Chapter 98 - Intermission - Cato Magnus Cornelius, the Regressor
In the modern world, Magnus grew up without parents. He survived, barely, by begging for food and scraps in the city. At thirteen, the police apprehended him and sent him to an orphanage. There, he finally received an ID, granting him a place in society.
Life at the orphanage was a blessing compared to the streets. Food, education, and a roof were things he had never known before. He treasured them and studied relentlessly.
By sixteen, Magnus had caught up with the standard education system, graduating high school with a GPA of 3.96. He even memorized engineering mechanics textbooks donated to the orphanage. Teachers and caretakers favored him, promising scholarships at prestigious engineering universities.
But his success drew envy. On his seventeenth birthday, peers from the orphanage beat him in front of the caretakers. His right hand was shattered beyond repair, and he could never write with it again.
