Book 1 Chapter 589

Kal felt goosebumps all over his body from the primordial evil's gaze.

'Different.'

This wasn't the first time Kal had seen Erebus with his own eyes.

He had even participated in battles indirectly.

But the pressure Kal felt now was different from before.

His breath caught in his throat.

Erebus hadn't done anything specific.

He had merely acknowledged Kal as a human.

But even that was enough to make him unable to breathe.

Cold sweat poured down him like rain.

He felt like he would die just by being acknowledged by a transcendental being.

Kal's eyes could see it.

The unfathomable malice of the primordial evil.

A destructive being that humans could never understand.

Death.

It was at that moment Kal had that premonition.

*Hwaak-!*

Rumern, who had appeared before Kal, swung his sword.

*Seugak-!*

The sword, imbued with twilight aura, sliced through space.

Erebus, whose body was split in two at the waist, distorted.

It wasn't merely cutting Erebus.

It was literally slicing through space.

It was an attack that struck at the very core of his being.

For a moment, Erebus's body flickered.

Rumern stamped his hand on the ground.

*Woong-!*

Rumern's magic seeped into the ground, forming a magic circle.

"Dusk."

*Flash-! Kwagagagagang!*

Twilight magic soared into the sky.

Lunaria's eyes widened as she saw it.

"Star magic?"

Rumern had never heard of him learning star magic.

Moreover, the era Rumern lived in was before star magic became widespread.

This was magic Seyrun had created for Rumern.

Just as Luna gifted Innocent Magic to Kyle,

Seyrun had gifted Dusk to Rumern.

It was Rumern's unique magic, created based on the magic circle of star magic.

"Amazing…"

As Eyran muttered dazedly, Rumern gritted his teeth.

"There's nothing amazing about it."

"What?"

Rumern glared at the sky.

The scattered black flames coalesced into one place, returning to a human form.

"The magic is great, but… I couldn't fully complete this magic."

Rumern tightened his grip on his sword.

Rumern bent his knees and leaped into the sky.

*Kwak-!*

The ground caved in, and thick dust billowed.

Rumern roared towards the black flames that began to burn again.

"I am your opponent!"

*Kwak-! Jjeojeojeojeojjeok-!*

The twilight aura-infused sword and Erebus's arm crossed in mid-air.

At the same time, cracks began to form in the sky.

-I have no interest in a walking corpse.

Erebus, without even glancing at Rumern, looked down at the ground.

More precisely, he looked at Kal.

-The most bothersome thing right now is that human.

To Erebus's eyes, Kal was an extremely threatening existence.

The being most hated by the primordial evil was not Kyle.

Kyle had indeed shattered Erebus's body and sealed him.

But what made that possible was the King of Wisdom, Lisinas.

The being who ignited the dying embers of salvation and bloomed the potential of the world.

The ability to perform so-called miracles.

Of course, comparing Lisinas and Kal was absurd.

No matter how much Kal struggled, he couldn't become like Lisinas.

Kal only possessed a fragment of Lisinas.

'But I cannot tolerate him having the same ability as a fool. Moreover…'

Erebus's eyes narrowed.

Kal possessed more than just Lisinas's appearance.

On this battlefield, despite trembling in fear of death at any moment, he did not lose the courage to fight.

He placed absolute trust in the potential of others.

He believed that even in desperate situations, there was hope.

Crucially…

He did not give up.

From the moment he acknowledged Kal's existence, there were more than a few bothersome points.

His abilities were insignificant, yet he resembled the great heroes.

He had to be erased from the world as soon as possible.

Thinking so, Erebus swung his hand towards Rumern, who had approached right in front of him.

-Do not interfere, Knight of Twilight.

*Kwak-!*

Rumern plunged his sword into Erebus's chest.

At that moment, Erebus's hand grabbed Rumern's head.

*Pajijijijik-!*

Twilight mana surged from Rumern's body.

Erebus's eyes narrowed as he saw it.

-So this is what you were thinking.

"The rest will be handled by those children."

Rumern grinned.

*Kwagagagagagagang-!*

A giant mana storm soared into the sky.

***

*Kwagagagagagagang-!*

The massive mana storm rising in the center of the Erek training ground blew away Erebus's faintly burning flames.

Hark muttered dazedly as he saw it.

"Twilight mana… Rumern-nim?"

Hark wasn't the only one with widened eyes.

Elena, from the same Rumern's Three Great Families, was also surprised.

The giant mana storm from a moment ago.

It bore a striking resemblance to the power of Rumern they had heard about.

Kyle, who had suppressed Erebus's flames, narrowed his eyes.

'The source of the mana… Hero Record?'

An immense shock had pierced through the world of heroes and affected the real world.

*Tadak-!*

Kyle descended to the ground.

Erebus's flames had completely disappeared due to the attack a moment ago.

As the fierce battle reached a lull, those who had participated in the fight gathered around Kyle.

"Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning…"

"The great hero who subjugated Erebus…"

As everyone looked at Kyle and murmured, Hark knelt.

