Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Chapter 2069 Ghost from the Past

Through the shadowy halls of Castle de Vile, a bride walked in silence.

Her auburn hair was combed neatly, framing a beautiful face that was utterly devoid of emotion. She wore a flowing white gown that accentuated her beauty, its pristine fabric standing in stark contrast to the darkness of the castle surrounding her.

Chains wrapped tightly around her wrists. These were special chains designed to suppress mana and prevent her from using magic.

Another chain was fastened around her neck. A ghoul held the other end, pulling her forward as she walked. Behind her, a small group of ghouls silently followed, holding the hems of her gown.

Her cerulean eyes were glazed over to such an extent that they almost appeared grey. Over time, the drug doses to numb her thoughts and actions had increased incrementally as her body was developing a fierce resistance to it.

Tear marks stained her cheeks, remnants of tears that never stopped flowing. Yet her face remained impassive.

She simply walked. Through the cold, shadowy halls. Through the ancient castle. Toward the fate that had been forced upon her.

Genevieve Saint Laurent was going to be wed.

Against her will.

The eclipse had begun.

Adam had already barged his way into Castle de Vile, ploughing through hordes of monsters that stood in his path. But the real danger was not outside.

It was inside the castle.

The moment he entered, the statues lining the halls suddenly stirred. Stone cracked and dust fell. Ancient figures that had stood motionless for who knew how long came alive and attacked him.

Even the armored knights that had always stood within the castle merely as decorations suddenly moved. Their metal bodies creaked as they stirred to life, weapons raised as they swung at Adam.

Then there was the darkness. The shadows. They seemed to have come alive as well.

From the shadows, grotesque spawns crawled forth, born from the darkness itself, only to be cut down by Adam before more merged to take their place. Again and again and again.

”Damn you!” Adam roared.

The castle seemed determined to stop him.

Worse still, the corridors constantly shifted. Passages twisted and changed. Doors appeared where there had been walls, while corridors he had just crossed seemed to lead somewhere completely different.

Adam learned, much to his horror, that he was lost.

But he could not stop. He could not afford to stop.

Genevieve.

The thought struck him again and again as panic gripped his heart.

Where are you?

Please…

Every second he spent fighting, every corridor he crossed, every monster he killed felt like another stolen from him.

He was running out of time. His breathing became ragged. His heart pounded violently against his chest.

The eclipse had already begun. Jacob was carrying out the ritual. And Genevieve was somewhere inside this cursed castle.

Adam clenched his teeth and forced himself forward. He felt like he was running aimlessly in the dark. He was. Lost and terrified.

He always thought of himself as a calm and rational person. Even when the situation became intense and dangerous, he was always composed.

Why then was he acting so rashly at the moment?

Hold on, Genevieve. Please…

He didnʼt care what stood in his way. He didnʼt care how many monsters he had to kill. He had to find her. He had to reach her.

Adam was genuinely afraid.

Afraid that no matter how fast he ran, he might already be too late.

Slow down. Think. Think!

He slowed his breathing. He inhaled calmly and deeply. Standing there in the shadowy darkness, he calmed himself.

Think. Think.

Be calm. Be calm.

They know Iʼm in the castle. Theyʼre stalling for time.

They know my exact location. They must be nearby.

Be calm.

His senses flooded out from him like an unstoppable force of nature.

A few moments later, the Sphere of Resonance bounced off a figure that was not dead. But not quite alive either.

Adam glared in that direction. He shot toward that point, not caring that halls and corridors constantly shifted. He broke through walls and floors and ceiling. In under a minute, he arrived inside a small chamber. He had arrived before the figure he had detected earlier.

Sitting on a stool, Aneesa leaned against her weathered wooden staff. She curiously glanced at Adam.

”Ah, itʼs you, boy.” Her murky eyes seemed to flicker as she remembered him. ”I thought Sandra killed you. But I suppose not.”

Adam was seething inside. But his face was devoid of emotion. His tenebrous eyes burned with hatred. ”Where is she?”

Aneesa closely observed Adam. Her lips curled into a slow smile. ”Ah, young love.”

”Where is she?!” Adam roared.

”And why should I tell you, boy?” Aneesa snickered.

Adam calmed the raging emotions inside his heart.

”Because you hate Jacobʼs ancestors. You hate them for what they did to you. Your race.” Adamʼs eyes narrowed.

”Isnʼt that right, gypsy? This is your revenge.”

The smile on Aneesaʼs elderly face slowly vanished. ”You seem to know our history, boy.”

”Oh, I know a lot more.” Adam took a step forward.

”Like how you conspired with a devil. The runic formation beneath the battlefield will harvest the souls of those who currently fight. If I were to guess… the devil is somewhere in this secret plane. Injured. And he needs your help to recover his strength.”

For the first time, Aneesa dropped her act. Her expression became increasingly solemn. She couldnʼt understand how Adam had connected everything to the existence of a devil. This was something that not even Jacob was aware of.

”This might be stretching it, but…” Adamʼs words sounded like thunder in Aneesaʼs ears.

”The secret plane has trapped the souls of all those who once called this land their home. The people of Valvourrone, Edavane. The adventurers. The vampires. And the devil intends to devour those souls. What do you think?”

Aneesa rose to her feet. Her lips parted and she was about to speak. But Adam raised a hand and unceremoniously interrupted her.

Through Lucaʼs communication artifact in his ear, he heard Valerianʼs voice:

”Brother! I found her!”

Adamʼs lips curled from ear to ear, twisting his face like a demon.

He shifted his gaze to Aneesa and growled, ”Iʼm going to murder you.”

In the next heartbeat, the flesh underneath Adamʼs face shifted as though countless tiny tendrils were dancing. His hair changed color, his height changed, and his frame adjusted.

Aneesa stared in horror as the raven-haired youth in front of her transformed into the man who was the source of her endless nightmares.

She involuntarily retreated a step and cried, ”It canʼt be!”

The man standing before her was the ghost from the past.

Philippe dʼAubigny in the flesh.