Book 1 Chapter 193

193

Crackle- Crackle-

That night.

"A first-year having such a good time, camping with a second-year senior. You're really enjoying school life, aren't you? I'm jealous."

Jin grumbled.

At his words, Lil tilted her head.

"Is this what enjoying school life means?"

"Of course. In my day, it was nothing but training."

Jin shivered, recalling his school days.

Lil looked at him with admiration.

"So that's how you got your name on the Hero Record! That's amazing! I want to emulate that!"

"Fame is good, and great deeds are good, but you should enjoy your school days a bit. This is advice as a senior. You should doll yourself up sometimes. You're pretty now, but you'll be even prettier if you doll up."

Lil blinked at Jin's words.

"Is that so? Does Leo think so too?"

"Well. It's good to enjoy your teens."

"A junior who understands."

Hearing Leo's words, Jin let out a chuckle.

"So, what brings a hero whose name is on the Hero Record to a place like this? Shouldn't an active hero be fighting on the front lines of the war against Tartarus or clearing dungeons?"

At Leo's question, Jin nodded.

"That's right. Originally, I was on the southern front of Tartarus."

The southern front of Tartarus, where the hero guilds belonging to Lumerne were active.

The supreme commander there was none other than the chairman of Lumerne and the head of the Zeron family.

It was Altech Zeron, known as the Infinity Speller.

"But recently, there was a hero summons in Lumerne."

At those words, Leo and Lil looked surprised.

"Those who were on important top-secret missions or clearing dungeons didn't respond to the summons, but most of those who had a little free time probably did."

'Hero summons. The guests the principal mentioned were heroes.'

The reason why each hero academy, including Lumerne, exerts enormous influence on the world.

One of them is the hero summons.

The absolute authority to summon heroes from Lumerne who have their names on the Hero Record.

Having the authority to summon heroes who bring about change in the world and control world affairs could be considered immense power.

"It's because of the Luse War."

"That's right."

At Leo's words, Jin crossed his arms.

"This Luse War is being held in Seirun, isn't it? That means with the students who will fight in the Luse War and the faculty who will lead them, the school can't help but worry about the empty campus."

Just a short while ago, there was an attack from Tartarus.

Lumerne didn't want to leave the school's defenses vulnerable.

So, what they chose was a hero summons.

To summon active heroes to protect the school.

"Well, some of them will probably accompany us to Seirun."

"To Seirun?"

"Yes. I don't know the reason, but the principal said so. There must be a reason, right?"

Even as he said that, Jin gave a meaningful smile.

Leo knew the meaning of that smile well.

'Because Seirun isn't much different from Lumerne.'

Leo recalled the midterm exam of the last semester.

Lautar, a second-year student from Seirun.

He was a traitor who received orders from the Lich King.

It was unlikely that Lautar was the only such student.

Seirun was not publicly exposing that fact due to the school's honor.

At the same time, they were secretly rooting out traitors.

'But it won't be easy.'

Even Lumerne couldn't catch them until Tartarus began to move in earnest.

Even Leo, who was accustomed to hunting and killing Tartarus, was no exception.

In such a situation, it was unknown how well Seirun had tracked down internal spies.

'It's to prepare for any contingencies during the Luse War.'

Of course, attacking a place where the forces of two schools are concentrated would be a reckless plan even from Tartarus's perspective.

'But I don't know what kind of plan he's cooking up.'

Leo narrowed his brow, recalling the Lich King, Hel Kaiser.

A terrifying disaster.

With Erebos sealed, he was the most dangerous monster in the world.

"By the way, are you not giving up on going to Zerodia Ruins?"

"Yes. It seems the target of this mission is the Spirit of the Abyss."

At Jin's question, Lil nodded.

The content of the mission was to guide a VIP located at Zerodia Ruins to Lumerne.

If the one at Zerodia Ruins was the Spirit of the Abyss, then the VIP Lumerne spoke of was clearly the Spirit of the Abyss.

'Lumerne could easily invite even a Great Spirit as a guest.'

The problem was that this Spirit of the Abyss disliked humans.

Even if it accepted the invitation, there was no telling when it might change its mind.

That must be why Lil was sent.

Spirits instinctively feel attracted to skilled spirit users.

There was no spirit user better than Lil to invite the human-hating Spirit of the Abyss.

Lil, too, realizing this fact, intended to continue the mission.

"Anyway, we have to meet the Spirit of the Abyss, don't we?"

At Lil's words, Jin rested his chin on his hand.

"Then I'll help you."

Hearing Jin's words, Lil's eyes widened.

"You two alone will struggle against a Great Spirit. If you make a mistake, you might not even meet it and have to give up the mission."

"I'd welcome it if Jin-nim joined us, but… wouldn't it be a bother?"

"Don't worry about that. I'm curious to see how skilled the juniors from the Summoning Department are."

Jin, with a meaningful smile, glanced at Leo.

"And also the rumored 'All-Class' skills."

At those words, Leo let out a chuckle.

