Chapter 284
Chapter Title: The Age of Calamity
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Bubble, bubble, bubble!
“……!”
Suddenly, water rushed into her mouth and nose.
Eyes wide, Ar began to thrash wildly.
“Pwah! Cough! Cough!”
Having finally broken the surface, Ar coughed uncontrollably.
“Is everyone okay?!”
A frantic voice came from beside her.
Turning her head, she saw Karl’s face emerge from the water as well.
“I-I’m fine!”
came Eiran’s urgent voice.
“Let’s get out of the water first!”
With those words, Karl cast the Fly spell.
Eiran also used magic to lift herself.
Ar used Aura Step to stand on the water’s surface.
After getting out of the water in their own ways, the three began to dry themselves.
“What about the black rabbit, the Seirun representative, and that weird-talking dwarf?”
*Shake!*
Ar asked while shaking herself dry, and Eiran answered, wringing out her uniform.
“I-I don’t know. I don’t see them around here.”
Eiran wore a grave expression as she frantically looked around.
“B-By the way, we’re inside Lord Dweno’s Hero Record now, right?”
“Yeah. That’s what the message said.”
Ar’s expression was tense.
Seeing this, Karl opened his subspace.
“Here, use this to dry off. Your current appearance is a bit much for an adolescent boy.”
Just as Karl said, Ar’s and Eiran’s uniforms were clinging to their bodies, revealing their figures.
At Karl’s words, Eiran blushed and accepted his towel.
“Hmph, looks like this big sister’s figure is making your heart pound!”
“Uh, sure.”
“What’s with that offensively lukewarm reaction!”
Ar bared her fangs, extended her claws, and glared, but Karl couldn’t help it.
Compared to Eiran, her curves were sadly lacking.
He handed a towel to the hissing Ar as well.
“Wow, this towel is amazing. It makes you feel fresh and dry just by wiping!”
Eiran marveled at the towel that seemed to suck the moisture right off.
Seeing Eiran return to her normal state in an instant, Ar also tried the towel Karl gave her and was amazed.
“Hmph, it’s a product I made. Single-use. It’s popular with the female students at our school.”
It was especially popular in the Noble class Karl belonged to, as it had many young ladies from aristocratic families.
“Anyway, we need to meet up with Leo, Lunia, and Driana as soon as possible…”
Returning to the main topic, Karl looked up at the sky as he spoke.
And his face stiffened.
It wasn’t just Karl.
Eiran’s face also turned a little pale.
An ashen sky, unimaginable in the current era, stretched out before them.
Karl swallowed hard.
It was to be expected, having entered Dweno’s World of Heroes.
‘The era we’re in now is the Age of Calamity.’
An era he had heard about countless times through numerous documents.
He had an indirect sense of the sky from that time through the testimonies of heroes who had conquered the distant World of Heroes.
So he thought he knew.
But seeing the ashen sky in person was enough to instill a primal fear in Karl.
‘This… is proof that the world is ending.’
The many heroes who left their names in history.
Among them, a sight that only the chosen few could witness.
It was as if the sky itself was speaking.
Telling them they weren’t ready.
Eiran, too, seemed overwhelmed, shrinking back.
“As expected… it’s frightening. That sky.”
Even Ar, who had experienced it once before, muttered in a tense voice.
“Let’s check the objective first.”
Ar said calmly.
At Ar’s words, the other two nodded and focused their minds to check the objective.
[Objective: -]
“Ack!”
But seeing the objective message that appeared before him, Karl let out a cry.
The objective was blank.
Ar and Eiran also looked bewildered.
Even for the three of them, who had experience in the World of Heroes, a blank objective was a first.
“An anomaly… could this be a Hero Dungeon?”
Ar wore a grave expression.
The objective is the key to conquering the World of Heroes.
Normally, the strategy is built around the objective, but now it was blank.
“Come to think of it, entering the World of Heroes was strange too, wasn’t it?”
The message said it was Dweno’s world, but the specific event was hidden.
“Let’s start by investigating.”
“Right.”
They quickly figured out what to do.
And just as they were about to move.
*Fwip-fwip-fwip-!*
“……!”
Armed individuals quickly surrounded the three of them.
In response, the three naturally assumed combat stances.
“Suspicious individuals!”
“Trespassing in the Spirit’s Lake! Identify yourselves!”
“Are you spies from Tartaros!”
The three were surprised to see various races showing such hostility.
‘Is this normal for the Age of Calamity?’
Karl quickly assessed the situation, lowered his guard, and raised his hands.
