Chapter 1283  Old Friends

"And that"s how I lost my sight," Arthur finished his story inside the palace of Eldoria. Inside the room sat six people: June, her husband, son, daughter, and also Mr. Tate. Everyone listened intently to the tale of transcended worlds, morals, and deities. Arthur knew his story was fantastical, though their world was no less strange.

"Gaia exists?" The one to ask that question was Melania, whom Arthur had met after almost two years of absence. "I only read about her existence in mythology books."

"She indeed exists, and luckily, she protects humans." Arthur raised his cup and took a sip. "That"s why she robbed me of my eyesight. This also shows that I am just like Queen June here. I merged the two worlds selfishly because it was the only way to save my beloved."

"I would have done the same," Master Ronin chimed in. "Is there a way to restore your sight?"

"Not one that I know of for sure," answered Arthur while pondering. "I can feel these two scars becoming the source of mana to feed the Level Up Legacy, so even if I found a way to restore my sight, I wouldn"t. Not yet."

"It did benefit me a lot, strengthening me while I used my shield and lowering the mana cost," said Mirani while examining the hologram in front of him. "Never in my life did I think something like this could be created. It"s almost… scary."

"How so?" asked Arthur as he lowered his cup.

"Because we can feel it changing our bodies," answered Jono this time. "It has given us these things called levels, which also give us stats to improve our strength. But some things are scary too, like the intelligence stat that makes you smarter. If this device can improve your brain, what prevents it from changing us?"

"I never thought about it that way, but I do understand that feeling. Creation itself eats away at my ability to feel and experience things, while wrath clouds my judgment."

"The good thing about the legacy is that you can always reject it," said June after she composed herself. "Many people I know have rejected the legacy because it demanded them to be "protectors of humanity." They wanted their freedom more than strength."

"I had to impose that condition in order for the human race to survive, and the legacy remains as a good ent.i.ty in the world. If criminals could grow stronger by exploiting the legacy, we would see supervillains sooner than we would like."

Everyone nodded at his words, and their discussion shifted to the fate of Eldoria. Even now, many of its cities were scattered throughout the New World. This is the name people called the merged world. Arthur a.s.sured them that he would ask his guilds to keep an eye on such cities.

"You did more than just help us, Memor," June said as she bowed her head again. "Eldoria will forever remember this debt."

"I don"t need any debt," Arthur waved his hand. "But I don"t understand why you keep calling me that name?"

"Memor?" June was surprised that Arthur didn"t know that name. She began explaining the same thing that Kino had explained to Mirani Tate before taking him to defend Eldoria.

Memor was a name given to Arthur because people believed that he could turn lives into memories. The first five letters of the word memories became a t.i.tle that Arthur had earned in the other world, other than Seika.

Arthur understood that this name came from the epiphanies that people received from the alternate timelines. This misunderstanding amused him, but it did not benefit him in any way. Instead, Arthur asked them about the general state of the world back in Alka.

June explained the current nations of the world, including Freda, Alva, and the Yozia Empire. King Solomon existed in this world as well, but the memories that he received from the epiphanies allowed him to discover the schemes of Kar and the death of Ruki. Although he tried to prevent it, he met the same fate but knew that it was his duty to help the Seika in the Holy Crown Trials.

Alva was the same as it was, except being struck by a different calamity that almost ended their bloodlines. However, the kingdom of demi-humans survived despite the danger it faced with this "Stealer of Bloodlines."

As for the Yozia Empire, it stood as imposing as ever. Seref marrying the emperor"s daughter still happened in this world, something which disgusted Arthur once again. The fact that his father went to another world and started a new life while they suffered made his rage boil, but he worked to suppress it.

"A lot happened, but more to come," said Arthur in conclusion. "The calamities now roam free around the world, and I receive reports every day about their attacks on human settlements. In a sense, your capital is the most fortunate."

"I wouldn"t call it that, being caught in a civil war," June said with a sigh. "But we are fortunate that you are here."

"I cannot stay here for long, but I can ensure that no one is going to attack you anymore. These seas are filled with pirates, including one called Deluge, a calamity of sin that has appeared on Earth. I will ask my guild to make this their headquarters to provide you with food and safety for the time being."

"…Thank you, my lord," said June in reverence to Arthur, even bowing her head until her crown tilted. Arthur nodded as he rose from his chair, ready to leave. However, he still had one subject to discuss with Master Ronin regarding his mother.

After the two excused themselves, Master Ronin offered to walk Arthur to the sh.o.r.es. The latter bid Mr. Tate farewell and offered to have Julia teleport the man back to his family, which he promptly agreed to accept. The two left the palace and walked through the city as Arthur contacted his guild and informed them of the new arrangements. Then, he asked Master Ronin about his mother.

"Your mother has been inflicted by the trial of the holy crown?" muttered the old man with surprise. "If it happened after your father did something to her, then the obvious route is to seek your father himself."

"I don"t think he"s the kind of man to learn from his mistakes. And I could have dispelled the coma on her, but it seems that the holy crown can interfere with my powers. I thought that you could see something using your powers."

"Although I cannot control my visions, I can guide them to see what fate awaits your mother. I will let you know through your guild once I see something. I apologize for not being of much use. My recent visions have been about the Eldoria Kingdom."

"You have nothing to apologize for, master," said Arthur as they reached the sh.o.r.es. "I will have to excuse myself now. It seems that I—" he stopped mid-sentence.

Arthur snapped his neck toward the northwest, his aura shifting from calm to disturbed in an instant. His frown told Master Ronin that something was terribly wrong.

"Is there something wrong?"

"A friend needs my help. I found it odd that I couldn"t feel her presence on this island, but just now, she has summoned me."

"Is it something dangerous?"

"It has to be," said Arthur with a sigh. "I must leave now. Take care, master."

Arthur then tried to use his teleportation rune in the direction of the summoning, but it didn"t work for some reason. Something was blocking his teleportation. As he tried to teleport close to the summoning, he found that he couldn"t pinpoint a place.

"Something is blocking my runes," muttered Arthur with realization. "It seems I have to go there the old-fashioned way."

Master Ronin watched him rise high in the air before turning into a bolt of black lightning that tore through the skies. The sky rumbled as the clouds parted because of his lightning, proving once more that Arthur had changed beyond recognition. And whoever antagonized him was in for a world of hurt.

The summoning was a far distance away from Levan Island, shrouded in some sort of veil that prevented Arthur from communicating with Rain. He just hoped that whatever was happening did not endanger his life.

His mind was a mess as he raced toward her direction. Arthur didn"t believe that there was something in this world that could prevent him from using his ability. The sole exception being the holy crown, which had been seized by the G.o.ds of Devaheim.

Arthur reached Hikma in a matter of minutes, pa.s.sing it in a flash of light. He entered the deserts where he fought against the army of metallic warriors that the Wis.e.m.e.n of Hikma sent, and pa.s.sed it as well.

It took him another hour before he managed to see something in the distance other than the desert. A great wall of black marked the end of the desert, prompting Arthur to stop and inspect it. As he took a moment to a.n.a.lyze the wall, he found it to be made of… his own powers.