Endless Evolution: Last Star

Adam stared deeply into the void. After Damien's words, he realized that every fight and every event that happened in Dead Lands had a reason and that was the fact that he was a Naturalborn Phantom.

Sure, just because Adam had stronger genes didn't mean he could change fate, but his chances of facing such strong opponents would be many times less!

"However..." Adam muttered, "Although I've faced dangerous situations because of my status, I've also gotten some benefit from it. Being a Naturalborn isn't a curse, it's something more complicated, isn't it?"

Damien nodded with a slight smile and sparkling eyes. Deep inside, he was glad that Adam wasn't scared but decided to deal with his situation.

Many Naturalborn Phantoms, when they discovered the influence of their genes on the world around them, became real cowards afraid of any rustle. They lost confidence in themselves, and blamed their genes for any failure, rather than analyzing their mistakes or working on themselves.

This tendency was the main reason why it was forbidden to tell the Phantoms until they reached Second Rank or at least K4.

Most people didn't need to know some things, because they misunderstood them due to lack of experience and led to disasters.

As cynical as it may sound, sometimes keeping people in the dark was the best solution for their own good.

The Citadel government had set up many similar prohibitions: Information on the second way to become a Phantom, the existence of Natural and Artificial Phantoms, and many more.

"Yeah, you're thinking in the right direction, it's not a curse but a double-edged sword, that way everyone's luck and bad luck can be interpreted. Imagine the sword of an ordinary man is rusty and covered in dust. One edge is good luck, the other is bad luck.

Sure, you can kill someone or cut something with such a sword if you want to, but it will be difficult and time-consuming to do so, just useless against something stronger.

Then, imagine an ordinary sword - this is Artificialborn Phantoms. The edges are sharper as well as deeper in luck and bad luck.

The Last One is a sword sharpened to its limits. The edges are thin, capable of cutting through any obstacle, and luck and bad luck are at the peak of their powers. These are Naturalborn Phantoms." Damien explained, holding his palms out as if there was an imaginary sword between them.

Adam nodded thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.

"Now that I think about it, I realize I didn't come here for nothing. If I fight against Essence Monster like I did against Brass Puppet, I'll be dead in the first minute. Then, I'll get a shitload of wounds. So, my only option is to dodge Essence Monster's attacks?" Adam asked with slight puzzlement.

"Well... There's another way, but you'd have to ask her about it." Damien said, pointing at Silvana, "I'm sure she was going to tell you about it later, but the moment is now."

Adam turned around, looking at Silvana curiously.

Silvana coughed.

"Before the mission with Travelers Squad, it was too early to discuss it, and after the mission... Well, we all needed a little time to recover. Anyway, there's a special training program for the battle with Essence Type."

"Training...?" Adam tilted his head in confusion, "Like when I fought Granite Ghost in the virtual zone?"

Silvana shook her head.

"Not exactly. We'll definitely do that, but only at the very end. Before that, you'll need to go through the Seven Day Elemental Circle and create Elemental Roots."

"The Elemental Circle... Elemental Roots?" Adam muttered with a blank stare. It was the first time he'd heard of it.

Silvana sighed heavily.

"Honestly, I wanted to put this moment off as long as possible, gradually preparing you. Now that you've found out, there's no stopping you. The reason for my concern is simple - it fucking hurts."

Adam's eyes went wide, but not because the Elemental Circle was a serious test, but because Silvana swore.

If she did that, then things were really tough.

"In brief. Upon successful completion of the training, your body will become much more resistant to elemental damage. Normally, this isn't a strong necessity, but against Essence Type, it's a must for a successful hunt."

"Well..." Adam said at length, leaned on the back of his chair, and looked up at the ceiling with a thoughtful look.

"Apparently, pain isn't the main problem. After what happened in the virtual zone, I can hardly be surprised."

Damien chuckled insidiously.

"Damn! He understood everything just from your intonation and look. Your communication level is quite impressive, especially considering you've been working together for a little over a month."

Silvana sighed heavily.

"The thing is, not all Phantoms agree to go through the Elemental Circle. The problem is that this training can be fatal."

Adam didn't seem surprised, he only asked with a calm look:

"How much?"

"15%..." Silvana replied, biting her lip, for it was almost one in seven.

"Wrong." Beth said sharply, looking intently at Silvana.

"What...? But I checked all the available directories and libraries. It says 13.75% to 16.25% everywhere!" Silvana uttered, shocked. She was sure she wasn't wrong.

Beth shrugged.

"Those are the odds for Artificialborn Phantoms, it's a little different for Adam. He's a Naturalborn Phantom, and they're better at absorbing artifacts, which means they're inherently more resistant to elemental damage."

"Oh, looks like you're going to make me happy now, right?" Adam looked at her, with some hope, for 15% was indeed a lot.

Beth smirked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Sure, but don't get your hopes up too high, because the odds only go down to 10%."

"Luck and bad luck!" Damien exclaimed, pointing his fingers at Adam and Beth.

Adam smiled bitterly, clenching his fist.

"Well, it's one in ten, and surely the human factor affects it too, this isn't a casino, right?"

Beth didn't answer anything, she just smiled slyly. That was enough for Adam to get his answer.