Trait. She could probably defeat even Alexia under these circumstances.


    The reason was in Adam''s eyes, in the way he looked at her, as if after all he had been through, she was nothing, just a nk spot.


    The serenity in his gaze was both soothing and threatening.


    Then, a white vortex appeared in front of Adam''s palm, to which Essence and genes immediately headed, as if they had been waiting for this for a long time.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Electric discharges seemed toe out of the ground, making it tremble.


    The next thing the onlookers saw was a gigantic electrical explosion summoned from the heavens, with Adam at the epicenter.

 Chapter 228: Abilities Deprivation

    Artifacts were one of the pirs of every Phantom''s power. Sure, unlike Initial Gene and Nexus, the artifact usually appeared muchter.


    Most Phantoms were Artificial Ones, which meant they had to spend a lot of time and resources to find the right artifact.


    It was all about Evolution Tree and Initial Gene, they had to ept the Artifact so the Phantom could use it and develop it.


    That was one of the advantages Naturalborn Phantoms had over Artificial Ones because almost all Artifacts matched them.


    Artifacts had different Rarity Levels, anyone who knew Dead Lands well enough was aware of that.


    Strangely enough, finding a Second Rarity Level Artifact was much easier than developing a First Rarity Artifact, because a lot of conditions had to be met.


    However, with some circumstances and luck, an evolved artifact could be a better solution.


    Not all Second Rarity Artifacts were equally powerful, some were that way due to their birth in horrible anomalies and others due to Phantoms like Adam who did everything to develop their Artifact.


    The conditions were three:


    [Required:


    1 - 10 Purple Threat Level genes


    2 - 10 of any Zero Rarity Artifacts


    3 - 1 Essence of a suitable element!]


    Adam had already fulfilled two of the three conditions long ago, the genes were inside his Vault, and the Artifacts were in his personal storage in the Citadel. The only thing he had been missing for a long time was the Essence, and he was finally able to get it.


    However... there was one problem here... Adam''s Artifacts were tens of kilometers away from his current location. Obviously, he couldn''t return to the Citadel right now.


    "Shit... Did I really fail?" Dous muttered, staring at the screen in the corner, which showed a ck fighter jet. There was no Phantom inside, for that fighter had flown on Dous''s order for the sole purpose - to deliver Adam the Artifacts from his storage.


    Dous knew why Adam had originally gone to Salt Vige, so when he realized that Adam was going to fight Thunder Demon, he immediately gave the order.


    However... there was still a minute before the fighter would arrive, so Adam just didn''t have that much time.


    But... It was not worth forgetting where Adam was.


    He was in the center of a huge anomalies cluster and had just caused a natural disaster by absorbing Essence, which once was a powerful artifact!


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The shockwave from the electrical explosion spread apart, throwing Tirana aside, but as her cross shone brightly, fiery wings appeared on her back. One swing was enough to stop and protect herself from the lightning bolts.


    These lightning bolts, allowed the other anomalies to find a point of contact, and grow further, striving deeper into the deadly triangle, constantly creating new anomalies with artifacts inside.


    "Agh... It seems that under certain circumstances, what used to be a disaster can be a saving grace, right?" Adam exhaled a cold vapor while looking at the many artifacts in the distance.


    Previously, the anomalies with artifacts connected the three main anomalies, forming an electrical triangle, but now, because of Adam, they coated the entire top.


    Thus, Adam took a few steps forward and reached out, summoning Revolve again.


    Weakly, the Zero Rarity Artifact trembled, trying to resist Adam''s intent to absorb them, but... they were hardly capable of doing so. The artifacts were too close, and the Essence and Artifact within Adam were actively trembling, drawing the defenseless artifacts towards them.


    Sure, unlike Thunder Demon, Adam couldn''t open his mouth wide and swallow the Artifacts, nor was Revolve capable of absorbing physical objects, but... the energy hidden within the Artifacts was in danger.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    The Artifacts shuddered, soaring above the ground as if they were being controlled by someone and turning into shes of light that headed towards Adam with great speed.


    Multicolored streams of energy flew towards Adam, disappearing into his Revolve. The colors were predominantly blue tones, as they were electrical anomalies, but there were also white and purple among the flows.


    The Phantom could only do this if he was going to absorb the Artifact as Adam had done on his first day as a Phantom or if he had everything ready to develop the Artifact.


    Otherwise, if the Phantom tried to absorb ten Artifacts at once in this way, their energy would simply rupture his body or, at best, permanently damage the Evolution Tree and Initial Gene.


    It didn''t matter if the Phantom was a Naturalborn or Artificial one, the consequences were disastrous for everyone.


    Whoooooooooooooooooosh.


    A secondter, ten Zero Rarity Artifacts appeared in Adam''s inner space, hovering around Essence.


    ''Good... Now I''m ready...'' Adam internally muttered with a slight smile on his face. He waited for this moment for a long time, perhaps too long, but now he could finally make his wish a reality.


    At Adam''s will, 10 Purple Threat Level genes flew out of the snow-white book, his Vault, heading towards Essence.


    Then, Essence, the genes, and artifacts actively shook, transforming into a bright substance that covered Adam''s Artifact from all sides, causing it to change.


    The False Orb, Adam''s Artifact, looked like an unusual sphere, with long spikes protruding out and t ends with electrical discharges running between them.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The Evolution Tree began to tremble as well, lightning bolts passing between its branches as if in anticipation of the great power of lightning.


    [Artifact Evolution has seeded!]


    Then, Adam saw his new Artifact, which looked like a long, curved horn, somewhat reminiscent of those of Thunder Demon.


    [False Orb, First Rarity Level Artifact turned into Second Rarity Artifact - Horn of Cmity].


    [All Traits of your previous Artifact have been lost, with a few exceptions.]


    [Trait of your new Artifact is ready for use!]


    [Danger!]


    [There is too much energy inside the Horn of Cmity! You need to use the First Trait immediately!]


    "Sure... There''s no need to be in such a hurry. I''m more than willing to do it." Adam bitterly smiled as he closed his eyes, returning to the real world.


    Adam looked at Tirana, running towards him with the clear intention of killing him.


    Then, Adam''s eyes shone brightly, electric shocks went through his entire body, and his feet rose slightly off the ground, while an unusual feeling consumed Adam''s mind...

 Chapter 229: One Move and One Breath

    ''What is this feeling...?''


    Adam muttered to himself, looking at the gray sky covered in thunderclouds. The lightning continued to strike the ground as the main anomalies didn''t disappear, on the contrary, they only increased in power.


    This ce would be covered with moltenyers of salts and ck spots for a long time, and the Phantoms would remember the deafening rumble of particrly strong lightning, but...


    At that moment, Adam heard nothing. He saw the lightning bolts, saw them crash into the ground, raising waves of salt as if from a massive explosion, but nothing could shatter the void in his mind.


    Electric shocks ran through his entire body while he soared above the ground, clearly rxed as if ready to ascend to the heavens.


    Electric shocks ran through his fingertips and hair, as well as his feet, which were almost touching the ground, but the lightning seemed to hold him upright.


    Adam looked up, his arm was rxed, heading towards the ground, and his body was slightly arched.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    After a few seconds, his ck hair, filled with lightning energy, turned bright blue and lifted up slightly, just a few tips.


    Then, on the left side of his head, it was on the side Adam had ripped off Thunder Demon''s horn, the electricity formed a long, straight horn with a square curve and a sharp tip, constantly shaking due to the array of energy.


    Fred was the only one of Adam''s squad who was still conscious and could watch what was happening, though he was severely exhausted and couldn''t even get to his feet.


    He was mesmerized by Adam''s appearance, his calmness and serenity, especially considering that Tirana was approaching him, burning everything in its path.


    ''Fuck... Even if Adam has developed his artifact and used the new ability, he''s exhausted probably even more than I am!'' Fred internally growled, clutching his legs tightly and trying to get up, leaning against the wall. Well, to some extent he seeded, only on one knee.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Tirana raced forward, outwardly feeling confident, but something was bothering her. Her hands gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, but her eyes trembled, filled with mysterious fear.


    ''Why...? It has no arm, its entire body is covered in wounds, and no energy at all... Even if it''s an Artifact Trait, it should be nothingpared to my Nexus and Orders! I''m using half of my arsenal, and he''s using one ability!''


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Excited, Tirana dashed forward, raising her sword high above her head and about to cut Adam in two.


    "Oh... I see..." Adam muttered, sorting out his feelings, "This is power..."


    Then, the sounds filled his mind again, and he turned to Tirana, meeting her gaze. Adam lowered to the ground, nced down at his only left hand, and smiled bitterly.


    The next thing Adam did was to lean his body forward and take a step further.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Adam''s body shuddered before turning into a blur, disappearing from Tirana''s field of vision.


    The next thing Tirana saw was a blue sh that traveled to her right, then for some reason, his gaze lifted, heading for the sky.


    Crackle.


    Adam''s fingers plunged into Tirana''s neck, tearing her skin and traveling into the flesh, straight to her spine.


    With a sharp motion of his hand, Adam broke the solid bone that is the foundation of any human skeleton, tearing Tirana''s head away from her shoulders and causing it to fly high up, spinning.


    Neither fire armor, scarlet wings, nor a ming sword, could protect Tirana from that single attack.


    Dark blood, streamed from her head, sshing crimson liquid all around, coating the white saltnds, before falling to the side with a nk, lifeless stare.


    "Agh..." Adam took a deep breath, looking up at the sun that was hidden behind gray clouds, but a few rays of light managed to break through that shroud to illuminate the battlefield.


    A light ray of sunlight fell on the blood-covered and wounded Adam before he closed his eyes.


    Whoooooosh.


    A momentter, when the lightning bolts seemed to have reached their power limit and were ready to spread further across the battlefield, several fighters appeared in the sky, from which several shadows with powerful auras descended.


    Most of them were K2-Phantoms like Prago, but there was one K3-Phantom among them, that one fell first before the others. The K3-Phantom had one task - to get rid of the anomalies.


    "Oh... Looks like we can finally rest... Good, I don''t want to stay in this ce a minute longer..." Fred smiled bitterly, taking a deep breath while hundreds of attacks rained down on the area behind the ruins.


    Phantoms mercilessly tore apart anomalous monsters, while K3-Phantom took artifacts from the three main anomalies, stripping them of their powers and destroying the electrical triangle.


    ...


    "Yes! Did you see that!? Fucking hell! He did it!" A man with ck and green eyes said excitedly, tossing aside a can of soda that had fallen next to somethingrge, unnatural to the city.


    "Yeah, that was impressive. I''m not even upset that we interrupted our mission because of it." A man with dark eyes in a long ck coat muttered, ncing at the 3D screen that hovered above Damien''s NEP.


    Erden was lying rxedly on a soft surface, but... it wasn''t a bed or a couch, but a huge purple arm of a monster with his head resting on its shoulder, throwing one leg over the other and crossing his arms on his chest like he was rxing on the beach.


    "And... Now you''re even more confident that he can do it, aren''t you?" Erden said thoughtfully, looking at the passed-out Adam.


    Damien smirked slyly.


    "Sure. After he defeated North Keeper, I already realized that if he can survive long enough, the day when he bes one of us will surelye."


    Erden shrugged.


    "Bing a Second Rank Phantom isn''t something that can be achieved through persistence or talent alone. Well, you know that yourself." Erden uttered before standing up and looking around.


    Strangely enough, they were surrounded only by dark rocks, among which a ck fog wandered, thick and ominous, as if something lurked behind it that could bring disaster to the human world.


    Damien nodded.


    "You''re right, but if it worked for us, it means that in the future, someone can do it too, some already do..." Damien muttered, casting his gaze to one point.


    Strangely enough, soon, several amber eyes with vertical pupils opened in the darkness. The fogpletely concealed the creature as well as its silhouette, but that was more than enough for Damien.


    "Can you figure it out? I''m kind ofzy, this ce is nothing but trouble." Erden asked, turning to Damien, even though the monster was looking directly at them.


    Damien lifted his chin arrogantly, a smirk forming on his face.


    "You don''t want to get your hands dirty, right? Fine, I''ll do it, but then you''ll have to show me the best cafe in your Bastion."


    "No problems." Erden shrugged.


    Then, Damien walked up to the already-killed monster and ripped from its head a huge horn that was several times Damien''s size.


    Purple smoke came out of the monster''s flesh, which didn''t embarrass Damien at all, but Erden frowned with slight disgust and raised the cor of his coat high, hiding half of his face, especially his nose.


    He didn''t seem to want to take a single breath of that smoke, not because it was dangerous, but because Erden was squeamish.


    Then Damien firmly grasped the monster''s horn, cracked it, tilted his body back slightly, and threw the horn at the monster with all his might, like a spear.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The simple throw caused powerful wind currents, raising ck dust from the ground and allowing the horn to reach the monster at a dangerous speed.


    At the same moment, the horn swept through the monster''s head, smashing into the rock with a loud crack.


    The monster''s head exploded, scattering bloody chunks all around. The farthest of them reached Erden, aiming to crash into him.


    Erden narrowed his eyes slightly as he took a few steps back so the pieces of flesh wouldn''t hit him as well as the drops of blood.


    "Good, it seems watching Adam''s fight was the right decision. Otherwise, we would have spent even more time searching for thest of this wave." Erden muttered, looking up as if that was where the exit was.


    Damien chuckled.


    "I''m never wrong."


    Erden nodded as his eyes grew colder.


    "Yeah... But, only those who have the power to fix a mistake say that. If you can undo a failure, then it didn''t happen, that''s your secret."


    Damien smirked but didn''t say anything.


    Then, he touched his earbud and said, "Beth, we''re leaving."


    ''Good, get me something tasty from Bastion.''


    "Tsk."


    ...


    Adam opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was green bubbles floating in front of him, as well as a lot of people in white and blue coats doing something in a hurry. Obviously, their tasks were important and required an immediate response.


    ''No... It''s not enough... I want more... Sleep feels too good...'' Adam inwardly muttered before closing his eyes.


    ...


    Step. Step. Step.


    After an unknown period, a middle-aged woman with long blonde hair headed down the hallway. She was followed by a girl with purple hair that used to be long and tied up in a ponytail, but now it was short, down to her chin.


    "Are you sure he''ll be okay?" Jena asked with obvious concern.


    "Sure, by the way, where is his Operator?" The woman asked sternly.


    Jena looked away to the side.


    "I don''t know... I haven''t been able to contact her..."


    "Tsk, youths. Things are alwaysplicated with you."


    ----------------------------------


    Hi, this is the author. I will try my best to post another chapter a littleter. Also, a few past chapters were poorly edited, I''ll try to fix that too. Just sick, so hopefully I''ll be back to a normal pace soon.


    I hope you enjoyed the Essence Monster chapters!

 Chapter 230: First Breath and the Scientist

    Jena, along with the woman, walked into the room where inside a massive healing pod hovered Adam. Jena was a doctor, but not experienced or powerful enough to single-handedly cure all of Adam''s wounds.


    Thus, he was in a special department inside Fort Norton where most of the best doctors as well as equipment were.


    Only in a few ces inside the Upper Ring, one could find something of this level that was not under the full control of the government, but... now was not the time.


    "Agh, you''ve had a rough ride, but it''s time to wake up. After all, it''s been two whole weeks." The woman said with a serious look before pressing a panel, forcing all the liquid from the capsule to drip away.


    Then, the top lid detached from the capsule, allowing the ss to enter the floor and opening up a passage for Adam.


    "Adam!" Jena eximed worriedly, about to rush over to him.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    But, a wave of the woman''s hand stopped her.


    "Mrs. Li...? Jena said in a puzzled manner.


    "Wait. He needs to get up on his own, better get his clothes ready. I think... He''s going to need your help." Li said quietly, with a heavy sigh.


    Jena bit her lip, nodded slightly, and went to get Adam''s clothes.


    After a few seconds, Adam opened his eyes. For the second time in the treatment, but now thoroughly and permanently.


    It was worth realizing that although Adam hadn''t suffered any critical wounds, the number of cuts, flesh tears, bruises, and fractures was horrific. One truly dangerous wound would be enough to kill him.


    "Where am I...?" Adam muttered slowly, rising uncertainly from the ground and meeting Li''s gaze.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Hurried footsteps were heard from outside, the source of which was Jena with Adam''s clothes, it was the same one he was used to wearing after Fall Hill Prison.


    "Oh, Jena..." Adam smiled, he was d to see someone familiar. Though he didn''t know how long he''d been dormant, he could sense from his hunger that it had been quite some time.


    "Yeah... Here you go." Jena uttered, holding out his clothes to him.


    Adam nodded.


    Adam, like most people, was right-handed, so he instinctively wanted to take the clothes with his right hand, but...


    ''Agh? Why doesn''t it work?'' Adam was baffled as he nced to his right only for his eyes to go wide.


    His right arm was gone, still. The wound was long ago healed, the bleeding was gone, and the skin regrown, but that wasn''t what Adam had expected.


    "What the hell? I woke up a minute ago, but I realize the equipment here is pretty damn good. Why the fuck didn''t you give me my arm back?!" Adam frowned heavily with a wave of his hand.


    Though he''d never encountered it before, Adam knew that for a decent amount of money, it was possible to grow a new limb, be it an arm or a leg. Sure, it was aplicated and time-consuming process, but not something the Citadel''s technology couldn''t handle.


    Adam expected an answer from Jena, but the look on her face indicated that she wasn''t the one to ask.


    Then, Adam turned to Li, clearly wanting to know what had gone wrong. He wasn''t even going to think about the fact that he could lose his arm forever.


    Li waved her hand as if expecting that reaction.


    "Calm your temper and get your pants on first. I''ll answer all your questions and exin the situation over coffee. What''s more, you''re probably hungry, aren''t you?" Li uttered before heading to the staff cafeteria.


    Adam looked at Jena, who was clearly a little embarrassed since Adam waspletely naked.


    ''Well, let''s see what''s going on here.''


    ...


    Tap.


    Adam sat down at the round table with a cup of coffee in his hand. Jena walked beside him carrying a tray filled with various foods and oddly enough, mostly sweets. Adam''s body desperately needed sugar and calories.


    "Tell me about it." Adam said seriously, taking a sip of coffee and shoving a piece of cake into his mouth. If he had two hands he would have done it simultaneously instead of taking turns.


    "To begin with, normally, in the case of limb loss, we try to restore it simply by reattaching an arm or leg to its rightful ce. However... When the Harvesters opened Thunder Demon''s jaw, your arm had already be nothing." Li said confidently with a slight wave of her hand.


    Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion. Honestly, he hadn''t even thought about the fact that there was any chance of saving his arm. He graced his right-hand goodbye the moment Thunder Demon opened his jaw.


    Li exined:


    "The monster''s saliva corroded your arm. It took the Harvesters quite a while to open its jaw without damaging the body of the valuable monster."


    Adam nodded.


    "Fine, but that''s not what I asked. Why didn''t you make me a new arm? I''m sure you''re capable of it, and I have enough money for it." Adam asked, moving on to the next dessert.


    "Adam, first, you have to realize that creating a new limb is an extremely difficult process, but you''re right, we can do it. The problem isn''t money, in these cases, the government pays for everything, it''s that you''re a Phantom." Li said sternly, pulling her sses out of her bag.


    Adam stopped, shocked.


    "Because I''m the Phantom...?"


    It soundedpletely illogical to him. Well, it wasn''t surprising since Adam was pretty ignorant of how medicine worked with Phantoms.


    Before, Jena always treated him, and everything was fine, this was the first time Adam had encountered such a serious problem.


    "Yes. Look, if some rich guy from First Ring gets into an ident and loses an arm, we''ll make a new one for him in a week, do the surgery, and after a few days of rehab, everything will be as it was before. No side effects."


    Li continued:


    "But... Do you really think that your body, the body of the K1-Phantom, especially one as strong and dangerous as you, can be even on 1%pared to the body of a mere human who can''t even lift a hundred kilograms?" Li narrowed her eyes, staring intently at Adam.


    Adam didn''t answer anything. He knew it wasn''t an easy question, but he wasn''t a doctor, so he waited for Li to exin.


    "Anyway. We''re working on making your right arm right now. However, all things considered, it could take three to six months. Possibly even longer, the timeline is very approximate for now, we need tests." Li crossed her arms over her chest, with a stern voice, making it clear she wasn''t joking.


    Adam''s eyes went wide as a shiver ran through his body.


    "So three months minimum...? Fucking hell..."


    Li nodded deeply.


    "Yeah, and not only that. We''ll have to run a lot of tests to figure out how best to clone your cells, but in order to create an arm for the Phantom we''ll need your energy. You''ll have toe here every day and donate your blood so the cells can absorb it."


    Li nced away.


    "Well, I think, you understand the process and what awaits you."


    Crackle.


    Adam clenched his fist tightly, crushing a piece of cake.


    "In other words, I won''t be able to do anything for at least three months other than donate my blood and waste my time here?" Adam assumed with a menacing look filled with displeasure.


    Li shrugged her shoulders.


    "Don''t look at me like that, you think creating an arm from scratch for a K1-Phantom is an easy task? If you were a K2-Phantom, though, you''d have to wait even longer. Don''t forget that it''s all rted."


    "What are you talking about?" Adam frowned.


    Li shook her head.


    "About your wounds. To heal a simple cut, your body expends as much energy as a normal person wouldn''t even if all his bones were broken and all his organs damaged. The stronger you are, the more valuable every drop of blood is, not materially, but in terms of resources and healing, I think you understand."


    Adam nodded slightly, biting his lip and clutching the fist tightly.


    There was silence for a while, but something confused Adam. He saw that Li was a little unsure as if there was a problem she had to solve.


    Then, Adam understood.


    "Hey..." Adam asked coldly, "I have another option, don''t I?"


    Li and Jena looked at Adam at the same time, slightly surprised.


    "Oh, and what was that? Your deduction and intelligence or instincts and luck?" Li smirked, realizing that Adam had guessed everything.


    "Most likely both." Adam shrugged nonchntly, then his eyes grew colder, "Talk."


    "Damn, you asked for it yourself. Yeah, there''s a second option, and I think it''s obvious that it''s faster and more dangerous. It''s not something illegal though, it''s just that the government asks us doctors to offer safer and less drastic solutions."


    Li continued, "And... It''s no small matter that the person who can help you is a real asshole."


    Li clenched her fist tightly, that was something personal and painful to her.


    "I don''t want to pry into your personal life, but who is it? Who can help me and how?" Adam asked with clear interest. He wanted a break from Dead Lands, but not to stretch it out for three months at least.


    "His name is Magnus Zephyr, and we were married a few years ago. I won''t hide it, though he''s a bastard, he''s a genius and can definitely help you. He''s one of the most influential scientists." Li said seriously.


    While Jena noticed that Magnus and Li were married, Adam''s mind caught on to something else.


    ''Scientist... It''s not a doctor, nor a military man, nor a cksmith or a Harvester... Looks like it''s time to learn the difference between them, maybe this way I''ll get closer to Aiden Henk...'' Adam inwardly muttered with darkness in his eyes.

 Chapter 231: What am I supposed to do?

    "Magnus Zephyr... If he can help me, does he have some unique equipment better than here?" Adam muttered thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.


    Li sighed heavily.


    "Don''t worry, he has great equipment, but it''s more than that. He''s powerful, cunning, and clever, in fact like most scientists working for themselves. I mean, it''s not easy being an ordinary person to be so influential that the government and military won''t control you but let you immerse yourself in experiments, regardless of their goals, only asionally sending requests."


    Hearing Li''sst words, Adam''s eyes grew darker, for that description was perfect for Aiden Henk: a scientist who performs gruesome experiments in hisboratory, and no one rushes to stop him.


    Li continued:


    "People like Magnus Zephyr are different from the scientists working in the departments. No one calls them scientists, though, more like researchers, engineers, or directors, depending on the position."


    Li frowned, tapping her fingers on the table now and then, she seemed to have obvious envy in her gaze.


    As an aplished doctor, she too wished to stand so high as to be called a scientist and have her ownb with no restrictions for experimentation.


    "Anyway, more about scientists and Magnus Zephyr you will understand when youe to see him. But, I''ll warn you again, although it''s open information andpletely legal, his way is much more dangerous and risky. Moreover, there''s no telling what he''lle up with this time. And... You can expect anything from a bastard like him..." Li bit her lip with a great frown.


    Jena tilted her head, she wanted to ask about something that was bothering her.


    "Mrs. Li, it was because Magnus Zephyr was an asshole that you got divorced, right?" Jena suggested.


    "No!" Li replied menacingly before bringing her fist down on the table with all the anger in her gaze.


    "That asshole dumped me, not me leaving him. His only argument was that I was too stupid! This is... This is just unimaginable!" Li replied, gritting her teeth.


    Jena''s eyes went wide. Adam was surprised too, but a confident smirk appeared on his face.


    Whether Magnus did it because of his arrogance or there was some other reason, it showed that he waspletely confident in his abilities and status.


    ''Hah, if for Magnus, Li is too dumb, then what is he capable of?'' Adam pondered as he cast a nce at Li. She was the head of this department and oversaw Adam''s treatment, but she was still nothing to Magnus.


    It was either an indication of Magnus''s genius, his arrogance, or both together.


    "Agh, I take it asking you what you chose is useless, right?" Li nced at Adam.


    Adam smiled bitterly.


    "Sure, but there''s something I need to do before I do that..." Adam turned around as if looking for someone, then nced at Jena.


    "Hey... Silvana isn''t here yet?"


    Jena''s face darkened, making Adam worried that something serious might have happened.


    "I don''t know, but... I think you should see her, in person. I know her pretty well, so... I''m sure she''s at her house right now, waiting for you." Jena replied, rumpling her clothes with her fingers as she was nervous.


    Adam nodded slightly, not making any premature conclusions.


    ...


    An hourter, after passing a few tests, Adam left the department and headed straight for Silvana''s apartment.


    He didn''t want to think about it too much, but he couldn''t help the fact that thoughts were literally filling his mind, and his anxiety was gradually growing.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Slowly, unhurriedly, Adam walked up the stairs, avoiding the elevator as if he wanted to dy this moment as long as possible.


    Adam stopped in front of the door, took a deep breath, and opened it.


    ...


    Ssh.


    Amber liquid came out of the porcin teapot, gradually filling three cups. A tall girl with green eyes and a long brown braid picked up the tray and headed into the hall where two men were sitting.


    One of them had gray hair and rare amethyst eyes while the other had ck hair and deep azure eyes.


    "So... When you opened the door and saw this, right?" Tron asked with a calm look, reading some articles on the tablet.


    "Tea''s ready." Riska said, cing the cup first in front of Tron, then in front of Adam, and only then taking one for herself before sitting down modestly next to Tron, with a slight smile on her face.


    Tron, as usual, was rxed and serious at the same time. Well, now he had one more reason to be, for he had be a K3-Phantom, which was clear by his powerful aura.


    "Thanks." Tron nodded slightly, shifting his gaze from Riska to Adam, "So...? Is that it?"


    Adam gulped with a worried look.


    "Yeah, I won''t hide it, I was worried, but there''s no way I could have expected this. As soon as I opened the door I saw Silvana, she must have spotted me from the cameras. I opened the door and saw her, on her knees with her forehead pressed to the ground, begging for my forgiveness...


    Apparently, she feels extremely guilty for the way she acted at Salt Vige..." Adam muttered while a slight pain echoed in his heart.


    Tron raised an eyebrow, seeming surprised even though he was taken aback.


    "And... After all that, you just ran away and decided toe here?"


    Adam bit his lip, he was clearly ashamed of what he had done.


    "Yes... I... I... I was just too damn confused. What was that all about anyway? I don''t even think it was her fault, she was just worried about me, and we quickly resolved it on the battlefield.


    But... She apologized so desperately as if she hadmitted the worst sin and ruined my life, it was frightening..."


    Tron and Riska looked at each other. They hadn''t been through this before, but since they knew what kind of person Silvana was, they understood the problem as the more experienced Phantom and Operator.


    Tron sighed heavily, set the tablet aside, and put his hands together, looking intently at Adam.


    "I see... Well, given the circumstances your reaction is understandable. Better to think things through properly than to take hasty action and make things worse, especially if you weren''t expecting it." Tron said calmly, but his tone was serious.


    "Shit. Her words are drilling my mind..." Adam clutched a hand to his face.


    Tron nodded slightly, then leaned back on the couch, throwing one leg over the other.


    "Well, I think we both realize that the problem is that Silvana has lost her confidence and coldness, she cares too much about you. What''s more, she realizes it herself, but there''s nothing she can do about making mistakes further, it''s only getting worse for her."


    Adam shook his head with a slight frown.


    "Well..." Tron stretched out, "In that case, you have two options to solve this problem."


    "Agh...?" Adam nced at Tron, with hope in his gaze.


    Adam didn''t think that his and Silvana''s little conflict in the ruins was worth what was happening now. After all, she wanted to protect him, nothing more.


    "One, you two can talk things out, speak to each other, and work out this problem and your feelings in an organized routine. I won''t hide it, I don''t like that option." Tron narrowed his eyes.


    "So... What''s the second one?"


    Tron smirked.


    "Taking control, hard and upromising. You had a great duo, but one detail fell into the wrong ce. All you need to do is forcefully get it back."


    A gleam went across Tron''s eyes.


    "Let Silvana remember what she was like and, most importantly, remind her how strong you are! Your confidence or even arrogance should be enough for both of you! She shouldn''t even have the idea that you might die in battle!"


    Then, Tron''s eyes became as cold as ice, and his voice turned low.


    "Otherwise... If she believes that you can die in battle, then... it will definitely happen at some point."

 Chapter 232: Toughness

    Adam and Tron talked for a while longer, with Riska asionally joining their conversation. After all, they too, went through problems and found ways to solve them.


    However, the most important thing was Adam''s decision. He had to choose one of the two options offered by Tron, it seemed he had already made a choice long ago.


    "Well, I think that''s enough. Honestly, we''ve already discussed more than we needed to." Tron said quietly, casting a nce at the door as if telling Adam that it was time for him to leave.


    "Sure... But, before I do, I want to ask you something. Did you act tough during the biggest problem between you and Riska?" Adam narrowed his eyes intently, staring at Tron.


    Tron answered immediately, in a calm voice:


    "Absolutely."


    Adam nced at Riska, who was slightly embarrassed, she remembered that period in their rtionship, and from her look, it was clear that it was something special and most importantly - effective.


    "I see..."


    ...


    That same day, Adam went to the store and bought a loose gray jacket, with long edges and a few buttons.


    The tailor saw Adam and offered to customize a special one-armed jacket for him, but Adam declined. After all, this piece of clothing was just for tonight, for this evening, that despite the jacket, was not going to take ce in an expensive restaurant.


    Walking through the night city, approaching Silvana''s apartment, many people cast nces at Adam. Some because he didn''t have a hand, and some because they recognized him. However, no one dared toe up to him and talk to him, his look showed that it was better not to bother him right now.


    For this evening, only one person had the right to take Adam''s time, and that one did not yet know what awaited her.


    Tap.


    This time Adam used the elevator, not wanting to dy this moment, or he was no longer afraid, because now he knew what he must do.


    Silvana probably had already seen him on the cameras and was preparing for his arrival, but Adam wasn''t going to wait.


    Crack.


    He grabbed the door handle, and even though the door wasn''t open yet, he took a step forward, effortlessly breaking the lock and literally ripping the door out of the wall with a loud creak.


    Step. Step. Step.


    The bathroom light was on, so Adam headed in when he saw a shocked Silvana.


    She was already dressed in her usual ck formal suit, but her hair wasn''t styled, it was disheveled, making her face look more cute and harmless.


    Before Silvana could say anything, Adam walked over to her and put a finger to her lips as if forbidding her to speak.


    "You''re already finished." Adam said sternly, causing Silvana''s gaze to fill with bewilderment.


    "Now, you will follow me, silently. Is that clear to you?" Adam asked sternly.


    Silvana nodded slightly. Strangely enough, only after that, she started to think about what was happening, only after the answer she gave as if hypnotized.


    A ck car with a driver was waiting for them at the roadside. On the back seat where Adam and Silvana sat was a tight blindfold.


    Without further ado, Silvana put it on, obviously nervous, because nothing like this had ever happened before.


    Moreover, if a blindfold was necessary, Silvana shouldn''t have known where they were going.


    The ride was quite long, all sounds from outside were blocked out, so... all Silvana could hear was the almost silent noise of the engine.


    With each passing minute, her heart beat faster and faster, and her breathing increased.


    Thanks to his acute hearing, Adam could clearly hear every one of Silvana''s loud heartbeats and how nervous she was.


    But, he didn''t bother tofort her or do anything about it, that was too early, yet.


    Soon, the car stopped, Adam got out, opened the door for Silvana, and took her hand.


    They were walking on hard ground, but it was clearly not asphalt, Silvana could feel it. The surroundings were quiet, too quiet, only the wind currents could be heard, waiting for the threat to appear.


    Then, they stopped.


    After a few minutes, unable to bear the tension, Silvana muttered in a trembling voice:


    "A-Adam...? Are you here?"


    Tap.


    A hand fell on Silvana''s shoulder when Adam moved closer to her ear.


    "Didn''t I tell you to be quiet?" Adam said coldly, making goosebumps go down Silvana''s body, "Well... We''re here now, so I think it''s about time you saw where we are."


    Adam removed Silvana''s eye patch, revealing a view that made her eyes go wide.


    This ce was very familiar to both of them, however, Adam was here much more often than Silvana, or rather... until now, Silvana had never stepped into thesends.


    "Dead Lands...?" Silvana muttered in disbelief, and with obvious horror in her gaze, looking around.


    Nearby were tall cliffs, of various shapes and sizes. Some of them had white crystals sticking out of them, containing a bit of energy.


    There was hardly any dust or dirt, the rocks were perfectly clean, as if they had just been carved by a master.


    Usually, Dead Lands were covered with bones and parts from in monsters, and traces from powerful attacks, explosions, and so on were left behind.


    "Wait... This isn''t Scorching Desert... This is Alienated Rocks!" Silvana eximed.


    If Scorching Desert was in front of Fort Norton, then Alienated Rocks was on the opposite side of the Citadel. However, these two areas were the starting areas and were meant for K0-Phantoms andplete beginners.


    But... This ce was still a deadly location for ordinary people! Silvana was not supposed to be here under any circumstances!


    "Why? Why am I here?" Silvana eximed, waving her hand and looking anxiously at Adam.


    Whooooooosh.


    A sudden stream of wind blew by his side, fluttering his hair as well as the sleeve of his jacket for which there was no hand.


    "Because I want to." Adam replied calmly.


    Silvana gulped, various thoughts immediately filled her mind, and most of them led to something bad.


    Only now, for the first time in months, Silvana fully felt that she was under Adam''s control. He towered over her, both physically and mentally.


    "Because I want to show you something." Adam nced to the side, pointing to a rock with many holes.


    "You''re smart, so you know what''s supposed to be in that rock." Adam said calmly.


    Silvana nodded.


    "There... there should be crystals... but the monsters here took them... Everyone knows that." Silvana replied intermittently as she clutched her shoulders tightly and rubbed them, trying to escape the intense cold.


    The temperature here was normal for Adam, but not for an ordinary person like Silvana, especially since it was evening.


    "Yeah, but as you can see, it''s pretty clear here. Usually, in Alienated Rocks, everything is covered in dust, both from broken rocks and from battles. It seems like someone is keeping an eye on this particr area, doesn''t it?"


    Silvana was puzzled, but soon, her eyes went wide when she saw a huge round rock in the distance.


    "Wait... That''s the Stone Gatherers Nest! We have to get out of here immediately! Adam, I''m begging you!" Silvana desperately uttered.


    "No."


    At the same moment, Adam''s hand emerged from beneath his jacket with a round grenade in his hand, which the Harvesters usually used, but a particrly powerful one.


    "It won''t kill them, but it will seriously enrage them." Adam muttered before pressing a button, activating the grenade.


    The next thing Silvana saw was Adam throwing the grenade with all his might straight at the Stone Gatherers Nest.

 Chapter 233: The Operators Place

    K1-Phantoms didn''t usually visit the regions intended for K0-Phantoms, and the same was true for K2, K3, and K4-Phantoms.


    It just didn''t make sense for them, except for a special mission where they were helping one squad. Adam participated once, and because of the dark Phantoms, it ended in tragedy.


    Thus, Tron, who had recently be a K3-Phantom, would never visit St Vige, Rusty Ruins, or any other location below his level. The monsters there were too weak, with few genes, simple artifacts, and no development.


    Thus, it was unnatural for Alienated Rocks to have a K1-Phantom like Adam, but sometimes it could happen, but there definitely shouldn''t be amoner here!


    The onlymoners that were supposed to visit Dead Lands were Harvesters and Military, but only with Phantoms and squads, and only for the duration of missions.


    Now, Adam had brought amon person to Alienated Rocks, unapanied and unprotected, without an Operator, because Silvana was here, not in her office and unsupervised by the mission department.


    Also, instead of avoiding the monsters to keep Silvana safe, Adam threw a grenade right into their nest!


    Silvana didn''t know what to do, her eyes were fixed on the grenade that as she approached the nest shone brightly, unleashing its full power.


    BOOOOOOOOM!


    The ming explosion destroyed part of the Stone Gatherers Nest, which was filled with dozens of monsters!


    Soon, the furious roar of many monsters could be heard. They were as far as the Thunder Demon''s roar level, but that was only in Adam''s eyes.


    Bam.


    Silvana immediately fell to the ground, tears streaming from her eyes and only one emotion on her face - terror. The tears were a natural reaction of her body, for her mind realized that the next thing that would follow this horrible roar was death.


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    The first to emerge from the Nest was a massive monster, with a long torso that grew wider at the shoulders and narrower at the bottom.


    Dense stone armor covered the Stone Gatherer, tending to protect the monster from any attacks. It had massive forearms with three thick ws on each, perfect for digging, which is what Stone Gatherers usually did.


    The hind legs were as thin as steel rods but extremely solid, and the feet were as wide as hammers.


    Stone Gatherers had only onerge eye and a powerful jaw with several blunt teeth. Unlike other monsters, their teeth were not designed to pierce flesh, but to grind bones!


    Stone Gatherer quickly ran straight towards Silvana, and in a few seconds, the monster would reach its target and devour her. Stone Gatherer would do it without difficulty, after all, Silvana was an ordinary human.


    "ROOOOAAAAAARRRR!"


    Stone Gatherer roared furiously, opening its maw wide with sticky, viscous saliva barely separating from its teeth.


    ''No... No, this can''t be...? Am I going to die now?'' Silvana internally muttered, ''What am I even doing in Dead Lands...? How did I end up here?''


    For a moment, Silvanapletely forgot what had happened before. All she could think about now was the monster''s jaw that was right in front of her eyes.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly, the monster stopped, it just froze in ce, unable to move a single muscle.


    Silvana blinked, and now Adam appeared in front of her, whose left hand went effortlessly into the Stone Gatherer''s chest, tearing the monster''s organs apart.


    Then, with a calm face, Adam tossed Stone Gatherer aside as if it were a thing that wasn''t worth his attention.


    It was a dissonance for Silvana, a stark contrast, for what she had frozen in fear was nothing to Adam.


    ''How big is the difference between us?'' Silvana thought, staring at Adam''s serene face.


    Well, it wasn''t what she should have been thinking, but it was a start, for Adam wasn''t finished yet.


    Soon, a multitude of Stone Gatherers surrounded Adam. From the death of their fellow, they realized that Adam was the main threat here and had to get rid of him first!


    "Adam! Look out! There are too many of them!" Silvana instinctively eximed, not thinking about exactly how strong the monsters and Adam were. She was, as before, just worried about him.


    "Hey, Silvana." Adam said coldly before ring at her, "Didn''t I tell you to be quiet?"


    Silvana gulped, afraid to utter another word, but her anxiety went nowhere as her nails scraped against the cold stone. She didn''t even notice the fear disappear, reced by worry.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    The Stone Gatherers gritted their teeth before ncing around and attacking at the same time.


    Silvana''s pupils narrowed, and her eyes fluttered when she saw the huge shadows bearing down on Adam, thrusting their ws forward.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    There was a bright white sh, and the next thing Silvana saw was five silver ws tearing through the monsters'' stone armor with ease, going through it like a sharpened sword through paper.


    It couldn''t be called a battle, for Adam had killed dozens of monsters in one motion, destroying them.


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    Chunks of flesh spattered in all directions, drops of blood flying near Silvana, somending right on her face, trickling down.


    Adam canceled his Order. The Nest was still intact, and there were Stone Gatherers inside that didn''t daree out, but Adam wasn''t going to fight them. Today, he wasn''t here to kill monsters.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam walked over to Silvana, looking down at her.


    "You see?"


    "What...? What exactly are you asking?" Silvana asked uncertainly.


    Adam stepped even closer, so much so that his chest blocked out the moon that had just begun to rise.


    "Just how useless you''ve been." Adam said menacingly, seemingpletely serious.


    Those words were enough to make Silvana''s face go pale, and all of her trembled as if she were ready to break. For her to hear that she was useless was the worst.


    "How can you worry about me when you''re frozen in fear of monsters that can''t even scratch me!" Adam waved his hand, with a visible grimace.


    "I... I... I..." Silvana wanted to say something, trembling.


    "Silence!" Adam shouted, then his eyes shone brightly, and electric shocks ran throughout his body. A lightning horn appeared, while electricity came out of the tips of his hair, and his aura became so powerful that Silvana forgot how to breathe.


    "These monsters are nothingpared to the Thunder Demon I defeated! I killed him because I knew I could because I had to, and it''s your job to support me!" Adam said confidently.


    Then, he unnaturally gently, given the situation, took Silvana by the chin, forcing their gazes to meet.


    Adam''s calm azure eyes, contrasted with Silvana''s green and worried ones, waiting for the words that could change everything.


    "You''re useless because you''re in Dead Lands, and you''ve seen firsthand what it means to be a Phantom. What it means to see death and how hard it is toe out of those situations victorious, I''m much better at that than you are. However, luckily for both of us, you''re not a Phantom."


    Adam paused.


    "You''re my Operator."


    Those words were enough to make Silvana''s shivers go away in an instant, and her heart filled with a pleasant warmth instead of fear.


    "If I were in your position I would be useless as well. You know your position, and I know mine, but one thing is uneptable.


    "Agh...?" Silvana was puzzled, her lips slightly ajar.


    "Disbelief in me. I forbid you to ever doubt my powers in fighting monsters. Your job is to help and guide me, is that clear?" Adam''s voice was still stern, but not at all cold, and even slightly gentle.


    Silvana smiled as she nodded vigorously.


    "Sure, let me help you, let me continue to be only your Operator."


    "Good." Adam said calmly before taking off his jacket and carefully covering it up Silvana said, "Take it, it''s cold in here."


    Silvana blushed slightly, normally she cared for Adam, so for her, this was something unique though strange.


    "You know, all of this happened because of your excessive worrying, so... You deserve to be punished." Adam said, looking at Silvana.


    Silvana nodded.


    "Sure, I''m willing to do anything. I fully understand that what I did was more like the behavior of a kindergarten child than your Operator." Silvana said confidently, without a shadow of a doubt.


    Adam smirked.


    "Well, so now it''s my turn to act like a child."


    Then, Adam stooped down, fixing Silvana''s curls.


    "Your punishment will be a ban on hair styling, you''ll be with your hair so disheveled for a month, cute and harmless."


    Silvana''s serious expression, which was still a moment ago, shattered like ss as she blushed even more.


    "As... as you wish." Silvana whispered, turning away to the side.

 Chapter 234: Miracle Observatory

    The day after the incident at Alienated Rocks, it was early in the morning:


    Silvana stood in front of the mirror, preparing to go out, for today, they were to go to the Miracle Observatory, aboratory owned by one of the influential scientists - Magnus Zephyr.


    Last of all, Silvana always styled her hair in a way that emphasized her austerity and coldness, her hair was an important part of her look.


    But...


    "Oh... I can''t..." Silvana mumbled confusedly, touching her hair, then she smiled slightly, carefully fixed her hair, and walked out.


    Adam was waiting for her downstairs, as was the car, standing quietly and discreetly on the curb, waiting for its passengers.


    Adam turned around and nced at Silvana.


    "You''re faster than I expected." Adam smiled.


    Silvana nodded as she turned slightly to the side.


    "Yeah, it''s just that I had to skip a stage this time. Because of someone, I''m going to have to do that for another month." Silvana''s corners of her mouth lifted.


    Adam raised an eyebrow.


    "You mind?"


    Silvana smiled kindly, she seemed to be literally glowing,pletely relieved of all the weight that would have been on her shoulders the past few weeks.


    "Of course I haven''t. Have you forgotten? I can''t be against it."


    "Hah, well said." Adam uttered before getting into the car. Silvana followed him with a hurried stride.


    Once they were in the car, Silvana''s face changedpletely, bing cold and hard.


    Throwing a nce at the driver, she sternly said, "Let''s go, we have an important meeting and not much time."


    The driver nodded silently before pushing in the gas.


    Adam smiled slyly, clearly pleased with the way things had turned out. It might have seemed like he''d been unnecessarily harsh and rude yesterday, but it had worked out, and it wasn''t easy for him to treat Silvana that way.


    He had to do everything right without making any mistakes, so he felt relieved at the way things had ended.


    The ride was quiet and fast, such drivers in such ck cars were reserved for those who were connected to the Dead Lands, so the drivers were real masters, knew every turn in the whole Citadel, and had ess to most of the areas closed to ordinary people.


    Thus, after half an hour, Adam and Silvana found themselves in the far western part of the Citadel. Strangely enough, this area was right next to the slums, or rather, the Miracle Observatory was outside of the Third Circle.


    However, the Miracle Observatory was not among the ruined houses and beggarly neighborhoods, for it was a dedicated area protected no worse than a local military point, with high white walls, hidden observation towers, and hundreds of cameras all around.


    Adam''s eyes went wide. He was clearly shocked. He had only been to oneboratory before, Morton Observatory, and to put it mildly, it had been an unpleasant experience. Aiden Henk was in charge there, and Adam''s visit to hisb was almost the end of his life.


    However, to some extent, that is exactly what happened.


    Entering Morton Observatory, Adam was an ordinary man, leaving it, he soon became a Phantom. Sure... it didn''t happen the way it was supposed to, but that was the fact that Adam became a Phantom that day.


    ''Shit, this all belongs to one man? What''s more, he''s not some rich guy or Phantom, he''s a scientist... with enough influence to control this area at will.'' Adam inwardly muttered.


    Thar.


    The door opened almost silently as Adam and Silvana headed towards the main gate. Oddly enough, no military or any guards were standing in front of the entrance. Well, that was because Magnus Zephyr had his defense system.


    "Adam! Stop!" Silvana spoke up, warning Adam against taking the next step, but it was toote.


    He hit the red line, causing many mechanisms to activate.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Almost instantly, tes opened up from the walls, which were more like two towers, hiding dozens of turrets underneath. Moreover, on the far observation towers, two electromaic cannons rose up, capable of harming even Green Threat Level Monsters.


    "Oh, this level of defense is impressive." Adam embarrassedly scratched the back of his head, looking around. He hadn''t expected it to have such an effect.


    Then, a security camera on a long mechanical rod, headed towards Adam, examining him from every angle. Oddly enough, the camera didn''t look at Silvana and spent a lot of time focusing on Adam''s right arm, or rather the absence of it.


    Then...


    "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"


    A delightedugh, slightly mad and satisfied, erupted from a dozen speakers. Theughter seemed mechanical because of the noise, but it was obvious that it was a man.


    "Alright,e in. My assistant will guide you to me. Let''s see what we can do. Hahaha." Magnus said caustically before disconnecting.


    The turrets quickly fell back into ce, as if this entireb, walls, and several interconnected buildings, were one whole, a living organism obeying a single will.


    Crackle.


    With a loud crack, the massive gate opened, letting Adam and Silvana inside.


    "Seriously?" Adam tilted his head with a strange expression, looking at the speakers that disappeared into the wall only after the gate closed. That means the gate was silent, and the speakers were there specifically to make a frightening rumbling noise.


    "Well..." Adam sighed heavily, "Everyone has their quirks, right? Meet a scientist is a new experience, and it''s something strange every time."


    Step. Step. Step.


    As they approached the main, building they caught a gaze of a tall girl. If she had worn heels she would have been taller than Adam.


    She had shoulder-length scarlet hair, ck eyes, and pale skin with sharp features. In some ways, she looked like Silvana, both in appearance and clothing, it was a formal suit with a short ck skirt.


    "Hello. My name is Nessa, I am Mr. Magnus''s assistant. I hope you won''t waste our time." Nessa replied coldly.


    Silvana frowned heavily while Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    "Tsk." Nessa snorted and gestured for them to follow her.


    Scientists did all sorts of things, usually some kind of research, be it monsters, technology, weapons, or something simpler like new methods of resource management.


    Entering the main building and walking down a few corridors, it was instantly clear that Magnus Zephyr was focusing on monsters, their physiology, parts, various poisons, and so on.


    On the walls were disyed different stands with ws, jaws, or tails of monsters, as well as vials of poisons, toxins, or valuable liquids. However, all of this was just decoration, something truly precious was below, in protected and secret rooms.


    ''Damn, it feels like we''re in a museum, but there''s obviously something wrong here.'' Adam frowned, looking around.


    Everything seemed perfect and peaceful as if he were in the house of a hunter-earl rather than a strange scientist.


    Moreover, as soon as they followed Nessa, Adam felt a strange tension, as if some creepy things were going on in this ce.


    He could be wrong, but his instincts behaved the same way they had when he saw the pictures of Aiden Henk conducting his experiments. It was very simr.


    "You lost your arm during the fight with Thunder Demon." Nessa uttered.


    "Yeah, that was a great battle." Adam replied.


    "That wasn''t a question. There''s no point in answering it." Nessa coldly replied, "You acted foolishly leaving your hand in the monster''s jaw. However, it will be a useful experience for Mr. Magnus, so you did well."


    Adam once again got a puzzled look on his face.


    ''Shit, what kind of scientist is what kind of assistant, right? They''re both weird.''


    Coming around the corner, Nessa stopped and pointed to an opened door from which the red light could be seen.


    "We''re almost there. Get ready, Mr. Magnus doesn''t like his time wasted." Nessa said with bitterness in her voice, she seemed to have felt the consequences of this on more than one asion.

 Chapter 235: Regeneration Through Food

    Crackle.


    Nessa opened the door, stepping inside cautiously, as if afraid of doing something wrong in Magnus''s presence.


    Adam was acting more rxed. Anyway, Magnus was a simple man, surely he had Phantoms protectors, but right now, they were the only ones here.


    Inside, they saw the man standing with his back to them, in front of ab table. There were many sks in this room, both with chemicals and flesh, each piece of flesh belonging to a different monster, as was clear from their colors: some were the usual red, and some were blue or even yellow.


    Magnus''s face was not yet visible, but from the back, one could see a lot of things. Unlike ordinary doctors orb workers, who always wore white coats, Magnus had a crimson one, long with ck edges and no cor.


    "You''re already here." Magnus said quietly, he seemed to be focused on something important that required his concentration.


    Then, Magnus waved a hand that held a sharp scalpel and said:


    "Nessa,e here. I need your help. Adam and Silvana, you can look. It''s somewhat rted to what I''m going to offer you as treatment." Magnus said calmly, which was very different from his voice earlier, at the entrance from the speakers.


    Nessa gulped as she approached him, standing to his right.


    Adam and Silvana ended up on his left, and their eyes went wide for a moment.


    On the table, in two ss blocks were two identical pieces of flesh, oddly enough they were moving and quite active as if they were alive.


    Adam raised an eyebrow. He didn''t know what these monsters were, it seemed like it used to be some special monster or even an entire species.


    "Here, when I make the incision quickly pour it inside." Magnus handed Nessa a sk with some kind of cold liquid.


    Nessa nodded silently.


    At the same moment, Magnus waved his hand, making a perfect cut. Immediately, the pieces of flesh, like threads, began to fuse together, but they didn''t have time, for the cold liquid began to freeze them.


    In just a few seconds, the flesh chunk turnedpletely to ice, frozen like a statue, and it only took one push to shatter it into small pieces.


    Soon, the flesh began to shake, as if it wanted to free itself from its icy captivity, but Magnus didn''t let that happen. He struck the piece of flesh, shattering it into pieces.


    "Hmm. So, thispound is useless as well. Nothing surprising, though. Nessa, next time, pour a little more, this was barely enough. I gave you exactly as much as you needed." Magnus said calmly, but something in his voice made Nessa gulp before nodding.


    "Sure. I understand." Nessa replied, cing the sk on the table.


    Then, Magnus turned to Adam and Silvana, revealing himself fully. He had pale skin, sharp facial features, and deep green eyes that were like a snake''s that could see through its prey.


    Magnus seemed a little malnourished, as was evident in his prominent cheekbones and thin wrists.


    He had scarlet hair slicked back, a piercing in his right ear, and ck-rimmed sses that were clearly decorative. A skilled scientist like him could cure any eye disease, that was for sure.


    "So? Are you done examining me?" Magnus muttered, adjusting his sses.


    "Yeah... You look impressive." Silvana replied.


    Magnus frowned.


    "I''m not talking to you. Stay behind your Phantom and be quiet, you don''t need to annoy me." Magnus uttered through gritted teeth. It seemed he was the type of person who could lose his temper quickly, all it took was a single spark.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Immediately, electric shocks ran through Adam''s body, and a longhorn appeared on his head. His aura grew several timesrger, making Nessa forget how to breathe.


    "Hey, you shouldn''t talk to my Operator like that. If she''s wrong about something, I''ll deal with her, but only me, not some freak in an old coat." Adam said menacingly, while his hair lifted, turning bright blue with electricity.


    Oddly enough, though Magnus was an ordinary man, he stood confidently on his feet with a calm face. His breathing was measured and normal.


    ''Oh, is this an effect of some of his development, or is it just his spirit power? That''s curious...'' Adam pondered, waiting for the situation to develop.


    Magnus had to say something.


    Silvana, standing behind Adam, gasped, starting to get nervous. She knew that Magnus Zephyr was the best option for Adam''s treatment, yet that option was now in jeopardy.


    Magnus must surely be furious - so thought Silvana as she turned to Magnus, and her eyes went wide.


    Abruptly, Magnus smiled kindly, it seemed that even the color of his skin became warmer, and his eyes didn''t look as dangerous as before. It was as if he had swapped his ck side for a white one.


    "Good. That kind of drive and strength I respect. Now I see how you defeated Thunder Demon. Sorry, I didn''t watch the video, only heard it, but now I regret it. I''ll have to find the time." Magnus uttered, rubbing his chin with a slight smile.


    Crackle.


    A final electric shock flickered across Adam''s eyes as he canceled the ability.


    "In that case, shall we get started? You said this experiment had something to do with my treatment. So, I''d like to understand exactly how you intend to cure me. Why your way is dangerous, fast, and superior to the best technology in the department." Adam said seriously.


    Magnus didn''t answer anything, instead, he turned to Nessa and with a kind smile on his face said:


    "Would you be so kind as to make us some tea and get us some cookies, chocte ones?"


    "Got it!" Nessa quickly replied before running into the kitchen. Even though Magnus seemed like the kindest person right now, she didn''t dare disappoint him.


    Then, Magnus turned to Adam and put his palms together saying:


    "Don''t worry. As soon as my assistant makes us some tea, I''ll tell you all about it, but... Before I do, I want to warn you about something." Magnus narrowed his eyes before stepping closer to Adam.


    Then, it seemed to Silvana that a demon from theherworld appeared in front of Adam, and Magnus''s emotions again changed drastically, making him eerily frightened.


    "Given the circumstances, I hope you don''t disappoint me. Forcing people to act out of fear ispletely ineffective, I need volunteers, and you''re the perfect match. If you refuse, I will make your life a living hell!"


    Magnus''s voice was threatening enough to make Silvana shudder in fear.


    "But, you''re threatening me right now. Doesn''t that mean I''ll get scared, and it won''t be something you want?" Adam asked with a calm look, Magnus''s show did not affect him.


    "Oh... You''re right!" Magnus quickly eximed in a slightly surprised voice as if he had solved a riddle, then he frowned, pondering something, "Why didn''t anyone tell me about this? It''s really illogical..."


    ''What the fuck is going on here...?'' Silvana internally muttered,pletely puzzled.


    Magnus Zephyr had turned out to be a weirdo even to her, though she had learned a bit about him before meeting him, as much as she could.


    ...


    Ten minutester, all four of them were sitting around the table eating cookies. Well, only Magnus and Zephyr were doing that, Nessa and Silvana hadn''t touched the sweets.


    "Anyway, I''ll get right to the point. Curing your arm using my method is very simple." Magnus said, shoving a cookie into his mouth.


    "What do I have to do? Find some rare monster? Drink some of your weird ''potions''?" Adam asked with a wave of his hand.


    Magnus smiled slightly as he swung his hand carelessly.


    "Nah, it''s much simpler than that."


    Adam raised an eyebrow.


    "You have to eat the monster."

 Chapter 236: Gourmets

    Food - that essential element of life, had apanied humanity from the very beginning and would remain until the end or even after thest man breathed his final sigh.


    Everyone knew that food was necessary to simply live, but it could also give strength and heal, as well as lead to poisoning or death if the food was poisonous.


    In any case, water was as necessary for any living creature as water and oxygen. Humans, however, had long ago stopped considering food as a source of calories, for humanity, food represented another value - pleasure.


    Sure, food was only a source of pleasure when it was plentiful, but in the Citadel only the slums could have a problem with food.


    Most people in the Third Ring could afford to eat meat a few times a week, while in the Second Ring, even delicacies on a daily basis were not a problem.


    The First Ring had the finest restaurants ready to offer unusual dishes made of rare ingredients as well as the skill of their chefs.


    It should not be forgotten that although the Phantoms and Departments were the backbone of the Citadel as they defended the city from monsters, inside, normal life continued.


    Not everyone could and had to participate in the battle against the monsters, the city had to continue to function, and for that, it needed businesses, civil servants, various entertainments, and so on.


    But... As is well known, most monsters consist of flesh. Has no one ever dared to taste a monster?


    Hah, of course.


    Adam was about to eat a cookie but stopped upon hearing Magnus''s words. Silvana was greatly surprised as well, while Nessa already knew what Magnus was going to offer.


    "What...? I can heal my arm if I eat a monster? What the fuck did I just hear...?" Adam muttered uncertainly.


    "Hahaha, what a confused look on your face." Magnus chuckled evilly.


    Then he pointed at Adam''s right hand and said:


    "My way is that you''ll use the monster''s cells to regenerate your arm. Sure, it''s not that simple." Magnus''s voice became more serious as a sharp glint passed across his eyes.


    "All of this will take ce under my careful supervision, with many tests as well as various equipment that will monitor your current condition to avoid incidents. And... You didn''t think it would be a simple monster, did you?" Magnus''s corners of his mouth lifted.


    Adam smiled bitterly, setting the cookie aside and taking the cup of tea in his hand, sighing at the pleasant aroma.


    "I don''t know what monster you''re talking about so much as your method. All I want to know is what I have to do, what happens next, how long it takes, and what the risks are. I came here because I don''t want to wait half a year for my arm to be built piece by piece, you know?" Adam said calmly.


    Magnus lifted his chin.


    "I see... Well, I like your approach. Anyway, you will have to eat some special kinds of monsters, I wouldpare them to anomalous ones, they are not a separate Type, but they deserve to have their own category. However, we have a lot to do before that."


    Magnus sighed as he said, "Adam, have you ever eaten monster meat? I''m not talking about what you have to do for a cure in myb, but a simple meal."


    Adam''s eyes went wide.


    Then, he gave a shortugh with a shake of his head.


    "Until now, I didn''t even know such a thing was possible. Who would even eat monsters? What''s the point? Moreover, even if I wanted to, where would I get monster meat?" Adam shook his head, thinking Magnus was just joking.


    Adam seriously took Magnus''s words about curing by eating the flesh of a particr monster. It coincided with his expectations that Magnus''s method would be strange but theoretically effective.


    But, he didn''t even realize that someone might actually want to eat monsters and actively participate in it. At least, because even the First Ring restaurant didn''t have dishes made of monsters.


    "Hey... I''m not kidding." Magnus said coldly, piercing Adam with his stare, "However, you''re not lying either, that''s obvious... Adam, what do you think happens to the monsters after you Phantoms kill them?"


    Adam raised an eyebrow. Every Phantom knew the answer to that question, evenplete rookies who weren''t even three days old.


    "Harvesters take useful materials from the monsters, after they die the monsters be significantly weaker. Energy leaves the flesh along with the blood, making it possible for simple but sharp tools to separate ws or fangs from the body. Then, the materials are used for a variety of purposes." Adam said calmly, making Silvana smile slightly. She was the one who had taught him all of this.


    At many points, she acted like a teacher, and it was always nice to see that the exnations didn''t get past the student.


    "Oh, what an borate answer." Magnus muttered as he nced at Silvana, "Nice work. Sounds like you deserve to be the Operator of such a Phantom."


    "But..." Magnus continued in a low voice, "What happens to meat? Let your Operator answer that question."


    Silvana''s face immediately changed as she became deadly serious.


    "It depends on the type of monsters, some meat is brought to the Citadel and destroyed, in other cases, especially if the monsters are weak the meat is left in the Dead Lands.


    Sometimes, meat can be used as bait to hunt some Nests to lure monsters out. It''s extremely rare to get energy from meat, or rather blood, but that depends on the subspecies of the monster rather than luck."


    Magnus nodded.


    "Sure, but you forgot about something. That''s not surprising, though. Getting information about it is difficult, even for an Operator of your level. The meat of some monsters is sent to the ck market right into the kitchens of restaurants hidden from the public eye." Magnus said confidently.


    "Wait... That means..."


    Magnus smirked.


    "In the Citadel, every day, people eat the monster meat, of various Threat Levels. These include Phantoms as well as many others, from politicians to the military. There are even ordinary people among them, usually businessmen. Sure, I am one of the older and respected gourmets." Magnus smirked slyly as she turned her head to the side.


    Adam ced the cup on the table, rubbing his chin as he muttered:


    "People eat monsters... Unbelievable... but, isn''t that dangerous? Isn''t simple food enough? The food at the First Ring restaurant was unforgettably delicious..."


    Crackle.


    Magnus abruptly stood up as he waved his arms in different directions with a slightly frantic look.


    "Of course! No delicacy, marbled meat, fish, or huge shrimp canpare to the flesh of a strong monster! It''s apletely different level, and only exceptional persons have ess to this bliss. An ordinary person will never taste the meat of even a White Threat Level monster in their lifetime!"


    Adam''s eyes went wide.


    "Much tastier... This... This is... This is weird, it shouldn''t be like this... Monsters are monsters, this isn''t food..." Adam muttered, he seemed to hesitate, trying to sort out his thoughts.


    Magnus narrowed his eyes, ready to throw out his trump card.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Magnus bent over, their eyes at the same level, as he said with a wide grin:


    "There''s nothing strange about it, it''s just a new experience. Come on, you as Phantom, should understand this better than I do. Imagine how delicious Thunder Demon would be... Hah, you know, unlike you, he tasted you properly. He ate your entire arm!" Magnus eximed.


    His words were like enchanting ghosts entering Adam''s mind.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly, Adam''s Evolution Tree began to tremble, as if wanting to be part of the feast that Magnus spoke of.


    "Thunder Demon... What does he taste like...?" Adam muttered not noticing that the veins around his eyes swelled as if during a Resonance.

 Chapter 237: Appetite

    Magnus made Adam think about what Thunder Demon might taste like, though Adam didn''t want to ponder it, his mind was no longer unstoppable.


    Strangely enough, his Evolution Tree activated, shaking slightly and putting Adam''s genes into a fighting state, his veins swelling up like during Resonance, but only in the facial area.


    "Hmm? What''s that?" Adam muttered, touching his face, clearly puzzled.


    Magnus smirked.


    "It''s your body''s reaction."


    Then, Magnus sat down on the couch:


    "Anyway, let''s do it this way. Now, I''ll show you roughly what kind of monster you''ll need to eat, and we''ll run some tests. We''ll start the treatment tomorrow, and tonight, the four of us, will go to the feast." Magnus narrowed his eyes, waiting for Adam''s response.


    He needed Adam to test regeneration on someone strong enough and truly wounded. It would allow him to have another sessful precedent and hone his skills.


    ''Come on. Agree. These weaklings are good for nothing. Their bodies are too weak to allow me to gather more information. Someone like you won''t want a mediocre result. They will strive for the best, so this will be valuable information.'' Magnus pondered, twiddling his fingers nervously.


    Magnus''s method was already proven and working, but like any scientist, he needed more data. Moreover, convincing Phantom for a dangerous procedure was not easy, for Magnus''s way was risky due to its nature.


    "For the feast?" Adam raised an eyebrow, "Fine, I won''t turn down such a rare opportunity. But, don''t think too much of it. The most important thing for me is to heal my arm."


    Magnus grinned widely as he nodded slightly.


    "Of course, besides, a new experience never hurts." Magnus rubbed his palms like a merchant making a good deal.


    Then, he rose and waved his long coat.


    "Come on. I''ll show you how I''m going to heal your arm!" Magnus spoke out in excitement.


    Adam, Silvana, and Nessa followed him.


    Adam agreed for several reasons. First, he was curious to see the people who had ess to monster meat. Secondly, by refusing, he risked angering Magnus. While Magnus was treating him, Adam should have avoided worsening the rtionship.


    And... He had a natural desire to taste the monster meat. There was nothing Adam could do about the fact that he had a strong appetite.


    ...


    Step. Step. Step.


    They descended to the lower level of the building, and it was here that the realboratory began, not just Magnus''s personal museum.


    The long passageway was full of mechanical doors with something behind them.


    Adam frowned.


    He felt the same way again as when he had entered this building. However, this time, the tension was much stronger, as if something forbidden was behind those doors.


    ''What a strange smell... Shit, even if Magnus wants to appear benevolent, though strange, he wouldn''t be a scientist just because of his intelligence...'' Adam pondered as he looked at one of the doors.


    He wanted to take a step forward, but just at that moment, Nessa appeared in front of him, who seemed to just walk past him.


    "Mr. Adam, we are almost there, please don''t get distracted. We have much to do before the feast begins." Nessa said seriously.


    Adam nodded with a calm face.


    "Sure."


    Before following Nessa, he cast another nce at the door, his eyes narrowed, but he didn''t interfere with Magnus''s business. One way or another, he needed to heal his arm, he had no other important mission.


    Crackle.


    The massive iron door closed behind them, and they found themselves in a dark room. Normally, the lights were on all the time, but Magnus deliberately turned them off, he wanted to make a show of it.


    Magnus grinned as he waved his hand.


    At the same moment, gradually, the lights turned on, moving from their point to the center of the room, where there was a huge pod.


    Strangely enough, there was a monster inside, alive and seemingly full of strength.


    "What kind of monster is that...?" Adam muttered, looking at the unusual creature.


    The monster looked like a Crown Type, but its aura wasn''t powerful enough, and it didn''t look like it had gone through dozens of battles to reach its peak.


    The monster had no skin, only flesh that was fused in many ces, covering its entire body. The legs were crooked, with misshapen joints and bones, and the same was true of the arms, which ended in six long, sharp ws.


    From the monster''s back protruded four outgrowths with long bone des. The head was hairless like the rest of the body, the monster had two eyes.


    The ears and nose were missing, and the mouth was difficult to open because of the joint pieces of flesh that stretched when the jaw moved.


    "ROOOOAAAAAARRRR!!!"


    At the sight of Magnus, the monster''s eyes went wide as it roared furiously, easily scaring Silvana and Nessa, it wasn''t the first time she had heard it, but she still got goosebumps running through her body.


    The monster tried to break through the pod with its sharp ws, but it was unsessful. Inside, the pod was covered in blue ss, previously part of the monster, with a good defense. Thus, this monster couldn''t even scratch this barrier.


    It seemed like the military had to use such ss for their shields to protect themselves from monsters. Well, if the military, like ants, could lift a weight several times their own, it might work.


    However, it should not be forgotten that even if a mere human had a weapon capable of killing any monster in one attack, it would make no difference. The monster would get close to the man and kill him before he could blink an eye.


    Weapons and equipment weren''t enough to fight monsters, it took the right skills, physical stats, and instincts.


    "Hahaha, he''s always so loud. Don''t mind him." Magnus chuckled evilly.


    Silvana walked over to Adam.


    "It''s Crimson Sacrificer..." Silvana muttered, "It''s Prime One, Purple Threat Level, White Book."


    Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    "It''s a Prime Crimson Sacrificer, and yet only a White Book?"


    Magnus nodded, stepping into the conversation.


    "Adam, as you know, monsters are divided into Types, however, you should realize that there are also categories. For example, bird-like monsters or insect-like monsters, right?"


    Adam nodded silently, not understanding what Magnus was getting at.


    "Well, if you want to heal your arm, you''ll have to eat a simr monster."


    "Simr? Is this monster special in any way? Its aura isn''t particrly strong... Though, probably, that''s because it''s weakened." Adam said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    "Nah." Magnus waved his hand nonchntly, "He''s on full alert. Yeah, this monster is special, because it deserves to have its own category. Well, you''ll understand everything now."


    "Agh?" Adam tilted his head.


    Click.


    Magnus clicked the remote, and suddenly the pod opened, releasing Crimson Sacrificer from the cage.


    Adam''s eyes went wide. However, even Nessa was shocked. Yes, they were running experiments, but she and Magnus were still ordinary people!


    Whooooooooosh.


    In a few leaps, the Crimson Sacrificer appeared right in front of Magnus, with burning hatred in its gaze. It seemed that the monster''s main goal was to destroy Magnus, specifically, for all the pain and suffering.


    Magnus only smirked, shoving his hands into his pockets.


    Crackle.


    At the same moment, Adam''s fist crashed into the monster''s head, sting it into small pieces.


    "Damn, what the fuck did you do?" Adam frowned, brushing the blood off his fist.


    "Hey, you''re not done." Magnus smirked.


    "Agh...?" Adam turned around only to see Crimson Sacrificer''s head, recovering quickly.

 Chapter 238: What are the chances of success?

    Each monster subspecies could have its characteristics, whether it was wings, powerful jaws, or ws of a certain length, some detail that each member of a particr species possessed.


    Anomalous Monsters were on a slightly different level because they could be various in appearance, but they all had the power of anomalies, they were a separate category.


    Crimson Sacrificers also belonged to a specific category - regenerative monsters. The power of these monsters was clear and simple, they were hard to kill and defeat because they could heal almost any wound, as long as they had enough energy to do so.


    Thus, Adam''s one hit was not enough for Crimson Sacrificer to kill the monster, even though Crimson Sacrificer''s head was blown away as if from an explosion.


    "Wait... I''ve seen some monsters able to regenerate their wounds quickly before, maybe not in this way, but good regeneration isn''t some unique ability..." Adam muttered, wide-eyed as he watched the Crimson Sacrificer regenerate.


    Adam was shocked not because of Crimson Sacrificer''s abilities, no,pared to Thunder Demon, that monster was nothing. It was just that, Adam realized something.


    "Defeating it is easy, but you said I would need to eat such a monster... If I take even a bite, it will start to grow right inside me..." Adam muttered as he gulped.


    "ROOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRR!!!"


    Crimson Sacrificer roared furiously again, as he grew a new head that was not at all different from thest one. The regeneration was perfect, only its energy reserves were affected.


    Immediately, Crimson Sacrificer attacked again, but this time Adam, seemed to be too distracted by his thoughts.


    Bam.


    As soon as Crimson Sacrificer took a step, Adam''s arm turned into a blur, throwing the monster not dozens of meters away with a palm strike to the chest.


    Crimson Sacrificer weighed very little, just over two hundred kilos, so for Adam, it was easy. Moreover, Crimson Sacrificer didn''t have any defense abilities, only regeneration, and decent stamina.


    So it went on for a while, for a few minutes everyone saw only one scene - Crimson Sacrificer attacking, immediately getting fatally wounded, regenerating, and attacking again, while Adam stood still and stared at the floor with a wistful look.


    No one said anything, Nessa and Silvana were puzzled. They had expected a battle, but it couldn''t be called a fight, the Crimson Sacrificer was as helpless as it could be.


    Magnus watched this with a sly smile on his face. This was the first step to convince Adam to go through with his treatment. After all, Adam had already realized the first risk of this method - he could die.


    Sure, the Crimson Sacrificer wasn''t strong enough to hurt him, but what if that monster started growing inside Adam? The ws would simply tear him from the inside out, there was no defense against such an attack.


    "Hey, how about we kill it and move on to testing and discussing further?" Magnus suggested with a slight wave of his hand.


    Adam nced at him.


    "Kill him? Don''t you need him for experiments?" Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    Magnus smirked.


    "Nah, I have quite a few of those, don''t worry about it. Use lightning bolts, I couldn''t create electricity as powerful as you, you know." Magnus shrugged.


    Adam nodded as his fingertips became covered in electricity. He didn''t fully use the Trait of his artifact, only a small part of it, which should have been enough.


    There were many ways to kill an enemy with such a high regeneration rate, but two principles were at the heart of it - either make the monster use up all of its energy or destroy it in one attack so that there would be no parts left to regenerate from.


    Fire, ice, acid, explosions, and more could be used to destroy the monster entirely. Sure, strong enough lightning was also suitable for this task.


    Crackle.


    Adam''s hand fell on Crimson Sacrificer''s face, unleashing the power of lightning directly into the monster. Crimson Sacrificer''s body began to shake, rapidly and actively trembling, as soon the unpleasant smell of burning flesh filled the room.


    Crimson Sacrificer couldn''t do anything, his muscles and limbs wouldn''t obey him. Soon, dark trickles of smoke began to emanate from the monster''s head, until electricity ran throughout Crimson Sacrificer, causing him to burst into bright mes and quickly turn into a handful of ashes.


    "Not bad, not bad at all." Magnus nodded a few times, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "That ability was clearly worth your battle against Thunder Demon. Agh, I should definitely watch that fight."


    Then, Magnus lifted his chin, looking at Adam.


    "So, what do you say? Are you willing to eat a regenerative monster to regenerate your arm? I hope you remember that I don''t tolerate rejection!" Magnus''s voice intensified as an eerie aura began to emanate from him.


    Adam nodded slightly.


    "Like I said, I came here to heal my arm. If you want the data, then tell me the process properly. I think... I have a rough idea of how it''s supposed to work." Adam sighed heavily, "However, this won''t be the first risky thing I do. That''s for sure."


    "Good. Very good. Then let''s check your metrics, Nessa will run the tests, and I''ll tell you all about it."


    ...


    Adam, Silvana, Nessa, and Magnus went to another part of the building where there was a lot of medical equipment. Sure, Li checked Adam''s condition several times before letting him out of the department, he should bepletely healthy.


    But, Magnus only trusted his data and wasn''t interested in Adam''s health. In fact, he wanted to find out something else - how robust Adam''s body was and how far they could go in regenerating his arm.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam ran on the treadmill while several scanners encircled him on all sides, collecting data on his every breath, every drop of sweat, and every muscle contraction.


    "Basically. My method is that your body will use the cells of the regenerative monster to regrow the missing limb. I won''t hide it, if you fail, the cells of the monster will simply tear your body from the inside, to prevent that from happening, you must suppress them!" Magnus said confidently.


    Adam nced at him.


    "How much longer do I have to run?"


    "Not much."


    "Agh... Whatever. What does my sess depend on? Should I use my energy or my muscles? I mean, you said I need the energy from these cells while they''re still alive. That way, I''ll grow a new arm like the Crimson Sacrificer, right?"


    Magnus nodded.


    "Different factors are important. You''ll understand everything when you start tomorrow. If you''re up for it, of course." Magnus narrowed his eyes, and his expression became really intimidating.


    "Well, I''m not going to hide it. I''m ready, but you have to tell me something, honestly."


    Magnus smirked.


    "I''m listening to you."


    "How many of the Phantoms that havee to you with the same request as me in thest half year have failed?" Adam asked with a deadly serious face.


    He had chosen this particr period because he realized that Magnus had been steadily improving his results, so he needed up-to-date information not distorted by failures in the beginning.


    Magnus shrugged.


    "Only 70% agreed. Of those Phantoms that agreed, 50% didn''t get any results, they couldn''t subdue the monster''s genes, 30% were able to significantly speed up the regeneration of their wounds, 5%pletely healed their wounds, some recovered an arm, a leg, and an eye, and... 15% died."

 Chapter 239: Costumes, Masks and Alias?

    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam and Silvana left the Miracle Observatory, hurrying to the tailor to whom Magnus had sent them. Adam had passed all the tests and epted Magnus''s offer, so they had to prepare for the feast.


    "So only 5% for a full-fledged sess? Honestly, I was expecting something more." Adam muttered, looking at the evening sky where the stars were slowly beginning to appear, the brightest at first, but soon the fainter ones would show themselves.


    Silvana nodded:


    "Don''t forget that 30% were able to speed up regeneration, and 50% just couldn''t get the process started. So we have 35% who benefited from this method to some extent and 15% who died. Thus, the chances of sess are 2.3 times greater." Silvana said calmly.


    She knew that Adam would not refuse treatment if the chance of sess was far greater than failure. Perhaps, earlier, she would have worried about that, but now, seeing his confident look, she did not doubt that his choice was the right one.


    "Yeah... but, I need to get into that 5%. However, elerated regeneration isn''t a bad thing at all, but it''s for emergencies."


    Silvana nodded.


    "Don''t forget what Magnus said, a lot depends on the Phantom itself and the regenerative monster chosen. Each time, the strength of the Phantom and the monster was different, thus these data are distorted. They would be urate if the Phantom and monster were of the same difficulty each time, with the same wounds."


    Adam sighed heavily.


    "Damn, I wish this would be over sooner. Living with one arm is notfortable at all. It feels like I''ve lost half of my abilities. What''s more, Thunder Demon took my main arm, I''m not left-handed..." Adam frowned, looking at his remaining hand.


    Silvana smiled bitterly.


    "If this works out, you''ll have your hand back as soon as tomorrow. That''s a lot better than waiting three to six months, isn''t it?"


    "Hah, that''s for sure." Adam grinned, about to open the ancient wooden door. They had already approached the right building.


    Step.


    Silvana stepped forward, opening the door for him. They looked at each other, smiled slightly, and Adam stepped forward. He would not refuse the help of someone important to him because of childish embarrassment and awkwardness.


    Once inside, they saw the dim light that only slightly illuminated the exquisite outfits, as well as a few visitors choosing a suitable suit for themselves.


    "Hello! I''m sorry, but it''s 8:55 PM, we''re no longer epting visitors." A girl appeared in front of them, wearing formal clothes, but with designer additions, making her outfit not too strict and moderately cute.


    Then, the girl noticed that Adam didn''t have his right hand, and her face changed to be more serious.


    "What''s your name, Mr...?" The girl narrowed her eyes.


    "Adam Vinter. Come on, you know why we are here and why we came sote. There''s no time to waste, we still need to get ready."


    "Sure. Follow me." The girl nodded, heading to the far side of the store.


    ...


    The wooden door opened, letting three shadows into a room where ordinary visitors were not allowed to enter. It was the private workshop of the head tailor - Cazimir Vig.


    Cazimir, a middle-aged man, was examining a tall suit on one of the stands, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as if looking for what he could improve on in his creation.


    "Mr. Cazimir, Adam Vinter and Silvana Desio are here." The girl said before returning to the main hall.


    Cazimir had short brown hair, shrewd green eyes, and a sparse beard. He had special sses with a retractable lens to closely examine even the tiniest of details.


    Then, Cazimir nodded and turned to Adam & Silvana.


    "Good evening. I didn''t expect to be asked so harshly, but who am I to refuse Magnus?" Cazimir smiled kindly as he waved his hand, heading towards the desk.


    "Have a seat and tell me what you would like. What are your preferences? We don''t have too much time left before the Red Feast begins." Cazimir adjusted his sses.


    Adam and Silvana nodded, sitting down on the small wooden chairs as if they were not in a luxurious atelier but in the workshop of an old tailor doing his favorite work for the heart.


    "Preferences?" Silvana asked puzzled. Even she didn''t quite understand what Cazimir was talking about, "Weren''t you just supposed to pick out outfits for us?"


    Cazimir raised an eyebrow, then he chuckled until he was activelyughing.


    "Hahaha, so you don''t even know why you came here in the first ce?" Cazimir patted his legs with his palms unable to contain his emotions, "Magnus is in his repertoire as always. Well, it''s not a problem. It''s something we can work with."


    Then, Cazimir''s face grew serious as he waved his hand toward the many costumes, standing in his workshop.


    "Red Feast is by invitation only to special members who have been attending Red Feast for at least one year. Apparently, Magnus is one of those people. However, no matter who you are, whether you are a neer or one of the veteran gourmets, you must have a suit, but not an ordinary one from an elite atelier, but a special one." Cazimir proceeded to exin with a serious, yet kind tone.


    It was obvious that unlike Magnus, whose mind was not clear on what was going on, Cazimir was clearly a more friendly and straightforward person.


    "Do they only make costumes like this here?" Adam asked, ncing around.


    "Well, technically, any reasonably skilled tailor can do it, but it''s best to go to someone who knows about Red Feast, obviously there aren''t very many tailors like that." Cazimir said with a slight pride in his voice.


    He was a simple man, but he had connections with the military and cksmiths, Phantoms, and scientists alike, not to mention various businessmen and politicians of different caliber. Not everyone was destined to achieve such a thing.


    "In any case, you must tell me your preferred colors, and the format of your costume whether it is something austere and tight or a wide dress like a princess. Then, the shape of your masks as well as your alias." Cazimir waved his hand.


    Silvana looked thoughtfully at the table as she muttered, "So we need a unique costume, a mask, an alias, and an invitation from one of the old members. All this just to get into Red Feast... It''s severe restrictions."


    Cazimir smirked, "Don''t forget one more detail."


    Adam nced at him, puzzled.


    Cazimir poked a thumb at his chest with a satisfied look:


    "You need an excellent tailor."


    "Agh... I see. Well, in that case, let''s get started. I''d like a suit with a long coat as the main part, but keeping a ssic style, while still beingfortable and stretchy enough. The main colors are ck and silver, ck being the priority.


    The mask should cover the upper part of the face, everything except the mouth, for obvious reasons." Adam said confidently as if he were a regr customer of the tailors.


    Silvana smiled contentedly, fixing her hair. After Fall Hill Prison, Adam had taken a bit of an interest in clothes. Then and now along the way, Silvana brought him up to speed, so Adam knew what he wanted and how to exin it.


    "Good. I think I can work something out." Cazimir nodded, rubbing his chin. A blueprint and n of action was already forming in his head.


    Then, he looked at Silvana, waiting for her inquiry.


    "I''d like a long, narrow dress, with closed necklines but ample open shoulders, long sleeves woven with many threads. The main colors are ck and red. I would like the style to be aggressive, moderately sexy, but still strict. The mask should leave the mouth open, but only slightly, covering the head and even part of the hair." Silvana gave out her exact requirements.


    Cazimir nodded, "Looks like I have a lot of work ahead of me, but that''s good. Better to fulfill interesting orders than easy and boring ones."


    Adam narrowed his eyes.


    "Are we going to make it in time? Red Feast is only a few hours away."


    "Hey, I may seem kind, but don''t you dare question my professional skills." Cazimir said menacingly, "Dead Lands is your battlefield, and the thread and needle are mine!"


    "Oh... In a way, we are alike. After all, Ibine everything you said." Adam said calmly, but for some reason, Cazimir sensed a threat in Adam''s voice.


    Cazimir sighed.


    "In any case, you must tell me onest detail before you start work." Cazimir put his hands together, looking intently at Adam and Silvana, "What aliases have you chosen?"


    Adam and Silvana looked over at each other.


    ...


    Two hourster, Adam and Silvana stood in front of the mirrors, looking at their costumes that hade out of Cazir''s needle just minutes before.


    Adam''s body was covered by a long ck coat, with metallic edges that held a dangerous glint, the high cor able to hide the lower part of his face.


    Oddly enough, Adam had decided to keep the two sleeves, even though he had one arm, for now. The right sleeve was sewn to the coat with silver threads that could be easily torn.


    Underneath the coat was a tight vest, with three buttons. Underneath were dark pants with a snow-white belt and confidently fitting shoes.


    The mask was silver, the right sidecked any detail, it waspletely faded and devoid of uniqueness, but... the left side was in the form of four ws extending further beyond Adam''s face to his ear.


    ''Looks like Cazimir is aware of my progress on Dead Lands.'' Adam inwardly muttered, touching the mask.


    Then, he turned to Silvana.


    The tight ck dress emphasized all her curves, but only her shoulders were exposed. Cazimir had tried to add a lot of detail to make the dress look more opulent than it actually was.


    Wide red lines of fabric showed up on her sleeves and closer to her legs, creating a scarlet flowing effect.


    Her face was hidden by a ck mask with red sshes of paint. Five metal rods went backwards, like the paws of a spider holding its prey tightly.


    "We should get going now, shouldn''t we?" Adam grinned, impressed with Cazimir''s work and Silvana''s transformation.


    "Yes."

 Chapter 240: Red Feast

    An event like the Red Feast could only take ce in the First Ring. It was the center of the Citadel, where everything could be found.


    Obviously, in a ce where millions of people lived, a ck market naturally developed, and the Red Feast was an event for that audience.


    Oddly enough, Red Feast was held deep underground, at the bottom of a museum that closed as soon as the sun went below the horizon. In the morning, people came here to see interesting things, most of which involved monsters, the rare and most unusual of them.


    Sure, the truly unique monsters, their bones and parts, were kept in the research department or by scientists, but that was more than enough for ordinary people.


    However, Adam and Silvana drove not directly to the museum, but to a restaurant a few streets away. There was an underground parking lot under the restaurant''s control, and that''s where they started.


    Cazimir was also going toe to the Red Feast today, but he was running a littlete. For him, it had be something of a routine, so missing part of the Red Feast to finish his work was normal for him.


    The Red Feast wasn''t an event that happened once a year only when seven stars stood in a row, after all, selling monster meat was a vast business. Many ces had simr events to Red Feast from time to time, but not asrge and magnificent.


    Nevertheless, Red Feast was not to be underestimated. As Adam and Silvana had managed to find out, it was necessary to go through many things before reaching the massive crimson door they were now standing in front of.


    There were many paths leading to the Red Feast site, underneath the museum, so Adam and Silvana weren''t the only ones to reach the door, it was just that the other guests were in other passageways.


    Crackle.


    The door opened, and right behind it, a girl was waiting for them, dressed in a dark red suit, something like a waiter''s outfit, but it was a higher level, like a butler who had some authority, but was still someone''s servant and subordinate.


    The girl also had a mask - red with two ck crystals in the forehead area. It seemed that there were other masks like this, and the number of crystals could vary.


    "Hello. From the looks of it, you are new here. May I see your invitation card?" The girl asked with a slight smile on her face.


    Adam and Silvana didn''t know what role this girl yed because she wasn''t a guest, but she was - a Guardian. One of her jobs was to check on the guests.


    "Sure." Adam nodded and handed the girl a simple red card that looked as if it was soaked in blood. It didn''t have any initials or signature on it, because it didn''t matter who gave the card, everyone had their aliases. However, there was a broken hourss sign on the card.


    The girl''s eyes went wide.


    "Oh, the red one. Not bad, not bad at all. Looks like you were brought here by someone of significance. Well, it''s none of my business, pleasee in. You can take any avable table." The girl said politely, but before she handed over the card, she remembered something.


    "I''m sorry when I saw your card, Ipletely forgot it was your first time here. Please state your aliases." The girl picked up a simple solid book as well as a pen in her hands. No electronics seemed to be in every corner of the Citadel.


    Adam and Silvana looked at each other.


    Silvana spoke first:


    "ck Widow."


    "Ughum." The girl nodded, quickly writing down her alias before looking at Adam, "And you...?"


    "Dark Weaver." Adam said confidently before stepping forward without waiting for the girl''s reaction.


    He didn''t know who the girl was, neither did she, as everyone hid their auras, information, faces, and names, so figuring out who was a Phantom and who was a mere human was impossible. Moreover, Adam took off his NEP, which he was not allowed to wear at the Red Feast.


    Still, the military could tell each other''s gait, or recognize who was a mere human. The Phantoms were in the same position. If they looked closely, they would recognize whether it was a Phantom or amoner standing across from them.


    Even if they covered themselves with ck veils, one could tell from small details like the tone of voice, the words they chose when speaking, and their movement.


    As soon as Adam and Silvana stepped into the main hall, a sound came from the walls, through the speakers, but someone was voicing it.


    "Meet ck Widow and Dark Weaver! Give our neers a proper wee!"


    Everyone heard it.


    From time to time, new people came to Red Feast, and neers always showed up, but it wasn''t a frequent urrence, more like something rare and curious.


    Adam and Silvana looked around. They were looking for somewhere to go, but everything had already been decided beforehand.


    Step. Step. Step.


    A girl in a ck dress and a white mask covering her entire face approached them.


    "You...?" Adam muttered, he already realized who was standing in front of them.


    "I''m Double Contrast." The girl said calmly, cing her palm to her chest, "Please follow me and be our guests. We''ve just taken a table for four."


    "Dual Contrast, right? Well, as you wish. I wonder what his alias is." Adam smirked as he stepped forward.


    Apparently, Dual Contrast was Nessa. Adam realized it almost instantly by her stride and the sharp facial features that were visible from beneath the mask.


    As they approached the table that was quite close to the center, they saw a man in a long crimson coat. It was Magnus, as was clear from his hair and manners. At that moment, he was drinking wine and snacking on grapes.


    Yeah, there were already food and drinks on the tables, but the main course, the monster meat, was not here yet. The most important thing was left for the end because for now, the guests were only gathering.


    Magnus turned toward them, grinning broadly. His face was hidden by a dark red mask with strange gray cracked edges, as if from old age. In his hand was a long staff with a sharp end that curled around a dark sphere. Clearly, it is a decorative element of his persona.


    "Well, well, let me guess, something to do with blood?" Adam suggested sitting down across from Magnus.


    "Nah." Magnus smirked, "Nice to wee you, Dark Weaver, I''m Time Apostle. Delighted to know you."


    Adam rolled his eyes.


    "Come on. I don''t mind this masquerade, rules are necessary to follow and all, but can we at leastmunicate normally without pretending we don''t know each other?"


    Magnus chuckled evilly as he gripped his staff tightly, pointing the sharp tip at Adam.


    "Dark Weaver, we only met today, so considering I''ve known you for less than a day, you''re still a stranger to me." Magnus narrowed his eyes.


    Adam didn''t answer anything.


    Silvana sat down next to him, and Nessa next to Magnus.


    "By the way." Magnus acted with his staff on the table, "While you were at the tailor''s I watched your fight against Thunder Demon."


    "Hmm? And...?" Adam raised an eyebrow.


    "You did well, but I want to praise you not for your battle, it''s practically a masterpiece, and everyone agrees, I''d rather say about her." Magnus slowly pointed his staff at Silvana.


    "Agh?" Silvana was puzzled.


    Magnus smiled slyly.


    "The audio of your argument has been deleted, but from the other recordings, it''s clear from the look on your face. She wanted to talk you out of it, which was logical and right from a pragmatic point of view, but... you''re a fucking psycho who reminded her of her ce and defeated the Top-2 monster. Good Job."


    Adam wanted to say something, but Magnus beat him to it.


    "Don''t forget your Operator isn''t on the battlefield. I''ve seen too many Phantoms who''ve died because their Operators were overly worried. However..." Magnus paused for a long moment.


    He looked intently at Adam:


    "The Phantoms that died at the risk of defeating a powerful monster were ten times as many, that''s for sure."


    Tap.


    At the same moment, the hall center began to illuminate with spotlights, it was empty, and there were no tables.


    It seemed that soon the tables of the guests would be filled with the food they hade for.

 Chapter 241: Red Feast (Part 2)

    Red Feast was located in a spacious hall with enough space to hold hundreds of people. However, the center, which was quite arge part of the room, was empty, leaving this important area for something important.


    Crackle.


    Two massive doors, over five meters high, began to slowly open with a loud creak, as if in an ancient castle filled with ghosts. These doors were the only ones that guests didn''t pass through, they were meant for something else.


    However, no one had left the doors yet, it would take some time for that to happen. Nevertheless, among the guests, a number of Guardians had visibly appeared - people in red robes, each with two dark crystals in their masks.


    They didn''t say or do anything, but powerful auras emanated from them, showing that any wrongful action would be stopped. Considering that many of the guests were ordinary people, the presence of the Guardians was enough to prevent any conflicts, most of the time.


    "Oh, there''s quite a few of them... I thought it would only be guests here." Adam muttered, looking around.


    Magnus smirked, as he waved his hand, calling over a young man who looked like a waiter, or rather he was doing the waiter''s job.


    "Those with two dark crystals are called Guardians, but they are not the only ones." Magnus began to speak when a young man approached them with a bottle of wine on a tray.


    "Mr. Time Apostle, it looks like your ss is already empty." The young man smiled slightly as he was about to pour the wine for Magnus, but he stopped the youth with a wave of his hand.


    "It''s not for me. Fill my new friend''s sses, and don''t forget thedies."


    The young man nodded.


    "Sure."


    Soon, the crimson liquid filled the sses exactly a third full, causing the wine to ripple slightly, coating the walls of the clear ss.


    "People like him are called Soldiers. As you can see, he only has one dark crystal on his mask. Almost all of them are ordinary people, but familiar with the rules and know what can happen in Red Feast." Magnus exined.


    Then, Adam nced at one Guardian, it seemed to be the girl who was taking their card and writing down aliases.


    "Soldiers and Guardians..." Adam muttered thoughtfully.


    "It''s unknown exactly who is among the Guardians, but I think you''ve already realized that a small portion of them are Phantoms. However, there are also Knights, who have three dark crystals on their masks, but they only appear in exceptional cases. Only if the Guardians are unable to solve the problems. That happens extremely rarely." Magnus exined.


    Unlike Adam, who was here for the first time, Magnus knew exactly how the Red Feast was organized. It was much moreplicated than Adam had originally thought, for this was not just a gathering of gourmets wanting to taste the flesh of a monster.


    "Wait... Soldiers, Guardians, and Knights... What''s more, there''s something else lurking behind those doors. There''s both maintenance and defense. Thus, someone has to organize and control it all. This isn''t amunity, it''s a business." Adam delivered his verdict in a low voice.


    For a moment, Magnus grinned widely, so much so that it seemed his face was ready to tear, but he soon came to normal, tapping his fingers slowly on the table.


    "Say, do you know who''s in charge here? Who all the Soldiers, Guardians, and Knights report to? Who is above all of this?" Adam asked, as seriously as possible.


    Magnus''s corners of his mouth lifted upward.


    "Rumor has it that it''s someone from Crimson Path, maybe it''s their leader, or maybe some secret puppeteer. Who knows?" Magnus shrugged, pretending that this information wasn''t avable to him.


    Adam narrowed his eyes. He couldn''t tell if Magnus was lying or not. There was hardly a single person in this world who could easily uncover Magnus''s lies.


    Step. Step. Step.


    At the same moment, several shadows headed towards the center of the hall, out of the massive doors. They were not only people but also some objects hidden by a ck veil.


    "It''s finally starting. I wonder what''s on the menu tonight." Magnus uttered with slight delight, licking his lips predatorily.


    The first veil fell, revealing two men and a middle-aged woman. They all wore white chef''s robes, but only the woman had a cap on her head, revealing that she was the head chef.


    The fallen veil also revealed various cooking equipment, be it grills, ovens, stoves, pans, or knives. The list was long, but any chef would be jealous of such an assortment, where in addition to the standard equipment, there was something unusual.


    For example - a huge knife, more like a saw, with sharp teeth, seemed to be a weapon for bloody murder, not for cooking. Or the special chamber with the cold inside.


    "Oh, we''re lucky. Zakira is one of the best cooks. We can count on a real masterpiece this night." Magnus smirked, rubbing his palms together.


    "Zakira...? Wait... she''s no ordinary person." Adam muttered, clearly surprised.


    Magnus nodded.


    "These two." Magnus pointed to the male chefs, "Commoners and her assistants. Their skills are enough to work as chefs in the finest restaurants of the First Ring. However, Zakira is a Phantom, but not only that, before bing a Phantom she was one of the best cooks in the entire Citadel."


    Magnus continued, "However, she is unknown to therger public, for she helped ck market cooks prepare monster meat before bing one of the best."


    Adam tilted his head in confusion.


    "Wait... I don''t understand something. Zakira is definitely a Phantom, but you say that before bing a Phantom she already had excellent cooking skills. But, is it possible to achieve such skill by the age of 16 or 18?" Adam asked, with a slight wave of his hand.


    "Hahaha." Magnus chuckled evilly, "Good question. However, you''re forgetting something. Yeah, you can only be a Phantom if you have a Spark awakening, usually, that happens between the ages of 16 and 18. However... Everyone at this table knows that you can be a Phantom at any age."


    Adam''s eyes went wide as he realized something about Zakira. She wasn''t just a Phantom, she was a Naturalborn One! Sure, he was a Naturalborn Phantom too, but unlike him, Zakira had a very different situation.


    She was a sessful chef and could provide a great, rich life for herself, but she still decided to go to Dead Lands with an incredible chance of just dying.


    "I see... So, by deciding to fight a monster in Dead Lands, she was able to be a Phantom at a rather mature age. So, her cooking skills have been honed by her instincts, and with her new strength and speed, she has no problem working with monster bones or ws that cannot be damaged by ordinary people, be they military or Harvesters." Adam muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    Magnus nodded contentedly. He liked Adam''s reasoning.


    "Yeah, Zakira is 35 years old and a K2-Phantom. For your information, she''s achieved that in just a few years, spending a lot of time as a chef."


    Adam nced at him.


    "Sounds like you''re a fan of hers. Maybe you should get her autograph."


    "Hahaha, good one. Well, I won''t hide it. I love her food. You know, she''s just the perfect candidate - a talented chef who originally worked with monster meat andter became the Phantom. It''s like all the stars have aligned." Magnus chuckled.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Zakira stepped in front, nced at the audience, and waved her hand, hiding the ck veil that still concealed something valuable.


    Strangely enough, it wasn''t monster meat.


    Underneath the veil were three huge eggs. If given time, they would give birth to creatures capable of killing thousands of people.

 Chapter 242: Red Feast (Part 3)

    Everyone came to Red Feast for one purpose - to eat monster meat. A delicacy that could not bepared to truffles, foie gras, or any rare caviar or marble meat.


    All of these ingredients could be obtained with money, but to taste the monster meat, money alone was not enough. One needed connections, influence, and power.


    However, meat wasn''t the only edible thing from monsters. Animal food was quite diverse, it wasn''t just meat. Obviously, the first thing that came to mind was eggs.


    Eggs were the way many animals gave birth to offspring. However, eggs have also been a staple of many people''s diets, throughout history mankind hase up with many recipes with eggs as the central ingredient.


    "Eggs? Not meat...?" Adam was surprised. He wasn''t the only one, though, for none of the guests knew what would be on the menu at Red Feast, not even Magnus, whose eyes sparkled with delight.


    "Oh... It''s Yellow Oro''s eggs..." Magnus muttered in disbelief.


    Adam raised an eyebrow.


    "Yellow Oro? Is that some kind of powerful monster?" Adam asked, he hadn''t heard of this monster before, so he figured it was a monster for K2 or K3 Phantoms.


    Magnus shook his head. Silvana was ready to answer Adam''s question but didn''t dare interrupt Magnus.


    "No, not at all. This is the White Threat Level Monster, Red Book. As you realize, Yellow Oroes are pretty weak monsters, but not all weak monsters are near the Citadel." Magnus exined.


    Adam''s eyes went wide. Oddly enough, he hadn''t thought about it at all. He had started his journey with Scorching Desert and hadpleted quite a few missions in Rusty Ruins. Around the Citadel, there were several other nearby areas simr to Alienated Rocks where K0-Phantoms could hunt.


    Sure, there weren''t even ces like Salt Vige near the Citadel, and there were territories much more dangerous. The reason was simple - all the strong monsters in the surrounding areas had long since been exterminated by the mighty Phantoms.


    Thus, every Phantom knew that the farther a ce was from the Citadel, the more dangerous the monsters there were. Well, this rule only worked for the first few circles around the Citadel.


    Magnus continued:


    "Among the far territories, where there are dangerous monsters that even K3 and K4 Phantoms have a hard time dealing with, there''s plenty of room for weaker creatures, be they scavengers or just non-conflict monsters that others have little desire to hunt." Magnus sighed.


    In a forest where bears and wolves could live, there was space for dozens of less dangerous animals, just as in the oceans, sharks didn''t touch the small fish that cleaned their bodies of parasites, not wanting to waste their energy on them.


    Sure, monsters were different. They didn''t need much reason to kill others, but not because monsters were insane creatures.


    On the contrary, monsters had a specific goal - to be stronger. Food for the purpose of survival was not the only reason why monsters attacked each other otherwise their habitats would be no different from forests.


    Monsters always wanted to fight, because by killing others, they gained valuable experience and became stronger, and by eating their enemies they healed their wounds and strengthened their bodies. Thus, although there were weak monsters in the far zones, they were few and rare.


    "The value of Yellow Oro''s eggs is that it is a rare subspecies of the Oroes. The Yellow Ones are the ones thaty the eggs." Magnus uttered, running his fingers over them as if he could already taste them.


    Adam tilted his head.


    "Have you tasted Yellow Oro''s eggs yet?"


    Magnus nodded.


    "Sure. However, even I''ve only managed to do it a few times. Anyway, you''re lucky you decided to be a newbie just today."


    Adam said nothing, his gaze only deepening. Then, all discussion stopped, and gazes went to Zakira.


    Her assistants had already started preparing the garnish and sauce, leaving her with the most important and difficult task of all: preparing the Yellow Oro''s eggs.


    Zakira had tanned skin, shaved sides of her head, leaving only the top of her head, and a long silver braid running down to her back. Her gray eyes were as confident as her stern gaze.


    Crackle.


    Zakira took a massive knife from the stand that looked like a huge saw and gripped it tightly by the hilt. Only then did Adam realize that the strange knife was her Nexus.


    "Oh, a Nexus is like a kitchen knife even though it''s weird... I see..." Adam muttered, slightly impressed.


    Then, with three swipes, she sliced off the tops of the eggs, causing the whites to wobble like jelly but not spill out.


    Zakira nodded, put the sword aside, and reached forward, holding her wrist with her other hand.


    Her eyes shone brightly, and her hand was covered in a dense red energy that was like a living thing, for soon, it stretched forward as if searching for a target.


    The blob of energy without losing contact with Zakira''s hand, prated the egg only to emerge carrying the yolk without touching the white.


    The yolk ended up in a ss container. Zakira did this two more times, leaving all three eggs without the yolk.


    "Oh, it''s kind of like telekinesis, right? Not bad, not bad at all." Adam smiled, enjoying the show.


    Zakira picked up three eggs at once with her ability, guiding them towards the huge pan and slowly tilted them, letting the white spill out.


    However, Zakira didn''t turn on the fire, as she needed the heat toe from the top, not the bottom.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Suddenly, two Guardians appeared beside her. They had nned it all and knew why they were here, so without further ado, they pointed their hands toward the raw whites, and their eyes shone brightly.


    Two streams of mes quickly began to heat up the whites, normal whites would have burned already, but since they were monster eggs, it was fine.


    Zakira watched over the whites carefully as well as the time on her stopwatch.


    "Stop." Zakira said confidently, and the Guardians lowered their arms before disappearing into the crowd.


    Then, she picked up three yolks, carefully transferring them to the heated whites so they wouldn''t break. The high temperature immediately began to cook the yolks, but Zakira rotated them slowly, distributing the heat evenly so that the yolks remained fluid and full of vor.


    Adam didn''t know what the dish was, but here Magnus, Silvana, and Nessa understood.


    "Oh, it''s Orsini Eggs, but with ingredients from a monster... Interesting..." Silvana muttered, rumpling her dress. Even she couldn''t contain the appetite that awakened deep inside her.


    Then, the Soldiers approached the kitchen and spread out slices of the dish with the scattered yolks on tes. Zakira quickly sliced everything into even pieces, one for each guest. The sauce and roasted vegetables were already on the tes, prepared by the other cooks.


    Tap.


    Soldiers brought tes to each table and filled every ss with wine. However, no one had started eating yet - it was a small tradition of the Red Feast.


    Zakira bowed low, pressing her palm to her chest.


    "Thank you foring here. The first course is served. Enjoy while we prepare for the next installment. Yellow Oro''s eggs were just the beginning."


    p. p. p.


    There was a series of apuse, in which Magnus actively participated.


    Then, everyone grabbed knives and forks, including Adam.


    "Well, let''s see if it was worth it." Adam muttered before taking a bite.

 Chapter 243: Red Feast (Part 4)

    Did the dishes made from monsters taste different? Sure, but was vor the only thing that people gathered at Red Feast and went to great effort to get there?


    Well, Adam was about to find out.


    Zakira had prepared a somewhat simple but extremely appropriate dish to fully experience the pure vor of the Yellow Oro''s eggs. There were few spices and other ingredients, just a light sauce to entuate the vor and vegetables to diversify the dish.


    Gulp.


    Adam swallowed a bite of the whites, covered with warm yolk and his eyes went wide. Strangely enough, his Evolution Tree actively trembled as if in delight. Never before had this happened, even when Adam had been to the luxurious restaurants of the Fist Ring, there was no reaction.


    "Oh, I guess you felt it, didn''t you?" Magnus smirked, taking a sip of wine.


    Adam nodded as he nced at Silvana.


    She was all shaky with a puzzled expression on her face, her pupils dted, and she got goosebumps.


    "Hey... Are you okay?" Adam asked, not understanding what was happening to Silvana.


    Magnus reached forward, stopping Adam, who wanted to touch Silvana''s shoulder.


    "Wait. It happens to everymoner who first tasted the monster dishes. One way or another, the genes are in all of us, standard biology. It''s just that ordinary people don''t have the energy or Evolution Tree and other importantponents." Magnus smirked.


    "And...? Does that have any implications?" Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion, while Silvana was still regaining her senses.


    Magnus shook his head.


    "Even if it''s a monster dish it''s still food and not a magic potion capable of altering reality. However, she might want to go to the gym more often or have sex, the activity of the cells should go out somewhere." Magnus uttered with a calm face.


    Adam and Silvana tried not to show it, but Magnus''s words made them slightly embarrassed. After all, sex was something personal to everyone, but Magnus said it like something casual, like breakfast. However, it was unknown which one of them had inappropriate emotions.


    Nessa turned to Adam, while they were talking, she had already eaten everything, finishing the dish first.


    "How active was your Evolution Tree shaking? How much pleasure did you get from your first bite?" Nessa asked seriously.


    Adam tilted his head.


    "Is this some kind of interrogation?"


    "Kind of. I hope you don''t mind answering, considering you''re here, thanks to Mr. Magnus." Nessa said in a stern voice.


    Magnus said nothing, he just smirked, clearly pleased with his assistant''s actions.


    "Well... I''m delighted, at first the taste seemed ordinary, but... I soon realized that the differences are drastic, being on another level that affects not only the taste buds but also the genes, nevertheless..." Adam sighed heavily.


    Magnus and Nessa looked at him intently.


    "At the end, like an aftertaste, I felt disappointment, but it didn''te from me, but from my Evolution Tree, it seemed it was expecting something more just like my body. Agh, that''s how I really feel." Adam shrugged.


    "Interesting... So the vor was decent, but you were missing something else. Well, there are other dishes ahead, Zakira''s skills are impable, we just have to hope for the right ingredient."


    Twenty minutester, two Guardians brought the next ingredients hiding under a massive iron dome.


    The cooks lifted the dome, revealing many different ingredients. The first of the three main ingredients was an unusual human-sized fruit - something between an apple and a pomegranate, with spikes on the rind, a twisted shape, and varying colors, green on the bottom and purple on top.


    "Oh, Spiky Fruit of Loss. They''re not often found at this time. Looks like someone from the Phantoms and Harvesters went to a lot of trouble." Magnus said thoughtfully.


    Magnus knew what Adam had asked, so he didn''t wait and went straight to exining, "Spiky Fruit of Loss only grows in a few regions and only in ces of bloody battles. The rarity is that they must grow in the center of the battle, soaking up the blood without being eaten by any monster."


    Magnus continued, "In other words, it''s only possible if some powerful monster has been defending the fruit all along, wanting to eat it at the end, but... having defeated all the enemies before he could start eating it, dying of exhaustion or at the hands of the Phantom."


    Adam nodded with a deep gaze, as he gulped, wanting to taste it.


    The second ingredient was strangely enough a vegetable, long and stretched out with a pointed end as if the carrot had be a giant sword. The color was purple, with bright blue spots illuminating everything around it.


    "Void Carrot. This ingredient doesn''t have as interesting a history as thest one, but it''s worth paying attention to the number of spots. The more of them the richer the vor and more energy. This is a worthy sample. I can assure you of that. I hope your Evolution Tree recognizes that." Magnus waved his hand with a serious expression.


    Then, all eyes went to thest of the three ingredients - a piece of white meat with a natural reddish-dark color on the outside, very simr to the meat of a regr crab.


    "Oh, this is the meat of the Water Guardian of the Depths." Magnus said, "Not bad, not bad at all."


    Adam nced at Silvana.


    "It''s a Purple Threat Level Monster, Red Book, Crown Type. Pretty strong, ranks Top-45. It would be a standard opponent for you, though."


    "I see... But there''s something I don''t understand."


    "Hm?" Magnus raised an eyebrow.


    "You could say that from the ingredients from Dead Lands, there''s a vegetable, a fruit, and a seafood. Is Zakira going to use all of them together and othermon ingredients to create one dish? It''s just going to be a mess..." Adam scratched the back of his head uncertainly. He didn''t know much about cooking, but even for him, this was strange.


    "Hahaha." Magnusughed heartily.


    "Of course not. Zakira will prepare three dishes at once, specifically soup, sd, and dessert." Magnus waved his hand.


    Adam tilted his head. Magnus''s answer baffled him even more.


    "Wait... Doesn''t that mean the Water Guardian''s meat is the main course? That''s... That''s disappointing." Adam sighed heavily.


    Magnus''s corners of his mouth turned upward.


    "Look. No one knows what will be on the menu, not even me, but... those who have been to Red Feast at least once know two rules regarding the dishes." Magnus said seriously while pointing two fingers.


    "First - thest course is always a single dish, and strangely enough, it''s never dessert. Second - thest course is always exactly meat, not eggs, not a vegetable or fruit or seafood, meat as it is." Magnus grinned, anticipating thest course, which at Red Feast was always the main course.


    While the conversation continued, Zakira had already cooked three meals, which were soon distributed to the guests by the Soldiers.


    The broth of the soup was white and thick, with sparse vegetables and weighty chunks of white, tender meat. From the Void Carrot, Zakira prepared an unusual ragout that due to the peculiarities of the vegetable shone brightly as if contaminated with radiation, perhaps it could be repulsive to some, but the vor was simply captivating.


    The Spiky Fruit of Loss was sliced into thin slices covered in salted caramel, resting on an airy jelly that trembled with every movement.


    "Well, bon appetit!" Magnus eximed.


    ...


    Just like the first time, Adam was in true ecstasy from the taste, but his genes desired something more, affecting his overall sensations.


    Nessa, Silvana, and Magnus were actively chatting, while Adam looked around bored, waiting for thest course.


    It was worth realizing that Adam had gotten what he wanted and was generally satisfied with Red Feast, but in the process, he realized that he needed something more. There was onest detail he missed in order to feelplete satisfaction.


    Crackle.


    The massive doors opened again, this time Zakira was alone, there were no chef assistants or Guardians to help carry the heavy objects.


    Something was hidden on a tray under a massive lid, and it was obvious to everyone that it was the main course.


    Everyone immediately smelled the overpowering odor of blood that could onlye from meat, dense, and full of energy when alive.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I won''t waste your time, as you all know what is behind me." Zakira said confidently, holding tightly to the handle of the lid.


    Then, Zakira''s lips came into motion as she revealed what was on the tray. However, Adam didn''t hear her, for his mind clouded, and his pupils narrowed as he saw the ingredient of the main course.


    On the tray were massive chunks of meat, with Thunder Demon''s head in the center!

 Chapter 244: Red Feast (Part 5)

    As Magnus had said, thest course at the Red Feast was always meat, familiar and customary, but not beef or pork, but monster meat.


    There was only one question: which monster meat was thest course?


    This time, it was Thunder Demon. It was a Top-2 monster of the Purple Threat Level, it was extremely rare for a Top-5 monster to appear at Red Feast, regardless of Threat Level.


    However, what surprised Adam was not that it was Thunder Demon. It shouldn''t have been forgotten that Thunder Demon was a subspecies of monsters and it was Essence Thunder Demon that was Top-2.


    Thus, the Thunder Demon that was the main course of this Red Feast was not necessarily the Thunder Demon that Adam had defeated.


    However... One detail was enough for Adam to realize it immediately.


    Thunder Demon''s head was missing its left horn, every moment, every piece of Thunder Demon''s broken horn was imprinted in Adam''s mind. Thus, it only took one nce for him to realize that this Thunder Demon was the one he had killed.


    Moreover, after a few seconds, a powerful aroma of meat reached him, causing all his genes to get excited and Evolution Tree to actively tremble.


    Strangely enough, this time Adam''s Artifact was also active.


    Adam decided to check what was going on by closing his eyes.


    [Horn of Cmity (Second Rarity Artifact)


    First Trait: One-horned Disaster


    Second Trait: ???]


    Adam remembered that although he already used the power of his artifact several times, he never once read the description of the ability. Not that it was necessary, but it might help him better understand a part of his power.


    [First Trait - One-horned Disaster:


    Channel lightning energy through your body and soar above the earth as a majestic being who determines who lives and who dies.


    As long as you have energy, you are free to use the power of lightning, but only within the confines of your body.


    Lightning Reflexes - due to the evolution of your artifact, this Trait survived, bing part of the One-Horned Disaster].


    Adam nodded. The first time he''d used One-Horned Disaster to kill Tirana, it had taken him a few seconds to realize the power of his new ability.


    Perhaps he should have expected the Second and Third Trait from his past Artifact to transfer into the new one when he unlocked the new Traits, but Adam didn''t count on it.


    ''When I first got Horn of Cmity, I lost all the abilities with some exception... I guess Lightning Reflexes remained since the lightning had already infused my entire body, and my reflexes had time to sharpen.'' Adam pondered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    Then, his gaze returned to Zakira, who made for thest ingredient a small introduction.


    "As you know, we always try to make thest ingredient something special, not only because of the monster''s power or its rarity but also its history." Zakira said confidently.


    Her words made sense because history and additional information did matter. The same sword, of the same alloy and materials, made by the same cksmith ording to the same blueprint, could be worth apletely different amount in the eyes of a collector if the sword belonged to a soldier or some nobleman or famous warrior.


    In Red Feast, there was a simr situation with thest ingredient.


    "This is Essence Thunder Demon, a Top-2 monster among the Purple Threat Level. It''s already enough to be something special, but I think many people here have seen this fight that happened on the border between Rusty Ruins and Salt Vige." Zakira said seriously, pausing for a moment.


    p. p. p.


    At the same moment, more than half the people pped. Adam didn''t know what that meant, but Magnus exined it to him.


    "They''re letting everyone know they saw your fight." Magnus smirked before pping his hands, Nessa joining him.


    True, Magnus hadn''t seen Adam''s fight fully and neither had Nessa, only heard about it, but it would be strange if their table remained quiet. They didn''t want any extra attention on Adam, who was the culprit of the celebration in some way.


    "Sure, Thunder Demon wasn''t the start of that incident. Dark Phantoms, a cluster of powerful anomalies, and three Top-5 monsters at once, not to mention a lot of other powerful creatures. However, it was the Adam Vinter vs Thunder Demon battle that was the key part." Zakira said confidently.


    It was worth realizing that no one knew Adam was here, and Zakira was only retelling the course of events. She would have done the same with another story.


    "Adam Vinter clearly deserves a word of praise, but it''s Red Feast, so Thunder Demon''s meat is the main star of our show tonight. Please wait a little while and get a taste of a strong monster who lost to an even stronger man!" Zakira waved her hand.


    Even though she was a chef, she would be a good showman. She knew how to get the crowd interested and whet their appetite to the max!


    Then, Zakira used her abilities and all her mastery to cook the final dish.


    Zakira did everything herself, so the guests had to wait longer than usual. However, no one minded because they knew what they were getting.


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    The Soldiers quickly approached the kitchen, taking tes and carrying them to the tables, quickly and in a coordinated manner.


    "Damn... That''s a whole other conversation..." Magnus gulped, as he licked his lip, anticipating the delight.


    Thest course was simple, but as effective as possible to bring out the full vor of the meat - steak with a slightly spicy sauce made from wine and the juice that came out of the meat.


    Usually, the chefs would specify what kind of rare the guest wanted their steak, but at Red Feast, all the meat was always cooked to medium-rare. That allowed for the right degree of vor, leaving a little room for the chef''s skills.


    While Manus, Nessa, and Silvana exchanged words, sharing their feelings before tasting thest course, Adam remained silent, staring intently at the steak in front of him.


    It was the meat of the monster he had defeated, but he didn''t feel like a hunter preparing to taste his prey. Thunder Demon wasn''t his prey, they were each other''s deadly opponents, warriors fighting to win.


    The winner didn''t get to eat the loser like a hunter would, no, the winner got something much more important - the chance to live on and avoid death.


    In any case, Adam could no longer restrain himself, and he began to eat. Instinctively, he forgot about the cutlery, grabbed the sliced piece of meat with two fingers, opened his mouth wide, and loosened his grip, letting the meat fall right onto his tongue.


    Adam''s jaw moved a few times, tearing the meat into small pieces with his teeth before swallowing.


    "Agh..." Adam exhaled as his pupils dted and electric charges passed through his eyes.


    Then, all his muscles tensed, and the veins around his eyes inted as if in resonance. The effect soon wore off, but all his cells were more active than ever, beginning to move rapidly.


    "Oh, just as I thought that would be something special in your case." Magnus grinned widely before beginning to eat.


    Thunder Demon''s meat caused Silvana, Nessa & Magnus to have a simr reaction, but to a much lesser extent.


    Their genes were activated because of the powerful genes within the meat, but Adam and Thunder Demon had some sort of connection. After all, Thunder Demon contained part of Adam - his right arm.


    "Agh... What''s going on?" Adam twisted in pain when he felt a burning sensation near his right arm.


    Magnus''s face changed instantly, revealing an overly wide grin again.


    "Hah, unbelievable. Thunder Demon''s meat caused your genes to be active, it seems your body remembers that Thunder Demon took your arm and is trying to recover it. Well, even if it does, it''s not enough. However... perhaps this will increase the chances of sess in my method. Hehehe, I''m sure your genes definitely won''t calm down until tomorrow." Magnus chuckled evilly.


    Crackle.


    At the same moment, somewhere in the distance of the hall, something strange, or rather inappropriate for a ce of this level, happened - a waiter, one of the Soldiers, started pushing the tables of the guests, throwing them apart.


    "What the fuck...?" Magnus turned around, staring intently at the girl-Soldier in the distance.


    She seemed to have a n, for she had chosen the farthest ce where, strangely enough, only ordinary people were sitting, not even the military among those guests. So the guests just stood up outraged, not realizing what was going on.


    Wine spilled on their expensive suits, dishes shattered, and the meat of the Thunder Demon fell to the ground.


    Before the Guardians could react and approach the girl, she fell to her knees, greedily beginning to devour dozens of pieces of the Thunder Demon''s meat.


    "Idiot..." Magnus shook his head. It seemed like he had already seen something like this several times before.


    "What... what is she doing?" Silvana asked with a tremor in her voice.


    Magnus leaned on his arm with a bored look.


    "She thinks she can be a Phantom this way. Sure, it makes some sense, but she''s woefullycking in theory." Magnus sighed heavily.


    He stared intently at the girl who had already eaten more than ten servings. She was just shoving the meat into her mouth with her hands.


    "You can''t be a Phantom by absorbing the genes of a monster. Phantoms are so strong not because they use others'' genes, but because their genes go to the next level with the appearance of the Evolution Tree." Magnus exined.


    "In that case... What''s waiting for her...?" Silvana muttered.


    Magnus shrugged his shoulders.


    "Death, either way. The question is different, will that death be instant or we will see an interesting show."


    Soon, the girl''s face twisted in vivid pain as she clutched at her heart. A stream of blood spurted from her mouth, and her eyes seemed ready to explode.


    Then, her skin ripped in many ces, revealing chunks of flesh that were actively moving like hundreds of parasites eager to turn into something bigger and creepier...

 Chapter 245: Red Feast (Part 6)

    Genes were the basis of every creature, on the most trivial level, cells made up the bodies of both humans and monsters, and to some extent they determined power. Sure, cells were just the foundation, but that was why they were so important.


    Essentially anyone living in the Upper Ring knew this, perhaps except for the slums. All it took was a basic education and knowledge of biology - nothingplicated.


    So, the girl wanted to alter her genes by eating too much monster meat in a short period. Technically, because of the amount of meat she consumed, her body began to consist of monster meat by a few percent.


    Sure, the meat went into her stomach, but the first cells digested and had already reacted with the rest, then attacked the girl''s cells.


    If Adam had been in her ce, he would have felt only a slight pain in the stomach area or no negative effects at all. However, this girl was a mere human.


    It should not be forgotten that it was possible to die even if one ate too many apples, or rather their seeds because of the poison contained inside, but the fact remained.


    The most familiar fruit had a lethal dose, huge but it was, so for such a dangerous thing as the meat of a powerful monster it was enough of what the girl had already shoved in her mouth.


    "Well, it looks like we''re in for something curious. It could have been better, but it will be a nice ending to this evening." Magnus smirked as he waved his hand calling Soldier over to him to fill his ss with wine.


    Silvana and Nessa watched as the girl gradually transformed. She was in pain, horror literally reflected on her face as it was not what she had hoped for.


    "No... How... Why did this happen to me...?" The girl muttered as tears rushed from her eyes.


    She wanted to be a Phantom, if only in an extraordinary way, but she was willing to do it. Naturally, she didn''t know that there was a real way to be a Phantom without Spark, such knowledge was beyond the reach of the mere human, most of them.


    Strangely enough, Adam wasn''t looking at the girl at all. It wasn''t that he wasn''t interested, it was just more important to him to see Magnus''s reaction.


    Hearing Magnus''sst words, Adam''s eyes narrowed. It seemed to him that Magnus knew perfectly well what was going to happen to the girl next and he was disappointed that it wasn''t going to be something more.


    As if he hadn''t just seen creepier cases, but was capable of creating one himself, of the right power.


    Then, Adam shifted his gaze to the girl, whose hand had already transformed into a ghastly paw of flesh, with three long, sharp ws.


    The transformation sped up considerably, and in a few seconds, there was nothing left of the girl. In her ce was now a terrifying monster with an extremely strange appearance.


    Everything seemed to be normal, the monster''s body was covered in flesh, two lower powerful paws and two front paws with ws, as well as a long tail and mighty jaw.


    However... constantly new eyes, tongues, and jaws opened at random ces. They quickly disappeared as if realizing that there was no room for them here, but the waves of changes continued to create an eerie pattern.


    "ROOOAAAARRRR!!!"


    The monster roared furiously releasing long pieces of flesh from its body, something like whips, which were like spears headed towards several guests. Oddly enough, among them was Magnus, who was in the distance, drinking wine with a sly grin.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Several Guardians appeared in front of the guests, the very ones who were Phantoms. They effortlessly broke the whips of flesh apart.


    Anyway, although the monster looked gruesome, a few chunks of meat from the Thunder Demon and the body of a simple girl weren''t enough to make someone stronger than White Threat Level appear.


    "Tsk. Now I''ve gotten bored. Hey, Dark Weaver, do you want to try killing this dangerous monster?" Magnus sarcastically said.


    "Nah, I don''t see the need for that." Adam waved his hand carelessly.


    The Guardians looked at each other, nodded, and simultaneously attacked the monster from different directions. Before the monster could do anything, the sharp des cut it into several pieces, covering the floor in dark blood, with a stinking odor.


    Silence.


    No one said anything for a while, an asional whisper was heard, but it quickly disappeared into the void.


    p.


    Suddenly there was a mighty p, a single p, but resonant enough to make everyone turn their heads in the same direction, even Adam. Strangely enough, he did it instinctively, as if he felt it was impossible to ignore the call of someone powerful.


    In front of the kitchen, stood a tall man with dark red robes, his hands folded behind his back. He looked just like Soldiers or Guardians, with one exception - he had three dark crystals on his mask.


    "Oh, so the Knight has been here the whole time? He''s been hiding somewhere... I wonder if they were specting that there might be somerger incident today?" Magnus bit down on his pinky finger. The Guardians had handled the threat, so in Magnus''s mind, the Knight was not needed here.


    "Good evening. First, I would like to say that the danger has passed. The Guardians have sessfully eliminated the threat." The man said calmly in a measured voice.


    "Secondly, I apologize for what happened tonight." The man bowed slightly, genuinely repentant.


    The guests looked at each other. The situation was indeed unusual, but they didn''t know if it was worth pushing the situation further, or was it better to forget about everything?


    However... some were sure that a simple apology wasn''t enough.


    "What the fuck was that!? Is it so hard to keep track of who you hire?! This is Red Feast, not some fucking roadside diner!" A man, one of the guests whose table the girl had knocked over, eximed angrily.


    His suit was sshed with wine and he still hadn''t gotten a chance to taste Thunder Demon''s meat. His anger was more than understandable.


    Knight nced at him, then leaned even lower:


    "I understand your frustration and apologize again. It does not excuse us, but no one is immune to error." The man said politely, afraid of pissing off the important guest even more.


    The man got a grimace with an annoyed smirk.


    "Tsk. Your words are worthless. It''s already happened, which means it could happen again. How can I be sure of my safety when a monster can appear because of the actions of some stupid bitch:!" The man waved his hand with such intensity that saliva spurted from his mouth.


    Knight without raising his head uttered:


    "We''ll do our best to make sure this doesn''t happen again. Red Feast keeps a close eye on standards and we are constantly working to improve every aspect, from the staff to the ingredients." Knight said respectfully.


    Adam watched the situation unfold with interest. He hadn''t expected Knight to be so polite, though he realized that it was a major failure.


    "Pffft! I don''t need your promises and apologies. None of this makes sense anymore!" The man arrogantly waved his hand as he headed for the exit.


    People turned their heads in his direction.


    "I''m not gonna let this go! "I''m gonna tell everyone I know not to do business with Red Feast! It''s a disgrace everyone should know about!"


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Before people could realize anything, a shadow swept past them.


    The next thing the crowd saw was Knight grabbing the man''s head tightly, tearing it away from his body, and releasing a fountain of blood that covered everything around him.


    "Oh, didn''t you know that everything that happened in Red Feast stays in Red Feast?" Knight said calmly, maintaining his politeness.


    He didn''t seem to realize that the man was dead and was trying to convey that to him, though... obviously he didn''t, because he had killed him himself.

 Chapter 246: The Pendant

    It should never be forgotten that the usual rules didn''t work in the ck market area.


    Knight was polite and courteous, like a receptionist at some expensive hotel concerned about his impable reputation. It looked like he was ready to apologize and keep asking the guest not to be angry.


    However... It ended with the man being murdered in front of dozens of guests and... that surprised not everyone.


    Magnus grinned widely, enjoying the show. It seemed that now he was satisfied, besides the top-notch main course, there was a girl turned into a monster and an insolent guest killed by Knight.


    Adam''s eyes went wide. It wasn''t just him who had such a reaction, but Silvana and many of the other guests. Even if one had been to Red Feast several times before it didn''t mean that they were prepared for such actions from the Knights.


    Many guests who had been to Red Feast ten or more times might not have ever seen the Knights, especially them in action. As Magnus said earlier, the Guardians werepetent enough to solve most problems that arose, whether it was an attack, disgruntled guests, or a girl turning into a monster.


    Seeing a Knight, much less them in action, was a real rarity.


    Thus, only people like Magnus, veterans of the Red Feast, were not greatly shocked by the man''s actions.


    "Holy shit..." Silvana muttered in disbelief, "Knight just killed him... no warning or second chance, but... why?"


    Magnus smirked.


    "Hey, didn''t you hear that?" Magnus said before taking a sip of wine, "Telling about Red Feast is fine for inviting new members, but you can''t tell outsiders about what happened here. I''d call it reputation protection, something like that."


    Then, Knight turned around. His face was calm, but he realized that the guests expected him to give an exnation. After all, people like Magnus were a minority.


    Whoooooosh.


    Knight tossed the man''s head aside, into the hands of one of the Guardians, who caught it with slight puzzlement.


    The girl grimaced slightly, she was disgusted to be holding someone''s head in her hands, but she didn''t dare anger Knight, it was too risky.


    "I understand your concern, but there is no reason to worry." Knight said calmly pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiping his hands clean of blood.


    Knight looked at the dead man and said:


    "Misty Aristocrat decided to break one of the cardinal rules, so I took action. This is the end of the story. Once again, I apologize to you all for the incident with the girl, we will try to make sure this happens as rarely as possible." Knight calmly said before turning into a shadow, disappearing from the eyes of dozens of people.


    The Soldiers and Guardians looked at each other. Although they too worked for Red Feast, even for them, the appearance of the Knight was unexpected.


    "Damn, I don''t know who that was, but his level is clearly above K2..." Adam muttered, stunned. Other than Damien, the only Phantom above his level who he knew was Tron, but he hadn''t seen Tron fighting at full power.


    Magnus nodded.


    "Don''t ask me, I don''t know who it was, even for me there are many secrets in Red Feast. By the way..." Magnus uttered as his face became serious for a moment and he waved his hand calling Soldier over to him.


    "Mr. Time Apostle? Did you want something?" Soldier asked respectfully, ready to offer the wine to Magnus.


    However... Magnus had another request.


    "I want you to bring me this." Magnus said, pointing to an object lying next to the monsters. It was some kind of essory that previously belonged to a girl.


    "Are you sure...? Normally we have to dispose of all things." Soldier began to get nervous.


    A sharp glint passed across Magnus''s eyes as he clutched his staff tightly.


    "Hey... You''re not going to disappoint me, are you?" Magnus narrowed his eyes, "I''m well aware of the rules of the Red Feast. If no one wants that pendant, then I can take it or at least look at it. I mean, I can stand up and take it myself, but I want you to do it."


    Tap.


    Magnus poked the sharp tip of his staff into the young man''s chest, causing him to gulp and nod a few times. It was best for him to fulfill Magnus''s request


    Soon, a brass pendant on a blood-covered chain was on their table.


    Click.


    Magnus opened the pendant, where there was a picture of a girl and what appeared to be her younger brother. Silvana, Nessa, and Magnus examined the photo, they were curious to know more about the girl to understand her motivation.


    After all, only a desperate person was willing to take such a risk.


    Adam at the same time was staring at the back of the pendant where something was scrawled, right on the metal - NDLP:137.45.


    What was that? Some kind of code word? Maybe a message or a coded phrase that only a select few knew the meaning of?


    Well... It was much simpler than that, it was an address in a slum...


    Adam understood it at a nce because he himself lived not so far away. The designations were quite simple: ND = North District, LP = Lower Part, and the digits were the number of the house.


    Sure, it was different from the addresses of the houses in Three Circles, because in the slums there was only a number and the part where the person lived, no fancy names.


    "Curious... Well, this will be a nice addition to my collection." Magnus shrugged nonchntly about to slip the pendant into his pocket.


    Crackle.


    Before Magnus could do so, Adam grabbed his arm tightly, so hard that Magnus was in pain.


    "What? What are you doing?!" Nessa eximed with a menacing look but as soon as Adam''s gaze fell on her goosebumps ran through her body with a chill down her spine.


    "Sit back down and be quiet." Adam said calmly, quietly but menacingly enough for Nessa''s body to do hismand on its own.


    "Hey, what''s gotten into you?" Magnus asked, slightly puzzled.


    Adam exhaled a cold vapor.


    "Nothing... Just give that pendant to me. As a rookie gift."


    Magnus frowned, but soon the corners of his mouth went up as he nodded.


    "Fine, do whatever you want, just don''t bete tomorrow." Magnus let go of the pendant.


    "Sure."


    ...


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Streams of wind blew around Adam and Silvana, who stood in the dark alleyway, ten minutes after the official end of the Red Feast, when all the guests had gone elsewhere.


    Magnus and Nessa returned to theboratory, their meeting would take ce tomorrow, so for today their paths parted.


    "Silvana, go back alone. I have somewhere to visit." Adam muttered, holding the pendant in his hand.


    Silvana didn''t bother asking any unnecessary questions. She was smart enough to realize what Adam was about to do.


    "Sure, be careful."


    Adam nodded.


    ...


    Two hourster, after traveling from First Circle to the slums, Adam was finally back in the ce where he had grown up. In some ways, it was the Fourth Circle, the worst and most hopeless.


    The Lower Part and the Upper Part were separated by a wide road with the asional military truck, so Adam had no trouble getting to the right ce.


    It was alreadyte at night, nobody usually walked in the slums at this time, it was too dangerous, but... Adam had nothing to worry about.


    Moreover, his suit was still on, he only took off the mask that for Red Feast he had grown tired of. He liked freedom and the mask limited his field of vision a bit.


    There were only ruined houses, dirty streets strewn with garbage, and buildings ready to copse at any moment. However, the same could be said for the fate of the people living here.


    "Agh... How did she even end up as a waiter at Red Feast? Surely she wanted to make money, though... something''s not right here. Certainly, the mere fact that she was hired at Red Feast should be enough to get her out of the slums, especially if she didn''t have anyone besides her brother." Adam muttered, slowly stepping forward.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly some creature ran out of the side, causing a rumble of falling debris.


    Slowly turning around, Adam saw a in ck cat with amber eyes and vertical pupils.


    "Hah, I''ve missed you. Only here could be so many stray animals who know how to survive." Adam smiled bitterly, continuing to step forward while the cat watched him curiously.


    This ce was nothing but an oppressive atmosphere and dangerous silence, but even here there were points of warmth and kindness, in front of one of which Adam now stood.


    On the corner of the dpidated house was scrawled - NDLP:137.45, and from a partially broken window came a faint light and a pleasant aroma, as if from a dinner that was being prepared for a loved one who was soon to return from work.

 Chapter 247: Give Me a Chance!

    Check back at m-v le-mpyr for more


    A young man around neen or twenty years old with a slight smile on his face stood in front of a pot, stirring a rather humble-looking soup. There were only a few vegetables inside, mostly cabbage and potatoes, no meat or fish.


    However, the young man seemed used to cooking with a limited amount of ingredients and knew how to remedy the situation with the right spices causing the vor to spread far beyond his simple dwelling.


    "It''s almost done. Hopefully today she won''t be dyed as usual..." the young man muttered with a heavy sigh.


    Crackling.


    At the same moment, he heard the familiar creak of old floorboards sticking out of the floor, they should have been reced years ago, but there was no one to do it.


    The young man smiled broadly and quickly ran towards the entrance. This moment was the happiest for him, one of the few good things in his life.


    But... It wasn''t his sister who came to his house today.


    "What...? Who are you...?" The young man muttered with concern in his voice, looking at Adam standing in the passage with a calm, slightly sad look.


    Before answering, Adam looked around, looking at the old furniture, the dpidated walls, and the floor that was barely holding together. This ce was clearly in need of serious, expensive repair, as was any ce in the slums.


    Nevertheless, it was obvious that someone had been keeping a close eye on this small house, for there was no dirt or dust, and things were in rtively good condition.


    "I don''t think that''s important right now." Adam nced at the young man before pulling the pendant out of his pocket, "This belongs to your sister, right?"


    The young man''s eyes went wide as he abruptly snatched the pendant from Adam''s hand, the pendant still covered in blood. Adam didn''t resist, after all, he wasn''t going to take that pendant for himself.


    "Wait... Why do you have that pendant? Did something happen to my sister? Did you do something to her?!" The young man anxiously eximed as he took a few steps back. It was obvious that he was starting to get very nervous and was not fully in control of himself.


    Adam shook his head.


    "Don''t worry, I didn''t touch your sister, I don''t know her at all."


    The young man breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Phew... Looks like she just lost it, thank you." The young man bowed low, but Adam''s cold stare rmed him.


    Then, the young man noticed something strange, something was running down his arm, he only now realized it was blood from the pendant.


    "No... She didn''t lose it, something definitely happened to her... Is she alright?! Where is my sister now!?" The young man eximed with a wave of his hand.


    Adam paused for a short pause before saying seriously:


    "She died trying to be a Phantom."


    The young man''s eyes went wide as his whole body trembled and his face turned pale. He wasn''t stupid, he had immediately made assumptions as soon as he saw Adam and now he was doing the same.


    It made him realize that Adam wasn''t tricking him, it just didn''t make sense. Still... the fact that he understood it was the truth didn''t help him get over this tragic event at all.


    The young man fell to his knees as tears rushed from his eyes. He clutched the pendant tightly, pressing it to his chest to dull the burning pain.


    §³rackle.


    Adam turned around, pacing the creaky floor again. He was going to leave because his mission here had been aplished. He wanted to give the pendant to the young man, it wouldn''t bring his sister back, but at least it would be something....


    "Wait! Don''t go!" the young man eximed, seemingly struggling, for he was still reeling from the tragic loss of the dearest and only person in his life.


    "What? I''m sorry, but I won''t stay with you andfort you. I did what I could." Adam said calmly, not giving in to emotion.


    The young man gritted his teeth as he clutched his head as if he was trying to think about something, given his condition it was a difficult challenge.


    "First of all... my name is Kai! Second... You said my sister died trying to be a Phantom, so she failed... which means you know it''s not a workable option!" Kai eximed, slowly getting up from the ground.


    Adam narrowed his eyes. Kai was proving to be an amazingly perceptive and collected young man. Adam wasn''t sure he would have been able to reflect like that if someone in his family had died.


    "Sure. There''s only one method, she must have Spark. There is simply no other way. Everyone knows that, even a kid from the slums." Adam said coldly.


    Kai smirked as a gleam passed through his eyes.


    "Nah, you''re lying."


    "Hmm?" Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion. He realized that there was no way Kai could have known about the existence of Naturalborn Phantoms, so... he couldn''t understand why Kai didn''t believe him.


    "Look, I realize you think I don''t know much, that''s true, but I''m not stupid or deaf. You said my sister died trying to be a Phantom. However, how can you die trying to make the Spark appear? It''s a natural process that can''t be influenced... well, at least that''s what I thought until now." Kai smiled bitterly, taking a deep breath.


    Adam''s eyes went wide. A few words were enough for Kai to understand so much. It was Adam''s own fault though, he had mentioned too many details.


    "Whatever. Kai, I''m sorry your sister died, but I''m as much a nobody to you as you are to me. I just returned the pendant, that''s the end of our story." Adam said in a low tone, heading for the exit.


    Kai''s pupils narrowed as he realized that hisst hope was going to be gone, disappear forever. Sure, even if he became a Phantom, it wouldn''t bring his sister back, but... oddly enough his sister''s death wasn''t the only problem in his life.


    "Wait! Tell me how to be a Phantom! You went through it too, didn''t you?" Kai ran after Adam, grabbing him by the end of his coat.


    Before Kai could do anything, Adam turned around and their gazes met.


    Then, Adam''s palm reached Kai''s chest, throwing him back several meters. Adam used a tiny fraction of his strength, but enough for Kai to realize that Adam wasn''t going to put up with his antics.


    "If you do something like that again, I''m going to hit you real hard." Adam said menacingly slightly releasing his aura.


    Kai should have been frightened by this threat, but instead, he pulled a pointy, sharpened knife from his belt, gripping the hilt tightly. Sure, the kitchen was a bit farther away, but in the slums, one always had to carry a weapon.


    Adam tilted his head.


    "And...? I thought you were smarter than that, given your deductions. Do you think some knife is going to help you defeat me?" Adam sighed.


    However... his words only elicited a smirk from Kai.


    "Hah, you just confirmed that my guesses made sense, but... this knife isn''t for attacking you." Kai uttered before cing the tip of the knife against his neck.


    Adam raised an eyebrow.


    "And? What are you up to? Trying to ckmail me with your life? It''s a futile attempt. I''m not falling for it." Adam waved his hand.


    Crackle.


    Kai pushed the knife further, so far that the tip pierced his skin, releasing a trickle of blood.


    "I''m not going to ckmail you, but are you really so cruel that you won''t give me hope? Are you willing to let someone who just lost his sister and has been living in a veritable hell for his entire life kill himself!?" Kai eximed, a bright pain evident in his voice.


    Adam frowned but did not say anything. It seemed to be a convincing speech, but not enough to break Adam''s defenses.


    Then, Kai moved on to hisst resort...


    "I''m sick... My sister has been collecting money for my treatment..." Kai uttered as he bit his lip until it bled, anything to keep from crying again.


    Adam listened to him intently.


    "I''m terminally ill! It''s not noticeable yet, but in a few months my condition will worsen and in a year or even sooner I''ll die! My sister may have had the opportunity to make money from her dangerous job, but not me..."


    At the same moment, tears sprang from Kai''s eyes, too much had happened in a few minutes, he couldn''t take it anymore, but he couldn''t back down.


    "Please! Give me a chance! I don''t want my sister''s attempts to fail!"


    Then, Kai shouted:


    "I want to live!"

 Chapter 248: Bright Future?

    Kai hade up with his n in a hurry and under serious pressure, but it had worked. Adam wasn''t cruel enough to let Kai kill himself, given the circumstances.


    Moreover, Kai''sst words awakened something inside Adam. He realized that those words came from the depths of Kai''s soul.


    Every being wanted to live, especially those who had already epted their imminent death from poverty and disease, but suddenly had the opportunity to climb out of this abyss, once and for all.


    The reason was very simple - if Kai became a Phantom, his disease would simply disappear. The genes of the Phantoms were strong enough that their immunity could cope with all the diseases that were fatal to ordinary people.


    However, it was worth realizing that there were no incurable diseases. For a certain amount of money, one could cure any disease in the Citadel, all it took was money, that''s it.


    Sure, for some people money was not a problem, but for some people it was just impossible to raise the necessary amount of money for treatment, even a few lives would not be enough for that.


    "Come on! Answer me!" Kai eximed, pressing the knife against his neck even harder.


    Adam narrowed his eyes as he released his aura, enough to scare Kai.


    "Fine, I''ll tell you everything and give you a chance. However, I wouldn''t agree if I were you. Better to live out your remaining year than die today."


    Kai smirked.


    "Better to live dozens of years as a Phantom than to live one year being terminally ill in the slums. That''s what I think of it." Kai smirked as his eyes sparkled. He already realized that Adam wasn''t going to back down.


    Adam shook his head.


    "Whatever, then follow me. However, I warn you right away. I won''t be able to help you."


    "Agh...? Where are we supposed to go...? Weren''t you going to tell me how to be a Phantom?" Kai was slightly puzzled.


    Adam waved his hand.


    "Just follow me."


    ...


    Adam was not supposed to tell ordinary people that there was a second way to be a Phantom, however, Kai and this whole situation had actually caught him off guard.


    It was clear that Kai had nothing left to lose. He was ready to kill himself because if Adam refused, all Kai would have to do was die a yearter, poor, alone, and without his sister.


    Adam had a simple choice: either watch Kai kill himself before his eyes, or give him a chance to change everything.


    Adam felt bitter because he knew it was wrong, but in fact, he started to believe in Kai. After all, he had seeded in bing a Naturalborn Phantom, and he wasn''t the only one.


    Naturalborn Phantoms were a minority, but Adam wasn''t alone. If it worked out for him, then Kai had a chance too, especially considering his motivation.


    "Wait! Not here!" Kai eximed as Adam turned into a random alleyway.


    "Hmm? Something wrong?" Adam raised an eyebrow puzzled.


    "Please, let''s just get out of here!" Kai waved his hand when a random stream of wind blew in front of him causing the tips of his brown hair to ripple.


    His green eyes reflected some sort of anxiety, the reason for which was unclear to Adam.


    "Fine, suit yourself." Adam shrugged before turning around and walking out of the alley.


    Bam.


    Something or rather someone crashed into Adam, falling to the ground with an unhappy grunt.


    "What the fuck...?" The man, with an empty bottle in his hand, looked at Adam irritably. He was obviously drunk.


    Then, the man nced at Kai and his eyes went wide as Kai flinched, it seemed for some reason he was afraid of this man.


    "Oh, Kai, I was justing to see you today. I hope you remember that you and your sister owe me money! Hahaha, I suggest you prepare the full amount tomorrow, or I and my guys will take payment another way!" The man menacingly said as he vilely licked his lips, causing Kai to be both disgusted and angry.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam walked on, ignoring the man. He had another, more important goal in mind.


    "Hey! Bastard! Where are you going?!" The man eximed furiously, intending to grab Adam by the shoulder.


    But... before he could do anything, Adam kicked him in the stomach, throwing him back several meters. The man crashed into a pile of trash, causing it to rumble.


    Kai''s eyes went wide with delight. He knew that Phantoms were powerful, but he had never seen one of them in battle.


    ''No way... I can have that kind of power too? I don''t know what I need to do to be a Phantom, but it doesn''t matter. If I can be like him, then I''m willing to do anything!'' Kai internally eximed, he was full of motivation.


    "Anyway. Listen to me carefully. You can back out at any moment until we get into action." Adam said seriously as he looked up.


    The wall separating the Citadel from Dead Lands was pretty close, by the time they got there Adam would be able to tell him everything.


    "Hah, do you really think I''m going to say no? I''m already unstoppable."


    Adam didn''t answer anything his gaze only grew deeper before he moved on to exin.


    ...


    Twenty minutester they reached the wall. Riska and Tron had helped himst time so he could bring Silvana out into the Dead Lands without getting permits or other bureaucracy.


    He knew what parts of the walls might be empty, but given that there were no Forts nearby, Adam didn''t even need to climb up or use his connections to get past the military.


    Adam himself had grown up in the slums, so he knew there were ces - big cracks that a person could pass through to get into the Dead Lands. Sure, it might have seemed dangerous, because monsters could enter the Citadel through those cracks at any time.


    But, in practice, that had never happened in decades. The reason was simple - Operators, military, and departments knew about every monster that approached the Citadel within a kilometer or more.


    If a monster was within three hundred meters, hadn''t been destroyed yet, and was approaching the Citadel, it was definitely some weak monsters that had separated from their groups or Nests. Perhaps they were escaping after the Phantoms attacked them.


    Thus, only the weakest monsters, even among the White Treat Level, could approach the few cracks in the walls where a human could barely fit in. And... they were destroyed by the military with powerful cannons if the Phantoms weren''t around.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    A torrent of wind blew through the crack next to the one Adam and Kai were standing by, cold and inhospitable, like the breath of death waiting to take its next victim.


    "What... To be a Phantom without Spark I have to kill a monster in a 1 vs 1 fight...?" Kai muttered in disbelief, horror imprinted on his face.


    Adam nodded.


    "But... You''re the strong one! Can''t you help me defeat a monster?! I''m sure it''s no problem for you!" Kai waved his hand.


    Adam shook his head.


    "It''s not going to work. I''ve told you that several times already. My genes shouldn''t affect the monster''s genes, it should just be you and the monster, that''s it. No one else."


    Kai bit his lip, it was hard for him to decide to do such a thing, after all, this was not some bandit, but a monster! He must kill the monster with his own hands being a mere human!


    "Look. This has already gone too far. Either you step into that crack now and we go to Dead Lands, or I take that as a rejection and leave." Adam said coldly, letting Kai know that this was an ultimatum.


    After a moment, Kai clenched his fists tightly and stepped forward, struggling to squeeze through the crack and the shroud of fear that tended to consume his mind.

 Chapter 249: The Simplicity of Life

    Being in the Dead Lands for the first time was a unique experience for anyone, whether they were a mere human or a Phantom.


    It had an even greater impact on someone whose life depended on the Dead Lands, even though he knew nothing about thesends other than the fact that it was deadly and dangerous here.


    The cold, night wind blew over Kai, who stood at the massive wall looking at the lonely dunes, the peaks of sharp rocks showing from beneath the sand, and the bones of monsters scattered around.


    Passing through the crack, they came out to Scorching Desert, they had many other options, but considering where Kai lived, Scorching Desert was the closest one.


    "So this is Dead Lands...?" Kai muttered as he gulped, nervous.


    Adam nodded.


    "Yeah... In case you were wondering, this ce was my first as well." Adam uttered with a bitter smile.


    This whole situation made him remember the beginning of his path. Sure, he and Kai had different circumstances, but in order to live on, they both needed to do one thing - be Phantoms.


    "So... I have to go and kill a monster with my bare hands, and you have no right to help me, do you?" Kai muttered, looking at his fists.


    Adam nodded silently.


    Then, Kai turned to him, staring intently at Adam.


    "Hey, whatever situation I''m in, don''t you dare help me. Either I be a Phantom today, or I die. You''ve been through the same thing, so I should be prepared to do it." Kai said as seriously as possible.


    Adam didn''t answer anything, that was more than enough for Kai.


    "Alright. So I need to find the monster." Kai looked ahead, trying to find his opponent.


    "Not so fast." Adam stopped him, "While I can''t help you, that doesn''t mean you have to fight with your bare hands. Phantom weapons aren''t suitable for normal people, but military or Harvester gear wouldn''t be out of ce."


    Kai tilted his head, looking at Adam in confusion.


    He didn''t understand where they were going to find any equipment in the Dead Lands.


    However... Adam had already thought of everything beforehand. He looked at his NEP and headed to the eastern part of the Scorching Desert.


    Kai looked around and followed Adam.


    After only a kilometer, they found themselves near a crater, in the center of which was a destroyed military helicopter and several overturned trucks with fallen monster parts.


    That happened quite recently, which Adam had found out through his NEP. Silvana usually did that, but he could find out where and when the incidents had happened if he wanted to.


    It was deep night now, a time when the more dangerous monsters were out hunting, and all scavengers were hiding from their more aggressive and ruthless fellows.


    Only at dawn would the military and other Harvesters arrive here to pick up the dead, along with gear and materials.


    Sure, some squad might havee here, but only at some Phantom''s personal request. The Mission Department didn''t set up missions for this kind of thing because it didn''t require Phantom powers.


    "Take whatever you like." Adam waved his hand, "I don''t rmend taking firearms. Only the cannons on the walls of the Citadel, using their enormous energy reserves, can hurt monsters, and those are pretty weak."


    Kai nodded. It was hard for him to ept that ammunition and even grenades could not break through the monsters'' armor, but he knew that Adam had no reason to fool him.


    In a few minutes, Kai would be ready. Strangely enough, he did the most pragmatic thing possible - he didn''t take the protective military suits, because he realized that they couldn''t protect him, yet they would reduce his mobility.


    He had two hard steel daggers in his hands. Sure, they wouldn''t break through the monster''s armor, but considering that his opponent would be a White Treat Level monster, these daggers could be useful.


    It was worth realizing that the monsters were not some magical creatures that were protected by an unknown power.


    If bullets couldn''t prate their thick skin or protective tes, it didn''t mean that every weapon that wasn''t filled with energy was useless.


    For example, if one somehow ced a powerful grenade in a monster''s stomach and detonated it, the monster would die, that''s it.


    The same was true for monsters'' eyes and other weak points. Stabbing a knife into a monster''s eye would cause serious damage. Otherwise, bing a Naturalborn Phantom would be simply impossible.


    Sure, against someone like Thunder Demon, all these methods wouldn''t work, it was only effective against White and, at best, against Green Threat Level Monsters.


    That''s why the Harvesters had various grenades, and the military constantly visited Dead Lands to help the Phantoms. They couldn''t kill the monsters, but distracting or blinding them for a while was possible.


    "I''m ready, what''s next?" Kai asked, feeling the power rushing inside him. Having a quality weapon gave him a boost of confidence.


    Adam nced to the side.


    "Follow me. I have already found a suitable adversary for you. It''s one of the weaker White Threat Level monsters, and you have a chance against it, though a slim one."


    Kai nodded, following Adam. He wasn''t confused by the dead military and Harvesters, though he realized that monsters did it. Kai had one goal, and his determination was enough to concentrate only on it.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam and Kai moved for a while until they stopped about fifty meters from their target, the first monster Kai had ever seen. Given hismitment, it probably shouldn''t have been thest.


    A creature the size of a wolf, perhaps a little smaller, was trying to dig something out of the ground like a dog that had lost its favorite bone.


    The monster had no eyes or ears, only a strong jaw with sharp fangs and a long, elongated nose, eager to smell everything. The body was muscr, but devoid of fur or protective tes, just a tough hide.


    The front and back paws had no ws, or rather, the ws were very short, and the paws were thick, they were for surface grip and not for tearing the flesh of the enemy.


    "This is a Sand Hound, as you can see, you only have to watch out for its powerful jaws. They have thin skin in the belly area and under their maws. I think, with a few precise attacks, you can get through and pierce the brain or some other organ. They can''t hear or see anything, they only feel vibrations and smell." Adam exined.


    Kai nodded and, without further ado, stepped forward. He realized that Adam wasn''t lying, Sand Hound was one of the weaker monsters.


    Adam stood to the side with a calm gaze. There was a strange feeling inside him, in a way, he wanted Kai to win as much as anyone in his position, but he wasn''t worried about him.


    Well, they only knew each other for a few hours, so it made sense.


    "Rgh?!" Sand Hound looked around, smelling an unfamiliar scent.


    At the same moment, Kai rushed towards the monster, intending toe up behind it and plunge two daggers into Sand Hound''s belly.


    However, Sand Hound easily sensed it from the ground vibrations and spun around, bringing its front paws down on Kai''s chest.


    The short ws left shallow scratches on Kai''s chest, blood gushing out, and Kai''s eyes went wide with bright pain.


    But... he quickly regained his senses, attacking the monster in the shoulder.


    "Agh...?" Kai looked puzzled at his daggers that just couldn''t pierce into the monster''s hide, even though they were exceptionally sharp.


    "ROOOAAAAAARRRR!"


    Sand Hound roared irritably, lunging forward and ramming Kai, smashing its sturdy forehead into his chest.


    The impact threw Kai forward, forcing him to gasp.


    "Bastard, I''m not giving up that easily!" Kai eximed as he swung his daggers, leaving cuts, more like scratches, on Sand Hound''s belly.


    Kai smirked, feeling that a few more attacks like this, and he could win. It was a very real possibility.


    Crackle.


    Sand Hound''s front paws fell on Kai''s arms, pinning them to the ground. Before Kai could realize anything, the monster''s jaws closed, shattering his elbow into small pieces.


    With a sharp movement of its head, Sand Hound ripped off half of Kai''s arm, tossing it aside.


    Kai''s eyes went wide as a wave of bright pain consumed his entire body, along with terror and fear.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"


    Kai shouted in pain, while Sand Hound smirked, savoring the pleasant smell of blood. The monster couldn''t hear how Kai screamed, unable to endure the agony.


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    Saliva dripped from Sand Hound''s jaw, as if from an intense appetite before a delicious dinner. That silenced Kai, for he realized what Sand Hound was about to do...


    ''No... It''s going to eat me now!'' Kai eximed inwardly.


    Then, he turned to the side with eyes filled with hope and pleading.


    "Adam! Please help me! I... I was wrong!" Kai eximed, unable to get out from under Sand Hound''s clutches. It was only seconds away from the monster devouring him.


    "I don''t want to be a Phantom! Living one year is better than dying now! Please, Adam!"


    "I want to live!" Kai screamed with all his might, the voiceing from the depths of his soul.


    Adam slowly turned his head as their gazes met.


    At the next wind stream that swept by Adam''s side, scattering his coat and hair, massive jaws closed, tearing Kai apart while his despair-filled gaze quickly emptied, losing the me of life.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    At the same moment, more than ten Sand Hounds emerged from the ground, each of them smelling blood and ready to join the feast.


    However... the monsters had to stop, for they sensed a powerful aura from the creature that was approaching them - it was Adam.


    He calmly stepped forward, as Sand Hounds froze in ce, not knowing what to do. They certainly didn''t want to irritate Adam.


    Soon, Adam stopped right next to Kai, or rather in front of his upper body. Reaching down, Adam picked up the pendant hanging from Kai''s neck, which was once again covered in blood, but no longer his sister''s, but his own.


    Adam stared at the pendant for a long time, while the Sand Hounds were afraid to make a sound. Adam''s gaze gradually grew deeper and even darker....


    "You left me no choice and forced me to bring you here under threat of suicide, but... it''s all excuses. I could leave at any time, and you wouldn''t have caught up with me." Adam muttered, only the fluttering of his cloak could be heard, under the cold wind currents.


    "However... I bring you here because your desire to live was genuine and genuine. I believed in you, but... when you screamed now, those words had a very different meaning."


    Adam squeezed the pendant a little tighter:


    "You weren''t prepared for failure. You only hoped for a positive oue, even though you were warned more than once. You didn''t just want to live, you wanted toe back, forgetting it like a bad dream, losing your sincerity, hope, and most importantly - your faith in yourself. The real you died seconds before the monster''s jaws tore you apart."


    Then, Adam lifted the pendant high up, exposing it to the moonlight.


    "I will take this pendant as a reminder that it is not worth taking unknown risks to jeopardize the lives of loved ones... and that the same wordsing out of the same mouth can belong to two different people, a dead and a live soul..."


    Adam uttered before putting the pendant in his pocket, turning around, and walking away.


    The Sound Hounds tilted their heads in his direction, not believing that he was actually leaving.


    Then, just as the wind rushed up again, lifting Adam''s coat, behind him, a dozen Sand Hounds pounced on Kai''s body, with bursts of blood flying upwards.


    -----------------


    I didn''t think it would turn out to be such a big chapter, but I just couldn''t separate it. F to Kai.

 Chapter 250: Memories

    Adam had to return home, but before he did, he decided to go to an important ce that belonged only to him.


    Most Phantoms had their own storages, for keeping various things, be it rare monster parts or artifacts that would be needed to improve their abilities in the future.


    However, like Adam, many used storage to record their memories and progress.


    Crackle.


    The iron door with itsplex mechanism closed as the light inside turned on, the sensors seeing that Adam had arrived.


    There were still Zero and First Rarity Artifacts here, half of which Adam no longer needed because he had already developed his artifact. He hadn''te here to look at artifacts, though.


    Adam''s most important items were on various stands in front of the far wall. Some of them were worth quite an impressive amount of money, while others might seem ordinary, but all of them were priceless to Adam.


    Some of these things Adam had taken right off the battlefield, but in other cases, he didn''t have the opportunity and had to do itter. Silvana helped him take what was rightfully his from the departments, so all the crucial items were right here.


    The first item wasn''t a monster part or anything special, that item appeared in Adam''s storageter than the others and was only worth a few credits.


    It was a ball of silver thread, that was simr to his Initial Gene and also had a connection to the first monster Adam had killed - Silver Weaver. Adam bought it at a regr store in his spare time.


    The second one was a piece of solid rock, seemingly melted on one side due to high temperatures or evenva. Once, it was part of the Prime Stone Goliath - the first Prime monster Adam defeated. It was also the first time he entered Resonance.


    Then there was the mechanical engine that Adam ripped out of Brass Puppet''s chest - his Beginning Monster and thest obstacle before bing K1-Phantom.


    The next item, or rather a weapon, was a massive steel sword that had once belonged to a creature that Adam now possessed a portion of the power of. It was the sword of the Steel Knight, a reminder of Power Gene and a truly formidable and intelligent opponent that Adam could never defeat alone.


    Three of the four items were monster parts, which made sense since Adam was a Phantom, but that didn''t mean that only monsters could be associated with crucial moments.


    "Oh... That... It''s... It''s still hard to remember even now, though it was a great lesson for me." Adam looked at the picture where five other people were beside him. However... two of them, despite their smiles, had gray colors, though the photo was full of colors thanks to the excellent camera.


    In the photo were Adam, Kody, Katrin, Mark, and... Sirgus with Barna, they were the ones who were gray, and they didn''te back from that mission because of the dark Phantoms.


    The next item, the sixth one, was again monster parts - it was two cold emitting des and a menacing mask that once belonged to the Top-4 monster - North Keeper.


    Then, Alexia took North Keeper''s Power Gene, Adam was good with it, but he was the one who got the money for the sale.


    It was a fair exchange, as a bonus, he got parts of a rare monster. It was a memory of the Bastion Radon, Elemental Root, and Adam''s first Eclipse.


    The seventh item was a toy, but... it didn''t look cute at all. It was a green slime that could be won at the Scarlet Light Fair, the smiling toy was partially covered in blood, the blood of the man whose head Adam sted with his fist.


    Right after the slime, there was a white card with three letters on it - A. E. and K. The letters E. and K. were at the bottom of the card, while A.


    was on top, above a gold circle divided into three cells.


    Yeah, it was a card from Fall Hill Prison, and it was signed by Adam, Edir, and Ka, for it was in that union that they defeated Prago.


    Then, there was the massive horn of a majestic creature, the one who almost broke Adam, but he could defeat and gain great power - the horn of the Thunder Demon.


    There were nine items in total, sure, there were many more events in Adam''s path, and there could have been even more memorial items if desired, but then, they would have lost their value. In any case, the main repository of memories was not this room, but Adam''s mind.


    "Well, now your ce is here." Adam muttered, holding out the pendant on the stand, "I don''t even know what to say... I guess there was no right decision in this situation, Kai... Live one year, or take your chances and die in an hour. Agh, I don''t know what I''d choose, but you can''t change the past."


    Then, Adam took a few steps back and fell to the ground as if after a powerful blow. He was conscious, pressing his knees to himself while his eyes grew deeper.


    Deep inside, Adam wanted to save Kai, his scream was still in his head, but... there was something that kept stopping him.


    Sure, Adam had warned Kai many times, and it was Kai who had forced him to tell him about the second method, but if Adam wanted to, it wouldn''t be hard for him to kill Sand Hounds and save Kai.


    "I see..." Adam took a deep breath, slowly opening his eyes and looking into the darkness, "I made my choice, to give him a chance, just like he did by agreeing to fight the monster... His risk was death, and mine... not to interfere with his fate further and hope that he would fight to the very end and win, but he gave up..."


    Adam thought about the situation from his side, but if someone had seen what he had done, they would have thought of Kai''s sad fate from a pragmatic, amoral point of view.


    But... was that someone who saw Kai''s death?


    Well... in the Scorching Desert, there was definitely no one in that region, but it wasn''t necessary to be physically there to see an event.


    ...


    "Hehehe... How interesting... a scum from the slums, just a nobody, turned into such a curious individual in just a few months... Death situations can actually change a person."


    Magnus, seated in a massive chair, chuckled evilly, his face distorted with a mad grin. In front of him, on the massive screen, the video of the Sand Hounds tearing Kai apart while Adam walked away repeatedly yed.


    The video was not taken from Adam''s NEP, it was heavily secured, and hacking into Adam''s NEP would have been problematic even for Magnus.


    Moreover, Silvana would know about it immediately. However, in the Citadel, there were enough different cameras through which one could see a lot if he had ess.


    "I don''t know what you''re thinking Adam, but you did the right thing. If you had saved him, not only did you disappoint me, but you wouldn''t have changed anything..." Magnus grinned widely.


    "Once Kai returned to the slums, it wouldn''t be long before others found out about how one could be a Phantom. Whether he would have told it himself or someone would have forced it on him, you can''t hide a lost arm..."


    Then, Magnus''s eyes became cold and bloodthirsty.


    "In that case, Kai and anyone who could potentially learn from him about the second method would be killed as well."


    Chuckling evilly, Magnus picked up the remote as Adam''s photo appeared on the screen, information about him as the Phantom, and his aplishments.


    This information could not be obtained by themon man, but the military, department, and government employees could.


    However... Magnus was on another level, so he was able to learn a little about Adam''s life before his path as the Phantom.


    "Well, well, Aiden Henk, you, idealistic bastard... Your mistake turned out to be interesting, hah, it''s developing right before my eyes!"

 Chapter 251: Instead of Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner (Part 1)

    Some nights passed unnoticed, bing just a convenient time to sleep to gain strength for the next day.


    Sometimes, though, so much could happen in one night, in just a few hours, that many busy days seemed pale and dull.


    One way or another, every night would end, the darkness would give way to dawn, and active life would begin, some would go to the academy, some to work, and some, went to Dead Lands.


    Today, Adam didn''t go to any of those ces, he stood in front of the massive gates of the Miracle Observatory, waiting for Magnus to let them inside.


    "Are you ready?" Silvana asked, looking at Adam, who for some reason, seemed strange to her today. He didn''t say anything, only asionally sighing heavily.


    "Yeah..." Adam nodded, scratching the back of his head, "It''s just... Last night wasn''t what I expected, from Red Feast to my little trip..."


    Silvana bit her lip but didn''t bother to ask anything else. If she was Adam''s Operator, that didn''t mean she had to know about his every move or action.


    Crackle.


    At the same moment, the doors opened, letting them inside.


    This time there was no Nessa in front of the entrance, however, Magnus had prepared another guide for them - a drone hovering above the ground with a screen mimicking a smile.


    As soon as the drone spotted them, it slowly headed forward, to the outer descent down to theb instead of Magnus''s specific house.


    This ce was where the room with the Crimson Sacrificer was, as well as many other doors and rooms with unknown things lurking in them. Only Magnus and Nessa had any information about it.


    It was worth realizing that the Miracle Observatory was not just one big building, with Magnus often living and sleeping at the top and the actualboratory starting at the bottom.


    In addition to this building, there were other buildings in such arge area, but they were quite far away from the central one as if Magnus had deliberately separated himself from the other employees working at Miracle Observatory.


    So, down to the mainb and following the drone, Adam and Silvana would asionally run into other scientists, all of them in white coats and with serious looks. They only nodded at them, not stopping to waste their time.


    Technically, they were all scientists working at Miracle Observatory, often they came to the mainb, asionally returning to their buildings.


    They were all considered scientists and were paid by the government, however... everyone realized that only Magnus could use that title to its fullest potential.


    The government stayed out of Magnus''s business, he had the power to do whatever he wanted as long as it yielded unique results.


    However, building Miracle Observatory cost a huge sum, literally billions, so the territory, equipment, and technology had to be used to its maximum capacity, and for that, needed workers - other scientists and their assistants.


    Naturally, Magnus handled his own projects, most of which only he and Nessa had ess to. Magnus could go anywhere in Miracle Observatory, for it was his domain, while the other scientists could only visit their buildings and the main, undergroundboratory, just certain parts of it.


    That meant that Magnus had information about everything that went on at Miracle Observatory and could fire and hire whomever he wanted, in which he hadplete freedom. Without his permission, other scientists couldn''t evene into the central building or the closed parts of the undergroundb.


    All of this, one could say, was an enumeration of the reasons why all scientists, all who started their path of research, dreamed of reaching Magnus''s level or any other free scientist.


    Well... to do it simply through intelligence was simply impossible, something unique and crazy was required.


    Crackle.


    A door opened in front of Adam and Silvana, guiding them down a long hallway where there were no other scientists anymore, just emptiness and mysterious doors. A few turns away, there was a room with a Crimson Sacrificer and other doors that made Adam feel pressured and something eerie...


    Reaching the next door, the drone turned around and flew away.


    Adam and Silvana nced at each other before stepping forward.


    "You''re finally here." Nessa''s calm voice soundeding from the right. She, like Magnus beside her, was sitting in a chair.


    It was a small room separated by sturdy ss from the spacious hall where there seemed to be only emptiness. Sure, it was unusual ss, and the material was from a monster so that Magnus and Nessa could be safe.


    "Mr. Magnus, are you feeling well?" Silvana asked with a serious expression, for Magnus''s face was even paler than usual, and there were massive bags under his eyes as if he hadn''t slept at all.


    Not that Silvana was worried about Magnus''s condition, but he had to feel well for Adam''s treatment to be sessful.


    Magnus smiled bitterly.


    "Nah, I just had a very interesting night, watching the same moment from my favorite movie over and over again." Magnus shrugged.


    Nessa rolled her eyes as a slight annoyance appeared in her gaze.


    "I''d rather you had this night to myself..." Nessa whispered, biting her finger with a great grimace.


    Everyone heard her words, but they all chose to ignore it. After all, this was a private matter between her and Magnus.


    "Anyway. Let''s get started while Adam''s genes are still active afterst night''s Red Feast. We''re lucky the main course was the Thunder Demon you killed, it increases the chances of sess." Magnus said with a slight smile before pressing a button, bringing up a hologram with a huge monster.


    It could be called an improved version of the Crimson Sacrificer. Although the Crimson Sacrificer that Adam had fought earlier was Purple Threat Level and Prime One, that particr monster was rather weak among the other regenerative monsters of the Purple Threat Level.


    The monster from the hologram was massive, clearly over four meters tall, its entire body covered in tough flesh, and on its chest, arms, and legs were crimson protective tes, as if made of flesh but much harder.


    The monster''s ws were long and wide like des, from its broad back grew four outgrowths that moved, slowly as if looking for a target to pierce it with their sharp tips.


    The monster''s jaws were the strangest of all, massive with three rows of strong, sharp teeth like a shark''s. The monster''s four eyes ced opposite each other showed that it was impossible to sneak up on the monster unnoticed.


    "This is dew Beast, the strongest regenerative monster of the Purple Threat Level." Magnus calmly said, "There was no way I had the right situation to use it on some K1-Phantom, but for you to defeat such an opponent won''t be a problem, even with one hand, right?"


    Adam frowned slightly casting a nce at his left arm, his only arm so far. Sure, it had only been a couple of days since he had awakened, which was why Adam hadn''t gotten used to not having a right hand yet, and he wasn''t going to adjust to it!


    "Fine, what do you want me to do? Should I catch that monster?"


    Magnus grinned widely.


    "Nah, he''s been waiting a long time for his move. If you want to get your arm back, you''re going to have to do something else."


    Magnus pointed to Adam''s chest.


    "You must eat dew Beast''s heart!"

