Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1735 1735: The First Desire to Win (Part 1)

Zin's sole objective upon arriving at the Grim Court was victory. The idea of any Phantom overcoming him was an impossibility he hadn't even entertained. It simply could not happen.

But what was unfolding before him now?

A crimson stream, his own blood, cascaded past his amethyst eyes. Each droplet, catching the emerald glow of the clock, marked the passage of four minutes since the commencement of the battle.

'He actually caught me? How… My movements were completely silent. He shouldn't have detected anything…' Zin's thoughts raced as an searing agony ignited within his ravaged chest.

'How did he accomplish that? Regardless… the method is irrelevant now. I must inflict a wound on him as grievous as the one he inflicted on me if I wish to taste the Queen's blood.'

Step.

Zin retreated a step, his torso folding towards the ground, yet he managed to maintain his balance.

For a fleeting moment, both Zin and Adam remained motionless, a tableau that sent shockwaves of disbelief through the assembled spectators. The scene unfolding was beyond their comprehension.

The Fang-rank monsters, in particular, were stunned. They had, on occasion, pondered the possibility of defeating Zin. Each time, they had concluded it was an insurmountable feat, but… what were they witnessing now?

Whooooosh!

Adam's needle lashed out, his gaze hardening.

"You possess remarkable speed, truly astonishing, yet you are not the sound itself. You are a creature of flesh and blood, Zin."

Zin recoiled slightly, blood seeping from his chest and staining the ground.

"Silence. You haven't witnessed even a sliver of my capabilities. Have you not endured countless battles? You should comprehend that a single successful strike does not guarantee victory!"

A flicker of unease began to surface within him. This was the first discernible emotion he had displayed since the fight began. He had not anticipated his opponent's formidable strength.

Similar thoughts echoed in the minds of many onlookers. While the majority still held confidence in Zin's eventual triumph, a seed of doubt began to sprout in some, and a select few resolved to act.

"I wager one land cube on Adam Vinter!" a young man declared loudly.

A woman in the adjacent row rose from her seat. "I'm betting two land cubes on Adam Vinter!"

"I'll wager three land cubes!"

"F-Four!!!"

Time was rapidly dwindling. In mere fifty seconds, the emerald clock would strike five minutes, signaling the cessation of all betting activities. Leerna and her assistants would strictly decline any further wagers, regardless of the patron's insistence.

"Agh…?"

Zin's gaze swept across the crowd, his eyes widening further in disbelief.

He found it impossible to reconcile the scene. A significant portion of the spectators had actually begun placing their land cubes on Adam, a development that impacted Zin more profoundly than he cared to admit.

"How? How can they be so utterly foolish?" Zin stammered, bewildered. "Did they not come here seeking to acquire more land? If their aim is to profit from these wagers, why would they bet on your victory?"

"Hmm?"

Adam regarded him intently.

"Isn't it rather obvious, Zin?"

"What… what are you implying…?" Zin questioned, his voice trailing off.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

Adam's aura surged with intensified power as he prepared for his subsequent maneuver.

"Zin. They truly believe it. With their betting window closing rapidly, they are convinced of your impending defeat. It appears your concern for others' opinions is not entirely absent after all."

Before Zin could formulate a response, a brilliant luminescence erupted from Adam. Two obsidian wings, edged with white and adorned with amber clusters, unfurled majestically from his back.

Much like in his previous confrontation with the Dark Knight, he opted against deploying the End Bliss and unleashing a torrent of radiant beams upon his adversary. Adam understood that Zin, with his exceptional speed, would easily evade such an attack, despite its immense destructive potential.

His wings settled against his back as a potent surge of energy emanated from the amber clusters, sending ripples through the very fabric of space.

The crowd tensed, anticipating Adam's impending assault, but an unexpected development drew their attention to another section of the arena.

"What in the blazes is that?" a man exclaimed, his voice laced with disbelief as Kaerno raised his arm.

The two young women exchanged a knowing glance, then nodded in unison. Their decision, and that of many others present, hinged on Kaerno's next move.

Kaerno surveyed the arena, a subtle smile playing on his lips. "Well, well, it seems the time for placing bets is drawing to a close, isn't it? In that case, I ought to make haste."

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

As the surroundings quaked, ten luminous white cubes ascended above him, plunging the entire arena into a state of stunned silence.

"I am betting ten land cubes on Adam Vinter."

Even the assistant who had initially accepted his wager paused, momentarily frozen.

"This…" Her voice quavered as she glanced at the stone tablet in her hand. "That brings the total to 13 land cubes. It has been a considerable time since wagers of this magnitude were placed."

Without the slightest hesitation, more than a dozen monsters surged to their feet, their voices ringing out with their bets, as if their very lives depended on the outcome.

"One land cube on Adam Vinter!"

"Two! No, make it three land cubes on Adam Vinter!"

"F-Four land cubes on the initial combatant!"

With every shout and every wager placed, a fresh wound was inflicted upon Zin.

It wasn't that he craved their affirmation or their belief; their sincerity was evident.

Their collective bet on Adam's triumph signified a lack of faith in him, implying he was outmatched by Adam.

For Zin, this wasn't a catastrophic realization. He perceived no inherent flaw in being surpassed by another.

However...

'If I am indeed weaker than him, then I will surely lose,' Zin swallowed hard. 'And if that happens, how will I ever hear the flow of the Queen's blood? HOW!?'

Step.

Adam advanced, causing the surrounding clusters to quake, the amber light he emitted igniting into a potent flame that granted him a speed eclipsing even Zin's own capabilities.

'NO!' Zin's internal cry was swallowed by the immediate proximity of Adam, who was already upon him, leaving no room to maneuver or prepare for evasion.

Gripping his needle with both hands, the overwhelming pressure emanating from his aura pinned Zin, rendering him immobile.

"I have no idea what your objective is, Zin. However, at this moment, your sole destiny is one of defeat!"

SLASH!

Adam brought his needle down upon Zin. The dark blade plunged deep into Zin's shoulder, unleashing a powerful shockwave that obliterated the arena's reinforced wall.