CHAPTER 1265: BATTLE ON THE BRIDGE

As a Phantom grew stronger, he inevitably wondered what lay ahead.

This was especially true for the K1 and K2 Phantoms, who had already gone through a series of trials and learned what power was, even if only a tiny part of it.

They wondered what lay ahead and imagined with trembling excitement what monsters the K3 and K4 Phantoms were fighting.

What trials would they have to go through to achieve new victories? To move along the path of evolution and become stronger?

Well...

If thousands of young Phantoms could see what was happening at the Glass Bridge right now, they would be shocked and possibly demotivated.

However, the two who were the cause of this were having a great time.

BAM!

Adam brought his hammer down on one of the holes at the last moment, hitting the phantom that had left a split second earlier.

A star shone above the platform as Toa exclaimed brightly, "Score: 15/15!"

Kara stood aside, watching the two men who could tear her apart in a deadly battle, as they behaved worse than children.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Targon slammed his fists into the ghost, but this time the ghost was too fast.

"Hahaha, looks like age is catching up with you, right?" Adam said mockingly, gripping his hammer tighter. "What? Not quick enough to hit a simple ghost?"

Targon smirked in response, cracking his knuckles.

"Don’t get cocky, kid! I’ve spent more time fighting than you’ve been alive! I know what it takes to win!"

However, Targon missed a second time as well, but Adam was able to hit the ghost, earning himself 16 points.

For a moment, Targon paused, allowing Adam to earn another point, but then things got serious.

Targon’s fists rained down on the platform with newfound speed, quickly bringing the score to a tie.

Adam blinked, puzzled.

Then, his smirk widened as he gripped the handle tightly, pushing himself to his limits.

Moreover, to defeat Targon in this ’battle’, Adam used the Stellar Resonance, taking a little energy from Silvana.

He needed all his speed and accuracy to keep up with the great beast.

For a while, the Glass Bridge was filled with groans and roars, monsters and humans desperately trying to defeat each other in some kind of arcade game in a bar...

Kara, the most serious of them all, wanted to sink into the ground. This was not how she had imagined today would be.

"This... What is going on here?" Her fingertips twitched. "Mr. Targon, I’ve never seen him so cheerful. And this young man, he’s responding in kind... Shit! Mr. Targon is right, neither I nor Toa can give him what this Phantom has!"

Toa had no time to think.

She kept shouting out the new score as Adam and Targon took turns hitting the phantom and overtaking each other.

"29/25!" Toa exclaimed after Adam’s last strike.

"Agh?"

Adam blinked, confused.

’When did I fall four points behind?’

"Hahaha, what happened? Did you really think you had a chance of beating me? This is my territory, and I don’t lose here!" Targon seemed to be able to read his thoughts.

Then, Targon clenched his two fists tightly and attacked with such force that the platform shattered and the red phantom fled away, deep under the bridge.

Toa’s uncertain voice rang out:

"30/25...?"

"Exactly!" Targon exclaimed, his fangs visible in his wide smile.

Adam got a confused look.

"What? You didn’t even say we were playing to 30!"

"Hahaha, so what? You’re 5 points behind me! Do you really think you had a chance of catching up?"

Adam’s mouth opened, but he had nothing to say. Targon was right, Adam would hardly be able to match Targon, who possessed superior speed and strength.

Step.

Silvana stepped forward, her gaze fixed on Targon.

"But that doesn’t mean Adam failed the second trial, does it?" Silvana raised an eyebrow. "In the first trial, he didn’t need to defeat you. The conditions for advancing were different."

Click.

Targon snapped his fingers.

"Of course! Hahaha! If Adam could have beaten me, he would have just done it and moved on. I think that’s obvious. You passed the second trial, you don’t have to worry about it."

"And? What were the conditions?" Adam asked.

He knew what he had to do in the first trial, and that’s why he won, but now he just gave in to the fun, sharing this feeling with Targon as if they had been friends for decades.

Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.

Targon awkwardly scratched the back of his head as he turned to Kara.

"Kara, what were the conditions?"

She flinched, not expecting Targon to ask her that.

"Mr. Targon..." Kara murmured respectfully. "I’m afraid I don’t know what the conditions were. You didn’t brief me and Toa on the details."

"Eh, alright, so there were no conditions. Anyway, what’s the point of conditions if I’m the only one who decides whether you pass the trial or not?" Targon shrugged carelessly.

Adam and Silvana exchanged awkward glances, but the truth was that they couldn’t dispute Targon’s words.

There were no judges, no spectators, no clear rules, only Targon. Everything depended on his will because at the Glass Bridge, he was the boss, he was the strongest.

"So? Can I move on now? The Forgotten Mills are waiting for me."

"Pffft!" Targon snorted. "Where have you ever seen trials end at two? But..."

His gaze grew serious as he looked into the distance, seeing the lone mill on the horizon.

"You’re right. That’s your goal, so I won’t delay you too much. However, I’ll get my last bit of fun, and the third trial begins right now!"

Adam and Silvana were on alert.

They didn’t know what Targon had prepared for the finale. It could be anything, a direct attack or, in contrast, a puzzle.

Soon, a tremor ran across the surface when dozens of crystal beetles, the same ones he had encountered at the very beginning, flew out from under the bridge on the right.

They flew after the golden firefly that Targon pointed to.

"If you catch it before me, I’ll let you pass and even give you some advice. Important advice."