 Chapter 252: Instead of Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner (Part 2)

    Adam already knew what Magnus''s dangerous but effective method of treatment was. With this method, the Phantom could grow a new limb or even an organ.


    It was worth realizing that there was another safer method that Li offered, as well, such a treatment was only necessary in exceptional cases.


    Usually, even if a Phantom lost an arm or leg, the military or Harvesters would soon take the lost limb from the battlefield, allowing the doctors to reattach it to the body.


    Even if the arm was severely damaged, with chunks of flesh torn off or beginning to rot, it was no problem for the doctors working with the Phantoms.


    Thus, cases when a Phantom lost a limbpletely and needed a new one were quite rare.


    Most of the time, it was a consequence of a serious and traumatic battle, so most of the Phantoms in this situation did not mind waiting for the doctors to create a new arm and take a break from Dead Lands.


    Also, although Magnus had already done his method with many Phantoms, data was still scarce. Each time, the wounds, Phantoms, and monsters were different.


    However, now he had a unique opportunity to see because a Phantom like Adam hadn''t been in Magnus''s experiment yet.


    ''Hehehe, not only will I finally be able to use dew Beast, but bringing him to Red Feast was not just a curiosity, but also had a real effect thanks to Thunder Demon''s meat! Furthermore... Adam himself is not like the other Phantoms... Well, all of the slum Phantoms are simr in some way, it''s a pity they''re quite a few.'' Magnus internally pondered, ignoring his sly smirk.


    "Well, shall we get started then?" Adam suggested with a slight wave of his hand.


    Magnus nodded.


    "Sure. However, don''t forget, you must notpletely destroy dew Beast, for then his heart will be lost as well."


    Adam tilted his head in confusion.


    "By the way, why couldn''t you just prepare dew Beast''s heart for me? I''m sure he''s been captured and locked up in thisb by Phantoms much stronger than me."


    Magnus chuckled evilly.


    "Hah, Adam, have you forgotten that this is no ordinary monster? Even if one piece of flesh remains, it will turn into a huge monster after a while. dew Beast, like any regenerative monster, can do that." Magnus smiled ironically.


    Adam rubbed his chin thoughtfully.


    "I see... So I need to defeat dew Beast, but the heart must remain intact, then I must eat it, suppress the monster''s genes, and use regenerative energy to rebuild my arm."


    "Bingo!" Magnus snapped his fingers, pointing at Adam with a confident smirk.


    "By the way, before we get started. You said that dew Beast is the strongest among regenerative monsters in Purple Threat Level. So... what ce in the rankings does he hold?"


    Adam was ready to fight any opponent, but he had to eat the monster, which made it difficult to do so without his right arm.


    This time it was Silvana who answered:


    "This is the Prime dew Beast, so he is ranked Top-7 among all Purple Threat Level Monsters."


    Adam nodded deeply but did not reply to anything. Even if he defeated Thunder Demon, it didn''t mean that all monsters weaker than Thunder Demon were now feeble to him. Especially, since dew Beast had incredible regeneration.


    p.


    "Alright, thene inside. I''ll tell you what to do as needed to make the treatment a sess."


    Adam nodded heading towards the exit of the room. He stopped in the doorway and nced at Magnus, then at Nessa and Silvana.


    "Hey... Aren''t you afraid I''ll lose, and dew Beast will kill you?" Adam asked seriously.


    In response, Magnus only shrugged nonchntly, throwing his feet up on the table in a rxed manner.


    "Well, first of all, this ''ss'' is strong enough to protect us. Secondly... You''re not going to lose, are you?" Magnus narrowed his eyes.


    "Of course not. I came here to heal my arm, not to lose." Adam said confidently, stepping forward.


    At the same moment, the door behind him closed, and two trapdoors opened in the floor - one in the center of the hall, wide and massive, the other in the distance, quite small.


    Soon, dew Beast appeared, trapped in a cage made of the same ss that protected Magnus. The monster was already ready to fight but didn''t try to get out of its cage, as it knew it was useless.


    Adam nodded and turned around, toward the second trapdoor. Strangely enough, it was a table with a white tablecloth, a lone te along with a fork and knife, as if for a simple meal.


    "Tsk. Is he serious?" Adam shook his head, as his eyes shone brightly.


    Around Adam''s left hand silver threads wove themselves together, transforming into a gauntlet with sharp ws.


    There was another difficulty in Adam''s case - he could only use his Nexus in a limited way. He had one arm and therefore - one glove. However, that was enough to use the Second Trait.


    "Fine, it''s time to begin. I hope you eat his heart with as much pleasure as Thunder Demon''s meat." Magnus smirked before pressing the button and releasing dew Beast.


    dew Beast waited obediently for the protective ss to lower. The monster realized that there was no hurry, either he would kill Adam and try to escape from here, or he would die.


    Oddly enough, dew Beast actually had a chance to escape from the Citadel, because the Miracle Observatory was located in the slum area next to the walls.


    All dew Beast had to do was kill Adam, break through the walls, and find a crack to escape into the Dead Lands.


    "Attack. Unlike me, you have a whole six arms, so to speak." Adam uttered, pointing his silver w at dew Beast, ring at the monster''s four outgrowths and his two long paws.


    dew Beast snorted unhappily as his four outgrowths came into motion, pointing their sharp tips straight towards Adam''s chest.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Adam darted forward, like a shadow disappearing from one ce and almost instantly appearing in another. At least, that''s how it seemed to Nessa and Silvana.


    Then, before dew Beast could realize anything, a stream of blood rushed from the monster''s chest as something deeply pierced it.


    dew Beast''s four eyes quickly darted downward, looking at Adam''s silver gauntlet half submerged in the monster''s chest.


    "Well, at least your defenses are negligible." Adam said calmly before pulling back his hand and ripping dew Beast''s heart right out of the monster''s chest.


    Perhaps if a mere human or inexperienced Phantom had been watching Adam''s fight, they would have thought that Adam had already won, but dew Beast was not the kind of opponent that such wounds were effective on.


    sh.


    Immediately, dew Beast swung his long ws, but Adam stepped back in time as the ws swept right before his eyes.


    Then, Adam cast a nce at the monster''s chest - the hole was beginning to heal quickly with chunks of flesh, but... something confused Adam.


    "Wait...? He didn''t start repairing his heart?" Adam was puzzled. dew Beast''s heart was still alive, it was literally beating in Adam''s hand.


    Magnus nodded.


    "It''s an unnecessary waste of energy for him, it makes him a little weaker, but I''d say it''s the right move."


    "I see... Well, we all realize this fight is going to end one way." Adam pointed his bloody w at dew Beast.


    "I will eat you."

 Chapter 253: Instead of Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner (Part 3)

    dew Beast, like any regenerative monster, was able to heal absolutely any wound, there were really no limits.


    If someone ripped Adam''s heart out of his chest, he would die within seconds, however, for dew Beast, the loss of such an important organ was not a problem.


    However, this did not mean that dew Beast was invincible, no, regenerative monsters had their weaknesses. Due to their body structure, they all had feeble defenses, as one could not regenerate stone or iron armor as easily as pure flesh.


    Regenerative monsters also rarely had any energy abilities. While Thunder Demon could cause destructionparable to the most powerful explosions, dew Beast mostly had only physical attacks in his arsenal.


    Sure, there were exceptions to every rule, but a monster couldn''t have great destructive power, defense, speed, and an incredible regeneration rate.


    Moreover, even regeneration wasn''t infinite. Any regenerative monster had a certain amount of energy they spent on regeneration. Once they ran out of energy, regeneration would be impossible, and they would die of exhaustion.


    Also, it was known that the only way to kill a regenerative monster was to destroy it with one powerful attack. In fact, that wasn''t exactly the case.


    The power of the attack was not as important as the fact that the monster died faster than it regenerated. Given the weak defense of the regenerative monsters, it was not umon for them to be killed in this manner.


    dew Beast was a Top-7, intelligent, and dangerous monster, which was why he left his heart in Adam''s hand. After all, regenerative monsters took different amounts of energy to regenerate different wounds.


    Growing a new heart - the central organ - in a few seconds was dozens of times more expensive than simply filling the hole from Adam''s attack with pieces of flesh.


    Sure, like Magnus said, dew Beast was weaker without a heart, but that wasn''t the problem. dew Beast just lowered his defense even more,pensating for the loss of his heart in a way that didn''t affect his other parameters.


    It might have seemed like a big mistake, after all, defense was necessary in any fight. Well... it wasn''t.


    What difference did it make if the defense was high or low, if either way, Adam''s ws would tear through it like a piece of paper?


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam turned around, slowly heading towards the table. He turned his back to dew Beast, which was dangerous, but Adam wasn''t worried that the monster could hurt him.


    He ced dew Beast''s heart on the te, watching it beat for a while.


    "Hey, so regenerative monsters work in such a way that every time they lose an organ, they''ll get weaker?" Adam asked without turning around.


    Magnus nodded.


    "Yeah, more to the point, don''t forget, regenerative monsters don''t create something new, they only regenerate to their original state. If dew Beast wanted to regenerate his organ, he''d have to blow it up, then create a new one. That would be a double waste of energy." Magnus exined.


    "I see... They do have a lot of limitations, however, otherwise they would be invincible." Adam sighed as his eyes grew deeper.


    Magnus was talking about how regenerative monsters as well as dew Beast, couldn''t grow ten hearts if necessary. dew Beast had one heart, which meant that if he lost it, he could only regenerate one heart at most.


    The same applies to other organs and limbs.


    If one cut off dew Beast''s paw and left it aside, dew Beast would have to remotely destroy his paw to regenerate it. He couldn''t grow a new paw while the same paw was still intact, but far away from his body.


    Now, dew Beast''s decision not to regenerate the heart made even more sense, for he not only saved energy by not regenerating the heart but also not wasting even more energy to remotely destroy it in Adam''s hand.


    "Hah, so with each organ he loses, he''ll be weaker, and if he decides to regenerate them, he''ll lose a lot of energy. That''s curious." Adam chuckled evilly, he seemed to have figured out a suitable way for him to fight dew Beast.


    Sure, Adam could use his Artifact Trait - One-horned Disaster, but he wasn''t sure he had enough firepower to kill dew Beast in one attack. Moreover, if dew Beast decided to explode his heart in the end, Adam could find himself in a difficult situation.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    dew Beast''s patience came to an end as his outgrowths headed towards Adam at high speed.


    Electric shocks went through Adam''s eyes as his head jerked several times in different directions, allowing the sharp tips to fly next to his neck and embed deeply into the wall.


    "Hey, stop showing off. I don''t feel like wasting time and resources repairing walls at all." Magnus said yfully. Naturally, he didn''t care about the walls, but he wanted to see the results of his method in Adam''s case as soon as possible.


    "Well, I guess I''ll agree." Adam nodded before turning around sharply, cutting the four outgrowths into small pieces.


    Bam.


    At the same moment, the severed pieces exploded, covering everything around them in blood, only to return to dew Beast and recover. A bit of blood remained on the ground, in a way, it was an indication of the energy spent by dew Beast on this regeneration.


    "His organs are arranged like in a hologram, right?" Adam asked confidently, stepping forward.


    Magnus smirked.


    "Yeah, you''re thinking in the right direction. That hologram is of this particr dew Beast, not their species."


    Adam nodded as his eyes shone brightly, and a lightning horn appeared on the left side of his head.


    The next thing Silvana saw, watching the fight closely, was Adam disappearing, ending up behind dew Beast.


    Pieces of flesh flew off to the sides, as dew Beast''s body was torn in two.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Ropes of flesh quickly emerged from the torn body parts, stitching them together like threads, but... something dew Beast decided not to regenerate...


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    Crimson droplets dripped from Adam''s silver ws, from two strange organs thrust onto the gauntlet''s sharp tips.


    The organs of monsters and humans differed, both in appearance, function, and names, but roughly speaking, Adam had just robbed dew Beast of a kidney and a liver. The humans had those organs in approximately the same ce Adam had attacked.


    "Well, what would you rather lose this time?" Adam said with a wave of his hand and tossed the two organs aside into the corner of the room like useless trash.


    dew Beast''s four eyes narrowed, then two of them closed, disappearing in clots of flesh and vanishing forever. The same thing happened to two of the four outgrowths on the monster''s broad back.


    "I see... I don''t know what you''re counting on, but you can''t beat me this way." Adam said seriously before attacking once more, tearing dew Beast apart, with no resistance from the monster.


    Magnus chuckled evilly, enjoying the show.


    "Looks like Adam will win soon." Silvana said with a slight smile on her face.


    "Don''t jump to conclusions." Nessa said sternly.


    "Agh?" Silvana was puzzled.


    Magnus nced at her and waved his hand.


    "You''re both right. Adam will definitely eventually exhaust dew Beast, but... the real battle will begin when Adam eats his heart. That''s when everything will be determined."

 Chapter 254: Instead of Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner (Part 4)

    The next few minutes went by at a fairly rxed pace, or so it would seem to the spectators.


    Time after time, Adam attacked dew Beast at great speed using his lightning power. dew Beast could do nothing against Adam, only to hope that soon Adam would run out of energy and that would turn their fight upside down.


    However... that was not to be. Adam, thanks to his powerful and rapid attacks that didn''t require too much energy, but could pierce even very strong armor, was an unfortunate opponent for dew Beast.


    Adam wounded dew Beast seriously too easily and asionally ripped new organs out of the monster''s abdomen, filling the snow-white room with scarlet color.


    "Come on. We both know you''re already too low on strength. Just give up and let me move on to phase two." Adam said calmly before stopping in front of dew Beast and kicking the monster''s head off.


    dew Beast''s head flew off to the farthest part of the room, but Adam wasn''t going to stop there.


    Whoooooooosh.


    With a swipe of his ws, Adam sliced off dew Beast''s upper and lower paws, leaving the monster''s torso without its head and limbs.


    Adam did not further wound dew Beast, instead he scattered the monster''s parts as far apart as he could within the confines of the room.


    Bam.


    One paw mmed into the protective ss, right in front of Magnus. The girls flinched, for a moment they sensed danger, but Magnus only smirked, rubbing his palms together contentedly.


    "Good. I don''t know if he nned this from the beginning, but he did the right thing."


    "Agh? What are you talking about?" Silvana turned to Magnus, puzzled, waiting for an exnation.


    "Look at dew Beast''s head." Magnus said calmly.


    Silvana nced to the side as her eyes went wide.


    dew Beast''s head was in one ce, while the monster''s limbs were slowly trying to reach each other as if each one of them were a separate organism.


    "Sure, eventually they will be one unit, but it will take quite some time. dew Beast has too little energy to do it quickly, moreover, Adam is giving him the opportunity." Magnus waved his hand looking behind Adam who was leisurely pacing.


    He didn''t want to kill dew Beastpletely, because then he risked failing his treatment before it could begin.


    "Well, given your speed I have a few minutes. I think that will be enough." Adam uttered with a serious face before sitting down at the table, in front of dew Beast''s heart on his te.


    The monster''s heart wasrge and ugly, beating slowly but clearly alive and full of blood with regenerative effects.


    "Hey, before you start, I suggest you take off your coat. Put it onter, it will get in your way." Magnus said.


    Adam nodded and did as he said.


    "Now calm down, take a small bite first, swallow, and feel what the regenerative cells inside you are capable of. You''ll definitely be able to suppress them, but then go to the whole heart at once, and direct the energy to your arm. Your genes are still active after yesterday, so... I''d say your chances of failure are about 10%." Magnus waved his hand nonchntly.


    "Well... I shouldn''t expect any support from you. Who talks about the chances of failure in a situation like this?" Adam shook his head.


    Magnus smirked.


    "In the case of sess it''s already clear that everything will be fine, so it''s better to pay attention to what can actually make a difference - failure."


    Adam didn''t answer anything, he just picked up the knife in his hands and cut a small piece off dew Beast''s heart.


    dew Beast was severely weakened, so even the most ordinary knife was capable of wounding his heart, though normally something sharper would be needed to do so.


    Then, Adam put a piece of heart on a fork, opened his mouth, and quickly swallowed it.


    At first, other than the vile taste, Adam felt nothing, but as soon as the piece reached his stomach, beginning to dissolve into acid, the heart began to grow rapidly, eager to escape.


    Bam.


    At the same moment, one of dew Beast''s, ws exploded, allowing the monster to grow its w again, but... it didn''t have to be a paw. Temporarily, dew Beast could regenerate parts of his body in other areas, this was not something new, so it was within the capabilities of the regenerative monster.


    However... before the w could appear in Adam''s stomach, all of Adam''s instincts activated, alerting him to the imminent threat.


    The energy, along with his aura, traveled outward, pressuring everything around and inside of him. Adam''s pupils narrowed as the piece of dew Beast''s heart inside him shuddered, breaking into tiny pieces that soon became so small that they disappeared in the streams of energy.


    Experience amazing tales on m vl-em|p-yr


    Then, remembering Magnus''s words, Adam tried to channel dew Beast''s energy to his hand. For a long time, the monster''s energy couldn''t stay in the human body, but if Adam used it, there wouldn''t be such a problem.


    Soon, Adam felt a strong burning sensation in the area of his right arm, as if the flesh was trying to break free through the overgrownyer of skin.


    But... before regeneration could begin, it ended.


    "Agh? I could feel it... My arm was ready to grow right now..." Adam muttered, breathing heavily and slightly disappointed.


    "Don''t worry." Magnus said confidently, "Now you''ve just figured out the whole process. You''ve already done more than half of the Phantoms that went through my method. Now the easiest thing left - increase the amount of flesh you eat by more than ten times, as well as the difficulty..."


    Adam nodded as he nced away.


    dew Beast''s paws were still aiming for the torso, the limbs would need a lot more time, but... the w on the paw had been restored. Adam realized that dew Beast would try to kill Adam again, and there was no way he could stop the monster unless he wanted his heart to dry up due to exhaustion.


    "Well, there seems to be no point in dying the inevitable any longer." Adam sighed heavily before stabbing the fork into the monster''s heart and raising it in front of him like an appetizing piece of meat, though... nothing was appetizing about it of course.


    Adam opened his mouth wide, plunging the piece of meat inside. Then, with a crunch, Adam used his powerful jaw to grind dew Beast''s heart into small chunks.


    Silence.


    Nothing happened for a while, it seemed even dew Beast was curious to see the result.


    But... soon Adam''s eyes went wide and waves of pain traveled through his entire body.


    Silvana and Nessa looked worriedly at Adam, while Magnus''s gaze went sideways - to dew Beast''s wless paws. The monster had destroyed them on purpose, for one reason - to grow new ws right in Adam''s stomach, and he''d seeded.


    It couldn''t be seen, but... Magnus waspletely sure that dew Beast''s ws had already pierced Adam''s organs.


    Could he be wrong? Well, sure, but not this time.


    "Argh!" Adam''s pupils narrowed as streams of blood gushed from his mouth, flooding the white tablecloth covering the table.


    Magnus frowned, biting his finger with a great grimace.


    ''Come on. Don''t disappoint me. Your organs have already been destroyed, but they can be rebuilt. Shit, it''s not as easy as I thought, right?''

 Chapter 255: Instead of Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner (Part 5)

    "ARGH!!!!"


    Adam clutched at his chest, trying to take away the pain somehow, but it was useless. The cause of his agony was right inside him, the monster''s ws were tearing his organs apart and Adam had to do something about it.


    However, right now he could only think of the pain that hadpletely consumed his mind.


    On


    Sure, Adam had fought dangerous monsters many times and had received severe and painful wounds, but... his organs had never been damaged to this extent before.


    It was worth realizing that if Adam didn''t suppress dew Beast''s cells now to use regenerative energy, he would most likely die. Even Magnus couldn''t save Adam if his insides looked like they went through a meat grinder.


    The worst part was that neither Silvana, Nessa nor even Magnus could help Adam. Either he would die now and add to the number of failures in Magnus''s method, or he could defeat the monster''s cells and recover his arm.


    Thump. Thump. Thump...


    Adam''s heart began to beat faster and faster and his Evolution Tree actively trembled. His veins swelled as he entered Resonance, but none of that was as effective in this situation as it was in battle.


    He didn''t need to get stronger, faster, or increase his reaction, no, he needed something else - to learn how to suppress dew Beast''s energy and subdue the monster''s cells.


    Adam was desperate to do this in the short period he had. Only talent can help one learn something quickly. Well, that wasn''t exactly true, Adam may not have been the fastest-learning person in the world, but he was a Phantom and he had a Power Gene!


    Adam got his Power Gene, a special gene from the Crown Monster, by killing Steel Knight, and besides the fact that the Power Gene increased his physical stats, the main feature of this gene was the elerated learning of whatever Adam was doing.


    Not only could he learn something as trivial as ying the piano or fencing, but more subtle things like controlling emotions, so... suppressing foreign cells in his body was also on the list of things he could learn.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The Power Gene, looking like a triangr shield with two crossed swords in a mirrored sphere, shone brightly, releasing a silver sh that covered all of Adam''s inner space.


    A glint, for a moment, reflected in Adam''s blue eyes, bringing with it a strange calmness and clearing his mind of the pain.


    Sure, the pain wasn''t going anywhere, but now Adam could concentrate on what was really important - suppressing dew Beast''s cells.


    At the same moment, Adam released all of his aura and energy, and what looked like a multitude of white streams at high speeding from him. Then, at his will, they began to move in the opposite direction, sinking into Adam''s body and starting to condense there.


    Such density in such a small space stopped all development of the dew Beast''s heart from which now protruded a multitude of sharp ws, piercing Adam''s flesh.


    "Fuck... I was on the edge... Sometimes past aplishments, past victories, can help earn new ones, isn''t that right? Everything in this world is connected..." Adam smiled bitterly. Though vivid pain still filled his body, he realized that everything was already resolved.


    Crackle.


    dew Beast''s heart exploded, as well as the ws, shattering into millions of pieces that vanished into Adam''s body. The monster''s regenerative energy passed through his organs instantly healing them and traveling to Adam''s right arm.


    Before he could realize anything, his skin ripped open, releasing hundreds of scarlet threads as the embodiment of the regenerative energy.


    They quickly wove together creating the shape of a hand before flesh moved through them like a stream, quickly creating a new limb out of nothing.


    Bone, blood vessels, nerves, veins, muscles, tendons, cartge, and skin, everything was created exactly as it should be.


    Adam''s body remembered his hand as well as his mind, so it wasn''t a copy or a new hand, it was the same hand that still had the small scars that Adam decided to keep after absorbing the ck hole.


    Adam smiled looking at his hand, he slowly clenched and unclenched it, checking if everything was alright.


    Then, electricity ran through Adam''s body and a silver needle appeared in his hand.


    A momentter, dew Beast''s limbs were cut into hundreds of pieces, quickly losing all their energy and bing nothing more than dust that would be removed from this room along with the monster''s dried blood.


    dew Beast couldn''t do anything, Adam made him expend everyst drop of energy and robbed him of the most important thing, his heart.


    Adam nodded and turned around, looking at Silvana and about to say something.


    But...


    Thump. Thump. Thump.


    Adam''s heart started beating fast again and his eyes were strangely bloodshot, not like during the Resonance, but like a bloodthirsty monster whose instincts were focused on one thing only: killing.


    "What''s happening to him!?" Silvana eximed turning to Magnus.


    "Shit... I was afraid he wouldn''t be able to handle it given the strength of the dew Beast, but it ended up being theplete opposite of my expectations..." Magnus frowned heavily.


    "Damn it! Speak normally, what does that mean?!" Silvana shouted.


    "That there''s too much energy and Adam will be in this state until it dissipates, but... I have no idea what he''ll do at that point."


    "Arghhh!!!" Adam clutched his head, clenching his teeth tightly that seemed to bare, like the fangs of a beast.


    Silvana, Nessa, and Magnus were discussing something, but in the meantime, Adam saw the world very differently.


    Smells wereing towards him as his sense of smell enhanced, everything was covered in a scarlet veil and people, including Silvana, Nessa, and Magnus became dark figures walking on a red background.


    Soon, more figures appeared, from the smellsing from other parts of theb.


    Adam''s instincts became sharper as he again felt the pressureing from behind the doors that were in one of the nearest passageways in this closed-off part of theb.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Adam ran out of the room, rushed past Silvana, and headed straight for those doors, driven only by his instincts, then his body was not under the control of his mind.


    "Shit! Let''s run after him before he destroys myb." Magnus eximed as he pressed the remote, closing all the passageways with steel doors to separate this area from the other, the one with the scientists.


    Step. Step. Step.


    After a few seconds, Adam quickly reached that very passage and simply rammed through the door, finding himself in a spacious well-lit room with a faint green color emanating from above.


    Adam''s eyes went wide when he saw dozens of huge pods, inside of which were strangely enough children... and for some reason, most of them were girls.


    Various tubes were attached to their pods, with solutions flowing through them. It was obvious to everyone that they were part of Magnus''s experiment.


    While Adam was trying to realize what was going on there, Silvana, Magnus, and Nessa ran into the room.


    Seeing Magnus, Adam''s mind put all the details together.


    "I see... So that''s why yourb is in the slums and I could feel such darkness from these rooms... Bastard!" Adam eximed. These kids were from the slums, this was something personal to Adam, not to mention the standards of morality and the fact that Magnus had always seemed like a dangerous man to him.


    Adam lunged at Magnus, with the clear intention of killing him. Perhaps in a normal state, he wouldn''t have done it in such a hurry, but his instincts still controlled him to a greater degree.


    Tap.


    Before Adam could reach Magnus, the sharp de of the scalpel was at Silvana''s neck, so close that a single movement was enough to sever her carotid artery, resulting in imminent death.


    "Bastard... You revealed your face right away, didn''t you?" Adam growled.


    Adam gritted his teeth but stepped forward. He was sure that thanks to his speed from the lightning he would be able to save Silvana in time.


    "Wait. Stop looking at me, take your gaze to the side." Magnus said calmly, but a distinct threat was in his voice, so Adam did as he said.


    "Agh...?" Adam''s eyes went wide.


    A ck pistol was pressed against Silvana''s head. Nessa held it with a confident face, making it clear that if Adam took another step, she would shoot.

 Chapter 256: The Only One Perfect Human

    Adam had found himself in deadly situations more than once, several times even before he became a Phantom. The slums were far from the safest ce to be. In some ways, he was used to fighting death to stay alive and get stronger.


    But... Silvana was in this position for the first time. Adam was ready to save her in whatever situation she was in, but now... there was nothing he could do.


    No matter how fast Adam could be, Magnus or Nessa would surely attack and take Silvana''s life.


    Adam had only one way to save Silvana - listen to Magnus and don''t make any sudden moves. Adam did not doubt that Magnus could slit Silvana''s throat with his scalpel, but what about Nessa?


    Well, Adam was experienced enough to realize from Nessa''s look that she would actually shoot. If Magnus was ready to kill, so was she.


    However... this time, Adam felt something strange. Nessa seemed to have somehow changed, not because she was acting like Magnus, but because she was in abat situation.


    "Fine. I don''t really have any other choice, do I?" Adam frowned, raised his hands, and took a few steps back, showing his intentions.


    However, Magnus and Nessa did not rx. Against them was an enraged K1-Phantom, at that moment, Adam might have been one of the five strongest Phantoms of his level. They couldn''t afford to act carelessly when threatening the Operator of such a Phantom.


    "Speak. What''s going on here, but I''ll warn you. The fact that there''s a scalpel to Silvana''s neck and a gun to her head is enough for me to kill the two of you." Adam said coldly, not canceling his Artifact Trait. Electricity ran steadily through his body and among his de-sharp pupils.


    The scarlet veil was already gone, Adam was slowly calming down, but he wasn''t going to forgive Magnus and Nessa for nothing. He needed an argument, as powerful as he could make it.


    Silvana, in the meantime, was trying to calm down. Her heart was racing, her breathing was rapid, and she broke out in a cold sweat.


    Operators always stayed to the side, doing everything they could to help their Phantoms, but... right now, it was Silvana, who was one step away from death, and there was nothing she could do to change that. If Magnus wanted to, she would already be dead, Silvana realized that, and it was pressuring her hard.


    "Sure, but it''s going to be a long, very long story, so get ready." Magnus said calmly, continuing to hold the scalpel at Silvana''s neck.


    Magnus took a deep breath.


    "To begin with... You''re not fucking supposed to be here!" Magnus eximed furiously with a horrifying grimace like that of a demon from theherworld.


    Just like the first time they met, Magnus''s emotions changed drastically, he wasn''t acting, he was furious.


    "You fucking should have gone through my method, regenerated your arm, and walked out of here with a smile on your face! This was supposed to be the end of our story! Why the fuck do you walk into someone else''s house and stroll in here like it''s your own?!" Magnus shouted, it seemed even his hair went up.


    Adam didn''t answer anything. He expected Magnus to start making excuses, but instead, he attacked him... It actually took Adam off guard.


    Then, Magnus took a deep breath again, gradually calming down.


    "Alright, now let''s start from afar. I know your history with Aiden Henk." Magnus said seriously.


    Adam''s eyes went wide.


    "You shouldn''t be surprised. He and I are on the same level. Like me, he''s a free scientist, and has his observatory and the right to conduct whatever experiments he wants." Magnus waved his hand.


    Adam nodded slightly. Now, he didn''t want to be in a hurry. Magnus could tell more about Aiden Henk than most people could.


    "He dropped you in Dead Lands, you miraculously killed a monster and became Naturalborn Phantom, h-h-h. None of that matters anymore." Magnus carelessly said.


    Then, his gaze became sharper.


    "Obviously, you were looking for information about Aiden Henk, but... do you know anything about him and the free scientists?"


    "Agh...? What do you mean?" Adam was confused.


    "Look, I don''t care about your and Aiden''s conflict. It''s your business, but, you must realize that free scientists are quite few, and each of us has our area of research." Magnus said calmly. All this was necessary for Adam to understand what was going on here.


    Magnus continued:


    "Aiden Henk researches Phantoms, or rather all the ways to be Phantoms, how Spark emergence urs, why some have Spark and others don''t, the chances of Spark appearance, the difference between Artificialborn and Naturalborn Phantoms, how the genes of a in monster affect Spark activation and much more."


    "By the way, a lot of information that was previously assumed or inurate is now avable in the databases of various departments and the military thanks to Aiden Henk. I''m not saying he''s the first to know about Spark, no, but he''s doing it all with a scientific and mathematical approach, allowing for urate data and better nning for the future.


    As you realize, it''s important to the orderly development of the Citadel."


    Magnus''s voice was calm and deep, engulfing Adam''s mind, for this was unique information he could only get from Magnus.


    "Well, enough about Aiden, I am not defending him or myself, for every one of the free scientists does both terrible and good things. Like I said earlier, every free scientist has their own area, and in my case, it''s monsters and humans." Aiden said seriously. At that moment, he and Nessa nced over at each other.


    Adam frowned.


    "What...? ording to you, Aiden Henk is doing the same thing! Monsters and humans, what else is there to explore here?!" Adam waved his hand, thinking Magnus was fooling him.


    "Not really, or rather, you''repletely wrong." Magnus said menacingly, "Let me exin in simple terms, Aiden researches humans and monsters on the Spark and Phantoms side, on the energy side, but... I have apletely different domain."


    Magnus clenched his fist.


    "If Aiden''s is energy, mine is biology, cells, and genes. Yeah, we both research humans and monsters, but withpletely different goals and methods. Our research has little to no ovep. That''s why you came to me to heal your arm because I''m the only one who can do it in the Citadel." Magnus''s eyes narrowed, then he pointed at the pods.


    "Adam, all of them are indeed from the slums, they are all part of my experiment." Magnus said majestically.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed as the mes of anger began to ignite inside him again.


    "However, some of them are here of their own free will, and the other part had no choice. I''ll tell you about thatter. Right now, I want to exin something else to you." Magnus''s eyes grew deeper as he reached forward.


    "There''s a reason why they''re all either, kids or teenagers, and most of them are girls. For one thing, you just happened to be in this room, there are others here where there''s a different age group. However, I won''t hide it, this is the most important room, and for good reason." Magnus touched his face, looking at the pods through his fingers.


    Adam gritted his teeth with a great grimace.


    "Perhaps I''m far from understanding what scientists like you or Aiden Henk do, but I don''t believe there can be an important reason to keep specifically children and specifically girls here. You''re just a sick bastard!"


    Magnus nodded.


    "Perhaps I am. Sometimes I may act like a madman, but I''m not a viin, however, I believe viins don''t exist as well as heroes, it''s all rtive." Magnus nodded as he stared at Adam.


    "You just healed your arm with monster energy. So... do you think, it''s possible for humans to use monster genes to be stronger?" Magnus asked, reaching his hand forward with an open palm.


    Adam was puzzled.


    "A monster and a human? Some sort of hybrid? Fuck no. I barely made it, though I just needed to heal my arm. That''s impossible." Adam said confidently.


    Well, deep inside, he expected Magnus to disprove him because then it would go some way to exining what was going on here.


    "Yes, you''re right, it''s impossible." Magnus uttered, shattering thest of Adam''s hopes, "The monsters'' cells are too strong for humans to withstand. Even for Phantoms, it''s difficult, only temporarily or to boost regeneration like you did earlier."


    Adam wanted to say something, but Magnus stopped him with his gaze.


    Then, he turned to Nessa.


    "Show him. He should see it."


    Nessa nodded, tossed the gun aside, and took a few steps forward.


    She was dressed in formal clothes as always, but there was always a piece of cloth sticking out from under her jacket, like a wide ribbon that could be pulled.


    Whoosh.


    With a sudden movement, Nessa did so, revealing that she had been wearing a very unusual outfit all this time. Sure, it looked like an office suit, but in fact, it was custom-made by one of the best tailors in the Citadel - Cazimir.


    Nessa''s clothes split into wide ribbons that were like dark bandages swirling around her. Dense, stretchy ck fabric covered her chest, elbows, and wrist, as well as her knees and the Achilles tendons on her legs.


    The fabric spread from her waist to her hips as well, like a battle skirt, fitting tightly around her body.


    Adam''s eyes went wide, but not from Nessa''s appearance but from her muscles - they were perfect as if carved by a divine sculptor with the sole purpose - to create an unsurpassed masterpiece.


    Nessa''s muscles weren''t huge, but they were superior in shape to even Adam''s. It was a perfection that made Adam''s genes envious and awakened in him a strange motivation and desire.


    Then, Nessa turned her back, making a few turns so Adam would finally notice the many scars, most of which were on her back, but there were a few gruesome ones in her stomach area.


    "Adam, right now, before you stands the only one perfect human out of tens of millions... Nessa is the sole hybrid."


    Magnus''s words, like thunder, pierced Adam''s mind, causing him to lose his voice.

 Chapter 257: Hybrid

    Tap.


    Magnus ced a hand on Silvana''s shoulder, abruptly removing the scalpel and pushing her forward. Silvana was slightly confused, but she quickly ran ahead, getting behind Adam''s back.


    However... even though Silvana was finally free, Adam didn''t even look at her. He couldn''t be med for his indifference, for something strange was happening to him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t take his eyes off Nessa.


    It wasn''t that he was a young boy and she was a young pretty girl, no, Adam didn''t feel any lust, and love was out of the question. His instincts were active, his genes buzzed like mes, and inside there was hunger and desire to keep looking at the perfect body.


    As one who had fought many times in Dead Lands and was on the verge of death, Adam saw that this was not a body, but a true weapon designed to fight like monsters...


    Indeed, Nessa''s body was the ultimate in human limits and capabilities. Well, given the limitations of a basic set of muscles, tendons, ligaments, and so on, as well as with a size within human bounds.


    "What...? What''s going on...?" Silvana muttered puzzled as she nced at Magnus, hoping to get an answer from him.


    Magnus smirked.


    "Well, well, Nessa, looks like you got yourself a fan."


    Nessa frowned slightly.


    "A fan? What does that mean? I don''t need fans." Nessa waved her hand.


    "ADAM!"


    Magnus shouted, finally bringing Adam out of his trance.


    "Agh... What was that...?" Adam muttered, confused as he nced around.


    Magnus sighed.


    "I don''t know. You''re the only one of the Phantoms to have seen Nessa in this form. It''s interesting... Her shape so overwhelmed you that your instincts made you stare at her in awe as if she were a divine presence." Magnus said seriously, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    Then, a wide grin formed on his face.


    "I didn''t even think that this forced decision could have such an effect. Hehehe, if your genes see potential in her, then we definitely haven''t reached the end yet. That''s good."


    For a while no one said anything. Adam only asionally nced at Nessa''s body, he couldn''t help it. It seemed that even if he closed his eyes, he would instinctively open them to take another look at her superior muscles.


    Nessa felt strange.


    Adam was devouring her with his gaze, but not like a man to a woman, for he was not interested in her bosom and butt. Nessa even felt offended that he was only admiring her muscles.


    "Whatever!" Adam quickly turned his head toe to his senses, "Nessa, hybrid, right? What''s next? What does this even mean? How did this happen? And how does that exin why there are kids in these pods, mostly girls?"


    Adam realized that the situation hadpletely changed in thest few minutes. He was no longer going to attack Magnus just as Magnus was no longer going to harm Silvana.


    However, that was only the beginning of Magnus''s exnation. Nessa''s appearance was an important moment to get Adam''s attention and Magnus was ready to act next.


    "Well... First, to understand the whole story from my side you have to see something." Magnus muttered before slipping his hand into his coat pocket and pulling out a white card that looked like apany employee badge.


    Then, with a sharp movement, he threw the card to Adam, which found itself clutched between his fingers.


    Adam, with a serious expression, looked at the card. Oddly enough, the card had Nessa''s picture on it, and a brief description of her, as any employee at Miracle Observatory would.


    However, there was something very important that Adam noticedter.


    "Wait... No fucking way..." Adam muttered as he nced at Nessa.


    "Is your name Nessa Zephyr?" Then, Adam shifted his gaze to Magnus, who had the samest name.


    Silvana''s eyes went wide when she realized what the rtionship was between Magnus and Nessa.


    "You are father and daughter...?" Silvana asked uncertainly. It seemed too strange for her, though... Magnus had been married at least once, so... technically it was possible.


    Magnus shook his head.


    "Not really. I''ve been married and had many lovers, but I have no biological children, none. Nessa is my adopted daughter, and... that''s where it all starts." Magnus''s eyes grew deeper.


    Nessa lowered her head with a sad look. It was obvious that despite her current majestic state, she had had a difficult childhood, to put it bluntly.


    "It happened nine years ago."


    It was only a few words, but it was enough to transport their minds into an imaginary storying from Magnus''s perspective.


    Step. Step. Step.


    A man in his early twenties walked slowly among the slums. He was not dressed like some aristocrat, only a long crimson coat covered with dust concealed his body. However, there was a distinct influenceing from the man.


    "Shit, what''s wrong with me?" Magnus muttered biting his lip with a frown, "Everything seems to be fine. Finally have my first sesses with regenerative monsters, my own observatory, and free scientist status, but... what do I have to justify it all?"


    Magnus walked forward, nervously biting his nails. His sess was incredible as a research man, but he felt he needed some kind of trump card, something unique, some incredible project!


    Initially, Magnus thought that this project would be his regeneration method as well as a few other experiments, but... he didn''t get the satisfaction he wanted.


    "Agh... Maybe I should get in there and take a look at the Dead Lands? The monsters might be inspiring." Magnus thought looking at the tall tower ten meters ahead.


    Magnus took the next step and...


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground shook violently, Magnus tried to keep his bnce, but the quake was quickly gaining power and soon he fell to the ground, as well as several barely standing buildings in the area.


    Among them was the tower that Magnus was just looking at.


    "AAAAAAAGHHH!!!!"


    As the iron beams fell, a terrified scream rang out along with the metallic rumble, before being silenced in a burst of blood.


    Magnus didn''t see what exactly happened there, but his gaze caught on a few drops of blood.


    "Cure a few lowlifes from the slums...?" Magnus raised an eyebrow, pondering if he should do that, "Well... They might be useful if they can still be cured, moreover, with this I can fill out a report for the government. Tsk, they still can''t get behind me."


    Magnus waved his hand, picking his way through the debris and moving towards the epicenter of the fallen tower.


    As he had suspected, there had been people, or rather children, on the tower during the earthquake.


    It was a popr activity for children in the slums, as everyone was curious to see what was behind the walls. However, such towers were unstable, old, and rusty, so usually only the bravest climbed them.


    Magnus with cold eyes nced at several corpses - the iron beams had pierced the bodies of the kids in multiple ces, killing them instantly the moment they fell.


    "I wanted more, but I should have expected this, right? It''s not at all easy to survive a fall like that and from such a height... Damn, this ce is dangerous even in the daylight. Hehehe, it was a great decision to build myb here." Magnus chuckled evilly.


    Crackle.


    A metal sheet shifted, falling with a tter and revealing a girl with short boy-like scarlet hair, ck eyes, and pale skin. She was thin, clearly starved, but... that didn''t matter now because metal shards were sticking out of her body, each the size of herself.


    Magnus raised an eyebrow, a slight curiosity showing in his gaze as he approached the girl.


    The girl didn''t even notice him, everything in front of her eyes was blurring, she was ready to pass out at any moment because her strength was running out.


    Magnus did not hurry to help her, because first he had to determine whether it made sense. He walked around her from all sides, assessed how serious the wounds were, and sighed with a slight bit of regret.


    "I''m sorry, but this is a hopeless case. Even if you survive to the point where I bring you to theb, your body doesn''t have the resources to withstand the treatment. You''ll just die of either exhaustion or heart failure, so... Let''s not waste each other''s time and part ways." Magnus shrugged, heading for the exit.


    To him, everything sounded logical and pragmatic. The chances of saving the girl were too slim. He understood that better than most doctors in the Citadel.


    "M... Mo... Mo..." The girl muttered out of herst strength.


    "Hm? M? Mo? Hey, my name is Magnus, not Mognus!" Magnus waved his hand irritably, and then his eyes went wide, "Wait, it''s not like we know each other. Then... What are you trying to say?"


    Magnus tilted his head and saw the toy in the girl''s hand, it was a broken monster toy without one paw, dirty and dusty.


    "Agh, I see... Monster!" Magnus mmed his fist against his palm as if he had solved the mystery.


    Then, he stopped, his face frozen as if the world stood still.


    A multitude of factors and details filled Magnus''s mind, from hisb, experiments, and regenerative monsters to the girl''s wounds and the toy in her hand.


    At the same moment, the corners of Magnus''s mouth lifted upward, forming a creepy grin that would have likely scared the girl if she could see anything, then.


    "So you like monsters..." Magnus muttered lifting the girl off the ground without pulling the metal shards out of her body. He didn''t want the bleeding to get any worse.


    "Good. Then how do you like the idea of bing one of them? Whether you continue to live or not, this is yourst day as a human." Magnus''s eyes narrowed before running with all his might to the observatory.

 Chapter 258: Perfection (Part 1)

    Step. Step. Step.


    Magnus ran quickly, holding the bleeding Nessa in his arms. Sure, he might not waste time examining her, but... if there wasn''t a crazy idea in his head after her words, he wouldn''t have been in such a hurry.


    In fact, although Magnus could get some bonuses from treating the injured slum dweller, it would hardly make him speed up his step.


    He was a pragmatic bastard and that was why he was where he was now. However, now he was running faster than ever with an excited grin forming on his face.


    Soon his legs began to ache, Magnus would never let that happen, after all hisfort was above all else. Some slum girl''s life wasn''t worth his exertion. Yeah, Magnus''s selfishness and heartlessness were astounding.


    However, there was something more important in this world than Magnus''sfort - his ideas!


    If he had an idea in his mind that he thought was worthy, his well-being and anything else that was even remotely important took a back seat.


    Perhaps that was the kind of person one had to be to be a free scientist at such a young age. An idea, a desire to create a masterpiece, something unique and unrivaled - for this Magnus was even ready to die and kill millions.


    "Hahaha, don''t you dare die child! You will be my masterpiece! Don''t you dare take this opportunity away from me!" Magnus eximed running up to theb.


    While at first he only had a nascent n of action on how to cure Nessa, now he waspletely confident in his actions.


    Crackle.


    As soon as the sensors detected Magnus, all doors immediately opened in front of him, though other scientists had to be checked in order to do so.


    Descending to the lower floor, Magnus quickly ran forward into his private part of theb, forbidden to others.


    "Mr. Magnus! This girl needs medical attention immediately! You must carry her to our sector where we heal the sick!" A man in a white coat, with aging gray hair and a short beard said, standing in the aisle Magnus ran past.


    Magnus stopped abruptly as he nced at the man. The man was one of the respected researchers at Miracle Observatory, with a wealth of experience and voluminous knowledge.


    "Quick, if her heart is still beating we can save her. The wounds are serious, but it looks like we still have a chance." The man reached out his hand about to take the girl.


    Crackle.


    Without hesitation, Magnus''s foot plunged into the man''s stomach, throwing him aside. The man''s back hit the wall with obvious confusion.


    "First of all, this isn''t your sector or department or anything. Everything here belongs to me! Thisnd, all the equipment, the employees, you and that girl! You''re all fucking mine and only I decide what to do and how to do it!"


    Magnus waved his hand.


    "If I wanted to just save her I''d have called the regr doctors. Get the fuck out of myb you piece of mediocrity!"


    Before the man could realize what was happening, Magnus gritted his teeth and ran on. He couldn''t afford to lose another second.


    Upon entering one of the many rooms.


    Magnus immediately ced Nessa on the operating table, picking up a scalpel and other instruments. Despite his aggressiveness and arrogance, Magnus''s skills could allow him to act even prouder.


    Within moments, all the metal shards were removed from Nessa''s back. Sure, Magnus didn''t care at all if she was hurt or not, for it didn''t matter now - she was dying!


    "Fine, let''s see how bad it really is. Normally I would do this in a more technological way, but we don''t have time, you know?" Magnus uttered before flipping Nessa over onto her back and shing her stomach with a sweep of his hand.


    A few more precise cuts and the full picture were revealed to Magnus. Several vital organs, namely the kidneys and liver were severely damaged, they had practically be a bloody mess.


    Magnus nodded.


    "Well, if you were Phantom I would suggest you try my new method. However... if I give you a piece of the regenerative monster, even the weakest of them will kill and consume you. You don''t have the energy to have any chance of sess." Magnus pondered rubbing his chin.


    Then, a sly grin appeared on his face.


    "However, I wouldn''t have brought you here if I didn''t have another idea. You have no energy, after all, you are a simple human, but... monsters differ from humans first of all on a physical, or rather biological level, only then does energye into y."


    Magnus continued:


    "ws, tough skin, fangs, extra body parts, and organs, all of these things contain energy, but they didn''te about because of it. I can''t make you change with monster energy, you''ll just die, but I can change you biologically. That''s what I was thinking when you said monster." Magnus spoke as if he was having a conversation with Nessa.


    However, she could barely hear anything and could hardly see anything. There wasn''t much time left before she would close her eyes forever because of the heavy bleeding.


    Though stopping the bleeding wouldn''t solve anything, her wounds were too serious, and most importantly...


    Nessa''s body was too weak at the moment. If someone tried to heal her in the usual way, even with the best equipment, her body simply wouldn''t be able to withstand it.


    "Agh... right, you can''t answer me." Magnus muttered, rubbing the back of his head.


    Then, Magnus waved his hand and walked over to a white case, inside of which were several syringes filled with blood, but not human blood but monster ones.


    Magnus took a syringe, previously this blood belonged to a Crown Type monster.


    There was no energy left in the monster meat, especially after a few days, only physical cells that could begin to metamorphose into a human body if too much of it was consumed like what happened to Kai''s sister at Red Feast.


    But... what about the blood? It''s filled with energy, but when the blood is flowing inside a living monster rather than staying for a long period in some syringe.


    Well, that was the whole point. The blood in the syringe was maximallypressed, consisting almost of cells that were once full of energy instead of liquid.


    It was like a nuclear bomb, each cell was a tiny nuclear bomb whose core had long ago lost its energy, but... the physical material remained and it could be used for something.


    What if you put these bombs into a mechanism that could use them even if they were deprived of power?


    Not for an explosion as powerful as a nuclear one, but something simpler, like a battery or keeping something powered, since the material was still there, it just wasn''t fit for its original purpose anymore.


    Yeah... that was exactly what Magnus was about to find out now.


    Either Nessa''s body would find a way to utilize the monster''s thick blood, its exhausted cells, or she would die like the millions of people who had once tried to drink the monster''s blood - their bodies would simply be torn apart.


    "I don''t know if it matters, but Crown Type is the best option for this situation..." Magnus muttered approaching Nessa.


    "Normally I''d have to inject a syringe into your vein or let you drink it, but... you''re in no condition to swallow anything and we don''t have time. There''s a more drastic way." Magnus''s look became more serious than ever when he thrust the syringe straight into Nessa''s stomach, injecting the monster''s blood inside her.

 Chapter 259: Perfection (Part 2)

    Billions of scarlet spheres flowing amidst the viscous crimson liquid collided with the acid designed to digest food.


    Inside each sphere, there was a dark, lifeless core that had long ago lost all of its power, but... was still a quality material that one had to know how to use.


    The outer shell of the spheres burst, allowing the cores to disappear into the flesh, literally bing part of the body. However... always it led to only one result - inevitable death because even the drained blood of a monster was too dangerous for a normal person.


    Though, even the Phantoms were not able to hold the monsters'' energy inside them or interact with their blood or flesh in any way.


    The only and most important difference between ordinary humans and Phantoms was that Phantoms could get rid of foreign energy or even suppress it for some purpose as in the case of regenerative monsters.


    The cells spread throughout Nessa''s body while Magnus stared at her intently hoping for results.


    "ARGH!!!"


    A torrent of blood gushed from Nessa''s mouth, a painful grimace emerged on her face, and several of her organs were severely damaged - pieces of them simply exploded right before Magnus''s eyes.


    Magnus clenched his fists tightly, biting his lip until it bled. He realized what this meant - what always happened had happened, the human body couldn''t withstand the monster genes that came through the blood, through the former energy carrier.


    ''Why the fuck am I nervous? Didn''t I know the odds weren''t just slim, they were nonexistent?'' Magnus pondered, for he was actually acting strangely.


    Any scientist, no, any military or departmental employee knew that this was doomed to failure. Many had tried to be Phantoms in various ways and drinking the blood of a monster was one of them. None had seeded, so... everyone knew the consequences, especially Magnus.


    Then why? Why did Magnus think this crazy idea would work this time? What made him believe it?


    Well, the answer was obviously hidden in Nessa, but even Magnus didn''t understand what exactly she did and why he was sure that she was the one who had a chance to be the first to survive in such a situation.


    "Come on! If you were just an ordinary girl I wouldn''t pay attention to you! Only something unique is worthy of my gaze!" Magnus eximed as he walked over to Nessa and grabbed her head firmly, forcing her to look at him.


    At this time, Nessa''s body was trying to find a way to work with the cells that were tearing Nessa''s flesh apart. Her body was not trying to subjugate as Adam had done with the energy of the dew Beast, but to be different parts of a single mechanism.


    Sure, the human body was extremelyplex, there were many processes inside, but... to whom all of them obeyed? Who was responsible for the famous cebo effect?


    Brain.


    The brain was capable of many things, but... the brain was much more powerful than intelligence. The brain makes a lot of mistakes, sometimes harming itself, but only the brain can make the human body perform real miracles.


    It needed a stimulus, and strangely enough, the threat of death was not enough for the brain, since the brain was doing its best to keep Nessa alive, but it didn''t realize that ignoring pain and focusing all resources on regeneration was not enough to survive this crisis.


    Now, the only question left is, what would be the stimulus that would cause the brain to change the body''s response so that Nessa''s cells would start working with the monster''s cells?


    Thump. Thump. Thump.


    Nessa''s heart beat rapidly when amidst the murky veil before her eyes she could make out Magnus''s silhouette. She couldn''t see his face, only his shoulders, the long crimson coat covering his body, and his scarlet hair.


    Then, Nessa''s pupils narrowed and something strange began to happen to her brain, it came to work because of the impulse from Nessa''s consciousness.


    It wasn''t about Magnus, or rather his simr appearance was the catalyst for Nessa''s mind to recall an event that had happened years ago.


    Like now, it had been painful, cold, and hard for her then. She was on death''s doorstep, but not because of her condition as she was now, but because of the ce she was in, behind the walls...


    She could only see a silhouette, with scarlet hair and a crimson covering down, she couldn''t make out if it was clothing, armor, skin, or something else.


    Nessa''s mind only had the strength for one thing - to remember how she felt about that silhouette at the time - awe.


    She remembered nothing else, in any case, such a memory would surely find an opportunity to reappear in the future and reveal itself, exposing the silhouette and the incident behind the walls. The main thing now was something else - to survive, for everything ends in death.


    "M... Mo... Monster..." Nessa mumbled with all her might, staring at the silhouette in her mind, even though Magnus was standing in front of her.


    At the same moment, electric shocks ran through her brain, racing through her entire body with the sole purpose - to reach the silhouette and feel the awe at least one more time.


    Her cells shuddered, somehow connecting perfectly with her blood cells as if the gears had been beating against each other with their cogs, but as soon as they turned slightly, everything fell into ce.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Before Magnus''s eyes, Nessa''s muscles grew tighter, her many wounds tried to heal as best they could, and the bleeding was forcibly stopped, though temporarily.


    Magnus''s eyes went wide. He needed to perform many tests to be fully convinced of the reality of this event, but... he already realized that it had truly happened.


    Nessa''s cells were able to fuse with the monster''s cells.


    That didn''t make her a Phantom, for Phantoms were beings of another ne, they had their own genes, their energy, and their Evolution Tree. The Initial Gene was just the catalyst, the foundation that gave the initial form of the Phantom''s development.


    "If you''re no longer human, but you''re also not a Phantom, then what are you...? A monster?" Magnus muttered in disbelief, "No... You''re both monster and human, you''re a hybrid... the first in history..."


    "Argh!!!"


    Nessa spat out a clot of blood, with a painful grimace.


    "I see... Well, that''s even better. You didn''t absorb the regenerative monster''s energy, so... you didn''t heal. You just got stronger, and that allows your body to stay on the brink of death for much longer. Good...


    that''s what makes you survive." Magnus nodded with a satisfied grin as he lifted Nessa into his arms and ran out of the room.


    ...


    The treatment was long and difficult, even Magnus had to work hard to get Nessa to a healthy state considering the circumstances. Her body had gotten much stronger and required more resources and other methods, but Magnus was up to the task.


    After all, there had never been a brighter fire burning in his eyes than when he was working with Nessa.


    She wasn''t just his most sessful experiment and most important project. She was a masterpiece that in the future could be a hope for every mere human unable to fight back against monsters.


    "Nessa..." Magnus muttered, looking at the girl in the massive healing pod, "I guess I wouldn''t be wrong to call you a new path of evolution for humans... You''re perfect."

 Chapter 260: What can a hybrid do? (Part 1)

    "So that''s what happened..." Adam muttered, reying Magnus''s words over and over in his head.


    "Incredible story..." Silvana said shocked, staring at Nessa in amazement. Strangely enough, even she felt a kind of envy towards Nessa, but not female envy, but the envy of one human towards another, also wanting to reach the limits of her body.


    Magnus nodded silently.


    He told everything that had happened nine years ago, in detail. He was not going to hide anything, for until now, that day had been the best day of his life, because he created his masterpiece that now stood faithfully in front of him.


    "Wait... but I can''t understand something..." Adam whispered puzzled, "Obviously the scars should have remained after the treatment, but it''s been nine years since then. I''m sure your skills are more than enough to make sure there''s no trace of Nessa''s scars."


    Magnus narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Adam. He was about to say something, but Nessa interrupted him by taking a step to the side.


    "Father, let me tell them." Nessa waved her hand.


    Read more tales on NovelFire-l-em,py-r


    Magnus''s eyes went wide with surprise as he looked confusedly at Adam and Silvana. It had been a long time since Nessa hadst called him that in public. It was unfamiliar to him.


    "Fine, do what you want. We''ve already told too much anyway, at least I didn''t expect it to go this far." Magnus touched his forehead with his fingertips, shaking his head.


    Nessa looked intently at Adam, for the first time causing his gaze to shift from her body to her eyes. He could sense the seriousness from her and could no longer continue to be disrespectful.


    Now she was no longer the mad scientist''s assistant, but the only hybrid who could fuse with the monster''s cells.


    "You''re right. The scars I got when I was wounded have long since healed. Within the first three months of recovery, to be exact. Those scars I have on me now were given to me by my father." Nessa said confidently.


    Adam''s eyes went wide, Silvana flinched as her mind filled with various thoughts.


    If Magnus was the father and Nessa was his daughter, though not biologically, then that meant he was seriously beating her... wasn''t it?


    "Yes, everything you might think is true. My father treated me like a wild beast. Those wounds were not some mistake or failed experiment." Nessa pointed to her back, "It was a long, painful, and persistent process."


    Adam gulped.


    He may not have had the best life before he became a Phantom, growing up in the slums, the worst ce in the Citadel, but even there he always had a safe, warm spot - his family.


    The monsters, the murders, the pain, the moral anguish, the dilemmas, seeing your fellows die, it was all hard, but Adam didn''t even want to imagine how horrible it was to be beaten by your own father or mother, to the point of leaving scars.


    Well, Adam was right and wrong at the same time. Domestic violence was a terrible thing, but Adam shouldn''t forget that if he had a good family, not everyone was as lucky as he was.


    In this world, there were many whose parents were not protectors and main supportive pirs, but devils in the flesh constantly ruining the child''s life.


    Adam nced at Magnus, then at Nessa, and then back at Magnus. His gaze ran back and forth, as if trying to determine who he should start with.


    "Before you begin to jump to conclusions, there''s something you need to understand. There is no anger or resentment in me towards my father, I don''t want to get back at him or anything like that. On the contrary, I''m grateful to him, for many things including these scars I''ve decided to keep." Nessa said seriously showing that she wasn''t joking.


    Adam''s fingertips trembled as well as his lips, and his gaze filled with iprehension.


    "You''re delusional... What the hell are you talking about..." Adam muttered.


    Nessa slowly turned to Magnus.


    "I said that my father treated me like a beast because he had his reasons. The most basic one is that I treated my father like my prey." Nessa took a deep breath, clearly worried, "Father... please show him..."


    Magnus nodded, partially lifting his clothes and bare all the way down to his chest. He turned slightly showing the numerous scars that seemed to be left by the ws and fangs of some beast or even monster... It seemed that Magnus had even more scars than Nessa.


    "What does all this mean...? What happened between you two?" Silvana couldn''t stand it and asked. This whole situation was getting weirder by every minute.


    She wanted an answer, but each time there were new details that made her doubt her conclusions.


    Nessa nodded.


    "I''m sure we''ve made many mistakes as father and daughter, but given our unique situation, we''ve handled it more than admirably. It''s all about puberty, or rather it''s the timing of that event that fits our situation perfectly." Nessa proceeded to exin.


    "About a year after my father took me from the slums and made me a hybrid, when I started to withdraw from treatment and enjoy a simple life, a critical moment came...


    I mean, I lived in theb, not as ab rat but as a human being, I went to cafes, movies, stores, and museums. I yed sports, took the necessary tests in my case, and was interested in various hobbies..." Nessa bit her lip, clutching her forearm, it was hard for her to talk about it.


    Nevertheless, she continued because it was already toote to back out.


    "One day, we went to a cafe that I liked, it had my favorite strawberry milkshake. I was happy and ready to take my first sip, but... some boy identally bumped into me, we both fell to the ground as well as my milkshake..."


    "The situation is the most usual, kids are clumsy and hyperactive, moreover that guy immediately apologized and gave me a hand to help me up. But... what did I do?" Nessa gulped as tears were ready to rush from her eyes.


    "I only looked at my spilled milkshake and I got angry... With a sharp movement, I grabbed his arm and ripped it away from his body. Before he could realize anything, my nails pierced his throat, taking his life."


    Adam and Silvana looked at each other, they hadn''t expected this at all. The boy''s fate was horrible, but what surprised them more was the fact that Nessa was already strong enough to do something like that as a kid.


    "It took my father a while to take action, in that time I killed seven people." Nessa took a deep breath.


    "Sure, father took care of everything, and the case was closed to both the police and the military with the government. However... the problem remained, and many times I literally went crazy and attacked my father. No medication, sleeping pills, or even drugs had any effect on me, only pain and primal fear proved to be the least bit effective." Nessa said, pointing to her scars.


    "Over the years, as I grew older, I gradually calmed down and became more aware. I haven''t had any outbursts of anger in years and it looks like I won''t since puberty is long gone." Nessa sighed, finishing her exnation.


    Adam looked up, then directed his gaze to his hands covered in small scars.


    "So... despite your capabilities, you chose to keep the scars, didn''t you?" Adam looked up.


    Nessa and Magnus nodded at the same time.


    For the first time in a long period, Magnus spoke up:


    "We''re doing well now, but we mustn''t forget the hard times, because making it through hardships, no matter how brutal, that how we forge a future in which those scars will be proud memories rather than a difficult present." Magnus said with a slight wave of his hand.


    Obviously, in those nine years, Magnus had had new and unexpected experiences being a father and had himself grown as a man and a person.


    Sure, he was a genius at everything science-rted, but that was only part of life, not all of it, so... like most he had to face problems, solve them, and be a better person.


    Well... considering Nessa was a hybrid, they both had a hard time.


    "So..." Adam muttered, looking around at the girls in the pods, "You''re trying to replicate your sess with Nessa?"


    Magnus nodded.


    "Something like that, but... it''s not that simple. After all, as you realize, in nine years I''m not even close to my goal. Or rather, one of many..." Magnus said thoughtfully.

 Chapter 261 : What can a hybrid do? (Part 2)

    The original reason for Adam''s rage was Magnus''s experiments and the fact that there were children, mostly girls, in the pods.


    Adam couldn''t imagine what Magnus had to say to keep him from killing him on the spot, but... Magnus had managed to shock him.


    It wasn''t surprising, though, since Adam couldn''t have known about the existence of hybrids.


    After all, Nessa was the only one and it was unknown whether other hybrids like her would ever appear. As long as there were none besides her, she wasn''t a separate species but simply an anomaly for which there was simply no exnation yet.


    "As I said at the beginning, some of these children are here of their own free will, and some I took away when they were near death. You should know better than most that it''s easy to get hurt in the slums, too easy, especially by children that don''t yet understand the cruelty of our world." Magnus said calmly, ncing at the pods.


    Adam nodded. Many times Leona, his mother, had scolded him when he came home with scratches and abrasions. However, Adam couldn''t remember a single time after that when things changed and he acted less risky.


    "Have I tried to turn them into hybrids? Sure, dozens, no, hundreds of times. All of those girls died, but they were in the same situation as Nessa. The wounds were too severe, their bodies too weak and so on, their only chance to survive was to be a hybrid to strengthen their bodies and let me heal them." Magnus said calmly. Their deaths were just a number in his records.


    Magnus continued:


    "Sure, I have done my experiments on both boys and adults. You know, if you put some effort into it, you can pick up a lot of wounded people from the Dead Lands that no one and nothing will ever be able to help. I''m talking about the military and the Harvesters."


    Adam narrowed his eyes.


    "Well... your history with Nessa is truly astounding, but we both realize you''re not a kind man. I''m sure you''ve tried turning not only the terminally wounded into hybrids but those who might easily survive in other circumstances." Adam said coldly.


    Magnus''s story had answered many of his questions, but Adam wasn''t going to forget what kind of man Magnus was because of it. Nessa may have been someone he cared about, but that didn''t apply to the others....


    At the same moment, Magnus grinned widely like a demon. He was back to normal after having been truly serious for the duration of the story.


    "Naturally. Many were fatally ill to whom I offered a deal. Usually, they were poor people from the slums. They didn''t have the money to pay for the treatment that would get rid of the disease anyway, it was impossible for them and the disease was bing incurable." Magnus chuckled evilly.


    In the Citadel, with money and resources it was possible to cure any human disease, but... how could the slum dwellers have hundreds of thousands or even millions of credits?


    "Tsk. You could have just cured them, that''s what you do here, isn''t it?" Adam frowned, looking around. He didn''t like Magnus''s position. Partly because it was a bit personal for Adam since he was from the slums too.


    Magnus nodded, then his face grew serious.


    "Look, like you said I''m not a phnthropist, I have my own goals and I''m willing to make deals to achieve them, but not charity. The poor terminally ill slum residents to whom Ie have two choices:


    "First one: refuse me and die in agony, condemning their family to an even more miserable existence, because with the death of their family member, hopes for a brighter future be less as well.


    "Second one: agree to the experiment, die with a 99.99% chance of never bing a hybrid, and get so much money from me that his family can leave the slums forever." Magnus waved his hand with an excited expression.


    Adam sighed heavily, shaking his head.


    "So it''s either die and do nothing or die and give your family a good life, right?" Adam clenched his fist tightly.


    Oddly enough, he realized that such an offer was almost impossible to refuse. Adam seriously doubted how he would have responded, a few years ago, if Magnus hade to their family with such an offer.


    "Yeah, something like that, but you think too good of people. I assure you, I''ve seen dozens of cases where mothers and fathers have given me their children, even if they weren''t sick. All for the sake of getting some money and making their lives better." Magnus shrugged as if talking about something insignificant.


    Adam''s eyes went wide. Even in his worst nightmare, he couldn''t imagine that his parents would do such a thing.


    "And...? Did you agree? You took their children from them at their will and gave them money to conduct an experiment doomed to fail and kill them?" Adam asked, in a choppy voice.


    "Of course." Magnus instantly replied, "I don''t care about their fates, the main thing is to run the experiment and try to seed once more. However... sometimes I have been offered children when I needed adults, over the years I have experimented on all age groups. In that case, I''d give the money to the children and take the adults."


    Adam bit his lip. It was vile to hear that, but even worse for Adam was the fact that it was the people in this situation who were the worst and not Magnus.


    If in the case of the disease, agreeing to Magnus''s offer had been cruel, but pragmatically correct and even sacrificial, because it was for the well-being of the family. In the second case... people were literally killing their own children for the sake of a few coins.


    Adam wasn''t sure that these people were better than monsters and that they deserved to live, this act was an inferior one.


    "Tsk. Is money really that important to these people..." Adam clenched his fists tightly.


    "Hahahahahahahahahaha." Magnusughed suddenly, "You should know how many perfectly healthy people died here, even from the First Ring. Some were set up, some were sentenced to life imprisonment, some came to me on their own in hopes of bing stronger. Well, they all died."


    Whooooooosh.


    Magnus turned around sharply pointing at Adam.


    "Adam, never forget that if given the opportunity, human naturees out. Many of us are capable of terrible decisions and things, it just takes the right conditions."


    Adam narrowed his eyes, not answering anything.


    Then, he looked at the girls in the pods once more.


    "In that case, what are they doing here? From the looks of it, you''re not going to do experiments on them, are you?" Adam asked in a low voice.


    "Agh... Like I said many came here of their own free will and they are simply being treated here in return for passing a few simple tests unrted to the hybrid." Magnus shoved his hands in his pockets, "In a couple of days many of them will return to their homes and others will take their ce. People get injured and sick with something serious all the time."


    "Oh, why the sudden kindness?" Adam narrowed his eyes.


    Magnus shrugged nonchntly:


    "Why not? I''ve done enough experiments to know that if I want to have even a 00.01% chance of sess, I need the person to be near death like I did with Nessa. I can heal them and that''s it, maybe one of them will be fatally wounded after a while ande back to me and maybe one of them will be a second hybrid someday..." Magnus said with a slight sadness in his voice.


    Adam frowned and closed his eyes, pondering Magnus''s words.


    Even if most of the test subjects were beyond help, Magnus had killed many people with his experiment that were not sick or terminally wounded, they had just been abandoned by fate.


    Perhaps if Adam hade here a few months ago, he wouldn''t have even asked the next question, but would have simply attacked Magnus, using him of all sins:


    "And? What are you doing all this for? Is a second hybrid really worth it?" Adam asked seriously. Explore stories at m-v le-mpyr


    Then, his gaze turned cold.


    "Show me, does the end justify the means?"


    There was silence for a while.


    But, very soon a sinister smile formed on Magnus''s face, and an eerie aura began to emanate from him that was like a violet me filling the room, at least that''s how it looked to the others.


    "Good question. Fine, I''ll show you how strong Nessa is." Magnus pointed at Adam.


    At the same moment, Nessa attacked.

 Chapter 262 : The Power of the Hybrid (Part 1)

    What would happen if an ordinary human decided to fight a Phantom? In a fair 1 vs. 1, with no hidden conditions or advantages for either side?


    Well, the answer was very obvious, themon man simply had no chance of winning. The only exception that became possible rtively recently thanks to exoskeletons was that a military man could win such a battle.


    However, for this a lot of conditions had to be met - a military man, although a mere human, but not a civilian, knows how to fight, especially in hand-to-handbat.


    The exoskeleton enhances the strength of the military, as demonstrated to the public at the Scarlet Light Fair, several of them are capable of defeating a White Threat Level monster.


    Thus, if one of the best military, wearing an exoskeleton, faces some Phantom rookie, a real youngster that hasn''t figured out how to survive in this world yet, the military can win, thanks to confidence and tactics.


    But... that was the maximum. No military man can defeat a Phantom who has been a Phantom for at least one month and is already used to his Nexus, abilities and instincts.


    However... What about a hybrid?


    Unlike the military and the Phantoms and even more so themon people, there was only one hybrid and it was in the Miracle Observatory under the auspices of Magnus Zephyr.


    The exact power of the only hybrid - Nessa Zephyr, was known to a tiny number of people, literally almost nobody.


    Adam was about to be one of them, for Nessa was attacking him right now, moving at an unexpected speed.


    ''Oh, that''s impressive,'' Adam muttered internally as the dark shadow appeared in one ce and another beforeing right in front of him.


    In a heartbeat, Nessa''s foot, like a deadly spear cutting through the wind currents swung towards Adam''s head with the clear killing intent. She was more than serious.


    Initially, Adam wanted to dodge, he even took a step back following his mind, but then he listened to his instincts and realized that it was not necessary - he was able to block Nessa''s attack.


    Tap.


    Adam held out his palm, stopping Nessa''s kick in front of his face.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    A light shockwave apanied by air currents moved to the side, causing Adam to shift back a little, but he didn''t lose his bnce.


    "Damn, you''re really perfect..." Adam uttered with a serious look spending a nce at Nessa''s leg, then moving to her eyes.


    Magnus smirked as he waved his hand.


    "What do you think? Maybe it''s not what I expected, but if ordinary people or the military saw it, they''d be shocked." Magnus clenched his fist with an excited smile.


    Adam nodded deeply without rushing to judgment.


    "Not bad, honestly it all happened too fast for me to have any expectations lined up, but I''m amazed. Over thest couple of months, I''ve realized that while White Threat Level monsters can still be fought by military personnel in exoskeletons and the huge cannons on the walls can hurt them, the stronger monsters are simply invulnerable to all but the Phantoms."


    Adam''s gaze grew more serious:


    "Obviously I was wrong. Tell me straight up, what''s your maximum? How strong of a monster are you capable of defeating?" Adam asked, staring intently at Nessa, "It''s higher than Green Threat Level, isn''t it?"


    Nessa didn''t bother to answer, instead, she attacked once more, turning around sharply and bringing her other leg down on Adam, top to bottom.


    Adam grabbed Nessa''s ankle before stepping to the side and smoothly tossed Nessa aside. After Nessa''s first attack, it was clear to him that Nessa was weaker than him, however... the difference between them wasn''t disastrous.


    Adam was almost convinced that if they had met before the events in Fall Hill Prison or before Eclipse in Bastion Radon, he would have lost to Nessa due to ack of experience, mastery, and sharp instincts.


    Nessa deftly bounced off the wall,nding perfectly on the ground, and quickly got into a fighting stance, ready to take the next strike.


    "Fine, I''ll answer you. ording to thetest information based on the tests, I am currently capable of defeating the strongest Blue Threat Level monsters or fighting the weak Purple Threat ones." Nessa repliedpletely seriously.


    Silvana''s eyes went wide. As an Operator, she knew very well what would happen if such monsters faced ordinary people.


    No... it meant something more, Nessa was stronger than K0-Phantoms, after all, their level was White and Green Threat Level monsters, nothing more.


    "At this point...?" Adam was slightly puzzled, then he grinned with a bitter smile, "I see... Well, even so, it''s incredible. To have such power without being a Phantom. Even though I''m stronger, I still have a me of envy for your body. Magnus wasn''t lying, you''re perfect."


    Nessa didn''t answer anything, no emotion appeared on her face, it seemed that Adam''s words didn''t matter to her. However... someone here knew that wasn''t true and to Nessa, it mattered a great deal.


    "Hey, Nessa, how do you feel when someone strongly praises you? Adam got his might by going through a lot of dangerous battles, what about his fight against Thunder Demon, it''s a masterpiece, isn''t it?" Magnus smirked, expecting some sort of reaction from Nessa. He seemed to know more about this situation than the others.


    However... even now, Nessa hasn''t responded anything. She just looked away and only Adam could notice something - Nessa was blushing slightly.


    ''What...? She blushed, but why?'' Adam pondered in confusion, ''Because Magnus''s words embarrassed her or because she got turned on for some reason...?''


    p.


    Not letting this situation go any further, Magnus pped his hands together, bringing everyone out of their trance and getting attention.


    "Fine, you''ve already gotten a feel for what Nessa is capable of, but how about seeing it in practice?" Magnus grinned widely, pulling his phone out of his pocket.


    A momentter, a massive drone flew into their room with a pod attached to it or rather a cage with a monster inside.


    "Operator,e on, do your job and tell us about this monster." Magnus smirked, looking at Silvana.


    Silvana nodded as he looked at the monster.


    Strangely enough, it was a Crown Type. The monster''s pale skin was almost invisible as it was covered in golden armor like some knight from the Middle Ages. The armor was simple in appearance, but powerful, providing decent protection and mobility.


    In the gaps between the armor, golden waves of energy were constantly flowing, some of which were directed to the monster''s chest and back, as well as to the monster''s weapon, a massivence that could pierce any target with enough power.


    "It''s Golden Spearman, Green Threat Level, Red Book. Though White and Green Threat Level monsters don''t have their ranking, that one is considered one of the strongest due to its skills and calction." Silvana gave out a detailed reply.


    Magnus nodded.


    "Yeah, you are right. Adam, step aside. There''s no need for you to fight that monster because Golden Spearman is only here so that Nessa can show you what she''s capable of." Magnus waved his hand.


    Adam nodded, bouncing back and standing in front of Silvana.


    At the same moment, the drone lowered the pod and Magnus opened it, letting the dangerous monster out.

 Chapter 263: The Power of the Hybrid (Part 2)

    Phantoms - they were the Citadel''s main power, no, the only power that was able to resist the uncontrolled onught from the monsters.


    Only they could kill strong monsters, in all its time, the Citadel could only find a way to defend against White and Green Threat Level Monsters, next to the walls using powerful cannons.


    However, what was the main power of the Phantoms? Their abilities? Yes. Their physical strength and instincts? Yes. Their Nexuses?


    Yes. Theirbat experience and Resonance? Also, yes.


    The power of Phantoms was multifaceted, all Phantoms were different, but it all started with one thing, genes and physical enhancement.


    Some weak White Threat Level monster couldn''t even do much damage to a K3 or K4 Phantom, because it would be like an ant trying to bite through the thick skin of a hippo.


    But, what about the Hybrid?


    Adam realized at a nce that the main pir of Nessa''s strength was her instincts and physical abilities. He was sure that no K0-Phantom could defeat Nessa, even with the use of all its abilities and Traits.


    The situation was simr to the military who simply couldn''t use monster materials for battle because it was just ineffective due to many factors, be it weight,ck of speed, or anything else.


    No matter what K0-Phantom was capable of, Nessa was simply too fast and strong. Before K0-Phantom could attack, Nessa would have already dealt a fatal blow or would have dodged if the attack was sudden. Either way, her victory was inevitable because she was on another level.


    Adam already knew what the result would be, as did Magnus, but for Silvana, it was still an intrigue. She didn''t believe that Nessa, not a Phantom, was able to defeat Golden Spearman, one of the strongest monsters of the Green Threat Level.


    Most K0-Phantoms couldn''t evenst thirty seconds against Golden Spearman.


    "Wait, take your time." Magnus smirked, stopping both Nessa and Golden Spearman. Oddly enough, Golden Spearman seemed topletely understand him.


    "If you can bleed her, you don''t even have to defeat her, then I''ll let you go." Magnus grinned widely with a sweep of his arm.


    Silvana''s eyes went wide as she stepped forward, not believing what she had heard.


    "No! You can''t! It''s a dangerous monster that will kill quite a few military, Harvesters, and Phantoms if it gets back into the Dead Lands!" Silvana eximed, trying to change Magnus'' mind.


    An excited expression appeared on Magnus''s face:


    "Shut up! This is myb! You''re in my home, you''re a guest! I can do whatever I want here and I always keep my word." Magnus eximed as he turned to Golden Spearman, "I''m serious. I''ll let you go through the cracks in the walls, there won''t even be anyone chasing you. All you have to do is hurt her."


    Golden Spearman nodded, realizing who was in charge here, and decided everything. The monster did not attack Magnus, after all, it was useless when Nessa and Adam were here.


    Then, Golden Spearman turned to Nessa, pointed his spear at her and his eyes shone brightly, increasing his aura significantly.


    The golden energy from Golden Spearman''s armor came out, like a me that would burn for just a little while, but for that time Golden Spearman was gaining great power allowing him to transcend his limit.


    "Oh, good. Not bad at all." Magnus nodded satisfactorily, taking a few steps back.


    At this time, Silvana was nibbling her fingernails with great nervousness. Gradually, it was bing a bad habit she wasing to more and more often.


    "What if he can hurt her... That would be a local disaster for some Phantoms unlucky enough to run into him..." Silvana said in an interrupted voice.


    Adam sighed.


    "Don''t think about it too much. It''s not going to happen."


    "But... His aura makes me shiver..."


    Adam nodded.


    "Yeah, and that''s fine, but look at Nessa."


    "Agh...?" Silvana shifted her gaze to the side.


    Nessa was unfazed. She just stood still as if she was not a person but a living statue that only breathed asionally though it was barely visible. It seemed Nessa didn''t even blink.


    "Just watch. I''m sure it''ll be over pretty quickly." Adam shrugged carelessly, showing that Silvana didn''t have to worry about it.


    Step.


    Golden Spearman stepped forward as a golden surge of energy traveled through his entire body like a wave giving him speed.


    In a heartbeat, Golden Spearman went half the distance, leaving a long trail on the ground and raising wind currents that were cut by his spear aimed directly at Nessa''s chest.


    Then, when Golden Spearman was about to reach his goal, Nessa''s body came into motion, she took a short step forward and when her foot touched the ground, her silhouette disappeared like a shadow in the sunlight.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed slightly to carefully observe all of Nessa''s movements.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Nessa lifted her foot as Golden Spearman''s head flew off her shoulders in the same instant, flying across half the room before falling to the floor. A secondter, there was a slight rumble from Golden Spearman''s armor touching the ground.


    "Father, was that really necessary?" Nessa asked with a slight tilt of her head. To her, fighting against Golden Spearman held no interest. It was too easy.


    Adam''s eyes quickly traveled over Nessa. There wasn''t a drop of blood on her body, not hers or Golden Spearman''s.


    Magnus lifted his chin. He didn''t answer for a while, a gleam ran through his eyes and it looked like he was nning something.


    "Well... Perhaps, but how about this? You haven''t had any sort of difficulty in a long time, so... this is going to be a serious challenge for you." Magnus said before another drone flew into the room.


    Magnus called it out before Golden Spearman and Nessa even started fighting.


    Nessa tilted her head looking at her next opponent, one she wasn''t prepared for...


    Whoosh.


    Magnus did a full turn like a theater actor waving his coat before stopping on one foot and pointing at Silvana again.


    "Go ahead Miss pseudo-seriousness, tell us about this monster, just add some expression. It got boringst time." Magnus made a disgruntled smile as if he was actually sad.


    Adam shook his head. He''d asked himself the same question many times before, watching Magnus''s antics - ''How did he ever get where he is now?''


    Silvana nodded.


    The monster in the pod was also a Crown Type, Magnus had obviously called these particr monsters for some reason.


    The monster''s skin was a pale blue like that of a warrior from the coldnds, his body was covered by a wide cloak, slightly trembling, and tiny particles of it were constantlying off, splitting off and disappearing forever. The cloak seemed to be made of energy or some unusual material.


    The lower part of the monster''s face was hidden by white bandages and his two eyes had deep azure pupils. The monster''s hair was long and snow-white, slightly rippling.


    The monster''s legs and arms were covered in sparse protective scales, muscr with long joints and nails more like ws.


    The nails were short for one reason - to make itfortable for the monster to hold its weapon, a long katana with a white de that emitted particles of snow.


    "No way... You can''t be serious..." Silvana shuddered.


    "Hmm?" Adam raised an eyebrow with curiosity looking at Silvana''s reaction.


    "It''s a Snow Follower. Top-9 among Purple Threat Level!"

 Chapter 264: Is that the best you can do? (Part 1)

    During his Phantom journey, Adam had already faced or seen the Top-10 monsters of the Purple Threat Level several times.


    Moreover, he had personally defeated the Top-2 Thunder Demon, and together with Alexia they had handled the Top-4, North Keeper, in thisb, he had to eat the heart of the Top-7, dew Beast to heal his arm.


    Thus, when Snow Follower, Top-9 among Purple Threat Level appeared, Adam saw all monsters except Top-8 and Top-1. He didn''t fight all of them, but he saw everyone except those two in battle.


    "Oh... He is Top-9? He looks stronger... much stronger than some Frost Beast that is a Top-6... Alexia dealt with him pretty quickly..." Adam muttered, remembering the events from Eclipse.


    Experience new worlds on M-VL-em|p,yr


    Frost Beast was the first Top-10 monster Adam had met, he didn''t fight against it, Alexia had taken that role.


    Magnus nodded.


    "That''s true. However, don''t forget that the rankings are made by humans, namely the missions department. They look at all the battles in which a particr monster participated, assessing the abilities and the damage that the monster caused. Then, taking into ount these and many other factors they determine the rating of the monster.


    My point is that this is a subjective opinion, although it is close to reality." Magnus exined with a slight wave of his hand.


    "Hmm?" Adam raised an eyebrow, "Are you saying that this rating is wrong? So... Thunder Demon isn''t Top-2?"


    Magnus shook his head with a slight smile.


    "You don''t have to worry about that, Thunder Demon more than deserves his ce in the ranking, as do most of the Top-10. Hehehe, especially the Top-1, that bastard will definitely always upy his throne for sure, he''s a true walking disaster." Magnus chuckled evilly.


    Unlike Adam, Magnus was well aware of who upied Top-1 and what that monster was capable of.


    "To some extent, Snow Follower is an exception since the mission department gave him Top-9 as an advance." Magnus pointed at the monster who was quietly waiting for his move.


    Adam tilted his head in a confusion:


    "An advance...? What the hell does that mean?"


    Silvana took a deep breath, looked at Adam, and said with a serious look:


    "This means that the mission department didn''t have enough material and data to confidently ce Snow Follower at the 9th position. Even if the monster is strong enough for Top-10, the mission department should have enough precedents and battles involving this monster."


    Silvana continued:


    "To some extent, it can bepared to probability theory and a trivial casino. If there is a 10% chance of winning the jackpot, then one out of 10 people will win it the first time. Thus this person may think that the chance of winning the jackpot is 100%. Moreover, the same person may win the jackpot twice in a row, the chance of that is small, only 1%, but it is more than possible."


    Silvana nced at Snow Follower who was serenely looking away, seeming to realize that his turn hadn''te yet.


    "In general, without enough cases, you can''t get an exact average, because in different situations, the same monster can bring different destruction." Silvana shook her hand slightly.


    Adam nodded with a deep gaze. He understood what Silvana was talking about, but something was still unknown to him.


    "Wait... That means Snow Follower didn''t fight much... but, is that possible? He''s a Crown Type." Adam scratched the back of his head in confusion.


    Magnus chuckled.


    "That''s the point. Snow Followers are by far the most passive monsters of the Purple Threat Level. It''s almost impossible to get them to fight because they have to be genuinely interested to do so. Even when Phantoms specifically attack them, Snow Followers just run away, they''re really good at that."


    Adam''s eyes went wide.


    "Hah... As expected of a Crown Type, so... if it fights so rarely that even the mission department doesn''t have enough data to confidently give him a rating, how did you manage to catch him?" Adam asked with genuine interest.


    Magnus smirked.


    "Well, as you realize yourself, I usually have stronger Phantoms helping me, but... his situation is special." Magnus nced at Snow Follower, "After all, he almost killed Nessa a year ago."


    Adam flinched, as Silvana''s eyes went wide.


    Nessa answered nothing, for all this time she had been trying to gather her thoughts to prepare for battle against Snow Follower. Not only was this monster stronger than her limits, but it was also a personal history.


    Magnus proceeded to exin.


    "asionally, Nessa visits Dead Lands. It became more frequent after her temper tantrums stopped and she gained full control over both her body and mind. Naturally, she was always alone and it was all done under my cover. No one was ever supposed to know who Nessa was."


    Magnus continued:


    "Usually, Nessa always won. In Dead Lands, she could keep her cool, but one day she met Snow Follower. I immediately told her to run away since it wasn''t her level, but Nessa was overconfident from endless victories."


    Magnus looked at Nessa sternly, with a slight worry in his gaze. One way or another, Nessa was probably the only person Magnus cared about. It wasn''t surprising, though, since they were actually father and daughter.


    Nessa shuddered slightly. Magnus was quite a strict man, he had to be, considering the path they had to go through to normalize their rtionship.


    "Anyway. A few attackster, Nessa was practically dead on the ground. She was bleeding heavily. I didn''t have time to call the Phantoms for help, so when they met up I sent drones with explosives so they could at least distract the Snow Follower." Magnus clenched his fist tightly as he continued his story.


    "However... Snow Follower did not finish Nessa off. He examined her with interest as if he realized that there was something wrong with her and that she was capable of more than she showed. So... Snow Follower lifted Nessa into his arms and headed straight for my drones." Magnus bit his lip with a slightly crazed smile.


    It seemed that even he couldn''t believe that something like that had happened a year ago. Monsters, especially Crown Types sometimes tended to possess a unique behavior.


    "No way..." Adam muttered in disbelief, he seemed to have already realized what happened next.


    "Yeah." Magnus nodded as the corners of his mouth went up, forming a grim grin, "My drones, at his will, escorted him to me. Using the drones, I covered Snow Follower with a dark cloak, so... no one even realized what had happened. Naturally, it was at night and in the slums where few people passed by and most of them were under the alcohol."


    Magnus continued:


    "Snow Follower walked through the cracks in the walls, reached theb, and gave me Nessa. Then, he just sat in the corner and waited. His patience seemed to have no limit, so... as you can see a whole year has already passed."


    Adam and Silvana nced over, this story seemed crazy to them, but... did Magnus have a reason to lie?


    "Agh... Fine, something I''ve been talking about. Now you know the backstory, so it''s time to get to the action!" Magnus eximed before the drone lowered the pod with Snow Follower.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 265: Is that the best you can do? (Part 2)

    Crackle.


    Pod fell to the ground while the protective ss slowly lowered, finally releasing Snow Follower from the cage.


    However, from Magnus''s telling it was now clear that Snow Follower desired to stay here. They, unlike most monsters, did not fight for strength or survival, but to satisfy their interest.


    In a way, their image suited them perfectly, especially their weapon, the katana. No greed, no rage, no madness, just patience, waiting, and even a kind of nobility that literally emanated from them like an invisible aura.


    Snow Follower, looked around. First, he looked at Magnus and nodded slightly, as if thanking him for the opportunity.


    In fact, it was possible to understand Snow Follower. He acted differently from the other monster in his ce, but considering that interest was the most important thing to him, it was clear.


    It was hard for Snow Follower to find a more interesting fight than against the world''s only hybrid.


    If he had killed Nessa a year ago, he would have lost a unique opportunity. For this fight, he was willing to wait as long as it took for Nessa to be strong enough.


    Then, Snow Follower''s blue eyes, while his snow-white hair rippled, headed towards Silvana.


    Snow Follower frowned slightly, it seemed he was not pleased that someone unworthy was here.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, Snow Follower''s aura came out, exuding a coldness and intense pressure that caused Silvana to shiver all over her body.


    Silvana''s eyes went wide, she found it hard to breathe as she clutched at her heart and was ready to fall to the ground at any moment.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Silvana''s eyes reflected a white gleam as she felt light, all the pressure instantly evaporated and she was surrounded by the white me that radiated from Adam.


    "Hey, you came here to fight a hybrid, not a mere human who even has trouble breathing in front of you. Is there any interest in this for you? I find that hard to believe." Adam said calmly.


    Snow Follower tilted his head slightly.


    His serene eyes slowly traveled over Adam, then the monster nodded and his aura calmed.


    Adam turned to Silvana.


    "Are you okay?"


    "Yeah... thank you..." Silvana answered intermittently, trying to normalize her breathing.


    Then, Adam looked around and his gaze stopped on Magnus.


    ''How strange... This is hisb, but he''s still a simple man, isn''t he? Not only was he not afraid of Golden Spearman and Snow Follower, but unlike Silvana, he had no problem with withstanding Snow Follower''s aura. Hmm... that bastard clearly still has a lot of secrets, however, it''s not surprising.'' Adam pondered.


    Step.


    Nessa took a step forward. It looked uncertain, but with each further step, her stride grew stronger and there was only determination in her gaze.


    "I didn''t expect my father to make me fight you today. After all, you''re far above my level, but... I won''t lose this time. That''s for sure." Nessa said seriously, stopping right in front of Snow Follower.


    Nessa was a rather tall girl, but Snow Follower was still taller, so... he looked down at her serenely. So far, not considering her worthy.


    p.


    Magnus pped his hands together drawing attention to himself.


    "I understand that you''re already anxious to fight, but... I think you realize that this isn''t the best ce for a battle of this level." Magnus spoke with an excited smile as he waved his hand.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Snow Follower came close to him, ring threateningly at Magnus, but that didn''t make the smirk go away from his face.


    Then, Snow Follower slowly swung his katana pointing at the dozens of pods that contained kids, mostly girls.


    It was as if Snow Follower was saying, ''I don''t care about them. I don''t intend to wait any longer. I will destroy them if I have to.''


    Magnus nodded.


    "Yeah, I understand you, but if you do that, that guy''s going to be pissed." Magnus pointed at Adam, causing Snow Follower to turn around.


    Their gazes shed. Snow Follower''s eyes narrowed, ring at Adam''s cold stare.


    "I doubt that instead of fighting Nessa, you want to be beaten by him. Hahaha." Magnus chuckled, enjoying the situation.


    "Alright, everyone follows me. There''s a suitable ce for the two of you here." Magnus waved his hand nonchntly.


    ...


    A few passagester, after descending one floor below, they found themselves in a huge roomrge enough to be an airne hangar or a giant supermarket with several floors.


    The room, walls, floor, and ceilings, were made up of white blocks that gave off a strange aura, showing that they weren''t made of ordinary materials like stone or concrete. This was something special.


    Nessa and Snow Follower stood twenty meters away from each other, waiting for amand from Magnus.


    Silvana, Magnus, and Adam were in a room at the top of the hall. They were far enough away that random attacks wouldn''t hit them, moreover, they were protected by a special barrier.


    "Hey, you said that the mission department gave Snow Follower Top-9 as an advance. They don''t have enough data for a more urate ranking, but... what''s your opinion? What is Snow Follower capable of if he fights at his limit?" Adam asked.


    He was fully confident, especially after their auras shed, that Snow Follower could even enter the Top-5.


    Magnus looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully rubbing his chin.


    "Well... it all depends on the situation, but I would say that under certain circumstances, Snow Follower could defeat North Keeper. However, we don''t have any record of those two monsters fighting, so this is all just my spection." Magnus waved his hand carelessly.


    Adam''s eyes widened for a moment.


    After all, North Keeper was a Top-4 monster while Snow Follower was a Top-9.


    There should be a serious difference between the two.


    "Well, I won''t keep you waiting any longer." Magnus said into the microphone, his voice filling the room.


    "Begin."


    However, Nessa and Snow Follower did not budge.


    Nessa clenched her fists tightly, getting into a fighting stance, ring intently at Snow Follower. He like any Crown Monster was most dangerous in closebat, however, that was also Nessa''s strong point.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Snow Follower took a few steps, but not forward, but backward. He nced at Nessa, then looked at his katana and thrust his weapon into the floor, showing that for now, he didn''t need it.


    "Damn, is he messing with her?" Adam uttered, not noticing the slight smirk that appeared on his face.


    "Well... Over this year Nessa has honed her skills,st year''s defeat was a big lesson for her. However... I''m not sure it will be enough to defeat one of the Top-10 of the Purple Threat Level monsters." Magnus said seriously, "That would be Nessa''s milestone..."


    Adam narrowed his eyes. It seemed to him that Magnus was hiding something about Nessa, until now.


    ''Hopefully, that secret wille out in this fight.'' Adam thought shifting his gaze to Nessa.


    Snow Follower''s action had infuriated her.


    "Bastard! You think I''m weak?!" Nessa gritted her teeth and lunged forward, intending to attack first.


    Whoooosh.


    Before she could realize anything, Snow Follower appeared in front of her, grabbing her hair with one hand as his fist plunged into her stomach, piercing her steel abs.


    "Argh!" Nessa''s eyes went wide at the bright pain running through her entire body.

 Chapter 266: Is that the best you can do? (Part 3)

    Crown Types were the worst opponents if Phantom needed to fight in closebat and it was a 1 vs. 1.


    Crown Monsters were dangerous not only with their mastery, but also with their weapons because unlike many monsters their weapons were not fangs or ws, but something more serious: a sword, a spear, or even a katana like Snow Follower.


    The weapons of the Crown Monster were an important part of its power, the same Steel Knight wouldn''t have been so dangerous if it wasn''t for his two massive swords that almost managed to end Adam''s life. He was really close to it.


    So... If the Crown Monster deliberately didn''t use his weapons in battle, it could only mean one thing - he didn''t consider his enemy worthy.


    Nessa found herself in that exact position, but she was willing to show Snow Follower that it was a big mistake on his part.


    However... The start of the fight was not on her.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Snow Follower''s fist plunged repeatedly into Nessa''s stomach, causing her eyes to go wide with bright pain and her whole body to shake as she struggled to absorb the iing damage.


    Crackle.


    Nessa grabbed Snow Follower''s wrist tightly, stopping the monster''s fist just before it was about to reach its target.


    Snow Follower tilted his head slightly, looking at her puzzled before running forward harshly.


    ''What...? What the fuck is he doing...?'' Nessa thought being under Snow Follower''s calm gaze.


    Nessa tensed her legs trying to slow Snow Follower''s stride, and gradually she seeded, leaving long trails on the ground.


    However... Snow Follower wasn''t so stupid as to let her make her own rules during the fight.


    Snow Follower, holding Nessa by the hair lifted her up, using his long joints and the difference in their height so that her feet no longer touched the ground.


    Then, Snow Follower took a step to the left, turned his body, and pulled Nessa to the right.


    Nessa quickly tried to figure out how to get out of the grip, because as long as Snow Follower held her by the hair, she was like a punching bag to him.


    ''Agh...?'' Nessa blinked in confusion, for before she could do anything, Snow Follower released her hair.


    Step.


    Snow Follower stepped forward confidently and leaned his body.


    Crackle.


    Snow Follower''s fist, with a whistle of wind, mmed into Nessa''s face, throwing her dozens of meters back.


    "ARGH!!!!"


    A stream of blood rushed from Nessa''s mouth as she collided with the wall before falling to the ground.


    "Hey, what are you up to?" Adam narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Magnus with obvious skepticism of his actions.


    "What do you mean?" Magnus nonchntly replied.


    Adam sighed heavily transferring his gaze to Nessa who was trying to get up off the ground.


    "ording to her, her max is the strongest of the Blue Threat Level andmon monsters of the Purple Threat Level. I exchanged a few blows with her and can confirm that it''s true. However, a Top-9 Crown Monster, that''s not her level." Adam said seriously.


    Magnus nodded, he rested his cheek on his hand, watching the fight as if it were a theatrical performance.


    "Don''t forget that Nessa is not human. She''s a hybrid, human and monster. Monsters and beasts are simr in their habits, so... a beast bes truly terrifying when it finds itself in a desperate situation. Just give her time and she''ll show what her body can do."


    Adam raised an eyebrow, he didn''t believe in Nessa''s sess. It wasn''t that he had anything against Nessa or disliked her, no, it was his as an evaluation of someone who had defeated several Top-10 monsters.


    And... He had enoughpetence for his words to be taken seriously.


    "Shit... That wasn''t bad. At one point I thought my skull was going to explode." Nessa spit up a clot of blood, wiping the blood flowing from her nose.


    Nessa smirked confidently, rose from the ground, and turned to Snow Follower with a look filled with the mes of battle, ready to continue the fight.


    But... her opponent didn''t share her enthusiasm.


    "What the fuck...?" Nessa muttered confusedly.


    Snow Follower didn''t look at her, he turned away and directed his gaze in the other direction to Adam, who was far away and high up.


    Then, Snow Follower pointed at Nessa, waved his hand squeamishly like a disgruntled child, and moved his hand to Adam before poking himself in the chest.


    Snow Follower couldn''t talk, but in this case, words weren''t necessary. Everyone understood what he was trying to convey.


    ''How strange... This monster is different from many, even among the Crown Type...'' Silvana internally muttered, shifting her gaze from the monster to Adam.


    ''He''s willing to give Nessa more time to get stronger, otherwise, he would have already killed her... but he still wants to fight someone and Adam would be the perfect candidate for him. But... will Adam agree?'' Silvana pondered, feeling slightly nervous.


    She wanted to start biting her nails out of habit again.


    In response to Snow Follower''s suggestion, Adam only shook his head, giving his firm refusal. Then, he serenely looked away, as if to show that Snow Follower was missing something really important.


    Snow Follower was puzzled as he tilted his head.


    Bam.


    At the same moment, a fist mmed into Snow Follower''s face, causing it to distort. In a heartbeat, Snow Follower''s jaw was knocked out, and he wasunched into flight.


    "Bastard! If you decided to fight me then stop disrespecting me! You think I''m not worthy of your attention?! That''s not how it works!" Nessa eximed furiously before she sprinted forward at her extreme speed.


    "Oh... I think I''m starting to see what you were talking about..." Adam muttered, amazed at the sight that unfolded before him.


    Envy began to brew within him once again.


    After Snow Follower had knocked her to the ground with a series of crushing blows and didn''t even pay attention to her, Nessa began to attack with a renewed vigor that everyone could see.


    Adam''s eyes traveled over Nessa''s body with interest, watching her muscles that responded to their owner''s call.


    The muscles grew tighter, seeming to twist around each other like steel threads allowing them to release and withstand power beyond Nessa''s limits.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Before Snow Follower could reach the wall, Nessa caught up with him, and like a wrestler lifted him above her, gripping his legs tightly and throwing her arm over his neck in an attempt topletely block his movements.


    Then, Nessa clenched her teeth tightly, streams of steam seemed to rush from her mouth and her arms tensed to the limit.


    Snow Follower''s body arched slightly under the insane pressure that Nessa was applying before throwing Snow Follower across herself forward, simultaneously plunging her knee straight into Snow Follower''s spine.


    There was a loud crack from breaking bones that filled the room like a deadly echo.


    Silvana gasped in horror, covering her mouth with her palm. Magnus grinned contentedly, and Adam''s eyes went wide for a moment, he was clearly impressed.


    Then, for the first time in their fight, Snow Follower''s gaze filled with savage pain... but, was this the end for someone who loved to fight?


    Well, for Crown Type, it was a call to action to fight for their lives like they always did.

 Chapter 267 : Is that the best you can do? (Part 4)

    As everyone knew, one of the reasons why Crown Types were so named and became a separate category was because their body structure was extremely simr to that of humans.


    Moreover, their size was usually within the normal range as well and like humans, they used martial arts and various techniques to win.


    Well, that also meant that those techniques were effective against them as well.


    Nessa wouldn''t be able to take on some monster like Thunder Demon or dew Beast in such a grab, they were too big and their body structure simply wouldn''t allow Nessa to do so.


    However, Snow Follower was the perfect target for her grab and subsequent knee strike right into Snow Follower''s spine.


    Had Snow Follower''s ce been taken by a human or Phantom, it would have been the end of their fight. Nessa''s kick was powerful enough to break Snow Follower''s spine in two and fold him in half, however... it wasn''t that simple.


    Crackle.


    Snow Follower''s arms tightened around Nessa''s neck. Sharp, short ws dug into Nessa''s skin, releasing multiple streams of blood while she struggled to breathe.


    Turning around, Nessa faced Snow Follower''s cold gaze. The monster was still in her grip, his spine was broken as was his jaw that dangled from side to side held only by white bandages, but... there wasn''t even a hint of weakness in Snow Follower''s gaze.


    "Bastard..." Nessa struggled to mutter, feeling that just a little more and Snow Follower would actually choke her.


    "You''re the one who is trapped, not me. Don''t you dare look at me like that...!" Nessa said through gritted teeth before her leg came into motion again.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Time after time, Nessa''s knee mmed into Snow Follower''s back, intending topletely shatter the monster''s bones, but not a single emotion appeared on Snow Follower''s face.


    ''No... no... no! If it continues like this...'' Nessa internally muttered while everything in front of her eyes went dark, her body urgently needed ess to oxygen.


    ''I can''t lose like this!''


    Nessa''s eyes went wide as she grabbed Snow Follower''s wrist and with a sharp forward motion, broke Snow Follower''s arms.


    Then, Nessa spun around, plunging her foot into Snow Follower''s stomach, the whistling wind apanying her high-speed kick.


    Snow Follower''s eyes went wide as the impact threw him back. He still hadn''t been able to reach his target.


    "It''s something to do with the temper tantrums that happened before, isn''t it?" Adam asked casting a nce at Magnus.


    The corners of Magnus''s mouth lifted as he nodded.


    "Yeah, you''re right." Magnus nodded, "When she fought you she wasn''t at the limit of her strength. I think you noticed that her muscles were tighter and her instincts sharper. Only in a deadly fight, a beast can show all that it has."


    ''Hmm...'' Adam looked ahead thoughtfully, ''But... This has nothing to do with Resonance or anything like that, does it? Roughly speaking she''s just in herbat mode right now, nothing supernatural.''


    Then, Adam nced at Snow Follower, who seemed to have received wounds ipatible with life. At least, with broken wrists, spine, and jaw, it was impossible to continue fighting any further.


    "He can regenerate? It was clear from the look in his eyes that such wounds are not something he fears." Adam asked with genuine interest.


    Magnus chuckled evilly.


    "Not really. However, Snow Followers are quite durable. Just watch."


    Nessa was breathing heavily, hot steaming out of her mouth while her heart beat rapidly. This period went hard on her, though she barely received any wounds, aside from her broken nose and the cuts on her neck.


    ''It''s okay... I can win... After these wounds, he won''t be able to keep fighting at the same level. I''m really good enough for it.'' Nessa said to herself, taking a deep breath.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Coming from the Snow Follower''s side, a loud cracking sound was heard, causing Nessa to turn around.


    "Holy shit..."


    Nessa''s eyes went wide in disbelief.


    The Snow Follower rose up at a strange angle, while his upper body was tilted towards the ground as it should have been due to his broken spine.


    However... something was wrong.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Snow Follower''s muscles and joints made a strange, slightly eerie sound, forcibly putting the broken body parts back into ce.


    If Snow Follower had a wide cut on his chest, he wouldn''t be able to heal it, after all, he wasn''t a regenerative monster, but... putting the bones back into ce or straining his muscles to stop the bleeding, well, it was quite possible for him.


    "Damn, that''s impressive." Adam said.


    Snow Follower leaned forward, raising his gaze. The fact that he was able to ''fix'' his spine in such a way showed not only his unique abilities but also his supreme control over his entire body.


    Then, Snow Follower abruptly stretched his arms forward, they turned into a blur and when Nessa blinked, Snow Follower''s wrists were already in ce.


    There was only one part left for Snow Follower to fix - his jaw.


    Crack.


    He grasped his jaw with both hands, with a few movements sliding it into ce. It seemed that his body was not aplex mechanism, but a simple constructor that was really hard to break.


    "Nessa, don''t worry."


    Suddenly, Magnus''s voice rang out.


    "Perhaps interfering in your fight isn''t very fair, but I don''t care. Unlike you, this bastard has gone through hundreds of people like you who lost their confidence over one bad episode."


    Magnus grinned widely, stepping up to the microphone with a crazy gaze.


    "You''re doing well my girl. Just keep up the good work. The tougher the situation, the stronger you get. That''s how you''ve always won so you''ll win now. Keep breaking him until the arrogant bastard is dead!"


    Magnus''s voice echoed throughout the hall, quickly reaching Nessa''s ears.


    Oddly enough, it gave her real confidence. A satisfied smile appeared on Nessa''s face as she took a fighting stance. Her muscles grew tighter even more, like carved steel and her instincts strove to get better every second of this deadly battle.


    Snow Follower narrowed his eyes, he obviously didn''t like Magnus interfering, even though it was just words, but moral support was important. Especially for someone whose strength depended upon their current condition.


    "Wow, I''m amazed."


    Adam uttered with a wide-eyed look at Nessa.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Magnus nced at him puzzled, but the smirk remained on his face.


    "Are you encouraging her or is this your cunning n?" Adam asked with a wave of his hand.


    Magnus sighed, shrugging as if he had to exin something trivial.


    "Look, you probably think I''m a monster in human form, but I''m not, at least if to others I may be a monster and a tyrant, but not to Nessa. Even the greatest bastards and viins have those they truly care for, otherwise... they''re just idiots pretending to be viins, with no goals, ambitions, or principles."


    Magnus''s gaze was deep and serious.


    "FATHER!!!" Nessa eximed like a little girl.


    Her face was red with embarrassment.


    "Oh, I didn''t turn off the microphone..." Magnus said baffled, scratching his cheek.


    Step.


    Snow Follower took a powerful step forward, drawing attention to himself before swinging his arm.


    At his will, the katana half submerged in the floor shook violently before heading towards him.


    Soon, Snow Follower''s hand firmly gripped the hilt of his weapon, showing that it was now for real.

 Chapter 268 : Is that the best you can do? (Part 5)

    Snow Follower had received wounds, not fatal, especially for him, but it showed that he could no longer be careless.


    With every sh, a small fight between the two of them, Nessa grew stronger. Moreover, Magnus''s words raised her morale and enhanced Nessa''s abilities.


    Even the greatest warrior, sometimes needed support, especially if it came from someone important.


    Once the katana was firmly clutched in Snow Follower''s hand, the whole situation changedpletely.


    Nessa felt the invisible pressureing from Snow Follower because unlike him, she had no weapon. Only her body and instincts.


    "By the way... He''s called Snow Follower for a reason, isn''t he? I mean, I can see snow particlesing from his katana, but I don''t really see how snow can be a weapon." Adam muttered scratching his cheek.


    He had fought many opponents and some of them had unusual abilities. Sure, water, earth, or fire wasn''t anything surprising, but sound, ss, or gravity could be a shock to inexperienced Phantoms.


    But... What about snow?


    Snow, ice, and steam were all water, but were in different states. Technically, snow was also ice, because it was made up of snowkes, tiny crystals with fancy patterns.


    However, snow is not as strong and hard as ice, but not as liquid as water, because snow was transformed into ice not from liquid but from vapor.


    Usually, the process of bing snow takes ce high above the ground - in the clouds.


    Even children knew that whether it rained or snowed depended solely on the temperature, both below and above.


    Snow could be dangerous during a blizzard or as a harbinger of severe frost, but was it possible to use snow as a weapon? Maybe one should have thrown snowballs at the opponent? Nah, a really strong snowball is partiallyposed of ice, not brittle snow.


    The snow waspletely useless as a weapon, but... only regr snow, not the one filled with the energy of a Top-9 Purple Threat Level monster with superior control over both his body and abilities.


    If snow was a useless weapon, it was an excellent tool, and any tool could be a dangerous weapon if it was sharpened and used properly.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Snow Follower''s katana trembled as thin streams of snowposed of a million tiny crystals came out of it.


    Snow Follower reached forward and pointed the tip of the katana towards the ground, allowing the streams of snow to spread around.


    The snow quickly spread throughout the room, reaching even the snow with moving tips as if it were alive.


    "Wait... Don''t tell me they all obey him..." Adam''s eyes went wide. He realized how dangerous a weapon it was.


    Magnus nodded.


    "Sure. And that''s not all. Though he''s already picked up his weapon, he''s still not sure if Nessa is worthy of him fighting her at full strength."


    "Tsk. That''s so arrogant." Silvana snorted irritably. Bit by bit, she began to cheer for Nessa, Silvana wished that she had won.


    Magnus shrugged.


    "Indeed. But... No one can say Snow Follower has no right to act like that. He''s strong, and only if Nessa can fight back against him will Snow Follower consider her an equal."


    Silvana bit her lip. Then, she nced at Adam.


    Adam didn''t need to fight or show his abilities for Snow Follower to recognize him as worthy, in his case just releasing his aura and a few words with a cold stare was enough.


    ''Nessa has to fight and show the best of her abilities for Snow Follower to gradually be more serious... Damn, the strong ones see each other from afar, don''t they?'' Silvana pondered with a slight frown, not noticing that she had been actively biting her nails for some time now.


    Adam raised an eyebrow, staring at Silvana puzzled and at her slightly mussed hair, making her face look less stern and harsh.


    ''Well, well... looks like I was hasty with myst punishment. She really is nicer this way though.'' Adam thought with an unnoticed smile on his face.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Snow Follower made the first move. He pointed his katana at Nessa, but he didn''t move himself, instead dozens of snow streams performed that task.


    Nessa''s pupils narrowed as a shiver ran through her body. She realized that even though it was snow, at this density and abundance of energy, it was like living des striving towards her.


    Nessa tilted her body and lunged forward, a moment before a torrent of snow hit her spot, leaving a crater on the floor. Then, several more streams tried to get her, but Nessa sessfully dodged each time, quickly approaching the Snow Follower who didn''t see her as a threat.


    ''Great, snow streams are dangerous and fast, but... from the looks of it, he used them all to attack. He''s defenseless now!'' Nessa internally eximed before attacking.


    Her fist swiftly headed towards Snow Follower''s face, whose azure eyes were calm and serene.


    Crackle.


    Out of nowhere, two streams of snow appeared that clutched around Nessa''s wrist, stopping her hand right in front of Snow Follower''s face.


    Snow Follower''s eyes narrowed as he slowly raised his katana, towering over Nessa.


    Nessa gulped, realizing that if she didn''t get out of the grip now, she would know the full power lurking in Snow Follower''s weapon.


    ''Oh... Perhaps I rushed...'' Magnus said inwardly looking at Nessa''s confused face.


    Her legs came into motion, she tried to run away from Snow Follower as fast as she could, but... her legs wouldn''t move. The snow had already enveloped them like the roots of an ancient tree, powerful and unbreakable.


    Even by fully tensing her muscles, Nessa was unable to break free from the dense snow.


    ''Agh... Just smash them... you still have one free hand, don''t you?'' Adam said to himself, while a frown was increasingly showing on his face, ''Your opponent is showing off, not considering you worthy, giving you plenty of opportunities to attack, but... you can''t take advantage of any of them...''


    Adam was a spectator in this situation, and spectators tended toment and judge, especially those who were losing. However, Adam was stronger than Nessa or Snow Follower, so hispetence was enough for that.


    "Shit! Shit! Shit!" Nessa shouted, trying to break free from Snow Follower''s grip, but it was impossible.


    At this time, Snow Follower seemed to realize that Nessa was hopeless, so... his slow-moving katana became faster, slicing Nessa''s chest diagonally.


    "Agh...?"


    Nessa''s eyes opened wide in disbelief, looking at the drops of blood that flew in front of her face.


    Strangely enough, Nessa felt no pain, for... the intense colding from Snow Follower''s katana reduced Nessa''s pain to a minimum, though the wound was gruesome.


    Only her strong body and sturdy bones saved Nessa from death, otherwise, Snow Follower would have cut her in two and the fight would have been over.


    Step.


    Adam stepped forward, about to intervene. Strangely enough, he was willing to break the rules of the fight so that Nessa would survive.


    However...


    Magnus''s hand blocked his path.


    "Wait. Don''t you dare stop her from growing? You should know there''s nothing like your own blood flying before your eyes on the brink of death. It''s a catalyst for change."

 Chapter 269: Is this the best you can do? (Part 6)

    Snow Follower''s main goal was to satisfy his interest, for that, he was willing to give Nessa time to get stronger, and even during the fight, he was not in a hurry to show his full strength.


    Snow Follower acted slowly, allowing Nessa to adapt to his abilities and movements, however... it wasn''t enough to close the real gap in their power.


    The oue was predictable - a wide gash across Nessa''s chest, and only her sturdy body separated her from death.


    Nessa''s mind filled with the realization that she lost again, that once more it was Snow Follower and all gone at the true humiliation from the monster.


    Nessa tried not to show it, but since she knew that she was stronger than all the humans and K0-Phantoms, as well as being the only hybrid, made her arrogant. There was pride inside her, as Nessa realized that she was better than the others.


    However... none of that meant anything if she couldn''t prove her superiority. First, she did so by defeating her first monster, then defeating the first Blue Threat monster, which put her above K0-level.


    She wanted to defeat Snow Follower, but he just beat her up. One swing of his katana was enough to bring her close to the limit.


    But... the one who knew her best, Magnus, wasn''t worried at all. He knew that this was the only way Nessa could make the leap in her power.


    ''No way...'' Nessa muttered inwardly while her scarlet hair rippled slightly in the flow of wind from Snow Follower''s katana.


    Nessa''s gaze shifted to the drops of blood slowly flying before her eyes.


    In the reflection, she saw not the perfect human and first hybrid, but a simple girl ready to lose the battle again. She looked weak, wounded, and defenseless.


    ''No... Is this really me? No... This past will nevere back... I am no longer a weak girl trying to survive every day... I am the perfection and I will prove it!''


    Then, Nessa''s heart began to beat faster, her blood literally boiled with excitement, and her eyes filled with blood, her veins quivered but remained calm.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    In a heartbeat, Nessa''s nails ripped through the snow streams, she freed her legs and arm before tearing forward.


    For the first time in the fight, Snow Follower''s eyes went wide, for he had no time to react to Nessa''s actions.


    All the monster saw was Nessa''s shadow and the dozen shes that were Nessa''s fists.


    Snow Follower swung his arm, trying to defend himself with snow streams. Two of them, came out of his katana, covering Snow Follower''s chest with a denseyer of snow filled with his energy. Adam''s strike probably wouldn''t have been able to pierce them, only his needle.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    In a heartbeat, many holes appeared in the snow barrier, tearing the white veil apart like a thin cloth.


    Then, Nessa''s fists reached Snow Follower, smashing into his chest, stomach, and face.


    The sounds of the blows echoed around him, bouncing off the walls and back again, constantly reinforcing the effect.


    It seemed like just a little more and Snow Follower would be left with nothing to survive. Nessa was hitting as fast as she could. Her teeth were clenched tightly, her muscles tensed to the limit as if ready to tear from the strain, and in her eyes was nothing but rage and killing intent.


    "I will make you regret your arrogance!" Nessa''s voice boomed, consuming Snow Follower''s mind.


    Then, Nessa turned around, brought her arm up for an attack, and with all her might unleashed her fist right into Snow Follower''s face.


    The power of her attack was enough to destroy all the snow around her and throw Snow Follower aside, literally smashing him into the wall.


    A loud rumble filled the entire hall, causing even the surface to shake, throwing the scientists and workers on the upper floors into puzzlement.


    "Good..." Magnus chuckled contentedly, "Just what I needed. I haven''t seen such strong blows from her yet. Nessa is actually growing right before my eyes."


    "Unbelievable. Nessa is doing great!" Silvana said cheerfully. Seeing Nessa finally strike back was inspiring to her.


    Then, Magnus turned to Adam.


    "What do you think?"


    However, instead of praise from Adam, Magnus only saw his intense, even indignant gaze directed at Snow Follower.


    "Why...? Why didn''t she just kill him right now?" Adam''s quiet voice filled the room, silencing both Silvana and Magnus.


    "Shit... She should have torn his head off, broken his neck, ripped out his legs, or stabbed him through the heart... At least one of those would have ended the fight by now, but instead, she''s just giving him time to realize what''s happening..."


    Adam slowly turned to Nessa.


    "I see... Now I see what the problem is. Even in nine years, she still hasn''t learned how to control her power."


    Magnus''s eyes went wide. In his opinion, Nessa was handling it perfectly, but... it was obvious that Adam considered it a failure.


    ''Tsk. He''s just an arrogant bastard.'' Magnus inwardly muttered with a wave of his hand, ''Even if his words make sense, it doesn''t change anything. Nessa will end the fight for the next series of punches and that''s it.''


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    At the same moment, Snow Follower was climbing out of the rubble, slowly pulling his body out of the wall. His entire body was covered in blood, his snow-white hair had turned partially scarlet, and his white cloak had be smaller as if wishing it were closer to his body.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Snow Follower slowly stepped forward without raising his gaze, while all the snow was heading towards his katana, whose white de shone brightly like a lightsaber.


    "Hah, attack. I''m not afraid of you anymore." Nessa arrogantly said, full of confidence in her abilities.


    She didn''t notice her feelings, her instincts told her something was wrong.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Snow Follower''s cloak shuddered, disappearing in a st of snow that, along with the cold vapor,pletely hid his silhouette.


    Nessa''s pupils went wide as a snow vortex appeared in front of her, from which a sharp white de emerged.


    ''I have to dodge!'' Nessa eximed as goosebumps covered her entire body as she quickly bounced to the side.


    But... a long cut had already shown up on her arm.


    Then, the vortex partially dissipated, she saw Snow Follower''s fist, covered in white energy that plunged into her stomach.


    The single blow, made Nessa''s eyes go wide, and caused an energy st that traveled through Nessa''s body leaving her back in the form of a snow-white burst with snow particles.


    The next thing Nessa saw was the Snow Follower''s footing from the left directly into her face and nailing her to the wall.


    Silence.


    Nothing could be heard besides Snow Follower''s footsteps.


    "Nessa! Get up!" Magnus eximed in an anxious voice.


    However... Nessa didn''t have the strength for it. Not her mind, but her body.


    ''What...? Why? My body has never let me down before...?'' Nessa muttered in disbelief, looking at her hands that were struggling to move.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Snow Follower walked serenely forward, while his katana filled with energy, beginning to shake violently from the great power that it could barely hold.


    "Nessa! Fuck! He''s really going to kill you!" Magnus shouted in panic.


    Nessa raised her head, meeting Snow Follower''s cold gaze.


    It was as if He was saying, ''This time, it''s over.''


    Snow Follower stopped, bringing his hand up to attack, about to pierce Nessa with thrust.


    At the same moment, electric shocks passed near Silvana. When she turned around, she saw Adam cutting through the barrier with his silver needle.


    However... Something in his gaze wasn''t right.


    He was going to save Nessa, but... was that a reason for Nessa to rejoice?

 Chapter 270: This is Resonance?

    Snow Follower''s swing of his katana was enough to seriously wound Nessa, so... when his katana shook from the overabundance of energy, his thrust was definitely powerful enough to permanently extinguish the fire of life in Nessa''s eyes.


    Thest series of attacks raining down on Nessa did more damage than she had realized. Her body no longer obeyed her, she needed time to recover, but Snow Follower acted quickly. He was really in a hurry to end this fight as powerfully as possible as soon as he could.


    Thus, if no one interfered with their fight, Snow Follower would easily kill Nessa.


    Well, that was why Adam used the power of lightning, cutting through the protective barrier with his needle and quickly rushing towards Nessa and Snow Follower.


    ''No... Am I actually going to die? Right now...?'' Nessa inwardly muttered looking at the snow-white de that seemed to be cutting through space approaching her.


    Another second and thousands of snow particles, tiny ice crystals, would m into her and tear her apart. Even Nessa''s body wasn''t strong enough to withstand such damage.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    At thest moment, a tall silhouette wearing a long ck coat appeared in front of Nessa''s eyes. Then, silver ws woven from hundreds of threads tightly gripped the snow-white katana filled with energy.


    Adam wasn''t stupid enough to try to block Snow Follower''s attack with his hand or just a needle. It took something more than that to stop this katana.


    As soon as the silver ws collided with the de of the katana, clutching it tightly, Snow Follower''s eyes went wide. He clearly hadn''t expected Adam to be the one to decide to intervene.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    There was a strange, eerie mechanical sound, as if two iron rods, snapping together, were trying to turn each other into nothingness.


    Adam frowned, struggling to stay in one ce and continuing to clutch his hand tightly.


    Snow Follower''s katana effortlessly cut through the silver threads, but there were many of them and Adam''s gauntlet was still a long way from beingpletely destroyed, and the energy in the katana was not infinite.


    Soon, cascades of sparks began to fly off in all directions, and a screeching sound reached the walls of the hall to fill the minds of everyone in the room.


    Magnus and Silvana watched intently with slightly baffled faces. They didn''t understand what Adam''s purpose was, especially Magnus, for he had seen that Adam hadn''t saved Kai, even when he had begged for it on the verge of death.


    "What''s going on...?" Nessa whispered, barely audible.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Snow Follower''s eyes narrowed as he took a step forward, applying more force to the katana, making a diagonal swing.


    Adam reacted immediately, striking with the most protected part of his arm, where many of the strong threads remained.


    However... It was hardly enough.


    The snow particlespacted in front of the katana de, effortlessly cutting through the silver threads, literally developing against them and sacrificing themselves. They had aplished their task.


    Ssh.


    A wide cut, from wrist to elbow, appeared on Adam''s arm with a powerful surge of blood. Since Nessa was directly behind Adam, the blood sshed right onto her face.


    Several crimson streams slowly dripped down Nessa''s forehead, while her eyes grew wider and wider. Time seemed to slow down a lot for her.


    Her heart began to beat rapidly beneath the slow-flowing drops of blood, behind which slowly fluttered a ck coat, the right sleeve of which had previously been sewn to the edges with silver threads, but now its owner had two arms once again.


    Strangely enough, Nessa was delighted to see Adam, who hade to protect her. It was something Nessa had missed for a long time, and it awakened a rare but pleasant warmth inside her.


    Adam''s face twisted in bright pain, but he had achieved his goal - Snow Follower''s katana was stopped.


    Step.


    Adam stepped forward, clenched his teeth tightly, and plunged his fist into Snow Follower''s stomach. The monster tried to dodge, but Adam was too fast under the effect of Artifact Trait.


    Electric shocks rippled through Snow Follower''s body before the impact threw the monster aside.


    Snow Follower''s gaze filled with pain, but he wasn''t going to stop for even a second. In a heartbeat, Snow Follower somersaulted in the air, nimblynded on the ground, and was ready to attack again.


    However... Snow Follower was in no hurry.


    First, he had to figure out if Adam was going to fight him or if this intervention had a specific purpose. Either way, Snow Follower felt that against Adam, he would have a very hard time.


    Nessa''s eyes shone brightly, a happy smile appearing on her face. All of this was happening unconsciously, just because she was feeling good.


    Her lips came into motion, about to say something. At this time, a trickle of Adam''s blood had already reached the level of her nose, continuing to slowly drip down.


    "Than..." Nessa muttered, but... she couldn''t finish, for she was stopped by Adam''s stare.


    Adam was gazing at her with disdain, no... it wasn''t right. There were two vivid feelings in his gaze more than anything else:


    Disappointment and pity.


    Adam said something slowly, but Nessa could no longer hear him. The words didn''t make sense anymore, because his gaze was so expressive that Nessa already understood everything.


    He had saved her, not because she was important to him, or because he wanted to help her like any normal person, but because he felt sorry for her, and by this act, he was trying to dull his disappointment.


    It wasn''t humiliation, it was something more, deeper, like a sharp de that opened a wound that Nessa had long forgotten about, at least she thought so.


    ''No... Don''t you dare look at me like that...'' Nessa muttered internally as her whole body shook with fear. It wasn''t that she feared Adam or losing, but that her past coulde back. Sure, technically and physically it was impossible, but only emotions and Nessa''s mind mattered here.


    ''There''s no way I''ll ever be weak again... No one should ever look at me like that again... Pity? How dare you... I''m not that weak!''


    Nessa inwardly eximed she was furious, trying to prove Adam was wrong, but... her body wasn''t ready to follow her mind. She was still badly hurt and exhausted after several shes with Snow Follower.


    At the same moment... what seemed to be a consequence of Adam''s interference became the key moment. His blood that sshed on Nessa''s face finally reached her lips and fell on her tongue.


    Unconsciously, Nessa swallowed those few drops and then her eyes shone brightly.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Everyone in that hall, even Silvana and Magnus, felt a shiver as goosebumps covered their bodies. Their instincts, like primal mechanisms, told them there was danger and they needed to get out of there.


    Snow Follower, reflexively took a few steps back, holding his katana tightly, but not to attack, but to block.


    Adam, who was closest to Nessa, felt fear, but... along with that, a genuine interest mixed with curiosity awakened inside him.


    While his body trembled with terror, his mind brought out an excited smile on Adam''s face, with a bit of madness.


    Everyone knew that besides all the powers and physical abilities, the Phantoms had a trump card they couldn''t control - Resonance.


    To realize that a Phantom had entered Resonance was very easy, there was one clear physical sign - swollen veins. It was as if it was showing that the Phantom''s body was at its maximum limit and it would explode from the overload.


    Earlier, Nessa had be stronger several times, forcing her body to use more and more resources, especially her instincts and muscles.


    Magnus was well aware of this, so he let her fight opponents who were slightly stronger than her so that Nessa could make leaps in her strength.


    However, it never led to any drastic changes, like this:


    "No way..." Magnus muttered, staring at Nessa''s veins that were rapidly swelling. First, the veins went from her head, near her eyes, then spread all over her body as it happened with the Phantoms.


    Still... something like this wouldn''t be able to cause Magnus much confusion or enthrall Adam''s mind, for now, they were observing something unique.


    Nessa''s brightly shining eyes gradually began to change their color from ck to amber. Moreover, her round human pupils, elongated and became vertical like many predators among animals and monsters.


    Her teeth changed, and her fangs became longer and protruded forward. Her fingernails grew rapidly, bing more dangerous and hardened several times like deadly des.


    Even her hair had changed, Nessa always wore her hair short, it didn''t even reach her shoulders, now it went down to her back and was much thicker with sharp tips looking in different directions, but tending downward like a stream of blood.


    Silence.


    It seemed that no one even dared to breathe, everyone looked at Nessa''s transformation, albeit temporary, with admiration and awe. In any case, this had never happened before in nine years, and for Magnus, it was a new discovery.


    Adam''s lips quivered as he reached forward.


    ''Unbelievable... She looks so majestic, I wonder... how much stronger is she now? I... I want to fight her!''


    It had been a long time since he had felt such excitement before fighting his opponent. Something like this, Adam had only felt against North Keeper, when all he could think about during Eclipse was enjoying the battle.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Before Adam could do anything, Nessa''s silhouette shuddered as she rushed forward straight towards Snow Follower.


    In a heartbeat, she grabbed his head, effortlessly ripping it away from his neck. Then, her sharp ws dug into the monster''s chest, pulling Snow Follower''s heart out from the other side.

 Chapter 271: Phantom vs Hybrid

    Bam.


    Snow Follower''s head fell to the ground, with a nk stare that had already lost the light of life. At this time, Nessa, pulled the heart out of Snow Follower''s chest, tossing the monster''s body aside like unnecessary trash.


    Crackle.


    Nessa, with a cold stare, crushed the heart in her hand, coating everything around in crimson liquid.


    "What''s going on...?" Silvana asked with a gulp as she turned to Magnus.


    Magnus narrowed his eyes.


    "I don''t know... Nessa has already exceeded her limits many times, thus she has gotten stronger. However... never before has she made such a major leap, moreover the changes are too drastic. I hate to say it, but I have no idea what will happen next. It all depends on Nessa..."


    Silvana nodded.


    There was no telling what state Nessa was in or if she could control herself. However, something was very clear - Nessa had be many times stronger, at least for the duration of this transformation.


    Before that, using all of her strength and resources, Nessa had struggled to keep up with Snow Follower, even though she had lost in the end. If not for Adam, the katana would have pierced her.


    Now, she killed Snow Follower in just two moves, or rather one - a severed head was more than enough.


    In a heartbeat, the difference in strength between them became unequal, so... there was no telling where Nessa''s boundaries were now.


    "Hey! Nessa! That was incredible! Thest time I saw something like that was from Alexia during Eclipse! Let''s fight!" Adam eximed with an excited expression, waving his hand.


    A moment ago, Adam had apletely different emotion, in a way his pity-filled gaze was one of the reasons for Nessa''s transformation.


    Adam didn''t want to think about anything else but to satisfy his thirst for battle. He had already forgotten that feeling, for fighting against the Thunder Demon, he was haunted by emotions other than excitement.


    Then, it was a battle between two warriors wanting to be stronger and remain the only one on the battlefield. One of them had to die while the other continued on his path.


    Adam never forgot Damien''s words, for it was he who first showed Adam that it was possible to enjoy battle.


    Sure, not always, but enjoying some particr battles was an art not everyone could master.


    Step.


    Nessa obviously heard Adam, so she slowly turned around, arrogantly lifting her chin. There was no more anxiety or uncertainty in her gaze, she was visibly feeling her new power.


    "Why? I didn''t like your gaze, but you had your reasons. However, none of this makes sense now. I don''t want to hurt you. Considering the wound Snow Follower left on your hand, you can''t beat me." Nessa said haughtily, looking Adam up and down.


    Silvana''s jaw dropped, while Magnus''s face revealed a sinister grin.


    He saw this as a unique opportunity.


    Nessa couldn''t show all her abilities against Snow Follower, but Adam was a great option for this.


    ''Moreover, if there''s a conflict between them then it''ll be for real!'' Magnus chuckled angrily rubbing his palms together, ''You can always make up, but there won''t be such an opportunity anymore!''


    Adam raised an eyebrow.


    "What, the transformation changed your personality too?" Adam was slightly confused. He clearly hadn''t expected to receive such a rude and harsh answer.


    Nessa looked at her hand covered in blood.


    "Does it matter right now? Maybe yes, maybe no. Either way, you better not provoke me while I''m in this form." Nessa muttered, clenching and unclenching her fist.


    Magnus bit his lip and grabbed his hair. He couldn''t interfere, so he stared intently at Adam, hoping the situation would go the right way.


    Adam didn''t answer anything.


    He only looked at Nessa thoughtfully.


    Then, Adam took a deep breath, shaking his head like a man who was ready to ept defeat.


    Nessa didn''t want to show it, but the corners of her mouth lifted slightly to form a satisfied grin. She was hurt by the way Adam looked at her, so she felt d that her power managed to stop Adam.


    Quickly and almost imperceptibly, Nessa''s eyes reflected the white particles that seemed to being off the massive me.


    Nessa turned sharply, immediately feeling the most powerful pressure she had ever encountered.


    The massive creature, Adam''s Spirit, was hovering above him, emitting a mighty aura that most K1-Phantoms could not resist.


    His aura, his Spirit having no face and consisting of a million threads, was in some ways simr to his abilities. His aura was piercing and sharp, allowing Nessa to immediately feel the full weight of her mistake and feigned arrogance.


    "Oh, is something wrong?" Adam said, nonchntly keeping his hands in his pockets as if to show that he had nothing to fear.


    Nessa gritted her teeth as she looked at her hands which started to cover with goosebumps.


    Like any strong enough creature she had an aura, but only at the most basic level. Nessa possessed neither The Will nor Spirit, just pure power emanating from her body.


    Nessa seemed confused and didn''t know what to do, but she quickly found a solution:


    Nessa grinned widely, took a step forward, and spread her arms out to her sides.


    "Taking advantage of the fact that I don''t have a powerful form of aura like you? Fine. Come on, do it. Attack me. I know you can only damage me once, it won''t be much of a loss to me!" Nessa, full of confidence in her abilities eximed.


    However... Instead of using this opportunity and gaining an advantage, Adam simply removed his aura.


    "Agh...?" Nessa''s eyes went wide in confusion.


    "Nah." Adam waved his hand nonchntly, "I don''t need this. Not against you."


    Silvana''s mouth opened wide with shock, and Magnus''s eyes narrowed with a dangerous glint, for Adam''s trivial provocation had proved insanely effective.


    "What did you say...?" Nessa muttered in a trembling voice, "You don''t want an aura against me...? Bastard... Do you think that if you saved me, you can look down on me? That you''re stronger than me? No fucking way!" Nessa roared furiously before lunging forward.


    Adam only smirked slightly.


    Unlike Nessa, for whom this was something personal and held open her long-standing inner wound, for Adam it was simply a way to quench his desire for battle.


    Cynical and even cruel in some ways, but for Nessa it was also helpful.


    Perhaps by unleashing all her new power on Adam, she would finally be able to close her wound, or possibly... the wound would turn into a living disaster.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Nessa ran forward quickly, leaving short w marks on the ground on her feet. She moved like a shadow, quickly finding herself in front of Adam.


    ''Wow, not bad, if I wasn''t fighting Thunder Demon I wouldn''t have been able to react to such speed.'' Adam pondered for a moment before putting up a block.


    Right now, he wasn''t using any abilities. To begin with, he wanted to realize how big the difference between them was now. Last time, Adam had no trouble blocking Nessa''s attacks.


    Crackle.


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    Cutting through the wind currents like a broad de, Nessa''s right foot crashed into Adam''s block.


    In a heartbeat, the smile vanished from Adam''s face, and his eyes went wide.


    The impact, with a ring of wind from the shockwaveing from the hit point, threw Adam aside, plunging his back straight into the wall with a tter.


    "Agh..." Nessa took a deep breath, keeping her leg raised as if in the moment of the attack. Hot steam came out passing over her shoulders before she lowered her foot to the ground and burst forward.


    Immersed in the debris, Adam saw nothing but a veil of dust. However, soon he heard approaching footsteps and his instincts activated at full force.


    Immediately, Adam used his Artifact Trait, as electric shocks went through his entire body and a lightning horn appeared on the left side of his head.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    A white gleam like a de shed amongst the dust cloud before Nessa''s foot tore it apart.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    With a rumble that shook the entire hall, Nessa''s foot sliced and crushed the solid white stone, leaving a long trail as if the wall had been attacked by a giant with a huge sword.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    A cascade of electrical discharges appeared a few meters behind, bringing Adam floating slightly above the ground.


    ''Damn...'' Adam narrowed his eyes, looking at the aftermath of Nessa''s attack. He realized that if Nessa had hit him, it would have killed him. Simple and quick.


    "Using your trump card yet? Though... You''re abusing your strongest ability quite a bit." Nessa said confidently, slowly stepping forward.


    Adam raised an eyebrow.


    "Trump? No argument, it''s a powerful ability." Adam looked around, raising his hands slightly, electrical discharges emanating from his fingertips.


    "However... I wouldn''t say it''s my trump card. I have many other useful abilities. You know, that''s one of the perks of being a Phantom." Adam said serenely.


    Hearing hisst words, Nessa frowned.


    "Tsk. If that ability isn''t your trump card then what is? I watched your fight against Thunder Demon as well as some other videos, I know all about you." Nessa said confidently, "Against me, you won''t be able to use something unexpected."


    "Oh, I see... You''ve seen a lot of my battles, but you never realized what my main trump card is? Although... I use it in every single one of my fights without exception." Adam said in surprise.


    "Agh...? What the hell are you talking about?!" Nessa was bewildered, "I couldn''t have missed something that important!"


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Adam''s hands turned into a blur, quickly disappearing anding back into ce, but they already were in his gloves.


    "My greatest trump card - experience."


    At the same moment, Adam swiped one glove against the other, causing an eerie sound that quickly reached Nessa''s mind.

 Chapter 272: The Beating

    Waves of sound seemed to spread slowly and leisurely throughout the room. Silvana and Magnus, standing in the distance, had time to cover their ears and realize what was happening, but not Nessa, whose eyes were focused on Adam.


    Before Nessa could realize anything, streams of blood came out of her ears, and her mind filled with a vivid, almost unbearable pain.


    "ARGHHHHHH!!!"


    Nessa roared in agony like a beast receiving a mortal wound.


    Then, Nessa clenched her teeth tightly, gathering her strength and barely lifting her gaze to Adam.


    Her head was splitting with pain, but she shouldn''t forget that she was fighting against one of the strongest K1-Phantoms. After all, few K1s were capable of defeating Thunder Demon.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The electrical discharges running through Adam''s body became more active before his silhouette disappeared in a blue sh.


    Nessa''s eyes went wide as she instinctively put up a block against the impending attack.


    Bam.


    Adam''s foot mmed into Nessa''s crossed arms, causing a loud p and forcing Nessa to advance backwards a bit, leaving a mark on the ground.


    "Hah, while using your ability you''re fast, I won''t argue. But... Unlike me, this is the power of your ability, you won''t be able to use it forever!" Nessa said confidently, not at all afraid of Adam.


    Adam''s lips came into motion. He was clearly saying something, perhaps serene and arrogant, but Nessa just couldn''t hear him. Her ears would need quite a bit more time to recover. Right now, she couldn''t rely on her hearing.


    Then, Adam slowly raised his hand, his eyes shining brightly, causing a cascade of silver threads to appear, quickly covering his arm. In the next moment, a long white needle descended upon Nessa, leaving her no choice but to block it.


    Adam smirked.


    He realized that Nessa had gotten stronger, but even Thunder Demon wasn''t capable of blocking his needle. Perhaps only someone like Obsidian Armadillo, the monster with the best defense among Purple Threat Level monsters, could do it.


    Crackling.


    Scarlet sparks like red-hot iron flew off to the sides as Adam''s needle mmed into Nessa''s long ws. Oddly enough, the silver needle failed to break them or at least leave a crack, only imperceptible scratches.


    "Hah, now do you see the difference between us? Not even your needle is capable of breaking my ws!" Nessa eximed confidently before grabbing Adam''s arm.


    Adam didn''t have time to react and dodge, so soon Nessa''s hands clenched tightly around his wrist. If she wanted to, Nessa could tear Adam''s arm apart, just rip chunks of his flesh out, under the superior strength of her grip.


    However, though they fought she had no desire to kill Adam or wound him so badly that he would have to go through the long treatment again. She had many other methods to defeat him.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Nessa stepped forward, throwing Adam over herself and bringing him down to the ground with all her strength.


    Crackle.


    The white floor cracked, crumpling under Adam''s back from the incredible power of Nessa''s throw.


    "Argh!"


    Adam''s mouth opened wide, clots of blood flying out only to soon be cut open by Nessa''s ws.


    "Let''s end it there." Nessa said coldly lifting her foot.


    In Adam''s eyes, it all happened slowly, but to Silvana and Magnus, it was like a sh. In a heartbeat, Nessa''s foot mmed on Adam''s face, driving his head even deeper into the floor.


    Blood rushed out, making Silvana shudder to imagine the damage Adam had sustained. If K0-Phantom or any monster weaker than a Top-10 had been in his ce, Nessa''s foot would have simply blown his head off.


    "I won''t hide it. Your gaze actually made me angry. It even made me resentful, so... I even feel a little guilty for what I did." Nessa said looking at Adam''s face, his gaze was nk and his lips were struggling to move. His nose was broken, his skull was cracked and his face was covered in blood.


    Nessa turned away, stepping slowly to the side.


    She clenched her fist, with a serious expression.


    "However... I guess I should thank you. You''re strong, very strong, but now I surpass you. This form is amazing..." Nessa muttered, looking at her ws, which reflected her like the de of a sharp sword.


    She felt invincible. Her self-confidence grew to an extreme and the realization that she was perfection strengthened even more.


    Crackle.


    Slowly, emerging from the wreckage, Adam stood up. He looked like a puppet being pulled by someone pulling strings, for the first few seconds his instincts had ruled his body rather than his mind.


    "Agh...? Can you still stand on your feet?" Nessa turned around, clearly surprised.


    Then, Adam''s empty eyes became deep again, saturating with light and seriousness.


    "Oh... Did I pass out?" Adam muttered puzzled, touching behind his head that hurt like hell, "Well, it hasn''t happened to me yet, but now I can do what Alexia once did."


    Nessa turned at an odd angle to hear what Adam was saying, her left ear, had partially recovered.


    "Well, I hope I don''t look ridiculous." Adam smiled bitterly before covering his face with his hands. Blood enveloped his palms, then, Adam guided his hands up, running his hands through his hair and slicking it back.


    His hair was not as long as Louis''s, even Magnus''s hair was considerably longer. However, his hair wasn''t as short as some military recruit who had recently been shaved bald.


    Adam''s ck hair was thick, disheveled, and with slightly curled ends, just a little. Now that he''d slicked it back using his own blood, he looked like a young mob boss from the old movies.


    "And...? What''s next? You think your new hairstyle is going to make a difference?" Nessa raised an eyebrow in puzzlement.


    Adam smirked.


    "Something like that. I''m not going to lose to you, since you''re not strong enough. Thunder Demon would tear you apart. Though..." Adam paused for a long moment.


    "Though...?" Nessa frowned.


    Adam took a deep breath with slight regret.


    "You''re probably the strongest Crown Monster I''ve fought before. I don''t think North Keeper could beat you."


    Nessa frowned heavily.


    "I''m not a monster!" Nessa waved her hand in a fury.


    Adam lifted his chin, smirking caustically.


    "Yeah, it would be more correct to say non-human, like me. However, I''m not a monsterpletely, but you are only partially. And, if I were topare you to monsters, Crown Type would be the closest association."


    Nessa wanted to say something, but Adam beat her to it when his eyes shed, then energy began to build up at his gloves.


    Adam directed the two gloves towards each other, causing hundreds of silver threads to turn into a huge silver sphere.


    This was Adam''s Second Artifact Trait and against such arge sphere one could not simply dodge or block. Nessa would be torn apart if she tried to do that.


    "Alright, let''s see how tough you really are." Adam uttered before turning into a lightning sh and being in front of Nessa.


    Nessa''s eyes went wide. She urgently needed to make a decision. She could try to dodge, even partially and that would be the right decision.


    ''But... How can I call myself perfection if I run away?!'' Nessa inwardly eximed before stepping forward and grabbing the silver sphere with both hands, sinking her sharp ws into the rapidly spinning threads.

 Chapter 273: Necessary Defeat?

    Each Phantom had a different set of abilities with a varying purpose. The abilities had something unique, such as Adam''s silver threads.


    His ability had many ws, but the capability to pierce through even the toughest armor could not be overrated. It was what helped him win and survive many battles.


    Adam''s needle or ws could hardly protect him, also he could not use his ability for mass attacks and also had serious limitations. Everything had its pros and cons.


    However, Adam never doubted the piercing power of his needle and silver threads. It could be said that this was his main trump card.


    So... the cascade of sparks flying off to the sides made his eyes go wide and his heart beat much faster in terror.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Nessa''s hands slowly clenched, shattering the silver threads one by one. Swirl should have torn her hands apart, as it had done to all opponents before.


    Despite this, Nessa''s hands were able to withstand this damage. New scratches kept appearing on her palms, and tiny pieces flew off her ws, but it wasn''t enough to do her really serious damage.


    "What? Something wrong? Didn''t expect to find someone to block your attack? You''re too arrogant and you don''t have a decent reason for it!" Nessa eximed furiously, clenching her palms together.


    Adam''s huge silver swirl, became smaller several times under Nessa''s pressure beforepletely disappearing between Nessa''s hands.


    All that remained of Adam''s powerful attack was a few silver threads flying before his eyes.


    ''Seriously? What the fuck just happened?'' Adam couldn''t believe what he was seeing. Before this, there wasn''t a single opponent who could destroy his Silver Swirl, it should be impossible for creatures of his level.


    "Stop looking at me like you''ve seen a ghost." Nessa snorted, "I warned you. Now, I''m stronger."


    Whoooooooosh.


    In a heartbeat, Nessa''s palm thrust into Adam''s stomach. It wasn''t a fist punch, her sharp ws, pierced his flesh like a deadly spear.


    "Argh!"


    Adam spat out a mouthful of blood that hit Nessa''s face once more.


    Nessa could have continued to attack, she only needed to deliver another simr strike to Adam''s throat, but... she didn''t.


    The reason wasn''t that Nessa wanted to spare him, no, it was just once Adam''s blood was in front of her lips, all her attention shifted to the so delicious crimson droplets.


    Whooooosh.


    Nessa, kicked Adam aside with her foot, as if afraid he would take away her opportunity to savor this treat. At that moment, Nessa was acting like a naughty child.


    Then, Nessa opened her mouth wide and devoured every drop.


    It didn''t have the same effect as before, but her eyes shed and she felt a slight surge of energy. It was hard topare it to anything else since Nessa was the only one who had gone through something like this.


    "Hmm... How strange... My body moved on its own..." Nessa muttered in confusion.


    Then, she turned around, looking at Adam who hadn''t yet gotten out of the debris, being deep in the wall.


    ''Anyway, we need to get this over with soon. I feel like I''m starting to get tired. After all, this transformation can''t go on indefinitely.'' Nessa slowly stepped forward, maintaining her seriousness.


    Streams of blood dripped from her palms, letting scarlet drops fall to the ground. Though her hands were able to destroy Adam''s Silver Swirl, she had taken damage. Hundreds of scratches and dozens of cuts covered her palms.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Nessa moved toward Adam, while two bloody trails remained behind her.


    If Silvana was worried about Adam, because no one had ever beaten him so easily, Magnus watched Nessa with genuine interest.


    ''I see... Now, after that move, I''m pretty sure it''s all about Adam''s blood.


    But... the thing is, is it Phantom''s blood, or is it his blood exactly? Nessa tried to hide it, but she''s clearly the type to fall for the strong one.'' Magnus pondered with a serious face.


    Who would win this fight didn''t interest him. What was really important to him was to figure out how to make Nessa go through such a transformation again - when the effect was gone.


    ''Hmm... Phantom blood... Maybe it can help others be hybrids like it did with Nessa?'' Magnus thought, tapping a finger on his cheek, his gaze deep, ''It could work. Though... Somehow I doubt it. Would it be that easy, someone would have already created a hybrid before me.''


    "Hey! You''re not going to stop them?!" Silvana eximed with a great frown, realizing that Nessa could have done critical damage to Adam.


    Magnus slowly shifted his gaze to her.


    "No. Why? It might be good for Adam to lose. It''s been pretty rare in his history, thest time was in Fall Hill Prison, right? Though... He was mentally overwhelmed when facing Thunder Demon the first time." Magnus shrugged nonchntly.


    "But!" Silvana eximed, only to see Magnus''s angry face.


    "Shut the fuck up." Magnus said menacingly, "Don''t forget where you are. Just keep watching."


    Silvana gulped. That was all she could reply.


    Step. Step. Step.


    "Hey, why don''t you say something? If you ask me nicely to stop, I''ll do it!" Nessa waved her hand.


    The next thing Nessa saw was a bright silver sh that appeared behind the cloud of smoke.


    Before she could react, Adam''s silver ws, came down on her face. Nessa instinctively grabbed his arm trying to loosen Adam''s grip, but...


    ''What...? Why can''t I get...?'' Nessa was baffled, ''Has he gotten stronger? How?!''


    Then, Nessa looked at Adam''s face and her eyes went wide.


    She seemed to see a reflection of her transformation, but it was worth remembering that she was the copy here, not the original. Her transformation was a copy of every Phantom''s stealthy trump card - Resonance.


    Thump. Thump. Thump.


    Nessa''s heart began to beat faster, gazing in awe at Adam''s swollen veins, showing that he was at the peak of his powers.


    "You''ve definitely reached the Top-3 level among Purple Threat level monsters, but... this is your maximum." Adam arrogantly said with a cold gaze before tossing Nessa aside like a projectile.


    Nessa instinctively did a somersault, carefully touching the wall with her feet rather than crashing into it. She didn''t take any damage.


    Bam.


    At the same time, a bolt of lightning shed towards her as five sharp silver ws sank into her stomach.


    "ARGH!!!" Nessa spat out a mouthful of blood.


    Her eyes reflected electric shocks as Adam grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the ground. Due to the force of the throw, Nessa bounced slightly off the ground with her face twisted in pain.


    Then, artlessly and roughly, Adam began, over and over, smashing Nessa''s head into the wall, each time shaking it.


    Nessa tried to fight back with her hands against the wall, but Adam was simply stronger.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Her muscles and instincts were formidable weapons, but what was the point of a sharp sword if it could be broken in a few powerful attacks?


    After ten or even fifteen shakes, Adam finally stopped, loosening his grip and releasing Nessa''s hair.


    With empty eyes, Nessa fell to the ground, only the slight rumble of debris breaking beneath her could be heard.

 Chapter 274: Why Am I Alive? (Part 1)

    An unknown amount of timeter, Nessa woke up. She slowly opened her eyes, looking around.


    Strangely enough, she was in a special room at the top of the Miracle Observatory, only Magnus had ess to this ce. Even Nessa couldn''te in here without his permission, though he trusted no one more than she did in this world.


    Well, it wasn''t about trust, it was about the fact that this was Magnus''s home. There was nothingb-rted here, just a simple house with stylish renovations.


    Although... an apartment like this, just because of its size and renovation, would have cost several million credits, maybe even more.


    From here, the panoramic windows overlook the entire Miracle Observatory, with the Third Ring on one side and the slums on the other.


    Nessa was often here, but she was always called up by Magnus. Anyway, at Miracle Observatory, she usually acted as his assistant, not his daughter, because none of the workers at Miracle Observatory knew about their real rtionship.


    Nessa also had her own apartment in the main building, one floor below Magnus''s. For the workers, these were their private offices.


    ''Oh... I haven''t been here for quite some time. Though he''s my father, I know rather little about him as a person, not as a mad scientist.'' Nessa muttered inwardly, looking over her body.


    The room was dimly lit, so Nessa got up and stood in front of a wide floor-to-ceiling mirror.


    She touched her hair, which was short again, back to its normal state as well as her eyes and nails. However, something remained - five round scars in the area of her stomach. It was the consequence of Adam''s silver ws digging into her.


    And...


    ''Hmm? Is it just me or have my muscles changed? Not that they''ve gotten bigger, they even seem to have gotten smaller, but it''s not just the size, is it?'' Nessa pondered baffled as she examined her body and especially her legs - the thigh muscles were thergest in the human body, so she was hoping to understand something through them.


    Nessa was right, muscle size wasn''t important, what mattered was also density, something she used as a hybrid, but there was another parameter affecting overall power - energy.


    Adam envied Nessa''s muscles for a reason. His instincts told him that she was superior to him in every parameter, well, except energy.


    Phantoms of different levels had varying strengths, and that applied not only to their abilities but also to their physical power.


    Someone like Tron would easily defeat Adam in hand-to-handbat because the difference in their physical strength was terrifying.


    However, this was not reflected in their physical appearance. In fact, Tron was thinner than Adam, his muscles were a little smaller, and even his face was paler and weaker, but... his gaze was different.


    It was all about energy. Nessa had energy too, but it was like her cells were asleep, at least until now.


    Her limit had been simple monsters of the Purple Threat Level for a long time, for a simple reason - her body had reached its limit.


    Magnus had guessed this, but he didn''t want to upset Nessa so that her morale wouldn''t drop. He hoped that in time she could get stronger, at least a few more % or another solution to their problem could be found.


    Well, thanks to Adam''s intervention, everything happened in a better scenario that Magnus hadn''t even thought of.


    Nessa had reached her limit, for her muscles could no longer get bigger or get even tighter, that was the maximum. In that case, there was only a third resource left, thanks to which the Phantom had incredible physical power - energy.


    It seemed that after transforming and fighting against Adam, the dormant energy inside her cells had awakened, allowing her to go to the next level.


    "Oh... I see..." Nessa muttered, slowly waving her hand in front of her.


    Then, she turned around, lifted her leg, and did a few quick kicks into the air. With each movement, there were light streams of wind and a corresponding whistle due to the high speed.


    "Agh...?" Nessa''s eyes went wide.


    "What? I''ve never been this fast and yet strong. I didn''t try at all, these are just basic attacks... Moreover, I just now realized that my body has be much lighter..." Nessa muttered puzzled, looking at her hands.


    "I guess that''s how newbie Phantoms feel... I can see it now. My muscles can''t get any bigger or tighter anymore, but it looks like the energy inside me is finally starting to work." Nessa whispered as she turned around, looking at herself in the mirror.


    For a few seconds, she saw a slightly different version of herself in the reflection - the form she had fought against Adam in, with long hair and amber eyes.


    ''Well... That makes sense, doesn''t it?


    All this time, I had energy inside me, it was feeding my muscles, and that''s why I could fight against such strong monsters. But for such a change to happen, the energy had to be activated.'' Nessa pondered as her gaze became more serious.


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    Although, she didn''t possess such a sharp mind as Magnus, but besides Magnus, she was second in knowledge about hybrids.


    Moreover, in nine years, she had learned enough from Magnus to be a scientist who would be given her department.


    Nessa realized that though all of this was a good development, there was one problem that immediately came to her mind.


    Nessa bit her lip, clenching her fist tightly.


    "My cells are human and monster ones, the exact proportions can no longer be determined because they have be a whole unit, that''s why I''m a hybrid. But... This energy that allowed me to transform, does ite from all of my cells or just the monster''s ones?" Nessa frowned before getting dressed and leaving the room.


    Step. Step. Step.


    She walked confidently forward until she was in front of the entrance to Magnus''s room.


    Nessa took a deep breath, about to knock on his door and ask for permission to enter. It didn''t matter if she was a hybrid or a little girl, she would always act obedient and humble in front of Magnus.


    "Come in."


    A calm voice came from the room. Magnus had already seen her through the cameras.


    Nessa nodded, opening the door.


    Magnus sat in arge chair in front of a set of screens that showed Nessa, all the biological data on her, and a recent scan of her body after a series of battles.


    "Judging by the look in your eyes, you''ve already realized that the ability to transform isn''t the only thing you got after defeat, haven''t you?" Magnus cast a nce at Nessa.


    He had a cup of coffee on the table, long since cooled, and a few cookies, one of which Magnus was currently eating.


    Nessa nodded.


    "Yeah, and as I see you''ve already had time to run tests. But, before you tell me what happened to me, I want to know something else." Nessa''s look became more serious as she lifted her shirt revealing the scars.


    Nessa gritted her teeth.


    "Father, why did you leave them? We left our scars because they are special, but I don''t want to remember those scars! This defeat was shameful, and Adam Vinter is a bastard! I will have nightmares about his gaze for a long time toe!" Nessa waved her hand in a fury.


    Magnus stared at her for a long moment, then he nodded.


    "Well, when you hear what happened afterward, you''ll change your mind."


    "Agh...?"

 Chapter 275: Why Am I Alive? (Part 2)

    It was about twelve hours before Nessa woke up on top of the Miracle Observatory:


    "Grh..." Adam exhaled the hot vapor slowly drifting in front of him.


    For a moment, Adam lost his bnce, his legs struggling to hold him up, but soon he was able to recover and stand up confidently.


    At the same time, the swollen veins spreading throughout his body were quickly calming down, returning to normal.


    "Damn... I probably shouldn''t feel so relieved, considering what I did, but..." Adam muttered, looking at Nessa lying on the ground, "It''s already happened."


    Slowly, Nessa''s hair shortened, as did her nails and veins. They were bothpletely exhausted, but Adam was conscious, while Nessa would need serious treatment toe to her senses soon.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Silvana came downstairs, quickly running up to Adam. Although she no longer let her anxiety interfere with their missions, she was still worried about him, especially when he was badly injured.


    "Adam... are you okay? When Nessa''s foot came down on your head, I thought you would need to spend weeks in the medical department again." Silvana said with a serious stare, yet she clenched her fists tightly, keeping her emotions.


    "Yeah... Something like that." Adam nodded with a bitter smile, "That''s when I actually got scared, though. If you don''t count Thunder Demon, Nessa was the strongest one I fought."


    Adam nced at Nessa, then his gaze grew darker.


    "That said... It wasn''t my hardest fight. Even though she''s stronger than Steel Knight, I didn''t feel like our fight mattered to me." Adam frowned slightly.


    Nessa was a hybrid, but fighting against her was like fighting against a Crown Monster. It was harder than against North Keeper, but it certainly couldn''tpare to Thunder Demon.


    "You''re absolutely right."


    Magnus''s authority voice suddenly rang out. Unlike Silvana who hurriedly came to Adam, Magnus was pacing slowly and serenely.


    "Hmm?" Adam raised an eyebrow with interest.


    "If in your fight against Thunder Demon, you were the protagonist, then here, the role of the protagonist was Nessa''s. You could say that for her, you were the Thunder Demon who allowed her to be stronger. The only difference is that she lost." Magnus shrugged nonchntly.


    He knew how to use this situation to his advantage, whether Nessa would win or lose, he could find the right words for each option.


    "Well, I guess you''re right. In this fight, I just quenched my desire for battle. It was a useful experience though. When Nessa gets even stronger, we''ll need to fight again." Adam smirked, looking at his wounds.


    He hadn''t gained any new abilities or any growth in his Evolution Tree after his victory, but, it had been a valuable experience that mighte in handy in the future. Nessa was the first opponent who was so vastly superior to him physically.


    "But, Magnus, never forget something." Adam said seriously.


    Magnus raised an eyebrow in puzzlement.


    Adam smiled broadly, poking himself in the chest.


    "In my story, I''m the main character. If I am not there, then I can''t see my story continue. So there can be no one more important than me from my point of view." Adam''s eyes sparkled with obvious enthusiasm.


    Silvana''s mouth opened slightly as her cheeks flushed. Never before had she seen such a bright, almost blinding confidence emanating from Adam.


    "Hahahahahahahahahaha!" Magnusughed evilly, keeping his hands in the pockets of his crimson coat.


    "Well... You''re right to an extent, but it just shows that there''s quite a bit of narcissism and selfishness in you because you''re not joking, you''re serious." Magnus smirked slyly, "Hah, I''m not judging though, because I''m the same type."


    Then, Magnus walked over to Nessa, rolled her over onto her back, and gently caressed her cheek.


    "If I wasn''t a selfish man pursuing my own goals, she would never havee into this world. Who knows what would be with me now if it weren''t for this beautiful miracle - the only creature I care about." Magnus uttered earnestly.


    Nessa had never heard him say such words, for despite his personality, Magnus was a bit embarrassed about such things. However... Silvana was ready.


    All the while, she was recording Magnus''s voice with her phone in her pocket.


    Soon, when Nessa woke up, she would have that recording and it would be the best gift of all for her.


    "Mr. Magnus, do you think Nessa can get even stronger?" Silvana asked.


    Magnus nodded, throwing Nessa onto her back.


    "Yeah. Apparently, after the transformation, the energy in her cells went from inactive to active mode. You can''t use a muscle to grow your nails, or hair, or change your eye color and pupil in an instant. However, energy is quite capable of it. Come on, follow me. Adam''s hurt, too." Magnus waved his hand, stepping forward at a leisurely pace.


    Adam and Silvana looked over at each other.


    "Do you need help?" Silvana asked uncertainly.


    Adam nced at Magnus, then at Silvana, and nodded with a slight smile on his face.


    "Yeah, that would be good." Adam nodded, allowing Silvana to throw his arm over her shoulder.


    In fact, Adam could easily go after Magnus himself, but it wasn''t about making the way easier, it was about epting Silvana''s offer and not turning her down when she wanted to help.


    Many people were not capable of learning this simple art even in decades. Sometimes, it was necessary to ept help from others to improve the overall situation.


    ...


    Nessa was floating in a special pod with a red liquid. It was different from all the others that were in the Miracle Observatory. Magnus had created this pod specifically to treat Nessa, in a few hours there would be no trace of her wounds.


    Adam was also healed, but he had alreadye out of a simple pod that cured all of his wounds except for the most serious one, a long cut on his left arm.


    It was left after Snow Follower''s katana, cut through his silver ws, nearly severing his arm, the de going deep into the flesh.


    "Hey, are you sure you want to keep that scar? Nessa''s ws that pierced your stomach won''t leave a mark, the wounds are too small, but this cut is really big." Magnus asked nonchntly, keeping an eye on Nessa''s condition. Find adventures at m_v l|e-NovelBin


    Adam nodded.


    "Yeah, in the end, this fight was unique, though I wasn''t the one who got any benefits from it. That scar is the only thing I have left from the fight." Adam said looking at his left arm.


    Magnus shrugged his shoulders.


    "Suit yourself. Before you go, I have to warn you about something." Magnus said seriously, narrowing his eyes.


    Adam gulped.


    "You came here, sessfully healed your arm using my method, and left with a happy smile on your face. Nothing else happened here, is that clear to you? Not Red Feast, not the battle against Nessa, not the fact that she''s a hybrid. None of that you know." Magnus said threateningly.


    Adam smiled bitterly.


    "Sure, just let me know when she wants a rematch. I''ll be ready." Adam waved his hand heading for the exit.


    Magnus turned around:


    "What are you going to do next?"


    Adam looked up, closed his eyes, and stood before his Evolution Tree, his gaze traveling down to Lock, with three keyholes.


    "Well, it''s time to get thestponent for my First Key."

 Chapter 276: Midnight Crystal (Part 1)

    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam, walked slowly out of Miracle Observatory, walking down the only safe street in the slums, for Miracle Observatory had its area in the slums and was close to Third Ring.


    They walked in silence for a while until they reached the entrance to the Third Ring, where the city''s nightlife began.


    "Silvana, you haven''t wanted to tell me about this for a long time. Well, it''s been quite some time since I became K1-Phantom. However, I don''t regret dying, I''ve gone through a lot of events, but I''m strong enough to go on now."


    Adam looked up at the starry night sky, where the brightest star was missing, for it had fallen long ago putting a beginning and an end.


    "Tell me what Midnight Crystal is." Adam said calmly.


    To create the First Key and open a third of his Lock, Adam needed to fulfill three conditions:


    [To create the Key you need the following things:


    1) 10,000 Neutral Genes - for the shape.


    2) Ten First-Rarity Level Artefacts - for the key.


    3) Midnight Crystal - for a motion]


    The first two conditions Adam had already fulfilled quite a while ago, though collecting genes or artifacts was not difficult for a K1-Phantom who had been in Dead Lands for a long time. It was only a matter of time before Phantom gathered all the materials.


    However... Midnight Crystal was different. Silvana hadn''t told Adam about it yet, he hadn''t rushed her, as he always had other more important tasks to aplish. Adam wanted to be fully prepared to move to the next level and right now he was at his limit.


    Silvana turned to the side, it was obvious that she was thinking about something. Soon, she was getting nervous, and about to start biting her nails.


    Tap.


    Adam appeared in front of her, gently taking her hand, stopping her at thest moment from repeating her bad habit.


    "Hey, is something wrong? As soon as we left Miracle Observatory, you didn''t say a word. I thought you were just ncing around, but it looks like you were thinking about something." Adam smirked slightly.


    Silvana shook her head.


    "Nothing like that, I was just pondering about what happened. I''m sorry, I''m not feeling very well, let me tell you about Midnight Crystal tomorrow, okay?" Silvana said seriously.


    Adam had nothing left to do but nod.


    ...


    After a while, they parted at a corner, Silvana headed towards her home, while Adam watched her departing silhouette with a deep look.


    ''Well... You lied to me, but why? Something''s bothering you and it clearly has nothing to do with Midnight Crystal. Agh... I hope I don''t have to go to Tron again, I take his rtionship advice far too often.'' Adam inwardly sighed scratching the back of his head.


    ...


    At the same time, Nessa woke up and came into Magnus''s room.


    "So... He decided to leave that scar?" Nessa muttered puzzled, rubbing her arm.


    Magnus nodded.


    "Can''t say I don''t understand that symbolism, but it wasn''t necessary. It''s more of a whim of his than anything really important. But, I decided to tell you first. I''ll have no trouble removing that scar from your belly, but you can never get a disappearing scar back, it only works one way." Magnus narrowed his eyes, curiously awaiting Nessa''s response.


    Magnus wasn''t a warrior, but he knew better than most that it wasn''t only warriors who could have scars.


    He had experienced it, having been the father of the only hybrid in the world that had tried to kill him many times.


    "I see... No, I''m not going to do as you said, but I''m also not going to follow Adam''s wishes." Nessa said confidently, clenching her fist tightly.


    "Hmm?" Magnus raised an eyebrow with curiosity in his gaze.


    Nessa looked at the charms on her stomach and said:


    "I''ll leave this scar, temporarily. When I am getting stronger, I will give him a rematch and I will defeat him. Then, I will remove this scar." Nessa said seriously, not allowing anyone to interfere with her decision.


    Magnus smirked slightly.


    "Good choice."


    Magnus nodded, then he pointed to the screens, "After the battle, your cells were more active than ever. This has never happened before. You''re stronger now, but I don''t think you''ll be able to use this transformation freely, at will."


    Nessa looked intently at Magnus, and at the screens where there was all the information about her as well as a 3D model of her body.


    "Because the source of this transformation is the same as Phantom Resonance, right?" Nessa asked. In fact, it was a rhetorical question.


    "Exactly." Magnus said thoughtfully, looking at the screens with a deep gaze.


    Magnus continued:


    "However, in our case, it was the catalyst for your growth. I have a hunch that you are now at the first level."


    Nessa tilted her head in confusion.


    "I''m at the first level? What does that mean?"


    Nessa realized that she was now much stronger than before. She had been at the first level nine years ago when she became a hybrid. Magnus''s metaphor puzzled her.


    "It means that new possibilities have opened up for you now. You can be stronger than ever before. I''m sure you''ll surpass K1-Level in less than a couple of months." Magnus said seriously, tapping his finger slowly on the table.


    Nessa''s eyes went wide, shining brightly with admiration, for this could only mean one thing - she was about to be stronger than Adam.


    "Nice! I could beat him very soon! Our rematch wille in the near future!" Nessa eximed vigorously, ready to rush into battle right now.


    However... Magnus shook his head, showing her that it was impossible.


    "Nessa, it''s not that simple. Adam is already at his peak, he only has onest action left before he bes a K2-Phantom. And..."


    Magnus paused for a long moment, causing the tension inside Nessa to rise rapidly.


    "The difference in power between you two will be even greater than it is now.


    Although it''s entirely possible he won''t return from Dead Lands. Getting the Midnight Crystal is one hell of a challenge." Magnus frowned. It seemed he didn''t want Adam to die.


    After the incident with Nessa''s transformation, Magnus started to feel differently about Adam, because there was some kind of connection between him and Nessa. If Adam died, it would deprive Magnus of valuable experiments.


    Nessa frowned, clenching her fists tightly.


    "What? Father, what are you talking about? Most Phantoms aspire to be K2, much faster than Adam. He could have done it even two months ago, after defeating Steel Knight, because back then he already had everything but Midnight Crystal."


    Magnus sighed heavily, leaning on his hand with a bored look.


    "Yeah... However, don''t forget that the death rate is 25%. Sure, the statistics are skewed, because instead of preparing properly and unleashing their full K1 potential, they''re rushing around in pursuit of strength. But, that''s if we''re talking about Artificialborn Phantoms." A sharp glint passed across Magnus''s serious eyes.


    Nessa flinched, realizing what Magnus was talking about, for she knew a lot about Midnight Crystal.


    Then, Nessa looked at the screens and said, switching to another topic:


    "And... Still, I don''t understand. Why did he choose to protect me and moreover, why did he spare me? That guy, I think his name was Kai, he begged Adam, but Adam just turned away like he was an independent spectator." Nessa bit her lip.


    It annoyed her that despite her power, it was Adam who was deciding her fate. If Adam had wanted to kill her, he would have done it. Moreover, he could just stay out of her fight, and then Snow Follower would finish her off.


    "Maybe he fell in love with you?" Magnus nonchntly said.


    "Agh...?" Nessa''s eyes went wide. She wasn''t sure she''d heard Magnus''s words correctly, but soon her mind was filled with just thinking about it.


    Soon, Nessa blushed and waved her hand like a teenager rather than a grown girl.


    "Don''t talk such nonsense! As far as I know, he has a girlfriend! Moreover, love shouldn''t look like that! He''s just a psycho who wanted to enjoy a fight!" Nessa eximed, disagreeing with Magnus.


    Magnus raised an eyebrow.


    "Girlfriend"?


    Yeah, he seems to be dating Jena, a doctor from some department, but... He doesn''t seem to be interested in that much. Dead Lands and the path to power appeal to him a lot more. However, maybe because he hasn''t had the right partner?"


    Nessa sighed heavily as she ced her hands at her sides and red menacingly at Magnus.


    "Do you care or are you just teasing me? What''s more, he and Silvana may be a couple at some point." Nessa mumbled slightly shyly.


    "Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!" Magnusughed vigorously, he couldn''t help himself.


    Nessa felt even more awkward than before.


    "W-What? Although it rarely happens, but some Phantoms and Operators do meet!" Nessa got angry.


    "Hahaha, sorry, it''s just that your naivety amazes me." Magnus chuckled, then he stopped and slowly directed his gaze towards Nessa.


    His eyes grew colder.


    "Their rtionship has already gone to another level. That doesn''t mean they won''t have problems, but lust has no ce in the rtionship between Phantom and Operator. Death, life, and power, that''s what really matters." Magnus shrugged, nting his feet on the table.


    Before Nessa could say anything, Magnus waved his hand carelessly.


    "That''s it for now. We''ll start training tomorrow. I''ll try toe up with something effective. We need to test the limit of your abilities."


    ...


    At that time, deep into the night, Silvana stood in front of the door, but... it wasn''t her apartment. Adam hade here once before.


    Silvana knocked several times, clearly nervous. Then, someone finally opened the door.


    "Come on... Looks like I need to start charging you... You think I''m a psychologist?" Tron rolled his eyes, being sleepy.


    "Can Ie in?" Silvana asked with a confident look.


    Tron shrugged.


    "Judging by your eyes, that''s a rhetorical question." Tron shook his head, letting Silvana inside.

