Northern Quarter.
After Bergerâs earth-shattering attack and the subsequent fight with Daggett, the situation in this district had turned chaotic for a while. The Magi present scrambled to get to safety. The fight between the two Mana Core Magi had changed the entire landscape of the district.
Fortunately, the cultists bore the brunt of the
Divine Meteor
since theyâd been the ones to form a perimeter around the previous death zone the Dark King had created, preventing the Magi of the city from going anywhere near Adam or Daggett.
But that was not to say that there hadnât been any casualties among the cityâs forces. But compared to the casualties among the cultists, it was but a drop in the bucket.
It took the Ravenfell Magi a few moments to gather themselves and understand their current situation. And then, all hell broke loose. A chaotic melee ensued without any proper formation or order.
If they saw a cultist, they killed a cultist.
Moreover, thanks to Bergerâs earlier attack, a vast number of cultists had immediately perished. So, now they were significantly outnumbered. But despite that, it was becoming increasingly difficult for the cityâs forces to completely eliminate them.
As the saying goes... a beast is most dangerous when it is cornered.
Many cultists put their lives on the line and switched to suicidal tactics. As a result, the city forces suffered some more casualties.
But in the end, the Magi of Acadia prevailed.
When the cultists noticed that the battle had already been lost by them, they did not hesitate to flee. For most, their lives were more important than duty and honor.
At last, the cityâs forces finally had a chance to catch their breath and recuperate. Or at least, most did. Under the orders of Councilor McLeod, elite Magi of the city were sent to apprehendâor eliminateâthe cultists that had fled.
And so, peace and silence finally descended upon the ravaged Northern District. The Acadian Magi had clearly won, yet no one celebrated. No, they began to recover their strength and prepare for the worst.
After all, though the battle between the cityâs and the cultâs Mana Vortex Magi and those of lesser ranks had ended, the battle between the Mana Core Magi still raged in full swing.
The explosive sounds of battle from the mountain ranges north of the city still continued to thunder in the ears of these surviving Magi. After all, they were quite close to their battlefield now.
In the dark of the night, an ominous feeling settled in the heart of these Magi. The entire outcome of the Battle of Ravenfell would depend on which sideâs Mana Core Magi came out on top.
But it did bring them some consolation that two enemy Mana Core Magi had been slain, and the Mana Core Magi from their side were still alive and fighting.
And the person who had played a crucial role in taking down both these enemy Magi was currently lying down inside a temporary tent and being tended to by experts of the Herbalistsâ Guild.
A large crowd had gathered outside the tent, anxiously waiting for the hero of Ravenfell to come out.
Meanwhile, inside the tent, the most proficient Herbalists of the Guild were surrounding Adam, who now lay on an operating bed. He lay bloodied and battered, his grievous wounds visible for all to see, making them wince.
The one to lead these Herbalists in treating Adam was none other than the Guild Leader, Halbert Dawson.
At this point, Adam could barely see what was happening around him with his eyesight. But thanks to the Sphere of Resonance, he could âseeâ exactly what was going on. Seeing that it was Dawson who was tending to his wounds, he sent him a mental transmission.
âIf you try anything funny, I will snap your neck. Better yet, I will command those serpents inside you to give you the most gruesome death. Understood?â
Halbert, who was stitching the youthâs torso wounds, suddenly found his hands trembling in fear. Then, he immediately nodded his head like a hungry chicken pecking at grains.
"Councilor Dawson, is everything alright? Youâre shaking."
Edwin Turner, who was standing close to the man, couldnât help but notice the sudden change.
"H-haha, of course, of course!" Dawson wiped the sweat from his forehead as he let out a nervous laugh. "Iâm just too tired from the whole ordeal... itâs been a long night."
Edwin didnât think much about it. He turned to Adam and asked, his tone laced with concern:
"How are you feeling? How are your mana reserves holding up?"
Adam turned toward the source of the voice, his gaze unfocused. His lips curled into a faint smile, "Iâll live. Donât worry."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "I still have some mana left... after cancelling the summoning. So thereâs nothing to worry about."
Since all the districts in the city had been dealt with, and not many cultists were left, Adam saw no point in keeping the serpents here. So, he cancelled the summoning and commanded them to return to the Coil. They had performed spectacularly in this battle, and he was very grateful for them.
"You say thereâs nothing to worry about, but..." Edwinâs gaze shifted towards the youthâs eyes. The whites were dyed crimson, and the pupils were murky and unfocused.
The elderly Magus from the Tower then turned to Dawson and asked, "How bad is it, Councilor? His eyes, I mean. Can they still be cured?"
Halbert stopped what he was doing and shifted his gaze to Adamâs face, suppressing the fear from appearing in his own eyes.
The elderly Herbalist gazed at the youthâs cloudy eyes and said after a moment of deliberation, "Itâs hard to say, but as long as the optic nerves remain intact, a transplant is still possible. Although it would take many years for the new eyes to attune themselves, nourished by his mana until they truly become his own."
Edwin nodded, relieved. "Good, good, that is good to hear."
Edward, who was standing beside his grandfather, also heaved a sigh of relief. He turned to Adam and offered a brilliant smile, "You hear that, you drunk bastard? At least, you wonât go permanently blind!"
Adam nodded. "I suppose so..."
But inwardly, he scoffed at Dawsonâs remark.
Canât transplant if optic nerves are damaged? Hmph, that just means youâre not good enough, you rat! I have plenty of ways I can think of...
He then thought of something and asked, "Fatty, whereâs the old man? And Blackie? Are any of you aware?"
"They were last seen heading west of the city. As far as I could tell, one of the two undead knights had already been taken care of. Now, only one should remain," said the blue-eyed youth.
Adam silently nodded.
Now, only one final battle remainedâthe battle between the Mana Core Magi.
He had a vital role to play in that. This brief respite was his only chance to recover what strength he could, and then, he would set out for the mountain range north of the city.
And while he made plans for the future battle...
The Laughing God continued to whisper.