Chapter 1176: Do it or die trying (Part 2)

The Corrupted Volcano was a vast area, no smaller than the Corrosive Lakes, and possibly even larger if you took into account all the areas reached by the lava rivers. Many of them originated from the volcano, but a significant portion came from the ground.

There were several Twilight Crystals in this area. This meant at least two things: there was an underground level where the Twilight Crystals were hidden, and there were several powerful monsters that prevented others from absorbing the crystals before their time.

For the two Phantoms who came to the Corrupted Volcano on a mission, these were favorable conditions. They didn’t need to rush. They could explore the area, find the Twilight Crystals, and absorb them after defeating the strongest monsters.

However… When there were two or more Phantoms on a mission, they needed to work together as a team.

It seemed like this shouldn’t be a problem for Adam and Fromund. Sure, they were enemies at the Moon Colosseum and had beaten each other badly, but overall, they had a good relationship.

At least until now.

“Ah…?”

Adam blinked several times in disbelief. He didn’t understand why Fromund was talking like that.

“What do you mean? Since when am I a loser?”

“You explain it to me! You look like you’re going to die tomorrow! Where’s the fire in your eyes? Where’s the Adam who beat the crap out of me in front of hundreds of spectators and still wanted more!” Fromund exclaimed, clenching his fist tightly.

He was sincere in his words. He couldn’t stand seeing how weak Adam had become. This wasn’t the man he had lost to!

Why did only Fromund notice this, and not Silvana, who was his Operator and understood him better than anyone else?

Well, Silvana couldn’t feel everything. She was an Operator, a woman, and an assistant, while Fromund was a Phantom, a fighter, and a man. Moreover, Silvana had never fought against Adam; she had always been his ally and supported every decision he made.

If Fromund had wanted to, he would have punched Adam right in the face. The only thing that stopped him was that he didn’t know if it was necessary to bring Adam to his senses.

“What? How do you think I should feel? In seven years, everything will be gone! Everything will disappear! You’re a K4-Phantom just like me, you know about the World Wipe!”

Fromund raised his chin.

“And? So what?”

Adam shook his head as he touched his temples.

“Tsk. I can’t believe it. Aren’t you older than I? Don’t you understand what will happen in seven years?!”

There was no answer. Fromund stared intently at Adam, his gaze growing deeper.

“My family, Silvana’s family, they’ll all disappear, and there’s nothing I can do about it because the World Wipe will happen no matter what I do! Fuck! Fromund, your sisters, your three sisters, they’ll all die as well!”

BAM!

Before Adam could finish his sentence, Fromund’s fist slammed into his face with such force that the impact threw Adam several meters back.

His back crashed into a purple plant, breaking it in two like a tree trunk.

Several long leaves with sharp tips fell on Adam’s shoulders, while a trickle of blood flowed from his possibly broken nose. He didn’t rush to get up as Fromund approached him with a menacing stride.

“You… You piece of shit, Adam!”

Again, there was only silence in response. Adam didn’t even look at Fromund, who was clearly trying to get some kind of reaction from him, positive or not.

Clutch.

Fromund grabbed Adam by the collar, forcing their eyes to meet. Fromund’s eyes burned with rage and disappointment, while Adam felt only one thing that had come over him unnoticed—defeat.

“I can’t believe it. You gave up?!”

Adam’s eyes darted away.

“Don’t you? I saw the power of the True Lords, I felt the queen’s powerful energy, and I can imagine what phantoms like Damien, Frida, and the head of the Crimson Path are capable of, but…”

He bit his lip until it bled.

“However, none of them could stop the World Wipe! They had countless attempts and hundreds of years to prepare, some even thousands! And yet, we still have to accept the fact that every 250 years, the world is practically wiped out!”

Gritting his teeth in anger, not at Fromund, but at himself and the situation, Adam grabbed Fromund by the collar in response and threw him sharply to the ground in a cloud of dust.

“What else could I do but accept it? The best I can do is stop being a child and chasing an impossible dream and do the best I can!”

Fromund didn’t try to resist. He just looked at Adam calmly.

“What is this?”

Blood filled Adam’s eyes.

“Fuck, isn’t it obvious? Start all over again right after the World Wipe!”

“I see…” Fromund sighed heavily. “You’ve decided to give up. So I wasn’t wrong when I called you a loser.”

Punch.

Before Adam could respond, Fromund’s fist sank into his stomach, knocking him aside.

“Adam, stop talking nonsense!” Fromund exclaimed as he hit himself in the chest. “Look at what you’ve achieved in just one year! You were a simple man, a poor man from the slums, and now you’re a K4-Phantom who can reach the Second Rank!”

Frowning in pain, Adam spat out a mouthful of blood.

“So what? Even if I become a Second Rank Phantom, in order to have even the slightest chance of influencing the World Wipe, I have to become as strong as Damien!”

Step.

With a wide stride, Fromund stood directly in front of Adam.

“Then do it. You have seven years ahead of you, and in just one year, you’ve come most of the way as a Phantom. It’s not the hardest part, sure, but you still have plenty of time ahead of you!

“I don’t know about you, but I’m not giving up. I’ll keep trying until the very end. I’m going to become so strong that I’ll stop the Last Star from destroying the world and save my sisters! If you don’t feel the same way, then… We should abandon the mission and return to Bastion. Right now.”

Fromund’s voice was as hard as steel, and it was obvious he wasn’t joking.

Without waiting for Adam’s response, Fromund nodded deeply and turned away. He was going to use his NEP to complete the mission.

Perhaps this is why he and Adam will have problems. He understood this, but none of it mattered, neither the penalties nor the lost Twilight Crystals. His actions were not aimed at a successful mission, but at something else entirely.

Crack.

At that moment, a crack sounded behind him, causing Fromund to turn around.

Adam rose from the ground, clenching his fists tightly. His gaze was as grim as before, but deep beneath the darkness was a spark that he had lost during his conversation with Mariam.

He grasped his teeth, as if sparks were about to fly out, and his veins were swollen and throbbing.

Then, he looked straight at Fromund, engulfing his entire frame with his overwhelming glare.

“Do it or die trying, right?”

Fromund smiled broadly, removing his hand from his NEP.

“Exactly.”