Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1909: Beffalen Crown members and the Vibrating Stones

“Hmm?”

Adam tilted his head in confusion.

“Are you saying that the Befallen Crown controls the Grand Abyss?”

This suggestion brought a smirk to Ergander’s face.

“Of course not. No power in this world could control the Grand Abyss completely, especially not the Dark Field and Light Field combined.”

Ergander leaned forward.

“However, for that very reason, you should be wary of the Befallen Crown. Sure, it’s not their territory, and the problem is that it’s no man’s land. Every land has some dominant power, even in the Primal Lands, but not here.”

He waved his hand around.

“Only the lands around the Citadel belong to no one, but you have nothing to worry about there since the Second-Rank Phantoms will protect you if necessary. Beyond the Dead Lands, you lose that protection.”

Adam nodded deeply. He listened intently as he realized that Ergander was now giving him important advice.

“The Grand Abyss is the second place where there isn’t a single dominant power that controls everything. And… unfortunately for you, the Citadel’s influence doesn’t reach this far either. Neither Frida nor anyone else from the Citadel will be able to help you.”

Ergander continued:

“In fact, young man, you’re already lucky because you met Blafor and me. Yeah, you showed up at a less-than-ideal time since there was a conflict between us, but neither he nor I would harm you just because you’re a Phantom.

“But if you’d gone through the other passage, you might not even have made it to the Gray Sea. The hunters who prey on newcomers like you would have killed you right in the middle of the journey. And even if that hadn’t happened, you might have run right into someone from the Befallen Crown.”

Strangely enough, Adam wasn’t scared.

Instead, a bitter smile spread across his face as Prasyx’s advice echoed in his mind once more.

“Huh, so I’ve gotten lucky twice in a row?”

Ergander chuckled. “Hah, it looks like it!”

“So…” Adam decided to ask. “If there are monsters like you and Blafor at the Light Field, but there are also members of the Befallen Crown, what should I do? If I run into one of them, will I be in serious trouble?”

Unfortunately, Ergander couldn’t give Adam the advice he was hoping for, since there wasn’t any.

“Sorry, but there’s no magic way to know where every member of the Befallen Crown is at the Light Field. In fact, they aren’t particularly aggressive since they realize there are plenty of monsters here equal to them in strength, but…”

Ergander’s expression grew somber.

“You’re right. If they see you, they’ll alert all their kind, and a real hunt will begin for you.”

Adam frowned as he clasped his hands thoughtfully.

“Tsk. I can’t just rely on luck! I already realize I’ll have to travel a lot across the Light Field to find what I came here for! How am I supposed to do that?”

Blink.

Ergander blinked as he realized something.

“Right, Adam, you mentioned the Abyss Pearl. I figured that was your goal here, but I was wrong. So, what did you actually come here for?”

Adam turned to face him.

Ergander coughed.

“Maybe if you tell me, I can help you. You know, I’ve been here for quite a while now. There’s no other way for you to have a home at the Light Field.”

It was clear from Adam’s expression that he was skeptical.

True, Ergander had helped him and told him a lot about the Grand Abyss, but they’d known each other for just over an hour.

Still… What did Adam have to lose?

‘Even if I tell him my goal, so what?’ Adam thought to himself. ‘He’s an Ascended Lord. No matter what resource I need, it’s unlikely to be of any value to him.’

After a few moments of tense silence, Adam nodded deeply.

“Alright. I came here with a specific goal, and it’s not the Abyss Pearl. I think, like many monsters, I came here to become stronger. I want to create the Third Grand Star.”

“Oh…”

Ergander’s eyes widened in shock.

“I thought you’d been stuck at the barrier of the Second Circle for a long time. This is unexpected, but… Considering who you are, it was to be expected, right?”

Adam shrugged. He was already used to this reaction.

“The final requirement for me to create the Third Grand Star is the Bottomless Void. It’s located here, at the Grand Abyss.”

Before Ergander could say anything, Adam continued:

“In fact, at first I wasn’t sure about this. I had to rely on luck and the advice of others, more experienced people. But when I found myself in the Gray Sea, searching for a suitable passage, I finally began to sense something.”

Adam bit his lip with a grimace.

“I still can’t see the exact direction. I just know that the Bottomless Void is somewhere around here. But…”

He looked around.

“This place is huge! How am I supposed to find one specific resource in such a vast area? And… that’s not even the biggest problem. While I’m searching, I’m bound to be attacked by members of the Befallen Crown!”

Ergander nodded, slowly rubbing his chin.

“Yeah, it’s not a pleasant situation. But if you feel that this resource is here, then you’ve already done most of the work. All you have to do now is narrow down the search area.”

“But how?” Adam asked, waving his hand. “Even if I can sense the exact location at some point, before that happens, someone from the Befallen Crown will find out I’m here!”

Ergander held out his hand, palm open.

“Calm down. I think I have a solution for you.”

“Hmm?”

“You need the Vibrating Stones.”

“Vibrating Stones…?” Adam muttered, confused.

In response, Ergander nodded deeply.

“Indeed. They’re usually used to locate the Pearls, but that’s not quite right. Many people simply don’t understand how they actually work.”

Ergander smiled broadly.

“I have a lot of experience with this, so I’ll be able to give you a couple of tips. You can be sure of that.”