Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1747 1747: The Sound of the Past and the Future (Part 1)

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Without any intention of stopping, Zin continued to strike Adam repeatedly, inflicting injuries that grew progressively worse. Leerna maintained her non-intervention policy as long as the next strike didn't pose a fatal threat to Adam, allowing Zin to continue his assault as long as necessary.

Whooooooooosh!

Abruptly, Zin's fist halted mere inches from Adam's blood-splattered face. This cessation wasn't due to a sudden change of heart or a decision to spare Adam from death.

No, a subtle smirk played on his lips as he observed the crimson liquid cascading down Adam's chest, nearing the ground. "This is it!" Zin exclaimed internally, a surge of excitement coursing through him.

He could now distinctly discern a difference in Adam's blood flow, a unique signature he had never before encountered. Zin was aware that Queen Elisa's blood now coursed through Adam, a fact conveyed to him by Es'aha. However, he yearned to experience it firsthand, to perceive the resonance of her very blood.

Zin knew there was only one method to confirm this. "Forgive me, Adam, but I simply cannot resist!" Zin's eyes gleamed as he raised his hand.

The sound wave coalesced around his palm, transforming into an invisible, keen blade, much like before. However, this time, Zin deliberately restrained the blade's size, foregoing the sweeping arcs that could cleave the arena in half. Instead, he required a concise yet exceptionally sharp instrument, akin to a scalpel. His objective was a single, precise incision to achieve the very purpose that had driven him to participate in the Grim Court from the outset.

"Agh? What is he planning to do?" the girl stammered, her eyes wide with apprehension. "He's going to kill him!" her companion shouted at the top of his lungs. "The judge must intervene immediately!" "Yes! A single strike and it will all be over!"

The onlookers might have been correct in their assessment, as even Leerna tightened her grip on the armrests of her stone throne. Yet, despite the spectators' urgent pleas, she hesitated. A fraction of a second would suffice for her to intervene should Zin truly intend to end Adam's life with his next action. But the primary reason for Leerna's inaction stemmed from her conviction that Zin harbored no immediate desire to kill Adam. "He pursued a different objective than everyone else participating in the Grim Courts," she mused, her gaze fixed intently on Zin. "Could Es'aha have imparted some knowledge to him? Hmm… What might it be?"

As the suspense mounted among the spectators, with all eyes on the judge, Zin drew a deep breath. "Gha…" His hand quivered slightly, recognizing the critical juncture he had reached. He struggled to recall the last instance he had experienced such profound excitement.

'Alright, no need to panic. I must execute this flawlessly!' Recomposing himself, his hand attained the steadiness of a seasoned surgeon. Deliberately, he guided the sound blade toward Adam's chest, executing a deep yet surgically precise incision. Neither Adam's flesh nor his ribs could impede the sound blade's path, an instrument before which even the arena's formidable barrier proved inconsequential.

As Zin withdrew the sound blade, his breath hitched in his throat. Thump! Thump! Thump! Adam's heart, now exposed, beat with remarkable vigor, striving to sustain him amidst the profuse bleeding and numerous wounds. Because Adam's heartbeat resonated so powerfully, Zin could clearly perceive two distinct rhythms separate from the flow of blood. All that remained was to focus on one of them to finally attune his senses to the murmur of Queen Elisa's blood.

"This is going to seem odd, but what choice do I have, right?" Zin offered a wry smile before inclining his head toward Adam's exposed chest. His face drew near the bloody edges as he closed his eyes, deliberately shutting out all senses save for his hearing. Thump! Thump. Thump… The rhythmic pulse became the sole sound that registered in Zin's awareness. The vibrations traveled through his golden headphones, immersing his mind in an unfamiliar, captivating melody.

His consciousness seemed to drift with the current, tracing the origin of this vital fluid, guiding him directly to the majestic entity now residing upon the mysterious island suspended above the grand Citadel. Zin's breath hitched as, within the profound darkness, he perceived the silhouette of a maiden who appeared to have descended from the heavens. Her heart continued its slow, steady beat, as if she had long resigned herself to an existence poised between life and death, a perpetual guardian saving millions of her kind time and again.

"Is that her…?" Zin whispered inwardly, his voice laced with tremor. "Is that Queen Elisa?" The instant Zin grasped this truth, a paradigm shift occurred within his senses. It felt as though several days were compressed into a single second, and a mere glance at Queen Elisa required hours rather than a fleeting moment. Concurrently, he perceived that despite this subjective temporal distortion, merely three seconds had elapsed in objective reality. His perception of time had become fluid, yet it did not feel alien to him.

'It's the effect of her blood… The sound is both new and old…'

Es'aha was correct. Zin had never encountered anything similar. Within this realm, no auditory phenomena could coexist in the past and the future, with the sole exception of Queen Elisa's rhythmic heartbeat.

However, another aspect astonished Zin even more: he was not experiencing boredom.

'Typically, upon discovering novel, peculiar sounds, mere seconds suffice for comprehension. Yet… despite the minimal passage of time in the real world, it feels as though I've been here for over a week. Still… I am prepared to continue listening to her heartbeat. I cannot grow accustomed to this.'

Most individuals would struggle to grasp Zin's current experience. His situation mirrored that of an epicure who had savored every conceivable delicacy worldwide. Then, this epicure discovered a singular dish, a culinary marvel that continuously transformed, bestowing upon him novel flavors. It was akin to paradise for his palate, and the same held true for Zin's auditory senses.

Thump!

Abruptly, an intervention shattered Zin's quietude, a muted thud that momentarily fractured the melodious resonance of the blood.

Zin whirled around with haste, his eyes expanding in surprise.

'What in the…? '

In the distance, he observed the colossal blood bubble suspended in the void. Before it stood a figure possessing hair as dark as his own, yet distinguished by striking blue eyes.

'A-Adam?' Zin's voice trembled as the realization of his identity dawned upon him.