Lyon POV:

3 months later.

I stared at my reflection on the surface of the calm lake before washing my face. I had focused solely on training properly without missing a single day, and it showed.

My upper body was a lot more defined while my toned muscles brimmed with energy. They weren’t large by any means, but the effort and dedication could evidently be seen.

Ever since I overcame that hurdle, the sharpness present in my eyes never left me. I observed the ripples of water slowly die out as they moved further away from the epicenter of the disturbance.

My hair had grown far longer than I expected. It reached halfway down my back and took on a messy look. My lips spread into a thin smile as I observed the massive lake quietly.

“Leo!”

A familiar voice entered the tranquil atmosphere while I got to my feet. I turned around and saw Nia calling out to me in the distance.

In the last few months, she had started to visit us more often. It was during that time that I got to know her quite well.

Nia was more talkative than Zane, and she loved to tease me. That being said, she was also very kind, caring and sweet; I enjoyed spending time with her.

I threw my top back on before making my way toward her.

“Hmm.”

Nia put her hand on her chin as she stared at me intensely. Her eyebrows twitched while a glint of light flickered through her eyes. She made a mischievous cat-like expression before pulling out a pair of scissors.

“This won’t do! Leo, take a seat. I’m going to tidy up your hair~”

“Oh, thanks Nia.”

I did plan on cutting it once I saw how long it was, but she was one step ahead as usual. I had seen her with many different hairstyles, some were really intricate and detailed while others were more basic but still highlighted her attractive features.

There was no doubt in my mind that she was good with hair. Of course, she could have gone to a hairstylist to do it, but Nia seemed like the type of person who’d enjoy the challenge of doing it herself.

Nia pointed to the ground as I took a seat in between her thighs. She began humming away while I watched my hair fall to the ground around me. I didn’t know what song she was humming, but it was relaxing.

I couldn’t help smiling to myself as I wondered if this was what it's like to have an older sister.

As an only child, I couldn’t relate to those who had siblings. I also never had friends close enough to make that comparison. Aside from Tobias, who didn’t fit into the sibling category, my next closest relationship would be with Zane then Nia.

My gaze shifted to Zane who had been meditating quietly near the lake. His posture was perfectly straight, and it looked like he was in another world compared to when I did it. He was a person who valued time greatly, so knowing that he spent every day supporting and teaching me...

It meant a lot.

I closed my eyes as I listened to Nia’s calming voice. I wasn’t sure when I fell asleep, but when I woke up, her arms were around me, and her face next to mine. I felt her large, soft bosom comfortably pressing against my back as I flushed instantly.

“Rise and shine, Leo~”

Her bright grin revealed her healthy teeth while she slowly unlinked her arms from around my shoulders. I chose not to think too much about what I felt earlier, quickly calming myself down in the process. All I knew is that was one of the most peaceful rests I’ve had in a very long time.

“Take a look.”

Nia flicked her hand towards the lake as I got to my feet. I did notice a lot of my hair on the ground but thought nothing of it till I saw her slight smirk.

‘Don’t tell me...! There’s no way she’d make me bald right?’

I could still feel some hair on my head, but I rushed towards the lake anyway and quickly looked down.

The top of my hair was trimmed while the sides tapered down to the base of my neck. There were similarities between Zane’s hairstyle and mine, yet it still had its own flair to it.

My lips curved into a wide smile as I looked back at Nia and gave her the thumbs up.

“Thanks, Nia!”

She grinned in response while Zane’s gaze swept over me. A smile flickered across his lips before he looked away. There was always this calm, relaxed aura around him that seemed to hold deep insight into life itself.

“You’re ready for the next step in your training. Sis, let’s go.”

“I guess it’s time~”

I figured that there'd be a new training schedule soon. Besides combat training, I was able to complete the other training drills multiple times in one session.

I had mastered keeping a part of my consciousness awake when sleeping, to the point where Zane was now throwing mini boulders at me.

I was excited about what I would be learning next.

Nia walked over to us and placed her hands on both of our shoulders. Zane glanced at me while his lips parted.

“They know you’re coming. Take over the South within one year. Do your best to survive.”

“Sou—”

My vision tumbled as my surroundings instantly changed. Gusts of wind smashed against my face while I plummeted through the dark, overcast sky.

A few more seconds passed as I finally regained my senses. My surprise quickly faded while my gaze rested on Nia and Zane falling headfirst, unperturbed by the violent winds assaulting our descent.

I already knew that Nia could teleport; I had experienced it a few times out of curiosity, though this was the first time I’d ever been so high.

The thick clouds gradually gave way to an even more dull scenery. I could make out thousands of tall buildings that slowly became larger as our descent continued.

‘!’

Zane splayed his hand while the wind responded to his call. I felt it gently wrap around me as if it had a mind of its own, and before I knew it, I hit the ground with a gentle tap.

They both had landed on a nearby rooftop while Zane stood on the ledge, looking down at me. His golden brown eyes shone vibrantly as his gaze met mine.

“I’ll see you in one year, Lyon.”

Nia appeared by his side and gave me a wink. She placed a hand on his shoulder and then...

They both disappeared.

I wasn’t afraid or overwhelmed by my current predicament. Zane had already given me clear instructions, so I wouldn’t waste any time.

“Hm... Did you hear that just now?”