 Chapter 277: Midnight Crystal (Part 2)

    Tron put his feet up on the table and crossed his arms over his chest, staring at the ceiling. Silvana had been sitting across from him for some time now, but she hadn''t said anything yet.


    Last time, Adam had been in Silvana''s seat, but Riska had also been here then. Now it was the middle of the night so Riska was at her home.


    Lovers or husband and wife might have lived together, but Phantoms and Operators rarely did something like this. Only on rare asions to improve their rtionship if there was a drastic need.


    "So... While I''m still sleepy and not starting to get angry for you disturbing my sleep... What exactly is bothering you, Adam''s Operator." Tron said calmly, slowly shifting his gaze from the ceiling to Silvana.


    Tron purposely didn''t call her by name, emphasizing her position in this world. He realized that if Silvana hade here, she could only have one reason for doing so.


    "What should I do if I''m jealous?" Silvana asked, with the most serious look possible. She clutched her knees, staring at Tron.


    Tron looked rxed and unconcerned. He was uninterested in this conversation. It seemed that help from him was useless.


    "I see... Some girl surpasses you and, even though you realize there''s nothing to worry about, your mind won''t listen to you and envy eats you from the inside out. Did I say that right?" Tron said slowly, looking up.


    Silvana nodded, clearly surprised. Tron understood the nature of her problem immediately, even though she hadn''t had a chance to exin anything yet.


    "Yes... How did you figure that out?" Silvana asked, puzzled. Continue your journey on m|v-l''e -NovelBin


    Tron shrugged his shoulders.


    "It''s clear from the look in your eyes. You wouldn''t havee to me with any other advice. If this is about your rtionship with you and Adam, then it may well be about another woman."


    Silvana gulped.


    "It''s just... I''m not going to be Adam''s girlfriend, after all, I''m an Operator and he''s a Phantom. I''ve never had any sexual desires for him, nor lust. So... Why am I starting to feel jealous of another woman, is it because of Adam? Or is it because I feel weaker?"


    Tron rolled his eyes, it seemed that he hadn''t expected Silvana toe to him with something so trivial.


    "Damn, you and Adam, you''re still kids, though... he''s gotten a lot older morally in thest few months, now he''s more mature than you in that regard."


    Tron said in a low voice leaning forward and cing his fingertips against each other.


    "Agh...?"


    Tron sighed heavily.


    "Apparently this woman is physically superior to you, isn''t she? I doubt you think any girl is smarter than you." Tron said, pointing out Silvana''s arrogance which she carefully tried to hide.


    Anyway, Silvana was a really smart girl. She may not have been the morally toughest and she may not have been as cunning as Louis, but Silvana was clearly confident in her intelligence.


    Silvana clenched her teeth tightly, nodding slightly.


    "Yes, it is."


    She couldn''t say who it was, for Magnus had forbidden them to talk about Nessa. However, even without his ban, Silvana would not reveal such information.


    "And from the looks of it, you just don''t stand a chance of beating her." Tron suggested. He thought it was about some Phantom girl who was paying attention to Adam.


    It wasn''t strange, since most Phantoms dated other Phantoms, not ordinary people.


    Thus, Tron assumed that Silvana was worried because of her jealousy, although there was no reason to worry. No one but her could be Adam''s Operator, for their rtionship was already too strong.


    "Sure... That... That''s just impossible." Silvana said sincerely. Nessa''s silhouette appeared in her mind.


    Silvana continued:


    "I just don''t understand why I feel jealous. I mean, I can never be that strong, so what''s the point of worrying about it? However, my mind isn''t listening to me."


    Tron nodded slowly.


    "Yeah, because you''re not confident in yourself."


    "What? I''m not confident in myself?!" Silvana eximed in disbelief.


    Tron smirked slightly.


    "A confident person won''t let his mind waste time on such a thing as envy.


    Well, envy can be useful, but it''s not called envy, it''s called a desire to be better. If you''re insecure, then you should deal with it like Adam did." Tron uttered as a sharp glint passed over his eyes.


    Silvana frowned.


    "What? You know about what happened at Alienated Rocks?"


    Then, Silvana''s eyes went wide when she realized something.


    "Right... He must have done it so quickly and easily, without permits or paperwork with the help of you and Riska. I see..."


    Tron shrugged. Silvana hadn''t realized that Adam had recently sat on the same couch that she was now, but it didn''t matter.


    "But... I can''t take him away to Dead Lands and harshly remind us of our ces. That strategy won''t work in my case."


    "Well, you just need to regain your confidence. Though this method won''t guarantee sess, I suggest you just go back to doing what you do best." Tron waved his hand carelessly.


    "Agh? What am I best at?" Silvana tilted her head in a puzzled manner.


    Tron nodded.


    "Be an Operator." Tron said calmly, in a tone as if those were his final words.


    However, Tron didn''t make a mistake with his choice of intonation.


    It was enough for Silvana to understand.


    Silvana stood up and bowed low.


    "Thank you very much!"


    Tron only nced at her before pointing to the door.


    ...


    Tron hadn''t revealed some incredible secret to her, for it was quite simple.


    Silvana hadn''t acted like an Operator to her fullest potential for some time now, given the overall length of their rtionship.


    During the battle against Thunder Demon, Silvana had been worrying too much and had only created panic. Before that, Silvana hadn''t seen Adam for a while, because he was in Fall Hill Prison. Then, after all these events, it was Miracle Observatory''s turn.


    Anyway, Silvana just couldn''t act like a normal Operator. There was some kind of problem every time.


    "However, everything is back to normal now!" Silvana clenched her fist tightly, with mes in her eyes. To see such emotion on her face was indeed a rare sight.


    Silvana missed being a normal Operator, preparing missions, gathering information, and briefing Adam.


    It would be enough for Silvana to run one mission like they had done before. Moreover, she had the perfect opportunity for that - Midnight Crystal!


    Then, gradually the mes in Silvana''s eyes calmed down as she looked up at the starry sky covering the entire Citadel.


    "You''ll have to go to the Dead Lands one of the next nights because you won''t be able to be stronger in the daylight. Adam, you''re a Naturalborn Phantom, so... something will probably happen again this time." Silvana smiled bitterly.


    "Well, I''m ready for it."


    ...


    The next morning, after a long sleep and a good breakfast, Adam left the house. It was muchter than usual, about an hour or so.


    As he left the house, Adam noticed someone standing at the front gate, obviously waiting for one of his family. When Adam opened the gate, his eyes went wide.


    ''What...?'' Adam muttered in confusion, his gaze meeting Katrin''s, who was frowning heavily.

 Chapter 278: Midnight Crystal (Part 3)

    Adam looked baffled at the medium-height girl with shoulder-length gray hair and a cold, perpetually disgruntled gaze.


    The first time they met was quite a long time ago when they were caught in a spatial anomaly and found themselves in a distant, snowy region.


    After that, they were once on a joint mission that ended in tragedy... Still, they saw each other from time to time and were friends to some extent.


    "Hey, didn''t expect to see you here. Did you want something? I haven''t seen any messages from you." Adam said with a slightly awkward expression on his face.


    He thought that Katrin wanted to meet him, but he hadn''t noticed any messages from her. Yesterday, he had some pretty important things to do.


    "I didn''t text you." Katrin said irritably, "I would have to write to your official ount, so... Silvana would have seen those messages."


    Adam tilted his head puzzled. He understood what Katrin was talking about, but she could have just written to his personal ount, the way all peoplemunicated.


    However... There could only be one exnation for her actions. If she couldn''t write to Adam''s personal ount, then she wanted to offer him to go on some kind of mission. ording to the rules, Phantoms were supposed to write such offers to the official ounts of other Phantoms.


    This was done for security purposes, quickmunication, getting easy approval from the missions department, and so on.


    Usually, though, the Phantoms forgot about this and made things official after talking to their Operators.


    Thus, Katrin hade here because she didn''t want anyone other than Adam to know about her request. To her, it was something shameful.


    "Agh... I''ve been waiting for you for hours. What the fuck are you doing sleeping for so long?" Katrin snorted irritably.


    Adam scratched the back of his head puzzled. He had only just woken up, but someone had already managed to take offense at him. This was putting him in a difficult position.


    Realizing that Adam didn''t know what to say, Katrin sighed heavily and casting a deep look at him, said:


    "Are you busy? There''s something I need to talk to you about. It''s very important." Katrin uttered, biting her lip.


    Adam''s expression changed as she slowly shook her head.


    "Nah, I was going to discuss something with Silvana, but it''s not urgent. I''m willing to hear you out." Adam said while simultaneously texting Silvana that he would bete.


    "Good. Let''s go to some cafe, preferably in some quiet neighborhood."


    ...


    Twenty minutester, Adam and Katrin were sitting across from each other, in the very corner of a half-empty cafe. It was early morning now, so most people were at work, and the Phantoms were on missions or training.


    "So..." Adam decided to begin, trying to break the wall of silence that radiated only awkwardness.


    "Adam." Katrin beat him to it, folding her hands together with a serious stare, "We''ve worked together a few times, so you know my abilities and also that I don''t quite like them."


    "Hmm?" Adam tilted his head in confusion.


    ''She doesn''t like her abilities? What does that mean?''


    Katrin rolled her eyes as if reading Adam''s thoughts.


    "I knew you wouldn''t understand me. Look, you remember when we ended up in Deste Forest, right?"


    Adam looked away trying to recall the event in detail. Back then, they were fighting against strong monsters in the far area - Deste Forest, saved by the fact that Damien hade to them in time.


    "Yeah... Your abilities were quite useful. Your roots were able to slow down monsters, and your seeds can make your mates stronger, can''t they?" Adam asked with a slight wave of his hand.


    Katrin smiled slightly as she nodded.


    "You said it right, although my abilities are useful, I don''t like them." Katrin crossed her arms over her chest unhappily, leaning back in her seat.


    "It''s like...?" Adam lost the gist of the conversation again.


    "Tsk! Because my powers make me support! I''m like an NPC from a game whose main purpose is to help cool guys like you!" Katrin eximed, pointing at Adam as if he was the cause of her problems.


    Adam blinked a few times as his pupils went wide. He finally realized what Katrin had been talking about all this time.


    "But, what''s wrong with that? I can''t say that holding off monsters and helping your mates fight makes you a bad Phantom. On the contrary, if I were the leader I would make sure that my squad would have as many Phantoms like you as possible." Adam said confidently.


    Silvana was exining to him that not all Phantoms were the same. She wasn''t just talking about abilities, but also roles. Some could withstand damage well, some were fast and could do critical injury to monsters, and some could help and heal others.


    Adam realized that a good squad needed bnce, and it didn''t make sense that all Phantoms could only kill monsters. Phantoms like Katrin were needed for bnce.


    However... did Katrin herself agree with this?


    "God, you''re so stupid! I can''t believe it!" Katrin rolled her eyes, "I don''t want to be the support. I want to be strong! I want to kill monsters with my own hands! I want power! I want people to help me, not me!


    You understand?"


    Katrin practically screamed as her face turned redder. Eventually, she calmed down and turned away with a slightly guilty look.


    If it had been anyone else, Adam would have been angry or demanded an apology, but in Katrin''s case, he realized that there was no need. She had aplicated temper.


    "I see... But, what does this have to do with me? You want me to train you?" Adam asked, scratching his cheek.


    Recently, Katrin had be much stronger and more experienced. When she was at the party after Fall Hill Prison, she had already be a K1-Phantom. However, Adam was clearly much stronger.


    "Nah, no amount of training is going to make me someone as strong as you. No matter how hard I try, my abilities won''t allow me to defeat Thunder Demon or North Keeper like you or Alexia did." Katrin muttered.


    Then, she looked intently at Adam and said:


    "I want you to help me change my Initial Gene." Katrin said seriously.


    Adam''s eyes went wide. He knew that such a thing was possible, but he had never been interested in the details because he waspletely satisfied with his Initial Gene.


    However, it was not an easy process and Katrin knew that better than most.


    "Well, I don''t mind, but I don''t know much about it and why did you decide to choose me?" Adam swung his arm slightly.


    Katrin bit her lip, she didn''t want to say it.


    "Because you''re the strongest K1-Phantom I know. Well, there''s also Alexia, but I''m scared to go out with her in Dead Lands. She does what she wants." Katrin inhaled heavily. It looked like they''d been on a joint mission once since the party.


    Adam nodded.


    ''K1-Phantom, is that one of the conditions, or does she just not have any stronger Phantoms from the people she knows?'' Adam thought for a moment.


    Then, he asked:


    "So, which monster gene do you want to get? It seems like you''ve already made up your mind."


    "Sure." Katrin smirked as she clicked on her NEP. A hologram of the monster appeared above the screen, making Adam''s eyes go wide.


    [Elemental Scarlet Pyromancer, Purple Threat Level, Red Book, Top-8]

 Chapter 279: Midnight Crystal (Part 4)

    Adam didn''t have the goal of meeting or killing every monster of the Top-10, at Purple Threat Level, but by following the sequence of events he had already met almost every one of the strongest monsters.


    However, the two monsters from the Top-10 were still a mystery to him. Or rather... that was the case until now.


    Now that Adam had seen the Top-8 monster, Scarlet Pyromancer, albeit as a hologram, there was only one monster that Adam knew nothing about - Top-1.


    Sure, he could find out a lot about Top-1 if he wanted to, Adam could ask Silvana to tell him or he could go to the mission department database himself.


    However, Adam simply didn''t have that need. He couldn''t focus his attention only on this target, for there were other, more important tasks at all times.


    "Essence Scarlet Pyromancer..." Adam muttered looking at the hologram of the huge monster.


    Scarlet Pyromancer was a massive beetle with dark red armor and a longhorn covered in streams of me. Its four eyes were hidden beneath protective tes as were its broad wings, held back by thick, imprable armor.


    Scarlet Pyromancer had six paws, each with unusual petals that emitted particles of me. If desired, Scarlet Pyromancer could create as much fire and concentration as he wanted.


    Unlike most monsters, Scarlet Pyromancer didn''t have a powerful jaw, but it had two fat nds near its mouth that shone brightly as if they containedva inside.


    "Now this is the first time I''ve seen this monster, but from the looks of it, like all Essence Monsters, it has enormous firepower." Adam concluded, casting a nce at Katrin to make sure of his theory.


    Katrin smirked contentedly, crossing her arms over her chest.


    "Exactly. It''s a perfect match! Among the Top-10 of the Purple Threat Level, there are only two Essence Monsters." Katrin said, looking at the hologram with sparkling eyes, "Thunder Demon is too strong, but... Scarlet Pyromancer is a great option."


    Then, Katrin clenched her fist with a great frown.


    "I''m sick of helping everyone.


    I''m sick of my powers. I''m sick of these roots and everything to do with wood and healing!" Katrin snorted irritably, "I want to kill and burn! I will force others to help me and lead them on the path of victory, shining brightly with my me!"


    Adam with a slight smile on his face, silently listened to Katrin''s fiery speech.


    He couldn''t fully understand her feelings, but Adam knew that Katrin was power-hungry. She wanted to be a leader, a light to others, but her Initial Gene was constantly holding her back.


    "I see. In that case, the me monster is a really good option. However, if you want me to help you, you''ll have to tell me the process. I don''t know how it all works." Adam said with a slight wave of his hand.


    Adam didn''t want to argue with Katrin, but he didn''t even realize how it was possible. More specifically, Adam didn''t expect that it was possible to rece one''s Initial Gene with the gene of a monster as powerful as Scarlet Pyromancer.


    Most Phantoms got their Initial Gene from White Threat Level monsters, in rare cases it was a Green Threat Level monster.


    This was usually the case with Naturalborn Phantoms, as the government and military only prepared White Threat Level monsters for new Phantoms. It was too dangerous for both the military and the rookie Phantom to contain the stronger monsters.


    Katrin nodded.


    "Sure. As you know, the Initial Gene is the center of everything. Without the Initial Gene, there would be no Evolution Tree, no abilities, no Nexus, or even artifacts, because our bodies wouldn''t be able to receive them without power." Katrin proceeded to exin.


    Adam listened to her intently. He would be sure to ask Silvana about it again, but Katrin''s story was more useful, for she was about to go through this and thus she was already prepared.


    "Obviously, something as powerful as the Initial Gene can''t just be reced like a puzzle in a painting or a gear in a watch. Adam, do you know what would happen if Phantom lost his Initial Gene?" Katrin asked with a serious expression.


    Adam tilted his head, puzzled. It was clear from his nk stare that he''d never really pondered it.


    "Agh. Just as I thought." Katrin shook her head, "Look, there are only two ways to lose your Initial Gene." Katrin said pointing two fingers.


    "First: Phantom wanted it himself and removed his Initial Gene. Second: In rare cases due to an overload of energy. This can happen either due to the wrong artifact or in trying to take too much damage. However, this is extremely rare, as Phantom will die much faster than his Initial Gene overloading due to some incident."


    Adam gulped.


    "And...? What happens if Phantom loses his Initial Gene?"


    Katrin''s gaze deepened.


    "In the second option, the Initial Gene will explode due to an overload of energy. Naturally, the same thing would happen to Phantom and his body. An explosion of such power would destroy everything around it, leaving no chance of survival not only for Phantom but for every living creature in the vicinity."


    Adam''s gaze headed downward, bing much deeper. It was quite possibly the worst death for Phantom, for there was nobody left and Phantom could kill his mates with his death.


    Sure, it was very rare and needed special conditions to happen, but Citadel had seen enough of these precedents.


    "But... I guess it''s not so bad in the first option, since that''s what you''re going to do, isn''t it?" Adam suggested, looking intently at Katrin.


    Katrin shrugged.


    "Like I have a choice. If Phantom removes his Initial Gene, it literally starts the countdown to Phantom''s death." Katrin smirked, but her smile was bitter and heavy.


    "Without the Initial Gene, the Evolution Tree will start releasing all the energy outward. And... The most important thing here is to hit the timings." Katrin muttered.


    "Hmm?" Adam tilted his head in confusion, "Timings?"


    Katrin nodded.


    "Each Phantom has a different timing, but on average, death by exhaustion urs seven minutes after losing the Initial Gene. But, those seven minutes don''t go the same way. In the first five minutes, you''re not just at the peak of your powers, because of the massive amount of energy leaving the Evolution Tree, it''s like you''re constantly in a state of Resonance."


    "I see... Thanks to that, you take one step forward. In that case, if you enter Resonance, you can reach an impossible level, like a self-sacrifice spell." Adam suggested.


    Katrin nodded as she continued:


    "When the five minutes are up, meaning Evolution Tree is almost empty, the Phantom''s power will be greatly reduced. If that were to happen to you, you would return to K0-level in strength. And... After a minute and fifty seconds, thest ten seconds of these seven minutes will begin."


    Adam listened to Katrin''s every word with interest.


    She clenched her fists tightly, preparing to speak:


    "By this point, there will be no more energy left in the Evolution Tree and then it will begin to drain the life force from the Phantom''s body in an attempt to fill the void. Then, Phantom dies."


    Adam nodded deeply, looked up for a while, and then shifted his gaze to Katrin.


    "I see... so best to get everything done in the first five minutes."


    Katrin sighed.


    "Yeah, but that''s not all. I''ve told you how the process of removing the old Initial Gene is done. However, there are conditions that need to be met to be able to get and insert the new Initial Gene. Listen to me carefully."

 Chapter 280: Midnight Crystal (Part 5)

    Phantom was in a difficult situation if he dared to remove his Initial Gene from the Evolution Tree, literally starting the seven-minute countdown to his death.


    However, there was one way to avoid death: get a new Initial Gene. But Phantom could not insert any Initial Gene into his Evolution Tree, certain rules had to be followed, both in the process and during the battle.


    "First of all, Phantom cannot absorb the gene of a stronger monster than himself." Katrin began pointing one finger, "That means that I, as a K1-Phantom, can absorb the genes of any Purple Threat monster and anyone weaker."


    Adam nodded, but soon a slight look of puzzlement appeared in his eyes.


    "Wait... There are no restrictions here? I mean, can some K1-Phantom that a few days ago revealed his Lock, take Thunder Demon''s gene as an Initial Gene?" Adam tilted his head in confusion.


    Katrin smirked, shaking her head ironically as if Adam was talkingplete nonsense.


    "Of course not. A K1-Phantom rookie should fight Blue Threat Level monsters, if such a Phantom tries to absorb the gene of the Top-2 Monster at Purple Threat Level, its Evolution Tree simply can''t withstand such power. Thunder Demon''s gene, will tear the Phantom''s body apart."


    Adam nodded.


    "I see... So before getting a new Initial Gene, you have to determine your strength limit. For example, even if K1-Phantom can already fight with Purple Threat Level, that doesn''t mean he can absorb Thunder Demon''s gene making it his Initial Gene, right?" Adam suggested, trying to understand the boundaries of the rules.


    This was important if he wanted to help Katrin. He didn''t know exactly what he would need to do yet, but any information about the Initial Gene was valuable.


    Phantom had nothing more precious than Initial Gene, it was the core from which everything started.


    "Yes. For example, if you wanted to make Thunder Demon''s gene your Initial Gene, you wouldn''t have any problems. You''re obviously strong enough." Katrin sighed heavily, slightly envious.


    Even if their mastery and experience were on the same level, Katrin would never be able to defeat Thunder Demon alone, for the nature of her abilities did not allow her to do so.


    This was one of the reasons why Katrin did not intend to put up with it anymore. She didn''t want to ept the role of the support, for it was destroying her from the inside out. Her Initial Gene didn''t match her personality and desires.


    It could bepared to the average person who worked in an unwanted profession. Often this happened because of parents who forced their children to go for the job they wanted but not their child.


    An engineer who wanted to be a musician could be a happy person and even be a master at his job, but... something would always devour that person from the inside out because he realized that it wasn''t what he wanted.


    "I see... So, if you want to absorb the Initial Gene of the Top-11 monster, you must be strong enough to defeat that monster, right?" Adam suggested.


    Katrin shook her head.


    "Not really. I might be more experienced and stronger as a Phantom than some Phantom who can defeat a Top-20 monster alone, but because of my abilities, I can''t do that. However, that doesn''t mean that my level is lower than that of Phantom. In fact, you can check it with the aura." Katrin said seriously while looking intently at Adam.


    Adam nodded. He realized that there was a logic to it.


    A Phantom with damage-oriented abilities could defeat a stronger monster than Katrin because her abilities had a different purpose. However, she as a Phantom could be stronger and the best indicator of that was the aura.


    "Beforeing to you, I was on a mission. I specifically chose a squad that was going to hunt Dark Tyrant, Top-10 of the Purple Threat Level."


    Adam nodded as his eyes grew slightly wider.


    He remembered Dark Tyrant because that monster had been summoned by the anomalies to defend itself from Thunder Demon.


    However, it couldn''t hold Thunder Demon back even for a minute, the difference in strength between Top-2 and Top-10 was terrifying.


    "I asked for time and faced Dark Tyrant 1 vs 1. Sure, I didn''t fight with abilities, but with my aura. Not without difficulty, but my aura was able to surpass it. Thus, I should be somewhere on the level of the Top-9 or Top-8." Katrin waved her hand, lifting her chin.


    There was pride in her voice and movements, and she had every right to be honored for her aplishments. She was an Artificialborn Phantom and had managed to achieve such achievements. It took talent as well as perseverance.


    "I tried to find a mission on Snow Follower, Top-9, but it was like they disappeared! Every single one of them!" Katrin clenched her fist irritably, "How did they be Top-9 if they don''t want to fight!?"


    Adam smiled bitterly. Unlike Katrin, he knew the answer to that question.


    "Well, when a monster is driven by interest rather than a desire for power, challenging it to a fight bes difficult." Adam shrugged.


    Katrin cast Adam a strange look. She was keeping a close eye on Adam''s aplishments to keep up with him, but she hadn''t heard of him fighting Snow Follower.


    Though, he hadn''t. Nessa had started the fight against Snow Follower and finished it within moments of his transformation.


    It was worth realizing that even though Katrin was an Artificialborn Phantom, it didn''t mean that she had no chance of surpassing Adam or Alexia.


    As Damien once said, the path of the Naturalborn Phantoms was like an incredibly sharp dual-edged sword.


    The Naturalborn Phantoms had their advantages such as free artifact selection, more potential, and a more empowered Evolution Tree, because they got their Initial Gene without any help from anybody.


    However, because of this, they often found themselves in dangerous situations as the monsters wanted to fight the strongest and get their energy.


    Roughly speaking, the Naturalborn Phantom had more opportunities, but the challenges that awaited it on their path were more difficult in most cases.


    If Artificialborn Phantom tried hard, reached the maximum of his power, honed his skills, and went through dangerous battles, there was nothing to prevent him from surpassing Naturalbron One. Enjoy more content from m-v l''e|-NovelBin


    It only took time to find the right artifact and the boundaries of potential could be expanded, slowly but surely.


    "Well, I think I understand. Given what you said, you''re strong enough to absorb Essence Scarlet Pyromancer''s gene and make it your Initial Gene. He''s a Top-8, so it won''t be a problem." Adam said calmly while watching Katrin''s reaction.


    "Hah, of course! You don''t have to worry about that." Katrin eximed, ruffling her hair with her hand.


    Then, Adam''s gaze changed as he stared at Katrin.


    "But... Why do you want me?"


    Katrin sighed heavily, shrugging her shoulders frustratedly.


    "I can''t defeat Essence Scarlet Pyromancer alone, but you can. However, I have to contribute more to this event than you, or else your genes will mess up Scarlet Pyromancer''s gene and I won''t be able to make it my Initial Gene."


    Adam''s eyes went nk as he blinked several times.


    Katrin pped her palm on her forehead, realizing that Adam didn''t understand anything.


    "Damn, because this is different from just absorbing genes, it''s moreplicated than that." Katrin sighed heavily preparing for the next round of exnations.

 Chapter 281: Midnight Crystal (Part 6)

    Katrin let out a heavy sigh before continuing.


    "Adam, you like all Phantoms know the basic rules of absorbing monster genes through Revolve. To do so, you need to participate in killing the monster. This is necessary for your genes to find contact with the monster''s genes and be able to consume them."


    Adam nodded quietly. Even the Phantoms who had not yet be a Phantom knew about what Katrin was talking about. It was something they learned on the first day at the preparatory academy, it wasmon knowledge.


    "Roughly the same rules work for getting your first Initial Gene, you know about it well. We were helped to kill the first monster by the other Phantoms, seriously weakening it and thus it wasn''t a problem for us. It allowed our dormant Spark to wake up and create an Evolution Tree with Initial Gene at its core." Katrin waved a hand.


    Adam nodded again. He knew full well what the difference was between an Artificialborn Phantom and a Naturalborn One. Artificialborn Phantoms had Spark due to talent and it allowed them to be Phantoms after killing a monster.


    However, because the other Phantoms were helping them, part of the monster''s Initial Gene was dispelled by the influence of the other Phantoms'' genes. This was the reason for the difference between Artificial and Natural Phantoms.


    It was worth realizing that having Spark was crucial. An ordinary person could not kill a monster with the help of other Phantoms and be a Phantom because, without the dormant Spark, a person could not activate the Initial Gene.


    The only way this could happen was if a person killed a monster 1 on 1 and got the monster''s full Initial Gene. The genes of other creatures did not interfere with this process, so the Initial Gene was not damaged and was strong enough to ignite Spark in the human, causing the Evolution Tree to grow.


    ''Well, everyone knows about this, however... Besides Nessa, there is someone else unique in this world. Another girl under the power of another scientist.'' Adam internally muttered as his gaze unknowingly became darker and gloomier.


    While Katrin was trying to figure out what had caused Adam''s frown, Adam was thinking about Lana Tiates - this girl was the only one who had Spark in Aiden Henk''s experiment. It was a rarity in the slums.


    However, that wasn''t what made Lana unique. From time to time, Phantoms appeared in the slums, and this wasn''t the first one. But... Lana had be a Phantom in a strange way.


    ''Hmm... She had no help, ording to her, she fought the monster 1 on 1. However, the monster was weakened by other methods and it must have affected the genes. Damn, I should go to the Lower Ring to see ck Swan as soon as possible. I''ll do it as early as I be a K2-Phantom.'' Adam bit his lip.


    He had yet to meet Aiden Henk, but his opinion had already changed several times about this extraordinary individual along the way.


    At first, as an inexperienced young man who had not yet learned the severity of the world, he had wanted Aiden Henk to be punished for the things he had done to him.


    However, soon Adam was determined to kill Aiden, but... an encounter with Magnus and Nessa, as well as Lana''s unusual condition, changed his goal.


    Now, Adam wanted to understand what was happening.


    When he saw the girls in pods in Magnus''sb, he didn''t believe there was an exnation, but... soon enough he calmed down.


    He realized that every free scientist had a secret that could potentially affect the entire Citadel and humanity.


    "Hey! Are you even listening to me?!" Katrin said irritably, waving her hand in front of Adam''s face.


    Adam blinked several times, puzzled.


    "Agh, yes, sorry, I was just thinking. Let''s get right to the point. What do I have to do to make sure I don''t mess up the monster gene?" Adam waved his hand slightly.


    Katrin raised an eyebrow, staring at him intently. She wanted to know what Adam was thinking with such a grim face but decided this wasn''t the best moment for such questions.


    "Sure. First of all. I have to be the one to finish off the monster, no matter what means, but Scarlet Pyromancer has to die from my attack. At that time, you should stay back and not use any abilities so that your genes don''t sway the monster''s genes." Explore more at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    Katrin continued, raising a second finger:


    "During the battle, I have to inflict many wounds on the monster, causing the monster''s energy to touch my energy. Likewise, you as my sword, will constantly be under the amplification of my abilities. That way, every attack you make will have a portion of my energy in it, which means my genes will have a greater effect on the monster."


    Adam smirked.


    "So now I''m your sword?" Adam sighed heavily, "Alright, I get it. The key here is to make sure your genes and the monster''s genes are the main yers. My genes should be in the background, like a supporting character, right?"


    Katrin nodded with a serious face as she began to fidget nervously with her fingers.


    She realized that now the most important moment hade - she had to get Adam''s agreement.


    "Fine, I don''t mind helping you, but you''re asking me for a really big favor. I can''t call us close friends to do something like this selflessly." Adam waved his hand with a calm look.


    Sure, Katrin wasn''t a stranger to him, they knew each other and were friends to some extent, but between her and Silvana there was a huge gap in what Adam was willing to do for them.


    Katrin had asked him to help in killing a Top-8 monster, with special conditions. It was a dangerous task even for him because Scarlet Pyromancer was an Essence Type. Moreover, Adam didn''t need it, it was only beneficial to Katrin.


    "Of course, I understand, that''s why I prepared properly. It''s useless to offer you genes and artifacts, you have more than enough of them I''m sure of it." Katrin uttered.


    Adam nodded slightly as if confirming her words.


    "However, I know you need money. I asked Silvana about it and asked her to keep it a secret."


    Adam''s eyes went wide.


    He didn''t know how many credits he had in his ount, he didn''t worry about it much because his family only spent a few thousand credits a month.


    However, in a few months, Trici was going to go to the cksmith Academy and for that, he needed 400,000 credits for just one year of study, not including the price of housing near the academy.


    "I''m willing to offer you 2,000,000 credits for that. That will be enough to pay for five years of Trici''s education at once." Katrin said confidently, crossing her arms over her chest.


    Adam nodded, deciding to see how much money he had before doing so. Thest time Adam had checked his bnce was quite some time ago - when he hadpleted Eclipse in Bastion Radon.


    Since then, many things have happened in Adam''s life, but... almost none of them have positively affected his financial status.


    His previous bnce was 307,787 credits. After Eclipse, he was in Fall Hill Prison, Salt Vige, and Miracle Observatory.


    Obviously, he didn''t earn anything in the Prison and Miracle Observatory, but he must have gotten arge sum from killing Thunder Demon and other monsters in that incident.


    [Your bnce is 608.444 credits.]


    ''Well, that''s pretty good considering I spent quite a bit of money on the party and the fair. Agh, I should go on missions more often though... Wait, how much did Katrin offer me?!'' Adam''s eyes went wide when he finally realized how much Katrin''s sum was huge.


    "How the hell did you get so much money? I killed a Thunder Demon and a bunch of other monsters but I don''t even have a million!" Adam waved his hand.


    Katrin rolled her eyes.


    "Unlike you who goes on a mission once a month, only to heal for weeks and disappear to nowhere, I''m constantly working for the good of the Citadel and my wallet." Katrin smirked.


    "I don''t disagree, Thunder Demon probably paid a lot, but if you go on missions every day like I do, you can make a good living. Also, hunting for artifacts is really profitable. Well, I still got a little help from my dad, but let''s not emphasize that." Katrin looked away with a slightly shy face.


    Adam looked at her for a while before nodding.


    "And... You can take the full amount for the Scarlet Pyromancer. Surely that will add another hundred or two hundred thousand maybe even more." Katrin waved his hand slowly transferring his gaze to Adam, "So... Do you agree?"


    Adam scratched the back of his head with a bitter smile.


    "Sure. I hope you''ll be happy with your Initial Gene this time."


    "Yeah, me too. Next time we''re in a squad, you''ll be helping me instead. You''ll see."

 Chapter 282: Midnight Crystal (Part 7)

    Adam and Katrin made a deal. Katrin probably offered too much, but it didn''t matter to her. She knew that Adam would help her change her life, and she didn''t care about the money.


    Moreover, Katrin was obviously better at making money than Adam, and she had a rich family, something she tried not to talk about too often. She was too proud and wanted to do everything herself, but she was also smart, which was why she took the money her father offered her.


    They continued to chat about general topics until Adam fell silent. He drank his cocktail through the straw with a deep look, as if he was upset about something.


    Katrin with a slight sigh rolled her eyes and asked:


    "Is something wrong? What are you thinking about? Maybe I can help you." Katrin waved an urge.


    Adam shook his head.


    "Well, this is going to sound pretty stupid, but I was thinking that maybe I should change my Initial Gene too? I mean, your new Initial Gene is going to be a lot stronger than thest one, isn''t it?"


    Katrin looked at him for a while before saying:


    "No. Even if you were to take Thunder Demon''s gene as your new Initial Gene, nothing would change globally for you. On the contrary, you would most likely be weaker." Katrin exined.


    Adam tilted his head in confusion. He didn''t understand how this was possible. Silver Weaver was a rare, perhaps unique monster, but Adam realized that the difference in strength between Silver Weaver and Thunder Demon was insurmountable.


    "Look, all of us at the end of the preparatory academy killed our first monster to be a Phantom. Sure, none of those monsters canpare to Thunder Demon, Scarlet Pyromancer, or any Purple Threat Level monsters, but that doesn''t affect anything." Katrin said.


    She knew that wasn''t enough, so she continued:


    "Initial Gene is the basis of any Phantom''s power, but it doesn''t limit your power. I mean, any monster given enough time, resources, and luck can evolve and so can we. For example, take me." Katrin said, cing her palm on her chest.


    Then, she opened her NEP revealing a hologram of a monster resembling a walking tree. The monster had many amber eyes inside a hollow core, creepy long branches with sharp ends, and tough bark.


    "It''s a ck Grim Ent, White Threat Level, Red Book, it''s the first monster I killed with the help of Phantoms and the military." Katrin exined.


    Adam nodded, starting to get a little nervous. He hoped Katrin wouldn''t ask him to show him what his first monster was.


    "Obviously ck Grim Ent is just nothingpared to Scarlet Pyromancer, that''s obvious, but after I became a Phantom, I didn''t stand still. I''ve been evolving. My abilities are much more powerful than ck Grim Ent, after all, this Initial Gene evolved along with me." Katrin said proudly.


    Adam nodded as his eyes went wide.


    "I see... When we evolve, like bing a K1-Phantom or understanding our abilities better, it''s like we raise the level and strength of the monster that is the core of our Evolution Tree." Adam suggested, trying to figure it out.


    Katrin smirked as she narrowed her eyes.


    "Yeah, you got that right. Roughly speaking, if somehow my Initial Gene could transform back into a ck Grim Ent, that monster, would be equal to the Top-10 of the Purple Threat Level."


    Adam nodded.


    "Sure, because that''s the level of your power. I see, so Initial Gene is kind of like a temte and a set of abilities. However, how strong the abilities are, how much power the Phantom has, and how strong it is doesn''t depend on the Initial Gene, or rather not only on it."


    Katrin nodded:


    "Yeah. Even if a K0-Phantom were to somehow miraculously absorb Thunder Demon''s gene, that Phantom wouldn''t be as strong as you or some powerful K1-Phantom. That Phantom would get electrical abilities or something, but not great power."


    Katrin continued:


    "Basically, if I was happy with my abilities, I wouldn''t change my Initial Gene. With the new Initial Gene, I''m just changing my abilities to different ones."


    "I see..." Adam muttered, then his gaze filled with puzzlement, "Wait, if your strength won''t change from the monster''s Initial Gene strength, then why hunt Essence Scarlet Pyromancer specifically?"


    Katrin rolled her eyes again, she was already tired of exining something so trivial to Adam.


    "Because then I''ll be at a disadvantage and lose a lot of strength! I''ll be weaker if I make some Top-200 monster gene my Initial Gene!" Katrin eximed.


    Adam tilted his head. Just now Katrin had said that strength didn''t depend on Initial Gene, but now she was contradicting herself. Adam didn''t understand anything.


    "Look, imagine your Evolution Tree is a huge battery. In that case, Initial Gene is the power source and since Evolution Tree and Initial Gene grow when Phantom gets stronger, the amount of energy and the capacity of the battery match each other perfectly.


    Roughly speaking, my Evolution Tree has a level 10 capacity and my Initial Gene has a level 10 amount of energy because I am at level 10. However, if I take the Initial Gene of some weak monster that has a level 2 Initial Gene, I will be weaker because my Evolution Tree will not have enough energy. Thus my power from level 10 will drop to level 6!"


    Naturally, Katrin was giving these numbers and designations as an easy exampleparable to someputer game.


    Adam nodded.


    "I see... If you take on an Initial Gene monster weaker than you, you''ll have to spend time or even resources to get stronger again. To grow your Initial Gene back to its former strength. But... then isn''t it worth taking a level 20 Initial Gene to get stronger?"


    Katrin shook her head.


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    "In our example, Initial Gene can be any level, but not higher than Evolution Tree. There''s no point in energy if Evolution Tree can''t absorb it and give you strength. That''s why a K0-Phantom who absorbed Thunder Demon''s gene won''t be able to be as strong because his Evolution Tree will limit the level of the Initial Gene, just suppress it and the Phantom will have to evolve further."


    Katrin took a deep breath after a long exnation and looked at Adam.


    "Don''t forget. There are no easy paths in this world. There will always be some kind of trouble along the way."


    Adam nodded.


    He finally understood everything.


    Katrin wanted new abilities, so she chose a monster with attacking abilities. Then, it was strong enough to suppress Dark Tyrant''s aura, which put it above a Top-10 monster.


    Thus, she chose Scarlet Pyromancer, because this monster was suitable in terms of ability and strength, it wasn''t too weak or too strong.


    "And, Adam, even if you made Thunder Demon''s gene your Initial Gene, even though your strength would remain at the previous level since your Evolution Tree would be able to squeeze all the power out of that Initial Gene, temporarily you would be weaker." Katrin said in a low voice.


    Adam scratched his cheek in a puzzled manner.


    "New abilities will take some getting used to and practicing. Even if the sword is as sharp as thest one and can do the same damage, you''ll be worse at fighting at first because it''s new and unfamiliar. It''s as simple as that." Katrin waved her hand.


    Adam sighed, his head was already starting to hurt from so much information.


    "Alright, exin something else to me. Why me, why not some K2-Phantom?"


    Katrin smirked as she snorted with an arrogant face.


    "Because their genes are too strong. Even with the conditions I exined to you before, it won''t be enough for me to take the Initial Gene, because my genes won''t be able to get dominance that way."


    Adam nodded. He remembered when Damien had brought him to Golden Mission to fight rats to easily get a lot of genes.


    ''Yeah, back then Damien said his genes would just wipe out the rats'' genes because he''s too strong. We''re both K1-Phantoms, so if we do it right, Katrin''s genes can take over Scarlet Pyromancer''s genes.'' Adam pondered.


    Beep. Beep. Beep.


    Then, several messages arrived on his NEP - from Silvana.


    "Shit! I totally forgot! Katrin, make an appointment forter, okay? Text Silvana about it too!" Adam said before running off in a hurry.


    Katrin shook her head with a heavy sigh, but a satisfied smirk appeared on her face. She was worried that Adam might have refused, but now her n hade into action.


    "Good, just a little longer and I''ll be really strong. Hehehe." Katrin chuckled evilly, anticipating her new strength.


    ------------------------------------------


    Hey, it''s the author. I know thest few chapters have been a heck of a lot of information, but there''s a lot here that I have to talk about before Midnight Crystal.

 Chapter 283: Midnight Crystal (Part 8)

    The hot steam from the newly made tea wafted before Adam''s eyes, while wrinkles appeared on his face from time to time.


    Silvana sat in front of him, with a calm face, waiting for Adam to speak.


    He hade here right after a long conversation with Katrin and to think it over again was his big mistake. He reyed her words in his head over and over again to make sure he remembered everything.


    However, while Adam pondered he only stumbled upon new questions - the most important was about the Initial Gene and Spark.


    He already knew quite a bit about these things, especially after talking to Katrin, but Adam realized that there might be secrets he didn''t know anything about.


    Also, from time to time, Adam remembered Magnus''s words, that every free scientist had his area and it was Aiden Henk who concentrated on Phantoms. This led to careful work with Spark, Evolution Tree, and Initial Gene.


    "Agh... Whatever, before I go on the mission I''ll ask her everything again." Adam looked up, running his hands through his hair with a slightly pained look.


    Silvana only cast him a calm look and took a sip of her tea. She waited for Adam toe to his senses, for Katrin was not the main event of the day.


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    Adam and Silvana hadn''t expected Katrin to show up with such a sudden proposal and it didn''t mean they were going to stray from their original goal.


    "Sorry, I know we''re supposed to be talking about Midnight Crystal and my next mission to be a K2-Phantom, but I''ve been thinking about Naturalborn Phantoms and Artificial Ones. Can you answer one question for me?" Adam said slowly, looking up at the ceiling with a deep gaze.


    Silvana nodded leisurely.


    "Sure. I''ve been studying this subject like any Operator for a long time. I''ll be able to exin it all to you."


    "I see... Well, the main difference between Natural and Artificial Phantom is that one has the talent that is Spark and the other does not. Thus, the Naturalborn Phantom has to kill a monster to get Spark and since the Initial Gene is not influenced by other genes, Naturalborn Phantoms are superior to Artificial Ones."


    "That''s correct. Some people have Spark immediately and others have to risk their lives to get it. The reward matches the danger." Silvana shrugged slightly.


    Strangely enough, though it had only been one night since the Miracle Observatory, Silvana had changed a lot, not externally but internally. She was calmer, not as an ice queen, but as a person who had experienced peace and tranquility.


    For her, sitting in front of Adam and exining something to him was a pleasant chore, and seeing him trying to absorb the information while constantly frowning was a bit of a fun experience for Silvana


    "But... Though Artificial Phantoms have Spark, and they and the Natural Ones need to kill a monster first to be a Phantom." Adam continued.


    Silvana only took a sip of her tea, which had already cooled enough that it didn''t burn her tongue.


    "I thought about it while I wasing here, but what happens if a person with a dormant Spark goes and kills a monster? Roughly speaking, what happens if an Artificial Phantom kills its first monster 1 on 1, not with the help of the military and other Phantoms?" Adam asked.


    Silvana''s eyes went wide, she clearly hadn''t expected Adam to be thinking about something soplicated.


    Sooner orter, though, everyone who knew of the existence of Naturalborn Phantoms came to that question. Usually, it was Operators and high-ranking military officers, but sometimes Artificialborn Phantoms found out about it as well, in various ways.


    "You think that in this way, an Artificial Phantom can be a Natural One? Like avoiding its destiny?" Silvana said calmly.


    Adam nodded.


    Then, Silvana sighed heavily and shook her head.


    "It''s a rare event, and it''s even harder to detect something like this because when a person has a Spark, that person is immediately under the gaze of the government and the military. However, there have been a few cases."


    "And...?" Adam asked with intense curiosity in his gaze.


    Silvana closed her eyes.


    "Nothing has happened. The abilities of such Phantoms are no different from any other Artificial Phantoms. They put their lives at risk without any meaning."


    Adam''s eyes went wide.


    "But... Why? In both cases, a mere human kills a monster 1 on 1, why can''t those who already have Spark be Naturalborn Phantoms?" Adam was puzzled.


    Silvana shrugged her shoulders.


    "Unfortunately, this particr question I can''t give you a definitive answer to. There have been really few recorded precedents, but there is one theory as to why it works that way."


    Adam nodded slightly, listening to her intently, afraid to miss even a single word.


    "It''s all about the Spark. The theory is that Spark is strongest at the moment of its appearance, like a bonfire that when lit is much brighter and stronger than it is a few minutester, though still burning. Thus, a person must get their Initial Gene at the moment of Spark''s appearance." Silvana waved her hand slightly.


    "I see... It''s only possible to do that by killing a monster without having Spark before. In that case, you get an active Spark and Initial Gene at once, causing Natural Phantom to appear in the process..." Adam muttered with a deep gaze, pondering Silvana''s words.


    "Yes. That''s the most usible theory. Also, if that theory is correct, it is possible to be a Natural Phantom by having Spark originally. However, it would have to happen within the first few minutes of Spark''s appearance, I think you realize that the chances of that happening are slim to none." Silvana said seriously.


    Adam nodded, he understood exactly what Silvana was talking about.


    People didn''t know if they had Spark or not, they needed a special monster called a Spark Seeker to do that, it was the one that was checking Adam, Lana Tiates, and the other youths at Morton Observatory.


    So in order for what Silvana was talking about to happen, the person would have to have Spark right at the moment of fighting the monster, so that the Spark wouldn''t have time to cool down like a me. Technically, the process was no different if the person didn''t have Spark.


    In both cases, Spark was at the peak of her power and immediately received the Initial Gene.


    The only difference was that in the first case, Spark appeared because of talent at the right time, and in the second case because the person killed a monster, but it led to the same result and path to bing a Natural Phantom.


    "Spark Seekers, these are the monsters that find Spark in humans, or rather, all monsters can see it, it''s just that Spark Seekers aren''t aggressive at all and they have mirrors on their tails that can show it to scientists and doctors." Silvana exined as if guessing what Adam was thinking.


    Adam''s eyes went wide.


    "By the way, do the Three Rings people get tested that way too?" Adam tilted his head in confusion.


    In the slums, he''d been led to ab, but Adam doubted Three Rings had the same harsh conditions.


    Silvana nodded.


    "Something like that, but they use more humane methods there. As you know, Spark appears between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. So every teenager in Third Rings at that age has to be examined every three months. That adds up to a total of eight times."


    Silvana continued:


    "However, they are not forced to look at the Spark Seeker like you and the other teens at Morton Observatory were. They are simply injected with a small dose of sedative, then let the Spark Seeker in, check the results, and take the monster away. An hourter, all the people wake up and get their results." Silvana exined carefully watching Adam''s reaction.


    Adam smiled bitterly.


    "I see..." Adam said quietly while his gaze grew deeper and darker.


    Unconsciously, a dark aura began to emanate from Adam, rather faint but palpable. Silvana instinctively flinched.


    "Well, I can''t say that Spark Seeker was very scary, but it''s still unpleasant to realize that this kind of fucked up thing is happening right in the slums. Oh, by the way, that means you went through those tests too, right?" Adam realized that. Silvana was a few years older than him.


    Silvana smiled slightly.


    "Yes. As you realize, all eight times were failures. I failed to have Spark appear. I didn''t count on it, though, and I didn''t want it." Silvana shrugged.


    "Agh...? You didn''t want to be a Phantom? Well, though I realize now that it''s more than possible." Adam muttered, scratching his cheek and remembering Narata and Riska.


    Those two were Phantoms, but they still chose not to go down that path and they had the right to do so.


    Silvana calmly replied:


    "Operator Academy education is difficult and lengthy. It is at the age of 18 that Operators leave the academy and that is when they take their final test. I wanted to be an Operator and I did a lot of things for that, bing a Phantom was not in my ns."


    "Yeah... I see... It''s good to have a purpose and a clear path, unlike me you knew what you wanted to do in this life." Adam said in a sad voice looking at the ceiling, "Well... I didn''t have a goal, but at least Trici does, hopefully, she will be a great cksmith"


    After a while, Adam and Silvana nced over, realizing that the moment hade. Theories, information, and talking about the past and life in the Citadel were important topics, but that wasn''t why they were here.


    "So, are you finally going to tell me what Midnight Crystal is?" Adam asked sternly, his voice was unustomedlymanding showing that Silvana could no longer dy this moment.


    "Sure." Silvana nodded.


    Then, a sharp glint passed over her eyes as she slowly said.


    "Midnight Crystals. Mankind believes they are shards of the Last Star." Silvana''s voice echoed around the room.

 Chapter 284: Midnight Crystal (Part 9)

    Last Star, everyone knew of this object or event, every person in the Citadel had heard this story.


    Once upon a time, it was the brightest andrgest star of all in the starry sky. However, one day it fell,pletely changing the entire world and starting a new era.


    The changes were so great that it wasparable to the creation of a new world where different rules worked and new creatures lived, be they monsters or Phantoms, anomalies, or artifacts.


    Last Star was the beginning and at the same time the end of all things. No one knew what the world was like before it, or if there were monsters and Phantoms before Last Star, but one thing was certain - it had happened, and never again would such a bright star appear in the night sky.


    "What...? Midnight Crystals are shards from Last Star...? Last Star actually existed?" Adam eximed in disbelief.


    He had, years ago, heard this story from Leona, his mother, as much as any child in the Citadel.


    Now, Adam had a chance to touch something that had enough power to create a new world, even if it was only a tiny fraction less than a droppared to the ocean.


    "We believe that. It''s impossible to confirm for sure since you''d have to find the Last Star to know for sure, but it''s the best exnation we have. Midnight Crystals contain great power within themselves, they are the catalyst for the development of any living thing both monster and Phantom." Silvana said seriously.


    Adam nodded as an excited smile appeared on his face.


    "So... I have to get the Midnight Crystal, but where is it located? I mean, I''ve only been to a few areas in Dead Lands, but I haven''t seen anything like it, not in Salt Vige, not in Rusty Ruins, or even near Bastion Radon." Adam asked, puzzled.


    "Because you were in the wrong ce at the wrong time." Silvana replied confidently.


    "What, the Midnight Crystals are hidden somewhere? Am I going to have to go to some underground location?" Adam suggested a few options, then he nodded and began rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "Oh, that would be interesting."


    Silvana shook her head.


    "I''m d you have such enthusiasm, but you''re wrong. First of all, Midnight Crystals fall from the sky like meteorites. Secondly, as it''s not hard to guess, it only happens at night, so... this time you''ll have to go to Dead Lands at this time..." Silvana said protractedly.


    Adam nodded understandingly.


    Sure, he had been to the Dead Lands a few times before in thete evening or at night.


    Once it happened in an Isted Forest, but then Damien had saved him, Katrin, and the others. Then, it was during Eclipse in Bastion Radon and thest time in the newbie location in Alienated Rocks.


    Each time, there were some special conditions and circumstances, thus, for real, Adam had never yet been in Dead Lands specifically at night.


    Well, it seemed that Adam had nothing to fear because he had defeated Thunder Demon, and since then he had only gotten stronger. However, that was a misconception.


    In the morning, if Adam met Thunder Demon again, Thunder Demon would be his only problem. Most of the monsters around would be too weak and their numbers would be insignificant to make his life harder.


    But, things were very different at night. Not only were there more monsters in Dead Lands, but their quality was also increasing.


    Also, there could be unique monsters that came out to hunt only at night. Especially for them were created the Night White Book and Night Red Book.


    Some monsters showed up only during the day, others only at night, and many at any time. Additionally, the rankings of the monsters were made with all periods taken into ount.


    Thus, Thunder Demon remained Top-2, neither day nor night, no monster could surpass him. Well, except for one...


    "I see... Midnight Crystals fall from the sky and only at night, but there are special ces for them, right?" Adam asked.


    Silvana nodded quietly.


    "Yeah. There are a lot of ces like that, they''re not areas, they''re just territories where there''s a lot of energy for some reason. This leads to a lot of monsters, anomalies, resources, and even the terrain itself changing over time. It''s ces like this that attract Midnight Crystals."


    Silvana continued:


    "Such territories are called quite simply - Midnight Zones. Not only because Midnight Crystals fall there, but also because the deeper into the night, the more dangerous they are. At night, there''s more energy there than usual, though Midnight Zones surpass the normal territories of the Dead Lands in energy even during the day."


    Adam stared thoughtfully ahead, scratching his chin.


    "I get it. I''ll need to go to a ce filled with powerful monsters, at night, provided that the ce bes most dangerous at night. Damn, looks like there must be some real fucked up stuff going on there." Adam waved his hand.


    Silvana''s corners of her lips went up slightly as she nodded.


    "It''s like this. Monsters fight each other, and devour each other, the winners take the resources and only get stronger. Phantomse there for the same purpose, and quite often, given the number and quality of the monsters, are killed by their paws."


    Silvana took a deep breath.


    "However, none of that matters. It''s just insignificantpared to the Midnight Crystals that fall there every night. The point is that Midnight Crystal is not only needed by you to be stronger but also by the monsters. It''s a valuable resource that''s being hunted for."


    Adam nodded understandingly.


    "Well, I don''t have any other choice anyway. I''m even a little regretful that I''ll have to put it off for a while because of Katrin''s request." Adam shook his head.


    Once again, his final test before gaining new powers was being dyed.


    "It''s not a problem. Or rather, there''s nothing wrong with it. As long as you help Katrin, I''ll be able to choose the right squad for you." Silvana said serenely.


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    Adam tilted his head, "Squad?"


    Adam didn''t often fight only 1 on 1, because even in the fight against Thunder Demon he was assisted by Fred, his powerful arrow contributed a lot to the fight in general.


    However, thest time Adam had been in a real squad was quite some time ago.


    "Yeah, I can put in a request that you''re going to get Midnight Crystal. That way, the mission department will find the right squad for you to advance and be a K2-Phantom. The other Phantoms will be rewarded properly for this." Silvana exined.


    "Oh, and I won''t have to pay for it? I mean, paying for an entire squad to work would be pretty damn expensive." Adam muttered, tapping the table slightly nervously.


    Silvana chuckled with a carefree face.


    "Of course not. In fact, I''ve already gotten several messages from the mission department for you to go after Midnight Crystal, but I decided not to rm you. They know you''re ready and are willing to do whatever it takes to make you stronger and kill more monsters as soon as possible."


    Silvana smiled brightly.


    "Your advancement to K2, in the future, will bring the Citadel a profit of several millions and that''s just in terms of materials. Obviously, a strong K1-Phantom like you will do even more amazing things being K2."


    Adam found himself confused by Silvana''s innocent smile and her words.


    "I hope so."


    Then, Adam turned to the side, looking off into the distance.


    For some reason, even though there was still Katrin''s mission before visiting Midnight Zone, he felt an inner anxiety and a strange excitement. It was as if the big day wasing sooner than nned.

 Chapter 285: Midnight Crystal (Part 10)

    Two dayster, Adam and Katrin met on the runway at Fort Norton. To fight the Essence Scarlet Pyromancer, they had to travel to an area new to Adam - ck Cinder Forest.


    The ck Cinder Forest was formed around a massive volcano with an oddly shaped vent that led down into ava bubble. It was the perfect ce for fire monsters and for them to grow stronger every day.


    "Hm? I haven''t heard of this area before. How powerful are the monsters there?" Adam tilted his head, looking into the distance. From the top of the Citadel walls, there was a great view of the Dead Lands.


    Katrin waved her hand nonchntly.


    "Nothingplicated, just not for you and me. You''ll be thest person I help with my abilities because, after this day, my abilities will change forever!" Katrin eximed with an excited expression as she clenched her fist tightly.


    Next to her was a tall ck case that held her Nexus. Adam smiled, looking at his gloves. Even though Katrin''s Nexus was a weapon, and Adam''s were gloves, he was the one who could fight and do the most damage.


    Then, Adam remembered Tirana and her ming sword.


    ''Hmm... Her Nexus was a simple essory, just an amulet, but both it and her Orders were incredibly powerful. Her me sword effortlessly burned through my threads... Damn, I hope Scarlet Pyromancer''s mes aren''t that powerful.''


    "Hey, stop thinking. I''ll handle this today, your job is only to be my weapon." Katrin waved her hand in front of him with a slightly annoyed face.


    Adam nodded slightly. He seemed to fully ept her words and acted overly obedient.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam walked past Katrin but decided to stop in front of her and turn around, ring down at her because of their height difference.


    Tap.


    Then, Adam''s hand, slowly and calmly, without any threat, fell on Katrin''s shoulder.


    "Katrin, maybe when you get your new powers and be stronger you''ll have the right tomand me, but..." Adam''sst words grew colder, "Right now your job is to help me kill Scarlet Pyromancer because you alone are not capable of doing that."


    Katrin was shocked by such a response. She wasn''t used to someone answering her back, but that wasn''t all.


    Suddenly, Adam''s muscles tensed as he pressed on Katrin''s shoulder. Adam was considerably stronger than her physically, not only because of the difference in level but also because of his Power Gene.


    "Bastard, what are you doing...?" Katrin gritted her teeth, trying to hold on in the face of the pressure, but pretty soon her legs began to shake.


    Bam.


    Katrin fell to the ground, wide-eyed with shock. She couldn''t believe that Adam had actually done this.


    She was surprised not only by his strength, which she knew well from following his aplishments but more by his determination and toughness. This was not the Adam she had met in Deste Forest.


    Moreover, the man in front of her was different even from the Adam she had fought with against the Dark Phantoms. In that tragic mission.


    "Alright, now let''s go to our fighter. Let''s not keep the pilot waiting. They have a lot of work to do just like us too." Adam said politely, turning around and heading forward.


    Katrin blinked a few times, trying toe to her senses.


    "Are you okay?


    Katrin''s ears heard the concerned voice of some young man. It was n, her Operator. Like Silvana to Adam, he was the most important person to Katrin.


    "Yeah... I''m just even more convinced now that my decision was the right one." Katrin said with a calm expression, getting up from the ground.


    Katrin wiped the dust off her knees and looked forward, staring at Adam''s back.


    "It won''t happen again, not after I get my new powers. The next time he wants to show off his power, his palm will only get the worst of the burn." Katrin said confidently.


    But... It was all talk of the future. Right now, she had to act on the situation.


    In fact, Adam''s antics had given her confidence in the sess of today''s mission.


    "With that arrogance and my help. Hah, that bastard will just crush Scarlet Pyromancer like an insect." Katrin smiled bitterly, picked up her ck case, and followed Adam.


    At this time Adam had already climbed into the fighter, waiting for Katrin''s arrival.


    ''Don''t you think you acted a bit too harshly? She''d understand everything if you just talked to her.'' Silvana asked, looking at their mission information on the screen.


    Adam shrugged nonchntly with a slight smile on his face.


    "After the battle with Nessa, I realized that motivation is really important, but not just motivation to get stronger or gain more power. The best motivation is the motivation to get rid of the things that annoy you the most because thoughts of your weakness can be left in the background, but you never forget something annoying."


    Silvana wanted to say something, but she fell silent with her mouth open.


    Then, she realized something important to herself - Adam was constantly learning, not only as a Phantom but also as a person gradually getting to know this world and the minds of others.


    ''Oh... I guess I should start working on myself again.'' Silvana internally muttered looking at Adam''s Phantom card that was in the corner of the screen.


    ''After he became my Phantom, I loosened up. It can''t go on like this for much longer, otherwise... one day I might fall behind him forever...'' Silvana gulped with a slight fear in her gaze.


    It wasn''t umon for Phantoms to get other Operators and quite often it came with increasing their power and making missions more difficult. Many tried to avoid it, but they were all human in the first ce and sometimes even the longest alliances could break down.


    However...


    Even Second Rank Phantoms had Operators they started their journey with from day one, which showed that it was more than possible to be on the same team forever.


    Step.


    Katrin climbed into the fighter, cast an annoyed nce at Adam, and sat as far away from him as possible. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked aside.


    "Well, well, guys. With an attitude like that, I wouldn''t rmend you go hunting a Top-8 monster." The man, their pilot, spoke up, adjusting the fighter to begin the flight.


    "Don''t worry about it. We''ll be fine. I''m sure of it." Adam said calmly.


    The man with a slight smile scratched his beard and smiled.


    "Good if that''s the case. My wife says the most important thing is to have the right motivation. If there is motivation then everything else doesn''t matter, because the goal will definitely be achieved. By the way, it helped me be a pilot. Hahaha." The man said with a joyousugh before starting to move.


    Adam nodded as the corners of his lips went up.


    "I must admit that your wife is indeed a wise woman. Though perhaps I think so because if she''s wrong then I''m wrong too."


    "If you win tonight, then you''re both right." The man shrugged, dramatically increasing the speed and flying upward, leaving the grounds of the Fort Norton.


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    Katrin rolled her eyes.


    ''Just humiliated me, yet he''s being so nice to a mere pilot? What a hypocrite!'' Katrin inwardly snorted, wishing she could get to ck Cinder Forest as soon as possible.

 Chapter 286: Midnight Crystal (Part 11)

    The fighter had been flying for a few minutes, it wasn''t a long period, it was hardly enough time to drink a cup of coffee, but they had already traveled far away from the Citadel.


    A few minutes was enough to cover several dozen kilometers, flying over various areas filled with monsters and ces Phantoms.


    "Hey, we''ll be arriving at the location soon. You know you''ll have to manage without parachutes, right?" The man asked, starting to lower himself slightly, which in any other situation would have been an odd decision, but not now.


    Adam and Katrin nodded, preparing to walk towards the exit.


    The thing was, it was too dangerous to use parachutes in ck Cinder Forest.


    The whole point was that it was a ming location, and if something or someone lit their parachutes on fire when they were several kilometers high, Adam and Katrin would simply crash to the ground in bloody chunks.


    Sure, that might not happen, but there was no point in risking it, because they were strong enough for the second option, which in this case was safer.


    The pilot was going to lower the fighter as low as possible - only a hundred meters above the ground. ck Cinder Forest had plenty of ces to ensure a softnding.


    "Ready?" The man asked, flying up to a convenient spot. He had to do everything quickly so the monsters wouldn''t pay attention to him and attack the fighter.


    "Yeah, go ahead. Don''t put yourself in danger. I can already see where to fall." Adam said calmly, looking at the ground below.


    The man nodded and immediately opened the door.


    Powerful torrents of wind rushed inside, fluttering Adam''s and Katrin''s hair.


    Step.


    Adam stepped forward first, disappearing downstairs. Katrin immediately followed, afraid of losing even one second.


    Undeterred, they felt the wind trying to throw them as far away as possible. Their bodies resisted the serious pressure while they were quickly approaching the ground.


    From the outside, it looked much faster than it felt.


    Whoooosh.


    Adam''s eyes shifted abruptly from one point to another, staring intently at the massive mound of ash.


    In a heartbeat, Adam with Katrin crashed into that hill, plunging deep inside. The speed was so great that the outside of the hill exploded, raising waves of ck ash that covered everything around them.


    Some pieces of ash fell on the small fires burning on the ground, causing them to go out, only to reappear soon, bringing with them both warmth and danger.


    Quickly, two silhouettes emerged from beneath the ash, tiny ck particles rolling down them like sand, not wanting to stay on their bodies any longer than necessary.


    "Shit. I knew this was a bad idea. Now I''ve got this ash in my mouth!" Katrin snorted irritably, trying to shake off the unpleasant sensation.


    Adam smirked.


    "Well, I thought about warning you, but I was hoping you''d think of covering your mouth to avoid that kind of trouble."


    Then, Adam shrugged.


    "Guess I was wrong, sorry."


    Katrin''s eye began to twitch as she clenched her fist tightly. She wanted to punch Adam''s face right now and the only thing stopping her was that she didn''t want his fist tond on her face. Now, she was sure he wouldn''t even blink before he did it.


    ''Tsk. I can''t even let my anger out.''


    "Shit!" Katrin eximed furiously kicking a scrap of ash on the ground.


    Adam shook his head, waiting for Katrin to calm down.


    In the meantime, he looked around for this was his first time in ck Cinder Forest.


    ''Well, well, this ce doesn''t look friendly at all...'' Adam muttered internally, scratching the back of his head.


    They were surrounded by sparse, strange trees with ck bark withva flowing amongst them, and long branches with pointed tips. The trees were massive, likendmarks for the creatures in this area.


    The roots of the ck trees reached deep beneath the ashy earth, sometimes appearing in distant ces showing their majesty and advancing towards theva rivers.


    There wereva rivers andkes all over the ck Cinder Forest, not many, but they stood out vividly against the ck ash, a source of both light and brutal heat that could turn a sloppy monster into nothing.


    Everywhere, small points of me emerged from the ground, they were weak and unstable, quickly fading and reappearing like flowers.


    "So, where''s the Essence Scarlet Pyromancer?" Adam asked, intending to get straight to the point. He hade here to kill a monster for Katrin and the sooner he did it the better.


    Katrin sighed and pointed forward.


    "First we need to head over there."


    Adam turned around and saw in the distance a small hill above the ground from the top of which, several streams ofva were flowing down. It seemed like it was something small, but they were just very far away and it would take them a while to get there.


    Sure, the pilot could fly closer to the volcano, but that was too dangerous, there was no sense in taking that risk. It was far better tond safely and work his way to the right spot.


    "Well, let''s get started," Adam said before stepping forward.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    At the same moment, something began to rise from the ground next to Katrin.


    Before Adam could react, two paws with four red ws came out of the ashes following the head which had only one massive jaw.


    The monster was going to grab Katrin''s legs to plunge her deep underground where it would be much harder for her to save herself.


    The monster had to act fast and it did so sessfully because Adam didn''t have time to turn around and attack the monster, the distance was too great.


    Crackle.


    The sharp tip of the wooden staff pierced the monster''s head, forcing its jaws to stop. The monster shuddered before the half of its body that had emerged from the ground fell to hot ash.


    Katrin looked at the monster with disdain and swung her staff, knocking the blood off its tip.


    Adam stared at Katrin wide-eyed.


    "Hmm? Why do you look like you''ve seen a ghost? I may not have the same powerful attacking abilities as you, but my Nexus is strong enough to kill a simple monster." Katrin said confidently before stepping forward and walking next to Adam.


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    Adam nodded, then his gaze went to her staff. Just then he thought about something important - Nexus was an essential part of the force dependent on Evolution Tree and Initial Gene, so...


    "Wait... If you change your Initial Gene, then your Nexus should be different too, right?" Adam asked, looking puzzled at her weapon.


    Katrin stopped, looked at her staff, and nodded with a deep look. She didn''t want to part with her weapon that she had been through many fights with, but it was just necessary for a greater goal.


    "Yeah... Not just the Nexus, but my Artifact as well. However, I''ll get a new Nexus right away with my blood and energy, but I''ll have to find a new Artifact..." Katrin muttered slightly biting her lip.


    Then, she sighed heavily.


    "I spent a hell of a lot of time trying to find a suitable artifact that would ept my Initial Gene... Well, I''ll have to go back to searching again."


    Adam''s eyes went wide as a slight shiver went through his body.


    Then he realized something momentous:


    ''Changing the Initial Gene leads to a change of absolutely everything... It will be apletely new Phantom, only the power and experience will remain.''

 Chapter 287: Midnight Crystal (Part 12)

    Adam and Katrin walked slowly forward, looking around, expecting that Scarlet Pyromancer might have sensed their presence by now.


    However, so far, not a single monster had attacked them. This wasn''t surprising though, for despite its appearance, ck Cinder Forest was a peaceful area, but... there was one exception.


    "When any of the volcanoes start erupting, this ce gets fucked up. Moreover, that''s why Scarlet Pyromancer should be somewhere near the volcano we''re going to." Katrin said confidently, stepping forward.


    Crackle.


    Something cracked beneath Katrin''s feet as she lost her bnce. A few old monster bones that she had identally broken were holding onto a patch of ash that quickly began to crumble into a deep hole.


    Such ces were left here because of the monsters that hid underground and dug long tunnels to drag their victims there.


    The monster that Katrin had killed had tried to do something like that, and it was obviously not the best solution for this already dead creature.


    Katrin''s eyes narrowed as she abruptly turned around, about to stab her staff into the ground to keep from falling.


    This pit could be empty, or it could be filled with monsters that would immediately attack her and drag her away in an unknown direction. Thus, Katrin had to act quickly.


    Tap.


    However, before she could stab her staff into the ground, a strong hand grabbed her wrist, instantly throwing her to the other side.


    Katrin somersaulted andnded on two feet. She let out a sigh and looked at Adam, slightly surprised. She didn''t expect him to give her help so quickly.


    "Hey, be careful. That hole is pretty freaking deep. Damn, I didn''t notice it was here at all." Adam muttered, rubbing his chin. He looked down thoughtfully, where it seemed there was nothing but darkness.


    Katrin snorted.


    "I could have done it without you. Don''t expect me to thank you."


    Adam nced at her, then shrugged nonchntly. He would have been surprised if Katrin had given him a different reaction.


    Then, Katrin approached Adam, staring into the hole.


    Soon, there was a set of red eyes that looked at them disgruntled and ran away. The trap had failed and now the monsters would have to prepare a new one.


    "Damn, they make traps?" Adam raised an eyebrow, "Why the fuck are they so smart. I thought only pretty strong monsters were capable of that."


    Adam as well as any more or less experienced Phantom knew that a monster''s intelligence was often proportional to the monster''s strength.


    Only Crown Types were exceptions, not because they were weak and smart, but because they were strong and very smart, smarter than the others.


    "Well, the average level of monsters in ck Cinder Forest is Purple Threat Level. Blue Threat Level monsters want to get here, but the Purple Threat ones just kick them out." Katrin shrugged, "Here in Dead Lands, the rules of the jungle work perfectly."


    Adam turned to her.


    "What do you mean by that? What do you mean Purple Threat monsters kick out the Blue ones?"


    Katrin sighed heavily, looking around.


    "It''s all about territory and energy and resources. This ce is just a paradise for fire monsters, I think that was clear without my exnation. However, while there is more than enough fire, there are limited resources and energy." Katrin said with a wave of her hand.


    Adam nodded slightly, wanting to know a little more about this. He had never really thought about why there were certain boundaries on territories.


    Humans often divided their territories amongst each other, but were monsters capable of doing that? Well, everything happened naturally.


    "The ck Cinder Forest has a lot more energy than some other fiery area where Blue Threat Level monsters dwell. The Blue Ones are there and not here because they simply aren''t strong enough for it."


    Katrin continued:


    "Blue Threat Monsters would be able to quickly evolve and be stronger if they spent a long time here and even more if they could absorb some resources, be it crystals filled with energy or some nts that consumed the energy that fills the area."


    Katrin sighed heavily, looking at the faint streams of meing out of the ground. There weren''t any monsters around them, as if they were all hiding. In fact, they had no reason toe out of theirfortable holes right now.


    "Stronger monsters take the best ces to develop. Sometimes they fight and if they win, they advance in strength even further, making a leap. Also, killing and eating a Phantom is a great way to get a lot of energy, it''s like finding a huge energy crystal underground." Katrin exined.


    Adam nodded, understanding what Katrin was talking about. Earlier, Silvana had exined the rules of monster distribution to him, but he wanted to hear about it from Katrin as well.


    In the territories close to the Citadel, everything was somewhat artificial, because the powerful Phantoms had interfered. That was why there were rookie territories where all monsters stronger than Green Threat Level were ughtered.


    Stronger monsters were afraid to enter the beginner area and there was no point. Due to theck of strong monsters there, anomalies rarely appeared and this caused a gradual decrease in energy throughout the area making it unattractive to strong monsters.


    However, the farther away from the Citadel the weaker the Phantoms'' influence on the territory division between monsters.


    Some White Threat Monsters could live in a Purple Threat Level territory, but in a poor area where there was very little energy.


    Despite wanting a better ce, it was impossible, because the stronger monsters defended their areas and wouldn''t allow the weaker ones to enter.


    This was not the personal territories of these monsters, but a kind of unspoken agreement between them.


    For example, the ck Cinder Forest was an area for Purple Threat Monsters, so if Green or Blue Threat Monsters tried to break through there, they were either killed or chased away.


    However, if Purple Threat Level monsters wanted to enter ck Cinder Forest, no one tried to stop them. They might fight and die in a few days, but there was no prohibition for them to enter because they were worthy of it.


    It could bepared to luxurious restaurants or neighborhoods for the rich. If a person with insufficient money tried to enter, he was simply not allowed in. If a person was rich, he would trivially go inside because he was one of them.


    Also, topare with people could be added huge pces or mansions with vast territories, which could be owned by one very rich person.


    Monsters also had something simr. Particrly strong monsters or numerous Nests could upy a certain territory, where there were many valuable resources, and use them only for themselves.


    Essence Scarlet Pyromancer did something simr. It upied an area near arge volcano where there was a lot of energy and mes, taking it all to itself alone.


    "Come on. Stop looking down, nothing is interesting down there. They''re already gone." Katrin touched Adam''s shoulder before walking forward.


    Adam nodded and followed her.


    Katrin was too focused on her goal and Adam was immersed in his thoughts, so they didn''t notice how in the distance, around and behind them, bumps appeared above the ground.


    They moved quickly as if something was underground and disappeared to reappear elsewhere, and gradually they grewrger.

 Chapter 288: Midnight Crystal (Part 13)

    "Hey, don''t you think something''s wrong here?" Adam frowned, looking around. His instincts told him that someone was nearby, but he couldn''t make up his mind.


    Katrin turned around, casting a puzzled look at him.


    "What are you talking about? We came here on purpose during such a quiet period. ording to our data, the volcano isn''t expected to erupt today, and there were no anomalies in the area either. Most of the monsters either want to lead us into a trap or are waiting for the situation to start changing."


    Adam furrowed his eyebrows, he didn''t like that answer, because it didn''t reassure him, or give him any answers.


    Then, he dropped to one knee, cing his palm on the ground. His fingers immediately sank into the ck ash, enveloping his hand as if wanting to swallow it.


    A few seconds were enough for Adam to feel slight vibrations, some weaker and some stronger.


    "Katrin, something is happening underground." Adam said seriously.


    "Come on. There are many tunnels under ck Cinder Forest, it''s no secret. You can probably feel the monsters running through them, we''ve seen them in the pit before." Katrin waved her hand, showing that Adam was worried for no reason.


    Adam bit his lip.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly, the ground shook as in the distance, numerous figures began to emerge from the ground.


    "Hm? What are they doing here?" Katrin nonchntly tilted her head staring at the huge human-sized ants.


    The ants had red skin, powerful forepaws, and small eyes. On the back of their body was a me mark, the tips of their paws were sharp and sturdy. They were Igno Ants, fairlymon monsters in this territory.


    "Are they Purple Threat Level?" Adam asked puzzled. There wasn''t some powerful aura emanating from the Igno Ants in front of them, though they weren''t afraid to stand in front of Adam and Katrin either, which meant something.


    Katrin nodded.


    "Yeah. Their main strength is their numbers, like any ants. I don''t know why they decided to show up here and now, but if they want to attack us we''ll deal with them quickly!" Katrin eximed, pointing her staff at the ants.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, about twenty more Ingo Ants appeared next to the three Ingo Ants. All of them crawled out from under the ashes, looking around baffled.


    Some of them were exchanging smells, and some tilted their heads to look at Adam and Katrin as if their meeting had been unexpected for each of them.


    Adam stepped forward about to take the fight. There were plenty of Igno Ants, but they weren''t really strong.


    After fighting against some of the Top-10 and defeating Thunder Demon, such monsters were not serious opponents for Adam.


    He only needed to focus on one thing - not getting injured. He was significantly stronger than each of the ants, but if they attacked together, some jaw could leave a serious wound on Adam.


    However... The Igno Ants were in no hurry. Their goals were hard to understand, they only nodded to each other and nced at Adam and Katrin, but... something was wrong.


    ''Wait... They''re looking in our direction, but not at us. Then... What are they going to do next? Why are they stopping here?'' Adam pondered,pletely confused.


    For a moment, Adam thought he saw anxiety and even haste in the ants'' eyes. Even if they hade here for Adam and Katrin, the purpose of their battle was not trivial.


    Then, before Adam and Katrin could figure out the ants'' ns, the monsters sprang into action.


    They burrowed underground, but notpletely. The tops of their bodies were visible, as if they were not digging, but floating on the ashes as if in the ocean.


    Adam''s eyes shone brightly as he prepared to use his Order, as did Katrin. They waited for the ants to get close enough to attack.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly, there were even more ants, the red backs of the Igno Ants appearing here and there, creating such a force because of their numbers that ash began to rise above the ground.


    "Fuck..." Adam muttered as his eyes went wide from the realization of what the Igno Ants were about to do.


    Adam turned around sharply. He saw Katrin''s wary look, she still thought it was an ant attack, so... Adam couldn''t use his powers and escape, because splitting up was not eptable.


    Tap.


    Adam stood behind Katrin, wrapping his arms tightly around her like a caring lover unwilling to let go of his mate. However, there was no tenderness in his gaze, only determination.


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    "What? What the fuck are you doing?!" Katrin eximed in confusion, trying to get out of Adam''s tight grip. His arms locked around her like a lock, preventing her from moving.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Before Katrin could say anything else, a huge wave of ash engulfed them. It seemed to be a sess for the Igno Ants because now that Adam and Katrin were submerged in the ash, they were vulnerable to attack!


    Well... That would be true if the ants'' original goal was to attack and kill them, but that wasn''t the case at all. Despite their opportunity, the ants did not touch Adam and Katrin who were inside the ash wave, trying to endure this ordeal.


    They closed their eyes and mouths, waiting to see where the ants would lead them. Simple ash though quite hot couldn''t hurt strong K1-Phantoms like them, only make them dirty.


    Dozens of ants moving in one direction, turning the ash into a veritable wave, were quickly approaching their target.


    Some monsters that saw this scene from their holes from afar narrowed their eyes. They knew that the Igno Ants had gone for an unconventional and even desperate act.


    The Igno Ants used their powerful paws and bodies, bursting through the ashes for one purpose only - to collectively lead the wave and thus Adam and Katrin to the right ce, which was quite far away.


    Soon, the ants finally stopped, they quickly sank into the ground disappearing in an unknown direction. However, this was only for Adam and Katrin whose eyes were still closed and they could not see anything.


    Adam released his hands, took a step back, and opened his eyes as well as Katrin.


    "Oh, I totally get it now. Silvana, what the fuck is going on here?" Adam asked staring at a huge hill with many passageways with Igno Ants constantlying out of it.


    It was their anthill a few kilometers away from the volcano Adam and Katrin were walking towards.


    The Igno Ants anthill was made of ash, ck tree branches, sharp dark rocks, and a strong white viscous substance holding it all together.


    Why did Adam ask such a question? No, more importantly, why had the Igno Ants brought Adam and Katrin here? Had these ants gone crazy and brought two powerful Phantoms right into their Nest to destroy it?


    Maybe the Igno Ants realized they were too weak and decided to attack Adam and Katrin with the entire anthill?


    Well, it was much simpler than that.


    "ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!"


    There was a fierce roar from one of several massive monsters that were tearing the Igno Ants apart, gradually approaching their Nest.


    Along with the roar, scarlet mes emerged from the monster''s jaw, burning the weak outeryer of the anthill and dozens of ants in its path before stepping forward with the ground shaking.


    ''Hah, you bastards. So they want us to help?''

 Chapter 289: Midnight Crystal (Part 14)

    Even in the most peaceful times, there were battles, especially if the participants were monsters.


    Monsters had a huge number of reasons to fight each other, and sometimes it went beyond 1 on 1bat.


    It required a really good reason. Quite often, monsters could start fighting in a massacre format, where everyone was against everyone and either the strongest or the luckiest survived.


    However, much more rarely, another event happened - one group of monsters fought against another. Sometimes it was Nest vs Nest, and sometimes it was just random monsters working together against another group of monsters.


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    Right now, a mixed version was happening in front of Adam and Katrin''s eyes, as the huge ming monsters had a clear goal of destroying the Igno Ants Nest.


    ''Adam.'' Silvana calmly said while going to answer his question, ''From the looks of it, these monsters want to take away the resources that the Igno Ants gathered in their Nest. They are most likely the me crystals that are deep underground. They are filled with energy and are quite valuable sources of power.''


    Adam nced at the monsters attacking the Igno Ants.


    They were seven or even eight meters tall, the size of an entire house each. They had powerful lower legs and long front paws with sharp ws and thick fingers.


    Protective scales covered their entire bodies, with liquid mes leaking into the gaps between the scales as if they wanted to burst out and unleash their power.


    Their jaws were tough and solid, all to withstand the me that erupted from them to turn everything in front into a scorched earth. From head to tail, a row of tall growths stretched across their backs, sturdy and strong.


    Now and then, the monsters swept their massive tails across the ground, shuddering and raising ash.


    ''These are Giant Rogoes. Considering their size, they are all Prime Type. It''s actually amazing that they agreed to work together. It looks like the Igno Ants have found something really valuable.'' Silvana quickly exined.


    ''Giant Rogo, right?'' Adam internally muttered, looking around.


    About ten Giant Rogoes hade here for one purpose - to destroy the Igno Ants Nest, and... their numbers could only increase in the future.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A slight tremor of powerful footsteps sounded from two directions as tall shadows with broad shoulders and fiery eyes appeared in the distance.


    It was reinforcements, as the Igno Ants were holding the defense for now, but despite their numbers, they would definitely lose soon.


    Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.


    Hundreds of strong paws of the Igno Ants were rapidly moving across the body of a single Giant Rogo. These monsters wererge, but that also meant that they were slow and had trouble getting rid of many smaller opponents.


    In fact, given Giant Rogo''s body structure, there was no way it could reach its back or neck. Thus, the Igno Ants that snuck into these remote ces could unhinderedly tear apart Giant Rogo''s scales with their powerful jaws.


    Well... If it were that simple, the Igno Ants would have defeated their enemies long ago. They were as good as any ants at fighting against big and strong enemies, turning their quantity into quality.


    "ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRR!!!"


    Giant Rogo, whose body was covered by Igno Ants, roared furiously, not out of pain or despair, but because he was unleashing his power hidden under his solid armor.


    At the same moment, powerful streams of me rushed from the gaps between its scales, turning the monster into a huge bonfire burning brightly and illuminating everything around it.


    The only thing visible through the zing scarlet mes was a multitude of ck dots, quickly falling away from his body and turning into handfuls of ash.


    This was the fate of every Igno Ants that climbed Giant Rogo in an attempt to bring the giant down to the ground.


    Soon, Giant Rogo calmed down, exhaling a massive club of hot steam from its maw. The monster was breathing heavily, for this attack had cost it a lot of energy and it needed time for the mes beneath its scales to regain power.


    Igno Atns like Giant Rogoes were fire monsters like most in the ck Cinder Forest, however, this did not mean they were invulnerable to fire.


    Giant Rogoes possessed both superior physical strength and more powerful mes, their only disadvantage over Igno Ants was their numbers and speed. Their fire was capable of burning ants.


    "Hm. That''s impressive. Silvana, how strong are they? I''m sure they''re ranked higher than the Top-20." Adam muttered, looking at the recovering Giant Rogo with interest.


    Silvana nodded.


    ''You''re right. Prime Giant Rogo is rated as a Top-18. Obviously, it''s not the most serious opponent you''ve faced. However, given that this is their home and there''s a lot of fire, their strength might be a bit higher, perhaps their strength level is now Top-15.'' Silvana exined in a calm voice.


    Adam''s corners of his lips went up. He missed Silvana''s exnations with her quiet and serious tone.


    After all, something like that gave him peace and confidence as well. It didn''t matter that he was now standing in the middle of a battle between two groups of monsters. He was fully collected, gaining information and preparing for the battle.


    ''Hah... This... This is much different from the fight against Thunder Demon. Back then, it was hard to take matters into your own hands and ignore Silvana''s screams.''


    Then, Adam looked at Katrin, who was holding her palm near her ear with a thoughtful expression. She, like Adam, was listening intently to her Operator.


    ''Agh... Only over time do we realize how hard it was to go through certain trials. Strangely enough, things seem much more difficult in memory than in action.


    Katrin nodded with a deep gaze and nced at Adam.


    "What are we going to do? The Igno Ants are desperate. They brought us here hoping we''d want to kill the Giant Rogoes and it would help them survive."


    Adam narrowed his eyes slightly, but not as a threat but to show that none of this was important.


    "Do you need something from Giant Rogoes or Igno Ants? I mean, maybe you have a mission on them that you haven''tpleted yet?" Adam asked in a low voice.


    Katrin raised an eyebrow, looking at him with a strange look.


    "No. I only came here for the Scarlet Pyromancer."


    Adam nodded with a slight smile on his face.


    "Good. Let''s leave then, we need to get back to the volcano. Next time we won''t let the Igno Ants capture us." Adam waved his hand before heading towards the volcano.


    Katrin turned around onest time looking at the hundreds of Igno Ants running out of their anthill in desperate attempts to defend their home before following Adam.


    Though there were quite a few differences between them, they were simr in some ways. They pursued their goals first and foremost, so saving the Igno Ants Nest was not on their urgent to-do list.


    However... Adam and Katrin were right in the middle of the battle, a hundred meters away from the anthill, so... many already believed that they were involved in the battle.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground shook violently, the tremors gradually getting stronger as the source drew closer.


    "Damn, looks like we''re going to have to stay a while." Katrin tilted her head unhappily looking at the two Giant Rogoes standing in front of them. The monsters red down at them menacingly from top to bottom.


    Adam shook his head as his eyes shone brightly.


    "Nah. For this mission I am your sword, so don''t be afraid to dull my de."

 Chapter 290: Midnight Crystal (Part 15)

    The Giant Rogoes nced around and one of them stepped forward, pointing its open palm paw at Adam. He was going to crush Adam with his power, just turning him into a bloody blur.


    Katrin narrowed her eyes, she didn''t understand why Adam was inactive. He just waited for Giant Rogo''s paw to approach him with a slight smile on his face.


    Then, when the paw fully covered Adam, he came into motion. It wasn''t some cunning n or trap, no, Adam just wanted to check something out.


    Tap.


    Adam''s palm touched the paw of a monster that was bigger than him. Strangely enough, Adam was able to stop Giant Rogo.


    "RGGGHHHHH!!!" Giant Rogo growled irritably, trying to crush Adam. His muscles tensed up wanting to destroy Adam and smash him to the ground, but... the results were dismal.


    Adam''s feet sank into ash, not because he was losing and was soon ready to fall under Giant Rogo''s pressure, but because the ground wasn''t strong enough.


    "Oh, I see... Though I realized this quite some time ago, it''s only now that I''ve had a chance to test it out and experience it fully." Adam smirked, while a silver needle was ready to appear in his right hand.


    He did so for a simple reason - he had defeated a Thunder Demon that was much stronger than any Giant Rogo, the difference in strength between them was monstrous. However... the human mind did not fully understand this.


    If a child or an ordinary person not rted to Dead Lands saw a huge Giant Rogo and Thunder Demon whose size was much smaller, he would think that it was Giant Rogo who was the most dangerous and strongest monster among them.


    The logic was very simple - the bigger and scarier the monster looked, the stronger it was. That''s what a person unfamiliar with Dead Lands would think and that''s what the human brain thought.


    Sure, the Phantoms, Operators, and military realized that Thunder Demon was capable of killing Giant Rogo in seconds, but the difference in their size still caused dissonance.


    Katrin raised an eyebrow. She wasn''t worried about Adam, after all, she knew what he was capable of, but the scene in front of her still looked strange.


    A man, just under two meters tall, had stopped the paw of a monster the size of a house with his hand. If there had been a firmer surface under Adam and not crumbly ash, it wouldn''t have moved.


    "Fine, you could say that little experiment isplete." Adam nodded slightly.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    At the very moment Adam was about to attack and cut Giant Rogo''s paw apart, from outside, came a piercing whistle of wind.


    Katrin''s eyes shifted sideways when, in the sky amidst the ck earth and dark smoke from the constant fire, a bright white sh appeared.


    In a heartbeat, the sh mmed into Giant Rogo''s head, sting it into many pieces. Scraps of flesh flew off to the sides with strong protective scales.


    Then, Giant Rogo''s massive body crashed to the ground with a rumble, raising waves of ash. Adam and Katrin had to cover themselves with their hands to keep the ash out of their mouths and eyes.


    "What the fuck is going on here!?" Katrin shouted irritably, looking around.


    Step. Step. Step.


    From behind, there were heavy footsteps, but not of a monster, but of a man. Katrin saw a tall shadow that quickly swept by her and jumped on the back of the decapitated Giant Rogo''s.


    Katrin narrowed her eyes examining the man with short ck hair, a recently shaved beard, and a fiery gaze filled with enthusiasm.


    In his hands was a huge two-handed sword with a silver de sharpened on both sides and a golden stripe running down the center. The guard was massive and the hilt was long and strong enough to hold such arge weapon with two hands.


    It was obviously his Nexus, neither Katrin nor Adam had ever seen someone''s Nexus this big before.


    The man nced at Katrin, smiled, and leaped forward towards the second Giant Rogo.


    Before the monster could do anything, the man was in front of the monster, holding onto the monster''s massive scales with one hand like a climber on a mountain.


    Then, there was a glint in the man''s eyes as he thrust his huge sword with all his might into Giant Rogo''s chest, plunging the broad de full length.


    Adam tilted his head, he was puzzled not understanding who this man was and why he was so confident in his abilities.


    Yeah, that attack looked spectacr, but Giant Rogo was too big a monster to be killed by such an attack. The man''s sword was broad, but the most such an attack could do was leave a deep cut in Giant Rogo''s chest.


    "Hah, you''re pretty big bastards, aren''t you? Good thing I have a way to deal with you quickly and efficiently!"


    At the same moment, the man''s eyes shone brightly as through the sword passed arrays of golden energy heading straight for the monster''s chest.


    "Oh, not bad." Katrin muttered as if knowing what would happen next.


    The light began to tear the monster''s chest from the inside out, cracks releasing outward golden light spreading all over the monster''s chest, bringing imminent death.


    The man smirked and pulled his sword out of the monster''s flesh with a sharp movement, a few drops of dark blood flew in front of his confident eyes.


    The movement was the catalyst for the detonation.


    Light burst out sting the monster''s chest into small pieces. Head, paws, and legs flew off to the sides, crashing into piles of ash.


    A huge surge of blood mixed with chunks of flesh covered the site of the explosion, seeking to soak into the ck ash and pour over the bones of the long-dead monsters.


    The blood headed towards the man, about topletely cover him like the final attack of a defeated Giant Rogo, but the man was ready for it.


    "Hah, I won''t let the monster''s blood touch me!" The man eximed with a joyful smile before swinging his sword from bottom to top.


    Considering his strength and the size of his sword, this swing caused active air currents that like an invisible barrier threw the drops of blood aside.


    Adam just took a few steps back, looking at the drops of blood that fell in front of his feet, quickly disappearing into the ashes.


    "Nice! We killed two more and saved our fellow Phantoms!" The man clenched his fist with a wide grin, rejoicing in histest victory.


    Adam and Katrin looked at each other in confusion.


    They didn''t understand what was going on here, but it was the man''s words that caught their attention the most.


    ''Wait...? Is he talking about us? Is he saying he just saved us?'' Adam and Katrin''s thoughts were reflected in their eyes. They realized they were thinking the same thing without words.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Then, from the north side, avoiding collision with the other Giant Rogoes and Igno Ants, three Phantoms headed towards them. One of them was a girl with long ck hair and stern green eyes.


    She was no different from most Phantoms except for the fact that behind her back was a massive sniper rifle almost as big as herself.


    Adam frowned slightly. He didn''t have any negativity towards this girl since he had met her for the first time today.


    But he had bad memories of sniper rifles in general. It was a shot from such a weapon by a dark Phantom that had killed two of his fellows - Barna and Sirgus.


    Katrin gritted her teeth as she watched the approaching Phantoms. She had already realized that they would only give her a headache and nothing more.

 Chapter 291: Midnight Crystal (Part 16)

    Dead Lands was a dangerous ce and the Phantoms were supposed to help each other. It was a great idea and an unspoken rule, but some might take it too literally...


    "Hey, you two, are you alright? One of the Giant Rogoes almost killed you! Good thing we got here in time and saved you!" The man said confidently stepping forward.


    At this time, three members of his squad approached them, standing in front of Adam and Katrin.


    "Hello, my name is Oskar." The man with therge sword said confidently as he approached them. He had a bright smile on his face as he poked his chest with his thumb.


    Oddly enough, Oskar was one of the few Phantoms that wore armor. Not that armor waspletely useless, because if it was made of monster materials of the same strength level as the Phantom, it could protect against several attacks.


    Most Phantoms preferred to wear either normal clothing orfortable clothing for battles, because armor was not only bulky but also heavy, preventing them from actingpletely free.


    Sure, Phantoms could lift hundreds of kilograms and even tons depending on their strength, so armor that weighed a few dozen kilograms had to be something inconspicuous. However, only the usual heavy armor used by knights in fairy tales weighed that much.


    Oskar''s armor was made of monster parts and its weight was much more than a hundred kilograms. However, even Oskar didn''t wear heavy armor. His armor only covered the important parts of his body - wrists, joints, tendons, and so on.


    "So... Nice to meet you?" Adam said puzzled as he tilted his head. Adam wasn''t sure how he was supposed to react. Oskar''s appearance was not in his and Katrin''s ns.


    Then, Oskar turned to his teammates. He waved his hand and pointing at the girl with the sniper rifle said:


    "This is E, you can thank her for your rescue. She managed to kill Giant Rogo at thest moment, otherwise the monster would have crushed you. She''s a great marksman!" Oskar said excitedly.


    Katrin rolled her eyes. People like Oskar annoyed her more than anything. He was too active, expressive, and kind. Katrin didn''t see anything good in that.


    E nodded slightly. Unlike her talkative leader, she was silent and quiet. But, she was used to people paying attention to Oskar''s words, so she waited for Adam to thank her. Not because she needed to, but because it would happen.


    "She saved me? We shouldn''t have been here in the first ce, it''s those damn Igno Ants'' fault." Adam sighed heavily with a shrug.


    Then, he narrowed his eyes, causing E to shiver slightly, she hadn''t expected such a reaction at all.


    "You just interfered in our affairs and expect us to thank you? Whatever, just don''t take up any more of our time, we came here to hunt." Adam said irritably.


    Oskar tilted his head in confusion.


    "Hey buddy, I don''t know why you''re in such a bad mood, but I don''t like my teammates being talked to like that. E helped you, even if you don''t want to thank her, you don''t have to be so harsh." Oskar said calmly, but a slight threat could be heard in his voice.


    The silence continued for a while, while the tension gradually grew. Disagreements between Phantoms as well as help were not umon, for each had their personalities.


    "Wait... Oskar, take your time, he''s right." E suddenly said, staring intently at Adam with wide-open eyes as if she had met a celebrity.


    "Hm? What are you talking about?" Oskar raised an eyebrow.


    E gulped.


    "That''s Adam Vinter... He''s the one who defeated Thunder Demon a few weeks ago. At Salt Vige, there was some real fucked up stuff going on..." E muttered, realizing that her help wasn''t needed, Adam.


    Unlike E who immediately felt insecure because of Adam''s authority, Oskar only looked at him with interest.


    He couldn''t understand how he didn''t recognize Adam, because Oskar like the most ambitious Phantoms watched the achievements of other Phantoms.


    A real fire of rivalry andpetition burned inside him - it helped him to be a better person.


    "Oh... I see, you''re right!" Oskar''s eyes went wide when he finally recognized Adam, "Sorry, in thest few videos you''ve always been in tight ck clothes and now you''re without your needle in a long coat, so I didn''t recognize you."


    Then, Oskar shifted his gaze to Katrin, expecting Adam''s teammate to also be some sort of well-known Phantom in tight circles, but... then he saw Katrin for the first time.


    "And you...?" Oskar said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.


    Katrin rolled her eyes, snorting irritably.


    "Katrin, just... Katrin!"


    "Sure, nice to meet you!" Oskar vigorously uttered trying to divert attention away from this awkward situation.


    Katrin gritted her teeth, clutching her staff tightly and ring at Adam. Once again, the thing she hated the most was happening - the attention and fame were going to someone other than her.


    ''Shit, Katrin, calm down.'' Katrin inwardly muttered, ''There''s still some time left. When you have your new powers, this won''t happen anymore.''


    Then, Oskar waved his hand showing the two remaining members of their squad. Discover hidden tales at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    The first was a young man with short scarlet hair and a slightly unsure look. On his belt was a red thick book like a grimoire - it was clearly his Nexus.


    "This is Lero - he''s one of our supports. He is the youngest Phantom among us, but he has great potential. Among the many battles we''ve been through, he''s saved me many times!" Oskar said kindly, lightly pping Lero on the shoulder with his massive palm.


    "Hi, nice to meet you, especially you Adam Vinter. Your recent fight against Thunder Demon taught me a lot." Lero said shyly.


    Oskar nodded and pointed to thest member of their squad, a girl with long pink hair, a cute face, and a kind look. In her hands was a long silver staff with a green orb on the end.


    "This is Osana, our second and main support. Eh, I can''t even remember how many times she healed my wounds."


    Osana smiled brightly as she waved at them.


    "Hey guys!" Osana said energetically.


    Adam nced at Oskar.


    "So... Golden Light Squad, right?" Adam asked, staring at Oskar. While Leo and Osana were introducing themselves, Silvana had already given him information about them.


    "Yes. Have you heard of us? We''vepleted a hell of a lot of missions and with sess!" Oskar said haughtily, then he looked at Katrin and her staff which was somewhat simr to Osana''s Nexus.


    Oskar smiled slightly with interest gazing at Katrin.


    "Hmm. She''s your support, right? Interesting to see what she can do."


    Before Adam could say anything, Katrin stepped forward, swung her staff, and pointed the sharp end towards Oskar''s neck.


    Oskar became wary, and E, Lero, and Osana prepared to fight. It didn''t matter that they had Adam Vinter in front of them, if their leader was threatened, they had to respond to it.


    "If you call me his support one more time, I''ll stab you in the neck with my staff. We came here to aplish a mission, nothing more."


    Oskar nodded and pushed Katrin''s staff away without any fear.


    "Understood, sorry. Now let''s get down to business. Would you like to help us destroy the Igno Ants? From the looks of it, you were about to leave, but there was no hurry. If the Igno Ants can defend themselves, this area is in for a disaster."


    "Hm? What are you talking about?"


    Oskar''s gaze became more serious.


    "A monster stronger than Purple Threat Level might appear here."

 Chapter 292: Midnight Crystal (Part 17)

    Adam, as one of the strongest K1-Phantoms at the moment, gained his positionrgely by defeating Essence Thunder Demon, a Top-2 Monster.


    That was why, even a Phantom like E felt as if she was a fan in front of a celebrity, even though she was strong enough to kill Giant Rogo, a Top-18 Monster, with a single urate attack.


    It was worth remembering that K1-Phantoms started from Blue Threat Level monsters, then they progressed to Purple Threat Level and gradually reached Top-100 monsters. Each sessive monster defeated was proof that the Phantom''s power had increased.


    However, Oskar''s words were able to interest or even slightly scare Katrin and Adam.


    A monster stronger than the Purple Threat Level? Sure, there were more than enough of them, but they should be in territories for K2-Phantoms such as Prago.


    "How is that possible?" Adam asked as he narrowed his eyes, "ck Cinder Forest is a dangerous territory, but not so dangerous that such a strong monster would appear here! Moreover, Igno Ants though numerous, they are weak!"


    Oskar nodded, he wanted to say something, but at this time another Giant Rogo approached them.


    The Giant Rogo opened its jaw wide, about to unleash its mes on them. The fire needed some time to build up enough strength, so Oskar had a chance to do something about it.


    "Shit, where did ite from? Alright, let''s destroy it and continue our conversationter." Oskar gritted his teeth and gripped his sword tightly. He was as ready to fight as ever.


    E turned around abruptly, going to grab her sniper rifle and aim to destroy the monster with one clear shot.


    Step. Step. Step.


    At the same moment, quick confident footsteps sounded behind her. Before she could realize the source of the sound, a tall shadow leaped at E, using her shoulder as a springboard for itself.


    From the surprise, E fell to the ground, unable to withstand the pressure from Adam''s jump. He simply stomped her into the ground.


    Then, finding himself in front of Giant Rogo, Adam cast a cold stare at the monster. Even though the monster was right in front of him, Adam hadn''t used a single ability yet.


    "Wait... What is he doing? I have to help him!" Lero eximed going to use his book, but someone''s hand stopped him.


    Turning around, he saw Katrin with a serene look.


    "Calm down. He doesn''t need your help since he''s not even going to use his abilities. That bastard killed Thunder Demon and he''s only gotten stronger since then." Katrin said calmly.


    Lero gulped. He still wanted to use his Nexus and help Adam somehow, but to his surprise, Katrin''s grip was stronger than he had assumed.


    "Hah, pathetic the support." Katrin snorted arrogantly before stepping back.


    Osana tilted her head in confusion with a slight but mysterious smile and almost closed her eyes.


    ''Well, well, looks like someone has some serious self-esteem issues. I wonder why she''s on the same team as Adam Vinter then? Being his support must be torture for her.''


    Crackle.


    Adam grabbed the scales on Giant Rogo''s chest and quickly climbed up onto the monster''s shoulder. Giant Rogo''s gaze filled with rage as he turned towards Adam, about to unleash all of his mes on Adam to turn him into a handful of ashes.


    What should Adam have done in such a situation? Perhaps he should dodge, thus forcing Giant Rogo to make a pointless attack, but he had a better option.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Adam burst forward, stepping on Giant Rogo''s broad shoulder. In a heartbeat, he found himself under Giant Rogo''s head, from whose maw mes were about to burst out in the next second.


    Before that could happen, Adam threw his hands up, lifting the monster''s jaw and forcing Giant Rogo''s wide-open maw firmly closed.


    Giant Rogo''s eyes went wide as he tried to open his maw, but Adam held it tightly, not allowing even a tiny gap to appear between the monster''s teeth.


    E''s eyes went wide as she realized what Adam''s n was.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Giant Rogo''s head shook as the mes tried to escape, but it was impossible because his jaws were tightly mped together.


    Soon, the mes came out through the monster''s ears, nose, and eyes in a multitude of thin, dense streams that burned through everything in their path. Naturally, Giant Rogo''s brain turned into a liquid slop burned by the heat of the mes.


    Adam nodded slightly and leaped upwards, climbing on top of Giant Rogo''s head, waiting for the huge monster''s body to finally reach the ground.


    Bam.


    With a slight rumble, Giant Rogo''s body sank into the ground raising waves of ash.


    E and Lero were shocked, their eyes wide open, not believing that Adam had handled Giant Rogo so easily. Osana stared at him thoughtfully, no one knew what was in the mind of such a sweet and harmless-looking girl.


    Oskar grinned widely as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    "Damn! Dude, that was freaking awesome!" Oskar nodded.


    ''Well done, good job.'' Silvana said quietly.


    "Yeah, that wasn''t hard." Adam muttered before casting a nce at Katrin.


    There was a wicked smirk on her face, she was clearly quite pleased to finally see Adam''s power in action with her own eyes and not from a video.


    "I thought you were going to smash through his skull, but your method was better than I thought it would be." Katrin spat out ament.


    "Well, I was afraid the mes would burst out and burn me, so I had to improvise." Adam replied calmly before turning to Oskar.


    "So... What were you saying about the Igno Ants? Why do we have to destroy them? How will they summon a monster stronger than Purple Threat Level? And, if all of that is true, why are we killing Giant Rogoes while helping the ant''s defense?" Adam asked many questions at once, staring intently at Oskar.


    Oskar looked at his squad, now that Adam showed his power in action all eyes were on him.


    "Sure, you''re right, Igno Ants are weak monsters, but why do you think Giant Rogoes decided to attack Igno Ants? You know, it would take a good reason for such a fierce battle to break out between two groups of monsters." Oskar said looking into the distance.


    There were three Giant Rogoes corpses lying around them, so the monsters chose to avoid that area, but that didn''t mean the battle was over.


    The Giant Rogoes were burning ants, trying to get closer to their Nest. They had a precise intent.


    "Apparently you know, right?"


    Oskar smirked.


    "Yeah, the Igno Ants have gathered a lot of different resources, including nts from the ck Cinder Forest and underground me crystals and even energy-infused ck tree roots."


    Adam nodded. He realized that the Giant Rogoes wanted to take it all for themselves, or rather he had thought this way before. Now, he realized that the reason was something else.


    Oskar scratched the back of his head and nced at Igno Ants Nest.


    "We took the mission to destroy them, after all, the mission department figured out why they gathered so many resources."


    Oskar looked intently at Adam, his gaze serious like a warrior ready for mortalbat.


    "They are preparing for the birth of their king. It is the Igno Ant King who is the monster above the Purple Threat Level. If he appears, both your and our missions will be in danger as well as our lives."


    Tap.


    Oskar punched himself in the chest with a fiery gaze.


    "Help us! With your help, we willplete this mission quickly and without casualties!"


    Adam and Katrin just looked over at each other.


    ''Agh... Headache.'' Katrin inwardly muttered.

 Chapter 293: Midnight Crystal (Part 18)

    Adam touched his earbud about to ask Silvana something, but she beat him to it, knowing what he was going to ask. Not because she wanted to show how she could anticipate his thoughts, but because she didn''t want the Golden Light squad to hear his question.


    ''Igno Ant King is indeed a dangerous monster, not enough to be a disaster and turn this ce into hell immediately after birth, but still extremely hazardous. If you want your and Katrin''s hunt for Scarlet Pyromancer to be sessful, I would advise you to help them.''


    Silvana continued:


    ''However, not for free. Have them pay you 35%. Don''t settle for less. Press your authority, after all, you are the strongest among them, and... Katrin is also a more than capable Phantom, don''t forget that.''


    Oskar wanted to say something in addition to his fiery speech, but he stopped, for Adam''s look had changed dramatically. Silvana''s instruction helped him decide how to proceed.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam jumped off Giant Rogo''s head and slowly approached Oskar, leaving a footprint on the ashes.


    Oskar was not only big and muscr but also tall. His height was over two meters tall, so Oskar looked down on Adam from top to bottom. However, he didn''t feel in charge at all.


    "40% of your reward for destroying the Igno Ants Nest and we''ll help you." Adam said seriously, looking serenely at Oskar.


    "Although..." Adam muttered not letting Oskar speak, "I''ll have to ask her consent first."


    Adam turned to Katrin, showing that her word mattered more to him than Oskar''s decision.


    Katrin waved her hand.


    "Well, it won''t be good if, during the hunt for Scarlet Pyromancer, we get attacked by the Igno Ant King because they can''t handle it."


    E, Lero, and Osana frowned at her arrogant statement but didn''t say anything. In any case, it was Oskar who had thest word and decision.


    Oskar sighed heavily, scratched the back of his head with a frown, and said:


    "Fine! There are four of us, two of you, so 40% will be quite fair considering we get help from you personally. But!" Oskar eximed, pointing at Adam, poking him in the chest, "For that extra 7%, I demand that you obey me as your leader!"


    Adam shrugged.


    "Sure, just tell me everything in detail again."


    So they all headed towards Igno Ants Nest, which was getting smaller and smaller as the Giant Rogoes were slowly burning it down.


    Oskar was talking about 7% because there were six of them. So if they were to split the reward equally, they should each get 16.6%, so Adam and Katrin should only be asking for 33%.


    ...


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Oskar swung his massive sword, chopping up several ants in his path.


    "Watch out!" Lero eximed as an ant appeared behind Oskar, about to sink its powerful jaws into his back.


    Crackle.


    Katrin''s staff came crashing down on the ant''s head, nailing it to the ground. Before the ant could regain consciousness she brought the staff down once more, sting the ant''s head into chunks.


    Lero gulped.


    In his mind Katrin was Adam''s support, he didn''t understand how she could be so bloodthirsty and cruel.


    "Basically, we have to destroy not only the Igno Ants but anyone who wants their resources. There''s a small chance that by using the resources prepared for the king, some monster will be able to evolve." Oskar uttered, leaning on his sword for a brief rest.


    Adam nodded, looking around.


    They had made a deal thirty minutes ago, and in that time they had destroyed all the monsters, all the ants on the east side.


    In the beginning, when the Igno Ants had brought him and Katrin here, he had thought that soon the Igno Ants would lose, but that hadn''t happened so far.


    The Igno Ants, up to now, had sessfully defended the north, south, and west sides of their Nest against the Giant Rogoes.


    Moreover, ten minutes ago, near the Giant Rogoes, Horned Red Lizards, Purple Threat Level monsters, and White Book began to appear. They weren''t as strong as Giant Rogoes, but they still ranked Top-88 among all Purple Threat Monsters and were stronger than the ants.


    Red Lizards had long horns on their heads, two narrow amber eyes, and elongated jaws with long tongues. They had a tough ck hide covered in protective tes and thick red veins running through their thick tails, conducting dense mes.


    However, they had not yet engaged in battle. They ran between the Giant Rogoes'' legs before disappearing into the ash, like in sand. The Red Lizards were waiting for their time, they didn''t want to rush. Their goal was to sneak into the Igno Ants and take their resources.


    "Yeah, but it seems like there wasn''t a strong need for our intervention. There are more and more different monsters appearing here every minute." Adam muttered, raising his gaze upwards.


    For some time now, a multitude of ck birds with broad wings and sharp red beaks had been hovering over the area. They were slowly nning, watching the surroundings intently with their four eyes positioned at their sides.


    These were the Dark Loohoes. Besides their beaks, each Dark Looho had a deadly weapon - their ws that could burst into mes at will. Not only were the ws sharp enough to tear Red Lizards apart, but they were also hot.


    An ordinary Dark Looho was rated as a Top-66. Given that they were gradually growing in number, they posed a danger to anyone under their broad wings.


    Oskar smirked, shaking his head.


    "Hmm? Did I say something wrong?" Adam tilted his head in confusion.


    "Well, you think the Igno Ants are losing, don''t you? I hate to disappoint you, but Igno Ants aren''t stupid monsters. They work like a well-coordinated machine, so they were prepared to be attacked by everyone around them."


    Then, Oskar pointed to the northern passage - the one closest to where they were and the most damaged.


    Three Giant Rogoes were standing in front of the northern passageway and many long horns were visible from under the ash near their feet. The Red Lizards were ready to break into the anthill as well.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Several dark shes flew out of the holes of the northern side, using their massive mirrored wings to achieve lightning speed.


    In a heartbeat, five shadows pierced Giant Rogo''s head, sting it apart. Then, they rose high up looking at the defeated enemy and anyone who dared to attack their Nest before the king was born.


    These were the Igno Ant Guards - the main defenders of the Nest

 Chapter 294: Midnight Crystal (Part 19)

    Ants, both regr and monsters, were known for their teamwork and role assignment.


    Some had to gather resources, some had to build an anthill, some had to take care of thervae and their offspring, some had to give birth to new generations, and some...


    Some would have to protect them all, and to do so would require great strength such as the Igno Guards.


    They were muchrger than ordinary Igno Ants, had long extended bodies like wasps, and had three pairs of t mirrored wings that reflected the mes from the fiery earth.


    The first Gian Rogo was defeated, but there was more work to be done, for Giant Rogoes were not the only ant opponents.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    The Igno Guards roared upward, pressing their wings tightly against their bodies. Before their target could realize anything, the Igno Guards had torn apart a lone Dark Looho, only the ck feathers remaining, flying apart.


    "Oh, they''re pretty strong, but will it be enough?" Adam muttered ring at the Igno Guards.


    Oskar smiled with an affirming nod.


    "Sure, because this is just the beginning. I shouldn''t be happy though, because soon those bastards will be our problem as well."


    At the same moment, a multitude of Igno Guards flew out from all the passageways in the anthill.


    Compared to ordinary Igno Ants, they were quite few in quantity, but considering how many ants there were in total, the Igno Guards possessed considerable numbers.


    In a matter of seconds, all the Giant Rogoes that came within twenty meters of the Nest were annihted.


    Some of the Giant Rogoes tried to resist, they opened their jaws wide, raining mes down on the Igno Guards, but the Igno Guards didn''t even dodge.


    Their mirrored wings reflected all the mes without conducting heat or even getting hot. It was the perfect defense against fire monsters and... considering they were in the ck Cinder Forest, it was a real trump card in defending their home.


    "Unbelievable, now I realize that Igno Ants can easily defend themselves." Lero muttered looking at a single Igno Guard hovering above the ground in the distance.


    Adam narrowed his eyes, his gaze calm.


    "Well, apparently the ants didn''t want to use their guards since that''s their trump card. They even wanted to use us, but that turned out to be a mistake."


    Lero looked at Adam in a baffled manner.


    "Agh? A trump card? Even so, the Igno Guards are damn strong! They''re invincible to those monsters!"


    Adam didn''t answer anything. He just looked at the many long horns showing from the ground.


    Then, several Red Lizards jumped out, grabbing Igno Guard by his paws and mirrored wings. Igno Guard didn''t expect such an attack, the monster panicked and tried to take off, but the Red Lizards were too many.


    Each Red Lizard weighed several hundred kilograms, so... pouncing together on one Igno Guard, they simply prevented the monster from flying up, dropping the ant to the ground.


    "They''re pretty smart." E let out a calmment as she watched the Red Lizards tear the Igno Guard apart.


    Adam nodded.


    "Yeah, and it looks like they''re not the only ones." Adam nced up, staring at the Dark Loohoes that for some reason had started to gather into a single point.


    They were flying high in the sky above the Igno Ants Nest, gradually elerating, bing a massive dark ring with red dots - their long beaks.


    Then, reaching top speed, the Dark Loohoes, one by one, began to dive downward. Their ws shed with scarlet mes, leaving behind each bird, six red lines likeser beams following them.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Crashing to the ground, the Dark Loohoes unleashed fiery explosions destroying everything around them. The birds themselves remained unharmed as the st came from the tips of their massive beaks.


    Pulling their beaks out of the ground, shaking off the ck ash, the Dark Loohoes headed forward, sweeping past the Igno Ants and tearing them apart with their sharp ws.


    No ant was strong enough to defend itself against these deadly des.


    But... Igno Ants were not the only target of the Dark Loohoes, for there were also Phantoms, their natural enemies.


    "RARK!!!!"


    Dark Looho growled, heading straight for Adam, who was quite far away, but every second the distance between them was shrinking.


    ''Step aside.'' Silvana said calmly, for the Operators and Phantoms had already agreed on a n of action.


    Adam nodded slightly and took a few steps to the right.


    Before Dark Looho could change trajectory to sh with Adam, there was a powerful rush of wind as if from an explosion.


    At the same moment, a snow-white projectile filled with enough power to kill Giant Rogo with a single attack flew before Adam''s eyes.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    The projectile ripped through Dark Looho, shattering its massive beak into tiny shards and tearing the monster''s body apart.


    One shot was enough to end the life of this huge bird forever.


    "Nice shot." Adam nodded slightly, ncing at E standing in the distance.


    E replied the same with a serious face.


    "E, you did good!" Lero eximed with an excited expression.


    "Thank you, but we still have a lot of work ahead of us." E said coldly. In battle, she was always calm and focused. The most important thing was to aplish the mission and they had a really important task ahead.


    Crackle.


    Katrin pierced the head of another ant with the sharp tip of her staff and cast an annoyed look at Oskar.


    "Hey, leader, maybe it''s time to go inside? Destroy the king''srva, egg, or whatever it''s supposed to be born from and be done with it? You can protect the resources without our help." Katrin waved her hand.


    Oskar stepped forward, swinging his sword and chopping some Igno Ants to pieces. One swing of his huge weapon was more than enough.


    Then, he turned around, assessing the situation.


    He understood the nature of their mission better than Adam and Katrin who had just joined them under rather harsh conditions.


    If they wanted to infiltrate the Igno Ant Nest, they had to first destroy most of the monsters around them or wait for the Igno Guards to do so. Otherwise, they would have to do double the work of killing both monsters and Igno Ants. Continue your adventure with m|v-l''e -NovelBin


    "No, it''s still early. Let''s clear all the passageways first. Kill not only the ants but all the monsters as well. If we turn this ce into a battlefield with a hundred corpses, the other monsters will be afraid toe here. They will wait for either us or the ants to lose, but by then we will have alreadypleted our mission." Oskar said seriously as he turned to Katrin and Adam.


    "Me, Lero, E, and Osana will take over the eastern and northern passages. Adam and Katrin, can you clear the south and west aisles? I''m sure if the two of you act together it won''t be a problem." Oskar suggested.


    Adam nodded.


    "Sure. It shouldn''t take too long. We just have to keep the king from getting born." Adam headed forward.


    Katrin sighed heavily and followed him.


    She would have been d not to face Golden Light Squad, but it had already happened and they had to take the threat of the birth of the Igno Ant King into consideration.


    Katrin had waited too long for this day and she couldn''t let the failure of another squad, prevent her from gaining new abilities.


    Lero sighed heavily looking at Adam and Katrin leaving.


    "Oskar, do you think they can handle it? Maybe I should help them? So that there can be three on each team." Lero suggested.


    Oskar shook his head.


    "I have no doubts about my decision."

 Chapter 295: Midnight Crystal (Part 20)

    "So... Shall we begin?" Katrin muttered while looking at the hundreds of Igno Ants in front of the southern passage.


    The Igno Ants didn''t pay attention to them as they were busy with the more important task of digging out Red Lizards from the ground.


    Thanks to their tactics, the Red Lizards had already killed more than ten Igno Guards, and the ants couldn''t allow it anymore. Igno Guards were the most valuable fighters of the ants and the main defenders of the Nest, so every single one of them was immensely worthwhile.


    "Agh, even though I don''t like it, I will help you. Stand in front of me, I''ll use my Nexus. After all, we work on the same team, don''t we?" Katrin smiled slightly, pointing her staff at Adam.


    Even though Katrin didn''t like her abilities and didn''t want to be the support, she had nothing against Adam, even though it might seem that way because of her bad temper. After all, he was the one she had asked for help because she could trust him and believed in his strength.


    "You shouldn''t."


    However... Adam said no.


    "Agh?" Katrin''s eyes went wide in confusion.


    "Save your powers for Scarlet Pyromancer or if Igno Ant King awakens. I can deal with those weaklings myself." Adam said calmly as his eyes shone brightly and electric shocks ran through his body.


    His speech sounded arrogant, but there was no pride or overconfidence in Adam''s words, for he was simply stating facts. The Igno Ants were indeed weak opponents for him.


    Katrin gulped, she just watched as Adam''s tips of ck hair shone brightly, a lightning horn appeared on his head and he soared slightly above the ground, about to unleash his power on the ants.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Adam tilted his body forward and turned into a blue sh, instantly reaching the ants and whizzing through them, turning them into bloody shards.


    He didn''t need to use his needle or other abilities, the lightning power, his speed, and physical stats were more than enough to tear the ants apart.


    As soon as Adam''s palm touched an ant, electric shocks passed through the monster, turning it into ash.


    Katrin watched Adam''s performance with wide-open eyes. She felt awe and genuine envy towards Adam.


    Her envy was in some ways the right one. Katrin didn''t want to take away what Adam had and take it for herself, she wanted to reach the same level as soon as possible. She wanted others to look at her the same way she looked at Adam now.


    ''Lero and Osana... Those two seem more than satisfied with their role as the supports in the Golden Light Squad.'' Katrin inwardly muttered tightly clenching her fist.


    Then, she stared at Adam, who had already destroyed several hundred ants and dozens of lizards determined to attack him from underground.


    Katrin sighed heavily. Continue your adventure with m|v-l''e -NovelBin


    "I have nothing against the supports, if they want to help others then that''s great, but I''m tired of being one of them."


    ''Don''t worry, things will change soon. By the way, I''m your support in a way too.'' n, Katrin''s Operator said in a kind voice.


    "Hah, you''re the Operator. You can''t have any other role. It does make me wonder, though. Without you, I''d actually have a hard time." Katrin muttered with a slight smile.


    n didn''t answer anything, he just nodded slightly.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    There was a strong rush of wind as Adam appeared in front of her, hovering slightly above the ground and looking down at her.


    "Let''s go. We still need to clear the west passageway. The sooner we deal with these ants, the sooner we can get back to hunting Scarlet Pyromancer." Adam said calmly.


    "Agh...?" Katrin looked at Adam in a confused way. She couldn''t believe it was over already, but as she nced behind his back, her eyes grew deeper with understanding.


    Hundreds or perhaps even thousands of ant corpses torn to piecesy on the ashy ground. Lizards and Dark Loohoes were defeated under the wrath of Adam''s lightning bolts as well. They could do nothing in the face of someone who had defeated Thunder Demon and possessed a fraction of that monster''s power.


    "Yeah. You''re right. Hopefully, we won''t have to wait too long for Golden Light Squad." Katrin waved her hand nonchntly ruffling her hair, "Damn, what a stupid name."


    Adam''s corners of his mouth went up.


    "Agreed, the name isn''t the best and definitely not appropriate for an entire squad when they all have different abilities. However... Given Oskar''s enthusiasm, I''m sure he chose that name purely because of his abilities."


    Katrin sighed.


    "Kind and helpful Oskar could turn out to be an arrogant bastard, couldn''t he?"


    Adam shrugged.


    "Maybe, but I certainly wouldn''t refer to my squad of four as white thread or silver needle. It''s... It''s too weird. The squad name should reflect each squad member or the overall goal. At the very least, each squad member should agree on the name."


    Adam looked away as a frown appeared on his face.


    "You can''t name a squad after yourself, no matter who you are, no matter how strong or smart you are. Not that I''m a major fan of teamwork, but it''s pretty damn obvious."


    Then, Adam turned around and headed toward the west side of the Igno Ants Nest.


    "Catch up. I think I''ll deal with all the monsters in front of the west entrance in ten minutes." Adam said before disappearing in a blue sh.


    Katrin smirked as she watched Adam''s distant silhouette covered in lightning. She was once again convinced that asking him for help was the right thing to do.


    It was true that Adam worked in squads much less often than the other Phantoms, but there were reasons and circumstances for that.


    Moreover, there were often conflicts and problems in the squads, Katrin was well aware of that because to earn money she had to do a lot of missions, often working withrge squads that couldplete several missions in a day.


    During this time, she met a lot of annoying Phantoms and real bastards.


    Sure, Katrin wasn''t a person of perfect temperament as well as Adam, but she had goals and principles. That was far more important for trust than supposed kindness and respect.


    "Hey, Silvana, you can hear me, right?" Katrin smiled, stepping forward among the dead lizards and ants, heading for the west passage.


    For a while, there was only silence, but soon Katrin heard Adam''s Operator''s voice.


    ''What? Katrin, you have your Operator. I''m supposed to be helping Adam.'' Silvana replied coldly.


    Katrin nodded with a slight smile on her face.


    "Hah, we both understand that he doesn''t need anyone''s help right now. He''s just tearing those ants apart."


    Katrin continued as her gaze became more serious.


    "Answer me one question and I won''t bother you again."


    ''I''m listening to you.'' Silvana replied emotionlessly.


    "You know Adam better than anyone, so... If you were Phantom and you were fighting with him on the same battlefield, would you trust him with your life?" Katrin asked in a low tone.


    The question was serious andplex, Katrin had expected a detailed answer with exnations and praise from Silvana to Adam.


    ''Yes.'' Silvana said quickly, disconnecting from the channel.

 Chapter 296: Midnight Crystal (Part 21)

    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Oskar swung his sword, shing one ant after another. He didn''t want to use his abilities because, inside the Igno Ants Nest, serious threats could be waiting for them.


    If the Igno Ant King could actually be born, they would need all their strength to stop this dangerous monster.


    E, time after time, fired shots, destroying the lizards and the birds hovering above them. For her, any distance was within attack range, though it greatly affected her mobility.


    Lero and Osana assisted their teammates, but there wasn''t a strong need for their actions at the time. Igno Ants were numerous, but their squad had fought against more powerful monsters.


    The only reason why they took this mission and even agreed to give parts of the bounty to Adam and Katrin was because of the risk of the appearance of the Igno Ant King, nothing else mattered.


    "Alright, we''ve finished our work. Before we split up, the eastern passage was almost cleared, we had already purged the northern one, so Adam and Katrin had yet to clear one of their passages. At best, they''ve already moved on to the second aisle, either way, we have to help them." Oskar said confidently before running forward.


    E, Lero, and Osana looked over at each other. They nodded and followed their leader. None of them could have imagined what awaited them at the western passageway where Adam and Katrin were now.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Five minutester, they had run around Igno Ants Nest and were approaching the west passage. They were already having strange expressions on their faces, for earlier they had passed through the southern passage where Adam had made hell.


    They couldn''t believe that in the time it took the four of them to kill the monsters, Adam and Katrin had dealt with every ant, every lizard, and every Dark Looho and Giant Rogo.


    "Well, looks like they have to fight right now. They must have spent a lot of effort to get to this point." E muttered running between the heads of the ants torn apart.


    Lero smiled widely with a fiery look.


    "In that case, we should help them! After all, there are two of them and four of us!" Lero was full of enthusiasm.


    Unlike him, Osana was silent. She didn''t share Lero''s enthusiasm and E''s admiration, she was thinking about something keeping a cute smile on her face while her eyes were almost closed.


    She looked at the dead ants, at the burns on their bodies that could only have been left by the lightning, and realized how the situation was.


    Katrin followed Adam''s progress and in a way, it was logical because they knew each other, she wanted to be as strong as him, and so on.


    Strangely enough, Osana knew more about Adam than Katrin did. However, she followed not only his progress but also the progress of every notable K1-Phantom, including Alexia and a few others.


    Osana unlike Katrin fully embraced her role and she wanted to find a powerful teammate for herself. Not that she was going to leave Golden Light Squad right now, but she was used to nning ahead and preparing for opportunities in advance.


    ''Hmm... Oskar, Lero, and E don''t seem to have noticed this, but none of those ants are cut. Adam has no sword or wind, but his threads are sharp and thin enough to leave perfect cuts like from a scalpel. However... all these ants are torn and burned by pure lightning power.''


    Osana knew well what Adam''s abilities were, so... she easily came to that conclusion, realizing exactly what had happened here.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Turning behind the ashy hill, Oskar, E, Lero and Osana found themselves in front of the western passageway where they saw an even more amazing sight.


    Adam looked bored and sat on a mountain made of thousands of ants, their body parts and paws burned by lightning.


    Next to the mountain as if at the base of the mountain were many dead lizards and a few Dark Loohoes. At the base of the mountain were four Giant Rogoes.


    Adam wasn''t doing anything, he just stared ahead with his fingers attached with a pensive look in his eyes.


    Katrin stood next to the mountain, stomping her foot irritably on the ground and asionally ncing at her NEP, checking the time every few seconds. She looked like someone who was in a big hurry to get somewhere and couldn''t afford to waste any more time.


    "Oh, they''re finally here." Katrin frowned heavily, looking at the Golden Light Squad.


    E''s eyes went wide in disbelief looking around.


    "No way... How did you do it so quickly? How many abilities did you use to destroy those monsters?"


    Lero''s eyes shone brightly as he nced at Katrin.


    "Wow. I''m sure Adam couldn''t have done it without your help. You seem to be an excellent support! How did it all happen? I want to hear it!"


    Katrin frowned heavily, clutching her staff tightly.


    Adam nced at her with mild interest. Katrin made it clear that she didn''t want to be considered the support, so Lero made a critical mistake.


    "Shut up, kid." Katrin snorted unhappily before waving her hand and heading for the west aisle.


    "We''ve wasted too much time waiting for you. Come on, the sooner we destroy the king''srva the sooner we can finish this boring mission." Katrin said arrogantly.


    Tap.


    Adam jumped down from the mountain of monster corpses, ending up next to Katrin.


    "Wait." Oskar said seriously, "I understand your haste, but the chances of the king being born right now are too slim to be in a hurry and take a risk. You managed it faster than we expected, but you sure put a lot of effort into it. Let''s take a break."


    Katrin raised an eyebrow, looking at Oskar as if he was talkingplete nonsense.


    "Agh? What the hell are you talking about? I didn''t have to use a single ability. Adam managed it just by the power of his artifact, nothing more." Katrin waved her hand carelessly walking into the Igno Ants Nest.


    Adam just shrugged following her and leaving Oskar and the others no other choice.


    Oskar frowned, clenching his fists tightly. Adam and Katrin were obligated to obey his orders it was part of their deal, but given the circumstances, he couldn''t make them stop.


    "Alright, maybe they''re right. Let''s get this over with as soon as possible."


    ...


    The main part of the Igno Ant Nest was underground. From above, there were only exits and passageways for the ants to easily move around and bring in the resources gathered in the ck Cinder Forest.


    However, no further danger awaited them at the bottom of the Nest.


    "Damn, it''s empty in here... It''s even kind of threatening." Lero muttered ncing around and slowly stepping through the tunnels dug by the ants.


    E nodded.


    "The Igno Ants used all their strength to protect their king and let him be born. It didn''t matter that thousands died to do so, they even used Igno Guards. Considering their numbers, that should have been enough to hold off the monsters for a few more hours." E muttered thoughtfully, trying to figure out what the ants'' n was.


    Osana smirked, ncing at Adam who was serenely walking forward.


    "Yeah, you''re right. The king was probably going to be born in two or three hours, but the ants didn''t expect Adam Vinter to be here. With his help, we got to the anthill faster than expected." Osana quickened her step slightly, about to get closer to Adam.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Katrin swung her staff, stopping her.


    "Hey, pink-haired bitch, stay close to your squad. They might need your help unlike us." Katrin said coldly piercing Osana with her gaze.


    Osana smiled, bowing slightly.


    "Sure, sorry for disturbing you."


    Katrin frowned, not believing the sincerity of Osana''s words, but she wasn''t going to take this conflict any further.


    "Hey, we killed all the monsters who wanted to take the king''s resources, killed all the ants and even guards fell. But... there must be someone else in the anthill, right?" Adam said calmly, staring intently ahead.


    Adam continued:


    "They fought and sacrificed their lives so that a king could be born, that''s understandable. But..." Adam''s gaze grew colder, "It''s all pointless if no new offspring will ever emerge. Someone, well, we all know who has to give birth to new ants."


    Oskar, E, Lero, and Osana nodded simultaneously. All of them had already thought about it. In insects, unlike humans, it was often the queens who were in charge, not the kings.


    There was a simple reason for that - only queens could give life to the next generation, and all the others were just swords and shields to protect the queen''s life at all costs.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Their footsteps echoed as they reached thest, lowest, andrgest room.


    The first thing they saw was hundreds of scarlet crystals, dark roots filled with mes, and various fire flowers lying under a mirrored barrier next to a hugerva.


    Now and then, therva would shudder, absorbing a few ck crystals or roots into itself, slightly increasing in size and raising its power.


    But... the kingrva wasn''t the main problem they were about to face.


    On a high rock, as if on its throne sat the Igno Queen who wasrger than all the other ants and even guards by dozens of times. She was even bigger than Giant Rogoes, which were considered to be one of the massive monsters in the ck Cinder Forest.


    In front of the Igno Queen, next to her throne, stood three tall ants that looked more like humans than insects, for they had two arms and legs.


    A powerful aura emanated from each of them, and their gaze was filled with the determination of knights ready to defend their queen and king to the very end.

 Chapter 297: Midnight Crystal (Part 22)

    "Who are those bastards in front of the queen...?" Lero muttered in disbelief. As far as he knew, the strongest monsters in the anthill were the Igno Guards, of course, except the king.


    However,... three tall ants that strongly resembled Crown Monsters were emitting powerful auras that made Lero, Osana, and E tense up.


    Oskar frowned, clenching his fists tightly, he didn¡¯t expect to see these monsters here, after all, it could seriouslyplicate the sess of their mission.


    ¡¯Damn, good thing I got those two to work with us despite the harsh conditions,¡¯ Oskar pondered, ncing at Adam and Katrin standing off to the side, ¡¯Without them, we would have had a hard time, moreover, if they¡¯re so great that they didn¡¯t waste their abilities then let them take care of those bastards.¡¯


    "Silvana, who are these guys?" Adam asked, touching his earbud.


    ¡¯Igno Knights. Purple Threat Level, Red Book. They don¡¯t have a clear rank since they are extremely rare. In fact, the Igno Knight is most likely the Crown version of the Igno Guards, but that¡¯s just an assumption. Anyway, be careful. They can hurt you.¡¯ Silvana said seriously.


    Adam nodded, once again ring at the Igno Knights that until now had never moved once. There was no need, they would only act when the queen or king was in danger.


    The Igno Knights were up to three meters tall, they had two arms and legs, covered in thick brown armor, but not too heavy for them to maintain mobility and freedom of movement.


    On their wrists were crystal des made of the same material as their massive six wings behind their backs.


    Unlike all the other Igno Ants and even the Queen, the Igno Knights did not have powerful jaws, their mouths were more like the jaw of a beast with fangs than the jaw of an insect.


    Instead of jaws, the Igno Knights had other weapons, huge spears with mirror-like tips that were sharp and strong.


    "So, are we going to use abilities this time or what?" Katrin asked with slight uncertainty.


    Adam nodded as he cast a nce at Oskar.


    "Hey, you can take care of the right one quickly, can¡¯t you? We can take on the other two." Adam suggested.


    Oskar frowned, but soon a wide smile appeared on his face.


    "Well, if you¡¯re so sure of yourself, then fine, let¡¯s do that. At the very least we¡¯ll have enough forces left to destroy therva king, from the looks of it it won¡¯t be easy." Oskar muttered looking at the mirrored barrier protecting the hugerva.


    Lero gulped. He didn¡¯t want to check what would happen if thisrva consumed all the resources and the creature inside it broke free. In that case, some of them would surely die, quite possibly it would be him.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Katrin¡¯s staff shuddered as dense green energy passed through her hands, traveling along her staff.


    Soon arge seed filled with energy came out of the tip. Though it was a force of nature, the seed looked a little creepy, with many rootsing out from it like the tentacles of some monster.


    Adam smirked, once, Katrin had used this ability on him before, but back then there were a lot more seeds and they weren¡¯t as big and weird.


    "Only one? Has anyone gotten weaker since thest time we met? You know, that¡¯s unconventional, because usually Phantoms get stronger over time." Adam said slightly mockingly, but in a joking manner, because they both knew that wasn¡¯t true.


    Katrin smirked.


    "You better get ready. I know Zera used her enhancement ability on you once, but this is a whole other level, by all ounts..." Katrin¡¯s voice grew quieter at the end.


    Tap.


    As the seed reached Adam¡¯s chest, its roots sank into his flesh quickly spreading throughout Adam¡¯s body like a parasite from another world.


    Adam¡¯s face twisted in pain, for each root had many small spikes that plunged into his body like hundreds of needles. Thus it went on for some time until the roots spread all over Adam¡¯s body.


    It wasn¡¯t armor, but rather an exoskeleton. Katrin¡¯s roots offered no protection, for unlike the armor that covered the entire body, her roots ran along important points as if Adam had an extra set of muscles, veins, and tendons.


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    Adam clenched his fist tightly with a gritted face. He tried to get used to the pain and ept the feeling, and gradually he seeded.


    "Agh... What the hell...? If some simple K1-Phantom were in my ce, he¡¯d pass out from the pain. Your powers are damn dangerous." Adam shook his head with slight annoyance, but it was worth it to wave his hand as his expression changedpletely.


    "What? So easy?" Adam looked puzzled at his hand, which felt as if it had be several times less in weight.


    Even a normal person would have noticed such a change in his body, much less Adam. He had fought in deadly battles many times and was perfectly able to control his body.


    Adam could notice any changes, even the smallest ones. Of all the people he had met of his level, only Nessa had much better body control than him, but... Nessa had good reasons for that...


    Katrin smirked, she was quite pleased with that reaction from Adam.


    "Yeah, now go and kill them. I¡¯ll help you slow them down when needed. I guess I won¡¯t waste my Second Order and Second Nexus Trait on them." Katrin said taking a few steps back.


    She red at the Igno Knights who hadn¡¯t moved from their ces yet.


    On the one hand, this was good, because it allowed Adam and the others to prepare for battle, but time was ying on the ants¡¯ side. Every second that passed increased the chances of a king being born.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    At the same moment, there was a sound as if someone was actively devouring food - the kingrva elerated, devouring the me crystals and tree roots faster.


    Oskar frowned.


    "Tsk, I¡¯m not very good at calctions, but my Operator says that if thisrva speeds up again, we have ten to fifteen minutes."


    Oskar sighed heavily pulling his huge sword from his back and clutching it tightly with both hands.


    "We¡¯ll make it in time, though don¡¯t forget we¡¯ll need time to destroy the mirror barrier. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s very strong." E said ring at the queen and the Igno Knights, "Those bastards are willing to do anything to get their king born."


    E took a few steps back, about to take a shot.


    "Let me get started. If they¡¯re standing in one ce, we should take advantage of it." E said confidently, aiming for the head of the right Igno Knight.


    The others nodded, waiting for E to fire a powerful shot that would kill a third of their opponents instantly.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    E¡¯s sniper rifle shuddered as her eyes shone brightly. Snow-white lines traveled down her massive ck weapon, umting at the muzzle.


    Adam¡¯s eyes grew deeper as he remembered Fred.


    ¡¯Well, they both have long-range weapons, so in some ways they¡¯re simr, right? Fred¡¯sst shot helped me a lot. Damn, that arrow was so powerful that if Thunder Demon hadn¡¯t ducked, the arrow would have torn him apart, that¡¯s for sure.¡¯ Adam inwardly muttered intently staring at E.


    Silvana had already told him information about each member of the Golden Light Squad, so he knew roughly about their overall strength, but... since they had been working together for a long time, it was hard to determine the exact strength of each of them.


    "Let¡¯s see what you can do. Adam cast a nce at E who at the same moment made a shot.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    A massive white-hot shot burst from the sniper rifle, raising dust from the ground and artificially creating powerful currents of wind fluttering E¡¯s and Osana¡¯s hair.


    In a heartbeat, the projectile approached the right Igno Knight, who didn¡¯t even seem to realize that his life was about to end. Everything was happening too fast.


    Crackle.


    Igno Knight jerked his head sharply, missing the projectile right next to his neck.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Reaching the wall, the shot sank deep into the ground, causing the entire room to shake and small stones to fall from the ceiling. But... it was aplete failure.


    "Pathetic..." Adam barely audibly muttered before lunging forward.


    However... his reaction was like ming des plunged into E¡¯s mind, piercing it time after time, repeating a single word.


    Crackling.


    The ground beneath Adam¡¯s feet cracked as he turned into a dark sh, quickly finding himself facing the two Igno Knights, left and center, they were his and Katrin¡¯s targets.


    The Igno Knights quickly swung their spears, they didn¡¯t risk dodging when Adam was so close.


    ¡¯Damn, I was able to reach this speed even without the artifact¡¯s power... Katrin¡¯s Nexus Trait is really effective, it¡¯s a shame I¡¯m thest one she uses this ability on.¡¯ Adam pondered before stretching his arms forward.


    The Igno Knights stopped in confusion looking at Adam¡¯s hands that firmly gripped their spears and prevented them from moving.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Adam stepped forward, finding himself between the Igno Knights as if their imminent death.


    "You know, I recently fought a damn strong Crown Monster, with no amplification... And,pared to her, you seem so weak, like you¡¯re made of paper..." Adam muttered in a serene voice before pointing his hands up and grabbing their wrists.


    Without hesitation, Adam jerked his arms sharply, tearing off the Igno Knights¡¯ hands holding the spears. It happened so fast that the monsters didn¡¯t even realize they had lost their weapons.


    Crackle.


    Adam¡¯s fingers clenched tightly around their heads as he with a heavy sigh mmed his palms down hard.


    Igno Knight¡¯s heads collided with each other, exploding due to their own sturdiness and the pressure from Adam¡¯s hands.

 Chapter 298: Midnight Crystal (Part 23)

    In just a few seconds, while under Katrin¡¯s enhancement, Adam was able to kill two of the three Igno Knights. It should have been a great battle, but... it was over before the Igno Knights could even take a single swing of their spears.


    In fact, Adam himself didn¡¯t expect it to be so easy. Igno Knights were strong, fast, and quite durable, it was just... Adam had previously fought someone whose body was on apletely different level.


    Moreover, when Adam fought against Nessa, he didn¡¯t have Katrin who let his strength go to the next level.


    Thus, this result was as surprising to him as it was to the others. However, Adam wasn¡¯t going to show it too much.


    "Oh, Katrin, your ability is something. I made it look as simple as if I was crushing two fruits against each other rather than the heads of strong monsters. Not bad, not bad at all." Adam muttered looking at his hands.


    E gasped, she couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing and Adam¡¯sment was still piercing her mind. She didn¡¯t understand how there could be such a big gap between them. Moreover, she saw that Katrin was different from them as well.


    "RRRRRRRKKKKK!!!"


    Thest, third Igno Knight made a strange sound,shing out at Adam with all his fury and strength.


    Adam nced at Igno Knight, and his eyes narrowed before he took a step back. Igno Knight¡¯s spear swept right in front of his chest, almost touching his clothes.


    Then, Adam abruptly stepped forward and ced his palm on the monster¡¯s face, plunging Igno Knight¡¯s head sharply into the ground.


    Silvana, who was watching the battle through the cameras, noticed something remarkable - recently, she had seen someone else making the same motion. Adam was repeating after someone else.


    "You know." Adam uttered, looking at Igno Knight who hadn¡¯t yet regained his senses and slowly lifting his foot, "That hurt like hell, but it¡¯ll be deadly for you."


    Crackle.


    Like Nessa during their confrontation, Adam brought his foot down on Igno Knight¡¯s head.


    Sshes of blood rushed outward with a loud crack from the breaking bones, from the monster¡¯s skull that had gone t under Adam¡¯s pressure.


    ¡¯Well, well, Nessa¡¯s attacks seem to have left a strong mark on your mind, don¡¯t they?¡¯ Silvana asked as a slight smirk appeared on her face. She liked that despite his strength, Adam was one of the strongest K1-Phantoms, he kept learning and taking techniques from those who were momentarily stronger than him.


    "Hah, something like that. Just decided to test how powerful that attack really is. When it attacked me, I thought I was going to pass out right there." Adam muttered without calling Nessa¡¯s name.


    Katrin listened intently to her every word with narrowed eyes. She knew about every Adam¡¯s fights, every incident he was involved in, so... she was puzzled.


    ¡¯Who the hell is he talking about? Her? Did he recently fight some girl who managed to put him in a difficult situation?¡¯ Katrin pondered. She had no idea who Adam was talking about, but it piqued her serious interest.


    Well, it was unlikely that she could uncover the secrets of the Miracle Observatory like Adam had managed to because of Magnus¡¯s carelessness and arrogance.


    Then, Adam slowly looked at the Igno Queen, the ant queen didn¡¯t know what to do. Without her protectors, she was helpless and weak. In fact, despite her size, Igno Queen didn¡¯t know how to fight and didn¡¯t know how to defend herself.


    Her only job was to rule and give birth to new offspring, which is how the colonies of the Igno Ants were set up.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Next to Adam ran Oskar, who with a serious face jumped straight towards the Igno Queen, waving his massive sword right at her head.


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    In one sharp motion, swinging his sword to the left, Oskar ripped the head off the queen¡¯s body, ending the life of the most important monster in the entire Igno Ants nest.


    "Adam, you are strong, but just because you killed the Igno Knights without issue does not give you the right to judge E¡¯s actions." Oskar said menacingly before jumping off the Igno Queen¡¯s corpse.


    Bam.


    Oskar fell like a giant in front of Adam, lightly shaking the ground with his weight. He nced at E who was holding back from crying.


    She crumpled the ashes with her hands and clenched her teeth tightly, trying to forget about her failure and especially about Adam¡¯s words.


    Oddly enough, most of the time, it was other people¡¯s reactions, their words, and judgments that made some failure more important.


    If no one found out about the failure, or no one said anything about it, then the failure felt like something insignificant. Otherwise, it could be a real disaster.


    Adam tilted his head in confusion.


    "I was just stating my opinion, nothing more."


    Oskar narrowed his eyes and pointed his massive sword at Adam, with obvious menace in his gaze.


    "Watch what you say. After this mission, we¡¯ll split up and we won¡¯t see each other again for a while. You can tell your teammate whatever you want, but your words are messing up E¡¯s work." Oskar said seriously.


    Adam didn¡¯t answer anything, he just touched Oskar¡¯s sword tip, nodded slightly, and turned around, heading towards therva king.


    "Protecting your teammates is a good thing, I can¡¯t argue with that, but... You¡¯re not stupid and should realize that if I weren¡¯t here E¡¯s failure could have deadly consequences." Adam said calmly, stepping forward slowly.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The Larva king continued to devour resources, unaware that there was no one alive anymore who could defend it. Its goal was simply to absorb enough resources for the king to be born, nothing else mattered. Larva king knew that the mirror barrier could protect it.


    Oskar frowned looking at Adam¡¯s back. He gripped his sword tightly and nced at E. He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but he knew what Adam was talking about.


    If Adam hadn¡¯t been here, the fact that E hadn¡¯t killed one Igno Knight could have seriously affected the sess of their mission. Against two they would probably do fine, but three Igno Knights possibly could have killed one of them.


    ¡¯Tsk. Whatever, this is a hypothetical situation, there¡¯s no point in pondering about it. You¡¯re here now, that¡¯s what matters.¡¯ Oskar internally muttered before taking a deep breath and walking over to E.


    E looked at Oskar awkwardly, with slight consternation in her eyes. Oskar had never scolded them for failing, but Adam¡¯s words made her think about it.


    "Come on. We still have to destroy the mirror barrier and therva king. It¡¯s okay, we all make mistakes." Oskar said with a kind smile on his face.


    "Yeah! Don¡¯t worry about it so much!" Lero said vigorously, cing a hand on E¡¯s shoulder encouragingly.


    E¡¯s eyes went wide, practically glowing with surprise and relief.


    "Sure... You¡¯re right, I apologize for that weakness." E nodded with a bitter smile, grabbing Oskar¡¯s hand and rising quickly.


    Step. Step. Step. Step. Step.


    At the same moment, somewhere outside of the Igno Ants Nest, a massive creature with a menacing aura was approaching them. The monster seemed to be looking directly at therva king as its only target.


    The corpses of monsters around the anthill did not scare the creature away, only made a wide grin appear on its face.

 Chapter 299: Midnight Crystal (Part 24)

    Adam stopped in front of the mirrored barrier, ncing at E, who was surrounded by Oskar and Lero, their support and happy smiles.


    "Do you think you acted too harshly? Silvana asked, assuming what Adam was thinking right now.


    Adam shook his head.


    "Nah, I just said what came to mind first. Maybe it was rude, or rather... it was definitely rude, but not that I care much. She made a serious mistake, and under other circumstances, it could have been disastrous. It didn¡¯t happen now, but life is long enough for anything to ur."


    Katrin snorted arrogantly, put her staff on her shoulder, and walked over to Adam.


    She didn¡¯t care at all about E¡¯s feelings or the Golden Light Squad in general. She was only here to secure her mission, and... to get some money. After giving Adam 2,000,000 credits, her financial situation became quite unstable.


    Only Osana was left, and... she was in no hurry tofort E. She didn¡¯t show it, but she was furious that E had failed at such a simple task.


    ¡¯Damn it. They were standing in one spot. You just had to hit that fucking Igno Knight, and that was it. Well, once I get up to K2, I need to leave this squad. These idiots won¡¯t survive for long.¡¯ Osana pondered gnashing her teeth before walking over to E.


    "Guys, we still need to break the mirror barrier. Let¡¯s pull ourselves together and finish the mission!" Osana said encouragingly with a bright smile on her face.


    Katrin cast a nce at her. She, as a girl with a difficult temperament, understood what lurked beneath Osana¡¯s mask.


    ¡¯Well, well, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d want to be on the same team with her. She¡¯s willing to adjust to any situation on the one hand but on the other... it¡¯s scary when you don¡¯t realize who¡¯s hiding underneath the mask.¡¯ Katrin mused before casting a nce at Adam.


    She took a few steps and stopped. Her gaze got a little deeper as she realized something.


    ¡¯Although, masks don¡¯t work on those who can change much. Adam is clearly not the kind of person who wears masks, but that hasn¡¯t stopped him from changing a lot in a few months. Perhaps he¡¯s just grown up, though?¡¯


    ...


    After a few minutes, they approached the mirrored barrier, looking up at therva king.


    "How much time do we have left?" Lero asked nervously, seeing that there were less than a third of the resources left. Just a little more and therva king would absorb all the prepared resources and the king would be born.


    Oskar smiled broadly.


    "That¡¯s enough, about ten minutes. Thanks to Adam¡¯s quick handling of the Igno Knights we¡¯ve saved a lot of time." Oskar uttered before gripping his sword tightly.


    "Let¡¯s use everything we have on this barrier. I¡¯m sure with ourbined efforts we¡¯ll break it down quickly. Furthermore, Adam, your needle can pierce anything, can¡¯t it?" Oskar asked, looking at Adam.


    Adam nodded slowly before his eyes shone brightly, and a silver needle appeared in his hand.


    "Considering Katrin¡¯s enhancement this should be easy. Do some damage, make a simple crack, and I¡¯ll have no trouble breaking it." Adam said calmly, pointing the needle at the barrier and looking intently at therva king.


    It was obvious that therva king had sped up considerably since they hade here. The monster seemed to realize that it was running out of time.


    Oskar nodded.


    "Sure, Lero, help me."


    Lero nodded with sparkling eyes. He pulled out his book, opened it, and muttered something like a young wizard.


    Then, the book shone brightly with scarlet light and arge red magic circle appeared on Oskar¡¯s chest. At the same moment, red waves of energy traveled throughout his body, increasing his overall strength.


    Moreover, Oskar became slightly taller, though without this enhancement he was bigger than most people. His muscles tensed up and his vision became sharper.


    "Hahaha, good, now I just feel invincible." Oskar grinned widely clenching his fist.


    Lero sighed heavily with a satisfied smile on his face. He was the kind of guy who liked to help others, and when he saw that his efforts were doing some good, it made him happy.


    Oskar nced at Adam, for a moment there was a threat in his gaze and a desire to avenge E¡¯s humiliation, but... once Oskar saw the roots wrapped around Adam¡¯s body those thoughts disappeared.


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    ¡¯Nah, it¡¯s not worth it. It was just a minor conflict, nothing really serious.¡¯ Oskar internally muttered before stepping forward.


    He took a deep breath and raised his sword above his head.


    "I¡¯ll use my Second Order, I think that will be more than enough." Oskar uttered as his eyes shed with a bright golden light.


    A dense golden energy traveled down his arms, along the sword umting on the broad de. This was different from Oskar¡¯sst attack when he sted Giant Rogo with the power of light.


    "Alright, time to get this over with already!" Oskar eximed bringing his sword down on the mirror barrier with all his might.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The energy of the edge, turned into an additional de of gold, crashing with the sword into the mirror barrier.


    Adam narrowed his eyes at the bright light that from this distance was as bright as the sun. If Oskar had a little more power, Adam would have had to cover his eyes with his hands to keep them from damage.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The mirrored barrier shuddered, trying to spread the destruction across its entire area, but it was hardly possible.


    Several cracks appeared and with them, a shockwave hit Oskar, throwing him back several meters.


    Oskar¡¯s eyes went wide as the impact plunged him into the wall, but there was no pain on his face, only a satisfied grin, for he knew his job was done.


    The mirror barrier had to use itsst defense and now it was Adam¡¯s turn.


    Step.


    Adam stepped forward, about to plunge the needle right into the crack and shatter the barrier.


    Bam.


    At the same moment, from the other side of the barrier, where there was only solid stone, a long paw with four sharp ws appeared.


    Strangely enough, in an instant, Adam realized that those ws looked familiar to him.


    Then, before anyone could realize anything, the massive monster tore the mirror barrier apart with its long paws as it walked inside.


    "What...?" Adam muttered in disbelief, as a shiver went through his entire body.


    The monster that burst inside the mirror barrier was a Thunder Demon!


    But...


    ¡¯Wait... Why does it have four horns instead of two? And... Why is its skin so ck andpletely covered in sharp scales?¡¯ Adam inwardly muttered.


    ¡¯Adam!¡¯ Silvana shouted, trying to bring him to his senses, for he didn¡¯t have much time.


    "Sure." Adam nodded, quickly gathering himself before plunging the needle into the barrier.


    In a heartbeat, the strange Thunder Demon grinned, swiped its tail on the ground, and grabbed therva king with its tenacious long ws, capable of cutting through any armor.


    Then, while mirror shards flew away from Adam¡¯s needle, Thunder Demon licked his teeth and turned into a blur, disappearing into the dug-out passage with the stolenrva king.

 Chapter 300: Midnight Crystal (Part 25)

    Once again, the Thunder Demon appeared, bringing with him nothing but chaos, destruction, and to some extent, despair.


    Sure, this time the situation was not as chaotic as on the border of the Salt Vige in the anomaly cluster, but... the result could have been much more dangerous because Thunder Demon stole therva king!


    Adam stood puzzled for a while. He couldn¡¯t fullyprehend what had just happened.


    ¡¯Thunder Demon? What? Why does he look like that?¡¯ Adam pondered staring at one point.


    In fact, they were in a difficult situation because another monster had stolen therva king which had consumed almost all the resources. It was equivalent to stealing all the resources that the Igno Ants had prepared for the birth of their king at one time.


    It seemed that only one of the Phantoms was the fastest to realize it.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Osana¡¯s eyes shed as blue wind currents appeared around her, active butpletely harmless. Her pink hair soared up as the sphere on her staff sparkled.


    Inside the sphere appeared the sign of snow-white wings - the same sign only several timesrger appeared above Adam.


    Then, at his feet, ghostly white wings appeared, they rippled a few times before just standing in one ce.


    "Hey, you¡¯re fast, aren¡¯t you?" Osana smirked, seeming to show part of her true personality for the first time, "Catch up to that bastard and rip his horns the hell out."


    Adam¡¯s eyes grew deeper as he nodded without further ado, activating his artifact.


    The Horn of Cmity hovering in his inner space next to the Evolution Tree shook vigorously, releasing powerful discharges of lightning that soon covered Adam¡¯s entire body.


    A lightning horn appeared on the left side of Adam¡¯s head as he cast a calm nce at them and looked toward the passage in which the strange Thunder Demon had disappeared.


    Then, Adam leaned his body forward as if he were a sprinter about to start his race with a powerful burst.


    Now, Adam was under three reinforcements at once: Katrin¡¯s roots, Osana¡¯s wings, and his lightning bolts.


    All of these enhancements improved different aspects, but they all affected his speed in one way or another, so... Adam couldn¡¯t even imagine how fast he could be right now.


    ¡¯Alright, I guess you didn¡¯t get too far. I just need to catch up with you and finish this...¡¯ Adam internally muttered taking a deep breath before his body came into motion.


    Cracking.


    The ground beneath Adam cracked as he turned into a bolt of lightning that in an instant disappeared from the room, passing through the passage leading to the surface.


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    Katrin, who was standing next to Adam, had to lean on her staff to keep from falling to the ground because of the overly strong wind currents resulting from Adam¡¯s rush.


    "Damn! What kind of speed is that?!" Katrin eximed in disbelief, afraid to imagine how fast Adam was at the moment.


    Then, she turned to Osana.


    "Hey, it¡¯s all because of your ability, isn¡¯t it?"


    Osana shook her head.


    "It¡¯s abination of all three enhancements. The result is really impressive, but... he won¡¯t be able to stay like this for too long. I¡¯m sure the strain on his body right now is incredibly heavy..." Osana uttered with a serious expression as she looked up as if she could see Adam through the walls.


    Crackle.


    Oskar climbed out of the rubble with a serious look.


    "No matter, we must hurry too. Adam¡¯s Operator will help us find it. It¡¯s a Thunder Demon, so it will take all our efforts to avert disaster."


    ...


    Step. Step. Step.


    At the same time, while Katrin and Golden Light Squad were getting out of the Igno Ants Nest, Adam was running after Thunder Demon, gradually shortening the distance, but it was still a long way away from catching the monster.


    "Silvana, what the hell is this Thunder Demon? It¡¯s different from the Essence Thunder Demon I fought in Salt Vige. Is it the Top-1 of the Purple Threat Level?" Adam asked with slight concern.


    He wasn¡¯t certain if he was ready to fight Top-1 right now. Sure, he¡¯d beaten Top-2, but he¡¯d heard too much about Top-1, even Magnus had thrown in a few words, so Adam realized that this was a whole other level.


    ¡¯No, there¡¯s a bit of aplication here. Look, this Thunder Demon is weaker than the Essence Thunder Demon you fought against but stronger than Jade Lady.¡¯ Silvana tried to exin.


    "What, what does that mean?" Adam frowned focusing on the ck dot in the distance that held a massiverva king on its shoulder. Thunder Demon was quite fast, realizing that Adam was chasing him.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly, two lizards emerged from the ground, they pointed their horns at Adam, about to pierce his chest.


    But... before the lizards could do anything, Adam had already rushed past them. The electric shocks running through his body noticed the threat and rained down on the lizards, tearing them apart.


    ¡¯Look, if it was some other monster, then it would have taken the Top-3 instead of Jade Lady, but... since it¡¯s a variation of the Thunder Demon, it takes a position inside the Top-2 where Essene Thunder Demon is at the peak.¡¯


    Silvana continued:


    ¡¯It¡¯s something like numbers, there¡¯s 1, 2, 3 and so on, and there¡¯s 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and others, like decimal numbers. Anyway, as you noticed this Thunder Demon has four horns, not two, and the protective scales are ck, they cover the whole body, rather than just some parts.¡¯


    Adam nodded, turning sharply as the Thunder Demon had just changed its trajectory.


    ¡¯Anyway, this is a Prime Thunder Demon and among all Thunder Demons, he¡¯s the second strongest. That is to say, technically its rank is Top-2.1. Prime Thunder Demon surpasses Jade Lady Top-3 in terms of power, but is slightly inferior to Essence Thunder Demon.¡¯


    "I see..." Adam nodded deeply when he finally realized what was going on here, "It only works for monsters of the same species, and if their power levels are almost equal, right?"


    ¡¯Sure, you got that right. By the way, all other Jade Ladies except Conqueror Type are much weaker than Top-3, so... to some extent, the situation with Thunder Demons is pretty rare but real.¡¯ Silvana sighed slightly, hoping that Adam understood her.


    Adam smirked.


    "Hah, Prime Thunder Demon, interesting..." Adam muttered, stalking the ck dot in the distance that was gradually getting closer, "He can use lightning too, right? I mean, it¡¯s part of his name."


    ¡¯Of course, all Thunder Demons actively use electricity in battle, but Prime Thunder Demon¡¯s electricity is not at all as powerful as Essence One¡¯s. In terms of energy capabilities, they are onpletely different levels.¡¯


    ¡¯Prime Thunder Demon isn¡¯t capable of giving out even 10% of the energy power that Essence One possessed.¡¯ Silvana finished.


    Adam grinned widely, feeling that he was getting faster and faster and Thunder Demon could no longer run away from him. The distance between them was rapidly shrinking.


    ¡¯Well, despite that he¡¯s a Top-2.1, almost as strong as a Top-2. That can only mean one thing...¡¯ Adam inwardly pondered ncing at Thunder Demon¡¯s sharp ws.


    ¡¯Theck of energy power hepensated by his superior physical capabilities. That¡¯s why he¡¯s bigger, faster, and stronger than Essence One.¡¯


    Then, Adam took a deep breath.


    "It¡¯s a pity that physical might is part of my power." Adam muttered remembering his Power Gene before rushing forward, finding himself right in front of Thunder Demon.

 Chapter 301: Midnight Crystal (Part 26)

    "Hurry up, we have to figure out where the Prime Thunder Demon is going!" Oskar eximed as he climbed out of the Igno Ants Nest with the others.


    He listened intently to his Operator, as did the others, before turning to the west - towards the massive volcano. Oddly enough, it was the volcano that Adam and Katrin had originally moved towards, Essence Scarlet Pyromancer had to be located there.


    "Hm? Why is Thunder Demon carrying arva king to the volcano? What the hell is going on here and where did Prime Thunder Demon evene from?" Katrin frowned, gritting her teeth. She didn''t like what was happening at all.


    ''First, the ants, then Golden Light Squad, and now Prime Thunder Demon, who shouldn''t even be here since he''s not a fire monster!'' Katrin eximed internally, not understanding why she was having such bad luck.


    Well... the first two points were just coincidences rted to each other because, without the threat of Igno King''s birth, there would be no Golden Light Squad here.


    But... Prime Thunder Demon decided to appear here for several different reasons, one of which was Adam and his nature. However, that was only one of many reasons.


    "Hmm... Thunder Demons are rather clever and cunning monsters..." Osana muttered, tapping her foot thoughtfully on the ground with a deep gaze.


    "Surely it realizes that Adam won''t stop until it catches up with him. Moreover, Thunder Demon must be aware that Adam is stronger and in their fight, he will lose."


    Then, Osana''s eyes went wide when she revealed the monster''s simple yet effective n.


    ...


    Bam.


    Adam''s foot swept down on Thunder Demon''s head from the right at tremendous speed, leaving an electric trail behind it.


    Thunder Demon smirked and raised his right paw to block the attack.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Waves of shivers ran through Thunder Demon''s body as the impact threw the monster a few meters away.


    Adam wanted to continue his attack, but... Thunder Demon easily regained his bnce and confidentlynded on the ground. He did so holding therva king with one paw, which wasrge and heavy.


    Thunder Demon looked at his paw, at the cracked scales from Adam''s kick, and licked his teeth.


    He knew that ck Cinder Forest was not his home, it was an inhospitable ce where a lightning monster like him had no room in the mends.


    Thunder Demon was ready for the challenge, for his cunning n did not involve fighting anyone, he had to steal therva king, which he had already done. All that remained was to get to the volcano.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Thunder Demon''s eyes shed as dense electricity more like glowing sma emerged from beneath his scales.


    Adam narrowed his eyes. He didn''t understand what Thunder Demon was doing, because during their long fight, Essence One had never used such an ability.


    Then, Thunder Demon''s ck scales began to turn red from the intense heat. They were like a piece of metal just pulled out of a furnace by a cksmith, glowing and red-hot.


    The light streams of steaming from Thunder Demon soon became muchrger and more active, and the ash beneath his feet began shining with scarlet sparks like gunpowder ready to ignite.


    ''Adam, only Prime Thunder Demons have this ability. He heats his body with electricity, thus increasing his physical abilities to a new level.'' Silvana said seriously with a sharp look.


    She realized that although Adam had previously defeated a stronger Thunder Demon, they couldn''t underestimate a Prime Thunder Demon whose strength level was almost the same.


    Adam nodded as he narrowed his eyes preparing for the fight. He clutched his needle tightly, looking for weaknesses in Thunder Demon''s body.


    But... Thunder Demon didn''t share Adam''s and Silvana''s thoughts at all.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Thunder Demon smirked and without hesitation rushed towards the volcano, not intending to fight Adam and put his life in danger.


    After the reinforcement, Thunder Demon became much faster, leaving behind him streams of steam and a trail of red-hot ash on the ground.


    Adam blinked several times in confusion, baffled by Thunder Demon''s actions. Any monster in his ce would have immediately rushed into battle against Adam, rather than run away....


    "Shit. They''re really cunning and clever and have their own goals. Essence One came to Salt Vige to fight and did so until the end, but this Thunder Demon has apletely different goal." Adam growled gritting his teeth before rushing after Thunder Demon. Experience tales at m v|l e''-NovelBin


    ...


    Meanwhile, Katrin, Oskar, and the others were gradually approaching the western volcano.


    They took a shortcut, so they needed a few more minutes to reach their target.


    From time to time, Adam managed to catch up with Thunder Demon even though he was reinforced and attacked, trying to knock Thunder Demon off bnce.


    Because of this, Thunder Demon had to change his direction to dodge the hits, so his path to the western volcano was long.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Adam threw his needle straight at Thunder Demon, about to pierce the monster''s shoulder, but Thunder Demon just grabbed the silver needle and pulled Adam towards him.


    ''Alright! He finally decided to fight!'' Adam inwardly eximed, quickly approaching Thunder Demon.


    However...


    Bam.


    Thunder Demon pped his tail on the ground raising waves of ash around him thus throwing Adam off.


    Adam gritted his teeth and swung his needle a few times cutting the ash cloth apart, but Thunder Demon was no longer there. The monster had reached the foot of the western volcano, hurrying towards its summit with a crazed glint in its eye.


    "What the hell...? What''s he doing?"


    ''Adam!'' Silvana eximed, ''You have to stop him or kill him before he falls into the volcano.''


    "Agh? Why? Won''t he just burn up in theva?" Adam was confused but continued to pursue Thunder Demon quickly running after the monsters.


    Silvana bit her lip.


    ''Considering the strength of his body, that''s not enough. Moreover, therva king won''t burn either since it has good protection against fire, which is logical considering where it was born.''


    Silvana took a deep breath.


    ''Anyway, Thunder Demon''s n is simple but dangerous. He wants to use theva as cover from you and the others. Then, he''ll eat therva king saturated with energy from the crystals and quickly absorb it all!''


    "And...?" Adam gulped, realizing what Silvana was getting at.


    ''Given its power and all the circumstances, there''s a very good chance that it will evolve and go beyond the Purple Threat Level.'' Silvana said in a low voice.


    ''Adam, this is far more dangerous than the Igno Ant King. You must do everything but kill him before he eats therva king!'' Silvana eximed confidently.


    Adam slowly nodded with a deep look before stopping and heading towards Katrin, and the Golden Light Squad.


    In that time they had already reached the volcano and were gradually climbing towards the core. They had one goal and they had to work together to prevent theing disaster.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Adam appeared in front of them causing small rocks to fly off to the sides as he nced at Oskar and Katrin.


    "Hey, we need to kill Thunder Demon and we don''t have a hell of a lot of time to do it. You''ve alreadye up with a n, right?" Adam asked with a slight hope in his voice.


    In response, all he got was Katrin''s confident smirk.

 Chapter 302: Midnight Crystal (Part 27)

    Prime Thunder Demon had almost reached the center of the volcano, Adam, Katrin and the others had little time. They had to quickly decide what to do and their n had to be simple and effective.


    "Sure. There''s already a n, in fact, nothing tricky, but I wouldn''t say it''s going to be easy." Katrin smirked throwing a nce at Adam.


    Adam raised an eyebrow, listening to her intently.


    "Pretty much. It''s simple. Let him dive inside the volcano and devour therva king. Anyway, our main objective is to prevent the emergence of the Igno Ant King, so if there is norva there will be no king." Katrin waved her hand.


    Katrin continued:


    "Sure, it''s risky because Thunder Demon can evolve and then all we have to do is run away and pray that the monster doesn''t catch up with us, but..." Katrin''s corners of her mouth went up, "It takes a long time to evolve, so we''ll have time to kill it."


    "How?" Adam asked in a calm voice, while his hair fluttered slightly, either from the lightning or from the light wind currents.


    Katrin nced at Oskar as she sighed heavily.


    "Right after Thunder Demon sinks into theva, we''ll just unleash all of our most powerful attacks on it. The volcano will explode, the energy will tear Thunder Demon apart and we''ll finally be done with this ant story." Katrin exined.


    "Good, then we''ll start right now. I take it you guys are ready now, right?" Adam asked looking at the Golden Light Squad.


    Oskar, E, Lero, and Osana nodded. While they were running here they had already discussed the n in detail, so each of them knew what they had to do.


    Then, they quickly headed towards the top of the volcano to which Thunder Demon had already run up carrying a hugerva king.


    "Damn, that bastard actually looks threatening. And... You had to defeat a stronger Thunder Demon to survive in Salt Vige, didn''t you?" Oskar asked staring at Thunder Demon, who was on the other side of the volcano.


    Thunder Demon nced at the squad, smirked, and jumped right into the center. By his logic, everything had happened exactly as he''d nned - he''d made it in time and the Phantoms were toote.


    Thus, all he had to do was eat therva king using thevayer for protection and evolution. After that, none of the Phantoms could do anything to him.


    Well, Thunder Demon''s idea was amazingly thoughtful for a monster, but, he didn''t take into ount one important detail - by diving inside the volcano, he was making this ce his prison.


    Thunder Demon was only going to get out of the volcano after devouring therva king and evolving, which meant that all this time, he would be trapped here.


    "Lero, get started." Oskar said seriously.


    "Sure." Lero nodded and opened his books again.


    This time, the scarlet light was much brighter and more active, showing that this ability surpassed thest one by several magnitudes.


    Lero frowned as he clenched his teeth tightly. The supports helped others, but there was a price to pay.


    Then, in the depths of the volcano, covering all theva beneath it, a massive scarlet magic circle appeared.


    It might have seemed that Lero''s Nexus Traits were very simr to each other, as both abilities featured red magic circles. Well, that wasn''t quite the case.


    Last time Lero had used his ability to strengthen Oskar, now he had created a magic circle that would make every attack that passed through it much more powerful.


    Around the edges of the magic circle were six transparent crystals, showing that the magic circle could only amplify six attacks, after that its energy would run out and Lero would have to create a new one.


    Considering that he had used his Nexus twice in less than ten minutes, he needed a rest to avoid facing serious consequences.


    "Well done, Katrin, now you. You promised you would use your Second Nexus Trait." Oskar said ring at her.


    Katrin rolled her eyes, snorting irritably.


    "Fine, I''m only doing this because Thunder Demon is there. I still need to save my powers for the battle against Scarlet Pyromancer, you know?" Katrin sighed heavily before tapping her staff on the ground.


    Her eyes sparkled as the green energy traveled along the staff quickly sinking into the ground.


    It was unlikely that anything could grow right on top of an active volcano with only ash andva flows everywhere, but that was no obstacle to Katrin''s ability.


