Chapter 1277: Blighted Scar Lands

“Black Mills… They’re quite far from the others. Is there a reason for that?” Adam asked, turning to Gareyna.

She nodded deeply.

“Yes. As you can see, in the far part of our lands, there are practically no white and gray mills, most are black, and there are reasons for that. Since you came here, you know that part of the Forgotten Mills intersects with the Renegades’ territory, right?” Gareyna glanced at him.

Adam confirmed with a slight nod.

“Sure. But… I can’t say I’ve had much experience interacting with the Renegades or any other global monster faction. When I got to the Dark Shore, I encountered one monster from the Free End and another neutral one. It… it was quite a battle.”

For a moment, Gareyna’s lips curved upward. She knew what Adam was talking about. After all, it was the fact that K3-Phantom ended up at the Dark Shore and was able to survive and return home successfully that made Adam famous among some monsters.

It wasn’t good or bad, but it was a fact that when the First Star brought a Phantom to the Dark Shore, it inevitably attracted attention.

“That’s not surprising. The Renegades are quite deep in the Tarnished Lands. However, you gradually approached that point. I mean, I’m sure you’ve been to areas that were on the very border with the Dead Lands before, haven’t you?”

“Yeah. The first time I went to the Corrosive Lakes. Not sure if you know about that area.”

“Of course I know.” Gareyna smiled. “The Tarnished Lands are divided into hundreds of territories and thousands of small areas, but I’ve lived long enough to remember all of them. Territories change very rarely, so I know something about almost every place.”

Adam nodded as his gaze turned to the distant black mills, the ones bathed in crimson light.

“So… What about those black mills? What is that light, and why are they separate from the others? From what I understand, none of the three factions is hostile to the other. I mean, the Black Cut are more aggressive toward outsiders than the others, but you’re all allies, right?”

Gareyna waved her hand. “Of course. Some of us have disagreements with others, but there are too few of us to be enemies.

“The black mills, their owners, they maintain contact with the Renegades. The Renegades are not as strict and organized in their hierarchy as the Befallen Crown, but there are leaders among them too, and those who keep order.”

Gareyna pointed ahead, but not at one of the black mills, but up at the sky.

“The northern part of the Forgotten Mills is located in the Blighted Scar Lands. This is the region we are currently in, and it is the main location for the entire leadership of the Renegades.”

Adam frowned as he narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out the situation.

“It’s kind of like the far territory at the Dark Shore where the Befallen Crown’s base is, right?”

“Correct. Since it’s the Renegades, there are two other regions that, along with the Blighted Scar Lands, are the farthest and most dangerous territories of the Tarnished Lands. Naturally, they are under the control of the Renegades as well.”

Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.

Adam scratched the back of his head, forming a picture in his mind.

“Got it. So the black mill owners are something like negotiators? And… I understand that among them are the strongest of you?”

At that moment, Gareyna’s eyebrow twitched. What she was about to say was true, practically.

“Again, correct. The Black Cut members are quite tough, much tougher than I or the others, but they are also extremely straightforward. For this reason, the Renegades find it easy to work with them and stay informed about what is happening on our territory. As for the strongest one of the black mills… yes, you are correct.”

There was a lie in her words, in one small detail, but she had no right to tell Adam about it, otherwise, even she could get in trouble for it.

Gareyna waved her hand.

“Don’t get me wrong. The Renegades don’t control us, and as a separate monster society, we have the right to do what we think is necessary. However, since they are the most powerful force in all of the Tarnished Lands, they have a duty to know what is happening here and to take action if necessary.”

Then, her gaze darkened as the veins in her arms bulged with anger.

“If we were at the Dark Shore and under the influence of the Befallen Crown, we would be completely controlled. The Befallen Crown accepts nothing but complete submission and obedience, using fear and its power.”

Adam glanced at her. He didn’t know what exactly caused her to react that way, but that wasn’t what he should be worrying about at that moment.

“Alright, now I understand. I guess I’ll have to face the Renegades someday, hah, they sound like interesting guys, but… what about my opponent? How exactly will the Connected String help me?”

“Oh…” Gareyna sighed. “Sorry, I got distracted. It’s not often that we get to tell Phantoms about how our lands are organized. Phantoms are rare here. For starters, use the Connected String. I’m sure you’ll notice something from this perspective.”

Adam didn’t ask any questions and did as she said.

He had known earlier that the threads were leading him to the Forgotten Mills, and then he saw that the mills were his destination when he got closer.

But… Now he was about to learn something else.

“Wait…” Adam lingered, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

Almost all of the threads led straight to the gray mills. Only a few moved cautiously toward the black mills, and none toward the white mills.

“Most of them are gray, right?” Gareyna asked.

Adam nodded.

“As I expected. That’s normal. I understood that right away from your aura, and I think I know who would be a good candidate for your String Duel. But before that, you’ll need to do something.”

“Hmm? What?”

Gareyna smirked.

“Wake up the sleeping one, make him come out of his mill, and to do that, you’ll need to kill someone.”