Published at 28th of February 2026 7:17 am

Chapter 1542 Complacency

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In a carefully concealed safehouse over a hundred miles east of Springdale, Adam finally arrived.

He had carved this underground structure with magic long before his battle with the Winter Lord. After all, he had already known beforehand the enemy he was going to face. As such, he had made his preparations accordingly.

Adam had not only chosen the battlefield and carved it with rune magic, but he had also prepared for the aftermath of the battle. He had been supremely confident that he would emerge victorious.

Even so, the battle had left him heavily injured.

Adam stumbled into the cave, shivering violently. His breathing was uneven, each step heavy and unsteady. Minor cuts and bruises marked his body, his robes torn and stiff with frozen blood clinging to the fabric and skin.

But those injuries were nothing compared to the cold.

It had seeped deep into the flesh, far beyond the surface. Frostbite covered most of his body, numbing his limbs and making every movement slow and unresponsive. His muscles resisted him, as if they no longer fully belonged to him.

The raven-haired youth removed his clothes and slowly walked toward the vat of medicinal bath he had prepared beforehand. He willed the Faceless Mask to retreat into his skin, revealing his true face.

"F-F-Fuck!" He shivered in frustration as he arrived before the large wooden tub.

With trembling hands, he managed to activate the rune magic carved into the ground after a few failed attempts. Moments later, the orange liquid inside the tub began to warm, releasing steady clouds of hot steam.

Adam waited until the temperature stabilized, then slowly lowered himself into the tub.

The medicinal liquid seeped into his pores almost immediately. Heat spread through his skin and into his muscles, pushing back against the cold that had penetrated deep into his body. The frostbite receded layer by layer, sensation returning in dull, painful pulses.

As the liquid continued to circulate, it carried restorative mana into his bloodstream. Stiff muscles loosened, damaged tissues repaired themselves, and internal injuries began to close at a controlled pace.

The process was slow and comfortable, but highly effective. The cold that had lodged itself inside him was gradually forced out, leaving behind exhaustion instead of numbness.

Satisfied, Adam lifted his head above the surface of the liquid and leaned back, his arms resting around the edges of the tub. He stared up at the cave's rocky ceiling, his thoughts drifting back to the battle he had just fought.

What a powerful spell that was, he couldn't help but think of Snowstorm.

If I hadn't poisoned him, who knew how long I would have taken to deal with him? He truly was a powerful foe.

One could argue that he hadn't used the techniques of the Astral Tyrant Manual. Moreover, he also hadn't summoned the serpents of the Coil to fight on his behalf. But he had never meant to reveal those cards in the first place.

Gradually, a frown appeared on Adam's face.

What did he mean by the devil's prophecy? He wondered in alarm.

A self-fulfilling one at that. I always assumed any divination involving me would be nullified by the Lotus. But that doesn't seem to be the case.

Either a very powerful devil made that prophecy, or the divination included me in some indirect way. I can't be certain.

This is troublesome…

There was another matter that bothered him.

The Winter Lord claimed that I'm still too weak to face the Cult Leader, he thought with a grim look on his face.

Just how strong is that man?

Despite being a Rank 4 Magus and Paladin, I still can't defeat him? How can that be possible!

Or perhaps… I'm getting complacent?

The more he thought about it, the more solemn he became.

After transplanting the blood of the abomination into him, Adam had undoubtedly become physically stronger and surprisingly even more attuned to mana.

His mana reserves had increased significantly, his eyes had become something special, and he had even gained a deeper understanding of the School of Summoning.

Yet, even after all that, he was still weaker than the Cult Leader?

The thought shook him to his core.

There's a little more than sixty-two years left till the planetary alignment, he thought solemnly.

Assuming that others have continued working on Operation Constantine in my absence, I should have enough time to train and hone my craft.

For the great war to come, I truly cannot afford to be complacent. I need to be at my best if I want to defeat Bartholomew and his damned cult!

Adam couldn't help but heave a long and heavy sigh.

"There's still much room for improvement," he muttered under his breath.

More specifically, in the Astral Tyrant Manual.

He knew he still hadn't delved into the mysteries of the Hand of Doom techniques despite having practiced them for decades.

The truth of the matter was, since embarking on his journey as a Magus, Adam had always indirectly depended on a weapon, whether it was daggers or the Staff of Calamity.

Whereas, the teachings of the Hand of Doom emphasized that the user did not rely on weapons, as it is believed that practicing this magic combat method would turn the body into the ultimate weapon capable of destroying everything in the user's path.

Adam's lips turned into a wry smile as he said, "Complacency is the silent enemy that kills long before the blade is drawn…"

He sighed again. "I have been taking things for granted."

Having decided what his next steps would be, he closed his eyes and retreated to the mysterious space within the Eternal Soul Lotus.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself surrounded by countless orbs of light, big and small.

At the edge of the mysterious space, he sensed a familiar soul hovering gently.

It belonged to the Winter Lord.

Anticipation flashing in his dark eyes, Adam flew towards the new orb of light.

Please, please, please contain memories!

He finally arrived before the ethereal sphere and, without hesitation, placed his hands on it and absorbed it. He closed his eyes and felt his own soul getting slightly stronger after absorbing the Spark of the Winter Lord's soul.

Adam opened his eyes and smiled bitterly. "No memories…"

Unfortunately, the orb of light contained the Winter Lord's soul's Spark and not the Vessel.

He had half expected it, but still, he couldn't help but feel disappointed. He shook his head and exited the mysterious space.

The raven-haired youth arrived within his spirit sea and cast a cursory glance around, checking that everything was in order.

Then he froze.

In the depths of his spirit sea, slumbering atop one of the leaves of the Lotus, lay a giant gray dragon.

And in that moment…

The dragon stirred.

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