For the next few days, Leo continued his daily routine, though a thin thread of stress ran through everything he did. He kept waiting for a reaction from Alexia—some sign that she knew about the meeting he had attended. But nothing happened. No looks. No questions. No tension in her presence.
Either she truly didn't care… or Mr. Sage had managed to keep the entire meeting hidden from her. If it was the latter, then Mr. Sage wasn't just influential—he was powerful enough to conceal events from someone like Alexia without leaving a single clue. That level of control could only mean one thing: he was either an S-rank... or something even higher. Maybe a god.
The idea alone sent a chill down Leo's spine as he made his way toward the training grounds.
Over the past few days, he had also spent more time training—especially on improving his spellcasting. His progress was noticeable; he could now use his abilities more efficiently and with better control. He felt stronger, more prepared.
When he arrived, Klaus was already there, standing in the center of the training field with his arms crossed. He looked ready, calm as ever. Leo approached him with a focused expression, drawing his sword.
"Today I want to defeat you, Mr. Klaus," Leo said.
Klaus raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "You said that yesterday."
"Yes, but today is different," Leo replied, tightening his grip on his sword. "It's almost the end of the month my master gave me to prove myself. I have to be ready."
Klaus gave a short nod. "Then show me what you've got."
Without another word, Klaus's body ignited with blue fire, the aura wrapping around him like a burning cloak. In the blink of an eye, he charged forward, sword raised.
Leo's eyes widened. Klaus had never started a fight using Bloodrage. He had always saved it for later.
Before Leo could react, Klaus's sword came crashing down toward his shoulder—but Leo's body shattered like glass, revealing it had only been an illusion.
Another Leo appeared to Klaus's right, already in motion with his sword swinging. But Klaus was fast. He turned and blocked the strike, yet this figure also vanished. In its place, a slip of paper fluttered out of the air—Mana Surge Snare.
The trap exploded on contact—not to cause damage, but to slow Klaus's movements slightly.
Out of the settling dust, the real Leo emerged, his sword now engulfed in flame. He slashed down toward Klaus's head with all his strength. Klaus managed to block the blow, despite the being slowed down, but Leo didn't let up. He continued his assault, striking again and again in rapid succession. Their swords clashed repeatedly, metal ringing through the air.
Then, in the middle of their exchange, Leo moved to attack from the right. Klaus responded quickly, turning to meet him—but that version of Leo shattered, and the real one appeared on the left. Klaus twisted again, sword raised just in time to block the strike. But this time, two Leo figures appeared—one behind the other—and Klaus couldn't tell which was real.
Klaus was forced to rely on his speed. He blocked attacks from all directions, striking at the illusions while watching carefully for the real Leo. The fakes couldn't hurt him—but the real one could, and if he wasn't fast enough, he would be caught.
His arm moved in a blur, deflecting a series of strikes from Leo and his phantom doubles. He jumped back to put some space between them, hoping to catch a breath. But Leo didn't give him a chance.
Two new illusions formed, rushing at Klaus from opposite sides. At the same time, Leo dashed to the side, his body shimmering faintly—almost invisible. He raised one hand, aiming it at Klaus.
Klaus cut down the phantoms and spotted the real Leo a short distance away. But when he saw him raising a hand instead of charging, his eyes widened.
Leo was aiming.
Klaus's jaw tightened. Leo wasn't wearing his ring, which meant he was about to cast a spell midair without relying on any magical items for support.
"Don't tell me you can cast in midair already?" he called out, not hiding his disbelief.
Leo didn't answer.
A glowing circle appeared in front of him. Klaus raised his sword instinctively to block his sight, expecting a Fear spell—but instead, two chains erupted from the ground and locked around his arms and legs.
Hold.
"Damn it," Klaus muttered under his breath.
He forced his sword downward, trying to break free. Just then, he saw ten glowing swords hovering around Leo. Without hesitation, Leo sent the swords flying toward him.
"You really think I don't know how illusionists fight?" Klaus said.
His sword flared with more intense blue fire. Five small portals opened around him, and from each one, a long, thin blue needle shot out with incredible speed. The needles sliced through the chains holding him and intercepted the incoming swords.
Nine of the swords shattered on impact—each releasing a hidden trap. They exploded in bursts of energy, designed to catch Klaus off guard.
The tenth sword—the only real one—was knocked high into the air. But before it hit the ground, Leo leapt up and grabbed it, spinning through the air and darting straight toward Klaus.
A needle came at Leo from behind and sliced across his waist. But he didn't vanish. Klaus hesitated for a second. If it didn't shatter, it was real.
Leo didn't give him time to think. He came down hard, sword first. Klaus raised his blade just in time to block, but the force of the blow staggered him.
Leo saw his opening. He pushed forward with everything he had, driving his sword toward Klaus's chest with full strength. Klaus's speed meant nothing at this close range and especially while he was staggered.
But just as Leo's blade neared him, Klaus's flames flared red.
Leo didn't even see the movement. In a single motion, Klaus slipped under the attack and flicked Leo's sword from his hands. It spun through the air and landed several meters away.
