Level Up Legacy

Later that night, Arthur and Diana retried to their room on the ship. Rain gave them an entire suit that had spatial runes incorporated to increase space.

Alaric and his crew sailed ahead of them, guiding them toward a safer route away from the conflict. After gazing at their swaying ship for a while, Arthur returned to his room to find Diana combing her hair.

"I can create a shadow to do that for you," said Arthur as he closed the door, but Diana did not respond to his remark. He sighed, knowing that she was upset. "I apologize for not telling you about Rain. But she can be trusted."

"Sins can never be trusted. They are the embodiment of their respective emotions, whether it is greed, envy, gluttony..."

"And I am the Sin of Wrath," interrupted her Arthur, making Diana pause for a second before placing down her comb, still staring at her reflection in the mirror. "Although I never admitted it, you should have some clue by now."

"...that black lightning, right?" she muttered, her clear blue eyes lowering to the ground. "I could feel the ominous energy behind it, but... the Sin of Wrath?"

"I refused to believe it myself, until I met Eragon inside my sea of consciousness," laughed Arthur as he made his way through the room, his runes activating to push the furniture away from his path. "But in the end, I had to accept it."

"Back in Alka, you once mentioned that illusions do not work against you," muttered Diana with confusion. "Does that mean you were already the Sin of Wrath back then?"

"I think it's a little more complicated than that," he replied before standing behind her, reaching to touch her shoulders. Since his eyes couldn't see her expression, he was relieved that she did not mind his touch.

"Help me understand, then," she said, a tone a little icier than he was familiar with. "When did you become the Sin of Wrath?"

"I have always been, but I am not Eragon."

"Then?"

"I am someone who holds Eragon a hostage."

"...what?" her shock was evident through her voice, and Arthur laughed as he pulled the chair to turn her toward him. She sat before him as he lowered his head toward hers.

"Let me show you my sea of consciousness."

"...we are not even married yet."

Arthur was surprised, pausing at her words. He doubted for a second whether she was just teasing him, or whether the sea of consciousness was something major to be shared by the people of Alva.

Sensing his confusion and surprise, she explained, "For demi-humans, a sea of consciousness is where our traits reside. It is considered the most sacred bond for us to share."

"...I never knew that," he said, taken aback. "Does that mean your traits are spiritual?"

"Not really, but they have their manifestations on our souls. For my sea of consciousness, the world is half a blizzard and half inferno."

"That is befitting. What about the Isotox?"

"It resides there two, maintaining the separation of these two worlds," she replied. "In any case, you were about to show me your sea of consciousness? I want to wait for a special moment with my destined someone."

"But I thought I was..." he began, his voice trailing before he coughed, unable to finish his self-absorbed sentence. But then, he heard the cutest sound of a stifled giggle. "You are teasing me."

"And it was easier than anticipated, oh almighty sin of wrath," she said as she cupped his face. "I restrained the wrath even while frozen, remember?"

Arthur indeed remembered how she always helped him when he lost control. That made him wonder about the nature of their bond, since he never got angry ever since he reunited with Diana.

"I turn into a fool when you are around," he admitted with a laugh. "But if you don't want to see my sea of consciousness, I would understand too."

"Of course, I want to, idiot," she reprimanded him in the sweetest voice. "You are my destined someone after all."

[Critical damage has been inflicted!]

Arthur has never been so happy about being called an idiot before, and he almost melted at her voice and touch. The power she holds over his heart might be stronger than anything this universe had.

"I can't express how much I love you," he said while his arms wrapped around her, pulling her to his chest. "You are my destined someone too."

"I better be," she laughed. And then, the two broke off their embrace and leaned forward, letting their foreheads touch. Arthur then entered his sea of consciousness alongside Diana.

The two of them did not appear atop the Mountain of Black Lightning, nor beside the colossal giant of creation, but in a cherry blossom forest beside a lake.

"This place is..." muttered Arthur with confusion, since this has never appeared in his sea of consciousness before.

"Beautiful," muttered Diana beside him, a mixture of fire and ice spirit. Arthur could see her form in this world, since he did not need his sight. "I have never seen a scene more beautiful than this."

"Neither have I."

"What do you mean? Is this not your sea of consciousness?"

"It is, but this is a landscape I have never visited," muttered Arthur with confusion. "It reminds me of someone I know."

"You mean me?" asked a voice from behind Arthur, and the two of them turned to find a young man standing with azure hair flowing in the wind. He wore a shining silver armor with a sword strapped to his waist. "It has been a while, Arthur."

"Lyle?" muttered Arthur with surprise. "I thought your spirit still resided in Helios."

"It is, but this is just a remnant of my spirit inside your sea of consciousness," said Lyle before he turned toward Diana. "You must be the one who has his heart."

"I like to believe so."

"You both are lucky to have each other," said Lyle with a grin before he turned toward Arthur. "You managed to save her in the end, unlike me."

"You avenged her."

"And that is more than I can ask for," replied Lyle with a nod as he gestured toward the cherry blossoms. "This place appeared because you are finally happy, Arthur. Your sea of consciousness depends on your state of being."

"A growing sea of consciousness?" muttered Diana with confusion as her flames rippled. "But that should not be possible."

"Indeed not," nodded Lyle as he walked ahead of them toward the lake. "The moment our souls are born, our sea of consciousness is constricted based on our personalities, powers, and desires. A saying goes: all seas rise and fall, except the ones inside."

"Is the sea of consciousness something common in Alka?" asked Arthur with confusion, since Diana seemed well-versed in that regard. For his world, nothing was known about it except that it exists.

"For the noble families with a bloodline, it is the most crucial thing," said Diana with a nod. "As he said, the seas of consciousness are always static and unchanging. We might grow more powerful and gain abilities, but our souls will always be restricted by their seas."

"The case is different for this world," said Lyle as he advanced forward toward the lake, causing a ripple with his hand. "It changes every day, growing nonstop. In a world of stasis, Arthur, you are the sole person advancing forward."

"That explains how I can be both creation and wrath."

"Among many other things," said Lyle with a grin as he pointed toward the sky. "Our friend there is going to give us a ride. A lot has changed."

Arthur raised his head to see a giant figure in the sky. A moment later, he realized it was the same giant crane which he defeated and absorbed. However, it looked more majestic in this world, its wingspan covering the heavens and earth.

Moments later, the craned descended, and the three rode on its back. Then it flew toward the sky again, letting the cherry blossom turn into a small dot on the ground.

"I don't understand," muttered Diana while deep in thought. "How could a sea of consciousness change? It is the most fundamental structure of a soul. If anyone attempts to change it..."

"The soul would shatter," continued Lyle while gazing into the distance. "But Arthur here is different. His soul is always growing, absorbing everything it touches, including me."

"Are you saying that every monster I defeated and absorbed is in my sea of consciousness somewhere?" asked Arthur while staring at the crane carrying them. "For what cause?"

"No cause, other than being the natural state order," replied Lyle while petting the bird's giant feathers. "Your soul is just designed that way, to encompass everything under the heaven and earth."

As he left them with those ringing words, the two saw a mountain appear from between the clouds, covered in black lightning and a shattering roar of wrath.

"We arrived to our first destination in your world, the Mountain of Wrath. Eragon is still entrapped here after you sealed him together with Azkahar, still hoping to break free and take control."