Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1526 1526: Conditions and the voice

At the dawn of a Phantom's path, the act of absorbing genes, forging new abilities, and shattering bottlenecks was always accompanied by a cold, mechanical drone.

As time passed, every Phantom realized this vocal source was none other than their Evolution Tree. With further growth, this entity shifted from a mere tool into something more human, developing its own distinct personality and tone.

Adam’s Evolution Tree followed this same path. Long ago, it had ceased to be a cryptic power lurking within his inner space, evolving instead into a trusted companion.

To a certain degree, the Path Construct shared a similar nature.

However, when a Phantom attained the strength required to traverse the far reaches of the Tarnished Lands or other formidable territories, they might encounter a different phenomenon entirely.

The Ancient Voice.

Adam had first heard this Ancient Voice during his clash with Anelez and the subsequent interference of Erada. It functioned as an impartial arbiter, dictating the regulations and overseeing the flow of events.

On that particular day, the Ancient Voice manifested because the Rule of Blood had been invoked by Adam and Anelez.

It was this very authority that compelled Erada to honor Adam’s terms, forcing her into the library to study. Such a task was beneath her, and she never would have submitted willingly if not for her paralyzing dread of the Ancient Voice’s retribution.

To the Ancient Voice, Erada’s identity was irrelevant; it saw only a party who had lost a wager. Consequently, its sole purpose was to ensure she adhered to the established terms.

Of course, the power of the Ancient Voice had its limits. A sufficiently powerful individual could potentially disregard it, though much depended on the initial circumstances of the encounter.

Had Adam attempted to strike a deal with a Second Rank Phantom, that individual could have simply ignored the Ancient Voice due to the massive power disparity. Yet, such a feat would be impossible if the deal involved two Second Rank Phantoms or Lords.

Now, Adam stood before his second meeting with this Ancient Voice, this time within the Primal Lands.

"Ancient Voice, huh..."

Adam spoke the words softly, drawing a confused glance from Alexia. The term meant nothing to her.

"Actually, given our current location, its presence makes perfect sense."

"Ancient Voice? What on earth is that?" Alexia asked with a scowl. "And how is it that you know about this while I’m in the dark?"

Adam simply gestured toward the glowing blue fairy in response.

"Are you permitted to explain, or does that fall outside your authority?"

The fairy shuddered oddly as the mechanical drone resonated once more:

[I am the manifestation of the ancient energy's will. For the two of you, that is the most fitting explanation.]

Alexia’s brow twitched in annoyance.

"First we deal with ancient energy, then ancient flux, and now an ancient voice? Is there no end to this?"

The blue fairy remained silent, hovering motionless between them and the massive portal.

"Tsk, enough talk. Open the gate!" Alexia commanded sharply.

[That request cannot be granted until the prerequisites are met. You stand upon the upper tier of the Frost Oasis. To advance, the gate must be unlocked.]

Alexia’s frown deepened as she stepped toward the blue fairy. The creature was merely a vessel of light and energy, a convenient form adopted by the Ancient Voice within this specific region.

During Adam's previous encounter involving the Rule of Blood, the Ancient Voice had possessed no physical shape, manifesting only as swirling currents of wind—the typical form it took when intervening on the surface world.

"What?" Alexia growled, her fist tightening as she lunged at the blue fairy.

Whooooosh.

She struck without a second thought, but her hand passed straight through the entity. Only a faint ripple disturbed the fairy's glowing edges.

"Hmm..." Adam stroked his chin, lost in thought. "I get it now. Unlike External Artifacts that possess independent will and agency, the Ancient Voice is strictly an observer. Its only role is to enforce the rules."

"Agh?" Alexia snapped, turning toward him. "What kind of nonsense is that? Speak in plain terms!"

Adam’s gaze grew heavy as he inspected the towering gate.

"It means we are stuck here until we meet the requirements. Even the Ancient Voice is bound by these laws and cannot bypass them, isn't that right?"

The blue fairy vibrated in response.

[That is correct. Do you wish to proceed?]

"Obviously!" Alexia shouted, her eyes blazing with competitive fire. "Tell us the requirements!"

[Very well. The seal upon the gate must be completed. Your first objective is to retrieve the Pale Spider Pearl.]

"Can you provide us with a direction?" Adam inquired.

Silence followed. Whether providing guidance violated the rules or if it was simply the nature of the entity to remain cryptic was unclear, but no further information was offered.

"Hey, we should just head to the spider dens and hunt down that pearl! Tsk, since when do spiders produce pearls anyway? Shouldn't they just have silk, eggs, and poison?"

"I suppose we’re about to find out." Adam turned his attention back to the portal.

Wiping away a thick layer of grime, he noticed an intricate design etched into the stone. On the left side of the entrance, there was a small, circular hollow about the size of a palm.

'So the pearl fits there? This is a bit different from what I expected, but I suppose the difficulty is only going to ramp up from here, isn't it?'

Adam shook his head and began walking back toward the pond.

"Let’s go, Alexia. We need to find our way. We won’t get another word out of the Ancient Voice until that pearl is in our hands."

Surprisingly, Adam’s assumption was premature.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

The blue fairy vibrated violently before diving into the ground with a brilliant flash. A pulse of radiance then shot across the floor, racing toward the left side of the cavern system.

A faint trail of light remained etched into the earth—not blinding, but bright enough to serve as a guide through the darkness.

"Hah, I see..." Adam let out a breath. "We've been dropped into a game with rigid laws, yet the rulebook is being kept from us. This might be more grueling than I anticipated."

The Pale Spider Pearl was merely the opening move in the Ancient Voice's grand design.