Level Up Legacy

Chapter 980  Unusual Team

"Somehow, we managed to defeat him," Arthur replied with a smile, his gaze drifting down to his injured arm. "You sacrificed your own well-being to protect me. The time you bought us was instrumental in our victory. Consider us even now."

"Nonsense, my lord," Sarohan interjected, shaking his head. "We have endured the tyrant's oppression for far too long. Not only did you save us from his assault, but you also freed us from his reign. A mere broken arm cannot repay such a debt."

"You're persistent when it comes to gratitude," Arthur sighed, acknowledging Sarohan's unwavering appreciation. "However, Vesper will revive in Sith Town within the hour. His reign won't end until we permanently eliminate him, and Seraphine will ensure that happens."

As Arthur gestured toward Seraphine, the Waigas wore peculiar expressions. Though they didn't appear to despise her, witnessing the massacre she had unleashed made it challenging to trust her intentions.

"I must ask," Sarohan directed his question toward Seraphine herself, "why would a demon assist us? Your scarlet eyes, horns, and red hair don't exactly scream heroism or kindness."

"I help no one but myself. Vesper has incurred my wrath, and he shall face the consequences. While you may have raised your blades against me, I understand the fear that plagues weaker races."

"Who are you calling cowards?!" one of the Waigas shouted, offended by Seraphine's words. Towering over her with spear in hand, his tall stature emphasized his indignation. "Even if you possess great power, we won't tolerate insults!"

"She's right, Momohan," Sarohan interjected with laughter. "We've endured Vesper's torment because we feared for our lives. But that doesn't make us cowards, miss. We chose to survive another day, biding our time for the right moment to strike. It's this intelligence that allowed us, the so-called weaker races, to endure."

"It seems you've misunderstood my intentions. I didn't mean to insult you; I merely stated a fact. Cowardice is the virtue of the weak, while bravery is their foolishness."

Sarohan was left speechless, stunned by Seraphine's words before he erupted into laughter. Arthur said nothing but smiled, gaining a better understanding of the demon's character. Confused by the Waiga's reaction, Seraphine appeared perplexed.

"Did you hear that, Momohan? She didn't mean it as an insult. Misunderstandings persist among intelligent races, no matter how advanced we become," Sarohan declared. "Anyway, let's put an end to cowardice here and now. I'll join you in the fight against Vesper; I just need a few moments to heal my arm in my room."

"I came here to ensure your survival, nothing more," Arthur stated, waving his hand dismissively. "I still refuse to be followed around."

"That's alright. It just so happens that we share the same enemy and goal, and we're traveling the same path," Sarohan grinned as he produced his Return Scroll. "The rest of the clan should head back to our town and prepare for the chaos that's bound to ensue. Another leader

 will emerge once Vesper is taken down. Protect our citizens."

"As you command, leader!" the Waigas exclaimed before darting through the forest. Sarohan watched them depart with a smile before activating the Return Scroll, leaving the tower. Arthur and the others were left speechless, and Whisker turned to him with a helpless expression.

"Where did you find someone so relentless?" the feline asked, but Arthur merely laughed, choosing not to provide an answer. After all, he was simply fulfilling his purpose here: to vanquish Vesper and ascend to the next level.

After a brief absence, Sarohan reappeared alongside the group, his arm fully healed and his injuries vanished. With no way to dissuade the determined Waiga, he became a new member of their unlikely group. A human, a feline, a Waiga, and a demon now traveled together, a combination that puzzled onlookers, but it was the reality they faced. As they made their way back to Sith Town, Sarohan took the opportunity to share a bit about his unique background, as Arthur had expressed curiosity about his appearance.

"We Waigas are distinct from humans. Although we share a common ancestor, we have evolved along a different path," Sarohan explained. "Our world is characterized by blizzards and deep snow, which shaped us with tall stature, long limbs, and thick white fur."

Whisker nodded in agreement. "Similar to my race. We had to be agile and sharp to survive. Unlike your world, we have other races too."

"Though they are a minority, we also have frost giants and ice spirits. However, they are rarely found outside our climate. Most of them wouldn't survive the heat of summer."

"Ice spirits?" Arthur muttered, furrowing his brow as he recalled Dia and her origins. During his visit to the ruins in Runera, he had witnessed a vision of his father visiting the ice spirits clan in Alka. "Could it be possible for them to appear in other worlds?"

"Rifts are common due to the instability of space, and it only takes two ice spirits to establish a new race in a different world. Moreover, they are practically invincible. Their power is beyond measure," Sarohan explained with admiration evident in his voice.

While the Waiga held ice spirits in high regard, Arthur remained silent, contemplating how Diana's clan might have originated from this world rather than Alka itself. Although Alka was home to various demihumans, most of them had evolved by consuming monsters. Ice spirits, on the other hand, had a different origin.

After fifteen minutes of travel, the group emerged from the forest and caught sight of Sith Town's walls in the distance. The anticipated final battle, expected to be one-sided, was about to commence. In a twist of fate, the temple they were heading to was the same place where Arthur had first arrived and encountered Whisker.

The town lay in desolation, its fighters having aligned themselves with Vesper, and its citizens hidden away in anticipation of the impending battle. This allowed the group to reach the temple unimpeded, finding their positions at different corners of the altar, each with their blades ready, fixated on the center.

After half an hour had passed since their arrival, a change finally stirred. Red lights converged in the center of the altar, coalescing into the form of Vesper, the half-giant warlord. As his gaze fell upon the four surrounding him, he froze, a mixture of anger and frustration etched on his face.

"You have nowhere to run, Vesper," Whisker declared from beneath his hood, his nails elongating into lethal points. "Today, you shall meet your end, never to revive again. No more towers to conquer, no more terror to inflict upon innocent people."

Arthur expected Vesper to erupt into a frenzied rage upon his revival and discovery of their presence, but instead, he seemed strangely composed. A deep frown marked his face as he observed the four, his fury briefly flaring when his eyes settled on Sarohan.

"I cannot die," the warlord directed his words at Seraphine, the only one capable of preventing his revival. "You may name any price for my life, and I will pay double. Killing me offers no benefits, but sparing me offers everything."

"No amount of gold could sway me," Seraphine replied, her words causing Vesper to grit his teeth. "Have you forgotten how you initiated a hunt for demons the moment you learned of my presence? Would you have accepted any price if I begged for my life then? You would have demanded nothing but my blood."

"The upper floors are countless times more treacherous than this place, teeming with powerful individuals from various worlds. Ascending without forging alliances through wealth will guarantee your demise within the first day!" Vesper warned, his voice laced with a mix of desperation and malice.

"That is a concern we shall address, Vesper," Arthur asserted, withdrawing his black dagger, which emitted an eerie, chilling sound. "Today, you shall meet your demise, and no price can alter that fate."

"You may revel in your sense of power within this small group, but the second floor will tear you apart," Vesper retorted, his ethereal armor manifesting around him as his eyes turned bloodshot. "Once you step foot in the wilderness, every monster will hunt you relentlessly. And in the city, the powers that be will not tolerate your existence without their permission."

"Your blood-stained gold is of no use," Sarohan declared, unsheathing his long sword. "I should have ended your life with a single strike before, and now, I am here to rectify that mistake."

"A traitor like you has no right to speak of blood-stained gold," Vesper seethed, his teeth gnashing together. As his ethereal armor solidified, his eyes burned with an intense crimson hue.