Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Chapter 1385: Unholy Tree

The guardian of the unholy tree revealed itself as Adam arrived.

Or perhaps, it had always been there, patiently waiting for a visitor. For some strange reason, Adam couldn’t tell. And when he thought about it, he couldn’t help but frown.

His grip around the Staff of Calamity, and he turned solemn.

Did it appear in that brief moment when I was bewitched? He wondered.

Or has it always been there?

Regardless, he knew that this guardian was a dangerous creature. Perhaps, far more dangerous than the corrupted giant.

Suspended among the twisted branches was a colossal serpent formed of pale, marble-like scales. If one looked close enough, they’d notice that these scales were inscribed with mysterious runes.

Six vast wings unfurled from the snake’s body. They weren’t feathered, but layered like sheets of polished bones, which were similarly inscribed with shifting runes.

It coiled endlessly around the trunk, as though the tree itself had grown around it.

The serpent’s face was that of a... human. It was beautiful. Angelic. But at the same time, it was also utterly inhuman.

A crown of floating eyes orbited its head, each of its pupils burning with cold judgment. Its mouth never moved, yet its presence pressed thoughts directly into the mind.

What is this thing? Adam thought to himself, his heart gripped by utmost solemnity.

When he had stepped into the serpent’s domain, the air immediately grew tense and heavy. The guardian’s eyes all turned towards him at once.

It did not attack.

Nor did it welcome Adam.

It simply watched.

Suddenly...

The serpent’s gaze shifted to the Staff of Calamity. Then its pupils constricted.

Adam astutely noticed this change and thought to himself, It can tell that the staff is made from the remains of a powerful serpent.

I wonder if...

He inhaled deeply, then spoke in snaketongue, ”Who are you? And... how did you end up here?”

The serpent’s floating eyes turned their attention back to Adam. This time, it was intently watching him, measuring him, weighing his intent.

It was hard to read the serpent’s expression as the crown of floating eyes concealed it. Similarly, it was difficult for the serpent to read Adam’s face because the hood of the Stealth Cloak hid it in shadows.

A long time passed, or perhaps, only a few moments passed.

At last, the serpent spoke. No, it conveyed its thoughts directly inside Adam’s mind.

’Where did you learn that language, human?’

Adam deeply looked at the serpent, its scales, its strange crown, and its six wings. This was a type of creature that inspired both awe and dread.

He pondered for a few moments before deciding to be honest.

”From the serpents of the Coil,” he said.

’The Coil...’ The serpent’s androgynous voice echoed in Adam’s mind. It carried a tone of reminiscence, but also confusion.

Adam frowned. ”The Coil of Eternity,” he said. ”Is that where you’re from? How did you get here?”

’The Coil of Eternity...’ The serpent repeated his words.

It paused for a moment, then continued, ’I am from... here. I have always been... here.’

The more Adam heard the creature speak, the more uneasy he felt. He was certain that this serpent, like all other creatures within the valley, had been corrupted. Therefore, it posed a threat to him.

But why could he not feel any malice from this strangely beautiful, yet terrifying creature?

”What are those fruits?” he continued.

’Do you feel them calling?’ The serpent’s voice echoed once more.

’That is the voice of the dead land. Every forest that withered, every river that dried, every creature that starved. None of it vanished. It was all consumed. Its vitality was drawn into this tree, stripped from the soil and sky alike, condensed and preserved.’

It paused for a moment, then continued in a bewitching voice, ’What once lived here was devoured... and reborn as fruit. This valley did not die by chance, human. It was harvested.’

Adam’s heart sank, and his grip around the staff tightened. ”Who planted it?”

’...I wonder.’ The snake’s voice turned distant. ’It has always been here.’

”Why? For what purpose?”

The snake remained silent for a while, then answered, ’I wonder...’

Adam felt a tingling sensation on his scalp. This serpent seemed oblivious, but what if it was just trying to trick him?

His lips curled into a cold smile, and he asked, ”Will you let me pass?”

The serpent’s wings fluttered ever so slightly, and its body coiled tighter around the trunk.

’Won’t you like to take a bite of the fruit?’ The serpent asked.

”No.” Adam refused.

For anything to grow inside the Dark Valley, no matter how rich with vitality, it had to be corrupted.

Although he would have liked to experiment with the fruit and see if his earlier hypothesis about dealing with the corruption on the physical level had any merit. There was no way he was going to try that out in the presence of this sly serpent.

’...A pity.’ The snake’s voice echoed inside Adam’s mind. It seemed downcast.

”Now, will you let me pass?” Adam asked again.

This time, his voice was devoid of emotion. The other party was also at the Mana Core Rank, and from what he could surmise, it used spells from the School of Echantment.

If the worst-case scenario occurred, he didn’t mind fighting the serpent. After all, as the possessor of the lotus, he had a high-level resistance to mind and soul magic.

The serpent asked, ’Is that your intent?’

”Yes.” Adam nodded. ”I intend to leave.”

’Do you not intend to eat the fruit?’

”...No,” Adam replied after a moment of deliberation.

In that moment, the serpent’s vertical pupils constricted. It radiated an aura of utmost hostility. Its enraged voice echoed directly inside Adam’s mind.

’YOU LIE!!’

Adam grimaced in pain as his mind was once again assaulted by a powerful surge of magic. He couldn’t help but collapse to his knees as he felt a seed take root within his mind, warping his thoughts.

He threw his head back and let out a blood-curdling roar filled with pain and madness. Whatever spell the serpent had cast, it continued to weaken Adam’s mind.

Until finally, silence returned.

Adam stopped screaming and rose to his feet in an almost mechanical manner.

And then, the serpent’s bewitching voice once again echoed in his mind:

’Now come to me, human. Be devoured. Be reborn.’

Adam’s body trembled.

And then...

He took a step forward and walked toward the unholy tree.