Level Up Legacy

1330  Not a Guild Master

The suite had an oak floor and matching furniture, with a simple chandelier that illuminated the main hall. Branching off from the main hall, which was furnished with a white carpet and a sofa, were a large kitchen, a bathroom, and a master bedroom. The suite occupied the entire top floor, with the main hall spacious enough to host four families. "You can access our library for some leisure; there's also an arcade in that corner," explained Laryn as she presented the main hall to them. "And even better, you can see the entire town from here."

She was right, as the suite had glass walls that allowed them to see the bustling city, breathtaking nature, and cloudy sky. Sunlight enriched their view as it streamed into the entire space without overwhelming their vision. "In the kitchen, you'll find any ingredients you need to cook, and you can call us via the landline to order anything. We guarantee delivery in less than fifteen minutes."

"Even complex meals?" asked Arthur, surprised. "The more complex, the happier our chefs will be," said Laryn with a grin. "There are two bathrooms, one with a bathtub and another with a shower. You also have a small jacuzzi and pool outside on the balcony if you like to swim in this cold weather."

"We can explore the rest from here," said Diana with a nod. "Thank you, miss."

"It was a pleasure! Please feel at home!" Laryn left after that. Arthur and Diana looked around the apartment, and it was indeed befitting the name Victorian. It felt like they were back in Alka because of its medieval theme. There were paintings on the walls famous enough that even Arthur, who was a complete art illiterate, recognized them. "This looks nice, but a little over the top," said Arthur with a smile. "I wanted a low-key holiday, but Julia had to pull out all the stops."

"As long as we aren't identified, it's still low-key," said Diana with a smile as she walked out to the balcony. It overlooked the entire city, and they could see the Blossom Trail from here. Far in the distance were three mountains standing side by side. Arthur came up behind her and hugged her as they enjoyed the view. This was the beginning of their vacation, which would forever change their lives. ***

"Has he checked into the hotel?" asked Julia over the phone, and she received her reply. "How did he react when you gave him the golden card? Impressed? Annoyed? Ah… both. I understand."

Her phone call ended, and Julia placed the phone in her pocket with a proud smile. Arthur had contacted her just yesterday regarding this trip, so she pulled every string she had to make it memorable. She went a little overboard when she signed the contract with Lion Bank just to obtain the card for him. But she had no regrets, since it was her little brother taking such a big step. If a woman from Earth heard about this vacation, she would understand Arthur's goal right away. A vacation in the current state of the world was the last thing a man would think of unless he had a certain plan in mind. Julia couldn't help but pace around in excitement. There were so many things to prepare before the wedding. The Runic Dome could be their venue, but she wanted a place more magical for this union. She even started purchasing wedding dresses for Diana to choose from. "Vice-Master," called Jonah as he knocked on the door. "It's time for our daily report. Are you okay? You seem a little flushed."

"Nothing, no reason at all," she answered while fanning her face. "Let's get going."

The weekly reports had turned daily once the Second Trial of the Holy Crown opened. The entire world was in an uproar, and its name had changed to the Divine Selection. Julia initially thought she'd need a lot of manpower to stop the seven families, but she realized there would be no need.

People called the city that appeared Atlantis, and anyone who got close would hear the same voice telling them to come back in less than a month to enter the selection. It caused more than just a little uproar as Kera suddenly became the focal point of the world. Kera was still rebuilding itself after the incident, but the influx of people and awakeners selected by the divine seemed not to hinder it but let it thrive. Tourism boomed, and hotels were swarmed with foreigners. Monsters in the vicinity disappeared as awakeners tried to level up by hunting. Julia also heard news that the Level Up Legacy was not working at the moment. The legacy itself could be accessed, but no new skills or stat upgrades were awarded for killing monsters or protecting humans. The legacy still allowed them to level up and even explained that they would soon be rewarded. Arthur explained the reason behind this temporary shutdown to her yesterday on the phone. It seemed that his wrath had deactivated the legacy for a while, and as a result, his sight returned. She was happy for him but also worried about the world. However, she didn't voice her concerns. Arthur deserved a long rest from everything that happened. Julia even felt guilty whenever she called to reprimand him for leaving the guild. But seeing him lose himself to wrath tore her heart apart. When Arthur called Julia about the vacation, she was overjoyed to hear he was taking a break from everything and leaving with Diana. He explained that he wanted somewhere romantic, so she understood his goals. "Welcome back, everyone," said Julia as she walked into the Central Hall. Inside, there were more than the original ten guild masters that Arthur had chosen. She had assigned another ten, making them twenty. "I'm sorry to call you on such short notice."

"We are all members of Ascent, after all," said Alan, who crossed his arms. "Assembling is only natural once the vice-guild master calls for it."

"Always kissing up," said Rae with a smirk, making Alan frown at her. The two of them were never fond of each other, since Alan was too formal while Rae was too casual.

"Enough bickering," commanded Julia with a frown. "How is the situation in Gentledawn?"

"We have recruited another five thousand members, but the fight between Kar and the Theocracy is getting in the way of our goals. Many of our members have turned to vampires because a single person was infected."

"Your nation has always been the hardest to handle," said Julia with a nod. "The same goes for everyone here. Your main duty is to protect the innocent and the weak. But I heard that some of you have abandoned certain fights because it wasn't profitable for their guild to lose members."

Everyone was confused, and they followed Julia's gaze to a new guild master who had risen from Thiria. He had been in command for less than a month, but no one liked his arrogant attitude. The only reason Julia had picked him was that he saved their members countless times before applying.

"Are you referring to me, Vice-Master?" asked the burly man with a grin. "Alright, no need to look so hostile. We abandoned a village because protecting it would have resulted in unnecessary deaths for my men. I made the right call."

"Is that so?" asked Julia with a frosty expression. "Your orders are clear, and everyone knows them. Protect the innocent, and if you cannot, then survive long enough for reinforcements to arrive. In the meantime, I have given you teleportation arrays to send the rescue guild to your aid. Why haven't you used them, Garrick Bloodclaw?"

"Because they cost too much," answered Garrick with a thick grin. "We would have to expend half of our wealth just to summon the Rotten Legion. I made the decision as a guild master to save my men and wealth."

"Wealth?" asked Yuran with a frown. "You didn't activate the arrays to conserve money?"

"Mind your business, gunman," scowled Garrick. "Your guild has the resources, but mine suffers. Not all of us have a chummy relationship with—" "Let me correct you there, Garrick," interrupted Julia with a cold expression. "You are not a guild master. You answer to this guild as a member, no more and no less. But you took the liberty of sacrificing the innocent for selfish reasons." "You want to expel me from the guild?" asked Garrick with a frown. "Over a few measly peasants?!" He slammed a fist on the table, his aura shaking the room. Julia stood firm, facing his outburst. "A barking dog does not scare me," spat Julia as she raised her hand. "As the Vice-Master of Ascent, I hereby sentence you to banishment from the guild. If you resist—"

"You damn whore! You want to expel me for saving my men?!" roared Garrick as he lunged toward Julia, bursting with bloodlust. Before he could make it across the table, nineteen figures appeared around him.