Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1666 1666: Special Fight

Step. Step. Step.

Larth proceeded leisurely over the pale stone pavement, moving beyond the gateway of the blade pillar. The forms of Adam and Kaerno lay far in the distance.

Normally, he would never trail even a single pace behind Kaerno, yet now his gaze held no spark as it once did.

"Well, well, it seems you've finally been beaten?" A cocky voice emerged from the darkness.

Larth spun around to spot Sarka's pair of wide blue eyes.

"What do you want? I bet you savored every moment of the spectacle."

"Of course!" she burst out gleefully. "K4-Phantom with Dark Energy? Ha! I'd grovel at Master Kaerno's feet if he allowed me to battle that Phantom!"

Larth let out a deep sigh.

"Sarka… You rank among the mightiest Fangs in our pillar, and highly even across the board. But you lack any trace of pride or honor… How can that be?"

"Hmph! All that chatter means nothing to me! Strength and triumph are all that count! If you shared my view, you wouldn't have fallen to him!"

On another occasion, Larth might have dismissed Sarka's words as drivel, but not today.

"Yeah, perhaps you're correct. I figured beating that Phantom would let me join the next fight, but… Adam proved far more powerful than I imagined."

With that, Larth continued along the corridor toward his quarters.

Before his silhouette fully vanished into the gloom, Sarka planted herself at the entrance's center and bellowed at the top of her lungs:

"NEXT TIME YOU'LL WIN!"

Larth halted, resting against a pillar. A grin crept across his features.

'You idiot. Why humiliate me like that before everyone? It was merely one defeat in a string, but… what a brutal one it was.'

…

Kaerno held absolute dominion over the blade pillar. He governed this domain, with all within bending to his command.

In a way, every pillar functioned as a modest realm, or more precisely, a stronghold. Within the Hollow Lands, awakened monsters dwelled solely inside these pillars, the sole intricate edifices around.

Obviously, beyond the Fangs, Thorns, and Elders paired with Black Threat Level monsters, numerous others resided here too, provided they numbered among the awakened.

Tap.

The maid-like girl set a glass before Adam, then filled it with an odd gray wine tinged faintly purple.

Adam surveyed the surroundings, noting the suspended chandeliers, the table's flickering candles, and several paintings beside the ornate pillars stretching from floor to lofty ceilings.

"From outside, this place appeared deserted, split into stark concrete corridors."

Besides Kaerno, no one else sat with him at the vast table overflowing with dishes and beverages. Four quiet maids attended them. Adam couldn't pinpoint their exact strength, but he detected they hovered at the early Black Threat Level.

Kaerno cast a look over his grand hall.

"What can I tell you? Ages ago, far in the past, it was precisely as you described. Yet after decades, even centuries amid plain walls, as fresh arrivals fill your barren fortress, every barren nook slowly acquires furnishings."

"Hmm… It comes off as both poignant and melancholic. Though that captures the essence of the Hollow Lands, doesn't it? So vast and vacant, yet I've uncovered tons here, knowledge absent from other realms."

Adam eyed Kaerno.

"Back when we first crossed paths, you spoke of something named the Pit… What's that? Was it where Larth ambushed me?"

Kaerno shook his head.

"No, the spot where Gladius and Xyrea abandoned you is known as the Hail Passages. Plenty of them dot the Hollow Lands, and yours sat about central among them."

Suddenly, Adam's face turned grave.

"So, I landed smack in the center?"

"More or less."

Kaerno lifted his glass, sipped, and shut his eyes.

"I get that you yearn to escape the Hollow Lands, but the barrier blocks your path. You can't depart these territories without prevailing in a crucial battle."

Adam felt baffled.

"Huh? Didn't I just pull that off? Larth packed real power. Without Dark Energy, I'd have needed my backup ace against him."

"Well… Like I mentioned, this fight was atypical. To exit the Hollow Lands, you need to follow the path every Elder here takes to demonstrate their might."

"Hmm?"

Kaerno lifted his hand, summoning dark energy wreathed in purple flames at his fingertips.

"You must ascend to Fang status. Only then will these lands and their monsters acknowledge you, letting the barrier part for you."

"Hold on, hold on! Isn't that a monster rank? Larth's a Fang!"

"Right. Nearly everyone here qualifies as a monster, but the regulations don't bar a Phantom from earning Fang rank. It's merely a title. True worth lies in power."

At this, Adam's frown deepened.

"Larth holds Fang rank. I bested him squarely before witnesses. Doesn't that grant me claim to it? Makes perfect sense, right?"

Kaerno's lips curved into a smile.

"You say that from ignorance of the customs. I'll clarify it all soon, once you're prepared. Right now, heading back to the Hail Passage is premature. You first need to secure entry to that contest."

All of Kaerno's words left Adam thoroughly puzzled. Why impose so many regulations on a straightforward duel? He'd already toppled a Fang!

After a moment, Adam drew a steadying breath and faced Kaerno.

"Fine. I need a key battle to win, but I can't even enter yet. So what exactly must I accomplish to gain my shot at the arena?"

Kaerno tilted his chin upward.

"Now that's the proper query, Adam. Say, have you ever come across tales of the Frenzied Shards?"