Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1546: Falling Ice (Part 2)

The initial activation of Adam's fused power alongside Silvana stood out as a key turning point in their travels, no question about it. In that encounter, he overcame Arnoth, a victory that filled him with great pride.

This event guided him toward the Dark Shore and unlocked a fresh stage in his journey. Indeed, the Evolution Vein played no role in the First Star's choice to send Adam there, yet without Silvana's abilities, Arnoth would surely have claimed victory.

Adam grasped this truth fully.

After that, he had witnessed just one other instance of the Evolution Vein merging with the Operator. It involved Fromund and Arayna, though Adam learned of it afterward since he was deeply focused on his clash with Bathild at the time.

At last, the opportunity arose once more to behold such a display, the formidable strength that Alexia and Louis would unleash against the massive swarm of zombie beasts assailing them from every direction.

Though Adam yearned to hurry to their side, his gaze now held no trace of worry, replaced entirely by eager interest.

He longed to witness the capabilities of Alexia and Louis, not merely as it marked the second Evolution Vein Order he would observe, but because their pairing differed from that of Adam and Fromund.

Louis served as the male figure, while Alexia was female. Despite their roles as Operator and Phantom, this dynamic surely shaped their bond in ways unlike Adam and Fromund, where both Operators were women.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

Frosty gales surged up around Alexia, compelling the creatures to fall back. Yet, this defense fell short.

While the frontline of the frailest beasts froze into icy sculptures, the rest pressed on relentlessly, shattering them underfoot. Their sole aim was to close in on Alexia, no matter the obstacles.

Yet in that instant, Louis—who had been clasping Alexia firmly from behind with his eyes shut—leapt into motion.

Gradually, he lifted his head, unveiled his eyes, and swept his right hand through the air.

Whooooooooosh!

This single gesture unleashed a ferocious snowstorm, driving the beasts to stagger backward. Even the largest and mightiest among them could not withstand its force.

Unlike Adam and Silvana's joint activation, Louis refrained from merging his power with Alexia's. Instead, he shielded her and granted her the moments needed to ready the true onslaught.

"Bastards..." Alexia breathed out frosty air as her eyes gleamed with intensity. "Do you think that because there are many of you, you can defeat me? You are nothing!"

A deep shudder rippled through the air as over a dozen portals tore open within the mist rings crowning the cavern's ceiling. The beasts lifted their gazes toward the churning fog, which swiftly coalesced into sharp ice shards.

In the blink of an eye, those shards ballooned to immense sizes, extending to the mist rings' boundaries like colossal bergs drifting from an enchanted realm.

The cleverest among the beasts darted to the flanks, sensing the impending doom, but their efforts proved futile.

"DIEEEEE!" Alexia bellowed while slashing her hand downward.

Obeying her fierce order, the ice shards plummeted toward the horde. Even before the initial barrage struck, the mist rings spawned fresh ones that hammered the earth moments later.

Five waves like this hammered down in succession, each carrying the same devastating might as the last.

This marked the utmost extent for both the mist rings and Alexia, her stare turning weary in mere moments.

"GRH!"

A guttural roar escaped the beast as the lead ice shard slammed into it.

THUMP!

The shard pulverized the massive creature, reducing it to a smear of gore and a lone limb, its digits spasming a few times.

Such an end befell every beast, none spared.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Shard after shard thundered to the cavern floor, each impact claiming numerous lives.

From his vantage point, Adam observed the chaos with eyes stretched wide. The spectacle captivated him completely.

Undoubtedly, this was a mighty technique that swiftly eradicated hundreds of Black Threat Monsters, though it diverged sharply from the powers shared by him and Silvana.

"Hah, so one strike wipes out the entire foe force?" Adam murmured, scanning the area.

Just moments before, endless beasts had hungered to shred Alexia apart, but now she stood encircled by scores of enormous ice shards, every one pinning down clusters of crushed enemies.

"Agh... Agh... Agh..."

Alexia panted raggedly as she dropped to one knee. Louis enveloped her in a final embrace before fading back into his ghostly essence.

Even after pouring so much vitality into that assault, Alexia failed to suppress the triumphant grin spreading across her features.

"Tsk, you shouldn’t have even come out against me! You didn’t stand a chance in the first place! I’m too strong!"

Step.

Adam advanced, positioning himself before Alexia. She tilted her head up as he extended a hand toward her.

"Good job. I’m even a little jealous. You defeated over a hundred opponents while I was fighting just one."

She rose to her feet and peered over to the spot where Adam's confrontation had concluded.

Where once a terrifying Phantom had nearly compelled Alexia to reveal her hidden aces, now only tattered remnants of flesh littered the ground.

"Well... It seems that your one opponent was more than worthy of the fight. However, you didn’t have to use your trump card."

Adam shrugged.

"If a hundred monsters had come at me, I would have done the same. Now."

His face grew solemn.

"What’s more important is the tree."

Step.

Adam moved ahead, ready to shatter the blue-hued tree. They ought to have targeted it right away, sparing themselves the conflict. Its innocent appearance had concealed its true potential.

"Wait."

All at once, Alexia halted him.

"Huh?" Adam shot her a confused glance.

Alexia proceeded solo, her aura steady and serene, with no armament materializing in her grip.

"I can feel it, Adam. The Ancient Frost originates from this tree. I will not destroy it, I will absorb it, right now!"