Book 1 Chapter 519

519.

Thump- thump-

The dull sound of footsteps echoed through the large lecture hall used by the second-year students.

It was Halind, also known as the "Wailing Wall of Lumern."

At his appearance, the entire second-year class wore tense expressions.

Today was the day for a special lecture on Heroics.

The person conducting that lecture was none other than Professor Halind.

Since advancing to the second year, the second-year students had fewer opportunities to interact with Halind.

However, even so, Halind remained a figure of fear for the second-year students.

This was when the entire second-year class wore tense expressions.

"Cal Thomas."

"Yes, sir!"

*Snap-!*

At Halind's low voice, Cal sprang to his feet.

"Wake up Eliza Hergin next to you."

At those words, Cal flinched and looked to his side.

There, Eliza was nodding her head like a sick chick.

Normally, in other professors' classes, Eliza would openly sleep or, if tired, wouldn't even attend class. However, she diligently attended Halind's lectures.

This was because Eliza also feared Halind.

"Eliza. Wake up."

Cal carefully said to Eliza.

However, Eliza showed no signs of waking up.

"I'll give you three seconds."

Startled by Halind's words, Cal placed his hands on Eliza's shoulders and shook her.

"Eliza! Wake up!"

At those words, Eliza, startled, opened her eyes.

Then, her eyes met Halind's, and her face turned deathly pale.

Halind looked at Eliza and smiled coldly.

"What on earth are you doing at night that you're dozing off in class?"

"Th-that's…"

"There won't be a next time."

"Yes, sir!"

As Halind stood in the center of the podium, watching Eliza stand up and answer, Eliza sat back down and covered her face with her hands.

'I haven't been able to get proper sleep for days, I can't come to my senses.'

Five days had passed since Leo's training began.

Since then, Eliza had not been able to get a wink of sleep.

She endured the power of the Thunderclap's essence throughout the night.

After the training, she refined her spiritual power through meditation.

After that, she trained her body.

She also couldn't miss classes.

Sleeping openly could only happen once or twice; she couldn't always skip classes.

No matter how tired her body was from training, Eliza's personality would never allow her grades to drop because of it.

If she were simply studying and training without sleeping, Eliza wouldn't be pushed to such exhaustion.

However, accepting the Thunderclap's essence consumed an immense amount of spiritual power and stamina.

She was literally being pushed to her mental and physical limits.

In that situation, Leo hadn't offered a single piece of advice, but Eliza didn't mind.

This was something she wanted to do, and she intended to do it her way.

As Eliza rubbed her eyes, trying to shake off the fatigue, Cal offered her a fatigue recovery potion.

"Drink this. It's specially made. It might wake you up a bit."

"Thank you. I'll pay you back later."

"It's okay, it's on the house."

Cal smiled.

"You're my regular customer. And a friend, too. I have to help when you're having a hard time."

"Friend?"

Eliza furrowed her brow.

"You think of me as a friend?"

"We're in the same school, same year, same dorm, so we're friends. And a future valuable customer!"

As Cal gave a thumbs-up, Eliza snorted.

"Cal Thomas, you seem to want to die if you're talking so much."

"Ah, no!"

At Halind's reprimand, Cal's face turned pale.

Glancing at Cal, who looked pale, Eliza fiddled with the potion bottle in her hand and snorted, "Hmph!"

Meanwhile, only silence filled the large lecture hall.

All the students focused on Halind.

Today's special Heroics lecture was announced suddenly.

All major, minor, and elective classes were canceled, and all second-year students gathered in the large lecture hall.

Given the suddenness of the situation, their curiosity was immense.

As everyone paid attention, Halind opened his mouth.

"What's been happening in the world recently…"

*Bang-!*

"You all know about the situation! Everyone is keeping quiet, but a grave situation has occurred!"

The door to the large lecture hall was roughly opened, and Sedgen interrupted Halind's words.

Looking at Sedgen, Halind said, "This is my class, isn't it? Professor Sedgen."

"The second-year students are my responsibility! Isn't it right for me to conduct the lecture! You should teach the first-year class!"

"I understood this class was to be taught by me, regardless of year?"

"I formally protested about that!"

"Come back when the faculty meeting reaches a conclusion. Celia Zerdinger, Duran Moira."

Halind called out the names of two students from the front row, typical of honor students.

"Escort him out."

"Professor Sedgen, you shouldn't do this."

"We will escort you out."

Celia and Duran bowed respectfully to Sedgen and, holding him, led him out.

"What is this! Weren't you my lovely students! Are you going to be Halind's lackeys now! Hey! Let go! Let gooo! How could you do this to me!"

The second-year students, accustomed to the scene, were not flustered.

After Sedgen left and the lecture hall fell silent, Halind continued his lecture.

"What is the most serious matter in the current situation?"

In response to Halind's question, students raised their hands.

"Cal Thomas."

"It's Sedgen-nim, barging in again."

"Come out and put your head down and prostrate yourself."

"I apologize."

"Come out."

Cal, with a dejected look, received his punishment beside Halind.

"Cal is really amusing."

As Eiran said to Chelsea with a laugh, Chelsea's eyes widened.

"Cal? Who is that? I don't know anyone like that."

Chelsea openly treated Cal as if she didn't know him.

Meanwhile, Halind called out the student who raised their hand second fastest after Cal.

