"Lord Asmophel, The head count sire," a soldier said, handing over a piece of parchment with a bow. "The death of our targets have been confirmed."
"Especially the child?" Asked the black knight Asmophel.
"Yes sir."
Everything looked to be going on order as their victory has been secured. But unbeknownst to them, the child in question was alive and breathing.
Apparently, before being engulfed with flames, Amelia had managed to cast a body cloning spell on Arthur. She used earth magic to make sure that even if the source of mana was no more, the spell would still be somewhat useful.
Also, the intensity of the flames left little charred remains that were hard to make out which also sided in their plan.
Asmophel scanned the list casually. A slow grin crept onto his face as he turned to the men.
"Pack up your things. Our job here is done."
At last... I've finally done it. I'm finally the strongest... he mused. I hope you're watching from, Aric." He taunted.
"Sir, if I may, where is our next destination?" one of the knight captains asked, snapping him from his thoughts.
Asmophel glanced at the man, then looked to the magical runes still glowing faintly in the charred ground. The spell he cast had obliterated enemies and allies alike—sacrifices for power.
Although this 'power' is a curse to many, it seems I've been blessed instead, he thought, clenching his fist. The energy still pulsed through him like a heartbeat.
"Give the men my orders. Our next destination..." His grin widened. "The royal capital of Celestia p."
•••
"Ugh... Where am I? I can't feel my body."
He tried to move, but pain surged through him, forcing him to stay still.
'Its morning already?'
'What happened?' he asked himself—but the answer came swiftly, A sharp migraine struck him as memories of the estate's destruction flooded back.
Then, for the last time, he heard it:
"...We love you, Arthur."
A small, broken smile touched his lips. "It's been a while since I heard those words..."
"How amusing..." he whispered with a chuckle. "Death by flames in both lifetimes... I guess my past is haunting me now." He thought while letting out a sigh.
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself upright, dragging his body until he slumped against a nearby tree. Only then did he bother to look around.
"A forest?... this isn't good." His voice was low and cautious. "The spell Mom used must've teleported me somewhere random. But since she saved it for last... that means it probably had a nasty side effect."
He took a deep breath and tried to stand.
"One... two... three—huh?"
A soft clink caught his attention. Something had dropped beside him. Still sitting, he picked it up.
"Isn't this Mom's necklace? But what's it doing here?"
Beside it was a peculiar orb, nearly camouflaged among the stones. It shimmered faintly. Curious, he picked it up and examined the strange carvings.
"Appraisal."
_______
[Name: Orb of Memory ???]
[Type: Artifact]
________
A familiar bluish screen flickered into view.
"Huh, question marks? Must be because my skill level's too low."
_________
[Appraisal Lv.1] (Active Skill)
Gives a detailed explanation of a specified target.
_________
"Ok, so how do I use this thing? Since it's an artifact I guess it's activated with mana." He recalled from the estate's library.
Channeling his mana, the orb glowed a soft blue. Then, to his surprise, a figure materialized—transparent and glowing.
It was Amelia, though only a hologram of her.
"Happy birthday, Arthur!" Amelia's voice echoed gently. "If you're seeing this, then... your father and I couldn't be there with you today. But don't worry—we'll do something even better next year, okay?"
Arthur sat frozen, his white hair falling over his eyes as he clenched his fists, smiling weakly. "Yeah"
"This gift might not look like much, but it's really important. It's actually a keep safe from your father to me on our wedding day as a present."
"Anyways, I won't bore you with too much details. I hope you like the gift Arthur." she smiled.
As her final words echoed, the orb cracked—and shattered.
He stared for a while before picking up the necklace and whispering, "Thanks mom" he replied.
Then, with determination in his eyes, gathered all his energy and pushed himself to his feet.
"I'll get out of this jungle and I'll get stronger." He winced from the pain in his chest. "This pain is nothing." He added. "I'll survive this, and one of these days, I'll have my revenge."
With no map or direction whatsoever, He randomly picked a direction a began his journey, hoping that whatever lay before him would at least be something worthwhile.
• • •
_________
[Name: ??? Tree]
[Type: ???]
_________
As he wandered, he distracted himself by using Appraisal on random things. His limp forcing him to rely on a stick for balance.
"Well, this isn't giving me much. Guess I'll need to level it up."
'Wasn't there another reward for the class awakening?...'
As he walked, Arthur remembered he had an untested unique skill from his class awakening.
"Okay time to test it out." Arthur blurted out. "Eyes of Divini-- Woah! Arrrgh!!!"
Just as he was about to initiate his skill, His foot slipped midway.
"Damn it!" he cursed, while tumbling down a steep slope. The rocks and roots battering him until he finally hit the base.
A seething pain aroused his entire body. He was just about to curse his luck when he looked up, snd saw people a few meters ahead, hope finally sparking up in his chest.
'I- need to reach out for help' he thought while his vision began to fade.
But his body wouldn't move. The fall had taken its toll on him, leaving him bruised, bloodied, and drained.
'Good grief,' he thought, as his vision blurred and darkness claimed him once more.