Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 2075: Is This a Hunt? (Part 1)

When Adam mentioned the Zero War, Fromund and Arayna exchanged glances. It was the first time they’d heard of it, and there was a reason for that.

They weren’t supposed to know about it, just as they weren’t supposed to know that Second-Rank Phantoms appeared from time to time, they simply didn’t survive long enough to see the next World Wipe.

“No. But it sounds pretty serious.” Fromund’s voice was deep, and his expression grew serious.

Arayna nodded as well.

“Zero War? That sounds like the final war. Is that what it is? How did you find out about it, Adam?”

He’d already told them too much to hide anything now. So, Adam told them everything as it was.

“I heard it from Aiden Henk. I’m sure you know who he is.”

Fromund and Arayna exchanged glances again and nodded, their expressions serious. In fact, Arayna knew what had happened to Adam and how he had become a Phantom, and she had told Fromund about it. After all, she had a high level of access, she was the Operator of a K4-Phantom, which gave her access to virtually all information, but some secrets remained beyond her reach.

Adam coughed and continued.

“He said there are two reasons why the Zero War might happen. The first is the fear that this World Wipe might be the last one. So, the Zero War would take place to determine a winner, and as a result, the winner would possess the power of the entire world, which, in theory, should be enough to stop the World Wipe.

“But… quite a bit of time has passed since our conversation. So I think the first reason is invalid. The other K4-Phantoms and I would have noticed from the reactions and actions of other monsters and Phantoms that the next World Wipe would be the last. That’s clearly not the case.”

Fromund nodded.

“Yeah, none of the monsters or Second-Rank Phantoms I’ve interacted with seemed tense. They’re just waiting for the next World Wipe, just like all the previous ones. For them, it’s become a regular event, nothing more. Though… many of them are unhappy with how much inconvenience and trouble each World Wipe causes.”

Adam sighed deeply.

“I can say the same. So, let’s move on to the second reason – the Befallen Crown.”

Immediately, Arayna’s expression darkened. She instantly perceived the name of this faction as a threat.

“Why am I not surprised? All the global problems humanity faces always stem from those bastards.”

Adam shrugged.

“I couldn’t agree more. Aiden said they might finally attack the Citadel to rid the world of the humans they hate so much, but… considering what we just heard from Joarx, I’ve come up with a different theory.”

Silvana bit her lip and added:

“It’s quite possible that the Zero War isn’t a war in which the Befallen Crown is trying to destroy humanity. If they could do that, it would have happened long ago. But… if they can’t defeat us completely, they can stop us.”

Fromund tilted his head, confused.

Adam looked him straight in the eye.

“It doesn’t matter how many regular people or First-Rank Phantoms there are in the world. Even a million K4-Phantoms are nothing compared to the strongest True Lords. So, the only valuable metric that accurately reflects the strength of our race is the number of Second-Rank Phantoms.”

In an instant, Arayna and Fromund’s eyes widened as realization struck them.

Fromund gulped. “Are you saying that the Zero War is a special war designed to kill all new Second-Rank Phantoms before the World Wipe happens?”

Adam’s gaze darkened as he nodded deeply.

“It’s the only plausible theory that’s come to mind. I don’t have any other ideas yet, but it sounds logical, almost.”

“Almost?” Fromund blinked.

Adam held up one finger.

“There’s only one flaw in my theory. Why do they have to do it now? Why can’t they kill the new Second Rank Phantoms later?”

Arayna stared intently at a single point, mulling over what she’d heard.

“Maybe it’s all about the energy?”

“Hmm?”

Arayna continued:

“We all know that after the World Wipe, the energy level in the world rises significantly. During the first hundred years, and especially the first ten years, there’s chaos. Maybe the Befallen Crown is afraid that after that, the new Second Rank Phantoms will become too powerful for their plan?”

Silvana thoughtfully touched her chin.

“Yeah, that sounds plausible. Also, Arayna’s right, immediately after the World Wipe, real chaos breaks out, so maybe the Befallen Crown fears that the Zero War will cost them too much.”

Adam, Fromund, and Arayna were confused. They turned to Silvana, waiting for an explanation.

Silvana froze for a moment before regaining her composure and rushing to explain her thoughts.

“I mean, even if the Befallen Crown really wants to start a war to kill the new Second Rank Phantoms and has some way to do it, it’ll still be extremely difficult for them, won’t it?

“The other Second-Rank Phantoms won’t let that happen so easily. They’ll help and protect us – that’s only logical. So, even if the Befallen Crown succeeds in its mission, they’ll suffer serious losses. That’s inevitable.”

Silvana sighed before continuing.

“They’ll lose a huge number of monsters and Elders, as well as the Lords and even the True Lords. Moreover, while the war is going on, their territory will be left without its usual defenses, and when they return home, they’ll be far from their peak. So, they have to do this during the safest possible period for themselves.”

Arayna’s eyes flashed as she realized what Silvana was talking about.

“R-Right. Right now, there’s little energy in the world, and other monsters simply won’t be able to attack and capture the Befallen Crown, even in their weakened state. But if the Zero War happens right after the World Wipe, then a huge number of new monsters and Lords will pose too great a risk to them.”

Silvana nodded.

“Indeed. By attacking us during such a period, they’ll jeopardize their own existence.”

Adam, in turn, leaned back in his chair, staring at the chandelier hanging above them.

“Fuck… Why can’t we even relax here? This is really ruining my mood…”