Chapter 147: From Fear To Curiosity.
Chapter 147: From Fear To Curiosity.
The trainer deactivated the gravity field, and Leon immediately felt his body grow light, as though an invisible mountain had been lifted off his shoulders.
’Wait... It didn’t happen what I think happened, right?’ Leon wondered.
’System. Status Bar.’ Leon commanded inwardly.
Instantly, the panel before him shimmered.
[Host: Leon Bale]
[Status Bar]
[Damage: 167]
[HP: 74]
[Perception: 50]
[Speed: 168]
[Mana: 1.5 B]
[Soul Strength: 10]
’Holy shit... My Speed really increased.’ Leon’s eyes lit up with excitement. ’I really need to find a way to raise my Gravity resistance. If this is the result already... who knows how fast I’ll become once it reaches one hundred percent?’
"What are you laughing at?" the trainer suddenly asked.
"Ah, it’s nothing." Leon shook his head. "Thank you very much for letting me use the facility even after the test was over." He said politely. ’I don’t have the money for a private training chamber to train or test my strength at the moment. I’m glad he listened and let me use this place.’
"Don’t mention it." The trainer waved his hand dismissively. "Here." He then pulled out a card and held it out to Leon.
"What’s this?"
"A VIP membership card for the gym." The trainer said. "You can come here anytime and use a private training room, free of charge."
"Free of charge?" Leon stared at the card in disbelief. "Why are you giving me something this valuable? It must cost a fortune, doesn’t it?"
"It does." The trainer nodded. "But after seeing your potential, I think you’re worth investing in." A faint smile appeared on his face. "Just don’t disappoint me."
Leon was stunned.
He studied the trainer’s expression, trying to figure out whether the man was joking or completely serious.
"You’re... not kidding, are you?" Leon asked skeptically.
How could he not be? Even at a mid-sized gym like this, a VIP membership would cost a fortune — around four to four hundred and fifty dollars a month. That might not seem like much to some people, but for Leon, it was an amount he couldn’t even dream of spending for a gym subscription.
"I’m not joking." The trainer lightly tapped the card against Leon’s chest. "Take care." With that, he turned and walked away. ’Even if the Hunter Association hadn’t instructed me to do this, I wouldn’t mind making someone like him a friend. I just hope he doesn’t provoke the wrong people with that kind of talent or maybe draw unwanted attention.’
Leon remained where he was for a few moments before a grin slowly spread across his face. ’Today’s test turned out better than I could’ve imagined. This gym probably won’t help me improve much anymore, but I can still use its facilities to measure my abilities in different areas.’
Cracking his knuckles excitedly, Leon walked out of the training room.
Henry was still waiting outside.
"What took you so long?"
"Nothing serious. I just wanted to try the gravity test. It looked interesting."
"That’s it?" Henry asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
"What else would it be? Come on, let’s go." Leon said as he started walking.
"What about that girl?" Henry asked, falling into step beside him.
"What girl?"
"The one with the silky hair. Crystal-blue eyes. Wearing that combat outfit that looked like it was made just for her." Henry said with a wide grin, flashing all thirty-two of his teeth.
Leon smacked him on the head. "Stop thinking with your lower head all the time."
Even so, Leon’s own eyes instinctively swept left and right, searching for Snow. When he didn’t find her anywhere, he secretly let out a sigh of relief. ’Looks like she didn’t recognize me. Otherwise... that would’ve been way too embarrassing.’
The two of them walked out of the gym together.
What Leon failed to notice, however, was Snow quietly watching him from the corner of a nearby room.
She remained hidden, her eyes following his retreating figure until he finally disappeared from sight. ’A human capable of absorbing fire... A human whose strength can’t even be measured... And that kind of regeneration capability.’ She mused. ’Fascinating... Truly fascinating.’
A faint smile curved her lips as the fear she had felt toward Leon earlier gradually faded away, replaced by nothing but curiosity.
What had caused such a sudden change?
It all traced back to the day Snow first met Leon.
That day, Leon had just returned from clearing a gate after achieving fire immunity.
She had witnessed him absorb flames with her own eyes. She had also watched him suffer injuries so severe that multiple wounds tore open across his chest, only for every single one of them to heal within seconds.
Who wouldn’t be terrified after witnessing something like that?
Convinced that Leon was some kind of monster, Snow had wanted nothing more than to leave the gym as quickly as possible.
But just as she was about to walk away, a question suddenly stopped her in her tracks.
Was Leon really a monster?
If he was, then why was he casually mingling with ordinary humans?
Her thoughts fell into turmoil.
One moment, every instinct in her body screamed at her to run.
The next, an overwhelming curiosity urged her to stay.
She wanted to know...
What exactly was Leon?
So she remained where she was and quietly waited.
As people walked out of the testing hall, she overheard them talking about Leon, wondering about him, discussing what had happened inside.
From those conversations, she finally became certain of one thing.
Whatever Leon was...
He wasn’t the monster she had imagined.
If anything, he was simply a human unlike any she had ever seen. And that realization only made him even more fascinating in her eyes.
Meanwhile, after bidding farewell to Henry, Leon soon arrived home.
Jenny still hadn’t returned.
"I still have some time before Jenny gets back and we have lunch together. What should I do until then?"
He glanced toward the stack of books on his desk and shook his head.
"I’m not in the mood to study. Then there’s only one thing to do.
Sword Art Breathing."
The moment he spoke those words, the Sword Art Breathing pamphlet materialized in his raised palm.
Leon lowered his gaze to it, determination flashing in his eyes.
"Let’s try comprehending the Third Form today."