Book 1 Chapter 1040

Seirun, standing alone in the middle of the halted world, gazed at the sky in silence.

A monstrous hand stretched out from the gray sky.

Seeing it, Seirun bit his lip.

As a mage, he tried to analyze the current phenomenon.

The situation, the process, the phenomenon, the reason.

He synthesized everything.

The puzzle didn't fit perfectly, but the broad outline was clear.

"…Defeat."

The world had been defeated just a moment ago when Erebus and the Legion's Record made contact.

Seirun bit his lip even harder.

"What should I do…!"

Everything had stopped.

Even the flow of mana.

Literally, a frozen world.

The reason Seirun could move in this place was probably because he was a being who had escaped the shackles of time.

But that was only for a moment.

The moment the world began to collapse.

Everything would end.

"What should I do?"

It was when Seirun's eyes wavered.

Space opened in the void, and Leo appeared.

"Kyle! And… Rian?"

Seirun's eyes widened as he spotted Rian, the administrator of the Hero's Record, to whom he had sought advice 3,000 years ago to seal Erebus.

To Seirun's words, Rian said,

"As expected, your future self comes to find me."

Nodding as if she knew everything, Rian looked at Erebus's fragment and let out a deep sigh.

Leo looked at Erebus with a stoic expression.

"Kyle. What should we do now…"

Seirun asked with an anxious face, and Leo brought his index finger to his lips.

Then, he looked at Rian in silence.

A moment later.

Rian took a deep breath.

And looking at Leo, he said,

"Kyle. You said there would be a Legion's Record in the future?"

"Yes."

"…"

Rian listened to a brief explanation of what had happened in the future.

Hearing Leo's answer, Rian said,

"That Legion's Record will play a decisive role in changing the future."

"A decisive role?"

"Yes."

Rian nodded.

"We don't know who created the magic that allows travel to the past. But this magic is in the realm of miracles, far beyond the scope of magic."

"That's right."

"As such, it has a powerful inhibitory force to prevent changes in the past. A prime example of this inhibitory force is memory manipulation."

Rian tapped his temple with his finger.

"If Kyle returns to the future, I will lose my memories. Not just me, but even the gods who know of Kyle's existence will forget."

"Is it that powerful?"

"Yes. Even the Akashic Record, which records everything in this world, did not record Kyle coming to the past."

Rian said,

"However, the Legion's Record can create cracks in that inhibitory force."

With a slightly troubled expression, Rian looked at Erebus's fragment.

"Therefore, even if I lose my memory, Erebus will know immediately what the Legion's Record is."

"…"

"And after being sealed within the Hero's Record by the heroes of the Great Opening, Erebus will be able to defile the Hero's Record and gain power more quickly using the Legion's Record."

The Legion's Record was like Erebus's last desperate struggle, trapped within the Hero's Record for 3,000 years.

"The future has changed. To a future where the world is defeated. This frozen space will also gradually collapse over time."

"…"

As Rian spoke, Leo furrowed his brow.

"It's over as soon as the Legion's Record is passed on? You can take it back, can't you?"

"Leo will probably not have time."

"Why?"

"As I said earlier, the magic that brought Leo to the past is very powerful. And the reason you can exist in the past is because the user of the magic is maintaining it."

"Does that mean… there isn't enough time left to maintain the magic?"

"Yes. Frankly, the fact that we could hold on this long can only be called a miracle."

"…"

Leo clenched his fist tightly.

Erebus must have taken that time into consideration as well.

The defeat caused by the difference in information was painful.

"It's… because of me…"

Rena said with a pale face, and Leo reached out his hand.

"It's not your fault. You only tried to stop this situation somehow."

At Leo's words, Rena lowered her head.

"However… it's not all despair."

"Is there a way?"

"…Normally, we shouldn't even have time to talk like this. The future should disappear the moment the world's destruction is confirmed. But we can talk like this."

"That's…"

"Someone bought us an opportunity."

