Chapter 1388: Hollow Artifacts and Dessert

“Hurry up! Put wine on every table. We have more than enough!” Narica waved her hand, giving orders to the monsters.

Each of them was capable of killing a dozen powerful Phantoms or turning a hill into nothing, but now they were running from table to table like waiters trying to make it in time for the feast.

At the same time, Adam sat at the largest table next to Norax, while Misty and Karso were still in the mill. She needed time to prepare her wonderful desserts.

“What do you say?” Norax grinned, raising a glass of wine.

Adam cut a piece of meat from an unknown beast, poured sauce over it, and swallowed it with pleasure.

“Yeah, that’s good. You know, I didn’t expect you to do all this for me.” Adam waved his fork in the air, pointing to the tables ahead.

Norax waved his hand. “Don’t think about it too much. I mean, I have great power, but there are things I can’t do. I can’t fill the territory with saturated energy like the Silver Beacon, and obviously, she wouldn’t agree to let me go through the trials.”

“Hah,” Adam chuckled. “That would be a mockery. You would destroy all the trials in a few seconds.”

“That’s what I’m saying! But you’re a different story. I’m sure she didn’t expect you to pass all the trials, but you did, and now my territory, my faction, and my people will become stronger — all thanks to you!”

They clinked glasses as they drained them.

“Gha!” Adam brushed his mouth as his gaze became pensive.

Norax raised an eyebrow.

“Something wrong?”

“Just…” Adam scratched his cheek. “The White Spire, I know he died and that it happened a long time ago, but what was that island I ended up on?”

“Ah, I see.” Norax nodded. “I didn’t warn you because it could have ruined everything, but now is a good opportunity to tell you more. The dark sea you saw is the Grim Sea, it lies beyond the Tarnished Lands.”

“Hmm? Even further?”

Norax nodded again. “It’s mostly lifeless land, vast but uninteresting, except for a few places. The White Spire Island is where you were, although that’s the old name. Now everyone calls it the Hollow Spire Island.”

“Because the White Spire died, right?”

Norax sighed heavily. “It was a bad day. The White Spire was one of the strongest Ancient Artifacts and was a pleasure to deal with. However, as with monsters or Phantoms, he is not the first of his kind.”

“This is what I wanted to ask about.” Adam waved his hand. “Even though the White Spire died a long time ago, I basically went through trials in his dead body, right?”

“Yeah, it sounds pretty creepy, but Ancient Artifacts aren’t creatures of flesh and blood, but of energy, and their physical forms are made of durable materials. In fact, there are quite a few places like Hollos Spire Island around the world.”

Adam glanced at him.

“The same dead Ancient Artifacts?”

“They are called the Hollow Artifacts. Technically, the External Artifacts can also be the hollow ones, but almost always they are the dead Ancient Artifacts. Only they possess enough power that even after their death, their physical form and energy remain in our world,” Norax replied with a slight sadness in his voice.

Perhaps they weren’t friends with the White Spire, but they had both lived for several hundred years and worked together from time to time. That was enough to establish a certain bond between them.

Adam looked in the direction of the Silver Beacon. Although she herself was now on the island, her physical form was here at the Forgotten Mills and was clearly visible from the field.

“If Bertrada dies, her beacon will remain here forever. Will she also become a Hollow Artifact?”

Norax nodded affirmatively.

“Sure. She’s still far from the White Spire’s level, but she’s on her way to becoming a powerful being in a few hundred years. However, it wouldn’t hurt for her to grow up. Sometimes she acts like a child who hasn’t been given candy.”

Adam smiled, shaking his head.

“Yeah, that’s right. Although everyone can improve, right? She spends most of her time on the island, almost alone. If she went through more different experiences, she wouldn’t be so annoying.”

“Hah, I think you’re right.”

At the same moment, some of the monsters stopped as they turned in one direction.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Dull footsteps echoed across the ground as the outline of a great monster appeared at the edge of the forest.

Soon, everyone saw a young man carrying a heavy beast with red skin and a thick dark mane like a lion.

“Damn, he knows when to show up!” Norax exclaimed, staring at Ureyn.

Strangely enough, Ureyn was the most puzzled of all. He didn’t understand why everyone was staring at him.

Moreover, why had so many monsters gathered in one place, and why were they feasting?

“What…?” Ureyn’s voice trembled. “What the hell is going on here?”

…

Twenty minutes later, Ureyn was sitting at the same table with Norax, Adam, and Nollura. He had a big frown on his face as he kept his arms crossed over his chest in discontent.

“Tsk. You rebuilt the Energy Axis in just over a month? I thought you’d still be busy with that! Damn, just look at your aura! You’ve become much stronger than you were during our fight!” Ureyn waved his hand.

In response, Adam leaned back in his chair, relaxed, happily drinking his third bottle of cider.

“Who’s to blame for you being so slow?” He grinned. “But, seriously, the trials were the hardest part.”

Ureyn sighed. “Damn, you even went to the Silver Beacon. You’re doing everything you can to make me jealous, aren’t you?”

Adam was about to answer, but at that moment, something caught the monsters’ attention again.

Step. Step. Step.

Misty and Karso came out of the mill, carrying several trays, the largest of which held a massive cake.

At that moment, everyone had only one thing on their minds — how to get a bigger piece.