CHAPTER 194: EX 194. GOD’S TEMPLE VII

Leon’s knuckles burned with the thrill of it. To say he wasn’t excited would’ve been an understatement, after all, what man didn’t enjoy throwing hands every now and then?

The statue’s massive fist came down, but Leon slipped to the side with ease, ducking low just as the serpent sprouting from its back lunged for him. He weaved under the strike, closing the distance in an instant. His fists, glowing faintly with the crackling density of Force affinity, drove into the statue’s stone gut twice in succession.

The impact rang like a hammer on iron. The guardian skidded back, its heavy frame gouging lines into the altar floor. Leon didn’t give it the chance to stabilize. His body blurred as he surged forward, leaping high and seizing the guardian’s head with both hands. Energy flared around his knees before he slammed them down against its craggy face.

Stone cracked. As the guardian staggered, reeling back from the attack.

The serpent lashed again, jaws gaping for Leon’s neck. But this time, he was ready. He caught it with both hands mid-snap, boots grinding sparks against the floor as he anchored himself. Twisting his body, Leon pivoted, dragging the entire guardian with him.

"Down you go!" he snarled, voice low with effort.

The massive construct lifted, its bulk suspended for a fleeting second. Then—

BOOM!!!

The ground split with a thunderous crack as Leon slammed it down.

But he didn’t stop there as he slammed it again and again, and again, and again.

Each crash thundered through the chamber until fissures webbed across the altar floor. The guardian finally tore its serpentine tail free, severing itself to escape. But the moment it detached, Leon’s swing carried the statue’s body hurtling into the altar wall. Causing stone to splinter on impact.

The guardian scrambled to rise, but Leon was already on it. The construct’s glowing eyes flickered, not with rage, but with something far deeper. Something primal.

Fear.

But it was too late.

Leon’s fist, cloaked in the full weight of his Force affinity, crashed into its head. The statue’s face caved in, shattering into a thousand shards. Dust billowed through the chamber in a storm of pulverized stone.

Leon exhaled slowly, shaking grit from his hair as silence reclaimed the room.

A sharp chime echoed in his mind.

[Do you want to claim the D-rank Tier VII Altar – God’s Temple?]

Y/N

****

Although the name of the altar on the altar’s pamel startled him, Leon didn’t hesitate. His hand hovered in the air for only a moment before he mentally selected Yes.

A soft chime echoed in his head. System notifications appeared one after another, glowing against the darkened temple walls:

[God’s Temple has been claimed by Trial Taker Leon Kael]

[Access to the trial has been given to Leon Kael]

[You have thirty minutes to use this privilege unless it automatically becomes forfeit]

[Good Luck]

Leon’s lips curved slightly. The messages left him satisfied, but his gaze lingered on the first line. "God’s Temple, huh?" he murmured under his breath. The system always had its quirks when naming things, but this one... it carried a strange weight, something that unsettled him. Why call this place God’s Temple?

He didn’t get long to puzzle it over. As footsteps drew close, and his squad gathered at his side.

"You’ve already claimed ownership of the altar," Nikko said, her tone more statement than question.

"Yes," Leon replied simply.

She smiled faintly. She and the others had already realized it, after all, the moment he claimed it, the altar had sealed itself from outside interference. She just wanted to hear it from him.

Elizabeth folded her arms. "Well, what are we waiting for? The trial won’t tackle itself."

"Right." Leon raised his hand, ready to activate the altar—

"Wait!"

The sharp voice cut across the chamber. Leon froze, then smirked faintly.

’That’s right. I almost forgot about her.’

He turned his head. Racheal stood there, Jessica still sleeping soundly against her shoulder. His gaze lingered on her a moment before he said casually, "What do you want... princess?"

Racheal’s eyes widened. "How... how do you know that?"

For a heartbeat, Leon’s own surprise nearly slipped through. She’s actually a princess? He had thrown the word out on a whim, but the look on her face said otherwise. Still, he didn’t let it show. His expression stayed unreadable as he shrugged.

"It was easy to figure out. Not like you were hiding it," he lied smoothly.

Adrian frowned, confusion flickering across his features.

’Was it really that obvious? I couldn’t even tell the difference between her and the others you cut down earlier.’

Elizabeth, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes. ’This fucking womanizer...’

Racheal seemed stunned for a moment, then slowly nodded. "I see..." She steadied herself, then spoke again, her voice quieter but resolute. "What I wanted to say earlier... was would you allow us to enter the trial with you? We promise not to get in your way."

Leon’s expression hardened. "And why should I help you?"

He wasn’t running a charity. He knew nothing about these elves, and taking unnecessary risks wasn’t his style. If she wanted his cooperation, the benefits had to outweigh the danger.

Racheal’s lips pressed tight as if she was fighting with herself. Leon tilted his head slightly. "Well?"

She exhaled sharply, as though releasing something heavy. "There is... a way to increase the rank of one’s talent within the trial."

The words dropped like a thunderclap.

Shock rippled across the squad. Nikko’s usual poise cracked, Elizabeth’s jaw clenched, Adrian blinked in disbelief. Even Leon, who had faced down demons and stood unflinching, felt the weight of her claim.

This wasn’t just surprising.

It was flabbergasting.

****

Leon had suspected something was strange from the very start. The trial world was vast, so vast it seemed infinite, especially within the mortal zones. To meet other races here was already rare, nearly impossible, and yet the elves had shown up so close to the human settlement. That wasn’t chance. That was purpose.

Two possibilities lingered in his mind. Either these elves had gotten themselves hopelessly lost in the sprawling labyrinth of the trial world... or they had come seeking something.

So Leon had pressed them, subtle at first, then direct. He had wanted to know what they were hiding, what had driven them so far from wherever their kind usually roamed. And when the answer finally came, it stopped him cold.

A way... to increase one’s talent.

The words tumbled from his lips before he even realized he had spoken, his voice low, almost reverent.

"A way... to increase talent..."

The elves’ gazes flickered at his reaction, confirming it wasn’t a lie or a slip of the tongue. For a moment, the battlefield, the trial, even the very weight of the world seemed to blur around him.

Because talent was everything. Talent was destiny. And Leon knew it better than anyone.