Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Sunlight filtered through the hole in the roof, gently caressing Adam's bloodied, charred, and hideous face.

At some point, the rain had ceased, and the night had quietly yielded to day. Not that it made any difference to the youth. Day or night, all he saw was nothing.

The last vestiges of deep slumber finally drifted away as he slowly woke up. For the first time in more than half a year, he had managed a full night's rest. It was ironic that only once his mind and body were on the verge of utter ruin could he finally find true sleep.

With a trembling hand, he reached for the gaping wound on his stomach. He winced in agony when his fingers brushed against his intestines. Without any healing potions, he had no other choice but to rely on his body's natural healing.

Having ascended to the third cycle of physical enhancement with the help of the Astral Tyrant Manual, his body had a decent regenerative healing factor. But still, it would take him a long time to heal the ghastly wound on his stomach.

The rest of the injuries on his body could be dealt with, but the one to his stomach… that was severely life-threatening.

"…Sometimes I wonder," he mumbled, his lips curling into a bitter smile. "How did I end up in this situation—"

But soon, his words died in his throat. His heart beat rapidly as he extended his Sphere of Resonance downward. He had completely forgotten about the humanoid beast that was patrolling the vast hall!

Did it hear him? Would it now come for him?

As these dark thoughts swirled inside his mind, the ravings of the Laughing God intensified, forcing his lips to curl into a wide and deranged grin. He quickly covered his mouth and bit on his tongue.

At last, he was able to sense what was happening in the vast hall below. The humanoid beast continued to patrol the hall, walking back and forth across the broad pathway that ran down the center of the floor.

Adam heaved a sigh of relief. But at the same time, he couldn't help but wonder:

What a strange beast! It looks like it's only fixated on guarding that other door? I wonder what's in there?

Whatever it was, he didn't care. He had bigger problems to worry about for now. He had to think of his next move. But more importantly, he had to heal himself, or it wouldn't be long before he truly died.

And there was one more thing he needed to do…

Just thinking about it, Adam couldn't help but begin to frown. He took a deep breath and softly murmured, "One thing at a time."

He first expanded his Sphere of Resonance to the sides and above him, looking for a slightly safer place to rest. In fact, he had been truly lucky that he hadn't moved an inch while sleeping the previous night.

For if he had, he would have fallen to the ground, then been torn apart by the beast!

In his immediate vicinity, he saw a grid of wooden beams that supported the ceiling. Beyond them, on the northern side of the building, his senses brushed against solid ground.

An attic? He frowned.

There was indeed a wide space there, lined with three wooden doors, leading to three separate rooms. A narrow strip of floor ran before them, bordered by worn wooden railings. The only way up had once been a pair of staircases, long since collapsed and claimed by the ravages of time.

Meaning… the only way to the attic now was if one walked across the wooden beams. And no one could reach those beams without first entering the building—or crashing through the roof, which was highly unlikely.

Which meant the humanoid beast patrolling the hall had, without knowing it, become Adam's guardian!

Oh, goodness arcana! Is this… is this what it means to be blessed by fortune?!

Adam was overcome by unrestrained joy. If he had tear ducts, he would have wept outright. Finally, he could rest without having to worry about his life. Now, all he needed to do was safely cross the grid of wooden beams and reach the attic.

He took a few moments to gather his senses, emotions, breath, and whatever else that was all over the place—his intestines included. Then, he carefully sat up straight, positioned himself on the beam, and began to crawl towards the attic.

It was only now that he realized how battered his body truly was. Just the simple act of crawling was sending pangs of pain across every inch of his body. Even the act of crawling had become an arduous task, especially when he was using one hand to prevent his guts from spilling out.

Finally, after what felt like forever, he finally reached the attic. With a dull thud, he landed miserably on the attic's floor. At the same time, he was also paying attention to the movements of the humanoid beast, and as expected… it did not bat an eye.

The beast's actions caused Adam to become more and more curious about what it truly was that it was guarding.

Focus!

He screamed inwardly.

The youth took deep breaths, then he finally got to his feet with great struggle. He had already confirmed through the Sphere of Resonance that there were no threats beyond the three doors.

With an eerie, drawn-out creak, he pushed open the first door. As usual, the beast below paid no mind to the sound. Or maybe it did, and it simply did not care.

The first room contained broken crates, roting sacks of grains, rusted tools, and maybe a handful of salvageable items.

A storage room?

Adam ventured a guess.

Then, he dragged his body to the second room. It contained a dusty bedframe, insect-eaten bedding, a wardrobe, and scattered personal items, hinting at a past occupant.

The sleeping quarter.

Adam frowned.

Finally, he took a deep breath and slowly walked to the third room. This was the one that piqued his interest the most.

As he opened the door, he sensed wooden shelves stacked with tomes and scrolls that had surprisingly survived the ravages of time, albeit only barely.

There were jars containing experimental items that had obviously expired. There even seemed to be several artifacts, but all of them had broken.

One side of the room was occupied by a study table, cluttered with scattered parchments and books, thickly covered in dust.

And on the other side of the room… a polished wooden chest glittered in an inviting manner. It was the only item out of place amidst the ruin.

Adam's breathing turned heavy, and he found himself involuntarily drawn to the chest.

"Yes," he mumbled, "if this isn't the blessing of fortune, I don't know what is!"

He knelt before the chest, then reached out with a trembling hand and lifted the lid. Although he could not see, he could feel the contents of the chest radiating a golden light.

"Whoa!" He exclaimed, leaning in closer.

And the next moment, the chest's lid suddenly sprouted rows of razor-sharp teeth and viciously snapped down on Adam's head!