Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 49  New Opportunities

Adam faced the Brass Puppet again, but this time not in Rusty Ruins, but in the colosseum created in the virtual zone.

In fact, it was not a fully accurate version of the Brass Puppet, because one fight against Adam was not enough to fully explore this version of the monster. However, all physical stats were rendered quite accurately, as well as weapon sharpness and armor density.

Crackle.

Adam swung the needle, slicing off Brass Puppet's head. In the virtual version, Brass Puppet couldn't proceed to his second 'stage', so given Adam's greatly increased power, he won after only a few minutes.

"Well, in a way it's even a little sad, but it's already a passed point. Silvana, can you create someone stronger? Someone that I would find difficult, but possible to defeat." Adam asked.

"Sure. I've already chosen a suitable candidate."

At the same moment, Brass Puppet disappeared, and the empty colosseum changed to a dense forest with tall trees and massive rocks placed here and there. Then, a tall, muscular creature covered in thick green fur and red around the belly emerged from the clots of dark smoke. The monster had six pointed ears with long hairs, two legs, and two long front paws with sharp short claws, as well as a powerful jaw and four vicious eyes.

"This is Reckless Torok. Blue Threat Level, White Book. It's hard to say how strong it is, but it's definitely not the weakest of the Blue Threat Level. I'd say Reckless Torok is just below average." Silvana explained, "Shall I tell you about his weaknesses and strengths?"

Adam shook his head.

"I shouldn't. I didn't even get to test my new arsenal on Brass Puppet, but I'm sure this guy won't lose that easily!" Adam's eyes sparkled when the needle appeared in his hand, but this time something different happened. A multitude of threads floated in the air around Adam's hand as if waiting for a command.

[Weaver's Needle

Make thread become an original tool that can be used to both kill and sew fabric, even if it is reality, itself

First Trait: Two Weaver's Grip.]

[Two Weaver's Grip

Choose which grip to use depending on what goal you want to achieve. No fast and agile opponent, no distant attacker, no brute force will be able to take you off guard.

You now have something to respond to in any situation].

"Well, let's see what you can do." Adam smirked as the loose threads turned into one thick thread. It bound his palm and the needle. The connecting thread was a meter long and could both lengthen and shorten.

Whoooooooosh.

Adam grabbed a part of the thread and began to spin his needle like a hammer on a chain.

Previously, Adam had to hold the needle in his hand at all times, throwing the needle like a spear was impossible, but now that problem was no longer there.

"Rooooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrr!!!!"

At the roar of the Reckless Torok, Adam threw the needle like a harpoon. The needle quickly hit the monster's shoulder, digging deeply into it, but it didn't seem to matter to the Reckless Torok.

"Agh...?" Adam was slightly puzzled, Reckless Torok just stood still.

Then, Reckless Torok grabbed the connecting thread and pulled Adam sharply towards him, lifting him into the air.

Adam was inexperienced in using such a weapon, he didn't fully realize that his needle and his arm connecting by the thread could be used against him.

"ROOORRGG!!!"

Reckless Torok snorted, knocking Adam to the ground with a loud crack. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Adam's eyes went wide with pain, but he quickly came to his senses and jerked his arm, pulling the needle towards him.

"Hah, dangerous stuff, but if I learn how to use it properly, I can do a lot of interesting things, can't I?" Adam smirked, casting a glance at Reckless Torok's paw.

There was a long and rather deep cut, running down the monster's paw, though Adam obviously hadn't attacked its paw. It was all about the connecting thread, which due to its sharpness was a deadly weapon in itself.

Reckless Torok noticed it too, frowned heavily, and ran at Adam with all his might, clenching his fists tightly.

"Oh, looks like it's time to move on to something more suited for close combat, right?" Adam said with a smile of anticipation as the connecting thread separated.

The loose threads wrapped extremely tightly around Adam's arm, and especially his fist, holding the needle as firmly as possible as if making his arm and the needle one thing - one weapon. In this form, Adam's attacks were stronger, faster, and more accurate, and the recoil from parrying was much less due to the dense layer of threads. However, this grip also had disadvantages, because Adam's movements were somewhat restricted. He could not sharply turn the needle in his hand to block an attack from another direction, he had to move his whole arm to do so.

Well, against a slow opponent with powerful but predictable attacks, this was probably the perfect solution.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble. Reckless Torok's fists rained down on Adam, who defended himself with his needle. The ground shuddered as cracks split beneath Adam across the soft soil that could barely withstand such pressure.

"Yeah, I can feel it. If I hadn't opened my Lock and used that grip, my arm would have broken, but now... It's only a slight recoil!" Adam swung the needle, leaving a long cut on Reckless Torok's paws.

"ROOOOAAAAAARRRR!!!"

Reckless Torok continued to attack while Adam defended and counterattacked. Very soon, only a few minutes later, dozens of trees and rocks were destroyed, and the monster's body was covered in blood.

However, Reckless Torok didn't look like he was about to lose at all, on the contrary, he was getting stronger with each passing second, his attacks getting harder and faster.

'I see... This firepower isn't enough to defeat you without struggling and special tactics. Well, good thing it's not all I have. Time to call it a day!' Adam internally exclaimed before jumping back.

His needle disappeared, and his eyes shone again as he used his second Order, a completely new weapon in his arsenal.

Dozens of dense threads turned into a gauntlet reaching up to his shoulder with long, sharp fingertips that replaced the claws. Nexus's threads were not overlapping, they matched the Second Order as they were parts of one complex force.

[Weaver's Silver Claws

Sometimes to get the job done there is no need for elegance and pedantic precision as with the needle. In such cases, brute force is required, capable of tearing through any fabric or flesh of the enemy as well as anything that stands in the way].

Reckless Torok ran at Adam, quickly approaching and shaking the ground from his heavy footsteps.

Adam with a calm gaze, raised his left hand as his fingertips flashed brightly. Then, an energy wave traveled through the entire gauntlet.

At the same moment, five vertical threads like sharp blades launched forward, cutting the ground in their path and quickly clashing with Reckless Torok.

The threads traveled onward just as Reckless Torok. Reckless Torok took another step and fell, splitting into five even pieces.