Chapter 1758: Irony and the Glass Wall (Part 2)

"It took you quite a while to recover, didn’t it?"

Kaerno smiled as he turned his gaze back toward the Hollow Lands.

"But it looks like I sent Kaexa to check on you just in time."

The corners of Adam’s mouth turned up.

"Huh, is that so? For some reason, I feel like you just sensed my aura when I woke up, or am I wrong?"

Kaerno didn’t answer, but his smirk said it all.

Then, Adam turned to Zin, who, like Kaerno, was looking out at the vast Hollow Lands - endless expanses covered in a thick layer of gray sand, dotted with rare but majestic pillars.

Zin was wearing the black coat he’d come to the arena in, but his left sleeve was loose, flapping in the strong gusts of wind.

"Huh? Zin, haven’t they fixed your arm yet?" Adam asked, his voice trembling with concern.

Without turning toward him, Zin shook his head with a faint smile.

"No, that would take too long. It would take several days or even more than a week..."

Zin looked at Adam. His unusual amethyst eyes were hiding something.

"So I decided to do it myself. Tomorrow or the day after, I haven’t decided yet."

Adam tilted his head in confusion.

"What does that mean? Have you had some kind of healing abilities all this time?"

Kaerno remained silent, with only a satisfied smirk on his face. He knew what Zin was talking about, but didn’t want to interfere with the process. Adam had to learn everything from Zin.

"No." Zin shook his head as he touched his chest.

Even with the help of four experienced healers, a wound like the loss of part of the chest and heart could not go without consequences.

Sure, now there was no longer a hole in his chest, and his heart was in place, beating actively and pumping blood throughout his body.

Still, the brutal scar would long remind him, and everyone who witnessed their battle - Adam’s final attack.

If Zin hadn’t reacted in the last split second and created the sound waves from his remaining energy, it’s quite possible the other monsters wouldn’t have been able to save him.

"I can’t create a new arm for myself. I don’t have that ability. But my energy will do all the work for me," Zin replied calmly, running his hand over his wide scar that resembled an exploding star.

Adam blinked. He still wasn’t sure what Zin was trying to say.

Well, Zin didn’t keep Adam guessing for long:

"Adam, I realized I need to move on. During the fight against you, I may have heard all the sounds I’d ever wanted to hear. If I ever find something comparable, something that is unique, it will only be on a completely new level."

Adam’s gaze grew deeper as he began to understand what was happening here.

Zin smiled faintly as a powerful gust of wind made his loose sleeve flutter.

"That’s why I’ve decided that very soon I’ll become one of the Lords."

"Agh...?" Adam was caught off guard. "I mean, I wish you luck in that case."

Kaerno clicked his tongue, shaking his head.

"You don’t get it, Adam. That’s not Zin’s goal for the future. It’s what he’s going to do in the next 48 hours."

Kaerno’s black eyes fixed on Adam, making him realize that all of this was reality and not some silly joke.

"It’s not his dream or hope that he’ll succeed. It’s what he’ll do because he can. He’s been able to do it for a long time, but didn’t see the need."

Adam’s face froze. The monster he’d fought just a few hours ago and defeated was now saying he’d become a Lord very soon?

Moreover, judging by their expressions, Adam realized they actually meant it.

"You’re going to become a Lord? But... HOW!?" Adam exclaimed at the top of his lungs.

Zin shrugged.

"For us monsters, the transition to the Second Circle of evolution is much simpler. I’m sure you know there’s a fundamental difference between monsters and Phantoms in this regard, just as there is in the entire progression."

Adam gulped. Of course, he knew. He knew this better than most, for he was already a K4-Phantom and was one step away from creating the Third Grand Star.

Tap.

Zin rested his chin on his hand, gazing into the distance with a serene expression.

"While for the Phantoms it’s a whole series of the most complex conditions and countless obstacles, for us it’s just a single barrier, and the vast amount of energy you need to accumulate to reach that point.

"After that, all that matters is whether you can break through that barrier or not. Sure, even if you’re a monster, reaching the Lord Level is a great achievement for anyone. Whether you started from the very bottom as a White Threat Level monster or were born with a strong bloodline, it doesn’t matter.

"I don’t remember when it happened to me. But, at one moment, on one day, I realized that the barrier standing before me, a barrier that many consider unbreakable, looked to me like fragile glass."

With a short sigh, recalling that very day, Zin glanced at Adam.

"All I have to do is shatter that glass wall. Do you think I can handle this task?" The corners of Zin’s mouth turned up in an ironic smile.

Thump!

Adam collapsed to the ground, his eyes wide open.

All he had been thinking about since waking up was that he needed to become a Second Rank Phantom as soon as possible, and now, his opponent was saying he would do it very soon.

’I see... That’s the difference between me, who received my first energy just two years ago, and a monster whose talent surpasses thousands of others in the Hollow Lands....’ Adam muttered to himself.

Strangely enough, Zin smiled kindly, looking at him as if he were an old friend.

"Don’t worry, Adam, everything turned out for the best. If I had become a Lord earlier, when I had the chance, I wouldn’t have been able to fight you! Staying weak was the best decision of my life."

Adam was speechless.

"Gha..."

Kaerno sighed deeply. He had made the right decision in coming here for their conversation.

"What an irony, huh?"