Ann moved to the window and pulled off the blanket.
Without hesitation, Timothy climbed the frames and jumped straight down. Impacting the ground made a loud thud; but, well, he was still standing on his feet. He was an Enforcer-ranked Striker; thus, he had more stamina than any of the other team members. Then Jane brought out a long rope from her Arcane Pocket.
They threw it out of the window, which straightened down the building. So, Ariana grabbed the rope and rappelled down, while the others held tight to the edge. Upon reaching Timothy's side, Leon did the same thing.
The team members waved at the trio before they shielded the window again.
Leon, Timothy, and Ariana headed east. As on the mini-map, the temple was a few kilometers away in the east-west direction.
They stumbled past convenience stores with empty racks. Through malls littered with bones and remnants of something like beasts. Even the heart of the strongest ones will pound out here. Any rash moves, and they could end up in traps. Or worst-case scenario, encounter enemy teams.
Timothy also warned them not to step on bones. For weathered ones would produce disturbing, crispy sounds when stepped
In a moment, they entered the Skyfall Way—a subway.
The interior was relatively dark, but not so much. Ariana then pulled out a torchlight, illuminating the path ahead. Their rushed steps echoed through the lone space. The subway covers almost the entire journey...
They came to a sudden halt after rushing down a stairway. They braced themselves, clenching their jaws. Snarling before them was a group of panthers and an extra-large magical bird. Its body swirled with dark energy.
Right away, Timothy turned to Ariana. He handed her the mini-map. And ordered, "Ariana, take this and run! Get to that temple no matter what—"
"How will you find your way there without this mini-map?" Leon asked him.
A sharp shing echoed as Timothy sheathed his sword. "Don't worry; I have memorized the path already."
Ariana nodded, giving the map a firm hold. "Alright." Then, giving Leon a signal, they sprinted forward. As the monsters blocked their way, she grabbed his hand. The next second, they blurred to the monsters' posterior.
Soon afterwards, they had reached a long, wide walkway that seemed to lead to the exit. Yet, they continued running. At that moment, Leon stopped.
He pants, taking his time to catch his breath.
...
Ariana's legs came to a complete stop. She looked back at him with raised brows. "Are you... feeling tired?"
Leon swallowed, then walked toward her. "Not really," he replied as he took a step. Upon getting close, he asked her, "Miss Ariana, may I ask you a question?"
The air flowed with a gentle current, carrying the foul scent of decay.
Ariana hesitated. But then she replied softly, "I... know, Mister Vale. The thing is..." Her voice trailed off, pressing her lips together as if weighing her words. At this point, she even avoided eye contact with Leon.
It was obvious that she didn't know how to express her thoughts. That could mean she wasn't planning anything bad to begin with.
Leon sighed and walked past her. If she were going to answer anyway, she might not tell the truth.
"We have to reach the temple on time. Let's go."
Ariana turned around with a quick motion and called out, "Mr. Vale!" Her face carried both worry and panic.
Leon sighed again as he stopped.
"The thing is..." Ariana voiced out, still hesitant, "... it is that... I can read minds. I hear people's thoughts just by making eye contact with them."
Leon's eyes had widened before he realized he was safe. The good thing was that he hadn't made any interactions with the system after leaving Mecha Ruin. He smiled.
Still, he knew this wasn't something to discard. He might soon need to use the system...
"B-but..." Ariana stuttered.
Leon turned and asked in a gentle voice, "But what?"
"B-but... you're the only one... whose mind I can't read," she finally said. "It's very noisy around most people. But quiet around you. I wasn't... sure if I couldn't read yours... at first. T-this is why I... called you out here."
'The system must have blocked her. Good grief, I won't be safe around her if otherwise,' Leon thought. He then nodded. "Alright. We should still head forward. The subway covers almost the entire journey, I suppose..."
"W-wait. You don't... think I am weird?" Ariana asked in a tight tone.
"Of course not," Leon replied as he turned away. 'So far you can't read my mind.'