    ''Soon there will be nothing left of these abilities. Well, maybe it''s not a bad thing that I have a chance to use them now.'' Katrin internally muttered as her gaze became exhausted.


    With a heavy sigh, Katrin removed her staff from the ground. She like Lero had already used two Nexus abilities, so... for now, she could only rely on her Orders.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground shook, releasing a multitude of roots that headed towards a single point. Thick roots became the base, while small ones wove around the thick ones like vines.


    Soon, not far from Katrin appeared a massive flower with six yellow petals bearing several brightly colored stamens that emitted pollen.


    But... the pollen had a precise purpose - to fall on Katrin''s allies.


    Slowly but surely, like snowkes or tiny particles of honey, the amber pollen fell on Adam, then on Oskar, and soon reached E and the others.


    Everyone felt a surge of strength as their bodies grew stronger and the amount of energy increased.


    "Wow... What are the effects of this pollen?" Lero asked with some admiration. He couldn''t boast of such abilities.


    Katrin narrowed her eyes, not wanting to say anything since she didn''t like her abilities, but when she saw Lero''s sincere smile, she changed her mind.


    ''Well, it won''t do any harm if I satisfy his curiosity.'' Katrin internally muttered before catching a piece of pollen.


    "A general increase in physical capabilities, but that''s just a nice bonus. The main purpose of the pollen is to increase your energy and speed up its recovery. So it''ll take you less than an hour to use Nexus again, instead of several hours like normal." Katrin said quickly.


    Adam nced at the pollen, nodded slightly, and stared at Osana.


    "Hey, are you going to participate?"


    Osana smiled sweetly.


    "Nah, I''ve already used my enhancement on you. My other abilities are for other purposes." Osana tilted her head examining Adam.


    "Well, we, the supports..." Osana nced at Katrin who frowned heavily at her words, "We''ve done all that was required of us. Now, it''s your turn."


    Adam, Oskar, and E nodded before walking over to the volcano, looking at the bubblingva through the magic circle.


    ''Hey, you can use your Nexus. I think it''ll be a lot more effective than a needle throw.'' Silvana said in a calm voice, ''With all the reinforcements you have on you right now, this will be your most powerful attack ever.''


    Adam nodded as he looked at his fingers amongst which electric shocks asionally passed through.


    ''Damn... My new artifact ability is much stronger than thest one, but in this situation, I could use my lightning strike from the sky. That ability helped me win more than one battle.'' Adam internally muttered, channeling energy towards his gloves.


    At this time, Oskar and E proceeded to prepare their abilities. They had time, but they still had to hurry, for the Thunder Demon was about to start devouring therva king.

 Chapter 303: Midnight Crystal (Part 28)

    A multitude of threads gathered in a silver sphere between Adam''s hands, under his calm gaze, somewhat pensive and somewhat serene.


    He had to concentrate on killing the Thunder Demon, but since the others needed time to prepare, he could allow his thoughts some freedom.


    Oskar looked at Adam''s silver orb with a serious look before stepping forward.


    His eyes sparkled as his left hand shed with golden me - not hot at all, for its source was not fire but the light that was Oskar''s main power.


    Then, Oskar put his left hand to his sword, making it burst with golden light and making the de muchrger.


    "Not bad, but are you going to throw your sword straight into a volcano? I''m afraid even a Nexus that big won''t be able to withstand the damage if it finds itself in the midst of powerful attacks." Katrin smirked, looking at Oskar''s sword.


    Oskar shook his head.


    "That won''t be necessary. Moreover, I''m going to make not just one attack, but several. Fortunately, Lero''s magic circle allows me to amplify six attacks. There are only three of us, so... I''ll make four attacks." Oskar said confidently.


    Katrin tilted her head in confusion.


    She didn''t understand how Oskar was going to do this, because even if he had enough time to do it, he simply didn''t have the strength.


    No K1-Phantom was capable of using its Second Order four times in a row, and after the second time could be fatally exhausted.


    Sure, the Phantoms had various limits, but the difference in stamina couldn''t be that great. Even the Phantom''s body had a limit, because as their bodies grew stronger, so did the power of their abilities, and thus the pressureing from the abilities on their bodies.


    It was like the caliber of a gun. Therger the caliber, the stronger the weapon needed to be, and the greater the recoil.


    Oskar smirked, feeling Katrin''s puzzled look on his face. Then, powerful currents of wind appeared around his left arm where there recently was a golden me.


    Quite quickly, the wind turned into a massive gauntlet covering Oskar''s entire arm. The gauntlet had five long ws like a beast and three long sharp des on the outer part.


    "Oh... An artifact with a powerful ability, isn''t it?" Katrin asked with mild interest.


    Oskar nodded.


    "Yeah, something like that."


    Then, he turned to E.


    "Are you alright, ready?" Oskar asked, concern evident in his gaze. He worried that the recent conflict with Adam might have affected E more than they thought.


    In response, E only nodded and gave a thumbs-up. Sure, Adam''s words were like a dagger thrust into her mind, but she had already recovered from the incident.


    She had an important task in front of her now and she was going to do her best.


    Crackle.


    E pointed her massive sniper rifle at the volcano, as her eyes shone brightly. The sniper rifle began to shake violently as if it was going to explode, but soon the trembling stopped.


    Then, a light began to gather in the muzzle of the weapon that grew more powerful with each passing second.


    "I''ll be ready in ten seconds." E said confidently, keeping her finger on the trigger.


    "Alright, then attack right after me." Oskar said standing on the edge of the volcano, "I don''t know how deep Thunder Demon has gone, but when we destroy this volcano, there will be nothing left of it!"


    Adam nced at Oskar, then he looked down and closed his eyes.


    He couldn''t see through theyer ofva what Thunder Demon was doing, but he could try to hear something other than the bubblingva.


    Strangely enough, after a few seconds, Adam managed to do so. He heard the sound of ws digging into therva''s flesh as Thunder Demon''s jaw ripped therva king apart and actively devoured it.


    Well, this was good news for them.


    ''I see... Thunder Demon is smart and cunning, so he decided to dive as deep as possible to defend against our attacks.


    Hmm, that''s not a bad n, but we''ve prepared too well. When an entire squad of Phantoms are working together and gearing up tounch a powerful attack, it can bring about some really gruesome destruction.'' Adam pondered for a moment before stepping forward.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Oskar swung his sword, releasing a golden beam of energy through the tip. Then, swung his left arm three times, releasing forward wind des, each was fast and sharp, capable of cutting through even the strongest armor.


    E took a deep breath and pulled the trigger, firing a powerful shot with a heavy, slow but devastating projectile.


    The specialty of this projectile was that when it collided with its target it exploded, tearing the enemy apart. This ability had many ws, but if the projectile hit its target, E could be sure that her opponent was finished.


    Adam nodded approvingly before swinging his arms, throwing out his sphere of hundreds of silver threads.


    Soon, all of their attacks passed through Lero''s magic circle and were covered in a scarlet veil, bing much more powerful and deadly.


    In a heartbeat, the sphere, golden beam, wind des, and massive projectile reached theva plunging inward and approaching the Thunder Demon, who was sure to be hidden from interference.


    Adam''s eyes went wide as he abruptly bounced back. Instinctively, he lifted Katrin into his arms and ran away as fast as he could.


    The first shiver as the harbinger of a devastating explosion was more than enough for him to realize what was about to happen. One way or another, he had to save Katrin, for she was his teammate.


    Normally, Katrin would have be indignant, but now she kept quiet and hoped Adam would run as fast as possible.


    What about the others?


    Well, it was time for Osana to act.


    "Let''s run guys!" Osana eximed summoning with her staff the wind currents that created wings on their feet. They weren''t as big and powerful as Adam''s, but they still made them much faster.


    "Damn! This is going to be dangerous!" Oskar eximed before leaping forward.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, the volcano exploded, raising a wave ofva that was more like a tsunami several dozen meters high.

 Chapter 304: Midnight Crystal (Part 29)

    Volcanoes were dangerous not only because they could spewva flows at any time, but also for their instability.


    Sure, a small tremor or even a bomb st wouldn''t be enough to make a huge volcano eruptva, only to shake the topyer ofva, nothing more.


    But... six powerful attacks from K1-Phantoms capable of fighting against Top-20 monsters could bring significant destruction.


    Adam, Katrin, Oskar, and the others knew exactly what would happen after they unleashed their attacks deep into the volcano, but they had no other choice.


    It was far better to risk getting burned byva than to fight an evolved Prime Thunder Demon.


    It''s worth noting that since it wasva in ck Cinder Forest, it was actually dangerous to both monsters and Phantoms.


    Ordinaryva or molten metal was not capable of injuring K1-Phantoms or Purple Threat Level monsters, at most leaving a light burn that would go away after a couple of hours. It was all about energy.


    ck Cinder Forest had a high energy density, which was why there were only Purple Threat Level monsters and me Ones.


    Technically, although it rarely made practical sense, anything with energy could be a weapon. A sharp branch from a ck tree growing in the ck Cinder Forest could pierce the flesh of a Purple Threat Level monster, but it was primarily a resource.


    After all, Phantoms'' Nexuses were much stronger and more effective, even bare fists were more formidable weapons.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam moved quickly away from the volcano, realizing that theva was only rising now but soon a massive tsunami would crash down like a rain of mes.


    Coming to the nearest ck tree, Adam stopped, left Katrin there, and turned sharply heading towards the Golden Light Squad.


    Katrin tilted her head in confusion, resting her hand on the tree. The ck tree wasrge enough to be a shield for Katrin, preventing any of theva clots from reaching her.


    Strangely enough, Adam headed towards Osana.


    Seeing Adam approaching, Osana smiled slyly and jumped up before he got to her. This allowed Adam to deftly pick her up in two hands and run away.


    Osana turned around, watching as Oskar, Lero, and E tried to run away.


    Blobs ofva mmed into the ground and exploded right behind their backs. But... that was just the beginning, for with each passing second the volcano shook more and more, while the energy from their attacks tore the volcano from the inside out.


    "Oh, I didn''t expect you to decide to help me. Feel free to hold me tighter, the important thing is to get me out of here." Osana''s mouth corners went up.


    Adam narrowed his eyes. He ran forward, quickly descending the volcano and leaving deep footprints in the ashyer from his powerful footsteps.


    "Thank your abilities for that. If theva inflicts wounds and burns on the others, you can heal them. Roughly speaking, saving you means saving the others if there is a necessity." Adam said calmly before jumping forward.


    Osana didn''t answer anything, she just cast a nce to the side looking at Katrin who was standing behind a massive ck tree. She was already safe and just watching the developments from the sidelines.


    "Then, if I''m so important because of my abilities, why did you save her first and not me?" Osana asked. It was obvious what answer she wanted to hear.


    Adam frowned.


    "Doesn''t that make sense? Katrin is more important than you, more important than all of you. We''re members of different teams and today is the first time I''ve met you, you''re practically strangers to me."


    Then, Adam squeezed Osana''s shoulder tighter, almost to the point of pain.


    "Be quiet and let me do my job. Your mission has gone too far as it is. Although... Katrin and I did the right thing in deciding to help you." Adam said coldly.


    Osana wanted toin, but she was smart enough not to risk provoking Adam. Discover hidden content at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    Adam was right because if they refused Golden Light Squad''s help, it would be a disaster for them.


    Golden Light Squad would have a hard time dealing with Igno Knights and they definitely wouldn''t be able to stop Prime Thunder Demon.


    Sure, in that case, they would request help and Citadel would immediately send some squads, but it would take a lot of time.


    The evolution of the Prime Thunder Demon definitely jeopardized not only Adam''s and Katrin''s hunt for Scarlet Pyromancer but also their lives.


    In a way, by deciding to help the Golden Light Squad with their missions, Adam and Katrin had made their lives a lot easier.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    With a powerful rush of wind, Adam stopped next to Katrin, dropping Osana to the ground and turning towards the others.


    Adam was about to return, after all, they hadn''t made it to a safe area yet, but Katrin stopped him.


    "Don''t be in a hurry. This is something I can take care of." Katrin said confidently as her eyes shone brightly.


    She tapped her staff on the ground channeling energy along her Nexus. Then, next to Oskar, E, and Lero, the ground shook, quickly bing covered in cracks.


    A multitude of roots burst forth. The thickest andrgest of them headed towards the ming blobs, tearing them apart and bing a shield for the others.


    But... Katrin''s main goal wasn''t to protect them. She was going to use her roots for something else.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    The roots quickly wove themselves around their belts, clutching them tightly like they were wooden toys. Then, at Katrin''s will, the roots threw Oskar, E, and Lero straight in their direction.


    Sure, a softnding was out of the question. Katrin didn''t care about theirfort, her job was to get them out of the danger zone, and that was the end of it.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Oskar, Lero, and E with faces filled with surprise copsed next to the ck tree plunging their faces into the thick ash covering the entire ck Cinder Forest.


    "Fuck! Couldn''t that have been done more carefully?" Oskar snorted irritably, removing chunks of ash from his mouth.


    Katrin crossed her arms over her chest looking down at him.


    "If I were you, I''d start by thanking me, because the most important thing is that I got you out of that fucked up ce." Katrin said seriously looking forward.


    Oskar frowned but did not say anything. Instead, he turned around and his eyes went wide.


    Crack. Crackle. Crack.


    Cracks covered the entire volcano, and thickva came out from under them, gushing out with great power.


    Soon, the volcano shook, causing a real earthquake, ready to explode at any moment.


    Lero, realizing the seriousness of the situation, stepped forward and extended his arm.


    Katrin and Adam looked at him curiously, not understanding what he was going to do.


    Then, Lero''s eyes shone brightly as red particles of energy appeared in front of him, quickly turning into a wide scarlet barrier.


    The barrier was in the shape of arge transparent disk, like a very thick and strong ss.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    With the next tremble, the volcano finally exploded, scattering streams ofva and massive shards of rock in all directions.


    In any other situation, Adam and the others would have tried to destroy the rocks flying at them or hide behind a ck tree, but there was no need for that now.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Clots ofva and sharp rocks rained down Lero''s barrier with powerful wind currents that only made them stronger and faster.


    Each time they hit the barrier, there was a violent shaking with cracks appearing, but, after a few seconds, the cracks disappeared. As long as the barrier wasn''tpletely destroyed and Lero had energy he could rebuild his barrier and protect his mates.


    Adam nodded satisfactorily as he watched the rock flying towards him.


    The stone, crashing into the barrier simply shattered into many shards, sinking into ash and disappearing forever.


    ''Not bad, not bad at all. I''d be able to escape from the danger zone, but if I didn''t have the ability that gives me speed, his barrier would be a real lifesaver for me.'' Adam internally pondered while watching Lero.


    A strange, unfamiliar feeling appeared inside him. He felt as if he was looking at himself from the recent past.


    Sure, Lero was also a K1-Phantom like him, but it was obvious that there was a significant difference in experience between them, especially in deadly battles.


    There was no Steel King or dark Phantoms or Thunder Demon in Lero''s history, Adam was sure of that.


    Adam didn''t want to feel that way, but... for some reason, he felt pity for Lero. Not because Lero was weak, but because hisck of valuable experience would sooner orter bring him down.


    Adam was a fairly young Phantom himself, so these thoughts seemed unnecessarily arrogant to him, but there was nothing he could do about it. The thoughts just came into his mind and stayed there for a long time.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    After a few waves of trembling, Lero was finally able to breathe out a sigh of relief and cancel the barrier.


    He had to expend a lot of energy to protect everyone, but the effects of Katrin''s pollen were doing their job and soon Lero would be much better.


    "Good job!" Oskar said energetically, patting Lero on the shoulder with a wide smile.


    E took a step forward, gazing at the aftermath of the volcanic explosion. There was nothing butva, ash, and dark rock fragments everywhere.


    But... her gaze went to the very center where the core of the volcano was that now looked like a realvake.


    "Hey... Do you think he managed to survive?" E asked with a slight tremor in her voice.


    Oskar shook his head.


    "No way. Our attacks were enough to tear him apart."


    Adam didn''t jump to conclusions as he stared at the streams of steaming from thevake and the tall silhouette that was slowly rising behind them.

 Chapter 305: Midnight Crystal (Part 30)

    When using significant resources to kill an enemy, destroying an entire volcano, and causing a tremor spreading hundreds of meters, thest thing anyone expects is for their enemy to somehow survive it.


    "Shit... Is this really happening?" Katrin frowned looking at the tall silhouette hiding behind thick streams of steam.


    With each passing second as the steam slowly dissipated, the tension between their squad was rapidly increasing.


    Lero and E looked especially anxious. Their main nightmare was the battle against the evolved Prime Thunder Demon, for they didn''t even know how strong such a monster was, but they definitely knew that it was not their level.


    Adam spotted the silhouette behind the steam first.


    He should have acted, quickly thought of a n, contacted Silvana, or done something to prevent the monster from attacking.


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    But... instead, Adam only smiled slightly.


    Fighting against Essence Thunder Demon, his strongest opponent at the moment, Adam had memorized what the monster must look like. Every detail that mattered was imprinted in his memory.


    So... staring at the silhouette of the monster hidden by the flow of steam for a few seconds, Adam understood everything and came to a clear conclusion.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Prime Thunder Demon slowly stepped forward stepping out of the veil of steam, revealing himself to the Phantoms.


    E''s eyes went wide as a slight shiver went down her body.


    Prime Thunder Demon still looked formidable, but... he was defeated. He was missing half of his body, his right paw, his right leg, and most of his tail were gone. The monster could barely stand on his only leg.


    Most of his body was badly burned, not even the hundreds of protective ck scales that should have minimized any damage. Only a small part remained intact, but it was only the outer flesh, while everything inside was critically damaged.


    Therva king was gone, either Thunder Demon had already eaten it, or the hail attack had destroyed it. Either way, Thunder Demon was not destined to evolve.


    Adam was sure that Prime Thunder Demon had lost not because the monster was badly injured, but because there was no me of life in his gaze.


    Thunder Demon just looked away with an almost nk stare and sighed heavily from time to time. He was like an engine running out of fuel, so... a few sighs were the best he could hope for.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Adam tore forward without using his artifact. He had used too much energy already. However, Katrin and Osana''s reinforcements were still on him, so he moved quickly.


    "What...? Is he going to finish him off?" E muttered, slightly puzzled. She followed Adam''s movements closely, but something soon confused her.


    Adam wasn''t using a single ability and as soon as the distance between him and Thunder Demon was reduced to ten meters, Adam stopped.


    He could only step on the path of massive rocks that divided thevake. However, Thunder Demon was standing on the same path, so the hotva was nothing more than decoration at the moment.


    "Well, well, in some ways, you''re kind of like a human, aren''t you?" Adam said with a slight smirk as if looking at an old friend.


    Sure, he had only met this Thunder Demon today, but the memories of the battle against Essence Thunder Demon had already be a thing of the past and passed through a prism of nostalgia.


    Strangely enough, this was a frequent urrence. As long as a conflict or battle with an enemy was notpleted, then both participants would feel either a belligerent spirit or anger and hatred.


    However, once their story came to an end with one of them losing, all previous feelings were gradually reced by thoughts of the glorious past.


    The hated foe became a worthy opponent from the past who could only be met with a bitter smile since they both shared the difficult fate of facing each other.


    Thunder Demon said nothing, he just nced at Adam before waving his remaining paw, not to attack but to show that none of this mattered anymore.


    Adam stood still, not taking a single step.


    With each new flow of wind Thunder Demon took one breath at a time, but soon... there was only the whistle of the wind without a breath.


    Bam.


    The Thunder Demon fell to the ground in front of Adam''s feet with a rumble.


    Adam just stared at the defeated monster while his gaze grew deeper.


    ''You''re not going to take the trophy?'' Silvana asked knowing Adam''s habits.


    Adam leaned over to Thunder Demon, examining the body of the already dead monster.


    "Well, though Inded one of the main attacks I don''t have the full feeling that I was the one who killed him. Trophy? Nah, that''s not the case, though... I might take a souvenir as a keepsake." Adam muttered before ripping off one surviving ck scale from Thunder Demon.


    Adam looked at the scale, which reflected the lights and bursts ofva around them. Then, with a bitter smile, Adam slipped the scale into his pocket, making this thing the next thing in his collection.


    Oskar, E, and the others nced over before approaching Adam.


    "What do we do next?" Lero muttered with slight trepidation.


    Thunder Demon had died, but Lero was still wary.


    Adam cast a nce at Katrin.


    "We will stay here and continue our mission. After all, we have to finish the hunt for the Scarlet Pyromancer. It''s a dangerous monster, but given our power level we''ll be able to handle it." Adam said confidently.


    Katrin said nothing, she only nodded with a sharp look.


    Lero nodded as he looked at Katrin.


    "In that case, I wish you good luck. It was a great mission together. I hope we get to work together again!" Lero said vigorously.


    Katrin red at him and snorted irritably. She regarded people like Lero as annoying and interfering.


    "No. That''s out of the question." Oskar said sternly before stepping forward, picking up Thunder Demon, and carrying the monster''s body to the ground, away from theva.


    "Hmm? Oskar, what are you talking about?" E asked baffled.


    Oskar looked around before stopping his gaze on Thunder Demon.


    "Without Adam and Katrin, there would have been a real disaster. We''d probably be dead by now and the evolved Thunder Demon would have killed many other squads before help arrived from the Citadel. We must help them in their mission to make things fair." Oskar said with determination in his gaze.


    Adam and Katrin looked at each other. Now they wanted to get rid of Golden Light Squad even more.


    In fact, Adam and Katrin didn''t need their help, moreover, the hunt for Scarlet Pyromancer needed only the two of them to seed.


    "Damn, you don''t understand..." Katrin muttered before moving on to exin.


    After a few moments, Oskar nodded understandingly.


    "I see... So the change of the Initial Gene, it all makes sense now. Well, we want to rest before we move on anyway."


    Katrin tilted her head in confusion.


    "Wait... Does that mean you''re not leaving? I''ve already exined everything. Your interference in the fight just jeopardizes my goal." Katrin frowned heavily.


    Oskar smiled broadly poking himself in the chest with a finger.


    "Don''t worry. We won''t interfere in the fight. We''ll kill the monsters around you so they won''t bother you. Moreover, this way we''ll gather more resources and the Harvesters cane here!"


    Katrin clenched her staff tightly and sparks seemed toe from her gritted teeth. She was ready to lunge at Oskar and beat him to a pulp.

 Chapter 306: Midnight Crystal (Part 31)

    The Dead Lands were a dangerous ce, for aside from the Citadel and the Bastions, there were no safe ces where people could be sure that monsters wouldn''te and kill them.


    However, this world wasn''t some game where monsters were programmed to appear no matter what. If the Phantoms killed all the monsters in a region, a certain area would be safe for a while.


    Yeah, it was pretty simple.


    Unless there were sudden artifact anomalies or other incidents, the number of monsters would only recover after a while.


    There were still some monsters near the exploded volcano, most of them hade here to join the battle. But, Oskar and the others quickly eliminated all of them.


    By now, several long hours had passed and the Harvesters and a few fighters had even managed to arrive at the volcano. Among the fighters, there was one that was different from the rest.


    This fighter was muchrger, multiple times, had a less sharp shape, and was much wider and taller. It was the - BH-01.


    The Phantoms rarely used these fighters, for they were not as fast, had almost no weapons, and were a lot bigger.


    Well, the BH-01 fighters had their own tasks, they were inferior in all respects to the main SH-01 fighters that all Phantoms used, especially in speed.


    But, in one thing the BH-01 fighters were far outssed by their counterparts - volume. Inside an SH-01 fighter could fit several Phantoms and a pilot, nothing more, at most food, water Nexuses, and a ton of various weapons.


    BH-01 fighters could hold ten or hundreds of monsters depending on their size, many Phantoms, and most importantly Harvesters. The Harvesters were the ones who used the BH-01 fighters the most.


    There were several reasons for this. First, the BH-01 could bring Harvesters to gather resources from hundreds or even thousands of monsters and put them into the airne.


    Sure, no BH-01 fighter could fit a thousand monsters, a few hundred at most, but that was what Harvesters were for.


    Igno Ant was the size of a human, but after the Harvester collected all the valuable materials, the original size of the monster would be 10% or 20%.


    True, each monster was different, but the fact remained that the BH-01 fighter did not get the corpses of monsters, but only parts of their bodies.


    Secondly, Harvesters had to somehow get to distant territories.


    If it was Rusty Ruins, Alienated Rocks, or Scorching Desert, the Harvesters were initially in squads or moved with trucks. The range wasn''t too long, the dangerous monsters were few and far between and their numbers weren''t high either.


    However, ck Cinder Forest was too far away. To get to this area, the Harvesters would have to pass through several areas in each of which there would be increasingly stronger monsters.


    Thus, the Harvester team would have to go through the White Threat Level area, and then through the Green and Blue Threat ones to get to the ck Cinder Forest.


    This was too difficult and dangerous. Moreover, another squad of Phantoms would be needed to protect these Harvesters.


    All in all, without the BH-01, the functioning of the Harvesters, and thus a significant part of the Citadel, would be ineffective and almost impossible.


    The BH-01s could fly the Phantoms as well, but they usually stayed with the SH-01 fighters.


    After the Harvesters did their job, loaded the monster parts into the BH-01, boarded the ne, and took off, the other fighters would apany them.


    Sure, the SH-01 fighters were much faster than the BH-01, at least several times over, but if the BH-01 was returning to the Citadel, then the mission was alreadypleted and there was no need to rush.


    The phantoms sitting in the SH-01 fighters that apanied one huge BH-01 were a guarantee of safety. Even if some monster decided to attack the BH-01, the Phantoms would quickly deal with it and protect their Harvesters.


    For Harvesters, bing a member of the crew of the BH-01 was a real privilege and even a reward, as flying over the Dead Lands was much safer than traveling on the ground with trucks.


    Usually, a Harvester could get into the BH-01 after several years of working in areas close to the Citadel. During that time, the Harvester had enough experience, skills, and a taste of what it was like to work in Dead Lands and with Phantoms.


    ...


    Adam watched bored as the Harvesters cut the Igno Ants, Red Horned Lizards, Dark Loohoes, and Giant Rogoes apart. Some they took ws from, some fangs from, and some just feathers or protective scales.


    The harvesters knew well what was valuable from each monster. Moreover, the missions department was in constantmunication with them so that they knew what the Citadel needed.


    This was important because although the BH-01 fighter''s storage was huge, it was not infinite. If there were too many materials, the Harvesters needed to know which monsters were prioritized.


    "Well, well, Oskar wasn''t lying, they did kill all the monsters around, even the few that were left after the volcano exploded." Adam muttered throwing a nce at the veritable wastnd around him.


    He had a strange sensation inside him, from the scene that was unfolding before his eyes.


    Hundreds or even thousands of monster corpses were lying on the ashy ground. He, Katrin, Oskar, and the others were resting and now and then some of them were talking to Harvesters or pilots.


    The Harvesters were cutting valuable materials out of the monsters without fear for their safety. It was logical since they had nothing to be afraid of, all the monsters in this area around the volcano had been killed.


    Sure, soon other monsters woulde here instead of these ones, but it would take time.


    The Harvesters worked together and kept serious faces, but asionally they smiled,ughed, and talked to each other about something.


    Well, when one team of five Harvesters had to cut up the twentieth Igno Ants, it became a routine and boring job, and only friendly chats could save them from boredom.


    Adam stood off to the side leaning against a massive ck tree with his arms crossed over his chest and a deep gaze.


    "How unusual..." Adam muttered, looking at one group of Harvesters that were busy cutting up a Red Horned Lizard. Find adventures on mvl


    They cut off the lizard''s horn, sighed, and headed for BH-01, cing the horns in the storage room, which already had several dozen of them.


    Adam felt as if he was not in Dead Lands, but in some factory or something, in some active industrial zone where everyone was busy with work.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Soon several steps were heading toward Adam. By the number of steps and their pace, he realized it was two people, so he thought it was someone from Golden Light Squad or Katrin and someone else.


    However... Turning around he saw two Harvesters, a guy and a girl. The young man had ck hair and the girl had shoulder-length blonde hair.


    They were smiling broadly, the young man was waving his hand actively running up to Adam.


    Adam tilted his head in confusion. He didn''t recognize these people and didn''t understand why they were so eager to meet him.


    "Hey! Don''t you remember us?" The young man asked with an excited expression.


    Adam raised an eyebrow.


    The girl stepped forward and said respectfully with a slight nod.


    "I''m Verna and this is Felix."


    At the same moment, Adam''s eyes went wide for these were his first Harvesters.


    They were the ones with whom Adam headed on his first mission that led to a battle against the Prime Stone Goliath.


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 307: Midnight Crystal (Part 32)

    In the beginning, all Phantoms rookies worked in squads alongside Harvesters. Over time, their paths separated for the same reason BH-01 fighters existed.


    Harvesters mostly just came to the scene after the mission waspleted. Only after the Phantoms had killed all the monsters and provided safety, the Harvesters could fly to BH-01 and get to the job.


    Thus, more often than not, the Phantoms only worked directly with the Harvesters when they were at K0-level.


    Sometimes K1-Phantoms would do it, depending on their strength level, but K2 and stronger Phantoms just stopped working together with the Harvesters.


    Sure, there wasn¡¯t some conflict or misunderstanding between these two groups, it just became technically impossible.


    Furthermore, no experienced Harvester would want to be around Adam, Katrin, and the Golden Light Squad when they were clearing the Igno Ants Nest. It was too dangerous and a mere human would surely be killed by the paws of some ant or lizard.


    "Oh... I see... It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it?" Adam muttered while a smile appeared on his face that slowly grew brighter and brighter.


    Verna nodded ncing at the middle-aged man in the distance. It was theirmander who was at that moment talking to Oskar, it seemed they were familiar with each other.


    "We have already aplished our task, so we have some free time. Did you kill all those ants and lizards around the anthill?" Verna asked with genuine surprise.


    Felix scratched the back of his head looking around.


    "Well, your squad consists of six people. It¡¯s no wonder you made it. I guess it took you a few hours of working together to kill all the ants and other monsters."


    Adam nced at Felix, his eyes filled with a strange emotion - a mixture of confusion, surprise, and iprehension. Soon, however, Adam¡¯s gaze returned to normal.


    He didn¡¯t bother to correct Felix and tell him that he had killed most of the ants and that it had taken much less than a few hours.


    Adam saw no point in showing off in front of Felix and Verna, there was a better use for their unexpected meeting.


    "Yeah, something like that. Looks like not only have I gotten stronger, but you have as well. Gathering resources in such a dangerous area takes experience and courage." Adam utteredpletely sincerely while addressing Verna and Felix.


    It didn¡¯t matter that he was the strongest in the ck Cinder Forest. He wasn¡¯t always Phantom. In fact, he had only been a Phantom for a small part of his life.


    Thus, he understood how horrible the monsters and Dead Lands were in the eyes of ordinary people, because not long ago, he was this ordinary person.


    Moreover, Adam was not disrespectful to Harvesters, Operators, or the military. Sure, it was an unspoken rule that everyone involved with Dead Lands had to respect each other, but in practice, it didn¡¯t always work.


    Many Phantoms mistakenly perceived the respect of subordination as absolute submission to their will and abused their Phantom status and power.


    Adam respected the work of the Harvesters, for without them the sacrifices and battles of the Phantoms would lose almost all of their practical meaning.


    Sure, the main job of the Phantoms was to kill monsters to defend the Citadel, but without the Harvesters, no one would be collecting materials.


    If a beast needed food to survive and fangs were the way to get it, then for the Citadel the food was the materials and the Phantoms were the fangs.


    So while Operators helped the Phantoms achieve their goals and understand what they needed to do, Harvesters made the oue of the Phantoms¡¯ missions more meaningful.


    Felix and Verna nced over, smiling slightly at Adam¡¯s praise. They didn¡¯t follow Adam as actively as Katrin or Osana, but they had heard of some of his aplishments.


    "Sure, we¡¯re just like you trying to move forward. What are you going to do next? You know, it¡¯s been a while since west met." Verna said with a wave of his hand.


    Adam nodded, but instead of his smile getting wider, his gaze changed bing deeper.


    "I¡¯m waiting. I¡¯m here for Scarlet Pyromancer, a Top-8 monster. I promised to help in its assassination, so... I¡¯m standing next to this volcano, but so far there¡¯s no one here."


    Before Felix and Verna could say anything, Adam turned and red at them.


    "Go back out. It¡¯s not safe here. Scarlet Pyromancer could show up here at any moment. If that monster wants to, he¡¯ll just burn you like all the other Harvesters." Adam said calmly.


    His speech sounded like it was a threat, but... Felix and Verna realized that this was how Adam actually thought. To him, it was the facts.


    Verna nodded.


    "Indeed. Dead Lands is a dangerous ce and we must never forget that." Verna clenched her fists tightly.


    "Yeah... none of us..." Adam said distantly, looking away, "And... this ce is dangerous with more than just monsters and anomalies..."


    Ten minutester, after a brief conversation, Verna and Felix said their farewells.


    "Take care!" Felix vigorously pronounced following Verna, who didn¡¯t share his enthusiasm at all.


    She felt strange, for the Adam she had just talked to was not the Adam with whom she had gone on his first mission.


    It wasn¡¯t that the me in his eyes had been reced by depth, and the awkward expression on his face gained a distinct coldness and sharpness, but how long he had already traveled to reach this state.


    Verna didn¡¯t think Adam¡¯s changes were bad or good.


    Change, especially in a person happens all the time and to define it as good or bad could be a big mistake.


    Not all people who changed for the better in one year became even better in five years, and the same was true on the other side because change was impossible to predict.


    Therefore, changes in oneself had to be understood, realized, epted, and used to move on.


    p.


    A middle-aged man with a thick beard, themander of the Harvesters pped his hands several times to attract attention.


    "Alright, let¡¯s go back.


    Bring that bastard in and let¡¯s fly away." The man said in a powerful voice ring at the Thunder Demon lying on the ground.


    Then, he turned to Oskar.


    "Are you leaving or do you still have some business to attend to?"


    Oskar shook his head.


    "No, but we¡¯re staying here for now. We¡¯vepleted all the missions, but until one monster shows up, we need to keep this area clear. We¡¯ll keep one fighter to get home quickly."


    The man nodded ncing at the SH-01 fighter that was in the center of the field.


    "Good. Thanks to the work you¡¯ve done, this fighter is perfectly safe here. I¡¯m not sure if there¡¯s even one monster within a kilometer radius here."


    "Hahaha. If one shows up, I¡¯ll kill it and you¡¯ll quickly turn it into a few bones with fangs." Oskarughed patting the man on the shoulder.


    Thus all the Harvesters left this area returning home on the BH-01. Inside BH-01 there was one Phantom to escort the Harvesters back and forth, so they were safe.


    Oskar returned to E, Lero, and Osana talking about something.


    At this time, with an uncertain step, Katrin approached Adam.


    "Hey. Where¡¯s that ming giant bug? It should have been here by the time we got here, but even after all the chaos that happened and a few hours, there¡¯s... nothing." Adam said in a low voice.

 Chapter 308: Midnight Crystal (Part 33)

    "Fuck, I don¡¯t know!" Katrin eximed irritably with a wave of her hand.


    Oddly enough, Scarlet Pyromancer still hadn¡¯t shown up. Adam was a little worried that the ming bug might have crawled out of the ground or flown to the volcano and started burning Harvesters, but... his concerns were not destined toe true.


    Katrin was already very nervous because if Scarlet Pyromancer wasn¡¯t here then it was a real failure and today wasn¡¯t going to be what she had been waiting for for so long.


    "n, Silvana, give me some information!" Katrin said menacingly.


    Even though Silvana wasn¡¯t her Operator, Silvana decided not to argue and just obey. If Adam was okay with it, then Silvana had no right to refuse Katrin.


    After all, Silvana was the Operator and Katrin was the Phantom. Right now, Adam didn¡¯t need Silvana¡¯s help, so... as a member of his squad, Katrin could control Silvana however she wanted as long as Adam allowed it.


    n... Well, n was Katrin¡¯s Operator whom she cared about more than any other person in the world. But, when things didn¡¯t work out, n was the first person who had to face Katrin¡¯s wrath.


    ¡¯Katrin... The missions department says they¡¯ve checked everything multiple times. A few hours ago, before the Igno Ants led you to their anthill, the Scarlet Pyromancer was at this volcano.¡¯ n replied with sadness in his voice. He realized how bad news this was for Katrin.


    Silvana nodded.


    ¡¯Confirmed. No incidents have been reported to the missions department. The only thing I see listed is the appearance of a Prime Thunder Demon, but that entry already appeared after you dealt with the monster.¡¯ Silvana calmly said.


    During the battles, Silvana didn¡¯t just guide Adam and tell him what was going on around him so that he would be prepared for any unexpected things.


    If something important was happening, Silvana, like any other Operator, had to report it to the Citadel as fast as possible.


    Thus, half a minute after the Prime Thunder Demon had appeared and Silvana had made sure of it, she had already sent the information to the Citadel.


    At the Citadel, the missions department had thousands of people working in it, because it was thergest and most active department of all. They were ready to change the status of the mission at any moment.


    While initially, Adam and Katrin went on a hunt for Scarlet Pyromancer, many other things had already happened along the way.


    Igno Ants Nest, Golden Light Squad, temporary alliance, every monster killed, volcano blew up, Prime Thunder Demon, the arrival of BH-01, and a lot of Harvesters. All of this was already part of Adam and Katrin¡¯s mission and had been documented in the record.


    Katrin looked nervously at Adam, then at the volcano in the distance, and began actively biting her finger with a great grimace.


    Then, clenching her fists, Katrin walked over to Adam and grabbed him by the cor, rather stiffly and roughly, pulling him to her.


    "We¡¯re staying here until Scarlet Pyromancer gets back here or we get his new location and I don¡¯t care how long it takes. Do you understand me?!" Katrin shouted through gritted teeth.


    Adam wanted to answer something, but at thest moment, he stopped because he heard someone¡¯s voice in his ear. Strangely enough, besides Silvana, it was n who was speaking.


    "I see..." Adam smirked before reaching up to Katrin¡¯s face and squeezing her nose hard with two fingers.


    Katrin¡¯s eyes went wide with indignation and sharp pain.


    "What the hell! What the fuck are you doing!" Katrin shouted angrily.


    But, Adam only squeezed her nose harder, applying pressure and forcing Katrin to take a few steps backward.


    Katrin tried to unclench Adam¡¯s grip, but it was as if his hand was steel,pletely immobile and unaffected by outside force.


    Then, when Katrin couldn¡¯t take it anymore she fell to her knees and wrapped both hands around Adam¡¯s fingers to somehow reduce the vivid pain in the area of her nose.


    "I¡¯ve got it all figured out! Let go of my damn nose already! I¡¯m just too nervous!" Katrin begged for mercy.


    Strangely enough, it didn¡¯t take a second for Adam to loosen his grip. Katrin was immediately relieved, with a disgruntled face rubbing her nose that was now as red as a tomato.


    "I can tell you don¡¯t know how to treat a girl. Who does that anyway?" Katrin snorted narrowing her eyes.


    "A girl?" Adam lifted his chin with an ironic smile, "To me, you¡¯re a Phantom first, everything else isn¡¯t that important."


    Katrin¡¯s eyes grew wider for a moment. It seemed Adam¡¯s words had a deeper meaning for her than originally nned. Could it have had something to do with Katrin¡¯s temper or maybe her past? Who knows...


    "Don¡¯t worry about Scarlet Pyromancer. I said I¡¯d help you kill him, so I will. Whether he shows up here or elsewhere, whether he shows up now or in a couple of hours, I can¡¯t leave until I¡¯ve aplished my task backed by my word." Adam said confidently stepping aside.


    They had no choice but to wait for something to change, so he simply walked over to the ck tree and leaned against the thick bark again, crossing his arms over his chest he looked away.


    Katrin nodded, turning away so Adam couldn¡¯t see her face. She tried to hide not her embarrassment or awkwardness, but the simple smile that appeared on her face.


    ...


    Thus passed one hour, then a second, a third, and so on.


    They had gone to ck Cinder Forest in the morning, Adam had killed the Prime Thunder Demon at noon, and in a few hours, all the Harvesters had already returned to the Citadel.


    Considering how much time had already passed, the dangerous milestone of sunset and the beginning of evening had arrived. Once the sun disappeared then night would fall and this was causing the others real anxiety.


    "Hey, I know you have an important mission, but..." Oskar said uncertainly scratching the back of his head, he didn¡¯t want to suggest it to them but he had to.


    "We have to get back to the Citadel before nightfall. We have no other choice." Oskar said seriously.


    Adam answered nothing, he only cast a nce at Katrin. She had to decide what to do in this situation.


    ...


    At the same time, high above the sky something began to tremble, it seemed there was a silhouette of a massive transparent sphere, the tremors of which became more and more active.


    Adam had experienced something like this before, but now he had no idea what was happening.

 Chapter 309: Midnight Crystal (Part 34)

    Katrin looked off into the distance at the sun receding over the horizon line. Just a little longer, about fifteen minutes, and evening would begin to turn to night.


    Even given their strength, they couldn¡¯t afford to stay in ck Cinder Forest at night. It simply didn¡¯t make any sense.


    If Scarlet Pyromancer didn¡¯t show up now, the best solution was to retreat ande back another time. Moreover, the missions department couldn¡¯t determine the new location of this monster, which was a strange but possible case.


    "Shit! Shit! Shit!" Katrin eximed furiously kicking the ground with her foot. Her face filled with more and more rage with each passing second, as she realized that the worst of all possibilities had happened.


    "Fuck! Why did this have to happen to me!" Katrin shouted bringing her staff down on the ck tree next to where Adam was standing.


    Crack. Crackle. Crackle.


    Dark splinters flew off to the sides with the few bursts ofva that were inside the massive tree.


    Katrin was clearly not holding back her strength and attacked at full power.


    "Agh... Agh... Agh..." Katrin was breathing heavily, holding tightly onto her staff and trying to somehow release her anger that was actively burning inside her.


    Adam only looked at the aftermath of the blow and the Golden Light Squad.


    E, Lero, and Osana were standing off to the side, not far from Oskar and their SH-01 fighter.


    They asionally cast nces at the amber sun in the distance, which was gradually getting smaller and smaller disappearing behind the ground. There was a look of anxiety on their faces.


    With the SH-01, they could fly out at thest minute before nightfall and would be safe. But, if they failed to do so in time, they would all be in deadly danger.


    Right now, this area was empty because they had killed all the monsters here, but once night fell, everything would change drastically and lots of Giant Rogoes would seem like weak opponents.


    "Katrin, we have 13 minutes and 43 seconds left." Oskar said seriously while looking at her intently.


    "I¡¯m giving you five minutes to make a decision or we¡¯re flying out of here without you." Oskar said confidently before turning around and heading towards his squad.


    Strangely enough, a slight uneasiness began to be felt by Adam as well. It was strange for him because he wasn¡¯t afraid of the night, he was sure that they could survive if they didn¡¯t get into a more dangerous area than ck Cinder Forest.


    ¡¯Hmm... Then why is this anxiety getting stronger by the minute?¡¯ Adam internally muttered ncing around.


    There was nothing and no one here but them.


    Adam couldn¡¯t sense anyone else¡¯s auras, nor were there any anomalies or any natural phenomena. It was a damn quiet area where only currents of wind appeared from time to time.


    A light wind moved dark ash from one patch ofnd to another, hitting the bones of the monsters and carefully covering the bloodstains.


    Time and nature working together could get rid of any trace of the destruction that scarred the surface.


    However, if the scar was too massive, it became part of nature, as if nature itself recognized its significance and preserved the memory of the great battle, forever.


    Exactly five minutester, in fact, it had been a little longer since it was only 8 minutes until nightfall, Oskar approached them again.


    "So, what¡¯s your decision? The pilot is already warming up the engine. There won¡¯t be another chance to leave. I¡¯mpletely serious."


    Oskar looked intently at Adam and Katrin, realizing that it was up to her to make the final decision.


    Katrin couldn¡¯t give an answer right away, it was obvious how hard it was for her to ept the inevitable. She frowned heavily, her fists were clenched tightly and she gritted her teeth so that it seemed sparks mighte out of them.


    "Fuck... How unlucky I am. It¡¯s always been like this, from the beginning, from my Initial Gene until now..." Katrin growled through her strength before looking at Oskar.


    She let out a heavy sigh and said:


    "Fine, let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll take off five minutes before nightfall and we can get home safely. You don¡¯t have to die because of my misfortune." Katrin said with a stare full of regret before stepping forward.


    Oskar nodded. He wanted to smile, but he didn¡¯t, because Katrin looked as if she had just died, inside.


    Katrin stepped forward as though she were walking not to the rescue ne, but to the scaffold to make her inner death physical.


    Adam shook his head and followed her with a slight sigh. He understood why Katrin had acted this way, but he had nothing to say.


    She was really badly out of luck.


    But... maybe this time bad luck had decided to expand its domain and change everyone¡¯s fate?


    p.


    Oskar pped his palms drawing the attention of the others.


    "Alright, we¡¯re going back to the Citadel, all of us together!"


    E and Lero smiled widely. They were d that Katrin had finally been able to make the difficult but correct decision.


    Osana only tilted her head looking at a dejected Katrin with Adam walking behind her.


    ¡¯Well, looks like the two of them are going to have to go on another mission. Maybe I should get involved? It would be a goodworking solution.¡¯ Osana pondered before turning around and heading towards the fighter that was already ready to take off.


    She and Lero were closest to the fighter.


    At the same moment, a bright shparable to the light of the real sun appeared in the dark sky.


    "What the hell?!" E eximed in confusion.


    "Is this an anomaly? Right here and now?" Lero eximed, not believing what was happening. He raised his head looking at the mes in the sky that were getting bigger and bigger.


    Anomalies could appear anywhere at any time, but Lero just couldn¡¯t believe it was happening now. However, the anomalies weren¡¯t dangerous for Lero to be afraid of them, there was more surprise than fear in his gaze.


    "Wait... Something¡¯s not right here..." E muttered, her fingers trembling. For some reason, it seemed to her that the anomaly was moving, though it couldn¡¯t be happening that fast!


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Adam¡¯s eyes went wide as electric shocks ran through his body. Without wasting a single moment, whizzing by Katrin and knocking her to the ground, Adam lunged forward leaving an electric trail behind him.


    All his muscles were tense, and his legs felt as if they had to withstand the power of a rocket engine instead of a single young man.


    While Osana and Lero were still looking up trying to figure out what the mes were, while their pupils slowly grew wider as they realized what was going on, Adam appeared beside them.


    Adam grabbed Osana and Lero, throwing them on his shoulders and leaving the ce as fast as he could.


    The only thing Osana and Lero saw was a rising wave of dark ash, ck particles passing before their eyes.


    Then, followed by blue electrical discharges emanating from Adam¡¯s body, while the fighter grew smaller and smaller as they moved away from the ce at a tremendous speed.


    Bam.


    A massive blob of me asrge as the fighter rained down on SH-01, causing an explosion of colossal magnitude with rapidly spreading waves of fire.


    Katrin, Oskar, and E couldn¡¯t believe what they were seeing.


    The explosion instantly destroyed the fighter along with the pilot and dozens of meters of ground around it.


    Katrin was the first to see something behind the streams of mes - it was massive wings, but not like a bird¡¯s but like an armored beetle¡¯s.


    But... something was wrong. There were some silhouettes around the huge beetle as if they were the reason why this monster had copsed to the ground in an active fight for its life.

 Chapter 310: Midnight Crystal (Part 35)

    Essence Scarlet Pyromancer - Nothing in this world Katrin wanted more than to kill this monster and take its Initial Gene for herself. She had seen the 3D model, photos, and videos of this monster more often than her face.


    In a way, she was obsessed with this monster like some kind of madman, for she knew simply everything about Essence Scarlet Pyromancers, from their abilities and physical attributes to their preferred habitats and appearance down to the tiniest detail.


    Now, this was the first time she had seen a Scarlet Pyromancer in person rather than through the prism of a video or monitor.


    The monster¡¯s entire body was covered in dark red armor, two massive wings releasing a wave of me trying to burn everything around it. The beetle¡¯s long thick horn looked like a spear covered in scarlet mes, capable of piercing even the heavens if necessary.


    A multitude of petals on six legs constantly releasing mes, four formidable eyes hidden under the armor, and two fat nds filled with dense liquid mes at the monster¡¯s jaw. All of this could instill fear and terror in anyone who encountered an Essence Scarlet Pyromancer.


    Unlike the Essence Thunder Demon that Adam had fought against in Salt Vige, this Essence Monster had absorbed its artifact long ago, so Scarlet Pyromancer had no exposed core, which was the weakness of the Thunder Demon.


    Its core was somewhere inside, perhaps in the darkness andplete silence, someone might be able to tell where it was by seeing the light under the beetle¡¯s solid armor, but in this chaos, it was impossible to do so.


    Katrin was the first to realize that it was the Essence Scarlet Pyromancer, and from some scratches on the monster¡¯s body, she was sure that it was the Scarlet Pyromancer they were hunting today.


    Katrin couldn¡¯t be wrong, she waspletely sure of it.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Before Katrin or anyone else could draw any conclusions, a powerful shockwave reached them.


    mes mingled with the ash, partially bing dirty and dark, like a harbinger of a violent death.


    The impact, threw E, Oskar, and Katrin aside, causing them to crash into a massive ck tree that cracked and copsed its powerful trunk to the ground, bing a wall for them.


    Adam and Osana with Lero on his shoulders barely managed to escape the shockwave by moving a safe distance away.


    Realizing what the situation was, Adam nced at Katrin and headed towards them, soon finding himself next to the ck tree.


    "Fuck! What¡¯s going on here? Is this an anomaly?" Oskar eximed in disbelief.


    Katrin, holding her hands out in front of her in an attempt to protect herself from the dust flying in her direction said:


    "Not likely. Anomalies can¡¯t move that fast, moreover, the original part of the anomaly would have stayed in ce. It¡¯s a monster. That¡¯s the Essence Scarlet Pyromancer we came for!" Katrin eximed, trying to get up off the ground.


    Oskar¡¯s and E¡¯s eyes went wide. Not only from the realization that a Top-8 monster had suddenly appeared right before the night was supposed to fall, but that the Scarlet Pyromancer had destroyed the fighter!


    The crashing Scarlet Pyromancer caused an explosionparable to the fall of a huge meteor, but... it wasn¡¯t the monster¡¯s cunning n. Thunder Demon was capable ofing up with such a n, but not Scarlet Pyromancer.


    This was clear from the first roar or rather furious growl that came from the depths of Scarlet Pyromancer¡¯s throat.


    "RRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTTSSS!!!"


    The strange sound that the beasts were incapable of emitting, but could easily be produced by insects.


    Then, Adam, Katrin, Oskar, and the others first noticed the three silhouettes that clung to Scarlet Pyromancer¡¯s massive body.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Scarlet Pyromancer¡¯s wings began to move faster, throwing away two of the three silhouettes with wind streams mixed with air.


    The third silhouette, which was a wolf-sized monster with gray skin and an elongated jaw managed to stay on the ground, ending up in front of Scarlet Pyromancer¡¯s jaw.


    "What the hell...?" Lero muttered while waves of shivers passed through his body. His eyes traveled from one monster to another in panic. Everyone else had the same reaction.


    The reason for their behavior was simple - none of them recognized these monsters.


    Adam stared intently at the monster held on the ground. Its body was muscr andpletely devoid of fur. Sharp spikes that were part of its spine protruded from its back right through the taut gray skin. The creature had no tail.


    It had two elongated ears, two amber eyes, and four long paws with many phnges. Its paws were more like human palms, with thin fingers and ws as sharp as des.


    Goosebumps went up Adam¡¯s spine. There was a dissonance in his mind, for these monsters didn¡¯t look very strong, yet their auras were threatening.


    Moreover, he already realized that these three identical monsters were the reason why Scarlet Pyromancer had to copse on the ground.


    On Scarlet Pyromancer¡¯s part, it was a forced measure to deal with these monsters.


    It seemed to Adam that although these monsters were strong, they were very weak in their league. He couldn¡¯t exin it, but it would be more than clear very soon...


    E¡¯s eyes went wide.


    "What kind of monsters are these? They¡¯re definitely not Top-10, Top-20, or even Top-30, but... weaker monsters simply aren¡¯t capable of making Scarlet Pyromancer, a Top-8, fight so fiercely for its life." E muttered in a trembling voice.


    This was already realized by each of them. Gradually, their minds wereing to conclusions that they were simply afraid to hear.


    Crackle.


    Four of the six legs of the Scarlet Pyromancer grabbed the gray monster, pinning it to the ground. Then, the nds in Scarlet Pyromancer¡¯s maw began to shake vigorously and turn a deep red color.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    A powerful stream of mes burst out of Scarlet Pyromancer¡¯s jaw, raining down on the head of the gray monster that was only two meters away from Scarlet Pyromancer, chained to the ground by the long legs of the huge beetle.


    Adam¡¯s eyes went wide. He realized that if he were in the gray monster¡¯s ce, he would have been turned to ash by now. Even from this distance, he could feel the painful heat.


    But... only after a few seconds, the gray monster¡¯s skin began to ignite. It took more than ten seconds for the mes to reach the monster¡¯s flesh and burn its head along with its eyes and brain.


    ¡¯Adam!¡¯ Silvana eximed while the other two gray monsters prepared for their next attack, eager to avenge their fallen fellow.


    At the same time, the Operators of all the other Phantoms began to say the same thing. There was rm and slight panic in the voices of each of them, whether it was Silvana, n, or Oskar¡¯s Operator.


    ¡¯These are Gray Scavengers, I don¡¯t know where they came from here, but these aren¡¯t monsters of the Purple Threat Level, these are Light Yellow Threat Level monsters!¡¯ Silvana eximed quickly conveying the information to Adam.


    "Light Yellow Threat Level...? Light...? What the hell does that mean?" Adam gulped.


    ¡¯You need to get out of there right now! Not only because of the danger from the Gray Scavengers, but since I can¡¯t figure out how they got here!¡¯ Silvana shouted.


    At the same moment, everyone else nodded, epting the information from their Operators.


    Only Adam remained silent as he looked up into the sky, where light shudders were passing through the dark veil.


    He could spot them, for he had seen something like this once before.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Then, in the sky above their territory appeared a huge transparent sphere whose surface was actively trembling.


    Before anyone could realize it, the sphere shrank, disappearingpletely, as did Scarlet Pyromancer, Gray Scavengers, and... everyone else.


    Next to the ck tree where Adam, Katrin, and Golden Light Squad were standing, there was no one now... only their footprints remained.

 Chapter 311: Midnight Crystal (Part 36)

    Tap.


    Dous,mander of Fort Norton, is one of the most influential men of this Fort. He is one of the most important militaries in the entire Citadel.


    Sure, he wasn¡¯t a Phantom, Operator, Harvester, cksmith, or Free Scientist. Technically, he was just a middle-aged man who held one of the highest positions in the military part of the Citadel.


    But... Dous had gone through many difficult events, from a simple military man, amon soldier to themander of a huge Fort where many military andbat equipment were concentrated.


    He saw all kinds of deaths, both military and Phantom, and real miracles when people got out alive from impossible situations.


    Also, Dous was aware of many secrets usually inessible even to most Phantoms.


    For example, Dous had known about the existence of Naturalborn Phantoms longer than Adam had lived. There was virtually no important event or valuable information that was not avable to him or that he knew nothing about.


    The same was true of every department head, though. Technically, the military was also a department, but an extremelyrge and numerous one, with a wide range of tasks and goals.


    What was this man doing now that was quite possibly one of the pirs that held up the structure and operation of such aplex mechanism as the Citadel?


    Well, he was drinking ck, bitter coffee while reading the reports of his subordinates on a wide tablet. It was his usual routine at night, sometimes distracted by important news, for anything could happen in Dead Lands at any time of day.


    He was still in his office, he would return home a littleter.


    Knock. Knock. Knock


    Someone knocked on the door.


    Dous raised an eyebrow, slightly puzzled.


    "Come in."


    A short girl with shoulder-length ck hair walked inside. She was dressed like a simple office worker. There was a worried expression on her face as if she had learned of something important just now.


    "Mr. Dous, I think you know that Adam and Katrin went to ck Cinder Forest today to change Initial Gene and about their temporary alliance with Golden Light Squad." The girl said uncertainly.


    "Sure." Dous nodded, "It¡¯s not often that the Phantoms want to change their Initial Gene, this is a notable event of this day. What¡¯s more, we sent a lot of fighters over there because of the Igno Ant Nest incident."


    Dous nced at his watch, checked the time, then looked intently at the girl.


    "Did something important happen that I should know about? Judging by the time, they should be on their way home by now." Dous said calmly,pletely confident in his words.


    The girl nodded. Dous quickly noticed the anxiety in her gaze. He had already realized that his quiet evening had juste to an end.


    "Adam Vinter, his teammate Katrin, Oskar Vuurg, and the rest of the Golden Light Squad have been attacked by the Essence Scarlet Pyromancer."


    Dous tilted his head in confusion.


    "And...? Essence Scarlet Pyromancer is a strong monster, but not enough to give them trouble. Don¡¯t forget, Adam is one of the strongest K1-Phantoms, and the others are also more than capable guys. I¡¯m well aware of their sesses."


    The girl shook her head biting her lip.


    "That¡¯s not the point. Right now their Operators are raising panic and demanding urgent action from us because they¡¯ve all disappeared. We think it was due to a spatial anomaly, but... it¡¯s all too strange."


    "What?" Dous¡¯s eyes went wide as he rose abruptly.


    "Follow me. Tell me everything in detail." Dous said confidently stepping forward.


    "Sure!" The girl nodded and ran after him.


    By the time Dous found himself in the main emergency room of Fort Norton, he had already learned all about the incident.


    "I see..." Dous muttered looking at the screen where there was a static image of the fallen ck tree.


    "Khm, spatial anomalies are rare, but they do appear from time to time. Moreover, Scarlet Pyromancer was attacked by Gray Stalkers, which means it happened several times with the same anomaly." Dous said thoughtfully, rubbing his short ck beard.


    Dous was talking about Scarlet Pyromancer being forcibly moved from the volcano to another location.


    At that location, he was attacked by a Gray Stalker and while he was fighting, the spatial anomaly triggered again and brought him back to the volcano.


    Then, the next time the spatial anomaly activated, it swallowed everyone in a wide radius taking them to where Scarlet Pyromancer and Gray Stalkers had been earlier.


    "Speaking of which, where exactly did they go? Gray Stalkers are dangerous monsters, but they¡¯re lucky it¡¯s only Light Yellow Threat Level. Send help to them right now. A few K2-Phantoms or one K3-Phantom will be more than enough." Dous waved his hand.


    He hadn¡¯t expected such an incident with the Golden Light Squad at thest moment before returning to the Citadel, but Dous was experienced and knew that it wasn¡¯t as bad as it sounded.


    ¡¯They have enough strength tost for a while. Light Yellow monsters aren¡¯t capable of dealing with such strong Phantoms quickly. All it takes is a little time and they¡¯ll earn it with their strength, sweat, and blood.¡¯ Dous pondered.


    "To be honest, I¡¯ve already given the order and sent one fighter with a strong Phantom to help them. But... it¡¯s going to be a long way to fly, moreover, they¡¯ll have to get out of the danger zone if they want to escape." The girl replied, biting her lip.


    Dous raised an eyebrow, looking at her weirdly.


    "What are you talking about?"


    The girl gulped.


    "Mr. Dous they¡¯re trapped in Fallen Crypt and... they¡¯re in the way..."


    The girl¡¯s next words made Dous frown heavily and his fists clenched tightly.


    ¡¯Fuck... Adam... Looks like your nature has once again brought a deadly threat upon you, but... this time you and your mates will have to handle everything from start to finish.¡¯ Dous inwardly muttered after listening to the girl.


    ...


    Calm currents of wind passed over the distantnd dispelling the thick dark fog thatpletely filled the area.


    It seemed to be a realnd of the dead where a calm but threatening atmosphere reigned, showing that there was no ce for active life here, only cold death.


    Somewhere sharp cliffs emerged from the gray earth, somewhere massive skeletons the size of several buildingsy as the only reminder of the life of the once majestic and powerful monster.


    Lone purple flowers with sharp spikes and massive buds covered the Fallen Crypt, being some of the few light sources in this perniciousnd.


    From the rare cracks in the ground, thin streams of ck smoke constantly emanated, like disgusting miasmas showing that this ce had long since rotted from the inside out. Or maybe there was actually something lurking below?


    In the midst of these wide and inhospitable but peacefulnds, something was finally starting to happen.


    Whoooooooooooooooooosh.


    With a bright sh of me, a massive me beetle, two formidable monsters, and six Phantoms appeared.


    Though they were all different from each other and had different goals, something connected them all. None of them understood what they were doing here or what would happen next.


    Tap.


    Adam, Katrin, Oskar, and the others copsed to the ground a few dozen meters away from Scarlet Pyromancer and the two Gray Stalkers.


    ¡¯Adam! Can you hear me?¡¯ Silvana eximed.


    Taking a few steps back and looking around, Adam nodded.


    "Yeah. Where the hell are we? Can you track my signal?" Adam frowned heavily.


    Once inside Fallen Crypt, he immediately felt anxiety and slight goosebumps passed through his body. Instinctively he felt that he shouldn¡¯t be in this inhospitable and isted ce, at least not now.


    From the tiny stones scattered on the ground covered in gray dust to the whistling wind, everything seemed to want to drive this unworthy creature away.


    ¡¯Yes, you¡¯re in Fallen Crypt.


    I need to understand exactly where you are to give you advice. Describe your surroundings, because of this fog I can barely see anything through the camera on your NEP.¡¯ Silvana said quickly.


    She acted hastily because the situation was urgent, but there was no panic or blind worry in her voice. She had only one goal in mind - to help Adam as his Operator. Silvana wasn¡¯t going to make any more mistakes like Salt Vige.


    "Hmm... I don¡¯t even know what to tell you. There¡¯s dust everywhere, rocks, massive monster bones, and gray earth, and I see purple lights in the distance. Is it something important?" Adam tilted his head in confusion.


    ¡¯No, those are Spiky Lilies, they grow almost everywhere in Fallen Crypt. I need something more rare or notable. Maybe there¡¯s some oddly shaped rock, ruin, or building nearby?¡¯ Silvana asked going over all the possible options.


    The other Operators of their squad were doing roughly the same thing. However, some were trying to calm their Phantoms down, as Lero and E were very nervous. They weren¡¯t ready to ept what had happened and adapt to the situation at the speed needed to do so.


    At this time, Scarlet Pyromancer and the two Gray Stalkers kept their distance from each other. Their battle wasn¡¯t over yet, but no one was in a hurry to attack.


    The Gray Stalkers were happy when the Purple Threat Level monster they thought was weak appeared, but, they were the real weaklings in their league. Thus, dealing with a Top-8 monster was a really difficult task for them.


    Adam scratched the back of his head trying to see something through the thick ck fog.


    Then, taking a few steps to the side he finally spotted some sort of shape about a hundred meters away.


    The majestic peaks, the gloomy patterns, the dirty panes of ss running solidly up to the entrance gate, and the overall scale of the building reminded Adam of some sort of gothic cathedral. It seemed to be the castle of a dark king or an evil wizard from a fairy tale.


    "Well, well, I have a clue for you, but it doesn¡¯t look good at all..."

 Chapter 312: Midnight Crystal (Part 37)

    ¡¯Do you see a cathedral in front of you? Is it long or wide? Does it have towers on the outside?¡¯ Silvana quickly asked a few questions, for this was her opportunity to understand where Adam was.


    This was critical, for there were ces in Fallen Crypt where it was deadly for him to be, and in other parts, he could buy himself time with his power.


    "Yeah, it¡¯s definitely a cathedral, like a huge church, though... no, it¡¯s like part of a throne room. You know, long and straight where the throne is at the end. The building is elongated, no towers, nothing else nearby." Adam answered with a slight wave of his hand.


    Silvana¡¯s eyes sparkled brightly as she smiled.


    ¡¯Good, I think I know where you are. It¡¯s the Fume Cathedral. That¡¯s good since I don¡¯t see in the records that any monster is currently upying this cathedral. There might be weaker monsters there, but no one particrly strong that you should avoid for the sake of saving your lives.¡¯ Silvana exined with a little joy in her voice.


    ¡¯Furthermore, it means that you are in an area that is inhabited only by Light Yellow Threat monsters. It¡¯s not the safest part of the Fallen Crypt, but it¡¯s one of the best ces you could be, given the situation...¡¯ Silvana bit her lip.


    Then, she ryed the message to everyone else.


    In fact, it didn¡¯t change the actual situation, because they were still in a ce where there were monsters above their strength level.


    However, dangerous monsters didn¡¯t scare people¡¯s minds as much as the unknown. Even if the situation was worse than nothing, it was much better to know how bad it was than to guess and remain in the dark.


    The unknown is humanity¡¯s greatest fear and perhaps one of the main reasons why people are so afraid of death.


    After a few more seconds everyone was able toe to their senses. Now, it was time for everyone to start working together again and get out of this unpleasant and gloomy ce that doesn¡¯t like sudden guests.


    "We¡¯re in a difficult situation, but it¡¯s not that bad." Oskar said with a serious face. He nced at Scarlet Pyromancer, then at his mates.


    "If the spatial anomaly had transported us to another part of the Fallen Crypt, we could hope for a miracle or write a will right now, but things are different here." Oskar stepped forward confidently, holding his sword tightly.


    E looked around before approaching him.


    "What are we going to do? Do we engage and kill these monsters? Do we retreat towards Fume Cathedral or do we try to get out to a safe zone where a fighter can fly in directly?" E asked, remaining cautious.


    It was worth realizing that it had only been a few minutes since they had arrived, no, not even five minutes.


    It only took a few seconds to realize what had happened, then, half a minute to answer questions and look around. Two or three minutes was enough for them to already think about their next actions and have information about their current situation.


    Thus, Scarlet Pyromancer and Gray Stalkers only exchanged a few attacks.


    Gray Stalkers tried to pounce on Scarlet Pyromancer and tear his wings apart with their powerful jaws, but Scarlet Pyromancer simply flew back a few meters, leaving a ming trail behind him.


    Oskar didn¡¯t respond immediately, he only frowned as he considered their options.


    "Hey Silvana, what does Light Yellow Threat Level even mean?" Adam asked staring at the Gray Stalkers, "I instantly felt that they were strong, but they were weak at the same time. It¡¯s a rather strange feeling..."


    Silvana nodded.


    ¡¯You¡¯re not wrong, because in rtion to Purple Threat monsters, Gray Stalkers are superior opponents, but among their level, they¡¯re just trash.¡¯ Silvana said stiffly.


    ¡¯That¡¯s why Scarlet Pyromancer is sessfully fighting against them. Perhaps there were even more than three of them originally, at least he has already killed one of them and only received a few scratches. If there were opponents one level higher against him, he would already be dead.¡¯ Silvana said confidently because these were facts based on knowledge.


    Adam continued to listen to her curiously, keeping a close eye on the situation.


    ¡¯As you know there are four levels of monster difficulty for K0 and K1 Phantoms. For K0-Phantoms, it¡¯s White and Green Threat Level, and for K1-Phantoms, it¡¯s Blue and Purple Threat Level. But, as you move to the next level, things change drastically for both Phantoms and monsters.¡¯


    Silvana continued:


    ¡¯First of all, the only threat levelparable in strength to K2-Phantoms is Yellow Threat Level, but, this is where things start to getplicated and different from all the previous stages you¡¯ve already passed.¡¯


    Silvana let out a light sigh.


    ¡¯Between each new level of strength, the difference is greater than the previous level. Roughly speaking, if the difference between K0 and K1 Phantom is one unit of strength, then the difference between K1 and K2 is three units of strength. These values are approximate and are absolutely not exact figures, these are simplifications for an example to make it clear to you.¡¯


    "Sure, go ahead." Adam nodded, looking around.


    Oskar was still mulling over his decision and no one else had spoken up, so Adam could use this time to get some useful information from his Operator.


    ¡¯It¡¯s the same situation with Threat Levels, but, with each new level of strength, it bes more difficult to advance to the next. The path to be traveled bes longer and harder.¡¯


    Adam nodded.


    He was able to reach K1-Level rtively quickly, but he still hadn¡¯t gotten to K2.


    Sure, there were many other reasons for this besides the fact that the path from K1 to K2 was longer than from K0 to K1, but the point remained.


    ¡¯Thus, the difference between the strongest monsters of the Yellow Threat Level and the weakest monsters is too great to stick to the old system. Moreover, the Yellow Threat monsters are much more numerous and diverse because they dwell much farther away from the Citadel than the weaker level monsters.¡¯ Silvana quickly said.


    "I see... The farther the path, the more dangerous it is, right? Well, Light Yellow is the weakest section of the Yellow Threat Level, correct?" Adam asked ncing at the Gray Stalkers.


    He was sure that he could kill them, it wouldn¡¯t be easy, but only slightly harder than defeating Prime Giant Rogo.


    This was real praise for Gray Stalkers, as Adam had rated the strength of one of the weakest monsters of the Yellow Threat Level higher than the monsters that were in the Top-20 of the Purple Threat Level.


    ¡¯Yes, Yellow Threat Level is divided into three parts: Light, Mid, and Dark. To help you understand the difference in these levels, I¡¯ll give you a simple example. The strongest monster of the Light Yellow Threat Level will be only slightly stronger than the weakest monster of the Mid Yellow Threat Level.¡¯


    Adam nodded.


    The situation Silvana described was very simr to the situation Scarlet Pyromancer and Gray Stalkers were currently in.


    There was a fundamental difference in levels between them, but the multiple superior factors of one monster allowed it to still be the strongest among them.


    Step. Step. Step.


    While Oskar was pondering what to do, Katrin was heading towards Adam with a serious expression on her face. It looked like she had already made up her mind, and she needed Adam for that.

 Chapter 313: Midnight Crystal (Part 38)

    "RRRRRRRRGGHHH!!!"


    Gray Stalkers growled irritably, like resentful dogs that couldn''t get their prey. With a nce, they pounced on Scarlet Pyromancer again, leaving w marks on the cold gray ground.


    But...


    Scarlet Pyromancer raised his wings, raising waves of mes as the Gray Stalkers stopped and bounced back. Even if their ws were sharp enough to tear Scarlet Pyromancer''s flesh apart, the massive beetle''s fire was far more dangerous than a pair of sharp des.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Katrin approached Adam with a serious look. Thanks to her long rest and the effects of the pollen, she was full of energy, just like the rest of their squad.


    Thus, if necessary, they were ready to fight at full strength. Right now, except for the slight fatigue, because it was already night, they were ready to show their peak.


    "Hey, you''re not going to run away even if that dumbass decides so, right?" Katrin arrogantly said pointing a thumb over her shoulder at Oskar who was standing a few meters behind.


    Adam smirked as he nced at Scarlet Pyromancer fending off the Gray Stalkers with his mes.


    "Well, well, we''ve entered Light Yellow Threat territory, but all you''re thinking about is the emerging chance to rece your Initial Gene, aren''t you?"


    Katrin looked away putting her hand to her side.


    "Yeah, don''t tell me you''re scared of two Gray Stalkers. They may be Light Yellow Threat Level, but they''re not capable of handling a Scarlet Pyromancer. Your strength is clearly superior."


    Adam nodded.


    "Hey!" Oskar eximed, looking like he had finally made up his mind, "Let''s take advantage of the distracted monsters and head to a safe zone. If we move together, we can avoid fighting the monsters and reach the rescue point."


    It was worth recognizing that Oskar had made the most pragmatic, safe, and correct decision in terms of preserving the lives of every squad member.


    There were no other monsters here yet, which meant they had a chance to get out of the fighter''s restricted area. This was probably the best time for them to do so.


    But... not everyone thought safety was the most important thing.


    Oddly enough, many people were willing to risk jeopardizing their safety if it opened up the possibility of getting something of equal value.


    "No. We''ll kill the Gray Stalkers and I''ll get my Initial Gene, then we''ll head to the safe zone." Katrin said confidently, not even bothering to consider Oskar''s offer. Your journey continues at mvl


    She had already epted defeat and agreed to return to the Citadel, but now that Scarlet Pyromancer was right in front of her, she wasn''t about to back down.


    Oskar frowned heavily pointing his sword at Katrin.


    "Fuck you! We''re only in this situation because of you! If you would have made a decision even a minute earlier, we wouldn''t be here! You''ve already put everyone else in danger once and I won''t let you do it again." Oskar said menacingly burning Katrin with his gaze.


    "You will do as I say because I am your leader now, I am the leader of the Golden Light Squad. You can rece your Initial Gene another time, right now our lives are the priority!"


    Oskar stepped forward, and a menacing gleam ran down the broad de of his sword.


    "If you do not obey, I will make you by force. Maybe after you change your Initial Gene you''ll be able to fight me back, but right now you''re just the support. You''ll lose to me in the blink of an eye." Oskar said threateningly, tightening his grip on the hilt of his massive sword.


    It was quite possible that he wasn''t lying. If there was a deadly fight between them and Oskar could make a sessful attack, he would split Katrin in two like a simple tree trunk.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Before Katrin could respond, Oskar was under intense pressure, so much so that it was a real threat that could seriously harm him.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam stepped forward,ing between Katrin and the sharp tip of the sword. There was no threat in his gaze, unlike Oskar''s, just a smug smirk on his face and a look of confidence.


    His aura like a white me spread around, putting some pressure on everyone except Katrin.


    "Well, well, so that''s how you talk now. I thought squad members were supposed to help each other, not make threatening ultimatums."


    Then, Adam stepped forward, Oskar''s sword practically touching his chest.


    "This is a game you can y together. Don''t forget that it was you who invited us to join, not that we asked to join you. Besides, without our help, the Prime Thunder Demon would likely have torn you to pieces, or at best, seriously injured you." Adam lifted his chin staring at Oskar from top to bottom even though Oskar was considerably taller.


    It wasn''t about actual height it was about demonstrating his status and superiority.


    Adam was not going to let Oskar bully Katrin, it was uneptable.


    "I''m offering you two options. First, you leave without us, we can manage on our own, especially if you intend to threaten us instead of assisting us. Second, you help us kill two Gray Stalkers, then watch me and Katrin kill a Scarlet Pyromancer. Katrin gets her Initial Gene and we head to the safe zone."


    A gleam passed through Adam''s eyes as he looked forward, beyond Oskar''s broad shoulders.


    "My offers apply not only to Oskar but to everyone else as well. The leader of my squad is Katrin, but that doesn''t stop me from acting on my own free will, just like you."


    Oskar frowned heavily, gritting his teeth.


    He didn''t want to admit it, but he couldn''t afford to fight Adam. This was an opponent above his league, moreover, even if they were roughly equal in strength, Adam would still win.


    Oskar had powerful attacks and abilities, but this meant that he was unable to keep up with fast enemies.


    Also, given the nature of Adam''s abilities, Oskar would not be able to defend himself against Adam''s attacks.


    As soon as Oskar thought of their possible battle, a scene of Adam''s needle easily piercing his heart appeared in his mind.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Suddenly, Osana stepped forward.


    The situation was tense, almost critical, but despite that, she walked with a slight smile on her face and heavily narrowed eyes.


    "Agh...? Osana?" Oskar''s eyes went wide.


    Osana took a few more steps forward holding her long staff in front of her and stopped next to Adam.


    "I think that instead of arguing we should get on with our direct duty of killing monsters. I myself am incapable of killing Gray Stalkers and Scarlet Pyromancer, but you or Adam can." Osana said calmly, but her words carried a threat mixed with dangerous cunning, like an invisible snake that coiled around Oskar''s neck, whispering in his ear.


    "Oskar, if you don''t want to kill monsters, then I''ll help someone willing to do it." Osana said confidently.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly, Scarlet Pyromancer''s body trembled as he turned into a fiery sh. In a heartbeat, he appeared in front of Gray Stalker piercing the monster''s body with his long ming horn like a spear.


    In a few seconds, Gray Stalker was reduced to a pile of ash with a burnt-to-ck skeleton impaled on the long horn.


    "Oh, now there are only two opponents." Osaka smiled slyly with a tilt of her head.


    She directed her gaze to Oskar.


    "Come on. You don''t mean to say you''re scared of two monsters when there are six Phantoms here, do you?"


    Katrin watching this scene could only giggle satisfiedly, enjoying the development of the situation.

 Chapter 314: Midnight Crystal (Part 39)

    Until a moment ago, Oskar had been in the majority. True, Adam and Katrin disagreed with him, but he still had three loyalpanions who would definitely follow his orders and head for the safe zone.


    Four fairly strong Phantoms were more than enough to get out of this part of the Fallen Crypt, especially when there was one support with healing abilities among them.


    But... just then, everything changed. Osana going from one side to the other was much more critical than if E or Lero had done it.


    Moreover, there was no way Oskar could stick to his original n now because there were too few enemies.


    There was only one Gray Stalker and one Scarlet Pyromancer against them, and they had Adam on their side who was capable of killing a Top-2 monster, so... they had a serious advantage in strength.


    Burning Osana with his gaze and clutching his sword tightly, Oskar gritted his teeth and said:


    "Osana, after this mission, we will have a serious talk." Oskar said seriously, with great reluctance gradually agreeing to their terms.


    "Sure." Osana calmly replied. She wasn''t afraid of sanctions from Oskar, to her this situation was a simple transaction. She had exchanged Oskar''s respect for Adam''s one it was a favorable trade.


    Then, Oskar looked at the remaining Gray Stalker.


    "Fine, let''s kill him, then you quickly finish off Scarlet Pyromancer and we''ll be done with this shitty situation." Oskar snorted before stepping forward, confidently heading towards Gray Stalker.


    Adam nodded and cast a nce at Osana.


    "Don''t expect me to thank you, it''s obvious even to a child that you didn''t do this for us but for yourself." Adam said calmly, narrowing his eyes slightly.


    Osana touched her pink lips with her little finger and smiled slightly.


    "Sure, but whatever you say now doesn''t matter, because what I did will forever be etched in your memory and have the appropriate effect."


    Adam raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.


    "Damn, you''re not even hiding your intentions. Well, I won''t deny that I look at you differently now, but don''t jump to conclusions." Adam calmly replied, following Oskar''s lead.


    "Katrine on. It''s time to kill the Scarlet Pyromancer and get a new Initial Gene, isn''t it?"


    Katrin looked up at him as her eyes sparkled with excitement.


    She gripped her staff tighter and directed her gaze towards Scarlet Pyromancer. Sometimes, bad luck for some could turn out to be a fortune for someone else, and right now Katrin was on the right side for her.


    "Sure, kill that pathetic dog already." Katrin grinned widely.


    Step. Step. Step.


    At the same moment, Adam and Oskar ran forward. Though they had been in conflict, they had both been in enough battles to recover in time and get control over their feelings.


    Running up to Gray Stalker, Adam and Oskar nced at each other, nodded slightly, and surrounded the monster from both sides.


    Oskar attacked first. He brought his massive sword high above his head, swiftly bringing it down on Gray Stalker.


    Strangely enough, Oskar''s attack was sessful. His sword urately hit its target, sinking into Gray Stalker''s flesh.


    "Agh...? What the hell...?" Oskar''s eyes went wide looking at his sword that stuck into Gray Stalker.


    Oskar was sure he was about to cut the monster in two, since Gray Stalker didn''t have any additional defenses besides its hide, but that didn''t happen.


    His sword just couldn''t prate deeper than a few centimeters. Oskar wasn''t even sure if his sword even reached the monster''s bone and it actually made him wary.


    "RRRRRRGHHHH!!!" Gray Stalker roared before pouncing on Oskar, aiming its sharp ws at Oskar''s chest.


    Bam. Stay updated via mvl


    Immediately, Adam appeared beside Oskar, who abruptly turned around and smashed his foot right into Gray Stalker''s jaw.


    The kick was straight and clear, with tremendous force and even greater speed. Considering the size of the Gray Stalker, the impact should have thrown the monster aside and precisely knocked out its jaw with serious damage.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Gray Stalker''s skin trembled, waves passing over the monster''s face as if it were a calm water surface that had been disturbed by a suddenly fallen stone. And... the shivering stopped as quickly as it had begun.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    In a heartbeat, Gray Stalker swiftly turned its head, quickly closing its powerful jaws in front of Adam''s face like a powerful snare that would tear Adam''s head from his body.


    Adam''s eyes went wide in disbelief. He couldn''t believe that such a weak-looking monster like Gray Stalker could recover from his attack in just one second.


    ''I see... So that''s how big the difference between levels is, right? The head of the weakest monster of the Purple Threat Level would have exploded from my kick, that''s for sure, but it had a weaker effect on him than a simple p. Damn, and that''s just the physical stats. Unbelievable.''


    Adam pondered while Gray Stalker''s jaw opened wide in front of his face. The teeth were sharp and long, about to sink into Adam''s neck.


    ''Hmm... His hide is as tough as his whole body, but...'' Adam muttered internally directing his gaze to the Gray Stalker''s long ears, ''Inside we''re all weak and vulnerable, both physically and mentally.''


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Adam''s back arched backwards causing his bones forcing his bones to emit an active cracking sound. Gray Stalker had no time to react and change the trajectory of its attack, so the monster''s open jaw swept over Adam''s head.


    Then, Adam''s arms came in motion quickly heading for Gray Stalker''s head. He sted the man''s head once with his powerful palms, but he realized that against Gray Stalker, it was impossible to do so.


    His palms wouldn''t be able to inflict even the slightest damage to the monster''s thick hide, let alone explode Gray Stalker''s head.


    But... Adam''s goal was something else.


    Crackle.


    Adam thrust his middle fingers perpendicrly forward before plunging them into Gray Stalker''s ears reaching for the monster''s brain.


    Two streams of dark blood rushed out, coating Adam''s arms and running down his wrists while Gray Stalker''s face squirmed in pain.


    It was as if the monster was trying to get rid of the foreign object in its head, but it was toote. Gray Stalker''s ears were its weak point, for they were wide open and too close to the brain because of the elongated structure of the skull.


    A few drops of blood fell on Adam''s calm face as the monster''s head was directly above him.


    ''I guess I should congratte you. Not many K1-Phantoms have killed Light Yellow Threat Monsters, in a way that''s quite an aplishment.'' Silvana said with a slight pride in her voice.


    However... Adam did not share her enthusiasm.


    "Hm... They''re actually strong, but some Essence Thunder Demon would tear apart even ten of them. Gray Stalkers are strong, but they''re nothing. I''d say they''re just dull and boring opponents." Adam said calmly before pulling his fingers out of the monster''s ears and letting its carcass fall to the cold gray ground.


    Then, Adam took a step forward and held out his hand with an open palm summoning Revolve.


    "It''s been a while since I''ve absorbed any new genes, this should definitely be something new." Adam muttered with a slight smile on his face while Gray Stalker''s body trembled slightly.

 Chapter 315: Midnight Crystal (Part 40)

    Strangely enough, the stronger Phantom became, the less often he needed the genes of simple monsters.


    In the beginning, Adam needed to collect as many genes as possible to be stronger, most notably when he needed genes to fill the chains around his Lock.


    Only after he had collected a thousand neutral genes he could find out where his Initial Monster was. This was a direct path to bing a K1-Phantom and could actually be done quite quickly.


    But, the path to K2 wasn''t as fast since there were many different conditions. Collecting artifacts was more difficult than a few hundred genes, and Midnight Crystal was a task beyond all others.


    Thus, Adam had already collected the required number of genes for the Key long ago. In fact, he didn''t even collect the genes of the monsters he killed anymore, because there was no point in doing so.


    When he went to the next level, he would only need to kill a few monsters to refill the missing genes.


    But... now that he had killed the Light Yellow Threat monster, it was time to see something new.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A single gene came out of Gray Stalker''s body in the form of a rune covered in pale yellow energy. Outwardly, the gene looked weak and unstable like Gray Stalker himself in the majestic hierarchy of the Yellow Threat Level monsters.


    However, not taking into ount special genes such as the Initial Gene and Power Gene, it was the highest-level gene that Adam received.


    [Gray Stalker, Light Yellow Gene x1 - has been ced in your Vault!]


    The yellow rune flew into Revolve, a snow-white vortex in front of Adam''s palm, and headed towards the massive book inside his space. Specifically, this gene wasn''t something Adam needed for any purpose, but it was a kind of milestone in his path.


    One way or another, most K1-Phantoms, weren''t capable of defeating Light Yellow monsters.


    "What a strangely satisfying feeling, like I''ve finally taken another step forward, though... I still need Midnight Crystal for that." Adam muttered, clenching his fist tightly.


    Then, he stared at Scarlet Pyromancer standing off to the side.


    Scarlet Pyromancer wasn''t as smart as Thunder Demon or North Keeper, but he didn''t need to be clever or cunning to realize Adam''s intentions.


    Adam''s nce was enough for Scarlet Pyromancer to feel threatened, for him to realize that he was facing a hunter who thought of him as prey.


    Perhaps another monster would have chosen to run away, but Scarlet Pyromancer had a certain pride due to his status.


    Sure, Scarlet Pyromancer didn''t know that the mission department rated him as a Top-8 among Purple Threat Level monsters, but he realized that he was stronger than most other monsters.


    Moreover, he wasn''t afraid to fight Gray Stalker and even killed them even though they were higher-level creatures.


    Thus, Scarlet Pyromancer was not going to be frightened of Adam, the Phantom who was on the same level as him. He possessed the power to fight for his life, and he was going to do so either to triumph or to thest drop of his blood!


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The Scarlet Pyromancer began to move its massive heavy wings vigorously, and the petals on its six legs shone brightly.


    Then, a transparent me appeared around the monster, which gradually grewrger andrger, turning into some sort of silhouette.


    E''s eyes went wide for they all knew that this was the manifestation of an aura! She couldn''t believe that Scarlet Pyromancer had such a deep knowledge of the use of aura.


    Soon, the silhouette of a huge beetle that looked like arge and terrifying version of Scarlet Pyromancer himself appeared above Scarlet Pyromancer. This was his Second Stage Spirit and the appearance of his The Will.


    The aura quickly spread around, immediately demonstrating Scarlet Pyromancer''s intentions and the power level of the others...


    "Agh!"


    Lero and E gasped. They tried to resist the monster''s aura, but they could hardly do so. Most K1-Phantoms didn''t know how to use The Will and had no Aura Seal, just a simple aura emanating from their pure power, nothing more.


    So, Lero and E fell to the ground, breathing heavily with their eyes wide open. They rested their hands on the ground trying not to copsepletely.


    Katrin and Oskar shuddered vigorously, having to take a few steps backward clenching their fists tightly. After a few seconds, Oskar grabbed his chest and dropped to one knee.


    Strangely enough, the only one besides Adam who remained steady on her feet was Osana.


    No new emotions appeared on her face, she still kept a calm smile and kept her eyes practically closed. Only the wind ruffled her long pink hair.


    Katrin nced at Osana in disbelief.


    ''What the hell...? How can that bitch stay so calm? This monster''s aura made it hard to breathe!'' Katrin internally eximed.


    Well, soon she and everyone else felt the much-desired relief as Adam decided to release his Spirit as well.


    An aura in the form of white mes covered everything around, the center of which was a substantially faceless being made of thousands of silver threads tightly woven together.


    Then, two spheres of red and white aura collided with each other trying to suppress their enemy.


    Scarlet Pyromancer pressed his legs closer together as well as all parts of his body. It was obvious that he was struggling to withstand this confrontation, but he was strong enough to prevent Adam from winning.


    To wound another creature with an aura there had to be a serious difference in strength between the two opponents. If the difference in power wasn''t crushing, then the weaker opponent could withstand the other''s aura attack.


    "Oh, not bad, not bad at all. Essence Monsters are worthy opponents after all." Adam smirked while their auras dissipated.


    Neither aura was able topletely suppress the other, so after the collision they slowly disappeared like particles of white and red me.


    Adam smirked and stepped forward, extending his right arm. He was ready to use his needle and start fighting.


    Scarlet Pyromancer responded in kind. His long horn shed with scarlet mes and his nds began to swell in preparation to unleash a powerful stream of fire on Adam.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, the ground shook and the streams of ck smokeing out of the cracks covering the surface became much thicker.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    In some ces, as if on someone''smand, several massive monsters with horrible, unpleasant, and disgusting-looking bodies emerged from the ground.


    There were only five of them, and although they appeared at the same time, they were not controlled by anyone.


    Adam and Scarlet Pyromancer were to me for this. Minor bursts of energy during the battle against the Gray Stalkers could not disturb the monsters that lurked in this area near the Fume Cathedral, but Adam''s and Scarlet Pyromancer''s auras had attracted the inhabitants of thisnd.


    Adam frowned turning to the nearest monster. Find adventures on §Þ??


    "Holy shit, you''re nasty." Adam frowned heavily as he stared at the huge monster towering over him with a creepy face like a disfigured human mask, with a perpetual frozen smirk.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground shook once more, revealing several silhouettes that were hidden behind a dense shroud of ck fog, but clearlying in their direction.


    Adam narrowed his eyes. He had no intention of attracting the attention of all the monsters around Fume Cathedral, but there was nothing more he could do.

 Chapter 316: Midnight Crystal (Part 41)

    "Well, well, of all the people I''ve met in Dead Lands before, you''re the ultimate freak."


    Adam stared at the monster whose face looked like a creepy mask with a perpetually frozen grin. The eyes on the mask were part of the monster''s face, they werepletely ck with slow-flowing dark tears as if the eyes consisted of thick ink.


    The monster''s body was elongated and very long, covered only by gray skin stretched over the torso by nails that held all the parts together.


    And... it might have looked like a creepy worm or maybe a snake, but that was not the correct definition, for this monster looked more like a centipede than anything else.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Dozens of white arms that were strikingly simr to human arms, only slightly longer and with sharp ws, made an eerie crackling sound as they moved in time with the monster''s body. It used its limbs both as legs maintaining contact with the ground and as multiple arms to reach its victim.


    "Silvana, what is this incest victim between a puppet and a centipede?" Adam asked frowning heavily. Despite his caustic remarks, he was ufortable with the monster''s gaze and the aura emanating from it.


    ''It''s a Weeping Haraha, like Gray Stalkers, it''s Light Yellow Threat Level, but they''re much stronger than Gray Stalkers. If Gray Stalkers are the real trash among Light Yellow monsters, then Weeping Harahas are a bit higher. However, there are many monsters stronger than them among Light Yellow.'' Silvana quickly replied.


    Adam nodded while ncing around. There were only five Weeping Harahas, but the new monsters were getting closer, so he needed to hurry up to make his situation easier.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Adam''s eyes shone as a long needle of many silver threads appeared in his hand, thick and long with a sharp tip capable of piercing any armor.


    He was ready to rush into battle, but no sooner had Adam taken a step than he felt the active wind currents around him.


    Adam turned around and saw Osana, who was using her ability on Adam again. Snow-white ghostly wings appeared on his feet, rippling slightly before freezingpletely.


    Then, Katrin made her move and used her Nexus again, aiming the seed directly at Adam.


    The effects of thest seed had long since passed after the battle against the Prime Thunder Demon and the explosion of the volcano.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The roots quickly covered Adam''s body giving him a powerful exoskeleton that enhanced his physical abilities. Sure, his face contorted again in pain from the sharp spikes embedded in his flesh, but this was the second time Adam had experienced this so the reaction soon passed.


    As Adam chased after Prime Thunder Demon, Adam had the two enhancements on him, but... that wasn''t all.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Suddenly, on Adam''s chest around the seed from which the roots grew, a red magic circle saturated with energy appeared.


    Several waves of energy traveled through Adam''s body as it had previously happened to Oskar when Lero had amplified it to break the mirror barrier around therva king.


    One of the effects of Lero''s enhancement was a slight increase in height, but in Adam''s case, it didn''t happen. Not because Lero had done anything wrong, but because of the synergy with the other enhancement...


    Red waves of energy continued to pass through Adam''s body as if not understanding why they couldn''t increase Adam''s size, but soon they found a way to channel their power.


    The energy waves aimed at the roots, traveled along the roots like red lightning bolts, bing part of them.


    Lero and Katrin looked at each other in confusion, they hadn''t expected that there could be such an amazing synergy between their powers.


    Adam''s eyes went wide as he clenched his fist.


    Right now he was under three amplifications at the same time, moreover, he could use his artifact and then he would reach his highest peak of power.


    "ROOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!"


    The Weeping Haraha standing in front of Adam roared furiously, letting out an eerie scream like a crying child before copsing on Adam with the full force of its body. A multitude of crooked arms moved forward, about to tear Adam apart.


    Adam stared at his arm as if mesmerized by his new power, ignoring the approaching monster.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Whizzing through the wind currents, several arms moved closer to Adam, but for some reason, they couldn''t get any further, it seemed like Weeping Haraha just stopped in one ce.


    "What the fuck...?" E muttered with wide-eyed eyes staring at Adam.


    Adam''s palm was wide open tight against Weeping Haraha''s head, or rather its mask.


    Weeping Haraha''s ck eyes looked up, as if in disbelief at what was happening. The monster didn''t understand how a lower-level creature could stop its attack with one hand.


    "Damn, I guess now I fully understand the power of the squad and especially the supports." Adam muttered with a slight confident grin.


    He could feel the power literally overflowing his body. It wasn''t some ephemeral statement or pretty speech, it was real.


    ''Adam, I think I understand how you feel right now, but you shouldn''t rx. Sure, you''ve gotten a lot stronger thanks to Katrin, Lero, and Osana''s abilities, but this is your maximum.'' Silvana said seriously.


    She only had that calm and measured voice when Adam was in real danger.


    Adam nodded before stepping forward and turning into a swift shadow passing beneath Weeping Haraha''s long body.


    The silver needle sliced through the monster''s belly with its sharp tip while Adam quickly advanced with his powerful strides.


    Before Weeping Haraha could do anything, Adam was already on the other side, leaving behind a long cut along the monster.


    Under the pressure, the cut opened up, with organs and chunks of flesh falling out of the monster''s body.


    In a panic, Weeping Haraha''s dozens of hands tried to put everything back in ce, the monster wanted to close the open cut or at least keep its organs from falling to the ground, but it was already toote.


    Massive chunks of flesh collided with the gray dust on the surface, pouring its thick dark blood all over everything.


    "I see..." Adam looked down at his needle and nced at the monster he had killed, "Such great power has its consequences, right?"


    Silvana nodded.


    ''Unfortunately, neither you nor any other Phantom can absorb an infinite amount of enhancements from the various supports. I''m not sure what your body''s limit is, but I think three or four amplifications are your maximum. By the way, for the average Phantom, that''s two boosts.'' Silvana quickly exined.


    The enhancements gave strength due to the abilities and energy of the supports, but one needed a strong body and a mighty Evolution Tree to withstand the new power that came out of nowhere.


    It could bepared to a wire and electrical voltage. If the wire wasn''t sturdy enough, it would simply melt due to too much power.


    Moreover, this was the first situation in which Phantom, with too much amplification, experienced severe pain in his chest and heart and could not continue to fight for a while - until he fully recovered.


    Adam was in the second situation of two possible ones.


    If the wire could withstand the new power of the electric discharge, but not too long as it gradually heated up until it reached a critical point.


    Well, there was a third option when the Phantom did not reach the limit of its amplification, but it was a weakened second option since the Phantom had less power but could function longer.


    ''Keep fighting as usual, but don''t forget that with so many reinforcements, you''ll get tired faster than usual.


    You didn''t feel it muchst time since you only chased the Prime Thunder Demon for a few minutes, but now it will have a significant effect.'' Silvana warned him.


    Adam nodded, he understood what Silvana was talking about. After this attack, he was slightly puzzled, as he had defeated Weeping Haraha with extraordinary ease considering the difference in their strength.


    However, although his movements seemed fast and effortless, that was not the case at all.


    He felt the recoil in his every move. Adam realized that this attack and the sharp lunge forward took a lot more energy and stamina than usual because this time his strike was much stronger than if he had done it without enhancements. Read new adventures at §Þ??


    Sure,pared to his overall stamina this was just a drop in the ocean, but with the enhancements, this drop was several timesrger than normal, and thus the ocean - his stamina would be depleted a bit faster.


    "Well, luckily I''m not alone this time, otherwise it would be quite difficult to deal with all this." Adam smiled looking at Oskar who was fighting Weeing Haraha.


    Then, Adam turned to the side and frowned looking at the approaching silhouettes in their direction.

 Chapter 317: Midnight Crystal (Part 42)

    Adam and Scarlet Pyromancer''s auras caused the other monsters that dwelled around Fume Cathedral to awaken.


    Monsters were not willing to take part in absolutely any battle simply because they were monsters. They needed a purpose and most of the time, a simple interest or a strong opponent was enough.


    Scarlet Pyromancer like Adam and the rest of the Phantoms was not at all happy with the current situation. Thisnd was not his territory, he was an outsider and he was being hunted by powerful Phantoms.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Scarlet Pyromancer turned into a fiery sh and headed towards the nearest Weeping Haraha, there were only four of these monsters left, so they needed to be gotten rid of as soon as possible.


    Last time Scarlet Pyromancer used either his horn or his nds to incinerate the enemies, but this time he decided to stick to a different tactic - full defense.


    Weeping Haraha grinned widely with his hideous grin as thick ink flowed from his mouth, covering everything inside.


    A multitude of long arms went towards Scarlet Pyromancer as if he were a foolish victim who had given himself up to a true predator. At least that''s what Weeping Haraha thought.


    Gradually, Weeping Haraha curled around Scarlet Pyromancer like a true centipede that tried to strangle or break its victim with its long and powerful body.


    Sure, any other monster in Weeping Haraha''s ce would have been burned and turned to ash long ago. But, thanks to its strong body, Weeping Haraha could still withstand the heating from Scarlet Pyromancer for a long time.


    However... Scarlet Pyromancer understood this as well.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly, the huge me beetle began to tremble like a grenade that was ready to explode at any moment.


    Weeping Haraha''s eyes opened wide with interest as it watched its victim, the monster not suspecting anything.


    Then, from the gaps between Scarlet Pyromancer''s armor came a bright glow before Scarlet Pyromancer abruptly opened his massive wings.


    To Adam who was watching this battle closely from afar, it looked like someone had pulled the pin of a grenade.


    BOOOOOOOOOOM.


    A fiery explosion of incredible power tore Weeping Haraha apart. Many of the monster''s arms flew off to the sides lying next to the charred pieces of flesh.


    The mask of the Weeping Haraha fell right next to Adam''s feet. It was partially ck from the fire and half covered in cracks. A ck liquid, resembling a mixture of blood and ink, flowed out from under it.


    Continue reading at §Þ??


    Adam nodded slightly.


    In a way Weeping Haraha''s death was beneficial to him. Not only because now there were only three of those five monsters left, but also because he had seen what Scarlet Pyromancer was capable of.


    Then, Adam turned towards where Oskar was only to see the aftermath of his battle.


    "Agh... Agh... Agh..." Oskar was breathing heavily, his eyes were tired, but there was a satisfied smile on his face showing that he was the winner.


    He held his massive sword tightly with one hand that waspletely covered in the monster''s dark blood.


    "Hehehe, that wasn''t that hard. However, despite their creepy appearance, they''re damn stupid monsters." Oskar muttered looking at the many pieces of flesh scattered on the ground.


    He cut Weeping Haraha into equal pieces as if he were chopping a vegetable rather than a creepy monster. However, Oskar also received a boost from Lero. A red magic circle shone brightly on his chest.


    "Look out!" E eximed beforemitting a shot, aiming directly at the Weeping Haraha that towered over Oskar.


    BOOOOM.


    A st of white me covered the monster''s head sending streams of fire downward.


    The shot hit Weeping Haraha''s head, but all E could achieve was a small crack in the monster''s white mask.


    Weeping Haraha tilted his head with narrowed eyes staring at E. It was unhappy that E had attacked him.


    Oskar smirked as his fist shone brightly with golden light. In a heartbeat, he swept his palm across the de of his sword filling it with a tremendous force of light.


    Then, Oskar stepped forward and lunged with his sword, releasing a dense beam of light that crashed straight into the crack on the monster''s mask.


    Before Weeping Haraha could do anything its head exploded causing the monster''s huge body to fall to the ground, raising a tall cloud of dust.


    "Well, they''re not that strong, though... It''s only an illusion." Oskar said with an excited expression before frowning heavily.


    He was under reinforcement and was only able to kill the second Weeping Haraha by using his Second Order.


    Considering that Weeping Harahas were rather weak monsters among their level, Oskar had to spend a lot of resources to defeat such an opponent.


    He usually killed Purple Threat level monsters with his physical power and huge sword, often while under Lero''s enhancement. A few swings of the sword were enough to kill many monsters, but this time things were different.


    There were far more monsters than Oskar had the opportunity to use his abilities. If there were not five but twenty Weeping Harahas here, they wouldn''t be able to do anything. They simply didn''t have enough strength to deal with so many powerful opponents.


    ''By the way, if I was under a few reinforcements, I might have been able to deal with the Weeping Harahas without difficulty. So he should have finished by now, right?'' Oskar pondered before ncing to the left, where thest Weeping Haraha was.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The first thing he saw was the silver thread that twisted around Weeping Haraha''s head, and then Adam swept past the massive monster, pulling his needle.


    The monster''s head fell to the ground with a thick stream of blood pouring out.


    Oskar frowned. He was jealous that Adam could do it so easily.


    ''Good job. You killed all the Weeping Harahas.'' Silvana said calmly.


    Adam nodded. He wanted to say something, but he abruptly had to duck.


    Whooooooooooooooooosh.


    Scarlet Pyromancer swept over him leaving a plume of me behind him. Strangely enough, Scarlet Pyromancer headed straight for Fume Cathedral.


    "What the hell?" Adam muttered in confusion. It seemed to him that Scarlet Pyromancer was doing this in an attempt to escape and not because he had any particr n or purpose.


    ''Adam! Turn around! You and everyone else need to run away now!'' Silvana eximed with obvious rm in her voice.


    Adam asked no questions and did as she said. The scene he saw made his eyes go wide with horror and confusion.


    Earlier he had seen several silhouettes heading in their direction, but because of the thick dark fog covering everything in Fallen Crypt, he couldn''t realize how great the danger really was.


    Dozens, no, even hundreds of monsters were heading in their direction, shaking the ground beneath their powerful footsteps and fast-moving paws leaving cuts on the ground from their sharp ws.


    Gradually, the shaking became stronger and stronger as if it was an earthquake or a mad horde of monsters that aimed to arrive at the battle site as quickly as possible, where they sensed two powerful aura sources.


    ''Hurry up! All of you, run to Fume Cathedral! It''s dangerous there, but clearly safer than staying here! Don''t waste a second!'' Silvana eximed rying her message to all the Phantoms, not just Adam.

 Chapter 318: Midnight Crystal (Part 43)

    Danger apanied and appeared in everyone''s life and it didn''t matter if that person was an artist, a cook, or a military man. Everyone had their moments of danger from time to time, always had.


    And... in Dead Lands, it happened with maximum frequency, but, those who were most often in mortal danger were not Phantoms.


    Sure, Phantoms often had to take risks and fight for their lives, but the record holders in this ranking were monsters. Even the most aggressive and unlucky Phantom didn''t have to face danger as often as the average monster.


    Thus, it was monsters as a whole species, developed an instinct of self-preservation that surpassed the instincts of all other creatures.


    In other words, it was the monsters who were the first to realize when danger was approaching.


    What to do in such a situation? What should one do when danger is imminent? Maybe fight? Maybe try to defend against the threat?


    Well, everyone knew the answer to this question, but people were too proud to recognize the obvious solution.


    In a situation like this - one had to run away and that''s exactly what Scarlet Pyromancer did. Running away was the most effective, safe, and pragmatic solution.


    Yeah, it might have been a blow to pride, but better to escape and survive than to stay in the center of the battle and die proudly.


    Adam, Katrin, Oskar, and the others nced around. Normally a few words were needed to make a decision, even an urgent one, but now they understood each other simply by their wary looks and wide-open eyes.


    Then, without wasting a second as Silvana had said, they ran towards Fume Cathedral. None of them knew what exactly lurked in that majestic and intimidating building.


    Adam frowned. He didn''t like this situation at all, but they simply had no other choice.


    ''Well, at least now Fume Cathedral isn''t upied by any strong monster, only the simple monsters that dwell there.


    That''s what Silvana said.'' Adam pondered before looking away.


    Oskar took Lero and E by the hand. Given that he was under Lero''s enhancement and his powerful physical abilities, he would be able to quickly reach Fume Cathedral even carrying them on his back.


    Thus Adam had the same task.


    He received strength from the others, from the support, but that also meant that he had to help and protect them when necessary.


    The supports were not subordinates, they were part of the squad with a special and important role. Inrge squads, they were the cores that held everything together.


    Whoooooosh.


    Adam appeared next to Katrin. He was running fast, leaving behind him a trail of powerful footsteps that would soon disappear because of the dust covering them.


    They exchanged nces and Katrin instinctively jumped so Adam could pick her up without stopping. Then, he headed straight for Osana who was not far from Katrin.


    Despite theplexity of the situation, she was the only one who remainedpletely calm.


    Looking at Adam, Osana smirked and leaned forward so that he could throw her onto his shoulder in one swift movement.


    Tap.


    Once on Adam''s shoulder Osana lightly tapped the staff on his back.


    "Hey, careful, you''re not carrying a sack of potatoes, but a valuable squad member!" Osana said yfully.


    Adam frowned, but he didn''t have time to answer her. His job was to get to Fume Cathedral before the monsters got to them and he needed to hurry. With each step, he could feel the trembling getting worse as the horde of monsters got closer.


    Osana was getting bored, for all she could do was wait for Adam to carry her to a safe distance.


    "Hey." Osana smirked ncing at Katrin who was on Adam''s right shoulder, "Looks like we''re literally sharing one man for two right now. Didn''t expect that from you."


    Osana smirked slyly, looking intently at Katrin.


    Normally, Katrin was ready to respond to anyone, she had a sharp tongue, but right now she was just out of breath and blushing heavily.


    "Shut up! Better think of a n!" Katrin eximed irritably.


    Osana turned away, resting her cheek on her hand.


    "How boring..." Osana muttered before looking at the wave of monsters chasing them.


    There were so many more monsters that amidst the thick ck fog, the puffs of dust that they were kicking up under their powerful paws became visible.


    "Come up with a n? We just have to hope that we can take refuge in Fume Cathedral. It''s not the safest ce by itself, but it''s better to fight the monsters there than to be torn apart by that horde."


    Osana nced at Katrin. When she looked at Adam her gaze was different, since in Katrin she didn''t see the possibilities for herself. To her, Katrin was simply the support, though tougher than the naive and inexperienced Lero.


    "Our best bet would be to follow Scarlet Pyromancer, for he''s figured out where things are safest ten times faster than we could do it." Osana smirked, "We are pursuing Scarlet Pyromancer, your target, but not because we want to kill him, but because we want to escape from the other monsters."


    Katrin frowned heavily.


    Osana smirked caustically.


    "It''s rather ironic that it worked out that way."


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Before Katrin could say anything else, Adam elerated sharply approaching Fume Cathedral and catching up with Oskar.


    "Silvana, what do we have to be wary of?" Adam asked looking up at Fume Cathedral.


    Now he could see the majestic building up close, as the fog was no longer hiding it from his view. Adam didn''t see much, though.


    It was still the same menacing-looking, gothic building with sharp peaks, different patterns all over the exterior, and dark panes of ss running down to the massive gate that was the entrance to this mysterious ce.


    The only thing was that Adam was wrong about two things. First, in the size of the Fume Cathedral. He was gazing at the building from afar and through a denseyer of ck fog.


    The Fume Cathedral was muchrger than he had originally thought. The building was majestic as if to show that only momentous events could take ce there.


    Secondly, Adam hadn''t noticed that near the gate and in several other ces around the Fume Cathedral were massive statues over five meters high. The two statues near the gate were especiallyrge, and they gave Adam goosebumps.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, the Scarlet Pyromancer approached the gate. Strangely enough, the huge me beetle was able to fly inside, disappearing into the depths of the Fume Cathedral.


    Adam didn''t understand why he felt so strange, but for some reason, these statues made him nervous and anxious.


    ''Could they be alive?'' Adam inwardly asked, ''No, it doesn''t look like it. Moreover, if their job was to guard the passage, they wouldn''t let Scarlet Pyromancer inside. Yeah, it''s all just because of theplex situation effect and oppressive atmosphere.'''' Read thetest on §Þ??


    Then, Adam jumped forward getting in line with Oskar.


    "Do you know what''s waiting for us inside?!" Oskar shouted from a few meters away from him.


    Adam nodded with a serious expression.


    "Monsters and it''s unlikely that we''ll be able topletely escape the horde behind us, but at least we can fight there. It''s better than being surrounded by a hundred Light Yellow monsters in the middle of an empty field." Adam said before stepping onto the first step leading to the entrance of Fume Cathedral.

 Chapter 319: Midnight Crystal (Part 44)

    Silvana was fully immersed in the events of Fallen Crypt, as were all the Operators in their squad.


    However, even though she was an Operator, she couldn''t know everything, not only because she was a human and not a robot, but also because some of the information she didn''t have ess to or prioritized.


    ''Shit, shit, shit, what are these statues? Are they supposed to be here? I haven''t studied Fallen Crypt at all, just basic information from the academy. I didn''t expect Adam to get into the Yellow Threat area.'' Silvana pondered nervously biting her nails.


    She watched Adam carefully as he ran up to the main gate with Oskar and the others. However, of the six of them, only Adam and Oskar were running, the rest were on their shoulders...


    Click.


    Suddenly, someone joined her private channel where only she was.


    "Agh?" Silvana''s eyes went wide in confusion. She didn''t remember giving anyone ess to herwork.


    It was worth realizing that when Silvana contacted Adam about trivial matters within the Citadel, such as to discuss ns, they used the normal channel like all people.


    However, during missions, the military, in cooperation with the missions department, assigned special channels for Operators, Phantoms, and their squads.


    This wasn''t for security reasons, because ordinary people couldn''t interfere with their work in any way. These channels had a much more stable and faster connection, which meant that they were more expensive to maintain.


    Moreover, other Operators not previously associated with the mission could connect to these channels if necessary, although this was quite rare.


    ''Hello, I wish I could say good morning, but it''s already a deep and dangerous night.''


    Suddenly, a calm and kind voice echoed in Silvana''s ears, as if from a mother or a woman who had been through a lot but found her ce in life.


    Strangely enough, Silvana was familiar with this person - it was Riska, Tron''s Operator, and former Phantom who had decided to be an Operator. She was truly rare and unique.


    ''What? Riska? What are you doing on my channel? I don''t have time to talk right now!'' Silvana said quickly, intending to remain polite.


    After all, Riska was the Operator of the K3-Phantom. Compared to her, Silvana was a simple office worker.


    ''I know. I''m here to help you. You need to tell Adam about the statues around Fume Cathedral. It could be very important.'' Riska said seriously.


    Silvana gulped as she nodded. She wasn''t used to getting help from her elders, as she usually managed on her own. But, she wasn''t going to be arrogant, especially when Adam''s life could depend on this information.


    "Riska, were you referred to me by someone in the missions department?" Silvana asked in confusion.


    ''No.'' Riska shook her head, ''Tron asked me to do it.''


    "Agh? Tron...?" Silvana wondered.


    Riska narrowed her eyes, which looked rather dangerous despite her kind appearance and aura.


    ''Silvana, to you he is Mr. Tron, especially during working hours.'' Riska said rather sternly.


    Silvana only nodded, not daring to argue with her.


    ''Tron has been following this mission ever since the Prime Thunder Demon appeared in ck Cinder Forest, when he saw that it was going to Fume Cathedral, he realized that things were really serious now.'' Riska uttered.


    ''Silvana, listen to me carefully. The statues around Fume Cathedral can be a threat, a blessing, or just spectators and decoration. It all depends on the situation, but you have to tell Adam everything, listen to me first.''


    "Sure." Silvana became more serious.


    ...


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam didn''t know what was happening in the Citadel or what Silvana was busy with right now, for his main task was to run away from the monsters and hide in Fume Cathedral.


    "Go!" Oskar eximed, leaping forward with all his might.


    Adam nodded maintaining the same pace with him.


    In a few seconds, they reached the top of the stairs and approached the majestic gate that was even taller than the two main statues.


    The gates were wide open inward as if inviting anyone to enter. They were thick and dark with sparse patterns on the iron tes.


    "Great just a few more steps!" Oskar clenched his teeth tightly before passing through the gate line.


    A secondter Adam did the same, but, due to the previous anxiety that somehow Oskar didn''t have, Adam nced sideways at one of the statues.


    The two massive statues next to the gate looked identical. They were huge warriors in light armor covered with protective tes that flowed down like a stream.


    Their arms and legs were almostpletely exposed revealing rather realistic muscles. However, this could not confuse Adam, experienced sculptors were capable of disying any, even the smallest details on their masterpieces.


    In the hands of the statues were massive spears with giant des that could cut an entire hill with one majestic swing.


    Adam tensed at the statue''s face, or rather its gaze.


    The faces of the statues looked androgynous, it was unclear whether they were male or female, and their hair was medium-length down to their shoulders.


    The eyes of the statues were motionless, as well as they should be because they were statues - lifeless pieces of stone.


    Right?


    Adam flinched slightly when the eye of one statue moved sharply, staring at him intently.


    But, as Adam blinked and stepped forward, everything returned to normal.


    ''Wait? Was I imagining things?'' Adam internally muttered, as there was no evidence to be seen that the statues were actually alive.


    Then, Adam shook his head with a slight frown.


    ''I can''t think about that right now. All I have to do is step over the gate line and that''s it.'' Adam said to himself before rushing forward.


    A few stepster, without any danger, Adam found himself inside the Fume Cathedral, just like Oskar.


    Step. Step. Step.


    At the same moment, they saw the first monsters approach the gate. Strangely enough, there were several Gray Stalkers.


    Sure, Gray Stalkers were not the strongest or most dangerous monsters of the huge horde that was moving towards them, but due to their size, they were quite fast and were able to reach Fume Cathedral sooner than the others.


    In fact, among the Light Yellow Threat monsters, the Gray Stalkers were one of the weakest and there was no one in this wave of monsters whose strength level was lower than theirs, that was for sure.


    Oskar frowned as the ten Gray Stalkers approached the gate. Saliva was falling from the edges of their jaws, while they licked their fangs insidiously with their long tongues. They clearly wanted to devour Oskar, Adam, and the others.


    The Gray Stalkers were sure that the Phantoms were now trapped and had nowhere to escape!


    "Shit! What do we do? Keep running?" Oskar asked with a slight panic in his voice.


    Adam wanted to answer, but suddenly he heard another person''s voice - Silvana''s.


    ''Adam! I must tell you urgently about the nature of those statues around Fume Cathedral!'' Silvana eximed actively.


    "What, right now? I don''t have time for this! Monsters are running for us! Gray Stalkers have alreadye up to the gate!" Adam said while staring at the Gray Stalkers.


    The monsters only had a few more meters to go and they would cross the line.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Before Silvana or anyone else could say anything, a huge spear de came down on the Gray Stalkers, literally smashing them into the cold stone in front of the gate.

 Chapter 320: Midnight Crystal (Part 45)

    Heading into the Dead Lands, each Phantom was prepared for the dangers of the monsters.


    The Phantoms could not rely on any other Phantoms for help, but... unlike the Citadel, which was all about survival and fighting against monsters, the monsters had nothing of the sort.


    Dead Lands wasn''t synonymous with Citadel in the monster world, because the monsters weren''t some cohesive army or organization. They were disparate, had nomon goal, and were willing to fight each other if there was a good reason.


    The more experienced Phantoms were well aware of this, and Adam was among them.


    He had seen monsters fight many times before, especially in Salt Vige, the anomaly cluster. Then, Thunder Demon started a real massacre in which all monsters, anomalies, and Phantoms participated.


    But... what Adam had never seen before was some monsters killing other monsters without attacking the Phantoms. As if doing so selectively by some special system.


    Crackle.


    The spear rained down on the Gray Stalkers, turning them into bloodstains. Next, without moving from its ce, the statue swung the spear and tossed the pieces of flesh aside, not wanting the remains of their bodies to defile the entrance to Fume Cathedral.


    Adam, Oskar, Katrin, and the others gulped with wide-eyed stares. Adam was the most shocked, for he felt that the statues were alive, but he couldn''t find enough evidence to prove it.


    Moreover, he and Oskar, along with the rest of the Golden Light Squad, managed to enter the Fume Cathedral without any problems, while Scarlet Pyromancer had done it before them.


    Thus, Adam had no way of understanding how these statues worked.


    "What the hell...?" Adam muttered in disbelief, "They didn''t attack us, the Phantoms, they didn''t attack Scarlet Pyromancer, the monster, but why did they destroy the Gray Stalkers...?"


    The answer to that question was something none of them knew.


    Osana frowned heavily, which rarely happened on her always-calm face with a cute smile.


    "It''s not only that which matters. One statue killed a lot of Gray Stalkers with just one swing of a spear. Fuck, if they were to suddenly attack us, the same thing would happen to us." Osana clenched her fists tightly. Her nails dug into her delicate skin, releasing trickles of blood.


    She realized that either luck or the strange rules of the Fume Cathedral had saved them now, but if it hadn''t been for that, they''d be dead by now, and that scared her to the core.


    There was less and less time to deal with the situation because in less than a minute the other monsters that were right behind the Gray Stalkers would be arriving at the Fume Cathedral.


    "Silvana, speak." Adam said, gathering his thoughts. He realized that only Silvana could rify what was going on here.


    ''Sure, all of you, listen to me carefully. You are already in Fume Cathedral, so you need to act ording to its rules if you want to survive this wave of monsters.'' Silvana said sternly, forcing every Phantom to listen to her.


    ''First of all, only a fraction of the monsters from the entire wave will be able to enter Fume Cathedral. The reason is simple, the statues at the entrance and around Fume Cathedral simply won''t let the unworthy pass in.''''


    ''''Agh? The statues won''t let the unworthy through? What the hell does that mean?" Oskar frowned, not understanding what she was talking about.


    ''The statues will only let in beings strong enough. However, they make their judgment based not on your level, but on your pure power, the most obvious indicator of which is your aura.'' Silvana exined.


    ''Scarlet Pyromancer and all of you are lower in level than Gray Stalkers, but the statues didn''t touch you, yet they destroyed Gray Stalkers. The same will happen to all monsters they deem unworthy.''


    "Hmm?" Osana raised an eyebrow in confusion, ''''Doesn''t that mean they''ll let anyone even slightly stronger than Gray Stalkerse in here? In that case, it''s not good news at all, since almost all the monsters in this wave are significantly stronger than those gray pathetic dogs!"


    ''Not really.'' Silvana said coldly, "Just because Weeping Harahas are stronger than Gray Stalkers doesn''t mean they''re worthy of the statues letting them in.''


    Lero''s eyes went wide, shining brightly with a certain delight that was quite difficult to understand.


    "Great! That means that only a fraction of the monsters will be able to enter here! The statues won''t let the rest through, which means we won''t have to fight a wave of hundreds of monsters!" Lero eximed, he even eximed slightly.


    However... no one but him shared the same enthusiasm.


    "Agh...? Is something wrong?" Lero asked puzzled feeling their gazes on him.


    E shook her head, cing a hand on his shoulder.


    "Well, it''s certainly nice that we don''t have to fight all the monsters in an empty field, that''s why we headed here. But... it doesn''t make the situation any better at all."


    Oskar nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    "Yeah, let''s say all the weak monsters stay outside, but at best it''ll be a third or half of them, the rest can get in, and the statues will let them through. That means we''ll have to fight the strongest monsters to survive." Oskar said and drew his sword preparing for battle.


    Adam looked around. He was wondering where the one who came here before them was.


    ''Where is Scarlet Pyromancer?'' Adam pondered before directing his gaze upwards - towards the top of the Fume Cathedral that was at the level of the outer sharp peaks.


    Just beneath the triangr roof supported by a multitude of stone beams connected to columns descending to the ground was a massive creature with ming wings.


    Right now, however, Scarlet Pyromancer decided not to take any chances and not to make any unnecessary movements. He was inplete control of his mes, not allowing it toe out.


    Scarlet Pyromancer was sitting on one of these beams under the roof, almostpletely concealing his massive silhouette with shadows.


    This situation was as dangerous and stressful for him as it was for the others. He was lucky that the statues had let him inside and now he could hide here and watch the events unfold from above.


    Sure, Adam, Katrin, and the others could get to Scarlet Pyromancer if they wanted to, but they had other more important problems - the monsters were getting closer.


    Then, Adam''s gaze traveled lower, inspecting Fume Cathedral from the inside. Deep behind the thick, massive columns, in the darkness, lurked a multitude of armored knights.


    Adam narrowed his eyes. He immediately sensed a threatening aura from these armors. They, like the statues, looked like simple decorations for a Gothic structure, but now Adam was sure that they, like the statues, were alive.


    However, if the statues were the guards who decided who could enter the Fume Cathedral and who could not, then the purpose of this armor was not clear.


    "Hey, Silvana, what the hell is this...?" Adam muttered with a slight shiver passing through his entire body as he thrust his hand forward, pointing into the distance of the long, spacious hall.


    At the very end of the Fume Cathedral, as if it were a real throne room, was a massive stone throne.


    Half of the throne was illuminated by snow-white crystals protruding from the ground, while the upper half was covered in thick darkness.


    Right now, just as Silvana had said earlier, the throne was empty. There was no especially strong monster in Fume Cathedral, but... could someone upy this throne while it was empty?

 Chapter 321: Midnight Crystal (Part 46)

    At first, no one noticed the armor lurking in the shadows next to the high walls, or even the massive throne at the end of the Fume Cathedral.


    But... once Adam pointed it out, everyone''s eyes went wide.


    Luckily for them, as they ran towards the Fume Cathedral, evading the wave of monsters, Silvana wasted no time and quickly got all the information from Riska.


    Sure, Riska could tell them everything, she had enough influence to invade their mission as a high-ranking Operator, but it wasn''t as effective as giving Silvana a chance to prove herself.


    ''Look, this is Fume Throne, and that''s one of the main reasons why the Statues are watching who enters Fume Cathedral, and they don''t care if it''s a monster or human. The only thing that matters to them is power.''


    "RRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHH!!!"


    Silvana wanted to continue, but suddenly there was a pitiful roar from the direction of the gate. Soon, they heard a strange, unpleasant sound as if a centipede was climbing up the steps, wriggling its long body.


    Soon two Weeping Harahas appeared in front of the gate. Their ink-filled eyes went straight to Adam, Oskar, and the others, as grins of satisfaction appeared on their faces.


    Without fearing the consequences of their actions, the two monsters rushed forward, extending their vile hands towards the Phantoms that were no more than ten meters away from the gate.


    But...


    At some point, they stopped moving forward, even though they wanted to.


    Turning around, the Weeping Harahas found that a massive stone hand was holding their tails tightly as if they were small snakes that could not be stopped by a strong man.


    Then, the Statue lifted the Weeping Harahas above the ground like some kind of worms.


    "RRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!"


    The Weeping Harahas hissed and screamed, emitting a piercing sound that was as if it had escaped from nightmares to be a horror in reality. But, no emotion appeared on the Statue''s face, the screams of such weak creatures were not worth its attention.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    In one sharp motion, the Statue brought the Weeping Harahas to the ground, literally exploding their bodies under the pressure from the violent impact of colliding with the solid surface.


    Then, the Statue lifted the Weeping Harahas again and tossed their already dead bodies aside like some useless trash.


    "Holy shit..." Katrin muttered in disbelief, "We had to put up a lot of ability and strength to defeat those bastards, but this Statue just smeared them on the floor with pure physical strength..."


    ''I understand your surprise, but there''s no need to be distracted. There will be other monstersing here soon that the Statues won''t stop.'' Silvana said calmly, trying to get their attention back.


    Adam nodded, being the first toe to his senses. He realized that the strength of the Statues wasn''t that important right now, since they didn''t need to fight against them.


    "So... Those knights..." Adam muttered, looking at the armor lurking in the shadows, "Are they needed here to protect the Fume Throne? What is so valuable about this throne?"


    Silvana shook her head.


    ''No, these are the Fume Armors, and that is not why they are here. The Fume Throne is capable of defending itself and none of you had better try to sit on the Fume Throne or you will most likely die. Don''t even go near that creepy thing, it''s safest that way.''


    Silvana continued, ''Fume Throne is constantly absorbing the energy that is here, and apparently no one has tried to upy Fume Throne in quite some time. If you sit on it, the throne will attack you, hurt you badly, or kill you.''


    Adam frowned, nodding slowly and staring intently at Fume Throne.


    "Earlier, you said that Fume Cathedral, right now, doesn''t have an especially strong monster. Now Ipletely understand what you were saying, but, what happens if there is a monster strong enough to sit on Fume Throne and the throne epts that monster as worthy one?" Adam asked while his gaze grew deeper.


    Silvana bit her lip.


    ''In that case, this monster will get all the energy that Fume Throne has absorbed for so long. But, that''s not the worst part, this type of energy won''t be able to trigger the monster''s evolution instantly like it would if Prime Thunder Demon consumed arva king.''


    ''Fume Throne passively draws its energy from the environment and the many crystals in the ground, especially underneath Fume Cathedral. This energy will allow the monster to quickly replenish its power reserves, reach its limit, and prepare for evolution, but it is a long process.''


    Adam nodded, "But, none of that is as important as the second advantage, right?"


    Silvana''s corners of her lips went up slightly.


    ''Yeah, when Fume Throne is upied, then that monster is free to control the Fume Armors as its subjects. But, that doesn''t mean that Fume Armors will be idle and act as a decoration until then.''


    ''Earlier, you assumed that Fume Armors are protecting Fume Throne, but that''s not true. The Fume Armors have a different task, they are acting as judges.'' Silvana said seriously.


    "Judges? What, what the hell does that mean?"


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly, the ground shook as a new group of monsters approached Fume Cathedral. There were nine in total and they all looked identical.


    They wererge monsters about three meters tall, with broad shoulders and abundant muscles. Their bodies were covered with thick gray fur, like bears from the snowynds.


    Their front paws were muchrger than their hind paws, they were wide and long, especially their palms, from which six long ws emerged.


    If they wished, the monsters could fold their ws along their paws, leaving only their fingers, which were clenched tightly to form flesh hammers.


    The monsters had short horns on their heads that had no practical purpose, unlike their powerful jaws and long fangs that could tear apart even a piece of steel.


    "Silvana?" Adam asked. She already knew what he needed.


    ''Sure, that''s the Noisy Paroses. Noisy Paros are Light Yellow Threat monsters and they are stronger than Weeping Harahas, though they don''t have any unique abilities. Almost all of their power is concentrated in their pure physical might.'' Silvana quickly replied.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Quickly approaching the gate, the Noisy Paroses shook the ground with their weight, but reaching the entrance of the Fume Cathedral they stopped, raising their gazes to the Statues.


    Unlike the other monsters that had been here before them, they realized that it was better to get permission from the guards before moving on.


    Strangely enough, the Statues did not react in any way, allowing Noisy Paroses to move further, entering the Fume Cathedral.


    This could only mean one thing - the Statues recognized Noisy Paroses as worthy and strong enough.


    Thus, now Adam and the others were facing nine monsters that were stronger than the Weeping Harahas that the Statues had killed as unworthy.


    "Fine, we have no other choice either way, so let''s fight. If we act together, we can defeat them. I believe that." Oskar said sincerely, clutching his sword tightly and taking a step forward.


    The Noisy Paroses nced over, grinned widely, and began beating their chests with their fists making a sound unpleasant to human ears.


    ''I see... Now I understand why they were named that.'' Adam frowned, looking around.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly, without warning, all nine Noisy Paroses stood in front of them and one of them burst forward, aiming straight at Oskar.


    Crackle.


    Before Oskar or anyone else could do anything, the Noisy Paros stopped abruptly, not of its own will but because two dark swords of the Fume Armors were pointed at its neck.


    They appeared beside the monster as if out of nowhere.


    Adam''s eyes went wide, then he thought of only one thing.


    ''What was the role of the Fume Armors? What was the role of the judges of this blighted ce?''

 Chapter 322: Midnight Crystal (Part 47)

    Adam and the others were able to ept the strange rules under which the Fume Statues operated. They were the guardians of the Fume Cathedral and were only supposed to let the worthy inside.


    That was understandable. Those who were strong enough were able to pass through and hunt Adam and the rest of the Phantoms that tried to hide behind the majestic gates.


    The Noisy Paroses managed to enter the gate line, and the Fume Statues let them through as worthy ones, but... as soon as one of them attacked the Phantoms, the Fume Armors activated.


    Two knights in dark armor put their ebonite swords to the neck of the monster, who seemed to have broken some rule.


    However, it didn''t get any further than that. The Fume Armors did not really attack Noisy Paros and put their swords away, taking a few steps back.


    Noisy Paros gulped. He didn''t dare to do anything, and neither did the Phantoms.


    Everyone looked at the two Fume Armors who were just standing in one ce and doing nothing.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Suddenly, another knight emerged from the shadows where the Fume Armors were hiding. However, that one was different from the two knights in dark armor.


    His armor was snow-white, flowing and loose with abundant use of red cloth that ran down like a stream, partially covering the knight''s tall body.


    Before Adam could say anything, Silvana''s voice sounded in his head.


    ''Adam, this is Fume Judge. It was because of his presence that Fume Armors stopped Noisy Paros, for he did not give his permission for this battle.'' Silvana said seriously.


    ''Fuck... What the hell is going on here? Adam inwardly muttered with amazement looking at this scene.


    In the hands of Fume Judge was an old-fashioned scale with two bowls.


    Then, Fume Judge stepped forward, extending his hand and creating an energetic white field around Noisy Paroses and Golden Light Squad. All of them were inside that field.


    Crackle.


    At the same moment, the scales tilted heavily to the left side, as if the left bowl was weighing more. This was the side where the Noisy Paroses were.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Fume Armors approached Noisy Paroses without entering the barrier and pointed their swords at the monsters to get out of the barrier.


    At first, Noisy Paroses resisted obeying them, but Fume Armors didn''t show any emotion. They just waited for the Noisy Paroses to obey their orders and gradually they seeded.


    First, one Noisy Paros came out of the barrier, then another, leaving seven more Noisy Paroses inside.


    The Fume Judge nced at the scales that were still out of bnce and waved his hand, giving the Fume Armors an order.


    Fume Armors nodded and forcefully pulled another Noisy Paros out of the barrier.


    As the third of the nine Noisy Paroses left the barrier, the scales finally reached a bnce. White mes burned brightly on the two bowls, and transparent walls rose up around the barrier, dense and virtually indestructible.


    Then, everyone stepped aside, the Fume Armors taking the three Noisy Paroses away so they wouldn''t disturb the others.


    At the will of the Fume Judge, the barrier expanded to be several timesrger, forming a veritable arena inside the Fume Cathedral.


    The Noisy Paroses looked at each other in confusion, and Oskar, Katrin, and the others did the same.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    Adam tapped the barrier a few times with a thoughtful look as if testing its durability.


    ''Damn, I''m not sure I could even scratch it if I pierced it with my needle. Can''t say I want to leave here, though.'' Adam pondered before turning around and casting a nce at Noisy Paroses.


    A smirk appeared on Adam''s face. He didn''t need any more exnations from Slivana, he now fully understood what was going on here and how this ce worked.


    Oddly enough, if he had to describe Fume Cathedral in one word, he would choose - justice.


    Yeah, a ce full of monsters and located in the Dead Lands, operated under strict rules.


    The others had already realized what was going on here too.


    "Hah, so 6 vs. 6, right?" Oskar smiled widely with excitement, "That''s good, now I don''t regret that we decided to run away here. This ce is our lifeline out of this hell."


    Then, Oskar nced at Adam.


    "Hey, how many of them can you kill with three enhancements?"


    Not much time had passed between the time they got to Fallen Crypt and now. Adam was still boosted with three different abilities from Katrin, Osana, and Lero. He was at the peak of his powers.


    "I don''t know, but I''ll try my best." Adam shrugged nonchntly before summoning the needle, ready to lunge into battle.


    "Wait!" Osana stopped him, "Don''t rush. We can use these rules to buy time! We don''t have to kill them, we can seriously injure them and just wait, after all the barrier will protect us."


    The others were surprised that Osana already had such a n, but they nodded approvingly. If they were forced to follow these rules, they could benefit from it.


    Fume Judge who clearly heard her tilted his head in confusion. It seemed that he hadn''t expected Osana to figure out something like this so quickly.


    Then, he stretched his hand forward and a white clock appeared above the barrier showing that they had only ten minutes to reveal the winner of their battle.


    "Pfffft! You should have been even louder about it so everyone could hear us!" Katrin snorted irritably with a wave of her hand towards Osana.


    Osana frowned but didn''t bother to say anything. After all, their main concern right now was to survive and defeat the Noisy Paroses.


    Adam took a deep breath.


    "Alright, since we can quickly recover our strength with Katrin''s help, I don''t advise you to hold back, because I won''t!" Adam eximed with a wide grin before using his artifact.


    Electric shocks ran through his body, a lightning horn appeared at the left side of his head and his feet rose slightly off the ground.


    Fume Judge watching this looked baffled at his scales, which were still in perfect bnce.


    It seemed that Fume Judge could not believe the challenge Noisy Paroses would have to face to survive in this lightning hell.


    Osana was watching Fume Judge carefully, she was the only one who noticed the strange reaction of the Fume Judge.


    ''I see... So these scales can''t understand the full strength of a particr creature. Most likely these scales judge a creature''s strength by its aura, just like the Statues. That''s good, it will give us an advantage as a squad with three of the supports. Moreover...''


    Osana red at Adam who leaned his body forward, preparing to dash.


    ''He''s on our side.''


    Whoooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Adam turned into an electric sh finding himself next to the first Noisy Paros.


    The monster hadn''t expected Adam to be so fast, such a sharp attack took him by surprise, but he quickly regained his senses and raised his paws to bring them down on Adam like hammers.


    "RRRRRRRRGGHHHH!!!!" Noisy Paros let out a loud sound, shaking the air.


    Crackle.


    A white needle plunged into the monster''s jaw, easily traveling further and piercing its brain. The next thing Noisy Paros saw was electric shocks following the silver needle that came out of his head, forever plunging the monster into darkness.

 Chapter 323: Midnight Crystal (Part 48)

    ''Good, go, Adam, kill them, kill them all!'' Silvana inwardly eximed with a slightly insane smile watching Adam cut the Noisy Paroses apart.


    Within seconds of the clock appearing and Adam''s attack, he had already killed two Noisy Paroses. Everything happened so fast that Noisy Paroses didn''t even have time to realize how strong he was.


    In fact, in his normal state, Adam could hardly have surpassed Noisy Paroses in pure physical power. If their fists had collided, the momentum would have thrown Adam aside rather than the monster.


    But, being under three amplifications, the difference in strength between them was significant. Moreover, what mattered most was Adam''s speed and his needle''s ability to pierce Noisy Paroses'' tough hide and quickly get to their weaknesses.


    The Noisy Paroses realized that Adam was the main threat, so they jumped at the same time, going to copse on him altogether.


    Adam tilted his head, then his silhouette shook and he found himself behind one of the monsters. Wasting no time, Adam jumped on Noisy Paros, pierced its head with his needle, and leaped onto the next one.


    By the time the Noisy Paroses reached the ground, they were no longer able to control their bodies and clench their fists tightly, as they were already dead... all of them.


    Adam raised his head, looking at his watch. Only twenty-five seconds had passed since their battle. That was how long it had taken him to kill six Noisy Paroses.


    Now... Now was the really important moment that would answer the question that was in each of their minds.


    What were they doing it for?


    Well, not really. Adam and the others realized that this way they could hide from the wave of monsters and fight only a small part of them and not all at once. Moreover, thanks to the Fume Judge and the rules, they were fighting in a fair and safe format.


    But... what did Fume Cathedral have such rules for?


    Whooooooooooosh.


    The barrier disappeared just like clockwork as Fume Judge stepped forward. The knight in snow-white armor pulled out a round stone b with three empty cells from beneath the cloth.


    Then, at his will, one of the cells shone brightly, forming from the energy the figure of a statue with a spear that looked just like the Fume Statues in front of the gate, just a few hundred times smaller.


    The Fume Judge looked at Adam, then pointed at the b and nced toward the exit, but not the main one, but the side one that was in the back of the Fume Cathedral.


    Adam nodded, understanding what the Fume Judge was trying to exin to him.


    "I see... So we have to win two more times and they''ll let us go?" Oskar suggested, scratching the back of his head in confusion. He was having trouble understanding the rules.


    "Yeah, most likely." Katrin nodded, "Though I think there''s more to it than that since we can leave at any time, three wins are needed for something else."


    ''Katrin''s right.'' Silvana said, intruding into their conversation, ''If you aplish three victories, the Fume Statues will protect you from the unworthy. Basically, you can safely leave this area and go to a safe zone where a fighter can pick you up.''


    Silvana didn''t want to spend too much time exining all the details and subtleties, so she gave them the main gist.


    "Well, then let''s fight on." Adam calmly said, "Moreover, our next opponents are alreadying."


    At the same moment, three massive lizard-like creatures that came from the dragon world entered Fume Cathedral.


    Their bodies were covered in dense armor made of hundreds of stone spikes, and their paws were lined with unusual purple vines that could turn into weapons of darkness at will. On their heads were two long horns, their eyes were narrow, with eyelids covered in dense scales.


    "Damn, this is clearly not going to be easy." E gulped, getting ready to take part in the battle. She had done nothing in the previous battle, as well as everyone but Adam.


    ...


    Crackle.


    After ten minutes, Adam tossed the monster''s head aside that had been previously cut off by Oskar''s sword. After going through some difficulties they still managed to win and were ready to take on the next fight.


    "Great. We only have to win once and we''ll get out of here!" Lero eximed vigorously.


    Adam frowned as he looked around.


    There were already several dozen monsters inside that the Fume Statues had let in, but the Fume Judge and Fume Armors weren''t allowing them to engage in battle. They simply waited their turn, staring intently at the Phantoms as their victims whose fate was determined.


    "Yeah, but it looks like it won''t be easy at all..." Osana muttered staring at the huge shadow that was approaching them.


    The statues red at the monster, having no problem letting it inside.


    ''Shit... Adam, this is Fog Hunter,pared to the past lizards and Noisy Paroses he is much stronger. He''s only one, but all the past Light Yellow monsters you''ve already killed wouldn''t be able to give him any trouble.'' Silvana said with slight concern.


    Adam nodded, casting a nce at Fog Hunter.


    It was a tall creature with a skinny body covered in dirty gray skin. Its head was round with an elongated jaw and crooked fangs protruding from it. The most important weapons of the Fog Hunter were its five extremely long ws on each hand.


    A dangerous glint asionally passed across his ws like a deadly de.


    Fog Hunter approached Phantoms and grinned widely, then he cast a nce at Fume Judge as if asking him to start their fight.


    "Damn, I''m getting goosebumps just seeing him..." Lero muttered with obvious fear in his voice.


    Fog Hunter didn''t look very strong, but he was truly intimidating, although his strength was a standout.


    Fume Judge nodded and held out his hand, about to create a barrier. Fog Hunter was well aware of the rules of the Fume Cathedral.


    Step. Step. Step. Step. Step.


    Lero was frightened by the Fog Hunter, but... suddenly everyone felt something simr, including Adam, Fume Judge, and even the Fume Statues who seemed to be invincible entities.


    Everyone turned back towards the passage, including the dozens of monsters that had been looking at the Phantoms with predatory grins before. Then, a terrifying fear appeared on their faces.


    *Whistle*


    Suddenly, there was a soul-piercing whistle, not from the wind, but from someone who was heading in their direction.


    Step. Step. Step.


    After a few more steps that echoed around, everyone saw a shadow that was no taller than a normal person rises from under the stairs. In fact, Oskar was taller than that shadow.


    The monster''s body was covered by an old, torn in many ces ck long coat with a high cor. The monster had two arms and legs, the bare parts of which were covered by white bandages.


    This showed that it was a Crown Type Monster.


    The monster had pale skin, calm ck eyes, and a mouth strongly resembling a human one, with no creepy fangs, tongues, or anything like that.


    Did the monster have any weapons? Well...


    On the monster''s back was a huge gray coffin, with dust falling from it with every step the monster took.


    ''What the hell...? What kind of bastard is this? Why do I get chills just looking at him?'' Adam gulped, unable to contain the shivering of his body.


    Step.


    The monster stopped and looked at the Fume Statues, it seemed like he was asking them for permission to enter, but that wasn''t the case at all.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly, a majestic and incredibly powerful aura began to emanate from the monster, overwhelming everything around him.


    "ARGH!!!" Lero eximed, he immediately vomited due to the pressure with a face contorted with horror.


    The weakest monsters scrambled into corners like frightened puppies, unwilling to face this nightmare.


    Crackle.


    In a heartbeat, the Fume Statues fell to one knee, hailing him as a special worthy one. One who possessed exceptional power.


    The monster nodded and walked forward with a calm stride.


    Everyone, the monsters, Fume Armors, Fume Judge, Adam, and Golden Light Squad, stared at him with wide-open eyes, terrified to imagine who this monster really was.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Seemingly in an eyeblink, the monster passed by Adam and Fog Hunter without paying any attention to them.


    Then, under a hundred stares, the monster approached Fume Throne and dropped the coffin he was carrying on his back to the floor.


    Crackle.


    The coffin sank into the sturdy ground causing it to crack and break, showing how much this thing weighed.


    Oskar''s eyes went wide in disbelief. He was afraid to imagine how much physical strength it would take to carry such a weight on his back.


    Then, serene and calm, as if it were meant to be, the monster sat on Fume Throne looking down at everyone else. His gaze was filled with arrogance and superiority.


    This ce didn''t belong to him, but now he was the one who was the lord of the Fume Throne.


    The monster threw one leg over the other and rested his cheek on his hand, looking at the pitiful creatures before him with boredom in his eyes.


    Soon, feeling the monster''s aura fully, Adam and the others realized one simple thing, the monster in front of them was not Yellow Threat Level, it was one level lower!


    ''A-Adam...'' Silvana said in a trembling voice, her body was covered in goosebumps and there was only fear in her eyes.


    ''A-Adam... It''s... Top-1 of the Purple Threat Level, the strongest among thousands of Purple Threat monsters...''


    Silvana whispered, not wanting to say it:


    ''gue Reaper...''

 Chapter 324: Midnight Crystal (Part 49)

    After starting to fight Light Yellow Threat monsters and defeating some of the strongest monsters of the Purple Threat Level, Adam felt that he was already closer to the K2-Level than ever before.


    He was already strong enough to defeat the weakest monsters from the next level, which was usually either impossible or extremely difficult for most K1-Phantoms.


    However, Adam had realized earlier that surpassing his capabilities was possible when he, Edir, and Ka defeated Prago in Fall Hill Prison.


    The difference between Light Yellow and Purple Threat Level was huge, but manageable under the right conditions. Sure, a lot depended on Phantom''s power and whether he was enhanced with the supports.


    However, there was an unspoken rule that Adam didn''t know about. If K1-Phantom defeated any of the Top-10 of the Purple Threat Level, it meant that he was capable of fighting the weakest monsters of the Light Yellow Threat Level.


    This rule also had an addition. If K1-Phantom defeated anyone from the Top-3, then he could fight stronger monsters than the bottom of the Light Yellow.


    Obviously, since Adam had killed Essence Thunder Demon and Prime Thunder Demon, he was one clear example of this rule working.


    Adam wasn''t the only such case, there were quite a few capable people among the K1-Phantoms, but... even among them, only a small fraction met the true peak of the K1-Phantoms.


    Most K1-Phantoms, even those like Adam who had stayed at the K1-Level for a long time due to various reasons, had not encountered one particr monster from the Top-10 of the Purple Threat Level.


    Sure, not all K1-Phantoms had even seen all the monsters from the Top-10 from afar, but the appearance of each of them had a certain chance. Oddly enough, even Snow Followers weren''t the rarest of the Top-10.


    Yeah, the rarest of all Purple Threat Level monsters was the Top-1, the gue Reaper, and that was a real blessing for all Phantoms and Citadel.


    First of all, gue Reaper could only appear at night, there was no record of gue Reaper showing up during the day or even at sunset. It seemed that this monster simply hated sunlight, preferring the moon and the darkness of night.


    Secondly, Snow Followers or Thunder Demons could appear for something interesting or to take part in an exciting battle. Especially Thunder Demons, even though they were Top-2, they were encountered quite often during various incidents.


    But, none of this applied to gue Reaper. This monster appeared extremely rarely and for unknown reasons. However, none of that mattered, because right now, gue Reaper was in Fume Cathedral, sitting on top of Fume Throne.


    Facing gue Reaper was the worst thing that could happen to K1-Phantom, as his strength was far superior to his closest opponent - Essence Thunder Demon.


    gue Reaper hadn''t made a single attack yet, but its aura, movements, and arrogant gaze were more than enough to imagine what this creature was capable of.


    "Lero! Are you alright?" E excitedly eximed running up to Lero who had earlier vomited from behind gue Reaper''s aura.


    "I don''t know... It''s... it shouldn''t be like this. I wasn''t scared in front of Prime Thunder Demon, but his aura just nailed me to the ground..." Lero muttered with genuine horror in his voice.


    The others were feeling about the same. Katrin and Oskar''s legs were trembling, and Osana clenched her fists tightly.


    It was worth realizing that gue Reaper didn''t use The Will or his Spirit. It was a simple form of aura that every strong monster or Phantom had.


    Lero, E, and the others didn''t even want to imagine what would happen to them if gue Reaper decided to use his aura at full power, not to show his superiority but to attack.


    Step. Step. Step.


    While the Phantoms were trying to regain consciousness as the monsters huddled in a corner like scared puppies, Fog Hunter stepped forward confidently.


    His tall, lean body moved rxedly forward, leaving scratches on the stone floor from the sharp ws on his feet. He stared at gue Reaper as if it were his rival, no... as if it were a true Purple Threat Level upstart.


    Fog Hunter thought that gue Reaper was worthy of sitting on Fume Throne and looking arrogantly at everyone else.


    To Fog Hunter, gue Reaper was a monster who possessed impressive strength, but he was still one level lower than Fog Hunter.


    Fog Hunter was not going to tolerate such insolence from a lower-level monster.


    Step.


    With his next step, Fog Hunter stopped right in front of gue Reaper, who was sitting on the throne still in the same pose. One leg was thrown over the other and his cheek was resting on his hand with a bored look.


    "ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRR!!!!"


    Fog Hunter roared furiously shaking the air with his piercing scream and sending streams of wind around, some of which reached Oskar and the others.


    "Fuck, what''s that power?!" Oskar frowned, covering himself with his hand from the wind streams.


    Fog Hunter let out this roar to scare gue Reaper, but the aftermath primarily affected the others, showing that Fog Hunter was serious.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    In a heartbeat, Fog Hunter swung his elongated arms over Fume Throne, slicing through the air with his long, sharp ws.


    With the speed and power of his limbs, Fog Hunter was able to create several wind des that flew straight over the stone throne, crashing into the wall nearby.


    All of this should have seriously frightened anyone, and it did. Now, the monsters and Phantoms were not only scared by gue Reaper but also by Fog Hunter''s power.


    "Wait...? Are we really going to see them fight now? Could this be our chance to get out of here?" E suggested with hope in her eyes. She like everyone else didn''t want to stay in this nightmare any longer.


    For the Fume Statues to help them get out of here they needed to make another victory, but that was hardly possible since the Fume Judge was in no hurry to start the next fight.


    Lero actively nodded a few times.


    "Yes! Guys, E is right. Even if it''s gue Reaper, he won''t be able to defeat Fog Hunter too quickly. The other monsters are badly scared, this might be our chance to escape through the side gates and head towards the safe zone!" Lero eximed with excitement in his eyes.


    Oskar nced at Lero and E before nodding deeply.


    "Right... That could work. As long as the Fume Judge is distracted, we can walk alongside the Fume Armors, they shouldn''t be able to touch us." Oskar muttered in a shaky voice, looking around.


    Katrin bit her lip. She didn''t want to leave here because Scarlet Pyromancer was still here, but she wasn''t going to argue.


    gue Reaper wasn''t some ghostly threat, he was real and he was right in front of them. If he wanted to, he could definitely kill most of those in Fume Throne.


    Step.


    At the same time, while Oskar and the others were preparing to stealthily leave, Fog Hunter grinned widely and tilted his head towards gue Reaper.


    "RRRGH!!!"


    Fog Hunter opened his jaw wide, revealing dozens of sharp fangs inside. However, this did not scare gue Reaper at all.


    gue Reaper simply moved closer to Fog Hunter and opened his mouth slightly, letting out ck air.


    Then, as soon as this air entered Fog Hunter''s mouth, Fog Hunter''s body began to shake violently until the monster fell to the ground, already dead.

 Chapter 325: Midnight Crystal (Part 50)

    "What the hell...?" Oskar muttered in disbelief, looking at Fog Hunter who was actively squirming on the ground, as if he had been overtaken by a deadly disease capable of killing in seconds.


    Fog Hunter''s body wriggled and shook, his ws scraping on the ground as if trying to cope with the pain that was developing inside his chest, growing stronger by the moment.


    gue Reaper, the one who had done this to Fog Hunter just watched as his victim wriggled in agony before his imminent death. His face remained the same emotionless and his posture didn''t change.


    He seemed to be showing that the fact that he had to attack was already too much of an honor for someone like Fog Hunter.


    Soon, Fog Hunter stopped moving, his sufferinging to an end. After his death, his skin became considerably paler, and his lean and muscr body dried up a lot, bing weak and useless.


    "Silvana... What the hell was that?" Adam asked in a trembling voice, "It''s not like he did anything. All he did was open his mouth and... that ck air... What was that?"


    Though Silvana was far away in the Citadel and safe, it was only now that she was able to partially regain her senses.


    ''Fine, calm down, I have to help Adam now. This is indeed a real crisis and I have to stay focused. After all, Adam is in danger not me.'' Silvana internally said before taking a deep breath.


    Then, she opened her eyes with a calm and confident look, going to help her Phantom.


    ''Adam, there is nothing strange or unusual about this, for he is a gue Reaper. That ck air, that''s his deadly breath. If you or anyone breathes that air, the same thing will happen to you as it did to Fog Hunter.'' Silvana exined.


    Oddly enough, Adam was not worried at all, even though Silvana had told of something truly horrible.


    She literally said that gue Reaper could kill them with his breath. However, Silvana did it calmly and confidently. Her voice magically helped Adam keep his mind collected.


    ''It''s dangerous, but the radius of this attack is small and he won''t be able to repeat it too often. Moreover, you have a trump card against this creepy ability.'' Silvana said with a slight smile.


    "Agh, even though it''s fucked up and we''re in the middle of it, we''re lucky in some ways."


    Osana said suddenly as the corners of her lips went up.


    Silvana was addressing Adam, but she was speaking into the general channel so that everyone else could hear her as well. So Osana had no trouble understanding exactly what Silvana was talking about in thest message.


    "Looks like we won''t be able to leave here without a fight. Fog Hunter died too quickly. He didn''t have any defense against gue Reaper''s death breath. Moreover, Fog Hunter came so close to him like an idiot." Osana smirked before gripping her staff tightly.


    Then, her eyes shone brightly and she mmed the staff against the ground, raising up blue streams of wind.


    Adam and Katrin nced around in confusion. They didn''t understand what was happening because unlike Oskar, Lero, and E they had never seen Osana use this ability before.


    Then, multiple streams of wind split into six whirlwinds that descended on each of theming closer and closer to their bodies.


    Soon, the blue wind became almost invisible and was more like a blue glow that like a veil enveloped each of them.


    "Oh, what a nice feeling." Adam muttered feeling fresh as if he was high up in the mountains filled with nts and powerful trees.


    Osana nodded.


    "It''s not exactly amplification like my other ability or Katrin''s roots, so you Adam won''t feel too much pressure from it." Osana said calmly.


    She realized that Adam''s body was already at its limit. He was carrying three reinforcements on him at once and it was dangerous to put his body under even more pressure. She exined this to him so he wouldn''t worry. Osana, as an experienced support, understood well how it worked.


    "This wind makes you slightly faster, increases your stamina a bit, and also speeds up the regeneration of weak wounds, and can protect you from minor attacks. For example, if someone throws a rock at you it will just fly aside." Osana quickly exined.


    To their luck, gue Reaper was in no hurry to act. He seemed to prefer to wait for his victims to make the first move, it was more interesting that way. He had enough patience for that.


    "But, that''s not the most important thing. I usually used this ability when we fought against monsters with poisons. This wind can protect against a toxic cloud or something like that." Osana said confidently, ncing at the already dead Fog Hunter.


    Adam''s eyes went wide as a satisfied smile appeared on his face.


    "I see..." Adam muttered looking at his hand around which a blue wind asionally passed, "It''s a general enhancement and it can protect us from the dark air."


    Osana nodded.


    "Yes, but I don''t advise anyone to get that close to gue Reaper. My wind should protect you from his deadly breath, but that is only an untested theory. None of us have fought such a dangerous opponent before."


    "Wait!" Oskar eximed finding himself almost in a panic.


    Everyone looked at him puzzled. He looked strange, his fingertips were trembling, sweat came out on his forehead, and there was only fear and uncertainty in his eyes.


    "Do you really want to fight that monster?! It''s a gue Reaper! It''s a Top-1! Look, the gate is still open, the monsters are still afraid to move, and we can still escape from here!" Oskar eximed with a wave of his hand.


    Osana frowned, she clearly didn''t like Oskar''s reaction. E and Lero were baffled, and Adam and Katrin nced around, trying to make a quick decision.


    But... They had all forgotten something. In Fume Cathedral, the power was not theirs. The one who sat on the Fume Throne was in charge.


    Even though Fume Throne had not yet channeled its energy to its new lord, gue Reaper had full authority to do what he wanted. Everything that rted to Fume Cathedral was under his will.


    Click.


    Suddenly there was a snap, a simple but ringing echo spreading around.


    Everyone abruptly turned their heads toward the throne, only to see gue Reaper, who had just snapped his fingers.


    Crackle.


    All of the Fume Armors and Fume Judge looked in his direction, then their gazes traveled towards the gate.


    There were three gates in the Fume Cathedral, a massive one in front of the entrance and two side gates on the far end. Next to each gate were Fume Statues.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, everyone felt the ground shake, not like an earthquake, but like the powerful footsteps of massive beings resembling giants.


    Then, long shadows fell across the entrances in front of the gate before the Fume Statues began to slowly close the gate.


    Perhaps if Adam wanted to, or some monster fast enough, he might be able to run outside in time, but he just stood there and watched as the gate slowly closed.


    Crackle.


    In a few seconds, all the gates were tightly sealed, showing that this ce was now their prison, their cage in which no one was destined to survive.

 Chapter 326: Midnight Crystal (Part 51)

    Fallen Crypt was a Yellow Threat area, and Fume Throne, despite its creepy presence was a Light Yellow Threat area.


    And... this ce was now ruled by a Purple Threat level creature, gue Reaper. He was stronger than anyone trapped inside Fume Cathedral, even Fog Hunter, a rather strong Light Yellow monster couldn''t do anything to him.


    Thus, inexperienced Phantoms or thosewho werein this situation for the first time might have a logical question.


    Why was gue Reaper a Purple Threat Level monster?


    gue Reaper was stronger than Gray Stalkers, Weeping Harahas, Fog Hunter, and a bunch of other Light Yellow Threat monsters. In that case, shouldn''t gue Reaper have rated as a Light Yellow Monster more, only ranking higher?


    Well, the answer was quite simple.


    When killing gue Reaper, which happened, albeitextremelyrarely, Phantom would gain Purple Threat Level genes rather than Light Yellow ones. But, this was only a technical part of the reason and was not as significant as theother one.


    The main reason was that monsters like Phantoms had to evolve to be stronger.


    For example, Adamwas capable of killingmonsters thatwere meantto be K2-Phantoms. Moreover, for anyone who knew what Adam could do, it was clear that hewas able todefeat the weakest and newest of the K2-Phantoms.


    Sure, experience and instincts honed in mortalbat would y abigrole in his victory, but his abilities and energy reserves had impressive power and bulk.


    But despite this, Adam was not a K2-Phantom, thoughtechnicallyhis power could qualify him for the position.


    In this case, it was understandable, as Adam had yet to create the Key, obtain the Midnight Crystal, or go through evolution. So...gue Reaper was in a simr situation as all monsters of the Top-10 in Purple Threat Level.


    Whether it was Essence Thunder Demon, Essence Scarlet Pyromancer, or someone like Snow Follower, allof themcould defeat weak monsters of the Light Yellow.


    Thus, all of this could lead to the following question.


    What will happen when a monster like gue Reaper evolves?Well,it willclearlybe a threat that no K1-Phantom and most K2-Phantoms can handle.


    gue Reaper was a frightening opponentnot onlybecause he was Top-1 andreallystrong,but alsobecause of his potential.


    However, everything in this world had itsownbnceanda strong creature needed a lot more time and resources to increase its power even more to get to the next level.


    For this reason, Prime Thunder Demon stole therva king because he was already close to evolution and needed apowerful, activesource of energyto make the final leap to a new power.


    Fume Cathedral also had a powerful energy source that wasnot easyto subdue.But it was a passive energy, as ithad longbeen umtedin tiny drops from the environment and energy crystals buried deep underground.


    Did gue Reapere here for this energy? No, that kind of energy would not be able to help him start an instant evolution.For that,he needed powerful active energy like therva king, but even that would not be enough.


    For a creature like gue Reaper tomake a rapid evolution, it would take severalrva kings full of energy or something more than that...


    Silence.


    At gue Reaper''sorderall the gates were closed, therewas no longer any way out of Fume Cathedral, at least not an obvious one.


    Along with the tense silence camepletedarkness,the few crystals in the ground were not enough to illuminate such arge room.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The Fume Throne shudderedreleasinga bright light thatforamomentblinded everyone inside.


    ''Right... Silvana said Fume Throne was dangerous. At first, I thought gue Reaper had somekind ofspecialstance, but itseemed to takea while for Fume Throne to take effect. Adam muttered inwardly, looking at the bright light through his fingers.


    Then, he bit his lip, looking at gue Reaper''s calm, serene face. Any monster or Phantom would have been at least startled by the sudden change in Fume Throne, but gue Reaper looked as if he knewexactlywhat he had to do to avoid the consequences of his actions.


    "What''s going on!" E eximed, taking a few steps backward.


    Osana frowned, confidently continuing to stand her ground.


    "Fume Throne. Whoever sits on it must pass a test. If gue Reaper passes, he will receive all the energy that has been stored inside Fume Throne for so long and will be able to give orders to Fume Armors, but ifnot, Fume Throne will destroy him, turning his life into its energy until a truly worthy one appears." Osana said confidently,watchingcarefullyas events unfolded.


    Fume Throne was practically a living being, overthe long time absorbingenergythis object had developed a will of its own.


    It couldn''t beparedto a human mind or will, FumeThrone couldn''t think and make conscious decisions like a living being.


    But, Fume Thronewas capable of actingording to strict rules as it did with anomalies. It was a mechanism that had to figure out if gue Reaper, or anyone else who chose to sit on the throne, was worthy of all that energy.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Thus, Fume Throne, all of itsenergyhad areurajustlike Phantoms or Monsters.


    Streams of white light quickly began to take the form of massive swordsto bedirected at only one target, gue Reaper.


    "Holy shit..." Katrin gulped as a shiver ran through her body, "What is this power?Each of these swordsis capable of inflicting powerful damage, both internal and external, right?"


    It wasn''t clear who Katrin was asking the question to, but they had someonewho could answer either of them.


    ''Yes, since Fume Throne uses its aura to control energy and swords are made up of stored energy, this attackis capable of damaginggue Reaper more than once.'' Silvana calmly exined.


    Everyone knew that with The Will and Spirit, one could only deal damage once, after which the aura could no longer affect the opponent. But, for Fume Throne, the weapon was energy, and the aura was just a tool with which it could fulfill its purpose and punish the unworthy.


    gue Reaper nced at the seven snow-white swords that trembled slightlyas ifwith a powerful desire to pierce their target.


    Adamwholike everyoneelsewas watching this scene gulped. He now fully understood what would happen to him if he sat on Fume Throne. He wasn''t sure if his abilities and aura would be enough to block or dodge each of the seven swords.


    However...not one of the swords had attacked yet.


    Whooooooooooooooooosh.


    The first sword began to slowly rotate, gradually elerating until arealvortex appeared around it.


    Then, in a heartbeat, the sword came down directly on the gue Reapersittingserenely on the throne.


    Crackle.


    gue Reaper jerked his head sharply, allowing the sword to pass close to his neck and pierce Fume Throne, sinking its broad de a third of the way into the stone.


    Adam''s pupils dted as the scene of the gue Reaper''s movements reyed in his mind. He could see it,he couldunderstand the gue Reaper''s speedandit brought a slight smile to his face.


    ''Oh, I see... He is indeed fast, but now that I have calmed down a bit after his sudden appearance, I can seethat heis not invincible. At the very least, in our battle, I''ll be able to keep up with his actions.'' Adam pondered as he prepared for the inevitable battle.


    Unlike Oskar or Lerowhojust dreamed of escaping from Fume Cathedral and heading to a safe zone, Adam realizedthat itwas unrealistic.


    After everything that had happened, after the gue Reaper hade here with a vested interest in the incident, there was no turning back.Only death or life, there was no other choice forany ofthem, neither Phantoms nor monsters.


    ''But... He needs to deal with Fume Throne first. It''s unlikely he''ll be able to do that without a problem, ifhe''s seriously injured, then I can take advantage of that and attack.'' Adam inwardly mutteredncingat his hands, electric shocks passed between his fingers.


    gue Reaper nced at the swordthat wasnext to his face and asionally shook. At the same time, the next sword began to rotate, preparing to fall on its victim.


    "Agh..." gue Reaper let out asigh filled with frustrationbefore exhaling a ck cloud of dust, causing the first sword to copse.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The snow-white sword was covered in cracks, quickly disintegrating and turning into dark ash, like dust.


    Osana frowned.


    ''So it can do the same thing not only to a living being but also to energy? That''s not good at all.'' Osana bit her lip.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    At thesamemoment, the next sword descended on gue Reaper with even greater speed than before.It seemed thatthis timethesword wouldn''t miss because itwas aimedat the monster''s chestandgue Reaper had no time to dodge such an attack.


    Then, everyone saw the sword stop abruptly, held back by gue Reaper''s palm and the invisible barrier between his hand and the sword.


    It was his aura thatwas gradually growing, for gue Reaper was about to activate his The Will and show his Spirit.

 Chapter 327: Midnight Crystal (Part 52)

    When gue Reaper entered Fume Cathedral, he used his aura to bend the Fume Statues to his will and make everyone else tremble in fear.


    The reaction was more than expressive - the monsters were cornered and Lero vomited, unable to withstand the pressureing from this monster.


    But, now that gue Reaper found himself in a battle against Fume Throne, he had to find a way to stop the snow-white swords woven from dense energy.


    There were many ways to do this: dodge, block, or destroy targets. gue Reaper decided to choose a unique and universal option that would not have worked in any other situation.


    Since the six snow-white swords were controlled by the Fume Throne''s aura rather than energy, they could be affected by the enemy''s aura even though they were made of energy.


    Sure, even the most powerful aura can''t stop an energy source, but if gue Reaper blocks or suppresses the Fume Throne''s aura, the energy will simply dissipate, because the source that controls it will be gone.


    In order to do something like that, one needed to have a really powerful aura, and gue Reaper definitely had no problem with that.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The empty space between gue Reaper''s palm and the white sword trembled slightly, sending ripples into the air, then a ghostly ck me began to emanate from gue Reaper, growingrger with every second.


    "Shit. Activate your auras if you don''t want to pass out!" Adam said confidently before activating his The Will.


    At the same moment, everyone had to show who was at what level. Sure, most K1-Phantoms didn''t know how to use their auras properly, usually they were only trained when they moved up to K2-Level.


    However, everyone here was pretty strong K1-Phantoms, and definitely not only Adam knew how to use The Will. At least he hoped so.


    "What? But... I don''t know how to do that!" Lero eximed in panic, it was obvious by the look in his eyes that this was an impossible task for him.


    E quickly turned her head from side to side as if trying to find someone who could help her.


    "Damn, you two don''t know how to use aura?" Adam uttered, realizing the severity of the problem.


    Lero and E looked guiltily at Adam, they realized that theirck of skill was endangering all their lives.


    Suddenly, a golden glow appeared over Oskar, and a transparent massive sword that was his First Stage Spirit formed over his head.


    "Agh, it looks like we have no choice but to resist his aura. E, Lero, get behind us. Our auras will be able to protect you." Oskar bit his lip and clenched his fists tightly, "I hope so..."


    E and Lero nced over before quickly hiding behind Oskar, whose aura seemed truly powerful to them.


    Then, they were joined by another Spirit that looked like a massive green seed from which roots were actively growing.


    "Well, well, looks like someone didn''t spend enough time practicing and couldn''t reach the next stage, right?" Adam said with slight irony in his voice.


    Katrin frowned but didn''t answer anything. She stood next to Oskar and in front of Lero, letting him handle this crisis behind her.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    gue Reaper''s aura began to intensify dramatically, spreading around and engulfing the snow-white sword that hovered in front of his palm. The invisible defenses around the sword began to shake vigorously until Fume Throne''s aura weakened so much that it could no longer hold the energy in the sword.


    The dark aura like death itself engulfed the sword,pletely breaking it and causing the energy to dissipate, but Fume Throne still had five swords that actively began to rotate.


    Fume Throne was not going to hold back anymore and was going to unleash its full power on gue Reaper in one attack, but gue Reaper was not going to restrain himself either.


    His aura that covered him like ck mes rushed upwards, transforming into a skull with a crazed gaze and an insidious grin.


    Auras couldn''t make sounds, much less speak, but the movement of this skull made it seem as if it wasughing, with savage pleasure and genuine cruelty.


    The gue Reaper''s aura expanded dramatically at that moment, engulfing everything around it: the remaining five swords, the monsters, and the Phantoms.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed as he released his aura, immediately summoning a second-stage Spirit. He hoped it would be enough to keep gue Reaper''s aura from destroying them.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Behind them, there were sounds, hurried and panic-filled. Adam turned around and saw that the monsters that had been hiding in the dark corners wereing toward them.


    Strangely enough, the monsters were not going to attack them. In this situation, they looked more like frightened animals than intimidating monsters.


    This wasn''t surprising, becausepared to them or the other creatures near Fume Cathedral, only the one who sat on the Fume Throne, only gue Reaper could proudly bear the title of monster.


    ''Hah, those bastards. Decided to use our auras to defend against gue Reaper? Well, we don''t have the time or ability to fight them, so we''ll just have to ignore them. Damn, what kind of situation is this anyway?'' Adam frowned, maintaining control of his Spirit.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The five white swords were actively trembling, unable to resist gue Reaper''s aura, so... at Fume Throne''s will, all five swords began to merge into one, bing a huge, two-handed sword.


    In some ways, this sword was simr to Oskar''s one, but it was muchrger and looked majestic. Energy streams ran along its de, and white mes emanated from the hilt. The aura field around the sword became much more powerful, pushing away gue Reaper''s aura despite its eerie nature.


    Tremble.


    At the same time, gue Reaper''s aura reached Adam and the others. Oskar, Katrin, and Adam''s auras were strong enough to contain the ck mes in front of them, but something was bothering Adam.


    ''Hmm... His aura seems to convey his very essence, moreover, this skull... is it his second stage Spirit or... is it only a first stage one?'' Adam frowned heavily.


    gue Reaper''s ck aura couldn''t suppress their auras, but that didn''t stop the ck mesing from the skull from gradually destroying their auras like a gue.


    It was only tiny particles, white, gold, and green, slowly falling to the ground before turning into nothing.


    gue Reaper frowned slightly.


    He felt that this huge sword could actually be a threat to him. For a moment, his gaze traveled towards the coffin embedded in the ground next to the throne, but... gue Reaper quickly abandoned that idea.


    Instead of using other means, he just waved his hand carelessly and yawned widely, as if bored.


    Then, gue Reaper stretched his hand forward, giving amand to Skull, his aura.


    Chapter Enjoy:


    The skull grinned widely and actively shuddered, transforming into somethingpletely new. Dark mes began to form a long tattered cloak covering the tall silhouette.


    The arms and legs of the tall silhouette werepletely hidden, but in the silhouette''s hands was a massive scythe with a curved de, so... from beneath the cloak could be seen bone fingers like those of death itself.


    Adam''s eyes went wide as a thick ck wave of aura came from gue Reaper''s Spirit, more like a wave of gueing at the will of the end.

 Chapter 328: Midnight Crystal (Part 53)

    Adam knew how to use Spirit to its full potential, he had learned how to summon the second stage in Fall Hill Prison and had since seen The Will used by many Phantoms as well as what their Spirits looked like.


    Some monsters used their auras in front of Adam as well, it was less frequent but he had experience.


    Adam had noticed that the first stage Spirit, was always depicted in the form of a weapon. Even in his case, it was like that. His first stage Spirit looked like a needle, which had been his primary weapon from the very first day of being a Phantom until now.


    Thus, Adam decided that the skull hovering above gue Reaper was nothing more than his second-stage Spirit. It was logical because this skull was more like an essence and a silhouette, which was a clear sign of the second stage, than a weapon.


    But... as it turned out, he was very wrong.


    Silvana, who was watching what was happening experienced a real horror from gue Reaper''s aura. Fortunately for her, she couldn''t feel its effects, otherwise she would have already passed out or possibly been dead.


    She as an ordinary person wouldn''t have been able to resist gue Reaper''s aura even for a single moment, and the internal damage from an aura of such power would be enough to make her heart explode.


    ''Holy shit... His Spirit looks like death itself, though... what else would you expect from gue Reaper?'' Silvana gulped, as she got really stressed out.


