Level Up Legacy

The clone struck Arthur from behind, who allowed himself to be attacked. It was a test to see if the clone used real fire or just a reflection of his abilities, but the flames scorched his back and burned his clothes.

Arthur grimaced as he was blown forward and had to somersault midair to land on his feet. He then tore apart the burning shirt and stared at it, making sure that this was real. Realization dawned on him after this strike.

“You are created from elements,” Arthur said as he turned around, and the clone turned back to its human form. “As befitting of the land of elements. However, how would defeating you make me understand myself?”

“We all use elements, and understanding them would give us a finer control of them,” said the clone as it created a sword made of fire while waving its hand around the blade. Flames left its fingers and joined the sword, increasing its temperature until the flames were blue.

“I can use your abilities far better than you do,” said the clone as it waved the sword. Arthur could fear the heat coming from it even several meters away. The clone raised its blue sword and slashed down, making an arch of blue flames cut the world in half as it traveled toward Arthur.

Arthur was about to dodge when he realized that the person behind was Little Yin. He raised both hands and clapped them and then slowly pulled them apart. A field of energy appeared between them and expanded to oppose the incoming attack.

The blue arch struck the barrier, and flames exploded in front of Arthur, turning the meadow into a wasteland. After the fire died, the clone appeared to be holding a bow. It was aimed toward Arthur as an arrow of blue flames formed on it.

“The trick is getting old,” said Arthur as he released the barrier. His fingers drew a rune in front of him that radiated cold energy. It was composed of runic lines that created water and stole the enthalpy from it. “Ice.”

The meadow started freezing with Arthur at the center. It rushed toward the clone, surprised by the sudden change of abilities. Fake Arthur froze and was turned into an ice sculpture it could react, which Arthur walked to and punched.

“How…” muttered the clone as it dissipated and turned into a multi-colored sphere seeped into Arthur’s body. As he appreciated the new affinity that he gained with the fire element.

“You did it!” said Little Yin as she rushed toward him. “I thought it would be harder to take him down, but you made it seem so easy.”

“It would be a difficult enemy to defeat if it was anyone else,” replied Arthur as he dissolved the ice on the meadow. “However, this clone can only replicate the abilities of a person. If I surprised it with something else, it would be defeated.”

The clone replicated the fire gate that Arthur created inside of his body. But, unfortunately, it couldn’t replicate Arthur’s primary ability, which was the giant inside his sea of consciousness. After all, Arthur almost lost consciousness the first time he tried to peak at that man.

[You have leveled up!]

A notification arrived, surprising Arthur. It seemed that his defeat of this opponent granted him some experience. However, there was nobody for him to absorb except for the core that dropped.

“Am I going to fight too?” asked Little Yin with nervousness. Arthur turned toward her after he picked the core and nodded before he had a sudden realization.

His latest function, the Party System, allowed him to share the experience with others and the other way around. If he could add Little Yin to it, he could increase her growth. But, as he was checking his legacy, Yin looked at him with confusion.

“What is that thing?” asked Yin with confusion. Arthur turned toward her with equal confusion, not understanding what she was talking about. Then, she pointed at the legacy screen in front of him. “That rectangular thing.”

“…you can see this?” pointed Arthur at his legacy screen with a shocked face. Little Yin nodded as she inched to look at what it was and even started reading the words on it.

“Party… System?”

Arthur closed his legacy by reflex as he stared at her with confusion. This woman could see his legacy, even though no one else has ever been able to do that. However, she seemed unaware that this was a legacy.

“How… can you see it?” asked Arthur with shock as he leaned away from her. Little Yin seemed confused by his question as if it was obvious that she could see it.

“Is it something others cannot see?” asked Little Yin as she tilted her head. Arthur was confident that she had no idea about how terrifying she looked to him right now.

His legacy was his biggest secret and what made him grow faster than anyone else. Arthur told no one about it except for Diana, who couldn’t see it either. Other than his father, no one should know about this artifact.

“Tell me if you see this,” said Arthur before he opened his legacy again, and Little Yin looked at it and then nodded slowly. Her face was apprehensive since she sensed his change of mood. Arthur closed his legacy with a frown. “This should be impossible.”

“Should I have stayed quiet about it?” asked Little Yin with confusion, but Arthur shook his head and patted her shoulder.

“I was surprised, nothing more. However, this should remain a secret between us. If anyone else uses something like this, you should tell me, but not them.”

“I understand,” nodded the young woman thrice, making Arthur smile. However, he still needed to understand why she could see his legacy since this was a precedent.

Arthur raised his hand and wrote a word with spiritual powers without moving his fingers. As expected, Little Yin turned her head toward the word and read it.

“Yin?” she muttered with confusion before looking at him. “Did you write my name?”

“Just a test,” replied Arthur before letting his spiritual energy disappear. He was sure of it. This girl was able to see spiritual energy and even spiritual artifact. Although the former had nothing to do with the latter, the fact that she could see them even as a non-awakener made him suspect her ability.

“That’s not my full name,” said Little Yin with a smile. Arthur looked at her with surprise, making her continue. “My full name is Suyin, but Babo and Lin Xue said I shouldn’t reveal that easily.”

“Suyin,” repeated Arthur with a smile. “What does it mean?”

“Unadorned sound,” said Suyin while twirling her right bang around her finger. Arthur smiled and nodded before giving her a sword from his subspace. She looked at him with confusion.

“This fight will be against your own, so it can prove difficult. However, it can be the best trial for your current self. We can make sure that this opponent is equal to your strength.”

“What if I lose?”

“Then you would die,” said Arthur without offering any assurances. “I cannot save you since this meadow uses a spiritual contract before the fight begins.”

“…”

Suyin was quiet as she stared at her reflection in the sword. She seemed scared since Arthur would no longer protect her as he did earlier with the blue flames. Even though she was pressured, Arthur had no choice but to let her deal with it.

“You will never grow under my protection,” said Arthur, and Suyin seemed to understand as much. “If mental fortitude can be honed through battles, then protecting you would do the opposite.”

“I understand,” said Suyin before walking toward the stream and staring at the waters. Although Arthur said he wouldn’t protect her, he wouldn’t let her be killed either.

A clone jumped from the waters soon after Arthur sat far away from them. As the clone landed on the grass, it looked like a replica of Suyin. The two women stared at each other.

Arthur noticed that although the clone was a replica, it was a mirrored image rather than a copy. The hairpin that Suyin used to tie her hair was on the opposite side of the clone. After a moment of silence, the clone raised its sword to attack Suyin.

Suyin raised her sword and blocked the attack before throwing a sidekick at the clone’s leg and bringing her to a knee. Arthur was surprised as Suyin slashed at the clone’s neck, who dodged backward and threw the sword at Suyin.

Arthur was about to intervene and block the sword, but Suyin raised her forearm to stop it. Instead, the blade pierced her arm as she rushed forward to strike the clone down.

Suyin slashed through the clone, who grimaced before pulling the sword out of the wound. The two women struck at each other, only to stagger back simultaneously.

“You can do it!” cheered Arthur for her, and Suyin gave a slight smile. Then, she rushed forward again with newfound confidence.