The next day, Arthur woke up from deep slumber. The nauseous experience he went through yesterday was mentally draining, making him fall asleep as soon as he relaxed. That happened after the screams of the summoned monster ceased at midnight.
As his memories drifted there, he was again weirded out by the whole event. Since the first moment he saw this group of people, he felt a sense of familiarity. It prompted him to follow after them, and he ended up here. After that, he again met one of them in the forest for a brief second before the beginning of the first round. Next, he met with Miko while taking a stroll and then a voice told him to trust her.
This sequence of events made him feel like something greater was pulling some strings. As he had a skeptic mentality, Arthur started getting more and more conscious of all the accidental things happening. Did he meet with Sier by accident? In an arcade? Was it a coincidence that he met a wolf he helped, that was weirdly attached to him, in a trial ground that happens every thirty years?
There was also the matter of Solomon, being there at that time, asking him for help. Sure, he was grateful to the dead man, who has helped him in an hour of need, but everything felt surreal after yesterday. Why did it feel like someone trying to push him toward taking these actions?
"Are you okay?" Arthur was startled by Miko's question, and he was pulled from his thoughts. He realized he had been staring at the sky for almost half an hour deep in thoughts, replaying each scenario with a different answer.
He may be naïve, but he wasn't dumb. When he goes back to the real world, he would question Sier and Ronin about everything. Was it all a coincidence? He didn't think so.
"Yes, is something wrong?" He answered as he got up. Seeing her behaving unlike usual, he couldn't help but ask.
"We need to plan things out. What are we going to do from now on?" Miko said, surprising Arthur greatly.
"We?"
"Well, yes." She bobbed her head up and down, another unusual act. It was then that Arthur realized she was acting more natural just like her real self.
"Yesterday, you stood up for me."
"You could've used your ability to escape alone since the beginning."
"And leave you? That's not an option." Miko shook her head vigorously. Arthur realized how honest she was, not ditching him even though she could because he was her benefactor. Maybe, just maybe, he made the right decision of listening to the voice. It didn't seem like Erin would appreciate his cooperation, either.
"Okay, let's stick together until this whole thing ends then." Arthur raised his fist, and Miko looked at it for a few seconds before bumping it awkwardly. Arthur laughed and stood up, starting to prepare their food. As he did, the two kept talking about their next course of action.
"Since we have created a team now, we need to find a few more members," Arthur said, rotating the meat to cook the other side.
"My goal is to survive this. I came here unknowingly, and I need to get out of here alive. We either pass this trial, or we end it."
"End it?" Miko asked with puzzlement as she took the meat from Arthur's hands.
"Yes, end it. It's a long story, but I think I have a way to end the trial early."
"What about the insignias?" Miko asked, puzzled.
"That… I don't know. Ending the trial doesn't mean passing it, but it's also doesn't mean we'd fail it. Can you tell me how do you specifically pass?"
"That depends on the insignia you're aiming for. There are many types, including The Conqueror, The Slayer, The Saint, The Hero, The Lord, and The Explorer.
"For the Conqueror, you need to conquer the tower. For the Slayer, you need to kill a high-tier monster. For the Saint, you need to heal many but never kill. For the Hero, you need to save others, from humans or monsters alike. For the Lord, you need to lead others toward survival. Lastly, for the Explorer, you need to find the world's cores."
Arthur listened as he munched on his food, processing everything she explained. To be frank, it was more than a lot. He had no idea it required that many conditions and each insignia had a different name. He should've learned these things much earlier, although they wouldn't change much.
"What if everyone escaped the trial grounds, while not receiving an insignia yet?" He said, hoping for an answer.
"That's… I don't know. It never happened before." Miko hesitated as she added some theories. "Usually, you'd pass the trial when you teleport outside and receive your insignia. If teleportation is the key, then it would make sense if everyone received an insignia based on what they did, even if they didn't pass."
Arthur felt ominous hearing this. If nothing similar happened before, why would it happen now? Did Solomon lie to him? That was a possibility. But… if it worked, he would teleport outside while saving everyone, including Kira. To follow the other routes, he would have to leave Kira here, forever waiting to be killed for its mana core. Arthur didn't want that.
"Okay, we need to leave this place." Arthur stood up from his position, startling Miko by his sudden decision.
"Why are we leaving so suddenly?"
"We need to gather our allies," He went into the pub and started to gather his supplies and equipment.
"To do what?" Following after him in a hurry and watching him packing, Miko asked. He turned toward her and grinned for the first since they met.
"End this world."
***
"Do we have a deal?" Yuran asked, looking at the bald monk in front of him. He sat under a waterfall as he closed his eyes. As if he didn't hear him, the monk continued to meditate. Fey almost drew her weapon out but Yuran held her hand.