"I'll try my best to live up to your expectations."

"I expect nothing less."

***

The next day.

The party of Leo and Lil, joined by Jin, headed back to Zerodia Ruins.

Jin, the eldest and an active hero, took a somewhat detached, observer-like stance behind the two.

He had said he would help, but that didn't mean he would step forward and lead the party.

"I'm nervous. It feels like I'm being tested by a hero."

"Don't be too nervous."

"Aren't you nervous, Leo?"

"No."

"That's amazing, Leo. Even though you're a first-year, you seem like someone with a lot of experience."

Lil looked at Leo enviously.

"I'll go ahead."

Leo took the lead.

Walking ahead like that, Leo fell into thought.

'A spirit that dislikes humans. What do you think, Elsie?'

[I'm not sure. I've never disliked humans before.]

Elsie shook her head.

Seeing Elsie like that, Leo smiled bitterly inside.

At Leo's reaction, Elsie cautiously asked.

[You said the Elsie you remember disliked humans, didn't you?]

'Yes.'

[You said it was because all the children in the orphanage died, didn't you?]

It was unimaginable.

Her, hating the world and despising people.

Elsie fell into thought.

She had loved people since birth.

She was drawn to the existence of spirit users and thought their efforts shone brightly.

During the Age of Calamity.

Agon, telling stories of hope to the struggling children of the orphanage, seemed to shine.

Elsie had yearned for light since birth.

She thought it might be because of her characteristic as a dark-attributed spirit.

Everyone naturally yearns for what they don't have.

So, she dreamed of the stars in the night sky, which she had never seen since birth.

The children of the orphanage, who didn't lose hope even in desperate days, were, in a sense, like the stars in the night sky to Elsie.

'Though it ended in misfortune.'

It changed in the hero's world, but…

Elsie wore a sad expression at the fact that hadn't changed in history.

But…

'Kyle saved the world. He found the light of the world and showed me a brightly shining night sky.'

Now, Elsie liked people even more.

Many of the people she and Leo had watched shone like stars.

Perhaps other spirits were no different from her.

Spirits are inherently beings who love people.

It is a spirit's instinct to be drawn to people and want to watch them.

For such a spirit to dislike people.

[For the Spirit of the Abyss, that dark spirit, to dislike people… doesn't that mean it went through something terrible?]

'Probably.'

[……]

Even the unknown self, who had hated the world, ultimately made a contract with Kyle to protect the world.

'I must have been trying to find an answer too.'

She wouldn't have been able to hate people in the end.

[Leo, I want to have a conversation with that spirit.]

At those words, Leo paused.

Several months had passed since Elsie emerged from the Hero's World.

This was the first time.

The first time Elsie wanted something.

Fiora, chirping daily for chocolate.

Kiran, bothering him to give him preferential treatment.

Arty, who even bought a riding whip, asking to be treated more harshly.

Unlike the eccentric three phantom beasts, Elsie always quietly looked up at the night sky and never revealed what she wanted.

She would only say that she hoped to be helpful to Leo's endeavors.

Such an Elsie, for the first time, revealed her 'will.'

Facing a Great Spirit hostile to humans was a dangerous thing.

But…

'Okay.'

Leo nodded.

Knowing Elsie's past, it was difficult for Leo to refuse her request.

'What the hell, I'll make it happen.'

[Thank you!]

***

An hour passed since they entered Zerodia Ruins.

Last night, there was no sign whatsoever of the spirits that had violently tried to drive out intruders.

If it were someone else, they might have thought, 'Has the Great Spirit left this place?'

But Leo, Lil, and Jin.

All three were formidable spirit users.

Especially Leo, who was the former Great Hero of the All-Class, and Jin, a hero who had made a name for himself in the Hero Record through spirit magic.

They all noticed that the influence of the Spirit of the Abyss still remained in Zerodia Ruins.

"It's so quiet, it makes me even more uneasy."

It was when Jin, who had entered the center of the ruins, frowned and mumbled.

Flash-!

Suddenly, darkness spread across the floor.

Seeing this, Jin hastily activated his spiritual power and reached out to Leo and Lil, who were walking ahead.

But before Jin's hand could reach them, Leo and Lil were sucked into the darkness.

"Damn it."

Jin clicked his tongue and tried to follow the two.

But in front of Jin, countless spirits appeared.

"You only have business with the fresh-faced students?"

Jin frowned.

"Are you saying you're not interested in an old man? How rude."

Gooooooooh-!

Seeing the numerous high-ranking spirits blocking his way, Jin drew his curved sword and unleashed aura and spiritual power.

"If you touch even a single fingertip of the students, I won't let you off, Spirit of the Abyss!"

Jin, his lighthearted demeanor completely gone, eyes flashing, charged at the high-ranking spirits.

Leo and Lil, sucked into the darkness, fell straight into the underground of the ruins.

Whoosh-! Thump-! Thump-!

Landing on the ground, the two simultaneously looked up at the ceiling.

[Welcome, hero candidates.]

