The Requiem
At the front of 'Rust & Rent': 10 a.m., daybreak.
A knock hollered at an unexpected moment, disrupting the receptionist's peaceful nap.
Bang, bang, bang!!!
She furrowed her brows in displeasure at more inconsiderate knocks. Who in the world would have such disrespect for whatever the souls inside the house were up to?
The woman rushed towards the door and opened it in a flash. .
Tall shadows loomed over her.
She querried straight away, "Wait a minute... would this have been your same attitude if your mama was having a sleep-in? I thought you were more than a mindless mob boss..."
Arm-crossed, Jax stood before her. His armed henchmen gathered at his back like a pack of hungry wolves, ready to strike at his command.
By sheer coincidence, Jax was the same man Leon had bested in a riddle game not long ago.
"I demand nothing more than fetching a measly boy from here," Jax groaned, staring down at the woman. "You won't want to mess with me, Joselyn..."
"... Well, here is a fucking dick standing on MY own property!" the woman countered, inching closer to Jax with eagle eyes. "A boy screwed you over or you did... Not my circus, not my monkeys, Jax. Wait somewhere else if you're that sure he's in there. And get off this spot before customers turn away at the sight of your goddamn mob!"
Jax breathed with a tremor, clenching his fist. He fixed his gaze on Joselyn's eyes with intensity. At this tense moment, energy flashed across his tightened fists. An energy like lightning or other sorts.
But, without warning, Jax stepped away from the woman. His men exchanged glances among themselves.
"You must have had a bath with a lucky soap today."
At Jax's command, they evacuated the hotel to a dome-shaped bar. It was opposite the latter.
Why would a big shot like Jax abandon his image and pride to yield to a hotel receptionist's order? Something didn't connect - even his men knew that... within themselves.
Before entering the bar, Jax said to Joselyn, "I will be waiting in there for him, bitch."
The woman shrugged with nonchalance, a confident smile framing her face. "Whoop your arse if that's what you feel like doing, arsehole. I don't care."
***
As rays of light filtered through his eyelids, Leon's brows twitched.
Waking up, he breathed in a steady manner. He had chapped lips and a pale face.
Upon rising to his feet, Leon's first attempt was to shut the window. Seeing the single bed up close told him he hadn't died or whatever inside the Log Arena.
"I am back," Leon mumbled, his breath coming in short gasps.
The memory of the training from the first attacks to when he sapped his last breath crossed his face. It felt so real that Leon could smell metal in the air. As a matter of fact, he had even recoiled his body as his senses replayed daggers stabbing him. But scanning all over himself, he not only had clean clothes, but he had no injuries on him.
Leon shifted his gaze around immediately, as though he were searching for something.
"... I didn't regress again, did I? I'm very certain I died after killing the goblin..."
This assumption seemed the most outright one at this point. But that was until Leon recalled he was on the floor when he woke up. Meanwhile, regressing should have either reversed time to when he booked this room or lain on the bed.
Leon sighed. 'Ptt... I feel frustrated!' He slapped his forehead as he walked to the bed. And sat.
"... Hey, system. Could you please explain what happened?" Leon requested.
The red panel flashed before his eyes:
[The Log Arena is here to help you grow through trials. If you take fatal damage during a quest, it vanishes when you log out to the real world.]
Leon sighed. "That's a relief then. Display quest's reward..."
The screen cast a red gleam on his face...
[Rewards upon quest completion.]
[You received 100 EXP. EXP balance equals 300.]
[+1 added to
[Due to a high damage infliction with Paradox, you have unlocked one of its special abilities.
Freeze: When activated, all matter in close range freezes within ten seconds. This ability has a cooldown of ten minutes.]
Leon raised his brows and shrugged. "Handy, I would say."
[... Your last reward has brought you a very crucial ability.
Leon rubbed his chin, his eyes locking on every letter of the new attribute.
Recently, while accessing
Lyra was one of the most recognised types. Its possessors could charm even the dead with their storytelling and magical illusions.
There was a huge difference between ranks and Constellations. Constellations redefine people's powers and grant them special abilities. The ranks set up a hierarchy among fighters.
Leon's main interest about his
In the same sense, he gets to know their position in the hierarchy system.
"... Knowing this is enough for me to find the right ally. Someone who's worth moving with, not a country guy even weaker than a tarsier than I am. I have something that all humans here desire, so I am not hopeless."
A gentle fire burning in Leon, he walked to the other window and opened it. The decay-filled breeze wasn't what anyone would want, but it reminded him of the view from his old room. This made him smile and choke at the same time.
Leon sighed, his eyes washing across the ruined structures ahead. "Such a sight to behold you are, Mecha. You should be proud of having a stable personality. Unlike one Failed Awakener who one day thought he was progressing.
But on the next day, he died at the hands of measly E-rank monsters again. Hope is for the weak, faith is a fool's crutch, and pain is my anthem. Despite that, I am stuck in one spot... as always."
He sighed.
At that moment, it clung to his mind. When would he be able to create another paradox? Asking, the screen displayed nothing but,
[Paradox Stability (PS): Level 1, 0 points.]
...
In a slight singularity with his turmoil, Leon saw a few men and women near the bar house exchanging glances. At first, he didn't feel that interested, till he noticed armed men drawing away to one side of the bar. Drawing backwards with a reaction that seemed like fear.
Murmurs rose without warning. Leon creased his brow.
"What is going on?"
The screen appeared, displaying:
... [You're still low on energy. Would you like a healing recommendation from Store?]
Yet, Leon didn't give it a second thought.
'What are the men afraid of? What has caused people to murmur? Too sudden…'
Right at that moment, Leon heard a man cry, "It's... it's the Requiem!"
Then, it dropped. People screamed as they fled. The door slammed with a loud bang as more people rushed out of the bar. Even the armed men disappeared faster than a second.
Upon shifting his sight to the other side, Leon saw a golden-braided lady approaching the bar's door. She was backing a black violin pouch.
"Because of her...?" Almost immediately, Leon smelled metal. Dumfounded, he rubbed his palm across his moustache. Only for it to come back smeared with blood.
His lips parting, Leon stared back at the lady. With nothing but a slender, armless and innocent stature, he was bleeding in her presence.
"What an intimidating presence! Despite not being up close to her, I already am affected. This is far above what I felt outside the underground city and the Log Arena. This lady..."
A faint smile spread across his face. His eyes followed every stride the lady took.
"... she is more than an E-rank monster! That means I can't even compare to her."
Immediately, Leon's eyes flashed to the screen. He shouted, "I will take the recommendations!" In response, the panel displayed a short glass jar containing a green substance. It had a price tag of one hundred EXP.
[Regenerative Liquor - regains 50% of your original strength.
Buy for 100 EXP. Yes or no?]
"... Buy two!"
Shortly, the warm jars touched his palms. Leon rushed to uncork them and gulped. At first, something tightened all over his body. He almost lost his balance.
A refreshing coolness surged through his veins, wiping out every trace of strain. A smirk tugged at his lips. Back in shape. And damn, it felt good.
"I will have a shot at this then."
Mumbling that with clenched fists, Leon rushed out of the room. Then, down the stairs he went. As he gripped the door handle, he thought,
'An ally!'
Phew! The door opened.