[Host: Leon Bale

Status Bar

Damage: 42

HP: 18

Perception: 13

Speed: 41

Mana: 12,005,000

Soul Strength: Nil]

"Hahahah, yesssss. I have finally reached the D-Class level. And with this sword...."

He kissed the white blade in ecstasy. "I can deliver damage equivalent to a B-Class level knight."

He looked at the sky, his hands hanging on both sides in relaxation. "I am finally something. Something my sister and my mother can feel proud of. Someone who can protect them from now onwards." His eyes became a little bit blurry with trembling tears.

He looked ahead and sighed. "I am out for too long. I should return to the cave first before I can let loose. I am strong now. But I can’t stop here. I need to get even stronger. Only then can I be at ease."

Leon started walking.

Soon, he reached the cave, but the scene ahead startled him a little.

Both the siblings were busy. Emily was wearing her armour. Sol fixed his staff. Even Noah had woken up. He was holding his specter and sitting in the corner.

The moment Leon got close, all eyes turned toward him. Emily unsheathed her sword and pointed the tip toward him in caution. Sol also held his staff high, ready to throw a spell at any time.

"Who are you?" Emily shouted.

"Who am I?" Leon looked visibly puzzled as he pointed his index finger at him.

"Wait! That voice!" Sol murmured.

"Leon?" Emily asked.

"Who else? You are acting like you are seeing me for the first time." He walked forward.

"Well, you are looking like a human today, so yeah, it does feel like we are seeing you for the first time." Sol couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Emily sheathed her sword but said nothing. No change of expression either.

"Looking like a human? Then what did I look like in these past two days?" Leon asked, still confused.

"Ghost, of course. What else?" Sol somehow suppressed his laughter and said.

"Ghost!!! For real?"

"You should have seen your own face, dude. You almost looked like a goblin. Green face, that bloody stench...." Sol spoke again.

Leon touched his face. And finally, realization dawned on him. ’Wait. Earlier, my face and whole body were covered in monster blood. I was so busy doing this and that... I almost forgot to clean up. But today I was thrown into that river. Everything is cleaned up now.’

Leon dropped the topic, embarrassed. ’Shit! What kind of mess did I look like to her? Wait! Why am I even bothered with what she thought of me?’

Emily, meanwhile, suddenly raised her head and looked at Leon. Leon noticed it and stopped in his tracks for a moment. "What?" He asked. "You want to say something?"

Emily shook her head.

Noah walked up to Leon. He bowed, almost at a 90-degree angle. "Thank you very much, Leon. If not for you, I would have been dead by now."

"I did what anyone would have done. So don’t stress yourself." Leon said as he placed a hand on his shoulder.

Noah didn’t press it further but his eyes were respectful as he looked at Leon.

Leon turned toward Emily and Sol.

"Am I missing something? Why does it feel like you guys are preparing to go to war?"

"Because we are." Sol replied. "And you should get ready as well. We are heading for Harold’s place. It’s time we save everyone else. Our magic has returned."

"Okay." Leon nodded and was about to move but stopped again. "Wait! Did you just say your magic has returned?"

"Yes." Noah replied this time. "Our magic has returned. And it’s time we go and save everyone else. Alex, Meridith, Willow and everyone who is trapped. I learned about everything thanks to Miss Emily and Sol."

Leon stood there, processing these new informations. ’Their magic has returned? Good. That increases our survival chance. But do we really have to charge forward now? In the remaining days, I could have reached the C-Class level for sure. That would have solidified our chances of victory even more.’ Leon’s head was heavy with all these thoughts. ’But she is an S-Class knight, a veteran. Her brother is strong too. Why would they wait for me? And considering the uncertainty about everyone’s safety who all are still trapped, it’s the wisest decision to attack them now. The faster the better.’

He rubbed his temple in frustration. ’Ahhhh! What should I do?’

After a few minutes, Sol spoke. "I am ready."

"I have nothing to prepare for." Noah added.

"We can move now," Emily said before looking at Leon.

Leon sighed. ’I can’t stay behind on my own. The most important thing is to reunite with everyone and leave this hidden realm together. I can get stronger, but I don’t think I can survive in this place all on my own for long.’

"Okay. Let’s move." Leon finally spoke.

And thus, the group of four left the cave and started moving in a particular direction. Emily was walking at the front. Sol and Noah in the middle. Leon had taken the back. He was on his guard the whole moment. ’We can’t be reckless. Last time we almost died in the hands of that B-Class badger.’

The group continued to walk. After walking for over four hours, Emily stopped and signaled everyone to halt and be careful. She crouched down while others followed.

"We are here." She whispered in a tone that was audible to the others at the back. They had arrived at one of the paths to leave this territory.

"I will charge straight at them. Sol, take the left. Try to stop them from ganging on me. Leon and Noah, you two take the right. Your job is the same as Sol’s. Keep them busy. But everyone. Be careful. We are here to save people. Not die before even reaching them."

Only a few sentences. But they were enough to explain what each one had to do, and what not to.

Leon’s gaze followed ahead.

’Five minotaurs. All B-Class monsters. More than 20 jackals. They aren’t that strong. Only F-Class beasts. But their number and their agility will turn out to be a headache. But these aren’t the main problem at all.’

Leon’s gaze darted deeper at the colossal being standing at the raremost position.

’That one.’ Leon’s face turned slightly white. ’That one is an S-Class monster.’