Chapter 245
Chapter Title: The Arrogance of a False Genius
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Clang-!
The sound of swords crossing echoed in the darkness.
Screeeech-!
A struggle for dominance began.
Leo's red eyes narrowed in the darkness.
Crack-! Whoosh-!
The tense balance of power shattered in an instant.
Seeing Leo’s sword tipping toward him, Sian deflected it and pulled back.
Craaash-!
Leo’s sword slammed into the marble floor.
Clatter-
Shards of marble scattered in every direction.
Leo retrieved his sword from the shattered floor and rose to his feet.
‘Incredible strength. To display this much power with pure physical force alone…’
“So the rumors about you being the top hero candidate weren’t just empty words.”
Sian’s eyes gleamed as he pointed his sword at Leo.
“That just makes you all the more worthy of being defeated.”
At those words, Leo wore an indifferent expression.
It wasn’t worth a reply.
‘But his skills are the real deal.’
He could tell a lot just from crossing swords.
Sian’s skill was by no means ordinary.
Whoooosh-!
Wind swirled around Sian.
‘Wind Aura.’
It was different from Chen Xia, who used Water Aura.
‘The Emperor of Shan had a Flame Aura.’
The three of them must have been sharing an Aura technique passed down for ages.
But the attributes they used were completely different.
‘If they’re descendants of Bihar… I see. So that’s how it is.’
Leo recalled the Aura technique he had passed on to his disciple.
Realizing why the three of them used different Aura attributes, Leo let out a smirk.
Seeing Leo, Sian spoke.
“I’d like to see the power of an All-Class.”
At Sian’s words, Leo rested his sword on his shoulder.
“Would you be worth the effort?”
“What?”
“I’m saying you’re not an opponent worth the trouble of using magic or summoning.”
“That’s quite the confidence. Don’t you think that borders on arrogance?”
“Not really.”
Leo gave a cold smile to Sian, who had asked with a laugh.
Seeing that, Sian’s eyes twitched.
‘This bastard.’
Sian was a genius.
A genius in the qualities of a shadow.
A genius in the qualities of a hero.
A genius who possessed it all.
Since childhood, the only one he could call a rival was his twin, Chen Xia, who was also called a genius.
But Sian had surpassed even her.
‘Xia is only half-complete.’
Chen Xia was born with only the talent of a shadow.
‘A pitiful fate, destined to live entirely in the darkness.’
Sian didn’t resent his twin for trying to kill him.
He just pitied her.
‘Such a trivial fate, to be forced to live like that.’
But he was different.
‘I can’t waste my abilities by becoming a mere shadow.’
He was born with the potential to become a hero greater than any other.
From a young age, Sian had been an object of praise.
Many who taught him were so moved by his talent that they shed tears.
He was lauded as a talent unseen in the entire history of heroes and shadows.
And it was true.
Sian had never once experienced failure.
He effortlessly tore down every obstacle others saw as a wall and easily grasped everything others strived for.
After leaving Shan, Sian grew stronger.
He used the power of Tartaros to conquer numerous Worlds of Heroes and inherit their powers.
He trembled at the thought that he could become the hero he had so longed to be.
‘I was right.’
Having easily overcome the trials of those called heroes, he was, in every sense, a man fit to be a hero.
At the same time, he thought.
‘Even the trials of heroes are this easy. I can truly become a Great Hero. I am the chosen one.’
Sian had never once, since birth, denied the fact that he was a genius.
A man who was naturally meant to stand above others.
And yet… and yet…
“I don’t like it.”
Leo’s gaze, as if looking down on him from an impossibly high place, was grating.
He could tell.
The boy before him didn't even see him as a threat.
For Sian, who had lived his entire life looking down on everything, that gaze was truly irritating.
“That attitude, as if I’m not even on your mind. What do you think I am?”
“Hmm.”
Leo stroked his chin.
After a moment of thought, Leo nodded and answered calmly.
“Garbage that needs to be taken out?”
Sian’s eyes trembled.
“Isn’t that right? You betrayed the world and sided with Tartaros.”
“I’m merely using Tartaros to become a hero.”
Sian said it with confidence.
“I wanted to enroll in Lumerne honorably too. But this country is flawed. Forcing a genius like me to become a mere shadow.”
“I agree that this country’s ways are flawed. But that’s no reason to join hands with Tartaros.”
A chilling light emanated from Leo’s eyes.
