Book 1 Chapter 586

586.

Karl, who had been talking to Ri-an about Leo for a while, carefully opened his mouth.

"Um… Ri-an-nim."

"Yes, Karl-nim. Command me."

Looking at the god in front of him, whose title had somehow changed, Karl didn't know how to react.

'His eyes aren't sane.'

He hadn't lived a long life, but after enrolling in Lumerne, Karl had many experiences.

In that process, he saw many people who weren't sane.

And Ri-an possessed a madness that was incomparable to such people.

A little while ago, when Karl told him Leo's name and showed him a photo they took together, Ri-an exclaimed, 'You've told me the new revered name and face of the Hero of Genesis! Ah! What can I do for you? This humble body! Please use it as a footrest for Karl-nim!', and even crouched down in front of Karl.

The god who, just a moment ago, treated Karl as less than a pebble on the roadside, was nowhere to be seen.

Now, he looked more like a fanatic worshipping a god.

And he regarded Karl as the proxy of such a god.

'This isn't just acting or getting overly excited because he's happy.'

Cold sweat ran down Karl's back.

Frankly, Karl was afraid of Ri-an's attitude.

Not because he would harm him.

He was simply overwhelmed by the madness of a transcendent being he could never understand.

Karl swallowed dryly and said,

"My friends are fighting the Flame of Calamity outside, and I don't know if it's okay for me to stay here for long."

Ri-an knew how to defeat Erebus right now.

But he couldn't tell all of Leo's story here.

If he did, the situation would already be over.

At Karl's words, Ri-an spoke as if to tell him not to worry.

"You don't need to worry about that."

Ri-an spread his arms.

"This place is another world, separated from the outside. You can think of it as similar to the Hero's World. If I just put my mind to it, time here flows slower than time outside."

Ri-an smiled gently.

"Lumerne also held off Erebus here for a whole year."

"A year? By himself?!"

"As expected of Lumerne."

Karl made an astonished expression, and Rodia admired him.

"So Karl-nim, please relax and tell me the story of the Hero of Genesis!"

At Ri-an's words, Karl scratched his head and began the story again.

Beside him, Rodia also focused on Karl's story.

Soon, Karl's story ended.

Ri-an closed his eyes, enjoying the afterglow.

Karl urgently said to such a Ri-an,

"Ri-an-nim. Now, please tell us how to defeat the Flame of Calamity."

At those words, Ri-an opened his eyes.

"Yes. First, having heard Karl-nim's words, you all possess one card that can contend with that monstrosity."

Ri-an began carving a statue with a carving knife and jewels, which appeared from who knows where.

"First. Lunia El Lundia is the successor of the progenitor of the nebula."

"Lunia?"

"Yes. Was she called the one who chases the nebula?"

Ri-an skillfully crafted a statue of Leo.

"The magic left by the progenitor of the nebula to future generations, [Emperor of Flame]. That magic is the only power among those existing in this world that can counter the unextinguishable Flame of Calamity."

"Is it such a magnificent magic?"

"Yes. Because it's a magic created by someone who can be called the greatest magic genius since the existence of magic."

Ri-an, who had completed Leo's statue, examined it from various angles and continued speaking.

"Of course, it's impossible to completely eradicate Erebus like pure mana properties. 'Sealing' would be the ultimate limit."

Ri-an, who was examining the statue, made a slightly dissatisfied expression.

Normally, he would have meticulously crafted the statue.

But because he made it quickly now, the level of completion was not satisfactory.

Ri-an, putting one statue down, took out another gem and carved it.

Gem dust flowed down to the floor.

"However, with the skill of that child, Lunia, it would be impossible right now. She's still inexperienced."

At those words, Karl nodded.

"The second is to drive it back to where it belongs. That is, to the World of Genesis. In the current situation, that is the only way."

"How do you drive it out?"

