Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1552 1552: Coming from Above

Vaarh stood as the ultimate challenge awaiting Adam and Alexia within the Frost Oasis, serving as both its architect and ruler. This fate had thrust itself upon him against his desires, yet it formed his sole route to endurance, and until this instant, every choice he'd made had proven spot-on.

Countless monsters and Phantoms had fallen in sacrifice, granting Vaarh the vital energy needed to forge a fresh form for himself—one boasting nearly the full might of his former shell.

Though their clash hadn't even ignited yet, Vaarh had already stunned them on two occasions. First came his sudden emergence and tale, and now this transformation of a segment from his prior body into a deadly tool.

Adam fixed his gaze sharply on the elongated, shadowy spear of metallic hue with its subtle blue sheen clutched in Vaarh's grasp. Its point stretched unusually far for a standard spear, edging close to halberd territory.

Yet, nothing extraordinary or distinctive marked the look of Vaarh's armament. It resembled a plain spear, the sort forgotten in some grimy nook of a smith's workshop.

Nevertheless, Adam's pulse raced wildly, for he grasped that such simplicity couldn't hold true, not after all the ordeals they'd endured.

The Red Demon had compelled Alexia to unleash one of her mightiest techniques. She'd crushed it without effort, but that beast paled in comparison to Vaarh's prowess.

They operated on entirely separate tiers, a fact evident solely from Vaarh's radiating aura. Doubt gnawed at both Adam and Alexia about overcoming him, and inwardly, terror gripped them since their duo faced a solitary foe.

"Adam, keep our objective in mind. Allow Alexia to strike first—she outmatches you in power at present. The instant you claim his blood, your evolution kicks off."

Silvana's words echoed inside Adam's mind.

"I'm uncertain if victory comes before your growth, but fulfilling that Third Grand Star requirement will trigger it. That's my conviction."

Adam gave a faint nod. Alexia had learned of their strategy via Louis, yet even without words, she instinctively knew her role in the fray.

But.

Step!

Vaarh seized the lead, dictating the rhythm of their showdown.

His following stride stirred up clouds of dust from the earth, and as the haze veiled his steady gaze, he unleashed a sweep with his spear.

SLASH!

A razor-sharp gust blade hurtled ahead while Adam dodged just in time, the edge slicing directly above his scalp and shearing off strands of his hair.

Tremble!

The slash struck the barrier, carving a profound gash into the rock.

In that precise instant, Alexia surged ahead. Holding nothing back, she summoned the white mist right away.

"If you believe you can overpower us, think again!" Alexia shouted as her punch aimed straight for Vaarh's features.

With no trace of dread in his stare, Vaarh extended his palm forward to intercept Alexia's blow.

Oddly, the block held firm. Alexia's assault collided against Vaarh's hand like slamming into unyielding stone.

Or... was that merely the illusion?

BAM!

The force surged through Vaarh's frame, hurling him rearward. Shock etched across his face as he jammed his spear into the soil to halt his slide.

Struggling to accept the turn of events, Vaarh examined his hand. Fresh gashes marred his iced-over flesh.

Vaarh uttered no words, but his face betrayed his inner turmoil plainly.

He'd never anticipated failing to halt Alexia's punch. In possession of his original form and vigor, he'd have repelled her strike and retaliated swiftly. Under those circumstances, Alexia might have suffered grave wounds immediately.

"Hmm..." Vaarh murmured while flexing his fingers open and shut repeatedly. "I get it. Time to tread with greater caution."

As Vaarh lifted his gaze, peril struck anew, for Alexia had exploited that fleeting interval.

Tap.

A pair of massive ice spears materialized overhead as she hoisted her limb skyward.

"What? Caught off guard that I could wound you? You're placing too much faith in your own abilities!" Alexia cried out prior to slashing her arm downward.

The duo of ice spears whirled like augers before rocketing toward Vaarh, who remained rooted in place.

As earlier, fear evaded his eyes. A single error had yielded minor wounds. To him, no real threat loomed.

He belonged to the rare breed that had weathered endless blunders to ascend to his rank. Not every monster endured such a grueling odyssey to claim Lord Level.

Just one triumph now stood between him and reclaiming his peak power, and he harbored no qualms about conquering this hurdle too.

"Two spears? Very well, I've got a fitting reply."

Vaarh's gaze sparked as elongated, razor-edged claws of dark iron sprouted on his left arm.

A shimmer danced along the talons as he executed one fluid arc.

Three pale trails streaked through the atmosphere before smashing into the ice spears, exploding the frozen projectiles into shards.

The chilly fog from the shattered lances enveloped the area, clouding sight for everyone involved.

Whoooooooosh.

Alexia bounded forth, aiming to exploit the chaos and ambush Vaarh.

Yet Vaarh shared that very scheme. Battles like this were no novelty to him.

"Agh?"

Alexia's eyes bulged as she sensed a vise-like grip on her right arm. The iron claws clamped her gauntlet with crushing might, sealing the conduits and crumpling the alloy exterior.

"Your agility impresses, but I'm amazed you're breathing still. Taking gambles like that in every skirmish would've ended me over a hundred times, if I was lucky."

Beneath his resonant tone, Vaarh hoisted his spear aloft.

'Damn!' Alexia strained to escape, though Vaarh showed no mercy in his hold.

'Alexia, deploy it now, or he'll shred you apart!' Louis's urgent call resounded in Alexia's thoughts.

She teetered on consenting, but right before Vaarh's descent, an unforeseen twist unfolded.

Tap.

A small stone dropped onto Alexia's shoulder, trailed by a colossal ice worm that erupted through the soil layers directly into their battleground.

At this point, Alexia and Vaarh hovered mere heartbeats from the ice worm's maw, lined with countless fangs, poised to swallow them whole.