Chapter 223 Balance
Legend has it, that in the beginning, when everything was in disorder and raw mana ran rampant, five fundamental elements emerged that would go on to shape the world: air, water, earth, fire, and wood.
Air, a gentle yet powerful force, brought forth movement and change. It danced across space, shaping the world with its unseen hands.
Water, a force soft yet firm, filled the cracks and crevices left by the element of air. Together, air and water carved rivers and oceans, shaping the very landscape.
Earth emerged after, solid and steadfast, providing the very foundation for life to take root. It formed mountains, valleys, and plains.
Fire brought light and warmth to the world. It streaked across the lands in a blaze of glory, igniting life in its wake.
Finally, came Wood, the element of vitality and growth. Wood spread across the lands, covering them with jungles and forests. It connected the other elements, binding them in a harmonious balance.
As the five elements came together, life emerged.
Out of chaos, came order.
The Five Elemental Codex was created based on this very principle. It allowed the user to extract mana from the surroundings in the most optimal way.
This technique siphoned the mana from the five fundamental elements that made up this world and allowed the user's mana to take the characteristic of the fusion of those five elements.
It aimed for harmony, not just amongst the five elements but with mana itself.
The more the user practiced this mana extraction technique, the purer their mana became. And that was not all. Their resonance with the five elements increased with each rank and they gained extreme proficiency while casting said elemental spells.
"I've truly struck it big time!" Adam couldn't help but smile brightly. "The Five Elemental Codex and the Astral Tyrant Manual are truly like peas in a pod…
"No, perhaps it is more accurate to say, that no matter what the Five Elemental Codex was paired with, they would complement each other. After all, that's what the Codex is all about.
"Balance!"
Gradually, Adam's eyelids started to feel heavy, and intense fatigue washed over him. He yawned loudly and muttered to himself, "I think it's about time classes start, huh?"
He hesitated briefly before shutting his eyes and lying down.
"Forget it. Sleep is more important."
…
That night, Edward and Lisa came over for dinner at Adam's house. As the trio sat at the dining table, waiting for food to be served, Adam handed them a scroll each.
"Take a look." The youth smiled smugly. "What do you think?"
From the vast number of mana extraction techniques that he had acquired after absorbing the expert's memories, Adam had handpicked two techniques that he found to be very suitable for his friends.
One was called Storm Bringer, a mana extraction technique that heavily focused on the elements of lightning, air, and water. Considering Edward's affinity, this technique seemed tailor-made for him.
The other one was called Woodland Convergence, another mana extraction technique that specialized in the elements of wood, poison, and healing. Adam felt that this was very appropriate for Lisa to practice.
Although these techniques weren't nearly as good as the Five Elemental Codex, they still held great value and could be considered top-tier mana extraction techniques in the universe.
As the couple read through the arcane texts on the scroll, their eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
"This… this… this…" Edward was so tongue-tied that he couldn't even think of words to say. He started to sweat profusely as he continued to read through the scroll.
"This is a thousand times, no, a million times better than the mana extraction technique handed down in my family!" The blue-eyed youth spoke incredulously. "No, not even a million times… This technique is simply invaluable!"
Meanwhile, Lisa read the scroll with trembling hands, the shock in her eyes visible for all to see. She glanced at Adam and asked, "W-Where did you find this?!"
Adam, who had interlocked his fingers and was resting his chin on them, glanced at her and smiled mysteriously. "Guess?"
Lisa gulped loudly. "No, Adam, this is not right! Tell me, how did you get your hands on this?"
The mana extraction technique that was given by the academy, or even the one that she had gotten from her family paled in comparison to the one she was holding.
Shocked as she was, tumultuous waves rose in her heart causing it to be gripped by cynicism.
Adam astutely saw through this and thought to himself, Is she afraid of the troubles practicing this technique would bring? Well, she's not entirely wrong in her judgment. These techniques are precious and would indeed make others feel covetous.
Thus, he lied blatantly through his teeth, "I was fortunate enough to meet the overseer of the secret plane while I was inside the House of Cards. After passing a few tests, he gave me access to these techniques."
The couple shot to their feet, shock etched all over their faces.
"What?! There's been an overseer inside the secret plane all this while?!"
"And he gave these techniques to you?! Unbelievable!"
"It's true." Adam shrugged. He then cooked up a bunch of lies mixed in with some truths to appease the hearts of his two friends.
"Hahahaha!" Edward burst into a loud peal of laughter. "To think such secrets were hiding inside the secret plane. Amazing! Simply amazing!"
However, Lisa was still skeptical about Adam's explanation. She found it difficult to believe that such valuable texts could even be found inside the secret plane and that the overseer would so easily part with them.
She hesitated for a long time before pushing the scroll back to Adam. "I… cannot accept this. This is too valuable for someone like me."
"Lisa!" Edward glanced at her like she had gone mad. "How can you refuse this?"
Lisa simply shook her head, not bothering to reply to Edward. She deeply looked at Adam and asked meekly, "Adam… why are you doing so much for us?"
Adam was silent.
Lisa continued, "For all that you've done for Edward, for me… I'll never be able to repay it in my lifetime—"
"And you'll never have to," Adam replied with a faint smile.
He could understand where she was coming from. He knew her well.
Unlike Edward, who didn't care about such things, Lisa was someone with a headstrong personality and didn't like to be indebted to others.
"You know, Lisa," Adam began with a reminiscent look in his eyes. "For as long as I can remember, I've always been on my own. I had no friends or family growing up…"
He smiled bitterly as he corrected himself, "Well, I did have parents, but I don't even remember their faces. Pitiful, isn't it?"
The couple's mood turned somber as they listened to Adam.
"You guys filled a void in my heart that I never knew I had. You, the old man, Val… and that person… you guys are the closest thing I have to a family."
Adam poured everyone a cup of wine. He raised his cup toward them and smiled gently.
"This is my way of thanking you. So please… won't you accept my gifts?"
Lisa's eyes turned red as tears slowly streamed down her face. Even Edward turned very emotional. Until now, they never knew how deeply Adam cherished them.
In the end, no one spoke a word. The couple raised their cups and clanked them with Adam's.
"Cheers!"
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