Level Up Legacy

"I believed the same, that it was a dungeon forming, but the howls made me uneasy. Have you ever heard howls from a fissure, sir?"

As Mirani tried recalling, he found that he had never encountered such a thing. He lived beside fissures all of his life, and they weren't dangerous if no one tempered with them.

"I understand," nodded Mirani at the end, making Joe confused. "I have a friend who can relay the message to a guild member of Ascent. Then, if your name comes up to Arthur, he should know about you and will decide what to do."

"I would be grateful," said Joe with happiness. Mirani nodded and took out his communication watch. It didn't use satellites but runes, and it could only be one person: Maryam. After letting her know about Joe, he asked her to tell Arthur and reply.

After a few moments, Maryam replied, saying that Arthur had asked for their coordinates. It made him confused, but he still sent them. Joe Lifang sat on a fallen wall, resting his anxious heart as his leg jerked.

Whoosh!

A gale of wind rushed through Agiler Street as space started to compress next to them. Joe jumped in fright as he let out a yelp, and Mirani took a step back with a frown. Then, after a few seconds, a human-sized portal formed.

"Is this him, sir?" asked Joe with worry, and Mirani had no time to reassure him before a black-robed man came out of the portal. He looked around with confusion before spotting the two behind him.

"It seems to be dawn over here while Ilios is already midday," said the black-robed man with golden eyes. Mirani let down his guard while Joe stared at Arthur Silvera as if he was looking at a ghost. "It has been long since we last met, Joe."

"Indeed, Aldo," called Joe before coughing and correcting the name to Arthur. The three chuckled before Joe told him what he had seen. "I never thought I'd get to see you again, man."

Mirani observed how this man casually treated Arthur and how Arthur didn't mind it. It seems that his words were true. Otherwise, Arthur wouldn't have come here if this didn't mean anything to him.

"I had things to do, like faking my death," Arthur said before glancing at Mirani. "Uncle Mirani, I didn't expect we'd meet again so soon."

"This might be the last time we do for a while," said Mirani, making Arthur squint. Then, he stared at the basement door and then back at Mirani.

"It seems you've grown stronger, uncle, but a shadow looms over your stars," said Arthur with slight sadness. "We all made choices, it seems. I hope ours don't make us enemies."

"Since we have the same enemy, I doubt we'd ever find ourselves on opposite sides of a fight," said Mirani before turning toward Joe Lifang. "This man told me about what you did for my shop."

"What did I do?" Arthur asked, confused as if he didn't recall. "Ah, that. It was the obvious thing to do after helping us for so long. Can we consider the debt paid?"

"It was never a debt, Arthur," said Mirani with a sigh. "Regardless, this old man wants to thank you and trouble you more. I won't be with my family for a while and might not return."

"I will keep several shadows to monitor their condition and report it to Julia. Ascent will ensure they are safe, well-fed, and the farthest from harm's way."

The answer came before Mirani even asked, and it was more than he expected. He wanted to ask if Arthur could check on them once in a while, but having shadows ensure their wellbeing was more than enough.

"I guess the debt grows larger, Arthur. Thank you."

"It is never a debt, Uncle Mirani. You are more of a father than that rotten sack of bones for Oren and me. Take care on your journey, and please return safely."

Mirani caught a glimpse of that thin and sickly child who once visited his hospital bed. In the eyes staring at him, he saw no hatred for being a part of the influence Seref had on Arthur. It brought him relief.

"I will try," said Mirani, leaving the two men after bidding farewell. "If we ever cross paths, then I will be on your side, regardless of what that side might be."

After leaving those final words, Mirani left his second home and headed toward the cemetery. He found the swordsman standing beside his grave, gazing at the stars.

The two men didn't say anything, and after a moment of comfortable silence, Kino led the way toward Avarice. Mirani quietly followed as he walked through the cemetery, reading names he came across in the street once or heard on the news.

Mirani has visited Alka before, seeking to find Seref beyond the gates. However, he returned empty-handed, and one of his hands was less than empty. The world beyond the gates was dangerous and filled with monsters who attacked as soon as they spotted humans.

"Don't worry about the other side," reassured Kino as the two saw the gate in the distance. Knights heavily guarded it, but Kino unsheathed his sword. "Amelio has ordered the monsters to leave humans unharmed since we have a safety pact with him."

The swordsman slashed empty air, and the ethereal sword slashed toward the gate. Mirani was confused because nothing had happened. However, a few more meters of walking revealed what the swordsman did.

"Have you killed these knights?" asked Mirani while staring at the collapsed knights. His displeasure was loud enough for Kino to understand.

"I slashed apart their consciousness, making them go for a temporary sleep. Once they wake up, none of them will remember what happened, and it will pass as another strange phenomenon of Kera."

"Kera has indeed become a place of wonders."

"Nothing unexpected from the birthplace of a monstrous human," said Kino, and Mirani was confused. "I mean Seref's son."

"He is less monstrous than his father," defended Mirani as the two passed through the heavy barricades. "Arthur has become the hero of this city."

"I don't know him but heard stories from The Queen. She ensured we understood one thing: Arthur Silvera was not an enemy; if he is, we'd be slaughtered."

"You kidnapped his mom and expected him to treat you as friends?" asked Mirani with a chuckle. "He is here in this city, you know. He might be watching us now after your little show."

Mirani watched the color drain from the swordsman's face as he turned around to stare behind them. The empty streets seemed to unnerve after realizing that Arthur was here, and Mirani had never seen such fear in the eyes of a man.

"Arthur Silvera is a kind man."

"When an ant meets a kind god, does it not fear for his anger?" asked Kino as he quickened his steps. "You should have warned me earlier. Otherwise, I would have left this world at once."

"I considered you to have more ego than considering yourself an ant," said Mirani as he kept the pace. "Your fear stems more than just tales from your Queen."

"I know what I am, and I know what legends are. Arthur Silvera is the most feared man in Alka. Everyone knows him, but no one met him. A few admire him, but even they fear him. Then, finally, a few dreamers knew enough about him to let the others know his power."

"What kind of stories are those?" asked Mirani as the two reached the giant portal. It was deep blue, and its aura was the most malicious Mirani had felt.

"You will hear enough about them from our Queen because she is one of them. In our world, Arthur Silvera goes by many names. However, one story goes unrefuted and earned him the most fearsome title."

"Are you going to tell me?"

"We call him Memor, who turns lives into memories. It can be said to be the cruelest fate, to turn a person and their life into nothing but a memory remembered in a dream."

"Is that what you are afraid of, Kino?" asked Mirani with a smile. "Are you scared that Arthur Silvera would appear behind us and turn you into nothing but a memory?"

"I am and have never been ashamed of this fear. Furthermore, everyone in Alka fears him for this, and we have drawn the short straw of becoming his enemies."