Book 1 Chapter 563

"By the way, what do you call this competition?"

As the coordination for the detailed schedule concluded.

Arga, with his arms crossed, tilted his head and asked.

"Come to think of it, we haven't even decided on the important name."

Lunnia agreed with Arga's words.

All eyes slowly turned to Leo.

Everyone present knew that Leo was the one who came up with the idea for this large-scale event.

Under the gaze of all the students, Leo said calmly.

"We can just come up with something roughly."

At those words, Lunnia showed an expression of disbelief.

"Even so, does it make sense to just come up with something roughly?"

But Leo, the person in question, remained indifferent.

"Leo. Aren't you the student council president of Lumern? As the student council president, you're leading this event, so you haven't even thought of a name?"

Driana asked with a hint of curiosity, and Leo replied.

"There are many talented students in our school. Seniors and juniors alike."

"What do you mean by that?"

Seeing Driana's confused expression, Chelsea reached for a cookie on the snack table and said.

"It means there are many people good to exploit."

*Crunch* Chelsea said, biting into a cookie.

"Everyone wanted to come to Draconia after Leo. Lumern is in complete chaos preparing for the event right now."

'Leo! Take me with you!'

'No! Me!'

'How can you leave me out!'

'What about you!'

Chelsea shook her head, recalling the scene of students of all ages rushing into the student council president's office, clamoring.

The students from other schools shook their heads at Chelsea's words.

'Surely we're busy with participating in the competition, but Lumern must be really out of control.'

In any case, it was an external event.

It was natural to prepare grandly if they didn't want to be disgraced.

"Speaking of which, it's unexpected. I thought Elena Jeron would definitely oppose this because it would be troublesome."

In response to Hardin's words, Chelsea shook her head.

"Elena senior is the most actively tormenting the students. Of course, she's the one suffering the most from the workload."

The basic principle of Elena's way of squeezing students is, "I'm working this hard, so what about you?"

"Surprising, that Elena?"

Hardin of Seirun is in the same grade as Elena.

If Elena has reigned as the strongest of her generation in Lumern, then Hardin is the equivalent in Seirun.

Moreover, having clashed in the Luce battle since their first year, he knows Elena to some extent.

'That monstrous woman is willingly working under someone else.'

Although Elena is called the queen or witch of Lumern, Hardin thinks tyrant is a more fitting description than queen.

That's how much Elena lives as she pleases and wants.

Even if she showed an overwhelming presence, it was hard to imagine her working under someone else.

"Lately, I'm a little worried when I see Elena senior."

Chelsea said with a sigh.

Elena always had a composed expression, but her workload was considerable.

"It's fine. You don't die from that."

Hearing Chelsea's words, Leo said calmly.

"It's good to go through hardships when you're young. That's how you grow strong later in life."

"Black Rabbit. You're young too."

"Leo, isn't Elena Jeron older than you in the first place?"

Arga and Dorbeman looked bewildered.

"How can his words be so similar to those of the High Smith old fogeys?"

"Wow, Driana. Look at this. I'm getting goosebumps."

Driana and Marigold also made disgusted faces.

Leo laughed at their reaction.

"Wouldn't it be good to feel that life is real in this competition?"

"Lumern student council president, we all know you're amazing. No matter what anyone says, you've already reached the position of hero, which is our goal. But still, I've attended Demian for five years."

As Merigold scratched his cheek and spoke, Dorbeman laughed.

"Leo, I'm not ignoring your words, but believe me, we've been through a lot. We already know how tough life is."

Even so, Leo just smiled.

However, Lunia and Chelsea, who knew Leo's true identity, turned pale.

'What on earth is he planning to do this time?'

"By the way, Black Rabbit. If you've handed over all the student council president's duties, what do you do with your remaining time?"

Arga's question was met with Leo's smile, not an answer.

*Clap*!

At that moment, Mellina clapped her hands to draw everyone's attention and said with a smile.

"Let's put an end to the trivial talk. How about calling the competition 'Festival of Heroes'?"

At those words, the students let out exclamations of admiration.

"It sounds very good, Lord Dragon."

