In the topmost floor of the dilapidated library, inside a spacious room that once served as the observatory, a human, an elf, and a mimic gathered around a small fire.
The room was circular, and its dod ceiling was cracked, revealing the starlit night sky. Broken apparatuses of brass and stone lay scattered across the floor. A simple glance could tell that they were the remnants of telescopes and star charts long ruined by ti.
Dust and moss covered most of the walls, and several large windows had shattered, allowing the cool breeze to enter the chamber. Rubble was piled in the parts of the room where the ceiling had collapsed.
Adam, rene, and Gege sat around the small fire, its glow casting long shadows across the forgotten chamber. An eerie silence settled in the room, with each of them seemingly lost in their own thoughts.
It was unknown what the mimic was thinking, or if it was even capable of thinking in the first place. rene simply looked at the burning embers in a daze, her erald eyes reflecting the dancing flas.
Adam sat cross-legged on the ground, his face hidden by the shadow of the hood. anwhile, the white-robed Adam stood behind him like a guardian spirit, scanning the room and everyone else in it with his dark eyes.
Suddenly, Adam’s calm voice broke through the silence:
"So, did you find anything worthwhile?"
"...No." rene shook her head, her gaze still fixed on the fire. "Not really."
Adam nodded ever so slightly. Then, he asked, "Any beasts we should be worried about?"
At last, the elf turned to him and answered with a faint smile:
"There is a place deep within the city that the beasts seem to avoid. I believe there’s a powerful creature residing there, probably a Mana Core-level beast. So long as we don’t go anywhere near that place, we should be fine."
Adam’s lips curled into a wide, unsettling grin. The Laughing God whispered, and he listened. His mouth parted and closed several tis, and it seed that there was a lot he wished to say. But in the end, he simply said two words:
"...I see."
Standing behind him, the white-robed Adam had an indifferent look on his face as he silently gazed at the elf.
anwhile, rene deeply looked at Adam, her erald eyes gleaming with hints of concern. She hesitated for a few monts before ultimately asking:
"What are you doing here in Mabi, Adam? I have watched countless adventurers co to this place. Most of them died, while only a few made it out alive. Those who survive usually snatch a few treasures from the periphery and leave this forsaken island. But you... you plan on going to the very heart of this island. Why?"
Adam’s shoulders trembled, slow at first and then vigorously. He covered his mouth and burst into a manic fit of laughter. Seeing such an abrupt reaction caused rene’s heart to turn cold. She couldn’t help but feel a chill crawl down her spine.
No matter how many tis she witnessed this with her own eyes, she could never get used to it. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"Ugh!" Adam bit on his tongue. The coppery taste perating his mouth brought a sense of soberness to his broken mind. He waved his hand dismissively and added:
"Yeah, it’s just... I sotis get the urge to laugh. And I... never mind. It’s... complicated."
Thinking of that damned mask, Adam’s heart was filled with grievance. Oh, how much he wished he’d never retrieved that mask to begin with.
"Damn it!" he cursed out aloud. "It should have at least co with a warning sign or sothing? Put it on and you can never take it off... sothing like that. That damned bastard!"
The more rene heard Adam speak, the more confused she beca. At last, she couldn’t help but ask, "What... just what’re you talking about?"
"Huh?" Adam turned towards the elf. "Was I... thinking out loud again? Oh, never mind then. Don’t pay attention to what I say. It’s nothing. Anyway, what were you asking earlier? You did ask sothing, right? Or was I imagining things again?"
The elf deeply looked at Adam, then sighed helplessly. "Yes, I did ask you sothing. Why are you here on this island? What is your purpose?"
Adam tilted his head and repeated her words, "Why... am I... here?"
He thought for a long ti, muttering under his breath, "Right, I was burned. Then I fell. Then I drowned. Then I woke up on a turtle. Then I climbed a big wall. Then I arrived here. For what? Hmm.... That’s right! I have a plan! I must see it through."
rene’s lips twitched incessantly. "You burned? You drowned? You... what?"
Adam waved his hand. "Ah, details, details. Forget about it."
The elf deeply looked at the youth, then asked in a somber tone, "What is this plan of yours? Do you mind sharing?"
The mont those words left her mouth, the white-robed Adam’s eyes narrowed, a cold light flashing in them. He bent over, then whispered in Adam’s ears:
"Careful."
Adam’s aura changed in an instant. If earlier he radiated a hint of madness and unpredictability, now he emanated a cold and predatory vibe.
His charred lips parted, and he coldly asked, "rene, why are you so curious about what I intend to do here?"
The elf couldn’t help but frown a little, wondering what could have brought such a change in deanor from Adam.
"I, uh... I don’t know," she murmured. "Instead of leaving this island, you intend to head deeper into it. I just found it strange, that’s all. I was just curious. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to."
Adam had focused the Sphere of Resonance entirely on the elf. He was able to clearly notice her subtle change in facial expressions, her body language, and her peripheral thoughts.
It was strange. Only after he’d lost his eyesight was he able to see so clearly.
In the end, he couldn’t help but sigh. "Ah, forgive my cautiousness. I’ve just been through a lot... that’s all. Anyway, I do have a purpose in venturing deeper into the heart of Mabi. I can’t tell you. Not yet."
rene nodded. "It’s okay. I understand."
She raised her head and glanced at the twin moons in the starlit sky. "It’s almost midnight. We should rest if we want to be up early tomorrow. You sleep first, I’ll keep first watch—"
But right at that mont, Adam interrupted her, his voice uncharacteristically cold:
"What do you know about the Cult of Bones?"
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