Endless Evolution: Last Star

Their conversation continued for a while longer, but they had already covered all the important topics.

Strangely enough, though their conversation had been tense at times, everything went well overall, better than either of them expected.

Farla shared some personal information with Adam, and he truly appreciated it. He wasn’t sure he could tell anyone else something so important. After all, he and Farla had only met twice. They weren’t close friends.

Farla left first, leaving Adam and Silvana alone in one of the most expensive and tranquil restaurants at the Citadel.

“What do you say? Let’s see what’s on the menu?” Silvana asked with a slight smile. “I don’t know about you, but after that conversation, I feel like taking my mind off things.”

Adam nodded. He understood her.

“Yeah, I think you’re right.”

Before long, their table was filled with several dishes: steaks, salads, appetizers, and a few desserts. Adam wasn’t going to hold back. His appetite was huge, and he could afford anything he wanted.

“What should we do next?” Silvana asked, taking a bite. “Get ready for Radiant Branch?”

“Hmm?”

Adam raised an eyebrow, chewing on his steak.

“What do you mean? We already know everything we need to know about the Radiant Branch. All that’s left is to wait for it to start, and after that, I’ll head to the Hollow Lands.”

“Well…” Silvana stammered. “The Twelve Branches will be there, along with their leaders and many other Second-Rank Phantoms. Shouldn’t we pick out a suitable outfit for this?”

Adam had no desire to waste time on this or dress up specifically for some event, but seeing Silvana’s expression, he realized that was what she wanted.

“Fine. How about we do it tomorrow? I’m not ready for this at all today.”

Silvana’s eyes lit up as an excited smile spread across her face.

“Sure, let’s do that!”

After eating more than a dozen different dishes, Adam and Silvana finally left the place. Maybe they’d come back here someday: it was quiet, the food was delicious, and no one could bother them because of the restaurant’s location.

‘Damn… Now they’ll start recording us again…’ Adam thought as they rode the elevator down.

The guards who had been standing at the main entrance had left, and the regular bodyguards who worked for the building had returned to their posts. Farla was gone, which meant their job was done.

A creak.

The doors opened as Adam and Silvana stepped outside.

Just as he’d expected, several people were still waiting for them there. Still, Adam tried not to pay any attention to it. He realized that the best thing for him to do was to get used to it.

“Agh… Alright, let’s figure out how to get out of here. Maybe there are other places like this one nearby?”

Step.

Someone stepped forward, stopping right in front of Adam and Silvana.

For some reason, their faces froze.

Standing before them was a man holding a tray with two cups of coffee in his right hand. He had black hair that fell to his neck and blue eyes as deep as the ocean. It was hard to say what was more captivating, his suit or his features and enchanting gaze.

“Good afternoon. It looks like your conversation went better than expected, didn’t it?”

Gladius smiled, holding out a cup of coffee to Silvana.

“Here, they recently introduced a new flavor: blueberry. I read the reviews, and they were mostly positive. You should like it, at least, I hope so.”

Silvana was taken aback and simply took a cup in her hand.

Then, Gladius held out a cup to Adam.

Adam narrowed his eyes. He knew Gladius never showed up without a reason. He just had to figure out whether it was good or bad this time.

“And what flavor did you get for me?”

Gladius smirked.

“Bitter, very bitter, the kind you don’t usually drink. But I think you should give it a try. Instead of just tasting the sweetness of sugar and caramel, how about enjoying the aroma and the natural flavor?”

Adam didn’t say anything else and took a cup of coffee. Still, he didn’t rush to take a sip, not because he thought Gladius had spiked it with something, but because he was sure he wouldn’t like bitter coffee.

Gladius looked around. More and more people were appearing on the streets. Few people knew him, but Adam was a fairly well-known person.

“Alright, how about we find a quieter spot? I know a secluded route where no one will bother us!”

Sip.

Silvana took a sip, waiting for Adam’s decision. She was just as confused as he was, but she was curious to find out what Gladius wanted from them.

“Fine. You’re not going to take no for an answer anyway, are you?” Adam frowned.

Gladius shrugged.

“What can I say? Sometimes I can be pretty stubborn.”

Then, he turned around and took a long stride forward.

“Alright, follow me.”

Adam and Silvana exchanged glances before following him.

Gladius hadn’t lied. After just a few turns, they found themselves in a fairly quiet part of the city. Everyone who had been following them had simply lost sight of them. The fact that Gladius, Silvana, and Adam could move much faster than ordinary humans also played a role in this.

By the time others had made just one turn, they were already preparing for their third.

So now they had settled back into a leisurely pace, while Silvana sipped her coffee. With every sip, her eyes widened for a moment. Gladius was right – she liked the taste.

Adam, for his part, merely cast a few suspicious glances at his cup while his gaze remained fixed on Gladius’s back.

He remembered perfectly well what he had seen at the Grad Family residence – the memory of how their Legacy Artifact had appeared.

What Gladius had done back then was as impressive as it was terrifying.

‘Maybe I’ve gotten stronger, but I wouldn’t want to become his enemy. But… a lot of time has passed since that day. Has he become kinder, or, on the contrary, even colder?’

Tap.

Gladius paused before slowly turning around.

“Adam, Silvana, how about updating your wardrobe?”

He smirked.

“After all, I’ll be at Radiant Branch too, and I’m not the only one.”