Book 1 Chapter 369

369

‘The dirtiest paradise in this world.’

As Leo walked through the street of pleasure, he observed the scenery.

People's gazes were fixed on Leo.

Leo's appearance on this street was extremely incongruous.

The street of pleasure was dirty.

It wasn't just the street itself that was dirty.

Everything that built this street.

A street built with twisted desires and greed from the very depths of the human heart.

It was as the old woman at the entrance had said.

This was clearly the bottom of the world.

He recalled the dazzling main street from a moment ago.

‘That was probably just for show.’

Before being the world's largest developing country, this nation was one where things illegal in other countries were legal.

Alehem must have been the ultimate playground for the powerful.

That glittering street was likely the result of squeezing the people of Elehem dry.

The scenery of the street of pleasure was probably closer to Alehem's true form.

‘Well, the whole country might not be like this.’

Just then, three large figures blocked Leo's path.

"What are you staring at? Do we look interesting to you?"

"Judging by your appearance, you look like a young master from a noble family. What brings you to such a humble place?"

"No, is he really a young master? He's so pretty, could he be a girl?"

"Maybe. Should we strip him?"

The three men chuckled, looking at Leo.

Their eyes, which looked like those of mercenaries, were vacant.

They looked like they were high on alcohol and drugs.

As Leo watched the three in silence, the giant in the lead scowled.

"What are you staring at? Kid! Haven't you ever seen the dregs of society?!"

"Hey, hey! Don't scare him too much! He'll start crying and call for his lackey guards."

"That would be fun too! But once you're in here, you'll realize that your petty power from outside is useless!"

They got offended, then for some reason, burst into laughter among themselves.

Leo smirked, watching the mercenaries.

"I'm here to find someone."

"Who?"

"The master of the Palace of Pleasure."

As soon as he stated his purpose for coming here, a chilling silence fell.

The master of the Palace of Pleasure.

The one who ruled this street.

No, it might not be enough to say he was merely the ruler of the street of pleasure.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was the de facto ruler of this oasis city, Uarguela.

He wielded influence far greater than that of the lord of this city.

"This bastard!"

"Do you know who that person is to be mentioning them so carelessly, you milk-drinking brat! Do you want to die?!"

The mercenaries, who had been drunk and high, suddenly regained their senses.

With pale faces, they yelled at the top of their lungs.

As if they didn't want to be involved in this conversation.

Seeing their reaction, Leo tilted his head.

‘They react like this just by mentioning him?’

"Where can I find him?"

"This bastard, still!"

"No one can meet him!"

Leo's expression turned indifferent to the mercenaries' reaction.

"If you don't know, then I have no business with you."

"You!"

As Leo walked away without looking back, the indignant mercenaries lunged at him.

*Thud!*

With a dull impact sound, the mercenaries flew through the air.

*Crash!*

"Gack!"

"Eek!"

"Ugh!"

The mercenaries who crashed to the ground let out screams of pain.

Elsi, who was on Leo's shoulder, muttered.

-There are only bad people here.

"It's that kind of town."

Leo replied calmly and walked deeper into the street.

Dilapidated taverns lined the street.

But no matter how much he looked, he couldn't find any building that could be called a 'palace.'

Leo narrowed his eyes.

"Elsi."

-Yes, it's as Leo thought. This street is covered in a spirit's illusion.

In response to Elsi's answer, Leo took out the note Tina had given him.

Only Tina's name was written there.

"With this much power, could it be a Great Spirit?"

He had thought she would introduce someone significant, but he hadn't expected the master of the Palace of Pleasure to be a contractor of a Great Spirit.

-Can you find the way?

"Who do you think I am?"

Leo smirked at Elsi's question.

Normally, it would have been impossible to even notice this illusion.

But Leo was friends with the strongest summoner in history.

That strongest summoner didn't distinguish between mythical beasts and spirits.

"Compared to Risenas' spirit arts, this is child's play."

-Have you ever been subjected to Risenas' spirit arts?

"Many times."

Leo frowned, recalling his friend who used spirit arts on him out of anger.

Then, he reached out his hand into the air and grasped it as if parting curtains.

*Crackle!*

Space distorted at Leo's fingertips.

*Fwoosh!*

As Leo pulled his arm back, the space receded, revealing the true path.

In Leo's eyes, a dazzling palace appeared in the distance.

Leo looked surprised by the spiritual energy emanating from the palace.

"A spirit of light?"

He couldn't tell its identity when it was within the illusion, but now he could clearly feel it.

The spirit that had settled here was a Great Spirit of Light.

The most noble-natured spirit among spirits.

The spirit of light was, literally, the embodiment and spokesperson of light.

It was certainly surprising that such a Great Spirit of Light had taken root in such a dirty street.

-Oh, a spirit of light.

Elsi gasped, covering her mouth.

She looked overjoyed and flustered.

The era Elsi was born in was an age of disaster.

She had to live in a time when a dull gray sky covered the world, and she couldn't even properly see the starlight in the night sky.

That's why Elsi developed a strong longing for light.

Even now, after being brought to the present world by Leo, it was the same.

She was purely happy at the thought that she might be able to meet a Great Spirit who wielded such light.

Leo smirked at Elsi's reaction.

"Are you that happy?"

-Yes! I've always wanted to meet one!

"I'm curious about what kind of being the Great Spirit of Light is."

His memories related to the Great Spirit of Light were not entirely pleasant.

5,000 years ago.

Luminous, the Great Spirit of Radiance, the contractor of Risenas.

