Book 1 Chapter 244

"What is this guy?"

Leo narrowed his eyes.

"Chen Xian? Is he related to Chen Xia?"

Similar names.

Black hair and black eyes.

Similar appearance and even aura.

The man before him undeniably resembled Chen Xia.

"What's your relationship with Chen Xia?"

At Leo's question, Chen Xian burst into laughter.

"I'm her twin."

'Twin?'

Leo looked Chen Xian up and down and nodded.

'Indeed.'

"Why did you attack me?"

"I thought you were Shan's shadow."

Chen Xian lowered his sword and smiled.

"You move in the dark so much, you resemble a shadow."

'You didn't attack me to stop me from meeting Chen Xia?'

Leo placed his hand on his sword.

'Didn't this guy say he was going to be a Great Hero from the start?'

This era was the era of heroes, and many yearned to become one.

However, he had never seen anyone before who aimed to stand shoulder to shoulder with the five Great Heroes who saved the world in the past.

3,000 years ago.

The founders of the Hero Academy who sealed the fragments of Erebus when they revived.

Even they, revered as the greatest heroes after the Great Heroes, could barely seal one fragment.

Even now, 3,000 years later, their hero records, revered as the greatest heroes since the Great Heroes, have not all been conquered.

In such a situation, a Great Hero.

It was an absurd statement.

"You attacked me because I was a shadow? If you're Chen Xia's twin, you'd be of Shan's royal family, so why would you attack Shan's shadow?"

"You even know Xia's status? I thought you were just a simple school friend, but you know quite a lot, don't you?"

Xian smiled with a look of wonder.

"It's simple. Shadows are beings that should not exist."

Leo's eyes twitched.

"Don't you think so too?"

Xian smiled faintly.

"They operate in secret in the dark, doing all sorts of dirty work. And then they console themselves, saying it's for the world."

He spoke in a soft, gentle tone.

He resembled Chen Xia in that appearance.

But what he harbored was completely different.

"Why are such people needed?"

Xian shook his head as if he couldn't understand.

"Shadows are beings of no value. Therefore, they must disappear."

"You lived as a shadow too, didn't you?"

"Yes. That's why I can definitively say that shadows are unnecessary beings. That's why I intend to erase them from this world."

Seeing Xian's gentle smile, Leo nodded as if he understood.

Numerous experiences spoke volumes.

The person before him…

"A traitor."

"It pains me. To hear such words from someone called the best hero candidate."

Xian, with a bitter smile, raised his sword.

"I don't care what you say. I will become a Great Hero."

"The gods won't acknowledge you."

"I just need to achieve something that even the gods cannot help but acknowledge. If not, I will make everyone in this world acknowledge me."

'He's out of his mind.'

*Screeeech-*!

Leo drew his sword.

The person before him was a dangerous individual.

'It would be best to deal with him here.'

"However, there's one thing I can't understand."

Xian's eyes narrowed.

"Leo Flove, the best hero candidate. How can you act like a shadow? Are you also a shadow, if you look closely?"

"Well, it's something like that."

"The people of the world have been deceived."

Xian shook his head.

"To mistake someone like this for the best hero candidate."

*Fliiiick-*!

He spun his sword in his palm.

*Tak-*!

Xian gripped his sword again and burst into laughter.

"You are a disgrace to heroes, Leo Flove."

He believed himself to be the one worthy of being a hero and denied Leo's existence simply because he was a shadow.

Xian genuinely believed that.

That he himself was justice.

"You're a shadow too, aren't you?"

"That's an insult. I abandoned the path of a shadow long ago."

"You're out of your mind."

Conversing with such a person was a complete waste of time.

A thick killing intent emanated from Leo's body.

Traitors are executed.

It was one of Leo's unchanging values, both in the past and present.

Seeing Leo like that, Xian laughed.

"Let's see what kind of skill you possess."

***

Chen Xia, fleeing from Leo, sensed something strange.

'What is it?'

She felt an anomaly in the darkness that was usually familiar.

'It's not because I'm being chased by Leo.'

Chen Xia, familiar with the darkness, could feel that.

'It's different.'

As she thought that and passed through the hallway, a fishy smell of blood permeated the air.

Chen Xia's face stiffened.

The entire hallway was filled with corpses.

They were all shadows.

Chen Xia approached one of the surrounding corpses.

She reached out and removed the mask.

Chen Xia gritted her teeth.

They were shadow candidates she had trained with since childhood.

The others were the same.

'They were sent to trap Leo in the darkness.'

And they were dead.

Moreover, there were signs of a sword being swung to ensure a clean kill.

Literally the way of shadows.

'Who…!'

It wasn't Leo.

They had trained together extensively over the past year as fellow knights.

This was not Leo's swordsmanship.

As she examined the swordsmanship, Chen Xia's face stiffened.

Having seen countless corpses in her life since childhood due to her education as a shadow to track down and execute traitors, she had been trained to discern much from corpses.

The opponent's weapon, skill, gender, height, even habits.

And the traces of the swordsmanship on the corpses of the shadow candidates were all too familiar.

'The swordsmanship has changed… but it's undeniable.'

Chen Xia's hands trembled slightly.

'He was alive.'

Xian, whom she had thought of as a clone, her twin.

Xian, who betrayed Shan and escaped.

