Leon stacked eight portions of time.
Then, in that state, he rested for a full hour.
Only one hour passed in the outside world, but for Leon, it was the equivalent of eight full hours of sleep.
Morning sunlight, fresh and clear after the rain, streamed through the window and fell across the bed. Leon opened his eyes.
He felt better than he had in a very long time.
There was no trace of staying up all night, no exhaustion, no heaviness behind the eyes, no sense of sleep deprivation at all.
People were always saying they never had enough time.
For Leon, that would no longer be a problem.
…
He had just changed into a fresh set of clothes when he heard movement outside.
Leon opened the door and walked out.
His roommate, Chloe Bennett, was by the entrance changing her shoes.
She was twenty-eight this year, one year older than Leon, and worked as a real estate agent.
As Leon stepped out, Chloe was bending slightly as she slipped on her heels. She wore a fitted office outfit, and the curve of her hips stood out with almost unfair clarity. Her legs were long and slender, wrapped in sheer black stockings. One foot was lifted off the floor, small and delicate enough to seem as though it could fit into a man's palm.
She was a woman in full bloom—mature, polished, and dangerously attractive.
Leon only glanced once, yet his mouth still went dry.
A faint heat stirred inside him. Something in him seemed to rise almost on instinct.
In the past, Leon would never have allowed himself to think too much.
He understood reality well enough. Beautiful women, like wealth and opportunity, were scarce resources. Men like him were not supposed to imagine they could reach for them.
But now…
The ambition and desire buried inside Leon had begun to surface.
"Leon, you're up?" Chloe looked up and smiled, her brows curving softly. "I didn't wake you, did I?"
The moment he met her eyes, Leon felt his heart jump again.
Her long black hair fell over her shoulders. Her eyes seemed almost alive with expression. Her face was delicate, touched with light makeup that was just enough to enhance rather than conceal. A soft wash of shadow around her eyes, and lips that looked fresh and naturally red.
"No," Leon answered quickly. "Not at all."
"That's good…"
Then she glanced at her watch and gave a small start.
"Shoot, it's getting late. Leon, I've got to go. See you later!"
She hurriedly finished putting on the other heel, waved at him as she headed out, and closed the door behind her.
Leon stared at the door for a moment after it shut.
He slowly licked his lips.
There was something almost predatory in his gaze.
Since he started working, Leon had been sharing this apartment with Chloe.
He understood her personality very well.
Chloe liked money.
More than that, her biggest goal in life was to marry into wealth. At the absolute minimum, she wanted a man who owned a home in a prime part of the city, had a car, and at least a seven-figure net worth.
At the same time, Chloe had standards.
Or perhaps it was more accurate to say she was smart.
She knew very well that her looks and her body were among her greatest assets.
So even though she worked in real estate, even though plenty of men had hinted at offers and opportunities, even though she had no shortage of pursuers, Chloe had always kept herself clean and careful.
She knew her worth.
And she had no intention of selling herself cheap.
Leon's expression gradually settled back down, though the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
…
He took out his phone and sat down on the couch in the living room.
The first call he made was to his team lead at work.
"Mike, I've got a few things I need to deal with," Leon said into the phone. "I need to take a few days off."
A moment later, Leon smiled.
"Three days will be enough. Thanks."
At work, he had always gotten along well with his team lead. Besides, he was not the kind of person who asked for time off casually. Once he opened his mouth, the request was approved without much trouble.
As for why he was not simply quitting his job outright—
Leon was in no rush.
When he had no special power, he had dreamed every day of breaking free from this life. Yet he had no choice but to grit his teeth and endure it.
Now that he did have power—now that he finally had confidence that he could control his own fate—he found himself strangely calm instead.
His mindset before and after was completely different.
Leon leaned back against the couch and rested his legs on the coffee table, quietly enjoying the rare ease of an unhurried morning.
In the past, by this hour he would already have rushed out the door.
He would grab some cheap breakfast from a corner deli, swallow it in a few hurried bites, and jog toward the subway.
Rush hour in a city like this was brutal.
You had to be fast, sharp, and ruthless, or you would not even make it onto the train.
And even if you did, chances were you would be pressed up against the doors, barely able to move.
That was the daily routine of the city's working class.
That was the life Leon had always lived.
"Feels good," Leon said at last, stretching and letting out a long breath.
He stood up, returned to his room, and packed several copies of the Time Purchase Contract and the Time Sale Contract into a folder.
Then he tucked the folder under his arm and headed out at an unhurried pace.
…
Once outside, Leon went first to a nearby bank branch.
The bank had only just opened, so there was no need to wait in line.
Sitting down at the counter, Leon handed over his bank card and said calmly,
"I'd like to withdraw one hundred thousand dollars."
That was nearly everything he had managed to save over the past several years.
He entered his PIN.
A short while later, the teller brought over the cash, ran it through the counting machine twice, and handed it to him.
Leon packed the money into a black bag and walked out of the bank.
He had a clear goal today:
to buy one year of lifespan.
After all, there was no reason to keep spending only his own time.