Just then, a voice from the front made the two look ahead.

There stood a young man with pitch-black hair and eyes.

His face was shadowed, and his entire body was covered in a dark hood and cloak.

Lil tensed at the sight, as if seeing a grim reaper from a story.

"Are you the Spirit of the Abyss?"

[Yes.]

At the emotionless, dry voice, Lil, tensing, pulled out the mission scroll from her pocket.

"I received a mission from Lumerne to escort a VIP to the school. I believe you, the Spirit of the Abyss, are clearly the VIP invited by the school… Is that correct?"

[Lumerne did invite me.]

Hearing the Spirit of the Abyss's words, Lil's face brightened.

"Greetings! Spirit of the Abyss, my name is Lil Luce. I'm here to greet you…"

[I'm not interested.]

"Excuse me."

[Lumerne invited me to arrange a contractor.]

The Spirit of the Abyss stared directly at Lil, who was flustered by its words.

[But no matter how I think about it, I wonder if a contract with a human would be worthwhile. Especially you, the human girl carrying the mission scroll. You must be the most promising candidate for a contract chosen by Lumerne.]

"M-me?"

Lil looked utterly bewildered, then pointed at Leo.

"I… uh… there's a more amazing summoner than me, you know. He became student council president in his first year, and for me to be a candidate for the Spirit of the Abyss's contractor. It's ridiculous."

At Lil's words, the Spirit of the Abyss looked at Leo.

[No matter how I look at it, that one seems lacking in qualifications as a spirit user.]

At those words, Leo let out a chuckle.

It was true.

If judged solely on the qualifications of a spirit user, Leo was incomparably inferior to Lil.

[Lil Luce, your coming to me is a kind of test to determine whether or not you can become my contractor.]

"Oh my goodness… For someone like me to be a candidate for a Great Spirit's contractor! Aren't you mistaken?"

[It doesn't matter if it's a mistake or not. I have no intention of making a contract anyway. My accepting the invitation was merely out of consideration for my connection with Kalian and Riben. I thought that if I took residence here, they would send a contractor candidate.]

Hearing those words, Leo thought to himself.

'Indeed, Lumerne. To the extent of arranging a contract between a Great Spirit and a student.'

From Lumerne's perspective, amidst the rapidly changing world situation, they must have wanted to foster a Great Spirit's contractor.

'But it's more twisted than I thought.'

Leo eyed the Spirit of the Abyss warily.

[So, I planned to conduct my own test if a contractor candidate came. But I didn't expect them to attach a Knight of Undine as well.]

At the Spirit of the Abyss's words, Leo's eyes twitched.

[It seems they noticed I would prepare a somewhat dangerous test.]

Slurp-

Suddenly, the floor where Leo and Lil stood began to sink like a swamp.

Looking down at the floor, darkness slowly began to engulf their bodies.

"Wh-What?!"

[I told you. I prepared my own test. I am a spirit of darkness. I intend to make a contract only with those who can accept my darkness.]

The Spirit of the Abyss curled the corners of its mouth.

[Try to withstand my darkness once.]

"Th-Then, I'll take it alone! Leo wasn't sent by the school, he just followed at my request!"

Lil urgently shouted.

Hearing those words, the Spirit of the Abyss made an indifferent expression.

[That's none of my business.]

"Kugh! Leo! Run away! This is dangerous!"

Lil struggled against the darkness, moving towards Leo, trying to somehow pull him out of the swamp of darkness.

But the more she struggled, the faster she was swallowed by the darkness.

"Th-This can't be."

Lil, already submerged up to her neck, looked at Leo with worried eyes.

"Leo, I'm sorry… Hmph-!"

Lil was the first to be swallowed by the darkness.

Seeing that, Leo glanced at the Spirit of the Abyss.

The Spirit of the Abyss already had its eyes closed, as if uninterested.

With that, deep darkness enveloped him.

His body felt dark, as if submerged in water where no light could penetrate.

Suddenly- Leo gripped the Jewel of Radiance hanging around his neck with his hand.

Flash-!

Instantly, a bright light burst forth around him.

Whoosh-!

The eyes of Ignit, the Spirit of the Abyss, twitched.

"Quite a nasty-tempered spirit, aren't you?"

[How did you escape my darkness?]

Leo spoke as if it were nothing.

"I swallowed your darkness."

[That shouldn't be possible, should it?]

To devour the power of a spirit of the same attribute, at least the power of a spirit of the same rank is required.

But Ignit's power was that of a Great Spirit, the highest rank among dark attributes.

Devouring it was impossible.

"Normally, it would be impossible."

Leo let out a chuckle and looked at Ignit.

"But for the contractor of a dark spirit with power equal to yours, it's not impossible."

[That's ridiculous.]

[Hello.]

Just then, Elsie, palm-sized, peeked her face out from between Leo's white hair.

Seeing Elsie, Ignit frowned.

[Who are you?]

[My name is Elsie, a shadow spirit.]

Elsie smiled gently.

[I want to talk to you.]