Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1544 1544: Only One Way Out

The Frost Oasis wasn't a special location preserved over centuries specifically for Adam and Alexia to discover.

For countless years—maybe hundreds, or possibly thousands—it served as a deadly testing ground.

Here arrived wild beasts, along with Phantoms and Elders alike.

In the end, death was the sole fate that befell every single one of them.

Up to now, Adam and Alexia remained clueless about the azure tree's reason for devouring the blood and lives of fellow beings, or if it linked in any way to the Ancient Voice, the dragon head, or the pond.

Yet, destroying it was their only option; failure meant not just breaking their mission terms, but certain doom as well.

Maybe Adam and Alexia had misjudged the sheer danger looming ahead, a fact clear from the stunned expression on Alexia's face.

"W-What?" She swallowed hard, gazing at the figure in ragged black garb who had effortlessly halted her frozen blade simply by trapping it between his hands.

Achieving such a feat demanded not just unmatched accuracy and quickness, but also horrifying power.

Yet, that wasn't even his full capability.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Fissures spiderwebbed over the sword's edge, causing the massive weapon to break apart into shards of ice that whizzed by the man's cheek.

In the blink of an eye, his body shook as he appeared directly before the wide-eyed Alexia.

Her strike had aimed to shatter the azure tree, yet now she clashed with a Phantom long gone from the world, revived to battle her!

'Wait, wait, wait, this isn't how it's supposed to go!' She threw up her arms defensively just as darkness loomed above her.

BAM!

The man's punch crashed into Alexia, flooding her form with agony. It struck like a mortal's blow on her limbs, yet burned like a scorching anvil of immense weight.

The blow hurled Alexia away with brutal force, and in an instant, her spine collided against the shield enclosing the pond and dragon head.

"Gha!" She groaned from the hurt, yet no pause was possible since her foe loomed right there once more.

With his features shrouded in gloom and gaze devoid of life, the man unleashed another punch, one brimming with enough might to inflict severe harm on Alexia.

Alexia lacked the moment to respond.

In that frantic instant, her mind raced with just one thought:

'Shit! My trump cards! I must deploy them, or—!'

Tap.

A soft thud echoed nearby as the black staff's end struck the man's chin.

The blast sent ripples through the air, flinging the man off to the side.

But while Alexia struggled to steady herself, the man rebounded from a close boulder and touched down steadily.

"Silvana, I wasn't seeing things, was I?"

She gave a firm nod.

"Yes. It appears the azure tree can't compel the deceased to wield their skills, though their bodily prowess matches what it was in life—or close to 80-90% at minimum."

He squinted, fixing his gaze on the figure who prowled at a leisurely pace, encircling them like a calm yet lethal predator of the deep.

The azure tree had called forth numerous beings, mostly beasts, yet this lone Phantom stood apart.

Though the man's presence felt corrupted and unclear amid the chaos, Adam sensed it wasn't an Elder or Lord facing them, but a Phantom—once vastly superior in strength during his existence.

Should this Phantom regain his utmost strength and access his powers, doom would claim Adam and Alexia.

Still, under these circumstances, victory remained within their grasp.

"What do we do now?" Alexia inquired, brushing blood from her lips.

Adam rested his staff across his back.

"I'll attempt to battle him solo and test what I can manage alone. Handle the others. If we team up to take him down but end up drained, the swarm of beasts this tree calls will just rip us apart."

True to form, Alexia itched to tackle the toughest foe on her own. In that drive, she mirrored Adam perfectly.

Without protest, she simply flicked her wrist.

"Fine, I'll handle these pathetic foes. The previous tough one was all mine anyway. Though... it fell flat. I finished that demon in a single blow."

Adam's brow furrowed.

"Sure, your strike was striking. But it seems nothing of the sort will faze him."

Step. Step. Step.

Adam advanced, signaling to the man that he was the one to face.

The man eyed Alexia as she moved to confront the monsters, then gave a subtle dip of his head. Such terms suited him.

"Come on, strike first!" Adam aimed the dark staff toward the man.

For a brief second, the man examined Adam closely, then pivoted and approached a nearby monster.

'Agh? What's his game?'

Beyond its robust frame, this beast's standout trait was the elongated ebony horn resembling a twisted lance.

Step.

The man halted before the creature and seized its horn without a second thought.

The monster's gaze bulged as it grasped the man's intent, but the deed was done.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Showing no mercy in his stare, the man tore the horn free from the monster's skull, effectively ending it.

Of course, all were truly deceased, but while the azure tree endured, it granted them fleeting revival.

Slash. Slash. Slash.

The man tested the new armament with several sweeps, clearly at ease with its balance and form.

This spelled trouble for Adam.

'Hah, a spear then? Wait, more akin to a lance. Damn, guess I'll watch my signature move executed by another.'

The man distanced himself from the fallen beast and positioned across from Adam, akin to duelists poised for combat's onset.

One of them needed to initiate the clash.