"Young master, mana beasts seem to be attacking the other girls."
Arthur narrowed his eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of the battle ahead, but it was futile.
It seemed Seraph had exceptionally good vision.
But he didn't need to see it to understand what to do.
His mother had, after all, given him the mission to protect his clan's unawakened.
"Seraph, can you move ahead?"
Arthur was pretty sure Seraph could reach there before him, so it was more beneficial for her to move first.
Seraph hesitated for a moment, nodded, then vanished as shadows enveloped her instantly.
Arthur jumped back to the ground and began sprinting forward. Then he imbued force into his limbs, bending ever so slightly as if about to take a long jump.
BOOM!
The snow scattered around him as he lunged into the air, flying past several trees.
'I never knew this would actually work.'
Q + 2 + Shift + Space-bar
This particular move was always Arthur's go-to back on Earth, especially when he forgot which button on his PC did what.
Trees whipped past him, and his breath puffed into the cold air.
It was a completely different experience than what he had felt through the screen.
Spotting the clearing just ahead, Arthur released his latent force and used the mana from his brain core to form swirling wind around himself.
Arthur landed in a slide next to Seraph, who had teleported one of the six girls away from a massive Yettie.
Its maw was wide open, and saliva that melted the ice beneath its feet dripped from it.
Its long talons swung through the air, attempting to slam into two of the injured girls, whom Arthur recalled were two of the four newly awakened A-ranks.
Seraph blurred out with the shadows, yanking the two girls back just in time.
The snow beneath their feet exploded, but it gave them enough time to create distance.
The towering monstrosity now stood face to face with Arthur. Its fur-coated head snarled, thick muscles shifted slightly, and cold vapor rose from its jaws.
The D-rank mana beast:
Yettie!
Arthur turned to Seraph and the girls, who were shivering briefly. "Stay behind me, okay?"
Sarah had blood trailing down her cheek, her sword trembling in her grip.
Still, she stood up. "We can't do that, young master. We will hold it off. Just escape."
Arthur stepped forward. "Don't try to play hero here. You're all messed up. Do you think you can even hold him off?"
Her expression darkened. "So what should we do then?"
Kai grinned. "Just let me handle him."
"Are you insane?!" Sarah shouted. "You're not even awakened yet!"
One of the girls shouted, panicked. "Run! We'll distract it!"
He turned slightly, offering a half-smile. His voice was calm, certain.
"Don't worry. I am still an SSS-rank awakened and the only son of Alica Arcain."
The mana beast lunged, one claw slicing through the air toward Arthur.
He inhaled, force flooding his legs again. He stomped the ground and launched upward, snow exploding beneath his feet.
At his peak, he whispered a wind incantation mentally, just enough to hover for a second.
Once the spell was over, he twisted midair, dodging the Yettie's claw and slammed a kick into its temple.
As his feet hit the ground, his eyes shut for a brief moment, then jolted open.
Cold vapor escaped his lips as mana erupted from within him.
Even after reincarnation, there was one thing Arthur couldn't quite understand.
And that was why Arthur Arcain's lore called him the greatest talent in the world of magic and knights.
But during the past three days, he realized something strange about his body.
About Arthur Arcain's body.
Normally, mages' and knights' overall power output was bound by tiers and stages that corresponded with their rank.
Even with the help of their authority, a mage or knight couldn't perform an attack that was beyond their rank's capabilities.
That was why ranks were determined not just by the amount of mana one had, but by the tier of spells or stage of techniques he or she could use.
A Red Core mage could only cast up to Tier Eight spells.
Likewise, an Apprentice-ranked knight could only use Stage Eight techniques.
This was the universal limit for ranks.
Only very few could go beyond a single stage or tier, and at a cost.
But it was different for Arthur Arcain.
His body, mana, magic, and force ignored this law.
Through trial and error, he had discovered this unique body constitution.
As long as he understood a spell or technique, he was able to use it regardless of tier or stage.
Though the power was greatly reduced by about a quarter to half, and the mana input was also more.
Still, he was able to use attacks far beyond his rank, as long as he had enough mana.
A quarter of a Tier Five spell was still way stronger than a full Tier Seven spell.
Arthur raised his right hand as if trying to mimic a gun.
Mana flared in the air, concentrating at the top of his two outstretched fingers.
A large sphere of fire formed in front of them, trembling with heat.
Then in an instant, it compressed—smaller, denser—until it shrank to the width of his two fingers.
He then aimed the spell at the Yettie, who was still stunned.
Bright red color danced around him, as even the eyes of the girls behind him widened in awe.
Was this the power of an SSS-rank awakened?
『 Tier Six Magic Spell: Explosion Flair 』
Then, he fired.
The fireball sliced through the air with a shrill whistle, as if tearing space itself.
The Yettie, sensing danger, didn't try to block or dodge but run.
A beat later, the small orb pierced through its chest, completely passing through all its organs and blood cells.
As soon as the monster landed on the floor, sending snow flying—
The fireball struck a distant mountain and detonated.
BOOM!
The explosion was controlled but vicious, causing an avalanche to tumble down the slope below them.
『 You Have Slain A D-rank Mana Beast 』
Arthur landed roughly, then dropped to the ground.
His breath came out ragged.
『 User's Mana is nearly depleted 』
Arthur exhaled slowly, a wide grin framing his face. 'Good thing I told Isabella to drink the elixir an hour after I departed.'
'If I give the Yettie's mana core to Seraph, then I can replenish my mana. But first...' He collapsed onto the floor, panting.
The stunned girls stood to their feet and rushed to him.
"Young master, are you alright?"
Arthur raised a thumb. "Yeah."
They all smiled with relief.
"Thank goodness," Sarah spoke out, crying.
Arthur frowned. "Hey, I'm not going to die. I'm just exhausted."
She wiped her tears, her eyes still red. "I know that, but still... I'm glad you're alright."
After they rested for some time, the girls explained to Arthur how exactly they encountered the mana beast.
Unlike he and Seraph, they weren't so lucky as to spawn on a plain field, but instead teleported right in front of the Yettie.
He helped them gather materials as they set up a temporary camp near the mountain's edge.
It wasn't much.
Just a medium-sized igloo and a flickering fire he had lit with magic.
They sat around the campfire.
And unlike what he thought, none of them questioned him. Their expressions said enough.
Respect.
He glanced at Seraph, then at the rest. "I think I'll be splitting up from the group."
"Not because you guys are a burden," he made sure to state, "but there is something I really need to do."
None of them said anything and simply listened.
He lingered for a moment, then with a tree branch, began drawing what he knew about the Hollow Mountain, explaining details that wouldn't make him seem suspicious.
"Seraph, I want you to take command, and Sarah, assist her."
The two nodded to him as he left the camp.
Seraph followed behind, bowing gently. "Your shadow will wait for your return, young master."
Arthur turned, then smiled. "I told you to be more crude, didn't I?"
Seraph nodded. "Yo, come back quickly."
Arthur chuckled, looked left, then right, and waved as he walked away.
Soon, he reached the sheer edge of the mountain, the winds howling below.
He looked down into the dark abyss, mist curling like fingers beneath the rocks.
He sighed. "Seems like you're still trapped there..." he whispered, eyes narrowing at the swirling abyss below.
Then he murmured: "Master."
With no hesitation, he stepped off the edge.