Leash

Leonel's gaze only narrowed for a moment, but the dangerous feeling that gripped his neck was near instantaneous. He hadn't even moved or said anything, but it was as though the warning was already prepared. No, it was more like someone was hoping and praying that he would do something, as though this was exactly the sort of moment they were waiting for.

Leonel was under no illusions that he could already defeat a Void Palace disciple, he wasn't enough of a fool to have lost his head in such a way. At the same time, he also didn't believe that this young woman didn't have an answer for him. She wasn't answering because she didn't feel like it. Or, more accurately, she wasn't answering because she didn't want to.

That same air of disdain and disregard was carried with that dangerous feeling around his neck. The gap between himself and this woman was large enough that Leonel knew he wouldn't even last a few exchanges, but that only made the feeling all the more potent. These crafters hadn't had much respect for the rookies in this village to begin with, this was probably just an easy way for them to accumulate Void Points. But, for whatever reason, they were especially disdainful of Leonel.

Leonel himself, though, didn't flinch or retreat. In fact, his smiled only completely faded away, a certain lofty indifference coloring his irises as he looked down toward the woman before him.

He didn't say a word, he only seemed to memorize this individual's face before his gaze shifted toward the other two 'store clerks', but neither of them even looked his way. It was as though these matters didn't have the slightest thing to do with them.

It all summed up to one thought: He had wasted 10 precious minutes.

Leonel turned and left the store without a word. The next place he went to was the smithy. If he couldn't secure uniforms, he had to, at the very least, try and secure weapons for everyone, that would be their true life's blood in this place.

Leonel had been out there already, even if you could do so, defeating those beasts with nothing more than your hands was too dangerous. The contamination of Anarchic Force would increase by several orders of magnitude and the result could be catastrophic.

Leonel had made such a mistake before when a hint of a creature's blood touched his skin and his situation could have turned for the worst if it wasn't' for the fact he had Cleansing Waters with him. In such an environment, without a weapon that could actually survive in this land, you would be finished. Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.

But, once again, he wasted 10 minutes.

The gaze of one of the burly and shirtless 'store clerks' met his own. However, instead of remaining silent like the young woman had, his mouth actually opened to speak.

"Crawl out of my shop while you still have legs to do so."

Leonel's irises flickered with crimson, a sudden heat searing to life above his right hip. The temperature of the smithy rose just the slightest measure, but it was an uncomfortable sort of heat, the kind that only occurred when the air was particularly moist and every rising degree latched onto your skin and suffocated your sweat glands. In this sort of heat, even breathing felt uncomfortable and every inch of clothing felt unbearable…

Leonel was usually quite good at controlling his temper, at least when it was related to matters of himself. So long as such things didn't include his family and friends, biding his time and striking back in the most lethal of ways only when the moment was right was his status quo.

But, for some reason, he found it especially hard to do this now.

He had no idea how he made it out of that shop without letting his rage burn. This might have sounded like a throwaway line or an exaggeration, but it was actually the raw truth. Leonel dulled his senses to an extreme using Dream Sense, smothering the rolling flames in his chest, turned on his heel, and walked out without a word.

Others might have taken this sort of opportunity to sneer, but such individuals wouldn't have noticed the vacant look in his eyes, almost as though he was no longer even in control of his own body.

The next store Leonel visited sold food and water.

Those in higher Dimensions could usually spend longer than those in lower Dimensions without food, and this was thanks to Force. It was the control over these mysterious energies they had that could make up for a whole host of things, including food and sleep.

However, in an environment that fought back against you like this one, Force couldn't' be casually diverted to the upkeep of the body, it was too focused on keeping you alive under the assault of the poison in the air. Leonel had eaten not long ago and he could already feel that he would maybe last a day more before hunger set in once again.

Unfortunately, it was yet another ten minutes wasted.

As though a glutton for punishment, Leonel still chose to go to the final store. This wasn't because he was a fool. Rather, he owed it to the others to at least check.

This final storefront was for medicine and health care. This was the only place most who got infected and gained severe injuries could go, and it was also the only place that sold herbs and pills that could counter Anarchic Force.

While being cut off from all the others could still leave one room for survival if they were resourceful and careful enough, not to mention willing to weather the humiliation of being without clothes, being cut off from this one was akin to sentencing a person to death.

Being rejected from this place was akin to these people saying they wanted him dead.

20 minutes he waited. 20 minutes he waited to confirm this truth.

The line for this place was the longest of them all and for good reason at that. When Leonel made it to the front of the line, he found a woman with green hair and irises that fused into the whites of her eyes. It was clear that she was blind, or at least she appeared to be so. But, her demeanor was no less momentous than all the other disciples.

"Leave."

Those were the simple words she spoke without the slightest hint of change in her expression.

By this point, Leonel was no longer using Dream Sense. The corners of his lips angled downward and his lips pursed as he nodded his head, his entire expression seemed to read: "Okay, no problem."

Leonel turned around for the fourth time and stood in the middle of the village square. He closed his eyes and took a slight breath.

10 minutes. That was all that was left of the hour he had had remaining when he returned.

His hands slid into his pockets, his head tilting up to the skies as his eyes remained closed. He couldn't seem to sense the glances of satisfaction that landed on him in the slightest.

In the skies, Cornelius felt another headache coming on.

'You just took away everything a madman had to lose, what the hell are you going to use as his leash now?'

[Author's Note below]