Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1683 1683: Sword Field (Part 1)

Nothing was stopping them from turning this field into a trap. The Dark Knight or the Frenzied Shard could have waited until Adam and the others passed through the only passageway and then unleashed their full power upon them.

Sure, their battle probably wouldn't have ended there, but because their enemies had the advantage, someone in their group would definitely have been wounded, whether it was Adam or someone else.

However, the Dark Knight did nothing. He waited for them, remaining in his place. He understood that sooner or later they would come here, for they needed the Frenzied Shard, just like every monster in the Pit.

Everyone wanted a share of that power, but only a few succeeded.

Sometimes, the Frenzied Shard itself was the most difficult trial, the final barrier capable of shattering the mind of anyone who tried to claim it.

But this was clearly not the case. The most formidable opponent for the four of them would be the third servant, and the Dark Knight's aura made that clear to them.

"Get ready for battle!" Loargh exclaimed with a sweeping gesture. "All the energy that belonged to this shard and the other servants is now in the hands of this knight! Don't let your guard down for a single moment!"

Vyora's flame billowed around her as Sarka did the same. None of them had used their Hollow Mark yet. Before doing so, they needed to assess their opponent's capabilities and the powers he possessed.

Adam was closely studying the slight fluctuations in the Dark Knight's aura when something in his aura caught his eye.

'What do you think? How strong is this bastard?'

The Silver Weaver's gaze sharpened as he looked at the Dark Knight through Adam's inner space.

'You must be careful. His aura... It's too strong for his level of power.'

The Silver Weaver continued:

'I clearly remember your battle against that tall guy, his name is Larth, right? Yeah, that's him. Just like those two assholes, he was a Fang. From what we know, this knight isn't one of the Fangs, but… his aura is far stronger than Larth's.'

Adam had noticed that too.

'As Kaerno said, it's all just ranks. The only thing that matters is your strength. Still, if his aura is comparable to that of Fang-rank monsters… Why hasn't he received his Hollow Mark yet?'

Questions. Each of them had numerous questions.

But they didn't have enough time to find all the answers.

Rattle. Rattle. Rattle.

With the clanking of his armor, the Dark Knight slowly rose, pulling his sword from the ground. Even as he stood, his cape was still too long, covering the field.

Loarth, Vyora, and Sarka immediately assumed battle stances. Loarth and Sarka were in front while Vyora remained behind.

They had met and fought each other many times before, so they knew well who played what role in the battle formation.

"You…" The Dark Knight's hoarse voice rang out, black mist pouring from his helmet. "You came here knowing what awaits you. It is brave, but at the same time, foolish."

"Agh?" Adam blinked several times. "He can talk?"

Normally, this shouldn't have been surprising for a monster possessing such power. But the previous two servants couldn't speak. They weren't the awakened monsters.

'So he's much more like Loargh, Sarka, Vyora, and the others than the previous two servants. Of those three, he's the only awakened one. Still… He chose to come here and become a servant instead of devouring a weaker Frenzied Shard, getting a Hollow Mark, and joining some pillar?'

During the time Adam has been in the Hollow Lands, he's come to understand how the hierarchy here works.

If a monster could become one of the Fangs, that status granted many privileges. It was far from the Thorns and even further from the Fingers, but far higher than the other Elders, Black Threat Monsters, and weaker ones.

'He has some kind of goal.' Adam frowned deeply.

It was precisely this thought that frightened Adam more than anything before.

'He chose this particular Frenzied Shard to protect. For some reason, he sees greater benefit in this than in obtaining the Fang rank he clearly deserves...'

In fact, Adam was wrong.

The Dark Knight couldn't obtain the Fang rank until he had the Hollow Mark. But, considering strength alone, Adam wasn't wrong.

It seemed that Loargh had figured this out as well.

"State your name! Why haven't you absorbed this shard yet? You're clearly capable of it!"

The Dark Knight remained silent for a long time before slowly turning to face Loargh.

"I state my name only to my friends or my equals. You are neither."

Over his shoulder, he looked at the Frenzied Shard. From time to time, the amber stone trembled. The three Fangs and the unknown Phantom were a great threat, but it had no intention to escape. The Frenzied Shard knew that its servant would protect it.

"I made a contract, and I will fulfill it. I always keep my word."

Loargh wanted to say something else, but he was forced to stop when the Dark Knight raised his sword.

"Enough, the young Fangs and… a guest from distant lands. You came here to fight and take the Frenzied Shard. I will not let you do that."

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

Then darkness burst from his sword, shooting upward somewhere.

"But I must warn you." He ran his hand over the black flowers. "The only way out of here is to become graves among these beautiful, yet lonely flowers."

Vyora spun around sharply when a massive object was reflected in her eyes.

The special giant sword, just as large as all the others, crashed down from the sky, landing between the two damaged swords, blocking the only entrance and exit from here with its black blade.

She gulped, seeing the reflection of their group in the sharp blade.

"Hah."

Loargh smirked as white electrical discharges ran through his body.

"No need to scare us. This is a 1 vs. 4 fight! You don't stand a chance!"

The Dark Knight pointed his sword at Loargh.

"We'll see."