Book 1 Chapter 247

247

Crunch-!

Fritz's hand popped the skeleton's head.

Whoosh-

Red threads scattered from Fritz's body, spinning like a top in the air.

Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-!

Fritz, who had crushed the skeleton squad, adjusted his glasses.

"There are quite a lot."

The endless stream of undead legions pouring out from the corridor was enough to make anyone intimidated.

But there was no change in Fritz's expression.

"Shall I help you if it's too much?"

Chen Xia, who was following Fritz, asked.

"You don't need to step forward, Senior."

Fritz smiled faintly.

Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-!

The red threads scattered everywhere became taut.

Fritz's unique magic, woven from his blood and mana.

"Blood Flame."

KWAHHH! RUMBLE-!

Red flames engulfed the entire corridor.

Fritz, who had instantly incinerated all the undead, using the scattered red threads as a fuse, smiled with a "Hmph."

Looking at Fritz, Chen Xia asked with a wry expression.

"Are you alright?"

"How is it, Senior?"

Fritz, who answered the question of whether he was okay with another question, adjusted his glasses.

"Didn't I seem a bit like Senior Leo?"

"Where? No, more importantly, are you okay?"

"Senior Leo's main attribute is fire, isn't it? So I tried to imitate it with magic. Of course, with my immature skill, I won't even reach Senior Leo's toes, but just a little, a very little, like Senior Leo…"

"…Young Master Leo doesn't particularly discriminate attributes when using magic. But are you really okay?"

"Indeed! Senior Leo!"

Fritz, completely ignoring Chen Xia's concern, pulled out a notebook from his pocket and jotted down new facts about Leo.

'He seems fine.'

Despite blood pouring from his hand, Fritz didn't seem to care.

It wasn't bleeding from an injury.

As blood-manipulating magic, it was due to the powerful recoil of the spell, causing him to lose a lot of blood.

'It's a mana characteristic like a double-edged sword.'

While he could gain overwhelming offensive power by consuming blood, the damage to the spellcaster was also considerable.

'A unique first-year has arrived.'

Thinking that, Chen Xia smiled gently.

'What kind of first-years have entered?'

Seeing Fritz, such thoughts naturally arose.

But she soon shook off that thought.

'I won't have any reason to return to Lumen.'

With a bitter smile, Chen Xia moved her steps.

Fritz, who had sealed his wound, took out a red potion from his pocket and drank it.

It was an elixir to replenish blood, made through alchemy.

"Your name is Fritz, right? You admire Young Master Leo greatly."

"Originally, it wasn't this much. I thought he was someone worthy of protection as a shadow… but I came to know him after meeting him directly."

Fritz followed Chen Xia, placing a hand on his chest.

"That he is truly a person worthy of respect."

"…Indeed. Young Master Leo is an amazing person."

"If you meet Senior Leo and talk to him, Senior, your thoughts will surely change."

"Yes. That's why I cannot meet Young Master Leo right now."

'If I meet him now, my resolve will crumble.'

"Someday, when Young Master Leo becomes the greatest hero… I want to meet him then."

"No. I'm going to be the greatest hero."

At the voice from beyond the darkness, Chen Xia and Fritz stopped.

Fritz took a wary stance, and Chen Xia let out a deep sigh.

Step-step-

A man in blood-stained white clothes, Cyan, emerged from the darkness.

He smiled widely at his fraternal twin.

"Long time no see, Xia."

"…Long time no see. Cyan."

"You don't look happy at all, do you?"

Cyan smiled and spread his arms.

"We haven't been apart for this long, so I'm disappointed by your lukewarm reaction."

"I never wanted to see you again."

Fritz flinched and looked at Chen Xia.

'Is it the same person?'

The gentle demeanor she had shown just moments ago was nowhere to be seen.

With an icy cold face, Chen Xia approached Cyan.

"Because if we meet again, I'll have to kill you again."

Though he was a traitor, he was a blood relative with whom she had spent her entire life.

When she thought she had killed him with her own hands, it was more agonizing than ever.

She never wanted to repeat such pain.

But Cyan was too twisted a monster to ignore that agony.

"I wanted to meet you again. I had many questions to ask you."

Cyan smiled gently.

"You, you said you entered Lumen and posed as a hero candidate? Why did you do that?"

Cyan asked, as if curious.

"You know best, don't you? That unlike me, you're not someone fit to be a hero."

Fritz's eyes twitched at Cyan's words.

"You'll only get more hurt if you enroll in Lumen."

Seeing Cyan speak with genuine concern, Xia smiled.

Having always been together since childhood, she knew.

Those words weren't meant to hurt her.

They were questions asked out of genuine concern for her.

'This is the kind of person he is.'

"Nonsense. Senior Chen Xia is more suitable to be a hero than anyone else."

"Ohh?"

Cyan exclaimed in admiration at Fritz's words.

Then he chuckled.

"No way. Perhaps if it were someone more suited to be a shadow."

He shrugged, refuting Fritz's words.

Chen Xia didn't deny those words either.

'The difference between what you want to be and what you can be is different.'

She had deliberately ignored that fact and forced her way into Lumen.

