Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1359: Wait for the gray area

”Silver Beacon wants me to surrender?” Adam asked with a slight smile on his face.

Mona nodded deeply.

”Hah, doesn’t that mean your mistress is desperate? Norax talked about some rewards, and it seems like Silver Beacon doesn’t want to do anything on her part. She’s one of those who only likes to receive, isn’t she?”

There was no response, but Adam already understood well who Silver Beacon was, even if he still didn’t know her real name.

”Mona, do I have any reason to agree to this?” Adam turned to her, enjoying the tub as if he were lying in a hot spring.

”My mistress promises to grant your wish and help you achieve your goal if you do this. All you need to do is refuse to move on to the next trial and accept these conditions. In this way, the Silver Beacon wants to preserve her power by rewarding only you for your efforts,” Mona explained calmly.

It all sounded complicated, but Adam understood what it really meant.

”I see. The Silver Beacon wants to put in minimal effort. It seems she has already realized that this outcome will be much more profitable for her than waiting for me to lose.”

Sure, Adam didn’t know what awaited him next, but he was confident that even if the third trial turned out to be much more difficult than the previous two, with all his trump cards, he would be able to win.

”What about you, Mona? Do you think I should agree or go against your mistress?” Adam smirked.

Mona kept her calm gaze. ”I have no right to speak about this. I am not the one who makes the decisions, and all I want is the outcome that is most favorable to my mistress.”

”Hah, unbelievable.”

”Hmm?” Mona raised an eyebrow. ”What do you mean?”

Adam waved his hand. ”To say such bullshit with such a confident face is something else. I could never do that.”

Silence.

Mona said nothing for a while as Adam quickly recovered. With every second, he felt better, and his energy was replenished to its previous level.

”So, what will your answer be? You can joke all you want, but you will not leave this chamber until I have an answer for my mistress.”

Adam shrugged.

”I refuse. I’m going to see this through to the end and pass all the trials.”

Mona’s eyebrow twitched, but she quickly regained her calm expression.

”May I know the reason for your refusal?”

”Sure.” Adam stared at her. ”I don’t think the Silver Beacon can give me what I need. Only I can achieve that, and the White Spire is the right place for it. And secondly... Well, how can I deny myself the pleasure of seeing the Silver Beacon lose? It seems that playing by the rules is the worst punishment for her.”

If Mona could, she would surely smile, but she must not show her true emotions. Not now.

”Got it. In that case, I’ll wait until you recover, guide you through the third trial, and then leave you. I hope your decision doesn’t end in your death.”

Adam chuckled. ”Don’t worry about that. I’m not going to die. Certainly not here.”

After half an hour of agonizing silence, Adam finally got out of the tub and got dressed. He was ready for battle as Mona opened the secret passage to another elevator that went up again.

In fact, the red chamber where they had just been was at about the same height as the first trial, just located in another part of the White Spire. Thus, he was now moving to the upper level.

Although Adam had declined the Silver Beacon’s offer, he had not told Mona all his reasons, keeping one to himself.

The two dark fragments lying in his pocket were waiting for a third to join them, and Adam wanted to know what would happen when he found all three.

Moreover...

”It doesn’t seem like she knows about this.” Adam glanced at Mona as the platform moved upward. ”She denied it before and will now, but this place is divided into two. The Silver Beacon and the White Spire... Are these two the Ancient Artifacts? If so, why does the Silver Beacon rule here?”

Adam frowned slightly.

’The White Spire... Is it even here? Is it alive? Apparently, the Silver Beacon is weaker, as it still has to follow the rules of this place. So, could it be that the dark fragments come not from the Silver Beacon but from what the White Spire has put into this place?’

This was the first time Adam had encountered the Ancient Artifact, but he already understood that he was in a rather complicated situation.

’In any case, all I need to think about right now is how to reach the Desire of Beyond. I’ve passed two trials, but have I achieved anything? Maybe I’ve become a little stronger, but I don’t feel anything unusual.’

Crack.

The platform stopped as a massive stone gate stood before them. Through the slight gap between the great slabs, blue light and frosty gusts of wind could be seen, causing Adam to shiver from the cold even here.

”D-Damn... Why is it so cold here?”

Mona sighed. ”Because this is your next and final trial. If you pass it, you will meet my mistress, and she will reward the Forgotten Mills as she should according to the rules. Of course, as a contender, you will definitely receive the main prize from her.”

Adam had serious doubts about her last words. In any case, he was going to proceed with his plan.

”Alright, are you leaving now?”

”Yes. I will watch from another place.”

Mona stepped back, about to disappear into the darkness, when Adam’s deep voice rang out:

”Watch carefully, Ms. Host, perhaps the Silver Beacon is not the only one who controls everything, perhaps even she does not know all the rules. When the gray area opens up, you should take advantage of it.”

She didn’t fully understand what Adam was talking about, but just before leaving the platform, she saw the sharp edge of a dark fragment peeking out from Adam’s coat, which he had deliberately opened slightly.

The corners of Adam’s lips lifted as Mona disappeared with her eyes wide open, and he turned toward the stone gate.

”Cold, then? Let’s see who I have to defeat this time!”