What Leon didn't know was that even though the group in the carriage had made it safely back to the Holy City, they weren't in good shape.

During their escape, they'd caught a glimpse of their monstrous pursuers up close... Even with their protective goggles on, strange dark patterns had started appearing around their eyes. They were now rushing straight to the Cathedral for a week-long decompression treatment, with no time to worry about the corpse bag.

...

In a damp, gloomy alley, a head was slowly moving through the shadows.

"The architecture resembles 19th century Europe, but these hundred-meter walls and modern high-rises seem completely out of place for that period," Leon mused. "Plus, this world has magical forces and bizarre creatures I've never encountered before... These must have significantly influenced how science developed here."

What Leon had seen so far was barely the tip of the iceberg, perhaps even less... His deductions might not be entirely accurate.

Yet these novelties not only excited him, but stirred a touch of madness in him... He desperately wanted to understand this world and its scientific principles.

"First things first - I need to find an ordinary human body, try to learn from the most basic level... Certainly I should also look into ways to return to my original world."

In Leon's case, besides several unfinished National Science Foundation projects, there was nothing in his original world worth missing.

Orphaned as a child, he'd been raised by his grandfather, who passed away right after Leon completed his doctoral defense. Besides, with his research projects that required day and night attention, plus the limited social circle at the institute, Leon had no so-called 'lover'.

He remembered the hospital room filled with flowers - all from his students. But he'd never enjoyed teaching; If not for the school's mandatory teaching assignments, he would have spent all his lecture time on cellular research.

With no attachments, he died tormented by the demon of cancer.

When he realized he'd been reborn, his first thought wasn't about finding a way back - instead, he felt thrilled about exploring this strange new world. He wanted to investigate, to research.

Currently, he was near the city walls in the commoners' district. For maximum land efficiency, the area was packed with apartment buildings made of red brick, copper plating, and domed roofs adorned with diamond-shaped glass windows.

Thanks to his hyphal tendrils' adhesive properties, Leon's head could easily crawl up vertical walls and peek through windows to observe the interiors.

After observing for some time, Leon noticed something peculiar.

"Strange... why are most people either middle-aged or children under ten? Where are all the young adults?"

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"Could it be that the youth have been conscripted into military service?

From what I understand, the humans in the Holy City seem to be under constant threat from 'monsters,' forced to remain within these walls...

Forced conscription of young civilians seems likely, but what about the wealthy families?"

Leon decided to use the cover of night to move deeper into the city, heading toward the lavishly decorated mansions in search of a 'target.'

If he could possess the body of a wealthy heir, it would save him considerable trouble.

However, this plan carried its own risks.

During his way back to the city, he'd encountered that 'soldier' who could spot him hiding in the grass even while their carriage was racing at high speed... If he were to encounter such people within the city again, he might be discovered.

He needed to find a body quickly.

As Leon was leaving the dark alley, attempting to move stealthily, he made a discovery.

Among the tightly packed buildings, there was an 'excess' plot of land, created by an architectural oversight.

This empty space lay behind the surrounding buildings, accessible only through narrow alleys filled with sewage and scurrying rats... making it a place rarely visited by anyone.

In the center of the weed-covered ground stood a massive oak tree with numerous branches.

And by unfortunate coincidence...

A young man was 'hanging' from one of the thick branches.

Keeping to the shadows, Leon's head slowly moved beneath the corpse for a closer inspection.

The young man showed no signs of life.

His fluffy brown hair framed a pair of 'beautiful' sea-blue eyes, now bloodshot and bulging from asphyxiation.

He wore crude, simple linen clothing - a shirt and slightly oversized trousers.

His mud-stained leather shoes - or rather, shoe, as one had fallen off during his desperate struggle.

Leon noticed a black bracelet on the young man's wrist.

"Age between 16 and 20, no calluses on his hands, suggesting he never performed manual labor... Yellowed and emaciated body, clearly showing signs of protein deficiency... From a family too poor to even provide basic sustenance?

Possessing such a body might bring some inconvenience later on.

But it's the safest option available."

Leon closed his eyes.

He analyzed all the information he'd gathered, weighing fundamental benefits against security concerns.

Finally, he made his decision.

In a world filled with unknown dangers, playing it safe was often the best strategy.

This precious chance at rebirth - after spending seven whole years in prison to find this unique head - wasn't worth risking.

Given his unfamiliarity with the Holy City and the guards' perception being above normal human levels, it wasn't worth taking the risk.

"Based on the 'load value' settings, there should be some way to increase the load limit.

When the time comes, I'll go find a better body then. For now, borrowing this commoner's body might actually help avoid unwanted attention."

He climbed up to the corpse.

The moment his head touched the corpse's skin, just like in the prison, information about the body flooded into Leon's consciousness.

『Nicolas Varen, dead, no diseases. Physical qualities below average human standards. Proceed with possession?』

"Yes."

Skin contact established.

The tentacles from Leon's neck entered through every 'pore' on the young man's skin, possessing the entire body, taking complete possession.

Life signs activated!

He removed the hemp rope from the neck.

It was only a meter from feet to ground. However, landing from even such a low height made Leon's body lose balance and lean forward, almost falling flat on his face.

" Damn, how can this body be so weak?"

This body couldn't even compare to those in the prison... Leon still remembered the first 'mentally challenged' body he possessed, the speed and power of its punches felt so good.

However...

This young man's punches were pathetically weak - hitting anything slightly hard might break his entire arm.

Suddenly, the mechanical bracelet on his wrist emitted a slight vibration.

The precise clockwork timer displayed a numerical countdown.

"A one-hour countdown?"

Leon's instincts told him that this young man's suicide might not have been due to family or personal issues, but rather connected to this mysterious countdown bracelet.