    She began actively biting her nails, feeling very nervous and worried about Adam''s future.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The massive snow-white sword trembled and soon, simply turned to nothing under the superior power of the gue Reaper that spread around like death.


    ''What? His first stage Spirit had to spend some time dealing with an ordinary sword, but that one, which is much stronger than the past ones, he destroyed that sword in just an instant!'' Adam inwardly eximed while clenching his teeth.


    Chapter Find:


    Soon, a new wave of dark me reached them, not from the skull, but from the silhouette with scythe. This me was not as aggressive and active as the previous one, but it was only getting scarier.


    "Argh!!!" Adam felt as if massive chains had fallen on his shoulders, trying to nail him to the ground.


    In just a few seconds, the gue Reaper''s aura was able to destroy part of Adam''s aura. The white threads of his Spirit, simply couldn''t handle the ck mes and burned away, turning into nothingness.


    "I''ll help you!" Oskar eximed vigorously before swinging his arm. His aura wasn''t as strong as Adam''s, but if they tried to block gue Reaper''s aura together, they could stop this threat.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    The golden sword, along with its mes, headed towards Adam''s Spirit, getting in front of the silver threads in an attempt to shield them from the harmful effects of Death''s aura.


    Crackling.


    Cracks ran down the golden sword, as a massive shard flew aside, turning to dust.


    Oskar frowned heavily, this damage to his Spirit reflected with a painful thump in his chest. He was able to withstand it, but it showed that he couldn''t help Adam.


    Katrin was in the same position, her Spirit was not powerful enough.


    ''No, no, no. If this continues any further, we will all suffer serious internal damage. If that happens then we definitely won''t stand a chance of winning against him!'' Adam eximed internally, gritting his teeth hard and ring at gue Reaper.


    Adam stared at gue Reaper burning him with his gaze, showing that he wasn''t going to give up, not in this situation.


    gue Reaper raised his eyebrow slightly as if showing a slight interest in Adam''s will and intentions. In his worldview, though, none of that mattered if it couldn''t be backed up by force.


    ...


    Piece by piece, thread by thread, the dark mes were destroying Adam''s Spirit, having already consumed a third of his Spirit.


    A little more and the gue mes would reach the main body of Adam''s Spirit, and then his aura defenses would fall. At this rate, it would definitely happen very soon.


    Tap.


    Suddenly, something touched Adam''s shoulder.


    Throwing a quick nce he saw Osana standing behind him, who was smiling slightly despite the tense situation.


    ''What...? Why is she acting so rxed? Doesn''t she realize what will happen if I lose in this battle of auras?'' Adam thought, puzzled and even a little scared by Osana''s motives.


    "Surely now you''re wondering why I''m not worried?" Osana smirked, "Well, it''s because I''ve seen enough. You''re surprisingly strong. You lose to him a bit, but that''s not a problem. After all, gue Reaper is the strongest one that K1-Phantoms like us can face." Osana said softly before taking a deep breath.


    At the same moment, an active blue field began to emanate from her, which quickly transformed into a talldy with an extremely wide skirt and long thick hair reaching to her knees.


    A pink glow emanated from thisdy as if from Osana herself, whose hair had this delicate color.


    Adam''s eyes went wide. He knew that Osana had a rather powerful aura since she was the only one who didn''t flinch in front of Scarlet Pyromancer''s aura, but he didn''t expect that she could use second-stage Spirit.


    ''Wait... If she could summon her Spirit all this time, why didn''t she do it sooner?'' Adam was baffled and outraged. He thought that Osana had not taken their hard-fought battle seriously.


    That was not the case at all, for Osana''s Spirit was not powerful on its own, but only in alliance with someone like herself.


    Tap.


    Thedy took a step forward, approaching Adam''s faceless creature, before hugging it tightly from the back, pressing her delicate hands to its chest covered with hundreds of threads, and leaning her head against its shoulder, like two lovers who had to fight together for their lives.


    Then, as if at the behest of the hearts of these nonexistent beings, Osana''s aura traveled towards Adam''s, bringing to his white me pink streams that saturated his aura, strengthening it and healing it.


    "Hmm...? Is this actually happening?" Adam muttered in disbelief, watching as the threads of his Spirit grew longer and separated, creating a new weapon in the fight against the aura of death, against the gue itself.


    "Sure. Now just concentrate and use my aura as if it belonged to you. I give youplete control over my Spirit. This will continue as long as my Spirit hugs yours tightly." Osana whispered with a sly smile on her face.


    Adam didn''t know what was causing Osana to have this reaction, but he wasn''t about to look into it, after all, her help was key.


    ''Yeah... Thanks to her aura, everything will change. gue Reaper''s aura can still destroy mine...'' Adam nced at the ck me particles that had consumed several threads, ''But now I can counterattack without worrying that my Spirit will be destroyed because Osana''s aura heals and supports me.''


    Then, Adam nced at his Spirit and pointed his hand forward.


    His Spirit instantly responded to his call and brought his right hand, which was holding a silver needle tightly, to attack.


    The tip of the needle shone brightly, attracting not only some of the white mes but also the pink streamsing from Osana''s Spirit, making it a truly formidable weapon in the confrontation between the two auras.

 Chapter 329: Midnight Crystal (Part 54)

    Katrin was amazed as she watched the amazing scene developing in front of her. Two Auras and two Spirits were able to work together, thanks to Osana''s actions.


    ''Bitch... She''s the support, when did she manage to develop her aura to this level? I gave it a lot of attention and effort, but all I was able to achieve was first-stage Spirit.'' Katrin bit her lip, with obvious envy towards Osana.


    But... she couldn''t help but admit that it was beautiful.


    Adam''s Spirit, which had looked majestic on its own, now resembled a true warrior who used his partner''s power to protect them and everyone else.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The needle filled with bright light and pink streams of aura, bing muchrger and acquiring an outer plume of two colors that covered the needle like the tip of a broadnce.


    gue Reaper''s eyes filled with curiosity. Despite its intimidating power and history, he had yet to see something like this.


    Never once had he lost in a battle of auras, and this time was to be no exception. E and Lero couldn''t use The Will at all, and Katrin and Oskar weren''t strong enough to resist it.


    Their first-stage Spirits would die in just a few seconds in a direct collision against gue Reaper''s second-stage Spirit. This was obvious after Oskar''s golden sword broke from the ck mes.


    And... even Adam wasn''t strong enough to face an opponent like gue Reaper. The reason was the difference in their strength and the nature of gue Reaper''s aura, which behaved like a gue that sought to consume and destroy everything in its path.


    But... after Osana appeared everything changed dramatically, and not because she was the second wielder of the second stage Spirit.


    Her healing effect and extra aura could only dy the inevitable because sooner orter, the gue Reaper''s aura would do its job and devour them all.


    Osana waited until it was clear that Adam was able to withstand the dark me attack, which meant that with her help, he could switch from defense to assault!


    ''Good... With your ability to pierce any armor, we''ll definitely manage to show that we''re not victims trapped here.'' Osana smirked before walking over to Adam and hugging him tightly, just like her Spirit did with Adam''s.


    Adam was a bit puzzled, but he quickly came to his senses continuing to build up the aura in his Spirit''s needle. He didn''t care what Osana''s motives were, the most important thing right now was to win the battle of auras, otherwise, they wouldn''t even have a chance of winning the actual fight.


    Osana''s corners of her mouth lifted, forming a sly, slight smile, her gaze looking around.


    ''To the Phantoms, monsters are victims like beasts are to hunters. However, gue Reaper is not a victim in the same way we are. We must show that we are worthy opponents.'' Osana pondered before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes.


    For some reason, Adam felt that his strength had just doubled. It was an illusion, for it was not his strength that had increased, but he had gainedplete control over Osana''s aura.


    He could willfully control her pink aura as he wished and it gave him a feeling of superiority.


    "Hah... Thank you." Adam said sincerely, clenching his fist tightly, "With this kind of power, I''m sure I can tear that disgusting ck me apart!"


    It was unknown if Osana heard him, she seemed to be asleep and her only task was to hug Adam tightly.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The needle began to shake vigorously as well as Adam''s Spirit arm. A little more and too much aura would umte in one ce, so much so that Adam would no longer hold it back in such a density.


    It was an indication that the moment had arrived.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Adam pointed directly at gue Reaper and his Spirit immediately threw its needle straight at the monster. It was only a representation of an aura, so the rules of Adam''s actual needle, which had to be attached to his arm by at least one thread, didn''t work for Spirit.


    The massive needle from the aura, now looking more like a realnce, effortlessly destroyed the firstyers of ck mes, quickly advancing.


    Moreover, as it continued to spread, thence left behind a white-pink plume that grew ever wider and developed a cone-like trajectory, pushing the death aura back.


    The tip of the needle shone brightly as pink and white streams of energy flowed downward like currents, unleashing the full power of Adam''s aura amplified by Osana.


    gue Reaper frowned for the first time in ages. He saw that his aura could not resist this power. Adam''s aura was effortlessly destroying the dark aura, shattering it like solid armor and gue Reaper could do nothing about it.


    Distant parts of the ck mes tried to dive back into Adam''s aura and start destroying it, but the pink streams quickly repaired the damage and gave the white mes a new wave of power.


    gue Reaper reached forward, forcing his Spirit into the battle. All the ck mes gathered in the scythe, zing brightly.


    Then, gue Reaper''s Spirit, surged forward, unleashing its scythe directly at the needle that had already approached Fume Throne.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A bright sh of light covered the entire Fume Cathedral, illuminating it in three streams of pink, white, and ck. They diverged in different directions from one point, trying to suppress each other and destroy the alien aura.


    But... As anyone who knew how to use The Will was well aware, for one aura to defeat another, there had to be a serious difference in strength, and... this was clearly not the case.


    With a final sh, all the auras disappeared, turning into nothing.


    Only a few particles of different colors remained at the point of collision, which quickly dispersed and turned into nothing.


    Then, Osana opened her eyes and stepped away from Adam, looking calmly at gue Reaper, who was staring at them with obvious confusion.


    He couldn''t believe that just two Phantoms who were on the same level as him could stop him. Moreover, he was the one who had to defend against their attack with his aura, not them.


    "Agh... It wasn''t easy, but we managed. I''ve never had such a difficult battle of auras before..." Adam muttered letting out a heavy sigh.


    Osana nced around, staring at the monsters that were hiding behind them.


    Seeing that she was annoyed, the monsters decided to retreat and stay out of their way. Now that the monsters saw that Adam was able to stop gue Reaper, they realized that they had no ce here.


    If they pissed Osana off even more, then they would be noticed by Adam and then only death would await them. That''s how the monsters thought, their feelings were driven by instinct.


    Monsters liked to fight, but they were not suicidal.


    "Great. But, now we''ll have to get to the actual fighting..." Katrin bit her lip staring at gue Reaper.


    "Yeah, but he''ll get his reward first." Osana said coldly, looking at gue Reaper.


    No one understood what she was talking about, but then Fume Throne began to actively shake, once again.


    Trying to defend themselves from gue Reaper''s aura, they hadpletely forgotten that gue Reaper had defeated Fume Throne''s aura and thus was worthy of receiving the reward as the new lord of this throne.

 Chapter 330: Midnight Crystal (Part 55)

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Fume Throne shuddered vigorously, releasing dense streams of energy that shot out from the ground through the cracks. They were thick and looked like sma,bining power and an abundance of energy.


    Oskar gulped, E and Lero flinched and Katrin clenched her fists tightly.


    "Fuck, you bastard. Maybe he doesn''t need the energy from Fume Throne, from the looks of it he''s full of power, but it also gives him the ability to control all the Fume Armors, right?" Katrin said, gritting her teeth.


    ''Yes.'' Silvana replied calmly, ''You need to prepare for battle. Fume Armors are strong, but they are not invincible. With concerted teamwork, you should manage to deal with them and move on to the battle against gue Reaper.''


    "Great! Let''s do that!" Lero vigorously said. He was still very much afraid which was clear by his trembling legs, but there was faith in teamwork in his gaze.


    E nodded, taking a step forward. She was scared too, but she couldn''t back down when the youngest and weakest of them was ready to fight.


    Oskar clenched his fists tightly with a great frown. As a leader, he should have taken charge and led his squad, but instead, he only looked panicked toward the exit.


    He was trying to think of an escape n, he wanted to get out of there as soon as possible and get to a safe zone. He didn''t seem to believe that they could fight against gue Reaper at all, even after what Adam and Osana had done.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Before they coulde to any sort of joint decision, all the energy from Fume Throne headed towards gue Reaper.


    The streams stopped in front of gue Reaper, umting into a single point and turning into a dense sphere that made the air shake.


    Most monsters in gue Reaper''s ce would have immediately used this energy to regain their strength or move closer to evolution. Then, after spending a few days or weeks, with the help of this energy, they would be able to start evolving.


    But, for gue Reaper, such an option was out of reach and he actually had another n.


    Crackle.


    gue Reaper stretched out his hands, clutching the white sphere tightly. However, instead of absorbing it, he began to press the sphere with his palms, causing it to wobble and shake under the intense force.


    "What? What the hell is he doing...?" Katrin''s eyes went wide in confusion and slight indignation in her voice.


    She didn''t understand how such dense and pure energy could be treated with such disrespect as gue Reaper had done.


    Crackling.


    Cracks traveled across the sphere before gue Reaper''s palms copsed,pletely destroying it.


    White blobs of energy spread around like mes, illuminating the entire Fume Cathedral. There was no longer a single dark ce in thisrge structure where Fume Armors, monsters, or even simple shadows could hide.


    The energies merely hung in the air, by the walls, by the pirs, under the ceiling, or in the far corners, they sought out any avable ce for themselves for one purpose only - to slowly dissipate and return to the ground.


    But, it was a long process as the energy was dense and powerful. It would be hours before those lights would go out and Fume Cathedral would once again be almostpletely engulfed in darkness.


    No one understood why gue Reaper had done this, but they didn''t have time to think about it as Adam and the others stared at Fume Armors.


    They realized that now, gue Reaper, with the new power gained from Fume Throne, would simply order Fume Armors to attack them.


    And... Not even ten secondster, gue Reaper rose from his throne and pointed his hand forward.


    "Look out!!! Stand in a circle and keep a close eye on each of them! If we can withstand their initial attacks and hold our defenses, we have a chance!" Katrin eximed, with a wave of her hand.


    Her voice wasmanding and serious, she was ready to take charge if Oskar wasn''t capable of it.


    Everyone nodded and stood in a circle, with Adam, E, and Oskar standing out, the ones who could do the most damage to their enemies.


    They were one step ahead of the others, and Katrin, Lero, and Osana were between them. Next to Adam were Katrin and Osana, making their part of the defense the strongest.


    Crackle.


    At the same moment, the Fume Armors came into motion. Their footsteps were powerful, making the ground tremble, and their swords long and deadly.


    They were clearly intent on fighting, but... not the Phantoms.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    The two Fume Armors rushed forward, swinging their swords and slicing apart the first monster they could reach. Then, they were joined by the others.


    Adam, Katrin, and Osana were looking at this scene with wide-open eyes full of iprehension.


    "What? What''s going on? Maybe they misunderstood gue Reaper''s orders?" E muttered, watching as the Fume Armors attacked the monsters with a clear determination to fulfill their order.


    "ROOOAAAARRRR!!!"


    Several monsters roared furiously, their roar echoing throughout Fume Cathedral, bouncing off the walls.


    Crackle.


    The next instant, a long dark sword was thrust into the throat of a massive and terrifying monster, releasing a stream of blood.


    But... the monster was not going to give up so quickly. Before itsst seconds were up, the monster grabbed the Fume Armor with its powerful paws, intending to tear the knight apart.


    The knight''s armor began to shake, crumpling under the powerful pressure and emitting a loud sound like tearing flesh.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Next to this knight, two shadows swept by that simultaneously swung their swords, cutting off the monster''s head and saving their partner.


    The injured Fume Armor looked in their direction, nodded slightly, and picked up his sword, continuing to fight alongside them to kill every monster in Fume Cathedral as ordered by their new lord.


    There were far more monsters than Fume Armors, but their strength individually and teamwork was impressive. Soon enough, there would be no monsters left because the Fume Armors were ready to bring this massacre to an end.


    Oskar, E, Lero, Katrin, and Osana watched the Fume Armors, and... at that time Adam turned to gue Reaper, giving him a calm gaze.


    ''I see... Such a proud and powerful being wouldn''t use the powers of others to deal with his opponents, right?'' Adam internally muttered as a slight smirk appeared on his face.


    He realized that gue Reaper was not wrong in his order. He had done it on purpose because he wanted to keep only the worthy here.


    Then, Adam stepped forward, not worrying about defense or about having to continue to stay in the circle. He was confident that gue Reaper wouldn''t make Fume Armors attack them.


    "I can''t say that I don''t respect such a decision, but it will be your undoing. We will fight and we will win. I killed a Top-2 monster, so you will be my final trial." Adam said confidently while staring intently at gue Reaper.


    gue Reaper''s gaze remained serene, but as soon as he heard Adam''s words, a smile appeared on his face.


    He understood what the Phantom in front of him was talking about and was fully prepared to ept his challenge. It wasn''t a mistake toe here after all, that was for sure.

 Chapter 331: Midnight Crystal (Part 56)

    Fume Armors gradually ughtered all the monsters that were in Fume Cathedral. They didn''t need their energy and weren''t defending their territory, they were just following their new lord''s orders.


    Gradually, Oskar, E, and the others realized what gue Reaper''s n was. This monster was too arrogant to use the strength of others to achieve victory.


    Usually, arrogance led to problems and failure, but... that was hardly a threat to gue Reaper. He was too strong, a little help from Fume Armors or monsters was insignificant.


    In fact... He could have killed all those monsters in a couple of seconds, considering they were locked in a closed space. He probably would have done the same with the Phantoms, but Osana''s ability protected them, so he couldn''t just spread ck air and kill them like he had done with Fog Hunter earlier.


    gue Reaper wanted to put up a decent fight. Only this way, Top-1, a monster at the top of the entire threat level, could get the much-desired satisfaction.


    ...


    At this time, the mission department and the military were receiving new information from Golden Light Squad''s Operators, thinking about how they could help them. Eventually, after the appearance of gue Reaper, the situationpletely changed.


    However... they could hardly do anything, because even before Adam and the others went to Fume Cathedral, Dous and the military department realized that gue Reaper was moving towards them.


    There were almost no ces in Dead Lands that fighters couldn''t reach, especially if they had a strong Phantom on board. In that case, the pilot had nothing to worry about, as the Phantom was ready to protect them and the fighter no matter what happened.


    However, gue Reaper made sure that this would not happen. He decided to head towards Fume Cathedral when he sensed that Scarlet Pyromancer, Gray Stalkers, and a group of Phantoms with curious auras had appeared near that ce.


    Also, even before that, he wondered what was going on there as the spatial anomaly activated several times. gue Reaper was good at sensing any energy fluctuations, so it wasn''t hard for him to figure out what was going on.


    gue Reaper was an experienced monster, so he realized that K3-Phantom would soone to the aid of the weak Phantoms. Even gue Reaper was unable to do anything against a creature of such strength.


    Thus, gue Reaper released a huge amount of ck air saturated with death energy, directing those dark clouds upwards. They blended into the night sky, bing practically invisible.


    Sure, the K3-Phantom wouldn''t be killed by such a thing, but to the pilot, it was deadly. In the time it took for the situation to develop and for gue Reaper to reach Fume Cathedral, the ck air had spread, already covering a wide area in this part of the Fallen Crypt quite far away.


    Unlike most monsters who were afraid to go into higher-level areas, gue Reaper had no such fear. He could travel through the Fallen Crypt with ease despite being a Purple Threat Level monster.


    The Light Yellow monsters that faced him couldn''t chase him away, they weren''t strong enough to do so, and in most cases died within a couple of seconds of their encounter.


    Thus, gue Reaper was more familiar with the ce than Golden Light Squad and was well aware of what he had to do so that no one could interfere with them, neither the Phantoms from the Citadel nor the monsters from the far reaches of the Fallen Crypt.


    After all, there were enough monsters in the Fallen Crypt that could defeat gue Reaper, they were just in other parts of the area.


    ...


    ''Damn... gue Reaper, he''s the worst K1-Phantoms could face. What''s more, it happened at night in the Light Yellow Area, and he prepared properly. Shit, if we don''t do anything, they''ll probably die. It will be especially unfortunate to lose Adam and Osana, those two have a promising future.'' Dous pondered with a great frown.


    Every now and then he tapped his foot on the floor and nced at the screens where the camera images from their NEPs were disyed.


    Dous and the staff could clearly see how gue Reaper stood in front of Fume Throne, how Fume Armors ughtered the monsters like cattle, and how worried Lero, E, and Oskar were...


    Most Phantoms didn''t know about it as it wasn''t much of a big deal, but the NEPs were rying information about the Phantoms'' heart rate. And... the calmest were Katrin and Osana.


    Adam had an elevated heart rate, but not from fear or excitement like Lero, E, and Oskar, but from excitement. Earlier, he had feared gue Reaper''s strength, but in time he realized that his physical capabilities, given the enhancements, were enough to give a decent fight to such an opponent.


    Dous pondered what could be done since the fighter they had sent couldn''t get close to the right ce. Sure, K3-Phantom could get down and go on foot, but considering how wide an area gue Reaper covered with his ck air, that would take too long.


    ...


    While the military and mission department workers were worrying and looking for options, and the Golden Light Squad was preparing to fight the strongest monster of their level, someone was doing somethingpletely trivial.


    Crackle.


    The ss broke under the pressure, letting out some water that quickly dripped down into the sink next to the fallen ss shards.


    "Shit... That''s the third one. I didn''t think it would be this hard..." Nessa muttered with a great grimace.


    She was on top of Miracle Observatory, technically it was her and Magnus''s home where they lived, often doing something trivial, especially recently.


    Nessa was wearing simple house clothes, as well as an apron that was already seriously soiled. She did the cooking, but it was a practice for her, for she was not yet ustomed to her new powers.


    Magnus sat nearby, in a chair, reading something on a tablet with a thoughtful look.


    "Agh... Why is this so hard?" Nessa sighed heavily casting a nce at the broken sses, bent knives, two crumpled pots, and many more things that couldn''t withstand her strength.


    Then, she turned to Magnus.


    "Father, are you sure I should be doing this? Making this fucking pizza is harder than killing a Top-10 monster!" Nessa eximed irritably.


    However... there was no response from Magnus, which meant she had to continue, even though she didn''t feel like doing it at all. No matter how strong she was, Nessa was not going to challenge Magnus''s decisions.


    Moreover, she herself realized that it was important. To break a monster''s skull or dodge an attack, all it needed was speed and strength, she had more than enough of that.


    But... to slice small olives into pieces with a simple soft metal knife, that required precision andplete control over her powers.


    In a few hours she could only chop the ingredients and prepare the dough, there were still many tasks ahead difficult for her, though a normal person would have quickly rolled out the dough and spread the ingredients with the sauce.


    "Well, looks like we''re going to have to postpone our dinner." Magnus said as a smirk appeared on his face.


    "What?" Nessa raised an eyebrow with the hope that a more interesting task hade up for her.


    "Let''s go." Magnus said putting on his crimson coat.


    Nessa tilted her head in confusion.


    "Where to?"


    Magnus chuckled evilly.


    "To help Adam and fight the Top-1 Purple Threat Level Monster!"

 Chapter 332: Midnight Crystal (Part 57)

    Step. Step. Step.


    To Dous, who was standing in the middle of the spacious hall where dozens of people were working, ran the girl who had earlier informed him about what had happened to Adam, Katrin, and Golden Light Squad.


    Just likest time, she was in a hurry and you could tell by the look in her eyes that it was something urgent.


    "Mr. Dous!" The girl eximed, her short brown hair tips quivering, sweeping in front of her blue eyes as she stopped abruptly and bowed low.


    "Tia? Has something happened again? There have been too many incidents this night." Dous frowned, once again expecting bad news.


    The girl shook her head, trying to catch her breath as she quickly ran here to deliver the news as soon as possible.


    "Mr. Magnus would like to meet with you."


    Dous raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    ''Magnus? What does that crazy guy want at this hour?'' The thought raced through Dous''s mind.


    Then, he nodded.


    "Have him make an appointment. I think I can find some free time the other day to meet him." Dous waved his hand.


    Tia bit her lip, she looked away. It was obvious that she didn''t know how she should have acted in this situation.


    "Tia, is something wrong?" Dous was puzzled. He understood that Tia was nervous.


    "Just... Mr. Magnus is already here! I was going to ask him to wait, but he just walked inside!"


    Dous''s eyes went wide for a moment before he nodded. If Magnus was this persistent, it was something important.


    "Good. I''ll be off then. Stay here and let me know if anything urgentes up." Dous said confidently, stepped forward, and touched Tia''s shoulder with his powerful hand.


    "Sure!" Tia eximed energetically.


    ...


    Step. Step. Step.


    Dous''s muffled footsteps spread down the empty passageway as he approached the door, opening it.


    Inside he saw Magnus who had his legs tucked up on a table sitting rxed. In front of him was a cup of hot tea and a few cookies, which he didn''t touch.


    If an ordinary man had behaved this way in Fort Norton when meeting Dous, there would have been severe consequences, but... Magnus could afford such carelessness.


    There were three other chairs next to the desk, unupied, which was odd, for behind Magnus stood Nessa. Now, she was in her office clothes that she wore all the time working at Miracle Observatory.


    "Mr. Dous, good evening!" Nessa said respectfully and bowed low.


    Dous said nothing, he only sat down at an empty chair and cast a quiet nce at Nessa.


    "Well, well, how much respect for me, what simple and modest clothing for someone who could break me in two like a stick." Dous sighed heavily.


    Magnus and Nessa were not surprised by his words. Apparently, Dous was one of those people who knew who Nessa really was.


    "I would never attack you. This is uneptable." Nessa replied confidently.


    "Hah, what if Magnus had ordered you to?" Dous smirked.


    Nessa''s eyes went wide, she went pale and bit her lip. She wasn''t ready to answer that question.


    "Alright, what did you want from me? I actually have tons of problems here without you. Adam, Katrin, and the Golden Light Squad are in the middle of a real crisis right now. I don''t have much time." Dous said seriously, crossing his arms over his powerful chest.


    Magnus nodded.


    "Yeah, I know. That''s why I came here. I want Nessa to go there and help them defeat gue Reaper."


    Dous tilted his head with narrowed eyes. He was surprised, not by the suggestion itself, but by the fact that Magnus hadn''t realized it was impossible.


    "You think we haven''t sent them help yet? We did a long time ago, but gue Reaper took care of that. There''s no way a fighter pilot can safely get close to Fume Cathedral, it''s just not possible." Dous waved his hand with a heavy sigh.


    Magnus grinned widely.


    "Sure, but I''m not going to use the SH-01. I want Nessa to fly on the ..." Magnus said, causing Dous to frown even more.


    "Stop joking around. That arrogant bitch won''t let us use it for a mission of this caliber. I wouldn''t even mess with her, she''ll just say no like she always does." Dous snorted irritably.


    Magnus nodded slightly, remainingpletely calm.


    "That''s true, but I can negotiate with her. Just give me the opportunity and permission. Within the confines of myb, I can do what I want, but I have no intention of ruining the ns of the military and the missions department." Magnus chuckled, leaving Dous no other choice.


    Dous nced at Nessa, outwardly she remained cold and calm, but there was a fire burning in her eyes. Dous noticed it easily.


    "What about her? As far as I know, Adam has seen her true identity, but the other Phantoms can''t know about it." Dous said seriously.


    He could not allow Katrin, Osana, and the others to know of the existence of the hybrid, the only one in the entire Citadel.


    It was a mystery far more serious than the information about the Naturalborn Phantoms.


    Magnus waved his hand.


    "Don''t worry about it. After recent events, if the battle is serious, Nessa will be able to show something that will make the others think it''s her ability. We''ll just put the NEP on her wrist."


    Dous stared intently at Magnus and nodded. He realized that Magnus wouldn''t let the other Phantoms know about this.


    Dous was more worried about them than Nessa, he knew that if any of the Golden Light Squad besides Adam realized that Nessa wasn''t a Phantom, then Magnus would find a way to quickly kill them all to keep it a secret.


    "What''s more, I have a fake Phantom profile for her so their Operators won''t guess anything." Magnus smirked, showing a sh drive, he also pulled out a small ck box.


    Before Dous could say anything, Magnus opened the box, revealing a simple monster fang earring, clearly a decorative essory.


    "It''s made from the scrap of a powerful monster''s fang, so it won''t break. Officially, it''s Nessa''s Nexus, which increases her physical power if she wishes. Sure, it''s just a trinket, but only we''ll know about it." Magnus''s grin grew even wider.


    Dous nodded.


    "Fine, do as you see fit. If you can get her to help us, that would be fine."


    Magnus nodded, heading for the exit, and gestured for Nessa to follow him.


    It was time for his curiosity and Nessa''s desire to fight to change the fate of the Golden Light Squad.

 Chapter 333: Midnight Crystal (Part 58)

    Dous stood at one of the Fort Norton exits with his arms crossed over his chest, looking at the ck car that Magnus and Nessa were heading toward.


    Nessa opened the door for Magnus, then closed it and turned to Dous, bowing low before getting into the car herself.


    "Well, well, it''s good that Magnus decided to step in, but does he really have a way to convince that arrogant girl?" Dous muttered, staring intently at the departing car.


    "More to the point... Nessa can survive, Magnus will take care of that, but I doubt he gives a shit about the lives of the rest of the Phantoms." Dous frowned heavily, raising his head and staring up at the night sky covered in a multitude of stars.


    ...


    Where were Magnus and Nessa headed? Well, they were going straight to the Observatory, but not their own, besides Magnus Zephyr and Aiden Henk there were other free scientists in the Citadel and as a consequence Observatories.


    "Father... You asked me to act confidently, but what is this ce? It looks creepy as hell... though I thought it was our Observatory that would scare anyone..." Nessa muttered as she gulped.


    Magnus grinned, got out of the car, and looked ahead with a confident stare at the great structure.


    In front of them was a real steel castle, with tall square towers with sharp peaks reaching for the heavens.


    Around the main building, on the territory of this Observatory were various iron statues rted to military themes. These were models of the Observatory''s developments, as well as projects that could not be realized or were canceled.


    Among them were ordinary weapons from pistols to sniper rifles used by the military, to real cannons, tanks, and helicopters. Since they were mock-ups, just replicas, their size was several times smaller than the real models.


    The main building was a perfect cube covered in steel on all sides. Massive iron pirs protruded from the roof of the building, with electricity running between them from time to time, either from the generators inside or from the lightning that sometimes struck there.


    "Wee to the Iron Observatory!" Magnus eximed, spreading his arms out as if it were his observatory and not another scientist''s.


    Nessa stepped forward cautiously, looking around. She was used to the Miracle Observatory, after all, it had be her home, but the Iron Observatory gave her goosebumps.


    Iron Observatory was connected to one of the Forts, Fort Fereno, this fort was on the south side of the Citadel.


    Iron Observatory was quite far from Fort Fereno, but they were connected by a massive underground tunnel, wide enough that it could carry ammo crates, tanks, and even airnes.


    This was done specifically for Iron Observatory because of the nature of the ce so that new sessful and approved designs could go straight to the military for testing.


    "Father... What do they do at this Observatory?" Nessa asked with curiosity and a slight fear in her voice.


    She knew what kind of fucked up shit went on in Magnus''sb sometimes since she had been involved in it herself, so she was scared to imagine what kind of experiments were done here.


    "Well, we have too little time today for me to tell you everything. However, I''m sure we''ll have toe here again soon, probably with Adam and Silvana." Magnus chuckled evilly, he obviously knew more than Nessa and knew what he was talking about.


    Nessa looked at him puzzled, wanting to know more about this ce.


    Magnus waved his hand.


    "The moment Adam and Silvana will need toe here is not far away at all, but right now it''s not about them." Magnus said and headed towards the massive iron gate.


    Magnus continued:


    "As you may have already realized, the Iron Observatory is busy developing new military technology, weapons, and equipment. Sure, that''s what the development department does, but Iron Observatory does what they want and takes on risky projects."


    Then, Magnus cast a nce at Nessa.


    "You do know that the military has already received the first exoskeletons and is trying to actively use them on missions, right? The public presentation was held at the Scarlet Light Fair. Although not without problems, three military men were able to defeat a White Treat Level monster."


    Nessa nodded deeply. For her to kill a monster of such strength would be no problem, but she realized that this was a real leap forward for the Citadel. After the release of exoskeletons and FN, False Nexuses, the military had a real opportunity to fight monsters.


    "So, officially these exoskeletons were invented by the development department, but it was actually all made here at Iron Observatory." Magnus said seriously, stopping in front of the gate.


    "Stand next to me. When we meet her don''t say anything or make her angry. We''re interested in her helping us and you going to Fume Cathedral, not in cruel rejection." Magnus''s voice was stern and confident, not tolerating outrage.


    Nessa nodded as she did as he said.


    Soon, with a loud creak, the gate came into motion, as if unwilling to open, exuding only hostility without a hint of hospitality.


    Nevertheless, the path was soon clear, allowing them to pass on.


    Magnus crossed the features of the gate without any problems, but here was when Nessa tried to do so...


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Several turrets emerged from the walls and ground, aimed directly at Nessa. Sure, Magnus had the same defense system that Adam and Silvana had experienced when they first came to Miracle Observatory.


    But... even though there were only four turrets, Nessa felt a real threat from them. The turrets were massive with long muzzles, with attached tubes that flowed thick sma.


    ''Fuck... What is that? Do these turrets have the same power as the cannons on the walls? Although... Nessa, calm down, even if they do, their maximum is Green Threat Level monsters. They''re all useless against me.'' Nessa pondered while clenching her fists tightly.


    She instinctively began to prepare for battle, sensing a real threat.


    Magnus watching this scene rolled his eyes and walked over to one of the turrets. He covered the muzzle of the cannon with his palm, showing that if fired he would be wounded as well.


    After a while, as if oveing their doubts, the turrets returned to their cells, disappearing from their path.


    "What the hell was that...? What are those turrets?" Nessa gulped.


    Magnus sighed heavily.


    "It''s a defense she made years ago. There are no such turrets on the walls of the Citadel because she doesn''t think they''re good enough and it''s not a finished product. She''s a bit of a perfectionist, you know."


    Magnus shrugged nonchntly before waving his hand.


    "Come on, the more time we waste, the less chance we have of getting it right. You want to help Adam and fight Top-1, don''t you?"


    Nessa frowned as she clenched her fists tightly.


    "I''m only agreeing to the fight. I don''t make it my main goal to help him." Nessa said through gritted teeth.


    She didn''t consider Adam her enemy, she was grateful to him, because thanks to him she was able to gain new strength and ess to energy, albeit in a limited way. But, to her, he was not a friend or a mate, but a tough opponent to whom she wanted to throw a rematch.


    ...


    At this time, the master of the Iron Observatory watched them through the monitors, only a satisfied smirk visible in the darkness.

 Chapter 334: Midnight Crystal (Part 59)

    It was alreadyte at night, so there were no workers or scientists in the Iron Observatory, all of them were already in their homes and sleeping deeply, waiting for the next day to continue their research and experiments for the benefit of the Citadel.


    However, just like at Miracle Observatory where Magnus''s house was located at the very top, the master of the Iron Observatory was here even at thiste hour.


    "Father, you mentioned a certain woman several times, is that the head of the Iron Observatory?" Nessa asked with excitement in her voice.


    Despite her status and the fact that she was officially Magnus''s assistant this was the first time she hade to the Iron Observatory. She had never needed toe here before.


    There was nothing strange about that, as Nessa had spent her entire childhood in the closed-off part of the Miracle Observatory, trying to suppress her animal nature. When she became an adult with full control over her powers, she helped Magnus, studied, and trained.


    Moreover, the free scientists rarely ever needed to see each other. They were all doing different things, practically unrted.


    "Yeah, she already knows we''re here and is watching us. Like I said earlier, keep quiet and pretend you''re my shadow." Magnus once again repeated his warnings.


    Nessa didn''t know what made the head of the Iron Observatory so dangerous, but she knew that it would be difficult to negotiate with her.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Magnus walked confidently forward, while Nessa followed cautiously behind him. Her footsteps were almost inaudible, neat, and inconspicuous as a cat''s, what about Magnus?


    Well... He stomped loudly, his strides echoing through the wide passageway that seemed to be part of a museum for unusual designs.


    Nessa''s gaze was caught by an unusual mechanical arm, no, it was more like a paw with sharp des that mimicked ws. It was human-sized and mounted on one of the stands.


    Magnus obviously knew where to go, but soon he had to stop and a satisfied smirk appeared on his face.


    Thump. Thump. Thump.


    With a thud, themps on the ceiling lit up, throwing waves of light onto the floor as if on a theater stage.


    At the same moment, a silhouette came out from around the corner and stood confidently at the end.


    Soon, it was time for thestmp that was directly above the silhouette that was still in the shadows.


    Nessa narrowed her eyes trying to see who it was with her sharp beast-like vision. Unlike ordinary humans, darkness was not a problem for her.


    Well, she didn''t have time to see everything in detail before the bright light revealed who was lurking in the darkness.


    Nessa''s eyes went wide, what she saw was clearly not what she had expected.


    At the end of the aisle, stood a girl of medium height with toxic pink hair, with two ponytails of long braids twisted in a bow.


    The girl had unusually bright blue eyes, more like aquamarine, a color not natural to humans.


    She was wearing a long white coat, but not the usual one, it was quite thick and covered in barely visible protective tes that mimicked the scales of monsters. On her feet were high boots that added at least five centimeters to her height.


    However, she was considerably shorter than Magnus and Nessa, who for women possessed a very tall stature.


    Her skin was a little pale and seemed a little artificial for they were too perfect, smooth, and soft, and her face had cute features.


    Nessa gulped, confusion filling her eyes.


    She had heard Dous and Magnus talk about this girl, so she imagined that the head of the Iron Observatory must have been a stern middle-aged woman with a sharp mind and iron principles, exuding confidence and discipline.


    However... the girl in front of them looked like a student who was preparing for an experiment in tomorrow''s chemistry ss...


    Step. Step. Step.


    The girl stepped forward, looking at Magnus with a confident smile.


    Then, she stopped, staring intently into his eyes.


    Nessa didn''t say anything, but she could feel the tension growing between them every second, she seemed to see lightninging out of their eyes colliding with each other in the middle.


    "Magnus!!! My favorite sweet bun!" The girl eximed before jumping at Magnus.


    Magnus caught her, having no problem letting her arms hang around his neck while she looked up at him with a joyful smile like a fan or rather a lover...?


    Nessa''s jaw opened wide, if there had been a chance it would have fallen to the ground with a loud crack.


    She had expected anything except this. It waspletely out of ce in her view of this encounter.


    "Nessa, meet Refesa Alheim, free scientist and head of the Iron Observatory." Magnus said kindly, beginning to pull Refesa by her cheeks as if she were a soft toy.


    "Yes... Nice to meet you." Nessa muttered with her eyes still wide open.


    "Hmm?!"


    Suddenly, Refesa frowned heavily and her eyes turned cold and hard, directing her stern gaze at Nessa.


    "Hey, beastly bitch, haven''t you been taught manners on how to address your elders? Now bow down and show respect." Refesamanded.


    Nessa flinched, quickly doing as Refesa said. She felt strange, it seemed that Refesa''s voice had magical powers.


    "Excuse me!!! It''s a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Refesa!" Nessa bowed low. Thest time she had felt such power on her was only from Magnus, her body moving on its own.


    "Hey, don''t be so hard on my daughter." Magnus said softly, calming Refesa down.


    "Fine." Refesa snorted.


    Nessa took a deep breath raising her head. Then, she realized she heard something strange.


    ''Wait... She said to show her respect because she''s older? She looks less than 20! Much less!'' Nessa inwardly eximed.


    Magnus smirked.


    "Oh, Nessa, I think I know what you''re thinking. There was nothing strange about Refesa''s words, after all, she''s a few years older than me."


    Refesa smirked.


    Nessa''s sweat came out, she couldn''t believe how that was possible.


    "Anyway, it doesn''t matter now. Refesa, will you help us?"


    "Sure, sorry but I overheard your conversation with Dous, I have my ways, you know." Refesa giggled.


    Magnus nodded.


    "That''s good. Now, let''s get to work."


    Magnus said and headed forward, holding Refesa in his arms while she rested her head on his shoulder with a slight smile on her face.

 Chapter 335: Midnight Crystal (Part 60)

    Nessa paced behind Magnus and Refesa, while more and more questions appeared in her mind. She realized that Magnus was a grown man, moreover, he had been married once before and had obviously had many women in his life as well as rtionships.


    However, she couldn''t take her eyes off Refesa, who at first appearance had set boundaries between them, immediately taking Magnus for herself.


    She looked like a student who had just entered university, someone so trivial wouldn''t be able tost in Magnus''spany for even ten minutes before breaking down or bing too boring for him.


    ''Wait...? Am I jealous?'' Nessa internally muttered as her eyes went wide.


    She didn''t want to admit the feeling, but it was the most urate description of what was going on inside her right now. But, she wasn''t jealous of Magnus as a woman to a man, but as a daughter whose father''s attention had been taken away by someone else.


    ''Moreover, father said that Refesa is older than him by a few years, so she''s over 30, no... is it possible that she''s over 40? Then... How does she look several times younger?'' Nessa clenched her fists tightly, gritting her teeth.


    Refesa noticed this, chuckling slightly.


    ''''Don''t worry. There is no one in this world that Magnus loves more than you. Of the two of us, I''m the one who should be jealous, not you." Refesa said, in a sweet voice, making Nessa wince.


    "I wasn''t thinking anything like that! I''m preparing to go to Fume Throne! A battle, that''s all I can think about!" Nessa quickly replied looking up at the ceiling, her face visibly flushed.


    Refesa covered her mouth with the palm of her hand, giggling.


    "Magnus, your daughter needs more social interaction, she doesn''t know how to lie at all. Any child coulde up with a more believable lie than she is right now."


    Magnus nodded, abruptly grabbing Refesa firmly by her face.


    "Yeah, you''re probably right, but don''t you dare say things like that in front of her again." Magnus said with a slight smile on his face, but his grip was firm and strong, showing that he was a bit pissed off.


    Refesa directly showed what kind of feelings Magnus had for Nessa. Sure, Nessa knew it, but hearing it was something else entirely.


    Clutch.


    Refesa''s small hands grasped Magnus''s wrist, as if in an attempt to loosen his grip.


    "Hehehe, instead of hurting my face, why don''t you channel your anger here?" Refesa smirked with a crazed look, moving Magnus''s hand to her slender neck.


    Magnus''s eyes went wide as a wide grin appeared on his face and his eyes narrowed sharply.


    "Hehehe, you crazy bitch, do you have no shame at all?"


    Refesa only exhaled hot air,pletely unembarrassed, it seemed that shame was unfamiliar to her.


    Nessa blushed even more. She felt like she shouldn''t have been here and seen what was going on.


    However, Magnus realized that as well, so he soon reassured Refesa who unlike him had no limits and no sense of tact.


    Tap.


    Magnus pressed a button, summoning an elevator that plunged them into the depths of the Iron Observatory.


    "You''re going to let Nessa use it, right?" Magnus asked staring intently at Refesa whose head was still on his shoulder. It was clear from his eyes that he wasn''t going to take no for an answer, especially after the path they had already traveled.


    Refesa nodded.


    "Sure, but, just this once. Honestly, I thought about stepping in on this too, but you beat me to it." Refesa said in a quiet voice while they made their way down to the lower floor.


    Magnus raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    "You know, though I''m no Aiden Henk, but like any Citadel resident I have an interest in making sure that Phantoms with a promising future survive." Refesa said calmly, with only mild interest.


    "Hah, are you really talking about Adam Vinter?"


    Refesa nodded.


    "Well, he''s strong, if he can survive today and defeat gue Reaper, it will be a worthy precedent in his history. However... I''m also interested in one girl from Golden Light Squad. Her name is Osana, one ability she has... I wonder what it might turn into next and how she will use it."


    Magnus narrowed his eyes. Now he wanted to know more about this Phantom if Refesa had any real interest in her abilities.


    The two of them had a rather close and unusual rtionship, as well as their statuses, but they had boundaries too. Refesa didn''t try to pry into the depths of Magnus''s experiments as much as he did.


    Sure, Refesa knew about Nessa just as Magnus knew about some of the curious things Refesa was up to, but that was only part of their secrets.


    Crackle.


    The elevator doors opened, ushering them into a massive hangar that could fit hundreds of military vehicles of various sizes, from trucks and helicopters to multiple BH-01 fighters.


    However, this lower floor at Iron Observatory was not a warehouse, that''s what the Forts were for. This is where Refesa created their wildest ideas, test and experimental variants, and something unstable and overly dangerous.


    Maybe some of it would be in every Fort''s inventory someday, like exoskeletons and False Nexuses, or maybe Refesa would consider them useless projects and just abandon them. No one could control her and stop her from doing that.


    "Here." Refesa said pointing towards the massive gateway behind which something really big was supposed to be hiding.


    Magnus nodded, approaching the gate.


    Refesa jumped from his arms as she stood in front of the gate allowing multiple scanners to verify that it was her, giving her ess.


    Crackle.


    At the same moment, the gate opened revealing a long, pointed object with broad wings.


    Nessa''s eyes went wide with a slight shiver throughout her body.


    "Is that an improved fighter?" Nessa tilted her head trying to figure out what it was, "No... It''s something else, it''s nothing like the SH-01 or the BH-01... Wait, it''s apletely different model of fighter?"


    Refesa nodded calmly stepping forward, raising her gaze, and looking at her creation. This fighter was one of the most stable and proven of her designs, fully operational and serviceable for use, even forbat purposes.


    "This is the XH-01." Refesa said majestically, holding her hands behind her back, her gaze thoughtful.


    This fighter was slightlyrger than the SH-01, but considerably longer, bigger, and with pinched pointed wings.


    The SH-01 had only two engines, which along with the shape of the fighter and aerodynamics allowed it to reach its incredible speed. The BH-01 also had two engines, they wererger but not as powerful, and the BH-01 itself was extra heavypared to the SH-01.


    The XH-01 had as many as six engines, whose power seemed destined to tear this fighter apart on ignition, but Refesa was able to ovee this problem.


    How?


    With the help of hard alloys, her genius mind, and... monster parts that had be embedded in this flying machine.


    "Get in. You''ll fly straight from here." Refesa said calmly, ring at Nessa.


    Nessa blinked a few times, not understanding what she was talking about.


    "But... I don''t know how to fly fighters. I need a pilot."


    Refesa giggled.


    "Oh, silly girl, you don''t need a pilot, at least not for a simple trajectory like ours. XH-01 can be controlled from afar, you can do quite well without a pilot."


    Nessa''s eyes went wide in disbelief.


    Tap.


    Magnus put a hand on her shoulder.


    "Come on, we don''t have much time. This fighter could surprise you more than once. The remote control capability is just one of the features."

 Chapter 336: Midnight Crystal (Part 61)

    Nessa stepped into the XH-01 with an uncertain step. She had been on SH-01 fighters many times before when she had secretly participated in missions in Dead Lands.


    But... XH-01 was something else entirely.


    Inside it was filled with massive tanks of blue liquid, they were against the walls and the tubes from them went down to somewhere else, it didn''t look like they went to the engines and the liquid was for something else.


    ''Good. Nessa, consider me to be your Operator for this mission. Consider it the greatest privilege you could have, considering you''re not even a Phantom.'' Refesa said calmly.


    Nessa nodded with a great frown at her words. She wasn''t going to hold back this time.


    ''''Yeah, I''m not a Phantom, but I can easily defeat Snow Follower and many other monsters that most K1-Phantoms can''t do anything against. And... You''re not an Operator either." Nessa said confidently.


    Refesa''s eyes went wide for a moment, she hadn''t expected Nessa to be able to answer her so boldly. She wasn''t angry, but rather surprised.


    Magnus grinned widely, with narrowed eyes, clearly pleased with what had happened.


    "Hehehe, though our blood is different, she is still my daughter. Refesa, I advise you to be careful. If you put your finger in her mouth, she will rip your arm off, and that''s not a metaphor, she can literally do it."


    However, Refesa was not at all an easy person to take this situation personally.


    "Pffft. I''m better than the Operator, I''m smarter and more creative. But, you just got +1 point from me, you can be proud." Refesa said calmly, reaching out her hands to the control panel.


    Before Nessa could say anything, the fighter''s engines came into motion, as did the tform beneath it.


    Nessa lost her bnce from the surprise and almost fell, but she stepped on her foot in time to regain her bnce.


    Then, the tform moved the fighter into another hangar, before lifting it up a special elevator that was more like a shaft forunching a massive missile.


    "Sit in the pilot''s seat and enjoy the flight. Given the distance and speed, you''ll arrive at Fume Cathedral in just 5 minutes and 35 seconds." Refesa said while the fighter went outside to the wide area behind the Iron Observatory.


    Then, underneath XH-01 activated two additional small vertical engines that effortlessly lifted the fighter above the ground.


    "Good luck. It''ll be especially hard when you get to Fallen Crypt. gue Reaper made sure no one could get there, but... You''re safe in XH-01, I can guarantee it." Refesa said confidently, pressing the button.


    Nessa was about to say something, but suddenly the entire XH-01 shook vigorously before turning into a ck sh with a blue plume, instantly breaking the sound barrier, making a loud p, and leaving a ring of air over Iron Observatory.


    From such speed, Nessa was shocked. She was nailed in her chair, as it seemed to her that her bones should have broken at any moment from such pressure. Well, that was an illusion due to the sudden increase in speed.


    The XH-01 was safe inside and unless one was looking forward through the windshield, the speed wouldn''t be felt as much. Refesa made sure that this fighter could be flown by a pilot if needed, that is a simple human, not a Phantom.


    "Hey, are you sure about this? I mean, I trust you, but the ck air from the gue Reaper can get through the gaps in the ne''s tes and get inside. Even if Nessa doesn''t die from it, she''ll lose consciousness and be seriously injured." Magnus asked seriously.


    He didn''t want to waste time so he rushed this whole mission, but if he wasn''t sure of Nessa''s safety he would cancel the mission. Until she got to Fallen Crypt, Refesa still could turn XH-01 around to return to Iron Observatory.


    Refesa nodded.


    "Don''t worry. The ck air won''t even be able to touch XH-01, that''s what the artifact inside this fighter is for."


    ''An artifact inside a technique...? What...?'' Magnus said to himself, unsure if he heard everything correctly, ''The artifact inside the fighter. Hahaha, I''ve never seen her use that feature of the XH-01 before. This is going to be curious.''


    Magnus began to chuckle evilly, before looking with a wide grin at Refesa, who was sitting rxedly in a chair watching Nessa''s flight.


    ...


    Crackle.


    A few minutes before Magnus and Nessa arrived at the Iron Observatory, the head of thest monster that had been trapped inside the Fume Cathedral by gue Reaper''s will fell onto the cold, stone floor.


    "So... What''s the n?" Katrin asked, looking around with narrowed eyes.


    The massacre by gue Reaper continued for several minutes. Fume Armors'' swords killed dozens of monsters, with no one left alive.


    Sure, they were Light Yellow Threat monsters and they fought back, but... they were only able to kill three Fume Armors when there were over twenty of them.


    "I still insist that we should try to escape from here." Oskar swung his hand looking towards the side gate.


    Oskar pointed his sword there.


    "If we all attack at the same time we can definitely destroy them, I''m sure of it."


    E and Lero looked at each other uncertainly, they were still not ready to go against Oskar''s decisions, after all, he was their leader. However, thest member of their squad had long ago decided to switch sides, realizing that Oskar was useless as a leader in such a critical situation.


    "Nah." Osana snorted, rolling his eyes arrogantly.


    "What?" Oskar eximed indignantly.


    "We had to do it while Fume Armors was busy killing monsters. Although, even if you had decided to do it earlier, I would have refused. It''s a useless n."


    Oskar clenched his fists tightly.


    "Then what should we do?!"


    Step.


    Adam stepped forward, heading towards gue Reaper.


    "I mean, it''s obvious. We have to fight and make his serene gaze fill with anxiety and fear of death!" Adam aimed his needle at gue Reaper, who was standing in front of the throne.


    At this time, Katrin''s gaze traveled upward as Scarlet Pyromancer still lurked on the beams beneath the roof of the Fume Cathedral. He was able to conceal his presencepletely, blending into the shadows and waiting for this crisis to end before leaving this ce.


    Katrin narrowed her eyes, biting down hard on her lip almost to the point of bleeding. Despite her earlier words, her desire to fulfill her goal and change her life still hadn''t gone anywhere.


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 Chapter 337: Midnight Crystal (Part 62)

    Step. Step. Step.


    gue Reaper slowly walked forward, his footsteps echoing around, instilling fear and terror in anyone who wasn''t prepared for a deadly battle with the strongest Purple Threat monster.


    Now, there were no more obstacles left. All the monsters were dead, those monsters that remained outside of the Fume Cathedral could not enter and were greatly frightened by the eerie aura that emanated from this gothic building.


    Katrin took onest nce at Scarlet Pyromancer and shook her head.


    ''No, I can''t demand them to help me kill Scarlet Pyromancer right now, that''s impossible. First, we have to deal with him.'' Katrin pondered while staring intently at the gue Reaper.


    The mere posture of the gue Reaper was enough to show how confident he was in his powers, but... unlike Oskar, E, and Lero who were frightened and consumed by his influence, Katrin felt no fear.


    She realized that gue Reaper was an unusual monster, moreover, it was a Crown Type, which showed its power in battles, especially in closed areas.


    ''Fine, although these three are weaker than us, but me, Osana and Adam are more than strong enough to withstand thepetition. Adam defeated Essence Thunder Demon, Top-2, so... fighting Top-1 with the supports shouldn''t be too difficult, right?''


    Katrin pondered while looking at Adam and Osana from time to time.


    ''And... Osana, that bitch wasn''t as easy as the others. I hate to admit it, but as a support, she''s definitely much better than me. Moreover, from her snake-like gaze, it''s clear that she''s hiding something. She''s got a trump card.''


    Adam stepped forward, not at all afraid that gue Reaper would resort to dirty tricks. Lero and E nced anxiously at Fume Armors, thinking that they would soon attack them from behind.


    However... until gue Reaper gave the order, Fume Armors would continue to stand still in the remote parts of the Fume Cathedral, blending in with the shadows.


    Furthermore, even if gue Reaper is in real danger, the Fume Armors will not defend him unless gue Reaper gives the order.


    Lero, E, and the others didn''t know this, but Adam realized that there was no way gue Reaper would use Fume Armors in their battle.


    Adam smirked, pointing his needle at gue Reaper.


    "Getting those monsters to attack me and my mates would be a real humiliation for a great warrior like you, wouldn''t it?" Adam smirked, understanding the nature of the Crown Type monsters.


    Crown Types went through many battles toe to their peak form and be creatures of a special group.


    Maybe not immediately, but gradually they understood what a decent fight meant and how they could get the most out of it to be even stronger.


    gue Reaper didn''t answer anything, he just continued walking forward, staring intently at Adam as if he were his only opponent. It seemed that gue Reaper saw Adam as the only real threat, and didn''t care about the others.


    Step.


    gue Reaper''s foot touched the ground and his silhouette shuddered, disappearing after a second and leaving behind only a puff of ck mist.


    "Agh...?"


    Lero''s eyes went wide as a shadow fell upon him from the towering figure before him, whose calm gaze looked at him as nothing more than an insect that stirred beneath his feet.


    Before Lero could react, the gue Reaper''s fist was headed for his face, bringing with it currents of wind and explosive power capable of blowing his skull to pieces.


    Bam.


    Another silhouette appeared in front of Lero, with electric shocks running through its body and a red magic circle shining brightly on its chest, powering the roots that coiled around its body.


    With a hurried nce, Adam ced his palm under the gue Reaper''s strike, pressing his hand against his stomach to minimize the power of the momentum.


    Thump.


    The shockwave traveled through Adam''s body, causing every muscle in his body to contract and feel the concentrated physical power gue Reaper possessed.


    ''Shit... Even with all the reinforcements and the fact that I had enough time to prepare a block, I could barely stand on my feet.'' Adam internally muttered before lowering his gaze.


    There were two ck lines on the stone floor, rather short, only a few centimeters long, but it meant that gue Reaper could move Adam that far with his punch.


    gue Reaper lifted his chin, as his eyes grew a little wider.


    ''Adam, do it now...'' Silvana said quickly.


    Adam had no reason to doubt Silvana''s words, so as soon as she finished speaking, Adam abruptly grabbed Lero and jumped aside as if he was trying to keep him from something.


    But... gue Reaper despite all his deadliness wasn''t attacking right now. Then who was Adam saving Lero from?


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    A white projectile flew from the long muzzle of the sniper rifle,ing at high speed toward gue Reaper, whose gaze was now fixed on Adam.


    E was burning gue Reaper with her stare. She was afraid to fight such a dangerous monster, but that didn''t mean she was going to stand idly by.


    Unlike gue Reaper who was alone, they worked in teams and had Operators with whom they could quicklye up with ns of action and turn them into life.


    A second ago, gue Reaper didn''t even realize that E was up to something, he was going to continue attacking Adam, but now a powerful projectile was heading towards him, it seemed impossible to dodge.


    Whistle.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Sweeping through the streams of wind like an extremely sharp de, gue Reaper''s palm came into motion. A ck mist covered his white bandaged hand before he ced his palm under the blow.


    In a heartbeat, gue Reaper jerked his arm sharply, guiding the projectile over his palm and forcing it to change its trajectory.


    Some of the bandages on his palm tore, revealing his pale skin where a scratch remained, but... the threat had passed.


    Adam''s and everyone else''s eyes went wide, staring at gue Reaper in disbelief as if he had done something impossible.


    ''Fuck... What was that?!'' Katrin inwardly eximed, gritting her teeth, ''That projectile should have at least ripped his face apart, but instead, he just threw it away with his palm? He just reflected E''s ability?!''


    At the same moment, a white projectile with a disrupted trajectory reached the corner of the Fume Cathedral.


    The shockwave caused torrents of wind to blow away everyone in its path before a st of white mes shook the entire Fume Cathedral. Waves of fire spread around, quickly escaping through the wide hole created by the explosion.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    A few stone debris fell down, shattering the cold floor into splinters and letting the moonlight seep inside.


    "That''s not all!"


    Oskar''s enthusiastic voice shattered the fleeting silence, appearing next to gue Reaper and sheathing his sword that was already endowed with light energy.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Several roots with sharp spikes grew out of the ground,pletely immobilizing gue Reaper, only for a moment, but it seemed to be enough.


    "Die!" Oskar angrily eximed, tightly clutching the hilt of his sword that was already close to gue Reaper''s neck.


    Then... gue Reaper''s coat which looked like in old clothes began to shake like a living creature.

 Chapter 338: Midnight Crystal (Part 63)

    No matter that gue Reaper was a Top-1 monster, he was still a Purple Threat monster and not someone who could easily defeat even K3-Phantoms.


    gue Reaper and the Phantoms before him were on the same level and were each other''s natural enemies. Golden Light Squad, and especially Adam, were not simple K1-Phantoms, and neither was gue Reaper just a strong monster.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    gue Reaper couldn''t just kill them all in one attack or break their bones with his aura, he wasn''t that omnipotent.


    Thus, their attacks were dangerous to gue Reaper, which was why he did his best to repel E''s shot because he knew what would happen if her attack hit the target.


    And... Oskar''s massive sword, empowered with light energy from his Second Nexus Trait, was a real threat that could end gue Reaper''s life in one precise swing.


    In a few seconds more Oskar''s sword would plunge into gue Reaper''s neck, severing his head.


    Could gue Reaper have let that happen? Of course not.


    Katrin''s roots were holding gue Reaper in one ce, in any other situation he would have been able to destroy them utmost quickly, but now he didn''t even have a few seconds.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The gue Reaper''s coat began to shake vigorously, revealing that the material from which the coat was made was not cloth at all, but something moreplex and sinister....


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    gue Reaper swung his arm, lifting his coat, covering the right side - where Oskar was. It seemed as if he was going to defend himself from Oskar''s attack by putting his coat under the strike.


    But... if gue Reaper only possessed ck air and impressive physical power, he wouldn''t be able to be a Top-1 monster.


    There was the sound of mping teeth like a piranha before devouring its prey.


    Then, a ghastly jaw with many white teeth and four long fangs emerged from the ck coat, a long red tongue twitching from side to side in anticipation before a delicious meal.


    "Agh...?" Oskar''s eyes went wide.


    Snap.


    The jawpletely engulfed Oskar''s left arm, crumpling his armor into nothingness and sinking its fangs into his flesh.


    Despite the bright, zing pain that spread through Oskar''s body, his mind paid no attention to it, for he was in genuine shock, unable to understand how things could havee to this.


    Crackle.


    The jaw turned sharply, tearing through Oskar''s flesh and breaking his bones. Then, the jaw swallowed his arm, returning to the coat and pressing against the gue Reaper.


    Oskar''s eyes went wide, he nced at the crimson puddle that was on the floor from the open wound on his arm and looked at his sword which was still charged with energy.


    ''Right, I can still attack. If he took my arm, I''ll take his head!'' Oskar inwardly eximed, going to continue his attack.


    He was seriously weakened, he had to hold his sword with one hand, but he had already decided that he would attack gue Reaper when they came up with this n with E and Katrin. Now, he had the willpower to continue what he had started.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    gue Reaper''s coat trembled, and a crimson energy began to emanate from it that headed towards gue Reaper''s hand. This energy his coat had received after devouring Oskar''s arm and now, gue Reaper was ready to return this power to its original owner.


    "Rgh..." gue Reaper took a deep breath with a heavy wheeze before plunging his fist into Oskar''s stomach.


    His fist, sheathed in white bandages and covered in dense crimson energy that enveloped it like blood, mmed into Oskar''s armor, crumpling it like a piece of paper.


    The impact caused a shockwave followed by an air ring and a loud m spreading around.


    The armor shattered, Oskar''s bones cracked before a few of his ribs broke and his internal organs went through a living hell.


    Then, a pulse traveled through Oskar''s entire body, tearing his feet off the ground and sending him into flight.


    Bam.


    Oskar crashed into the nk wall behind Fume Throne, a crack spreading away from his plunged body into the cold stone. A few pieces of debris fell to the floor, but not Oskar, his arms and legs were sealed into the wall as if he had been nailed.


    Suddenly, gue Reaper spat out a clot of blood with a pained face before looking at his right arm, the bandages on which had been torn apart by such a powerful blow.


    ''I see...'' Adam internally muttered carefully studying gue Reaper''s reaction, ''That punch was incredibly powerful, but he won''t be able to use his strange coat too often.''


    Adam nced at gue Reaper''s coat whose jaw had already disappeared.


    ''To do that he needs the coat to absorb someone''s flesh, transfer its energy to him, and gue Reaper will attack, releasing that power but also facing destructive pressure. The recoil would simply destroy his body if he did this several times in a row.''


    Adam as well as the others didn''t know that gue Reaper had such a dangerous trump card, but he tried to learn as much as he could about his opponent while he had the chance.


    Step.


    gue Reaper stepped forward, but he wasn''t heading towards Adam or the others but towards Oskar as if he wasn''t done yet.


    Oskar''s massive swordy at his feet, he cast a quick nce at the weapon and effortlessly picked it up with one hand.


    "What, what is he doing...?" Lero muttered in a trembling voice.


    He watched as gue Reaper bent backward, drawing his sword for a throw, like a spearman ready to strike his target with a precise attack.


    "NO!" Adam eximed turning into a lightning sh, but it was already toote.


    Crackle.


    With a cracked stone tform beneath gue Reaper''s feet, he threw the massive sword hurtling through the wind currents, heading straight for Oskar.


    Oskar''s eyes went up, seeing how his own sword, was about to take his life.


    ''Fuck... Is this really my end?''


    Oskar muttered before his eyes reflected the white sh crashing into his sword.

 Chapter 339: Midnight Crystal (Part 64)

    Whooooooooooooosh.


    The white projectile mmed into the sword, lighting everything up with a bright sh and causing the sword to start actively spinning trying to absorb the impulse.


    Oskar''s eyes went wide as his sword came dangerously close before plunging sharply into the wall. The wide de went deep into the cold stone, right next to Osark''s face, leaving a long scratch on his cheek.


    "F-Fucking hell..." Oskar gulped, a chill ran down his back and goosebumps covered his entire body. Never in his life had he been so close to death.


    Adam narrowed his eyes staring intently at gue Reaper, who didn''t bother to do anything further.


    ''I see... Considering he threw the sword and used such a move, he wanted to kill Oskar right here and now. However... he doesn''t do anything, which means he doesn''t have any ranged attacks in his arsenal.''


    "Yes!" E eximed vigorously, clenching her fist tightly with a radiant smile. It may not have gone as smoothly as she had nned, but she was able to throw off the sword''s trajectory and save Oskar.


    Oskar''s heart began to beat faster. He realized that even taking E''s shot into ount, the sword had practically pierced his head. That he was still alive was pure luck, as gue Reaper''s throw was wless.


    ''No... I said it was useless, but they still managed to convince me to try this strike, and... what happened in the end? That monster just ate my arm and nailed me to the wall. I''m not even sure I can get back on my feet in my current state...''


    Oskar''s eyes went to E, but his gaze didn''t linger on her for long, and hurried to gue Reaper, who was staring irritatedly at the Oskar sealed into the wall.


    ''Agh... He''s only one and he''s already practically killed someone from Golden Light Squad, he''s practically killed me...'' Oskar pondered internally while his eyes filled with more and more fear, ''Yes, I have to run, as soon as I get a chance I have to get out of here. gue Reaper... he won''t leave anyone alive...''


    "E! Great job!" Lero eximed with an excited smile.


    But... Osnana and Katrin didn''t have the same enthusiasm as these two.


    "Shit... Besides being physically strong and being able to kill with his breath alone, his coat is a living weapon? What the hell is going on here?" Katrin frowned heavily while gritting her teeth. Then, she cast another nce at the Scarlet Pyromancer lurking above.


    Osana nodded.


    "Yeah... Furthermore, we still don''t know what''s in there." Osana said, pointing at the heavy coffin next to Fume Throne.


    gue Reaper hade to Fume Cathedral carrying that coffin on his back, but since he had dropped it on the floor as a heavy load, he had yet to touch his secret weapon once.


    "Alright. Now that we''ve lost Oskar, you''ll have to get your act together." Osana said confidently with a nce at Adam and E.


    E and Adam nced at each other.


    "Attack together, as quickly and aggressively as possible. I, Lero, and Katrin will assist you. We can''t boost you anymore, but... even though we''re the supports, we each have at least one attack ability." Osana stretched her hand forward as her eyes shone brightly.


    Osana had already used two of the four abilities that any K1-Phantom had, so she only had two left in her arsenal, one of which was her First Order. It was an ability she had used since the beginning of her journey.


    It didn''t matter if the Phantom was someone like Adam or Oskar, whose abilities were centered around killing enemies and dealing damage, any Phantom had to have the ability to defend themselves.


    Katrin was an obvious example, though her two Nexus Traits were focused on helping and strengthening others, her First Order summoned a lot of roots with sharp spikes. Sure, most of the time she used roots to immobilize a target, but she could pierce some monster with sharp roots.


    Osana was in a simr situation.


    Whoooooooosh.


    A pink-blue mist appeared in front of her palm, slowly rotating in front of her hand like a serene vortex.


    Then, a stream of petals came out, some of them were blue, with sharp edges and elongated shapes like des, and the pink petals were round and soft.


    As Osana waved her hand, the pink petals came towards Adam, E, Lero, and Katrin, hovering near them and perched on their shoulders like miniature angels who were ready to heal their wounds if needed.


    The blue petals soared upwards, aiming their sharp tips directly at gue Reaper, who cast only a calm nce at Osana, assessing her ability.


    "The pink petals can heal your wounds, but only pretty weak ones like scratches or light cuts, so don''t count on them too much, it''s only a bonus. The main strength of my skill is in the blue petals." Osana said confidently before dramatically lowering her palm down.


    Dozens of petals rained down on gue Reaper like a hail of des.


    Although it was only Osana''s First Order, given her energy level, the petals were strong enough to wound gue Reaper or even seriously injure him if any petal sliced his neck or tendon.


    gue Reaper red at her, perceiving her as a worthy threat, but, he didn''t even bother to dodge.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Instead of trying to avoid the damage, gue Reaper swung his coat,pletely covering the space in front of him.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The blue petals crashed into gue Reaper''s coat and bounced off as if from a steel wall that they were unable to ovee.


    However, only a sly smile appeared on Osana''s face.


    ''Good. As I thought, he is quite vulnerable and mortal. However... I shouldn''t ignore the fact that he easily defeated Oskar and ripped off his arm. If we make even one mistake, one of us will die, that''s for sure. If that happens, then with a squad even smaller than the current one, we''ll hardly be able to counter him.''


    Osana pondered, biting her lip. This was the first time Adam and Katrin had seen such emotion on Osana''s face.


    ''Oh, looks like now she''s finally starting to reveal what she''s actually capable of, right?'' Adam internally muttered before nodding.


    ''Well, that''s definitely good news. There''s five of us now, but... if E and I can do this right, we''ll put gue Reaper in a difficult situation.''


    Step.


    Adam stepped forward, turning into a lightning sh.


    He still didn''t have all the information about their enemy, but what Adam knew was more than enough to believe in their victory.


    "E, attack!" Osana said, realizing that Adam had sprung into action.


    E nodded, as her eyes shone brightly. In her hand appeared a snow-white sphere of energy that was actively shaking.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    She could use the sphere like that, but she could also channel it into her sniper rifle, into her Nexus, which she did in the next second.


    The sphere entered the weapon, traveling down the sniper rifle in white lines before E pulled the trigger and fired a shot.


    The projectile that flew out of the muzzle wasrger than usual, and... after flying only a few meters, it split into dozens of faster and deadlier projectiles.


    They shook vigorously, containing explosive power, as soon as they crashed into gue Reaper, as he would be engulfed in a white ming inferno.

 Chapter 340: Midnight Crystal (Part 65)

    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam leaped forward, quickly finding himself in front of gue Reaper, who was ready to face him as an equal opponent.


    Without waiting for his enemy to react, Adam gripped the needle tightly, thrusting it forward, intending to pierce gue Reaper''s chest.


    gue Reaper''s eyes narrowed, and he abruptly took a step to the side missing Adam''s needle right in front of him. The silver needle whizzed close to his chest, but all Adam managed to aplish was tearing a piece of cloth off gue Reaper''s coat.


    ''Shit... I''ve done this sort of thing a few times when fighting other monsters, but... this was the first time I''ve been outmaneuvered so easily.'' Adam gulped, before changing the grip of his needle, and bringing his needle down on gue Reaper, pointing his needle to the right.


    "Agh..."


    gue Reaper let out a light, casual sigh before abruptly bending backwards, letting Adam''s needle pass over his nose.


    For a moment, the silver needle reflected in gue Reaper''s calm eyes before it was reced by electric shocks followed by a bare, tightly clenched fist.


    It seemed that gue Reaper had to dodge now in some strange way. His physical capabilities were probably enough for that, but... instead, a slight smile appeared on his face.


    Bam.


    Adam''s fist mmed into gue Reaper''s face with all its might, plunging his head into the ground, breaking the cold hard floor with ease.


    Stone shards flew upward, flying apart and falling next to the cracks that spread like spider webs from the point of impact.


    "Adam! Look out!" E eximed with a slight worry in her voice. Right now, Adam was their main hope for victory, but E couldn''t just stand by and watch him fight alone. She had to take action.


    Then, Adam jerked his head to the side, only to see dozens of white projectiles. They were approaching gue Reaper like a hail of arrows, about to rain down on him from above.


    ''Hah, looks like we''re getting our first sesses.'' Adam inwardly grinned with an excited expression watching E''s attack.


    He had seen a simr attack once before when he went on a mission with Zera''s Squad, but given the circumstances, E''s attack looked much more spectacr and devastating.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Adam tore to the side, moving out of the danger zone.


    gue Reaper was still lying on the ground, his head buried in the ground and a trickle of blood running slowly down his pale skin from his nose.


    The snow-white projectiles reflected in his eyes like stars in the night sky, gradually growingrger andrger, making gue Reaper smile once more.


    Crackle.


    gue Reaper mmed his fist against the ground, but not out of anger, his hand moved at a right angle, to a certain point.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A shudder ran through the ground as a stone tform rose up from gue Reaper''s left, literally knocked out of the ground by the impact of his fist.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    The first shells hit that very tform, shattering it into shards, releasing white mes of explosion outward.


    gue Reaper whipped his coat before leaping forward as a ck sh whizzed through the white fire.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "What the hell?!" E eximed in disbelief, watching as gue Reaper quickly ran away from her projectiles.


    However, a smirk soon appeared on E''s face as the projectiles from her Second Order were no ordinary projectiles. Aside from being part of one more powerful projectile, they could pursue their original target.


    Sure, gue Reaper was able to get rid of a few of the projectiles by making them crash into the stone tform, but that was only a small fraction of E''s attack.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Before the projectiles reached the ground, they abruptly changed their trajectory, heading after gue Reaper.


    gue Reaper turned his head back, looking over his shoulder at his undead pursuers. His eyes went wide for a moment, but that was all the reaction E deserved from him.


    "No way... He''s too fast. E''s projectiles can''t catch up with him!" Lero eximed, worried about the sess of E''s attack.


    gue Reaper''s legs were practically undetectable to Lero''s gaze. They looked like two shadows that only swayed slightly while they were actually moving at a tremendous speed, allowing gue Reaper to pass the entire Fume Cathedral in a few seconds.


    His silhouette whizzed past the columns that the projectiles asionally crashed into, unable to change their trajectory as quickly and deftly as gue Reaper did.


    "Hah, you don''t have to worry about that. He''s really fast, but I wouldn''t say it''s a problem for us." Katrin smirked confidently before mming her staff on the ground.


    Crack. Crack. Crack.


    At the same moment, roots began to emerge from the ground and walls, many more of them thanst time, covering everything around like deadly spiky vines.


    ''Grh, it took a lot of energy, but if I can stop this bastard for even a second, it''ll be worth it.'' Katrin muttered internally as her gaze grew fainter and bags appeared under her eyes as if she hadn''t slept in a long time.


    gue Reaper leaped forward, trying to dodge the roots. The tips of the first roots had failed to catch his legs, but the second time he wasn''t so lucky.


    Clutch.


    Several roots curled tightly around gue Reaper, holding him in one ce, or at least they tried to.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Beingpletely obliged by the multitude of roots, gue Reaper continued to step forward, causing them to tear like ropes unable to withstand such pressure.


    Katrin gulped. She couldn''t imagine how strong gue Reaper''s legs were if even so many roots were nothing more than weak threads against him, unable to hold the wild beast.


    But... E''s projectiles were too close.


    "ARGHHHHHH!!!"


    gue Reaper roared furiously like a true monster, tearing Katrin''s roots apart with his hands. The thorns stabbed into his hands, making blood gush, but it was a low price to pay for what he managed to achieve.


    In the next moment, gue Reaper turned into dark smoke, disappearing and ending up far behind E.


    The next thing E saw was her own projectilesing towards her. And... if she saved Oskar from his sword, can anyone save E from its destructive power?"

 Chapter 341: Midnight Crystal (Part 66)

    Lero was the youngest member of the Golden Light Squad. It wasn¡¯t to say that his path had been difficult or traumatic like Adam¡¯s, but the fact that he was here showed thatpared to the other K1-Phantoms, he was a pretty decent guy.


    Yeah, he was still a long way from Adam¡¯s level or someone like Osana. It wasn¡¯t just his ability or experience, but the fact that he wasn¡¯t mature enough.


    However, his activity and desire to help everyone was a bright part of his soul that always showed itself, especially in the most important moments.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    gue Reaper stopped far behind E, causing her projectiles to fly straight in her direction. Sure, there was an opportunity for dodging here, but only if E was as fast as gue Reaper.


    Naturally, E¡¯s speed wasn¡¯t even approximately the same as gue Reaper¡¯s.


    So while she was realizing what had happened and what kind of trap gue Reaper had prepared for her, the white projectiles were already closing in on her, only a second left before they hit her and tore E¡¯s fragile body apart.


    Explore more stories at NovelBin.C?m


    E blinked as someone¡¯s silhouette appeared in front of her, but it wasn¡¯t as tall as Adam¡¯s, though it was definitely a man with short hair.


    It was Lero, who withplete determination in his eyes stretched forward his arm creating a tight protective barrier.


    ¡¯No!¡¯ E internally eximed, but the words didn¡¯t leave her lips.


    In the explosion that followed white mes engulfed everything around them.


    At this time, Lero stood confidently on his feet, not intending to budge even a step. He clenched his teeth tightly, frowned heavily, and his face contorted in pain, but he couldn¡¯t retreat, because then all that explosive power would consume E.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Cracks covered his entire barrier, but Lero quickly repaired them, expending massive amounts of his energy, which was quickly depleted.


    After all, though E was slow and weak in closebat, her abilities had devastating power. gue Reaper wouldn¡¯t dodge her shots if they couldn¡¯t kill him.


    "ARGH!!!!"


    Lero screamed, trying to squeeze thest bits of energy out of himself, but his body had already reached its limit.


    The veins in his arm burst apart, releasing streams of blood flooding all around him.


    Realizing what was about to happen, Leropletely forgot about pain or exhaustion. He turned sharply, about to cover E with his body from the st wave that would break through his weakened barrier in a moment.


    Thest thing E saw was Lero¡¯s concerned eyes before the wave of fire engulfed him.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The pink petals on his shoulders were burned away like dry paper, disappearing without a trace and unable to stop the fire even for a moment.


    The shockwave threw them off in different directions, E crashing into the nearest pir with a thud as Lero flew off towards the main gate.


    Lero¡¯s body rolled across the cold stone floor before finallying to a stop in the middle of the Fume Cathedral.


    A few white lights illuminated his emaciated face while moonlight fell on him through the holes left by E¡¯s past attack.


    E had suffered only minor damage. A few scratches and bruises, nothing serious especiallypared to what would have happened to her if she hadn¡¯t been protected by Lero.


    But... Lero wasn¡¯t as lucky as she was.


    His right arm, through which the energy for the shield passed, was badly damaged, the skin was torn and the veins couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure and burst.


    The left side of his body was burned, everything from his clothes to his skin being reced by a rough, crimson texture that gave off steam.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Suddenly, out of the darkness beside Lero, stepped gue Reaper. His quiet footsteps echoed while his tall silhouette approached Lero.


    "What...? Wait, no! Someone stop him." E eximed, quickly moving away from the wall in an attempt to reach her sniper rifle.


    E wasn¡¯t the only one acting, the others were also trying to help Lero and get to him as fast as possible, but they were near the Fume Throne while gue Reaper and Lero were at the main gate.


    The distance between them was quiterge, so they needed time before they could help their mate.


    Lero and gue Reaper exchanged nces, at the same time gue Reaper¡¯s hands came into motion.


    p. p. p.


    "Agh...? What¡¯s going on?" Adam muttered before abruptly stopping, as did everyone else.


    Katrin stared wide-eyed at gue Reaper, who instead of attacking started pping.


    Osana frowned heavily, burning gue Reaper with her gaze. She, because of her nature, was sure that gue Reaper did it on purpose to distract them with his strange actions.


    But... Lero understood what gue Reaper was doing.


    It was a round of apuse from the Top-1 Purple Threat monster for the courage and bravery that Lero had shown.


    gue Reaper was a monster, but he was intelligent and conscious enough to understand suchplex, ephemeral feelings, moreover, he could give his own assessment of others¡¯ actions.


    Then, gue Reaper pressed his palm to his chest and bowed low, expressing his sincere respect for the injured young man in front of him.


    "Don¡¯t you dare stand in front of him!" E eximed furiously before firing several high-speed shots.


    gue Reaper¡¯s eyes shifted to the side as he tilted his head a little lower, letting all the shots fly right over his head.


    "Why are you standing there?! It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a cunning n or anything else! We have to help Lero!" E eximed, her desperate voice spreading throughout Fume Cathedral.


    Adam, Katrin, and Osana nodded, realizing that in a situation like this, there was no room for doubt. They could stop gue Reaper.


    Step.


    Adam stepped forward, turning into a lightning sh. Katrin swung her staff, forcing the roots into motion, Osana reached forward,manding hundreds of blue petals to flow toward gue Reaper.


    In unison with them, gue Reaper raised his foot, as if about to take a step and move aside to prepare and face their attacks.


    ¡¯Wait... There¡¯s something wrong. You don¡¯t need to raise your leg that high to take a simple step or leap...¡¯ Adam internally muttered, quickly running forward, electric shocks passing through his entire body.


    gue Reaper and Lero nced over once more. Then, something reached Lero¡¯s mind as the gue Reaper¡¯s eyes reflected his frightened and desperate expression.


    Then, gue Reaper¡¯s leg came into motion once more, copsing down with tremendous speed and force sting Lero¡¯s head.


    The loud rattle of a broken skull and the cracking of the ground sounded in everyone¡¯s head, echoing in their hearts, which filled with the sharp pain of realizing what just happened.


    E¡¯s eyes went wide in horror, watching the dark trickles of blood spilling over the ground, asionally disappearing into the deep cracks, filling those hollows with themselves.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    gue Reaper swung his hand, cutting a piece off of his coat with his palm.


    The cloth slowly fell over Lero¡¯s head, covering his disfigured face from this world to which he no longer belonged. His journey was over, right after he had saved the life of someone else.


    Bam.


    E fell to her knees, with her face as pale as a sheet of paper. She was trembling violently, unwilling to ept this reality.


    It didn¡¯t matter how dire a situation they had found themselves in before. Golden Light Squad, since its inception, had always only consisted of four members.


    They had often found themselves in difficult situations, even critical ones, and had been severely injured, every single one of them. However... they had always returned to the Citadel, their home together.


    And... Today was the end of this good fortune they thought was a given.


    Whether they won or not, whether they had the support and those who could heal wounds, none of it mattered anymore, because Lero was dead.


    Golden Light Squad would never be the same again, and neither would each of them, for with Lero¡¯s death, some part inside their hearts died too, forever.


    Was this the cunning n of the gue Reaper?


    No.


    His apuse, bow, and respect in his gaze were sincere, without any ulterior motive. However, after that, the fight returned to its usual pace.


    It should not be forgotten that first and foremost, gue Reaper was a monster. If he fought, he had only one goal - to kill his enemy.


    Yeah, Lero was injured, sacrificing his health to save E was an honorable act, but that didn¡¯t mean he stopped being gue Reaper¡¯s enemy.


    gue Reaper was not the noblest knight who would leave Lero his life, for his bravery. No, the respect he showed towards Lero was already too great for a mere monster.


    Any other monster in gue Reaper¡¯s ce would have simply torn Lero apart as soon as the opportunity presented itself.


    gue Reaper waved his hand, giving orders to his servants.


    Several Fume Armors stepped forward, gently lifted Lero off the ground so the ck cloth wouldn¡¯t fall from his face, and ced him on the floor next to the Fume Judge.


    Now, until the end of their battle, Lero would be under the care of the Fume Judge. From the monsters¡¯ side, it was a true act of mercy.


    ¡¯Adam...¡¯ Silvana muttered, trying to understand with her words what Adam was feeling right now.


    However, she wasn¡¯t going tofort him, she knew this wasn¡¯t what he wanted.


    ¡¯Tear him apart. Bring him violent and fiery vengeance without waiting for your anger to subside.¡¯


    "Yeah, that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m going to do." Adam whispered as silver threads covered his left arm transforming into a ghastly paw with sharp ws.

 Chapter 342: Midnight Crystal (Part 67)

    ¡¯Wait... What¡¯s going on with Adam?¡¯ Silvana inwardly muttered looking at him.


    She had often seen him use his Second Order. It was a tall gauntlet like a monster¡¯s paw woven from hundreds of silver threads with five sharp ws.


    The Second Order always covered Adam¡¯s left hand, while his First Order, a silver needle, always upied his right hand. Furthermore, when he used the needle or the ws, only one ability was active. It always worked that way, with no exceptions.


    However... As soon as Adam used his Second Order, his Evolution Tree actively trembled. Every time Phantom¡¯s Evolution Tree trembled, it showed that his power was about to grow.


    This was not rted to Phantom¡¯s level. No matter how many times the Evolution Tree shook, its power could not grow strong enough to move Adam from K1-Level to K2-Level, it needed the Key, there was no other way.


    However, Adam¡¯s strength could rise to a certain level if the right conditions were met.


    Right now, he was in Fallen Crypt, Yellow Threat Area, and was near the Fume Cathedral, where the energy density was slightly lower than in the rest of the Fallen Crypt.


    But... gue Reaper waspletely to me for what was happening now. Because of his actions, there was too much energy in Fume Cathedral.


    White particles of energy covered everything around, it was the fused energy of the Fume Throne, which gue Reaper got rid of because he didn¡¯t need it.


    He upied the Fume Throne to subdue Fume Armors and get rid of unwanted spectators, monsters, and to show his greatness.


    Thus, in Fume Cathedral, the energy level reached Mid of even Dark Yellow Level.


    Sure, unlike monsters, Phantoms couldn¡¯t absorb some massive energy source like arva king to trigger the evolution process. They had other ways to be stronger and restraining mechanisms such as the Keys and the conditions to create them.


    However, Evolution Tree was almost entirelyposed of dense energy that was under the Phantom¡¯splete control.


    In critical situations, the Phantom¡¯s body would let some energy inside, which would cause Evolution Tree to grow to meet the Phantom¡¯s needs.


    For this reason, engaging in deadly battles and winning was a sure way to quickly be stronger for both Phantoms and monsters. But, this could only happen once in a long period and had its limits.


    However, it was enough for one K1-Phantom to be much stronger than another K1-Phantom, because the number of deadly battles they went through were different. Discover stories with NovelBin.C?m


    Also, some scientists who closely studied monsters believed that the trembling of the Evolution Trees had caused their world to appear as Crown Monsters.


    Crown Types were originally no different from ordinary monsters, and Crown Types did not exist at all. They were simple monsters, but because they fought constantly and their Evolution Trees trembled time after time after their victories in deadly battles, they becamepletely new, unrecognizable creatures.


    It was worth realizing that the tremble of the Evolution Tree was an emergency and dangerous measure to help Phantom or Monster deal with a crisis.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The most urateparison would be the release of adrenaline into the bloodstream of a normal person in critical situations, only instead of adrenaline here, it was energy that was absorbed by the Evolution Tree and it became a bit bigger.


    This was a great strain on both the Phantom¡¯s body and the monster¡¯s body, for the body had to be strong and sturdy enough to withstand the power and size of the Evolution Tree.


    At this point, the Phantoms and monsters were aided a bit by the natural process of wound healing,parable to the way muscles in normal people grow after serious physical activity.


    Sure, there was a limit determined by the level of the creature, but it helped the body of the Phantom or monster to be a little tougher after mortalbat, which helped to withstand the growth of the Evolution Tree that happened in critical moments.


    If these two mechanisms were not linked, then instead of bing a little stronger in the heat of battle, the Phantom or monster¡¯s body would simply be torn apart by their own Evolution Trees.


    And... The emotionalponent was also important. Evolution Tree wouldn¡¯t act on its own if it didn¡¯t have the Phantom¡¯s will. The energy and the critical situation were just conditions that needed a catalyst to start acting. The catalyst was the Phantom¡¯s desire.


    It could be a desire to survive, a desire to protect someone, a desire to escape, a desire to win, or... a desire for revenge.


    It was thetter that was filling Adam¡¯s mind right now, causing his Evolution Tree to tremble and grow a little. The muscles in his body tensed up hard like steel ropes, allowing energy to spill throughout his body.


    At the same time, when Adam used his Second Order, his needle began to separate into hundreds of threads about to disappear, but...


    As his Evolution Tree shuddered once more, onest time, the threads returned to their ce, binding tightly around his right arm, making the tip of the needle a little longer and most importantly sharper.


    Adam¡¯s eyes shone brightly, reflecting the silhouette of his Evolution Tree for a moment before a single trickle of blood came from his right eye.


    Osana cast a slightly concerned look at him. She hadn¡¯t expected that Adam¡¯s desire for revenge and tearing gue Reaper apart would lead to the tremble of the Evolution Tree.


    ¡¯Shit... His body is at its limit. If he gets any stronger, he just can¡¯t take it, and considering it¡¯s him, he clearly won¡¯t care about his condition. He¡¯ll die trying to win, that¡¯s for sure.¡¯ Osana muttered inwardly as she looked at Adam¡¯s majestic figure.


    Then, she bit her lip and smirked slyly.


    ¡¯However, if we really are on death¡¯s doorstep, I can take care of you. But...¡¯ Osana nced at Katrin, Oskar and E, ¡¯Just you.¡¯


    gue Reaper frowned heavily, ring at Adam, whose gaze was deep and intense. He was about to unleash all his power and anger upon gue Reaper, and his threads would be a faithful guide to his will.

 Chapter 343: Midnight Crystal (Part 68)

    "Oh... What a strange feeling..." Silvana muttered looking at Adam, who now for some reason lookedpletely different.


    There was literally power, sacrifice, and anger radiating from him.


    She knew well what Adam was capable of, and realized that he was able to achieve this state by putting his body under serious pressure.


    However... whereas before she would have been very nervous about him and would have asked him to worry about his condition, now she had very different thoughts and desires.


    She wanted to see Adam fight. She wanted to see what his new, lofty look was capable of.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Electric shocks ran through his body, and his hair rose, rippling slowly from side to side while the tips of his feet hovered above the ground.


    Adam''s lips came into motion, but his voice was so quiet that no one heard what he said except... gue Reaper.


    ''Beware.''


    The word pierced gue Reaper''s mind before Adam leaned forward.


    His speed remained the same, but his attitude towards the situation hadpletely changed. No matter what would happen to his legster, right now it was important to use their power to the limit. However, considering how much his muscles were strained, his physical capabilities had actually gotten a bit higher.


    A ck streak was left behind Adam, from the dozens of electric shocks that hit the ground after his swift, powerful strides.


    Before gue Reaper had time to realize anything, a long silver needle passed in front of his face, leaving a deep horizontal cut on his nose.


    A few drops of blood trickled outward, slowly passing in front of his baffled eyes.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Four long ws, cut through the droplets, quickly heading straight for gue Reaper''s face. Remembering perfectly well how easily Adam''s needle had cut his nose, gue Reaper was fully aware of what would happen if Adam''s ws reached their target. He couldn''t let that happen!


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    gue Reaper''s coat shuddered, causing his sleeves to be much longer and cover his arms, turning into his gloves.


    Then, two creepy jaws opened on the ck gloves, with long, sharp teeth and an insidious grin wanting to devour everything in its path.


    Whistle.


    gue Reaper let out a sigh like a quick swipe before swinging his right arm, exposing his wide-open jaw to the silver ws.


    The cascades of sparks flew off to the sides while white teeth gnashed against the silver ws, trying to tear each other apart.


    Then, Adam turned the torso, bringing his needle in for the attack.


    The gue Reaper''s pupils narrowed. He turned around sharply, bringing his second glove under the st.


    Clutch.


    His jaw clenched tightly around the needle, trying to gnaw on it like some kind of bone, but it was more like a dog trying to tear through a steel rod. It waspletely useless and only dangerous to the dog''s fangs, but nothing to the steel rod.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Adam lifted one leg slightly before bouncing off the ground with the other. While in the air, he spun sharply like an electric whirlwind, causing gue Reaper''s eyes to move panickedly from side to side in an attempt to keep track of Adam''s movements.


    Silver ws touched the ground, leaving four scratches on the stone floor before Adam''s right foot mmed right into gue Reaper''s face.


    Neither his jaws nor his sturdy coat could protect him from such a thing. It was a direct hit that sent a violent recoil through his entire body.


    Bam.


    The gue Reaper flew aside, plunging into the wall with a deafening crash. A high, thick cloud of dust rose, and nothing could be seen beyond it, only the gue Reaper''s blurry silhouette.


    The Fume Armors standing around nced around. They may have wanted to help their lord, but they wouldn''t do anything without orders. They only watched the exquisite battle developing in front of them.


    Like humans, monsters loved the spectacle and adored violence. It was something mesmerizing, real, and unique, especially when both fighters were worthy of watching.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Before the dust cloud could disperse even a little, Adam charged in at full speed, about to pierce the silhouette with his ws and needle.


    Ding.


    There was a loud ng as if from the sh of two iron swords. The sound wave quickly spread around, scattering a cloud of dust and revealing two creatures aiming to kill each other.


    gue Reaper''s hands were actively shaking, the jaws on his gauntlets struggling to withstand the pressure from Adam''s needle and silver ws.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Hey, didn''t you hear me? I told you, beware." Adam whispered before increasing the pressure, moving slightly closer to gue Reaper, who had to hold his hands to his chest.


    Bam.


    Adam''s right leg came into motion, his knee plunging like a hammer into gue Reaper''s stomach, forcing thetter''s muscles into a veritable inferno in an attempt to mitigate the damage in any way.


    "Argh!!!"


    gue Reaper let out a growl. Blood rushed from his mouth, coating the ground, but despite the bright, piercing pain, his arms didn''t flinch.


    All his instincts screamed that if he rxed for even a moment if he took his hands away, Adam''s ws and the needle would tear him apart. Adam would simply gash his stomach like a hunter would do to his prey after a sessful hunt.


    "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh..."


    gue Reaper opened his mouth wide, letting out a huge amount of ck air. That one was much darker and denser than the one he used to kill Fog Hunter.


    Adam''s eyes went wide for a moment, but streams of blue wind still swept in front of him. Osana''s ability was working properly, it should have protected him from the death that was slowly approaching him with a light current of air.


    ''Maybe I should back off?''


    A thought shed through Adam''s mind. But, he dismissed it as quickly as it had appeared.


    ''No, thanks to Osana''s ability I can keep pushing further. Just a little more and he won''t be able to take it anymore, just a little more and his arms will fall!'' Adam inwardly eximed, with full determination to continue further.


    He could see that the ck air was gradually passing through the wind veil, but this danger could not stop him.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly,ing out of nowhere, a long root curled around Adam''s waist.


    "Agh...?" Adam''s eyes went wide in confusion.


    The root threw him aside, as far away from the gue Reaper as possible.

 Chapter 344: Midnight Crystal (Part 69)

    It is unknown what would happen if Adam continued to press gue Reaper further. Perhaps his ws would have torn the monster apart, or the ck air would burst through the wind veil, leading Adam to the gates of death.


    Well, neither Adam nor gue Reaper would ever know how their sh would end, for they were separated by someone intervening from the outside.


    Adam''s eyes went wide, as did gue Reaper''s. Neither of them expected to be interfered with. And... they were both outraged, for it was unknown which of them would win their fight.


    Before Adam or gue Reaper could realize or do anything, the root pulled Adam towards Katrin, with Osana standing next to her.


    It was clear from Osana''s gaze that this was her n. She understood better than anyone what her ability was capable of.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "What the fuck! Why did you do that?" Adam eximed, irritably approaching Katrin.


    "It wasn''t my idea!" Katrin waved her hand before looking at Osana, "She made me do it. She said it was too dangerous, and you could die."


    Then Adam''s fiery gaze headed towards Osana as if he were trying to burn through her.


    Osana narrowed her eyes.


    "Calm down. Our lives depend on you. I can''t let you die, even if the odds were unknown. The ck air nearly destroyed my wind veil, a few more breaths and you''d be lying on the ground with a nk stare with foam flowing from your mouth."


    Adam gulped. He realized it was a possibility, but unlike Osana, he was willing to take the risk.


    Step. Step. Step.


    E ran up to them, but... she wasn''t going to talk at all. Her hand was covered in energy, condensing and turning into several arrows that hovered above her.


    "Die!" E shouted furiously, throwing her arm out towards the gue Reaper, who was still against the wall.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    White arrows flew in front of Adam, Katrin, and Osana, quickly heading toward the gue Reaper, leaving a faint trail that quickly dissipated as the arrows traveled.


    gue Reaper furrowed his eyebrows before darting away, hiding behind the columns.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    In an attempt to catch up to the shadow, the arrows crashed into the columns, partially destroying them but also eliminating themselves.


    Watching the arrows and E''s actions, Adam and the others noticed toote that gue Reaper''s goal was not to dodge E''s attack.


    He experienced a real fear of death, for it was possible that if Katrin had not intervened, Adam would have killed him. gue Reaper realized that, against Adam in his current state, his physical abilities and the strength of his coat were not enough to win.


    Moreover, gue Reaper couldn''t ignore Katrin and Osana, they made Adam even stronger than he was and were also serious opponents and worthy K1-Phantoms.


    It seemed that gue Reaper was in apletely losing position, but... in the heat of battle, they all forgot that all this time, gue Reaper had been fighting unarmed.


    Sure, his abilities, physical capabilities, and strange coat were real weapons in themselves, but it wasn''t something that could cut, destroy, or shatter.


    With a squeak, the gue Reaper came to an abrupt stop, leaving two streaks on the ground due to its high speed.


    Then, Adam''s and everyone else''s eyes went wide, realizing that they let gue Reaper get to Fume Throne, no... they let him walk up to the coffin buried in the ground.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    With a deep sigh, gue Reaper swung his hand, tearing off the top lid of the coffin along with the hinges.


    The lid flew off to the side, spinning in the air, before sinking its sharp edge into the ground, showing how heavy it was.


    Then, thick ck smoke came out of the coffin, covering everything around it. Only a few secondster, when the smoke cleared, everyone could see what was inside the coffin.


    It was a tall scythe with a bone hilt and a long, curved de as ck as the night itself.


    Katrin gulped, instinctively taking a few steps back.


    Though the scythe looked quite normal, albeit a bit strange because of the bone hilt, Katrin felt an eerie aura of death from the weapon. She couldn''t exin it, but her legs moved without her knowledge, forcing her to walk a few meters away.


    Clutch.


    gue Reaper gripped his weapon tightly with one hand before struggling to pull the scythe from the coffin.


    It wasn''t just because the scythe as well as the coffin weighed a lot, but also because the coffin was literally holding the scythe inside of it.


    The ck hands lurking inside did not want to give up the scythe, they gripped its hilt tightly, but gue Reaper was stronger.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Taking a step backward, gue Reaper swung his scythe once, causing the wind currents around him to be active.


    Then, his gaze directed towards his enemies, his posture changed, his shoulders slightly raised, and his back bent forward.


    gue Reaper did so in order to hold his scythe with both hands, the de of which began to shake actively, faster and faster with each passing second.


    Soon, the trembling stopped before an eerie, piercing scream began to emanate from the ck de like a wailing siren.


    HOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRR!!!


    The sound waves quickly reached their ears, instilling fear. Goosebumps ran down their bodies, and their minds were consumed by nothing but terror. The scythe acted like a demon thirsty for blood and, at the same time, a desperate soul whose fate was to serve the gue Reaper.


    ''What a nasty scream...'' Osana thought, looking at the gue Reaper with narrowed eyes.


    She cast a nce at Adam and E. Their reactions were different.


    E was frightened, her face pale and her gaze nk, while Adam''s gaze became more serious. He realized that gue Reaper had now shown its full power, and it was unknown whether they would be able to deal with the consequences.


    Step.


    gue Reaper stepped forward, his intentions unknown.


    Strangely enough, the first to guess what was going on was Osana. Unlike Adam, she had a lot more experience with dodging or fleeing, so her instincts made her make the following decision...


    Whoooooosh.


    A sh of smoke covered the gue Reaper before his silhouette shuddered, disappearing like a shadow.


    "Agh...?"


    Adam gasped as he felt something crash into him. ncing to the side, he saw Osana, whose eyes were filled with regret and sadness. She jumped at him, clutching her arms tightly around his waist, to get as far away from that point as possible.


    Before Adam could say or realize anything, he saw a ck sh pass in front of them, which was the gue Reaper.


    But...


    Besides Osana and Adam, there was someone else standing in that spot...


    "What...?"


    E muttered, raising her eyes, only to see a long ck de that pierced her forehead.


    Several trickles of blood flowed downward, just as slowly as life was leaving E''s gaze, who still hadn''t fully realized what just happened.


    Whooooosh.


    gue Reaper''s hand slid over the bone hilt of his scythe before swinging his weapon.


    The ck de ripped E''s head from her body, dooming it to fall somewhere in a corner amidst the dust and dirt.


    There was no respect or apuse here, as there had been for Lero.


    The gue Reaper simply killed his next victim. E was just one of the many thousands whose lives he took along the way, nothing more.

 Chapter 345: Midnight Crystal (Part 70)

    Before entering the ck Cinder Forest, all the members of the Golden Light Squad were alive. The appearance of the Prime Thunder Demon didn¡¯t change that.


    The spatial anomaly and Light Yellow monsters couldn¡¯t break their sturdy squad. Fallen Crypt and even Fume Cathedral were only temporary crises they were prepared to deal with, especially with the support of Adam and Katrin.


    But... when gue Reaper arrived at this feast of death, instead of hunters or equalbatants, the Golden Light Squad became victims.


    First Lero, then E... Their journey wasplete, and it didn¡¯t happen in a great battle, but in one move.


    Although gue Reaper showed respect towards Lero, but... how did he kill him? Yeah, gue Reaper simply stomped on Lero¡¯s face, sting his head with one powerful trample.


    E didn¡¯t even have time to realize what had happened before her head was ripped from her body, rolling away into a dark corner.


    This left only Osana and Oskar, who had been on the verge of death some time ago. If it wasn¡¯t for E¡¯s shot, then he too would be dead by now.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Suddenly, the sepulchral silence was broken by the sound of one metal hitting another.


    While Adam, Osana, and Katrin stared wide-eyed at E¡¯s decapitated body, thest member of their squad was trying to escape this hell by any means necessary.


    "Fuck! Open up!" Oskar shouted desperately, mming his sword against the gate time after time. Despite his physical power and the sheer sharpness of his sword, all he could aplish was a few scratches on this impregnable fortress.


    "What is he doing...?" Katrin gulped, clenching her hands into fists. She tried to quiet the trembling that had been running all over her body for some time now.


    "No! I¡¯m not going to stay here anymore! We¡¯re all going to die!" Oskar eximed with a face contorted with fear.


    He was ready to smash his hand into blood over the hilt of his sword, but to break the gate and escape from here. He waspletely consumed by animal fear after all the events. He realized that, very soon, he too would die. His mind simply couldn¡¯t bear the thoughts anymore.


    gue Reaper tilted his head slightly to the side before approaching E¡¯s decapitated body.


    He looked at her sniper rifle lying on the ground and lifted his foot, making a powerful stomp on the ground next to the weapon.


    The impulse, like a spring, threw the sniper rifle upward.


    Whoooooooosh.


    With one quick swing, gue Reaper cut the long muzzle of the sniper rifle before reaching forward with his right hand.


    He grabbed the short part of the muzzle, squeezed it tightly, and threw it forward like a spear with all his might.


    The sharp part of the muzzle cut through the wind currents with ease before piercing the back of Oskar¡¯s head and exiting through his wide, open mouth.


    Bam.


    Oskar, who just a second ago had been trying to get out of the Fume Cathedral, became its next eternal prisoner. He, Lero, and E would never leave here again, at least their minds had ended their existence here as well as their souls.


    "Argh!"


    Katrin cried out in pain, causing Adam and Osana to turn around sharply. After what they saw, they thought that gue Reaper had somehow found a way to reach and kill her too.


    But what they saw was different from their expectations, though that too made their eyes go wide in confusion.


    Katrin, clenching her teeth tightly, thrust the spike of her root into her leg. No muscles or tendons were hit, there were only a few trickles of blood and a bright pain that filled Katrin¡¯s mind, but that was exactly what she wanted.


    Osana¡¯s corners of her mouth went up.


    ¡¯Oh, it looks like she¡¯s smarter than I expected. I¡¯m not sure I would be able to figure it out in a situation like this.¡¯ Osana pondered, she came to her senses by looking at Katrin¡¯s serious and collected face.


    Katrin¡¯s idea was simple enough - she had to somehow stop the thoughts that were slowly devouring her mind more and more. She was human, and like everyone else, she could experience fear and panic.


    Pain was a great tool to clear her mind, for all Katrin could think about was this bright sh of pain, then she began to control her own thoughts.


    "Does anyone have any suggestions?" Adam asked, staring intently at the gue Reaper.


    His gaze darkened, he had met E, Lero, and Oskar only today, but watching allies die was always difficult.


    Osana shook her head.


    "We must fight. Use all your abilities and powers. Katrin, is your artifact active?" Osana nced at her.


    Katrin shook her head.


    "Passive. It enhances my abilities and allows me to make them more powerful with more energy." Katrin shrugged.


    Osana nodded, waving her arms and causing blue petals to condense around her and Katrin. The petals became their armor, protecting their shoulders, elbows, and knees, the most important and vulnerable ces.


    Osana, however, did not have as many petals to fully protect their bodies.


    "My artifact is passive as well... Adam, you¡¯re ready to fight on, aren¡¯t you?" Osana nced at him. There was some uncertainty in her voice, but it had nothing to do with Adam but with her words about her artifact.


    Adam nodded.


    "Sure."


    Adam stepped forward confidently, there was no fear in his gaze.


    At this time, it had already gotten quite dark in Fume Cathedral, as many clots of energy disappeared, returning to thends and taking their bright light with them.


    The only thing that was there was the dim light of the moon seeping through the hole in Fume Cathedral. The night was the domain of darkness, and a thick ck fog covered everything in Fallen Crypt.


    Adam and gue Reaper nced at each other, about to attack.


    But...


    At the same moment, a particrly bright light seeped into Fume Cathedral, as if from a star that was rapidly approaching them.


    The light was so bright that the darkness quickly dissipated and the ck sky became white for a moment, even brighter than on a full sunny day.


    Adam, Osana, Katrin, and gue Reaper¡¯s eyes moved to the side.


    Crackle.


    In a heartbeat, a huge object the size of arge monster mmed into the Fume Cathedral, shattering its sturdy walls effortlessly, the structure simply couldn¡¯t withstand it.


    Shards of ss and stone fragments flew in front of the gue Reaper as a snow-white crystal flew over him, leaving behind a long plume that seemed toe from space.


    In the next second, the crystal flew another few dozen meters, shattering the majestic Fume Cathedral in two and sinking into the gray earth.


    Before finallying to a stop, the crystal traveled over a hundred meters, ending up half-submerged in the ground.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Its bright light was soothing and threatening at the same time. The energy emanating from this crystal was majestic, one nce and one ripple were enough to attract the attention of even the strongest monster.


    Any creature desperate to possess the energy lurking within this crystal that wasn¡¯t supposed to be here.


    This was the first time Adam and the others saw this crystal in person, but they had heard many times about this magical object that each of them needed as much as the gue Reaper.


    ¡¯Adam...¡¯ Silvana muttered with a tremor in her voice.


    It was Midnight Crystal.

 Chapter 346: Midnight Crystal (Part 71)

    It seemed that some moments nothing could ruin.


    gue Reaper was ready to fight against Adam, Osana, and Katrin, just as they were. Fume Armors stood aside as silent spectators, waiting for the fighters to make their next moves.


    The gates were firmly closed, making Fume Cathedral an impregnable fortress with no way out except for a hole in the roof, but it was too small and high up, its purpose was to let in the faint moonlight and nothing more.


    The hundreds of monsters outside were too scared toe within ten meters of Fume Cathedral. The Fume Statues were loyal guards, not going to let anyone in until the historic battle was over, regardless of its oue.


    The ck air and thick fog covering everything around this part of the Fallen Crypt minimized that anyone woulde here to interfere with their battle.


    Everything was wless and perfect.


    But...


    Anything could happen in Dead Lands, and spatial anomalies weren''t the only proof that this invible rule worked.


    Midnight Crystal, came out of nowhere, bringing with it not chaos, but a determination of how their battle would proceed.


    Fume Cathedral had been in Fallen Crypt for a long period, its construction absorbed massive amounts of dense energy, bing a truly solid material that most Light Yellow Threat Monsters were unable to break.


    However, for Midnight Crystal falling from the heavens, it was like destroying an unstable card house that could break with an excessive sigh.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground shook, responding to the power of the Midnight Crystal, drilling its sharp end into the gray earth, leaving a wide trail behind it like the aftermath of an avnche.


    In its path, besides destroying the Fume Cathedral, the Midnight Crystal crashed into several spectator monsters running around the majestic Gothic building, afraid toe any closer to avoid the wrath of the Fume Statues.


    Midnight Crystal was a natural phenomenon for which taking someone''s life was as in as making a simple, nameless stone tremble.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The bones of the monsters broke, their tough flesh tearing like weak cloth, forfeiting their lives as the tip of the Midnight Crystal pierced their bodies.


    However... This only happened to the particrly strong monsters. The weaker ones simply exploded. The thick streams of energy flowing around the Midnight Crystal put too much pressure on them as they fell.


    Adam, Osana, Katrin, and even gue Reaper... All of them simultaneously gulped, staring wide-eyed at Midnight Crystal who had stopped half-submerged into the ground.


    Behind him, Midnight Crystal left only destruction and a long bloody trail made up of dozens of monsters that died simply because they were too close to this majestic object.


    Though it was never confirmed, the Citadel assumed that the Midnight Crystals were shards of the Last Star, which was believed to be the beginning of the world in which they lived, both monsters and humans.


    Either way, it didn''t matter now whether the Citadel scientists'' assumption was true or not.


    Their hearts were actively beating just by looking at Midnight Crystal, feeling how dense and powerful its energy was.


    Earlier, the Prime Thunder Demon had stolen arva king to eat it and evolve. It was enough for a Top-2.1 monster like him.


    For a gue Reaper, such an array of energy would not be enough to trigger immediate evolution, but... Midnight Crystal was a different matter.


    The energy within Midnight Crystal was enough to allow three different gue Reapers to start evolving, not to mention the other weaker monsters that could even use a shard of it to be much stronger.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, a bright fiery sh appeared from above, causing everyone to pay attention.


    It was Essence Scarlet Pyromancer, who had finally, after a long time, gotten a chance to escape from this ce and immediately took it, not wanting to lose his only chance.


    With a few ps of its massive, heavy chitin-covered wings, Scarlet Pyromancer soared, quickly heading forward.


    gue Reaper raised his eyes upward for a moment, a look of slight surprise in his gaze. Despite being in charge of Fume Cathedral, he hadn''t noticed that all this time, Scarlet Pyromancer had been lurking above.


    Scarlet Pyromancer was ready to escape when gue Reaper deflected E''s st shot with his palm, but the hole from the explosion was too small.


    There was no way Scarlet Pyromancer''s massive body would fit through such a hole, but now that Fume Cathedral was partially destroyed, there was more than enough room to break out.


    Katrin bit her lip, gritting her teeth she muttered.


    "Fuck... Bastard, he decided to escape after all..."


    She clenched her fists tightly, staring at the plume of fire that remained after Scarlet Pyromancer, then her gaze returned to gue Reaper and Midnight Crystal.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Midnight Crystal...? Are you serious? Shouldn''t it only appear in Midnight Zones?" Adam asked sweat came out on his forehead.


    He wasn''t scared or anxious, but he was excited to a great degree. Like many K1-Phantoms that had already reached their limit, Adam had wished for Midnight Crystal, but he hadn''t expected it to happen now.


    Midnight Zones were notable for having a higher energy density, many dangerous monsters, anomalies, and uniquendscapes. Such ces attracted Midnight Crystals and encountering them there was more a matter of time and waiting than luck.


    So... why did Midnight Crystal choose this ce to fall here? Was there a specific reason?


    In any case, the appearance of the Midnight Crystal was like the beginning of a gold fever that consumed the mind of every creature without exception.


    Everyone wanted the Midnight Crystal, monsters, and Phantoms, and giving the Midnight Crystal to their enemy was absolutely impossible.


    ''Adam, the situation has changed a lot, but your goal remains the same.'' Silvana said in a serious voice, she gathered her emotions as much as possible in this situation.


    ''You have to kill gue Reaper, otherwise, he will absorb Midnight Crystal, and then you definitely won''t stand a chance against him.''


    Adam was about to say something, but at that moment, the ground actively trembled.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Cracks appeared in various ces before streams of purple fire erupted from beneath the ground as if to signify that this ce was now a living hell and this was just the beginning.

 Chapter 347: Midnight Crystal (Part 72)

    The only light in this part of the Fallen Crypt was Spiky Lilies, lone purple flowers with massive buds.


    The surface was covered in cracks, with ck smoke billowing out from underneath and a thick, dark fog coating the area.


    However, there were now more than enough light sources near Fume Cathedral. Midnight Crystal was as bright as a star, and streams of purple mes that seemed to appear for no reason covered the ground with their oppressive shade.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Shit... It''s the anomalies..." Osana muttered, running her fingers quickly to calm her anxiety, "I don''t know if they appeared here because of Midnight Crystal or if it would have happened anyway, but it came up."


    Adam narrowed his eyes, looking around.


    The streams of me were active, constantly burning and spreading bits of their fire that fell to the ground like thick sma, continuing to burn for a while on the cold gray surface before extinguishing forever.


    The anomalies were numerous enough to surround the vast area around Midnight Crystal, it wasn''t a narrow zone as it was more than ten times the size of the Fume Cathedral.


    There was more than enough space inside the ring of mes to allow hundreds or even thousands of monsters to fight here at once.


    gue Reaper and Adam exchanged nces from time to time. Yes, the situation was unusual, the appearance of the Midnight Crystal was unexpected, but that didn''t change the fact that their battle was still not over.


    On the contrary, it only increased the tension between them as the stakes became higher.


    Now, in addition to being able to move on with his life, the winner would also gain a new power that would take him to the next level of evolution.


    Thump. Thump. Thump.


    Muffled sounds came from the side, as if from several heavy paws gently stepping on the ground.


    Turning around, gue Reaper saw arge Light Yellow Threat monster heading towards Midnight Crystal.


    The monster had a sturdy body, thick gray fur, and a powerful jaw. Unlike most Light Yellow monsters, this one had something special.


    Around its neck was a dense disk of ice, from which came a solid ice line that ran along the monster''s spine and up to its tail. A light glow asionally passed along the ice, showing its saturation of energy.


    Thus this monster possessed energy abilities rather than just its physical capabilities, making it more dangerous and mighty than many Light Yellow monsters.


    Then, gue Reaper''s face abruptly changed, and his gaze was filled with hatred and pure cruelty.


    He looked at this monster not as Adam, whom he considered a worthy opponent, but as a rat, as a cockroach who was about to steal what belonged to him.


    Tremble.


    The ck de of his scythe shuddered again before gue Reaper turned into a puff of smoke, disappearing to reappear ten meters away.


    gue Reaper ran at breakneck speed, not towards Midnight Crystal but towards the gray monster. A plume of dark mist remained behind him, while his footsteps trembled the denseyer of dust covering the cold ground.


    "ROOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!"


    The gray monster roared furiously, unwilling to give the Purple Threat monster something as valuable as Midnight Crystal.


    The ice disk around its neck shone brightly, and several blue shes appeared above the monster, quickly turning into ice crystals covered with numerous spikes.


    They were perfect cones that, at the monster''s will, began to spin rapidly, about to pierce gue Reaper''s flesh, tearing it apart and keeping him away from Midnight Crystal.


    gue Reaper''s pupils narrowed as he lunged forward, gripping the hilt of his scythe tightly with both hands.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Two crystals whizzed by his face, leaving a lone scratch on his cheek. A few drops of blood trickled outward, coating his pale, cold skin.


    The ck de blurred, crashing into the next crystal at high speed, then shattering another one but not with the de, but with the tip of the bone hilt, which was really durable.


    The eyes of the gray monster shed brightly as thest two crystals hovering above him became much longer and more like needles rather than wide cones.


    The purpose of the cone shape was to tear through the flesh of its target, to go through it like a drill spinning at tremendous speed. The monster realized that it was useless against gue Reaper, he was too fast and his weapon was too deadly and strong.


    Thus, giving itsst crystals a different shape, the gray monster made them much faster to pierce gue Reaper''s lean body in an instant.


    "ROOOOAAAAAAAAARRRR!!!!"


    Along with the monster''s roar, the crystals rained down on gue Reaper, leaving behind a faint, blue plume, like threads following the needles they were attached to.


    "Whaaa..."


    gue Reaper took a deep breath, stepping confidently off the ground to lean his torso to the left side.


    Whistle.


    The first crystal whistled through the wind right in front of his chest, just slightly missing its target.


    But... the second crystal came into motion at the same time as the first, so it was already right in front of gue Reaper, who seemed to have no way to dodge this attack, he just didn''t have enough time to do so.


    ''Wait...? Seriously? That monster will be able to hurt him?'' Katrin internally muttered in disbelief at the scene that was unfolding right in front of her.


    Over the recent events, she had begun to think of gue Reaper as a practically invincible creature, she refused to ept that some Light Yellow monster could hurt him.


    With a glint, the crystal reflected in gue Reaper''s ck eyes that grew a little wider.


    Crackle.


    gue Reaper''s hand jerked sharply, ending up in front of his face, between the crystal and his head.


    It seemed like the crystal should have easily pierced his palm, doing serious damage to him. This would definitely happen if, in gue Reaper''s ce, there was another Crown Monster or some Phantom.


    Four long fangs, along with snow-white teeth, opened wide, swallowing half of the crystal into itself.


    Then, the teeth began to shatter the ice into shards, without anybor.


    Turning the monster''sst crystal into nothing, the jaw stuck out its tongue, licked its teeth, and disappeared, blending into the darkness that covered gue Reaper''s hands.


    The gray monster couldn''t believe what had happened, not realizing with such a terrifying creature it had chosen to fight.


    Step.


    gue Reaper stepped forward, appearing in front of the gray monster and swinging his scythe, eventually slicing the gray monster''s head in two.


    There was a determination in gue Reaper''s eyes, this Midnight Crystal belonged to him.

 Chapter 348: Midnight Crystal (Part 73)

    Humans and monsters were quite simr when it came to defending territory or protecting something important and meaningful, whether it was friends, family, or something material like money, resources, and things of value.


    Sure, humans didn''t upy some territories without allowing others to enter them, but... technically, that''s what they did, using money to buy various properties. The method changed as society reached the stage of advanced technology and bureaucracy, but the goal was the same.


    If a person found something of value, they wanted to keep it or use it for their own good. Sure, each person had a limit to how far they could go for it, just like monsters.


    If an artifact appeared somewhere in the Dead Lands, many people wanted to take it, from Phantoms to weak and strong monsters.


    Monsters would try to take the artifact for themselves, either to be Essence Type or to absorb its energy and get closer to evolution. However, if it is too dangerous due to Phantoms and stronger monsters, the weaker monsters will simply give up on the idea.


    The reward in the case of sess was always supposed to be worth the risk one had to take in the case of action.


    But...


    Midnight Crystal wasn''t an artifact, not a stone filled with energy or some nt, it was something on apletely different level.


    The gray monster might have realized that, against the gue Reaper, it didn''t stand a chance. There was a difference in level between them, yes, but the difference in mastery was terrifying.


    Moreover, as the pinnacle of its Threat Level, gue Reaper possessed an astonishing number of dangerous, unique, and diverse abilities.


    Most Light Yellow Threat monsters could only fight with their strong bodies, ws, and powerful jaws. When a monster possessed only physical abilities, it showed that it was quite low in its Threat Level.


    Sure, there were always exceptions, but this rule worked far more often than not.


    Monsters were willing to tear themselves apart to possess Midnight Crystal, and... not even gue Reaper was able to stop their desire.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Muffled footsteps sounded in the distance as massive shadows appeared behind the pirs of me.


    Some monsters tried to run between the anomalies to at least see Midnight Crystal with their own eyes if they couldn''t fight for something so valuable.


    Other monsters, the stronger ones, were going to go straight through the anomalies, perhaps some of them would die because of their arrogance, but those who could actually make it would be a real threat to everyone in the me ring.


    "Whaaaaaaa...."


    gue Reaper took a deep breath while shaking his head. His gaze traveled to the hundreds of monsters surrounding him and Midnight Crystal. All of them wanted at least one shard, but... unfortunately for them, the guardian of this crystal was gue Reaper.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ck de of the scythe shuddered, but this time there was no shriek or some eerie, ear-piercing, and painful sound that followed.


    On the contrary, the de was calm, peaceful, and even quiet, but that was not a good sign at all.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Step back, closer to me." Osana said seriously, addressing Adam and Katrin.


    Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion but said nothing.


    However, Katrin was not so calm, she couldn''t contain her indignation caused by the misunderstanding.


    "What? Shouldn''t we stop him? The other monsters are not as dangerous as gue Reaper, moreover, if they fight, we can use that to destroy them all!"


    Osana shook her head, she seemed to know a bit more about gue Reaper than they did.


    "Look. gue Reaper is not only the strongest in the Purple Threat level, but it''s also the most dangerous. The danger of a monster is expressed by how many other monsters or Phantoms that particr monster has killed. And... there''s a reason why gue Reapers on average kill several times more creatures than Top-2, Essence Thunder Demons."


    Adam and Katrin looked at each other. They didn''t know it, but they couldn''t argue with Osana, especially when she said it with such a confident and serious expression on her face.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Osana''s eyes sparkled brightly when she used her Second Nexus Trait again. The sphere of her staff shed, followed by the appearance of blue wind streams.


    Her gaze visibly weakened, but she was prepared to endure it. One way or another, it was no longer in Osana''s ns to use her Nexus.


    However... She still hadn''t used her Second Order once, as well as Katrin.


    "Katrin, when we fight, create your massive flower with energy-infused pollen somewhere safe. It will help us recover and fight much longer than usual." Osana said calmly, looking at Katrin through ayer of fast-flowing blue wind.


    "Sure. Don''t worry about it. I''ll do everything right. Moreover, if we''re surrounded by monsters, I can take care of it, but... What''s he going to do?" Katrin said before looking to the side, at gue Reaper.


    Strangely enough, gue Reaper was standing in one ce, holding his scythe above him. Many monsters were running towards him, but it didn''t seem to bother him at all. There was a certainty in his gaze, he knew that these monsters were not a threat to him.


    Midnight Crystal was right behind him, contrasting with gue Reaper''s ck coat, white streams of energy, dense and bright, constantly emanated from Midnight Crystal, showing that the energy within this object was simply limitless.


    Compared to Midnight Crystal, a mere artifact was like a drop in front of a vast ocean.


    "Frha..."


    gue Reaper let out a strange sigh, more like the irritated wheeze of a disgruntled elder. He had to spend his energy dealing with weak and pathetic creatures thinking they were capable of doing a thing to him.


    In a way, it was a real humiliation for gue Reaper, so he was going to show that he didn''t allow himself to be treated that way.


    The unworthy had to fear and grovel before him, there was no other way.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    With a sharp movement, gue Reaper plunged his scythe into the ground. The ck, long de waspletely embedded into the soil, continuing to tremble.


    After a few breaths, a certain amount of ck air floated around the gue Reaper. It would be enough for a few monsters, but it wasn''t enough to kill even ten creatures, let alone take the lives of hundreds.


    Well, gue Reaper had his ways of doing that.


    ck air traveled towards his hands, quickly moving to the bone hilt beforeshing out at the ck de lurking in the ground.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Soon the ground shook vigorously, like a harbinger of true disaster.


    The thick ck liquid, like ink, spreads in different directions, as though parasites or branches of a creepy tree.


    There were only a few main streams of ink, but from them came other streams, smaller ones, from which, in turn, new ones appeared.


    Nothing could stop this ink, not cracks, not rare spiky lilies, not the massive stones that had been lying here for hundreds of years.


    Thus, in just a few seconds, the ck liquid covered up to a quarter of the entire area, but... this ink didn''t know how to attack.


    The monsters didn''t know that, so they immediately tried to get as far away from the ink as possible, standing on the gray earth that was a safe zone for them, or at least they thought so.


    "Rgha..."


    gue Reaper let out another sigh. Apparently, this attack was something he could only use once in a long period of time. He was strong and skillful, but his energy reserves were not infinite.


    It was quite enough for the gue Reaper, though.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ck liquid began to shake vigorously as something started to grow out of its widest streams. It looked like thick stalks of long, low, but wide flowers, however, the buds were tightly hidden under the cover of the dense ink.


    "Hah... Seeing this ability in real life rather than reading about it in reports is much more interesting as well as dangerous..." Osana muttered as she gulped.


    The buds shuddered, bursting like bubbles, but instead of a flower with petals, wide jaws with wide open mouths lurked beneath the ink.


    Before the monsters could realize anything, the jaws took their first breath, sucking in fresh and clean air only to exhale ck, deadly, and vile air in return.


    Most of the monsters of the Purple Threat Level, especially those of the Top-100, knew what the strongest monster of their Threat Level was capable of, but it was the Light Yellow area where the appropriate level monsters were.


    The monsters that were closest to the jaws did not hurriedly move away to a safe distance to avoid contact with the ck air. Instead, they continued to breathe without any suspicion.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    For the next ten seconds, inside the ring of mes, the same scene repeated itself time after time - the monsters fell to the ground one after another.


    Their heavy bodies raised clouds of dust, shattering the rocks beneath them into powder, causing a rumbling and deafening rumble.


    And... None of those monsters rose from the ground again.


    Crackle.


    gue Reaper pulled the scythe from the ground, swung his weapon, and ced the long de on his shoulder.


    He watched with a slight smirk on his face as dozens of monsters died from the ck air, most didn''t even realize how it happened.


    Their deaths were inevitable. No matter how tough their hides were on the outside, once inside, the ck air was like millions of des piercing into their flesh, destroying it like a gue.


    This quickly created a real panic among their lines at the imminent agony that awaited each of them.

 Chapter 349: Midnight Crystal (Part 74)

    It seemed that the fall of the Midnight Crystal was a gift of fate for the monsters living near the Fume Cathedral.


    The monsters and the Citadel had yet to figure out why Midnight Crystal had decided to fall here at this moment because it wasn''t Midnight Zone, so there had to be some serious and specific reason for it.


    Midnight Crystal couldn''t have fallen in a random ce just due to luck, because no Midnight Crystal had ever fallen near the Citadel or in the newbie areas. Midnight Crystals could only fall in Midnight Zones, not because it was some magical ce, but because the conditions were right for it.


    It wasn''t Midnight Zones that attracted Midnight Crystals, it was the conditions that caused Midnight Crystals to appear in certain ces.


    This was also the reason why there were no Midnight Zones in Blue Threat Level areas. Midnight Zones started appearing beginning from Purple Threat Level areas.


    Thus, even the fall of a single Midnight Crystal near Fume Cathedral could be a real feast and massacre for the monsters.


    Sure, many of them would die, but dozens or even hundreds would be able to benefit from this event.


    Midnight Crystal was a solid, monolithic object, but that didn''t mean that only one monster could absorb it.


    A lot depended on the size and energy density of the Midnight Crystal, but if one took this Midnight Crystal and Light Yellow monsters as an example, this one Midnight Crystal would help several dozen of them evolve.


    If there were some, not particrly strong Purple Threat Level monster here, a tiny fingernail-sized shard would be enough to start the evolution process.


    True, someone like Essence Thunder Demon would need a lot more energy, but even gue Reaper didn''t need to absorb the entire Midnight Crystal. The energy was excessive, after all, it was believed to be a shard of the Last Star whose fall had created a new world from the ashes of the old one.


    But... even though hundreds of Light Yellow monsters were facing something that could change their lives and make them dramatically stronger, only one creature stood in their way.


    Strangely enough, it wasn''t some powerful Phantom but a monster just like them, even from a lower Threat Level.


    "Holy Shit..." Katrin muttered, waves of shivers went through her body, following the goosebumps.


    Her gaze traveled panickedly from one corpse to another, unable to believe that each one of these monsters could be a formidable opponent to defeat which they would have to work hard to defeat.


    Naturally, some monsters managed to survive. They were either smarter or luckier than the others, as they immediately realized what needed to be done. Some moved away from the ck air to a safe distance, others used their abilities to protect themselves, and some decided to hold their breath without taking a single sigh.


    Most of the surviving monsters were quite strong, for all the weak ones were already lying on the ground with empty, lifeless eyes. Their muscles trembled in postmortem spasms, making the scene even more gruesome than it was originally.


    It looked as if they had all died because of some cmity, because of a disease that killed 90% of the living creatures in its path, but gue Reaper was the cause of it all.


    He had a satisfied smirk on his face, but his gaze wasn''t as bright as before. It was obvious that using this ability had taken a significant amount of his strength.


    It was unlikely that this degree of fatigue would have any effect on gue Reaper''s abilities or physical capabilities, but he wouldn''t be able to make the gue spread this far and wide once more.


    There was no need for that, though. The jaws growing from the inky streams like eerie flowers continued to spread ck air.


    "ROOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRR!!!!"


    One of the surviving monsters, which was only 10% of the original number, roared furiously, bringing its long ws down on the jaw-flower.


    This monster was simr to the gray one that gue Reaper had killed earlier, crushing it with his superior mastery. They were simr not in appearance, but in the fact that they possessed some unique abilities, not just the physical features of their powerful bodies.


    Scarlet mes covered the monster''s shoulders, descending in four lines to its ws. By sheer will, it could ignite the ws to the limit, making them so hot that they wereparable to sma des.


    It didn''t matter if it was gue Reaper, Adam, or Katrin, if any of them were hit by those ws at the moment of attack, the ws would cut their bodies into several pieces before burning them and turning them into clots of lonely ash.


    Obviously, the jaw-flower wouldn''t be able to withstand such damage, the mes would simply burn it, destroying one of the main sources of ck air.


    "Fhga..."


    gue Reaper let out a strange sigh before thrusting his scythe into the ground, taking his weapon aside.


    Then, he stretched his arms forward, and his coat shuddered, sending the same tremble throughout the nearby inky streams.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, out of the streams next to the jaw-flower, came a multitude of ck vines quickly heading towards the monster, which had already practically brought its fiery ws down on the jaw-flower.


    In a heartbeat, the ck vines twisted the monster''s body, tightly and firmly like powerful chains, holding the monster in one ce.


    "ROOOAAAAAARRRR!"


    The monster roared furiously, aggressively showing its long fangs, clenching its powerful jaws, but its efforts were clearly not enough to break the ck vines.


    Whoooooosh.


    gue Reaper jerked his right hand, sharply raising his palm upward.


    The inky stream shuddered again, releasing two particrly thick vines at the end of which were wide-open jaws, hungry and cruel.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The jaws dug into the monster''s flesh like desperate piranhas, tearing off piece after piece of flesh. The monster''s hide was tough, thick and provided a good defense, but... in front of these jaws, it was all just useless.


    "RRRRRGGHHHH!!!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Quite soon, there was a desperate cry from the monster, more like a painful cry. It was trying to get out of this hellish trap, but it just seemed impossible.


    All that was left for the monster to do was endure and wait for the jaws to tear off thest bit of its body.


    The other monsters watching this gruesome scene turned their heads fearfully in gue Reaper''s direction.


    Their eyes were wide open. They couldn''t believe that the Purple Threat Level monster had so many terrifying abilities. They couldn''t understand why they had offended fate so much that it had sent this ''monster'' here, condemning them to an ignominious death, in agony and vivid piercing pain.


    Thump.


    After about thirty seconds, the monster with ming ws finally fell to the ground with empty, lifeless eyes. Part of its body was stripped of flesh, bones peeking out, internal organs visible through its ribs.


    The monsters, as if looking at amon enemy, began to group together, dividing into squads - all to deal with the scourge that Midnight Crystal had decided to take only for itself.


    Step.


    At the same moment, Katrin stepped forward with a confident look, holding her staff tightly.


    ''''We can''t keep looking at this any further. The ck air is getting bigger with every second. I''m going to destroy all the jaw-flowers." Katrin stared intently at gue Reaper as the mes of battle shed in her eyes.

 Chapter 350: Midnight Crystal (Part 75)

    Adam, Katrin, and Osana, like all the monsters inside the ring of mes, watched intently the actual execution of the fire monster.


    It was like torture from the Middle Ages, the jaws ripping off chunks of its flesh while the monster was still alive, until it bled too much and the wounds became critical.


    Katrin asionally paid attention to what was happening to the ck vines. They were sturdy, numerous, and strong but not invulnerable.


    ''I see...'' Katrin internally muttered watching as several ck vines burned, being too close to the monster''s ming ws.


    The monster didn''t notice this, as it was already too close to death, even after ending its life, it didn''t realize that it could have gotten out of this trap if it had made the right moves.


    However, it gave Katrin some ideas, for she was the one who had a way to get rid of the ink streams, jaw-flowers, and ck vines.


    ''What? Katrin, are you sure?'' Silvana asked, in a slightly nervous voice.


    ''Even if you have a way to do it, I would advise you to wait, since you benefit from the monsters fighting each other.''


    Katrin was about to reply, but she was overtaken by Osana, who stepped forward with a frown.


    "No, Katrin is right, we should deal with this problem as soon as possible." Osana said looking forward.


    With each passing second, the air grew cker as with each breath of the jaw-flowers, the clean harmless air became less and the ck deadly one became more.


    The only one who benefited from this was gue Reaper. He was the one immune to the ck air, for he was the cause of its emergence and spread.


    "If we wait any longer, we''ll get all the monsters dead. Sure, on the one hand, it''s beneficial for us because then we''ll be in a 3 vs. 1. It will definitely help us defeat gue Reaper." Osana said before turning her gaze to gue Reaper.


    She continued while clenching her fists tightly.


    "However... In that case, we''ll just let the ck air fill everything around us and if my wind defense somehow goes down or it breaks through it, we''ll be dead the next time we take another breath. It''s too risky."


    Osana pointed at the jaw-flower that the me monster was about to attack earlier.


    "Moreover, he will most likely eventually develop ink streams and freely summon ck vines and jaw-flowers wherever he wants."


    Osana sighed heavily, gritting her teeth as she realized what would happen in such a case.


    "If we let him develop his ability further, we''ll be in a situation where we''ll have to fight not only him but dozens of ck vines and jaws willing to devour us at any mistake. And... that''s all assuming that as soon as my wind veil falls, we die because of the ck air."


    Silvana gulped, as her face flushed with shame. As an Operator, she had to offer always the best and most pragmatic options leading to an imminent victory on the battlefield.


    It was logical because unlike the Phantoms, who were in the midst of battle, she was safe in the Citadel. She had time to think toe up with a decent n, for she was calm and collected.


    ''Yes... Osana is right, I''m sorry for interrupting you.'' Silvana said calmly, effortlessly epting her mistake.


    "That''s alright, as we really weren''t in the easiest situation. So... Katrin, are you ready? I''m sorry, but there''s nothing I can do to help you. All I have left is petals." Osana shrugged her shoulders with an apologetic face.


    Katrin frowned heavily, looking at Osana with slight disdain. She realized that Osana had yet to use her Second Order which by the looks of it was something important and could make a significant change on the battlefield.


    "Sure, don''t worry. In a way, we''re even lucky that I saved my strength for this moment."


    Bam.


    Katrin struck the ground with her staff again causing the roots to emerge from the ground and turn into a massive flower with six yellow petals emitting their energy-rich pollen.


    The flower grew right next to the Fume Cathedral, being on a slight elevation in rtion to the arena, with gue Reaper and Midnight Crystal at the center of it.


    However, this was not Katrin''s way of getting rid of the ink streams. This was preparation and help for Adam and Katrin since the pollen would help them for a long time afterward, quickly restoring their energy reserves.


    Then, Katrin stepped forward confidently, leaving the Fume Cathedral, which was now split in two by the wide hole left by the fall of the Midnight Crystal.


    The stones shook under her feet, sinking into a denseyer of dust covering the cold gray earth as she walked towards the aggressive wind currents.


    The monsters took notice of her, many of them puzzled and surprised, as they didn''t know there was anyone else in Fume Cathedral besides gue Reaper.


    Only then did they see that behind Katrin, stood Adam, exuding pure power, and Osana, who had willed herself to be Adam''s shadow. Her face was calm and her gaze deep with unknown motives.


    "Well... I usually summon one or two, five at most..." Katrin muttered, remembering past times when she used her Second Order, "But... this time I''ll have to use everyst drop of energy."


    Katrin gulped, before setting aside her staff and pointing her hand forward. She looked at the numerous ink streams, she had to destroy every one of them.


    Her eyes glowed brightly, making the ground beside her shake, and her fingertips shed with a scarlet light unnatural to her.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    A multitude of long roots,pletely smooth, without any thorns, quickly spread from Fume Cathedral forward, covering arge area inside the me ring.


    gue Reaper looked at these roots curiously, not understanding what Katrin was doing. Only after a few seconds did he notice that the roots had closed buds, like flowers ready to open and bloom with the arrival of spring.


    "Fuck..." Katrin muttered as trickles of blood poured from her eyes, "This is a whole other level, right?"


    Katrin slowly turned her wrist, opening her palm wide, facing upwards to the sky.


    Simultaneously with her movement, waves of red energy traveled through the roots, causing all the buds to open, one by one.


    Behind the dense buds lurked flowers with five thick petals and sparse ck spots, showing that these flowers were only a threat, nothing more.


    "Well... It''s pretty weird that the support with that ability doesn''t want to be the support a single day more, right?" Katrin smiled bitterly as she looked at the dozens of red flowers.


    She shrugged with a heavy meaningful sigh.


    "I''ll never change, I''ll never be satisfied, because I need more power. This ability has onlye in useful at its full power now, for the first andst time."


    Katrin muttered with a deep look before clenching her fist sharply.


    Dozens of bright shes covered the roots, these were red flowers whose petals were quickly saturated with dense energy.


    Before the monsters or gue Reaper could do anything, all the flowers exploded, shaking the ground, burning everything in their path like an uncontroble force of nature.

 Chapter 351: Midnight Crystal (Part 76)

    gue Reaper, the dozens of surviving monsters, Adam, and Osana all watched as a multitude of red colors glowed brightly in an instant.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The shes covered everything inside the ring of mes, blocking the numerous inky streams and ck air that became so thick that it impaired visibility.


    Then, energy came out of the flowers, followed by deafening explosions, clots of red fire spreading in all directions, burning everything in its path.


    The ck air, ink streams, vines, and jaw-flowers were simply powerless in the face of such force. In fact, though gue Reaper tried to hide it, the ink streams were quite vulnerable to any energy damage, especially fire, which could quickly spread and reach any, even the farthest point.


    A crimson shade fell on their faces while the ck clots burned away, without any chance of survival.


    Katrin could use her Second Order twice in a row if necessary, but not after such a powerful performance. Her flowers as well as her roots burned with the fire, it was one mighty, massive attack aimed at destroying numerous smaller targets.


    The pirs of me from the explosion of the flowers rose higher than Fume Cathedral, illuminating everything around them and reflecting in the distant purple streams of me from the anomalies.


    Despite this, Katrin''s ability didn''t do any serious damage to any of the monsters, much less injure gue Reaper. He was in the epicenter of the explosion, yes, but all he had to do was cover himself from the wave of fire with his sturdy coat.


    "Hah, looks like I managed to piss you off, you bastard who ruined all my ns..." Katrin muttered with a tired look, staring intently at gue Reaper.


    gue Reaper''s eyes had lost their usual coldness and calmness. He looked at Katrin as if he wanted to burn her with his irritated gaze.


    gue Reaper realized that except for Adam, there was no worthy opponent for him here. With his ability, he was going to kill all the monsters and turn this ce into his personal battlefield, where he could attack in countless ways from different directions.


    However, Katrin destroyed all of his ns. Sure, she had spent all her energy on this, she had just enough energy left to stand up straight and not pass out due to too much fatigue.


    "Well, it''s not my problem anymore. I''ve already done everything in my power." Katrin muttered before walking over to the rubble of the Fume Cathedral and leaning against it, slowly sliding down to the ground.


    Step. Step. Step.


    At the same time, Adam stepped out of the Fume Cathedral, striding confidently forward.


    Thanks to a short break and the effects of Katrin''s pollen, it was as if he had gone through a reboot.


    When he fought against gue Reaper, before Katrin had tossed him aside with her root, he felt as if his body could explode at any moment.


    All his muscles were on edge, his Evolution Tree was ready to burst at the seams, trying to match the strength and pace of his actions. But, it waspletely different now.


    Adam hadn''t gotten stronger, but his strength hadn''t diminished either. He retained his former state, the sign of which was the needle in his right hand and the silver ws in his left hand.


    "So... the time for the final battle has finally arrived?" Katrin nced at Adam standing in front of her, a bitter smile appearing on her face.


    "Yeah... Looks like it. We spent everything we had. Osana has practically nothing left, you... well, you''ve done even more than anyone expected. It''s a wonder you haven''t passed out yet from creating such a powerful explosion." Adam said with genuine surprise.


    Katrin shrugged nonchntly.


    "Hah, just imagine what I would be capable of if I had a powerful Initial Gene like you or Alexia. I''d defeat gue Reaper single-handedly and then knock you out for the bonus."


    Adam chuckled, walking forward.


    "Well, maybe, but for now let me do all the work."


    Katrin nodded silently before lifting her gaze towards the sky. She wanted to look up at the stars to calm down a bit, to gather her thoughts, but instead, her gaze was caught by something else.


    At the edge of the Fume Cathedral, at the top of the cover, something out of the ordinary caught her eye. Instead of looking up at the night sky, she stared at the calm streams of me covering somerge, rounded object.


    Katrin''s eyes went wide, one nce was enough for her to realize what, or rather who it was.


    ''Bastard... You were afraid at first, but now you''ve decided to give in to your greed? Hehehehe... Your greed will ruin you! Fuck! I''ll do it with my own hands, you''ll see!''


    On the roof of the Fume Cathedral, Scarlet Pyromancer was secretly sitting. Previously, he had only pretended to hurriedly escape from the Fume Cathedral as soon as he had the opportunity.


    In practice, however, things happened differently. Scarlet Pyromancer returned to Fume Cathedral, watching from afar.


    He was a Top-8 monster of the Purple Threat Level, and he was an Essence Type, so he was well aware of how valuable the energy lurking within Midnight Crystal was.


    True, Scarlet Pyromancer could escape from here so far away that no one else would bother him. He could return to the ck Cinder Forest, once again bing the king of this familiar territory.


    But...


    Monsters, like humans, have always wanted more.


    Why would Scarlet Pyromancer return to ck Cinder Forest and run away in shame when he had the opportunity to obtain energy from Midnight Crystal? It would instantly start his evolution, elevating him to the Yellow Threat Level.


    Perhaps it was blind greed, but for Scarlet Pyromancer, this was a unique opportunity to be stronger that he wasn''t going to lose.


    Unlike everyone else in the Ring of mes, Scarlet Pyromancer waspletely safe. No one except Katrin had noticed him yet.


    Moreover, the monsters were distracted by gue Reaper, thetter in turn being distracted by Adam and Katrin. Scarlet Pyromancer was just a shadow who was going to wait as long as it took to absorb Midnight Crystal.


    Unfortunately for him and all the other monsters, it wasn''t a quick process. It would take someone like gue Reaper or Scarlet Pyromancer less than a minute to absorb the energy.


    Sure, it seemed like a small amount of time, but on the battlefield, practically a full minute of inactivity was like signing one''s death warrant.


    Only after gue Reaper would have killed all the monsters and Phantoms would he be able to start absorbing energy from Midnight Crystal. After a minute, his evolution would have already begun, during which his power would increase every second until he progressed to the next level.


    Thus, there were only two options on how the monster or Phantom could absorb Midnight Crystal.


    They had to either agree to split the Midnight Crystal between them, or simply kill everyone but themselves alone. Obviously, the Phantoms more often chose the first option, while the monster almost always chose to get rid of allpetitors.


    ...


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    At the same time, a fighter flying at tremendous speed approached Fallen Crypt. In the distance, Nessa saw a threatening cloudpletelyposed of ck air.


    "Don''t worry. It''s time to show what my development can do." Refesa said with confidence.

 Chapter 352: Midnight Crystal (Part 77)

    The main problem why Citadel hadn''t sent help to Adam, Katrin, and the others was that gue Reaper had taken care of it in advance.


    In fact, one fighter with a K3-Phantom on board had been waiting for some time for the pilot to fly into Fallen Crypt, but that couldn''t happen while the sky was covered in ck air.


    It was quite possible that for the K3-Phantom it wasn''t a strong threat, at worst the Phantom could just hold his breath until they got out of that cloud of death, but... for the pilot that option was impossible.


    Sure, the pilot had a mask and could hold his breath too, but considering that he was a simple human and not a Phantom, he didn''t need to breathe for the ck air to do him lethal damage.


    The ck air would simply pass through the gaps between the tes into the fighters and touch the pilot before he could realize anything.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Thus, the only way to allow someone weak enough to pass through the ck air was to protect the fighter.


    Some kind of Phantom capable of creating protective barriers like Lero could do that. Fort Norton, along with the mission department, was already working in that direction, but it would take time.


    When they sent the first fighter to the rescue they didn''t know that gue Reaper had prepared and was even there, as the first rescue was sent not because of its appearance but because of a spatial anomaly.


    Adam, Katrin, and Golden Light Squad were K1-Phantoms and they ended up in the Light Yellow Threat area. This incident was enough to immediately send a fighter to their aid with a strong Phantom waiting in Fort Norton.


    gue Reaper ruined their ns as Fort Norton sent a fighter and Phantom to their aid, unable to safely pass through the ck air.


    Well, fortunately for Adam and the others, besides Fort Norton and the mission department, there were enough different forces in the Citadel to affect their situation.


    One of them was Refesa and her unique XH-01 fighter, which no one had ever used but her.


    True, the military knew of the existence of this fighter, but they realized that they needed to set aside some time to test and negotiate with Refesa for mass production before pilots could take advantage of thistest technology.


    "Nessa, the fighter is about to start shaking, so I suggest you grab onto something." Refesa said calmly before pressing the far blue button on her control panel.


    In thirty seconds the fighter with Nessa on board would collide with the ck air, so it was already time to act.


    Wheeeeeeez.


    Before Nessa could reply to anything, she heard a hissing sound behind her. Looking around she saw steaming from the wide tanks at the rear of the fighter.


    The blue liquid that filled them to the brim began to flow rapidly down the wide tubes to somewhere below.


    Nessa didn''t know what it was, how this mechanism worked, and what this unusual blue liquid, thick but bright as if saturated with energy, was for. However, the mystery of the unknown only increased her interest.


    Sitting in the pilot''s seat, she watched mesmerized as the tanks emptied by a third, more than enough to activate a special function of the XH-01.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Just as Refesa had warned, the fighter shuddered vigorously, beginning to shake and sway from side to side.


    At that moment, Nessa was frightened, for it seemed to her that the fighter was about to copse and then she would fall from a great height to the strong solid ground!


    Her body was as durable as her bones, but gravity was still a dangerous enemy against which Nessa could do nothing.


    ''Fuck, fuck, fuck! What did I sign up for?! This bucket of bolts is about to fall apart!'' Nessa inwardly eximed watching through the windshield as the wings shook.


    Moreover, it was only five seconds away from colliding with the ck air.


    With every breath, with every beat of her heart, Nessa saw the ck cloud growingrger andrger, bringing her imminent death closer.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly, all the trembling stopped, and her eyes reflected a bright blue glow. She saw dense azure streams like streams of water rapidly covering the entire fighter, creating a curved sphere around it that mirrored the shape of the XH-01.


    The azure barrier acted like a veil, ready to protect and follow XH-01 as long as necessary.


    Then, while Nessa stared in amazement at the magical blue streams surrounding her on all sides, the fighter entered the ck cloud at the same high speed as before.


    ''Wait... Is this happening...?'' Nessa internally muttered.


    The ck air was aggressive, eager to do its master''s bidding and kill any intruders, but... no matter how the ck air tried, it couldn''t prate the azure barrier.


    The streams of energy simply wouldn''t allow the ck air to touch the fighter.


    "Well, well, not bad at all." Magnus said with a wide grin on his face, "What''s that feature called?"


    Refesa threw him a puzzled look.


    "The defense barrier of the XH-01." Refesa replied with a wave of her hand.


    "Agh...? Hey, I realize you''re not a fan of pretty names, but isn''t this too boring? It''s more like a code in a technical document rather than a title." Magnus tilted his head.


    Refesa shrugged.


    "If you want to,e up with a better option. I''m listening to you."


    Magnus smirked, taking a few steps forward to get a proper look at the screen and discern the azure barrier.


    "It''s a protective function, blue is considered a calming color and associated with protection. Furthermore, the XH-01 like any airne has wings... Hmm..." Magnus muttered to himself, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    Then, his eyes sparkled, an idea clearlying to him.


    "Hey, how about - Angel''s Embrace? Fits perfectly, right?"


    Refesa quickly looked at him once. It was clear from her eyes that she wasn''t impressed, because she didn''t care. To her, the most important thing was functionality, not a pretty name or appearance.


    "Fine, whatever you want it to be. I guess it''s not that bad."


    ...


    Nessa continued to fly forward quickly in XH-01, pushing the ck air apart with Angel''s Embrace.


    Neither she nor Refesa or Magnus had yet suspected that some object, some being was moving towards her at high speed, someone who could keep flying even among the clouds of ck air.

 Chapter 353: Midnight Crystal (Part 78)

    Nessa usually acted cold and collected, she didn''t have a normal childhood, and her adult life was quite unusual, but... now she looked like a kid caught on a horror ind.


    ''Holy shit... gue Reaper did all this...? And Adam is fighting him right now? This is insane!'' Nessa internally eximed, looking at the ground far below.


    XH-01 flew hundreds of meters in seconds, passing through a genuinely vast area that was covered by ck air for a long time.


    Angel''s Embrace protected her and XH-01, but there was nothing to be seen around, only darkness caused by the thick ck air... On the ground, the situation looked even worse.


    Dozens, no, more like hundreds of bird-like monsters, all of them had wings, whether they had feathers or webbing, it didn''t matter because they were all dead.


    They realized toote that the ck air was not some strange weather phenomenon or trivial smoke. A few breaths during the fast flight caused many Light Yellow Monsters to copse to the ground like dead birds.


    None of the monsters were injured, they didn''t fight, it was just a normal day for them as they spent hours flying through the vast sky to find their prey on the ground.


    But... now they were all submerged in the cold ground, and their bodies were partially covered in thick dust.


    Nessa gulped.


    She didn''t know if she could defeat several of these monsters if she had to fight them. She was confident in her strength, anyway, they were Light Yellow monsters.


    And... they were all killed by the Top-1 Purple Threat Level.


    What scared Nessa more than ever was that the gue Reaper wasn''t even here. It was just a consequence of strategically using one of his main abilities.


    Nessa was wary, clenching her fists tightly. She realized that it wasn''t the ck air that frightened her, but how smart gue Reaper was.


    Not all humans would be able to prepare such a defense if they had the same abilities as gue Reaper.


    ''Fine, if Adam had already lost, then I would have known about it. In that case, the father would have canceled the operation immediately, and Refesa would have deployed XH-01. If they haven''t done that yet, then Adam is still alive, and fighting against gue Reaper is possible.''


    Nessa had be much stronger amidst the incident at Miracle Observatory. She had no trouble killing Snow Follow, a Top-9 monster, in an instant, but... she was still far inferior to Adam.


    ''Father said that I became stronger after my mind got used to the new abilities and my body adapted to the changes. But... will it be enough to fight against gue Reaper? Will it be enough to approach Adam''s level? I hope that bastard hasn''t gotten any stronger... That couldn''t happen, right?''


    While Nessa was gued by doubts, XH-01 continued to move forward while under Refesa''s control. A moreplicated situation would require an experienced pilot if thendscape and terrain were dangerous, but right now, XH-01 just needed to fly forward.


    Such a task Refesa couldpletely handle sitting in the Citadel and controlling the XH-01 with a wide panel with various sensors and buttons.


    "Hey... What the hell is that?" Magnus frowned heavily, pointing at one of the screens.


    Refesa tilted her head, looking at the massive silhouette that was gradually approaching the fighter.


    Given the speed at which XH-01 was traveling, before Refesa and Magnus coulde to any conclusion, the silhouette revealed itself.


    "RRRAAARRRRRRGGGGG!!!"


    Soon, a medium-sized monster appeared from the ck cloud. It was worth realizing that usually, bird-like monsters were quiterge, so the size of this particr monster was equal to a third of the XH-01, which was quitepact for a fighter, especiallypared to the BH-01.


    The monster had long, sharp feathers like des, broad wings, and gray fur. Its beak was elongated, with a long scarlet tongue lurking inside, and the edges were covered with numerous teeth that no hide could withstand.


    Magnus frowned even harder.


    "Air Krukko? One of the weakest monsters of the Light Yellow Threat Level, but... in our case, it''s aplete disaster." Magnus clenched his fists tightly as he watched Air Krukko approach XH-01.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Unlike the other monsters, Air Krukko was able to avoid death from gue Reaper''s ability thanks to the white wind currents surrounding its entire body.


    Air Krukko was a rather weak monsterpared to the other flying monsters in Fallen Crypt, but Air Krukkoes rarely died as they almost always escaped sessfully.


    They were able to do so because of their impressive speed, so if a stronger opponent attacked them, they simply flew away. To their luck, there were no obstacles in the sky like there were on the ground, so it was a great way for them to live as long as possible.


    "RAAAARRRRGGGGG!!!"


    Air Krukko opened its beak wide, about to m into XH-01, tearing its metal defense tes apart and attacking Nessa.


    If they were in a different situation where there was no ck air, Nessa would just take the fight. Even if Air Krukko was an airborne opponent, she had enough strength to deal with this threat.


    "Fuck! Hurry up and turn the ne around! I''m not going to risk Nessa''s life!" Magnus eximed aggressively with a wave of his hand.


    However... Refesa did not react in any way. She continued to watch with mild interest in her eyes as the scene in front of her unfolded.


    "Hey! Can you hear me?" Magnus shouted, about to walk over to the control panel and take charge of things himself.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Before he could do anything, Refesa''s miniature foot crashed right between his legs,pletely unrestrained in her strength.


    No matter what Magnus was going to do a few seconds ago, the only thing he could think about now was the bright pain going through his entire body in active waves.


    "Fuck... Sick bitch, what the hell are you doing?!" Magnus said furiously, gritting his teeth.


    His face was red, veins swollen, and eyes wide open, staring at Refesa, who stood arrogantly in front of him.


    "Calm down. I know you care about Nessa more than anything and would never put her life in danger, as I know how important she is to you." Refesa said calmly, her face was cold, devoid of any emotion.


    Then, she slowly turned her head, looking at the screens.


    "You sent Nessa to fight against the gue Reaper, and I don''t doubt your decision, as Nessa is your best work, a unique creature of our world."


    Refesa returned to the control panel, sitting down in her chair with a serene look.


    "I demand that you treat my designs with the same trust that I do. I am well aware of what the XH-01 is capable of, as I assembled this fighter with my own hands, creating a way to use the artifact to enhance the machinery."


    "RAAAAGGGHH!!!"


    Magnus wanted to say something, but Air Krukko''s roar interrupted him.


    At the same moment, Air Krukko crashed into XH-01 at full speed.


    And...


    As soon as the monster''s body made contact with the protective blue barrier around the fighter, Air Krukko''s exploded, scattering chunks of flesh and bone attached to the already lifeless feathers.


    That scene would forever be etched in Nessa''s mind. She had never seen technology capable of such power, it was hard to believe, but it was a reality she was a part of.

 Chapter 354: Midnight Crystal (Part 79)

    When a fighter was attacked by monsters, the Phantoms always prepared to defend and fight. The main advantage of flying monsters was that they traveled freely through the air, giving them the ability to attack from any direction.


    However, if there were enough strong Phantoms aboard the fighter, the flying monsters were not a problem for them. The biggest issue was that pilots could get scared and panic, it happened quite often, especially if the pilot was still a beginner or inexperienced.


    But... no one ever counted on a pilot being able to defend himself. Sure, every fighter ne had machine guns andbat missiles, but they weren''t used to fight or kill monsters.


    It was a good way to distract or disorient monsters, after all, if a few bullets from a machine gun hit a monster''s eye, it would obviously feel considerable difort.


    Well, Refesa was going to change that rule that had always worked.


    Crackle.


    Broad bones, shards of flesh, and dark clots of blood flew in front of Nessa''s wide-open eyes.


    The long beak of the Air Krukko bounced off the azure barrier, flying aside like a simple stone flung aside by too strong wind current.


    A secondter, XH-01 flew forward a few dozen meters, leaving Air Krukko''s torn-apart body behind.


    Nessa turned her head sharply, wanting to follow the pieces of flesh falling to the ground, as if not believing it was possible.


    Magnus, watching the scene through the screens from far away in the Citadel, was as surprised as Nessa.


    Sure, he knew what Refesa was up to, they often chatted about their various experiments and new creations, but... they never revealed their most interesting projects. That was their nature as free scientists.


    They wanted to show their progress to the public, but only when they were satisfied that it was a final product ready to benefit the Citadel.


    Well, XH-01 was one of those projects on Refesa''s invention list.


    Magnus knew that Refesa had created a new fighter using rare materials and reaching new speed limits.


    However, he did not know that Angel''s Embrace, the defense barrier of the XH-01, was capable of tearing apart the Light Yellow Threat monster. Sure, Air Krukko was not the most serious opponent Nessa could face, but it was a Light Yellow monster.


    The military and scientists all knew that the maximum the weapon could do, given the massive sma cannons on the walls of the Citadel, was to wound White and Green Threat Level monsters.


    But, just now, Refesa''s fighter had destroyed Air Krukko as if it were amon bird or a weak White Threat monster.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A couple of secondster, the recoil reached the fighter, causing the entire ne to shake actively, but before Nessa started to panic everything was back to normal.


    Refesa made sure that the XH-01 could regain bnce on its own in almost any situation.


    "Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!"


    Magnus burst intoughter, his chuckles like crazy echoes spreading around.


    "Holy shit! What the fuck just happened! I want to rey that moment over and over again!"


    Refesa didn''t want to show it, trying to keep a serious face for the duration of the mission, but the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, forming a satisfied smirk.


    Thump.


    Magnus''s arms wrapped tightly around Refesa from behind, hugging her tightly.


    "I must admit that I was wrong. This is the kind of thing I couldn''t have expected. This is really something new for me."


    Refesa waved her hand nonchntly.


    "Not just for you, it''s about to be a shock to the entire Citadel. Dous has been bugging me for permission to use XH-01, but... it looks like he''ll get his way soon enough."


    Magnus nced at the screens, looking at a surprised Nessa.


    "Hehehe, it will be interesting to see the same look on Dous''s face."


    Refesa nodded, as her face became much more serious.


    "But... This feature has significant limitations." Refesa pointed to the tanks.


    Earlier, for Angel''s Embrace''s activation, they had emptied by a third, which was within normal limits, but now their level had dropped to 60% instead of maintaining 66% full.


    It wasn''t too much of a waste of azure liquid to destroy the Light Yellow Monster, but if there were too many such monsters on Nessa''s path, the energy might run low.


    "Don''t worry. Nessa is already almost to the right ce." Magnus said looking at the far screen.


    There, XH-01 was marked as a blue dot and Fume Cathedral was a red dot.


    "Hmm? What is that?" Magnus tilted his head as he watched a white dot rapidly approaching the red dot.


    At the same moment, Refesa''s screens showed numerous messages from Fort Norton and the mission department, all saying that a Midnight Crystal had fallen near Fume Cathedral!


    They had received this information with a slight dy, but now everyone knew about it.


    Refesa was baffled, she wasn''t prepared for this.


    But, Magnus on the contrary, his grin grew even wider.


    "Good..." Magnus whispered like an insidious devil.


    "What, what good is that! It just increased the danger level of this mission! Not only is it Fume Cathedral and the gue Reaper running around, but now this ce has be a bloody feast for all the monsters in the vicinity!"


    Refesa said vigorously, pping her hands on the arms of her chair.


    "Now not only are Adam, Katrin, and Osana in danger, but your daughter is in danger as well! This could be a real threat to Nessa!"


    Refesa said worriedly before turning her head and looking at Magnus. Her face turned pale at the sight of his creepy grin, eyes narrowed.


    Then, without saying anything, Magnus stepped forward, approaching the control panel.


    This time Refesa did not dare to stop him, she only silently watched not wanting to stand in Magnus'' way when he was in such a state.


    Pressing a button, Magnus bent over the microphone.


    "Hey, Nessa, can you hear me?"


    Nessa flinched in surprise before nodding quickly.


    "Yes, is something wrong?"


    Magnus waved his hand.


    "Nah, nothing much. Just a Midnight Crystal fell near Fume Cathedral."


    Nessa''s eyes went wide with waves of shivers spreading throughout her body.


    But, Magnus''s voicepletely consumed her mind before she could say anything.


    "Don''t be afraid, you should rejoice. Given your recent development after the battle in theb, energy is now a valuable resource."


    Magnus chuckled evilly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Fight, fucking hell, it''s fucking Midnight Crystal! Kill gue Reaper and absorb the energy from Midnight Crystal! I''m sure after that, you''ll advance to the next level! Then, you''ll surpass Adam Vinter! That arrogant guy will catch up to you instead of you catching up to him!"


    Magnus was silent for a few seconds before saying in a creepy voice: "Fight like a beast, gue Reaper is a true monster, and as you know, only a monster can defeat a monster."

 Chapter 355: Midnight Crystal (Part 80)

    Bam.


    gue Reaper''s fist plunged into Adam''s face throwing him back several meters.


    Before Adam could realize it, spinning quickly in the air due to the momentum of the powerful blow, gue Reaper took a deep breath.


    ck smoke came out of his coat, making him disappear and appear a momentter in front of Adam, who had only managed to partially regain his bnce.


    ''Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!'' Adam inwardly eximed, digging his ws into the ground to stop himself.


    ''No, Adam, you won''t make it in time. Find another option. You need to defend yourself against his attack somehow!'' Silvana said quickly, realizing that time was short.


    Then, Adam turned around, seeing that not far away was one of the surviving monsters. That one had managed to escape the ck air and Katrin''s ming st.


    ''I see... This could work.'' Adam nodded to himself before he touched the ground with his foot and abruptly jumped aside - moving towards the monster.


    gue Reaper narrowed his eyes, not understanding what Adam''s n was, but it didn''t bother him. They had been fighting for some time now, understanding each other''s fighting style better with each passing second.


    Katrin and Osana watched from a distance. Katrin had no more energy, and all Osana had left was her petals, which at best she could distract gue Reaper and her trump card, which was not yet time to reveal.


    It wasn''t that Osana didn''t want to win, no, if she had a chance to prevent her mates from dying and making things worse, she would have done it long ago. In fact, Osana had to wait for the right moment, and gradually that moment was approaching and the fear within her was actively growing.


    Whoooooosh.


    Adam abruptly jumped forward, turning into a lightning sh to quickly reach the monster who didn''t yet realize that it had be part of Adam''s n.


    Dust flew overhead, staying behind Adam who quickly slid under the monster''s broad body.


    If it had been Adam''s goal he could have plunged a needle or w into the monster''s belly, causing it to fall off its four strong paws into a pool of its own blood mixed with organs, but Adam just wanted to avoid gue Reaper''s attack.


    "Wha..."


    gue Reaper let out a wheezing sound before appearing in front of the monster, ring at the fleeing Adam, who appeared behind therge monster a secondter.


    "ROOOAAAARRRR!!!"


    The monster roared furiously, about to either start fighting against gue Reaper or try to drive him away.


    Adam and gue Reaper had already been fighting for some time. The surviving monsters did not dare to join their fight, instead choosing to watch from the sidelines as events unfolded.


    The monsters realized that it was useless to fight against gue Reaper alone, they had to unite to have a chance, but no one wanted to do so. The monsters realized that even if they won, gue Reaper would kill most of them.


    No one wanted to be among the dead, as only a small portion of the survivors after defeating gue Reaper would be able to absorb Midnight Crystal. The monsters were too selfish and smart enough to realize that teaming up was not an option for them.


    But... They had an unusual trump card - Adam, a Phantom that was capable of fighting against gue Reaper.


    In any other situation, the monsters would have helped their kin to kill Phantom, but they didn''t consider gue Reaper their ally. To them, he was an upstart from a lower threat level that they couldn''t do anything about.


    Well, that didn''t mean they were going to help Adam. They would wait until one of them lost, then finish off the other, no matter who was left, they would kill him. Then, they would start fighting each other until there were a few monsters left that would divide Midnight Crystal between them.


    Thump.


    The monster mmed its massive hind paws into the ground before raising its front paws, aiming its long ws at gue Reaper.


    gue Reaper wasn''t going to block this attack or dodge, he didn''t even have a goal to fight this monster as all his attention was focused on Adam.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Before the monster could do anything, gue Reaper raised his scythe high up before taking a wide swing.


    Crackle.


    A straight line traveled down the monster''s spine, blood sttered outwards while the monster''s body slowly split into two equal parts.


    Without wasting time, gue Reaper lunged forward, tearing through the monster, the halves of its body slowly splitting apart to fall to the ground and sink into a thickyer of dust.


    Adam''s eyes went wide. He couldn''t believe what gue Reaper had just done.


    ''Shit! He just cut him open, not to kill him, but to waste no time and catch up with me faster by taking the direct path!'' Adam inwardly eximed, confidently getting to his feet.


    At thest moment, he managed to put the needle in front of him, then, the ck de mmed into the white needle, cutting many dense threads in its path.


    Sparks flew before Adam''s worried eyes, while gue Reaper''s gaze was calm and peaceful.


    To him, there was no great battle here, no fight for the right to move on. After the fall of Midnight Crystal, he viewed this situation very differently.


    He needed to get rid of the only real threat in his way - Adam, once he did that he would be able to take over Midnight Crystal immediately.


    And... From the looks of it, there wasn''t much time left before his n came to fruition.


    Bam.


    gue Reaper swung the scythe, plunging the heavy end of the handle into Adam''s stomach. A bright pain traveled through Adam''s body, he felt as if a steel hammer had struck him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At the same time, Katrin and Osana nced over, their looks nervous as they underestimated how much stronger gue Reaper had be by pulling out his weapon.


    "So... Any suggestions?" Katrin asked, watching as gue Reaper gradually overwhelmed Adam.


    gue Reaper couldn''t defeat Adam quickly, but gradually, blow by blow, sh by sh, Adam''s defeat was approaching its inevitable fate.


    Osana shook her head.


    "We have nothing left. We can''t reinforce him anymore, his body is at its limit."


    Katrin frowned.


    "Hey... You have a trump card, don''t you? You haven''t used your Second Order yet and... something tells me your artifact could be useful."


    Though their acquaintance had spent most of their time fighting, Katrin had learned a little bit about what was really on Osana''s mind.


    Osana frowned, she didn''t like that Katrin was trying to get into her thoughts.


    "It doesn''t matter right now. gue Reaper is stronger than ever. He''s a little tired, yes, butpared to Adam he''s rested and full of energy. If you want me to show what I can do, then we must somehow make gue Reaper''s condition much worse. We must make it so that Adam can kill him quickly." Osana said confidently.


    It wasn''t a hope, it was a fact.


    Katrin wanted to say something, but a bright blue glow high in the sky distracted her.


    "Hmm? What the hell is that?" Katrin muttered looking at the strange fighter surrounded by a protective barrier.


    Then... from the fighter someone dropped down, aiming its gaze at gue Reaper like a predator seeing its prey.

 Chapter 356 Midnight Crystal (Part 81)

    Nessa''s crimson hair fluttered in the wind, the swift currents of air trying to stop her falling at least a little, but her goal of reaching the ground was unwavering.


    On her wrist was a white NEP like all Citadel Phantoms, and in her left ear was an earring in the shape of some monster''s fang - her Nexus.


    Sure, it was all just a fake just like her Phantom profile that Katrin''s and Osana''s Operators were now looking at.


    ''Hmm? I''ve never seen her before, who''s that?'' n, Katrin''s Operator, muttered, ''Katrin, her profile is kind of odd, as is the fighter she flew in, but from the looks of it she''s pretty strong. She''s defeated many monsters from the Top-10 of the Purple Threat Level.''


    "Agh?" Katrin frowned heavily, looking at the girl who somehow managed to fly to their rescue.


    ''Wait... This isn''t a K2 or K3-Phantom, it''s a K1-Phantom.'' n quickly said with a confused look in his eyes.


    He was one of the first to notice the fighter approaching, he breathed a sigh of relief as he figured Citadel had found a way to help Adam and the others. But... it was just a strong K1-Phantom, not someone who could actually make a difference with its overwhelming power.


    "What?! Then how was she able to get here if Citadel hasn''t sent a Phantom with suitable abilities yet!?" Katrin eximed in anger.


    She didn''t understand why it had already been so long but Citadel hadn''t sent them help yet. Sure, n had already exined to her several times that gue Reaper and his ck air were to me, but that didn''t stop her from continuing to be angry and swearing at the management.


    Osana narrowed her eyes, staring intently at Nessa, who had already opened her parachute, and quickly approaching the ground.


    Osana either knew well or had at least heard of every capable K1-Phantom, someone like Adam and Alexia she had quite a bit of information on. Even if it was some secretive loner Phantom, its profile was always open and Osana had ess to that data.


    ''Hmm... From the look on her face, she''s pretty strong, and her Nexus is kinda weird... Well, there are a lot of interesting personalities among the Phantoms, it''s weird that this is the first time I''ve seen her face and heard her name. Nessa Zephyr... Wait... thatst name is pretty damn familiar.''


    "ROOOOAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Perhaps Osana might figure out that Nessa was a fake Phantom if she continued to ponder further, but the roar of a random monster brought her back to the battlefield.


    Thump. Thump. Thump.


    The monster quickly ran towards Nessa, intending to attack her as soon as she reached the ground. This monster was followed by two others, they felt a strange threating from Nessa that they couldn''t exin.


    Nessa cast a calm look at them, not afraid at all.


    As she approached the battlefield, Magnus did his best to set her mind to a wless victory against gue Reaper.


    The way he chose his words, tone, and ents was truly hypnotizing and motivating, and... Nessa didn''t mind that at all. She wanted to outdo Adam, and she could do that if she beat gue Reaper.


