Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 2: Eclipse

In Citadel F1, every citizen believed there was only a single path to becoming a Phantom—a superior existence far above ordinary humans—and that was through the awakening of a natural talent known as a Spark.

In reality, a second method existed, though it was a closely guarded secret. If the truth were revealed, the resulting chaos would lead to the Citadel's ruin as thousands would surely perish in a desperate gamble to ascend.

This hidden path involved slaying a monster, but the conditions were absolute: the kill had to be achieved in a solo duel. If any assistance was provided or if others were even nearby, the creature's initial gene would become unstable, failing to trigger the growth of an Evolution Tree within the slayer.

Whether by luck or fate, the death of the man before Adam provided him with the chance to become a Phantom, despite Adam having teetered on the brink of death throughout the brief, violent encounter.

“I… I actually succeeded? Did I kill that thing?” Adam’s face twisted into a manic grin as a surge of adrenaline and a whirlwind of emotions crashed through him. “Wait… the Evolution Tree is awakening? Did I possess a Spark all along?”

To every resident of the Citadel, becoming a Phantom was the ultimate dream. it was the sole gateway to a prosperous future and the only way to escape the constant terror of the monsters.

[Warning!]

[Immediately activate Revolve while the monster gene remains viable as an initial gene!]

The system notifications hit Adam like a bucket of ice water, snapping him back to reality. He scrambled toward the remains of the Silver Weaver.

Though Adam had no prior experience using Revolve, an instinctual force within him fought to be released. He simply surrendered to the sensation.

A shimmering white vortex manifested above Adam’s palm. As the Silver Weaver’s corpse began to twitch, a swarm of glowing runes emerged, spiraling into the center of the vortex before flowing into Adam’s body.

[Silver Weaver Gene acquired!]

[As this is your primary gene, it has been designated as your initial gene!]

[Your Evolution Tree has commenced its growth!]

Adam’s gaze turned vacant as his consciousness plunged into an endless void, eventually finding itself within a celestial expanse that seemed to encompass the entire cosmos.

Among the millions of shimmering stars, Adam’s focus remained locked on a single point: a white seed that was rapidly germinating, growing into a sapling with a handful of delicate branches.

A torrent of runes surged past him, condensing into a sphere of silk that embedded itself into the heart of the Evolution Tree.

The tree trembled, sending ripples through the fabric of space. A carved ring appeared on the trunk surrounding the silken sphere, radiating a pure, liberated white energy.

[You have attained the First Circle of Evolution!]

In response to this advancement, a spark shot out from the silken sphere and embedded itself into Adam’s forehead. His blue eyes flashed with a brilliant light, and the world suddenly looked entirely different to him.

[You have inherited the Order of your Initial Gene – Silver Weaver]

[Skill: Weaver’s Needle]

[Transform thread into a primal tool capable of both slaughter and stitching, even across the fabric of reality itself.]

As a mere slum dweller, Adam was plagued by questions; he knew next to nothing about the true nature of a Phantom's power. With no one to guide him, he realized he would have to uncover these mysteries on his own.

His awareness snapped back to the physical world, surrounded only by a mangled metal container and the stench of death.

‘Think… I need to think… How do I escape this place?!’ Adam screamed internally, racking his brain for every scrap of information regarding the Dead Lands.

‘The caravans… That’s it. There are still several days before the next Eclipse, so it should be relatively safe for now, right? At least there will be Phantoms nearby!’ Adam thought with a surge of hope. He moved toward the fallen man and began stripping the corpse of its gear.

He felt no joy in the act, but survival demanded it. Without proper equipment, the sandstorms would suffocate him, and the goggles were an essential defense.

The Eclipse was a recurring nightmare, a phenomenon that occurred roughly once a week. It happened at night, causing the moon to vanish and drowning the world in absolute shadow. The Citadel, the military, and the Phantoms spent their entire week preparing for those twelve hours, fighting to survive the relentless tides of monsters.

These Eclipses had plagued the world since the fall of the Last Star—an ancient catastrophe that occurred at the dawn of history.

When the Last Star, the greatest of all celestial bodies, fell, the world was irrevocably broken. Most of the planet turned into a desolate wasteland, monsters emerged from the shadows, and humans with extraordinary powers began to appear.

