Adam and as it turned out Kenward had no choice but to follow the dark route. It could lead them anywhere, to the next dew tree, to the Sacrificial Waterfalls or somewhere beyond those two territories.
Adam was shocked at how fast they were moving. Thanks to Kenward and his horse, they had crossed dozens of kilometers in just a few minutes and reached the borders of a new, completely different territory - the Soaring Chain Islands.
Strangely enough, Kenward did not move on.
He stopped in a field among brightly colored flowers, letting the warm breeze welcome the two new guests.
Everything was more than welcoming, at least until the broad shadow of two great wings fell upon them.
Adam looked up to see a multitude of silhouettes hovering above them. They grew larger and larger with each passing second until they blocked out the bright light of the sun with their wings, leaving only a few faint rays.
âThatâs... Which one of them is Saegar?â Adam inwardly muttered, looking at the new to him monsters.
A multitude of warriors with sharp facial features stared at them intently, their gazes full of arrogance and pride. Black refined armor covered their lean bodies, matching well with their dark wings lined with several rows of feathers. A single flap would be enough to cause torrents of wind.
Several times, Adam faced similar-looking monsters. It was always the Crown Type monsters, but...
âThey look a lot stronger than the weaker ones,â Adam muttered inwardly, paying attention to the way the monstersâ arms and legs looked.
He didnât see any claws, fangs, horns, or tails on them.
If it werenât for their vertical pupils, wings, and tall stature, it would be hard to distinguish them from a handsome man who chose to wear black armor.
âAdam...â Silvanaâs voice boomed in his mind. âThere are so many of them? Are you sure youâll be alright?â
Deep inside, Adam smiled bitterly.
âHah, Iâm in foreign territory. I canât be sure of anything. But, to disrespect them and try to do something about it at a time like this would be the height of foolishness. For starters... Weâll have to see what this Saegar has to say.â
Tap.
One of the warriors descended, smooth and calm, his great wings barely moving.
He was a man with perfect skin and long blond hair coming down below his shoulders.
It didnât matter that he was a monster, if there were girls here, they wouldnât be able to hold their hearts in front of such a handsome man.
After a few steps, he dropped to one knee, taking one hand behind his back and leaving the other on his knee, performing every action with grace.
"Mr. Kenward... I, Valdris, welcome you to our lands. May I ask what brings you here? And..."
His blue, deep eyes darted in Adamâs direction for a moment.
"Why is that weak Phantom with you?"
None of the wing warriors were in a hurry to act. However, it was clear by the look in their eyes that if necessary, they were ready to attack Adam even if Kenward was in front of them.
"Agh... Thatâs disappointing." Kenward shook his head.
Valdris raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? Mr. Kenward, what do you mean?"
"We are monsters, some with only a name, others holding titles. Itâs not just our reward, but my duty to be a wise, intelligent beings. And, what do I see in the end?"
He sighed heavily.
"A Phantom who isnât even twenty yet, though heâs close to it, has turned out to be much smarter and more mature than you."
After a few heavy moments, Kenward slowly raised his hand.
"At least he knows how to behave facing one of the Lords!"
Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.
At the same moment, a terrifying aura emerged from Kenward as the darkness of his horse grew in menacing flames.
No one was able to resist it. Dozens of wing warriors, one after another, collapsed to the ground under the force of Kenwardâs aura.
Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.
Their faces smashed into the earth, their wings shook as feathers were ready to fall like unsteady leaves from the autumn trees.
The only one who could resist to any degree was Valdris.
He was still on one knee, and his head was up, but for him, the feat did not go unnoticed.
A trickle of blood dripped from his nose, and then there were two more, darker, running from the corners of his mouth.
Kenward locked gaze with Valdris for a few seconds before loosening his aura, giving the rest of the warriors much-needed relief.
Fortunately for Adam, Kenward took him out of range of his aura. If he didnât take that detail into account, Adam would most likely be dead by now.
âHoly shit! That time he appeared... Was that his aura in a calm state?!â Adam exclaimed to himself, realizing that he had underestimated Kenwardâs true strength.
Then, Adamâs eyes went wide as he remembered what Kenward had said before activating his aura.
âW-Wait! Did I hear correctly that he called himself a Lord?!
Silvana gulped, nodding affirmatively. âYes... I heard that, too. It should be clear from the start, though, right?â
âYeah, youâre probably right. I mean, heâs too strong to be an opponent for the K4-Phantoms. Iâve met some of them, especially at the Alderran Family estate... Whatâs more, those monsters.â
Adam narrowed his eyes, looking at the wing warriors who were struggling to get up from the ground. Many of them were wounded, but none of them were in a hurry to express their displeasure to Kenward. They knew it would only lead to an ignominious death.
âThey are certainly much stronger than I am. So they are opponents for the K4-Phantoms.â
Following his thoughts, Adam came to the conclusion he had early on when he first learned about the Lords from Arnoth.
âAfter all, Lords are the equivalent of the Second Rank Phantoms among monsters. But... The Second Rank Phantoms are also different. Not all of them are equally strong, though there are quite a few of them.â
"I see youâve learned your lesson."
Kenwardâs voice broke as he glared at Valdris.
"This Phantom is with me because he was brought here by the First Star. He follows the dark route, and it is my duty as a follower of the Free End to bring him to the Twilight Crystal that lies on your territory!"
In a heartbeat, as if an electric shock had passed through everyone, their eyes opened wide.
Like the Midnight Crystals, the Twilight Crystals were resources of the highest value. If the level of the resource was the same, no essence, artifact, or plant could compare to the Twilight/Midnight Crystals.
It was very difficult to miss the appearance of the Midnight Crystal. It was a comet that demolished everything in its path, drawing attention with its destructive power and majestic energy.
The Twilight Crystals were the complete opposite.
They didnât try to loudly announce their appearance. They could emerge without anyone noticing and stay in one place for a long time.
For a short period, greed appeared in the monstersâ eyes - the desire to obtain the Twilight Crystal.
It would hardly help them advance to the next level, but this amount of energy would allow them to become stronger.
Although for someone like Valdris, it could be the beginning of a change.
With a wave of his hand, Kenward continued.
"However, unlike you, I know what respect is. I realize that this is your territory and that you donât follow the Free End, so I want to talk to your leader so that this Phantom behind me, Adam Vinter, can get what the First Star brought him here for."
Valdris nodded deeply, pressing his palm to his chest.
"I apologize for the disrespect. Iâm sure my men and I will remember this lesson. Our only purpose was to protect our territory from uninvited guests like this Phantom."
Kenward nodded. "Sure. Thatâs why I didnât kill you."
He was about to say something else when a slight tremor rippled through the space that immediately drew everyoneâs attention.
At the same moment, a powerful, dark aura, somewhat reminiscent of Kenwardâs, ripped out from the largest island, chaining five others around it.
The aura wasnât as strong, or rather, it didnât carry the same aggression. It wasnât an attack or a threat, it was an invitation.
"It seems my master has already grasped the situation," Valdris muttered, glancing at the main island. "Mr. Kenward, allow me to escort you."
"Well, if you want, you can try to catch up with me." Kenward shrugged.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
He leaned forward, slapping his horse on its mighty neck.
In a heartbeat, the horse lunged forward, turning into a dark flash. But the horse ran not forward, but upward, creating a path of darkness beneath its hooves.
Valdris waved his hand, flapping his wings quickly to keep up with Kenwardâs speed.
The others followed, but they had little chance of arriving at the main island on time.
When the two Lords met, it was especially important for each to perform at their best.
If this meeting ended badly, they would only face disaster and death instead of sunlight lands.