บท 20: New Skill

The next day, at the base of the tower centering the trial grounds, was a lone swordsman. He carried an apathetic expression as he looked at the tower towering the sky and earth. The familiar texture of his sword's handle had roughened along with his palms as he grew up from a nameless child.

Now he stood atop this generation's ability users with his sole ability, Divine Sense, and his sword. These two made up for each other, making him one of the few people worthy of being called the Seven Prodigies.

The door in front of him was the first step toward ascending the heavens. The Holy Crown was his.

"Are you going to conquer the tower by staring at it?" A crisp voice interrupted his thoughts. From the trees to his back came out a girl wearing gauntlets and no armor. The only thing covering her body was sportswear. The steel covered her hands and wrists, and each one had a mana core of different colors.

"You're late for someone with such a big mouth." Snapped Yurirl at the newcomer. The latter snorted as she surveyed the surrounding.

"That white bitch isn't here yet?"

"As foul as ever, Jenny." Yurirl turned around as he started heading toward the tower's door. From behind him, Jenny looked at his back before following right in. The two entered the tower as lights began shining on top of it. The first round has just started.

***

As he touched her forehead, he felt her skin to be smoldering. This was the result of mana deprivation. After overworking herself in the earlier battle, Fey now laid unconscious in front of him. Why did he need protection all the time?

As he thought of this, the image of a young man came up in his mind. It hasn't been a week since they met, yet he was already moving on. Did he deserve this? For a mere high-tier healing potion, the young man saved his life back. He wondered if this was fate or just a curse he carried around.

"Brother Yu…" Fey's body trembled as if she had a nightmare. Yuran reached out his hand as blue light radiated from his fingers. As the light touched her, her frowning face eased up as she entered a deep slumber.

"Who are those people?" Yuran's sight drifted toward the cave's entrance. The people who attacked him were ones he didn't recognize to be any of the seven families. If his thoughts were correct, they could only be the traitor's descendants.

"If that is true, then this Holy Crown Trial will be the last." Yuran began to brace himself for whatever is to come. Their ancestors have foreseen this. They called it the beginning of the end. Yet now, these teaching were treated as legends. But if… Just if… If they were true, then the world would change.

***

"So, you want to finish off the monsters?" Hazel asked, confused.

"You see, it's a part of my training. I want to gain experience by slaying monsters with your help." Arthur tried to come up with a suitable excuse.

As she looked at him long and hard, Hazel then briefly nodded as she resigned. "Sure, why not? You saved me once and this is the least I could do. I'll make sure that you get the final blow as I support you from the back."

With this, the two ventured into the forest. It didn't take long before the first monster arrived. It was an ape that was as tall as Arthur himself. As the two stared at each other, the ape began to bare its fangs. Unlike usual apes, this one had claws like those of a wolf.

From Arthur's point of view, he could see the nostrils of the ape flaring up. The ape's stature slightly bent, and it sprinted forward. Arthur used the three runes he had, barrier, strength, and agility, as he met the claws of the primitive grade monster with his sword.

When the two collided, sparks flew everywhere, and Arthur felt like he was hit by a car; this pushed his body back several meters as his boots left trials in the ground. The ape also staggered backward a bit, but not as Arthur did. This was the difference in their strength.

Arthur saw something fly above the ape, and he lifted his head. There was a ghost who started attacking the ape as well, allowing Arthur to catch his breath. As he calmed down, Arthur sprinted forward again to the ape who was busy trying to claw the ghost.

With whatever strength he had, he slashed his sword at the ape's Achilles heel. All this only left was a shallow wound that didn't bring the ape down. It turned around and struck its claws at Arthur, who was ready to parry it again.

"Careful, it's using poison!" Hazel's warning was barely in time for Arthur to leap backward as corroding poison splashed on the ground. It made a sizzling sound as toxic fumes rose into the air. It seems this battle would be more challenging than he imagined.

Arthur and Hazel's teamwork couldn't be said to be flawless, but it was sufficient to take down the ape. Although Hazel's ghost did most of the work, Arthur did well in taking the ape's attention from the summoner.

After several exchanges, Arthur finally managed to cut its Achilles Heel, and the ape dropped to the ground. Arthur didn't falter as he went forward and struck his sword at the ape's withered neck. As the ghost has also consumed the monster's strength, Arthur successfully dealt the finishing blow.

[You have leveled up.]

The ape's mana core rose in the air as Arthur grabbed it and tossed it toward Hazel. As she held the core with a questioning look, Arthur answered her unspoken question.

"I told you, I'm only doing this for the experience." Arthur nodded toward Hazel, who shrugged off and pocketed the core. Arthur could have used it to create some permanent runes, but he didn't like the feeling of being indebted toward someone.

"Okay, we should hunt some lunch." Hazel turned around and was about to leave when Arthur shouted from behind her back.

"You go on ahead, I'll be right there after I harvest the monster's claws. They could be useful." Hazel didn't turn her back as she kept going forward and waved.

Now all alone, Arthur was finally able to do what he wanted to do. After checking that there was no one around, he activated his legacy rune and began getting stronger. This would be the first primitive monster he absorbed, and he had some expectations toward it.

[Absorbing primitive-grade essence.]

[Strength has increased by 1.]

[Poison Strike Skill has been acquired.]

"A skill?" Arthur's mouth turned oval. He knew that some ranked monsters dropped skills, but this one didn't. That means that his legacy rune was able to absorb the skills of the slain monster. That would be too powerful.

As he opened his legacy menu, new numbers greeted him. This was his progress over the past two days.

[Scholar Guardian's Legacy]

[Level: 5 (33%)]

[Strength: 23]

[Agility: 26]

[Stamina: 14]

[Perception: 10]

[Mana: 4/4]

[Abilities: Beginner Runes Wordsmith (4%), Useable Runes: 6]

[Skills: Lesser-Mana Breathing Skill (F), Poison Strike (F)]

[Stats Points: 1]

It seems taking down that primitive monster with his current stats was too much of an achievement as it allowed him to level up. He now had one more stat point he could use on his mana stats. When his strength was 20, he could cast a barrier that would cost him two mana units and then cast the buffs he had. Now, however, he needed to increase his mana as his strength now became 23. With the buff, it would become 28, but Arthur always made sure that he would cast the barrier before the strength rune.

Now, his mana rose to 5. He would be able to cast the barrier rune with no worries.

"Who are you?" A guff voice came from behind him. As he turned around, Arthur saw a hooded person with a black robe and silver engravings.