Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1366: Where Am I?

According to the rules and following the usual procedure, after passing three trials, a contender had to go higher, moving to the top of the White Spire, which was a gray, slanted tower with a glass sphere at its top.

That was where a contender had to end up to receive the reward from the Silver Beacon.

Sure, Bertrada didn’t want to do it, but she was obliged to follow the rules and had to give up most of her power as the winner and the territory where her physical form was located, that is, the Forgotten Mills.

Still, she did it if she couldn’t prevent a contender from winning. This happened quite rarely, but Bertrada accepted even this outcome because even when she technically lost, she still retained complete control over the situation.

Now, she was losing her power. She could no longer control Adam. Even if it was just one Phantom, one contender acting according to rules she didn’t know, it was enough to make her angry.

She didn’t know how Adam was connected to the White Spire, and most of all, she feared not knowing what would happen next. Neither the stairs, nor the changes in the third trial, nor the dark fragments were supposed to appear.

Thus, Bertrada made the only decision she believed to be correct—she had to kill Adam, right here and now.

It would be a violation of the rules, and she would have to pay a heavy price for it, but she was ready for that because the unknown frightened her much more.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

The amber ray that flew out of the massive eye quickly reached Adam, but a moment before the collision, the dark seal trembled.

The barrier blocked the amber ray as Adam’s eyes widened, watching the sparks fly off to the side. There were not even cracks or scratches on the barrier. It far exceeded the power Bertrada could muster.

Whoooooosh.

The dark seal glowed brightly and pulled Adam forward, pointing him toward the exit. The barrier was strong, there was no doubt about that, but the dark seal’s energy was not infinite.

A few more attacks from Bertrada and Adam might actually die.

‘Adam! I don’t know where this seal leads, but we have to get out of here as soon as possible. It seems that the Silver Beacon cannot affect you outside of the White Spire, otherwise it would not be acting right now!’

In response, he nodded deeply and allowed the dark seal to lead him forward. He did not know where he would end up, but it was obvious that he had to run away from Bertrada.

“Stop! Don’t you dare leave without my permission! Only I decide when you can leave!” Bertrada exclaimed with a furious grimace as several crystals floated around her.

Beams of light emerged from the crystals to merge into a single piercing ray that headed toward Adam with a tremor in space.

Perhaps that would be enough to deplete the dark seal and ultimately break the barrier. That would immediately solve all of Bertrada’s problems.

Crack.

Unfortunately for her, at the last moment, Adam ran into the passageway as the wall closed. The ray could not penetrate the boundaries of the third trial because it was part of the White Spire.

“FUCK!” Bertrada exclaimed, staring intently at the spot where Adam had just been. “That bastard! I swear, as soon as he comes back here, I’ll tear him to pieces!”

Strangely enough, her threats were not unfounded. Adam would have to return to the White Spire, whether it was the lower or upper part.

However, it couldn’t be said that he had ever left the White Spire. At least he was still under its influence, like every other creature in these lands.

Step. Step. Step.

Adam climbed the stairs step by step, surrounded by darkness. All he could see in front of him was the faint purple light from the dark seal that guided him in the right direction.

Several times, Adam glanced back, worried that Bertrada might be following him, but if she did, she would face serious consequences.

Almost a minute later, Adam finally saw the light at the end as he sped up.

Whoooooooosh.

A gust of wind hit him as he found himself outside, but something was wrong.

“Wait… What’s that smell?” Adam looked around in confusion before taking a deep breath. “The air, why does it taste salty?”

In his travels, Adam had been to many places, but he had never encountered anything like this before.

‘Adam…’ Silvana’s voice rang out. ‘Look north, south… in any direction. We… I don’t know where we are…’

He did as she said, his eyes went wide in disbelief.

Adam didn’t know where the White Spire was, but he expected to see some distant lands because he knew he was no longer at the Forgotten Mills.

In the end, he looked at the great island covered with gloomy trees, sparse peaks, and flat hills. But what made him freeze in awe was something else entirely.

Again and again, waves crashed against the rocky shore, while the wind swept unhindered along the dark sea that seemed to have no boundaries.

In fact, the entire island was quite empty, except for a leaning tower with a glass sphere at the very top. There was nothing else here.

“Wait…”

At that moment, Adam realized one simple thing as he looked back.

“So I’ve been deep underground this whole time? I’ve seen what the Silver Beacon looks like, its physical form, but the White Spire… Shit, how big is it? It’s the size of an island!”

After a while, the surprise passed as Adam shook his head.

“Alright, I don’t know what the Silver Beacon is planning, but at least I know what I have to do.”

He stared at the dark seal.

“You, lead me. I’m ready.”

…

Adam didn’t notice it at the time, but in the far part of the island, black particles rose from the ground like tiny stars.

Soon, they would become either a dream or a nightmare for Adam.

Or maybe just an opportunity to look at the past to transcend beyond it for his desire.