Cold gusts of wind fluttered Adam's black shirt as he stood atop his new home, basically, atop the entire skyscraper.

Of all places, this was the most suitable for what he was about to do.

He liked living in the Citadel. After all, it was a fortress for every human, for every Phantom. Neither the slums nor the First Ring was his real home, it was the Citadel.

But he understood that very soon his heart would want more. The battle against Menax had been difficult, his entire journey in the Tarnished Lands had been eventful, and that was why he was calm now.

He enjoyed his routine life here and planned to continue like this for a while longer, but he knew that his return to the Dead Lands was not far off.

"Agh..." Adam sighed deeply as he looked at the night city that opened up before him.

Thousands of buildings were full of bright lights, as were the streets and roads. Only thanks to people who had no idea that in six and a half years everything would disappear did the Citadel continue to live and develop.

"Well, when I dreamed of getting to the First Ring, even as a tourist, I would have been overjoyed if such a view had opened up before me, but... Considering what I know now, I feel sad."

Adam crossed his legs as he closed his eyes, immersing himself in his inner space.

As if waiting for his arrival after a long absence, there was neither the Evolution Tree, nor the Silver Weaver, nor Lone Blaze inside.

All he saw was the Path Construct and the outlines of his still unfinished Constellation.

The First Grand Star had been created. The Second Grand Star had been created. Several lesser stars were connected to the grand one through stellar lines, while many lines led upward, into the void.

Adam narrowed his eyes as he looked at the many tips that pointed toward the stars hovering above the First and Second Grand Stars.

He had to make a choice. One of the hidden, dormant stars would become his Third Grand Star.

Sure, because of the previous Grand Stars, much was already predetermined. He had traveled a significant part of his path, but his Constellation was still not complete.

"Hmm, so I have to choose one, and I don't even have anyone to consult with?" Adam tilted his head.

He pondered for a while before taking a couple of steps forward, ending up right in front of the Path Construct.

Tremble.

The stars trembled at his presence, seemingly wanting to know which path Adam would choose for them even more than he himself did.

They were connected to each other. Adam's future depended on the Path Construct, and the same was true for the stars.

Everything in this world revolved around genes, energy, and stars.

The Phantoms, Monsters, Touched Humans, and Hybrids were all embodiments of the will of the stars. In the end, even the First Star and Last Star obeyed these rules, even though they were the main reason why the world was repeatedly reduced to nothing.

The Last Star and First Star brought both destruction and new life, renewing the cycle every 250 years.

From a certain, perhaps philosophical, point of view, Adam's desire to stop the World Wipe as an event was the highest form of selfishness.

He was already one of the lucky ones who would survive the World Wipe. Perhaps by the next World Wipe, Adam would be strong enough to be able to establish a solid barrier for his own protection without relying on Queen Elisa.

Still, that wasn't enough for him.

He wanted his family, three ordinary humans whose bodies had almost no energy, to survive as well.

For the billions of monsters and millions of humans who were to be born after the next World Wipe, it was unfair.

If Adam actually did what he had in mind, there would no longer be a powerful burst of energy every 250 years that renewed almost every piece of land.

Well, he wasn't interested in the lives of others. He knew why he wanted to stop the World Wipe and what would happen if he didn't.

Therefore, becoming as powerful as possible was his only option.

Sure, if he failed, his life would not end. Silvana would remain with him, as would many of his Phantom friends and their Operators, but... He would lose his family forever, and nothing could change that.

"Damien, Frida, the head of the Crimson Path, and all the other Second Rank Phantoms. I'm sure some of them have difficult life situations, but many of them, like everyone else, must have had friends and families, right?"

Adam's gaze deepened as he took a step forward, standing directly in front of several dormant stars. They were hidden in the darkness, but he could see their faint light.

"Which one of you should I choose..." Adam muttered, running his hand through the darkness. "Which one of you can give me the trials, the power, that will help me break through the last barrier on the road to the Second Circle at the end of my path?"

Strangely enough, his question was not left unanswered.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

One of the five dormant stars trembled slightly. It did not have enough power to show its light to Adam or to disconnect from the lines, but that star had accomplished its task — Adam had noticed it.

True, he was not obliged to choose that particular star. Only he could decide which star would be his next trial.

But Adam could not ignore it.

"Hah, so you want to be next?"

Twitch. Twitch. Twitch.

The star twitched again, confirming his words.

'Not only do my trials depend on this star, but also how my abilities will change and what my Constellation will look like when I create it... Hmm. Well, the other stars are no different from each other, only this one decided to stand out!'

He stepped forward and grabbed the dormant star.

A bright blue light burst forth as what Adam had been preparing for a long time appeared before his eyes.

[Third Grand Star (Star #5)

Highest Bliss: 0/1

Blood of God: 0/1

Bottomless Void: 0/1]

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.