Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Chapter 1927 Restrained Madness

"BROTHER!"

Valerian's desperate cries echoed through Adam's spirit sea.

He frantically paced back and forth on the surface of the water, his face a mask of anger, grief, and helplessness.

Adam had sealed his spirit sea to prevent Valerian from doing anything reckless.

After all, what the werewolf was doing to him in the outside world would have driven Valerian to force his way out and come to his aid.

And so, before the high priest began the torture, Adam made sure Valerian remained sealed within his spirit sea.

"Brother, please! Let me out! Let me out! I can help!"

The little fellow begged, tears flowing down his furry face. He hated that he was so weak and unable to help his brother.

"Please! Please! Let me—"

Suddenly, Adam's voice echoed inside the spirit sea.

"Val, calm down."

"Brother! Brother!" The little guy's eyes widened. "Let me out! I can help! Please, I beg you!"

"I said, calm down."

Adam's voice seemed strained.

Valerian gulped nervously and then nodded with a shaky voice, "O-Okay! Just… just tell me what to do!"

"Nothing."

The voice echoed.

"There's nothing you can do."

Adam's voice seemed to be even more distant.

"No…" Valerian felt as if someone had pierced his heart with countless blades. "Don't say that! Please… please…"

"I count at least half a dozen statues at the Mana Core Rank," Adam's low voice echoed once again.

"They wield a strange type of magic. It… it affects the senses. You will not be of help here."

"Then when?!" Valerian blurted out, his heart beating like a drum.

"I have a plan…"

"Then tell me!" Valerian screamed in sorrow.

He could hear Adam's desperate vails thundering in the outside world. Yet his brother spoke so calmly inside the spirit sea. It pained Valerian to know just what kind of torture he must be going through outside.

He couldn't see anything beyond the spirit sea as Adam had used some form of magic to block his senses.

"My plan… it might… it might not work." Adam's voice grew labored the more time passed.

"Just tell me!!"

"That house… with the painting," Adam said.

"Yes! Yes! What about it?"

"When I give you… the signal," Adam replied. "Come out… and… take me there."

"Okay!"

Valerian nodded. He couldn't stop himself from panicking, for he had never felt such terror before. Adam seemed dicey about this plan. And that meant only one thing…

That there was a big possibility that Adam could die!

***

In the temple of the sun god, the stone angels continued to sing.

Their melodious voice drifted in the air, igniting a feeling of dread within all those who heard it. Strange, really, that voices meant to convey divinity could inspire such terror.

Another sound, however, pierced their hymn to the sun god.

It was a chilling blend of wailing and laughter.

Deep within the underground dungeon of the sun temple, Adam hung pinned against a stone wall. Iron spikes had been driven through his wrists, shoulders, and ankles, fastening him firmly in place.

Stripped bare, he watched in silence as the high priest carefully arranged the torture instruments laid out on the table beside him.

From up close, the white werewolf looked old and frail. But the aura radiating from him was unmistakably powerful. Undoubtedly, he was at the Mana Seed Rank.

Adam glanced at the iron spikes with a bloody grin plastered across his face. As he studied the strange runes carved on the spikes, he broke into a chuckle, and then eventually into a crazed laughter.

"You bastard! The iron nails weren't enough? You even had to add runes onto it! It burns! It burns!"

The Antlered High Priest turned around, his glassy, predatory eyes studying him carefully.

"You… are… a… strange… one," he said.

"The… greater the… suffering… the better… the… offering."

The werewolf shook his head, then turned to the table in front of him. He realized that it would take him far more time and effort to inflict excruciating pain upon this human.

Adam was strangely resistant to pain. He laughed, whereas others would have long since lost their voices from screaming under the agony inflicted by the enchanted iron spikes.

"Interesting… interesting," the high priest murmured. "The… sun god… will… surely… listen to… my prayers… this… time… Yes… yes… praise… the… sun."

Looking at the instruments laid out on the table, even Adam felt a chill crawl down his spine.

I need to escape quickly! He thought grimly.

But these iron spikes! Damn it!

The iron nails pinning him in place were unusual. No matter how much strength he exerted, they refused to budge.

More accurately, it wasn't the spikes that were immovable. The runes etched into them weakened the flesh surrounding each wound, draining his strength and making escape nigh-impossible.

If he wanted to free himself, he would have to do something drastic. Something that would at least free one hand and allow him to put his plan into motion.

I hope it works, he thought, his gaze drifting to Hannibal's Handwraps.

It was all a big gamble.

Dragonshit! He stripped me naked but couldn't be bothered to remove the handwraps?

The werewolf finally turned toward him, several more spikes in his clawed hands. These ones were longer and sharper than the ones pinning Adam.

Looking at those needle-like spikes, Adam's eyes trembled. His lips involuntarily curled into a wide, nervous grin.

"Why don't we talk this through?" he asked. "I'm sure we can—AAAAGH!"

The high priest stepped forward and began stabbing long spikes into Adam's torso, carefully avoiding his vital organs to keep him alive. The sacrificial lamb had to endure unimaginable pain in order for the offering to be perfect.

After the sixth spike pierced his flesh, Adam's screams of agony gave way to deranged laughter.

He laughed and laughed and laughed.

The high priest looked into Adam's eyes. There was pain in those tenebrous pools, but there was also restrained madness and… mockery.

"You… dare… taunt… me?" The high priest was more shocked than he was enraged.

Adam finally stopped laughing. He grinned from ear to ear as he stared at the monster's visage. Then he said in a hushed voice:

"My hands are, ugh… they're itching. Won't you be so kind—"

His words died abruptly as the high priest's hand flashed forward.

Thud!

Something fell to the ground.

Adam's eyes slowly widened as hot blood poured from his mouth.

"There," said the high priest with dark satisfaction. "Now… you will… stop… talking."

The werewolf turned back to the table to reach for another instrument of torture.

Meanwhile, Adam's stunned, horrified gaze fell upon the object that had fallen to the ground earlier.

It was his tongue.