Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Chapter 2160: Collecting Dues

A newly built structure stood inconspicuously within a concealment formation at the western edge of the Deravin Forest, not far from Davos.

It was the third Iron Covenant mercenary camp Adam and Genevieve had come across.

After a quick reconnaissance, they made their move.

Adam deliberately appeared on the main road leading to the camp, looking lost and timid as he approached.

The mercenaries standing guard immediately noticed him. At first, they were alarmed. Someone had not only discovered their hidden base but had actually managed to enter it.

Then they took a closer look at the approaching stranger. Soon, confusion replaced their initial alarm.

What was this fool doing here?

"Halt!" Four Squires led by a Cavalier quickly approached him.

Adam stopped in his tracks and raised both hands. "I’m lost!" he whimpered.

The guards exchanged suspicious glances. None of them believed him for a moment. Adam did not look like a traveler, after all. If anything, he looked like a proper adventurer with all that gear.

But that didn’t matter. As long as they kept their attention focused on him, Genevieve could do her work.

Thwock! Thwock! Thwock! Thwock!

Four arrows flew out of the shadows of the trees, silent as ghosts, each striking a Squire squarely in the head. Before the four men could even hit the ground, Adam had already closed the distance.

The black Viper flashed, and the Cavalier’s head flew from his shoulders.

All five bodies fell to the ground, and the Viper vanished into Adam’s flesh just as quickly as it had appeared.

Only then did Adam’s Sphere of Resonance flood out, encompassing the two-story building before him.

Immediately afterward, his eyes narrowed. Soon, his lips curled into a grin.

Jackpot!

After all this time, he had finally found a base where a Transcendent was hiding. A Transcendent Paladin, to be more precise. And from the look of it, their mana signature seemed familiar.

Adam quickly relayed the intel to Genevieve through the communication artifact they shared.

"Seven individuals inside. All Paladins. One Transcendent. Two Templars. Four Cavaliers."

There was a pause on the other side.

"Understood."

Genevieve replied solemnly.

Earlier, Adam had been a little adamant about fighting alongside Genevieve. She was still only a Mana Core Magus, after all. He thought she would slow him down.

But he had been proven wrong. Very wrong.

Genevieve could quite gracefully defeat fellow Mana Core Magi and Cavalier Paladins. Moreover, with her long-range attacks and a variety of artifacts, she could hold her own against Mana Seed Magi and Templar Paladins.

She had proven to be quite reliable in the past two raids. It filled Adam with pride. He could clearly tell that she’d undergone some really intense training back in Providentia.

"I’ll leave the Cavaliers to you, then?" Adam asked as he strolled into the building.

"No problem," Genevieve replied. "Be careful."

"How convenient. They are heading your way."

Adam had already sensed the Cavaliers heading out from the back entrance of the building and beginning their search for the archer. It would appear that the leader of this camp was rich in tactical experience.

He finally entered the building. The first floor was vast, filled with all kinds of supplies. Crates of weapons, barrels of provisions, sacks of grain, and neatly stacked boxes occupied much of the available space.

The ceiling opened up above him, giving him an unobstructed view of the second floor and the corridors surrounding the central hall.

Two Templars were waiting for him on the first floor. One wielded a spear, while the other carried a heavy axe. But neither of them drew Adam’s attention.

Instead, his gaze settled on the Transcendent standing on the second floor, leaning casually against the railing as he looked down at Adam with mild interest.

"I always wondered where a rat like you had vanished to," Adam said, looking at the Transcendent with a friendly smile.

"I see you’ve become a Transcendent after coming out of the secret plane. Bravo. Truly."

The Transcendent was an old man with neatly combed white hair and blue eyes. His body was a map of scars. He was tall and broad-shouldered. He radiated an aura of power and authority.

"Adam Constantine," the old man said. "So it was you who’s been taking out our camps in the vicinity. The Covenant dispatched me here specifically for you."

"Oh, no!" Adam yelped exaggeratedly. "I’ve fallen into your trap. Whatever shall I do now?"

"How many of you are there?" the old man asked.

"One," Adam replied with a smirk. "Two. Three. Four. Who knows?"

"Boss, should I kill him already or what?" the spear-wielding Templar growled in frustration.

The Transcendent waved a hand casually. "If you can."

The Templars found that response odd. If they can? What the hell does that mean?

Sensing a faint foreboding in their superior’s words, the Templars exchanged glances and shot forward together. They wouldn’t risk fighting Adam alone if the Transcendent had such a high opinion of him.

The Templars immediately burst into a flurry of clashes. Steel thundered against steel. Deep wounds appeared. Blood splashed across the floor. The sounds of heavy breathing and desperate roars echoed through the building. Their fight immediately grew violent.

The Transcendent, still standing calmly on the floor above, watched the fight with great interest. His lips slowly curled into a reminiscent smile.

"Brings back memories," he murmured.

The Templars thought they were teaming up and fighting Adam.

But they had fallen under his illusion the moment he set foot inside the building.

The Templars had been fighting one another all along.

Once the Templars were exhausted, bruised, and battered, the real Adam appeared beside them and pointed his finger.

[Magic Missile]

Their heads exploded, and they crumpled onto the ground.

Adam looked up. The Transcendent still stood by the railing.

Slowly, Adam’s smile turned cold. "It’s good that you’re here. It’s time to collect your dues."

"Oh?" the old man sneered. "I don’t recall us having any enmity."

"You do now."

Adam’s aura changed as the Viper slithered into his hands.

"Genevieve told me it was you who sold her to the ghouls to be sacrificed. She really loathes you, you know."

His smile widened, becoming menacing.

"So, come. Come and pay for it with your life... Aramen!"