Book 1 Chapter 522

By the time dinner arrived, rumors of Kaodin's disgrace in the Knight Department had spread throughout Lumern.

Normally, this would have sent Lumern into an uproar.

It was a serious matter for a hero to use force against hero candidates.

However, Lumern remained quiet, despite the gravity of the incident.

This was because Kaodin, the person involved, had been carried to the infirmary in a pitiful state.

"Even so, I was worried that the captain might receive disciplinary action for this, given how badly the other party was treated. I'm glad."

"The other party started the disturbance. Besides, they probably know they were humiliated and will keep quiet. But the rumors spread faster than I thought?"

"Yeah. Kal knew as soon as class ended."

Kal was already a renowned information broker within Lumern.

If it reached Kal's ears, it would spread throughout Lumern in an instant.

No, perhaps the story had already spread to Lumern City.

"Of course, I was the one who told him."

Leo chuckled as he watched Iliana giggle.

Just then, Kal and Eliza appeared in the dormitory dining hall.

Iliana, who had been poking a meatball with her fork and putting it in her mouth, narrowed her eyes when she saw them.

"Those two have been acting suspiciously lately."

As she mumbled suspiciously, chewing the meatball in her mouth, Chloe, who was next to her, gave a puzzled look.

"What's wrong?"

"Don't they seem to be spending more time together lately? Kal also seems to be subtly looking out for Eliza."

"Kal subtly looks out for others all the time."

Chloe tilted her head as if to ask why that was strange.

Chen Xia and Eiran, who were also eating, nodded in agreement.

In response to the reactions of the three, Iliana clicked her tongue and beckoned with her finger.

"This is why studious honor students are no good. I can feel it. A sweet and bitter scent between those two."

At her words, the three female students looked at Kal and Eliza again.

Kal casually greeted other students, while Eliza focused on her meal as if uninterested.

Then, Kal played a prank on Eliza.

Eliza immediately grabbed Kal by the collar, and Kal pleaded.

"It's just like usual!"

"You don't understand. The love story of a woman from a noble family and a man of low status. It's a very common cliché with a long history and tradition."

"That's only in novels. What does that have to do with those two?"

"Hmph, Chloe, who doesn't believe me, I'll tell you a great story."

Iliana lowered her voice.

"I saw those two leaving together in the middle of the night a while ago. They both look exhausted lately, right? They must be enjoying secret meetings at night!"

"S-secret meetings?"

Eiran swallowed dryly.

"Shh- be quiet."

Iliana glanced around suspiciously.

Watching her, Leo said,

"That's not happening."

"How would the captain know that?"

"I was there too."

"Gasp! W-were the three of you…!"

*Thwack-!*

"Gack!"

Iliana yelped and was hit in the side by Chen Xia, falling to the floor.

For a moment, the eyes of everyone in the dining hall were fixed on Iliana.

But soon, realizing it was Iliana who had fallen, they returned to their meals with indifferent expressions.

"Captain! Xia hit me!"

Iliana stood up and whined to Leo.

"You got hit because you were saying strange things."

Chen Xia smiled faintly, and Iliana gasped and hid behind Leo.

Leo, Ripped apart the bread and ate it, said in response,

"Kal is just helping Eliza with her training."

"What, that's boring."

Iliana grumbled and sat down.

"By the way, it's surprising. That she's still training at dawn. She has an image that's far from diligent."

As Iliana looked surprised, Leo said,

"It would be strange for a summoner of that level not to be diligent. Anyway, don't spread baseless rumors. Eliza won't let you get away with it."

***

*Zzzt-!*

That dawn.

Eliza bit her lip tightly as lightning essence enveloped her entire body.

*Ffffff-!*

"Nngh!"

The pure white lightning made her feel like she was going to lose consciousness.

But Eliza endured it somehow.

*Fwip-!*

As the lightning essence dispersed, Eliza let out a ragged breath.

She contained as much of the lightning essence as possible within her body using her spiritual energy.

'Only about 30 seconds.'

Eliza clenched her fist.

Leo narrowed his eyes, watching her.

'The vessel's growth is very fast.'

He had proposed a brutal training of absorbing lightning essence, but he hadn't expected such rapid growth of the vessel in such a short period.

Looking at Eliza, Leo said,

"Impressive."

"I don't need empty praise."

"I mean it."

There were no visible results yet.

But Eliza was clearly growing.

Of course, it was possible with Leo's help, but elevating that help to her own strength was a separate matter.

"Then, shall we move on to the next stage?"

At Leo's words, Eliza's expression tensed.

The current training was also accompanied by terrible pain.

However, Eliza anticipated that Leo's training would not end here.

'If one could become strong just by enduring pain, then no one would be unable to become strong.'

Lightning essence was accompanied not only by physical pain but also by mental anguish.

It was a power that even pegasi found difficult to withstand.

Enduring it with a human body was proof of Eliza's strong mental fortitude.

'If she grows, ordinary mental attacks won't work, right? I've thought about it before, but Eliza is a vessel capable of contracting with countless magical beasts.'

Leo looked at Eliza and raised his spiritual energy.

*Vwoooom-! Zzzt-!*

Waves of spiritual energy swirled around Leo.

