This time, Leona had a quiet but painful nap without anyone bothering her. She didn't dream of the cat world or of meeting the Old Cat Sage. She also didn't dream of being a cat. It would have made sense to visit the Nekomata Bloodline in a dream and see how they lived their special lives, but sadly that didn't happen.
A few hours later, Leona woke up in an unfamiliar bed with white sheets and a rough pillow. She'd been sleeping curled up like a baby, her head turned to the side, so she immediately noticed the other bed beside her, where a young man about her age sat, his attention glued to his phone.
"…damn corrupt hero academy," he muttered.
His expression matched his words. His eyebrows knitted and his eyes narrowed as the young man kept tapping his phone like he wanted to poke holes in the screen. Considering he'd just cursed the hero academy, Leona assumed he had failed his exam.
Are the results out already?
Those words summoned a system window related to the hero exam's final test.
[Villain Hunt Quest(E) has been completed.]
[Count: 87]
[Your contribution led to the defeat of eighty-seven villains.]
[Your rewards are: Misfortune Incarnation(F), Nightstalker(F), Nekomata Bloodline(F), Copycat(F)]
Mmm… those rewards feel great.
Staring at the system window reminded Leona how many villains she'd fought and how hard she'd struggled against the Boss Villain. She had obtained those rewards on her own, but she surely hadn't defeated eighty-seven villains alone. Telling Aron about the villains' ambush must have increased the count at least a little, meaning he had some part in awakening her new traits.
I don't want to go looking for him. If I run into him, I'll say thanks.
Not being a social person, Leona just made a mental note to thank Aron upon meeting him in the future.
"Could you stop staring at me?! I'm mad!" the young man shouted, finding Leona's stare uncomfortable and infuriating.
Leona scowled. She hadn't been looking at him, but at her system window. It just happened to be in his direction. And since he had already barked at her, Leona was even more inclined to piss him off. She deadpanned. Her stare grew heavier, her black eyes like black holes sucking all positive emotion out of her prey.
It worked as usual.
The young hero candidate tore his angry gaze away from Leona.
Just then, one of the academy's healers walked into the room. She was a blonde-haired woman in her late twenties, her hands in the pockets of her white doctor's robes which fluttered behind her as she strode in Leona's direction. A faint, calming smile was always plastered on her face, but the healer's smile brightened when she noticed Leona sitting up in her bed.
"You're up, Leona!"
Leona blinked, and the dark aura she'd been putting out as a darkness girl evaporated.
The healer grasped the metal bed rail of Leona's bed and leaned forward. "Healing you was so much fun! You have a different build from normal humans. To be precise, your spine and mouth! It took me a while to properly heal the strain around those areas to make sure you regenerated properly, but oh man, did I enjoy it! I did a little research while you were asleep. I'm pretty confident that you have a Jacobson's organ in your mouth!"
Oh, she's found out already?
Leona was impressed.
The healer hadn't stopped talking.
She raised her hands and waved them excitedly. "Don't tell me what kind of innate skill you've awakened! I want to find out myself! Jacobson's organ and your flexible spine give me a few clues, but I need more research to completely pin down the origin of your powers!"
Her excited voice, requests, and theories were a bit too much for Leona. That said, she imagined her future sidekick to be exactly like that. Someone who talked nonstop and had a genuine desire to approach others and converse with them.
It'd be nice to have her around. Maybe we could be a damage-dealer and healer duo.
One person didn't appreciate the healer's personality.
"Could you stop playing around?! You adults are just doing whatever you want!" the young man next to Leona's bed shouted.
The healer shot him a calm sideways glance, then covered her mouth and spoke to Leona. "He's so agitated because of the exam results. Let's just ignore him! How are you feeling?"
"I can hear you!" the young man said, raising his voice at the healer. He turned to Leona. "You haven't heard yet, but the final exam was totally a scam! It doesn't matter how many villains you defeated or how many civilians you saved. All points are useless! They have their own classification and stuff! This damn corrupt hero academy is toying with us like that!"
The healer straightened and put her hands on her waist. "Nothing is black and white in the adult world. Consider this your first lesson in adulthood! Besides, come on, our academy has its prestige to uphold. Our examiners are good at their job and will surely see heroic qualities in you all. You must really be a special case if you're not getting a shot in the first year."
She turned to Leona and trailed off.
Leona sat frozen, her eyes wide and lips parted. She wanted to believe in the healer so much, but she couldn't. At the beginning of the final exam, she had wanted to take a nap because she didn't see herself saving civilians and defeating villains. Then once she began taking them down, she got so into the battle that she fought the Boss Villain alone.
All those events made her genuinely desire to be a hero. It was the first time she wanted something on her own. But now that she thought about it more deeply, heroes prioritized saving people first and foremost. On the other hand, Leona only hunted down villains.
Was there even an occupation that let Leona hunt down villains and stay true to how she really felt? As far as she was concerned, she couldn't think of anything. She clutched her bed blanket.
