Chapter 55: The abandoned fortress
[You have turned Spirit Toxic Centipede of Tehmezhya Region into a monster card.]
[Click here to see your monster card collection!]
[Contracted: 2]
[Monster cards: 35(16 humans, 19 bug-type monsters.]
Leon's power significantly grew up as he victoriously walked a path toward the abandoned fortress. He killed monsters, leveled up, and even found another human party. Those people turned into enemies as though that had been written in their genes, ordering Leon to leave his stuff and girls behind.
Blinded by greed and lust, the humans died in a tight and hot embrace of flames. Leon burnt them to death, then gave them a second life by turning them into cards.
All cards were common grade, though.
"Everyone will have their uses." Leon turned off the system window, then lifted his eyes to look at the empty fortress.
Surrounded by the pale and oddly shaped nature, the fortress perfectly blended into an environment, using it to cover its existence. Without prior knowledge about its location, Leon surely would've missed an entrance, for it was hidden by tangled and thick vines.
It was already late, too.
But at first glance, Leon and his friends inferred that it was a pretty vast place.
Celes didn't waste her time, either. "I'll scout the interior, Master."
"Sure." Leon nodded, then wheeled to Louise. "How's the adventure so far?"
Louise blinked, not expecting this question. "Um, I don't like our opponents."
"I'm not fond of fighting bug-type monsters, too. But we've leveled up a lot, right?" Leon looked at his level, which was already past thirty, and Louise's, which extended close to level forty.
They had already spent roughly ten hours here, so it was fair of them to level up this much.
Louise wholeheartedly agreed, nodding a few times. "Yes! We can't be picky about our enemies. And the rewarding feeling of leveling up makes all of it worth it! I still don't like centipedes… Their legs… Ugh!"
Louise hugged herself, shivering from disgust.
It was pretty uncontrollable, but to Louise's surprise, she could always enter a trance to fight every enemy. When they came out, no matter what kind of enemy it was, Louise's eyes turned sharp and cold, bringing her fire kicks and punches forth to inflict damage.
pAnD a(-)n0ve1.com It seemed like her only weakness was a land of water, for Leon still could remember her shaking and having motion sickness on the boat.
"I agree." Leon heartily laughed, disliking the centipede's legs, too.
Hovering her big and lovely blue eyes on her master, Louise brought up an interesting point. "Celes has leveled up past fifty, right? Will she be alright?"
Even though Celes' job had been tracking and keeping an eye on surroundings, Leon tinkered with the party's settings and shared all EXP points evenly with his partners, regardless of their participation in battles. He believed that system wouldn't be able to properly grasp the vampiress' contribution to their leveling up.
But to Leon's surprise, the system actually did that.
"She has received the quest and leveled up a lot!" Louise added, not hiding her jealousy. Even if she did, her master surely would see through her heart.
Thus, Louise crossed her arms, pushing her ample chest up, and pouted.
Leon could only agree with her. "I'm jealous, too. We have to catch up to her!"
"Umu!" Louise nodded a few times.
"To answer your question, well, I believe I can trick the crack." Leon could just turn Celes into a card and reenter the split spirit realm.
He'd bring her out inside, and everything ought to be fine.
He couldn't confirm it, so it was just a theory, but Leon's class was above the legendary grade, so he didn't think a low-level crack from the split spirit realm would be able to question his prowess.
In this regard, Louise was entirely on her master's side. "We can live here until the realm is over or leave when we're content with our achievements."
"That's the way, too."
It'd be dangerous to leave their fortress behind, so Leon didn't actually plan to leave the realm. Unless it was necessary, he'd rather stay here to the end. He and his friends surely wouldn't feel alone with so many monsters and human parties hunting them.
More than anything, Leon was immensely interested in the dwarf, black asura, and the Winterborn's plans.
"I don't think I'll meet a decent party here, you know?" Leon explained to Louise's questionable eyes, for the scarlet fox was aware of the Winterborn's help. "And I shouldn't spend time thinking about common people. It's only natural of me to try to think ahead of our enemies and potential allies."
Leon smiled inwardly, thinking how adorable Louise was now that she had slowly developed her feelings, too.
"We should go on an expedition, then!" Louise offered.
Leon softly patted her hair. "We will. I have to somehow lure them out to our fortress, after all."
"Oh, yes… That's true." Louise shyly mumbled, looking down to hide her embarrassment.
[Your minimap has been updated.]
[Celes Diamante: Done.]
"We're ready to check our home for a few incoming days." Leon turned his head to the side, piercing the hidden entrance with gleaming eyes. "Let's go."
"Ok!" Louise broadly smiled, skipped her way to her master's side, then both of them went inside, abreast.
Inside the first corridor, Louise curiously trained her eyes around the place. She wasn't particularly noting stuff but just having her interest kindled by the new environment. Her fire tails bobbed behind her, providing a sufficient source of light.
Yes, it was pretty dark inside.
Leon didn't have problems with darkness since he activated his Vampire Hunter's skill, turning his heart into a vampire. But Leon thanked Louise for her help anyway.
But while his fire friend was innocently walking forth, Leon had been noting all useful information: the corridor's width and height, the used traps, and their broken parts, and analyzed how his prepared items would fit into. He inwardly hoped he remembered all of it, not missing anything useful.
Celes should help him with it, too.
"Master. I've found something suspicious." The vampiress came out from the shadow, her gorgeous face contorted by something she couldn't deal with.
Leon and Louise turned serious.
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