Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1505: Iron Gate and Test

Adam held great anticipation for the Detached Mountains, and the sight of thousands of anomalies greeting him upon arrival left a profound impact on his mind.

Then there was Damien, a man capable of making the most grand spectacle appear trivial and common in the eyes of any onlooker.

To be fair, from Damien's perspective, that was exactly the case.

While Adam stood there, eyes wide with awe at the anomalies peppering the snow-dusted peaks—hidden from the world by a wall of hundreds of Phantoms—Damien was perched nonchalantly atop the massive entrance, enjoying a tub of strawberry ice cream.

It could be no one else but him.

Tap.

Damien leaped from the summit of the gateway, kicking up a flurry of snow as he landed right in front of the bewildered Adam.

“Hey, you’re the first to arrive. Alexia hasn’t shown up yet. I suspect she’ll be running late, even though Beth mentioned she had already departed.”

Adam swallowed hard, his gaze shifting between the towering gate and the frozen treat in Damien’s grip.

“Is that actually ice cream? It’s freezing out here!”

A faint smirk played on Damien’s lips as he gave a casual shrug.

“Hah, I just had a craving for ice cream. Is that against the rules now? Besides, it’s a brand-new flavor! Strawberry, lemon, and wild berries! Hahah, there was no way I was skipping out on that.”

Adam’s brow twitched in annoyance. He found the explanation hard to process.

“Well… couldn't you have eaten that in a place that actually makes sense?”

Damien dismissed the comment with a lazy wave of his hand.

“Please, are you suggesting I go somewhere with fire and active volcanoes where my treat would turn into a puddle in thirty seconds?”

Sckl.

He took another spoonful before gesturing toward the massive structure behind him.

“Don’t you want to open it? I could do it myself, but since it’s your first time here, it would be a pity if you missed out on the experience.”

Adam looked up at the daunting iron gate.

“Open it?”

Even without accounting for the gargantuan gears and the complex machinery integrated into the entrance, the pure mass of the thing was terrifying.

Adam was certainly dozens of times more powerful than any average human, but the slabs before him had to weigh several hundred tons at the very least. If they were as thick as he suspected, their weight might even exceed several thousand tons.

Surprisingly, Damien merely gave a nod of confirmation.

“Yep. Use your energy alongside your physical strength. These doors are unique. As you likely realized when crossing the barrier, everything in this place is built to ensure a common Phantom cannot gain entry.”

Adam realized he had little choice but to follow Damien's lead.

He didn't bother masking his intent; he genuinely wanted to force these gates open and gauge the limits of his current strength.

Step. Step. Step.

With heavy, determined strides, Adam advanced. Damien moved to the side, granting him clear access to the threshold.

There were no handles to grab, nor were there any visible seals to trigger an automatic mechanism. The challenge here was blunt and unforgiving.

If a Phantom desired to pass through, they had to possess the raw power to force their way. There was no other path.

“Alright, let’s see what I’m made of…” Adam whispered to himself, pressing his palms against the freezing iron slabs.

A significant amount of time had passed since he last exerted his full capabilities.

The only downside to his recovery at the Citadel was that Adam had grown comfortable; he had, in a sense, lost the rhythm of utilizing his maximum potential.

However, a long period of recuperation often results in a fighter becoming even more formidable, particularly if they had been battered and drained prior to their rest, which Adam certainly had been.

Thump!

Leaning his weight forward, Adam strained against the gate with every muscle. He attempted to drive his legs forward to force a movement, but the only result was the ground cracking beneath his boots. Neither he nor the iron moved an inch.

“I see… this isn't going to be easy. These gates really do weigh more than a thousand tons, don't they?”

He didn't let frustration take hold, recalling Damien’s advice regarding his energy.

Whoooooooosh.

A violent current of black-and-white energy surged through Adam’s arms, pouring directly into the iron surface.

The moment his energy made contact with the frigid metal, luminous fractures ignited across the gates, spider-webbing out several meters from the center.

Adam narrowed his eyes, tracking the path of the glowing cracks until they came to a halt.

Had he poured in more energy, those fractures would have reached the four primary gears.

“So, my output was insufficient, was it?” Adam remarked with a calm nod, a sharp glint flickering in his eyes.

Unsure of the exact energy threshold required to trigger the gate, he resolved to unleash everything he could muster.

This wasn't a specific technique or a focused strike; he simply allowed his energy to erupt outward like a massive aura.

Whooooosh.

Following a second surge of energy—far more devastating than the first—the glowing fractures blanketed the iron slabs, easily extending to the four gears.

Standing off to the side, Damien broke into a wide grin.

He hadn't placed this hurdle in Adam's path just to kill time. In reality, these gates served as a crucial trial.

If a Phantom lacked the power to open this entrance unaided, they were deemed unworthy and unready for the perils of distant regions like the Primal Lands.

Adam had successfully cleared the energy portion of the test, as the cores of the gears began to glow intensely upon connecting with the energy cracks.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

A series of clicks echoed out, sounding like locks being disengaged, yet the gears remained stationary.

Adam looked over, confused, but Silvana knew exactly what was required.

“Just push the gate. You’ve provided the energy; now it’s time to apply some muscle, isn't it?”

The corners of Adam’s mouth quirked up as he gave a firm nod.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Simultaneously, the massive gears began to grind and rotate. A biting gust of wind whistled through the widening gap.

Despite the cold and the frost beginning to coat his cheeks, Adam couldn't suppress his smile.

He realized now that he had just passed a significant test of his growth.

“Hah, so that means I’m ready to proceed, right?”

Damien, standing behind him, gave a slow, deep nod.

“Yeah, but first we need to get you warmed up and show you exactly what’s happening down here.”

With one final, powerful shove, Adam forced the gates open wide enough for a group to walk through. It was plenty.

Beyond the threshold, nestled in the heart of the Detached Mountains, he glimpsed something that looked like a city square, complete with streetlights and trucks traversing stone-paved roads.

“Well then, I think I want some ice cream too!”