Endless Evolution: Last Star - Chapter 700

Chapter 700: Two Hands

The Second Wall – This was Phantom’s second trial on his way to the Second Key, everyone knew this.

Obviously, by its very nature and name, a Phantom was supposed to pass the Second Wall after he overcame the First Wall.

But… one could never forget that there was neither the First Wall nor the Second Wall, just the Two Walls – only that was the challenge. They were part of the same entity that was critical at K2-Level.

The Two Walls was a powerful entity born not from the Phantom’s energy like the Evolution Tree, but from its essence and its desires.

In a way, The Two Walls was the most accurate reflection of what the Phantom achieved, what it went through, what it wanted, and what kind of person it was on the inside.

In fact, very few Phantoms found themselves in a situation where the Two Walls began to interact with each other.

For this to happen, two simple but really difficult conditions had to be met.

First, the Two Walls had to be strong from the start, a weak Phantom with an unremarkable history and battle list couldn’t have a powerful Two Walls, and the same goes for the Evolution Tree.

Secondly, for some reason, Phantom shouldn’t be in a hurry to destroy the First Wall, though…. no, it wasn’t about whether Phantom was in a hurry or not, it was about what he was doing during that period.

If the Phantom was just resting for a few months and doing nothing but occasional training, then in that case the Two Walls wouldn’t change even in ten years, as nothing worth noting happened in the Phantom’s history.

What mattered was not the length of the time gap between the transition to the K2-Level and the destruction of the First Wall, but the number of important events that affected Phantom that occurred during that period.

Adam was one of those Phantoms who saw and went through a lot before finally proceeding to destroy the First Wall.

The changes of the First Wall happened because the Two Walls were constantly adjusting to the Phantom to give him a challenge worthy of its history. Thus, though the difficulty level varied from one person to the next, the First Wall was never an easy walk.

Adam was delayed against his will, Osana and The Rule of Power started a long series of events that he was only recently able to get out of.

A lot had happened in the past three months, Adam had lost a lot, learned a lot, and gotten better. At the very end, he had a much-desired victory, over a worthy opponent who made him stronger.

But… there was something else crucial that no one noticed and it seemed even for Adam it was still something floating in the background.

Adam saw strong people. Not just talented and capable Phantoms like Fromund, but those whose power he couldn’t even fully define even though he’d seen everything with his own eyes.

The first one was Damien, but that was just an appetizer, just a brief glimpse since Damien wasn’t fighting at full strength.

But… Gladius was a different matter altogether. Though he didn’t use his abilities, only his aura, it was done at full power.

Otherwise, the high nobles would have simply killed Adam in the palace.

It changed the First Wall forever, and it also affected the Second Wall, it just wasn’t noticed by Adam or even the Evolution Tree.

There were major differences between the First Wall and the Second Wall.

The First Wall was a direct path to a specific goal, the Phantom had to reach it to move on.

The Second Wall was not more difficult, but it was more complicated, presenting the Phantom with several challenges before disappearing forever.

And, one of the trials was not related to monsters, genes, or the Operator, it was directly connected to the Phantom.

It was unknown to Adam, but the Evolution Tree was well aware of what was happening, only now it began.

[Your desires… Your changes… But… How? It was supposed to be one of the final stages… There’s no way you can reach the Second Wall now…]

The Evolution Tree was right. If Adam wanted to even touch the Second Wall, he wouldn’t be able to do so.

The Second Wall would simply not come out of the seal, while the First Wall would be an impenetrable barrier blocking all of Adam’s attempts.

But… if one wall broke into the other, such rules no longer worked. They weren’t enemies of each other, more like allies, but each with their interests. Well, at least as strong as the Two Walls who had the will.

Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.

Two black hands sank deeper and deeper into the Second Wall. At first, the Second Wall accepted the request from the First Wall, but… soon it began to resist.

The Second Wall shuddered vigorously, trying to shrink back into the seal, it didn’t like what was happening.

However…

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

The thick darkness coming out of the First Wall fell in powerful torrents upon the Second Wall, without fury or anger, but with the clear intention of keeping its fellow in place for as long as it needed to.

