With a conflicted look on his face and a lot on his broken mind, Adam made his way through the giant stone rubble that once used to be part of the city walls.

Considering he didn't know what this ancient city was called, and how most, if not all, of it had been either reclaimed by nature or ravaged by time, the youth decided to call it the Forgotten City.

He slowly made his way through the ruins of the city, scanning almost every nook and cranny and ensuring there weren't any dangers. Although he did cross paths with a few magical beasts at the Mana Foundation and the Mana Liquefaction Rank, they all fled once he released a bit of his aura.

Adam's fingers traced the broken city wall as he slowly moved deeper into the city. As the sun gradually rose, it cast its radiant rays over the city. Walking alongside the shattered wall, half of his figure was bathed in sunlight, while the other half was shrouded in darkness or perhaps… madness.

Lost in thought, his mind involuntarily drifted to the life of a Magus in the Greater Universe. His lips curled into a bitter smile, and he murmured:

"Mana Foundation, Mana Liquefaction, and Mana Vortex… these three stages make up the Apprentice rank. You're only considered a true Magus once you've formed a mana core..."

"You keep repeating those words to yourself," The strangely familiar voice whispered. "Do you find it so demotivating?

Adam snorted. "Of course, it's demotivating! You spend decades to reach the height of arcane power in this world, only to realize you're at the bottom of the ladder in a greater world."

"Then do you wish to live in this well for the rest of your life, playing at being king?" The white-robed Adam's lips curled into a taunting smirk.

Adam remained silent for a long time. Finally, he shook his head. "That is not my dream…"

The smirk on the white-robed Adam's face deepened, and he whispered:

"You do know that the mana density and the natural laws differ in the higher realms, don't you? That means your spells will lose much of their potency once you set foot in those worlds."

Adam's footsteps halted. He raised his head and felt the gentle rays of the sun caressing his charred face. The warm light lit up the darkness in his hollow sockets, and for just a brief moment, the faint darkness in them gleamed with yearning.

"So what?" He replied, his voice barely a whisper.

"What's the point of reaching the peak of this world if you don't strive for the peak of the next world? I do not chase the illusion of arcane mastery, but the true peak of magic, one that has never been reached by any Magus in existence.

"That is my dream. And if it means starting from the bottom again, I shall do so without hesitation. Even if I must mop floors and tend horse stables again, I'll endure it. Tron, Myrrandor, or even the Plane of Realities, it doesn't make a difference."

Adam paused for a moment, then continued, his voice filled with conviction:

"I will begin anew as many times as it takes. In the end, I will stand at the peak of magic. I believe that with all my heart."

Standing behind him, the white-robed Adam intently listened to every word he said. In the end, he displayed a genuine smile.

"There is hope for you yet, old sport," he said as he walked up to Adam and patted his shoulder. "For now, let's focus on our goal. Don't get sidetracked by that elf. I'm warning you."

Adam's expression darkened. He turned to gaze at his fractured self and couldn't help but complain, "What's the matter with you? Can you stop talking about her already? And what the hell do you mean I'm getting sidetracked? Are you crazy?"

The white-robed Adam slightly raised his hands in surrender. He shrugged and said, "I'm just saying. That's all."

"Well, keep it to yourself," said Adam, his lips curling into a wide grin.

Strapped to his back, the mimic mumbled in bewilderment, wondering who Adam was even talking to:

"Gege…"

"Oh, shut up!" Adam and his fractured self snapped in unison.

Then, the two looked at one another. Silence ensued for a brief moment, and then…

"Hahaha!"

Both laughed out loud simultaneously.

As for the mimic, he couldn't help but whimper in fear. "Gege…"

The two made their way to a tall, broken structure nearby. It had the air of an important place, perhaps once a center of learning. If that were the case, Adam might be able to uncover valuable knowledge within.

"By the way," The white-robed Adam began. His expression turned solemn, and he continued, "That dream you had… do you remember any of it?"

Adam frowned, yet his lips curled into a wide grin. "What dream? What're you talking about?"

The two climbed over a large pillar that blocked their way. Then, they dropped down at the base of the grand staircase leading to the massive building in front.

Even as the Laughing God whispered words of madness in his ears, Adam kept his Sphere of Resonance active, constantly scanning his surroundings for threats.

The white-robed Adam's expression turned grim. "You know… the one you had before seeing Merene for the first time. Do you remember it? I can't explain why, but I feel it was important, like it held clues to your future… our future!"

Adam stopped in his footsteps. He lowered his head and thought deeply. This dream happened more than four months ago. He could recall that it was a terrifying dream—a nightmare even—but couldn't quite remember its contents.

"I don't know…" he murmured. "I saw a gateway? An arched gateway. And a river? I don't remember."

He turned to his fractured self and asked with a deep grin. "Do you?"

The white-robed Adam scoffed. "How can I know something even you don't? Are you even listening to yourself?"

The next moment, he lowered his head and muttered softly. "But it was a strange dream, that one."

"Whatever." Adam waved his hand dismissively and climbed the stairs. "If it were important, we would have recalled it, don't you think?"

With that said, he finally entered the massive dilapidated building.

And as fate would have it… it was exactly what he had been looking for.

Meanwhile, the white-robed Adam glanced at his departing back and murmured:

"Well, that's the thing with dreams, isn't it? You're not really meant to remember them..."

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