Free Web NovelChapter 128: Ancestral Painting
After bidding farewell to Jessica, Leon started running toward his home. Although he was somewhat exhausted, running no longer felt tiring.
As he ran, he looked at the translucent panel hovering before him.
[Host: Leon Bale]
[Cultivation Rank: Martial Warrior — Level 8]
[Physique: Heaven-Devouring Physique — Level 3]
[Bloodline: Abyssal Adaptation freёwebnovel.com
Bloodline Class: Rare]
[Soul Status: Level 1
Soul Sanctuary: 2/5 Beasts]
[Special Abilities Awakened:
1. Berserk Mode
2. Self-Heal]
[Elemental Affinities:
1. Ice
2. Fire]
’Status Bar.’
The panel changed instantly.
[Status Bar]
[Host: Leon Bale]
[Damage: 142]
[HP: 74]
[Perception: 35]
[Speed: 141]
[Mana: 198 M]
[Soul Strength: 10]
A smile spread across Leon’s face. ’In just two days, I’ve achieved breakthrough after breakthrough. I went from a C-Class Knight all the way to the level of an A-Class.’
His eyes gleamed with anticipation. ’Next... the military training camp. Once I complete it and obtain my hunter license, earning money will be a piece of cake.’
Within an hour, Leon arrived home. Without even realizing it, he had been running as fast as a car at full speed. And that was while taking it easy. Even Leon had no idea just how much stronger he had become after reaching the eighth level of the Martial Warrior realm.
He pressed the doorbell.
"Who is it?" A hurried voice came from inside the house, as though the person had been waiting anxiously.
It was Jenny.
"It’s me, Jenny. Leon."
The moment he spoke...
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Hurried footsteps echoed from inside.
BAM!
The door flew open. Before Leon could even react, Jenny threw herself into his arms, tears already streaming down her face.
"Brother... I thought you weren’t going to..."
She broke down sobbing before she could finish.
"Hahaha, silly." Leon laughed warmly as he gently patted her back. "You have no idea how strong your brother has become now."
He flashed a smug grin. "Who would even dare stand in my way?"
"Yeah, keep dreaming." Jenny lightly punched him in the chest, still crying.
"Come on." Leon smiled softly. "I’m really fine." He gently rubbed her head. "And remember this. No matter what happens... I’ll always come back to you and Mom."
He had made the same promise to Jenny many times before. But, back then, he had no right to make such a promise.
But now... Things were different. This wasn’t just empty reassurance. It came from his confidence. From his newfound strength. And from his unwavering resolve.
Jenny didn’t let go. She continued hugging him for more than ten minutes, as though she feared that the moment she released him, he would once again throw himself into danger.
"I’m sorry, Brother." She finally spoke in a trembling voice. "It all happened because of me."
She still blamed herself for everything. If Sean hadn’t kidnapped her, Leon would never have gone to the Bowen Estate. That’s what she believed.
"You didn’t do anything wrong." Leon shook his head. "So stop blaming yourself. Now let’s go inside and get me something to eat. I’m starving."
"Okay." Jenny wiped away her tears and nodded. "Go freshen up and sit at the table."
She hurried toward the kitchen. "The food will be ready in ten... No. Five minutes."
"Now that’s what I’m talking about." Leon chuckled. He followed after her, closing the door behind him.
Leon returned to his room and stepped into the bathroom. Warm water cascaded over his body, washing away the dust, blood, and grime from the fierce battles he had endured.
As the filth disappeared, it was as though a new Leon Bale was emerging. Not a single wound remained on his body. Yet the battles had changed him. The lines of his muscles had become far more defined. His physique looked leaner, yet far more powerful. His shoulders had broadened, and even his height had increased slightly.
Leon himself didn’t notice any of it. He simply stood beneath the warm shower, quietly enjoying the soothing warmth flowing over his body.
Although he had intended to finish quickly, more than twenty minutes passed before he finally stepped out. Steam rose from his body, a towel wrapped around his waist. He quickly changed into his sleeping clothes before leaving the room.
Jenny was already waiting for him. The food had been served on the table. The meal wasn’t extravagant. In fact, it was quite simple. Their family couldn’t afford anything luxurious.
Yet somehow...
It felt warmer than any feast.
The two siblings quietly enjoyed dinner together. After finishing the meal, Leon even helped Jenny wash the dishes.
Jenny couldn’t help stealing a few glances at her brother. ’He’s barely recognizable anymore. Every single day... It feels like he’s becoming more mature. More dependable. Even his promises no longer feel like empty words.’
Once everything was finished, the siblings wished each other good night and returned to their own rooms.
Leon collapsed onto his bed. His body wasn’t tired anymore. But his mind certainly was.
Ever since binding with the system, he had barely had a moment to breathe.
Before long...
He drifted into a deep sleep.
Far, far away, deep within a secluded mountain valley, a man sat in the lotus position, a steady aura enveloping his body.
His breathing was calm and rhythmic. With every inhale and exhale, streams of condensed air flowed from his nostrils, curling through the still air.
Knock.
Knock.
A knock echoed from outside the room.
The man didn’t react. He neither opened his eyes nor spoke.
Knock.
Knock.
The knocking came again.
Only then did the man slowly open his eyes, his brows knitting together slightly.
"Enter."
His calm voice echoed through the room. The wooden doors slowly creaked open. A middle-aged man stepped inside with his head lowered respectfully.
"Master," he said, bowing. "A member of the Bloodhound Guild requests an audience with you. He claims to possess valuable information."
The seated man’s expression remained indifferent.
"What valuable information could those maggots possibly have?"
His voice was calm. Yet an oppressive aura silently spread throughout the room. "Tell him to scram."
Cold sweat instantly formed on the middle-aged man’s forehead.
"M-Master..." He swallowed nervously.
"He... he said the information concerns the sword. The sword in the ancestral painting inside the main hall."
The moment those words left his mouth...
The man abruptly rose to his feet.
"What?"
