Chapter 915 Idolized Strength

The master took a moment to register his words before looking at his arm. Despite what Arthur claimed, he had two arms, not one. Thus, he appeared either crazy or lying with a straight face.

"Wait for a second, that name…" muttered One-Armed Asura with confusion as he grabbed his severed arm. He turned absent-minded as if reliving the memories before turning to face Arthur with a shocked expression. "I heard of that name in Alka."

"That is me," said Arthur with a grin as he retracted his hands. "I do hope that no one stained my reputation after I left that world, but I did leave a mark there."

G.o.d Blade was known as the guild which ventured deepest into the other world, but no one knew how far they reached. Since most dungeons appeared in the calamity grounds, G.o.d Blade must have ventured far enough to meet a civilization that knew about One-Armed Seika.

ReadNovelFull.comno//vel//bi/n[.//]net"

However, judging from how this old man grabbed his severed shoulder, Arthur did not pry for details. He knew that when this man heard his name, it was related to the fact that he had lost his arm.

One-Armed Asura was silent momentarily as he puckered his lips into an amused grin. Then, he started laughing with rising loudness until his voice was the only thing that filled the dojo. As Arthur turned toward Yurirl with confusion for an explanation, he found the genius swordsman still in shock.

"I never told anyone about that name because I thought it was a lie told to me for consolation! Yet, the man I was told to be inspired by is now my rival. Could this be my last fight, Yurirl?" asked the old master as his laughs died.

"Master… such a notion is…." Yurirl was baffled by the question of his master. Did one of the strongest awakeners in the world think he would lose against a man no older than twenty? If that happened, Arthur Silvera would be a monster wearing human skin.

"No need to be afraid of change, my naïve disciple," said the old master, raising his cup and gulping it down. "Rising cubs will defeat the lions. That is how humanity will evolve."

"I wish we have met sooner, One-Armed Asura," said Arthur with admiration and respect. "I would love to learn a lot from you. This is the first time someone with authority and power does not disgust me."

"Buhahahaha, foolish young man! You have fallen victim to my charm!" said the old man with a sinister face before he started coughing again. This time, it was not the wine. Yurirl rose from his seat and crouched beside his master.

Arthur was confused until he noticed the change in the man"s arm. A stench left his arm as the empty sleeve rose by the aura it released. However, before the two young men could do a thing, One-Armed Asura raised his hand to stop them.

"What an unseemly sight," said One-Armed Asura as he dug his fingers into his wound. "I have shown weakness to my opponent. Do not worry, Arthur Silvera. I will be the strongest opponent you have ever fought."

pαndα`noνɐ1~сoМ "Strong opponents are not the reason I want to fight this war," said Arthur with a frown as he noticed the aura subside. "I can help with your arm."

"You want to extend help to a man who chose to be your enemy?" asked the master with a smile. "You have misjudged this man, Yurirl. He is not one with opportunistic nature, but a kind heart and a clear goal."

Yurirl was silent as he looked down. Arthur did not understand what was happening before One-Armed Asura grabbed the bottle and poured himself another drink. Then, he raised his cup toward Arthur, who did the same.

"This toast is for lions and cubs!"

Clang!

The two clinked their cups together before drinking them down. After a few rounds of idle chatter, Arthur left the guild. As for One-Armed Asura, he fell back and slept with child-like joy. The one who accompanied Arthur was Yurirl, who did not drink a thing.

"You have an interesting master," said Arthur with a smile as he stared at the thick forest around the giant sword building. "I thought this war would be the same as all others, but I now have something to look forward to."

"Master is a man who makes friends through fights," said Yurirl with a helpless smile. "However, I did not want him to befriend you before the war. This was a mistake."

"Why so?"

"Runera is not an ent.i.ty that my guild could offend. If the city heard about you drinking with the guild master like friends, their suspicions would damage our relationship forever."

"Have you met the current rulers of Runera?" asked Arthur as he gazed into the forest. Yurirl nodded, knowing Arthur could see him. "What do you think of them?"

"I met them once a few months ago, but I could tell that there was more infighting in Runera than any other time before. Although this has always been the case, since it is a city of multiple nationalities, it seems to have deteriorated after the recent incident."

"A traitor hides in Runera, and I suspect he is controlling its masters from the shadows. I want to find him and end his scheme. I will not ask you to snoop into their business but decide whether this is worth fighting for."

"My master gave them his word, which is the only reason I need."

"Your master-disciple relationship is something I envy," said Arthur with a smile as he turned toward Yurirl. "I once had a master too, but I have no idea where he is now. I even doubt if he is an enemy or a foe."

Yurirl did not answer, and Arthur opened a portal. Then, he walked into it and disappeared, leaving a lonesome feeling behind. Yurirl stood inside the forest until one of his junior brothers stumbled upon him.

***

The issue of food in Ilios was not something that could be resolved easily, and after a quick count by the guild members, Ascent had five thousand new warriors of the Vetus rank that were willing to fight with them against Runera.

However, the bigger their army grows, the bigger their problems. Such a large force was hard to keep order inside or keep them fed. Thus, Ascent was not in a rush to enlist them in their ranks.

Yet, each pa.s.sing day was one more day that Runera could prepare for their invasion. Arthur knew that the city of runes could close its gates from the outside world, and not even his runes could break the s.p.a.ce-locking arrays.

Thus, most of the fighting will happen outside of Runera, as close as their troops can teleport without being ambushed. Then, their march begins toward the city of runes, where the main battle will occur.

The first step was to gather their forces inside Helios. Arthur summoned his five guilds and their members to Helios before making living arrangements for them inside the Golden Plaza with the rebels and the Iliosian warriors. In a few days, the residents of the plaza reached twenty-five thousand soldiers.

Although the number seemed fearsome, Runera had four times the army. Their equipment was numerous, and their ranks were higher. No matter how any phrased it, there will be countless deaths in their ranks. Thus, Arthur did not sugarcoat.

"I believe that half of us will die during this war even if we emerge victorious," said Arthur toward his troops from atop a platform inside the Golden Plaza. These warriors looked at him with unwavering expressions. "I cannot ask anyone to give their life to me, but those who fight alongside me will be my brothers and comrades."

The warriors cheered, and his guildsmen chanted in unison. It took a moment to realize that these men were chanting the name of his guild, which had brought them shelter and natured them for the past months.

"Ascent! Ascent! Ascent!"

"Half will die, but the other half will conquer death and beat it into submission," repeated Arthur his words, but rephrasing them. The soldiers stopped cheering, and none dared to make a sound. "I am not a conqueror to promise you the world, but I will promise freedom, power, and adventures. There will not be a secret or a dungeon that Ascent does not visit, making its name known."

The warriors cheered again, stomping their feet on the ground to make the plaza shake. Arthur gave them a few moments, and even his blood began to boil at such a sight.

"For those who desire it, I promise glory. Each of your names will be remembered for generations as the strongest guild in history. The moment you joined my guild, your memory became immortal!"

This time, Arthur did not stop them from cheering. His speech was over, and the warriors were cheering with their blood boiling. Arthur left the plaza amid their cheers, walking through the crowd as they stomped on the ground.

Arthur never expected to see himself leading, but these men wanted to give their lives for him. None of them knew what kind of person he was, but they admired his feats of defeating calamities and empyrean rank. It was on this day that Arthur realized how much strength was idolized.