Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1742 1742: Golden Rod (Part 2)

Zin had lost his left arm, not to mention several other serious injuries he had sustained during their battle.

Sure, Adam had taken quite a beating, too, but his final attack had completely turned the tide of their battle. Now, Adam was a wounded warrior ready to keep fighting, while Zin could barely stand on his feet.

Zin had lost not only his left arm, but a massive amount of blood and his energy. Like Adam, he had used up all his Ancient Energy, but unlike his opponent, Zin did not possess Dark Energy. He had not been fortunate enough to face the power of the First Star.

In fact, if Zin had been an ordinary monster, it would all have ended right here and now.

However, Zin was no ordinary monster. He was a monster from the Hollow Lands, which meant he was different from all the others.

Only the Hybrids and the Lord-level monsters possessed something akin to a weapon they could use in battle. For the Hybrids, it was the Solar Form, where they themselves became their weapon, while the Lords possessed the Arcs, which served as their alternative to the Nexus wielded by the Phantoms.

But... like every powerful monster in the Hollow Lands, Zin had something similar. No, it was even better, it was a combination of several powers possessed only by monsters like him.

The Hollow Mark.

The tattoo, brimming with power, had to be on the monsterʼs body, in any accessible spot, and Zin was no exception to this rule, practically...

Clutch!

As soon as Zin clenched his apple, a bright red light burst forth, as if a tiny sun were in his hand.

The apple, like him, had sustained quite a bit of damage during the battle, but it was still a vital part of his power.

”ADAM!”

Zin shouted at the top of his lungs.

”I want you to know that I wouldnʼt do this if I had no other choice!”

Adam didnʼt know what was coming, but he nodded deeply, understanding everything from Zinʼs gaze.

”Go ahead. I didnʼt expect to win without sacrifices. Iʼm ready to see all your power, because Iʼll do the same in return.”

With complete determination, Zin nodded and brought the apple to his mouth.

Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!

Suddenly, Zin began eating his red apple, taking a big bite as if he hadnʼt eaten in weeks. He did it quickly and aggressively, and didnʼt stop even when he reached the core, which was usually discarded along with the stem.

Unlike previous times, when Zin bit into his apple and created a sound wave, now there was only a normal crunch.

And now, as he actually ate his apple, he swallowed large, rough chunks that made his face contort with slight pain.

This went on for a while until only one seed remained in Zinʼs hand. There was only one seed in this apple, and now, Zin held it tightly between his fingers, lifting it up.

The spectators exchanged glances, confused.

”Huh? Why is he showing it to Adam?”

”Is this seed special?”

The woman raised an eyebrow curiously. ”Hmm, maybe itʼs his weapon, or something like that?”

Sure, a few monsters in the stands knew what Zin was trying to say, but they all remained silent.

Kaerno smirked.

ʼHe wants Adam to figure it out for himself. Well, who are we to deny a fighter his wish?ʼ

Adam stared at the seed for a moment, his pupils dilating in shock.

ʼWhat the hell…?ʼ

With difficulty, he could make out a simple pattern on the dark seed. Unlike the other complex patterns, it resembled a sound wave through which some long object was passing.

ʼIs this... Is this his Hollow Mark?!ʼ Adam exclaimed inwardly in disbelief.

From his expression, Zin realized that Adam had figured it all out.

ʼGood.ʼ Zin smiled broadly before opening his mouth and popping the seed inside.

Gulp!

He gulped as, for a moment, his eyes went blank.

Suddenly, Zinʼs body jerked as his hand shot out to the side. He straightened up and looked up, as if he were having a seizure.

Adam grew wary. He had already seen the activation of the Hollow Mark in other monsters, but nothing like this had ever happened to any of them.

ʼDid something go wrong?ʼ Adam frowned. ʼWasnʼt his tattoo supposed to appear?ʼ

At that very moment, a bright light emanated from Zin, condensing in his throat, right where a manʼs Adamʼs apple would be.

The same tattoo that had been on the apple seed formed on his skin, granting Zin the same power possessed by every monster that had received the Hollow Mark from consuming the Frenzied Shard.

However, the next thing that happened was something Adam had never seen before.

Zinʼs hair did not fill with energy, no energy orbs appeared around him, and even his Hollow Mark merely glowed rather than radiating his energy in a powerful stream.

It seemed that if Adam hadnʼt seen it happening right before his eyes, he wouldnʼt have understood anything because he wouldnʼt have heard a thing.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

Space trembled as a long golden rod with sharp tips on both ends appeared before Zin. The rod resembled a smooth needle two palms long.

ʼIs this his weapon from the Hollow Mark?ʼ Adam wondered. ʼBut why does it have this particular shape? Arenʼt his abilities connected to the sounds?ʼ

He wasnʼt the only one puzzled, but soon everyone would get their answers.

Tap.

Zin stood up confidently as he slowly turned his gaze toward Adam, looking at him through the golden rod that hovered right in front of him.

With a firm grip, he grabbed the golden rod, but his movements were strange, causing Adam to frown.

ʼAh? What kind of grip is that? I thought heʼd use it like a spear or even like I use my needle… What the hell is he going to do?ʼ

Zinʼs pupils trembled as he raised the golden rod to head level. It seemed as though he didnʼt want to do it, but soon, all doubt vanished from his gaze.

At the same moment, his hand sprang into action.

THRUST!

In a sharp motion, he pierced his head through his right ear with the golden rod as the tip emerged from his right ear.