Rumors suggested that the Eclipses were a process intended to restore the light of the Last Star, though most dismissed such talk as mere superstition.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Adam walked out of the container, stepping over the carcass of the Silver Weaver to behold the Dead Lands—a place of legends from his childhood. For an ordinary citizen, the Dead Lands were a death sentence; only Phantoms possessed the strength to face the horrors lurking here.

“What in the world…?” Adam whispered, his breath catching as he saw hundreds of monster corpses littering the landscape, many already half-buried by the shifting sands.

He glanced back at the headless man. “Did he kill all of these, or was it the Weaver? Wait, I’ve never even heard of a Silver Weaver… could it be a creature from the Red Book?”

The Dead Lands were home to a terrifying variety of monsters, each possessing distinct traits, strengths, and appearances.

Because monsters were the primary threat to humanity, a comprehensive database had been established to track them. The White Book was the standard directory, distributed even to the slums so everyone could recognize common threats.

However, there was also the Red Book—a catalog for exceptionally rare and lethal entities. Information within it was often incomplete, and many entries lacked even a photograph. Access to the Red Book was restricted solely to the nobility and the Phantoms.

“I shouldn't get my hopes up. I only know a fraction of the White Book, so the odds of this being a rare find are tiny…” Adam muttered. He began to navigate through the field of carcasses.

Usually, a pile of bodies would attract scavengers, but the sheer scale of the slaughter seemed to have frightened off other predators for the time being.

Adam wasn't the architect of this carnage, but from a distance, any observer seeing him walk calmly among the dead would likely think twice before approaching.

Suddenly remembering something vital, Adam widened his eyes. He extended his hand toward a nearby monster corpse and attempted to invoke Revolve.

The vortex appeared, but it failed to extract any genes from the fallen beast.

“Damn… I was hoping it would work. What a letdown,” Adam sighed, turning his attention toward a massive sand dune.

To harvest genes, one had to be an active participant in the kill, establishing a connection that Revolve could exploit. While these requirements weren't as grueling as those for igniting a Spark, they were fundamental laws of the world.

Only Phantoms, or those wielding the most advanced technology, could secure new genes. Yet, even the most powerful weapons were useless against high-level threats without the intervention of Phantoms. Humanity would have long since gone extinct without the constant infusion of monster genes provided by the awakened.

‘I have no desire to fight more monsters. My priority is finding a way back to the Citadel,’ Adam thought as he struggled to the top of the dune.

The horizon stretched out before him, revealing nothing but endless sand, desolate slopes, and a howling wind that threatened to strip the skin from his bones.

Even from his high vantage point, there was no sign of a caravan. A group of that size should have been easy to spot.

‘Crap… I’ll never make it back alone. I need a plan. If I don't find a caravan, I’m just monster bait,’ Adam mused, rubbing his chin in frustration.

Suddenly, the sky darkened as heavy clouds gathered with unnatural speed. Lightning began to dance across the heavens, and within moments, a massive barrage of bolts slammed into the earth nearby.

The initial strike ended, but the storm remained, expanding rapidly until it blotted out the sun. Strange, floating orbs of electricity began to drift through the sand like ball lightning, flickering and teleporting sporadically.

“Is that…?” Adam whispered, his eyes locked on an object resting at the center of the lightning strike.

It was a spherical blue stone adorned with protruding crystal rods. The tips of the rods were flattened into discs that hovered near one another without touching, while arcs of electricity jumped between them in a constant rhythm.

“A False Orb… no way… can I really be this lucky? Is that an Artifact?”

Adam was stunned. Artifacts weren't just prized for their unique powers and extreme rarity—they were worth an unthinkable fortune. A single Artifact could provide enough wealth to lift his entire family out of the slums forever.

At that moment, a long, eel-like creature—usually found in deep riverbeds—erupted from the sand. Thunderous electrical discharges pulsed through its body.

The eel dove back into the dunes only to resurface elsewhere within the electrical anomaly.

Adam swallowed hard, his face turning pale as fear warred with greed.

However, his hesitation was short-lived. A fierce, unshakable resolve took hold of him; this was his chance to change his destiny forever.