CHAPTER 739: TWO INTRUDERS - PART 1

It had been quite some time since Leon last dealt with a member of the Temple of Twilight.

Their most recent encounter was when he confronted Guren inside Astra’s dimension of consciousness and the Forest of Eternal Silence.

Since then, the man had vanished without a trace and hadn’t been seen again.

Even so, Leon was certain he had returned to the Temple of Twilight’s headquarters and was secretly preparing an unexpected master plan.

"Do you think he can track your whereabouts?" Leon asked calmly.

Ruri was quiet for a moment before slowly shaking her head. "I don’t think so. I used my father’s secret weapons to shake him off—but I can’t say for sure. There’s a chance he left some kind of mark on me before we got separated."

Leon was impressed by her analysis. Despite looking like a twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl, her way of thinking was far more mature—and that was quite surprising.

"Maybe her real age is over fifty?" Leon wondered.

Yesterday, Miranda had mentioned that the average lifespan of the Spirit race used to be around three hundred years. But because of the blood curse left by the Evil God, their age now rarely exceeded one hundred.

It wasn’t impossible that she appeared to be a child while her actual age was far beyond his.

Despite suspecting as much, Leon wasn’t foolish enough to ask directly. Not only would that be rude and inappropriate, but their relationship wasn’t close enough for such questions. Maybe one day, if he got to know her better, he’d bring it up.

He stared at the large leaf in front of him—cleaner than his own face.

"Looks like I’ll have to do a bit of hunting," he muttered helplessly.

He did have some food stored in his magic ring, but using it now didn’t feel necessary.

After all, his supplies were limited and meant only for emergencies.

And right now, he was in a forest—a place teeming with food.

Hunting for a while was the best option. Besides, it had been a long time since he last did it, and something about it made him feel nostalgic.

"Alright, Ruri. Wait here for a bit," Leon said as he slowly got to his feet. "I’m going hunting."

Ruri blinked in surprise and asked without thinking, "Hunting?"

"Yes," Leon nodded. "I’m a little hungry, and I’d like to restock for lunch and dinner too."

Ruri fell silent, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. She lowered her head and murmured apologetically, "I’m sorry, sir. It’s because of me that you’re—"

Before she could finish, Leon raised a hand and said gently, "It’s fine. Didn’t I already say the food was for you? So don’t worry about it."

Ruri looked like she wanted to respond, but in the end, she only smiled softly and gave a small nod.

"Um... thank you."

Leon said nothing more and stepped out of the cave, ready to begin his hunt.

...

About five kilometers from where Leon and Ruri were, two men in black cloaks perched atop a tree, scanning the distance with wary eyes.

"How did you lose track of the girl?" the man on the left asked, his tone sharp with irritation as he shot a glare at his companion.

"I’m sorry, Fifth Apostle. That girl is incredibly agile—like an eel. She also used several strange weapons that caught me off guard. And to make things worse, the heavy rain last night severely limited my vision," the other man replied, clearly embarrassed.

The Fifth Apostle let out a deep breath, trying to suppress the irritation rising within him.

"Fine. Forget it," he said coolly. "But are you sure she was seriously injured?"

"Yes, I’m one hundred percent sure, Fifth Apostle. I stabbed her in the chest and stomach—wounds that should have left her on the brink of death. Even if she’s still alive, the monsters in this forest would’ve gotten to her by now," he answered with confidence.

The Fifth Apostle nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Good. But we still need to confirm it. Otherwise, the Temple won’t consider this mission a success. This is my first time rising to the rank of one of the Seven Apostles, and they’ll be watching closely to assess my performance."

"I understand, Fifth Apostle," his partner said with a small nod.

Moments later, their figures vanished—carried off as if by the wind.

...

Nighttime...

The rain had returned, accompanied by thunder rumbling from all directions.

Inside the cave, Leon sat casually on the ground, partially covered by a large leaf.

A bonfire crackled in front of him, spreading warmth throughout the cave.

"Well, I’ll get dinner ready first, Ruri," Leon said softly as he turned to the girl sitting on a rock about two meters away.

Ruri simply smiled and gave a small nod.

Leon took out four cleaned fish from his magic ring. He marinated them using the same blend of spices he had used the night before.

Once done, he skewered each fish onto thin iron rods and began grilling them over the fire.

The flames were strong and the heat intense, so Leon had to be careful not to burn them.