“Wait. We’re not suspicious people.”
“Yes, we’re just lost.”
Eiran added cautiously.
“Don’t lie! This is the city’s water source! It’s heavily guarded! It’s impossible to wander in here by mistake!”
A human who appeared to be the leader raised his voice.
Seeing this, Karl looked troubled.
“I think it’s best if we just cooperate with them for now.”
“I agree.”
“No choice. If things go south, we’ll look for a chance to escape.”
Just as the three were about to be captured.
“Lower your weapons. Those kids aren’t spies from Tartaros.”
A gentle voice came from behind.
Karl and Eiran looked puzzled.
But Ar’s ears perked up.
Ar had heard this voice before.
A young beastman emerged, parting the armed guards.
Standing there was a white wolf beastman.
Roughly grown white hair and sharp, golden eyes.
Karl’s and Eiran’s bodies trembled.
It was someone they knew all too well.
One of the Great Heroes who saved the world.
‘The Brave Hero… Ar-on!’
‘This is Lord Dweno’s world, so why is the Brave Hero here?!’
The legendary figure who led an impossible battle to victory, the symbol of courage, was right before their eyes.
As hero candidates, could there be any greater honor?
While Karl and Eiran trembled with emotion.
*Whoosh-!*
Ar charged toward Ar-on at incredible speed.
Before anyone around them could react…
“Lord Ar-on! It’s Lord Ar-on!”
“Hiiiek?”
The dignified face of Ar-on was colored with fear.
It wasn’t just Ar-on.
The guards who had been on alert also showed looks of terror for a moment.
Because Ar’s eyes had gone completely wild.
“You’re so cool! *Pant! Pant!* I respect you! *Pant! Pant!*”
“G-Get off!”
Terrified, Ar-on screamed at Ar, who was clinging to his leg.
“The suspicious ones have threatened Lord Ar-on!”
“Subdue them quickly!”
“Just as I thought, they’re definitely spies from Tartaros!”
“Arrest them!”
In an instant, the area descended into chaos.
In the end, thanks to Ar’s excitement at seeing Ar-on, the three were arrested.
***
*Fwoooosh-!*
It was a world of fire.
Everything around them was burning.
Lunia and Driana stood there.
“Are you okay?”
“I may not look it, but I have excellent fire resistance.”
“You’re back to talking weird again.”
Lunia squinted.
In a place where an ordinary person would struggle to even stand, Lunia and Driana stood calmly.
The Lundua family handled the flames of the phoenix from birth, so flames of this level had little effect on Lunia.
Driana, too, though she had given up the path of a smith, had been around flames since she was young and possessed a strong resistance to fire.
Flames of this magnitude had no effect on either of them.
“Anyway, what is this fire?”
“…It seems to be a spirit’s flame.”
Lunia scanned her surroundings, narrowing her eyes.
‘And not just any spirit. It’s a Great Spirit-class one.’
Though born with the talent of a Phantom Beast Master, Lunia was also quite knowledgeable in spirit arts as a summoner and easily identified the flame.
‘And… I can also feel the power of a phoenix.’
Lunia crossed her arms, sensing the familiar lingering scent in the flames.
‘What is this place?’
Just as Lunia was wondering.
*Thud-! Thud-!*
A sound that shook the very ground could be heard.
Lunia and Driana froze.
*Kyuuung-!*
“A golem?”
A massive golem emerged from within the flames.
Seeing the fire golem wreathed in flames, Lunia grinned.
“Looks like it’s the guardian of this place.”
“Hmm. To get out of here, we’ll have to defeat this thing first.”
Golems are often used as guardians to protect a territory.
Golems used as guardians to protect a specific area are extremely powerful and show hostility toward intruders.
However, neither Lunia nor Driana was particularly worried.
No matter how strong it was, they were both hero candidates.
The golem was no threat.
Driana, standing in front, pulled a battle hammer from her subspace.
Lunia naturally took up the rear position.
Though they had never fought together, the two naturally formed a battle formation.
As the top second-year student at Seirun, Lunia was a veteran of combat.
Driana, too, though not anymore, was the former grade representative of Damian.
Her skills were the real deal.
*Ssk-*
Seeing the two assume their battle stances, the golem lifted its foot.
*Kwaak-!*
“……!”
*BOOM-!*
In that instant, the golem closed the distance with incredible speed and its arm sent Driana flying.
Driana slammed into a wall.
Seeing this, Lunia’s face filled with shock.
‘What is this golem?!’
Golems, the pinnacle of magical engineering.
