Chapter 472: Demon of Hatred
"A runesmith," muttered Arthur when he was alone. "The only place to fit such a requirement lies in my abilities."
[Abilities: Beginner Runes Wordsmith (62%), Useable Runes: 26]
Arthur was still a Beginner Rune Wordsmith, meaning that his knowledge of runes was too lacking for him to evolve further. His power stemmed from runes, and runes needed his power. It seems that the system has deemed his growth to be insufficient.
"Ouch," muttered Arthur as his staggering growth was called out. However, he currently had thirty-one Legacy Points, and he could buy runes from the inheritance. However, they were expensive, unlike skills. "I need to solve this issue before I can become a Vetus-ranker."
There were several ways for him to obtain new runes. First of all, there was killing powerful monsters. Arthur would obtain a rune every time he killed a monster of a certain for the first time. This means he needs to eradicate a True-Monster to get a new rune.
These monsters were common beyond the calamity gates. You would not find any weaker monsters, which was why they were called True-Monsters. They were the real threat against humanity.
Arthur had a nostalgic feeling because he didn"t treat monsters as a threat for a long time, only humans and Demis. However, his encounters with True-Monsters proved they were not to be underestimated.
"I grew stronger myself," muttered Arthur as he looked at his spiritual energy. "I might have lost an arm, but I gained a new power."
It also strengthened his connection to the powers of creation, which made him lose his feelings and become more ruthless. Arthur was not unhappy with that but grateful. It helped him survive Alka.
Another method to obtain runes was through inheritance, but Arthur wanted that to be his trump card if he ever finds himself in a similar situation to before. Without the inheritance, Arthur would have perished as a slave.
The third method was evolving skills, and it only needed time. Arthur placed this as a primary method next to the fourth method: a.s.similating knowledge.
"I now have two ways to grow stronger, and I need to make them my priority," Arthur decided. "However, this means that I won"t be able to evolve before the hydra attacks."
This was the biggest issue that he faced. All will be solved if he only found that child, but there was no way to take it out of hiding. His mind raced to find a method, and he thought of a plan.
"No, there is a way..."
***
The Knight of Courage left another report on the hand mirror that the Seika has given her. She stared at it for a long time, thinking that her reports must be going unnoticed by her lord.
"Was it a mistake to follow the Seika here?"
Her life changed because of that decision, and she was now nothing but an office worker. Her t.i.tle as the Knight of Courage remained, but it has been a long time since she has shown herself in a battle, and it feels like her ice has melted.
"I did the right thing. This is the only way for me to serve this kingdom and make up for my crimes truly," Courage shook her head. Then, a knock arrived at her door, and she allowed entry.
"Commander," bowed the favorite knight of Seika, Lusica. Courage nodded in response, her face a bit stiff. Something prevented her from liking the knight in front of her, and it made her uneasy.
"What brings you here?"
"I want to ask about the news from a few days ago. The Knight of n.o.bility has turned to be a fallen one, and the Seika was attacked. I seek your permission to let me visit the capital, as the Seika is bound to need my aid."
"Our Lord," she stressed out, "has already said that he doesn"t need any of you. He is alive and well. You need not worry about such matters and worry about your position as a Chosen One," she warned.
"I am confident," smiled Lusica. "I don"t think that any of the other knights can beat me in a fight. This is all thanks to the Seika and his powers."
"You are arrogant," the Knight of Courage raised a brow. "Big Bear and I are both knights of the lord. You don"t think that you are more useful than us, do you?"
Lusica was quiet, looking only ahead. A dark gleam in his eyes gave away his confidence and eeriness. Courage frowned at his arrogance and felt that the Seika had spoiled them too much.
"The workers have built an arena for the upcoming exam the Seika wants," she said as she stood up. "If you are confident that you can defeat me, then you can try. I will let you follow the Seika if you win."
"Thank you for this chance, commander," he said with another bow, but Courage knew that it had no respect. A bitter feeling overtook her heart as this was the first time she was looked down upon by a complete n.o.body.
"Follow me," she tilted her head and pa.s.sed by him. Lusica followed after her, and Courage was crept by his gaze. There was something off about this person, and she knew that the Seika wanted that thing.
The arena was one built for the exam the Seika promised his knights. Courage knew that whoever failed this exam would be sent to another lord because the Seika envisioned a powerful knight platoon for his city.
Their forces were still a few, but it was safe to say they were all elite of this kingdom. Her knights alone were enough to keep the city safe, but the Mernars were growing more powerful, and that was the reason for her reports.
"I have no time to waste on kids, but this guy is too arrogant," thought Courage as she stood on one side of the arena. The man in front of her was several years younger than she was, but he still dared claim that he was the strongest among the knights.
"Please guide me, commander," said Lusica as he bowed and unsheathed his sword. His stance was alright, but it was nowhere near perfect. There were countless gaps that she could use to kill him.
"The Seika would be mad if I killed his favorite knight, so I only need to put him in his place," the Knight of Courage grabbed at empty air, and a longsword of ice began to form.
"You better stay alive, Lusica," she smiled as her eyes began to glow sky blue. "I will let you attack first, so go ahead."
The Knight of Courage was a Deme-ranker, and this man in front of her was a High-Neo-Ranker. Her ice domain alone could freeze him to death, but she wanted to demonstrate the difference in skill.
Lusica nodded as he leaned in and bolted forward. His speed was only average at best, and Courage was bored by simply waiting for him to arrive. As his sword descended on her, an afterimage followed her sword.
CLING!
A loud noise rang through the arena as the sword flew away from his hand, freezing as it fell. The Knight of Courage was disappointed that it ended so fast before her senses screamed at her to back away.
Lusica looked to be thrown out of balance, his right arm still flying upward because of her deflection. However, his left hand struck toward her. A dark aura exploded from his hand, making the knight freeze in place.
"Am I... scared?" she thought to herself as the palm suddenly looked bigger. Her body began to glow as her hair flew upward. It was an insult that she felt this way.
The palm struck the knight, and her body was destroyed to smithereens. Lusica looked confused before realizing that it was nothing but an ice statue. The Knight of Courage appeared behind him, and she slashed with her sword.
The arena froze instantly, and the attack was bound to disable the knight, at the very least. A dark aura exploded from his body as Lusica punched toward the knight.
As the two attacks met, the explosion blinded their eyes. Then, the Knight of Courage snapped out of her rage, and she realized that she had allowed herself to lose control again.
"I understand the reason they call you a demon," said a voice ahead of her, but it was not Lusica. The water vapor cleared away to reveal the Seika, stopping both of their attacks. "You lose yourself to rage," he squinted his eyes at her.
"Seika?" the knight muttered. "I thought you were still in Livia, so what brings..."
"You are a demon of rage," muttered the Seika as he turned toward Lusica. "But you failed to realize that you are fighting a demon of hatred."
The Knight of Courage turned to follow his gaze, and her heart shook as she took a step back. The monster that has replaced Lusica looked nothing like a human.