Chereads / My SSS-Rank Kingdom-Building System / Chapter 24 - Chapter 24

Chapter 24 - Chapter 24

Arial lowered her dagger slowly, its faint glow dimming until it resembled an ordinary blade. The protective barrier surrounding the square shimmered one last time before dissolving into a cascade of fading runes. The oppressive air lifted, and Leon finally felt as though he could breathe again.

She turned to him, her sharp gaze pinning him in place. "We're leaving," she said curtly. Without waiting for a reply, she strode toward the edge of the square, her book floating dutifully at her side.

Leon hesitated for a moment, glancing at the remnants of the Sentri. The creature's essence had completely vanished, leaving behind only a faint scorch mark on the cobblestones. He shook his head, still trying to process what he had just witnessed, and hurried after Arial.

They walked in silence for several blocks, the abandoned streets echoing with the faint sound of their footsteps. 

Finally, they stopped in front of an unremarkable building, its weathered wooden door slightly ajar. Arial pushed it open without ceremony, revealing a dimly lit interior that smelled faintly of damp wood and herbs.

"Inside," she ordered.

Leon stepped in cautiously, his eyes adjusting to the gloom. The room was small and sparsely furnished—a single table, a few chairs, and a shelf lined with jars and scrolls. A faint glow emanated from a crystal set into the wall, casting a pale light over the room.

Arial closed the door behind them and waved her hand. The air shimmered briefly, and Leon felt a sudden pressure, as though the room had been sealed off from the outside world.

"What... was that thing back there?" Leon finally managed to ask, his voice breaking the heavy silence.

"A Sentri," Arial replied, her tone clipped. She placed her book on the table, and it opened on its own, flipping to a page filled with intricate diagrams and notes. "An anomaly born from concentrated aura. They're rare, but when they appear, they pose a significant threat."

Leon ran a hand through his hair, still struggling to keep up. "And that… sword? The runes? How did you—"

Arial cut him off with a sharp look. "You're asking the wrong questions."

Leon bristled but said nothing.

"Why do you think it appeared there?" she asked, her voice calm.

He blinked, caught off guard. "I… I don't know. Isn't that your job to figure out?"

Her lips curled into a faint, humorless smile. "It's not coincidence. Sentris don't just appear. They're drawn to areas of heightened activity, places where energy is concentrated." She tapped the page of her book, and a glowing rune emerged, hovering in the air between them. "The market was perfect—constant movement, trade, emotions. It was feeding off the people without them even realizing it."

Leon stared at the rune, its glow reflecting in his eyes. "And now it's gone. You destroyed it."

"I neutralized it," she corrected. "But its presence has left a scar. The energy it consumed, the people it affected—it will take time for the area to recover."

He frowned. "So what now?"

Arial closed the book with a snap, the rune vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. "Now, we deal with the fallout."

She moved to the shelf and retrieved a small vial filled with a shimmering, golden liquid. "Drink this," she said, holding it out to him.

Leon eyed it warily. "What is it?"

"Protection," she said simply. "You've been exposed to the Sentri's aura. If left unchecked, it could linger in your system and attract other anomalies."

Reluctantly, he took the vial and uncorked it. The liquid inside swirled unnaturally, as though alive. He hesitated for only a moment before tipping it back and swallowing it in one gulp. The taste was bitter and metallic, but warmth spread through his body almost instantly, easing the tension in his muscles.

Arial nodded, satisfied. "Good. You'll feel strange for a while, but it will pass."

Leon set the empty vial on the table and leaned back against the wall, his thoughts spinning. "You still haven't explained why I'm here. Why involve me in all this?"

She regarded him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. "Because I think you're also an anomaly."

The words hit him like a punch to the gut.

"An anomaly?" he repeated, his voice wavering slightly.

Arial's gaze didn't waver. "You may not realize it yet, but that's why the Sentri reacted to you—it sensed something… foreign. Something out of place."

He opened his mouth to protest but stopped himself. The truth of her words was undeniable. He didn't belong here. The very fact of his presence in this world was an unexplainable mystery, and the system he carried with him only added to the strangeness.

He exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair. "Okay, fine. I get it. But can you explain in detail what that thing was? And what exactly did you do to destroy it?"

Arial crossed her arms, her expression contemplative. "Hmm… Fine. The Sentri is a unique anomaly. It's not born like most creatures. It's formed when a massive concentration of aura—a byproduct of life and activity—collects in one place for an extended period. Over time, this energy gains a will of its own, and it merges with the area it's born from, feeding on the emotions, interactions, and essence of those who inhabit it. Think of it like a parasite that grows stronger as its host thrives."

Leon nodded slowly, absorbing the information.

"Normally," she continued, "extracting a Sentri from its host area is incredibly difficult. Once it's merged, it binds itself to the location. Forcing it out often risks destroying everything it's attached to—buildings, people, the land itself. In this case, it had barely begun to mature. It was still a newborn."

Leon's stomach twisted. "And if it wasn't a newborn?"

Arial's expression darkened. "Then I'd have no choice but to destroy the entire city to ensure it doesn't spread."

Leon stared at her, his mind racing. "Wait," he said, narrowing his eyes. "You said you used me. What exactly do you mean by that?"

Arial's lips twitched into the faintest smirk. "The Sentri reacted to you. Your presence, your aura—whatever it is that makes you an anomaly—it disrupted its feeding cycle. That forced it out of its merged state and into a physical form."

"So, I was bait?" Leon asked, his tone incredulous.

"In a manner of speaking," Arial said, unbothered by his outrage. "But it worked, didn't it? The Sentri was exposed, and I neutralized it before it could grow into a true threat."

Leon threw his hands up in frustration. "You could've at least warned me!"

"You wouldn't have agreed," she replied flatly.

He opened his mouth to argue but realized she was probably right. Instead, he sighed, slumping against the wall. "Unbelievable. I don't even know what I'm doing here, and now I'm being used as monster bait."

Arial shrugged, unfazed. "You're alive, aren't you? Be grateful."

Leon glared at her but said nothing. 

[~DING DONG~]

[Mission Completed]

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