Chapter 1204: Power of the storm (Part 1)

Sometimes, the Dead Lands could seem much calmer than they actually were.

On the surface, for many kilometers, hundreds and even thousands, nothing might happen. If it were mountainous terrain, only the wind would rush through the rocks. In other regions, blizzards raged, and in places like the Corrupted Volcano, where fire and ash reigned, rivers of lava flowed.

Such places could not be abandoned, for they were full of energy that saturated both the precious energy crystals and the simple dust that covered the ground.

Monsters were everywhere, but most of them could hide in caves, wander peacefully across the vast lands, or quietly absorb energy on a small piece of land that belonged to them.

There were many options, and one of them was to stay deep underground and act according to a plan, as the Kirani Bugs did.

None of them sought to become the strongest. They all followed the instructions of their leader and did their job.

The Kirani Bugs weren’t the only ones who did this, staying underground was an effective strategy for a large number of monsters, especially if they had all the necessary conditions for it.

But sometimes it didn’t work.

From time to time, powerful monsters would come to the surface to clash and find out which of them was the strongest, which of them deserved to live.

Most of the time, it was all about territory or resources, but… what happened at the Corrupted Volcano was, in a way, a unique case.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Cracks ran across the hot ground as two figures burst out. Strangely enough, only one of them was a monster. The other was a human, or more precisely, a Phantom.

They were in the heat of battle, but they weren’t fighting for resources or even for their lives.

One of them wanted victory to earn a title, and the other… the other simply had no other choice. He couldn’t run away or let the monster kill him, so he was forced to fight.

Some might say that fighting for survival was a common occurrence for every Phantom who had come this far.

Sure, but it was almost always the Phantoms who provoked such battles as they went on missions. No one forbade the Phantoms from staying in the Citadel and living a good life, although the government tried to motivate them to go to the Dead Lands.

Tap.

Adam and Bathild touched the ground, standing a few meters apart.

Behind them, a majestic volcano could be seen spewing thick smoke in an endless stream. Particles of ash flew past their eyes, becoming another part of the million-strong layer covering the ground.

Several purple plants growing in harsh conditions right in the middle of lava lakes completed the picture, but soon it could all be destroyed because of the conflict between two dangerous creatures.

“What now?” Bathild asked, staring intently at Adam.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Drops of blood dripped from his hand, his wound as serious as Bathild’s.

There was no answer, but Bathild felt that since the beginning of the fight, she hadn’t come any closer to victory.

She had to show Adam that she was the one setting the pace!

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Electric charges gathered in her hand as she pointed her palm directly at her bleeding side.

Dark wisps of smoke rose upward along with the unpleasant smell of burning flesh and congealed blood.

Bathild’s facial muscles twitched several times. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t hide the pain she was feeling.

“SHIT! Why the hell am I doing this?!”

Still, she continued until her wound was cauterized by the sheer force of the lightning.

It wasn’t the most effective way to deal with the wound, but it was the best Bathild had.

Moreover, it gave her confidence that after their skirmish downstairs, she finally had the upper hand.

She lost a little blood, but the cut on her side was no longer a problem, unlike Adam’s hand.

But before Bathild could begin to rejoice and see her future victory, a spectral silhouette appeared next to Adam, just for a moment.

Then, silver threads spun around his hand, quickly healing his wound without any pain, unlike Bathild’s situation.

“W-What?!”

Shock covered Bathild’s face.

“You have healing abilities?! Since when is that true?!”

Adam stepped forward, but he no longer held the needles, not even one of the two. He preferred to give the role of his weapon to two cold rods. The temperature around them and their location were more than suitable for heating them to a dangerous level.

“Well, it’s not exactly my ability. Although without me, this ability wouldn’t exist. Don’t worry, I won’t be able to heal myself so easily anymore.”

Bathild blinked several times, unable to believe what she had heard.

“Hah, telling me about it was your big mistake! Now the victory is mine, as is the title!”

Crack.

Without hesitation, Bathild lunged forward. She was acting at full power, but Adam was not.

Only when she was right in front of him and ready to bring her halberd down on him did she realize that something was wrong.

Adam looked too calm, as if she had no chance against him at all.

Then, a bright star appeared in his right eye, as a wave of energy ran through his body, making him much stronger than he was a moment ago.

To escape Adam’s second lesser path, Bathild used the same technique, and now it was Adam’s turn.

BAM! BAM!

Two rods crashed into the hilt of Bathild’s halberd at tremendous speed. She managed to block them at the last moment, even though she wanted to be the one to attack.

In the next clash, they found themselves ten meters apart, pausing for a moment.

Sparks flew from the rods, scratching the dark halberd.

“Your people… They should have reached the colony by now, right?” Adam asked.

“Agh? Even if that’s true, so what? I’m your enemy!”

Adam nodded.

“Sure, but I’m afraid they’ll turn to ash faster than you’ll see your defeat. Fromund is the worst enemy to face in large numbers, and soon you’ll see that for yourself.”