NOVEL NEXT Chapter 123: Change Of Plans
Leon had thought hard on how their enemy actually managed to insert corruption in them, or rather managed to keep them in touch with the corruption.
The Academy was very safe and there were so many Artefacts and machines keeping an eye on everything. If there was something wrong with them, then Amber would have easily found the problem.
But everything was fine, so the question still remained, how did Silver and he end up being exposed to the corruption?
It was only then that he remembered the strange feeling he had gotten from the waiteress, and a hypothesis slowly formed in his mind. The more he thought about it, the more he felt like he was on the right track.
He had no way to prove it, but he had someone who could do that.
"What do you mean cafeteria?" Amber asked in confusion.
"Food, Amber. The best way to expose someone to corruption without alerting anyone," Leon replied with a complicated look on his face. "We spent a year here, eating the food from the cafeteria. They just need to mess around a little to make it work."
Amber's expression hardened, and Leon could see the rage building up within her. If he wasn't holding her in his arms, she might have already blasted her way to the cafeteria.
So, he hugged her even tighter.
She thought about it carefully and said, "But everything is checked, so the fact remains, there is a traitor in the upper echelon. We can find them through the cafeteria link."
"I would suggest being secretive about it," Leon said, still keeping his hands wrapped tightly around her waist. "They're for sure keeping an eye on you, so where are you currently for them?"
"Definitely not the Academy, and my teleportation won't alert them," Amber said with a smirk. "You want to keep the status quo but also figure out the traitor."
"Yes. We have no real clue about our enemies, so it's better we don't lose this link. Even if we expose the traitor, we won't achieve anything meaningful. They are disposable pawns," Leon said firmly. "It's better if we find them and then keep an eye on them."
"But what if they already predicted this?" Amber asked.
Leon had to agree with her. Their enemies were really cunning and almost always seemed to be two steps ahead of them, so it left a deep impact on their minds. Now, even if something was simple, they would overthink it as long as it involved those enemies.
"I doubt it. They aren't aware of the fact that we know about their plan of killing me. They think we only have some shallow understanding of the matter," Leon said. "Only you tried to investigate, and I'm sure you covered your traces."
"What about Morgon and the others?" Amber asked in return.
"Their investigation is related to a different matter, and they won't come to this conclusion. Anyways, even if they do know and this is all part of their plan, then it's even more important to stay secretive," Leon explained. "They are planning something big, and the traitors here aren't involved in it. That much I'm sure of."
"They won't let some disposable handle something important," Amber concluded, then added after a pause, "Leave it to me. I'll handle this situation my way."
"Sure, but remember, you're quite predictable at times, so don't fall for their schemes," Leon said, kissing her cheeks and making her squirm in his embrace.
"Don't! Stop!" Amber clenched her fists to control herself and gritted her teeth. "Do you really want your dick to snap? I really won't stop myself then."
Leon chuckled and backed away. "I'm just worried about you, because their plan definitely includes you."
"Not the first time, not the last time," Amber said with a small smile. "I'll go check the situation in the cafeteria and see how they actually managed to do all of this."
She raised her head, as if looking past the ceiling, and muttered, "It's almost your sleeping time."
"I'll be fine even without you. Remember that I've found a safe way back," Leon assured her, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "Besides, I've already recharged my energy by kissing you. I can fight off a Death Zone now."
"Cheesy!" Amber shook her head with a smile and said, "Call me if you need me."
With that, she kissed his lips and then vanished before Leon could even make sense of the situation. As he came back to his senses, he smiled and licked his lips. "You're really tasty!"
He stared at his hands, which could still feel her warmth, and clenched his fists. "I need to protect her. You already distanced one from me, I won't let you harm the other."
Taking a deep breath, he arranged his stuff and then jumped onto his duvet. His eyelids grew heavy as he tried to fall asleep faster.
After a few minutes, his consciousness began to slip away.
...
Waking up in the Meadows of Salar had become routine for Leon, so he just stood up and warmed up by practicing basic techniques.
He didn't practice his main techniques yet because he had different plans this time. He had already realized that he wouldn't be able to reach First Stage before the Conclave, so he had asked for a few specific skills from Amber.
One good thing about Skills was that they were easier to master in the initial stages, though it also depended on an individual's Level.
Leon was strong enough to learn E-Rank Skills up to First Stage, at least.
So Leon spent quite some time learning and practicing those skills. By the time it was almost a day, he could feel that he was closer to achieving First Stage in each Skill.
But he decided to rest a little, since he still needed to analyze his training and find ways to make his progress faster in comprehending the Skills.
Fortunately, they were somewhat common Skills, so Leon had also found the study notes of someone else on the internet.
It was always useful for stuff like this. People sold their understanding and comprehension online, and others bought it since it saved them time.
That was how one learned a Skill faster in the initial stages, compared to techniques where one needed to practice hard.
As he laid comfortably in the grass to give rest to his body and mind, he muttered, "Status!"
...
[SYSTEM INTERFACE]
Host: Leon Walker
Age: 19
Level: 15 (Tier 2)
Rank: Beginner
Race: Mutant
Bloodline: —
Talent: Grade 4
Affinity: —
Status: Stable
Skills:
Passive: —
Active: Sprint Boost, Iron Skin.
Inventory:
Energy Orb (Level 07) ×12, Energy Orb (Level 05) ×18..... Galactic Baseball Bat, War Hammer, Silver Knight, The Perfect Run, Crown of Silence, Clearwill Potion, Healing Potion...
Dungeon Access
Status: Awakened (Bound)
Core Name: ******
Current Zone: Floor 1 – Meadows of Salar (Unlocked whole Floor 1)
Time Flow: 3:1 (3 days inside = 1 day outside)
Sync Rate: 5%
Previous Evolution Rewards: Skill Stones
Next Evolution: Unlocks Affinity Orbs
...
"Soon, there will be many additions to the Skills Tab," Leon whispered to himself. "Other things are just as they were."
There were clear additions in the inventory, but he didn't pay much attention to it yet. He had stored many kinds of things in it, after all.
It included his new Artefacts that Amber had fetched for him. Since it concerned his safety, Amber didn't ask for anything in return and simply brought everything he wanted.
As for his Levels being at 15, it was due to the fact that a few lost Crimson Rabbits always wandered off into his place, so he had plenty of Energy Orbs even after he gave plenty to his mother.
The other thing he learned was very bizarre yet helpful to him. He could use his physical body to cultivate while he was here, and it would absorb Essence from the Dungeon. That meant in just one day, he would be absorbing three days' worth of Essence.
As for how it worked, Leon only had a few clues, like how his physical body was laying in one place, so he could cultivate while also practicing his techniques.
What could be better than that?
"Gotta move my lazy ass!" Leon groaned and stood up. He looked down at the grass and scoffed, "When I was developing the game, everyone used to shout at me to touch grass. What about now? All I'm doing is touching the grass, damnit!"
He shook off those useless thoughts and went to find the Boundary so he could reach Sector Two. He had decided to change his strategy a little.
Instead of entirely focusing on practicing his techniques, he planned to learn the Skills and use Skill Stones to increase their proficiency and reach higher Stages.
It was a risky plan since finding Skill Stones wouldn't be easy, and he was also losing time. But he still planned to take the risk.
"I'm already Level 15, which means I'm finally among the decent powerhouses here," a grin formed on his lips. "Punkass Gorilla! I'm coming for your ass! You'll give me my first Skill Stones!"
His eyes scanned the familiar Blackwood Trees as he muttered with crazed look in his eyes, "It's Hammer Time!"