Chapter 257

"Can I get pats now, Master?" Elis asked softly, lowering herself into a deep bow before Leon.

Leon blinked. "...What?" His brow arched as he studied her.

"The pats on my head," Elis clarified, her voice steady but tinged with anticipation. "Just like you gave me last time, Master." She remained bowed, her head inclined toward him, a faint smile flickering at the corners of her lips as if she already expected his answer.

Leon’s expression turned thoughtful.

’Hmm... she’s developed emotions. She craves recognition now, desiring appraisal each time she pleases me.Hah... well, I don’t have a problem with that, but I have to look into her emotional development later.

I don’t want her turning into a emotionally stupid dungeon core who collapses the whole dungeon just because I said ’No’ to her pats.’

He extended his hand and rested it lightly upon her head.

Pat–Pat–Pat.

Elis closed her eyes. A serene smile graced her face, her usual neutrality melting away beneath the simple gesture.

Leon withdrew his hand, his tone resuming its usual calm weight. "Now, take us to the seventh floor. I want to see the ones who entered my dungeon. And listen carefully—" his lips curved faintly, "once we arrive, don’t act like this. You’ll behave as if you captured me and Enid and locked us in with them. Understood?"

Elis straightened at once, her composure restored. "As you command, Master."

The air around them shimmered. In an instant, the three vanished.

Seventh Floor, Dungeon

Swish—

Leon, Enid, and Elis reappeared in the chamber. The torches embedded in the walls blazed to life one by one, filling the space with golden firelight. The sudden brightness drove back the heavy shadows, revealing the wide room in full.

Leon’s eyes swept across the chamber. In one corner, three figures huddled together. Two boys—around fifteen years of age—and a girl, perhaps sixteen. Their shoulders pressed close, fear etched on their faces as they watched Leon’s group with wary eyes.

’They’re just kids...’ Leon thought, gaze unreadable as he studied them.

"You’ll also be locked in here with these intruders until my master arrives," Elis declared, her voice flat and cold. Without another word, her form shimmered like mist and vanished.

Swish.

The three children stiffened, their gazes now fixed solely on Leon.

"Hey..." Leon’s voice cut through the silence, smooth and calm. "Are you the ones who trapped us here?"

One of the boys swallowed hard. "N-No, Sir. We’re also trapped here." His voice trembled, but his eyes did not leave Leon’s.

Leon exhaled quietly. "...Runaway orphan kids?" The words left him in a low murmur as his eyes lingered on Klause.

Klause shifted his weight, then hesitantly took a step forward. "Um... Sir, if I may ask... how did you get inside the dungeon?" His tone was careful, but curiosity pushed him closer.

"Hey! What are you doing?" The girl behind him snapped, grabbing his hand sharply and tugging him back. Her voice carried panic. "You can’t just talk to him! He’s a stranger!"

Leon lifted a hand, his tone even, almost reassuring. "I’m no stranger. I’m an adventurer from the guild. I was patrolling the forest outskirts, hunting one-horned rabbits, when I discovered this dungeon. I entered and—"

He stopped.

From the shadows, the third child stirred. Slowly, the boy rose to his feet. A strip of black cloth was bound tightly across his eyes, yet his movements were steady. He began to walk, calm and deliberate, step after step, toward Leon.

"R-Rio? What are you doing? Where are you going?" Yuna’s voice cracked as she tried to stop him, but the boy ignored her completely.

His faint smile never faltered. Even with his eyes bound, he moved forward without hesitation, his stride unnervingly precise—like someone who could see without sight.

Before Leon could’ve used his skill, Rio stopped and went down on his knee.

"I humbly greet the Dungeon Master." Rio spoke as he obediently bowed his head in front of Leon.

"Hmm...?" Everyone standing inside the room got shocked as soon as they heard his sentence.

"How did you know ?" Leon asked as he decided not to continue with his act anymore and he used his skill on him.

[Description: Rio is a very rare child who holds a class that can only be achieved by doing a certain ritual at the child birth. Once this ritual is done... The mother of the child is killed and he is bathed in his own father’s blood.

Rio can see possible future possibilities with his eyes closed and feel the environment around him better. He hasn’t opened his eyes once after a strange incident three years ago.]

As soon as Leon readed this, a confused expression appeared over his face.

"An Oracle." Leon and Rio spoke at the same time.

"Yes, sir... I am an Oracle and I have seen this future with five others." Rio replied as he stood up and looked at Leon.

"I know... That’s why you are speaking my words before me." Leon replied with a neutral expression.

"But... I am sure this is not the only future you have seen." Leon asked with a neutral expression.

"This is a definite future, Sir. I have seen it up until this very second but I know nothing after this point because it spreads into possibilities after this and I still can’t control them.

They just come to my mind as visions." Rio replied with a neutral expression.

"Why are you telling me this ?" Leon asked with a confused expression.

"I have seen a vision of near future where you are doing something favorable for us, Sir. That’s why I am telling you this." Rio replied.

"What if I just kick you out of the dungeon right now ? Your future will not happen then." Leon replied with a neutral expression.

"That is one of the possibilities but the vision I have seen is a definite future vision... That means it will happen no matter what possibility you choose, Sir." Rio replied with a smile.

"I will ask you a question and just answer me in ’Yes or No’-"

"Yes, I knew all about it. I have a very sharp memory sir. I remember all of it very clearly and I have accepted it." Rio replied with a neutral expression as he looked at Leon.

’I was about to ask him, if he knows how he became an oracle and what happened to his parents but he already answered it before I could’ve asked it.’ Leon thought with a neutral expression.

"Did you have a vision that I was about to ask you that question ?" Leon asked.

"Yes, Sir... It was one of the possibilities and as soon as I matched the words of your sentence, with the possibility, I answered your question." Rio replied immediately.

"Didn’t that just changed the future ? I didn’t ask you the question and you just answered it but in the possibility you saw me asking the question." Leon asked with a confused expression.

"This was one of the possibilities... Sir." Rio replied with a smile.

"I like talking with you." Leon replied with a smile.

"Pleasure is all mine, Sir." Rio spoke as he immediately bowed down to Leon.

"So... Why are you wearing that blindfold ?" Leon asked.

"When I open my eyes, my visions gets mixed with real world visuals and my head starts to hurt really bad, Sir." Rio replied with a neutral expression.

"So you use your visions to see the environment around you and that’s why you are moving so freely in the dungeon." Leon asked with a smile.

"Yes, Sir." Rio. Replied.

"So, why are you guys running away from the orphanage ?" Leon asked with a confused expression.

"It’s not an orphanage... They are selling kids to Demons for an invasion ritual. Klause knows all about it.

Klause, Tell Mr. Leon about it." Rio replied as he looked at Leon with a neutral expression.

’He knows my name... Probably from vision.’ Leon thought with a neutral expression.

"It was the night-" Before klause could’ve completed his sentence, Enid interrupted him.

"Umm... I don’t intend to get in between this beautiful conversation but I have this huge doubt that’s eating my mind for the last one hour." Enid spoke as she pulled out a black coin out of her boobs.

"It’s a Demonic coin... One side contains the number and the other side has-"

"The face of a Demon. You want to know what will come if you tossed the coin but I can’t answer that as I can only tell what possibility is going to come true when I asses some conditions." Rio replied with a smile.

"Wow... Talking to this kid is just Total confusion... Master did you understand what he just said ?" Enid asked as she looked at Leon with a confused expression.