Level Up Legacy

Unexplored lands, undefeated dungeons, and invincible enemies make the blood of every warrior boil with excitement. It does not matter if you were weak, young, or old. Your blood craves the excitement of accomplishing impossible feats, and that’s precisely what the young man before him was feeling.

Arthur felt the same as he stared at the warnings that the tower flashed before their eyes. However, none of them dissuaded him from entering this demonic palace. With a single swing of his hand, the warnings disappeared.

“You have all seen the survival percentage,” said Arthur as he turned around. “We are nothing but strangers, so I don’t expect you to fight alongside me. However, I’m going in for a hidden reason: I suspect the man I’m hunting to be here.”

“Why are you telling us this now?” asked Joey with a raised brow while taking out knuckledusters from his bag and wearing them around his fists. “Do you feel like you are dragging us with you?”

“I feel like you deserve to know the truth. In the beginning, I wanted to destroy the altar to escape the encirclement. However, I now have reason to believe that he is here.”

“Who is he?”

“Someone who killed the father of a dear friend of mine,” said Arthur with rage visible on his face as he turned back toward the demonic palace. “He is a master of illusions, so I advise caution in this cave.”

“What lies at the end?” asked Fae after a moment of thought. “And have you been there? If so, how did you do it alone?”

“The first time I went into the palace, I was with my comrades. All of them died, and my body was tossed away to the peripheries of the cave after being defeated in the fifth room.”

“Unknown monsters and a dangerous place,” said Arthur with a smile as he turned toward the five. “Are you with me?”

***

[You have entered the Demonic Palace.]

[All exits have been sealed, and return scrolls cannot be used.]

[Reward points are doubled inside this dungeon.]

[Life force will decrease every hour you spend inside.]

[May luck find you.]

Arthur stared at the last message for a long time, as it was the only anomaly he had encountered inside this tower. It served no function and revealed no information, making it the only words the tower had spoken to them.

[First Room, 59:59]

A timer appeared above them as demonic energy gathered inside the spacious room. It was decorated with flowers and paintings, giving the appearance of a regular palace. However, it became evident from the appearance of demonic beings that this would be anything but ordinary.

“The first room has a hundred imps, appearing in sequence. Once we defeat those present, more will appear and so on,” explained Dal. “Although these monsters are weak, they are still demonic creatures. Be careful!”

The imp finished materializing once Dal finished his words. It had large wings that allowed it to fly, with the body of an old man and a twisted face. Arthur saw it grinning at them and snickering before it gathered demonic energy in its hands.

“It’s about to attack,” warned Arthur to the rest. Before the imp could throw its ball of demonic energy, a figure rushed forward and punched its head, causing it to explode. “…at least give it time to prepare, Joey.”

“There is no courtesy in fights,” said Joey as he landed on the ground, his knuckle dusters covered in purple blood. He swung his fist, making the blood splash on the ground. “More are coming!”

More imps materialized, causing alarm within the group. This time, three emerged, rendering the earlier scene impossible to replicate. Fae and Nixie released their arrows, piercing through the monsters’ wings. Arthur erected a mana shield, deflecting the incoming demonic energy. As for Koby, he muttered something while waving his staff.

“I hate to interrupt, but what are you doing?” asked Arthur, his confusion evident. Koby disregarded him and continued reciting the unfamiliar words persistently. Arthur realized that Koby was invoking a rune, specifically the [Fire] rune that Arthur held in high regard. “Is he trying to cast a rune?”

The scene astonished Arthur, as he had never suspected the slender man to possess any sort of magical abilities. Through his continuous repetition, the [Fire] rune began glowing atop Koby’s staff, eventually manifesting a small flame. Arthur was taken aback, as an ordinary man appeared to wield the runes Arthur considered his expertise.

Koby let out a final shout before thrusting his staff forward, directing the fireball towards one of the imps. The creature was hit and exploded, emitting a shrill scream while remaining alive. Joey delivered the final blow, his knuckledusters penetrating its flesh.

