Adam adjusted his seat as he brushed his fingers against a parchnt, trying to read its contents.
"Huh?" Suddenly, he turned to the side and murmured, "What was that?"
There was no response. Occasionally, there would be faint sounds of groans and murmurs. From ti to ti, the sound of fading heartbeats would reach his ear.
But he ignored them.
He simply laughed.
Returning to the parchnt in hand, he muttered with a faint smile, "It was very nice of Hisaki to give such valuable information. Hehe, it was a good thing I didn’t haggle over discounts. This is really invaluable."
Not only had Hisaki given the youth food and other supplies to hopefully last him the journey, but he had also given him crucial information about the layout of the continent, as well as the various factions that ruled over the regions.
"Tsk!" He clicked his tongue in annoyance as he adjusted his sitting posture again.
"Now, now, where was I?" he murmured, tracing his fingers across the parchnt once again.
"Yen-Lu is predominantly ruled by the orthodox faction, who seem to be in an eternal skirmish against the unorthodox faction. Hah, classic!" He laughed, shaking his head.
No matter which part of the world, there was always a battle between morality.
"The orthodox faction is led by the nine great sects and clans, otherwise known as the Arcane Alliance," he continued.
"The Nakamura Clan is known for their swordsmanship of pure resolve and noble warrior spirit. The Tsutsui Clan mbers are masters of poisons and hidden weapons, emphasizing stealth and precision.
"The mbers of the Kusakabe Clan are strategists and tacticians who excel in runic formations and also illusion magic. The Moriyama Clan is versed in defensive magic, mostly from the School of Warding. Finally, the last of the great clans... the Arakuro Clan."
Adam’s lips slowly curled into a wide, nacing grin. "They are practitioners of powerful mana combat techniques, emphasizing strength and endurance."
Recalling the final words of the handso swordsman he had killed a few weeks ago, the youth got into deep thought.
"Hmm, he said he was from the Arakuro Clan, huh?" He murmured, stroking his chin.
"Well, it’s a good thing the Soulmark Lantern would lead his people to another person. Still, there may be a slight chance that they might co after . Anything is possible, after all."
Unbeknownst to him, his lips had curled so widely that his charred face had twisted unnaturally.
"Fun! Fighting them would be so much fun! I’m so sick and tired of fighting beasts. So damn sick of scheming in the shadows and making powerful beings fight one another. The true joy of combat cos when you experience it personally. Ah, so euphoric!"
Adam laughed out loud, his crazed voice echoing all around him. He laughed for a very long ti.
He truly loved this continent where Magi were brave and fought with valor. There were very few Magi who holed themselves up in their academies and Magus towers, researching and experinting day and night.
No, they took to the battlefield and fought. That was how they honed their magical prowess as well as martial skills.
It was truly a wonderful land filled with warriors!
A long ti later, his laughter finally died down. He returned to the stack of parchnts in his hand.
"The Qing... Qingyun Bang? What a strange na," he muttered, scratching his head.
"So the Qingyun Bang is a vast underground network of spies, wanderers, and informants who value freedom over hierarchy. Huh? They... live as beggars?"
The idea of powerful Magi wandering the lands dressed as beggars was so hilarious that Adam burst into another crazed fit of laughter.
"Ah, Yen-Lu," he sighed emotionally. "So many different types of people and factions. This is the thrill of adventure! This is what I’ve yearned for all my life! Only if... only if Val could experience this with now..."
His heart was engulfed in sorrow, but his lips curled into a wide smile.
He remained motionless for a long ti, then continued reading.
"The Yunhai Sect consists of hardcore Magi who practice nothing but spells. The Jingfa Sect is a temple of monks who focus purely on mana combat. Finally, there’s the Baihua Sect, famous for graceful and precise sword combat, inspired by blooming petals in motion."
These nine great sects and clans lorded over countless smaller sects and clans, and together they made up the orthodox faction of Yen-Lu known as the Arcane Alliance.
Adam raised his head and looked westward. He smiled faintly as he murmured, "I’ll pass by the region ruled by Baihua Sect in my journey. I wonder if I’ll et any disciples of this sect..."
"Now, as for the unorthodox faction," he murmured, returning his attention back to the parchnts in hand.
The unorthodox faction in Yen-Lu was typically composed of assassins, rcenaries, bandits, and rogue Magi. They valued strength, cunning, and independence more than virtue and unity.
Their influence was fragnted, but very dangerous. The unorthodox faction was mainly led by six major organizations, which have ford an informal alliance. These Magi were spread all throughout the regions of Yen-Lu.
"Eh, whatever." Adam put away the scrolls.
Then, with a wide grin on his face, he lowered his head and glanced at the huge pile of bloody corpses he was sitting on.
"You bastards should be part of the Qinglin Zhai, huh?"
There was no answer.
"Hey! Hey, I’m talking to you! Damned bandits, answer !" Adam roared.
Suddenly, the mimic called out in exasperation, "Gege..."
"Eh?" Adam froze. "That’s right. They’re all dead. Of course, they can’t answer..."
He then burst into a mad fit of laughter.
Just a few hours ago, Adam was assaulted by dozens of bandits whom he happened to cross paths with.
They wanted to kill him, then loot his treasures.
Well, they tried...
"Hmm, I wonder if I can skin them and make a cloak?" Adam murmured.
"Gege!" The mimic shuddered.
"Ah!" Adam lightly tapped his head. "That’s right! They aren’t beasts. Their skin isn’t nearly as valuable. Hahaha!"
A few minutes later, once he’d enjoyed having a good laugh, he slid down the large heap of corpses. Unstrapping the mimic from his back, he then threw the little fellow into the air.
"Gege!!" The mimic scread in alarm.
"Go eat your fill. I know you’ve been starving. And store whatever money you can find on them. There’s a lot of food, so eat till you can’t breathe," Adam said magnanimously.
The mimic gracelessly fell on the heap of corpses. It took a while for it to register what Adam said. But soon, it started to chirp in excitent before eating its fill.
"Gege! Gege!"
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