“Aaaaagh!”
One of the mage heroes screamed in despair as he tried to cast a spell.
Splat!
But before he could complete the spell, Tamuss’s sword split him in two from the top of his head.
Jerome’s expression hardened.
‘What on earth went wrong?’
The Light Seeker, Jerome.
He had always believed he was a chosen human.
Jerome had not been born into a prestigious family.
He came from an ordinary peasant household that lived by farming.
But from childhood, his talent had been extraordinary.
Before he had even learned to read, he had formed a contract with a Spirit.
And not just any Spirit, but a Light Spirit, known to be the hardest of all to contract with.
Everyone around him praised him as a chosen human.
As he grew older, entering Lumene was only natural.
Lumene, where the greatest talents gathered.
Even among the countless people who dreamed of becoming heroes, Jerome’s brilliance stood out.
Even in Lumene, where descendants of prestigious families, nobles, and famous heroes were gathered, Jerome was the best.
He took first place in his year and eventually rose to the position of student council president.
‘Jerome is special.’
Having always been told that he was special even among the special, Jerome lived with the firm conviction that he truly was extraordinary.
After graduating, he naturally joined Justice Guild.
He quickly gained the title of hero and became Guild Master at a young age.
Naturally, he was evaluated as the hero who would succeed the Sword Saint.
Then he researched the [Hero Record] and discovered the concept of Karma.
He had found a way to be chosen by the gods.
Jerome had always believed himself to be someone who shone.
He came to think that his thoughts were the answer and the definition of justice.
He believed he was the one who would drive away the darkness of this world.
‘I will lead this dark world toward the light.’
If a hero was an agent of God, then he believed he could become the king of heroes who led those agents.
But...
Rumble!
“Ugh?!”
Jerome, who had summoned a high-ranking Light Spirit to block the pitch-black Aura rushing toward him, was sent flying backward.
‘Is this really the power of a human?’
Jerome stared in horror.
“Guild Master! Save m—”
Another executive cried out desperately toward Jerome.
Crunch!
But Tamuss grabbed his head in one hand and crushed it with ease.
It was a pitiful death, unthinkable for someone who had risen to the status of hero.
And with that, every hero of Justice Guild except Jerome had been wiped out.
Tamuss and Jerome faced each other.
“So you gained this much power through your contract with the Death King.”
“I don’t think that’s it at all.”
Jerome turned his head at the voice from behind him.
Leo stood there with Nyx, the greatsword crafted by Dweno, slung over his shoulder.
“That’s probably the power he already had while he was alive.”
“That’s absurd. Do you really think it’s possible for a human to possess power like that?”
At those words, Leo looked at Jerome as though he were being ridiculous.
“You’re from Lumene, aren’t you?”
“So what if I am?”
“Then shouldn’t there be something you heard often enough to get sick of it while you were there?”
“What are you talking about?”
“‘Surpass your limits.’ Isn’t that our school motto?”
“What nonsense. Are you planning to lecture me with such idealistic talk?”
Jerome answered curtly.
“Even I find it impossible to enter that kind of realm.”
“That’s just because that’s your limit.”
“What?”
“I’m amazed you even became a hero in the first place. How did you overcome your trials?”
“Trials? Hmph. I overcame them all with ease.”
“…….”
Leo looked at Jerome and let out a smirk.
“I see. So you’ve never really experienced a trial.”
“What do you know about me? I’ve overcome countless trials and achieved great feats.”
“What might have seemed like trials and feats to others probably wasn’t a trial for you at all.”
Trials were relative.
Just as the trials of first-years were no great challenge to the current Leo.
Leo could tell that Jerome had lived his entire life inside a greenhouse.
‘He must have avoided dangerous situations whenever possible.’
“And yet you dare call yourself a hero.”
“What did you say?”
“You are no hero.”
Just as Jerome was about to snap back at Leo’s words—
“Youuuuuu!”
Tamuss’s enraged voice thundered as soon as he saw Leo, and at the same time, a massive pitch-black sword strike came crashing toward Leo.
