Trial III

The trials after Expert—namely Nightmare, Legendary, and Insane—involve much more than just surviving waves of monsters. These trials require more than just personal strength; you need allies and strategy to prevail in the final three difficulty stages.

With each increase in difficulty, the trials become more challenging. For instance, if Leon had chosen Nightmare, he might have started in a position like a city leader or someone of similar status. In Legendary, he could have been a regular person, perhaps with a decent role like a guard. But in Insane, he starts as a beggar, making it incredibly difficult for the challenger to rise in status and become the city's leader within just six months.

For most, this would seem impossible, but for Leon, his "Charity system" turns this disadvantage into an opportunity. In areas like slums, where people are desperate for help, even providing food can make you a hero in their eyes. Additionally, many skilled or resourceful individuals often emerge from these difficult environments, giving Leon a unique advantage.

"Time to find my first ally," Leon mumbled to himself as he looked around. With his appraisal active, he began to focus on two categories: first, the young with potential and the will to move forward; second, the experienced, those crippled by the city's top brass yet still possessing the determination to make things right.

Leon first activated his Appraisal on the nearby people scattered around, but after seeing the large status screen, he paused.

"Cherry, can you make adjustments to the Appraisal results?" he asked, stopping and leaning against a wall.

[I can. What do you want?] Cherry asked, looking at him.

"Remove everything from the Appraisal results except for the name, potential, charity need (on a scale of 1 to 10), and a bit of background," Leon said. Cherry nodded, and after a moment, her glow turned red briefly before she said, [Done.]

Leon nodded and then used it on a nearby drunk man.

[Name: Arthur Mane]

[Potential: Not noteworthy]

[Charity need: 10 (Alcohol)]

[Description: A drunkard waiting for more drinks. Give him one, and you'll be his god.]

"Now, this is good," Leon nodded in approval as he started moving, pulling out a loaf of bread. As he did, many people turned to look at him. He noticed a nearby kid staring at him with puppy eyes, so he handed the bread to him.

The kid took the bread and dashed off, while other kids ran after him.

[Host received 25 wheat breads]

Leon nodded, satisfied with the result, and continued moving, using Appraisal as he went. After half an hour of walking and eating more than five loaves of bread, he had yet to find any potential candidates. He decided to leave the slum area.

As he stepped outside, the guards standing just outside the slum pushed him back in.

"Scram, kid. The outer area isn't for scum like you," one guard said harshly, forcing Leon back into the slum.

"This is more difficult than I thought," he mumbled as he walked through the same damp and smelly streets of the slum.

"Damn it, were all those stories of heroes I read in the orphanage just lies?" Leon slammed his hand against the wall, wincing as he felt the pain. When he came to this world, he started reading books related to his situation, mostly fantasy stories. In eight out of ten of those stories, the heroes always rose from the slums, yet here he was, struggling to find one.

"Argh, what should I do?" Leon mumbled as he sat in a corner, staring at the vast sky. He had already wasted a whole day without any results.

As he sat there, brooding over what to do next, he suddenly felt a pat on his head.

Lifting his gaze, he saw the same kid he had given bread to that morning.

"I'm sorry, I don't have any more bread," Leon said, thinking the boy was back for more. He hung his head again.

Pat, pat.

"What do you want?" Leon asked, lifting his head once more, only to see the kid offering him a quarter of the bread he had given earlier.

Leon chuckled softly. "It's okay, you eat it. I've already had enough," he said, ruffling the kid's hair. The boy nodded, then grabbed Leon's hand and started pulling him along.

"Where are you taking me?" Leon asked, not resisting, but the kid didn't answer and just tugged him along. Leon shrugged and stood up. Maybe he's taking me to his home. Well, it can't be worse than my situation, sleeping on the streets, he thought as he followed the boy.

Just like Leon, the kid wore dirty clothes and rags. His hair was black, but his eyes were a striking shade of red—not sinister, but like a beautiful, jewel-like red.

Leon kept following the kid as they moved from one street of the slum to another, occasionally passing groups of gangsters. They eyed Leon suspiciously, but as soon as they noticed the boy, they backed away.

"Who are you?" Leon asked, noticing how the thugs seemed to avoid the kid.

But the boy didn't answer, continuing forward in silence until they reached a house. Like the others in the slum, it was broken and filthy—just the norm here. The kid motioned for Leon to enter, and Leon followed as he glanced around, finding the inside just as rundown and dirty.

"Is this your place, kid?" Leon asked, looking around. The boy shook his head, pointed silently behind him.

Leon turned around, and that's when he saw a girl peeking out. She seemed to be his age, but it was hard to tell with her malnourished body.

"Did you give bread to my sister?" she asked, stepping out into the light. Just like the boy, she had black hair and striking red eyes.

"Wait, that's your sister?" Leon asked, confused as he looked between the two. The boy or rather little girl shyly nodded, while the girl patted her head, gazing at him.

"Yes, I keep her dressed like a boy for her safety," the girl explained. "My name is Sabrina, and you are?" she asked, straightening up and introducing herself with curiosity.