Level Up Legacy



A groove appeared in the ground below him as his figure cut across the sky. The valley was nestled between two hills filled with forests. Arthur used the cover of the forests above to leap over the valley before landing on one of the hills. From there, he surveyed the scene below.

The valley sprawled out like a deep groove between the two hills, with extensive land covered in grass and lakes. Despite the vast landscape, Arthur managed to locate the ongoing battle using his keen perception. He spotted a group of soldiers wearing armor, surrounding a giant dragon with countless wounds covering its scales.

The dragon roared, spewing fire from its mouth, while the soldiers screamed and shot bolts at the creature. However, Arthur frowned as he noticed that their bolts couldn't even scratch the monster. It puzzled him how the dragon managed to sustain those wounds.

His attention was then drawn to another group of soldiers surrounding something else. At their lead was a tall man riding a horse, while the other figure was cloaked and shrouded from view.

"This person might have attacked the dragon first before these men tried to take it down. In this tower, there are bound to be some kill-steals since rewards are only given to those who killed a monster. A dragon must yield a lot of rewards and treasures," Arthur speculated.

Though the situation became clear, Arthur still had no idea if this cloaked person was one of his companions. He had no choice but to get closer, running down the hill and diving into the valley.

***

"I will repeat my offer," said the Titled Knight as he pulled the reins on his horse. "Join the army of Xeloria, and I will guarantee your own platoon to lead. I saw your strength, and I acknowledge you as a great addition to the Xelorian Army."

"And what would I gain from that?" asked the cloaked person after a moment's pause. "You came to finish off the dragon I fought and expect me to join such a lousy army? You lot are a band of thieves."

"We should kill her here, Sir Jonathan," said one of the soldiers as he brandished his sword. "I saw how she fought the dragon. Her arts are definitely demonic!"

"Our lord does not discriminate, even if you were a demon," said Sir Jonathan as he offered his hand. "In Xeloria, there is always a place for strong fighters. Join us, and no one would dare to cross you again."

"Is that so? Kill him, and I will join," said the cloaked woman after a few moments of thinking. Her white slender fingers pointed at the man who called her demonic. "His words are the exact opposite of yours."

The group fell silent as their commander froze. After a few moments, his sword left its sheath, and the man's head rolled on the ground. The soldiers gasped as blood gushed from the severed head. Then, the body began to disappear.

"Sir!" shouted one of the soldiers, horrified at what his captain had done.

"He will revive," said the Titled Knight while sheathing his sword. "Can any of you harm this dragon?" he asked while glancing toward the roaring monster, which was being attacked by the majority of his squad.

"Are you an idiot?" asked the cloaked woman, looking at the headless man disappear. "Why would I join a group where someone would get killed over the prospect of someone stronger joining? That sounds like the shittiest place to be!"

The Titled Knight looked pale with anger because he was deceived by this person. The rest of the soldiers seemed uneasy as they eyed their leader with fear. Feeling their gaze, the knight turned even angrier as his aura exploded.

"I gave you a chance to be something great, but what a pity! I, Knight of the Silver Rose, will take you down and offer your head for the entire Xeloria to see!"

"Getting angry over rejection is unsightly," said the woman with a grin as mist rose from her cloak. "I never planned on forgiving you for trying to snatch my prey and ruining my fight. No matter how many soldiers you kill… you all will die."

The mist exploded with her at the center, engulfing the entire battlefield. Those who came in contact with it started screaming in agony, while those lucky enough managed to evade it just in the nick of time.

Sir Jonathan swung his sword, creating a gale that pushed the mist away. His long hair, cascading on his shoulders, seemed to rise in the wind. Silver petals appeared around the knight as he took his stance with a face full of rage.

The battlefield turned chaotic as silver petals seemed to absorb the blood mist. As the dragon fought against the soldiers, the two opponents were left alone in the middle of the chaos. Then, the knight slashed with his sword.

Following his attack, the silver petals danced in a tornado, becoming stained with blood. They rushed toward the cloaked fighter, clashing with the original blood mist, and pushing her back. The hood fell down, revealing her horns and scarlet eyes.

"As we suspected, a demon arrived in Xeloria!" said Jonathan with a grin as he struck again, forcing her back once more. "Your blood mist is of no use to me! My silver rose can absorb all attacks and use them! It is the ultimate defense and offense!"

The silver petals rushed toward the demon, cutting through her skin with each strike. Her expression, however, showed no signs of fear. Instead, she gave a crazed grin as the blood she bled fueled her mist, making it thicker and more destructive, destroying the entire battlefield.

"Does pain excite you, disgusting creature?" asked the knight with a face of steel. His hair had turned silver, and his sword remained in place. "You might have mistaken my interest for weakness. A knight of Xeloria is one of its strongest!"

"And one of its loudest, apparently," said the demon before her blood ignited as it ran over her skin. "You need to bring the entire army if you want to take me down."

"I brought something better," said the man with a grin. The demon was confused as lights shot from beneath her. As she looked around, she saw several figures at the end of the battlefield wearing white robes. Each of them gestured with their hands, and shining lights followed their movements. "You are a newbie, so you don't know what arrays are."

Beams of radiant light connected the figures all around the battlefield. Her expression betrayed her confusion as her blood mist began to grow weaker. On the other hand, Sir Jonathan seemed at ease. His sword gathered the surrounding lines, and it began to glow.

"Xeloria is the city of arrays. We stand at the peak because of this array," said the knight as the lights began to wrap around the demon like shackles. Her body shrunk as the beams almost crushed her bones, but she did not let out a single groan. "You should have joined us when you still could!"

"How pathetic to feel proud of borrowed strength," said the demon with a grin as her blood ran hot. The beams began to crack, forcing the mages to cough blood. "No distance can protect you from me, puny humans!"

As the demon let out an otherworldly roar, she began to struggle against the light shackles. Several mages vomited blood as they collapsed, but others replaced them and created more shackles. The knight did not waste this chance as he took his stance to strike the shackled enemy.

"Say your prayers, demon. Although you have no one to pray for," said Sir Jonathan as his entire body began to glow. The demon struggled against the shackles but could not break free. Then, he bolted forward, piercing her heart with his radiant sword.

Time seemed to slow within the valley as the knight cut through the distance between them. The blood flared like fire, but could not break the array in time. As the distance between them reduced to mere inches, a victorious smile appeared on the knight's face.

"Hate your weakness," said the knight as he pushed the sword into her body. Before it could cut through her flesh, the hair on their bodies began to rise. A buzz echoed in their ears as their bodies froze in place. The smile disappeared from the knight's face as he realized something was wrong.

Boom!

Black lightning struck from above, instantly destroying the arrays and the silver petals. The knight was thrown back, along with his destroyed sword, as all the light disappeared from it. Sir Jonathan rose from the ground to see what had happened.

A figure appeared beside the demon, looking at her with a grin. On the other hand, the woman seemed surprised, gave a grin, and then became enraged. Her blood flared within the black lightning, seeming stronger than before.

"You are welcome," said the newcomer with black robes that fluttered alongside his crackling lightning. The knight tried to make sense of what was happening, but could not find the words.

"I never asked to be saved," said the demon with rage as her blood made her rise. "These humans are mine to kill."