Chapter 1250  Mock Battles

One of the pirates, a burly man with a scar running down his cheek, stepped forward. "How do we know you won"t bring more trouble to us?" he demanded, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

Arthur met his gaze, unflinching. "You have my word. I will do everything in my power to aid you and make up for the chaos my actions have caused. But first, we need to work together to ensure everyone"s safety."

The pirate hesitated for a moment before nodding reluctantly. "Fine. But we"ll be watching you."

With the initial tension somewhat eased, Rain led Arthur to a secluded corner of the deck where they could talk privately. They sat on wooden crates, the salty sea breeze ruffling their hair as they caught up after so long apart.

"So, have you had any luck finding your master?" Arthur asked, his voice filled with genuine concern.

Rain sighed, shaking her head. "Little luck, unfortunately. I"ve searched everywhere I could think of, but Valeria Storm is still out there, somewhere." She paused, looking out at the horizon. "I remember the promise you made to me, Arthur. That you"d bridge the sea for me."

Arthur smiled, a hint of regret in his eyes. "I did promise that, didn"t I? And yet, by merging the two worlds, I may have made your search even harder."

Rain laughed, a sound both light and melancholic. "You did make the sea a lot bigger, I"ll give you that. But in a way, you also made my mission easier. Before, I had to look through dungeons, and that was a lot harder than searching the open sea. At least now, with the dungeons disappearing, I no longer worry about Valeria being trapped in one of them."

Arthur nodded, understanding her perspective. "I see your point. I"ll do everything I can to help you find her, Rain. That"s a promise I intend to keep."

Rain smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Arthur. It means a lot." She then tilted her head, curiosity sparking in her eyes. "So, tell me about Diana. Why isn"t she here with you?"

Arthur"s expression softened at the mention of Diana. "She"s in Runera, attending to some important matters. I"ll return to Runera first, but I"ll come back to help you, and Diana will be with me."

Rain"s eyes gleamed with mischief. "Oh, Arthur, you"re so in love. It"s almost sickening," she teased, a playful smirk on her lips.

Arthur laughed, the sound hearty and genuine. "I suppose I am," he admitted, not hiding his affection for Diana. "She"s been my anchor through all of this."

Rain"s expression grew serious for a moment. "There"s something else, Arthur. I met a man recently who claimed to be your younger brother. Oren Silvera."

Arthur"s eyes widened in shock. "Oren? He made it to Sourna?" he asked, his voice filled with a mixture of surprise and concern.

Rain nodded. "He was... odd. He wore an iron mask covering his face and displayed incredible strength, taking down a sea monster with a single swing. But he left me with a message for you."

Arthur"s heart raced. "What did he say?"

"He said he will no longer seek to treat your wrath but will begin his own journey to restore the world"s origins. He was crossing the sea, looking for your family"s birthplace—the Silvera heritage. He mentioned hearing that name in West Sourna, not the east. After that, he left."

Arthur felt a pang of worry for his brother but tried not to show it. "I wonder what brought him to Sourna," he mused, his mind racing with possibilities. "Thank you for telling me, Rain."

Rain could see the concern in his eyes, despite his attempt to hide it. "Are you okay, Arthur?"

Arthur nodded, though the worry remained. "I"ll be fine. Oren has always been determined. I"m sure he"ll find what he"s looking for."

He rose from the crate, his expression resolute. "Let"s get this ship back to sea," he said, turning to face the crew. With a few intricate gestures, he activated his runes, enveloping the sailboat in a golden light.

The pirates watched in awe as the ship was lifted effortlessly and transported to the sea, the water parting to make way. Arthur"s act of kindness and power subtly shifted their att.i.tudes toward him, a seed of trust beginning to take root.

As the ship settled on the water, Rain looked at Arthur with a mixture of admiration and grat.i.tude. "Thank you, Arthur. For everything."

Arthur smiled, the weight of his responsibilities momentarily lifting. "Rain, I need to leave you for now," Arthur began, his voice steady. "But before I go, I want to leave you with something."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, intricately carved device. It was made of a dark, polished stone and inscribed with glowing runes. He handed it to Rain, who took it with a mix of curiosity and reverence.

