Chapter 1291: Ureyn, the Grim Wind (Part 1)
Now, when Ureyn’s mill was finally revealed and the second fighter appeared in the arena, the spectators and those who remained in their mills realized that the String Duel was inevitable.
Knowing that the entire event was supported by none other than Norax, they no longer had any doubts that the String Duel would take place.
Many figures opened their eyes and left their mills, heading for the wind plain from all corners of the Forgotten Mills.
They would definitely make it to the arena before the fight began.
It took Ureyn some time to realize what was happening, but considering what he saw before him, he quickly understood that it was all about the String Duel.
There was simply no other reason for so many monsters to come to the wind plain with some Phantom.
Ureyn had never participated in the String Duel, but he knew what it was. A monster from these lands and of his level could not know about such things.
“Seven years is eternity?”
Ureyn tilted his head, trying to understand what Adam was talking about.
“What do you mean, Phantom? And… What’s your name? Apparently, you know mine.”
Scratch.
Adam scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile.
“Right, my name is Adam, Adam Vinter. As for my words…” He looked around; they were being watched by dozens of monsters. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to talk about it now, but I want you to know one thing.”
“Hmm?” Ureyn raised an eyebrow.
Unlike Adam, who for some reason was quite friendly towards him, Ureyn was still deciding what to think about his future opponent.
With a slight chuckle, Adam smiled bitterly. “We’re similar in some ways, in terms of our goals and the two stars.”
In a heartbeat, Ureyn’s eyes widened.
That was enough for him to understand not only what Adam was talking about, but also what kind of person Adam was.
After a few moments, Ureyn nodded deeply as he smiled warmly.
“I see. You know, the Connected String leads you to opponents with similar abilities and energy, but it seems that in this case, we are similar in many more ways.”
Clap.
Suddenly, Norax clapped his hands, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Alright, I think it’s time to begin. Everyone who wanted to come should be here by now. I’m sure you two don’t particularly like this, but for the duration of the battle, you will be the center of attention in our lands. There’s nothing you can do about it.”
Ureyn glanced at Norax and responded with a nod. Norax tried to act friendly, but as a resident of the Forgotten Mills, Ureyn knew well what Norax was capable of when he got serious.
No one wanted to see Norax angry, neither his allies nor his enemies.
Then, Ureyn nodded toward Adam.
“Since you came here, I’m sure you’ve come a long way, so you should be the one to do it.”
“Agh?”
Ureyn waved his hand.
“Go ahead, use the Connected String. Given the situation, it will only go in one direction.”
Sure, Ureyn understood what was at stake in the String Duel. It wasn’t just that if he lost, he would lose a major part of his energy and power. A significant part was also the effect on his reputation.
He was being watched by many monsters who were stronger than him and had a certain influence both within their faction and throughout the Forgotten Mills.
Discussions about the outcome of the battle began immediately.
Several figures in gray robes similar to Ureyn’s thoughtfully scratched their chins.
“Hmm, this Phantom, I think I’ve seen him somewhere before.”
“But… Why?” The second figure narrowed its eyes. “What could a K4-Phantom have done to make even our distant territory know about him?”
A few seconds later, their friend shuddered with realization.
“Wait, that’s the young man who ended up at the Dark Shore through the black flash. I heard that he encountered Kenward and Saegar and still managed to return home to the Citadel.”
“What? The Befallen Crown allowed him to survive? Damn, that young man is really lucky.”
Once their conversation began, it was impossible to stop the whispering. Soon, everyone remembered who Adam Vinter was, and those who didn’t know about this Phantom learned about him.
This couldn’t help but put additional pressure on Ureyn, and Nollura’s nervous glance showed him that the battle against Adam would not be easy.
Step.
Adam stepped forward as he closed his eyes, summoning the Connected String one last time. Many threads appeared, wanting to go in different directions, but in the next second, they all disappeared, leaving only one, the brightest one, heading straight for Ureyn.
He didn’t know what to do next, but that was why he had the Path Construct and Evolution Tree.
With their next tremor, the bright thread shook and broke in two, becoming two energy orbs that floated in front of Adam and Ureyn.
It was an invitation to battle and also a decision to stake part of their power.
If neither of them knew about the String Duel and were not prepared for battle, they would immediately attack each other, and only the death of one of them would allow the other to obtain the Connected Heart.
“So, it seems it’s time to complete the last formality, doesn’t it?” Norax grinned as his purple eyes sparkled with a dangerous light.
Adam and Ureyn exchanged glances before nodding deeply and touching the white orbs.
For a split second, a long thread connected the two orbs as two pillars of light burst forth from Adam and Ureyn, instantly reaching the dark clouds.
Silence.
Everyone watched in silence as Adam and Ureyn’s auras trembled, growing stronger with each passing second.
The Connected String forced them to show their potential for a brief moment to understand that they were suitable opponents for each other.
It was a perfect match.
As the two orbs rose upward, forming a bright ring above the ground, as if woven from a myriad of threads, Norax waved his hand, announcing the start of the duel:
“Behold, the battle that has not been seen in decades, but which we have all been waiting for. String Duel! Adam Vinter vs. Ureyn, the Grim Wind!”