Chapter 1240 A World of Darkness
As Arthur emerged from the portal, the golden light fading into the dimness of the cavern, his tentative steps betrayed his new reality of darkness. Diana, heart sinking at the sight of the golden scars sealing his eyes, rushed to his side.
"What happened, Arthur?" Her voice trembled with concern as her fingers gently traced the lines of the scars.
Arthur turned his face towards her, attempting a rea.s.suring smile. "I"ve made a choice, Diana. To stabilize the chaos from the merging worlds and to ensure your safety, Gaia demanded a price. My sight was that price," he explained calmly, his voice steady though it masked an undercurrent of resignation.
Tears welled up in Diana"s eyes, her voice thickening with resolve as she replied, "No, Arthur. This is too great a price. We have to find another way. Maybe I can talk to Gaia—"
Arthur gently cut her off, his expression serious even though he could no longer meet her eyes. "Diana, no. This is the price I must pay, not just for the chaos I"ve caused but for my past actions and crimes. It"s a sacrifice I"m willing to make. I"ve come to terms with it."
"But to live in complete darkness..." Diana"s voice cracked as she struggled to understand his acceptance.
"It"s not just about living with it, Diana. It"s my atonement," Arthur insisted, his tone firmer now. "I led armies, caused destruction, made decisions that cost lives. Losing my sight... it"s a just consequence. I can still be with you, hear you, touch you. That"s more than I deserve."
Diana"s frustration grew, but she could hear the finality in his voice. "You think living in darkness is your penance? Arthur, you"ve already changed, helped so many—"
Arthur interrupted, his face set. "It"s not enough. This is how I balance the scales. Trying to reverse it, to undo this... it wouldn"t be right. I can"t escape the consequences of my actions, not this time."
Diana took a deep breath, her hands balling into fists as she fought against his resignation. "And what about me? Do I just accept that you sacrificed everything for me? For peace?"
Arthur reached out, finding her hands with his own. "You"ve been trapped in time, waiting for a life you were denied. Now, you have that life. I want you to live it, enjoy it, and not be burdened by my battles or blindness."
Diana felt a tear escape down her cheek. "Your battles are my battles, Arthur. Your burdens are mine."
"I know," Arthur said softly, squeezing her hands. "But this is one burden I need you to let me carry alone. For both our sakes."
Diana paused, the weight of his words sinking in. Slowly, reluctantly, she nodded. "If that"s truly what you wish, I"ll respect it. But know this, Arthur: I"m here, always. If you ever think the scales are balanced, if you ever want to try—"
"I know," Arthur replied, a faint smile touching his lips. "And that means more to me than you can imagine."
They stood together in the quiet of the cavern, their future uncertain but their bond unbroken. Arthur had made his peace with the darkness, and Diana, though heartbroken, would stand by him, ready to support him in the life they would now navigate together.
As the walls of the cavern melted away behind them, Arthur and Diana stood atop the city walls of Runera, facing the a.s.sembled armies and guilds that had converged to challenge them. The vast mult.i.tudes spread out across the horizon, a sea of armor and weapons glinting under the sun. Among them were renowned guilds, formidable armies, and even knights of regal bearing, all united for the first time by a common cause: to stop Arthur.
Arthur, standing firm despite his blindness, felt the tension in the air, thick with the antic.i.p.ation of battle. He stepped forward, his voice carrying across the field with the aid of magic, enhancing its reach and clarity.
"People of the world," Arthur began, his tone both commanding and solemn, "you have come here with the intent to stop what you perceive as a threat. But the world is already merging, the process irreversible. I have paid the price for this union—my sight—and through this sacrifice, the Level Up Legacy has been activated."
He paused, letting his words sink in among the ranks of his adversaries. "Those who stand to protect humanity in this new era will find themselves endowed with extraordinary strength. However, those who seek to harm it will meet formidable resistance. This is the new order of our world."
