Book 1 Chapter 1011

1011.

Swoosh-!

Leo wiped away the blood flowing down his right cheek with his thumb and looked down at the blood on his fingertip.

Belian, watching Leo, spoke.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t told you my name.”

He looked directly at Leo with golden eyes, politely bowed his head, and revealed his name.

“My name is Belian.”

Even as he revealed his name, Leo silently stared at the blood on his fingertip.

Soon, Leo licked the blood off his thumb, then turned his gaze to Belian and said.

“I’m not particularly curious.”

Swish-!

As soon as the words ended, a silver flash wove its trajectory.

Clang-clang-clang-!

Belian parried all of Leo’s sword strikes pouring from all directions.

“Oh?”

Leo exclaimed upon seeing it.

Swordsmanship doesn’t work.

The basis of swordsmanship is a battle of wits.

Flashy techniques and artistry are merely means to gain an advantage in that battle of wits.

The essence of swordsmanship is ultimately to overwhelm the opponent's moves and inflict harm.

Even if one reaches a transcendent level, the end is ultimately one.

Whoosh-!

Leo slashed his sword upwards, but Belian didn't even flinch.

As if he had already seen through the gap.

Thwack-!

Leo gripped the sword he had slashed upwards in a reverse grip.

Swish!

He then slashed the sword from top to bottom as if bringing it down.

But before striking the crown of the head.

Leo’s sword was already aiming at Belian’s neck.

A trick.

The sword strike targeting the crown of the head was imbued with killing intent, but nothing was felt from the sword strike targeting the neck.

A sword strike felt with thick killing intent, and one that wasn't.

For a well-trained warrior, it was a fatal combination attack that would disrupt their senses.

A two-way choice where failing to respond to either would cost one's life.

But Belian’s choice was instead to stab Leo’s neck with his sword.

In a fleeting moment that normal people would find hard to perceive, Belian's sword moved.

If it had been anyone else, they would have thought it was an act of desperation.

Clang-!

But Belian’s choice was correct.

Leo’s preceding attack was a feint.

If he had reacted to the attack by defending or evading, his heart would have been pierced directly.

But Belian wasn't deceived by Leo's feint and chose to counterattack.

Leo, who had parried Belian's sword, looked at him with interest.

In response to Leo's reaction, Belian said.

“I wonder how long that composure will last. I told you, didn’t I? That I wouldn't kill you.”

“Kill me if you can.”

“Then history will be distorted. I do not wish for that.”

“Is it not that you lack the ability to kill me?”

Leo scoffed at Belian.

“I wonder if you can continue to think that way.”

Hum!

A golden aura gathered around Belian’s sword.

The sword, enveloped in a brilliant golden light, aimed for Leo’s heart.

CRACK-!

Leo parried Belian’s sword.

'A dragon that uses aura, huh.'

Dragons are called the strongest race.

Because they possess a Dragon Heart, an overwhelming mana-generating organ, their fundamental 'output' itself is on a different scale than other races.

Thanks to that overwhelming power, they reigned supreme as the agents of the gods during the Age of Gods.

They were also a race with the privilege of choosing what extraordinary ability to learn.

This was a differentiating factor from other races, whose innate abilities were determined from birth.

Of course, once an ability was chosen, it couldn't be changed.

Typically, dragons do not choose aura when they reach the age to select an ability.

They usually choose between magic and summoning.

Even if they have talent for a dual class, choosing aura is extremely rare.

This was greatly influenced by Lysinas, the Great Hero of dragons and the King of Wisdom, who used magic and summoning.

But an even greater reason was the dragons’ overwhelming physical capabilities.

Aura is a power that maximizes physical abilities.

And a dragon’s body was powerful enough to not even need the aid of such aura.

In other words, choosing aura meant that the power of aura was added to that already formidable physique.

'But still, wouldn't it be less efficient compared to magic and summoning?'

By racial trait, magic and summoning are the most suitable for dragons.

Dragons with innate talent for martial arts sometimes appeared and learned aura.

But the dragon before him was not a dragon with such aptitude.

He could tell just by the movement of the sword.

Belian did not have a high understanding of swordsmanship.

He could unleash power almost akin to a natural disaster with a single sword strike, but he couldn't control his own strength.

But Leo's thought was only for a moment.

Leo hurriedly tilted his head back.

CRASH! THWACK!

“…?”

Leo looked with questioning eyes at the sword that had grazed past his face.

He barely dodged the attack.

And the building behind Leo was sliced through.

RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE-!

The building collapsed with a loud noise.

Leo narrowed his brows.

“This is a greeting.”

Belian curved the corners of his mouth.

He couldn't predict the attacks.

'No, prediction is possible, but it goes beyond that prediction.'

He strikes unexpectedly from an unforeseen direction.

'When he attacks, his moves are perfectly readable, but when I defend, I can't read his moves.'

He reads his thoughts perfectly.

This was a type of enemy even Leo, who had crossed countless battlefields, had never encountered.

Not even Arion had ever perfectly read Leo’s moves or struck him unexpectedly.

