Chapter 103
Chapter 103
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Awakening as the Solar Hero
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Outside the mental world, Mitra and Lucille continued their one-sided conversation.
Meanwhile, Cheon-ho, reborn as the Solar Hero, turned his gaze inward to examine himself.
There were no outward changes. But Cheon-ho could feel that he had fundamentally transformed.
‘My center is set.’
Just as Leon had said.
Until now, Cheon-ho had lacked a true center. It wasn’t just that his techniques were scattered—it was that his foundational mana had been all over the place.
The inner energy he had begun to gather with the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
The holy power he had devoured on his path here.
The solar mana awakened through his mother’s blood.
Every time he used mana-intensive techniques like Chain Lightning, he had mixed those three mana types—or rather, used whatever was handy. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that.
And it had been unavoidable.
Before arriving in the Labyrinth World, Cheon-ho had barely any mana at all. Naturally, he had no experience wielding it.
It had only been a couple of months since he started handling mana, so reaching this point was already remarkable.
But no matter how you looked at it, his mana control up to now had been crude.
Now, though, things were different.
His center was set.
Within the grand framework of solar mana, his holy power and inner energy had unified.
“Remarkable.”
Leon said with a wry smile.
It wasn’t just Cheon-ho’s solar mana that amazed him.
To think he could change this much from a single experience.
In truth, Leon hadn’t even expected Cheon-ho to awaken as the Solar Hero.
He had only hoped for him to realize what his essence truly was.
Yet he had awakened as the Solar Hero in one go.
‘Hold on, this is genuinely astonishing?’
The more he thought about it, the greater his surprise grew.
It was especially so because Leon had gone through the process himself once.
Using Mitra’s sword as a foundation to forge his own.
Realizing his essence and nurturing it.
Easy to say, hard to do.
That was why Leon had let him experience the Hero’s Sword.
The Hero’s Sword wasn’t a mere slash—it was a technique that condensed everything about the hero into one.
Experiencing it would make him realize his essence wasn’t lightning.
From there, he would set off to find himself and forge his own unique sword.
All Leon had hoped for was a spark.
A trigger to look inward and discover his essence.
In simple terms, just get a feel for it.
But Cheon-ho had awakened his essence fully from that single experience.
He had wielded the Solar Sword—his own version of the Hero’s Sword.
‘Outright genius.’
If asked how, he’d probably say, ‘It just worked when I tried.’
Just like Leon himself always answered such questions.
‘Yeah, a real genius.’
And he was only nineteen. The sheer number of things he had mastered was staggering, all at master level.
It wasn’t just combat—even cooking and sewing were the same.
If he learned magic, he’d probably reach great heights in no time.
A total bundle of talent.
At this point, it made him curiously want to know his parents, in a positive way. What kind of people could produce such a prodigy?
‘Still, the road ahead is long.’
Cheon-ho had awakened as the Solar Hero, but objectively speaking, it was just the awakening.
He had used the Solar Sword, but not a true Hero’s Sword yet.
He wasn’t a mage, so he couldn’t be sure, but the solar mana wasn’t perfected either. It felt like he wasn’t drawing out its true power.
‘Good. I’m still way stronger.’
With that odd conclusion calming his surprise, Leon flashed a faint smile.
Unaware of Leon’s thought process, Cheon-ho smiled brightly, just like when he had heard his father’s stories as a child.
“Thank you. Truly, thank you.”
“Hm. I merely gave you a push. Reaching that point was entirely your own doing.”
“Leonhardt…”
Like Lucille, Cheon-ho gazed at Leon with sparkling eyes.
He really was like his father.
Incredible, astonishing, magnificent—an utterly extraordinary being.
Exactly as described in the tales from the angel network.
Reading the respect and admiration in Cheon-ho’s eyes, Leon smiled warmly.
“Your essence is the sun. Now that your center is set, even the same techniques will carry greater power.”
Cheon-ho nodded. Power seemed to surge through his entire body.
“The Hero’s Body will evolve to match your mana as well. Skills tied to lightning will gain solar-related ones too.”
It was exciting in every way.
“But you’ve only taken the first step. Refine yourself and draw forth the true solar mana. Far greater power lies dormant within you.”
“Yes, thank you for advice that sinks into my bones.”
“Hm, good.”
Nodding with another pleased expression, Leon turned toward the sarcophagus.
“Talking with my descendant has been delightful, but time is running short. Let’s wrap up the rest.”
With that, Leon approached the sarcophagus and knocked on the lid.
“The empire’s fall worries me a bit, but if the sanctuary endured, the contents should be safe.”
The first hero Leon’s equipment.
The Hero’s Helmet, Hero’s Armor, Hero’s Shield.
Add Mitra, and it would be a full hero set.
But right then—
“However…”
Leon trailed off, his face turning awkward.
“They won’t fit.”
“Huh?”
“Well, the size difference.”
Cheon-ho blinked, then understood.
The difference in build between him and Leon was enormous.
Their height differed by 20-30 cm, but the overall size gap was vast.
“I wasn’t always this big, but these are the gear I used at the end, tailored to my final build.”