    And, if she came out of this battle as the winner, she could get a piece of the Midnight Crystal. She had never absorbed energy before, but she felt that if she got into her fighting form, she could definitely do it.


    Enjoy new chapters from empire


    ''Well... My father said that what happened to me in theb is very simr to how the Phantoms'' Resonance works...'' Nessa muttered internally looking at the monsters below, they were already waiting to attack her.


    ''The effect is different, but the mechanism is the same. My genes like the Phantoms are starting to squeeze all the power out of me so that I win, so that I survive. The only downside is that like the Phantoms I can''t control it.'' Nessa pondered, ncing down at her hands.


    She wanted to feel what it was like to fight with her long ws, seeing and hearing everything several times better even though her senses were much sharper than those of mere humans and Phantoms of her rank.


    Then, Nessa sighed heavily, swinging her hand and cutting the parachute cables.


    "ROOOAAAARRRR!!!"


    The massive monster opened its jaw wide, letting out a furious roar. Its horns shuddered before shimmering and releasing several lightning projectiles at Nessa.


    Nessa''s pupils narrowed as she arched her body sharply, letting the first projectile pass over her before deftly falling to the ground, touching the surface with her fingertips.


    The second and third projectiles, two lightning spheres were already right in front of her, the distance was less than an arm''s length away, but that wasn''t a problem for Nessa.


    In a heartbeat, her silhouette blurred, turning into a shadow due to her high speed. Lightning spheres flew forward to collide with the ground and cause two deafening explosions.


    Along with the wind streamsing from the shockwave, Nessa appeared in front of the main monster.


    Osana and Katrin watched her actions intently. They wanted to see what her abilities were, what her Nexus was capable of, to use that information to prepare a n.


    But... even though Nessa was about to attack, she hadn''t used a single ability yet, her eyes didn''t sh, remaining calm and collected.


    ''Agh? What is she doing? If she wants to kill this monster, bare fists are not enough to do so. Damn, she seems to have a lot more self-confidence than experience.'' Katrin frowned, shaking her head with regret.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Nessa''s arms stretched forward, gripping the monster''s horns tightly. A secondter, the monster''s face contorted in hellish pain as Nessa''s powerful hands simply ripped its horns from its body, along with the flesh, blood, and protruding nerves.


    Katrin''s eyes went wide, disbelieving the level of physical strength that Nessa had demonstrated.


    ''What the hell...? She just ripped them out with her hands, merely straining her muscles...''


    "AAAAARRRRRRRRRHHHTTT!!!"


    The monster roared painfully, unable to ignore the painful shock that went through its body.


    "Shut up, you''re just wasting my time." Nessa growled menacingly before turning her wrists and thrust the monster''s horns into its eyes, piercing its brain and head.


    A stream of wind blew next to Osana, whose narrowed eyes watched Nessa intently.


    "Oh... How curious..."

 Chapter 357 Midnight Crystal (Part 82)

    Katrin watched wide-eyed as Nessa killed the monster using its horns as a weapon. It wasn''t just humiliating, but also showed how much difference in physical strength there was between them.


    "Rgh... I should already be fighting the strongest, but instead, I have to waste my time on trash like you. It''s kind of annoying." Nessa growled, ring menacingly at the two remaining monsters.


    They were slightly smaller and didn''t look as strong as the monster she had just killed.


    Nessa''s instincts were calm, if these monsters posed a threat to her, she would have sensed it. But... then she only feltpletely superior to them and she didn''t stop that feeling from slowly consuming her mind.


    Whoooooooosh. Continue your adventure with empire


    Running up to the first monster, Nessa thrust her palm into its throat, piercing the tough hide as if using a great spear.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "ROOOAAAAAAARRRR!!!"


    Thest monster of the trio realized that escape was impossible, the only option was to fight.


    The monster opened its jaw wide, about to fight for its life.


    In a heartbeat, Nessa turned around as her right leg came into motion. Her foot like a broad halberd de, mmed into the monster''s head from bottom to top.


    Crackle.


    The impact was powerful enough to tear the monster''s flesh, and break bone, and the momentum threw the head aside like a ball.


    ''What the hell is going on here...?'' Katrin internally muttered unable to believe what she was seeing.


    Sure, Adam could easily handle these monsters too especially in his current state, Katrin realized that. However, she saw that Nessa didn''t use her abilities as well as her Nexus.


    Then, Katrin realized something.


    ''Oh, she knew where she was going, so she must have used her abilities while still in the fighter, right? Yeah, in that case, everything falls into ce. Most likely her abilities are focused on body strengthening and physical power, it''s not the mostmon case, but it''s nothing unique.''


    Besides Katrin, Nessa was also being watched closely by Osana and she did not share Katrin''s thoughts at all.


    She waspletely sure that Katrin wasn''t using any abilities, she just didn''t feel any energy emanating from Katrin.


    Because of the nature of her abilities, Osana was good at detecting this and she was more perceptive than Katrin, who just wanted to understand what Nessa was doing here. Osana needed to find out who Nessa was.


    Step.


    Nessa stepped forward, casting a careless nce at the three dead monsters lying at her feet. Her gaze dropped to her ankle. She felt a slight unpleasant burning sensation as if she had identally bumped into something.


    When she killed Purple Threat monsters, this didn''t happen. The monsters'' skins were much tougher and their bodies stronger, and she had felt it firsthand.


    ''I see. Even if they''re pretty weak they''re still Light Yellow Threat monsters. Damn, and they''re all afraid of that bastard?'' Nessa pondered before staring ahead at gue Reaper.


    Adam and gue Reaper continued to fight. They looked like ck and blue shes, disappearing from time to time only to reappear elsewhere in another sh.


    For a moment, Adam nced at Nessa before turning back to his battle against gue Reaper.


    Did he expect Nessa to show up here?


    No.


    Only Magnus, Refesa, and Dous knew about it.


    Adam was surprised, but he had no time to express his emotions since every second of inaction could end with the ck de of the scythe cutting off his head.


    Nessa frowned heavily, clenching her fists tightly.


    ''Hey.''


    Suddenly Refesa''s calm voice sounded in her ear.


    ''Did youe here to fight and defeat the Top-1 monster or to watch Adam Vinter? As your temporary Operator, I strongly suggest you finally get to work.'' Refesa said with a slight smirk on her face.


    Nessa didn''t like Refesa''s tone, but she couldn''t help but admit that Refesa was right. She hade here with a clear purpose and she had to fulfill it.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Nessa ran forward quickly, getting faster with each step.


    The ground bore deep marks from her powerful stride as her eyes focused on gue Reaper.


    While she had flown here on XH-01, Refesa, and Magnus had told her everything she needed to know about gue Reaper, as well as what fighting style these Crown Monsters used most often.


    ''Adam... I''m sure your opponent is strong, but with my help, we definitely can defeat him. Against the two of us, gue Reaper can''t do anything!'' Nessa eximed internally before appearing behind gue Reaper.


    Nessa often went to Dead Lands to learn how to fight against monsters and gain realbat experience.


    Her favorite opponents were Crown Type monsters, as she could use the full potential of her body to counter them.


    Crown Monsters used not only their physical power but also real mastery gained through many victories in bloody fights. They were capable of both grappling and hitting vulnerable spots, so they were the best sparring partners for Nessa.


    ''Your abilities are actually frightening, but I gather you''ve already used most of them. I''m sure your skill won''t be enough to surpass mine and my honed instincts!'' Nessa internally belligerently spoke before guiding her palm towards gue Reaper''s back.


    She was going to pierce his flesh with her palm like a spear to immediately give gue Reaper a serious wound while she had the advantage.


    Sure, Nessa realized that gue Reaper had sensed her presence long ago, but he was still distracted by Adam and didn''t know what Nessa was capable of.


    ''Yes... Almost, just a little more.'' Nessa muttered inwardly looking at her palm sweeping through the wind currents like a sharp de.


    Whooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    A scythe with a long bone handle and ck de flew upwards from the powerful throw of its owner.


    Nessa''s eyes traveled upward for a moment, but she immediately returned her focus to gue Reaper.


    Tap.


    gue Reaper''s pale back palm touched Nessa''s wrist, with enough force to pull her arm aside.


    Nessa''s surprised eyes reflected gue Reaper''s hand reaching for her.


    Then, a shiver ran through Nessa''s body, all her instincts screaming that she shouldn''t let him grab her.


    Nessa jumped back sharply.


    ''What...?''


    Nessa flinched, realizing that she couldn''t budge. Lowering her gaze she saw that gue Reaper''s foot was pinning her foot firmly to the ground, not allowing her to take a single step away from that spot.


    Crackle.


    gue Reaper''s fingers went through Nessa''s crimson hair, clutching her locks tightly, with enough force to easily tear them out.


    At the same moment, electric shocks erupted behind gue Reaper, and a silver glint reflected in Nessa''s startled eyes.


    Well, Nessa had failed her first attack, but even so, she had distracted gue Reaper and Adam was going to take advantage of that. If he could seriously wound gue Reaper, Nessa was already proving useful.


    gue Reaper cast a quick, calm nce at Adam before running forward.


    He dragged Nessa along with him, one hand holding onto her hair and the other grabbing her face.


    But... gue Reaper wasn''t about to run away, for after a few steps he bent his body forward, forcibly plunging Nessa''s face into the ground, causing it to w against sharp rocks and literally bleed on the hard surface.

 Chapter 358 Midnight Crystal (Part 83)

    "Fuck... I guess motivation alone isn''t enough sometimes, right?" Magnus muttered awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.


    He watched as gue Reaper responded to Nessa''s attack in the most humiliating way possible.


    gue Reaper didn''t just repel her attack in one move, he plunged her head into the ground, carrying her across the entire battlefield like she was aplete lowlife.


    Refesa sighed heavily.


    "This gue Reaper... Specifically, that one is really amazing and after the fall of the Midnight Crystal, besides the desire to fight, he has a higher level of motivation."


    Magnus nodded with a frown on his face.


    "Yeah, and not only that. When Nessa attacked him he got angry..." Magnus narrowed his eyes looking at gue Reaper''s face, "That''s not good. She failed to show that she''s a serious enemy."


    Refesa shrugged.


    "It would seem so. Unless there''s a backstory or personal motive, you don''t get angry at worthy opponents, you either have wariness or respect. He''s angry because her interference annoyed him and her powers weren''t enough to interest him."


    Magnus scratched his cheek, gazing deeply at Nessa''s sore face, many ces already covered in scratches due to collisions with sharp rocks.


    "Well... Hopefully, she''lle to her senses after the first failure, otherwise, they won''t win."


    ...


    "Bastard! How dare you treat me like this!!! I''ll kill you!" Nessa angrily eximed swallowing the clots of dust falling into her mouth.


    Bam.


    Nessa plunged her fist into the ground in an attempt to stop gue Reaper''s rush.


    Then, she stood confidently on her powerful legs, making contact with the ground, causing gue Reaper to raise an eyebrow as she watched his victim slowly ascend.


    "Rgha..."


    gue Reaper let out a short sigh before jerking his hand sharply, dragging Nessa by her hair.


    Nessa clenched her teeth tightly, despite the pain she wasn''t going to give up and take even a step away.


    Bam.


    But... a powerful punch to her stomach, made her change her ns.


    Nessa''s eyes went wide and her mouth opened at the vivid pain she waspletely unprepared for.


    Then, before Nessa could realize anything, gue Reaper''s fist mmed into her jaw from below, lifting her off the ground.


    ''What the hell...? What''s going on...?'' Nessa thought as the world in front of her eyes tilted, and her mind was consumed by pain new res of which kept appearing.


    Whooooosh.


    gue Reaper jumped up, getting on the same level as Nessa. His eyes narrowed slightly, he clearly hadn''t expected Nessa''s body to be so sturdy. Moreover, he began to feel that she was more like a monsters than Phantoms or ordinary humans.


    He didn''t know what the exnation for that was, but it didn''t matter at the time, as his goal was to get rid of the annoying enemy as soon as possible.


    "Wha..."


    gue Reaper took a deep breath, filling his lungs before abruptly twisting his entire body.


    After a few spins, like a ck whirlwind, gue Reaper stopped, plunging his left leg into Nessa''s stomach while simultaneously exhaling all the air from his lungs.


    Never in all her battles against Crown Monsters, had Nessa received such a honed and powerful strike.


    All her muscles strained to save her organs from destruction after gue Reaper''s kick.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    The impact provoked an air ring followed by an impulse that threw Nessa far back.


    She rolled over the ground like a corpse with no control over her body. In fact, Nessa tried to do something, but the speed was too great.


    All she could do was wait until she finally stopped. It didn''t happen until a hundred meterster, hitting the ground more than ten times along the way.


    Bam.


    Nessa crashed into a wisp of dust, partially sinking into it.


    Osana frowned.


    "Oh... Looks like she turned out to be overconfident. But, I didn''t expect gue Reaper to be so threatening in closebat."


    Katrin gulped. She realized that it wasn''t Nessa who was weak, it was gue Reaper who was just on a whole different level.


    "But... If he dealt with her so easily, even though she''s definitely physically strong, how has Adam not been hit by a simr series of blows so far?"


    Osana nced at Adam who was keeping a safe distance from gue Reaper, assessing the situation. He didn''t know if he should cover Nessa or immediately attack gue Reaper, preferring to wait for the first move from his opponent.


    "Well, it''s simple. He just wouldn''t let him do it. That girl, Nessa... she was taken by surprise when gue Reaper repelled her attack. She may have enough speed, but she has no experience fighting against such an opponent, while Adam is gaining more knowledge with every second."


    Katrin shuddered nervously, realizing that to fight gue Reaper on the same level she needed to feel the power of this monster with her body and mind.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Yeah, you''re probably right, but... that girl did aplish something." Katrin smirked looking at the scythe, its ck de was deeply sunk into the ground.


    "He may have beaten her, but now he''s lost his weapon. I''m sure Adam won''t let him get his scythe back so easily."


    Osana shook her head as if Katrin was talkingplete nonsense.


    "I wouldn''t be so sure of that."


    "Agh? What are you talking about!"


    gue Reaper crouched down, turning his head toward his scythe, not far from where Adam stood.


    Then, gue Reaper reached his hand forward.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The scythe shuddered vigorously as dark smoke began to emanate from the ck de. As if gaining will, the scythe began to actively rotate, cutting through the dust with its de to get out of the ground and like a disk head towards its owner.


    With a face devoid of emotion, gue Reaper grabbed his weapon, gripping its hilt tightly.


    He nced at Adam, and nodded slightly as if in respect, or rather he apologized? Following, gue Reaper turned to Nessa''s side, who was slowly rising from the ground.


    And... the first thing Nessa saw was gue Reaper''s scornful look.


    It immediately made her mind recall the way Adam had stared at her in theb when he had protected her from Snow Follower.


    But... something was still different.


    Adam had looked at her with pity, he was frustrated that she couldn''t show her full potential even though she was a hybrid, he wanted her to use her powers to their full potential.


    gue Reaper on the other hand looked at her as a pathetic insect that decided to interfere in his fight with someone he thought was truly worthy.


    gue Reaper didn''t need to be able to speak or make any gestures to show it.


    Sometimes, a gaze was more than enough to show something that not even all the words in the world were free to do.


    Nessa could feel gue Reaper''s silhouette growingrger with every beat of her heart, while she gradually shrank, bing the insect he thought she was.


    It was a disgusting feeling that resonated with what she''d felt thest time she''d gotten into her fighting form for the first time in her life.


    Then, Nessa''s veins began to swell, and energy waves began to emanate from her body.

 Chapter 359 Midnight Crystal (Part 84)

    "What is that creepy ability...? Is that her Nexus...?" Katrin muttered in disbelief, staring at Nessa''s transformation.


    Nessa''s veins swelled like Resonance, all her muscles tensed like steel, her pupils changed their color from ck to amber and her hair became much thicker, reaching to her waist with its sharp tips.


    Her fangs and ws grew longer, like deadly des with one purpose - to kill and tear apart any enemy in their path.


    Adam, Silvana, and Magnus were the only ones who had seen this transformation before. This time something was different, showing that Nessa''s body was already fully ustomed to such a change.


    Amber energy emanated from Nessa''s body like streams of vapor, slowly developing in the void.


    Magnus hadn''t fully explored this special ability yet, for no matter what he did, he was unable to get Nessa to enter her battle form in theb.


    He realized that it took something special, some kind of critical situation for Nessa. Something like that simply could not be aplished in the safe conditions of theb. So, he had stopped his attempts, concentrating on improving Nessa''s control over her powers.


    But, now he could finally see progress that didn''t depend on him or Nessa. It was happening naturally, the first time Nessa''s body was just trying to figure out how to use the energy, how to make Nessa stronger so she would win.


    Now, however, things werepletely different.


    Nessa had found the right catalyst for her, she couldn''t bear to get such a humiliating stare from gue Reaper. Then, her body realized it was time to act.


    "Well, well, looks like it took her a lot less time to reach the peak of her power this time." Adam muttered looking at Nessa with a slight sadness in his gaze.


    He wanted to go into Resonance, to get a little more powerful, but he couldn''t do it. It was a process that couldn''t be controlled though... Adam was afraid of something that mighte along with Resonance.


    ''Even if I could enter Resonance, then...'' Adam muttered inwardly, ncing at his hands, his fingertips trembling slightly while electric shocks ran through them.


    ''Would my body be able to take it? Osana wasn''t kidding when she said I was at my limit. If I activate Resonance, how long can Ist before I copse? A minute? Maybe even less?''


    Adam shook his head. He didn''t want to think about it too much since it hadn''t happened yet.


    Never before had Adam fought when his squad had supports.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Then, Adam lowered his gaze to his chest, where Lero''s red magic circle still shone brightly.


    "Tsk... It shouldn''t be like this... Phantom''s abilities shouldn''t live longer than Phantom himself... It''s not right." Adam gritted his teeth as the scene of gue Reaper killing Lero appeared before his eyes, in just one move, in one powerful stomp.


    The life of the Phantom, though a young one, was over in an instant.


    It pained Adam to think how much a man like Lero could have aplished in his life if it hadn''t been cut short in Fume Cathedral.


    "No... It doesn''t matter now. Lero, E, and Oskar... they died, but I can still fight for my life."


    With a deep sigh, Adam looked around the entire battlefield, first looking at Nessa who was slowly rising from the ground, then at Katrin and Osana standing next to Fume Cathedral.


    Whether they all survived or died depended on one thing: could they kill gue Reaper? So far the situation was not in their favor, since gue Reaper had already killed three of their mates, and all they had aplished was for gue Reaper to start fighting with his weapon.


    Adam scratched the back of his head.


    "Well,st time I and Nessa fought against each other, so now it''s our turn to be allies, right?" Adam smiled bitterly, kneading his arms before the next round.


    In many ces in his body, a muffled pain reverberated, Adam didn''t show it but he felt every gue Reaper''s blow sessfully reaching its target.


    In a way, this pain was even pleasant as Adam realized that gue Reaper felt the same. They failed to seriously injure each other, but their faces often shed fists.


    ''Hey, Adam, hi. This is Nessa''s Operator.'' Refesa said suddenly, tapping into his channel.


    ''What, how did that happen!'' Silvana inwardly eximed in disbelief.


    She listened intently to what Adam was muttering under his breath and wanted to say something, she needed to motivate or encourage him somehow, something that would boost Adam''s morale.


    Silvana knew that thoughts of dead mates were not something to keep in mind during a dangerous battle.


    But... in a matter of seconds, someone had just infiltrated her channel and there was nothing she could do about it.


    "Hmm? Who are you, whose voice is that? Nessa''s Operator...? It''s not like she''s Pha..." Adam said before abruptly stopping when his eyes went wide filling with realization.


    ''Good. You stopped just in time.'' Refesa nodded approvingly, ''My name is Refesa and I am a scientist like Magnus. I''m talking to you so you can work with Nessa. I don''t know what she''s capable of in this form, but if you attack gue Reaper relentlessly, sooner orter his defenses wille down.''


    Adam nodded.


    "Yeah, that''s exactly what I was going to do."


    Magnus standing next to Refesa cast a puzzled look at her.


    "Hey, Adam isn''t some rookie, why would you tell him something so trivial? Anyone knows that in a situation like this, you have to fight and attack quickly, it''s obvious!"


    Refesa smirked, casting a sly nce at Magnus.


    "Oh, I just wanted to meet you. By the way, his Operator better work on defending herwork, I was able to hack it in less than a minute." Refesa chuckled softly, savoring her small victory.


    She imagined Silvana''s face, who was in a rush trying to figure out what had happened and how Refesa was able to do it so easily.


    Unlike Riska, Tron''s Operator, Refesa had no permission due to her higher level of ess. She simply hacked into Silvana''s channel.


    Magnus gripped his chin thoughtfully.


    "Why? You hacked her, yes, but you don''t carry a threat. Who does Silvana have to protect herwork from?"


    Refesa sighed before directing her gaze downward.


    "Well... Given Adam''s history once he reaches K2-Level he''ll want to head to the Lower Ring. I''m sure with his personality he''s sure to run into trouble and as you know Phantoms and Operators are all over the Citadel, not just the Upper Ring."


    Magnus''s eyes widened for a moment, realizing that Refesa was right, it was inevitable in his situation.


    Then, he shrugged returning his gaze to the screens.


    "Right now, he''s not in the Citadel, he''s in Dead Lands. He must survive first, then let him do what he wants."


    Step. Step. Step.


    At the same moment, Nessa sprinted forward, hurtling through the wind currents at breakneck speed.


    gue Reaper''s calm face frowned slightly, he could sense that Nessa had changedpletely.


    Whoooooosh.


    Nessa''s silhouette blurred, turning into a shadow before appearing in front of gue Reaper.


    gue Reaper''s hands quickly grasped the scythe''s long hilt, going to block Nessa''s long ws.


    But...


    As soon as he did so he heard electric charges raging behind him.

 Chapter 360 Midnight Crystal (Part 85)

    Earlier, on the battlefield inside the purple me ring, the ck and blue shes fought to get a chance to capture the white sh - Midnight Crystal.


    But... after literally descending from the sky, losing one sh but quickly returning with renewed strength, they were joined by a new sh - an amber one. Despite its calm, noble color, the amber sh was the most aggressive and wild, like a true beast unleashed from its chains.


    Crackle.


    Nessa''s long ws shed into the ck de, releasing outward cascades of sparks flying before gue Reaper''s focused eyes.


    He quickly set the bone hilt to strike before ncing at the de of his weapon, in the reflection, he saw a silver needleing straight for his neck.


    gue Reaper narrowed his eyes before turning around sharply, raising a cloud of dust around him with the tip of his foot.


    ''What the hell...?'' Adam internally muttered when a smoke screen appeared in front of the tip of his needle.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A secondter, he pierced through the billow of smoke, but gue Reaper was no longer in that spot.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Before Adam could realize anything, a ck de appeared before his eyes, slicing through his chest in a wide sweep.


    Neither Katrin''s roots nor Osana''s airflow could protect Adam from this attack. gue Reaper''s scythe, left a deep cut on his chest, dark blood rushing out, flying in front of Adam''s shocked eyes.


    Bam.


    gue Reaper''s boot smashed the drops of blood, crashing right into Adam''s lost face.


    He didn''t have time to react or somehow block this attack, taking full damage.


    The impact, threw him truly far away, causing him to spin in mid-air, sttering the ground with blood from his broken nose.


    The gue Reaper nodded slightly. It was unclear from his movements, but it was difficult to do something like that, it took all of his mastery to do it. He couldn''t allow himself to be trapped between Adam and Nessa, it was too dangerous.


    "You piece of shit, look at me!"


    Nessa eximed furiously, sinking her ws into the gue Reaper''s shoulder.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    gue Reaper''s coat shuddered vigorously, a jaw emerging from the thick darkness, eager to stop Nessa''s ws.


    But...


    The long ws emitting amber streams of energy simply tore the jaw apart, passing through the coat and digging into the gue Reaper''s flesh.


    "Rgrhg!"


    For the first time, gue Reaper let out not a heavy sigh, but a growl filled with vivid pain. Nessa''s ws sliced through his flesh, going down quickly, leaving four bloody streaks running from his shoulder to his shoulder de.


    It was a real sess for Nessa, but the gue Reaper wouldn''t be able to reach his current level of strength if a simple wound could disable him.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Undeterred, gue Reaper changed his grip and quickly swung his scythe, blocking Nessa''s ws.


    "You''re the second person who dared to look at me with that arrogant gaze..." Nessa said furiously, gritting her teeth.


    Her amber eyes with vertical pupils were burning gue Reaper through. She wanted to tear him apart, she was willing to do whatever it took to do so.


    "I''m still pretty pissed at the first one of you, but since he saved my life, I''m definitely not going to kill him." Nessa growled, referring to Adam, "But... You''ll be another monster I''ll chew to death!"


    Suddenly, Nessa stopped using her ws as des. They were strong and sharp, but not so long that she couldn''t clench her hands into fists.


    Clutch.


    Her hands clenched tightly around the bone hilt of the gue Reaper''s weapon. She began to put pressure on the gue Reaper, about to bring him to the ground.


    "Grh!!!"


    gue Reaper fought back, struggling to hold against Nessa''s push since entering her fighting form, her physical strength far exceeded gue Reaper''s capabilities.


    Thump.


    Nessa stomped her foot, using the ground as her base. Her muscles emitted hot steam, straining to the limit.


    Bam.


    Eventually, gue Reaper couldn''t stand, his legs shaking, betraying him and dooming him to fall.


    As soon as his back touched the cold ground, Nessa''s jaw began to close in front of him. Sharp fangs strove to reach their target, which was very near.


    Then, gue Reaper''s eyes went wide, realizing that just a little more and Nessa would just rip his face off!


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    gue Reaper''s hands trembled, Nessa pressing harder and harder using her superior position.


    With each heartbeat, scythe''s hilt moved closer to gue Reaper''s chest as well as Nessa''s jaw, like a wild piranha seeing its prey.


    "RGHA!!!"


    gue Reaper growled, plunging his feet into Nessa''s steel abs. Despite the force of the kick, Nessa flew only a few meters away, quickly doing a somersault in the air and standing confidently on her feet.


    Nessa was ready to attack again, but the gue Reaper was no longer going to let her get too close to him.


    gue Reaper''s mouth opened slightly as if he were going to whistle, but instead of whistling, arge amount of ck air came out. It was like a cloud covering everything ahead, moving quickly towards Nessa.


    Then, watching their battle, Katrin and Osana realized something. Unlike them and Adam, Nessa was not protected by the wind veil! She had joined their fight quitete, and Osana simply didn''t have a chance to protect her. Explore more stories at empire


    "NO! Run away! Dodge!" Osana eximed, realizing that they couldn''t lose Nessa because of such a stupid mistake.


    Nessa threw a scornful look at her, but she didn''t move away, she didn''t take a single step out of her seat at all.


    "Run away? Do you really think I''m afraid of this air? Even if it is deadly, I just need to get rid of this cloud of death!" Nessa snorted before opening her mouth wide, taking a deep breath.


    Her lungs expanded, allowing her to suck in an abnormal amount of air. She absorbed all the clean air around her, practically creating a vacuum.


    "Agh...? What the hell is she doing?" Katrin tilted her head in a baffled manner.


    Osana''s eyes went wide when she realized what was going on there.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Nessa bent forward, at once letting out all the air. It was like a real storm, sweeping away everything in its path, whether it was ck air, dust, or small stones on the ground.


    Nessa''s breath cleared everything, causing gue Reaper to cover himself with his hands and lean on his scythe to keep the airflow from blowing him away.


    Magnus, watching this, chuckled evilly.


    "Hehehe, good, she''s getting better at realizing how her inadequate physical strength can be used."

 Chapter 361 Midnight Crystal (Part 86)

    The few surviving Light Yellow Threat monsters were doing the same as Katrin and Osana - they were watching Adam and Nessa try their best to deal with gue Reaper.


    Nessa was able to escape the ck air with her powerful breath capable of causing a storm, but... it did not affect whether they would win or not.


    Once Adam recovered from gue Reaper''s attack, their fight took the shape it should have.


    Nessa and Adam attacked from all sides of their enemy, trying to overwhelm gue Reaper.


    A few minutes ago, gue Reaper had tossed Adam aside to keep him out of this situation, but now he didn''t need to do that.


    Throughout the fierce fight and intense pressure, gue Reaper had taken a few wounds from both Adam and Nessa, but this was happening less and less often with each passing second.


    gue Reaper like any monster and especially Crown Type could adapt quickly, he got used to the speed of his enemies, their abilities, movements, and fighting style.


    Nessa''s physical power was superior to gue Reaper''s, but shecked speed and mastery, and most importantly had no abilities to suppress gue Reaper.


    gue Reaper blocked Nessa''s attacks with his scythe since his coat couldn''t stop her ws. He could no longer allow Nessa to reach his flesh once more.


    Adam tried to take advantage of this, but... even if Nessa made gue Reaper focus his attention only on her, Adam couldn''t hurt gue Reaper because of his coat.


    No matter where Adam attacked, whether it was his shoulders, back, or legs, the jaws just appeared out of the thick darkness, blocking his needle and silver ws.


    Sure, Adam''s needle was strong enough as his ws to wound the jaws, broke a few fangs, but once they vanished and reappeared they were unharmed.


    "Whra..."


    gue Reaper took a deep breath before quickly turning around like a ck whirlwind.


    At the same moment, his foot plunged into Adam''s stomach and the hilt crashed into Nessa''s chest throwing them off in different directions like living projectiles.


    Adam and Nessa smashed into the ground, rising quickly with faces contorted with pain and exertion only to rush back into the fray.


    "No... This can''t go on..." Katrin muttered biting her lip.


    Osana nodded with a great frown.


    "Yes... but there''s nothing we can do. Though I won''t lie, I know what you''re talking about. The longer they fight, the better gue Reaper understands what he has to do. Every move he makes, every attack he makes bes more precise, faster, and proper." Osana noted.


    Then, she looked closely at Adam and Nessa.


    "Adam hasn''t changed in any way, he continues to fight as well as before, he''s even improved a bit, but that girl... Nessa... she''s panicking more and more. She''s frustrated because she can''t win and that makes her weaker, while gue Reaper is just getting better."


    Katrin didn''t say anything she just clenched her fists tightly with a quick nce around.


    They needed some new n, she realized that.


    If Adam or Nessa fell, then gue Reaper''s victory would be inevitable. In that case, they would all die, only gue Reaper would be left alive inside the ring of mes, everyone else would fall victim to his creepy scythe.


    Then, Katrin looked up at the roof of the Fume Cathedral and her eyes went wide. She clearly had an idea, a dangerous but doable and realistic one.


    "Hey, Silvana, you can hear me, right?" Katrin asked staring at Adam, who had gue Reaper''s elbow smashed into his face.


    Silvana nodded.


    ''Sure. I take it you want me to arrange something with Adam?''


    "Yeah... And not just with him. Get in touch with this girl''s Operator, she''ll have to buy me and Adam some time."


    ''Hmm? What are you going to do?'' Silvana asked with slight concern in her voice.


    She realized that Katrin had some sort of n, it was obvious from her tone that this was almost their only chance to win, but to do that they needed to make it as well as possible.


    Katrin took a deep breath before slowly rising from the ground. With the pollen from her ability, she had regained some energy, though it was only enough for one use of the First Order, nothing more.


    "Listen to me carefully. Adam and Nessa must do as I say. We will have to split the fight for a short period."


    ...


    "Oh... Looks like we''re about to see something curious." Refesa muttered watching Adam, Nessa, and the others move.


    She was Nessa''s Operator on this mission, so Silvana had told her about the n.


    "What do you think of it? Can they make it work?" Magnus asked raising an eyebrow before looking at Nessa with slight concern.


    Refesa leaned on her hand, staring at the screen thoughtfully.


    "Well... I do not doubt Adam, he will do whatever it takes to ensure this n works. Katrin... before this mission, I didn''t know she existed, but given her past actions and the fact that she came up with this n, the odds of her screwing up are pretty slim."


    Refesa said as she narrowed her eyes intently watching Nessa.


    "So, it all depends on her. If she can hold out long enough for Adam and Katrin to do their part, they''ll have one more fighter. The three of them will be able to crush gue Reaper. After all, he''s strong, but not invincible."


    ...


    At the same moment, Nessa''s gaze became more serious.


    A minute after Katrin had contacted Silvana, everyone was already aware of Katrin''s n and who was supposed to do what.


    Oddly enough, because Nessa had superior physical strength and her ws could rip through a gue Reaper''s coat, she was the one who had the most difficult and important part of the n.


    ''Fine... I didn''t even realize they came here for this and it''se to this... Well, I can handle it. I only need to hold out against this bastard for a few minutes, maybe even less. If I can''t do that, what''s the point of my recent development anyway?'' Nessa pondered before blocking the ck de.


    Normally, in this situation, gue Reaper would have been attacked by Adam. Nessa and Adam did this all the time, trying to clutch gue Reaper from both sides, but this time Adam decided to pull back sharply.


    gue Reaper looked at Adam baffled, not realizing what he was doing. Instead ofunching an attack, Adam was running towards Fume Cathedral.


    This confused gue Reaper greatly, but he was puzzled even more when he saw Adam''s fiery, focused gaze. It showed that he wasn''t running away, but moving with a clear purpose.


    gue Reaper didn''t know it at the time, but that was the moment Katrin''s n came into motion.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Before Adam reached Fume Cathedral he saw several spiky roots emerge from the ground next to the passage - the best Katrin could do in her condition.


    The roots moved straight for the roof, wriggling quickly to reach their target.


    Then, gue Reaper''s eyes went wide when he saw Scarlet Pyromancer lurking in the Fume Cathedral.


    The realization was reflected in gue Reaper''s gaze, followed by a slight panic and fear that their n could lead to his death. Stay tuned for updates on empiren/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 362 Midnight Crystal (Part 87)

    gue Reaper was not just an experienced and intelligent monster, he also had a lot of knowledge about how the world worked, what was happening in the Dead Lands, who the Phantoms were, and what they were capable of.


    That was why gue Reaper was still alive, killing the most creatures, be it monsters or Phantoms, of any Purple Threat Level monster.


    He knew how to keep Adam and the others from getting help from the Citadel. Sure, Nessa was here, but almost no one in the Citadel was aware of XH-01''s existence, let alone the monsters living in Dead Lands.


    Thus, when he saw Adam and Katrin heading towards the Essence Scarlet Pyromancer, his eyes opened wider than ever.


    He realized that he had just been outyed, the mere fact that he hadn''t noticed that there was another Purple Threat monster from the Top-10 was already a true failure for him.


    gue Reaper realized that Katrin was out of power, they hadn''t lost yet just because Nessa showed up and Adam was able to fight against gue Reaper as equals. Read chapters at empire


    There was still some doubt in gue Reaper''s mind. He stared intently at Katrin, unsure if she had decided to go for it.


    In his many fights, gue Reaper had already encountered something like this several times, but it always ended the same way - his scythe demolished his enemy''s head.


    "Hey! Look at me! I''m your only opponent now!" Nessa eximed furiously, before finding herself in front of gue Reaper.


    Her sturdy ws, ended up in front of gue Reaper''s eyes, a little more and Nessa would leave gue Reaper blind for the rest of his life until an imminent death followed afterward.


    gue Reaper was surprised at how Adam, Katrin, and Nessa had agreed on a n in the heat of battle, it was an advantage to have Operators and fight as a team instead of alone.


    But... to survive gue Reaper had to be prepared for anything. He didn''t know it wasing, but nothing was stopping him from adapting quickly, he must act.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    gue Reaper arched sharply, missing Nessa''s ws above him.


    Perhaps he could stab her deeply, and leave a serious wound on her chest, but it didn''t matter in this situation.


    gue Reaper should have killed Osana and Katrin a long time ago, but he hadn''t been paying attention to them because of Adam and Nessa who kept charging at him.


    Well, now he realized his mistake, and if Nessa was going to hold him back, he had to get rid of her.


    Whoooooooosh.


    gue Reaper stabbed his scythe into the ground before dropping to the ground with his back while simultaneously grabbing Nessa tightly by her wrists.


    Before Nessa could realize anything, gue Reaper partially rolled backwards, throwing Nessa over himself.


    Then, while Nessa was not yet on the ground, gue Reaper let go of her hands and ced his palms on the ground, using the firm ground as a support.


    Nessa stared in confusion at gue Reaper who pressed his legs to himself before abruptly straightening them, smashing into Nessa''s chest instead of her stomach. He used his legs like a spring.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    All this gue Reaper did was to throw Nessa as far away from this point as possible. He kicked her in the chest instead of the stomach because the chest was more solid, preventing the momentum from dissipating too fast.


    Sure, because of that, Nessa took almost no damage.


    But...


    The impact was so powerful that Nessa felt as if she had been shot out of a cannon. With each heartbeat, the gue Reaper grew smaller as he got farther away.


    Aggressive wind currents fluttered Nessa''s long crimson hair in an attempt to slow her flight, but it didn''t help at all.


    "No, no, no! Don''t you dare leave!" Nessa eximed furiously watching as gue Reaper pulled his scythe out of the ground before running towards Fume Cathedral.


    Bam.


    Only a few secondster Nessa reached the ground, falling into a pile of dust. There seemed to be an infinite distance between them, but Nessa had a duty to catch up with him or else their n would fail and it would only be her fault.


    "Shit... You decided to just get rid of me, right? Well, unfortunately for you, running fast is the first thing I learned with my new powers." Nessa said confidently, taking a deep breath.


    Hot steam came out of her mouth, sweeping over her shoulders as she leaned her torso forward. The muscles in her legs quivered, the veins swelling even more, allowing Nessa to leap.


    Ssh.


    Waves of dust rose like sand from the starting point. Before the dust could reach the ground, Nessa had already run over a hundred meters, chasing a ck dot in the distance that grewrger with each breath.


    Adam turned around, seeing gue Reaper quickly catching up to him, with Nessa chasing after him. Sure enough, gue Reaper''s target was not Adam, but Katrin who was standing next to Fume Cathedral controlling the roots.


    ''Maybe I should protect Katrin?'' Adam thought but immediately shook his head dismissing the idea. They agreed that they would follow the n, as they had to do everything quickly to not scare the Essence Scarlet Pyromancer, who was still just watching the battle.


    gue Reaper realized he was running out of time, so he raised his hand, preparing to throw a scythe, like a dark disk straight towards Katrin.


    Given the distance between them and the trajectory, Katrin had little chance of surviving.


    "Not so fast!"


    Suddenly, a belligerent voice sounded from the side as two bare feet crashed into gue Reaper''s face from the right side.


    The force and speed with which Nessa ran to catch up with gue Reaper caused her shoes to simply tear, even though they were made of reinforced material.


    gue Reaper flew off to the side, plunging into a random rock. His sturdy body stamped into the cold stone, splinters flying off to the side.


    Bam.


    His fist mmed into the rock, shattering it into pieces, gue Reaper quickly broke free going to try and kill Katrin again, but it was toote...


    Whooooosh.


    Adam jumped onto the roots quickly approaching Fume Cathedral''s roof, towards Scarlet Pyromancer.


    At the same moment, Katrin smiled bitterly and closed her eyes.


    Then, she did what she had nned to do long ago, but never thought she would be forced to do it under such strange and dangerous circumstances.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground beside Katrin trembled as green energy streams began to emerge from her chest, increasing in volume with each passing second.


    Her Evolution Tree was actively trembling to fulfill its master''s wish, but it didn''t want to do so because it had to lose its most important part - the Initial Gene.


    The green energy streams engulfed everything around it, increasing Katrin''s strength by one step before a bright star emerged from her chest that was her Initial Gene. She was saying farewell to the base of her power forever.


    Katrin voluntarily started the countdown to her death, now she only has seven minutes left before all the energy from the Evolution Tree runs out and she will die if she doesn''t get a new Initial Gene.


    She will only survive if she fulfills her long-held dream!

 Chapter 363 Midnight Crystal (Part 88)

    When Phantom wanted to change his Initial Gene, he must first get rid of the old one. That had to be done beforehand so that when he fought the monster of his choice, the Evolution Tree would instantly make contact with the monster''s genes.


    If Phantom deleted his Initial Gene only after killing the monster, the chances of sessfully recing the Initial Gene would be ten times lower, because during the battle, Evolution Tree would not try to find a recement for the void within itself, treating the monster as a source of simple genes rather than a new core of its power.


    Katrin knew this, as well as all other details rted to Initial Gene recement, it was the original goal of this mission, it was her dream, so she prepared perfectly.


    Adam also knew what needed to be done on his part. Katrin wasn''t strong enough to kill Essence Scarlet Pyromancer alone, her aura was strong enough, but she was the support.


    For a Phantom like Katrin, Essence Type was the most dangerous opponent, as such a monster could simply destroy her with one powerful attack, and she wouldn''t be able to do anything. For this, she needed Adam - her sword in this mission.


    There were many conditions, nuances, and information about the Initial Gene recement, but there were only two basic rules - Katrin had to make the final attack, and her genes had to interact frequently with Scarlet Pyromancer''s genes.


    Sure, Adam''s genes affected the monster''s genes, but the pollen effect, along with Katrin''s roots, put the influence of Katrin''s genes into each of Adam''s attacks, making her the primary participant in the battle while Adam was just a secondary Phantom.


    A moment ago, Katrin could barely stand on her feet, only thanks to the pollen effect was she able to regain enough energy to use her First Order - creating adder for Adam to Fume Cathedral''s roof.


    But, now Katrin was full of energy. Her Evolution Tree was releasing massive amounts of energy, making her far stronger, than she had ever been.


    Her powers had risen to the same level as if Katrin had entered Resonance, moreover, now, given the power of her abilities, her energy was practically limitless.


    However... this power was not free. Seven minutes after Phantom removed his Initial Gene, the inevitable death woulde.


    For the first five minutes, Phantom was stronger, than usual due to active energy flows, then for the next 1 minute and 50 seconds, Phantom''s power would drop significantly.


    In thest ten seconds, Evolution Tree had taken emergency measures to drain the life force from the Phantom''s body as it had run out of energy.


    Continue reading on empire


    The important point was, that for thest ten seconds, Phantom was practically a normal person. The Phantom no longer had an Initial Gene, the Evolution Tree was empty, and his body was significantly weakened.


    "Well... There''s no turning back now..." Katrin muttered, looking at the green star hovering between her.


    Deep in the bright light, she could make out the reflection of her first in monster, the one whose Initial Gene had been with her all along - ck Grim Ent, a walking tree with amber eyes and creepy branches possessing pointed tips.


    It was strange, but then she felt nothing but sorrow for the monster as if she had to say farewell to her best friend, the loyalpanion that had always been with her, in good times and bad.


    The green star slowly dissipated, piece by piece disappearing, reflected in Katrin''s sad eyes. Phantoms and monsters were each other''s natural enemies, but, without ck Grim Ent, she couldn''t have be who she was now.


    Pretty soon, there was nothing left of the green star, it only took ten seconds, and in Katrin''s situation, that was the most she could spend standing still, giving in to memories from the past.


    Now, it was time to act.


    Phantom could absorb the monster''s gene to make it his Initial Gene any time out of the 7 minutes, but the easiest time to do it was in the first 5 minutes, while Phantom was stronger than ever.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Katrin gripped her staff tightly, pointing it at Adam.


    Adam ran through the spiky roots, quickly approaching Essence Scarlet Pyromancer, who was finally starting to suspect something.


    He had previously managed to remain undetected in every situation, so he couldn''t believe that he had suddenly be a target of the Phantoms when he fought against gue Reaper.


    However... with Adam almost getting to him, a rough understanding of what was going on here came to Scarlet Pyromancer.


    "Hmm? What''s going on?" Adam muttered, throwing a quick nce at his body.


    The roots that covered his body like an exoskeleton suddenly dropped, taking the red energy from Lero''s magic circle. These two abilities made Adam much stronger.


    Strangely enough, this happened at Katrin''s will. She decided to cancel her past ability, as well as Lero''s.


    It wasn''t a mistake, Katrin did it to help Adam, but at the same time not to hurt him. She realized that his body had a limit, so she made some room for Adam to be able to take her ability but enhanced one.


    "I hope I don''t overdo it... Adam, you''re strong, right? So ignore the pain." Katrin muttered as her eyes shone brightly and arrays of energy traveled to the tip of the staff.


    Then, a creepy seed with many wriggling roots came out.


    Never before Katrin was able to create a seed with so much energy with her Nexus - now Adam had to face this power.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Like an emerald spark, the seed headed towards Adam, smashing into his chest like an enemy attack rather than help from an ally.


    Adam gasped, before he could do anything, the seed thrust its sharp spikes into his skin, clinging tightly to his chest.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The seed shuddered, forcing long roots all over Adam''s body.


    However, other than the higher level of pain that caused Adam''s eyes to go wide and his whole body to shake, there was one distinct difference between this seed and all the previous ones.


    There were significantly fewer roots, and they were thinner.


    Previously, the roots had been thick, covering a third or more of Adam''s limbs, but now there was only one root per limb.


    The roots were thin, almost like veins, and there was a constant flow of green energy through them like liquid running within a great tree.


    And... as the roots spread through Adam''s body, the moment he feared most came.


    Thrust.


    From all the roots, long spikes, more like needles, emerged simultaneously. They pierced deep into Adam''s skin, injecting their energy inside.


    From such a sharp and vivid sh of pain, Adam immediately lost consciousness. His eyes rolled up before drooping down and closing.


    Adam almost reached Fume Cathedral''s roof, but all he could do now was fall down while passed out.


    Katrin bit her lip. She knew it was a risk, but expected Adam to regain consciousness soon.


    She had used her ability on herself a few times, so she knew how much it hurt.


    However... she couldn''t even imagine how vividly painful this enhanced seed with its needle-sharp spikes was to Adam.


    At the same moment, a bright sh lit up the roof.


    Scarlet Pyromancer opened its ming wings wide, finally revealing his presence, even though everyone already knew about him.


    The red me particles spread out to the sides, while Scarlet Pyromancer''s wings gradually gained speed.


    After a few seconds, his legs lifted off the roof of the creepy building, heading for the sky.


    ''No!'' Katrin inwardly eximed, realizing that Scarlet Pyromancer must not have escaped, or else everything woulde to an end.


    Bam.


    The ground shook as a thick cloud of dust rose up near Fume Cathedral, beneath Katrin''s roots. It seemed as if something had exploded there, but... that was impossible since that''s where Adam had fallen unconscious.


    A blue sh flew out of the dust cloud, leaving a bright green plume.


    In a heartbeat, Adam made it to the roof, he didn''t need Katrin''s roots for that, he just ran up the wall, using his powerful legs and speed.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Bouncing off the roof, Adam made it crack. With ease, Adam reached the huge Scarlet Pyromancer, who, to his misfortune, had yet to fly high enough.


    Adam threw his needle forward with a serious re, but not to injure Scarlet Pyromancer.


    Then, before the needle could reach the roof that was now below, Adam lunged forward, gripping his needle tightly.


    He used the first grip, so the connecting thread covered Scarlet Pyromancer from above.


    Adam took a deep breath before standing tightly on the ground and grasping his needle tightly with both hands.


    "ARGH!!!"


    Gritting his teeth, Adam pointed his needle downward, causing the binding thread to tense, pinning tightly over the Scarlet Pyromancer and pulling the huge monster along with it, following the momentum Adam had set.


    "TRSK!!!"


    Scarlet Pyromancer made a strange, insect-like sound, trying to fight back. The binding thread was not sharp enough to cut the tes on his wings, but strong enough to withstand the hot mes emitted by Scarlet Pyromancer.


    Step.


    Adam stomped his foot with all his might, causing Fume Cathedral to shudder before he tilted his torso forward, throwing Scarlet Pyromancer straight ahead like a projectile attached to a chain mace.


    Given the speed and power, Scarlet Pyromancer could not stop even while actively pping his broad, heavy wings.


    The hardest part was making the throw, Scarlet Pyromancer weighed as much as an entire house, so gravity helped the monster reach the ground.


    gue Reaper, watching this scene from afar, gulped. He realized that he should stop Katrin and Adam, but...


    First, he had to deal with the beast in human form, running straight towards him at enormous speed.

 Chapter 364 Midnight Crystal (Part 89)

    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Nessa''s ws rained down on gue Reaper like a hail of des. Her muscles were tensed like steel ropes, veins inted with asional shivering, hot steam emanated from her entire body. She was at her limit, doing everything she could to buy a little more time.


    gue Reaper, unlike Nessa who had a furious expression on her face, tried to remain calm and collected.


    Katrin''s n made his task much more difficult, but... Nessa was clearly not strong enough topete with him. She woefullycked the mastery and ability to hold off gue Reaper.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The scythe spun rapidly in gue Reaper''s nimble hands, the ck de releasing sparks blocking Nessa''s ws, asionally, the end of the handle would hit Nessa''s body leaving more bruises and small cuts.


    ''No... Something''s not right. I''m giving it my best shot, I can feel my body ready to burst from the exertion, but... he dares to take his eyes off me?!'' Nessa inwardly eximed with anger looking at gue Reaper.


    gue Reaper''s eyes were only asionally turned towards Nessa. He was quite often ncing at what was happening near Fume Cathedral.


    Adam and Katrin were attacking Scarlet Pyromancer from all directions.


    In fact, Adam could kill Scarlet Pyromancer even in ten seconds given its current state, but he had to make sure that Katrin''s genes got as much influence over Scarlet Pyromancer''s genes as possible.


    Whooooosh.


    Adam burst forward, finding himself in front of Scarlet Pyromancer, whose broad wings were already covered in numerous cuts, bleeding, but they weren''t serious wounds.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The nds at Scarlet Pyromancer''s jaw quivered releasing powerful me streams outward. Adam simply bounced back, only to appear next to Scarlet Pyromancer the next moment, swinging his long needle.


    The sharp tip effortlessly cut through the monster''s protective chitin, leaving a light, open wound.


    Scarlet Pyromancer was a Top-8 Purple Threat monster. For many K1-Phantoms, it would be a real threat, but for Adam, it was already a pretty weak monster.


    He had killed two different Top-2 monsters and had fought against gue Reaper in an even match.


    But... now he had to carefully wound Scarlet Pyromancer only for Katrin to take advantage of it.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    A multitude of spiky roots emerged from the ground, pointing their sharp tips at Scarlet Pyromancer. Seeing this, Adam bounced to the side. If there was a way to make sure his genes didn''te in contact with Scarlet Pyromancer''s genes, he had to do it.


    Silvana and n were helping their Phantoms do the right thing.


    It was on Silvana''s advice that Adam decided to only inflict scratches on his opponent, weakening him and allowing Katrin to do much more damage.


    "It''s already been two minutes... Three more to go... after that, I''ll be a little weaker..." Katrin muttered intently looking at Scarlet Pyromancer.


    She effortlessly controlled the root arrays using her energy. The roots looked like nature''s wrath, majestic and irreversible.


    Scarlet Pyromancer shuddered due to the ground shaking from the dozens of roots rushing towards him.


    "TRSKT!!!!"


    Scarlet Pyromancer let out a strange growl, directing streams of me at the roots using his wings, but... now it was useless.


    Katrin had used a lot of energy to make her roots stronger than they had ever been. The powerful mes were only able to burn them a little and scorch the thorns, but there was no way the wave of fire could stop the bloodthirsty roots.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Passing through the veil of red mes, the roots crashed straight into the cuts and scratches on Scarlet Pyromancer''s body, digging deeply into the wounds left by Adam.


    "TKRRRRRRR!!!"


    Scarlet Pyromancer fluttered his wings in a painful roar, trying to get rid of the roots causing him to be in true agony.


    "That''s not all!" Katrin eximed before she pped her other hand, her fingertips covered in red energy, she was going to use her Second Order.


    Sure, explosive flowers weren''t supposed to be effective against a fire monster, but Katrin''s goal wasn''t just to hurt Scarlet Pyromancer as much as possible.


    She was to absorb the monster with her influence and make it so that her Evolution Tree would have full control over Scarlet Pyromancer''s genes after his death, which would happen very soon.


    Clutch.


    ck massive roots appeared around Scarlet Pyromancer, clutching tightly around therge monster''s body. Katrin spent as much of her energy as she could, causing red lights to erupt in the air from where the roots appeared, not just from the ground. Enjoy exclusive content from empire


    Scarlet Pyromancer hadn''t gotten rid of all the spiky roots yet, so there was no way he could dodge this attack.


    Then, at Katrin''s will, a multitude of red flowers opened up before exploding, plunging Scarlet Pyromancer into a fiery inferno.


    Tap.


    Adam appeared beside Katrin, staring intently at the ming pir burning after the explosion.


    "We have to kill him first... Only then can you absorb the Initial Gene, right?" Adam asked, realizing that with each passing second they had less and less time left.


    Katrin nodded.


    "We should weaken it even more. Considering my roots attacked into the wounds you left, I''ve definitely done more damage to him. I must give him the final strike. Make it so he can''t move." Katrin said seriously. In her head, she already had a full-blown n on how she could turn Scarlet Pyromancer into a motionless corpse.


    Adam tilted his head in confusion.


    "Should I chop off his legs?"


    Katrin shook her head.


    "No. In that case, you''ll do too much damage to him. I don''t want to risk it. Just damage his tendons, then I''ll do it myself."


    Adam nodded slowly before stepping forward, turning into a lightning sh.


    Before this, Katrin had often been nervous, sometimes almost panicking and trying to figure out how to deal with the crisis they got into because of gue Reaper.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, when they finally set out to do what they went on this mission for, Katrin changedpletely.


    She acted coldly and pragmatically. In her head, she had already visualized many times how she would kill Scarlet Pyromancer and absorb his gene to get a new Initial Gene.


    To her, Scarlet Pyromancer was no opponent, especially with Adam helping her.


    Katrin looked at Scarlet Pyromancer like a butcher sharpening his cleaver before ughtering another victim.


    Sure, it wasn''t in her ns to confront gue Reaper, but Nessa was trying to buy them time.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Adam dashed next to Scarlet Pyromancer, his needle slicing Scarlet Pyromancer''s legs, rendering them practically useless.


    Then, spiky roots twisted around his injured legs, and Katrin jerked her hand, at once, the roots ripped Scarlet Pyromancer''s legs from his body.


    Before Scarlet Pyromancer could escape the pain, Adam got a new task and badly wounded Scarlet Pyromancer''s wings.


    Katrin didn''t waste any effort in trying to tear off Scarlet Pyromancer''s heavy and sturdy wings, but she effortlessly pierced them dozens of times with her roots, making multiple holes in them.


    "TRRRRRRRKKKKK!!!"


    Scarlet Pyromancer tried to do something, but his strength was already low.


    Osana tilted her head looking at Katrin''s cold face. She took no pleasure in such a brutal murder, she was just carrying out part of the n, after all her life depended on it.


    ''How cold-blooded, but...'' Osana nced at gue Reaper who realized that soon Katrin would get a new Initial Gene and be a full-formedbat Phantom.


    ''A cornered beast is scary. We have yet to see what gue Reaper will do in a desperate situation.''


    Osana narrowed her eyes ring at Adam.


    ''Well... That just means I have to be ready. Their n must not fail.''

 Chapter 365 Midnight Crystal (Part 90)

    Katrin took a deep breath before running forward. She was heading towards the wounded Scarlet Pyromancer who was bleeding badly and couldn''t escape.


    In this condition, the Scarlet Pyromancer could do nothing to Katrin or even the weaker Phantom.


    Adam who was standing beside Scarlet Pyromancer cast a serious nce at Katrin.


    They nced at each other as Adam immediately moved as far away from the monster as possible. Thest attack was Katrin''s, they had done everything right, so Katrin would definitely be able to get Scarlet Pyromancer''s Initial Gene.


    All she had left was to kill the monster, something she had been thinking about for a long time.


    gue Reaper tried to stay close to Fume Cathedral, but as soon as he dared to approach Katrin or Scarlet Pyromancer, Nessa immediately sped up.


    ''Fine, they''re almost done. Nessa, you''re doing a great job.'' Refesa said calmly watching as Nessa''s attacks got faster and faster.


    She was doing her best to put pressure on gue Reaper to keep him from getting closer to Fume Cathedral.


    Her entire body ached, especially her hands, which had long since gone numb as her ws relentlessly shed into the ck de and bone hilt. But, Nessa was adamant, she couldn''t give up when Katrin almost got a new Initial Gene.


    gue Reaper, for the first time in the entire fight, nervously gulped. His eyes nced more and more often at Katrin who was quickly running towards Scarlet Pyromancer lying on the ground.


    Even if Scarlet Pyromancer tried to escape, he still wouldn''t seed, Katrin made sure that wouldn''t happen. A multitude of roots covered Scarlet Pyromancer creating a spherical cage around him from which there was no escape.


    Scarlet Pyromancer was too weakened to burn Katrin''s roots which flowed her saturated energy.


    By this point, 2:30 of the five minutes had already passed, Katrin still had the same amount of time of the enhanced form, then 1:50 of the weakened stage and thest 10 seconds when the Evolution Tree wouldpletely empty. But... Katrin didn''t think about that anymore.


    It was very obvious to her that she wouldn''t need this dangerous time, since she was going to kill Scarlet Pyromancer.


    Katrin had a few steps left to take, she clutched her staff tightly with her gaze fixed on Scarlet Pyromancer''s head.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "KKKKKKRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!"


    Suddenly, everyone heard an eerie screaming sounding as if an order was to stop.


    Adam, Katrin, Nessa, and Osana stopped for a moment, they shuddered and a chill ran down their backs.


    Katrin nced to the side seeing gue Reaper who was ring furiously at her. Katrin only smirked as Nessa attacked him again.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    gue Reaper lunged forward, getting much closer to Katrin, but, after a few seconds, Nessa appeared in front of him.


    "I won''t let you stop her!" Nessa eximed, but this time she didn''t attack him.


    gue Reaper got within an unsafe distance of Katrin. He was close enough to throw his scythe at her and kill her.


    Thus, Nessa decided not to let that happen, gripping the bone hilt of his weapon tightly.


    gue Reaper''s hands were trembling, he tried to wrench his scythe from Nessa''s iron grip, but it seemed Nessa was ready to lose her hands but would not weaken her grip.


    At the same moment, Katrin raised her staff high, about to thrust it into Scarlet Pyromancer''s head.


    gue Reaper flinched, his heart beating faster as he realized he didn''t have any more time. He had to do something.


    Then, he looked at Nessa, at her hands holding his scythe, and... his eyes grew deeper, filling with a dangerous darkness.


    Crackle.


    Katrin thrust her staff into the Scarlet Pyromancer''s head, watching the trickles of blood rush out, taking with it thest bits of life lurking in the fiery monster.


    A satisfied smirk appeared on Katrin''s face as she stepped back, ced the staff in her left hand, and took a deep breath.


    Scarlet Pyromancer was already dead, but to obtain his Initial Gene, Katrin had to call the Revolve and absorb Scarlet Pyromancer''s genes.


    Her body trembled with excitement as her right hand came into motion.


    Tap.


    At the same time, gue Reaper''s face became as calm as ever as he serenely released his scythe.


    Nessa watched wide-eyed as gue Reaper jumped aside, leaving his weapon in her hands.


    However... it was obvious from the look in his eyes that gue Reaper had not given up. He had already made up his mind.


    Katrin''s hand rose to waist level as she opened her palm wide, about to call the Revolve. She didn''t waste her time doing everything as quickly as possible.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    gue Reaper grabbed himself by the shoulder, tearing off his coat in a sudden movement.


    His ck eyes reflected a white sh that appeared in front of Katrin''s palm, quickly bing an active vortex - the Revolve.


    "Khaaaaaaaa..."


    gue Reaper let out a long wheeze before tilting his body forward and throwing his coat directly at Katrin''s side.


    Adam, Osana, and Nessa watched gue Reaper''s actions with iprehension in their eyes. Fear stirred in their hearts because of his calm expression, the unknown engulfing their minds with darkness.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Scarlet Pyromancer''s body trembled, thin white streams of energy began to emerge from it, preparing to release this once-great monster''s genes.


    Clutch. Clutch. Clutch.


    There was a strange sound from the side that resembled a rapidly closing jaw, like a wild piranha seeing its prey.


    Enjoy new tales from empire


    The gue Reaper''s coat shuddered rapidly turning into a blob of darkness, at the next heartbeat, a huge jaw emerged from it followed by a trail of ck me.


    A bright red star came out of Scarlet Pyromancer''s body, hovering above the body of its former owner for a while before heading towards Katrin, aiming to disappear into her Revolve.


    Crackle.


    A ck sh swept before Katrin''s admiring eyes, the huge jaw clenched tightly at once engulfing the entire Scarlet Pyromancer, a chunk of cold earth, the red star, and Katrin''s right arm, easily tearing it away from her body.

 Chapter 366 Midnight Crystal (Part 91)

    Human life is long, at least for most, one has enough time to have different dreams of varying magnitude at various times in their lives.


    For many, however, one particr dream was so desirable that nothing else made sense.


    Katrin was in that situation, wanting to obtain Scarlet Pyromancer''s gene in order to obtain the new Initial Gene.


    Unlike those who never achieved their ultimate dream, Katrin had a clear n and seeded even given the difficult circumstances.


    A bright red star, her new Initial Gene was already heading towards her, in a second about to disappear into her Revolve, forever giving her his powers.


    But... besides the fact that people didn''t always seed in achieving their dreams, there was another global problem: the desires of others, the goals of someone else, could destroy another''s dream in a single moment.


    Katrin had been traveling towards her dream for quite a long time, starting from the moment she became a Phantom.


    And... after going through hardships,ing up with a n, adjusting to a dangerous situation, she had aplished her goal, almost...


    A second ago, her eyes were shining with excitement, her heart was beating vigorously and her dream seemed to be fulfilled, the path to a new power, to a new life was open...


    One ck sh was enough to destroy everything, the will of another, stronger being was able to turn her desires into dust.


    The darkness consumed the already dead Scarlet Pyromancer, took all the energy from the monster''s body, and destroyed the bright star that sought to enter Katrin''s Revolve.


    A cage of dense roots saturated with energy could not stop the terrible jaw, splinters flew off to the sides as sharp des passed close to Katrin''s face.


    After the jaw, all that was left on the ground was a deep crater with an eerie pattern left by many sharp teeth.


    The jaw also ripped off Katrin''s right arm which was outstretched in hopes of getting a new Initial Gene.


    Normally with such a serious wound, one would have screamed in pain, the wound continued up to her shoulder, heavy clots of dark blood dripping from the torn flesh, falling to the cold ground.


    However, Katrin''s mind was simply oblivious to the pain. Her entire world was shattered now, the realization of it overshadowing everything else.


    "No..." Katrin whispered as if trying to change reality, she wanted time to go back, she couldn''t ept that it had happened.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Green streams of energy swept in front of her face, her body was still releasing energy outward, but that wasn''t a good sign at all.


    It was a reminder that Katrin had already removed her Initial Gene, the countdown to her death had already begun, moreover, out of the five minutes of enhanced form, she only had two minutes left. Then, she would have another 1:50 before the final ten seconds began.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The clot of darkness made the sounds of bones breaking, the jaw took real pleasure in devouring its victim, no matter if it was the ground, roots, Scarlet Pyromancer''s flesh, or the monster''s energy. The jaw devoured everything, turning it into its energy.


    Katrin needed some time to recover. Sure, every moment mattered to her now, but it was unlikely she could recover in less than ten or twenty seconds.


    But, for others, it didn''t take that long to realize that action was needed urgently and right now.


    Whoooooosh.


    Nessa rushed over to gue Reaper, who had now lost his coat, if only temporarily. It was the first time she or anyone else could see what was under the long, ck coat.


    gue Reaper looked rather skinny, he didn''t have huge muscles or anything like that. His ribs were slightly visible from beneath the taut skin, but his body was not weak, small muscles intertwined with strong tendons, showing the might that lurked within them.


    Nessa continued to run forward, quickly approaching gue Reaper. From the sight of his body, she gulped, feeling threatened, not because of his pale skin, but because of the many scars that covered his entire body.


    Nessa had scars too, but none of them looked as horrible as they did on gue Reaper''s body. There was almost no ce where his skin had managed to stay clean and soft, almost everything was covered in rough scars of varying degrees of hardness.


    Nessa didn''t have time to ponder, but she couldn''t think about how many battles he had gone through to get to this point.


    ''And... What''s most important...'' Nessa internally muttered with a shiver going through her whole body, ''If he''s standing here, fighting against us, then in all these battles he''s been winning. Will we be able to stop this monster...?''


    Nessa shook her head not wanting to be distracted, such thoughts were useless right now and only prevented her from concentrating.


    Your adventure continues at empire


    Tap.


    She stopped abruptly in front of gue Reaper before aiming her ws straight for its neck.


    Despite what gue Reaper had done to Katrin and Scarlet Pyromancer, he was in his most vulnerable state right now.


    He didn''t have his coat, and his scythe was lying far away, with the de plunged into the ground.


    ''There are probably some monsters beyond the me ring that Katrin can take... Now, the most important thing is to deal with him while we have the chance!'' Nessa red at gue Reaper, about to pierce his neck with her sharp ws.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    gue Reaper abruptly turned around, letting her attack pass in front of his calm eyes. Despite temporarily losing his weapon and coat, gue Reaper wasn''t worried at all as he knew that right now he was preparing to unleash one powerful attack.


    For the next few seconds, while Katrin still hadn''t regained consciousness and Adam didn''t have enough time toe to her aid, Nessa did her best to kill gue Reaper.


    She moved as fast as she ever could until that moment.


    Before Nessa had wanted to defeat gue Reaper to prove that she had gotten stronger, that she was superior to Adam, but now she had a different motivation: she was scared of him.


    There was a real fear brewing inside Nessa of this creature, who was capable of killing every one of them.


    There was no power of friendship or unique teamwork here that would definitely lead them to victory. If gue Reaper was stronger than all of them, then it was their graves that would be here.


    "Wha..."


    gue Reaper opened his mouth slightly, letting out a prolonged, barely audible wheeze.


    Nessa flinched.


    She didn''t know why, but she felt gue Reaper''s frustration was expressed in that sigh.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    At the same moment, the jaw stopped chewing its prey, the blob of darkness shuddered and headed toward gue Reaper at breakneck speed, like a shadow running across the ground.


    In a heartbeat, the coat once again covered the scarred body of its owner, but this time something was wrong.


    Adam''s eyes went wide when he saw red energying out of the ck coat. The energy quickly traveled towards gue Reaper''s hands, empowering them.


    "NO! Don''t try to fight! Run away!" Adam eximed, trying to get to Nessa in time to save her, but it was already toote.


    gue Reaper dodged Nessa''sst attack before stepping forward.


    Calmly, as if he were in practice and not in mortalbat, gue Reaper ced his palms against Nessa''s stomach before releasing all of the red energy in a single point.


    Then, the next thing Nessa saw was a ghostly crimson jaw rushing at her like an inevitable execution.

 Chapter 367 Midnight Crystal (Part 92)

    gue Reaper''s coat could not only summon jaws but also transform another''s energy, flesh, and blood into his own, eventually unleashing that power on his enemy.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Last time, gue Reaper used this ability when Oskar almost managed to sever his head with his massive sword. Then, the jaw ripped Oskar''s arm off, swallowed it, and turned it into energy.


    gue Reaper couldn''t use this ability too often because it provoked a strong recoil, between each use he needed a long break so his body wouldn''t copse.


    But... Unfortunately for Nessa, gue Reaper was more than ready to unleash on her the full force of the veritable ocean of energy he now had in his hands.


    His coat, the ghastly jaw absorbed the entire Scarlet Pyromancer, Top-8 monster, his genes, and Katrin''s right arm.


    Given how powerful the attack had beenst time, Adam and Osana and their Operators realized that now gue Reaper would demonstrate apletely different level of power and Nessa was the victim.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The red energy that came out of his hands turned into a massive jaw that crashed into Nessa, carrying her dozens of meters away like a raging bull using a battering ram.


    Each time the jaw mped down on its ghostly fangs, it split in two, bing smaller but creating a new jaw.


    Thus, in a few seconds, through a couple of bites, Nessa had to face more than ten small ghostly jaws.


    Nessa tried to stop or defend herself somehow, but it was hardly possible in her situation.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The jaws were actively biting her in every ce they could reach, sharp fangs digging deep into her flesh, some jaws ripping off chunks of skin, others tearing her long hair to shreds.


    The jaws carried her forward, leaving behind a red trail of wisps of their energy and Nessa''s dark blood spattering the ground during her agony.


    "ARRRRRH!!!!"


    Nessa cried out in pain like a beast when one of the jaws bit her ear, tearing half of it off. Before the next wave of pain could reach her mind, Nessa reached the ground.


    She immediately tried to get up, but as soon as her feet hit the surface, a multitude of small jaws descended upon her in a hail of attacks.


    They simply nailed her to the ground, tearing her sturdy body apart.


    "AAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!"


    Nessa could do nothing but scream in pain, clenching her fists tightly.


    If it had been Adam, Katrin, or Osana in her ce, they would most likely be dead by now, but Katrin''s sturdy body was doing its best to keep its owner alive.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Thest few bites came at her bones, jaws gnawing through her flesh, but... before they were about tosh out at Nessa once more, they shuddered and disappeared.


    "RHA!!!!"


    gue Reaper growled, as his body arched backwards and a torrent of blood gushed from his mouth. A bright pain was reflected on his face, this attack absorbed a huge array of energy and possessed as formidable power as it gave off.


    After this, gue Reaper would not use this ability again, the risks were too great.


    The jaws ran out of energy, so they shattered into particles, disappearing into the void. But... it was unlikely that Nessa would be able to continue fighting after this.


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    She looked like she had been attacked by a pack of wild wolves, practically tearing her body apart.


    Only half of her left ear was left, her right ear was torn into tiny pieces, a third of her face was covered in bites and cuts from sharp fangs, and her right eye was missing.


    Pieces of her own flesh, torn from her arms, legs, and torso,y beside her, and in the path, the red ghostly jaws passed over.


    Her limbs had wounds so deep that they showed gaps of bone, veins, and tendons sticking out.


    If her muscles had not been so strong, the number of wounds would have been several times greater, the jaws would have left nothing of her.


    Nessa''s lips, part of which had been bitten off by her jaw, came into motion. Nessa whispered something, but it was impossible to hear it, her voice was too weak.


    "FUCK! That''s it, this has gone too far!" Magnus eximed furiously, about to storm out of the room like a storm and use all his connections to save Nessa.


    She was still alive, but her condition was critical, almost pre-death.


    Click.


    However... Before he could get out, there was a click and a massive steel door closed in front of him, one that even a K0-Phantom could hardly destroy.


    Immediately, Magnus turned around and red angrily at Refesa, her finger tightly pressing the button.


    "What the hell are you doing... Refesa, let me out, I''m not kidding... If need be I''ll break your neck and walk out of here." Magnus said menacingly, in a cold voice.


    However, this did not cause Refesa any emotion, her face remained calm. She knew Magnus was capable of this, but she just wasn''t afraid of breaking her neck, it wasn''t a problem for her.


    "Well... I don''t think that''s necessary. I''m not talking about your threat, I''m talking about them needing help." Refesa said calmly, narrowing her eyes.


    Magnus clenched his fists tightly,ing dangerously close to her.


    "Rgh...? What the fuck are you talking about!!! If she gets even one more wound she will definitely die! The only Hybrid will disappear! Fuck! My daughter will die!" Magnus shouted with his face red in fury.


    Refesa nodded, touching her small palm to his cheek.


    "I understand, but unlike you, I''ve already seen something that makes me believe it." Refesa muttered looking at Magnus''s rapidly widening eyes.


    Then, she pointed to two screens where Katrin and Adam were visible.


    Their gazes were directed at the injured Nessa, before fully focusing on gue Reaper as their only enemy.


    But, it wasn''t just anger and a desire for revenge.


    Their eyes were bloodshot and their veins swelled showing that they both entered Resonance.


    "So... now we''re in a rather curious situation moving towards itspletion." Refesa stretched out with a slight smile on her face.


    She looked at Katrin.


    "She has a minute and a half of strong form left, then another 1:50 weakened, and her energy is pouring outward like limitless."


    Then, Refesa''s gaze fell on Adam.


    "He''s finally entered Resonance, but... how long can hest in that state? I bet his muscles will tear and his bones will break in less than two minutes.


    Refesa pointed at Nessa with a heavy sigh.


    "Unfortunately, she will not be able to fight anymore. She can only hope that her allies can defeat their enemy, speaking of which..."


    Refesa stared at the gue Reaper, dark trickles of blood flowed from the corners of his mouth, his breathing was heavy but slowlying back to normal, and his scythe was already flying towards him, eager to be its owner''s weapon again.


    "He is not omnipotent either. It''s time for him to defeat hisst opponents or perish, as most monsters in Dead Lands are destined to."


    For thest time, Refesa looked at Osana, who despite the situation tried to keep a cold-hearted expression on her face.


    "And... She still hasn''t used her trump card yet, but the moment is almost here."

 Chapter 368 Midnight Crystal (Part 93)

    The tall pirs of purple mes gradually thickened, making the ring of fire imprable to ordinary monsters. The anomalies were growing stronger and stronger, causing new artifacts to appear, wanting to cover everything with their ming inferno.


    The wind was the only one who could roam with impunity inside the me ring, sweeping over the dusty ground, making the hair of the few who had managed to survive until now tremble.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    A wind stream blew through the ruined Fume Cathedral, passing beside Osana, who stood farthest from the battlefield.


    Her long pink hair rippled before her eyes as she cast a nce at Fume Cathedral.


    Although this majestic structure had been partially destroyed due to Midnight Crystal, the Fume Armors hadn''t gone anywhere. They still stood in the darkness as well, unwilling to engage in battle.


    As long as gue Reaper was alive, he was a lord by their rules since he seeded in subjugating Fume Throne.


    ''So... Even in such a situation, he won''t use their help, right?'' Osana pondered while looking at the motionless monsters lurking in the shadows.


    Then, her gaze traveled to gue Reaper standing not far from Midnight Crystal. He was facing a battle against thest two opponents, his condition was not the best, but Adam and Katrin were also at their limit.


    ''Hmph... He won''t ask Fume Armors to join the battle, his pride won''t allow him to do so. I''m sure with that kind of character, he came out victorious from impossible situations. But... now he should renounce his pride, that way he will definitely win.'' Osana internally muttered as her eyes grew deeper.


    ''How ironic that he won''t... What saved him before and made him so strong, may now destroy him... However...'' Osana nced at Adam and Katrin, ''For that to happen, we must survive, otherwise my musings are just an insignificant void.''


    Step.


    Adam stepped forward as a thin trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.


    Though he hadn''t heard Refesa''sments about each of them, but he was experienced enough to realize that his body was already beyond its limits.


    Adam couldn''t take another reinforcement after Katrin used her enhanced seed on him.


    But... eventually, he entered Resonance and there was no stopping it.


    The trickle of blood was just the first sign that his body was gradually breaking down. It was under intense pressure that could only be sustained for a very limited period.


    ''Adam... I think you understand your limits better than I do, but... I''m sure you can fight in this form for two minutes at most, then you''ll just break.'' Silvana said nervously, biting her lip.


    Adam nodded calmly.


    "Yeah... I guess so. So my time will end about the same time as hers..." Adam muttered, ncing at Katrin.


    Droplets of blood were still dripping from her severed right arm, but she wasn''t paying attention to the pain at all.


    "You ready, right?" Adam asked.


    Katrin nodded.


    "Sure. I''ve got a minute and a half of enhanced form left, you can barely be in Resonance much more than that time."


    Adam took a deep breath.


    "Well, so either we win in two minutes or we die together. That doesn''t sound cool, but we have no other choice."


    Katrin gulped, her death getting closer with every passing second.


    There were still Light Yellow Monsters inside the me ring, but they stood too far away and it was unlikely that gue Reaper would allow Katrin to kill them and get a new Initial Gene.


    Their only option was to kill gue Reaper and finish off some random monster in a few seconds so Katrin wouldn''t die.


    It seemed like too little time, but the stronger and more exhausted the fighters were, the faster the fight could end.


    One sessful attack was enough to blow gue Reaper''s head off his shoulders or have his scythe cut Adam and Katrin apart.


    Step.


    Adam lifted his foot, taking his first step.


    As soon as his foot touched the ground, he felt a slight pulse of pain go through his body, reminding him that he wouldn''t be able to hold on to that kind of power for long.


    Then, his body shuddered, transforming into a lightning bolt that disappeared quickly to emerge elsewhere.


    A secondter, Adam''s needle rained down on gue Reaper, slicing through thick streams of wind in its path.


    gue Reaper reacted immediately, his handsing into motion spinning his scythe.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    sh.


    The ck de collided with the silver needle that copsed from above.


    gue Reaper''s eyes went wide as an unustomedly powerful recoil went through his hands, traveling to his feet and disappearing into the ground.


    From the simple strike, there was a powerful ringing sound as if two giant steel bells struck against each other.


    "Rgha..."


    gue Reaper growled, holding off Adam''s next attacks that seemed to only get stronger.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Unfortunately for gue Reaper, Adam wasn''t his only opponent. Katrin had lost an arm, but as the support, it wasn''t too much of a problem for her.


    If Adam had lost his right arm during the fight, his firepower would have been reduced by a third or even half, because without two arms it was simply impossible to fight gue Reaper in closebat.


    However, Katrin could hold her staff with her left hand, as well as use all of her abilities without restriction.


    Thus, when the third strike struck gue Reaper, many spiked roots emerged from the ground.


    Unlike the previous times, Katrin had used her First Order, the roots were much thinner, yet stronger and faster, and the spikes were more like needles arranged on massive harpoons to plunge into the flesh and permanently bury into the enemy''s body.


    "Adam! Retreat!" Katrin eximed as the roots became even more numerous.


    Thanks to her artifact, Katrin could freely control how much energy to put into her attacks. Sure, other Phantoms could also do something like this without the artifact, but they had limitations while Katrin did not.


    Moreover, thanks to the artifact who controlled the amount of energy she used for each of her abilities, she didn''t have to spend a lot of energy just to activate her Order or Nexus.


    Thus, if she used little energy and summoned only a few roots with her First Order, she didn''t have to wait until she recovered to use the Order again.


    And... it worked the other way around.


    However... now Katrin was in resonance and her enhanced form, energy continued to flow out of Evolution Tree in massive streams.


    She had so much power that she could create her roots almost indefinitely. But, would it be enough to kill gue Reaper in the one minute she had left?


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Adam abruptly jumped aside.


    gue Reaper immediately tried to get out, he started chopping down the roots with his scythe, but Katrin knew he would fight.


    So... when gue Reaper cut a few spiky roots, a shiver ran through his body as he stopped.


    The de of his scythe had almost cut the redbud growing from the ck smooth root.


    Before gue Reaper could realize what was happening, he was already in a cage of spiky roots, which were intertwined ck roots with explosive blossoms.


    "You took away my dream, my hand, and possibly my life... The least I can do in this situation is kill you, erase you from this world..." Katrin whispered in an ominous voice before striking the staff on the ground provoking a massive explosion, previously even a third of that power was impossible for her.

 Chapter 369 Midnight Crystal (Part 94)

    Last time, gue Reaper had to defend herself from Katrin''s st with his coat, though it wasn''t him that was the target, but the ink streams and jaw-flowers.


    But, now the explosion was concentrated on gue Reaper and Katrin used as much energy as she could.


    "Hahahahahahaha! Good job! Now he''s finished!" Magnus eximed with a devious grin looking at the hundreds of crimson blossoms.


    No matter what attempts gue Reaper made to get out of this cocoon of death, it was already toote.


    Katrin''s eyes reflected a bright sh as all the flowers glowed brightly, exploding at the same time.


    The mes and temperature inside were powerful enough to burn even Scarlet Pyromancer if he was still alive.


    gue Reaper was physically strong, but he didn''t have any defense abilities or intense regeneration.


    His jaws from coat could stop a de or sword, but not the wave of fireing from a devastating explosion.


    "You''ll burn... Even if you don''t die, all your skin will be burned off, you won''t be able to keep fighting." Katrin muttered in a slightly nervous voice.


    It had only been a few seconds after the explosion, that she realized that gue Reaper couldn''t defend himself, but she also had doubts. She tried to make herself believe in her own words.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Suddenly, a ck sh flew out of the ming captivity, easily destroying all the burning roots in its path.


    The tips of the long coat caught fire, red sparks flying off to the sides, wisps of smoke actively exiting, leaving a trail behind the tall silhouette.


    "What...? How did he get out...?" Katrin''s eyes went wide with disbelief looking at gue Reaper, who was running in her direction.


    But... she wasn''t the only one surprised, Magnus and Refesa, despite their experience and extensive knowledge couldn''t believe what they were seeing.


    Their reactions were not because gue Reaper was able to get out of the cage, but something else... from gue Reaper''s calm eyes, along his pale face, ran swollen veins.


    "No... This shouldn''t be... Purple Threat Level monster has entered this state...? Even if it''s a Top-1... I can''t remember thest time I read a report that described something like this." Refesa gulped, not believing Adam''s and Katrin''s failure.


    Before their thoughts could develop or Katrin''s instinct for self-preservation could kick in, gue Reaper attacked.


    ng.


    A silhouette in ck robes with sparking lightning bolts all over its body appeared in front of Katrin.


    Adam''s silver fangs tightly clenched gue Reaper''s ck de, which he managed at thest moment.


    "Stop standing still! It doesn''t matter what happens to him! We don''t have much time! Let''s kill him together, right now!" Adam eximed, starting to attack at full speed.


    Now, gue Reaper''s arms didn''t flinch with every one of Adam''s attacks, but he wasn''t any stronger than he was.


    Katrin gulped and joined him.


    Every now and then she would use her staff for closebat, and summon roots leaving shallow scratches on gue Reaper''s body.


    Each time, he somehow dodged at thest moment, but... even scratches could be serious damage if there were too many of them.


    "Great! Let''s mp him down!" Katrin said confidently, not thinking about wasting time or the fact that they might lose.


    gue Reaper just couldn''t get out from under their pressure.


    Adam nodded firmly grabbed his needle and delivered several piercing attacks, aiming for gue Reaper''s chest.


    gue Reaper''s pupils narrowed as he realized he wouldn''t be able to block all the attacks. He turned his torso to the side, but as soon as he did so, roots appeared behind him.


    Instinctively, gue Reaper''s body arched, trying to prevent the roots from piercing himself, but it was toote.


    The sharp tips of the roots dug into his right shoulder, tearing off a massive chunk of flesh.


    "RRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!"


    A surge of blood rushed outward along with a painful grunt.


    Bam.


    Adam tried to take advantage of this and give gue Reaper a final attack, but the monster reacted quickly.


    However... ten secondster, gue Reaper''s wounds had only gotten worse, and the endless hail of attacks from Adam and Katrin would lead him to defeat.


    Then, gue Reaper realized that he had to get rid of Adam at all costs, it was the sure way to victory.


    But... how?


    gue Reaper had already used all his trump cards, he had nothing left. He could only rely on his physical strength and his coat... right?


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    gue Reaper''s hand let go of the bone handle as it came into motion.


    Adam and Katrin thought that gue Reaper was going to grab one of them, but they were wrong, that''s not why he released his hand.


    Crackle.


    Without hesitation, gue Reaper ripped out his right eye, the bright pain, and blood failed to cause any emotion on his face, it was his decision with a clear purpose behind it.


    Before Adam or Katrin could realize anything, a jaw opened on gue Reaper''s shoulder and a momentter his own right eye disappeared.


    Adam''s eyes went wide as a chill ran down his spine at the realization of what gue Reaper had done, followed by the crimson energying out of his shoulder, quickly traveling down gue Reaper''s arm.


    Bam.


    Simultaneously, gue Reaper mmed his scythe against the ground in front of Katrin, causing a small explosion and waves of dust that threw her aside a few meters.


    "NO!" Katrin eximed, realizing how powerful gue Reaper''s attack could be.


    Adam was about to dodge, the electrical discharges bing more active, but it was already toote. With every beat of his heart, gue Reaper''s fist covered in crimson energy was approaching, much faster than Adam could move.


    ''Wait... Am I about to have the same thing happen to Oskar and Nessa...?'' Adam thought remembering the past two crimson attacks of his enemy.


    His mind filled with fear, realizing that he couldn''t survive such a thing, his body would break down or at worst there would be immediate death.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    With the next rush of wind, Adam''s aloof blue eyes reflected someone''s silhouette.


    He watched as the long pink hair swayed, realizing that the one who stood back all this time had finally decided to make her move.


    Bam.


    Instead of Adam, gue Reaper''s fist mmed into Osana''s stomach, bringing all of his power down on her.


    In a heartbeat, the shockwave threw off the small rocks and dust lying on the ground around them, and as it did, Osana''s flesh tore and a wide hole appeared in her belly, a widence could pass through it without touching her body.


    Scraps of blood and flesh scattered to the side, a few scarlet drops falling on Adam''s shocked face, while the pool of blood beneath Osana grewrger with each breath.


    Step.


    Osana turned around, looking at Adam with a faint look that was quickly losing the me of life, blood was flowing from the corners of her mouth relentlessly, and death was already ready to take her from this world.


    "Three wishes..." Osana muttered in a hoarse voice, "Remember... Now, you owe me three wishes..."


    Tap.


    Osana ced her palm against Adam''s chest as her eyes shone brightly.


    She finally decided to use her Second Order, her most powerful and dangerous ability, as to achieve a decent effect, Osana had to take a risk.


    Then, pink energy flowed down her arm that quickly turned scarlet like her blood mixed with the pain she was now feeling in agony.


    A silhouette of a flower with ny-nine pink petals appeared on Adam''s chest, the tips of the outermost petals were red.


    Bam.


    With a weakst smile, Osana fell to the ground with a nk, lifeless stare.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 370 Midnight Crystal (Part 95)

    To a person who first encountered the Golden Light Squad, Osana would seem like the most typical Phantom-support who was always helping her team and cheering up her mates.


    She looked like amon sweet girl, and her cute appearance helped her maintain that personality with others.


    However, those who had worked with her for a long time would easily recognize that it was all fake, although that wasn''t quite the right definition.


    Osana wasn''t trying to deceive anyone, she just didn''t show her true personality, that she was cunning, calcting, and cold, but she wasn''t cruel and selfish.


    She was willing to sacrifice herself for victory, but for that, she needed to wait for the right moment, when she could make the most of her Second Order.


    "Wait... What was that...?" Magnus muttered, ncing at Osana lying on the ground.


    She was lying in a pool of her own blood, flowing out from a wide hole in her stomach.


    If gue Reaper''s attack had been a bit stronger, it would have torn Osana in two, but... the damage she received was more than enough to make Osana''s eyes go nk.


    Refesa frowned.


    "That''s a risk she decided to take, but she overestimated her powers... However, despite her death, her n worked perfectly." Refesa bit her lip, she was sorry Osana had such an ending, as her ability was curious.


    Magnus gave her a questioning look.


    Refesa sighed heavily.


    "I''ve seen that girl use her Second Order a few times, it wasn''t just in the lines of the Golden Light Squad, she went on missions quite often." Refesa nced at Osana.


    "The essence of her ability is quite simple, yetplex to put to use. She can use the damage she takes to turn it into a flower, making her target stronger. The more damage she receives, the bigger the flower and the longer it willst."


    Refesa continued, ncing at Adam''s chest.


    "However, she doesn''t redirect the damage, she receives itpletely and has to suffer for her Second Order to work to its maximum in a particr situation. I''ve seen her use that ability three times."


    Magnus raised an eyebrow, with mild curiosity.


    "And... Were the flowers this big the previous times?"


    Refesa shook her head.


    "The first time, it only got a few scratches, so the flower only consisted of thirty petals. The second time, it was fifty petals, and the third time, it was sixty-three."


    Refesa narrowed her eyes.


    "Now thergest flower has appeared, ny-nine petals... Considering the cost she used for her Second Order, that''s probably the peak."


    Magnus tilted his head in confusion.


    "Wait... What''s the point? Adam''s bones are just going to break from the overload right now. In twenty seconds, the Resonance should havepletely broken his body, and... with another amplification... how is he even standing on his feet?"


    Refesa smirked, leaning on her hand.


    "Because technically, it''s not an enhancement. Adam doesn''t get any amplification from that flower directly, but he''s also gotten a lot stronger."


    Refesa expected Magnus to ask a question - "How?" but he just stared at her as he continued.


    "Damn, even though you''re one of the smartest people, sometimes you act like a real fool." Refesa muttered, shaking her head.


    Then, she continued:


    "This flower is an active energy source that has unique properties because it is Osana''s ability. The energy emanating from it makes Adam''s body stronger, saturates it with energy, and at the same time heals it, making it stronger and faster."


    "Wait... How is that possible? That''s exactly the description of some kind of powerful amplification." Magnus pondered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, then his eyes went wide when he realized what was happening here.


    "Oh... I see..." Magnus muttered, "It''s unexpected that a Phantom of her level possesses such an ability, I must admit that it''s a pure rarity, was..."


    Refesa nodded.


    "The flower constantly emits energy, creating around itself, just for Adam, an artificial area with dense energy, which has Osana''s special effects. In other words, the flower doesn''t affect Adam directly, this energy can be useful for any target, but since the flower is on Adam''s chest, he is the sole beneficiary of this ability."


    Magnus scratched the back of his head with a nce at Osana.


    "Agh... There''s no way we can save her, right?"


    Refesa shook her head with a dark look.


    "Even if we were there with the necessary equipment, there''s nothing we could do. Apparently, from the organs, she has part of her lungs and heart left, everything else in the torso area has been destroyed..."


    Refesa didn''t want Osana to die, but Osana was a Phantom and had made her choice, she should face the consequences.


    Magnus took a deep breath before looking at the gue Reaper, Adam, and Katrin. Enjoy new tales from empire


    ...


    There were many different ces in the Dead Lands, territories were often divided into Threat Levels just because of the energy density in those ces. Usually, the energy had no effects, it was as neutral as water.


    But, although it was rare, the energy could make creatures faster or slower. Because of the energy''s features, the regeneration of monsters could be elerated, or their wounds could be hard to heal due to the low recovery rate caused by the energy with special effects.


    This energy was called Irregr Energy, and the mission department noted all such ces in the Dead Lands, as well as the effects of that energy in those areas.


    Areas with Irregr Energy were not found in Purple Threat Level areas or below, even in Light Yellow regions, it was very rare.


    So, Magnus didn''t immediately realize what was wrong because he didn''t expect Osana to possess such an ability as a K1-Phantom. It wasn''t something unique, he had seen Phantoms with simr abilities, but it was so rare that he forgot about it.


    The flower on Adam''s chest created a small zone of Irregr Energy, the effects of which Osana had set up, and this zone covered only Adam, but despite its unusual nature, this ability had one critical w.


    Unlike other amplifications thatsted for quite a long time, this flower would live as long as the energy allowed.


    Ny-nine petals meant not only that Osana''s Second Order was in its peak form, the flower wasrge and majestic, but also that Adam only had ny-nine seconds.


    ...


    Red particles from the first few petals flew before Adam''s eyes and vanished, leaving an empty outline on his chest.


    When all the petals were gone, and the flower was nothing more than an empty shell devoid of energy, Osana''s ability would dissipate, and the energy that made Adam stronger would no longer be able to help him in battle.


    ''No... Did she do that...?'' Adam internally muttered, staring at Osana lying near his feet.


    He knew it was impossible to survive with such a wound, but something was bothering him.


    Time after time, Osana''sst words shed through his mind.


    What was the point of saying something about three wishes if Osana had died right after those words?


    Then, another, fourth petal disappeared, bringing Adam to his senses.


    ''Right, I can''t waste time on this, I have to fight, this is myst time.'' Adam decided, guessing the purpose of this flower.


    As soon as Osana used her ability, he immediately felt how relieved he was.


    Before, his bones were ready to practically break under the pressure, another half a minute, and his muscles would have torn due to a few amplifications and Resonance.


    But now, he felt only relief and lightness, as if the heavy chains, resting on his shoulders, trying to nail him to the ground, had simply faded away from Osana''s touch.


    "Adam! We have to keep going!" Katrin eximed.


    She rose from the ground, leaning on her staff.


    With his attack, gue Reaper had thrown her quite far away, but he was still trapped between them. Moreover, gue Reaper needed a small break, at least a few seconds to regain his breath.


    He took a chance and used his coat''s ability in hopes of killing Adam, then dealing with Katrin would be no problem. Considering that he had unleashed a powerful attack on Nessa not long ago, it put a lot of pressure on him.


    "We can win... We still have time left." Katrin uttered through gritted teeth, slowly stepping forward.


    Her lips came into motion as she looked at the gue Reaper.


    But, before she could say anything else, a stream of blood rushed from her mouth, and the energy around her became much less.


    "Grh!!!!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A stream of blood rushed from Katrin''s mouth as her Evolution Tree shuddered, beginning to release energy from its farthest parts.


    Her first five minutes were over.


    Now, all Katrin has left is one minute and fifty seconds, after which thest ten seconds of her life will begin.


    During these ten seconds, Katrin will be practically no different from any other ordinary human being, as her Evolution Tree will empty and literally drain the life out of her.

 Chapter 371 Midnight Crystal (Part 96)

    Adam had ny-five petals left, which meant he only had ny-five seconds, which was only a little more than a minute and a half.


    For Katrin, the situation was pretty much the same. She had removed her Initial Gene five minutes ago, she had spent her first five minutes of enhanced form, now was the moment that any Phantom in her position would have tried to avoid.


    Katrin had be much weaker, she no longer had a near-infinite source of energy, however, despite this, she was not out of Resonance. Her veins were still swollen and her instincts were at the limit.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Before Katrin could regain consciousness, gue Reaperunched at her.


    He used his coat''s ability twice in a row, so he couldn''t make such powerful attacks anymore, but that didn''t stop him from killing Katrin, he felt that she had be much weaker.


    Katrin''s Evolution Tree was almost empty, it was losing thest bits of its energy that were no longer as powerful and could not give Katrin the same level of strength.


    Startled, Katrin quickly raised her head, seeing the tall silhouette in front of her who had already swung his scythe, a dangerous glint running down the ck de, reflecting in Katrin''s eyes.


    Katrin blinked.


    The next thing she saw was Adam''s feet crashing into gue Reaper''s back, tossing the monster aside.


    "We both have a little over a minute, either we break him now or we die... He won''t even have to do anything. Go ahead, it''s just you and me now. We have to do this, good?" Adam asked cing a hand on Katrin''s shoulder.


    Katrin nodded looking at the thin green streams of energy flying in front of their eyes. They seemed to be getting thinner and thinner, pretty soon they would stop at all, and then Katrin''s end woulde.


    "Sure... We have no other choice. Moreover..." Katrin turned sideways looking at gue Reaper who was slowly getting up from the ground.


    His breathing was heavy, his muscles trembled from time to time, and trickles of blood flowed from the corners of his mouth. Find your next read at empire


    Confidence and pride still filled his gaze, even in the face of death he would not back down, but he was not omnipotent, he was only a strong being always going to the end, striving to achieve his goals no matter what.


    Gritting his teeth, gue Reaper rose to his feet, gripping his weapon tightly. The bone hilt of his scythe was covered in crimson stains, his palms already beginning to bleed from the countless powerful attacks he hadunched in this battle.


    "He''s already at his limit too..." Katrin gulped, not believing that they were in this situation.


    The three of them would have to fight desperately for their lives, like cornered beasts who had no other choice.


    "Yeah... Though we actually have a little more time, this is ourst minute. Two minutes just won''t have time to pass before we finish the fight." Adam said calmly before stepping forward.


    His speed increased slightly after Osana''s flower appeared, but the bigger effect was that he no longer felt heavy on him.


    With every amplification he received, wound and minute of their battle passed, Adam could feel his steps getting heavier as the weight on his shoulders increased, but the energying from the flower created a safe zone for him.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Adam''s eyes went wide when his hand moved much faster than he expected.


    The silver needle like a white sh swept in front of him, slicing through gue Reaper''s chest with ease. He, like Adam, had not expected Adam''s attack to be so fast.


    In a way, gue Reaper was lucky. Only the tip of the needle traveled across his chest, leaving a long but not deep cut.


    The next petal turned into red particles flying in front of Adam''s eyes, simultaneously his hand came in motion attacking once more.


    In a heartbeat, five silver ws ripped through the drops of blood, moving straight towards gue Reaper''s neck.


    gue Reaper took a step back, and the tips of the ws swept across his chest, but no sooner did he take the next step than Katrin appeared behind him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She couldn''t use her abilities relentlessly, but her staff was capable of dealing damage without a hundred roots. She was in Resonance, so she could make an urate attack.


    gue Reaper slightly turned his head, ncing at Katrin, who was firmly holding her staff with one hand like a spear.


    Crackle.


    The wooden tip stabbed into gue Reaper''s side, leaving a wide cut and tearing off a piece of his ck coat.


    Adam''s eyes went wide for a moment. He realized that the jaw hadn''t appeared to stop Katrin''s attack. He didn''t know if it was gue Reaper''s mistake or if he didn''t have the strength for it, but it didn''t matter. Adam had to act.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Several silver shes reflected in Adam''s eyes, then three even cuts appeared on gue Reaper''s body, one on his shoulder and two on his right leg.


    Without hesitation, Adam stepped forward, about tounch his next attack.


    Thump. Thump. Thump.


    gue Reaper''s heart began to beat faster, and the world seemed to slow down for him. He saw Katrining at him from the side, about to thrust her bloody staff into his body, he watched Adam''s needle that was gradually approaching his head and...


    His gaze noticed how the ring of mes was gradually shrinking, the anomalies growing, new artifacts appearing and it was all just another reminder that they were alone in this cage.


    Adam''s serious gaze, the new strength and speed of his attacks, and Katrin''s selflessness despite her desperate situation, awakened a feeling inside gue Reaper that he had already forgotten.


    Death.


    gue Reaper felt that this time he was not the emissary of death, now death was trying to take his life.


    No matter how many Phantoms and monsters he had killed before, he was still mortal, he had only one life like everyone else.


    There was nothing wrong with the fear of death. On the contrary, realizing it, feeling that the end was near, life became more precious.


    In a heartbeat, the world in gue Reaper''s eyes became brighter and more intense. It seemed as if someone renewed all the colors, making life more beautiful than ever before.


    Then, gue Reaper realized that if even the world began to look different, he could no longer stay the same.


    There was no point in staying cold and calcting anymore.


    All he had to do was hold out for one minute, fight until all the petals on Adam''s chest were as empty as Katrin''s Evolution Tree.


    gue Reaper''s grimace cracked, shattering his former expression into shards, like a mask of a calm warrior that was no longer needed to win.


    His goal now was to survive and to do that, he just needed...


    "RRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!"


    gue Reaper shouted as a fierce warrior who shared the joy of battle and the feeling of approaching death.


    Crackle.


    Adam''s needle stabbed into gue Reaper''s shoulder, a little lower and the needle would pierce his heart. Strangely enough, gue Reaper didn''t even try to dodge, something that previously would be impossible for an experienced monster like him.


    His roar quickly plunged into Adam and Katrin''s minds, causing them to have opposite reactions.


    Katrin shuddered. She had never seen gue Reaper act like this before. He wasn''t paying attention to his wounds, his eyes were burning with battle mes and he had an excited smirk on his face.


    The uncertainty frightened her, her face grew pale and her gaze deepened, but it didn''t shake her will to fight to the very end.


    Adam''s corners of his mouth formed an enthusiastic smile that grew wider and wider. He couldn''t control it, he felt his blood begin to boil, his heart beat more often, and the desire topete to thest second like a true warriorpletely consumed him.


    Clutch.


    A pale hand grasped the silver arm that was still embedded in his shoulder, a lone trickle of blood dripping down.


    gue Reaper''s body came into motion as he stepped forward, the needle plunged into his flesh a little deeper, but he didn''t care, his goal was something else.


    Bam.


    A bloody fist plunged into Adam''s face, who didn''t even try to dodge despite the blow, the smile and excited expression remaining.


    The impact threw Adam aside, the needle exited gue Reaper''s body and their clutch moved to the side, getting slightly distant from Katrin.


    ''Adam! He''s set himself up for an attack! Try to make some deceptive maneuver and take advantage of his recklessness to deliver a fatal blow!'' Silvana quickly eximed, realizing that gue Reaper''s fighting style hadpletely changed.


    "Hahaha, that''s out of the question!" Adam eximed swinging his needle, leaving a deep cut on gue Reaper''s chest, blood rushed out flying in front of Adam''s face.


    "RRRRARAAAAG!!!"


    gue Reaper opened his mouth wide as if screaming before swinging his scythe, giving Adam a simr wound.


    "If I fight against him using tactics or calction, he''ll just tear me to pieces while getting himself killed." Adam said in a loud voice, clutching with silver ws the ck de that stopped right in front of him.


    Then, he jerked his head back before bringing his forehead down on the gue Reaper''s with all his might, causing a loud thud and shattering their foreheads into blood.


    He was no longer afraid to fight against gue Reaper in closebat, they both realized that they would tear each other apart as long as they could continue.


    "Against a monster like this, you only have to fight until one of us falls, forever!"

 Chapter 372 Midnight Crystal (Part 97)

    The two shes mmed into each other, shaking the ground and emitting a loud ng from their des that rang out for dozens of meters around.


    With each new sh, the ground trembled and blood fell on the cold surface, whether it was the blood of a monster or a human, it didn''t matter, their blood had long since mixed to be a single trace of their fierce battle.


    The ck de spinning at breakneck speed left more and more wounds on Adam''s body, scratches and deep cuts covered him, bright shes of pain appeared relentlessly, but for him, it was only embers that helped his fire of battle to keep burning brightly.


    "Come on! We have less than a minute left! Is this all you have to show before you die? These are yourst seconds of life!"


    Adam eximed with an excited expression before swinging his ws, leaving four deep cuts on gue Reaper''s side like the paws of a massive beast.


    Despite the vivid pain, gue Reaper didn''t react in any way. He simply grinned widely before continuing to attack.


    From time to time, Katrin joined their battle, but since she had weakened considerably by spending her five minutes, she could hardly do anything to gue Reaper.


    Well, in fact, she had sessfully inflicted several wounds on him with both her staff and roots, but the reason was that gue Reaper was no longer trying to dodge.


    With each passing second, his victory was getting closer and he could feel it.


    ''No... I have to do something. Despite the wounds they''ve received, neither Adam nor gue Reaper is going to fall...'' Katrin muttered inwardly while energy streams that were already as thin as threads flew in front of her.


    Katrin bit her lip.


    ''gue Reaper also has a limited time, no one can fight at this pace forever, but... considering he doesn''t care about his wounds, he definitely won''t copse in a minute. Our time is quickly running out.''


    By then, only forty petals were left on Adam''s chest, and Katrin''s Evolution Tree was preparing to emptypletely.


    ''Fine, there''s no point in thinking about it, I can''t waste any time on this. Those two are right, the most important thing is to act now, as some of us don''t have long to live...'' Katrin''s gaze grew serious as she pointed her hand at gue Reaper.


    The next moment, ck roots with already opened crimson flowers emerged from the ground.


    The roots appeared right in front of gue Reaper, separating him from Adam like the rods of a cage.


    Earlier, gue Reaper would have just evaded, it was quite easy to do so from his spot, but now that wasn''t an option.


    Whoooooooosh.


    With a single swing, the ck de sliced through the roots, while crimson blossoms detonated.


    The ming st consumed everything around it, but despite its brightness, gue Reaper paid no attention to it, as ifpared to the desire to fight to the very end, these mes were pale and insignificant.


    Adam''s eyes went wide when a ck sh shot through the red fire, gue Reaper shielded himself from the mes with his coat.


    The edges of his coat burned away, leaving smoldering sparks on the cold ground.


    Bam.


    gue Reaper spun around, kicking Adam''s right in the stomach.


    His body moved in preparation for the next strike, but Adam''s ws instantly traveled across his face, leaving three deep cuts on gue Reaper''s cheek.


    Streams of blood quickly coated his pale skin, tending to fall to the ground.


    Adam was about to attack again. Oddly enough, his body allowed him to do so.


    gue Reaper''s eyes instinctively watched as Adam''s ws approached him. The electrical discharges helped his attacks reach some unthinkable speed.


    Even in his current state, gue Reaper had no time to dodge, it seemed to him that time itself stopped and only Adam was allowed to move.


    A swift gleam ran down Adam''s ws, the threads that made up his gauntlet trembled, quickly losing their shape.


    At once, as if at someone''smand, the gauntlet with the sharp ws disappeared, the threads simply parted to the side, exposing Adam''s arm that the next moment fell to gue Reaper''s chest.


    "Agh...? What the hell...?" Adam muttered in disbelief. He looked at his chest, he still had twenty petals, for another twenty seconds he could fight withplete freedom in his actions.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    gue Reaper''s fist immediately plunged into Adam''s stomach, and a stream of blood came out of his mouth, coating gue Reaper''s chest.


    "Adam! Don''t you dare stop!" Katrin eximed appearing behind gue Reaper.


    Crackle.


    The sharp tip of her staff pierced gue Reaper''s leg, causing his face to distort in bright pain.


    "RRRRAAAAAAH!!!!"


    gue Reaper roared, turning his torso around and hitting Katrin sharply, the back of his palm smashing into her face.


    The impact threw Katrin aside, stunning her head as if two steel hammers struck it simultaneously.


    Second by second, Adam tried to force gue Reaper to his limit, but his efforts were not enough.


    ''No...''


    Adam internally muttered looking at the red particles of energy flying in front of him.


    Throwing a quick nce at his chest he saw that he only had three petals left.


    His heart beat faster, he realized that he had tounch his most powerful attack right now.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Tensing his muscles to the limit, Adam plunged the needle straight at gue Reaper, about to slice him diagonally through the hundreds of threads that made up his needle, each thread as sharp as a razor.


    gue Reaper''s excited face abruptly became calm and his eyes filled with sadness.


    He took a step forward.


    The tip of the needle split his chest, revealing the ribs behind which hid his heart, which started beating much slower.


    Then, the gue Reaper''s ck eyes reflected thest petal flying off Adam''s chest.


    As ast attempt, Adam raised his right hand high up, the tip of his needle shining, but... the flower already disappeared from his chest.


    Bam.


    Adam''s bones cracked, his flesh tore and his legs trembled, unable to support his weight. Surges of blood came out of the numerous gaps that showed up all over his body as if under powerful pressure.


    His time was up.


    Step. Step. Step.


    gue Reaper calmly approached him, looking from the top.


    Just a few seconds ago, he figured it out, so his gaze filled with sadness as he realized that their fight was over.


    Whooooosh.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    gue Reaper attacked, bringing his scythe down on Adam.


    Adam''s arm instinctively twitched, blocking the first attack with his needle, but the recoil spreading through his body was unbearably painful.


    "Stop!" Katrin eximed angrily running towards them.


    However, her steps were slow and clumsy. Out of one minute and fifty seconds, she had less than ten seconds left, she had lost almost all of her strength. The streams of energying out of her body were thinner than human hair.


    gue Reaper cast a nce at her, but no more than that. There was nothing she could do to stop him.


    Then, he raised his scythe high above his head before quickly lowering his weapon. The ck de sliced through the air in its path, about to end Adam''s life.


    Crackle.


    The long de thrust into flesh, cutting through bone with ease, but... Adam felt no pain, only a few drops of someone else''s blood falling on his shocked face.


    "Tsk... It hurts insanely..." Katrin muttered looking at her reflection in the ck scythe de deeply plunged into her right shoulder.


    From the pain and force of the attack, she fell to one knee, managing to protect Adam at thest moment.


    "Five... no, I probably have less than seconds left now..." Katrin muttered feeling that she was approaching the beginning of thest ten seconds when she would bepletely devoid of her powers, practically no different from an ordinary human.


    gue Reaper''s eyes went wide, he couldn''t believe Katrin had actually done it. Thick streams of blood flowed down her shoulder, which was already missing an arm.


    Not letting the thoughts consume his mind, gue Reaper gripped the bone hilt tighter, about to pull the de out of Katrin''s shoulder and attack once more to kill them both with his final sh.


    Tap.


    Slowly but surely, a cold palm touched gue Reaper''s chest, right where Adam had split it with the tip of his needle.


    gue Reaper lowered his gaze, and... he shuddered at the way Katrin was looking at him.


    There was a slight smile on her face and her eyes were filled with sadness.


    "Goodbye... until we meet again... It will happen very soon."


    Katrin muttered before her eyes shone brightly, onest time.


    A lone root emerged from her palm, the sharp tip advancing forward, between her ribs, easily piercing gue Reaper''s heart and exiting the other side.


    Ssh.


    Simultaneously, blood rushed from gue Reaper and Katrin''s mouths, both of them running out of time, but for now, it only meant death for one of them...


    Bam.


    Katrin and gue Reaper fell, rolling down the slope together before stopping in the middle of the dusty ground.


    The first wind current ruffled their hair, carrying away splinters of Katrin''s root that had already shattered since she had lost all her powers. Herst ten seconds had begun.


    Evolution Tree was draining the life force out of Katrin.


    Even though they had won, their original n was not going toe to reality. They had too little time left to kill some Light Yellow monster and save Katrin.


    But...


    The me of life was only gone from gue Reaper''s eyes, Katrin still had thest seconds of her story.


    "Hah... herees our hasty reunion..."


    Katrin muttered, before extending her hand towards gue Reaper.


    She opened her palm, white particles of energy turned into an active vortex.


    Katrin summoned Revolve.

 Chapter 373 Black Initial Gene

    Sometimes, the initial goal could change a lot, from the path that needed to bepleted to the final result, but it could still be aplished.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    gue Reaper''s body trembled as energy began to flow out of him. Oddly enough, unlike Scarlet Pyromancer, the energy streams were ck instead of white.


    Normally, genes would have followed, but since Katrin had removed her Initial Gene and her life wasing to an end, something else was rushing out of gue Reaper''s body.


    A ck star, ominous and majestic, a thick dark fog hovered around it, revealing that it was a dangerous force not everyone was capable of handling.


    Katrin smiled bitterly, her strength was getting less and less with each passing moment. She didn''t know how many seconds she still had, maybe three, maybe just one, but her eyes tended to close, and she couldn''t control it.


    Pretty soon, Katrin saw only darkness in front of her, sinking into a sleep that should have been an eternal dream for her.


    But strangely enough, in her case, it was the darkness that was going to bring the light back into her life.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A ck star flew into her Revolve, which in a moment disappeared as Katrin''s time had already passed.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Her Evolution Tree, which usually shone brightly filled with energy, waspletely empty, it was bleeding, having previously drained the life force out of Katrin tost a few seconds longer in this world.


    Cracks covered the entire Evolution Tree, growing rapidly like an imminent disaster.


    Pretty soon, the tips of the farthest branches of the Evolution Tree began to break, shattering into splinters, they fell into the void only to disappear.


    Tremble.


    Space trembled as a ck star appeared next to the copsing Evolution Tree. It had just arrived at its new home, which was already ready to be lost.


    It was worth realizing that Evolution Tree was just the center of everything, but Katrin''s entire inner space was under the shock.


    Her Vault, the artifact, the ghost copy of her Nexus, and even the Transmutator that usually lurked in the shadows, all them trembled ready to break down in the aftermath of Evolution Tree.


    ck Star stood in one ce for a while, as if assessing the situation, before moving forward at a leisurely pace.


    Even though this gene now belonged to Katrin, there was still something of gue Reaper in it. Despite the critical nature of the situation, the ck star did not panic, moving confidently towards the center of the Evolution Tree.


    However... for some reason, the ck star was in no hurry to be the new core of this space. It simply stopped in front of the Evolution Tree, watching as it was covered in cracks, gradually copsing.


    No one could know or see what was happening here. Only Katrin had such a chance, but right now she was down, rapidly approaching the gates of death that were ready to open for her to close forever.


    After an unknown period, something reflected in the ck star.


    It was a small light burning inside the Evolution Tree, like a spark..., which was impossible to see, only in the reflection of the ck star as if it was a magic mirror capable of revealing what could not be recognized otherwise.


    Even though the ck star was supposed to save Katrin as her new Initial Gene, it waited, watching as space shattered into shards.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Like a candle blown out by a torrent of wind, the spark inside Evolution Tree disappeared.


    At the same moment, Katrin''s heart stopped, halted beating.


    Before the next moment could pass, the ck star, burst forward, taking its rightful ce at the center of the Evolution Tree.


    Nevertheless... the destruction continued, the inner space seemingly resigned to the death of its owner and not noticing that it had a new core.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ck star shuddered, releasing dense streams of darkness that quickly enveloped everything around it.


    The new Initial Gene was going to show that it was now in charge here, while death and total annihtion were postponed for another day, which unknown when woulde.


    Thump. Thump. Thump.


    Katrin''s heart began to beat again, while the darkness inside her adjusted her inner space to its needs.


    Thump.


    Katrin''s artifact, which looked like a multitude of intertwined rings, cracked in many ces before darkening and turning to ash.


    Then, the same thing happened to the ghostly staff hovering next to Evolution Tree.


    When the Initial Gene changed, the Phantom also lost his artifact and Nexus. There was no way to avoid this.


    It wasn''t difficult to create a new Nexus, but it could take a long time to find a suitable artifact. Well, only if it was an Artificial Phantom, for a Natural Phantom, finding a new artifact was actually simple.


    Whooooooosh.


    The energy from the environment quickly headed towards Katrin, who was lying on the ground.


    Her new Initial Gene greedily absorbed all the energy around her to at least partially fill the Evolution Tree, which had not yet copsed just because of the ck star''s will.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ck energy streamsing out from gue Reaper''s body quickly headed towards Katrin, but they didn''t begin to enter her body. Her new Initial Gene wasn''t going to use this energy to fill up Evolution Tree, it had another purpose...


    With each passing second, the ck energy grew thicker and thicker,pletely covering Katrin like a veil or an imprable barrier.


    Then, the ck star shuddered, transforming into something else - a true form like any Initial Gene should have, not just a blob of energy.


    Gradually, the ck star took the shape of a long coat, the hood hiding the face, leaving only a shadow, but from the sleeves two bone hands like death were visible. The bone hands firmly held an all-ck scythe, emitting an eerie aura.


    Katrin''s new Initial Gene was ready.


    And... this could only mean that a new story had begun for her, something she hadn''t even realized when she went to ck Cinder Forest to kill Scarlet Pyromancer.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    The Initial Gene shone brightly, a white sh covering the entire space, renewing this small world.


    All the cracks in the Evolution Tree disappeared at once, the inner space returned to normal and the emptiness in the massive tree began to gradually fill up with energy, both from the Initial Gene and the environment.


    Sure, it would take Katrin quite some time for her Evolution Tree to regain all the energy it spent, but the process was underway.


    Then, just for a moment, the de of the scythe reflected the spark that burned within Evolution Tree once again.


    It was much brighter than before, though... could it be rted to the Initial Gene?


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The dark energy covering Katrin shuddered before her Initial Gene red brightly again and the energy began to thicken, turning into a long, ck coat with a high cor.


    Katrin''s eyes slowly opened, they were ck and deep as the abyss.


    As if awakening from a deep sleep, Katrin leisurely rose from the ground, leaning on her hand, then she looked around with a detached gaze.


    Before she could regain consciousness, she saw brightly colored projectiles flying out of the me pirs in the distance, a trail of fire following them.


    They flew in different directions likeets, painting the dark night sky.


    They were artifacts, anomalies striving to be wider, wanting to absorb more territory within the me ring.


    One of theets, the brightest one, moved straight toward Katrin as if a gift from fate itself for escaping death while already being in its bony embrace.

 Chapter 374 Dont worry, I dont need to be anxious about it anymore

    Slowly, using his strength barely enough to stay conscious, Adam crawled forward, approaching the edge of the slope.


    Leaving a trail of scattering dust behind him, Adam was finally able to see Katrin, who was standing below, next to the now-dead gue Reaper.


    His vision was blurred from exhaustion, he couldn''t see clearly, and at first, it seemed to him that there were two gue Reapers. He couldn''t understand why the two silhouettes had a long ck coat.


    Then, Adam blinked, refreshing his vision, it became sharper, allowing him to see everything properly.


    "Katrin... She actually absorbed gue Reaper''s gene..." Adam muttered with his eyes wide open.


    In the heat of battle, Adam didn''t have time to think about it, he didn''t know what would happen next as he was only focused on victory.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    However... It seemed Katrin had made that decision beforeing under a near-lethal attack from gue Reaper.


    "Well... Although it didn''t happen the way she nned, instead of a Top-8 monster, she got the power of the Top-1... She was lucky that gue Reaper epted her..." Adam muttered, a slight smile appearing on his face.


    He knew that Phantom''s strength depended on his level and not the Initial Gene, since the Initial Gene had grown with Phantom and Evolution Tree, but, Adam was sure that the abilities that gue Reaper''s Initial Gene offered were far more interesting than Scarlet Pyromancer''s.


    Hearing a rustle, Katrin turned around to meet Adam''s gaze.


    She smiled bitterly, her gaze was tired but happy, like someone who had not only managed to achieve her dream but exceeded even her own expectations.


    Hardly anyone had such statistics, but Katrin realized that in all the time, very few Phantoms had ever obtained gue Reaper''s gene as their Initial Gene.


    There was no way Katrin would take that risk, even if she was strong enough to do so. She might have considered absorbing the Thunder Demon''s gene, but gue Reaper... that was a monster of an entirely different danger.


    "I did it..." Katrin muttered, looking at her palm, partially covered in blood, "But... at what cost? If I were to go back in time for one day, I definitely wouldn''t go through that path again..."


    Although Katrin gained new strength and energy was gradually filling up her devastated Evolution Tree, her wounds went nowhere.


    She was still missing one arm, her shoulder had a deep bleeding wound, her bone was cut, and there were countless scratches and bruises all over her body.


    However, she was no longer in danger of death, her wounds were not as serious as Adam''s who couldn''t even stand on his feet yet.


    "Hmm? What''s that?"


    Adam muttered as a bright purple sh reflected in his eyes.


    A massiveet, one of thergest that came out of the me pirs, was rapidly approaching directly towards Katrin.


    She could see that there was an artifact inside, theet wanted to expand the influence of the anomalies, to allow them to grow even more in this region.


    Katrin blinked, then theet crashed to the ground, not far from her.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A shockwave shook the ground, aggressive wind currents fleeing from the new me point while waves of dust flew apart.


    Katrin covered herself with her hand, purple me particles hit her, but as soon as they touched her coat, they were extinguished, vanishing without a trace.


    The mes spread around in smooth lines, passing next to Katrin and gue Reaper, who were lying on the ground, unaware of what was happening after his death.


    "What the hell...? An artifact? Right here and now?"


    Katrin gulped, staring at the artifact in the center of the ming hearth. It was hovering slightly above the ground, emitting a powerful, maic energy.


    It was a ck cross as if made of metal or obsidian, uneven, covered with light bumps like molten metal or an ancientyer of rust, indicating the antiquity of the essory.


    The vertical rod was much longer than the horizontal one, creating a kind of asymmetry.


    Experience tales at empire


    Thin, barely visible cracks asionally shed with purple light, as if there was a hot sma, lurking inside, ready to burst out at any moment.


    "n... What is that artifact?" Katrin asked, feeling the power emanating from the cross.


    At the same moment, the rest of theets rained down on the ground, creating fiery explosions inside the ming ring, with various artifacts at the center of them.


    The anomalies always had only one goal - to grow bigger and stronger and to spawn strong artifacts to hold on to their ce for as long as possible.


    ''The Righteous Inferno, Second Rarity Level artifact, it''s quite powerful, but why do you ask?'' n replied in a slightly unsure voice.


    Katrin''s mouth dropped open, but she didn''t answer anything.


    Step. Step. Step.


    With slow steps Katrin headed forward, footsteps left on the ground that shook from a powerful artifact being nearby.


    ''Wait... What are you doing?'' n asked anxiously.


    Katrin remained silent once again.


    For some reason, she felt like she had to absorb this artifact. Previously, there was no way she would have thought of it in such a way, since as an Artificial Phantom, she must carefully choose her artifact.


    To do so, Phantom must listen to his Evolution Tree and Initial Gene. They should shake slightly if there is an artifact near them.


    If it was the matching artifact, which was quite rare, the trembling was light and pleasant. Otherwise, the tremor was harsh and aggressive, showing that it was better to stay away from that artifact.


    But...


    Right now, nothing was happening.


    "How strange, I can''t feel anything... Neither Evolution Tree nor Initial Gene has any reaction..." Katrin muttered before stopping in front of Righteous Inferno.


    She slowly reached forward with her one hand, provoking n''s panicked shout: ''No! Katrin, stop now! You mustn''t take that risk! It''s better to take the artifact in a special capsule and do all the tests at the Citadel! It''s too risky! If Evolution Tree and Initial Gene don''t ept this artifact, in the end, you''ll just die from internal wounds!''


    n spoke as fast and loud as he was capable of.


    However, even though Katrin had always listened to n, this time, she did not pay any attention to him.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The Righteous Inferno shuddered vigorously, heading for Katrin''s palm, gradually bing faster and faster, turning into a dark purple star.


    ''No! Fuck! Don''t do that!'' n bellowed, but he could hardly stop Katrin in any way, for at that moment she realized something that n hadn''t even suspected yet.


    Whooooos.


    A purple sh disappeared into Katrin''s palm, quickly reappearing in her inner space.


    The Righteous Inferno took its ce next to the Evolution Tree as Katrin''s new artifact.


    There was no negative or positive reaction from Evolution Tree or Initial Gene, it was all natural...


    "Don''t worry, I don''t need to be anxious about it anymore." Katrin said confidently, feeling the power surging within her.


    Then, she looked up and her eyes grew deeper.


    "I don''t know how it happened, but... now I understand what it is like... What it feels like to initially be superior to others after going through a difficult challenge..."

 Chapter 375 Amber Eyes

    Katrin just absorbed an artifact, not a simple artifact but a powerful one, the Righteous Inferno was a Second Rarity level artifact, in rarity it was the same as Adam''s artifact.


    Usually, the stronger the artifact was, the harder it was for the Phantoms to find a suitable one so that the Evolution Tree and Initial Gene would be ready to take on a new part of their owner''s power.


    This was one of the reasons why Operators advised their Phantoms to develop their current artifacts instead of constantly searching for new ones. Each time, as the Phantom''s power increased, it became more and more difficult to do so.


    Could Katrin have just gotten lucky?


    Sure.


    But... hardly anyone watching this scene was willing to believe that.


    From her actions and detached look, Adam, Refesa, Silvana, and Magnus immediately realized that something unusual happened.


    The only one who still thought Katrin was just lucky was her Operator - n.


    "What the hell...? Did she just be a Natural Phantom?"


    Magnus muttered in disbelief.


    He wasn''t just surprised, since this event wasn''t rare or unique, it had a whole other level of importance.


    This was the first time something like this had ever happened.


    Katrin was definitely an Artificial Phantom, she like almost all Phantoms had gone through a standardized path before entering Dead Lands for the first time.


    All of this was recorded in detail in reports, documents kept by both the missions department and Fort Norton.


    From the day when Katrin''s Spark was discovered during a test to the day, she killed her first monster with the help of the Phantoms and the military.


    Refesa, Magnus, and everyone else had no idea how it happened.


    Everyone knew that there was no way that Artificial Phantom could be the Natural One, it was impossible because when the Spark appeared, it was already a predestined oue.


    Only if the Spark appeared immediately absorbing its gene, being at the peak of its powers, the Phantom could be the Natural born.


    So what happened to Katrin became an unexinable reality.


    Well... actually, besides Adam, Silvana, n, Refesa, and Magnus, there was someone else looking at Katrin, and that person was in the Citadel.


    Sure, the military and the missions department were watching closely, but the ordinary spectators weren''t smart enough to immediately realize what had happened, much less ept it. After all, even n hadn''t realized it yet.


    ...


    On the far side of the Citadel, on top of his ownboratory, a middle-aged man sat in a dark room.


    The only light in the room was a blue hologram, showing a multitude of images, from various cameras in the NEPs. Now, his gaze was directed to the center one where was Katrin immersed in her thoughts.


    The faded light fell on half of his face, leaving the rest in shadow. The tips of his snow-white hair fell slightly below his eyebrows, rippling with every movement.


    Out of the darkness, his amber, rich eyes stood out brightly, it was a rarity, almost an anomaly, to find such eyes in a human.


    It seemed that his eyes concealed both all the wisdom and cruelty of the world, a gaze that would not waver in the face of anything that stood in the way of his goal.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Such eyes belonged to the third free scientist in the Citadel - Aiden Henk.


    Like Refesa, it was no problem for him to hack into the Operators'' channels and closely observe the momentous battle in Fallen Crypt.


    First, Aiden Henk was curious about Adam''s performance against gue Reaper, then Midnight Crystal had piqued his interest, and now he was watching Katrin intently.


    Aiden blinked a few times, resting his cheek on his hand with a calm look.


    "Oh, she practically died, most likely even herst ten seconds have passed, but she didn''t just survive and gain new powers, she became a Natural Phantom... I didn''t expect that something could happen with this insignificant arrogant girl that would arouse my curiosity..."


    Then, Aiden slightly raised his sharp chin.


    "Did it happen because her time was up because it was gue Reaper''s gene taking advantage of the situation, or was she just lucky enough to discover something new?"


    Aiden already had a lot of ideas rted to how Katrin had managed to not only change her Initial Gene but literally her origins as a Phantom.


    Immediately after the ideas, his mind was full of ns on how he could test it, which of the candidates was the most suitable, and which had the best chance of sess.


    Aiden instantly realized that if Katrin''s situation was possible to repeat, it could be one of the most important events in the entire history of the Citadel.


    "But... if it happened for the first time in so long..." Aiden muttered with a deep look, "So, it''s necessary for many conditions to coincide, in the exact order and time, and... I don''t have anything, only the fact that it''s most likely possible."


    With a deep sigh, he shook his head. He was an experienced scientist, so he realized that even if he figured out how to replicate Katrin''s situation exactly, how to turn an Artificial Phantom into a Natural One, it would be a difficult process and a long series of experiments.


    Then, Aiden''s amber eyes shifted to the side, looking at Adam lying on the ground. With his wounds, for now, it was best not to try to get up.


    "Well, well, Adam Vinter..." Aiden said calmly, for some reason, there was an almost imperceptible pride and joy in his voice...


    For a moment, Aiden''s mouth corners lifted upward, forming a slight smirk.


    "Years ago I was skeptical of the idea, but using my authority and sending youths to the Dead Lands under the guise of randomness has proven to be a great way to create strong Phantoms." Aiden ran his fingers together.


    His eyes darkened, remembering the day he''d thrown Adam out of hisb, dooming him to end up in Dead Lands and die with a 99.7% chance.


    Not that that exact number would make any difference, but it was Aiden''s bloody statistic that he''d gathered over several years doing this sinister case, well... besides the many others that took ce at Morton Observatory.


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    Sure, the government, the missions department, and the military didn''t approve of Aiden constantly sending some random youth to their deaths.


    They didn''t know why he was doing it, Aiden wasn''t going to tell anyone his ns, but they preferred to turn a blind eye.


    After all, it was always one youth from a group from the slums, amongst whom someone would asionally have the Spark, the government wanted Aiden to keep running these tests.


    The government''s goal was simple, they didn''t want to ruin rtions with Aiden and these tests sometimes added neers to the Phantoms.


    So Aiden kept sending random youths from the group to Dead Lands, and the government and everyone else pretended not to notice that not all the kids returned home after the test.


    Aiden was well aware that the government was discouraging the promotion of Natural Phantoms, trying to keep information about them hidden, as they realized that it would be a disaster if the other Phantoms found out.


    Artificial Phantoms would die by the hundreds in the ghostly hope of changing something in their lives, without even knowing how or if it was possible to do so.


    This was one of the reasons why Aiden pretended that these were just idents or some strange ns, after all... by his actions, he was trying to increase the number of Naturalborn Phantoms at least a little....

 Chapter 376 Who Died?

    Yes, the only reason Aiden threw Adam out of theb in Dead Lands was because by doing so he was trying to create a new Natural Phantom.


    Could an intelligent and cold-blooded free scientist like Aiden just forget the people inside the iron container time after time?


    Of course not, it was simply impossible to allow such a thing to happen even once. It only took ce at his will and initiative.


    ording to his statistics, it was obvious that surviving, bing a Natural Phantom, and returning to the Citadel was unlikely, only 0.3% seeded, and... Adam became one of them.


    Well, that meant that on average, for the birth of one Natural Phantom, Aiden was sent to their deaths 332 young men from the slums who just came to take the test and get some food with credits, just like Adam on the day his whole life changed.


    For Aiden, this was eptable coteral damage.


    It seemed to be a horrific ratio, as he would literally kill several hundred people so that only one of them would be a Natural Phantom.


    True... that was the case in the eyes of ordinary people, for Aiden though, it was truly a favorable deal.


    ''A hundred people from the slums will never be able to defeat a Green or Blue Threat Level monster...'' Aiden pondered while looking at the screen, ''Neither will the people inside Three Rings, but there is a significant difference between them...''


    Aiden''s musings continued:


    ''I can''t secretly send people from the Three Rings to the Dead Lands and they are much more useful to the Citadel than the slum dwellers, both economically and practically...''


    It was worth realizing that there was no room for morality in Aiden''s thinking. It was pure pragmatism to which no such concepts as cruelty or mercy could be applied, it was simply a calction based on facts and the actual reality of their world and society.


    ''The residents in Three Rings can at least be military officers, departmental workers, and so on, it''s rare for anyone to get out of the slums... The number of monsters that an average Natural Phantom kills before dying goes beyond a few hundred.'' Aiden inwardly muttered, slowly rubbing his chin.


    Thus, even looking at this situation from a mathematical point of view, Aiden was exchanging hundreds of slum people''s lives for hundreds of monsters killed, and... their quality as living beings waspletely different.


    Not just to Aiden, it was obvious to anyone that some Essence Thunder Demon wasn''t just capable of killing hundreds of people, but on average did so by ughtering the military and a few Phantoms before someone strong enough could stop him.


    It was just that, unlike Aiden, ordinary people would never admit to these violent and immoral thoughts, it was uneptable.


    But, Aiden did it for another important reason.


    True, for him, the life of one Natural Phantom was more valuable and effective for the Citadel, such a Phantom killed more monsters than people died because of Aiden''s actions, and the materials collected from them were worth dozens of times more than hundreds of people from the slums could earn during their lives.


    Potential.


    Aiden realized that Natural Phantoms didn''t just stand above ordinary humans, they stood above other Phantoms.


    "Agh. The Government and Azure Lotus have a strict policy of secrecy about the existence of the Natural Phantoms, though it makes sense, but the safety of the Phantoms isn''t the only thing they think about."


    Aiden muttered, cing an open palm on his face, his amber eyes visible through the gaps between his fingers.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The government and Azure Lotus believed that while it was good that Natural Phantoms existed, it was just an exception to the rule that shouldn''t be followed.


    When they raised the issue, at the highest levels, their rhetoric stated that although there was a certain inequality between Artificial and Natural Phantoms, the gap could be ovee with hard work and perseverance. They believed thatbor could catch up with talent.


    "Well... They''re right..." Aiden said slowly, ncing at Adam, "Hard work can beat talent, but... only if the talent doesn''t try."


    Aiden disliked Azure Lotus and their policy of equality, he thought it was the greatest nonsense of all.


    It was inequality that allowed Natural Phantoms to exist, with equality there would be no free scientists like him or Magnus, willing to sacrifice the lives of others of their own free will for an illusory chance at sess.


    It was worth realizing that Aiden chose Adam at random, like hundreds of other youths from the slums who had participated in his tests and experiments.


    Until that day, he hadn''t known of Adam''s existence, but Aiden was surprised that Adam had not only managed to survive but to achieve significant results in a fairly short period.


    Whether it was Artificial or Natural Phantom, both weaklings died on their first missions and true demons of the battlefield, with each mission only increasing the magnitude of their aplishments and defeated opponents.


    Aiden saw quite a few Natural Phantoms die in their first weeks or months on rather simple missions. Some of them had been created by him, by his dark method...


    Thus, even of the 0.3% who managed to survive Aiden''s actions, only a few became truly worthy Phantoms.


    However, Aiden was not upset. He continued to do it because he knew that although very rarely, during his actions appeared great Natural Phantoms.


    Obviously, Adam had already be one of his most sessful experiments in this category.


    Sure, Adam wasn''t the strongest Natural Phantom, but Phantoms that survived encounters with gue Reaper and eventually defeated him were indeed few.


    Aiden stretched his shoulder before ring intently at Katrin.


    "Well, perhaps due to her risk that turned out to be a sess, I may soon have another option to create Natural Phantoms, apletely unique one..."


    A sharp glint passed across his amber eyes, then they shifted to the side, aiming at Adam.


    "You... I hope you don''t stop at K2, you could be a great Phantom."


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    Aiden took a deep breath.


    "I''m sure you''ll find a way to meet me soon. If you could have done that a few months ago you definitely would have tried to kill me, but... Will you want to do that when our meeting happens?"


    Then, Aiden''s eyes narrowed, bing dark and sinister.


    "During the time you were a Phantom, while you were killing monsters and getting stronger, there was a lot less of humanity in you..."


    ...


    Step.


    Katrin took a step forward, looking at gue Reaper, who was lying serenely on the ground with his eye closed, only the wind fluttering his hair.


    Her mind was slowly adjusting to what happened, to her new powers, to the fact that her dream was fulfilled, that she became a Natural Phantom, and that this day was finally over...


    Crackle.


    At the same moment, in the distance, came the sound of cracking bones and painful screams as if from a beast who had fallen into a terrible trap.


    Adam and Katrin turned around sharply, looking in the same direction, making their eyes go wide for a moment.


    They saw Nessa, wounded and barely conscious, tearing apart the monster that decided to attack her.


    She did so with her powerful jaw, devouring chunks of flesh while the monster was still alive.


    Distracted by this bloody sight, Katrin and Adam didn''t notice that something more interesting was happening near them.


    Flesh, like roots wanting to join together to heal their immense wound, was slowly filling the void inside Osana''s wide hole in her body.

 Chapter 377 Purple Cross

    Nessa was alive, this was no secret or surprise. With his most powerful attack, gue Reaper was able to wound her badly, never in her life had Nessa faced such bloody and serious wounds, but the fact that she was a Hybrid saved her.


    Her body was stronger than any K1-Phantom''s, most likely even many K2-Phantoms would have died if they had been hit by the hail of red jaws that tore chunks of flesh from Nessa.


    There were many ways to die, but being eaten alive was probably one of the most painful, but Nessa was lucky. She got her fair share of hellish pain, but not death.


    Her weakened state had been taken advantage of by a random monster, one of the few Light Yellow Threat ones that still survived within the me ring.


    But... It was a fatal mistake.


    Nessa was badly wounded, but she was not dead and remained conscious. She wouldn''t have moved in any other situation, but her life was on the line when the monster attacked.


    Gathering all her strength, she pounced on the monster, ignoring the pain burning throughout her body.


    Her arms or legs were too weak to hold the monster or fight. The red jaws didn''t just leave wounds on her body, they literally ripped parts of her muscles and tendons out of her body.


    This was a significant weakening for someone who relied almost solely on physical power. The fact that she could move her arms and legs to pounce on the monster was already a miracle in itself.


    However, some muscles were working properly, even though almost all the others were badly damaged. It was her jaw.


    Normally she wouldn''t take such desperate measures, but did she have any choice in her situation?


    "RRROOOOOOOOOAAAAARRRR!!!!"


    There was a furious roar, but not from the monster, but from Nessa, who seemed to be possessed by a true beast that knew no mercy.


    Her gaze was half-empty, she acted on instinct. Her body couldn''t let her die because of some simple monster, especially after all she had been through.


    Crackle.


    Nessa''s teeth sank into the monster''s shoulder, bursts of blood rushing outward. Clenching her jaws tightly, Nessa jerked her head sharply, tearing off a massive chunk of flesh.


    The monster sank into a fiery pain that spread throughout its body, but Nessa wasn''t going to stop. She had to tear the monster apart if she wanted to survive.


    "Damn... Now she actually looks more like a beast than a human... It''s a frightening scene..." Adam muttered, watching the scene from afar.


    Katrin narrowed her eyes, watching intently as two more monsters headed towards Nessa. She realized that Adam was in no condition to help anyone, Nessa couldn''t handle three monsters on her own, they would just kill her.


    "Well, well, either way, we had to get rid of them before moving on to the main prize..." Katrin muttered before looking at Midnight Crystal which was still in the very center of the me ring.


    Midnight Crystal was an unshakable entity that didn''t have any clear will or wishes, however, it aroused desires in others, causing monsters and Phantoms to fight each other to gain some of the power of this majestic entity.


    ''Katrin... What are you going to do?'' n asked with obvious concern in his voice.


    A slight smile appeared on Katrin''s face.


    "Don''t worry about it. It''ll just be a little test. I don''t have much energy, I have a long way to go before I can fully recover, but..."


    Toward the end, Katrin''s voice became considerably quieter and more serious. Then, a me shed in her eyes. She had new abilities, a new artifact, and even a new nature as a Phantom.


    In front of her were two brazen monsters attacking her ally. Could there be better circumstances for her to test her new powers?


    Then, Katrin raised her hand, looking at her ck coat that was almost no different from the one worn by gue Reaper. There were slight changes in size and length, but nothing more.


    "As in his case, it''s not just clothes... Looks like my new Initial Gene used a new Order without my knowledge, it''s probably one of the forms or something, right?" Katrin muttered, trying to make sense of the new information that was filling her mind.


    She shook her head, shrugging nonchntly.


    "Whatever, I know what I can do so, and for now, that''s more than enough."


    Katrin stepped forward, her coat shuddering, making her disappear like a shadow.


    She appeared ten meters ahead before stepping forward once more.


    After a few such leaps that happened almost instantly, she found herself next to Nessa, the two monsters already prepared to attack.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Katrin''s coat trembled, like a hungry beast that had to use itsst strength to fulfill Katrin''s wish.


    Then, she felt some energy drain out of her to restore her coat''s reserves. It was an unavoidable cost as long as she used this ability.


    "Wow... This is different from what I''ve done before. Moreover, it seems to be something rare, I haven''t seen the other Phantoms I''ve gone on missions with have something like this..." Katrin muttered, amused.


    She bit her lip while keeping the joy in her gaze. She realized that she would need to get used to using her new abilities, but she was ready for it. It was her wish, after all.


    Thump. Thump. Thump.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    To the thudding footsteps of the monsters running towards them, the first one copsed to the ground, torn apart by Nessa.


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    "ROOOAAAARRRR!!!"


    The monsters roared furiously, about to attack them.


    Nessa''s body instinctively went into motion, but no sooner had she taken even one step forward than she fell to the ground, hitting her face in a puddle of her blood mixed with the monster''s. Her body was simply incapable of following her will.


    "Even though this is the first time we''ve met today, you''re a frightening Phantom." Katrin smirked, standing up in front of her.


    Following, Katrin took a deep breath, guiding her now single, left hand, forward.


    Her eyes sparkled as her fingertips lit up with purple mes, quickly covering her hand like a veil.


    The two monsters were running at the same speed, being right next to each other, this gave Katrin an idea.


    "Nothing bad will happen from one extra step, right?" Katrin nodded speaking to herself.


    Her coat shook again as she found herself not in front of the monsters, but to the right side of them.


    The monsters quickly turned their heads, realizing that somehow, Katrin had drastically changed her spot.


    But... it was already toote for them to do anything about it.


    One vertical, one horizontal, Katrin made two swings of her arm, leaving a ming cross in front of her.


    For a moment, the cross hovered above the ground, causing dust particles to ignite like sparks before moving forward.


    In a heartbeat, the ming cross passed through the monsters, tearing them apart with ease, leaving a wide ck trail of burning embers behind.


    Bam.


    Massive chunks of flesh fell to the ground, their edges burned as if after a massive explosion or merciless fire.


    "Khrgh!!!''''


    Nessa coughed up blood, her eyes wide with pain, but she quickly regained her senses.


    "Looks like I went a little over my limits, but it was worth it..." Katrin muttered looking at the two in monsters in the distance.


    She clenched her hand tightly into a fist with a happy smile on her face.


    "This is it... This power, and... I finally have it..."

 Chapter 378 She Knew Everything

    Step.


    Katrin walked over to Nessa and gently lifted her up, well, as much as she could. She was careful not to touch her open wounds, the sight of bones and tendons protruding straight out of her flesh was quite gruesome, Katrin felt sick just thinking about the pain Nessa had gone through.


    "Come on... You still haven''t passed out, right? I''m sure you can hear me now." Katrin muttered, carrying Nessa on her back.


    "Shu... shut up..." Nessa growled, feeling the pain shooting throughout her body with every step Katrin took.


    She wasn''t in the mood to talk right now, she clearly wasn''t ready to be beaten to such a state, but... she wasn''t going to give up either.


    "Fine, there''s no point in talking anymore, since we''re the only ones left here..." Katrin said, looking around.


    The me pirs were still burning brightly, gradually spreading their fire around and giving birth to new artifacts. This would continue until the energy in this ce was depleted creating some powerful artifact or until someone consumed all the artifacts, no matter if it was a Phantom or a monster.


    Katrin moved slowly towards the hill where Adamy. She didn''t want to use her ghost steps, she was too tired and had nothing to fear.


    All the monsters, even the gue Reaper were already dead.


    Well... there were still plenty of Fume Armors in Fume Cathedral, but they were special, they wouldn''t attack Adam and the others, especially when they were outside their home.


    Their new lord, gue Reaper, had died in a fair fight, so the only thing left for them to do was to watch the survivors as they slowly approached their reward.


    Tap.


    Katrin leaned over,ying Nessa on the ground next to Adam.


    "So... What do we do next?" Katrin asked, cing her hands at her sides and looking forward with a deep gaze.


    Adam and Nessa nced over before directing their gazes towards Midnight Crystal.


    "We should absorb it. We deserve to take this treasure for ourselves, too bad there are only three of us left..."


    Katrin''s gaze darkened at Adam''s words. Even yesterday she hadn''t known Oskar, Lero, Osana, or Erna, but a few fights were enough to strengthen their bond, their deaths affected her more than she realized.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Adam wanted to say something, but a strange sound as if from growing flesh stopped him.


    "What the hell...?" Katrin muttered, slowly turning around.


    Then, her eyes went wide as well as Adam''s and Nessa''s. They stared intently at Osana lying on the ground, whose wide wound was slowly recovering.


    Adam''s gaze deepened as Osana''sst words shed through his mind. Now, he began to realize that Osana wasn''t sacrificing herself, she was taking a risk.


    If Adam and Katrin couldn''t defeat gue Reaper after her actions, then she too would die, but that gruesome wound wasn''t her death sentence.


    The hole in Osana''s stomach was really wide as if it had been shot with a projectile from a massive cannon, but... gradually it was recovering.


    The flesh, like roots, like thousands of red threads connected to each other, restoring in detail all that Osana had lost.


    To Adam, it immediately reminded him what the regenerative monsters were capable of. He had seen how they could easily recover even the most horrible wounds.


    ''Wait... She used all of her abilities. Two Nexus Traits and Two Orders, so... what''s going on here?''


    Adam nced at Nessa. For a moment he thought that Osana might have been a Hybrid or something equally special, but... he dismissed that thought immediately.


    Osana was a Phantom with a long history, moreover, unlike Nessa she had many abilities and used energy freely. And... the difference in their physical strength was catastrophic.


    Then, Adam remembered that some Phantoms had another source of abilities besides Orders and Nexus Traits, Adam was one of those Phantoms since his artifact had an active Trait.


    While Adam pondered and Katrin and Nessa tried to figure out what was going on here, Osana''s wound healed just enough to keep her from being in a near-death state.


    Her organs and muscles were still damaged, she had lost a lot of blood, and the skin on her stomach had not developed.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground trembled slightly as a bright blue sphere simr to a crystal tear emerged from Osana''s body.


    The sphere cracked, releasing the azure liquid that had been inside it for quite some time.


    The liquid quickly traveled to Osana''s damaged areas, soaking into her body like a healing elixir.


    The already empty sphere turned into a blue sh before returning to Osana''s body. It was unknown if she could use her artifact again in the near future, but it had done its job.


    If not for the artifact, Osana would have definitely died. Surviving with her wound was impossible.


    Thump. Thump. Thump.


    After a few seconds, there was a thud, it was Osana''s active heartbeat that after a short death started working again, filling her eyes with life.


    "No fucking way..." Katrin muttered watching as Osana''s arms came into motion. She pushed against the ground, slowly rising up.


    Taking a few steps, Osana met their shocked gazes.


    With a bitter smile on her face, she uttered:


    "Did you really think I was going to die...? After all, I''m the support, not the hero, I''m helping not sacrificing myself..." Osana whispered in a hoarse voice.


    She took another step but stumbled and fell to one knee.


    Frowning, Osana looked at her stomach, even with the azure liquid from the artifact, it would take her a long time to fully recover. Her skin only partially healed, it was a slow process, and getting rid of internal wounds was much more difficult.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Osana waved her hand, summoning a multitude of rose petals, they like healing fairies headed towards Adam, Nessa, and Katrin''s most serious wounds, bringing them so much desired relief.


    "Damn... Now I''m getting scared..." Adam shook his head, gathering enough strength to get up off the ground.


    He looked at Osana with a calm gaze, the wind fluttering her long pink hair.


    "What wishes are you going to ask of me? Although you didn''t sacrifice yourself, you definitely saved my life by taking the hit." Explore new worlds at empire


    Osana smiled slyly.


    "Let''s deal with thatter. After this mission I''m going to take a long break to recover, I think you''ll want to do the same." Osana said, walking next to Adam, approaching the edge of the cliff.


    Her gaze was directed at Midnight Crystal, which shone brightly among these darknds like the clearest star in the night sky.


    "Like you, I feel heavy in my heart and sorrow for my fallen mates, but we survived and must take Midnight Crystal, at least so it doesn''t go to some monster."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Katrin waved her hand, stepping forward abruptly and jumping down the slope.


    "Come on, enough of these speeches. I''m going to absorb Midnight Crystal because I want to get stronger. That''s my only motivation."


    Osana only nodded silently, realizing that Katrin was right.


    The four of them headed towards the massive snow-white crystal, which had enough energy in it for each of them.


    ''Agh...'' Adam inwardly took a deep breath as he nced at Fume Cathedral, ''Is it possible that one day, I could be in their ce...''


    Adam''s gaze deepened, realizing that unlike them, Oskar, Lero, and E would never return to the Citadel.

 Chapter 379 Scattered Clouds (Part 1)

    "So... What do we have to do... Just get our hands on it?" Adam muttered, a bright white light reflected in his blue eyes, it was Midnight Crystal ovepping his entire field of vision.


    Midnight Crystal was actually big. Compared to it, Adam, Katrin, Osana, and Nessa looked small and weak. Even if they all held hands, they couldn''t surround Midnight Crystal, at best, only half of it.


    "We should summon Revolve, I think it''s something like that." Katrin said before reaching forward with her hand.


    Slowly, a white vortex appeared in front of her palm, causing Midnight Crystal to tremble slightly.


    The dense energy waves traveled towards the point Katrin stood in front of, to release a powerful stream of snow-white energy outwards. It was like a beam was absorbed into her Revolve, filling her inner space.


    Obviously, Phantoms could not ce any physical objects in their inner space, however, there were a few exceptions, one of which was artifacts.


    Two conditions were important, that the object had arge amount of energy and that the inner space had room for the object.


    Thus, the Artifact as well as Nexus were near Evolution Tree because they had a strong connection to the Phantom, and Evolution Tree understood why these objects were there.


    The energy from Midnight Crystal was in the same situation. It couldn''t make the Phantom stronger directly like Artifact or Nexus, but it was an importantponent to create the Key and a straight path to evolving the Phantom to the next level.


    Katrin''s eyes grew deeper while she continued to absorb energy. It wasn''t a quick process, it would take some time as the energy was high.


    Osana stepped forward, intending to do the same.


    And... soon it was going to be Adam and Nessa''s turn, but... no one but Adam knew that Nessa couldn''t summon Revolve.


    Magnus assumed that Nessa would now be able to absorb energy since in her battle form she used energy to enhance her body and boost her strength to a new limit.


    However, despite her development, Nessa was a Hybrid, not a Phantom. That was no secret to the higher-ups in the Citadel, but ordinary K1-Phantoms were not supposed to know this, it was the ultimate secret.


    However... Nessa couldn''t just refuse to show her Revolve which she didn''t have. No one would believe her that she was willing to forfeit the opportunity to absorb energy from Midnight Crystal.


    Magnus and Refesa nced over at each other. They realized they had toe up with something, but... Nessa had beaten them to it.


    Clutch.


    Nessa grabbed Adam''s hand, making his eyes go wide with surprise.


    "Adam... It''s really hard for me to move, my wounds are too serious. Could you help me, just... let''s move to the other side of the Midnight Crystal, where it''ll just be the two of us..."


    Saying this, Nessa cast her eyes downward.


    Katrin looked at her, baffled, then a smirk appeared on her face as if she had guessed exactly why Nessa wanted to be alone with Adam, without her and Osana''s gazes on her.


    "Well, well, it looks like someone doesn''t have the patience to wait for a return to the Citadel." Katrin said caustically before ncing at Adam.


    "I didn''t know you liked such... strong women..."


    Whoooooooosh.


    Nessa turned around abruptly, throwing Katrin an angry stare.


    "Shut up. Don''t open your mouth if you don''t know what you''re talking about!" Nessa eximed angrily, her face reddening with anger.


    Such a reaction would have frightened any ordinary person, but... Katrin only smirked slightly, covering her mouth demonstratively with the palm of her hand.


    "Oh, I see... On the outside you''re a wild beast, a true warrior, but inside you''re a shy girl... Hah, don''t look at me with that gaze, I''m not going to interfere with you, do what you want."


    Nessa only snorted irritably before taking Adam''s hand and hiding behind Midnight Crystal, hiding from Katrin and Osana.


    Now, they were on the other side of the massive crystal, so Katrin and Osana couldn''t see how they would absorb the energy from Midnight Crystal.


    Before Adam could say anything, Nessa pushed him in the chest and pressed him against Midnight Crystal, taking him firmly by the cor.


    "I don''t know what you''re thinking, but I suggest you get rid of every thought that may have popped into your head at thest minute. I didn''t do it because I have feelings for you, I did it because they can''t find out what..." Nessa said aggressively, leaving no room for argument.


    Toward the end, her voice became quiet as she looked at her palm.


    "Right... It''s not like you can use it..." Adam whispered, realizing that this little scene was just a cover for Nessa.


    He wasn''t upset or anything, after all, he and Nessa had only seen each other a few times, and two of those they had fought, together and against each other. Their rtionship was clearly not in a state for either of them to develop romantic feelings for the other one.


    Adam was just confused by Nessa''s strange behavior, but now everything was falling into ce. Unlike Nessa, he hadn''t even thought about Katrin, and Osana must not know she was a Hybrid.


    "But... How are you going to absorb the energy? Osana and Katrin won''t notice anything now, but besides Revolve, you must have some way, right?" Adam suggested, hoping Nessa had a n.


    Nessa''s eyes went wide as she blinked a few times.


    She didn''t have a n.


    "Well... I can use energy now, supposedly, so just putting my hand on it will be enough..." Nessa gulped, reaching out her hand to Midnight Crystal.


    However... even after ten seconds, nothing happened. The energy wasn''t going to go to Nessa. She didn''t have Revolve, so the energy just didn''t realize that Nessa wanted to absorb it.


    She and the energy needed to find contact, but without Revolve it was impossible to do so.


    Nessa shuddered, as her body became covered in goosebumps. She didn''t want to lose this opportunity, it was a real nightmare and the worst possible oue for her.


    She knew she could use energy, but... she didn''t know how to absorb it.


    "Hmm... Maybe you should get into your battle form? What do you think about that?" Adam suggested thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.


    Nessa tilted her head in confusion.


    "How...? I haven''t learned how to do it freely yet. I need a strong motivation for that, preferably during a fight." Nessa frowned, lowering her gaze to the ground.


    She needed some kind of trigger to get into battle form, both times it was a look of pity or contempt directed at her side, first from Adam, then from gue Reaper.


    She needed a good reason to force her body to act at its limits, mere desire wasn''t enough. That was different from Resonance since Nessa wasn''t a Phantom, but the conditions were simr.


    ''Hey, Nessa, try to do this...''


    Suddenly, she heard Magnus''s voice, who had an idea.


    When Nessa had first gotten into her battle form, Magnus had been trying to figure out what the cause was.


    He reviewed the camera footage hundreds of times, pretty quickly Magnus realized that it was Adam''s blood that got into Nessa''s mouth.


    Could it have been that simple?


    Well, Magnus didn''t believe it. He assumed it was just the catalyst that allowed Nessa to use her battle form for the first time, it worked because of a lot of other factors running into each other at that moment.


    But, something Magnus knew for sure. Adam''s blood had energy like any Phantom''s blood, which meant it could help Nessa.


    Clutch.


    The next moment, as Magnus exined his n, Nessa grabbed Adam''s arm tightly before opening her mouth wide.


    Without warning, she sunk her fangs into his wrist, about to drink his blood like some kind of vampire.


    Normally, there was no way Nessa would do such a thing, it was embarrassing and shameful, but... the stakes were too high. She had Midnight Crystal in front of her, she couldn''t miss out on something so important to her development.


    Nessa wanted to be stronger like everyone else, but she had a different path to follow, one that she had to figure out for herself.


    Blood filled Nessa''s mouth while confusion came to her. She expected Adam to cry out in pain, or at least ask why she was doing this. Instead, he just stared at her in silence.


    ''Hah, he''s not weak after all. He''s strong...'' Nessa internally muttered with a slight smile on her face.


    But... Nessa didn''t know that while Magnus was talking to her, Adam had also been contacted by someone.


    It was Refesa, who by agreement with Magnus, told Adam his part of the n. They were to get Nessa into battle form, and Adam''s blood was only the first step.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Agh... What a strange feeling..." Nessa gasped, pulling her fangs out of Adam''s wrist, leaving two deep holes, trickles of blood flowing from them.


    "Give me some time, I think with your energy I can get into battle form." Nessa said, closing her eyes.


    Grasp.


    Suddenly, Nessa felt something squeeze her neck tightly.


    Opening her eyes she saw Adam''s cold stare and his hand that was gripping her neck.


    "W-what... the..." Nessa barely wheezed, not realizing what was happening here.


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    Bam.


    Before Nessa could say anything, Adam plunged her head into the ground, pressing it tightly against the dustyer.


    "Come on... Get into your battle form, or else... I''m going to kill you right now."

 Chapter 380 Scattered Clouds (Part 2)

    Adam, Osana, Katrin, and Nessa, the four of them were the only survivors of both the Phantoms and the monsters.


    Normally, in such a situation, they should have breathed a sigh of relief and waited for help, chatting about various not-so-important topics.


    But... Nessa''s head ended up pinned to the ground, and Adam was making death threats at her.


    "Fuck! Let me go! What the hell are you doing? Stop messing around like that!" Nessa eximed, trying to get out from under the pressure, but she was having no luck.


    She like Adam was seriously weakened due to her wounds, but Adam didn''t have muscle damage like Nessa, and that was critically affecting her physical abilities.


    "Hmm? You think I''m kidding?" Adam tilted his head, maintaining a stoic, emotionless stare.


    Adam lifted Nessa off the ground and leaned her against Midnight Crystal with a sharp movement. He held her tightly by the neck, cutting off her ess to air.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    His eyes narrowed as if for a moment he wondered whether it was worth it to act this way, but soon his gaze filled with determination.


    Thrust.


    Adam''s fist plunged into Nessa''s stomach, her mouth opened wide in pain, but before she could cry out, Adam''s palm covered her mouth.


    "Don''t make any noise, we don''t want Katrin and Osana toe in here and find out that you''re not the Phantom, do we?" Adam said calmly, his equanimity gradually instilling terror in Nessa.


    Then, Adam looked away, slightly narrowing his blue eyes, steady as ancient ice.


    "I''m serious... Do you think I''m not capable of this? Believe me, the current me is ready to kill you if you fail..."


    Adam''s whisper like a magic spell forced Nessa''s mind to run on edge, driven by rapidly growing fear.


    Some memory surfaced in Nessa''s mind, it was the scene where Adam left Kai to die, a simple guy from the slums who had tried to be a Natural Phantom but failed...


    Adam didn''t know that anyone had seen it, especially Nessa, as she remained unaware of what thoughts were in Adam''s head that day. What were his intentions? What was he thinking about?


    Nessa didn''t have answers to these questions, but pondering about it and the fact that Adam had once done such a harsh thing, made her believe that Adam waspletely serious.


    Adam nodded slightly, seeming to make his next decision.


    Clutch.


    His grip tightened, clutching Nessa''s neck even tighter.


    Adam didn''t say anything, but from his calm gaze, Nessa realized that he was ready to choke her to death, and... it would happen soon enough.


    Instinctively, Nessa''s arms tightened around Adam''s, trying to loosen his grip, but it was useless. With her wounds, Nessa wasn''t capable of exerting even 1/10th of her actual power.


    Soon, Nessa''s gaze darkened, affected by theck of air.


    ''No... No way... he''s really not going to stop?'' Nessa internally muttered, seeing that no emotion appeared on Adam''s face, and his grip was just as strong.


    Although Nessa epted that Adam was serious, it was only now that she truly believed it.


    Her whole body trembled with an ancient fear for her life, which could end in the next few seconds if she did nothing.


    Adam narrowed his eyes, despite the danger, Nessa still hadn''t gotten into her battle form. He realized he had to do something about it urgently.


    ''Well... I''ve already gone too far, I simply have no other choice.''


    Adam shrugged.


    He pulled Nessa to him before thrusting her sharply into Midnight Crystal.


    Nessa''s legs trembled, she thought she was about to fall, so she tried to grab onto something.


    The best she could do was put her hand on the Midnight Crystal, which although it looked smooth from afar, had many irregrities as it was aplex object.


    "Agh!"


    Nessa gasped when she was almost out of air and... Adam finally achieved his goal, though by a rather radical method.


    Thin streams of amber energy began to emanate from her body, covered in swollen veins.


    Immediately, Nessa''s hand came into motion, smacking Adam in the face with all her might. The impact, threw Adam aside, finally freeing Nessa''s neck from his tight grip.


    Her blow was so effective that Adam''s front tooth flew out, slightly pointed like a fang from some beast.


    Instinctively, noticing Adam''s tooth, Nessa''s hand came in motion once more, grabbing his tooth as her prey, as her trophy.


    Adam fell to the ground and gave Nessa a confused look, he was d she was able to get into her battle form, but he didn''t think he would lose his tooth to do so.


    Nessa wanted to say something, but...


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Like an electric shock, a powerful pulse traveled down her arm, running through her entire body.


    Adam and Nessa simultaneously looked at the same ce - at her hand that was attached to Midnight Crystal.


    As they anticipated, after Nessa entered her battle form, began to release energy, Midnight Crystal reacted. Its energy found a point of contact, filling Nessa''s body.


    But... What would happen next?


    When the Phantoms absorbed the energy from Midnight Crystal, it was stored in their internal space so that they couldter use it to create the Key.


    However, Nessa didn''t need the Key. She was trying to follow the path of monster development since she was a Hybrid and was closer to monsters than Phantoms in terms of power system.


    If gue Reaper won their battle, he would absorb the energy from Midnight Crystal and begin his evolution, so... as the winner, Katrin tried to do something simr.


    She wasn''tpletely a monster, so her path was unknown even to her, Nessa only hoped for a positive oue and that her body would ept and adapt to the new energy source.


    Every second the energy became more and more, but it didn''t go into the inner space as it happened in Katrin''s case, since Nessa had no inner space.


    "Wait... If this keeps up, I''m just gonna get torn apart!" Nessa eximed, looking down at her hand.


    White energy streaks appeared under her skin, like a bomb ready to explode. With each heartbeat, the white streaks grewrger andrger, running through her body like new veins, actively pulsing which only increased her anxiety.


    Nessa gulped, eventually she decided to remove her hand from Midnight Crystal. She didn''t know how much more energy her body could absorb before something bad happened.


    But...


    Nessa just froze in ce.


    "W-why...?"


    Nessa''s eyes went wide as she stared at her hand, which without her will, only clutched tighter to Midnight Crystal.


    Her body wasn''t obeying her mind and... if such powerful instincts could be useful during battle, now they posed a deadly threat to Nessa.


    "Fuck! Adam, help me! Get my hand off this thing!" Nessa eximed with real fear in her voice.


    Now, she realized that Adam''s actions earlier were just a bluff to get her into her battle form, but death by overloading energy was very real. Especially when it was energy from Midnight Crystal!


    Adam nodded realizing the seriousness of the situation.


    Nessa had already absorbed so much energy that her entire body was shining brightly and her skin seemed to be translucent.


    Step.


    Adam stepped forward, rushing to the aid of the one he was going to kill a few seconds ago, but... no sooner did he take the next step than he was blinded by a vivid sh.


    The light was so intense that Adam had to shield himself with his hand, covering his face. He could only see what was happening through the gaps in his fingers.


    Nessa''s eyes shone brightly like two ghostlynterns, and all her energy went to her other hand, where Adam''s tooth was firmly mped.


    Then, Nessa''s body shook vigorously, and a colorful sh burst out from her fist like an amber star that could easily be the main one in some great constetion.


    Bam.


    Nessa fell to the ground. Her body no longer needed the energy, it had absorbed more than enough and fulfilled its purpose.


    "Damn it!"


    Adam quickly ran up to Nessa checking if she was alright.


    Strangely enough, Nessa was fine. She just passed out, breathing evenly, her body wanting to start the regeneration process soon.


    "Good, I hope she made it, she took a risk for a reason, right?" Adam muttered, feeling the blood in his mouth, crimson droplets slowly falling onto his tongue, bringing a metallic taste.


    "Well... I think I should get it back so I don''t have to go through theplicated treatment." Adam scratched the back of his head, opening Nessa''s fist.


    He wanted his tooth returned, sticking it in ce would be a lot easier than growing a new one. Enjoy more content from empire


    "Agh...?"


    Adam''s eyes went wide when he didn''t see his tooth, Nessa''s fist was empty...


    He blinked a few times, not realizing how it happened. He was sure he''d seen Nessa grab his tooth in flight, it certainly hadn''t fallen to the ground to disappear in the dust.


    At the same moment, Nessa opened her eyes.


    But... she didn''t see Adam, instead, she stared with admiration and utter bewilderment at the vast darkness, in the center was the most majestic thing she had ever seen in her life.


    A massive snow-white tree floated serenely in space, a sign of great power that could only be wielded by those who were chosen by fate itself or... forcefully took that opportunity into their own hands.


    Towards the tree''s center, an amber star slowly descended, inside was the fang of some beast, no... it was not big and sharp enough, it was more like a human''s front tooth...

 Chapter 381 Scattered Clouds (Part 3)

    Evolution Tree was the foundation of the power of both Phantoms and monsters. However, the process of its appearance as well as the stages of development were different.


    This was clearly seen in the case of Gray Stalkers and gue Reaper. They were at different levels, but since Gray Stalkers were one of the weakest members of their Threat Level, they had only their fangs and ws as weapons.


    gue Reaper, in contrast, had not just unique abilities and formidable weapons but also a sharp intellect and a majestic aura, as well as an intimidating quality of his skills.


    Sure, it wasn''t always the presence of abilities and their variety that showed a monster''s power, nor vice versa, there were exceptions and they were usually frightening.


    Nevertheless, not a single Phantom seeing Gray Stalkers, even without knowing their true strength, would consider them something dangerous, they had no formidable auras, no unique abilities, or any horrific physical attributes.


    Phantoms also differed in strength level, there was a clear definition for this depending on the Keys.


    However, each Phantom had abilities, both K0-Phantom and K3-Phantom, their strength and number could vary, but there was no situation where a new K1-Phantom had only physical force or immediately became the strongest of its level as would happen if gue Reaper evolved by absorbing Midnight Crystal''s energy.


    So, it was logical to assume that the Hybrids as a race also had their unique path of power, it could be the same as the Phantoms,pletely different or very simr to the monster path since the Hybrids were part monsters.


    There was no way to verify it, since at the moment, ording to the information avable to the Citadel, Nessa was the only Hybrid in existence.


    And... the one who had created her, Magnus Zephyr, had no way of repeating his sess.


    He tried to create a new Hybrid, but for a long time, it became a secondary goal for him. First and foremost, Magnus wanted to help Nessa be stronger, to help her evolve on her path, the path of the Hybrid.


    Unfortunately, even though Magnus was one of the smartest people in the entire Citadel, he couldn''t know what the next stages of development were for Nessa. He could only make sure that she was using her current powers to their fullest.


    Discover stories with empire


    So, when Nessa stopped going crazy like some wild beast and reached adulthood, Magnus created a training program for her so that she would learn to use her physical might like a fighter instead of a beast.


    Physical strength must be used properly, especially with an anthropomorphic build. This was one of the reasons why Crown Types were so strong, as they had mastered the capabilities of their bodies to the limit.


    As a result, Nessa was able to easily defeat White Threat level monsters and most Green Threat ones.


    Then, as she barely won in difficult, near-death battles, her muscles grew tighter and her instincts sharper as herbat experience expanded.


    When Nessa''s body reached its peak and was unlikely to get any stronger due to muscle alone, she could defeat Blue and Purple Threat Level monsters, but the strongest of them was too much for her.


    Magnus thought about what needed to be done next, but... Adam and a random series of events did all the work for him. Magnus just wanted to see what Nessa could do against Snow Follower, but in the end, she finally got ess to energy.


    But, herbat form was more like a Resonance that Phantoms could go into in critical situations than an ability. Furthermore, Nessa had energy only during her battle form, and that energy had very limited uses.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Her energy simply increased her physical capabilities to a new height.


    At this level, Nessa could already fight all Purple Threat monsters and even defeat Light Yellow ones without any difficulty.


    Magnus hoped to see the next stage of Nessa''s development when she absorbed the energy from Midnight Crystal and his expectations proved to be true.


    After a long time, going through hundreds of different fights and bing much stronger, Nessa finally got her Evolution Tree.


    What was next?


    What was that amber star upying a spot right in the center of her Evolution Tree?


    "No way... Is that his tooth?" Nessa muttered in disbelief, staring at Adam''s tooth that just a few seconds ago was firmly clenched in her fist.


    Nessa flinched.


    She wasn''t quite sure what she was feeling. She knew that the center of the Evolution Tree was supposed to be the Initial Gene, but... only for Phantoms, it worked that way.


    The monsters were different. They had an Evolution Tree too, but unlike the Phantoms, they didn''t take genes from anyone, their power came from another principle.


    So, Nessa watched in confusion as the amber star became part of her Evolution Tree, as Adam''s tooth ceased to be a physical object and was now a blob of energy possessed by Nessa.


    The situation was unusual, but that was the way it was supposed to be. She was a Hybrid and no one, including her, knew what to expect from her path of power.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Evolution Tree shuddered as the amber star finally became a core as if imitating the behavior of the Initial Genes, though it wasn''t.


    [Your Catalyst has be part of your Evolution Tree.]


    [Catalyst - Fang of Despair.]


    Nessa''s mind filled with a strange mechanical sound, no... it was more like a voice, but devoid of features, tone, and emotion, making it seem so detached.


    It was something new to Nessa, something that generated within her an unforgettable sensation of delight and excitement, with a twinge of fear of the enchanting unknown.


    But, if any Phantom heard that voice, he would not be surprised at all.


    The newbie Phantoms didn''t think about it, but sooner orter they all realized the simple truth.


    That voice was not some deity or entity from another dimension, it was the will of the Evolution Tree, appearing only at particrly important moments for the Phantom''s progress.


    Its will told the Phantoms what they needed to do to be stronger, which was why the Phantoms knew exactly what was necessary to create the First Key.


    "Hahaha... This is actually happening...?"


    Nessa muttered with a pleased smile on her face.


    The first two messages were not the only ones Nessa heard. The following ones continued to fill her mind like a divine whisper bringing secrets to her new powers.


    After an unknown period, Nessa smiled slightly and closed her eyes, falling into a deep sleep.


    She never felt better and all she wanted now was to rest before showing the world her new abilities.


    ...


    Step. Step. Step.


    Osana came out behind Midnight Crystal, looking intently at Adam, and Nessa lying unconscious on the ground.


    "Are you two alright? I heard you two arguing about something."


    Osana narrowed her eyes.


    Adam nodded with a bitter smile on his face.


    "Yeah... It''s alright. Looks like she was more tired than us and fell asleep, though considering her wounds it''s not surprising."


    Osana cast a suspicious nce at him.


    "I hope she had time to absorb the energy from Midnight Crystal?"


    Adam scratched the back of his head awkwardly.


    "Sure. She did just now!"


    "Good." Osana nodded.


    Before walking away she threw a quick eye at him.


    "Looks like it''s your turn now, doesn''t it?"


    Adam''s eyes grew deeper.


    "Right... It''s time to get thest piece for the Key finally..." Adam gulped.

 Chapter 382 Scattered Clouds (Part 4)

    There was no telling how much stronger Nessa would be when she finally woke up, but honestly, Adam didn''t care much about that now.


    He made sure that she was okay and that no one realized that Nessa wasn''t a Phantom, so now it was his turn to get his share of the reward.


    "Well... It was a shame to lose my tooth, but at least I''ll have an excuse to make you tell me everything when you wake up." Adam smirked wiping the trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth.


    Adam stretched, the effects of Osana''s petals were not strong, but tangible.


    Then, Adam extended his arm forward and with full determination in his gaze called out to Revolve.


    Normally, Phantoms felt a great deal of excitement at this moment, Adam was no exception, but his main feeling was curiosity since this all happened unexpectedly.


    He was going to go on the hunt for Midnight Crystal right after helping Katrin get the new Initial Gene, but... fate had very different ns for him.


    "Hah, in a way, it''s a good thing. I didn''t want to dy this moment any further, I''ve already stayed on K1 longer than I should have." Adam smirked taking a step forward.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Midnight Crystal shuddered vigorously, releasing energy for Adam''s Revolve.


