Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1696 1696: One eye for another

Occasional brawls erupted between regular folks within the Citadel, spanning from disputes and sudden scraps to organized matches.

No matter the case, these clashes usually wrapped up with just a handful of sharp hits or even a lone strike. Pro gladiators and street youths alike couldn't escape this rule.

Phantoms and monsters, though, boasted far greater durability. They pressed on in battle despite heavy injuries or enduring over ten direct punches to the face.

Such punishment would spell total defeat for any normal person at minimum, or death in the worst scenarios—particularly against mismatched foes.

Empowered by their sturdy frames and vital energy, Phantoms and monsters dragged fights out for extended periods. Only a massive power gap allowed for a rapid finish.

Yet at K4 tier, battle dynamics shifted through clever tactics, boiling down entirely to Ancient Energy.

When two monsters clashed and one absorbed a punch loaded with Ancient Energy right on, it could seal the deal instantly—like a ring warrior dropped by a brutal jaw smasher.

With Ancient Energy so rare, a K4-Phantom or matching monster could only unleash a few such blows, and solely at their strength's height, not drained after endless exchanges.

The Dark Knight now grasped this reality up close.

Tap.

Struggling, he climbed to his feet amid a swirling haze of smoke.

"Damn… it…" He grumbled deliberately, prodding his jaw. "Now that's what I call a kick. If I were weaker, my head would've been knocked off my shoulders. Shit, I need to be more careful with this guy."

Next, his eyes landed on the sword. The amber blaze burned vividly and steadily, yet faint quivers occasionally danced along the blade.

'Yeah, I know. By now, I should have already absorbed this Frenzied Shard. Don't worry, there's still a little left. Obviously, he doesn't have much time either.'

Indeed, Adam hurtled toward his breaking point. Handing the fight's brunt to Vyora, Loargh, and Sarka had let him save plenty of vigor, but End Bliss—especially transformed—acted like a ravenous void sucking away his might relentlessly.

Step. Step. Step.

As Adam braced for the next clash, the Dark Knight strode out from the smoke veil.

"Gha…"

Letting out a heavy exhale, the Dark Knight paused, scanning his surroundings.

Loargh sprawled on the ground, too weak to stand and gasping raggedly. Sarka fared even poorer, slumped solely against her huge sword's edge at the arena's remote corner.

Vyora still shied from solo duels against the Dark Knight, yet her grit allowed her to back Adam.

"What do you know?" Adam's voice boomed. "It seems defeating me wasn't as easy as you expected."

Curiously, the Dark Knight refrained from arguing.

"Yeah…" He shrugged. "If there were three of you, this would have been over long ago. You turned out to be tougher than the others, but that's not a problem that can stop me."

The Dark Knight lifted his arm to his torso. Two red eyes locked onto Adam, the third hidden beneath his palm.

In one swift motion, the Dark Knight clawed his face and yanked free his left eye.

Adam and Vyora stood stunned. No logic explained the Dark Knight's bizarre act.

'He didn't even wince!' Adam marveled inside, gawking at the Dark Knight's placid visage.

Gazing at his severed left eye, the Dark Knight paused.

"Well, as long as the reward is worth it, any sacrifice makes sense."

With a sudden squeeze, he smashed the eye in his grip.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Crimson beads leaked from his fist, splashing onto the third red eye.

Its rigid casing shivered, drawn by the rich blood's aroma.

Slowly unfurling, the third eye drank in the power, bringing back three blazing red eyes. Full cape potency returned to the Dark Knight, bought by forfeiting one eye.

Ice raced down Adam's spine.

"Wait, if he wanted to absorb our attacks, he wouldn't have had to make such a sacrifice right now! He could have done it after losing all three eyes on his cape! If he needed all the red eyes, that means that-"

Right then, a fierce scarlet glow exploded from all three eyes, the Dark Knight's stare turning serene.

"That's enough, Adam. You've done enough. But I can't waste any more time on you or this place. I have a lot of work waiting for me."

Whoooooosh!

A fierce burst of darkness made the fabric on his arm disappear, morphing it into the lengthy black cape cascading from his shoulders. The three eyes kept glowing fiercely, releasing thick crimson energy that swallowed up all the space nearby.

Against such overwhelming might, the amber blaze from his sword lost all its menace and importance. His sword had become nothing more than a mere instrument, far from the sole route to triumph.

Adam and Vyora shared a quick glance. They grasped a single truth:

The Dark Knight's genuine strength stemmed not from his sword or its Hollow Mark, but from his very being.

"But."

His profound voice echoed as the Dark Knight advanced one step.

"I want you to know that you put up a worthy fight. Changing your ability mid-battle? That's a level of adaptability even monsters can't match. You can be proud of that."

Step.

The Dark Knight lunged ahead with a fresh explosion of crimson energy before Adam could utter a word.

"Ah…?"

Vyora's eyes bulged wide, capturing the image of his impassive silhouette towering above her.

One blow to Vyora's shoulder sent her eyes fluttering shut and her form tumbling to the floor. He had no time to spare on her.

A far more crucial foe demanded the Dark Knight's attention.

'Well, well.'

A sluggish voice reverberated from the core of Adam's mindspace as the Silver Weaver tilted his gaze upward.

'We're in deep shit, right? Again.'