Level Up Legacy

Arthur decided to enter the second layer of the forest with Whisker. According to the feline, these monsters were changed weekly, making it impossible for challengers to learn their weaknesses. It ensured a fair chance for everyone since people had different specialties.

“I wanted to ask something, Seika,” said the feline as soon as the sun disappeared from above them, blocked by the trees. “Why did that demon seem confused about your existence and imply that you are either a demon or a god?”

“Because I don’t conform to the natural order of things,” said Arthur, hoping the answer would suffice but knew it would not.

“Are you related to gods or demons?” asked the feline again, not wanting to drop the subject. This topic seemed sensitive to the other worlds, which had a rich history with both entities.

“I awakened my powers a little over two years ago. In those two years, I experienced both heaven and hell. The things I encountered the most were people assuming or proclaiming I was something while I was not. This is the reason I haven’t paid the demon any heed.”

“Is there a reason that she assumed you weren’t human?”

“You heard what she said about inner worlds, right? Is that what you are curious about?” revealed Arthur with a smile, making the feline embarrassed as he faked a cough. “I have no idea what that is either, but I saw a vision when she attacked me. It might be the inner world she mentioned and the source of mist the demons use.”

Whisker did not ask anything more, but his persistence made Arthur intrigued. “Are gods and demons important in other worlds?”

“Demons have fought against the gods ever since the creation of the universe and the countless worlds. One story is that gods gave creatures the ability to evolve, but demons were blinded by greed and transgressed on the gods’ authority. It started the eternal war, bringing countless worlds to ruin.”

“Judging by what you said earlier, the gods sent their followers after the demons, and the demons retaliated,” said Arthur with interest. “It sounds like a fairytale.”

“Fairytales are for the ignorant. Everything that the mind can imagine exists. Your world has not witnessed it yet, but that might be why it will end.”

“How would you know what would happen?” asked Arthur with raised brows.

“Just the natural order. Hard times create stronger species. Your world has been cuddled and sheltered from the astral realm, making it weaker than the horrors of the universe.”

“It does not matter if the entire world is weak because I will be there if something happens,” said Arthur with shocking confidence. Whisker was surprised and then smiled.

“I wish my world had a similar character,” said the feline. At that moment, Arthur stopped as Whisker took out his gauntlets. Both of them could hear the crackling taps of something. “The monsters this time are….”

Arthur raised his head as he located the source of the sound. Countless red spots were dancing in the trees above. It took him a moment to realize they were eyes glaring at them from the shadows.

“Spiders!” the feline finished his sentence as his beastly eyes narrowed and the hair on his body stood. Arthur was surprised by the change, and he even let out a low growl.

“…it seems you have a personal grudge against them,” said Arthur, remembering how cats chase spiders. “Is there some history?”

“Spiders are the commonest monsters in my world,” said Whisker as he waved his hand, taking off his robe. It was the first time that Arthur saw him without the cloak. “I lost many comrades to this species.”

Arthur could not make fun of his grudge, so he nodded and took the back seat. The giant cat glared at the incoming spiders before he started growing taller. Although Whisker was shorter than Arthur earlier, he started growing as his limbs elongated, making him just as tall.

“Is this a species thing?”

“Morphing is common for most races. Humans are an exception,” said the feline, stretching his arms back. “This form allows us to grow faster and more precise.”

It was at that moment that the spiders jumped toward them in heaps. They shot their cobwebs at them, seeking to immobilize them, but Whisker was too fast for any of them to catch up.

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Woosh!

A whistling sound echoed as the feline jumped from one branch to another, splitting the spiders in half as they fell dead. Arthur did not gain any reward points from the kills, but he had more than he could handle on his plate.

The spiders surrounded them from every corner, and they needed to protect each other’s backs. Arthur remembered the time he fought against the mutant ants and almost died. He took out the weapon he had gained from Peter, which had been unbound upon his death.

Arthur waved the sword, and it grew longer like a snake. It rushed toward the incoming spiders, striking at their joints and dismembering them. The spiders fell in groups but remained alive.

The snake sword was versatile but weak. It could not penetrate the hard shells of the spiders nor cut their cobwebs. The best it could do was follow Arthur’s aim to strike at their joints, making a mess of them. 

Arthur returned the sword to its original length before rushing forward, striking those on the ground. His reward points came pouring as Arthur jumped from one monster to the other, killing those closest to him.

These spiders were easier opponents because Arthur had armor, which negated the cobwebs and their restraining effects. As the spiders realized that Arthur and Whisker were difficult opponents, they used a different tactic.

All spiders retreated before spewing poison at them. Whisker jumped high from the poison while Arthur slammed his lightning to the ground, forming a barrier. These elemental attacks were negated, allowing him to resume his hunt.

***

Sith Town was one of ten towns inside the red tower. That meant that ten percent of the challengers at the tower appeared in this town, making it a great starting point for anyone wishing to build an army.

Vesper was a man of such ambitions. Before he entered the tower, he was a warlord that commanded ten thousand men, all willing to die for his sake. However, no one governed him, and Vesper controlled his cities.

Many emperors and warlords tried to take him down, but through his plans and strength, Vesper managed to take them down and emerge victorious. However, he had to forfeit everything the moment the Red Tower appeared.

It was a fact that whoever wanted to break through his limits should clear a red tower. No one knew what the tower rewards, but it differed from the rest. Vesper knew a secret that not many knew, too.

A legend says that whoever clears the Red Tower replaces its owner. Vesper envisioned himself becoming a warlord across multiple worlds or even a king. It mattered not what he desired then. Whether it was wealth, woman, or power, he would obtain it through his tower.

However, many who tried to conquer the Red Tower fell dead. It was not just the monsters a man should worry about, but his kin. The red tower existed across multiple worlds, connecting them. This meant that many dangerous races could set foot inside it.

Vesper was an intelligent man. He wanted to tackle the tower not as a challenger but as what he knew best, a warlord. Thus, Vesper started building his forces when he arrived in Sith Town.

The first rule to build a force is to monopolize something that everything needed and desired. Inside the tower, it was food. Vesper looked for whoever follower he had that managed to arrive in Sith Town and formed a small group. Then, he seized the farmlands and started recruiting warriors to work for him.

In a few months, Vesper became the hidden warlord of Sith Town. Even the floor master, Peter, became his follower after witnessing his strength.

His preparations were almost complete, and Vesper wanted to enter the second floor with his army in the next few days. However, as always happens with plans, unexpected things happen that foil them.

“You were killed by a new challenger that Peter sent?” asked Vesper while sitting atop his giant chair. He was seven feet tall with a thick beard and build, making him look like a menacing giant. “This is the second time it has happened in just a day. Can it be that you are just a bunch of useless bastards?”

“We had no chance against her, sir!” said one of the men as he trembled. “She used a magical ability to kill us without moving! A red mist rose from her body before it killed us all.”

“Have you lost your mind?” asked one of his men. “If you don’t talk some sense, then I will you. The first challenger was a man using black lightning, and this one using a red mist? Do you think we are stupid?”

Vesper was silent, although his right-hand man was furious. He knew nothing about black lightning, but a red mist was something that he heard about before.

“The black lightning might be a hallucination, but a red mist can only mean a demon arrived in Sith Town,” said Vesper with a grin. “The heavens loath demons so much that whoever drinks their blood gains immense power. This might be the last thing we need to conquer this tower.”