Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 2069: Green, Blue and Purple

Kogen decided to test Skara’s limits, and he did so in his own unique way.

However, Kogen didn’t just want to hit her or scare her. He wanted to see if there was something special about her, something that would help her reach the Second Circle within the next few years.

This test was no guarantee of Skara’s success, and it’s unlikely anyone other than Kogen would have conducted it at all.

Why?

Because many Second-Rank Phantoms would have failed this test as well.

But... When he tried to do the same thing with Adam, a pleasant surprise awaited him.

He saw a green glint flash through Adam’s left eye. It lasted only a fraction of a second, but for Kogen, that was more than enough.

"What?" Skara muttered. "What does that mean? Why is he ready...?"

She was confused and demanded answers. However, Kogen was in no hurry to answer her as his curiosity got the better of him.

"Here." Kogen held out his hand for a handshake. "This time for real, honestly."

Adam glared at Kogen before nodding and accepting the offered handshake.

Clasp.

The moment their hands clasped, the strange, menacing aura surged toward Adam.

No one but him could sense this aura, not Skara, not even Silvana. Only Erik stood to the side with a slight smirk.

Adam’s eyes widened as he stared at the deep-blue flame emanating from Kogen, as if from the depths of an ancient glacier.

That flame was an extension of his own turquoise aura, complementing it.

’This... Does he want to show me his power and the power of his Operator?’

That was the first thing Adam thought, but he soon realized that wasn’t the case.

He knew what Silvana’s aura was like, as well as Lamor’s, Ron’s, or even Xyrea’s, who was certainly one of the most unusual Operators at the Citadel.

But... the aura emanating from Kogen right now wasn’t that of his Operator.

Skara and Silvana exchanged glances. Neither of them understood what was happening. They sensed that something was wrong but couldn’t figure out exactly what.

Then, Kogen smirked as the deep-blue aura expanded and a silhouette appeared within it.

"Fine, I’ll give you a hint." Kogen bared his fangs as a glint flashed across his eyes.

In an instant, his right eye took on the same deep-blue color as his aura, while his left eye retained its natural turquoise hue - a trait shared by all members of the Noukx Family.

Now, only Skara remained confused, while Adam and Silvana’s eyes widened.

But Silvana had only seen something like this a few times from a distance, while Adam had recently used this power to give Relana a good fight.

"Come on, Adam, don’t let me down, I know that shocked look isn’t all you’re capable of." Kogen’s grip tightened, making Adam wince.

Tap.

Something touched Adam’s shoulder as his blue aura grew larger, the deep green complemented it.

A silhouette with long blue hair appeared behind him when Adam blinked.

His right eye turned green, displaying the same power as Kogen’s, even though their origins, auras, and eye colors were different.

Only then did Kogen nod deeply and release Adam’s hand.

"Good. Very good."

Kogen glared at Erik.

"It took him even less time than it did me. Huh, Adam, when you become truly strong, you and I will have to go hunting."

Adam blinked as his eyes returned to normal. For a moment, he just stared at Kogen, trying to figure out what had just happened.

’Huh... I was wrong,’ Adam thought as he glanced at Skara. ’She and I aren’t all that alike. But Kogen, does he, like me, have something like the Silver Weaver in his inner space?’

Sure, for Adam, the Silver Weaver had always been an important part of his powers, but only recently had the Silver Weaver shown that it held a special place in his inner space.

’It started after I created the Path Construct. When I obtained the Bottomless Void, the Silver Weaver reached a new level. Or... Is it all because of the Grand Barrier?’

Skara waved her hand, eager to learn more.

"Kogen, Erik, what was that just now? What happened to their eyes?"

Silvana was curious too, though unlike Skara, she had a hunch about the origin of this power.

In response, Erik shook his head.

"This isn’t the time or place to talk about it. But you shouldn’t worry about it. Even among the Second-Rank Phantoms, not everyone possesses such power. Maybe you’ll develop it, and maybe you won’t."

However, that answer didn’t satisfy Skara. Like Adam, she wanted to reach the Second Circle, but unlike him, who was focused on a single goal - she had ambitions.

