Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1958: The boredom of being at the top

“Can you help me restore my energy?” Adam asked, a hint of hope in his voice.

After the battle against Midgar, he realized just how much his energy reserves had grown. In previous stages, he hadn’t needed nearly as much energy to fight at 100% capacity.

But now the situation had changed, and his energy regeneration rate had increased only slightly. Only when he took the next step, that is, destroyed the Grand Barrier, would he receive a significant boost in that regard.

Prasyx nodded.

“Yeah, that’ll be my reward for you. Sure, I won’t do it myself, I’ll use something for that. Hahaha, sorry, but even now you couldn’t withstand a direct surge of my energy!”

For a moment, Adam grew wary.

Even though this was the second time he’d spoken with Prasyx, and now he was sitting right across from him, he couldn’t gauge Prasyx’s power level.

He could barely sense his aura, and even that required him to focus. Anything beyond that was beyond his capabilities, for now.

“Finish your coffee first, and then we’ll go back upstairs.”

Ada glanced at the coffee and took another sip, just as he had last time, quickly biting into an apple afterward.

“So, have you taught this to many other Lords? Did they just come to you to try the coffee, or did you go to them with it?”

In response, Prasyx shrugged.

“It varies. Sometimes they came to visit me, sometimes I went to them. I’ve only been living here for a short while, since it’s a good place to grow the Lucent Trees and hardly anyone bothers me here.”

Adam nodded. He could agree with that.

“Yeah… As long as you don’t end up on particularly dangerous islands or provoke sea monsters, the Gray Sea is a pretty peaceful place. Many people would find it boring here.”

Prasyx smiled wryly.

“Only someone like you could say that. We, the Lords, have long been accustomed to a boring routine. The rare moments when we can entertain ourselves are what we value most of all.”

“Well, you can always find a hobby, can’t you?” Adam suggested. “I haven’t lived as long as you or even an old human man, but I’m sure there are plenty of things to do these days.”

“Huh, sure. That’s especially true for monsters who have a connection to the Citadel.” Prasyx waved his hand.

‘Like Norax, right?’ Adam thought. At moments like this, he always remembered the monster who, instead of ruling his territory, played video games on a console.

“But, Adam, even though you’re pretty young, you should understand this yourself.”

“Hmm?”

Prasyx smirked.

“No form of entertainment, no matter how expensive or unusual, will give you the same thrills as victory in a bloody battle or the moments of evolution. When you’ve fulfilled your last condition or seen the Grand Barrier, that feeling is irreplaceable.”

Adam stared at a single point for a while before nodding.

“You’re right. But you shouldn’t be dependent on that. This is your path, not a source of dopamine, isn’t it?”

Prasyx spread his arms wide.

“Who knows? Over time, you stop caring about that and just want to feel those same intense emotions.”

In fact, Adam understood what Prasyx was talking about, after all, the humans at the Citadel had a similar problem.

Sure, ordinary people didn’t possess powers like Phantoms or monsters, but they, too, could reach the top, whether in politics or economics.

When a person has several billion in their bank account, even if they initially want to try everything they’ve never had the chance to experience before, the novelty wears off over time.

At times like these, they look for something new. Some resort to desperate measures like drugs and heavy drinking.

But… as ironic as it may sound, such desperate measures didn’t work on monsters.

Even if Prasyx or any other monster wanted to relieve their boredom with a case of whiskey, they wouldn’t be able to do so.

They had to find other ways to relieve their boredom, and for this reason, those Lords who couldn’t find a hobby for themselves began meditating and accumulating energy for decades on end. This could have gone on even longer, though their energy increased only slightly given their reserves.

“Hey, don’t overthink it.” Prasyx rested his hand on the table. “You don’t need to worry about the other Lords or me. We reached our level by winning impossible battles, so… we’ll manage to deal with boredom somehow.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Adam nodded.

“It’s just… It’s kind of interesting how everyone has their own problems. It doesn’t matter who you are, a poor human, a weak Phantom, or a powerful monster. Everyone has their good and bad moments.”

“It’s never enough,” Prasyx continued his thought. “At the same time, what you have is always enough for you to enjoy life. Ironic, isn’t it?”

Adam froze for a moment. He hadn’t expected that from Prasyx.

Then, he smiled bitterly.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. And that’s a good thing. If I’d been satisfied with what I had, I would’ve stayed at the Citadel when I reached K2 Level. You know, I would’ve had a good life on the money I could’ve earned at that level.”

Prasyx narrowed his eyes.

“Sure, but… you would’ve remained in the dark about the true state of affairs in the world. And, in six years, you’d just disappear.”

Adam gulped.

Every time he thought about it, or someone else mentioned the World Wipe, he felt uneasy.

No matter how strong he’d become, it wasn’t enough to even come close to the World Wipe.

Tap.

Prasyx set his cup aside as he stood up from the table.

“Follow me.”

“Where?”

Prasyx glanced back over his shoulder.

“To try the Lucent Pears! You wanted to restore your energy, right? It’s time to do it!”

‘Right, the Lucent Pears,’ Adam thought. ‘Last time, he almost killed me because he assumed I was trying to steal them. They must be something special!’