Many events took place in the Hollow Lands, but in the end, Adam overca every challenge. He won several crucial battles, learned a great deal, and grew stronger. He not only absorbed the Blood of God, but a Frenzied Shard as well.
In the future, his journey in the Hollow Lands will positively impact his power level, especially as he approaches the barrier of the First Circle, where most K4-Phantoms are stopped forever.
Also, this was the first ti he had been separated from Silvana for an extended period.
The stronger the Phantom beca, the stronger the bond between the Phantom and the Operator. It could go so far that an Operator beca a weapon for a Phantom, as was the case with Goen and Arika.
Sure, Adam was still far from Goen’s level, but he had once thought about K4, K3, and even K2 Phantoms. If he kept going, he would sooner or later achieve the sa power.
But he couldn’t do it alone. For that, he needed his Operator - Silvana.
Unlike Adam, who was imrsed in a torrent of endless events in the Hollow Lands, Silvana was on a completely different path.
She couldn’t get in touch with Adam. Nothing worked, she couldn’t even speak to him directly through inner space. This had never happened before, and at first, it frightened her.
Adam knew Silvana was safe, but she couldn’t be sure of that. Even when Gladius and Xyrea partially explained the situation to her, it didn’t make her feel any better.
After all, Silvana still didn’t know where Adam was or what had happened to him. She waited, and sotis the waiting was the worst torture.
Now, all of that was behind her.
"I’ll be ho very soon, Silvana."
That was the last thing Silvana heard before Adam cut off their connection. He wanted to discuss everything in person once he reached the Citadel. It shouldn’t take long.
Daar’ax glanced up.
"Looks like everything’s fine, right?"
Adam nodded. "Yeah, everything’s just great. The Hollow Lands are an interesting place, but nowhere have I felt so... so hollow."
"Huh, that’s the whole point, Adam."
Even though Adam had cut off the connection with Silvana, she had sothing to tell him:
[Head west. When you see the frozen lake, you’ll know where to go next.]
It wasn’t Silvana’s voice but the Evolution Tree’s. She relayed the ssage to Adam. Now that the connection between them had been restored, she could easily understand his intentions even without words.
Adam smiled as he tapped Daar’ax on the head.
"Hey, do you know these parts?"
"A little. Though it’s pretty rare, I’ve ventured beyond the Hollow Lands many tis. Do you have a place to go?"
With a slight smile, Adam nodded. "Yes, the frozen lake to the west. Do you know it?"
"Yeah... Damn, that’s pretty far, but if one of the Spires is there, we don’t have a choice, right?"
Suddenly, Daar’ax turned, changing direction.
The snowy landscape remained with them for a long ti, but after about half an hour of snow-covered valleys and mountains, they finally reached a vast lake covered in a thick layer of ice.
Daar’ax stopped, looking around.
"Where to next?" he asked in his low rumble.
Adam pointed ahead.
"Here."
On the other side of the frozen lake, on a rocky peak near the shore, stood a tall Spire that stood out from the quiet, nearly forgotten lands here. It was a high-tech structure, connected to a ho for every human.
"Got it. But, if I sense the aura of soone stronger than you, I’ll leave you here imdiately and head back." Daar’ax leaned forward.
"Huh, unexpected to hear that from soone like you." Adam chuckled.
Daar’ax’s expression remained serious. "It’s a basic instinct for self-preservation. I’m just following Kaerno’s orders, nothing more. I don’t need trouble with powerful Phantoms who decide I’m your enemy."
Tap.
Adam ran his hand over Daar’ax’s scales.
"Don’t worry. We humans, don’t have that many Second Circle beings to send to every Spire."
"Tsk. Maybe there really aren’t many of you, but every Second Rank Phantom is a walking cataclysm. You don’t feel it, Adam, but Frida’s presence weighs on like a multi-ton load." Daar’ax hissed.
It was true.
Lower-level monsters wouldn’t be able to notice this. They didn’t even know who Frida was, but Daar’ax was strong enough to feel her gaze spreading across the entire Dead Lands. Still, he understood perfectly well that if Frida decided to kill him, it would be done.