As murmurs and whispers ran through the armies, Diana took to the sky, her majestic blue wings unfurling to span several meters. The sight of her ascent captivated both friend and foe alike, her presence commanding and ethereal. Her wings left trails of shimmering blue flames, enhancing her celestial visage.
Raising a hand, Diana summoned countless arrows of blue flame, each one poised above the armies, a breathtaking yet terrifying spectacle. Her voice, clear and resonant, echoed across the battlefield. "Look upon the city of Runera, a place I helped build and now vow to protect. Let it be known—if you do not retreat, I will unleash a h.e.l.lfire upon you that no one can extinguish."
The threat hung in the air, palpable and chilling, as the leaders of the opposing forces weighed their options, the image of Diana, formidable and unyielding, imprinting itself upon their minds.
Meanwhile, Oriole approached Arthur, his expression a mix of awe and concern as he examined the golden scars marking Arthur"s closed eyes. "Arthur, this... the price was too steep," he murmured, his voice barely a whisper amidst the tension.
Arthur managed a wry smile, his face turning towards the sounds of awe and fear emanating from the field. "Maybe I should have considered losing my sight after Diana showed just how capable she is of handling threats," he joked lightly, trying to ease the palpable tension.
Oriole chuckled, the sound short and disbelieving. "That"s one way to look at it," he admitted, glancing back at the awe-struck armies. "Your sacrifice activated the Level Up Legacy, didn"t it? A strategic move, if ever there was one."
"Yes," Arthur confirmed, his tone serious again. "It was necessary. For Diana, for Runera, for the world that now emerges. We stand on the brink of a new era, Oriole, and it"s one we must shape with caution and courage."
As Oriole nodded, understanding the gravity of Arthur"s choice, the a.s.sembled armies began to disperse slowly, the threat of Diana"s h.e.l.lfire and the realization of their newfound powers under the Level Up Legacy prompting a strategic withdrawal.
Arthur and Diana stood together, a formidable pair against the backdrop of a changing world, ready to lead Runera and its allies into a future filled with uncertainty but also br.i.m.m.i.n.g with potential.
The armies that once sought to destroy Runera could no longer be seen. Kings summoned their forces to protect their crumbling nations, while guilds sought to gain new powers under the Level Up Legacy.
As for Runera, the atmosphere was solemn. Words spread quickly about what their leader, Arthur Netherborne, has sacrificed to atone for his reunion with the woman with blue flames.
The couple walked through the city, rows of scholars and citizens looking at the golden scars on their ruler"s face. They were a testament of his will to protect everything he held dear: this world and the woman beside him.
Diana walked beside Arthur, hand in hand, and examined the citizens. There were a lot more than she could remember, and they looked at her with awe and respect.
Behind the pair walking through the city was every core member of the guild Ascent, to which Diana glanced back. She realized that during her absence, Arthur has made a lot of new friendships and allies.
"Hail our king, Arthur Netherborne!" roared someone in the crowd, and the spark ignited the cheers of the rest. The entire city of runes was shaking by their voices praising Arthur, the man the rest of the world condemns.
The new rulers of Runera walked toward the center, where the Dome Mansion awaited them. As the gates closed behind them, the cheers of the crowd stopped.
"Do you think that everyone saw me battle against the armies outside?" asked Sarohan as he leaned on the wall, tired from the earlier battles. "I hope they start a fan base for the White Waiga."
"Your fight was just your enemies fleeing as soon as they saw you," rebuked Seraphine, who was covered with the blood of her enemies. "I never thought that humans had such strength."
Arthur smiled as he heard them, stopping his march. They were in the first layer of the Dome Mansion, surrounded by supplies and crates. Before anything else, he wanted to introduce his new followers.
"Settle down, everyone. Let me introduce you to Diana Freya, the woman who built Runera we stand upon today," he introduced with admiration. "Ahem, and also my girlfriend."
"Wow! Way to go, boss!" Sarohan clapped his hands before whistling. Arthur heard Diana chuckle at his reaction. Since he could no longer see, he appreciated the vocal Waiga more.