Book 1 Chapter 439

439.

Stomp- stomp-

Leo and Arion were descending a circular staircase hidden deep within the fairy king's domain, leading underground.

"Indeed."

Leo murmured as he descended the long passage.

"It's certainly being suppressed."

From the moment they entered these stairs, they could feel the powerful magic of the fairy king.

"It's not just a simple barrier, is it?"

Arion whispered.

If Phoenix among the three great mythical beasts represents weapons like swords and spears, and Pegasus symbolizes cavalry, then fairies represent shields, meaning barriers.

"It's literally cut off from the outside."

'It's not just physically transcended, but dimensionally separated.'

The stairs they were walking down were almost like a space in themselves.

Fairy magic is so powerful that it's classified as unique magic, and the fairy king is a mage who has mastered this potent magic.

This is a realm the fairy king has separated from dimensions over 5,000 years.

'Even so, the structure is completely different from the fairy magic I know?'

It was different from the fairy magic Leo knew.

"The magic circle structure is like Luna's style?"

"Ah, it really does resemble Luna's magic."

Arion exclaimed at Leo's words. Silrod, who had been flying nearby, replied.

-It's a barrier made based on the fairy magic circles that Luna researched.

"As expected of Luna."

"She was evaluated as the greatest genius in magical history."

Leo chuckled as Arion marveled.

They descended the stairs for a long time.

Subjectively, it felt like more than half a day had passed.

However, Silrod explained that the flow of time in this realm was different from the outside.

Eventually, Leo, Arion, and Silrod arrived before a massive stone gate.

Leo's eyes narrowed, and Arion's expression turned sharp.

They knew that a fragment of Erebus lay beyond this gate.

But facing it directly, their bodies reacted instinctively.

-Open it.

Grrrroooan-

As soon as Silrod finished speaking, the stone gate creaked open with a heavy sound.

Leo and Arion stepped inside the stone chamber.

Inside was a dark object, human-shaped and about the size of an adult man.

It looked like a lump of charcoal left behind, or like molten metal stuck together.

What was clear was that it was darker than the night sky and faintly emanated the power of Erebus.

Its form was different, and the aura it emitted was weak.

But Leo and Arion, who had fought against Erebus, knew clearly what this was.

"Erebus."

At Arion's murmur, Leo approached the Erebus.

It was literally in a state where all its flames had been extinguished.

But even so, it was a cataclysmic being that had once driven the world to ruin.

Furthermore, the fragment of Erebus had reignited 3,000 years ago.

'Silrod also said that he couldn't get rid of it for the past 5,000 years, right?'

Silrod hadn't just left the fragment of Erebus unattended.

Over the long years, he had tried to eliminate the fragment of Erebus using the fairy king's power.

But no method worked.

Even if the flames were gone, Erebus was Erebus.

It was the primordial disaster that even gods feared.

Even Leo had miraculously succeeded in subduing it, but failed to completely annihilate it.

Dividing it into six pieces was the best he could do.

'I can't carelessly touch it either. If I carelessly touch it and provoke it, that would be a problem.'

Leo's power was the antithesis of Erebus.

No one knew what the consequences would be if Leo's power were added to a sealed Erebus.

'Is suppressing it and protecting it from Tartarus the best course of action for now?'

Fortunately, the fragment of Erebus showed no signs of waking up.

'Even the Necromancer doesn't know how to awaken the fragment. Whatever it is, it's probably best to leave it like this for now.'

While Leo was gazing at the fragment of Erebus.

Arion twitched his nose.

"It certainly smells different from the Erebus I know."

-How so?

"Fundamentally, it's still an unpleasant stench, but it's gotten more potent."

-More potent?

"Yes. It's like burnt ashes."

Seeing Arion frown, Leo spoke.

"Are there any signs of it reigniting?"

At Leo's question, Arion fell into thought.

"There's no feeling of that at all."

Arion's question, Leo nodded.

"Then that's a relief. It means we don't need to worry about this fragment for now."

Leo looked at Silrod.

"Silrod, please watch over it a little longer."

-Don't worry about guarding this place.

Silrod grinned confidently and slapped his chest.

-I was a companion to great heroes, wasn't I?

"You're dependable."

Leo burst into laughter watching Silrod.

-Arion?

Silrod looked puzzled at Arion, who was staring at him silently.

-Why are you looking at me like that?

"No, Silrod seems to have changed a lot."

-It's been 5,000 years.

Silrod gave a mature smile.

Watching him, Arion looked down at his palm.

"If… if I hadn't died 5,000 years ago."

Arion, raising his head, asked.

"Could I have overcome my cowardice?"

"What do you mean?"

"Could I have become a truly courageous person? Like the Arion in the stories people tell now. Could I have become a true hero?"

-Arion in the stories, now. I can't imagine it. Right, Leo?

"Indeed."

As he listened to Leo and Silrod's conversation, Arion nodded.

"Alright. Then I will become a true hero."

"What?"

"That's my new goal."

"Is there a need for that? You already are…"

"No. I will change from my past self."

Arion said, clenching his fist with determination.

Leo, who was about to say something to Arion, chuckled.

"Do your best."

"Yes!"

***

By a small pond in a lush forest.

"Hoo! Hoo! Amazing! Hoo!"

"Eeeeeek!"

Arion's face was filled with terror as he looked at Ar clinging to his leg.

Seeing this, Leo wore an "as expected" expression.

"What was all that about becoming a true hero?"

At Leo's mumbling, Chelsea, who was standing next to him with a bewildered expression, asked curiously.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Just talking to myself."

Leo, who replied curtly, grabbed Ar by the scruff of his neck.

"Stop it. You're disrupting the lesson."

At those words, Ar startled and let go of Arion.

