Chapter 1818: Last Man Standing
Marden Benton’s corpse was gruesome to look at.
One of his hands was missing, and both his legs had been destroyed and gone. The rest of the body was injured to a great degree. And yet, his face was calm and gentle as though he was sleeping peacefully.
"Is it really true?" Valerian asked with a fierce look on his face. "I refuse to believe that he was our ally."
The Hermit sighed and offered a faint nod. "It is true, little one. If it weren’t for him... I would have died."
He then turned to the two Magi from Ravenfell and added, "The same is true for them."
Daniel Ranzenberg had a dark look on his face, as though still struggling to come to terms with the reality of things.
Nylian, on the other hand, was rather understanding. Though he could never forgive Marden for what he did to Sabrina and the rest of the Benton Family, he could still find it in his heart to be a little appreciative toward the man for saving his and Daniel’s lives.
The elf turned toward his childhood friend and murmured, "If it’s alright with you, I’d like to bury him back in Ravenfell."
Daniel’s expression contorted with conflicting emotions. In the end, he returned to his stoic self. His eyes were blank, and silence was his answer.
Nylian sighed, knowing that was Daniel’s way of displaying reluctant approval. Just as he was about to put the body away, the Hermit called out to him.
"If you don’t mind," the elderly Magus began. "I would like a drop of his blood and cast a divination spell. I wish to recreate what transpired here."
Nylian deliberated for a moment, then agreed.
The Hermit gathered all the components of the spell and finally cast his magic. His eyes rolled over, and he tried to peer through fate.
For a few moments, everyone except Valerian waited in anticipation. They believed the Hermit’s divination would give them clues to Adam’s whereabouts.
A little while later, the Hermit’s eyes returned to normal. His brows creased into a frown, and he murmured, "Nothing..."
"All divination concerning Brother comes back fruitless," Valrian said matter-of-factly.
He leaped off Anna’s shoulder and rushed toward the giant runic formation in the near distance. It was carved in blood. But more importantly, it looked familiar.
"I’ve seen this somewhere," he murmured as he walked around the formation.
"Where?" Anna pressed.
The little guy thought for a moment, then his topaz eyes lit up.
"That’s right! It was on the Coral Island! Brother had carved a similar runic formation there a few years ago. If I recall correctly, he did it before we went to the floating island in the spirit world, where he got beaten up by one of my clansmen."
There was so much information in those words that the Magi couldn’t help but feel puzzled. But Anna picked up on a keyword — something that she’d heard Adam mention in his tales in the past.
"Coral Island?" She said solemnly. "You mean the shell of Lord Tebu?"
"Myu!" Valerian nodded eagerly. He turned westward and said, "The familiar thread also points in that direction. I’m sure Brother is there."
"But why?" the Hermit asked. "Why would he suddenly leave this place?"
"I don’t know." Valerian shook his head. "That time Brother found something on that island. He was pretty sad about it, so he laughed a lot. He wouldn’t explain even when I’d asked him so many times."
"You are certain he is on that island you speak of?" Goro asked in a grim voice.
"For sure!" Valerian nodded. frёewebηovel.cѳm
"Val and I will go there." Anna quickly made the decision.
"It’ll take you days, if not months, to get there." Nylian couldn’t help but protest.
"Not if we go through the spirit world," said the young dragon.
"No, it is too risky." The Hermit shook his head. "You may reach in minutes, or it may take you years."
"It’s still a risk I’m willing to take," said the Fireborne princess. She turned to the little cat and asked solemnly, "What about you?"
Roar!
Valerian transformed into a dragon and lowered his neck toward Anna. The princess nimbly climbed onto the mythical giant’s back. She was the only other person besides Adam whom Valerian would allow to ride him.
The following moment, the gray dragon flapped his wings and took flight. A while later, Valerian magically pierced through the void and disappeared into the spirit world.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Magi spread out across the battlefield and began investigating the aftermath of the clash. It did not take them long to find what they were looking for.
Scattered throughout the crater were fragments of the lich’s armor, ivory weapons, and pieces of his shattered bone. Though the remains were few and incomplete, they were enough to reach a conclusion.
The Cult Leader was dead.
In their minds, it was the only explanation for why the other cultists — mostly the ones at the Mana Core Rank — had suddenly lost their mysterious connection to him. It was because they were no longer subjected to the slave imprint.
Armed with this new information, the Magi quickly departed and returned to the great labyrinth to bring the war to its conclusion.
There was still much to be done. The remaining enemies had to be dealt with. The battlefield had to be secured.
And finally, a decision had to be made regarding Volgron, who remained imprisoned under the watchful eyes of Berger and Blackie. freewebnøvel.coɱ
***
Somewhere within Mabi, amidst a vast expanse of ancient ruins, two figures stood facing one another.
The crumbling remains of Feypore stretched across the land as far as the eye could see. Broken pillars jutted from the ground. Weathered walls stood as witnesses to a civilization long lost to time.
Countless ruins lay scattered across the landscape, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun.
The wind drifted through the abandoned city, carrying with it the echoes of the great past and the promise of a better future.
At opposite ends of this forgotten land stood two men.
Adam Constantine and Aldo Wagner.
Their paths had intertwined for years. Their conflict shaped the fate of nations and countless lives.
Now there was only one final Chapter left to write...
"Aldo Wagner," the Dark King solemnly declared. "My soul will never rest in peace until I’ve defeated you."
Wagner’s eyes narrowed, his lips curling into a cold, calculative smirk. "Try all you want, Constantine. But in the end... I’ll be the last man standing."
"We’ll see about that."
Even before the final words left his lips, Adam had already brought his hands together and cast his spell.
[Mana Bolt]
Thus began the final battle that would decide the culmination of the Dark King’s legend on Tron.