Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Chapter 1193: Companion

The radiant sun rose in the east, dyeing the sleepy skies in brilliant shades of lilac. Rays of sunshine filtered through the dense canopy of the jungles of Mabi, casting dotted shadows on the forest floor.

Two figures, a human and an elf, vaulted from one branch to another as they made their way deeper into the heart of the island-continent.

Adam covered his upper body in the Stealth Cloak, masking his presence to a great degree. The Stealth Boots he wore further magnified the concealment effect, masking his movements.

Other than that, he wore a simple tunic and trousers, which he had salvaged from Ivory City. The Blades of Fulgrim were strapped to his back, ready to be used at any given moment. Whereas the Staff of Calamity slumbered peacefully inside his fractured spirit sea.

Merene, on the other hand, wore tight-fitted dark leather armor beneath her green cloak, which helped her camouflage her presence inside the dense jungle. A bow and quiver of arrows rested across her back, while a pair of curved daggers hung at her waist.

It had been four months since the two had found one another. Needless to say, after confirming that Adam was indeed a human and not some monster, Merene was happy to be in his company. Not many adventurers visited the continent, after all. And she hadn’t met a lot of them either.

But no one was happier than Adam. He felt that being with Merene helped alleviate his madness to a degree. Having someone to talk to helped him drown out the ravings of the Faceless Mask.

Loneliness, when left to fester, became more than just heartache. It corroded the mind and body alike. Without the grounded company of others, a person’s perception twisted and reality grew thin. It was as lethal as any blade, first killing the spirit, then the flesh.

Talking to the mimic wasn’t the same. The little guy only knew one word. Talking to the white-robed Adam wasn’t the same either. That would just be... him talking to himself.

Talking to Merene, however...

He turned to his elven companion and asked with a happy grin, ”So you don’t have a proper home or anything? Like a permanent base?”

Merene turned to Adam and almost lost her footing on the branch, nearly falling to the ground. She couldn’t help but blurt out, ”Don’t smile like that!”

But Adam’s grin deepened even further. ”I told you I’m incapable of... not smiling.”

Merene rolled her eyes. She gracefully landed on a thick branch of the following tree. She crouched and scanned her surroundings first. Only after confirming that it was safe did she turn to the madman and reply:

”The entire continent is teeming with fantastical beasts. It’s not reasonable or possible to set up a permanent base on this land. These beasts, many of them migrate to different parts of the land each year. Sooner or later, any stronghold is bound to be uncovered.

”So I was taught to live like the wind, always on the move. If I can’t claim one place as home, then the whole island will be my home. That’s why I’m always traveling these lands, never once staying in one place for too long.”

Adam firmly planted his feet on a thick branch, then leaned against the trunk of the tree. Drowning the whispers of the Laughing God with nothing but sheer focus, he managed to hear the elf’s response. He nodded in understanding.

”I suppose that makes sense,” he said. ”So, have you covered much of this continent?”

Merene shrugged. ”Something like that...”

With that said, she resumed her journey. Adam’s lips curled into a smile as he watched her leave. Then, he quickly followed after her.

Meanwhile, the mimic, who had transformed itself into a rucksack strapped to the youth’s back, watched everything unfold with utter confusion. ”Gege...”

Adam couldn’t help but chuckle. ”What’s the matter with you, Gege? You seem awfully lost since Merene arrived. What, you don’t like her?”

”Gege! Gege!” The mimic spoke animatedly. But of course, Adam couldn’t understand a thing it said. He did, however, sense the little guy’s confusion.

”What’s there to be confused about?” Asked Adam, his lips curling into a wide grin. ”We’re heading to an ancient ruin right now, where I can, hopefully, learn some things about this place. If I’m lucky, I can even learn a few things about Myrrandor.”

”Gege...” The mimic gave up trying to explain.

Adam pursed his lips. ”Alright, whatever.”

He then quickly caught up to Merene. Traversing the jungle along with her made him feel quite elated.

”At least, I’m not alone anymore.” He grinned.

Merene cast a side glance at him and couldn’t help but shake her head a little. ”You’re thinking out loud again.”

”Am I?” Adam laughed. ”Well, what can I do about it. At this point, it’s become a habit.”

”You’re not quite okay up there, are you?” Asked the elf, gesturing towards his head.

Adam smiled brilliantly. ”I’m as fine as a madman can be!”

Merene’s lips twitched, and she felt a chill crawl down her spine. ”Crazy bastard...”

Adam only laughed in response. A few moments later, he asked, ”By the way, are we close to that place you mentioned?”

The elf remained silent for a few moments, her eyes squinting. She scanned their surroundings one more time, without halting her pace. At last, she said:

”We should be there in about a few minutes.”

”Great!” Adam beamed. ”This is the ancient ruins that contain information relating to the Greater Universe, right?”

Merene put on a thoughtful expression. ”I’m not certain. It’s been many years since I’ve visited this place. But this should give you some crucial information at the very least. If we don’t find anything worthwhile, there’s still the main city of Feypore at the heart of this island.”

”...I see.” Adam nodded.

He suddenly sensed something, or rather, someone... following them.

He turned his head ever so slightly without alerting the elf. Expanding his Sphere of Resonance, his senses fixed on a figure silently vaulting across the branches right on their tail.

The moment he realized who it was, his expression darkened, and he couldn’t help but intensely frown.

It was a tall, handsome young man with raven-black hair, broad shoulders, and fair skin. His sharp and flawless features were outlined by pristine white robes, and his dark eyes carried a hint of mischief.

It was none other than Adam’s fractured self.