She, the Great Spirit of Light, was the first comrade Leo and Risenas had to lose.

After Risenas died.

After defeating Erebus and Kai also died.

It was only after a vast span of 5,000 years that he was finally able to keep his promise.

Leo took out the Orb of Light from his pocket.

The object that became the medium of his contract with Elsi.

It was a treasure of the spirits of light left behind by Luminous to Leo.

After sheathing the orb, Leo said.

"Well then, shall we go?"

-Yes!

***

At the top of the Palace of Pleasure.

The street of pleasure.

No, the woman who looked down on all of Uarguela's eyes twitched.

"To breach the veil, whose doing could it be?"

As she expressed her displeasure, the woman waiting beside her slightly closed her eyes and replied.

"An outsider has come to the street of pleasure, Lord Laruel."

"An outsider?"

Even if it was an outsider, this situation was still incomprehensible.

Was there anyone in this country who could see through her power and counter it?

Laruel pondered and recalled something.

She had already heard that heroes candidates had been dispatched from Lumern to investigate the anomaly in this country.

"I see. Are they hero candidates?"

The displeasure on Laruel's face deepened.

She did not welcome the existence of heroes in the first place.

"What should we do?"

"Why are you asking that?"

"The hero candidate who came here is named Leo Flob."

"The hero candidate whom the Comet Mage designated as his successor?"

"Yes. The one Lord Laruel has been waiting for for a long time…"

"I finished waiting for someone a long time ago."

Laruel's cold words made the woman pause.

"And you believe the absurd story that the Comet Mage has reappeared in this land?"

"The Ancestor of the Constellation and the Hero of Beginnings have also appeared in this land. The Comet Mage…"

Laruel chuckled at her subordinate's words.

"A Great Hero and a Hero of Genesis are different."

"Excuse me?"

"If the Heroes of Genesis were the same as the Great Heroes, this world would have perished long ago."

"My opinion remains unchanged."

Laruel gazed out the window and murmured.

"Light disappeared from this world long ago."

Leo, who was heading towards the Palace of Pleasure, stopped.

At some point, the people on the street had disappeared.

-Leo, it's an illusion.

Elsi said, narrowing her brow.

Leo had also already penetrated the fact that he had entered the realm of illusion.

The problem was that this illusion was not simply an illusion that blurred the eyes.

Bright light erupted before Leo's eyes.

"This is interesting."

Leo chuckled, looking at the one who revealed himself.

What appeared before him was none other than Leo himself.

Leo said, seeing an illusion identical to himself as if looking in a mirror.

"You wield quite a troublesome spirit art."

Illusions are the specialty of light spirits.

A Great Spirit could create countless realistic illusions.

However, the sophistication of the illusion that appeared before him now was on a different level.

"It seems you have a very powerful Great Spirit as your contractor."

Basically, the powers of Great Spirits are almost equal, but there are differences in combat power.

That is due to the difference in years lived and experience.

It is natural for spirits who have lived longer and have more experience to excel in combat.

It is possible to create countless realistic illusions.

However, it is difficult to create an illusion that is exactly the same as the real thing.

*Fwoosh!*

The light illusion used Zerdinger's flame.

Seeing this, Elsi said.

-Shall I step in?

Light and darkness are opposing elements.

If Elsi, the shadow spirit, exerts her power, even the most sophisticated illusion can be distorted.

*Stomp*

"No."

Leo said firmly, taking a step forward.

The reason such a powerful illusion blocked Leo was simple.

The master of this palace harbored animosity towards Leo's existence.

They intended to drive him away, even by causing harm.

If he used Elsi, he would have to unleash the power of a Great Spirit.

‘It would be better to keep it hidden that there are two Great Spirits of Darkness in one era.’

In the first place, the illusion before him was not a major obstacle for Leo.

"No matter how real it looks, it's still just an illusion."

Leo's lips curled up, and Zerdinger's flame surged from his body.

*Fwoosh!*

As Leo's red eyes gleamed.

*Roar!*

A massive sword strike of flame erupted.

*Fwoosh!*

Laruel's eyes twitched as she saw the flames rising in a part of the palace.

'This fast?'

The Palace of Pleasure was covered by five illusions.

The first was an illusion that concealed the appearance of the palace.

The second was the illusion that had just been broken through.

From the second illusion onwards, it was a dangerous illusion that could kill anyone uninvited approaching the Palace of Pleasure.

Even though it was an illusion, it was a powerful illusion that could never be broken unless one exceeded their limits.

'I knew he was called the greatest hero candidate in history.'

Laruel admitted that she had underestimated Leo's presence.

'Well, a student learning Lumern's teachings should be able to do this much…'

The moment Laruel thought that.

*Flash!*

This time, she looked at the light that erupted from another illusion area, her complexion changing drastically.

The third illusion.

Even the illusion that tested one's self-belief was instantly broken through.

The words "successor to the Comet Mage" flashed through Laruel's mind.

'No, it can't be.'

The moment Laruel denied it.

The fourth illusion was also broken through.

The fourth illusion was one that required the mental fortitude to move forward under any circumstances.

3,000 years.

He was the first to break through the fourth illusion.

'This guy…'

Laruel's mouth fell open.

'What in the world is his identity…'

With only the last illusion remaining.

At the moment of her shock.

*Crash!*

The door to the very top floor was roughly opened.

Laruel's eyes met those of a boy with pure white hair and red eyes.

"I thought it was strange for a human to be doing this."

Looking at Laruel, Leo tilted his head.

"I didn't expect a Great Spirit to be doing this without a contractor."