"You have an impatient friend." The monk opened his eyes. He was a bald young man with three ear piercings in each ear. He stood up from his position, towering over the two people with a height Yuran estimated to be above 190 centimeters. He walked toward them and stood in front of the two.
"She's like my little sister, please excuse her." Yuran wasn't a person who would shy of apologizing. The young monk smiled at him and nodded.
"If you asked me anything else, I doubt I would have helped. But to heal someone, not you even, is a virtuous demand. If I decline, my teacher would spank me three hundred times once he knows."
The youth laughed audibly, even the trees shaking by that laugh. It was hard to believe this man was a healer, as he resembled a fighter than most fighters did.
"Thank you," Yuran sighed in relief. With this, he would have a bit more hope toward accomplishing his dream.
"However, to receive a favor, you must also give one," The monk grinned.
"Anything. Money, artifacts, potions…"
"No, not that." The monk shook his head. "Even being a healer, I have some people I wish to take vengeance of."
"You mean…"
"I want you to help me find and kill someone."
"Okay. Who is it?" Yuran's eyes were the usual, unfazed by the thought of killing someone. The young man in front of him was known as the genius healer, and he wouldn't mind killing someone if it meant gaining his trust.
"His name is…"
The name sounded familiar, but not so familiar. He had read it once before, and the gears in his brain spun looking for the answer. Luckily, it was something he came across only recently while reading the information of someone. However, the identity of this person was related to someone he owed his life to. Someone he met not so long ago.
The name was Seref Silvera.
Goal: TOP 200 POWER RANKING!
Arthur rode on Kira's back while stroking its back affectionately. He was taking them toward the underground tunnels where they would hunt mid-tier creatures until the night arrives. After that, Arthur would sneak into the camp using Miko's ability to ask Hazel to help him in his quest.
The two descended underground and were met with a giant spider that was a low-mid-tier monster. Its skills were shooting tiny spiders and electrifying webs, and it was a tough foe in such a narrow tunnel. However, the two's teamwork took it down after a short battle.
Arthur was able to block the webs with his protection rune easily and Miko was able to teleport above the monster attacking its eyes. The two then warped it up and killed the monster.
Arthur finally got to use his Earth manipulation skill as he split a rock into mana pieces and used them to attack the tiny spiders.
[Perception increased by 1.]
[Perception increased by 1.]
[Perception increased by 1.]
That was the result after Arthur absorbed the monster's body. His senses witnessed a sharp increase and the dark tunnel looked brighter than before. The only illumination came from the minerals in the walls, but they were enough for them to see.
[Scholar Guardian's Legacy]
[Level: 11 (22%)]
[Strength: 53]
[Agility: 50]
[Stamina: 40]
[Perception: 34]
[Mana: 22/42]
[Abilities: Beginner Runes Wordsmith (13%), Useable Runes: 8]
[Skills: Lesser-Mana Breathing Skill (F), Poison Strike (F), Camouflage (F), Earth Manipulation (E)]
Arthur looked at his legacy while they were resting and drinking water. After he leveled up from level 10, he was given two stats points to use. It seemed levels beyond 10 gave 2 stats points per level, or that is his initial guess. He spent the two points on mana again since it was his most lacking and essential stat.
He had come a long way from the time he didn't even have a skill, three runes, and 10-something stats. He was now a neo-ranker, albeit on the beginning line, but he was a ranker.
"Want to hunt another monster?" Miko asked, and Arthur looked at her with some confusion. She blinked and asked, "What?"
"Why do you hunt?" Arthur blurted out, realizing others didn't hunt to absorb essence like him. There was a different reason, one he didn't know.
"Oh, same as others. The usage of mana in stressful or dangerous situations would normally cause a slight increase in our internal mana. Pushing ourselves beyond our limits is a way to squeeze out our potential to evolve. Furthermore," She picked up the core that had appeared from the spider, "this can be used to make mana potions. Drinking them would also increase our mana."
As if a lightbulb has lit in his head, Arthur felt enlightened. He had never cared about how they got stronger since he had his cheat-like leveling-up legacy. Now, however, it seemed others also killed monsters to get stronger and reap some benefits.
However, this didn't mean this was the only way to get stronger. Arthur used his lesser-mana breathing technique to replenish his mana faster, couldn't there be a high-end technique to make mana his own?
Arthur didn't ask any more as it would raise suspicions about the method that he gets stronger, so he kept quiet. He thought about the stats point he gained, were they his potential, or was it a bonus from his legacy? He didn't know. So many questions, but Arthur had the time to seek their answers in the future.
The two kept hunting until the light was gone before they crept toward Erin's camp. They left Kira a distance away and they used the darkness to infiltrate the camp. Many were wounded in their ranks, bespeaking the chaos that had ensued due to the end of the first round. The monster has been slain by someone else, probably one of the powerful figures Arthur had yet to meet. He spent most of his time in the south of the trial grounds, without venturing toward the others.