And by observing other hero candidates, she had to admit that she couldn't become a hero.

"Chen Xia, you cannot be a hero."

Cyan said with a serious face.

"So, I hope you don't harm yourself. You'll only make yourself miserable."

"Thanks for the advice."

Chen Xia raised her hand.

She wasn't angry.

Swoosh-

Killing intent erupted from Chen Xia's body.

"But Cyan, you can't be a hero either."

At those words, Cyan let out a deep sigh.

"What a pity. I thought you would understand me."

Cyan gave a desolate smile.

"You were the one who understood me best."

Since childhood, it was none other than Chen Xia who was most saddened by the fact that Cyan could not be a hero.

It was also young Chen Xia who most often said that Cyan was someone suited to be a hero.

"I thought I understood you."

The expression vanished from Chen Xia's face.

"But I was wrong. You're crazy."

"In the end, you're no different from other common people."

Whoosh-

Chen Xia's body vanished.

Shimmer-!

Chen Xia's water aura struck Cyan.

Cyan, seeing Chen Xia, swung his sword.

Rooooooar-!

Wind raged.

BANG-!

The water aura scattered in all directions.

"Xia, you can't defeat me."

Cyan looked at Chen Xia, smiling.

Whoosh-!

A faint wind raged.

Seeing it, Chen Xia unleashed her aura.

Rumble-rumble-rumble! Crash-crash-crash-!

A fierce storm of wind erupted from Cyan's body.

A wind-blade that destroyed everything.

Fritz hurriedly retreated.

Whoosh-!

But Chen Xia didn't retreat, instead rushing into Cyan's embrace.

Seeing Chen Xia, Cyan's eyes twitched.

Like flowing water.

Chen Xia naturally avoided Cyan's wind-blades and plunged into his embrace.

Thump-!

Chen Xia's palms touched Cyan's chest.

Flash-!

Instantly, Chen Xia's eyes flashed blue.

BANG-!

Cyan's body was thrown back as if exploding.

Water surged in all directions as if a water cannon had burst.

She had compressed her water aura and unleashed immense water pressure all at once.

CRASH-!

Cyan's body pierced through the wall.

Chen Xia placed her hand on her side, feeling pain.

She had been hit by a counterattack as she was thrown back.

"You've grown stronger."

Cyan, emerging from the hole in the wall, murmured in admiration.

But soon he chuckled.

"But you don't have the same sharpness as before, do you?"

"…"

Chen Xia looked at Cyan with cold eyes.

"The old you was much more threatening. It seems like life in Lumen has dulled your edge."

Cyan clicked his tongue.

"See? That's what happens when you become neither one thing nor the other."

Swish-

Chen Xia's body disappeared into the darkness.

Seeing that, killing intent flowed from Cyan's eyes.

"What a great disappointment. I wanted to remember your end as a shadow."

Sizzle-!

Rooooooar!

'Hero Ability?'

Chen Xia, who had hidden herself in the darkness, widened her eyes as she saw Cyan emitting a fire aura.

"You're not even worth remembering."

CRASH-CRASH-CRASH-CRASH-!

The fire aura raged as if exploding.

Chen Xia, taking a direct hit, tumbled miserably on the floor.

Sizzle-sizzle-sizzle-

Smoke rose from her entire body.

Her body had been cut by slashes that flew with the flames.

Looking at Chen Xia, Cyan turned away without hesitation.

Then he looked at Fritz, who had been caught in the explosion, and chuckled.

"You're alive?"

"Ugh."

"I swore to eradicate all shadows in this world."

Fritz activated his magic.

Seeing Fritz, Cyan, who had raised his sword, laughed.

"I'll put you out of your misery now."

Splosh-!

The sound of a hand touching a puddle echoed.

Cyan paused, then turned around.

Cyan's eyes twitched as he saw Chen Xia slowly getting up with difficulty, her head bowed.

"You're alive?"

Chen Xia raised her head.

At the fierce killing intent in her eyes, Cyan smiled widely.

"You're persistent."

Cyan approached Chen Xia.

"But Xia, you must have felt it, right? The overwhelming difference in strength."

SWISH-!

Aura surged around Cyan's sword.

"It'll be easier if you just give up. This is my last consideration as your brother."

CRUNCH-!

"…!"

Chen Xia took a step forward.

Then the floor caved in.

Chen Xia, who had compressed her aura, spoke in a cold voice.

"I don't need that kind of consideration."

CRASH-!

Chen Xia threw a punch.

Cyan, hit directly by the blow, was sent flying.

RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE-!

Cyan, who had crashed through the wall and fallen to the floor, grimaced.

'It's going to take longer than I thought.'

Thump-

Cyan got up and brushed off the stone fragments clinging to his body.

Step-step-

Chen Xia was approaching.

'She should be at her limit, how can she still move?'

The previous blow was Cyan's strongest, pouring everything he had into it.

'I can't be held back by someone like Xia.'

Cyan felt impatient.

He felt pressured by the fact that Chen Xia, whom he thought he could easily kill, was still in fighting stance.

He was trying to deny it, but he felt fear of Leo, who might be chasing him.

