Book 1 Chapter 103

【103】102.

The audience at the Erek training ground held their breath.

What their eyes saw was the first-year students beginning to strategize against the giant Gigantes.

"The first-years are amazing! To be able to fight Gigantes like that, even if it's not a mature one!"

Elena smiled faintly, seeing Lil, who was astonished and admiring.

"Isn't that right, senior?"

"……"

"Senior Elena?"

Lil looked at Elena with a slightly puzzled expression.

Then her eyes widened.

Elena was staring intently at Leo on the screen, her mouth slightly agape.

'What was that called again?'

Just a moment ago, only despair filled the first-year students.

It couldn't be helped.

Gigantes?

Even if it wasn't an adult, wasn't it too great a trial for first-years to overcome?

It was no wonder they felt overwhelming despair.

'But when that child appeared, the atmosphere changed.'

It wasn't simply because their power had been strengthened.

Everything changed with Leo's appearance.

'There are many great heroes in this world.'

And among these first-years, there were many who clearly possessed the qualities of a hero.

However…

'That child is on a different level among them.'

Changing despair into hope.

A being who illuminates the path in darkness.

There was a special word for such a person.

'Yes.'

Elena felt a shiver run down her spine.

In the eyes of the heir to a family that had guarded the Hero Record for a long time, Leo resembled certain individuals.

'Great Hero.'

***

Whoosh-!

Abard, mounted on a Wind Wyvern, began to chant a spell.

Groooaaarrrr!

The Gigantes roared and swung its arm.

Whoosh-!

The massive forearm narrowly grazed the Wind Wyvern.

Even a touch would mean instant death.

But Eliza, controlling the Wind Wyvern, did not falter and pulled the reins.

The heir of the Hergin family.

Eliza Hergin had an exceptional talent for handling mythical beasts from a young age.

Eliza, who unleashed her spiritual power to maximize the Wind Wyvern's abilities, was literally like the wind.

Abard, who instinctively felt this as a wind mage, smiled gently.

"That's impressive."

"If you're going to compliment, give that damned beast a big hit."

"Alright. Instead, can you take me near its mouth?"

"Are you crazy enough to want to die?"

"Celia just blew off its head, didn't she?"

Eliza frowned and turned to Abard.

He was wearing a smile that made first-year girls swoon.

Of course, Eliza didn't bat an eye.

"So?"

"Rwalyne's wind cannot lose to Zerdinger's flame."

"Hmph!"

Eliza snorted, curling the corners of her lips.

"You know it's a huge disgrace if a mage is weaker than a knight, right?"

With that, Eliza pulled hard on the reins.

The Wind Wyvern spread its wings wide and soared into the sky.

Then it began to descend at tremendous speed.

The Gigantes, its eyes flashing with the immense magical power felt in the air, opened its mouth wide.

Flash!

A purple breath painted the sky.

Eliza, with acrobatic movements, dodged the attack and rapidly approached the Gigantes.

Woahhhhhhhh!

The Gigantes' fist aimed at Eliza's side.

'Tch! I can't get close…'

Just as Eliza, judging that she couldn't get closer, was about to look for an opening.

Swoosh-!

Chen Xia, who had leaped into the air, appeared.

Chen Xia pulled back her right hand.

Along with that, a massive water aura was generated in the air.

Boom-!

When Chen Xia spread her palm and delivered a blow, a palm-shaped water aura struck the Gigantes' arm.

"Excellent! Xia!"

"Lord Leo instructed me!"

Eliza looked surprised at Chen Xia's words as she shouted while falling.

'To predict my movements and command Chen Xia…!'

Eliza, who had reached the Gigantes' face, let out a 'Hoo' and laughed.

"I have to admit your command ability."

Gooooooooh-!

A frantic gale raged around Abard.

Abard, visibly enveloped in magic, unleashed his spell.

"Tempest."

Whoosh-!

The swirling wind disappeared, and a momentary silence fell.

