Power was precious.
Power was dangerous.
This saying, passed down within the "Mystical Side" since the days of the Empire, was universally acknowledged by its practitioners, especially those who had suffered backlash and understood it all too well.
Unlike physical injuries to the human body, the harm inflicted by powers of the "Mystical Side" often began by twisting the mind and will, then used that as a starting point to mutate the body.
The final outcome?
Death, of course.
The only difference was how much pain one suffered while dying.
Any mistake in spirituality, rituals, or mystic arts could cause this phenomenon.
Arthur was unsure which part had gone wrong for William.
But Arthur was certain that William had suffered extremely severe backlash. His mind and will had long since been twisted, and even his memories had become distorted!
However, the vast amount of "death aura" William contained after his mutation gave Arthur some new ideas.
Thus, from his very first look at William, the young "Medium" had a complete, slightly revised plan-one built on his understanding of William, his deliberate use of Jia'er Mountain Town's patrol officers to reveal his whereabouts, and the two original "frontal assaults."
The results?
Naturally, they were good.
Arthur watched William tremble as he questioned him.
He maintained that same faint look of compassion.
Having acted this far, he naturally had to see the performance through-
The young "Medium" first shook his head, then nodded slightly.
Next, he raised his left hand and held up his index finger toward William.
He said nothing.
Yet it spoke louder than a thousand words.
William, whose breaths were already going out far more than coming in, watched the young "Medium" shake his head with helplessness and despair in his eyes. The nod that followed stunned him, however,