Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1537 1537: Rule Change
Previously on Endless Evolution: Last Star...
Just like in the initial trial, Adam and Alexia didn't need to overcome a mighty foe, collect materials, or shatter some shield with an overwhelming strike.
A specific requirement was laid out for them to meet.
During the previous trial, they had figured out the need to gather the Glowing Tips, yet only after some time did they realize the spots to search and that the true objective involved those golden spiders.
This time around, the Ancient Voice revealed every rule upfront.
Stone cannons materialized within the arches that had stood empty before, and a blue glow ignited deep inside the barrels as the initial cannonball launched, slamming straight toward Adam.
In that instant, a vibration rippled across the three mirrors while the blue light enveloped them, briefly transforming the mirrors into gateways.
Adam's eyes constricted sharply, recalling the words from the Ancient Voice.
'Does that mean I need to seize it and hurl it through the portal?' Adam pondered, enveloping his palms with a dense coating of energy.
Uncertain about the cannons' might, he chose to play it safe.
Whoooooosh!
Slicing through the air, the cannonball hurtled ahead, pierced the barrier, and collided directly with Adam, who had positioned himself perfectly.
Resembling a sports player snagging a pass from an opponent, Adam gripped the cannonball firmly, even as it kept rotating and pulling him off balance.
Black streaks scarred the floor from Adam's boots as he halted mere meters shy of the barrier.
His digits shook slightly. Without the energy shield on his hands, the cannonball would've shredded his flesh.
"Alright, now it's my turn!" Adam shouted before spinning around for the toss.
With options for any of the three portals, he picked the central one.
The cannonball soared beyond the barrier and struck the portal dead on.
Adam and Alexia anticipated word from the Ancient Voice, but a dull rumble echoed from overhead instead.
One of the vibrant glass sections atop the dome dimmed entirely, plunging into darkness.
Earlier, tallying each panel precisely had been tough, but roughly a hundred existed, give or take a few.
"I like this!" Alexia cried out with delight. "I love it when these damn rules actually pay off!"
SHOOT!
A pair of stone cannons unleashed their blasts together, prompting Adam and Alexia to swiftly assign who handled which incoming shot.
Crash.
Their bodies bumped as they clutched the pair of cannonballs securely.
The three mirrors from the opening volley had clouded over once more. Yet four fresh ones activated for the upcoming launch.
Whooooosh.
Adam and Alexia launched at the same time. Each targeted a separate portal. They had no clue what might occur if both aimed for the identical one, and had zero interest in testing it.
As the duo of cannonballs vanished into the portals, Alexia flashed a wide grin.
"Hell yeah! Now that's more like a proper trial!"
Adam cast a quick look upward, nodding faintly. Another two glass panels darkened, bringing them nearer to triumph.
Still, he held back from cheering too soon. A nagging doubt lingered.
"Hey, Silvana, is this truly the trial... or is it way too straightforward?"
Silvana hadn't responded yet when four stone cannons blasted forth all at once.
Caught off guard, Adam and Alexia managed only two catches. The other cannonballs smashed against the platform and vanished.
Right then, a robotic tone announced:
[For each failure, you will lose 1 point.]
Unclear on the exact implication, they soon watched as the two blackened panels reignited with vivid light.
"I see..." Adam's tone grew somber as he flung his cannonball toward the active portal. "So without snagging all four cannonballs together, victory's out of reach?"
Adam and Alexia exchanged glances.
Confusion might've been expected, since handling four cannonballs simultaneously proved far tougher than two, yet it was essential for success.
Well.
Instead, they smirked while four-pointed stars gleamed in their left eyes. Black iron gloves encased Adam's hands, and Alexia called forth her gauntlets, her Nexus.
At this point, they weren't just quicker and more robust; the cannonballs posed no threat to their safety anymore.
Through the prior three volleys, they'd grasped the trial's demands, so onward, their pace would only accelerate.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Relentlessly, the stone cannons targeted Adam and Alexia, occasionally unleashing up to six projectiles in a barrage.
Yet even that failed to challenge them.
The instant Adam spotted the next barrage approaching, he dashed to the barrier's edge and leaped skyward. No longer did he grab the cannonballs outright. Rather, he batted them toward the portals, much like a volleyball blocker.
Alexia lacked that finesse. Her style was fiercer and more brutal, at times booting the cannonballs away.
Catching or gripping the cannonballs wasn't necessary. Per the rules, directing them into the portals sufficed, and they excelled at it.
Bit by bit, the stone cannons ramped up their firing speed and force. The trial demanded effort, but with Adam and Alexia fully comprehending the task, triumph was inevitable.
Adam gazed upward at the circular glass panel right at the dome's heart. It remained the final one.
"One more, and we're done?" he wondered aloud.
Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.
The biggest stone cannon quivered as its cannonball, infused with blue energy, erupted forth, barreling toward them like a shooting star.
"This one's mine!" Alexia vaulted high, seizing the cannonball with both palms.
Yet she misjudged its force, as the momentum yanked her sideways relentlessly.
"Wait, wait, wait!" She thought in panic, sensing she'd soon sail past the barrier.
Tap.
Adam's palm landed on her shoulder while he channeled energy to his soles.
"Calm down, this is the final toss—we need to handle it as a team."
She gave a quick nod as their eyes fixed on the remaining portal.
Suspended mid-air, they executed the throw, sending the ultimate cannonball through the portal.
At once, they touched down and tilted their heads back, observing the final glass panel gradually lose its glow.
Unexpectedly, the barrier encircling the platform dissolved, and the Ancient Voice resonated.
[You did it. The second trial has passed!]
Disbelief washed over them, and they couldn't suppress their grins.
[Now, you can get ???###***!]
Abruptly, the mechanical voice warped into a grating screech. The Ancient Voice struggled to regain control, but no clear words emerged.
"What the hell is this?!" Alexia yelled, clamping her hands over her ears.
Silence.
For a brief instant, silence reigned.
And shortly after, the Ancient Voice returned.
[Following the rules, the second trial begins!]
"What the..."
Adam's eyes bulged wide as the glass dome exploded into countless shards raining down before them.
Red light bounced off the fragments, shining from the stone demons' eyes.
The trial absent just moments prior now loomed ahead. This would be the ultimate one—for them, not the Frost Oasis.