Book 1 Chapter 1025
1025.
“Grind!”
A gruesome grinding sound echoed from Rodia's mouth.
Her orange eyes always shone with an unnatural light.
But currently, Rodia’s eyes were so ferocious they seemed almost red.
Chuu-eok-
As Rodia opened her mouth, particles of light began to gather inside.
Dragon's Breath.
Its power was halved when not in her true form, but for a dragon of Rodia's caliber, breathing out a breath with the same power as her true form in polymorphed state was not particularly difficult.
Gooooooh-! Flash-!
A pure white flash streaked across the sky in a straight line.
The dragon's breath, imbued with destructive power, was aimed at a giant serpent.
The giant serpent, watching the breath fired at it, opened its maw wide.
Kwagagagagagak-!
Rodia's white breath was sucked into the serpent's mouth.
Considering the powerful force of the breath, it should have exploded inside, leaving no trace.
However, the giant serpent instead opened its mouth wide once more, aiming at Rodia.
Kogogogogogo-!
The pure white breath mixed with dark magic, then.
Kwagagagagang-!
It was fired towards Rodia.
Seeing this, Rodia gritted her teeth.
Normally, it would have been a simple matter to dodge.
But…
‘I can’t avoid it.’
Behind Rodia was a fortress.
And many people were defending it.
If she dodged, they would be swept away.
Jet-black mana surged from Rodia's orange eyes.
Soon, the jet-black mana coalesced at Rodia's fingertips.
At the tip of her fist, the magic of Lycinas, inherited by Rodia, raged.
Activating Dragonic Word Magic, Rodia swung her fist directly at the breath.
Kwaang-!
The overwhelming magic and physical abilities of the dragon race combined to create immense power.
“Ack!”
But even for the strongest existing dragon, blocking her own enhanced breath was too much.
In the end, she barely managed to deflect the breath's trajectory.
Kugagagagagang-!
The surrounding area, swept by the breath, was devastated.
Rodia looked down at her damaged right arm and gritted her teeth.
‘This confirms the identity of that damned serpent.’
Rodia glared at the monster serpent, which flicked its tongue as if mocking her.
‘Gluttony King… Jormungandr!’
@5000 years ago, a legion commander who disappeared after being subjugated by the King of Wisdom and the Hero of Genesis.
Following the legion commander she herself subjugated three years ago, even a monster that disappeared 5000 years ago had been resurrected.
It was an incomprehensible situation that made her want to deny reality.
‘I have to stop it.’
But she couldn't just stand there idly.
Solving the immediate danger in front of her was more urgent than assessing the situation.
Rodia gritted her teeth.
The current Rodia could handle Jiamwang and the legion he led.
But if Jormungandr had appeared, it was a different story.
Jormungandr was not merely the strongest legion commander.
The Gluttony King was a demon race created by Erebus to hunt dragons, the strongest race on the ground.
He was a natural enemy of dragons from birth.
‘How on earth did Sir Lycinas and Sir Kyle subjugate that monster?’
Facing Jormungandr directly made her let out a hollow laugh.
When the two Great Heroes subjugated Jormungandr, their power was not yet complete.
It was a time when they were weaker than the current Rodia.
Even with the countless sacrifices of heroes at that time, it was still nothing short of astonishing.
‘Well… that's why they're Great Heroes.’
A hero is someone who makes the impossible possible.
And Great Heroes are those who stand at the pinnacle of such heroes.
Determination gleamed in Rodia's eyes.
‘Is something like this happening in the places others are defending too? If so, support would be difficult…’
Rodia clenched and unclenched her fist.
Then.
Goooooooh-!
Dark magic swirled from Jormungandr's body.
Soon, the surrounding area was covered by a powerful curse.
‘…Curse of Severance.’
Rodia clenched her fist, realizing the curse's identity.
‘He's trying to cut off external support. If so… it means there are no such attacks on the other gateways.’
Then they would immediately realize the abnormal situation and come to help.
‘If I can just hold out until then…’
Rodia gritted her teeth and looked towards the fortress.
Rodia could hold out.
She was Rodia, already at the peak of her prime as a hero.
Even if Jormungandr and Jiamwang attacked together, she was confident she could stop them.
The problem was that Jiamwang was not targeting Rodia.
What Jiamwang and his legion were targeting was clear.
It was the fortress that prevented Erebus from leaving the northern lands.
‘I hope they can hold out.’
Currently, the fortress did not have enough strength to withstand Jiamwang's legion.
Having already won the war with Tartarus and only the subjugation of Erebus' fragments remaining, maintaining the necessary forces for war was difficult.
Because no one could have predicted the resurrection of a subjugated legion commander.
‘Annelie, please hold out.’
It was when Rodia gritted her teeth.
Kwagagagagagang-!
-Guwooooooh!
“…?!”
Far away, flames erupted from the ground, and simultaneously, Jiamwang, Zikris, appeared.
Rodia’s eyes widened.
‘What on earth is going on?’
***
‘Jormungandr?’
Leo, who was confronting Zikris, twitched his eyes at the faint aura he felt from afar.
He couldn't forget it even if he tried.
Throughout his past and present lives, the battle with Jormungandr was one of the most desperate battles for Leo.
Aside from losing all his comrades on his last journey and barely winning the final battle, the fight with the Gluttony King remained one of the most nightmarish memories for Leo.
‘This bugger was already subjugated, wasn’t he?’
As far as Leo knew, there was no such record in history.
