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Time has passed since Leon started experimenting on Magic and the results were between satisfactory and fascinatingly mysterious.
His life was like this; wake up, finish work as early as possible, train, eat, sleep.
Each one of his Attributes could be worked on separately in training. Strength training was mostly body-building training in which he used pull-ups and such as well as some heavy objects.
Endurance training required him to stand still in the backyard and carry pots of water by his fingers, above his head, on his arms, on one thigh, between the two thighs, and on the other legs foot, two tied to his shoulders. This endurance training was so Spartan that he would ask Jordi to add extra water to the pots from time to time in order to increase the pressure.
Training Agility was the pride and joy of any Medjay agent and he was already putting more effort into his agility and speed. He would run distances where he could not be seen ideally on the roofs in a free-style way and combine that training with Combat Magic techniques such as Leap and Rush.
Perception training was by far the most difficult and the one that happens at the start of each day. Leon's early schedule would lead him to take a bath in the river which he would use to take a few dives and try to navigate his way underwater or by detecting outside noises.
The last thing to train was Intelligence and Leon didn't do anything regarding it. The last time he increased a few points in Intelligence was one of the most painful experiences in his two lives.
The days went on and a full week has passed on this behavior. Leon didn't stray too far from the saloon that week not to bump into any of the knights looking for him and he was obviously very busy with his extensive and focused hellish training. Sadly, this wasn't even half of what the Medjay training manual used to have and he was completely dissatisfied with the results.
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< Training Results >
- Strength: +3
- Endurance: +5
- Agility: +3
- Perception: +2
- Intelligence: -
- [Swimming Technique Lv.2] (NEW!)
- [Fatigue Resistance Lv.2] (NEW!)
- [Enhanced Stamina Lv.1] (NEW!)
- [Pain Resistance Lv.3] (UP!)
- [Physical Resistance Lv.2] (UP!)
- [Air Magic Lv.2] (UP!)
- [Earth Magic Lv.2] (UP!)
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The training results may sound abnormal to achieve in one week but the one doing them was no one other than a person is a training freak. He even spent some of the money he has on nutritious food that is considered expensive in these parts of the district such as eggs, meat, and butter.
It was safe to say that he managed to gain some weight and his pale skin started to become more lively.
Also by the end of the week, he received 20 pennies of copper from Madam Ruth which are his weekly wage.
During the next day, Leon decided to take a break and just go slow with the work with Jordi as the two of them kept sweeping the sidewalk and the entrance of the saloon while the people were coming and going before noon.
"Yo, Jordi. With the pathetic wage we get from the Madam. How are Rats like us supposed to climb up the ranks?" Leon asked.
"Climb the ranks?" Jordi laughed with the side of his mouth as he took off his flat cap and started waving it at his face for air, "Don't tell me you were training like a crazy baboon those past few days so you can climb the ranks?"
"That was for my health. I needed to build up some stamina for the job." Leon said as he slapped Jordi's belly, "You need to do the same "
"Me? Nah. As long as everybody thinks they can beat me, I am no threat to anyone. That's how to survive as a Rat." Jordi said as he put his cap on and held the broom, "And stop dreaming about climbing the ranks when you can't beat the Dogs or outrun the Rabbits."
Jordi returned back to sweeping and Leon stood thinking.
He looked across the street to see four young men sitting on a few barrels laughing and drinking without a care in the world. Those were the Dogs who step in whenever the Saloon is having trouble and the Madam pays them handsomely to just loiter around all day and there are a ton of them on every street and around every business. As for Rabbits, Leon managed to spot a few of them coming and going thanks to his [Read] spell. Most of the Rabbits were either driving carts or running around doing incomprehensible errands.
The view of the Rabbits before was like gang runners but Leon realized they are much more. Some of them are Smugglers, others are Pickpockets and Thieves, they mostly run errands to the Syndicate Bosses and exchange messages between them. However, some of them have high Perception stats and they sit around in the saloons and public places watching and spying.
The job is perfect. The only question is, why is Leon still doing the Rat's job? What is he waiting for?
Jordi didn't know how to climb up the ranks because he simply will never know it. The underworld doesn't hand out invitations for promotions or such. One must find the opportunity and grab it.
A Rabbit is nearby, Leon already knew it. One of the Rabbits keeps coming and going between the Honey Saloon and some other place near the slum beside the city wall. Leon knew there was another Boss like Madam Ruth there somewhere but he didn't know the place.
This particular morning, the Rabbit came in to deliver something to Madam Ruth through Jessica and still sits in the saloon drinking. He looked like a man in his late thirties with a low posture wearing a dark blue suit with a brown cap that worsened the unsightly fashion terrorism he was portraying.
As Jessica went up and came down, the Rabbit kept giving her some creepy looks, and as she came and went. He even said something to her that caused her to ignore him as he kept his dirty smile while walking out.
"Yo, Jordi. Want anything from the market?" Leon asked as he tossed his broom to Jordi.
"What? No… wait. I just came from the market. You didn't say…" Jordi said in confusion.
"Sorry, just forgot about something I really really wanted." Leon said as he started walking away, "Cover for me."
Jordi was left in confusion as Leon disappeared between the crowd.
Leon was dressed in very common clothing that he bought the other day from the market with Jordi. Mainly brown pants and vest with a white shirt that doesn't stand between the crowd. Thanks to that, he wasn't spotted by the Rabbit he was following.
The Northern District in Karanberg was a dirty place all over. People were poor and crime was spread but moreover, the big streets were busy. The Rabbit's first stop after the Honey Saloon was in a café where many dogs sat around to play. The man in question seemed to be making some sort of a meeting thus Leon didn't linger around to not be spotted by the frequents of the place.
