Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Chapter 889: Little Surprise

The ghostly light of the setting sun dyed the evening sky in myriad shades of purple and orange. The blanket of night was soon about to cover the landscape.

Adam and Valerian moved slowly through the Corvet Boulevard, the former waving at people on either side of him with a forced smile on his face.

If he was being honest… he was tired of waving and smiling now.

But still, it was something that had to be done. He recalled Professor Whitakerʼs stern words before he departed from Jeeling.

He was to put on his best behavior and smile, and wave at the crowd. He was the face of Saratoga and Ravenfell, and as such, he had to keep up with appearances.

If it were up to him, he would have simply strutted through the boulevard with a wine gourd in hand, reciting a poem or two in a drunken stupor.

But he continued to do what he was doing, even though he didnʼt like it. The fact that the peopleʼs enthusiasm still hadnʼt waned truly warmed his heart.

The youth turned toward the west, gazing at the sun that had sunk below the horizon. Then, he raised his head and glanced at the sky that was gradually turning dark.

His lips curled into a faint smirk, and he mused, Itʼs about time I put on a magical show for these folks.

The next moment, he raised his free hand and clenched it into a fist.

When Raidon spotted the signal, his voice rang out with authority, clear and commanding:

”Black Legion, halt your march!”

”OOH-AAH!”

”OOH-AAH!”

”OOH-AAH!”

At once, the armoured Magi following behind Adam loudly thumped their chestplates in obedience and directed their mounts to stop.

Adam spun the Staff of Calamity in a smooth arc before driving it into the ground with a loud thud.

He took a moment, letting the silence settle, then slowly swept his gaze across the sea of faces before him.

As he did, the smile on his face deepened.

Calm, confident, and resolute.

The crowd was still cheering with unrestrained enthusiasm, but the moment they saw Adam slowly raise his hands and begin weaving hand seals with calm precision, they could no longer contain themselves.

A thunderous wave of excitement erupted.

Louder. Wilder. Almost primal.

The very ground seemed to tremble beneath their feet as they jumped and shouted with unbridled joy.

Even the seasoned Magi from the Four Pillars and the dignified delegation of the Baja High Forest watched with a mix of awe and trepidation, silently wondering just what kind of spell the Dark King was about to show them.

Adam weaved hand seals slowly and for almost a few minutes, allowing the suspense to hang in the air.

As he completed the final hand seal, a thick, oppresive layer of mana surged over his body, only to vanish just at swiftly as it had materialized.

To the untrained eye, it might have gone unnoticed. However, to the Mana Vortex Magi scattered among the crowd, it was unmistakable.

Their eyes narrowed in unison.

It had lasted but a fleeting moment, yet in that instant, they had felt it…

The staggering density of mana radiating from Adam was powerful enough to shake even the most seasoned of them.

But that was just the tip of the iceberg.

While Adam had prepared a spell flashy enough to dazzle the masses, he had something else in store for the select few who truly mattered—the Mana Vortex Magi in the crowd.

It was a little surprise, crafted not for applause… but for something else!

Something subtle, yet overwhelming.

Something that would remind the Mana Vortex Magi watching from the shadows… why he was known as the Tyrant.

Heh, sorry Professor, he mused, a mischievous glint flickering in his eyes.

But I just canʼt help myself!

The moment he had finished casting his spell, a gentle breeze swept across the crowd. In that moment, they knew something had changed.

There were no magic circles that had materialized because Adam had concealed them. So the crowd did not know just where the spell would originate from.

They curiously looked around, trying to find the changes in their surroundings. Some even looked up, but all they saw was a dark sky with purple hues streaking across the horizon.

Suddenly, a clear voice rang through the air.

”Down below!”

Everyone simultaneously lowered their heads, and thatʼs when they saw it…

Small, white flower buds began to sprout from the ground. First by tens, then by hundreds, and soon by thousands. They rose from the earth as if spring had arrived in full force in an instant.

And within moments, the buds unfurled into fully bloomed daffodils, blanketing this part of the city in a sea of white blossoms.

This spell was similar to the one Adam had cast before his parentsʼ grave. But this one was on a much larger scale.

Needless to say, it was an illusion.

However, when some of the people in the crowd crouched to touch the pristine white petals of the daffodils, they could swear that the sensation they felt was very much real.

Adam smiled faintly, gazing at the crowd, which seemed to be greatly enjoying the spell.

But he was not done yet…

He willed it in his mind, and the next instant, the white daffodils began to slowly rise from the ground, lifting into the air as if reaching for the heavens.

Gasps of awe echoed from the crowd as the flowers floated gracefully around them, weaving through the air in gentle spirals before ascending towards the night sky.

It was a breathtaking sight, a spectacle of elegance and wonder.

While the mortals, along with the Mana Foundation Magi and the Mana Liquefaction Magi, were mesmerized by the beauty of the spell, the Mana Vortex Magi were struck with astonishment for a different reason.

They could sense the immense scale of magic and recognized just how potent and deceptive the illusion was.

Many among them reached out to touch the petals, and to their surprise, the daffodils responded! Not only could they feel the delicate texture, but the flowers also altered their course ever so slightly at the faintest contact.

Such masterful control over mana was rare. And to achieve this with illusion… so vivid, so tangible… was nothing short of extraordinary.

The white daffodils slowly drifted above the rooftops, rising higher and higher until they had formed a great dome of flowers, arching over this part of the city like a celestial canopy.

Gasps of astonishment echoed throughout the crowd. Eyes, young and old, glittered with wonder as they looked up at the sky now blooming with white daffodils.

And then…

Adamʼs lips curled into a faint smirk.

SNAP!

The crisp sound echoed clearly.

In the blink of an eye, the floating daffodils began to detonate one after another.

They didnʼt burn, however.

They blossomed into brilliant, radiant bursts of white light, like silent firecrackers blooming in the night sky.

Thousands of these ethereal explosions bathed the city in a soft, ethereal glow. Framed against the dark sky, it was a scene unlike anything Ravenfell had ever witnessed.

A snowfall of white flame… beautiful and surreal!

While the crowd cheered, utterly mesmerized by the display, Adamʼs expression shifted. A mischievous glint flickered in his dark eyes as he secretly performed a hand seal.

And thatʼs when all the Mana Vortex Magi in the crowd felt it…

The descent of a tyrannical pressure!