Chapter 161: The Crystal
Chapter 161: The Crystal
Leon lay unconscious on a hospital bed. There wasn’t a single visible injury on his body, yet he looked utterly exhausted, as if every ounce of strength had been drained from him.
There was another hospital bed just beside him. Jenny lay there as well.
Unlike Leon, she had an oxygen mask covering her nose and mouth.
From that sight alone, anyone could tell that her condition was far more serious.
Outside the hospital room stood Noira and Frenrir. Stanley and Jessica were there as well. After a long silence, Jessica finally spoke.
"His finals start today." She looked at her grandfather with concern. "Do you think he’ll wake up in time?"
Stanley let out a quiet sigh. "I don’t know." He glanced through the glass window at Leon and Jenny. "At this point, their safety is far more important than any final exam." His expression looked solemn. "You watched the CCTV footage from the building across the street, didn’t you?"
Jessica nodded. "Yes." She frowned. "To think a Disaster Class knight and ten S-Class hunters would get together and do something like this." Her voice was filled with disbelief. "Which country possesses that level of strength? This definitely wasn’t some random organization."
She hesitated before asking, "Do you think those two from Summitas Valley tipped someone off to eliminate Leon?"
"You mean those two demon slayers?" Stanley asked.
Jessica nodded. "Yes."
Stanley fell silent for a moment. "That’s certainly one possibility."
He slowly shook his head. "But I don’t think it was them."
"Why?"
"It’s just a feeling." His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "I’ve met their Clan Master before. He doesn’t seem like someone who would seek revenge without first uncovering the truth. And sending a Disaster Class knight just to abduct someone?"
He shook his head once more. "That’s very unlikely."
Jessica’s brows knitted together. "Then who could it be?" She looked genuinely pissed.
Stanley sighed. "I have no idea. If anyone knows the answer, it’s him. The CCTV footage showed that Leon exchanged a few words with the leader before killing him. And judging by Leon’s reaction... Whatever that man said seemed to shock him."
Silence fell over the hallway once again.
Noira continued pacing back and forth anxiously.
Frenrir remained motionless. But behind his calm expression, his mind was deep in thought.
Suddenly...
Leon’s eyes snapped open.
Frenrir noticed it immediately and rushed into the room.
"Master!" A look of relief spread across his face. "You’re finally awake."
"Jenny!" The first thing he did after waking up was look for his sister. "Where is she?"
"She’s still unconscious, master." Frenrir replied. "But she’s out of danger."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted toward the bed beside Leon’s. Leon followed his line of sight.
The moment he saw Jenny lying there peacefully, he finally let out a breath of relief.
He slowly sat up and rubbed his aching temples. "How long was I unconscious?"
Having experienced Berserk Mode more than once, he was already familiar with the exhaustion that followed.
"It’s been two days."
Stanley’s voice came from the doorway as he walked into the room. "Your finals were supposed to start today."
Leon fell silent. He didn’t panic about missing the exams or failing to prepare for them.
Instead...
Leon’s thoughts were elsewhere. The dying Disaster Class knight’s final words echoed endlessly in his mind.
’The princess... What was he talking about? Did they really come for Jenny... and not me? My sister... a princess?’ Question after question pounded against his mind.
Yet none of them had an answer.
"Master," Noira said softly, unable to hide the worry in her voice. "You should get some more rest."
Leon slowly shook his head. "I’m fine."
He looked at Stanley. "Mr. Cooper... could I ask you for one more favor?"
"Of course." Stanley nodded without hesitation.
"I need you to station some people around this hospital." Leon glanced toward Jenny.
"For my sister’s protection. The stronger they are, the better."
"No problem." Stanley immediately agreed. "I’ll arrange it right away."
Leon then turned toward Frenrir. "Stay here with Jenny for five minutes. I’ll be back."
Frenrir nodded.
Leon shifted his gaze to Noira. "Noira... take me to my room."
"Yes, Master." She raised her hand. The air before her rippled. A swirling spatial rift slowly tore open before her.
Stanley and Jessica’s eyes widened in shock.
Without another word, Leon and Noira stepped inside. The rift quietly closed behind them.
For a moment, the hospital room fell silent.
Stanley and Jessica looked at each other, bewildered, before finally turning toward Frenrir.
Frenrir scratched the back of his head and chuckled.
"She’s my sister for you. Her specialty is void manipulation."
Stanley and Jessica didn’t know what to say. At this point, Leon and surprises seemed to go hand in hand. Both Noira and Frenrir addressed him as ’Master’. Which was already strange enough.
And now...
One of them had casually opened a spatial rift. Spatial magic itself wasn’t unheard of.
But freely creating and traveling through dimensional rifts? That was something neither of them had ever seen or even heard of.
They didn’t have to wait long.
A few moments later, the space before them rippled once again.
Leon stepped out of the rift. He had already changed into his college uniform.
"You’re going to take your finals?" Jessica asked.
"Yes." Leon nodded. "But before that..." He glanced at the time displayed on his phone. "I need to go somewhere first."
"Somewhere? Where? The exams start in less than two hours." Jessica questioned.
"Somewhere I should’ve gone a long time ago." Leon said. ’So that’s what I’d been forgetting all this time...’
He turned toward Frenrir and Noira. "Keep Jenny safe until I return. I shouldn’t be gone for long."
The two nodded.
Leon then reached into his system storage and took out a translucent crystal. It was the very same crystal Emily had given him after he woke up in the Flemming Estate following the incident in the hidden realm.
Everyone stared at it curiously.
’I just have to crush it... right?’ Leon mused.
Then...
He tightened his grip.
Crack!
The crystal shattered into countless fragments. Instead of falling, they dissolved into wisps of white mist that rapidly enveloped Leon’s body.
"Wait!" Jessica instinctively stepped forward. "What’s happening?"
Stanley also narrowed his eyes.
But before anyone could react...
Leon disappeared. The mist dispersed just as quickly as it had appeared, leaving nothing behind.
Silence filled the hospital room.
Frenrir folded his arms and smiled knowingly.
"The atmosphere’s about to get a whole lot colder."
Noira nodded with a faint smile. "It certainly is."