Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1631: Sky Cube

Deep underground, every Sky Cube formed an enormous structure. Yet, it didn't resemble a dim storage facility; rather, it proved to be something vastly more intricate and peculiar.

Adam certainly realized the faraway clouds and sunshine were illusions—such things couldn't exist since they lay buried below the surface. Even so, the whole scene seemed utterly lifelike, and a particular explanation accounted for it:

"The sight before you goes beyond mere engineering, displays, and advanced tech. Each Sky Cube possesses a kind of overseer. That's what we name them: an Overseer."

"Overseer?" Adam inquired.

Tron gave a nod.

"Essentially, it's an artifact—or more precisely, a fragment of one."

Tap.

He struck the ground with his foot, and amid the grass and rocks, a ring materialized, opening into emptiness. From it rose a glowing sphere that quickly shaped into a ball of fluid glass. The glassy sphere floated in front of Tron, remaining silent.

"Hmm?" Silvana appeared puzzled. "Is that the artifact? For an External Artifact, wouldn't it possess a personality and speak?"

But Tron shook his head while scanning the surroundings.

"That held true ages ago, but nowadays it's merely a component of the Hollow Artifact known as the Gray Sky. Through it, we can alter whatever we desire within the Sky Cubes."

Tap.

Tron placed his hand on the glass sphere and shut his eyes. He channeled his power into it, causing the sphere to quiver.

In that instant, six metal orbs materialized high in the sky over their heads, drifting lazily just above the earth.

"These orbs serve as your initial exercise, Adam." Tron gestured skyward. "Take them down one by one with a basic energy blast. It's way too soon to employ your energy for Ancient Energy, much less Dark Energy."

"Agh? Doesn't that sound too simple?" Adam looked baffled. "Those orbs... Just how tough are they?"

Tron grinned, crossing his arms over his torso.

"The only method to discover that is by trying. Plus, you need to finish the challenge in under a minute. Once you launch your first blast, the countdown begins. This acts as a prelude to actual training, but don't assume it'll be a breeze."

After saying that, he moved out of the way while the glass sphere sank back into the earth. The Gray Sky operated without needing to stay in constant view.

"Fine, time to test this artifact's power!" Adam shouted, extending his arm ahead.

He aimed two curled fingers toward a single orb, where thick energy started to concentrate at their end.

Hollow Artifacts remained exceptionally scarce, especially when measured against External Artifacts and especially against the common varieties spawned from erratic energy surges in anomalies.

Most Hollow Artifacts had begun as Ancient Artifacts, until some event led to their downfall. It might have been depletion, a fatal clash, or insanity from endless existence without variation. Countless reasons existed, and all spelled disaster.

The Gray Sky followed this very pattern. As a Hollow Artifact now, anyone with enough strength could harness its abilities for personal gain.

Indeed, Tron's current actions mirrored those of the Silver Beacon, Bertrada, and the White Spire to a great extent.

Of course, restrictions applied, given that Hollow Artifacts once wielded tremendous might; even diminished, they kept traces of their original intent.

Therefore, a Hollow Artifact like this one, capable of generating trials, provided ideal practice for the K4-Phantoms.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

A white glow shook at Adam's fingertips as he unleashed the shot.

Without delay, he swung his hand toward the next orb, figuring the previous blast would suffice to obliterate the first, yet...

BAM!

A piece of the metal hurtled aside while Adam's eyes grew wide. The initial orb suffered heavy harm, yet it endured intact.

In that split second, Adam grasped that its resilience matched items from the Primal Lands. Destroying a stone there would yield a comparable outcome.

"Adam!" Silvana cried out. "The clock is ticking! Speed up!"

Tron and Riska stayed quiet. They merely observed.

"No," Adam denied, shaking his head. "I can't finish in time."

He scowled and faced Tron.

"Do you mean my standard energy manipulation falls short?"

Tron lifted his shoulders.

"If star energy failed to shatter even one orb, then yes. In combat, you'd handle it effortlessly, but you don't rely on raw energy blasts in fights, do you?"

"What are you getting at?"

To that, Tron indicated Adam's hands.

"You're a skilled combatant. In battle, you naturally channel your energy with precision, like when you form a fist for a strike. However, you've never focused on refining energy control at the K4 stage."

He stretched his arm outward.

"That's precisely why pulling off something like this eludes you—"

A violet energy surge raced through the air, slamming into the first orb.

The impact exploded the orb into fragments, which tumbled down and embedded their jagged points into the dirt.

Adam's brow furrowed.

It went beyond Tron's blast being more potent than his own.

"He executed it quicker and with pinpoint accuracy; for him, it felt effortless... Moreover, he didn't expend extra energy—he's simply superior at it."

Next, his eyes shifted to the scattered remnants.

"They seem authentic, but ultimately, it's all simulated, isn't it?"

Tron dismissed with a wave. "Not quite. The entire setup stems from the Gray Sky. It's illusory in one sense, but if I stabbed you with a spear crafted by this artifact, the injury would feel genuine. Allow me to reveal the true form of the Sky Cube."

Tap.

The glass sphere surfaced from the void once more as Tron contacted it.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

The area quaked while the woodland and sky dissolved away in a flash. Nothing remained but lofty gray barriers far off, veiled in shadow.

Adam swallowed hard, comprehending the Gray Sky's true potential.