The Reality (1)

The first to wake up from the party was Brian. He looked disoriented, noticing the change in their surroundings. He saw the rest of the party members still unconscious. At first, he didn't realize what had happened, but as he recalled the mysterious hooded individual that had appeared behind Leonard, his alertness spiked. Grabbing the sword by his side, he stood up, scanning the area with wary eyes.

"You don't need that," Zeus's voice cut through his tension.

Hearing Zeus's words, Brian calmed down and sighed in relief. He turned to face Zeus, who seemed to have just returned from somewhere. His eyes searched for Leonard, but he couldn't find him.

"If you're looking for Leonard, he's over there," Zeus said, pointing in a direction obscured by a tree. Brian had to adjust his position to see what was behind the tree.

As soon as he saw Leonard, his eyes widened. Leonard stood in a wide stance on top of two huge logs, tiptoeing and balancing. Brian couldn't help but be surprised by the exercise. He was familiar with it himself.

"Is he building his body? Does he need that? He's a Player," Brian pondered aloud, while Zeus simply listened.

It was indeed surprising to see Leonard doing this. Players, especially those in the Warrior Class, didn't normally need to build their bodies in the traditional sense. Their basic stats would progress and grow, eventually reflecting in their physique.

Brian and the rest of the party had assumed Leonard was a warrior based on Yuna's story—how he had climbed a tree and barbarically ripped out a Supreme Chanak's neck. However, the party didn't know the reality of Leonard's powers. At that moment, only Brian had the chance to witness Leonard's hard work.

"He's been doing that since last week," Zeus said, prompting Brian to tilt his head in confusion.

"Huh?"

"You were out for a week. All of you. It's been a week since the party was attacked."

As if struck by lightning, Brian was shocked into silence. Had it been so serious that they'd been unconscious for a week? As a warrior, a natural warrior, he was proud of his constitution. He had never even fainted from poisons or spoiled food.

Thinking about it, it made sense, considering their enemy wasn't an ordinary human or Player. It was a summoner with multiple golems at his disposal. He must have had a huge reserve of mana points and hidden <Skills >.

"What happened to that summoner?" Brian finally asked.

"He escaped. Ran away like a coward."

Hearing the news, Brian sighed in relief. It was a good thing they weren't in constant danger. If they had been the ones who had to escape, it would have been a serious problem with the rest of the party still unconscious. Even with the harsh training they'd undergone before, it still wasn't enough. As normal humans, it seemed they had to push themselves even further.

"Why is Leonard doing that anyway?" Brian asked, returning his focus to Leonard's unusual training.

Zeus sighed and shook his head. "What do you think of Leonard?"

It was a confusing question from Zeus, but Brian didn't dismiss it. He answered confidently, sharing his thoughts on Leonard.

"He's a strong Player with sharp senses. He's also respectable, which might be why you're working for him."

Zeus sighed again, heavier this time, making Brian even more confused. How could Zeus react like that to words that were clearly true?

"Subjectively, Leonard is strong," Zeus muttered before continuing. "But I don't know where you got the idea that Leonard is a strong Player. He's not. He's on the way to becoming one."

"What do you mean?" Brian asked, his foundation of thoughts about Leonard shaken. Since the day Leonard had found Yuna and saved her from the party's blunder, Brian had believed Leonard to be a dependable Player. Despite being a Player, Leonard had shown compassion and kindness, even sharing his spoils from their missed challenge in the tower.

"You still don't know this, huh?"

"Sir Zeus, could you please not leave me hanging?"

Zeus snorted and shook his head, exuding a mature aura that Brian could feel even from where he stood.

"Don't be surprised. Leonard isn't a warrior. In reality, he's far from being one, which is why he's doing that in hopes of building his constitution." Zeus sighed again, his constant sighing making Brian worry about Zeus's condition. However, he set that concern aside for the moment and listened closely.

"Leonard is a summoner. He has the weakest class of all. So don't depend on him."

"What?"

As if the world had shut him down, Brian was faced with utter silence. His eyes remained still, not wide with surprise, but his body froze as his mind struggled to comprehend the bombshell Zeus had just dropped.

Since the time they had been together, Leonard had an imposing presence that wasn't forced. Even from afar, his mature aura was palpable, making him respectable despite his young features. He was someone who couldn't be underestimated.

Moreover, from Yuna's stories, Brian's perception of Leonard had only been reinforced. He had wanted to see more of what Leonard could do.

In the short time they had spent together, Brian had relied on Leonard, believing him to be a strong warrior. But in reality, he was a summoner? The weakest class of all Players? Even an average human with inferior strength would be stronger than Leonard in terms of pure physical power.

Brian felt his stomach churn, but he managed to stay still and hide his emotions. Zeus was in front of him, and any hint of disrespect towards Leonard could mean trouble, as Zeus was his butler. Reacting negatively might even provoke a deadly response.

So, Brian kept his calm facade, though a slight disgust lingered in his thoughts about Leonard's true identity. Had Leonard hidden this fact and enjoyed the treatment that came with being perceived as a warrior? They had been at risk of dying, primarily because of him. If not for Leonard, they might not have been attacked by the mysterious hooded man.

'Now I can remember. The eyes of the man who attacked showed more hostility toward Leonard. He also attacked him first, which means Leonard might have been the target all along.'

Brian clenched his fist. Normally, he wasn't the type to judge harshly; he believed in fair judgment for everyone. But he couldn't help but feel betrayed and lied to. After all, he had depended on and believed in Leonard.

"I understand what you feel. You don't have to hide that fact," Zeus said, acknowledging Brian's inner turmoil.

PassingNote: I'll be uploading twice a day for the rest of the week. However, there might be days when I'll only upload once due to my schedule. Right now, I have some free time, so I'll be able to write a few chapters. By the end of this month, I might set this to premium. I've got bills to pay, even though I'm still a student. Sad life—your author is a college student.