"We pay our respects to the great Hero of the Beginning."

Seeing Hark's actions, everyone who had fought against the flames of disaster hurriedly knelt.

"We pay our respects to the great Hero of the Beginning!"

There was no distinction between heroes and hero candidates.

The being before them was the one who, 5000 years ago, single-handedly subjugated Erebus and saved the world.

He was the reason they were alive and breathing now, the man who gifted them a future.

Anyone living in this era could only feel awe.

They could only show respect.

"Everyone, stand up."

Despite Kyle's words, people hesitated to stand up.

Kyle, sighing at their behavior, approached Iliana, who was nearby.

"Huk?!"

As Kyle approached her, Iliana gasped and flinched, then bowed her head lower.

*Deobseok-!*

"Kyaak?!"

Kyle grabbed Iliana by the nape of her neck.

Her eyes widened in surprise, and she averted her gaze with a flushed face.

Although she was dangling in mid-air from shock, she couldn't move at all.

Kyle gently placed Iliana on the ground, forcing her to stand.

"I didn't save the world to be worshipped."

Kyle said indifferently.

"So stop with the embarrassing acts."

Only then did people cautiously stand up, glancing around.

Seeing this, Iliana, with a very red face, shyly spoke to Kyle, who was sighing.

"Kyle-nim. Ah, thank you so much for saving me earlier. I don't know how I can repay this favor…"

Her classmates, who knew Iliana, distorted their faces.

'Why is she acting like that?'

'Did she eat something wrong?'

'I feel sick.'

Normally, they would have booed, but in front of the great hero, they dared not.

Kyle reached out and ruffled Iliana's hair.

"Hwaa."

Iliana's face turned even redder.

*Teobeok- teobeok-*

As Kyle approached the Hero Record in the center of the Erek training ground.

*Teok-*

Professor Hallind stood before Kyle.

He bowed his head to Kyle and said,

"Hero of the Beginning, I have a question."

"What is it?"

"5000 years have passed since you saved this world."

Hallind met Kyle's eyes.

"You recently subjugated the Demon Queen Silathuna, and you have appeared in this era. Not just you. Luna, the progenitor of the Nebula, and Arion, the valiant warrior, have also reappeared in this era and saved us numerous times."

Hallind spoke in a serious voice.

"How is such a thing possible?"

Kyle, looking into Hallind's eyes, chuckled.

'As expected of Professor Hallind.'

At first, they would consider it a miracle.

But if miracles happen repeatedly, people will rely on them.

It is undoubtedly a joyous thing that great heroes of the past appear in the present era and fight.

However, such things do not repeat infinitely.

Professor Hallind did not ask the question to know the reason why the great heroes could appear on the ground.

He asked this question because he was wary of people relying on past heroes.

He wanted to hear something from Kyle.

"I don't know that either."

Kyle said calmly.

"Even I don't know why I could appear in this era. However."

"However?"

"Do not rely on us."

Kyle gave Hallind the answer he wanted.

"We are merely here to help you."

Kyle said, looking at those who wished to walk the path of heroes after him.

"It is not the beings of the past who save and sustain this era. It is you who live in this era."

"……"

"I am proud of you."

Kyle said.

"It's not just me. Lisinas, Luna, Arion, Dweno. I'm sure they would be proud of you who dedicate yourselves to the world."

*Teobeok- teobeok-*

Kyle approached Rumern's Hero Record again.

"So don't cling to us, who are merely remnants of past glory. Those who shape the era."

Kyle reached out to Rumern's Hero Record.

"Is you."

*Hwaak-!*

Bright light enveloped Kyle.

'It's always hard to imitate you, Lisinas.'

Kyle gave a wry smile, gripping the hem of his cape at his chest.

***

Upon entering Rumern's world, the first thing Kyle saw was a sky with a gaping hole.

"…Is it the aftermath of the mana storm from a moment ago?"

There was a black hole.

Kyle knew that the real world was beyond it.

*Hwareureureuk-!*

Black flames soared not far away.

Kyle turned his gaze and saw hero candidates fighting against Erebus.

'Where is Rumern?'

Rumern, whom he thought would be fighting alongside them, was nowhere to be seen.

Furthermore, Erebus seemed to have taken significant damage and was not unleashing his full power.

"……"

At that moment, Kyle's eyes fell on someone sprawled not far away.

It was a man Kyle knew.

Rumern, the Knight of Twilight.

The Hero of the New Era who succeeded him.

"So that's how it was."

Understanding the situation, Kyle approached Rumern.

He kicked the fallen Rumern, who was weakly breathing, to make him look at the sky.

"Kuk-! Kuk-!"

Rumern, spitting blood, managed to open his eyes.

"Who…?"

He seemed to lack the strength to even turn his head, and Rumern strained his voice.

*Teobeok- teobeok-*

Kyle, without even glancing at Rumern, approached a rock of appropriate size, sat down with a thud, and replied,

"Your senior."