Chapter 99: In The Forest

After completing his test, Arthur returned to his quarters on the Dreadnought Mk XI.

He met up with Leo, Elena, and Samir in the cafeteria. The atmosphere was relaxed, with the usual chatter of soldiers filling the space. 

The group fell into easy conversation, enjoying their meal together. Arthur felt a sense of camaraderie, a rare moment of peace in his otherwise hectic life.

After finishing his meal, he bid his team farewell and returned to his room.

…

Inside his quarters, Arthur activated the obelisk. A familiar distortion in space rippled around him, and in the blink of an eye, he was back in his dorm room at the academy.

Morning came swiftly. Arthur woke up, stretched, and prepared for another day of rigorous training. There's just a month left to train under instructor Garrick so Arthur wanted to take full advantage of this time and practice his combat techniques before his mentorship ended.

Arthur arrived at the training grounds where several students were already warming up. Garrick, ever the intimidating presence, stood at the center, his arms crossed as he watched the students arrive one by one. His sharp eyes flicked to Arthur the moment he entered.

Arthur joined the drills. The next few hours were grueling. Sparring against Garrick, refining his footwork, and practicing counters. Garrick was ruthless, pushing Arthur to put his all in those fights.

Training continued till ten before Garrick finally dismissed them.

…

After his classes, Arthur made his way to the orphanage in the outer district. When he arrived, the children were outside playing, their laughter filling the air. Lisa spotted him instantly and ran toward him with a bright smile.

"Awuthur!" she called out, her small feet taking her forward as she ran.

Arthur knelt down as she threw herself into his arms. "Miss me already?" he asked, ruffling her hair.

Lisa nodded enthusiastically. "Uh-huh! You weren't here in the morning."

"I had to go to the academy, You will also go there when you grow up." Arthur said, standing up while holding her. "But I'm here now."

He spent the next hour playing with the children, answering their endless questions, and making sure they were all adjusting well. Eventually, he met with Butler Hudson, who gave him a quick report on the orphanage's operations.

"Everything is running smoothly, sir," Hudson said. "The staff have settled in, and the children are adjusting well. There have been no issues so far."

Arthur nodded. "Good. Let me know if anything changes. I will drop by frequently."

With everything in order, he left the orphanage and made his way to the city gate. He needed a secluded area to experiment with his spells, and the wilderness outside the city was the perfect place.

…

Meanwhile, in a grand estate within Brightwater, Count Bahram's third son, Elaric Bahram, lounged in the dining hall, enjoying a fine meal with another noble. The room was adorned with lavish decorations, and the scent of roasted meat filled the air.

Elaric, a middle aged nobleman with blonde hair and sharp features, raised his glass of wine and smirked. "I must say, nothing beats a good drink after handling business."

The noble sitting across from him chuckled. "Of course. Let's give a toast to our successful collaboration."

Before Elaric could answer, there was a knock on the door. His brows furrowed in irritation. "Who dares interrupt my meal?" he snapped.

An attendant stepped inside, bowing deeply. "My lord, an important report has arrived."

Elaric sighed, setting down his glass. "This had better be worth my time."

He stood and excused himself, following the attendant into the hallway. Once they were alone, he turned to the man. "Well? Speak."

The attendant swallowed nervously. "My lord, the student you asked to monitor, he's heading toward the city gate. It appears he's leaving Brightwater."

Elaric's irritation melted into delight. He grinned, his fingers tapping against his chin. "So, he's finally leaving the city…"

The attendant hesitated before continuing. "And, my lord… it appears that this student has also opened an orphanage in the outer district."

Elaric's grin widened. "An orphanage? How interesting."

Dismissing the attendant, he made his way toward a specific guest room. Inside, seated in quiet meditation, was a Peak-Grade Martial Artist.

He had previously invited this Peak-Grade martial artist to take care of Arthur, he had to expend a lot of money on him, still he thought it was worth it if he got his hands on the Dragon Core.

Elaric approached him with a smirk. "The target is leaving the city. It's time."

He handed the man a rough sketch of Arthur.

The martial artist opened his eyes, studied the sketch, and nodded. "Understood."

Elaric leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Make sure you bring me his storage artifact. Everything he owns, especially the Dragon Core, will belong to me."

The martial artist stood, his presence exuding raw danger. "Consider it done."

With that, he left the manor, moving toward the city gate at his top speed like a phantom to catch up with Arthur.

…

Drakmire Continent

The moon hung high in the sky, casting a soft silver glow over the vast forests and rolling hills of Drakmire. Atop one of these hills stood an imposing yet elegant castle. The castle, though secluded, was a masterpiece of luxury, its walls adorned with intricate carvings, enchanted lanterns illuminating the walkways with a soft golden light.

This is the castle Arthur made for the mysterious woman he met in the forest while he was excavating for mana stones.

