Published at 6th of December 2025 7:15 am

Chapter 1323: Mental Resilience

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"You’re younger than I thought," Masayori murmured as he observed the new changes in Adam’s body.

After emerging from the vat of poison, Adam had entered a private chamber, and a few other members of the Tsuitsui Clan had accompanied him. They all wanted to know the true effects of the medicinal bath. But even more than that, they were simply curious.

Adam wore loose black robes as he sat on the window ledge. A black strip of cloth was tied around his eyes. The warm rays of the morning sun gently cascade over his figure, making his raven-hair shine like silk.

With a gentle smile on his face, Adam caressed his hands and neck. Despite the mad voices echoing inside his mind, he was genuinely happy over his new transformation. Only he knew how insecure he’d felt when he had to hide his injuries from others.

"Brother, how old are you?" Goro couldn’t help but ask in a daze.

Given Adam’s battle prowess, it seemed like he had decades worth of training under his belt. Yet after the transformation, he looked to be a handsome youth in his early twenties.

"Auhh!" Adam gestured with his hands.

Goro’s eyes widened in astonishment. "Thirty-eight?! What?!"

Not just him, even the Patriarch and the Supreme Ancestor were taken aback.

Thirty-eight and already such a powerful warrior at the Mana Vortex Rank? That was incredible!

"More importantly," Masayori suppressed his shock and walked to Adam. He pressed two fingers on his throat and gently infused threads of mana.

"Your vocal chords have healed... so why can’t you speak?"

The others were also quite curious about his answer.

Adam’s grin widened even more, reaching his ears.

Of course, I won’t speak, he ridiculed inwardly.

Otherwise, that would give away my identity as an outsider.

Adamwrote down on a piece of parchment the following words:

Psychological trauma.

Masayori frowned. "Trauma? Related to how you received those burns all over your skin? But how does that affect your speech?"

Adam wrote down again, instructing the elderly man to take a glimpse of his mind through his spiritual energy.

Masayori thought nothing of it. He gently placed his hand on Adam’s head, then closed his eyes.

A moment later...

He quickly pulled back his hand. His face turned pale, and his back was drenched in sweat.

"Father, what’s the matter?" Dokuto was alarmed seeing such a reaction from Masayori.

The elderly man seemed not to hear anything. There was a flicker of terror in his aged eyes. In that brief moment that he had glimpsed at Adam’s spirit sea, he saw a desolate world with gaping cracks across the dull sky.

But that wasn’t what terrified him.

It was the constant mad ravings that echoed inside Adam’s spirit sea! Masayori had only heard it for a split second—perhaps, even less—yet he had already paled in fright.

"...Boy," he managed to speak after a long time. "How are you still alive?"

"Auhh!" Adam displayed a charismatic smile.

"Father, what happened?" Dokuto couldn’t help but ask, a grave look on his face.

Masayori thought for a long time. At last, he said in a low voice:

"I’m not sure. I haven’t seen anything like this before. His spirit sea is desolate and broken. He must have suffered a grievous injury to his soul for something like that to happen. And then there were these strange voices... It’s like the boy’s cursed!"

Adam laughed heartily.

You’re damn right I’m cursed!

Cursed by a God!

Masayori exhaled deeply. "It’s a miracle how he’s even able to function like that. If it were anyone else, they might have already succumbed to madness and become brain-dead."

Goro and Dokuto gazed at Adam like he was a madman.

Well... he was a madman.

"Is that why you don’t use spells?" Goro asked thoughtfully. "You can’t access your spiritual energy, is that it?"

"Auhh!" Adam nodded with a smile.

"...Just what have you gone through?" Goro couldn’t help but ask.

How could a man endure so much pain and suffering, yet still display such a radiant smile?

Dokuto switched the subject. "Now that Ao has been healed, Goro, show him to his private quarters."

He then turned to Adam and said, "You’ve been through a lot during the healing process. Take plenty of rest. Starting tomorrow, you can begin your training, or whatever else it is you’d like to do."

"Auhh!" Adam cupped his fists.

With that said, Dokuto and Masayori left the room.

Once they made enough distance, Dokuto asked in a low voice, "Father, is Ao going to be a problem to those around him?"

He paused for a moment, then said in a solemn voice. "I knew he was a little... off in the head, but based on your description, he seems to be completely mad."

Masayori had a complicated look in his eyes. "I don’t understand," he began.

"The sheer damage to his spirit sea should have already turned him into a vegetable, yet he seems to be somewhat fine. He’s smart enough to communicate at a basic level, but more than that... he’s able to utilize battle tactics even with his mental state. Or else, you can’t explain him fighting toe-to-toe with Goro."

"So he has high mental resilience, is that it?" Dokuto’s eyes narrowed.

"That is an understatement." Masayori scoffed.

In the end, he simply sighed and started smoking from his pipe. "Just let him be. He’s our clan’s benefactor."

Dokuto nodded. He then asked, "Those strange voices in his head. Just who... or rather, what could have cursed him?"

"I don’t know." Masayori shook his head. "But whoever they are, or whatever it is... I have never experienced something like it before. Like I said, it’s a miracle that he’s still functioning like that."

"So it should be safe for him to be with us then?"

Masayori nodded. "I believe so."

"I see." Dokuto stroked his chin. "If he were to fight alongside our clan in the Fourth Great War..."

"Don’t force it upon him," Masayori advised.

"As I mentioned, he is our clan’s benefactor. Even after all we’ve done to heal his body, we’re still the ones who owe him. What he’s gifted us... I doubt we’ll ever be able to repay him."

"I agree." Dokuto nodded. "It does make me wonder about his background, though. Access to such profound runic formation, cursed by such a powerful entity..."

"Let things play out naturally," said the Supreme Ancestor.

"Flow with the currents, and the path will reveal itself."

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