Awakening : Becoming The World's Strongest Beast Master

People were glaring at Leo, their teeth grinding in frustration, almost ready to shatter.

The calm and composed expression on Leo's face only fueled their anger.

Seeing their discontent but noticing that no one was saying a word, Leo smiled faintly. "I've brought the money as agreed," he said. "Including the interest and the extra amount I promised earlier. You're welcome to count it."

With that, he placed the money on the ground beside him and turned, ready to leave. The atmosphere in the villa was suffocating, and staying longer felt dangerous.

But before he could leave, Marcus stepped in front of the door, blocking his exit. Leo's heart skipped a beat. To make matters worse, the young man who had been glaring at him walked through the crowd and stood directly in front of him, staring into his eyes.

Leo managed to keep his composure outwardly, but inside, his nerves were taut like a drawn bowstring.

"Why?" Leo asked coldly. "I've returned the money. Are you still planning to cause trouble?"

Marcus stayed silent, but the young man next to him smiled suddenly and asked, "I heard your sister is awake?"

Leo's heart tightened at the question, but he forced himself to stay calm. "Yes," he replied softly, "and she's preparing to join one of the top ten academies under Augustus' recommendation."

He deliberately mentioned Augustus, watching as the man's expression shifted into a frown.

"Are you close with Augustus?" the man asked after a moment of thought.

Leo could see the doubt in his eyes. The man clearly struggled to connect Leo's background with someone as influential as Augustus.

Leo shook his head. "Not close," he admitted. "But I helped him with something, and as thanks, he arranged for my sister to join the academy under his name."

The man's face darkened. Leo watched closely, reading every change in his expression. Then, with a small, deliberate smile, Leo added, "If you're interested in meeting Augustus, I can introduce you. I'm sure he'd appreciate meeting someone of your stature—for my sake."

The man's face twitched slightly, his forced smile betraying his irritation. "Didn't you just say you weren't close to him?"

"I'm not," Leo said casually. "But I'll be working with him more in the future, so we'll meet regularly."

Before the man could respond, Leo continued, "Oh, and I also know Benjamin. If you're interested, I could arrange an introduction there too."

The mention of Benjamin made the man's expression turn even grimmer. But he quickly masked his frustration, forcing a stiff smile. "No need for introductions," he said, his tone strained. "After all, I'll be attending one of the top ten academies myself soon."

With a glance at Marcus, the man gestured for him to step aside. Marcus obediently moved, allowing Leo to exit.

As Leo walked out of the villa, those who had expected him to face harsh punishment were left in disbelief. Their boss, known for his volatile temper, had unexpectedly swallowed his anger.

The onlookers exchanged confused glances. Every one of them had been on the receiving end of the boss's wrath before. To see him back down was unthinkable.

Once outside, Leo kept his pace calm until he was out of sight. Then, he sprinted away without hesitation. He knew that if they changed their minds, the consequences would be dire.

Inside the villa, the atmosphere was tense. Marcus cautiously asked, "So… are we just letting this go?"

The man turned to Marcus with a venomous glare, kicking him in the leg. "Shut up, you idiot! What else can we do?"

He paced back and forth like a caged beast, muttering angrily to himself. "Useless! All of you!"

Marcus remained bent over, silent, though his eyes glimmered with suppressed resentment.

Meanwhile, Leo finally stopped running once he was certain no one had followed him. He let out a long sigh of relief, but his relief was short-lived. The system had yet to mark the repayment task as complete.

"What's going on?" Leo asked, frowning. "I've returned the money. Why isn't the task finished?"

The system's voice responded calmly.

"The issue caused by the debt has not been resolved. Therefore, the task remains incomplete."

Leo groaned. "Does that mean this task is impossible to finish?"

"The system does not issue impossible tasks," it replied. "Please be patient, Host."

Leo could only accept this explanation for now.

When he returned to Finn's house, Finn greeted him with a look of astonishment. "You're back?" he exclaimed. "That's not what I saw in my dream!"

Finn shook his head in disbelief. His ability to foresee events through dreams had shown a very different outcome.

Leo chuckled, knowing that Finn must have seen something ominous. "Well, I'm back," he said. "How about we grab something to eat later? I'll stay here for a few days before moving out when the academy starts."

Finn hesitated, then nodded solemnly. He decided not to press the matter further.

In the room, Lia finally relaxed when she saw Leo return. But Leo's expression turned serious as he approached her.

"Lia," he said quietly, "I need you to answer something for me."

Seeing his seriousness, Lia nodded immediately. "What is it?"

"During the incident when you got hurt, was there someone with you? Someone who looked… delicate, maybe feminine?"

Lia blinked in surprise. "You mean Evan?"

"Yes," she continued, "he was with me outside the city that day."

Leo frowned but quickly masked his reaction. "And? How is Evan? Did you two have any issues?"

Lia tilted her head, puzzled by the question. "Evan? No, he's a good person—a really good person."

Leo nodded slowly, hiding the suspicion brewing in his mind. For now, he needed more evidence before voicing his concerns about Evan.