In the depths of the House of Cards, there existed a grand library unlike any other in the Southern Federation.
No, considering the profound background of this secret plane, as well as its creator, it was safe to assume that all other libraries in the entirety of Tron would pale in comparison.
The moment Adam entered the pyramid, space enveloped him and directly teleported him to the heart of the structure.
This was also the core of the Soaring River Secret Plane!
Gazing at the familiar scenery before him, Adam's eyes flashed with fascination. Even though he had already experienced this before, he still couldn't help but marvel at it.
"Truly beautiful," he softly murmured.
The library contained countless books, and the shelves that housed said books seemed to defy gravity. They were suspended in mid-air, gently rotating and gliding as if they were being pushed by unseen hands.
Adam was truly mesmerized by this magical scene. The air was filled with the scent of old books and thick parchments, further adding to the mystical and vintage atmosphere.
The rows of floating bookshelves stretched into the distance and disappeared into the smoky horizon. The youth couldn't help but wonder just how many books this library could even contain.
This was the true treasure trove for any Magus. Moreover, from what he had learned the last time he was here, this library, also known as the Soaring Library, served as Magus Mathias' personal study!
Adam looked around the magical place with childlike curiosity. He moved forward along the pathway and finally arrived before the railing.
Before him lay a deep chasm covered in darkness, but he could faintly make out the outlines of towering bookshelves hiding beneath.
Just as he was admiring the place, the floating bookshelves near the air above adjusted their aerial trajectory, seemingly making way for someone's arrival.
Then, a bright and jolly voice echoed throughout the Soaring Library.
"Fafafa! The secret plane doesn't open for another ten years, so I was wondering just who had come."
The moment Adam heard this voice, his lips couldn't help but curl into a smile.
He turned towards the direction of the voice, and his gaze landed on a hazy figure that was slowly emerging from the darkness.
Gradually, the figure's appearance finally came into view.
He was draped in a vibrant color of deep crimson. His tunic was bright red stitched together with golden threads. Loose, stripped pantaloons balooned around his legs, finally ending in curled curled and point shoes.
On his head was the unmistakable jester's hat. It was a two-pronged hat shaped like a pair of floppy horns, each ending in a small golden bell that jingled every time he moved.
His face was painted a ghostly white. Black paint framed his eyes, drawing them out in exaggerated and comical curves, while a painted-on smile stretched across his cheeks.
When Adam saw the person's complete appearance, he smiled brightly. He rested his hands on his hips and grinned from ear to ear. "Sir Joker, did you miss me? Hahaha!"
"Fafafa!" The Joker arched his back and laughed along with Adam.
For a few moments, the strange laughter of the two echoed within the confines of the Soaring Library.
The Joker then deeply looked at Adam, taking in his appearance, and smiled, "Lad, oh, lad! You sure have changed. I'm afraid if it wasn't for the calling card, I wouldn't have identified you at all."
The overseer of the secret plane flew through the space of the library and hovered before Adam. He stroked his chin and squinted his eyes. "Hmm, but this change in appearance is rather drastic."
He floated around the raven-haired youth, observing him with the same squinted eyes. "How long has it been? Twenty years? And you've grown so tall and burly in that short span of time. Fafafa! Lad, how many magical potions did you consume?"
The Adam that Joker remembered was a short brat with no manners whatsoever who always found an excuse to dig his nose.
But the Adam standing before him made him feel as if he was standing before a mountain!
Such a drastic change in Adam's presence truly surprised the Joker. But nothing could have prepared him for what he was about to find next.
As the Joker continued to float around the youth, mumbling incoherent words to himself, he suddenly froze in the air.
His eyes squinted to narrow slits, and a moment later, they gradually started to widen as a bizarre thought emerged in his mind.
"Lad…" he said incredulously. "Release a little bit of your mana, will you? I wish to see something."
Adam gave the man a knowing smile. Then, he released just a tiny bit of his mana, allowing the Joker to read his energy fluctuations.
"Eh?" The Joker was slightly stunned, unable to believe his senses. But soon, reality dawned on him and he realized what he was witnessing.
The Joker's eyes popped out of his sockets.
No, they quite literally popped out of his sockets!
Then, from that pair of eyes, another set of eyes sprouted and popped out as well. His tongue unfurled from his mouth like a carpet rolling down a staircase.
Seeing such a bizarre expression from the Joker, Adam couldn't help but retreat several steps and involuntarily yell in shock and alarm.
This was completely illogical, and he couldn't help but wonder just what kind of physiology the Joker had for him to react in such an… exaggerated way!
A few moments later, the Joker's pair of eyes drew back inside his sockets, and his tongue too retreated inside his mouth.
His feet touched the ground, and he looked at Adam like he was some kind of monster. Coincidentally, the youth was also giving him the same look.
"Lad…" The Joker finally gathered his senses and spoke. "Just what did you experience in these twenty years? How are you already a Mana Vortex Magus? No, more importantly, how old are you? You shouldn't be that old, yes?"
Adam, too, calmed down after that strange experience. "I've just turned thirty-five," he answered.
"Thirty… five?" The Joker muttered in a daze.
Under Adam's dumbfounded expression, he saw the Joker turning pale. Not just him, even his clothes and accessories were turning pale!
Just… what the hell is this guy? He thought to himself with an incredulous look on his face.
The color on the Joker's skin and garments finally returned. His expression did a complete one-eighty as he turned to look at Adam again.
He took a deep breath, causing his chest to literally inflate like a balloon. Then, he roared at the top of his lungs.
"Fafafa! I've finally found the one, Master!"