CHAPTER 1264: TARGON, THE CRYSTAL BEAST (PART 2)

Like Silvana, Adam decided that Targon was a monster who had grown bored of staying in one place all the time.

They were able to confirm this when Targon himself said so.

His goal was to have fun, which was not surprising given his situation.

In fact, Targon was not unique. There were quite a few similar monsters in different places, but this was the first time Adam had traveled to such distant lands.

Saegar and Kenward would be good examples, but they both had things to do every day, especially Saegar, because the lives of hundreds of monsters and a large territory depended on him.

In the deep parts of the Tarnished Lands, and even more so in the Dark Shores, it was not uncommon to encounter monsters who had some kind of job or position.

Sure, it had to be a strong, intelligent monster, but given their numbers and lifespan, that was not a problem.

Thus, Adam was willing to entertain Targon if it was necessary to get to the Forgotten Mills, where the Connected Heart awaited him.

Adam saw nothing wrong with going through ’harmless’ trials if that was what Targon wanted.

But... he was sorely mistaken about the ’harmless’ part.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Like a stone thrown into a lake, Adam bounced off the surface, unable to stop the momentum propelling him forward.

Only after several hundred meters did his back hit the crystal floor, while two streams of blood flowed from his nose and the corner of his mouth.

"Fuck..." Adam muttered hoarsely, staring at the bright sun towering above him. "So that’s what he meant by fun. Damn beast, does he even know that I have a battle ahead of me as well?"

"Adam!" Silvana exclaimed as she was about to rush to his aid, but a voice behind her stopped her.

"Don’t worry, he’s fine." Targon waved his hand dismissively. "He has a strong body, I would even say too strong for his level. Hah, humans, you can be dangerous!"

Kara and Toa flinched, knowing that Targon was not joking.

If they had received such a blow, they would already be dead, but Adam easily got to his feet.

He did not rush, and Targon did not hurry him, patiently waiting for Adam to return.

"And? What now?" Adam brushed the blood from his mouth.

In response, Targon smirked, raising his fist again.

"One more time. If you can’t stand up or land on your feet, then we have nothing to talk about."

"Tsk, now it’s turned into a contest of strength? Is that all the trials your imagination could come up with?"

Targon laughed.

"Of course not! But I’m not going to play with weaklings. Kara and Toa couldn’t do it, so I have to look for other options."

Tap.

Before Targon could finish, Adam attacked again.

"Agh...?" Targon’s gaze dropped to Adam’s fist touching his.

Unlike the first time, when Adam gathered as much energy as he could in one point to deliver the strongest blow possible, now he didn’t even tense his muscles.

He realized that Targon had tricked him. Targon wanted to test his durability, not his strength, so wasting energy on another mighty punch was pointless.

"Hah, you’re pretty smart... Well, let’s see if you can figure out how to pass my trial!"

BAM!

Targon’s second punch was just as fast as the first, but this time Adam was ready.

He put up a block in advance, condensing energy in front of him.

Sure, it wasn’t enough to completely negate the entire impact, but it wasn’t as bad as last time.

Whoooooooosh.

The strike threw Adam high into the air. He couldn’t stay in one spot, but that wasn’t the only condition for passing the first trial.

Slowly, Adam gathered energy beneath him, creating a soft cushion that prevented his back from touching the surface.

Tap.

Adam slowly got to his feet, looking at Targon with the confident gaze of a winner.

He knew he had outsmarted Targon.

Everyone knew it.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Targon slowly clapped his hands, expressing his admiration.

"Not bad. You knew you couldn’t block all of my power. Hah, looks like you’re one of those without defensive abilities, right?"

Adam remembered his threads, but nodded.

"Yes, something like that." He shrugged as he approached Targon. "What now? I understand this wasn’t the last trial?"

Targon touched his chin, thinking. He had many options, he had to decide what would be best for Adam.

Then, Targon grinned.

"Your durability and strength are excellent, but what about your speed and reaction time?"

Bam!

Targon slammed both fists onto the bridge, causing the runes on the surface to glow brightly.

At the same moment, a crystal platform about a meter high appeared between him and Adam so that Adam would be comfortable too.

The platform had exactly six round holes the size of a head.

Soon, a light flashed in one of the holes as a ghost with red eyes appeared.

BAM!

Without hesitation, Targon’s fist slammed into the ghost, forcing it back into the platform.

Several bursts of energy escaped, forming a bright star for a few seconds—confirming that Targon had managed to strike the ghost before it could hide.

Adam blinked several times in disbelief. He was sure he had seen similar entertainment in arcade rooms in various bars.

This was not what he expected to encounter in the middle of the Tarnished Lands, at the point dividing two large regions.

"What do you say, Adam, intrigued? Toa, you’ll keep score."

"Yes!" Toa replied instantly.

Silvana crossed her arms over her chest.

"What about weapons? According to the rules, players must have a hammer, right? Your hands are big and heavy enough, you don’t need one, but Adam could use a hammer."

Targon nodded.

"Of course! You read my mind. Hah, Silvana, you have once again proven that you are a good Operator!"

Tap.

Targon tapped the bridge, and a multitude of crystals grew in front of Adam, gradually turning into a rough hammer with a long handle.

"Will this do?"

Adam grinned and grabbed the hammer with both hands.

"Sure, let’s get started!"