Chapter 24: Level Up!
*****
+2250 XP
Level 4 - 67/220 -> Level 4 - 220/220
Level Up!
Level 5 - 0/286 -> Level 5 - 286/286
Level Up!
Level 6 - 0/372 -> Level 6 - 372/372
Level Up!
Level 7 - 0/484 -> Level 7 - 484/484
Level Up!
Level 8 - 0/629 -> Level 8 - 629/629
Level Up!
Level 9 - 326/818
+20 Unallocated Stats
[+30% more XP required than previous level to level up.]
Vitality – 1.4/2.5
Strength – 5.1
Agility – 10.6
Stamina – 1.8/4.9
Intelligence – 5.0
Mana – 11/400
*****
"Leo!"
Lily dropped her sword and rushed towards Leo, who was bleeding from multiple wounds on his body—one deep gash along his ribs and countless smaller cuts and lacerations across his arms, shoulders, thighs and legs.
Only his face remained unscathed, though it had turned pale from all the blood loss.
"We need to get you to a healer right now!"
She reached to support him by the shoulder, not caring in the slightest if her new dress was stained with blood.
Leo took a moment to register that all danger had been truly dealt with.
Then, a thought struck him.
Stats!
He quickly allocated the 5 attribute points to Vitality and Stamina.
Vitality - 1.4/2.5 -> 6.4/7.5
Stamina - 1.8/4.9 -> 6.8/9.9
Relief washed over him instantly, as if someone had pressed a cold ice over a burning wound.
Lily, who was carefully supporting Leo to stand upright, saw the unbelievable and froze.
Right before her eyes, his injuries had started to close at an unnatural speed. Scabs formed above the injuries rapidly, sealing wounds that should have taken days to heal.
She could even feel his body getting sturdier by the second; even his breathing steadied and color slowly returned to his face.
It was as if time itself had accelerated for his body.
"What… what is this!"
Panic flickered across her face as she witnessed something she had never heard of. She examined his body and wound, even carefully pressing against the scabbed area to see any anomaly. She even lifted his shirt to get a clear view of the deep cut that ran along the side of his ribs, only to see that even that had already been sealed, almost like it had healed, and was covered in a dark layer that seemed ready to fall off at any moment.
With his vitality suddenly increased, Leo's body responded by making it stronger and repairing itself at an incredible rate. Now, the only thing that couldn't be replaced in the process was the blood he had lost during the fight.
"This doesn't look bad… but…"
Lily's voice grew calmer as she checked him one last time, not wanting to leave a single wound on his body unchecked. Seeing that he was no longer in danger, she visibly relaxed.
Leo just chuckled at her bewildered expression.
"Don't worry, I am fine. I gained a special ability that lets me heal faster," Leo said, trying to explain it in a way Lily would easily understand.
"Fine?" she snapped. "What do you mean by 'fine'!"
"You idiot! Who told you to run away suddenly like that? What would have happened if Shyra and I hadn't arrived in time? You could've died. Even with that healing ability of yours, you're not invincible… and… if…"
She went on, reprimanding Leo over his reckless actions without break. Leo visibly shrank under her words, thinking about his time in the military, when reckless success was rewarded by a medal, not reprimands.
Finally, Leo gathered the courage to stop her.
"I get it, I get it! Please, just stop," he said quickly, pressing his palms together in a pleading gesture. "And I only did it because I didn't like the way he spoke to you."
Lily blinked, caught off guard by his sudden comment, but quickly composed herself.
"…Fine! I will let you off the hook this once," she said, finally stopping.
"Fhew… that was terrifying," Leo muttered under his breath.
"What?" she narrowed her eyes.
"I mean the fight! That was terrifying," he corrected instantly. "Anyways, let's see what we've got here."
He quickly changed the topic, and without waiting, he started moving toward Arnold's corpse. Shyra had already extracted the core and mana crystal from the wolf while Lily had been busy scolding him.
Leo rummaged through the body, pulling out four silver coins and sixty-two bronze coins. Finally, he found a torn piece of cloth, the one that had been used to track Lily.
The moment Lily saw it, her expression turned serious.
"That cloth… it's from my sleeve," she said quietly, her eyes narrowed. "Zolton tore it off when I was taking away the dishes."
Leo looked at her, waiting for her to continue.
"He waited until I was around and called me over, saying the food wasn't to his liking and wanted it changed. When I leaned in, he suddenly grabbed my shoulder. When I tried to pull away, it got ripped. Master James came just in time to resolve the matter and sent me back inside."
Leo clenched the piece of cloth in his hand.
"Zolton…" His voice turned cold. "Don't worry. From now on, you won't need to worry about him. I will handle anything, or anyone, he sends at us."
Lily lowered her gaze as if the thought saddened her.
She only responded with an "Mmm".
Leo noticed it but chose not to press her.
Instead, he turned back to the corpse and proceeded to smash the parts of the head, making sure that no one would be able to identify the man.
"Leo, you… did you kill a group of three men recently?" Lily asked suddenly, recalling what Sera had mentioned earlier about smashed heads when she was leaving the restaurant.
Leo raised an eyebrow at the sudden, particular question.
"Yes, I did. They attacked me first, trying to kill me on Zolton's orders. Do you… hate me for killing people?" He wanted to know her thoughts when she fell into thought upon hearing Zolton's name.
Lily shook her head.
"No… it's not that… It's just… you were targeted because of me…" Her voice trailed off, guilt filling her heart, when she thought that Leo was forced into danger because of her.
In this ruthless world, even the common people had become immune to the guilt of killing, and more so if it meant their own survival.
So, Lily wasn't affected by what Leo had done… only by the reason behind it.
Leo stepped closer, his expression firm.
"I would face any threat and attack if it were for you, Lily. Believe me, you are the most important person to me in this world. I won't let anything happen to you."
Leo was completely serious, and he meant every word he had said.
To him, and even to the previous owner of this body, Lily was precious.
In the short time he had known her, Leo had felt her genuine care. Even if it might have seemed a little… twisted in nature, which she hid carefully beneath the surface, it didn't bother him at all.
He knew people like her well enough through the novels and anime.
And he wasn't afraid of that kind of love.