[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-solflare-the-painter-s-secret":3,"chapter-solflare-the-painter-s-secret-solflare-the-painter-s-secret-chapter-59":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Solflare: The Painter's Secret",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1322887,1757,"Chapter 59: The One-Man Army","solflare-the-painter-s-secret-chapter-59",59,"\u003Cp>Smoke curled from the blazing undercarriage of the treadmill. The machine itself turned into a ruined sculpture of metal and melted synthetic belts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A groaning sound echoed as it ground to a halt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leon got thrown backward at high speed, but he didn’t fall. He stood before it, sweat tracing through the dust on his face as his chest heaved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wild grin formed on his lips. \"THIS IS FUN!\" he shouted into the ringing silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The joy drained from his face as soon as he tilted his gaze to Zoe’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stood four feet away, frozen. Her face had the mask of pure shock. Her eyes were wide, that kind that is of dawning understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They flicked from his face to the destroyed machine and back again, as if trying to reconcile the two impossible images.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why that look?\" Leon asked, the grin trying to reset itself as a confused smile. He followed her gaze to the metal that still glowed a faint cherry-red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!\" Zoe’s scream tore through the gym, shredding the last of Leon’s brief triumph. \"I WILL NEVER BRING YOU HERE EVER AGAIN!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Leon could form a response, the lady from the sparring ring walked toward him. Her earlier amusement was gone and replaced by something that seemed like a frantic reverence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who are you?\" Her voice dropped to a breathing whisper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Leon could react, she dropped to her knees. She pressed her lips to the toe of his boot in a gesture that seemed both absurd and unsettling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, as she stood up swiftly, her hands moved to the front of her loose training shirt. She grasped the fabric where it covered her breast and tore a strip from it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though her breasts were as big as melons, her nakedness wasn’t that exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She bent down again, carefully wrapped the cloth around the spot on his boot she had just kissed, and tied it in a clumsy knot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leon became numb as he stared at her, fully confused. His heels scraped on the gritty floor as he took a step back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sharp exhale of disgust exited from Zoe’s nose. Her footsteps echoed loudly as she turned and marched toward the exit of the Grimforge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zoe, wait for me!\" Leon called in a strained voice. He shoved past the kneeling lady, ignoring her wide-eyed stare, and then hurried after Zoe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bright late afternoon sun shimmered on their faces as they stepped outside. Zoe kept a twenty-pace distance ahead and walked stiffly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leon fell into step a few feet behind her as he jogged to catch up. \"Are you angry?\" he asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zoe didn’t speak. She didn’t even look back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zoe,\" he tried again, this time in a frustrated tone. \"Why aren’t you answering me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sped up, moved in front of her, and planted himself in her path. He searched her face the moment he forcefully made her stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The playful teasing, or even the severe, harsh stare Zoe had before, was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are my teacher,\" he said in a childish tone, almost trying to lure her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you won’t answer anything else, just answer me this one thing.\" He forced his expression into one of earnest pleading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Breeze flew from her nose as her eyes closed abruptly. When they opened, she stared at him. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind Leon, a shadow fell across them, which made Leon’s bones shiver a little. The shiver vanished when he turned and found Mr. Lee approaching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had an unreadable expression as he came to a stop. \"How was his training at the Grimforge?\" he asked, settling his gaze on Zoe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zoe’s jaw tightened as she looked from Mr. Lee to Leon with a hardened gaze. \"He...\" she stopped and shook her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ahem...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She paused, cleared her throat, and pulled her datapad from a pocket on her hip. Her fingers danced across the screen with practiced speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few clicks, she thrust the device toward Mr. Lee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leon’s stomach twisted. Though he couldn’t see the screen, the sound he heard made him swallow hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Lee took the datapad and kept his eyes locked on the video being played on the screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leon watched as the man’s eyebrows climbed slowly toward his hairline. Mr. Lee pressed the play button, repeating the video.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The muscle on his jaw twitched as he paused it and stared at the now-dark screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face became blank when he finally looked up and handed the datapad back to Zoe. But his eyes held a strange, intense light as they settled on Leon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t look angry; he just looked... reassessing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A slow, unreadable smile tore on his lips, followed by a nod that seemed not to stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Leon,\" Mr. Lee’s voice echoed calmly. \"Follow me.\" He placed a hand on Zoe’s shoulder and gave it two firm pats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smiled, then turned and began walking back. He didn’t turn to check if Leon was following; he just went on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leon glanced at Zoe, who was already looking away. He waved at her, then turned and hurried after Mr. Lee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They walked in silence for ten minutes, cutting across courtyards and green pathways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The destination became clear as the severe, wine-colored building of the proctor’s loomed ahead. Leon’s steps began to falter slightly when the air from the fruitful trees brushed his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Here again?\" Leon asked when they stopped at the front of the twelve-foot black door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Lee didn’t answer. He simply pushed the heavy door open and gestured for Leon to enter. The strange smile remained on his lips when he followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hallway inside once again became a tunnel of judgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leon’s skin prickled as he walked, having the same feeling of being watched by the painted eyes of the images hung on the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He kept his gaze forward, trying to ignore the weight of their stares, yet he faltered whenever he moved past one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they reached a junction, Mr. Lee paused by a particular door, then tilted his gaze to Leon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leon’s attention, however, remained on the wall to his left as if his soul had been sucked there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A new black picture frame hung there. Inside it was a photograph of Lieutenant Haye, not in the casual gear Leon had seen him in, but in full ceremonial dress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression in the photo seemed to hold authority. Beneath the frame, an etched panel read: Lieutenant Hayes – The One-Man Army.\u003C\u002Fp>",1090,"2026-06-05T19:15:29.583Z",1,"novelbin.me","e7ffa7f1dc41640f583e246e5adb2dc312384ec09545dbe55608752ea3080ec3","solflare-the-painter-s-secret-chapter-60","solflare-the-painter-s-secret-chapter-58",272,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsolflare-the-painter-s-secret-cover.jpg"]