Level Up Legacy

Chapter 1421: Oaths and Promises

Arthur has indeed noticed that all of the camp's inhabitants had somewhat of an outline of their real bodies, if not similar to Aquan who looked physical rather than spiritual. He turned to Ali for his opinion.

"What do you think?" Arthur asked.

"If we go alone, we might get ambushed anyway. If we are bait, then we have some sort of protection from them."

"Are you sure this isn't just your curiosity to learn the secret?" Tiara asked in a hushed tone, to which Ali chuckled but gave no response. Arthur thought for a moment before turning toward Mira and the rest.

"How do we guarantee that you wouldn't betray us?" Arthur asked.

"You are in no position to ask for a guarantee," another man barked, who looked like he was covered in spikes from head to toe. "We are being rather kind to offer you this deal instead of just letting you wander around Nexus."

"If you think we should be grateful, then you are bound to be disappointed," Arthur said in a cold voice as his spiritual energy leaked. The entire room trembled as his energy engulfed the place.

"Our companion is hasty with his words," Mira said as she raised a hand to appease them. "I am willing to form a spiritual contract as your guarantee."

Arthur paused with surprise. He didn't expect the leader to offer such a thing. However, a spiritual contract needed both parties to offer something of similar value, either in commitment or nature. Therefore, he decided against it.

"Your offer is all I need. I just need to continue on with my journey, right?"

"And use this device when you are ambushed by the abyssal seekers. We expect that most of them would come after you, since their main goal is to hunt seekers with high spiritual energy," Mira said as a small cube floated toward Arthur.

Arthur looked at the cube in apprehension, and did not attempt to touch it with his spiritual body. It looked like a crystal filled with rods inside. He turned toward Mira for an explanation.

"If triggered using spiritual energy, it would generate a massive cage that imprisons everyone inside. I want you to use it after our arrival to the scene."

"Imprisoned inside?" Arthur questioned. "That includes us with the abyssal seekers, right?"

"Indeed," Mira confirmed. "But we will also be there. The sole reason that we are asking you to use it is that the abyssal seekers could enter the abyss and escape our grasp."

"This is too risky," Tiara interjected, her voice unusually cold. "It places us in the palm of your hand."

"It's fine," Arthur said as he raised a hand toward the cube, which reacted and entered his body. "We'll use it once the time comes. Unless we see you there, we won't activate it."

"That's all we ask for," Mira said with a nod. "Aquan will now teach you how to improve your control over spiritual energy."

"We are getting paid upfront?" Ali asked with interest.

"You all trusted me without a guarantee, and returning the favor is the least I can do," Mira said with a smile. "Furthermore, this is common knowledge in Nexus. We will just hand it over sooner for you."

"I will be your teacher for the next two days," Aquan said as he stepped forward. "Please follow me."

They followed Aquan across the camp in silence. The hills around them were gentle, the plains stretched far, and the sky above felt unusually still.

No one spoke as they reached a worn patch of earth. There were faint marks on the ground, as if others had stood here before.

Aquan turned to face them. "To control your spiritual energy, you must give it shape. Discipline. That is done through an oath."

Arthur watched him quietly. The others waited.

"An oath in Nexus is not a promise," Aquan continued. "It's a law you place on yourself. One that your energy will follow."

Tiara frowned slightly. "So we give up freedom?"

"You give it direction," Aquan replied. "Energy without rules is chaos. With rules, it becomes yours."

Ali gave a soft sigh. "And what if we mess up?"

"Then your energy turns silent. Unresponsive. You'll need to earn its trust again."

Aquan pointed to the ground. "Sit. Think. Speak your oath inwardly. It must come from you alone."

They sat in a loose circle on the hard earth. The hills stood quiet in the distance. No wind. No sound. Only the slow beat of their own thoughts.

Aquan stood at the center, arms folded behind his back. "Begin when ready," he said. "There is no order. Only the weight you are willing to carry."

A long silence passed.

Then Tiara shifted slightly. Her eyes still closed, but her expression had changed—more resolved, less guarded.

"I will use my power only to heal," she said softly. "Not for harm. Not for war. Not for vengeance."

As Tiara finished speaking, something began to change.

A soft light spread from her chest outward, tracing the outline of her spiritual body. Her limbs, once vague and translucent, gained sharper edges. Her hands no longer flickered. Her presence no longer faded when she moved. For the first time since arriving in Nexus, she looked whole.

The glow faded slowly, but the form remained.

Arthur stared in silence. Even the way Tiara breathed had changed. Steadier. More grounded.

Aquan gave a nod. "That is the nature of an oath. It gives your spirit shape. A rule becomes a spine. A boundary becomes a body."

Tiara glanced at her own hands, turning them over once. Her fingers didn't blur anymore. "I feel… more here."

"Because now you are," Aquan said.

Ali leaned back, blinking. "Alright, that's actually kind of cool."

He closed his eyes again, more serious this time. Then he spoke his oath.

"I'll use what I know to help the world. No twisting truth. No hoarding answers. If I understand something, I share it."

The moment he finished, the ground gave a low hum. The air around him shifted—light, but present. Lines of light ran along his shoulders and spine, outlining him with clarity he didn't have before.

His hair settled instead of drifting. His features no longer shifted between clear and unclear. The difference was subtle, but impossible to miss.

Ali opened both eyes and gave a short whistle. "Alright. I didn't expect that."

Aquan didn't speak. He simply looked at Arthur.

But Arthur said nothing.

He watched the others, their new clarity, their settled presence.

And still, he waited.