abcnovels
Chapter 460: Advancement
Chapter 460: Advancement
Chapter 460: Advancement
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"Woof!"
The adorable little puppy jumped out of the portal and flew towards Adam. The youth was astonished to see this creature come at him.
His lips widened in elation, but before he could even speak a word, the puppy landed on his face and started fondly licking him.
Valerian, who was lazily lying down beside the youth, suddenly raised his head and saw the newcomer. Then, his eyes widened in surprise. "Blackie!"
The young dragon hurriedly got on Adam's lap and then jumped toward Blackie, hugging him warmly. The puppy patted Valerian's head and nodded from time to time as if he were a senior inspecting his junior's progress.
"Blackie, did the old man send a letter?" Adam asked nervously.
It had been more than two months since he had written Berger a letter. But ever since then, he hadn't received a reply yet. This caused him to be filled with anxiety, wondering if something had happened to the gnome.
But now seeing Blackie appear before him, the weight in his heart lifted, albeit slightly. It wasn't until the cute puppy nodded his head that Adam finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Alright!" Adam quickly put away the grimoire and his quill inside his earring. He got up from his seat while carrying Blackie and Valerian in his arms and walked toward his dorm room.
After entering his room, he locked the door behind him and eagerly said, "Hurry, give me the letter."
Blackie glanced at the youth with narrowed eyes and growled, "Grrr!"
Hearing his response, Adam's lips couldn't help but twitch. He cleared his throat and began once again, "Can you please give me the old man's letter, Lord Blackie?"
"Woof!" Blackie happily nodded his head.
A moment later, he coughed out a rolled parchment paper from his mouth. Surprisingly enough, the paper wasn't covered in mucus or anything. On the contrary, it was dry and smelled fresh.
Adam knew about Blackie's innate ability so he wasn't taken aback by this bizarre scene. He grabbed the rolled paper and walked toward his study table. He took his seat and began reading, his eyes flashing with anticipation.
While Valerian cheerfully ran around Blackie, trying to get his attention in an adorable manner, Adam silently read the contents of the letter.
But the more he read, the more grim his expression became. His hands involuntarily clenched the paper, causing it to crumple at the edges.
When he finally finished reading the paper, his expression had completely darkened. His jet- black eyes flashed with a storm of emotions and his heart started pounding in apprehension.
He looked toward Blackie and asked in a tone choked with emotions, "O-old man... he... he's at the end of his lifespan?"
Blackie glanced at Adam and nodded his head ever so slightly, his ears drooping. Valerian, who was playing by his side, suddenly stopped in his tracks and glanced at the puppy in absolute shock. "Is this true?!"
"Woof..." Blackie nodded yet again.
Adam remained silent for a long time, his eyes turning moist. He thought to himself with deep sadness, Old man... you...
Tears trickled down his face and fell on the letter he was holding. "N-No, this can't be happening..."
In the letter, Berger had written that he was at the end of his lifespan and was now entering close-door mindfulness in order to break through to the next rank.
This was the only method to extend his life!
For this very reason, he had been preparing for his advancement all this while and was unable to write Adam back.
The advancement to the Mana Core Rank was an extremely difficult hurdle for a Magus. In order to step foot into this rank, they had to condense the mana in their body, solidify it, and form a core.
It was a qualitative transformation, to say the least.
However, if a Magus's lifespan caught up to them before they advanced to the next rank, it was the end for them. Death came equally to both mortals and Magi alike.
As a Rank 3 - Mana Vortex Magus, Berger had already lived for several hundreds of years. He had been accumulating all this while and solidifying his foundations in order to advance to the next level.
The time had already come. However, it was a big gamble. During each advancement, a Magus's life essence was enhanced. If they failed, more often than not they would perish in
the process.
But for Berger, who was already near the end of his lifespan, it could be argued that this wasn't much of a risk.
But the fact remained that there was still a possibility of him dying during the advancement.
If he was going to die either way, then he had taken it upon himself to break through to the next rank. As a Magus, he couldn't give up just yet. As long as there was the slightest chance, he would grasp it.
Berger had mentioned all of this in the letter without hiding a single detail from Adam.
The youth began pacing back and forth inside his room, his hands incessantly trembling. His eyes turned red and tears flowed down his face as he incoherently mumbled under his breath, "W-What do I do? What can I do?
"Should I leave the castle and journey back to Moon City? N-No, it will take me at least eight months to reach, and by that time... I'm afraid..."
Adam didn't dare finish his words. For a moment, he felt extremely helpless. He wasn't ready to lose the old man whom he loved and cherished as his own family.
"Huuu..." He exhaled a deep breath and wiped his eyes.
His jet-black pupils shone with immense resolve as he walked back to his study table. He took
out a fresh parchment paper and dipped the quill in ink.
He gritted his teeth and began frantically writing down everything he knew about the advancement to the Mana Core Rank!
All the memories of those experts from the greater universe... All their experiences... All the potion
recipes that can be considered essential for the advancement...
Their comprehensions of the Way... Their familiarity with breaking through to Rank 4...
Take it! I will write them all down for you!
Study it and become a Mana Core Magus!
Old man... you cannot die!
I won't lose you as well!