Leo stared at the various missions and their rewards posted on the mission's board, however, after scanning everything, he realized that there were only two missions currently posted up there that granted unrestricted access to the Black Serpents treasury.
One was the Golden Opportunity mission into a time-stilled world and the other was the Black-tier mission to assassinate Soron, the Supreme Leader of the Evil Cult.
And since assassinating the Evil Cult God was out of the question for him, the Gold mission remained as his only viable choice to gain the unrestricted access he needed to carry out the scroll heist.
'What even is a Time-Stilled world? Why have I never heard of it during my time in Rodova?' Leo wondered, as he frowned slightly.
The mission sheet provided no information on what exactly the mission world was, nor did it provide information on the risks associated with going to such a world.
'If I am to accept this mission, I need to first gather more information on it and assess whether I am capable of doing it or not,' Leo thought, as he scanned the hall for someone who seemed talkative and approachable, with whom he could discuss this mission.
And thankfully, he soon spotted a familiar face in Mr. Raiden.
The older assassin was standing near the board's edge, speaking animatedly to a sharp-eyed man with dark shoulder-length hair and a tablet tucked under one arm as without hesitation, Leo made his way over.
"Well, well, if it isn't Leo Skyshard!" Raiden said warmly as he spotted Leo's approach, as he slapped him happily on the shoulder.
"I was just talking about you to Cipher here." Raiden continued, as the man beside him turned, his gaze narrowing as recognition flickered across his face.
"Wait… you're Leo Skyshard, right? From the Interstellar Circuits?" He asked, as Leo gave a brief nod.
"Thought so. You were insane in the finals. I'm Cipher," he added, extending a hand. "Raiden's… unfortunate assassin partner."
Leo accepted the handshake, still calm and composed. "Pleasure."
"So," Raiden said, folding his arms with a smirk, "what brings you to the mission board at this hour? Don't tell me you're already hungry for your first contract."
Leo tilted his head toward the gold-plated mission at the far end. "That one caught my eye."
Raiden blinked, then let out a loud laugh. "You're kidding. That's exactly the mission I was referring to this afternoon. Looks like we're on the same wavelength already."
Leo didn't smile.
Raiden continued. "That mission is as dangerous as they come, but the payout? Worth it. If a party of six manages to complete it, each member could retire seven generations deep. That 6.5 billion MP reward is too sweet to pass on without trying."
He leaned in, dropping his voice slightly. "But so far, over a hundred teams have tried. No one's returned."
Leo's brow tightened. "What's it about and why is it so dangerous?"
"We don't know," Cipher said. "But I've been collecting materials— old notes, theories, journals on time-stilled anomalies. I'm confident there's a strategy to survive them, and I'm working on one now with Raiden."
Raiden nodded toward him.
"I'm putting together a party that can explore the time-stilled world with myself and Cipher. I have already convinced two members and I'm looking for two to three more.
You're a great fighter kid, we could use someone like you if you're interested, and it will always be safer to go in as a team versus individually.
If it works out, we will be rich, but if not, we are the type that prioritise our life over rewards, so we will bail out before it becomes too dangerous." He said, as Leo gave a slow nod in reply.
"I'm interested. But I'll do my homework first, before committing" He said, before turning to Cipher.
"You said you've been collecting notes. Mind telling me where I can start?" He asked, as Cipher smiled.
"There's a restricted archive in the Guild's library, section Zeta-9. Ask for the 'Chrono Lock Archives.' That's where I found most of the useful theories."
"I'll check it out," Leo replied, then glanced back at the golden placard one last time.
He didn't have the full picture yet, but if this mission held even the possibility of getting him closer to the scroll and the vault—then it was worth exploring.
Even if it meant taking calculated risks.
—----------
(Black Serpents Guild Library, Section Zeta-9 – The Chrono Lock Archives)
*Step*
*Step*
Leo's footsteps echoed lightly through the corridor as he made his way down the torch-lit passage toward the inner chambers of the Black Serpents Guild Library.
The architecture here felt older, more carved than constructed— vaulted ceilings supported by rough-hewn stone arches, each lined with narrow crystal tubes that pulsed faintly with mana, casting a dim, flickering light.
Compared to the Rodova Military Academy's library, this one felt smaller and less curated.
Rodova's archive had been an intellectual fortress: a sprawling monument to knowledge with entire wings dedicated to every known science, warrior path, and political treatise across the star systems.
But this… was different.
It was colder. Quieter. Less polished.
But also more focused.
Here, the shelves weren't meant for scholars or students— they were created for killers.
Dozens of tomes and handwritten scrolls sat sealed behind protective casings, many of them filled with forbidden studies, classified reports, and blacklisted military experiments that had long been purged from public record.
This library was not a place that one browsed for research or to satiate curiosity, but rather a place one visited to prepare for assassination.
Zeta-7
.
.
.
Zeta-8
.
.
.
Zeta-9!
As Leo reached the far corner of the library, he finally saw a dull brass plate hung over a blackwood arch labelled: Zeta-9.
As this was the section nicknamed the Chrono Lock Archives, containing a list of skills, events and worlds linked with abnormalities in 'time'.
Less than 100 books sat in there, as most of the section was filled with assassin written hand notes on how to take down targets possessing peculiar time abilities, however, there were still a few useful things to be found.
On the very first shelf, was a large book with a worn cover titled 'Tracking and Taking down targets in a Time-Stilled World' which piqued Leo's curiosity, as he selected the book and proceeded to sit on the central table to begin his research.
*Thud*
The book made a slight sound as Leo opened it, and the very first page he found was blank, except for a single sentence scrawled in red ink:
"If given a choice between going into a time-stilled world or not... don't go."
Leo's eyes narrowed, but he turned the page without flinching.
Whoever wrote this book clearly did not want others to follow suit for him to leave such a warning, however, Leo did not let it deter him.
He wasn't here to be coddled or frightened off by ominous scribbles. He was here for answers. And if the truth about time-stilled worlds was buried in these pages, no matter how grim or unsettling, it was knowledge he intended to uncover.
Slowly, he flipped to the next page, his gaze sharpening as the first inked page came into view, as he began reading with a clear mind.