"I know. Let’s just get to the Spire, and after that, our paths will part."
"Sure. That’s my job."
Whoooooooosh!
Daar’ax surged forward, streaking across the frozen lake. Ice shards flew off to the sides as the great serpent rapidly approached the Spire.
At any Spire, there were always a few people from the Gamma Division as well as several powerful Phantoms.
Usually, such remote Spires were fairly empty since there were few notable locations nearby where the Citadel would have any missions.
However, as soon as Daar’ax got close enough, two figures flew out of the Spire and imdiately headed toward them.
Without hesitation, Daar’ax stopped to scan their auras. He had to decide whether to leave Adam right there or wait.
Two Phantoms, a man and a woman in white robes, hovered in the air, staring intently at Adam.
Neither Silvana nor anyone else had alerted their Spire that Adam was approaching, so they reacted to the unknown threat.
It was clear from the man’s face that he was worried as his fists were clenched tightly. All they knew was that an unknown person was approaching them, riding a massive serpent of unknown threat level.
Daar’ax’s eyes narrowed as he looked at them.
’Both K4-Phantoms... But, they’re hiding their auras well. I can’t determine their exact level.’
The woman waved her hand with a deep frown.
"Who the hell are you? Na yourself!"
The man released part of his aura.
"You should have warned us of your arrival, or... are you just pretending to be one of us?"
The atmosphere was tense, both for the two guards and for Daar’ax, who didn’t want to be involved in this at all.
Strangely enough, Adam remained not just calm, but relaxed.
"Hey, no need to get so worked up. I have a na, just like you do. I’m Adam Vinter."
The man and woman exchanged glances.
"A-Adam Vinter?"
They looked at his clothes and then again at the black serpent on whose head he was sitting.
They had heard his na, but had never seen him in person until that mont.
In half a minute, their Operators would be able to confirm the information and tell them about it, but Adam wasn’t going to wait that long.
Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.
The black-and-white fla burst forth from Adam like a blazing sun, causing all the energy flows coursing around them to freeze.
Cold sweat broke out on their foreheads as a shiver ran through their bodies.
The man and woman, like Adam, were K4-Phantoms, but now standing before Adam, they felt as though they were facing an opponent several levels above them.
"Agh..." Adam heaved a heavy sigh while his aura continued to grow. "I just want to go ho. Right now."
"Y-Yes!" The man and woman exclaid in unison as they bowed. "We’ll escort you to the teleportation station!"
"Good."
Adam’s aura weakened as the guards were able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Each power level was greater and more complex than the previous one. Thus, the difference between two K4-Phantoms could be far greater than between two K0-Phantoms.
Now, Adam had only one step left to take to reach the edge of the First Circle. But, considering that he had defeated Zin in a deadly battle, he could even defeat soone at Tron’s level.
Tap.
Adam jumped off Daar’ax’s head before glancing over his shoulder at the serpent.
"Good luck, and thanks for helping get here so fast."
Daar’ax glared at Adam as he turned away.
"I’ll be curious to see what you achieve in a few years. Zin has beco the new Lord, but who knows?
Maybe very soon the world will see another Second Rank Phantom?"
With those words, Daar’ax’s body trembled as he turned into a dark flash that vanished into the snow-covered lands, longing to return ho, just like Adam.
Adam stepped forward, the snow crunching under his feet.
"I’ve done enough here. I’m ready to go ho."
"Sure." The woman nodded. "We’ll do our best."
...
A few hours later, the elevator reached the top of one of the skyscrapers right in the center of the First Ring.
With a pleasant lody, the elevator doors opened, revealing Adam’s figure.
A slight smile played on his face when he saw Silvana, who was looking at him with wide eyes.
"I’m ho."
Silvana gulped, staring at him as if he were a ghost before rushing forward, hugging him as tightly as she could.
"It... It’s been too long," she murmured.
"I know." Adam pulled her close. "But this lonely journey is behind us now."
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