    Adam watched curiously at the energy flow that was heading towards his palm. He wasn''t sure, but it seemed to him that this flow was a little denser andrger than for Katrin.


    Soon, thest bits of energy disappeared in a snow-white vortex, then Adam''s eyes shone brightly, immersing his mind in the inner space.


    Out of the darkness emerged a massive snow-white book that preserved all of Adam''s genes, something he hadn''t paid attention to for a long time. It was his Vault.


    To K1-Phantom, Purple Threat Level genes were valuable, but Adam had plenty of them already.


    The energy from Midnight Crystal rushed towards the Vault but did not enter it. The Vault trembled slightly as if trying to determine why the energy was here if it wasn''t headed for the Evolution Tree.


    It wasn''t long before everything fell into ce.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    The Vault stopped shaking and the energy went into motion like a whirlwind, quickly taking shape.


    Soon enough, Adam saw Midnight Crystal hovering in the darkness, except it was a smaller copy.


    [You have received Midnight Crystal.]


    A calm voice echoed in Adam''s head, simultaneously telling him that his journey to K2 was almostplete.


    To create the First Key, there were three mainponents required:


    [1) 10,000 Neutral Genes - for the shape.


    2) Ten First-Rarity Level Artefacts - for the key. Your journey continues with empire


    3) Midnight Crystal - for a motion]


    Now, Adam had everything he needed, but... there was one problem. He couldn''t create the Key right now, because unlike the genes and Midnight Crystal, his artifacts were in apletely different ce - in the Citadel.


    Adam nodded, realizing that there was no hurry, and closed his eyes, returning to the real world.


    Looking at Midnight Crystal once more, he noticed that its glow was weaker, and dimmer, its wless snow-white color had changed to a light gray.


    Midnight Crystal had a lot of energy, but its amount was not infinite.


    Lifting Nessa in his arms and walking over to Katrin and Osana, Adam asked: "What now? What do we do with Midnight Crystal? We can''t just leave it here, right? Some monster wille and take the energy for themselves."


    Adam gently ced Nessa on the ground, being careful not to hurt her open wounds.


    Osana smiled slightly, stepping forward.


    "You don''t have to worry about that. Midnight Crystal is a majestic object, but... it''s not stable at all."


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?"


    Adam asked, tilting his head in a baffled way.


    However, instead of Osana, it was Silvana who answered him.


    ''There''s a reason why the Phantoms can''t just take Midnight Crystal from Dead Lands to the Citadel. Midnight Crystal can keep its energy for a long time, but only until someone or something disturbs it.'' Silvana said in a calm voice.


    She continued:


    ''You have already absorbed the energy, so soon, within minutes, Midnight Crystal will copse and its energy will be absorbed into the ground spreading across the Dead Lands. If Midnight Crystal is damaged or moved in any way, the same thing will happen.''


    Adam''s gaze deepened as he nodded.


    "I see... So you can only get energy from Midnight Crystal when it''s dropped right on the battlefield. Well, it sounds fair but dangerous."


    Silence.


    No one said anything, just enjoying this brief moment.


    Dead Lands wasn''t home to the Phantoms, but that didn''t mean they couldn''t have important memories with this ce.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ck Cinder Forest, Prime Thunder Demon, Essence Scarlet Pyromancer, Spatial Anomaly, Yellow Threat Monsters, Fallen Crypt, Fume Cathedral, gue Reaper, and Midnight Crystal.


    All these events will forever be etched in their minds as an integral part of their Phantom path.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam slowly headed forward, in the opposite direction from Midnight Crystal.


    "Agh? Where are you going?" Katrin turned around abruptly, looking at him baffled.


    "To pick up the hero and the two victims... Despite what happened, they must return to the Citadel. Not just for their own sakes, but for their families and... It''s much better than rotting here." Adam said coldly, moving towards Fume Cathedral.


    Osana and Katrin nced over, but they didn''t follow him. They were sure Adam knew what he was doing.


    They had another task: to keep an eye on Nessa while quieting their hearts.


    Soon, Adam reached Fume Cathedral calmly entering the grounds of that intimidating building.


    Midnight Crystal brought with it considerable destruction, but the Fume Statues as well as the Fume Throne remained intact like so much else.


    Fume Cathedral was a massive structure and Midnight Crystal alone was not enough topletely destroy it.


    Fume Statues nced at Adam but did not stop him.


    Stepping inside, Adam nced around before heading towards the main gate.


    Fume Armors, knights in ck armor were still lurking in the shadows. They made no move to stop Adam, much less attack him. He had every right to be here, at least as long as he didn''t break the rules.


    Adam approached a particr knight whose armor was white, with red pieces of cloth flowing like streams in different ces. It was the Fume Judge.


    Then, Adam looked down at Lero, whose face was hidden by a long slice of the gue Reaper''s coat.


    After a heavy sigh, Adam bent down, going to pick Lero up.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Several Fume Armors reacted instantly. They rushed forward, drawing their swords against Adam''s neck.


    Adam wasn''t startled, he just threw the Fume Judge a bored look.


    "Hey, I realize you''re following your new lord''s orders, but... gue Reaper is dead. Whether you like it or not, you''ll have to wait for someone toe and take over Fume Throne again. So stay out of my way." Adam said calmly.


    Fume Armors looked at Fume Judge.


    Fume Judge nced at the confines of the cathedral, realizing that Adam was not lying. Then, Fume Judge waved his hand giving Fume Armors amand.


    Tap.


    Adam carefully lifted Lero, heading for the exit.


    To his surprise, he was followed by two Fume Armors. One of them was holding E in his arms, her head resting on her stomach, and the other was carrying Oskar on his back, who still had the muzzle of E''s sniper rifle in his head.


    "Shit... This is all too weird, but I''ll let myself not think about it too much today..." Adam muttered watching as a blue sh appeared in the sky, quickly approaching them.

 Chapter 383 Scattered Clouds (Part 5)

    Waiting for Adam to return from Fume Cathedral, Katrin stood next to Midnight Crystal, ncing around.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Midnight Crystal cracked in many ces, releasing clots of energy that quickly headed towards the ground, seeking to disappear into it.


    There was nothing Katrin could do to stop it or the destruction process. She could only watch as Midnight Crystal broke into rubble.


    The great crystal, filled with a frightening array of energy, turned into gray shards as it continued to fall apart.


    After only a few minutes, all that was left of Midnight Crystal was a handful of dust resembling the ashes of a fallen warrior.


    "Hey... Osana." Katrin suddenly turned to her, her gaze thoughtful.


    "Hm?" Osana raised an eyebrow thoughtfully.


    Katrin nced at the dust, which was getting smaller with each wind current.


    "What do you think... If the Last Star actually existed or even exists... How majestic is it? I mean... Citadel believes that the Midnight Crystals are shards from the Last Star and even that is enough to possess such energy."


    Katrin shuddered.


    After all, if Citadel''s assumptions were correct, then each of them had a small chance of someday seeing the thing that changed their world, no... created a new one by wiping out the past one.


    Osana didn''t answer immediately, she just stared ahead - at the burning pirs of me while the wind fluttered her hair.


    "I don''t think it''s about energy at all. Midnight Crystal can change the fate of a few creatures, be they monsters or Phantoms, but the Last Star changed an entire world, that''s the difference between them."


    Katrin answered nothing, mulling over Osana''s words.


    She looked up, at the night sky and the dark clouds that were slowly dissipating, letting more and more stars shine brightly. Enjoy exclusive adventures from empire


    The ck air like a shroud covered the wide space around Fume Cathedral, following the pattern of the clouds.


    gue Reaper died, but he wasn''t in control of his prepared trap. Simply, the time came when almost nothing was left of the ck air.


    It seemed that gue Reaper had made a mistake, as by doing so, he put himself on a timer.


    But... if gue Reaper was alive by now, he would already be far away from this ce, having previously absorbed the energy from Midnight Crystal to begin his evolution.


    Adam, Nessa, and Katrin would be lying on the cold ground, and this area would be their mass grave along with the Golden Light Squad.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Footsteps sounded behind them, but somehow there were too many as if more than one person was walking.


    Katrin and Osana turned around at the same time only for their eyes to go wide at the sight of two Fume Armors following Adam. Moreover, they carried Oskar and E even though they were monsters, their enemies...


    Without a word, Adam ced Lero on the ground, not far from the sleeping Nessa.


    Fume Armors did the same, their armor crackled and streams of ck smoke came out of their mouths as if expressing sorrow and respect for the worthy warriors who fought against their lord.


    Then, Fume Armors looked at gue Reaper, who was a few meters away.


    But, no sooner had they taken a few steps forward, Adam stood in front of them with a cold stare.


    "Go back to Fume Cathedral. He is no longer your lord and you don''t have to obey him. Furthermore, he belongs to me now." Adam said firmly leaving no room for outrage.


    The Fume Armors nced around but did not protest. They simply turned around and headed towards Fume Cathedral, after all, it was their home and they owed nothing more to gue Reaper.


    Adam walked over to gue Reaper and picked up his scythe from the ground. Then, he put the scythe in gue Reaper''s hands, clutching the hilt tightly, and lifted gue Reaper up.


    "Hey, you know I killed him, right?" Katrin threw Adam a strange look, her hand at her side.


    Adam looked at her sharply.


    "You already took the most valuable thing from gue Reaper. Don''t you remember our agreement?"


    "Agh...?" Katrin was confused.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "You get a new Initial Gene and in addition to the money I get to keep all the parts of the monster, meaning the monster itself." Adam said confidently.


    Katrin''s eyes went wide, then the corner of her mouth turned upward, starting to twitch nervously. She clenched her fist tightly, such a response clearly pissing her off as she realized that Adam was right.


    Sure, their original pact included Scarlet Pyromancer, but... gue Reaper was far more valuable, as was his Initial Gene.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, a blue sh appeared in the sky that was approaching them for some time now.


    Osana tilted her head, her eyes narrowed with curiosity. A fighter came to their rescue, as it always did afterpleting a dangerous mission.


    However... Osana had never seen anything like this before, it was also new to Adam and Katrin.


    The XH-01 was more like the SH-01 than the BH-01, but still significantly different with a more menacing appearance, more engines, and a different structure.


    "What the hell is that...?" Katrin took a step back with admiration staring at the unique fighter.


    What baffled her the most was the azure barrier around the fighter, preventing even a random particle of dust from colliding with its armor.


    ''This is my creation, you ignorant girl.'' Refesa''s voice pierced the mind of each of them.


    ''Get aboard, I will return you to the Citadel. Thank fate itself that two free scientists decided to help you. Otherwise, you would surely be dead.''


    Katrin fell silent. She wasn''t familiar with Refesa, but the fact that she was a free scientist raised her prestige and influence to the skies.


    Osana nced at XH-01, deep in thought.


    ''Well, apparently this fighter is her helping us, but... besides her, there was another free scientist who helped us, what did that one do?'' Osana frowned, trying to find an answer.


    Tap.


    Adam threw gue Reaper on one shoulder and Nessa on the other, taking heavy steps toward the fighter.


    Osana nced at him before tucking her staff under her belt.


    "I''ll take these two..." Osana sighed heavily before picking up Lero and E.


    She abruptly turned her back to Katrin, it seemed like she was just in a hurry to get out of here as soon as possible, but that was only one of the reasons...


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    Droplets rained down from Osana''s chin falling to the ground, but... they weren''t tears, they were blood. Crimson trickled from her bitten lip, while her face contorted in wild anger and grief.


    No matter what her true identity was, she was a human like the rest of them, not a soulless monster.


    She had been in the Golden Light Squad long enough to create a strong bond with each of them so they managed to be her friends and....


    Now she was forced to carry their dead bodies on her shoulders. It was something no Phantom should have to go through.


    But, Osana had to do it. She survived, barely, but now she was on her feet, breathing and her heart was beating, the only one of her squad.


    Katrin nced at the sparse trail of blood left behind by Osana.


    "Well, well, looks like you''re human after all, just more cold-blooded and smart than me..." Katrin whispered with a dark gaze.

 Chapter 384 Forty-seven defeats

    The blue barrier disappeared, allowing Adam and everyone else to enter XH-01. There wasn''t much room in this fighter, but considering they didn''t have any major prey besides gue Reaper, it was more than enough.


    Taking advantage of the moment Katrin sat down in the pilot''s seat. She didn''t know how to operate a fighter, especially an XH-01, but she just wanted to enjoy the view from the best and only seat.


    Osana rolled her eyes watching this and stepped aside, standing against the wall. She crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for them to fly off.


    Adam though... He put Nessa to the side and sat down on the ground next to gue Reaper.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    XH-01 trembled violently as the azure liquid began to rapidly drain from the tanks, keeping the reserve at 30%.


    Osana and Katrin watched the process with curiosity. They didn''t know what XH-01 was capable of, but they knew it was something unique that the other Phantoms hadn''t seen yet.


    It was a rare opportunity not to be missed, but Adam didn''t even look at it. His eyes were fixed on the floor,pletely immersed in his thoughts.


    The azure barrier reappeared around XH-01, all engines started and the fighter took off sharply, quickly reaching its sustained speed.


    "Whoah... That''s impressive..." Katrin muttered, flying over the area around Fume Cathedral, which was part of the Fallen Crypt.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Soon, Katrin noticed many winged monsters buried in the ground. It didn''t take her much time to realize that the gue Reaper''s ck air was responsible for this.


    But... something was different from when these monsters had been seen by Nessa earlier. Some of them were gone, some had their paws torn off, and some were being devoured by scavengers right now.


    In the monster world, no one would bury their fallen kin like in the Citadel. Monsters dead at the hands of one monster simply be a food source for other monsters, a pure biological chain devoid of morality.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Cutting through the wind currents with its sharp tip, XH-01 moved swiftly towards the Citadel. Katrin watched the areas below change rapidly due to the speed, while Osana looked curiously at the tanks with blue liquid and mechanical pipes.


    Adam wasn''t interested in either of these things, or rather he just didn''t think about it. He didn''t notice how he entered a strange state where he just wanted to stay in one ce, waiting for his return home.


    Unconsciously, Adam closed his eyes immersing himself in his inner space, but there his eyes were closed too.


    The vast darkness thickened and the glow from the Evolution Tree grew a little brighter, quick shes of light asionally running through the Evolution Tree like a pulse.


    His Evolution Tree was absorbing the experience and emotions that Adam had gone through that day. The memories of the battles, the losses, and the vivid pain along with the devastating victory would be one of the pirs of his strength that he could rely on in a difficult situation.


    Then, an exceptionally faint aura began to emanate from Adam,pletely unnoticeable. Katrin and Osana wouldn''t be able to sense it even if they were standing right in front of Adam.


    This aura wasn''t rted to his The Will or Spirit, as it wasn''t really an aura. It was a light energy covering his body, protecting him like a veil while his consciousness was immersed in sleep and Evolution Tree was absorbing information from memories, gaining valuable experience.


    Strangely enough... a simr field of energy was around gue Reaper''s body.


    If there was someone truly strong in that fighter, someone, like Damien, then he could discern ck particles of energy emanating from gue Reaper that were hundreds of times smaller than dust grains.


    The most appropriate word to describe it would be - radiant.


    Like from some radioactive object. It wasn''t an aura that was an indication of the creature''s power, it was something more natural and much more deep...


    Sure, gue Reaper was already dead, but it had happened not long ago and his body still retained its former power.


    Soon enough, the two fields, Adam''s and gue Reaper''s, came into contact with each other.


    Then, Adam opened his eyes, but in front of him, he saw neither Osana with Katrin nor Evolution Tree.


    Instead, he was looking at gue Reaper.


    "What...? What''s going on...?" Adam muttered, as his eyes went wide in confusion.


    Oddly enough, Adam didn''t hear his own voice.


    Step. Explore more adventures at empire


    gue Reaper stepped forward and his step echoed around him. Adam heard it clearly as if it were the most important sound on which his survival depended.


    Before he could realize what was happening here, gue Reaper appeared before him in his majestic form.


    His gaze was calm, his ck coat intact and menacing, and there were no wounds on his pale skin. It was the perfect fighter.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Adam''s eyes reflected the gue Reaper''s fist that a secondter mmed into his face, sting his head.


    Tremble.


    Adam''s body shuddered slightly, but neither Katrin nor Osana paid attention. Even if they stared at him, they didn''t think it was anything important.


    Then, Adam opened his eyes again, gue Reaper was standing in the same ce and there was no blood on his fist, though there should be.


    "This... this is weird... why... no, how is this happening and what is it for?" Adam gulped.


    gue Reaper came into motion and after a few seconds Adam winced again and his body shuddered.


    This continued over and over again, and each time their fight came to an end, a new impulse went through Evolution Tree since it was a new memory to gain valuable experience.


    Adam lost track of time and any other sensation than slight pain. He didn''t know how he was going to get out of this trap, not that he made any attempts.


    He just kept fighting against gue Reaper 1 vs. 1, eventually realizing one simple thing:


    "Fuck... I''m weak..." Adam said after losing his forty-seventh fight in a row, without a single win.

 Chapter 385 Morning Citadel

    The fighter was approaching the Citadel, eager to bring home three Phantoms and one Hybrid, along with their fallen mates.


    Some were enjoying the view as they flew over the various territories on their way to the Citadel, some were more interested in observing the unusual mechanisms that made the XH-01 so special, and some seemed to be just getting good sleep and rest.


    But, if Katrin and Osana were doing their things, Adam wasn''t sleeping at all, though... his body wasn''t moving, his heart was beating slowly, and his mind wasn''t in the inner space.


    Adam didn''t know where he was or what was going on, but he hadn''t tried to find answers to those questions for a long time, as all his thoughts were upied with epting the new truth: He was weak.


    It wasn''t some crazy idea that came to Adam when he once again lost a fight against the gue Reaper in this strange ce. Moreover, gue Reaper was already dead...


    However, each fight, even if Adam lost in just a few seconds, created a new memory, allowing Evolution Tree to have an experience where a new impulse traveled through its great trunk.


    Adam couldn''t tell if this gue Reaper had all the capabilities of the original, or if the copy only did what Adam saw during the battle in the me ring.


    In the first option, it meant that gue Reaper could do new unique moves or even abilities that he didn''t use in Fume Cathedral for some reason. In the second option, it meant that gue Reaper''s power was limited by Adam''s knowledge of his opponent.


    However, there was no way Adam could feel the difference. They were only using their most basic abilities, the fight just didn''t have time to get to anything moreplex, Adam was losing too quickly.


    There was no way to tell which option was correct from simple physical attacks. gue Reaper could move freely, striking from any angle and with any part of his body.


    Well, not that this pondering made any sense at the moment, as something else was important to Adam.


    "No way... Even despite everything I''ve been through, I''m actually still a weakling..." Adam muttered while a shiver went through his entire body.


    He wasn''t panicking, it was just a fact he should ept.


    Then, fighting against gue Reaper and constantly losing, Adam realized that in most fights his victories were not fair to his opponents.


    He killed his first monster, Silver Weaver, only because Phantom had died before him, giving Adam a weapon, and Silver Weaver was weakened for various reasons.


    Prime Stone Goliath, Adam was only able to kill this monster because he entered Resonance for the first time.


    Brass Puppet - was a fair 1 vs. 1, but... it couldn''t be otherwise since it was his Initial Monster, Adam had to defeat it to reveal his Lock from the chains.


    Then, one of the notable opponents was Steel Knight. Sure, there was no one extra in their fight, but Adam was greatly helped by Zera''s ability. In fact, this was the first time he got a boost from another Phantom''s ability.


    During Eclipse, while defending Bastion Radon, Adam teamed up with other strong Phantoms, and in the end, he and Alexia destroyed everything in their way, but they did it together with the other''s help.


    In Fall Hill Prison, the final battle against Prago was fought in alliance with Ka and Edir, 3 vs. 1. Sure, it wasn''t an easy fight, and maybe it was even fair, but it still wasn''t a clean battle.


    Essence Thunder Demon... Well, Adam was the one who killed this monster, but if it wasn''t for Fred covering him with his arrows and help from many other Phantoms, Adam surely would''ve died.


    Hisst significant opponent was none other than gue Reaper and it was the most unfair fight Adam had ever been in.


    There were six Phantoms, each with a wealth ofbat experience, several of the supports knowing their jobs. As an add-on, they wereter joined by Nessa, the only Hybrid possessing frightening power for her level.


    gue Reaper was alone. No one helped him, on the contrary, the other monsters got in his way when Midnight Crystal appeared.


    Yeah, in the end, gue Reaper lost, but he killed three Phantoms, dozens of monsters and hurt everyone else badly. Adam, Nessa, Katrin, and Osana had to use everything they had, every ability, every trump card to earn this victory.


    Adam could hold off gue Reaper and fight against him on equal terms, but... why wasn''t he capable of doing that now in this strange space?


    Well, he wasn''t carrying reinforcements from Katrin, Lero, and Osana, nor was he in Resonance. Moreover, this copy of the gue Reaper was at the peak of his powers, not injured or exhausted.


    All of this resulted in a horrible difference in strength that was just a reflection of reality.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Adam attacked once more, but before he could realize anything, gue Reaper knocked him to the ground and sted his head with a powerful stomp.


    "Hah... This is all kind of even sad... I''m sure at the moment I''m considered one of the strongest K1-Phantoms, but... without the help of others, I wouldn''t be able to defeat almost any of you..." Adam muttered remembering all of his opponents.


    He didn''t know what he was supposed to feel, at the same time it was hard for him to ept it, but it was also his motivation making the me in his eyes burn brighter. Find adventures on empire


    ...


    Pulses passed through Evolution Tree time after time until a calm voice came from outside.


    "Adam, wake up, we''re almost there." Osana said quietly, touching his shoulder.


    "Agh..."


    Adam sighed, slowly opening his eyes.


    Crackle.


    The fighter stopped, descending to a wide area cleared specifically for the XH-01.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Several military squads with medics were already waiting for them, looking in amazement at the unique fighter that was being used for the first time forbat duties.


    The ramp dropped, allowing the Phantoms to exit.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Katrin with a confident smirk on her face was ahead, she liked the fact that all eyes were on her. It was attention she craved.


    She was immediately approached by a middle-aged woman in a ck military uniform.


    Katrin put her hand to her side, looking at the woman who was ready to introduce herself. It was clearly someone important.


    "d to have you back alive. I''m the captain of this unit, my name is..."


    She was about to introduce herself, but before she could say anything, she froze in ce and her eyes went wide.


    A shiver ran through her body at the sight of a thick ck aura appearing behind Katrin, as if it were theing of death itself. It became difficult for the woman to breathe.


    But... this strange aura wasn''ting from Katrin, she didn''t even notice anything.


    Then, everything disappeared in an instant, when behind Katrin appeared Adam, who clumsily walked forward.


    He passed like a shadow, ready to disperse at any moment, which was strange since he should get some vigor and strength after a short sleep.


    ''Hmm? Has his gait changed?'' Osana raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    "Wait! Stop! We have to treat your wounds!" One of the doctors said worriedly, approaching Adam.


    "No... Later, now I have to create a key..." Adam wheezed before falling to the ground.


    At this time, the night ended, allowing the sun to rise above the horizon line.


    The first rays fell on Adam, casting a long shadow to the side.

 Chapter 386 First Key (Part 1)

    The silver spoon dipped into the small cup, reaching the bottom. With a slight movement of the hand, the spoon began to swirl, mixing the coffee with a lot of sugar, way too much.


    ''Hmm... What was that all about?'' Osana muttered looking through the sturdy ss at Adam, who was floating in the blue liquid inside the healing pod.


    A few hours ago, Katrin was in the pod next to Adam, but her injuries weren''t as serious as Adam''s, so she had been released a little earlier.


    Sure, she still had to heal her arm and for that, she would need to go to Miracle Observatory if she didn''t want to waste much time. That posed some danger, but it was unlikely that Katrin wouldn''t be able to handle some regenerative monster.


    Osana underwent a quick treatment. Her artifact was able to bring her back from the world of the dead, but she still had serious, though non-lethal wounds. However, considering the condition of the others, her situation was favorable.


    They were originally supposed to go to Fort Norton or rather the medical department next to it, but... they ended up at the Iron Observatory.


    Refesa dealt with technology and weapons, but she had some unusual healing pods with her solution. Moreover, she had Magnus helping her, since Nessa was part of the healing process.


    Considering who was in charge of their treatment, there wouldn''t be a trace of their wounds very soon.


    But, Osana wasn''t thinking about Refesa, Magnus, or the fight against gue Reaper, her thoughts were on Adam, specifically the moment he stepped out of the fighter.


    Osana had excellent intuition, perhaps that was why she was still alive, so she sensed that Adam had somehow changed in the short time they were flying in XH-01.


    ''He only took a few steps and copsed from exhaustion. Nothing is surprising about that, but that woman was terrified, though neither Katrin nor Adam was obviously trying to scare her.'' Osana bit her lip, pondering.


    Now, she wanted to see what Adam would do when he finally woke up, moreover... He still had to grant her three wishes, like her own personal genie.


    Discover exclusive tales on empire


    "Hey, I wouldn''t frown so much if I were you, or you''ll get more wrinkles than you think." Refesa said, sitting in the center of the room in front of a wide panel.


    Osana cast a nce at her.


    "Wrinkles? You''re considerably older than me, but you look like a little girl, as a doll... You surely know how to deal with that, don''t you?"


    Refesa''s corners of her mouth went up.


    "Yes, you''re right. Come to me whenever you want to get younger, though... for now, there''s no need for you to do so."


    Osana smiled bitterly.


    "If I get into missions like this a few more times, I won''t even make it to 30. I don''t know how Adam survives each time, but if it weren''t for my artifact and cold calction, my body would still be there."


    Refesa looked at Adam, she narrowed her eyes and shifted her gaze to Osana with a slight nod.


    "You''re lucky they pulled it off in the end. That gue Reaper was stronger than most documented gue Reapers. You can be proud of yourself."


    Osana didn''t answer anything, she only took a sip of coffee sweet as syrup.


    ''Proud of yourself, right...? What am I fucking proud of? Selling my mates, letting them die because I didn''t think they could win even with my enhancement?''


    Then, Osana frowned heavily, clutching her cup tightly, the handle cracking.


    ''The Mission Department has alreadybeled this mission as extremely sessful, all just because we killed gue Reaper. But... out of my squad, only one Phantom came home... How can that be a sess!?''


    Refesa watched as Osana''s gaze gradually grew darker and her grimace harder.


    ''Well, well, even if she''s smart, cunning, and cold-blooded it doesn''t mean she''s ready for all the blows that life can throw at us. It takes a life experience filled with pain or else...''


    Refesa shifted her gaze to Adam, floating serenely in the pod while his wounds were rapidly recovering.


    ''Gotta be a monster...? I''m sure his mind isn''t upied right now with regrets for the fallen Phantoms.''


    ...


    Thanks to Refesa''s help, by afternoon, Osana, Katrin, and Adam had already left Iron Observatory.


    They departed at different times without crossing paths. Each of them had their tasks for the day, as did Adam who, a few minutester, ended up in front of the metal door of a simple apartment in a high-rise building.


    Crackle.


    The door opened, revealing Silvana.


    She was in a strict formal suit as always, greeting her Phantom and only partner with a slight smile on her face.


    Her green eyes were full of desire to continue their journey together, while her ck hair rippled slightly. Unlike her costume, her hair was loose rather than strict.


    "Hey, it''s been a while, hasn''t it?" Silvana said with a slight smile on her face.


    "Yeah... It''s only been one day, but... it feels like it''s been much longer. I wouldn''t say an eternity, but long enough for me to start missing the Citadel, home, and you." Adam smiled weakly before stepping forward.


    The door shut, Silvana wanted to say something but didn''t have time, Adam stepped close to her, leaning down to her bare neck.


    "Agh... What a nice aroma, calm and peaceful..."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Adam whispered softly, with his eyes closed.


    Silvana said nothing, she only gulped, not understanding how she was supposed to react. Adam had caught her off guard with his strange actions.


    "You know how good it is to smell something other than the scent of blood, flesh, and dust covering the Dead Lands wherever you go. It''s... refreshing..." Adam said in a prolonged voice before heading forward towards the kitchen.


    "Let''s get something to eat, Dead Lands has some serious problems with that too."


    Silvana nodded silently, staring at his back.


    What was Silvana thinking then?


    Well, there was an answer and a pretty urate one at that.


    ''I need to remember which perfume I used today... I need to pick it out more often, much more often...''


    ...


    Silvana noticed that Adam was not behaving as usual. His state was sublime as if he was very exhausted or someone who had rested too much.


    But, as soon as he tasted Silvana''s food prepared especially for him, Adam returned to normal.


    "Damn! I finally feel alive! Fuck! This is so good!" Adam eximed like a child with a wide smile on his face.


    He kept eating faster and faster, as if if he didn''t hurry up the food would disappear.


    Silvana only smiled, his appetite was the highest praise for her culinary skills.


    "So...? You''re finally ready, aren''t you?" Silvana asked, taking a cup of coffee in her hands.


    Adam nodded.


    "Yes. I have everything I need to create the First Key, I''m ready to do it right now! Only, I need to get the artifacts."


    Silvana sighed contentedly.


    "Good. Let''s go to the storage room, your new trophy isn''t there yet, but everything will be in ce soon. Then, we''ll head to Fort Norton."


    "Hmm? Why?" Adam tilted his head in confusion.


    Silvana giggled.


    "Hahaha, you weren''t thinking of creating the Key here or somewhere in the city, were you? Not that it''s impossible, but it''s better to do that sort of thing in special ces."


    ...


    Crackle.


    The massive gate opened, letting Adam inside, into a spacious room with nothing but massive bs of stone reinforcing the walls.


    Silvana watched him from the side.


    "Well... Let''s get started." Adam muttered ncing at the artifacts that were already here and closing his eyes immersing himself in the inner space.


    Now he had everything, the genes, the artifacts, and the midnight crystal.


    All that remained was to create the Key.

 Chapter 387 First Key (Part 2)

    Silvana gulped, anxiously watching Adam, who was preparing for his evolution.


    She was nervous. After all, how sessful this evolution would be technically depended on Adam.


    With each level, the difference in strength among both Phantoms and monsters increased significantly, besides the trivial amount of energy and physical power, there were many other reasons for that.


    What kind of reasons?


    Well, Adam was about to find out right now.


    "Hah, thinking back to the first time I was here, a lot of things have changed, haven''t they?"


    Adam smirked hovering amongst the inner space.


    At first, his Vault was practically empty, the Transmutator was unrevealed, the Artifact was different, not as powerful, and Nexus, his gloves only had one ability.


    He didn''t have a Power Gene, and his Initial Gene didn''t have such an outstanding power.


    And... Evolution Tree itself, the foundation of everything, was previously much smaller. It didn''t have two unique branches with rare carved runes - they showed his Orders. One branch had a needle mark and the other a w mark.


    At the foot of the Evolution Tree like a mountain, there was a unique root, the Elemental Root. It was slightly smaller than the other main roots, but it was unique and a worthy part of the Evolution Tree.


    "Not bad, not bad at all, but... what does Damien''s Evolution Tree look like?"


    Adam asked to himself as his gaze darkened.


    "I''m a K1-Phantom, sure I still have a long way to go before bing a Second Rank Phantom, but... Fuck, if my inner space looks like this, how big is his Evolution Tree?"


    Adam shuddered.


    He realized that he didn''t see all that Damien was capable of, only a fraction as big as a drop in the ocean, but realizing how big the difference between them was made him truly afraid.


    "Agh, alright, that''s not what I should be thinking about right now." Adam waved his hand looking at his Vault where all of his genes were stored.


    Then, he narrowed his eyes and the Vault opened to his will.


    First on the list were the genes.


    Adam needed 10,000 genes to create the shape.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Many pages in the Vault opened, shining brightly like the greatest treasure. Then, hundreds of purple shes headed towards Adam, swirling around him like stars circling a ck hole, overbearing and omnipotent.


    Adam didn''t know what exactly to do, but this ce was closer to him than his home. He felt it on an intuitive level, everything here belonged to him and him alone.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Thousands of genes shuddered transforming into the hollow shape of a massive key. Through the transparent violet walls, it could be seen that it was just a shell that needed to be filled.


    Moreover, the key trembled, its parts appearing and disappearing like a glitch, and its form constantly changing, showing that the key variant had not yet been determined.


    "Good... So I''vepleted the first stage, now you." Adam muttered summoning the Revolve.


    He didn''t have to leave the inner space to do so as the artifacts were right in front of him. Each was in a container, open and ready to be absorbed.


    The artifacts shuddered vigorously turning into multicolored shes to disappear in a snow-white stream.


    Ten artifacts were needed to create the key, or rather fill the shape formed with 10,000 genes.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Ten shes flew into the purple shape, spreading through it like a heavenly liquid. The colors kept changing, wanting to choose the one that was most appropriate for Adam.


    After all, the Key for each Phantom was unique. It was a thing that could elevate a Phantom''s power to a new level, not just a nameless blob of energy.


    For a while, Adam watched the massive key change shape and color until a bright glow reflected in his eyes, blinding him for a moment.


    Then, Adam saw what looked like his Key. It was only the First One, but that didn''t make it any less important. On the contrary, Adam stared at the Key with awe, for it was literally the future of his power.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Long as the size of a small rock, the snow-white key trembled from time to time. Its back end, which one usually held onto to use the key was narrow, triangr shape and sharp corners.


    The long rod connecting the front and back parts was long and rectangr like the will of some rigorous warrior. The rod was wider towards the back and became thinner as it approached the front. Along the rod were square teeth that became smaller and smaller as they got farther away from the back.


    The front was divided into upper and lower halves. The upper half was perfectly straight, like keys for old locks where there was noplicated mechanism, but there were lines of energy running along it as if indicating a pattern.


    The bottom half was crooked and curved like the horn of a demon that for some reason ended up here and became part of this majestic key.


    Adam gulped.


    He could already feel how immense the power was inside the key, but, that was only two steps out of three.


    If that was all it took, Adam would have created the Key long ago, right after defeating the Steel Knight since he had obtained the necessary artifacts then. Discover more content at empireN?v(el)B\\jnn


    However, for the Key to open one of the three keyholes in the Lock, something else was needed - Midnight Crystal.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Midnight Crystal floating in the darkness came into motion, heading for the tip of the key. With a quick movement, Midnight Crystal shattered against the sharp end, releasing the power lurking within.


    Dense energy like majestic streams emerged from the key''s tip, heading further out, making its trail ever wider like aet ready to finally crash to earth after a long journey.


    A slight smile appeared on Adam''s face, watching this scene with contemtion.


    This was only the first step towards the true power that someone like Damien possessed, but Adam was already amazed that something like this could be in his inner space.


    "Well, I don''t know if you''re waiting for my orders or the right time, but... go ahead. It''s time to move on." Adam waved his hand.


    At the same moment, as if at themand of hismander, the Key came like an arrow into motion.


    In a heartbeat, the Key swept beside Adam, making his hair flutter, quickly reaching the Evolution Tree.


    At the center of the Evolution Tree was the Initial Gene, it was the core, around it was a circle, an indicator of power that it was too early for Adam to think about yet. Below, not reaching the main roots was the Lock.


    It was a triangr sign with elongated ends and arched ribs as if slightly drawn inward. At the tips were three keyholes.


    The First Key strove toward the top keyhole, from which particles of light were alreadying out, sensing the imminent release from its shackles.


    Adam watched intently, not daring to blink. He didn''t want to miss a single moment.


    Crackle.


    With the next beat of his heart, the Key plunged into the keyhole.


    Without advice or orders from outside, Adam instinctively stretched his hand forward, bending his fingers slightly as if he had a simple key in his hand to open the door.


    Adam exhaled a cold vapor before slowly turning his wrist forcing the Key, the majestic entity, to move.


    Crack.


    The keyhole cracked, shattering into small shards and destroying a third of the Lock.


    Following, Adam''s azure eyes turned white due to the bright sh that consumed his entire inner space, usually hovering in darkness.

 Chapter 388 First Key (Part 3)

    What did Adam know about the K2-Phantoms?


    Well, not much at all. He had seen Tron use his ability once when he was still a K2-Phantom.


    Also, Adam had fought Prago, a real K2-Phantom, but at the time Prago was at his worst morally.


    Physically he was a K2-Phantom, but inside he was getting weaker by the day as he continued to rot from the inside because of his fears. The defeat brought him to his senses, but he couldn''t demonstrate all that K2-Phantom was capable of. Well, that was why he had lost that day.


    The K2-Phantoms had to fight against the Yellow Threat Monsters and travel to distant territories that even with the SH-01 fighter, would take quite a while to reach.


    And, to do that, they needed decentbat power.


    Not everyone was as capable as Adam as a K1-Phantom to fight against Light Yellow Monsters and win. Many K1-Phantoms became K2-Phantoms as soon as they had the opportunity.


    Sure, getting Midnight Crystal wasn''t easy, but it usually didn''t happen like in Adam''s case. The Phantoms would contact the missions department, get a team, and go get the Midnight Crystal in a suitable Midnight Zone where there were no opponents of the gue Reaper''s level.


    The Citadel didn''t strongly approve of such a rush by the Phantoms, but the government wasn''t going to stop them.


    In the end, everyone chose their own path.


    ...


    Particles of light, like tiny mes flew off to the sides as Adam opened his eyes after a bright sh that eclipsed everything.


    "What is it...?"


    There were two doors in front of Adam.


    There was no Evolution Tree, Vault, or his Nexus with the Artifact around, only vast darkness remaining.


    [Make your choice.]


    Adam''s eyes went wide staring at the two unusual doors. Strangely enough, though the doors were closed, he could see what lurked behind them - the paths.


    Behind the left door was a long bright path, a road of dense white energy that in the distance abruptly broke off into darkness. But, that only meant that the path was persistent, straight, and deep with some definite purpose and limitations.


    At least that was what Adam sensed.


    The snow-white path was as straight as a perfect line, and from its edges rose transparent walls of energy, white particles constantly flying off to disappear into the darkness.


    Then, Adam looked at the right door.


    The second path waspletely different from the first. It was twisted and curved, dividing into many trails like random branches in a great tree.


    And, at the same ce as the first path, dozens of trails disappeared into the darkness.


    While the first path was strict and straight, showing its power and depth, the second path disyed a variety of possibilities and flexibility, though none of the trails were as magnificent as the first path.


    Adam gulped.


    He wasn''t prepared for this as he didn''t know what he was supposed to expect at all.


    But, something was pretty obvious. He had to make a choice, there were only two options, it seemed like nothingplicated, but the weight of that decision was truly immense.


    His future depended on it, so Adam had to think properly.


    "Well... surely I should take some time and immerse myself in thought, right? But, why?" Adam shrugged nonchntly before stepping forward.


    As soon as he saw the two paths, he sensed which one he should go to. Adam was not stupid, so he knew roughly what the difference between the paths was supposed to be.


    Perhaps that was why he didn''t have any doubts about his choice. He knew what kind of Phantom he wanted to be, he understood his personality and what hecked to survive in Dead Lands.


    The victory over gue Reaper, which was almost a defeat, had taught him a lot. Perhaps without that step in his journey, he would have chosen a different door.


    Step.


    Adam took thest step stopping in front of the door.


    Then, he reached forward and opened it, stepping to the left, straight and stern path.


    A sh of light swept around him, defining his choice before the two paths disappeared into the darkness with Adam.


    [You have chosen the Immersion Door!]


    [Prepare yourself, your evolution is evolving ording to your current records and the choices you''ve made!]


    A familiar voice sounded in Adam''s head as his eyes shone brightly.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, energy began to flow out of his body in the real world.


    Silvana gulped, not hearing that behind her the mechanical doors opened, letting a tall, broad-shouldered figure inside.


    Tap.


    A heavy hand fell on Silvana''s shoulder sending shivers throughout her body.


    Silvana turned around sharply, seeing a man in a dark military suit, ck hair, and a short beard.


    "Mr. Dous...?" Silvana muttered, clearly confused.


    "Hey, straighten your back and hands at the hips, there''s a highly ranked military officer in front of you." Dous said with a kind smile on his face.


    Silvana''s eyes went wide as she quickly followed his orders. Dous was a simple man, but the difference in their statuses was vast.


    If she was the assistant of a talented warrior, then Dous was a marshal who held the will and power of thousands of military men with his strong fist and steadfast aura.


    "Hahaha, rx, after all, I''m not your boss." Dousughed with his mighty, low voice. He didn''t expect Silvana to actually follow his orders quickly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Then, Dous stepped forward, holding his hands behind his back.


    "The one whose orders you are obligated to fulfill is right in front of us, never forget that. He is your highest priority." Dous said calmly.


    Silvana blinked a few times before nodding, a slight smile appearing on her face.


    "Yes, I know that. Did you reallye here just to remind me of something I''ll never forget?"


    Silvana said confidently, standing up next to Dous and crossing her arms over her chest. Despite her words, she knew why Dous hade here - he wanted to watch Adam''s evolution.


    "Looks like I got here just in time. He''s already created the Key and opened the first keyhole, but... what path did he choose?" Dous frowned, thickening his brows.


    This was important since each Phantom''s choice might be slightly different. Doors and their paths were adjusted to suit the possible developments based on the experience and features of their owner, their Phantom.


    But, globally, there were two paths between which every Phantom who went from K1 to K2 made a choice.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Enjoy more content from empire


    The energying out of Adam was calm, enveloping him like a veil, but as soon as he chose the door, his path, everything changedpletely.


    The energy streams shuddered, quickly transforming into a rectangr beam of energy rushing upwards, towards ceilings several dozen meters high.


    Crackle.


    Silvana''s legs crumpled as she suddenly dropped to one knee, unable to stand. Adam''s energy, just crushed her to the ground, a simple person like her couldn''t stand it.


    "Oh, I see..." Dous muttered thoughtfully rubbing his chin.


    Silvana jerked her head up sharply, staring at Dous wide-eyed.


    ''What the hell...? He didn''t even flinch!''


    Silvana couldn''t believe that Dous was standing confidently on his feet. He only looked at Adam curiously.


    "Hehehehe, I see... Considering the kind of person you''re bing, that was a good choice! Hahahahaha!"


    Dousughed, clearly pleased with Adam''s choice.


    Hisughter echoed around him, but Adam heard nothing.


    He watched his Evolution Tree grow, but unlikest time, no new unique branches appeared.


    But... two branches began to be covered with new, more powerful, and deeper runes and the entire inner space trembled in preparation topletely change every aspect within itself, not just the Evolution Tree.

 Chapter 389 First Key (Part 4)

    When a person became a Phantom, they had only one ability - the First Order. For most Phantoms, it was the foundation of their power, the most used ability.


    Sure, rarely was the First Order the strongest ability, but the Phantom had the most experience using this ability, it was efficient and simple.


    But... If Phantom was going to get stronger by actively evolving and developing, he should be ready for a change.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The two unique branches, their outer part, shattered into small shards like shells along with the runes that were carved into the bark.


    Given the nature of these branches, it meant that Adam had just lost his Orders. He could feel it, but... the branches weren''t destroyed, they''d just lost their bark - the inner part where the energy flowed remained unchanged.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Then, the two branches began to grow rapidly, along with the entire Evolution Tree, bing muchrger and more majestic than before.


    Dense white energy covered the insides of the branches, creating new bark along with new runes, deeper, moreplex, and majestic.


    Adam had no way to influence this process and not that he had any desire to. He already made his choice, so he only watched, feeling his power increasing.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Evolution Tree continued to grow, bing almost one and a half timesrger. Yes, it wasn''t a difference of two or five times, but Evolution Tree wasn''t some empty thing where size was all that mattered.


    Energy.


    The energy density and its volume had increased several times, which was truly important, but not as noticeable as the size of the great Evolution Tree.


    After an unknown amount of time, the Evolution Tree stopped growing, as well as the two unique branches.


    Was this the end of Adam''s evolution?


    Yes, but only one of several parts.


    [Your First Order - Weaver''s Needle, was lost.]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    [Your Second Order - Weaver''s Silver ws, was lost.]


    [The core of your Orders remains intact.]


    [Your Orders will be reconstructed to your needs, based on your memories and battle experience.] The two branches shone brightly, filling their runes with energy, causing many rapid pulses to pass throughout the Evolution Tree.


    [New First Order - Dormant Needle, obtained.]


    Then, the second root shone brightly, reflecting in Adam''s astonished eyes.


    [New Second Order - Fallen Weaver''s Gaze, obtained.]


    "What...? I lost two Orders and got new ones in return...? Wasn''t I supposed to get a Third Order or something?" Adam muttered baffled.


    Then, two pages with white glowing runes flew out of the Vault. Adam couldn''t understand what it said, but soon, the runes turned into letters he was able to read.


    This hadn''t happened before, Evolution Tree just transferred all the information about the abilities into his mind at once.


    Adam didn''t know why this was happening, but it didn''t matter at the time, as all his attention was directed to his new abilities.


    [Dormant Needle


    A needle that became not just a tool, but a weapon of a warrior who learned a lot, but that was only part of his long journey. A sharp, willful needle, hungry for blood and challenges to awaken from its deep slumber.]


    Then, Adam turned his gaze to the second page.


    [Fallen Weaver''s Gaze


    There is no more reason for animal rage. A weaver needs strength and depth to deal with the obstacles in his thorny path. The threads. Let the weaver use his threads and his new perspective, clear and sublime, like the true master who learned the cruelty and sorrow of his work].


    Adam blinked a few times, trying to make sense of his new abilities. The descriptions didn''t give him much information, and Traits weren''t there at all, perhaps temporarily, and possibly it was meant to be.


    But, before Adam coulde to any conclusion, the pages flew away, returning to the Vault.


    As soon as that happened, the massive white book that held all of Adam''s genes began to shake violently, releasingrge particles of light.


    The light particles like snowkespletely covered the Vault, slowly changing it.


    "What the hell..." Adam muttered, puzzled.


    His Vault was going to change? But... How?


    After an unknown period, a bright sh of light illuminated everything around him, and then, blinking once, Adam saw his new Vault.


    Strangely enough, the Vault hadn''t changed much. It was still a white book with an atom sign in the center, but soon Adam noticed new details.


    There were azure tes around the edges, like metal. It looked as if some craftsman had customized the cover of the book, creating art.


    From time to time, there were straight blue lines of energy running through the book, changing direction but not curving as they ran at right angles.


    Then, the Vault opened up letting out a pale blue light. Among the thin rays were thin beams, forming an even figure around the Vault.


    It was a wide, transparent cube, a special area the Vault created within the inner space.


    Adam was confused, but soon a page of exnations came to him that he needed so badly.


    [Gene Cube


    This is a special space that depends on the progress of the genes you have collected in the Vault. Within the Gene Cube can be stored physical objects in ghostly form, only those with arge amount of energy: essences, artifacts, and other objects of a simr type].


    Adam''s eyes sparkled, he immediately realized what that meant and how he could use the Gene Cube. He had already been in a situation once before where he needed artifacts to unlock one of his Traits.


    The problem wasn''t that he didn''t have artifacts, no, quite a while ago, after a few missions, Adam got more than enough Zero and First Rarity Artifacts.


    However, they were in the Citadel, in his storage, carrying the artifacts around was impractical and hardly possible.


    Even after the battle against gue Reaper, Adam faced this problem. Sure, in this situation, he didn''t need to immediately start evolving and creating the Key, but if he wanted to, he couldn''t do it.


    The genes and Midnight Crystal were in his inner space while the artifacts were in the Citadel, in protective containers.


    "But..." Adam muttered with a slight smile on his face, "Apparently now I won''t have that problem anymore."


    Then, Adam cast a long look at Vault, with a slight frown. He sensed that something was lurking inside Vault, some other function, but the new pages weren''ting to him to exin and he didn''t know where to look to find it.


    "Well, I''ll probably figure it all out soon. Agh, more importantly... Looks like this isn''t over yet." Adam sighed heavily turning to his Evolution Tree.


    The Evolution Tree stopped growing, as did the two unique branches, the Vault went through its development as well, but... The Initial Gene and Power Gene were actively shaking absorbing energy from the Evolution Tree.


    Adam scratched the back of his head, he felt strange.


    He was greatly dying his evolution, most Phantoms went from K1 to K2 level faster, though Adam didn''t set records for the longest time on the same level.


    He didn''t aim to evolve as fast as possible, so... he just took his time.


    However, Adam expected that he would just get one new ability and maybe there would be some other changes, but practically everything turned out to be different.


    The changes continued and they weren''t going to stop.


    And, Adam wasn''t going to hide it, he was d that his power was growing relentlessly right before his eyes.

 Chapter 390 First Key (Part 5)

    Power Gene - This particr gene Adam got after killing Steel Knight, his first Crown Type monster, not counting Brass Puppet who was his Initial Monster.


    Sure, given Adam''s current power level, he would defeat Steel Knight in one hit, but what was important was another thing - his memories. At that point, it was a deadly opponent that Adam had barely won a battle against.


    [Power Gene - Steel Knight.]


    [Steel Knight


    You have gained a portion of the power of an extremely capable monster - the Steel Knight, one of the pirs of power of which was experience. Now, you will learn much faster and more efficiently, especially if you are training with a weapon.


    Also, you have be slightly stronger and faster, and your defense has also increased minorly] Information about his Power Gene shed through Adam''s mind. His Power Gene looked like a shield with two crossed swords inside a crystal sphere.


    Then, the Power Gene shone brightly at the peak of its energy and the shield cracked, shattering into tiny shards in an instant.


    The two swords covered in dense white energy approached each other and began to merge into one. It seemed like they were melting under the high temperature.


    Soon, the two swords turned into one with a long de whose parts were very different from each other. The right side of the de was straight and t, while the left side had square teeth running along the entire de.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Again, a page from the Vault appeared before Adam''s eyes, which now held virtually all the information about his inner space.


    [Power Gene - Desecrated Sword]


    [Desecrated Sword


    A symbol, remembering its original origin, not abandoning its history, but epting the changes of its current owner. It didn''t matter if the sword was rusty, holy, or broken, each sword had its own history closely tied to the path it passed].


    "Hmm... Nothing again... Nothing specific, no Traits, just nothing... How am I supposed to figure out what my new Power Gene does? Furthermore, why does this sword look so strange?" Adam cast his gaze upwards.


    The Desecrated Sword was simultaneously emitting calm and threatening auras, but to Adam, it wasn''t bad or good. Now this sword, this Power Gene was part of his power and all he could do was take it for granted.


    Crackle.


    The Desecrated Sword shuddered before crashing into the Evolution Tree, causing its majestic bark to crack. Desecrated Sword crashed into Evolution Tree as if it weighed as much as a mountain, so even Evolution Tree''s bark couldn''t withstand its fall without damage.


    Then, a thick, dark crimson energy resembling blood emerged from beneath the Desecrated Sword, slowly covering it with a red sphere.


    With no more changes happening, the new Adam''s Power Gene was ready.


    But... it wasn''t the only gene that was waiting to change.


    Adam gulped ncing at his Initial Gene that was at the very center of the Evolution Tree. It was the core on which literally everything depended. If the Phantom didn''t have an Initial Gene, it wasn''t the Phantom.


    For Phantom, the Initial Gene was more important than food, water, or even air, because without the Initial Gene, Phantom could survive for no more than seven minutes.


    Katrin experienced these time constraints to the fullest. If not for gue Reaper''s gene, she would die.


    "Damn... Are you going to change too?" Adam muttered in a trembling voice staring at the ball of threads - this was what his Initial Gene.


    When he had killed Silver Weaver, getting his first gene, he would forever remember what his Initial Gene looked like. Sure, it may not have seemed threatening, but it didn''t make any sense.


    The purpose of the Initial Gene was not to scare anyone, only Phantom saw his Initial Gene.


    The Initial Gene was to demonstrate its essence and the ball of threads was the best representation of Adam''s abilities.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ball of threads trembled, bright light trying to escape from within, through tiny gaps among the tightly woven threads.


    Then, the ball unraveled, letting out all the threads, there seemed to be an infinite amount of them, and if one tied them together into one long thread, it was possible to pierce the whole world with its length.


    Adam didn''t say anything or think, he didn''t even breathe, gazing in awe at the waving threads and the majestic energy streamsing out of the center of his Evolution Tree.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    As if at the whirlwind''s will, all the threads and energy abruptly returned, but in apletely different form, yet without losing their nature.


    "Oh... I see..." Adam gulped, his gaze deepening.


    His blue eyes reflected a long needle, hovering evenly, the tip pointing downward. From the tip came many threads flying upward, like the trail of aet that was ready to crash to earth, with all its power.


    Adam turned to his Vault expecting another page toe to him, but... the Vault didn''t store knowledge of the Initial Gene, not about that.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Before Adam could realize anything, a ghostly needle came out of his Initial Gene. In a heartbeat, it pierced his head, entering directly into his mind.


    [Silver Threads]


    Those two simple words that seemed to have no special meaning rang through Adam''s mind.


    [Threads... Some use them to sew up their clothes, some use them to create a new suit, some use them to change a mistake, and some have such great power that they can sew the very fabric of reality.


    What about you? Who knows... It''s up to you to choose how to use your threads. You''re experienced enough to put that power to good use on your path. Now, you can create your own threads and manipte them at your will like a genuine weaver.


    Fabric, clothing, or reality? No... change your fate with your threads].


    Adam''s eyes snapped open as he found himself in the real world, blinking in bewilderment. He couldn''t believe what had just happened.


    The energy continued to flow out of his body, and... it seemed like it wasn''t going to stop.


    "Is it done already...?" Silvana asked with a slight worry in her voice.


    Dous shook his head.


    "No. There''s still something really interesting left. Hahaha." Dous chuckled, knowing what was about to happen.


    Adam wanted to turn to Silvana, but no sooner did he do that than his eyes glowed brightly and he passed out.


    Crackle.


    Adam fell to the ground, and the rectangr beam of energying out of his body began to slowly descend.


    However, the energy didn''t get weaker, it condensed, going topletely cover Adam like an imprable dome through which no one would be able to see what was going on inside.


    Before the dome closedpletely, hiding Adam from view, Dous and Silvana had time to notice something.


    Adam''s gloves, his Nexus, they had just disappeared. But... to where?


    Adam didn''t notice it, he was too focused on Power Gene and Initial Gene, but the ghostly copy of his Nexus hovering next to Evolution Tree was gone.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled when inside the Gene Cube covering the area around the Vault, a pair of gloves appeared.


    Then, the gloves flew out into the inner space, they trembled, they were not supposed to be here, it was a physical version.


    But, it wasn''t a mistake as soon massive energy streams came out of the Evolution Tree, enveloping the gloves in a solid energyyer, creating a cocoon for them out of which somethingpletely new was going to be born.

 Chapter 391 First Key (Part 6)

    Nexus seemed to be the one thing Phantom couldn''t get on his own and for that, he needed the help of the Citadel. The cksmiths were taking Phantom''s genes and creating somethingpletely new out of them, but actually, they were just helping those genes develop.


    When Adam had to create his Nexus, Silvana had asked him to decide what kind of Nexus he wanted, to give his genes a specific purpose beforehand. Sure, sometimes things didn''t go exactly ording to n, but either way, Phantom got roughly the Nexus he wanted.


    However, once the Nexus was already created, and the Phantom was going from K1 to K2, the cksmith''s help was no longer needed, well... that wasn''t true for most Phantoms going through evolution at that level.


    To create an area where Nexus could evolve on its own like a living being required a tremendous amount of energy, considering it was a K1-Phantom.


    This was impossible for most K1-Phantoms to achieve, but given that Adam was at the limit of what the K1 could achieve, it was a reality for him.


    In fact, Dous wasn''t surprised, as when he saw Adam''s energy pir, he immediately realized that his Nexus would evolve right there, without the help of the cksmith.


    "What...? What''s going on? Is this how it''s supposed to be?" Silvana gulped, ncing quickly back and forth at Dous and Adam, or rather at the white dense dome he was under.


    Dous smirked.


    "Didn''t you notice that? I''m sure you did. Now, Adam is getting his new Nexus."


    ...


    "Damn! What''s going on!" Adam eximed, trying to get closer to the bright light that surrounded his Nexus, but there was no way he could.


    The cocoon was ready and all Adam could do was wait for it to open, releasing somethingpletely new.


    [Your Nexus, Weaver''s Treasure, was irretrievably destroyed, but its nature remains.] Adam heard a calm voice, devoid of any emotion.


    Then, he stopped, no longer trying to change anything.


    "So... I''m getting a new Nexus? Fuck... That doesn''t sound good at all, though... it doesn''t have to be somethingpletely different, right?" Adam muttered, hoping that his new Nexus wouldn''t turn out to be useless.


    Adam realized that everyone had their preferences. For some, the Nexus was a huge hammer or sword, for others a magic book or bow and for others, a morepact version worked, whether it was gloves like Adam''s or some essory.


    Adam was afraid that his Nexus wouldn''t turn into a weapon, then he wouldn''t befortable fighting.


    Well, that was no longer up to him to decide.


    ...


    It had only been a few minutes in the real world, but Adam felt as if he''d been here for days, staring at the cocoon that asionally shook.


    Soon, the cocoon cracked, releasing a bright light, revealing two identical silhouettes inside.


    Adam squinted, the light blinding him, but he didn''t want to look away. It was critical for him to see his new Nexus.


    "Oh... I see... Looks like I can trust my Evolution Tree." Adam muttered as a confident smirk appeared on his face.


    The cocoon split in two disappearing into the darkness leaving two gloves floating in the air, no... now they looked more like the gauntlets of some knight or medieval tailor. Discover hidden tales at empire


    The gauntlets were considerably longer than the previous gloves, they easily reached the level of his elbow but did not ovep it so that Adam retained full freedom of movement.


    ck leather covered with tiny stic protective scales was the main material. At the tips of the fingers were metal tes, thin lines running from them moving along the inside of the palm to meet in the center, then a thicker line going to the wrist where it ended in a wide steel bracelet.


    As before, from the fingers, moving along the outside of the palm, there were five threads taut as strings, but when they reached the steel bracelet, everything changed.


    Coming out of the bracelet, the threads became several times more, they became about twenty, they covered every gauntlet along the edges.


    And... Adam''s gaze fell on thest detail of his new Nexus that he didn''t understand at all.


    On the inside of the gauntlets, above the wrist, there was a thin recess, 1-2 cm deep, it was hollow and elongated, the back was slightly wider and the front was indeed narrow.


    The only object that could fit perfectly into such a recess was a massive needle that no tailor would use.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Before Adam could realize anything, the gauntlets were heading towards him, ending up in his arms. At the same moment, their exact ghostly replica appeared next to the Evolution Tree, taking its rightful ce.


    [You have received your new Nexus - Echoes of a Tragic Story.]


    [Echoes of a Tragic Story


    For better or worse, stories don''t always have a good ending. Most do not realize that stories with a bad ending or a good ending just don''t happen, it all depends on perspective.


    Tragedy for one can be happiness for another. A sad ending for one bes salvation for the other]


    Adam nodded silently, getting used to the new sensation. Once again, there was nothing concrete in the description, but he didn''t pay attention to it, thinking that he would soon be able to figure it out for himself.


    Then, Adam took a deep breath, looking around.


    His gaze traveled to his Evolution Tree.


    "Is that it?"


    There was no reply.


    "Can I leave now?"


    Silence.


    Nothing was heard until... there was a slight crackling sound that grew stronger with each passing second.


    "What the hell...?"


    Adam muttered with his eyes wide open.


    He looked at his Elemental Root, which after the growth of the Evolution Tree seemed small and weak. Now, it was time to correct that mistake.


    The Elemental Root, most of which was purple because the main aspect of this Elemental Root was gravity, began to grow rapidly.


    Within seconds, the Elemental Root reached the size of the other roots of the Evolution Tree, but the Elemental Root wasn''t going to stop there.


    It continued to grow, running up the majestic trunk, reaching the level of the upper branches before finally stopping.


    [Your Elemental Root has grown.]


    [The past reinforcement is now too insignificant considering your strength level and the new magnitude of your Elemental Root.].


    Then, dense white energy from the Evolution Tree flowed through the Elemental Root, filling it with enough power to provide Adam with something new, something that was worthy of his current level.


    [Gravitational Elemental Root (Second Form)


    Gravity was something you could get used to, but it was much more desirable to learn how to control it. Previously, it was out of your reach, you were only a part of this mysterious and immense power.


    But... maybe now you will be able to control at least a fraction of this force? Who knows...]


    "Well... If I understand correctly, there''s only you left now, right?" Adam muttered tranting his gaze to the artifact hovering to the left of Evolution Tree.


    The Horn of Cmity shuddered, sending out powerful electrical discharges, but after a few seconds, it was over.


    Adam blinked a few times, slightly puzzled.


    He understood that his artifact shouldn''t have changed just because it went from K1 to K2, but... after everything that already happened, he naively believed it would.


    However, Adam was right about something, his artifact had gained some benefits as well.


    [Horn of Cmity (Second Rarity Artifact), gained a boost to its First Trait: One-horned Disaster.]


    [One-horned Disaster (Changes):


    Now, you can release lightning energy from your body for a short period, but only to temporarily enhance other objects.]


    Adam scratched the back of his head, not having tried this new feature in practice he couldn''t be sure how useful it was, but he realized that it clearly had some useful application.


    "Agh... Alright, this was more than I could have anticipated, but it looks like it''s finally over." Adam sighed heavily, trying to make sense of what had happened.


    Pretty much everything from his Vault to Orders, Initial, and Power Genes has changed. Elemental Root, Nexus, and his artifact were also left behind.


    Now, Adam was apletely other Phantom. His powers had a strong connection to those he possessed as a K1-Phantom, but... things were different now.


    Well... There was something else here that Adam had just forgotten about, but that thing was in no hurry to reveal itself. For now, its time had note, for it was too early for Adam to be any stronger.


    "Hmm... Fine, from the looks of it, I can leave." Adam muttered getting ready to leave the inner space.


    But... nothing happened.


    Every time he did it without a problem, it was natural, smooth, and calm. It seemed that something was in Adam''s way, that he had to see something else before he could get out of there.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Whoooooooooosh.


    A pale light fell on Adam as he felt powerful currents of air, though there shouldn''t have been anything like that in the inner space.


    Then, he looked up, only to see a massive white vortex spinning rapidly.


    The first thing Adam thought of was that the vortex was like the Revolve, only on arger scale, magnified many times over.


    Trailing off, the vortex engulfed Adam, oddly enough, finally bringing him back to the real world.


    ...


    "Please! Your extrarge strawberry milkshake!" The girl in the cute suit held out a cup to the man waiting for his order. It was a small, local coffee shop nestled amid the road.


    "Oh, thank you." The man said with an enchanting smile on his face.


    "Be careful! It''s almost a thousand calories in here!" The girl giggled sweetly.


    The man said nothing, he just nodded before disappearing into the crowd.


    He had ck hair slicked back with gel, green eyes, and a serene look.


    He wore a wide-brimmed beach hat that cast a shadow over his face and a loose red shirt with short beige shorts and ck sandals.


    Whoooooooosh.


    His silhouette disappeared as he found himself on top of a building nearby. A wide section of the Citadel came into view and his gaze traveled towards Fort Norton as if he could see through the walls.


    "It should probably be over by now, right? So it''s about time we put his powers to the test." The man smirked, took a sip, and disappeared again.

 Chapter 392 Strawberry Milkshake

    Citadel was a big city, with a poption of millions of people living here, considering Upper Ring and Lower Ring, so people must have their celebrities.


    People were inclined to follow someone, to give their likes to someone. Sure, the Citadel made movies, music, and various shows, it was an important part of the economy and a moralponent for ordinary people.


    But... given the world they lived in, no celebrity, idol or musician couldpare to the poprity and recognition the Phantoms had.


    The Phantoms hardly gave interviews, they didn''t do movies ormercials, and they didn''t participate in public events, but... none of it made any sense.


    Most of the footage of NEPs during missions was avable for anyone to view, the missions department rarely hid anything.


    Few ordinary people were involved, but the media helped them. They picked the most outstanding fights and spread them as much as possible to gain views.


    No star, idol, or musician couldpare to the sight of one man, one Phantom, ying hundreds of monsters fighting in the name of the Citadel.


    So, then, who among all the Phantoms was the most famous?


    Obviously, it was the one who held the title of the strongest, the protector of the Citadel, and one of the pirs on which their entire race was held up.


    "Well, well, a little different hairstyle, hat, and strange clothing is more than enough to make you unrecognizable." Damien muttered taking a sip of his milkshake.


    If he went out into the city in his normal clothes and disheveled hair, without a hat, he would hardly be able to walk even ten meters without being surrounded by hundreds of people.


    People just didn''t expect someone of Damien''s caliber to walk down the street and buy himself a strawberry milkshake in strange clothes. Sometimes, changing a few details was enough to create the perfect disguise.


    "Agh... Almost a thousand calories, right?" Damien smirked looking at the milkshake in his hands, "Hah, if she knew that to me that''s like a drop trying to fill an entire ocean. Well, there''s something more important right now..."


    Damien nced at Fort Norton, smirked, and disappeared.


    ...n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Step. Step. Step.


    The man walked through the spacious corridor, empty and secure. No ordinary person could enter here without special authorization.


    In this part of Fort Norton, Phantoms underwent their evolution in spacious chambers.


    Why did Damiene here?


    Well, his purpose was obvious, he wanted to see what Adam was capable of. He wanted to satisfy his interest, nothing more and no one was able to stop him.


    Crackle.


    The mechanical door opened as Damien entered the room to find Dous and Silvana''s backs.


    Silvana turned first. She tilted her head in confusion, not realizing who the man was or what he was doing there.


    But... after a few seconds, she figured it out and her eyes went wide.


    "Hello, what do you do?" Damien smiled, waving his hand like a tourist on the beach. He walked over to Dous, taking another sip of his milkshake.


    Dous raised an eyebrow. They were well acquainted with Damien, but he didn''t know why Damien came here.


    "As I see I''m right on time, aren''t I?" Damien smirked looking at Adam who was slowly rising from the ground.


    He was trying toe to his senses after what happened. He didn''t realize what that strange vortex was that looked like arge-scale version of his Revolve.


    "Here, there''s still half of it left." Damien said cing his milkshake in Silvana''s hands, "Hope you like the strawberry vor."


    Silvana blinked a few times, dazed, and Damien was already approaching the exit.


    "Wait!" Silvana eximed realizing that Damien was about to leave, "Give him some time to recover! His evolution was more extensive than he expected."


    Damien waved his hand nonchntly.


    "Nah, I don''t want to wait."


    Then, he looked at Silvana over his shoulder with a kind smile on his face.


    "You can always try to stop me, though. Who knows, you might even seed."


    Without waiting for an answer, Damien walked away, heading for the chamber.


    Silvana''s lips trembled as if she was muttering something to herself.


    ''Stop him...? Me...? It''s impossible to even think of such a thing...'' Silvana said to herself, clutching the milkshake tighter.


    She realized that it didn''t matter how Damien was dressed or how he acted. His power was at such a high level that arge part of humanity depended on whether he was or not.


    "Agh... I don''t think you need to worry." Dous sighed heavily throwing a nce at Silvana, who was clearly not thrilled with the way the situation was unfolding.


    "Hmm...?" Silvana gave him a questioning look.


    Dous scratched the back of his head.


    "Damien may not look like a reliable man, but he sure knows what he''s doing. If Adam is tough enough this fight will be a great test of his new abilities. In fact, I was thinking of offering him something like that myself."


    "What? You wanted Adam to fight against Damien...? The difference in strength between them is too great!" Silvana eximed irritably.


    Dous raised his hand, with an open palm, as if stopping her panic.


    "Calm down. I was going to offer him a fight against the Mid Yellow Threat monster, but... if Damien came here, there''s nothing we can do but watch."


    Crackle.


    At the same moment, Damien entered the chamber with a slight smile on his face. There was even more room here than in Fume Cathedral, considering that it was a square with wide walls and high ceilings.


    For two Phantoms to set up a sparring match, it was more than suitable, but... usually during sparring, the two participants were at about the same level and this was not the case.


    Compared to Damien, even K4-Phantom was weak and insignificant.


    "Hello, how are you feeling?" Damien raised his hand, saying hello to Adam.


    Damien didn''t bother to take off his hat and tidy up his slicked-back hair when normally it was mussed and swaying in front of his emerald eyes.


    Adam turned around, he like Dous and Silvana had not at all expected to see Damien here.


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    "What...? What are you doing here?"


    Damien looked up, touching his chin thoughtfully.


    "Hmm... I guess I want to see what you''re capable of, go ahead and show me your new abilities. I''ll fight you."


    Adam gulped.


    "Wait... You''ll fight at full strength?" Adam asked with a slight fear in his voice.


    He had seen Damien fight once when Damien had rescued their squad from Deste Forest, but Adam realized that Damien wasn''t serious. To him, it was just entertainment, nothing more.


    "Hahahahahahaha!" Damienughed as if Adam had said something ridiculous and quite funny.


    Then, Damien pointed to the side - to the observation room where Dous and Silvana were looking at them through the sturdy protective ss.


    "If I unleash my full power, Dous will probably stand on his own two feet and not move an eyebrow, that old man''s tougher than he looks."


    Damien smirked before casting a nce at Silvana.


    "But... your sweet Operator won''t be able to take it. Her bones will break and her body will be under serious pressure, maybe she''ll even die."


    Adam''s face darkened. He didn''t want anything bad to happen to Silvana.


    "Ah, don''t worry. I want this fight to be interesting, so I''ll just lower my power. You moved to the K2-Level, so I''ll lower my strength to the lower limit of the K2."


    Damien looked at Adam intently.


    "And, as a bonus, I won''t use my abilities."


    Adam frowned heavily. It sounded like a humiliation to him.


    "Fine, I agree."


    Adam said confidently as his aura rose and energy filled his entire body.


    His azure eyes were ready to shine brighter than ever.

 Chapter 393 The Needle

    Adam received many new abilities but didn''t know what exactly they gave. He hadn''t realized it yet, but the best way to find out what he was capable of was to put his abilities into practice.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Adam''s eyes shone brightly as the snow-white energy covered his entire body.


    Damien didn''t say anything, he watched with interest as Adam used his new First Order - Dormant Needle.


    Thest time he used his First Order, Adam summoned a needle woven of many silver threads. It was attached to his hand with tight strings, preventing his hand and the needle from being separated.


    When he went from K0 to K1-Level, his needle gained more capabilities. He could throw it, or conversely strengthen his grip with the extra threads making his attacks stronger.


    So... What was Adam supposed to expect now? Strangely enough, at this point, he knew as much about his ability as Damien, Dous, and Silvana.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The energyyer covering Adam shuddered before dissipating, quickly spreading around like streams of wind.


    "Oh... Impressive, it''s like you''ve grown up." Damien made thement looking at Adam.


    Threads? Damien didn''t see any threads that were always Adam''s faithfulpanion when he used his First Order.


    Adam''s First Order resulted in only one thing - a long needle in his hand, but... it wasn''t the same needle as before.


    The needle was much longer andrger, now looking more like a unique sword created specifically for Adam.


    The de of the needle was gray, but not like silver but like tinum, t, with a small recess in the middle, on both sides, that looked as if something could fill it likeva flowing into a weapon mold while the cksmith worked.


    Because of the recess, the edges were slightly above the level of the center, they were sharp and extended to easily cut any target with the first swing. Now and then, a dangerous glint passed across the edges, reflecting its power level and impatience for battle.


    Previously, Adam needed to use a sharp tip to slice through his enemy''s armor, as his needle didn''t have a sharp edge like some sword or simr weapon. No more, he wouldn''t have to face such a problem.


    Near the end of the needle, there was a small t hollow for grip.


    It was worth realizing that except for this spot where Adam''s hand was located, there were sharp des everywhere, it was a needle, not a sword, it had no hilt, no guard, no round back tip.


    Also, this needle retained the main advantage of its predecessor. Light energy flows emanated from its elongated tip, covering the entire weapon like a veil and traveling towards Adam''s hand.


    The Dormant Needle looked calm and threatening at the same time, showing that it could pierce any target while still retaining some secret.


    Adam''s eyes returned to normal only to abruptly grow deeper.


    His Evolution Tree shuddered, filling his mind with all the information he needed. Now that he was using his First Order, he had a better understanding of what he was capable of.


    "Good, give me one minute, I need to lower my power." Damien said before closing his eyes and concentrating.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Soon, the entire chamber shook as if it were a massive earthquake. Dous narrowed his eyes, standing confidently on his spot, but Silvana wasn''t prepared for this.


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    She lost her bnce, almost falling to the ground, but before anything meaningful could happen, the trembling stopped.


    Dous raised an eyebrow looking at Damien. He could sense that Damien''s strength had dropped significantly, to the level he needed.


    Crackle.


    Adam wanted to say something as the mechanical doors opened, letting in a drone with a ck case attached.


    Damien waved a hand.


    "Don''t worry. It''s not my Nexus, I want an interesting fight, not an easy win. I asked Beth to get me something to fight with against a Phantom like you." Damien said catching the ck case.


    Damien shrugged his shoulders.


    "Right now you and I are on the same level, so... if I''m not careful your needle can slice me apart like a piece of paper, I''m sure of it. Without abilities I won''t be able to block your attacks with my bare hands, that''s just stupid, so... I need something to fight with." Damien exined opening the case.


    It seemed unnecessary considering that Damien was a Second Rank Phantom, one of the strongest in the entire Citadel, but that wasn''t true.


    If he lowered his level to the beginning of the K2, where Adam was now, then they were really equals. The difference between them was only in their mastery.


    Moreover, Damien was going to fight without his Nexus, abilities and energy, as if all he had was his physical capabilities.


    Crackle.


    The lid of the case lifted up, revealing a long ck square rod lying inside.


    "What...? What is it?" Silvana muttered in confusion, "Is that someone''s Nexus? Why does it look so strange?"


    Dous shook his head.


    "No, Silvana you know the answer to your question. Think of it in another way."


    Silvana narrowed her eyes, she soon realized what the rod was.


    But, Damien had already moved on to exin.


    "It''s the broken-off spike of one Dark Yellow Threat Monster. I took it since I assumed your needle would change, so I needed something you couldn''t destroy in one swing."


    Damien smirked, cing the ck rod on his shoulder like a mace or short sword.


    "There was a chance I was wrong, but looking at your new needle, I see I was right."


    Adam frowned.


    "What are you talking about? You speak as if you knew how I would evolve. Even I didn''t know what would happen to my powers..." Adam said in a low voice.


    Damien shook his head.


    "That''s not what I''m talking about. I can''t see the future. But... I realized what kind of person you are and what a Phantom you''re bing. Say, you chose Immersion Door, didn''t you?" Damien''s tone became abruptly serious.


    Adam gulped.


    "You don''t have to answer that, I can see everything by the sight of your eyes and your needle, that thing looks formidable."


    Damien smirked before stepping forward.


    "Try not to lose too quickly. You sacrificed quantity for quality, so... prove it was the right choice!"


    Whoooooosh.


    Damien''s silhouette disappeared as he found himself in front of Adam, ready tounch his first attack.

 Chapter 394 It is time to lose

    Adam''s pupils narrowed as he took a step forward, putting his needle out for defense.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Damien''s rod and Adam''s needle collided, throwing aside cascades of sparks flying before their eyes.


    As Damien anticipated, Adam''s needle was sharp, he felt that if his rod had been less durable, it would have broken already.


    "Good, you could block the first attack, but what about this one?" Damien smirked before unleashing a hail of strikes at Adam from different angles and varying speeds.


    Adam sighed, letting his body move on its own.


    It would still be a while before he got used to his new powers, both abilities and physical capabilities, but his mind realized what he was capable of.


    ''How fast... If I moved at this speed, I would be able to fight against gue Reaper without amplification. But... there''s someone much stronger in front of me right now, isn''t there?'' Adam pondered while blocking Damien''s countless attacks.


    If an ordinary person who hadn''t seen any battles was watching their fight, all he would be able to see were the ck shesing from Damien, his hands moving too fast.


    However, Adam had no trouble keeping up with Damien''s pace. He didn''t have a chance to counterattack, but he could see Damien''s movements, which was already a sess for him.


    "Well, well, looks like I underestimated you. Damn, I''m going to have to use energy and abilities to defeat you or I''ll soon run out of breath." Damien said maintaining the pace of his attacks.


    Adam''s corners of his lips went up. The praise from Damien gave him confidence.


    Then... Damien stopped.


    "Agh...?" Adam''s eyes grew wider as he stared at Damien in confusion, as he stopped attacking for no valid reason.


    Damien smiled weakly.


    "Hah, I''m just kidding."


    Crackle.


    Damien''s silhouette disappeared as he appeared behind Adam. Simultaneously, a crunch sounded and Adam felt bright shes of pain, as if someone had shot him right through his body.


    Trying to keep track of Damien''s movements, Adam''s eyes twitched sideways, to the left, only to be filled with fear.


    It wasn''t about Damien, it was about what Adam saw.


    His arm was broken in several ces and twisted at an odd angle. After a second, Adam looked down, his left leg was in the same condition, it looked like it had been caught in a crusher, mangled and incapacitated.


    Bam.


    Adam fell to the ground, his gaze was shocked, he couldn''t believe that this had actually happened. Moreover, he didn''t understand how Damien did it without energy and ability, it scared him the most.


    "Alright, 1 - 0!" Damien eximed with an excited expression as he threw the rod onto his shoulder. He didn''t seem to see anything wrong with the situation.


    But... Why?


    Agh!


    Silvana gasped, looking at Adam''s wounds. They were gruesome, his flesh was torn and parts of his bones wereing out. Damien clearly wasn''t holding back or trying to act carefully, he just turned Adam''s left arm and leg into a horrible mess.


    "What the fuck...? Isn''t this supposed to be friendly sparring? Why did he do that?!" Silvana eximed furiously, ring at Damien with hatred.


    No matter that Damien was one of the most important persons to the Citadel and all of humanity, now Silvana was ready to burn him with her gaze to avenge what he had done.


    Dous said nothing. He raised an eyebrow, surprised that Damien had done this, but something in his gaze showed that this situation would not be a tragedy.


    Crackle.


    While Adam tried to deal with the pain and get up off the ground to continue the battle, the mechanical doors opened again.


    A tall girl in tight white clothes stepped inside. Her shoulders were exposed, showing her delicate skin.


    Her eyes were a unique amber color, like gems that everyone wanted to possess, and her hair was blond and short, reaching only to her chin.


    Damien turned around, meeting the girl''s gaze.


    "Oh, Da, you came just in time."


    Da looked at her NEP, checking the time, then bowed low with a calm face.


    "Mr. Damien, I''m sorry I''mte. I timed it wrong." Da said without daring to raise her head.


    Damien waved his hand nonchntly.


    "Never mind. Even if you werete, you came at the right time. Get on with your work or soon I''ll start feeling embarrassed in front of Adam."


    Da nced at Adam, who despite his gruesome wounds leaned his right hand on the ground, slowly rising.


    "Sure." Da emotionlessly replied before reaching her hand forward.


    Her eyes shone brightly, energy traveled towards her wrist and golden energy emerged from her fingertips like the rays of the sun.


    Immediately, a huge sphere appeared in the center of the chamber shining brightly like an amber star. It did not emit heat or cold, only pure power and a strange calming energy.


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    One look at that star was enough to make Silvana''s heart beat slower and her anger subside.


    Then, Da opened her palm, lowering it slightly and looking at Adam, who wasn''t paying attention to what was happening around him.


    A beam came out of the star, falling on Adam.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    There was a loud crunch as all of Adam''s wounds rapidly disappeared. His arm and leg were back to their original state, bones falling into ce, blood recovered and torn flesh rejoined.


    "What...?" Adam looked at his hand, it waspletely healed.


    He clenched his hand into a fist a few times and jumped in ce, trying to see if there was any damage left, but no, it was all good.


    The beam of light along with the star was gone. Da bowed and walked out of the chamber, heading for the observation room with Dous and Silvana.


    "You don''t have to check. Da has fully healed you, she''ll do that every time you get too seriously wounded." Damien exined, taking a step forward.


    Adam nodded slowly, his eyes growing deeper. He realized that although this fight was Damien''s whim, he prepared.


    "Da, K4-Phantom, so she has enough power to recover almost any of your wounds. Well, as long as all your organs and limbs aren''t destroyed, but I won''t go that far, I guess..."


    Toward the end, Damien''s voice grew quieter, filling with a menace to face that no one would want.


    A secondter, Damien nced at Adam with a slight smile on his face.


    "Well, let''s get on with it!" Damien said as he bent his torso forward, about to attack.


    Adam raised a hand, stopping him.


    "Wait... Do you intend to not even use energy against me? How can a fight be interesting if all you use is your physical force?" Adam said in a weak voice.


    Damien smirked, casting Adam a curious look.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Then, an idea came to him causing his eyes to go wide for a moment.


    "Alright, I see what you''re saying. Then, let''s do the following."


    Damien smirked slyly pointing to his hat.


    "If you can knock my hat off me, then you''re strong enough to wound me. Do that and I''ll start using the energy of the K2-Level." Damien suggested.


    Adam nodded.


    "Fine, I agree. I hope you don''t care about that hat, since I''m going to destroy it!"


    Damien smiled contentedly, waving the rod in the air.


    "Good, that''s the fighting spirit I wanted to see! Come on, you''ve only shown First Order, there''s more toe!"

 Chapter 395 The Gaze

    Da healed Adam, but it didn''t improve his situation in any way. Damien had turned his left arm and leg into a bloody mess in an instant, and Adam didn''t know what he had to do to prevent it from happening again.


    ''Hmm... If I understand correctly, our physical capabilities are now at the same level, so... this difference in strength is only due to the gap in our mastery? Fuck... That''s not good at all...'' Adam pondered, realizing that he was actually weaker than he thought.


    The defeats against gue Reaper in that strange space were just further proof that 1 vs. 1, he was unable to defeat someone strong.


    But... What did Damien think about that?


    He came here because he was curious to watch Adam''s development. This young man interested him because he thought that in the future, Adam could be a Second Rank Phantom.


    Damien nced at his hand, clutching the ck rod tightly.


    ''Damn, I knew he was capable and that he just returned from Fallen Crypt, but... why the fuck is he so strong? I thought I''d get his first defeat just by attacking him, overwhelming him with speed and several strikes, but... he managed to block every single one of my attacks. Was he practicing while he was back home?''


    A slight confusion came over Damien, even he couldn''t guess what had happened on XH-01, and that Adam had fought many times against a ghostly copy of the gue Reaper.


    Damien was surprised not because Adam was faster than he expected, no... his physical output wasn''t abnormal considering his history. One should know how to control their physical power, and that required mastery, a level of which Adam was much higher than Damien had expected.


    ''Well, that just means I need to push him a little harder to use his next ability.'' Damien internally said before taking a step.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    His silhouette shuddered, he faded away appearing a few steps in front of Adam.


    Adam''s pupils narrowed as he prepared to block another hail of quick attacks, but this time Damien was going to use a different tactic.


    He gripped the rod tightly, swinging his right arm from bottom to top.


    Tremble.


    Adam quickly swung the needle, blocking the attack. A momentter, his eyes went wide from the enormously intense pulse that traveled through his entire body.


    Shocked, he stared at Damien''s arm, which was strained to the limit, muscles clenched and veins swollen.


    The impact threw Adam aside like a projectile flying out of a cannon at high speed.


    Bam.


    Adam mmed into the wall, his back breaking through the solid stone bs, plunging him inside. A cloud of dust rushed outward, hiding his silhouette.


    Damien scratched the back of his head.


    ''Maybe I should be a teacher? I''m pretty good at it, aren''t I?''


    Crackle.


    Adam mmed his fist into the wall, climbing out of the smoke cloud.


    His whole body ached, not fatally, nothing was broken or torn, but it showed Adam that he couldn''t continue fighting any further with only First Order''s use.


    ''Fuck... If he hit me with such a powerful attack, he would have broken all my ribs without difficulty. Well, let''s see if I can knock your hat off if I use this...'' Adam internally muttered as energy came out of his body again.


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    Energy only came out of his body when he first used his abilities. Evolution Tree wasn''t used to it yet, so the energy needed to find its path.


    Damien could attack and even win at this very moment, but he didn''te here to win. It was obvious to everyone that Adam was a hundred times weaker.


    "Oh, this will be his Second Order?" Dous raised an eyebrow.


    Da nodded.


    "Yes, it looks like it." Da nodded quietly, "He''s not bad, only lost once in three minutes." Da looked at her NEP, checking the time.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Adam''s eyes shone brightly as the streams of energy shuddered quickly taking another form.


    He used his Second Order - Fallen Weaver''s Gaze.


    Clutch. Clutch. Clutch.


    Like strong ropes or taut strings, a multitude of threads tied tightly around his body in a specific pattern. They looked like a lightweight exoskeleton or an extra set of tendons, allowing his body to withstand great strain and do previously impossible things.


    The threads ran down his arms, legs, and chest, paying attention to every muscle to make his entire body equally stronger.


    Arge cluster of threads, as if mimicking the structure of the human body ran along his spine creating a solid plexus going up to his neck.


    Adam''s neck had the greatest number of threads, as threads from all over his body were drawn here, then the threads traveled further along his jaw to his eyes. Here, the development of the threads stopped, but not the effect of his Second Order.


    Deep in his right eye, aplex grid of amber threads appeared something resembling the intricate drawing of an antique clock, round, with even lines.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Then, Adam blinked once and his whole view of the world changed. He didn''t know how to describe it, but he saw more now as if his vision was honed by decades of hard work with small details.


    All Phantoms had excellent eyesight, it was a bonusing from their powerful genes and strong bodies, but many regr humans didn''t have vision problems either, not everyone wore sses or lenses.


    But... vision-enhanced ability was different. Adam could not see any indicators, through walls, the heat trail of other creatures, or anything like that.


    His left eye provided him with what he needed most with his ability - precision.


    "Wow, you look formidable. I wonder how strong your threads are? And... is it just me, or is there something in your right eye?" Damien tilted his head with a slight smile on his face before appearing in front of Adam.


    Damien didn''t want to wait, so he attacked as soon as Adam came to his senses.


    Bam.


    A ck rod came down on Adam''s shoulder with the same force as Damien''sst attack.


    Crackle.


    Without hesitation, Adam raised his left hand, clenching Damien''s fist tightly, stopping his attack right in mid-air.


    A menacing pulse traveled down Adam''s arm, about to do him serious damage for such brazenness, but the recoil didn''t stop at one point, it traveled in threads all over his body, minimizing the damage he received.


    "Oh, not bad." Damien''s eyes went wide, looking curiously at Adam''s Second Order.


    Then, Adam swung his needle, aiming straight for Damien''s hat. Oddly enough, it easily reached its brim, leaving a shortcut.


    Damien grinned, clenching his fist tightly. A dangerous smirk appeared on his face, it seemed he was about to deliver Adam the next defeat for such insolence.


    His fingertips trembled as his hand turned into a shadow, closing in on Adam at high speed.


    But... at thest moment, Adam ducked, preventing Damien from touching him. He hadn''t even seen Damien''s attackst time, but now his gaze was able to catch every detail.


    "Agh..."


    Adam exhaled hot steam before thrusting the needle into the ground and clenching his hand into a fist. In the next heartbeat, his fist crashed into Damien''s chest, cutting through the wind streams.

 Chapter 396 Eye and Teeth

    Whooooooooooosh.


    Whizzing by at tremendous speed, Damien crashed into the wall like a projectile with a loud rumble. This was the effect of just one precise strike from Adam''s after he used his Second Order.


    "Wha..." Adam let out a sigh more like a wheeze. In some ways, it resembled how gue Reaper breathed before powerful attacks.


    Adam stretched his arm forward, lightly kneading it along with his shoulder before pulling his needle out of the ground.


    He lifted his chin confidently looking at Damien, the cloud of dust around him was quickly dissipating, soon his silhouette would be revealed.


    "Well by the looks of it it''s time to start using the energy, or am I wrong?" Adam said in a calm voice. He was sure he could knock Damien''s hat off with this strike.


    Soon the smoke screen dissipated causing Adam''s eyes to go wide.


    Damien was mmed into the wall, but... hardly did he take any damage. His right hand was in front of his chest with his palm open - he took Adam''s blow with that hand.


    His other hand was holding his hat, which in any other situation would fall off due to sheer inertia.


    "Not bad, not bad at all, but as you can see it wasn''t enough." Damien said with a slight smile on his face before stepping away from the wall.


    Adam narrowed his eyes.


    "Even if you could keep your hat, you lost your weapon. With one hand you blocked my attack and with the other, you held your hat."


    Damien cast a nce to the side.


    "Oh, are you sure? Hehehehe."


    Adam flinched, looking in the same direction as Damien. The next thing he saw was a ck rod, half buried in the wall, a few meters away from Damien.


    "What the hell...? How...?" Adam muttered in disbelief as his eyes went wide.


    The scene of theirst sh shed through his mind. Then, Adam could finally see what Damien had done.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Before he could block Adam''s blow to his chest, Damien abruptly ripped his rod from Adam''s grip and threw it back. Then, his palm was in front of his chest, blocking Adam''s fist, while his other hand gripped his hat tightly.


    Thus, Damien retained his weapon, took no damage and his hat remained on his head.


    Silvana gulped, not realizing how that was possible.


    "No way... How did he do that? Moreover, he wasn''t prepared for Adam to evade his attack, so... Damien just reacted in less than a second and came up with a n of action?"


    Da slowly looked at her with her emotionless amber eyes.


    "Girl... no, Operator, you mustn''t forget who Adam is fighting against."


    Da said serenely.


    "Even if he has lowered his strength to K2-Level, fighting without energy and abilities using a part of some monster as his weapon, it''s still Damien. The difference in their mastery is too great."


    Step.


    Damien stepped forward, pulling a ck rod out of the wall before looking at Adam.


    "Adam, I''m not going to lie, that was a good try. You surprised me and managed to take me off guard, but you won''t get that chance again. Your First and Second Orders are not enough to knock my hat off as I am now ready for your new opportunities."


    Damien pointed his rod at Adam.


    "Go ahead and use your next abilities. You''re just like any K2-Phantom supposed to get something unique from your Initial Gene, aren''t you?" Damien smirked.


    Adam narrowed his eyes. He knew what Damien was talking about, but didn''t immediately agree.


    "No, I want to try again. I''m sure I can knock that hat off you, it''s not that hard." Adam said, gripping his needle tighter.


    Damien didn''t say anything, he just nodded slightly, walking slowly towards Adam.


    At the same time, Da turned around and headed towards the exit of the spectator room.


    Silvana turned in her direction.


    "Wait... Where are you going?"


    Da looked at her over her shoulder, turning her head slightly.


    "Hmm? Isn''t it obvious? Pretty soon they''re going to need my help again." Da looked at her NEP, "I think in about ten seconds."


    Then, Da walked out of the room, calmly pacing the empty hallway, towards the chamber.


    Step. Step. Step.


    At the same time, Damien shortened the distance between them.


    "Agh, Adam, you never ept defeat until it''s toote. Well, not that it''s a bad thing, but I warned you." Damien said calmly when his gaze changed sending a shiver of fear over Adam.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Damien tore forward, finding himself in front of Adam. Before Adam could do anything, the tip of the ck rod came down on his leg and chest at more than ten points.


    ''What, how does he move so quickly and deftly? It''s like he''s been fighting with that rod his whole life!'' Adam inwardly eximed.


    He could barely make out Damien''s movements. They weren''t very fast, but perfectly precise and correct, Damien didn''t do anything unnecessary, keeping maximum time and using the full capabilities of his body.


    Adam swung his needle, about to slice into Damien''s chest, but before he could lower his needle, Damien was already dodging to the left.


    Then, with a serene look, Damien swung his rod while simultaneously turning his body to achieve the greatest inertia.


    Crackle.


    The tip of the rod crashed into Adam''s face with such force that his skull cracked and his left eye just flew out.


    A chunk of Adam''s skin was left on the rod along with the flesh, rare drops of blood fell to the stone floor.


    "You''re getting stronger, so with each of your defeats I''ll have toe up with more drastic methods. So... be prepared if you want to make it to the end." Damien sighed disappearing and finding himself on the other side of Adam.


    Adam''s eye twitched, trying to keep track of Damien, but as soon as he saw Damien, the world before him tilted.


    His right leg was broken and the threads weren''t capable of absorbing such sharp and quick damage.


    Adam gritted his teeth trying to fight back. If he hadn''t used Second Order, without his new gaze he wouldn''t even be able to see what Damien was doing, he would just fall to the ground.


    Bam.


    The ck rod mmed into Adam''s stomach like a club, then, Damien stepped forward, swung his rod in the air like a bat, and struck Adam''s jaw at full speed.


    Blood gushed from Adam''s nose as several teeth flew out of his mouth.


    While Adam was still in a daze, Damien attacked several times at the same point, breaking a few ribs on Adam''s right side with his rod.


    Bam.


    The impact threw Adam aside, predicting him to fall not far from his teeth and eye.


    Damien swung his rod knocking off the blood on the floor like with arge paintbrush.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Silvana flinched. She had never seen Adam lose so quickly and easily. Compared to Damien, gue Reaper was a clumsy and slow monster.


    Dous sighed heavily. He knew something like this would happen when they fought.


    "Well... Damien is gradually getting tougher, however... Adam too." Dous uttered looking at Adam''s fiery gaze.


    This humiliation made him want to win more and more, he couldn''t afford to keep losing like this.


    Crackle.


    The mechanical doors opened letting Da inside.


    "The wounds are more serious this time." Da said calmly.


    "Is that a problem for you?"


    Da shook her head. Experience new tales on empire


    "No, not at all. I just need to put his eye back in ce, any medic can handle that."

 Chapter 397 Silver Threads

    Silvana stared intently at Da, who was calmly approaching Adam.


    Adam tried to get up from the ground, but was dizzy and his eyes were blurred. It would take some time for Adam to regain consciousness.


    "Mr. Dous... This girl, Da, who is she?"


    Dous nced at Silvana, keeping his arms crossed on his powerful chest.


    "Hmm, like Damien said, she''s a K4-Phantom, but I wouldn''t address her as a girl if I were you."


    Silvana tilted her head in confusion.


    "Wait... Is she a guy?"


    Dous gave her a baffled look, then...


    "Hahahahahahahahaha!!!"


    The room was filled with powerfulughtering from his heart.


    "Damn, youngsters, you always surprise me. No, Da is not a guy, that''s not what I meant. Agh, I haven''tughed like that in a long time." Dous took a few deep breaths trying to calm down.


    Silvana puffed up her cheeks, now she felt awkward.


    ''Shit, why did I even keep holding it in the first ce?'' Silvana thought looking down at the strawberry milkshake.


    Dous pointed at Da.


    "I mean she''s a lot older than you, you''re a girl, but here she is a woman, experienced, and has seen a lot in this life." Dous said, then his voice got lower, "Of both worlds."


    Silvana''s eyes grew wider for a moment.


    "Of both worlds? What do you mean?"


    Dous''s gaze became more serious.


    "Like Adam, Da is a Natural Phantom, but unlike Adam, she didn''t be a Phantom at a young age." Dous exined.


    Silvana didn''t interrupt him, she had already realized that Da was an unusual person. However, being a K4-Phantom was already a genuine aplishment in itself, regardless of whether there were any other specifics.


    "She, like most people failed all the tests, she didn''t get the Spark and she didn''t be a Phantom. Though, she didn''t count on it since she set her sights on being a doctor and getting a medical degree since she was a kid." Dous shrugged.


    Then, his gaze settled on Da who stopped in front of Adam, assessing his situation.


    "And she seeded. As a doctor, or rather a surgeon, she was talented and destined for a decent career, but one day everything changed."


    Silvana nodded.


    "I see, when she became a Phantom, right?"


    Dous scratched the back of his head.


    "Yeah, it''s been years since that day. Even if Phantom is talented and manages to survive, it takes a long time to be a K4-Phantom. It can''t be done in a month or a year." Dous exined.


    Unlike Artificial Phantoms, a person could be a Natural Phantom at any age since Spark and energy appeared after killing a monster.


    This could lead to the appearance of Phantoms that already possessed skills in some fields whether it be medicine, engineering, or cooking. Sure, this was rare and usually by mysterious coincidence.


    In fact, Adam had already met one such Phantom - Zakira, the chef at Red Feast. She was a Natural Phantom with culinary skills.


    Usually, such Phantoms would try to find genes from those monsters that would give them abilities simr to the skills they gained over the years in their profession.


    And... Da was no exception.


    "Hmph, Mr. Damien, you''ve provided me with a bit more work this time." Da said calmly looking at Adam''s teeth and his eye lying on the ground.


    Damien just shrugged his shoulders. He wasn''t going to hold back when he was fighting with restraints, though... even so he wasn''t showing all he was capable of.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Da''s amber eyes sparkled when golden energy coated her delicate hands.


    Then, she pushed Adam lightly in the shoulder, knocking him to the ground.


    "Please don''t try to get up while I''m treating you. Lie on your back and breathe, that way I can do my job quickly and efficiently." Da uttered with an emotionless face.


    "Agh!" Adam gasped when his back touched the hard floor. He felt both pain and relief.


    Da nodded, bent down, and picked Adam''s eye off the ground before simply sliding it into ce like a puzzle piece in a mechanism.


    Before Adam could say anything, Da gripped his jaw firmly, forcing his mouth wide open.


    Assessing the situation, with a deft movement of her hand, Da slid Adam''s teeth into ce, simply digging their sharp tips into the flesh.


    Sure, it was impossible to heal Adam''s wounds this way, but Da did it to make him recover faster, nothing more.


    "Good, you''ll be fine now." Da nodded before cing her palms against each other.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A slight shiver went through the air as an amber sphere appeared around Da. It was different from the star that she summoned earlier, the sphere was smaller but also much more solid, its surface covered with pentagons like bee honebs.


    Part of the bright light fell on Adam likerge snowkes, gradually covering his entire body.


    After less than ten seconds, Da nodded and parted her palms before taking a few steps back.


    The amber sphere shattered, breaking into shards that soon disappeared without a trace.


    Adam opened his eyes, no longer feeling dizzy and the metallic taste of blood filling his mouth. There was no more pain, instead, a desired relief flowed through his body with power.


    Da didn''t make him stronger, she simply healed all his wounds, returning Adam to his peak state when he could show everything he was capable of.


    "I''ve done my job. I''m going back to the spectator room." Da said serenely as if this was a routine task for her.


    Damien nodded with a slight smile on his face.


    The mechanical doors closed as Adam stood on the ground, once again marveling at Da''s abilities. It seemed she could bring even the dead back to life if she wished.


    "How does it feel?" Damien asked in a kind voice.


    Earlier, he caused Adam serious wounds, but he didn''t bear any anger or hatred towards Adam. It was part of their friendly sparring that was tougher than Adam and Silvana had expected.


    Adam took a deep breath.


    "2-0, right?" Adam looked at Damien, his eyes calm.


    Damien shrugged nonchntly, he couldn''t deny that Adam had lost twice already.


    "And you''re still wearing your hat. Well, it looks like you''re right. I actually should have used it earlier, I''m just nervous..." Adam whispered.


    "Hmm? You''re nervous?" Damien was surprised to hear something like that from Adam.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Adam nodded.


    "Yeah... I''ve often thought about it. Needle and thread have always been my faithfulpanions, my weapons and tools. But... it seems only now, I got the opportunity to touch a piece of the true potential of my Initial Gene."


    Adam plunged the needle into the ground as his eyes shone brightly and dense streams of energy once again covered his body as before, when using First and Second Orders.


    However... now the light was much brighter and the energy was more powerful than ever.


    Moreover, there was another differencepared to the usual Orders.


    [You used your Initial Order - Silver Threads.]


    Even his Evolution Tree wasn''t left out, filling Adam''s mind with calm but critical words for his story.


    The ability''s name was simple, but... sometimes it was the simplicity that hid all theplexity.


    Then, everyone saw the snow-white rings appear on Adam''s fingers, dozens of silver threads emanating from them, rising and swaying majestically like a natural force.


    ''Silver Weaver...'' Silvana murmured, ''Right... this moment had toe at some point. Any weaver should be able to use their threads... as a weapon and as a tool to change their fate...''

 Chapter 398 Control Difficulties

    As soon as Adam used his Initial Order, snow-white rings appeared on his fingers, they were needed for one single purpose - controlling the threads.


    From each ring came several threads, dozens of them in total, rising up and slowly swaying as if in the wind.


    Damien''s eyes went wide for a moment, it seemed even he was impressed.


    "Oh... Not bad, not bad at all. Looks like you have almost half a hundred threads... Impressive, but..." Damien said, hisst words not having time toe out of his mouth.


    Adam stared intently at Damien as the amber grid deep inside his right eye sparkled, making his vision more urate.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Without hesitation, Adam swung his arms, causing his silver threads, like des to rain down upon Damien.


    Was Damien wary, or maybe even scared?


    Well... It was hard to tell from his calm face what he was feeling, but soon he shook his head like a disappointed teacher.


    Step.


    Damien took a small step to the left. He seemed to do it to prepare to block Adam''s attack, but... Damien just stood his ground, doing nothing.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Several threads passed right next to Damien, leaving streaks and destruction on the floor, traveling further and hitting the walls that were quite far away from Damien.


    Strangely enough, none of the threads hit Damien directly, he calcted their trajectory beforehand and stood exactly in the safe zone.


    Some of the threads passed within millimeters of his face, arms, legs, and shoulders, but none of them managed to hit him or hurt him, not even a scratch was left.


    Moreover, Damien''s hat was still on his head, he didn''t even need to hold it from falling off. Sure when a few threads swept by him at high speed, the hat shook slightly, but it wasn''t enough for Damien to lose it.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The threads continued onward, hitting everything randomly and leaving deep marks like cuts.


    Some of the silver threads headed straight for the spectator room, Silvana flinched, she thought the threads were going toe crashing down on them.


    Dous wasn''t worried, his hands were still on his chest, but Da wasn''t as calm.


    Just in case, she took a few steps forward, preparing to protect them. Da couldn''t let Dous get hurt, and Silvana... Well, she was lucky she was standing next to Dous.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Silver threads rained down on the sturdy ss made of parts of a dangerous monster far beyond Adam''s power, so his threads couldn''t even leave a mark.


    However... a violent shudder spread throughout the room that was made of rather ordinary materials, concrete and steel.


    But, soon everything came back to normal, the tremors calmed down and Adam''s threads returned to his rings. They came to their past length, rising a little above the level of his elbows.


    "What the hell...?" Adam gulped in confusion.


    His expression was lost as he nced around. His attack had caused quite a bit of destruction, but... what was the point of it?


    He wasted a lot of energy and failed to achieve his goal. Even with his gaze from Second Order, he couldn''t control his threads urately enough.


    And... Damien realized it immediately as Adam unskillfully swung his arms.


    "Too much." Damien said calmly, pointing at Adam''s threads.


    Adam gulped, looking at him with a baffled face.


    "What? What do you mean?"


    Damien sighed heavily, he didn''t understand why he had to exin something so trivial.


    Well, for Damien it was obvious, but for Adam, it was a true mystery. He didn''t understand why he''d handled it so poorly when he was finally able to control his threads.


    "Look, people spend years to learn how to use a sword at master level. If you''re talent-deprived, it can take a long time to learn the basics of swordsmanship."


    Damien said before staring at Adam.


    "Do you really think you can control half a hundred threads without any problems? Yeah, it''s your ability and I''m sure your Second Order has helped you, but so far it''s too difficult for you."


    Adam shuddered with a dark stare looking at the rippling threads.


    He realized that Damien was right. Before attacking, Adam had expected to be able to easily wound Damien and knock his hat off, however, only some of the threads reached Damien, but none hit the target.


    Most of the threads went a few meters off their original trajectory andnded in random ces.


    If Adam made such an attack on the battlefield, in Dead Lands, it would be a pure failure.


    "But... what should I do then? Do I have to give up my ability and spend years practicing?" Adam asked with fear in his voice. Such a perspective frightened him.


    Damien shook his head.


    "Nah, you don''t have to. You just didn''t need to use the full power of your Initial Order. Use fewer threads, try starting with one."


    Adam was in no hurry to act; he wasn''t sure.


    "Come on. There''s no point in wasting time. Direct all the energy of your ability to one ring to create one powerful thread. That way you won''t need to control fiftyplex weapons, but just one."


    Damien shrugged, offering the best option he had.


    "In a way, it''s like fighting with a whip, isn''t it?"


    Adam blinked a few times wide-eyed before nodding.


    Their sparring may have had some pretty rough moments, Adam had already suffered quite a few serious wounds, but fighting against Damien had its advantages. Damien was experienced enough to give Adam helpful advice as soon as he saw his new ability.


    "One thread... right, that might work." Adam muttered before closing his eyes, concentrating.


    His rings trembled, bringing the released threads back to themselves. He didn''t leave a single thread, then Adam looked at the middle finger of his right hand.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He decided that he would create his dense thread just from the ring on that finger. It was the most convenient option for him, as it was the center of his main hand, so he could get used to his new abilities faster.


    Then, the ring shuddered releasing a dense and long thread. It was much thicker than the silver threads that were many times thinner than human hair. However, it was still far from the thickness of an actual rope.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    At Adam''s will, the thread came into motion tying itself tightly around his wrist. It seemed that the thread was meant to hurt him, but it was his ability, his energy so it was unlikely.


    Moreover, it wasn''t worth forgetting that his Nexus, his gauntlets were on his arms, protecting him from any threats.


    Sure, the turn of his Nexus hadn''te yet, but... Adam hadn''t even knocked Damien''s hat off yet, so... their time woulde, soon enough.


    Clutch.


    Adam gripped his thread tightly, ready to attack. It seemed to be awkward, but the thread had the following path: The thread came out of the ring to Adam''s wrist, banded tightly around it to anchor it, then the thread came out from under the wrist, along the palm of his hand running further so Adam could grip it tightly with his hand like a whip.


    In this way, Adam gained durability, stability, and flexibility in controlling his thread, which was to have a positive effect on the uracy and power of his attacks.


    Sure, Adam turned his dozens of threads into one, but it was far better to have one working and deadly weapon than many useless and chaotic ones.


    "Not bad, you seem to have figured out pretty quickly how you can maximize your effectiveness. Go ahead, I''m ready, attack first." Damien said confidently while firmly clutching the ck rod in his hand.


    Adam took his time. He took a few practiced swings, leaving deep streaks on the stone floor.


    However, these were not clean cuts like those from the thin threads when there were fifty of them. The weight of one dense thread was enough to tear shards of stone out of the ground as if struck with a rough object rather than a sharp de.


    This increased thebat potential, as now Adam could not just cut through obstacles, but smash them with pure force.


    Damien nodded contentedly.


    Adam didn''t make past mistakes and tested what he was capable of first.


    "Good, now I''m ready." Adam said with a deep look before taking a step back and bringing his arm up for a wide swing as if he were fighting with a whip, which wasn''t far from the truth.


    Then, bending his torso forward and taking a step further, Adam swung his arm sharply, directing his thread in a curved trajectory rather than just bringing it down on Damien from top to bottom.


    Adam''s goal was to knock the hat off Damien''s head, so his thread was heading towards Damien from the right side, the tip about to crash into the hat. Find adventures at empire


    Damien smirked as he stepped forward and held out a ck rod in front of him.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    At thest moment, Damien jerked his head back, preventing the tip of the thread from touching his head, then the thread had to return to Adam, but it ran into the ck rod once wrapped around it.


    Thatpletely changed the thread''s trajectory, causing it to fly out to the right straight towards the spectator room.


    Crackle.


    Hitting the sturdy protective ss, the thread severed a fingernail-sized piece before falling to the ground losing all of its momentum.


    Dous''s eyes went wide, staring at the damaged part of the protective ss. Sure, it was a tiny shard, but the fact that Adam had managed to damage it was remarkable.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    As if moving on the spiral, the thread quickly returned to Adam, ready for the next attack.


    ''Fuck... Fucking monster...'' Adam bit his lip, staring at Damien, who was smiling kindly as if he hadn''t done anything special.

 Chapter 399 Electricity

    Adam stared intently at Damien, pondering his next actions.


    At this time, Damien nced at his ck rod. Strangely enough, the dense thread could leave a tiny scratch on it. It seemed to be unremarkable, but that was not the case at all.


    ''Well, well, if he knew which monster this rod previously belonged to, pride would fill his heart. Although... he still hasn''t thrown the hat off me. I wonder how he ns to do that? I hope he seeds otherwise, I''ll be disappointed.'' Damien thought as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    He expected Adam to try and attack again. Sure, Adam was going to keep on, but this sparring had taught him that there was no point in trying something that failed, not always, but against Damien for sure.


    Damien already had no trouble dodging his attack, ying with his thread as if it were a trinket rather than a deadly weapon. Such an opponent had to be surprised and taken off guard because if Damien dodged once, he would easily do it a hundred more.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    An electric horn appeared from the right side of Adam''s head as electric shocks traveled throughout his body.


    "Hmm? You think you can beat me with speed?" Damien tilted his head in confusion.


    He saw Adam use his artifact a few times, so he was aware of Adam''s capabilities.


    Damien thought that Adam had decided to attack again with the needle and knock his hat off in closebat with quick attacks.


    Adam shook his head, showing that Damien was wrong.


    "You taught me that I should move faster to new ways to win, so... that''s exactly what I''m doing." Adam said before swinging his thread once more.


    Damien tilted his head. He didn''t understand what Adam was talking about. Damien had seen this ability and attack before, so this was nothing new.


    ''Well, it seems despite what he said, he''s still trying to use the old methods. Agh, I guess another defeat could bring him to his senses.'' Damien thought before looking at the thread approaching him.


    In a heartbeat, he figured out the trajectory of the thread and prepared to dodge. The thread was aiming for his neck, but Damien wasn''t going to stand still.


    ''Fine, I''ll just duck, the thread will fly over my hat and then I''ll run up to him throwing strikes after which he''ll need Da''s help.''


    Damien''s legs flexed slightly as his body began to lower to reach the right height, but... at the same time, an aggressive blue sh reflected in Damien''s green eyes.


    Confusion consumed Damien''s mind for a moment. At first, he thought that Adam had somehow gotten closer to him, but... no, Adam was still in his ce.


    The electricity covering his entire body traveled along his arm, running lightning-fast through the entire thread. The speed of the electrical discharges was hundreds of times faster than the thread, so the thread had already be much quicker due to the electricity effect.


    A slight chill ran down Damien''s back as he couldn''tpletely dodge this attack, the thread was too fast. He just didn''t expect that Adam could use his electricity in such a way.


    Sure, if Damien was in his normal state, then he wouldn''t have feared such an attack, but right now, he was at the lower limit of the K2-Level. Considering how powerful Adam''s thread was, a sessful attack would simply blow Damien''s head off.


    Crackle.


    Damien bent his body at a strange angle, allowing the thread to pass right over his chest. His astonished eyes reflected the dense thread sparkling with electricity, whose tip with more power was a little farther away.


    With perfect control over his body, Damien managed to dodge, but... in the rush of emotions, he forgot that he should protect something else besides himself.


    Thump.


    A muffled thump sounded behind him as the tip of the thread crashed into his hat. A momentter, the thread carrying the hat copsed against the wall, leaving wide cracks, the hat was blown to shreds, it couldn''t be repaired.


    Damien fell to the ground, not attempting to do it urately or to lean on his hands.


    He was stunned.


    Not believing his eyes, Damien slowly raised his right hand, touching his head and his slicked-back hair for disguise, only then did he realize that his hat wasn''t really there.


    It couldn''t be said that this hat possessed any special value, at least that was the case until Adam and Damien started fighting. It was a milestone that Adam had to ovee to make Damien serious and he did it.


    Silvana smiled contentedly.


    Experience tales at empire


    ''Hah, even if Damien is the strongest, with so many limitations he won''t be able to resist Adam. I''m sure once Adam gets used to his abilities he will be much stronger.''


    Da narrowed her eyes looking at the destruction from Adam''s attack.


    "I have to admit... it''s impressive."


    A wide grin passed across Dous''s face.


    "Hahahahahahahaha! Damien, it''s been a long time since I''ve seen you this confused, what fun!"


    Dousughed, unable to contain his emotions.


    "Hah, yeah... you''re right." Damien nodded.


    He wasn''t offended that he lost his hat, on the contrary, in a way he was waiting and hoping for it to happen, as it raised his personal interest.


    "This may sound unnecessarily arrogant, but I think after this we can consider the score changed to 2:1, don''t you?" Adam lifted his chin confidently as the thread returned to his ring.


    Then, the ring disappeared as well. Adam wasn''t about to slow down, but aside from the difficulty of use, Silver Threads had another significant drawback - monstrous energy consumption. Adam decided not to turn off the artifact''s ability for now.


    In total, Adam only made three attacks, one multiple threads and two dense threads, which was enough for him to decide to cancel the ability.


    ''Damn... The potential of Silver Threads is huge, but from the looks of it, I won''t be able to use at least five threads at the same time for a while yet. Well, I still have something I haven''t used.'' Adam pondered.


    Of all his new abilities, the effects of Elemental Root, Nexus, and his Power Gene remained untouched.


    And... this was where Adam ran into a problem. For some reason, he still had no sense of how to activate them, as if the information about them was hidden behind a misty veil.


    ''Agh, I guess that won''t be a problem. After all, these are my abilities.''


    Step. Step. Step.


    At this time, Damien took a few steps forward with a satisfied smile on his face.


    "2:1, you say? Fine, that sounds fair, but... It''s going to get a lot harder now, for you..." Damien said wryly as his hands reached upward.


    With chaotic movements, Damien began to muss his hair, giving it a natural shape.


    His hat had been destroyed, so there was no point in him maintaining his disguise any longer.


    But... This move mattered far more than just Damien''sfort.


    "I hope you''re willing to lose, as I have no desire to hold back."


    As soon as those words came out of Damien''s mouth, his green eyes changed, as if bing brighter and filled with new power.


    The energy spread through Damien''s body, unknowingly spreading some of his aura around.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Everyone felt a shiver and a chill down their backs, neither Dous nor Da were exceptions. No matter what they went through, no matter how experienced or strong they were, in front of Damien''s power it didn''t matter.


    After a moment the effect passed, but it was enough to make Silvana''s legs shake and she fell to her knees.


    ''No way... It''s not even his true strength after all, just the effect of his K2-Level energy...'' Silvana internally muttered.


    Adam gulped.


    "Impressive... Hey, now besides K2-Level, you only have one limitation left, you don''t use abilities. What do I have to do for that? You don''t have a hat anymore, you know?"


    Damien smirked, clenching his fist tightly. He already knew the answer to that question.


    "Blood. Let me bleed, if you do that then I''ll use my powers. Though... if I were you, I''d hope that doesn''t happen."


    Damien waved his hand before heading forward, the moment his foot touched the stone b it cracked as if Damien''s step weighed a few tons. This was a consequence of the considerable amount of energy he had put into this step.


    Energy always filled the Phantoms'' bodies and its main use was to activate abilities.


    Thus, letting his energy flow through his body, Damien gained a new power that he had previously restricted as he waited for Adam to knock the hat off his head.


    ''Shit... Ipletely forgot that before he fought like a normal person, only with enhanced physical abilities. His energy must be terrifying...'' Adam pondered as he prepared for battle.


    Step.


    At his next step, Damien disappeared, ending up next to Adam.


    The first thing Adam saw was a ck rod aiming at him with all of Damien''s power.


    The realization of this instantly made Adam bounce to the side. With his gaze and electricity, he had enough speed and reaction for that. His needle was gripped tightly, ready to spring into action at the right moment.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Even though Adam dodged the assault, Damien didn''t stop his attack. He with an excited smile brought his rod straight down on the wall, releasing all the momentum of his attack.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The entire chamber shuddered as massive stone fragments flew apart, a high cloud of dust rising, in an attempt to hide the destruction from just one strike.


    Dous frowned.


    "Damn... Looks like we''re going to need a major overhaul after their fight..."


    Stepping back from the wall, Damien smirked as he assessed his work.


    A huge hole like an explosion was left in the wall, ayer of dust covered the floor while cracks lined much of the wall.


    Then, Adam imagined what would happen to him if Damien did hit him with that attack.


    "Fuck..."

 Chapter 400 Gravity

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The chamber shook, from the destruction brought by Damien. Dous and Da''s eyes went wide with momentary surprise.


    Sure, unlike Adam and Silvana, they had seen Damien fight many times, but he didn''t often participate in such experiments, lowering his power level to spar with someone.


    For a K2-Level, inflicting such devastation with energy and physical strength alone seemed impossible. Moreover, Damien had set his power level at the lower limit of the K2, so it appeared even more intimidating.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Damien was confidently approaching Adam.


    "Hey, don''t tell me you''re scared. Just like you wanted me to, I started using the energy, but that has its consequences."


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Without waiting for Adam''s response, Damien swung the ck rod, bringing its tip down to the ground. The stone b cracked, rapidly crumbling under the great power.


    "What are you going to do? Try to run away or take the fight?" Damien asked threateningly, slowly approaching Adam.


    Adam didn''t answer anything. He was trying to figure out what to do, he had to somehow block Damien''s attacks or dodge them.


    Damien nodded, realizing that he wouldn''t wait for an answer.


    "Well, in that case, let''s see what you can do!" Damien eximed vigorously charging at Adam.


    Adam''s eyes narrowed as he arched sharply, dodging Damien''s attack.


    A ck rod whizzed over his head, crashing into the wall a momentter. Dust covered everything in front of them, but Damien wasn''t about to stop.


    With each attack, he was getting faster and more confident, the situation for Adam was the opposite. It was harder for him to dodge, so... soon he had to take a risk, a forced one.


    ''Tsk... If it hits me straight on, it won''t just break my arm, it''ll rip it off my body. But... I think I can block his attack if I do it right.'' Adam pondered for a moment before stopping.


    He took a step back, trying to give his stance the most resistance, then his needle came into motion appearing in front of him for the sole purpose of protecting him from theing threat.


    A slight smile appeared on Damien''s face as he made a sharp turn, diagonally attacking. The ck rod mmed into Adam''s needle, into its t part.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The impact threw Adam aside, throwing him into the wall.


    But, this time, it was a lot harsher than usual.


    Sshes of blood gushed from Adam''s mouth, while trickles of blood flowed from behind his back, his flesh ripped and his ribs cracked from the impact.


    "What... How did that happen..." Silvana muttered in disbelief, "Even if it''s Damien... Was the momentum from the collision with the wall so powerful to cause such wounds?"


    "Agh..."


    Dous sighed heavily.


    "No, you misunderstood what just happened."


    Dous shook his head with frowning eyebrows, showing that Silvana was badly mistaken.


    "Earlier, Damien already hammered Adam into the wall, these wounds are not from colliding with the solid stone bs, but from Damien''s energy and the force of the attack that went through Adam''s entire body in a moment."


    Da nodded, taking a step back, it seemed she was ready to go to the rescue again.


    "Most likely, if it wasn''t for his threads absorbing part of the damage, his organs would have exploded, though... from what I can see, his organs are badly damaged." Da narrowed her eyes looking at Adam, who had fallen to the ground with his eyes wide from shock.


    Adam leaned his hands on the floor, while blood continued to flow from his mouth in a powerful stream. His limbs and bones were intact, but... it was the internal wounds that could be the most dangerous.


    "Hey, Adam, if you take this long to recover, you''re going to die in your next fight in Dead Lands." Damien smirked, finding himself right in front of Adam.


    His powerful aura and threatening words made Adam flinch and despite the pain, he immediately sprang into action.


    Instinctively, Adam raised the needle above him, going to block Damien''s attack, it was the best thing he could do in this situation.


    "Well, well, I can''t say it''s the right decision, but it looks like you just don''t have any other choice." Damien said before doing something that caused Adam''s eyes to go wide, filling with fear.


    Clutch.


    Damien gripped the ck rod tightly with both hands, his forearms straining to the limit, covered in swollen veins.


    "No..." Silvana whispered.


    She couldn''t stop Damien or somehow affect their fight, but she realized that Adam couldn''t block this attack, not even with his needle and thread.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Whizzing through the wind currents like a divine punishment, a ck rod came crashing down on Adam''s needle.


    Crackle.


    In a heartbeat, the long, strong needle, capable of piercing any barrier, snapped in two like a matchstick, thin and fragile.


    Then, before Adam could realize anything, the rod plunged into his stomach, turning his organs into a bloody mess.


    The force of the attack shattered the stone bs beneath Adam into small pieces, allowing him to sink into it as if it were loose earth rather than solid ground.


    But... Adam wasn''t thinking about any of this at the time.


    One part of his needle flew off to the side, while the other was knocked out of his hand when Damien''s attack reached its target.


    So the two parts of his needle were in different areas of the chamber, his weapon was destroyed.


    Adam must have felt intense pain, but his mind chose to ignore it, using all of his body''s strength and resources to stay alive as long as possible.


    The current wounds were different from the ones Damien inflicted before, without an arm or leg it was possible to live for decades, but if the organs were damaged, life could be over in a few minutes.


    "3:1, looks like you won''t be able to reach a draw, though it was hardly even possible." Damien smirked, stepping aside.


    After a few seconds, Adam was plunged into darkness, but... it wasn''t long before a golden light seemed to descend from the heavens and bring him back. Da did her job as she was supposed to.


    "Hmm? Why is he inactive?" Dous was confused.


    Dapletely healed him, she had already returned to the spectator room, but Adam still didn''t get up from the ground, continuing to lie with his eyes closed.


    "Hey Adam, I know you are conscious. Da fully cured all your wounds. If you don''t do anything, I''ll just attack you."


    Damien wasn''t lying. Immediately after his words, he strode with a confident gait towards Adam, who was lying in the middle of the chamber.


    And... more importantly, Damien was right, Adam could hear him clearly.


    ''What am I supposed to do...?'' Adam internally muttered, ''Use First Order again and summon the needle? ''No... It''s useless. He''ll just break it, but what option do I have then?''


    Step. Step. Step.


    With each of Damien''s steps, a slight tremor echoed, growing stronger as if counting down for Adam, showing that he was running out of time.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "It''s your decision." Damien shrugged before bringing the rod in for an attack.


    Without hesitation, Damien rained the rod straight down on Adam, putting just as much force as before.


    Crackle.


    In a heartbeat, Adam''s body came into motion as he got down on one knee and raised his right arm.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    A purple sh passed through his eyes like a root.


    Then, Adam gripped the ck rod tightly, effortlessly stopping Damien''s attack when purple energy waves appeared around his hand for a moment.

 Chapter 401 Mass and Shiver

    Previously, Adam could barely block Damien''s attack thanks to the threads from his Second Order, but... when Damien started using energy everything changed.


    His threads were unable to absorb the amount of damage contained in just one quick attack, the task was too heavy, and the speed was too fast.


    Crackle.


    The ground beneath Adam cracked, but there was no sign of pain on his face, and his body didn''t even flinch.


    Damien stared at Adam''s hand, it seemed as if Adam''s grip weighed several tons, wanting to pull the ck rod towards the ground.


    "Oh... This is something interesting, something new..." Damien muttered with a slight smile on his face.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Adam jerked his wrist, flipping Damien around as if he were a lightweight puppet.


    If Damien had been focused, he wouldn''t have let Adam do it, but he was too fixed on Adam''s new ability, staring curiously at Adam''s hand.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Bam.


    Damien''s shoulder touched the floor, followed by his back lying on the cold stone b.


    "Hey, you''re suddenly be so much stronger physically... But, how long will your body be able to withstand that kind of force?"


    Damien asked with an evil smirk on his face. He knew better than anyone that great strength had a price to pay, either in health, energy, or time.


    "Agh..." Adam took a deep breath, "Even if you''re right, I can still do it..."


    Crackle.


    Adam clenched his fist tightly as purple energy streams reappeared, enveloping his wrist and moving towards his hand.


    Damien was in no hurry to dodge, hey on the floor, curiously watching Adam''s slow but truly formidable actions.


    "Hmm... The lightning bolts are an effect of his artifact, so... is it his Elemental Root?" Da said thoughtfully before turning to Silvana.


    Silvana nced at her, puzzled, but soon, she realized what Da wanted from her.


    "Yes." Silvana nodded quickly trying to hide her dy, "It''s the gravitation element that takes up most of his Elemental Root. But, it didn''t give him any active ability before, just a bnce enhancement and a slight physical gain."


    Da was silent for a while, gently gripping her chin, her gaze fixed on Adam, who was making his attack.


    "I see. Well, I wouldn''t call it an active ability, it''s more like a short boost with a serious side effect, but... it''s a decent ability."


    Silvana narrowed her eyes slightly, slowly turning her head and looking coldly at Da.


    "Hm? What are you talking about?"


    Da reached forward, pointing at their fight.


    "Just watch."


    At the same moment, purple energy red brightly, as if Adam was clutching the star tightly in his fist.


    But... in the next heartbeat, all the energy and light disappeared, seemingly leaving Adam''s attack without any additional power.


    That was a mistake. Sometimes, silence and serenity could bring the greatest destruction, since behind their veil they hid true power.


    "Hehehe, unbelievable." Damien smirked.


    Damien''s green eyes went wide, he watched curiously as the air around Adam''s fist shook as if adjusting to the changes in gravity.


    To affect gravity all that was needed was mass, the higher the mass the greater the change. Then, with speed, mass became a brute destructive force.


    Obviously, Adam''s fist wasn''t heavy enough to cause changes in gravity, for that would require objects with much greater size and density. Well, he wasn''t an ordinary human, but a Phantom, so he had the energy to do impossible things.


    ''Fine, the viewing is over, it''s time to leave.'' Damien thought, about to bounce to the side.


    He was curious to see what Adam''s punch was capable of, but he didn''t want to test it by getting hit.


    However...


    ''What...?'' Damien''s eyes went wide when he realized he couldn''t move freely.


    The energying from Adam''s fist pushed him to the ground like an invisible barrier, causing the gray concrete to crack, making Damien''s situation even more difficult.


    "Hah, not bad Adam, too bad your opponent is me!" Damien shrieked with excitement, channeling his energy to his legs and arms.


    At thest moment before Adam''s fist was about toe down, Damien mmed his palms into the ground and jumped aside.


    He tried to retrieve his rod but failed as it was pinned tightly to the ground by the powerful pressure.


    In a heartbeat, Damien found himself dozens of meters away from hisst spot, but Adam was not going to stop, he had put too much power into this punch.


    Moreover, he had another target besides Damien.


    Crackle.


    Adam''s fist crashed to the ground, right into the center of the ck rod.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The chamber shuddered like an earthquake, a trembling far more active and powerful thaning from Damien''s energy attacks.


    Wide cracks spread rapidly from the center, breaking the thick stone bs apart and separating them from each other, reaching the ground level that was several meters below.


    The stone fragments closest to the impact simply turned to dust under the intense pressure.


    There were no explosions or energy bursts, it was pure physical power amplified by gravity, producing a monstrous force.


    Dous watching this could only shake his head with a great frown.


    "Agh... This isn''t an arena... Damn, the chamber isn''t built for this... The fight is certainly curious, but every action they take makes my next few days moreplicated."


    Crackle.


    Adam slowly pulled his fist from the ground, struggling to unclench it, his fingers were shaking, he needed time to regain control, but a satisfied smirk appeared on his face.


    "Hey Damien, what do you think... can that count as 3:2?" Adam asked pointing at Damien''s ck rod thaty in the depths of the crater.


    Damien directed his gaze only for his eyes to go wide. There was a simr reaction from everyone else. They couldn''t believe what they saw.


    The rod was broken into two even pieces.


    "You broke my needle, so... I did the same with your weapon." Adam took a few steps back with a weak look.


    He wanted to raise his hands, but he couldn''t do it, his hands just didn''t obey him, they went limp, and he could barely move his fingertips.


    "Oh..." Adam took a deep breath, lowering his gaze, "So that''s the recoil and that''s with my hands protected by my Nexus. Well, I guess that''s pretty fair."


    In response to Adam''s suggestion, Damien smirked and ran forward.


    Adam''s eyes went wide, he thought Damien was going to attack.


    But, just as Damien reached the crater, he took his ck rod, or rather there were two, but they were much shorter with sharp ends, then he bounced back.


    "3:2, right? Fine, I agree. After all, you broke my weapon, to some extent, it can be considered as a defeat." Damien shrugged nonchntly.


    Adam smiled, hearing praise from Damien would be nice for anyone.


    Then, he turned back, ncing around.


    Almost half of the chamber was destroyed, there was a crater in the center, holes in the walls from Damien''s attacks, many cracks and cuts.


    "Damn... We did some serious damage to this ce." Adam said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.


    Damien waved his hand with a loose smile.


    "Don''t worry about it. The military will rebuild everything, even if we destroy the whole ce."


    Adam nodded, in a way as if Damien''s words gave him permission, but to do what?


    "In that case, I''ll do it without regrets."


    Damien tilted his head in confusion.


    "Hmm?"


    Adam smiled and got down on one knee, leaning toward the ground. He put his palms to the floor as his eyes shone brightly.


    Then, the threads on his gauntlets trembled.

 Chapter 402 Destruction and Defense Threads

    What was Adam doing?


    Well, he simply put his palms to the ground, activating his Nexus, the capabilities of which he hadn''t yet demonstrated.


    Oddly enough, after his defeat at Damien''s hands, Adam''s mind was filled with knowledge of what his Elemental Root and Nexus were capable of, but... some things were still unknown to him.


    His Power Gene - Desecrated Sword, still showed no signs of life, remaining a mystery to Adam.


    Dous, Da, and Damien watched Adam''s actions, some were puzzled, and some had just a mild curiosity.


    However, Silvana could clearly see that Adam was now looking a lot like one of his strongest opponents.


    ''Steel Knight...'' Silvana muttered internally. Looking at Adam''s stance, she saw Steel Knight, who was ready to cause a shakingparable to an earthquake with the vibrations he could control.


    Sure, Adam''s Nexus had nothing to do with Steel Knight. Only his Power Gene had a direct connection to Steel Knight, as it previously belonged to him and became part of Adam''s power after his death.


    But... something was certain, Steel Knight was part of Adam''s history and himself.


    The stronger the Phantom became, the more the Evolution Tree and inner space gained capabilities and energy, wanting to adjust to its owner.


    Thus, even though his Nexus initially had very different functions and origins, things were now different.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Light vibrations came from Adam''s palms, traveling across the entire chamber at high speed.


    At first, the vibrations were faint, almost unnoticeable, but after a few seconds, the momentum peaked.


    Energy passed quickly through the threads of Adam''s gauntlets, making them shake like dozens of strings. All that power traveled down Adam''s arms, straight to the ground, releasing calm and steady vibrations that soon led to destruction.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The stone bs could no longer withstand the pressure, cracking and shattering.


    Then, the same happened to the walls, reaching even to the ceiling, which was the only part of the chamber that had not yet been damaged.


    Whistle.


    Damien looked up, whistling at what was happening.


    "Well, well, even though I said the military would fix it, there''s just no point in repairing it now. They''ll have to make everything from scratch." Damien rubbed the back of his head.


    He felt a little bad for Dous since with his words he gave Adam permission to use his Nexus.


    But... Damien only felt it for a second, then he didn''t care.


    "Hah, not bad, not bad at all." Damien grinned widely shifting his weight from one foot to the other.


    Even a man with his experience and perfect body control needed to make an effort to keep his bnce, but this was just the beginning of the consequences of Adam''s trembling.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    The ground began to separate, causing Damien to jump from one b of stone to another. Then, chunks of concrete began to fall from the ceiling like stctites in caves. Some of them plunged into wide cracks bing spikes, others crashed into the floor turning into obstacles.


    Whoooooooos.


    Damien deftly jumped from one part to another, trying not to fall into the fractures. He didn''t seem to need to expend that much energy on it, he was a K2-Phantom now, so... what could happen to him if he fell into the rift of some big crack?


    Well, Damien had two good reasons for acting this way. First, he didn''t want to lose his position and find himself in a tight ce without being able to move freely, it was fraught with the risk that Adam would just crush him with attacks from above without allowing him to get out.


    But... that wasn''t as important as the second reason. Damien could easily block all of Adam''s attacks and use this situation to his advantage.


    ''Damn, that looks threatening.'' Damien internally muttered intently ring at Adam before taking another leap.


    His gaze was directed towards the cracks that were closest to Adam, about ten meters around him. They were different from all the others, for amongst the earth and concrete, Damien could clearly see the silver glint from the threads.


    The threads tried to hide their presence, but every now and then they showed their tips or opened fully when they left the ground for a moment like snakes only to return.


    ''Hmm... I don''t know if he can extend the radius of his threads more than ten meters, but he can probably control them to point them in one direction and reach a target that''s further away from his protective circle.'' Damien pondered, making assumptions regarding Adam''s ability.


    Damien smirked.


    ''That''s probably his maximum. The trembling is gradually getting weaker, but the threads are in no hurry to leave. However, he doesn''t have that much energy and strength to cover arge area with his threads, but... it''s a dangerous ability, especially in Dead Lands against a mass of enemies.''


    Damien nodded, before jumping away from the debris and heading for the ceiling, a concrete n of action already in his mind.


    Though Adam''s Nexus changed significantly, but his weapon retained its original function of fighting against multiple enemies.


    Damien was not a good target for Adam''s Nexus, but he realized how terrifying this ability was on the battlefield.


    If it wasn''t Damien fighting against Adam, but dozens of monsters, each individually much weaker than Damien, Adam''s Nexus would be enough to defeat every one of them.


    The weakest of the monsters would fall into the rifts from trembling and lose the ability to move, then, if fate was not on their side, the earth would simply crush them with its might.


    The stronger and smarter monsters would reach Adam, bypassing the cracks and trembling. They would have thought that Adam was defenseless since his palms were pressed against the ground to send shivers, so it seemed that there was no way he could defend himself.


    But... as soon as these monsters got within ten meters of Adam, dozens of silver threads would emerge from the ground and pierce their bodies like sharp des. The threads would do everything to protect Adam, so the monsters would die before they could even reach Adam.


    It was a powerful ability, but like any ability designed to fight against multiple opponents, its effectiveness dropped when there was only one opponent and he was too damn strong.


    Crackle.


    Damien jumped to the ceiling, grabbing the edge of the b. Then, with a sudden movement of his hand, he pulled on it, causing the massive piece of concreteparable to a rock to move away from its mountings and fall, heading for the ground.


    At the same moment, Damien let go of his hand and clutched his two short ck rods tightly.


    His eyes narrowed, filling with seriousness and precision.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Whooooooooosh.


    With a few quick swings, Damien shattered the rock into dozens of pieces, each was a hard stone capable of bringing medium destruction when used properly.


    "Wha..." Damien let out a strange wheeze as the muscles in his arms tensed to the limit and his gaze became more focused than ever during their fight.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Moving at his top speed, Damien attacked with his rods, but not the sharp ends but the blunt ones, for one purpose - to throw the stones straight at Adam.


    Adam''s eyes went wide watching Damien''s actions. What he was doing was possible both physically and technically, but... in practice, it required exceptional mastery and control over the body.


    The speed, the trajectory of the attacks and the moderate force to not destroy the stones but tounch them at Adam like projectiles from a cannon were all necessary to make this improvised attack.


    So, a few seconds after Damien jumped up, Adam watched as a multitude of rocks flew towards him at a dangerous speed.


    ''Wait... Should I even dodge? When I was a K1-Phantom, ordinary bullets or knives could barely injure my body. Now I''m a K2-Phantom, so... my defense due to body strength and energy has be much higher, that''s for sure.'' Adam pondered.


    But... after a moment he realized that this could have been his fatal mistake.


    ''No... It''s Damien... If during his attacks he channeled energy into the rods infusing the stones with it, then... Fuck! I have to run!'' Adam inwardly eximed as he realized what awaited him.


    In a heartbeat, Adam jumped as far away from his spot as possible, managing to escape the hail of rocks at thest moment.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    A multitude of stones like missiles flying out of a cannon rained down in a single point, shaking the entire chamber and raising up a thick cloud of dust.


    The sound and destruction wereparable to a powerful explosion, but they were just stones thrown with tremendous force and filled with energy.


    Tap.


    Damiennded with a slight smirk on his face. The threads in the rifts were gone. As he expected, Adam had to keep his palms against the ground for his ability to work correctly.


    "Good for you for stepping back, otherwise Da should work hard to get your life back, Hahaha." Damien smirked with excitement on his face.


    Nodding slightly, Adam nced at Damien.


    "Yeah... That was dangerous. I couldn''t make an attack like that, it was incredible."


    Damien didn''t respond anything to the praise. He only shrugged his shoulders carelessly.


    "What''s next? Do you have anything else left besides Nexus? You still can''t make me bleed." Damien asked with a serious face. He was ready to end their sparring if Adam tested all of his abilities.


    "Well, you''re wrong."


    "Hmm?"


    Damien tilted his head in confusion.


    Without further ado, Adam raised his arms, which went back to normal after two gravity blows.


    Then, he turned to the spectator room, looking at Silvana.


    "Hey, I hope you''re enjoying the fight, but... cover your ears. I don''t want you to get hurt."

 Chapter 403 Two Sounds

    Thread was a tool not only for tailors or weavers but also for musicians. Sure, they weren''t the kind of threads a tailor used, but actual strong strings, but it was just a matter of durability, tension, and material, the essence as well as the appearance was simr - to bind, to connect things to create something new.


    And... Adam knew this well. His threads could aplish any task for him, be his whip, his sharp de, sew pieces of cloth together, or make melodies.


    "When you think of it that way, it''s been quite a while since I''ve used that ability. For gue Reaper, that sound would be like a pleasant noise. But... It''s not the same ability it used to be." Adam muttered with a slight smile on his face.


    Damien and the others watched Adam''s actions with curiosity. They all knew what his Nexus''s past ability was.


    He had to strike the threads apart on his gloves to cause an eerie sound capable of immobilizing opponents or even killing them if they were much weaker.


    But... What was Adam going to do now?


    His hands moved towards each other in a slightly curved path, so that the first point where the threads would touch was at the very edge of his gauntlets, not far from his elbows.


    "Like this, right...?" Adam mumbled uncertainly, beginning to move his arms slowly.


    Adam''s movements were most like when a warrior sharpened his sword with a special stone.


    His left hand was at the top and moved vertically from top to bottom like a sharpening stone, while his right hand was at the bottom, staying in one ce like a fixed sword whose de was being sharpened, making it thinner and deadlier.


    But, Adam''s Nexus wasn''t a sword, so there was a uniqueness to his movements customized to his ability.


    His hands slowly rotated since unlike a sword and a sharpening stone, his gauntlets were sharp on all sides, the threads tightly covering the Nexus like guards sworn allegiance to Adam.


    Thus, like two spinning gears, the gauntlets came in contact with each other slowly turning and touching every thread.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A sound wave emanated from Adam, almost visible as the air shook as it moved.


    Damien swung his rods, preparing to attack, but... when the sound reached him he felt no pain or anything like that.


    "Agh...? What''s going on?" Silvana muttered, puzzled.


    In a second, the sound wave should have reached the spectator room.


    Until thest moment, Da hadn''t seen a threat in Adam''s ability, she thought this sound wave was harmless, but something made her drastically change her mind.


    Step.


    Quickly, Da stepped forward, creating a protective barrier in front of herself to shield Dous and Silvana.


    Crackle.


    A sound wave crashed into the amber barrier, shattering into purple-gray ripples.


    Silvana stared wide-eyed at this unusual color that reminded her of something. It wasn''t gravity or anything like that, but Silvana felt that the sound had some effect, she saw something enchanting in it.


    "Hmm? Nothing happened?" Damien muttered in confusion, ncing down at his hands.


    Then, Damien shrugged and stepped forward. He didn''t know exactly what Adam had done, whether this attack was a sess or a failure, but he felt okay. Then he should keep fighting and see if Adam had something else.


    ''Agh... What does that mean...?''


    Damien''s eyes went wide when he realized he hadn''t made his step yet.


    Moreover, the world in front of his eyes tilted, sinking more and more to the right side, as well as his whole body...


    The next thing Damien saw was the ground approaching, everything in front of his eyes blurred, about to darken and send him into a deep sleep.


    ''Oh... I see...'' Damien said to himself in a weak voice.


    Then, a slight smile appeared on his face and his right hand came into motion.


    In a heartbeat, the sharp end of the rod stabbed into his leg, blood rushed out along with a wave of pain that traveled through his entire body.


    People were afraid of pain and there was a reason for that, but... the pain itself was not scary, people tried to avoid what was behind the pain and its source.


    The pain itself was only useful, it showed that something was wrong, or it could help a person regain consciousness by bringing instant rity to a clouded mind.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Droplets of blood reflected in Damien''s green eyes as he forced his energy to actively flow through his body, quickly getting rid of the negative effects of Adam''s sound wave. A sh of pain allowed him to take control of his body, then it was a matter of technique.


    "Damn, I didn''t expect that from you at all..." Damien said genuinely surprised.


    Sure, he had seen quite a few abilities with simr effects, but he didn''t think Adam would have something like this.


    "It''s hypnosis or something, right? If it were me, someone else would probably fall asleep and that would be your victory." Damien assumed, intently looking at Adam.


    Adam nodded with a serene smile on his face.


    "Yeah... you could say that. Thanks to you lowering your power now we were on the same tier, so it had a serious effect on you." Adam said before guiding his hands to his chest.


    Damien''s eyes went wide, he realized that this wasn''t the end.


    "By the way..." Adam stopped narrowing his eyes, he nced at Damien''s leg, "I take it that doesn''t count?"


    Damien smirked lowering his gaze. There was a wound on his leg, trickles of blood flowing down, but... it wasn''t Adam that did it, it was Damien.


    "Hah, unfortunately, I can''t count that as fulfilling my condition. If you want me to start using abilities, you have to wound me." Damien shrugged with an ironic smile.


    "I see... Well, I didn''t expect any other answer, since you won''t be able to dodge this one." Adam said calmly as if he had a way of making Damien bleed from his attack.


    Then, without dy, Adam put the gauntlets against each other, but... this time something was different. He acted much harder and the threads literally pressed into each other instead of lightly touching as they hadst time.


    Clenching his teeth and fists tightly, Adam''s hands went into motion, making an eerie, creaking sound like a ghost screaming for mercy.


    Sparks flew off his strands, only increasing the effect.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    This sound wave was much faster and more aggressive than the previous one. For a moment the sound wave revealed its color, it was red as bloodlust, but soon the color disappeared, the wave continued to move towards Damien.


    ''It doesn''t matter that you''re Damien, without abilities, you can''t defend against this attack.'' Adam pondered, casting a nce at his gauntlets.


    The threads no longer looked straight and perfect. However, a normal person would never notice that the threads on Adam''s Nexus had somehow changed. He could see it with his gaze, there were micro-damages on his threads, they needed some time to recover.


    That meant only one thing to Adam - for now, two sound waves were his maximum, after that, he needed to wait for quite some time.


    Then, Adam nced at Da who continued to hold the barrier, wanting to protect Dous and Silvana.


    ''Yeah... Unlike most attacks, sound has no limits. It''s possible to defend yourself with abilities, but...'' Adam looked at Damien, ''Right now you only have energy and physical strength. It''s not enough to stop the sound wave.''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    An aggressive sound wave crashed into Da''s barrier, spreading around like the scream of a raging beast.


    Silvana gulped, she was scared to imagine what damage she would suffer if Da didn''t protect her.


    ''Unbelievable... I''m sure the weak Light Yellow monsters'' heads will explode from that attack, that sound will tear them apart.'' Silvana pondered as a shiver ran through her body.


    Damien grinned widely exposing ck rods forward.


    ''Agh....? What''s he going to do? Adam was confused, ''Without abilities, he won''t be able to dodge the sound wave.''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Damien''s hands trembled as energy flowed through them, a lot of energy, and by Damien''s will, all that energy umted at the tips of the rods, glowing slightly like tiny snow-white stars.


    Crackling.


    The two tips collided with each other at an angle, merging into one bright star.


    Then, when the sound wave reached Damien and was about to do him serious damage, his hands went into motion, causing the rods to separate in different directions, one up and one down.


    Thus, for a moment, using energy Damien ripped the sound wave exactly in an area so he wouldn''t get hit.


    Crackle.


    The next moment, the sound wave crashed into the wall behind Damien, leaving considerable damage and many cracks on it.


    "Well, well, it seems it''s time for us to call it a day. By the looks of it, that was yourst resort wasn''t it?" Damien smirked before stepping forward.


    Adam gulped since Damien was right. He already used First, Second, and Initial Orders, Nexus, Elemental Root, and the artifact.


    Power Gene... Well, he didn''t know how to activate it, he still didn''t even have a clue.


    ''Whatever, I just have to keep fighting.'' Adam shook his head going to use his First Order once more, since earlier Damien had broken his needle, its parts stilly on the ground.


    But... disappointment awaited Adam.


    ''What? Why won''t it work?''


    For some reason, he couldn''t use his First Order again.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Almost unnoticeably, parts of his needle trembled.


    At the same time, the same tremor traveled through the recesses in his gauntlets that were still not engaged in any way.

 Chapter 404 Broken Needle

    Damien was going to attack and end their fight with a few quick and non-injurious strikes to make Adam admit defeat.


    But... after a few steps, he stopped, not because he was confused by something, but because of Adam''s bewildered face.


    "Hey... Adam, is everything okay?" Damien asked with slight concern, raising an eyebrow. In all their fighting, Damien had never seen Adam like this, it seemed as if he had lost something and didn''t know why or how to find it.


    "I''m not sure... Is it okay that I can''t use my First Order again?" Adam nced at Damien with a hopeful look in his eyes.


    However, although Damien was one of the strongest Phantoms, he was not an omniscient being. Each Phantom had its abilities, unique capabilities, and challenges they faced along the way.


    Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.


    Damien scratched the back of his head, with a thoughtful look.


    Then, he sighed and wanted to say something. He wanted to suggest to Adam to use more energy so that Evolution Tree would understand his order, but then his gaze caught on one detail and everything became clear to Damien.


    He saw the two objects that recently were one, trembling slightly, almost unnoticeable even to Phantom''s eyes.


    "Hah, don''t worry." Damien smiled, shaking his head and showing that Adam had nothing to worry about.


    "What...? What are you talking about?"


    Instead of a direct answer, Damien simply raised his hand, pointing at something behind Adam.


    "Turn around. It''s not nice to turn your back on your loyal partner at such a crucial moment."


    "Agh...?" Adam was puzzled. He didn''t understand what Damien was talking about.


    ''Partner...?'' Adam internally muttered. The first thing Adam thought of was Silvana, but as soon as he turned around he immediately realized what the issue was and how stupid he was.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The halves of the needle trembled, as did the recesses in his gauntlets that were only suitable for elongated and thin objects.


    "I see... Hah, how curious... A few seconds ago I was just lost, but now... the right information filled my mind." Adam whispered with a slight smile on his face as his eyes sparkled brightly.


    At the same moment, the needle parts turned into white-hot shes and reached the gauntlets in an instant.


    The needle parts continued to be a blob of energy, filling the recesses in Nexus like molten metal being poured into a weapon forging mold.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    A powerful pulse traveled through Adam''s entire body. Energy began to emanate from his fingertips, traveling upward as a semi-transparent snow-white trail covered his gauntlets like the glow of a falling meteor.


    "Well, well, before you could only use your needle as an unusual mix between a spear and a sword or throw it like a harpoon, but it seems it''s time for something new, doesn''t it?" Damien said with a slight wave of his hand.


    Adam with sparkling eyes full of joy and calmness slowly nodded, his gaze directed to the recesses in his gauntlets.


    ''Yeah... Damien''s right. K2 is indeed a different level altogether. The abilities are no longer separated like unfamiliar entities, they work together, absorbing my experience and adjusting to my needs as my personal arsenal.''


    It was still his First Order, but there was no needle in his hand, there was no way Adam could have ever imagined such a thing being possible before.


    This opened up both new possibilities and obstacles for Adam. Now, getting the energy from the needle, putting its parts inside his gauntlets in his hands was the concentrated power from his First Order and Nexus.


    Moreover, the Second Order was still active, reinforcing his body with threads and giving him urate vision.


    "Well... I don''t know if it''s fair or not, but I think you can handle it." Damien smirked tightening his grip on the ck rods before rushing towards Adam.


    Step. Step. Step.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In just a few steps Damien appeared in front of Adam, he moved like a sh, a shadow striving towards its goal.


    "What...?" Silvana gulped, fear in her eyes, "He''s going to fight against Adam using rods when Adam has no weapon?!"


    Tap.


    A powerful palm fell on her shoulder. Turning around, Silvana saw Dous behind her, who was looking at Adam with a serious face.


    "Hm? Are you saying Adam doesn''t have a weapon? Come on Silvana, you''re a smart girl, doesn''t that look like a weapon?" Dous said leaning slightly and extending his hand forward.


    Dous was pointing directly at Adam''s gauntlets, then he raised his hand slightly, causing Silvana to nce at Adam''s face, to see his gaze.


    "Oh..." Silvana gasped quietly.


    Adam''s eyes were calm and confident, as was his stance. Now, he no longer needed toe up withplicated moves, techniques, or tactics on how to utilize his various abilities.


    All of his power was literally concentrated in his hands, in his fists and everything was decided by mastery alone.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Damien attacked, bringing the rods down directly on Adam.


    In a heartbeat, Adam took a step back, his left hand raised, knocking the nearest rod away with the back of his palm. The second rod whizzed right before his eyes as his right hand clenched into a fist and mmed into Damien''s side at high speed.


    Bam.


    It was an urate hit that Damien couldn''t dodge because the distance was too close.


    But... Damien didn''t even flinch, he didn''t seem to feel any pain even though the blow was powerful enough.


    Adam''s eyes went wide for a moment, he had no time to think about it so soon he was back in the fight with renewed vigor.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Damien attacked quickly and urately, he didn''t hold back using his mastery to the point where Adam was constantly on the verge of losing and had to be at full power to avoid critical wounds.


    Adam could easily put his gauntlets under attack when the needles were in them, they were much stronger thanks to the energy cover and could withstand Damien''s direct attacks.


    However, Adam''s endurance and body strength had limits.


    "How strange... I guess I''m wrong since I''m just an ordinary human, but it seems to me that Adam fights more effectively than Damien, doesn''t it? I mean, he''s hit Damien many times already, but Damien hasn''t been affected in any way. That shouldn''t happen..." Silvana muttered, she was worried about Adam.


    Da shook her head. It was rare to get anyments from her, but this time she decided to intervene.


    "The thing is, Damien isn''t exactly fighting fair."


    "What...?" Silvana''s eyes went wide. She didn''t understand what Da was talking about since Adam had to fulfill special conditions for Damien to use fewer restraints on himself.


    This fight wasn''t fair, but not for Adam but for Damien!


    "Energy Control." Da said briefly, "If Adam''s fist ms into Damien''s chest, Damien simply concentrates the energy into a single point in an instant, greatly reducing the damage he takes. He''s been using this technique all fight, the most notable use was recently when he cut a sound wave with energy-filled rods."


    Da continued narrowing her eyes.


    "Yeah... Damien has lowered his power to the lower limit of the K2-Level, but... Phantoms begin to learn point energy control by reaching K2, but only at an initial level far from what Damien is capable of. It''s obvious that Damien possesses this ability perfectly."


    "But... how to win then...?" Silvana muttered in a trembling voice.


    Da shrugged her shoulders.


    "The answer is simple: you can''t."

 Chapter 405 Blood and Wind

    ''Something''s wrong... I noticed it earlier, but now I can feel it. My punches, it''s like they be ten times weaker when they collide with Damien...'' Adam internally muttered as he made another strike.


    Bam.


    At high speed, from bottom to top, his fist mmed straight into Damien''s stomach. Waves of shivers ran through Adam''s arm, the energy cover shuddered as the fast momentum headed forward.


    Thump.


    There was a thud, one of the most powerful blows Adam had ever thrown with his fist, but... there was almost no effect.


    Damien only let out a slight sigh before continuing to attack.


    ''Fuck... How is this even possible? If I hit gue Reaper with that much force, even if I didn''t kill him, I would definitely break his ribs or severely damage his organs! But... Damien just doesn''t care though we''re on the same level right now!''


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Two ck shes swept before Adam''s eyes as diagonal cuts appeared on his chest.


    Then, before he could do anything, Damien''s foot plunged into his stomach, causing Adam''s eyes to go wide from the sudden burst of vivid pain.


    "Adam, you still have much to learn, but I mustmend you. You gave a more worthy fight than I expected." Damien said before jumping up and making a sharp turn in the air.


    The next thing Adam saw was Damien''s foot which like a spear crashed straight into his face at tremendous speed.


    The impact threw Adam aside like a projectile, as a consequence he crashed into the wall, a gush of blood pouring out of his mouth.


    A loud rumble spread around along with a rising cloud of dust trying to hide Adam''s hard position.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Damien could end their fight right now, but he was here to teach Adam something new and help him get used to the abilities not to reveal a winner.


    "Honestly, I thought by this point the score wouldn''t be 3-2 but 10-0 or something like that, but you managed to pull off some local wins." Damien said before he stopped.


    He looked up and took a deep breath.


    "My hat... When I offered you that condition I didn''t think you could even damage it, but you knocked it off my head and destroyed it."


    Damien said in a low voice before shrugging his shoulders.


    "But, everythinges to an end just like this fight."


    The whole time Adam was silent, he didn''t even move or try to look at Damien. His mind seemed to be busy with something more important. Perhaps he was trying to think of a n of action since his attacks were useless against Damien.


    "There won''t even be a final attack? Well, suit yourself." Damien sighed.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    In a heartbeat, Damien gripped the rod tightly and threw it straight at Adam at a great speed like a spear.


    Crackle.


    Without a stir, the sharp rod plunged straight into Adam''s left shoulder, sinking halfway into his flesh. Blood rushed out, while thick crimson streams ran down his chest.


    However... even that didn''t make Adam act.


    Then, Damien had an idea of what might have happened.


    "Oh... right, I hit him right on the head, I guess that had a greater effect on him than I expected." Damien muttered scratching the back of his head, then he nced at Da.


    She understood his intentions and quickly exited the spectator room. A few secondster the mechanical doors opened and Da headed towards Adam.


    "Heal him. Looks like myst attack was stronger than I realized." Damien waved a hand scratching the back of his head.


    Da nodded respectfully.


    "Sure, I''ll get right on it."


    She gave Adam a quick look, took a step forward, and held out her hand about to apply the energy.


    p.


    Adam roughly threw Da''s hand away, starting to move for the first time in a long time.


    "No... Go away, if you heal me it will be 4:2... I can''t let that happen..." Adam uttered in a hoarse voice.


    Da looked at Adam for a while before saying: "Adam, you are hurt, you need my help. Your head is most likely badly damaged. Let me help you."


    Crackle.


    Adam quickly pulled the rod out of his shoulder before slowly rising from the ground, walking next to Da.


    She wanted to stop him, but... as soon as she saw his gaze she stopped her attempts. Adam wasn''t even looking at her, all his attention was focused solely on Damien and his energy was condensed in his hands.


    "Hmm...? Do you really have something else left...?" Damien muttered, confused.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam moved forward, leaving Da behind who watched him with real interest. She didn''t know what he was going to do and it fascinated her.


    Soon the energy from the recesses in the gauntlets began toe out quickly in thick streams of energy. They headed towards Adam''s right hand transforming into a full-fledged needle again.


    The needle looked the same as before, the sharp des, the menacing shape, and the sharp tip, but there was one difference...


    The recess in the middle of the needle that had been empty before was now rapidly filling with energy.


    In just a few seconds, a snow-white line was now shining brightly in the middle of the needle.


    "Gha..."


    Adam let out a strange sigh as his eyes grew deeper.


    At the same moment, energy began to emerge from the tip of his needle, like a stream heading towards Adam''s arm and covering the entire length of the needle, reaching Adam''s wrist.


    "Damien... This is my final attack..." Adam muttered in a weak voice before drawing his leg back, getting a suitable stance.


    He leaned his torso slightly forward and ced his other hand on his wrist, wanting to hold his needle as firmly and confidently as possible.


    "Hah, I got it. In that case, don''t disappoint me!" Damien eximed with a wave of the ck rod. He was going to take Adam''s attack no matter how dangerous it would be.


    Adam nodded slightly.


    "Sure, you can rest assured."


    Adam said hisst words before stepping forward.


    A pulse went through his entire body, his eyes shone brightly as he turned into a snow-white sh rushing towards his target possessing the power to pierce anything, even a creature close to a god.

 Chapter 406 Not a defeat

    Adam reached his limit. He used almost everything in this fight except for one mysterious exception. More than once, he discovered what his abilities were capable of during a fight or after a hard defeat at the hands of Damien.


    Perhaps it was the pain, maybe enough time had passed for Evolution Tree to get used to its new powers, or possibly Evolution Tree didn''t want to overload Adam''s mind and sent information to him as it was necessary.


    Well, none of that mattered now since Adam was already past all those stages.


    All he had left was hisst attack, which was definitely the most powerful one he had ever made. His new needle itself was much deadlier than his previous First Order, but... when it filled with energy Adam could unleash an unusually powerful attack.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Doing his best to bear the weight of his own attack, from the position of his arms to his stance, Adam lunged forward.


    Normally he would either move in leaps, trying to mimic the movements of shadows, or run in a straight line, most often when using his artifact''s ability.


    But... now something else was happening to him.


    He felt as if his forward thrust needle was creating a path of energy for him to glide along.


    His feet were moving, but Adam felt no tension or recoil from the surface, only lightness and sublimity.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ripples ran through the air, while wind currents tossed aside small stones, clearing the way for Adam to pass through any obstacles.


    It hardly made any sense, though, since his main obstacle was in no hurry to run away.


    Damien stood confidently in his ce, carefully assessing Adam''s actions and his attack.


    In fact, everything was happening truly fast, for an ordinary human Adam''s speed in this attack wasparable to a snow-white sh that burst from one point and almost instantly reached another.


    But, Damien was no ordinary human... so he could clearly see all of Adam''s movements and energy surges.


    "Alright, I think I can handle that." Damien grinned as he swung his rod and channeled the energy to its tip.


    In a heartbeat, he repeated the same technique he''d used to cut the sound wave. Damien''s goal was simple - he would sh with Adam''s needle, shatter it with his dense energy, and end their fight with a precise strike into Adam''s chest.


    Blink.


    Silvana blinked, and the next thing she saw was the needle tip colliding with the rod. A white sh crashed into a ck one, it seemed like a long confrontation between the two forces was bound to happen.


    But... sometimes the difference was too great to waste even one second on a battle.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Without difficulty, the needle broke the rod into small shards, moving straight towards Damien. The energy from the rod burst outward, flying to shreds before the snow-white energy stream from Adam''s needle.


    Damien''s eyes went wide, and his pupils narrowed. He had no time to dodge or defend himself in any way. Moreover, he was now at K2-Level and it was simply impossible for him to increase his power level in such a short amount of time.


    Then, a bitter smile appeared on Damien''s face.


    He nodded slightly and barely audibly muttered: "Good job."


    The next thing Adam and everyone else saw was Damien opening his palm right in front of the needle tip.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    The needle was already embedded in his palm, piercing the topyer of skin and releasing several scarlet drops of blood, each looking like a precious gem.


    At the same moment, powerful wind currents came out of Damien''s palm, bing an imprable barrier to his defenses that even Adam''s needle was powerless against.


    Adam''s whole body resisted, his hands trembling like the needle, but soon the wind currents achieved their goal. They threw him aside, only a few meters, sending him into the center of the chamber, but that ended his mighty attack in which he put all his powers.


    Rolling on the ground from the throw, Adam stopped, struggling to lift himself with the help of his arms.


    He stared in amazement at Damien, blood dripping from his palm. Damien stared at his hand for a while before turning to Adam.


    "Well, like I said, if you can bleed me with your attack then I''ll start using abilities." Damien nodded contentedly.


    He didn''t actually use the ability because Adam fulfilled the condition, Damien didn''t think about that then. He just realized that if he didn''t block Adam''s attack, the needle would destroy his arm without any resistance.


    Adam blinked a few times as his eyes grew wide at the realization of one important thing that hade to him.


    "Can this be considered another one of my local victories...?" Adam asked a little uncertainly.


    Damien waved his hand.


    "Sure. Why not."


    Adam smirked.


    Then, Damien realized what that meant.


    "Wait... In that case, the score bes 3:3..."


    Damien muttered, slightly surprised that he had let that happen.


    "Hahahahahahaha! Well, in that case we can say you didn''t lose, it''s more than honorable."


    Adam shook his head.


    "No, I disagree."


    Damien tilted his head in confusion.


    "Hmm, what are you talking about?"


    Adam grinned contentedly.


    "It''s not me who didn''t lose, it''s you who didn''t win."


    Silence.


    Da snorted, narrowing her eyes and staring intently at Adam as if her gaze were as sharp as daggers.


    "What impertinence, to say such a thing to Mr. Damien, after what happened."


    Dous sighed quite happily, nodding his head a few times, it seemed that unlike Da he was pleased with Adam''s brash answer.


    "Hahaha!" Damienughed, he wasn''t angered by Adam''s answer, on the contrary, it only piqued his interest.


    "What arrogance, as active as the me in your eyes! Keep it that way! You can''t get better than others if you don''t believe in your own powers!"


    Adam nodded slightly before copsing to the floor.


    He hadn''t passed out or anything, he was just tired and wanted to rest.


    The chamber was ruined in many ces, cracks, rifts, and scratches covered everything, but... in the center, there was enough room for one person to lean his back against the ground and take a deep breath.


    Adam spread his legs and arms apart like a star, looking up at the ceiling with a wistful gaze.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Soon footsteps were heard, not only from Damien but also from Da who already entered the chamber.


    "Da, would you be so kind as to heal us? I don''t want Adam to fall asleep, I have more to tell him about his new abilities. After all, he just became a K2-Phantom and hasn''t fully adjusted yet." Damien said rxedly, leaning against the debris not far from Adam.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Frowning slightly, Da nodded.


    "As you wish, but I think young Phantoms should show more respect for someone of your status." Da said seriously, looking intently at Adam before creating an amber sphere.


    Adam felt relieved at Da''s ability, for that matter so did Damien. At the same time, Damien began to gradually regain his power level, but not too fast to avoid putting pressure on Silvana.


    "Hey, Adam, when going to K2-Level, a lot of things happen, don''t they?" Damien smirked.


    Then, his face became more serious.


    "But... Have you ever considered that the Vault is pretty damn useless?"


    "What...?"

 Chapter 407 Gene Field

    All the genes that Phantom collected from the monsters were stored in the Vault, moreover, after Phantom became K2, opening the first keyhole in his Lock, the Vault underwent significant changes.


    The Gene Cube appeared, a special area within the inner space. The Gene Cube could hold objects withrge amounts of energy in ghost form.


    So... when Adam heard Damien''s words, he was greatly stumped.


    "What, The Vault is useless? What do you mean?" Adam asked, casting a nce at Damien, he wanted to figure this out.


    Damien smiled bitterly.


    "Well, sure, the Vault itself is indeed useful, without it, the Phantoms couldn''t even store harvested genes, but that''s not what I''m talking about, it''s one feature."


    Adam tilted his head in confusion. Strangely enough, he didn''t understand what function Damien was talking about, as if they were talking about different things.


    "Artificial experience or something, I don''t remember what it was called anymore. It was quite a while ago for me, you know?" Damien smiled, hoping that Adam would remember everything now.


    And, he was right. Adam''s eyes went wide.


    He had stayed at K1-Level for quite a long, and in all that time, he had never once used the now-forgotten feature of the Vault.


    With this feature, Phantom could sacrifice a certain amount of genes to get more information about any monster he had previously defeated. This wasn''t just data like appearance, threat level, and so on, but aplete list of the monster''s capabilities and abilities.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    This allowed Phantom to gain artificial experience so that he could fight against that monster with greater sess in the future.


    It seemed to sound useful and effective, this was what almost all Phantoms thought when they first got their powers, but... then something went wrong.


    All Phantoms simply forgot about this feature as it made no sense, the artificial experience was only useful for the very beginners, so only they used it, only to soon forget.


    The reason was quite simple.


    No one felt the necessity of the artificial experience.


    After defeating a monster at least once, Phantom received realbat experience, which was more than enough to win the next time without difficulties.


    Sure, often the battle would end quickly, and Phantom could not get much experience, but that was the point.


    If Phantom defeated a monster very fast, then the monster was weak, and there was no chance it would be a problem. If the fight was long, then the monster was strong, and during their battle, Phantom would gain more than enough experience.


    "Hah, I can tell by the look in your eyes that you know what I''m talking about." Damien smirked, ncing at Adam.


    Adam gulped.


    "Yeah... now that I ponder it... I think I''ve only used that feature once, in the beginning."


    Damien shrugged ironically with a slight smile on his face.


    "Like most Phantom newbies. Fortunately, both the Evolution Tree and the Phantoms are eager to evolve. I don''t know of a single K1-Phantom who has used this feature, or even remembered its existence."


    Then, Damien looked up.


    "That''s probably why with the advancement to K2-Level, this feature simply disappears from the capabilities of the Vault."


    Adam''s eyes went wide in disbelief.


    Without waiting for Damien''s next words, Adam plunged into the inner space and opened his Vault.


    But... just as Damien said, he couldn''t use that feature anymore. Adam simply couldn''t spend genes to gain artificial experience against one of the monsters he had once defeated.


    "Agh... How strange..."


    Adam muttered, hovering in front of the Vault.


    "Before, all this long time ago, I didn''t even think about this feature, but... now that I realized I lost it, I feel sad and want it back, even though it''s forgotten and redundant."


    Then, Adam turned his head, looking at Evolution Tree.


    "Well, Damien''s right... it''s good that you''re evolving too, and able to get rid of the excess without regret. But... what did you offer in return?"


    Strangely enough, Adam exited the inner space, though it was not his direct will to do so. It seemed that Evolution Tree had sent him to the one who could give the best answer - Damien.


    "Hah, judging by your sad look you''ve already figured it all out, haven''t you?"


    Adam only nodded silently.


    "You shouldn''t think about it too much. There''s a bnce in everything, which means if you''ve lost something, you should get something in return. Get up, I''ll show you." Damien said with a wave of his hand before stepping away from the debris.


    Adam followed his example with enthusiasm. He was impressed by the potential of the Gene Cube, so he wondered what else was hidden inside the Vault.


    Then, Adam remembered that back during evolution he felt he hadn''t seen something in the Vault, and now it was time to find out what it was.


    "First, there will be a visual demonstration. I''ll put a lot of energy into it so you can see everything, but it doesn''t usually have color." Damien said seriously.


    Adam nodded deeply, though he still didn''t know exactly what Damien was talking about.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A light ripple moved away from Damien as a bright sh appeared in the center of his chest.


    Very quickly, the sh turned into a semi-transparent white sphere, at first it was small up to shoulder height, but soon it became muchrger, covering Damien like a huge bubble.


    That was just the beginning, the sphere continued to grow until itpletely enveloped the entire chamber, extending far beyond its borders.


    Adam and the others could only see the sphere because Damien had put a lot of energy into it for Adam to understand everything faster.


    "It''s called a Gene Field."


    Damien said, continuing to hold up the sphere.


    "With Gene Field, you can detect the presence of other beings caught in the range of this ability. You sense your targets not by sound, smell, or because you can see them, but by the fluctuations in their genes that you can sense with Gene Field."


    Then, Damien looked at Silvana.


    "Adam, do you want to try it? You and Silvana can have a curious experiment."


    Could Adam refuse?


    Of course not.

 Chapter 408 Left or Right?

    "What am I supposed to do?" Silvana asked with a serious face looking at Damien from the spectator room, only the protective ss separating them.


    Damien shrugged, showing that nothing extraordinary was required of her.


    "It''s simple, leave the room, wait for the doors to close, and then stand to the left or right of the entrance. Then, wait, it will take Adam a while to use Gene Field for the first time."


    Silvana didn''t answer immediately. She looked at Damien for some time, pondering where she should stand, and nodded.


    "Sure, I''ll wait as long as it takes." Silvana cast a nce at Adam before leaving the spectator room.


    Then, Damien turned to Adam with a slight smile on his face.


    "Adam, think about the Gene Cube that surrounds your the Vault. Imagine it could go outside your body, make all the genes you''ve collected so far quiver as millions of particles that will create a Gene Field for you."


    Unlike the other abilities, Adam knew nothing about this one. The information about Gene Field didn''t appear in his mind because it wasn''t something special or unique, every K2-Phantom could do it, only the magnitude of Gene Field was different.


    Adam nodded, closing his eyes and preparing to begin his first attempt.


    "Oh, Ipletely forgot."


    But, Damien immediately interrupted him.


    "It''s unlikely that you''ll be able to create arge enough Gene Field the first time. Moreover, since you''re a K2-Phantom, the size of your Gene Field is rather limited." Damien scratched the back of his head while looking around.


    They had damaged most of the chamber, so he figured that one cut wouldn''t make it much worse.


    Whooooosh.


    Damien grabbed Adam''s shoulder firmly before turning into a shadow and appearing with him in front of the protective ss of the spectator room.


    Filling his hand with energy, Damien swung his palm upward, using it like a sharp de.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The next moment, the protective ss split in two, as soon as Dous blinked he saw Damien and a surprised Adam beside him.


    "Damien... damn it, unlike the other damage this isn''t concrete or steel, it''s a much more expensive material!" Dous frowned.


    Damien smiled nonchntly with a shrug as if he didn''t have any other choice.


    "Come on, we have more important things to do than some ss. What''s more, it can be repaired."


    Damien waved a hand before pointing to the door ahead.


    "Right now Silvana is in there, call Gene Field and tell me if Silvana is standing to the left or right."


    Damien narrowed his eyes to find out the answer himself, then a slight smirk appeared on his face as if he was pleased with Silvana''s choice.


    "Alright, I''ll give it a try, I have a few questions, but I''ll ask them when I tell you where Silvana is standing." Adam said seriously.


    "Sure."


    Adam closed his eyes, he didn''t dive into inner space, he just concentrated.


    Soon the first minute passed, no change, but... pretty quickly the Vault shuddered. Blue energy streams ran along the edges of the book as hundreds of shes of various sizes burst out of it.


