Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1452 - Capítulo 1452: Teleportation and a Satisfying Victory
Previously on Endless Evolution: Last Star...
Chapter 1452: Teleportation and a Satisfying Victory
Engaging in combat with superior Phantoms was a common method for warriors to test their limits and refine their prowess.
Although Adam had participated in such bouts before, the memory of his duel against Damien remained vivid. That particular loss had provided him with invaluable insights.
For the first time, he occupied the opposite role; even at the K2-Level, a Phantom possessed sufficient strength to impart lessons to those in lower ranks.
Adam lacked experience in instruction, and whether he possessed any talent for teaching remained to be seen, though he felt no particular urge to explore that path.
Since the young man and girl had essentially coerced him into this confrontation, Adam resolved to conclude the matter swiftly.
“We… We lost?” the girl whispered, her voice laced with shock.
Adam’s aura was fully visible, as he made no effort to conceal it. His current power output was perfectly calibrated to match theirs.
“But how? How could you intercept my arrow while restricted to our strength level? Any other K3-Phantom would have been gravely wounded by that strike!”
Shrugging his shoulders, Adam tightened his grip and snapped the projectile in half.
“Energy control is the key. In your position, I would have infused that shot with far more energy—enough to ensure no one of equal rank could stop it with their bare skin. It’s as simple as that.”
The young man climbed to his feet, subconsciously rubbing his throat with a look of unease.
‘Damn, I didn’t even have a chance to react before his needle reached my neck! I was defeated in a heartbeat!’
Thump!
The youth sank back to the ground, his gaze fixed on Adam.
“I assume there is no point in requesting a second bout?”
The girl bit her lip in frustration. She was eager to continue, but neither of them was foolish; they could tell Adam was losing interest.
Adam turned to depart, yet a sudden impulse caused him to hesitate.
‘Tsk, if I walk away now, those dejected faces will haunt me all day. Agh… I really need to get better at saying no, though I suppose I can afford to relax for a moment.’
“Fine, one more round,” Adam said with a wave of his hand. “Focus on your movements. If you manage to land a hit on me, we’ll call it your victory. If you fail, I’m leaving before you get another chance.”
Their eyes sparkled with excitement, but they quickly masked it with serious expressions, bracing themselves for the next exchange.
‘Hah, is this how I appeared to Damien, Erik, and the rest?’ Adam wondered while watching the pair whisper over their strategy. ‘Well, I’ll treat this as a light warm-up.’
…
Adam agreed to several more rounds, though he refrained from active teaching, unlike the official instructors.
He simply crushed them repeatedly, relying on his superior reflexes, experience, and energy control.
Furthermore, he required very few techniques to pin them down. His bare fists, his needle, and his white threads were more than enough for the job.
Adam avoided his more destructive abilities, partly because they drained too much energy, but primarily because he had no intention of causing them real harm.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Time and again, the duo was sent tumbling to the dirt, yet they persistently rose to launch new assaults.
They eventually stopped debating tactics between rounds, choosing instead to improvise and adapt their maneuvers on the fly.
“Oh, so they’ve switched to a waiting game?” Adam smiled thinly upon seeing them take a defensive stance. “Fine, that won’t save you!”
Regardless of whether it was a trap, Adam didn’t hesitate. He lunged forward, intent on ending the duel immediately.
Step. Step. Step.
The ground shuddered beneath his heavy footfalls. As he closed the distance, the young man’s eyes flashed, and a thicket of roots erupted from the earth.
Instead of lashing out at Adam, the roots twisted upward, weaving into a protective dome over the pair.
“Hmm? A cage to keep me out? That won't work.”
As Adam prepared to strike, a forest of green thorns sprouted from the wood, and the girl leaped into the air.
Her arrow shattered into fragments, forming five rotating rings of air. The wind accelerated rapidly, manifesting razor-sharp leaves within the gale.
Recalling his earlier advice, Adam realized their objective.
“Hah, so you’re determined to draw blood? Let’s see if you can manage it!”
