Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1509: Frost Ridge (Part 2)

The primary downside of the Detached Mountains was the jarring nature of their instantaneous teleportation.

It was a bizarre sensation; merely ten seconds prior, Adam and Alexia had been standing at the mountain's base within the Detached Mountains. Beside them had been Damien, a Phantom whose sheer power could terrify any monster across the globe.

Now, they found themselves suspended high in the air within a foreign land. Violent, freezing gusts were powerful enough to glaze their skin with a thin coating of ice. Danger lurked in every direction, and a specific threat was currently charging straight toward them.

Whoooooooosh.

An ice wyvern unfurled its massive wings, accelerating rapidly until it loomed before Adam and Alexia in a matter of heartbeats.

Time seemed to freeze as they hung in the sky, though the stillness was actually born from the ice wyvern’s piercing stare. It scrutinized Adam and Alexia, analyzing the two humans to determine if they posed any real risk.

Despite being caught off guard by the suddenness of the encounter, Adam and Alexia were no strangers to such perilous circumstances.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

Their auras pulsed with tension as they braced for an imminent clash.

The exact strength of the ice wyvern remained a mystery to them, yet they knew they couldn't permit themselves to be defeated within the very first minute of arrival.

However, the law of the jungle governing the Primal Lands possessed a unique trait.

While the strong held dominion, they rarely squandered their efforts on the weak. It simply wasn't worth the exertion.

The ice wyvern’s wings expanded fully as its eyes lost all interest in the pair standing before it.

It wasn't a matter of their raw power or the quality of their auras; rather, Adam and Alexia didn't resemble hunters prepared for a kill. Instead, they looked like confused rabbits who had lost their way.

Whooooooosh!

With a powerful beat of its wings, the ice wyvern unleashed a sharp gale that buffeted Adam and Alexia, shoving them aside. The creature ascended toward its domain above the clouds, continuing its flight without sparing another thought for the two Phantoms.

Such an occurrence would be incredibly rare in the Dead Lands. In that region, if a monster had the opportunity and an advantage, it would strike anything in its path, whether it be a fellow monster or a Phantom.

The Tarnished Lands and Dark Shore operated differently, as the high-level monsters there typically maintained human forms and behaved with more calculation.

But in this place, if a beast decided a creature wasn't a worthy rival, the encounter simply ended there.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Thick branches slammed against Adam and Alexia’s backs as the force of the wind sent them tumbling into the heart of a forest.

The trees here were massive enough to shade an entire village on a clear day. Because these were frozen territories, the trees stood skeletal and bare, their bark hardened and thick, encrusted with layers of snow and frost.

Thump!

Silence eventually returned as the two figures plummeted into a deep snowdrift.

Adam wiped the snow from his face, looking up at the brilliant sunlight filtering through the cloud cover and the tangled canopy of hundreds of trees.

“FUCKKK!” Alexia shouted in a rage, springing to her feet.

She scanned the heavens for the ice wyvern, but the beast had long since vanished from the horizon.

“Did you see that?” Alexia demanded, turning toward Adam, who was taking his time getting up. “Why did it fly off? I was ready to fight!”

Exhaling a weary sigh, Adam stood and brushed the white powder from his legs and shoulders.

“That wyvern… it just decided we weren't worth its time. That’s all there is to it.”

To Alexia, being ignored was a slight more painful than death. She had never retreated from a battle, but the ice wyvern hadn't fled—it had simply disregarded them.

“Shit!” Alexia barked, kicking the snow in frustration.

In an instant, her eyes went wide and her complexion turned red with sudden pain.

“SHIT! Shit! Shit!”

She clutched her foot, hopping around on one leg.

Adam lifted an eyebrow, spotting the stone concealed beneath the snow where Alexia had swung her foot.

Under normal circumstances, Alexia’s kick would have pulverized a rock into dust, but things were different here.

“Huh, I see. The energy density here is even higher than in the center of the Tarnished Lands, isn't it? If a heavy branch falls on us, we'll feel more than just a bump...” Adam peered upward. “Damn, we’d definitely end up with some broken bones.”

Adam actually favored this environment.

It made him feel more alert, and his surroundings felt more tangible. He understood that in this place, even throwing a stone at a monster would yield results.

In a location where even a simple pebble was saturated with such dense Qi, he could turn the environment into a weapon.

“Speaking of which.” Adam scanned the area, noticing several sets of eyes peering from the branches.

Raven-like creatures were observing them from above. Their numbers grew by the second, their long wings tipped with icy blue feathers that looked as sharp as blades.

Other beasts lurked on the forest floor, watching from the cover of shrubs and trunks, yet none made a move to strike.

Much like the ice wyvern, they had gathered out of curiosity to witness the newcomers.

However, unlike the wyvern, they never intended to engage Adam and Alexia themselves. That task was reserved for others.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The frozen ground shuddered under the weight of heavy hooves as a massive shadow stretched across the sunlit path ahead.

Adam squinted as two creatures emerged and moved toward them. They possessed the build of bulls, but their entire bodies were draped in thick white fur. Their eyes were deep and serene, while their tusks grew long and curved, appearing lethal and impressive.

Their sheer scale, however, was the primary concern.

Each monster was as large as a shipping container, even without accounting for the powerful frames hidden under their dense coats.

Adam and Alexia traded a quick look. They understood that a confrontation was unavoidable this time. To reach the Frost Ridge, they would have to prove their mettle.

Neither of them minded the challenge.

“Hah,” Alexia said with a smirk, stepping forward. “This is exactly what I needed!”

Adam gave a nod, his blue eyes deepening as they mirrored the snow and the two beasts blocking their path.

“Yeah, well said.”