    The shes crashed into the boundaries of the Gene Cube, unable to go beyond that area.


    But, that was the way it was supposed to be.


    The Vault simply determined howrge a Gene Field would spread from Adam since it was directly dependent on the genes he had.


    In a heartbeat, all the shes went back into the Vault and then, the white book finally closed, long after Adam''s evolution to K2-Level. The Gene Cube continued to hover around the Vault, it remained unchanged since the Gene Cube had a different task.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A slight ripple appeared around Adam, vibrating the air as it had with Damien, but much fainter.


    There was no bright sh or sphere of any particr color, as without using a massive amount of energy only the Phantom himself could see the color of his rapidly spreading Gene Field.


    "Finally, I''ve got it..." Adam muttered with a satisfied expression, his eyes sparkling with slight delight.


    A white, translucent sphere surrounded him at arm''s length. Only Adam could see that the sphere had a color, for everyone else, it didn''t have any.


    Sure, Damien and Da easily noticed Adam''s field, they could feel the fluctuations in space, and with the help of energy, they saw the visual distortions around Adam.


    But, there was no way an ordinary human or a weak Phantom would realize that Adam was using the Gene Field, let alone notice it.


    "Adam, don''t rx, your Gene Field is unstable, moreover, you must increase its size if you want to understand where Silvana is standing." Damien said seriously, seeing the air wavering.


    Adam gulped, clenching his fist tightly.


    Gradually, Gene Field grew, rather slowly, increasing smoothly and evenly in all directions.


    Soon, the Gene Field hit Damien and Dous as they stood only a few meters away from Adam.


    At the same moment, Adam''s eyes went wide.


    He never felt like this before, it seemed to him that Damien and Dous were on his palm, he could feel their presence.


    Sure, he already knew that Damien and Dous were near him, through his hearing, vision, and smell. But, it was as if he had radar inside him, capable of showing the exact location of each target.


    "Wow... how unusual. It''s probably too early to think about it, but it''ll be damn useful in Dead Lands..." Adam muttered, amazed.


    Damien nodded with a slight smile on his face.


    Letting out a sigh, Adam continued to increase the area of his Gene Field until he reached the limit. Oddly enough, his Gene Field stopped right at the door, just short of the hallway.


    "What...? Is this all I can do?" Adam was confused, even disappointed.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Soon a third person entered his Gene Field - Da, who stood next to him.


    "There''s no need to be frustrated. From here to the gate is five meters, which means the diameter of your Gene Field is ten meters. For a K2-Phantom who went through evolution just today, that''s an amazing result." Da said confidently.


    Dous nodded in confirmation, crossing his arms on his powerful chest.


    "Da is right. For normal beginners on the K2-Level, five or six meters is considered a decent result, weaker and less talented Phantoms in general can only reach three meters in their first use of the Gene Field."


    Adam nodded. He didn''t feel any pride or superiority over that fact. He decided that such a difference was caused because he was a Natural Phantom and stayed at the K1-Level longer than many.


    Tap.


    Damien put his hand on Adam''s back, pushing him forward slightly.


    Thus, Adam took a few steps forward and the entire aisle fell into his Gene Field.


    "So... Where is Silvana?" Damien asked, looking at Adam with interest.


    Adam couldn''t see, hear or smell Silvana''s scent, only with the help of the Gene Field could he get an answer to the question.


    This was a test for Adam to make sure he learned Gene Field to the fullest.


    Could he try to guess, since there were only two options, left or right?


    Sure, but that would be a serious mistake.


    "Hah, I see..."


    Adam smirked lifting his gaze and staring at the doors as if he could see through them.


    And he did.


    He could clearly see Silvana''s silhouette who stood in the center, right behind the door, neither to the left nor to the right.

 Chapter 409 The Benefit of Genes

    Whooooooooooooosh.


    The Gene Field copsed, returning to Adam and disappearingpletely.


    "Silvana,e in, I know you''re standing in the center." Adam said as the corners of his mouth went up.


    Crackle.


    The mechanical doors opened, revealing Silvana who calmly stepped inside.


    "Good job. I knew you could do it and not try to guess."


    Then, Silvana nced at Damien.


    "I know it''s none of my business, but you''ve spent a lot of your time on us, haven''t you?"


    Damien and Dous nced at each other, for Silvana was right. Damien''s time was perhaps the most valuable of all people.


    That didn''t mean he was supposed to be always busy fighting for the Citadel, sure, he did that often, but he also allowed himself to do what he wanted.


    Apparently, among the government, the higher-ups of the military, and other Phantoms, some might have been pissed off that Damien wasn''t devoting all his time to dealing with monsters, but they all kept quiet, no one dared to provoke Damien''s wrath.


    Damien spent his time as he wished simply because he could and no one was capable of forbidding him to do so.


    "Well... I see what you''re saying." Damien scratched the back of his head, remembering that he had quite a few things to do, some of them assigned to him personally by Beth.


    Then, Damien nodded.


    "Fine, I should really get going, but I can''t do that until I answer Adam''s questions." Damien said, turning to Adam, "From the look in your eyes you have something to ask, right?"


    Adam nodded hastily.


    "Yes, I''ll be quick. For starters, what does the size of the Gene Field depend on? How do I expand it? Should I take the time to practice?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Damien waved his hand.


    "Forget it, practice is useless, at best you''ll increase the size of your Gene Field by 1-2% in hundreds of hours of practice, it''s all about the genes. However, quantity isn''t important, quality is."


    "Agh...?" Adam tilted his head in confusion.


    Damien took a deep breath. He didn''t particrly like to exin anything, but right now he simply had no other choice.


    "The maximum size of the Gene Field dependsrgely on how rare the genes in your Vault are. The more powerful gene you have in your Vault, therger its maximum size."


    Damien waved his hand.


    "A simple example, if you had the gene of the Dark Yellow Threat monster in your Vault, your Gene Field would be much bigger, even one gene would be fine, and all your other genes could be White Threat Level, it doesn''t matter."


    After a while, Adam nodded with a deep gaze.


    "I see... So it doesn''t matter how many Blue or Purple genes I have, one Yellow Threat gene is enough to make my Gene Field bigger, but... in that case, there''s no point in collecting genes, is there?"


    Adam shook his hand slightly with a confused look.


    "If everything depends on quality, why would I need to collect dozens or even hundreds of genes from in monsters?"


    Damien shook his head, showing that Adam was badly mistaken.


    "That''s not entirely true. The rarity of the genes you possess only increases the maximum size of your Gene Field."


    Damien scratched the back of his head, trying to think of a suitable example.


    "Imagine you have 100 credits in your bank ount, and I''m your banker. I inform you that your limit has been raised and you can now have 500 credits in your ount, but you still only have 100 credits, so to reach your limit, you need to earn 400 credits."


    Adam gulped, nodding slowly.


    "I get it. When I reach the limit again there will be no point in collecting new genes, but when I get a rarer gene to expand my Gene Field I''ll need a lot of genes of a different rarity."


    Damien smiled.


    "Yeah, you got it right. By the way, although I said that practicing is useless, that''s only true if your goal is to expand your Gene Field. I''d suggest you spend some time to learn how to better use Gene Field and spot targets within it."


    Damien continued:


    "Moreover, Gene Field is not an omnipotent force or radar capable of detecting any creature. Under normal circumstances with Gene Field, the Phantom can only sense creatures much weaker than himself."


    Adam''s eyes went wide for a moment, then he took a deep breath, realizing that such limitations were logical since at his level everyone knew how to use Gene Field.


    "So, if you encounter a monster of equal strength or stronger than you, you probably won''t be able to spot it with Gene Field, nor will the monster ever notice you."


    Beep. Beep. Beep.


    Damien''s NEP trembled as several messages appeared on the screen.


    "Oh, it looks like our time has finallye to an end." Damien said quietly, preparing to return to his normal routine.


    "Wait! Onest question! Although... it''s more like I need some advice." Adam eximed, realizing that Damien was about to leave and it was unknown when their next encounter would happen.


    Damien cast a quick nce at him.


    "A close fight. I realized that if I fought 1 vs. 1 against my toughest opponents, I would have lost to most of them, including gue Reaper. Now, the needle is not only my weapon but also my fists and threads. I''d especially like to learn how to fight hand-to-hand." Adam said seriously.


    He was impressed by the power his blows possessed when his gauntlets were powered by the needle parts. If his opponent wasn''t Damien, he would have easily broken bones and exploded organs with his blows.


    "Well, you need a teacher, I think someone tough, straightforward, and efficient would be good for you... preferably someone you''re familiar with..." Damien muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    After a while, Damien''s eyes went wide when he found the perfect match.


    "Tron, as far as I know, you''ve crossed paths several times and not just in Dead Lands, so you''re no strangers to each other. Moreover, his abilities will stand up well against yours and hone your skills."


    Adam hadn''t expected such an answer, but deep down he was d that Tron would be his teacher, if only for a while.


    "I''ll ask him to take over your training, he won''t refuse me and... I''m sure he''ll be curious to see your progress." Damien smiled before waving his hand and heading for the exit.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Da followed him with slow steps. She hade here at Damien''s request, she had aplished her task so there was no reason for her to stay here anymore.


    "Good luck, I hope you don''t die, otherwise I''ll get a lot more bored, sometimes it''s worse than death." Damien smirked before walking out of the room, disappearing like a shadow.


    Da stopped, slowly turning around and looking at Adam over her shoulder.


    "I hope our next meeting happens sometime and... then not only will you be stronger, but your manners will be better."


    Then, Da was gone as quickly as Damien.


    Adam scratched the back of his head, he hadn''t expected Da to say such words, but he could only ept them.


    "Alright, I should go too, I''ve wasted quite a bit of time on you, but it was worth it." Dous smiled widely before walking away.


    In the end, only Adam and Silvana remained.


    "Any suggestions?" Adam asked.


    Silvana nodded with a smile on her face.


    "Sure, I think we should visit your storage. I''m certain you''ll like what you see."

 Chapter 410 Hard Encounter (Part 1)

    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam and Silvana paced down the hallway, heading for their storage area. Oddly enough, no new items had appeared in this ce in quite some time, at least to Adam''s senses.


    After the events in Fallen Crypt and the evolution to K2-Level, Adam had a new feeling - he didn''t want to rush into anything.


    In fact, it was a normal experience for many people when they achieved a goal after a long time. Most would just take a break, enjoying a well-deserved rest and recalling the path they passed.


    There was nothing wrong with that.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Adam as well as all people in the same situation were not the center of the universe and if they did not act, nothing serious would happen in the world. After all, even Damien could afford to do what he wanted.


    The main thing was to return to the battlefield after some time, exactly when new forces were gathered for it.


    Moreover, Adam had plenty of things to do inside the Citadel as well. After all, he wasn''t a monster and Dead Lands wasn''t the only world where he could be.


    "Hmm... You''ve been so quiet, why do I get the feeling you''re hiding something?" Adam asked ncing at Silvana.


    Sure, Silvana wasn''t the most active or talkative person, but Adam knew her well enough to realize that she was acting unusual right now.


    She tried to hide it with all her might, but Adam could still see a slight smile appear on her face.


    "You''ll see it all soon enough. We''re almost there. Like I said earlier, you''ll like it, I''m sure of it." Silvana uttered, reaching out her hand to their path.


    Step.


    After one turn, they found themselves in front of a door leading to Adam''s storage room.


    Without thinking, Adam stepped inside to see what Silvana had done. He had a few guesses, but she rarely kept anything from him so his expectations were high.


    "What the hell...?" Adam muttered wide-eyed.


    On the right side of the storage area, was a massive pod filled with a blue liquid. Adam had seen pods like this many times before, they were often used by medics to quickly cure Phantoms, but... why had Silvana brought one here in his storage?


    Well, the answer was simple, inside the pod was a gue Reaper!


    Strangely enough, parts of his body, especially those that were injured the most, were covered by a white cloth that was almost invisible due to his pale skin.


    Moreover, next to the pod was a square iron stand where gue Reaper''s coat and his scythe rested in the state they were in at the time of his death.


    Adam just stared at one point for a while, mixed feelings consumed his mind, but he was satisfied.


    Then, he slowly turned to Silvana, she watched his reaction curiously.


    "It looks a little weird, but I can''t say I mind. But... how did you do that? Isn''t gue Reaper supposed to be the most valuable Purple Threat monster?" Adam asked with a slight wave of his hand.


    Silvana smiled, ncing at gue Reaper.


    "You''re right, the missions department didn''t want to give us gue Reaper, especially his coat and scythe. Unlike most monsters gue Reaper''s body doesn''t have anything of value in it, no fangs, no defense tes or nds, but his equipment is unique."


    Silvana let out a slight sigh before continuing:


    "The only thing I wasn''t allowed to keep was his coffin that he pulled his scythe out of, the scientists said that even among the other gue Reapers, this coffin has more energy. I guess they want to find a use for those dark hands." Silvana suggested.


    Adam scratched the back of his head, he hadn''t expected the next item in his memory collection to be a monster corpse, but something was appealing and interesting about it, like a special ce for a special opponent.


    "I see... Well, I guess if there was that creepy coffin in here it would only make things worse. But, what about Katrin? After all, she''s the one who made the final attack."


    Silvana smiled slyly as if she had been expecting that question.


    "Well, she didn''t challenge your crucial contribution to defeating gue Reaper so she only wanted to keep the scythe, we argued for a while but eventually I managed to convince her to give you both the coat and the scythe."


    "Hmm?" Adam tilted his head in confusion, "How?"


    Silvana''s corners of her lips went up.


    "I won''t retell you our whole long conversation, but the main argument was that she only paid 2,000,000 credits for the Initial Gene of the gue Reaper. Sure, that was part of your agreement, but she paid two million for Scarlet Pyromancer and ended up with gue Reaper."


    Silvana took a few steps forward, approaching the pod and looking at gue Reaper with a deep gaze.


    "Obviously, this monster is much stronger than Scarlet Pyromancer. Even though gue Reaper has been dead for two weeks now, standing here I can feel goosebumps running through my body."


    Then, Silvana turned to Adam.


    "I''m curious, how does it feel to look at someone who almost killed you, but in the end, it was you who survived?"


    Adam didn''t give an immediate answer, instead, he stepped forward and stood in line with Silvana.


    Suddenly, he took Silvana''s hand firmly and guided it towards the pod''s ss.


    Silvana was surprised but didn''t resist, soon she felt mixed sensations, cold from the ss and warmth from Adam''s palm.


    "What do I feel? Nothing yet, onlyter the void will be filled with a pleasant nostalgia, won''t it?"


    Silence.


    "gue Reaper was a worthy opponent, but... fuck, he was alone when an entire Phantom squad came out against him. Moreover, even the monsters tried to stop him from getting the Midnight Crystal."


    Adam continued, he didn''t notice but squeezed Silvana''s hand harder. She grimaced slightly but didn''t say anything, she didn''t want to disturb Adam.


    "I wish I was strong enough to give him a decent fight 1 vs. 1, and... to keep him from killing those who werepletely unprepared for a battle of this level..." Adam whispered as his gaze grew darker.


    He distinctly remembered how gue Reaper had killed E, Oskar, and Lero... who was worthy of respect from a Top-1 monster, but that didn''t stop gue Reaper from taking his life the next moment.


    "Agh!"


    Silvana cried out in pain, which immediately snapped Adam out of his trance.


    "Oh, I''m sorry! I didn''t mean to..." Adam said guiltily quickly letting go of Silvana''s hand.


    Silvana rubbed her palm as she smiled weakly.


    "That''s okay, just don''t forget that unlike you I''m an ordinary person. Hah..." Silvana raised her gaze to gue Reaper, "If I were to face him in person I would die just from his aura... the thought of it makes me both terrified and delighted."


    Adam nodded, beginning a brief awkward pause.


    Then, looking away, Adam asked with a serious gaze: "You brought what I asked for, didn''t you?" Adam asked, remembering the moment when he had walked alone to Fume Cathedral while Katrin and Osana stayed with Nessa.


    Silvana nodded.


    "Sure, but I don''t think it will be easy for you."


    Her eyes traveled to the stand in the corner of the room wherey the red book that was Lero''s Nexus and for some reason, it was here.

 Chapter 411 Hard Encounter (Part 2)

    What happened when the Phantom died?


    For starters, it was to find out if it was possible to retrieve Phantom''s body from Dead Lands, or at least some of his things. Quite often it was impossible to bring back the Phantom''s body because the squad ran away from dangerous threats, leaving the bodies of theirrades behind.


    Sometimes it was unable to return the body simply because monsters or anomalies destroyed it, there were cases when not even Phantom''s clothes were left behind.


    Then, upon returning to the Citadel, the Phantom''s body would be sent to the military in their medical department. This was to check that the Phantom''s body was not dangerous to others, viruses, unstable energy, the effects of some monster ability, and many other things that could cause problems.


    When the Phantom''s body was safe, the government would inform the Phantom''s family. Most of the Phantoms had families so it was not umon for government employees to have to deliver such news, making it the worst day for the family.


    After condolences and words of encouragement from a government employee, the family would be given financial aid, tuition for their children if they were in any academies, and all sorts of benefits.


    It was worth realizing that although Adam was most often in contact with Phantoms, they were really fewpared to ordinary people. Having a Phantom in the family was a great happiness, which one day could be an equally great tragedy.


    If the Phantom had no family, the money was used to sponsor projects that for one reason or anothercked funding.


    Usually, the family didn''t learn the tragic news until ten to fifteen days after the Phantom died in Dead Lands.


    Phantoms could often spend days or even weeks training or preparing for a mission with their squad, so it was not umon for the families of a dead Phantom to not know until thest day.


    However, even if the family became suspicious and worried, the military and departmental personnel would simply tell them that the situation was being investigated and they would give them the detailster.


    At the very end, there is a funeral that puts an end to the story of the fallen Phantom.


    "Adam... Why did you ask me to take Lero''s Nexus from the military? I could only do it because I said you wanted to personally visit their family and offer your condolences. After all, you were the one who carried Lero''s body out of Fume Cathedral."


    Silvana asked, biting her lip.


    Adam changed a lot as a person and became much more experienced as a Phantom, but... the reality was that he wasn''t even twenty yet, though he was close to that milestone in his life.


    He had to tell the people that were several times his age about the death of their son, that was the Phantom, and the hope for a bright future for their entire family. Silvana realized that even she would have a hard time doing that, it was a lot of moral stress.


    If Lero hadn''t died, it was possible that in the future he would have children between the ages of 16 and 18 who would be Phantoms, and his parents would be the first generation in their new great lineage.


    This was not the dream of a mere family but a possible reality, since bloodlines had to start somewhere.


    "Well, because I''m going to do it, today, right now I''m going to head over to Lero''s family. I assume they already know what happened and are getting ready for the funeral, right?" Adam asked, walking over to the booth and taking the red book in his hands.


    He did it slowly and carefully, feeling every moment.


    Silvana nodded with a serious face.


    "Yes... Lero was a sociable and friendly person who always took care of his family. He kept in contact with his parents and little sister almost every day. So they quickly realized something bad had happened and turned to the military for answers."


    Adam raised an eyebrow, turning to Silvana.


    "Little sister...?"


    Silvana sighed heavily.


    "ra Fratto, the second child of the Fratto Family, she is two years younger than her older brother." Silvana''s gaze darkened, "In fact, just a month ago she had a birthday when she turned seventeen."


    Adam lowered his gaze to the book.


    "I see... I hope Lero had time to buy her a gift, as I doubt she''ll be happy to see anyone other than her brother holding that book." Adam said before heading towards the exit.


    Before he left the storage room he turned around and looked at the gue Reaper floating serenely in the bright blue liquid, even after his death he appeared majestic.


    "You weren''t the only one in whom Lero''s actions awakened respect for him..." Adam whispered walking outside.


    Silvana was going to follow Adam, but before she did she nced at all the memory items that were in Adam''s storage, now including the gue Reaper, there were eleven.


    ''I wonder... If I gave him something, would that thing eventually end up here or would he just forget about it...?'' Silvana internally muttered with a slightly sad look.


    ...


    As Adam said, he headed towards the Fratto Family, they lived in Third Ring, this ring was Adam''s house, but the Fratto Family''s house was on the opposite side, so their journey took a while.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "So... just knock, right?" Adam muttered looking at Silvana for confirmation.


    She just nodded, standing behind him.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    Adam knocked lightly on the door, enough to be heard by the residents of this two-story house that didn''t boast any luxury, but was filled with thefort and care of its owners. They clearly appreciated what they had, even if they weren''t rich.


    Though Lero was a Phantom, it didn''t mean that his family had an endless amount of money, money should be earned over time and not wasted on frivolous things, spending should have a purpose and Lero''s parents understood that, especially now...


    Crackle.


    The door opened revealing a girl with shoulder-length brown hair and a dark look with heavy bags under her eyes either fromck of sleep or intense grief.


    "Did you want something...? This is not a good time, our family is in a difficult situation..." ra said calmly, her green eyes were lowered to the ground.


    She didn''t want to talk to anyone, but she acted respectful and well-mannered.


    "ra... My name is Adam Vinter and I was one of the Phantoms fighting alongside Lero, on hisst mission..." Adam said in a confident voice, but gentle, not wanting to upset ra any further.


    He had a younger sister too, though the age gap between him and Trici was far more significant than between Lero and ra, but he understood how ra might feel.


    Even in his worst dream, he wouldn''t want Trici to be in ra''s ce, not only because it would mean his death, but also because ra''s gaze seemed to contain all the sorrow of this world.


    "Ah...?" ra looked up to see Adam.


    Before she could say anything else, Adam reached into his belt and pulled out a red book holding it out to ra.


    "Here, take it, this Nexus must not disappear, you should keep it."


    ra''s eyes went wide when she instinctively reached out her hands before touching the book which on the other side was still held by Adam.


    No one noticed it, but then, a slight shiver went through their hands,ing from the book that ended up in ra, causing a glint to appear in her eyes that disappeared faster than an instant.

 Chapter 412 Hard Encounter (Part 3)

    "That... that was my brother''s weapon, wasn''t it?" ra asked in a trembling voice looking at the red book.


    Their hands were still firmly grasping both sides of the book, which seemed to have a will of its own, but no one noticed it. Well, to notice something like that, one had to have a sense far superior to what K2-Phantom possessed.


    "Yes, I''m sorry this happened, but if you don''t ept this Nexus, the military will simply disassemble it for biomaterials. You as a family member have the right to keep Lero''s Nexus as a memory of him." Adam said calmly.


    He hade here for one purpose, to give Lero''s Nexus to his family. He didn''t have any ulterior motives, he just wanted to put an end to this story, primarily for himself.


    "I get it... Thank you, I''m sure you did your best to prevent what happened, but... none of us can change the past, right?" ra muttered with a bitter smile on her face.


    Adam nodded deeply, finally letting go of the book, allowing ra to wrap her armspletely around it and press it against his chest.


    ''How strange... Why do I feel like I''m sensing something from ra? It feels like she''s just gotten closer to me, not in terms of a rtionship but in physical form...'' Adam muttered internally, not quite sure what was going on.


    Then, he scratched the back of his head with a confused face.


    ''Well, I guess I''m just imagining things. After all, killing monsters in Dead Lands is one thing, but informing a younger sister of her brother''s death is a different story, probably considerably more difficult than most fights...'' Adam pondered, deciding not to give it too much significance.


    Silence.


    Adam and ra just looked at each other, not knowing if they should have said anything.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Khm, ra forgive us, but we have important business to attend to, so we''ll have to leave early." Silvana coughed, breaking the awkward pause and saving them both.


    "Y-Yes... Silvana''s right." Adam nodded a few times, realizing what Silvana was doing.


    ra smiled.


    "Of course, I understand. Lero always had a lot on his te, but despite that, he found time to be with us, with his family..."


    Adam and Silvana nced over as Silvana turned around, leaving the Fratto Family''s house grounds.


    Tap.


    Adam''s hand fell on ra''s shoulder, making her eyes go wide for a moment.


    "I know it may sound trivial, but Lero died like a hero trying to protect his mate."


    ra only smiled weakly. She realized that it was an honorable death, but... it was still a death that was worse than life in any way. At least because once a person was dead there was nothing they could do, as long as a person was alive they always had the chance to affect their fate.


    Adam nodded onest time before leaving, following Silvana.


    ra raised her head looking at Adam leaving but didn''t say anything, she only nced at the red book and closed the door.


    ...


    Step. Step. Step.


    "I think that turned out pretty good." Silvana said quietly following Adam, they walked amongst the streets of the city, people asionally turning around, ncing at Adam, either because they recognized him or because they noticed his NEP.


    Adam shrugged.


    "I hope so."


    Silvana nodded.


    "What are you nning to do next? Are you going to head to the Lower Ring? Or would you rather do some training with Tron?"


    Adam didn''t answer. He stopped and looked up at the sun moving towards the horizon, sunset was about to begin soon.


    "I''m not sure. I actually have a few things I have to do, I think I''ll take some time to rest first. I''ve always been in a hurry to get back to Dead Lands as soon as possible, but... maybe I shouldn''t rush things now."


    Silvana smiled, she liked Adam''s answer, not only because she also thought he should take a break, but because it was the answer of a grown man who already had some experience in life.


    "In that case, I''ll keep in touch. Contact me about anything. After all, if I don''t have to run ten of your errands a day, I''ll get bored." Silvana replied with a slight smile on her face.


    "Sure." Adam sighed, feeling relieved.


    ...


    Step. Step. Step.


    That evening, Adam stood in front of the door where thest time he had been was quite a while ago. He felt guilty in front of this person. After all, he had consented to a certain kind of rtionship even though he waspletely unprepared for it.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    Adam knocked a few times on the door that opened less than a minuteter revealing a girl with short purple hair and a slightly surprised look.


    "Oh Adam, it''s you... I didn''t expect to see you today at all." Jena muttered, staring at Adam in surprise.


    Adam nodded deeply, realizing that they hadn''t seen each other in a while and he didn''t warn her of his arrival.


    "Jena... I think we should talk, about our rtionship..." Adam mumbled uncertainly, but before thest words his look changed and his voice became serious.


    "I think it was a mistake, my mistake."


    ...


    At about the same time, a girl with shoulder-length brown hair and green eyes walked out of the store, returning home with her purchases.


    Today, something good happened for her, but it still couldn''t cover the tragedy their family was facing.


    Step.


    Suddenly, a man in a ck coat and a dark shirt like a butler appeared in front of her.


    Bam.


    The girl crashed into the man''s chest as her gaze was directed towards the ground.


    Out of surprise, ra looked up to see a man with short ck hair and attractive facial features, his eyes were narrowed and a sly smile was on his face.


    "Oh, I''m sorry, I didn''t see you there."


    The man said respectfully, leaning over and extending his hand.


    "Let me help you."


    ra nodded slowly taking his hand.


    "By the way, I have one question for you." The man smirked.


    "Hmm?" ra looked at him baffled.


    "Would you be interested in visiting Morton Observatory?"


    A dangerous gleam passed across his eyes.


    "No refusal epted."

 Chapter 413 Hard Encounter (Part 4)

    After meeting Adam and Silvana a few hourster, ra went to the store to get groceries, she wasn''t in the mood for that, but there was no way out since the stress of thest few days caused her and her parents to eat almost everything they had.


    In fact, she decided that it would help her to let go of her heavy thoughts, there was no point in going deeper and deeper into grief, ra realized that, but it was hard to get away from such a tragedy so quickly.


    But... there was more than one meeting waiting for her today, ra only found that out when she crashed into a man in an elegant suit, however, it was the kind of clothes that were perfect for him, who looked impable, cunning and attractive, like a butler of some important person.


    If some experienced Phantom or military man had been in ra''s ce, they would have immediately sensed the strange aura emanating from this man, the danger would make them wary.


    However, that was hardly possible for ra. She was a simple person who wasn''t even going to connect her life with Dead Lands, as she studied not at the academy to be an Operator or military, but at the institute. In a way, she was innocence itself.


    "Morton Observatory...? What is this ce?" ra tilted her head in confusion, taking the man''s hand.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Slowly and carefully, the man lifted her off the ground, then without saying anything he bent down and gathered up the food scattered on the ground, taking the bag in his hand.


    "I havee from there to escort you to one of the smartest people in our world. So, what is your answer, will you follow me?" The man leaned over, extending his hand to her with a sly smile on his face.


    ra gulped, she didn''t expect such an offer from a man she didn''t know at all.


    "I''m sorry, but I''ll probably decline, maybe sometimeter? Now is not the best time for random encounters... Moreover, I don''t even know your name." ra cast her gaze to the side, she was both confused and embarrassed.


    The man in front of her had all the necessary qualities to make a young girl like her blush.


    "Oh, right, how uncultured of me." The man smiled gently taking ra''s hands in his. Their gazes met, she could see her reflection in his blue, clear-as-the-sky eyes.


    "My name is dius, nice to meet you ra."


    ra blinked a few times, about to introduce herself in response, but soon her eyes went wide with realization.


    "What...? How do you know my name?"


    dius answered nothing, instead, he pointed to his belt where somehow there was a red book, Lero''s Nexus.


    "Agh...? How? I definitely left it at home..." ra muttered in a trembling voice, gradually she began to realize that she better avoid this encounter.


    dius smirked, releasing ra''s hand.


    "Well, I decided to pick it up beforehand so I wouldn''t have to go back and waste time." dius exined before ncing at his watch.


    ra didn''t know it, but then dius looked at his NEP, which was different from the NEPs of the other Phantoms, it was ck with a purple frame. It seemed that the appearance of his NEP didn''t have any hidden meaning, it just went well with his appearance that he carefully chose.


    "Oh, I''m sorry, but our time ising to an end. Well, you weren''t going to agree anyway, so don''t me me for what happened." dius shrugged nonchntly as if it was no big deal, they were just in a hurry.


    "No... Get away from me... I don''t want to be a part of anything weird!" ra uttered, taking steps back and away from dius.


    Whoooooooosh.


    dius''s free hand turned into a shadow. A gleam flickered in ra''s eyes as the thin needle plunged into her neck, a secondter the syringe was empty and ra''s eyes clouded over.


    Her legs went limp as she fell to the ground.


    Tap.


    Stepping forward, with a deft movement of his arm, dius caught ra like a dancer catching his partner during aplex movement, his gracefulness was enough for both of them.


    "Phew, made it in time. Thest few weeks have been quite challenging for you, haven''t they?" dius smiled, looking at the already sleeping ra who hadn''t heard him.


    Stepping aside, dius carefully ced ra in the car, in the back seat, remembering to put the grocery bag next to her.


    No one could interrupt him, as dius specifically chose this spot, where it was dark and people rarely passed by. Moreover, he did everything quickly.


    Crackle.


    Closing the door, dius got behind the driver''s seat and the car touched off, heading towards one of the farthest points of the Citadel - Morton Observatory.


    "First your birthday, then your brother''s death, when you met with Adam Vinter something happened to you... It''s quite curious." dius muttered, pondering the situation.


    Even though he just kidnapped ra, he wasn''t a viin or a criminal, he was simply doing his job where his personal interest was involved.


    dius was one of those people who helped Aiden Henk bring his crazy ideas and assumptions to life.


    dius cast a final nce at the sleeping ra before the car disappeared into the shadows.


    "Hmm... It''s entirely possible that this isn''t the end for the Fratto Family, not that I care, but this is an unusual situation."


    ...


    The hot steam from two cups of coffee drifted in front of the two people who felt the tension even though they shouldn''t have.


    "So... You want to end our rtionship, did I understand you correctly?" Jena asked looking at Adam, there was a slight, expected sadness in her gaze.


    Adam nodded.


    "Mostly I agreed because it was something new and unexpected for me. I think I was driven by interest since I didn''t develop any powerful feelings for you that I could call love."


    Jena smiled bitterly.


    "Well, it''s good that you finally said that. You may not be my man, but you are a man. I get it, you''re probably thinking about Dead Lands and monsters right now, not rtionships, and you''re younger than me." Jena smiled, she took this news much easier than Adam expected.


    Then, before Adam could say anything, Jena walked over to him and took him firmly by the cor, sitting down on hisp.


    "You''re not ready for a serious rtionship yet, for a variety of reasons, but... that doesn''t mean we should stopmunicating. What''s more, a young man like you needs regr sex!" Jena eximed with an excited expression before kissing him deeply, leaving no room for argument.


    Perhaps, Adam wanted to pull Jena away from him, but the desire to feel pleasure and rx in the gentle embrace quickly consumed him.


    In a heartbeat, his hands found themselves on Jena''s body, giving himplete freedom of action.


    Fighting against gue Reaper, the deaths of his fellows, and killing hundreds of monsters in dangerous situations was a heavy stress for any Phantom, Adam was no exception.


    His mind and body desperately wanted to rest and relieve himself of the heavy weight and... when Jena herself moved into action, he could no longer stop.

 Chapter 414 Pleasure and Fear

    Click. Click. Click.


    Silvana clicked the remote control with a bored look, flipping through the TV channels. She rarely watched TV, but this evening she had nothing to do. Adam hadn''t given her any assignments, so far he wasn''t going to be involved in missions and there were no sudden problems.


    Sure, this wasn''t the first time Silvana had free time, after all, everyone should have a rest. But, usually in her free time she was researching or learning something, in general, she tried to make the most of it.


    However, today she had the urge to spend her time on some nonsense, as if someone who had always eaten properly had the urge to eat something unhealthy but tasty.


    "Hmm... I wonder what Adam is doing now?" Silvana muttered as she continued to click the remote control and change channels, so far nothing had managed to catch her attention.


    After a while, Silvana shook her head.


    "Damn, I have to stop thinking about him all the time. We just recently finished a difficult, long mission, so this is the best moment to use the time for my pleasure, isn''t it?"


    Click.


    Pondering and muttering to herself, Silvana suddenly reached some of thest channels, and... this was something children weren''t supposed to see until they reached a certain age.


    Perhaps someone in Silvana''s ce would have been embarrassed or baffled and rushed to turn off the TV, but she only smiled slyly as she watched the curious scene unfold before her eyes.


    "Well, a free, lonely evening, couldn''t think of a better time for a youngdy, could it?" Silvana smirked, setting the remote aside, not intending to touch it for a long time yet.


    ...


    Maybe in a different way, but Adam was also immersed in pleasure, making sure that not only he was enjoying himself, but also the one who was no longer his girlfriend today.


    Well, his rtionship with Jena wasn''t initially burdened with any rules and prohibitions, it was Jena''s whim that Adam had agreed to so he could feel a new experience and try the unknown.


    It allowed them to avoid arguments and negativity, instead enjoying each other. They lived in different worlds, but they were both stressed out at work. Adam was a Phantom and Jena was a medic...


    Sometimes, she had to face absolutely desperate situations. Adam could still make a difference on the battlefield, but when a wounded person couldn''t be saved, Jena could only watch the imminent death.


    She realized that it was normal since she was a medic and was prepared for it, but that didn''t mean she didn''t care and it didn''t affect her in any way.


    ...


    Every day there were thousands of encounters in the world, this day there was one that involved three people, and... while two were enjoying themselves in simr ways but in different methods, the third one was ready to wake up to plunge into the depths of animal fear.


    "Agh... Where am I? What''s going on...?" ra muttered clutching her head.


    She didn''t know how much time had passed or where she was, but her head ached slightly, everything in front of her eyes was blurry.


    It was only after a few minutes that her vision cleared, allowing her to see arge room with white walls and bright lights.


    She was lying on a wide, white bed wearing the same clothes.


    Panic quickly began to bubble up inside her, her heart beating faster and adrenaline ready to rush through her entire body.


    ra knew nothing about Morton Observatory or the purpose of her kidnappers, but she knew that this could not end well for her.


    Crackle.


    At the same moment, before ra could even reach the point of despair and truly terrifying thoughts, the doors opened, revealing three silhouettes, one was tall and the other two were considerably shorter.


    With a sharp jerk of her head, ra saw dius, who stood calmly in the center of the doorway, his hands were ced behind his back and there was a slight smirk on his face.


    Beside him were two girls in ck robes, not too tight and not too puffy, something between nurse and maid outfits.


    "Wee to Morton Observatory, to a ce where there are no miracles, no technology, and no morality, but there is hope for a bright future, though not for everyone." dius said poetically with a slightly raised hand in the air.


    At the same time, the two girls stepped forward simultaneously, approaching ra.


    "No. Go away! Don''t touch me!" ra eximed, crawling back to the far side of the bed until she reached the headboard.


    However, the girls weren''t going to stop.


    "ra, calm down, there''s no point in fighting. These two are ex-military, so they can easily immobilize you if necessary."


    dius said softly addressing ra, then his gaze went to the assistants and his voice guarded more sternly.


    "Don''t you dare harm her. She is potentially part of an important experiment. I think you know what happens in the case of failure." dius uttered as an eerie aura began to emanate from him.


    The girls gulped and nodded simultaneously, a shiver ran through their bodies.


    Then, one of them reached forward, showing ra a kind smile on her face.


    "Mrs. ra, please follow us, I don''t want to use force."


    However... feigned kindness could only be useful when the target wasn''t scared to death, such a trick couldn''t work on ra anymore.


    ra turned around and saw a white vase on the nightstand next to the bed, without hesitation, she smashed the vase with her fist, grasping the sharp splinter tightly, holding it in front of her like a knife.


    Streams of scarlet blood flowed down her delicate arms, pain spreading through her body, but it was only a resource her mind used to protect itself.


    dius raised an eyebrow, it seemed he had not expected ra to act so determined. A satisfied smirk showed up on his face.


    "Not bad, not bad at all, strong women are always attractive."


    The other girl snorted, blowing away a lock of hair that hung annoyingly in front of her face.


    "Well, you decided toplicate things, so now don''t me us for what happened."


    Before ra could do anything, the sharp splinter disappeared from her hand, finding itself clutched between the girl''s fingers. Instinctively, ra lunged forward to retrieve her weapon.


    The second girl smirked, pulled a rope out of her pocket, and got behind ra. At this time, the first girl pressed down on ra''s back, pinning her to the bed.


    After a few seconds, ra''s hands were firmly bound, not allowing her to move freely.


    The assistants made everything quick, efficient, and as painless as possible.


    "Come on, we''ve already been threatened by dius because of you, but if we piss off the man in charge, that''s when it gets really scary." The second girl uttered before picking up ra and throwing her onto her shoulder.


    Even though they were about the same height, the second girl''s strength far surpassed ra''s, to her ra was as light as a feather.


    "What...? What''s going to happen next...?" ra muttered in a trembling voice as the second girl walked past dius.


    dius smirked, a dangerous gleam running through his eyes.


    "Do you want the sweet lie or the bitter truth?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ra gulped.


    "The truth... tell it like it is."


    dius spread his hands apart, shaking his head.


    "Well, there are three options. One, we fail and we bring you home. Two, you die, and... Third, the most interesting one, you be a Phantom!"

 Chapter 415 More Work Every Day

    In the morning, at the crack of dawn, Silvana opened her eyes, ncing around.


    "Fuck... Looks like I missed this..." Silvana muttered, reaching for the bottle of water and drinking itpletely, she was thirsty and her mouth was as dry as the desert.


    The ce was aplete mess that hadn''t been in her apartment for an unknown how long.


    "Damn, I need to get cleaned up right away, but..." Silvana smirked slyly, "Can''t say I regret what I''ve done."


    ...


    About that time Adam woke up, but Jena wasn''t beside him, her half of the bed was empty.


    Slowly getting up, Adam made his way to the kitchen, seeing Jena who was hurriedly getting dressed and putting on light makeup.


    "Hey, is there an emergency?" Adam asked, tilting his head in confusion.


    Jena turned around sharply ring at him, she was half naked, but that hardly embarrassed her as much as Adam, she was thinking of something else at the moment.


    "Oh you''re awake, sorry but I have to run, I''m alreadyte!"


    Adam raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest.


    "Hmm? Where to...?"


    Jena took a deep breath shaking her head.


    "To my job! I''m a medic working for Fort Norton! I''m supposed to be there in thirty minutes and I haven''t even brushed my teeth yet! Fuck, a mint gum should be enough, right?" Jena asked uncertainly, she was worried about how she looked.


    Adam shrugged nonchntly.


    "Don''t worry about it too much, the important thing is to get there in time."


    Jena''s eyes went wide for a moment.


    "Yeah... You''re right!" Jena nodded a few times as she sped up, after a few minutes she was ready to leave.


    Spraying perfume a few times at her neck, and taking onest look in the mirror, Jena both nodded and grabbed the doorknob.


    "If you''re hungry you can grab the sandwiches in the fridge, I don''t know how old they are, I bought them a long time ago. Bye!" Jena hurriedly said before walking away.


    Adam smiled weakly before yawning widely.


    Lately, he was fully immersed in the Phantom life, dedicating himself to the battles in Dead Lands, so he forgot that most people actually had a very different life.


    They had jobs and responsibilities they were obliged to fulfill. Sure, all of this could only exist because of the Phantoms constantly killing monsters and fighting for the Citadel, but it was also an important part of the society they lived in.


    Tap.


    Slowly, Adam made himself a coffee before opening the fridge and pulling out two store-bought sandwiches that were clearly not fresh.


    Taking a sip and the first bite, Adam muttered: "Well, it''s not that bad. I''m sure while I had such a good night someone had to face a real nightmare, right?"


    ...


    Tap.


    ra''s feet touched the ground as the second girl approached her and released her hands.


    Walking down a long passageway they found themselves in a spacious room with many doors leading to it, there was a second floor with an observation deck, somehow this ce was like an arena.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Good, you are dismissed." dius said, with a slight wave of his hand.


    The girls looked at each other, nodded, and left, they had a lot of work ahead of them in this ce that lived by its own rules.


    "dius... What you said earlier... Is it true? I can be a Phantom?" ra asked in a trembling voice.


    dius smiled.


    "Youngdy, that was only one option, you must not forget that there are two others, one of which is truly terrifying." dius reminded her, pointing three fingers.


    ra gulped, she realized she was excited too soon, but she couldn''t help it.


    Like most people, she wanted to be a Phantom. Unlike Silvana who chose her path as an Operator and didn''t want to be anything else, ra had always thought about what she would do if she became a Phantom.


    In fact, she still had a real chance at it since she wasn''t even 18 yet, but... fate had other ns for her.


    She knew that her chances were minimal, there were only a few tests left until she turned 18 when she could get the Spark. Their family didn''t have a powerful bloodline, neither her parents nor the other two older generations had a Phantom among them.


    Lero was the first and was the one from whom a decent lineage could have started, but he died.


    So, ra realized that the chances of her having the Spark were slim to none.


    She wanted to be a Phantom, not only because it was amon desire of many people, but also because her brother was a Phantom. She had dreamed of fighting alongside him and helping him in Dead Lands, but now she had a different goal...


    "I understand, but all I can think of right now is a third option. If I can be a Phantom, I will rece my brother and continue his work! I''ll kill the monster that ended his life!" ra clenched her fist tightly, an unusual me ignited in her eyes.


    dius cast a quick nce at her.


    ''Well, well, once she heard about bing a Phantom she changedpletely.''


    Then, he shrugged.


    "That monster is already dead, but you have the right mindset."


    ra wanted to say something, but the sound of mechanical doors interrupted her.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Followed by the sound of muffled footsteps echoing through the spacious hall.


    ra''s gaze traveled to the source of the sound making her eyes go wide with fear and admiration.


    The first thing she saw was a tall man in a white long coat, he had snow-white hair, the tips of which swayed in front of his unusual amber eyes, full of wisdom and cruelty.


    But... it wasn''t the man''s appearance that astonished her, it was something else....


    A massive monster with three eyes and four crystal wings, with creepy short limbs and bones protruding from its back, hovered beside the man like his pet.


    A glint traveled down the tip of the monster''s tail, which was long and of ss, capable of revealing what the human eye could not see.


    It was a Spark Seeker, a monster that might see the Spark.

 Chapter 416 First Monster

    "Yes! I finally killed it!" Silvana eximed happily, leaning back in her chair.


    On her screen was one of the popr video games aimed at an audience who preferred to use PCs rather than VR helmets.


    After many attempts, she had finally defeated the first monster, and now she could go to the next level.


    "Hah, I remember I wanted to y this game back when it was released, but back then I had serious preparation for the academy exams..." Silvana muttered with a bitter smile on her face.


    Then, she looked at her watch, realizing that passed a few hours.


    "Well, procrastination is quite enjoyable, but I shouldn''t get too deep into it, right?" Silvana muttered before ncing at the screen.


    A satisfied smirk appeared on her face.


    "Hmm... If I go a little more than one level, it won''t be a big deal, right?" Silvana muttered before moving her chair over to the table, her gaze became serious and focused.


    ...


    Step. Step. Step.


    Around this time, Adam walked down the street at a measured pace.


    After yesterday he felt relieved. He''d given Lero''s book to his sister and settled things with Jena, but... there were people in his life he wanted to devote time to, especially after being in Dead Lands for so much.


    Sure, the fight against gue Reaper hadn''t been something long, but there was always a long recovery of several weeks after hard fights.


    "Damn, if I''m not mistaken I haven''t seen my family since I went hunting Thunder Demon for the essence..."


    Adam muttered scratching the back of his head.


    "Or did I visit them? Well, even if so it was quick, I guess I should apologize for my long absence..."


    Adam sighed heavily about to text Silvana to help him, but... before turning on his NEP he stopped.


    "No, I''m sure she''s using her free time to her benefit, for something important, I shouldn''t bother her about nothing, especially when she''s had a chance to rest."


    Then, with a confident nod, Adam started looking for stores where he could buy suitable gifts for his mother, father, and younger sister. Now, he had both the money and the opportunity to do so, so he didn''t have to hold himself back.


    ...


    With a face as pale as a sheet of paper, ra took a few steps back, instinctively she got behind dius, trying to hide by his back and broad shoulders.


    "Hey, I think you scared our lovely test subject. If she gets too nervous, it won''t work." dius said with a slight smile on his face, turning to Aiden.


    It seemed he was just about the only one in Morton Observatory who could speak so casually to Aiden Henk himself, who was like a god withplete authority here.


    "You, ra Fratto, the younger sister of the Lero Fratto, the one who recently died on a mission, aren''t you?" Aiden asked, pointing his hand towards ra.


    Hiding behind dius''s back, only part of her head was visible, her green eyes bulging slightly, but she felt as if Aiden could see right through her.


    ra didn''t answer. All she could think about was the Spark Seeker, the scary monster hovering next to Aiden.


    The monster''s three yellow eyes looked around, and now and then they would stop on ra, filling with curiosity. Then, her heart flooded with fear, she forgot how to breathe.


    "Sweetie, I suggest you answer his question. If he gets angry, a fate worse than death awaits you." dius smiled weakly, with a slight wave of his hand.


    ra gulped. Enjoy new adventures from empire


    "What...? And you won''t stop him?"


    dius sighed heavily, he shrugged and said quietly:


    "Well, how can I exin it to you? He''s in charge here, so if he orders me to kill you, I''ll do it in a heartbeat."


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Before ra could say anything, dius turned around, swinging his coat, and his palm was on her cheek, gently stroking her.


    "Just do as he says, and maybe the third option will actually happen." dius said in a soothing voice.


    Hearing his words about the third option, ra''s look changed, and she nodded confidently.


    "ra Fratto, even if your situation is special, it doesn''t mean you can waste my time for nothing. Answer the question." Aiden said sternly, showing that he would not repeat himself again.


    Step.


    With a nod, ra stepped forward and put her palm to her chest, she wasn''t going to hide behind dius''s back like a scared puppy anymore.


    "Yes, I am ra Fratto, the only remaining child of the Fratto Family, and I want to be a Phantom!"


    Aiden raised his head slightly, his amber eyes bright as majestic stars.


    "Fine, I ept your answer. Now stand still, and let me see if you got the Spark." Aiden said in a low voice before waving his hand.


    As soon as he stepped forward, the Spark Seeker pulled out his long tongue, licked its crooked teeth, and followed Aiden.


    "What...? What are you guys talking about? I''m already 17, so I''ve had four tests, I haven''t had the Spark detected. And... shouldn''t that require you to put me under anesthesia to do everything like the medical department?" ra suggested.


    Aiden and dius nced over, to them ra was talking utter nonsense, they just forgot how examinations for the Spark went formoners.


    "Oh, I see... Well, the tests the doctors do for the Three Rings people are just an illusion. While you sleep because of the sedative the military brings in the Spark Seeker, who is capable of seeing the Spark. It''s just humanity, though I don''t see any practical sense in it." Aiden waved his hand slightly irritatedly.


    ra gulped, she realized that Aiden''s exnation made sense. She had tried several times to ask the doctors after the procedure about how they detect the Spark in a person, but each time, she got a vague answer.


    She was told that it was aplicated method and that without special knowledge, she wouldn''t understand anything or that she needed to grow up.


    But... now everything was falling into ce, at least for ra.


    "Alright, let''s get to it." Aiden said and red at the Spark Seeker.


    The monster seemed to understand him, so the Spark Seeker leisurely flew over to ra, looking at her intently.


    The Spark Seeker looked rather creepy, especially to an ordinary human, but... it was a fairly harmless monster, well,pared to most of the others.


    There was no bloodlust or cruelty in the Spark Seeker''s gaze, it stared at its targets with curiosity and interest, like an explorer.


    However... only a Phantom or an experienced military personnel could understand this, ra was a simple girl, so she trembled with fear, though she had enough courage not to run away.


    dius didn''t say anything, he just stood behind with a sly smile on his face.


    "Hmm?" Aiden raised an eyebrow, seeing that the Spark Seeker was in no hurry to act.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Smack.


    His palm smashed into the monster''s face, emitting a loud p that echoed around the room.


    "Piece of shit, stop staring at her like an appetizer and get to work already! I swear to god, if you weren''t special and rare, I would rece you long ago!" Aiden shouted irritably.


    The Spark Seeker flinched as his eyes filled with fear and he quickly sprang into motion, waving his tail.


    ra''s eyes went wide. Just then she saw a seemingly impossible scene.


    An ordinary man had punched and scolded the monster, moreover, it wasn''t some desperate action on the brink of death, Aiden had acted confidently and tough.


    Moreover, the Spark Seeker''s gaze became as sad as a puppy who had once again upset its owner even though it was just curious and hadn''t done anything wrong.


    ''Wait... Why...?'' ra inwardly muttered looking at the Spark Seeker who was slowly flying towards her, ''Why do I feel pity for it?! It''s a monster!''


    dius grinned widely, it seemed from ra''s gaze he could tell what she was thinking at that moment.


    ''Hah, her reaction is unsurprising, but there is an exnation for this unusual scene... since hardly the Spark Seeker is a monster among the two of them, at least on the inside.''


    Whoooooooosh.


    Not wanting to upset Aiden any further, the Spark Seeker directed its tail towards ra, the wide ss crystal appearing in front of her chest.


    Back in the day, Adam was in ra''s ce. Then, the Spark Seeker couldn''t see anything in him since he hadn''t awakened the Spark and he wasn''t a Phantom, but... what about ra?


    The crystal darkened as if bing a portal to ra''s inner space, but... there was no bright sh in the darkness.


    "Sprk..." The Spark Seeker let out a strange sigh, it seemed he just lost interest in ra.


    On an instinctive level, ra realized that it shouldn''t be like this. The Spark Seeker was a curious creature, if it got bored then... that was not a good sign for ra.


    "Oh, looks like we were wrong."


    dius said stepping forward and ncing at the ss crystal.


    "You thought ra might have the Spark because of the strange glint in her eyes and Lero''s Nexus shivering, but unfortunately it''s not that simple."


    "Agh...? What are you talking about?" ra muttered, her voice filled with despair, the opportunity to be a Phantom was slipping from her grasp.


    Aiden took a step forward.


    "I''ve decided that because of a strange connection involving you, Adam Vinter, that is, another Phantom and the Nexus of your blood brother who was also a Phantom but a dead one, you might get the Spark. It''s a unique case, which is why I brought you here right away."


    Aiden nced at ra, slipping a hand into the pocket of his white coat.


    "However... dius, you''re wrong."


    dius raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    "What? What are you talking about?"


    dius was pretty sure that ra didn''t have the Spark, after all, the ss crystal of the Spark Seeker couldn''t reveal it.


    Aiden stepped closer gazing intently at the crystal.


    "We''ve encountered a moreplicated situation. If one doesn''t have the Spark, the crystal remains transparent, but... this time the crystal turned ck since it shows us ra''s inner space."


    dius''s eyes went wide, this was something he had never encountered before.


    "Hmm..." Aiden sighed thoughtfully, rubbing his chin, "There''s the inner space, but no the Spark, curious."


    Then, he looked at ra, there was no tension or threat, just a trivial suggestion: "ra, don''t you want to kill the monster?"

 Chapter 417 Training or Doping? (Part 1)

    "Hmm... I think she might like this." Adam scratched his head looking at the steel knife lying in the center of the stand under a ss lid.


    ''I remember mom alwaysining about the dull knives and how they broke too easily... Well, if she hadn''t been so rough when cooking she could avoid it, but when we lived in the slums we didn''t have money for proper knives.'' Adam pondered, scratching the back of his head.


    The first person he decided to buy a gift for was Leona, his mother. She had a fiery temper and preferred to settle matters with force and a couple of harsh words.


    In a way, it was not surprising that she chose to marry a quiet, somewhat shy man who just couldn''t resist her pressure, but was good at maintaining bnce in their family life.


    "Can I help you with anything?"


    Adam was approached by a medium-height girl with a slight smile on her face, she was an assistant at this store.


    Adam wasn''t as good at finding ces and information as Silvana, so his choice fell on the most popr gift store in the Third Ring, located near the Second Ring, people from all the Rings often went here.


    "Well, actually yes... I need gifts for my mom, dad, and little sister. I''m thinking of buying this knife for mom, what do you think?"


    The girl tilted her head ncing at Adam''s wrist. Every service worker in the Citadel did this, as it was important to understand if the client was an ordinary person or a Phantom.


    On average, Phantoms had much more money and were always treated with more respect and attention. After all, the government didn''t forget that it was necessary to maintain the Phantoms'' status as heroes, those who lead the light for the future of all humanity.


    Continue reading on empire


    "Sure, the de of this knife is made of strong steel, long blunt, and quick to sharpen, the handle isfortable, coated with a special covering so your hands don''t sweat." The girl exined in detail.


    Adam nodded.


    "Good, then I''ll take it." Adam said ncing at the price. His eyes went wide for a moment as the knife cost several thousand credits, but now he could easily pay that amount for a knife, it was just the poor past trying to remind him of itself every chance it got.


    "Excuse me, you''re Adam Vinter, aren''t you?" The girl asked, you could tell she was shy, but she couldn''t pass up a chance like this.


    "Hmm? Yes. Why?" Adam raised an eyebrow, looking at the girl puzzled.


    "Can I have your autograph...?" The girl lowered her gaze while holding out a notepad and pen in front of her.


    Adam was confused, no one had ever asked him for such a thing before. After all, although the Phantoms had poprity, it was usually the celebrities who handled autographs and interviews.


    "Well, sure... but I want to know why you want my autograph?" Adam said picking up a pen, "Have we met somewhere before?"


    The girl shook her head, then she pulled out her phone and showed Adam the video that was the reason for all of this.


    Oddly enough, it was a popr edit of him, Katrin, and the others fighting in Dead Lands against the gue Reaper.


    In fact, it couldn''t have been any other way. People were always interested in seeing something the rarest or greatest, the Top-1 monster of the Purple Threat Level was almost never shown in Dead Lands.


    Thus, when the mission department posted all the files rted to this mission, the popr channels and media quickly seized the opportunity.


    Adam and Katrin were the main heroes of this battle, so most of the attention was focused on them. But, since Adam fought against gue Reaper from start to finish, he had a lot more screen time, making people love and admire him.


    And...


    "Fuck... they put that out too..." Adam muttered watching as he walked out of Fume Cathedral, Lero in his arms and Fume Armors walking behind him like his loyal servants, even though they were monsters.


    After a while, Adam sighed heavily. Now that he thought about it, he realized that in some ways it was inevitable.


    ''Hah, I can''t say that signing autographs is unpleasant... but, it''s clearly not something I should be doing on a regr basis. I wonder how many people are trying to get Damien''s one?'' Adam pondered with a bitter smile on his face.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The girl''s eyes filled with joy when Adam fulfilled her request, she eagerly took the notebook.


    "You''ve chosen a gift for your mother, so... there are two more gifts left, aren''t there?" The girl asked, moving on to her direct duties.


    "Yes... I think the next one will be a father. Hmm..." Adam pondered, slowly rubbing his chin.


    After a few seconds, he realized what would brighten his father''s leisure time.


    "What about puzzles and encyclopedias? Anything rare and not very popr, but still worthy among their audience?" Adam asked.


    The girl nodded with a kind smile on her face.


    "Sure, follow me, until I find the best gifts for your family, I won''t rest."


    ...


    "Oh, what a curious suggestion, it''s like a gift isn''t it?" dius uttered with a sly smile on his face.


    ra gulped as her eyes filled with fear.


    "What...? Don''t I want to kill a monster? Are you talking about it?" ra muttered pointing at the Spark Seeker.


    Aiden cast a nce at the Spark Seeker.


    "No, I won''t let you touch him. Furthermore, I don''t think you''d want to get the Initial Gene from the Spark Seeker, they''re pretty useless in that regard." Aiden exined, then he raised his palm to his chest.


    On his wrist was a device simr to the NEP, but with his modifications. He turned on the device, a fully working hologram shed over his wrist, with which he could control the entire Morton Observatory.


    If he wanted to, Aiden could see what every worker in his technological kingdom was doing, but he hardly did, he didn''t have time for it.


    Aiden pressed a few buttons, and in less than a minute the same two girls that had brought ra here earlier entered the room.


    However, this time they were holding two ck cases with unknown contents.


    "Hah, long time no see." A girl with a lock of hair hanging in front of her face uttered, a smirk appearing on her face. She had blonde hair, strictly in a ponytail, except for that pesky lock that didn''t want to obey her.


    dius smirked, seeing the girls again.


    "Sano, you seem pleased to see ra." dius said, ncing at the girl with blonde hair.


    Then, he shifted his gaze to the second girl. She had short red hair, pale skin, and a pretty face.


    "Natta, you left only a short while ago, but now you had toe back again."


    Natta nodded, then she took a few steps forward approaching Aiden.


    She bowed low in respect before looking at the Spark Seeker.


    "Hi, Shiny! I see you''ve been brought here this time, haven''t you?"


    ra looked at Nitta in a baffled manner.


    ''What...? Shiny? What, she named that creepy monster like that?!''


    Hearing Nitta''s greeting, Shiny stuck out his tongue and licked his teeth contentedly, a smile seemed to appear on his face.


    "That''s enough. Open the cases." Aiden said sternly.


    "Sure."


    Sano and Nitta answered simultaneously.


    Sano opened the case first, there was a mechanical syringe with an unknown filling... that could both kill ra and give her new life.

 Chapter 418 Training or Doping? (Part 2)

    "Damn... I''ve gained quite a bit of stuff, haven''t I?" Adam muttered scratching the back of his head.


    Behind him, the girl rode a special robot with several trays with the items of the customer''s choice on them. Usually, they were only used when arge and heavy purchase was about to be made.


    Adam nced at several knives of different shapes and sizes, a stack of books and unusual,plex puzzles as well as a new VR helmet and a plush toy that was meant for Trici, his little sister.


    "Hahaha, don''t worry, from time to time we get people who buy a lot of gifts at once, we''re prepared for that." The girl giggled, shyly covering her mouth with the palm.


    Adam shrugged.


    "Yeah, you''re probably right."


    The girl nodded as she took another look at Adam''s selected items. It was a popr store so it wasn''t umon for the Phantoms toe in here. After all, while they were in the Citadel, they would encounter the problems and business of themon people, temporarily forgetting about the missions and monsters waiting for them outside the walls.


    She knew that many Phantoms felt guilty as they didn''t spend enough time with the people they cared about, especially their family, so they often bought quite a few gifts.


    "Pardon me for intruding, but maybe there are other people besides your family you want to buy gifts for? You know, it''s quite convenient to do everything at once." The girl suggested, with a slight wave of her hand.


    Adam''s eyes went wide for a moment, then he wondered.


    "Maybe you have a girlfriend or... right! What about your Operator?"


    The first person Adam thought of was Jena, but he immediately dismissed that idea. Not because he was offended by her or anything, he just didn''t want to make their situation moreplicated.


    They just officially broke up yesterday, so if he were to get her something now, it could cause problems.


    But... when the girl mentioned Silvana, Adam realized he couldn''t leave without buying her something.


    ''Wait... What does Silvana like? I can hardly surprise her with some new device or rare book, I''m sure what seems unique to me in this field ismon to her.'' Adam scratched the back of his head.


    Then, he remembered that almost always when they had breakfast or discussed something, a cup of coffee apanied Silvana. Adam would sometimes choose a different drink, but Silvana was loyal to her favorite.


    "Coffee... Can I get some rare and unusual coffee here? My Operator will definitely appreciate it, well, I hope so." Adam asked.


    The girl shook her head.


    "We''re pretty short on foodstuffs, but! I can rmend an online store popr amongst coffee enthusiasts. I suggest you choose something expensive so it will be new to your Operator."


    The girl continued, pulling out her phone to give Adam the link.


    "I don''t know if you ever thought about it, but Operators don''t have much money at all, unlike their Phantoms. Their sries are well above average that''s for sure, but some things are still too expensive." The girl uttered, sending Adam the information about the online store.


    Adam nodded deeply. To his shame, he never thought about it.


    Now, after hepleted Katrin''s assignment, he had over two million in his ount. It was a decent sum that many ordinary people could live on for their entire lives. Not in the First Ring, but for the Third Ring, it was enough for decades.


    ''I wonder... how is Silvana''s sry? Well, it''s probably not very polite to ask such a thing.'' Adam muttered internally, shaking his head.


    Then, he looked at the girl.


    "Good, I think that''s it. I''m ready to pay."


    ...


    "What is it?" ra asked staring intently at the mechanical syringe, the blue liquid inside was securely protected by a steel casing and the needle was thick and menacing.


    Not that ra was afraid of injections or anything like that, but... she realized that the thicker the needle was the more painful it was.


    "It''s a long exnation and you wouldn''t understand anyway, you''re too dumb for that."


    Aiden waved his hand, not shying away from his crudenguage.


    "But, to put it very primitively, this is an improved version of the amplifier that special military squads received not too long ago along with exoskeletons and FNs, False Nexuses. The first version of the amplifier was called the XH-01 and I was the one who helped those morons in the development department make it." Aiden said in an arrogant voice. Find more to read at empire


    Refesa was one of the free scientists and she focused on technology. Exoskeletons and FNs were created at Iron Observatory, but for the most part, amplifiers were Aiden''s credit.


    "For a short time, an amplifier allows you to get the maximum out of your body, like during a Phantom-like Resonance."


    ra was amon human, so she had a hard time understanding what Aiden was talking about, she was hearing too many terms that were unfamiliar to her. But, she did realize that this syringe could make her stronger.


    "This amplifier I created specifically so that ordinary people like you would have the best possible chance of winning a battle against a monster. Officially, it''s called XH-01 (Code D)." Aiden waved his hand, taking a step forward towards Sano, ncing at the amplifier.


    ra raised an eyebrow.


    "The name isn''t much different, but what does Code D stand for?" ra asked.


    Aiden turned his head, looking at her intently.


    "Code Death."


    ra gulped, a wave of fear went through her entire body.


    Aiden moved to exin.


    "After a normal XH-01, you''d just pass out after five minutes ande to your senses after a few hours, a little rest and you''de to your senses. But... this thing..."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Aiden muttered slowly pulling the Code D out of the case. Sano stood like a statue, not daring to even breathe when Aiden was so close.


    "It will kill you if at the end of the effect you continue to be human. Your body just can''t handle it."


    "How... how do I survive...?" ra asked in a trembling voice.


    Aiden''s amber eyes sparkled.


    "Oh, it''s pretty simple. You just need to be a Phantom."

 Chapter 419 Training or Doping (Part 3)

    "Well, turned out to be pretty expensive..." Adam muttered scratching the back of his head as he looked at his purchases.


    Behind him was a drone that he was offered to rent from the store for a few hours. This drone could lift up to thirty kilograms, so it had no problem following Adam.


    All in all, Adam spent over fifty thousand credits, and a good portion of that went on rare coffee that the average person or Operator couldn''t afford.


    "I hope Silvana will be pleased, though, I''ll meet with herter than the others." Adam muttered before he stopped, ncing at the two-story house enclosed by a tall fence.


    It was the house where his family lived, it wasn''t his own, he paid rent, but by contract as long as he paid rent, his family had full rights over the area. Given how much money Adam had now, he could keep paying rent for decades.


    Step.


    Taking a few steps forward, the house''s AI recognized him and opened the gate for him, letting Adam inside along with a drone that carried a huge bag of various purchases.


    No one ran out to greet Adam, as he didn''t warn anyone of his arrival.


    ''Well, I hope everyone''s home. It''s a work day, but as I recall we agreed with mom and dad that they should take time for themselves and Trici, instead of looking for an ordinary job.'' Adam pondered before opening the door.


    Walking into the hall, he saw a simple butforting picture that warmed his heart.


    His mother, Leona, was stretching in a tracksuit, she was already covered in sweat and her muscles were exhausted, but it was clear from her fiery gaze that she wasn''t going to stop until she copsed.


    ''Hah, if she had be a Phantom when she was young, she would be a real beast on the battlefield. Agh, good thing she''s an ordinary person.'' Adam internally muttered before shifting his gaze to the couch where his father - Gary, was sitting.


    He couldn''t and didn''t want to maintain such a strict physical training routine as Leona, as he was more interested in riddles and puzzles. Right now, sitting at his desk, Gary was doing a crossword puzzle, asionally looking up information in a reference book.


    Adam cast a nce at the stairs leading up to the second floor.


    ''Hmm, I bet Trici is up there ying her games. I think she''ll be happy with her gift.'' Adam nodded slightly before raising his foot high and stomping for his parents to finally hear him.


    Thump.


    The muffled sound echoed around the hall, quickly drawing Leona and Gary''s attention.


    In a heartbeat, Leona abruptly turned her head with a menacing look. She immediately realized that it wasn''t Trici.


    Gary, on the other hand, flinched in shock.


    But, after a second they realized what, or rather who was the cause of that sound and their eyes went wide filling with parental joy.


    "Adam!"


    Leona and Gary eximed simultaneously.


    Gary smiled weakly, while Leona rushed forward. In a few seconds, she was already in front of Adam and hugged him tightly, pulling him to her.


    If it wasn''t for Adam''s strong body, Leona''s tight embrace would definitely hurt him, but... now he felt only warmth in his heart.


    "Hi, it''s been a while hasn''t it? Well, I think you''ll forgive my absence. I bought you something." Adam uttered with a faint smile as he pointed to the drone.


    Leona nced at the many purchases, but her reaction was not at all what Adam had expected. She didn''t immediately try to find out what kind of gifts Adam bought, instead, she put her hand on his shoulder and nced at Gary.


    "Good, but there''s no need to rush. I need to go take a shower while you help your dad, he can''t finish that crossword puzzle for the second hour. You''re a smart guy, so the two of you will do fine." Leona said confidently before turning around and heading for the bathroom leaving Adam no other option.


    Gary smiled bitterly, he understood exactly what Leona did. She didn''t want to force things, thus allowing Adam to be with them first before he could show off his gifts.


    After all, as soon as Adam entered the house they already received their main gift - the return of their son.


    Adam nodded silently before walking over to Gary.


    At the same moment, Leona turned the shower, washing off all the dirt and sweat from her workout. Her muscles were sore, but she felt better than ever.


    Today, her family was in full force, her husband, son, and daughter. What more could a loving mother wish for? Compared to this, nothing mattered.


    "Agh... It wouldn''t be good if he saw me like this. I''ve be overly sensitive and emotionaltely..." Leona muttered, looking into the mirror while strong streams of water poured over her.


    In such a situation it was hard to notice that single tears were flowing from her eyes, but Leona could see it perfectly, her tears were as clear to her as fireflies at night.


    After only fifteen minutes, Leona left the bathroom, returning to the hall and seeing a picture that made her face smile with joy and warmth in her chest.


    "No! You''re wrong, there''s another word!" Trici eximed sitting to Gary''s right, trying to figure out thest word in the crossword puzzle.


    Gary frowned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    "What do you have here?"


    Leona inquired as she walked over to them and leaned over, reading the clue to thest word.


    "Nine letters... Thetest innovation from the development department allows the military to temporarily gain an increase in their physical abilities... Damn, Gary, wasn''t there something simpler?"


    Gary scratched the back of his head awkwardly.


    "Sorry, most of the questions here were weapons and military-rted, but I didn''t think it would be necessary to know something like that."


    Adam smiled slightly before looking up at the ceiling.


    "Amplifier, that''s the word we need. I saw that thing work once, it''s a pretty dangerous but useful one."


    ...


    "Amplifier...?" ra gulped, staring intently at the Code D in Aiden''s hands, "So with this thing, I''ll be strong enough to kill a monster?"


    Aiden shook his head.


    "If it were that easy, I''d be creating Phantoms on an industrial scale, but... the strength of a mere human and a monster differs too much. This will only increase your chances of winning as much as possible, nothing more."


    Then, ra looked at Natta, who was holding the second ck case.


    "If the first case contains Code D, then what is in there?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Aiden waved his hand.


    Natta nodded and obediently opened the case.


    Inside was a syringe too, but it looked ordinary, the casing was stic, the liquid almost transparent with a faint green shade, and a thin needle so it wouldn''t hurt during the injection.


    "This is your ticket to home."


    Aiden exined, walking over to Natta and taking the second syringe in his left hand.


    "This will make you faint and wake up a few dayster. You are guaranteed to get amnesia and forget everything that happened in thest couple of days, forever."


    Then, Aiden stepped forward.


    "So, I won''t burden your little brain with even more information and ask you a primitive question."


    Aiden stretched his arms forward, showing her two syringes.


    "Which one will you choose? The blue one or the green one? You have ten seconds to answer."

 Chapter 420 Choosing a dish and...

    "Wow... This is what I''ve always wanted..." Leona muttered, looking at the set of knives bought especially for her.


    "Knives from the stores get dull quickly and break easily, but these..." Leona gripped the de tip firmly, trying to bend the knife, with her knives it was effortless, but this knife made of solid steel didn''t budge even a millimeter.


    Adam nodded.


    "I honestly can''t say I''m good at picking out gifts, so I decided to go the safe route, at least these knives will be practical and serve you well." Adam exined, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.


    Leona nodded deeply, not saying anything, but a sly smile appeared on her face, it seemed she alreadye up with a use for these knives.


    Gary was next. His eyes were running around like a child''s. He hadn''t expected to get so many different puzzles and rare books.


    "Hah, thank you, Adam! I don''t even know what to say! Looks like I''ll have to forget about crosswords and other cheap puzzles for a while! I have to solve all of these!" Gary eximed with an excited expression.


    What about Trici? She was a kid and should have been impressed and excited about the gifts more than anything else, right?


    Well, that''s exactly what it was.


    But, her reaction stumped not only Adam but Leona and Gary as well.


    Trici''s eyes were wide open, they shone as bright as stars, if her jaw could it would drop to the floor, while her gaze was fixed on the VR helmet that was just lying in the corner of the table, but was for Trici the center of the universe.


    Leona giggled as she leaned over to Adam and whispered in his ear: "Looks like with Trici you hit the spot. I don''t know much about this gaming stuff, but for thest two weeks, Trici kept mentioning that some cool new helmet came out. Looks like this is it."


    Adam smiled awkwardly, shrugging his shoulders.


    Like Leona, he didn''t know much about it, he only knew that Trici often yed VR games, and when he was at the store he just bought the newest and most expensive VR helmet.


    "That''s what I wanted..." Trici muttered in a shaky voice, then she turned to Adam and just jumped on him.


    "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Trici eximed happily, unable to contain her emotions.


    Adam was confused, he couldn''t remember when he saw his little sister so happy.


    Then, Adam turned around, meeting the smiles of his parents.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''I see...'' Adam thought for a moment, looking at the mountain of gifts on the table, ''No doubt they were happy to see me, but gifts only make things better. It''s not about the money, it''s about the attention, however without a lot of money I wouldn''t be able to choose and please them so easily.''


    Adam smiled bitterly, closing his eyes and pulling Trici close to him.


    ''But, there has to be a bnce in everything. You can''t rely solely on money or put all your energies into providing attention. Although... I should be home more often, if only for a little while. Yeah, I made the right choice to take some time off.''


    ...


    "Choice...?" ra gulped, her eyes running erratically from green syringe to blue syringe and vice versa.


    dius smiled slyly, throwing a quick nce at her.


    "ra, hurry up, you only have five seconds left. If you''re not sure, then pick the green syringe. One shot, and you''ll forget all about it."


    ra''s heart began to beat faster, panic wasing, but as dius''s words shed through her mind, she abruptly calmed down.


    "Hah... a choice? There''s no choice here." ra said confidently, looking intently at Aiden.


    Aiden tilted his head.


    "Dumbass, I asked you a specific question, so give me a specific answer, no colorful stupid phrases."


    ra flinched, realizing that she shouldn''t have been showing off in front of Aiden.


    "Blue, I''m choosing Code D. I want to be a Phantom, and only this syringe can help me do that. But... I still don''t really understand what''s going on... Wasn''t I supposed to have the Spark?"


    ra drifted along, following Aiden''s actions, but she was severelycking in exnations to understand what was going on here.


    However, instead of answering, Aiden turned around and headed for the exit of the hall.


    "Come on, we''ll do a quick examination first. During that time, I''ll exin everything to you. You''ll learn the difference between Natural and Artificial Phantoms, and who your brother was."


    Shiny licked his teeth again before following his owner as well as Natta with Sano.


    "My brother...?" ra muttered in a puzzled manner.


    Tap.


    dius''s palm fell on her shoulder.


    "Let''s go. Let''s not waste too much time, Aiden will exin everything to you, but I have to warn you about something." dius smiled slyly.


    ra gave him a confused look.


    "Agh...?"


    dius narrowed his eyes intently, staring at Code D.


    "Previously, you had three choices of events: die, return home, and be a Phantom. But... now you only have two left. I think you realize you can''t go home as a human, but you can die."


    ...


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Sparks flew from the two sharp steel knives while Leona sharpened them to their limits. Her hands were covered in small cuts that had yet to heal, she was an experienced but not the most careful cook.


    However, that didn''t stop her. She wasn''t afraid to cut herself again, as she saw it as an essential part of cooking.


    "Only those who do nothing make no mistakes, do they?" Leona smiled broadly, turning to Adam.


    Adam was standing next to her, watching Leona. He only nodded slightly.


    Several hours passed since their first meeting. In that time they talked about a lot of things, the early excitement had subsided slightly, giving way to a quiet, pleasant routine.


    Gary went to his room to put new books and puzzles on the shelves, while Trici wanted to try out her VR helmet, which would give her a whole new experience when ying games.


    Adam didn''t mind. A few hours was enough time to discuss all sorts of topics, so a pause didn''t hurt them.


    "Hey Adam, these two are beyond excited right now, but pretty soon they''ll being here and they''ll want to eat. We can certainly order something, but I just can''t resist the urge to let these little guys in on the action." Leona uttered, looking at the knives in her hands with a fiery look.


    "Hmm?"


    Adam raised an eyebrow, looking at her confused.


    Leona turned to him and showed him a tablet that had pictures of three dishes with a detailed recipe and a list of ingredients.


    "Would you like to go grocery shopping with your mom and help make one of these dishes? I''m sure if you''re capable of fighting monsters, you''ll easily handle this task."


    Before Adam could say anything, Leona tapped the tablet several times.


    "But, I leave the choice of dish to you."


    After a few seconds, Adam nodded with a slight smile on his face.


    "I see... So pizza, noodles, orsagna. I think I''ve made up my mind."


    ...


    "Mr. dius, which one do you think ra will choose?"


    Sano asked, standing behind Aiden, who was sitting in a chair watching ra being examined, Natta helping her do all the necessary things, measuring her weight, height, body condition, body fat percentage, muscle mass level, and more.


    On the table in front of Aiden was a tablet with three images of White Threat Level monsters on it, one of them ra would have to fight.


    "Well, let''s see what we have here." dius smirked ncing at one of the monsters.

 Chapter 421 Shopping

    For the second time that day, Adam went shopping, but this time he wasn''t alone and he was going to spend considerably less than earlier.


    Now, Adam felt like the most ordinary person in the routine as he went to the grocery store to get the ingredients for the main course for tonight''s dinner.


    Even though he was in the store earlier, ordinary people didn''t make fifty thousand credits worth of purchases every day, only truly rich and powerful people or Phantoms could afford it.


    In the Third Ring, people earned from one to several thousand credits monthly, so going to the store for a week did not cost more than 70-100 credits, although everything depended on the preferences of certain persons.


    And, strangely enough, for Adam, it was the first time going to the store at all.


    Sure, there were stores in the slums, but...pared to the Third Ring, it was a different world, the slums had no service, no rich assortment, no staff, just nothing, only the prices were much lower, as well as the quality of food.


    When he was in his new home a few times he ate what Leona cooked, the rest of the time Silvana fed him, or more often he ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner in cafes and restaurants.


    Adam was so immersed in his new life as a Phantom, going on dangerous missions and fighting in Dead Lands, that he didn''t even get the idea of going to a regr store like a normal person.


    Well, now he had that opportunity.


    "Do youe here often?" Adam asked looking up at the massive building with a ss panel in front and a square red roof that had several signs on a wide section of it.


    Leona shook her head.


    "Only sometimes. It''s actually one of the most expensive grocery stores in our area of the Third Ring, I usuallye here when something important happens or I want to cook something delicious."


    Leona continued taking arge wheeled shopping cart:


    "I mean, everything here is 20-30% more expensive on average, but the quality of the food and the selection is amazing. Here, we can find not only the ingredients we need forsagna, but we can buy more if our eye catches on something." Leona said walking forward.


    Adam put on a long-sleeved shirt so his NEP wasn''t visible. Leona asked him to hide that he was a Phantom as she didn''t want them to waste more time because of the extra attention.


    After all, everyone knew that going to the store with mother was never a quick trip, sometimes this seemingly easy walk could take forever.


    "So... Where do we start?" Adam asked looking around.


    Several dozen people came into his view, but no one had NEPs on their wrists.


    Sure, the Phantom could have taken his NEP off and then a normal person would never be able to tell the difference between them and the rest of the people, but usually no one did that.


    The NEP was the Phantoms'' way of knowing quickly if something important happened, and Operators contacted their Phantoms through NEPs first.


    Everyone had phones, but it wasn''t as fast or efficient, and the NEP was connected to the Phantom''s ount where all avable information was stored.


    "Well, let''s start with the basics,sagna sheets, and meat, I think we should look for some expensive ground beef." Leona exined moving towards the pasta section, there was everything from long noodles to colorful pasta for kids.


    Adam nodded, following her. He looked curiously at the many kinds of fruits, vegetables, and bread that greeted them at the beginning. The slum didn''t have even a quarter of what he already saw.


    "Lasagna... right? Adam inwardly said, with a slight smile on his face.


    When Leona offered him a choice between noodles,sagna, and pizza, Adam made up his mind almost immediately.


    In fact, they were all pretty simple and popr dishes, as even living in slums, Adam had tried everything on that list. It wasn''t marbled meat, foie gras, or some rare fish, the ingredients were simple but tasty and most importantly hearty.


    But,sagna was Adam''s favorite, perhaps because it was more difficult to prepare than noodles or pizza or maybe because Leona often asked him to help when she asionally cooked this dish in slums.


    ''Agh... Previously we always had to save money, we bought the cheapest meat and added very little, there was hardly any cheese, and thesagna sheets weren''t made of the right dough at all. Well, this time I''m going to buy the ingredients so we can make the fattestsagna ever!'' Adam eximed to himself as his eyes lit up brightly.


    He always wished there was more meat, more sauce, and cheese between thesagna sheets!


    It was too expensive, but... now even the most luxurious ingredients weren''t a barrier for Adam.


    Yeah, it definitely wouldn''t be a ssic recipe, but Adam didn''t care, he wanted to do it since he could.


    ...


    Crackle.


    The ss pod opened, releasing ra outside, hot steam emanating from her. The medical examination wasplete, and Aiden received all the necessary data.


    ra got a few injections, it wasn''t an amplifier or Code D, but with these injections, Aiden raised ra''s body condition to its peak so that she felt as good and confident as possible.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Sorry to intrude, but don''t you think it would be better to give her time to practice? I mean, a trained person has a slightly better chance of defeating a monster." Sano suggested, standing not far from Aiden.


    Aiden waved his hand.


    "Well, that''s not entirely true. When ra uses Code D, her body will allow her to go beyond human limits. She''ll still use up her body''s resources, which will be depleted in just five minutes then she''ll die, but for that period she''ll be extraordinarily strong."


    Sano wanted to say something, but Aiden stopped her with a gesture, showing that he wasn''t done yet.


    "Physical capabilities, speed of mind, and emotional resilience, all of this will be at its peak due to her body literally burning through its resources for the sake of a few minutes of strength. But, all of that is just a bonus."


    Sano gulped, as she uncertainly asked:


    "A bonus...?"


    Aiden nodded.


    "Instincts, that''s the main power she''ll get from Code D. Skill and training aren''t enough to defeat a monster in a 1 on 1 fight, otherwise the military would easily do it without additional equipment. Only wildnessing from instincts can help ra to kill her first monster, as well as unbreakable will, but that depends on her and her intentions..."


    Aiden continued:


    "However, I have to admit that physical training wouldn''t be unreasonable. It''s just... I don''t know how much time we have, I don''t want to lose this chance to learn her unique features. Who knows how long before her inner space disappears."


    Aiden''s gaze grew deeper, while he stared at ra who was heading along with Natta towards them.


    "Maybe ra has it forever, or maybe we only have a few days or even hours... Either way, she needs to defeat and choose a monster first."


    dius nodded with a sly smile on his face.


    "Yes, as well as the weapon. For her, it''ll be like going to the store, the death store."

 Chapter 422 Cheese or Weapon?

    "What about this?" Adam asked picking up a package of expensive ground meat, it wasrge, enough to make a heartysagna that a family of four would eat all day.


    "Oh, Adam, are you sure...?" Leona asked, feeling awkward, "I''m a little embarrassed that I brought you here, to an expensive store, but... I don''t want to force you to buy such overpriced ingredients."


    Adam smiled weakly. Before Leona could say anything, he threw two packages of ground meat into the cart, even though they only needed one.


    "What...?" Leona looked at Adam in confusion.


    Adam approached her with a kind smile.


    "I want so much meat this time so that next time I''ll ask to add less, okay?"


    Adam said before picking up the cart and heading on his way.


    Leona blinked a few times before nodding and following him. She wasn''t stupid and realized that Adam as the Phantom had enough money to buy anything in this store, but... she as his mother couldn''t force him. He was her son and she wanted only the best for him.


    ''Well, if that''s his wish, then I can''t stand in the way of that. Moreover, the better the ingredients, the better, isn''t it? Leona inwardly muttered.


    It felt warm on her chest as every time she saw her son again he was getting more mature and confident, it couldn''t help but make her feel good.


    "Hey, we got the meat andsagna sheets, what''s next on the list?" Adam asked, turning around and looking at Leona over his shoulder.


    Leona walked over to him and ncing to the side said: "We have a lot more things to buy, but why not continue with cheese? I know you''ve always missed it, now, we can drown thesagna in cheese if that''s what you want."


    Adam grinned widely, he understood Leona''s train of thought.


    "Hah, good idea. Well, let''s get to the choices. There are different sizes, hardnesses, and vors of cheese, I think we''re sure to find something suitable."


    ...


    "Weapons...? I have to choose a weapon?" ra asked, ncing at dius and Aiden.


    Aiden didn''t answer anything, he just took the tablet in his hands, looking at ra''s metrics, he pondered on which monster she shoulde out against if she wanted to win.


    dius turned to ra with a slight smile on his face.


    "Yes, weaponse in many forms, differing in shape, material as well as purpose, but I''m sure you will find something suitable."


    Then, dius stepped forward with a wave of his hand.


    "Come on, follow me. Once you''ve decided on a weapon, then you''ll fight the monster. Hah, it may be one of thest choices of your life, who knows."


    ra gulped and quickly followed him.


    Sano and Natta turned around, about to join them, but...


    Aiden waved his hand.


    "Natta, you stay here. Sano, you can leave."


    "Sure." Natta obediently nodded, turning back.


    Crackle.


    The door closed as dius, ra, and Sano left, leaving only Aiden and Natta in the room.


    Natta couldn''t help it as she felt the oppressive atmosphere. It wasn''t her first day working at Morton Observatory and she had her own reasons for being here, but even after a long time, she couldn''t get used to the feeling of constant threating from Aiden.


    ''Damn, it''s not like I have the toughest job in the world, but why am I under more stress here than when I worked for the military department?'' Natta internally shook her head, standing still behind Aiden like a guard.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Then, Aiden broke the silence:


    "While ra was being examined you managed to talk a bit, didn''t you?"


    But, Natta didn''t have time to answer, it was a rhetorical question.


    "Tell me about her. What did you manage to understand about ra as a person? You''re a good judge of character."


    Natta nodded.


    "Sure. I didn''t have much time, but I don''t think she''s as kind and naive as her brother, Lero Fratto, based on the information I have on him. She has determination and she has a strong desire to continue her brother''s path, but... I''m afraid she could easily break down if she fails."


    Aiden sighed slightly, the tips of his white hair swept in front of his deep amber eyes.


    "I see. That''s something to work with, though these musings are premature. She needs to kill the monster first."


    "Excuse me, can I ask you something?" Natta said uncertainly.


    "Go ahead." Aiden lightly shook his hand, giving her permission.


    "What''s the point of all this? I mean, let''s say she kills the monster and bes a Natural Phantom, but what does that give us? Whether she gained inner space because of a series of unique events or not, none of this matters since the result if she wins is the same." Natta voiced her opinion.


    She knew the difference between Natural and Artificial Phantoms as well as what one needed to do to be first or second.


    "I understand what you''re getting at, but that''s why we''re dedicating so much time to ra. If there''s no uniqueness in the appearance of an inner space without the Spark, then we''ll know about it and won''t waste any more time on it."


    Aiden raised his head, looking up at the ceiling while his bright eyes grew deeper.


    "But... if the inner space without the Spark has some kind of specialty, it could help with my research or even be a new step for humanity in general."


    Aiden threw one leg over the other, leaning back in his chair.


    "That''s what science is all about, especially in our cruel unexplored world. You''re supposed to notice anomalies and oddities, do experiments in the hope that soon something will work out and it will prove useful."


    Aiden took a deep breath and his gaze grew heavier.


    "You can believe it or not, but most of the first discoveries of great things happened that way, attention, chance, and a little luck - that''s the recipe for science."


    Natta''s eyes went wide for a moment as she nodded silently. She got a much better answer than she expected.


    Crackle.


    At the same time, dius, Sano, and ra entered a spacious room that held all sorts of weapons.


    There was everything a military or experienced fighter could think of and even much more.


    From simple des and swords to axes, hammers, and katanas. There were also guns: assault rifles, machine guns, and shotguns, but strangely enough, there were no grenades, mines, or explosives, not even one.


    Moreover, swords like all other weapons here were not ordinary. It wasn''t a hilt with strong hardened steel, as the de was equipped with aser fueled by a generator inside the hilt.


    This did not interact with the monster''s genes in any way, so a person could use it and be a Natural Phantom if they won. Sure, it increased the odds only slightly, but it was better to have something when either death or a new life was at stake.


    "Wow... I didn''t even realize there were so many types of weapons..." ra gasped in a daze, hesitantly taking a few steps forward.


    dius nodded.


    "I ironically call this ce the death store. Sure, you don''t buy anything here, but the weapon you choose could cost you your life, so think carefully about your choice."


    ra gulped as she stepped forward, looking around.


    ''A weapon... right? It''s going to be a hard decision...''

 Chapter 423 Weapon or Gun?

    "Do you need help with your choice?" Sano asked with a slight wave of her hand.


    She realized that ra had barely fought even once until now. She was a simple girl who first went to school and then went to an institute like all ordinary people not rted to Dead Lands.


    In front of ra now was an arsenal that any military would envy. Sure, the military had everything they needed, but ordinary soldiers didn''t have ess to weapons of any shape or form.


    dius nced at Sano, he was going to stop her as he wanted ra to make up her mind, he was curious what her eyes would catch on.


    However...


    "No, it was my decision to select Code D and fight, so I have to choose my weapon. I don''t want to have anyone but myself to me if I fail." ra uttered before heading forward, walking between the rows of weapons.


    She felt a strange excitement inside her, she wanted to pick up everything at once, but at the same time, she didn''t want anything in particr.


    "Hey, are there any weapons here that my brother used?" ra asked with hope in her voice.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    dius shook his head, he answered with a wave of his hand: "Your brother was a Phantom, his weapon is his Nexus, it cannot be replicated with technology. Moreover, he didn''t use a sword or a spear, but a magical book that fired projectiles from his energy. Only Phantoms can use such a weapon."


    ra nodded deeply. Her gaze grew darker as she lowered her head with a slight frown on her face.


    Perhaps she would have followed her brother''s path, but Lero''s weapon was no match for her.


    "Fine, then I must choose something I''m drawn to." ra sighed heavily.


    She didn''t want to take a simple sword or axe since those were the basic weapons everyone knew about. ra didn''t even look at guns, she didn''t believe that rifles or pistols could do anything to a monster.


    ''Monster... I don''t know much about them at all, but since Aiden is giving me this chance then I actually have a way to kill a monster with these weapons. Moreover, Naturalborn Phantoms... they somehow managed to pull it off by ending up in Dead Lands, without weapons and Code D...''


    ra pondered while walking from side to side. dius and Sano did not hurry her along. They only asionally nced over, watching her actions.


    ''Lero was a simple one, Artificial Phantom, which most... Aiden said that the weak spots of White Threat Level monsters are vulnerable enough to thetest weapons, but it requires uracy and body strength. There''s no point in having a good weapon if the monster will kill me in a second, faster than I can use it.'' ra tapped her finger on her forehead with great concern.


    She nced at the paired short des.


    ''Maybe choose them? I can try to stab them into the monster''s eyes. If it loses its sight, there''s no way it can win, isn''t it?''


    ra''s eyes went wide, it seemed that she had finally decided on a choice.


    "I don''t want to distract you, but..."


    Suddenly, a voice from dius rang out.


    "To defeat an opponent who is much stronger than you, you don''t need to think about how to weaken or immobilize it, the difference in strength is too great for that to allow you to win. Think about how to kill the monster, how to put everything on the line, how to sacrifice all, but remain the one who will continue to stand on the feet and breathe while your opponent is already dead."


    dius''s words were an epiphany for ra and something that made her dismiss all thoughts of picking up the paired des.


    ''Hmm... So I need to make some powerful attacks that can kill the monster, right? Well, that sounds logical, the paired des will only be able to leave weak wounds, even though there will be many of them. But... what should I choose in that case? How do I get a chance to deal powerful damage to the monster?''


    After a few minutes of deep andplicated thinking, ra smiled bitterly.


    She knew what kind of Phantom her brother was and what he did on the battlefield.


    Therefore, an ironic smile appeared on her face at the thought of what she chose.


    "Oh... How curious..."


    dius smirked, staring intently at ra.


    "Good choice."


    ...


    "An expensive ssic, right? Good choice." Leona smiled looking at the cheese that Adam picked.


    In fact, Adam chose two cheeses of opposite types - one soft to stretch like in themercials and the other a hard one with a rich vor.


    "Not bad, not bad at all." Leona nodded approvingly.


    "So... What''s next?" Adam asked ncing at the two pieces of cheese. In total, they were worth over a hundred credits.


    ''Damn... We used to be able to live on this amount of money for one or two weeks, but now I spend it on cheese... Yeah, it''s a quality and tasty product, but... fuck, it''s just cheese...'' Adam shook his head internally.


    Leona looked at their shopping cart, mentally checking the list.


    "Well, we already have the meat,sagna sheets, and cheese, but that''s only part of it. We''ll get the spices at the very end, nothingplicated there, so our next target is the sauces!"


    "Sauces...? Right, they''re the whole point, although I always thought they were a bit bitter, especially the white one." Adam scratched the back of his head, remembering the taste ofsagna from the slums.


    Leona nodded, cing a hand on his shoulder.


    "The white sauce consists of flour, butter, and milk, cooked over low heat and stirred constantly. Obviously, if the ingredients are of the worst quality and the stove is struggling to work, nothing good wille out. But, we''re in a very different situation now, aren''t we?" Leona smiled encouragingly.


    Adam looked away, leaning on the cart.


    "Yeah, you''re right. However, despite all theplications, thesagna was still delicious. It doesn''t matter what the ingredients and equipment are, the most important thing is to have a good cook who can turn cheap food into something delicious."


    Adam continued:


    "If the chef doesn''t know how to do anything, then give him the best and most expensive ingredients, he won''t be able to do anything with them, on the contrary, he''ll just ruin them."


    Leona took a few steps forward, gesturing for Adam to follow her.


    "I agree. Nothing makes sense without skill, but you don''t have to worry about that. I''ll do my best!" Leona eximed with a wide smirk, clenching her fist.


    ...


    "Skill... Well, I was afraid she would choose some overlyplicated weapon, but... this girl exceeded my expectations. That happens quite rarely." Aiden muttered looking at ra, followed by dius and Sano.


    Natta raised an eyebrow in surprise, she like Aiden didn''t expect ra to choose such a strange weapon, or rather a set of two.


    Crackle.


    The door opened, and ra stepped inside.


    "What do you think?"


    Aiden waved his hand.


    "Not bad, not bad at all, I can see the idea, but the important thing is that you can use it properly."


    Then, his gaze traveled over ra from top to bottom.


    In her left hand was a round shield with sharp des on the edges covered in red sma capable of burning through anything in its path.


    In her right hand was a shotgun with eight charges. The case was ck, the muzzle long and wide with two barrels capable of releasing bursting sma charges.


    dius smirked, it seemed he was pleased with ra''s choice more than the rest.

 Chapter 424 Choosing the First Monster

    With every minute, the shopping cart was getting filled with more and more ingredients. In fact, Adam and Leona had already bought everything they needed to makesagna a few minutes ago.


    First, they bought eggs, flour, and milk, then tomato paste and spices. So they picked out everything they needed and could go home, but... Adam realized that theirrge shopping cart was practically empty.


    "Are you sure you want it?" Leona mumbled uncertainly pointing to various jellies, oddly shaped cookies, chips, and so on.


    Adam was unstoppable. He threw anything that seemed interesting or unusual into the shopping cart.


    Even when they lived in the slums, he saw products in the stores that his family just couldn''t spend money on. Yogurt for ten credits? Why not? Ice cream that costs several times the average? Sure.


    Was Adam turning into a shopaholic? Well, his situation and some ordinary shopaholic just couldn''t bepared.


    He didn''t intend to do it all the time and he didn''t have the physical ability to devote much time to it.


    Moreover, he wasn''t driven by the goal of spending as much money as possible. He just wanted to try something he never could before and more importantly, he realized he wouldn''t eat it all, which meant he might enjoy the unusual treats with his family.


    ''I''m sure mom and dad will appreciate nuts, cheeses, jerky, and good wine, and Trici... Well, candy, chips, and other such foods will be the object of her attention for the near future.''


    It went on like this until the shopping cart waspletely filled, a small mountain even formed on top.


    From time to time, people nced back at them, as it was quite rare for someone to buy so much at once in this store.


    "And... we can call it a day." Adam muttered throwing in the cart, a jar of salted caramel.


    "So... Now it''s time to pay, right?" Leona asked uncertainly with wide-eyed eyes looking at the mountain of groceries.


    Adam nodded with a calm face. He didn''t see anything strange about it. Yeah, he got a lot more groceries than the average shopper, but... Was that a bad thing?


    "Yeah,e on, I think we''ll be surprised at the total, but don''t worry, we can afford it." Adam said before stepping forward, moving the fully loaded shopping cart with ease.


    Leona nodded silently, following him and looking at the groceries.


    ''Damn... Besides all sorts of snacks and sweets, he picked up quite a few expensive and good products.'' Leona pondered looking at the marbled meat, several kinds of fish, squid, octopus, and so on.


    Leona shrugged.


    ''Well, the only thing I can wish is that every mother has a son like that. But... I don''t feel good at all when I think about the way Adam makes this money, or rather at what cost...''


    ...


    "The price of your choice is either death or a new life as the Phantom, but you''re ready for it, I can see it in your gaze." Aiden said staring intently at ra who stood confidently in front of him.


    ra nodded deeply standing in front of Aiden.


    "I''m ready to choose a monster. This is thest obstacle before I use Code D, isn''t it?"


    Aiden waved his hand, calling ra over to him.


    "Yeah, you''re right. It looks like you''re not as dumb as I think you are. Given your metrics, I''ve chosen the three most suitable monsters for you. Your job is to determine who will be your opponent."


    Aiden continued, not letting ra speak:


    "All of these White Threat Level monsters, all have their disadvantages and strengths, against each of them you''ll need unique tactics to win, so think carefully about which one you can defeat or..."


    Aiden paused for a long moment, looking at ra with slightly narrowed eyes.


    "Or whoever you want to defeat. The choice is yours. You''re unique and valuable, but if you can''t defeat the monster then there''s no point in you. So don''t get your pointless hopes that I''ll save you or anything like that."


    ra nodded.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I wasn''t going to. I know I''m either going to die or get killed, I just don''t have any other option. Even if the monster decides to spare me, Code D will do its job."


    Aiden''s corners of his mouth went up slightly, forming a faint smile, which in itself was a rarity.


    "Good, now let''s move on to the choices."


    Click.


    Aiden snapped his fingers.


    Whooooooosh.


    At the same moment, the room went dark and three massive, detailed 3D holograms of monsters appeared from a spotlight embedded in the floor.


    ra''s eyes went wide. She''d seen holograms at school and institute, but not of this quality and not of monsters...


    dius, Sano, and Natta were not surprised, they didn''t even move an eyebrow.


    The first monster was arge creature four meters tall, with a sturdy triangr shell on its back like a turtle. The monster''s skin was thick and gray, covered with sparse, wide protective tes.


    The monster''s main weapons were its front paws with short, sharp ws and powerful jaws. The monster had two small eyes that possessed mediocre vision.


    Thisrge creature stood on two hind legs that were thick with dense bones and rather short, preventing the monster from moving quickly.


    "This is the Gray Choro. It doesn''t look very threatening, but quite a few Phantoms have died trying to pierce its armor. And, his powerful jaws will easily snap you in two, though he''s definitely not the strongest of the three of them." Aiden gave a small description.


    "Gray Choro... Hmm... I see. I should see the others." ra said confidently turning to the right - to the second monster that looked much more threatening than Gray Choro.


    The second monster was like a demon born in the dark forest of death, in its most dangerous corners.


    ra shuddered as goosebumps ran through her body.


    The monster''s red eyes filled with bloodlust seemed to pierce her soul, though it was only a hologram.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 425 Time to Cook (Part 1)

    Beep. Beep. Beep.


    Adam and Leona stood in front of the self-service checkout counter, swiping the groceries in front of the scanner. If the product didn''t have a barcode, the built-in AI did all the work, determining the weight of the food and calcting its value.


    Together, they looked like two experienced factory workers. Leona quickly passed the products in front of the scanner before tossing them to Adam, who in turn, deftly ced them in bags like pieces in a construction kit.


    This went on for a while and began to attract the attention of other visitors and working staff who watched their actions with curiosity and the amount of food they were picking up.


    This led some people, especially among the younger generation, to turn their attention to Adam.


    Sure, they didn''t see his NEP, but Adam didn''t use disguises like Damien did when he went out, with his level of poprity it just wasn''t necessary, was it?


    Well, someone still managed to recognize him. They didn''t approach since he wasn''t alone and looked rather focused, which was a bit intimidating, but their gazes were fixed on him like a ma.


    "Wow... Looks like my son has gotten a lot more poprtely, isn''t it?" Leona said in surprise, ncing around. It did nothing to stop her from continuing to move her hands and scan the groceries.


    Adam shrugged, he seemed to be used to the asional nces in his direction wherever he was.


    "Yeah, you''re probably right, but I can''t say I''ve ever aspired to that. I''d call it a side effect of Phantom work. If you sessfullyplete missions and survive, eventually people start to recognize you." Adam quickly exined before throwing the jar of salted caramel into the bag, it was thest one.


    Then, Adam waved his hand, indicating for the drones to follow them and carry their purchases. Sure, Adam was strong enough to lift several hundred times the weight without any effort, but it would be too ufortable.


    Leona nodded and followed Adam, casting onest nce at the screen where the sum that Adam had just paid.


    ''1,273 credits... Fuck, that''s a bit more than we pay for the rent on our house. And, Adam paid without even raising an eyebrow. Although, considering how much money he spent on gifts it''s not surprising, but... it''s still a bit unusual.''


    Leona internally muttered before turning around and looking at Adam''s back.


    ''It''s definitely a good thing that Adam became a Phantom. This job suits him, but... will the daye when I regret that my son got superpowers?'' Leona''s gaze grew deeper and darker.


    After a few seconds, she noticed at the bottom of the bags some cupcakes that they took under Leona''s suggestion.


    ''Hah, no need to think about that right now. After all, we have a family dinner and dessert waiting for us!''


    ...


    At the same time, ra was pondering as well, but she wasn''t concerned about the food or dessert, but the eerie sight of a second monster floating in front of her in the form of a hologram.


    The monster''s body was long, skinny, and curvy, like something between a snake and a lizard, but the simrities were only in the body structure.


    The monster had no scales or smooth protective tes, as its entire body was covered with dry thorns as if from tortured branches, the thorns intertwined with each other, forming a strong and impregnable armor, hiding only darkness behind it.


    The monster''s weapons were short, curved ws in the shape of crooked tree branches. Amidst the darkness hiding behind the spikes, two red eyes could be seen near the head.


    "It''s Shadow of the Woods. It looks threatening, I understand, but in reality, other than speed and dangerous appearance, this monster has nothing to boast about. After all, it''s only a White Threat Level, just a lesser creature." Aiden waved his hand carelessly.


    His voice was full of arrogance and strength.


    "Moreover, of the three of them, Shadow of the Woods has the weakest defense. Its spikes are filled with energy, but they''re not strong enough to protect it from a powerful attack."


    ra gulped, despite Aiden''s words she didn''t want to face such an opponent at all. She could see how Shadow''s ws were tearing her flesh apart and its spikes were digging into her body.


    "W-Well... Even if you say so, I''m not sure about it. Shadow... looks creepy. Moreover, I don''t see how I can defeat it with my weapon set. My shield will be useless against the hundreds of spikes that surround me on all sides."


    Aiden nodded and swung his hand slightly, directing ra''s gaze to the third and final monster.


    Hearing ra''s response, dius grinned widely. No one saw this as he stood in the corner of the room,pletely hidden by the shadows.


    His reaction was caused because he knew that Shadow of the Woods was a trap from Aiden. If ra hadn''t realized that she didn''t stand a chance against this monster because of her chosen weapon, Aiden would have considered her a failure and sent her to training without letting her prove herself.


    Sure, in that case, he would probably lose a rare opportunity, but a living ra was more useful than a dead one.


    Could he have given her a clue? Yes, but to survive she needed good instincts and intuition, not hints from the stronger ones.


    ra nodded and looked away.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The third monster didn''t look as nd as Gray Choro and not as intimidating as Shadow of the Woods. It was a ck wolf with notable red hoops of energy on its paws and neck. It had two pointed ears, an elongated maw, and two eyes with vertical pupils.


    It seemed that if it weren''t for the hoops of energy it would be no different from ordinary wolves, but... there was one detail that made a significant contrast between them.


    A massive round crystal, like a core, was in the monster''s chest, filling its entire body with energy. It was a special feature of this monster and had nothing to do with Essence Type who might have something simr in the first time after absorbing the artifact.


    ra''s eyes went wide, looking at the wolf''s red ws and its long dirty tail, stiff and not fluffy at all.


    "This is Redcore Wolf, he looks ordinary, I realize, but I''d say among the three of them he''s the strongest. The difference in strength isn''t critical, only a few percent, but it''s a fact. His defense, speed, and attack aren''t anything special, but all of those stats are above average which makes him a great fighter."


    Aiden continued, pointing at the red crystal in the monster''s chest.


    "This crystal is his main strength and greatest weakness."


    Then, Aiden waved his hand, turning sideways in his chair.


    "I give you five minutes to make a decision."


    ra didn''t answer anything, she only stared curiously at the Redcore Wolf. She already knew that Phantom gained abilities from the first monster it killed.


    And... she saw how she could defeat Redcore Wolf and survive. How she could continue her brother''s legacy.


    "Don''t. Five minutes is too long. I''ve already made my decision." ra said confidently while pointing at Redcore Wolf.

 Chapter 426 Time to Cook (Part 2)

    "Redcore Wolf? ra, are you sure?" Natta asked with slight concern.


    Sano nodded.


    "I agree with her. I would reconsider if I were you. Redcore Wolf is the strongest of them all, he''s not the most protected or fastest, but because his stats are above average, you just won''t be able to adapt."


    Before they could hear ra''s reply, they felt a threatening aura behind them, as if a shadow born from the darkness hade for their souls.


    Tap.


    dius''s heavy hands fell on their tiny shoulders, sending shivers down their bodies along with a chill across their spines.


    "Hey, it''s not good to plunge into doubt someone who''s already made up their mind, is it?"


    Knocking their teeth from fear, Sano and Natta nodded simultaneously.


    "S-sure... I apologize for our impertinence."


    ra raised an eyebrow but did not say anything. It seemed like she didn''t understand what caused Sano and Natta to have such a strange reaction.


    "So... I can proceed? I mean, I chose a monster, right?" ra asked uncertainly while looking at Aiden.


    Aiden nodded calmly before tossing the ck case with Code D to dius.


    Clutch.


    Reaching forward between Sano and Natta''s heads, dius caught the case confidently, heading for the exit.


    "Yes, follow dius. You will fight in the hall where we were before. dius will exin everything to you and Redcore Wolf will be here soon."


    ra took a deep breath and did as he said.


    When the door closed, only Aiden, Sano, and Natta were left in the room. The girls were relieved when dius left, then they nced at Aiden, not feeling annoyed or threatened by him.


    But...


    "Sano, Natta,e here." Aiden said calmly, no anger could be heard in his voice.


    However... Sano and Natta instinctively felt that they shouldn''t expect anything good from Aiden.


    They obeyed and carefully approached him.


    "If you dare to open your mouth without permission again, interfering with an important process, then..." Aiden nced at them, "No, I will not kill you. I will rip out your tongues without anesthesia, and you can be sure it will be a long time before I decide to take pity on you and cure you."


    Sano and Natta only gulped.


    After such a warning, they had no desire to talk. It was bing too dangerous.


    "Well, let''s see how she does." Aiden uttered, getting up from his chair.


    ...


    "I wanted to see what it would look like, but... it''s a whole mountain of groceries." Leona muttered looking at the table where they put out everything they had bought.


    Adam smiled slightly, sitting rxed on the couch in the hall. Gary and Trici were still on the second floor minding their business, which was good though, since Adam and Leona could take their time.


    "Where do we start? Are we going to makesagna right away?" Adam asked after a while, watching as Leona quickly organized the groceries in the fridge, filling it in full.


    After thinking for a few seconds, Leona shook her head.


    "You and I did a good job, so we need a little rest. How about we try that expensive tea and cupcakes we bought?" Leona suggested, showing a metal cylinder with ck tea leaves inside.


    Adam nodded, he liked the idea of starting with dessert. After all, everyone liked to savor a little sweetness.


    Taking a few steps forward, Adam took the cylinder and...


    Crackle.


    He opened the metal lid that was tightly closed.


    ...


    Crackle.


    The mechanical doors opened as several huge drones flew in, carrying a massive cage with Redcore Wolf inside.


    Aiden did not weaken or injure the monster in any way since ra could not be a Natural Phantom in that case. He had already had a simr experiment with Lana Tiates when the monster was weakened, but that was a different story.


    Redcore Wolf did not try to get out, as it knew very well that it was impossible. The protective ss walls were too strong, Redcore Wolf couldn''t even leave a scratch on it even though his ws were sharp.


    Crackle.


    The drones lowered the cage with Redcore Wolf, which was like a gift box falling apart, releasing the monster.


    Redcore Wolf nced at ra, who was supposed to be his opponent but did not attack since dius was next to her. Against him... Redcore Wolf had as many chances as the ant in front of ra.


    With a wave of his hand, dius handed the case to ra.


    "When you''re ready, open the case and stab Code D right into your neck. Good luck!" dius uttered with a sly smile before jumping high up.


    He ended up in front of Aiden who was standing on the observation deck. Natta and Sano were beside him, as well as Shiny. The Spark Seeker was needed by Aiden to keep an eye on the changes in ra''s inner space.


    Oddly enough, next to Natta and Sano, were two massive ck cases whose purpose was unknown.


    "Well... I can take one minute to set up for the fight, can''t I?" ra muttered with a nce at the ck case.


    ...


    "Agh... What a scent..." Adam uttered with pleasure ncing at the cup full of hot tea.


    Leona nodded.


    "I agree, but it''s not the same without the cupcakes." Leona said, pulling out a few.


    However, she didn''t eat them right away. Instead, Leona pulled out a bottle of liqueur from the refrigerator, as well as a culinary steel syringe.


    Adam raised an eyebrow.


    "Hmm? What are you going to do?" Adam asked in confusion.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Leona''s corners of her lips went up.


    "Don''t worry about it. I just want to improve their vor a little. Usually, you have to wait until everything is properly soaked, but honestly, I don''t have the patience for that!" Leona said filling a syringe with cream liqueur.


    Then, without question, she stuck the syringe into the cupcake.


    ...


    Crackle.


    The thick needle entered ra''s neck, causing her face to contort in wild pain. She knew it wouldn''t be easy, but she hadn''t expected the needle to be so sharp and thick.


    Strangely enough, she plunged that needle into her neck on her own, it was her choice, the consequences of which she was going to face.


    Spurt.


    Bright blue liquid began to quickly escape from the steel casing, traveling down the needle and sinking into ra''s body.


    With each passing second, the pain grew worse. ra''s eyes went wide, filling with blood, and her veins swelled as if they were ready to explode. Her body trembled, trying to deal with the crisis and get rid of the foreign fluid, but... it wasn''t long before Code D came into action.


    When the syringe waspletely empty, ra tossed it aside along with the ck case and took a deep breath.


    At the same time, Aiden grabbed Shiny by his tail, staring intently at ra through the ss crystal that could reveal the Spark.


    It was still too early, so all Aiden could see was the thick darkness, ra''s inner space, but... something confused him.


    ''Hmm? Is it just me or did the darkness just get thicker? So her inner space is reacting to the changes in her body? But... what could this be leading to?'' Aiden pondered.


    Crackle.


    ra swung her hand, deftly pulling out her sma shotgun from her belt, staring intently at Redcore Wolf as her victim.


    Redcore Wolf nodded deeply, realizing that now he could finally start fighting and get a chance at freedom.

 Chapter 427 Time to Cook (Part 3)

    "Hey Adam, is it just me, or are you looking a little broody today?" Leona asked, taking a sip of the vored tea. In front of hery a half-eaten cupcake, and... its life wouldn''t be long until Leona satisfied her hunger.


    Adam smiled bitterly.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "I met this girl yesterday. She''s the younger sister of the Phantom, who died on the mission I was on as well. It was my decision, but... I still can''t get our meeting out of my mind."


    Leona didn''t say anything, she just narrowed her eyes intently at Adam. She continued to drink her tea, waiting for him to tell her everything, she didn''t need to push.


    "I mean... How does she feel? What will she do next? Her older brother was a Phantom, the hope of her family and protector, but... now all she has are memories and amitment toe to the funeral." Adam spread his hands apart as if he didn''t understand how anyone could handle such a situation.


    Leona nodded deeply, put the cup aside, and looked at Adam.


    "Adam, you did everything you could and more. I know what happened there and what went on with that guy, Lero... I''m sure if you could have saved him you would have, but... it''s out of your hands."


    Then, Leona stood up and headed towards the kitchen.


    "If it makes you feel better, you can visit her after a while, but there''s no point in thinking about it more and more. How about you help me makesagna instead?" Leona turned around with a slight smile on her face.


    Adam smiled bitterly.


    "Yeah, you''re right. After all, today, I wanted to make time exclusively for you, my family." Adam muttered before walking over to the refrigerator and pulling out a packet of ground meat.


    The first thing they were going to do was roast the meat so they could mix it with tomato paste and spices, thus making the red sauce, one of the key ingredients insagna.


    Staring at the ground meat for a while, Adam thought for a moment, remembering events from the past.


    ''This is good meat, from apany that watches its quality, at a decent price. But... what would happen if I reced this beef with some monster meat? What would thesagna at Red Feast be like?''


    Adam remembered well what Thunder Demon and other monsters tasted like and it gave him a curious thought.


    ''Hmm... Silvana said that the territories the K2-Phantoms hunt are different from where I''ve been before. It''s not that they''re more difficult or dangerous, that''s obvious, but... they''re too far away from the Citadel.''


    Adam pondered, turning to Leona, opening the ground meat with a quick sweep of his hand. Leona at this time pulled out a frying pan and a bottle of olive oil.


    ''The Territories will no longer just be rings moving away from the Citadel, the further they get the more difficult they be. They are far enough away to be distinctive areas where next to someone strong, can live someone weak but stealthy.''


    The distantnds worked the same way as beasts in the wild. Sure, the most valuable things went to the strongest, but those who didn''t need much to survive could sit in their habitats and still be useful to humanity.


    ''These territories are much more diverse as their area is muchrger than the territories for K0 and K1 Phantoms, with K2-Phantoms being less than K0 and K1.'' Adam inwardly muttered while throwing ground meat into the heated pan.


    Spurt.


    A massive drop of hot oil flew off the pan, heading straight for Leon''s face. This was because Adam dumped out all the ground meat at once.


    Whoosh.


    Before the drop could reach its target, Adam''s hand appeared in front of Leona clutching the drop tightly in his fist.


    "Oh... That''s impressive... I noticed the ssh of oil toote. Aren''t you hot?" Leona asked, slightly surprised.


    As a mother, she was long ago used to the oil asionally getting on her skin and burning her. It was part of the cooking process, something she didn''t try to avoid.


    "No, I hardly felt a thing." Adam shook his head with a slight smile on his face.


    Leona nodded deeply taking the handle of the frying pan and stirring the meat.


    "Good, in that case, let''s get on with it. Those who are inexperiencedpare the cooking to subduing a wild beast! You never know what might happen in the process!"


    ...


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Sparks flew off to the sides, from the red sharp ws scraping the steel floor. Redcore Wolf sharpened his ws to tear his target apart with one precise attack.


    It seemed that Redcore Wolf shouldn''t be motivated to fight, yet his eyes burned brightly.


    Aiden was mostly involved, as every monster in Morton Observatory knew that there were many rules here and every one of them, without exception, worked.


    If Redcore Wolf defeated ra, he would be returned to Dead Lands and would not be hunted for a long time. If he wins, Redcore Wolf can do anything he wants to ra, even eat her, since if she loses, she loses all value to Aiden.


    Did ra know this?


    No.


    But, she didn''t need to know all the rules of this ce since she already understood well enough what kind of person Aiden Henk was, at least his attitude towards failure.


    "Well, I only have five minutes." ra muttered looking at her hands.


    Her muscles were tense and her veins were heavily swollen and actively trembling. All the resources that were now in ra''s body were being burned in the infernal furnace provoked by Code D.


    ''I see... So this is what Aiden was talking about.'' ra pondered while feeling a great power within her.


    After the vivid pain passed, ra''s vision became sharper, her body lighter, and she could think faster as well.


    It was hard for a mere human toprehend, but ra didn''t need to take a few seconds to think about how she would attack or her n of action. All of these processes happened quickly so she could react to any threat in the heat of battle.


    ''But...''


    ra frowned heavily, staring intently at the Redcore Wolf.


    ''Unlike me, he has all this from birth. Compared to a monster, I''m a mere human, actually a lesser creature. Moreover, if he wants to, he can just drag out the fight and win that way.''''


    ra''s thoughts were moving in the right direction.


    Redcore Wolf was going to fight her and kill her, but if for some reason he was going to seriously lose, nothing was stopping him from just running away.


    Dodging ra''s attacks for five minutes wouldn''t even make Redcore Wolf tired, but it would be a death sentence for ra.


    "Agh... Whatever, I''ve already wasted a few seconds fighting doubts, it''s time to act." ra took a deep breath before swinging her left arm.


    At the same moment, she straightened her palm, letting the shield fly off her hand like a projectile. The des on the edges began to spin, turning the shield into a sma disk aiming straight for Redcore Wolf.


    dius smirked.


    "Not a bad start, but... choosing Redcore Wolf as your opponent was a mistake." dius nced at the monster, "He''s very smart, I''m sure he''s already prepared something knowing he''ll be fighting today."

 Chapter 428 Time to Cook (Part 4)

    Spinning. Spinning. Spinning.


    The long, wooden spoon moved in a circle, creating a slow swirl for the white sauce that was getting thicker by the second.


    Leona smiled as her eyes sparkled with slight delight at the work she did.


    The white sauce was almost done, the meat needed a few more minutes. Slowly, they could move on to the most important part -ying out thesagna sheets in the baking dish.


    Adam was about to get on with it right away, but he was stopped by Leona.


    "Hey, you wanted thesagna to have as much cheese in it as possible, didn''t you?" Leona smirked, reminding Adam of his expensive and impulsive purchase, though that could be said of their trip to the store in general.


    Adam scratched the back of his head awkwardly.


    Leona pointed to a cab in the corner of the kitchen.


    "Here, take that grater over there and grate as much cheese as you can. I''m sure that shouldn''t be a problem for Phantom, should it?"


    Adam nced to the side when his eyes went wide as he remembered how much cheese he''d bought. Sure, it wouldn''t all fit in one dish and there was no point, but he had a hard job waiting for him.


    "Yeah, you''re right." Adam nodded, a slight uncertainty was audible in his voice.


    He picked up the grater, pulled the cheese out of the fridge, and began to grate it, movement by movement. He did it not too fast but not too slow either, keeping a steady pace.


    After about three minutes, Adam looked at the piece of cheese in his hand. Sure, it had definitely gotten smaller, and there was already a little mountain of grated cheese on the board, but Adam felt like it could go on for a long time.


    ''Well... It''s not like you can do it all at once, is it? I''ll have to be patient. The routine can help to calm down and gather my thoughts, though.'' Adam muttered, turning back to his work.


    It happened just as he thought it would.


    For a while, Adam didn''t pay attention to anything around him. Leona asked him something a few times, but he didn''t answer as he just didn''t hear her.


    Leona smiled weakly, putting her hand at her side while holding a wooden spoon with a thick white sauce dripping from the end of it.


    ''Hmm, I guess I won''t bother him anymore. Hah, I never thought I''d feel such peace and warmth just watching someone thoughtfully grating cheese.''


    Wheeze. Wheeze. Wheeze.


    With each movement, the cheese split into dozens of pieces, falling to the top of the mountain that grewrger andrger.


    ...


    "ROOOAAAAAAAAARRRR!!!"


    While one ce was silent and calm, another ce was filled with the furious roar of a monster ready to fight for its life.


    Redcore Wolf raised his right paw as his ws filled up with energy, bing stronger and sharper.


    Redcore Wolf had a simple goal, he wanted to destroy the shield flying towards him. It was one of ra''s two weapons and her only defense, so this n more than made sense.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Abruptly bringing her paw down on the shield, the red ws collided with the fast-rotating shield that was thrown in a straight trajectory and with enough force.


    In her normal state, ra could barely throw the shield properly, let alone achieve such speed, but Code D was doing its job, albeit at a too-great price.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Sparks flew off to the side, from the red ws that tried to cut the sma shield apart, but...n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The next moment, the shield flew aside, half embedding into the nearest wall. It didn''t take any damage, only a few scratches were left on the casing but that was all Redcore Wolf managed to aplish.


    "Rrrgt!!!"


    Redcore Wolf irritably growled, nced at his ws, one of them, the outermost one, was damaged. A piece of it flew off, a very small one, about the size of a fingernail, but it wasn''t what Redcore Wolf was counting on.


    Aiden cast a quick nce at Redcore Wolf before giving his attention to ra.


    ''Not a bad throw, she fully trusted the weapon I gave her. After all, all those weapons were made by Refesa, she has more roaches in her head than the slums, but in technology, she is the true queen.''


    Aiden pondered, turning his gaze to Sano and Natta who stood silently by his side like guards. However, they couldn''t hide their excitement as they wanted ra to win and were worried that something bad would happen to her.


    ''Unlike exoskeletons and False Nexuses, there were no genes or monster parts involved in the creation of this weapon. It''s pure metal, electrical circuits,plex blueprints, and high technology.''


    Aiden continued:


    ''This is the peak that can be reached without affecting monster genes or energy, to ensure that after killing a monster, the Initial Gene will be in a good enough state to ignite the Spark and the person will be a Phantom.''


    "Rrrrrggggghhh!"


    Redcore Wolf growled once more before abruptly turning his head, looking at the stuck-in-the-wall shield. An insidious grin appeared on his face, revealing his long fangs and powerful teeth.


    He was unable to destroy this shield, but he would simply prevent ra from taking her shield from the wall. Thus she was left with only her shotgun, without any defense.


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    Saliva dripped from the Redcore Wolf''s jaw as he stared predatorily at ra, already anticipating his imminent victory.


    But... in response, he didn''t see fear in ra''s eyes. She wasn''t trembling or panicking. On the contrary, there was a confident smirk on her face, as if this was part of her n.


    "I don''t know what you''re thinking, but before bringing you here, they exined to me all about my weapons. I don''t have much experience, but for some things, just knowledge is enough!"


    ra eximed before swinging her left hand and quickly snapping her fingers.


    The sound wave from the snap, invisible to the human eye, quickly reached the shield, causing it to shudder and start spinning, climbing out of the wall and heading straight for ra.


    Whooooooosh.


    In a heartbeat, the shield ended up in her hand, in its original ce.


    Step.


    ra stepped forward confidently, looking down at Redcore Wolf, though the monster was bigger than her.


    "Well. I still have four minutes left, so I should hurry if I don''t want to die, isn''t it?"

 Chapter 429 Time to Cook (Part 5)

    "Damn, that took a lot longer than I expected..." Adam muttered, looking at the mountain of grated cheese in front of him.


    If this amount of work was done by a normal person in such a short amount of time, his hands would have gone numb. Adam was much stronger than the average person, yet he felt a slight burning sensation in his wrists.


    "Hah, it would have taken me an hour to do that. You did it in less than ten minutes." Leona spoke up, removing the pan of meat from the stove since it was already cooked as well as the white sauce.


    Then, Leona pulled out arge ss baking dish and pulled out thesagna sheets, without whichsagna would be impossible to make.


    "It''s time to put everything together!" Leona said cheerfully before smearing white sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.


    Adam nodded and picked up thesagna sheets, cing them on top of the white sauce as the firstyer. The white sauce had to be on the bottom so thesagna sheets wouldn''t burn or dry out.


    Then, Leonaid out the red sauce, cheese, and white sauce before covering it with a secondyer ofsagna sheets.


    This continued until the number ofyers reached five. They used all of the white and red sauce, but they still left about a third of the cheese for which there was a clear use.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Adam and Leona covered thesagna with cheese so that a deliciousyer would create a delicious crust on top and the upper sheets wouldn''t burn from the intense heat of the oven.


    "Well, it turned out just like you wanted it to. I''ve never seen so much cheese in one dish." Leona muttered with a slight smile on her face.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Adam nodded.


    "I probably went a little overboard, but... I''m sure it''ll be delicious. Especially since it''s the way I wanted it."


    Leona shrugged, she had nothing against it and was content as long as Adam was fine with it. After all, they were cooking for themselves, their family, not for customers in a restaurant where a strict recipe needed to be followed.


    There was an obvious advantage to cooking for yourself rather than ordering or buying ready-made food. Sure, it took time and skill, but for many, cooking was a hobby that helped not only with hunger but also with stress.


    It was a meditative activity, calm and rxed while requiring attention and concentration to prevent the mind from being distracted by various thoughts.


    "Hah, of course, this is going to be delicious! It just can''t be any other way!" Leona said confidently before taking thesagna and carefully pushing it into the oven.


    p. p. p.


    Shaking her palms apart a few times as a sign of finished work, Leona smiled contentedly.


    "In twenty minutes it will be ready. When the time is up we should call Trici and Gary, I think they must be hungry by now."


    "Yeah, there''s still a bit left." Adam nodded slightly.


    ...


    It wasn''t just Adam and Leona who had a short time to wait, but ra as well. No matter what happens, in four minutes her fate will be decided. She must defeat Redcore Wolf and be a Phantom, or Code D would simply kill her.


    She could clearly feel that an emptiness already appeared inside her, her body was rapidly dying. She could have lived for decades, maybe ra might have be one of those people who could reach the hundred-year mark before falling into the embrace of death.


    But, now, all these yearster, all her life energy was being burned away by Code D.


    In some way, Code D wasn''t an injection of death, it was just an exchange card.


    The person using Code D was changing their human life for the real possibility of getting a new life - bing a Phantom.


    "Rgh..."


    Redcore Wolf let out a low growl when a dangerous glint passed across his ws.


    Despite his formidable appearance, Redcore Wolf was still just a White Threat Monster. He was stronger than other White Threat monsters since he could control energy, but he didn''t possess any abilities. This was very rare among White Threat Monsters.


    However... thanks to his core, the round red crystal in his chest, Redcore Wolf could win even the most difficult battles. This was his opportunity to unleash a single powerful attack.


    For some reason, Redcore Wolf did not use his trump card. Perhaps it was still too early, or maybe it was part of the n?


    After all, dius considered the Redcore Wolf to be a smart monster, and... his words definitely meant something.


    Whooooosh.


    The Redcore Wolf rushed forward, swiftly bearing right at ra, staring at her intently. His jaw opened slightly, revealing two long front fangs that were his powerful weapons.


    ra nodded slightly, putting her left arm out in front of her.


    She wasn''t an experienced fighter, but given the weapon she chose, she didn''t need to think of anything. The tactics she should follow were obvious.


    ''Defend and attack...'' ra muttered internally as Redcore Wolf appeared before her.


    A paw with three red ws descended upon ra, quickly aiming for her.


    ra''s eyes went wide, and a shiver went down her entire body. She wanted to run away, and if it wasn''t for Code D she would do so.


    In her normal state, the mindpletely ruled the body, as it should be, but Code D raised the importance of instincts to the limit.


    Even if ra''s young girl''s mind wanted to run away and was against it, her body moved on its own doing what was necessary.


    Whooooosh.


    ra''s left arm came up, blocking Redcore Wolf''s paw. A shiver ran through her body, but thanks to the shield absorbing most of the impact, ra wasn''t seriously injured.


    But... Redcore Wolf was well aware that ra would block his attack, so it wasn''t a main strike.


    ra''s green eyes reflected the monster''s second paw, moving at her from the right side while her shield was upied. She couldn''t block this attack, or dodge it.


    Well, she didn''t need to do either of those things.


    Crackle.


    ra raised her arm, pulling her shotgun forward, aiming it directly at Redcore Wolf''s paw.


    Then, she fired a shot, releasing a powerful sma charge outward.

 Chapter 430 Time to Cook (Part 6)

    Slice. Slice. Slice.


    The Vinter Family gathered around a table, the main course of which was argesagna with a huge amount of cheese, meat, and sauce.


    Even six people could hardly eat it all at once, but... there was one Phantom among them, who unlike ordinary people could consume much more calories than the others.


    Leona cut thesagna into several pieces, putting a piece for each of them. However, the pieces were not the same, only hers and Gary''s. The smallest piece was reserved for Trici.


    Sure, she demanded that she get asrge a portion as possible, but Leona realized that it would be a miracle if Trici ate that much. After all, the satiety of a particr food was not determined by size, but by the amount of calories, and the type of calories.


    Eating two bars of chocte with a total of one thousand calories was very easy, it had a lot of carbohydrates and sugar, which did not satiate very much and was loved by the human brain because it was a quick source of energy.


    But, eating a thousand calories in foods like cheese or meat, which are low in carbs and high in protein, was a different story and a much more difficult task.


    It could bepared to soda and milk. Drinking a liter of soda was easy and quick, moreover, it didn''t even quench thirst, but drinking a liter of milk was a great challenge even though they had the same amount of calories.


    "Mom! This piece is too small!"


    Trici eximed puffing up her cheeks and crossing her arms over her chest unhappily.


    "I haven''t eaten all day! I can eat a piece twice as big! That''s for sure!"


    Leona smiled bitterly, shaking her head.


    "I already told you, if you eat this then I''ll give you another piece. I''m not greedy, but you''ll have a hard time eating this one."


    Trici cast a re at Leona before looking at Adam. Unlike Trici, to him, Leona put the biggest piece since she knew that Phantoms had a much higher appetite than ordinary humans.


    "Pffft! It''s not fair for him to have such a big piece!" Trici snorted. It was the typical whims of any child and little sister.


    "Hmm. Maybe you should do a test then? I''m sure Adam will eat his big piece faster than you eat your little one." Leona said confidently putting her hands at her sides and looking at Trici with a smirk on her face.


    But... before Trici could give her answer, Adam spoke up: "No."


    Trici and Leona looked at him, clearly expecting a different answer.


    Adam picked up his knife and fork, beginning to carefully and slowly cut his piece into smaller ones.


    "I don''t want to rush into anything. I''ve been waiting to eatsagna like this all my poor life. I want to savor this moment."


    Adam said calmly, bringing the fork up to his mouth.


    "However, if you want you can have apetition with each other. I won''t get in your way."


    Adam shrugged before finally getting a taste of the dish he wanted so badly and waited so long for.


    Waves of pleasure spread throughout his body while the red sauce gushed into his mouth like divine juice.


    ...


    Ssh.


    Red drops flew in front of ra''s face, a torrent of blood rushing from Redcore Wolf''s left paw.


    A sh of pain reflected on the monster''s face as his eyes went wide in disbelief, unwilling to ept reality.


    Crackle.


    The sma charge ripped a chunk of flesh from Redcore Wolf''s paw as well as a single w that flew off to the side and crashed into the wall, leaving a red stain.


    A few drops of bloodnded on ra''s pale face, running down her cheeks in crimson trickles.


    Crackle.


    Immediately, following her instincts and her body''s desires, ra thrust her right leg forward, closing the distance between her and the Redcore Wolf.


    Her shotgun only had eight charges, just how many shots it had enough energy for.


    ''Seven more shots left...''


    ra internally muttered seeing only Redcore Wolf in front of her, it seemed that the rest of the world no longer mattered.


    ''That''s enough.''


    Crackle.


    ra aimed her shotgun at Redcore Wolf''s head before pulling the trigger.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The sma shotgun shuddered, purple energy lines running down its ck body, gathering all the power within.


    Then, a secondter, a powerful sma charge flew out of the double-barreled muzzle, ending up in front of Redcore Wolf''s shocked eyes.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    It was unknown if Redcore Wolf could withstand a direct st of the sma projectile to the head, but like ra, he had instincts that couldn''t allow him to stand still.


    Whoooooooosh.


    At thest moment, Redcore Wolf jerked his head, partially dodging the shot.


    Step.


    Before Redcore Wolf could recover, ra took another step forward, removing her block.


    The monster''s right paw immediately copsed downward from the previous inertia, but since ra had taken several steps forward, the red ws crashed not into ra, but into the steel floor behind her.


    sh.


    ra swung her shield twice as a sma disk, its sharp des spinning at tremendous speed.


    Bursts of blood rushed from Redcore Wolf''s chest, where it left an x-shape deep cut with charred flesh due to the high temperature.


    ''That shield. I didn''t know it had another function. Good thing I was told about it.''


    ra pondered as she took thest step and crashed the shield into Redcore Wolf''s chest with its broadest part as if she was trying to push therge creature away.


    Sure, even with Code D, the human body didn''t have enough strength to do that, Redcore Wolf''s entire body was several hundred kilograms and his body was strong and stable.


    But, technology could bring its adjustments in a deadly battle between a human and a monster.


    After all, ra was now utilizing the sesses of two free scientists at once.


    Tremble.


    The shield shuddered before red pulses traveled across its surface. Then, they came out in a single point, crashing down on Redcore Wolf''s chest like an energy wave, throwing the monster to the other side of the room with great force.


    "Gha..."


    ra exhaled hot steam as her gaze darkened.


    ''This is bad... There''s only three minutes left...''

 Chapter 431 A new stage in life?

    Ssh.


    A stream of water rushed from the tap, onto several dirty tes where only fat, drips from sauces and spices remained, not a bite of food was lost.


    "Hah, Adam, I didn''t realize you had such a strong appetite." Leona pronounced, standing next to him.


    She did the dishes while Adam helped her in any way he could.


    Adam shrugged with a slight smile on his face.


    "Well, you put me a big piece, but... thissagna was so good I just couldn''t resist the urge to eat more. I know there''s no point in overeating, but sometimes you just can. I hope it doesn''t make me fat."


    Leona raised an eyebrow, looking at him baffled.


    "Is that possible? I mean, not all Phantoms are thin, everyone has a different build and appetite, I realize that. However, I''ve never once seen on the news or in a video that a Phantom was fat."


    Adam smiled bitterly.


    "Honestly neither have I, but Silvana says there are such Phantoms. There aren''t many, as they must eat an incredible amount considering how much strength and energy they expend during fights and on missions. However, even Phantoms can be fat if they eat too much."


    Leona nodded deeply. Not that it was anything important, but she was curious to know more about the world her son was a part of.


    After all, even if her son was a Phantom, they weren''t. They as members of his family couldn''t help him in any way with the battles in Dead Lands and the other problems he faced along his path. All they could give him was theforts of home and a moral bond.


    Leona ran a sponge across the dirty te, pondering over Adam''s words.


    ''Silvana, right? Well, I don''t know how useful Operators really are during battle, but without them, the Phantoms would probably be lonely. Sure, they have acquaintances among the other Phantoms, but that''s not exactly what they need.''


    Leona nced at Adam, who handed her the next te.


    ''I''m sure when youe back from the battlefield, you want to be with someone who knows what you''ve been through but isn''t in the same position. It''s refreshing and rxing. At least I think so.''


    After a few minutes, Leona closed the tap, stopping the endless stream of water. She wiped her hands with a towel before looking at Trici who was lying on the couch in the center of the hall.


    "Surprisingly, as she was saying, she ate her piece, and I put one more piece for her. But, once she took a few bites she wanted to lie down and fell asleep right away." Leona said, shaking her head.


    She knew that was the maximum for Trici.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Adam stepped aside, sitting down in a chair and looking around at the house they lived in. It wasn''t a bad house for a medium-sized family, in the Third Ring. Most people either lived in houses like this or slightly worse conditions.


    After all, the closer one got to the center of the Citadel, the Rings became smaller as well as the number of people living within them. Sure, these people were also significantly wealthier than the people from the outer Rings.


    There was nothing bad or good about that, it was just the way the economy worked.


    The general desire of people to improve their quality of life was an important factor for the Citadel to function properly, not counting the people working with Dead Lands.


    "Hey, I was thinking maybe we should move. You know, I can buy us a house in Second Ring." Adam suddenly suggested, in a calm voice as if they had discussed it many times before.


    However, this was the first time Leona had heard of it as well as Adam, who had just thought of it.


    "What...?" Leona gulped, she was shocked by such a suggestion.


    She realized that they had only ended up in the Third Ring because Adam was a Phantom. Their family lived on Adam''s money.


    Silvana handled his finances and several times Leona had to contact Silvana when they needed to buy something that went beyond the monthly budget that Silvana sent them from Adam''s earnings.


    Sure, it was all happening at Adam''s will, Silvana was just doing her duty of helping her Phantom.


    Leona knew that it was unlikely that she or Gary could find a decent job in the Third Ring and afford a house with a rent that cost as much as the average monthly sry in the Third Ring.


    Did she want a better life? Yes, everyone did, it was natural, but she would never allow herself to ask Adam for something she didn''t need. She refused to have luxuries at the expense of her son''s efforts who fought for them in the Dead Lands, where death awaited at every corner.


    Gary, for his part, didn''t even want to think about it. He was happy with what they had.


    "The house, I''ve been to the Second Ring a few times. There are a lot of ces there with natural terrain where you can buy a house, or you can choose an urban sector. I mean, after thest mission I have enough money to buy a house, pay for Trici''s education and I''ll still have some left over." Adam calmly exined with a wave of his hand.


    Leona tilted her head, looking at Adam with mild interest.


    "Wait... I usually stay out of your business, but let me ask you this. How much money do you have right now...?"


    Adam shrugged.


    "I don''t know the exact amount. I''d have to ask Silvana, but it''s definitely more than two million."


    Leona gulped. She was simply speechless. It was an amount she couldn''t even dream of.


    Adam nced away, watching the city streets through the window.


    "I''m serious. If you want, we can move. We''ll start the next phase, like a new life."


    ...


    Crackle.


    Redcore Wolf crashed into the wall, trickles of blood running down his body, while ra''s gaze was fixed on the monster.


    ''Three minutes and I''ll know if I''ll have a new life or just die.'' ra muttered inwardly ncing at her shotgun.


    She only had six shots left, but she was confident that it would be enough to defeat the Redcore Wolf, as her two previous shots had been quite sessful.


    With her first shot, she severely wounded Redcore Wolf''s left paw, leaving a tear wound and ripping off one w.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Redcore Wolf managed to dodge the second shot thanks to his instincts, but only partially.


    The right side of his head, right above his eye, was covered in a severe burn, and his ear was torn half off.


    Sure, Redcore Wolf would have no trouble continuing to fight with such a wound, but this once again showed that ra could wound and kill the monster in front of her.


    ra narrowed her eyes intently staring at Redcore Wolf.


    ''Hmm... Considering this burn, if I put the shotgun in his mouth and shoot, I''ll kill him, but it''s too dangerous. Moreover...''


    ra nced at Redcore Wolf''s round crystal, which at thest minute had acquired a more intense light.


    ''Why isn''t he using his trump card to attack me? What is he up to?''


    At the same time, Redcore Wolf''s gaze headed towards the floor, as if he realized that he couldn''t wait any longer or ra would just st him apart with the remaining shots.

 Chapter 432 Trap (Part 1)

    Leona sat next to Adam who was holding a tablet, on the screen was a list of various houses for sale in the Second Ring.


    ''Wow... To think my son is going to buy a house. It''s one thing to pay rent steadily, but... to buy a house without a decade''s worth of savings, you need a lot of money.'' Leona internally muttered, baffled and amazed at the situation she was in.


    She didn''t even know how she was supposed to feel, as she was unprepared to sit on the couch after dinner and pick out a suitable house.


    Sure, deep down inside she was d, but the confusion was still a little stronger.


    "Damn... after you said you have over two million, those prices don''t look so intimidating. But... it''s actually an unbelievable amount..." Leona said in a trembling voice looking at the prices listed under each offer.


    Each offer came with dozens of photos of the house and every room from different angles, all the detailed information, map locations, 3D tours, and more.


    But, the most key detail was always the price.


    It didn''t matter how conveniently located the house was or how well it suited the preferences of a particr individual or family if they couldn''t pay the asking price.


    In the Second Ring, prices were much higher than in the Third Ring. This applied to everything from the price of groceries or meals in a restaurant, to dental or hairdressing services.


    However, the biggest difference in the cost of living was seen in housing prices.


    On average, an ordinary house where a family of four could livefortably in the Third Ring costs about 100,000 credits. Sure, there were more affordable offers, such houses cost in the range of 70-80 thousand credits.


    Those who earned more, but for some reason could not or did not want to leave the Third Ring, could choose something from more expensive options. More expensive houses cost in the range of 120-150 thousand credits, which considering the average sry in the Third Ring could be regarded as almost a luxury.


    Naturally, those who had big problems with finances could try to find cheaper options, or on the contrary, those who had a lot of money in the Third Ring could find some houses that cost more than 150 thousand credits, but this was the exception to the rule.


    "300, 400, 500..."


    Leona muttered looking at the prices that seemed to be drawn without any objective reason.


    She didn''t understand how one needed to work to buy a house for half a million credits.


    ''Damn... Apparently, people working in the Second Ring earn more than in the Third Ring, but... it''s still too much. I''m not sure if any houses in the Third Ring are worth 500,000 credits, maybe one and that''s unlikely...''


    Adam was surprised too, but his reaction was not as evident and strong as Leona''s. After all, he realized that he could buy a house even for a million credits and still have enough money left over.


    However, Adam was not going to throw money around. He wanted to choose an optimal option that first of all would have a good location, enough rooms and space, and made of quality materials.


    ''Silvana exined to me several times how prices worked when I asked her about our current house... Then I was quite shocked that rent could cost 1.100 credits...'' Adam pondered internally, scrolling down.


    ''A house with a smaller area and cheaper materials might cost more simply because it''s near some important buildings or workces. In our case, it would just be overpaying and a stupid decision, since these neighborhoods are usually noisy.''


    Adam pondered, hoping that something could catch his eye soon.


    After about half an hour, Leona and Adam selected several options, of varying cost and location. However, they didn''t have a final decision.


    "Hey, Adam, maybe you should discuss this with Silvana. She''s a smart girl and is well-versed in these things. I''m sure she can find the perfect match for us." Leona suggested, cing a hand on Adam''s shoulder.


    Adam''s eyes went wide as he slowly turned around, looking outside the window.


    It was already evening, but the sun had not yet faded below the horizon, the sunset illuminating the city streets.


    "Right, I was going to go over to her ce. When I went out for gifts I bought something for her too." Adam muttered, remembering that hepletely forgot about it.


    Leona nodded.


    "Then this is a great opportunity to do two things at once, isn''t it?" Leona suggested, smiling slightly.


    Adam looked over at Trici, who was sleeping on the couch, not suspecting that soon, they might live in a different house.


    "Good, in that case, I''ll go right now. She lives pretty far from here." Adam stood up and headed for the exit.


    "Hey."


    Leona called out to him, keeping her hands on her waist.


    "Don''t forget, you''re always wee. If you have the desire or free time thene in, the more often you''re home, the happier your mom is."


    Adam nodded deeply with a happy glint in his eyes.


    "Sure, it''s been a long time since I''ve felt as good as I did today, as well as yesterday..." Adam muttered remembering the night with Jena, "I definitely needed a break, which I''m not going to finish yet."


    Crackle.


    Adam opened the door stepping outside under Leona''s gaze.


    "Agh... We''ve lived in the slums all our lives and now my son wants us to move to the Second Ring? Well, I guess I shouldn''tin. It''s a blessing that Adam can afford to take such good care of us."


    Leona looked away as she whispered:


    "The Phantoms are the embodiment of hope after all. Both for the entire Citadel and for their families..."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ...


    The hope helped to keep fighting even in the most desperate of situations and to strive for the dreams, no matter how unattainable they might seem.


    But, hope was not only for humans, but for monsters as well.


    The Redcore Wolf wasn''t going to die here, he wanted to get out of Morton Observatory. Even if there were working rules here, this ce was still hell for all but those who stood at the very top.


    After a few shes with ra, Redcore Wolf realized that he couldn''t defeat her, at least he would have to pay too high a price to do it, which was something that the Redcore Wolf wasn''t ready for.


    In that case, the Redcore Wolf had no other choice but to use his backup n.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    The Redcore Wolf rushed forward, it seemed he had once again decided to attack ra. She got into a defensive stance, going to block his assault with her shield.


    However...


    dius, watching the battle realized that this was not the Redcore Wolf''s goal. A sly smirk appeared on his face.


    ''Hah, you''re pretty smart after all. ra, it was your choice and your mistake. Even if you survive, you can''t be a Phantom of higher quality than your brother.'' dius inwardly chuckled evilly.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The Redcore Wolf stopped abruptly in the center of the room as the crystal in his chest shone brightly.


    ra''s green eyes reflected a bright red sh as an array of energy burst from the crystal, triggering a massive explosion.


    A massive hole formed in the floor, a secondter several streams of dark smoke came out, as if some other monster roughly equal in power to Redcore Wolf was trying to get in here... and Redcore Wolf had just given it that opportunity.

 Chapter 433 Trap (Part 2)

    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    Adam knocked on the door.


    The wait didn''tst long and in less than a minute the door opened. Adam was a little surprised as he usually had to wait a few minutes for Silvana to get herself ready to meet him. It was her little ritual that she always followed.


    It seemed that Silvana wasn''t waiting for Adam at all, that someone else was supposed to arrive around this time.


    Crackle.


    The door opened, as Adam and Silvana met eyes.


    "A-Adam...?"


    Silvana muttered nervously, not expecting to see him at all. Her hair was disheveled, and instead of a formal strict suit, she was wearing a loose top and casual short shorts.


    Sure, she looked a little unusual, but her sloppiness was cute and even attractive, it was just that Adam only saw her like this once, and for Silvana, it was a real tragedy.


    She was too serious about how she should look in front of Adam.


    Adam wanted to say something, but... at the same moment, another man came to Silvana''s door. He was ncing around, checking where the right apartment was. On his back was arge square backpack, a distinctive yellow color so it would be noticeable from afar.


    "Excuse me." The man walked beside Adam and nced at Silvana''s apartment number.


    Then, he gazed at his phone and his eyes widened, realizing it was the right spot.


    "Hello, is your order number 349?" The man asked, pulling a paper bag with a few burgers and a soda out of his backpack.


    Silvana bit her lip, she was starting to get nervous. Her lips came into motion as she uttered: Step.


    Adam stepped forward and carefully took the package from the delivery man''s hands.


    "Yes, thank you for your work." Adam said quietly, stepping ahead of Silvana.


    The courier nodded and moved on. He didn''t have time to talk, he had several more orders to deliver, some of which were in this house.


    "Well, well, so burgers and sodas?" Adam pronounced, lifting the package and looking at it appraisingly.


    Then, he cast a nce at a confused Silvana.


    "What about healthy eating and homemade food?"


    "This... There must be some kind of mistake! I didn''t order anything like this!" Silvana tried to excuse herself, but it was a pathetic attempt that failed to convince anyone.


    Adam smirked, reading Silvana''s order on the receipt.


    "Blue cheese burger with double bacon, triple patty burger, pulled pork burger, two bottles of soda. Damn, you clearly weren''t gonna hold back."


    Step.


    Adam stepped up close to Silvana, their foreheads almost colliding with each other.


    "There''s no need to hide it. I don''t care what you''re wearing or what you look like. The most important thing is that you''re here. But... I forbid you to drink soda." Adam said confidently.


    Silvana gulped.


    "Uh-is that like a punishment...?" Silvana blushed slightly.


    Adam shook his head, raising his left hand. Silvana''s eyes went wide at the sight of the rare coffee in the bag. There were several packs, most of this coffee Silvana was well aware of, but she never tried it since it was too expensive.


    If she wanted to she could buy herself some of what was in the bag, but... her rationality wouldn''t allow her to spend that much money on just coffee.


    "No, though if you want you can count it that way. I bought this for you. I hope you like it." Adam uttered, ncing at the bag of coffee before stepping forward, and entering Silvana''s apartment.


    He wasn''t surprised to see aplete mess, as he realized from Silvana''s appearance that she used her free time to rx to the fullest.


    Was Adam against such a thing?


    Well, he wasn''t going to judge Silvana. On the contrary, it would be easier for him if she didn''t worry about every little thing in her appearance, behavior, and so on.


    Bam.


    Adam copsed on the bed, stretching out his arms and legs like a star. Oddly enough, Silvana''s bed wasn''t made, and the pillows were scattered to the sides.


    Crackle.


    Silvana closed the door and took a quick step to the bathroom, taking her makeup kit with her.


    "Freeze."


    Adam said serenely. His voice was calm, but rather harsh, leaving Silvana no choice but to stop.


    Then, Adam rose from the bed and headed for the kitchen.


    "Come on. Don''t you want to try the coffee I bought? Burgers and coffee aren''t the most poprbination, but I think we''ll be satisfied." Adam waved his hand.


    Silvana nodded silently. She felt a little strange, since in her mind, she as an Operator was not supposed to look inappropriate in front of her Phantom.


    Anyway, Silvana was right, but they were on their break now and Adam waspletely fine with the way Silvana looked, whether she was in her house clothes or her usual strict formal suit.


    That was the problem with her idea of how their rtionship should work. Sure, they had done some serious work in the past few months since they had met, but there was no limit to the changes.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Thank you..." Silvana muttered opening the most expensive packet of coffee. She nced at it many times in stores but hesitated to buy it as she realized it was beyond her financial means.


    Adam smiled weakly.


    "I''m d you liked it. So... What did you do for those two days?" Adam asked out of simple interest.


    Silvana tried to give the most serious face possible.


    "Well, I''ve been doing a lot of things..." Silvana coughed not knowing what toe up with, "I was just having a good time, you could say that."


    Adam nodded. He was fine with that answer, he didn''t need to hear more.


    Ssh.


    The ck liquid filled two small cups with a little brown foam on top.


    Since it was a quality and expensive coffee, Silvana decided to use it to make the ssic that every coffee lover in the world respected - espresso.


    It was definitely not the kind of coffee that would appeal to a novice or inexperienced one, but Silvana was able to appreciate the pure vor and aroma of expensive coffee.


    Adam was not advanced in this matter as much as Silvana was, but he realized that this was the best way to use such coffee.


    "Ah... What a vor..." Silvana muttered, taking her first breath.


    Adam raised an eyebrow, assessing Silvana''s reaction.


    ''Well, the smell is actually pleasant, but I''m even scared to taste it.'' Adam inwardly said looking at the ck liquid, he realized it would be really strong and bitter.


    ''Better the expected bitterness and vor than something out of the blue though.'' Adam smiled weakly.


    ...


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Redcore Wolf''s round crystal shone brightly, releasing outward a powerful st that destroyed a steel floor several meters thick.


    ra, ready to block her opponent''s attack, was baffled. She didn''t understand why Redcore Wolf had done this.


    Fragments of the events that had happened in the past few seconds shed through her mind: She saw Redcore Wolf gathering energy in his core for a while, then he ran straight at ra, but instead of attacking her, he stopped in the center of the room.


    Then, directed the full power of the st straight into the floor to create a massive hole.


    Underneath this room were passageways located on the floor below, so... it looked like Redcore Wolf had decided to escape, at least that was what ra thought.


    ''What...? Instead of trying to kill me with his trump card he just created a way out for himself?'' ra internally muttered as a shiver went through her entire body.


    She realized that she would hardly catch up to Redcore Wolf if he ran away from her. Previously, the solid walls blocked any escape attempts, but now, Redcore Wolf could just jump into the hole.


    Then, ra turned her head and looked at Aiden and dius.


    Aiden was a bit puzzled, he didn''t seem to expect Redcore Wolf to do something like that. Meanwhile, dius kept a slight smirk on his face, enjoying the progression of the show in front of him.


    ra flinched as her face turned pale.


    ''What...? They''re not going to stop him? He''ll just run away now!'' ra eximed inwardly.


    She realized that if she wanted to survive, she needed to act on her own. Thus, she quickly rushed forward, trying to catch up with Redcore Wolf who was not moving, he was in no hurry to go anywhere.


    Only after a few steps, did ra realize that there was something wrong with it, this whole situation didn''t seem right since there was no logic in Redcore Wolf''s actions.


    This continued this way until ra finally noticed ck smokeing out of a hole. She didn''t see anyone in the passageway under the room, which meant that this smoke had traveled a long way here.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The jets of smoke shuddered as several red pulses passed through them.


    After a few seconds, the smoke became several timesrger, turning into a thick cloud.


    Redcore Wolf took a few steps to the side, not disturbing the cloud as it formed.


    After only a few seconds, the cloud took on an elongated and curved shape and hundreds of sharp thorns like the dry branches of a creepy forest showed out.


    ra''s eyes went wide when she saw in the fog two red eyes that stared intently at her as if she were their prey.


    Her heart beat faster as she now had two opponents instead of one.


    "What the hell...?" ra muttered in disbelief as she looked at the Shadow of the Woods, the second monster on the list, the one she decided to ignore and pick the Redcore Wolf.


    However... it was her decision to choose Redcore Wolf that led to the appearance of the Shadow of the Woods and its aura seemed to be much more intimidating, plunging ra''s heart into the depths of fear.

 Chapter 434 Trap (Part 3)

    The aroma of strong coffee filled the kitchen, traveling to the other rooms. Silvana was truly ecstatic.


    She tried to hide it, but her eyes shone brightly like a child''s. After all, even though she was Adam''s Operator, she had to live on the money the government paid her.


    ''Damn... Before, I didn''t think about it at all. You could tell by the look in her eyes that she''d been wanting to try it for a long time.'' Adam muttered inwardly, a slight smile appearing on his face.


    For him, it made little difference what kind of coffee to drink, as he preferred atte and could stir it with sugar. It was pretty far from a ssic such as espresso, but Adam wasn''t a coffee expert, at least not yet.


    He drank what he liked, for now, he was pleased to see the joy on Silvana''s face.


    Tap.


    Slowly, as if she had a long-awaited treasure in her hands, Silvana brought the cup to her lips before taking the first sip.


    A pleasant bitterness came forward, bringing with it a flood of aroma and pure coffee vor that filled her mouth.


    Silvana often drank espresso, and though this one was just as strong, it seemed much milder and more pleasant to taste, with the vor being considerably stronger.


    "Agh... This coffee definitely shouldn''t cost that much, but... I don''t regret trying it at all. If I had the chance, I would drink this coffee as often as possible." Silvana said, ncing at the cup, and seeing her reflection in the ck surface.


    Then, Silvana looked at Adam, who watched her reaction the whole time. The steaming out of the cup wafted in front of his face as if asking him to taste it too. The coffee was already cooling down a bit, but it was still hot enough to burn the tongue "Hey, you spent a lot of money on this and other coffee, didn''t you?" Silvana asked with a slight smirk on her face.


    Adam shrugged slightly.


    "Don''t think about it too much. It''s my gift to you since I didn''t have any other ideas. I just wanted to make you feel good."


    Silvana was ready to reply something, but Adam''sst words embarrassed her. She even blushed a little, though she didn''t realize it and didn''t think that was possible.


    Then, shaking her head to the side anding to her senses, Silvana pointed to the cup in Adam''s hands.


    "Thank you, but even though it''s a gift for me, I want you to try it too. Go ahead and take at least one sip. You might not like it, but you''ll definitely experience something new." Silvana said confidently.


    However... instead of coffee, Adam''s gaze traveled to the paper bag with the three burgers inside.


    Tap.


    Silvana grabbed the bag and set it aside, behind her back.


    "Hah, don''t even look in the direction of the burgers until you''ve tasted the coffee."


    Silvana said yfully, watching Adam carefully.


    "Hmm?" Adam raised an eyebrow in slight puzzlement, "Are you forbidding me something?"


    Then, he smiled, finding the situation quite funny.


    "I usually do this, it''s like we''ve switched ces."


    Silvana confidently lifted her chin and jutted her chest forward.


    "Sure, you take charge, and I obey, that''s how the rtionship between Operator and Phantom works, but... we''re past the point where it''s purely a working rtionship, aren''t we?"


    Then, Silvana put her cup of coffee aside and smirked slyly.


    "Nothing wrong with teasing you, what do you think?" Silvana took a step to the side, pointing to the bag where three delicious burgersy, waiting for someone to finally try them.


    Normally, Silvana didn''t order this kind of food, today was a special asion, but she knew that Adam adored this kind of food. Experience tales at empire


    It only took a few ingredients to make Adam satisfied with the meal - sauce, cheese, dough, and meat. Still, it was hard to find a man who didn''t like that appealingbination.


    "Actually, I''m not hungry." Adam said calmly, ruining all of Silvana''s ns.


    Silvana blinked a few times before asking:


    "What...? How? Even if you ate at some cafe, you get hungry after a few hours, if not sooner."


    p. p. p.


    Adam patted his stomach.


    "Well, tonight my mom and I made a huge and greasysagna. It was as delicious as it was hearty."


    Silvana said nothing, she twiddled her fingers nervously as she now didn''t know how to convince Adam to try the coffee.


    Then, before Silvana could think of any n, Adam took a few steps forward, finding herself close to her.


    Adam''s blue eyes reflected Silvana, the tips of their hair touching each other as if wanting to be one.


    "Looks like your n failed."


    Adam said sternly, it seemed that Silvana was expecting consequences for her insolence.


    "But... If you want, I can do it just like that." Adam said quietly.


    Without wasting a second, Adam brought the cup to his lips and took a small sip.


    In a heartbeat, his face contorted and wrinkled as if he''d just eaten a whole lemon. He wanted to cough and spit out his coffee, but he held back and eventually finished his sip.


    "Pffft! Hahahahahahahahahaha!" Silvana was unable to contain herughter.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The look on Adam''s face just made herugh for a few minutes before she finally calmed down.


    "Damn... I haven''t had this much fun in so long. You should see your face. But... how does it taste?" Silvana asked, ncing at Adam, who had already set the cup of coffee aside.


    Oddly enough, his gaze darkened, bing thoughtful and deep.


    ''Did I do something wrong?'' Silvana muttered inwardly. She didn''t understand what was wrong with Adam, he didn''t think coffee was capable of causing such a drastic change in him.


    "It''s good that we''re having fun, and the coffee is definitely good, but I''m not ready for it yet." Adam said aloofly.


    He slowly turned around, looking at Silvana.


    "It''s like we switched ces... I said that phrase a few minutes ago and now I''m thinking about it."


    Adam stared at Silvana intently.


    "Have you ever thought about what would happen if we met under different circumstances?"


    Adam took a deep breath.


    "I wonder... How our rtionship would develop if I were your Operator and you were my Phantom, like Alexia''s rtionship with Louis."


    Silvana''s mouth dropped open slightly and her eyes went wide. She hadn''t expected to hear a question like that and she didn''t have a quick answer.


    It was like a second path that was forever lost since fate decided they should take the first one.


    ...


    Adam and Silvana hardly had any choice, they worked together since Adam had be the Phantom.


    And... the one who had caused this to happen, the one who had influenced their fate by giving Adam a new life, now watched as his ns were disrupted by one particrly clever monster.


    Redcore Wolf used his trump card to bring another monster into the arena. It was a guarantee that ra would lose.


    But... Aiden wasn''t going to tolerate his rules being broken.


    He red at Shadow of the Woods and the Redcore Wolf.


    His amber eyes shed, since from his perspective, those two were already dead for choosing to disrupt his experiment.

 Chapter 435 Trap (Part 4)

    "What would happen if we switched ces? Hah, you''d be a terrible Operator!" Silvana said confidently with a slight smile on her face.


    "Agh...?"


    Adam got a confused look on his face. He hadn''t expected that the first thing Silvana would say after a long pause would be this.


    "But... That goes for me too. I don''t know what kind of Phantom I would be, you should be the judge here, you have much more experience in that. However, I don''t think I could do as good as you, especially in such a short time."


    Then, Silvana walked over to Adam and put a hand on his shoulder.


    "You shouldn''t think about things that will never happen. I will always be your Operator, and you will forever be my Phantom."


    Silvana said confidently, then the corners of her lips lifted, forming a sly smirk, she thought about Adam''sst words.


    "However, I won''t hide that the idea of switching roles is quite interesting. Louis and Alexia look good together, but... I''m not as devious as Louis and you''re not as crazy and reckless as Alexia, we''re moreid back."


    Adam smirked, tilting his head.


    "When Alexia and I defended Bastion Radon, then we woke up in the same room, you and Louis were already waiting for us."


    Adam narrowed his eyes.


    "Tell me honestly. You were jealous of Alexia that Louis honored her every request. I''m not asking you as an Operator, here you have more inmon with Louis than Alexia, but as a woman."


    Silvana bit down on her pinky finger and looked at Adam with a strange look as if she had thought about it many times.


    "Yes, just yes. But, I don''t think it has anything to do with them being Operator and Phantom. It''s just a different kind of rtionship."


    Adam nodded with a slight smile.


    Then, he stepped forward and opened the bag with the burgers.


    "Hmm? Didn''t you say you weren''t hungry?"


    Adam shrugged, pulling the burgers out of the bag.


    Read thetest on empire


    "Never mind. I just got the urge to try something." Adam calmly replied before cing the three burgers next to each other.


    Then, he pointed to the burgers and with a slight smile on his face said: "Go ahead, how about you pick one burger for yourself and one for me?"


    Silvana''s eyes went wide for a moment, a satisfied smile appearing on her face.


    "Sure, but be careful. Power can corrupt anyone."


    "It''s only burgers, after all." Adam waved his hand.


    "Yeah, I''m kidding, but everything always starts from small." Silvana nodded before ncing at the burgers, mulling over Adam''s words.


    ...


    Step. Step. Step.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The Redcore Wolf and the Shadow of the Woods slowly stepped forward, intending to attack ra as soon as they got close enough.


    ra gulped as she turned to dius in a panic. Instinctively she knew that it would be no problem for him to handle these monsters. Sure, she didn''t know anything about how strong dius was, but it was simple logic considering what position he held in this ce.


    "Why are you standing there, aren''t you going to help me?! Obviously, the experiment didn''t go as intended!" ra eximed, staring at dius, hope in her eyes that he would save her.


    However...


    dius simply shook his head.


    "I''m sorry dear, but if I start fighting them seriously, I''ll just destroy their genes, as well as yours. You''ll pass out before you even realize anything has happened."


    ra was confused, she didn''t quite understand what dius was talking about.


    Sure, he didn''t need to use his full power, as he was idle for another reason - it wasn''t up to him to deal with the monsters.


    "We have to intervene, right?" Sano asked, casting an unsure look at Aiden.


    Aiden nodded, he continued to watch ra''s condition through the ss crystal of the Spark Seeker.


    "Yes, but don''t use amplifiers, your powers should be enough to deal with two White Threat monsters. Now, she can''t be a Naturalborn Phantom, but she still has a chance to be the Artificial One, she just needs to kill Redcore Wolf and absorb his genes."


    Aiden gave the order with a slight wave of his hand.


    Natta and Sano looked at each other and nodded deeply. Even though they used to be military, they were still ordinary people, not Phantoms.


    However, thanks to the inventions of one of the free scientists, now Natta and Sano were not afraid to fight against Redcore Wolf and Shadow, along with ra.


    Crackle.


    They opened therge ck cases that they had brought here earlier when ra started fighting against Redcore Wolf.


    Aiden knew that no matter how prepared and careful they were, things could always go wrong, there were backup ns for such cases.


    Natta and Sano were that backup n.


    In ck casesy the exoskeletons. They were vastly different from the very first version the military received a few months ago. It was still the ''Andromeda'' exoskeleton but with the codename - M03.


    They were stronger, gave the military more strength,sted much longer, and had several modes for different situations.


    Two or three experienced military men in such an exoskeleton could defeat a regr White Threat Level monster.


    But... Sano and Natto were far superior to experienced military personnel on the skill side, otherwise Aiden wouldn''t have let them work for him.


    In just a few seconds, Sano and Natto put on their exoskeletons before dipping down to the ck cases again and pulling out two pairs ofbat gloves. These were their False Nexuses.


    They had minor differences.


    Sano''s gloves were slightlyrger and heavier, while Natta''s ones were longer and thinner.


    "What''s the mission?"


    Sano asked, using thest few seconds to stretch out.


    Aiden pointed at Shadow of the Woods.


    "Kill him and wound Redcore Wolf, your genes will no longer allow ra to be a Naturalborn Phantom anyway."


    Sano nodded.


    "How much time do we have?"


    Aiden nced at ra, whose eyes were full of fear of approaching death.


    "A minute and a half. Try to manage in eighty seconds."


    Aiden said slowly, continuing to observe her condition.


    "Good."


    Sano replied before they both jumped off, acting confident and in sync like a duo that had gone through many fights along the way.

 Chapter 436 A missed opportunity?

    Crackle.


    Adam opened his mouth wide, taking a big bite from a three-patty burger. Silvana had decided to give him this burger since she knew that the more meat, the more satisfied Adam would be.


    However, there was another reason why she made that choice, she wanted to eat the burger with blue cheese and extra fried bacon. To her, it was the most desirable burger of the three.


    "What do you think?" Silvana asked, looking at Adam who with a satisfied face was eating his burger.


    Although the main feature of this burger was the three patties, it also had cheese and sauce, and the meat itself was juicy and fatty, so this burger was definitely not dry.


    "Good, very good. Sure, this burger isn''t as good as thesagna I had today, but... it''s still very decent." Adam nodded before taking another bite.


    Silvana smiled before tasting her burger herself.


    She ate much more carefully than Adam, trying not to get sloppy and taking small bites so she didn''t eat it all too quickly.


    "Where did you find this ce? Did someone rmend it to you?" Adam asked ncing at Silvana before ncing at his already half-eaten burger.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Silvana shook her head.


    "You''d know how much time I''ve spent on this. I just can''t pick up and order food from a ce I liked the looks of." Explore new worlds at empire


    Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    "Hmm? Then how do you do it?"


    Silvana smiled bitterly before answering:


    "Well, first, I spend a few hours deciding what I want to eat. Then, I''ll select a few candidates and learn as much as I can about each one: menu, reviews, history, location, and so on."


    Silvana continued:


    "Only if I''m satisfied with everything do I ce an order."


    Adam stared at her for a while, clearly surprised by such diligence in a seemingly simple matter.


    "Damn, I wouldn''t have the patience for that. I''d just pick the first ce that attracted me with its menu and advertising. All that matters is that it tastes good, don''t you think?" Adam said before taking the next bite.


    Silvana nodded.


    "Sure, I just can''t do it any other way. I want to make sure I''m sure to get good and tasty food if I order. I''m notpletely immune to a mistake, but at least I''m minimizing that chance."


    Then, Silvana took another small bite from her burger.


    "I rarely order takeout, it''s not healthy and it''s pretty expensive, so I don''t want this rare opportunity to go nowhere."


    Adam listened intently to Silvana. He realized that her words made sense. Though they were talking about food, Silvana''s method of choice could be applied to other aspects of life as well.


    It depended on the person, but if there was a really important event ahead, Silvana''s method was the most effective.


    However... Adam thought that Silvana was taking the choice of food delivery too seriously and he got an idea how to ease her mind.


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    Adam pulled out his phone and began to rapidly flick his finger across the screen as if he were looking for something.


    "Hmm? What are you doing?" Silvana asked, she was slightly confused.


    Adam shrugged nonchntly.


    "Nothing serious, it''s just that in an hour or so there''ll be some couriers in front of our door."


    Silvana''s eyes went wide.


    "What...? What do you mean?"


    Silvana had a few guesses, but she just didn''t believe that Adam did, until he showed her his phone.


    The screen was full of orders from the most popr ces serving burgers, so soon they would have the best burgers from this area of the Third Ring on their table.


    Silvana gulped, realizing that it was already inevitable. Sure, orders could still be canceled, but Adam clearly wasn''t going to do that.


    ''Well... It looks like tomorrow my lying down rest muste to an end. I urgently need to go to the gym, especially after dinners like this...'' Silvana muttered internally.


    At that, she wasn''t upset or against Adam''s actions, she just hadn''t expected it as much as wanting to know if her choice was the right one or if there were better burgers somewhere?


    Then, a bitter smile appeared on Silvana''s face as she internally shook her head: ''I chose the burgers for us and he just ordered a few dozen, leaving me no choice but to try them all. Well, this is going to be interesting.''


    Silvana bit down on her pinky finger with a slight smirk on her face.


    ...


    Step.


    Sano and Natta jumped off the tform, in a second finding themselves next to ra, who was confused, not knowing what to do.


    "You...? Wait... Are you going to fight too?" ra gulped, examining their unusual armor.


    Sano nodded, mming her fists against each other, a cascade of sparks going outward.


    "Yes, we''ll do Shadow of the Woods, damn, too long a name, just Shadow. You keep fighting against the Redcore Wolf. You can still be a Phantom just like your brother." Sano said confidently before rushing forward.


    ra''s gaze darkened. She realized the hidden meaning in her words since her brother was an Artificialborn Phantom, which meant it was now her maximum.


    Tap.


    Natta''s palm fell on her shoulder.


    "There''s no need to be upset. Being a Phantom is infinitely times better than being dead, isn''t it?"


    ra''s eyes went wide when she realized that Code D was still in effect and she had very little time left.


    Natta reminded her:


    "Go ahead, you only have 80 seconds left. Sano and I will try to get our work done in 70 and help you at the end."


    Then, without further ado, Natta rushed forward. She and Sano had already taken a few seconds to evaluate the situation and raise ra''s morale. They couldn''t waste any more time.


    The Shadow red at Sano and Natta moving towards him.


    The monster didn''t feel a powerful aura from them like the Phantoms, but... he could see that they were much stronger than ordinary humans.


    Soon, the Shadow realized that it was their equipment and exoskeletons that affected their genes, interacting with them as they were partiallyposed of them.


    This meant that despite their skills and attempts, Natta and Sano couldn''t be Phantoms if they killed a monster using Exoskeletons and False Nexuses.


    Sure, if they killed the monster without their equipment, where only their genes and the monster were involved, then they would be Naturalborn Phantoms.


    But... in that case, the oue of their battle would be unknown. Neither their skills, nor their possible use of Code D, nor their experience, gave them a guarantee that in a 1 on 1 fight, they would kill the monster and be the Phantom.


    After all, the Exoskeletons and False Nexuses gave experienced fighters too much of an advantage.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Sano jumped towards the Shadow, bringing her powerful fists down directly on his head, which was covered in branches with sharp spikes.


    At the same time, Natta approached the monster from behind.


    "Right... I mustn''t waste any time..." ra muttered ring at the Redcore Wolf who had been staring at her the whole time.


    The Shadow hade to his aid, but ra also had allies that joined her. This put the Redcore Wolf in a difficult situation, but he wasn''t going to give up, monsters didn''t do that.


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