Marlene suggested that Broken grant her one request in exchange for the beast slot, though she didn’t specify what that request would be.
“So… all I want is for you to grant me one request. But I’m not sure what it is yet, not now, maybe later.”
“If you don’t explain what the request is, how can I be sure I’ll be able to fulfill it?” Broken asked.
“That’s the nature of the trade,” Marlene replied. “Even though I don’t know what I’ll want yet, I’m confident it won’t be anything too difficult for you. So, please consider this offer.”
She quickly added, “But don’t worry, it won’t involve switching sides, helping us seize the throne, or anything like that.”
“Can’t you just state it clearly, Marlene?” Broken pressed, still not entirely convinced.
“Can’t,” she responded firmly. “Because I don’t know exactly what I’ll want yet, or maybe that desire hasn’t come to me yet.”
Broken paused, contemplating her words. But this was his chance-finally, he could bring the fire skeleton horse out of Hell and into Yunatea! Still, he felt he needed some time to think this through.
He then answered, “Let me think about it for a while. I’ll give you my answer after I log out.”
“Sure…” Marlene replied calmly, a slight smile on her face. “I’ll be waiting for your answer.”
***
Leon stepped out of his gaming room and made his way to the balcony. It was Sunday morning, and as he took in the fresh air, he noticed his body felt a bit stiff. He had pushed himself too hard during last night’s workout and ended up with a slight injury in his leg. Deciding it was best to rest for a day or two to recover, he resolved to take it easy for a while.
But the problem was, he didn’t have much to do besides training. In fact, because he’d been so focused on his regimen, he hadn’t made time for anything else—his hobbies, for instance. Yet, didn’t he enjoy the time he spent in the game? Couldn’t that count as a hobby too?
As he pondered how to spend his day, something fun came to mind. There was something he’d been wanting to do for a few weeks now, but he had been putting it off. It was a bit of a silly desire, but he couldn’t resist the urge anymore. He wanted to go shopping-just to buy something new, anything, really.
Yes, he wanted to spend some money! After all, he had more than enough saved up for a little splurge and some carefree fun.
Lily had already gone out earlier that morning, mentioning that she was heading out for some exercise. She had recently taken up tennis and was getting really into it, which meant Leon would be spending today’s outing on his own.
With no other options, he figured he might as well take his Home Bus to the nearest shopping center or mall. After all, he needed the Capsule Device in case Marlene or the others suddenly called on him, requiring him to log back into Immortal Legacy.
After deciding on his plan for the day, he headed to the bathroom. He spent a while soaking in the tub, letting his mind drift and unwind from everything he had been dealing with lately. It was a mix of stress and excitement-after all, obtaining several Legendary-grade items at once was nothing short of extraordinary.
“I need to earn more money,” the thought crossed his mind.
Yes, he needed more money, because he was starting to think about having his own place-a home where he could spend his time gaming without interruptions, and where he could easily access public facilities and amenities. The ideal spot would be in the heart of the city, but in a residential area that was peaceful enough.
To make that a reality, he needed more funds. But for now, he set the thought aside and focused on enjoying the relaxing soak on that quiet morning.
His reverie was interrupted by the sound of his phone buzzing. He glanced over and saw Hazel’s name on the screen.
“Hazel?”
He tapped the accept button, and her voice immediately filled the bathroom.
“Leon… Hellooo…” she said enthusiastically.
“Hello, Hazel,”
“Hey… are you busy today? You must have some free time, right?” she asked, her tone lively.
“Yes, I’m taking a break from my training.”
“That’s great… In that case, let’s hang out… I have a commercial shoot at the mall near you. How about we meet up and spend some time there?”
Well, what a coincidence since Leon also planned to go to the same place.
“Actually, I was planning to go there too.”
“Perfect! I’ll wait for you… I’ll be here until noon, so just call me when you arrive… Bye…”
“Bye…”
The call ended.
Leon took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. The thought crossed his mind that having someone to walk around with wouldn’t be so bad. Plus, he could ask Hazel to help him pick out a few things. She had a keen eye for style and a talent for spotting expensive items. In fact, she often helped Lily pick out her latest outfits.
But it puzzled him-why wasn’t Lily coming along with Hazel this time?
A few minutes later, the luxurious Northstar Home Bus glided into the mall’s parking area, immediately drawing the attention of everyone around. The bus’s sleek, exclusive appearance, coupled with the recognizable Northstar brand logo on its side, made it impossible to miss.
Leon parked in the lot and quickly stepped out, still aware that people were trying to figure out who could be driving such an expensive vehicle to the mall. To their surprise, it was just a young man, probably in his early twenties.
He walked towards the mall, checking his phone to find out where Hazel was. She mentioned she was doing a commercial shoot? Wow, she’s really in demand. It must be because of her profile in the game. But why hadn’t he known about Hazel’s identity in the game until now? Maybe it’s because he never watches TV or commercials, or if he does, he doesn’t pay much attention to them.
Leon then wandered through the mall, floor by floor. He deliberately took the escalator, wanting to kill some time since Hazel had mentioned that the shoot would still take a few more minutes. Eventually, he reached the floor with an open area where several crew members with cameras and other equipment were gathered. It looked like the shoot was in progress.
As Leon walked closer, he spotted Hazel, who appeared to be acting alongside a male actor, likely around the same age as Leon-a guy with slicked blond hair. Leon approached quietly, noticing the bright, cheerful expression on her face, just as lively as her usual demeanor.
Not long after, the scene wrapped up, and the crew began packing up. Leon waited as some of the crew chatted and touched up Hazel’s makeup. At that moment, she glanced his way, smiled, and waved. She then gestured for him to come over.
Leon started walking toward her, but suddenly, someone bumped into him from the side. Ironically, the impact sent the other person stumbling back instead.
“What the fuck! Watch where you’re going, idiot!” the guy snapped.
Leon turned to find the same man who had just been acting with Hazel in front of the camera.
“Are you blind?” the man insisted, his tone sharp.
Leon clenched his fists. This jerk had run into him, and now he was acting like it was Leon’s
fault?
“No, clearly you’re the one who’s blind,” Leon shot back.
The man’s face twisted with anger as he reached out to grab Leon’s collar, but Leon swiftly
caught his wrist.
“You’re looking for trouble, huh?! Who do you think you are?” the man snarled.
“And you?” Leon shot back.
“Alex, stop!”
A woman’s voice rang out, cutting through the tension. Hazel came running over. Leon released the man’s hand, who looked like he was about to retaliate, but Hazel quickly stepped
between them, her back to Leon.
All eyes turned toward them as the tension escalated.
“This asshole bumped into me and almost made me fall,” the man spat.
“No, I clearly saw you bump into him.”
“What? You didn’t see what happened, Hazel!” Alex snapped back. “And he’s not even part of
the crew.”
“He’s my friend!” Hazel retorted.
“I don’t care if he’s your friend. Get him out of here, now,” the man demanded.
Hazel grabbed Leon’s hand and pulled him away. “Come on, Leon, let’s go.”
As Leon walked away with Hazel, he glanced back at the guy, his expression clearly saying,
You’re lucky someone stepped in.
“Ch!” the man responded with a sneer.
He then turned to someone nearby and asked, “Who is that jerk? Why is he close to Hazel?”
“I’m not sure what their relationship is, but he’s the guy who just won his own town in Dissidia Kingdom. Yeah, I’m sure of it-his gamer name is Broken.”
“What? Who? I’ve never heard of him!”
***
Author’s Note: I’ve packed a lot of word count into these real-life chapters to wrap up the scenes more quickly. I hope you enjoy the slice-of-life moments from Leon’s life outside the
game.