As snow began to thicken on the city streets, running became an entirely different experience for Leon. Determined to maintain the routine he had started and kept up consistently for the past three months, he donned warmer, more covered clothing.
Running in this colder season was far more challenging. He found himself running out of breath more quickly, especially as the biting air pierced through his lungs.
Discipline was no easy feat-it required hard work and perseverance. It felt like he had nothing else to do in his life except train and manage his game activities. Running, martial arts training, attending university, fulfilling social needs with his sister, and friends, and keeping up his in-game schedule. Damn, his time was completely occupied.
Whenever he felt the urge to slack off, he reminded himself of the immense privilege he currently had, forcing himself to push through. He wanted to quit countless times. Why was he pushing so hard with this physical training? He had so many other responsibilities- cutting back to running just two or three times a week would be easier.
But then, he realized one crucial thing: the hardest challenge in the world was consistency and discipline.
Panting heavily, Leon stopped in front of a park bench where two girls sat-Lily and Freya.
“Leon… please give up, come on, just give up,” Freya teased, laughing softly.
Lily, also seated there, handed him a bottle of water. “Had enough?”
Leon sat down between them, still gasping for air. His sweat seemed to freeze instantly in the cold.
“Not quite,” he panted, managing a grin. “But I needed a break.”
They sat there in the park as children not far from them began to play, and families enjoyed the chilly yet sunny afternoon with their little ones. The three of them, however, relished the calmness of the serene day.
“You’re not going to drop dead from exhaustion with all your crazy activities, are you, Leon?” Freya teased, nudging his shoulder and laughing softly.
Leon turned to his left and shook his head. “Please take me to a good hospital if I ever collapse from overexertion, okay?” he responded with a smile.
“He is surely the irony of being a sloth Champion, right?” Lily remarked, laughing along. freeweɓnovel.cm
They then delved into more random topics while Lily and Freya exchanged jokes, with Leon caught in the middle of their banter.
Unlike the other two, whose light-hearted chatter filled the air, Leon’s mind wandered as he sat relatively still. He couldn’t help but think about everything he needed to accomplish, his thoughts swirling with the tasks ahead. He worked to keep his mental to-do list organized.
What’s missing? he wondered, striving to ensure he wouldn’t overlook any important responsibilities.
First, he considered his real-life responsibilities. Leon admitted that he hadn’t been able to keep up with all his campus activities as well as he would have liked. This was perhaps his biggest sacrifice. Still, he managed to attend at least half of his classes, just enough to not fall too far behind and to pass exams without failing.
But he received significant help from Laura in this matter. She often made detailed notes and sent them to him, ensuring he didn’t miss out on anything important. Her contributions were substantial and greatly appreciated.
He needed to repay her in some way. What could he do for her?
Next was his training schedule. He was disciplined about his running, taking just one rest day
a week. He also spent time at the gym, even if only for an hour, lifting weights sufficiently and then capping it off with a swim.
Then came his martial arts training, including his Kenjutsu and practice with other types of weapons. Despite the heavy and exhausting nature of his regimen, he managed to fit everything into his schedule.
His body often felt on the verge of breaking down from the intensity.
But as his belief affirmed, when he struggled with something, it wasn’t because he couldn’t do it—it was just that he needed more time to adapt. And he proved himself right. Through perseverance and consistency, he gradually became accustomed to the rigors of his demanding schedule.
His in-game agenda was just as demanding. Monitoring the city-building efforts in Slumdon Town kept him busy, though he was fortunate to have help from Livelywood, Charmelyn, and Freya. Thanks to their efforts, many things were already neatly organized, and his role was primarily to oversee and ensure everything ran smoothly.
The next big expedition he had planned was the journey to the Wildwood to hunt the Eternal Flame Fae Beast. Although this had to be slightly postponed, it was still very much within the overall plan.
His crafting projects were almost complete. Soon, he would have a new Greatsword, a new Battle Pickaxe, and a new Ranger suit. He aimed to have these ready before his expedition with Marlene to Hell.
What else? Everything else seemed to be on the right track, right? He might not have completed everything precisely on time, but he was making good progress.
“Lily, listen,” Freya said excitedly. “Do you know what I saw today at Leon’s campus?”
“Yes, what is it? Tell me, Freya,” Lily responded with curiosity.
“Guess,” Freya teased. “Something really sweet and, oh… very youthful.”
“Uhm… wait, does it have something to do with the letter L?”
“Wait, how did you guess so easily?”
“So, really? It’s Laura? What’s going on? Tell me.”
“Leon was walking with his ex, like, I don’t know. What do you think, Lily? Do you think there might still be something between them?”
“Hmm, it’s possible. But we’d need to see more to be sure. Relationships can be complicated,
you know?”
Leon quickly silenced Freya by holding her chin with his left hand.
“Can you please… shut… up.”
“Leon, you know, that’s rude to a girl,” Lily chimed in.
“Yes, he’s so rude because he thinks he’s getting close to a lot of girls.”
Freya then jumped up and stood in front of Leon, who looked at her, puzzled.
She kicked a pebble on the ground, hitting his foot. “Just because you’re becoming more popular doesn’t mean you can treat me any way you like, you know.”
“You kicked a pebble at me.”
“So what? Are you going to retaliate?”
“I can run fast,” he replied.
“So, do you think you can catch me while you’re out of breath and exhausted? Catch me if you
can,” Freya taunted.
“You asked for it,” Leon said, preparing to give chase.
Leon quickly stood up as Freya took off running. He chased after her, but Freya weaved between the trees, laughing as she tried to evade him. They both seemed to be genuinely enjoying the playful chase, laughter ringing out between them-something rarely seen from
Leon.
Lily remained seated on the park bench, observing them in silence. She tilted her head, feeling
a familiar sense of déjà vu. It reminded her of a time when she felt her brother gave more attention to someone else. She would watch her only brother play and joke happily with
someone. A girl.
Is it true? Did that really happen? It felt like it had been ages ago, right?
For some reason, Freya reminded Lily of someone from their past. The laughter, the
interaction, the feeling-it all came rushing back to her.
Fre…da? Lily thought to herself.