Book 1 Chapter 169

The demon of Tartarus, looking at Leo, glared at him with cold eyes.

"Are you going to interfere with me again?"

"It seems so."

*Fwoosh-*

A fiery aura erupted from Leo's body.

Seeing Leo like that, the demon reached out a hand.

*Zzzzzzing-!*

A blood-red magic circle appeared in the air.

Leo's eyes twitched at the sight.

For a moment, his vision was blocked.

As darkness descended, Leo lowered his stance.

'A curse.'

A curse that blocks vision.

Leo sharpened his senses.

'He cast the curse in a fleeting moment, without giving me time to react.'

Compared to his past life, Leo's resistance to curses was weaker.

It couldn't be helped.

In terms of potential, the current Leo was superior to the Kai of his past life.

It was clear that Leo would eventually become strong enough to surpass the power of his past life.

But not now.

Even with superior potential, it was still insufficient compared to the vast power of his past life.

Therefore, if the high-ranking demons of Tartarus intended to use a curse, Leo would inevitably fall victim to it.

However, before the curse was cast.

Leo could know what kind of curse it was, even for a fleeting moment.

That was a realm of 'experience' unrelated to power.

That experience was also the driving force that allowed Leo to exert even greater power than his current strength.

But, as if that experience were in vain, Leo was instantly cursed.

'Is he a demon specialized in curses? No, even so, at this level, he's almost a Legion Commander!'

With his vision blocked, Leo unleashed his aura.

'My other senses were not taken away.'

Touch, smell, and hearing reacted keenly.

In addition, Leo used his aura to stimulate the nerves throughout his body.

'Super Senses.'

A technique of the hero Arion that maximizes senses.

Super Senses was a technique that had an immense impact not only on reconnaissance but also on combat.

Arion, who had trained his Super Senses to an extreme degree, could even predict the future.

'I haven't reached that level yet.'

Tendons bulged on Leo's temples.

*Fwaak-*

The presence of magic was felt from all directions.

The trajectory of the attack was naturally drawn in Leo's mind.

*Fwaak-!*

Leo dodged a magic attack aimed at his head by snapping his neck.

*Kuaaang-!*

"No!"

The demon's eyes widened.

To him, it felt as if Leo had 'seen' the attack and dodged it.

*Flash! Kuaaaagaaang-!*

Leo dodged the crimson-black magic beams flying from all directions by moving his body.

Not only that.

He charged directly towards the demon's location.

'The curse didn't take effect?'

After looking at Leo for a moment, the demon immediately retreated.

'A mere first-year hero candidate brat dodging a curse. I've really hit rock bottom.'

The demon scoffed at himself but remained composed.

'Even if he's a Pegasus contractor, if the curse doesn't work, he must have something hidden.'

It would be a disaster if he were to be defeated by fighting rashly.

He had staked everything on this attack on Lumern.

There was no longer any room to retreat.

'Extreme caution.'

Meanwhile, Leo, having repelled the demon with his vision blocked, retrieved the sword that had pierced the demon's hand and turned around.

'Quite cautious. He seems to be a very high-ranking demon.'

Even a first-year hero candidate, a Pegasus contractor, should have been careless, but there was no sign of it.

The demon's eyes twitched as he looked at Leo's face.

'This brat, his vision still hasn't returned? Then how is he moving?'

Even a hero candidate was an unpolished gem.

Therefore, he expected that even if he had lost power, he could easily toy with the curse if it worked.

But as if mocking his expectations, the first-year student before him was perfectly countering his attacks.

It was as if being blinded was nothing.

'Even the heroes whose names are recorded in the hateful Hero Records weren't like this!'

A long time ago.

The demon, who had sent countless heroes to the realm of history, couldn't help but shudder.

'What is this brat…!'

As he shuddered, a conversation with Silatuna came to mind.

'If you happen to meet Leo Flov, it's best not to let your guard down. He gives off a bad feeling.'

'Is that because he's an All-Class?'

'Yes.'

'I don't understand. All-Class or not, he's still just a first-year brat? Even if I've lost power, I'm a Legion Commander of Tartarus. To be warned to be careful of such a brat, not even Rhys Zerdinger, it hurts my pride.'

'That's because All-Class is special.'

'Hah, you boast about being the ruler of Tartarus, yet you're concerned about a first-year just because he resembles a great hero who disappeared 5,000 years ago. Disappointing.'

'Think what you want. But don't forget that brat has made the impossible possible until now.'

