Chapter 484
Chapter Title: Not a Hero
-----------------------------------------------------------------
484.
“Aaaaaah!”
One of the magician heroes screamed, his voice bordering on a shriek, as he cast a spell.
*Slice—!*
But before the spell could be completed, Tamus’s sword split him in two, from head to toe.
Jerome’s face hardened.
‘What in the world went wrong?’
Light Seeker. Jerome.
He believed himself to be a chosen one.
Jerome wasn't born into a prestigious family.
He came from a family of ordinary commoner farmers.
But his talent had been exceptional since childhood.
He had formed a pact with a spirit even before he learned to read.
And it was a pact with a light spirit, said to be the most difficult of all.
Everyone around him praised him as a chosen one.
As he grew, he naturally enrolled in Lumerne.
Lumerne Academy, where the greatest talents gathered.
Even there, among the countless individuals dreaming of becoming heroes, Jerome’s uniqueness stood out.
Countless scions of renowned and noble families.
Even at Lumerne, filled with descendants of famous heroes, Jerome was the best.
He became the class representative and later rose to the position of student council president.
‘Jerome is special.’
Having been called special even in a place where special people gathered, Jerome lived with an ever-growing conviction of his own exceptionalism.
After graduating, he naturally joined the Justice Guild.
He quickly earned the title of hero and became a guild master at a young age.
He was naturally hailed as the hero who would succeed the Sword Saint.
Later, he researched the Hero Record and discovered the concept of Karma.
He had figured out how to receive a god's choice.
Jerome believed he was a person who always shone brightly.
He came to believe his own thoughts were the correct answer, the very definition of justice.
He came to believe he was the one who would drive the darkness from this world.
‘I will guide this world, filled with darkness, into the light.’
If a hero was a representative of the gods.
He considered himself capable of becoming the king of heroes, the one who would lead those representatives.
And yet…
*CRRAAAAASH—!*
“Kuhk?!”
Jerome, who had summoned a high-ranking light spirit to block the jet-black aura sweeping towards him, was sent flying back.
‘Is this truly the power of a human?’
Jerome stared with eyes full of shock.
“Guild Master! Help m—!”
Another executive cried out desperately to Jerome.
*CRUNCH—!*
But his head was caught in Tamus’s grasp and crushed into nothing.
It was a pathetic death, unthinkable for someone who had attained the rank of hero.
And with him, all the heroes of the Justice Guild, save for Jerome, were annihilated.
Tamus and Jerome faced each other.
“I see. So you gained immense power through a contract with the Necro King.”
“I don’t think that’s it at all.”
Jerome turned his head at the voice coming from behind.
There stood Leo, with Nox, the greatsword made by Dweno, resting on his shoulder.
“That’s probably the power he had when he was alive.”
“Foolish words. Do you think it’s possible for a human to possess such power?”
At that, Leo looked at Jerome as if he were absurd.
“Hey, aren’t you from Lumerne?”
“I am, so what?”
“Then isn’t there something you heard ad nauseam throughout your time at the academy?”
“What are you talking about?”
“‘Transcend your limits.’ I believe that’s our school motto.”
“Nonsense. Are you trying to lecture me with such fanciful talk?”
Jerome said curtly.
“Even I cannot reach such a state.”
“That’s because your level is just that low.”
“What did you say?”
“I’m surprised you even became a hero. How did you overcome your trials?”
“Trials? Hmph. I overcame them all with ease.”
“…”
Hearing that, Leo looked at Jerome and let out a smirk.
“I see. So you’ve never once faced a true trial.”
“What do you know about me? I have overcome countless trials and achieved great deeds.”
“They might have been trials and great deeds to others, but not to you.”
Trials are relative.
Just as the first-year trials wouldn’t be much of a challenge for the current Leo.
Leo could tell that Jerome had lived his entire life in a greenhouse.
‘He must have avoided anything dangerous at all costs.’
“And you have the gall to call yourself a hero.”
