Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 3: Anomaly

"Electric Eel... A White Book Monster, but..." Adam whispered, his gaze fixed on the magnificent beast as crackling bolts of lightning danced across its hide.

While Adam had prepared himself to face a standard White Book creature, the specimen before him was different. This was an Anomaly—an Anomalous Electric Eel. In terms of raw power, such a variant could potentially rival the ferocity of monsters from the Red Book.

'It doesn't matter! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. At the very least, I can observe its movements. I just need to avoid the stray shocks and these clots...' Adam noted the spheres of lightning floating throughout the anomalous zone.

These lightning balls were harmless to the Electric Eel, but for Adam, a single touch would be fatal.

Steeling his resolve, Adam charged down the slope. Speed was of the essence; it wouldn't be long before others arrived. He wasn't just worried about lone Phantoms, but entire combat squads or merchant caravans that might be passing through the area.

Essentially, to claim the artifact, Adam needed to weave through ball lightning and slay an anomalous beast, all while racing against the clock.

The odds were stacked against him, and Adam was well aware of his slim chances. However, they weren't non-existent.

Though he had only become a Phantom an hour prior, his physical capabilities already surpassed those of any normal human. The initial gene of a monster was tethered to the Evolution Tree, granting humanity the power to evolve and stand against such creatures.

Whoooooooosh.

As Adam breached the anomaly's perimeter, the Electric Eel immediately locked onto him. The beast arched its body over him before violently slamming its tail into the earth.

A massive spray of sand erupted toward Adam, forcing him to shield his face with his arms.

This was a clear warning from the Electric Eel: do not approach. It was his first and final notice; he had exactly one chance to turn back.

Suddenly, Adam’s gaze shifted. Thin white strands, resembling the roots of the Evolution Tree, manifested in his eyes as his veins began to bulge.

'Based on its build, I only need one clean hit to end this. But first... I have to force it to reveal its hand!'

Adam lunged forward, keeping a sharp eye on the floating ball lightning. He took heart in the fact that they drifted aimlessly rather than actively pursuing him.

"TTTTRRRRRKKK!!!"

Irritated by Adam's persistence, the Electric Eel let out a strange, rasping crackle. The monster ascended as high as possible, gathering intense electrical currents around its head.

In a flash, a massive bolt of lightning struck down toward Adam at a velocity no human could naturally track.

With his pupils constricted, Adam threw himself backward. He narrowly evaded the strike, which scorched the earth exactly where he had stood a moment before.

The resulting blast sent shockwaves through the sand, tossing Adam aside and instantly vitrifying millions of grains into tiny glass shards.

*Cough*

Adam scrambled out of the sand, coughing as he looked up at the Electric Eel looming over him.

"Heh, you might be an Anomaly, but even you need a moment to recharge your lightning, don't you?" Adam smirked, throwing a mocking glare at the beast.

Adam was right; the creature required time to build another charge. Nevertheless, its massive, gaping maw remained a lethal threat.

Whoooooooooooosh.

Moving in an erratic zigzag, the Electric Eel accelerated rapidly, appearing as though it were being propelled through the air. It closed the distance in an instant, aiming to tear through Adam and leave nothing but his lower half behind.

This was the turning point. His victory, the artifact, and the chance to rewrite his destiny—everything rested on this single exchange.

The Evolution Tree within him vibrated, as did the ball of thread that served as his starting gene.

Simultaneously, his eyes flared with light. White energy surged through the veins of his right arm. Within a fraction of a second, a flurry of snow-white threads manifested, wrapping around his limb before hardening into a long, sword-sized needle.

This was the first time Adam had utilized Order. He felt no hesitation or fear of failure, for this ability and gene were now intrinsic parts of his being.

Skills like reading, speaking, or walking required years of practice, but breathing was an instinctual act present from birth. Order functioned the same way; while Adam had yet to master its nuances, summoning the Weaver’s Needle was as natural as taking a breath.

Just before the impact, a memory of his father butchering fish flashed through Adam's mind. Such moments were rare, as meat was a luxury in the slums.

He recalled the precise movement of his father’s hand as the weathered blade glided through the fish, splitting its belly with ease.

'That's it... It's simple. I don't need to conjure flames or lightning to kill a creature made of flesh and blood!' Adam thought fiercely, stepping into the strike.

Whoooooooooosh.

The Electric Eel roared past him, its massive body creating a gale that whipped his hair and scattered the sand in chaotic swirls.

"Now!"

Adam drove the needle into the Electric Eel’s throat and sprinted forward, the blade carving through the monster's underside and ripping its belly wide open.

Before the beast could even register the pain, its lifeblood soaked the dunes. Vital organs spilled out onto the sand one by one, and the creature’s life quickly faded into darkness.

Bam.

The Electric Eel hit the ground heavily, twitching for a few fleeting seconds before its eyes grew dull and lifeless.

Adam exhaled a breath of relief as the needle dissolved back into white threads and vanished into the void.

"I actually did it... I took down an anomalous monster..." Adam whispered. Suddenly, his eyes snapped wide. "Wait, there's no time to dawdle! I need that artifact!"

In his excitement, Adam completely overlooked using Revolve to harvest the Electric Eel's genes. His only focus was the False Orb resting at the center of the site.

Navigating around the remaining spheres of lightning, Adam finally reached the False Orb, watching the electricity arc between its metallic rods.

After a quick scan of his surroundings, Adam reached down, intending to seize the artifact and sell it for a life-changing sum of money!

However, the moment Adam's fingers brushed the False Orb, a violent surge of electricity racked his frame. His body convulsed, and he fought to maintain consciousness. Instead of pulling away, he leaned in, gripping the False Orb with all his might.

"I'm taking you, no matter what!" Adam roared, his eyes glowing as they filled with the white branches of the Evolution Tree.

The False Orb vibrated frantically, attempting to escape his hold. But suddenly, it vanished in a flash of blue light, sinking into Adam's chest and flying directly toward the Evolution Tree.

The artifact began to orbit the Evolution Tree like a moon circling a planet.

Localised electrical clouds formed around the False Orb, as if it were manifesting its own miniature biome within his internal space.

[The Evolution Tree and Primary Gene have accepted the artifact!]

[You have obtained your first artifact: False Orb!]

[Activate the Artifact to view its attributes!]

"What...? No... No! I wasn't supposed to absorb it! How do I get it out?!" Adam cried out, staring at his chest in horror. He realized his blunder almost instantly.

As a mere resident of the slums, Adam was ignorant of the protocols for artifact hunting. He knew they were valuable, but he lacked the technical knowledge of the process.

Adam was unaware that hunters used specialized containers and insulated gloves to handle artifacts. These tools were necessary to prevent accidental absorption—a process that carried the immense risk of shattering a Cultivation system entirely.

"NOOOOOOOOO!!! My money!!!"

Adam wailed, collapsing to the sand and staring up at the sky with his arms spread wide in despair.