Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1583 1583: A Simple Hunter

Is he truly nothing more than a hunter?

The doubt lingered in the thoughts of every member of the fifth team.

Clearly, nobody trusted Goen's words. Such immense strength couldn't arise by mere chance. This truth dawned not just on Liliane, the initial one to draw blood, but on all the others too.

Step. Step.

A pair of men advanced, manifesting a blazing hammer and a thunderous axe in their grips. Within their squad, they consistently trailed Liliane, bolstering her assault on the shared foe.

Her style featured swiftness and precise, penetrating blows, whereas their strikes packed overwhelming force.

The girl with red hair and the one with blue hair also called forth their Arcs. In the red-haired girl's hands gleamed twin blades crackling with scarlet lightning, and the blue-haired girl wielded a massive bow encircled by gently coiling water currents.

Following them came the ashen-faced man bearing green eyes. He stayed quiet, a trait mirrored in his powers.

His Arc took the form of a compact sword with an obsidian edge that blended into the murkiness, his figure partially vanishing alongside it into the shadowy pool forming beneath his boots. The instant Goen exposed a vulnerability, this pale man would undoubtedly exploit it.

"Well, well..." Goen rapped his arm lightly. "Three up close, two striking from afar, and another operating across ranges, biding time for the perfect opening."

He lifted his gaze toward the youth still suspended in the air.

"And you? You don't strike me as pointless like the others, do you?"

The youth simply smirked while eyeing Liliane.

"I'll move only on my captain's explicit command. The rest barely catches my interest."

He casually started cleaning his nails to emphasize the point.

"You see, regardless of your might, escape from us is impossible. When the Befallen Crown decrees Adam Vinter's end, it shall come to pass."

Goen merely shrugged, his face revealing utter dismissal of their warnings.

"Well, if that held any weight, they'd dispatch a True Lord here. You're merely youngsters blind to this world's harsh realities."

From anyone else's mouth, those words might have rung hollow and absurd.

Seven Lords confronted them. Despite hailing from noble lineages, blessed with extraordinary gifts and boundless assets, each had endured this existence for no less than a century.

That marked the baseline, and in truth, nearly all had witnessed multiple World Wipes, just like the majority of the realm's Lords.

"T-True Lords?" The blue-haired girl trembled. "Don't make me laugh! You honestly believe you're significant enough to draw their gaze?!"

Much like in the Citadel, the mightiest fighters commanded both awe and dread from everyone.

In the Citadel, countless individuals not only admired and honored Damien but also quaked at his prowess. The monsters reacted similarly, shivering at the mere utterance of his name.

Within the Lords' ranks, the elite were the True Lords. Warriors of that caliber graced every faction, yet under the Befallen Crown's rigid order, the fifth team envisioned those who ranked higher than themselves.

Goen dismissed it with a lazy wave.

"Feel free to strike and test my worth. Yet you still have an out—flee now, and I'll act as if our paths never crossed."

"Shut it!!!" Liliane's roar echoed like thunder over the area. "We'll fulfill the directive and seize Adam Vinter! The others we annihilate!"

Liliane wasted no time, channeling potent energy through her rapier to unleash a cerulean surge aimed directly at Adam and Alexia.

She figured targeting the pair of frail Phantoms would corner Goen effectively.

Her strategy held logic, yet she never foresaw the aftermath.

Click.

Goen snapped his fingers, enveloping Adam and Alexia in a swirling mist of his energy. The shield's outer layer shimmered clear, while its inner band of thick vapor rotated languidly around them.

BLAST!

A ferocious burst of azure fire erupted, drawing a sly upturn to Liliane's mouth. She noted how neither Adam nor Alexia managed to evade it.

'Hah, predictable from feeble Phantoms.'

She had reined in her force, ensuring Adam's survival—though battered severely.

However...

Her triumphant smile faded swiftly.

The haze cleared, exposing Goen's barrier untouched by harm. The misty sphere persisted in its gentle orbit around the unscathed Adam and Alexia. Within it, they stood utterly secure.

Adam swallowed hard.

Situations like this felt alien to him. The prior instance occurred at the Dark Shore, a domain under heavy Befallen Crown sway.

This time, the battle wasn't his to wage; another shielded him, leaving him to merely observe and pray his protector proved formidable enough.

'Damn, this feels even grimmer than last time.' Adam gnawed his lip, plotting a getaway.

Back at the Dark Shore, allies like Kenward, Saegar, and Wilfred had stood with him. Plus, returning to the Citadel hadn't required his effort—the First Star handled it via a shadowy burst.

Today, Goen alone accompanied them.

"Can he manage them? Hell. Silvana, any details on him yet?"

Silvana shook her head.

"Apologies, no Second Rank Phantom named Goen turns up. Checks on looks and skills yielded nothing. A few Phantoms share vague resemblances, but... they're all under K4-Level, none a perfect fit."

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Goen flexed his knuckles and rolled his neck before advancing.

"Fine, you grasp the setup. Slay me, and these two are yours to claim. Attempt the barrier if you dare, though I'd advise against squandering your strength on it."

His emerald eyes sharpened as he fixed a piercing stare on the seven Lords.

"So, who's coming at me now?"