Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Chapter 1762 Disappearance

”What the fuck do you mean heʼs gone?!”

A Union Magus, who was covered in blood-stained bandages, glared at the grey cat frantically pacing around on the table.

Before Valerian could even reply, Anna shot the man a murderous look and said in an icy voice, ”Mind your tongue, Magus. Lest you wish to part with it.”

”You—” the Union Magus was about to snap back at her, but someone pulled him back.

”Everyoneʼs tense,” the Hermit said in a calm voice. ”No need to make things worse.”

When the Shadow Sectʼs leader spoke, every Mana Core Magus in the command tent reluctantly quietened down. They had all seen him take to the battlefield and slay countless soldiers. No one knew how he killed them. All they knew was that wherever the Hermit walked, scores of Magi mysteriously died.

”Cat,” Goro called out, trying his best to suppress his loud voice. ”Tell us what you know.”

”Iʼm not a cat!” Valerian turned to the Venom Dragon and hissed.

”Val.” Annaʼs gentle voice reached the gray dragon.

”Myu…” Valerian turned toward her and leaped into her embrace. He tried his best not to cry in front of so many people. But that was proving to be a task.

He remained buried in Annaʼs embrace for a few long moments, trying to calm the raging emotions in his heart. During that time, no one spoke, and no one urged him for an explanation. A simple glance from the princess made them all shut up.

At last, when the Magi were almost at their witsʼ end, Valerian shifted in Annaʼs arms and said in a downcast tone, ”My connection with brother is almost gone… almost…”

”What do you mean by that?” Anna asked gently.

”I donʼt know.” Valerian shook his head. ”I know that heʼs alive. But… heʼs not here.”

”Here, as in…” the Hermitʼs words trailed off.

Valerian turned to the mysterious old man whose appearance still lay concealed in the shadows of his cowl. ”As in, the material world,” he said.

He paused for a moment as though he himself was trying to understand the words coming out of his mouth.

”Itʼs like…” he began, his tone uncertain. ”My connection to Brother dims whenever he visits the spirit world. But this time… this time, itʼs different. The connection has never felt so weak before. Itʼs like heʼs gone to a faraway place.”

An unsettling silence descended in the tent. The Magi present tried to make sense of what the young dragon had just said.

”But the connection is still there, yes?” the Hermit asked gently.

Valerian turned to him and nodded slightly. ”Myu…”

”That is good.” The Hermit nodded as well. ”As long as there is something anchoring Adam to our world, he will be able to find his way back home.”

”But… how long?” Shaw Jidu, Councilor of the Twilight Brotherhood, asked what was on everyoneʼs mind.

”That is not the question you should be asking,” the Blossom Blade, Bai Tianji, spoke in a low voice.

He scanned everyoneʼs faces, his cold eyes sharp and dignified. ”The Dark King is the pillar that holds this army together. If the soldiers learn of his disappearance… the consequences may be disastrous.”

Everyone couldnʼt help but nod in agreement. The Dark King truly was the symbol of hope for these men. If they learned that he had suddenly disappeared, how would they react?

Best-case scenario: they would think him dead and ride toward the enemy in a suicidal charge to avenge him.

And worst-case scenario… no one wanted to even think about that.

Suddenly, Goro Tsuitsui spoke up in a soft voice, but his words rang like thunder inside the tent:

”Where are the assassins?”

That was right!

Since the dawn of the dayʼs fighting, none of the Mana Core Magi had been sneaked up on by those devils in the heat of battle.

”Did anyone see Adamʼs battle?” Goro pressed, the cogs in his mind seemingly working on overdrive.

”Not since he killed those first few Mana Core Magi,” someone said.

Right at that moment, Valerian spoke up, ”I saw a devilʼs corpse at the same place where, I think, Brother disappeared from!”

Goro stroked the stubble on his chin. ”Hmm, I see, I see.”

He then turned to the Hermit and asked, ”Old man, which world were those rats from? And by rats, I mean the assassins. I know theyʼre from Hell, but Adam mentioned in his notes, uh… what was it? Something about them being associated with another world…”

”Shadowmuir.”

The Hermitʼs calm words echoed in the tent.

”Thatʼs the one.” Goro snapped his fingers. ”What are the chances that Adam was fighting those rats, and somehow they managed to pull him into shadow moor?”

”Shadowmuir,” the Beggar of Clouds corrected.

”Ah, same thing.” Goro waved a hand dismissively. ”Anyway, the chances are high, yes?”

A Union Magus, who majored in the School of Summoning, answered, ”Itʼs not impossible. Iʼve only read of myths and legends about the Shadowmuir. And I donʼt know how one can enter or exit this dimension.”

He turned to the Venom Dragon and asked in a grim voice, ”Are you saying the Dark King might be trapped in the Shadowmuir?”

”Perhaps,” Goro said with a shrug. ”Maybe heʼs trying to find a way back home as we speak. Who knows?”

”But judging by how all the devil assassins have disappeared,” a Union Magus spoke in a meek voice. ”Could the Dark King really take them on all by himself? Not to mention, if heʼs really in the Shadowmuir, then itʼs safe to assume the devils will have a significant advantage.”

”Of course, he can!!” Valerian roared with tearful eyes. ”Heʼll defeat them all! And heʼll return! I know it!”

The tent slipped into silence once again. Each Magus was lost in their own thoughts, wondering how to tackle the current situation.

”For now, we need to decide how to explain Adamʼs disappearance to the army,” Anna said in a dignified voice.

”Indeed.” Bai Tianji offered a light nod.

”Very well,” the Hermit began. ”Weʼll spread word that the Dark King is recuperating in private.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

”In the meantime,” he continued. ”Iʼd like to gather all the Mana Core-level Summoners in the army and look for a way to establish a connection with Adam in the Shadowmuir. For that…”

The Hermit turned to Valerian and gently continued, ”We will need your help, little one.”

The young dragon clenched his tiny paws and nodded with determination. ”Myu!”

Just as the Magi were hammering out the finer details of the story they intended to weave, a messenger burst through the tent flaps, his expression pale and full of terror.

”M-My Lords!” He blurted out in a trembling voice.

”Th-Theyʼre here! The devils are almost upon us!”