Book 1 Chapter 319

Gugugugugugung-!

The great earth spirit, Titham, raised its hand.

Seeing that, Leo quickly lunged.

Hwaak-! Kwagagagagagag-! Gugugugugugung-!

The earth trembled and the entire island shook from Titham's attack.

Other students, watching the confrontation between Leo and Warden from afar with astonished eyes, staggered from the aftershock.

Leo's eyes narrowed as he moved out of Titham's attack range.

'When did he contract with a great spirit?'

Leo looked at Warden, who was looking at him with Titham at his back, and clenched and unclenched his fists.

In Lumen, Leo was one of the people who knew Warden's talent and potential best.

In terms of skill alone, he was the strongest among the second-years, excluding himself.

In terms of combat power alone, he was equal to or greater than Lunia and Ar.

He was a spirit user whose innate strength and talent were extraordinary, truly deserving of the nickname "monster."

However, Warden didn't reveal his presence more than necessary.

He was not very active in academic schedules.

He also didn't socialize well with other students.

Although he was naturally quiet and liked to be alone.

Leo knew well what Warden's goal was and what he was always looking at.

Someone who had reached their intended position.

Warden was always watching Leo.

And he made great efforts to defeat Leo.

Alone and silently.

He walked the path aiming for the strongest.

Warden had trained the most among the second-years of Lumen since his admission.

'The result of his desperate efforts to catch up to me… is a great spirit?'

Leo looked at Warden, who was watching him, and extended his sword.

Goooh-!

Flames enveloped Leo's body.

Hwaleureuk-

Wings of flame soared behind Leo.

Hwaak-

Leo's body soared into the air.

Gugugugugugung-!

Titham lowered its head, extended its hand, and Warden climbed onto it.

Kugugung-!

From a distance, students looked up at Leo and Warden.

Gulp-

The students swallowed dryly at the situation where the Phoenix and the great earth spirit faced off.

Warden, standing on Titham's shoulder, raised his head.

And he looked up at Leo, who was looking down at him, with a blank expression.

Looking at Warden, Leo said,

"I never knew you would contract with a great spirit?"

Leo smiled faintly.

Seeing Leo like that, Warden opened his mouth.

"Every time I see you, I realize something, Leo Flov."

"What is it?"

"The feeling of looking up at someone else."

"Are you only going to look up?"

To that question, Warden curled the corners of his lips.

"When I was young, I read a book about a foolish man."

Spiritual power surged from Warden's body.

"It was the story of a foolish man who tried to reach the sun by flying high, only to fall to his death."

Gugugugugugung-!

The earth trembled as if an earthquake had occurred.

"Other children laughed at the protagonist in the story, but I didn't."

Warden raised his hand.

Accordingly, Titham also raised its arm.

"I have no interest in a life spent looking up and unable to even meet someone's eyes."

Warden reached out his hand towards Leo.

"Even if I fall to my death without ever reaching it…"

Gugugugugugung-!

"I will not stop reaching out towards my goal with everything I have!"

As Warden roared, Titham's arm swung with incredible speed.

Accordingly, Leo was flung high into the sky.

Hwaleureuk-!

As Leo drew his sword, flames surged.

Kwagagagagag-!

Fire and earth.

Due to the elemental advantage, Leo was at a distinct disadvantage.

But Leo didn't care.

Leo's body blazed brilliantly like a burning sun.

Kwagagagag-!

The Phoenix's flames emanating from Leo's sword turned Titham's arm to ashes.

Gugugugugugung-!

The arm, turned to ashes, lost its form and fell to the ground.

Huwaak-!

But it was quickly restored in an instant.

Kwagagag-

As Titham extended its hand, lines made of giant rocks, like a spiderweb, shot out.

Leo's red eyes quickly traced the trajectory.

Hwaak-!

Dodging the numerous rock lines at high speed, he charged towards Warden.

Seeing Leo like that, Warden swung his arm.

Tap-!

Titham's arm quickly grasped Leo.

The moment all the students' eyes widened.

Titham slammed its fist directly into the ground.

Gugugugung! Kuwagagagagag-!

"Uaaaaaak!"

"There's no holding back at all!"

Students watching the fight fled in terror.

Hwaleureuk-!

Despite receiving an impact beyond imagination, flames blazed from Titham's fist.

Warden, who had slammed his fist into the ground, felt his grip loosen due to the immense power and contorted his face.

Currently, Warden and Titham were in a state of "Assimilation," one of the spirit magic skills.

It was an advanced spirit magic that allowed one to assimilate with the spirit and control its power at will.

The downside was that the spirit user would suffer the damage taken by the spirit.

"Titham, Earth Wave."

As Warden spoke, the ground began to heave.

Kwagagag-!

Warden slammed Leo, whom he held in his grip, deep into the ground.

Thick dust rose.

The fog had already been cleared by the intense flames emitted by the Phoenix and the earth controlled by Titham.

-Indeed… a monster whispered about even among spirits.

Titham marveled.

"…"

-But it was reckless. To bring out a Phoenix, which has a poor elemental matchup, to fight.

"Titham."

-Hmm?

"He's coming."

Kuquagagagagag-!

Leo, who had been slammed deep into the ground, shot up into the sky.

-No!

Titham was astonished, and Warden took a combat stance.

Blood flowed from Leo's forehead, which had a wound.

Leo, with a combative smile, said,

"Impressive."

Goooh-!

The Phoenix's flames swirled around Leo's sword.

