Ever since Adam began venturing into more distant lands far beyond the Dead Lands, he had occasionally encountered creatures that far surpassed him in strength.
However, the monster standing before him now was different from Goen, Ramilo, or even Zargos.
Kaerno was not his friend, at least not yet, and his aura exerted such powerful pressure on Adam that it made his knees wobble.
"Young man..." Kaerno rasped. "I asked you a question. Or does a quick death interest you more than these lands?"
Adam had no time to think, nor any options. If he wanted to survive, he had to comply with Kaernoâs demand.
"Adam Vinter, that is my name. As for the second question... The last person I was in contact with was Gladius, after which his monster Operator knocked me out, and I woke up here!"
When Larth first heard Adamâs name, there was no reaction on his face other than confusion.
But now, his eyes widened in disbelief, and shivers ran through his body.
Unlike Adam, who had entered this world as a Phantom just under two years ago, Gladius had been on the scene much longer.
Any monster strong enough, no matter how far away its territory was, had to know about the Second Rank Phantoms. They were a force that could appear nearby at any moment and turn the territory into scorched earth if they had a reason to.
"W-What? How is that possible?" Larth muttered with difficulty.
Unlike him, Kaerno wasnât as shocked, though what Adam said made him blink.
"Hmm, it doesnât seem like youâre lying, Adam Vinter. Unfortunately, I donât know your name. News of new talents rarely reaches these lands, especially at a time like this. Everyone here is preparing for the World Wipe, but for you, life has only just begun. How ironic."
Adam gulped. He told everything exactly as it was. He saw no point in lying in front of a monster like Kaerno. The only thing he didnât mention was Queen Elisaâs blood.
"What now?"
Before answering, Kaerno looked around. His gaze remained serene. These lands were familiar to him, even home, unlike the young Phantom standing before him.
"Tell me, Adam Vinter. Do you know where you are? Did Gladius or Xyrea tell you where theyâre sending you?"
Adam shook his head.
"No. I donât know if youâre familiar with Gladius, but heâs not the type to answer every question. He did what he wanted."
Kaerno nodded.
"You couldnât have put it better. I can sense your aura, Adam. Itâs unstable. Are you preparing to evolve in the near future? To take the next step on the path to power?"
"Y-Yes." Adam gulped. He was afraid that Kaerno might discover Queen Elisaâs blood within his inner space.
"I see. In that case, I understand why Gladius sent you here specifically, though it was a risky decision, I wonât hide that. Here, youâll have to become stronger, Adam Vinter, or... you simply wonât be able to get out of here."
"Agh? Wonât I be able to leave here? What does that mean?"
However, Kaerno did not continue their conversation. Instead, he turned and glanced at Larth, who had not yet risen from his knees. He was afraid of showing disrespect to Kaerno.
"Larth, Adam Vinter is now our guest. For the time being, he will live in our pillar."
His expression showed he was surprised, but Larth didnât dare defy Kaernoâs order.
Step.
Kaerno glared at Adam over his shoulder.
"How fast can you go?"
Adam touched the back of his neck. "Pretty fast if I use my energy."
"Good. Follow us. Iâm willing to accept you into my domain, but I wonât be your babysitter."
Tremble.
Kaernoâs frame trembled as he vanished the next moment. In the blink of an eye, he was more than ten meters ahead, and his speed was only increasing.
Even for Larth, this was no easy walk, especially given his wounds. He had to grit his teeth and follow Kaerno, struggling to keep up the pace.
âHey, doesnât any of you want to discuss this with me?â
Adam muttered to himself before dashing forward, gradually catching up to Larth.
âWithout Silvana, I feel like Iâm all alone.â
Strangely enough, a displeased, rather arrogant voice immediately echoed in his mind:
âArgh? What the hell does that mean? You nearly died, and instead of thinking about a plan, youâve decided to whine about how lonely you are?â As always, the Silver Weaver got straight to the point.
But soon, another voice sounded in Adamâs head:
"Donât be so harsh. Adam is actually in a difficult situation. I feel a tremor running through the Evolution Vein. Iâm sure Silvana is suffering much more," Lone Blaze purred.
Adam smiled faintly. That was exactly what he needed in such a difficult moment.
âWhat do you think? It seems Gladius knew that instant death wasnât waiting for me here. Still... I still donât understand what Iâm supposed to do.â
The Silver Weaver nodded.
"That monster, Kaerno, he mentioned something called the Pit. First and foremost, you need to find out about that, as well as those flying monsters with the big amber eyes. Most likely, it was that very monster that brought Kaerno here, or at least passed the information on to him."
Lone Blaze touched her chin thoughtfully.
âHis words are troubling me. He said that Adam wonât be able to leave these lands unless he becomes stronger, but it seems thereâs some hidden meaning here.â
The Silver Weaver nodded again.
âYeah, heâs not talking about pure power, or about some monster standing in Adamâs way and not letting him return to the Citadel. Thereâs something more complicated here.â
A few moments later, Adam took a deep breath, recalling everything that had happened to him over the past few minutes.
The flying monster, the bull with the bone mask, the serpent, and the monsters that were so focused on the upcoming trial, they didnât even notice him.
âThere are so many things here Iâve never seen before. Well, we have no choice but to keep going, right?â
The Silver Weaver and Lone Blaze smiled.
âSure, keep moving forward until you win.â