Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1593 1593: Manifest Nexus

”Manifest Nexus...?” Adam muttered in disbelief.

Arika nodded.

”Itʼs a power that Goen and I possess. But, under normal circumstances, you shouldnʼt know about it. You were only supposed to learn about the existence of this Nexus type after three or even four steps.”

Goen shrugged.

”We had no other choice. Those bastards were well prepared. I couldnʼt defeat them with only a tiny fraction of my power.”

”Right.” Adam gulped. ”You didnʼt even use a single ability. And what about the circles and bright stars inside?”

Alexia nodded several times. She was also interested in learning more about this. For Adam, this was the second time he had seen monsters use this power.

Arika and Goen exchanged glances.

They realized that the two K4-Phantoms in front of them knew too much.

”Iʼm afraid we canʼt tell you about that,” Arika shook her head. ”You have to find out for yourselves, just like with the Manifest Nexus. Itʼs not good that you learned these names so early. It could throw you off your path, so while we still can, weʼll hide the essence of these powers from you.”

True, Adam and Alexia were willing to do anything to learn more about it. But they understood that it might do them more harm than good.

Normally, the K4-Phantoms shouldnʼt have known or seen what they saw. It only happened because the Befallen Crown wanted to get rid of Adam so that he wouldnʼt become a real threat even to the greatest monsters.

”I see... So youʼre suggesting we just remember this battle, but focus on other things, right?” Adam asked.

Arika smiled.

”Yes. The point is, kids, even if we sat down and told you everything we know about this world and powers, you still wouldnʼt be able to use it. Thereʼs no point in moving on to nuclear physics when youʼre still learning simple math.”

They frowned as Arika chuckled.

”Of course, Iʼm exaggerating, but you know what I mean. You have other tasks ahead of you right now, one of which is to return to the Citadel.”

”Wait!” Alexia exclaimed. ”Fine, you donʼt have to tell us about these strange abilities and the Nexus, but how can you be real? Why did you appear in your real body and not in spectral form?”

This time, Arika glanced at Goen for confirmation. He just spread his arms wide. He knew they would have to answer these questions, so he was prepared for it.

”Well, itʼs all about energy,” Arika began. ”As youʼve seen, Goen is very powerful. He is the Second Rank Phantom, and because of that, his energy is different from yours or any other Phantom of the First Circle.”

She raised her hand as a cloud of fume floated above her palm.

”Your energy is like paint. You can draw with it, but you cannot create reality. Paint is still part of the world, it is not something you created yourself, but... at the Second Circle, everything changes. There, you donʼt just use energy, you are its creator and complete owner.”

Adam was confused.

”Paint? Are you saying that our energy isnʼt real? I mean, my aura and abilities are very real to the monsters I fight.”

Arikaʼs lips turned up at the corners.

”Everything has its limits. As with the previous two things, you donʼt need to worry about that right now. There is no reason for your Operators to transition from spectral form to something more complex and high-ranking.”

She made it clear that there was no point in asking any further questions. Arika was prepared to answer what she deemed necessary. She did this not only to keep secrets, but also to avoid harming the two young, talented Phantoms in front of her.

”I see, so, as a final request.” Adam stared at Goen. ”What is that title?”

”Hmm?”

”First Knight of the World End.” Adam thought for a moment. ”If you are the First Knight, then there must be others, right?”

Goen scratched his cheek awkwardly. He hadnʼt expected Adam to pick up on that detail. Arika touched her forehead. To some extent, she was to blame for this, because she had uttered Goenʼs title in front of the monsters.

”Yes, youʼre right.” Goen suddenly replied, causing Arika to turn around.

”Goen! This is—!”

He stopped her with a gesture, taking a step forward.

”There are other knights, but donʼt expect me to tell you who they are, how many there are, or where they are. To be honest, you werenʼt supposed to know about my existence either. Everything that happened here was a series of random events. But, here we are.”

Adam nodded deeply. He hadnʼt expected more. Arika wouldnʼt even tell them about this.

”The World End, is it some kind of faction, like the Free End?”

”Nah, itʼs on a different scale. The most accurate description would be a squad. But thatʼs all I can tell you.”

However, Adam wasnʼt going to give up. He had one more question he wanted answered. He didnʼt know why, but he felt that Goen wouldnʼt ignore him.

”If itʼs a squad, and you have different titles, that means youʼre subordinate to someone, right?”

Arikaʼs eyes widened. With her gaze, she asked Goen not to say anything, but he had a different opinion.

”Yeah, thatʼs right. We havenʼt received orders or acted together in a long time. The last time our forces were needed was many years ago. Back then, we were actually a squad with a commander. It was necessary for all of humanity. Now, weʼre just a handful of powerful warriors, each doing what they want.”

Goen glanced at his house, the lake, and directed his gaze to the sky.

”Youʼre asking me this question, but you already know the answer, at least part of it, donʼt you?”

Adam said nothing as Goenʼs calm gaze fell on Adam.

”You think we obey the Queen, and thatʼs not wrong. But, now, technically, we have a different commander.”

His voice deepened.

”The King.”