“What did you say?”
“You are not a hero.”
Just as Jerome was about to snap at Leo’s words.
“You baaastaaard!”
Tamus’s enraged voice echoed upon spotting Leo, and at the same time, a massive jet-black sword strike swept over him.
“Hah!”
Seeing this, Jerome gasped and quickly summoned a spirit.
Then he deployed Spirit Armored and fled.
‘A fool who doesn’t know how vast the world is. Inviting his own death with such bravado.’
It was then that Jerome scoffed at Leo, who hadn’t moved an inch.
*FLASH—!*
Leo unleashed his aura.
A gray aura condensed on his greatsword.
Gripping the sword with both hands, Leo deflected the descending jet-black aura upward.
*BOOM—!*
The surrounding space distorted for a moment from the clash of colossal auras.
A tingling sensation traveled up his fingertips.
Faced with immense pressure, Leo’s lips curled into a smirk.
“Well now, your skills are the real deal, at least.”
*Swoosh—!*
Leo let the jet-black aura flow past him.
He had redirected an unimaginable force with pure technique.
*WHOOSH—!*
In that moment, the jet-black aura, having lost its target, shot toward the ground.
“Hm? Kuhk?”
Jerome, who was hastily fleeing, turned his head at the immense power he felt from behind.
His eyes widened as he saw the jet-black aura flying toward him.
He frantically drew upon his spiritual power, creating a shield with the light spirit.
*Pierce—!*
“Kuhk?”
But the jet-black aura, as if mocking Jerome's power, mercilessly pierced the shield of light and blew off his arm.
*SPLAT—!*
“Kraaaaaaah!”
It had only grazed him.
But Jerome’s right arm was torn away with ease.
As Jerome screamed, clutching his shoulder and plummeting to the ground.
[Your qualification as a Hero has been revoked.]
The message that appeared before him made Jerome forget to scream, his eyes widening in shock.
***
“What have you done to me?”
*Ruuuumble—!*
Tamus, shrouded in a jet-black aura, asked in a murderous tone.
Looking at Tamus, Leo said.
“It’s nothing much.”
Leo spoke nonchalantly, Nox resting on his shoulder.
“I had a chance to speak with a god a while back. He told me the Hero Record was a gift from the gods to Kyle.”
“A gift to Kyle?”
“Yeah. But I was already dead and gone when the Hero Record was created. So it became a gift to the world.”
Leo’s lips curled into a smirk.
“I’m the original owner. The gods may have written records in it to their liking, but the authority to write was originally mine. In that case, it’s only natural I’d have the authority to delete, wouldn’t you say?”
Tamus’s body trembled at Leo’s words.
“You… Are you truly Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning?”
“Have I ever denied it?”
“Then why won’t you acknowledge me!”
Tamus roared.
“In my life, I slaughtered countless demons of Tartaros! I defeated a Legion Commander! I reigned over all other heroes! I am the greatest hero! So why! Why! Why won’t you acknowledge me! Why are you revoking my hero title! I am a chosen one!”
“If you’re so great on your own, why are you so obsessed with being my successor? Why are you so obsessed with being a hero in the first place?”
“Because heroes are the chosen ones! And you are the strongest among them! A one-of-a-kind existence!”
“Jeez. That guy, and now this one. You all really love your chosen-one ideology.”
Leo clicked his tongue and said.
“If you covet my successor’s position so much, I’ll tell you how to get it.”
“What is it?”
Leo pointed a finger downward.
“Save it.”
“What?”
“Save the world, like I did.”
“…”
“Ah, but Lumerne already saved the world once, didn’t they? And I heard you turned your back on that crisis?”
Leo’s lips curled into a smirk.
“Be honest. You used that Rodia fellow as an excuse, but… weren’t you just scared?”
“Wha…t?”
“You must have known you couldn’t save the world anyway. You probably thought it’d be a pointless death.”
Tamus’s body trembled.
“Hit the mark, did I?”
