Book 1 Chapter 192
192
What appeared before their eyes was a giant knight, 3m in size.
The wind spirit, armed with light silver-gray armor, was equipped with an axe and shield befitting its massive size.
It had an extremely heavy-looking exterior.
But both Leo and Lil knew.
That the spirit before them would move at incredible speed, unlike its appearance.
*Swoosh*-
As if on cue, the spirit rushed towards Lil at tremendous speed.
*Clang*-!
The swung axe was blocked by Leo's sword.
*Whoosh*-!
A strong wind blew, scattering dust and dirt everywhere in the surrounding area.
Leo, who had blocked the attack, felt as if his body would be blown away by the powerful wind pressure.
*Thud*-!
Leo's feet dug into the ground.
Leo, enduring the wind by force with his aura, curled up the corners of his mouth and put strength into his sword.
*Whoosh*-!
Flames of aura erupted from Leo's sword.
*Roar*-!
The power of the flames instantly surged due to the swirling wind.
As Leo manipulated his aura, the flames engulfed the giant wind spirit.
*Rumble*-!
The flames rapidly grew massive, as if swelling.
Seeing this, Leo swung his sword.
The wind spirit flew through the air as if bound by a rope and crashed into the ground.
“Excellent, Leo.”
Lil, admiring the sight, summoned a spirit.
*Whoosh*-
What she summoned was a fire spirit.
Lil's specialty was known to be wind spirits, but that didn't mean she was proficient only at controlling wind spirits.
During the Age of Calamity, multi-elemental spirit users were extremely rare.
However, in the current era, where the power of past heroes is inherited through the Hero Records, it has become easier to see.
Warreden, who was regarded as the strongest spirit user among the first-years, freely controlled the four elemental spirits.
*Rumble*-
The ground changed shape and rose from the floor, trapping the wind spirit.
A small hole was made in the center of the earthen dome.
Lil put the fire spirit she had summoned into that hole.
*Whirring*-
Instantly, Lil activated her spiritual power.
‘Trait Imbuement.’
Spirit magic that bestows traits that spirits do not possess.
Of course, traits that were too far off track, such as imbuing a water spirit with the trait of flames, could not be bestowed, but even spirits of the same element possessed various derived abilities depending on the individual.
Trait Imbuement was a spirit magic that temporarily bestowed such an ability.
‘The ability I've just imbued… is it explosion?’
The moment she thought that.
The earthen prison was completely sealed.
Along with that.
*Boom*-!
With a massive explosion, clumps of earth scattered everywhere.
*Thud thud thud*-
Amidst the rain of earth.
The mighty wind spirit had disappeared without leaving a trace.
‘But she didn't even use that powerful a spirit.’
Leo marveled.
The fire and earth spirits Lil used were, at best, intermediate level.
Even if synergy occurred through cooperation between spirits, it was astonishing to so easily defeat an advanced spirit like the wind spirit.
“That's amazing.”
“Because flames need air to burn.”
Lil said with a look that suggested it was nothing special.
“Since Leo's flames were burning, I just sealed the space and made it explode.”
The wind spirit, instantly deprived of the air needed to maintain its body, was immediately unsummoned.
‘Instantaneous judgment, battle sense, and the ability to control spirits. I can see why Elena cherishes her as a junior.’
While Leo was marveling.
Lil crossed her arms.
“By the way, how outrageous! Attacking us while hiding!”
Lil, wearing a somewhat angry expression, looked around.
“Furthermore, the opponent still hasn't retracted their killing intent.”
Lil, speaking in a firm voice, did not retract her spiritual power.
She was on standby, ready to summon a hero anytime, anywhere.
‘Elsie.’
[Did you call, Leo?]
‘A great spirit is dominating this entire surrounding area.’
[I see.]
‘Do you know how strong a great spirit is in an area it dominates?’
[Well, I haven't created my own domain before.]
Great spirits share one common authority.
That is domination.
The ability to bring lesser spirits under their command and control them.
Elsie also possesses the authority of domination.
But she had never once taken spirits under her command.
As a young spirit born during the Age of Calamity, she had no time to build influence or create a domain.
‘So you don't know how strong it is. Then why is it hostile towards us?’
*Rumble*-!
At that moment, the ground began to shake.
This time, earth spirits began to be summoned.
“Ugh? A spirit user who can continuously summon spirits this powerful?”
Lil was startled.
“I think it would be best to retreat for now.”
At his words, Lil nodded.
“There's no other choice.”
Leo and Lil, who also made quick decisions, left Zerodia Castle Ruins as they were.
A little later.
Once they settled down far from the castle, there were no longer any signs of spirits pursuing them.
“I was tasked with escorting a distinguished guest, but we were disturbed. It's a bit perplexing.”
At Lil's words, Leo fell into thought.
‘Is that distinguished guest a great spirit?’
If so, there's nothing strange about it.
Considering Lumen's influence, it's possible to invite a great spirit into the school.
‘But why is it attacking us?’
The reason for that was unknown.
Judging by the killing intent it showed, it was serious.
‘But for a great spirit, its attacks are weak.’
It was as if it was testing how strong Leo and Lil were.
‘I can't figure out its intentions.’
Leo, who had been squinting at Zerodia's distant castle walls, raised his sword.
*Whoosh - Clang!*
A sharp clang echoed.
Leo squinted at the man who had suddenly appeared and swung a curved sword.
“Hoo.”
While the man let out an exclamation.
*Thud*-!
A giant war hammer struck the man's torso.
