Book 1 Chapter 479

It was dusk when Leo returned to the Tomb of the Vanquished.

On the vast training grounds, orphan soldiers were gathered in small groups, eating their meals.

After confirming the faces of the orphan soldiers, Leo approached Lil, who was eating in front of a bonfire with Crown Prince Jeremin.

"Oh, this is incredibly delicious. You must have made it with a special secret recipe, right?"

"It's just a normal army cooking recipe. I'm surprised it suits your taste, Prince Jeremin."

"It's basic for becoming a great king. Hahaha."

"Prince Jeremin will surely become a great king."

Jeremin, who had been gazing at Lil's gentle smile for a moment, cleared his throat and said,

"Ahem. For that, you need a suitable partner to quickly stabilize the country and build a good nation together."

"You will surely meet a good person, Ah! S…"

Lil, who had been smiling brightly, spotted Leo.

She paused as if to call out to him happily, then shouted,

"Brother!"

Seeing Lil call out to him with a bright smile, Leo stopped walking.

Not only Leo, but also Jeremin, who had drooped his shoulders watching Lil pay him no attention, and the knights who were accompanying him.

Even the orphan soldiers stopped eating and looked up at Lil.

"Brother, where did you go?"

Thanks to Lil calling out to Leo again, people's gazes naturally turned to Leo.

'So you decided to call me that in front of everyone?'

It was certainly strange for Lil to call Leo, her junior, a 'teacher' in front of others.

Even so, she had deeply considered that she couldn't casually call Leo, who was her teacher, by any name.

And it seemed she had settled on this name.

'She's definitely unusual.'

'Peep.'

'Calling a man younger than you 'Oppa' feels like giving in, but 'Brother' isn't a very exciting title.'

Kiran, Fiora, and Atti reacted indifferently.

'Why, isn't it kind of cute?'

'I've felt this before, but Elsie, your sensibilities are quite peculiar.'

Elsie said with a bright smile, and Laruel reacted with curiosity.

"Lil-nim. You're calling Leo-nim… a rather peculiar name?"

Jeremin asked with an awkward expression, and Lil nodded seriously.

"Yes. As the Crown Prince knows, Brother is a year younger than me, but he is a respectable person in terms of his skill and achievements. He is even the president of the Lumen student council and a hero whose name is on the Hero Record!"

"Indeed, I believe Leo-nim is a great person, one of the best in history… but there are also titles like 'Oppa' or 'Oppa-nim'…"

At Jeremin's reluctant words, Lil became serious.

"There is already a junior who calls Brother 'Oppa'. That child is very cute. If I, who am older and not cute at all, were to call him that, he would look at me very strangely."

"He's already looking at you strangely enough."

Leo, who snorted, sat down next to Lil.

Then he looked again at the orphan soldiers who were engrossed in their meal.

"It looks like you've completely subdued the brats."

"Why are we brats! You! You're not that much older than us!"

At Leo's words, a girl named Lu, who was sitting not far away and gobbling bread, exclaimed indignantly.

Then Lil said,

"Lu. You shouldn't speak disrespectfully to Brother."

"Ugh! Ah, I understand, Captain."

"Answer short and loud!"

"Yes!"

Lu, startled by Lil's glare, stood at attention and responded with military precision.

"Hmm, excellent. Now, please continue your meal."

Watching Lil nod with satisfaction, Leo muttered,

"It's like a full-fledged military."

"I thought it was important to establish the hierarchy first."

"Well done."

"No. I succeeded in subduing them, but I couldn't change their thoughts."

Lil's eyes became cloudy.

Judging by the atmosphere, the orphan soldiers seemed to follow Lil.

However, their fundamental nature had not changed.

The orphan soldiers followed Lil because they acknowledged her strength.

And they yearned to become stronger through Lil.

The reason was simple.

'To kill enemies on the battlefield.'

These orphan soldiers were created by the plan of Duke Artkhan of the Funeral Dirge.

'In a way, these children might be living similarly to those who lived during the era of catastrophe 5,000 years ago.'

5,000 years ago, there were countless people who experienced such tragedies, including his own disciple.

It was impossible for Bihar to overcome the darkness deeply rooted in his heart all at once.

'Perhaps he will carry it for a lifetime.'

"Brother."

"Why."

"Can't I take care of these children a little longer?"

"The contract condition is to change their minds anyway."

Leo glanced at Jeremin and said,

"If you want to take care of them, do so."

"Yes!"

"And while we're at it, shall we train together?"

"Training? That sounds great!"

