Book 1 Chapter 548

The entire student body stared at Rian with blank expressions at his sudden declaration.

Although the students of Lumern had experienced all sorts of things as hero candidates, this was the first time they had met a child who suddenly claimed to be a god.

Normally, they might have dismissed him as someone a little mentally unstable.

But behind Rian stood Mel.

No one in Lumern was unaware that Mel was the Dragon Lord.

They were only keeping quiet because he claimed not to be that Mel.

Everyone knew his true identity.

And this was a child who came with such a Mel.

It felt as though Mel was vouching for Rian's status, making it impossible to simply dismiss him as mentally unstable.

"No, even so, a god. Does that make any sense?"

"I agree."

Chelsea and Carl looked at each other with expressions of disbelief.

It was not an easy story to believe that a god who had disappeared from the world after the Age of Calamity had suddenly appeared.

Even if he came with the Dragon Lord.

Chelsea and Carl, who had been suspicious of Rian's identity, glanced at Leo, who was sitting among them.

And upon seeing Leo's serious expression, they looked bewildered.

Carl whispered to Leo,

"Hey, Leo. Don't tell me… is it true?"

As Leo gave a slight nod, Chelsea and Carl's mouths gaped open.

'A god?'

Isn't a god an omnipotent being?

There was a strong image of an absolute being who made people naturally bow their heads.

However, Rian's appearance was different from what they had imagined.

Of course, his face was astonishingly beautiful.

Literally, a perfect aesthetic face.

That alone drew the attention of those around him.

But he didn't feel divine or like a being to be worshipped.

"Is it just this god named Rian who is like this? Perhaps he's a younger god due to his youthful appearance."

"That could be."

"Appearance doesn't mean much to gods."

Leo said indifferently.

"Age is meaningless to gods. If he has that kind of appearance, it's purely a matter of taste."

"Ah…"

"Besides, gods are surprisingly incompetent."

"Incompetent? The texts clearly state they are omnipotent. Was that a lie?"

Chelsea asked with a bewildered expression.

"They are omnipotent. It's just that they can't affect the world with that omnipotence."

"Then what was the reason the gods of the past descended to the earth?"

Carl asked in a dazed voice.

The ruins and texts from the Age of Gods, before the Age of Calamity, were still being actively researched.

It was an interesting research topic.

Though not now, gods had clearly existed in the distant past.

During the Age of Gods, people worshipped them, and based on that worship, the gods exerted great influence on the world.

That's why scholars who studied the Age of Gods believed that the gods led the Age of Gods to increase their influence.

Leo answered Carl's question calmly.

"Because they were bored."

"What?"

"They had nothing to do in the divine realm, so they came down to the earth out of boredom."

Carl and Chelsea's mouths gaped open at the unimaginable answer.

From the perspective of those living in the present, they couldn't help but have illusions about gods.

'Illusions are meant to be broken. And that's how everyone grows up.'

Leo looked at Rian with the expression of a mischievous adult.

'Is he going to talk about the conversation we had back then?'

"First, I have something to tell you all."

The expression disappeared from Rian's face.

Seeing that, the students of Lumern held their breath.

An unbelievable charisma emanated from Rian, who had been acting foolishly just moments before.

Though he was an unknown being, at this moment, he completely overpowered all the hero candidates.

"The story I will tell you is about the final battle for the fate of the world, 5000 years ago."

A battle fought for the fate of the world 5000 years ago!

There was no one here who didn't know what that meant.

'The last battle of the Great Heroes…!'

A story not recorded in the Hero Records or found in any texts.

A story passed down only as legend.

Recently, through Mel, the Dragon Lord, they had learned how it proceeded, but they didn't know the detailed story.

As everyone held their breath.

Rian, exuding overwhelming charisma, fumbled something in his pocket and put on dolls of the Great Heroes on his left hand's five fingers.

Then, he put on Erebus's doll on his right hand and began a childish puppet show.

"A long, long time ago, there was the primordial monstrosity and the five Great Heroes."

***

"In the end! The Hero of Origin, left alone, stood before the primordial monstrosity, carrying the world on his shoulders! And he alone defeated this monstrosity that even gods could not handle! Yet, ungratefully, the world forgot the Hero of Origin's achievement! How lamentable is this!"

After the puppet show.

Rian was busy praising Kyle with all his might.

"I don't know about other races, but you are humans! Who are the heroes that humans should respect and worship the most?!"

Rian spread his arms.

"It's the Hero of Origin, Lord Kyle! You must worship and revere Lord Kyle, who achieved what gods could not! As hero candidates, you must serve Kyle, the beginning of all things, well! But there are foolish children in the lower world who harbor illusions about useless beings like gods, even though there is such a great person! Surely there are some among you!"

'There were, but if you really are a god, I think those illusions will be shattered today.'

Some Lumern students muttered to themselves.

"Here's a question! What kind of being is Lord Kyle?"

Seeing Rian asking with wide-open eyes, the Lumern students looked at each other.

