Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1509: Frost Ridge (Part 2)

The instantaneous nature of teleportation was the sole major drawback of the Detached Mountains.

It was a bizarre sensation; merely ten seconds prior, Adam and Alexia had been standing at the mountain's base within the Detached Mountains, accompanied by Damien—a Phantom whose sheer power could terrify any monster in existence.

Now, they found themselves suspended in the sky above an unknown land. Biting, frost-laden winds were powerful enough to glaze their skin with a thin sheet of ice. Danger lurked in every direction, and one specific threat was currently charging straight toward them.

Whoooooooosh.

An ice wyvern unfurled its wings, accelerating until it loomed before Adam and Alexia in a matter of heartbeats.

Time seemed to freeze as they hung in the air, the world coming to a standstill under the ice wyvern's piercing stare. The creature observed Adam and Alexia closely, evaluating whether these intruders posed any real risk.

Despite the suddenness of the encounter, Adam and Alexia were no strangers to such perilous circumstances.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

Their auras began to vibrate as they braced themselves for a confrontation.

The true strength of the ice wyvern remained a mystery to them, yet they were determined not to fall within the opening minute of their arrival.

However, the Primal Lands were governed by a specific nuance of the law of the jungle.

While the strong held dominion, they rarely bothered to waste energy on the weak. It simply wasn't worth the effort.

The ice wyvern’s wings expanded fully as the interest faded from its eyes. It no longer cared about the two humans.

This dismissal wasn't necessarily based on their raw power levels or auras, but rather the fact that Adam and Alexia didn't resemble prepared hunters. To the wyvern, they looked like a pair of stray rabbits who had lost their way.

Whooooooosh!

With a powerful beat of its wings, the ice wyvern unleashed a sharp gale that sent Adam and Alexia tumbling through the air. The monster then ascended toward its domain above the clouds, continuing its journey without sparing another thought for the two Phantoms.

In the Dead Lands, such an outcome would be nearly impossible. Typically, if a monster saw an advantage, it would strike anything in its path, whether it be another beast or a Phantom.

The Dark Shore and Tarnished Lands functioned differently, as the high-level monsters there frequently maintained human forms and acted with calculated intent.

But in this place, if a monster deemed an opponent unworthy, the encounter simply ended there.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

The gust of wind propelled them into the heart of a forest, where massive branches collided with Adam and Alexia’s backs.

The trees here were colossal, each capable of shading an entire village on a clear day. In this frozen realm, however, the trees stood skeletal and bare, their thick bark armored in layers of snow and ice.

Thump!

Silence finally returned as the two figures plummeted into a deep snowdrift.

Wiping the snow from his face, Adam looked up to see brilliant sunlight filtering through the clouds and the tangled canopy of the ancient forest.

“FUCKKK!” Alexia yelled in a fit of rage as she scrambled to her feet.

She scanned the heavens for the ice wyvern, but the creature had long since vanished into the distance.

“Did you see that?” Alexia demanded, turning toward Adam, who was taking his time getting up. “Why did it just fly off? I was prepared to fight!”

Adam let out a weary sigh as he stood, shaking the snow from his clothes.

“That wyvern... it just decided we weren't worth the trouble. That’s all there is to it.”

To Alexia, being ignored was a slight worse than death itself. She never retreated from a battle, yet the ice wyvern hadn't fled; it had merely found them insignificant.

“Shit!” Alexia barked, kicking the snow in frustration.

Suddenly, her expression shifted from anger to agony as her face turned red.

“SHIT! Shit! Shit!”

She clutched her foot, hopping around in pain.

Adam raised a brow, noticing a rock concealed beneath the snow where she had kicked.

Under normal conditions, Alexia’s strength would have pulverized a stone, but this environment was different.

“I see. The energy density here is even higher than in the heart of the Tarnished Lands, isn't it? If one of those massive branches hits us, it’ll do more than just sting...” Adam looked upward. “Damn, we’re looking at broken bones for sure.”

Actually, Adam preferred these stakes.

The heightened danger made him feel more present, making the world feel tangible. He understood that in this place, even a simple rock could be a weapon against a monster.

In a world where even the stones were saturated with dense energy, the environment itself could be turned into a tactical advantage.

“By the way.” Adam scanned their surroundings, spotting several sets of eyes peering down from the boughs.

Raven-like creatures were observing them from the heights. Their numbers grew by the second, their long wings tipped with icy blue feathers that looked as sharp as steel blades.

Other beasts lurked on the forest floor, watching from the shadows of the thickets, yet none made a move to strike.

Much like the wyvern, they were merely observing out of curiosity.

However, unlike the wyvern, these creatures never intended to be the ones to engage Adam and Alexia. That task was reserved for someone else.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The frozen earth vibrated under the weight of heavy hooves as a massive shadow stretched across the sunlit path ahead.

Adam’s eyes narrowed as two beasts emerged. They possessed the builds of bulls, but were draped in thick, white pelts. Their gazes were steady and profound, while their long, upward-curving tusks looked exceptionally lethal.

Their sheer scale was the most pressing issue.

Each creature was as large as a shipping container, and that was without factoring in the powerful muscles hidden under their dense fur.

Adam and Alexia traded looks. They knew that a fight was now unavoidable. To reach the Frost Ridge, they would have to prove their strength here.

Neither of them minded the challenge.

“Hah,” Alexia said with a smirk, stepping forward. “This is exactly what I needed!”

Adam nodded, his blue eyes deepening as they reflected the white landscape and the two approaching monsters.

“Yeah, I couldn't agree more.”