Custom-made for Leon, not mass-produced.
“That’s part of why I never planned to pass them to my heirs.”
Hero’s gear, yes—but honestly, inferior to the Labyrinth World’s mightiest holy sword, Mitra.
No special condition like only a hero drawing true power, either.
Yet they sat enshrined because no one could wear them.
“Uh, maybe they auto-adjust to the user’s size…”
“They have some resizing function, but there’s a limit.”
Leon spoke, and Cheon-ho got it. An L size might stretch to M or XL, but not XXL.
“W-what do we do then?”
Scratching his chin at Cheon-ho’s dazed question, Leon replied.
“Do you know of the Primeval Forge?”
“Yeah, we’re headed there.”
“Perfect timing, then. The Primeval Forge can refit the hero’s gear to your build… Why that face? Don’t tell me it fell too?”
“No, the forge is intact, but… the Primeval Smith is dead, apparently.”
“Ugh… Felix…”
Recalling the burly smith who seemed unkillable, Leon shook his head. Time was truly short now.
“But if the forge remains, you can use the Primeval Anvil. Only it and the Sacred Flames can reforge hero’s gear. Find a skilled smith and make it work.”
“Uh, yeah, sure.”
The Sacred Flames could be substituted with embers, and there were the rock dwarves for smithing.
As Leon said, it should work out somehow.
“Looks like you’ve got a plan. Good.”
Letting out a relieved breath, Leon extended his hand as if for a farewell handshake.
His expression and tone had returned to the friendly warmth of their first meeting.
“This is where we part. The future centuries from now seems a mess, but you’ll manage. I believe in you.”
Not empty words.
Their brief meeting had been intense. Leon truly trusted Cheon-ho.
“Take care of Mitra… my master.”
My master.
A word encapsulating Leon and Mitra’s bond.
Then what of Cheon-ho and Mitra? What word fit their relationship?
Cheon-ho smiled faintly. Something to ponder slowly. For now, it was time to bid Leon farewell.
“I’ll do my best.”
“Good. You’re cute, sure, but don’t let her bully you too much.”
“Uh, yeah.”
Leon burst into hearty laughter at Cheon-ho’s uncertain reply.
“Now, our final goodbye.”
Leon shook his extended hand, and Cheon-ho clasped it.
The large, firm hand of the world-saving hero.
“May fortune follow you, descendant.”
“May you find a good place in the afterlife, ancestor.”
He couldn’t wish Leon fortune.
Leon laughed loudly at Cheon-ho’s response and shook his hand vigorously.
“Farewell, descendant.”
Winking in a way that didn’t suit his massive frame but matched his cheer, Leon dissolved into light.
Cheon-ho watched until the last rays faded, etching it all in his memory. Then he smiled.
Closing his eyes, he recalled Leon’s final request.
* * *
“Um, Lady Mitra…”
[Uwaang! Hurry up already! How many times have I said that! Come quick and relay the message!]
“Hm.”
As the angel and holy sword both pulled long faces, Cheon-ho opened his eyes and spoke. Lucille and Mitra reacted at once.
“Hero!”
[Finally! You’re here!]
Their voices brimmed with joy bordering on ecstasy.
And once again, the two realized something almost simultaneously.
“Hero?”
[You’ve changed somehow.]
His awakening as the Solar Hero.
Lucille, who had been crouching to meet Mitra’s gaze, shot to her feet and hurriedly checked Cheon-ho over.
“Are you okay? Anywhere hurt?”
“I’m fine. Overflowing with power, even.”
Lucille sighed in relief at his answer. Every action she took was so angelic and lovely.
[Hm, are you alright? Nothing hurts?]
Mitra asked the same question a beat later.
At the query that oddly mimicked Lucille, Cheon-ho smiled faintly and nodded.
“I met Leon.”
The first hero’s memories.
Cheon-ho slowly recounted his encounter with Leon.
Exchanging memories of Mitra, experiencing the Hero’s Sword, awakening as the Solar Hero.
[Leon…]
Mitra’s voice grew misty.
Even in this brief summary, she could vividly feel Leon through Cheon-ho’s words.
“Congratulations, Hero.”
Lucille beamed.
No matter what, the outcome was his awakening as the Solar Hero.
[Indeed. Congratulations. I look forward to our next mental world meeting.]
What had changed with his Solar Hero awakening? What new skills had appeared?
“He said to take good care of you.”
Just like Rug and Bergaf.
Leon’s final words had been a request to care for Mitra.
[I see…]
Moisture gathered in Mitra’s voice again. And right then—
“Um, Hero.”
“Yes, Lucille.”
“Did Lady Mitra go ‘uwaang’… and cry?”
Mitra flinched at Lucille’s question. The ‘uwaang’ had come up briefly when mentioning the memory exchange.
Cheon-ho pondered a moment, then smiled and answered.
“Yeah, she cries ‘uwaang’.”
“Uwaang…”
Murmuring softly, Lucille turned to Mitra, who floundered in embarrassment. Meeting Lucille’s surprised eyes, her imagination running wild as always, she cried out.
[Uwaang!]
* * *