Chapter 9 - A Body Not My Own

The figure strode inside, stopping at the bedside. He wore an outfit that would immediately catch anyone's attention—a bright red ensemble decorated with intricate dragon pattern. The armor was sleek and imposing, laced with scale-like sections that shimmered like a dragon's hide.

"Dragon Lord," she greeted carefully, her voice slightly cracked.

"What brings you this humble home?"

The Dragon Lord did not answer her. He simply walk past and approached Leo, his presence dominating the small room. A female demihuman, who accompanied him stepped forward to speak in his stead.

She had ears and tails just like that of a fox, which flicked elegantly as she moved. Her attire was simple yet seductive, her clothing hugging her body in a way that highlighted her curves.

"We sensed a lord-level monster in this area," she explained, her voice soft yet commanding. "That is why we came to investigate."

"Ladu Ranna," the demihuman continued.

"What happened here?" scanning the area as she placed her hand under her nose.

"I don't know about any monster, milady," Ranna began her head now slightly lowered. "But I felt the same aura coming from this house. When I arrived, I found Amanda on the floor and the boy on the bed."

The demihuman's eyes narrowed slightly, her ears twitching with interest. "An aura that strong, and yet—"

Before she even finished speaking, the Dragon Lord spoke—exasperated, "What a waste of time."

"No trace of that aura remains. The boy is just… a boy." He concluded, glancing at Leo one last time before turning on his back.

Ranna's heart pounded in her chest, but she remained knelt and kept her head down.

The Dragon Lord continued to walk past Ranna his hard boots thudding on the wooden floor. He then turned his gaze to his servant, a mocking smile forming his lips. "You thought a lord-level monster had appeared here?" he scoffed.

"That's the main reason why your kind is easily apprehended by us humans."

The demihuman's ears curled back, her tails stiffening. She kept her head down, her face covered with passive expression. Her fists though, hidden under her long sleeves, curled—quivering.

"No mere monster wields that kind of power," the Dragon Lord said as he stepped toward the door.

"That's the power of a system user," he looked back again scanning the room for the last time.

The Dragon Lord studied Leo for a moment. His gaze lingered—sharp, assessing—before curling his lips in disdain. Then, his lips curled in disdain. "And I see no one in this room."

"HAH! And here I thought you had something useful to say." he scoffed.

"Let's go," he commanded his servant. "There's nothing of interest here."

The demihuman bowed to Ranna and followed him out. She kept her stance, even hearing her own breathing, until the dreadful footsteps has gone.

She exhaled sharply, forcing her eyes shut before standing. She glanced at the two before stepping outside and gently shutting the door behind her.

Sometime later, a group entered and silently began cleaning the mess. Once they were done, they left, but she stayed behind ensuring everything was in order before nighttime.

Ranna looked at the two who were still lying in their beds and sighed softly. She then continued preparing the food she had brought. As she sliced the vegetables, her mind drifted back to the events that had unfolded earlier.

"Hero, my ass," she muttered under her breath.

"Just after two years of receiving a system, that Seth became even worse."

She continued cooking and house was filled with aromatic fragrance of varied spices and the freshly baked bread. While she cleans the kitchen side, she remembered something that made her look back to Leo.

"Was that boy always that big?" Her forehead creased as she stopped thought about it.

"He looked more, battle-hardened I guess?"

"At least not the kind of Seth," she scoffed as she continued to wipe the kitchen harder.

"If not for his system, I could take that snot down!" She then paused, stretched out and yawned.

"If those Engineers are even true, they're certainly bestowing systems incorrectly." she sighed. After finishing cleaning up and securing the food she had cooked, she stopped and glanced to Leo and Amanda.

"Keep resting you too…" she smiled seeing their faces more calm now.

The door creaked and the cold wind rushed to her face. She grabbed her hair that was being swayed by the wind, the bright moonlight accentuating her dark eyes.

"It will be great if Leo did have a system," she chuckled.

"That Seth would choke!"

"Maybe the Hero system?"

"Eh, we'll never know…"

Ranna headed toward her office, the soft crackle of dirt underfoot filling the quiet night.

Leo opened his eyes and instinctively turned to Amanda's side of the bed, but she wasn't there. He then smelled a delicious aroma wafted through the air that made his stomach growl.

He looked at the kitchen side and saw Amanda cooking the usual soup and bread. A smile formed across his face as he began to get up. The wooden floor creaked under his weight, now that he's upright. He was about to fix his bed when he heard something dropped on the floor he turned back only to see Amanda rushing toward him.

He was pushed back a little but was able to remain standing. Amanda hugged him tightly and dug her face on his chest, sobbing. "Oh, Leo, thank goodness you're okay," she whispered with trembling voice.

Leo was about to ask her to let go when he noticed something.

Was Amanda small? his eyes narrowing.

His eyes then darted to his arms that made his forehead curled deeper. He raised his arms and stared down at his hands. Leo flexed his fingers, watching the muscles ripple beneath his skin—firm, powerful, alien.

When the hell did I get this jacked?—

"Ahem…"

The voice made Leo look forward. It was Ranna standing in the doorway, holding a basket. She entered and placed it on the table and smiled at him.

His eyes widened in surprise.

Why is the farm owner here?

Ranna moved to him and tapped his shoulder.

"I'm glad you're awake, Leo," she said.

"You've been out for three months."