Tap.
Adam landed in one of the caves. Bright crystals full of energy kept him from sinking into darkness.
Even here, at a depth of several dozen ters, almost a hundred ters, grass grew and colorful flowers found a place.
Adam was looking at one of them right now.
Red flowers released bright particles that, like fireflies, filled the passage with flecks of light.
’Damn, if I didn’t know I was being hunted, I wouldn’t mind staying here to enjoy this view,’ Adam internally muttered as he narrowed his eyes.
He knew that the wing monsters might be close, but it was taking a little while to see the wisps of darkness.
’Tsk. I can barely make out anything. Shouldn’t the dark route get denser and denser as you approach the Twilight Crystal? If it is in one of the caves, I should have sensed sothing!’
Silvana nodded weakly. ’I agree, but Adam. You shouldn’t compare the Midnight Crystal with the Twilight Crystal. They’re different... If they’re actually shards of the First Star and the Last Star, then it’s no surprise that they’re distinct.’
After a few monts, Adam took a deep breath.
’I get it. If the Midnight Crystal is bright and destructive, it’s impossible not to notice it, then the Twilight Crystal could be the opposite, right?’
’Yes. Just rember Saegar’s words. The wing fighters may not be your only opponents.’
Then, Adam tore forward, gradually moving into the spacious expanse. Crystals, along with underground plants, surrounded him, blue-capped mushrooms could be seen in the distance, as well as the inhabitants of these deep places...
Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.
A monster the size of a truck was actively digging the ground with its three long claws, tightly folded like paws. Its larger body was covered with gray fur as well as mushroom growths on its shoulders and back.
Avoiding battle would not help Adam in any way. He didn’t have ti to look for a bypass or wait for the monster to leave.
Step.
He took a step as the monster turned around, its yellow eyes narrowed. The monster’s face was covered with a thin layer of bone like a white mask, its nose was long and slightly twisted downward.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The monster lurched forward, its leaps leaving marks on the hard ground as it towered over Adam, casting a shadow over the Phantom that was several tis smaller.
’Adam, you need to attack!’
"No..." Adam muttered slowly, looking directly into the monster’s eyes.
He didn’t see any bloodlust or battle in its gaze. The mushroom monster was more like an ape who was worried about whether Adam had stolen sothing from its territory or not.
What did Adam do?
"Hey, buddy, I don’t have anything with ." Adam smiled weakly, raising his hands.
SNIFF! SNIFF! SNIFF!
The monster sniffed him like a guard dog, and... with a sudden jerk, returned to its spot.
"Damn, you’re surrounded by intimidating Lords on one side and so mushroom seekers on the other. Is it normal that I like the Dark Shore more and more?
"I an... If everything around couldn’t kill like a bug, it would be so much better!"
Silvana shrugged.
’Well, the Dark Shore has considerably more history than the Pacific and the Wild Lands. It’s like a different Dead Lands, just as big but much more dangerous.’
Adam nodded weakly and ran forward.
Besides trying to follow the dark route and worrying about pursuit, Adam kept thinking about one more thing - the heat coming from his depths.
Lone Blaze still hadn’t finished altering his Initial Gene. It hadn’t been that long since his victory over Arnoth, though, just one encounter with Kenward was enough to make Adam feel as if a month had passed.
’Co on, I could use so strength right now.’
...
At the sa ti, a group of wing monsters hovered over the gorge. Two youths with black hair and one girl with short blonde hair.
"Hmm... Where could he have gone?" the broad-shouldered guy rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"We’ll have to wait," the skinny guy muttered.
The girl glanced at him. "Why? We’re wasting ti hovering in the center of the gorge while the others seek him out."
"Yeah... Almost everyone decided to act alone, only a few were working in pairs. We decided to form a team of three. The caves around here are connected, but many have a dead end."
He waved his hand and continued.
"So will realize there’s no Phantom there and go back to take another direction. So those who haven’t gone back have either gone from their caves to other caves where Adam is or have already stumbled upon him."
The big guy and the girl looked at each other. They agreed with their mate.
"Good. In that case, let’s wait."
After a few minutes, it turned out there were only three paths from which the wing monsters had not returned. Their trio headed into one of them, the northern one.
Unfortunately for them, they made a mistake, though they chose almost correctly. In the other passage, the eastern one, there was only one wing monster who descended into the gorge last.
Lexa slowly walked forward until she reached the expanse where she t a mushroom monster who kept digging a hole. Its target was the roots of the great mushroom system running throughout the caves.
"Hmm... Good thing I stayed up there longer."
Lexa lowered her gaze, looking at the barely visible marks on the ground from Adam’s boots.
"He’s good at hiding his aura, but... It’s not enough since we’re on the sa level."
Then, with a cold look, Lexa swept past the monster. Neither she nor she paid attention to each other. Each of them had their own goal.
’The Twilight Crystal... No matter how strong my desire to devour it...’ she nervously gulped. ’I want to see it first and foremost! This is my best opportunity!’
Maybe she would succeed in her wish, or maybe Adam’s desire would prove to be much stronger than hers.
Soon, they would all have to weather the storm that the three Earls would bring them.
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