Chapter 1761: I do it now

Whoooooooosh!

In a dark flash, Daar’ax left Kaerno’s pillar, moving straight toward the barrier.

This wasn’t the first time Adam had used a mount. He’d made his way out of the Primal Lands in a similar manner. However, Daar’ax was on a completely different level than the worm he, Ramilo, and Alexia had ridden.

"Wow, this is impressive," Adam noted to himself as the Hollow Lands around them turned into a blur.

At such a tremendous speed, practically everything blended into a single image, like on a high-speed train. The only thing that still stood out were the majestic pillars. Even at that speed, they were too large to blend into the landscape.

"Hey, Daar’ax, how long will it take us to reach the barrier?" Adam asked.

He sat on the serpent’s head with his legs crossed. A light breeze and the energy of Daar’ax constantly surrounding them made the high-speed journey smooth and almost imperceptible. Adam didn’t feel that they were covering a kilometer in a matter of seconds, and it seemed this wasn’t even Daar’ax’s top speed.

’Huh, even the fastest trains at the Citadel couldn’t move this fast, not to mention the fact that we’re in the middle of nowhere right now. Daar’ax is simply clearing a path for him.’

However, this made Adam wonder about one thing.

’Hmm, but even Daar’ax can’t reach the barrier in just a few seconds. How did I end up here, then? How did Gladius and Xyrea move me here, and even Kaerno and the other Fingers didn’t notice my arrival?’

Adam shook his head as a slight smile appeared on his face.

’Well, I’ll find out very soon. I have a lot of questions for those two.’

With every passing minute, the pillars along their path grew fewer, meaning they were approaching the exit from the Hollow Lands.

"Be ready, boy. I know you defeated Zin and absorbed a Frenzied Shard, but since you’re a foreigner, it won’t be easy for you to pass through the barrier the first time," Daar’ax warned him. He preferred to stay silent and do his job most of the time.

Adam nodded.

"I know. But, after what I went through at the Pit and the Grim Court, I doubt anything at the barrier could surprise me."

Daar’ax just nodded slightly in agreement.

If at first it would have been nearly impossible for Adam to pass through the barrier, now it would be nothing more than a formality.

...

"What about you?" Kaerno asked, leaning on his hand.

Zin glanced at him. "What do you mean? Do you want to know when I’ll become a Lord?"

"Yeah, that’s pretty much what I want. The transition to the Second Circle? It’s a rare event for any monster, but you’re a special case. If it’s you, I can’t miss it. I need to know when it happens. I want to see it."

"Well, in that case, you’re in the right place."

"Agh?"

Kaerno was confused, which was a rarity for him.

Slowly, but surely, Zin’s aura began to grow, reaching heights he had never even come close to before.

He turned to Kaerno as his amethyst eyes shone brightly, filling with a monstrous amount of energy.

"It’s simple. I tricked Adam. If he’d decided to stay here for a couple more days, I would have waited out of respect for him. But since he decided to leave, there’s no point in putting this off any longer."

Kaerno still didn’t understand what Zin was talking about. Even with his devious mind, Zin’s actions seemed utterly out of the ordinary.

But soon, Kaerno saw something that made him cast aside all doubts about Zin’s words.

He looked deep into Zin’s eyes, finding himself in his inner space for a moment.

Tap.

Amid the darkness, Zin stepped forward as he raised his gaze. Before him, stretching into the endless distance, lay a dense barrier that, for most monsters aspiring to become a Lord, was an unbreakable, insurmountable obstacle.

But what stood before Zin now was not an untouchable fortress, but a glass panel covered in cracks and ready to shatter into a myriad of fragments at the slightest touch.

This was a result of just how much energy Zin possessed and the power he wielded. He had long been ready to advance to the next level, but the barrier could not fall unless Zin himself willed it.

Kaerno blinked as his view returned to reality.

"I see. Are you going to do this right here?" Kaerno looked around at the peaks and the tower atop his pillar.

Zin shook his head.

"Of course not. It would be very rude of me to destroy your tower. I wanted you to know about this because I want it to be a surprise for her."

For a moment, Kaerno’s eyes widened as a knowing smirk spread across his face.

"So Es’aha doesn’t know yet that you’re going to evolve? Great. Hahahahaha! If you want to make her happy, that’s a good decision. It’ll be the best gift for her."

Zin’s gaze grew deeper as he nodded. "Glad to hear it. In that case, I’ll get started right away. I have to do this before Adam leaves the Hollow Lands."

Click.

Zin snapped his fingers as he vanished, leaving only random gusts of wind in his place.

The next moment, he appeared near Kaerno’s pillar, on a simple flat rock where he sat cross-legged.

Just as with the Phantoms, the evolution to the next level unfolded differently for each monster. But it was always accompanied by a massive burst of energy, and the stronger the monster, the more devastating the energy burst.

"Well, well, Zin, it seems the battle against Adam Vinter has actually changed you, right?" Kaerno smirked, sensing that the wait would be very short indeed.

All Zin had to do was break through his barrier. He hadn’t seen the need for it before, but now, if he wanted to hear new sounds, he had to move forward.

’Alright.’ Zin took a deep breath, sinking into his inner space. ’I hope you hear this, Adam.’