Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1635: Wall of Blocks

Adam finished the initial phase of the training with surprising speed, far outstripping Tron’s expectations. While this was positive, Adam remained unaware that Tron intended to escalate the difficulty of his upcoming trials significantly.

Regardless, if Adam desired to progress and augment his power, he had no choice but to overcome every hurdle. Furthermore, he hadn’t even reached the stage involving Dark Energy yet.

"WHAT?!" Adam shouted, his eyes locked on the seventy metallic blocks. "Are you joking? How can you possibly expect me to shatter all of these with one strike?"

Adam doubted his capability, even if they were composed of standard steel, let alone steel fortified with the Gray Sky’s energy, which possessed durability comparable to artifacts from the Primal Lands.

Tron simply responded with a dismissive shrug.

"That is not my concern. Besides, you aren't required to turn these blocks into powder. Leaving a mark is sufficient. If you fail to accomplish this using Ancient Energy, well... you will simply keep trying until you succeed. You have no other option."

Adam glared at him, turning slightly.

"And what is your plan?"

Tron retrieved his phone from his coat.

"I’m going to watch a show. Anything serves as better entertainment than monitoring your futile attempts and listening to you whine."

Twitch. Twitch. Twitch.

A vein pulsed on Adam’s temple. At that moment, his desire to strike Tron was far greater than his inclination to hit the steel blocks.

"Tsk, fine. I’ll do it. I’m certain it will be just as simple as the opening trial!"

Tron smirked as he walked toward a table. "Don't rely on that. You exceeded my expectations last time because you had already learned to compress your energy during recent skirmishes. You won't bypass this segment with a singular trick."

Adam muttered a retort under his breath, though it failed to reach Tron’s ears.

'Fine. Silvana isn't here, and Tron won't offer guidance until I am on the cusp of success. But... how am I supposed to achieve this?'

Previously, Adam would have unleashed several wild blows without a strategy, but now, he resolved to remain patient.

Tap.

He settled into a cross-legged position, resting his head against his fist with a look of deep concentration.

'Hmm... The essence of Ancient Energy is rooted in its explosive potential. I could channel massive star energy into a strike with only a speck of ancient energy and achieve vastly different results. Tron is correct; destroying them all is unlikely, but damaging them is the goal. Does a mere scratch or a minor puncture count?'

Adam rose to his feet moments later, immediately drawing Tron’s attention. He peered up from his screen.

'Does he already have a strategy? Interesting, he is faster than anticipated. Since our last encounter, he has clearly attained not just more power, but a sharper mindset.'

Tap.

Adam pressed his palm onto the primary steel block. Without invoking his internal reserves, he executed a swift, precise blow.

BAM!

A shudder passed through the steel, leaving a deep indentation at the site of impact. Had that been a traditional stone or common iron, Adam would have likely shattered it, yet this was the extent of his progress.

He remained composed, offering a brief nod as he lowered his eyes.

Purple energy emanated from his fingertips, coalescing into a tiny star that hovered between his palms.

'If water pressurized appropriately can slice through steel, yet we use paper cups to hold it, the outcome depends entirely on density and form. What prevents me from applying the same principle now?'

Ripple. Ripple. Ripple.

Space trembled as the purple star pulsated.

"Seventy blocks, is it? I can manage this."

Nodding, he clenched his fist to contain the star's glow. Energy surged into his palm until it blazed with light; he stepped back and launched his full power at the first steel block.

Adam’s eyes sharpened as his energy erupted into a focused laser beam, barely the width of a finger.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

The beam tore through target after target.

A triumphant smirk tugged at Adam’s lips. Although he couldn't see the interior, the sounds of cracking steel confirmed he had already breached thirty blocks, with forty remaining.

'Come on! I used enough energy to level a hundred ordinary walls!'

Perhaps he would have been correct were these ordinary barriers, but...

BAM! BAM! Bam...!

A final, sharp crack echoed, causing Adam’s eyes to widen in shock.

By his count, the beam had traversed fifty-one blocks.

Whoooooooosh.

Desperate for verification, Adam sprinted forward.

"Damn it!" Adam struck the 52nd block, which remained unscathed, while the 51st was pulverized.

Tron cast a sideways glance.

'Not bad. Truly, I knew that fifty blocks would not suffice to hold someone like him. He would have cleared the test not through refined technique, but by sheer force of will.'

He inspected the hollow tunnel left by the beam.

'Had his energy control been just marginally superior, he would have pierced all seventy. He merely needed to compress the laser further. Though, even I struggle to achieve such precision.'

It was a valiant attempt, but Adam now understood that he needed an entirely different approach to clear this hurdle.

...

Tap.

Meanwhile, his Operator prepared for her own challenge. Just like Adam, Silvana had arrived of her own volition.

The distinction lay in the nature of their obstacles; while Adam faced immovable steel, Silvana was tasked with Riska’s culinary challenge.

"Alright, Silvana, let's begin with the fundamentals of apple pie assembly."

She drove a blade into the center of the cutting board.

"We must slice these apples with extreme precision. Our goal is to achieve paper-thin consistency."

Silvana nodded with unwavering confidence.

"I am ready."