Level Up Legacy

The orphanage was filled with red particles that refused to disappear, even after everyone they used to be was gone. Blue flames still lingered on the ground after its members turned to ashes. A pair stood in the middle, one distant from the entire show, while the other stared at his dagger.

"This weapon gained a new name," said Arthur as he admired the blade and its dangerous sheen. He saw something swim in its darkness but disappear in the next instant. "Its name is Nightmare."

"Weapons evolve according to their user. I saw the same weapon take different shapes according to the man wielding it. In your hands, that regular black dagger has become a nightmare of its enemies."

"There is something weird about this dagger," said Arthur while admiring it. "I have no idea what it is, but I never thought I would find a weapon that feels like this. I don't think that I obtained it by chance."

"Daggers are common drops from spiders inside the tower," said the feline as he stepped forward, trying to reassure Arthur. "I also felt similar when I chose the gauntlets as my weapons. I could swear that this was fate."

"It could be my lack of experience, but it feels like something more," said Arthur as he lowered his dagger. "In any case, our goal has been achieved. We killed one of Vesper's three commanders in Sith Town."

"Vesper is not one man, but an army. If we weaken his forces, taking him down becomes less of a hurdle. However, I never asked what you wanted to do afterward. Are you going to rule Sith Town and build an army?"

"You know the answer to that question. My mission does not end here," said Arthur with a smile as he placed the dagger in his bag and took off the blue ring before placing it inside too. "We are going to clear this tower."

"That sounds good," said Whisker with a nod. "The demon is going to be blamed for their deaths too. We might have given her more trouble than an actual fight."

"I doubt the entire tower could pose any trouble to her. Furthermore, we…"

As Arthur was explaining, he suddenly felt something move inside his pocket. He reached toward it and took out the tongue he obtained from Peter.

"ATTENTION! DEMON SPOTTED!"

The tongue shouted as loud as it could, making their ears buzz. Arthur and Whisker both frowned at the news, which the tongue continued to relay in a softer voice.

"This is Romeo. We found the demon outside the walls. Everyone should gather near the northern walls. We are chasing the demon into the forest."

The report ended there, and the tongue ceased moving. Arthur and Whisker stared at the item and then at each other, both seeing the desire to see this fight in each other's eyes.

"This might be dangerous. Vesper himself will chase after her," said Whisker as he regained clarity. "If we get caught, we will be fighting against an entire army. Vesper is best known for his strength, not his elements or abilities."

"You want to see the fight too," said Arthur with a smile. "We will blend with the small fry. In this chaos, no one would realize we are not a part of their army."

"My cloak would draw suspicion."

"Then take it off."

"…as if my fur is less conspicuous. I will keep the cloak," said Whisker with a speechless face. Arthur smiled and pocketed the tongue before raising the hood of his black robes. "We are going to see their fight, nothing more."

"As you command, old man," said Arthur, making Whisker hiss at him like a true feline. "You are much older than I am, making you an old man in my books."

"I'm twenty years old!"

"…we are the same age? You have a son!"

"Felines mature faster than humans. We reproduce at ten years of age," said Whisker with a shake of his head. "You humans are the abnormal ones for living for so long. A regular feline only lives until he is fifty."

"…I guess we are truly different races," said Arthur with awe as the two walked out of the orphanage. The streets were deserted, as most people left the tower to hide in their rooms. "What happened to the orphans?"

"I told them to remain in their rooms for a few days. I gave them some of the food I had stolen. Most of them have been born inside the tower, so they are used to the lives of solitude. However, the orphanage gives them a chance to grow."

"How long has this tower been here?"

"I met some challengers who spent their entire lives inside this tower. They know no other life other than the constant threats and the lawless society. I tried to tell them that there are more than small towns surrounded by wilderness, but their minds could not fathom the concept of an open world."

"I wonder if I would be the villain to those people once I clear the tower," said Arthur as he stared at the red sky. "I would rob them of the lives they knew best. Some might hate me for separating them from their friends and families."

"Many more would thank you for setting them free, including me," said Whisker as his eyes stared straight ahead. "You will be the villain to some and the savior to many. Which one do you care about more?"

"Doing what I want. I refuse to live as others dictate. I will find Yuvan Perli and the immortal sage and kill them. If that clears the tower, those who hate me can join the line of enemies."

"A man who lives without principles is lost," said Whisker without turning toward him. "You might confuse carelessness for freedom, but we must be the prison and the prisoner. We must protect the world from ourselves and our desires, no matter how much it hurts us."

Arthur did not reply to him and chose to internalize those words instead. The feline would not gain anything from Arthur changing his mind. The feline would remain trapped if Arthur refused to kill the tower owner.

"I can never be a hero."

"It was never about being a hero, but discipline. If we let our desires control us, we would not be different from monsters. Those creatures also let their desires control them, no matter how different they are."

Arthur did not say anything more but thought about it. The two walked to the northern wall and noticed the commotion outside the walls. Countless men rushed with their swords toward the forest, following their commander.

The two rushed as well, following the crowds of people. Their presence went unnoticed in the chaos, as the two had planned. However, before he dived into the forest, Whisker tapped on his shoulder and gestured for him to follow after him.

Arthur followed, and the two circled the commotion. Then, Whisker jumped on a tree branch before climbing the trees by jumping from one to the other.

***

A crowd of people surrounded a single cloaked figure. The number of men and women forming a barricade easily reached a thousand, and their numbers still increased.

"You can no longer flee, demon," said the handsome man with his hands glued to his sword, which rested on the ground. He gave out a heroic aura, but his eyes were shadier than the trees around them. "Surrender now, and we won't have to kill you!"

"..."

The demon did not respond and chose to stare at the ground. Then, they raised their heads and stared at the trees as if enjoying another lovely day.

"Call for the lord again," said Romeo with a frown. "Fang should be here as well. What is taking them so long?"

Although he displayed a heroic attitude earlier, his face was as pale as a sheet while whispering to his lackeys. Sweat rolled down his face as he stole glances now and then, checking that the demon was not attacking them.

"Are you going to stand there and wait for your master?" asked the demon, making him flinch. Romeo turned to meet her scarlet eyes, which made him shiver. "Should I greet his arrival with your skulls decorating this forest?"

Although he knew he could revive inside the tower, demons could break all laws. Thus, everyone here knew that if the demon killed them, they might not revive.

Romeo suddenly remembered that some of their men were killed by the demon but revived nonetheless. His courage remained with him as he puffed out his chest and filled it with air.

"You think this could scare me? We cannot die inside the tower, whether you are a demon or not! Come forward, those who this demon has killed!"

Three men stepped forward, albeit with fear. The demon turned toward them and recognized them before her grin widened.

"I allowed you to survive to give that feline his arm back, but you came to die for good. Whether you would revive or not, come forward and test it."