Lil's eyes sparkled.

'My first training with my teacher!'

In the dead of night.

Lil stood in the center of the training ground.

Next to Leo, who stood before Lil, stood a small girl with white hair, and a small fairy and a small chick sat on the girl's shoulders.

'Teacher's summoned beasts.'

It was a well-known fact that Leo was the contractor of a phoenix, a fairy, and a pegasus.

"Is today's training with Teacher's summoned beasts?"

-No? We're just here to watch.

-Peep. Peep.

-Show us a cool performance, Lil.

Kiran, Fiora, and Atti answered one after another.

After answering, Atti took out a bag of snacks from his pocket, and Kiran and Fiora pounced on it.

Lil was flustered by the utterly boisterous atmosphere.

The three great summoned beasts should possess dignity, but they had none of that.

-Hey! That's mine!

-Peep! Peep! Peep!

Kiran and Fiora were pulling at each other over a piece of snack on Atti's head.

Just then, Laruel, who had shrunk to the size of a palm, appeared and slapped Kiran and Fiora on the back of their heads.

-Gulp!

-Peep?

-Maintain the dignity of the Three Great Summoned Beasts. Don't shatter the fantasies of a summoner full of dreams.

Laruel said in a cold voice.

-That's hilarious! You're the one with the least dreams and hopes among us! You old hag!

-Peep! Peep! Peep!

-Do you want to die?

Laruel mercilessly whipped Kiran and Fiora with a whip made of light, her face expressionless.

Atti, seeing this, opened his mouth wide and exclaimed with shining eyes,

"Kiran! Call me an old hag too! Laruel! Hit me with that whip too!"

'…Is this a dream?'

Lil muttered dazedly, watching the scene unfold before her.

*Sssshhh—!*

Darkness emerged from the floor and grabbed Fiora and Kiran.

Laruel, enveloped in darkness, grunted and then became compliant.

"Elsie! I want to try the bondage play too!"

-Yes, yes.

"Kya~"

Atti, who had fallen into the swamp of darkness, rejoiced.

As the situation settled, Elsie smiled at Leo.

Leo then stood in front of Lil.

"Shocking, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Since we'll be seeing each other often, I decided to show you their true nature first so you don't have any false illusions."

Leo said calmly.

"It's better to break dreams early."

"Hahaha."

Lil laughed awkwardly and scratched her cheek.

Watching Lil, Leo placed Elsie and Laruel on his palms.

"Say hello. This is Elsie, the Great Spirit of Darkness. And this is Laruel, the Great Spirit of Light."

"What? The Great Spirit of Light, Laruel?!"

Lil's expression was one of shock.

No one had made a contract with the Great Spirit of Light since the Dragon of Creation, Lodia, 3,000 years ago.

Yet here she was, appearing right in front of them.

The Great Spirit of Light was a legend and a romantic ideal for spirit masters.

"As expected of my teacher!"

However, on the other hand, she could accept it because it was Leo.

'I guess I'm not surprised by anything Teacher does anymore?'

Lil, who was gazing at Leo with admiration, paused.

"Wait a minute, but the Great Spirit of Darkness? The Great Spirit of Darkness is definitely Ignit, the Spirit of the Abyss, isn't it?"

Lil was bewildered, recalling the Great Spirit of Darkness she had met last year with Leo.

-Elsie is a senior who was active with the great heroes during the era of catastrophe 5,000 years ago. Comparing her to some hermit is an insult to Elsie.

Laruel's cold voice made Lil flinch.

-Aren't you also a hermit, speaking of which?

Elsie asked with a puzzled expression, but Laruel ignored her.

"Elsie was obtained as a reward for conquering the Heroic World."

"Oh! That's possible too!"

Lil exclaimed, clapping her hands in admiration.

Watching Lil, Leo said,

"Lil, what do you think your weakness is?"

"Hmm… perhaps being too ordinary?"

"I'd like to ask where you're ordinary, but let's put that aside."

Leo crossed his arms.

"Your weakness is that you have no weaknesses. That also means you have no outstanding strengths."

"Yes, I think so too."

"In that sense, you're similar to me."

Leo, being an all-rounder, was good at everything.

However, he couldn't reach the ultimate realm like his friends.

"The training method for people like us is very simple. It's about expanding the vessel itself."

"Is it possible for a spirit master to expand their vessel in a short period?"

"There is one method. It will be painful, though."

"What is it?"

"Handling the power of a higher spirit."

"What?"

Lil was taken aback by the completely new and unfamiliar concept.

