Chapter 461: Transient
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Somewhere near the borders of the Nightingale Kingdom, perched upon a gentle hill, an ash tree stood as a guardian over the sprawling mountain ranges.
The canopy was a verdant green, the leaves glittering with an ethereal glow that shifted with the changing light every time a cloud blocked the sunlight.
Its branches were adorned with blossoms of creamy white colors, each flower exuding a faint, sweet fragrance that filled the air. The branches reached upward and outward as if trying to embrace the sky.
Beneath the tree, the ground was carpeted with soft, emerald grass and vibrant wildflowers. An old gnome knelt on the ground, cing incense sticks before a small portrait that rested against the tree trunk.
"It has been so many years, my dear Germir." The gnome softly muttered as he lit up the incense sticks one by one. "A beautiful tree has bloomed from the ashes Iid here."
A calm and soothing aroma exuded from the incense smoke, causing the old gnome to feel at ease. His lips curled up, but there was no trace of a smile.
ncing at the portrait that disyed a young gnome smiling cheerfully, the old gnome''s lips quivered. "I wonder where your spirit has wandered to? Are you well? When I die, I wonder if I''ll be able to find you..."
Unlike the other major races, gnome funeral rites employed cremation. It broke down the body into ash and dust, releasing the spirit to find its own way toward the afterlife.
The old gnome wiped his tears and rested against the ash tree, gazing at the scenery around him.
From the hilltop, he could see the vast expanse of the region below - rolling hills dotted with evergreen forests, sparkling rivers weaving through thendscape, and even distant mountains with snow-capped peaks.
The ash tree atop this hill was a ce of peace, a ce that the old gnome frequently visited to chat with his long-deceased son.
The gnome looked in the direction of the Acadian Empire in the north. His eyes shed with reminiscence and he muttered, "Adam..."
Suddenly, the next moment, the space beside him undted and the colors began to saturate. The old gnome looked toward it with a calm expression.
A portal to the Spirit World opened and ckie jumped out of it. He walked toward the old gnome and buried himself in his arms.
"My old friend, you don''t need to be so disheartened." Berger fondly rubbed ckie''s head. "Death is a part of life. Without one, the other is iplete."
He took a deep breath and continued, "But my ancestors believed that for the soul, there is neither birth nor death. Nor having once been, does it ever cease to be. It is unborn, yet also eternal. It is not in when the body is in."
There was profound wisdom in his words, reflecting the immortality of the soul body and the transient nature of the physical body.
However, whether his words held true was yet to be known by any man that was alive.
"My only regrets are that I won''t be able to see the boy grow up and that I won''t be able to fulfill my promise to you." Berger rested his head against ckie''s. "Forgive me, my friend." "Berger..." ckie''s voice was deep and resonant. "Your time has note yet."
His bearing was confident, almost authoritative. It waspletely unlike how he presented himself in front of Adam and Valerian.
The old gnome chuckled in a self-deprecating manner, "Rest assured, I will try my best to advance during my close-door mindfulness.
"But we must be pragmatic, the chances of a Magus, especially someone as old as me, to break through to the Mana Core Rank is very minuscule."
He paused for a moment before speaking in a solemn tone, "ckie, upon my death, I want you to go to Adam and-"
However, before he could continue, ckie interrupted him, "What if I told you that your chances for breaking through to the Mana Core Rank have increased significantly?"
Berger was momentarily taken aback before he burst intoughter. He spoke jokingly, "Did the boy send an elixir to extend my life?"
"No." ckie shook his head, his expression as serious as ever. "He sent something far greater."
The following moment, he opened his maws wide. If one observed closely, one would be able to see a barely visible portal to a mysterious spatial dimension inside his mouth.
Berger couldn''t help but be curious about what his familiar was going to take out. But all he saw was a thick stack of parchment paperse out of ckie''s mouth andnd on hisp.
"What''s this?"
ckie''s tone was filled with unconcealed shock and admiration, "That kid, Adam... He is something else entirely. Never in my life had I expected him to know of such arcane knowledge."
Berger grabbed the first piece of paper and read the title out loud, "The path to Mana Core..." His eyes widened in disbelief and he looked at his familiar, "How... How does he know of
this?"
"This is just the beginning," said ckie. "The more you read, the more you''ll realize just how deep his knowledge about magic is. It is almost as if... he has the mind of an old venerable sage inside the body of a child."
Berger continued to read through the parchment papers that Adam had written. He could feel the youth''s desperation through the words. It invoked a strong sense of emotion inside him. The more he read, the more shocked he became. There were topics written about the analytical and spiritual side of magic that even he wasn''t aware of.
When he read about the profoundness of Adam''sprehension of the Way, Berger felt his soul deeply resonate with him. The mana in the surroundings gently thrummed and echoed to the pulse of his soul.
This was a near-state of enlightenment, however, due to his shocked state, he wasn''t able to properly capitalize on it.
His hands trembled as he held onto the papers. He looked at ckie and asked, "Just where did he get all this?"
"It doesn''t matter." ckie shook his head. He paused for a moment before speaking with encouraging words.
"All that matters now is your advancement to the Mana Core Rank!"