The Evolution Tree watched from the sidelines, unable to influence the Two Walls in any way.

This was probably the first time the Evolution Tree had been so helpless.

[No… It’s not the first time… Adam… he rarely listens to me… Although… I’m the same…]

At this moment, the massive snow-white roots returned back to the tree, assuming their position as a stunned spectator.

[I don’t encourage stubbornness… especially one so foolish… so reckless and… so risky… yet… It cannot be denied that such a thing is impossible without a strong will…]

Thump. Thump. Thump.

A soundless shudder ran through the inner space, vibrations coming out from the Second Wall like a mute cry for help.

[Agh… Perhaps I shouldn’t be so surprised…]

The Evolution Tree looked at the Second Wall dwelling in ephemeral agony, while the First Wall was doing its best to keep the pain as small as possible, but it had to accomplish the goal.

[To think of it… the First Wall became so strong that it forcibly pulled it from the Second Wall…]

At that moment, the Evolution Tree realized something.

Then, a shiver passed through the entire inner space once again, but much more powerful and active, like the laughter of a joyful old man.

[Hahaha… Hahaha! I just realized it now… If this is happening, then everything is ready. His desires. They’re dangerous… Like the one waiting for him at the end… Even I was afraid of your power… the First Wall.]

At the same moment, two dark hands curved, sinking deeper into the Second Wall, they disappeared inside the abyss up to their elbows.

Suddenly, the Second Wall stopped trembling, the pain ceased as the dark hands finally found the desired one.

Thrust.

With a sudden movement, two dark hands came out, causing the space to tremble.

The mirrored surface of the Second Wall strained, unwilling to let the hands out of their dungeon, but the First Wall was unstoppable.

Crackle.

Shimmering shards flew away from the shattered glass as two dark hands pulled a round object out of the Second Wall.

[Oh… I see….]

The Two Walls stopped, the Second Wall like a warrior after a heavy surgery tried to recover, picking up its shards with streams of energy, while the dark hands from the First Wall, slowly rose up.

They lifted the object up, presenting it to the only one who had power in the inner space beside them.

After a brief pause, the Evolution Tree’s menacing voice echoed out, reaching the fringes of darkness.

[Deep inside… I’m furious…]

Then, its gaze traveled downward.

[But… My rapture… my awe… overrides all my other feelings…]

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

On the dark palms lay an eerie heart, for some reason divided into two colors – crimson and purple.

It looked like a human heart, but it wasn’t, its shape, size, and number of tubes were not anatomically correct for a normal human.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

A two-colored liquid dripped from the dark hands, black viscous drops and white, light and clear, slowly sinking into the void from under the heart.

Around the heart was a transparent but bright sphere, flashing from time to time, as if mimicking the beating of a real heart.

[This is it… the Desire Star… I don’t know what lurks within you… what changes you will bring… but… I have no other choice…. but to accept you…]

Whoooooooooooooooosh.

Realizing the First Wall’s intent, the Evolution Tree directed its roots forward, connecting with the Desire Star.

Yet, the heart did not touch the roots, the orb did not allow this to happen.

[Hm… Everything will come true… just as it was supposed to… but slightly early…]

The Evolution Tree drew the Desire Star closer before letting it go, leaving it to hover in the darkness before itself and every component of Adam’s power.

Even so, the Desire Star had only one way to go, this was not only valid for Adam, but for all the Phantoms that reached this point, though not in the same way as Adam.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

The Desire Star stopped in front of two gauntlets, Adam’s Nexus hovering near the Evolution Tree.

Not intending to wait any longer, the Desire Star shone brightly as two streams of energy poured out of it, like violent flames consuming the black gauntlets. The Desire Star didn’t want to destroy anything, it had come here to fulfill Adam’s desires.

…

At the same moment, Adam’s eyes glowed as the dark shell around him disappeared.

The Blind Commander was already in front of him, but there were no more gauntlets on Adam’s hands since he received a new Nexus.