Book 1 Chapter 470

470.

Kwagwagagagagang-!

As Ril swung her battle hammer, the ground of the surrounding area shook.

The spirits, too, sympathized with Ril's emotions, expressing powerful rage.

Watching this, Leo marveled.

'Her synchronization rate with the spirits she contracted is incredibly high.'

A spirit user is a being who fights by drawing out the contracted spirit's power to its limits.

Contracting with a higher spirit is useless if one cannot draw out all of that spirit's potential.

And what is considered most important in drawing out a spirit's power is the synchronization rate.

Ril understood her contracted spirits so well that her emotions could influence them.

'Usually, people try to get stronger by contracting with higher spirits. But this is so Ril-like, I guess? She's built a strong foundation.'

It's not easy to be diligent and put meticulous effort into unseen areas.

'Indeed, she's not called a monster for nothing.'

While Leo was marveling.

"Hmph. The students representing Lumern have rough mouths."

Setian let out a sigh.

"You need to be more aware of your position. Representing Lumern is by no means trivial."

Setian's chilling gaze turned to Leo.

"Especially Leo Flov. You are one who has risen to the position of a hero, you should be a role model for others…"

Kwagagagagagak-!

"…!"

The aura that burst from Leo's sword aimed at Setian's neck.

Another Justice Guild knight nearby blocked Leo's attack using a shield.

A sword strike unleashed in the blink of an eye.

The aura-armed shield trembled violently.

"What power…"

The female knight hardened her expression and looked at Leo.

"This isn't the time for a sermon, is it?"

Thump-

Leo took a step towards the Justice Guild.

'Among these, the one with the strongest combat power is that guy, Zoren.'

Leo glanced at Zoren, who was clashing with Ril.

And as expected of someone from Lumern, he was by no means an ordinary person.

'A skilled warrior who has crossed countless battlefields. And the same goes for these guys.'

Regardless of their insane values, they were guild members of the renowned Justice Guild.

Leo's red eyes turned to the four Justice Guild members.

'Two Knight class, one Summoner, one Mage.'

An ideal party composition.

Leo's red eyes gleamed.

Seeing this, the female knight with the shield trembled slightly.

"Fierce killing intent. That's not very heroic of you, Leo Flov."

The female knight composed herself and raised her spear.

"A hero should naturally set an example…"

"You've been spouting nonsense about setting an example since earlier."

Leo said, resting his sword on his shoulder.

"I'm not someone who's ever particularly wanted to be a hero. Not in the past, nor now."

"What did you say?"

"I'm not really suited to what people call a hero these days."

'If a hero is someone who transforms the world, leads it to the right path, and shows dreams to countless people… then I'm the least suited person to be a hero.'

He had no intention of becoming one either.

"Enrolling in Lumern was also simply because there was something I personally needed to check."

Leo smirked.

"I never really aimed to be a hero or tried to become one. Yeah. I guess it just happened?"

The faces of the Justice Guild members stiffened as they watched Leo shrug.

"Isn't it funny for you to tell me, of all people, to set an example as a hero?"

"You… what do you even think a hero is?!"

"Who cares? What is a hero? Was that ever worth deeply considering?"

The female knight's shoulders began to tremble violently.

She wasn't the only one.

Anger also filled the faces of the other Justice Guild members.

"Someone like you, a hero?! Unacceptable!"

"Whether you accept it or not, I'm already a hero, aren't I?"

"No! You are not a hero! You are absolutely not suited to be a hero! It's clearly a mistake that you were chosen by the gods and had your name inscribed in the Hero Record! Yes! That's why you don't have an alias!"

Ignoring the hysterically shouting female knight, Leo said indifferently.

"Even so, don't you think I'm far more suited to be a hero than trash like you?"

"Nonsense."

Setian's anger flared.

"Becoming a hero at such a young age, it seems you've become blind to everything. I don't think someone like you, who lacks even nobility, let alone goals, ideals, or ambitions, is suited to be a hero! Heroes are special beings! Only those who are willing to dedicate themselves to the world can become heroes!"

Leo smirked at his outburst.

'Those are certainly things I've never possessed.'

Lysinas's nobility, who yearned for light and sought to reclaim the lost light.

Luna's somewhat eccentric but grand goal of filling the entire world with flowers.

Arion's warm ideal of wanting to create a world where children had no worries.

Dwayno's grand ambition of filling the world with beauty.

Unlike his friends, who each pursued their own paths, Kyle didn't particularly pursue anything.

He simply went with the flow.

He entrusted himself to the currents of the world.

The result was a great achievement that saved the world, but…

Leo was still wondering.

'Why was I born as Erebus's natural enemy, and why did I reincarnate with my memories again?'

Was it coincidence or destiny?

He couldn't even tell if it was inevitable.

Why did the world choose him of all people?

'Surely there must have been someone more suited to this power than me.'

Someone like Lysinas, for instance.

'As one who would save the world, he would be far more suitable than someone like me.'

After a moment of thought, Leo smirked.

'Is there a need to think complicatedly? What's important is to pass on this world, which we saved together with them, to future generations. And…'

"It's clear that you guys are wrong."

Leo looked at the heavily armored knight who was pressing him and lunging forward.

'Mithril, huh?'

A brilliant and pure light.

High-purity Mithril heavy armor.