At those words, Seirun said,

"Come to think of it, before Erebus got his hands on the Legion's Record, Chloe Muller's magic stopped Erebus."

At that, Leo looked at the frozen Erebus.

'Chloe…'

It was highly likely to be the future Chloe.

"Is there a way?"

"Erebus will keep adding new pages to the Legion's Record."

Rian's expression hardened.

"There's enough material."

The Hero's Record, into which Erebus would be trapped.

To prevent Erebus's escape and contamination, the Hero's Record would be torn.

But even if it's torn, the connection wouldn't disappear.

Using the fragments of the Hero's Record scattered across the world, the Legion's Record would be written.

The divine power of the gods and Erebus's disastrous flame are two sides of the same coin.

In other words, their essence is the same.

"Someone… needs to destroy it every time the Legion's Record is written. Of course, at some point, new records will be created faster than they are destroyed… but it might delay the world's destruction."

"Is that possible?"

"Yes. If you use divine power within the Hero's World, you can travel between worlds within the Record."

At those words, Leo said without hesitation,

"Then I should do it."

"No."

As soon as Leo finished speaking, Seirun said firmly,

"Leo, you have something you must do. That is to return to the future and prepare for the fight against Erebus."

"If you're not here, how will the others hold on?"

"It's okay. Everyone has grown one step further thanks to Kyle. They can hold on a little longer even without me."

Seirun smiled faintly and said to Rian,

"I can do it too, right?"

To that, Rian nodded.

"Then can I too?"

Young Luna tilted her head.

To that, Rian nodded.

"You were originally a being within the Hero's World, so you can maintain your existence in the Legion's World too."

"Then I'll go too! Another me can definitely help Seirun!"

Luna said with a bright smile.

Leo looked at the two elves and said,

"It's a difficult task."

To the question, Seirun chuckled.

"When hasn't it been difficult?"

Saying so, Seirun turned his head.

And looking at his frozen friends, he said,

"I'll buy Kyle time to save the world. So please trust me and leave it to me."

Seeing Seirun speak with a firm voice, Leo closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'm counting on you."

At those words, young Luna approached Leo.

And then, she opened her palm.

Flash-

With a bright light, a flower bloomed from Luna's hand.

"Have you ever received a flower?"

"…No."

"I'll give it to you."

Luna smiled brightly and handed Leo the flower.

"When did you learn flower-blooming magic?"

"Heh. I'm a genius."

Luna said with a smug expression.

"It's fast."

Her wink was similar to the Luna Leo knew.

As Leo was having that thought.

Young Luna's aura changed.

Luna, who had been gazing at Leo, took off the flower hairpin from her finger and handed it to Leo.

"Give it to me next time we meet."

"What?"

"Then, in front of Lisinas, put it on my hand yourself."

At those words, Leo chuckled and received the ring.

"I will."

"You promised? You definitely promised?!"

Luna, who had borrowed his body for a moment, grabbed Leo's collar and shook him fiercely.

"Keep your promise! Understand?!"

"I understand."

Having received confirmation, Luna smiled sweetly and stepped back.

"Now what should I do?"

Leo, having sorted out his emotions, asked Rian.

"Leo, your divine power."

At Rian's words, Leo unleashed his divine power.

Rian enveloped Leo's divine power with his hand, formed it into a small sphere, and handed it to Seirun.

"This will be the key to traveling between worlds. When you attack the Legion's Record, a message to go to the next world will appear."

Rian handed over the system-reconfigured key and said,

"Now, you just need to jump into the Legion's Record."

At those words, Luna and Seirun levitated themselves with magic.

"See you next time!"

Luna waved her hand, said goodbye, and disappeared into the Legion's Record.

A moment later.

A magic circle appeared on Lena's body.

"Ah?"

"It's time to return to the original timeline."

"…Yes."

Leo approached Lena.

"Kyle."

"…"

Just then, Rian called out to Leo.

