Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

After taking each and every one's abilities into account, the group of young Magi was finally able to divide itself into two parties.

The first party consisted of Edward, Lisa, and Biden from the Tower of Daybreak, Chris Cloud and Mikar Atkins from Greenfield Ridge, and finally, the rogue Magus, Michael Isaac.

Naturally, Edward was unanimously chosen as the leader of this party.

The second party consisted of Eleiney, Arthur, and Aiden from Saratoga Castle, Kahn and Charlie Smith from Coral Cove, and last but not least… the crazy rogue Magus, Merlin Mathias.

After a long discussion, Eleiney Strange was chosen to be the leader of this party. She was not the strongest compared to the others, but she definitely was a witty one and had great leadership qualities.

Kahn, prideful as he was, eventually gave in, partly because he'd heard whispers about Eleiney being the Dark King's most cherished pupil.

And he, well… he was a huge fan of the Dark King.

Strangely enough, there was no resistance from the eccentric Merlin Mathias in regards to this decision. Considering that he was a Magus stronger than Edward, people had expected him to strongly object to Eleiney being the leader.

However, the youth had simply laughed and said it was a wise decision, and how the clouds looked especially beautiful that day.

Finally, the day of the Second Trial had arrived.

The contestants who had made it past the First Trial had all, undoubtedly, formed a party and chose to challenge the Second Trial as a group.

They all knew the steep increase in difficulty between the two trials. Only a fool would challenge the Second Trial alone.

Guided by a Mana Vortex-level Professor from Saratoga, the parties of contestants made their way into the Verdant Valley.

The Professors' job was to escort the participants to the 'lock' their keys were meant to unlock. And there were several such locks scattered throughout the valley.

Moreover, the entire region was protected by the Saratoga's defensive barrier, so there was no immediate danger.

It was rumored that the barrier could protect against the attacks of even a Mana Core Magus!

At this point, Party A and Party B had already been separated, each escorted to different locations by the Professors. The plan was for both groups to reunite once they entered the secret plane.

By accident or design… the one to escort Party B was none other than Professor Mathilda Whitaker.

"Remember, the deeper you go into the secret plane, the stronger the enemies you will face," she said in a calm voice as she led the party through a grove.

"A blood beast at the Mana Foundation Rank will give you one blood core, and a blood beast at the Mana Liquefaction Rank will give you two blood cores," she added.

"So, it doesn't matter which beast you kill. All that matters is the number of blood cores in your possession. The more you have, the higher your chances of qualifying for the Third Trial."

The group finally arrived at an empty clearing in the grove. The radiant rays of the morning sun washed over them, enveloping them in a warm embrace.

Yet, something about the clearing made their bones turn cold. It was because one of the 'locks' was situated right in the middle of this clearing.

And beyond that lock waited a world that was cold, cruel, and unforgiving.

Professor Whitaker turned around and glanced at the six young Magi, her gaze lingering on the coppery-red-haired youth for a moment longer.

"Any questions?" she asked.

Kahn stepped forward and respectfully asked, "Lady Whitaker, what is the method to leave the secret plane? Of course, once the seven days are over."

"It's the key," said the elderly woman with a faint smile. "Make sure to keep the key on you at all times. If you lose it… well, it would become a bit troublesome then."

She remained silent for several moments. Noticing that there were no more questions, she said, "Very well, then. Bring forth your keys."

The following moment, the six participants retrieved their keys and held them out with outstretched arms. The elderly woman weaved a simple hand seal, causing an ethereal string to materialize magically and tie a knot around each of the keys, tying them together.

"This will ensure all of you teleport to roughly the same location within the secret plane," said the elderly woman. "Well, there might be slight discrepancies, but the furthest distance between party members shouldn't exceed fifty meters."

The young Magi solemnly nodded as they looked at one another. Only Merlin had a flippant expression on his face as he gazed around the grove with an exaggerated smile on his face.

Can this guy really be trusted?

That was the thought that echoed within their minds.

"Now then, children," Professor Whitaker spoke with a warm smile. "All you have to do is imbue mana into your keys, and you will be teleported inside the secret plane."

She paused for a moment before adding, "I wish you all good fortune."

Then, she secretly cast a hand seal and spoke to Merlin through Mind Whisper.

'I leave everyone to you, Adam. Be alert at all times.'

Merlin grinned from ear to ear, his eyes curving like crescent moons. He, too, cast the same spell and replied, 'Ah, yes, you can leave everything to me, Professor. But... who is Adam? Don't you mean Merlin?'

Professor Whitaker resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It would seem that Adam was playing his character a little too seriously.

But there was a reason why Adam—no, Merlin—was acting this way.

It was practice for what lay ahead!

His current persona carried the body of Mathias the Free and the spirit of the Joker. So, that was exactly who he chose to be.

Adam Constantine had already taken a step back.

Now, it was time for Merlin Mathias to shine.

"Fafafa! What a beautiful day to sow a little chaos, wouldn't you agree?" His voice was bright and theatrical as he poured mana into his key.

Then, the space around him rippled and warped, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished.

Following his lead, the rest of the members of Party B imbued mana into their keys and teleported into the secret plane.

The Second Trial had officially begun!