Chapter 1201: This is Shame (Part 2)

“What?” Bathild snorted. “What are you talking about? I came all this way for nothing?”

Adam shook his head.

“I did not mispeak. We came to this territory to obtain the Twilight Crystals. I didn’t expect there to be so many crystals in this colony. It was surprising. These insects wanted to keep them on their land for a long time, I’m sure of it.

“So, you said you were supposed to get one Twilight Crystal as a reward, right? In that case, you can take it. Fromund and I will leave since we already got ours.”

At first, Fromund wanted to shout and show that he didn’t agree, but he stopped himself in time.

He could sense Bathild’s aura and see what she was capable of. Sure, he was confident that he and Adam would win, but it was an unnecessary risk that didn’t make much sense.

“Hah, if Bathild is some kind of guardian, then Adam’s idea might actually work. Neither he nor I has any reason to fight her. If she came here to get the Twilight Crystal, she can just take it, and no one will stop her!” Fromund thought.

That was true.

Only a few guards remained among the Kirani Bugs; there were no knights, sentinels, or keepers left. It was obvious that ordinary bugs and guards could not prevent Adam and Fromund from leaving or Bathild from taking the Twilight Crystal that had been saved for her under the contract.

In the end, Fromund said nothing as he remained in his spot. His grip on his spear remained firm, knowing that Bathild could attack at any moment, but he liked Adam’s plan.

“This…”

Bathild faltered. She hadn’t expected such a proposal, especially from Adam Vinter!

“This is wrong. Hell, no!” Bathild stamped her foot. “Aren’t you Adam Vinter? You love to fight, don’t you? Fuck, the First Star itself took notice of you and brought you to the Dark Shore! Every Elder in this part of the world knows that!”

Adam’s eyebrow twitched. He hadn’t expected to be known among monsters.

“Well, sorry to disappoint you. I never turn down a good fight, but there has to be a point, you know? I already got what I came here for. You can do the same and leave.”

Perhaps Bathild would have agreed if any other Phantom had been in Adam’s place, but he was a special case.

“Hahahahah!” Bathild laughed briefly. “You hope that you and your friend can just walk away from here?”

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Electric discharges ran through Bathild’s body, but she didn’t attack, yet.

“Adam, I don’t know about you, but I have a reason to fight you. What’s more… Do you think that defeating me means nothing to me?!”

Bathild’s furious cry echoed throughout the colony.

The Kirani Bugs scattered in all directions, many hiding behind rocks to avoid the shockwave.

The energy raging around Bathild was ready to turn any weak monster that happened to be near her to ash.

However, this did not affect Adam, who continued to stand before her with a calm expression.

“Well, despite your menacing aura and the fact that you’re quite strong, it’s obvious you don’t have a title. Isn’t that a shame?”

Bathild had no intention of enduring such humiliation a second time.

She clenched her teeth as her aura reached full power, bursting upward in a blue flame full of lightning.

“That’s exactly why we’re going to fight! You, you little arrogant bastard! You will be my victory, after which I will receive my title! Every monster at the Dark Shore will know about it, you can be sure of that!”

Adam prepared for the attack, knowing that this was to be expected after Bathild’s furious shout.

‘Is that going to be a lightning surge? Yeah… The Essence Thunder Demon did something similar. I don’t know how many battles she’s been through, but I doubt she has any experience against a Phantom like me.’

However, Bathild’s movements did not reflect Adam’s thoughts.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

She extended her right arm to the side as the electrical discharges concentrated in one point.

Bathild gripped the dark hilt of some large and rather long weapon tightly. At first, Adam thought it was a spear, but the outlines were different.

Whoooooosh.

Adam’s eyes widened for a moment when Bathild swung her huge halberd, which she held effortlessly with one hand.

Electric discharges ran along the hilt, moving along the long blade with a curved tip.

There were no complicated details or mechanisms in her weapon, but she didn’t need them. All her power was in the lightning bolts, and her speed—the halberd was the perfect tool to unleash that power on her enemies.

Silvana frowned.

“Well, it’s not that much like the Thunder Demon, is it?”

Without fear in his eyes, Adam summoned the first needle. It was his greatest weapon to fight Bathild on equal terms.

“Yes, there are differences. Although that’s not surprising. There is a huge gap in power between her and the Essence Thunder Demon.”

Clutch.

Bathild gripped her halberd with both hands and leaned forward. Her eyes shone brightly while lightning gathered at her feet, causing the ground to tremble.

“You’re right, Adam Vinter, it’s a shame that your name is becoming known among monsters, but mine is not. However, I will fix that right now!”

Without hesitation, Bathild lunged forward, transforming into a menacing bolt of lightning that crashed down on Adam.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Adam’s heart began to beat faster in anticipation of the great battle that had come before, but he knew that this would be the end.

‘Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t see her as a more serious threat than Lyrod. I haven’t fulfilled all the conditions for the initial star yet, but I’ve absorbed two Twilight Crystals. I’ve become much stronger than I was at the Corrosive Lakes.’

This was true. The development of abilities and the emergence of new ones were not the only factors indicating the Phantom’s growth in strength.

Energy and power level had a much stronger influence, as this was the true power.

Still, Adam shouldn’t have relaxed, because as soon as Bathild’s halberd came down on him, his body was buried deep in the wall, dozens of meters under the rubble.