Among the twelve families, four individuals stood out because of their immense strength and raw talent. However, a year ago, one new person was added to that group. Although she had a lower rank at the time, what placed her among the four wasn't her current strength, but her talent.
The highest Qi output was recorded by Morgana, showcasing a level that those at Rank Four usually possess while she was only at Rank One. Although currently a Rank Two heading toward Rank Three, at full power, she is said to go toe-to-toe with Rank Fours and handle Rank Threes with relative ease.
'Morgana Astra.'
Leonard was looking at his killer. Morgana's sharp brown eyes reflected Leonard's gaze. Just by looking at her, Leonard knew he couldn't win in a fight. After all, even when he had previously encountered the Corruption that mutated his body and raised it to Rank Two, he had still been killed with relative ease.
The two were soon close to each other.
"Good evening, Lady Morgana," Leonard said with a small bow.
"Good evening to you as well, Lord Caesar," Morgana replied, bowing slightly and lifting the edges of her skirt. "Vince, you may leave us be," she added, looking at the man who had escorted Leonard.
"I understand, my Lady." The man bowed and left the two alone.
"Shall we head inside?" Morgana spoke with a soft smile on her face.
"Sure," Leonard replied.
Despite her accomplishments and her ruthlessness when fighting, Morgana was a remarkably kind person. She had never boasted about her power, nor had she ever sought trouble with Caesar. She simply lived her life; as long as no one disturbed her, she did not disturb them.
However, despite her kindness, Leonard wouldn't say he liked her. After all, she had been the one to cause his death. But he also didn't hate her, because, in the end, Leonard's death had allowed him to escape the slums and ended his life before he fully became a mindless Demon.
The two headed toward the mansion.
"Lady Morgana, could you tell me about your encounter with the boy?" Leonard asked as they walked.
"Sure," Morgana said.
Their mansion was spacious, with ornate candelabras placed throughout. There were a number of servants who bowed upon seeing Leonard.
"I was close by at the time and sensed a change in the surrounding Qi. Although I didn't consider it serious at first, I decided to check the matter," Morgana explained. "When I arrived, I saw crowds of people running. This immediately made me realize how serious the situation was. I rushed there to see the cause. There, I saw a pile of corpses killed in brutal ways. The culprit was a boy with long blonde hair, which was red at the time due to the blood. His physical features had already started to mutate."
She paused, her expression turning thoughtful. "I have to say, though—if he hadn't been killed in time, he could have become a Rank Six and destroyed the place. It would have taken at least a Rank Seven to kill him. It seems that a strong catalyst triggered his Corruption."
Leonard's eyes dilated slightly. He was shocked to hear Morgana's words. Trying to calm himself, he asked, "Are you saying that his Corruption might not have been natural?"
Morgana kept quiet for a moment, then spoke. "It's just my theory. I have no evidence to back up my claim."
"I see. Well, thank you for sharing your theory with me," Leonard said, his eyes holding a strange light.
"Don't mention it. Our families have been on good terms for a while. Consider it me giving a friend a helping hand," Morgana said, smiling softly.
Leonard gave her a light smile in return. "Still, I appreciate it. If you ever need help, I'll try my best to assist you."
Whether Morgana was planning a scheme, Leonard didn't care much right now. He was mentally replaying what had happened before he went berserk.
'My day started off normally. Everything was the same as it always was. It was just that, on that day, I snapped because I grew tired of it all.'
Leonard couldn't find anything wrong with what had happened that day. It seemed that Lady Morgana's theory might be wrong, but strangely, Leonard believed some of it to be true.
Morgana stopped at a door. "We're here."
As she said this, she opened the door. Inside the room, Leonard saw a man seated in a chair. Close to the man was a headless corpse; the head sat to the corpse's left. Seeing the two arrive, the man gave a bow.
"Good evening, my Lady. Good evening, my Lord."
Leonard gave the man a nod and walked toward the body. Looking at the corpse, he felt a strange emotion wash over him. It was sorrow, guilt, and even... happiness. Leonard noticed that the corpse now had long nails with dried blood, and the muscles seemed more concentrated. He then turned his attention to the head. His long blonde hair had been cut along with his neck; it was now short and matted with dried blood. His eyes were closed.
Looking at his own remains, Leonard asked himself a question: 'Was my death truly predetermined?'
The one who caused his death was most likely the Witch of Time. Leonard didn't find it hard to believe, but he also had one important question: 'Why me?'
Leonard wondered why the Witch chose to go to such lengths for him. If she had gone through such efforts for someone like Morgana, it would be logical; after all, she was considered one of the most talented people in existence. Leonard couldn't understand why she chose *him*.
Every matter regarding the Witch was hard to comprehend. It was as if she did things on a whim. But then again, Leonard had doubts that the Witch was the one who had caused his Corruption. It just didn't seem like the work of a Witch. It lacked the specific signature that made it seem like her handiwork.
While looking at his corpse, he noticed a faint, shimmering line.
'Qi?'