'This magic is also strange.'

Currently, this place was a space created by illusion magic.

Leo’s consciousness was trapped by this magic.

And Leo had seen through the true nature of this illusion magic from the beginning.

'Nightmare.'

Dragonic magic created by Lysinas.

Of course, it was a modified state, not a pure form of Nightmare.

'Given that dual classes are common for dragons, using magic isn't strange. But…'

Leo's eyes narrowed.

'Why can't I dispel the magic?'

Illusion magic can be easily escaped the moment one realizes it is magic.

Disarming it is instantaneous once the magical formula is deciphered.

However, Leo couldn't dispel Belian's magic.

Even Luna and Lysinas couldn't bind Leo with illusion magic for this long.

'That's not to say I can't decipher the magic formula.'

Although complex, deciphering itself isn't difficult.

The problem is that the keyword needed for disarming keeps changing.

The dragon before him clearly possessed skills befitting the title of Lord.

But it wasn’t skill that could push Leo this far.

'Is he reading my thoughts? No, more than that…'

Leo tightened his grip on his sword.

'It feels as if I've experienced this battle before?'

A powerful déjà vu flashed through Leo’s mind.

At that moment.

SWISH-SWISH-SWISH-SWISH-!

Belian’s golden sword aura wove through the air.

All the sword auras flew in directions that defied Leo's predictions.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-!

Leo swung his sword and barely managed to block the sword aura.

But he failed to block it perfectly.

Belian’s sword aura left small but definite sword wounds on Leo’s body.

Drip- Drip-

Blood flowing from the wounds all over his body fell to the ground.

“King of Beginnings, Leo Flov. Look at these ruins.”

“…”

“Until a few decades ago, this was where talented individuals who would lead the future of the Elven race studied.”

“So, in the future, Elves won’t have a place to study?”

“A new academy was established in Lumeria City, the center of the world.”

“Then isn't that good enough?”

“No way. The Elves’ new academy is no longer a hero academy. No, all hero academies existing in this world have disappeared.”

“Isn't that a good thing?”

Leo tilted his head.

“It means it’s an era where heroes are no longer needed.”

“What a foolish thing to say. Heroes are needed in every era.”

“Ah. I misspoke.”

Leo let out a chuckle.

“I meant heroes like Great Heroes are no longer needed.”

Lysinas, the King of Wisdom.

Luna, the Progenitor of the Nebula.

Arion, the Brave.

Dweno, the God’s Blacksmith.

And Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings.

The Age of Heroes that lasted for 5000 years.

And all heroes born within those long years, willingly or not, followed in the footsteps of the Great Heroes.

They achieved greater feats than the gods and were more noble and honorable than any others.

Leo himself didn't particularly think so, but regardless of his own thoughts, the fact that Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings, acted nobly and honorably remained unchanged.

And in an era where the threats of Erebus and Tartarus still lingered, heroes like the Great Heroes were needed.

That's why the Age of Heroes constantly demanded that heroes follow in the footsteps of the Great Heroes.

Although apostates existed, and heroes consumed by madness, twisted ambition, and malice constantly emerged, even such individuals used the Great Heroes as their guidepost.

The will of the Great Heroes was never forgotten in the minds of all who lived in the Age of Heroes.

It was possible because of the Hero Records.

At first, Leo was relieved when he learned that fact.

Apart from himself becoming a forgotten hero, his friends were not forgotten and were respected.

He had hoped they would be remembered forever.

But now his thoughts had changed.

'Our will continuing to be passed down to future generations is, in a way, a curse.'

How many sacrifices had they made for that nobility?

How much pain did they have to overcome?

Because the names of the Great Heroes were so vivid, subsequent heroes were always overshadowed by those names.

The Heroes of Genesis, who came closest to the Great Heroes, ultimately sacrificed themselves for the world.

'If the threat of Erebus disappears, then heroes like us won't be needed anymore.'

No Great Hero would wish for a world where sacrifice for the world is taken for granted.

'We were forced to sacrifice ourselves… but not a single one of us wasn't resentful.'

Not a single Great Hero willingly accepted their death.

"Why us, of all people?"

Everyone thought that the moment they closed their eyes.

They sincerely wished that no more heroes like them would ever be born.

'Hero academies are ultimately academies to train future Great Heroes. So, after Erebus is subjugated, there's no reason for them to exist.'

That's why they disappeared in later generations.

'If so, then it makes sense that Seyrun became such ruins.'

“In an era where Erebus has been subjugated, hero academies and Great Heroes are nothing more than relics of an old age.”

Belian’s face contorted at Leo’s words.

“How can a king who followed in the footsteps of Kyle, the King of Beginnings, and opened a new era, hold such thoughts?”

He glared at Leo with a furious face.

“Why? Is it not allowed?”

“It is not allowed! Absolutely unacceptable! Do you know what happened to the world because you did not pass on the legacy and teachings of the Great Heroes to future generations? The world regressed.”

Belian shouted as if consumed by malice.

In response, Leo dug in his ear with his finger and retorted.

“What kind of bullshit is that?”