Endless Evolution: Last Star

As soon as the side effects of teleportation wore off, Adam descended to the middle level of the spire, where a platform awaited him with several fighters ready to take off at any moment.

The spire itself was a huge structure, white and elegant as if to show the power of the Citadel and the presence of the Gamma Division. The spire was divided into several levels because it was a tiny Bastion or a small military base comparable to a department of one of the forts.

At the top was an observation deck and teleportation chamber, where Adam and any other Phantom who came to this spire ended up. Below was the takeoff pad, command center, and technical area.

At the base of the spire was a place where Phantoms and Gamma Division members could rest, sleep, eat, drink, and even enjoy a wide range of entertainment, although the Phantoms rarely took advantage of this.

The Gamma Division members spent most of their time in the spires until it was time for them to return to the Citadel. At the same time, the K4-Phantoms came here on a mission, not to rest.

The woman led Adam to the right fighter.

"As you already know, we use teleports to travel such long distances, but this requires spires and teleportation chambers. From here, the pilot will take you directly to the desired location."

Adam nodded.

When he first heard about teleportation, he thought that upon completion, he would end up right in the Corrosive Lakes, however, that was impossible.

'Well, this way I can approach the target of my mission from the side instead of ending up right in the middle of the battle. Moreover, the First Star energy is still blocking my artifact. Although... I can't say that I've become weaker. Hah, especially considering that I have something I haven't tried yet.'

Thus, he boarded the fighter. There was nothing unusual about this fighter except for the special tanks that absorbed the liquid saturated with energy from the artifact in the cargo compartment.

Unlike Refesa's fighter, one did not use the artifact's energy to move at super speeds; here, the goal was different—defense and stealth.

The pilot turned and looked at Adam over his shoulder.

"Hey, I've never seen you before, are you new?"

Adam smiled bitterly.

"Newbie? Damn, I'm a K4-Phantom and they still call me a newbie. It's kind of sad."

"Hah, don't be offended. I just haven't seen you here before. If this is your first time here, then you're a newbie, aren't you?" The pilot waved his hand. "You may be a Second Rank Phantom, but if you're playing golf for the first time, you're also a newbie. It all depends on the situation."

Adam scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Yeah, but I'm not here to play golf. I'm here on a mission to fight monsters, just like in all the Dead Lands."

In response, the pilot just shrugged.

"Fair enough. I'll drop you off at the borders of the Corrosive Lakes."

Without delay, the pilot lifted the fighter into the air, flying off one of the many spires that the Citadel had created over the years. Soon, in seven years to be exact, nothing will remain of them.

The spires will turn into yet another piece of junk, part of which will become part of the Tarnished Lands, like everything else in this world that will not be protected by the barrier during the World Wipe.

Less than ten minutes later, green dots appeared on the horizon, small at first, but growing larger with every passing second.

Dark rocks covered with sprouting crystals dotted the landscape of the Corrosive Lakes as several shadows wandered along the gloomy paths.

Most of the monsters at the Corrosive Lakes were at the F1-F2 Black Threat Level, but what Adam needed to worry about were the Lesser Elders and the Flash Carrier.

"Hmm, the Elders are essentially the Awakened Black Threat monsters, they may or may not be a Hollow Wave, although the chances of the former are not very high."

The next World Wipe would happen in seven years. This meant not only a low energy density but also that many monsters had the opportunity to become strong enough without encountering the World Wipe.

After the World Wipe, there were practically no strong non-Hollow Wave monsters, because all those that weren't strong enough simply died.

'Well, anyway. Even the Elders won't be my main threat.'

"Are you ready?" The pilot's voice rang out.

Adam nodded.

"Yes, but... I don't see where to get a parachute here. We're fucking high..."

Not only did the ground seem small, but even the clouds did. This was necessary to ensure the safety of the pilot and the fighter, even though they were moving in stealth mode, under the barrier, and at a fairly low speed.

"Hahaha! You are a rookie. It's not my job to explain how to use energy, so I think you'll figure something out." The pilot

"W-Wait!" Adam exclaimed.

His request was ignored as the hatch opened, literally dropping Adam down as if he were not a person but a bomb. However, the destructive effect of it would be much greater.

Whooooooosh.

The fighter disappeared behind the clouds as aggressive gusts of wind hit Adam. Their force was enough to flip him in the air, preventing him from regaining his composure, while his falling speed only increased.

"Shit! Silvana, do you have any ideas?! I don't fucking know how to fly!"

He didn't get quite the answer he was hoping for.

"Well, then it's time to learn. Maybe not now, but remember the elders of the Alderran Family. They were K4-Phantoms just like you!"

"Yes, but they are at the very edge of evolution, not at the beginning of this level! What the hell am I supposed to do?!" Adam exclaimed, waving his arms, but it had no effect.

Silvana giggled.

"Maybe it's too early for you to learn to fly, but you can definitely slow down. Try doing what Erik, Kenward, Saegar, and the others did. Create a platform beneath you."

Adam nodded as his eyes lit up.

Streams of energy flowed to his feet in an attempt to slow down the wind.

Because of his focus, Adam didn't notice the shadow with wide wings and a long beak moving straight toward him.