'Ugh, this thing still feels weird,' thought Arthur. Despite having unlocked mana, his body still felt sluggish. It seemed the feeling would dissipate once he got accustomed to the energy, but it felt uncomfortable for the time being.
His mana channels were incomparably more powerful initially in this life than in his past life. Mana was the root of research. Most scholars dedicated their life researching the principles of mana.
Since Arthur possessed considerable knowledge on the subject, the initial result of his mana channel opening had been more than satisfactory.
'The root of mana is knowledge,' thought Arthur. 'As I find out more things, my channels will smoothen. It's way faster than simply smoothening them manually.'
Arthur wondered how powerful perfect mana channels were. It was likely that no one in existence possessed perfect mana channels, but one could dream. Mana couldn't be researched to its apex since there was none.
Sluggish, Arthur headed home to rejuvenate. It was already nighttime, and the streets were as silent as they could be.
Exhausted, Arthur approached the door to his house. He gently pushed the door open, but there wasn't a commotion. Usually, Lily would come running, or Anna and Magnus would make a ruckus.
However, this time, he heard no noise.
'Did they go outside?' thought Arthur as he took off his shoes. The interior of the house was dark, and the crimson-eyed man couldn't hear a thing. Immediately, Arthur became wary of his surroundings.
He searched his home but didn't find any evidence of his parents or sister.
However, as he approached the living room, his gaze fell on the slip of paper atop the dinner table. The paper was ripped from the edges, but the writing was still decipherable.
As Arthur read the paper, his eyes widened. A surge of anger rose from his chest, and he gripped the hilt of his longsword unconsciously. His eyes turned bloodshot as an intense pain rose in his chest.
The paper slip said, "Bring 10 silver coins if you want your family back. Red house on the east."
They dared to hold his family hostage. The family of the Lord of Sins. Had it been during his days as the King of the Tower, Arthur would have tortured the kidnappers for eternity! He would heal them every time they showed signs of dying.
He would break them mentally using pain. Their pain receptors would go numb.
Unfortunately, he didn't have the capabilities to do so now. However, he could still torture them until death.
'The red house on the east,' thought Arthur. 'If it's old Melzer, I won't be able to combat him. But I have to fucking try.'
Arthur couldn't go toe to toe against an Elite Ranker, no matter how much he tried. However, he couldn't allow his family to be put in danger. His weakness was his family… no, they were his strength.
'Also, I can't torture the perpetrator in front of Lily,' thought Arthur, gritting his teeth. Immediately, he exited the house with a motive.
'I will fucking kill you.'
*
"Mommy…" said Lily, sobbing quietly. Her eyes were veiled using a blindfold, while her hands and feet were tied to a chair. Her tears couldn't escape the tight blindfold and simply piled up near her eyes.
Eventually, it became painful.
Moreover, Lily's feet rested near spikes. Even slight movement would cause excruciating pain, and there were already several scars on her ankle.
"Hold on, Lily," said Anna, gritting her teeth. She wanted to cry, too, but doing so beside her suffering daughter would be selfish. She needed to be strong so that Lily could be rescued. But hopes of rescue were slim.
"We found him," an unknown voice in the darkness reverberated across the room. Then, a groan escaped a man's lips as his body fell to the floor.
It was Magnus Solace, Arthur's father.
"Magnus?" asked Anna. Her hopes faded as she heard the groan of her husband, who lay pitifully beside her and Lily. If he, too, had been kidnapped, only Arthur remained. Anna desperately hoped he wouldn't come.
She wished at least her children would be able to escape.
"Anna?"
"Daddy!" shouted Lily. Her sobs paused for a second, but when she realized he was in the same situation as her, they resumed. It seemed their entire family was doomed. Only her big brother roamed free.
"Lily…" spoke Magnus in a heavy voice dripping with pain.
"Quiet," an authoritative voice resounded throughout space, and the mouths of Arthur's family clamped shut. It was like an order from an absolute entity. A voice filled with mana, one that dripped a ton of it.
The man, although draped in the cloak of darkness, could somewhat be made out.
His features were distinct. With a clean-shaven, well-shaped jaw and hair that fell to his eyes, the man looked handsome. His expression was stiff, and frustration was visible on his face. It seemed he was forced to do such work.
He turned to face another man whose lankiness was vivid to the eye. It was the same lanky man who'd attempted to steal Arthur's carcasses.
"How long do you think it'll take him to reach with the silver coins?" asked the lanky man in enthusiasm. Although his thigh had suffered a deep wound, it would soon be healed. He simply wanted money as compensation.
"Ten silver coins is a lot," replied the handsome man. "It might take days or weeks."
"I saw him killing the King Wolves," said the lanky man before stomping on the ground. "He made it look so easy. He has to have silver coins stashed somewhere."
As Anna heard the word 'King Wolves,' it was like a lump formed in her throat. 'Didn't Arthur fight King Wolves today?' thought Anna. 'Are they after him?'
Fear built up in her heart as she worried for her son's safety while attempting to comfort her sobbing daughter.
Suddenly, the handsome man narrowed his eyes, sensing an unknown presence from outside the dark space.
"He's here."