Chapter 1159: Choice of Hearts (Part 1)

Damien’s words echoed through Adam’s mind, causing his eyes to widen.

“Every star could be the last?” Adam muttered, confused. “What does that mean? You mean that some Phantom could die while fulfilling the conditions?”

Damien waved his hand.

“Well, that’s true too, of course. You can never forget the dangers and that there are always monsters capable of killing you, no matter how long you live or how difficult your path has been, but that’s not what I was talking about.”

Then, Damien leaned forward as his green eyes darkened.

“It’s exactly as I said. When you choose any of the stars on the Path Construct, no matter what star or constellation it is, it could be your last because your choice could turn out to be wrong, and the Path Construct will be blocked.”

“And… Is it forever?”

“Well, it depends on the situation and the Phantom, but for many, yes, it’s the end. As you can imagine, the fear of choosing the wrong star has ruined quite a few of the K4-Phantoms. Many spend decades trying to decide on their next choice. But even that’s not the main problem.”

Damien sighed deeply.

“I think you’ve heard that some K4-Phantoms are on the verge of evolution. They are much stronger than other K4-Phantoms, but they still can’t seem to reach the next rank.”

Then, Damien leaned back in his chair and began to explain.

“Imagine that you chose every star correctly, fulfilled all the conditions, and managed to stay alive after all the battles and dangers you had to go through. The moment has come when you have passed through the entire Path Construct and lit every star in every constellation.

“Now, the Path Construct is like a door that was previously closed, but now it’s open, and ahead of you is only a bright light with great power waiting for you. But… you still need to take the last step and cross the threshold. This is where the strongest K4-Phantoms remain.”

After a minute of thought, Adam nodded. Everything Damien had said was important, and he didn’t want to miss a word.

“Got it. So the K4-Level consists of two main parts, while the Path Construct is the larger of the two.”

“Something like that. There are only three parts, because the Path Construct still needs to be revealed, but you’ve mastered this part.”

Adam blinked several times in realization.

“Yeah, I guess I should thank Douglas for that. The mission he chose for me turned out to be exactly what I needed.”

Damien’s mouth corners turned up into a smirk.

“Hah, that wasn’t difficult, boy. The First Star took notice of you, you absorbed the Twilight Crystal, so your method of revealing the Path Construct is different from the others.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s simple. While you were fighting that monster, Lyrod, who had awakened from the dark dream, the other K4-Phantoms were instructed to remain in the Citadel and slowly absorb energy from the Midnight Crystal. The Citadel always has several crystals stored away for such an occasion.

“In this way, they create the final key and open their Path Construct. You had to kill the monster that was full of the ancient energy of the First Star to do this.”

Adam tilted his head as he touched his lips, puzzled.

“Wait… Doesn’t that mean I could have opened my Path Construct if I had absorbed the Twilight Crystal?”

Suddenly, Damien laughed.

“Hahaha! You’re quick, Adam. Yes, that could have worked, but keeping the Twilight Crystals in the Citadel is simply impossible. It’s a different type of energy, not as dense and aggressive as the Midnight Crystals. Therefore, in your case, the best solution was to hunt for a suitable monster, which is what you did.”

Adam folded his arms and smiled bitterly.

“I take it there aren’t many K4-Phantoms like me, right?”

Damien nodded in confirmation.

“Hah, of course. I mean, surviving at the Dark Shore isn’t easy, especially when you’re a K3-Phantom. But, from what I’ve heard, you did a great job, as always!”

“By the way, does that mean I have some kind of advantage over other K4-Phantoms?”

Damien scratched his chin, thoughtful.

“Well… Under the influence of the First Star energy, your artifact and your Operator’s ability have changed, but that doesn’t make you stronger than the others. You just have a different path, that’s all. However, as you understand, in the Path Construct, you have additional choices.

“But, as I said, many factors influence which stars you get and their conditions, not just whether you absorbed a Twilight Crystal or not. You, like everyone else, can make the wrong choice of star and make your path much more difficult.”

Adam’s expression didn’t change. He had expected exactly that answer. The fact that he and Silvana had each received one new ability, powerful ones at that, was enough for him.

Then, Damien’s gaze darkened.

“On the contrary, the fact that you have energy from two star crystals makes everything more difficult and dangerous for you.”

Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion. He didn’t understand what Damien was talking about.

“Agh?”

Damien jerked his head toward the west. Hundreds of kilometers away were the Tarnished Lands and, therefore, the Corrosive Lakes.

“Those two monsters and the whirlwind that Frida destroyed didn’t appear at that moment by accident. When the Phantom reveals the Path Construct, his energy becomes very valuable to all creatures, much more than before.”

He pointed at Adam.

“They want the energy of the Last Star from the Midnight Crystal trapped inside us, saturated and mixed with our own energy. But, you, Adam… Because of your battles and your path, there are two types of energy in your body.”

Adam’s face turned pale.

He didn’t need further explanation; he immediately understood what that meant.

“Fuck… So it doesn’t matter where I go, I’ll always be hunted by the strongest and most dangerous monsters?”

“Pretty much, yes.”

Damien waved his hand.

“For now, you’re not strong enough for the strongest monsters of the First Circle to hunt you, but those two aren’t the limit. Now, tell me, what does your first star in the constellation want?”

Adam gulped.

“One Twilight Crystal, one Midnight Crystal, and… I have a choice between two hearts, the dark heart or the connected heart.”

Suddenly, a broad grin spread across Damien’s face.

“Hah, Adam, I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me. I can already see you’ve chosen the hardest shit!”