Legend has it that in the beginning, when everything was in disorder and raw mana ran rampant throughout the universe, five fundamental elements emerged that would go on to shape the world.
Air, a gentle yet powerful force, brought forth movement and change. Water, a force soft yet firm, filled the cracks and crvices left by the element of air.
Earth emerged after, solid and steadfast, providing the very foundation for life to take root. Fire brought light and warmth to the world. Finally, came wood, the element of vitality and growth.
As the five elements came together, life emerged.
Out of chaos, came order.
Yet, the five fundamental elements were not the first to emerge.
More esoteric legends hold that in the beginning, before even the raw surge of mana, there were only two elements.
Space was the great canvas, infinite and formless. Time was the silent pulse, ever flowing and ever watching.
Together, they birthed the primordial stage upon which all things would unfold.
From nothingness, came a living world.
Yet above it all, beyond even the five fundamental elements, space watches. And within it, time marches on.
That would explain why the Astral Tyrant Manual has some similarities with the Five Elemental Codex, Adam thought to himself as he stood atop the islet.
That would also explain why the Hand of Doom techniques incorporate the usage of gravity.
After all, the true nature of gravity is space itself!
Just thinking about the mysterious origins of the Astral Tyrant Manual, and the expert who had come across it in the ancient ruin belonging to a magical civilization of yore, Adam slipped into deep thought.
Just what sort of Magus could create such an astonishing technique? Their understanding of space must be unfathomable!
And what civilization did he belong to? Where did the civilization go? Did it become extinct?
There were so many questions in his mind, but the answers to them all lay in the distant stars in the universe.
Adam raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the cosmic ocean. A look of yearning flashed in his eyes, and he muttered under his breath, "One day…
"One day, I will uncover the secrets of the stars. I will journey to every corner of existence!"
A grand adventure awaited him in the Greater Universe. Adam knew that very well. But before he could learn to fly, he had master how to walk and run.
He lowered his head, turning towards the City of Sails in the distance. His eyes narrowed, and he recalled the problems he was currently facing.
Until and unless he solved the problems here on Tron, he would never be able to journey to the Greater Universe.
His expression gradually turned grave when he thought of the Cult's conspiracy that spanned the entire globe.
He sat down cross-legged on the rock and conjured a large ceramic bowl. He then added several magical ingredients, some spring water, and some wine, of course.
After about ten minutes of preperation he had made an extremely potent healing tonic. This would be perfect to recuperate his body which had just gone through so much. The tonic would also boost his health rapidly.
He sipped from the large bowl from time to time. The healing potion was strong, and even he, with all his physical enhancements, could not drink all of it in one go.
If a regular Magus were to even sip it, their bodies would be unable to take it.
The youth silently sat on the islet, sipping on the healing potion, his gaze fixed on the distant lights of Hannes City.
His eyes narrowed, not from fatigue, but thought.
If Headmistress Godfrey is indeed in league with the Cult of Bones, then when did she join them?
Was it after I joined the academy? Or was it long before? If it was before…
Adam's heart turned cold as he tried to speculate on the series of events that he had participated in ever since joining the Clover Academy.
He stripped each moment of emotion, analyzing only what could be known, deduced, and reasonably assumed.
Suppose her allegiance predates my enrolment, that would mean the Cult Leader placed her in the Federation deliberately.
Yes, she was meant to oversee it.
Adam's eyes flashed with a peculiar light, and he continued down his train of thought.
Then what of the vampire who made his lair above the portal? Could he also be working for the Cult Leader?
A coincidence? Most likely.
A more rational event would be that the vampire happened to find that place by accident and made it its lair.
The Cult Leader must have known, yet he did nothing. Why?
Because the vampire posed no threat. Yes, that is likely to be the case.
That was until the vampire grew greedy. Until he spawned his kin and began harvesting the lives in Hannes City.
That would have exposed the cult's plans. So the Cult Leader acted. Not directly, but through the Headmistress.
But why didn't the Cult Leader take care of the vampire by himself? Adam wondered.
Could it be that such a thing was beneath him? Or that the Cult Leader was preoccupied with some other matter?
Still, the matter of dealing with the vampire was left to Headmistress Godfrey. And it just so happened that Hannes City had also requested help from the academy to deal with the widespread disappearances happening in the city at the time.
Now, that begs the question…
Adam's eyes involuntarily narrowed, and he thought, Did the Headmistress know the true strength of that vampire before she sent me and my team to deal with it?
It's likely that she did, assuming that the Cult Leader must have informed her.
Yes, she must have known.
If so, then why did she send a weak bunch of Mana Foundation Magi to deal with a powerful existence such as that Vampire, who was very likely a Mana Vortex Magus before he went into slumber?
Although after awakening, his strength was nowhere near his prime. At the very least, the vampire's strength should have been at least that of a Mana Liquefaction Magus!
Despite that, the Headmistress sent me, Eddie, and Lisa to our deaths. Why?
Adam thought for a very long time before it finally started to dawn on him. The pieces of the puzzle started to seamlessly fit together inside his mind.
Right, she wanted us to fail.
She sent me and my team, hoping for the worst outcome. Then, she would send another team, and another, and another.
A slow escalation… until finally, she would be 'forced' to intervene herself.
A perfect cover to clean up the mess and ensure no one discovered the Cult's schemes.
However! Neither she nor the Cult Leader expected me to take care of the vampire.
If my speculations are correct, then that would mean…
Adam's expression turned dark, and his eyes flashed with a dangerous light. His lips parted, and he whispered a voice of realization.
"The Cult Leader has had his eyes on me ever since that incident in Hannes City… twenty years ago!"