The Witch Hunter System

Black Rose Kingdom, Blackthorn City

Henrietta's palatial magic tower had been closed from the public for several days, refusing all guests and visitors alike. Furthermore, no information was provided for the palatial magic tower's closure, causing many people to guess the reason.

But no matter what kind of wild guesses they had, there was one common thought – the palatial magic tower's closure had something to do with the soaring sky phenomenon that occurred days ago.

That said, with no word from Henrietta, most visitors and guests gathered outside the palatial magic tower left.

However, Victoria Caelestis remained behind, waiting alone after sending off the search teams to look for her missing grandchild. She was unwilling to leave the place until she met with Henrietta.

Even when it rained, Victoria remained steadfast in her spot and permitted the pouring raindrops to soak her body.

It was a form of self-punishment to make herself feel better as her past guilt resurfaced.

Suddenly, the palatial magic tower's entrance, which had not been opened for many days, finally opened. A single maidservant emerged from it and met Victoria's surprise gaze.

"My Lady will see you now. Please follow me," the maidservant instructed.

"Y-Yes, of course…!" Victoria stuttered in response before recollecting herself. "I will trouble you to lead the way."

Shortly after ascending multiple flights of stairs and taking the magic elevator, Victoria reached Henrietta's room at the top of the palatial magic tower. An unknown pressure caused her heart to beat loudly.

At the same time, myriads of thoughts filtered through Victoria's mind as she pondered what to say once she met the witch queen.

But despite everything she came up with, her mind went blank the moment she entered the room. She was overwhelmed and awed by the majesty of Henrietta's aura – it was vastly different from what she remembered.

'She seemed to have shed the shell of her former self and become immensely more powerful…' Victoria thought, uncertain whether the feeling was real or just an illusion.

"Forgive me for not seeing you sooner, Sister Victoria. I have been busy consolidating my power and dealing with matters related to the other six witch kingdoms," Henrietta apologized with a friendly smile.

When Victoria saw that smile, she inwardly sighed with relief and guilt before replying, "Even if I have to wait several weeks, I still wouldn't complain. I deserve it, Your Majesty."

"Are you still beating yourself over that matter of the past, Sister Victoria?" Henrietta asked before shaking her head, "There's no need for that. We both know it couldn't be helped."

"Back then, we attracted too much attention when we brought back Furhengir's carcass from the great expedition. Everyone wanted a piece of the pie, regardless of whether they deserved it or not. With pressure from all sides, I could only give in, causing my kingdom's security to be compromised."

"Given your family's special circumstances, it was only logical for the Great House of Caelestis to move far away from the center of attention. It was the only way to keep your family safe from your hunters. Furthermore, I also feel guilty for Vivienne's death."

"Perhaps if I had been adamant and strong-willed in resisting the pressure from the others, she would still be alive, and the Great House of Caelestis would have long established a solid foundation in my kingdom instead of withdrawing from the public and hiding away in a Perilous Land. As such, I cannot blame you or your family for pulling out all your people during a time of great unrest."

"After all, it was I who failed you first. I allowed your greatest talent to die under my watch. That is a mistake and a stain I can never absolve myself of, Sister Victoria," Henrietta spoke from her heart.

Victoria trembled, moved by Henrietta's sincere thoughts.

Before their meeting, she was afraid of Henrietta's condemnation yet also hoped the latter would blame her.

However, not only did Henrietta not blame her, but she even blamed herself.

"Your grace is something my family and I can never repay, Your Majesty. If not for your royal protection, the Great House of Caelestis wouldn't have been able to grow to what it is today. I can blame anyone but you, Your Majesty. Towards you, I only have gratitude and guilt," Victoria stated.

Henrietta and Victoria continued to speak back and forth for several rounds before they eventually glanced at each other and laughed.

Both sides were able to reach a tacit understanding and look past the regrets of the past. They were originally friends. Thus, they interacted with fondness and familiarity.

Henrietta and Victoria chatted over tea as they reminisced about the past and caught up with each other.

"By the way, Sister Henrietta… You said you were consolidating your power for the past several days. It truly wasn't because you were trying to avoid meeting me?" Victoria inquired with doubt.

"Of course not, Sister Victoria," Henrietta replied before asking with knitted brows, "Didn't we already clear that up?"

"In that case… how strong are you now? What level of power have you reached?" Victoria asked eagerly, unable to contain her curiosity.

Henrietta calmly sipped her tea before placing the teacup down, then smiled, "Why don't you see it for yourself, Sister Victoria?"

Swoosh!

The air around Henrietta suddenly blew outwards as eight mana rings with varying sizes and thicknesses expanded, manifesting outside her body – something no one had ever seen before.

The sight left Victoria shocked with wide eyes.

The eight mana rings were like stellar objects orbiting a star as they revolved around Henrietta's body in different non-

intersecting paths.

As the eight mana rings reverberated and shone with divine blue light, the mana in the surroundings was drawn to them at speeds beyond the body's natural absorption capabilities.

"This… This… is the middle stage of Transcendence?" Victoria was stunned for words.

Henrietta indirectly admitted with a smile, satisfied with Victoria's dumbfounded reaction, before explaining, "After I consolidated my eight rings, I discovered the ability to manifest them outside my body."

"Doing so naturally allows me to absorb and recover mana much quicker than before. But its greatest advantage is to support higher-rank spells, which wouldn't be possible to cast normally due to insufficient mana."

"In other words, this ability allows us witches to use magic beyond our standard level. For now, I call this Spell Boosting," Henrietta said.

She discovered that in the latter stages of Transcendence, one would acquire vastly greater mana control to keep up with their power level as they drew closer to the next rank – Divine.

The difference between mortal and divine wouldn't be small.