Book 1 Chapter 103

The crowd in the Erech training ground held their breath.

Reflected in their eyes was the sight of the first-years beginning their assault on the colossal Gigantes.

"The first-years are amazing! Even if it's not an adult, they can fight a Gigantes like this!"

Seeing Lil's amazed admiration, Elena smiled faintly.

"Don't you think so? Senpai!"

"……"

"Elena-senpai?"

Lil looked at Elena with a slightly puzzled expression.

Then her eyes widened.

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

'What did they call it again?'

Until a little while ago, only despair filled the first-years.

It was only natural.

A Gigantes?

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

It wouldn't be unreasonable to feel overwhelming despair.

'But the atmosphere changed when that kid appeared.'

It wasn't simply because their combat power was reinforced.

Everything changed with Leo's appearance.

'There are many great heroes in this world.'

And this year's first-years had many who clearly showed the makings of a hero.

But…

'That kid is on a different level from them.'

Turning despair into hope.

A being that lights the way in darkness.

There was a special word for such a person.

'Right.'

Elena felt a tremor run down her spine.

To the eyes of the heir of a family that had watched over the Hero Records for a long time, Leo resembled certain individuals.

'Great Hero.'

***

Hwaak-!

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

Gwaaaawawawawawa!

The Gigantes roared and swung its arms.

Hwaak-!

The giant forearm narrowly brushed past the Wind Wyvern.

A mere brush would be instant death.

But Eliza, controlling the Wind Wyvern, pulled back on the reins without wavering.

The heir of the Hergin family.

Eliza Hergin had shown exceptional talent in handling mythical beasts from a young age.

Eliza, who had maximized the Wind Wyvern's abilities by channeling her spirit energy, was like the wind itself.

Abad, instinctively sensing this as a wind mage, smiled gently.

"You're amazing."

"If you're going to praise me, how about landing a big hit on that damned monster?"

"Alright. But can you get close to its mouth?"

"Are you trying to die?"

"Didn't Celia just blow its head off?"

Eliza scowled and turned to Abad.

He was giving her a smile that supposedly made the first-year girls swoon.

Of course, Eliza didn't bat an eye.

"So?"

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

"Hmph!"

Eliza snorted, curling the corners of her lips.

"Do you know how embarrassing it is for a mage to be weaker than a knight?"

With that, Eliza strongly pulled 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, sensing the immense magical power from the sky, opened its mouth wide.

Flash!

A purple breath painted the sky.

Eliza, with movements close to acrobatics, dodged the attack and approached the Gigantes at high speed.

Woawawawawawa!

The Gigantes' fist aimed for Eliza's side.

'Tch! I can't get close…'

Just as Eliza, judging she couldn't get any closer, was looking for an opening.

Fwaaat-!

Cia Chen, who had leaped into the air, was visible.

Cia Chen pulled her right hand back.

Along with it, a giant water aura was created in the air.

Puuuung-!

As Cia Chen extended her palm and unleashed a strike, the palm-shaped water aura struck the Gigantes' arm.

"Excellent! Cia!"

"Leo-dono instructed me!"

Eliza's eyes widened in surprise at Cia Chen's words as she fell.

'To predict my movements and give commands to Cia…'

Reaching the Gigantes' face, Eliza smirked.

"I have to admit your command ability."

Goooh-!

A furious gale swirled around Abad.

Abad, his mana clearly visible, unleashed his spell.

"Tempest."

Hwaak-!

The swirling wind disappeared, and a moment of silence ensued.

The Gigantes' face was completely gone.

"With this…!"

As Abad clenched his fist.

Tuduk--!

Flesh began to sprout from the Gigantes' head.

Eliza quickly distanced herself from the Gigantes.

"Unbelievable! How do you kill that monster?!"

Blowing off its head was useless.

Even inflicting severe wounds, it healed instantly.

How on earth were they supposed to defeat it?

"Get out of the way!"

Just then, Celia's voice echoed from the air.

Abad looked up and spread his arms to catch Celia.

Seeing this, Celia made a 'No!' face and turned her body.

And fell on top of Eliza.

"Kyaaak!"

"Sorry!"

"Why did you fall on me when you could have fallen on Abad!"

"I'd rather die than be embraced by that Rwalin guy!"

"Is this the time to be picky about such things!"

"Celia. What are you doing here? Even with a Wind Wyvern, its mobility will decrease with three people on board."

"That's right! Get off!"

"Leo told me to come here!"

Celia adjusted her sword.

"Abad, get ready. Chloe is finished."

At that, Abad smiled.

"I see."

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

Abad raised his staff and channeled his mana.

At the same time, the sound of runes being chanted could be heard.

It wasn't because it was chanted loudly.

It was a natural phenomenon caused by the mana in the surrounding area resonating with 'one mage.'

Kwaaaagagag-!

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

"It has begun."

"Wow! Wow! I'm feeling a surge of courage!"

Hearing Chloe's spell, Chelsi exclaimed with a determined voice.

Charyureuk! Pajijijik!

Durian and Cia Chen joined forces.

Given the good synergy between water and lightning, their efficiency was maximized when they coordinated.

The drawback of lightning is its difficulty in concentrating power in one spot, but Durian's lightning concentrated on one point along Cia Chen's water flow.

Gwaaaawawawawa!

Sensing Chloe's unusual mana, the Gigantes roared and began to charge towards the inner defense.

