After anointing Tom and dispatching the four thugs, Leo's "Priest" and "Paladin" roles had both leveled up, breaking through to Lv.3 and Lv.2 respectively. The rewards were significant: [Lever-Action Rifle Mastery (Lv. A)] and [Bullet Time (Lv. B)].
The System's introduction hadn't lied. The higher the role level, the greater the chance of obtaining high-tier skills.
When "Priest" leveled from Lv.1 to Lv.2, it only granted a B-rank skill, [One Man Army]. But the jump from Lv.2 to Lv.3 granted an A-rank weapon mastery.
Both new skills were undeniably powerful.
[Lever-Action Rifle Mastery (Lv. A)] covered his lack of ranged capabilities, while [Bullet Time (Lv. B)] drastically increased his survivability.
In an era ruled by gunpowder and lead, the ability to dodge bullets was a literal lifesaver.
The only pity was that he didn't own a lever-action rifle. His only weapon was the ancestral General Qi's Saber.
The two new roles unlocked by the level-ups were "Berserker" and "Vigilante."
He had been too busy burying Tom to check them earlier.
Leo focused his attention on the new entries.
The holographic screen expanded.
[Berserker: A fearless warrior who disregards life and death, fighting with madness and valor.]
[Vigilante: A noble soul who helps others and upholds justice.]
Leo raised an eyebrow, a small smile playing on his lips.
Not bad. The first one sounds intense, but the second one... that should be easy to roleplay.
Simply put, a "Vigilante" just had to be a good person who helped people.
After all this time, the System finally gave me an easy role.
Leo exhaled a long breath, his mood lightening considerably.
...
...
Three days passed in a blink.
Leo stood atop a high ridge, shading his eyes with his hand as he gazed at the abandoned train station in the distance.
That was "The Paradise." The lair of Los Lobos.
From the outside, the station looked ancient. Even from this distance, the scent of decay and rust seemed to drift on the wind.
He couldn't see inside. He didn't know if the gang was home.
To find out, he had to go in.
A frontal assault was out of the question.
The veteran had been clear: these Mexicans were not amateurs. They were ruthless, numerous, and well-armed.
With [One Man Army (Lv. B)], Leo could crush ordinary men like insects. But he wasn't arrogant. He didn't believe he could single-handedly dismantle an armed cartel with just a sword in broad daylight.
Stealth is the only option.
Leo checked his pocket watch. 5:32 PM. It was spring; sunset was still an hour away.
Once night fell, he would infiltrate "The Paradise" silently. That was the play.
While waiting for darkness, Leo decided to perform maintenance on his blade.
He slipped behind a large tree nearby, took a whetstone from his suitcase, and unwrapped the cloth binding his weapon.
The matte black scabbard and hilt were unadorned, utilitarian.
Shing...
He drew the blade inch by inch, the steel singing a crisp note as it cleared the sheath.
Leo held the blade horizontally. The metal was polished like a mirror, reflecting his slightly distorted face.
Currently, Leo possessed five skills: [General Qi's Saber Arts (Lv. C)], [Bajiquan (Lv. D)], [One Man Army (Lv. B)], [Lever-Action Rifle Mastery (Lv. A)], and [Bullet Time (Lv. B)].
The latter three were gifts from the System. The first two were skills "original Leo" already possessed.
It was impressive, really. The original owner of this body was no ordinary immigrant. His lineage was one of martial loyalty.
His ancestors had served under the legendary General Qi Jiguang during the Ming Dynasty, fighting against the Wokou (Japanese pirates). It was there they learned the "Qi Family Saber Arts."
General Qi had analyzed the Japanese nodachi and katana, combining their cutting power with Chinese sword techniques to create a weapon and style superior for battlefield combat. This was recorded in his military manual, the Jixiao Xinshu.
After the wars ended, the ancestor retired to the fields.
But he refused to let the martial arts die.
Under strict orders, "Diligent practice of the Qi Family Saber" became the first rule of the Li household.
For centuries, through dynastic rise and fall, the Li family never broke the chain.
The blade in Leo's hand was the family heirloom. Its name was [Vajra].
Named after one of the Twelve Heavenly Generals of the Medicine Buddha, "Vajra" (or Fazheluo) meant "Diamond" or "Thunderbolt"—indestructible and all-conquering.
The blade was sharp enough to live up to the name.
Though called an "ancestral" treasure, it wasn't ancient. It had only been passed down for three generations.
The original Leo's grandfather had spent a fortune commissioning a master smith to forge it.
In 1860, his grandfather wielded [Vajra] during the Taiping Rebellion, fighting against the Qing loyalists ("Qing Demons").
In 1899, his father wielded it during the Boxer Rebellion, fighting against foreign invaders.
And now, it was in Leo's hands.
The original owner had been a worthy heir. Talented and hardworking, he had achieved a respectable mastery of the art at a young age. He wasn't a grandmaster, but he could easily dispatch average fighters.
In addition to the sword, he had studied under a master of Bajiquan (Eight Extremities Fist).
That was the source of [General Qi's Saber Arts (Lv. C)] and [Bajiquan (Lv. D)] in the skill list.
Tragically, the era of swords and fists was over.
No matter how skilled the original Leo was, flesh and steel could not compete with gunpowder.
Unable to find work that utilized his skills and living in poverty, he had boarded a smuggler's ship to America, hoping for a new life.
The rest was history. Shortly after arriving, Leo the transmigrator took over.
Useless in the homeland. But here, in the land of guns, I'm finally putting these skills to use.
Leo chuckled with a mix of irony and nostalgia. He pressed the blade to the stone.
Scritch, scritch, scritch...
The rhythmic sound of sharpening was the only noise in the quiet evening.
It wasn't that Leo hadn't thought about buying a gun.
But he was an illegal immigrant. A "black household." Without papers, buying a gun legally was impossible.
Even if he had papers, most gun shops wouldn't sell to a Chinese man anyway.
So, despite living here for six months, he had never touched a firearm. His only weapon was [Vajra].
But, if used correctly, a blade was enough.