Book 1 Chapter 389
389.
‘That power must be why Lysinas couldn’t form a contract with Pegasus.’
Dragons are a race that has maintained the world’s order since the age of gods.
They were those who protected the world as messengers of the gods and followed their will.
Therefore, each dragon race had its unique duties, and the Black Dragons were a race that annihilated all who turned their backs on the world.
Because of such duties, Black Dragons became objects of fear, and they were violent and cruel.
Especially in the Age of Calamity, darkness was an object of fear and loathing.
‘In fact, many Black Dragons fell and sided with Erebus.’
Even if different, the essence was the same darkness.
They couldn’t help but easily fall into corruption.
Leo recalled the countless fallen Black Dragons he had buried in the darkness with his own hands.
‘It’s understandable that Lysinas disliked her racial characteristics.’
Before disliking it, Lysinas feared her own essence.
Knowing this, Leo unhesitatingly stepped into the darkness on behalf of Lysinas.
So that Lysinas could advance towards the light.
‘Because the light she showed me was hope.’
For Leo, it was natural to bear Lysinas’s burden.
***
Leo walked inside Guardslon with Rodia.
They headed to the darkest back alleys of Guardslon.
Following behind Leo, Rodia made a slightly surprised expression.
“There was a place like this?”
It was a path Rodia didn’t know, even though she had conquered Lysinas’s world several times.
“I researched Guardslon in this era countless times for strategy. As expected, it’s hard to know as much as Sir Kyle, who actually lived through this era.”
“Yes. But you know information I don’t.”
“Yes.”
Rodia nodded at Leo’s words.
“What’s the scope of action in this Hero’s World?”
“First of all, there’s nowhere within Guardslon that you can’t go.”
Rodia steadily recounted her past conquest experiences to Leo.
Rodia, who had attempted to conquer this world several times, explained the failure conditions in detail.
“Actually, this world can never be cleared if it’s not Sir Kyle.”
“What do you mean?”
“The moment Lady Lysinas realizes that the conqueror is not an All-Class, it immediately becomes a conquest failure.”
This Hero’s World is a possession-type Hero’s World.
In other words, the conqueror must possess Kyle’s body and fight against Jörmungandr with Lysinas.
But no matter if one enters Kyle’s body, the conqueror does not become Kyle.
No matter how much one imitates Kyle, Kyle’s unique characteristic.
The ability of an All-Class based on pure mana characteristics can never be imitated.
Rodia also realized this fact and tried to conquer by somehow hiding the fact that she was not an All-Class.
But in the end, she was exposed as not being an All-Class and failed.
“It is strange. No matter what, to fail the conquest regardless of the situation as soon as it’s realized that it’s not an All-Class.”
“Well, since Sir Kyle is conquering this world right now, there’s no need to worry about that.”
Rodia smiled brightly.
Leo, who had been wondering, also nodded.
Meanwhile, the two arrived at a dead end.
Rodia carefully examined the dead end wall and gasped.
‘If I hadn’t come with Sir Kyle, I don’t think I would have noticed it.’
The wall was an entrance.
The problem was that the entrance was so secretly hidden that even Rodia, called the Dragon of Creation, could barely notice it.
“The Pure White King’s barrier, it doesn’t look easy to open.”
Leo chuckled at Rodia’s words.
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
Chuckling, Leo reached out his hand to the wall.
The gray mana flowing from Leo’s hand enveloped the wall.
A moment later.
Woong-!
The wall shimmered, and an entrance was created.
“As expected, it’s Sir Kyle.”
“I know Albus’s abilities best.”
Leo answered, recalling his oath-bound.
Entering the entrance, a pure white corridor unfolded.
At the end of the corridor, a grand hall stretched out.
The men and women elegantly seated in the hall widened their eyes upon discovering Leo and Rodia.
“A human and a dragon?”
“How did you get in here?”
Leo spoke, looking at them with disbelief.
“I came here to meet a Pegasus.”
At Leo’s words, a woman with pure white hair approached Leo.
“That face… it’s familiar.”
Leo glanced at the Pegasus.
“The Surviving Hero, Kyle.”
Leo also knew this Pegasus.
‘Was it the Pegasus contracted with Alene Frilene?’
She was one of the beast tamers who guarded Guardslon.
She was Alene Frilene’s oath-bound.
They had met several times on the battlefield.
‘She was a positive woman. Should I say, typical of a Pegasus’s oath-bound.’
Basically, the contractors of the three great mythical beasts are possessors of strong mental fortitude.
In this era, most of those who fought against the demon race were forced to participate in battle to survive.
Just by going to the battlefield to protect a city, one could receive incomparable treatment to others.
In those days, the guardians of the city enjoyed benefits similar to nobles.
But the contractors of the three great mythical beasts protected the city for an unseen hope.
Alene was one such person.
And in this era, those who sought hope were objects of ridicule.
Because searching for hope itself seemed meaningless in a situation where no one knew when the world would end.
Kyle, the Surviving Hero, also scoffed at such people.
And this Pegasus had been greatly angered by Kyle’s ridicule of her noble oath-bound.
The Pegasus, Arpia, looked at Leo with an expression of disgust.
“You corrupt and defiled one. What is the reason for invading the sanctuary of Pegasus?”
“Who are you calling corrupt and defiled right now?”
Rodia said in a chilling voice at Arpia’s words.
Arpia glanced at Rodia.
“A young dragon. To invade this sanctuary with this defiled one. You should be ashamed!”
“Pegasus. I’m giving you a chance now. Apologize for calling Sir Kyle corrupt and defiled. Then I will generously forgive you this time.”
“A young dragon is being impertinent.”
Rodia curled her lips at Arpia’s words.
The moment Arpia’s eyes met Rodia’s, she flinched.
