Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1908: Dangerous and Safe Territories

The Befallen Crown set goals for the future. They strove to develop even though the World Wipe inevitably occurred once every 250 years.

They used their resources as well as their Lords to help minimize the damage from the World Wipe as much as possible.

Monsters did not have as many cities and structures as humans, but they had significantly more Second Circle warriors in their ranks.

Each Lord could use their power to create a barrier and protect a certain territory from the World Wipe. Sure, it would be a small territory, since a Lord would have to withstand not just a regular shockwave from an explosion but the World Wipe itself, but it was still possible.

Thus, the more Lords the Befallen Crown had, the more territories they could preserve even between World Wipes.

Some Lords were part of the Befallen Crown, while other monsters were simply their servants. This was supposed to happen with the Frost Dragons Clan, as Adam had learned from the artifact’s memory. But… Gladius didn’t let that happen.

For the same reason, the Befallen Crown closely monitored what was happening at the Citadel.

They had no way to destroy the Citadel, they didn’t even have the power to do so, but they could weaken humanity through other means.

The Befallen Crown believed that sooner or later, there would be so many Lords in their ranks that it would be enough to eliminate humanity once and for all.

However, to do this, the Citadel’s power level must remain the same while the Befallen Crown must grow.

If the Befallen Crown could eliminate potential Second-Rank Phantoms, then their plan would eventually succeed.

For this very reason, Adam became a target for them.

Sure, the Befallen Crown couldn’t operate freely near the Citadel, since everything there was under Frida’s control and other Second Rank Phantoms could intervene as well.

But… When Adam was in other territories, especially the Primal Lands and the Dark Shore, the Befallen Crown had more opportunities to kill him.

They tried to do so at the Dark Shore and the Primal Lands, but both attempts failed.

Each time, someone came to his aid and protected him. Adam alone would have been powerless against such powerful monsters.

To kill him, the Befallen Crown had already sacrificed more than a dozen Lords, and that was acceptable to them.

They were prepared to send many more to their deaths if they were certain of the outcome, that Adam Vinter would be killed.

“Hmm… That’s not something I’d like to think about. To be honest…” Adam frowned, clenching his jaw.

Ergander nodded.

“I understand you. You don’t want to depend on anyone, but without the protection of stronger fighters, the Befallen Crown will simply kill you.”

“Yes, but… I’ve been to all four lands, just as you said. I’m still alive!” Adam clenched his fist.

Before answering, Ergander took a sip of tea and nodded calmly.

“Indeed. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. You can only be safe in two situations. First: if someone is protecting you. Second: if you’re in an area where the Befallen Crown has no influence or where it’s severely limited.”

Before Adam could say anything, Ergander continued:

“In the Hollow Lands, the Befallen Crown has practically no influence. If you don’t count the area around the Citadel, this is the most difficult place for them, in my opinion.”

Adam narrowed his eyes.

“Is it all because of the Dome Eclipse and the Blade Eclipse?”

“Indeed. These are the only lands where there are only two factions, and they aren’t at war with each other, rather, they simply compete. Moreover, Kaerno and Es’aha… Those two could cause the Befallen Crown major problems if they wanted to.” Ergander’s voice grew deeper.

He waved his hand.

“Technically, we’re currently in the Tarnished Lands. Sure, the Gray Sea is above us, but this is part of the Tarnished Lands. I think you should have realized by now that even though the Renegades are a fairly secretive and small organization, they maintain control over their territory.”

“Yeah…” Adam recalled Laroza and her words about the two other Renegades who had been following Varreyn. “Each of them possesses great power. I do not doubt that.”

Ergander nodded as he looked intently at Adam.

“However, there’s something you need to understand, Adam.”

“Hmm?” Adam turned toward Ergander, meeting his intense gaze.

Tap.

Ergander tapped on the table.

“As long as you’re on their territory, you’re safe from the Befallen Crown, but only because of their leader. If the Befallen Crown tries to attack you near Varreyn, for example, the Renegades’ leader will turn them to dust in the blink of an eye. He won’t tolerate that in his domain.”

‘R-Right…’ Adam gulped. ‘Laroza mentioned her leader several times. Apparently, he must be on the same level as Kaerno, right? Maybe even higher…?’

Then, Adam folded his hands in front of him as he looked ahead.

“So that leaves only the Primal Lands, doesn’t it?”

“Sure. You won’t be lingering there very long. In the Primal Lands, you’ll need help from some clan or protection from the Old Light Guild. The Dark Shore is the most dangerous place for you, for obvious reasons.” Ergander shrugged.

“But…” Adam’s eyes darted to Ergander. “Even in the Dark Shore, there’s the Free End and neutral Lords, right?”

Ergander sighed heavily.

“True, but last time you were extremely lucky. There are only a few neutral Lords, and running into someone from the Free End is a rare occurrence. In short, until you reach the Second Circle, you shouldn’t go there.”

Adam tapped his hand thoughtfully.

“So does that mean I know how to handle every area?”

Strangely enough, Ergander shook his head.

“No.”

Then, he waved his hand, gesturing toward the area around them.

“The Grand Abyss. Things are a little more complicated here, and you need to be more careful. It might be the Befallen Crown that kills you, not the hunt for a Pearl.”