Chapter 6: Declaration
"Your face..." Concerned, Miranda examined the wound he had received.
"The injury is shallow. I am fine." Leonard reassured her.
"No, you are not." She remained undeterred. "You have been poisoned by a Grade 1 toxin."
After leading him to a chair, she began treating his wound with care. Her smooth fingers moved gently over the injury, meticulously cleansing it of any lingering traces of poison.
The process was painless and took less than a minute. Miranda’s skills were so proficient that they would have impressed even the most skilled licensed doctors in the Lower Sector.
[Grade 1 toxin has been dispelled.]
Leonard felt his vitality gradually returning, his face regaining its normal color and his breathing steadying.
"Thank you." He said, flashing her a warm smile, once again amazed by Miranda’s wide-ranging expertise.
Miranda’s worry eased at seeing his radiant expression, but it didn’t stop her from probing for an explanation.
"The monsters here don’t possess Grade 1 poison. Even if they did, the mark on your cheek was left by a blade. Please be honest, what happened?"
Heaving a deep sigh, Leonard gave her a rundown of the events. Keeping the existence of the assassin secret could only bring more trouble than it was worth.
By the time he finished, Miranda’s eyes had narrowed to their limit. She was livid!
"An assassin sent to hunt you?!" She had to lower her voice, being mindful of their neighbors. "Did you check if he carried anything that could be linked to his employer?"
"He didn’t carry anything of the sort." Leonard answered grimly. "Whoever hired him made sure that, if the worst happened, it couldn’t be traced back to them."
He also shared his suspicion that the most likely culprit was Daniel. It explained why he had insisted on being present at Leonard’s awakening.
Miranda’s eyes ignited in anger. She had assumed that Daniel had attended simply to throw shade at Leonard, like many others... Yet if the man had truly played a part in sending the assassin, then he was going to pay dearly.
"As your bodyguard, I am the one to blame. I shouldn’t have ever left your side." She was about to bow until Leonard stopped her.
"No, you aren’t." His voice grew slightly sterner. "You might care for me, but that doesn’t mean I plan to grow dependent. Now that I have awakened, it’s time to forge my own path. Not to prove anything to those who didn’t believe in me, but for myself. And that can’t happen if you constantly watch over me."
Miranda smiled, recognizing Leonard’s resolve. "Of course, being overprotective can hinder your growth, and I won’t do that. But remember, you can always rely on me... I made a promise to your mother to look after you."
Leonard’s heart tightened at the mention of his mother.
"I don’t remember much about my mother. What can you tell me about her?"
Since he hadn’t inherited Gideon’s Divine Bloodline, that meant his Primordial Bloodline came from her... the woman who had been accused of leeching off the strong had, in fact, secretly been the strongest of them all.
"Still a teenager, my condition was discovered early, and the Promised Land kicked me out of their federation. Even my Heavenly Bloodline was not enough for them." Miranda recalled.
"Left alone, she was the only one who offered me her hand. From then on, I stayed by her side. She had a son a few years younger than me, so I devoted myself to helping raise you from that point onward."
Leonard nodded somberly. Although Miranda considered herself only a bodyguard and maid, in reality the age gap between them was not significant. To him, she felt more like an older sister than anything else.
"I don’t know why she disappeared." Miranda added, misreading his expression. "But I am certain she wouldn’t have abandoned you if she had a choice."
Once she ensured that he was healthy and would not go running off into the night again, she bid him goodnight and went to her room.
Left with his thoughts, Leonard took off the crimson pendant he always kept around his neck. It was the only memento from his mother that he had.
"Why did you hide your Primordial Bloodline from everyone? And why did you leave me one day without even saying goodbye?"
Questions burned in his mind, his eyes studying the crimson gem of the pendant. He had tried everything he could to extract answers from the jewelry, yet nothing had ever brought results.
"Maybe with my Bloodline awakened this time it would be different?"
He inspected the pendant from every angle and tried everything that came to mind, but nothing worked.
Irritated, he slammed it on the table and rose. The sudden movement caused his band-aid to shift. A drop of blood trailed from his cheek and fell onto the gem.
The blood didn’t splash. The pendant drank it.
[Hidden conditions have been fulfilled!]
[Playing leftover message...]
Suddenly, a hologram appeared, startling Leonard. The projected image was too blurred to make out the person on the other end, and their voice was muffled, obscuring both their gender and age.
[I don’t know who you are, nor does it matter. What matters is that the pendant has responded to your blood. You share the Primordial Bloodline with many others. Listen well, your powers and its benefits make you a prime target.]
Explosions began to resound from the other end, prompting the mysterious person to hurry, their voice turning urgent.
[Do not become complacent! Take the pendant and unlock its full potential before they find you! If you fail, pass it down to those you believe are worthy. Do not let it get stolen, and make haste... I don’t know whether it has been twenty or two thousand years since I recorded this message, but be aware... The world as we know it won’t last much longer.]
The projection flickered briefly.
[I pray that whoever sees this message is not too late...]
Vanishing, the hologram was replaced with a requirement in its place.
[First condition to unlock potential: Reach Level 50.]
Rendered speechless, Leonard stared at the empty space.
"Before they find me?" He murmured. "Mom, is this why you vanished, entrusting the pendant to me? Because you trusted me to finish what you couldn’t?"
His gaze fixed on the pendant.
"Wherever you are... just watch me."
He gripped the memento tightly, fingers turning white.
"Your son will make you proud." Leonard declared.
Comments