Chapter 1238: Development of Territories (Part 1)

After a lengthy treatment, having undergone all the procedures, Adam stood in the infirmary, looking at his arm.

It took Gia several hours to restore his arm to its previous condition, but she managed to do it.

Clutch. Clutch.

Adam clenched his fist several times, watching the veins tremble with each movement.

“Good, I don’t feel any difference. Hah, looking for another Regenerative monster would be exhausting. I don’t want to do that anymore, ever!”

Sure, Adam wasn’t at his peak strength at the moment, especially his arm. Even though Gia had repaired all the damage, his body had much less energy than before the mission.

No matter how soon Adam wanted to return to battle and fulfill the conditions for the Second Grand Star, he would have to take a few days off to fully recover.

“Is something bothering you?” Gia asked, giving Adam a sharp look.

Adam shook his head.

“Nah, great job. I have nothing to complain about. Besides, even if there were any mistakes, my body and energy would quickly fix it, right?”

Gia adjusted her glasses.

“Yes. But I didn’t make any mistakes. Don’t you dare say that word in front of me.”

Step.

Before Gia could understand, Adam was right in front of her as their eyes met.

“Everyone makes mistakes. I don’t believe you’ve become such an experienced medic without making dozens of mistakes along the way. Some of them may have been critical, even fatal.”

Gia narrowed her eyes, but didn’t deny his words. They both knew he was right.

“Whatever. You’re no longer my patient. You’re completely healthy, so get out of the infirmary.”

Adam grinned as he headed for the exit.

Finally, he waved his hand. “Thank you. Thank you not only as a medic but also as a member of the Gamma Division.”

Then, Adam left, leaving Gia with a shocked expression.

A few seconds later, she smiled bitterly and shook her head.

“Damn, I thought I could hide my aura from a K4-Phantom, but it seems like trying to do that on him was a mistake. Well, now I know my limits, or…” She narrowed her eyes, staring at the door as if she could see Adam through the walls. “Is that little bastard just special?”

There was no malice in Gia’s gaze, just a slight bitchiness that passed quickly as she returned to work.

The Gamma Division members were essential; they were the backbone of humanity. They knew their role, just like Adam and Gia.

Adam understood that the fact that Gia was a medic was not her main occupation. She was at the Bastion Opard to help rebuild it after the World Wipe. It wasn’t just her knowledge and experience, but also her strength.

Sure, even a Touched Human like Douglas could, at best, fight a K4-Phantom on equal terms. Although on that day, Adam had just gone through evolution. Now, Douglas would have had a much harder time.

Still, a Touched Human who had lived long enough could fight against Purple, Yellow, and even Red Threat Level monsters. This was a great help in the early years when there were many monsters but not many humans.

Easy times came when people grew older and Phantoms began to appear among them. Then, the balance of power was restored. Until then, the Gamma Division sometimes had to participate in battles, although they never took big risks.

There were too few of them.

Not counting the Second Rank Phantoms and the strongest K4-Phantoms, the Gamma Division was the smallest squad humanity had.

Everyone was important, but… no matter how many Touched Humans humanity had, they were not capable of stopping the World Wipe or fighting against the Lords.

For that, only the Second Rank Phantoms were needed, and if Adam was going to change anything, he had to reach that power stage.

…

Step. Step. Step.

The doors in front of Adam opened as he headed to the only place Fromund could be after a long mission and many hours of treatment.

Adam looked back at the many tables in the dining hall. And, as he expected, Fromund was sitting at one of them.

This came as no surprise to Adam. He would have been surprised if Fromund hadn’t been there.

“Hey!”

As soon as Fromund noticed him, he looked up and waved.

“Come here! The food here is great! Damn, I didn’t even know they cooked differently in the Bastions than in the Citadel!”

Adam shrugged and sat down next to Fromund.

Fromund knew Adam would come, so there were plenty of plates full of food on the table. However, before sitting down, Adam turned around and came back with a tray of hot food he wanted for himself.

“What do you think?” Fromund asked, stuffing half a steak into his mouth.

Adam nodded slightly. “Yeah, that’s pretty good, I won’t lie. You’re right, it’s a little different from the food at the Citadel forts, but it’s delicious both here and there.”

“Hah, but variety makes everything better, doesn’t it?”

Then, Fromund put his plate aside and took the next one. He had already eaten three large steaks and didn’t seem to be stopping there. Next up was rice, pasta, various soups, and several desserts at the very end.

However, Adam was not being modest either.

He and Fromund could have gone to the most expensive restaurant in Bastion Opard; it would have cost them nothing, but even if the food there was even tastier, it would not have been the same.

They returned after their mission and underwent treatment for their numerous wounds. All they wanted now was silence, rest, and warm food, not the exquisite decor of luxury restaurants.

“So…” Fromund lingered, moving on to the cream soup. “What are you planning to do next? We make a great team, but it will be a long time before our next duo.”

Adam nodded.

“Yes, you’re right. Now, everyone will continue on their way. It will be better this way. But… We have the same goal, right?”

Fromund gave him a broad smile.

“Of course! The last World Wipe happened 243 years ago! That’s what I want to believe!”