Leon, however, was still genuinely curious about one additional thing. She had said they were "making love" in that way—so did that mean they also created babies through that same fire-merging process?

Is their reproduction entirely different from humans'? That would make sense given their racial uniqueness.

It was sincere, innocent curiosity on his part—purely academic interest in their biology.

So he asked her directly:

"And does that method also result in children? Is that how Pyrrhans reproduce?"

For Ira, this follow-up question might have been far too much for her already overwhelmed emotional state to handle.

Ira's hand trembled for a split second, as if her entire bloodstream had turned to boiling magma.

SNAP!

With a loud, high-pitched "YES!" that came out almost as a shriek, she abruptly pulled her hand away from his grip with surprising force—

YANK! ESCAPE!

—and then immediately launched herself into the air, flying rapidly into the distance without looking back.

WHOOOOSH!

She's fleeing. That was definitely too much.

Leon watched as she genuinely disappeared from sight, her silhouette vanishing into the red-tinted sky.

She's really gone.

He didn't follow after her or attempt to call her back.

She needs time to process. I pushed too far with that question.

However, he had gotten his answer—indirect confirmation that yes, their reproductive process was indeed connected to that fire-merging phenomenon.

Alright. That's actually fascinating from a biological standpoint.

But he also realized she'd left without collecting her share of the harvested loot from his inventory storage.

She might come back soon for that. Or tomorrow. Whenever she's ready.

Taking a deep, centering breath, Leon refocused his attention on what he was genuinely most excited about now that Ira had departed.

I did enjoy spending time with her. But she clearly needs space and time for now, and I have important work to do.

He looked around the quiet park area carefully. There was considerable empty space available here—perfect for construction.

Should I build my residence here, or somewhere more isolated?

He briefly considered locating somewhere on a distant cliff away from the main city, similar to how Archon Vyrra's personal dwelling was positioned in that mountain cave.

But no. Here is better. Close to the arena, central to the city. More practical.

Walking purposefully to a particularly empty clearing, Leon began using his Earth, Water, and Fire elemental control simultaneously to construct his creation.

RUMBLE! FLOW! SHAPE! HARDEN!

The earth steamed faintly under his fingers as clay compressed and hardened. The scent of scorched stone and mineral hung in the air.

The few Pyrrhan couples still occupying other benches in the park noticed his activity for a brief moment, then deliberately ignored it and returned to their romantic activities.

They recognize me. And they know I have more than enough authority to do whatever I'm doing.

The construction took approximately several focused minutes. Leon carefully built a solid ground-floor foundation for his dwelling—nothing extravagant, but well-crafted.

Not taking too much space. Five hundred square feet of land should be sufficient for now.

The structure contained one large main room and a separate shower area with proper luxuries he'd missed during travel.

He placed a comfortable bed inside from his inventory storage, along with a proper bathtub in the shower room.

Actual civilization amenities. Finally.

He also added several decorative pieces he'd been carrying—furniture and art he'd acquired from Seraphine's castle when they'd evacuated.

Luxurious sofa, table, and wall hangings. Make it feel like a real home rather than just a shelter.

Leon appreciated having the capability to take proper baths.

That will come later, though. First and foremost—it's time to level up.

Excitement building in his chest, Leon entered his new dwelling and took a seated position on the floor, cross-legged in meditation posture.

SETTLE! BREATHE!

From his inventory, he retrieved the core—the massive, most powerful one he possessed.

The hydra's nearly-Archon-rank core.

SHIMMER! MATERIALIZE! GLOW!

Leon was just about to initiate the absorption process when suddenly, unbidden, a vivid flashback flashed through his mind—his Primordial Mark of Fate appearing, manipulating events, creating danger.

Wait. That cursed mark might really try to interfere with this critical advancement.

Realization crashed over him like cold water.

With this powerful core, I'm expecting to break through multiple levels from my current Level 19. This is exactly the kind of significant moment when that mark would cause problems.

He couldn't afford to be careless like before. Not with stakes this high.

I need to be properly prepared. Take precautions.

First, Leon teleported immediately out of his brand-new residence and started flying rapidly into the distance, away from the populated city.

WHOOOOSH!

He reached ten kilometers away in minimal time.

Not far enough. If something catastrophic happens, I could still damage the city from here.

He thought for another moment, then continued flying at maximum speed.

Only after reaching a full hundred kilometers away from the Pyrrhan settlement did he finally stop and feel satisfied with the safety margin.

This should be a sufficient distance.

He chose a remote cliff face and took a seated position there, the barren landscape stretching endlessly around him.

SETTLE! FOCUS!

Then Leon opened his cosmic shop interface, needing to purchase protective items to properly prepare for whatever might come.

His fingers moved instinctively, swiping open menus only he could see. Faint hums of cosmic static danced across his fingertips with each selection

My Causality reserves have been sucked dry for so long. But today's battle earned me a decent amount.

His total earnings today were approximately 25 million Causality.

If only I'd been able to finish that hydra myself without Archon Vyrra's intervention. The reward would have been substantially higher.

He was also waiting for his regular monthly Causality payment from the higher beings who supported him, but that time hadn't arrived yet.

It hasn't been a full month since the last payment. And time inside my dimension clearly doesn't count toward that timer—it's a separate dimensional space, not physical reality.

He was carefully keeping track to see if there was any time dilation effect between where those higher beings are and him.

Leon purchased three critical items:

Phoenix Feather Amulet (Legendary – Item) Revives the wearer upon death, once.

Price: 2,500,000 Causality

Vendor: Resurrecto Maximus

He bought two Phoenix Feather Amulets for redundancy.

Hourglass of Reversal (Rare – Item) Rewinds time in a 3-meter radius by three seconds. Single-use.

Price: 1,200,000 Causality

Vendor: Professor Time-a-lot

I don't know exactly what tactical use the hourglass might provide, but having a literal time-reversal option could be invaluable.

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