Arthur leaned against the edge of the small inn bed, bandages wrapped tight around his chest. The room was quiet, except for the soft creak of the wood under him and the distant bustle of the town waking up.
His vision had cleared a bit since yesterday, though faint traces of red still clung to the corner of his eyes. The aftermath of overusing Eyes of Divinity wasn't something he'd like to remember.
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<[Eyes of Divinity Lv.1]> (Active Skill)
A lesser version of the eyes of true gods. It's effects vary depending on skill level.
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"I think I used it for about 30 seconds" he groaned while squinting his eyes.
Arthur recalled the end of his fight with the Pack leader. No sooner had delivered the final blow than his started to tingle. Then In a few seconds, he felt like his eyes were literally on fire. The burning sensation he felt far surpassed even the pain from Asmophel's kick as he quickly deactivated the skill instantly.
"I guess that was my limit." He muttered. "But this power... I have to master it." He recalled the projections he saw in the fight."If I can steadily use this power in a fight,... Then maybe, just maybe... I can do it. I can bring down to Kingdom's throne" he smirked.
"Status open"
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Name: Arthur Sylvia
Class: Sage [Lv. 9]
HP: 300/300 --> 423/423
MP: 471/471 --> 599/599
Strength: 24
Agility: 21
Intelligence: 28
Dexterity: 15
Endurance: 17
Vitality: 11
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"Yeah, I got stronger alright, but it's not enough..."
A memory tugged at him as he bit his lip—his mother's voice humming a soft tune, one hand stroking his hair while the other held his father's warm grip.
"I don't care about a stupid prophecy... I'll get really strong... Strong enough to challenge even gods."
His hand instinctively moved to the necklace hanging around his neck. It had been hidden under his shirt for most of the day, but now he pulled it free.
"Then I'll have my revenge." He concluded.
The necklace shimmered faintly, catching the morning light. Still staring at the necklace, he felt something unusual around it, but he couldn't quite tell what.
'Its almost like a heartbeat...' He finally said after scanning it with his mana sense.
He hesitated for a moment, then spoke the command.
"Appraisal."
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<[Notice!!!]>
[Could not appraise object]
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He blinked.
"What?"
Even though his Appraisal was still Lv. 1, he thought would've at least gotten some question marks. But this wasn't normal. The only reasonable explanation that came to his mind was that it had to be a high level artifact.
Arthur narrowed his eyes. "I'm guessing this isn't supposed to be a normal necklace. Why did they give it to me?"
A soft knock tapped against the door.
"Come in," he said after a pause.
Emy stepped in with a small bowl of food and a cloth bundle. Her usual spark was still there, but her expression was softer now—less playful, and more worried.
"I figured you'd forget to eat," she said, setting the bowl down. "Again."
He nodded his thanks, took the food to a reading table to the side—or at least what it should be as not everyone could read.
With a 'Thank you for the food,' he dug in and started eating.
Although he met Emilia only just yesterday, he already thought of her as a kind of sister figure in this foreign land.
She hovered for a moment before sitting on the edge of the windowsill. "You know... most rookies wouldn't be able to survive a clash with an Ash wolf, let alone walk!"
Arthur shrugged and off the comment and continued eating.
"And yet, you didn't even ask for help. You just... charged right in!"
"It needed to be done," he muttered between bites.
"You're brave," she said. "But also reckless. Next time, think about surviving before looking cool."
That pulled a faint, almost invisible smile from him.
"I wasn't trying to look cool," he said.
She rolled her eyes. "Sure. And I'm secretly a princess."
A small silence passed between them before she stood again.
"Get some real rest Arthur. No more reckless stunts for now. Not unless you want the nickname to stick."
"Nickname?" Arthur asked, a little dumbfounded.
She left before he could reply.
Arthur looked down at the necklace again while munching on his food.
"It's about time I studied my skills properly." He muttered he summoned a screen for his skills and traits.
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<[Basic Sword Arts Lv.3]> (Passive Skill)
Improves proficiency and precision when handling a sword
<[Mana Sense Lv. 1]> (Active Skill)
Grants the bearer of this skill an affinity for mana. Makes it possible to sense mana particles in the vicinity.
<[Appraisal Lv.1]> (Active Skill)
Gives a detailed explanation of a target.
<[Helia's Blessing]>
Due to your heroic efforts, the goddess Helia has granted you a blessing. Your body has become immune to all forms of status abnormalities and debuffs.
<[Eyes of Divinity Lv.1]> (Active Skill)
A lesser version of the eyes of true gods. It's effect vary depending on skill level.
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"I have a pretty good understanding of all my active skills..." He started. "But I haven't really used a sword much since my awakening... How's is it at level 3?" He wondered.
'Its probably due to my training back at the estate he thought while remembering his sparring with Damian.'
"Now that I think about it, Father couldn't possibly have lost in a fair fight. And mother says something about those soldiers being corrupted." He added, his voice laced with a hint of suspicion.
"I have a hard time believing that they would just tap into the power of a 'Demon god' in the first place. Why not draw power from the goddess." Arthur pondered as he cast a glance on his blessing.
"Things are starting to look interesting." He grinned.