Chapter 1827: Planetary Alignment
Glassford, Acadian Empire.
The day of the planetary alignment had finally arrived.
According to countless years of astronomical observations, calculations, and star charts, every planet in the star system had already fallen into its designated position.
Yet the alignment was not truly complete.
The moment of perfect synchronization, the precise instant the celestial bodies would align exactly as intended, would occur shortly after sunset.
That meant the travelers had to reach Luna before then and activate the ancient portal in advance. Only by doing so could they fully harness the immense energy released during the alignment.
Failure was not an option. After thousands of years, the gateway to the Greater Universe was finally about to open once more. As such, Adam had diligently studied the runic formations of the portal and its activation manual repeatedly over the years leading to the planetary alignment.
In the main square of the city, a large crowd had gathered. They were the friends and families of those bound for the Greater Universe.
Only twenty Magi had been selected for the journey. That was the maximum number the portal could safely accommodate without compromising its structural integrity. Adam had no intention of pushing beyond its limit.
After all, this was no ordinary teleportation. The portal was about to bridge an unimaginable distance across the cosmos.
The slightest instability could prove catastrophic. A minor fluctuation in the portal’s structure might scatter all twenty travelers across different corners of the universe, leaving them stranded in the dark. No one was willing to take such a risk.
"Alright, then." Adam gently clasped his childhood friend’s shoulders and said with a smile.
"With the authority vested in me, I hereby confer upon you the title of Headmaster. Oh, and the Soaring River Secret Plane is yours as well. Do with it as you wish."
The corner of Lisa’s lips twitched. "Could you be a little more serious?"
"This is enough." Adam waved his hand dismissively. "Cheer up a little, Headmaster de Claire."
Lisa smiled sincerely. She embraced Adam gently and said, "I’ll take good care of the Institute and this secret plane. I promise."
Adam smiled as he patted Lisa’s back. "I know you will."
Lisa had only recently become a Mana Core Magus. Unfortunately for her, all twenty slots for the journey had already been filled. Adam had insisted that he could pull some strings and give her someone else’s place if necessary, but she had refused. She said she didn’t want to rob someone else of this opportunity. Not in that manner.
Adam could only reluctantly agree. In the end, he chose her as his successor. He knew she would do a wonderful job as the Headmaster of the Constantine Institute of Magic.
"And you," he turned to Autumn and said in mock reprimand. "Make sure to help Lisa just like you helped me all these years. You will be the next Headmaster after her tenure is over."
"Mm." Autumn nodded, trying her best not to shed tears.
After her parents and Mathilda Whitaker passed away, her little brother and Adam were the only family she knew. And now one of them was leaving. Forever.
"Come here," he said gently, beckoning at the woman.
Tears slid down Autumn’s face as she ran into Adam’s embrace. "I’ll miss you, Uncle Adam!"
Adam sighed. "How many times have I told you not to call me uncle? Do I look like an uncle to you?"
"Yes, Uncle," Autumn said in between muffled sobs.
Berger wasn’t here. He was not one for goodbyes. But Adam did make sure to spend the entire last week with him in Springdale, much to the old man’s annoyance.
Around the square, similar scenes played out.
Some embraced their loved ones for what would likely be the final time. Others offered words of encouragement they hoped would last for a lifetime.
There were tears. There were laughs.
There were promises to return.
Yet everyone present understood the truth...
This was most likely the final goodbye.
The travelers were leaving behind everything they had ever known and venturing into the vast unknown of the Greater Universe in pursuit of the higher arcane arts.
Many of them would perish long before achieving their dreams. And even for those who survived, there was no guarantee they would ever find a path back home.
The journey ahead was filled with countless opportunities.
But it demanded a price.
And that price was the life they had built on Tron.
Adam was the first to separate from the crowd and arrive before the secret plane’s entrance, opened by Lisa.
Gray light flashed, and Valerian materialized on his shoulder.
"Are you sad, brother?" he asked as he gave Adam’s head a warm hug.
"A little bit," Adam said with a smile.
"It’s okay." Valerian closed his eyes. "You have me. You will always have me."
Adam smiled fondly and ruffled the little guy’s furry head.
"Now get back inside and do not, under any circumstances, come out until I say so," he said solemnly. "Okay, Val? You must not come out."
"Myu!" Valerian nodded seriously.
He cast one final glance at the surroundings and the skies of Tron before turning into a gray light and disappearing.
One by one, the travelers left their families behind and joined Adam. Their faces were a mixture of nervousness and excitement.
Adam lightly punched Goro’s massive arm and smirked. "What? You scared?"
Goro harrumphed. "Speak for yourself."
A light chuckle escaped Adam’s lips.
Suddenly, a small commotion rippled through the crowd. It was especially pronounced among those who had fought in the Great World War decades ago.
Confusion spread first. Then came anger. And it was all directed at a single man who had just arrived.
"Hey..." Goro clenched his jaw, his eyes spewing venom. "What the hell is that man doing here?"
Adam looked at the newcomer and couldn’t help but heave a helpless sigh.
I am not going to deal with this, he mused.
"I don’t know," he said innocently. "Maybe you should ask the Acadian Emperor."
The Magi from Yen-Lu were utterly enraged by the appearance of this man.
Meanwhile, the newcomer simply stood there languidly, a lazy smile on his face as he puffed on his long wooden pipe. The hostility directed at him seemed to amuse him more than anything else.
Indeed.
The newcomer was none other than...
Tian Di.
He ignored everyone else and looked straight at Lucian. His lips parted, and he said:
"So what’s it going to be, Acadia?"
Lucian matched Tian Di’s gaze and inhaled deeply. He sighed as he recalled their battle decades ago...
***
After three days and three nights of relentless battle, the one who finally emerged victorious was...
Tian Di.
In the end, the deciding factor was neither skill nor experience, but mana reserves.
The Hidden Ruler simply possessed more mana than the Proud Sun. And so, despite the two combatants being nearly equal in battle prowess, Tian Di ultimately claimed victory.
"Hey... Acadia..." Tian Di said weakly.
His figure was covered in bruises and drenched in blood. And yet, he remained standing.
Meanwhile, Lucian was lying on the ground. His figure equally weak and injured.
"Just get it over with," Lucian murmured. This was the first time he had lost in a fight. And he could not bear the failure.
Tian Di raised a hand. But instead of delivering the killing blow, he offered his hand to his opponent, whom he had come to greatly respect over the course of their duel.
"No," he said. "It is not your life that I want. But something else..."
Lucian frowned. Inwardly, he was surprised by this outcome.
"What is it?"
Tian Di said from the bottom of his heart. Perhaps it was the first time he had ever sounded so sincere.
"If your side wins, promise me... promise me you’ll take me with you beyond this world."
Lucian’s eyes slowly widened.
Tian Di gazed at the distant stars and said with a wry smile, "I have no desire to be a big fish in a small pond."
His eyes reflected the endless heavens above.
"I want to taste the ocean."
