Adam hid his electrical aura escaping from his body by conjuring a magnetic field a few centimetres around him, so that he would appear as an ordinary person from the outside. He then hovered in between the trees towards the devil's directions.
The devil returned to their amorphous form, discarding their illusory body to conceal themselves better. As Adam got closer towards them in the sky, they pointed down and said, "This is the closest gathering area. I take back what I said -- this doesn't feel like home at all."
Adam peered downwards, finding that the city beneath him was incredibly dilapidated. Low city walls, hastily built houses, ragged pedestrians... this evoked a strong and deep memory in Adam.
"My dreamscape of despair..."
"Huh? What? Forget it. Master, summon me if you need anything," the devil said, returning back to the safety of Adam's mind.
Adam continued staring at the city. This city looked exactly the same as the ones in his nightmare that he was forced to relive countless times more than ten years ago.
"If it's the same... then an apprentice or mage should be in the central city's... mansion," Adam thought, landing not far outside the city gate, walking towards the city.
The soldier at the gate barred Adam from entering, "Hand over your guid-"
Of course, Adam continued walking forward, enveloping the two soldiers with his magnetic field. Once they recovered from their confusion, Adam was long gone.
Adam wondered how he should begin his mission, since he wasn't sure the gap in power between him and an antimage.
As for teaming up with other apprentices, he didn't think it was possible.
The city was relatively peaceful. No one dared to stop Adam, making way for him wherever he went. He soon realised why.
Only the most prestigious were able to wear clothing of this material.
Adam continued to stroll through the city.
He avoided the mansion in the centre. After walking around the city, he casually sat at a water shop on the street.
The owner was stunned, falling to his knees and kowtowed repeatedly, "My lord, I-I..."
Adam inquired directly, "I ask, you answer."
The owner nodded.
"Where is this place?"
"My lord, this is the City of Keyin."
"Continue."
"A-Ah, we are on the southern side of Ceylon Island. T-they aren't from here. They came to Ceylon Island... The Aum family... t-they..."
Adam was silent, and the owner kowtowed again, "My lord, please, this is all I know..."
But when he raised his head, Adam was already gone.
"The Aum Family, what a coincidence," Adam chuckled. He was the one hunted before, but now, the roles are reversed.
Adam pressed his arm against his forehead; the death mark that was once imprinted on there was completely dispelled. He was completely invisible on this island.
Adam strolled around the city and asked the same thing to a few people, and he received similar responses. All they knew was that the Aum family was incredibly powerful and terrifying.
In the areas ruled by the antimage, they deliberately make themselves terrifying. Hence, ordinary people are unable to tell the differences between an apprentice and a mage. Both are equally terrifying to them.
"Guess I have to infiltrate the mansion myself," Adam muttered to the devil as he hid outside the mansion.
The devil felt as if he was insulted.
"Master, I..."
"Hmm?" Adam stared at the devil, prepared to punish the devil again.
"No, let me," the devil expressed, transforming themselves into a pool of mist, sneaking into the mansion.
Adam could see what the devil was seeing thanks to their connection.
Like his dreams, the mansion was incredibly luxurious. The devil hid in the shadows, sneaking across the mansion as they hugged the corners of the mansion. A total of ten sources of energy could be felt, but they were all weak -- much weaker than Adam.
The devil suddenly stopped as they came to a room in the centre of the mansion, and the devil's voice rang in Adam's head, "There's a barrier here. I can't enter."
Adam could see that the barrier was not made of runes. Adam ordered the devil to stay outside and peer into the slightly ajar door. Within the room was a figure who was speaking, and Adam squinted his eyes to read his lips.
"...Unity... Family... Order... Outsider... Kill... Mage... Arrival... Mortal... All..."
The figure started to walk towards the door, and Adam hurriedly asked the devil to leave the mansion. The bits and pieces of information were enough for him to deduce the general situation.
It seems that the forces on the island were going to collaborate to deal with the apprentices, and there is no official antimage in the City of Keyin for now.
This was enough information for Adam. Adam darted into the sky, letting his elemental magic bloom in the night sky, and a magnetic field instantly enveloped the mansion.
The mortals in the mansion could be heard screaming in pain, and all the apprentices on the island could feel this energy. The barrier in the centre room was shattered, and a few figures in luxurious clothes rushed out, "Kill him! Dawn, notify the family immediately!"
