Book 1 Chapter 528

The dungeon door opened.

"Leo-nim."

Then, Mel, who had been waiting, rushed over.

"Are you okay?"

"Do you think I'd get taken down by junior students who are practically infants?"

"That's not it, but."

Seeing Leo smile with a 'flick,' Mel shook her head.

She knew Leo hadn't fully regained his power from his past life.

She also knew that purely in terms of strength, the heroes of the Great Creation had the upper hand.

But…

'His experience is different.'

The heroes of the Great Creation were also heroes who prevented the world's destruction.

They were incredible heroes who set the shaking world right, defeated the pieces of Erebus, and drove out Tartarus.

But Leo was a great hero who saved a world on the brink of destruction.

He lived in a more desperate era than the heroes of the Great Creation and overcame endless battlefields.

It wasn't that the heroes of the Great Creation lacked experience.

It was just that what Leo accomplished was unimaginably immense.

Therefore, even if there was a clear difference in power, she thought that Leo, as he was now, could fully compensate for it.

"Well, if it were me, I would have had a hard time too. But with those dolls…"

Mel marveled.

Mel knew Leo was Kyle, but even so, the amazing was amazing.

"By the way, what kind of hero dungeon is it that dolls mimicking the heroes of the Great Creation appeared?"

Mel's face became infinitely serious.

Because Leo was there, they were able to stop it without significant damage, but without him, they would have suffered immense casualties.

Seeing such Mel, Leo vaguely recalled.

'What expression would they make if I said that the gods created dolls to test me, and those dolls went berserk and came out?'

"What was inside?"

At Mel's question, Leo recalled the inside.

'Oh, hero of the Great Beginning! Please stay a little longer! This humble servant of yours wishes to serve you more! I want to gaze upon your noble countenance more! Please don't leave! Have another cup of tea!'

He recalled Rian, who had cried sorrowfully while clinging to his pant leg, even while being kicked.

"A madman, no. A fanatic was inside."

"Yes?"

Even the Dragon Lord, a descendant of Lacinus, the King of Wisdom, couldn't understand those words.

Seeing Lacinus with a bewildered expression, Leo said,

"Let's talk about what was inside later."

Leo took a deep breath.

"It seems I have to go find Berkkia myself."

"Ah…"

At Leo's words, Mel's eyes widened.

***

"Captain, the atmosphere has been strange since yesterday."

The next day.

During Hero Studies class.

In front of all the second-year students, Iliana stealthily, glancing at Leo, whispered.

Iliana wasn't the only one observing Leo.

Not only students from the same dormitory but the entire second year were looking at Leo, whose expression had vanished.

"He seems to be in a bad mood, Chloe, Xia. Do you know anything?"

Iliana asked Chloe and Chen Xia, who were the dormitory representatives along with Leo.

The two girls also looked at each other and shook their heads.

'What happened yesterday?'

Chen Xia looked at Leo with a serious expression.

The Leo that Chen Xia knew was always someone who never lost his composure.

'As a great hero, it's natural that he wouldn't bat an eye at most things.'

What Chen Xia felt like a typhoon would be a gentle breeze to Leo.

That's why Leo's heavily somber atmosphere weighed down Chen Xia's heart.

'It must be related to Berkkia-nim, right?'

She couldn't think of anything else that would provoke such a reaction from Leo.

Chen Xia clenched her fist.

'I'm still not good enough.'

Currently, Shan's shadows are tracking Berkkia's whereabouts.

Of course, the possibility that Berkkia might have been resurrected as an undead is being thoroughly kept secret.

Even for the Empire of Shadows, it's not an easy task.

'I should become his strength.'

Chen Xia bit her lip tightly.

Not just Chen Xia.

Chloe, Celia, and Abad were also looking at Leo with concern.

Even Duran, Eliza, and Warden were sneaking glances at Leo, seeming to care.

The atmosphere was heavy.

Everyone knew.

