Valerian sat at the edge of the grove, nursing several bruises that dotted his furry little head.
His ears drooped slightly as he stared at the ground, looking both indignant and pitiful at the sa ti. From ti to ti, he shot disgruntled glances at
Adam, but a simple glare from the latter was enough to make him stiffen imdiately.
Anna couldn't help but feel sorry for the cute little fellow. She turned to Adam and scolded, "Must you be so harsh to him?"
"Hmph!" Adam harrumphed. "Don't fall for his antics. He's stronger than he looks. Besides, ever since he awoke from his long nap, he's beco quite sturdy."
Listening to his brother's words, Valerian couldn't help but curse under his breath. "I'm a prince! How can you treat like a punching bag!"
"Haah?" Adam glared at the gray cat. "Did I hear sothing just now?"
"N-nothing!" Valerian shuddered. He quickly took out a thick arcane to from his amulet and began studying it.
Witnessing their interaction, Anna didn't know whether to laugh or cry. In the end, she sighed helplessly.
She turned to Adam and asked, "So? What do you plan to do now?"
The raven-haired youth sat lazily on the grass. "I caused quite the commotion while entering the secret plane. Rest assured, there'll be a grand welcoming party waiting for us when we leave."
Anna turned solemn. "Is it going to be a problem? I hope you haven't forgotten about how the people of this continent view you."
"Nothing I can't handle." Adam nonchalantly shrugged. "I already have a plan to clear my na. I'll just need a bit of cooperation from the Emperor."
His lips curled into a faint smirk. "The Old Man did tell that Lucian Acadia views in a positive light, so I guess it shouldn't be too much of a problem."
Anna thought for a mont, then nodded. She had enough faith in her brother's capabilities.
"Very well," she said. "When do we leave? I've been here for a very long ti. I think I need so fresh air."
"Soon." Adam laughed. "I have so business to tend to with Sir Joker. Besides..."
His eyes narrowed as he studied his sister. "It appears you aren't that far from forming a mana core. I knew you were talented, but this is still quite surprising" Anna smirked. "Naturally."
But a mont later, she chuckled and shook her head. "To be honest, the Song of the Immortal Fla is a deeply profound technique. It has helped a lot."
Adam rose to his feet, smiling. "Its neither the technique nor the spell that is good or bad. It is the Magus wielding it."
He looked in the direction of the House of Cards. "There's still a couple of months till the secret plane lets out all the children here. Hopefully, my work here will be finished by then."
Anna was intrigued. "What work do you have?"
Adam turned to her and grinned.
"The true inheritance of the Soaring River Secret Plane!"
***
At the heart of the House of Cards, the Joker had been patiently waiting.
He hovered lazily in mid-air, surrounded by towering bookshelves that floated in slow orbits around him.
When he sensed movent, his gaze shifted.
Two humans and a cat were approaching.
"Fafafa!" He burst into laughter as he slowly descended to the ground. Hands clasped behind his back, he glanced at the raven-haired youth and said, "Are you ready?"
Adam flexed his shoulder muscles and then cracked his neck. "All right, let's do this!"
Standing behind him, Anna looked slightly anxious, wondering what would
happen next. Nestled in her arms, Valerian looked very excited, thinking about all the treasures he'd have access to once his brother acquired ownership of the secret plane.
"Hold on, now." Nielk blinked. "Why are you pretending like you're about to fight ? Do you think I'm crazy?"
"Eh?" Adam was slightly taken aback. "I am going to fight soone, though,
right?"
"Hmph!" The Joker snorted. "Initially, I'd intended to test your strength by letting the four Guardians face you."
He tilted his head slightly.
"But after your earlier display... I doubt that will be necessary."
Adam lowered his hands, puzzled. "So then what kind of test is it going to be?
Do I have to analyze and decipher sothing? Or-"
The Joker interrupted him. "It is going to be a simple test."
His lips curled into a grin. "But given your nature, it is going to be very difficult."
The Joker knew Adam well.
He knew the young Magus was curious to a fault. The youth was drawn to knowledge, secrets, rare artifacts, and anything that hinted at the deeper
mysteries.
Although Adam religiously pursued the arcane arts, beneath it all, he had a very
obvious weakness.
Greed.
Shaless, unapologetic greed.
He liked gold. He liked treasure. He liked profits. And most of all, he liked
walking away richer than when he arrived.
That was why the Joker's final test would be simple.
Painfully simple.
The challenge he devised was simple in concept. But for soone like Adam, it
would be excruciatingly difficult.
He walked forward with a sly smile on his face.
"My master, Mathias the Free, was a great Magus at the Transcendent Rank," he
began.
Adam's pupils constricted, and he thought in shock:
Transcendent Magus! I knew it! He had to be at least at that arcane rank for the
creation of this secret plane to even be possible.
But the puzzling question remains... how was he able to travel back to the
Outer Universe, to this world, with such a high arcane rank?
It should have been impossible under the laws of this universe.
So how did he do it?
The Joker continued, "My master left everything behind, his knowledge, his
treasures, every valuable he gathered over his long life, for the future
generations of Tron."
His eyes narrowed.
"Possessions that could make you the wealthiest Magus alive. The most knowledgeable. The most powerful on this planet."
He spread his arms wide. "And now... all of this is yours."
Not only Adam, but even Anna and Valerian were astonished by Nielk's
statent.
The Joker grinned ear to ear and finally concluded:
"So tell , Adam Constantine... what are you going to do with it?"
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