"I took it directly. The defenses in Qlipoth Fort aren't as strong as you think right now."
Leon's words were half-true, half-vague.
"Didn't get that…" Seele's head was full of question marks.
Leon's mind stirred, and wind coalesced into a palm, grabbing the rifle. It spun around them a few times before returning to his hand.
"Like this. Got it?"
"Got it." Seele felt her eyes widen.
March 7th: "If Cocolia took Bronya, is she really not in danger?"
Leon: "Not in the short term."
"Then how long do we wait before moving?" Seele asked directly. "You still haven't said how we'll sneak into the restricted zone."
"Sneak?" Leon chuckled. "Who said anything about sneaking?"
"Huh?"
Question marks sprouted above the three girls' heads.
Leon: "We'll walk right in, but we'll need a little trick to help…"
This…
Walk right in?
Wouldn't they get arrested on the spot?
While Stelle and Seele speculated on the "little trick," March 7th already knew what he was planning.
Drugs!
This sparked new worries.
"At a sensitive time like this, knocking out Guards isn't great, is it? What if enemies attack en masse?"
"Plus, it could trigger a butterfly effect. One unconscious Guard gets found, and more will be on alert for intruders, not monsters."
March 7th rarely analyzed pros and cons so seriously.
Leon: "Don't worry. I didn't say knockout drugs. It's a drug that induces specific hallucinations."
Seele: "Alright, I don't get it, but you were thorough in the underground. I trust you. What's the action plan?"
Leon stowed Bronya's rifle, smiling faintly.
"The plan is—follow me straight ahead and don't talk out of turn."
With that, he pulled out two perfume bottles and held them to the three girls.
"Smell."
"…Doesn't smell like anything."
Seele didn't understand.
But when she looked at Leon again, the trio before her had turned into Silvermane Guards.
She instinctively gripped her scythe, on guard.
Then a strange scent wafted over, and the Guards reverted to Leon, Stelle, and March 7th.
"…"
Seele glanced at Stelle, then March 7th, and finally Leon.
The confusion on her face couldn't be more obvious.
A camera cut to Seele's perspective perfectly showed players Leon's plan.
Her dazed look even brought a bit of joy, making players chuckle.
[Not the brightest bulb.]
[Why's Leon, a doctor, got so many weird drugs?]
[As long as he's not using harmful ones on allies, who cares?]
Leon: "Serval's met up with Pela. Let's move."
The perspective shifted back to Stelle, and Ah Xian didn't rush to act.
The timeline differed from the beta.
If she understood right, it was earlier.
The Machine Shop was supposed to be closed but was open.
The person visiting Serval was supposed to be Gepard, not Pela.
The butterfly effect was still at work.
By this logic, Leon's route should take a day or two less system time than Dan Heng's.
The plot divergence with Cocolia was significant, sparking more changes.
For instance, more Guards were recalled, spiking frontline pressure.
Pela came back first, and later, Gepard likely overcomes a hurdle, but his defenses malfunction.
That's probably right?
So how would the Landau siblings' story and Gepard's character arc unfold?
Any bigger butterfly effect events?
With these questions, Ah Xian pressed F to leave the Machine Shop, full of anticipation.
…
Before the restricted zone entrance, security was tight.
Seele ducked her head back, looking at Leon.
"How're you getting the hallucination drug to them?"
"With wind."
Leon opened the perfume cap, and needle-thin wind blades grazed the napes of the three girls, precisely cutting one hair each.
He crushed the hairs, mixed them into the perfume, and shook it lightly.
March 7th: "The drug's not done yet?"
Leon: "It's done. I just added your hairs—or rather, your pheromones."
Now not just Seele, but the other two were baffled.
Hairs?
When did he pull them? They didn't feel a thing.
And pheromones?
"Without pheromones, anyone affected would see everyone as Guards, which could get them killed."
Leon calmly explained to them—and countless viewers.
"With your pheromones, those affected will only see you as allies."
Seele: "What about you?"
"…It's my drug. Of course I didn't overlook myself."
With the drug ready, Leon summoned two layers of wind, dispersing the scent into the air.
Centered on himself, it formed a circular wind zone about five li in diameter.
Under his control, the zone would move with them.
Anyone entering it would be affected by the hallucination drug.
The visuals for players were vivid, almost awe-inspiring.
A five diameter sounds small but far exceeds most people's clear visual range.
"Drink this, and we can walk right in."
Leon produced three thumb-sized vials from between his fingers, offering them to the trio.
Stelle: "Is it bitter? I'm kinda scared of herbal medicine."
Leon: "Orange-flavored."
Stelle's eyes lit up. She grabbed one, downed it, and smacked her lips, unsatisfied.
① "Delicious! Got more? A few extra vials?"
② "Yup, orange-flavored."
Option 1.
Stelle rubbed her hands. "Tastes better than company juice. Got more? A few extra, maybe?"
March 7th's eyes widened. "You're seriously treating it like a drink?"
Leon smiled, flipping his palm.
"Too much isn't good, but I can give you oranges."
Seeing three round, vibrant oranges in Leon's palm, Ah Xian nearly burst out laughing.
"My husband's got everything!"
["Stay here, don't move. Daddy's off to buy you some oranges."]
[He's actually giving oranges? Total dad vibes!]
[I'm fine with a dad like that.]
[With a dad like Leon, Trailblazer, you can go wild—leave the rest to Father Leon.]
The scene shifted. Leon led the four boldly toward the restricted zone entrance.
After saying something to the guards, they strode right in, in plain sight.
Walking ten minutes to an empty area, Seele still felt dazed.
"It was that easy?"
March 7th: "Told you, trust Leon to handle things."
Seele: "It's very reassuring. I'm just amazed by his methods—so bizarre, beyond my understanding."
Stelle: "Oi, look ahead. That's a huge cross-shaped bridge. Is it a turntable?"