It seemed a Monster Madness was happening last night, as the monsters got more berserk and threatening with each round. That's why many people were trying to gain their insignia and leave this place. With each passing moment, it would become a more hellish place.
"Why don't they just leave the tower alone, if it would result in more chaos?" Arthur asked Miko this question when they were underground. Her answer left Arthur deeply shocked.
"To gain an advantage. The earlier rounds are easier; thus, they don't want to wait for someone else to clear them. The more you wait, the less chance you have to pass. This is a competition, not a teamwork carnival where everyone would hold hands and pass together.
"This trial is set up in a way that passing would make it more difficult for others, increasing your chances of obtaining the holy crown."
That was her answer. It left Arthur with a newfound understanding of what he got himself into. This was the competition where you win by stepping on the corpses of your competitors.
This has further reinforced his determination to end this trial grounds. Many would die if he didn't, and he didn't care about the holy crown that much.
"Do you know where she is?" Miko asked with a low voice, scanning the camp with her silver eyes. The plan was to wait for Hazel to be alone before she would teleport Arthur to a nearby place. Arthur would then ask Hazel to help them.
The plan was going smoothly until now, but they couldn't locate Hazel anywhere. It was then that Arthur realized something. If Erin was after him and Miko, what would he do to Hazel, Arthur's friend?
He felt like he was the stupidest person alive at that moment. How did he not think of this until now? What if something has befallen Hazel because of his choices? There was no medicine for regret, and Arthur prayed in his heart that he wasn't late. It has only been a day since Erin saw him with Miko, not a lot could happen."
"Is it possible that Erin captured her?" Arthur asked, slightly worried. Miko froze at these words, further worrying Arthur.
"There's a reason I tried to kill Erin by myself." She said with a terrifying chillness. Arthur stared at her, waiting for her to continue.
"Under the guise of the genius berserker laid an ugly truth. His family invested in him so much that they were willing to cover up his misdeeds, assaults, and even rape. That's what we confirmed, there could be…" Miko had to cut her words short as she felt the unusual atmosphere. She turned around only to see his golden eyes were now shining brightly in the night's darkness as if torches lit up inside of them. No, torches were an understatement. She saw two miniature suns, threatening to overtake the world. Her body shivered as she felt threatened by the amiable youth for the first time. It was the first time he had shown this emotion. It was pure rage.
"Let's go," His voice was the calmest it had ever been. Miko snapped out of it, feeling like she was unable to stop him. He stood in front of the valley and raised his left hand toward it. Miko saw light shine from his hands, and it grew brighter by the second. Mana was leaking from his body at a noticeable rate, and she feared they might get discovered.
Arthur used his detection rune to find Hazel, but he tried something different. Instead of making the detection range a sphere, he sent mana toward the rune to change its properties just like the time he did with the bell. He stretched the range the rune worked on from a sphere shape to a rectangular plate, covering the whole camp. His legacy sent him some messages but he was too focused on scanning the camp to read them.
His brain almost overclocked because of the number of life-forces he felt. Some were flickering, others were being extinguished, and some were stronger than the rest. As it reached Erin's tent, Arthur felt several life-forces and he snapped his eyes open when he saw they were clashing.
"Miko! Teleport us into the giant tent in the middle!" His instincts were screaming at him that whatever happened there, it was related to Hazel.
***
Earlier, at the first sign of nightfall, Jin heard some gossip that made him frown. He was already in a foul mood since the return of Erin's elite squad, as Erin ordered for Hazel to be imprisoned at once. If not for his family and his group backing him, Jin didn't doubt that he would have also been confined.
When he questioned his decision, Jin learned of what has transpired during the squad's hunt. The person Hazel brought to the camp was an accomplice of the assassin who tried to take Erin's life a few days ago. Erin believed that that mutt was a spy that Hazel has brought into their midst, and Jin had no way of debunking his claims.
After having Hazel imprisoned and confined, the camp had to fend for itself for the whole night against the monsters going berserk at the end of the first round. It lasted for the whole night and many were wounded, temporarily burying Hazel's case. Jin was hopeful he could plead on her behalf from Erin and that Hazel would spill how she got to know the mutt.
The rumors shattered his hopes as they were talks about how Hazel's confinement place changed to be Erin's tent after nightfall. Even if he was with half a brain and as clueless as he came to life, he would still realize what Erin was doing. He knew of his foul reputation among the families, although it was a secret.
As soon as he heard these rumors, Jin started making his way toward Erin's tent. He prayed he could solve it easily. If that didn't work, however, he can only resort to dire means.
Enjoy this chapter ~
Special thanks to MistofOblivion for his heartwarming comments.
Goal: TOP 200 POWER RANKING!