Leon strolled into the house, casually dragging a couple of suitcases behind him. Denzel, lying lifelessly on his bed, felt a jolt of anxiety with every echoing footstep.
"Hey Denzel," Leon called as he nudged the bedroom door open. "Didn't even come help with my luggage? You still lack basic manners, I see."
"Leon, please just leave me alone," Denzel muttered, turning away.
"Sure," Leon said, oddly cooperative—for once.
It was the first time in this life (and the last) that Leon respected Denzel's request. The house, however, fell into an eerie silence. Around noon, Denzel dragged himself outside to grab some snacks and drinks from May's Café.
On his way through the living room, he spotted Leon sprawled out on the couch, sighing dramatically.
"Ughh, the boredom is killing me," Leon groaned, rolling over just in time to spot Denzel dressed and heading for the door. "Where you off to?"
Denzel hesitated. He knew from painful experience that Leon's company meant chaos. "Just grabbing a few things at May's Café. You want anything?" he asked politely, praying the gods would intervene.
Leon sat up, paused, and tilted his head. "What do you even do for fun around here?"
"Clear dungeons," Denzel deadpanned.
Leon grinned. "Sounds fun. But nah, I'm not in the mood for a dungeon. I'll just come with you."
Denzel nearly collapsed on the spot. Despite his valiant efforts to deter him, the disaster had arrived anyway. Leon noticed Denzel's defeated expression and twisted the knife.
"Hey, Denzel," he said with a wicked smile, "what's your player rank again?"
Denzel sighed. "I'm an F-rank player."
There was a moment of stunned silence before Leon exploded with laughter, tears streaming down his face.
"An F-rank?! You really are my pathetic little brother!" Then, with a mocking wink, "But hey, don't feel bad. I'll always support you… in spirit."
Denzel remained still. He had long accepted that even if a tiger massacred a dozen animals, a duck would never step forward to fight it. In this household, he was the duck.
Leon, the golden child, was a genius—one with enough charm to fool the world and torment Denzel into madness. After a quick outfit change—shades, Gucci shirt, and beach shorts—Leon was ready.
"Leon… you do know we're just going to a café, right?" Denzel asked, eyeing the outfit.
"Of course. Let's go."
The moment they hit the street, the devil morphed into a saint. Leon walked with poise, charm radiating from his pores. Every corner they turned, people gathered.
"Leon! Can I get a picture?"
"Leon, sign my shirt!"
To Denzel's horror, Leon was a full-on celebrity.
"Yo, Denzel," Leon said as cameras flashed, "why are you so red? Do you want my autograph too? I'll make you a special one!"
Denzel snapped. "LEON, JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"
The street went silent.
A nearby child clutched her mother's leg. "Mom, is that man—"
"No, dear. Just back away slowly."
Once again, Leon had assassinated Denzel's public image.
They reached the café—barely. Inside, the chaos continued. A mob formed around Leon the moment they stepped in. Denzel forced his way through and spotted a familiar blonde girl in the far corner.
"Hi Olivia," Denzel said, waving. "How've you been?"
The girl blinked at him, confused. "Wait… Denzel? Where have you been? You didn't join the mafia, did you?"
Denzel chuckled. "Still as dramatic as ever. I was passing by and thought I'd say hi."
She eyed him suspiciously. "So… why'd you drop out of school?"
"I got bored," he replied with a straight face.
"You what—?!" She yanked his hair.
"Ow!"
"Do you know how worried I—" She stopped mid-sentence. Something about him was different. He was clean-cut. Smiling. Handsome, even. Was this really the same gloomy gym freak she used to know?
Before she could process it, the chaos returned.
"Hmmm… what's this lovers' quarrel I see here?" Leon asked, feigning innocence.
"Leon, she's our neighbor and my classmate. You know that!" Denzel snapped.
Leon grinned. "Don't insult my intuition. I know love when I see it."
Olivia laughed. "So you guys still bicker like this? Some things never change."
"We'll be going now," Denzel muttered, dragging Leon to the counter.
After ordering, they sat down, and Denzel gave Leon a piece of his mind—fully aware it would be ignored. Just as he was about to sip his fizzy coke…
[ALERT! ALERT!]
The café's alarm blared.
A swirling portal opened just outside the entrance.
[Ping! Ping!]
[System Notification: A dungeon has spawned at your location. Clear it to prevent area destruction.]
"Give me a break," Denzel groaned, slamming his fist on the table.
The café patrons screamed, backing away. They were all players… but inactive ones. Non-proactive types whose systems had locked due to long inactivity. They were useless.
Denzel braced himself to act—until a familiar voice interrupted.
"You stay, Denzel. I'll handle this."
Leon rose, a grin on his face, summoning a blazing sword from a swirl of mist and fire.
The God of Destruction was about to show his strength.
END OF CHAPTER 15
[FUN FACTS]
-Leon only jokes around with Denzel.
-Mr. & Mrs. Rünter are entrenched Players and scientists.
-Olivia secretly admired Denzel since childhood.
-Entrenched Players cannot enter dungeons or towers.
-The Andras Cult Leader is named… (Wouldn't you like to know?)
-The system was created by a… (Nice try.)
-Leon's birthday is July 4th (Yep—Independence Day).