Level Up Legacy

Koby missed his old world. It was a lot simpler than this one. In his world, people were united by their desire to survive the monsters' invasion and calamities. Here, in this new world of his, people were divided over the smallest things.

"Who are you?" asked a man sharpening his dagger as soon as Koby walked into the room. "This is no place for weaklings with glasses and twigs for arms."

"I'm here for the exploration team," Koby replied while adjusting his glasses. As he looked around the room, he found that there were eleven people present. "I was sent here by Arthur Netherborne."

The moment that name came out, the people inside turned their heads with surprise. No one knew Koby well enough to associate him with the most dangerous and reliable man on the planet. He indeed looked weak, given that he had only one arm and wore round glasses.

"You are from Ascent?" asked the same man with a whistle. "Has the King of Wrath lost his mind to send a—"

Boom!

Before the man could finish his sentence, he soared through the air and slammed into the walls. His body created a crater in the wall as an unknown force tried to flatten him into a painting. At the same time, Koby walked toward him.

"You can insult me as much as you want, but never insult our lord," said Koby as his eyes brimmed with killing intent. "Keep him out of your filthy mouth. Do you understand?"

The man groaned in acknowledgment, and Koby allowed him to fall to the ground. He began coughing and cursing, but Koby no longer paid him any mind as he walked to find a seat around the table.

"I suppose I am the last of the team," Koby said as he sat down. "When are we beginning this exploration?"

Koby had no plans to embarrass his lord in this mission. Arthur had never requested anything from him, and he planned on proving himself. The respect and awe he felt toward Arthur stemmed from his knowledge and vision.

"It seems we are all in agreement here," said a man with white hair. He used to be the Awakeners' Union's President but had been assigned as the leader of the Unbroken Corps after Ilia Perli joined Ascent. "My name is Gideon Arkwright, an Astra-ranker from the Yalveran Union. His Majesty, the Seer King, has instructed me to lead this team to investigate the Blind Zones."

"We all know why we are here, dragon-man," said a woman who wore a cloak to hide her features. Koby could see her lean figure and curly brown hair, making him a little attracted to her. "When are we setting off, and what should we expect?"Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Once this meeting is concluded, we will be teleported as close as possible to the Blind Zones. We should expect no less than… total annihilation," Gideon said with a smile. "We are dealing with humanity's biggest threat so far."

The room was veiled in silence. Twelve of the strongest individuals that this world had to offer were experiencing the first impossible mission of their lives. However, the entirety of humanity was relying on them.

"Those who have no desire to throw away their lives should leave," said Gideon as he stared around the room. The man Koby had knocked out earlier was still rubbing his neck before he slammed a fist on the table.

"We all came here knowing what will most likely happen," the man said as he still glared at Koby. "But someone needs to do it."

"Well said," Koby replied with a nod of approval. The man snorted and turned his head away from the mage. "My lord has instructed me to be the backbone of this team. I can heal, protect, and even enhance your abilities. You can rely on me for almost everything."

"The Guildmaster of Ascent has sent his most valuable soldier," Gideon said with a smile. "We appreciate you joining us here, Sorcerer of Destruction."

"What?" The man from earlier jumped from his chair. "You're telling me this… gentleman… is the sorcerer who stopped the demi-humans alone in the Battle of Firelands?"

"An honor to meet you as well," Koby said with a smile. "I didn't see you in the battle from before. Let's hope that you are as capable as you are arrogant."

The man let out a weak laugh and sat down in his chair, his face twisting in regret. If he had known Koby's true identity, he wouldn't have opened his mouth at all.

Each core member of the guild Ascent was a monster on their own. They were powerful enough to stop armies in their tracks or end wars. Koby was not even the strongest among them, but he was capable enough to earn himself quite the infamy.

In one of the battles between demi-humans and the Yalveran Union, Koby participated at the last second to end things. He fought single-handedly against the demi-humans and used his vast arsenal of spells to destroy their momentum. In the end, the demi-humans retreated.

"I have distributed each member's tasks across the table. Please take a look to understand your roles here," Gideon said as he looked at the twelve. "Our job is not to eradicate threats but to recognize them. Do not act as heroes or throw away your lives. We have thirty-nine nations aiding us."

"Before we begin any further discussions, I have a message from Arthur Netherborne himself," Koby said as he took out a scroll. No one dared interrupt. "Please give me a minute of your time."

Koby unfurled a scroll, and Arthur's voice reverberated throughout the room. His deep voice and authoritative tone made the listeners perk up despite the speaker being half their age.

"Greetings, brave heroes of our world," he began. "My name is Arthur Netherborne, and I am best known as the Guildmaster of Ascent and the Ruler of Runera. Before you embark on this journey, I have two pieces of advice and one gift for each of you."