Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1905: Ergander, Reward and Fields

Ergander and Adam shook hands to mark their meeting, but… Ergander was still gripping Adam’s hand tightly.

He wasn’t squeezing hard enough to hurt Adam, but Adam couldn’t pull away until Ergander released his iron grip.

“You know, Adam, the Befallen Crown really wants to get rid of you. They’ve put a bounty on your head, and I have to admit, this time they didn’t skimp.”

Adam grew wary, but he was skilled enough at sensing others’ auras to realize that Ergander wasn’t going to attack him, at least not right now.

‘If that bounty were really that important to him, he would have simply killed me the first time we met. I hate to admit it, but I wouldn’t be able to defend myself against him. I don’t have abilities at that level.’

“Huh, strange as it may seem, I’ve heard about that, too.”

Adam decided not to show his wariness and replied calmly.

“Looks like the news has reached even here, in the Grand Abyss, hasn’t it?”

Ergander smirked for a moment.

“Yeah. Of all the Phantoms of the First Circle, they want to get rid of you more than any of the others. Huh, if I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t know what to feel more: fear or pride?”

Adam shrugged.

“I’ve never faced the Befallen Crown directly, but I was once on their territory at the Dark Shore. They’re constantly sending their servants out to hunt, and I doubt many of them actually respect them.”

Ergander’s eyes widened for a moment as he laughed.

“Hahaha! Now that’s what I call a good answer. But, Adam, you shouldn’t be so cocky.”

Clutch.

His grip tightened as a slight wave of pain coursed through Adam’s body, causing his pupils to constrict.

“Sure, there are plenty of monsters in the world who don’t want to work with the Befallen Crown or even despise them. The Free End is perhaps the best example of this, but I’m afraid you don’t fully understand what’s really going on.”

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

A powerful aura emanated from Ergander as Adam’s face turned pale. His legs trembled, and his heart filled with fear.

All his instincts were screaming for him to run away from here as fast as possible, since he didn’t stand a chance against such an opponent.

But soon, everything changed.

Ergander’s menacing aura vanished as his cold gaze gave way to a warm smile.

“Alright, I went a little overboard. Let me tell you more over a cup of warming tea. I have my own recipe! Hahaha! You won’t be disappointed!”

“Gha…”

Adam took a deep breath as he came to his senses. For the last few seconds, he’d been bracing for an attack that could have ended his life in a split second. Such a sudden change in mood was good, though unexpected, news for him.

“Do you scare everyone like this when you first meet them?”

Ergander shrugged.

“It’s either that or a deadly fight usually breaks out. I think you’d be unhappy with the second option.”

“Huh.” Adam smiled bitterly. “Yeah, you’re probably right about that.”

Tap.

“Alright, it’s settled then. This time, it’s on me, young man.”

…

A few minutes later, Adam was sitting at a large wooden table, looking across the mountain range toward where the river flowed, and the waterfall cascaded.

Ahead of him lay fields covered in golden grass that glowed in the bright sunlight.

In fact, Adam couldn’t see the sun itself. It was simply rays that seemed to emanate directly from the sky.

“How do you like the view?” Ergander said as the door to his cozy home opened.

Adam nodded.

“It’s soothing… When I set out for here, I was prepared for anything but a view like this. Isn’t this place called the Grand Abyss? Why does everything here… have nothing to do with the abyss?”

It was a legitimate question. After all, many regions were named for their distinctive features, but the Grand Abyss didn’t resemble its name at all.

“Well, the Grand Abyss isn’t just a big, dark hole covered in water. I think you’ve already figured that out.”

Tap.

Two large cups of green tea appeared on the table along with a plate full of cookies.

“What you see right now, we call the Light Field. Essentially, it’s the upper part of the Grand Abyss, and most of the events and monsters are right here,” Ergander explained.

Adam picked up a cup of tea as his gaze drifted downward.

Even amid the golden fields were rifts filled with dark water.

“I take it these rifts are something like passages to the lower level?”

Ergander nodded deeply as a smile spread across his face.

“Indeed. Beneath the Light Field lies the Dark Field. The name is quite simple, and unlike the Grand Abyss, it fully describes the essence of what happens there.”

“Hmm?”

A glint flashed across Ergander’s green eyes.

“It’s dark down there. Even I would have a hard time seeing anything there unless I used energy to do so. Only the strongest monsters of the Light Field are capable of descending into the Dark Field.”

Adam’s gaze grew more intense as he stared at the rifts.

“Is there something valuable there? I mean, if even you’d have a hard time, then there must be something special in the Dark Field, right?”

Ergander nodded as he picked up a cookie and broke it with a crunch.

“You know, I baked these myself! Hahaha, learning this recipe turned out to be harder than defeating the ancient lizards!”

Adam smiled and took a sip of tea. The aroma of the herbs and flowers wafted toward him, and for a moment his eyes closed as he savored the flavor.

“I’ll try them soon, for sure. For now, I’d like to enjoy this tea. I’ve never tasted anything like it before, the taste and smell… they’re pleasant but unusual.”

Ergander shrugged.

“At the Grand Abyss, there are many plants and herbs that don’t grow anywhere else, so that’s not surprising.”

He took another bite of the cookie, and his gaze drifted toward the rifts in the distance.

“As for your question – yes. There’s a reason why monsters head to the Dark Field.”

Adam turned to him as Ergander continued:

“It’s all about the Pearls.”