Level Up Legacy

The ship sailed for four days to reach the capital of Sourna. Arthur was bored since such a distance could be shortened to a mere second with his runes. However, pirates had their way.

"If you don't bridge the ocean by your own hands, then why would you become a pirate?" laughed the pirate who suggested visiting Sourna for information about Deluge.

Arthur did not understand the thrills of the ocean at first, but he got a taste of it when the ship suddenly began to rise. The pirates panicked as Arthur jumped over the figurehead, looking down at the sea.

But the ocean was too far.

The ship was rising through the air toward the sky by some unknown force before that force disappeared. Then, the ship came crashing down.

"The pirates of Sourna are here! They use the force to crash ships and plunder them!" roared the pirate as he hugged the mast. "Netherborne fella, please save us!"

"But this is also a part of the pirate's life!" laughed Arthur as he spread his arms, his golden mana bursting from his body. "Levitate!"

The ship's descent began slowing down until it safely landed on the waters. The pirates were hugging each other as Arthur flew with a smile. He rose high enough in the air until he saw the person who did this.

"From all that distance?" muttered Arthur with surprise, since it was hard to control mana over such a distance.

"Pirates are attacking us!" roared the veteran sailor on their ship before everyone ran to their post. Rain grabbed the helm before turning it away, as her crew unfolded the sail.

Boom!

A flash of light from the enemy ship preceded the explosion, and Arthur realized they were firing cannons at them. As he saw that the cannonball was going to destroy his ship, he had to intervene.

Arthur dove down as he raised his leg. Calculating the exact trajectory of the attack, he slammed his foot to the cannonball, sending it to the waters. It slammed into the waters and exploded, mana bursting in a torrent of fire.

"You guys are playing dirty," muttered Arthur with a laugh before he flew toward them. Before they could fire another cannonball, Arthur landed on the ship.

Boom!

The wooden tiles of the ship broke under his feet as dust rose from the ground. Arthur dusted himself as he was surrounded by a group of pirates wearing robes and bandanas.

"Kill him!" roared one of them, raising a weapon at Arthur. In response, Arthur summoned his dagger, which unleashed a cry that instilled fear into the hearts of his enemies.

The pirates rushed to kill him, and Arthur welcomed them with a smile. However, before any of them could attack him, a shout from behind them stopped the pirates.

"You damned idiots, hold your hands!" roared someone from the deck above, forcing the pirates to stop. Arthur stared with confusion as he turned toward the source. "Is any of you stronger than empyreans?!"

"What are you talking about, boss?" asked the first pirate to rush forward.

A young man descended from above, a sword on his left waist and a gun to his right. He wore a large leather hat like the one Rain wore while sailing her boat.

"That man is Arthur Netherborne, dimwits," announced the man as he pushed the pirates aside to approach Arthur. "If you value your lives, then you should remember the person who fought against four empyreans!"

"Four... empyreans?" muttered the pirates with a chill running down their spine. In the meantime, Arthur smiled as he released his dagger, letting it disappear. "This youngster?"

"Don't dare say another word, you moron," said the captain as he stood several feet away from Arthur. "Please excuse my men, good sir. They are just a bunch of idiots."

"Are your men the same ones who used force on my ship?" asked Arthur with a smirk, examining the man before him.

The captain was young, almost as young as Arthur himself. He had long brown hair cascading on his shoulder, topped with a brown leather hat with a skull on it. Although he was handsome, he had a hideous scar running across his jaw.

"If I had known that a small ship like that had the great Arthur Netherborne, would I dare attack it?" asked the young man as he took off his hat. "Can you let it slide?"

"If you are a pirate, then you know nothing comes without a price," said Arthur with a smirk. "You have to pay up."

"Our lives are not worth much, but I will agree to whatever you ask," said the young man as he wore his hat again. "I doubt that the great Arthur Netherborne, lord of Runera and King of Wrath, would fancy anything I have."

Arthur was amused by the young man, who seemed far too well-spoken to be a mere pirate. Thus, he took an interest in him and decided to use this encounter to gain some information.

"How about we have a little chat?" asked Arthur as he pointed toward his ship in the distance. "On my ship."

"Steer the ship, boys!" shouted the captain without a pause. Arthur liked how fast he was to decide, and the ship began sailing to Rain and Diana.

Arthur stood on the figurehead, letting them know that they did not come here to attack. Rain received them with a confused frown.

"What happened?"

"I made an awesome entrance, but they recognized me and surrendered," laughed Arthur as he jumped to land on his ship. "But I found an interesting fellow who will prove useful."

Rain watched the young captain board her ship without fear. His crew looked wary, but their captain was at ease as he followed Arthur.

A table was placed in the middle of the deck, and rum was poured for the young captain. Arthur sat opposite him, watching the man inspect the surroundings.

"You must be the reason our worlds merged," said the young captain to Diana, who stood to the side. "If I had someone this beautiful waiting for me, I would also make an enemy out of the world."

"You get it," laughed Arthur as he grabbed a cup of rum as well. "How do you know so much about me?"

"Only a fool wouldn't know about the man who conquers empires and kills kings," replied the young captain. "In the seas of Sourna, knowledge is power. If I had not recognized you earlier, I would have died alongside my crew."

"You are easy to give up."

"A good pirate knows his limits," replied the young captain. "My name is Alaric, captain of the Cross Pirates."

"You already know my name, and this is my partner, Diana, and my friend, Rain. We were traveling to West Sourna when you attacked us."

"West Sourna?" muttered the young man with surprise before he smiled. "Then you might be grateful that I attacked you."

"Why is that?"

"Judging by your words, you were taking the old route to the coast. However, an island appeared between West and East Sourna, making the two sides fight over it. At the current time, any ship that approaches either side gets destroyed."

"What is on that island that warrants such a war?" asked Diana, and the young man turned toward her.

"Nothing other than great control over the sea. If East Sourna takes over the city, it will be a step closer to their victory over the Lord of Sourna. And if the opposite happens, no one will be able to defeat the Lord of Hikma."

"A political struggle for land," muttered Rain with a nod. "I heard such a thing, but we don't plan on getting close to that island. We want to enter West Sourna for information."

"What kind of information?" asked Alaric with interest.

"Have you heard of the Sin of Lust, Deluge?"

"Any pirate knows the Greatest Pirate in the sea," said Alaric with a frown. "Deluge is the captain of the Lust Pirates, a notorious group of ten thousand. He governed over the seas for many years, becoming the only reason that the West and East remain separated."

"And what about Valarie Storm?" asked Arthur, looking at Alaric with awe. His knowledge seemed vast and all-encompassing.

"I know her, but have never met her. Some believe she died a few months ago after clashing with Deluge. However, no one knows the truth."

"You know a lot about these affairs," muttered Diana with suspicion. "And you are eager to share it all."

"I know with certainty that any of you three can kill me, and I don't believe lying or refusing to cooperate is the right method to survive," replied Alaric with a smile. "Although I do know that Arthur Netherborne is never unjust."

"Even though I am the most hated man in the world?"

"You are hated for doing what you want," said Alaric with a smile before he pointed at the empty air. "But you also gave the people a chance to fight for their survival through the Level Up Legacy."