“…I don’t need it. Your successor’s position.”
*RUUUUMBLE—!*
A jet-black aura poured out of Tamus’s body.
“I don’t care about the hero title either. I’ll kill you and make you my heroic spirit.”
*FWOOSH—!*
Tamus raised his greatsword.
Seeing this, Kiruan commented.
-In terms of pure power, he could rival a Dragon Lord.
“Looks like it.”
-Can you win?
At Kiruan’s question, Leo smirked and stretched out his hand.
Cometes was then summoned.
“Annihilation.”
As Leo chanted, a powerful stellar magic swirled around him.
Next, Leo raised the hand holding the greatsword.
Leo steadied his breathing.
He activated his aura with Ar-on's breath.
A golden aura erupted from Nox.
Seeing this, Tamus’s body trembled for a moment.
‘Azonia and Seirun?’
It was as if he were seeing his former comrades, the Great Warrior Azonia and the Comet Mage Seirun.
‘No, in this case, it’s the power of Ar-on and Luna!’
No matter what anyone said, the person before him was the Hero of the Beginning.
Tamus, who had challenged the World of the Great Hero many times, knew.
He knew Kyle's true potential.
“Hmph! No matter how great you are, you couldn’t have recovered all your past life’s power yet! In that case, I have the upper hand in strength!”
At Tamus’s shout, Leo let out a smirk.
“Lariel.”
At Leo’s call, the Great Spirit of Light, Lariel, appeared.
The color drained from Tamus’s face.
Lariel was glaring at Tamus with eyes full of loathing.
“Lariel… how are you still alive…?”
[Don’t talk to me. Trash.]
Seeing Lariel, Rodia’s pact-holder, Tamus’s pupils trembled.
In that moment.
Leo crossed Nox and Cometes.
The weapons made by Dweno resonated with each other.
“Enchant.”
Leo enchanted Nox with Annihilation.
*RUUUUUMBLE—!*
The fusion of magic and aura caused its power to skyrocket.
Moreover, the fused powers were none other than those of the Progenitor of the Nebula and the Brave Hero.
And that wasn’t all.
Leo used Spirit Armored to fuse Lariel with Nox.
“What…!”
Tamus’s face filled with horror at the absurd ability to fuse the strongest magic with a great spirit.
An unimaginable power swirled around him.
Leo lifted Nox.
“Let me correct you. I’m not exactly the strongest or anything like that.”
Leo’s lips curled into a smirk.
“I was just holding on to their power for a while.”
A fusion of aura, mana, and spiritual power.
And it was the power of three Great Heroes combined into one.
Tamus’s body trembled before that overwhelming power.
‘Come to think of it, the Hero Record’s ability resembles my own.’
Leo, who had lived in that era as an All-Class.
Lisinas had asked such a Leo for one favor.
‘Kyle, you’re good at learning and mastering everything, so how about you teach the abilities of our fallen comrades to others?’
The dead don't just leave behind corpses and mementos.
The skills they honed in life also remain.
Of the skills his comrades-in-arms couldn't pass on, Kyle passed down what he remembered to future generations.
For martial arts, he learned them by sight.
For magic, he recorded it in a tome.
For spirits and phantasmal beasts, he made temporary pacts with the survivors and passed the contracts on to those who were worthy.
The Record System that Pibua had explained before was a simple record.
‘Even Pibua didn’t know about the conquest rewards.’
Various gods combined their powers to implement a new system.
That was the conquest reward system.
Leo smirked, and his red eyes flashed.
“Shall we end this, then?”
“Your story will not be passed down to future generations. Tamus.”
-I can’t die like this!
Tamus urgently tried to flee the battlefield.
Seeing this, Leo shifted his grip on Nox into a reverse hold and took a throwing stance.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Leo said coldly as he threw Nox.
*WHOOSH—!*
*FLASH!*
“Kraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Nox, embedded in Tamus’s back, erupted in a brilliant flash of light.