Inside the grand estate of the Desolate Manor, the atmosphere was thick with frantic energy.
Throughout the massive mansion, a multitude of servants and subordinates were running around, huffing and puffing as they hurriedly prepared the grounds for a monumental event.
Along the stone corridors and arched entryways, elegant banners embroidered with the intricate sigil of the Astral Requiem were being carefully hung.
Given the extraordinary amount of extra attention and meticulous precision poured into these preparations, any outside observer could easily deduce that someone of immense importance was about to visit the estate.
Every worker draped in the organization's uniform bore a strange, iconic symbol stamped across the back of their robes, a menacing, stylized skull framed by sweeping, majestic wings.
This was the unmistakable emblem of the Astral Requiem, the revolutionary group that had stood undisputed across the territories, causing all other organizations to shiver in sheer terror at their mere sight.
"Are all the preparations finalized? I will not tolerate a single mistake tonight," an old geezer demanded sternly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the acolytes overseeing the labor.
This old man possessed a hard, stern countenance, with vibrant green hair, and a large, imposing frame draped in luxurious red robes.
Stamped on the back of his fabric was the skull emblem flanked by five distinct wings, clearly signifying his prestigious role as an important high-ranking figure within the entirety of the group.
"Yes, grandfather. All primary arrangements were fully completed yesterday," a beautiful oliver haired female Magus replied, bowing respectfully before the old man.
Her robes bore a three-wings status, marking her as a newly advanced official Magus, and she happened to be the only remaining close relative of the old magus. "I am simply cross-checking every minor detail to ensure everything is up to the absolute mark. If you don't mind me asking... who exactly is this esteemed guest visiting our manor tonight?"
As she inquired about the identity of the mysterious traveler, a strained smile flashed across the weathered face of the old man, Armani Greenwood, a rare movement for facial muscles that had long forgotten how to express casual warmth.
"You would surely be surprised to know who he is, my dear. He happens to be your ultimate idol, Nina."
Nina gasped loudly, her breath catching in her throat as stars began to shine in her wide eyes. "Lo—Lord Leylin is coming here personally!? He is actually visiting our humble manor?"
In her sudden burst of pure excitement, she began screaming and jumping up and down, completely violating the decorum typically demanded of an official Magus.
Armani could only offer a wry, helpless smile at the display. In the name of family, this girl was all he had left in the world, and he had undoubtedly spoiled her rotten over the years.
Even though he had established a necessary professional boundary between them ever since she became an acolyte, continuously hammering the stoic discipline of how a true Magus must act into her skull, she still lost all composure whenever her emotions got the better of her.
Yet, the one thing that continuously put his old heart at ease was her talent in magical research.
'I really made the correct decision to abandon the old factions and join the Astral Requiem,' Armani thought silently, watching her. 'Here, her research talents are genuinely appreciated, and I can be completely certain of her safety.'
"Gran—I mean, Grandpa! I should immediately go and double-check the banquet hall to ensure everything is flawless!" Nina practically shouted, flushing red as she quickly apologized for her slip in professional tongue.
Receiving a brief nod from him, she made a straight beeline toward her private chambers. Armani shook his head with a fond smile, but as the hallway fell silent again, the warmth vanished from his features, replaced by deep traces of lingering worry.
The worries weighing on his mind were entirely justified. The fearsome figure slated to arrive tonight, Leylin Farlier, was an exceptionally dangerous and terrifyingly powerful individual whose deeds had been reverberating like thunder throughout the South Coast.
Armani had briefly exchanged hands with him in the past, and as a highly trusted Five-Wings Elder, he was privy to dark secrets that regular members could never uncover.
There was no ancient master hiding in the shadows, nor was there a mythical "Lord Requiem." The mastermind pulling the strings of the entire empire was Lord Leylin himself, and a few months ago, he had officially shattered his bottlenecks to achieve true Rank 3 status.
Armani still carried a profound sense of absolute dread and overwhelming relief whenever he recalled the day he met Leylin shortly after his advancement.
The sheer, suffocating spiritual suppression and raw power radiating from the young Warlock made even the Grand Tutor of the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower fall utterly short by comparison.
This reality made Leylin's personal achievements and the rapid ascension of the Astral Requiem look entirely miraculous.