Then, someone cautiously raised their hand.

It was Iliana.

"Young lady, please answer."

"Lord Kyle is greater than gods?"

"Correct. An excellent answer, young lady."

Rian nodded with satisfaction.

"I hope you never forget today's lesson. That Lord Kyle is infinitely greater than any god. You must never forget it."

"How long do you think they'll go on like this?"

"Do they really plan to create a religion?"

Chelsea and Carl muttered in exasperated voices as they watched Rian, who wouldn't stop his praise.

"You must be wondering why I worship the Hero of Origin so much."

Rian smiled faintly.

"The reason is simple. Only he could save the world."

Rian looked at the hero candidates.

"Heroes of Lumern, inheritors of Lumern's legacy. Do you know this? That 3000 years ago, Lumern came to find me?"

At that remark, the Lumern students began to murmur.

"3000 years ago… are you talking about the time of the Second Coming of the Calamity?"

Chloe asked, raising her hand, and Rian nodded.

"Yes. To be precise, it was after the end of what you know as the Second Coming of the Calamity."

"The Second Coming of the Calamity that we know?"

Chloe looked bewildered.

Seeing Chloe's expression, Rian said,

"I will tell you the truth of the world that only the successors of the King of Wisdom and the descendants of Rodia, the Dragon of Revelation, have known for the past 3000 years."

The eyes of the Lumern students naturally turned to Mel.

"The Second Coming of the Calamity is not yet over."

At Rian's words, the Lumern students couldn't understand for a moment.

Towards them, Rian continued calmly,

"The fragments of Erebus that awakened during the Second Coming of the Calamity 3000 years ago have not yet been defeated."

"What?"

"What do you mean…!"

Exclamations of shock erupted from all around.

Towards them, Rian continued,

"And the Heroes of Revelation are also alive."

At Rian's declaration, everyone's eyes widened.

"3000 years ago. A human reached the place where I was. It was Lumern. He came to find me and asked for my wisdom. A way to defeat the infinitely resurrecting fragments of Erebus."

Rian spoke of the world's truth with a blank expression.

"I told him. That there is no way to defeat the primordial evil at this time. But there is a way to seal it."

Rian raised his head and looked at the portrait of Lumern hanging in the great hall.

The story of how the Heroes of Revelation sealed Erebus 3000 years ago.

***

It was literally shocking.

The fact that the power of the Heroes of Revelation could not defeat Erebus.

The truth that the resurrected fragments of Erebus and the Heroes of Revelation were still engaged in an endless struggle.

The story that the reason the Hero Records were torn 3000 years ago was due to Erebus.

It was an unbelievable story.

But there were those who had witnessed proof that the story was true.

"Elena, then the Erebus we defeated in Luna's world was…"

"It seemed to be the first fragment."

Runia and Elena spoke with grim expressions.

"Then you, Sir Seirun, who appeared in Seirun at that time… you were yourself, weren't you?!"

Eiran muttered, covering his mouth with trembling voice.

Celia raised her hand.

"I have a question! Were the Heroes of Revelation not strong enough to defeat the flames of calamity?"

"Probably, the Heroes of Revelation are stronger than you think. Since the beginning of the world, there have been very few beings stronger than them, less than ten. Even the primordial monstrosity, in its fragmented state, could never defeat the Heroes of Revelation. That's why the world is maintained as it is now."

"Then why did you have to seal it within the Hero Records?"

Seeing Chloe asking with a confused expression, Rian replied.

"Even if the King of Wisdom, the Progenitor of Constellations, the Hero, and the Divine Blacksmith were present, they would not have been able to completely defeat the primordial monstrosity. That monstrosity is an immortal being as long as its flames do not extinguish."

It was known even in later ages that Erebus's epithet was the Eternal Flames of Calamity.

However, it was only known that extinguishing Erebus's flames, as described in later ages, was extremely difficult.

But to think that those flames were truly immortal flames!

"Then how did the Great Heroes save the world?"

Ril asked, raising his hand.

"Even the flames of calamity have their natural enemies."

Rian smiled faintly.

"Purity."

"Purity?"

"It refers to one born with exceptionally pure mana. One with the characteristic of purity can become anything. And that signifies infinite potential."

"Does that mean… Lord Kyle?"

"Yes. The Hero of Origin possessed that pure mana characteristic. He is the only natural enemy in this world capable of countering the flames of calamity."

The students nodded at Rian's words.

Then, the reason why the Heroes of Revelation couldn't defeat Erebus also became understandable.

"Wait a minute."

Mhm! Iliana, who had been nodding, paused.

"Lord Kyle is an all-class, isn't he?"

Having thought that far, Iliana turned her head with a start.

It wasn't just Iliana.

Suddenly, everyone was looking in one direction.

The unprecedented all-class.

"That's correct."

Rian smiled brightly.

"He possesses the same pure mana characteristic as the Hero of Origin. In other words, he is destined to save this world."