Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe-Chapter 943: Inner Circle

It was subtle. Very subtle.

Yet, Adam was able to find out almost instantaneously.

The surprising thing was that this middle-aged man with the unremarkable appearance changed his expressions in the blink of an eye, imitating others’ reactions of shock and worry.

Noticing that, Adam felt even more certain that this person did not belong here and was most likely the spy from the Cult.

However, now was not the time to expose him. No, that would be far from advantageous.

Adam had something entirely different planned for this rat.

However, there was one thing that bothered him.

Only one person from the Mana Liquefaction Magi? He thought, perplexed.

He was expecting at least one Mana Vortex Magus to act suspiciously when he divulged that information. But much to his surprise, none of the Twilight Wardens had.

That could only mean one thing...

And Adam wasn’t foolish enough to think there weren’t any spies amongst the Twilight Wardens in the organization.

They’re quite good at hiding their emotions, it seems...

He thought to himself as he leisurely sipped wine, while all around him, there was utter pandemonium.

The last thing the members of the Brotherhood expected was the supposed leader of the Cult of Bones to be present in Ravenfell.

"Silence!" Kenelm Bomwan roared, slamming his fist on the table once again.

By now, cracks had formed on the surface of the table from the angry old man’s repeated, furious slams

The clamor gradually died down. But now, all the Mana Liquefaction Magi had anxious and fearful expressions on their faces.

And the Mana Vortex Magi... their faces were marred with grim resignation.

Strangely enough, no one questioned the veracity of the Dark King’s intel.

Within the Brotherhood, he was known as a powerful and capable person who had fought tooth and nail in the war against the Cult of Bones in Ulier.

As such, everyone knew just how much the young man loathed this evil organization. Then, there was also his mentor’s history with the cult.

The Magi at the lower rungs of the hierarchical ladder may not know, but how could the Twilight Wardens not?

That Berger Glynhorn harbored such a bloody, deep-seated enmity towards the Cult for what they had done to him!

Taken all together, it was clear to everyone that Adam’s words could be trusted.

Yet, there was this nagging doubt lingering in the depths of their eyes. This wasn’t out of trust issues, but fear.

The Twilight Wardens knew just how formidable the Cult Leader was.

Rumors even whispered that he was the greatest Magus this world had ever seen...

Unrivaled in Tron!

So, how could these Magi not feel terror creep into their hearts?

Kenelm Bowman turned to look at Adam. He deeply gazed at the youth and then asked, his tone even and solemn, "Are you sure he was the Cult Leader?"

Adam placed the flat cup on the table. He lingered for a moment, then turned to the old man and answered, "I’ve never seen the Cult Leader before. I don’t even know what he looks like."

He paused, a strange light flickering in his eyes. He wanted to confirm something that he had speculated for a while now. But he had to be subtle about it.

"Then how do you know that man you saw was the leader?" Bomwan asked again, this time, however, his tone was cold.

Adam answered confidently, "That man... was strong. Perhaps as strong as Headmaster Blackwood, if not stronger."

A collective gasp was heard around the chamber.

As strong as the Headmaster of Saratoga?

Headmaster Marcus Blackwood was one of the strongest Magi in Ulier. For Adam to claim that the person he had met was as strong as the Headmaster was simply astonishing!

Meanwhile, Adam thought to himself, That mysterious man may be stronger than Headmaster Blackwood, but compared to that old man I met in the Murky Mountains...

He was reminded of that elderly Magus, whom Blackie claimed to be Berger’s mentor. Adam found his sealing magic deeply fascinating.

Moreover, he also couldn’t quite put a finger on that old Magus’s strength.

"Tell me, Adam," Bowman called out to him.

His expression was solemn, and he asked, "That man you met... was he a lich?"

Everyone held their breaths, all of them staring intently at Adam, waiting for his answer.

And that was the confirmation Adam needed.

From the founder’s journals, he had learned that Bartholomew had transformed into a lich to live long enough for the next planetary alignment to arrive.

Yet, deep down in his heart, a nagging doubt lingered. Adam, for some odd reason, wasn’t convinced that he was the Cult Leader.

It was a strange, unsettling feeling.

But when he heard Kenelm Bowman’s words, that lingering suspicions vanished, and the unanswered questions finally found their answers.

Adam shook his head, answering confidently, "No, he wasn’t. Although I wasn’t able to see his face, I know for certain that he was alive. A living man, flesh and blood. Besides, the aura of death and rot wasn’t nearly as strong as I’ve sensed in other cultists."

"Are you certain?" Bowman pressed, his voice heavy.

Adam looked the old man in the eyes and nodded. "Absolutely."

Hearing his answer, Bowman leaned back in his chair, breathing a light sigh of relief. "Then, it’s not the Cult Leader. If I have to guess, it’s one of the Elders."

"The Elders?" Adam arched an eyebrow.

He wasn’t aware of the hierarchy within the Cult of Bones.

Kenelm Bowman nodded. Then, he scanned all the Mana Liquefaction Magi in the room, considering whether to divulge this information or not.

After all, this was above their clearance level.

But considering the brutal war about to embroil all of them in blood, spells, and steel, it did not matter.

He turned his attention back to Adam and spoke in a slow, yet steady voice, "The Cult Leader is the supreme authority of the Cult of Bones. Under him is the Inner Circle consisting of five Elders, who are all Mana Core Magi."

Bowman paused for a moment, his expression turning grave. "That is not to say the Cult only has five Mana Core Magi. The truth is, they have numerous Mana Core Magi in their ranks, and only the strongest of them get to be chosen by the Cult Leader to enter the Inner Circle."

"Are you telling me these Magi from the Inner Circle are all at the peak of the Mana Core Rank?" Adam’s expression darkened as the weight of realization sank in.

"Very likely." Bowman nodded.

He lingered for a moment before continuing, "The person you’ve met is most likely an Elder from the Inner Circle."

A dark foreboding feeling gripped Adam’s heart, and only one thought echoed inside his mind:

If the Inner Circle consists of Magi at the peak of the Mana Core Rank, then...

How strong is the Cult Leader?