The Gigantes' face was completely gone.

"With this…!"

As Abard clenched his fist.

Thud--!

Flesh began to grow from the Gigantes' head.

Eliza hurriedly put distance between herself and the Gigantes.

"That's impossible! How does that monster die?!"

Blowing off its head was useless.

It recovered instantly from large wounds.

How on earth were they supposed to defeat it?

"Get out of the way!"

At that moment, Celia's voice was heard from the air.

Abard, looking up, spread his arms to catch Celia.

Celia, seeing this, made a face that said 'No!' and turned her body.

And fell onto Eliza.

"Kyaak!"

"Sorry!"

"Why did you have to fall on me when you could have fallen on Abard?!"

"Like I'd let myself be caught by this Rwalyne fellow!"

"Is now the time to argue about that?!"

"Celia. What are you doing here? Even with a Wind Wyvern, three people would reduce its mobility."

"Exactly! Get off!"

"Leo told me to come here!"

Celia re-gripped her sword.

"Abard, get ready. Chloe said she's ready."

At her words, Abard smiled.

"I see."

"We need to land a big hit to stop that giant until the magic is complete."

Abard raised his staff and unleashed magic.

At the same time, the sound of runic chanting was heard.

Not because it was chanted loudly.

It was a natural phenomenon that occurred as the mana in the surrounding area began to resonate with 'one mage.'

Kwa-ga-ga-gak-!

Leo, who had swung his sword and sent flames towards the Gigantes, looked towards the inner wall.

"It's begun."

"Wow! Wow! I'm feeling courageous!"

Chelsea, who heard Chloe's chant, shouted with an enthusiastic voice.

Shwoosh! Fzzzzt!

Duran and Chen Xia combined their strength.

As water and lightning have good compatibility, their coordination maximized efficiency.

The disadvantage of lightning is that it's difficult to concentrate power in one place, but Duran's lightning converged to a single point along Chen Xia's water path.

Groooaaarrrr!

The Gigantes, feeling Chloe's ominous magic, roared and began to charge towards the inner wall.

Duran and Chen Xia's attacks struck the Gigantes' back.

Crunch! Fzzzzzzzzzt!

Uwoahhhhhhh!

Even as its entire body was being electrocuted and fried, the Gigantes did not stop its charge.

Shwoosh-shwoosh-shwoosh! Thud-! Crash-!

At that moment, a massive earth chain wrapped around the Gigantes' neck.

Woredon, who had created the chain using an earth spirit with Spirit Armor, was pulling the Gigantes' neck.

Ku-gu-gu-gu-gu-gu!

Due to the contract with the earth spirit, Woredon's physical strength explosively increased momentarily, and he held the Gigantes' body with physical force.

Snap! Thud!

The chain made of earth spirits began to break.

Splat! Clang!

The Gigantes, having broken free from the chains, charged towards the inner wall.

At that moment, the magic prepared by Chelsea activated.

"Gale Harpoon."

A harpoon of gale force struck the Gigantes' left eye.

Thud-!

Groooaaarrrr!

Its eye burst, and blood gushed out.

The Gigantes, clutching its face, staggered, but even as blood poured out, it did not stop running.

Even the terrifying creature at the pinnacle of mythical beasts instinctively felt it.

If it didn't stop the attack, it would die!

Ignoring the powerful attacks that poured down one after another, it ran straight only towards the inner wall.

Then, Hwa-reureureureureuk!

A massive storm of flames raged.

Celia, raising a sword wreathed in a flame storm, blocked the Gigantes' path.

"Just die, you monster!"

The towering flame storm poured down on the Gigantes as if it were a death sentence.

Kwa-ga-ga-ga-gak-!

The flame storm began to penetrate, starting from the Gigantes' left shoulder.

Groooaaarrrr!

The Gigantes roared.

"Haaaahhhhhh!"

Celia's eyes flashed, and she let out a battle cry, gripping her hand tighter.

