Chapter 20 - 19: Descent
"I know you have to go. Just come back safe, okay?"
Leon’s mother holds him tightly in their small kitchen. Morning sunlight streams through the clean windows, filling the modest apartment with warmth and hope. Her arms feel stronger now, no longer frail from months of illness.
"I will," Leon promises, adjusting his pack one last time. His manna gun rests securely in its holster, and fresh ammunition fills his belt pouches. Everything is checked and ready for whatever awaits him below.
She pulls back to study his face. "You don’t have to prove anything to anyone."
"This isn’t about proving anything. It’s about getting stronger."
Leon explains his plan the night before: a solo dungeon run to test his abilities without distractions. It is the kind of training that separates survivors from victims in their world.
His mother nods, understanding reflected in her eyes. "Then go. But come home for dinner."
Leon kisses her forehead and steps into the morning air. The Shadow Quarter is already alive with activity. Vendors arrange their wares, and children play in narrow alleys, normal people living ordinary lives while hunters like him descend into darkness.
The equipment district buzzes with early customers. Leon stops at Hark’s stall, where the weathered dealer polishes a set of throwing knives.
"Morning, lad," Hark says without looking up. "Off somewhere interesting?"
"Solo training run. Nothing fancy."