Chapter 1493 1493: Reawakened

Arthur was indeed hiding the truth from her. In his last attempt to glean something within, he saw the man sitting on the other side, waiting, calculating, and smiling. He found no soul, but a deep pit that led him to that man.

The man had short white hair, age lines covering his face, and a pair of white eyes with no pupils. It was the first time that Arthur met him, but no one could mistake him: the Father of Shon, Stealer of Bloodlines.

Rae would break down if she learned that her soul was somehow trapped or taken by the man that she loathed the most. The Father of Shon had created thousands of her kind from all over the theocracy and used them as weapons. He didn't want to tell her lest she do something extreme.

Before she pressed Arthur for the truth, which he would have to reveal anyway, Diana arrived to take him. She walked in and stared between the two, sensing that something was amiss.

"Am I interrupting something?" Diana asked.

"No," Arthur replied, earning himself a death glare from Rae. "We were talking. Rae wants to enter the trial as well."

"That's a bad idea," Diana said as she stared at the woman, who returned her gaze. "I advise against it."

"Arthur did too, but this is my choice," Rae said with a shrug. She seemed appeased that Arthur agreed to let her tag along. "Don't worry, princess. I'll make sure he's safe and sound."

Arthur let out a sigh as he rose from the chair.

"Let's talk about it later, Rae. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"You better. If I don't find you, I'm going to the nearest tower," she said before turning to leave the guild hall. Once she was gone, Diana turned toward him with confusion written all over her face.

"What's that about?" Diana asked.

"More trouble," Arthur replied with a smile as he pulled her into a hug. "It seems that everything is happening all at once."

"Don't worry. We'll get through this," she said while patting his back. Arthur closed his eyes and almost fell asleep. Then, the two broke off their embrace as Arthur looked at Diana for a long while.

"Are you alright?" he asked. "You seem a little… tired."

"It's been a long journey," Diana said as she forced a smile. "I'll be fine."

Arthur stared at her and nodded. The two then left the guild hall and walked toward the chamber that they had prepared. The Runic Dome allowed them to reassign arrays as they wished, and they fortified the chamber to protect Arthur during the reawakening.

Julia was already there when they entered the chamber, and Oriole was talking to her in a heated argument. As Arthur walked into the room, the two of them stopped and turned to face him.

"You're going to do it?" Oriole asked, almost spitting out the words.

"I have to," Arthur replied. "It'll let me be stronger."

"And that strength will let you fight longer battles, kill gods, and take down realms?" Oriole asked as he strode toward Arthur. Then, he raised a finger and poked his chest. "When does it fucking end?"

"When I die," Arthur said without a change in his expression.

The alchemist was silent and lowered his finger. Then, he pulled Arthur into a tight hug. He said nothing more, but his red, pleading eyes said everything before he stormed out of the chamber.

"Are you sure about this?" Julia asked as well. "Diana filled me in with the details, and I also think this is a little… extreme."

"We have to be extreme if we want to have a fighting chance," Arthur said with a grin. "I met Conquest, the strongest of the horsemen. I knew immediately that he would defeat me with a swing of his sword."

"That strong?" Julia asked, and then she sighed. She walked forward and also hugged Arthur. "Consider this my goodbye. I have to leave to take care of some things—negotiating with Tanera, and possibly establishing a guild branch there."

"Take care."

"You too, Arthur."

Julia nodded toward Diana and left the chamber as well. After the door closed, runes appeared in front of it. The two stood in the chamber for a short few seconds, not saying another word.

"Shall we get started?" Arthur asked. Diana nodded and waved her hand. Walls of ice surrounded them, and Arthur instantly noticed the difference. The spiritual energy within these walls was dense and even recovering.

Diana chose a corner and stood. Arthur nodded toward her and took out the ichor from his subspace. He opened the small box, and the divine blood droplet seemed to glow brighter than ever.

[Do you wish to reawaken the legacy?]

"Yes, reawaken."

There was a momentary pause that seemed to stretch to eternity. Arthur's mind was filled with thoughts about what happened in the past two days. He knew that Oriole was right, and Diana was hiding something from him. He knew both of these things, but he feared that he would change his mind about this.

Light burst from within the ichor, and it began enveloping him. Arthur saw windows flash in front of his eyes. Each process appeared, finished, and disappeared in front of him.

[Reawakening Process Initiated.]

[Validating Ichor Origin…]

[Divine Ichor Confirmed: Source Unknown.]