But their massive size limited their movement.
However, this golem far surpassed the category of a simple golem.
Just as the golem was about to target Lunia.
*Clang-!*
Driana kicked off the wall and flew in, striking the golem’s head with her hammer.
For a moment, Driana’s eyes twitched.
“Amazing. To take that hit and still be fine.”
As Lunia expressed her admiration, Driana readjusted her grip on the hammer and said,
“Durability is a dwarven trait.”
She may have looked like a small and cute dwarf girl, but her durability was solid.
“Tough.”
Thinking she was a reliable front-liner, Lunia began to gather her mana.
“Lunia El Lundua. Give it your all.”
“Huh?”
“That golem. It’s made of Orichalcum.”
Lunia’s face was painted with shock.
“Is it possible to make a golem out of Orichalcum?”
“It’s impossible. But if you consider whose world this is, it’s not entirely impossible.”
“The Divine Blacksmith… Lord Dweno’s world…”
Lunia let out a groan.
With Dweno’s skills, it probably wasn’t impossible.
*Kyuuung-!*
The golem’s activation sound was heard.
Seeing this, Lunia and Driana lowered their stances.
“Spirited young ladies, I see.”
Beyond the golem’s eyes.
Dweno tilted his head.
“There must be a reason they’ve trespassed in a forbidden zone. Shall we subdue them first?”
The forbidden zone of the city of Gardsrone.
Trespassing into the heart of the spirit’s flame, which provided heat and light to the city, was not something to be taken lightly.
“With the three of them away from the city, troublesome things keep happening.”
Dweno sighed lightly and used his mana to move the golem.
***
“You. Who are you?”
*Shashak-*
Verkia warily put distance between herself and Leo.
Leo looked around.
‘A forest.’
It was a strangely familiar forest.
‘I see. The forest near Gardsrone.’
Verkia used to train in this forest, not far from Gardsrone.
There’s no one else around.
‘Judging by her age, it must be about time for her to start fighting in battles.’
She probably came to this forest to train alone.
‘Her age now is about 17? 18, I’d say.’
Having easily deduced Verkia’s age, Leo spoke.
“Your masters. Where are Kyle, Luna, and Ar-on?”
“How did you know I was their disciple?”
Even more suspicion bloomed on Verkia’s face.
‘Hmm. If the fact that she was our disciple isn’t public knowledge yet, it means this is before she made a name for herself… So she’s 17.’
He quickly processed the information from every word Verkia said and grasped the current situation.
“I get it. You! You’re a spy from Tartaros! You plan to kidnap me and threaten my masters!”
Looking at his disciple, whose imagination was as wild as someone else he knew, Leo sighed lightly.
“Who is in Gardsrone right now?”
“As if I’d tell you that! I’m going to take you down!”
Verkia approached Leo as if there was nothing more to be said.
Being wary of suspicious individuals was natural in this era.
Even if they weren’t demons from Tartaros, this was an era rife with traitors.
Verkia’s caution was perfectly justified.
‘But still.’
*Clang-!*
“Huh?”
Leo, having knocked Verkia’s sword away, tripped his disciple.
‘Her being so cheeky is really getting on my nerves.’
“Kyaa!”
Seeing Leo read her movements so perfectly, Verkia was subdued without being able to show any of her real skill.
It all happened in a literal instant.
“Verkia.”
“Don’t say my name like you know me!”
Verkia tried to gather her mana, her face full of suspicion.
Looking at her, Leo said,
“I came to Gardsrone looking for the hero who survives, Kyle.”
“Why Master Kyle?!”
“Because I’m an All-Class, too.”
“What?”
For a moment, Verkia froze.
Leo opened his palm.
Aura, mana, and spirit power gathered and swirled together.
Seeing this, Verkia’s eyes widened.
“I wanted to become his disciple, so I did some research. That’s how I know about you.”
Around this time, Verkia was well aware of how important the All-Class ability was.
The mana trait ‘Purity’.
It wasn’t publicly known, but Lisinas had told her that Kyle’s power was the key to defeating Erebos.
Therefore, Verkia knew all too well how significant the appearance of another All-Class was.
Staring at the swirling power in Leo’s hand, the frozen Verkia spoke.
“I’ll tell you one thing.”
Verkia wore a serious expression.
“Master Kyle has a bad personality. I recommend you learn from someone else.”
“Yeah. I see.”
*Thwack-!*
“Why did you hit me!”
Giving a knock on the head to his disciple who was badmouthing him without hesitation, Leo thought.
‘She’s just asking for it.’