1347  Detecting the World

The Sandbox was the first feature that Arthur wanted to add to his legacy. Before that, it was perfect as it was, giving him new functions each time he leveled up. He now realized that the new functions were not stored inside the legacy. Jizo created them as he monitored Arthur and his growth.

For example, when Arthur became a lord in Alka, the function was related to Lordship and how to become better. When he became a guild master with members, the party function appeared. Jizo was pushing Arthur forward based on his environment.

This also explained why his legacy gave him runes in a timely manner according to his needs. It wasn’t just a machine, but a connection between two people across space and time. If that was the case, how could his legacy even be considered a legacy in the present moment?

According to the definition, a legacy was a contract between two creatures of differing powers. The stronger one would give the weaker one some of its power in exchange for a few tasks or conditions.

Jizo sacrificed his life to save Arthur and the Red Tower. He was the most selfless man Arthur had ever met, despite giving him a legacy of fighting against nothingness. However, his death also marked the end of the contract between Arthur and Jizo.

“But the legacy exists,” muttered Arthur, standing amidst the destroyed landscape. It had been an hour since he returned from Gaia, and he was patching the Sandbox. It wasn’t perfect, but at least it worked.

[Total Mana Cost: 1420.]

The cost before creating the mana tank was 1320, but it rose by a hundred due to a small trick Arthur had implemented. The mana tank would allow him to store mana inside his legacy and pay the mana cost in installments.

Arthur poured his mana into the Sandbox, and the tank was half full once he was done. He then used a rune that Jizo had left behind: Restore. It would allow him to restore his mana instantly. However, as he used it, the rune collapsed.

“What the hell is happening now?”

[The Restore rune cannot obtain mana.]

Arthur frowned as he read the notification from his legacy. After examining his spiritual artifact, he realized that there had indeed been a channel to obtain mana before. After some digging, he found the origin of that mana, or what used to be its source: Red Tower.

“That makes more sense now,” muttered Arthur with a sigh. Jizo had been providing him with the mana he obtained from using Restore. He should have noticed sooner since no rune could create mana out of nothing.

Another notification that made Arthur laugh. His legacy was obviously talking about the mana tank he had created. For the first time in a while, he needed to regenerate mana the old-fashioned way.

Arthur sat down and began practicing his Art of Creation. It allowed him to regenerate mana faster, but it couldn’t provide him with the necessary amount instantly. Therefore, he used another skill at the same time:

Mana Breathing.

Master Ronin had taught him this skill a long time ago. According to him, it could be evolved further the more Arthur practiced it. However, his Art of Creation had always proven more than enough. At the moment, it wouldn’t hurt to use both.

His mana began to regenerate as he used Mana Breathing. Arthur knew he was running out of time, but these steps were necessary. Another hour passed before a change occurred.

[Mana Breathing (E) has evolved to become Enhanced Mana Breathing (D).]

His mana regeneration became faster as Arthur’s mastery of the skill improved. The skill evolved now because it worked in tandem with his Art of Creation. Once his mana reached a certain level, Arthur ended his session.

[Sandbox has been activated.] [You can now use the Sandbox.]

Arthur smiled with contentment as he wiped the sweat from his face. He then created the Detect rune and began infusing it with his spiritual energy once again. Arthur watched as the rune collapsed again, but this time, his Sandbox recorded everything.

[The Detect rune has collapsed.] [Reason for collapse: excess modifications.] [Description: an unknown energy is changing the rune and attempting to perfect its symbols. After a certain level, the rune’s structure cannot sustain the symbols of a higher level.]

“A rune’s structure?” Arthur muttered in realization. “In other words, the layout of the symbols is making it harder for their higher forms to coexist. The structure must be altered to prevent such collisions between its different components.”

Arthur didn’t rewrite the Detect rune but instead began creating its first symbol. Once that was done, he started designing a symbol of negation to prevent each symbol from colliding. The rune slowly began to take shape, eventually returning to its original form.

[Detect]

At first glance, Arthur couldn’t see any difference between his new rune and the old one. But upon closer inspection, the rune looked more robust, as if it had been padded with isolators. He then began pouring his spiritual energy into the rune.

[Detect] began to morph, changing color. Arthur expected it to collapse again, but somehow, it fought through the evolution until it turned golden.

A golden rune rested in the palm of his hand. Arthur smiled as he stared at the rune he had evolved further. Then, he used the little mana he had left to activate it.

The rune buzzed with energy before releasing a pulse of thinned-out mana. Arthur stood at the center as his mind began registering everything his mana passed through. It showed him the Theocracy of Shon, the Republic of Orlan, the Uncharted Lands, and Sourna…

Arthur stood in the middle of a mana wave that overtook the entire world in every direction. At the same time, he suffered from the overwhelming influx of information into his mind. He felt as though his mind would explode, but he was beginning to find everything he needed.

It was time to kill a few calamities.