Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

The Faceless Mask's flaw was the whisper of the Laughing God. The whisper was the laughter and ravings that slowly drove the wearer mad.

Of course, thanks to the wondrous white lotus, the mask's flaw was suppressed to a very large degree. Adam did not hear the laughter or the ravings, but he did hear faint whispers. But that much was nothing.

However, he soon realized that the more he proactively used the Faceless Mask to wear new faces, the whispers would intensify. When he wore his own face, the whispers would largely subside, though they would still be present.

Still, this was a new experience for Adam, and one that wasn't at all welcomed. He was used to his mind remaining cold, sharp, and calculating, especially during battle. Having whispers, no matter how faint they were, constantly echo in his mind was greatly distracting.

Annoying… so annoying, Adam thought to himself as he dodged the sword slash of a cultist with a simple side step.

He was wearing yet another cultist's face. And the Laughing God continued to whisper in his mind. But of course, he ignored it.

Adam grabbed the attacker's head and slammed him viciously to the ground, shattering his skull and sending brain matter scattering in all directions.

He then gave his hand a sharp flick, cleaning off the blood and bone splinters from it, his brows furrowing in displeasure.

Disgusting… so disgusting.

Through his Sphere of Resonance, he sensed a Mana Vortex Magus silently attacking him from behind. He positioned the Staff of Calamity behind him, then commanded it to expand.

At once, the staff became as thick as a pillar, shielding his back. And a moment later, a sharp sound filled the air as the attacker's sword struck the staff instead of slicing through the raven-haired youth's neck.

Adam disappeared from his spot, teleporting right behind the assailant. Then, with a cold look in his eyes, he grabbed the cultist's head then repeatedly slammed it against the thick shaft of the black staff.

The ease with which he was slaying the Mana Vortex Magi caused the others around him to shudder in fear. The cultists surrounded him, none daring to step forward. Countless bodies were strewn around the youth, all of them looking like they were killed by a demon instead of a human.

Adam's face squirmed like tiny worms writhing under his flesh, and the next moment, he was wearing his own face again. His face was bloody, and his eyes were unfocused due to the constant use of the lotus. For a while now, he had been depending on his Sphere of Resonance rather than his direct eyesight for battle.

He sighed deeply, then raised his head towards the sky. He glanced at the twin moons and softly murmured, "Is there any end to this fighting? I'm so tired…"

"Who do you think you are?! You are surrounded by us all! Die, Dark King!!" Another Mana Vortex Magus gathered his courage and lunged at Adam from behind.

But in the end, his spear ended up striking at a realistic illusion of the raven-haired youth. Before he realized what had happened, he felt sharp pain radiate from his neck. He turned his head ever so slightly and noticed a stygian serpent had viciously bitten his neck.

In an instant, extremely poisonous venom was released from the serpent's fangs and sprayed into the cultist's bloodstream. The man's skin immediately turned purple, and he started frothing at the mouth.

He hadn't died yet, but completely rendered immobile. His body twitched at Adam's feet. The youth looked down at him with slight pity. Then, with the same look on his face, he raised his foot and whispered, "Fool, what were you thinking?"

Splat!

In front of the horrified gazes of the surrounding cultists, Adam ruthlessly stomped on the man's head, instantly killing him.

By now, Adam's expression had turned completely indifferent. He was growing numb to the feeling of murder—something which he did not like one bit. The number of people he had killed tonight far outnumbered the number of people he had probably killed throughout his life.

…I think so, he wondered.

He turned south, gazing at the armed forces of Ravenfell in the distance.

How long are you planning to take? This is the perfect chance to attack, you bastards…

His gaze then shifted further southward. He tilted his head a little, an action that caused blood to trickle down from his eyes. He ignored that and wondered:

I feel like I'm forgetting something…

But what is it?

He did not know. How could he recall something that he had never known?

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed.

What's that?

He noticed a bolt of lightning streak through the night sky. It was slowly approaching him at a quick speed. When Adam realized what it was—or rather, who it was—his eyes gradually widened.

"Fatty?!"

Before the "bolt of lightning" even reached the ground, its loud laughter could be heard all throughout the battlefield. It was like the sound of thunder.

"Kahahaha!!"

And then, with a loud, resounding thud, the "bolt of lightning", which actually turned out to be a person draped in lightning, landed right beside Adam.

Edward ignored the murderous gazes of the cultists surrounding him, as if they weren't even present. He then turned to Adam's blood-soaked figure and grinned. "Looks like you've been having all the fun without me."

It went without saying that Adam was extremely startled to see Edward. He sensed his mana fluctuations and confirmed that he had indeed become a Mana Vortex Magus. But what shocked him even more was the lightning mana dancing around him like it had come alive.

Signs of resonance, he thought to himself in wonder.

As a mere Mana Vortex Magus… Incredible! As expected of an S-grade Talent!

"What? You surprised?" Edward grinned.

Adam snapped out of his daze, then scoffed. "You should be ashamed of yourself for taking so long to become a Mana Vortex Magus."

Edward's grin instantly stiffened. Now, it seemed forced.

Adam touched the shaft of the staff and commanded it to shrink. He gracefully spun the staff in his hand, then rested it on his shoulder.

"Let this battlefield be your whetstone," he said. "Sharpen your skills and consolidate your newfound strength."

He got into a fighting stance, then added, "Stick close to me. Oh, and…"

Adam turned to his best friend and said with a smirk, "Try not to die, yeah?"

Edward scoffed. "Speak for yourself. You look like you're one step away from croaking."

A moment later, his expression turned somber. "Hey, Adam?" he called out.

"What?"

Edward paused for a brief moment, then asked:

"…You alright?"

The aura his friend was radiating was blood-chilling. He had no idea how many people he had to kill to be bathed in such a vile, demonic aura.

But that wasn't the concerning part… it was his eyes. When Edward looked into them, he felt as if someone had tightly gripped his heart.

Those eyes looked murky and dilated… like those of an elderly person at death's doorstep.

Adam remained silent for a moment, then flashed a smile. "Always!"

There was deep pain suppressed in his voice, yet the brilliant smile told a different story altogether.

That was all the time the two had to converse with one another. The enemy was already upon them. Adam wasn't worried about Edward at all. In the worst-case scenario, he would be able to teleport both of them out of this mess.

And just when the cultists engaged in battle with two of the youngest Mana Vortex Magi of the Acadain Empire…

The armed forces of Ravenfell finally made their move! The final showdown had begun!

And as Adam continued to slaughter his enemies…

The Laughing God continued to whisper...