Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

A week later, Luca, Michael, Leah, and Meji hurried through the desolate lands beneath the crimson moon.

They traveled mostly during the night, moving as quickly as their injured bodies allowed. Whenever they spotted the faint silhouette of a monster in the distance, they immediately changed course, slipping into the shadows and waiting until the creature passed.

Confronting monsters would waste time. But more importantly, it would draw unwarranted attention.

The monsters were not even the greatest threat to Luca and the others. The ravens were.

Every time the distant beating of wings reached their ears, the four immediately scattered and sought cover. They hid beneath rocky outcroppings, inside abandoned ruins, and among dense clusters of trees, remaining completely still until the flock disappeared into the darkness.

They could not afford to be discovered. Their journey had already taken longer than expected.

After the battle in the underground cavern, they had spent precious time searching through a vault hidden deeper underneath. Not to mention, the injured people also needed to be tended to.

Meji’s shattered hand, Leah’s grievous injuries, and Luca’s numerous wounds all needed treatment before they could continue. They could not simply run immediately after the battle and hope to survive the journey. That was especially the case for Leah and Meji.

But every day spent recovering was another day lost.

And now, they had to make up for it.

The mountain pass was their rendezvous point. Adam would be waiting for them there. That was the plan.

They had no idea what he had encountered during their absence, nor how long he could continue waiting before deciding that something had gone wrong.

If they failed to return on time, Adam would have no choice but to come looking for them. Or at least, that was what was decided in the planning phase.

So that was something they desperately wanted to avoid.

The blocking of the spirit world had made long-distance communication impossible. They could not simply contact Adam and inform him of their situation. They could not tell him that they had survived, that they had completed their objective, or that they were on their way back.

They had no way of knowing whether Adam was still waiting. And Adam had no way of knowing whether they were alive.

There was only one thing they could do, and that was hurry.

Luca led the group through the darkness, his eyes constantly scanning their surroundings. Leah and Meji stayed close behind him, while Michael took the rear, ready for any unsuspecting attack.

They did not speak unless necessary, as every sound carried danger. Every shadow around them could very well conceal a monster. And every distant flap of wings could mean that the ravens had found them.

So they continued onward, moving through the night with exhaustion weighing heavily upon their bodies.

It was on the morning of the tenth day, when the first muted rays of the morning sun dispelled the dark crimson wave away, that they arrived at the mountain pass. From there, it only took them half an hour to reach the cave where they had gathered before the mission began.

Leah’s eyes were filled with relief. ”Finally,” she whispered.

So much had happened in just the last ten days. From journeying to the moon temple, to fighting the spider monster, to learning about the history of this land from Shireen’s journals, to finally returning back to this place.

Without a doubt, this had been her most difficult mission. And she had been staying in this secret plane for decades. Never had she faced such risks and difficulties. Most of her missions were just scouting and taking care of weaker monsters that threatened the safety of the Adventurers’ City.

But this… this was something else entirely.

She looked at the party — or rather, what remained of it. Luca was carefully deactivating the barrier protecting the cave. Michael, who now seemed a little taller, scanned the surroundings for any danger.

Meji, poor Meji, looked smaller than ever. He had not only lost an arm, but he had also lost a friend, a brother. Dell. And as for the last missing member of the group, Darren, Leah did not even want to think about the traitor.

Her heart blazed with fury thinking of what he had done. If only Darren had stuck with them and fought the spider-monster together, perhaps Dell would still have been alive. Perhaps Meji would not have been crippled.

So when Leah learnt that Michael had killed Darren, she had nodded with grim approval. If Michael had not killed him, then she definitely would have.

”It’s done,” Luca’s voice snapped her out of her deep thoughts.

She stepped forward and helped the pale and weary Dell inside the cave. Once she stepped inside, she finally let her guard down. Michael followed behind her almost a minute later, confirming that they hadn’t been followed.

Leah watched Luca activate the defence and concealment barrier again. She let out a long, tired sigh.

She had looked around the cave before, but she hadn’t even found a trace of Bucca. She couldn’t help but wonder if he’d even made it out alive from his own mission. After all, she had the others helping her, but Bucca was all on his own.

Leah noticed that Michael also wondered the same after looking around the cave. She turned to Luca and was about to talk about his big brother when suddenly, a familiar voice echoed from the depths of the cave.

”You’re back.”

Leah’s eyes slowly widened, and she abruptly rose to her feet, her hand shooting toward the hilt of her weapon.

In the depths of the cave, lazily leaning against the wall, was a middle-aged man in flowing black and white robes. His clothes looked proper and clean, while he himself looked fresh. As though he had been sitting and waiting inside the cave for all this while, doing nothing.

Leah gaped at him. Meanwhile, Michael also did the same, albeit for a different reason.

”Yes.” Luca nodded.

He was the only person who had sensed Adam’s presence inside the cave.

”Good.” Adam pushed away from the wall and scanned the party. ”Two of you are missing.”

Luca replied, ”The monster killed one. Michael killed the other.”

”Oh?” Adam quirked a brow, turning to Michael and watching him with slight amusement.

”How about you?” Luca asked curiously.

Adam shrugged nonchalantly.

He waved his hand, and four corpses shot out from the depths of his sleeves.

When Leah and Michael’s gazes settled on the cold, lifeless bodies, their eyes widened in disbelief. Adam’s following words further increased their shock.

”I present to you the Generals of the Vampire King.”