Before long, a mouthwatering aroma filled the cave. Ruri’s small nose twitched—like a little rabbit catching the scent of fresh carrots.

"It smells so good," she murmured, swallowing softly.

Her gaze was fixed on the fish, as if she were looking at the most precious treasure in the world.

Leon saw it and chuckled quietly.

"Be patient," he said gently. "It’ll be ready soon."

Ruri snapped out of her daze, her cheeks flushing slightly. But she didn’t turn away—she just gave a small nod.

"Alright, I’ll wait," she whispered softly.

Leon could tell she was no longer wary of him—and that was a good sign.

After all, he still needed her to guide him to the Spirit race’s location.

Ten minutes later, the fish was finally cooked, and Leon invited Ruri to join him.

She sat down beside him and picked up one of the skewers. Before taking a bite, she glanced at Leon and saw that he wasn’t eating yet—he was blowing on the fish to cool it down.

Her round eyes blinked, then she mimicked his actions. Only after Leon took a bite did she begin to eat as well.

The moment the savory, slightly sweet, and spicy flavors danced across her tongue, her eyes widened in disbelief.

"So good!" she exclaimed to herself.

Without worrying about her image as a proper girl, she devoured the fish with enthusiasm.

Leon glanced at her and smiled silently. They ate for about thirty minutes, leaving nothing behind but a small pile of fish bones on the ground.

Ruri patted her slightly rounded belly, a hint of embarrassment on her face.

"I’m sorry, sir. The fish was just so delicious—I ended up eating two without realizing it," she said with a guilty look.

"It’s fine," Leon replied casually. "I caught four—two for you, two for me. So don’t worry about it."

His words reassured Ruri, and her smile returned.

Just as she was about to say something, Leon’s expression suddenly turned serious.

He quickly covered her mouth with his left hand and whispered, "Stay quiet. Someone’s approaching."

Ruri was taken aback by Leon’s words. Still, she didn’t ask any questions and only nodded slowly.

Leon closed his eyes, extending his senses to scan the area within a five-hundred-meter radius.

"One... no, two people are approaching," he muttered, slowly opening his eyes again.

"Two people?" Ruri’s eyes widened. "Are they enemies, or just people lost in this forest?"

Leon shook his head. "No one gets lost here. While I was out hunting fish near the river, I checked the surroundings for a full kilometer—there’s no way out, no signs of civilization. So the only possibility is that they’re the ones chasing you."

Ruri’s face froze in shock. Without thinking, she grabbed Leon’s left arm and clutched it tightly.

"Sir, the one chasing me is incredibly strong and dangerous. I nearly died at his hands. And now he’s coming with a companion... that means our chances of survival are close to zero. You should leave. I’ll lure them away."

Her voice trembled, filled with fear and desperation—as if she was more worried about Leon than herself.

And that was exactly how she felt. Leon had saved her last night, and that was a debt she could never repay.

There was no way she could let her savior be dragged into this. If something happened to him, she would carry the guilt for the rest of her life—even if he didn’t survive.

Leon was quietly impressed by her attitude. As a hero, he had encountered all kinds of people throughout his journey.

Some found humility after being rescued, while others remained ungrateful.

Of the two, it was the latter he encountered more often—especially in life-or-death situations. Many were willing to sacrifice even their savior just to survive.

That didn’t surprise him. After all, humans were naturally cunning and selfish—sometimes even worse than demons.

At the very least, the few demons he had met had minds far cleaner than most humans.

With a faint smile, he gently patted Ruri’s head. "I appreciate your concern. But don’t worry—I can handle it. Even if ten of them show up, it won’t make a difference."

The two approaching figures exuded a cold, ominous aura—one that reminded Leon of the Temple of Twilight members he had fought in the past.

The conclusion was undeniable: the people chasing Ruri were from the cult.

The exact reason behind the pursuit was still unknown to her, but Leon suspected it had something to do with the blood curse of the Spirit race.

When he spoke, Ruri seemed momentarily dazed. For some reason, his comforting words felt familiar—almost identical to what her father used to say when she was a child.

"Alright," Leon said as he slowly rose to his feet. His sharp gaze turned toward the cave entrance, resolve burning in his eyes. "Wait here for me, okay? It’ll be easier if I know you’re safe and in one place."

Without waiting for a reply, Leon stepped out of the cave and vanished from Ruri’s sight.