Chapter 1317: From Weak to Strong (Part 1)
The Energy Axis, the appearance of this mechanism was unexpected for Adam, but gradually he began to understand that it was not bad news, sooner or later it had to happen, but in any case it was a problem that needed to be solved, and preferably as quickly as possible.
“Reach the limit of my strength?” Adam muttered, looking at his reflection in his coffee cup. “What exactly does that mean?”
Karso waved his hand. “Just what I said, nothing more. Your energy, your physical abilities, strength, speed, your skills, and everything else you can think of, everything that makes up your power, even if it’s something insignificant.
“When you take one step after another, you will simultaneously rebuild your Energy Axis, directing one thread after another in a straight line. Now, you are like platinum, you must become stronger and strengthen all your weak points and get rid of cracks, only then will you be able to use the entire flow of energy that presses on you.”
Misty nodded deeply.
“Yes. The sword must be sharpened to the limit before it is subjected to new trials. That is what you have to do. It is up to you how long it will take.”
After a few moments of silence, Adam looked at Karso, then at Misty.
“Got it. But before I think about how to solve this problem, where the hell am I? I mean… I don’t even know who you are, only your names. The last thing I remember is absorbing the Connected Heart, then I fell asleep, which turned out to be a very long one.”
“Right.” Misty set her cup down on the saucer. “I think you have some ideas, and you’re not wrong. Karso and I are Norax’s top subordinates, and basically, we are the most powerful and influential monsters in the Black Cut right after Norax.”
Adam’s gaze deepened, but he wasn’t shocked to hear this. He didn’t sense any aura from Misty or Karso, which would have been impossible if they weren’t several levels stronger than him, meaning that even ordinary Lords were no match for them.
“As for where we are…” Misty looked around. “I’m sure you think we’re in mine, Karso’s, or even Norax’s mill, but that’s not the case. In addition to the mills, each of which belongs to one specific monster, there are many chambers underground in the Forgotten Mills, connected by tunnels and rooms.”
Karso threw his hands behind his head in a relaxed manner. “Consider that each faction has its own underground mansion where every member of the faction can stay. We are no exception; the Gray Needle and the White Thread also have something similar.”
“BUT!” Karso exclaimed as his eyes lit up. “Ours is the biggest, because we are the best!”
However, Misty did not appreciate his optimism.
“Pfffft, but we are the smallest. The Gray Needle and even the White Thread are ahead of us in terms of numbers and significance, and I don’t see that changing in the next few hundred years.”
“Hah, recently the Gray Needle lost one member, and we gained two. Isn’t that active growth?” Karso chuckled.
Misty nodded weakly. In that case, Karso was right.
Adam blinked several times, realizing who they were talking about.
“Wait… If it took me a month to wake up, what about Ureyn? And who is the second person you’re talking about?”
Misty stared at him with her unusual eyes.
“Well, Nollura joined us along with Ureyn. Honestly, I wouldn’t have taken a simple Arachne into our ranks, it’s not her level, but thanks to Norax’s intervention, she’s changed quite a bit. As for Ureyn… He woke up after only three days.”
Adam’s eyes widened in disbelief at this answer. Deep down, he hoped to hear that Ureyn was still asleep because he had suffered many more wounds in their battle.
“Why?”
“It’s simple. Unlike you, who faced a more difficult problem, namely the Energy Axis, Ureyn was simply wounded, albeit quite seriously. Also, he lost a significant portion of his strength, so the stress that was placed on his body didn’t allow him to rest for too long.”
“And what is he doing now? Considering how much energy I received, he has dropped several stages.”
Misty nodded in confirmation.
“Yeah, that was to be expected. However, immediately after awakening, Ureyn went to the territories neighboring the Forgotten Mills, returning every few days to recover from long battles. Also, since he is now one of us, he has to build his mill, which he has already started, so he has a lot of work to do — just like you.”
With a deep sigh, Adam leaned forward and clasped his hands together.
“I see… You two are both monsters, much stronger than me or Ureyn. How long do you think it will take him to return to the level he was at before our fight?”
Misty and Karso exchanged glances as he shrugged.
“It’s impossible to answer that question. Maybe in a few decades, or maybe in three months, he’ll be stronger than he was before. Not everyone agrees with this, but I believe that the evolution of monsters and Phantoms is quite similar despite the differences in their foundations.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
Karso scratched the back of his head with a complicated expression.
“I mean, only a small portion of monsters rely entirely on long and steady energy absorption to take one tiny step at a time over decades in order to evolve to the next stage. More often than not, everything happens the same way as with Phantoms—in sharp bursts—but many ignore this fact.
“You can absorb energy for several years and progress 30% to the next stage, or you can win a single battle on the brink of life and death that forces every cell in your body to work at its limit and immediately advance to that stage.”
Even though everything worked quite simply and Adam himself was following this path, Karso was right, many monsters, despite their wild nature, preferred to quietly absorb energy rather than put their lives at risk.
“Misty,” Adam suddenly said.
“Hmm?”
“Do you have anything sweet?”
She glanced at his half-empty cup of coffee.
“Of course.”