Leo, who had never wavered in the face of any hardship or ordeal.

Leo's heavy atmosphere was enough to crush the entire second year.

No matter what anyone said, Leo was their leader.

Just as Lacinus was 5,000 years ago.

At that moment, Chelsea sat next to Leo.

"Oppa Leo?"

Chelsea called Leo cautiously.

But Leo, lost in deep thought, didn't hear her.

The events of the morning were strongly imprinted on Leo's mind.

His disciple, who eventually succumbed to darkness.

'It wasn't Tartarus that made Berkkia that way.'

It was clearly the demon queen who took the lives of those Berkkia loved.

But in the end, the root cause was the malice of people stained with greed.

She lost her reason and went berserk.

She intended to judge all those who committed sins.

Leo also had no intention of showing mercy to those who trampled on others for their own desires.

But even so, he couldn't judge everyone who committed a 'sin.'

'That is also a part of the world.'

However, Berkkia intended to judge those who committed sins without mercy, regardless of the reason.

'That is clearly wrong.'

The world's interests are complex.

If you asked Kyle in the past if the world was bright before the Age of Calamity began,

Kyle would have answered no without hesitation.

It's the same now.

The current world is also rotten in various places.

But if you were to cut out all the rotten parts, the world would not remain.

'I myself am not a very good human.'

Good people also commit evil.

Evil people also do good.

The world is entangled with complex interests, so it cannot be simply divided into good and evil.

Berkkia must have known that.

She just wouldn't have been able to see the way forward.

'The gods said that their era was too bright, which is why the Age of Calamity began.'

The gods drove Erebus, the primal evil, to the far side of darkness for the benefit of the world.

Thanks to that, the world did not face the threat of destruction for a long time.

But that brought about a calamity that turned the entire world into ashes.

Berkkia was the same.

The more she wanted to lead the world to light,

The darker the shadows became in response.

But…

'That's not wrong at all.'

That's why it was difficult.

What words could she offer to Berkkia, who had never known darkness and yet peered into the deepest abyss?

Would her words reach Berkkia, who had closed her ears?

And…

'Can I stop Berkkia's rampage, which even took Bihard's life?'

He had no intention of giving up on Berkkia.

He wanted to make her come to her senses by any means necessary.

But…

'In the worst-case scenario, I might have to grant him peace.'

Even Leo was scared of that.

He had spoken boldly to Rian, but he was afraid of not being able to raise his disciple who had fallen into darkness.

'What if I can't save Berkkia?'

It was then that Leo bit his lip.

*Wham-*!

Someone roughly pulled Leo.

Sky blue eyes entered Leo's vision.

Students around covered their mouths or gasped in surprise.

Leo, also with surprised eyes, looked at the person pulling him by holding his face with both hands.

Chelsea blinked her large eyes several times as their eyes met.

Their breaths were so close they could feel each other.

Their gazes intertwined several times at a very close distance.

Chelsea slowly let go.

Leo, whose gaze had been forcibly met by Chelsea, rubbed his neck.

"My neck hurts a bit."

"You wouldn't answer even when I called you several times."

Chelsea pouted and grumbled.

A somewhat immature action.

But it was a perfectly fitting action for a child her age.

Chelsea glared and looked around.

"What are you looking at? Come to see a show?!"

Then, the gazes that had been focused on them for a moment scattered in all directions.

The only ones Chelsea behaved meekly with were Leo and her older brother, Abad.

In front of those two, she was a little angel, but in front of others, she was a little devil.

'Even if she's meek, it's still different from just being obedient.'

Chelsea basically has a temper.

She had attacked Leo with desperation several times during their training.

'And she smiles again as if nothing happened.'

She was like a fickle wind.

"What are you thinking about for so long?"

Chelsea tilted her head.

Celia, Chloe, Duran, Abad, Eliza, Warden, and others who didn't know Leo's identity wore very serious expressions seeing Leo's demeanor today.

