Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1714: Invite Him (Part 2)

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Two men were fighting each other. The water currents and the sharp roots protruding from the ground clashed, destroying one another.

Their strength was evenly matched. After another punch, their fists collided, and the shockwave sent them both flying.

Like two unranked monsters who had spent most of their time training in their dome pillars, they were composed and calm, analyzing the situation.

The moment they had both been waiting for had arrived: Adam Vinter would be fighting in the arena, which meant the Grim Crout had finally gained significance for them.

"You can take a punch pretty well," The man in a blue coat said as he brushed the trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth.

His opponent, the tall man with a slim build, smiled slightly, nodding in acknowledgment.

"I could say the same about you. But we must finish this as quickly as possible. The winner must have enough time to prepare for the battle against Adam Vinter."

The man in the blue coat chuckled. "Hah, you read my mind."

Tremble!

Their auras trembled as they prepared to unleash their most powerful abilities, disregarding the Hollow Marks.

The terms of battle that Narha proposed to Batar quickly became standard for every such clash. It made sense, since there was no point in entering the arena against Adam, exhausted and wounded.

Suddenly, something made them both stop.

The amber flash streaked across the dark sky as the puzzlement on their faces quickly turned to fear.

STRIKE!

With a deafening thunder, Kelya landed before them, her wings spread wide with sharp edges and electrical charges running along them.

"You..." The tall man muttered in disbelief.

Kelya looked at them with disgust.

"Why?" she asked, stepping forward. "Why are you fighting? Do you think you stand a chance against Adam Vinter!?"

Before any of them could answer, Kelya’s frame trembled as electrical sparks flashed in the tall man’s eyes.

The next thing he saw was Kelya’s fist clad in a simple black leather glove.

BAM!

The impact slammed the man into the ground as the surface shattered into plates that rose upward under the pressure.

Blood gushed upward as the tall man’s eyes went blank.

A single punch from Kelya was enough to shatter his face and finish him off.

That was what a slight difference in strength could do. The tall man simply didn’t have time to react to Kelya’s attack, and he didn’t possess enough resilience to withstand it.

Tap.

Kelya spun around sharply, her glowing amber eyes fixed on the man in the blue coat.

"Wait, wait, wait! This isn’t supposed to happen like this!"

BAM!

Kelya’s fist sank deep into his stomach as he doubled over. Blood gushed from his mouth, flooding Kelya’s arm, but no emotion appeared on her face.

"Grh!!!"

The man collapsed to the ground, clutching his stomach. He barely managed to stay conscious.

Kelya, for her part, said nothing. She cast one last glance at him, determined where the other auras were, and soared sharply upward.

A gust of wind spread as her wings flapped, sweeping past the man.

In fact, they both had Kelya to thank for still being alive. If Kelya had set out to kill them, she could have done so.

But her goal lay elsewhere - to eliminate her rivals.

Now, these two were wounded and too frightened to even attempt to participate in the Grim Court.

Moreover, they weren’t stupid and realized that if Kelya had defeated them so easily, they wouldn’t stand a chance against Adam Vinter in a one-on-one fight.

Cough! Cough! Cough!

The man in the blue coat coughed up blood, clenching his jaw tightly.

"Damn it!"

...

Step. Step. Step.

Quiet footsteps echoed on the wooden stairs as the view opened up with each step, until a majestic library came into view.

Thousands upon thousands of books filled the shelves in tall, floor-to-ceiling cabinets. There were so many that they formed a labyrinth in this place, so surprising for the Hollow Lands.

"Well, well," a man’s voice echoed through the quiet hall as he moved along the aisle. "Who would have thought that something so interesting would happen before the next World Wipe, wouldn’t you say?"

The man stopped a few meters away from a woman with long crimson hair. Unlike most of the monsters occupying high positions at the pillars, she wore a long black robe with golden lines running along the edges.

Clasp.

She closed the old book, turning slowly. Her green eyes were full of sternness and majesty that permeated her aura.

"What are you doing here, Kaerno?" she asked, noticing his faint smile.

Unlike her, dressed in an expensive outfit and exuding an aura that inspired awe or fear in others, Kaerno was her complete opposite.

He wore only tattered clothes hanging from his thin frame. His feet were bare, and even his hair and eyes were a dull black, starkly contrasting with his pale skin.

She glanced at his still slightly damp hair.

"I see... You decided to leave the Bone Lakes just to come here?"

Kaerno smirked.

"Don’t be so harsh, Es’aha. How long have we known each other? Isn’t that enough for me to come into your library to read something?"

Es’aha’s gaze grew even harsher.

"Sure, many years have passed, but how many books have you read in all that time? Hmm? I can’t remember the last time you even touched a single book from my collection."

Kaerno shrugged.

"Everything in its own time, isn’t that right?"

Es’aha turned around, putting the book back in its place as her finger hovered over its spine.

"The Grim Court? And one of the fighters is Adam Vinter himself?"

"It seems you know a lot about him."

"Naturally. I keep an eye on every talented warrior, whether monster or human."

Then, Es’aha slowly turned. She knew that the smirk on Kaerno’s face didn’t bode well for her.

"Why did you come here? What do you want from me?"

Kaerno’s grin widened.

"I want you to convince him to fight in the arena today."

A shadow hid his figure.

"I know you can contact him. You have to do it, now or never."