Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1612 1612: Only Way (Part 2)
Previously on Endless Evolution: Last Star...
Zargos kept a sharp watch on Adam, scanning for any shifts, and beyond the spasms in his face muscles, a fresh occurrence started unfolding.
"Hmm?" Zargos arched a brow as Adam grew still. The restless thrashing that suggested a tormenting dream had ceased, replaced by a serene composure like that of tranquil repose.
Yet, his radiating presence told a vastly different story.
'It's expanding,' Zargos observed, his gaze sharpening. 'This holds both peril and promise. It shows he's resisting, perhaps prevailing, but... this stems from the First Star's power; concealing it fully seems improbable.'
The challenge proved tough, yet Zargos resolved to attempt it.
"Merra, we need to mask his aura."
"Yes!" Merra sprang into action without delay.
Her palms pressed together, causing the crimson sphere to stretch outward, enveloping her hands first, then her form, and extending onward until a sheer, scarlet barrier enveloped the rear yard of the dwelling.
The dome spared Adam from its influence, but it ought to veil his aura to some degree.
Zargos skipped erecting a shield of his own, instead flicking his hand to unleash a mass of scarlet fire that merged into Merra's dome, bolstering its might considerably.
"Hmm..." He murmured in contemplation. "This forms a solid barrier. Should Adam deploy every secret technique simultaneously, zero traces of his aura would escape, though with Dark Energy in play. Tsk, trouble appears unavoidable."
For the moment, Adam and both of them faced no immediate threats, but uncertainty loomed once Adam stirred from his trance.
A rush of Dark Energy wasn't something a mighty beast could overlook. It blazed like a beacon in the night, detectable across vast distances.
"Well, we'll tackle issues as they arise, right?" Zargos grumbled.
"Sir, perhaps we ought to reach out to a clan member, or ideally, your sister?"
Curiously, Zargos replied with a sly grin.
"Uh? You wish for her to glimpse my secret early? No chance. I crave witnessing her reaction when she discovers I surpass her once more, just prior to the clan head selection! Hahaha!"
Suddenly, shadows veiled his features as his aura briefly halted Merra's heartbeat.
"Leave the other matters to me. Adam will manage his challenge, and should intruders arrive, dispatching them to scattered ashes with my Dark Energy poses no hurdle, be it Morok with his team or any other foe."
Merra offered no further words. She understood this outcome was certain.
Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.
A mighty surge of energy erupted from Adam's frame, drawing a grin across Zargos's lips.
Transformations accelerated beyond their forecasts, and their barrier couldn't contain this inky, shadowy force for much longer.
...
Dark Silvana whipped her needle around while pulling her arm rearward for the upcoming thrust. Her needle's point targeted Adam squarely, who mirrored her posture, albeit without a needle or any armament whatsoever.
All he possessed were his fists, his vitality, and that single skill he forged personally, not inherited from a gene, relic, or triumph against a formidable creature.
"My path alone suffices for victory!" Adam declared in his mind while advancing a pace.
Previously, he'd never attempted deploying the path sans his needle. At heart, he'd clung to the notion that the needle integral to this power, serving as his tool to carve the route toward adversaries and success.
Just a solitary opportunity existed. Should he leave himself open to Dark Silvana's assault, doom would claim him. A single grave injury would conclude their clash, costing him all.
'Agh, it's odd how I can't reach the true Silvana, yet must battle her sinister duplicate. Still, that fuels my drive to prevail!'
Step!
They lunged ahead together, as twin streams of energy surged forth. The shadowy one from Dark Silvana, forging a route toward Adam, and the luminous one from Adam.
Neither anticipated this, yet the dual paths smashed centrally, rendering retreat impossible.
Dark Silvana and Adam's bodies quivered while they dashed onward in a swift haze, detaching from their positions.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
The gloom from the ruinous path shredded Adam's radiance apart, baring his shoulders.
Merely a slender coating of brightness lingered over his hands, acting as the final bulwark.
He clenched his jaws while the obscurity, akin to a savage gale, raked his visage, seeking to strip every bit of his glow.
Such might the First Star could never tolerate.
However, the First Star was absent; only Adam and his internal realm persisted.
"That won't suffice!" He bellowed, striding ahead and hazarding the Dark Silvana's needle slicing his limb.
Clang!
The ebony needle quaked as an unseen shield barred it from grazing Adam's hand.
Simultaneously, the final remnant of brightness at Adam's fingertips flared like the sun, erupting in a potent beam that draped him in a pale shroud.
Dark Silvana's face twisted, brimming with dread. Retreat beckoned, but escape proved futile. Unlike Adam, she remained unaware that the path forbade reversal. Upon activation, solely triumph or downfall lay ahead.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
Fissures raced over her body, as Adam's route intensified and hers waned progressively. The prior ferocious darkness now mimicked a timid current.
"Hah, you mimicked every skill of mine, yet missed the vital one?"
Adam grinned.
"Exactly." He affirmed. "You're merely a duplicate, whereas my path stands authentic!"
Whooooosh!
With his subsequent stride, Adam's velocity peaked, the pale route ripping through the enveloping darkness over dozens of meters.
Shards of glass scattered wildly as Dark Silvana shattered in an instant.
The needle sailed aside, stabbing into the gloom like a tangible wall. Radiant flows seeped from the fissures.
"Gha..."
Adam drew a profound breath, with vitality gently circulating about him.
Afterward, he gradually pivoted to regard the needle, its grip.
Adam grinned.
"Time for us to reunite as partners once more. Am I correct?"