Book 1 Chapter 119

119.

Thump- thump-

Areon walked towards Talatunia.

Seeing Areon, Talatunia frowned sharply!

"Beastman?"

The Spider Princess looked up at the sky as if something was strange.

"A beastman that has beast-transformed? It's not even a full moon today."

Talatunia, who had been making a strange face, let out a sneer.

"A variant?"

"Let go of that child."

"This?"

Talatunia, who gently shook Elsy whom she was holding, let out a sneer.

"No?"

Seeing Talatunia, Areon lowered his stance.

"Why are there so many beasts getting in the way?"

Talatunia, with an annoyed expression, extended a foreleg to kill Areon.

Talatunia didn't know.

That the beastman before her eyes was a hunter.

Thud-!

"Huh?"

Talatunia's foreleg, flying at a terrifying speed to pierce Areon, was caught.

Crunch!

As Areon put force into his hand, the tip of the foreleg broke.

Compared to Talatunia's enormous body, a broken foreleg tip wasn't a big blow.

As Areon put force into his hand and pulled, the Spider Princess's enormous body was dragged along.

"Wh-what!"

Talatunia screamed in shock and resisted, but the Spider Princess, having already lost her balance, fell before Areon.

Slam-!

Seeing the Spider Princess fall right in front of him, Areon put force into his fist.

Talatunia instinctively felt that something was wrong.

Whoosh-!

Areon threw a punch.

A heavy sound, cutting through the wind, echoed.

Fwaha-ha-ha-hak-!

Wind raged in all directions.

Ar, who was watching the scene, lowered her stance as much as possible to avoid being blown away by the fierce wind.

The wind stopped, and Ar raised her head.

Talatunia's upper body was gone, twitching and convulsing.

Ar's mouth dropped open at the overwhelming power.

Elsy, who had escaped Talatunia's grasp, also had an incredulous expression.

"Who exactly are you?"

"You're also from the orphanage, right? Are you okay?"

After Schatten was broken, Elsy had been watching Agon and Areon from the shadows for 10 years.

However, she only revealed herself to them after Areon left the orphanage and its operation became difficult.

So Areon didn't know Elsy.

"I'll take care of this demon immediately."

"Who, who's taking care of whom? How dare an impertinent bug touch me, the daughter of Silatuna!"

Talatunia's body, whose upper half had been blown away, instantly regenerated.

Talatunia's face, now filled with squirming flesh, had become hideous.

The nonchalance from moments ago was gone.

Seeing Talatunia open her mouth to reveal her fangs, Areon manifested an aura.

Talatunia's body trembled slightly.

Swoosh-!

Areon vanished from sight.

Talatunia urgently scanned her surroundings to find Areon.

Whack-!

"Cough?"

A painful groan burst from Talatunia's mouth.

And her body shot into the sky, twisted at a strange angle.

Areon had kicked Talatunia upwards.

"I'll kill you!"

Talatunia's voice, full of murderous intent, echoed in the air.

Chilling runes began to resonate.

Her true power was black magic.

Until now, she had only fought in close combat to toy with her opponent.

But Areon had no intention of passively watching the magic complete.

Crack-crack-crack-

Areon cracked his finger joints and sharpened his claws.

Grooooooowl-!

Golden aura gathered at his fingertips.

Talatunia's face turned pale at the unusual power.

Kwakakakakak-!

Areon's claws tore through the air.

The space in the surrounding area momentarily distorted.

"Kyahahahahahah!"

A golden trajectory shot into the sky, instantly tearing Talatunia to shreds.

Ar trembled, seeing Talatunia disappear without a trace.

'This is… Areon-nim! The great hero who saved the world!'

***

"Hah! Hah! Damn it! Damn it!"

Rebaiton cursed as he exited the southern region of Leisar.

He had never dreamed that the woman who approached him half a year ago would turn out to be a demon.

'I need to go back quickly and formulate a plan!'

Agon was forgotten among the residents of Leisar, but he hadn't vanished from memory.

People had merely forgotten him for a while because he was in seclusion; his reputation was still high.

If such an Agon were to learn that he had been colluding with a demon, everything he had built up until now would crumble.

Because dealing with demons was an unforgivable grave sin.

Swish-!

Suddenly, a terrifyingly sharp sound was heard.

"Was that something…?"

Thud-!

Rebaiton, with a puzzled expression, heard something drop near his ear.

Along with it, he felt his right fingertips were light.

"Aaaahhh!"

Rebaiton clutched his right wrist and screamed.

Blood was gushing from his wrist, and his right hand was rolling on the ground.

"It's a strange feeling."

Rebaiton, who had been screaming in pain, turned his head.

He saw emotionless red eyes.

