Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1039: No arm for you (Part 2)

The essences were a rare resource that the Phantoms hardly ever used. Mostly, the essences were necessary for young Phantoms to improve their artifacts.

Oddly enough, it was the scientists and the government that utilized the essences the most. It was a capacious source of energy, rather unstable, but the government had its methods of dealing with this drawback.

Artifacts were more stable, but it was harder to get energy out of them than the essences. So, when the Phantoms took a mission to hunt the Essence Type monsters, they were harvesting essences for the government.

A lot of neighborhoods and factories were powered by essences. It was a valuable resource that was useless to both the Phantoms, who chose their own artifact, and the common people even if they had enough money to buy essence.

Sure, monster parts, artifacts, and even fresh shards of the Midnight Crystals were used throughout the Citadel. Each had its use, but essences only had one: energy.

However, in some cases, a particular essence was important. That was why Adam decided to go on a hunt with Heret, Risha, and Vorx to get the blood essence.

It was his way to cure his lost left arm, quickly and efficiently!

At one glance Adam realized that at the blood essence was much more energy than in all the monsters he encountered before.

”What the fuck?!” Adam exclaimed, wide-eyed as he touched his left shoulder.

For a moment, he felt the energy surging through him, incomparable to the faint surge from the Blood Reaper’s heart. But it disappeared as quickly as it occurred.

Then, an unknown tremor filled his gaze with darkness as he found himself in his inner space.

He saw a red spark fly into the third keyhole. Everything happened too fast for him to have a chance to stop the blood essence.

”No! No! No! What the fuck is going on!?” Adam tore forward in a desperate attempt to do something.

”Even if this is actually one of the conditions! I have to heal my arm first! You stupid tree!”

But, his complaints were not destined to be heard.

A red flash illuminated his inner space as the blood essence flew out of the Lock. It soared amidst the darkness, becoming a star for a more complex and massive structure.

[Conditions for creating the Third Key:

1) Collect four essences of any type: 1/4

2) Receive ???]

Adam stopped.

For a long time, he stood in the middle of the void, looking at the hovering star that seemed to mock him.

All he needed was one of the blood essences. It would easily cure any wound he had. But, now he had to do something far more difficult.

”FUCK!” he kicked the void, clenching his fist furiously. ”Stupid key! What the fuck do I even need you for?”

Enjoying Adam’s scowl, the Evolution Tree broke out in deep laughter:

[Hahahah! You should see your face... I haven’t seen you this angry in a long time...]

”Of course I am!” Adam waved his hand. ”One of four? That means I have to collect four more essences to heal my arm! No, that’s not the problem. Why did the Lock take the essence? I should be a priority!”

[Heh... I’m sorry, but I can’t have any effect on this... As you realize, I have no power over the Lock, otherwise, I would have opened it long ago without the keys...]

”Sure, it can’t be any other way.”

With a heavy sigh, Adam looked around.

He saw the outline of a future key that looked more like a sword or a tall cross. Red lines connected three ghostly and one real point.

”Hmm. On the other hand, now I know one of the conditions, right?”

He narrowed his eyes.

”But... I don’t have any idea about the second one. It’s usually always something more complicated.”

[You should listen to your instincts... Maybe at the blood pond, you can find the answer... either way, it’s the best place to get the missing essences quickly, right?]

Adam blinked several times in disbelief.

He was so angry that he had completely forgotten that besides the roots and the regenerative monsters, there were plenty of essences at the blood pond.

”Right. It wasn’t part of my plans, but to end the hunt would just be silly. Wouldn’t it?”

[Indeed... But... those two serpents... especially the one with the green flames... They might disagree.]

With a brief pause, Adam nodded, stepping out of his inner space. He understood what the Evolution Tree was talking about.

The Voracious Beast lurked at the bottom of the well, and plenty of the Blood Hunters and Blood Reapers were around and further down the path. But at the Scarlet Lake were the stronger monsters, the ones the serpents were not allowed to hunt.

It was too dangerous.

Step. Step. Step.

From different directions, Risha, Heret, and Vorx gradually appeared. Risha was the first to do it, which was clear from her wide grin. Each took a different amount of time, but in the end, they won.

Heret grinned, looking at the shards at Adam’s feet. ”Looks like you kept your word and got the essence as a hunter.”

”Wait...” Vorx tilted his head, puzzled. ”Weren’t you supposed to heal your arm?”

”Yeah, that’s a problem. I’m going to need a lot more than that. That’s why I want to head straight for the lake.”

Heret and Vorx looked over at each other.

”Adam... This might be too much...”

”GO ON!” Risha exclaimed, jumping up with an excited expression. ”Come on! Are you going to stop right now? This is just the beginning!”

Strangely enough, her unreasonable optimism worked like a spell on Heret and Vorx. They smiled weakly and shrugged.

Heret looked ahead, at the shadows wandering by the shores of the lake. ”Maybe you’re right. It’s not part of the standard rules, but we’re much stronger now, and we have the one who defeated Arnoth with us.”

”Hey!” Risha puffed up her cheeks. ”The one who defeated Kreyna is also with you!”

”Sure, sure...”

With a slight smile, Adam pointed forward as his gaze immediately latched onto an unusual silhouette in the distance. It was not a beast, nor was it as large as the Blood Hunter of the Blood Reapers.

It was something new.

At the same time, unbeknownst to Adam, a light came out of the third keyhole, releasing a lone spark waiting to shine like a spectator in an arena.