The stranger with the coppery-red hair nonchalantly sat atop the coral barrier, and looked at Edward with ridicule flickering in his eyes.
When Edward heard what the stranger said to him through Mind Whisper, he was infuriated, to say the least.
’Who the hell are you?’ He sent a ntal transmission.
He couldn’t sense the person at all. To him, this stranger had arrived out of nowhere and landed a strike to his face without him even being able to defend against it.
Edward was already at the peak of the Mana Liquefaction Rank. He was confident that he was the strongest participant in this ti’s Grand Magus Tournant.
Yet, this mysterious person before him had dealt a heavy blow to his confidence.
Adam leapt off the coral barrier and slowly landed on the lakebed. He looked at Edward with contempt as he replied:
’It doesn’t matter who I am. The real question is... what are you still doing here?’
Just as Adam uttered those words, the gills on Edward’s neck began to squirm. The spell was nearing its limit. Soon, the transformation would end, and he’d be forced to hold his breath underwater.
Edward frowned. He wasn’t quite sure what the coppery-red-haired young man was hinting at.
But the stranger’s next words made him fully understand.
’Looking for your woman?’ Adam asked with a sly smirk.
Edward’s eyes narrowed, a cold light flickering past his blue pupils.
’What do you know about Lisa? Where is she!’
Adam was taken aback. He blinked a couple of tis, gazing at Edward like he was an idiot. Then, he began to massage his temples as he shook his head slightly.
He sent another ntal transmission, his tone laced with... disappointnt.
’Even now you’re looking for her. Your brain must have rotted for you to prioritize a woman over the First Trial’s objective. Even a baboon is smarter than you.’
Adam looked at him and viciously mocked:
’You fool! Your woman has already gotten her hands on the key and teleported back to the surface—’
But before he could even finish his words, Edward had already appeared before him, crossing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.
Adam’s pupils dilated as he saw Edward’s fist, crackling in blue streaks of lightning, hurtling towards his face.
BAM!
Edward’s eyes narrowed.
Despite being underwater, his mana-enhanced punch had enough destructive capabilities that it had ford a dent in the coral barrier.
Yet... he knew for a fact that his punch hadn’t connected with his target.
Once the dust and debris from the impact began to settle, clearing up his visibility underwater, Edward suddenly felt his outstretched hand get caught.
Then, the stranger with the coppery-red hair erged from the floating silt like a phantom, smoothly pivoted, and overarm-threw Edward straight into the lakebed.
A dull thud followed as the ground cracked beneath the force, and Edward felt the air rush out of his lungs.
Only one thought echoed through Edward’s mind as he felt his body convulse in sheer pain.
He’s strong!
Not only had this stranger dodged his attack, but he had also counterattacked without even using mana.
Edward prided himself on his speed and strength, yet in front of this mysterious stranger, he was utterly decimated.
Now, not just his confidence but even his pride was dealt a severe blow.
Who the hell is he?! Why have I never heard of him? He wondered.
The next mont, he saw the stranger crouch down beside him and look deeply at him. Edward could tell the man was not angry... he was just disappointed.
He found this very strange at first, until his eyes widened in realization. The Alter Self spell had reached its limit. The gills on his neck began to shrink and vanish, and the webbing between his fingers and toes slowly faded away.
Before Edward knew it, he found himself holding his breath, desperately struggling to endure the crushing pressure of the lakebed pressing down on him.
And right at that mont, the stranger’s words once again echoed inside his mind:
’Do you regret it now?’
Edward’s eyes trembled as he took in the visage of the person before him. The freckles on his cheek gave him a boyish look, but the depths in his eyes spoke of countless sufferings endured.
’You abandoned the key for what? A woman? And look where that brought you... at my feet, at my rcy.’
The following mont, Adam raised his leg and slamd it down on Edward’s chest, forcing a burst of bubbles from his mouth. The blue-eyed youth struggled to fight back, but it was no use. His efforts were in vain.
Adam leaned forward and sternly reprimanded the blue-eyed youth.
’How can you be so stupid? What was going through your mind when you decided to prioritize your woman’s safety over retrieving the key?’
He gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with flas of frustration.
’Did you think she couldn’t take care of herself? Did you think you were so knight in shining armor who was going to save her and complete the trial’s objective together? Or were you simply just insecure?
’Think, Edward, think!’
Edward’s face turned pale. He was at his limit, unable to hold his breath any longer. The crushing pressure of the deep water was overwhelming, and the added weight of the stranger’s foot pressing down on his chest made it even harder to endure.
Adam shook his head in utter disappointnt.
’You placed sothing else above magic, and for that... you should be ashad of yourself.’
He recalled the words Lord White had once said to him, and added:
’For a Magus, nothing should be more important than magic. The mont you place anything above magic... is the mont you cease to beco a Magus.’
Edward shuddered. Those words cut deeper than the water pressure.
Sharp, cold, and rciless.
His chest convulsed as he finally gasped... only to inhale water. He coughed violently, bubbles rushing from his mouth as panic filled his wide, trembling eyes.
He was truly going to fail the First Trial. His limbs failed weakly, the instinct to breathe overriding all else as water flooded his lungs.
No! I have to find the key, he scread inwardly, his eyes flashing with desperation.
Right at that mont, Adam placed an item into Edward’s hand and firmly guided his fingers to close around it.
Edward’s eyes widened in disbelief. He could instantly tell what he was holding.
The key!
He turned to look at the stranger with a shocked and confused look. The stranger looked back at him with indifference.
The next mont, his words once again echoed inside Edward’s mind.
’You failed not because you loved a woman... but because you didn’t love magic enough.’
With that said, Adam rose to his feet and swam away, heading deeper into the maze.
His parting words had stunned Edward to his core.
Despite struggling to remain conscious underwater, he managed to turn his head towards the stranger’s departing back.
Who... are you?
In the next instant, he infused mana into the key and vanished.
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