Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1225: Flash Swap (Part 2)

The battle at the Corrupted Volcano had come to an end. Adam and Fromund had no idea that their mission would turn out to be so long and so profound.

They had come a long way from their initial dispute to finding the Kirani Colony and defeating one of the strongest monsters they had encountered on their journey.

Like Adam, Fromund had struggled greatly to achieve victory.

Moroya and the two princes were now among the top two most difficult opponents he had ever faced.

Who was the first, then?

Well, it was obvious. He was looking at his toughest opponent right now.

“Hah, why does this always happen to you?”

Fromund thought as he watched Adam, who was surrounded by blue streams of energy.

“Last time, you were the one who lost consciousness in the arena, but still… You won.”

Sure, Fromund knew that he had made it possible by accepting defeat when he could have finished Adam off. But no one would have accepted such an outcome, not the spectators, not his sisters, and most importantly, not himself.

“Agh… You know…” Fromund turned to Marhen. “We came here because this mission was important to me first and foremost, and Silvana just wanted Adam to come to his senses. For him, it was supposed to be a way to boost his morale and stop being a mess. Hah, I played an active role in that, I did my job perfectly!”

Marhen raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m not interested.”

“Hah, then why are you watching?”

“I want to see what happens next. I’ve never met a Phantom like him before. Although I think you’re underestimating yourself.”

Fromund turned, puzzled.

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“The explosion you caused to survive and win. Adam Vinter couldn’t have pulled that off. The abilities he used to defeat Bathild wouldn’t have led to the same result.”

In response, Fromund scratched the back of his head with a doubtful expression.

“Yeah, that’s the main difference between us. But I couldn’t have defeated Bathild as well. She would have easily survived my cruel sun. Even if I had somehow managed to hold her in place, the force of the explosion wouldn’t have been enough to burn her.”

This time, Marhen simply nodded.

In fact, he lied. He was curious to learn more about Fromund and Adam, as it might help him understand his path of power better as well.

“Are you jealous of him? I mean, from what I understand, this is the second time you’ve worked together, and the second time he’s gotten more rewards than you in the end.”

“Hah, of all those who remain alive, you’ve received the most!” Fromund spat out a mouthful of blood. “Two Twilight Crystals. I’m sure all your thoughts are occupied with how you’re going to consume them and become stronger.”

“No. I know you’re too injured to stop me. There are many monsters around, but as long as we’re here, they won’t dare to approach too quickly. Right now, I’m just an observer.”

Then, Fromund nodded as his expression became more serious.

“As for your question… the answer is no. I don’t envy him, though it might be useful, but I just can’t. I can’t understand that feeling. Looking at Adam now and last time, I felt only motivation and a desire to achieve the same.

“I don’t want to stop him or take his credit. With that kind of thinking, I would have died long ago at the hands of someone like you.”

Marhen glanced at him quickly.

“I’ll take that as a compliment. But you’re right. I’ve seen many monsters and Phantoms who had a great future ahead of them, and envy destroyed them.”

After that, Marhen pointed straight ahead at Bathild.

“She shouldn’t have accepted Moroya’s request for help. She knew she couldn’t defeat Adam Vinter. He’s a Phantom who is already well-known among monsters, and at that time, she didn’t even have a title. She wanted to prove that she was better than the others so badly that she ended up dying a shameful and nameless death.”

Hearing this, Fromund’s eyes widened as he realized something.

He turned to Marhen with a sly smile.

“You… you were Bathild’s second in command, weren’t you? The strongest monster at the Thunder Peaks after her. She didn’t have a title, which made her fight so desperately, but… Hah, you have a title, right?”

Silence.

Marhen chose not to answer.

“Hahaha, damn! I just realized that! Hahaha!”

Whooooosh.

Suddenly, two fiery wings emerged from Marhen’s back. This didn’t alarm Fromund or cause Adam to turn around, as Marhen had no hostile intentions.

“Azure Wing. Marhen, the Azure Wing, that’s my full name, along with my title.”

Fromund fell silent as he sensed something familiar in Marhen’s title. He remembered how Adam had ended up at the Dark Shore and what kind of Lords he had encountered there.

‘Wait, Arayna, one of the monsters had a similar title, right?’

‘Yes. Saegar, the Proud Wing. However, there’s no point in comparing the two. The difference in their status and power is like an abyss. There’s a small chance that they’re related, but considering that Marhen’s full power manifests with his wings, there’s nothing unusual about his title.’

“Hmm? Something wrong?” Marhen asked. “I expected a different reaction from you. You’re too quiet.”

Fromund shook his head.

“No, I was just thinking that this title suits you and… that I’d like one as well.”

“I’m sure it will happen soon. You both have a chance to become a Second Rank Phantom, then you’ll get titles as well. What Bathild and I knew about who Adam was was his first step toward a title.”

“Damn!” Fromund slammed his fist on the ground. “That means I’m way behind!”

Marhen chuckled.

“Hahaha, you should work harder.”

…

At the same time, unaware of Fromund and Marhen’s conversation, Adam closed his eyes, allowing the Memory Fragment to enter his inner space.

[Star 3#

Twilight Crystal: 1/1

Midnight Crystal: 1/1

Dark Heart or Connected Heart: 0/1]

Obviously, the Memory Fragment did not meet the conditions, but then something happened that Adam did not expect.

Light flashed from the initial star a little higher, passing through two lines. Then, two flashes moved away from the first star, and another one that was much higher and hidden in the shadows.

Swap.

The flashes switched places, as did the conditions.

[Star 3#

Twilight Crystal: 1/1

Midnight Crystal: 1/1

Memory Fragment: 0/1?]

Now, Adam was ready to create the first star in his constellation.