Chapter 1279: Broken Hopes (Part 2)

Despite Gareyna’s help and her explanations, Adam and Silvana had doubts about the purity of her intentions.

They were right to approach her with suspicion, but now much had become clear to Adam.

To Gareyna, Adam was a reflection of what Ureyn had been several years ago.

“Agh… That was painful to watch. The fire in his eyes disappeared surprisingly quickly. However, that’s quick on my part. It took me several years.”

Gareyna looked at the quiet gray mill, which was no different from the others.

Adam glanced down, wanting to ask Gareyna about the Arachne Nest, but he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to learn more about his future opponent.

“What happened to him?”

“Nothing that would surprise you. I’m sure, even though you don’t show it, you’re afraid that one day it will happen to you. Ureyn wanted to become strong, much stronger than he is now. He was sure that he could quickly reach the Lord level and advance further to become one of the strongest in the world in just a few years.”

Gareyna bit her lip. It was clear that she was upset that Ureyn had failed. She supported him, as did some of the others from the white mills, even though… they all understood that it was impossible and that Ureyn’s goals were unrealistic.

Adam gulped. He saw himself in Gareyna’s words, his goals, and… he didn’t like it at all.

“And… He wanted to stop the World Wipe so that no one else would have to see their kind die and start over again and again.”

Like humans, only a small fraction of monsters survived, and many of them at that level already possessed speech and intelligence. Thus, for those who were able to become stronger than their friends, seeing them die after a few years was painful.

“Tsk. Even if he had such goals, why the fuck did he give up?” Adam gritted his teeth in anger, at himself and the situation, and also because Gareyna was right about him.

Gareyna shook her head.

“Because he realized that he didn’t have enough time and that in the time he had left, he simply couldn’t reach the same level as the strongest monsters of the Renegades, the Free End, or the Befallen Crown. As I said, he had a hard time accepting this position, it was a gradual process that lasted several years, and…”

Bam!

Adam’s fist slammed into the railing, shaking the balcony.

“Bullshit! You can always keep going! He still has seven years! No! You said he had the same position five years ago, so he had 12 years and decided he couldn’t achieve anything in that time?!”

He clenched his teeth as the veins bulged on his face, creating a menacing grimace.

“Hell, it took me just over a year to get to my level! What do you mean he doesn’t have enough time?!”

Gareyna was speechless. She had no answer.

Sure, like many monsters, she knew who Adam Vinter was, but… his fame had only grown recently after he reached K4-Level.

Only a limited number of monsters could get more information about Adam, about what had happened to him before he reached that level and ended up at the Dark Shore.

In other words, even though Gareyna knew who he was, she couldn’t possibly be aware of every step he took on his path.

“What did you say…?” Gareyna’s voice trembled. “You reached K4-Level in just over a year?”

“YES!” Adam exclaimed. “One year and a few months! Do you even understand what seven years means to me? It’s an eternity!”

Gareyna’s lips trembled. She didn’t know what to say; she hadn’t expected to find herself in this situation because Adam had put her in a corner with a single sentence, leaving her with no choice.

Silence.

No one said anything for a while, until Gareyna’s hair broke out.

“Please…”

“Hmm?” Adam raised an eyebrow, confused.

“When you fight Ureyn, find a way to tell him about this as well… That way, it will be a double blow for him. He will lose to you, a human with our abilities, and realize that you did it in just one year.”

She bit her lip until it bled, squeezing the railing so hard that it splintered.

“It might completely break him, and it will definitely destroy someone else, but I’m sure Ureyn will endure, and then a flame of great power will ignite within him.

“You’re right, Adam… Seven years is a long time, but unfortunately, monsters like me have stopped considering anything less than 10 years to be significant. Hah, for some, even that is nothing more than the blink of an eye, and they only think in terms of hundreds of years.”

In response, Adam nodded deeply.

“Sure, if you think it will help him, I’m not against it.”

“But… You know you don’t have to do this, right? I mean, Ureyn is a monster, and ultimately, monsters and humans are enemies on a global scale.”

“Well.” Adam shrugged casually. “Every day I am convinced that there are many exceptions to this rule, and the stronger you become, the more opportunities you have to find allies and enemies on both sides.”

Then, his gaze deepened as he imagined for a moment that one day he might find himself in Ureyn’s place. He understood that the chances of this happening were slim, despite his desire to achieve the impossible.

“To stop the World Wipe, we need everyone’s strength. And if Ureyn shares my position, or at least used to share it, then I don’t mind helping him.”

He waved his hand.

“I mean. I think you understand that I’m not going to lose, and I’ll take his essence for the Connected Heart. That way, I’ll make him much weaker, so let’s consider it my payment for making his path more difficult.”

“Hah, that’s a silly reason, but I like it.”

After a few moments, Adam sighed heavily and pointed to the ravine.

“Why should I go to the Arachne Nest?”

Gareyna nodded, realizing it was time to end the conversation.

“You’ll have to kill their leader, a certain Arachne. She’s… not an easy opponent, but you can handle her. A long time ago, Ureyn lost to her, so if you bring her head to his mill, he won’t be able to ignore it, no matter how much he wants to. Then, we’ll force him to take part in the String Duel.”