"I was… a god who ridiculed Kyle until the moment Kyle defeated Erebus."

"…"

"You don't give up even when you know it's impossible."

Rian's voice trembled.

"Can you please not give up again?"

At those words, Leo looked at Rian for a moment and said,

"Not giving up is natural."

Leo stroked Lena's head.

"Of course, I will save the world this time too."

"…"

At those words, Rian smiled brightly.

Along with that, a white light enveloped the world.

***

When Leo came to his senses, he was in a completely white space.

"What is this? It's different from when I came to the past? Rena, do you know anything about this space…?"

Leo turned his head towards Lena and shut his mouth.

Thud-!

A bear hairclip that had been floating in the air fell to the ground.

It was something Leo had bought for her at a festival.

Leo knelt and picked up the bear hairclip.

'Did I return to the future?'

Leo's hands trembled.

He wanted to believe that.

But it wasn't.

Lena's existence had disappeared.

The only proof that Leo Flob's granddaughter had existed was now the hairclip Leo had given her in the past.

It was when Leo bit his lip.

Thump- thump-

Footsteps were heard from behind.

Leo got up and turned his head.

"Chloe…?"

The person there was Chloe.

She looked different from the Chloe Leo knew.

A mature appearance with no trace of her girlishness.

Her entire aura was different.

"It's been a long time, Leo."

Chloe smiled brightly.

"…"

Leo glanced at Chloe's hand.

The tips of her clenched fist were trembling.

Seeing such Chloe, Leo said,

"It's not your fault."

At those words, Chloe's eyes widened, and then she burst into laughter.

"Even after so much time has passed, you can still see right through me?"

"No matter how much time passes, you are you."

"You still treat me like a child. I'm an old woman just waiting to die?"

"For someone who is, you're still quite young?"

"Heh heh."

Chloe burst into laughter.

Then, she closed the distance between herself and Leo.

Reaching out her hand, Chloe said with longing eyes,

"I wanted to meet you one more time."

"…"

"That's why I created this magic to go to the past."

Chloe smiled a bitter smile.

"But it resulted in the worst possible outcome."

"What do you mean worst? The future can just be changed."

"Hoo hoo."

At Leo's words, Chloe burst into laughter.

"It's for the better, actually."

"What?"

"Chloe, my memories… can you help me not forget?"

"It will be very difficult. The pressure you have to bear will be even greater."

The fact that there was no future.

Knowing that fact, the mental pressure on Leo could only be stronger.

"If you falter… the future will truly be lost, Leo."

"I'm used to this kind of pressure anyway. So I won't falter."

Leo looked down at his hands.

Seeing Leo like that, Chloe said,

"Are you going to save the other great heroes besides Lisinas?"

"…You noticed?"

"It's obvious. We've known each other for how long?"

"Oh? Speaking of which, you sound like a grandma?"

At those words, Chloe made a grumpy face and poked Leo in the side.

To that, Leo chuckled.

Crack-

Then, cracks appeared on Chloe's body.

"…"

Leo's face hardened.

"Ah, it's nothing. I just can't maintain the magic anymore. So, Leo."

Chloe spoke as if it were nothing at all.

"I'll be waiting for you in the future."

"What?"

"Nothing has changed. What we have to do is still one thing, right?"

Chloe grasped her staff.

"We have to defeat that damn fireball and save the world."

Leo's eyes widened.

Then, he let out a hollow laugh.

"That's something I used to say to someone else."

"Yes. I heard it from someone else a long time ago too."

For Chloe, the beginning was the moment she and Leo went to subjugate Chubarun.

Smiling brightly, Chloe tapped the ground with the tip of her staff.

Space opened.

Leo stood before it with a hardened expression.

He pretended to be calm, but the pressure weighed him down.

'Can I do it?'

When Leo felt fear.

Swish-

Chloe's hand gently pushed Leo's back.

As if to give him courage.

At that, Leo, clenching his fist, took a step forward.