Protagonist?Antagonist? I Reject Both

Chapter 392: 392:Secret Realm



The once-mocking officer's expression transformed from laughter to fear as he gazed up at Leon. His previous bravado was replaced with an uneasy silence, and the entire area felt a drastic change in atmosphere.

The temperature of the place seems to plunge by great degree but despite that, the man seems to be sweating.

Leon's eyes, cold and piercing, scanned the group. The guards, who had been laughing moments before, now found themselves utterly subdued, having their bodies trembling under the weight of his presence. The oppressive silence that followed was filled only with the echo of Leon's steady, controlled breathing.

Taking a step forward, he inched his face closer to the official and asked, "Tell me, do you get the confirmation.."

"I....I..."

Leon's voice cut through the man with a cold, menancing tone. "I suggest you remember who you're dealing with before making such foolish remarks. Now, are you going to let us through, or do I need to make my point clearer?"

The officer, visibly shaking, nodded quickly, his bravado replaced by a frantic desire to rectify his mistake. "Y-yes, of course, sir. Please, go ahead. I apologise for the misunderstanding." Leon's presence remained a heavy shadow over the area as he motioned for Lucien to follow.

The oppressive red aura slowly dissipated but he found Lucien nowhere in sight and heard only incomprehensible muttering.

"S...So... scary...."

It was only when he looked down, did he find Lucien crouching down, shaken by fear.

Leon took a step, grabbed his neck to lift up and spoke, "Enough brat. Stop this pitiful act and let's go.."

The previous aura was too much for Lucien. The moment Leon unleashed his bloodlust, Lucien was frozen with fear.

He felt as if he was standing on pincers wanting to pierce him into pieces. Fortunately, the odd feeling lasted only for a few moments.

However, just as he became conscious, he found himself getting dragged by Leon inside while guards let him go while standing aside and bowing their heads as if they were treating their superiors.

....

Inside Sector 12, Leon and Lucien walked through the bustling streets of the cyberpunk city. The buildings, while technologically advanced, had a grimy, rundown appearance with cobblestone roads that gave the place an old-world charm, despite the glowing neon lights and futuristic devices.

Leon squinted, his eyes focused and observant, as seized in the eclectic mix of races and technologies. Lucien, however, was bouncing around like a child in a candy store, overwhelmed by the unfamiliar sights and sounds.

"Brother, look at that woman! There's a hole behind her and her tail's swaying! What are they?" Lucien exclaimed, pointing excitedly.

"And that huge guy... Is that an Orc?"

"I can spot everyone out there. These kitty-eared girls look so cute, but I don't see any elves..."

"Shut up," Leon snapped, clearly irritated by Lucien's incessant babbling.

"Don't you know it's rude to comment like this, "Leon chided, shutting up Luciem.

Determined to gather some information and fill his stomach, Leon decided they needed to find a decent place to eat. He knew that Sector 12 was an outer city and that the inner city was reserved for military personnel, high officials, and the elite of the Federation.

After asking around, they finally arrived at a quaint inn. The menu was filled with strange and exotic options, but the sight of raw monster meat nearly horrified Lucien. The waitress, noticing their discomfort, tried to explain.

"Monster meat nourishes the body and renews vitality. The raw section is for beastmen. They prefer their meat raw because they believe that cooking it loses its energy and qi," she said. Leon nodded, his gaze shifting to a dish on the menu. "What kind of meat is this?" "Ogre," the waitress replied. "Would you like to try it? It's our specialty."

"No, thanks," Leon said, shaking his head. He looked at Lucien, who was visibly panicked.

"I'm a vegetarian," Lucien said hurriedly.

"Please bring us chicken dishes. I'm not comfortable with monster meat," Leon instructed, clearly ignoring Lucien.

Like the hell he would believe him to be vegetarian.

The waitress nodded and asked, "What kind of chicken would you like? We have Flame Chicken, Water Cold Chicken, Earth Chicken, wind chicken unisexual chicken, and many other varieties."

Leon's patience became thin as he slammed the menu onto the table. With a hint of desperation in his voice, he said, "Normal chicken. Please, just bring normal chicken from

Earth."

The waitress gave a sympathetic nod and responded, "Okay, sir. But we don't have normal chicken..."

Leon controlled his anger and said, "Then just bring eggs."

The waitress, unfazed, began to list the varieties, "We have Flame Eggs, Water Cold Eggs, Earth Eggs..."

"Stop!" Leon shouted in frustration. "Just bring me stir-fried vegetables, a bowl of rice, and some tomato soup."

"Me too! Bring me the same," Lucien shrieked, fearing more bizarre options would ruin his appetite.

After the waitress left, Leon squeezed his eyes shut and muttered, "Damn! I want some meat..."

Despite his frustrations, he dove into the simple meal with gusto. The stir-fried vegetables, rice, and tomato soup tasted heavenly compared to the canned food he was used to, a stark reminder of how awful his previous meals had been.

Though his ghost troops tried to prepare food for him it was quite heinous.

As they ate, a group of ominous-looking men and women entered the inn, their conversation

filled with hushed urgency.

"What should we do about it?" one of them asked.

"We don't know what it is yet, but it's dangerous," another replied.

"Too many people are getting attracted to this. We should keep it quiet as are just small

mercenary groups. The secret realm is dangerous," a third suggested.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Leon's ears perked up as he overheard the conversation. His face shifted as he pieced together

the fragments of their discussion.

"Secret realm..." Leon muttered to himself.

He looked at Lucien with a sharp gaze. "Isn't that where protagonists get major power-ups?

Did one of those realms just pop up here?"

Lucien felt a shiver as he met Leon's intense gaze.