"Nela Cabun."

"It's the resurrection of past heroes as undead."

"Yes. Do you also know why it's a serious matter?"

"Because it could shake the foundation of the era of heroes that has continued for the past 5,000 years."

Looking at Nela, who answered with a heavy voice, Halind nodded.

"That's right."

Halind narrowed his eyes.

"5,000 years ago, after the great heroes defeated Erebus and ended the era of disaster, the world finally found peace. In that process, the gods who left the earth gifted the world with Hero Records. Since then, those who achieved deeds recognized by the gods became heroes and maintained world peace and order."

At those words, all students nodded.

This was because everyone knew it.

"Heroes are noble individuals recognized by the gods. Is there anyone who denies this statement?"

In response to Halind's question, the entire second-year class shook their heads.

That was an absolute truth.

"Then why are past heroes, by the power of the Necromancer King, being resurrected as the undead and aiming their blades at us?"

"……"

At those words, everyone fell silent.

An individual recognized as noble by the gods has been turned into a weapon for the Necromancer King, who seeks to destroy the world.

If so, was that person truly noble?

The foundation of the era of heroes is 'heroes.'

Heroes are the proxies of the gods, chosen by the gods.

After preventing the recurrence of disaster, that sentiment became even more prevalent.

Those who lead the world.

But what if those individuals were not qualified to be proxies of the gods?

The current era may seem splendid at first glance.

The appearance of the brave Arion and Luna, the progenitor of constellations.

The subjugation of Erebus's fragments and victory over the Necromancer King.

The world's attention is focused on the new miracles of the Hero Records.

However, on the other hand, the doubt of 'Are heroes truly proxies of the gods?' is also sprouting.

Seeds of doubt create cracks in belief.

And cracks lead to collapse.

"The reason for this special Heroics lecture is related to those events."

At Halind's words, the students wore serious expressions.

At that moment, Abad raised his hand.

"Ask your question, Abad Rwarrin."

"Professor Halind, what do you think about the current situation?"

"You all know. That heroes are not absolutely good and righteous individuals."

Halind clicked his tongue.

"But most people thought that even if that were the case, heroes possess noble 'convictions' worthy of divine recognition."

"That's why they were chosen by the gods."

"Yes. But as a professor at Lumern for many years, I have felt doubt."

Halind scanned the students and said,

"Is the gods' choice truly correct?"

"Huh?"

"Students who seemed unlikely to become heroes became heroes. Students who shouldn't have become heroes rose to the position of hero."

"……"

This was a very dangerous statement for a Lumern professor.

Even though it's an era without gods, gods clearly exist.

Furthermore, even if there are no followers of the gods, it is an era where heroes, who represent the will of the gods, exist.

Blasphemy.

It is an act of insulting the 'heroes,' who are the leaders of the world.

Even if it's a professor at the Hero Academy.

Even for Halind, who has nurtured countless students, it was a statement at a level that could endanger his professorship if it leaked outside.

As the students swallowed dryly.

"There are also fools who claim that if one becomes undead, it is also the will of the gods," Halind said coldly.

"But there has been a change in the Hero Records recently."

"What kind of change?"

"It has been revealed that there are individuals whose records have been erased and their heroic qualifications revoked recently."

"……!"

"……!"

Everyone's face showed shock.

Erasure of records from the Hero Records.

It was an unprecedented major event.

"Can any student tell me what this means?"

At those words, the students looked at each other.

It was too shocking.

At that moment, someone raised their hand.

"Leo Flob."

At Halind's call, all students' attention shifted to Leo.

"The rights that heroes could enjoy. The sins that were not questioned because they were heroes. The responsibilities they did not have to bear because they were heroes will now be borne."

Leo declared.

"Since the gods' choice has been overturned, people who cannot trust their choices will increase. The existing system may collapse, and a new order may emerge. And…"

"And?"

"Only the 'true' heroes will remain."

At Leo's answer, Halind's lips curled upwards.

"You seem confident, Leo Flob."

"I wasn't very interested in the gods' choices in the first place."

***

Rustle- rustle-

Dark underground.

A beautiful being, indistinguishable as a boy or girl, dressed in pure white, resplendent clothing, was diligently writing something in a large book.

They filled each and every empty space.

Finally, the child who finished recording took a step back.

*Swoosh-!*

Then, the words written in the book vanished as if evaporating.

The child scratched their gray hair.

"I don't understand. Why are the records being erased?"

They had a look of incomprehension.

Then, their face contorted.

"Stop yapping, it's giving me a headache! What? Why do you only listen to Fiva's requests? You say I recorded myself as the successor to the progenitor of constellations? Lunia El Lundia! I didn't record her! It was automatically written in the record system! You all know that! That damned monstrosity is causing the record system to go haywire!"

The child shouted into the air.

"What? Leo Flob? Who is that? I don't know any hero with that name!"

The child, who covered the book irritably, walked away with a thump- thump-.

The space the child was in was strange.

It was like a giant library.

"Really! If you're so frustrated, do it yourselves and become librarians for the record system!"

The child's steps stopped as they were about to leave the library.

The very first bookshelf of the record system.

On the bookshelf that had clearly burned and disappeared, several books had miraculously appeared.

"Huh?"

The child's face showed shock.

"How is Kyle's story continuing?"