Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1710: News About the Grim Court

When Adam heard about the Grim Court, he figured it would be an easy fight.

What chance did an unranked monster have against him? Adam had defeated the Dark Knight. He hadn’t done it alone, but among their team of three other Fangs, he was the strongest. Neither Loargh, Vyora, nor even Sarka could have defeated him in a 1-on-1 fight if they had fought to the death.

Naturally, Adam decided that if a monster was weaker than Larth, it didn’t stand a chance.

But... the ranks didn’t reflect a monster’s strength. If a monster didn’t want to participate in the Grim Court for any reason, it couldn’t possibly obtain a rank, even if it possessed sufficient strength to do so.

"Kaerno, are there many strong monsters in the Hollow Lands that ignore the Grim Court?" Adam asked with a serious expression.

"Well, there are definitely a few here. Some of them are arrogant bastards. Others have decided to focus on their evolution to reach the Lord Level. Some see no point in it at all and consider the rank system a mistake."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Either way, if you look around, you’ll definitely find a few unranked monsters who’ve never participated in the Grim Court or even been there as spectators, but possess the strength to tear Sarka and Valleyn to pieces, one against two."

Adam immediately turned to Sarka. He trusted Kaerno, but Sarka was the kind of person who couldn’t hold back her emotions. She showed everything that was going on inside her.

’Agh?’ Adam’s eyes widened.

Sarka didn’t say anything. She just puffed out her cheeks and lowered her gaze. Valleyn was silent too.

Deep down, they felt humiliated by this situation. They were proud Fangs of the Blade Pillar, but still, in the Hollow Lands, some monsters considered their ranks meaningless, and the worst part was that these monsters were stronger than they were.

"I see..." Adam shook his head as another question came to mind. "If you had to choose, which of them is more dangerous? Those who want to become the Lords sooner, or-"

Before he could finish, Kaerno grinned widely.

"Of course it’s the arrogant bastards! Huh, who else?"

Adam grinned.

"Tsk. Were you one of them?"

Kaerno spread his arms wide with a harmless smile.

"I am old, Adam, very old. Throughout my long life, I have been in many situations. The thing is, your arrogance disappears if you face an insurmountable obstacle."

Adam’s eyes took on a predatory gleam.

"That’s the very important IF, you know?"

In response, Kaerno merely grinned.

"Got it. So, as a Phantom, I should be prepared to face the strongest unranked monster of the Hollow Lands, and given their nature, my opponent will surely be stronger than most active Fangs. Did I get that right?"

"Exactly. There’s one more thing: I’m sure you’re used to this, but your fight will draw a lot of attention. After all, Phantoms rarely appear in our lands, let alone K4-level ones who want to participate in the Grim Court."

Adam chuckled with a bitter smile on his face.

"Yeah, I know that feeling well, and... given the situation, don’t expect my name to remain unknown like it was with you."

"Oh, sure. Many others and I already know about you. We haven’t announced yet that you’ll be participating in the Grim Court, but your arrival at my pillar was a curious event that couldn’t go unnoticed."

Silence.

Silence hung in the air for a moment while Adam pondered his next steps.

After a few moments, he nodded and looked up.

"Alright, what are we going to do now?"

Kaerno tilted his head back, closing his eyes.

"Given the effect of the Bone Lakes, will you be ready to fight at dawn?"

Without hesitation, Adam nodded.

"Yes."

The Bone Lakes proved far more effective than Adam had expected. During their conversation, which lasted no more than an hour, some of his wounds had already healed.

"I see. In that case, I’ll let the others know. Usually, a fighter must wait a while before his application is approved and the Grim Court is ready. To start the fight, you need to find an opponent, notify the arena judge where the fight will take place, and, of course, gather spectators."

He tilted his head, resting it on his fist.

"But for you, it’ll only take a few hours. I’m sure we’ll gather spectators in half a minute, if not faster, and it won’t be hard to make arrangements with the judge of the Hail Passage either. After all, you want to fight right where you woke up, don’t you?"

Adam nodded in confirmation. He wasn’t sure whether Gladius and Xyrea had chosen this place by chance or not, but he believed it was right to end his journey in the Hollow Lands, exactly where it all began.

"Great. So there’s only one thing left - to find a suitable opponent for you."

For a moment, Adam’s gaze darkened.

"That’s a choice I have to make, isn’t it?"

Strangely enough, Kaerno shrugged as if he wasn’t sure of the answer.

"Usually, it requires the consent of both fighters, the judge’s decision, and it’s also preferable that both fighters be members of different factions. But you’ll fight anyway if you want to go home and pass through the barrier, and..."

Then, Kaerno’s aura became frighteningly solid as darkness engulfed his frame, leaving only his smirk and narrowed eyes, filled with cunning curiosity and a thirst for a bloody spectacle, shining brightly.

"I’m afraid, Adam, that you won’t have a choice regarding your opponent.

Among the strongest unranked monsters willing to fight you, there will be no one left but the strongest. However, you needn’t worry about that. They’ll settle it among themselves."

A shiver ran through Adam as he nodded deeply.

Kaerno waved his hand, giving an order to Valleyn:

"Valleyn, inform all the Fingers of the neighboring pillars. Tell them this is my direct order."

"Y-Yes!"

Without hesitation, she rose from the water, preparing to leave.

"Wait."

Suddenly, Adam’s voice stopped her as he narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Kaerno.

"You, old bastard. Tell me, what are my chances of winning?"

Kaerno leaned forward, maintaining his smirk.

"Let me ask you another question, Adam Vinter."

He pointed at Adam.

"Do you have any spare lives, and how many are you willing to spend for the sake of victory?"