Chen Xia stood up.

She had hidden in the darkness and returned to the imperial palace.

'Why on earth?'

There was no reason to return.

In fact, the very fact that he was alive was not something good to be known.

If that were the case, Shan would undoubtedly mobilize all its forces to annihilate Xian.

Yet Xian had boldly entered the heart of Shan's imperial palace.

As Chen Xia gritted her teeth, a bewildered voice was heard.

"Princess?"

Chen Xia turned her head.

"Jane, and…"

"I am Fritz Edgon, a first-year student from Lumern. Senior Chen Xia."

"I have withdrawn from Lumern. I'm no longer a hero candidate, so you're not my senior…"

"No, Chen Xia."

Fritz puffed out his chest.

"You are still a hero candidate and a student of Lumern."

"Don't you dare talk back to the Princess!"

Jane tried to punch Fritz in the side.

However, Fritz deftly dodged the attack.

"You've made a good friend, Jane."

"This guy isn't a friend!"

Jane, who had become indignant, asked urgently, "By the way, what's going on?"

Jane's face hardened as she saw the faces of the fallen shadow candidates.

"These… these guys…!"

The shadow candidates, whom she had trained with since childhood, were now cold corpses.

"Chen Xian is back."

"What?"

Jane's face turned pale.

Chen Xian.

He was once considered a likely candidate for Shan's next emperor by Jane and many other shadow candidates.

He had a gentle personality like Chen Xia and was evaluated to surpass his twin, Chen Xia, in talent.

His only problem was his ambition to become a hero.

However, most shadow candidates thought it would remain a childhood dream.

They couldn't defy their fate as members of Shan's royal family.

Then, one day.

Xian massacred all the shadow candidates who followed him, as well as the shadow instructors, and fled Shan.

And Chen Xia defeated that Xian.

Chen Xian, who everyone thought was dead, was alive and had returned to the imperial palace.

"Jane, you inform my father about this."

"What about the Princess?"

"I'm going to deal with him."

"It's dangerous! He couldn't have come alone! Surely…!"

"Yes, he probably took refuge with Tartarus."

If someone who was a likely candidate for Shan's next emperor betrayed Shan and sought them out, Tartarus would undoubtedly accept him given its nature.

"That's all the more reason why I must execute him."

*Clench-*!

Chen Xia's hand tightened.

"This happened because I couldn't kill him. I have to finish it with my own hands."

Seeing Chen Xia like that, Jane bowed her head deeply.

Then she knelt down.

"I will obey your command."

Jane rose and disappeared into the darkness.

Chen Xia said to Fritz, "You should also take cover. It has nothing to do with you."

To that, Fritz said politely, "As your junior, I have a duty to help you."

"I told you earlier. I've withdrawn."

"No. You are still a student of Lumern and a hero candidate."

At those words, Chen Xia smiled bitterly and looked closely at Fritz.

'This person is also a shadow candidate.'

If so, he would know.

That shadows cannot become heroes.

Then why did he treat her as a hero candidate?

"Why do you call me a hero candidate?"

"Because Senior Leo said so. If Senior Leo says so, then it is so."

At Fritz's words, Chen Xia's eyes wavered.

'Leo still thinks of me as a hero candidate.'

She had run away from Leo because her resolve was wavering.

But her heart pounded just from what she had heard.

To hear that she was a hero candidate from the person she considered the most heroic was unavoidable.

"It seems I have to tell Leo directly."

Having steeled her heart, Chen Xia took a deep breath.

"Dealing with him is the priority right now, though."

*Thump- thump-*

Chen Xia walked forward.

Fritz naturally followed behind her.

Chen Xia no longer tried to dissuade Fritz.

And the moment they rounded the corner…

*Whoosh-*!

The smell of death wafted out.

*Clack- clack-*

Skeletons wielding swords exuded a sticky killing intent.

'He really borrowed the power of Tartarus.'

Chen Xia sighed softly.

It was clear that the imperial palace was now filled with monsters from Tartarus that Chen Xian had brought in.

Monsters that should have been impossible to infiltrate had occupied the imperial palace by Xian's hand.

'Even so, they should be subdued in an instant.'

Chen Xia narrowed her eyes.

'What is he aiming for?'

If he had no objective, he wouldn't have returned.

But whatever it was, she would eliminate him first.

As she resolved to do so and took a step forward…

*Crack- crack-*

Fritz stepped forward.

"Senior, please conserve your stamina."

Fritz smiled as he stretched his finger joints.

"I will handle these insignificant beings."

Magic swirled around Fritz's body.

'Combat mage.'

It was as Chen Xia watched him.

Fritz raised his hand and *grind-*! bit his palm.

*Pfft-*!

Blood flowed from his hand.

*Splash-*!

In an instant, blood spurted from his palm and began to coagulate with magic.

'It's a mana attribute related to blood.'

A mana attribute that would be ostracized for its combat method, unlike that of a hero candidate.

However, for a shadow, it was the perfect attribute.

For Fritz, blood itself was a powerful weapon.

"I will sweep you away, insignificant dead."

*Kwagagag-*!

Red blades glinted in the darkness.

Chen Xia followed behind him, looking into the darkness beyond.

'Chen Xian.'

This time, she would kill her own twin.

Chen Xia vowed.