Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1537 1537: Rule Change

Just like in the initial test, Adam and Alexia didn't need to take down a formidable foe, collect any materials, or smash through a shield using an overwhelmingly strong blow.

A specific requirement was handed to them, one they absolutely had to meet.

During the previous challenge, they realized the need to gather the Glowing Tips, but only after some time did they figure out the search spots and uncover the true target: the golden spiders.

This time around, the Ancient Voice laid out every rule upfront.

Stone cannons materialized within the once-vacant arches, and a blue glow ignited deep inside the barrels right as the initial cannonball launched, slamming straight toward Adam.

Right then, a vibration rippled across the three mirrors while the blue light enveloped them, briefly transforming the mirrors into gateways.

Adam's eyes sharpened as the words of the Ancient Voice echoed in his mind.

'So, I need to grab it and hurl it through the portal?' Adam pondered, wrapping his palms in a dense coating of energy.

Unsure of the cannons' true might, he chose caution over risk.

Whoooooosh!

Slicing through the air, the cannonball surged ahead, pierced the barrier, and collided directly with Adam, who stood poised in perfect position.

Resembling a sports player snatching a pass from an opponent, Adam seized the cannonball firmly in his grasp, even as it kept rotating and pulling him off-balance.

Black streaks marked the floor from Adam's boots as he halted mere meters from the barrier.

His fingers shook slightly. Without the energy shielding his hands, the cannonball would've shredded his flesh.

"Alright, my turn now!" Adam shouted before spinning around and unleashing his throw.

With three portals available, he picked the central one.

The cannonball soared beyond the barrier and struck the portal dead-on.

Adam and Alexia held their breath for the Ancient Voice's approval, but a low rumble echoed from overhead instead.

One of the vibrant glass sections atop the dome dimmed entirely, losing its glow.

In that instant, tallying each glass panel proved tricky, but roughly a hundred existed—perhaps a bit fewer or more.

"I love this!" Alexia cheered with delight. "It's awesome when these stupid rules actually pay off!"

SHOOT!

A pair of stone cannons unleashed their blasts together, and Adam with Alexia swiftly assigned who handled which incoming shot.

Crash.

Their backs bumped as they clutched the pair of cannonballs securely.

The final three mirrors from the opening volley had clouded over once more. Yet, four fresh ones unlocked for the next toss.

Whooooosh.

Adam and Alexia launched at the same time, each targeting a separate portal. They had no clue what might occur if both aimed for one spot, and they weren't keen to test it.

As the duo of cannonballs vanished into the portals, Alexia's grin stretched wide.

"Hell yeah! That's what a real trial feels like!"

Adam shot a quick look upward, nodding faintly. Two additional glass panels darkened, bringing them nearer to triumph.

Still, he held back from cheering. A nagging doubt lingered.

"Hey, Silvana, is this truly the trial... doesn't it feel way too simple?"

Silvana hadn't replied yet when four stone cannons opened fire all at once.

Caught off guard, Adam and Alexia managed only two catches. The other cannonballs smashed into the platform and vanished.

Instantly, a robotic tone blared:

[For each failure, you will lose 1 point.]

Unclear on the exact implication at first, they soon watched the two darkened panels ignite with light anew.

"Got it..." Adam muttered lowly while flinging his cannonball toward an active portal. "So, failing to snag four at once means we're doomed?"

Adam and Alexia exchanged glances.

Confusion might've been expected, since handling four cannonballs simultaneously beat grabbing two by a mile, yet success demanded it.

Well.

Grins spread across their faces as four-pointed stars gleamed in their left eyes. Black iron gloves encased Adam's hands, and Alexia called forth her Nexus gauntlets.

Now, their speed and strength surged, and the cannonballs posed no threat to their safety.

Through the prior three volleys, they'd grasped the trial's demands, so onward they accelerated without pause.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Relentlessly, the stone cannons bombarded Adam and Alexia, occasionally unleashing up to six projectiles together.

Yet even that failed to faze them.

Spotting the next barrage incoming, Adam dashed to the barrier's edge and leaped skyward without hesitation. No more mere catches—he redirected the cannonballs toward the portals like a volleyball blocker.

Alexia lacked his finesse. Her style was fiercer, more brutal, often booting the cannonballs aside.

Catching or gripping tightly wasn't necessary. The rules simply required directing the cannonballs into the portals, a task they handled effortlessly.

Step by step, the stone cannons ramped up their velocity and force. The trial demanded effort, but with Adam and Alexia locked into the strategy, triumph loomed inevitable.

Adam gazed above, fixing on the circular glass panel at the dome's heart. It stood as the final one.

"One last one and we're done?" he wondered aloud.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

The biggest stone cannon quaked violently as a blue-energy-charged cannonball erupted forth, hurtling at them like a blazing comet.

"I'll take this one!" Alexia vaulted high, snaring the cannonball between her palms.

But she misjudged its force, which kept yanking her off course.

"Hold on, hold on, hold on!" She panicked inside, sensing she'd soon sail past the barrier.

Tap.

Adam's palm landed on her shoulder, channeling energy into his legs.

"Easy now, this is the final toss—we handle it as a team."

She dipped her head in agreement as they eyed the remaining portal.

Suspended midair, they executed the throw, sending the ultimate cannonball through the portal.

Together they touched down and peered upward, witnessing the final glass panel gradually dim to black.

Unexpectedly, the platform's barrier dissolved, and the Ancient Voice resounded.

[You did it. The second trial has passed!]

Disbelief washed over them, but smiles broke free uncontrollably.

[Now, you can get ???###***!]

Abruptly, the mechanical voice twisted into a grating screech. The Ancient Voice struggled to regain control, yet no clear words followed.

"What the hell is that?!" Alexia yelped, clapping hands over her ears.

Silence.

A brief hush fell.

Then, the Ancient Voice returned.

[Following the rules, the second trial begins!]

"What the..."

Adam's eyes bulged as the glass dome exploded into countless shards raining down before them.

Crimson glows danced in the fragments, sourced from the stone demons' glaring eyes.

A trial absent moments before now confronted them. This one marked the true finale—for them, not the Frost Oasis.