A Penalty
Leon asked right away, "You said I got a sudden power-up, didn't you? And... something definitely didn't feel right. Yes?"
Leon looked at her with wide eyes. He repeated in the back of his mind - it must be what he had in mind.
Uncalled for, the lady drew closer to him. Leon jerked his body backwards immediately. But it turned out she only had to fetch something from the back of his neck. It was the bug she talked about earlier.
Rising to her feet, she extended her hand to Leon in an unexpected gesture. "Here..."
Leon creased his brows. He queried, "Why are you acting this way all of a sudden?"
"Get up first," she replied, her tone leaving no room for further questions.
Leon grabbed her hand anyway, jumping to his feet.
"Seems you've forgotten what happened back then," she said, wrapping her arms. Perhaps a silent moment of recollection would help you recall it. It's expected because..."
Leon turned his back on her without warning, cutting her off. An idea had clung to his heart at that moment.
'If all that's true, then Paradox Stability must be on a cool down right now!'
The lady realised he was busy with something else. Lucky him, she was someone who stayed out of other people's businesses.
Leon, his brows creased, thought, 'Show PS points.'
The crimson panel appeared at his eye level.
[Paradox Stability.]
[Cooldown: 1/3 days.]
Leon's eyes lit up. He clenched his fist. 'I knew it!'
This confirmation provided him with a clear sign that he had created a paradox back then. Nothing but his special ability saved his life.
He created a paradox more than three days ago after defeating the Chrono Wolf. So, it made no sense that that same alteration kept the ability under a cooldown now. Also, a few hours after the Requiem immobilised him, the system notified him that Paradox Stability would soon be available.
This current cooldown was a result of the other day's usage.
Digesting that, Leon actually tried to call to mind the incident. But it gave the same response - only when the monsters centred him.
Later, he turned to the lady. This was when realisation hit him. He raised his palm. Mecha Ruin's legendary assassin gave him a hand? That was insane. It felt like a dream on one side.
The lady spoke, her voice dispelling the fog in Leon's mind, "I owe you an apology for my previous actions. I was only being careful. I hope you understand."
Leon sucked in his breath. He didn't know why, but he still struggled to summon his mind to converse with her. Like, he didn't feel like himself.
He sighed.
"It's okay," was all he could say with a forced smile.
"Alright," she responded. "It's nice to meet you. I am Scarlet Hayes. If it's not too much to ask, have you formed a fellowship yet?"
Leon mumbled, hoisting his brows, "A fellowship?"
"I mean, are you open to an alliance? That's if you haven't had one before. It's such a great thing you're that strong, and it would be nice to have someone like you by my side.
Once you accept, our first mission will be to retrieve a key material from a sacred site in Mecha Ruin. We would start our journey to Remnora after that. Or are you one of those who plan to never leave here?"
***
The sun dipped below the horizon. Birds flew by, their chirps accompanying Leon as he walked alone down a dark, narrow pathway. It was between two buildings. Rotten food and decaying materials lined the walkway. They sent a foul smell into the air.
Luckily, Leon had a nose mask on. He had new clothes, a pair of shoes, and a backpack on him. This was because his first paradox usage was a limitless type.
As he strode forward at a measured pace, the response he gave Scarlet Hayes loitered in his mind. The Red Requiem.
"I will think about it." That was all he said.
Leon had never thought about it. But today, it came to him that he wasn't strong enough to even form an alliance. Besides, allies should either be of the same strength or remarkable ones to ensure a safe journey. Or else, one would become a burden to the other.
The lady asked for an alliance because she thought he was truly powerful. Not knowing he had slipped into a fabricated form back then. His paradoxical self killed the monsters, not him. And now, he was back to his original self.
If he had agreed, he would have ended up ruining her plan.
Even, none of them asked where they would meet in case Leon reached a conclusion. Maybe because the guy had no intention of meeting again in the first place.
Raising his stare, he saw distant buildings spaced out from one another. They still seemed to be in good condition. And Leon saw people moving about too. Thus, he returned the map to his bag, knowing he had reached his destination. Somewhere he could get somewhere to stay.
'My focus should be getting stronger. Or else, I'll end up tasting good in a beast's mouth.'
After a bit of searching, Leon reached the front of a one-storey slum block. Its name was "Ash & Sylum". If one interprets this, it means a place that is both a refuge and a prison.
'This city is a prison in its own right.'
Entering, Leon met the sight of a teenage girl and a guy sharing an intimate moment at the reception desk. Well, he thought they were a bit more polite than many others.
Leon paid for two nights, though the cost was higher than that of Rust & Rent. Reaching his designated room, he locked the door.
This room held more than a bed but also a mirror. As a matter of fact, it had a bathroom behind a short door.
After chowing down a doughnut, Leon then asked the system to navigate to
[Daily Mission.]
[Today's Log Card has expired due to your unconsciousness during the witching hour. For this, you will face a penalty of three points deducted from a random stat of yours.]
Leon slapped his face, groaning, "Argh! What's the point when it's not like you can use the reduction to your advantage? How petty!"
[Deducting from
"What?! No, not that one...!"
[Intelligence: 32.2]
"..." Leon sighed. Now, it was obvious that the system knew him all too well.
Knowing Leon was a strategic and unpredictable fighter, it weakened his strongest trait. He can still manage even if his blow accuracy drops. If he can't fight anymore, he can drink the Regenerative Liquor. But the case was different for this.
Anyways, Leon asked, "Can you reorganise
[Initialising command...]
[Error found with 1 of 80,000 memory events.]
[Reorganising...]
"No way I have got that much in my head."