Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Chapter 1808 Hunting Ground

A dragon cut across the blue sky.

Valerian beat his massive wings and soared high above the great labyrinth, his giant shadow sweeping across the battlefield below.

Whether it was the devils, the cultists, or the Magi of the Allied Forces, they all looked up at the skies and gaped at the mythical figure passing by.

A dragon…

An actual dragon was participating in the battle!

Most of the devils present had seen dragons before, but none of them had expected to witness one in a lower world such as Tron.

As for the cultists and the soldiers of the Allied Forces, they had heard legends about the Dark Kingʼs mount. They had all heard the stories about how he rode into battle riding a dragon. Most didnʼt believe it.

But now, all doubts were squashed when they actually saw Valerian flying overhead.

He folded his wings and dove into the earthen maze. Halfway through the descent, his body rapidly shrank, and he transformed into a panther.

The panther landed amidst a group of devils and tore through them with fangs and claws. Before the enemies could retaliate, his body shrank once again.

A small gray cat darted through the battlefield. Countless spells flew overhead, weapons missed him by inches, but the little guy slipped the chaos and disappeared into a crack in the labyrinth.

A moment later…

Boom!

A giant dragon emerged once more. Massive wings unfolded as he burst from another section of the labyrinth. A powerful gust of wind swept across the surroundings, sending devils stumbling.

He opened his gaping maw and unleashed [Dragon Breath]. Waves of invisible psychic energy surged from his mouth and seeped directly into the devilsʼ minds. His attack dulled their thoughts, slowed their actions, and turned their mind sluggish.

The soldiers of the Allied Forces took advantage of this great opportunity provided to them by the mighty dragon and killed their enemies.

Throughout the battle, Valerian shifted between three forms — cat, panther, and dragon.

He dove in and out of the labyrinth, appearing where the Allied Forces needed him the most. His supreme defences ensured that he wasnʼt so easily taken down.

One moment, he was tearing apart devils. The next moment, he was carrying wounded Magi away from danger. Then he would vanish again, only to reappear somewhere else as a dragon descending from the skies.

He dove in and out of the labyrinth, appearing where the Allied Forces needed him the most. His supreme defences ensured that he wasnʼt so easily taken down.

One moment, he was tearing apart devils. The next moment, he was carrying wounded Magi away from danger. Then he would vanish again, only to reappear somewhere else as a dragon descending from the skies.

His movements were impossible to predict. And before long, the Magi on both sides began to understand something…

Valerian was treating the entire labyrinth as his hunting ground!

His body rapidly shrank as he shifted forms midair. His massive wings disappeared, robust scales receded, and bones cracked and reshaped. A moment later, a small gray cat landed atop the highest point of the labyrinth.

His fur was matted with dust and soot. Other than that, he wasnʼt injured in the slightest. His breathing was slightly heavy, however. He had been battling nonstop for several hours now.

The winds tugged at his fur as he sat there silently, facing westward.

”Myu…”

Far in that distance lay another battlefield.

His brotherʼs battlefield.

Valerianʼs topaz eyes flashed with worry as he gazed toward the horizon. For the first time since the battle began, he remained still.

Just a while back, he had once again lost the familiar connection he shared with his brother. But compared to how he had acted before when Adam was trapped in the Shadowmuir, this time he was far more composed.

He had supreme confidence in his brother. That no matter the odds, he would also come out on top.

And he had. The connection was only lost for a few minutes before Valerian could feel it again. Still, he couldnʼt help but feel anxious. After all, his brother was facing his archnemesis.

His tail flicked behind him, and his eyes flashed with resolve. His tiny paws brushed against the amethyst amulet hanging from his neck.

Valerian took one last look toward the west.

Then he turned away and prepared to join the fight.

***

The battlefield lit up with flashes of arcane light.

Nearly a hundred [Eldritch Beam] shot toward the lich from every direction, crossing through the air and converging upon him like a storm.

The Cult Leader stood at the center of it all.

Although he knew that all of the attacks except for one were fake, his instincts couldnʼt help but thunderously warn him of the impending threat to his life. That was how potent Adamʼs illusion magic truly was.

It looked real.

It sounded real.

It smelled real.

And the lich was willing to bet that it would even feel real.

There was no point in reacting to every spell hurled at him. That would just be a waste of mana and effort.

So he chose a far bolder approach.

The Cult Leader stood there silently as the storm of spells raced toward him from every direction. Somewhere among them was the real attack.

Just one.

And it would feel more real than all the others.

So the lich allowed the barrage of attacks to come at him. He was going to let every single spell strike his body. Then, at the moment of impact, he would sharpen his senses and search for that one attack that carried true substance. The instant he found it, he would know which Adam was real.

And once he knew that…

He would know Adamʼs true location.

The next moment, the lich was swallowed by the barrage. The spells crashed onto him from every direction. Explosions erupted around his skeletal frame as flashes of light consumed the battlefield.

His instincts screamed. Every fiber of his being told him that he was being obliterated. That his bones were being shattered. That his body was being torn apart by the overwhelming magic.

But he ignored it all. He knew that it was only his mind being deceived. The illusion was simply too real. So he endured it. He stood amidst the storm and focused solely on the sensations reaching his body.

One attack. He only needed to find one.

Then suddenly…

He felt it!

Unlike the others, this one carried weight. This one possessed substance. This one actually hurt.

The green flames in his sockets flared to life, and he abruptly turned toward a certain direction.

Found you!

Then, without wasting another moment, he shot through the barrage of magic, his gaze locked onto the real Dark King.

Necrotic mana swirled around his bony hand as he drew it back to deliver a brutal punch.

On the other side, Adamʼs eyes slowly widened as he realized he had been found. But before he could even react, the lich was already upon him.

The Cult Leader launched his fist, and it connected solidly with Adamʼs figure.

But at the moment of impact, something strange happened. Something that filled the lich with unease.

Adamʼs body cracked like shattered glass!

Then the cracks spread beyond his figure and spilled into the surroundings. Before long, everything around the lich was covered in a web of fine fractures.

And then…

Shatter!

The world around him broke apart.

The Cult Leader suddenly found himself surrounded by countless reflections of his own body.

[House of Mirrors]