"..." Yonathan stared at Arthur silently. He didn't reply to the question imdiately and didn't break eye contact at all, as if he was trying to pry through Arthur again.
"You can't break your promise, old man. I haze to put unnecessary effort into this." Arthurs stretched his arms wide. "I expect soone of your caliber to respect the agreent."
"I will bring you there," Yonathan said. "I hate nothing more than breaking promises. Only the most pathetic of cowards do that."
"Exactly." Arthur clicked his fingers. "So, when are we leaving? Who will bring there?"
"Can I ask you one question before that, Arthur?" Yonathan spoke. This entire ti, he had a rather conflicted look on his face. It was as if he was struggling to co to terms with sothing.
"Hm? Go ahead."
"What is your goal? What do you want to achieve in the Divine Realm?" The man asked with a serious tone. His hands instinctively gripped his cane even harder. He was trying to find support in anything he had.
"My goal?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"
"Is there a reason not to?"
"Hmm, that's a good point." The boy frowned. "My goal, huh? Well, it's pretty simple and underwhelming, you know?"
"I don't mind. I just want to know what you want to achieve." The old man shook his head.
"I see… Well, old man, my goal is…" Arthur slowly opened his eyes as he stared at the old man, his entire deanor shifted again. It was sudden and unexpected, so much so that Yonathan was taken aback.
All the playful innocence and humor vanished from his eyes, and what remained was just cold, hard empathy. Arthur's aura slowly wrapped around him like a coiling snake, filled with endless malice.
"I just want to be the strongest creature to ever walk these lands." He said. "No, not the strongest human, or the strongest monster… The strongest of them all."
His words were very simple, and Arthur's relaxed nature made them sound even more casual. However, the sheer impact they left on Yonathan was baffling. He stared at Arthur, unable to believe his own eyes.
That mont, an image flashed before him, overlapping with Arthur's perfectly. Yonathan's lips started to quiver, and his hands started shaking again. His heart was beating so loudly that he almost felt it reach his throat.
'It's him…' He mused, his mouth slowly opening up. 'That's him… That's the one I heard about…'
"Old man? Are you ok?"
'He said the sa words. Exactly the sa words.' Closing his eyes for a mont, the old man rembered that particular mory from a distant past. That mory reshaped his very future and gave him a dream… A dream that he thought was impossible to achieve in his lifeti.
'I can't believe it… Of all places, eting that person here… How ironic can fate be?' He smiled slightly before he opened his eyes.
"Good, child… Very good indeed." He spoke with a clear tone. "I shall lead you there myself."
"Wait, what?" Arthur frowned. "You seem like you could barely walk, old man. I don't think you shou-"
"Don't underestimate , boy. I am indeed reaching my end, but this old man can still move when he puts so effort into it." He said. "However, tell sothing, boy… I heard you say sothing earlier that piqued my interest."
"What is it?"
"You said you wished to learn that skill my n used, right?" He asked.
"You an how they can move at that high speed? Yeah, I want to learn that. It will be a huge step for if I can actually move that quickly." The boy nodded his head excitedly. He only needed to see it two tis to realize how truly insane that ability was.
Not only did it nullify most reaction-based defensive styles, but it opened endless options to Arthur. He could also use it for ambush, quick kills, and even against armies of monsters due to its versatility. It was a weapon in and of itself.
"How about this, kid? Stay with for a few days before we leave… And I will teach you how to use it." Yonathan said.
"Stay with you for a few days?" Arthur asked as his eyes widened. "Wait, what?!"
"I can make you learn 'Exo-Burst'. I have seen your talent and strength; a few days is all you need to learn it." The man explained. "So, what do you think? Do you want the skill? Or do you want to try and leave the Void?"
"..." Arthur blinked. He was completely stunned. "Why would you teach such a thing to a complete stranger, Yonathan?"
"Consider it a gift from to you. I have seen your talent, and it is quite impressive. Let's say I am curious to see what you could truly achieve since your goal is sothing as lofty as the title of the strongest to ever exist."
"... Haha, I really don't know what to say…"
'What the hell is this dumb offer, man?! You can't do like this!' Arthur clenched his fists. 'I need to leave this place as soon as possible to see Isla! There are so many things I need to do! But… This skill, if I can truly learn it… My power will reach a completely new level far beyond what I even expected.'
The choice quickly boiled down to short-term gains that he was more than eager to get or long-term gains that would potentially reshape his entire path.
Arthur wanted to see Isla more than anything else. But, at the sa ti, he was aware of how great it would be for him and her if he beca so much stronger so quickly. He could help her even more in achieving her goals, and he could also push for even greater plans.
After all, if Arthur was to beco so strong, the threats facing them would dwindle very quickly.
'Dammit… Dammit!' He closed his eyes as he sucked a deep breath to try and calm his raging emotions. 'I really want to see her… But, this is for the best, no?' He asked himself.
"Just to make sure I don't rush this decision and regret it later… You won't give another chance to learn this skill in the future, right?"
"No, I can't do that. There are only two outcos possible. We will either leave this place or we will die trying. If we die, then that's it, but if we make it out, then… There will be no ti for to teach you Exo-Burst. You got to make your choice now."
"... I figured that much." Arthur inhaled and then exhaled.
"If you can't let that person you want to et wait any longer, then I won't pus-"
"No, I accept," Arthur said calmly. "I must accept."
"Oh? But, haven't you been eager to leave a few seconds ago?"
"For her sake… I must do this." Arthur replied. "I will ask for forgiveness properly when I leave."
The old man blinked before he nodded faintly. He could see that it took Arthur a lot of will to make that decision.
'Even during this mont, he made that decision for this person… Interesting.'
A//N: Thank you all for the gifts, golden tickets, and PS. Let's keep it up!
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