Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1511: Frozen Spine (Part 2)

The second white beast refrained from launching a counterstrike after being tossed by Alexia. Just as Adam had suspected, their intent wasn't the immediate slaughter of the two Phantoms, but rather a test of their capabilities.

In this forest, which they claimed as their own, they could not tolerate the presence of the weak or those deemed unworthy of the territory.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Emerging from beneath a pile of shattered timber, the second beast stood up. It cast a glance toward Alexia and let out a heavy snort, but it did nothing more.

It was clear to all observers that Alexia would emerge victorious in a fight to the death, considering she possessed the physical power to hoist and hurl such a massive creature.

Step. Step. Step.

Adam began to walk forward. Internally, he felt a spark of curiosity regarding whether he possessed the raw physical strength to replicate Alexia’s feat and lift the white beast himself.

However, he decided against imitating her to avoid wasting time. Their priority was reaching Frost Ridge, the location of the abyss.

They were being guided there by their energy, making this forest nothing more than a brief intermission.

“Hmm, we would have collapsed somewhere between the woods and the peaks before even reaching Frost Ridge if not for that ice wyvern. I wonder if it dropped us here by design or by pure luck?”

“Pfffft!” A blast of scorching steam erupted from the nostrils of the first white beast as it snorted.

The creature prepared to leap at Adam, but its eyes stretched wide when a brilliant flash of light ignited in Adam’s palm.

Though the monster sensed the sudden danger, its reflexes were too slow to respond.

Adam’s body flickered, and in a blur of motion, he appeared directly in front of the white beast.

A slender white needle was positioned right before the creature's right eye. The battle would conclude the moment Adam decided to thrust his hand forward.

“Hey, this should be plenty, shouldn't it?” Adam asked, a faint smile playing on his lips.

The beast was incapable of speech, yet the relief in its eyes was unmistakable as it let out a breath.

“Rgh!” With a sharp turn of its head, the white beast retreated into the thicket, followed closely by its companion.

Their business here was finished. There was nothing left to prove.

“What? Is that all?”

Alexia’s brow furrowed in disappointment.

“I anticipated something much more exciting! And what’s with that?” She gestured toward Adam’s weapon. “Are you seriously still using that same needle?”

He offered a simple shrug in return.

“It’s quite strange, but out of all the transformations my needle has undergone, this form is the most similar to its original state. That said, you haven't witnessed its true potential yet.”

For a fleeting second, Adam’s right eye shifted to a green hue as the murky shadows clinging to the needle’s edge grew more intense.

A sudden shiver raced down Alexia’s spine for reasons she couldn't explain. Every instinct she possessed screamed that facing Adam in this state was something she should avoid at all costs.

Click.

Adam snapped his fingers, causing the needle to shatter into tiny shards that drifted past his vision.

“Shall we go see what lies on the other side?” Adam asked, gesturing toward the mountain summits.

The mountains formed a crescent shape, acting as a barrier on one side of the abyss. To reach their goal, they would have to scale the heights.

“Pfffft! I don't care what kind of trick that was, I’m still annoyed you didn't show your full strength!”

“Hah, there will be plenty of chances for that later.”

Pouting with puffed-out cheeks, Alexia marched ahead. Adam followed, but he paused to look back over his shoulder before they exited the forest.

‘Hmm, am I imagining things, or are we being watched? Is it a monster? But... why can't I pinpoint the source of the gaze?’

A peculiar sensation washed over Adam. He felt certain that someone—or something—had been tracking them, perhaps out of curiosity like the other beasts, or perhaps waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He couldn't be sure.

He sensed a faint, concealed aura emanating from beneath the earth.

‘But that’s impossible, right?’

...

Eventually, Adam shook the thought away as they began their ascent toward the mountains.

Even for K4-Phantoms, traversing such a vast distance and conquering these massive peaks was no simple feat.

It took over thirty minutes to reach the upper slopes, a delay that irritated Alexia, who found the trek incredibly tedious.

They climbed steadily, moving from one rocky outcrop to the next, until the snow-dusted summit finally loomed above them.

“Tsk! That annoying anomaly just had to warp us to this side. And then there's that wyvern!”

While Alexia vented her frustrations, Adam studied the colossal skeletal spine that loomed over them. It stretched across the entire range, its massive ribs fused into the stone as if they were a natural part of the landscape.

‘Good grief, just how enormous was this creature? Only a being of that magnitude could have toppled the White Spire on the island. And yet...’

Adam swallowed hard, realizing that despite its immense power, the monster had been slain long ago. The thought of whatever had fought and killed such a titan was truly terrifying.

Crack.

They gripped the final ledge and hauled themselves up to the very peak with a final surge of effort.

A biting wind rushed to meet them as the full panorama of Frost Ridge opened up. It was an exact match for the sights they had seen at the Winding Fragments.

“Hah...” Alexia let out a dry laugh. “This is definitely the spot, isn't it?”

Their gaze fell upon the abyss. They were certain this was their destination, as their internal energy pulled them toward it.

However, a frown creased Adam’s forehead.

“Hey, Alexia, something feels off.”

“Hmm?” She glanced back. “What are you talking about?”

Adam gestured toward the surrounding peaks to their left and right.

“Look at them; they're completely deserted. Why is such a vast area so silent? I can feel a massive concentration of energy even from here. I'm positive the effect will only get stronger as we approach the abyss.”

“Yeah, maybe it’s just because this place is so isolated?” Alexia suggested dismissively.

She gave a careless wave of her hand.

“Relax, the monsters around here are probably just hiding. They saw how powerful I am and—!”

Whooooooosh!

The ground suddenly shuddered as a massive shadow swept past Alexia.

Her eyes widened in horror as she watched a gargantuan ice worm lunge, its circular rows of hundreds of teeth snapping shut as it swallowed Adam whole.

Alexia stood frozen, watching as the ice worm rose high into the air, its massive frame blotting out the sun and draping her in shadow.