Durian and Cia Chen's attacks struck the Gigantes' back.

Kwaduk! Pajijijijik!

Uoawawawawa!

Even as its whole body was electrocuted and thrown about, the Gigantes didn't stop its charge.

Charyureureureuk! Kwak-! Kugoong-!

At that moment, giant chains of earth wrapped around the Gigantes' neck.

Warden, who had created chains using earth spirits with Spirit Armor, was pulling the Gigantes' neck.

Kuguguguugu!

Warden, whose physical strength had momentarily surged due to his contract with the earth spirit, held the Gigantes' body with physical force.

Tuduk! Tuk!

The chains made of earth spirits began to break.

Peok! Charyureuk!

The Gigantes, breaking the chains, charged towards the inner defense.

At that moment, Chloe's prepared magic was activated.

"Gale Harpoon."

A harpoon of gale struck the Gigantes' left eye.

Peok-!

Gwaaaawawawawa!

Its eye burst, and blood poured out.

The Gigantes staggered, clutching its face, but didn't stop running even as blood poured out.

Even a terrifying creature at the peak of its demonic nature instinctively felt it.

If I don't stop the attack, I'll die!

Ignoring the series of powerful attacks, it ran in a straight line solely towards the inner defense.

Then, Hwaaaareureureureuk!

A massive storm of flames raged.

Celia, wielding a sword engulfed in a storm of flames, blocked the Gigantes' path.

"Die, you monster!"

The towering storm of flames poured down on the Gigantes like a death sentence.

Kwaaaagagagag-!

Starting from the Gigantes' left shoulder, the storm of flames burrowed in.

Gwaaaawawawawa!

The Gigantes roared.

"Haaaaaaah!"

Celia, her eyes gleaming, let out a battle cry and tightened her grip.

Buwaaaak-!

From its left shoulder to its right flank.

Its severed upper body flew through the air.

Everyone thought it was over with that fatal wound.

Kung-! Kung-! Kung-!

"I-Impossible!"

Its astonishing vitality remained even after half of its upper body was gone.

The Gigantes, dangling its one remaining left arm, ran.

Towards Chloe, who stood on the castle wall holding her staff.

Leo blocked the Gigantes' path.

Cheolkeok-

Leo adjusted his sword.

Then, a magic formation appeared above it.

'Magic Sword.'

The technique of a sword master who imbues his sword with mana.

Hwaareureuk-!

Flames swirled on the surface of the sword.

The magic reacted and fused with the aura.

Goooh-!

"Inferno Blade."

A giant blade of flame was created by magic.

Leo plunged the blade into the Gigantes' chest.

Meomchit-!

The Gigantes' movement stopped.

'It's done!'

As everyone inwardly clenched their fists, Leo scowled.

Kung-!

The Gigantes began to move again.

Leo pursued it.

Having exhausted all his mana, all that remained was his aura.

Students watching anxiously from the castle walls scrambled to flee as the Gigantes approached.

"Ughhh!"

"It's coming!"

"Evade!"

But Chloe didn't stop her incantation.

"Chloe! Evade! It's too late at this rate!"

Kal shouted in alarm, but Chloe, eyes closed in concentration, didn't stop.

Kal gritted his teeth and chanted magic to protect Chloe.

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

Just then, Iliana growled and began chanting magic.

Haul adjusted his spear, charged at the Gigantes, and shouted.

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

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

Magic erupted, auras slashed the Gigantes' body, and concentrated attacks from spirits and mythical beasts continued.

As a result, the Gigantes' charge slowed down little by little.

Finally…

Kung-!

The Gigantes knelt down right in front of Chloe.

Tteulgeol- Tteulgeol-

The Gigantes' body twitched.

The severed wounds were healing.

Hwaak-!

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

"What do you think? Our mage can't even touch a single hair of its body."

Leo reached Chloe.

Hwaareuk-!

Flame aura flickered.

To maximize its power, he would have needed Fiora, but Leo didn't have enough spirit energy left to summon Fiora.

Most of his spirit energy had been used for Kirian to support allies.

'Still, I can block one attack from the near-dead Gigantes.'

Leo's red eyes glinted.

Buwak-!

A flame slash erupted.

Leo's left arm burned off from the recoil using the breath of a hero.

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

"Ice World."

Jjeojeojeojeojeojeojeojeo-!

Ice spread from the ground Chloe stepped on.

Ppudeudeuk! Jjeojeok! Jjeojeok! Jjeoak-!

An absolute, biting cold enveloped the Gigantes' body.

Leo, staring intently at the frozen Gigantes, lightly pushed the colossal body right in front of him.

Hwip-! Peok! Kwadeuk-!

With Leo's light gesture, the Gigantes fell to the ground and shattered into pieces, causing all the first-years to hold their breath.

And then…

"Waaaaaaahhhhhh!"

"We won!"

"We actually defeated the Gigantes!"

Cheers erupted.

Chloe, completely exhausted, collapsed.

"Haha… You guys are truly… amazing."

Kal, with trembling legs, approached Chloe and offered her a mana potion.

Then he shouted towards Leo.

"You were just like the heroes in the Hero Records! Leo! This is nothing short of a great achievement…!"

"……"

Leo, who had been on the castle wall, was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Leo?"

Chloe asked in surprise, and Kal shook his head.

"W-well."