Book 1 Chapter 256

256

"Woooowww-!"

Melina looked at the monster in front of her with despairing eyes.

The sky was turning black.

The world was burning.

The giant of despair, wreathed in black flames, roared at the sky.

"This is… the primordial evil…"

Melina's jaw trembled uncontrollably.

The Dragon Lord, the greatest hero of her time, whose name would be etched into a page of history as a great hero, was trembling like a frightened girl.

The final chapter of the Heroes of Genesis.

The Hero Record that had swallowed countless heroes over the past 3000 years.

But also the world's long-cherished wish that had to be conquered someday.

Melina thought it was possible.

Her comrades were great.

They were highly regarded, even among the most renowned heroes in the long history of the age of heroes.

She herself was no different.

She had resolved to achieve the world's task and restore true peace.

And she challenged the specter of past calamities.

The result…

"Everyone…"

Melina's face distorted.

"Please… please… open your eyes…"

She pleaded in a barely audible voice.

She desperately called out to her comrades who had fallen to the ground or vanished.

But no one answered.

The difference in power was too great.

Fear and despair, unlike anything she had ever experienced, overwhelmed Melina.

"Oooohhh-!"

"Whoosh-!"

Erebos raised his arm.

Black flames raged.

The calamitous fire moved to burn Melina, the last one remaining.

Melina sighed in resignation and bowed her head.

"Kwagagagang-!"

Flames raged.

Then Melina realized someone had stopped Erebos and raised her head.

Behind her stood a woman with pure white hair.

Melina's eyes widened.

The woman who turned around smiled faintly at Melina.

She was a very famous figure.

Naturally, Melina also knew about her.

Her distant predecessor.

"Lady… Rodia?"

Melina was surprised by the appearance of the Dragon of Genesis.

"Splash- Kwagagagang-!"

Then, a huge wave from the sky crashed down to the ground.

"Chiiik-!"

Water evaporated from the black flames, creating a thick cloud of steam.

"Goooohhhhh!"

The giant wave soon turned into a waterspout, pushing back the black flames.

Melina murmured as she saw the face of the beastkin woman at its center.

"Lady Azonia."

"Kwaduk-!"

Far in front, a dwarven warrior valiantly swung his massive axe, severing Erebos's arm.

Alongside him, a human wielding a longsword swung his blade, carving a huge sword scar into Erebos's chest.

It was Damian and Lumern.

Finally, starlight adorned the sky.

Fragments of starlight pierced Erebos's body.

Seirun.

Melina couldn't believe the situation with the appearance of the Heroes of Genesis.

The final chapter of the Heroes of Genesis was a world of possessed heroes.

But how had they appeared?

"What's your name?"

"M-Melina, ma'am."

"Melina."

Rodia smiled gently.

"Blessings on this encounter… thanks to the Great King of Wisdom."

Rodia, showing the dragon's courtesy, asked,

"Can you tell me how many years it's been since we sealed that damned fireball?"

"About 2900 years…"

"I see."

Rodia nodded.

She said with a gentle smile,

"Leave the rest to us."

"I'll fight too!"

Rodia reached out her hand towards Melina, who was hastily getting up.

"Swoosh-!"

And Melina's eyes widened when she saw Rodia's arm pass through her.

"You and your comrades can no longer fight. You will soon be sent outside."

Rodia smiled faintly.

"T-That's…"

Melina realized.

The reason why the Heroes of Genesis had appeared in the world of possessed heroes.

They had failed.

And… those who had endlessly repeated this battle for thousands of years had begun the fight once again.

Rodia, with wide eyes, smiled faintly at Melina, who wore a despairing expression.

"You haven't failed."

"Huh?"

"Yes. This is a tactical retreat. Just like we were, you are still inexperienced, so you can still grow stronger."

Rodia said, as if reassuring a distant descendant.

"I believe. That someday, descendants will appear to vanquish that damned fireball."

Despite the desperate situation, Rodia did not give up hope.

"Someday, those like the great Arch-Heroes will appear and save the world once again. So, will you promise me?"

Rodia turned towards her comrades who were fighting Erebos and said,

"That you won't give up."

She couldn't answer those words.

Before she could reply, the world was engulfed in darkness.

She barely survived, but her comrades were left as invalids, and others left no corpses behind.

Before Melina, only the cold message [Conquest Failed] floated.

***

"They succeeded in trapping Erebos within their Hero Record and tearing the Hero Record to weaken Erebos… but Erebos himself tried to break free from the seal," Mel said.

Erebos was the natural enemy of gods.

Eventually, he would surely burn down the Hero Record and emerge into the world again.

"So, to stop Erebos, they entered their own world?"

"Yes."

Mel nodded.

The Erebos appearing in the final chapter of the Heroes of Genesis was, after all, "real."

"If you look at the records left by those who barely survived after attempting to conquer the final chapter of Genesis… it seems the Heroes of Genesis are continuously repeating the process of sealing Erebos within the Hero Record."

"Is it a loop?"

Leo narrowed his eyes.

"Yes. And it seemed they lost their memories from previous attempts each time the world repeated."

Leo's face hardened.

The Hero Record was an artifact created by a god.

And Erebos was the natural enemy of gods.

If they directly entered the world where Erebos was trapped, it wouldn't be strange for the Hero Record to go out of control.

