Leon was soon ready to head out. He wore clothes that would ensure maximum flexibility. He promised himself that getting caught would be the last thing that would happen to him, and when he came back, the pill would be in his hand—no matter what.
He prepared to leave, but on reaching the door, he suddenly stopped. Like a robot, he turned quickly and walked toward his mom's room to have one last look. That way, the memories of his mom and his sister would be fresh—should something happen to him.
Sigh...
He reached the room, and though it was night, the moon's light illuminated everything within. The silvery glow poured through the slightly open window, casting a soft sheen over the interior, enough to see everything clearly.
Slightly removing the mask, he gazed at his mother's face.
Her skin was pale, and though peaceful at first glance, there was something... hollow about it. Something only he could notice. Behind the calm, behind the silence—she was suffering.
She had been suffering since the day her husband died.
Her eyes stared ahead, wide open, not blinking, not moving—frozen like stone. Her long blue hair would occasionally shift in the wind, strands falling over her face, only to move again. She just lay there, unmoving. Sometimes crying—but not the kind of crying most people did. No sobbing. No trembling. No wailing. Just tears... sliding silently down her cheeks. And then there were the moments when she'd mutter words under her breath, inaudible, incoherent, as if she were trapped inside her own mind.
After she fell sick about a month ago, Leon had taken on the role of the man of the house. He had to shoulder everything at a young age. Compared to other boys, he was stronger, wiser... more mature.
He did odd jobs to make money. But such jobs weren't easy to find. In this world, magic could take care of most things. And homes—unlike the flimsy ones on Earth—were fortified structures, built to last, constructed in less than a week with the help of skilled craftsmen and magic.
As he looked at her face, he sighed.
Crying was not an option. He wasn't a child, and he wasn't a crybaby. Tears wouldn't fix anything. He was the current man of the house, and he had to act like it.
The cause of all this was the Emperor.
And Leon had sworn that no matter what it took, the Emperor would pay for everything. But to do that, he had to get stronger. Fast.
After watching his mother for a while longer, he turned his gaze to his sister.
She looked so peaceful, cuddled against their mother. Her face had a quiet softness to it, the kind that only innocent children could possess. She had inherited their mother's blue hair, while Leon had inherited their father's silver.
Seeing their faces somehow steeled his resolve even further. He couldn't afford to die. His death wouldn't fix anything—it would only shatter their already fragile world. He had to live. He had to succeed.
Even if it cost everything else.
He gave them each a light kiss on their foreheads.
"Don't worry Mom, don't worry sis... your big brother will be back before you know it… I will survive."
He said it under his breath, but with conviction. Even if they couldn't hear him, the words weren't for them—they were for himself.
Even so, a sense of unease gnawed at him. Something didn't feel right.
He walked out as quietly as he could, careful not to disturb them.
'What's this feeling?'
Something deep inside him stirred. An unease that threatened to overwhelm. He had prepared for this day a long time ago—there was no turning back. Whatever it was, he would face it. Head-on.
'Is this because it's my first time trying to steal this kind of thing in this kind of way?'
He tried to rationalize it. But another part of him kept screaming—this wasn't just nerves. There was more going on. More than he could see. More than he could understand.
His instincts had never failed him before. And they were telling him—things will go south tonight.
But he couldn't afford to wait. Not when his mother lay sick and broken. He hadn't even taken her to the hospital—the cost was too far beyond his reach. Food and clothes already stretched him thin. That was why he had to do this, no matter what.
'What could possibly go wrong?'
He hadn't told a soul—not even his sister. So how would they know? Still, deep down, he had a feeling that she knew. That woman. Alex.
He couldn't shake the thought.
'Even if she knows I want it badly enough to steal... how would she know the exact day or time? Unless she has some kind of artifact that lets her see the future or something...'
Leon whispered to himself as he moved silently through the forest.
Though it was called a forest, all the real dangers had been cleared long ago by the Cultivators. That way, everyone inside the village was safe from inner threats and could focus their attention outward, where beasts still lurked.
All that remained in these woods were non-mutated animals—rabbits, rats, owls... the usual. Any mutated beasts were taken down immediately. Their meat and parts were valuable and could be sold for good money.
Leon had already done some research. He knew Alex didn't trade at night.
He soon arrived at the Alchemy shop, after passing by a few lingering villagers.
But something was... wrong.
The street where the shop was located was empty.
Not a single soul in sight.
It felt... unnatural. Like the air was holding its breath.
'What's wrong?'
Even at night, at least twenty percent of the daytime crowd was usually present. But now... nothing.
Still, he didn't hesitate. He began breaking open the window—slowly, carefully, trying to make as little noise as possible.
[Ding!]
[Master, you should have leveled up before coming here.]
'Shit! What now?! I'm so foolish!'
Hearing the System's words, Leon felt like slapping himself a thousand times.
He had rushed so fast, he forgot the basics—strength.
He hadn't entered the dungeon. He hadn't taken the time to level up. It wasn't that he was foolish, he was lacking info, in the heat of the moment, desperation to cure his mom as fast as possible, he didn't ask the system necessary questions he should've asked.
But now that System mentioned it, even if he's already out on operation, there might be a chance even if the situation turns out bad, the situation was too suspicious...
He can't take any chances, if there's any info that'll help with the operation, asking now is the best way to handle everything... While he can't simply turn back without doing anything, with info, he can compromise.