Chapter 414: Memories
Chapter 414 Memories
Adam flew past the thousands of white orbs in the mysterious white space, looking for one with memories.
These ones had a distinct appearance compared to the regular ones. They had faint traces of colors phasing in and out across its surface.
During the time that Adam had been bedridden, he had visited this mysterious space regularly and absorbed the fragments of souls here to heal his own.
At the time, he didn't dare absorb an orb that contained memories.
Doing so was a painful process. If he had done it when he was already so grievously injured, it was very likely that he would have succumbed to his death.
Now, however, it was time to absorb one that did have memories.
He flew past countless soul fragments, looking for one that he could absorb. Unlike the last few times, he didn't want to go through severe torture.
Moreover, this was all based on chance. He didn't know what memories the fragment would contain.
There was, however, one particular form of art that he wished he had the fortune to absorb.
The art of runes!
Runes were magical symbols with ancient origins. The existence of runes was ubiquitous in the world of magi. Even the spell models that magi constructed contained runes.
From the memories of the experts that Adam had absorbed previously, he had come to know about the history of runes. Much to his surprise, they dated back to antiquity times.
Some of the earliest uses of runes were attributed to a mythical race that could be said to stand toe-to-toe with the mighty dragons.
Giants!
Legend has it that giantkind was the first to develop rune magic. Their runes trace back to Utgard, the primordial world of giants.
Each rune had specific meanings and powers, tied to the giants' understanding of the universe and their connection to mana.
These magical symbols were created by giants and passed down to their descendants. Gradually, the art of runes was spread to every corner of the known universe. Other races learned from the giants and developed their own forms of runic magic.
Runes could be used to attack and defend. Some runes were used as power sources. They were inscribed on weapons, armor, and everyday objects to enhance their properties and strengthen magical abilities.
They were also used in architecture, like in the case of Saratoga Castle, where runes were carved into its very walls to provide protection and power.
To sum it up, runes were a testament to the ancient power and wisdom of giantkind.
If I can get my hands on a soul fragment that contains memories about runes, I would truly consider myself the most fortunate man, Adam thought to himself with great expectations.
There were certain runic formations that could accelerate his growth as a Magus. One such example was the mana-gathering runic formation. This was something that would greatly boost his productivity during mindfulness.
After flying through this ethereal space for a long time, he finally stopped before an orb of light that was the size of his head. Multi-colored hues flashed across its surface.
Adam hovered before it and mumbled to himself, "Hmm, I should be able to absorb it without any difficulty, but the problem is..."
He took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with hope. "Will this fragment contain any knowledge about runes?"
At this point, there was no use in dillydallying any longer. His expression turned solemn and the next moment, he grabbed the orb.
...
East Wing, Saratoga Castle.
Inside his dorm room, Adam lay on top of his bed with a tranquil expression on his face. Beside him, Valerian was taking a nap, his furry gray tail moving about gently.
Suddenly, the young dragon's ears perked up. He abruptly got to his feet and glanced at Adam, whose face had now twisted in agony.
What is brother doing?! He thought to himself in great concern.
Valerian was still not aware of the mysterious space inside the white lotus. Neither did he know about the existence of soul fragments within and how often Adam absorbed them like a child popping candies.
The young dragon walked toward the youth's face and started gently licking his cheeks. He sent a mental transmission to Adam several times but received no reply.
Just when he was about to slap the youth awake, the latter opened his eyes.
Adam's jet-black pupils shone with the flower pattern. The light was so blinding that it caused Valerian to squint his eyes.
"Brother, are you alright?" The little guy hopped on the youth's chest and asked worriedly.
The flower pattern in Adam's eyes slowly dimmed and soon vanished. However, the depth in those abyss-like eyes remained. If anything, it seemed to be deeper than ever.
Adam glanced down and saw Valerian staring at him with his topaz eyes. He gently stroked the young dragon's furry head. "I'm alright, Val. Sorry for worrying you."
"What happened just now?" Valerian jumped up and down on the youth's chest. "You seemed to be in a lot of pain and..."
He switched to mental transmission and continued, 'The flower was imprinted on your pupils again. They were very bright!'
Adam had instructed Valerian that if they were to talk about something greatly confidential, the conversation should always happen through the telepathic bond they shared.
He was very cautious about this castle that he now called home. He had a strange feeling that the walls were listening to everything he said.
This feeling could be false, or it could be true. Either way, he didn't want to risk it.
'I was just trying to uncover the secrets of the lotus,' Adam replied with an assured smile.
"Really?" Valerian squinted his eyes.
"Of course."
"Alright, brother, I believe you." Valerian came forward and pecked him on the forehead. Then, he got down on the bed and resumed his nap.
Adam chuckled and warmly caressed the fur on the little guy's back as he slowly drifted off to sleep.
Although he trusted Valerian with his life, there were certain things that he needed to keep to himself.
Not because he was wary of the young dragon, but because it might put Valerian in great danger.
Adam shifted his attention back to the memories that he had just absorbed. His eyes flashed with disappointment as he thought to himself with a wry smile, How could things ever be so easy?
In the end, he didn't get any memories related to the art of runes.
All he got was the expert's deep understanding of magic as well as more in-depth knowledge about herbalism. Apart from that, he also received some knowledge about illusion magic.
This expert, when he was alive, was a Herbalist who dabbled a little in illusions. There was another thing, however, that caught Adam's interest.
He stroked his chin, his lips slowly forming a smirk.
Shadow magic, huh? Interesting!