Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1529: Glowing Tip

Regardless of Adam and Alexia's actions, the blue spiders held back from launching any assaults. Instead, they observed from afar, perched atop the peaks, lingering close to the webs and crystals, or lurking within the dim crevices of the cavern walls.

Yet the moment the trial kicked off, everything shifted dramatically, leaving the spiders poised to strike.

Or so it seemed?

"What the hell is that?" Alexia blinked repeatedly, struggling to determine if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

Dozens of spiders advanced on them steadily, marking just the start of the onslaught.

Still, not a single one among them proved genuine. They resembled true spiders in form, yet their forms consisted entirely of woven energy.

"Are these... fucking ghosts?" Alexia scowled in confusion.

Adam squinted intently while the spectral spiders crept closer from every direction. Their motions and auras mirrored those of the authentic creatures perfectly, save for a single distinction:

"I see. If we kill them, we’ll essentially just destroy a piece of energy, nothing else. The actual spiders were watching us from the sidelines and continue to do so."

Next, he lifted his gaze, his eyes expanding in shock.

Out of the 600 sockets, thirty had already dimmed, and every ticking second claimed another.

’Ten minutes and 600 sockets? Each socket is just one second?’

Precious moments were slipping away fast.

"Alexia, can you see the Glowing Tips?" Adam inquired.

To secure 60 Glowing Tips, they'd need to snag one every ten seconds on average. With just the two of them working together, that meant each grabbing one every twenty seconds at the bare minimum to succeed in the trial.

But now, fewer than 600 seconds remained.

"Nah, maybe it’s their legs?" Alexia gestured toward the closest spider. The ends of its limbs glowed vividly, packed with intense blue radiance from concentrated energy.

Adam shook his head firmly.

"No, it can’t be that simple—"

Alexia dashed ahead before he could complete his thought, positioning herself right in front of the spectral spider.

She gathered energy into her fist and shattered the spider in one powerful hit. Despite being formed from pure energy, it responded to the impact just like a solid foe.

Crack.

A leg broke free as Alexia whirled and snatched it mid-air.

"Hell yeah!" Alexia shouted with glee. "One down! Only 59 to go!"

But Adam's expression held no delight; he simply indicated the tip.

"Agh?"

Alexia went pale as the blue tip faded away, vanishing right in front of her.

"No! No! No! It’s mine!" She reached desperately for the escaping energy, yet it slipped through her fingers.

This wasn't the prize they sought. It wasn't a Glowing Tip.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

The clock kept ticking relentlessly, and despite squandering 100 seconds while dispatching dozens of spectral spiders, not a single Glowing Tip had come their way.

"Agh... Agh... Silvana, any ideas?"

Silvana shook her head.

"I don’t know. Maybe they’re hiding somewhere, or you need to fulfill some special conditions, or..."

A faint shimmer drew Adam's attention to the side, prompting him to glance upward.

Beside one of the eight rocky spires, a spectral spider lingered motionless. It matched the rest in every way, barring one feature—a golden tip resembling a horn protruding from its forehead.

Moving with astonishing swiftness that even startled Alexia, Adam charged ahead, gliding over the water to avoid letting the spider escape.

The golden spider quivered, detecting the danger from a Phantom. The surrounding spiders sensed it too and hurried to assist their comrade, but they arrived too late.

Slash!

Adam slashed with his needle, bisecting the golden spider cleanly.

The golden tip soared upward, and Adam seized it firmly, determined not to let this valuable item slip away.

The blue tip Alexia held earlier dissolved into nothingness, while the true Glowing Tip pulsed and transformed into a radiant star, drifting toward Adam's arm and settling beside his shoulder as a small amber sphere.

They had claimed the first of the sixty Glowing Tips.

Adam and Alexia shared a look, pondering the origin of this unusual spider, until an insight struck Adam.

He channeled his energy into his eyes, enhancing his sight to detect the faintest energy ripples.

The instant he did, nearly a dozen spiders bearing golden tips on their heads became visible to him.

Silvana passed the details to Louis, who quickly briefed Alexia. The exchange lasted mere seconds, allowing both to now spot the concealed golden spiders.

In contrast to the spectral spiders, these golden variants weren't constantly in view, numbered only a handful, and actively concealed their auras. They avoided engaging Adam and Alexia directly, since confrontation wasn't their purpose.

"I see. The ghost spiders are here just to distract us and nothing more. To waste our time. But how is that possible? Why didn’t we notice them for several minutes?"

Adam tilted his head back, uncovering the solution.

The spiral crystals atop the eight peaks gleamed intensely, crackling with electric arcs. Before the trial's start, this effect stayed hidden, but once it commenced, the crystals enveloped the whole cavern in a pervasive energy barrier.

This phenomenon generated the spectral spiders and endowed the golden ones with their elusive traits.

Adam's initial impulse was to smash the spiral crystals. Lacking their influence, the golden spiders couldn't mask themselves any longer.

Yet the moment this crossed his mind, he spotted the runes drifting around the crystals. They flickered in and out of sight, clearly indicating that the trial's regulations shielded each one.

A few spectral spiders sneaked up on Adam from behind, but a single sweep of his needle reduced them to twisting energy wisps.

"Hey, Alexia, we need to speed up."

He flashed a grin.

"Are you ready to race?"

Her eyes ignited with a fierce blaze in reply.

"Hell yeah!"