'Does that mean they're trapped?'

And perhaps the Heroes of Genesis had prepared for that.

"And now, cracks are appearing in the Hero Record that is sealing Erebos, is that what you're saying…?"

"Yes."

Leo sighed deeply.

Flames grow stronger the more they burn.

'In the world of heroes, a fragment of Erebos has been burning for 3000 years, growing in power. This means he's becoming too strong for the Heroes of Genesis to handle anymore.'

There must have been countless times when the Heroes of Genesis were defeated in this endless loop.

It wasn't because the Heroes of Genesis lacked power.

Erebos was immortal.

The biggest reason the Arch-Heroes could vanquish Erebos was because of Kyle, who possessed characteristics that were a natural counter to Erebos.

"Within 100 years at most, Erebos will defeat the Heroes of Genesis and emerge into the world. So, we need heroes who can conquer the final chapter before that happens."

After failing the final chapter's conquest, Mel endlessly prepared for another attempt.

However, a second attempt did not happen in Mel's generation.

The comrades who barely survived died shortly after.

Later, the Sword Saint appeared, but he was only one.

In Kalian's generation, five heroes capable of challenging it did not emerge.

Having returned alive from the final chapter, Mel knew better than anyone.

'In the final chapter of Genesis, luck doesn't work.'

What was needed was the power to vanquish Erebos.

Mel worked tirelessly to achieve that.

And now…

"The goal is set."

Mel smiled faintly at Leo's words.

The person who would put an end to the unseen threat was right before them.

"Let's start now."

Leo's red eyes burned with resolve.

"Preparation for the final chapter of Genesis conquest."

"Yes."

The era was moving.

***

"Whoosh!"

Intermediate wind elemental spirits stirred up the wind.

Leo's white hair soared upwards.

Seeing this, Leo lightly waved his hand.

"Whoooosh-!"

With a small whirlwind, a lower wind spirit, a Sylph, appeared before Leo.

The Sylph circled around Leo, protecting him from Sasha's attacks.

"Ugh!"

Sasha, having consumed all her magical energy, staggered and then collapsed to the ground.

Gritting her teeth, Sasha turned her head.

"Leo senior's friend! How much time is left?!"

"Hey, I have a name, it's Kal, junior?"

Kal grumbled, then took out a watch from his pocket, checked it, and shrugged.

"About an hour left now."

At Kal's words, Sasha struggled to her feet on trembling legs.

'I clearly understand the problem.'

Sasha clenched her teeth.

'I can't counter Leo senior's spirit magic.'

From the point when most of the challengers had dropped out and only the five who challenged him during the entrance exam remained, Leo hadn't used various abilities.

When facing Aina, Haviden, and Luke, he only used aura.

When facing Juen, he only used magic, and when facing Sasha, he only used summoning magic.

What they felt when facing such a Leo was an insurmountable wall.

Sasha realized.

That with her current skill, she couldn't even touch a hair on Leo.

"Have you given up?"

At Leo's question, Sasha hesitated, then clenched her teeth.

"Yes."

"With that, you three have given up."

At Leo's words, Sasha drooped her shoulders and went towards Kal.

Haviden, Sasha, and Juen had declared their surrender.

"What about you two?"

Leo turned his head to look at Aina and Luke.

Luke looked at Aina and said,

"Aina-ssi. Do you want to go first?"

At that question, Aina tightly clenched her fist.

"No. With my current skill, I can never reach that person."

Despite persistently challenging him, Aina realized that further challenges were meaningless.

It wasn't just Aina.

The others were the same.

'Among the first-years right now, there's no one who can land a single hit on that person.'

"Wow! You're really tough! So tough! Our juniors are working so hard, you could give them a break for once~"

Kal chuckled at Juen's murmurings as she lay sprawled on the ground.

"Leo doesn't have such a thing in his dictionary, you know? Anyway, shouldn't you guys decide on your mentors quickly?"

At that, Juen jumped up, sat cross-legged, and said,

"I can just grab any senior from the magic department and ask."

Juen showed confidence.

After all, the foundation of her magic was the Southern Magic Tower.

She was confident that having any wizard as a mentor wouldn't greatly help her develop her skills as a wizard.

"Besides, I can get private tutoring from big sister Torua."

Torua, last year's graduate who achieved the status of Arch-mage immediately after graduating, also belonged to the Southern Magic Tower.

And Juen, as the daughter of the Southern Magic Tower Lord, had been very close to Torua since childhood.

If she could receive tutoring from her, it was no exaggeration to say that she had nothing to learn from a second-year student.

"How about getting it from Chloe?"

"The Southern Magic Tower and the Northern Magic Tower are rivals, you know? You wouldn't not know that, would you?"

Juen squinted her eyes at Kal's words.

Just then, Luke approached Leo.

"Luke, stop. Don't waste your time for nothing and hurry up and find a mentor. If you can't decide on a mentor, you might be expelled."

Harling hadn't said what would happen if someone couldn't find a mentor.

But fitting the name "Wall of Lamentation" of Lumern, they might indeed be expelled.

"I want to try one more time."

Luke, scratching his head with an awkward smile, walked forward to Leo.

And took a deep breath.

"Please take care of me."

At Luke's words, Leo drew his sword and said,

"You too."