‘Is this… the gaze a young dragon can possess?’
Cold sweat spontaneously streamed down her face.
Rodia, who had by now opened her dragon eyes, glared at Arpia with a trembling intensity.
Though she appeared as a young girl, she was a great hero who had gathered the Heroes of Creation and protected the world once again.
She was a mighty dragon called the successor to Lysinas, the King of Wisdom.
It was natural that she could easily overpower even a powerful Pegasus.
In an instant, the surrounding Pegasi flocked around.
But Rodia did not back down.
She could absolutely not tolerate Arpia’s words.
Kyle was the Hero of Beginnings who had ushered in a new era.
One of the five most noble people Rodia knew.
To have such a Kyle called corrupt and defiled felt like an insult.
In the volatile situation, Leo reached out his hand.
And pressed down on Rodia’s head.
“Calm down. If you’ve attempted the conquest several times, you should be used to this kind of treatment, right?”
“It’s different when I’m subjected to it and when Sir Kyle is directly subjected to it.”
“I appreciate your concern, but bear with it. Back then, I had no right to complain even when I was treated like this.”
Leo, having calmed Rodia, stepped forward.
“I apologize for invading the sanctuary and displaying hostility. But I came here for a purpose.”
“…What purpose do you have here?”
Leo said, looking at Arpia and the Pegasi, who were giving him distrustful looks.
“I came to meet the Pure White King.”
“You want to meet the King? What’s the reason?”
“To form an oath.”
“Contract? Ahahahahahahahahaha!”
Arpia burst into laughter.
And not just her.
All the Pegasi laughed scornfully.
The Pegasi here knew what kind of being Leo was.
Just a Surviving Hero content with living day by day.
Terrified, not knowing when the world would end.
A coward who couldn’t think of fighting against that destruction.
One who mocked and denied hope.
That was Kyle, the Surviving Hero.
Such a Kyle wanted to form a contract with the Pure White King, the most noble being in the world.
How preposterous could it be?
“Know your place, Surviving Hero. You are utterly unfit to be our King’s oath-bound.”
Arpia glared at Leo.
“I acknowledge that you are strong. In Guardslon right now, someone as strong as you is… yes, only Lysinas, the dragon with noble light.”
“But Lysinas cannot contract with Pegasus.”
“Yes, she cannot form a contract with us. It’s regrettable. If she weren’t a Black Dragon, she would certainly have been worthy of being the King’s contractor.”
Arpia smiled bitterly and narrowed her eyes at Leo.
“Pegasus is the most noble of all mythical beasts. We Pegasi never give up hope. No matter how outstanding a person, a contract is impossible with someone like you, whose heart was broken long ago.”
Arpia stated definitively.
“Your call will never reach us.”
At Arpia’s words, Rodia crossed her arms.
“Whether to contract or not is for the Pure White King to decide, isn’t it? Just let him meet her.”
“Hmph. It’s already disrespectful to bring the Surviving Hero to the King… but His Majesty is currently in a deep slumber. He fell asleep, gravely wounded from his fierce battle with the hateful Tartaros.”
‘She was asleep at this time.’
Albus fought Tartaros from the early days of the Age of Calamity.
Leo also knew that she had fallen asleep to recover her strength, exhausted from that long struggle.
But he had never known until now that it was right before she formed a contract with him.
“Now. If you have finished your business, retreat from the sanctuary. Surviving Hero and young Dragon.”
It was then that Rodia frowned at those words.
Woong-
Leo unleashed his spiritual power.
A summoning circle appeared above Leo’s palm.
Rodia’s eyes widened at the sight, and the Pegasi frowned.
“A useless act.”
“Whether it’s useless or not, we’ll see.”
Rodia wore a triumphant expression at Arpia’s words.
‘Awaken. Albus.’
Leo called out to his oath-bound, whom he had separated from long ago.
‘I need your power.’
Woowoong-!
The gray summoning circle emitted a strong light.
At that moment.
Flash! Kwa-ga-ga-ga-ga-gang-!
A pure white lightning bolt raged.
The faces of the Pegasi who saw it were stained with shock.
A powerful storm of spiritual energy surged around Leo.
Hwaak-!
Pure white light erupted from the summoning circle.
A pure white space.
In that place, only Leo and a girl with pure white hair remained.
The girl, Albus, looked up at Leo and said.
“…Only my oath-bound can wake me from my sleep.”
Albus said with a slightly confused expression.
“But I have never made an oath with you. Who exactly are you? How were you able to wake me?”
“Well. Perhaps it’s fate?”
“Fate?”
Leo smiled, looking at his oath-bound.
“In the not-too-distant future. You would have certainly made an oath with me. It’s just been pulled forward a bit.”
“What a ridiculous thing to say.”
“The important thing is that my call reached you. And my spiritual power woke you from your sleep.”
Albus’s eyes widened at the spiritual power she felt from Leo’s body.
‘What on earth is this spiritual power?’
As the King of Pegasus, she had met countless noble beings.
‘But not one of them possessed such pure spiritual power.’
Perhaps the reason she had woken up from sleep, despite not having made an oath, was because of this pure spiritual power.
“Can you grant what I desire?”
“Of course.”
Albus chuckled, looking at Leo, who answered without hesitation.
“You’re answering without even hearing what I desire.”
“To subdue the flames of calamity, right?”
Albus’s eyes widened at Leo’s answer.
“For that, I need your power.”
Leo extended his hand towards Albus.
“Let’s go together.”
Albus looked at Leo with confused eyes.
The man before her was unfamiliar to Albus.
But in the not-too-distant future.
Albus, without hesitation, took the hand of the one who would become her oath-bound in a future she did not yet know.
“It’s really… been a long time.”
“Yes?”
Leo gave a bitter smile to the surprised Albus.
“Just talking to myself.”