Level Up Legacy

Chapter 1485 1485: An Invitation

"I think it's them," Diana said with a frown. "In specific, my father. He must have used the ritual to create these humanoid monsters. However, the necessary materials are both expensive and rare."

"Someone has to be helping him," Arthur said. "Find out more about the financial status of the Alvan Kingdom. I doubt they can do this alone."

"Even if they are behind it, what reason do they have for it?" Julia asked with a frown. "According to the Shadow Army, the demi-humans are experiencing some kind of internal strife."

"That… that's the reason," Diana said with raised eyebrows. "He is going for the throne, and that's why he needs the humanoid monsters."

"Your father?" Julia asked. She seemed to be typing into some kind of device. "I have a list of the places that the humanoid creatures struck. They never attacked Alva," she said. "This is worrisome."

"We'll look into it later," Arthur said. "For the time being, let's work to stabilize the world and the fragile alliance it has."

"That's the plan," Julia nodded. "Once you come back here, I'll arrange a guild meeting. Each of the sub-guild masters will report back regarding their progress."

Arthur nodded. The connection ended there.

Diana clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white. Then, Arthur reached out and placed a hand over hers. She relaxed a little.

"I was just telling you that I didn't want to fight anymore, so I would be a hypocrite for saying this," she said. "But I have to fight for Alva."

"I would, if you didn't," he said as he turned toward her. "Remember the promise I made to you a long time ago?"

Diana was confused for a second, but then realized what he was talking about. It was the moment they turned from enemies to cautious allies. They had an agreement where he would help her save Alva if she helped him go to Freda.

It had been such a long time ago, that Diana couldn't help but laugh. Her giggles filled the small room as Arthur stared at her in helplessness.

"Sure," she said. "I remember."

"Well, you kind of ruined it now."

"I'm sorry. It just seems so funny that you would remember a promise you made in an alternate timeline under different circumstances, to your wife. Are you saying you'll help me because of that promise, or because we're getting married?"

Arthur looked stumped.

Lusica let out a laugh that prompted the other two to turn toward him. The knight feigned a cough and looked out of the window.

Runera almost doubled in size ever since Arthur took over. The flying dome was parked right outside the city, hugging the walls that almost towered over it.

Before they arrived, Arthur called Julia and told her about their landing to avoid the defenses from shooting at the green crane. It landed right outside the city, where Rain, Suyin, and Yuran waited for them.

Awakeners from different nationalities and appearances stood behind the two women as guards. As soon as the three left the crane, it let out a cry before flapping its wings and soaring through the air.

"Welcome back, Guildmaster, Diana," Julia said as she approached Arthur who looked at the giant crane. "It's been almost a month since you left for Janea, and I know that you're already tired."

"Is it the Second Trial?" Arthur asked.

Julia nodded.

"We've kept everything under control. But in the end, several towers began appearing around the world that would allow people to participate in the trials."

"Devaheim is behind this," Arthur said. "It seems they want as many participants as possible to ensure that they obtain the vessels."

"That appears to be the case," she said. "The trial will open in three days. What are we to do?"

"We don't need to do anything," Arthur said. "I'm going into the trial."

"You're trusting them?" Diana asked with a frown.

"Trusting who?" Yuran asked with a raised brow.

"Devaheim gave him an invite to meet him."

"And it's inside the second trial?" Suyin asked.

Arthur regarded the woman. She had grown from Little Yin to a mature and confident woman in the span of a year. Her work in the guild didn't go unnoticed as she was now the head of defenses inside Runera.

The weapon that Arthur gave her was also strapped to her side. It had allowed her to grow faster than anyone else, which made him happy. Earth needed Morana to survive, and having her daughter on his side would help him keep it safe.

"The second trial will be an open world," he said. "A pre-designed world that the gods have prepared. I did tell you that they hijacked the trials, correct?"

"Vice-Master Julia mentioned it," Suyin said with a nod.

"It seems that this isn't the first time that Devaheim created such a thing. In fact, they do it regularly to choose their vessels in lower worlds. In my opinion, it's just a way to butcher the potential a world had before it bloomed."

"It's that dangerous?" Yuran asked. "How many die during them?"

"I have no idea, but judging from the first trial… I dare say the majority," Arthur said with a hollow laugh. "I have to go there to stop them from killing themselves, I'm afraid."

"We can post a statement to warn the people from going there," Julia said.

"It wouldn't help. It might deter the weaker ones, but the seven families won't swallow down the humiliation of being weaker than us. They had already allied themselves with the gods and Nameless once, so why not again?"

"You can't go there alone," Diana said. "I'm coming with you."

"And we'll just return to see Alva burned to the ground," Arthur said. "Your people need you. Julia and the rest will work with you to uncover the schemes of your father and these humanoid monsters."

"As if I would let you go into the lion's den alone," Diana said. "I still think this is a mistake."

"It's obviously a trap," Julia interjected with a frown. "From what I gathered, the trial limits the strength and stats of its participants to allow them fairness. This will give the gods the best chance to kill you."

"They cannot kill me unless they come down there themselves, and then it would mean they would be risking their lives too," Arthur said. "They will use their vessels. And I will be ready."

A few hours later, Arthur was reading in his office. In front of him was the Ichor that would let him reawaken his legacy. The book he was reading was an ancient study about legacies, written by someone from Alka.

The book explained the different types of legacies. There were different categories, according to what they enhanced, contract, and structure. Arthur's legacy was rather unique and powerful. It enhanced his strength and offered him abilities, something that was both physical and spiritual.

The contract was a crucial aspect that Arthur failed to understand when he first met Jizo inside the fissure. In most cases, a minor possession might be involved by the owner to the user. Furthermore, answering to the 'Quests' or demands of the legacy was a matter of life and death, not simply the resolve of the legacy.

As for the structure, there were different forms. Some came as meditation, dreams, or even a ghost. Arthur's legacy was called an Interface Structure, which made the legacy even more powerful.

Interface was the appearance of the legacy information and controlling it through a medium. It was like attaching a screen to a car, giving the driver more control.

As he reached the last chapter of the book, Arthur was relieved to see that it talked about a subject he was stressing over: reawakening. The chapter began with a warning that not enough information was recorded about this matter, so most of them were theories.

Ichor could possibly be the rarest thing in the world. The chances of someone with a legacy obtaining the ichor were next to impossible. But when it did happen, it would allow the reawakening of the legacy.

The author defined reawakening as taking the legacy, dissolving it, and rebuilding it. It would improve the legacy to better fit the user and let him grow. In Arthur's case, the legacy was no longer important. It was a tool he could control, but it wouldn't offer him anything.

Reawakening it would allow Arthur to grow far more powerful than he could control. It would draw on the ichor of the god, the runic structure of the artifact, and Arthur's own progress to offer him power or knowledge.

The author then warned about the self-oath, using the same term that Diana used. It warned that once the Endpoint has been set, the user becomes nothing but a means to an end. The legacy will not think of the user as a host, but a tool.

In most cases, the reawakened legacy would take control of the user in the end to reach the Endpoint and resolve itself. The long list of things that it could, also recorded here, were simply to ensure that the Endpoint had been reached.