*Swish*-!
The man quickly jumped to evade the attack.
*Whoosh*-!
Leo stared in astonishment at the war hammer that had narrowly grazed the tip of his nose.
He understood from the distance and trajectory that it wouldn't hit, but the control was amazing.
The sight of Lil, who wasn't even from the knight department, controlling an incredibly heavy hammer purely with physical strength was nothing short of astonishing.
“Lil sunbae, aren't you a spirit knight?”
“No. I can't manipulate aura.”
“But your hammer-wielding is extraordinary.”
“Because I come from a military family. I haven't neglected combat training since I was young.”
At that sight, Leo understood why Elena and Hark referred to her as "monster girl."
If this battle hammer and spirit magic were combined, Lil would be able to play an active role even on the front lines.
‘She's an all-rounder.’
Vanguard, rear-guard, supporter.
She was a spirit user who could handle all positions in a party.
*Thump*-!
Lil glared at the attacking man, slamming the hammerhead into the ground.
“Who are you? Are you the spirit user who attacked us?”
“Kyah~ fierce. So fierce. Kids these days are on a high level.”
The man shook his head and sheathed his curved sword.
Then he took off his hat and grinned.
“You ask who I am? Would seeing this face answer your question?”
Leo, who had been staring blankly at the confidently smiling man, asked.
“Who are you?”
At his words, the man staggered and shouted.
“Hey! Why don't you know my face! I'm a celebrity often featured in newspapers!”
“I only read the world news section of the newspaper.”
“You! Second-year class representative! You know my face, don't you?!”
Lil, who had widened her eyes at the question, soon wore an apologetic expression.
“I'm sorry. I also only read the world news section.”
“You two! You're hero candidates! As hero candidates, shouldn't you at least recognize the faces of active sunbaes? Or what? Is it that you don't need to look because you're class representatives? Is it youth? Is it the youth that believes it can surpass preceding sunbaes? Even so, it's arrogant! You should at least identify the targets you want to surpass!”
The man, hitting his chest as if frustrated, shouted.
“My name is Jin Karon!”
“What! The Knight of Undine?!”
Lil wore a surprised expression.
Undine.
The name of the current great spirit of water, the Spirit of the Deep Sea.
She was regarded as the most powerful among existing great spirits, and the vast ocean was her domain.
1000 years since her birth.
But she was also a spirit who had not made a contract with anyone during that period.
However, there was a hero who had received her blessing, and that was Jin Karon.
Jin was a spirit knight chosen by the proud great spirit, so people in the world called him the Knight of Undine.
And he was one of Lumen's graduates, a man whose name was on the Hero Records.
“It's an honor to meet you, sunbae-nim! I am Lil Luce, a second-year at Lumen. It is an honor to meet a great hero whose name is on the Hero Records.”
At the appearance of someone who could, in a sense, be called a senior from her department, Lil hastily and politely paid her respects.
“Hmm! Yes. Yes!”
Jin nodded with his arms crossed, seemingly satisfied.
“Now, the unprecedented all-rounder who became student council president in his first year. How about it? You must have heard of my reputation as a graduate and sunbae, right?”
“May I speak honestly?”
“Of course. Speak honestly and show me respect like this child.”
“I've never heard of you before.”
Jin's face stiffened with a *crack* as he watched Leo scratch his cheek.
“It's because I don't know much about the heroes of the current era.”
“Ah, even so, Ain must have talked about me, right? I'm the only one from our year who made it onto the Hero Records!”
Jin and Ain were classmates.
“Never once.”
Leo had never heard Ain talk about his classmates.
Jin, who had been distorting his face at Leo's words, soon nodded.
“Indeed. He was the one who was evaluated as most likely to become a hero first among our classmates. Perhaps he's jealous that I became a hero first.”
Watching Jin chuckle, Leo thought of Ain.
‘…Rather than that, given Professor Ain's personality, it seems more likely that he wasn't even considered.’
He understood that the man before him was immensely skilled.
But he also seemed to have an endlessly lighthearted personality.
‘Did he judge that there was nothing for us to learn from this person?’
Leo sent a slightly pitying look towards Jin.
Jin, who had been full of pride, crossed his arms.
“Anyway, you two. Why did you go there?”
“We received a mission.”
“First and second-years on a mission. That's impressive? What kind of mission is it?”
“We cannot tell you that.”
Lil said, not letting down her guard.
Even if he revealed his identity, his trustworthiness wasn't guaranteed.
From Lil's perspective, Jin was still a suspicious individual.
‘My, my. Such wary juniors.’
Jin mumbled to himself and said.
“From the looks of it, it's a mission related to Zerodia Castle Ruins, isn't it? Then I recommend giving up.”
“Why?”
“Because a great spirit has taken residence in those castle ruins right now.”
At his words, Lil wore a surprised expression.
Jin glanced at Leo.
‘Oh? Look at this? Does that mean he had already noticed?’
Jin wore a meaningful expression.
‘Indeed. He wouldn't have become student council president in his first year for no reason. He's also the contractor of the Phoenix.’
Jin looked at Leo with sharp eyes and said.
“The spirit residing there is the Spirit of the Abyss.”
At his words, Lil flinched and trembled.
The Spirit of the Abyss.
The great spirit of darkness in the current era.
And like Undine, she was also a spirit who did not have a single contractor.
“As you know, Undine has ‘picky tastes.’ That's why she has no contractor, but the Spirit of the Abyss is a bit different.”
Jin clicked his tongue.
“It hates people.”