Published at 29th of September 2026 8:59 am

Chapter 2063 Hero Mentality

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As the day of the eclipse drew nearer, the adventurers became more and more nervous.

Yet within their eyes burned a spark.

A spark of freedom.

Today, they would finally leave behind City Hall. This was their base of operations, the place that had sustained generations of adventurers for countless years. Today, they would march toward the mountains.

After years of stagnation, the adventurers were finally hopeful about leaving this place. And so, as they made their final preparations, there was hardly any fear in their eyes. Most could be seen anticipating the battle, willing to give it their all in order to escape from this nightmare.

While the army prepared to leave, Luca and Adam sparred in one of the public squares within the city.

Everything around them had been reduced to rubble. Sparks flew through the air as the two clashed again and again. Neither held back. Except for the intent to kill, of course. Their sparring was intense.

After several long minutes, when the two finally drew back from one another, they were sweating and panting lightly.

"Your physique is strong, Constantine." Luca nodded in approval. "Truly, I'm surprised."

Adam's response was all smiles and laughter. But deep in his heart — his strange but familiar heart — he was anxious.

The first restraint of a Paladin's body suppressed the natural recovery and stamina. However, the Oath of Vitality removed those shackles, thereby increasing stamina, recovery speed, endurance, and resistance to fatigue. It also improved blood circulation.

But as a result of the improved blood circulation, Adam's heart had undergone a partial metamorphosis. To be more accurate, 12.5% of it had transformed. In a manner of speaking, it had evolved.

This is what terrified him. He didn't know what he was slowly turning into. If the first Oath had already resulted in such a transformation, what about the other Oaths that he would eventually have to take in the future?

What would he become then? Would he still be a human? Would he still be himself?

These thoughts, along with Genevieve's well-being and the mysterious evil mastermind manipulating his and Valerian's memories through the little fellow's amulet, kept him up at night.

If there was a silver lining to all of this, then it was that the Oath of Vitality had boosted his body's regeneration ability.

Earlier, Adam would have to expend a lot of mana to heal his wounds. It was also a time-consuming process. But of course, the time spent was inversely proportional to the amount of mana spent.

But now, he no longer faced that problem. Now, he only required a fraction of mana to heal his wounds.

It made sense, after all. The Oath of Vitality increased recovery speed.

"Are you thinking about her again?" Luca's words snapped Adam out of his thoughts.

Hearing his teasing voice, Adam scoffed. He glanced at Luca. The man was bare-chested, tall and muscular, built like a monolith. He now wore the Antlered High Priest's hide. The skull and fangs of the beast covered his head and half of his face, making him look truly menacing.

Adam had asked him not to wear the hide like it was a trophy. After all, that hide belonged to the High Priest, who was once a human. Not to mention, if it weren't for him, the Morning Star would never have fallen into their hands.

'It's fine,' Luca had said at the time. 'You buried the body, didn't you? Besides, I like wolves.'

"I'm thinking…" Adam stepped forward and wove a barrier around the two as they sat on a giant piece of rubble.

"…about who we have to fight after Jacob. If it's the gypsy woman, as I suspect, it won't be easy. The enemies that hide in the shadows are far more dangerous. And we don't even know her true abilities."

Luca spat on the ground. He spoke disdainfully, "Those who fight from the shadows, those who scheme, they're nothing but cravens!"

The corner of Adam's lips twitched.

Sometimes he forgot just how plain and simple Luca's way of life was. The man was straightforward to a fault. He was the type who rarely lied, not because he was incapable of doing so, but because he had no reason to.

If he had something to say, he said it. If he wanted something, he pursued it openly.

He was also a prideful man. The type of man who placed great importance on honor, duty, and doing what he believed was right.

Adam found it almost amusing. Luca possessed the kind of mentality that seemed almost too pure for the world they lived in. The typical hero mentality. The kind of thing children read about in storybooks.

Luca was the noble warrior who valued honor, kept his word, and faced his enemies head-on.

"Still," Adam said. "We should be careful."

"I never underestimate my enemies," Luca said with a slightly raised chin. "That's why I'm still alive."

Adam chuckled. Both he and Luca were strangely confident — to the point of delusion, some would say — in overcoming the evils of this little world and escaping this nightmare.

Confidence in themselves was a trait they both shared.

"So, what're you gonna do after leaving this place?" Adam asked as he raised his head and looked at the muted, twilight sky.

"Go to the Wall," Luca said, stroking his wild stubble. "Although…"

He cast a side glance at Adam and continued, "I might go to Davos first. Relax there for a couple of weeks. Eat good food and drink good booze. Feel the warmth of women. And then I'll set out on my journey. Yes, that's what I'll do. And you?"

Adam's lips curled into a smile. But Luca could tell it wasn't a happy smile.

"Hmm, I don't know," Adam murmured. "I'll see where the wind takes me."

But he already knew what he needed to do once he set foot in the real world. He had to deal with the people who were trying to manipulate his and Valerian's thoughts.

He didn't know how he would go about that. But he had to do something. Or else, he and his little brother would forever be on the run.

Luca looked at him for a moment and sighed. He rose to his feet and said, "Very well. Let us deal with the mongrels of this secret plane first."

"Aye." Adam rose to his feet, canceling the barrier.

Together, they headed toward City Hall just as the final rays of the sun bathed the skies in red and orange hues.

The following day, the adventurers' army marched for war.

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