Dorbeman replied politely, and Mellina smiled faintly.

"Alright. Then, until the Festival of Heroes begins, we will proceed with the detailed arrangements through organic exchange between the schools. This concludes the meeting."

***

That night.

Leo stood in the training hall of the accommodation assigned to Draconia.

Leo, who had been standing silently under the starlit night sky, drew his sword.

From the moment he took his first steps, Leo had driven himself relentlessly.

In his youth, to awaken the power of All Classes.

Later, to regain the power of his past life.

As a result of pushing himself, he was quickly regaining the power of his past life.

Regaining the power of his past life.

That was Leo's very first goal.

However, after meeting Berkkia, Leo had been pushing himself even more harshly.

*Shwing*! *Woong*!

Resonance occurred from Leo's sword, and a gray aura erupted.

Seeing that, Leo closed his eyes.

'Concentrate.'

All of Leo's senses converged at the tip of his sword.

A quiet night.

But from a certain point on, he could hear nothing.

When he opened his eyes, only the sword, glowing gray, could be seen in the pitch-black darkness.

It wasn't an illusion.

It was a phenomenon that occurred because he was fully concentrating all his senses on the sword.

*Tap*

Leo, holding the sword with both hands, brought it in front of his face and leveled the blade straight ahead.

Along with that, someone appeared before his eyes.

It was a beastman warrior holding a sword.

Arion.

In the pitch-black space, only Leo and Arion stood.

By then, Leo's appearance had also changed to Kyle.

Arion lowered his stance.

Leo kicked off the ground towards Arion.

*Kwakagagag*-!

Aura scattered from Leo's swung sword.

The fragments of aura, swirling so fast they were invisible, lashed out as if to tear Arion's body to shreds.

At that moment, Arion's sword moved smoothly.

*Kakakakakang*-!

It sliced through the golden aura and the gray aura.

It doesn't work.

He had expected that much.

'Of course, the opponent is Arion.'

Perhaps in this era, Leo would undoubtedly be the strongest as a pure warrior.

No, even after the Age of Calamity, no one would have surpassed Leo.

His disciples, Berkkia and Bihard.

The heroes of creation, Lumern and Azonia.

Purely in terms of warrior skill, they could not surpass Leo.

It couldn't be helped.

Leo could wield all weapons proficiently.

As such, he was adept at various unconventional techniques.

His epithet "Hero Who Survives" was not earned in vain.

'Then and now, the measure of a warrior's skill is experience.'

The number of battlefields he had crossed was different.

The number of times he had risked his life was different.

Simply put, the fundamental experience was different.

In that regard, Leo's skill as a warrior was higher than Arion's.

*Chaeeeeng*-!

At that moment.

Arion's sword deflected Leo's sword.

Feeling Arion's sword become heavier, Leo opened a spatial rift.

*Hooang*-!

Leo, wielding a giant battle axe, spun his body, adding weight.

*Kwaaang*-!

Arion, blocking the battle axe, was sent flying and landed on the ground.

Arion transformed.

'But I am weaker than Arion.'

While Leo's skill as a warrior was superior, Arion's capabilities as a warrior were overwhelming.

It's not simply about being stronger.

Leo maximizes his combat ability by changing weapons in real-time according to the situation.

Arion does not have such an ability.

'To be precise, he doesn't need to do it like me.'

Because one cannot surpass their limits with a single weapon, they use multiple weapons.

That's a kind of luck.

Conversely, Arion is not like that.

He surpassed his limits with a single weapon.

That's why Arion, as a warrior, was stronger than Leo.

Suddenly, Leo gripped his sword again.

The gray aura shimmered as if about to burn.

'The essence of the pure mana attribute is power that is not bound by anything, right?'

Leo being an All Class is for the same reason.

He can awaken countless abilities.

Leo's unique magic, Bible, was also a magic system born thanks to this mana attribute.

Increases the number of powers that can be used.

Strengthens one's own power based on that.

This was the method Leo had trained himself since his Kairos days.

That's why Leo's abilities are as vast as the sea.

But…

'It's not deep, but shallow.'

