Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

After crossing the mountain pass, Luca and the others headed straight toward City Hall.

But Adam parted ways with them there. He had made up his mind to advance to the Cavalier Rank, and he had no intention of carrying out such an important breakthrough in a place he did not trust.

The people at City Hall had already revealed enough secrets for him to remain wary of them. He didn’t put too much faith in the mana oath they had sworn to each other. So he needed somewhere private. Somewhere no one would disturb him.

And more importantly, somewhere no one could observe his advancement.

At an unknown location, deep beneath the earth, Adam carved an underground cave. It was secluded enough for his purposes.

Before doing anything else, however, he established several layers of defenses around the cavern. Runes were carved into the surrounding bedrock, concealment formations were arranged at the entrances, and multiple defensive measures were prepared to ensure that even if someone happened to discover the cave, they would have difficulty reaching him.

Only after he was satisfied with the preparations did Adam finally begin.

He knelt upon the cavern floor and started carving a complex runic formation. At its foundation was a massive pentagram. Each of its five points was surrounded by a smaller circular formation. Within each circle, there was enough space for a heart to be placed.

Valerian lay curled in a corner, silently watching his brother carve complex symbols onto the ground. The little fellow had been quiet ever since that incident where he nearly died. It pained Adam’s heart to see him like that.

”What’s the matter?” Adam asked.

”…Nothing.” Valerian sighed. ”Just a little bored.”

Adam couldn’t help but smile wryly.

”Don’t worry, Val. We’ll leave this place very soon.”

”Myu…”

Valerian’s ears drooped slightly. He suddenly looked up to Adam and asked, ”What about Genevieve?”

”We’ll save her.” Adam smiled. ”Don’t you worry.”

”We must!” Valerian’s topaz eyes flashed with resolve. ”I like her!”

Adam’s eyes were sad, and his smile sadder still.

I like her too…

He thought to himself.

Adam remained still for several moments, his heart wracked with worry. But soon, he pushed the distracting thoughts to the back of his mind.

He carefully carved every rune, his expression becoming increasingly solemn as the formation slowly took place. This was the formation he would use for his advancement. And once it was complete, there would be no turning back.

In many ways, beginning from the Templar Rank, a Paladin underwent qualitative changes with every successful rank.

This was where the concept of Oaths came into play.

Paladins derived strength from Oaths.

”And Oaths are forever,” Adam murmured with an expectant smile.

The body possessed natural restraints. Each restraint suppressed a portion of the body’s true potential, preventing it from exerting itself beyond natural limits. These restraints were necessary for an ordinary Paladin. Without them, the body would constantly push itself beyond what it could safely endure.

Oaths existed to break those restraints!

By swearing an Oath, a Paladin could release one of these natural restrictions, unlocking an immense portion of the body’s latent potential and transforming their physical capabilities.

Of course, ”swearing an Oath” was figurative. Paladins actually did not swear any oath. They simply repeated the same process they always had been since embarking on this path. The only difference was, starting from this rank, the difficulty became exponentially higher.

From the vast library of memories, Adam was aware of six Oaths. The sixth Oath corresponded to the Emperor Magus.

Beyond that point, however, even Adam possessed no knowledge. The ranks that followed remained a complete mystery to him, both within the Magus and Paladin power systems.

But reaching those heights was still far away. For now, Adam’s immediate goal was the Templar Rank.

The Templar Rank itself did not grant an Oath. Rather, it served as the foundation for the first true transformation.

Just as the Apprentice and Mana Core Ranks laid the foundation for forming the Mana Seed, the Squire and Cavalier Ranks served as the foundation for taking the Oath of Vitality upon reaching the Templar Rank.

The Oath of Vitality was the first restraint.

It suppressed the body’s natural recovery and stamina. Once released, the transformation was immense.

A Templar’s endurance would increase dramatically. Their stamina would become vastly greater, allowing them to maintain peak physical performance for far longer than an ordinary Paladin.

Their recovery speed would also increase, allowing injuries and exhaustion to be overcome at an astonishing rate. Their resistance to fatigue would rise accordingly.

Even their blood circulation would be enhanced, allowing oxygen and nutrients to reach every part of the body with greater efficiency.

The result wasn’t simply a stronger body. It was a body capable of sustaining its peak performance for extraordinarily long periods!

A Paladin who had taken the Oath of Vitality could fight for hours without suffering the same decline that would cripple an ordinary Paladin.

And that was only the first Oath.

Adam understood that the higher a Paladin climbed, the more terrifying these transformations would become. The thought alone made him feel a faint sense of anticipation.

The advancement to the Templar Rank would be a time-consuming process. It would take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks. And he could not be disturbed during the entire process. He had to fully focus on his advancement. And that was precisely why he had secluded himself in this cave.

The runic formation before him was finally complete. It took him nearly an entire day. His gaze swept over the four vampire hearts and the werewolf heart at the points of the pentagram before going over the entire runic formation a few more times to check for any mistakes.

It was perfect.

He inhaled deeply and exhaled a long, heavy breath. With a swift motion, he discarded his clothes and tossed them to another corner of the cave. Then he walked to the center of the formation and sat down, his body naked and full of scars.

Valerian straightened his posture and became very solemn. ”I’ll look over you, Brother!”

Adam smiled warmly. ”I’ll be in your care then.”

He closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply. After several moments, his heartbeat became calm, and his body became still.

Adam raised a hand and performed a simple hand seal — index and middle fingers pointing upward, while the rest of the fingers curled.

Following that, the runic formation came alive.

The advancement to the Templar Rank had begun!