Nothing really happened until a few minutes had passed and the Rabbit took off with two dogs following him. It seemed that he needed some sort of security as he was going through the next turf.
The Rabbit and the Dogs surveyed their surroundings very well looking for anyone that smells like them and then they started walking down the side streets away from the crowded place. Leon was now certain that there is something important and the more he lingers around, the sooner the opportunity will arise.
Where was Leon following from? The Rooftops, of course.
Karanberg was a tightly packed city with not too many high buildings and most of them were easy to climb if one found a quiet spot with no prying eyes, especially if that someone had the [Leap] spell.
After a few turns, the opportunity Leon was waiting for finally arrived. A goon in the street seemed to have recognized the Rabbit and the two Dogs with him as he wanted to run and alert someone.
Leon watched as the two dogs chased that other goon in a nearby alley and cornered him.
"Alright now, Dan. Show me that face. Just a few punches and you'll be out for the day."
"Fuck you, Steve!"
"Tsk. Let's get him, Paul."
It seemed Steve and Dan here had history and from what it seemed, this is going to end badly for Dan.
Seeing the Rabbit catch up to the Dogs, he signaled them to end it quickly and they gang up on Dan as he tries to punch and kick all he could.
Paul and Steve cornered Dan and kept hitting him until he passed out. His face was stuck in the mud and he would at least need a few days to get up on his feet, not that Leon cared for this was his moment.
He jumped straight in action from the second story and his target was the Rabbit himself.
"What… you are…" The Rabbit felt Leon coming and almost recognized him but Leon's knee was already sinking in his face.
"What the fuck!"
"Another one! Come here!"
Steve and Paul saw the Rabbit knocked out and ran at Leon who was already aware of how they were going to attack.
Paul tried to catch Leon who was a bit shorter in both height and reach yet in less than a second, Leon punched Paul right in the throat and jumped at Steve.
Steve wasn't flexible enough to react as Leon drove his thumb into his left eye then pushed his head against the nearby wall and rendered him unconscious.
Only Paul remained aware yet he was on his knees choking from Leon's throat attack. He saw Leon coming at him and tried to pull out a knife from his vest while holding his throat but Leon caught his hand and twisted it hard forcing the knife out and grabbing it himself.
"Dan was quite the ruthless fellow. Outnumbered and disadvantaged yet he took care of the situation on the cost of a broken rib and various injuries here and there." Leon said as he took the knife and looked at Paul, "You might be wondering… how is Dan so sinister and ruthless?"
Leon walked behind the fallen Rabbit and stood up holding the knife.
"He saw a Rabbit of an enemy Boss coming through the back of the turf where he was loitering. He then ran away to call his guys but you guys cornered him in a dead-end alley. He was scared but he had this knife, wooden handle, sharp edge, reliable and can be found just about anywhere."
Leon retreated a few steps back then acted like Dan when he came running but he changed the events.
"Instead of being a cornered rat, Dan chooses to hide behind this… corner." Leon stood behind a very narrow corner between the building, "He then waits for the first one of you to come not seeing him and he jumps him BAM from the back with his knife."
At this moment, while the silenced Paul was watching, Leon fixes the position of the unconscious rabbit and…
*Stab*
… he stabbed the unconscious Rabbit at the back of his neck.
"Not an ideal place to stab but very deadly and can be hit with some of Dan's beginner's luck."
Paul shivered and retested in fear as he saw Leon push the corpse of the dead Rabbit to take a more believable position as the dead man bled out.
"Then you, Steve and Paul see what happens to the Rabbit they were supposed to escort and completely freaked out then attacked Dan out of rage. After all, their Boss won't sit still and will punish them severely for screwing up the mission. The two of them rush at Dan and pin him all the way here against the wall. You beat him mercilessly but… Dan still has the knife."
Leon runs and sits beside the unconscious Dan and thinks.
"Alright." He stood up, "You, Paul. Dan kicks you right in the nards."
Leon suddenly kicked Paul where the sun don't shine caused the incapacitated guy to groan in great pain.
"While you, Paul, are in such a sorry state, Steve gets distracted for a second enough for Dan to drive the knife right into Steve's… eye."
Acting all that he says, Leon drove the knife into Steve's eye which he popped making it penetrate as deep as it could get. Leon slowly dragged Steve to where he suits to be and took the knife of his eye and started to make more injuries with it on Steve's body to put some signs of a fightback.
"Now, you finally gain some power after the shattering strike you took and you seize the only chance to finish off Dan." Leon took the struggling Paul by the nape of his shirt and brought him in front of Dan, "You directly go for the knife arm with your left while trying to strangle Dan with the right. You almost succeed but…"
*Slash*
"Dan frees his right arm and slits your throat… making the blood splash over him… and he stays unconscious."
Leon let go of the lifeless body of Paul then put the knife in Dan's hand.
He took a step back and looked around to see if he missed anything. Everything was there, the stage was perfect, he would give himself ten points out of ten in the operation report.
"Man! I wonder how the old man is doing." He smiled as he thought of his boss from his past life when he would always rage when he exaggerates in the mission report of how awesome he was.
"Now! Let's not get ourselves distracted. Sorry, to keep you waiting Mr. Rabbit."
Leon walked to the dead Rabbit and flipped his body checking all his pockets. The look on Leon's face changed as he almost found nothing in the pockets but as he tried to fix the man's position back, his flat cap fell off on the ground and caught some of the blood around but one thing was interesting about it.
Leon picked the cap up and found a small envelope tied to a paper that was folded around and sealed with wax. On top of that, the envelope had a distinctive scent to it similar to a familiar perfume.
"Silly me. That's one way to send letters, Madam Ruth."
Leon took the cap in his pocket then looked around, it is time to get his early promotion.
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