Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1427: Looming Power

Crack.

The door opened as Narica entered the room at the top of the great mill. Inside, a man sat behind a large screen, trying for the fifth hour in a row to pass a difficult level in some video game.

Without turning around, Norax smirked.

“It seems Adam has achieved his goal at Izardo, hasn’t he?”

She nodded deeply. “Yes. Aren’t you worried that this might cause him problems? It’s obvious that you’re interested in him, and I understand you.”

Norax didn’t answer, trying not to make a single mistake and finally get through this level.

“He has become stronger, and at Izardo they know it. What’s more, he’s not just any Phantom, he’s a stellar one. His victory over a Hybrid and the increase in his power open up new opportunities for those who have long wanted to break through their barrier.”

She wanted to continue, but Norax just waved his hand.

“Don’t worry about it. He’s not stupid. He understands that returning home after everything he’s done in the Tarnished Lands won’t be easy. However, that’s his problem now, and like every time before, he’ll have to deal with it if he wants to stay alive.”

Narica looked away.

“What about help? Maybe we should ask Misty or Karso to go to Izardo?”

“Pffft! Do you think we’re his babysitters?” Norax snorted. “He knows what he’s doing. Besides, even if we decided to help him, we’d probably get in his way. Don’t worry about it, everything went as it should have.”

Narica nodded uncertainly and turned to leave, but at the last moment, she turned back with a question.

“Sir, you helped him train to earn a reward for our territory from the Silver Beacon, but why did you send him to Izardo? You gave him your token, so it wasn’t just advice, it was an investment…”

Norax grinned.

“Well, what do you think I should have done? Send him to the Citadel? Sooner or later, he would have gotten the Dark Heart, maybe at Izardo, maybe somewhere else where there are Hybrids. This young man craves power. You know it, I know it, everyone knows he’s a stellar phantom, which means even the Befallen Crown believes he can reach the Second Rank.”

Then, Narica’s face became more serious. She, like a monster that had lived for hundreds of years and seen several World Wipes, understood perfectly well that every time a new Second Rank Phantom appeared, changes took place in the world. It was an important event.

The same was true for when a Second Rank Phantom died. Every Phantom of that level could change the power balance between all factions and regions.

Norax glanced at Narica over his shoulder.

“Who knows, maybe in a few years we’ll be working together? You always have to be ready for any outcome, that’s the only way not to get lost in this world.”

He put the gamepad aside and headed for the door.

“Nothing may happen for a hundred years, but then the whole world could be plunged into chaos in just a few days. Monsters, the Phantoms, the humans, and the Hybrids, all of us, are like a bomb waiting for the right moment to explode.”

Narica gulped as she raised her head toward the night sky.

“Yes… I know that. But the First Star and Last Star, nothing can stop their explosion.”

Norax said nothing, but a gleam passed through his cunning eyes.

‘Well, it all depends on your perspective. Even the biggest bomb is just a spark compared to the sun, and even the greatest sun is nothing compared to a black hole. There is no limit to power in this world, you just need to understand how to gather enough power so that even an explosion of that magnitude no longer frightens you.’

…

Adam spent a lot of time at the Forgotten Mills and was grateful to Norax for his help. Obviously, he knew that Norax had already been informed of his victory, but that was the end of their work together.

It is unknown whether Adam will ever return to the Forgotten Mills, but of all the places he had been, it had given him the most opportunities.

Now, he was about to leave another place where he had learned a lot, but before that, he had enough time just to relax.

“Agh…” Adam sighed as he looked out over the landscape of Izardo from the top of Raven Beak. “It’s a beautiful city, isn’t it?”

Helasa, who was sitting next to him, drinking cocktails, smirked.

“Is it really better than the Citadel?”

Adam raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t think you understand what you’re talking about. The Citadel is huge. Izardo is a big city, but not that big.”

“Fair enough. But I think if you saw the main city of the Befallen Crown, you’d change your mind. Monsters don’t have the advanced technology that humans do, but there are many more of us. You can’t even imagine what millions of monsters are capable of when under the strict control of the powerful ones.” She smirked, knowing how Adam would react.

“Tsk, don’t remind me of that.” Adam shook his head and took a yellow cocktail, a sweet one. “They sent several Lords to kill me, even though at the time I was just a K3-Phantom. How many resources did they have that they went for it?”

Helasa sighed. “I know. Until you become as strong as possible, I advise you to avoid any clashes with the Befallen Crown. Even if you become a Second Rank Phantom, they will try to get rid of you at every opportunity.”

“But why? Now I understand even better that many monsters are not necessarily enemies; they can be allies or at least partners. This applies to both ordinary monsters and forces such as the Renegades and Free End.”

Adam frowned.

“At the same time, the Befallen Crown behaves like some kind of bloodthirsty White Threat Level monster.”

A few moments later, Helasa looked at the crimson scar in the sky and muttered:

“Because they’re afraid. That’s the whole point.”