Book 1 Chapter 1028

1028.

Thump- Thump-

His heart pounds.

Leo realized he was deeply agitated.

"I'm going to revive Lysinass?"

His voice trembled.

"Yes."

His heart, which rarely faltered at ordinary things, was now violently throbbing.

Squeeze-

Leo clenched his fist tightly.

"Is something like that possible with the Hero's Record?"

"I'm not entirely sure about that part… It's just a story I heard from Her Majesty."

'So, there is a way?'

An indescribable emotion surged within him.

'To be able to revive those guys again.'

A long-cherished wish, which he thought could never be fulfilled, was coming true.

"If all the great heroes came back to life, the future would be in an uproar."

Leo burst out laughing and said.

But at his words, Lena's face clouded over.

Leo, seeing Lena's expression, paused.

"Everyone is being revived, right?"

But Lena couldn't answer his question.

"Dwayno?"

"…"

"Arion?"

"…"

"…Luna…?"

"…"

Only silence hung in the air, without an answer.

Leo felt his wildly beating heart gradually grow cold.

Soon, Leo opened his mouth.

"Is it… only Lysinass who's being revived?"

"Yes…"

Lena replied in a small voice.

"After the final battle with Erebus ended, the Hero's Record was said to be severely damaged."

It was already not in perfect condition, having been torn by the Heroes of Genesis after they sealed Erebus.

Because of that, countless side effects were still occurring in the present.

The rampage of the torn Record and the consequent rampage of the hero's world.

And even the corruption of the Record fragments that fell into Erebus's grasp.

"The Hero's Record could be passed down to later generations, but since it wasn't in perfect condition, it was said that it would eventually lose its function."

"…So, I used the Hero's Record to revive Lysinass?"

"Yes. Although history records that Erebus was completely destroyed by the power of the Hero's Record."

"…"

The reason Leo's personal use of the Hero's Record remained a hidden history in the future was probably because everyone present agreed to revive a great hero with the Hero's Record.

In this era, Leo is the only rightful owner, but ultimately, the owner of the Hero's Record is a great hero.

If Erebus were alive, it would be another story.

After being completely subjugated, it was effectively considered to have fulfilled its role.

If it was an item that would disappear in the distant future, even if passed down to later generations…

In preparation for a new era, they would have chosen a future where the world's order was restructured without the Hero's Record.

Decisively, they would have wanted to fulfill the wish of the great hero who saved the world twice.

But…

"Since the Hero's Record was not in a perfect state, only Lysinass-nim was eventually resurrected."

"…"

Disappointment settled on Leo's face.

Normally, Leo did not express his emotions well.

The events of the future were that shocking.

Lysinass's revival was certainly a joyful event.

He wanted to spend the present time with everyone.

Because for Leo, it was a wish he wouldn't trade for anything.

But the fact that only Lysinass was ultimately revived was enough to make him feel frustrated.

Even Lysinass's revival alone was already an immense miracle.

Nevertheless, since Leo was also human, he couldn't help but feel disappointed.

Lena, seeing Leo like that, said in a flustered tone.

"B-but, they say you were happy for ten years."

At Lena's words, Leo gave a bitter smile.

"Thank you for caring."

Lena silently watched Leo as he stroked her hair, as if ruffling it.

'I heard that His Majesty went through a lot of pain.'

Her mother had said that, remembering Leo.

'After Lysinass-nim left, he became an even emptier person. He never showed it. But he always blamed himself for not being able to save the other great heroes. That's why those around His Majesty wished for him to be happy.'

The Leo Lena remembered certainly smiled a lot.

There were times he was strict and scary, but also benevolent.

Leo's surroundings were definitely filled with happiness.

But on the other hand, he was a person who seemed sad in some inexplicable way.

'He was such a strong person. He never wavered.'

His mother's bitter smile came to mind.

Leo, who had somehow returned to his usual self, said.

"It's time to sleep."

"Yes."

"…"

Lena returned to her sleeping bag.

'I'm like Grandpa?'

Lena closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh.

'Absolutely not.'

For someone to say he resembled her, Leo was far too strong a person.

Crackle- Crackle-

The bonfire blazes.

On the castle wall, silence had returned once more.

[…]

Luna, in her spirit form, was sitting in front of Leo.

Seeing Leo, who seemed somewhat lost in thought, Luna bit her lip tightly.

Lena wouldn't have lied.

If so, in a future where Erebus was completely subjugated…

Lysinass would be revived, but she would not.

When Luna heard that story, she couldn't help but be stunned.

'Am I not chosen?'

Such indignation filled her chest.

But that was only for a moment.

Kyle, who must have agonized at that moment, came to mind.

The person she loved was a fool who, despite being cool-headed, could never weigh matters concerning his comrades.