'He is most likely visiting this branch personally to oversee the execution,' Armani mused grimly. The Requiem had grown far too large in its short, dominant reign. Taking advantage of their open recruitment, many malicious schemers and deep-cover spies from various rival organizations had infiltrated the group with impure, ulterior motives, even going so far as to actively instigate internal unrest.
Fortunately, every single one of these traitors had been timely tracked, arrested, and apprehended by the internal security wings, before being transferred to proper authorities to await their final judgement.
Because this specific branch of the Rebelhearts was positioned closest to the primary headquarters within the Secret Plane, while simultaneously operating nearest to the borders of the Nightless City, its strategic importance was absolute.
Consequently, a staggering total of forty-three treacherous Official Magi had been transported here to face their public termination.
The sheer scale of this upcoming punishment was nothing short of frightening, and Armani had been officially notified that Lord Leylin would arrive tonight to personally execute the sentence.
Out in the open courtyard of the manor, a sudden streak of pitch-black light flashed violently across the horizon, before instantly fading into the darkness like a passing illusion.
The kinetic velocity of this unidentified silhouette was so impossibly fast and rapid that no eye could not even distinguish its path from the dark night sky.
Swish!
The dark silhouette swiftly cleaved through the air, landing firmly in front of the central plaza. Dense, ink-like dark mist billowed continuously from his sweeping robes, his physical frame streaming with a volatile, chaotic current of dark energy.
Directly before him on the stone tiles, the forty-three prisoners lay bound in heavy magic-suppressing chains, sitting helplessly on the cold ground with dark blindfolds wrapping their eyes and magic spells locking their jaws.
Armani hastily ran straight toward the newcomer, dropping his usual stern posture as he offered a flattering bow.
"Welcome, Lord Leylin," Armani greeted smoothly, his voice full of profound reverence. "We are deeply rejoiced to have your eminence grace our branch. Has your long travel been pleasant?"
Behind the old Elder, dozens of local Magi stood perfectly straight in a rigid, deeply respectful formation, their eyes locked onto the floor. They were the members of this regional branch, and none dared to breathe heavily in his presence.
Leylin offered a calm, polite smile, his voice entirely unbothered by the traveling distance. "No worries, Elder Armani. I see you are managing this branch quite splendidly. The Headquarters is exceptionally pleased to have a capable veteran like you take charge of this sector."
"It is my absolute greatest honor, my Lord," Armani nodded, straining his facial muscles further to maintain a compliant smile. "We have already finalized all the necessary arrangements for your comfortable stay within the manor... This is my granddaughter, Nina. She will personally take charge of all your daily needs while you remain here. Please, do not hesitate to tell us the moment you require anything."
Armani gestured with his hand, signaling for the beautiful girl to step forward. Nina had specially dressed up for this monumental occasion, wearing a tight, purple-colored gown that flawlessly highlighted the elegant curves of her figure, her green hair catching the moonlight. She stepped forward bashfully, standing a half-step behind Armani as she offered a flawless noble bow, gently lifting the edges of her skirt.
"Greetings, Lord Leylin. My name is Nina Greenwood," she spoke in a sweet, clear voice. "It is my absolute honor to attend to your eminence tonight."
Leylin offered a brief nod of acknowledgment, before turning his cold, dark eyes away from her, his attention locking onto the open field where the forty-three betrayers of the Rebelhearts lay shivering in their chains.
"Let's get the execution over with first," Leylin stated flatly.
In a fraction of a second, the ambient temperature around Leylin plummeted to a freezing low. A suffocating aura erupted violently from his frame, the sheer weight of his spiritual force causing the surrounding Magi to instinctively take several steps backward in sheer panic.
Completely bypassing the casual courtesy of a welcome banquet, he went straight to business. Armani, of course, didn't dare take the slightest offense to his pragmatic actions.
"Rank 2 Spell—Tears of the Thunder God," Leylin intoned smoothly, spreading both of his hands toward the dark sky.
The moment he chanted the activation phrase of his high-tier area-of-effect spell, dense, turbulent dark clouds rapidly condensed above the plaza. The terrifying spiritual fluctuations and magical undulations released by the spell caused the faces of the onlookers to turn a deep, suffocating reddish hue from the sudden spike in atmospheric pressure.
