Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 965: Rebels (Part 1)

Hiding in the shadows and suppressing their auras, Adam, Risha, and Vorx approached the scarlet cliff, a spot on the edge of the cave that overlooked the entire Fallen Ring Castle.

Adamʼs eyes narrowed at the shimmering lake not far down the slope. It wasnʼt close enough for water to pour over the edges, but if rain could fall here, the water would rush down the cliff like short-lived waterfalls.

Further up the slope was a cave carefully hidden by rocks and darkness, but Adam could make it out.

ʼNo... They didnʼt try to hide the entrance, but rather made it look abandoned, right? Thereʼs another way in,ʼ he thought looking at the path on the right side of the cliff. This was the road the Light Legion should follow to collect the crystals and essence from the lake.

No one had ever entered the cave, as it used to be a mine, but in order to regain their strength after capturing the castle, Arnoth, Kreyna and their subordinates had depleted all the energy reserves of the mine, down to the last crystal.

Tap.

Carefully, so as not to make a noise, Vorx stopped at the entrance, opening his mouth.

Adam and Risha glanced over before jumping out. Risha did so with great eagerness, not wanting to stay in the monsterʼs mouth any longer. Even if Vorx became their ally she hated to think about it.

”So, whatʼs next?” Adam looked around seeing only the lake and the scarlet cliff.

The wind blew across his face, not hostile but not welcoming either, warning him to get out of there as soon as possible.

Vorx approached the cave as he nodded slightly. Alone his head was the size of the passage, not taking into account the abandoned rocks that made the gap much smaller.

Unlike Adam who was gazing with interest at the scarlet cliff, the red rocks on the border, and the serene lake, Risha was not so patient. She turned around about to ask Vorx something.

At the same moment, her eyes went wide in disbelief.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

Vorxʼs massive body shuddered as his figure turned into a shadow quickly changing its shape like a ghost.

Curiosity took over Adam as he raised an eyebrow watching the great serpentʼs sudden changes.

In just a few seconds, the monster whose fangs were the size of a grown man had become much smaller, about two meters tall.

But, that wasnʼt what was most surprising.

”Wow... Iʼve never seen anything like this before,” Adam muttered in a daze watching the transformed Vorx.

Instead of a serpent, a tall man with broad shoulders and a powerful build stood before them. On his wrists, shoulders, hips, chest, and cheeks, sparse scales covered his quivering muscles trying to compress all his power to this size.

Short, disheveled red hair fell lightly over his forehead, his right eye was closed, since the battle against Adam. His serious gaze and powerful jaw showed nothing but determination.

Risha gasped, her mouth wide open and her jaw wanting to collapse to the ground. Deep inside, her heart began to beat faster. Even though Vorx took human form, he was still two or even three times larger than the frail, short Risha.

Step. Step. Step.

In a calm stride, Adam stopped in front of Vorx, scrutinizing him from bottom to top.

”And? What is this? Youʼre the first monster to do a trick like that in front of me. Are all the Red Threat Monsters capable of it?”

Vorx turned around, shaking his head. ”No, itʼs a unique ability that doesnʼt depend on the threat level and stars that you humans assign to us, given our power level. Iʼm not saying only my Folk can do this, other kinds or individuals can have this ability as well.”

Oddly enough, Adam was not as shocked as Risha. After learning more about the Fallen Ring Castle, he wondered about how serpents built houses, the cave, and other things. He expected something like this.

Yet, one thing remained unknown to him.

”Wait, does that mean youʼre a Crown Type monster? I mean, you know about us separating monsters into Types, donʼt you?”

”Sure,” he nodded deeply. ”However, I am not one of the Types. My king and queen were Prime Inferno Serpents, as far as I know, thatʼs how humans would describe them since they were the strongest of our kind.”

Adam wanted to ask a question, but at that moment Silvanaʼs voice echoed in his head.

She could easily anticipate his questions.

ʼThe Crown Type not only has an anthropomorphic physique but also impressive capabilities in close combat. Donʼt forget that. They are also highly skilled with weapons and fight like expert fighters who lived in the arenas for decades.ʼ

Her eyes grew deeper.

ʼIʼm sure if Vorx is facing an S4 Crown Type monster right now and Vorx is in human form, he wonʼt stand a chance against it. That would be like an amateur stepping into the ring against a military officer.ʼ

ʼGot it.ʼ

Vorx looked ahead, at the distant lights burning in the city and the silhouettes pacing the twisting streets, not just the Light Legion, but serpents like him.

If all the serpents were in their full forms and turned into massive monsters at the same time, the Fallen Ring Castle would turn into ruins. No one needed that, neither the Serpent Folk nor Arnoth with Kreyna.

”As you realize, we canʼt operate within the city. At least not in the open,” Vorx said coldly.

Adam looked toward the cave, knowing what Vorx would say next.

”Thatʼs why we came here, right?” he smiled bitterly. ”Not to see the lake or the castle from above, but to meet your allies.”

”Exactly.”

Then, Vorx turned around heading into the dark passage, gesturing and beckoning them to follow him.

”I didnʼt warn them about you, so be prepared for a rough welcome, the first time. Iʼll try to reduce the tension as quickly as possible.”

Adam grinned widely.

”Well, I donʼt mind seeing what the rebels can do!”