Chapter 692: A Purpose?
Chapter 692: A Purpose?
The world buzzed with life for the first time in years. After all, a dark horse that appears out of nowhere and gets the fastest cleared time is unheard of, especially with that number of people. Of course, Glory List would compute different factors to determine whether this guild has been cleared by underhanded means, but there was no such thing.
"Who are the members of Ascent?" asked a citizen on the internet. "Arthur Silvera is strong on his own, but I feel these members are the true reason behind his ascent."
"Jay Oz made some rough calculations in retrospect. He found that to clear a C-rank dungeon at that time, Ascent needs to have more than just one deme-ranker in their midst. After all, they did it clear it in three days."
"A guild with seven members has more than one deme-ranker? This is unheard of! Is Arthur Silvera a tycoon that can spend that amount of money?"
"Idiots! Awakeners don't care about money! After his battle and speech, Arthur Silvera might have lucked out with some deme-rankers."
These conversations filled the internet. Ascent Guild became a D-rank guild after Glory List decided their achievement was worth more than ten unranked dungeons. In three days, Ascent became a legit guild worldwide, and more people started seeking to join it.
***
"We broke a record?" asked Arthur with surprise. He had no experience in clearing dungeons, so he didn't know whether they would come out with anything or not. Yuran was sitting across from his desk, reading Glory List as well.
"It is no wonder. A boss is still a boss even if his opponent was a C-rank. That masked man is far more powerful than a normal deme-ranker." Yuran referred to Li, who wasn't sitting with them. "How did you manage to convince him to join?"
"I did no such thing, as he joined on his own. So he owes me, in a very complicated way. It seems he's not the type to repay lightly."
"In any case, Li is our vanguard now. He is powerful enough to clear these dungeons, so we should rely on him to make a name for ourselves in these speed runs."
"There will be no need. I plan on making several teams that clear dungeons at the same time. However, we will stick to clearing C-rank dungeons for now."
"And the reason…?"
"There have been too many dungeons breaks among the C-rank lately. It might be because its rank is low, making it easier to turn into a portal by the other world." Arthur rose from his chair and looked out of his window. "We will target those that are about to break."
"Is this to oppose Seref?"
"It's to ensure the safety of the world," said Arthur. "Furthermore, we need to find Master Ronin as soon as possible. Julia said that he couldn't be found in his home."
"No one can catch a foreseer," said Yuran with a pondering expression. At that moment, someone knocked on their door. It was no other than the Elven Princess, Tiara. Yuran was dazed the moment he laid eyes on her.
"Arthur," called Tiara before she glanced at Yuran and smiled at him. "The man I have been healing is awake now. He requested to meet you after knowing where he is."
"Mr. Tate?" Arthur turned with surprise before nodding. Tiara nodded in farewell toward both of them before leaving. "Since you also know about what happened in my father's past, let's go and meet him."
Arthur walked out of the room before realizing that Yuran was still in his chair. After taking a few steps back and staring at Yuran with confusion, he found the young man in a trance. "Are you alright?" asked Arthur.
"Ah? I, I am…" mumbled Yuran as he stood up and tripped on the table. Arthur stared at the man wobble toward him while squinting his eyes, and then he turned toward Tiara.
"It seems spring is blossoming," said Arthur as he stared with a smile. Yuran had a red face before he walked past Arthur, pretending not to hear him. "That's the wrong direction!"
Yuran froze before he turned and followed Arthur. The two of them didn't say anything and went to meet Mr. Tate, who was still dazed. However, the moment he met Arthur, it seemed as if light returned to his eyes.
"Arthur…. Silvera," the man chewed on his words as if the name brought a sense of nostalgia. Then, he smiled lightly. "It has been a long time since we last met. How is the armor?"
"It broke a long time ago," said Arthur with a smile before sitting beside the bed. "I'm glad you are still alive, Uncle Mirani. When Oren told me where he found you, I already had some idea of what happened."
"It is as you expected." Mr. Tate nodded while staring at his hands. "I fought against Seref to save your mother, Sarah. Well, I also fought for my reason of being betrayed by him." Mirani then turned to stare at Yuran, who stood behind Arthur.
"He can be trusted. Yuran already knows half of what happened back then, which might be something you don't know. Can you tell us what happened four years ago?"
Mirani Tate nodded and took some time to think. Then, he started telling a story of the strongest party to ever appear in Kera and possibly the Yalveran Union. Then, he started telling them how Seref Silvera fooled them into challenging Avarice and how it turned out he was the reason they died.
"I was the only survivor," said Mr. Tate with shaking hands. "I remember the blood of my comrades on my hand. First, however, I had to find my leader, regardless of what I carried. In the end, it turns out that Seref wanted me to live so that I would make you believe in his goodness."
Arthur was silent. He still remembers the time he went back to Mr. Tate to retrieve the armor and sword from him. Mr. Tate told him that his father was a good man at that time.
"I know the other half of that story," Yuran said behind him. "The man you mentioned, Sleepy Monk, was the master of a man I met. In some way, the monk realized Seref's true goals. But, unfortunately, the man I met was there and witnessed the death of his master. The culprit was, as you expected, Seref."
The room was quiet after that. Arthur looked down on the bed, listening to everything his father did. The man from the portal, who killed the party, should be Amelio. As he was considering their alliance, Mr. Tate suddenly started sobbing.
"I can't imagine," mumbled the man while tears fell down his face. "How hard it is for you, Arthur. I was one of the reasons that you placed him on a pedestal, but now, this…." Mr. Tate turned incoherent.
"Uncle Mirani, there is no need to feel sorry." Arthur stared at him with a surprised and blinking expression. "I realized the truth about his plans a long time ago. I had time to accept who he is and what he wants."
Mr. Tate was still sobbing as he wiped away his tears. Arthur stared at him with an empty heart. The matter of Seref no longer affects him. Has he moved on, or is this the curse of his powers?
"I will call for Tiara to heal your mind as well," said Arthur with a smile before standing. "You have been through a lot. She can help the memories hurt less than they do now. But, Yuran, are you going to stay here?"
"Uh… yes…" replied the man with a bashful face.
Arthur smiled and left the room before he went and called for Tiara. The princess was playing with baby goblins when Arthur found her. It was no wonder that Yuran would fall for her.
After sending her toward Mr. Tate, Arthur returned to his room. It had a study and a separated bedroom, but Arthur had no more energy to stay awake. Instead, he lay down on the bed and imagined her next to him.
"It would feel less difficult with you around, Diana," Arthur muttered in the empty room. Life was moving on, regardless of whether he wanted that. It will keep moving forward.
The seven guardians wanted to ensure their survival once Nameless killed Gaia. Seref wanted Arthur to stop them while becoming the savior of the world. The calamities wished to restore their domains and lands, which made them work with the nameless.
Everyone wanted something, and they fought until the death for it. The sole exception was Arthur. He fought to protect what he had, but he never fought to obtain something. So what was the ending he hoped to achieve in this story?
"There is no need to rush for a purpose," said Diana in his imagination, while her body tightly held his. "You can take your time to decide. There is no race to win."