Leon looked at his father silently, his thoughts running:
"There's something wrong with his head..." He paused. "No, wait, almost all warriors are somewhat crazy."
Leon couldn't help but nod in acceptance.
"Let's go, son," Alex grinned.
"Yes."
***
Leon and Alex returned to Zara, who was lying beneath a tree, the broken arrow discarded on the ground.
"Have you removed it already, Mother?" Leon asked, a smile on his face.
"Yes," Zara sighed. "Let's go."
The trio flew silently through the jungle, their pace swift and steady.
Days turned into nights, and nights into days.
They had been traveling for an entire week, still surrounded by endless jungles.
"Are we sure we're going in the right direction, Mother?" Leon asked, his face expressionless as he turned toward her. Alex also glanced at her, awaiting a response.
"Umm..." Zara turned her head mechanically to the side, wilting under the questioning gazes of her son and husband.
"It should be around this place."
She said, pointing to the south before quickly shifting her direction to the north.
"You really don't know?"
"Cough, Leon, I was pretty sure it should be around here," Zara muttered.
"Haha, you forgot it," Alex said with a shake of his head, though a sly smile crept onto his face.
Zara's gaze sharpened instantly, and Alex's smile vanished as his face paled, freezing like a statue.
"Let me check the tall trees," he stammered before vanishing from sight.
"Hmph," Zara pouted.
Leon watched the two of them, and the corners of his lips twitched upward despite himself.
"You..." Zara began, but before she could continue, Leon cut her off.
"Mother, I'm going to hunt. You prepare a place for us to rest," he said hurriedly, running off into the distance. His back was already drenched in cold sweat.
"You two!?"
Zara shouted angrily toward the sky, her voice echoing through the wilderness. Both father and son quickened their pace instinctively, not daring to look back.
They had been hunting and camping in the wilderness to survive, and Leon had underestimated a warrior's tenacity. Both his mother and father had fully recovered after just a day, from what he could see.
"Hmm, should I become a warrior as well?" Leon wondered, slowly crawling across the ground. His movements blended seamlessly with the environment, even his scent masked by the earthy aroma of the forest.
"Warrior heart..."
With his strong body now, there was no issue in meeting the requirements. All the necessary knowledge was stored in his mind, ready to be accessed whenever he decided. There would be no obstacles if he truly wanted to establish Warrior Heart.
"The problem is the materials. And is it even useful?"
Leon narrowed his eyes. From what he could tell, the third rune of his Divine Core Rune seemed capable of granting him strength far surpassing that of an average warrior...
"Not to mention this bloodline I'm feeling," Leon murmured inwardly. He could faintly sense it—an immense power coursing through his veins.
Bloodline of the Tyrant!
Though he had been barely conscious at the time, Leon distinctly remembered the moment before he fainted. He had seen the black flicker of light appear before him, before he fainted.
"I don't know what that thing did to my body. But..." He tightened his fist, and the air around him coiled and rippled, trembling under the force of his power.
The blood in his body felt more alive than ever, boiling with an intensity that was almost unsettling.
Swish!
A sound came from the nearby bushes, and Leon lunged forward without hesitation. He drew the curved knife from his pocket and slashed downward in one swift motion, not sparing a glance at his target.
Blood trickled down, staining the grassy ground, as a piercing scream echoed through the forest.
He pushed aside the bushes to reveal the body of a horned rabbit, cleanly split down the middle. Even in death, its face remained ferocious, devoid of fear.
Leon grabbed the rabbit by its hind leg, lifting it into the air before walking away, leaving only the faint scent of blood behind.
For one to live, another must be consumed. This truth had always governed nature, whether one was carnivorous or not. Even plants, eaten by herbivores, were living beings.
This was the principle by which Leon hunted—waiting patiently for prey to appear before decisively taking its life. However, this time, his hunt was observed.
In the distance stood a beggar. He was bald and wore tattered yellow clothes that barely shielded him from the cold. His frail legs trembled as he walked toward Leon, his expression tranquil, as if nothing in the world could unsettle him.
"Who are you?"
Leon's voice rang out from behind.
The beggar froze mid-step, turning slowly to face Leon, who had a rabbit strapped to his back.
"Benefactor, please don't be angry. I mean no harm."
"Then why are you following me?" Leon demanded, holding his bloody knife and pointing it at the man with a ferocious expression. In the wilderness, weakness meant death.
"I only wished to thank the benefactor for killing this rabbit..."
"Oh?"
Leon turned his back to him and started walking away. "Now that the horned rabbit is dealt with, if you follow me..." His eyes gleamed with killing intent.
"No, no, benefactor! I only wish to ask you a question."
Swish!
Leon spun around and stabbed the beggar, the knife piercing mere inches away from his heart. A single drop of blood trickled down the blade.
The monk remained unfazed, his expression calm and serene, as though he was offering himself to die.
"Benefactor, if my death can calm your anger, then I will gladly accept it..."
"What the fuck is wrong with this guy?" Leon muttered with a frown. He pulled back his knife without another word and walked away.
Later, Leon continued hunting, catching two more horned rabbits in the area. All the while, the monk followed him at a distance, maintaining that same tranquil expression.
Leon's brows twitched in irritation. Finally, he turned around and snapped, "What do you want to ask, Monk?"
"I only wanted to ask the benefactor what you felt when you killed the horned rabbit," the monk replied calmly.
"What did I feel?" Leon was stunned.