Chapter 372: The Long Awaited Video Call
(Twin Fang Planet, Outer Housing Ring, Leo’s Apartment, Two Days Later)
*Thud*
*Thud*
*Thud*
Leo’s back arched upward before collapsing to the floor again, his breath steady and rhythm controlled as he completed yet another set of sit-ups.
Sweat beaded down his temple, pooling against the hollow of his collarbone, but his movements did not slow.
Despite having trained continuously for the past two hours, the explosiveness of his movements had not diminished in the slightest, a clear testament to how drastically his body had improved during his time in the Time-Stilled World, where the ambient mana was far denser than usual and had accelerated his physical development, especially considering that his previous limit before fatigue began to set in had barely reached forty-five minutes.
*Bzzzz*
*Bzzzzzz*
A sudden vibration from beside him made him lose count of his repetitions, as his neck stiffened and he paused the sit-ups.
The vibration came from his personal communication crystal, which he had set up beside him before starting to train, as today was the day when Mu Fan had promised him a video call with his family, to show him that the demands he had put forward had indeed been met by the Cult.
‘I hope it’s that call–’ He prayed, as he reached for the communication crystal and channeled his mana through, to establish the connection.
*Gurgle*
His stomach rolled in anticipation when the call finally connected, as he could hardly hide the smile on his face, however, the face that he saw on the other side was not the same one that he had been expecting.
He expected to see one of his family members, but instead, he came across the visage of an unfamiliar uniformed man whose jaw was square, whose bearing was military, and whose tone left no room for negotiation.
“Your voice and video are both muted on this end, so you throwing signs or shouting at the top of your lungs will be for naught. What I am showing you is for viewing only,” the man declared flatly, before rotating the orb he held in his hand, as the view shifted from his face to that of a large, gated property nestled between green hills and fortified walls.
“This property is built in the heart of the capital city of Vorthas,” the soldier continued as his boots clicked sharply against stone, “once the estate of Dragon Derrick two hundred and fifty years ago. It now belongs to the Skyshard family, as per your request.”
Leo leaned closer instinctively, his eyes locked to the scene unfolding before him, as he took in the view of his new house.
It was vintage style, with a lot of greenery and sculptures, and on first impression looked large enough.
‘Not bad—’ He thought internally, as his lips parted slightly but without sound.
*Step*
*Step*
He watched the soldier march with a military cadence, as one after another a couple security gates opened for him, allowing him to march unimpeded into the estate grounds.
*Salute*
*Salute*
Other soldiers along the path snapped to attention, saluting as the man passed. However, he didn’t return the gesture. He simply walked, step after unwavering step, until he ascended a short staircase and stepped onto the porch of the mansion.
There, on the old wooden swing under the shaded overhang, sat a woman sharpening a blade with quiet, measured strokes, her movements fluid and unbothered, her eyes lifting momentarily to glance at the orb before returning to the steel in her hands.
That was Alia. His brother’s girlfriend.
Leo’s breath hitched in his throat. A soft smile broke across his lips as a genuine and uncontrollable warmth spread through his chest.
There were strands of silver now threaded through her once impeccable black hair, faint signs that the last two years had been probably cruel to her, yet her posture remained firm, her spirit unbowed, as she looked healthy and sturdy more or less.
The soldier paused to show her for a few seconds, before continuing on his tour.
He walked through the broad corridor of the mansion, entering the living room where Leo saw them both—his mother Elena and his father Jacob.
Elena looked gaunt. Her arms thinner than he remembered, the outline of her bones more visible beneath the worn robe she wore. She was holding Jacob’s hand tightly, her knuckles pale from the grip, as if afraid that letting go might cause him to vanish.
Jacob sat quietly beside her, his right eye concealed beneath a thick gauze bandage stained faintly red and yellow, the signs of an unhealed wound obvious even from the camera’s limited angle.
Leo’s eyes softened as he saw them.
He felt the urge to rush up to his mother and hug her on the spot, but he knew he couldn’t.
While he also felt a weird flicker of worry for his father’s eye wound, as he wondered if he’d lost the eye or was it just scratched?
‘I guess I’ll find that out when I meet them soon enough…. They’re alive, and that’s enough for now—’ He thought, as the feed shifted again, with the soldier now walking towards the mansion’s kitchen.
*Sizzle*
Leo could hear a loud sizzling noise as soon as the soldier entered the kitchen, as inside stood a large man with gray hair in a stained apron, who seemed to be frying something on an open burner while arguing with a tiny creature perched on his shoulder.
Leo blinked, then burst into a quiet chuckle, unable to help the involuntary grin that stretched across his face.
“I’m telling you, Grandpa, the oil is not hot enough! The fish loses flavor the longer you heat it—” Dumpy complained in his tiny voice.
“And I’m telling you to shut up! I’ve been cooking fish before you were ever born, brat!” Ben fired back without looking at him, flipping the sizzling meat with a scowl.
Leo’s laughter died only when Dumpy’s tiny amphibian head tilted toward the soldier, his eyes sharpening with menace.
“I have tolerated your presence long enough, mongrel. Be gone from my sight now or prepare to fight.”
The soldier didn’t respond to the threat verbally, he only scoffed before turning as he made his way out of the kitchen and towards the passage that opened to the stairs leading upwards.
*Step*
*Step*
He climbed upstairs, before reaching another large corridor and turning left, as he approached a closed room and knocked softly before entering.
*Knock*
*Knock*
He pushed the door slowly, revealing a woman with brown hair seated at a cluttered desk, a flame spirit hovering beside her as she used a screwdriver-like tool to adjust the inside of some complex engine.
She turned with a blank look, confused.
“Want something?” She asked, as the soldier simply shook his head and left, leaving the brown haired girl to return to her work before the door clicked shut.
*GASP*
Leo felt his breath stolen when he caught the glimpse of his love, Amanda, as although the moment the camera showed her was brief, it was enough for him to know that she was okay, and that she looked as beautiful as ever.
An uncontrollable warmth spread inside his chest when he saw her, as he began grinning like a complete fool…. With his heart beating out of his chest.
‘I’ll be seeing you real soon. Babe–’ he thought, as the soldier walked to the last and final door.
This one was different from the others, as outside this door stood a herd of medics, nurses and healers, with the entire space seemingly buzzing with tension.
“Excuse me,” The soldier said as he pushed through the crowd and stepped into the dimly lit room, where there was a single bed and lots of machinery surrounding it.
Leo’s pupils contracted.
On the bed lay Luke. Gaunt. Hollow-eyed. Barely breathing.
His ribs protruded sharply beneath skin that was tight and sickly, blotched with dark patches and festering wounds that never closed.
Scars ran across his neck, down his arms, curling like vines of pain etched into flesh.
Leo rose to his feet, not even aware he had done so. His fists clenched, and for a moment, the crystal trembled in his grasp, flickering with unstable energy as the overwhelming rage within him bled into his aura.
The soldier just stayed in the room for barely enough time to show Leo that Luke was alive, before walking back out.
“The agreement from our side has hence been completed. You may see them in person once your mission is done.” the soldier said, his voice sounding as flat as ever, as he emotionlessly cut the call, the crystal ball in Leo’s hands turning black as soon as the connection was cut.
“What…. Happened… To… My… Brother?” Leo spoke slowly, the murderous intent burning inside his chest turning into a volcano ready to erupt, as a powerful blood red aura enveloped him, unlike anything that had ever clung to him before.
At this moment, Leo finally understood why the Cult had decided to mute the call.
For this was one conversation that they probably did not wish to hold with him right now….