Level Up Legacy

Lexi did as instructed, and right after dinner was served and throughout the feast, she played her finest tones to the soldiers. It worked wonders, and the gloomy atmosphere disappeared from the camp. The soldiers ate their full, laughed, and danced before falling into a deep, peaceful slumber.

Arthur visited the violist, who was playing from atop their biggest carriage, which also carried the supplies for the camp. She was sweating, and her hands were twitching from the strain. However, she seemed proud.

“This has been my biggest performance,” said Lexi with a grin before turning toward him. “Have I done well, my lord?”

“You were excellent,” said Arthur with a smile before he jumped to land on the carriage right in front of Lexi. “All of the soldiers are fast asleep, recovering their strength.”

“I’m so glad,” said Lexi as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. “I think I have exhausted all of my energy in that performance. It was the first time so many people cheered for me.”

“Then, what comes next?”

“Ah?” Lexi seemed confused about his question as she was just putting her villain away. She tilted her tired head at him, saying, “I’m not sure I understand.”

“You have put my entire army to sleep, including the ones that were supposed to stand guard. Everyone below the demi-rank has fallen asleep, so what comes next? Is Runera going to attack us?”

“My lord… Is this a joke? I did as you instructed, nothing more,” said Lexi with fear and confusion. Arthur was silent, and his golden eyes glared at her. Then, she took a step back. “Please, my lord. I just wanted to help.”

“I am not talking to you, Lexi,” said Arthur as he stepped forward while she retreated. “I am talking to the man controlling you without your knowledge. My first suspicion was when I found you in my bed and asked Julia to investigate you. Your mother died three years ago from a grave illness.”

“That must have been… a mistake…” muttered Lexi with confusion as she almost slipped from the top of the carriage. “Julia must have confused me with someone else.”

“No one dares call her by her first name,” said Arthur as his golden mana rose like flames on the carriage. “I will ask again, puppeteer. What is it that you seek?”

Lexi still seemed confused and scared, but after a few seconds, her eyes rolled back as she fell to the ground. Arthur bolted forward and created his rune, which he had used on the puppet giant before.

Then, he slammed the rune into her chest, which exploded with blue light as Arthur caught a glimpse of the puppeteer before the image disappeared. Then, Lexi fell to the ground, unconscious.

Arthur was silent as he stood atop the carriage amid his sleeping army. The fact that he had seen it before the link got terminated was one that he had never expected. However, he had no time to feel worried because the sky lit up with countless meteors crashing toward his army.

“The war has begun, it seems,” said Arthur as he stared at the meteors rushing toward his army. “Activate the arrays, Aurora.”

The Runic Dome then lit up with countless arrays across the sky. These defensive arrays were supplied by Adam Leno himself, making them indestructible. The meteors landed on the barriers, shaking the entire Blank Lands.

Arthur stared at the exploding meteors before he looked down toward his army. Their resting and peaceful faces made him reluctant to wake them up. Thus, he decided to take care of this attack by himself.

Several presences appeared in the sky as a platoon of Runic Guard drove their vessels toward the sleeping army. Arthur started levitating toward them as his golden mana exploded like the brightest star in the night.

Arthur hovered in the sky, his eyes fixed on the sky where the flying vessels hovered like dark shadows. A deep growl of anger rumbled from his chest as he spoke to his enemies.

“These underhanded means have gone too far,” he spat out, his voice thick with rage. “They think they can play games with me but will soon learn the price of their arrogance.”

His eyes narrowed as he glared at the vessels while raising his hand toward the sky. “If there was any mercy left in my heart to spare the lives of those opposing me, then it has disappeared,” he continued, his voice low and dangerous, and clenched his fist. “Let me show you… what happens when you test my patience.”

It was a blessing that his army was asleep because Arthur would not have wanted them to see his current wrath or actions. There is a limit where even the kindest person turns into a devil if it is crossed.

The clouds gathered above the Blank Lands as thirty vessels of Runic Guards started descending toward the unaware army. However, someone was waiting for them, and he was the last person these men would see.

Arthur soared toward the sky, appearing in the middle of these vessels. They took a few seconds to aim at him and fire their mana beams, filling the sky. However, Arthur raised his hand forward, from which a golden droplet descended.

Everything froze the moment the droplet fell and created a golden domain. The mana beams seemed slower, moving at a snail’s pace. Arthur disappeared before reappearing atop one of the vessels. The soldiers panicked and shouted before several rushed toward him.

“Ignite.”

A word made the world explode with fire, and the soldiers howl with agony. Their skin was the first to disappear, and then the rest of their body. Arthur stood in the middle of that hell, realizing he had slaughtered almost fifteen thousand soldiers.

In those flames, Arthur realized how foolish Aurora was for thinking he was noble. A noble person would never slaughter these soldiers without hesitation or stand amid their melting corpses, but Arthur was not that naïve anymore. These soldiers would have = killed them if Arthur had not intervened.

His army slept well that night, but unknown to them, hell was above. Arthur destroyed every vessel using his domain and kept no survivors. Everything turned to ashes, especially his patience.

***

The next day, when the army rose from its slumber, it found that most of the land around them was covered with ashes. Some ashes flew in the air, and no one knew their origin. However, since there was no nearby fire, most of the army ignored it and continued their march.

Later that day, the army would learn of what happened last night from the countless reports that shook the world. A fleet of fifteen vessels sneak attacked their army while they were asleep, but their lord eradicated it without a trace.

This made the soldiers more relieved than any music could make them. The knowledge that the strength of their lord was unmatched made their resolve stronger and pace faster.

Inside the Runic Dome, their lord was not in a joyous mood. Aurora stood before him, her eyes staring down at the ground. She was one of the few to have witnessed the events of last night.

“Am I still noble to you?” Arthur asked the Witch of Hearts. She was the one to live the misery of fifteen thousand soldiers that had burned to death with his flames. “Am I still who you thought I was?”

“I have already seen what you are the moment we met,” answered Aurora with a shake of her head. “Even a kind man changes when he is threatened. I blame you not for the massacre.”

“That is a relief to hear,” said Arthur, but his brows were still furrowed. “The rest of the world might not share that opinion. In any case, I wanted to ask how you missed knowing that Lexi was being controlled.”

“I could only see the subjective truth, so I saw what the puppeteer made Lexi believe. She was convinced about her new identity, love for you, and how her mother died. However, it turns out that these are nothing other than what the puppeteer planted in her head.”

Arthur found the explanation plausible, but it would have been a disaster if he had not suspected Lexi when she showed up in his bed. Although he did not think much when he learned about her background, it proved helpful when she lied to his face about her mother. “That is not what weighs on your mind, is it?” asked Aurora as she met his eyes. “You saw something when Lexi fainted, have you not? Have you seen the face of the culprit controlling her?”

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“Is it someone she knows?” asked Aurora with a frown. Arthur was silent before he sighed, then looked at her.

“The man I saw was… Julius Vinera.”