Looking at Lil, Leo said,

"From now on, I will cast Spirit Armor on you."

Spirit Armor.

A high-level spirit technique that embodies spirits within the body to create weapons.

Lil could also use Spirit Armor.

However, that was only by embodying her contracted spirit within her own body.

Embodying a contracted spirit in another person was unheard of.

"Is it possible?"

"It is possible, but maintaining the Spirit Armor depends entirely on your capabilities. Furthermore, since it's forced, the very act of maintaining it will be extremely painful."

Laruel, who was on Leo's palm, suddenly turned into a round ball of light.

"If you stop midway, it will be useless. Do you still want to do it?"

"…It's a way to get stronger quickly, right?"

"Yes."

"Then I will do it."

Lil said, clenching her fist.

Leo smiled faintly at her appearance and approached Lil, saying,

"Turn around."

Lil turned her back to Leo.

"Then, shall we begin?"

Leo's hand touched Lil's back.

Lil's body trembled as the presence of a great spirit entered her body through Leo's hand.

"Ugh?!"

Lil gritted her teeth, letting out a groan.

At that moment, Spirit Armor was deployed.

And then.

"Ugh!"

Spirit Armor dissolved, and Lil ran to a corner of the training ground, covering her mouth.

"Ugh!"

Her head and stomach felt twisted.

The power of the great spirit, far beyond the permissible limit, instantly exhausted Lil.

"Gasp! Gasp! Gasp!"

Lil, panting heavily, staggered to her feet and then collapsed.

Overload hit not only her body but also her mind.

"Do you want to quit?"

At Leo's question, Lil turned her head.

And with a grin, she said,

"No."

She grabbed her trembling legs and stood up.

"Please, again, Teacher."

***

*Clank- clank-*

A man wearing a deep hood walked through the middle of the battlefield.

*Kiiiing! Kuaang-!*

The sound of a massive explosion was heard from afar.

The sound of metal friction was heard every time the man took a step.

Eventually, the man reached the center of the battlefield.

There, an undead hero was fighting against a group of heroes.

The heroes of the Justice Guild shouted when they saw the knight wearing a hood.

"A new undead."

"What a terrible sacrilege, we will defeat those who defile the name of a hero."

As the heroes muttered with stern voices, the knight drew the greatsword hanging on his back.

*Sssshhh—!*

With a chilling sound, a jet-black greatsword that seemed to swallow even the soul appeared.

The sword gleamed with a beauty as if it were a work of art.

"I defile the name of a hero?"

With a disdainful voice, the knight gripped his sword and muttered lowly,

"Worms who wouldn't be called heroes if not for the power of the Hero Record, how dare you…"

*Fwaak-!*

The knight swung the greatsword.

A black line streaked through the air.

The heroes of the Justice Guild who had charged at the knight stopped moving.

"What is it?"

"Something…"

*Puhwak-!*

Their necks were severed in an instant.

With a single sword strike, the bodies of those called heroes collapsed.

*Clang- clang-*

The knight approached the undead hero caught in his attack.

"…The heroes of this era are pathetic. Are there no one who can even block a single strike?"

"You are simply too strong, Duke of the Funeral Dirge."

"Aren't you a hero who once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Heroes of Creation?"

"Once… only?"

The knight of the underworld's voice rumbled.

*Sskk—!*

A sharp sword strike severed Artkhan's neck.

"Don't talk nonsense, Duke of the Funeral Dirge."

"I misspoke."

Artkhan's head, even while rolling on the ground, was fine.

His body lifted his head.

*Fwooooo—!*

A strong wind blew.

Then his hood flew off.

There was no face within the helmet where it should have been.

Seeing that, Artkhan said,

"Is it because you have no head that you sever the heads of heroes?"

"That's right. The Knight of Twilight presumptuously severed my head."

Tamus tapped the area below his neck.

"The heroes of this era mostly come from the academy established by those ridiculous heroes, didn't they?"

"That's right."

"Then I must sever all of them. Those who follow someone who defied my will deserve bloody retribution."

Artkhan asked Tamus,

"If I find your lost face and the tomb where your legacy lies, will you incorporate them into your 'Legion'?"

"These weaklings cannot be called heroes."

Tamus's eerie voice echoed.

"Only those I acknowledge are true heroes."

"I have a hero I'd like to introduce to you."

Tamus looked at Artkhan.

"I have no interest in the insignificant heroes of this era."

"In a way, he is a hero who is your senior."

"Oh? Who is it?"

"The Great Hero, Kyle, the Hero of Beginning."