Silvana was deeply impressed by how Adamās gaze changed as she listed all the possible components of the Highest Bliss.
It was all theory, but at that moment, Adam looked like a starving person who was being told in great detail about a delicacy that could shock even the most discerning and experienced gourmets.
He wanted it. He wanted to experience everything Silvana was talking about, and oddly enough, the only way to do that was to fight someone really strong under dangerous conditions.
But, at the moment, it was all just theory that had piqued Adamās curiosity.
Crk. Crk. Crk.
The pencil ran across the sheet of paper, placing a "?" next to the Highest Bliss. Silvana wasnāt sure how much her assumption matched reality, but she couldnāt hide that it sounded plausible, especially after she saw Adamās reaction.
āEach Grand Star takes into account all of Adamās previous choices, as well as his path up to this point. If you think about it from that perspective, itās not surprising that to become stronger, he must achieve the Highest Bliss.ā
Adam was almost certain that fighting a strong enemy was exactly what he needed, but Silvana calmed him down, and they agreed to just keep this option in mind for now.
A few moments later, Silvana bit her lip, clenching her shoulder.
āTsk, come to think of it, Adamās excitement about risky fights has started to spread to me as well. When I saw his eyes, those two abysses... They started to consume me. The desire to risk everything and rush into a bloody, brutal battle was reflected in my heart as well.ā
"Hey, are you there?" Adam tilted his head to the side in confusion.
"Agh?"
Silvana blinked.
"Yeah, I was just thinking. So... weāve somewhat decided on the Highest Bliss, at least for starters. What about the Bottomless Void? Any ideas?"
"Hmm..." Adam hummed. "Maybe itās the opposite thing?"
Silvana raised an eyebrow.
"I donāt think thatās possible. I mean, even if weāre right and in the case of the Highest Bliss, you need to fight and reach the peak of your feelings, then what do you have to do to get the Bottomless Void? Just nothing? Or admit defeat right away? That doesnāt sound too good."
Adam rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Yeah, Iād even say it sounds bad. Iām not going to lose! Whatās more, Iām not going to admit defeat when I can win!"
They discussed a few more ideas, Silvana wrote everything down on a piece of paper, but they werenāt as confident in any of the theories as they were with the Highest Bliss.
But...
When they got to the last condition, the Blood of God.
Adam and Silvana stared at each other. They knew about many creatures inhabiting this world, but they were mostly monsters and Phantoms.
Sure, the Hybrids, Touched Humans, and even the Artifacts were also taken into account, but there werenāt as many of them as humans and monsters, especially monsters, of which there were tens of billions.
"Blood of God, huh?" Silvana chuckled. "What the hell is this? Maybe itās just some kind of monster?"
"Well... That would be too simple. I donāt think thatās the case. I had an idea that it might be something like a level of power, but a God? I mean, even the strongest Lords donāt have the title of god. And, even if that were the case, I wouldnāt stand a chance against them. Iām sure a single drop of their blood has enough energy to blow me to pieces!"
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Silvana tapped on the table with a thoughtful look, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldnāt figure out where they could get the Blood of God.
"Looks like weāll have to ask someone for advice anyway. Although I think you were going to do that anyway, werenāt you?"
Adam shrugged as he leaned back in his chair.
"When I didnāt know what the Connected Heart and Dark Heart were, Damien helped me understand them better. Although... To be honest, heās not very good at explaining it. Still, Iād like to talk to him about it."
"I see. In that case, Iāll contact Beth in a few days. I donāt know if Damien has any free time, but I hope weāre in luck."
"Kha!" Adam chuckled. "Considering how powerful that bastard is, he only goes on one mission every six months. I mean, imagine how bad the situation must be for him to have to intervene personally?"
Silvana narrowed her eyes. "Hmm. I never thought about it that way. Youāre probably right. If something so serious happens that the Citadel has to ask for his help, itās a rare event, and it happens somewhere very far away."
They didnāt waste any time, and Silvana immediately wrote to Beth, Damienās Operator. Silvana had her contact because they had met Damien several times for various reasons. Sometimes he helped Adam with advice, sometimes with a mission, and sometimes he beat him up during sparring.
Then, they made two hot cups of coffee, thinking about what they had to do next.
The Third Grand Star was an important step in Adamās evolution, but they couldnāt rush. They had to do everything right.
"Tsk, starting tomorrow morning, Iāll start looking for all the information about your conditions. Iāll try to find the answers, and..."
Tap.
Adam gently took her hands, causing Silvana to gasp. She had gotten too caught up in the process.
"Calm down. Itās not a death sentence, itās just a list of conditions. Iām sure that with time, weāll figure it out and decide which of the three conditions will be easiest for me to fulfill. Then Iāll return to the Dead Lands, but now..."
He glanced back at their empty kitchen.
"Shouldnāt we be thinking about the upcoming party?"
"The party?"
Adam nodded.
"I decided it would be nice to invite Alexia and Louis as well. I mean, we met them by chance at the casino, and it turns out Alexia is at the same level as me. I think it would be useful for us to talk more about this."
With a slight delay, Silvana nodded.
"Right, the dishes... Iāll focus on that."
Adam nodded as his gaze darkened for a moment.
āYeah, cooking a delicious meal will definitely be easier than finding the Blood of God.ā