'Every single time I witness his strength, it is completely unbelievable... And he is still so remarkably young!' Armani thought, gazing at Leylin with a mixture of fanatical praise and absolute worship.
His entire body turned ice-cold, beads of nervous sweat forming rapidly on his back. Armani was a full-fledged, veteran Rank 2 Magus, yet from the exact second Leylin had set foot on the grounds, he had felt nothing but a crushing sense of total dread and hopelessness.
After seeing the casual ease with which Leylin cast such an cataclysmic spell, the unbridgeable gap between their realms was laid bare.
The churning dark clouds locked together, crackling with violent arcs of black lightning. With a blinding flash of negative light, a thick, yellow-colored fluid began to rain down from the sky, targeting the helpless criminals below.
The moment the corrosive droplets touched their skin, the forty-three traitors began to thrash and writhe in absolute agony.
Due to the mute spells pre-cast across their jaws, their mouths were sealed seamlessly as if skin had grown over them, leaving them entirely unable to let out a single vocal cry.
They could only scream silently through their noses, their bodies twitching violently as their flesh visually rotted, melting away under the highly acidic, corrosive downpour.
The gathered crowd watched in absolute horror as the silent, agonizing rain systematically dissolved the prisoners alive in the most brutal manner imaginable.
Although there was little to no physical sound echoing across the stone plaza, every Magus present could clearly hear the horrific, spiritual howling of their dying souls and fracturing bodies echoing within their minds.
In a matter of agonizing moments, the acidic rain ceased, leaving behind nothing but steaming, bubbling puddles of dark blood on the scorched earth.
"Now that we have successfully taken care of these useless people, let us step inside and enjoy a good meal," Leylin spoke with a warm smile, his light tone instantly shattering the suffocating terror gripping the courtyard.
The abrupt transition was too much for some of the weaker acolytes to bear; their minds snapped under the cognitive dissonance, and they began violently vomiting right then and there.
Even the official Magi stood pale and trembling. Nina was visually frightened to the core, her hands shaking beneath her sleeves, but she desperately gritted her teeth and held her composure.
As Leylin began walking toward the manor's entrance, he silently commanded his internal assistant to activate his warlock trait, letting the Soulbound Devourer quietly harvest the floating essences of the executed.
Recently, the actual strength gains derived from devouring low-tier souls had dropped drastically following his official breakthrough to Rank 3, rendering the energy of ordinary Magi practically negligible.
Consequently, Leylin simply bound their spirits to his collection; forty-three mindless slaves would still prove useful as cannon fodder in large-scale battles whenever he felt too bored to personally make a move.
'Still... even devouring a Rank 2 soul makes barely any statistical difference to my advancement now,' Leylin sighed inwardly. 'Well, it matters little. I have already secured everything I originally wanted from this territory. It is finally time to change my location.'
The sole reason he had chosen to delay his teleportation out of the South Coast for this long was because he knew the chaotic geopolitical climate here provided the absolute best environment for him to steadily consolidate his Rank 3 foundations. Now that his power was completely stable, there was no longer any reason to linger.
'A.I. Chip, project my current status parameters.'
[Beep! Leylin Farlier. Rank 3 Warlock | Bloodline: Giant Kemoyin Serpent | Spirit Knight. Summons: Black Horrall Snake (Rank 1), Vanguard of the Requiem (Rank 2), Cabourn (Rank 2), 61 Rank 1 Magus. Physical Attributes: Strength: 43.2 | Agility: 38.4 | Vitality: 49.3. Mental Attributes: Spiritual Force: 207.1 | Magic Power: 207 (Magic Power is in perfect synchronization with Spiritual Force)]
Following his recent breakthrough, Leylin's parallel progression along the Knight path had also taken a monumental leap forward.
By conducting exhaustive, thorough research into the nature of souls and spectral anomalies, he had successfully weaponized his findings to forge a highly advanced, false domain, allowing his martial vessel to ascend into the unprecedented realm of a Spirit Knight.
With his current Rank 3 foundations fully locked into place, his physical body had been brought to an entirely superhuman tier of existence. His raw physical attributes far surpassed what any newly advanced Rank 3 Magus could ever hope to manifest.
Given his vitality, agility and strength of the ancient Kemoyin lineage, his newly advanced form possessed enough raw power to directly compete with a crystallized-state Peak Rank 3 Magus on equal terms.