As a new Flare Cycle dawned over Astoria, the abandoned alleyway was no longer just a narrow passage for stray cats. The magnificent black building, which had suddenly risen like a slab of polished volcanic rock, began to impose its majesty upon the surroundings. Passersby—merchants and minor nobles alike—began whispering about the "Black Fortress" that emitted a soothing coolness, cutting through the intensity of the eternal sun.
While Leon was arranging marble cups at the newly updated beverage bar, the air before him shimmered. The transparent System screen appeared, glowing with a celestial blue hue:
[First Arc Mission: Conquerors of Legends]
Goal: Three different customers must reach the "End" and clear (complete) the game Lordran: Return of the Cinders.
Collective Reward: > 1. Unlock the "Gate of Worlds": Install an entirely new game in the store with different mechanics.
2. Store Upgrade (Level 3): Addition of an upper floor + an outdoor waiting lounge.
3. Host Skill [Leon]: Acquisition of the spatial control skill [Sovereign Domain].
Leon looked at the screen coldly. The System was clever; it wasn't asking him to fight, but to be the "Coach" who pushes these warriors to surpass their limits. His personal power progression was now tied to his customers' progress—a slow path, but one that guaranteed absolute dominance later
At that moment, a stranger entered the shop. He did not wear the polished armor of the Royal Guard like Baros; instead, he wore tattered leather garments that reeked of rust and old blood. He carried a longsword wrapped in ragged cloths, and his eyes bore the gaze of someone who had witnessed countless wars.
This was Kayan, known as the "Wandering Blade." He slammed a heavy bag of gold onto the counter. "I heard there's a place here that gives a man the chance to face demons that do not die. Is that true?"
Leon gestured toward one of the five new capsules. "Quite true. But here, death is not the end; it is the only teacher. An hour and a half for 15 Magic Stones, or the equivalent in gold."
As soon as Kayan entered the game, Baros, Rakan, and Seraphia gathered around his screen. Kayan's style was a shock to them; he didn't dodge with Leon's surgical precision. Instead, he fought with a "suicidal" ferocity. He would accept a shallow wound just to land a fatal thrust. His in-game Mana didn't glow with gold; it appeared as a deep crimson mist that intensified whenever his health dropped.
"He fights as if he's purging a deep-seated rage," Rakan whispered in awe as he watched Kayan decapitate three knights at once with a brutal circular strike.
Outside the alley, the shop's reputation began to transcend the warrior class. Noble carriages began passing slowly by the alley entrance, curious eyes peering at this building that bore no sign and followed no known guild.
Rumors spread through Astoria's markets like wildfire: "There is a place in the Forgotten Alley that grants you the power of demons for a few coins. Its owner is a youth who seems neither weak nor strong, but possesses the calmness of titans." This fame was a double-edged sword; it brought customers, but it also brought the greed of the powerful.
Kayan emerged from the capsule, gasping for air, his eyes burning with an unquenchable desire. "That beast on the bridge... I will go back to tear off its horns."
Leon stood amidst his five elite customers, who had become the core nucleus of his clientele. "Listen well. Lordran is just the beginning. The System has set a challenge: the first three of you to clear this game will open the gate to an entirely new world for this shop. A world with different laws and magical powers you have never heard of in Astoria."
Seraphia's eyes sparkled. "Another game? Do you mean powers of a different kind?"
Baros gripped the hilt of his sword calmly. "The challenge is accepted. I will not let youths like Rakan or strangers like Kayan beat me to that end."
After the customers left and the shop was closed, Leon sat in his habitual silence. He felt a faint pulse in his veins; his Mana hadn't increased in volume, but it had become "denser." He began to sense the inanimate objects around him; he could feel every tiny scratch on the capsules and every speck of dust moving in the hall.
His power was evolving along the path of "Perception and Control." He didn't need to shatter mountains with his fists right now; he needed to be the "Master of the Domain," where no external Mana could penetrate his space.
"Three winners..." Leon muttered, looking at the stars through the skylight. "Astoria will burn with jealousy when they see what emerges from this shop in the days to come."