Level Up Legacy

Although three fearsome opponents surrounded Yuvan Perli, each strong enough to shake nations, he did not seem flustered. Instead, he stood there calmly like a wise master seeing his plans come to fruition.

The puppets slithered, spreading across what remained from the collapsing walls. They formed a formation around Yuvan Perli, who seemed to be the only human the enemy had.

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“My mentor?” asked Yuvan with confusion before glancing at the corpse of Julius Vinera. “That man was simply my ticket in and out of Runera. He was just like my father, another sheep among the wolves. That reminds me,” said Yuvan as he turned toward Arthur. “Call my brother over here.”

“I refuse,” said Arthur without hesitation. “I will not let him see what a detergent you have become. No older brother deserves to see that.”

Yuvan Perli frowned for the first time since he appeared, and his face seemed menacing. As he saw how his mood soured, Arthur suspected some feud between the two brothers, at least one-sidedly.

“Even though I wanted to see his self-righteous face, it matters not,” said Yuvan Perli as he regained his smile and spread his arms. “You are all here for my head, right? Because I killed your beloved Julius Vinera?”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” said Arthur as he raised his hand, letting his golden mana leak through his fingertips. “I know that you are not the mastermind behind this. You look too idiotic.”

“You might be right, but that will remain a mystery,” said Yuvan Perli before he raised his crossed fingers, which began a sequence of explosions among his puppets. One by one, they started to explode into goo that seeped into the ground.

The three turned cautious as the puppet kept exploding, and grey goo seeped into the ground. After the puppets all exploded, leaving only Yuvan Perli, the goo started moving.

“Have you ever heard of a blood sacrifice?” asked Yuvan with a grin as the goo on the ground began to shine. “It is said that the greatest summoning needs the biggest sacrifices. Thus, some summoners use their lives as an exchange, but why would I do that if I have a battlefield nearby?”

“We should stop him,” said Johan as he raised his sword before sending a slash that cut through the ground toward Yuvan. However, the puppeteer did not move, allowing the devastating attack to cut through him.

His body split in two, but even before the slash passed through him, Yuvan regenerated what had been cut, just like the puppets. One-Armed Asura frowned because that meant Yuvan was a puppet himself.

“I have transcended the need for a human body,” said Yuvan with a snicker, “this life of mine is dedicated to the immortal sage and master of fate.”

  “Let’s see if you can survive this, then,” said Arthur as his hand crackled with colorless lightning, but even Yuvan knew better than to let it touch him. Everything would lose its mana if this lightning touched it.

“My preparations have already been completed,” said Yuvan with a grin as he waved his hand, and red lights rose from the goo on the ground. It has formed a giant runic circle with the color of blood.

As the black lightning rushed to strike Yuvan, a pillar of red light exploded from the circle. It covered the puppeteer, who began to disappear. Sounds of the undead screamed echoed in their ears as if this pillar was the gateway to hell. The black lightning could not stop it once it began, and Arthur realized the reason for this.

“This circle is using the spiritual energy of the fallen soldiers,” muttered Arthur with a frown as he gazed at it. “Is this what he has desired all along? For the fight to begin, and he could summon whatever he wants?”

As the three started at the red pillar, something descended from the now-dark-red sky. Arthur squinted his eyes when he realized that it was a tower descending to the ground, being formed in a spiral motion.

“A magical tower?” muttered Johan with a frown. “I heard that Astral Beings built these towers to challenge humans. How is Yuvan Perli able to do this?”

“He has summoned the tower, not built it,” said Velos with a similar frown. “However, is he inside that tower, or has he escaped?”

“Yuvan Perli escaped into the tower,” said Arthur as he watched the giant structure descend to their world. “I will follow him inside and kill him.”

“I promised Julia things would be alright, but I failed her. Let me be the one to bring his head,” said Velos with shame. “Otherwise, I can never look her in the eyes again.”

“Your presence is necessary inside Runera at the moment,” said One-Armed Asura. “The citizens are bound to panic once they see the tower descending on their walls. You must remain and calm them down. I have always craved a good challenge, so I will be the one to go inside and bring back his head.”

“Your guild is no longer a part of this fight, old man,” said Arthur as he turned around and walked toward Julius Vinera. “Leave Runera and take your guildsmen with you. I will take care of the rest.”

Arthur couched beside his body and used his rune on it. It was a rune to prevent his body from going through the natural decaying process to preserve him as he was. Then, Arthur grabbed the dagger and removed it before closing the wound and changing the clothes.

“I will leave his body in your care, Captain Velos,” said Arthur as he looked at Julius. “I never knew what kind of man he was, but I knew he was the best father in the world. Give him a proper funeral.”

“Are you going into the tower once it descends?” Velos frowned. “Then, what about your army outside my gates?”

“My conquest toward Runera will never end, and I will not betray what my men came here to fight for,” said Arthur as he rose. “I am the ruler of Runera, whether you like it or not.”

“There is still one more who claims to be the ruler,” said Velos after a brief silence. “If you have better proof that you are the one to build Runera, then you will have my support.”

“That can wait until I bring back his head,” Arthur said as he rose with the dagger clenched. “As for my army, I will tell them to rest until I return. There will be no more bloodshed in Runera.”

Arthur then walked toward the walls of Runera with the red pillar behind him. As soon as he stood on the edge, every soldier gazed toward him because all of them had been scared by the pillar. His army cheered when they saw him, and he gestured for them to calm down.

“The war is over,” said Arthur in a loud voice that penetrated the surroundings. “The evil that has occupied Runera and pushed for this war is gone, and Captain Velos knows it.”

The Runic Guards’ Captain advanced to stand beside Arthur, making his stance known to his men. This would make them believe that a truce has been reached.

“However, the mastermind killed a great man, one of the best that Runera had. Some of you know him, while others have heard of his great deeds. After that, the traitor escaped into what you see above,” said Arthur, pointing a finger toward the descending tower. “But I will hunt him down.”

“Until then, no more blood will be shed in this land,” said Velos as he advanced. “We have lost enough men because of the actions of traitors. After the culprit meets justice, we will negotiate the terms of surrender.”

Arthur was surprised that Velos would mention surrendering instead of taking a stronger stand. His soldiers seemed confused, but none dared to question his decision.

“I command every man and woman who swore to protect Runera,” called Velos to his men. “Go and evacuate the citizens from here, lest they get hurt by the descending tower. This is our duty as the protectors of Runera!”

His soldiers answered with a salute and then advanced back toward their walls. Arthur watched them and then turned to Velos, who gave him a nod of approval.

The citizens were evacuated from the nearby structures, and no soldiers remained on the walls. The tower was slow to descend, and by the time it was close to finishing, the ground was covered with a thick layer of now.

Arthur was on the ground, watching as the tower descended from the skies to pierce the earth and destroy the walls in its way. He was sitting while holding the poisonous dagger when Ilia Perli approached him.

“You must have heard,” said Arthur, not surprised. “I guess it is impossible to conceal the truth since many saw him atop the walls.”