Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1822: Varreyn

Like Izardo, Varreyn was a trading hub for anyone who wanted to visit, only much larger and more important than Izardo.

For this reason, Varreyn’s lower level had as many as eight different gates leading in from all directions, through which thousands of monsters passed every hour. Some went hunting, some headed to the nearest outpost or another city, while others might have had more specific goals.

Either way, even for the guards who saw all kinds of monsters every day, the appearance of one of the Renegades was always a major event.

Sure, Laroza often came to Varreyn to buy something or take a break. She found it boring to spend most of her time at the Blind Eye Tower, even if that was her job.

“Miss… Laroza!” The chief guard flinched, even though he was a muscular man with thick, dark hair.

Laroza just smiled, placing her hands on her hips.

“Hi, I need to go into the city. I’d do it without your permission, but today I have someone special with me.”

The chief guard and his men, standing by the great iron gates, immediately turned their gaze toward Adam.

A few moments later, so did the more than a hundred monsters standing in line, waiting to enter the city.

“A P-Phantom? Here?” The chief guard stammered, but when he looked around, his expression changed abruptly.

“Khm!”

The chief guard coughed as his expression turned serious and stern, just as it should be.

“I’m sorry, that was unprofessional of me. Miss Laroza, even though seeing a Phantom here is a rare occurrence, I still need to know why he needs to be in the city.”

Laroza waved her hand.

“Sure, I came here to get properly drunk, and as for him, well… he has a meeting scheduled with Krador.”

Strangely enough, it wasn’t just the chief guard who was surprised, Adam was too. It was the first time he’d heard that name.

But he quickly figured out what was going on.

‘Right, she said she knows someone who can help me. Krador, huh? So that’s him.’

The chief guard clenched his fist as he nodded deeply.

“I see. True, the Phantoms don’t appear in our lands without a good reason. If you take responsibility for him, I’ll let him through.”

“Ha!” Laroza chuckled as she stepped forward confidently. “I watch over this entire territory and city! Do you think I can’t handle a single Phantom? Open the gates!”

The chief guard said nothing. He looked at his men and gave the order with a gesture.

At that very moment, the gears of the iron gates began to turn, opening a passage for Laroza and Adam.

Few could afford to speak to the chief guard that way. Adam realized this the moment he took a step forward.

Tremble!

A shiver ran through Adam’s body as he glanced over his shoulder at the chief guard, who was already speaking with the next person.

‘This man… Is he a Lord?!’ Adam couldn’t believe it.

When he first heard about Lords, he thought they were the most powerful beings in the world. That was true, especially if they were the True Lords, but some places in this world were so important that their guards could be Lords themselves.

Clap.

Laroza patted him on the back, seeing everything written on his face.

“Don’t think about it too much. Every gate has at least one Lord, and a few more are stationed near the walls. Sure, they’re under my supervision and that of the other Renegades, but we only intervene in critical situations. They have to defend themselves.”

Adam nodded as soon as they passed through the gates and found themselves in Varreyn.

“Gha…” Adam sighed deeply as he looked at the streets and buildings before him.

This was his second monster city, and unlike the chaotic Izardo, where even with a map it was hard for him to find his way around, Varreyn was easier to navigate.

All the streets were divided into blocks, and each block contained several buildings or one large one.

The differences between the buildings were obvious, some were shorter, others taller. Their materials, whether wood, stone, or even marble and glass, also indicated their value.

But everything was built according to a single blueprint, and changes only began closer to the center.

“Hey, that’s the very park you were talking about, right?” Adam asked, pointing ahead.

Laroza, who had already found some dried meat somewhere, nodded.

“Yeah, I don’t know how much effort it took them, but they did it.”

Adam stopped, admiring the view.

This park resembled the usual parks at the Citadel, but the trees and bushes weren’t just green. Some of the trees were somber with purple foliage, while others were short with azure canopies.

Paths lined with benches on either side led to a fountain right in the center, which was larger than a standard house.

The fountain was divided into three rings, three levels rising upward, as if symbolizing the structure of Varreyn.

Right beyond the park lay a square. On every street and here and there were stalls where you could buy something, and shops were located on the corners of the blocks, but the park itself had the largest concentration of both merchants and monsters.

“What do you think? Could you live in a place like this if you were a monster?” Laroza asked, tearing off a piece of dried meat.

Adam nodded as he smiled.

Lights were burning in the windows. Monsters walked past them, chatting about something. Some were buying crystals or simple food, while others might just be sitting in the park, lost in thought.

“Yeah, this place looks pretty good, and this is just the lower level.”

He turned to Laroza.

“What about Krador? When are we going to meet him?”

Laroza pointed in the direction. “He’s here.”

One block away from the park stood a tall, dark building, a tower with a smooth top. Black banners with purple wings hung from four windows.

That was their place.

“Let’s go. I’m sure he already knows I’m here, and about you, too. Knowing him, he’s looking forward to our visit.”

“Right, I hope he’s as good as you say,” Adam smirked.

“Hahaha! You can be sure of that!”

It was just one step, but Adam was closer to the Bottomless Void and to creating his Third Grand Star.