Some minutes later, they exited the subway through an open pathway. Suddenly, a strong breeze came almost sending them back into the subway...
SNARL! STAB!
"AH!" the cry of a dying man screamed. The painful shout grew louder as a huge monster in the wasteland ahead swallowed the man.
Leon swallowed, watching with wide eyes. Blood trickled down his nose without him even noticing. The monster bit down on the human with a sickening crunch. And as the man's screaming head wedged between its blood-stained teeth, he cried towards Leon...
"Please help me! HELP! HELP ME!" No hole could be as wide as his eyes at that moment.
But all Leon could reply with was a wide grin. He grinned so widely that he left Ariana jaw-dropped. The moment he at least seemed to have come back to his senses, the man was already gone. His head snapped shut, and the monster swallowed him whole.
"M-mister Vale..." Ariana called out in a gentle voice.
Leon looked between her and the monster. Then he asked in a hurry, "Where do we go next?"
"O-oh... west!"
Immediately, they ran left. Mid-step, Leon looked back at the monster. He furrowed his brow. How could he have given such a reaction to a dying man? He was in genuine need of help.
He clenched his fist. 'WHY?! I am not that kind of person!'
Soon, they got into an alleyway. Dark. They ran to the end. Silent. They continued. The temple's entrance stood ahead. Ariana moved faster. But Leon felt it. Something was at the end-
He came to a sudden stop. "Miss Ariana! Stop!"
"Uh?"
...
RUMBLE!
In an instant, boulders from all directions shot toward a central point in the air before Ariana. Without hesitation, Ariana summoned her energy-infused twin daggers.
Creak...
"Stay back, Mister Vale!"
Leon clenched his jaw. He waited for whatever was about to happen.
The boulders slammed together with deafening crashes. And with a final boom, a rock golem burst forth. It roared..
The screen flashed before Leon.
[C-rank Rock Golem.]
[Threat: Very high.]
"Damn-"
Someone behind him grabbed his shoulder without warning. In the next second, Timothy walked forward. Pure white energy brimmed over both his body and sword.
"Mister Cross..."
An approaching sound made Leon glance forward. He held his jaw as Ariana's body thrashed before Timothy. She rose to her feet with a gentle cough.
"I will be handling this as well," Timothy said as he looked at Leon. "Get a clear shot of the map, please, Mr. Vale."
Leon nodded back.
Ariana nodded too, before jumping to the roof of the nearby building while holding Leon's hand. As soon as they jumped back to the ground behind the golem, they headed toward the temple door.
Finally - one would say.
But, alas, things refused to get easier. The air close to the gate rippled open to give appearance to three armed goblins. But Leon didn't hold back before slashing them down with his beloved dagger - Paradox.
Then, with justified minds, they jumped in.
....
In Tyche's temple.
They made no hesitation in walking toward the statue. Others flanked the red carpet that led to it. Tyche was the goddess of fortune and luck. Leon thought—since she presides over the fortune of cities, this world was left this way definitely because no one believed in gods anymore. Maybe only a newcomer like him did.
They reached the statue's front; it held a rudder, lit candles, and raw foods placed around it. Ariana rushed to pull out her camera and snapped a photo of the map drawn at the deity's stomach level. She turned to leave, but Leon was still there.
She looked back. "Aren't... you coming too, M-Mister Vale?"
Leon, without looking back, asked, "Don't you want to pray for luck, Miss Ariana?"
She stepped closer. "Do you believe in such things?"
"Trying won't kill either," Leon replied. Putting his palms together, he closed his eyes and mumbled some words. Ariana looked at him without saying a word.
When done, they both walked toward the gate. They gripped their weapons tighter. As he was about to step outside, the system screen flashed before Leon.
[You prayed for luck from the goddess of fortune, Tyche.]
[The goddess accepted your supplications.]
[Luck: 1.]
Leon held his breath for a moment. He then smiled. 'Come to think of it. My providence doesn't suck anymore.'