To others, it might seem deep.

Because what has been accumulated is different.

But compared to his friends, the story is different.

'Not being bound by anything also means being infinite.'

That means Leo can also become infinitely stronger.

And that was proven at the very end of his past life.

With the power inherited from his comrades, Leo surpassed Erebus, the immortal being.

But that was borrowed power, not his own.

'That's why I had an incomplete victory and closed my eyes.'

*Squeeze*-!

Force entered Leo's hand.

In this life, Leo intended to win.

He had no intention of losing at all.

'But there's no guarantee that it won't end like my past life.'

There's no guarantee that this life won't end with surpassing Erebus based on someone else's sacrifice.

'I can't allow that.'

Leo charged towards Arion.

Arion also charged back.

'So I have to surpass him. This guy!'

The pinnacle of martial arts that Leo knows.

Not just Arion.

Luna, Lisinas.

He definitely has to surpass his comrades who have reached the pinnacle in their respective fields as mages and summoners.

*Chack*-!

At that moment, Leo's sword was cut and soared into the sky.

Arion's sword was already at Leo's neck.

Arion, meeting Leo's eyes, moved his lips.

'Amazing, it's Kyle after all!'

As Leo gave a wry smile at those words.

"Amazing! It's Black Rabbit after all!"

An excited voice was heard.

The pitch-black darkness had vanished, and he had returned to reality, bathed in starlight.

Arga, who ran to Leo, had his eyes shining brightly.

"You seem even more amazing! Black Rabbit! Let's have a match now… Meooow?!"

"Why do you interrupt training, you silly cat."

Lunia roughly pulled Arga's tail.

Arga, squatting with his tail held, shed a tear.

Seeing that, Leo chuckled and ruffled Arga's head as if pressing it down.

"It's okay, I was just about to finish."

At Leo's words, Arga made a languid cat-like expression.

Seeing that, Lunia muttered to herself.

'That just now… it was definitely Lord Kyle.'

From the moment Lunia first saw Leo, she had felt a sense of strangeness.

Especially because there were times when she felt an unfathomable depth, like an adult.

Now, she knew what it was.

It was Leo's true self, shedding the mask of his current life.

Leo chuckled at Arga, who had a languid expression, and lightly massaged Arga's chin.

At that, a purring sound came from Arga's throat.

At that moment.

Arga made an 'Ah!' expression and shouted with a blushing face.

"Don't treat me like a cat!"

"You are a cat."

"Who wouldn't think you were a kitten?"

Lunia and Driana said mercilessly.

"Ugh!"

Arga rolled on the floor irritably.

*Thump*! *Thump*! The sound echoed, but unfortunately, there was no one here who would be frightened by such a thing.

"Anyway! Fight me!"

At Arga's words, Leo said.

"I have a place to go tonight. This is the end of training."

Leo smiled faintly and looked down at his aura.

The gray aura rippled.

'First, I need to gain the power to kill Erebus with my sword.'

Leo's power was indeed Erebus's natural enemy.

However, in his past life, he could inflict critical damage on Erebus, but he couldn't kill him completely.

The reason was that there was only one means for Leo to completely destroy Erebus.

'Innocent.'

It was a unique magic that Luna had left to Leo.

The essence of pure mana.

'If it's a power that can be realized through magic… then the aura can also manifest pure power.'

At that moment, Leo's aura would become a blade capable of killing primordial evil.

However, to do so, he had to overcome his limits as a warrior.

And Leo clearly knew what those limits were.

Leo glanced sideways.

He had woken up in the world of consciousness, but for some reason, the illusion of Arion remained.

Seeing Arion smiling faintly at him, Leo muttered to himself.

'I'll surpass you soon, so don't make that 'You can do it' expression. You learned useless things from that guy Lisinas.'

Snapping his tongue, Leo lightly shook his sword.

*Hwaak*-!

At that moment, the gray aura dispersed.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Arga showed a surprised expression.

"Why?"

"No, it's nothing."

Arga shook his head.

'Did the Black Rabbit's aura turn pure white for a moment when it dispersed? Did I missee?'