Adam's body trembled in shock, his eyes widening. He lowered his head and gazed at Valerian with a face plastered with utter disbelief.

"What… what did you just say?!"

Seeing such an expression on Adam's face was within Valerian's expectations. But something about the look in his eyes… it caused the young dragon to feel slightly unsettled.

He couldn't help but involuntarily gulp, before repeating, "I said, there is a relic left behind by a—"

Adam swiftly picked him up from the ground and brought him closer to his face—an action that caused the young dragon to be greatly surprised.

"Val, you…" The raven-haired youth couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Where did you learn about their existence?!"

Gods… that was a term Adam was deeply fearful of.

In fact, he was so afraid of it that he hadn't told anyone close to him about their existence. He was so afraid that he did not even dare think about them.

After all, it was the Gods—directly or indirectly—who had sparked the war over the Eternal Soul Lotus more than fifty thousand years ago!

Through all the souls and memories Adam had absorbed over the years, he had gathered bits and pieces of information regarding the cataclysmic war where Magus Julian Stockholm, the Devil of Secrets, Magus Ven'mir, and thousands of other powerful experts of the Greater Universe had perished.

The consequences of that great battle were catastrophic. Many of the Greater Universe's most powerful factions lost their finest, and chaos soon followed, igniting a war that engulfed countless galaxies. Mighty arcane empires rose and fell in its wake, and billions of Magi perished as a result.

At the heart of that great cosmic battle, pulling strings behind the curtain, was an invincible race of Magi who called themselves Gods. In fact, they were the only ones to claim that title.

Gods… that race of Magi… they were so powerful, so feared, that none in the Greater Universe dared to challenge them. Though they never showed themselves, their presence was woven into the very fabric of the universe. Their influence was everywhere.

And now, for Valerian to suddenly speak about the existence of a God thoroughly shocked him. He couldn't even stop his hands from trembling.

The young dragon was scared to see such a reaction from Adam. "B-brother, what has gotten into you? Why are you—"

"Answer me!" Adam snapped, his expression unnaturally stern. "How did you learn about them?!"

The fear in the raven-haired youth's dark eyes was infectious, seeping into Valerian until unease stirred in his own chest. At last, he ended up telling Adam about the butterfly's arrival, how she had saved them, and the prophecy she left behind before vanishing.

Upon hearing the entire story, Adam was completely shaken. "What… you… why didn't you tell me sooner?!"

Valerian covered his face with his tiny paws. "I wanted to see if the prophecy turned out to be true. I promise, I was going to tell you, anyway!"

Adam's knees buckled, and he sank to the ground with a sigh of relief. Knowing that the knowledge of the Gods came from the butterfly eased him in a way he couldn't explain. For some reason… he trusted her deeply… instinctively.

"So that four-armed monster and his kin, the inhabitants of this island, were worshippers of the Laughing God?"

Valerian nodded. "Brother, look at these murals. They depict the life story, at least some of it, of the Great God of Many Faces."

Adam only knew that there was an extremely powerful race of Magi who called themselves Gods. Other than that, he knew nothing about them. They were quite a secretive bunch, to say the least.

So when he learned that he had arrived at the temple of a long-forgotten God, his interest was piqued. Additionally, the existence of a relic left behing by the God was enough for him to delay his return to Ravenfell.

"Great God of Many Faces?" Adam asked with a tilt of his head as he followed him to the first mural on the wall.

"Yes." Valerian nodded, his topaz eyes sparkling with wonder. "The Laughing God is known as the Breaker of Oaths, Weaver of Lies, and the Great God of Many Faces! He might have other names as well, but I'm not aware of those. Look, look! Take a look at these murals!"

Under the young dragon's guidance, Adam studied the ancient murals carved on the walls.

He saw an infant with pale blue skin and white hair emerge from the void of shadows and winter, grow into an adult, shake hands with an old man beneath the roots of a giant ash tree, craft artifacts like the golden hair, a hammer, a spear, and take on many disguises. Finally, the mural ended with the Laughing God standing on a bridge between realms.

Adam heaved a long, heavy sigh. It was a lot for him to take in. He found nothing familiar in the ancient murals, except for one thing…

Gazing at the giant ash tree beneath whose roots the Laughing God and the mysterious old man were shaking hands, he murmured:

"Great Mother Yggdrasil… one of the few beings older than even the Gods."

"Brother, is every ash tree the Great Mother?" Valerian, who was perched on his shoulder, asked curiously.

"In a manner of speaking, yes." Adam nodded. "They are all extensions of the world tree."

Adam turned his gaze towards the bottom corner of the mural, where the string of words in the Mauri language was inscribed.

Breaker of Oaths…

Weaver of Lies…

Great God of Many Faces…

Adam muttered those words inwardly. They sounded very ominous, to say the least. Finally, he turned his head towards the arched door next to the mural. Beyond the door was a staircase that led deeper underground… into the darkness.

Just standing next to the door, he could feel a slight weight pressing on his spirit sea. Sensing that, he couldn't help but frown.

As if confirming his speculations, Valerian whispered into his ears, "Brother, that should be the effects of the soul flame."

Adam nodded silently.

Several tense moments of silence ensued before Valerian hopped off Adam's shoulder. He raised his head to look at him, then said:

"I'll stand watch here while you go down there. I don't think I should go there with you. Something tells me I wouldn't survive those flames, nor last inside your spirit sea while you're facing them."

Adam remained silent, hesitation shadowing his face. He shared the young dragon's sentiments, but at the same time, he didn't want to leave him alone here.

As if sensing his doubts, Valerian assured him, "Don't worry, Brother. That four-armed demon won't come here anytime soon. So, I'll be safe. You should worry about yourself."

Adam turned to look at him with slight surprise in his eyes. "Val, you sound… mature. When the hell did that happen?"

Valerian looked away, snorting in disdain. "Don't look down on me! I am a mighty dragon! I am the wisest!"

Hearing his words, Adam displayed a faint smile. "That's the Val I know."

His expression gradually turned solemn as he looked towards the darkness beyond the arched door. He took a deep breath, then said:

"Wait for me, then. I'll be right back. And then… then we'll return to Ravenfell."

With that said, he took a step forward and passed through the door.

And just like the white butterfly prophesied…

When the silence fell once more, the destined one, guided by a young dragon, walked into the temple's heart to lay claim to the relic of the Laughing God.

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