Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

A shallow firepit glowed in the middle of the cave, casting faint light against the stone walls. Shadows danced every time a gust of wind blew by the flames.

The air was cool and damp, carrying the earthy scent of wet stone and the faint smell of smoke. The fire gave off just enough light to see the uneven floor, the cave mouth, and the three figures inside.

At the far end of the cave, on a makeshift bed made from dried leaves, Adam slowly sat up, his body trembling from fear as he faced the direction of the cave mouth. Beside him, the mimic bounced with joy at seeing him gain consciousness.

But Adam completely ignored the little creature. His attention was fixed on the figure sitting at the cave's entrance, back turned to him, gazing at the twin moons hanging in the starlit sky outside.

He couldn't stop his body from trembling at all. He recognized this cave, of course. It was his temporary residence, which he'd found on a hillside not long ago. But this person sitting before him… he did not recognize this person at all!

For a long time, he just remained quiet, desperately trying to think about his current situation. Though the whispers of the Laughing God made it direly difficult for him to form coherent thoughts, he still managed to focus on the matter at hand.

And when he did, his lips curled into a wild, unsettling grin. "This… am I still dreaming?"

The figure finally turned around and glanced at him with her inquisitive, emerald eyes. Adam was finally able to take in this person's appearance.

It was a young elf with short blonde hair and pointed ears. She wore a green cloak over her dark leather armor. A bow and a quiver were strapped to her back, and twin daggers hung at her waist.

The elf looked young, but considering how slow her kind aged, it was impossible to guess her true age. But one thing was certain… from the mana fluctuations radiating from her, Adam knew that she was a Mana Vortex Magus!

Receiving no response, Adam buried his charred face in his trembling hands and began muttering incoherent words. "Wh-what… what is happening to me? What was that dream earlier? I... I don't remember a thing! And what is this dream now? Ha… haha… I can't…"

"You speak Acaros," said the elf with a slight tilt of her head. "Are you human?"

Adam froze. He turned towards the elf and gazed at her with his wide, hollow eyes. "You… what did you just say?"

The elf frowned. She lowered her head and mumbled to herself, "Does he not understand my language? No, more importantly, is he really not a human?"

Her hand slowly reached out for her dagger, and her eyes narrowed, a cold light flashing in them. But Adam's following words caused her movements to freeze.

"Old Lunari!" he blurted out. "You're speaking Old Lunari! W-who are you?!"

The elf's eyes gleamed with a peculiar light. She turned towards Adam and asked in an eager voice, "You understand my language?!"

But the next moment, her brows creased into a frown. "But what are you? A human? An elf?"

"Of course, I'm human!" Adam blurted out again. "What makes you think I'm not a human?!"

The elf's eyes squinted as she cast the youth a dubious glance. "You look nothing like a human," she murmured.

She finally turned around and faced Adam as she sat cross-legged. She intently scrutinized Adam's appearance, then added, "When I found you, I thought I'd come across a monster. If it wasn't for that strange box there, I would have already killed you."

"What the… A monster? Are you blind?" Adam was dumbfounded.

The elf's eye twitched. She pursed her lips and said, "No, but you are…"

Adam was at a loss for words. He clutched at his head as he grimaced in pain, trying hard to drown the mad ravings of the Faceless Mask. He then turned to the mimic and murmured, "You saved me? How?"

"Gege?" The mimic was confused as ever.

It deeply looked at Adam, then at the person Adam was talking to, his confusion increasing severalfold. It remained silent for a moment, then strutted to the corner of the cave and sat down facing the wall.

"Gege…"

Adam was dumbfounded. He shook his head, then turned to the elf. He gulped involuntarily and asked, "You… how did you find me? And how did you find this place?"

The elf deeply looked at the youth, then answered in an even voice:

"I heard laughter and screaming. I was quite surprised because not many outsiders visit this island. When I followed the sound, I found you lying down in the middle of a clearing, surrounded by shattered stones and broken trees."

She paused, then gestured towards the mimic. "I found that little guy by your side, trying to wake you. To be honest, I was about to kill you. I thought you were some kind of beast. But that strange box pleaded on your behalf. It led me here, to this cave. I carried you inside and laid you down. And here we are."

Adam was truly surprised by the series of events. Not only had this elf not killed him, but she had even gone so far as to drag his unconscious body back to his cave. But more importantly…

"You," Adam began, doubt evident in his voice. "You live here?! On this island, I mean."

The elf tilted her head, a strange expression on her face. "Yes?"

"What… no, how is that even possible?" Adam began muttering incoherent words again. "Ha… haha… there shouldn't be any people on this forsaken place… only animals. So then how…"

"My family has been living here for generations," said the elf. "We have always preferred the woods and beasts over civilization."

"We?" Adam frowned. "There's more of you?"

Sorrow flashed across the elf's emerald eyes as she gently shook her head. "I'm the last of my lineage. My parents died when I was young."

Adam slipped into silence. He lowered his head and whispered, "Orphan, huh? Me too…"

He looked at the elf and offered a faint smile. "My name is Adam Constantine. And you are?"

The elf deeply looked at Adam. The pale glow of the twin moons outlined her figure. Her lips parted and she said in a gentle voice, "I am called Merene… Merene of Mabi."

Adam's lips curled into a wide grin, and he said:

"Merene of Mabi, thank you for saving me!"

The elf quickly turned away and looked at the night sky outside. Her following words cut into Adam's heart like a blade:

"Please… don't smile like that. You look hideous."