Book 1 Chapter 246
246
Grand Duke of Funerals, Artkhan.
He is a trusted subordinate of the Necrolord Hel Kaiser.
A monster who survived several decisive battles with the great heroes.
Leo had also fought Artkhan before.
‘Was he alive?’
However, Leo couldn't hide his surprise at the fact that he had appeared before his eyes.
He is undoubtedly an infamous demon.
But Leo hadn't expected him to be alive after thousands of years.
After reincarnating, Leo had identified the high-ranking demons of Tartarus that were recorded.
Artkhan's name was not among them.
Even if he had survived the Age of Calamity, he hadn't appeared in any records for thousands of years, so Leo had thought he must have been vanquished by others long ago.
But now, he was right before his eyes.
Leo broke out in a cold sweat, wary of Artkhan.
‘In some ways, he's a more troublesome opponent than the newly appointed Legion Commanders.’
The experience and skills he accumulated over 5000 years are undoubtedly threatening.
‘That guy possesses power comparable to the top heroes of this era.’
Currently, Artkhan was an opponent Leo found hard to handle.
In addition, Artkhan knew Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning.
‘If he realizes I'm Kyle, things will get complicated.’
Even with that thought, Leo did not let down his guard.
Fortunately, this was the stronghold of the Shan Empire.
If Artkhan's presence is detected, they have the military strength to stop him.
It was when Leo was sharpening his senses and being wary of Artkhan.
“Oh. Indeed.”
Artkhan looked at Leo, his eyes gleaming.
“You are indeed worthy of being called the best hero candidate of this era. And an All-Class. Yes. It's almost like seeing Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning. Hahahaha.”
Artkhan burst into laughter.
Watching Artkhan, Leo spoke.
“Grand Duke of Funerals? Judging by the name, you're clearly a high-ranking demon, but I've never heard that name before?”
He feigned ignorance and asked about his identity.
“Hahaha. I am a humble demon who collects corpses.”
One of the sources of Hel Kaiser's powerful strength is corpses.
And Artkhan is tasked with collecting those corpses.
At first glance, it might seem like a trivial task.
However, his mission is by no means light.
The corpse of someone who possessed great power in life can create more powerful undead.
Therefore, the corpses he collects include those of heroes.
In some cases, he even ‘kills’ to create corpses.
“Recently, I've also been assigned the task of assisting those who aid Tartarus.”
At those words, Leo's eyes twitched.
“In that sense, Sir Leo Plove.”
Artkhan politely took something out of his pocket and flicked it towards Leo.
Whirr-! Flick-!
Leo extended his index and middle fingers, catching what Artkhan had thrown.
It was an ordinary piece of paper.
‘A business card?’
“How about accepting our sponsorship? We are confident we can support you even better than the Hero Academy. If it's an All-Class like you, Sir Leo, you will surely rise to the ranks of heroes in an instant.”
Leo checked the contents of the business card.
‘Hero Supporter? Is he collecting Hero Records influenced by Erebus and nurturing useful pawns? It seems my hunch was correct.’
And it seemed Artkhan was in charge of that.
‘He's still good at pulling strings from behind the scenes.’
The reason Hero Academies wield such powerful influence in this era is none other than their possession of Hero Records.
The Necrolord was doing that in the shadows.
Of course, he wouldn't possess as vast a collection of Hero Records as the Hero Academies.
However, it was clear that many would still succumb to the temptation of being able to conquer the world of heroes, like Shian.
Woosh-
Leo burned the business card without hesitation.
“Oh dear. That's a pity.”
Artkhan wore a regretful expression.
‘What exactly is the reason he's telling me this information? Does it mean he can kill me anytime, even if I refuse?’
However, if Artkhan failed to eliminate Leo, this story would undoubtedly become known to the world.
‘I see. So it doesn't matter if it's known.’
Currently, Tartarus has lost its monster queen.
This was clearly Tartarus's greatest loss of power since the end of the Age of Calamity.
Conversely, the world showed stronger unity than ever before due to the reappearance of the great hero and the disappearance of one of its long-standing fears.
In such a situation, what if it became known that Tartarus could open the world of heroes using Hero Records and offer rewards?
There would undoubtedly be those who desired it.
And a large-scale movement would arise to uncover traitors who collaborated with Tartarus in the shadows.
