Chapter 131: Back to Kera (2/2)

As he used his rune constantly, Arthur imagined the other world. Full of monsters, beasts, mythical creatures, and the remains of the Era of Yore. He'll go there and grow stronger than anyone else and no one can stop him or trample on him.

It took him half a day to reach Kera, his home. It looked just as prosperous looking at it from its periphery. The unique modernism and magic combined to paint a picture of a magical world. He teleported on top of buildings until he appeared in front of his house, missing its comforts.

He unlocked the door and entered as he heard his mother preparing lunch in the kitchen. The smell of cooked rice and chicken soup made his stomach growl.

”Mom, I'm home.” Arthur took a seat on the dining table as he said. His mother turned and glanced at him before ignoring him. ”I'm sorry for not coming back right away. I was with a friend.”

”You know how to say sorry?” His mother grumbled as she smacked the pot with her ladle, turning around. ”Do you know how worried I was when I heard the Calamity Spider appeared at your contest or whatever? You think a simple text saying you're okay would have me go 'oh he's okay silly me is overthinking!'?”

He could see his mother's eyes tearing up. He stood up and walked over and hugged even though she tried to push him away. He had been busy with the king, Mistletoe, and the mission afterward that he forgot how much his mother would worry.

”I'm so sorry, mom. I really couldn't make come back straight afterward.” He hugged as he apologized. He could hear her sniff as she talked to him through her sobs.

”You and Oren are everything I have in this life after your father went missing. What would I do if something happens to any of you? How would I live?” His mother was crying and Arthur spent an hour trying to make her feel better while feeling heartache.

Oren was with his friends, his mother said. She made some remarks about how suspicious he was acting, making her think he must have gotten a girlfriend. Arthur smiled without saying anything as the two ate their lunch.

'How many sons have I stolen from their mothers? How would they live on?' He wondered as he looked at his reflection in the soup. 'Do they resent me, wishing I was dead?' They must be.

He lost his appetite as he remembered how he burned those soldiers, drowned them, and sent lightning and boulders their way. Instead, he looked at his mother and her few gray hairs as he realized that he did it all to protect this.

***

His mother was unwilling to let him leave the house that evening, so he had to have his goblins wait. Jerano's exam was in six weeks and the final exams were in a week, so he needed to study a bit for the final exam. He just needed to pass since he would get a scholarship through the Runes Apprentice's Cup.

He received an email regarding the competition being resumed in ten days, so he had some time to focus on his exams and goblins. He also planned on getting stronger from now on through hunting in dungeons.

He longed to pay the Cerberus that almost clawed him to death back, but he couldn't simply walk into Avarice dungeon. That time, his party consisted of several Deme-rankers, so he had no issue going in as a porter. Now that he had awakened, the dungeon wouldn't allow him to go inside.

Dungeons were different according to the generation they appeared and their types. Avarice was one of the Sins Dungeons, making it one of the hardest and most rewarding. As evidence, a party of Deme-rankers was only able to hunt until the third layer of the dungeon.

'I'm lucky to be alive at this point,' Arthur sighed as he read through the website. He had been desperate, but it was a crazy gamble. His mother would have fried him if she knew what he did at that time.

'Is Avarice the reason I received this legacy? Or something else that has nothing to do with it?' Arthur wondered without a point before dropping it.

His brother came back and Arthur could see his brows ease when he saw Arthur unharmed. In the short amount of time Arthur was gone, his brother has grown stronger. Arthur looked with envy at his brother's growth rate due to his ability, even though he couldn't compare to Arthur.

'This might get dangerous.' Arthur realized that their growth might bring them attention from the Union and the temple, so he handed his brother the protection jade.

”What's this?” Oren asked, bewildered.

”If anything happens, use this to teleport our mother out of here,” Arthur explained what his brother should do in case of emergency. ”The world isn't as peaceful.” He explained and his brother squeezed the jade, nodding solemnly. Arthur hated that he couldn't let his brother live a worries-free life, but he knew this was for the best.