"This is a summoning device," Arthur explained. "If you activate it, it will send for me immediately. But please, wait a day before using it. I need some time to tie up a few loose ends back in Runera."

Rain nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "Thank you, Arthur. For everything. Even though I messed up so much, trying to seduce you when you were helping Diana... I feel terrible about it."

Arthur gave a dry laugh, shaking his head slightly. "You shouldn"t apologize to me. If anything, you should be worried about Diana. She wants to kill you after hearing what you"re like."

Rain"s eyes widened in panic, and she scolded Arthur, her voice a mix of fear and frustration. "Why would you tell her about my antics? Are you trying to get me killed?"

Arthur laughed heartily, the sound genuine and full of mirth. "I couldn"t keep something like that from her. But don"t worry too much. Diana understands the situation now, and she"s not going to come after you. Just... be careful, alright?"

Rain huffed, crossing her arms but unable to hide a small smile. "You have a strange way of comforting people, Arthur."

Arthur opened a portal back to Runera, the shimmering golden light casting long shadows across the deck. He turned to face the other pirates, who had gathered around, their expressions a mix of awe and apprehension.

Arthur stepped through the portal, emerging into the familiar surroundings of his runic dome in Runera. The air was filled with the sharp tang of ozone from the magical barriers and the distant sounds of cheering and clashing metal. As he walked further into the dome, the energy of the place buzzed around him, a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere he had just left behind.

The dome was bustling with activity. Members of Arthur"s guild, Ascent, were engaged in mock battles, their laughter and shouts of encouragement echoing off the high ceilings. It was a scene of camaraderie and compet.i.tion, a way for them to stave off the boredom that came with their constant state of readiness.

Arthur stepped through the portal into his bustling runic dome in Runera. The air was filled with cheers and the clashing of metal as his friends engaged in mock battles. He made his way to the sparring area, where Sarohan, the white Waiga, faced off against Whisker, the humanoid feline.

Sarohan swung his ma.s.sive sword in wide arcs, but Whisker"s agility allowed him to weave through the attacks. With a swift strike, Whisker disarmed Sarohan, earning cheers from the crowd.

Next, Lian, the Tamer, stepped into the arena. He summoned creatures to aid him, but despite Whisker"s agility, Lian"s tactical prowess and his giant wolf overwhelmed him, ending the match with Whisker pinned to the ground.

Seraphine, the Demonic Blood Queen, then faced Lian. Her blood magic quickly drained Lian"s creatures, and Seraphine pinned him to the ground with dark tendrils, earning applause.

Arthur stepped forward. "Impressive battles, everyone. It"s good to see you all keeping sharp."

Seraphine smiled. "Welcome back, Arthur. Do you care for a fight?"

"Sure, as long as you team up against me," he said, provoking them. "Otherwise, it would not be fun."

Seraphine smiled. "Welcome back, Arthur. Do you care for a fight?"

Arthur grinned. "Sure, as long as you team up against me. Otherwise, it would not be fun."

Excitement rippled through the group. Sarohan the Waiga, Whisker the Feline, Seraphine the Blood Queen, Lian the Tamer, Ilia Perli the Lightning G.o.d, Koby the One-Armed Mage, and Ramiel the half-Minotaur all eagerly jumped into the ring.

Arthur stood at the center, his confidence unshaken as he summoned nothing but his dagger, Nightmare. The sleek, dark blade glinted ominously in the light, and the antic.i.p.ation in the air was palpable.

"Let"s see what you"ve got," Arthur said, his voice calm and steady. He lowered his head, focusing his senses.

The seven of them attacked simultaneously, each unleashing their unique abilities without holding back. Sarohan"s ma.s.sive sword came down with a heavy swing, Whisker"s agile strikes aimed for Arthur"s weak points, Seraphine"s blood magic wove through the air like crimson serpents, Lian"s beasts lunged forward, Ilia Perli"s lightning crackled with deadly precision, Koby"s magic flared, and Ramiel"s brute strength powered his every move.

In the midst of the chaos, Arthur moved with fluid grace. Though he had lost his sight, his battle senses had only grown sharper. He parried Sarohan"s sword with a flick of his dagger, sidestepping Whisker"s rapid strikes with ease. Seraphine"s blood tendrils lashed out, but Arthur"s swift movements kept him just out of reach.