After the attack… everything went still.
It was as if time itself had stopped breathing.
In the middle of the battlefield, only two figures remained standing — Leo and Chief.
Leo clutched his shoulder tightly. His breathing was heavy, uneven… each breath filled with pain. Blood dripped steadily from his wound, falling onto the ground below.
In his other hand, he gripped his katana firmly.
He was ready.
Ready for the next attack.
Pain was written all over his face… but his eyes held no fear.
Only focus.
Slowly, Leo lifted his gaze—
And looked at chief.
chief's shoulder was soaked in blood. Yet he stood upright, holding his spear with stubborn determination.
Step by step… he began walking toward Leo.
Each step felt like a battle on its own.
Leo raised his blade, pointing it straight at him.
Prepared to strike.
But before anything could happen—
chief staggered.
His balance broke…
And the next moment—
He collapsed to the ground.
Thud…
The entire village froze.
Shock spread like wildfire.
Their Chief…
Had fallen.
For a few seconds, no one moved.
No one spoke.
Then—
Tears began to fill their eyes.
And soon after…
Rage.
"Kill him!"
"Take revenge for the Chief!"
The villagers started rushing toward Leo.
Leo slowly removed his hand from his injured shoulder…
And tightened his grip on his katana again.
If needed—
He would fight them all.
But then—
A deep, aged voice echoed from behind—
"Stop."
The voice carried weight… authority.
Everyone turned.
From the shadows emerged an old man.
he was old… but his presence was overwhelming.
"You cannot kill that boy."
A young villager stepped forward angrily—
"Did you not see what he did to our Chief?!"
The old man remained calm.
"He defeated my son… in a fair fight."
Leo's eyes widened slightly.
So… he's chief's father…
From the ground, chief struggled to speak—
"Father… I lost… forgive me… I couldn't become a worthy Chief…"
His voice trembled.
The old man knelt beside him, his expression softening.
"Zark… being a Chief isn't about strength alone."
"It's about having a good heart… and the trust of your people."
"Whether you remain Chief or not…"
"To me, you will always be my son."
Tears streamed down Zark's face.
At that moment, a small child stepped forward—
"It doesn't matter if you're strong or not…"
"You will always be our Chief!"
Silence…
Then, one by one—
The entire village repeated the same words.
"You will always be our Chief!"
The old man raised his hand, calming everyone down.
Then he turned toward Leo and walked up to him.
"Boy… what is your name?"
Leo met his gaze without hesitation.
"Leo… Leo Black."
The old man paused.
"Black…"
Then gave a faint smile.
"That is impressive… for someone your age to defeat my son."
"Who is your master?"
Leo thought for a moment…
Then answered—
"Steven Harbour."
The moment the name was spoken—
The old man's expression changed.
"Steven… is your master?"
"The man who could cut down monsters with a single slash…"
Leo looked surprised.
"You know him?"
The old man let out a soft laugh.
"Who doesn't?"
"He wasn't just a warrior… he was a legend."
"I met him when I was young… he was a Knight Captain… and one of the highest-ranking members of the Royal Guard."
"Those blue eyes of his… they could make anyone hesitate before a fight."
Hearing all this, Leo thought to himself—
old man … was that strong?
Good thing… I never made him truly angry…
The old man smiled faintly.
"He was also a friend of mine."
old man tried to speak—
But before he could—
Leo's vision began to blur.
His body swayed…
And—
He collapsed unconscious
When Leo opened his eyes…
He found himself inside a strange place.
A room… carved within a giant tree.
Soft light filtered through the wooden walls, giving it a calm, natural warmth.
In front of him sat Kio, Nyra, and Alex.
"Leo's awake!"
Alex quickly rushed to his side.
"We thought you were dead…"
Leo smirked faintly.
"Not that easily."
Kio crossed his arms.
"You were unconscious for two days."
Leo rolled his eyes slightly.
"You think I'm that weak?"
From behind, Nyra's voice came—
"Why do you act so recklessly?"
Leo didn't reply.
She continued—
"You should thank the Chief's father… he's the one who took care of you."
Leo glanced at his shoulder.
The wound had healed…
But the pain still lingered.
At that moment—
The old man entered the room.
And behind him… Zark.
The old man spoke—
"Zark has something to say to you."
Zark stepped forward…
And bowed his head.
"I'm sorry… for fighting you… and for putting your friends in a cage."
Leo immediately stood up straight.
"No… I should be the one apologizing."
"I injured you… and I even destroyed your tree…"
Zark's father chuckled softly.
"Don't worry about that. That tree will be useful to us now."
Hearing that, Leo finally relaxed a bit.
Then the old man added—
"I should apologize as well… I started telling you stories without checking your condition."
Leo gave a small smile.
"It's fine."
The old man laughed.
"Then everything is settled."
A calm silence filled the room.