Leon swaggered down the street with a gait that practically shouted he acknowledged no relatives.
He used to have a simple side-part hairstyle, like Leon Kennedy—bright, youthful, energetic. But now his hair was slicked back, with a rebellious blond strand falling over his forehead, giving him a more mature and striking look.
Even his stride had changed. Every swing of his arms, every step he took radiated so much confidence and energy that it made people imagine cheerful festival music playing behind him.
It was painfully obvious—he was so happy he almost wanted to break into dance. Only the last flicker of social awareness stopped him from committing that very public, very shameful act.
Let loose… but not too loose. And honestly, in the middle of a lively festival night, dancing wouldn't even be that strange.
"…"
Wade fell silent.
Where did that warm, energetic sunshine-boy go? The Leon in front of him—just looking at that slick hairstyle—felt like he could declare "I shall stand above the heavens" at any moment and it wouldn't feel out of place.
He was still cheerful—perhaps even more cheerful—but now it was excessive. Like Spider-Man after Venom possession: full bully Maguire energy.
Thinking of Leon's portrait in Concord…
Wade felt like he finally understood everything.
"Huh?" Leon suddenly turned his head in his direction.
But he saw nothing—Wade had vanished.
"Weird… thought I saw someone I knew." Leon tilted his head and continued toward the Resurrection House.
The crowd suddenly swelled back, making someone stumble. Leon grabbed them just in time, earning a grateful "thank you."
Now he stood in front of the Resurrection House, crammed from wall to wall with people. How was he supposed to get in?
Fly? Teleport? Sneak in?
No—he would walk straight through.
A wave of pressure radiated from Leon—an intense confidence, a warrior's spirit, a shimmering knightly aura… basically a bundle of unnecessary dramatic effects mashed together.
And then something miraculous happened.
Whether they noticed Leon or not, people instinctively stepped aside, forming a narrow passage just wide enough for him to walk through.
Only after he reached the front door did the crowd realize they had unconsciously parted.
In ancient times, Moses parted the sea.
Now, Leon parted the crowd.
Absurd—and yet, oddly fitting.
"That's Leon. Haven't seen him in ages," someone whispered.
"Why does he look… weird?" a person muttered.
"No—he looks handsome in a weird way," another said with sparkling eyes.
Drew spotted Leon too, but with the crowd so packed, he couldn't push through.
He was shocked as well. Leon looked the same, but something about his vibe was completely different.
He thought: Leon wants to get in, but—
Before the thought finished, Leon lifted his foot and—BOOM—kicked the door wide open.
"OHHHHH!" the crowd erupted.
People inside jumped in alarm. A priest rushed out, preparing for trouble—only to see Leon. His expression darkened instantly.
"Do you have any idea what this place is?! How dare you kick the door open!"
Leon clapped him on the shoulder with a smile.
"Relax. I'm just here to check on my Master."
"What?" The priest froze. He wanted to keep scolding, but the hand on his shoulder suddenly felt crushingly heavy. His breath hitched.
"So, which room is my Master in?" Leon asked pleasantly.
"Th-there…" The priest pointed weakly.
"Great. Thanks." Leon nodded politely and walked toward Gapar's room.
Leon didn't like wasting time on strangers—especially on simple matters.
A little intimidation? He called that "efficient."
If intimidation didn't work… well, then fists would.
He lifted the curtain. Everyone inside turned toward him—except Sword Saint Gapar, who stared expressionlessly at a sword hilt in his hands.
"Master, I came to see you."
Leon walked up to him, but Gapar didn't react.
He glanced at the others, but they were equally at a loss. Since waking, Gapar hadn't said a single word. They didn't even know how he'd died.
And anything strong enough to kill a Sword Saint was terrifying. Sein Dungeon truly was horrifying.
Leon looked down at the sword hilt. Only a sliver of blade remained, eaten through by rust.
He understood immediately. Leaning close, he murmured:
"Master, I found a pretty cool sword. If you don't snap out of it, I'm keeping it for myself."