“Gah!”
Seeing that, Jerome gasped and hurriedly summoned a Spirit.
Then he deployed [Spirit Armor] and fled.
‘Foolish brat who doesn’t know how vast the world is. Seeking his own death through reckless bravado.’
It was right when Jerome was sneering at Leo, who had not moved an inch.
Flash!
Leo deployed his Aura.
Gray Aura gathered around the greatsword.
Gripping the sword with both hands, Leo blocked the descending slash of the pitch-black Aura.
Thud!
The surrounding space distorted for an instant from the collision of the two immense Auras.
A numbing sensation ran through his fingertips.
Feeling the tremendous pressure, Leo curled the corners of his mouth.
“I’ll admit it, your skill really is the real thing.”
Slide!
Leo let the pitch-black Aura slide past him.
He had redirected the unimaginable power through technique.
Whoosh!
At that moment, the pitch-black Aura, now having lost its target, flew toward the ground.
“Huh? Argh?!”
Jerome, who had been desperately fleeing, turned his head at the enormous power he felt behind him.
His eyes widened as he saw the pitch-black Aura racing straight at him.
He desperately raised his Spirit Energy and formed a shield with his Light Spirit.
Crack!
“Argh?!”
But as if mocking Jerome’s power, the pitch-black Aura pierced through the shield of light and tore off his arm.
Squelch!
“Aaaaaagh!”
It had only grazed him.
And yet Jerome’s right arm had been blown away that easily.
As Jerome clutched his shoulder and screamed while falling to the ground, it happened.
[Your qualification as a hero has been revoked.]
Jerome forgot even to scream as he stared wide-eyed at the message that had appeared before him.
===
“What did you do to me?”
Vwooom!
Wrapped in pitch-black Aura, Tamuss spoke in a voice full of murderous intent.
Looking at Tamuss, Leo replied,
“It’s nothing much.”
Leo casually rested Nyx on his shoulder as he spoke.
“A while back, I happened to speak with a god. He told me that the [Hero Record] was a gift the gods gave to Kyle.”
“A gift given to Kyle?”
“Yeah. But I was already dead and gone by the time the [Hero Record] was created. So it became a gift for the world.”
Leo curled his lips.
“But the original owner is me. The gods may have filled the [Hero Record] according to their own tastes, but the authority to record names there was originally mine. Then wouldn’t it be natural that I’d have the authority to erase them too?”
Tamuss’s body trembled at Leo’s words.
“You... are you truly Kyle, the Hero of Beginning?”
“Did I ever deny it?”
“Then why won’t you acknowledge me!”
Tamuss roared.
“I slaughtered countless Demons of Tartarus while I was alive! I struck down Legion Commanders! I even ruled over heroes! I am the greatest hero! So why! Why! Why! Do you refuse to acknowledge me! Why do you revoke my title as a hero! I am a chosen human!”
“If you’re already that great on your own, then why are you so obsessed with becoming my successor? Why are you so obsessed with the title of hero in the first place?”
“Because a hero is a chosen human! Because you are the strongest among those chosen humans! Because you are unique!”
“Good grief. Both you and that guy really love your elitism.”
Clicking his tongue, Leo said,
“If you want to become my successor that badly, then I’ll tell you how.”
“What is it?”
Leo pointed downward.
“Save it.”
“What?”
“Save the world. Like I did.”
“…….”
“Ah, but Lumene already saved the world once, didn’t he? And they said you ignored the world crisis back then, didn’t they?”
Leo curled his lips.
“Be honest. You used Rodia as an excuse, but weren’t you really just scared?”
“What... did you say?”
“Because you knew you wouldn’t be able to save the world anyway. You must have thought it would just be a dog’s death.”
Tamuss’s body trembled.
“I must’ve hit the mark.”
“……I don’t need it. My position as your successor or anything else.”
Vwoom!
Pitch-black Aura surged from Tamuss’s body.
“I don’t care about the title of hero anymore. I’ll kill you and turn you into my Spirit.”
Whoosh!
Tamuss raised his greatsword.