Outwardly, they showed strong unity, but internally, each race had experienced long-standing conflicts.
It wasn't just problems between races.
Factional disputes existed even within the same race.
‘There would also be plenty of people who would use this fact as a means to eliminate political rivals.’
Immense social chaos could ensue.
But he couldn't keep it a secret either.
‘He's going to collapse it from within? What a sinister fellow.’
Remembering the Necrolord Hel Kaiser, Leo gritted his teeth and unleashed his aura.
Fwoosh-!
Seeing Leo, Artkhan raised his hand.
“Well then, shall we take a look at the skills of an All-Class?”
With a gentle smile, skeletons began pouring out from all directions.
They were not ordinary undead.
Each and every one of them was an undead enhanced by Artkhan's dark magic.
While Leo was tied up with the undead, Artkhan approached Shian with light footsteps.
“Oh dear, you've been quite beaten up, Sir Shian.”
Shian looked up at Artkhan with trembling eyes.
Artkhan smiled faintly at Shian, then extended his hand.
Shian's severed right arm, cut off by Leo, flew and was caught in Artkhan's hand.
“Fortunately, Sir Leo's swordsmanship is excellent, and it was cleanly cut. It seems it won't be difficult to reattach.”
Having said that, Artkhan used dark magic to heal Shian's arm.
Seeing his severed arm restored, Shian gritted his teeth.
‘Leo Plove.’
“Right now, Sir Leo easily overwhelms Sir Shian.”
“What did you say?”
A murderous glint flashed in Shian's eyes.
Artkhan smiled at Shian.
“Of course. You two have comparable talent, but Sir Leo is a hero candidate meticulously nurtured in Lumen. And he also conquered the world of the great hero. Isn't it only natural that there would be a difference between you and Sir Shian?”
“Tsk!”
“If you obtain the sword of Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning, slumbering in Shan, and conquer Kyle's world that we possess, Sir Shian, you will surely surpass Sir Leo.”
“Yes. That's right.”
Shian stood up.
“If I can only inherit the power of the Hero of the Beginning……”
‘I'll take you down with him, too.’
Shian looked at Artkhan with a contemptuous gaze, then vanished into the darkness.
Artkhan, who had been watching, smiled.
‘He's no match for Leo Plove. Though he wouldn't be able to inherit that person's world in the first place.’
Artkhan's gaze turned towards Leo.
‘He's a monster.’
An ordinary hero candidate would have lost their life to the enhanced undead long ago.
But Leo instantly turned the enhanced undead into ashes.
He broke the swords of Skeleton Knights and neutralized the magic of Skeleton Mages with a dispel.
Thwack-! Thump- Roll-roll-roll-
The moment Artkhan thought that.
The head of a single skeleton rolled to Artkhan's feet.
Despite moving intensely, Leo, whose breathing wasn't even disturbed, pointed his sword at Artkhan.
“Indeed. You are on a different level from other hero candidates.”
Artkhan clapped his hands.
“I'd love to keep watching your performance, but unfortunately, I have things to do.”
It was clear that soon, the emperor and Shan's shadows would notice the anomaly in the imperial palace and make their move.
Formidable opponents that Shian would find hard to handle.
He had to stop them from dealing with Shian.
‘Only royalty can enter the imperial palace's underground.’
Since Shan's founding, Tartarus had known that Vihar's descendants established Shan.
Tartarus, also knowing that Vihar was Kyle's disciple, had long coveted items related to Kyle that Shan would be guarding.
Finally, that opportunity had arrived. He couldn't miss it.
‘Leo Plove is certainly a dangerous element to us. But he's still just a rookie.’
Artkhan sorted out his priorities in his mind.
Currently, his priority was to deal with Shan's shadows.
“Even so, rest assured. I will certainly leave a gift for you.”
Artkhan pulled at the air as if opening a door.
Creak-!
A gigantic stone gate was created in mid-air.
Along with it, a dark crimson space opened.
People walked out from there.
Pale skin.
Eyes devoid of vitality.
Pointing to them, who were like puppets, Artkhan smiled.
“Shadows are the natural enemies of Hero Killers, but conversely, they are also the natural enemies of heroes. And these are all shadows.”
He bowed politely to Leo.
