This was the first time Luca had ever unlocked an SSR card.
And it was also the first time he had seen a character with five skills.
If it were Baba Yaga with five abilities, Luca wouldn't have been surprised. That monster was built for slaughter. But this girl?
Twelve years old.
Skinny.
Undernourished.
Barely any direct combat capability.
He had originally estimated her at most S-rank—roughly on par with Stan.
Clearly, he had miscalculated.
So character rarity wasn't determined purely by combat power…
It was tied to narrative weight. Psychological structure. Potential. Fate density.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Luca looked down at the little brat posing coolly with a cigarette hanging from her lips. He almost laughed—but his expression remained perfectly composed.
He shook his head elegantly.
"Sorry. I don't smoke."
Matilda tilted her head back to study him. He was tall—around 1.85 meters or 6'06—with clean lines and deliberate posture. Under her small nose, she detected only a faint, fresh scent.
No nicotine.
"Okay."
She calmly tucked the cigarette back into her pocket and peeked inside his apartment.
"Uncle, where are you from? Did you just move to New York?"
Do I look like an outsider?
"Isn't it obvious?" she continued. "New Yorkers aren't that enthusiastic. Especially people here. Nobody interferes when a kid gets bullied. Everyone's too busy surviving."
Her tone was indifferent. World-weary. Detached.
If not for her childish voice and small frame, Luca would have assumed he was speaking to a grown woman.
Some people stayed naïve into their thirties.
Some were tempered into adults at twelve.
"You're wrong," Luca said, crouching to meet her eyes. His voice was warm. Measured. "I'm from New York. Used to live on Arthur Avenue. Not far from here."
"Arthur Avenue?" She blinked. "You're Italian?"
"That's right." He shrugged lightly.
She smiled.
"My name's Matilda. Your friendly neighbor. Thanks for earlier."
"Luca."
"I'm sorry you had to see that on your first day."
Her pause afterward was subtle—but real.
From childhood until now, the phrase she heard most often was: This is your fault.
For the first time, someone had implied the opposite.
That it wasn't her.
Just then, the renovation workers finished installing the last appliance and hauled out trash and cardboard.
Both Luca and Matilda stepped aside silently to make room.
Luca paid without hesitation.
The workers left.
Matilda offered to help him tidy up in return.
She moved efficiently. Quietly. Familiar with chores beyond her age.
When she finished, Luca stopped her.
He handed her a small first-aid kit—bandages, antiseptic, ointment. All new.
"Can you apply medicine yourself?"
"Yeah."
She held the box with one hand and brushed her bangs aside with the other—awkwardly attempting to conceal bruises.
She looked at him for several seconds.
"…Thank you."
Then she ran off.
Only then did Luca notice it—
Her steps were light.
Almost spring-like.
The harder the pressure, the higher she bounced.
---
Matilda returned home happily, heading toward the bathroom.
She opened the door—
And froze.
Her parents were entangled in an unpleasant spectacle.
Norman shouted, "Get out! Close the door!"
She shut it silently.
In the living room, her step-sister—wearing pink yoga pants—was exercising in front of the TV, deliberately shaking her hips.
Matilda's gaze cooled.
I can't let her know.
If her sister found out a handsome man moved in across the hall, she'd definitely show up at midnight.
My neighbor is a light sleeper.
He wouldn't like that.
Matilda quietly sat on the couch and opened the first-aid kit.
Everything inside was brand new.
Moments later, Mathilda's father came out, adjusting his clothes. He saw the kit and frowned.
"I gave you money. You used it to buy this? It's just a scratch. Do you need medicine?"
"The new neighbor gave it to me."
Her father froze.
His throat tightened.
He said nothing further.
---
Across the hall.
Luca pulled a suitcase from under his bed.
Inside: tools, firearms, ammunition, a military knife, grenades, surveillance bugs.
Since he had just moved in, it was only proper to give his neighbors a small gift.
Listening devices were thoughtful.
This wasn't about spying on children.
It was about Mr. Lando.
Stansfield informant.
Drug custodian.
Corrupt partner.
Stan stored seized narcotics with him.
In the original trajectory, Mr.Lando's become greedy—diluting purity and skimming product—triggered the massacre of his entire family.
But he wasn't the only stash location.
Stan wasn't careless.
Luca wasn't in a hurry.
He would lie low.
Pull threads.
Trace Mathilda's Father upward.
Recover the drugs systematically.
And during that time—
He could foster his bond with Matilda.
Five skills.
Five.
For Luca, skills outranked family missions.
The system interface glowed before him.
__________________________________________________________________________
Character Card: Matilda Lando – Rank SSR
Source: Léon: The Professional
Bond: Strangers
Trauma Imprint
For every deeply bonded individual (family, trusted partner) who dies, combat power permanently +5%.
Learning Requirement: Partner Bond or above + 150 Skill Fragments.
Dexterity
+20% efficiency when learning assassin-related skills.
Learning Requirement: Close Friend + 50 Skill Fragments.
Harmless Disguise
When approaching targets disguised as a harmless identity (student, courier, etc.), target alertness -20%.
Learning Requirement: Close Friend + 50 Skill Fragments.
Forbidden Dependency
When fighting alongside a Symbiotic Partner: Combat Power +50%.
If partner is in danger: +100%.
If partner dies: Permanent +100%.
Learning Requirement: Achieve Symbiosis Bond + 300 Skill Fragments.
Advanced Lucky Aura
When encountering major trouble, you will suffer setbacks—but ultimately resolve the crisis through improbable fortune.
(The greater the trouble, the stronger the initial setbacks.)
Learning Requirement: Symbiosis Bond + 3000 Skill Fragments.
__________________________________________________________________________
Luca sat on the edge of his bed.
Silent.
Deeply moved.
These weren't ordinary skills.
These were narrative-core abilities.
Trauma conversion.
Partner amplification.
Fate manipulation.
And that final one—
Advanced Lucky Aura.
That wasn't luck.
That was destiny distortion.
He slowly exhaled.
Stan's abilities now looked like clearance-bin scraps.
This girl…
Was a growth-type nuclear weapon.
And more importantly—
She was tightly bound to Leon.
If Luca positioned himself correctly…
He wouldn't just be collecting a card.
He would be inserting himself into the core of fate itself.
Luca's lips curved slightly in the quiet room.
Peace Ambassador?
No.
From this moment forward—
He was planning something far more ambitious.
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