Endless Evolution: Last Star

Kolos was prepared to fight Adam to the end to rid these lands of both the enemy Phantom and the traitor Dayra had become.

It was unclear how justified he was in his desire to kill Dayra, as she had her own reasons for hating Lyrod and opposing him, but it was Kolos's decision, and he was not going to back down even in the face of death.

Well, none of his words mattered anymore.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

With a crack and torn tendons covered in blood, pieces of flesh fell away one by one, unable to hold Kolos's body any longer, perfectly cut vertically.

Two equal parts collapsed to the ground, leaving Kolos's eyes wide open and empty. He didn't have time to understand what had happened, because he was sure that his wave of flame would destroy Adam, but in the end, he was the one on the losing side.

Even the best surgeon would envy the precision of Adam's cut, because there was no trace of a blade, smears, or damaged parts on Kolos's body; everything was clean and smooth — a flawless execution.

This was not surprising, because there was no real blade, only Adam and Silvana's power of imagination and will created this cut.

The last and first time Adam used this ability against Arnoth, it helped him win, but since then, much has changed. He had become much stronger after advancing to the K4 Level, and this had a positive effect on his abilities.

Dayra gulped, unable to comprehend what had happened.

Sure, as a Lesser Elder, she had seen many large-scale battles in her long life, but...

'Kolos... He lost in the blink of an eye... I didn't even have time to notice how it all came to an end...'

At the same time, Adam raised his head, looking at the dark sky covering these dangerous lands.

"Agh... Great job, I feel as incredible as I did last time..."

Silvana smiled faintly as her spectral form appeared next to Adam for a moment to hug him from behind.

'Although, I would like to note that the last enemy was much more worthy of dying from this ability than this one.'

Adam smiled bitterly as he looked at Kolos.

"Yeah, I guess I agree."

Then, Silvana nodded faintly and left the battlefield as her consciousness returned to her physical body, which was dozens of kilometers away in the Citadel.

Step. Step. Step.

Adam stepped forward, looking at the great lake split in two. Although a minute had passed, the acid had not yet filled the gap that had appeared after the cut.

The scene was enticing, but Adam had started this fight for another reason.

"Hey, he's dead, so... how do I get the seal?"

Dayra shuddered as she ran up to him.

"I'll take care of it!"

As soon as she approached Kolos, she reached out her hand, her fingers curling over his body.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

Green energy poured out of Kolos's body, condensing in one place until a second seal appeared before Dayra's eyes.

Now she had two, and she could open the gate at any moment.

Normally, this shouldn't be the case, as the two-seal system ensured Lyrod's safety so that he could calmly absorb the last bit of energy from the dark dream. But if only one of the two Elders was alive, it worked well for Adam, not for Lyrod.

"Good, let's go to the crypt. It's time to open those damn gates!" Adam waved his hand irritably, remembering how his fist hurt from the first punch.

"Wait...!" Dayra's trembling voice rang out, causing Adam to turn around.

"Hmm?"

Her eyes darted to Kolos for a moment.

"That ability. Can you use it against Lyrod? I mean, you didn't use your strongest trump card against Kolos, did you?"

Adam scratched the back of his head.

"Actually, I don't have anything stronger than that cut in my arsenal. Although..." He looked toward the lake. "It would be strange if I had something even more destructive."

Dayra wanted to say something, but Adam stopped her with a gesture.

"Stop panicking, I'll take care of Lyrod, you don't have to worry about it. By the time we get to him, I'll be fully recovered. Moreover, that's not my only powerful ability."

"B-But... What if you can't handle it?" Dayra faltered.

Adam waved his hand.

"Well, in that case, I'll fail the mission and Lyrod will kill me, and then you."

Dayra bit her lip but didn't say anything.

She had mixed feelings because if she hadn't joined forces with Adam, she would already be dead. In a way, it was a necessary measure for survival, but it was also her chance to get rid of Lyrod.

Step. Step. Step.

They descended the hill, the Crypt of Ancient Soul visible in the distance. A few more minutes and they would be there.

"Hey, what are you going to do when Lyrod dies? You want to get rid of him not only because you think he's a lucky bastard, right?"

Dayra nodded weakly.

"Sure. My life depends on it now, because he won't forgive me for my betrayal. However, I don't consider myself a traitor."

"How so?" Adam looked back over his shoulder.

Dayra clenched her teeth in irritation.

"I had no other choice. When Lyrod got the chance to dive into the dark dream from the black flash, he gave me an ultimatum: either I become his subordinate in these lands, or he kills me.

"Obviously, in that case, I had little choice, especially considering that Kolos was on his side. Well, you saw it all yourself."

"Yeah." Adam sighed. "He didn't give up his beliefs until the very end. In a way, you can respect him for that, even though it only led to his death. There's nothing to be proud of here."

"About your question..."

Dayra looked at the crypt as her eyes deepened.

"Kolos is gone, so when Lyrod dies, I will be the only Elder at the Corrosive Lakes. I will grow stronger and wait for the First Star to notice me. Once I become Lord, I will try to cross over to the Dark Shore and join the Free End."

Adam nodded deeply.

"Got it. But, Dayra, don't forget one thing."

"Agh?"

Adam paused as his cold eyes stared at her.

"If I have a mission for you, the same thing will happen to you as happened to Kolos."