Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1848: How a family is formed

Adam had learned quite a bit about the Legacy Artifacts. He had all the necessary information, but he didn’t know much about the Grad Family.

As soon as Adam saw Markol, he realized that Amelia and Markol were most likely not related by blood as a real family. Sure, there was nothing unusual about a brother not looking like his sister, since he might simply take after his father while Amelia took after her mother, but still, it gave Adam pause.

After all, monsters weren’t born the same way humans were, so their different appearances only served as further evidence for Adam’s theory.

But now that Amelia had confirmed Adam’s theory, everything became clear.

“Amelia, are you saying that at one point, none of you knew each other?” Adam asked.

Strange as it seemed, Amelia nodded deeply.

“Yes. Once upon a time, Vador was just a monster I happened to cross paths with. At that time, Vador was already acquainted with Romara.” Amelia pointed to her mother.

Adam narrowed his eyes as Romara decided to explain.

“This might sound rather harsh, but the Legacy Artifacts act like parasites. They want to be part of as many users as possible, since as long as they’re part of another monster, they’re safe.”

“I see. If there’s only one user and someone kills him, then the Legacy Artifact returns to the real world, where it’s in its most vulnerable state, right?” Adam surmised.

Romara nodded deeply.

“Yes. That’s correct. But the Legacy Artifacts can’t just distribute their power to any monster. The monster must meet many criteria, not only for that Legacy Artifact, but also for the Prime User.”

“Prime User…?” Adam muttered as his gaze turned to Vador. “He’s the current Prime User, isn’t he?”

Amelia sighed heavily. “Indeed, our entire family was built around Vador. At first, the Spirit of Eternal Winter guided my father to Romara. She was chosen because she was suitable as a user for the Spirit of Eternal Winter and also as a romantic partner for Vador.”

Adam narrowed his eyes.

“Are you saying that a Legacy Artifact sensed all of this? That ice vase understood not only who was suitable for it, but also who would be the ideal partner for Vador?”

Strange as it may seem, Amelia nodded.

“Yes.”

There was no hesitation in her eyes.

“The Legacy Artifact chooses the next family member only if they are suitable for the artifact itself and for the Prime User, at the very least.”

“However, that’s not all, right?” Adam narrowed his eyes.

“Sure. But I think it would be better if Romara explained that part.”

Adam turned his gaze to her. “So?”

Romara gulped as she pressed her palm to her chest.

“When I first met Vador, I was a pretty weak monster compared to my current level. He didn’t possess the strength he has now either. For some reason, I liked everything about him, and he felt the same way about me, as if someone from the outside had realized that we were two puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly.

“Gradually, our feelings grew, and Vador told me about a Legacy Artifact. That’s when I realized I was the perfect partner not only for Vador but also for the Spirit of Eternal Winter.”

Adam’s expression grew more serious.

“That’s when the noble monster family, the Grad Family, appeared, didn’t it?”

Romara nodded deeply.

“Yes. You guessed right, none of us is related by blood, but we are still a family because we are connected by energy.”

“Not blood, but energy?” Adam raised an eyebrow. “That’s unusual…”

“Indeed. We all have similar abilities and elements. We all come from different backgrounds, but the moment we receive the Spirit of Eternal Winter, we not only become members of the Grad Family, but we also share the same energy type.”

Adam didn’t say anything for a while. He was thinking about what he’d heard, and soon his gaze fell on Amelia.

“Apparently, the Legacy Artifacts have some other criteria for future family members besides excellent compatibility, right?”

“Yes,” Amelia confirmed. “Each subsequent family member must be younger than the previous one. My mother is younger than my father. I’m obviously younger than my mother, and Markol is my younger brother because I’m older. In fact, you haven’t seen all of our family members yet.”

“Hmm?” Adam turned to Amelia.

“I have two younger sisters, Kaoma and Nukra. Kaoma is younger than me but older than Markol. She’s the second daughter. Nukra is the youngest of them all.”

Adam tapped his chin with a pensive look.

“So Nukra was the last one to receive the Spirit of Eternal Winter?”

Amelia nodded, her gaze calm.

“She’s the newest member of our family. She joined us just ten years ago. Father noticed her when she emerged from the battlefield, bloodied but victorious. At that moment, he and our Legacy Artifact realized she was meant to be the next one.

“Naturally, she’s the youngest among us, since that’s one of the Legacy Artifact’s rules for a new family member. For that reason, she’s a rather eager fighter who wants to become as strong as possible, that’s her main goal every day of her life. She doesn’t know yet that Vador is in such bad shape.”

Adam tilted his head.

“Did she leave your home?”

Romara stepped forward and sighed heavily.

“Something like that. Usually, she comes home once every few months to eat, brag about her achievements, and head right back to the battlefield. We’ve tried to contact her, but as always, she’s blocked communication while she’s in the wild lands.”

“Huh, that reminds me of someone.” Adam chuckled as something caught his attention. “You said you tried to contact her – how, exactly?”

Amelia’s gaze grew colder.

“Just like you do with your Operator, through the shared connection that exists between all family members. Consider it one of our perks.”

“I see…”

Then, Adam’s expression grew more serious as he pointed at Vador.

“Now, how do you want me to save him?”

“It’s very simple.”

Amelia narrowed her eyes.

“With your needle and thread.”