Book 1 Chapter 126

126.

The first-year students headed towards the academy using their respective methods.

Students of the Knight Department used Aura Step.

Students of the Magic Department used Fly Magic or Wing Magic.

Students of the Summoning Department used flying phantom beasts and spirits.

If it had been the beginning of the semester, many students would have struggled to cross this vast Lake Lumeria, but now, among the first-years of Lumern, there was no student who couldn't cross the lake.

'That must mean everyone has grown that much.'

Leo thought as he flew through the sky using Fly Magic.

Aquatic monsters living in Lake Lumeria were occasionally seen attacking the students, but everyone responded effortlessly.

"At this rate, I think we could even take on a Kraken!"

"Don't say such things, even as a joke."

Leo chuckled, listening to the conversation his classmates were having.

'But why are we supposed to go to Lumern Academy?'

It seemed clear that it was to test the students' abilities.

However, for it to be a test, the difficulty was too easy.

Leo, who knew that Riven's true identity was a dragon, predicted that a difficult challenge awaited them.

'It's definitely not going to end like this.'

It was precisely when Leo was so certain.

A hazy fog thickly settled before their eyes.

As fog often appeared over Lake Lumeria, other students didn't think much of it.

But the moment he stepped into the fog, Leo's expression hardened.

'This is…!'

Leo's eyes widened.

'Dragonic Magic?'

*Whoosh-!*

The moment he recognized the Dragonic Magic, Leo's vision changed.

'This is a bit much.'

It was magic Leo knew.

Magic developed long ago by the King of Wisdom, Lysinas.

'To be precise, it's a curse.'

A Draconic curse created by Lysinas to counter curses, one of Tartarus's powerful forces.

'Nightmare.'

*Whoosh-!*

The scenery completely changed.

Seeing that, Leo took a deep breath.

He knew the characteristics of this curse well.

'A curse that makes you fight the person you know and least want to fight.'

Having thought that far, Leo turned his head.

And seeing the woman before him, he muttered, 'As expected.'

The beautiful woman before him.

It was none other than Lysinas.

***

Inside Lumern Academy, the first-year professors watched the magical screen before them with serious expressions.

On the screen, students heading towards Lumern were seen losing consciousness and collapsing.

"Ah…"

"Oh, dear…"

Exclamations filled with regret poured out among the professors.

Students who lost consciousness and fell into the water were swallowed by their own shadows.

The swallowed students were moved to the infirmary.

Among the professors, Vice Principal Riven was known as someone who wielded powerful illusion magic.

The professors, who knew the power of that magic well, strongly protested when Riven first said he would test the first-year students.

'That's absurd!'

'Maybe for upperclassmen, but it's impossible for first-years to pass!'

Riven's magic was that famous even among the professors.

Not a single professor wanted to break the will of the current first-year students with such an absurd test.

'It's not a graded test. It's literally a simple test for Vice Principal Riven to assess the students' capabilities.'

Convinced by Kalian, the first-year professors entrusted the students to Riven from the very first day of the semester.

This was the result.

The professors sighed deeply, watching the students who couldn't endure and were losing consciousness.

Even Sedzen, who would normally cheer on his students enthusiastically, was watching the screen with a poker face, arms crossed.

Several students from Class 1 were also visible on the screen.

"Not elegant enough."

Sedzen muttered with a frown and said to Harlynd,

"What do you think?"

"The Vice Principal must have his reasons. He's been a professor at Lumern for longer than us."

Harlynd and Sedzen knew about Riven's true identity.

And they had heard what goal he had for being at Lumern.

"But I don't like it."

While it would be great if Riven, a dragon, could personally guide the first-year students, Riven showed no enthusiasm for teaching them.

Lumern's goal was to nurture hero candidates who could overcome any ordeal.

However, this didn't mean pushing students into impossible trials they could never overcome.

Riven had prepared this test literally to refuse to guide the first-year students.

Lumern's professors do their best for the students they teach.

They had no doubt that the students would soon grow into talents who would transform the world.

Sedzen was a professor who strongly held such a philosophy.

That's why he didn't like Riven's method of ignoring the students' potential.

Harlynd, who valued efficiency, felt the same way.

"Perhaps it's a difference in perspective, stemming from him looking at something greater than us."

Harlynd said, looking at the students, and Sedzen let out a deep sigh.

***

"Kyle."

Lysinas, who had blocked Leo's path, smiled and stepped aside from the way she had obstructed.

Then, pointing a finger at the path she had been blocking, she said,

"Move forward."

"I knew you'd say that."

Leo chuckled.

If the opponent was Lysinas, there was no way she would fight Leo.

Their meeting was the first step towards saving the world.

They had a stronger trust in each other than anyone else.

Leo knew better than anyone that a virtual comrade, built on solid trust, would never attack him.

That's why this outcome was created.

The same was true for his other comrades.

'Well, it wouldn't matter even if I fought.'

Leo looked down at his hands.

They were not the hands of a young boy, but the scarred hands of an adult who had traversed countless battlefields.

His vision had also changed.

Nightmare was a curse that showed illusions.

Ultimately, it was a fake that didn't exist in reality.

If Leo perceived Lysinas as the opponent he least wanted to fight, then the illusion also perceived Leo not as Leo, but as Kyle.