“And saying you’re using Tartaros to become a hero is nothing but nonsense.”
“You wouldn’t understand. But I will grow stronger and subjugate Tartaros.”
At those words, Leo stopped in his tracks.
He shrugged his shoulders, holding back a laugh.
“What’s so funny.”
“Wouldn’t you laugh if you were me?”
Contempt filled Leo’s gaze.
“Then and now, people like you all say the exact same thing.”
“What did you say?”
“This isn’t the first or second time I’ve seen a fool like you.”
Even in the Age of Calamity, there were many with outstanding talent.
And many of them sided with Tartaros.
The reason was always the same.
‘I’ll use Tartaros to subjugate Tartaros.’
“There have been countless narcissistic fools like you who can’t admit their own limits and lack the ability or will to overcome them.”
Shing-
Leo raised his sword.
“I’m sick and tired of that nonsense.”
The corner of Leo’s mouth curled up.
“And a genius?”
There was a time when Leo, too, had thought of himself as a genius.
During his time as Kyle.
Whether it was martial arts, magic, or summoning.
He never doubted he was a genius for learning things so quickly.
‘Though the real geniuses were others.’
His friends, now praised as the Great Heroes.
The true geniuses who had reached the pinnacle of their respective fields.
The reason Leo, as the final Great Hero, was able to defeat Erebos was because he had borrowed from the countless achievements of his comrades.
‘Even that was close to a miracle.’
Having watched such friends by his side, Leo never called himself a genius.
From Leo's perspective, Sian, who boasted about his talent as if he were something special in such a situation, was simply laughable.
Seeing Leo mock him, killing intent filled Sian’s eyes.
His initial reason for wanting to defeat Leo was simple.
He wanted to defeat him and prove that he was the top hero candidate.
Later, he wanted to kill Leo because his shadow-like behavior annoyed him.
But now, it was different.
‘This guy is denying my very existence.’
Whoooooosh-!
Mana raged from Sian’s body.
It was not the Wind Aura Sian had been using.
‘Abilities gained through Hero Abilities?’
Leo’s eyes narrowed.
He could clearly feel that they were powers obtained by conquering Worlds of Heroes.
That wasn’t all.
Clack-! Whoosh-!
Mana-infused accessories and armor materialized all over his body.
‘Hero Weapons. It’s obvious, but I should assume he has multiple Hero Skills as well.’
Hero candidates usually began seriously conquering Worlds of Heroes in their second year.
For a mere traitor like Sian to have so many conquest rewards meant…
‘Is Tartaros also collecting Hero Records?’
Of course, one couldn't open a World of Heroes with just a Hero Record.
‘But a fragment of Erebos is sealed within each Hero Record. And they can use that.’
Like summoning the fragment of Erebos sleeping in Luna’s world to the real world, or bringing the past legion commander, Jerdiac, into the present.
Tartaros was definitely using the power of Hero Records.
Demons couldn't receive conquest rewards even if they completed a conquest.
But if it was Hero Killers…
‘Did they open Hero Records influenced by Erebos's fragments to support the Hero Killers in getting stronger? The one leading this would be… the Necromancer King.’
The supreme commander of Tartaros.
The Necromancer King, Hell Kaiser, known as the strongest and most malevolent legion commander.
Fwoosh-!
Gripping a red scimitar that spewed massive flames, Sian muttered under his breath.
“Here I come.”
Seeing Sian, Leo smirked and unleashed his Aura.
Fwooooosh-
Flames blazed fiercely.
Whoosh-! Craaaash-!
The two charged simultaneously.
With their charge, immense flames engulfed the surroundings.
Craaaash-!
Like a chain reaction of explosions, the flames filled the entire hallway, completely wiping out the darkness.
Crack-!
In that moment, a crack appeared on the Hero Weapon Sian was holding.
Seeing it, Sian’s eyes widened.
“No…!”
Sian hastily pushed Leo away.
At the same time, he aimed his hand at Leo.
Whoosh-!
Blades of wind shot from his hand, rushing to engulf Leo.
A Hero Skill.
As expected of a technique used by a hero, it contained immense power.
Fwoom-!
Wind Aura swirled from Leo’s hand.
Kabooom-!
The attacks canceled each other out, and a powerful gust of wind raged.
With it, all the windows in the hallway shattered.
And Sian was sent flying, caught in the blast.
