Level Up Legacy

Inside the offices of Runera, where the council meets every Sunday, Diana and Arthur were preparing for their journey toward the land of elves, Janea. The two of them carried enough rations and clothes to last them a month.

Arthur watched as Diana adjusted his clothes with a small crease between her brows. She had this habit of pursing her lips together whenever she focused on something. He found himself lost in her blue and red eyes.

"There you go," she said as she patted his shoulders and then held them with a smile. "I have a question."

"Anything," he said, and her face blushed at his hasty and endearing reply. She coughed a little and then turned to fix his hair.

"What does it feel like to be the world's strongest man?" the blonde woman asked, her hand combing through his black hair. "Does it feel different than before?"

"I don't know if I'm the strongest man," Arthur said with a smile. "There are a lot of hidden masters and forces the world has yet to reveal. We are about to embark on a journey to defeat one of them."

"That explains how nervous you are," Diana said with a hint of sarcasm, which Arthur found amusing. "You thought I wouldn't learn your human snarky comments?"

"But I fell for this demi-human because she was always brutally honest to a nightmarish degree," Arthur said as he caressed her cheek.

"Are you calling me a nightmare?" she asked with mock anger, which made Arthur pinch her cheek. "Ouch!"

"I know that doesn't hurt you," Arthur said with a smile. "In any case, it doesn't feel like anything."

"What doesn't?" Diana questioned as she rubbed her red cheek in confusion. "Being the strongest?"

"Yeah, that," Arthur said as he wrapped his arms around her and leaned his head against hers. "Because I know this universe still has gods that are stronger than me."

"…You never stop talking about them," Diana said in a rather serious tone, and Arthur heard the concern in her voice. He pulled himself back and looked at her with confusion. "I feel like this Netherborne Legacy is just forcing you to fight the gods."

"I guess we are discussing that out of the blue," Arthur said with a smile. "Can't we just enjoy this trip without thinking about that?"

"Oh, you want to have a chit-chat on our trip to save a failing ecosystem from a god-sent creature of nothingness?" Diana asked with raised brows. "Would you like to discuss the weather then?"

"…Fine, that's on me," Arthur said with a thin smile as he held her hands. "I understand how it feels for you to see me fight against Devaheim. But I can never stop fighting because they are the reason behind everything bad that happened to me."

"But you are happy now, right?" Diana asked with confusion, and a look of uncertainty flashed across Arthur's face. "You are unhappy with me?"

"I am happy, especially because I'm here with you, but…" Arthur muttered as he stared at her hands, running his fingers on her palmar creases. "It's about being the strongest like you mentioned earlier."

"What about it?"

"I spent countless years learning to master my wrath, and I succeeded, but it still feels a little undeserved because the King of Wrath himself was training me. Sometimes, I want to earn that power instead of learning it."

"I understand," Diana said as she held on to him. "But you worked harder than anyone else, trained more than anyone, to get this power. It doesn't matter if someone taught you, but what you accomplished with it. You gave this world its peace."

"I know that," Arthur said with a smile. "As for the matter with Devaheim, it's different than that. I don't fight them because of the Netherborne Legacy. I fight them because I want to do it."

"For what reason?" she asked with confusion.

"Because I don't want others to be as helpless as I was," Arthur said with a smile. "I heard their voices and their regrets. I want to build a world where that would never happen. Where everything falls into place, and there are no outsiders."

Diana smiled and hugged him tight. A knock came on the door, and the two broke off their embrace. Arthur allowed the newcomer inside, and it turned out to be Tiara.

"We are good to go," said the green-haired elf with a smile. "Again, thank you for saving our nation. Janea will forever be indebted to you."

"The entire world is suffering, not just Janea," Arthur said with a smile. "I still didn't receive the location that we have to teleport to, Tiara."

"I understand, but it's a little complicated. How about we ride on my astral monster? It'll be quick and safe," Tiara said. Arthur and Diana nodded before leaving together.

The three of them went toward the roof of the council, where a giant monster was waiting for them. A majestic green crane was waiting for the three of them and gave them a nod as they arrived.

Arthur and Diana rode on the crane's back before it started soaring into the sky. The two of them felt all their fatigue disappear as they rode on the crane's back.

"This is one of the many abilities of my companion," Tiara explained with pride. "It could heal up to a thousand allies at the same time."

"That is impressive," Arthur said as he patted its neck. "I can't wait to have an astral being."

"I thought you already had one but refused to show it," Tiara was surprised. "Does that mean that you are still a Deme-ranker?"

"I actually am," Arthur said with a nod. "I did receive a few weird dreams about astral beings trying to contract me, but I have a different choice in mind."

"You do?" Diana was surprised. "You never told me."

"Oh, you never met Kira. It's my wolf that I had before falling into your world and erasing the timeline," Arthur explained. "It has been over a year since we last met, but… I have a feeling that we are going to meet soon enough."

"I never pictured your astral being to be a wolf," Tiara said with surprise. "But you do have wolfish features."

"Wolfish features?" Diana muttered in confusion as she stared at Arthur, his messy black hair, and his sharp eyes and face. She began to imagine him as a wolf and then began to pet his head.

"…I'll just enjoy this without overthinking it," Arthur said with a smile. "When are we getting there? It should be a little far, so how come you wanted us to ride your astral being instead of teleporting?"

"Famine has overtaken our forests, but that's not all. It has distorted the natural mana inside them and turned them into unstable dungeons of mutant monsters. The forests themselves became quite dangerous to traverse."

"Mutant monsters?" Arthur was surprised. "How mutant?"

"Different than one would meet in the Blind Zones, but even more deadly," Tiara said with concern. "Our elemental attacks are useless against them, and they could easily destroy our barriers."

"Are you telling me that the monsters have obtained the elements of nothingness?" Arthur asked with surprise. The crane cut across clouds as they approached their destination. "Since when?"

"We don't know for sure. We lost many warriors inside the Death Forest," Tiara said with a frown. "But things will change now."

"…I'm sorry for refusing to help you at the time," Arthur expressed his sincerest apologies. "I never thought it would lead to so many deaths."

"You are not obligated to help everyone, creator," Tiara said with a shake of her head. "We stood aside as the world banished you. We have no right to ask for your help when you never had ours."

Arthur was silent as he turned toward Diana, who nodded in agreement. Before the conversation could go any longer, the crane emerged from the clouds and began descending. A vast expanse of green appeared beneath them with trees reaching for the skies.

"We arrived," Tiara said as she pointed forward. "Welcome to the Death Forest."

Arthur and Diana stood from their seats, looking at the giant circle of black amidst the green. They could see it spreading into the forest and hear the bestial howls coming from within it.

The crane began to descend as they approached the overspreading darkness. As they got closer to the ground, they began to see treehouses and bridges connecting them. They also began to see small gatherings of people around the Dark Forest.

"There, Arizon!" Tiara controlled her astral being to land, and it chose a clearing that seemed designed for flying mounts. As it landed, people began to gather around them.

Arthur helped Diana descend from the astral being as the elves began surrounding them with confusion. It was rare to see humans inside the elven settlement since they still hid their race from the world.

"What now?" asked Arthur as he looked at the gathering crowd. Tiara looked around and spotted a group of people coming through. A tall dark elf with tattoos covering his body led the group toward Arthur.

"Now we meet the person in charge of fighting the Dark Forest."