Leo scratched his gray hair and walked past Lysinas.

Looking up at Kyle, Lysinas smiled gently.

"Good luck."

With those words, Lysinas vanished.

The scenery changed, leaving a space where only darkness remained.

"Good luck… then…"

Leo, who had somehow returned to his original appearance, smiled bitterly and drew his sword.

*Whoosh-!*

"I have to do my best."

The aura of flames exploded as if bursting.

Leo's eyes shone.

Unlike magic created by combining runes, Dragonic Magic is created by combining the Dragonic language, the language of dragons.

Other races find it difficult even to interpret, let alone use.

But Leo, who inherited the will of Lysinas, understood the magical formulas without difficulty.

'Though I can't use it in my current physical condition.'

Interpretation wasn't that difficult.

Moreover, this Dragonic Magic was created by Lysinas.

*Crack-!*

He thrust his sword towards the concentrated magical formula.

*Rip-!*

Cracks spread across the entire space, and soon the darkness shattered and cleared.

*Flash-!*

Leo's eyes snapped open as he was falling after his Fly Magic was dispelled.

*Splash-!*

Leo, who avoided falling into the water by using Aura Step, narrowed his eyes.

He saw the surrounding students being swallowed by shadows.

'It seems they don't intend to harm anyone.'

Since it was a curse-type magic created by a dragon, first-year students simply couldn't dispel it.

*Clench-!*

Leo put power into his legs.

*Boom-!*

The aura gathered in his legs exploded as if bursting forth.

Leo dashed towards Lumern at incredible speed.

Riven, who was already standing at Lumern's dock where the first-year students were to arrive, muttered,

"Was Nightmare too much, after all?"

Riven, who had been looking at Lake Lumeria with an unenthusiastic expression, was shaking his head and turning to leave.

*Patatatatatat-!*

The sound of footsteps on water was heard.

He turned his head to see someone landing in front of him.

Riven's eyes widened.

Leo looked up at Riven and said,

"I've arrived."

Riven looked at Leo, who spoke with a slightly defiant tone, with an expression of disbelief.

"How did you break the spell and get out?"

"I just broke it and came out."

"Hmph."

Hearing Leo's words, Riven let out a hollow laugh.

Looking at Riven, Leo asked,

"But don't you usually not set impossible things as tests?"

At his pointed remark, Riven sighed deeply.

He trudged over and plopped down onto a chair on the dock.

"I have served as Vice Principal of Lumern for a long time. In that time, I've seen many students become heroes."

Riven smiled bitterly.

"But not a single student dreamed of ideals beyond being a hero."

The last person in history to be chosen by a dragon was none other than the Sword Saint, Kalian.

That's why he is called the greatest hero of this era.

"I've been looking at a stagnant world for too long and lost my motivation. That's why I didn't want to see your potential."

Riven bowed his head deeply.

"So, I apologize."

Dragons, being called the strongest race, do not easily bow their heads to others.

Knowing that fact, Leo accepted Riven's sincere apology.

"So. What is your dream?"

Riven was curious about the dream of this student who had achieved something he thought impossible.

It had truly been a long time since a student had piqued his interest so much.

Leo, hearing Riven's words, replied as if it were nothing.

"The complete annihilation of Erebus."

Riven's eyes widened.

It was an unimaginable answer.

It was difficult enough to even utter the name Erebus, but a first-year student declaring to annihilate such an Erebus?

If it were anyone else, it would be considered foolish.

It was a goal one would scoff at as absurd, but Riven didn't.

Instead, he felt his heart tremble.

"It might be understandable to be disappointed in students if one has served as a teacher at Lumern for many years."

Leo looked directly into Riven's eyes and said,

"But do you know this?"

"What?"

"The King of Wisdom saved the world precisely because he never gave up."

At Leo's words, Riven's eyes widened.

"He said that even if he faced frustration a thousand times, and disappointment a thousand times, those were not reasons to give up."

Leo continued, recalling the leader who always stood at the forefront, leading the subjugation team.

"As a descendant of such a King of Wisdom, shouldn't one never give up, no matter the situation?"

"You… my true identity…?"

Riven instinctively realized that Leo had seen through his true identity.

"I look forward to working with you, Vice Principal."

Leo bowed to Riven, then left the dock and headed towards the main gate of Lumern.

Watching his retreating figure, Riven looked up at the sky.

'Great King of Wisdom… What is the true identity of that boy who reminds me of your will?'

Riven, a great being whom all dragons respected immensely.

Recalling Lysinas, he pulled out the student roster from his subspace.

And he turned the page.

Leo's photo was on the very first page.

'Indeed, that child was Leo Flobe.'

He hadn't even known that he could have found out his identity by simply turning the first page.

Riven realized how complacent he had been and reproached himself.

'Even if I ignored the potential of others due to my foolishness… that boy, what on earth is he?'

Closing the student roster, Riven looked up at the sky.

He wasn't just a golden generation.

'Perhaps the stagnant world's dynamics might be shaken.'

Having watched many heroes up close for a long time, Riven instinctively knew.

Leo was not simply a boy with the qualities of a hero.

Nor was he a hero who would rise to an even greater position.

A single word came to Riven's mind.

'Great Hero.'