Crack. Crack. Crack.
Sparks flew from the burning fire, rushing past Adam's calm eyes.
All the golems returned to the ground except for the Head Golem. He sat on a large stone to the side, waiting for the two Phantoms to decide to pass through the barrier.
Now that they both possessed the ancient energy, doing so was no problem for them.
"Huh, that took much longer than I expected," Adam thought, looking at the huge piece of at roasted to a crispy crust. Another half a minute and it would be ready.
The wolf he had defeated was his prey, the result of his hunt. The difference between a hunter and a cold-blooded killer was quite simple.
The hunter killed the beast because he intended to use it for food, materials, or both. The killer did it just because he wanted to, because he was full of the desire to get another victory.
Adam understood this, so even though he had no way to use the wolf's hide, fangs, and claws, he was going to eat all its at and enjoy it.
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
Alexia was already eating her piece, unapologetically pulling the at off the bone and enjoying the taste while strands of fat dripped from the corners of her mouth. She was going to eat everything until there was nothing left.
'Well, I don't regret it.' Adam looked around. Amidst the endless expanse covered with a thick layer of snow, their campfire was the only source of heat.
Additionally, light emanated from the abyss, or more precisely, the Frost Oasis, covering its edges with blue light.
That was it.
All around were only ice, rocks, and the bones of long-dead monsters.
However, Adam felt no fear or anxiety, on the contrary, he was calr than he had ever been. Even when he was at the Citadel and spent his ti with Silvana, his mind was not as peaceful as it was now.
At the Citadel, he constantly thought that he was spending too much ti resting and that he should return to the Dead Lands and beco stronger. He simply couldn't get rid of these thoughts completely. It was impossible.
But here, he knew he was on his way to achieving his goal.
He had only been at the Primal Lands for half a day, but he had accomplished more than he had in several weeks of resting at the Citadel.
"It's not just the ancient energy..." Adam muttered to himself as he lifted the branch on which his piece of at was roasting. "The wyvern, those two beasts, and especially that worm, they are strong, they are trying to survive and get as much out of the situation as possible. I like that."
Bite.
He took his first bite as the pure taste of the powerful beast's at filled his mouth. The taste was strong, and obviously, they didn't have any spices here, not even salt and pepper, let alone sauces.
Surely an ordinary human would have imdiately vomited if they had tasted this at, the taste would have seed unbearable and even disgusting, but this was not the first ti Adam had eaten monster at.
Moreover, every ti he tasted monster at, it was after a long pause and at different power levels. This allowed Adam to miss this unusual taste compared to regular at.
"Gha!" Alexia sighed deeply as she lay down on the ground. "I'm full... I feel like my stomach is going to explode!"
Adam brushed a trickle of juice from the corner of his mouth and grinned.
"Well, who made you eat so much and so fast? We're in no hurry."
As soon as he said that, Alexia jumped to her feet.
"No! We have to go to the Frost Oasis, right now!"
Adam looked up at the night sky full of stars. Several battles, as well as Alexia's training and learning about the ancient energy, took them quite so ti.
"I see. Maybe you're right."
He nodded and looked at the Head Golem, who had been staring at one spot for several hours. He remained silent, patiently awaiting their decision.
"Hey, old man, we're ready."
The Head Golem slowly turned his head toward Adam.
"Old man...? Although... considering the difference in our ages, that's not a mistake... You are both actually young... It's always sad to watch the brightest flas burn out because of their ambitions."
Alexia frowned, she didn't like what the Head Golem was saying at all.
"What? Do you still think we'll die there?"
The Head Golem nodded.
"Agh?" Alexia raised an eyebrow. "We both now possess the ancient energy! We've beco much stronger!"
Adam's eyes deepened. 'She's right. I don't know all the capabilities of the ancient energy yet, but it's definitely a power that has already beco one of my trump cards. The Ancient Flux is not an addition to my power, it's a big step forward.'
The Head Golem nodded again.
"It was a condition for crossing the barrier... nothing more... Judging by the fire in your eyes, you are going to descend to the very depths... You will not escape from there, but I have no right to interfere."
Alexia clenched her fists tightly. She was about to argue with the Head Golem, she was ready to spend hours proving that he was wrong.
Tap.
Before she could say anything, Adam's hand fell on her shoulder, causing her to turn around.
"You can't change his mind, just as he can't change ours. This is a case where words are useless. All we can do is descend into this abyss, achieve our goals, and return. Only then will he realize that he has been wrong about us all this ti."
The Head Golem glanced at Adam.
"Young man... you're not the first to say or think that... Still, no one has ever returned..."
Adam shrugged.
"You see?"
He stepped forward confidently, heading straight for the barrier.
"Good luck, old man. I hope your life will soday beco more interesting than being a simple guard of the barrier."
The Head Golem silently watched as they passed through the barrier, ready to set off for the Frost Oasis.
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