Endless Evolution: Last Star

Adam's target, the Flash Carrier, was located deep within the crypt. Now it was obvious, as was the name of his future opponent—Lyrod.

However, before their battle could take place, they first had to open the gates and reach the lower floors to confront Lyrod, who was to become the new ruler of the Corrosive Lakes. The other monsters had no problem with this, unlike Dayra, who did not want it to happen.

She had many reasons, both a personal dislike of Lyrod and the opinion that he was not worthy of the power and attention of the First Star. For many monsters, especially those who wanted to be part of the Free End, this was a big deal.

Step. Step. Step.

Under the gaze of the monsters watching from afar, Adam and Dayra reached the crypt, stopping in front of the gates.

"So? You can open them, right?" Adam asked with hope in his eyes.

However, instead of a simple answer, he got a complicated expression on Dayra's face, which did not make him happy.

"Come on!" Adam complained. "Why the hell did you talk about a deal and bring me here if you can't even open these gates?!"

Before Dayra could answer, Adam clenched his fists tightly and headed toward the gates, intending to destroy them with a few blows.

But...

BAM!

As soon as his fist hit the iron plate, his face contorted with the sharp pain that ran through his body.

"FUCK!"

Adam exclaimed, clutching his fist.

"Why is this gate so strong?!"

Not about to stop, Adam channeled energy into his fist before delivering the next strike, significantly stronger than the previous one.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

The entire crypt shook as the shockwave passed through the ancient structure imbued with the energy of the First Star as well as his own.

This time, Adam did not cry out in pain, but his face was much more serious than before.

"Damn, this is bad. I struck with full force, yet I achieved nothing. This is not good at all."

Dayra approached from behind, leaning on her arm.

"And why was that necessary? I told you from the beginning that it was impossible. Was it so difficult to listen to me?"

Adam turned around as his aura grew stronger, putting pressure on Dayra.

"Tell me quickly what you need to open the gate, or I'll reconsider how meaningful our agreement is."

Dayra gulped.

"Hah, I thought you were the kind of person who kept his word..."

Despite her attempts to appear confident, her trembling voice betrayed her nervousness.

Adam shrugged carelessly.

"Well, you were supposed to bring me to the Flash Carrier. If you can't do that, then I should get rid of you, shouldn't I?"

Step.

Adam stepped forward, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

"Side objectives have never been my priority, but I think the Citadel will be pleased if I eliminate one more Elder. What do you think about that?"

"Fine! Just let me explain what's going on here!"

Dayra pointed to the crypt.

"The gates of the Crypt of the Ancient Soul can only be opened with two seals. I have one part of the seal."

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

The space shook as a round object made of black stone with an intricate pattern burning with green flames appeared in front of Dayra.

Adam nodded slightly.

"I see. You should have told me about this right away."

Dayra's face flushed with indignation.

"I tried! You just didn't...!"

"Shut up."

Adam's sharp voice interrupted Dayra as she flinched. Because Adam had been so casual with her on the way to the crypt, she had completely forgotten that they were enemies. All she had with Adam was a temporary alliance of power, over which Adam had control because he was stronger.

"Just tell me who has the second seal. Although... I think I know the answer. It's the second Elder of the Corrosive Lakes, right?"

Dayra nodded weakly.

Then, Adam turned around, looking at the crypt.

"Shit, I hope he's not there? In that case, we won't be able to get to him!"

"No." Dayra shook her head. "If Kolos were in the crypt, his seal would be activated and a green flame would be burning on one of the slabs at the gate."

Adam rubbed his chin.

"Got it. So we need to find him and take the seal. It's getting harder with each stage. I hope you know where Kolos is?"

Again, Dayra got an awkward expression because she knew her answer wouldn't satisfy Adam, and she couldn't blame him for that.

"What is it this time?" Adam raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"You see, Kolos is different from me. Although I am one of the Elders of these lands, the acid lakes hurt me, and there is nothing I can do about it. My body simply cannot resist the acid, unlike Kolos."

Adam frowned. He didn't like where Dayra was going with this.

"So, you're saying Kolos is in one of the lakes?"

Dayra bit her lip and nodded awkwardly.

"Not just in one of the lakes, but in the great lake. He doesn't know you're there because he's at the very bottom."

Adam crossed his arms over his chest.

"So, you can't go down there, and neither can I. What do you suggest we do in that case?"

Dayra looked northward, far beyond the crypt lay the great lake, the largest in these lands.

"Well, we can head to the lake and disturb him. Unlike me, he believes that Lyrod is destined to become one of the Lords and ruler of our lands. When he realizes that you are the enemy, he will declare me a traitor and engage in battle with you."

Adam nodded deeply.

"I see. So, I won't be able to negotiate with him as I did with you, right?"

Dayra sighed heavily.

"Unfortunately, that's right. Although considering how fiercely you fought against me, that's not a problem for you, is it?"

Adam could only smile.

"Well, I can't argue with that. So, show me the way. I'm afraid I'll have to kill your fellow Elder."

"Pffft, stop talking about it that way. Just because he's an Elder like me doesn't mean I'm going to sacrifice my life or future for him. I have my ambitions and goals." Dayra snorted, turning away.

After a few moments, Adam scratched the back of his head.

"Sure, I understand what you're saying. It's the same among humans. But... Don't you have any sympathy for Kolos? I mean, you understand that he will die when he meets me. You and he, two Elders of these lands. Shouldn't you have something in common?"

In response, Dayra just shook her head.

"No. I know this is common among Elders in other territories, but I'm not one of them! What Kolos does is his choice. If he wants to die for Lyrod, that's his path!"

Adam shrugged.

"Fair enough. So, how about showing me the way?"

"Of course."

Without further ado, Dayra rushed forward, leading Adam behind her.

They didn't have to wait too long before they crossed another hill and saw a huge lake in the distance.

"Damn... It is a great one..."

If the lake had been a little bigger, there would have been no land visible on the horizon in the distance, just a continuous water surface like the sea or the ocean.

Green, bright toxic acid filled the lake, while bare bones and pieces of earth floated along.

"And... Where is Koros now?"

Dayra waved her hand.

"I already told you. He's somewhere at the bottom. As you can see, this lake is very large, so... there's no point in looking for him. However, we are now close enough to lure him out."

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

Dayra's aura intensified as she released her dense, powerful energy, wanting to spread her aura as far as possible.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, now he will feel my aura, but that's unlikely to make him come out of meditation. However, if he senses a hostile aura, that I'm fighting someone, then he definitely won't stand aside."

Then, she turned to Adam, staring intently at him.

"Come on. Release your aura, I know how scary it can be."

Adam nodded, but before releasing his aura, he decided to ask something.

"Dayra, even though you said you don't care about Kolos, deep down you would want him to follow your path and make a deal instead of dying, right?"

She bit her lip but finally nodded deeply.

"Well, I don't hate him, I'm neutral towards him. You have to understand that we got our positions because we are strong, not because we walked this path together. Before becoming Elder of the Corrosive Lakes, I had never seen him before.

"But don't hope for a good outcome. I don't know him very well, but he will definitely fight to the end because he believes that the Lords are the hope of the monsters and that each of them, even potential ones like Lyrod, must be protected."

Adam waved his hand. He understood Dayra's position.

"Alright, then let's get down to business."

After that, his eyes grew deeper and his aura burst forth, shaking the ground and sending waves from the dark shore across the great lake.