Warden hastily tried to move.

But Leo was faster, beheading Titham.

"Tsk."

Warden felt his consciousness become hazy for a moment.

Gugugugugugung-!

Titham was instantly reverse summoned.

A huge pile of earth collapsed.

Mixed with it, Warden also fell to the ground and was buried among the mounds of earth.

'Warden… he really is a monster.'

Leo, landing on the ground, took a deep breath, feeling the pain in his body.

'I can't believe he had such a trump card hidden.'

Of course, he couldn't fully wield Titham.

He still lacked the capacity to fully draw out the power of a great spirit.

However, the mere fact of summoning a great spirit at the age of 17 was proof of Warden's immense potential.

'To think that a raw gem, yet to be refined, is this…'

Leo shook his head and looked at the pile of earth.

'And… he's still not down.'

Although he had taken immense damage, Warden had not yet been declared dead.

Just as Leo gripped his sword.

"I'm first!"

"Don't be ridiculous! I'm first!"

Familiar voices, bickering, could be heard.

Leo planted his sword on the ground like a staff and looked up at the sky.

Durran, shrouded in lightning aura, and Eliza, riding a Wind Wyvern, were approaching at tremendous speed.

Seeing them, the other students showed relieved expressions.

The arrival of Durran and Eliza.

Even the great Leo had suffered considerable damage from his battle with Warden.

In such a situation, they thought that even Leo would have no choice but to retreat if these two joined.

Tap-! Tadat-!

Durran and Eliza stood before Leo.

Zzzzt- Leo laughed as he watched the two glare at each other.

"Are you going to attack me together?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Leo Flov."

Eliza pulled out a whip from her pouch.

"My pride will not allow me to team up with Durran Moira to defeat you."

"Hoho, you're speaking correctly for once, Eliza Hergin. I would rather defeat you and then fight Leo Flov than team up with you."

"Oh my, you're the one who will be defeated."

The students inwardly screamed as they watched Durran and Eliza growl at each other.

'Hey! Aren't you on the same side!'

'Why are you trying to kill each other with Leo in front of you!'

As the students of Noble and Harmony clutched their heads.

Gugugugugung-!

Warden emerged, pushing aside the mounds of earth.

"My fight with Leo Flov is not over yet."

Warden looked at Durran and Eliza with a blank expression.

"So, both of you, get lost."

"It seems the winner is decided, so you should be the one to step back, Warden Tiden."

"Hmph. I'll defeat you too."

Eliza and Durran sneered coldly.

Seeing that, Leo burst into laughter.

'They don't know how to give up.'

The three of them would know the difference in power best.

Still, they struggled and flailed.

They challenged with their heads held high, without fear.

They should have been discouraged.

No, even though they were already discouraged, they continued to challenge recklessly.

'The impetuosity of teenagers is terrifying.'

Leo learned the art of not giving up from his comrades.

Rishinas taught him how to find light in endless darkness.

Luna showed him how to move towards that light, and through that, he learned from Arion how not to lose courage.

Finally, Duweno made him realize that he had comrades he could trust and rely on.

Not only Warden, Durran, and Eliza.

'Celia, Chloe, Abad… and Chen Sia too.'

Even though their ideals and destinations were different, their goal of reaching Leo remained unchanged.

They chased after him, struggling.

The great hero, himself.

And the new sprouts of heroes who were growing.

Their starting points were bound to be different.

But from their perspective, when they snapped out of it at the same starting line, all they could see was Leo's back, moving far ahead.

'They will all grow into great heroes.'

Leo closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

'They will grow into comrades who will fight alongside me.'

He thought that his peers at Lumen would someday become comrades he could rely on.

'That's why I worked hard to walk at the same pace.'

He matched their eye level.

So that they wouldn't despair and fall apart due to the vast difference in their heights.

As a senior hero who had come so far.

He had been considerate of his juniors.

But recently, he had been feeling like, 'Is this really okay?'

To his peers who were clashing with him with all their might.

Was it truly right to only show them the image of Leo Flov?

"Trust the future you chose."

Duweno's advice came to mind.

'If there is a possibility that you will stand on the battlefield against Erebor as heroes.'

Leo opened his eyes.

'That possibility…'

Whether they could stand up when faced with overwhelming despair.

'It wouldn't be bad to test it now.'

Leo unleashed his aura.

The moment he did, Durran, Eliza, and Warden, who had been watching each other warily, stopped.

Until now, he had only shown his peers the image of Leo Flov.

But from now on, it was different.

Leo's gaze changed.

At that, the bodies of the three twitched.

"Stop fighting."

As Leo Flov, the student council president and a second-year at Lumen Academy.

It would be right to step down from this position.

Even Leo Flov would find it too reckless to fight Warden, Durran, and Eliza.

But…

If it were Kyle, the story would be different.

"All three of you, come at me at once."

"Are you looking down on us? Leo Flo…"

Kwagagagag-!

"……!"

Eliza lunged desperately.

Durran instinctively extended his sword and diverted the direction of the aura.

But he couldn't completely divert it.

If Durran had been even slightly slower to deflect Leo's aura.

If Eliza hadn't dodged.

They would have been declared dead on the spot.

Durran put strength into his sword at the chillingly sharp sword energy.

'…What is this?'

Durran looked at Leo.

"I'm not looking down on you."

Leo said with a blank expression.

"Prove it for yourselves. That you…"

Killing intent and fighting spirit poured out of Leo's body.

"Are worthy of standing on the same stage as me."