Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

The lavish manor of the Benton Family was now filled with blood, dread, and the miserable screams of its family members.

Sword light flashed, and a middle-aged man's head fell off his shoulder, blood gushing from the neck like a vermilion fountain.

With another swing of the sword, a woman protecting a child was murdered in cold blood.

…Both of them were.

The masked man did not know how many family members had fallen to his sword. He knew that it was a lot, though. The constant screams and wails had turned his heart cold.

And with every swing of his sword, his heart grew colder still. Until all that remained was nothing but apathy.

Cold, cold, apathy.

Men, women, the elderly, and even children… everyone who had Benton blood flowing in them was indifferently massacred.

The masked man made sure to do so.

He had to.

He needed to.

All the maids, the servants, and the Magi who had sworn allegiance to this once illustrious family had already been butchered.

Most of the family members had already been sent to the cold embrace of death. The rest remained hidden in the manor, desperately hoping to survive.

But that wouldn't last long, though.

The masked man seemed to know every nook and cranny of this place. His senses encompassed the entire manor, or rather, the entire estate.

He was a mighty Mana Core Magus, after all. As an Elder of the Inner Circle of the Cult of Bones, his strength and magical prowess were profound.

Not even powerful Mana Vortex Magi could hide from his senses, let alone weaker Magi and mortals.

As the surviving members of the Benton family scrambled to survive the brutal massacre, their numbers were slowly but surely reduced.

However, the three most powerful Magi of the Benton Family were not present. The matriarch, Sabrina Benton, her eldest son, Nash Benton, and her youngest son, Marden Benton.

These were the only Magi not within the estate. Everyone else was accounted for. Everyone else was… dead.

It was understandable, though.

Ravenfell was under attack at the moment, and as the Lord Marshall, it was obvious that Sabrina Benton would be very, very busy. And it was likely that her sons were with her, assisting her.

This further allowed the masked man to carry out the wanton slaughter of the Benton family members. But even if the three Mana Vortex Magi were present, they could not pose any resistance whatsoever.

It was a given that the Benton bloodline would perish today.

But the question remained…

Why was the masked man doing it?

As he turned a corner, he glanced at a young woman slowly crawling away from him, leaving behind a trail of blood.

She might have been beautiful once, but now… covered in fear, blood, and exhaustion, she was anything but.

Hearing footsteps approaching from behind, she tried to drag her body even quicker, but she miserably failed. The masked man had already cast a hex on her, weakening her by forcefully exhausting her mana.

Her mana reserves were now completely emptied. Exhausted, she rolled over, facing the ceiling, and stopped moving completely. Her chest heaved up and down as she struggled to breathe.

Finally, the masked man arrived before her.

Glancing at his wooden mask, the woman's eyes blazed with sheer hatred and anger.

"You demon... why?!"

The masked man's shoulders trembled ever so slightly. Then, he raised his hand and thrust his sword right in between the woman's eyes.

He gave her a swift death. Just as he did to the rest of the family.

Quick. Swift. Painless.

Yes, he ensured that none of them felt any pain. He wanted them to find peace in death.

Finally, after what felt like a torturous eternity, he had done it. He had slaughtered every member of the Benton bloodline in the manor.

Now, only a few remained…

The masked man returned to the main hall of the manor and stood still at the center. Glancing at all the corpses strewn around and the streams of blood that flowed across the once pristine white marble, he felt… nothing.

Nothing at all.

He stood silently, facing the main entrance of the house. From time to time, his weapon-wielding hand would tremble. From time to time, his shoulders would shudder. And from time to time, a muffled groan would escape his lips.

Bonds… weren't they just chains dressed as comfort?

A tether to weakness?

A leash around the soul?

To ascend, one had to let go. Cut every tie. Burn every bridge. There was no room for hesitation.

"…Only solitude and strength," said the masked man, his voice tinged with soft, yet unyielding resolve.

He shifted. Just then, he felt a few strong presences approach the manor. The people he was waiting for had finally arrived.

The masked man inhaled deeply and straightened his back. He strangled any hints of emotions that were rising in his heart. His eyes flashed with ruthless conviction.

Finally, two figures appeared in his vision, standing at the entrance to the manor.

Sabrina Benton and her eldest son, Nash Benton. The moment they saw the carnage inside the manor, they instantly paled, a myriad of emotions flashing in their eyes.

Seeing the corpses of her beloved family members, something broke inside of Sabrina, and she fell to the floor, her breathing heavy and ragged.

Meanwhile, her son, Nash, was seething with rage. Tears streamed down his face, and he gritted his teeth. Unprecedented fury coursed through his being.

He saw the lifeless corpses of everyone of his family members… including his wife and children. Finally, his gaze landed on the person responsible for all of it.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!!!"

The masked man silently looked at Nash Benton. A moment later, he calmly answered:

"…This is the price of freedom."

"DIE!!!"

Nash lunged at the murderer, his bloodshot eyes spewing hatred, anger, and venom. He knew that the masked man was more powerful than him. He knew that he wouldn't last against him.

Yet, he attacked nonetheless. Perhaps, he was overcome by anger and wanted to avenge his loved ones. Or perhaps, he was overcome by helplessness and wanted to join his family in the afterlife.

Nothing mattered anymore. He did not care anymore.

As drops of tears trickled down his face and were carried away by the wind, Nash finally arrived before the masked murderer. His palm, augmented by mana, was inches away from stabbing the man in the heart.

But in the next instant, the masked man disappeared, and Nash felt his world spin and slowly darken.

With a soft thud, he fell to the ground, his gaze landing on his own headless body.

As death whispered to him the promise of eternal rest, he shifted his gaze towards his mother, who was still kneeling on the ground, unable to believe her eyes.

Finally, his eyes lost their luster, and he soon joined his loved ones.

The masked man flicked his sword, casting off the blood in a sharp arc before lowering the blade with cold precision, pointing it at the matriarch of the Benton Family.

Sabrina Benton, pale and heartbroken, finally raised her head and glanced straight at the masked man, her eyes devoid of any feelings.

As tears incessantly trickled down her face, her lips parted, and she weakly said:

"Why did you do it… Marden?"