Adam and Merene pushed through the last curtain of thick vines and finally stepped onto ancient stone.

The ruins stretched wide before them. There were broad roads broken by roots that erupted from underground, toppled pillars lying where they had fallen thousands of years ago, and walls inscribed with faded carvings.

Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy above, faintly illuminating fragments of mosaics and broken statues. Birds nested in the high arches of what had once been great halls.

It was quiet, but not entirely lifeless. Adam could still hear the sound of birds chirping and the faint noise produced by small animals. This whole city felt like a place that had once been full of wonders, waiting to be uncovered again.

Adam expanded his Sphere of Resonance to the maximum output. A few moments later, a frown appeared on his charred face. He turned towards the elf and murmured:

"How come there are no powerful beasts here?"

He had fully expected at least one Mana Core-level beast, given that this ancient ruined city was far bigger than Ivory City. But much to his surprise, there were hardly any Mana Vortex-level beasts.

Or perhaps it was simply because he stood at the city's edge, unable to sense the beasts that might be lurking deeper within the heart of the city.

Merene crouched and pressed her palm against the ground. She closed her eyes and silently listened to her surroundings. Or perhaps, she was casting a scouting spell. A long time later, she answered:

"Most likely because of the lack of any fresh water supply near the city."

Adam frowned deeply, trying his best to drown the whispers of the Laughing God. In the end, he nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense. Still, it's better to confirm with our… I mean, your eyes."

Merene covered her mouth and giggled. A few moments later, she glanced at Adam's shadowy face under the hood of his cloak, then nodded.

"Alright then," she said. "I'll go and scout the city first."

Adam couldn't help but instantly protest, "Let's go together. It might be dangerous—"

But Merene interrupted him with a confident smirk, "I've lived on this island my whole life, Adam. Needless to say, I'm more than confident in my scouting and hiding skills. So, rest assured."

Adam hesitated briefly, and in the end, he realized that if he were to go with the elf, he might become more of a hindrance than a help. So he reluctantly nodded. "Alright, I'll be nearby then."

Merene flashed a dainty smile. "See you in a minute."

With that said, she disappeared behind the trees, leaving Adam by himself.

No, to be more precise, he wasn't alone.

There was Gege.

And there was another…

"Looks like it's just you and me, old sport." The white-robed Adam rested his elbow on Adam's shoulder. He then turned to the rucksack strapped to his back and added with a cheeky smile, "And there's this stupid box, too."

Adam turned to his fractured self and growled, "Disappear already."

He then shrugged his shoulder free and stomped away, heading deeper into the ruins. Meanwhile, the white-robed Adam simply chuckled in response and followed after him.

"You know, you cannot ignore me. I'm your conscience, after all," said the fractured self as he calmly walked beside Adam, hands clasped behind his back.

Adam stopped in his footsteps and glared at his white-robed counterpart through his dark, hollow eyes. "Why the hell do you have to appear when I'm with her? And even if you do appear, why can't you just keep your mouth shut?! What if she thinks I'm crazy!"

The white-robe Adam's expression turned grave. "Did you forget why you came to this island? And what does it matter what she thinks about you? You shouldn't listen to her. You shouldn't bother about her at all. Focus on your own goals."

Adam remained silent for a few moments, his head lowered. Then, he murmured. "Is it too much to ask for some company?"

"You have mine and this stupid box's," said the white-robed Adam with a straight face. "What else do you even need?"

Adam gritted his teeth and replied, "Talking to you is like talking to a mirror. Do you think I'm crazy?! And this stupid box… it only knows how to repeat one word! I'll really go crazy at this rate!"

"Hmph!" the white-robed Adam harrumped and walked away. "You're already crazy. Talking to that elf won't fix it. If anything, that'll only make it worse. And she's hardly useful to our grand plans. In fact, she's holding you down. You just don't know it yet."

"Just shut up already," Adam couldn't help but sneer as he walked past his fractured self, waving his hand dismissively. "I could argue that you're the one holding me down and not Merene. At least her company is pleasant."

The white-robed Adam heaved a long, helpless sigh. "You'll realize your folly eventually."

He paused, catching up to Adam. Then, added, "Just don't forget what we came here to do. Find the portal. Alter it. And leave. Understood?"

Adam remained silent.

"Don't forget your purpose." The white-robed Adam pressed, his voice turning colder.

"Alright! Alright!" Adam waved his hand in surrender. "Just get lost already. Stop bothering me for a minute, will ya?"

The mimic strapped to his back watched everything unfold in utter bewilderment. To it, Adam seemed to have held a full conversation with someone who wasn't even there.

"Gege…"

It couldn't help but wonder, was it going crazy too?

"Shut up, Gege." Adam tightened the rucksack's strap. "Come on. I think I 'saw' a broken mural somewhere over there."

"Gege…" It's not like the mimic could refuse.

If it had known Adam would turn out to be such a madman, it would have stayed a normal-looking chest in that attic and never revealed its true form.

The white-robed Adam stayed behind, watching Adam's departing figure. A dark expression appeared on his face. When he looked in the direction Merene had disappeared, his expression darkened further.

At last, he simply disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Meanwhile, Adam was fully aware of the changes in his fractured self's expressions. The more he noticed them, the more he couldn't shake off the forbidding feeling gripping his heart.

In the end, he shook his head and got rid of such dark thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm probably just overthinking…"

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