There has to be a hero who fights villains first so that other heroes can save people! I've awakened my innate skill and can become so much stronger! There has to be a spot for me! Otherwise… what will I do? I have no clue.
The healer gently asked, "If you're feeling okay, Leona, you can meet your examiner who will announce the results of your hero exam. Mr. James is waiting just for you now."
Leona nodded. "Ok."
She slowly slipped out of the bed. Moving around didn't hurt her at all since the healer beside her had done great work. Only Leona's mind felt heavy as she grew scared of the future. If I could only lock myself in my room and kill time like usual… that would be so great.
"Hit the locker room on the way. Those patient robes are too thin," the healer added.
Leona nodded. "Ok."
In the locker room, Leona took out her spare tracksuit and put it on. She looked at herself in the mirror for a few seconds before going over to meet James. As she walked through the corridors, she felt like a lost kitten despite knowing exactly where she was going. Just a single wrong word from James could cut her future short and bring her back to where it all began.
In front of the fateful door, Leona turned the knob and walked in. Inside, only James sat at the table. He motioned for her to come in. The door quietly shut behind her.
"Leona Schnee," James began. "You're not cut out to be a hero."
Hearing him say the words she had feared, Leona instinctively clenched her hands. Various questions went through her mind and by the end, she wanted to punch James straight in the face.
"That's why," he added with a crooked smile.
What do you mean that's why? You bullied me to the point where I could fight by myself! What will I do in the future now? I want to be a hero!
For the first time in her life, Leona had created and chosen her own future. She hadn't even given it a real go, and yet someone had already cut this path off. It hurt her. Anxiety billowed in her heart as she didn't know what she could possibly do in her life with her Cat Lineage Evolution System. Becoming someone's cat sounded like a fair idea, but something inside Leona resisted it. Perhaps if this had been prior to her awakening, she'd have loved this idea, but now the thought of ending up on a leash disturbed her.
"You have no qualities of a hero, Leona Schnee," James explained.
Behind him, a screen appeared on which Leona's actions could be seen. From taking a different path than the others to fighting villains to defeating the Boss Villain alone, Leona saw the results of her selfish actions and how they proved she truly wasn't fit to be a hero.
A cold presence then blanketed the room. Neither James nor Leona could move, let alone flinch. Strangely, Leona could tell that it wasn't killing intent. Otherwise, her system would have told her. Or could it be that this is killing intent I can't understand at all?
A hand gently squeezed her shoulder.
"I see you thriving in the dark part of our world, Leona Schnee," an old voice said, sounding ominous and colder than James could ever be.
Yet, Leona's eyes widened and her cheeks warmed with happiness. "Oh, you do? Great! I'm in!"
Her instantaneous reply shocked both James and the old man. Leona feared the unknown the most. She didn't even really understand why; she also hated having things in her future hanging over her. At least with a job or college, her parents wouldn't nag her and worry about her future. And she wouldn't have to worry much about the future either.
"Haha!" the old man laughed. "Do you understand what I meant by the dark part of our world?"
"You meant I'd be a hero who defeats villains while other heroes save civilians, right?" Leona turned around and asked, her eyes on the old man smiling at her.
Her parents were orphans, so Leona never had grandparents or any other relatives. That said, she found this particular old man nice and kind. His hair was white but full and his wrinkles didn't take away from his good looks. He wore a comfortable, thick black sweater which Leona wanted to steal right meow. Never in her life would she have thought that this old man was… an assassin, one of the best at that, Connor Lee.
"Not even close, darling. Defeating villains is just one of our objectives. Most often, we kill them. Not only them, but we also kill heroes, civilians, monsters, and anything else that threatens the Single State of North America. We're assassins, or as others call us, the government's dogs."
That doesn't sound good… and I am a cat, after all… Leona blinked and turned around, taking a quick glance at James, who simply nodded at her. His presence reassured Leona and helped her stay calm as she was exposed to this hidden job in the world.
She asked the old man, "Why kill civilians and heroes?"
"It's to keep heroes… heroes," Connor Lee replied.
He spoke about a few scenarios from his experience, telling Leona about civilians used as hostages or turned into monsters by villains and about heroes suffering the same fate, if not worse. Sometimes the death of a single civilian or hero could save many more. Those were difficult decisions that no hero could take lightly, and assassins came in to lend them a hand, taking the entire burden.
"Heroes have a strict upbringing not to kill so that none of them ever steps into our world. They protect people and defeat enemies. It keeps them upright and sane, or in other words, heroic. They're heroes who bring safety and smiles, the ones everyone looks up to. The ones most people admire are known as the superheroes, the pillars of six nations."
"But we stay out of the public eye and out of the spotlight. Other than the government, only Pro Heroes and above are aware of us."
Leona looked down. Why does it sound so perfect for me?
