Endless Evolution: Last Star

"Every 250 years...?" Adam muttered in disbelief. "Wait, doesn't that mean it's been 243 years since the last World Wipe?"

Wilfred nodded calmly. He wasn't shocked by this, because unlike Adam, who was born less than 20 years ago, Wilfred had lived much longer than those 243 years.

"243 years." Silvana faltered. "I can't believe it. It sounds crazy... Have all the Lords and Second Rank Phantoms lived that long?"

"No." Wilfred shook his head.

Adam and Silvana stared at him, waiting for answers.

"Much longer than that. You have to understand that even though 250 years seems like several lifetimes to you, which is true since humans live around 70-90 years, which is like three generations,... for me and many others, this won't be the first World Wipe.

"This is not uncommon, especially among monsters. Some of the Lords have been around for several thousand years. That means they have survived more than five World Wipes. Among humans, the average number is lower, but... There are far fewer of us, especially when it comes to Second Rank Phantoms."

Silence.

Adam and Silvana had nothing to say.

They understood that Wilfred's words made sense, but... they were talking about the destruction of the world! They simply couldn't accept how carefree and calm Wilfred was.

"What about you, Wilfred? How many times have you seen the world destroyed?"

Wilfred exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Enough times not to get as emotional as you are right now. Although when it happened for the first time... That image is impossible to forget. There is nothing in this world more horrifying and beautiful at the same time."

Then, Silvana joined the conversation.

"Mr. Wilfred, even though the world is destroyed when the Last Star arrives, there are those who survive. What are the requirements for that? I mean..." she glanced nervously at Adam. "Does Adam need to become a Second Rank Phantom to ensure his safety?"

Adam gulped.

He was confident that he could do it, but in reality, he knew that the chances were slim, especially when his time was so limited.

Fortunately for them, Wilfred waved his hand carelessly, indicating that they were safe.

"As I said, you have nothing to worry about anymore. All the K4-Phantoms and the Second Rank Phantoms are safe. The same goes for the Lords and the Black Threat Monsters, among whom there are many Elders."

"But why?" Adam exclaimed. "Are you saying that now I am strong enough to stand among the wasteland during the Last Star's crash and survive, when before it was impossible for me?"

"Well, I wouldn't explain it so trivially, but you're mostly right. But I lied a little." Wilfred leaned forward. "To be precise, most of the Black Threat Monsters will survive, as well as a small portion of the K3-Phantoms."

Silvana tilted her head in confusion.

"The K3-Phantoms? But why? They're much weaker than the K4-Phantoms. How can a small portion of them survive?"

Strangely enough, Adam remained silent this time, his eyes deeper than usual.

"Hah, Ms. Operator, I'm afraid you lost to your Phantom this time. Adam, you already understand everything, right?"

Adam nodded weakly, receiving Silvana's shocked expression.

"Yeah, I have a theory. It's not just about the creature's raw power, but its energy. Even if you have protection, you have to be strong enough to withstand the recoil. Protection... Something or someone has to protect you, doesn't it?"

Wilfred's lips curved into a sly grin as he pointed upward as if directing his gaze toward God.

"The Heaven Island. Do you remember when exactly you were given access to it?"

At the same moment, everything became clear to Silvana as her face froze in shock. Memories and information intertwined, becoming fragments that perfectly complemented the picture she could not piece together.

"At the K2 Level, so that I could move to the K3 Level under the influence of Queen Elisa's energy... Are you telling me that the queen's task is..."

"A barrier. A protective barrier." Wilfred shrugged. "Every 250 years, at the World Wipe, Queen Elisa creates a barrier from her energy. It's strong enough to block most of the force of the shockwave after the collision of the Last Star and the First Star."

Wilfred took out a new cigarette, maintaining a sly smile.

"However, the barrier is not equally strong in every part. The closer you are to Queen Elisa, the more protection you get from her. Thus, at every World Wipe, the government selects the hundred most talented K3-Phantoms.

"Well, sometimes that number is higher, sometimes lower. The main thing is that these Phantoms were strong enough for their level and were able to withstand the shock wave while standing directly under Queen Elisa's Evolution Tree. Adam, I think you understand what I'm talking about. You've already been there, for a different reason, but you must understand how great Queen Elisa's power is."

For a while, no one said anything.

Adam didn't expect this, but in addition to the truth about the First Star and the Last Star, he also discovered Queen Elisa's purpose.

Everything fit together perfectly. The K2-Phantoms couldn't survive the World Wipe, so he was only given access to Heaven Island when he was supposed to become a K3-Phantom.

Moreover, in Adam's case, he was strong enough to be chosen by the government even if he had not reached the K4-Level.

"What about the monsters?" Adam asked. "Do they also have a Queen or King? How do they survive?"

Wilfred leaned back in his chair. "Well, it's quite simple. As you've seen, every territory has a Lord. If it's a True Lord, he has enough power to protect a small number of monsters. Well, obviously, these monsters must be at the Black Threat Level and above."

"I see. So we humans are very lucky to have Queen Elisa." Adam smiled faintly.

But soon his smile would disappear.

There was too much information for him to take in all the details, and he completely forgot that many, unlike him, were not K4-Phantoms.

Many were going to die in seven years, and almost none of them even suspected it.