Level Up Legacy

Chapter 1496 1496: The Perfect Hero

The others set up a temporary resting point and took turns to guard the camp. It seemed that they needed to be in their optimal condition before venturing into the forest. Arthur left the giant backpack in the camp and followed the White Fairy to the nearest grove.

As he followed, the other members of the White Fangs looked at each other as they carried the gargoyles back to camp for harvesting. They were both worried and intrigued, but at this point, Fay had become the leader due to her critical role in their survival and no one questioned her.

Once the two of them were a distance from the camp, Fay stopped. Arthur stopped behind her and wondered what she wanted to do. Then, without warning, her ability bloomed out from her body and reached toward Arthur.

For normal people, they wouldn't even suspect that something was approaching them. Arthur was mildly surprised but expected this test. She wanted to see if he could sense her ability, and if not, then glean some information.

Arthur thought about it for a millisecond and then erected a wall of spiritual energy around him. Her ability slammed into the wall but could not advance further. The sudden recoil from punching an immobile wall made her stagger as she turned toward him.

A short sword appeared in her hand. Arthur looked at it, and then at her, with a smile. Her demeanor and lack of actions seemed to ease the tension as she lowered her sword.

"Who are you?" was her first question.

"I already told you."

"You told me a name, but it means nothing. You're no porter," she said with a growl. "The skills you possess aren't things someone your age could have, let alone a porter that's still unranked."

Arthur found himself with no option but to compromise some truth. However, a different idea entertained itself in his head. If this was a dream, then these reactions were a little too genuine, as if he was reliving the past.

He had borrowed a weapon from the equipment earlier and cut his palm open, but it simply tore through it. The pain was real, his blood was real, and the spiritual energy healing the wound was real.

Arthur could no longer consider this a dream, because if it was, then their reality itself should be questioned since this was no different. The woman in front of him might even be capable of killing him.

"I'm just someone with a question," Arthur said with an exaggerated sigh. "My father was lost in this dungeon. I want to know why, and what is exactly behind its end."

"I didn't ask you about your goal," she said with a scowl. "You can obviously use spiritual energy. I've never met anyone except my master who could use it."

Arthur was surprised that she even knew about its existence, but he quickly realized that her ability relied on her understanding of souls and spiritual energy.

"My ability is called Soul Affinity," he said. "It allows me to use a different energy than mana, which you call Spiritual Energy. I can see that your ability uses the same method."

Arthur tried to appear sincere and truthful, but the woman didn't seem convinced. In the end, he sighed and removed the wall of spiritual energy from around him.

"You can take a look," Arthur said. "But don't be too surprised."

Fay let out a snort as she released her ability again, and Arthur allowed her to cover his body with her blooming flower. The familiar feeling returned as he felt connected to a great astral pool.

Despite her earlier attitude, Fay seemed shaken as her eyes widened and she staggered back. Uneven ground beneath her feet made her fall down and cry out, which prompted the entire White Fang to appear.

Arthur found himself the target of different weapons and spells at the same time. He raised his hands before they even appeared, as he knew they were prepared.

A sword rested on his neck, belonging to the warrior from earlier.

"What have you done?" he asked.

"Retreat!" Fay cried out. "Don't fight him!"

The White Fangs were confused as they looked at their leader, who was still on the ground. She seemed to compose herself before rising from the ground, then physically pulled the warrior back.

"He's an ally," she said. "I was just a little clumsy."

"Clumsy? You?" the mage, who was a slender woman wearing a tight-fitting purple dress, asked with confusion. Fay gave her an eye, and she shrugged.

Everyone retreated but still glared at Arthur as they left. They seemed to be threatening him that anything happening to Fay would result in his immediate execution. In response, Arthur just smiled.

After everyone was gone, Fay stared at him with visible turmoil. Arthur didn't know what she saw in him, but whatever it was, she was now afraid because of it.

"Don't harm them," she said. "I can tell that you're not evil, but… that level of strength isn't something a human should possess. I have no idea how you managed to fool everyone, but… just don't harm them. They are good people."

"I never planned on doing so," Arthur said with a shrug. "In fact, I think that I was meant to meet you here, Fairy. I think you're the key that'll let me achieve my goal."

Fay wanted to say something but stopped herself. She gave him an understanding nod before she rejoined the others. Arthur followed after her but felt that the campsite was too tense with him around. He took a plate from Alan and quietly walked to the back to sit down alone in the woods.

Arthur could feel the existence of monsters in the area. They were masters of stealth when it came to sound and mana, but they were far from proficient in hiding their spiritual presence.

As he sat on a fallen trunk from an earlier battle, Arthur thought about many things. It had been a few years since he thought about his awakening, and now that he was reliving it, he found some things to be of great confusion.

A legacy was not an ability. Arthur understood that the legacy gave him the runes and their power, creating a system to deliver the power of the previous creator. He remembered from somewhere that the legacy itself, and his overflowing spiritual energy, were the reason that he never awakened an ability.

It made Arthur curious for the first time. If the legacy, runes, and wrath weren't his ability, then what was it? Arthur remembered Oriole telling him about a theory, but it was too crazy and could never be confirmed.

Arthur had an endless reserve of spiritual energy for some unknown reason, and he began to believe that it wasn't that powerful beings were trapped within his soul. If anything, the creator himself told Arthur that wrath and creation cannot exist in the same vessel.

The two powers coexisted within him in a paradoxical manner. Arthur found himself mulling over it instead of his usual attitude of taking things as they came and dealing with them. For the first time, he questioned why he was strong instead of just accepting it.

His thoughts came to an abrupt end as Yuran came over to sit next to him. The thin man said nothing as he sat next to Arthur, and the two enjoyed their dinner in peace.

After they were done, Yuran began his questioning.

"How did you know about my relation to Fay?" he asked.

"I'm a time traveler," Arthur said. "I came from the future."

"Is that so?" Yuran smiled as if Arthur was joking. "What kind of person am I in the future?" he entertained the idea.

Arthur was silent before turning toward him. "You are one of my closest friends, even though we never sat down to talk like this in a while. You saved your mother, and you fell in love. Your guild will become responsible for saving millions of people."

Yuran seemed taken aback as he stared at Arthur. He squinted his eyes in a questioning manner but then shook his head.

"I'm afraid that's not possible for me. I have too much darkness inside me to move on," he said.

"That's the thing," Arthur said. "You let go of your hatred for your father. It's something that I always thought was a lie until I saw the way you looked at the woman you loved. You wanted nothing other than to be on her side."

"…Fay warned me about you."

"She treats me like a monster," Arthur said with a laugh. "Aren't you afraid?"

"Afraid?" Yuran asked with a smile. "I feel seen, even by a young man who's probably not even awakened yet. The things you said… I don't think they will happen, but if they did, then thank you for telling me. I needed to know this today."

Yuran then rose and left him. Arthur stared at the small frame of the man and felt a twist in his heart. Yuran was alone now, with no one to rely on. He relied on himself to save his mother and used every possible method.

For some strange reason, Arthur thought that he would be a better fit for the legacy—a cripple with no abilities, filled with revenge and kindness, and a singular goal to save his mother and kill his father. He might be the perfect hero for this story.