Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1173: Old Adversary (Part 1)

The first rays of sunlight streamed through the window and fell on Adam’s face, forcing him to open his eyes after a long night.

Waking up, Adam shook his head and saw a glimpse of Silvana’s bare back as she sleepily made her way to the shower.

‘Damn… Yesterday was good, very good, but why do I feel like I just wanted to distract myself from my problems?’

Adam smiled bitterly.

“Well, probably because that’s the case. Mariam, tsk… Why did all the strongest people suddenly decide that they needed to ruin my mood with bad news? First, Wilfred, then Douglas, Damien, and now even a Hybrid. Agh…”

The sound of running water and short bursts of steam coming from the bathroom caught Adam’s attention.

Sure, he hadn’t had much time to think tonight, at least that’s how it seemed to Silvana, who had decided to give herself over completely to the process.

Over and over again, thoughts of his future family, of children, and of what the World Wipe would take from his life pierced his mind like red-hot daggers.

“Maybe Mariam is right? Maybe I should do everything I can to make the last seven years the best of my family’s life? Then… I’ll start all over again, together with Silvana. I should be grateful that, unlike others, I at least have the chance to survive.”

A few days ago, Adam would never have taken this position, but the situation had changed rapidly. Events had accelerated, and if he wanted to adapt, he had to grow up.

He had already done so once when he became the Phantom, and now it was time to do it again.

Thump.

Adam collapsed onto the bed, staring at the empty ceiling.

“No one will be better off if I die chasing the impossible, not my family, not Silvana, not me. I have to stop dreaming and start doing what I can.”

With these thoughts, Adam got up and headed for the kitchen.

By the time the aroma of coffee filled the apartment, Silvana returned from the shower, a beige towel draped around her frame.

“Oh, you’re awake already? I thought you’d sleep for a few more hours.” She smiled as she approached him from behind.

Adam shrugged, pouring coffee into two cups. He knew what kind of coffee Silvana liked, so it wasn’t a problem.

“I may be able to defeat powerful monsters, but the sun is an enemy beyond my power.”

Silvana glanced toward the window.

“Yeah, we forgot to close the curtains. Well, we were too busy,” she purred as her hands slid down his chest.

However, instead of answering, Adam simply handed her the coffee and went to the refrigerator to get something sweet.

Silvana blinked several times, concerned.

“Is something wrong? If you’re upset about that thing at night, we can stop doing that or…”

Adam shook his head.

“No, it’s not that. Last night was fine, I just can’t stop thinking about Mariam and the whole situation…”

Step.

With light steps, Silvana approached Adam and touched his face, making him look her straight in the eyes.

“This world isn’t perfect, and neither are we. However, if we have the opportunity, then we must continue to live and fight. Some things cannot be changed, but we must do everything we can if we can influence it.”

Adam nodded slightly. “Agh, you’re right. Just… I’ve learned too many things lately, I need to clear my head.”

Silvana’s lips turned up at the corners.

“As I understand it, you’re not planning on going for a walk in the park or getting drunk in bars, right? For someone like you, the best way to relax is to break the jaw of another monster, hah?”

A predatory gleam flashed across Adam’s eyes as his mood finally improved a little.

“Hah, of course. If I stay in the Citadel, I’ll just keep thinking about these things over and over again. I need something to occupy myself with. After all, I have a lot of work ahead of me.”

Silvana kissed him briefly. “We both do.”

Then, she took a step back and took a sip of coffee.

“I know you want to go to the place you saw through the Connected String, and I’m sure I can figure out where it is once I see the fragments, but I have another suggestion for you.”

“Hmm?” Adam raised an eyebrow. “You want me to go after the Twilight Crystal first?”

Silvana nodded.

“Yes, there are several good options, and you can make it to one of them by tomorrow evening. However, finding the Twilight Crystals wasn’t a problem at all, even though I thought I’d have to spend days or even weeks searching.”

“I see. Are there more Twilight Crystals in the world than Midnight Ones?”

“Something like that. Many Twilight Crystals remain invisible after they appear, and the monsters are in no hurry to absorb them, hoping that they will gather more energy. When the Midnight Crystals appear, everyone for miles around knows about it, and a real battle royale begins for the right to absorb the crystal first.”

Adam chuckled as his gaze grew heavy for a moment.

“Yeah, I know. I had to go through that myself once. The guy I defeated to get the Midnight Crystal. Hah, the Plague Reaper, I’ll always remember that deadly bastard!”

When their cups were empty, they simply made another coffee and had breakfast.

Silvana told Adam about the upcoming mission, as many Twilight Crystals had recently been uncovered in one location.

Several floating screens appeared before Adam, showing photos of the fiery lands full of lava channels and a huge volcano in the distance that was dormant, but not for long.

“That’s the Corrupted Volcano,” Silvana said. “I know you were hoping to stay in the Tarnished Lands longer, but you’ll have time to come back. The Corrupted Volcano is in the Dead Lands, not far from the Dark Shore.”

Adam nodded deeply as he studied the mission information. He didn’t need to kill any monsters, he just had to find at least one Twilight Crystal and clear it, which meant absorbing it.

“I see I’ll have a partner?” Adam asked.

Silvana smiled.

“Yes. I hid that part on purpose. I want you to see everything for yourself. I’m sure you’ll like it.”