Boom-!

From its left shoulder to its right flank.

The severed upper body flew into the air.

Everyone thought it was over with that fatal wound.

Thump-! Thump-! Thump-!

"No, no way!"

Its astonishing vitality remained intact, even with half of its upper body gone.

The Gigantes ran, its one remaining left arm dangling.

Towards Chloe, who stood on the inner wall, gripping her staff.

Leo blocked the Gigantes' path.

Clank-

Leo re-gripped his sword.

Then, a magical formula appeared above it.

'Magic Sword.'

A spellblade's technique of imbuing a sword with magic.

Whoosh-!

Flames surged on the sword's surface.

Magic reacted with the aura and fused.

Gooooooooh-!

"Inferno Blade."

A massive blade of fire was created by magic.

Leo plunged the blade into the Gigantes' chest.

Pause-!

The Gigantes' movement stopped.

'Got it!'

As everyone inwardly clenched their fists, Leo frowned.

Thump-!

The Gigantes began to move again.

Leo chased after it.

All his magical power was depleted, so only aura remained.

The students watching from the rampart with anxious faces frantically fled as the Gigantes charged.

"Aaaah!"

"I-It's coming!"

"Dodge!"

But Chloe did not stop chanting.

"Chloe! Get out of the way! It'll be too late at this rate!"

Karl shouted in alarm, but Chloe, with her eyes closed in concentration, did not stop.

Karl gritted his teeth and chanted a spell to protect Chloe.

"Hey! You guys! Don't run, stop that monster!"

Then Illiana growled and chanted a spell.

Howl re-gripped his spear and shouted as he charged towards the Gigantes.

"It's half-dead! If we can't even stop something like that, are we even hero candidates?!"

Other students tried to stop the Gigantes to buy Chloe time to complete her magic.

Magic burst, auras cut through the Gigantes' body, and concentrated attacks from spirits and mythical beasts followed.

Consequently, the Gigantes' charge slowed down little by little.

Eventually…

Thump-!

The Gigantes knelt right in front of Chloe.

Twitch- Twitch-

The Gigantes' body trembled slightly.

The severed wound was recovering.

Whoosh-!

The Gigantes, not giving up, raised its left arm to stop Chloe's magic.

"Oh, what's this? You can't even touch a single hair on our mage, can you?"

Leo reached Chloe.

Whoosh-!

The fiery aura flickered.

To maximize its power, Fiorah was needed, but Leo had no spiritual power left to summon Fiorah.

This was because he had used most of his spiritual power on Kirian to assist allies.

'Still, I can probably block one attack from the dying Gigantes.'

Leo's red eyes flashed.

Swoosh-!

A fiery sword strike soared.

Leo's left arm burned from the recoil of using the 'Hero's Breath'.

The moment the Gigantes' one remaining left arm shot into the air, Chloe's blue eyes opened.

"Ice World."

Crrrck-crack-crack-crack-crack-crack-crack-!

Ice covered the ground around where Chloe stood.

Crunch! Crack! Crrrack! CRACK-!

Absolute, bitter cold enveloped the Gigantes' body.

Leo, staring intently at the frozen Gigantes, gently pushed the massive body in front of him.

Stagger-! Thud! Crackle-!

All the first-years held their breath as they watched the Gigantes fall to the ground and shatter into pieces with Leo's light gesture.

And then…

"Waaahhhhhhhh!"

"We won!"

"We really defeated Gigantes!"

Cheers erupted.

Chloe, completely exhausted, slumped to the ground.

"Haha… you guys are really… amazing."

Karl approached with trembling feet and handed Chloe a mana potion.

Then he looked at Leo and shouted.

"You were truly like a hero from the Hero Record! Leo! This is practically a great achievement…!"

"……"

Leo was nowhere to be found on the rampart.

"Where's Leo?"

Chloe asked, flustered, and Karl shook his head.

"W-Well, I don't know."

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