Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Adam had a dream.

There was nothing but infinite darkness, stretching endlessly in all directions. In that lightless void, Adam found himself falling.

Did I step into the spirit world again? He thought in amusement.

But no, this wasn't the spirit world.

It was just darkness.

A darkness of his own making, perhaps.

As he continued to fall, his gaze was drawn to his own hands.

Huh? I can… see? He wondered, confused.

He looked at his hands and found them to be completely fine. There were no scars, no burn marks, no acid marks, no nothing. They were like they used to be before the Battle of Ravenfell.

What's happening?

He lowered his head to observe the rest of his body, and found that they, too, seemed completely normal. Adam simply couldn't understand what was going on.

Yet, strangely enough, he didn't find himself panicking.

Am I… dead?

No, that shouldn't be possible. I'm quite hard to kill, he thought to himself with slight smugness.

Then, what the hell is this?

Have I finally gone… insane?

In that moment, unbeknownst to him, the world around him changed. Although there was still darkness around him. But now, in that darkness, faint silhouettes started to appear. They were long and serpentine, writhing gently in the darkness.

But Adam did not notice that change. His mind was somewhere else entirely.

Insane…

He thought of that one single word that could be used to define him in this past year. And as he thought of that, memories of that forgotten temple in the spirit world resurfaced in his mind.

That damned mask! Everything went downhill after I acquired that bloody relic!

But… where is the sound of laughter? I don't hear them at all…

Strange. So very strange, he thought.

As he thought of the madness plaguing his mind, he finally recalled that strangely familiar voice that would talk to him from time to time. That voice clung to him ever since he woke up on Coral Island.

Adam also recalled the last thing that the voice said to him before everything turned dark.

"I am you."

His lips curled into a faint smile, a bitter smile, a smile full of sadness.

Towards the end of the Battle of Ravenfell, in a desperate attempt to strike Marden Benton, Adam had ended up using a soul attack. His soul was already quite weak and fragile from overusing the Eternal Soul Lotus. As a result, that soul attack ended up harming not only Marden but also himself.

Because of that, his soul had fractured into several pieces, turning him mad in the process. Additionally, with the whispers of the Laughing God constantly assaulting his mind, he was driven even more towards the brink of madness.

He had even gone so far as to blame that voice in his head as the reason for succumbing to madness.

But the truth couldn't be far from it…

That strangely familiar voice was a fractured part of Adam's soul. It was the sane part of him, the only thing preventing him from turning completely mad!

In the end, Adam had become his own greatest enemy.

Yet he was also his only salvation.

He curled into a fetal position, hugging his knees.

"I'm so sick and tired of everything," he murmured.

"I embarked on the path of arcana to lead a good life… to have a roof over my head, to sleep with a full belly at night, and maybe, just maybe, find someone caring to live the rest of my life with.

"When did things turn so bad? Why do I always have to suffer? Why do things always have to be this hard? I'm so lonely. I'm tired… so, so tired. I wish… I wish I could just give up."

The strangely familiar voice whispered:

"But you can't, can you?"

Adam remained silent. But suddenly, he sensed something… a presence!

He slowly raised his head and looked at the person who had appeared before him.

It was a handsome young man with raven-black hair. He was tall, and his broad shoulders gave the impression of standing before a mountain. The youth wore white silk robes that made him look immaculate and out of this world.

His skin was fair, and his facial features sharp and flawless, as if carved by a master sculptor. But it was his eyes that drew all his attention. They were like twin pools of darkness that carried a hint of mischief.

The moment Adam laid eyes on this… young man, he couldn't help but utter a curse:

"Dragonshit!"

He intently looked at this young man with a frown, then grumbled, "When was I ever that pretty?"

"Look at you," said the white-robed Adam, sneering in disdain. "You're so pathetic."

Adam cast him a hateful glance, then returned to brooding in a fetal position. "Stop botherting me," he said.

The white-robed Adam glanced at him, then murmured:

"You reap what you sow. You are simply facing the consequences of your own actions. So what right do you have to complain about your current situation? Need I remind you that you brought all of this on yourself?"

"Shut up already," Adam spat through gritted teeth. "You think I don't know that already? I just… I just had to do it."

"Then live with the consequences, you miserable little wretch!" The white-robed Adam harrumphed in displeasure.

He paused for a moment, then continued in a heavy voice:

"You've been crying like a little baby ever since getting stuck in the stomach of that Transcendent entity. Did you forget what Mother used to say? Big boys don't cry."

Adam's lips quivered, and he tried his best to prevent his tears from falling. If he had any doubts about the owner of this strangely familiar voice being someone else, then they were all cleared up.

"Besides…" the white-robed Adam began. "The things that are happening to you, well… they're not entirely your fault either."

"What?" Adam raised his head and looked at the white-robed, raven-haired youth.

"What're you trying to say? Stop being contradictory, damn it! You say I'm facing the consequences of my own actions, then you say the things happening to me aren't my fault. What the hell are you trying to say?"

"You really are pathetic, you know?" The white-robed Adam sneered.

His following words caused Adam to be completely shaken.

"The series of unfortunate events that you've experienced ever since you stepped on the path of arcana, the reason why you draw so much misfortune… is because of the Eternal Soul Lotus."