"The Hail Passage," Adam said, looking at Kaerno. "Will I need to go to the same passage where Gladius and Xyrea left me?"
In response, Kaerno shrugged.
"Thatâs entirely up to you, Adam. The Hail Passages, as the name suggests, are just passages."
"Passages to where?"
Kaerno smirked. "To the arena, or more precisely, to the Grim Court."
Tap.
He patted Adam on the shoulder before turning and heading toward the blade pillar.
"Come on, now that youâre back, youâre ready to learn more about this, and Sakra," he glanced at her, "you too. From the looks of it, you faced a truly powerful Frenzied Shard, didnât you?"
Sakra nodded vigorously.
"Yeah, but the last servant - he got away! Damn it, that knight wanted to get a second Hollow Mark right away!"
Kaerno stopped.
Even for him, hearing something like that was rare.
"The method with two Hollow Marks? One on the weapon and the second on the body... He tore up the contract right in the middle of the battle, didnât he?"
"Ughum. The shard tried to find new servants to protect itself, but it didnât work out!" Sarka exclaimed as she proudly placed her hands on her hips. "We turned out to be too strong and cool! It didnât stand a chance!"
Kaerno rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Adam..."
"Y-Yes?"
"How did that monster, no... that knight, leave the battlefield?"
Adam touched his neck.
"He suddenly bit me, even though before that heâd only used his hands and sword, and then he used his cape."
He sighed deeply.
"To be honest, itâs impossible to survive with wounds like that, but for some reason, Iâm sure he found a way. I didnât see despair or fear of death in his gaze. On the contrary, he looked as if heâd just hit the jackpot."
For a long moment, Kaerno stared at Adamâs neck, at the dried blood on the edges.
Then, the darkness vanished from his eyes as he turned.
"I see. In any case, your fight is over, but unfortunately, you need to prepare for the next one."
Kaerno didnât know about the Blood of God or that Adamâs time was limited, but he had enough experience to understand that Adam wasnât the most patient person.
Regardless of the situation, Adam would rush into the next fight if it would help him return home and become stronger.
"Speaking of which," Adam lowered his gaze, looking at his wounded body. "Iâm not sure I have the right to ask this, but maybe you have something that could help me recover faster?"
Before Adam could answer, Sarka lunged forward and fell to her knees, tugging at the hem of Kaernoâs long, tattered robe.
"Boss! Please! I havenât been there in so long! We went through such a tough battle! We deserve a break!"
Sarka looked up as her already large eyes grew even bigger, like those of a hungry kitten.
"Pretty please?"
Kaerno rolled his eyes as he waved his hand.
"Alright, you didnât have to make such a scene. I was going to show this to Adam anyway, but fine, you can come with us."
"YES!!!"
Sarka exclaimed joyfully, jumping up and down with her arms thrown in the air.
"Thank you! Youâre the best boss in the world!"
Adam, who was standing off to the side, didnât understand what was going on. He expected a lot from Sarka, but not this.
"Kaerno, what is she talking about?"
Kaerno smirked.
"The Bone Lakes. Youâll like that place, I assure you. It might even remind you of the Citadel, in some ways."
"Agh?"
"Come on, follow us. If you want to be ready for the Grim Court as soon as possible."
Adam still didnât really understand what they were talking about, but what choice did he have but to find out?
...
Step. Step. Step.
As soon as they entered the blade pillar, they immediately headed down. When Adam was here for the first time, he hadnât noticed the spiral staircase leading to the lower level. All his attention was focused on the pillar itself and its upper parts.
"These Bone Lakes, do they exist at every pillar, or just yours?" Adam asked, following them.
Kaerno folded his arms behind his back. "The Bone Lakes are located beneath the Hollow Lands, one level below, so every pillar, whether itâs a blade pillar or a dome pillar, has access to this area. Youâll see for yourself soon."
"Wait, does that mean members of both factions are at the Bone Lakes at the same time?"
"Correct."
Adam was concerned. "Doesnât that mean there must be constant conflict there?"
"Hah, I havenât seen you fight against Loargh and Vyora just because they were from a different pillar, and the same goes for Sarka."
For a moment, Adam stopped, shocked.
Kaerno glanced over his shoulder.
"Donât be so surprised. Of course, I know that. If the Gray Watchers werenât useful, I wouldnât waste my time feeding them. Though theyâre too afraid to venture into the far reaches of the Pit."
He paused for a moment.
"Thatâs unfortunate. Iâd like to see you fight."
Then, he shook his head and continued descending.
"As for your question, the Bone Lakes are a neutral zone. Even if conflicts arise, fighting is forbidden at the Bone Lakes. Anyone who breaks this rule will not only face severe punishment, but will also insult the Finger of the pillar in which they live, which is often a terrible punishment in itself."
Adam threw his head back, a gleam flashing in his eyes.
"What if two Fingers start fighting?"
Sarka spun around sharply as she twirled a finger by her temple. She looked at him as if he were mad.
Kaerno, in turn, let out a hearty laugh:
"Hahahahaha! What a silly question. Adam, if that ever happens..."
His voice grew lower.
"Then the only thing left for you to do is run, run as far away as you can."
Then, he waved his hand. "Alright, enough of that. Letâs not waste any more time."
"YES!" Sarka exclaimed joyfully and ran ahead with all her might.
Adam sighed, coming to a stop.
âWell, looks like Iâm in for a little rest. Even if I donât have much time, itâs better to go into battle at full strength than exhausted, right?â