Step. Step. Step.
Adam and Sarka were walking forward after their brutal descent. Adam was brushing the dust off his shoulders as they hadn't yet entered the Pit's territory, though they were very close to it.
"What did you an when you said we had to lure out the Frenzied Shards? Are they alive?"
In response, Sarka waved his hand from side to side.
"Sothing like that. The Frenzied Shards possess a will on par with that of powerful artifacts, though they have no mind. The Frenzied Shards fill the Pit, and as you've realized, they possess imnse power."
Adam tilted his head.
"Isn't even getting close to a Frenzied Shard dangerous?"
"Of course it is, but has that ever stopped you?"
She looked at him with a smirk on her face.
"We've only known each other for a day, but it's obvious that you gained your power at such a young age, not through long ditation and practice. You fought, ti and again, putting yourself in life-or-death situations. Well, considering that you're standing here before now, when your life was on the line, you always won."
Adam didn't reply. He had nothing to say since Sarka was right. After all, she was exactly the sa, which was precisely why she had chosen the Blade Pillar as her ho.
"Monsters crave this power, and even though only a tiny fraction of them have a chance to withstand the power of the Frenzied Shard, let alone use it to create the Hollow Mark, there's still a chance."
After thinking for a mont, Adam touched his chin.
"Are you saying that the Frenzied Shards are hiding sowhere or even protecting themselves?"
Sarka snapped her fingers as her eyes lit up.
"Exactly! However, the Frenzied Shards can't protect themselves, so they use other monsters for that. They form a sort of contract with particularly powerful monsters. Those monsters obey their orders and protect them.
"It's a win-win, because through this bond, the Frenzied Shard shares its power with all the monsters under its control. Sure, it's only a small fraction of what a monster could gain by devouring the Frenzied Shard, but there are no risks involved."
Adam grinned. "Huh, I think you're wrong about that."
"Hmm? What the hell does that an? Are you saying you know this place better than I do?" Sarka frowned, her cheeks puffing out. "Don't forget, you're a stranger! Pfffft!"
'She's acting like a child, no doubt about it.'
"No, that's not what I ant." Adam pointed at himself, then at her. "You said there are no risks for these monsters, but what about you and ? If I were in their shoes, I wouldn't want to run into soone like us."
Sarka's expression changed in an instant.
"Oh, yeah, you're right!" She smiled widely. "Everyone here will be afraid of us because we're strong!"
"So, to get to a Frenzied Shard, we have to find one of these monsters?"
"Frenzied Servants."
"Agh?"
Sarka nodded to the side.
"That's what we call them. We need the Frenzied Servants. Every Frenzied Shard has at least a few servants, and they don't just stand next to the shard, they act like professional guards.
"The weaker and faster ones are stationed far from the shard. Their job is to report threats and prepare for defense. Though more often than not, they strike at the right mont and get rid of the problem right away."
She was about to continue talking about the Frenzied Servants. It was a topic she knew well, but sothing made her stop.
Instead of listening to her, Adam pointed to a large, broken mirror in the distance. Its massive fra stood out even among the rest of the debris and objects.
"Soone like this one?"
"W-What?"
Sarka spun around sharply as her eyes widened.
A monster sat on the edge of the mirror, its knees bent. Its arms and legs were unusually long, as was its torso. Its entire body was covered in thick armor made of hundreds of dark-blue, tal, petal-like plates.
The sa plates covered its head, where the monster's eyes peered through narrow gaps. However, instead of the usual color, its eyes burned with an amber fla, a distinctive trait of the Frenzied Servants.
At that mont, Adam didn't know this, but a single glance was enough for him to understand.
'Vaguely, but I sense the sa thing from its aura as I do from Larth's Hollow Mark. So is this actually one of the servants? That's good. It ans we won't have to waste ti searching.'
Sarka's teeth were chattering. She hadn't expected them to stumble upon a Frenzied Servant so quickly.
"H-Hah, we're really lucky, you know?"
Adam shook his head. "So this is one of those servants?"
"Yeah, but don't forget what I said. If we ran into one right here, then this Frenzied Shard has a lot of servants. Otherwise, we'd have to go much deeper into the Pit."
Feeling the tension, Adam stared at the monster. The servant was studying them just as they were studying him.
"So out of all that Frenzied Shard's servants, this one must be the weakest and fastest?"
In response, Sarka nodded as her fangs bared.
"Yeah, but don't forget that they're all strong, regardless of their position in their small circle. Though you should be able to sense everything by its aura. Hahaha, looks like a remarkable Frenzied Shard awaits us!"
"She's right," Adam grew wary, sensing the servant's aura. "If I'm not mistaken, this is on the level of Kaerno's maids. But… he said that each of them managed to return from the Pit and retained their sanity after contact with a Frenzied Shard. Why the hell is this monster so strong?"
"Hey, Adam."
"Hmm?"
Sarka's fingertips were trembling.
"As soon as we release our auras, that monster will run for help. I think you understand that we can't let him get away."
"Wouldn't it be better to follow him?"
"Don't worry, I know how to get information."
A dangerous gleam flashed in her eyes.
"Tell , are you ready for the chase?"
Adam leaned forward, staring at the servant who knew exactly what was about to happen.
"Yes."
"Great."
With a smile on her face, Sarka's aura intensified as their chase began.
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