Seeing that, Kirran spoke.
-In pure power, he might even rival the Dragon Lord.
“You’re right.”
-Can you win?
At Kirran’s question, Leo curled his lips and reached out his hand.
Then Cometes was summoned.
“[End].”
As Leo chanted, powerful Star Magic whirled around him.
Then Leo raised the hand holding the greatsword.
He steadied his breathing.
Using Arron’s breathing, Leo activated his Aura.
Golden Aura surged from Nyx.
Seeing that, Tamuss’s body trembled for a moment.
‘Great Warrior Azonia and the Comet Mage Seiren?’
It was as though he were looking at his former comrades, Great Warrior Azonia and the Comet Mage Seiren.
‘No, in this case, is it the power of Arron and Luna?’
No matter what anyone said, the one before him was the Hero of Beginning.
Tamuss, who had conquered Hero Records many times, knew.
He knew Kyle’s potential.
“Hmph! No matter how great you are, there’s no way you’ve regained all of your previous life’s power yet! If that’s the case, then I have the upper hand in raw power!”
At Tamuss’s shout, Leo broke into a smirk.
“Laurel.”
At Leo’s call, Laurel, the Great Spirit of Light, appeared.
Tamuss’s complexion changed instantly.
Laurel glared at Tamuss with eyes full of disgust.
“Laurel... why are you still alive even now...”
[Don’t speak to me, you worthless trash.]
Tamuss’s pupils shook as he looked at Laurel, Rodia’s [Oathbound].
At that moment,
Leo crossed Nyx and Cometes.
The Artifacts crafted by Dweno resonated with one another.
“Enchant.”
Leo enchanted Nyx with [End].
Vwoom!
The power skyrocketed through the fusion of Magic and Aura.
And the powers that fused were none other than the powers of the Founder of the Nebula and the Great Warrior.
And that still wasn’t the end.
Leo fused Laurel into Nyx using [Spirit Armor].
“What the...”
Tamuss’s face filled with horror at the nonsensical ability to fuse ultimate Magic with a Great Spirit.
Unimaginable power surged out.
Leo raised Nyx.
“There’s one thing I need to correct. I’m not particularly the strongest or anything.”
Leo curled his lips.
“I’m just holding on to their powers for a little while.”
It was a fusion of Aura, Magic Power, and Spirit Energy.
And beyond that, the powers of three Great Heroes had gathered into one.
Tamuss’s body trembled violently before that overwhelming force.
‘Come to think of it, the ability of the [Hero Record] resembles mine.’
Leo, who had lived through that era as [All-Class].
Lysinas had once asked Leo something.
‘Kyle, since you learn and master everything so well, why don’t you pass the abilities of our fallen comrades on to others?’
(T/N: Holy shitttt. Now it totally make sense! Conquest Rewards are like passing on their abilities so in that sense, Kyle/Leo is still fullfiling Lysinas' request.)
What the dead leave behind isn’t just their bodies and belongings.
The techniques they honed throughout their lives remain behind as well.
Among the techniques of those who had once stood beside him on the battlefield and couldn’t be passed down to posterity, Kyle passed on what he remembered.
In the case of martial arts, he learned them by sight.
In the case of Magic, he recorded them in the Bible.
In the case of Spirits and Summoned Beasts, he formed temporary contracts with the surviving ones and transferred those contracts to those who were qualified.
The Record System Pibua had explained before was just a simple record.
‘Pibua didn’t know about the [Conquest Reward]s either.’
Several gods had joined forces to implement a new system.
That was the [Conquest Reward].
After letting out a smirk, Leo’s red eyes flashed.
“Shall we end this?”
“Your story will no longer be passed down to future generations, Tamuss.”
-I can’t die like this!
Tamuss hurriedly tried to flee the battlefield.
Seeing that, Leo adjusted his grip on Nyx and took a throwing stance.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Leo said coldly as he hurled Nyx.
Whoosh!
Flash!
“Aaaaaagh!”
Nyx pierced through Tamuss’s back and exploded in a blinding burst of light.
***
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