Chapter 1183: A Storm is Coming (Part 1)

The Obsidian Guard was defeated. This came as no surprise to anyone, and even the monster itself probably realized that it had no chance against Fromund. However, this had to happen so that Adam and Fromund could continue their mission.

Step. Step. Step.

Adam descended the hill, looking around. The remaining obsidian golems did not try to attack him or Fromund. They understood that it was pointless.

The Kirani Bugs were in the same situation. They wanted to take the core fragments, but as long as Fromund was nearby, it was too dangerous.

“Hey! I did it!” Fromund shouted as Adam slowly approached.

Something alarmed him, or rather caught his attention.

It was almost imperceptible in the dark sky, but he could see clouds gradually gathering, soon to be filled with electrical discharges.

“Wait, could it be…?” Adam thought for a moment before quickly shaking his head. “Nah, even if it did, it wouldn’t change anything. The chances are too slim.”

Silvana seemed to want to say something, but she stopped mid-sentence, deciding to wait for a more opportune moment.

The volcano beasts that had survived the meteor shower looked greedily at the fragments, but in the end, they decided to retreat. They had lost most of their group, and if they tried to take revenge, there would be no one left.

“I see you’ve gotten much stronger since we last met.” Adam grinned. “Your Nexus wasn’t at full power, was it?”

Fromund smiled broadly as he poked himself in the chest.

“Of course. Hah, that big golem wasn’t strong enough, but it couldn’t make me fight at full power!”

Adam nodded slightly.

Strangely enough, Fromund’s Nexus turned out to be similar to his. It wasn’t about the rings, but the fact that their Nexuses had several levels of power.

However, Adam immediately understood the main difference.

‘Hmm, when he killed several golems and fought for some time, his spear got its first flame ring. It’s much more like my Initial Gene, the way my rods gradually heat up, than the way my Nexus works.’

Adam blinked as Fromund’s face appeared right in front of him.

“Hey! Can you hear me?”

Then, Fromund jerked his head upward.

The Kirani Bugs had become so numerous that they obscured the entire sky. Some of them clicked their jaws irritably, but did not rush to attack.

“We need to give them the fragments, otherwise they’ll attack us and then we’ll have to kill them all!”

Adam smiled bitterly. “Hah, yeah… The fact that we’ll kill them all is our biggest problem.”

They nodded and jumped aside.

The Kirani Bugs were in no hurry. They wanted to take the fragments, but they didn’t believe that the two Phantoms would voluntarily give them the destroyed core.

Thunder!

Suddenly, thunder rolled across the Corrupted Volcano, causing the Kirani Bugs to speed up. Thunder and rain were not uncommon in this place, as in any area where there were many sources of fire and lava.

It seemed that rain should avoid places like the Corrupted Volcano and other similar areas, but that was simply impossible.

The humidity was quite high, especially due to the corrupted plants that had adapted to such harsh conditions. The heat led to constantly evaporating streams of steam that caused rain and thunderstorms.

Whooooooosh.

Realizing that there was no time to lose, the Kirani Bugs descended to the ground, several of them. The rest watched Adam and Fromund closely, expecting that this was a trap and that the Phantoms would attack them.

Well, the Kirani Bugs were not mistaken. It was indeed a decoy, but not to attack them. Adam and Fromund’s plan was a little more complicated.

Thunder! Thunder! Thunder!

Every second, the lightning became more intense, as thunderbolts struck the ground, leaving dark, smoking spots.

Many monsters decided to take cover behind plants or under rocks to wait out the storm. The storms rarely lasted very long. They appeared suddenly and disappeared just as quickly, in most cases.

The Kirani Bugs didn’t need much time to collect the fragments. They did it in less than a minute before moving forward with their entire swarm.

Fromund and Adam exchanged glances. They didn’t pursue the monsters right away, otherwise the Kirani Bugs might have suspected something. Like any insects, they would have given their lives without hesitation to protect their colony.

True, Adam and Fromund didn’t need to destroy the colony, because their goal was the Twilight Crystals, but if the crystals were indeed in the colony, then they were surely protected by the strongest warriors of the Kirani Bugs.

Well, that was exactly what Adam and Fromund were hoping for.

“Hmm…” Fromund narrowed his eyes as he watched the Kirani Bugs.

They were getting farther and farther away, and soon they would turn into black dots.

“I think it’s time, otherwise we might lose them.”

Without Adam’s consent, Fromund rushed forward. He knew that Adam would easily catch up with him since the Kirani Bugs weren’t moving very fast. Until the Kirani Bugs reached the entrance to the colony, they had to keep their distance so as not to scare them away.

Adam was about to follow Fromund, but something caught his attention.

Far away, almost on the horizon, a figure appeared. A shadow hid its familiar frame, but with the next roll of thunder, light covered it, revealing Adam’s old enemy.

It was a Thunder Demon, one of many that had appeared right after the storm started.

Adam’s eyes widened in disbelief, but as soon as his gaze fell on the Thunder Demon, the monster shuddered in fear and quickly ran away.

They were no longer equals.

Perhaps some other Phantom would have been pleased by this, as it was a sign of his superior strength.

But… Adam’s eyes were filled with darkness, and his face with sadness. He remembered that battle well, but he couldn’t repeat it. After all, in that case, he would win with just one blow.

‘Damn, I never thought I’d regret something like this. I’ll never fight you again, right?’

Adam sighed deeply, shook his head, and followed Fromund.