Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1906: Dark Field, One Artifact and Pearls

“Pearls?” Adam asked.

Ergander nodded deeply as he sat down across from Adam.

“I think you heard my conversation with Blafor after he attacked me.”

“Yeah, he mentioned something like that.” Adam blinked, recalling their conversation. “He was talking about the Fire Pearl, which you apparently absorbed, right?”

“Indeed.”

Ergander crossed his arms over his chest.

“I’d rather not go into the details of my relationship with Blafor or why I did what I did. I think you understand.”

“Sure.” Adam’s gaze was calm as he took another sip of his tea. “That’s your personal business, and I neither want to nor can I change anything about it. But I’d like you to tell me as much as possible about this place.”

Ergander smirked as a glint flashed across his eyes.

“Huh, you’re adapting quickly, aren’t you? Well, I can do that. Let’s continue with the Dark Field and then go back to where it all began.”

‘Befallen Crown…’ Adam thought. Ergander hadn’t specified it, but Adam understood what he meant.

Ergander waved his hand.

“As I already said, most monsters are found and remain in the Light Field. It’s a convenient place to evolve, absorb energy, and even live for some. As you can see, there’s no water here, but there is air, even though we’re deep underwater.”

“By the way, why is that?” Adam raised an eyebrow. “When I first ended up here, I was utterly confused.”

Ergander chuckled.

“That’s normal. If no one warned you beforehand, it happens to every newbie here. But there’s a simple explanation for it.”

“Hmm?”

Ergander’s eyes narrowed and grew deeper.

“All of this is happening because of one of the world’s most powerful Ancient Artifacts. It possesses enough power for these changes to spread throughout the entire world, no matter which part of the Gray Sea you’re in.

“You can reach the Grand Abyss through the Tarnished Lands, the Primal Lands, or the Hollow Lands, no matter where you go, you’ll end up in a place similar to this one. Sure, the terrain might be different, but everywhere you go, there will be air instead of water at the Light Field.”

Ergander’s voice was clear and firm, showing that he was certain of his words, which left Adam in no doubt.

However, Adam was still in shock.

“W-What? A single artifact causes all of this?” Adam gestured around him.

Ergander nodded.

“Indeed. If it weren’t for this Ancient Artifact, all the water from the Gray Sea and the Dark Field would immediately pour into the Light Field. In a matter of minutes, millions of square kilometers would be submerged. It would be inevitable.”

Ergander’s eyes darted to the side as he continued:

“What’s more, even a monster like me doesn’t know how old this Ancient Artifact is. It’s powerful enough to survive the World Wipe time and time again, and… that’s not all.”

“Hmm?”

“The air barrier surrounding the Light Field is also unaffected by the World Wipe. It withstands the terrifying shockwave caused by the collision of the First Star and the Last Star. So, if it weren’t for this artifact, neither you nor I would be here, and neither would this tea and these cookies.”

Adam said nothing as he took a sip of tea and stared intently at a single point with a pensive look.

Sure, he’d been confused when, instead of water, he’d seen only land resembling a surface swept by gusts of wind.

But he hadn’t had enough time to really think it through. He’d only had a few quick guesses, but then Blafor appeared, and the whole situation had unfolded to this point.

‘So, in this world, there are artifacts powerful enough to extend their influence across the entire world?’

For some reason, at that moment, Adam remembered the Hollow Lands as well as the Frenzied Flame, which he’d had to absorb so that the Hollow Lands’ barrier would let him out.

‘Could it be that there’s a similar artifact there too? They fall into the category of Ancient Artifacts, but judging by everything, their power level is in a different league. Their capabilities are sufficient to alter entire territories and continue to exist despite the World Wipes.”

Ergander could see that Adam was deep in thought, but he didn’t want to disturb him.

In fact, Ergander was enjoying this conversation just as much as Adam.

For a monster like him, it wasn’t often that he had the opportunity to talk to someone or teach someone something. Especially if that someone was a Phantom hunted by the Befallen Crown.

“Ahem.” Adam coughed as he realized he’d kept Ergander waiting. “Sorry, I was lost in thought. Before you mentioned that artifact, you said that those who venture into the Dark Field do so for the Pearls, right?”

“Correct.” Ergander nodded deeply. “Whether it’s me, Blafor, or any other monster roughly at our power level, it would be a huge risk.”

Adam’s eyes darted to the rifts among the golden fields.

“But you somehow managed to get the Fire Pearl here.”

At that moment, Ergander raised his hand, palm open.

“Wait. I have to stop you there. The Pearls can appear in the Light Field as well. However, the chances of that happening are tens or even hundreds of times lower for rare pearl types than in the Dark Field.”

Ergander leaned forward as his green eyes looked straight into Adam’s blue ones.

“The Pearls are clusters of energy and some kind of element. They’re something like an essence, but in physical form, and they exist on a completely different level. Some of them take days to form, while others might take hundreds of years.”

Then, Ergander pointed to the rifts leading to the Dark Field.

“The darkness and incredible density of energy at the Dark Field significantly accelerate the process of their formation, and there are also far more of them there. That’s exactly why, if you want to find a Pearl, your best option is the Dark Field, even if it’s a risky one.”

Adam nodded as he touched his chin.

One question came to mind:

“What about the Abyss Pearl?”