The moment Luna met her end.

Even in a situation where both should have lost their lives, Kyle tried to save Luna.

What would happen in the future was unknown.

But there must have been a reason why Lysinass was chosen.

Moreover…

'Just ten years.'

It was long if one considered it long, and short if one considered it short.

Still, during that time, he must have spent happy moments with Lysinass.

'But even so, Kyle and Lysinass must have been tormented by guilt.'

For ten years, they wouldn't have been able to fully enjoy happiness and would have had to let Lysinass go.

And then, for a long time again, he would have carried the guilt alone.

Luna knew.

That Leo, reborn, was a person loved by many.

At first, she felt jealous of that fact.

But now, she no longer felt that way.

She just wanted this precious person, whom she pitied, to be happy.

That was her only wish.

[…I'm fine.]

Luna, who had been biting her lip, forced a smile.

[I'm fine. Kyle.]

Luna said, shaking off the unfairness that she couldn't be with him.

However, there was no way Luna's words would reach him.

[Because I'm fine…]

It was merely a hollow echo, meant to compose herself.

[Because I'm fine…]

"What do you mean, 'fine', you damn pointy-ear?"

[…]

Luna gasped.

Leo had somehow lifted his head.

To the extent that she wondered, for a moment, if he could see her.

But Leo's eyes were unfocused.

He couldn't see or hear her, but he had anticipated what Luna might have said.

Just as Luna knew Leo well.

Leo also knew Luna well.

"Just get angry like usual. Ask why it's Lysinass. Go wild. Don't say something pathetic like 'I'm fine'."

Leo's face, which had seemed somewhat lost, had returned to its usual expression.

But his eyes were burning with determination.

Luna knew those eyes.

Kyle's eyes, which never gave up.

"There's a way to revive them, isn't there?"

[…]

"Then all we have to do is find a way to revive everyone."

Leo said calmly.

"We've overcome impossible things countless times. There's no reason to suddenly despair."

Together, they had achieved countless miracles.

They had even saved a world whose destruction was certain.

"Changing the future is just a matter of doing it."

Leo said with firm resolve.

"Even if Lena goes back and forgets these memories… I will definitely revive all of you."

They were empty words, but Leo didn't care.

He had come this far by chasing Lysinass's empty words, which had led him.

"So."

Leo smiled at Luna.

"Let's not give up."

It was a bright smile, like the one Luna had shown Kyle in their final moments.

"We will definitely be able to live the same time once more."

The Kyle Luna knew was not someone who spoke of vain hopes.

[…Yes.]

Her frozen heart melted.

Just as Luna had found light for Kyle's dark past future.

This time, Leo was trying to shine light on Luna's future.

The way wasn't clear yet…

Kyle would surely find a way.

Luna was certain of that.

Because she had fallen for his never-giving-up spirit.

[Yes, Kyle. I will never give up.]

Though he couldn't see her, Luna smiled brightly.

Certain that one day she would be able to show him this smile.

***

Whoosh-!

A fierce wind blew.

The pages of a crimson-covered book, spread open in the man's hand, fluttered over.

"So you finally caught up, surviving hero."

A fragment of Erebus, in the form of Belian, smiled coldly.

He was merely a fragment that had just awakened.

His power was weak.

Of course, even if weak, the fact that he was a catastrophic entity capable of covering the world's sky in gray remained unchanged.

But he did not reveal his power.

As long as the Heroes of Genesis were present, rashly using his power would only lead to defeat.

Nor could he recklessly attempt to change the future.

This was because the magic traveling to the past had a suppression force applied to it, preventing maximum alteration of the past.

"Foolish one."

Erebus scoffed at the original owner of the body he had devoured.

Even if he had tried to pass through with his own fragment, he would likely have been blocked by the creator of this magic.

The suppressive force, applied to prevent the magic from being misused, had already transcended the realm of magic and reached the domain of a god.

It was enough to marvel at the genius of the magic's creator.

'Breaking through such a suppressive force would be simple, but before I could break through, the surviving hero who pursued me would have caught me. Just like now.'

Erebus knew Kyle's persistence better than anyone.

Flutter-

The pages turn.

Thud-!

Soon, Erebus closed the Legion's Record held in his hand.

This Legion's Record was his most powerful weapon in the future.

Originally, it was a hateful divine artifact, but he had accidentally succeeded in corrupting it.

But…

'Even with this, this body will be defeated.'

His past self, having come to the past, would inevitably be defeated by the pursuing Hero of Origin.

He knew it was a low-probability gamble.

But if defeat was already decided in the future, it was better to take a gamble.

Erebus, wearing a demonic smile, stowed the Legion's Record in his embrace and vanished into the darkness.