As the Joker continued to stare at the beautiful scenery through the large portal, pearls of tears slowly started to roll down his white-painted face.
This was perhaps the first time he had ever shed tears.
Tears of joy.
However, no matter how much he yearned to go to the Spirit World, for now, he could only stare at it from afar. After all, he still had to fulfill the arrangements left behind by his late Master.
He took out a red silk napkin from his pocket and wiped the tears from his face. Then, he glanced at Adam and smiled gratefully. "Thank you."
Adam bowed dramatically. It couldn't be helped. In the time he had spent with the Joker, he had learned quite a few things about showmanship.
Suddenly, a gray light flashed in front of Adam's head, and the next moment, Valerian appeared!
"Myuuu!" The young dragon didn't even cast a glance at Adam or the Joker. Instead, he stared at the Spirit World through the large portal and started clapping his tiny, furry paws.
"Val, I told you not to come out before giving me a heads-up." Adam tried to be stern, but he failed. Toward the little guy, he could never be angry.
However, the young dragon didn't bother about what Adam was saying at all. Instead, he started jumping around excitedly. "Myu! Myu! Myu! Myu!"
"Haa…" Adam face-palmed. "Val, how many times have I told you? You cannot go into the Spirit World yet."
"Myuu…" Valerian's ears drooped and his eyes turned watery. He slowly walked toward Adam and sat down pitifully, looking at him with his teary eyes.
Adam's heart twisted into a knot seeing such an expression on Valerian. However, despite that, he resolved himself to decline once again.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Going to the Spirit World was simply too dangerous, not just for the little guy but even for him. Unless he was sure of protecting the both of them, Adam would never take Valerian to the Spirit World.
While the two brothers were arguing, the Joker had a dumbfounded look on his face. This was probably the first ever instance in his life where the smile on his face had actually vanished.
What replaced it was shock.
Absolute shock!
"Wait a minute!" He walked up to the two and stood between them. He deeply looked at Valerian, who was looking back at him with an innocent tilt of the head, and then looked at Adam.
"Did this guy… just come out of your head?" The Joker shook his head. "No, wait, that's not possible. The cat looks too clean to be residing inside your body."
The joker went into deep thought, his face riddled with bewilderment.
"Don't tell me! Did the cat come out of your mind?!" But realizing the words coming out of his mouth, he realized how ludicrous it was. "No, that's even more impossible!"
Seeing the Joker on the verge of losing his mind, Adam was puzzled, "What's with you? Why are you acting so strangely?"
The Joker glared at him. He stomped toward Adam and grabbed his shoulders. "Lad, first tell me, where did the cat come from?"
"From my mind?"
"You know how absurd that sounds, right?"
"No?" Adam was genuinely puzzled.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})In the end, the Joker could only shake his head and heave a helpless sigh. "You are one strange young lad…"
Meanwhile, Valerian agilely climbed Adam's shoulder and then suspiciously looked at the Joker with narrowed eyes. The funny-looking man calling his brother strange was like the pot calling the kettle black.
Strange… so very strange! Valerian thought to himself.
The Joker ignored the looks the little guy was giving him. He glanced at Adam and spoke incredulously. "You know how rare it is for a magical beast to reside inside one's mind, right?"
"No, forget rare," He corrected himself. "As far as I know, it's unprecedented. What type of magical beast is he?"
Adam gently grabbed Valerian from his shoulder. "What do you mean? Can't you see? He's a cat."
The Joker rolled his eyes. "You're ignorant. That familiar of yours is truly special. You must take good care of it."
"I know he's special." Adam hugged Valerian with a warm smile.
The next moment, his face turned stern. "Now, go back inside. If you come out without my permission again, you will receive a thorough spanking from me."
"Myuu…" Valerian nodded his head meekly after being scolded. The next moment, he turned into a gray flash and disappeared again.
"Truly fascinating!" The Joker was captivated by the little guy traveling back and forth inside Adam's mind.
He knew literally everything his late Master knew, yet he couldn't identify just what type of magical beast Valerian was. Moreover, in all the worlds his Master had traveled to, he had never heard of a magical beast having the ability to go inside someone's mind.
This was truly an eye-opening experience for him.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})While the Joker was reeling in from the shock, the portal above the runic formation rumbled, and the next moment, it contracted until the space returned to normal.
Before the portal closed, he was able to cast one final glance at the Spirit World. A brilliant smile bloomed on his face as he looked forward to the day he would be able to go to that mystical realm.
He turned his head to look at Adam and said sincerely, "Thank you, lad."
"Ah, it's no big deal!" The youth waved his hand nonchalantly as he cleaned up the runic formation.
"No, it means a lot to me," The Joker replied. Suddenly, he thought of something and grinned. "Since you've given me such a wonderful present, it's only right that I reciprocate."
Adam stopped in his movements. He turned around to look at the Joker and asked in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"Fafafa!" The man laughed out loud. "Go ahead. I'll allow you to take one other book from this library. Choose whatever you like."
"Really?!" Adam was stunned. He shot to his feet and asked once again, "Are you serious?"
"Of course!"
Adam had never even thought of receiving another reward. Just the two books on gravity magic were more than enough for him. The reason why he had opened a portal to the Spirit World in the first place was just so he could thank the Joker for his hospitality.
He had never expected anything in return.
But now, he was ecstatic!
"I can choose any book?" The youth asked with shining eyes.
"Yes, of course, fafafa!"
Adam didn't even have to think twice before answering.
"Very well, I'll choose a book from the School of Illusion!"