Among the nine existing Legion Commanders.

The Demon Queen, the Necromancer King, and the Giant King, who had lived since before the Age of Calamity, were beings on a different level.

It wasn't simply because they had lived for a long time.

They were monsters who survived the Age of Calamity without being defeated, even while other Legion Commanders were being hunted by great heroes.

The Wise King Lishinas and Erebus and the three great Legion Commanders.

Giving up on defeating the three great Legion Commanders and prioritizing the defeat of Erebus was a gamble.

Lishinas couldn't guarantee that the subjugation force would be intact after defeating all three great Legion Commanders.

In hindsight, the gamble was successful, but thanks to it, the three great Legion Commanders have reigned as terrifying beings, undefeated even after 5,000 years.

Although he had scoffed at Silatuna then, he couldn't understand why she was so wary of Leo simply because he was an All-Class.

But now he understood.

The first-year student before him was different.

'This kid must not be allowed to live.'

It was clear that he would grow into a formidable enemy that would threaten all of Tartarus in the future.

'Even if he reacts quickly to attacks, there will be a limit if his vision is blocked.'

"Leo Flov, consider it an honor to die by the hand of a Legion Commander like me."

"Legion Commander?"

Leo's eyes twitched.

*Gooooooooo-*

As if in response, the surrounding shadows turned crimson-black and attacked Leo all at once.

Although his vision was blocked, his sharpened senses through Super Senses naturally mapped the power and trajectory of the attack in Leo's mind.

'This will be a bit difficult without seeing.'

As he thought that, the curse blocking Leo's vision was lifted.

As Leo's vision returned to focus, the Legion Commander's eyes twitched.

'He broke it this quickly?'

There are two main ways to break a curse.

One is to break it with overwhelming resistance.

The other is to interpret and break the curse's spell that binds the body.

Either way,

It was not an easy method.

'What in the world is this guy?'

The more he learned, the more astonishing it was.

*Fwoooooosh-*

Leo unleashed his aura.

*Kuaaaagaaaang-!*

He deflected attacks that flew in trajectories that were hard to dodge with his fiery aura and quickly dodged the rest by throwing himself.

His eye movement also increased rapidly due to Super Senses, so dodging attacks was not difficult.

*Tap-*

Seeing Leo land on the ground, the Legion Commander spoke.

"How did you break the curse?"

"Curses of the sensory disturbance type twist the mana flowing within the body, right? If you just realign the mana flow, it's easily resolved."

As Leo grinned, the Legion Commander narrowed his eyes.

"You shouldn't be able to resolve it that quickly with that method? What trick did you use?"

"Trick? There's no such thing. I just broke it, brute force, from start to finish."

Leo tapped his head.

"I've dealt with much more complicated curses than this before."

"Impossible! There is no demon who uses a curse more powerful and complex than mine, Kigors!"

"Kigors? King of Curses? Kigors?"

The King of Curses Kigors.

A Legion Commander who was defeated by the Sword Saint Kalian decades ago.

"Are you claiming to be a Legion Commander who disappeared long ago? Tartarus has really reached its limits."

"Think what you want. You're going to die here anyway."

At Kigors's words, Leo furrowed his brow.

'His power is pathetic for a Legion Commander.'

If he were a Legion Commander, just facing him would inflict immense physical damage.

A Legion Commander is, quite literally, a disaster bordering on terror just by existing.

They are nightmare-like beings that countless heroes recorded in the Hero Records can barely defeat when they combine their strength.

'But that sense is definitely Legion Commander level.'

Overwhelming combat experience against Tartarus.

Especially since Leo had fought countless Legion Commanders, he was able to respond quickly to the attacks, which others might not have been able to respond to properly and would have died.

'If he were the real Kigors, the Headmaster might have failed in completely subjugating him.'

Leo gripped his sword.

'Let's face him as if he's a Legion Commander.'

Leo lowered his stance.

Seeing Leo like that, Kigors grinned.

"I will teach you the fear of a Legion Commander."

*Gooooooooo-*

A black space opened in the air.

And from it, all sorts of monstrous creatures began to pour out.

Leo's eyes twitched at the sight.

Legion Commanders' power lies not only in their individual strength but more terrifyingly in their ability to create demons.

They devour living beings and accumulate energy to create demons.

Seeing low-level demons pouring out as if a hellgate had opened, Leo unleashed his spiritual power.

*Fwaak-!*

Along with a pure white summoning circle, Arti appeared.

