Endless Evolution: Last Star-Chapter 1626: Old dark lake

Adam didn't know where he was, but that didn't matter in his case. Right now, he was in the Dead Lands, in the ring closest to the Dead Lands.

The most dangerous enemies he could encounter here were monsters at the White and Green threat levels. The same was true on the flip side — most Phantoms here were at the K0 and K1 levels. Stronger Phantoms had no business being here.

Step. Step. Step.

Adam walked through the cave until he stopped, peering around a corner.

More than a dozen sand lizards slept peacefully on the warm rocks. The stronger and larger ones were near the amber crystals, guarding them and slowly absorbing their energy.

"The White Threat Monsters, right?"

Silvana nodded.

"Yes, the Sand Lizards. They live in caves or near desert dunes. They're fast and strong, have sharp claws and protective scales, and are resistant to fire."

Adam smiled, almost laughing, but stopped himself in time so as not to make a noise.

'Hah, you're so serious. It reminds me of our early days. Back then, every monster required preparation and detailed information. Those were good times.'

Silvana shrugged.

'If there were information on your enemies in the database, I'd still be doing that. But… Outside the Dead Lands, it's hard to find information on anything. You have to learn everything on the spot.'

Adam nodded silently and stepped forward.

STEP!

He deliberately put more force into it than usual. His step echoed through the cave, and a tremor ran through the ground.

The sand lizards opened their amber eyes, at first lazily, but soon, their faces reflected nothing but shock and fear.

HISSSSSS!

They hissed, staring intently at Adam as the strongest of the sand lizards stepped forward. They were ready to fight if it was necessary for their Nest.

Well, they didn't yet realize just how terrifying their opponent's aura was.

Tremble.

A single pulse emanating from Adam was enough to freeze the sand lizards in their tracks. They couldn't fathom how such a powerful Phantom had ended up in the middle of their nest.

Moreover, they knew they had no chance of winning.

"Relax." Adam waved his hand as he strode forward with a calm stride.

He walked past the sand lizards, who were afraid to even breathe near him. Still, their eyes followed him out of curiosity and fear.

"I'm not going to fight you. That would be unfair. Besides, I don't want to take away valuable experience from the young Phantoms who will come to fight you."

Sure, Adam could kill every monster here. It would take him less than a minute. But what was the point?

If they were threatening his family, that would be a different story, but right now, he had invaded their home and was merely a passing guest.

If it had been anyone else, the sand lizards would have attacked the arrogant Phantom long ago, but not Adam, not the K4-Phantom.

And so, Adam left the cave under the gaze of a multitude of sand lizards.

It was an encounter they weren't prepared for, but one they would never forget.

Step. Step. Step.

Adam grabbed the sharp edge of the exit as he took the next step.

The rays of the blazing sun fell on his face, just as they had on the first day he became a Phantom.

With every gust of wind, sand swept by, leaving some dunes and covering others in an endless cycle.

"Ah, I'd actually forgotten that feeling. It's not bad, not bad at all."

Suddenly, a stranger's voice interrupted him:

"Hurry up! We have to start our mission in three minutes!" exclaimed the man in the formal black uniform.

Behind him walked a squad of five people, each a Phantom—complete newbies who didn't even have their own Operator yet. To get one, they had to complete a couple of missions and prove their worth to the Citadel.

'Hmm? Does someone here actually have a mission assigned? Damn, I was just joking,' Adam complained inwardly.

Click.

Silvana quickly found all the information.

"Yep, this is the first mission for the Amber Wind squad. They formed recently, and the man in the black uniform is their instructor, a K1-Phantom. They're assisted by his Operator, as well as one shared Operator from the mission department."

Adam smirked. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Back in the day, any Operator could easily find out all the info about our missions, but now you're the one doing it? Looks like we've both switched sides without even realizing it."

Silvana puffed out her cheeks.

"Hey! I'm just sharing useful information with you. Besides, I was just curious!"

"Of course." He jumped down the slope, landing in front of the Amber Wind squad.

The instructor stopped abruptly and braced for battle. No one had told him there would be anyone else here.

"Who are you?!" The instructor exclaimed, ready to pull his Nexus from behind his back.

Before he could do so, his eyes widened as one of the Amber Wind squad exclaimed:

"Holy shit! It's Adam Vinter!"

The girl gulped nervously.

"Is it really him?"

The young man rubbed his eyes.

"Maybe we're seeing things?"

However, soon, they heard confirmation from their Operator.

"Y-Yes, it is indeed Adam Vinter, the real one…" She couldn't believe what she was saying herself. Still, it was a fact.

Adam smiled slightly and waved his hand in greeting.

"Hi! Don't mind me. I'm just patrolling the area, something like that."

The young Phantoms exchanged glances. They weren't prepared for this, nor was the instructor, but his job was to ensure the safety of the new fighters and the completion of the mission.

"The sand lizards and amber crystals — are they alive? Are they still in the cave?" he asked, trying to stay calm.

Adam nodded deeply.

"Sure, don't worry about that. Good luck with your mission."

Thus, Adam walked on, under their shocked gazes. They, like the sand lizards, would remember this encounter for a long time.

Step. Step. Step.

Adam had walked quite a distance from the cave as he climbed a dune, intending to return to the Citadel gates.

But something made his gaze grow dark and cold.

"Shit… This isn't where I wanted to end up..."

He clenched his fists as he looked at the small lake of waste in the distance, the tar lake, the place where it all began, where Adam had killed the silver weaver, the first and the real one.