Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Adam slowly lowered his hand, then gazed at Daggett's corpse—or whatever remained of it, anyway. His eyesight had worsened significantly, so he was using the Sphere of Resonance to 'look'.

In front of him, hovering in the air, Berger remained quiet. He didn't even spare a glance at the corpse. No, his gaze was locked on Adam, who looked to be in a very dire shape. And when the gnome looked into his eyes, his expression grew even more solemn.

After several moments passed in silence, Adam spoke at last:

"Old man… he… he killed someone very dear to me, and now that he's dead… I feel… empty."

His lips quivered as blood continued to trickle down his face. All those intense emotions that he felt a moment ago were no more. He felt utterly hollow. The youth stood there in a daze, then… he turned his head ever so slightly, as if trying to listen to someone.

The Laughing God whispered, but the Eternal Soul Lotus suppressed the flaw.

Berger deeply looked at the raven-haired youth. He glided forward, then gently patted his shoulder. His lips curled into a faint smile, and he said:

"You did well, Adam."

Adam smiled faintly, too. He nodded ever so slightly. His lips parted, and he muttered in a horse voice, "Took you long enough, eh, old man?"

The very next moment, a gray light flashed between them, and then suddenly a furry, gray cat appeared out of thin air, lunging at the elderly gnome.

"Myu~"

Valerian leapt at Berger with unrestrained joy, wrapping his furry arms tightly around the gnome's neck. He then nuzzled closer, licking his cheeks with affection.

"I missed you, old man! I missed you so much!" The young dragon seemed to be very happy.

"Hmph!" Berger looked away. "I may or may not have thought of you from time to time."

"Val, get back… it's too dangerous," Adam muttered hoarsely.

Valerian gave him an angry look. He was about to retort when the grumpy old gnome suddenly spoke, "He's right, Valerian. You must remain inside his spirit sea, and not come out until it's safe outside. Understood?"

The young dragon frowned with dissatisfaction, but in the end, he reluctantly agreed.

"Fine…" With that said, he turned into a gray flash of light, then dove inside the raven-haired youth's spirit sea.

Then, Adam stretched out a hand and muttered in snaketongue, "Expand."

Following that, the small, nearly invisible black toothpick turned into a two-meter-long staff. Adam grasped its shaft and used it to support himself.

Berger's eyes gleamed with fascination as he looked at the mysterious runes carved on the surface of the black staff.

"Nice weapon," he praised.

"…Yeah, even I don't know its true grade. Apparently, it's made from the spine of an ancient serpent." Adam nodded. Then, he changed the subject. "So, what's the plan now?"

Berger turned to the side, staring at the far edges of the crater where Blackie was battling the two undead knights. From how things were looking, the mysterious black wolf didn't look like he was having any trouble dealing with them at all.

"I'll help Blackie deal with those undead creatures first," he said, fishing out a long, wooden pipe, then lighting it casually. "Then, I'll go give the old man up north a hand."

Adam's lips curled into a smile, "Who would have thought that your 'old man' was, in truth, the Emperor Emeritus himself? You're full of secrets, old man."

The grumpy old gnome's hand turned into a blur, and then…

Pow!

He smacked the youth on the head with his smoking pipe.

"Full of secrets? You're one to talk, boy!" Berger grumbled. "All those scriptures and manuals you sent me back then…"

His voice trailed off. Then, he waved his hand and continued, "Forget it, we will talk more about this once this battle is over."

He then turned towards the mountain ranges up north and added, "There are five more Mana Core-level cultists remaining. Four are up north, being held up by the old man and the others. The last one is down south, fighting against the Headmaster of Saratoga.

"For now, no one can interfere with the battle in the south. Blackwood's magic is a double-edged sword. Anyone who approaches will be injured, whether they are friend or foe. So for now, he would have to fight alone. And the one he's fighting… he's the strongest of them all."

Adam's expression grew tense, and he involuntarily clenched his fists. "It's the Master," he said. "One of the Elders of the Inner Council. The Headmaster is fighting that man."

Berger, too, turned his head south. After a moment, he assured the youth, "Your Headmaster is a powerful individual. Maybe… he's even as strong as the old man. Don't worry about him. In fact, you should be worried about yourself."

The gnome was right. Adam was in an extremely bad condition at the moment. He had been fighting constantly since the start of the war, and received only a brief respite after his battle with Felix and the Formless Fog in the spirit world.

Worse than his physical condition was his mental condition. And the Faceless Mask, constantly whispering into his mind, made it all the more frustrating and difficult to deal with.

"Take some time to recuperate," the gnome added. "This area should be relatively clear, so stay here while I join the battle up north."

Adam knew he was going to be of no help in a battle between Mana Core Magi. He did not let his victories over Felix, the Formless Fog, and now Daggett get to his head. He knew what he was capable of and what he wasn't. So, in the end, he nodded.

However, he did offer a suggestion, one that would help tip the scales of war in their favor.

"Old man," he called out softly. "There are four Mana Core-level cultists out there. Each of them is limited to only two undead summons of the same rank as them. Two are currently being taken care of by Blackie. As for the other six… I have a plan."

Berger frowned. "This better not involve you in getting in any sort of danger."

Adam's heart was warmed. He offered a faint smile and said with a slight shake of his head, "There is some danger, of course. But it's nothing I can't handle. So you have to trust me on this."

The grumpy old gnome's frown deepened. But after he was done listening to Adam's plan, he was completely stunned.

"You… you're capable of that?" He asked in astonishment.

Adam shrugged slightly. "Yes, it is the innate ability I received from Val, so it's very much possible. How else did you think I took care of the other Mana Core Magus?"

Berger looked at the youth for a long time, then ultimately nodded. "Very well. If you're that confident, then I don't see why not."

He paused for a moment, then deeply looked into the youth's eyes. "And whatever it is you're doing," he said while gesturing to his bloodshot eyes. "Stop it."

Adam was slightly taken aback. He let out a nervous chuckle. "Ah, of course. Yes, I'll stop—"

Berger interrupted him, his tone hardening. "I mean it, Adam. If you continue down that path… those eyes will suffer irreparable damage. Something tells me they already have."

Adam remained silent for a few moments, then smiled.

"…I understand. I won't."

Then, there was nothing else left to say. Berger flew towards Blackie and assisted him in taking down the two undead knights. Meanwhile, Adam remained standing silently at the center of the crater.

Suddenly, he turned south. A moment later, his bloodied face was shadowed by a frown, and he murmured:

"I feel like I've... forgotten something."

And in his mind, the Laughing God whispered…

Mocking his ignorance.