Chapter 551 - My Queen (2/2)

”Hm?”

Leonel's gaze suddenly sharpened.

The sight was subtle, so subtle that even he almost missed it. If it wasn't for the fact he had been determined to find out what was wrong with Aina, he would have overlooked it entirely.

At that moment, a faint reddish-black gas hung around Aina's body. It was so faint that it seemed to blend in with Aina's tanned skin almost seamlessly.

Leonel's gaze flashed, two golden pupils suddenly appearing to his back. If anyone else faced these eyes, it would feel as though they were bearing their very soul before Leonel.

For a person, such a feeling should have been uncomfortable and off-putting. Yet, for Aina, she somehow didn't find anything wrong with it. In fact, her beating heart seemed to calm considerably. Beneath Leonel's shadow, she found peace again.

However, while she felt at peace, Leonel's expression twisted, a flickering rage erupting within the depths of his gaze.

The eyes of the Snowy Star Owl were part of its Wisdom Branch. At this moment, Leonel had still yet to unlock the second tier of his Wisdom Branch Lineage Factor. As such, he could only use the most basic abilities of the Snowy Star Owl's gaze.

But, that was more than enough for him to sharpen his gaze by several levels.

The faint reddish-black suddenly morphed in Leonel's eyes. It formed into an illusory leach, latching onto Aina's body.

At first, Leonel was infuriated, thinking that this was related to Aina's curse again. There was even a part of him that wanted to abandon Earth at this very moment and go explore Fifth Dimensional worlds so he could find the things she needed to be cured.

But, upon second inspection, he found that the leach was connected by a faint line that shot into the skies. The line grew so thin and transparent that after a few dozen meters, even Leonel couldn't follow it any longer.

'This isn't her curse? What's going on?'

”Ai! It seems that I've finally found you, my Queen.”

The moment this voice entered her ears, Aina's expression froze, her body flexing so hard that it began to tremble. Several blood vessels ruptured, leaving a flowerbed of crimson trailing up and down her mostly flawless skin.

Leonel's head turned back to Aina. Seeing her reaction, he felt his heart froze over. It was as though the woman he cared for most was right before him, but he couldn't even protect her. She was no further than half a meter from him, yet it felt like she was worlds away, blocking her off from reality.

Aina seemed to have rejected all outside influences, clenching her fists so hard that blood dripped from her palms.

”Go. Bring me my Queen, puppets.”

At that moment, the faint reddish-black line that extended from Aina's body thickened by several levels. In fact, with Leonel's gaze, he suddenly found that the city was covered in these lines suddenly.

It was in that instant that Leonel understood that it wasn't just Aina effected by these leaches.

And, unfortunately, the people of The Capital were quickly learning this as well.