Being the head of the Wurhen Family meant she had to possess power on par with the mightiest Phantoms.

If there was any secret power she could possess, she needed to know everything about it.

"Erik..." Skara’s voice grew colder. "In that case, answer me one question."

He turned to her, a friendly smile playing on his face.

"Yes?"

"Do you possess this power? Do your eye and aura also have a hidden side?"

Contrary to Skara’s expectations, Erik spread his arms wide and shook his head.

"No. As I said, it’s not a prerequisite for reaching the Second Circle. You either have this power or you don’t."

Strangely enough, this answer reassured Skara. She wasn’t striving to obtain every power in this world.

If Erik could hold his status without that power, then so could she.

"I see." Skara nodded and looked at Adam. "Now I understand why Erik talked so much about you."

Adam was about to reply when welcoming sounds came from the direction of the main entrance.

Step. Step. Step.

Several calm, confident steps came from three figures. They all had pink hair and eyes.

Strangely enough, Adam recognized two of them right away.

Osana was walking on the left. In the center was a tall man with pink hair that reached his back.

But the one who caught Adam’s attention the most was the young man on the right. It was Baren - Osana’s brother, and only one of his eyes was pink, while the other was purple.

These were members of the Rouzet family, with whom Adam was quite familiar, though not by choice.

Osana spotted Adam from a distance as she waved at him with a beaming smile on her face.

Skara gulped.

"Baren... I used to think he just had heterochromia, but could it be that...?"

At the same time, she, Adam, and Silvana turned to Erik, demanding an explanation.

Erik smiled wryly.

"As you know, little Baren had a difficult childhood. The attempt to turn your firstborn into the strongest Phantom is a practice common among all the great families. But, over the past few decades, Baren is the only one who was actually a firstborn and managed to survive."

After that, Erik let out a heavy sigh.

"Only the Rouzet family managed to succeed in this, and I feel sorry for Baren for what he had to go through."

Adam gave Erik a sharp look. "But?"

"But it’s impossible to achieve that without something extra. So yeah, Baren’s eyes weren’t different from birth, it happened when he became a Phantom, while he was still a child."

Adam and Silvana exchanged glances. They both understood that he was talking about some new power, but neither of them had expected this.

’Huh, I met Baren a very long time ago, but I didn’t know that such a secret could be hidden behind the color of his eyes.’

His eyes swept over Kogen and Baren.

’What’s more, if the three of us are alike, then why can Kogen and I hide our deep eyes, while Baren’s eyes are always that color?’

After that, a satisfied smile spread across Adam’s face.

This was only the beginning, and he no longer regretted coming to the Radiant Branch.

Also, they had already met two heads of the Twelve Branches, and it seemed the third was heading straight their way.

Osana, Baren, and the unknown man, who, like all high nobles, possessed a powerful aura, were wearing their ceremonial outfits. In the case of the Rouzet Family, these were silver mantles with a slight pink sheen along the edges. The fabric was wavy and, at the ends, on the sleeves and above the ankles, curled into spirals.

Instead of heavy or ornate shoes, they wore light, glass flats that made a muffled sound with every step they took.

Step. Step. Step.

They stopped in front of Adam, Kogen, and the others. Baren nodded slightly in acknowledgment, while Osana bit her lip. She wanted to say hello to Adam, but she realized that someone else wanted to speak with him first.

The broad-shouldered man took another step forward, towering over Adam. He was truly tall, one of the tallest humans Adam had ever seen.

Silvana held her breath, suspecting who this man was.

"So you’re Adam Vinter?" the man asked.

Adam nodded slowly.

"Yes."

Immediately, a satisfied smile spread across the man’s face.

"Good. In that case, please accept my gratitude."

He touched his chest.

"I, Lagred, the Head of the Rouzed Family, thank you for stopping my wife’s foolish idea and preventing Osana from marrying the scion of the Marzo Family."

Adam smiled as he looked at Osana.

"Sure, what I did back then... it was the right decision."