She imagined wearing black, mummy-like assassin clothes and moving in shadows and darkness like Black Cat, killing enemies and earning money off their deaths. By the end of the day, she would return home and shut herself in her room to enjoy social media and videos along with snacks like usual.
"…can I kill someone?" Leona whispered.
Connor Lee took a long look at her expression before getting to work. He nodded and took over the room's screen. On the screen, Leona's actions could be seen again. This time, he commented on her moves.
"Taking routes like that is common for us."
I only wanted to nap, though.
"But this is where your assassin characteristics show up. You played those minor villains like a fiddle, brutally disarming them. You chased after them and just as brutally took down more on your way to other heroes. Afterward, you fought the Boss Villain, an enemy that usually takes a few heroes working together to defeat, and you killed him. You ruptured his liver and heart. Those are fatal wounds, Leona Schnee."
Leona stared at the screen emotionlessly. "Isn't he a robot?"
"He is," Connor replied. "But didn't he completely look like a human and act like one? Those characteristics along with his human appearance should have set off a few alarm bells in your head. But you didn't show any of those signs. I saw not a single moment of hesitation in you, not even after he shouted at you or bled."
Leona couldn't refute any of those words. The old man was right. She paid the villains back and even hit them again. Against the Boss Villain, she hadn't thought about holding back while powered up by her Omens; she had only wanted to defeat him, which ended with her killing him.
James forced a few words out. "Leona Schnee… you don't have to become an assassin!"
Saying each word felt like a chore with Connor Lee around.
Her voice low, Leona asked, "Can I be a hero? If I learn how to hold back, can I just defeat villains and let my sidekick do the rest?"
Connor Lee shot a glance at James.
James pushed his glasses hard against the bridge of his nose. "Of course, you can. But not now. Not for at least five years. Since it's been decided you have what it takes to join GHF, and you've learned about them and met one of their representatives, you're prohibited from taking any hero exam or joining any hero academy for five years. In those five years, you're on your own and can grow into a great hero who can pass the next exam, but you're already marked as someone who has glimpsed the underworld, so the government will try to prevent you from becoming a hero at every step… unless you have a recommendation from at least an Elite Hero or Superhero, it will be difficult to become a hero."
Leona clenched her hands. "…damn corrupt government! I only wanted a nap in one of the courtyard houses but stumbled upon minor villains hiding in there. And you think I am some assassin?! You're all stupid! You, glasses tyrant, and you, grandpa! Stupid!"
Upon hearing her, James' soul fled his body.
Connor Lee covered his mouth and looked away.
Neither of them said a word, letting Leona calm down in silence. After roughly ten minutes, Connor Lee fetched a snack out of nowhere and passed it to Leona. She snatched a pack of chips and munched on them noisily.
"…thanks, grandpa," Leona said.
"Darling, I have a plan for you. Give me a chance. I will take you under my wing and you will see if this world is for you. Assassins aren't like the bad guys you see in movies. We do have blood on our hands, but we're also human."
Leona kept munching and thought it over. There wasn't much she could do. If she refused Connor Lee, she wouldn't be able to be a hero for the next five years. Her father would be a nightmare for her and force her to try other jobs. She had no idea what else to do. In the end, she could only agree to Connor Lee's offer.
"Ok," Leona replied.
***
The city lit up as the sky turned dark. Leona's father had been waiting for her in the nearby restaurant, but the exam had been taking so long that he decided to go shopping and run some errands. He spent the entire day running around, doing so much that his wife was jealous of him. Once Leona called him and told him she was done, he ran over to their car and waited for her there.
A door suddenly opened.
"Excuse me? Oh, it's you, Leona! Don't scare me like that. Where did you even come from? I was watching the academy's entrance all this time," he said.
"Ah, it must be my skill," Leona replied as she stretched out on the back seat before curling up to sleep.
"Your skill?" he muttered and then looked over his seat at his daughter in a sudden rush. "YOUR SKILL?!"
"Umu. I awakened an innate skill and have been accepted into a hero academy," Leona replied, her eyes already closed.
"Are you kidding me?" he asked.
Leona lazily took out her phone and pulled up the scan of the documents, which were naturally fake, but that was a part of being an assassin. The documents said she had passed the hero exam and would enroll in the academy in two months.
Leona's father slowly leaned forward and rested his forehead against the wheel, his eyes wide.
His wife was going to kill him.
On the front passenger seat, he had a bag of snacks he'd bought for his daughter. It was like a little gift to her, for trying her best to find a job or at least figure out her future. He stretched his hand toward it and took out a snack, then passed one to Leona as well.
"These were recommended to me," he said.
Leona lazily opened her eyes and took a small bag of cookies. "Didn't Mom say it's usually a marketing trick or something like that?"
"Nah, I met an old man who was also buying a ton of snacks. He recommended them to me, not a supermarket employee."
"Oh, I see." Leona nodded before taking a bite. "Umu, those cookies are good."
"Yeah…" her father replied, then stepped on the gas, driving straight to his doom.
***
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