Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1140: Lyrod, the Shining Claw (Part 1)

No one knew where Lyrod was, but Dayra had some info, though it was old news. Since she sided with Adam, Lyrod had changed a lot in the crypt to slow them down as much as possible.

All that opened up before Adam and Dayra was a shining river and sharp banks.

Tap.

Without hesitation, Adam jumped off the edge, landing at the very bottom. Dayra wanted to stop him, but he acted without warning, so she had no choice but to follow him.

“Hey, don’t be so reckless! The ninth floor is mixed with caves! It’s partly crypt, but it’s too close to the monsters’ lair. There are hundreds of toxic salamanders living here!”

Adam shrugged. Her words did not affect him, because some weak lizards were no threat to him.

“Well, we’ve wasted too much time. I’m sure that since I arrived at the Corrosive Lake, Lyrod has become much stronger than he was. I’m not going to let him absorb energy while I waste it!”

Before Dayra could say anything, Adam released his aura.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

This was not a case of Adam holding back. His aura grew stronger with every passing second, to the point where Dayra’s knees began to tremble.

At first, the aura was white like most of his energy, billowing in all directions in a rich flame, but Adam felt that this was not enough.

He understood that Lyrod had probably seen everything and would not reveal himself while Adam was at the peak of his powers.

What Adam was trying to achieve was for his aura to touch Lyrod’s energy, causing it to fluctuate and forcing Lyrod to reveal his location.

“I see… Considering how far I’ve spread my aura, it must have already passed through Lyrod, but I still haven’t noticed him. Tsk, that means he’s hiding well and isn’t going to attack, otherwise I would have felt it already.”

Considering the task Lyrod was facing, he was doing everything right. It was in his best interest to hide for as long as possible. He wouldn’t be able to escape from the crypt without Adam and Dayra noticing, but he could stay in the shadows for a very long time.

Dayra’s lips parted as she was about to say something, but at that moment, a more frightening aura emanated from Adam — a dark one.

In a heartbeat, Dayra’s face darkened as she looked at the two ghostly silhouettes gathered from the shreds of darkness.

Sure, as a Lesser Elder, she was much stronger than the Crimson Monarch or Arnoth when they fought Adam, but it wasn’t about pure strength, it was about perspective.

Back then, Adam had a hard time defeating those two. The only opponent comparable in strength was the Plague Reaper, although… to some extent, that one was the most dangerous for Adam, because Adam fought him not alone but in a team with other Phantoms.

“This… Fuck, who is this guy? How did he manage to encounter such monsters at his age?” Dayra gulped as a slight shiver ran down her spine.

Strangely enough, she was about to get the answer to her question right now.

Adam was not afraid to fight and provoke his enemies. He treated some with respect and even awe, while others annoyed him greatly, and he just wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible.

Lyrod was the complete opposite of the noble Crimson Monarch and Arnoth, and he was definitely not a master, cold-blooded killer like the Plague Reaper.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

A slight tremor echoed within two hundred meters as Adam’s eyes opened, looking far ahead.

In the darkness, he could now clearly see the outline of a surprisingly large creature that had dug its tail and claws into the ceiling, hiding under a dark covering.

In the seconds Adam had before Lyrod realized he had been exposed, Adam’s frame shook as a four-pointed star shone in his right eye, greedily consuming Silvana’s energy for the Stellar Resonance.

A gust of wind swept over Dayra from Adam’s swift dash, who immediately went on the offensive. Five rings connected by chains covered his right arm, and symbols glowed on the first ring of the five.

Less than five seconds later, Adam appeared before the monsters with a crimson burst. His fist was clenched tightly, ready to tear Lyrod to pieces with a single direct strike from his Core Nexus.

Suddenly, two large, turquoise eyes with round, human-like pupils opened in the darkness.

The next thing Dayra saw was a blue beam covering half of the underground gorge, engulfing Adam’s rapidly disappearing frame.

BLAST!

With a roar, a tall pillar rose from the river, covering both the sharp banks and the entrances to the nearby caves with shining water.

Six bright orbs hovered around Lyrod while his great body remained in shadow.

Then, bright beams of dense energy crashed into Adam’s landing spot.

Lyrod chose the same tactic as Adam. He was going to deal with Adam as quickly as possible.

“NO!” Dayra screamed, trying to help Adam, to save him from the beams, but it was too late.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

One ray after another crashed into the river, reaching Adam who was at the bottom.

Despite the direct hit, Lyrod said nothing and showed no emotion. His instincts, which far surpassed Dayra’s, told him that something was wrong.

And Lyrod was not mistaken.

Splash!

A shadow flew out of the river right under Lyrod. With a bloody wound on his forehead, Adam moved forward, holding two cold rods in his hands, but soon they would be as hot as the blood flowing through his veins.

Whether Lyrod wanted it or not, he couldn’t physically run away anymore. He had gained enough time to become much stronger, but his body still contained the energy of the dark dream offered to him by the First Star itself.

His first plan had failed, just like Adam’s. They couldn’t kill each other quickly, so it was time for the backup plan.

Adam would have to try to kill Lyrod quickly, while Lyrod would try with all his might to delay the fight, because the longer they fought, the better the situation would become for him.