Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

At the same time that Adam was signing his name on the Scroll of Coil, back in the material world, somewhere in Europa Continent, on one of the top floors of an ancient Magus tower, something dark and ominous was unfolding.

The expansive chamber was riddled with countless corpses, belonging to men and women of all ages. There were corpses belonging to young children, as well as those belonging to very old people. Some belonged to the Magi, and most belonged to mortals.

Their unblinking eyes were plastered with terror, indicating the sheer horror they'd gone through at the moment of their deaths. Blood trickled down from their bodies, filling the floor of their chamber.

The blood was warm, the corpses fresh.
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On the far end of this gruesome chamber lay an elevated platform. There, a tall and imposing figure draped in a shadowy cloak was sitting cross-legged, seemingly practicing a round of mindfulness. A heavy and dreadful aura of death and decay constantly emanated from him.

The strange thing was, apart from the mana that was being absorbed by this figure, there was something else as well, something ethereal, something diabolical.

It was unseen to the eye, however. Thin white streams of energy were being forcible taken out from the countless corpses. These streams were being drawn toward the cloaked individual, being absorbed by him along with the mana.

The souls of the dead were being absorbed by the man!

Suddenly, the waves of energy around the cloaked man calmed down and everything returned to normal. The man raised his hooded head, yet his visage wasn't visible. Because of the loose-fitting dark cloak, nothing was visible.

Then, the man raised both his arms, revealing his hands from underneath the sleeves of his robe. There was no skin or flesh. Only bones.

The skeletal hands formed a hand seal. Then, his shadow coalesced together and began forming the outlines of a face in front of him. The face was as big as the man himself. Most of the face was hazy, making one unable to discern what exactly the face looked like.

However, there was one thing about this shadowy face that was very noticeable - a pair of horns on the forehead.

After the hazy, shadowy face had fully formed, it deeply gazed at the cloaked individual sitting before him. The cloaked man remained silent, gazing at the face from the shadows of his hood.

The silence was deafening. Add to that, the chamber that was filled with fresh corpses and the sanguine liquid that covered the floor, it made for a very daunting scene.

Finally, the face with the two sharp horns spoke up, its voice cold and heavy, "There's been an alarming development."

Two piercing green orbs suddenly flared up in the shadows of the hood, faintly illuminating the skull inside. The cloaked man's voice was grating to the ears as he replied, "For as long as I've known you, not once have you reached out to me."

"You're quite the capable man," said the shadowy face, "and that is why I'd never reached out to you before. For I know, no matter the setbacks you will always accomplish your goal."

The face paused for a moment, before continuing in a very solemn tone, "However, this is serious and I deemed it necessary to notify you."

"What is it?" Asked the cloaked man, his voice growing serious as well.

"A powerful entity has just cast its attention on your planet!" The horned face revealed.

The cloaked man remained silent. It was impossible to discern the expression from his face which was basically just a skull. But from the pair of green orbs constantly flickering in his eye sockets, one could assume the shock he must be going through.

It took a few seconds for the man to digest the information he had just learned. According to him, for a being as unfathomable as the shadowy face before him to call someone else powerful meant that this was a very serious matter.

He didn't ask whether what the face said was true or not. He knew that lying wouldn't serve the person's interests, considering that they were working together. So he asked the most important question.

"Is it possible for that entity to arrive on Tron?"

The face shook his head and patiently explained, "The laws of the universe forbid such matters. You do not have to worry about such a thing. If those from the Greater Universe could travel to this barren wasteland, then why would I need you?"

The cloaked man did not get offended by such a remark. He knew that the face before him belonged to a being more powerful than him. Magi respected and revered strength.

Hearing about the Greater Universe, there was a gleam of yearning in the pair of green orbs inside the man's skull. But the next moment, that gleam vanished, replaced by a trace of anger and perhaps even helplessness.

"Then… are you planning to renege on our contract?" He asked.

Hearing his question, the shadowy face laughed out loud as if he had heard the funniest joke ever.

He looked at the cloaked man with a wide grin etched on his hazy face and answered, "Fear not, for we devils always honor our contract."

The cloaked man nodded his head ever so slightly. "I understand. So you reached out to warn me. Is there anything else?"

"I want you to be careful in your dealings from now on," said the face. "Even though that entity cannot come to this planet, they are powerful enough to indirectly influence events of your world."

"Were you able to sense their intentions?" Asked the cloaked man.

The shadowy face shook its head. "No. The only reason I was able to sense that entity's gaze toward this world in the first place is because of the bond we share through our contract. All I can say is that that person is powerful."

"As powerful as you?" The cloaked man pressed.

However, in response, the horned face simply smirked at him. He then asked, "How are the preparations coming along?"

The cloaked man deeply looked at the face, apparently irked for not having his previous question answered. However, there was nothing he could do about it.

"As I've mentioned to you before, the seeds that you bestowed to me have already been secretly planted in all the six continents," the man answered. "It won't be long until they fully mature into portals."

"What about the outer appearance of the portal tunnels?" The face asked.

"I have done as you'd instructed," said the man. "If anyone—even Mana Core Magi—investigates those tunnels, the only conclusion they'll arrive at is that the tunnels have some sort of connection to Shadowmuir."

"Good, good, very good." The grin widened on the large shadowy face. Before long, he burst into a frenzied fit of laughter. Only he and the cloaked man knew where the portal led to.

After a long time, the face finally stopped laughing. It then gazed at the man before him and nodded. "Very well. I've said all that I've had to. Work hard and keep your end of the deal."

The cloaked man was about to speak up but the face interrupted him, knowing well what he wanted to ask. "Rest assured, we devils are bound by infernal honor and uphold every pact to the letter."

It slowly dissipated into wisps of shadows, leaving behind its departing words that echoed through the chamber filled with corpses.

"After all, breaking a contract is a sin even we dare not commit."