‘Is it a change caused by one of Erebus’ fragments coming to this timeline?’
With that thought, Leo understood how the subjugated legion commanders had reappeared.
‘Legion’s Record.’
The result of Hell Kaiser contaminating the Hero Record with Erebus' power.
Just as the world fostered heroes with the Hero Record, Hell Kaiser was fostering new demon races with the Legion’s Record.
‘If the Legion’s Record runs wild and encroaches upon the world… calling forth subjugated legion commanders from the past wouldn't be impossible.’
Just as Leo had summoned Great Heroes to the present world.
“Tsk.”
-Guwooooooh!
Kwagagagagagang!
At that moment, Zikris lunged at Leo.
The lava Leo had spewed earlier surged like waves.
When he was first hit directly by Leo's magic, he writhed in pain, but now there was no such sign.
‘Did he develop resistance to fire?’
Judging so, Leo dodged Zikris's attack by leaping.
Wooong-!
Magic and spiritual power surged in Leo's hands.
Jjeojeojeojeok-!
This time, a cold chill surged.
Spirit magic, a fusion of spirit arts and magic.
Leo clenched his fist.
Jjeojeojeojeojeong-!
In an instant, the land, which had been like a lava hell, froze.
Zikris, who had been swimming in the lava, was also trapped within it due to the rapid cooling.
Jjeok!
But soon, cracks began to appear in the ice.
-Kueeeeeeoh!
Kwaching! Kwagagagak-!
Zikris burst through the ice, letting out a roar.
Dark magic spewed from the ground, coiling around Leo.
In response, Leo raised one hand.
Pajijijijijik-!
Pure white lightning surged.
It was Pegasus's lightning.
The lightning instantly incinerated the dark magic and even seared Zikris.
Pabababababap!
-Kieeeeeeek! Kekekekekekekek!
Zikris, writhing in pain, soon burst into cynical laughter.
“Hoo? You have quite unique skin, don’t you?”
Zikris’s skin's defense was astonishing even to Leo.
‘I thought he was developing resistance according to elemental attributes… but is it resistance to supernatural abilities?’
He was developing resistance to magic and spiritual power.
Seeing that he was unperturbed even by Pegasus's lightning, which could be called a natural enemy to demons, Leo was convinced.
‘By the way… this guy. He seems to lack reason, doesn’t he?’
Legion commanders were not just strong monsters.
They were beings with comparable cunning and malice.
But now, Jiamwang showed no sign of intelligence.
Just a large, powerful monster.
‘He feels like a machine merely following orders.’
Perhaps it was a side effect from emerging from the Legion’s World.
Judging so, Leo glanced- towards Seirun, who was preparing for battle in the distance.
And he gestured with his chin towards where Jormungandr’s aura was felt.
In response, Seirun canceled the magic she was preparing and flew towards where Leo pointed.
“Ah, Seirun, don’t we need to help that person?”
“He’ll be fine. Right now, helping Rodia is the priority!”
Seirun reassured the flustered Annelie and looked at Leo.
‘Zikris’s defense couldn't be pierced even by my magic.’
Even with Seirun’s maximum firepower, she failed to penetrate Zikris’s skin.
But…
‘He won’t be much of a threat to Sir Leo.’
No matter what anyone said, Leo was the Hero of Genesis.
The one and only All-Class.
***
As Seirun left, Leo looked at Zikris.
“Seeing that you’ve developed resistance even to spirit magic… it seems you can counter even dual-class attacks, can’t you?”
-Kekekekeke
At Leo’s question, Zikris let out an unpleasant sneer.
His appearance showed no sign of reason.
It was merely confidence in his own power.
Watching Zikris, Leo curled the corners of his mouth.
@“The new legion commanders 3000 years ago were just as bad at reading the room as they are now.”
Sreung-
Leo drew his sword.
Hwaruruk-
Red flames, the flames of Zerdringer, coiled around Leo’s sword.
Suddenly, Zikris’s demeanor, which had been sneering, changed.
-…?!
He had no reason, but he instinctively felt it.
That something was wrong.
“Fiora.”
Leo called the name of his pact-mate.
The crimson aura of flames turned pure white.
A sword ablaze with aura and spiritual power.
In addition to that, Leo overlaid it with star magic.
‘Ifrit.’
Hwaruruk-!
Seeing the sword wreathed in spiritual power, aura, and magical flames, Zikris screamed.
-Kieeeeeek!
Terrified, Zikris immediately burrowed into the ground.
Seeing that, Leo curled the corners of his mouth.
“It seems you can’t develop resistance to three supernatural abilities, can you?”
Leo’s red eyes, fixed with a cold smile, gleamed.
Kwak-!
Leo’s sword plunged into the ground.
Kwagagagagagang!
Soon, pure white flames surged towards the sky.
Another flame Leo had ignited to burn away all impurities.
‘Flame of Destruction.’
Trapped in the pillar of flame, Zikris could not even scream, and disappeared, turning into ash.
Rodia, confronting Jormungandr, widened her eyes and turned her head.
In her eyes, she saw a pillar of white flame.
Then.
Jormungandr, who had been roaring, saw the flames, snarled fiercely, then tore through space and fled.
‘I missed him!’
Rodia, who had frantically tried to stop Jormungandr, gritted her teeth at being a step too late.
Rodia, who had been glaring at the space Jormungandr had torn and escaped through, turned her head.
A white flame she had never seen before.
But Rodia immediately understood what power was the basis of that flame.
“All-Class.”