Endless Evolution: Last Star

In a world where every day could be the last and humanity was surrounded by countless monsters, the only saviors were the Phantoms.

They were humanity's only weapon capable of killing monsters and becoming stronger as a result.

That the Phantoms were the defenders of the Citadel and the creators of the future - knew everyone, without exception.

Sure, many people were living in the Citadel, millions, no... tens of millions! So, not everyone had the same good opinion of the Phantoms. But, even Proud Wing never said the Phantoms were unnecessary, let alone that they should be gotten rid of.

Everyone from the military to the common people and Proud Wing understood and recognized that without the Phantoms, the Citadel would not have existed long ago.

So becoming a Phantom was everyone's ultimate dream, wasn't it? After all, if one lit the Spark, he would gain superpowers and the ability to control destiny with his own hands! Only Phantoms could deal with monsters and change things.

True, a lot of things were also influenced by the power and money the Phantoms had. Many people wanted to become Phantoms just because of these two factors.

Unfortunately, one could only become a Phantom through luck. People could hope for Spark to appear, and all they could influence was the odds - if the one possessed a decent bloodline.

Indeed, there was another way, but... the government and the Big Three had made a titanic effort to ensure that only a limited number of people had information about the Naturalborn Phantoms.

Thus, neither Adam, nor the common people, nor the Phantoms, would ever think that there could be someone like Narata - a Phantom who didn't want to be a Phantom.

Well, actually, if Adam had started thinking about it, he would have realized that it was a real thing.

The appearance of the Spark depended solely on luck, so it was a double-edged sword.

It didn't matter what Narata's dreams and goals were, what path she had chosen, or how much effort she had already put in and was willing to keep doing it - once she had the Spark, none of that mattered, because now she had only one option - to become a Phantom.

Narata wasn't the only one, though it was a minority of cases, but it was a real problem that most people didn't even know existed.

It wasn't surprising, though, because Narata didn't want to talk about it for a reason.

Imagine an ordinary person who dreamed of becoming a Phantom, but never awakened Spark.

If such a person stood in front of Narata at that moment, he would have seriously condemned her for cowardice and for not deserving the privilege of becoming a Phantom.

Unfortunately, the vast majority, especially amongst the common people, would have gone straight to insults, hardly anyone trying to understand Narata. Even, among the Phantoms, there would be few willing to understand the situation, for them, Narata was a weakling and a coward.

People like Narata had no other option but to stay as far away from the Dead Lands as possible and from her direct duties.

From her perspective, being a Guardian in Fall Hill Prison was a hundred times better than shivering in fear and risking her life to fight against creepy monsters.

Moreover, simple wisdom was also at work here - you couldn't make any real progress without a sincere desire and fire in your eyes.

"What...? What did you say... I... I didn't hear..." Narata muttered, lifting her head slightly, and looking at Adam with wide eyes.

"I won't say I understand you, I don't, but I realize you wanted to be someone else. Who, maybe a blacksmith?" Adam suggested, trying to steer the conversation to another topic.

Narata took a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling with a heavy gaze. Strangely enough, the tears were slowly becoming less and less.

"Screw it... I've already said too much already, so... if you want to listen..."

Then, Narata stood up, confidently resting her hands on the table and staring intently at Adam.

"I wanted to be an Operator! Yes! I've always been fascinated by the idea of being able to help kill monsters without fighting them! Guess what?!" Narata said menacingly, as she approached Adam as if trying to prove something to him.

However, it was obvious that she was letting her feelings out and was ready to spill everything she had accumulated over the years.

"You! I wanted to be the Operator of a Phantom like you! Strong, talented, and willing to fight monsters! I... I... I wanted to serve my Phantom faithfully like any worthy Operator!

Damn! I tried harder than the rest of my friends who eventually became Operators!" Narata exclaimed, causing Adam to freeze in shock again for a while.

Narata clenched her palms into fists.

"Don't be silent! Say something! I'm here crucifying myself in front of you, and you can't even say a word?!"

Adam's fingertips came into motion as he wanted to do something, but at the last moment, he changed his mind as he came up with a better idea. He fully understood that Narata was being as sincere as possible.

"Silence!" Adam said formidably, and Narata closed her mouth.

"Sit back down!" m-vle|mpyr exclusive

Narata did so quickly, without objection. She shuddered, rumpling her clothes, clearly nervous that her words had angered Adam.

But... Adam just smiled kindly, taking away all of Narata's worry.

"Well, how are you feeling? I mean, if you were an Operator you'd be obligated to follow your Phantom's orders without question." Adam asked with a slight smile.

Narata gulped, then she looked at her hands with a surprised realization that the trembling had stopped.

"What...?" Narata muttered in disbelief, then she turned to Adam, "Calm and... safe... How strange..."

Adam sighed, put his hands behind his head, and said relaxedly:

"Just do it."

"Agh...?"

"Become an Operator. Sorry, I'm already taken, but there are plenty of Phantoms that need Operators with as much enthusiasm as you."

Narata's eyes went wide. She didn't understand how she could do it, but... in that moment... her already dead and long-buried dream, began to grow again.