Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Chapter 1899 Newcomers

Something's wrong.

Adam felt a terrible foreboding grip his heart.

The crimson moon peeked from behind the dark clouds, casting ominous rays upon the secret plane. The moon's ghostly red light reached the cave, illuminating the figures of the two newcomers.

Adam scanned the elf and the human. They looked… normal, but something about them felt incongruous to him, something he couldn't quite put a finger on. They were strange.

And then there was the matter of Darren, and how he seemed all so chummy with the pair. If Adam had to guess, the man most likely spewed venom regarding him in their ears.

But even that wasn't what truly irked Adam. No, that was secondary. Something about the newcomers struck him the wrong way. But he couldn't tell what.

Was it their aura? He couldn't tell. It wasn't normal.

His tenebrous eyes gleamed, and he suddenly came to a decision.

The corner of his lips curled into a pleasant smile, and he offered his hand for a handshake.

"What a surprise this is," he said jovially. "I didn't think we'd find other adventurers so soon. My name is Adam Constantine, the leader of this party. And you are?"

The elf's gaze shifted from Adam's face to his outstretched hand. A second passed. Then another. Yet he made no move to shake his hand.

A tense silence pervaded the cave. Valerian, Genevieve, Kara, and Michael couldn't help but begin to frown when they witnessed the clear act of disrespect from the elf.

Only Darren seemed to be faintly smiling with mirth.

"…I'm Narion," the elf said after a moment of deliberation. "Forgive me if I don't shake your hand, Magus Constantine. You see... I'm a bit of a germaphobe."

"Is that so?" Adam's smile widened. "No matter."

He turned to the stoic Paladin behind the elf and offered a handshake to him instead. "Nice to meet you. And you are?"

The Human Paladin, too, didn't shake Adam's hand. Instead, he coldly stared back at him.

"You must be a germaphobe too then," Adam said, his smile turning slightly dangerous.

"There's no need for you to be so impolite," Darren said as he took a step and stood between Adam and the newcomers.

"Why don't you just—"

"Why don't you just shut the fuck up," Adam said, coldly interrupting him.

Darren's face paled. But the fear was quickly replaced by rage. He didn't reply. Instead, he turned to the elf and barked, "You see what I was talking about? This is what we've had to deal with!"

"We?" Genevieve frowned.

She turned to the newcomers, then asked solemnly, "Pray tell, what has Darren told you about us?"

Kara suddenly felt very uncomfortable. She and Darren had found the newcomers in the woods. Initially, she was ecstatic at finding fellow adventurers who were trapped in this secret plane like them.

She had only spoken to them briefly as she had to travel ahead of the group to scout for dangers. Darren had been the one to speak extensively with the elf and the human. Kara didn't know what he must have told them about Adam and the rest of the party.

But judging by the barely concealed hostility the newcomers displayed toward Adam, she was sure it wasn't anything good.

The elf, Narion, patted Darren's shoulder and said with an affable smile, "It's quite all right, friend. Your team leader is right to be cautious about the sudden arrival of two new people."

He then quickly changed the subject. "We have all night to get acquainted. It's not like we can go out at night now, can we?"

Indeed. Night had already fallen. The world was engulfed in red. In the distance, the ominous caws of ravens echoed in the air. Somewhere even further away, the predatory howl of a wolf tore through the heavens.

"Magus Constantine, forgive my… friend," Narion said, gesturing to the Paladin behind him. "He's not very good with people."

From the beginning, the human Paladin who had come with Narion hadn't uttered a word. He simply stared blankly, his gaze shifting from one team member to another.

"So!" Narion clapped. "Shall we get to know one another?"

"Of course!" Darren was probably the only person happy with their arrival.

He then went ahead and briefly introduced everyone in the party. When it came to Adam, his voice had turned conspiratorial.

"Don't let his frame fool you, friends," Darren said, pointing at Adam. "He's a Magus and also a Paladin…"

The man went on revealing everything he knew about Adam.

Meanwhile, Adam had already begun talking through [Mind Whisper].

'Walk me through everything that has happened! Quick!'

Sensing the urgency in Adam's voice, Genevieve was startled. She secretly cast a hand seal, an act she was certain was seen by the elf. But she didn't care. And it appeared, neither did he. She explained everything to Adam, down to the most minute detail.

The more he listened to her, the heavier his heart felt. And then, she said something that made his blood turn cold.

'Before entering the cave, the elf asked Darren to invite them in?!!'

Genevieve gulped nervously.

'Yes,' she replied mentally. 'Why is that so odd?'

In general circumstances, it wasn't.

But they were in a secret plane ruled by a vampire king. There were other undead monsters prowling the land. Then there was the existence of the mysterious talismans that prevented said monsters from entering certain shelters.

Taking all of this into account, along with the old folklore surrounding vampires and the symbolism of inviting one into a protected place, realization suddenly dawned on Adam.

In that moment, he understood the source of the foreboding that had been haunting him.

He understood why he sensed such an incongruous aura from the two newcomers. He also understood why they refused to shake hands with him.

'Valerian, quickly get inside!!'

Adam roared inwardly, though his expression was as still as a calm lake.

Sensing the gravity in his voice, Valerian didn't hesitate. He was nestled in Genevieve's arms, but in the next moment, he turned into a gray flash of light and vanished.

Narion and the Paladin sharply turned in that direction.

"Interesting," said the elf with a frown. "What a fascinating little—"

His words got caught in his throat when a dagger abruptly buried itself in his forehead.

In that moment, the atmosphere inside the cave turned heavy and oppressive, like the air just before a lightning strike.

Everyone, even the human Paladin, stared with wide eyes at the sudden turn of events.

Darren was the first to snap out of his shock. He turned toward Adam, who still had his arm outstretched, and roared, "What the fuck is wrong with—"

But he was cut off...

By the last person he had expected.

Narian slowly tilted his head toward Adam. His lips split at the corners, stretching all the way to his ears and twisting his face into a grotesque grin that exposed rows of needle-like teeth.

He then said in a guttural voice:

"How impolite."