'I'm going to the underground right now.'

Cyan ignored Chen Xia and ran off.

'Xia will chase me. In that case, it's not too late to get Kyle's sword quickly and then deal with her.'

***

The deepest underground of Shan's imperial palace.

There was a stone chamber there that only Shan's imperial family could enter.

Of course, even an imperial family member couldn't approach without the Emperor's permission.

But Cyan reached the stone chamber without difficulty.

This was because the Lich King's legion had currently invaded Shan's imperial palace.

The shadows guarding this place had also been defeated by the Lich King's legion.

'Father and the other shadows must be captured by Artkhan.'

Of course, soon the Lich King's legion would all be subjugated.

But before that, he just needed to get what he wanted and get out.

Cyan approached the stone chamber door.

The powerful seal, passed down from previous generations, only reacted to the blood of the imperial family.

He smeared his blood on his hand and placed it on the door.

Rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble-

Then the door opened.

Step-step-

The inside of the room was a huge archive.

These were all records of shadows unknown to the world.

The emperors of Shan considered these records treasures.

The achievements of the shadows.

Evidence that they were indeed behind history, even though no one acknowledged them.

However, from Cyan's perspective, only sneers came out.

"They won't be known to the world anyway."

Even if they were known, no one would acknowledge them.

Unless recorded in the Hero Record.

People do not acknowledge great deeds.

The reason for leaving these records was also ultimately because they could not have their names on the Hero Record.

"A shadow is just a shadow. That's why it has no value, Xia."

Cyan said, turning to Chen Xia, who had followed him.

"Then why did you come to this archive of records?"

At Chen Xia's question, Cyan pointed to the sword hanging on the archive wall.

"For that sword."

The only weapon among the things here.

"They say it's the sword of the first hero, Kyle."

At Cyan's words, Chen Xia's eyes widened.

"The sword of the first hero…?"

"Yes! Tartarus told me. That our ancestor might have been Kyle's disciple."

Cyan smiled, seeing Xia's surprise.

"I don't know why we were relegated to being mere shadows, but this is destiny."

Cyan pointed to himself.

"Now that it's known that the first hero existed in the world. I, a descendant of Kyle's disciple, will inherit the Hero Record of the first hero."

"You believe Tartarus's words?"

Chen Xia made an incredulous expression.

"There's no reason not to believe him. So, Xia."

Step-step-

Cyan approached the wall and drew the sword from its scabbard.

"Rest assured and die. I, who have inherited Kyle's power, will subjugate Tartarus."

"Still spouting such nonsense…"

Xia, who had been glaring at Cyan with a grimace, paused as she looked at the sword.

'Wait, that sword… definitely somewhere.'

It was a sword she had seen before.

Cyan didn't seem to realize it, but Xia had learned about that sword in her Lumen classes.

'Definitely in the heroics class…'

CRUNCH-! WHOOSH-!

Just then, a wind aura surged.

Chen Xia hurriedly unleashed her aura to block the aura storm.

CRASH-!

"Gasp?"

But she couldn't hold on and was thrown against the wall.

Rattle-rattle-rattle-!

Chen Xia fell miserably to the floor, and the shadow records poured down on her.

"Amazing."

Cyan looked down at the sword with a surprised face.

"Even after 5000 years, it's still so sharp! And it absorbs aura so well!"

At first glance, it was an astonishing sword that could easily be called a divine sword.

"Is this truly a sword made by the divine blacksmith?"

Cyan's body trembled with ecstasy.

Thump-

Just then, Chen Xia got up.

Her body was trembling.

"You're already at your limit."

Cyan approached Chen Xia with leisurely steps.

"So why are you struggling so much?"

"…I think it's because of something I've heard annoyingly for a year."

"What is it?"

"To… overcome your limits."

Seeing Chen Xia take a fighting stance with a smile, Cyan let out a deep sigh.

"It seems Lumen has ruined you."

Cyan made a pathetic expression.

"Again, Xia. You cannot be a hero."

"I know."

"Then why are you pretending to be a hero?"

Those who step into darkness are trapped by darkness and cannot go to the light.

They have too much blood on their hands to go to the light.

From the moment she herself thought she couldn't be a hero, the gods would never acknowledge her.

Because no god would acknowledge someone who doesn't even acknowledge themselves.

Still…

"Can't I dream?"

Seeing Chen Xia smile brightly, Cyan felt an inexplicable unpleasantness.

It was Chen Xia's usual clear smile.

But that smile now seemed too radiant.

That dazzling brilliance somehow made him feel nauseous.

"Dreams are meant to be broken. You know that well, don't you?"

Cyan raised his sword.

"Someone like you can never defeat me. The only reason you barely drove me to death back then was because I was lazy in my shadow training."

He was about to swing his sword with a sneer.

"Do you actually brag about such a pathetic reason?"

A scoffing sound was heard.

Chen Xia's eyes widened.

Cyan twisted his face and turned his head towards the entrance.

Step-step-

"Leo… Frobe."

"I also know someone who had an incredibly unrealistic dream. That guy told me."

Leo smiled widely at Chen Xia.

"Dreams are meant to be achieved."