Chapter 38: The Razor

After resolving to ask Danika about those insects when the opportunity arose, Leon lowered his head and began carving the "Concealment" array onto the firearms on his desk.

Before long, a pistol with a crudely drawn array on its side appeared before him. However, when Leon picked up the gun and channeled energy into it, he couldn't help but fall silent: "..."

It was a success, technically, but unfortunately, it only concealed the gun itself, not the bullets. Watching the slightly blurred outline of the weapon in his hand, he couldn't help but console himself: "Well, at least it's a 'youth version' of the Wind King Barrier. It should come in handy once I get my hands on a melee weapon."

There was a way to solve it, of course: carving the alchemy array directly onto the bullets. But given their size, the process was incredibly tedious; the slightest slip of the hand meant failure. After fiddling for over an hour, he finally finished a full magazine.

[Basic alchemy operation performed. Career experience +51.]

At this rate, his career level as an [Apprentice Artisan (Alchemy)] would soon increase. However, Leon’s energy was limited. With the growing number of careers he was juggling, the time allocated to each was finite, and he had to make choices.

"If only I knew the Shadow Clone Technique... then I could grind several careers at once."

With a tinge of envy, Leon closed his eyes and began his nightly practice.

[Practicing Internal Energy Circulation, Career experience +4.]
[Manipulating Qi within the body, Skill experience +1.]

...

Two days passed. During this time, Leon did not reveal that he had mastered alchemy; it was better to keep a low profile when necessary. Aside from practicing alchemy, he occasionally sparred with Danika. Unfortunately, now that his "Reverse Life Triple" had reached the [Proficient] level, the training effect wasn't as potent as before, though it still provided a bit of experience.

In the evening, at the Public Security Bureau.

"Finally off work..." Danika sat at her desk, stretched, and said with a sense of relief, "Leon, the bonus from before was deposited today."

"Want to go grab a drink?"

The bonus for capturing Higgins had been distributed to the personal accounts of Danika's team members. Those who had contributed more, like Leon and Danika, received 30,000 Starlight Credits, while the others received 15,000. 30,000 Starlight Credits was equivalent to ten months of salary for an ordinary officer; Leon finally understood why Danika kept working despite being so miserable.

Before he could answer, Danika shook her head. "Forget it. Just thinking about it is tiring. I'll just make do at home."

"..." Leon looked at the tall woman as she wobbled to her feet and couldn't help but quip, "Captain, you're always so exhausted. Were you moonlighting as a thief at night?"

Hearing this, Danika didn't even look back. "Money in a personal account can't be stolen, and besides, most people in this city aren't even as wealthy as I am..."

Leon realized she was right. The living standards on this colony planet weren't particularly high, and a basic officer's salary was already considered upper-middle class, not to mention his captain didn't seem to have any hobbies. Come to think of it, besides working, Danika spent all her time at home, yet her figure showed absolutely no signs of going to seed.

After paying Danika back the 1,000 Starlight Credits he owed, Leon wasn't sure how to handle the rest of his bonus. He wanted to buy a car, but he didn't have a Federation driver's license, and as an officer, he had no time to take the test. As for purchasing career information, he was still far short of the cost, unless he could find a cheaper route.

While he was pondering how to spend the money, Cole drove him back to the dormitory.

"Bro, we're here," Cole said from the driver's seat.

Leon snapped back to reality. "Thanks, Cole. I've been making you drop me off for a while now."

"It's nothing. I don't live far, it's on the way. See you, bro."

Watching Cole drive off, Leon sighed. "How is it that there isn't even a bike-sharing app in the interstellar age?" It was his first day missing the city's shared bikes.

Back in his room, Leon began his daily routine: carving alchemy arrays onto bullets, then practicing his internal energy. The process was boring, but seeing the slow growth of experience on his career panel kept him motivated.

Late at night, a short figure suddenly appeared on the balcony. He stared quietly at Leon, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, and muttered, "I've been watching for days—why is this kid always sleeping like that?"

Without dwelling on it, he gently pushed open the balcony's glass door. It slid open silently. "As I thought, this kid's strength isn't on par with Danika's; he hasn't even set up any precautions."

Just as the short figure thought this, Leon suddenly opened his eyes. In the next instant, a fair palm struck out toward the intruder. A faint whistling of wind echoed through the room. Seeing Leon suddenly erupt into motion, the figure's pupils constricted. He dodged the attack with a flash of movement and hurriedly called out, "Wait, wait! I have no malicious intent."

Leon did not stop. Breaking into his home in the middle of the night and claiming no malicious intent? It was fortunate he was using Qi circulation to replace sleep; otherwise, he might not have discovered the intruder at all. Of course, a large part of it was also thanks to his [Calm Mind] and [Slow Recovery] skills.

Seeing the young man attacking again, the short figure flipped his right hand and gripped a dagger.

*Sshh—*

The sound of tearing fabric rang out. Leon glanced at the thin scratch on his left arm, his expression remaining unmoved.

"Can you calm down now..." The short figure started to say, only to see the wound he had just inflicted vanish without a trace. "...?"

Seeing Leon prepare to strike again, he darted backward and said quickly, "I am Razor. If the Public Security Bureau still wants to catch the people behind me, then stop right there."

Leon, who hadn't spoken since the figure appeared, finally replied, "Wouldn't it be the same if I just caught you?"

"My career is [Assassin]. If you think you can catch me, go ahead and try." As he spoke, the short figure tossed the dagger in his hand.

Leon fell into silence. Based on their brief exchange, the person calling himself 'Razor' was indeed incredibly fast. If he were determined to run, Leon truly might not be able to catch him. Thinking this, he walked to the wall and turned on the lights. "Razor... is it even a sign of sincerity if you won't tell me your real name?"

Facing Leon's questioning, the hideously ugly man grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "Stray dogs don't need names. Razor is my real name."

"Then why don't you call yourself 'Stray Dog'?"

"..."