Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Chapter 1238: Threat of Nature

A month after stepping through the portal, Adam was finally able to disarm all the traps and other defensive mechanisms scattered throughout the underground chamber.

He did not need to adjust the runes powering the portal, however. When he had altered the runes around the portal in Mabi, he had linked it directly to the one in Yen-Lu, effectively severing this portal’s connection to the Nine Hells of Inferno.

Despite that, with each passing day, the sense of foreboding in his heart grew stronger and stronger. That it why it took him so long to disarm the traps. He wanted to do his best to delay the inevitable.

Standing at the base of the staircase that would take him to the upper levels, Adam inhaled deeply, his grip around the Staff of Calamity tightening.

He turned his head ever so slightly and whispered, ”You ready, boy?”

”Gege!”

The mimic chirped, strapped to his back in its rucksack form, and not knowing the terror that awaited them outside.

Adam inhaled deeply, his lips curling into a crazed grin. Then, he took his first step and slowly ascended the stairs.

He had already deactivated the traps along the walls of the stairs, so there was nothing to worry about.

However, there was one problem...

The youth couldn’t sense anything beyond the door at the top of the staircase. Even his Sphere of Resonance failed him. It was clear that this was the result of runes carved along the structure.

The Cult Leader had truly gone over and beyond while establishing these portals.

Standing before the arched door, Adam hesitated to open it. He had thought about it for a long time. One way or another, he’d have to step outside this door. He couldn’t remain holed up inside the underground chamber forever.

”If I’m going to do it anyway, then why not do it now, eh?” he muttered with a wide grin.

He inhaled deeply, then said the words he always said before attempting something reckless:

”Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

With that said, he pushed open the door!

The light of the morning sun shone on his charred, hideous face. Fresh air swept in from outside, the chill making him shudder. He had never felt such cold before.

But the temperature was the least of his worries. As soon as he opened the door, he was immediately able to sense his surroundings. His heart beat loudly, and he gripped his staff even tighter, prepared for any ambush.

However, nothing happened...

Adam couldn’t help but frown, his grin stretching unnaturally across his charred face.

The first floor of the pagoda was silent, its air heavy with dust and age. The wooden beams were cracked and blackened. Broken tiles littered the floor, and frost crept along the walls like veins.

Faded murals covered what remained of the interior. A few toppled statues rested against the walls, their features eroded beyond recognition. The air was brimming with mana, there was an uneasy stillness, as though... time itself had stopped within these walls.

”What is this place?” He murmured.

He raised his head and realized that there was no immediate ceiling.

The space opened all the way to the half-collapsed roof on the fifth floor. Stairways lined the walls, spiraling upwards towards the higher levels, while the central area of the structure remained completely open.

”What... the hell?” he muttered, startled. ”There’s no one here? How can things be so easy?”

He suddenly felt the urge to laugh, but the sane and rational part of him reminded him that there might be enemies hidden that he may not have sensed yet. So when the urge to laugh arrived, he viciously bit on his tongue.

Feeling the coppery taste coat his tongue, he grimaced in pain and then grinned brightly. He walked around the first floor and observed it thoroughly. There was nothing of note. The statues were destroyed, and the murals were unrecognizable.

There was one giant door that most likely led outside the five-story structure he found himself in, but he didn’t leave yet. Hopefully, he could find something worthwhile while he was still inside.

Since there were no windows, he couldn’t tell what the outside looked like. But he knew it was cold and freezing out there. Snow fell from the collapsed roof on top, drowning the interiors in a dreadful...

”Cold. Cold. Cold. Too damn cold!” He wrapped the cloak tighter around his body. Even the mimic strapped to his back was shuddering from the weather.

The second floor was the same as the first one. Broken statues lined the walls, and murals eroded by the ravages of time were etched on them. Adam couldn’t glean any information whatsoever.

The third floor was empty, and so was the fourth floor.

Finally, he arrived at the topmost floor. It was the coldest here as the biting winds from outside directly blew in through the half-collapsed roof. Adam couldn’t wait to travel back down.

”If the interior is already so cold, then how bad is it outside?” he murmured in a shaky voice.

He circled the fifth floor once, his hand tracing the jagged surface of the wall beside him. Just like the rest of the levels, this floor was also empty. In the end, he decided to head back down, far away from the freezing weather.

The temperature would drop exponentially at night, so he didn’t mind spending his time in the underground chamber by the portal. He was so preoccupied with the threat of beasts and Magi that he didn’t even think about the threat of nature.

Mother nature could be just as dangerous, if not more so.

Realizing that there was nothing worth looking at on this floor as well, he headed for the staircase.

”What a waste,” he muttered under his breath.

In the next heartbeat, the temperature dropped abruptly. It was abnormal. The howling wind picked up, and suddenly the air felt more suffocating.

Adam’s footsteps slowed down. He felt a severe chill crawl down his spine—and it wasn’t just because of the weather.

Suddenly, he felt a gaze settling on him.

He trembled involuntarily, fear gripping his heart.

Adam slowly turned around, facing the half-collapsed roof above.

And there it was...

A pair of giant blue eyes was curiously watching him.