Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1528 1528: First Problems

Alexia tried to shatter the rune barrier, slamming her full force into the identical point over and over, yet the shield didn't waver in the slightest.

The barrier's incredible toughness came as no shock, since it existed to safeguard the Pale Spider Pearl against them until the required conditions were met.

Yet, this wasn't some mere game—it was harsh reality. Adam grasped that truth deeply.

'No matter the barrier's strength or the threat posed by the foe ahead, if you've got enough power, you can clear every hurdle in your way, isn't that so?'

Step. Step. Step.

Adam advanced down the central route, his aura steadily intensifying.

'Should Damien be present, he'd skip grabbing this pearl altogether, simply smashing the entrance with one strike, ending everything.'

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

The white needle materialized in Adam's grasp as his aura quivered, drawing Alexia's gaze back toward him.

"A-Adam?"

He aimed the needle toward the cyan crystal.

"Move out of the way. Since there's a method to break this barrier, it's my job to handle it. Plenty of Phantoms at my rank surpass me in energy or raw strength, but I'm confident no one tops me when it comes to shattering barriers."

Feeling the gravity in his words, Alexia held back any teasing remarks or comments. She just gave a nod and shifted position, eyeing what he'd do next.

Adam knew the rune barrier's essence stemmed from the Ancient Voice, rendering it nearly impossible to alter.

'After losing to me, Erada was forced to honor my demand due to the Ancient Voice. This held true even though our strengths matched. In that scenario, she still had to comply. So what of this obstacle? What of these doors and regulations? Who's behind it all?'

Undoubtedly, it was a being of immense might, far exceeding both him and Alexia in strength. That implied he'd barely manage to mark the barrier at best.

Still, he refused to brush off those ideas and surrender. He owed it to himself to give the utmost effort possible.

Alexia swallowed hard while observing the shadows deepening around Adam, and a vivid glow bursting from his needle.

Shadows and radiance wrapped him in an icy hold, making the surrounding atmosphere shudder in expectation of his impending action, destined to be both his initial and final strike.

This represented his personal strength, forged in fierce combats to the death. It embodied his core—breaking down barriers.

Step.

Adam moved ahead, his body shaking.

Right then, the surge of radiance and shadows raced across the rocky trail, directing its full force at the cyan crystal. A mere fracture would suffice for them to claim the Pale Spider Pearl.

Alexia's gaze expanded in shock as she shielded her features from the fierce winds blasting toward her.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Streams of sparks whipped by Adam's features, his needle vibrated wildly, his hold on the handle clenched firmer than before, and the pearl mirrored in his mismatched eyes—one green, the other blue.

Pulse by pulse coursed through the runes, each surge exposing greater portions of the barrier until countless runes loomed before Adam like an immense barrier.

No one knew the extent of energy needed to uncover every rune or the consequences that might follow.

But...

Crack.

Adam's moment had ended.

The needle shattered, a shard whipping across his face while the force of his advance hurled him back.

"Adam!" Alexia cried out as she dashed ahead, arriving at his rear in an instant.

She seized his arms and aided his safe descent to the ground.

As Adam regained his senses, Alexia glanced at the rippling lake surface, noting the spiders that had lurked like hunters moments prior now cowering among boulders and cave fissures. They dreaded any stray bit of that energy reaching them, which would spell their doom.

Alexia swallowed nervously, struggling to fathom the vast gap between her barrier-breaking try and Adam's.

They operated on entirely separate tiers.

'Damn... We're not even in the same league,' she mused, her stare sharpening on the barrier. 'Even so, it fell short. The Ancient Voice—we truly must adhere to its demands, huh?'

"Gha."

Adam breathed out frosty vapor, gradually pulling himself upright from the floor.

"How frustrating..." He fixed his gaze on the cyan crystal. "No cracks whatsoever, not a mark. The barrier soaked up my strike entirely."

"What more is there to add?" Alexia folded her arms across her torso. "That was truly striking. I'm not kidding. Perhaps give it another go, but incorporate the ancient energy this round?"

Actually, that suggestion proved remarkably solid.

They'd witnessed the feats of ancient energy. It granted abilities once deemed out of reach.

"No." Adam denied with a head shake. "I loathe saying it, but even if my path held two or three times more power, I suspect the barrier would hold firm.

Differing from the one guarding the abyss, we're powerless against this. Not without meeting the terms first."

Alexia resisted the notion, yet reality left her no option but to yield.

"Pfffft! So what's our plan? Where's that fairy? Hey! We're set! What's next?"

Her voice echoed as she scanned the area.

Precisely then, a brilliant glow descended from overhead, prompting them to tilt their heads up.

Atop the circular ledge, the indentations ignited sequentially, twisting from the rim inward.

A total of 600 indentations existed, and once all brimmed with illumination, a robotic tone echoed through the cavern:

[The trial has begun. Collect 60 glowing tips to gain access to the cyan crystal. You have 10 minutes to do so.]

Before long, the spiders gleamed in their vision, poised to strike.