Seeing that, Eliza's eyes widened.

"This…?"

"Come out."

*Kwahh-!*

Pure white lightning swirled.

Along with it, a summoning circle appeared, and there stood Atti, her pure white hair fluttering, with her arms crossed.

"Pegasus."

Eliza exclaimed, seeing the sight.

Atti, who looked at her with an expressionless face, was the ideal image of a pegasus that Eliza had imagined, the very embodiment of it.

Atti, emerging from the summoning circle, glanced at Leo.

Then, she clung to Leo's feet.

"Master! When will you bestow the pure white lightning upon me! Only letting such a weakling enjoy it! You're too cruel!"

*Zzzzt-!*

For a moment, Eliza heard something precious in her mind crack.

She rubbed her eyes several times, thinking she had misread.

But the noble magical beast, the pegasus, was still clinging to Leo's feet, looking dejected.

"Get off."

Leo waved his foot, trying to detach Atti with an annoyed expression.

But even as she was dragged on the floor and became disheveled, Atti only seemed to enjoy it, muttering nonsense like, "Ah-ung! Treating me so roughly! As expected, Master!"

Kal's jaw dropped in surprise at Atti's unexpected behavior.

"N-no way… No way. A noble magical beast like a pegasus couldn't be this vulgar."

Eliza clutched her head and crouched down, muttering in disbelief.

"Hey, hey, are you okay?"

"Kal Thomas. This is a dream, right? Tell me it is."

"…It seems to be reality."

"No, it's definitely a dream. Please slap my cheek. To wake me up from the dream."

"You'll get angry."

"It doesn't matter since it's a dream anyway."

At her words, Kal, after hesitating, slapped Eliza's cheek hard enough to feel the pain.

"……"

Eliza rubbed her cheek a few times and then scowled fiercely.

"You dare slap my cheek, which even my parents haven't hit!"

"I told you it wasn't a dream! You said you wouldn't get angry!"

As Kal fled from Eliza in panic, Leo said,

"Eliza."

*Vwooom-!*

Leo approached Eliza and held out his palm.

On it, a small, pure white contract circle unfolded.

Seeing that, Eliza's eyes widened.

"This… is this a modified contract circle with a Pegasus?"

"Yes. It becomes a temporary contract state for a short period. In that state, try handling this one."

Eliza stared intently at Leo.

'With his immense understanding of summoning magic, he can modify the contract circle like this, but…'

"It's amazing, but you don't understand. Even if it's a command from the contractor, would a proud pegasus try to form a temporary contract with someone unqualified? Absolutely not permissible…"

"A-are you trying to hand me over to another summoner right now!"

Before Eliza could finish speaking, Atti shouted.

"See."

As Eliza sighed, Atti shouted,

"To leave Master's hands and be handled by another summoner… and by an unqualified brat… I feel dirty! Wonderful! Hey, brat. Try handling me!"

"……"

Eliza felt something precious in her heart completely crumble and covered her face, sobbing.

"Just so you know, she's the one who's strange. Other pegasi are fine."

Leo whispered, trying to comfort Eliza.

*Flash-! Kwahhahahahaha-!*

Suddenly, a powerful aura shot up from the ground into the sky.

Leo, Eliza, and Kal turned their gaze towards the origin of the aura.

"Wait. Isn't that where the Hero Dungeon appeared?"

Kal exclaimed with a bewildered expression.

A Hero Dungeon suddenly appeared in Lumern.

Why it appeared, and whose world it was.

In Lumern, officials were investigating the mysterious Hero Dungeon with all their might.

And the fact that a powerful aura was suddenly emitted from there…

"Something must have gone wrong."

Eliza said in a firm voice.

*Ffffff-!*

Pure white lightning swirled from Atti's body.

Leo grabbed Eliza and Kal by the wrists and mounted Atti, who had manifested in her true form, on her back.

Leo said to Kal, who was sitting behind him,

"Kal, hold on tight."

"Ah, got it! Eliza!"

As Kal spoke, holding onto Leo's waist, Eliza, who was riding last, snorted.

"I'm a magical beast tamer. Don't worry about me, worry about yourself!"

With those words, Leo pulled the reins.

*Flash-!*

Atti became a streak of light and tore across the night sky.

In the blink of an eye, Leo arrived at the location where the Hero Dungeon had appeared and looked down at the ground.

The surrounding area had been reduced to rubble.

Professors from Lumern and heroes visiting Lumern were confronting a dwarf.

Judging by the situation, the culprit of this incident was clearly that dwarf.

"Hey, wait a minute."

At that moment, Kal said in a shocked voice.

Eliza's eyes also widened.

"That person is…"

Leo also narrowed his eyes at the familiar face.

A dwarf he had never seen before today.

But he had seen him several times in books.

3000 years ago.

There was a man who fought countless battles during the Second Coming of the Calamity.

A man who tried his best to stop the advance of Erebus and Tartarus, even alone.

But alone, there were limits.

He suffered defeat after defeat.

But even though he might have felt despair and been broken, that dwarf always headed to the battlefield.

A man who always steadfastly defended everyone.

That's why the world called him this.

"The Indomitable Damian."