Chapter 1494: Chapter 931: Sunrise (IX): Monster
"Before the madness, the mentor told me that when the stars realign, the entire world may face a great catastrophe..."
"However, no one expected the catastrophe to begin with the Ice Castle."
"The mages, once fallen, became frenzied and savage, and carried a terribly strong contamination power. To prevent the contamination from spreading out of the Ice Castle, I followed the teacher’s orders and activated all the magic barriers of the Ice Castle, isolating it from the outside world..."
The magic fireplace glimmered as Adrian narrated the story of what had transpired within the Ice Castle after the Great Cataclysm.
He wore a determined expression, as if recalling the experiences of the Cataclysm, with a trace of sorrow in his eyes.
Listening to his words, Bols and the others showed expressions of sorrow as well.
They too recalled the events of the Cataclysm, the various tragic scenes they had witnessed and experienced.
"And then what happened? What about the monsters? And... the other surviving mages?"
Ados asked again.
"Dead, all dead."
Adrian sighed softly.
"Before it became the Imperial Magic Academy, the Ice Castle was once a fortress repelling foreign invasions, and for a time, it was used as a prison for holding serious criminals. Thus, the entire fortress has an extraordinarily perfect system of magic barriers."
"Sealing magic, imprisoning magic, weakening magic, purification magic, attack magic... The Ice Castle lacks none of these barriers and solidifying magic."
"It was relying on these barriers and magic that we surviving mages were able to fend off the contamination of the Fallen Mages while battling them, mighty as they were..."
"The monsters transformed from mages were wickedly strange. Although we weakened them using magical barriers as per the mentor’s foreseeing command, they devoured one another to become ever stronger, with some even gradually regaining intelligence..."
"Ultimately, it was us surviving mages who, one by one, used forbidden magic at the cost of our lives to finally perish alongside the monsters..."
At this point, Adrian sighed softly, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes:
"I will never forget the expression of relief on the mentor’s face as he was purified, his clarity returning for a brief moment before he was consumed by contamination, nor the comforting gaze he gave us as he lay dying..."
"I couldn’t hear clearly what the mentor said at the last moment, but I know he hoped we would kill the threat of the Ice Castle in its cradle to prevent its contamination from spreading..."
"Over a year has passed, and after great sacrifice, we finally exterminated all the Fallen Mages."
"However, when I killed the last monster, ready to share my joy with my companions, I found in silence that the only survivor left in the entire Ice Castle... was myself."
"The old friends, the companions who fought alongside me against the monsters after the cataclysm, they all died..."
At this, Adrian paused.
He reached out to stroke the old magic book on the bookshelf, his expression sorrowful.
"Adrian, since everything’s over, why haven’t you left here? Don’t you know how worried your fiancée Alv is about you? She has been waiting for you to return! Waiting all this time... have you forgotten her?"
Ados said with some agitation.
At last, he seemed even choked up.
His eyes, slightly red, stared at Adrian, without turning away, his body trembling slightly as if waiting for an explanation and answer.
Adrian gave a bitter smile, a look of apology on his face:
"Sorry... Father, I have never forgotten my promise, never forgotten Alv..."
"I also want to leave here, but unfortunately, the Ice Castle’s seal targets everyone who was present in the Ice Castle when it was activated, which means we surviving mages are also included."
"Monsters can’t leave here, and neither can we. The monsters are suppressed in strength, and so are we, but because our strength is so much weaker than that of the monsters, we barely feel the suppression..."
"To prevent the contamination of the Ice Castle from leaking, before activating the magic barriers, the mentor completely rewrote the rules of solidifying magic. Once the Ice Castle’s magic system was activated, those imprisoned could not disable the entire Ice Castle’s magic system..."
"And so, I have been trapped here until your arrival."
Hearing his narrative, everyone showed a look of realization.
But the gaze Ados shot at him turned even more complex.
At this, Adrian breathed a sigh of relief and smiled lightly:
"Father, it’s so good to see you all."
"I thought I was destined to die here, but with your arrival, you can completely unseal the Ice Castle."
"Oh, by the way, Father, how are things outside now? Ever since the Ice Castle incident, the Empire hasn’t sent anyone to investigate. Has something happened?"
"How is Vivian doing? And my two lovely nieces... Oh, I promised last year to teach them magic, but broke my promise..."
"They... they won’t blame me, right?"
Seeing the young mage’s bright smile and expectant gaze, everyone paused slightly, unable to help but look at Ados.
They hesitated to speak, their expressions complex.
Tony felt his heart tighten as well.
Vivian... was none other than Ados’s deceased daughter’s name.
However, Ados remained silent for a moment, then forced a smile:
"Very good... they are all very good..."
"When we return this time, you can continue teaching them magic."
"Adrian, they like you so much, how could they possibly blame you?"
Seeing Ados’s gentle smile, everyone was slightly taken aback.
Tony was even more astonished, not understanding why Ados was lying to his son.
"Is that so? That’s great!"
An expression of joy appeared on Adrian’s face.
Ados also showed a gentle smile.
But in the next moment, a hint of surprise appeared in his gaze as he looked towards the back of the hall:
"Hmm? Adrian, why does that sculpture look somewhat familiar?"
"Hmm?"
Adrian tilted his head and slowly turned around.
But just as he turned, Ados suddenly snatched up the longsword propped beside Ramsis, and in the startled gazes of everyone, thrust it into Adrian’s back.
Withdrawing the longsword, blood splattered everywhere.
Adrian fell to the ground.
"Fa... Father?"
He slowly turned his head, a look of astonishment in his gaze as he looked at Ados.
However, the gaze Ados directed at Adrian no longer held the warmth.
His eyes were filled only with severity and anger.
"Ados!"
Mire couldn’t help but exclaim.
However, what followed was Ados’s fierce shout:
"Back off!"
Immediately, he tossed Ramsis’s longsword back to the other, and with his other hand, picked up the Magic Wand, pointing it at the fallen Adrian, saying sternly:
"Alv is just a name I made up, Adrian never had a fiancée..."
"You are not Adrian, who are you?"
