When a monster reached the Lord Level, it was always a momentous occasion. In most cases, if other monsters witnessed it, it was cause for celebration.
Sure, there were far more Lords among monsters than there were Second Rank Phantoms among humans. However, it was still the gateway to the highest tier.
The strongest beings in this world were at the Second Circle of evolution.
Not all Lords and Second Rank Phantoms were equal. No one had any illusions about this, especially among monsters, since Lords had many ranks that determined their current power level.
The lowest rank was a Baron. This was the rank from which all new Lords began. They received this rank immediately after their evolution. Whether they could advance further or not depended entirely on them.
Still, a more experienced Baron was obviously stronger than a monster that had just undergone evolution. But this rule didnât always hold true.
BAM!
The man crashed to the ground after Zinâs punch. It was a strike powerful enough to knock a Lord to the ground, and Zin hadnât used any abilities.
Such behavior after evolution wasnât standard. Zin had just advanced to the next level, and it took time for his energy to stabilize and for him to reach his peak.
Zin didnât want to wait.
He knew he was the strongest Black Threat Level monster in the Hollow Lands. Until Adam showed up here, he had no rivals.
Perhaps at the Dark Shore or in the far reaches of the Tarnished Lands, there might be a few First Circle monsters capable of giving Zin a worthy fight, but not here.
However, he had just entered a new league.
Zin wasnât stupid. He understood that even though he and Kaerno were both Lords, the difference between them was monstrous.
But the other Lords werenât that strong. Zin had decided he wanted to move forward and progress, so he simply couldnât allow himself to be the weakest, even if it made sense in his situation.
Whooooooosh!
The man burst out of the smoke screen, soaring above the ground. Streams of blood flowed from his nose as his face was contorted in anger.
"You... Piece of shit!" He grumbled as his aura grew stronger. "What do you think youâre doing? Instead of calmly absorbing all the energy, you decided to attack your own kin?!"
However, there was not a hint of doubt in Zinâs gaze.
"We are monsters. We settle everything by force. Thatâs how it was ten thousand years ago, and today itâs the same. Iâve gained new power and want to test it, nothing more."
The man clenched his fists tightly as yellow electrical discharges ran through his body.
"I see. In that case, it is my duty to show you what it means to be a Lord! You may be one of us now, but you are too young and inexperienced to understand that you still have much to learn!"
The other monsters exchanged puzzled glances.
In fact, many of them were on the manâs side, because what Zin was doing was inappropriate. This was supposed to be an important event, a time when one of them reached the highest league, not just another excuse for a fight.
However, since there were several Fingers among the monsters, namely Esâaha and Kaerno, no one was in a hurry to intervene. If those two didnât stop the fight, it meant they wanted it to continue, and no one dared to oppose them.
"Well, well, Esâaha, it seems that a single fight against Adam Vinter has changed Zin more than years of your pleas to return to the Hollow Lands," Kaerno smirked, glancing at her over his shoulder.
Esâaha was still stunned by Zinâs actions. She had always followed the rules and tried to help other monsters.
She would never have acted as wildly as Zin. Now, he looked more like a barbarian eager to prove his strength than a monster standing at the pinnacle of evolution.
"Thatâs..." she stammered. "If thatâs what he wants, then Iâm ready to accept it. Though now isnât the best time, no one can deny two monsters a fair fight, especially when theyâre of the same rank. Itâs all by the rules!"
Kaerno shook his head, realizing that everything Esâaha had said was complete nonsense.
âHuh, so sheâs trying to spin this situation so it doesnât break the rules? Itâs obvious to everyone that Zin does whatever he wants simply because heâs Zin. If anyone else were in his place, she would have stopped the fight long ago.â
In fact, Kaerno didnât mind this. Even though it was a clear case of double standards and even hypocrisy on Esâahaâs part, Kaerno liked this situation because he believed Zin was right.
If he wanted to fight and could afford to, then he should have done it, and thatâs it.
"You." The man shot a stern glance at Zin. "Maybe at the First Circle you were invincible, but this is a whole different level, little brat!"
With a devastating energy blast, the man lunged forward, leaving a trail of shimmering yellow lightning in his wake.
He dodged Zinâs first punch, but that didnât mean he was weak. The man hadnât expected Zin to decide to attack someone immediately after evolving. After all, he was a Baron, a mighty monster whose very presence made the monsters and Phantoms of the First Circle tremble with fear.
"I see..." Zin whispered, watching the lightning flash moving toward him. "So this is what Barons are like. Iâd better climb higher as soon as possible."
Zin wasnât going to dodge or defend himself. Instead, he raised his hand before snapping his fingers.
Click!
He didnât disappear, but to the manâs right, sound waves appeared that immediately compressed to their limit and exploded in a purple flash, throwing the man aside.
"Agh?"
The next time the man opened his eyes, he saw Zin standing over him.
His arms were spread wide, ready for a thunderous clap.
"N-No..."
Fear flashed in the manâs eyes, but it was already too late to change anything.
He, as a Baron, had made his choice.