Then, Arion quickly hid behind Chelsea.

Chelsea's mouth hung open as she looked up at Arion.

"I thought your panic attacks had improved a bit."

"But, Black Rabbit! Look at Arion-nim's appearance!"

Ar looked at Arion, who was hiding behind Chelsea.

"Ah! So cool! The best! Arion-nim in human form is the best! Ahhh! It's too blinding! I can't even look properly!"

Ar, covering his eyes as he looked at Arion, exclaimed excitedly.

"So majestic! I can feel the aura of a hero!"

"Don't you need to get your eyes checked?"

Leo sighed at Ar's words, who was interpreting the situation as he pleased while looking at Arion hiding behind the smaller Chelsea.

"Leo-oppa. I have something I'm curious about."

"Ask me."

"Arion-nim is very different from the Arion I've seen in stories. Was he always this kind of personality?"

Leo nodded at Chelsea, who asked with a face full of disbelief.

"That's right."

"My word."

Who would have guessed?

That the hero Arion, the very symbol of courage for modern people, was actually a coward.

'He certainly looks frightening with that wild look in his eyes.'

Chelsea muttered, looking at Ar's eyes.

"But why are you hiding behind me?"

"It feels somehow familiar and reassuring."

Arion's answer left Chelsea looking bewildered.

Meanwhile, Arion approached Ar, who was in his true form.

"Want to try human transformation?"

At the question, Ar activated his aura.

Watching Ar transform, Arion nodded.

"Good, then try using Howling."

At those words, Ar inhaled.

Seeing this, Chelsea manipulated the air with magic.

-Kuhhheeeeeeerrrrrr!

At the massive roar, Chelsea felt a tingling sensation throughout her body.

'Amazing.'

Chelsea swallowed dryly.

The dignity of the representative of Azonia's second-year students was clearly felt.

Arion, having heard Ar's roar, crossed his arms.

"You said there are various types of Howling in this era, right?"

"Yes!"

Arion's Howling instills fear in enemies and courage in allies.

However, in this era, it has various effects depending on the user.

Such as temporarily enhancing physical abilities or confusing enemies.

"So, beastkins with such characteristics are mostly mages or summoners, right?"

"That's right!"

At Ar's vigorous response, Arion, who had been pondering, inhaled.

-Kuhhhheeeerr!

A powerful roar, incomparably stronger than Ar's, echoed.

Overwhelmed by the sight, Ar and Chelsea's legs gave out, and they collapsed.

"In-, incredible."

"Cool!"

Chelsea shivered, and Ar trembled with excitement.

While the two marveled at Arion's presence, Leo narrowed his eyes and looked down at his hands.

His body felt much lighter than before.

"Did you add a buff effect to Howling?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"Come to think of it, my body…?"

Arion answered nonchalantly to Leo's question, while Ar and Chelsea's eyes widened.

"I mixed the usage of Howling in this era with the mana flow when mages use buff magic."

The way beastkins use Howling in this era and the way Arion uses it are different in terms of aura usage.

Howling itself, which can be considered the original, is a unique skill of Arion.

Later beastkins studied and improved upon that Howling to learn it.

In that process, it changed significantly from the original, and other effects that Arion couldn't use occurred.

Arion, after hearing about Ar's vocalizations and the characteristics of modern beastkins' Howling, spontaneously implemented effects that hadn't existed.

"Can, can that be done?"

"It seems it can, since I'm doing it?"

"As expected of Arion-nim!"

Arion smiled at the astonished Chelsea, and Ar was busy praising Arion with sparkling eyes.

"However, Ar, I don't feel that special power of human transformation coming from you."

"I only did it once, by chance…"

"Really? Then, if you train the vocalization method of Howling, wouldn't it appear? There's a special training method for Howling."

"Ohh! What is it!"

Ar's eyes sparkled.

Arion went behind Ar, put his hands under his armpits, and lifted him.

Then, he led Ar, who looked bewildered, towards the pond.

Ar's face turned slightly pale.

"N-, no way?"

"Yes. You just need to fall in the water."

Whoosh! Plop!

"Unyaaaaaa?!"

Arion shouted at Ar, who was flailing in the water with a cat-like scream.

"Scream as loudly as you can underwater!"

"Gurgle gurgle gurgle gurgle!"

Although Ar hated water, he somehow plunged his face into the water and let out a roar.

"Pugh!"

As Ar, whose breath was running out, brought his face out of the water to gasp for air, Arion said.

"Go back in immediately!"

"Yes?"

"This is a training method Luna helped me with to enhance my Howling. It's painful, but effective. Take a deep breath for a fleeting moment."

"Yes! Hup!"

Ar again plunged his face into the water.

Gurgle gurgle gurgle!

"Ku-hek!"

Thump!

"Eeek!?"

Ar glared at Arion, who was pushing him into the water while holding his head.

"I c- can't breathe… Kuh-hek!"

"If you want to live, breathe!"

"Gurgle gurgle gurgle!"

Splash splash!

"…Isn't that just water torture?"

"I suppose so."

"Arion-nim, are you perhaps trying to drown that stupid cat because you're afraid of him?"

Considering how Ar trembled with fear just moments ago, it was a plausible possibility.

"I don't think so. He looks very reluctant."

Despite his cruel actions, Arion was pushing Ar into the water with a pained expression.

It was as if he was trying hard for Ar, even though he didn't want to do it himself.

'He's doing the same thing Luna did to him.'

At that time, Arion was still in his teens.

As a result of his training, Arion gained perfect control over Howling.

Luna's training method had been of great help.

'Of course, after that, Arion came to distrust Luna.'

"Do you think it'll be effective?"

Leo rested his chin on his hand at Chelsea's hesitant question.

"Since a hero is personally overseeing the training, it should be effective."