Gapar's eyes gradually focused. He grabbed Leon's wrist.
"What sword? Show me."
Leon placed his reverse-grip swords before him. Gapar hadn't seen them before—Leon had commissioned them after finishing his training under him.
"Strange shape. I remember seeing something similar a long time ago…" Gapar muttered. Then he set the broken hilt aside and slowly stood up.
The priests exchanged stunned looks. Who knew that was the key to snapping a Sword Saint out of his trance?
"The mourning period is over," Gapar said calmly. He gave Leon a long look of approval.
"Good. You look spirited—just like I did in my youth. Seems things at home went well."
"All thanks to your teachings, Master." Leon bowed. He was always humble in front of Gapar.
"Since you're here, you must be after that thing. Why not rest at my house first? I'll go with you tomorrow."
"Mm." Gapar agreed.
The old priest opened his mouth several times, wanting to speak, but hesitated each time.
As Gapar and Leon were about to leave, the Sword Saint turned and said:
"Thank you for the treatment. Your skills are good. My old bones feel much better."
The priest froze. Then joy burst across his face. He grabbed a nun's shoulders.
"Did you record that?! Please tell me you recorded that!"
The nun looked toward the recording stone on the ground.
"It's… gone?"
(***)
Later, in Leon's home—
The moment everyone heard Leon had returned, the whole group rushed over. The once-quiet house turned lively in an instant.
"Boss! You came back and didn't even tell us!" Maru yelled, ruffling Leon's hair with mock vengeance. Leon only laughed—like a warm, dependable big brother.
"I booked a restaurant. We're celebrating tonight!" Terl said, wiping drool from his mouth.
Drew watched Leon closely. He looked the same… but the behavior he showed outside felt off.
As the oldest, Drew always looked after the others.
He decided he'd talk to Leon another day.
Gapar quietly drank tea. His mental state appeared stable—for now.
While chatting, Leon learned about everything that had happened and couldn't help sighing:
"I was gone for just a month… how did so much change?"
The Sein Dungeon's structure had been completely reworked—its old upper-middle-lower floors replaced with sprawling horizontal zones.
Leon glanced at Gapar.
What counted as clearing it now?
Clear one area?
Clear all areas?
Would the Larval Teardrop reward appear again?
And what about Farron Keep and the Undead Legion of Farron? Were there new stories now?
"I really want to go see it," Leon said, fists tight with excitement. He had always been weak to heroic tales—especially tragic ones like the Farron Undead Legion.
Everyone understood—tomorrow, they'd head into the dungeon again. Their next target: Farron Keep.
Then Maru remembered something.
"Right, Boss! I heard intel about a new zone from another party. It sounds really interesting."
During the group's absence, several other parties had formed their own "Groups." Some were all bark and no bite, but others were formidable.
The intel was about the former underground mine—now renamed the Catacombs, filled with countless tombstones.
"The final boss is called—" Maru paused for dramatic effect. Everyone simply smiled at her, unhurried.
Annoyed, she blurted:
"The Death Rite Bird."
"Sounds dangerous. Is it strong?" Terl asked.
"Very. All of us together might not beat it," Maru said—automatically excluding Sword Saint Gapar.
"But! There's a way to weaken it."
"TELL US!" Terl demanded.
"Hehe~ now you're in a hurry?" She wagged her finger.
"That party said the Death Rite Bird gets weaker if you defeat the elite monsters in the Catacombs."
"They've found three so far: the Death Knight, Tibia Mariner, and Demi-Human Swordmaster Onze."
At the words Swordmaster Onze, Gapar lifted his head slightly.
"The Catacombs is huge and full of tough undead. But that means it's our chance, right? If we bring holy-light items, the difficulty drops dramatically."
As if tossing bait, Maru added:
"And… that zone supposedly hides the story of a hero called the Wolf Knight. He's the idol of the Farron Undead Legion. But that party only found fragments so far—"
Before she finished, Leon clapped sharply.
"Perfect. Then it's decided—we're going!"