Inside, in a grand chamber lined with velvet drapes and fine furniture, a woman lay on a plush bed, her dark purple hair cascading across the pillows. Her serene breathing was the only sound in the dimly lit room as the cool night breeze drifted through the open window.

Then, suddenly her eyes fluttered open.

A strange sensation rushed through her, jolting her fully awake. She sat up, her gaze becoming sharp.

She felt the mark she had left on Arthur vanish. The mark was meant for communication, a simple connection spell that let her reach out if necessary. However, the spell carried an additional function, it allowed her to sense the location of the bearer of the mark. It was not like she intentionally wanted to know his location, but it was an ancient spell created by her father.

And just now she suddenly felt… Arthur's presence disappear while she was sleeping.

She frowned. The only way the mark could disappear was if the bearer died.

For a moment, she sat still, processing the situation. She felt Arthur was an interesting person, far more interesting than any human she had interacted with before. His strange artifacts, and his unpredictable nature intrigued her. She felt it would truly be a waste for someone like him to perish so soon.

She sighed, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"Well, I suppose I should check."

Rising gracefully from the bed, she donned a flowing black dress laced with silver patterns. With a flick of her wrist, an ethereal blue glow surrounded her as she activated a teleportation spell.

The world around her blurred. In an instant, she reappeared in the exact location where Arthur had last been, his dorm room.

But what she saw confused her.

There was nothing. No blood, no traces of a battle, just an empty small room. She checked outside, the grass wasn't even trampled, and the trees stood undisturbed under the moonlight. It was as if Arthur had simply… vanished into thin air.

Her eyes narrowed as she slowly surveyed the area, her sharp senses scanning for any remnants of magic. But she noticed nothing, no evidence of teleportation, no energy signatures left behind.

"How strange…" she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

She crouched down, touching the earth with her fingertips. She had lived long enough to witness countless mysteries, but this? This was something entirely new.

After several minutes of fruitless searching, she let out a small sigh and stood up. 'Whatever happened, there's no way to track him now.'

She returned to the castle, but what surprised her was, after a few hours she could again feel the mark she left on Arthur. 

"How did he manage that?" She felt intrigued and thought she should ask Arthur how he was able to do so.

But it had to wait as she had matters to attend to first. But this mystery, this disappearance and return, only made her more eager to meet him again.

…

Brightwater – The Forest Outside the City

Arthur moved through the dense forest, his boots pressing lightly against the damp earth. The thick canopy above him filtered the sunlight, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow across the forest floor.

His goal was to find a secluded location to experiment with his spells. The academy training grounds were too restrictive, and the orphanage was no place for destructive magic. Out here, he could push his limits without worrying about collateral damage.

But after some time he suddenly felt a presence following him.

Arthur kept his pace steady, not giving any indication that he had noticed. Instead, he silently activated his 'Map', allowing it to scan the area around him. A small, red blip appeared behind him, trailing at a cautious distance.

'So I was right. Someone's really following me.' His expression remained neutral, but his mind raced through possibilities.

An ordinary bandit? Unlikely. No thief would be foolish enough to stalk someone alone into the wilderness. 

Then another thought hit him. It was most probably a spy from the noble families, he was previously attacked by two assassins, and the person following must be a subordinate of the person who ordered the attack on him.

Arthur exhaled through his nose, keeping his breathing steady. It made sense, he had the Dragoon core, and they might really want it.

His fingers twitched, itching toward the hilt of his sword. But he didn't draw his sword.

Instead of confronting his stalker outright, Arthur deliberately took a less direct path, veering deeper into the forest. He weaved between towering trees, stepping over gnarled roots and thick undergrowth.

His pursuer followed. Whoever this was, they were experienced. The person didn't make any unnecessary movements and followed him silently.

Then, without warning, he stopped.

The forest was silent. Arthur slowly turned his head, his gaze sharp as he looked towards the direction where the person was hiding.

"I know you're there," he said calmly. "You can come out now."

There was silence for a few seconds. Then…

From the shadows of the trees, a figure emerged. A tall man, clad in dark armor. His posture was relaxed, but Arthur could see the readiness in his stance, the careful positioning of his hands.

Arthur's grip on his sword tightened slightly. The man studied Arthur for a moment, then spoke. His voice was rough, but calm. "You noticed me faster than I expected."

Arthur shrugged. "You weren't exactly subtle."

The assassin smirked. "That so? Most people wouldn't have noticed until it was too late."

Arthur met his gaze evenly. "You're here for a reason. Who sent you after me?"

The assassin tilted his head slightly, as if amused. "You are already dead, why does a dead person need to know about anything?"

Arthur's expression didn't change. "Alright, let's get this over with then."

The assassin chuckled. "I like your attitude, kid. But I have a job to do."

The air between them grew heavy. Tension crackled like a storm about to break.

Arthur's eyes gleamed. He had been meaning to test his new sword anyway.

***

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