Level Up Legacy

[Absorb: A Legacy rune that can use the life energy of the enemies you have slain to strengthen yourself.]

Arthur was confused at first. Then he looked at the fallen horned snake and used the rune on it. As the rune glowed, it didn't need any mana, and it turned into a white glow that entered his body. Then another row appeared.

[Agility has been increased by 1.]

"So that's how it is! Hahaha!" Arthur laughed with excitement at his new rune. It seemed his Legacy was far more powerful than he imagined. However, his thrill was short-lived as he remembered what he needs to do.

"How am I supposed to fight the whole world?"

***

If there were hunting grounds, then there's a mercenary tavern. These people who gathered here were those who earned just enough money to live by selling beasts' parts. They would stay at the tavern that also served as a place for the mercenaries who would stay the night.

Most of them were neo-rank awakeners who couldn't advance and wanted to live a simple life as they earned enough to send home. Elise's Eyes pub was one such place as it established itself as the oasis of mountain range Rovero.

"Any new ones lately?" A bearded man asked the bartender with a gruff voice. He meant the mercenaries residing in the tavern. The bartender, a young man, nearing his thirties with a receding hairline, sighed and shook his head.

"This place is too low-tired for anyone to take permanent residency here." The bartender habitably wiped the cups as he said. He opened this tavern, hoping to live a stable life with his wife, Elise, but things weren't the best lately.

As the two were talking, the tavern door opened, and someone came in. They turned around and saw a young man who just left his teenage years walk with bloodstains all over him.

His eyes darted from one place to the other, scrutinizing the place. As he stared at the duo when they saw his wisdom-filled eyes, they couldn't help to be dazed. He broke the silence and headed toward the bartender.

"Hello Sir," Arthur respectfully greeted before he asked what bugged him the most, "May I know where we are?" The two men glanced at each other as they heard his question.

Not long afterward, Arthur learned he was just south of the city he lived in, Kera. It was a mountain range called Rovaro that Arthur learned about when he attended school. The bartender said that it took one day of walking east of here to get to the train station.

However, Arthur didn't have the money to buy a ticket.

"We can buy any beast materials. If you have any, I can even take you there on my mount. It would take an hour at most." The bartender offered.

Arthur searched his pockets and retrieved a small mana core he got from the horned snake he killed on his way here. As the bartender examined it, he nodded his head and said it should be enough for the ride and the ticket. He even offered a bath and a meal to Arthur free of charge.

After he washed, Arthur had to wait for the bartender to ready his mount, so he opened the laptop the bartender offered. It had an internet connection, so Arthur started reading some online articles about legacies.

After an hour of browsing through articles, theories, and some official documents by the Union, Arthur learned a lot about Legacies. Although they were widely treated as legends by the common folks due to their rarity, they still existed.

Some famous people were said to have legacies that allowed them to rise above the common masses. One of them was the White Fairy; someone Arthur met not long ago. He made a mental note to check on Yuran later on.

The generalized concept of Legacies was the following. Whenever a person wanted to pass away, they can create a legacy containing a part of their will. However, it needed to be strong enough to outlast his body and escape life and death.

That means not only powerful people had legacies. Sometimes scientists created legacies containing their will of discovering a certain thing or uncovering a mystery.

The Legacy user would then need to do whatever the Legacy owner wanted if they wanted to get what the owner had to offer. It was like a trade that transcended time and dimensions. You offer what you have accumulated from knowledge and power to someone; they do what you want in return.

That didn't mean Legacy users were mindless slaves. They can refuse to abide by the will of the legacy owner, and it would disappear until it finds someone else. Then the person who rejected the Legacy can train using normal means just like anyone else.

"You're ready?" The bartender, Joe, walked in and asked Arthur. The latter nodded and cleared his browsing history before standing up to leave. He then remembered the wolf at the cave.

Did it die? Arthur didn't kill it since he didn't see a need for it. He couldn't eat a wolf, and he didn't know killing monsters would make it stronger.

Arthur thought he should go back and kill it to get stronger, but he felt reluctant as the two shared a meal and were both trying to survive. He decided against it and walked toward Joe's mount.

This was the first time Arthur would ride a mount in his life. It was a giant wolf with a saddle on and a big scar across its face. Arthur would have been intimidated if not for the wolf licking Joe's feet as he rubbed its head. It was a pretty sight that lifted Arthur's spirits, and he laughed.

"Can I rub its fur too?"

***

After an hour followed by a train ride, Arthur found himself back home. By the time he got there, it was already nighttime. As he walked into his house, he found his weeping mother with his brother Oren hugging her with tears in his eyes.

"Mom? What's wrong?" Arthur asked, puzzled. As his mother heard his voice, her petite frame flinched as she turned and looked at him with shock. In front of her was a letter that was too crumpled. His brother Oren also turned toward him as he, too, looked at him with shock.

"My son… He's alive… He's…" His mom then jumped toward him and hugged him crying. As he heard his mother's words, he finally understood what happened. It seems Yuran contacted his family and told them he had died.

He didn't think this would happen and didn't prepare himself for it. That's why he didn't know what to do, letting his mother cry herself out as he patted her back, telling her he was still here.

After that episode ended, the three of them sat together and talked about what happened. Arthur didn't tell them about Jizo as that was too hard to believe and too shocking. He only said that he fell in the hole and found himself transported outside the dungeon.

Although it was uncommon and somewhat rare, it didn't defy common sense. His family bought it, and the rest of his lies went smoothly as he told them he awakened an amplification ability. It was a basic ability, but it was a recognized ability nonetheless, and that's why his family was thrilled to know that.

After her shock subsided, his mother slept soundly that night. Oren and Arthur sat down and talked for a while. It was weird that they spoke like this after all this time, but Arthur knew it was the first step.

"So, how's school?"

It was a simple question, yet Oren flinched and started to stutter. He was nervous and started mumbling.

"I'm not… I'm not going these days…"

Arthur was about to get angry, but he felt like his brother had more to say. As he waited patiently, his brother tried to voice his words and kept closing his mouth a short moment afterward.

"Are you being bullied?" Arthur asked directly as this possibility appeared in his head. If that was the case, he needs to take drastic actions. When Oren heard his question, he panicked and kept denying it before he stood and went to his room.

Arthur sighed and wondered what he should do. If he called the academy, they would try to go through official means, and he doubted the bullies would get more than a warning. Most of the students attending Oren's academy were awakeners' children.

"Maybe it's time I go back?" Arthur's mind had this new possibility. He left the academy long ago because it was too expensive for him. Now, he can make some money to enroll in the academy using his new ability.

This would give him the qualifications needed to join a syndicate or a guild, allowing access to new resources and information. This way, he could find the father he lost years ago.