Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1716 1716: Red Apple

Narha proved to be an opponent Batar struggled against, his formidable defense being no match for her speed and agility. Batar’s only hope lay in landing a decisive blow, a prospect that seemed increasingly unlikely.

While unleashing their trump cards and Hollow Marks could have swiftly ended the duel, the conditions of their battle precluded such an escalation.

Clash!

Another clash of weapons echoed as Batar and Narha retreated, their gazes locked in a moment of intense scrutiny. Both recognized they were equally matched, a realization that offered little comfort to either.

If they could not even defeat each other, what hope would they have against Adam?

"Tsk," Batar muttered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "It seems we’re both more capable than we initially believed, wouldn't you say?"

Narha twirled her katana.

"Or perhaps worse. I might have erred in setting conditions for this fight."

Batar’s expression turned grave as he leaned forward.

"Are you prepared to utilize our trump cards now? Do you believe the risk is justified?"

In response, Narha adopted a fighting stance, recoiling her hand and aiming her katana directly at him.

"Who can say for sure? However, at this pace, we’ll be fighting until the Grim Court commences. That scenario is unacceptable."

"Hah," Batar grunted, nodding. "You speak the truth. I must be present in the arena today; otherwise, what purpose would my rigorous training have served?"

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

Their burgeoning auras intensified dramatically as they poised for the next stage of their confrontation.

Yet, for reasons unknown, the woman observing from the sidelines averted her gaze from the combatants. Her attention was fixed upwards.

THUNDER!

Abruptly, a deafening clap of thunder tore through the somber sky, halting Batar and Narha in their tracks at the critical moment.

A palpable chill coursed down their spines, an instinctive recognition of the thunder’s origin.

Slowly, their heads cranized skyward, revealing Kelya. Her wings, crackling with lightning, were unfurled wide, a conduit for immense power.

She descended gracefully, landing before them as they stared, transfixed, at her blood-drenched form. Their eyes were drawn particularly to her fists, which were enshrouded in a thick layer of dark blood extending all the way to her elbows.

Batar swallowed hard, and Narha instinctively took a step back. The horrifying realization dawned upon them: this was not Kelya’s blood. It belonged to other monsters, unranked like themselves, who had harbored aspirations of participating in the Grim Court.

"Well, well," Kelya clicked her tongue, her gaze shifting from Batar to Narha. "Has it truly only been two hours since the announcement? And you two still haven’t determined who among you reigns supreme?"

Batar’s frown deepened. "I anticipated your arrival, Kelya. Frankly, I expected you to join us from the outset. It appears you chose to eliminate the lesser threats first."

Step.

Narha advanced, a sharp glint flashing across her blade.

"How many contenders have you already weeded out?"

Kelya offered a nonchalant shrug.

"A dozen? Perhaps more? Who is counting? They all fell in a single strike or mere handfuls. From the beginning, they foolishly wasted their efforts hoping for significance against Adam Vinter. Against him, they wouldn't have survived even a single round."

Her amber eyes then intensified, shimmering with an arrogant, almost unhinged, fervor.

"And you? I had surmised that upon my arrival, I would face the victor. It seems, however, that since our last encounter, your progress has fallen far short of my expectations."

Batar countered, shaking his head and flexing his powerful neck muscles.

"Indeed, your thunderous wings are impressive. But are you entirely confident of victory if we engage with our full strength?"

Narha sliced through the swirling winds with her katana, preparing for a perilous engagement.

"Regardless, only one of us three is truly worthy of today’s confrontation. It is imperative that we ascertain this individual’s identity, and swiftly."

At that precise moment, all three unleashed their potent auras. They understood that no one else within the Hollow Lands held any claim to the significance of this Grim Court.

Or… were they mistaken?

…

Soaring through the aerial currents, Es’aha propelled herself towards the distant frontiers of the Hollow Lands, her trajectory aimed specifically at the shadowed depths of the Pit.

She seldom departed from her designated perch, much like any Finger, and at this particular juncture, she had no ostensible reason to be at the Pit.

However, her journey was not motivated by the acquisition or discovery of anything material. A crucial meeting awaited her.

"It has been an considerable duration since my last sighting of him. I wonder if he has undergone even the slightest transformation?" Es’aha mused, her gaze sweeping over the thousands of disarrayed objects littering the Pit.

She navigated the expansive terrain, venturing into a sector that was notoriously perilous and foreboding, even for the Fangs.

Furthermore, not every Thorn possessed the authorization to enter this forbidden zone. While no explicit statutes prohibited entry, this particular region of the Pit represented an extreme hazard, even for entities as formidable as they were.

For several minutes, Es'aha had not encountered any servants or Frenzied Shards. At her current pace, this covered dozens of kilometers, revealing only desolate ruins and a pervasive, oppressive aura blanketing the land.

This grim tableau persisted until an all-encompassing darkness descended, swallowing everything as a sinister black mist swept over the ruined expanse.

"Over here!" Es'aha's eyes widened as a beacon of light pierced the gloom in the distance.

She soon arrived at a peculiar location, a rarity within the Pit. Unlike the surrounding desolation, this area was an open field, adorned with short, dark grass and soil saturated with blackness.

Embedded within a rock face that merged into an imposing, endless wall, the source of the radiant light resided.

An amber flame radiated from a central core. From its periphery, dark roots snaked outwards, sprawling across the wall and the ground. Some of these roots provided structural support, while others extended forward like menacing blades.

Periodically, the roots would quiver, a vibrant amber pulse coursing through them with each vibration of the core.

The formation resembled the mouth of a cave, yet the luminous core completely occupied the opening.

Directly opposite this enigmatic core, a young man, clad in a ragged, flowing coat, was seated upon a flat rock. His black hair danced in the wind's embrace, and his serene gaze seemed utterly oblivious to Es'aha's arrival.

His attention was solely captivated by a single object: a fresh, crimson apple resting precariously on one of the dark roots. It appeared to be the sole embodiment of life in this barren landscape.