"Arti. Deal with the demons."

[Yes, Master!]

*Fzzzzzzzzt-!*

White sparks began to fly from Arti's body.

*Kuaaaaaazzzzzzt-!*

As Arti charged, he began to stomp on the pouring demons.

"Fool! You use your most powerful offensive means to deal with demons!"

Kigors sneered and charged towards Leo.

*Gooooooooooooooo! Squirm- Squirm-!*

His body, having lost its human form, began to sprout multiple eyes.

Seeing Kigors, who had become a giant, humanoid mass of flesh, Leo narrowed his eyes.

A form that could no longer be called human.

But as he threw off his disguise, his dark magic intensified.

*Gooooooooo-!*

He raised an arm wrapped in crimson-black dark magic.

As befitting the Legion Commander called the King of Curses, his arm, laden with all sorts of curses, targeted Leo.

A powerful mass of curses that would lead to death with a mere graze.

As he tried to dodge, the surroundings were covered in all sorts of curses.

"You can't dodge! Even if you block it, you will die!"

As Kigors let out a sneer filled with exhilaration, Leo laughed.

"Hey."

"……!"

At that leisurely laugh, Kigors felt that something was wrong.

"The Necromancer King would have said something."

"What?"

"He would have said you're too frivolous for a Legion Commander."

"How do you know!"

A long time ago.

Seeing Leo utter words the Necromancer King had spoken, Kigors's eyes widened.

"How…!"

"I thought you might."

*Fwoooooosh-*

A red summoning circle appeared in front of Leo.

Seeing the burning bird that appeared with it, Kigors's face was filled with shock.

"Phoenix?"

"He's the type to fuss about dignity while only messing with corpses, isn't he?"

Recalling the Necromancer King with a twisted smile, Leo unleashed his aura and magic.

*Fwoooooosh-*

Zerdinger's Crimson Flame.

Lundar's Scorching Heat.

Flames created based on the Phoenix's fire enveloped Fiora.

*Kuaaaaaaaaak-!*

Fiora, shining as if wrapped in the sun, flapped her wings.

"Do you think the Phoenix's flames alone can stop a Legion Commander!"

*Fwooooooooosh-*

Fiora's flames burned the Legion Commander's body, which was reduced to mere ashes.

Kigors, writhing in pain, grew even larger.

Seeing that, Leo scowled.

'It won't die from this?'

*Gooooo! Kuaaang-!*

Kigors's fist struck Leo.

*BOOM-!*

Leo's body was slammed into the door of the Hall of Heroes, his back hitting it.

*Kuaaang-! Clatter-!*

Leo's body, which flew into the Hall of Heroes, pierced the door and embedded itself in the wall.

*Clatter-!*

Marble fragments cascaded down.

He felt his consciousness blur, but Leo didn't care.

'The curses were all burned away by Fiora's flames.'

*Flap-! Flap-!*

Fiora, now in the form of a red chick, frantically landed on Leo's shoulder.

*Peep?*

"I'm fine."

*Pwaaat-!*

Using the strength in his embedded body, Leo pulled himself out of the wall and landed on the floor.

His head was ringing.

The damage he sustained was physical damage alone.

Even then, he had halved the damage by deploying Aura Armor for a moment.

But even with that response, the impact was immense.

'Even if he lost power, a Legion Commander is still a Legion Commander.'

Leo shook his head to clear his mind.

He had attended Lumern for over a semester and had used the Great Library countless times, but this was his first time entering the Hall of Heroes.

While other students might have been interested in heroic artifacts, Leo wasn't particularly interested in them.

Looking up, Leo glanced towards Kigors.

Despite being reduced to ashes, Kigors was approaching a certain sword.

"Finally…! Finally!"

'What is that thing that makes him…?'

As Leo frowned while watching Kigors approach a 'worn sword' with an expression of ecstasy, his eyes widened.

Outwardly, it looked like a chipped and rusted sword.

But at a glance, it was clear that it contained immense 'mana'.

Although it was an old sword, it seemed worthy of being called a heroic artifact in its own right.

But what surprised Leo wasn't that the sword contained powerful mana.

It was the ornament engraved at the end of the sword's hilt.

Despite the sword's age, the ornament shone as if new.

It was such a beautiful ornament that one might think the craftsman who made the sword paid more attention to the ornament than the sword itself.

And that sword was one Leo had seen before.

'The Sword of Dwenor?'