“These are those who served heroes their entire lives but were never once recognized and met meaningless deaths, living trivial lives. They deny it, but they died resenting heroes. That's why they became perfect corpses to be used like this. They harbor a very deep grudge against you, the best hero candidate.”
Simultaneously with those words, the shadows charged towards Leo.
Clang-clang-clang-!
The sharp sound of weapons clashing echoed.
Endless shadows emerged from the open door.
They were all deceased with no will of their own.
Retaining only their skills from life, they sharpened their blades to slaughter Leo.
Fwoosh-!
Flames of aura erupted from Leo's entire body.
“I hope you have a pleasant time.”
Artkhan, smiling, turned his body.
Watching Artkhan's back, Leo spoke.
“You know what? Among the Legion Commanders, I hate the Necrolord the most.”
“That's usually the case. He is the most fearsome Legion Commander, after all.”
“That's not the reason.”
Leo, in a low voice, burned his aura even more intensely.
“Because that guy mocks the dead.”
It's natural for demons to treat life as trivial.
However, Hel Kaiser, the Necrolord who commands death, had an even stronger tendency to do so.
He does his best to deny, ridicule, and mock the lives of the living.
The same goes for the demons under his command.
That's why Leo hated the Necrolord the most.
Whoosh-
“The lives of these people are by no means trivial.”
Even if they weren't recognized.
Even if they despaired of their own lives.
There was only one reason they fought until the end.
“They were people who fought for the peace their predecessors protected, in their own way. They are worthy of being called heroes.”
“Does it change anything if one person like you affirms those whom even the gods turn away from?”
“What do I care about the recognition of gods?”
Fwoosh-
Even more ferocious flames erupted from Leo's body.
The movements of the shadows touched by that fire completely stopped.
They were released from the curse of necromancy.
Artkhan's eyes narrowed as he watched them find peace.
‘Indeed, is it the Phoenix's flame?’
Fwoosh-
Before he knew it, a pair of wings unfurled behind Leo's back.
“Whether they were heroes or shadows. The will they harbored has been passed down through generations, unchanged.”
The hope of reclaiming peace.
The hope Lysinus wished to convey was passed on to Kyle.
And that hope was passed on to Luna, then to Arion… and then again to Dweno.
Eventually, it bore fruit when Kyle vanquished Erebus.
The great heroes disappeared 5000 years ago.
But the will of the great heroes continues to this day.
‘The spirit we received from Lysinus continues unchanged even now.’
The desire to regain peace. The desire to protect peace. In the end, they are the same.
From Leo's perspective, both heroes and shadows are those who wish to carry on their will.
‘That will eventually bore fruit in the form of Tartarus's subjugation.’
But the Necrolord is one who ridicules and mocks their lives.
That's why Leo hated him the most.
Swoosh-
Leo lowered his stance.
Watching Leo, Artkhan unleashed dark magic.
‘Just a rookie anyway. Leo Plove's sword won't reach m—’
Fwoosh-!
Thunk!
“……!”
Artkhan's eyes widened as he saw Leo pierce his barrier and impale his neck.
Whoosh-
Artkhan's body disintegrated into black sand.
Clutch-!
Artkhan clutched Leo's throat.
But soon, even that hand turned to sand and vanished.
“You… what is your true identity?”
For the first time, Artkhan's relaxed expression vanished, and he asked with a pale face.
Because he felt fear.
“Me?”
Leo looked at the fading Artkhan, his red eyes gleaming.
Leo spoke as if declaring war to the being beyond Artkhan's dark crimson eyes.
“The one who will vanquish you.”
Crunch-!
Leo tightened his grip, severing Artkhan's neck.
Thud-!
Artkhan's body, which had fallen to the floor, scattered into sand.
‘As expected, it was a clone.’
The main body must have taken a hit, but it wouldn't die from this.
‘If he was the kind of guy who would die from this, he would have been killed 5000 years ago.’
Leo, leading his burned body, looked at the Gate of the Dead that continuously summoned the deceased.
One-hit kill.
He aimed for a small opening in the off-guard Artkhan and landed a blow.
His main body was probably blocking Shan's shadows.
‘He probably won't realize it's me, but I'll likely be watched even more carefully from now on.’
Leo took a deep breath and looked at the undead, saying.
‘First, I need to grant these people peace… and dealing with that guy, Shian, is the priority.’