The next day, Leon woke up early, feeling refreshed and ready for the tasks ahead. As he stretched, he glanced at Roselia, who was already awake and preparing for the day.
"Good morning," Leon said, rubbing his eyes.
Roselia smiled softly. "Morning, Leon."
Leon stood up, quickly getting dressed, and then said, "It's time for you to meet Luna."
Roselia gave a small nod, following him out of the room. As they entered the main hall, they found Luna sitting near the window, lost in thought. When Luna turned and saw them approaching, her expression shifted from curiosity to mild surprise.
"This is Roselia, my familiar," Leon said, introducing them with a casual smile. "Roselia, this is Luna."
Luna looked Roselia up and down, studying her for a moment before smiling faintly. "So, you're the famous demoness Leon mentioned. It's nice to finally meet you."
Roselia bowed her head slightly in acknowledgment. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Luna. I've heard about your abilities."
Luna chuckled lightly. "Well, I hope I live up to the reputation. We'll be working together closely from now on."
Leon observed the interaction, half expecting some tension, but to his surprise, Luna seemed more welcoming than he had anticipated. Roselia, while respectful, maintained her usual confident demeanor.
After the introduction, Leon shifted his focus back to the day's mission. "Alright, now that everyone's acquainted, Roselia, I'm trusting you to keep an eye on Millie while Luna and I are gone."
Roselia smiled. "You can count on me. I'll take good care of her."
Millie, who had been quietly playing in the corner, ran over and hugged Roselia's leg, showing her affection for her new guardian. Roselia patted Millie's head gently.
With everything settled, Leon and Luna gathered their equipment and prepared to leave. "Today's goal is simple," Leon said as they walked to the door. "We're going to head out and level up, increase our strength as much as possible. The City Lord's forces are getting bolder, and we need to be ready for what's coming."
Luna nodded, her determination clear. "I'm ready."
As they stepped outside, the cool morning breeze hit them, signaling the start of a new day and the challenges ahead. With Roselia watching over Millie, Leon and Luna headed off toward the wilderness, ready to face whatever trials awaited them in their quest to grow stronger.
****
"So, where's your secret pathway?" Leon asked as Luna led him to the edge of the slum area.
"You might want to close off your nose," Luna warned, pointing at an old, iron grate that led into the sewers. "It's not a pleasant path."
Leon stared at her in disbelief. "You're kidding, right?"
Luna smirked mischievously. "Nope."
Before Leon could protest, Luna crouched and squeezed her way into the narrow opening, disappearing into the shadows. Leon sighed heavily, trying to mentally prepare himself, then jumped in after her. He landed with a splash in the foul, murky water flowing through the sewer.
"Ugh," Leon groaned as he looked down at the dark liquid covering his boots. "Black water? This is...this is disgusting! Is this really what I think it is?!"
He fought the urge to gag as the smell hit him hard, covering his nose with his arm.
Luna, however, seemed completely unfazed, already walking ahead with ease. She glanced back at him and raised an eyebrow. "Who told you to land right in the water?" she teased, her voice laced with amusement.
Leon glared at her, trying to keep his composure. "You could've warned me better," he muttered, shaking off as much of the filth as he could. Luna's mischievous smile only widened, clearly enjoying his discomfort.
"Consider it part of the experience," she said with a chuckle as they made their way through the winding, grimy tunnels.
"Yeah... experience..." Leon grumbled irritably as he remembered his skillset.
Stopping for a moment, he crouched down and placed his hand on the filthy sewer water. "Summon Demonic Servant," he muttered under his breath.
[Summon Demonic Servant – Summons a demonic servant based on the environment and elements present.]
Given the environment, he knew what kind of demon might appear. The sewers were dark, damp, and reeked of decay.
With a swirling of dark energy, a small, grotesque demon began to form in the murky water. It was short, with slimy skin, glowing yellow eyes, and twisted, sharp claws. It looked like a cross between a sewer rat and a slime, perfectly suited for crawling through the filth.
"Ugh... great. Sewer demon." Leon winced as he observed the creature.
The demon gurgled in response, ready to serve. Luna, watching the process unfold, couldn't help but laugh. "What a lovely helper you've summoned."
"Yeah, yeah... let's just get moving," Leon muttered, motioning for the creature to remove the filth from his path and himself.
The demon servant nodded, its slimy hands moving over Leon's clothes and body. Instantly, all the disgusting sludge and grime that had clung to him was wiped away, disappearing as though absorbed into the creature.
"Much better," Leon sighed with relief. "Now, go ahead and keep clearing the path."
The demon bowed its head slightly before scampering forward, cleaning the pathway as it went. With the filth removed and the air clearing up, Leon and Luna followed behind, able to move through the sewers without dealing with the worst of the muck. Leon gave a satisfied grin, feeling far more comfortable now that he didn't have to wade through the nastiness.
Luna chuckled softly as they continued, "Seems like your summon is pretty useful after all."
"Yeah, let's hope we don't have to deal with anything worse down here," Leon replied, keeping a close eye on their surroundings as they ventured deeper into the tunnels.
As they ventured further into the sewers, Leon and Luna soon encountered massive sewer rats, each the size of a large dog. Their beady red eyes glared at the intruders, and their sharp teeth gnashed hungrily. These weren't ordinary rats; they were monstrous, aggressive creatures, clearly mutated by something in the filth.
"They're not normal rats," Luna commented, preparing to defend herself.
Leon, however, smiled confidently. "No need to worry," he said, turning to his sewer demon servant. "Take care of them."