Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1533: Amber Ring
Previously on Endless Evolution: Last Star...
The golden spiders surged ahead with unprecedented velocity now.
For Adam and Alexia, this didn't appear to pose much of a challenge at first, thanks to their proven strategy against such threats.
Alexia’s frost waves had previously encased the spiders in ice while hindering the escapees who dodged the freeze.
"I’ll halt them!" Alexia shouted, channeling a surge of power into her gauntlets.
In the instant that followed, the orb quivered, unleashing a potent frost surge that extended across dozens of meters.
However...
"Agh?"
As the frost wave washed over the golden spiders, it produced no effect whatsoever. They pressed on at their original pace, perhaps even accelerating slightly.
Adam glanced upward toward the platform, his worst suspicions now validated.
"Damn, this isn’t as straightforward as we assumed, huh?"
Previously, sockets had vanished one per second, matching 600 for a full ten minutes. Yet with the ten golden spiders forming a swift amber loop, two sockets now faded every second.
Their leftover four minutes shrank to just two, and it might be even shorter than that.
"Alexia, it’s failing! We need to block them differently before time runs out completely!" Adam yelled.
Her gaze flickered wildly around. She couldn’t fathom why her power failed against these spiders.
Luckily for her, beyond Adam, another steadfast companion stood prepared to back her up.
"Alexia, he’s correct. Probably, the golden spiders zip by too quickly for the ice to solidify on them. You should team up."
Louis’s words worked their soothing magic on Alexia, prompting a firm nod from her.
The icy flows pouring from her halted; they’d become pointless now as her attention shifted to Adam.
"Let’s block them. My hammer can smash into them!"
"Do it!" Adam urged.
He preferred to witness the outcome of her effort first before committing to his own choice. An notion lingered in his mind, though uncertainty clouded it.
Step. Step. Step.
Alexia charged ahead, her footsteps rumbling the earth below, while the chilling mist from her clash with the ice worm enveloped her once more. Had that worm lacked such toughness, her blow would have swiftly concluded the fight, sparing her the need for Adam’s aid.
On this occasion, she leaped skyward and balled her fists. The hammer’s form, mirrored in her stare, materialized overhead right after.
This wasn’t a tool she wielded; the ice hammer floated without her grasp. It merely lingered above, mimicking her actions to bolster her assault. The ice spear functioned identically among her ability’s arsenal.
Adam squinted his eyes.
In spite of Alexia’s looming danger, the golden spiders showed no response.
Crash!
The enormous ice hammer slammed straight into the amber loop, comprised truly of ten dashing golden spiders.
Chilly vapor and frozen fragments scattered aside. The earth shuddered, dislodging small stones from the cavern’s roof.
However...
"WHAT!?" Alexia cried out in shock.
She stared at the depression formed by her impact. Even so, the golden spiders remained unfazed. They kept circling the route, bounding across the pit underfoot.
Adam’s brow furrowed. The nightmare he’d dreaded had unfolded.
’Their pace is overwhelming. Slower movement would’ve sent them tumbling into that pit or forced a detour. Plus, they shrugged off Alexia’s hit entirely. That hammer packed enough punch to hurl the worm away; she’d put ample strength behind it.’
Crack. Crack. Crack.
Sparks showered down upon them like a torrent, drawing Adam and Alexia’s stares upward.
Golden glows blazed like fire along the platform’s borders, setting it into a gradual spin that ramped up the socket depletion. Three now vanished each second.
Less than a minute remained for Adam and Alexia to conquer this test.
It looked trivial on the surface, since retries seemed endless. Unbeknownst to them, this chance marked their final shot.
[The platform spins with excessive haste!]
[Failure to halt it means the platform’s ruin!]
[Lacking the platform, retrying this trial becomes impossible!]
Adam and Alexia’s eyes bulged in alarm.
Stopping the golden spiders demanded immediate action, no delays!
"Adam! Curses! Give me a plan, quick!" Alexia gestured frantically.
Oddly, Adam affirmed with a nod, his emerald gaze intensifying.
"Yes, I’ve got a scheme. I’d rather avoid it, but circumstances leave us no alternatives, do they?"
His question addressed not just Alexia, but another presence too.
’Of course.’ The Silver Weaver’s thoughts resounded in his head. ’Proceed; we mistook speed for the trial’s crux, but that was off. Your needle—that’s me—is all it takes!’
Whooooosh.
Simultaneously, Adam dashed forth, abandoning his dark staff. It clattered to the floor, though his gloves and boots stayed equipped.
He sped by Alexia, her vision capturing the elongated white needle now clutched in his hand.
With no pause, aware of their mere 30 seconds ticking away, Adam advanced into the heart of the amber loop.
He knew their blistering velocity might batter him aside, inflicting grave harm, yet urgency compelled him to proceed without delay!
"We’ve got this!"
Adam thrust his needle forward, clasping it firmly in both hands. Actually, the Silver Weaver poured every bit of its might into aiding him.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
Golden spider after golden spider collided with Adam’s needle, sending jolts of backlash and agony surging through him.
Yet he held firm, rooted in position as each spider impaled itself upon the needle.
Their momentum rendered halting impossible.
"Gha..." Adam exhaled deeply, a radiant gleam shining in his eyes.
Sixty amber stars now floated overhead for him and Alexia.
The initial trial had succeeded.