Chapter 107: A Red Figure
"Martial Warrior Realm... Level 4." Leon whispered as he slowly clenched his fist.
"Three breakthroughs from a single mission. I’m glad I came here. I originally planned to achieve poison immunity and awaken the poison affinity. But what I gained instead is far better."
’Stats.’ Leon didn’t speak aloud, didn’t whisper either. He merely thought the command.
Ding!
A soft chime echoed in his mind before writings popped up in the panel before him.
[Host: Leon Bale]
[Status Bar]
[Damage: 102]
[HP: 74]
[Perception: 35]
[Speed: 101]
[Mana: 1M]
[Soul Strength: 10]
Leon stared at the numbers for a few moments. A look of satisfaction gradually appeared on his face.
"Over a hundred in both Damage and Speed. Even without the boost from the Frost Monarch’s Blade or Ice Layer, I’m already a genuine B-Class knight now."
For a moment, his expression turned complicated. How many days had it been?
Just a month ago, he had been nothing more than a nobody. A verified loser without a certificate for it.
Yet now...
The tides had completely turned.
Not only had he awakened extraordinary powers, but he had also stepped into a realm of strength that countless people could only dream of reaching.
Amidst his battle and successive breakthroughs, Leon had failed to notice something important. The two statues beside the statue of the bulky cyclops had disappeared.
As Leon remained lost in thought, two figures silently loomed behind him.
Earlier, he might not have noticed. But now, after unlocking soul power and slightly increasing his perception, his connection to the surrounding had become far stronger.
He could feel the gentle flow of the breeze.
The faint rustling of dust across the ground.
Even the subtle movements of insects several meters away.
So the moment the two figures stepped behind him, Leon immediately sensed the disturbance in the air.
His instincts screamed.
Without hesitation, he leaped forward and spun around. At the same time...
"Ice Layer."
A layer of ice instantly formed over both of his fists.
Only then did he get a clear look at the newcomers. A flicker of surprise flashed across his face. One was a man who appeared to be in his mid-thirties. He wore a sleeveless coat fastened at the front with ribbons instead of buttons, leaving his muscular upper body completely exposed. His arms were crossed over his chest, and every inch of him radiated overwhelming physical strength.
Beside him stood a woman of similar age.
Her dark-black hair was braided behind her back, though several loose strands framed her face. She possessed delicate features, but the coldness in her eyes made her seem unapproachable.
The woman looked Leon up and down before speaking. "Who are you, kid?" Her voice was icy. "And why were you disturbing us? Do you have a death wish?"
Before Leon could answer, the man spoke as well.
"It’s not a safe place for sightseeing." His tone was calm, yet carried an unmistakable sense of authority. "Leave."
"Who are you two? And how did you suddenly appear here?" Leon asked. He remained on guard, his body tense and his fists raised in a fighting stance, ready to react at any moment.
"A mere human brat like you dares question us?" The man’s face darkened instantly.
He strode toward Leon... The anger was visible. His fist drew back, ready to strike.
But just then...
Crack!
A sharp sound echoed throughout the cavern. The man’s movement halted abruptly. All three of them turned toward the source.
A crack had appeared across the chest of the remaining statue. Some fragments had fallen down.
Leon narrowed his eyes. Something felt wrong. Beneath the shattered stone wasn’t more rock.
It was flesh.
Living flesh.
Blood-red flesh.
For a moment, the entire cavern fell silent.
Crack.
Crack.
More pieces of stone broke away, exposing an even larger patch of crimson skin beneath.
The sight sent a chill down Leon’s spine.
Meanwhile, the expressions of the man and woman darkened dramatically. Any trace of anger vanished from their faces.
In its place appeared something far more serious.
Concern.
"The seal is breaking." The woman spoke grimly as she stared at the cracking statue.
"I can see that," the man replied. His gaze remained fixed on the spreading cracks.
"But what exactly are we supposed to do about it? We knew this seal wouldn’t last forever." A trace of frustration flashed across his face. "We asked Master to kill it once and for all back then. But for some reason, he refused."
Another chunk of stone fell from the statue.
"And now countless innocent people are going to die because of it."
"We have to stop it." The woman’s voice was firm. "Or Master is going to beat the shit out of us."
For a moment, the man fell silent. His eyes never left the statue. Deep inside, however, his thoughts were anything but calm.
’Master... have you abandoned us?’ A painful look flashed through his eyes. ’How much longer are we supposed to wait? Where the hell are you?’
"What is that thing?" Leon couldn’t suppress the tension and anticipation rising in his chest.
The reactions of the man and woman had already told him enough. Whatever was trapped inside that statue was something far beyond ordinary.
"You haven’t left yet?" The man turned toward Leon in disbelief. "If you don’t want to die a gruesome death right away, then run"
His expression hardened. "That’s a demon."
Leon could feel it. The urgency in the man’s voice.
The woman saw Leon still standing. "Are you deaf kid? Ru..." She never got the chance to finish.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion shook the entire cavern. The remaining stone shell encasing the statue shattered violently.
Chunks of rock shot through the air as a terrifying shockwave swept across the chamber. The ground trembled. The walls cracked.
A dense crimson aura burst forth, flooding the cavern with an overwhelming pressure.
For a brief moment, everything seemed to fall silent.
Then... A massive red figure stepped out.