"The fact that I'm dealing with a traitor I dealt with in the past one more time."

Leo, shaking off the blood from his sword, approached Rebaiton.

"You, you bastard! Do you think you'll get away with this?!"

"I think I will? Who's here to help you now?"

"If you, if you spare me, I'll guarantee you status and fame!"

"I'm not interested. What does status and fame matter if the world is destroyed anyway?"

A chilling murderous intent lingered in Leo's voice.

Rebaiton, judging him to be an unpersuadable opponent, screamed and ran.

"Is anyone around? Help me! Please help me!"

But there was no one on the street.

Not even a common vagrant was visible.

It was because someone had spread rumors that this place was cursed land, leading to complete isolation.

Chop-!

Rebaiton's neck, which had been screaming hideously, flew through the air.

"Someone save me…"

The desperate words stopped.

Thud-! Thump-

Rebaiton's body, without its head, fell to the ground.

Seeing this, Leo sheathed his sword.

'If I had known this happened at this time… perhaps more heroes would have helped us.'

Leo, with a heavy heart, returned to the orphanage.

"Areon-nim! Areon-nim! I've respected you since I was little!"

"No, I told you I'm not someone to be respected! And quickly treat your wound!"

Ar, excited about meeting Areon, was going wild.

Even to Leo, her mad appearance, running towards them with blood gushing from her head, was extremely bizarre.

How much more so for the timid Areon?

"Ah, Kyle. You're here."

Elsy, who had been watching the scene, approached.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. More importantly, we defeated the Spider Princess!"

"She won't die from just that."

Leo, who had seen Areon's slash from afar, gave a bitter smile.

Talatunia, who had swallowed the Fairy King's Ring, would not die from that.

Even without the Fairy King's Ring, she could have fully recovered from such injuries.

She wasn't a monster who annihilated a country for nothing.

"Anyway, Kyle! How about recommending Areon to Licinas? With that power, he will surely be a great help in saving the world!"

"Even if you don't say it, it will happen."

"Indeed, right?"

Elsy smiled brightly and said.

"And me. I've changed my mind."

"About what?"

"I want to make a contract with you, Kyle, not Licinas."

Elsy pointed at Leo with a finger and smiled brightly.

"I like you."

"That's an honor. But I don't have the power to contract with you right now. And I'm not Kyle right now."

"Huh?"

Elsy, who had a puzzled expression at the incomprehensible words, thought for a moment and then nodded.

"Indeed. It was strange. Even as an all-class, your power doesn't seem that strong yet."

She thought he was Kyle because he had the Orb of Light and was an all-class, but his power was too weak to be considered 'Kyle, the Surviving Hero'.

"Still, I want to contract with you."

Elsy smiled as if it didn't matter and took Leo's right hand.

"You can surely defeat Erebus. So I want to bet the future on you."

Elsy placed her hand on the back of Leo's hand and smiled.

"Don't worry about the power to contract. I am a shadow spirit. As long as there's an object that can act as a medium, I can reside in your shadow and add my strength."

"A medium?"

"Yes. In your case right now, you have the Orb of Light, don't you?"

Though it didn't possess great power, it was an item imbued with powerful spirit affinity, a symbol passed down through generations by the great light spirits.

Elsy placed her hand on the back of Leo's hand.

"My name is Elsy, the shadow spirit. During the duration of our contract, I swear to be your sword and shield."

A contract emblem appeared on the back of Leo's hand.

Leo, seeing the familiar mark of a contract, smiled bitterly.

"I look forward to working with you."

Although it was a contract that would be broken the moment the hero's world ended, the fact that he had contracted with Elsy again stirred up strange emotions.

"Hah! Hah! Areon-nim! I respect you! You're so cool!"

"I told you to get away!"

Meanwhile, the berserk Ar was clinging to Areon's leg.

Seeing Areon scared stiff, Leo approached the two.

Whack-!

"Meowk?!"

"He said he doesn't like it, you perverted cat."

Leo hit Ar on the head.

Blood was still flowing from her head, which had been injured by Talatunia earlier.

Ar, who had stopped like a broken cat, clutched her head and rolled on the ground.

"It hurts! How could you hit my wound! You damn rabbit!"

"You're fine."

"It really hurts!"

She shed a few tears and frantically pulled Leo's rabbit ears.

Just then, Agon was seen running from a distance.

He had felt Areon's aura raging from the Lord's castle and had rushed over immediately.

The moment Leo saw Agon.

[You have met Areon in Leisar.]

[You have saved Agon, the Guardian of the Blue Sky.]

The conquest objective has been achieved.

***

Agon arrived and the cleanup began.