“What did you just do, Koby?” Arthur asked with wide eyes, staring at the thin man who had stopped his incantation. Koby seemed pale and fatigued, yet there was a sense of pride in his expression upon seeing Arthur’s astonishment. “How could you use runes?”

“What are runes?” Koby muttered, his confusion evident. “I cast a spell, just like I did during the entrance exam. You were there, Alexie.”

Arthur felt embarrassed for not paying closer attention to others and assuming that fire was a mere skill. Witnessing Koby repeatedly recite the [Fire] rune to activate the spell was truly mind-boggling to the young creator.

“Is this a skill you acquired within the tower?”

“Well, this is just a basic spell from my hometown,” Koby responded, wiping sweat from his forehead. “Anyone can use it there. You can learn it too, as long as you understand the Diagram and the Incantation.”

“What are those?”

“Uh, excuse me? Need a little help here?” Joey called out once he realized that Arthur was engaged in conversation with Koby while he was surrounded by twenty imps. Arthur sighed and drew his Nightmare, deciding to swiftly finish this level in order to delve into the intricacies of Koby’s magic.

“Godslayer Art,” Arthur muttered, leaning forward. “Eternal Night,” he whispered, disappearing alongside his dagger. The group appeared puzzled at first, but their confusion turned to shock as they witnessed the annihilation of the imps upon their emergence. More spawned, only to meet instant death.

[A hundred Imps have been defeated. You have cleared the first room in five minutes and three seconds.]

A voice sounded near Koby as Arthur reappeared in his original spot. The floor was covered in imps, and the responsible figure for their slaughter regarded Arthur with intense curiosity.

“There’s… nothing more to it,” Koby stammered nervously. “Did you… eliminate all the imps just to talk to me?”

Twin sisters glistened with sweat, Joey was drenched in demonic blood, yet the individual who dispatched nearly all the monsters remained unscathed. Confusion filled the group’s gaze as they directed their attention between Arthur and their massacre-engaging ally.

“You don’t understand, Koby,” Arthur reassured as he patted the man’s

  shoulder. “Your understanding of what you consider simple… it might reshape my world forever. Please, sit down… and tell me.”

Koby couldn’t refuse and began detailing his insights to Arthur. The others recovered from their shock and chose to respect the duo’s conversation.

Koby expounded upon this astonishing concept. He divided his explanation into two segments: the incantation, ancient words conveying the essence of creation, and the Diagram, a guide for manipulating one’s mana.

Arthur requested a visual representation of the Diagram, beholding the [Fire] rune etched on paper. Though simplified, the diagram unmistakably mirrored the rune. This revelation left Arthur awestruck, giving birth to a novel realization.

Could humans harness artificial runes within themselves and channel creation into the external world? A seemingly rudimentary notion, yet one unimaginable on Earth. The challenge lay in reorienting mana control inward, contrary to its conventional outward focus.

Even Arthur, proficient in mana manipulation due to his spiritual energy, neglected the intricacies. He drew mana from his consciousness sea, employing it directly without refining his control.

“This is… remarkable,” Arthur muttered, clenching the paper tightly. “Disseminating this knowledge in my realm could empower countless individuals. Even the average person could learn it, potentially reducing casualties from creature attacks.”

“Implementing it isn’t straightforward,” Koby cautioned, shaking his head. “While common knowledge in my world, potent spells remain monopolized by influential families. Strength begets more strength, leaving the weak at a disadvantage. Few would share such knowledge, wary of aiding potential enemies.”

“It does make more sense to share this knowledge with allies only, but there must be basic spells to share with the general population. Otherwise, once times are dire, people would die without being able to defend themselves.”

“That is a noble idea,” said Koby with a nod. “I can teach you the spells, but I don’t know many. You can take them back to your world and share them.”

Arthur smiled and said nothing. As long as he finds the simplified version of his runes, he can create any spell he wants. It was at that moment he remembered Rosa, his assistant from Alka, mentioning something about an ancient sorcerer. It might have been someone from Koby’s world.