Chapter 472 Demeanor


    The White Stag, Town Square.


    Adam sat at the table by his bed, gazing at the snow falling outside through the window. The cup of tea had already gone cold.


    Beside the cup was the book that Eleiney was reading yesterday at the library. She thought it was interesting, so she borrowed it from Old Kathy and presented it to Adam.


    However, the raven-haired youth had yet to read it. He simply sat there in a daze. For the past few months, he was barely able to focus on anything.


    His mind would always wander around. Mostly, he was thinking of Berger.


    It had been more than six months since he hadst received any response from the old gnome. At the time, Berger had said to him that he was beginning his preparation to advance to the next rank.


    Adam heaved a deep sigh and snapped out of his reverie when a cold gust of wind blew and gently assaulted his face.


    His shoulders slouched ever so slightly and he muttered under his breath, "It''s so hard to concentrate…"


    Suddenly, his eyes narrowed and he sat straight up, intently gazing at the corner of his room. A momentter, the colors in that area started to saturate and the space rippled.


    A messenger from the Brotherhood? Or could it be… The youth''s eyes flickered with hope.


    The next moment, the space tore open and a portal to the Spirit World was formed.


    Adam got to his feet, gazing at the portal with rapt focus. Then, a ck shadow jumped out of the portal andnded on the ground.


    "ckie!" Adam''s eyes lit up and he rushed forward.


    Berger''s familiar wasn''t in his adorable puppy form. Instead, he appeared as a majestic ck wolf, almost the same height as Adam.


    The youth wasn''t surprised in the least. He had seen ckie in a size much more enormouspared to this. He put his arms around the mysterious creature''s neck and gave him a warm hug.


    ckie closed his eyes and rested his head on the youth''s shoulder. He then nced at Adam and spoke in a dignified voice, "How have you been?"


    "Not bad," said Adam with a self-deprecating smile.


    He looked into ckie''s abyss-like eyes and added withplicated emotions, "You''ve… changed."


    Back when Adam had met ckie for the first time, thetter always acted in a carefree manner, always making fun of him and teasing him.


    But ever since Berger had begun preparing for his advancement, ckie''s whole demeanor had changed. It was almost like they were two entirely different people.


    Adam knew that the old gnome''s deteriorating health had deeply affected ckie psychologically. He knew this because he was going through the same.


    ckie nced at the youth and asked, "Where''s the kid?"


    Adam knew he was referring to Valerian, so he replied with a faint smile, "He''s gone out with my students."


    "I see." ckie nodded ever so slightly before squatting on the floor. "Berger has finished all the preparations for his advancement."


    "You saw him recently?!" Adam asked with extreme eagerness. "How is he? Is he doing well?"


    "He came out yesterday for a brief period."


    "Came out?" The youth asked in confusion. "Where from? Where is he right now?"


    ckie patiently replied, "He''s in a secluded area in the Murky Mountains, somewhere no one will be able to disturb him."


    He paused for a moment before adding, "Close-door mindfulness is different from your regr round of mindfulness. A Magus carries this out in seclusion, usually to focus on breaking through a bottleneck or to avoid bing distracted at a crucial point."


    Adam knew very well the importance and the reason behind close-door mindfulness. After all, the experts whose memories he had devoured had entered this state of mindfulness several times in their lives.


    "The recipe you had written down that allows the soul body to enter an extended period of trance will be very helpful to Berger," ckie continued.


    He deeply looked at Adam for a long time before adding, "I don''t know where you found about those arcane secrets that guide a Magus to advance to the Mana Core Rank…"


    Adam lowered his head, his expression extremely conflicted. Before he coulde up with an excuse, ckie said to him, "But I''m very grateful that you did."


    The youth was momentarily taken aback, "Are you… not going to ask me—"


    ckie interrupted him, "I do not care about that. Berger''s chances of breaking through to the Mana Core Rank have significantly increased thanks to your notes."


    He took a deep breath and sighed, his eyes shining with appreciation. "And that''s all that matters to me."


    Tears started to well up in Adam''s eyes and his lips quivered. "As long as the old man makes it… I don''t care how many times he smacks me with that stupid pipe… I''ll exin everything to him then."


    ckie stepped forward and nudged his head against Adam''s. "Everything''s going to be alright."


    Adam nodded as he wiped his tears with his sleeves.


    The following moment, a letter appeared in the youth''s hand. He looked at it and asked expectantly, "Is this…"


    ckie nodded. "Berger wrote this yesterday. For the past six months, he has been religiously studying the notes that you sent him. Now, all the preparations areplete. He is finally ready to break through!"


    Adam involuntarily sped the rolled parchment paper in his hand. "How… how long will it take?"


    ckie shook his head. "I don''t know. It may take months or even years."


    "I see." Adam lowered his head and asked softly, "ckie… everything will be fine… right?"


    "Have faith in Berger," ckieforted him.


    He paused for a moment before adding, "I must leave now. I have to guard him until hees out of seclusion, so this is thest time I will visit you for a long time."


    Adam took a deep breath and nodded. "I understand."


    ckie suddenly looked out of the window with narrowed eyes. "There is something strange about this ce. You must be careful."


    "What do you mean?" Adam''s expression turned extremely solemn.


    ckie was silent for a very long time. He then looked back at Adam and stated, "Use this if you''re in danger. I''m afraid I won''t be able to protect you like I did that time with the vampire."


    Adam looked at the item in his palm in confusion. However, he didn''t ask further about it and kept it away inside his earring.


    When he looked back up, ckie was already gone.


    The youth remained standing with a dazed look in his eyes for a very long time. He then unfurled the letter in his hand and read its contents.


    Berger had written only two words on it.


    ''Thank you.''