Thump-
Sian, landing lightly on the floor, narrowed his eyes and stared at Leo.
‘Wind Aura and Earth Aura.’
He was using multiple attributes of Aura at the same time.
“A Hero Ability.”
“Wrong.”
Leo smirked.
Sizzle-! Hiss-!
The Water Aura that erupted from Leo’s hand extinguished the flames.
“It’s fundamentally the same as the Aura technique you learned.”
What he was using now was the Aura technique he had gifted to Bihar.
‘Ar-on created the foundation, and I worked on the details.’
The Aura technique, born from the hands of two Great Heroes, was tailored for Bihar.
Bihar was born with a mana characteristic that allowed him to handle all four major elements.
‘The Aura technique must have changed over the generations.’
To specialize in their innate attributes.
That’s why, even though they were learning the same Aura technique, different attributes manifested.
The form had changed, but the foundation was the same.
‘I made it, but it’s hard to use it as well as he did.’
It was a temporary measure to deal with multiple attributes, but it was difficult to use it as freely as Bihar could.
Leo readjusted his grip on his sword.
“So.”
“…?”
“Is this all you’ve got?”
Sian’s face stiffened.
“You talked as if you were going to use something incredible, but all you can do is borrow someone else’s power?”
“Insolent…”
Craaash-! Fwoooosh-!
In an instant, Leo’s sword swung, aiming for Sian’s neck.
Sian, who barely managed to block it, widened his eyes.
Crack-! Clang-!
The cracked Hero Weapon broke.
Sian hurriedly ducked his head.
Swoosh-!
Leo’s sword swept through the space where his neck had been with murderous intent.
Thwack-!
“Ugh?”
Leo’s knee slammed into the face of the ducking Sian.
Watching Sian get launched into the air, Leo bent his knees.
Crack-!
As Leo leaped, the floor caved in.
Swish! Slice-!
“Gah?”
Leo’s sword slashed Sian’s side.
Starting with that, Leo used the narrow hallway to leap at incredible speeds, slashing Sian from all directions.
Blood began to spurt from Sian’s body as he hung in the air.
He instinctively avoided vital spots and resisted, but he was helplessly cut by Leo’s sword.
In the darkness, the glint in Leo’s eyes flashed.
Rip-!
Sian’s right arm was severed and sent flying.
Thud-! Splurt-!
Sian barely managed to land on the floor.
“This can’t be… I… I’m destined to become a Great Hero!”
Sian muttered as if he had lost his mind.
He couldn't believe the existence of Leo, who had completely overwhelmed him.
Leo approached to take Sian’s head.
“It’s unfair! You’re strong because you conquered Lady Luna’s world! That’s why you’re stronger than me!”
“I haven’t used any magic while fighting you, though?”
Leo scoffed at Sian, who was denying reality.
“If I inherit the power of a Great Hero, I’ll be a Great Hero! If I get my hands on the sword related to Kyle that’s stored in this country and conquer that world…! If I obtain the power of a Great Hero, I can become strong!”
Watching Sian scream in a daze, Leo’s eyes twitched.
‘My sword?’
The known history of the Shan Empire was 4,000 years.
And considering Bihar was their ancestor, Shan’s history spanned 5,000 years.
‘It wouldn’t be strange if there was something related to me.’
“If I can inherit the power of the Hero of the Beginning, not the power of these pathetic heroes!”
“Have you ever considered that it’s not the heroes’ powers that are pathetic, but you who are incompetent?”
“You bastard!”
Sparks flew from Sian’s eyes.
Just as Leo raised his sword to end Sian’s life.
Groooowl-
At that moment.
Something stirred in Sian’s shadow.
Whoosh-!
Leo’s eyes twitched at the massive bone blade that shot out from the shadow.
‘Hell Kaiser’s necromancy.’
Clack- clack-
The skeleton that emerged from the shadow clattered its jaw.
Then, with its crimson eyes flashing, it looked at Leo and bowed its head politely.
“It is an honor to meet you, Sir Leo Flove.”
Leo’s eyes twitched at the polite voice.
It was a familiar voice.
Flesh began to sprout from the white bones.
Soon, a burly man who looked to be at least two meters tall took on a living human form. Despite his fierce appearance, he wore a gentle smile.
“It is an honor to meet the one called the greatest hero candidate of this generation. I am…”
The man, revealing his white teeth, introduced himself.
“The Grand Duke of Funerals, Atkan.”