Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Constantine Estate, Uptown Quarter.

A dozen Mana Vortex Magi stood before the towering metal gates of the estate, staring at the invisible mana barrier with grim expressions.

They'd been bombarding the barrier with spells and mana-augmented physical attacks for the last several minutes, but nothing happened… nothing at all. Not even a crack.

The mana barrier seemed to encompass the entire estate. Furthermore, it was constantly fueled by the ambient mana in the surroundings. The barrier consisted of a highly complex runic formation that constantly repaired and replenished itself.

Thus, despite there being so many Mana Vortex Magi attacking a singular point in the barrier all at once, they were still unable to break through.

But how long would that last?

The integrity of the mana barrier was steadily weakening, and it was only a matter of time before it crumbled. Worse still, with each passing moment, more cultists flooded the area, piling even greater pressure on the already falling defence.

Theoretically, the mana barrier set up by Adam was capable of withstanding a full-powered attack or two by a mighty Mana Core Magus.

It could withstand dozens upon dozens of attacks by less powerful Magi. But it wasn't invincible.

Soon, a group of powerful Magi huddled together a few meters away from the barrier. They were planning on using a combined Rank 3 Spell to deal a heavy blow to the barrier.

And it appeared that this time… they might just succeed.

The other Magi surrounding them had bloodthirsty looks in their eyes. They had all heard about the legends and the exploits of the Dark King. Oh, they were afraid to face him, but with so many of them banded together, they also found courage.

As the group of Magi prepared to cast the combined spell on the mana barrier, suddenly a gust of wind blew through the cobbled street, causing the leaves on the trees to violently flutter.

Most of the cultists did not think much of it, fully concentrating on their task at hand. Some of the more idle—or utterly stressed-out—ones turned around, wondering what could have caused that sudden change in the wind.

And then they saw it…

Atop the rooftop of the building across the street, a dark-robed figure stood in silence, hands clasped behind his back. The hems of his Magus robes fluttered gently in the wind, and perched upon his head was a black, pointy hat.

The Dark King did not speak a word. He silently glanced at the cultists trying to break into his home with a murderous look in his eyes.

"I-it's him! The Dark King!"

"He's here! Behind us!"

The moment they heard the words 'Dark King', everyone felt their bodies trembling ever so slightly. The Mana Vortex Magi abruptly stopped conjuring the combined spell and quickly turned around, gazing at the rooftop of the building across the street.

And there they saw him… the Dark King silently gazing at them with furious, bloodthirsty eyes.

For a moment, there was utter silence on the street, with only the distant sounds of thundering explosions echoing from time to time.

Finally, one of the more powerful Mana Vortex Magi gathered courage and stepped forward, roaring, "What're you all waiting for?! Get him! The ones to capture him will be rewarded by the Elders themselves! Or have you forgotten about all of that?!"

At once, the eyes of the Magi gleamed with an avaricious light. Within the Cult of Bones, there was a bounty put on the Dark King's head. Of course, they needed to capture him alive to be able to be eligible for the rewards.

The rewards were extremely generous and bountiful to say the least—mana extraction techniques, mana combat techniques, precious artifacts and potions, valuable ores and magical herbs and ingredients, etc.

So, although these Magi felt deep fear gazing at the towering figure of the Dark King, they also found a semblance of courage. Their greed, too, instilled some bravery in them.

Of course, the most important thing was that they were in a large group at the moment, and there were several Mana Vortex Magi among them. Additionally, more and more of them were joining by the minute.

So, then what was there to fear?

The moment the Mana Vortex Magus barked out his order, several Magi dashed forward, vaulting across the street, scaling the building, trying to surround the Dark King from all sides.

Within a few moments, they had finished preparing for their long-range spells, and then…

All hell broke loose!

All manner of wondrous and fantastical spells—flames, ice, earth, lightning, poison, even writhing vines—rained down upon the Dark King, threatening to bury him beneath their overwhelming force.

And from the shadows, dozens of skeletal soldiers emerged, their bony claws reaching hungrily for him.

Just as the cultists' barrage was about to crash down on him, the Dark King's eyes narrowed. With a sudden surge of power in his legs, he launched himself into the air, narrowly evading the onslaught in a blur of motion.

But the cultists were relentless. They continued to give chase and cast one deadly spell after another. Greed had clouded their minds, but the presence of their comrades had emboldened their hearts.

However, there was one tiny problem…

The Mana Vortex Magus that had given out orders instructed only half of the men to pursue the Dark King, while the rest were instructed to continue bombarding the mana barrier of the Constantine Estate.

***

Deep inside the heart of the estate, a large group of Magi emerged from a tiny shed in the backyard. This shed contained a secret passageway that led to the underground sewer tunnels.

Everyone had safely arrived inside the estate. Professor Whitaker stood at the forefront of the group, glancing in the direction of the compound entrance with a grim look on her face.

She could see the brilliant lights of spells and the deafening sounds of explosions coming from that direction. She could also sense the vast, invisible barrier surrounding the estate shimmer in and out of existence.

There wasn't much time before the barrier gave out.

Taking a deep breath, she turned her head, gazing at the shed. Everyone had finally made it out of the underground sewers. She looked at the last person to exit and said with a wry smile:

"Looks like they didn't fall for it."

Adam—the real Adam—shook his head, sighing helplessly.

"That's the problem with smart enemies."

He paused for a moment, his gaze shifting from the invisible barrier around the estate to his main manor in the near distance.

"Hopefully, that should have brought us enough time. We need to make haste!"