"…Tebu," Adam muttered in a daze.

He allowed himself to fall back to the 'ground' as he gazed at the twin moons in the night sky. His lips gradually curled up into a wide grin, for in that moment, clarity struck him.

He understood… more than he ever had before.

"The Will of the World works in mysterious ways indeed," he muttered under his breath.

Three months ago, at the end of the Battle of Ravenfell, Adam had taken a couple of reckless gambles. One of them had shattered his mind, tearing his very soul. Needless to say, the aftermath of that left him drowning in agony and drove him to madness.

The other gamble he had made was directly related to his survival. Adam believed that nothing happened without reason, and the law of causality revealed itself most clearly to those entwined with the Will of the World.

And Adam… was bound to it more deeply than most could ever imagine. He had, after all, helped it gain sentience by planting the ash tree—which was unexpectedly and miraculously blessed by the Great Mother.

In the Outer Universe, where the mana was scarce, no planet had ever awakened to sentience. Yet, through a simple, inadvertent act by Adam, Tron had gained sentience. It was nothing short of a miracle beyond miracles.

And so, when Tron visited him in his dreams, thanking him for its awakening and vowing to aid him in return, Adam knew…

He knew that he had become the blessed of Tron!

And so, at the end of the Battle of Ravenfell, he had taken a highly perilous gamble. He knew that Marden had cast an insidious spell that altered the memories of the surviving Magi in Ravenfell, turning them against him.

Once hailed as a hero, he had fallen from grace and been branded a traitor. Yet, one truth remained certain in his heart… because of the bond he shared with Berger, the gnome would try to shield him. Adam knew this all too well.

Every spell, every artifact, carried a weakness. A magic that tampered with the memories of a person would struggle to fully corrupt the minds of those bound most closely to its target.

That is why the soldiers of the Black Legion stabbed Adam, and Edward didn't.

That is why Blackfire Balthazar attempted to kill Adam, and Berger didn't.

Of course, if the gap between the spell's power and its targets had been vast, the outcome would have been entirely different. But in Tron, no spell or artifact could exceed Rank 4. Thus, the Forgotten Rune's influence struck weaker Magi more deeply than Mana Core Magi.

Adam knew that if Berger so much as hinted at supporting Adam, then he, too, would be branded a traitor. And that is why, near the end of that gruesome battle, Adam had urged Berger to seek out Anna instead. If any doubts lingered in Berger's mind, then she would be the one to clear them.

And as for himself… he gambled his chances of survival. Despite the looming fear of death, deep down he believed he would endure.

That Tron would help him.

And it had.

Adam had been saved by the ancient turtle, Tebu. And strangely enough, he wasn't unfamiliar with the name. After all, he had once read about this mighty sea turtle in the journal of the Twilight Brotherhood's leader!

"Ah, what are the chances?" Adam's lips curled upwards, and he let out a hearty laugh.

He laughed and laughed and laughed.

"Is it all predestined? Are my actions already woven into the tapestry of fate? Am I nothing more than a helpless marionette of Tron, dancing to its will? I don't know… I don't know anymore," he murmured.

A few moments later, he whispered to himself, "But at least I'm alive. As long as I breathe… I have infinite chances to reclaim all that I've lost…"

Slowly, he pushed himself upright and gazed at the colossal head before him. His lips parted, and he softly said:

"Lord Tebu… thank you for saving me."

The ancient turtle's eyes flashed with kindness. "You are welcome… Adam."

Adam's lips curled into a gentle smile. Suddenly, curious about something, he couldn't help but ask, "Lord Tebu, how did you find me in the first place? Do you always, you know… swim around the coastal waters of Ulier?"

"Ulier?" Asked the colossus with an inquisitive gaze. "So that is what they call the easternmost landmass of Tron?"

"Ah, yes." Adam nodded. "The one in the northern hemisphere is called Ulier, and the one in the southern hemisphere is called Nahua."

"Hmm." The colossus hummed in thought, his voice rolling across the ocean and sending ripples surging through the waves.

Several long moments later, he continued:

"I have lived for millennia… yet my true age is lost even to me. In my waking hours, I spend drifting through the blue expanse of Tron. And when slumber claims me, I return to the waters near my birthplace. For countless ages I slept, until but a few moons past… when I dreamed.

"In that dream, I wandered the abyssal depths, beheld far horizons, and crossed paths with wondrous beings. After so long in stillness, I longed once more to stir these waters. And thus… in that wandering, I came upon you."

"A dream, huh?" Adam's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Of course…"

He remained silent for a while, pondering the intricacies of the strings of fate and how the Will of the World subtly tugs at these strings to ensure the planet's well-being.

"The Will of the World," he murmured, once again beginning to talk to himself in order to drown out the whispers of the Laughing God.

"It understands survival and balance. When the planet is in danger, it wouldn't raise armies or forge weapons, no… instead, it would pull on the invisible strings of fate, weaving outcomes that ensure its survival.

"Those who posed a threat to the world would find misfortune befall them at every step. And those who brought great benefit? People like me… They would be subtly favored, guided by luck, shielded from danger, and blessed with opportunities that defied explanation.

"Now that Tron has awakened… yes, yes, it makes sense it would no longer be passive. It has already begun to act, ensuring its survival by whatever means necessary. But… what is the threat it perceives? Hmm, I wonder, I wonder… And what is my role in it?"

There was a simple way to uncover the answer. Or at least, to find a clue that might lead him there.

Adam turned to the giant turtle's head and asked curiously, "Lord Tebu, do you have a destination in mind… or do you simply wish to wander the vast seas?"

"A destination?" The colossus murmured. He closed his eyes, as if reaching across the vast seas to discern its place.

A long time later, he finally opened his eyes. Then, he muttered, his voice laced with warmth and reminiscence:

"The place of my birth isn't far from here."

"Oh?" Adam was intrigued. "And where would that be?"

Tebu's blue eyes flashed with a distant light as he gently said:

"The Land of the First Magi… Mabi."

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