Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1514: Abyss Guards (Part 1)

The Frost Ridge was a vast territory, but for Adam and Alexia, there was only one way forward — straight into the abyss.

The battle against the ice worm had left a deep impression on both of them. It was a real indication of how dangerous the Primal Lands were, and they both realized that this was only the beginning.

Step. Step. Step.

Slowly, Adam and Alexia descended the slope, leaving the mountains behind and moving toward the expanse in the middle of which now lay the corpse of the giant worm.

They didn’t know what to expect next, but they were ready for anything. From the moment they crossed the mountain line, their mission had become much more dangerous.

“Well, well…” Adam looked around when they reached the mountainside. “It’s pretty empty here, isn’t it?”

All around, for hundreds of meters, there was only land covered with a thick layer of snow, icy rocks, and huge bones that had long since frozen. Once upon a time, many battles had taken place here, but now they were rare.

“Yeah, looks like no one’s died here in the last few years.” Alexia nodded deeply. “This worm was the first.”

Adam narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the abyss, the faint blue glow beckoning them.

In fact, they expected someone to attack them right here, in the expanse where the abyss lay as the main treasure.

But all they heard was the crunch of snow under their feet.

“Agh…” Adam sighed deeply. He hadn’t been in snowy lands for a long time.

For some reason, despite the whole situation with the ice worm, he felt calm. Every breath of cold, clean air filled his chest and calmed his mind.

Here, he felt like a person who had lived his entire life in a metropolis and decided to take a break high up in the mountains.

Sure, almost all parts of the Dead Lands, except the monster cities, were peaceful, wild places where there was no technology or city noise.

Something here was different, and it wasn’t just the temperature and the real feeling of cold.

The answer was simple: it was all in the energy.

“Hah, Silvana, can you feel it?” Adam asked, his eyes half-closed.

Silvana nodded slightly. This was one of the rare occasions when, instead of her cozy office at the Citadel, she wanted to be with Adam in dangerous lands.

She felt the same thing as Adam, but couldn’t fully appreciate it because she hadn’t experienced it herself. She only received a small part of what came to her from Adam.

‘Yes, this energy, it’s unlike anything else. Even the Midnight Crystal and Twilight Crystal don’t have the same depth. But… where does this energy come from?’

Now, it was obvious to them that this energy was present throughout the Primal Lands, somewhere it was greater, somewhere less, but it filled the region.

It was not a matter of the density of the energy. No, it was simply different, more profound, like the eyes of a sage who had lived in this world for hundreds of years.

“So this is the ancient energy Beth was talking about?” Adam suggested as his eyes reflected the faint streams of energy wandering nearby.

Unlike the pale blue ones they encountered everywhere else in the world, here the energy was gray, with a slight purple tint. It was barely noticeable even to a Phantom as strong as Adam, but when the density was high, he could clearly see the difference.

“Hmm, we should have asked Beth more about this.”

Silvana frowned. ‘I tried. She… she’s not the easiest person to have that kind of conversation with. Unlike Damien, she’s very strict and watches everything she says. I don’t know if she acts that way because she doesn’t trust us or doesn’t want to harm us with additional information, but it made me wary.’

Adam glanced to the side, watching Alexia, who seemed to be thinking the same thing. She could see that the energy here was different, but like him, she couldn’t figure out exactly what was different.

Step. Step. Step.

The silence and tranquility continued until they approached the abyss.

As soon as they reached the beginning of the cracks, the ground shook.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

Adam and Alexia jumped back as they prepared for battle. They didn’t know if it was another giant worm or a new monster that had decided to set a trap for them.

However… the reality was a little different.

The ice-covered rocks trembled before rising from the ground, transforming into more than a dozen colossal golems.

They were tall and large enough that one of them could easily engulf Adam and Alexia in its shadow.

Adam’s eyes scanned the golem’s body. The stone body was covered with ice in some places and snow in others, but what caught his attention were the blue lines running across the golem’s body, which were filled with frosty energy as the temperature nearby dropped even lower.

In the center of the golem’s head was a single core engulfed in blue flames, like a single eye staring at the two lost Phantoms.

All the golems looked similar to each other, except for the largest one standing in front of them.

Adam and Alexia exchanged glances as Silvana and Louis prepared for battle. They didn’t know why the golems just stared at them and did nothing.

“H-Humans…”

Suddenly, a hoarse voice came from the head golem.

“Why have you come here…?” The head golem paused for a long time before continuing. “Are you just passing through, or… or… is the Frost Oasis your destination?”

‘Frost Oasis?’

Adam and Alexia thought simultaneously. When they set out for this place, they hadn’t heard anything about it.

But, they immediately understood that the head golem was talking about a place deep in the abyss. It was the only place they could go, where their energy was leading them.

“Yes, we want to get to the Frost Oasis,” Adam said.

The head golem nodded.

“In that case… I must make sure you are ready…”