Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1824: The Silent Hills

“Grand Abyss?”

Adam blinked a few times.

“That name really hints at a lot, doesn’t it? It’s a region located at the Gray Sea, or, more precisely, at the very bottom of it. Like the Gray Sea, the Grand Abyss stretches across all the lands, a dark, cold, dangerous, yet rather empty place.”

“And…” Adam narrowed his eyes. “You’ve decided that’s where I’ll be able to find the Bottomless Void? If you came to that conclusion just because of the name, then I’m disappointed.”

Laroza smirked but didn’t interfere with their conversation.

“Huh,” Krador chuckled. “Sure, there’s some truth to that, the similarities are obvious, but I came to that conclusion for a different reason.”

He waved his hand.

“The most challenging conditions are always found in the most dangerous places, or your condition is some kind of rare and hard-to-reach resource, maybe even a non-renewable one.”

Adam nodded deeply. The blood of Queen Elisa was one such resource.

“The Gray Sea is a dangerous place, sure, but judging by your condition, you need something specific. If I were you, I’d head to the Gray Sea first, look around, and get used to this new territory.

“If you don’t sense anything at this stage, your best bet would be to head to the Grand Abyss. If your condition is actually somewhere in the Gray Sea, as you think, then it must be in the Grand Abyss, especially given your history.”

Adam was silent for a while. He folded his hands together, pondering what he’d heard.

In fact, he was a little worried that he’d have to venture into a dangerous part of the Gray Sea when he hadn’t even reached its shore yet.

Then again, what choice did he have?

Crunch.

Laroza took a bite of the apple.

“Come on, Krador, stop teasing him, just tell him already.”

“Agh…?” Adam looked up. “What does she mean?”

Krador smiled, his eyes narrowed.

“You see, Adam, you won’t be able to reach the Grand Abyss, especially on your first try, without help. I’m not saying you need a guide, but you need a map, or rather, a compass. You can’t just go down and reach the Grand Abyss. You need passages that go deep enough to get there.”

Adam frowned.

“Let me guess. You have a suitable compass, and I can’t just get it that easily?”

“Laroza, he’s a smart guy, isn’t he?”

In response, she shrugged.

“I don’t know, I haven’t really noticed him doing anything brilliant yet.”

Adam’s eyebrow twitched, but he didn’t react to it.

Still, he turned to her with another question.

“What about the compass? I’m sure for someone like you, getting one would be a piece of cake.”

“Sure, but wouldn’t it be boring if I did all the work for you? Besides, knowing Krador, this task will be useful for you,” Laroza replied nonchalantly as she reached for a banana. It seemed as though she could eat and drink endlessly.

‘Agh, somehow, I have too many missions this time. I have a lot of things to do.’

Adam sighed heavily before looking at Krador.

“Fine, I need that compass. What do you want me to do to get it?”

Krador touched his chin with a sly smile.

“As Laroza said, this might prove useful to you. You’ll head toward the Gray Sea, but you won’t reach it. You’ll be able to sense the heightened level of danger in that area.”

After that, Krador stood up and headed toward the balcony on the other side of the tower.

“Follow me. I have something to show you now that we’re in a business relationship.”

Adam glanced at Laroza, but she just waved her hand. For now, her work was done.

From one side of the tower, there was a view of the park and the main square, but when Adam joined Krador and stepped onto the balcony on the opposite side, he saw something new.

Sure, the foreground was still Varreyn and its towers, it was a large city, just like the land ahead, but what caught Adam’s eye was in the very distance.

A line of hills stood against the horizon, shrouded in thick fog that had a calming effect even from such a distance.

Krador pointed ahead.

“This is one of the areas closest to the Gray Sea on this side of the world, the Silent Hills. As the name suggests, it’s a fairly peaceful place, but just as dangerous.”

His voice grew deeper.

“If you decide to head to the Gray Sea through the Silent Hills, there’s a good chance nothing will happen, you’ll just be walking through the fog for a while, and that’s it. But there’s a small chance you’ll encounter the monsters that live there.”

“And are these monsters more dangerous than the ones I might encounter near Varreyn?”

Krador chuckled. “Huh, of course. I’m sure Laroza taught you how to use your aura in our lands. The Tooth Lake is a good place for that, though it’s hardly what you’d call an easy training ground.”

“Yeah… She did. Now that you’ve told me about the Grand Abyss, I realize that without aura armor, it’s simply impossible to survive there.”

Agreeing with him, Krador nodded.

“That’s what separates the weak from the strong, those capable of carrying out dangerous missions and those who aren’t. Either way, let’s get back to business. You’ve already realized that the Silent Hills can be a dangerous place.”

Adam narrowed his eyes.

“What do you want me to do? What do you want in exchange for the compass?”

“Nothing special. I need just one thing. You know, I’m a merchant. We at the Mist Owl value rare items, it helps diversify our trade and attract the attention of important buyers, or… serves to achieve personal goals.”

Adam glanced at him. He didn’t like where this was going.

Krador folded his arms behind his back, gazing at the Silent Hills.

“In exchange for the compass that will show you the way to the Grand Abyss, I want you to bring me the Glass Root.”

“Hmm? Where am I supposed to find it?”

“In the rifts between the mist-shrouded hills. The quest won’t be easy, but it won’t be particularly difficult either.”