Chapter 48: Confrontation

Chapter 48: Confrontation

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In distress, people tend to act recklessly and repulsively, sometimes desperately but always out of fear, whether it of imminent danger or a response to depressive thoughts. Leon can be categorized as the second type but the first type is what should be focused upon here as the situation just now took a complete shade of bloody red.

*Screech*

"No! Get away!"

*swoosh* *swoosh* *brrrrn*

As a wooden arrow landed deep in the tree trunk just making this vibrative sound beside her right ear, the girl ducks away from the volley of arrows which almost obliterated her.

She survived by a hair's width this time and the time before it made her only hope not to be put in that similar situation again.

Just what devil convinced her that it would be a good idea to venture into the forest alone and reach deep to the location of the Holy Pillar installed to ward off the monsters? Didn't she think for a second that it would be a dangerous area crawling with monsters at the moment?

The answer is that she was desperate, too desperate to catch Prince Edward's attention once again. The only way to do so is to be in the limelight like that one time back in the day. If not for her mother's advice, she wouldn't have wrapped the Prince's heart around her fingers but she still managed to do it. All of that was until they joined the accursed academy. When the Prince was flocked by all kinds of girls now that he is out in the open, it started to be hard for her to keep his company at first but it now became impossible. Not that she can't compete with the other girls but rather how many they have become. She would never stoop too low to join the masses around the Prince who originally belonged to her. Too bad he didn't even notice.

But that's a totally irrelevant situation at the moment. She had to run for her dear life and she had to run hard. Still, it was relevant. The situation she is running towards is back to the camp and if the Prince and his entourage saved her life, she would be put to shame and become a laughingstock. Well, it was either that or be killed by the greenskins.

"KYAAA!"

Or step on a trap and be left in the air with the monsters gathering around her growling, jumping, and aiming their crude weapons as their eyes gleamed with their

She is now under the mercy of the monsters.

***

As smoke was blown mixed with the strong aroma of the herbal mixture, the person on the other side of the smoke kept looking with a solemn expression at Leon who skillfully wielded his pipe and lighted the fire chamber while taking in small puffs of smoke on a frequent pace as if he was a professional smoker since ages unknown.

"The place to your liking?" Erielle asked.

"A bird doesn't have to dislike his cage." Leon replied.

"You are not being held against your will." She replied.

"Am I?"

"You are."

"So if I go right now and twist that little fucker's neck?"

"I am going to stop you"

"See?!"

" for your own good, Leon."

Leon wasn't a fan of that woman since he discovered that she was trying to spy on him for some time now.

Erielle, that's her name. An Elf with a bizarre sense of fashion and high tolerance to smokes and whatever Leon tried to annoy her with. New novel chapters are published on

After participation in the Centipede Stampede subjugation, Leon hoped that he would improve his mental and physical status by letting off those negative depressive thoughts and focus on leveling his skills but alas, a Prince had to show up.

Leon just doesn't remember why his mood turned so dark when he saw the face of the accursed Prince but if he were to put it in words, the negative emotions of the original Leon were the moving factor. Something that is part of his nature and he can no longer control especially in an environment rich with things that may awaken that old soul.

Vadim caused him a nervous breakdown he so much wanted to avoid thus he never met the Dwarf after returning to the camp, the sight of the Prince made things worse so he is now focusing on that calming smoke prescription. Still, the Elf called Erielle is interfering this time.

She showed up and invited him in the Hall's building under the guise of rewarding him for contribution before offering him a warm room to stay in as well as a meal. She didn't say one word of advice even and remained looking in her book.

"For someone who was focusing on tracking me down, you are the most underwhelming so far." Leon said.

"Is that so?" She replied, taking her eye off the book before continuing, "We wouldn't face difficulties such as the ones we faced with you. We underestimated your skills, Leon, so we misjudged you. That was our mistake."

"I am in your hands now. What are you planning on doing?" He asked.

"Nothing unless it has to do with saving your hide from a life-threatening decision."

"So I can leave?"

"You can"

"Thanks."

And here it was darkness hate abhorrence.

The rotten thing started crawling out of his heart and spreading all over his chest like a burning pain and it started gripping as everything in the world became colder, even the flame of the lantern especially the flame of the lantern.

" Why?" Leon started reading.

[Why are you doing this to me? Can't you leave me be *unreadable part* for some many years. I tried everything I just want to give up on you as you did on me he will show up hurt me the bad man I can't]

A lot of scratches and ink overflow made many parts unreadable but Leon with his mind could just fill the blanks.

[ the bad man came to me who do you think you are to do what you like with me You are not my Father]

The words felt heavy somewhat relatable but a different kind of suffering. There was no peace this note brought to Leon. It was all the rotten hatred inside him just swelling the more pages he read.

[ But they were always *unreadable part* I hate it here even the servants everything the air the eyes the voices they told me things about those people nasty things I can't even begin to imagine how it ends but that voice in particular the voice of the many-headed tree it told me something it was good I will see you once again then he laughed and said after I die I am sorry, mother looks like I have to die.]

Coldness felt like a hand and it was dark. It gripped Leon from his heart as he continued reading. This cold dark hand felt like it started multiplying. One grabbed his leg, one grabbed his hands, one appeared from his shirt collar grabbing his neck, a few appeared around his head coming from deep within. They all started grabbing him as if they were swallowing him down to the abyss and they covered every inch of him as he didn't stop reading with his eyes only the last thing visible from him.

And the light went out.

It was dark, cold, and quiet. Silent as death.

And the light came back.

It leaked through the loose part of his tent as the sun rays brightened over his body.

He was almost lifeless but as the sun gradually rose and the ray started to adjust itself to reach the sensitive side of his face.

Feelings of discomfort caused his flawless pale skin to a reactionary twitch.

And he opened his eyes and they were all black to even their white as if he was looking back from the Abyss itself.

But the blackness immediately receded and his eyes turned back normal.

Shocked, Leon sprung up from his sleep and immediately turned the other way as vomit started to come out.

But that wasn't vomit.

It was just black black mess and goo mixed with fingernails.

"Leo! Leo!"

Yet all of a sudden, a hand tore away the cover of his tent and a man lowered his posture to look in. Sunlight rushed in and its holiness chased away the coldness, darkness, and quietness inside the tent as if it all was instantly cleansed.

"Fuh Fuck!" Leon struggled as he covered his eyes like someone who hasn't seen the sun in ages.

"Sorry, but get geared up in 10 minutes." Titus slammed the ground twice to alert Leon, "A new assignment just came."

"What is it?"

"A student went missing. A girl."

Leon didn't seem to care as he continued to slowly push his body out.

"Fucking hell!"

Feeling like shit, smelling like shit, and definitely looking like shit with his swollen face and tired eyes; Leon nodded and shooed away Titus.

"I'll be ready."

Titus patted his shoulder a bit too strong and left away. Leon immediately looked serious and turned around to his tent to inspect the mess he left behind.

Black vomit and fingernails it was not there anymore. What was there was just some tiny spot of a white slimy liquid that had a very faint trace of what seemed to be smoke rising from it.

"Read!"

Immediately, Leon used the Read spell before the whole thing dissolved and the answer came immediately.

[Ectoplasm] <Rare Material>

" Did I smoke the wrong herb yesterday?"