Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1162: Hybrids (Part 2)

Before this conversation, Adam didn’t even know that there were any other hybrids in this world besides Nessa. It wasn’t something he thought about much, as he believed that Nessa was the only one of her kind.

However, if he had thought about it after learning about the World Wipe and that the strongest monsters could easily live for several thousand years like humans, he might have realized that it was strange that Nessa was the only Hybrid.

Even if her case was unique and difficult to replicate, the chances of something like that never happening in hundreds or even thousands of years were too small.

However, none of that mattered anymore, because now Adam was learning information from someone who knew more than most people in the world.

There were hardly any secrets that Damien didn’t know about. He was too powerful and had lived in this world for too long for anything to remain a secret from him.

“So, what is the difference between the two types of Hybrids? Nessa can use a very weak version of the Solar Form, even though her power was at the K1 level,” Adam asked, waiting for an answer.

What Damien had mentioned about energy and the Gamma Division wasn’t enough. He wanted to know exactly how Nessa differed from other Hybrids.

Perhaps one of them would become his target. If obtaining the Dark Hearts was easier than the Connected Hearts, Adam would go hunting for a Hybrid. He was sure that the Citadel had a list of those who needed to be dealt with.

Damien grinned.

“Adam, you know how ordinary people become the Touched Ones, don’t you?”

“Sure.” Adam nodded. “Douglas told me all about it. It was unexpected, but I saw what the energy from the Midnight Crystal and the Twilight Crystal was capable of.”

“Well, with the Human Hybrids, such as Nessa, the situation is the opposite.”

Adam’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“W-Wait… Doesn’t that mean that Nessa absorbed the Twilight Crystal and survived? Magnus told me about it, it happened to her when she was a child!”

“Exactly. That’s why she’s the only Human Hybrid to appear in this World Wipe. As I said earlier, it’s not possible to store or transport the Twilight Crystals, unlike the Midnight Crystals.”

Then, Damien awkwardly scratched his cheek.

“Actually, I know exactly what happened to Nessa. But, I’m afraid that if I tell you the whole story, you’ll learn things you’re not supposed to know yet. In short, you’re not at that level yet.”

Adam’s desire to know Nessa’s full story was strong, but he understood that there was no point in arguing. There was no way he could force Damien to tell him more if it was forbidden.

“Alright, so… if Nessa absorbed the Twilight Crystal and became a Human Hybrid, what about the monsters?”

“Well, it’s a similar situation with them. A creature is a Hybrid not because two species are mixed, but because of the interaction of energies, energies from the Last Star and the First Star.”

Damien waved his hand.

“In some ways, Hybrids are similar to the Essence Type Monsters. To become a Hybrid, the Black Threat Monster must simultaneously absorb the energy of two star crystals. As you can imagine, this is not so easy to do.”

“Hmm?” Adam was puzzled. “Can’t all monsters freely absorb energy from any source? I mean, it shouldn’t be anything unusual for them.”

“I didn’t mention the Essence Monsters for no reason. Any monster can absorb energy from an artifact, but the Essence Monsters make the artifact part of their bodies, part of their power. The Monster Hybrids do the same.

“The Midnight Crystal and the Twilight Crystal become part of their bodies. No matter what kind of monster and Type they were before, after that, they became the Absolute Type.

“Gradually, the star crystals become part of their bodies, breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces, just like the Touched Humans with the Midnight Crystals. Once the transformation is complete, the Absolute Type monster becomes a full-fledged Hybrid.”

Damien chuckled.

“The transformation happens very quickly. That’s why the Absolute Type and the Hybrid are practically the same thing. The chances of someone interrupting the transformation of an Absolute Type monster are very slim, it’s an extremely rare event.”

After a while, Adam nodded deeply. He understood Nessa’s situation, but he needed to let Damien’s words about monsters sink in.

“So, the monster needs two star crystals, it absorbs them and becomes the Absolute Type, which basically makes it a Hybrid.”

Damien nodded, and Adam continued.

“But what about the Solar Form? Does every Hybrid have it, or only the one who became a Lord?”

This was an important question. Not counting the tiny fraction of Human Hybrids inhabiting this world, most were Monster Hybrids. Among them were only the Black Threat Monsters and the Lords.

The Elders did not have the Arc in their arsenal, while every Lord had one.

“Well, the Black Threat Hybrids can also use the Solar Form. As you understood from Nessa’s example, any Hybrid is capable of this, and level is not a limitation. However, only the Lords possess the full power of the Solar Form.

“That doesn’t mean you should relax. If you decide to get the Dark Heart and kill a Hybrid, you must be prepared for a tough fight, especially when the Hybrid activates its Solar Form.”

Adam nodded deeply. He understood what Damien was talking about.

Hybrids may have been different from both monsters and humans, but they were much closer to monsters than to humans and posed no less of a threat.

The main problem for Adam was that, apart from Nessa, he had not yet encountered a single Hybrid. He did not know how they fought or what they were capable of. He simply had no experience.

“Alright.” Adam shook his head, dismissing unnecessary thoughts. “Now, what about the Connected Hearts?”

Unlike the star crystals, he had a choice between crystals. Adam had to have all the information before returning to the Dead Lands.

“Oh, you’ll like it, I promise.”