(Twin Fang Planet — Day 3 of Codex Training)
Two days quickly passed since Leo had first bound with the [Sevenfold Revelation Codex], and not once during that span did he manage to spot even a flicker of what the manual promised.
Whether it was joy, guilt, hostility, or affection, nothing in his surroundings shimmered with color, and no layer of hidden truth revealed itself through his eyes.
Still, he did not stop.
He continued to pool mana behind his retinas from the moment he awoke until the hour he returned to bed, as for every second he was awake, he tried to comprehend the secrets of the universe.
—------
On the third day, as he stepped toward the door of his apartment to begin another long walk around the city, he paused abruptly when his foot brushed against a folded sheet of parchment resting silently on the floor.
The folded sheet bore no official seal, no insignia, only his name on the front, written in dark ink.
To- Leo Skyshard.
It said, as Leo bent down, picked it up and unfolded the letter with a calm flick of his fingers.
> "Table 33. Same café. Come five minutes before noon. – Raiden."
That was all.
Leo stared at the note for a brief moment before tucking it away into his inner sleeve.
His mana remained steadily pooled behind his eyes as he ventured out and continued with his morning walk, deciding to carry on with his day as usual until it was time for the meeting to commence.
He figured Raiden's goal was to formally introduce the team to one another, and since he had been meaning to evaluate them anyway, the timing of the invitation couldn't have been more perfect.
—----------
Exactly five minutes before noon, Leo stepped into the quiet interior of the Venom Lily Bistro, the cafe door clicking shut behind him as the familiar scent of bitter roast, oiled steel, and polished wood filled his nose.
He moved forward without pause, eyes scanning the surroundings only once before they landed on Table 33, which was tucked away in the dim back corner of the cafe, near a sound-proofed wall, where Raiden already sat with four others.
Leo didn't rush his walk, nor did he hesitate after making eye contact with the team, as he continued to walk at his own steady pace until he reached his destination.
"Agh, Skyshard! Right on time—" Raiden said, as he gestured for Leo to take a seat.
Raiden himself sat at the head of the table, fingers laced before him, posture straight as ever. His silver-streaked hair gleamed faintly under the restaurant's muted lighting, and he seemed to be wearing his usual warm smile.
To his right, lounging with one boot kicked up on the edge of her seat, was a woman with slick brown hair tied in a high tail, and a neon pink bubblegum sphere inflating from her mouth as she gave Leo a lazy once-over.
She wore a skintight black assassin suit that left very little to the imagination and even less to armor, with a thigh holster and half-zipped collar that suggested she cared more about allure than protection.
Her eyes glittered with amusement as she made eye contact with him, lips curling into a smile as she winked.
"Heyy there, Circuit Champ~" She said seductively, as Leo felt a chill run down his spine, forcing him to quickly look at the next person.
On Raiden's left sat a young man in a loose combat tunic that was easily two sizes too big for his lanky frame.
He was clearly not a killer, nor someone who looked very confident in general as he sat hunched forward with his shoulders nervously bundled.
His long scarf looked like it could double as a blanket, and he kept fidgeting with a wooden spoon between his fingers like it was a talisman.
His eyes flicked toward Leo for a moment, then away, then back again, as he clearly looked uneasy to be here.
'Who is this bum?' Leo thought as a small frown formed over his face.
Nonetheless, he moved on and checked out the last new face on the table, as sitting right next to him was a wall of a man.
The hulking brute sat with a thick mat of chest hair exposed through his unbuttoned shirt, and arms the size of tree trunks folded across his barrel-like torso.
He leaned back in his chair with a toothpick dancing between his teeth, a storm-grey beard shadowing his square jaw.
The man didn't look at Leo. He didn't need to. His presence alone was enough to declare that he noticed everything.
And finally—at the edge of the table, seated with one foot resting on the seat edge, forearm draped across his knee—was Cipher.
He offered Leo a small, familiar nod, his smile casual, but his eyes sharp as always.
As it was at this moment that Raiden rose slightly, and gestured to the chair Leo was sitting at as he addressed the team.
"Leo. Glad you came." he began, as Leo gave him a small nod in return.
"You said you wanted to evaluate the team," Raiden said plainly. "Let me save you the time."
He turned first to the red-haired woman, who was now popping her gum again with a loud crack.
"This is Patricia. Lockpicker. Tracker. Poison specialist.... And a big flirt. She can extract a buried toxin capsule from a rotting beast skull faster than most people can draw a weapon, but she'll do it while asking for your number."
Patricia gave a mock salute with two fingers, followed by a finger gun and a wink. "Charmed, darling."
Raiden shifted to the jittery boy. "Karl. A mercenary, not an assassin. Contracted for this mission only. He's our survivalist, healer and terrain expert. He's good with maps. Better with cooking food. And the only man here who won't stab you in your sleep— mostly because he doesn't have the guts to do it."
Karl offered a nervous laugh. "That's… not inaccurate."
Then, Raiden turned to the mountain of muscle chewing his toothpick.
"And that's Bob." he said reverently, as if Bob's name alone needed no more explanation.
Leo's brow twitched ever so slightly in confusion, and perhaps noticing it, Patricia leaned in as she whispered conspiratorially, "Have you ever heard of the Ghoul Nest Massacre? Yeah, that was him. Supposedly cleared out two entire cult strongholds on foot. With nothing but a fork."
Leo raised an eyebrow and Bob slowly turned his head, his eyes meeting Leo's.
"You're sittin' on my side of the table, boy…. Scoot–" he demanded, as Leo blinked once, and then shifted his chair slightly to the right, as Bob nodded in approval.
Raiden didn't comment. He simply motioned toward Leo and said, "And this is Leo Skyshard. I'm sure most of you have seen the kid fight at the circuits, but if not…. Well I can vouch for his skills.
He'll be joining us for the mission. If he decides he likes what he sees."
Then turning towards Leo, he asked, "So, Skyshard? What do you think?"
"We have Cipher who has gathered all the knowledge there is to gather on how to survive in a time-stilled world.
Myself, a veteran assassin.
Bob…. The legend.
Patricia the beauty.
Karl the cook.
And yourself if you choose to join.
I think we have a good shot of clearing the mission if you join us… so what do you say?" He asked again, as all eyes anticipatingly turned towards Leo.