[Legacy Signature Detected: The Scholar Guardian (Deceased).]

[Reconstruction Permission Granted.]

[Warning: Existing Contract with The Scholar Guardian will be Nullified.]

[Dissolving Contract…]

[Legacy Core Dissolved.]

[Extracting User Soulprint… Success.]

[Rewriting Interface Structure.]

[Reconfiguring Framework Architecture.]

[All Legacy Data and Parameters Reset.]

[Previous Skills, Traits, and Blessings Deleted.]

[Scanning User: Arthur Netherborne.]

[Physical Attributes Detected.]

[Spiritual Attributes Detected.]

[Soul Integrity: 97%.]

[Runic Compatibility: Absolute.]

[Wrath Alignment: Stable.]

[Rebuilding Interface Based on Current State.]

[Integrating Divine Ichor into Core System.]

[Spiritual Pressure Rising…]

[Warning: Ichor Overload Imminent.]

[Stabilizing Vessel.]

[Body Recalibration Underway.]

[Nerves Rewritten.]

[Cells Reinforced.]

[Runic Veins Expanded.]

[Core Heart Resonance Detected.]

[Integrating Legacy Framework with Soul Circuitry.]

[Legacy Core Reconstructed.]

[Binding User Soul to Legacy Node.]

[Warning: One-Way Binding Detected.]

[User Designation: Architect.]

[Legacy Designation: ???]

[Awaiting Endpoint Definition.]

[Notice: Endpoint Determines Legacy Sentience and Purpose.]

[If No Endpoint is Declared, Legacy Will Define One.]

[Warning: Legacy Will Actively Enforce Endpoint Progress.]

[Reawakening in Final Phase.]

[Assimilating Secondary Legacy: Legacy of Spirits.]

[Combining Structures.]

[Fusion Successful.]

[Result: The Reawakened Legacy of the Architect.]

[Interface Reinitialized.]

[Welcome, Arthur Silvera.]

[Awaiting Endpoint Declaration.]

[Note: Once Declared, the Endpoint Cannot Be Revoked.]

[The Reawakened Legacy Will Now Observe, Learn, and Adapt.]

[Warning: Legacy Consciousness is Active.]

[Legacy has begun to dream.]

Arthur read the last message as his consciousness began to dive into nothingness. He read the messages from the legacy and could no longer understand what was happening.

Darkness enveloped him. Diana called out for him as she rushed forward. Right before she reached him, Arthur felt his soul let out a pulse that shattered the ice walls around him and pushed Diana back. The runes within the room exploded, overburdened by the sudden influx of spirit.

Arthur tried to prevent another pulse, which was building up within him. Before he could force himself to stop, he felt his grasp on reality slowly slip. Darkness swallowed him, and he was gone.

Even within the darkness, Arthur could still feel his surroundings. He felt the second pulse coming from his spirit. Then the third, and the fourth… and until the tenth. Once the tenth pulse was released, Arthur found himself standing in a foyer.

The place looked familiar. Booths and benches lined the foyer as awakeners, armed to their teeth, passed through. It took him a moment to remember where he was.

Avarice.

The dungeon that contained Amelio was the first time he received the legacy from Jizo. It was akin to ages ago, although it has barely been a few years since he fell into that fissure.

"What am I doing here?" Arthur asked, and to his surprise, a nearby awakener stopped.

"Are you lost, kid?" the awakener asked. Arthur looked at the man, surprised. "This is no place for the non-awakened. Go back home before this dungeon swallows you whole."

Arthur stared at the man, who waved at him and left. He joined a group of awakeners that went into the dungeon. As Arthur followed them with his gaze, he landed on a pair of familiar faces.

Alan and Yuran.

The two of them were talking to each other in what seemed like a heated argument, possibly about how dangerous it was to hunt in Avarice for the regeneration cores. Yuran needed it for his mother, whom Arthur healed long ago.

After their argument, the two returned to the booth where they had lunch for the first time as a squad. Arthur approached them, and to his surprise, the scene from three years ago replayed in front of him.

Juan and Beatrice were talking nonstop. The small woman—the mage—sat in the back. Arthur couldn't remember her name. Alan was explaining their plan, while Yuran sat there with his arms crossed and a determined look on his face.

As soon as Arthur approached, the group became aware of his existence. They turned toward him, staring at him with confusion.

Alan rose and looked at Arthur with a smile, extending his hand. "You must be Arthur Silvera," he said. "I'm glad you found us easily. Please, have a seat."

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