"It appears that monstrosity invaded here through a connected world. If so, we need to find and destroy the hole it came through into this world… that is, its core. It's not its true body right now. It's merely a mass of power. If only its core is destroyed, it will disappear."

"If it was such a simple method, you should have told Lumerne-nim!"

"It's absolutely not simple. Divine power is needed to stop it. I would have to sacrifice myself. If there had been a chance of success, I would have sacrificed myself without hesitation. But there seemed to be no chance of success."

"Huh?"

"Because that's Lumerne's limit."

Hearing those words, Rodia bit her lip tightly.

Karl made a blank expression.

"Karl-nim. Do you know why Lumerne told you to 'transcend your limits'? It's precisely because he couldn't transcend his own limits."

"……"

"He reached for what he couldn't obtain. And in the end, he was frustrated when he couldn't grasp it."

Ri-an rested his chin on his hand.

"A bird can fly in the sky, but it cannot reach the end of the sky. If it struggles to reach it, only a fall awaits in the end. That's how Lumerne closed off his own potential."

"……I heard the gods like Lumerne-nim."

"Yes, they do. Gods like hero stories, but they also like to see heroes fall just as much."

Ri-an smiled brightly.

"The Hero of Genesis certainly changed the world. But he couldn't achieve anything beyond that. Ultimately, he couldn't become like a Great Hero. Gods love such tragedies."

Rodia bit her lip tightly and clenched her fists.

It was a truth that twisted her gut.

Because of that, she couldn't offer any rebuttal.

'Back when we subjugated the fragments of Erebus and ended the Calamity's return, it felt like everything would be fine.'

But afterward, the fragments they had defeated flared up again.

Watching the continuously burning fragments of Erebus, the Heroes of Genesis couldn't help but think.

That they had failed.

That they couldn't become like the Great Hero.

According to Karl, they would find a way in the not-too-distant future.

But that wasn't a solution.

It was merely a stopgap measure to extend time.

'In the end… we couldn't accomplish anything with our own hands.'

Lumerne couldn't transcend his limits, and Seirune couldn't trust herself.

Azonia couldn't move forward, and Damian ultimately couldn't pursue potential.

'It's the same for me.'

If what the King of Wisdom passed down to future generations was a seed called hope.

What Rodia left behind was immense despair.

She merely entrusted it to future generations.

"A hero is someone who accomplishes what cannot be accomplished. While it's true I like Lumerne, I'm not sure if it's worth sacrificing myself for Lumerne, who fled from his limits…"

"Lumerne-nim…"

Karl interrupted Ri-an and said.

"He will transcend his limits and drive Erebus out of this world."

Ri-an tilted his head.

"Did you not understand my words?"

"I understand perfectly."

Karl smiled.

"I know. That he was frustrated because he couldn't become like Leo. That Lumerne-nim ultimately couldn't transcend his limits. And that he fled from his limits by confining Erebus to the World of Genesis."

"And yet you say he'll transcend his limits?"

"Yes."

Karl answered without an ounce of doubt.

"Why?"

"Because he didn't give up."

At the unexpected answer, Ri-an's expression instantly became dumbfounded.

"If he had given up… he wouldn't have thought of fighting Erebus endlessly in the Hero's World."

Karl said, looking at the statue of Leo that Ri-an had made.

"You might be frustrated at not finding a way. You might hit a wall and collapse. You might despair at the ordeal before you and escape by deferring it to future generations."

Karl said with a smile.

"But if he had truly given up, he wouldn't have done anything. If he hasn't given up, he can certainly start again."

As long as you don't give up, you can challenge your limits once more.

You can believe in yourself again, and it's possible to stand up to move forward.

Finding lost possibilities, too.

As long as you don't give up, you can start over as many times as you like.

"The Heroes of Genesis didn't fail."

"……"

"Their sacrifice, believing in the possibilities of the future… will ultimately save the world."

Rodia made a blank expression.

"Therefore, Lumerne-nim will transcend his limits. For the future."