Chen Xia and Kale, who knew Leo's identity, had even more serious expressions.

But Chelsea didn't care.

She approached like a gentle breeze and asked why.

That actually made her feel more at ease.

'Come to think of it, Chelsea is the only one whose attitude hasn't changed at all even after knowing my identity.'

Lunia, Eiran, Chen Xia.

Even the easygoing Kale's attitude had subtly changed.

It was still as close and unreserved as before.

'But what should I say? Yes, should I call it respect?'

Such gazes were unavoidable.

But Chelsea was different.

She was consistent.

Whether Leo was a great hero or not.

Whether he saved the world or not.

She just saw him as an object of admiration.

Someone to follow and one day stand beside.

Chelsea tapped her leg lightly and muttered to herself.

'I'm just doing what I want to do.'

'Kyle has taken on too much burden. He will never try to share that burden. So please, as a younger sister, become Kyle's… Leo's strength. Create a space where Leo can smile freely.'

Chelsea recalled the words Arion left before he departed.

She wanted to share the burden Leo carried as much as possible.

But if he wouldn't share the burden,

'I can at least hold him so he doesn't fall.'

Sometimes, she could support his back.

She couldn't be equal.

The years they had built were different, and the paths they had walked were too different.

Someone to admire and follow for a lifetime.

She would be under Leo's shadow for life.

But because of that,

'I can support him.'

Others might have found it absurd, asking what help they could offer a great hero.

But Chelsea didn't care.

Chelsea smiled and looked up at Leo.

'Oppa Leo is Oppa Leo.'

My hero, whom I admired for the first time.

That innocent smile, somehow, reminded her of Berkkia.

Leo reached out and stroked her sky-blue hair.

"Heehee-"

As if she enjoyed the touch, Chelsea smiled like a cat.

"Chelsea, if you were to stray down the wrong path, how would I get you to listen to me?"

"Hmm?"

At Leo's question, Chelsea's eyes widened.

Then, she rolled her eyes back and forth a few times and finally said,

"You mean I wouldn't listen to reason?"

"Yes."

"Hmm! That's difficult!"

Chelsea crossed her arms and pondered, furrowing her brow.

"First, if it were you, Oppa Leo, you'd probably hit me on the head."

"Right."

"And you'd kick my butt, wouldn't you?"

"Of course."

"Stop teasing my butt."

"When did I tease you?"

"You tried to burn my butt in front of so many people during the entrance exam. I'm ruined, you have to take responsibility."

"That's why you should have listened carefully then."

It was the time when Chelsea had the most rebellious spirit towards Leo.

Seeing Leo acting annoyingly without batting an eye, Chelsea made a sulky face and fell into thought again.

"Still, if I don't come to my senses, it's scary."

"Hmm?"

"Even if I come to my senses, you'll do something terrible, won't you?"

"You know me well."

"To avoid that, I'd probably come to my senses."

At Chelsea's words, Leo rested his chin on his hand and smiled.

"Is that so?"

His heart felt lighter.

'Right, if she doesn't come to her senses, I won't let her be.'

Why was he thinking so complicatedly?

Leo, who burst into laughter, soon wore a gentle smile.

'I should worry about how to make that damned disciple who's rebelling because she's stronger now.'

Looking at Berkkia's power in the Akashic Records, it was immensely powerful, beyond what Leo could handle now.

'Right, the question isn't how to persuade her, but how to beat her.'

It was then that Leo stroked his chin.

*Bang-*!

The classroom door opened, and Eiran entered.

Her appearance surprised all the second-year students.

As an exchange student, she was a very diligent top student.

Arriving before class was the absolute basic.

Yet she arrived just barely before class time?

Moreover, her close friends were all already in the lecture hall.

As everyone wondered, Eiran approached Leo with a deathly pale face.

And with a face like she was about to cry, she shouted,

"Leo-nim! My grandfather… my grandfather!"

At Eiran's appearance, Leo's face hardened.