The city skyline stretched before Leon, neon lights flickering against the darkening sky. He barely felt the ache in his limbs as he walked, exhaustion dulled by the weight of the cash transfer sitting in his system. The payout from the dungeon had been massive—more than enough to settle everything.
His destination was already set.
The hospital lobby was quiet at this hour. A few nurses lingered behind their desks, speaking in hushed voices. Leon approached the counter, the receptionist glancing up with mild curiosity before recognition flickered in her eyes.
"You're Mrs. Graves's son."
Leon nodded. "Here to pay off her remaining medical bills."
She blinked. Clearly, that wasn't what she expected. "All of them?"
"Yes."
A beat of silence. Then she wordlessly turned to her monitor, fingers gliding over the keyboard. The final balance flashed on the screen—six digits, a number that had haunted Leon for years. The amount he could never seem to get ahead of.
He pulled up his system interface, initiated the transfer. The moment it processed, the red warning bar—the outstanding balance—vanished.
Just like that, the debt was gone.
The receptionist gawked at the screen. "I… wow. I'll notify accounting. This clears everything."
Leon exhaled, the tension he hadn't even realized was gripping his shoulders finally easing.
"Thank you." He turned, already moving toward the elevator.
His mother's room was dimly lit, the faint hum of medical monitors filling the space. She was asleep, her breathing steady, but there was a difference now—a sense of peace in her expression. No more stress, no more worry about whether her next treatment would be delayed because the money wasn't there.
Leon pulled up a chair beside the bed, settling in without a word. He didn't wake her. Just sat there, listening to the quiet.
A nurse entered, checking the IV line before noticing him. She hesitated, then smiled softly. "She's improving. The new treatment plan is already in place."
Leon glanced at his mother, at the steady rise and fall of her chest. "How long until she can leave?"
The nurse considered. "A few more weeks for monitoring. But after that? She'll be strong enough to continue recovery at home."
Home.
The word sat heavy in his mind. He didn't have one—not really. Their old apartment had been a cramped, run-down place barely fit for living. That wasn't where he wanted her to recover.
His next stop was obvious.
Real estate agents were easy to find when you had money. Within an hour, Leon was standing inside a high-rise condominium, overlooking the cityscape. The place was modern, sleek, the kind of home meant for people who didn't worry about money every day.
The agent rattled off details—square footage, security features, medical accessibility. Leon barely listened. He knew what he wanted.
"How much?"
The agent hesitated, watching him carefully. "Upfront?"
"Yes."
The number she gave would have made the old him balk. Now? He pulled up his system, initiated another transfer. Seconds later, the property was his.
Just like that, his mother had a new home.
The agent, still recovering from the speed of the transaction, cleared her throat. "Would you like to—"
"No need," Leon said. "Just make sure it's ready before she's discharged."
He left without waiting for a response.
Back at the hospital, his mother was awake when he returned. Her gaze softened the moment she saw him.
"You look tired," she murmured.
Leon smirked. "You always say that."
"Because it's always true."
She tried to sit up, but he was already there, adjusting her pillow, making sure she was comfortable. Her fingers curled around his wrist, a silent gesture of gratitude.
"I spoke with the doctors," she said. "They told me the bill was paid off."
Leon nodded.
Her lips parted, as if searching for words. But what could she say? That this was too much? That she didn't want him sacrificing himself just for her? She'd said those things before, back when the debt felt like an immovable mountain.
Now, it was gone.
Instead, she settled for a quiet, trembling, "Thank you."
Leon exhaled. "You don't have to worry about money anymore. Just focus on getting better."
A long silence stretched between them. Then, a small, tired smile tugged at her lips. "You were always stubborn."
He huffed a quiet laugh. "Runs in the family."
Her fingers tightened around his wrist before finally relaxing. Sleep tugged at her again, but this time, there was no worry in her expression.
Just peace.
For the first time in years, Leon felt like he had won a battle that actually mattered.
But even as he sat there, he knew this wasn't the end.
His mother was safe. The past was finally behind him.
Now, he had to look forward.
Because the world?
It was already looking at him.
Leon didn't expect to make headlines.
He figured the dungeon was an isolated incident—another job, another battle, nothing worth remembering outside of those who were there. He was wrong.
The moment he stepped into the city streets the next morning, his system flooded with notifications.
[New Messages: 327 Unread]
[Hunter Association – Urgent Notice]
[Guild Recruitment Offers – 17 Pending]
[Media Inquiry – 42 Requests]
Leon frowned, dismissing the screen with a flick of his wrist. He hadn't even done anything yet.
Then he turned a corner.
And realized why.
The city's central plaza had a massive digital billboard, and right now, it was replaying his fight.
Footage of the Demon Lord's Champion, of the battlefield outside the dungeon, of him—standing against an enemy no one thought a solo hunter could handle. The angle wasn't great—probably some adventurer who had a recording skill—but it was enough.
Enough for the city to see.
Enough for everyone to see.
Leon exhaled through his nose. Great.
He didn't stop at the plaza. Too many people. Too many stares. He needed coffee before dealing with this.
The café was quieter. A small place tucked between two larger buildings, the kind where regulars sat in silence, enjoying their drinks without unnecessary conversation.
Leon ordered his usual—black, no sugar—and took a seat near the window.
His peace lasted five minutes.
Then a voice cut through the air.
"Holy shit."
Leon glanced up. A young hunter stood at the counter, holding his phone with a very familiar paused image on the screen.
"You're that necromancer," the guy blurted, eyes wide. "The one who soloed a B-Rank anomaly!"
The café froze. Conversations died. Chairs scraped as heads turned.
Leon sighed. He should have picked a different shop.
The Hunter Association's headquarters loomed in front of him an hour later. It was a monolithic building, sleek and modern, its entrance flanked by two armed guards.
Leon wasn't stupid. The moment his fight hit the public, he knew this was coming.
They wanted to talk.
Inside, the atmosphere was tense. Agents moved with purpose, their eyes flickering toward him before snapping away. Whispers followed him down the hall.
He ignored them.
The conference room doors were already open when he arrived. A group of Association officials sat inside, their expressions unreadable. At the head of the table, a woman in her forties leaned forward, fingers interlaced.
"Leon Graves." Her voice was smooth, professional. "Take a seat."
Leon sat.
A moment of silence stretched before she spoke again.
"We have a problem."
Leon raised an eyebrow. "I didn't realize me surviving was a problem."
The woman exhaled sharply. "You didn't just survive. You took down an entity outside the expected dungeon parameters. You exposed a threat we weren't prepared for."
Leon tilted his head. "And?"
She slid a folder across the table. "And now every major guild, organization, and news outlet wants to know who you are."
Leon flipped it open. A list of guild names. Companies. Interview requests. Offers.
He closed it. "Not interested."
The woman barely reacted. "That's not why you're here." She tapped the table. "We need details. Every second of that fight. Everything you saw."
Leon leaned back in his chair. He had expected this much.
So, he started talking.
Not about himself. Not about his strategies, his necromancy, or anything they could use.
He told them about the Demon Lord's Champion. About its strength, its speed, the way it adapted mid-fight. The way it wasn't supposed to exist in a standard B-Rank dungeon.
The officials listened, taking notes. By the time he finished, the room was silent.
Finally, the woman spoke again. "You understand what this means."
Leon nodded. "Something stronger is coming."
Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Yes."
A pause.
Then, she asked the question he knew was coming.
"What are your plans now?"
Leon stood.
"I haven't decided yet."
And with that, he left.
By the time he stepped outside, his system buzzed again. More messages. More offers.
He ignored them.
For now, he had bigger things to worry about.