บท 6: Trial IV
The next morning, Leon woke up to the sun's rays on his face. He shielded his eyes as he got up from the bed. The two sisters were generous enough to lend him a room for the night.
The elder sister is named Lana, while the little one is Millie, and from them, Leon learned more about the city.
The city is called Blue Wind City, known for its special winds that turn blue once a year at irregular intervals. It's also during this time that a monster horde attacks the city. Every year, the City Lord defends the city with his men, but this year is different. The City Lord was poisoned and killed, along with his entire family.
Now, the city is ruled by the Vice City Lord, Brain, who is as greedy as they come. As soon as he took power, he divided the city into four parts. The most desirable part is the central area, where people like him live. The inner part is where other nobles reside. The outer part is where the rich live, and lastly, the slums, where criminals and beggars like Leon are forced to stay.
Each part is separated by tall walls, with gates heavily guarded, only allowing people to move from one section to another. When Leon first saw it, he thought he was in a prison for criminals, but it turned out the entire city is like this.
This means the foolish Vice City Lord has wasted the city's precious resources building walls, instead of maintaining weapons or artillery. Many high-ranking powerhouses have already left the city because they weren't receiving their payments.
Now, the city is at its weakest. As Leon learned about the city's dire state, he received another quest.
{You have learned of the city's dire situation.}
{Quest generated.}
{Objective: Cleanse the city of corruption and restore order.}
{Reward: Continuation of the trial, a Tier II power source.}
Leon looked at the reward but wasn't too impressed. The monster hordes usually have a Tier II leader along with some Tier II minions and a lot of lower-tier monsters. "Though, I can use to make others better and also donate it as charity and receive a better source," he thought.
A power source is essentially the accumulation of an individual's essence, typically formed after one's death. For example, when a monster dies, it leaves behind its power source. However, over the years, many people have discovered ways to create them artificially, especially in large clans. When someone is on the verge of death, they force out all their essence and leave it behind for future generations to inherit.
Power sources are also divided into two types: physical and magical. Physical power sources help enhance one's body, while magical ones boost mana and energy reserves by strengthening the user's mana veins.
"But first, let's convince the sisters," he mused to himself as he came out of the room, wearing the slightly better clothes he received from the sisters.
"You're up," Lana said, noticing him as she fed her little sister warm soup.
"Soup?" Leon asked, looking at her as he sat down at the dining table.
"Yes, a kind lady donated it," she replied, joy in her eyes as she handed Leon a bowl of soup.
Leon took a sip and then brought out five fresh loaves of bread. "You can have these too," he said.
Lana looked at him, amazed, as she picked up the bread, seeing how fresh they were. "Is this your inherent ability?"
"If it is, you're going to be very weak in future," she added, looking at him with pity.
"No, I can't produce food, but I can store anything and keep it fresh," Leon said, seeing her pitying him.
"Oh! Then it's a very powerful ability," Lana said as she gave one loaf of bread to Millie and took one for herself. "You should keep the rest back so they stay fresh," she added.
Leon looked at her and replied, "It's okay, I have more." Lana nodded, reassured by his words, and took another piece for herself and Millie.
As they ate calmly, Leon suddenly spoke up, "Do you want revenge?"
Lana froze mid-bite, turning to him with a sharp look. In a flash, she vanished, and before Leon could react, she appeared behind him, pressing a broken axe with a sharp edge against his neck.
"Who are you?" she asked, her tone full of threat.
Lana's reaction was justified—after all, she is the daughter of the previous City Lord. She and her sister survived the massacre, and now they were hiding here in the slums, living in constant fear and distrust of everyone. They couldn't even leave this city as Brain has his men stationed around to find them.
Leon raised his hands calmly, feeling the sharpness of the axe against his neck. "Just answer," Lana pressed, her grip tightening.
"I'm here to help," Leon said, keeping his voice steady despite the tension. He could feel the pressure of the axe drawing a thin line of blood.
He didn't dare move—Lana was now a Tier II powerhouse, with a level of 152. Each tier is divided into 100 levels, and at Tier II, she was already a formidable being.
"Why should I believe you?" Lana asked sharply.
"What could a mere Tier I, level 0 awakened like me possibly do?" Leon responded, maintaining his calm as Lana eyed him suspiciously. "Speak, why are you here?" she demanded, pressing the axe closer to his neck.
"I need allies," Leon said, his voice steady. "To avenge my father. He was a guard at the City Lord's palace. On the day of the massacre, he was killed too."
"I don't remember a guard with white hair," Lana replied, her suspicion deepening.
"I inherited my hair from my mother," Leon explained calmly.
Lana studied him, still doubtful. "You say you need allies, but what could you possibly offer with such meager strength?" she scoffed, finally removing the axe from his neck.
Leon rubbed the spot where her axe had left a light scratch. Without a word, he took out the Class Change Token and placed it on the table. "I'll give you this," he said, his tone calm.
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