NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1172: True Desires
Ivory City, Mabi.
After cleaning up one of the rooms in the attic, the one used as a sleeping quarter by the previous resident, Adam had made it his temporary home.
It had already been a month since his arrival in this forgotten city, and thanks to the humanoid beast patrolling the hall below, he remained safe from the powerful magical beasts that prowled the ruins of the city.
At the moment, he was sitting on the single bed, applying medicine to the gaping wound on his stomach. Adam hadn't been completely idle the past month. In fact, he had been working like a madman—literally—to prevent himself from dying.
After all, the ghastly wound on his stomach, which caused his intestines to spill out, was terrifyingly life-threatening. Massive blood loss and shock could have killed him within days, while exposed organs had a high risk of getting infected. If left untreated, it could lead to organ failure and subsequent death.
And so, Adam desperately fought tooth and nail to keep himself alive. Each night, he slipped out of the domed roof and into the nearby forest to forage for food and herbs.
His outings at night weren't without danger, however. The constant ravings of the Faceless Mask often forced him into fits of manic laughter, drawing unwanted attention.
On several occasions, he was besieged by powerful Mana Vortex-level beasts and nearly died. Yet each time, he clawed his way back. Killing a tenacious madman like Adam Constantine was no easy feat.
And so, after a month of going through near-death experiences every night, Adam had finally managed to stabilize his fragile health. He was now fit enough to battle, but more importantly… he had gathered a trove of items from the nearby forest that would aid him in what came next.
"Gege! Gege!" The mimic chirped as it stood before Adam, providing the youth moral support as he applied a green ointment on the three large stitched scars that ran across his belly.
Adam gritted his teeth as he grimaced in pain. He carefully applied the ointment, covering the scars with a thick layer of green.
"Gege! Gege!" The mimic jumped up and down in anticipation.
"Shut up, will ya?" Adam growled.
"Gege…" The mimic lowered his body, then turned around and walked to the corner of the tiny room, where he sulked in depression.
Adam scoffed. "Stop pouting like a child!"
"Gege…" The mimic… pouted—probably.
The youth rolled his eyes in exasperation. Almost a minute later, he was finally done treating his wounds. His charred body was covered in sweat, and he was taking deep, ragged breaths.
He lay down on the bed and cursed under his breath, "That bastard panther! I won't let you go! I'll make skewered meat out of you and turn your hide into a fashionable cape! Just you wait!"
The mimic shuddered at his words. It was obvious the little guy was capable of understanding human speech, but unfortunately, it had no real way of responding. All it could manage were the varied tones of its "gege", each carrying a different hue of emotion.
But still… Adam was grateful to finally have someone to talk to—other than himself, of course. Although he mostly admonished the little guy, he still appreciated his company.
Moreover, the items that the mimic had offered as… tribute were very vital for the current Adam. Although most of the items were nothing more than gold, jewelry, gems, and other shiny trinkets, which were completely useless to him, there were still a handful of items that were important given his current circumstances.
"Heh." Adam found it all too amusing. "Gold? Silver? Jewelry? All of them useless to me? Goodness arcana, I never thought I would ever feel this way!"
He found it so funny that he couldn't help but laugh. And so, he laughed and laughed and laughed.
The mimic found himself trembling in fear. The ugly madman's deranged laughter invoked a feeling of primal fear within its body. He knew that the hideous human was definitely not someone to mess with!
"Hey, Gege," Adam called out.
"Gege?" The mimic turned around and dashed with its tiny legs, appearing at Adam's bedside in an instant.
Still lying face-up on the single bed, Adam asked in a low voice, "You're not from this world, are you?"
The mimic tilted its… body as though it were thinking. Then, it shook its… body.
"Gege! Gege!"
Adam sighed. "Yeah, I figured," he murmured. "You're most likely from Myrrandor, considering the portal on Luna leads to that world."
"Gege…" The mimic murmured, unsure where it was actually from. But it was certain that Tron wasn't its birthplace.
"Oh, how much I wish I could go to Myrrandor right now," Adam muttered under his breath, a hopeful smile appearing on his charred lips.
"Although a Mana Vortex Magus there is still considered…uhm, what was the official term? Ah, that's right, an Apprentice! But it's still something, right?"
"Gege…" The mimic realized that the ugly madman had once again begun to talk to himself, so it silently walked to the window and gazed at the starlit skies.
"Can you believe it, Gege?" Adam muttered in awe. If he had eyes, they would sparkle like the night sky.
"In Tron, people spend decades just to reach the Mana Vortex Rank, and they think they're a big deal. But out there in the Greater Universe? You're not even considered a true Magus until you've forged your Mana Core!
"In fact, that's the reality. Ranks 1 to 3 are merely Apprentices. The geniuses of the Greater Universe reach the Mana Vortex Rank in just years. And only at Rank 4 are you finally acknowledged as a Magus…
"Hahaha, it's so funny, really. In Tron, Mana Core Magi are emperors and kings, ruling over vast lands, but out in the Greater Universe… you're only one step higher than the bottom of the ladder.
"Ah, I long to see the higher realms, to witness their countless wonders, and maybe… just maybe find a companion to spend the rest of my life with. Doesn't that sound romantic? I can't tell if these are the true desires of my heart, or merely the ramblings of a madman…"
"Gege?" The mimic was confused as ever.
"Gahh! Forget it. You could never understand the mind of a handsome genius like me," Adam muttered as he slowly got up from his bed and walked to the next room.
His lips curled into a wicked grin, and he whispered:
"Time to set my next plan into motion."