Chapter 1147: Stellar Phantom

Using trump cards always posed serious risks, because if it was a trump card, it meant it was a powerful ability that required a lot of resources to activate, most often energy.

This meant that each trump card had a limited number of uses, and quite often the final number was one. Sure, it all depended heavily on the Phantom and the trump card, but on average, that was the situation.

It had been quite some time since Adam last used the Imaginary Cut, his battle against Kolos was over, and now he had a different goal. So, he could use this trump card again.

He had to save this cut for the final attack, right?

No.

Now, he had an almost infinite source of energy. True, sooner or later, Silvana would no longer be able to keep this ability active, but she could do it long enough if Adam found the strength to continue.

Thus, Adam could afford to use the Imaginary Cut not only to win, but to bring their fight closer to that state, to completion.

Whoooooosh.

Lyrod jumped out of the ruined crypt, while blood flowed thickly from a wide gash on his chest and back. He had no left arm, and his leg had only been restored a few seconds ago.

The black sword continued to heal even Lyrod’s most gruesome wounds, but there was a price to pay for that. His sword was approaching the dangerous 70% mark.

No matter how hard Lyrod tried, he couldn’t hurt Adam any more, even though Adam’s sword was gradually filling up a little because the white heart was draining his body in exchange for energy.

‘Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I have to do something! This bastard… How can I stop him?!’ Lyrod screamed internally as he turned around.

He saw only a few white flashes as Adam used the lesser path three times in a row just to reach Lyrod, who was on the surface.

“I’m here!” Adam exclaimed with a maniacal grin as he attacked with the first needle.

At the last moment, Lyrod condensed a water orb in front of him, which allowed him to block part of the impact.

Still, the momentum threw him aside. Time after time, his body bounced off the ground until he came to a stop in the middle of the hill.

Tap.

Adam’s feet touched the surface as he took a deep breath, paying attention to the condition of the black swords.

His sword was 40% full. That was quite a lot, but much less than at the beginning, especially when compared to Lyrod’s situation.

The effect of his artifact would not wear off until the crimson light, filled one of the swords completely or until Adam was exhausted, which was unlikely to happen in the near future.

“What do you say now? It seems that the energy from the First Star is not enough to win, isn’t it?” Adam grinned as he slowly walked towards Lyrod.

In response, Lyrod only frowned.

He had nothing to say.

He found himself in the worst situation, completely dominated by his opponent, and the worst part was that he had no plan.

…

“You say his tactics won’t change?” Douglas shook his head. “Funny coming from you, since you and Adam have the same tactic — fight until you win.”

Damien shrugged carelessly.

“If you don’t die, then there’s no problem. That said, if you want to change something, death is an option for anyone but you. What’s more… Douglas, you sent Adam on this mission on purpose, didn’t you?”

“Hahahahahaha! Hey, why ruin the intrigue so soon? Let the old man feel smart!”

Damien grinned.

“You’re not just smart, you’re cunning, you old bastard, and that’s the best thing anyone can say about you.”

A few moments later, Douglas sighed heavily.

“Sure, some Black Threat Monster on the border of the Tarnished Lands is no threat to us. Most likely, this monster, Lyrod, would have died in the future from an accidental attack during a battle between the Lords. However, I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to make Lyrod a stepping stone for Adam’s evolution.”

Damien nodded, carefully studying the destruction, Adam’s energy, and the stage of the battle between Adam and Lyrod.

“It’s all about the Twilight Crystal, right?”

Douglas nodded in confirmation.

“As you can see, he and Silvana have already unlocked their previously sealed abilities, but that’s not all I want to achieve. This isn’t the best outcome; it would have been better if he had absorbed the Midnight Crystal like most of the K4-Phantoms, but we have to work with what we have.

“The fact that Lyrod recently emerged from the dark dream and still has a lot of energy from the First Star in his body makes it possible for Adam to finally take his first step on the path to the Second Circle.”

Two figures were reflected in Damien’s deep green eyes.

“Yes, that was the right decision. For those who absorbed the Midnight Crystal, the right decision would be to absorb energy. Perhaps, over time, they will be able to succeed, but if a Phantom absorbed the Twilight Crystal, then the same energy is needed.”

Douglas waved his hand, watching as the battle between Adam and Lyrod gradually entered its final stage.

“Yes, the seal on his orb cannot be opened with simple energy, or more precisely, with the Last Star’s energy. It doesn’t matter how many ordinary monsters he kills or how much time he spends absorbing resources, none of that matters.

The Hollow Wave monsters would also fit the bill, but… a monster that has just awakened from the dark dream? Hah, what could be better?”

Tap.

Damien patted Douglas on the shoulder several times, firmly and harshly.

“Good job. If anyone should be left with monsters like that, it’s Phantoms like Adam.”

“Perhaps it was fate that the First Star sent him to the Dark Shore.”

In response, Damien shook his head.

“No. It was the result of his actions, the enemies he defeated, and the path he is on. That is why he now has to fight this monster full of the First Star’s energy.”

At the same moment, a red flash covered the screens as Lyrod’s black sword filled up completely.

Whoooooosh.

The great sword turned into a crimson star that headed toward Adam, becoming a seal on his hand.

The corners of Adam’s lips turned upward.

“Good, that’s what I need.”