It was armor that offered powerful defense and rapid mobility.

A knight approaching with a longsword and shield.

From the rear, Setian's incantation could be heard, and the summoner summoned a water spirit.

Powerful magic surged around Setian's staff.

Puhwahahahak-!

A pillar of water that erupted from the ground engulfed Leo.

Immense water pressure compressed Leo.

This alone would have been an attack that would make an ordinary person's body burst, but it wasn't the end.

Jjeojeojeojeojeok-!

As Setian's magic was completed, the water binding Leo froze.

Trapped in the ice, Leo became completely immobilized.

Aiming at the immobilized Leo, an aura-infused sword and spear flew in.

It was a fleeting moment.

In that short moment, a seamless coordinated attack was launched.

"Let me show you how vast the world is!"

Setian shouted.

At that moment.

Inside the ice, Leo curled the corners of his mouth.

Jjeojeok-!

Cracks appeared in the ice.

Kwajijijik-!

The ice was destroyed, and Leo was freed.

The aura-infused spear and sword cut through the air and crossed paths.

Kwaang-!

Leo lowered his stance to evade the attack and threw the sword in his hand.

Kwak-!

"Cough?!"

The sword, flying at an invisible speed, pierced the summoner's shoulder.

And the sword cleanly severed the summoner's shoulder.

Ignoring the summoner who had flown back and crashed uselessly onto the floor, Leo quickly threw his fists at the two knights who were about to swing their swords at him.

Pajik-!

The sword and spear that touched Leo's hands were destroyed with absurd ease.

"No…!"

"What?!"

Ignoring their cries of astonishment, Leo's fists landed on the female knight's shield and the other knight's Mithril armor.

The female knight scoffed.

"This is an Adamantium shield! Boasting invincible defense…"

Kwakdeuk-!

The Adamantium shield was destroyed with absurd ease.

"No…!"

Kwang-!

Leo's fist slammed directly into the female knight's face.

The female knight, her face caved in, collapsed onto the floor.

His other fist crumpled the Mithril armor like paper and then tore it apart.

The knight whose chest was deeply indented also vomited blood and lay sprawled on the ground.

Having instantly defeated three guild members, Leo approached Setian with an expressionless face.

"Wh-what… what kind of trick did you use?!"

Setian's lips trembled.

Three members of the world's best hero guild had been defeated without even being able to resist.

Watching Setian's astonishment, Leo opened his palm.

"It's just simple spirit magic."

"What?!"

"I just mimicked a friend of mine."

What Leo mimicked was none other than Lysinas's spirit magic.

"It's a matter of basic skills, I guess."

Leo calmly opened his palm.

Low-ranking spirits of water and wind appeared, then folded their arms as if saying 'Ahem!'.

"An ordinary spirit user becomes powerless if they can't summon spirits."

Leo said, looking at the spirit user sprawled on the floor.

"He seemed to be a spirit user who controlled water spirits. I asked my contracted spirit to intervene in his contract. His synchronization rate was terrible, wasn't it?"

The spirit the summoner had contracted was a top-tier spirit, but dissolving the contract itself was simple.

"In the case of knights, even if they strengthen their weapons and armor with aura, if their gear is destroyed, they become momentarily defenseless. So, I used spirit magic to corrode their weapons and armor."

"Mithril and Adamantium couldn't possibly corrode that easily…!"

"If you just know the basics of alchemy, changing the properties of even the hardest minerals is simple. Well, this wouldn't work if the aura was meticulously refined, though."

Thump-

Leo reached Setian.

"Your magic is the same. I used spirits to destroy part of the spell. So, it didn't work properly. The spell was crude, wasn't it? Perhaps you lacked basic conceptual study?"

"Are you insulting us?! That's impossible! You used a special power, didn't you?! It's unfair! Why did the gods give someone like you special abilities?! Why! Why! To me, only ordinary abilities…!"

"God or not, you guys were just lazy. That's why you were defeated by this simple spirit magic, which isn't even special."

Leo said irritably.

In fact, it wasn't simple spirit magic.

Theoretically simple, but doing it required overwhelming synchronization, understanding of spirit magic, and experience.

It was, quite literally, spirit magic that transcended common sense.

But, as Leo said, it was a method that wouldn't have worked if their basic skills had been properly honed.

'It's a perfect technique to humble those who only pursued specialty and neglected their basic skills.'

Those who cling only to visible results get tripped up by weak foundations at critical moments.

Even if it hadn't been Leo, they would have eventually died in the process of achieving their great deeds.

"To be babbling about becoming a hero when you don't even know how vast the world is at that age."

"You scoundrel!"

Kwakdeuk-!

"Cough?!"

Leo kicked Setian in the chest.

As Setian collapsed, spitting blood, the life faded from his eyes.

"Sometimes I feel hollow when I see people like you."

Leo narrowed his eyes.

"Many people who truly risked everything never even got to enjoy this peace."

Leo exhaled deeply and scratched his head.

"Well, I saved it knowing that, so I don't particularly regret it."

Perhaps all who saved the world felt the same.

Leo looked up at the sky.

He felt gazes from afar watching him.

'Still, I have the right to clean up, don't I?'

Leo smirked fiercely and raised his middle finger towards the sky.

That was a declaration of war against the Justice Guild.

"I'll sweep you all away. You pieces of trash."