Chapter 2028: Power Balance

Adam told Farla everything. She had given him an assassination order for Bredar, so in a sense, Adam had to do it.

He came here to wrap up this part and move on – to Radiant Branch.

“I see…” Farla nodded deeply, a glass full of wine standing before her. “So even before Breydar, you defeated another viscount.”

She tapped the table thoughtfully.

“I already knew some of the details before we met, but I wanted to hear it all from you.”

Adam shrugged.

“I understand. My first visit to the Gray Sea not only made me stronger but also showed me just how quickly information spreads around the world.”

Farla smirked. “Well… The speed depends on how significant the event was. Do you think K4-Phantoms capable of defeating a Viscount of the Befallen Crown often appear at the Grand Abyss? That’s a huge rarity, especially toward the end of the World Wipe.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that before. But I have a few questions for you, too.”

Adam’s expression grew more serious.

“I take it I’ve completed my mission?”

“Indeed.” She nodded. “I couldn’t have hoped for better. Instead of just one Breydar, you killed a total of three Viscounts and one Baron, but considering that Breydar was also fighting against members of the Veiled Souls Clan, even more Lords died in total.”

A glint flashed across her eyes.

“You’ve done all the Phantoms a favor. Sooner or later, the Lords you killed would have clashed with our Phantoms in battle, and most likely, the outcome of those battles would not have been in the Phantoms’ favor.”

Adam nodded. He understood what Farla was saying. He believed this was an important part of his mission.

However…

“Breydar, Midgard, and the rest – all of that is nothing compared to the main achievement that turned out to be connected to me, isn’t it?”

Farla knew what he meant as she nodded deeply.

“Yes. Because you created the last Grand Star and gained access to the Grand Barrier, the Befallen Crown decided to take desperate measures. No one expected them to send a True Lord to hunt you down. I can’t remember the last time something like that happened, and as you know, I’ve lived a very long time.”

Adam gulped.

It was true. Farla was a Touched Human, a Gamma Division Officer, and, by her own account, she was at least 750 years old.

In fact, it was hard for Adam to wrap his head around such numbers, it was too much for him, but for many Gamma Division Officers, this had, unfortunately, become routine.

They no longer thought about how old they were, but rather how many World Wipes they had witnessed and how many times they had had to rebuild the Citadel.

Sure, the situation improved each time, as there were more powerful Phantoms and Touched Humans remaining, and they, too, had gained more experience.

But neither they nor the monsters could fully develop a civilization consisting of many cities or Citadels as long as, every 250 years, all of it was destined to be destroyed by a shockwave.

“Durand, the Death Arm. He wasn’t the strongest True Lord in the Befallen Crown’s ranks, but he’s still a True Lord. The life of each of them is worth practically any risk.” Farla continued, tapping the table.

Adam narrowed his eyes.

“Was it you?”

“Hmm?”

“Did you ask Kamora for help? From what I’ve gathered about her, contacting her is no easy task. After all, she, like Goen, is one of the Knights of the World’s End.”

A moment later, Farla nodded.

“Yes. It was me. Several people tried to contact her. I was just luckier than the rest, and yes, only a very limited number of people know how to reach her. You’re right, she, like Goen, doesn’t like being bothered.”

Adam fell into thought, his expression serious.

“So it turns out I should thank you. If it weren’t for Kamora, I wouldn’t have made it out of the Gray Sea. No matter how much stronger I’ve become, I don’t stand a chance against a True Lord.”

“Sure. Also, I won’t hide the fact that in this case, it was important that it was you who needed help. We would have tried to save any K4-Phantom who found themselves in your situation, but…”

Her blue eyes grew brighter as she seemed to look straight into Adam’s soul.

“The Citadel couldn’t afford to lose you, Adam Vinter. You must become the next Second Rank Phantom and shift the balance of power across the entire world.”

A shiver ran through Adam’s body.

He understood that many at the Citadel would like him to reach the Second Circle, but Farla was the first to mention the balance of power.

“Power balance?” he asked.

Farla nodded deeply.

“A few True Lords or a single Second Rank Phantom, that’s enough for one of the global factions to become significantly stronger. If the Hollow Lands and Primal Lands had more True Lords, the influence of the Befallen Crown would be significantly less. No one has any doubts about that.”

“And… Is there any specific reason why I should become a Second-Rank Phantom?” Adam asked suspiciously.

In response, Farla shook her head.

“No. It will make the Citadel stronger, as well as all of humanity. For me and for many others, that’s more than enough reason.”

However, Adam didn’t believe her – at least not entirely.

He didn’t trust her for one simple reason: before setting out for the Gray Sea, he’d had a conversation with Aiden, and from that conversation, he’d learned something important.

‘Zero War…’ Adam thought, looking at Farla. ‘Given her status, she must know that Zero War could happen, right? Is she hiding this from me, or is there something else?’

Either way, he had no intention of arguing with Farla or accusing her of withholding information from him.

He’d find out what he needed to know one way or another.

“Alright,” Farla sighed. “Now, let’s talk about Radiant Branch. After all, I’ll be there too.”