The cleanup mostly consisted of comforting the frightened children and scolding Areon, but it definitely felt like the incident was over.

Leo looked at Agon, who seemed a little brighter after seeing his disciple, and recalled past events.

'If these children had all died, Agon would no longer be called a hero.'

How could one call someone who came to hate the world a hero?

Yet, Agon said nothing to Areon when he left.

It must have been Agon's consideration, hoping that his disciple, who had resolved to save the world, wouldn't be broken like himself.

Perhaps if Agon had told him the truth back then, there might have been no hero Areon.

Naturally, saving the world would also have been impossible.

While Leo was lost in old thoughts, Ar was extremely excited.

"I haven't even enrolled in Azonia yet, but I've conquered a hero's world! And it's Areon-nim's world! It's an unprecedented event at Azonia!"

"You're still bleeding from your head. Aren't you going to treat the wound?"

"Black Rabbit! It's all thanks to you! Let's work hard in school from now on! We'll make Azonia the strongest hero academy!"

"Yes, work hard."

"You have to do it with me!"

Ar, completely unaware that Leo was a student of Lumen, continued to imagine her school life with Leo.

"It's annoying, but I'll give you the class representative position. You seem better than me right now."

Ar grumbled but then puffed out her chest.

"But don't let your guard down! I'll take that spot anytime!"

'…This is getting more and more awkward. Should I tell her now?'

It was while Leo was contemplating this.

"I owe you one."

Agon approached.

"Did you finish scolding Areon-nim?"

"For now."

"Then! Areon-nim!"

"G-get away!"

As Ar rushed forward again, Areon screamed in fright and fled.

"…Did that girl hit her head and now has mental problems?"

"She seems to have always been like that, so just leave her be."

Leo clicked his tongue.

"Anyway, thank you. It would have been a disaster if it weren't for you."

"Don't worry about it."

"Still, if there's anything I can do, I'd like to repay you, but I have nothing to give. So, I hope you'll accept this at least."

Agon handed Leo a book.

"This?"

"It's my Aura martial art manual."

While Aura martial art manuals are easy to obtain in this era, it wasn't the case during the Age of Calamity.

"It's also the martial art Areon learned. Well, Areon made it his own and gained the ability to freely transform."

'Is this the original 'Breath of the Hero'?'

He wanted to read it right away.

But…

Crack-crack-crack-

Leo saw cracks appearing in the night sky.

Leo knew what that meant.

'The collapse of the world due to the conquest.'

This world had served its purpose.

"Thank you."

Leo carefully put the book Agon gave him into his embrace.

It was time to say goodbye to his friend.

"I have to go now. If you have anything to say, say it quickly."

At Leo's words, Ar flinched and looked up at the sky.

Then, with a regretful expression, she said to Areon.

"Areon-nim."

"Yes?"

"Could you… pat my head just once to encourage me?"

The girl made a small request to the great hero she had respected since childhood.

Areon, who had a puzzled expression upon hearing her words, patted Ar's head.

"I don't know what's going on, but good luck from now on. You'll do well."

Areon, who smiled gently, took his hand off Ar's head.

Ar touched her profusely bleeding head and mumbled.

"I'm never washing this hair. Hehehehe."

Seeing Ar making crazy sounds again, Areon was terrified.

Leo sighed and used healing magic.

As the wound healed, the bleeding stopped.

"Oh! Thank you! Black Rab—"

Splash-!

And he used simple water magic to thoroughly wash Ar's hair.

"You darn Black Rabbit!"

Ar made a tearful face and pulled Leo's rabbit ears.

"Areon-nim! Just one more pat—"

"Areon."

"Yes?"

"It's going to be very difficult from now on."

Areon looked at Leo with an expression that showed he couldn't understand.

"There will be people you can't protect, and you'll be frustrated by continuous trials."

"What…?"

Areon looked puzzled at Leo's words, and Ar took on a solemn expression.

Ar also recalled.

The fact that the young hero before her was about to embark on an unimaginably difficult journey.

"Still… you'll make it. Because you're braver than anyone."

Areon looked at Leo, confused.

"Why do you think I'm brave? I'm just a coward."

Crack-crack-crack-

The world collapsed.

"Because you saved the world."

"Me?"

"Yes."

Leo smiled, looking at his friend whose eyes were wide open.

Everything had vanished by then.

Only Leo and Areon stood in the black space.

Looking at his slowly disappearing, timid friend who had always given him courage, Leo said, as if making a vow:

"So I'll do my best too."

To completely subjugate Erebus.

[Areon's World. Chapter: Prologue - The Beginning has been conquered.]

[Conquest Rewards: Areon's Breath, Agon's Book, Great Shadow Spirit Elsy]