Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1957: Strange Coffee and a Cold Apple

While Ergander helped Adam find his way back to the Gray Sea, it was Prasyx who told Adam how to get to the Grand Abyss.

Moreover, it was Prasyx’s advice that helped Adam avoid dangerous passages and, to some extent, meet Ergander and Blafor. If Adam hadn’t chosen that passage, he wouldn’t have ended up near the hill where Ergander was absorbing his Pearl.

In return for his help, Prasyx asked Adam to find an Abyss Pearl. It wasn’t a strict requirement, since Prasyx understood that it would be difficult for Adam to obtain something like that, so he simply hoped for the best.

” “Oh, so you did it after all.” Prasyx smiled as he looked at the dark orb in Adam’s palm.

Adam nodded contentedly.

“Of course I did.”

Prasyx smirked. “Huh, I didn’t expect you to head to the Dark Field, but it seems it was worth it. You found it right there, didn’t you?”

“Y-Yes.” Adam cautiously agreed. “But why are you so sure about that?”

“Well…” Prasyx hesitated before answering. “You’re not lucky enough to find an Abyss Pearl at the Light Field. They’re especially valuable. Even if such a Pearl were to appear at the Light Field, countless Lords would immediately try to get their hands on it.”

He waved his hand.

“You’ve gotten stronger—much stronger—but that’s not enough to compete for Pearls at the Grand Abyss, even if it’s the Light Field.”

A shiver ran down Adam’s spine as he recalled a monster—the only one he’d encountered at the Dark Field.

“Yeah… I don’t think I’ll be returning to the Grand Abyss anytime soon. That place is too dangerous for a K4-Phantom. I don’t even want to imagine how many Lords of the Befallen Crown are roaming the entire Light Field—Lords who were looking for me and may still be searching for me.”

Prasyx chuckled. “Hah! That’s for sure! And you can be sure of that. Every one of them is eager to find you. But we’ll talk about that a little later. First, you’ll tell me everything in detail, and then I’ll show you how monsters like me use the Pearls.”

Adam glanced at the Abyss Pearl and then at Prasyx.

“Hey, what about my reward? Considering what I’ve done, I deserve at least something, don’t I?”

Prasyx waved his hand.

“Of course. I’d reward you just for deciding to come back and keep me company, but we’ll do everything in order.”

“Agh…” Adam sighed heavily. “Alright, this is going to be a long story.”

“Ha! How convenient that I have plenty of free time!”

…

As it turned out, Prasyx’s island wasn’t just home to Lucent Trees but also had an underground level where he had stayed while he was in his human form.

Beneath the ground lay an area divided into two halls: one looked like a library, and the other was a garden of shrubs, vines, and rare plants in between.

Prasyx didn’t offer Adam tea and cookies like Ergander had, since he had something special.

“Hmm? Coffee?” Adam raised an eyebrow as he looked at the dark beverage in his white ceramic cup.

Prasyx nodded.

“Getting coffee in the Dead Lands is no easy task, though it’s still doable. Many monsters who’ve acquired a taste for it later spend a lot of effort and time securing a long-term supply of coffee.”

But that wasn’t the only surprise Prasyx had in store.

Adam sensed it right away.

The aroma of the coffee was pleasant and strong, but at the same time, he sensed something unusual—yet familiar—inside it.

“Come on, try it.”

Adam didn’t refuse and took a sip. His eyes widened suddenly, and his lips and cheeks turned red.

“Damn it! Why is it so spicy?!” Adam exclaimed, struggling to set the cup gently on the table.

“Hahahahaha!” Prasyx laughed heartily, having expected exactly that reaction. “Relax. You’ll get used to it soon, and then you’ll really appreciate the full depth of the flavor.”

Adam wasn’t exaggerating. The coffee really was so spicy it was as if Prasyx had poured half a bottle of hot sauce into it.

But he hadn’t lied either. As soon as the heat subsided, Adam realized he actually liked the taste, and for some reason, he wanted to take another sip.

“Wait.” Prasyx noticed this and stopped him. “I just wanted to tease you a little. Actually, this coffee is meant to be drunk with one more ingredient.”

“Agh?” Adam was confused, his lips still burning from the spiciness.

Prasyx offered him an apple. It looked like a plain green apple, but its top and bottom were blue, and the apple gave off a slight, palpable chill.

“Let me teach you how to drink this kind of coffee properly. You have to take a sip and then bite into the apple right after. Don’t try to eat half of it at once—just a regular bite will do. You’ll get the hang of it soon.”

Adam took the apple, slowly turning it in his hand.

“I assume the apple will taste special, too?”

Prasyx waved his hand. “Something like that. I doubt you’ve even tried anything like this at the Citadel.”

After a brief pause, Adam nodded and did as Prasyx had said.

Sip.

Adam took a sip and immediately bit into the apple.

Crunch!

There was a crunch—but loud and harsh, as if his teeth had sunk not into an apple but into a chunk of glacier.

In the first fraction of a second after the bitterness of the coffee, Adam felt its spiciness.

Then, a wave of freshness washed over him, coming from the apple—sweetness and, oddly enough, a minty flavor.

Several strange flavors filled Adam’s mouth at once; it was strange and unusual, but Adam couldn’t say he didn’t like it.

Satisfied with his reaction, Prasyx nodded and did the same himself. He had plenty of this coffee, apples, and lots of other things.

“Agh…”

After a while, Adam exhaled, still sensing a hint of flavor on the tip of his tongue.

“And… Who came up with this way of drinking this unusual coffee?”

With a proud smile, Prasyx patted himself on the chest.

“Me! Hahaha! You’d be surprised how many Lords I’ve treated to this coffee and then watched their dumb faces. They all fell into the same trap as you!”

Adam shrugged as he looked at his cup.

“Well, it was worth it, I guess.”

Prasyx leaned forward as his eyes sparkled.

“Now, it seems you’re low on energy. Luckily for you, I know how to fix that.”

“Ah?”