Endless Evolution: Last Star - Chapter 1692 1692: The Wrong Mark (Part 2)

Adam had ended up in the Hollow Lands against his will. He had learned a great deal about this place, but there were still many details and secrets in the Hollow Lands that he didn’t fully understand or knew nothing about.

The Dark Knight, or, more precisely, his plan, was one of those secrets.

“Loargh, what he said… is that even possible?” Adam asked in disbelief. “Could the Black Threat Monster really reach the Lord Level that way?”

Unfortunately for all of them, Loargh had to nod with a heavy look.

“Yes. I’ve heard of this method, but I’ve never seen a single monster bold and mad enough to use it!”

Vyora clutched her chest.

“When you defeat and absorb a Frenzied Shard, your aura changes, as does part of your energy. To some extent, you gain a tiny bit of the power that your future self might possess. Energy at the Hollow Mark is different from your own energy, but… it still belongs only to you.”

Sarka nodded. As one of the Fangs, she knew this as well, though even she would never risk using this method.

“If you want to gain this power, you must absorb the Frenzied Shard. However, there is a way in which you can gain the combined power of several Hollow Marks at once, that is, two.”

Adam narrowed his eyes, staring at the Dark Knight’s sword.

“Is that exactly what he did with his sword?”

Loargh clenched his teeth.

“Y-Yes. SHIT! He’s a fucking monster! If your weapon absorbs the Frenzied Shard and gains the Hollow Mark, you’ll be under constant pressure from a power that surpasses you! It’s like constantly resisting the aura of a more powerful monster!”

He waved his hand.

“You have to do it, use your own strength to support your weapon, otherwise the Hollow Mark will just destroy it, and everything will vanish!”

Then, Loargh’s face froze as realization struck him.

“Wait…” He muttered. “That’s exactly why you became a servant of this Frenzied Shard. Otherwise, you would be severely weakened by the pressure emanating from your sword!”

The Dark Knight nodded slightly, but he shook his head.

“You’ve practically guessed it, young man. You see…” The Dark Knight waved his hand toward the Frenzied Shard. “The First Shard that I defeated possessed the same power. My sword absorbed not some weak shard the size of a stone, but something truly great.”

A wicked smirk formed on his face. He was pleased with himself for having come this far.

“When you wield a weapon with such a Hollow Mark without possessing one yourself, fatigue and weakness are not your concern; far more serious problems await you.”

The Dark Knight nodded toward the Frenzied Shard.

“If it weren’t for this big guy behind me, the power emanating from my sword would have shattered all my bones long ago. Hah, eventually, it would have blown my heart apart, and we would never have met. Of course, I couldn’t let that happen!”

Adam nodded inwardly, analyzing everything he had just heard.

‘So, besides the usual method where a monster has to defeat and absorb the Frenzied Shard, there’s another, more dangerous one? Damn. He not only has to defeat the first shard, but also constantly fight against the pressure coming from his weapon and absorb another Frenzied Shard. That’s twice… no… that’s at least three times harder!’

Still, armed with all this new information, Adam couldn’t believe that the Dark Knight was serious.

“Hey.”

“Hmm?” The Dark Knight turned to Adam.

“How do you plan to do this? How do you plan to reach the Lord Level in a single leap? I don’t believe that even with such restrictions, two Hollow Marks are enough to reach that level of power.”

Strangely enough, the Dark Knight merely smiled slightly, like a teacher hearing a question from his student.

“It’s very simple, Adam. The Hollow Mark is a glimpse into the future, a glimpse of the power you’ll possess when you take a single step forward. But…”

His voice deepened, and an amber flame flared in his eyes.

“What happens if you take a step forward from the very spot where you previously took a step forward? You’ll gain power that was previously out of your reach. Instead of approaching the limit of the Black Threat Level, I’ll break through that wall and become one of the Lords!”

Adam narrowed his eyes.

He understood that the Dark Knight had no reason to lie, but still, something caught his eye.

‘Is it just me, or is he in a hurry? Does he want to become a Lord as soon as possible? But… Why? He’s already strong enough to survive the World Wipe.’

Adam shook his head as he pointed at the Frenzied Shard.

“In that case, why haven’t you absorbed it yet? This shard grants you the strength to withstand the pressure of your own sword, but what have you been waiting for all this time?”

It was a foolish question, not the question itself, but because Adam had asked it.

The Dark Knight waved his hand, pointing his sword at Adam.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

He smirked.

“I was waiting for you.”

Adam’s heart froze.

The Dark Knight sighed, lowering his sword.

“To be honest with you, I expected some talented monster from the blade or dome pillar to show up here. The most I expected was a single monster and its guide at the Pit. But look at the gift fate has brought me!”

He waved his hand in excitement.

“Three Fangs and a Phantom who’s just as powerful as them! I’m lucky, and I’m going to take advantage of this chance! I won’t get another one!”

Silence.

Suddenly, silence hung over the battlefield.

Now, Loargh, Vyora, and Sarka realized they had no chance against the Dark Knight, and they couldn’t escape either.

They had no choice but to stay here and die among the black flowers.

“Alright.” The Dark Knight’s voice grew colder. “Let’s get this over with. I really don’t have much time left. A great task awaits me.”

At that very moment, the Hollow Mark on the blade glowed brightly as the sword began to transform, just as Loargh and the other monsters had before.