Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Adam silently made his way through the streets of Ravenfell.

Heavy rain continued to pour down, showing no signs of stopping. It would seem that it would last through the entire night.

The city was drowned in wet tension, and the festive vibe had all but vanished.

It would only be the following day that everyone would find out how the upper echelons of the city handled the situation concerning the Ballard family.

The raven-haired youth had cast multiple concealment spells on himself as he made his way towards his next destination.

He wound through streets, jumped atop rooftops, and vaulted across alleys. He navigated through numerous twists and turns, ensuring that absolutely no one was following behind him.

His Sphere of Resonance was activated to its maximum capacity.

He had to be extremely vigilant in his movements. After all, there was still a faint chance that the Master was silently trailing behind him.

Adam couldn’t allow this mysterious figure from the Cult of Bones to know of his whereabouts, as the place he was going to was none other than one of the secret bases of the Twilight Brotherhood.

But something tells me the Master already knows about these secret bases anyway…

He thought bitterly.

Adam had read the personal journals of the founder of the Brotherhood.

Aldo Wagner knew that his close friend, Bartholomew, had turned into a powerful lich and established the Cult of Bones around the same time he had founded the Twilight Brotherhood.

The two organizations have clashed against each other not just on the battlefields, but also in their ideologies.

It was inevitable that spies had entered on both sides.

Adam had always speculated that the Cult’s deathly claws reached deep into the core of the Brotherhood.

And now, after confirming that someone like even Ives Ballard, a Councilor of Ravenfell, was related to the Cult, he couldn’t help but wonder just how many agents of the Brotherhood were associated with them.

Perhaps they had spies in the ranks of the Twilight Wardens.

Or even worse… in the Council of Dawn.

Just thinking about it made Adam’s skin crawl. After taking countless detours, he suddenly landed in the heart of a dark alley.

The rain continued to fall from the heavens, drowning him in anxiety and worry.

He leaned against the wall and raised his head, trying to peer through the dark clouds covering Ravenfell, and perhaps… his own life.

Anna, what have I done?

He thought, his heart aching.

Where are you right now?

Are you safe?

He slumped to the ground, his back sliding slowly against the cold, wet stone.

If something happens to you, I’ll never be able to forgive myself, he thought.

I’m so lost…

The falling rain masked his tears.

A few moments later, he stood back up. He took deep breaths and masked his somber and lost expression under a mask of indifference.

He was about to meet the agents of the Brotherhood. Moreover, Elrod had mentioned to him yesterday that there would be several Mana Vortex Magi at the gathering as well.

As he silently made his way towards the city’s outskirts, he couldn’t help but think to himself.

All the things that I’ve experienced…

The Master, Ives Ballard… how much of it should I disclose to those old men?

Whom can I even trust?

Truth be told, it had been a long and tiring day. He didn’t wish to meet these people at all. If anything, he wanted to find someplace to sleep.

A place where he would feel safe and his mind would be at ease.

He knew of such a place, but it was far, far away.

It was that place…

Underneath the oak tree.

***

In an expansive underground chamber, dozens of Magi had gathered.

The ones standing by the walls were Mana Liquefaction Magi. Daneli Ambermind was one of them. Furthermore, Adam’s three students, Eleiney, Arthur, and Aiden, were also present.

All of these Magi had expressions of grim determination on their face. They solemnly looked towards the center of the chamber, occupied by a large circular table.

Thirteen chairs surrounded this table. All of them were occupied by the proud Mana Vortex-level Twilight Wardens.

There were two familiar faces there. One was Elrod Firvele, Daneli and Atiel’s mentor, and Berger’s long-time friend.

The other was a dwarf with brown hair and beard tied into twin-braided pony tails. His face was rough and haggard, and there was a small scar running over his left eye.

Krummor Grimriver. This was the Magus who came to Ravenfell all those years ago to officially oversee the alliance with the Flynn Family. He, too, shared a relationship with Berger.

All the chairs at the round table were occupied… all except one.

Several Mana Vortex Magi gazed at that empty chair, their expressions ranging from indifference to frustration.

Hushed conversations weaved through the crowd of Mana Liquefaction Magi standing at the back. Many of them were excited to meet the Dark King. They couldn’t help but wonder just what was taking them so long.

Adam’s students grew uncomfortable when they saw the Twilight Wardens blatantly express dissatisfaction and annoyance at Adam’s absence.

After all, these people had been waiting for him for the better part of an hour. And until and unless all Twilight Wardens were present, the meeting wouldn’t officially begin.

Suddenly, one of the Twilight Wardens couldn’t take it anymore, and he slammed the table with his hand, instantly silencing the whispers and murmurs floating in the chamber.

The old Warden glanced at Elrod with an extremely agitated look on his face. ”Elrod, just where the hell is this boy?! It’s been more than thirty minutes! Does he have no shred of common sense?! How dare he make us wait?! Who the hell does he think he is?!”

With every word he spoke, his voice got louder. So much so that an invisible pressure started to weigh down on the weaker Magi in the room.

Some of the Wardens shared his sentiment, while others remained indifferent.

Elrod calmly stared at him, then offered a polite smile.

”Lord Bowman, I’m sure the Dark King has his reasons,” he said. Without allowing the old man to speak up, he continued, ”Rest assured, he will be here.”

Kenelm Bowman, an old man from Europa, standing at the peak of the Mana Vortex Rank, gazed at the elf with narrowed eyes.

”You mean to tell me, the boy thinks something is more important than this gathering?”

Elrod shrugged, not at all intimidated by the ill-tempered old man. ”Interpret as you like, my lord.”

Kenelm Bowman was about to vehemently argue with this flippant elf, but he abruptly turned his head towards the metal door leading to this chamber.

A moment later, all the Mana Vortex Magi turned their heads in the direction of the door as well.

They could feel it…

A very tyrannical presence had arrived and was now standing on the other side of the door!

With a loud groan, the metal door slowly opened, pushed by the guards stationed outside.

Then, a tall man with broad shoulders and a lean, yet muscular physique stepped inside the chamber.

And the moment he did… the air within the room shifted.

He wore dark flowing robes and a black, pointy hat. But that wasn’t what truly drew everyone’s attention.

It was that this young man had strolled into an important gathering, surrounded by high-ranking Mana Vortex Magi of the Brotherhood…

With a large wine of gourd of wine in hand, reeking of alcohol.