“Let’s check it out... It might be a hot babe who needs some company, hehe...”

I immediately dashed into a nearby alley, avoiding a small group of people who rushed to the scene. A disgusting smell of faeces and stale food stung my nose, forcing me to recoil backwards slightly.

My gaze shifted to the lines of black bags haphazardly thrown into the alleyway. I glanced back at the group scanning over the area as I began to organise my thoughts on how I should approach this.

“!”

I spun around and grabbed the presence I had just sensed by their throat; slamming them against the wall in the same motion.

“Keuk!”

The middle-aged man let out a pained groan as I loosened my grip around his neck. He gasped for air while I glared at him.

“You’re... Definitely his disciple... I was sent to watch over you.”

“...”

He smiled wryly as I moved my hand away. He wore a casual open suit and had short, messy hair. His frame was well built which didn’t match his eyes that lacked confidence. He had the appearance of a leader, yet also one of a lackey at the same time.

I examined him closely while he rubbed his throat as I recalled Zane’s words.

“They know you’re coming.”

I pondered for a while over the meaning of his sentence. I didn’t know much about this area or what country I was in, so maybe he planned on giving me some more advice.

Zane had told me to take over the South within a year, so it would make sense to have some helping hands. My gaze swept over the man one more time before I made a decision.

“Sorry about that. I’m Lyon Asphalios, and you?”

I stretched out my hand towards him as I smiled.

“Haha... I’m Mike.”

He scratched his head in embarrassment while we shook hands. His hand was firm and sturdy—it was evident that he had trained hard for a long period of time.

‘...He does work under Zane, so it makes sense.’

I dispelled my uneasy thoughts and focused on the task at hand.

“First, let me give you a quick tour of this place. Follow me.”

I narrowed my eyes, heightening my senses to the limit as I followed after him.

“Right now, we are in a country called Astril. Though this country is a part of the Empire, it has a very dark and long history.”

I observed his hands tremble slightly before he hid them away in his pockets. We walked through many back alleyways as Mike continued to provide more information about this place.

“The slums are split into four regions: North, East, South and West. Within those areas, there are... territories that belong to different groups of people to a degree.”

I listened to his explanation silently while I observed the state of the buildings around us. It was only then did I realize just how neglected this area was.

The streets were dirty and if you looked closely enough, rats could be seen blending into the darkness as they ripped away at the trash bags. A horrid, pungent smell would often assault my nose, further proving that there was essentially no maintenance going on here.

Some alleyways we passed were noisy. It seemed like crowds of people were bunched together in these tall buildings. Thin strands of wire connected these estates together while clothes hung along them to dry.

Mike glanced at me before following my line of sight as his lips parted.

“...People have lived like this long before Astril joined the Empire.”

He let out a sigh, and the pained look in his eyes made me wonder whether he was originally from this area. I knew poor places within the Empire existed, but I didn’t think it’d be to this extent.

“Oh my, you may be young, but I’ll show you a good time.”

A mature woman with long blond hair shot forward and wrapped her hands around my body—at least that was her intention. I stepped back out of the way, causing her to trip over her own feet as she fell forward.

I gently caught her with my arm and helped her back up. She had a voluptuous body that radiated a mature kind of attraction.

“Don’t do this.”

Her blue eyes stared directly into mine, but before she could speak, Mike grabbed her arm and gently pulled her to the side.

His expression was hard to read while he used his hands to emphasize whatever words he was saying to her. I didn’t know if he knew her or not, but I decided to give them some privacy and walked on ahead.

My lips curved into a soft smile while Mike quickly caught up once he had finished. I was curious about what they spoke about but decided not to ask.

We passed by a lot of people. Some were similar to that mature woman from before, others spoke to themselves in a corner and some had unknown intentions; their eyes darting around in sinister ways.

Mike continued the tour, explaining that these alleyways created a network where a lot of shady things often went down.

“The money isn’t enough this month. He’s not going to be happy.”

“These damn prostitutes are getting too old. We need some fresh ones. How are our drugs sales doing?”

“Not bad. Looks like that newbie is doing a pretty good job.”

“I would love to have a taste of her though, kehehe.”

A group of men laughed as they passed by us.

‘This...’

My eyebrows furrowed while I shook my head. I looked back at them slapping a woman’s bottom as my hands balled into fists. I knew that fighting alone wasn’t going to solve all these issues.

I scratched my arm and noticed Mike’s gaze resting on it.

“So it’s true. You really did obtain the Mark of a Pantheon.”

“That’s right.”

His eyes sparkled faintly. I imagined he knew just how much painstaking effort was required to reach the doorway of acceptance and even then, whether you crossed over or not was completely at the will of a being that I couldn’t comprehend.

A neon green light on the intersection of two sidestreets caught my eye. It was part of a large sign of what appeared to be a shop of some kind. It glowed brightly, casting a green shade on the murky streets below.

I had never seen a sign like that before in Efros, so I was curious about how they achieved that effect. I turned my head to ask Mike about it, but he was gone.

“!”

I looked around confused, only for two large arms to suddenly wrap around my neck.

‘I couldn’t sense them?’

I felt their strength and instinctively activated the Mark, but their arms still didn’t budge.

‘So strong??’

My desperate attempts to break free from their grip ended fruitlessly. I felt my consciousness fade as a familiar voice drifted into my ears.

“Target secured.”