He moved to seize them and end the fight. However, at the critical moment, the young man plunged his blade into the soil. A surge of green energy erupted, manifesting multiple layers of reinforced wood as a barricade.
Adam could have pierced through those defenses easily with his needle; he was an expert at dismantling barriers.
Unfortunately, time was not on his side.
A storm of thorns and bladed leaves descended upon him, all aimed at inflicting a single scratch.
A primary flaw in Adam’s repertoire was his lack of defensive techniques; he had no way to manifest a shield against the incoming projectiles.
Nevertheless, considering the potential of his newest power, a plan formed.
‘If I open a portal directly in front of me, I can warp these thorns elsewhere and shield myself, right?’ Adam thought, his fingers twitching. ‘I’ll try it!’
He moved to summon the Staff of Defeat, but the moment the first trickle of energy reached his hand, his features twisted in agony.
Utilizing that power required him to be in peak condition. Having only been awake for an hour, he was far from his best.
Additionally, he was currently restricted to the K3 Level. The sheer pressure the Staff of Defeat exerted on his body at this power level would shatter his skeleton and burst his heart in seconds.
It was a massive oversight. He had never attempted to use it while suppressed before.
‘Fuck! Now what?’
Meanwhile, the young man and girl watched with bated breath, hoping that at least one of their hundreds of projectiles would find its mark.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Suddenly, dark lines carved through the air from the opposite side as a long needle shredded the wooden barriers.
The young man swallowed hard as he locked eyes with Adam’s freezing stare. He realized the playtime had ended; things were now deadly serious.
Thump!
Adam blurred forward like a specter, colliding with them.
Before they could blink, he had seized them by the shoulders and slammed them into the ground.
“GRH!”
The youth coughed up a spray of blood, while the girl winced as a sharp pain shot through her shoulder.
Adam raised his needle to strike again but froze mid-swing. He remembered just in time that this wasn't a battlefield and these two weren't his enemies.
“Oh, I might have overdone it. Are you two alright?” Adam asked with a sigh, helping the girl to her feet.
She nodded quickly. “Yes, don’t worry, I’m okay. We know you had to react. Besides…” Her eyes sparkled. “We deal with much worse when we hunt monsters! This is nothing!”
Adam glanced at the young man, who was grinning widely despite the blood leaking from his lip.
“I guess we aren't as hopeless as we thought, huh?” He gestured toward Adam’s forearm.
“Hmm?” Adam looked down, raising an eyebrow.
Just above his wrist sat a tiny, shallow nick. It was barely a scratch, but a lone bead of blood was tracing a path down his skin.
“Hah!” Adam laughed. “Then you win! I can’t argue with that. Well done!”
After a brief conversation that Adam tried to wrap up as fast as possible, he finally turned back toward the spire.
The two youths offered a deep, respectful bow.
“Thank you very much!”
“This was a great lesson for both of us!”
Adam rubbed the back of his neck, a faint look of satisfaction on his face. He hated to admit it, but the praise felt good.
‘Maybe it wasn’t a total waste of time. But that’s enough! I’ve been here way too long!’
Step. Step. Step.
Adam hurried toward the spire’s summit, where members of the Gamma Division were already waiting.
“Mr. Adam, are you prepared for the transit to the Citadel?” a woman inquired while her associate calibrated the teleportation array.
Adam gave a firm nod.
“Yeah. I’ve spent so much time in the Tarnished Lands that I’ve almost forgotten what civilization feels like.”
The woman offered a small smile.
“I’ve heard Izardo is quite a sophisticated monster settlement. Even so, nothing rivals the Citadel.”
Adam shrugged.
“Maybe, but some of the things I saw out there…” He thought of Norax and his game console. “…were definitely unexpected.”
Adam stepped onto the platform as the woman bowed, placing a hand over her heart.
“We thank you for your service, Adam Vinter. We look forward to your next visit to the Dead Lands.”
Adam flashed a broad grin as his silhouette began to blur under the teleport's influence.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon! I haven’t reached my peak yet!”
The woman watched him closely, and a moment later, Adam vanished.