Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1489: Two Guests (Part 2)

Adam’s intention was to settle his affairs at the Citadel and consult with Damien—or anyone capable of guiding him—on how to satisfy the requirements for the Third Grand Star. Afterward, he planned to head back to the Dead Lands, potentially accompanied by Alexia, though he was accustomed to traveling solo.

The plan was proceeding smoothly, and there was no reason to doubt he would meet Damien. Their paths had crossed multiple times before, and Damien had been a pivotal figure in Adam's journey, providing vital information, motivation, Cultivation resources, and intense sparring sessions that Adam still remembered vividly.

However, Damien had a different agenda in mind.

Whooooooosh.

Violent gusts of wind whipped through Adam’s hair as he plummeted past dozens of skyscraper floors. The city lights and glass windows blurred into a streak of color as he hurtled toward the ground at a terrifying velocity.

Of course, a fall from this altitude wouldn't kill Adam. His physical body was far too resilient for that, but the danger wasn't the issue.

‘Is he testing me to see if I can get back to the top from here?’ Adam mused, stealing a quick glance over his shoulder.

Only seconds remained before impact. There was nothing stopping him from breaking his fall, landing safely, and simply taking the elevator back up.

But… unlike a normal human who relied on technology, he had other methods at his disposal.

‘Tsk, was this really necessary?’ Adam scowled, his aura intensifying. ‘That arrogant bastard!’

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

He channeled his energy toward his feet, causing his black-and-white flames to manifest as two small, swirling clouds.

It wasn't sufficient.

Adam’s descent continued because he lacked the energy density required to solidify the clouds enough to support his weight in mid-air.

Nevertheless, this wasn't the extent of Adam's power. He could have activated his specific abilities, but he felt that would be cheating the challenge.

“Fine, I’ve managed to kill 80% to 90% of my momentum…” He noted, watching the pavement approach at a much more manageable pace. His window of time had expanded from seconds to nearly a minute.

Adam gave a small nod.

‘I just have to further condense my energy, right? Since forming the Second Grand Star and unlocking the path to the next, my strength has surged. I’ve fully recovered from the clash with Menax; I can pull this off!’

He recalled the techniques of Erik, Saegar, Damien, Kenward, and other experts of the Second Circle. He particularly remembered Erik’s arrival at the Alderran Family estate to verify the outcome of his duel with Reinz.

Erik had walked through the sky as if on solid ground, manifesting invisible platforms of energy with every stride. Even that was just a fraction of his skill; he could manipulate the density of the space beneath him at will to stay airborne.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

Adam’s veins stood out as he squeezed his fists tight. Executing this through pure energy control without the aid of his innate abilities was grueling, but he was slowly mastering the rhythm.

By the time he drifted past the twentieth floor, his fall ceased. Two disks of concentrated energy, barely larger than the soles of his boots, allowed him to stand firmly in the empty air.

“Agh… Agh… Agh…” Adam panted, glancing toward the building.

A young girl stood by a window, staring at him with wide-eyed wonder. Beside her, her mother looked on with an equally shocked expression.

Crunch.

The child bit into her cookie, her eyes sparkling with disbelief at the sight before her.

“Heh, that look on your face is reward enough.” Adam grinned before looking upward. “Time to head back up!”

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Adam began his ascent, leaping floor by floor. Having plummeted from the very peak of the skyscraper, he had a significant climb ahead before he would reach his balcony again.

“Good…” Adam’s voice was raspy as he wiped sweat from his brow. “Agh, what am I even doing? This isn't how I pictured my evening.”

He prepared for the final stretch, just a few more bounds away from the finish.

Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock as he saw Alexia’s form. She had just been tossed off the balcony exactly as he had been moments ago.

Whooooooooosh.

Alexia zipped past him, her face a mix of confusion and sudden realization of the situation.

As she reached the fiftieth floor, her composure snapped.

“FUUUUUUCK!!!”

In an instant, the air grew freezing as Alexia scrambled to make her way back up.

Adam shook his head in disbelief and leaped onto the balcony. He found Damien leaning against the wall with his arms folded. Beth was nowhere to be seen, having retreated inside to avoid the nonsense.

“What the hell was that for?” Adam asked, his irritation obvious as he raised an eyebrow.

Damien merely shrugged.

“Let's just call it a surprise training session.”

His eyes flicked down to Adam’s feet.

“It looks like you succeeded. That was your first time ‘flying’ using nothing but raw energy, wasn’t it?” Damien smirked, already knowing the truth.

Adam found he couldn't actually argue. He had, in fact, scaled a skyscraper through the open air.

While it wasn't exactly true flight, achieving that result using only pure energy outside of a life-or-death battle was a significant feat.

“Yeah, I guess you're right,” Adam admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

“But I could’ve learned that without the freefall.”

“Hahaha, please. Do you think I get many chances to have this much fun? I saw an opening and I took it.”

Adam squinted at him.

“I have a feeling you do stuff like this constantly. Maybe not to me, but to someone.”

Adam didn't realize how accurate he was. Had Frida been present, she would have certainly voiced her agreement.

Whooooooosh.

A blast of frigid air signaled Alexia’s return as she landed heavily beside Adam.

“You…” She glared at Damien, fuming. “What is wrong with you?”

Step.

Damien moved. Like a flickering ghost, he vanished and reappeared directly in front of Alexia.

Click.

He delivered a sharp flick to her forehead, sending her tumbling to the floor.

“Ouch! You jerk!” Alexia shouted, rubbing her bruised forehead.

Damien just smiled at the pair of them.

“You're here about the Third Grand Star, right?”

The two of them nodded in unison.

“Excellent. You’re going to need some serious guidance. However!”

Damien’s grin widened.

“First, someone get me some snacks!”