Level Up Legacy

Chapter 1433: First Contract

The Abyssal Seekers were imprisoned in the center of the city beside the Ascension Arena. Powerful Seekers, including Aquan and others, guarded the cages and prevented any Seekers from approaching the Abyssal Spirits' users.

Mora and the others had a villa overseeing the arena. It seems that these groups of Seekers were tasked with taking care of the Abyssal Spirits that have been wreaking havoc in the Infra-Layer. They were among the elites of the city.

Arthur and the rest found it hard to approach, given that crowds of Seekers and their Spirits surrounded the arena now. Most of these Seekers wanted to join Mora's group because, according to them, it meant receiving high-grade items and specialized training.

"Are they really that important?" asked Tiara with confusion. "I didn't get that feeling when we collaborated outside the city."

"Let's ask the locals," said Ali as he looked around, spotting a small vendor who was still arranging his items away from the crowd. "Excuse me, esteemed gentleman. Can we have a moment of your time?"

The man gave them a look up and down. He wasn't as materialized as them, but his control over spiritual energy was more refined. "You don't look like you have any money."

"That's rude," Tiara said. "But we don't have any."

"Figured," the man said. "Don't waste my time!"

"We just have a few questions," Ali said with a politeness that made the man reluctant to refuse. He kept working while Ali began barraging him with questions about the group.

A group of Seekers working together was called a guild, similar to most worlds here. This particular guild was called the Moonlight Guild, because their leader, Mora, contracted a very rare Moonlight Spirit.

As decreed by the Lords and rules of the Spirits Realm, every Abyssal user would be facing against the Guardian of Judgment, who would decide whether they could be redeemed or not through a trial of souls.

"Most of 'em die, though. Their souls are destroyed by the Guardian, turning into food for our dear Infra-Layer," said the man once he finished haggling a Seeker. "Are you three new in Nexus?"

"We are," Ali admitted.

"That explains it. Just take it slow here, and don't rush to ascend. The spiritual energy in the Earthen Layer would tear you apart before you step foot inside. The Guardian of Ascension here is just to verify you would not."

"Are there other ways to ascend?" Arthur asked.

"As long as you meet certain criteria, you can ascend whenever you want, wherever you were," the vendor said. "But reaching the Peak Foundation is harder than you think, especially for you. I can tell you are brimming with spiritual energy."

"Why would it be harder for him?" Tiara asked as she paused her examinations of the man's artifacts. They were little gadgets imbued with Spirits or sigils, serving different functions.

"The more spiritual energy a person has, the more time they would take to form a Spirits Core. The Divine Light blesses us with Soulbind until we can form a Core of our own, but I can see that he doesn't have any."

"A Spirits Core?" Arthur questioned with surprise. "It's the first time I hear about this, or even the Divine Light."

"You really skipped researching," the man said with a sigh. "It happens a lot with newcomers these days. They waltz into the Spirits Realm as if they have a picnic."

"We all have different reasons for coming here," Tiara rebuked with an annoyed face. "How about you treat us like less of a bother and actually explain things?"

Arthur and Ali glanced at each other. Tiara didn't have a short temper, so this little outburst surprised them. The vendor was silent and—to their surprise—nodded in agreement.

"You're right. I've been a little harsh. Everyone in the Infra-Layer is just exploring things, and we should stick together. What else do you need to know?"

"That's more like it," Tiara said as she looked around. After asking for some chairs from a different vendor, she seated Arthur, Ali, and herself next to the vendor. Then, he began explaining things to them.

The Spirits Realm has developed a rather complex culture because of its different layers. Furthermore, Arthur doesn't remember having this kind of civilization present the last time that he visited. Seekers were few, and Spirits were fewer.

Lesser Spirits, according to Ruben the vendor, were the main inhabitants of the Infra-Layer. Seekers were a close second in numbers, but most of them depart sooner or later toward the upper layers.

Guilds formed among the most powerful in the Infra-Layer, like the Moonlight Guild led by Mora. These groups were authorized by the Spirits Lord to uphold public peace and get rewards for it. Their mission is simple: Order and Abyssals Hunt.

"Have the Abyssal Spirits always been common?" asked Ali once Ruben finished his explanation.

"The Abyss existed ever since the First Contract, but it has grown restless in recent months," Ruben explained, then paused to sell an item to a nearby Seeker.

"What's the First Contract?" Tiara asked Arthur.

"I think it's the First Seeker's contract with the Spirits Sovereign," Arthur explained with a frown. "But it's the first time I hear the term."

"You are partially correct," Ruben picked up his explanation and continued. "The First Contract was between the First Seeker and the entire realm. It's now the governing law of all layers, except the Abyss."

"And what law is that?" Ali asked with a curious gaze.

"Many, but in essence, it built the bridge between the physical and spiritual realms. Spirits vowed to view Seekers as allies and vice versa. It was the first alliance between worlds, and despite countless attempts to renegotiate it, it remained unchanged since ancient times."

Arthur interjected. "Spirits are less common in my world. How come we never heard about them?"

"The higher and bigger the world, the closer they would be to the Spirits Realm. Mana and spiritual energy affect each other; thus, worlds cannot withstand a higher number of Spirits than their capacity."

As the four were chatting, a commotion rose from the guild's direction. A few Seekers were fighting some of the prisoners, but that fight was entirely one-sided. Arthur jumped on the table to get a better viewpoint and saw the parties involved.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!