This was the conclusion of Karl, who had inherited Lumerne's educational philosophy at Lumerne Academy and had endured without giving up until now.

"How grotesquely foolish."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Yes, it is a compliment."

Ri-an took out a jewel from his pocket.

And he brought the jewel close to his eye.

Karl's image formed within the jewel.

"Karl Thomas-nim. You will not be able to become a hero in this era."

"I know that better than anyone."

Ri-an, looking at Karl's image reflected in the jewel, smiled with satisfaction.

And he said.

"The core of the Flame of Calamity is the hole that appeared in this world. The very fact that it came into this world means a crack has formed in the world, so if the crack is eliminated, the monstrosity will no longer be able to exist in this world."

Ri-an smiled benevolently.

"You just need to plunge me into the core."

"Huh?"

Ri-an approached Karl and took his hand.

Then, Ri-an's body glowed with a bright light.

"Karl-nim, no. Karl Thomas."

"……?"

"Meeting you might be a great fortune. I hope you continue to seek new beginnings, just as you are now."

"Ri-an-nim?"

Karl called out to Ri-an, flustered.

After the light disappeared, a single staff was held in Karl's hand.

Looking at the staff that emanated divine power like the Hero's Record, Rodia said,

"It seems I've reached my limit too."

"Rodia-nim?"

Rodia smiled gently.

The library had somehow disappeared.

Where Karl and Rodia stood was an underground temple ruin.

Fwoosh-!

"The Flame of Calamity?!"

It was when Karl let out a cry of astonishment.

Groooowl-!

Brilliant light flowed from Rodia's body.

Soon, Rodia's body transformed into the form of a dragon.

Rodia, having returned to her true form, reached out and grabbed Karl.

Then she opened her mouth towards the ceiling.

Rumbbble! Flash-! Kaaaa-BOOM!

The pure white breath unleashed from Rodia's mouth created a massive hole that stretched all the way to the surface.

"A-amazing…!"

It was when Karl's mouth hung wide open.

Flap-!

Rodia spread her wings and began flying towards the surface at tremendous speed.

"Urghhhhhh?!"

[Karl Thomas.]

"Yesssssss?!"

Feeling the immense pressure of the wind, Karl answered with difficulty.

[You know that dragons choose heroes, don't you?]

"But whaaaaaaat?!"

[You will become a hero.]

"Huh?"

Karl, whose eyes met Rodia's, made an astonished expression.

Whoosh-!

Karl's eyes, having somehow reached high in the sky, saw a world that had begun to burn.

"Ri-an-nim said I couldn't become a hero?"

[In this era, that is.]

Rodia said with a joyful voice.

Karl made a blank expression.

Towards such a Karl, Rodia said,

[The me you will meet again won't remember you, but…]

Swooosh-!

Rodia's body turned to ash and vanished.

[I'll be looking forward to it. To you, who will have become a hero.]

Certainly, her future self would be delighted to see Karl.

Saying that he was a hero of a new era, born thanks to her finding the Hero's World.

Those with potential who are currently destined to be eliminated.

That in the future, they would blossom that potential and become heroes.

[Help Lumerne, Karl Thomas.]

Swooosh-!

Rodia's body completely vanished.

Whoosh-!

At the moment Karl's body was plummeting to the ground.

Whoosh-!

"Karl!"

Eliza, who had flown in on a wyvern, snatched Karl.

"Where have you been all this time? And what was that dragon just now?!"

"Didn't you say you'd speak informally to me?"

"Is that important right now?!"

At Eliza's words, Karl looked at the staff held in his hand.

"It was Rodia-nim."

Karl, who answered, looked at the Flame of Calamity burning on the ground and said,

"What's the current battle situation?"

"Thanks to Lumerne-nim, who suddenly appeared, it's being maintained, but… it's not good!"

"Right."

Karl took a deep breath.

"Then, let's start the counterattack now."