Now Klaus stood in front of him, calm again, his sword resting gently against Leo's neck. The red fire had vanished.
"What was that?" Leo asked, stunned.
Klaus lowered his sword. "My full-power form."
Leo caught his breath, eyes narrowing. "How many form do you have?"
"Bloodrage sends mana into your bloodstream and enhances your physical abilities," Klaus explained, sheathing his sword. "The more mana you channel, the stronger you become. At its highest level, the mana fuses with your blood so deeply that it takes on a red hue—that's why it's called Bloodrage."
He turned slightly, nodding toward the edge of the training ground. "Now go. I think you're ready for whatever the Lady has planned for you."
Leo hesitated. "Aren't you going to tell her about our fight?"
Klaus smirked and pointed. "You can tell her yourself."
Leo followed the direction Klaus indicated—and his eyes landed on Alexia. She was standing at a distance, watching them. She rarely came to the training grounds. In the past month, this was only her third visit—two of them within the last week.
He nodded to Klaus and began walking toward her when he suddenly stopped. A strange sensation surged through him. Something inside was shifting. He heard whispers—low, unintelligible voices murmuring in unknown languages. His mana stirred violently, pulsing through him in unpredictable waves. He recognized this feeling. His soul was changing.
Leo closed his eyes, grounding himself. He focused on the transformation and tried to shut out the voices. The whispers were tempting, maddening, but he couldn't let them pull him away.
Behind him, Klaus raised an eyebrow. "Leo? Are you alright?"
A few moments passed. Leo opened his eyes. The whispers had vanished, and everything inside him had settled. His mana felt dense, more stable—like a new core had formed within him.
Alexia approached, her expression unreadable. "I see your soul has shifted," she said. "You're now a B-minus."
Leo could feel it too—raw power running through him, his mana stretching through every inch of his body. He was stronger now. Closer to the truth. Closer to the answers he'd been chasing.
"You mean to tell me," Klaus said, his voice half amused, "your soul wasn't even B-rank when you made me fight seriously?"
Leo was about to respond, but Alexia interrupted.
"Come to me in one hour," she said. "I'll tell you what comes next."
He nodded as she turned and walked away.
Leo looked at Klaus. "Why I heard the whispers when I'm here? I thought this place blocked them out."
"That whisper is different. When your soul begins to shift, you become connected to the source of your path. For you, it's the path of illusion and when you're connected to that, it means you've opened a route—a link to somewhere those creatures can use."
"Connected to a path…" Leo muttered, slipping into deep thought.
"What are you going to do now?"
Leo let out a breath, grinning. "I think I need a shower."
…
He sat quietly in his room, still with some time before meeting Alexia. With nothing else pressing, he decided to enter his domain. His strength had grown since the last visit—he was eager to see how it had changed.
Closing his eyes, he let his consciousness slip away. When he opened them again, he was seated on the familiar stone chair in his domain. The surroundings were the same, but the feeling was different. The space felt more familiar now, more his. A subtle connection pulsed beneath the surface, almost like an extension of his own body. Leo focused on it, trying to deepen that link.
"I see your soul has grown stronger," came Selvanna's voice, echoing from every direction.
"Didn't you feel it when it changed?" Leo asked.
"Unfortunately, I've been awake for too long and used too much of my remaining power," she replied, her voice tinged with fatigue. "I'll need to rest soon."
"What does that mean?"
"It means I won't be able to answer your questions for a while. But that's nothing for you to worry about." Selvanna added gently, "You now have more control over this domain. Try to reshape it."
Leo nodded, closed his eyes again, and focused. A moment later, he felt the domain as though it were a part of him—his limbs, his breath, his thoughts. Then, everything around him began to shift.
The walls and pillars vanished, leaving only the stone chair. In its place, a much larger platform formed beneath him. Low walls rose at the corners—tall enough to define the space, but not high enough to block the light. Slowly, the platform began to lift into the air. A wide staircase materialized in front of it, connecting it back to the ground.
When Leo opened his eyes, he found himself seated on the raised platform, flanked by low walls on either side, the stair stretching down from the front. The light poured in freely, and the domain felt more like a throne room—his throne room.
"You did well," Selvanna said. "Before I sleep, I want to leave you with something I once used—a fragment of it, at least."
A one-meter-high pillar rose to Leo's left. On top of it sat a transparent tray, holding what looked like a shallow bowl of impossibly clear water.
"This is the Mirror of the Unseen. It will show you what you want to see. Use it wisely."
Leo stepped closer, peering into the still surface. "What do you mean, 'what I want to see'?"
"I don't have time to explain," she said, her voice already beginning to fade.
"How long will you sleep?"
"I don't know. But I will wake up again—though it may be for the last time."
"The last time? Hey, stop dropping more questions just as you disappear!"
"I wish you the best while I'm asleep, Leo Mantine."
He hesitated for a moment, then said quietly, "Thank you."
There was no reply. Whether she heard him or not, he couldn't tell. Now alone in the vast, quiet domain—with no guide—Leo understood that the path ahead would be his to shape.