Book 1 Chapter 590
590.
“Kyle… sir?”
Rumerin struggled to turn his head and looked at Kyle.
Rumerin felt relieved seeing Kyle, who was sitting on a rock and looking at him with indifferent eyes.
“Thank goodness… thank goodness…”
Strength drained from Rumerin’s body.
If Kyle was here, there was nothing more to worry about.
Erebus, rampaging in his world now, would no longer be a threat.
“My struggles weren’t in vain… thank goodness…”
Thud-!
“Ugh?!”
“What’s there to be thankful for? You damn brat.”
Kyle picked up a piece of brick lying nearby and threw it at Rumerin’s face.
Suddenly struck in the face, Rumerin wore a dazed expression.
Looking at such a Rumerin, Kyle said.
“If you just die like that. Won’t it be your comrades who suffer terribly in the world of the Great Opening?”
“…”
“And later, when Erebus comes out again.”
Kyle’s eyes narrowed.
“It’ll be those kids who have to face Erebus.”
Kyle looked at the hero candidates fighting against Erebus.
“Is that something to be thankful for?”
At Kyle’s cold question, Rumerin bit his lip.
“There’s nothing wrong with believing, is there?”
“…”
“Believing in my comrades… and believing in the children who will follow in my footsteps…”
Rumerin’s hand tensed.
“There’s nothing wrong with believing in you, is there?”
“No, there isn’t.”
Whoosh-
The blowing wind swept past Kyle’s hair.
Even Kyle’s friends who had departed earlier had, in the end, trusted Kyle and closed their eyes peacefully.
“I can’t imagine what kind of time you spent over thousands of years. It’s natural to be exhausted.”
A world where infinity continues.
When the world restarts, one doesn't even know how many times they've repeated it.
However, when one tries to conquer the world and restart the loop, they realize.
How many times they have repeated this.
They can't help but be exhausted.
In such a situation, Seyrun delivered news.
Of the revival of Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning.
Rodia also conquered Lisinas' world with Kyle.
In the endless loop, Kyle's appearance must have been a hope and a relief for the heroes of the Great Opening, a sign that they could finally rest.
It’s natural to want to rest.
Even if that means their own death.
That they did as much as they could.
That it was by no means wrong.
But…
“Would other heroes of the Great Opening do the same?”
“…”
Rumerin’s eyes widened.
“The Seyrun and Rodia I saw were also terribly exhausted. But those guys were different from you. They didn’t give up and pushed themselves harder. They must have thought that rest would come after seeing Erebus completely subjugated.”
Kyle’s eyes met Rumerin’s.
“Those guys believe it too. That you won’t give up.”
Rumerin’s hand trembled.
Kyle turned his gaze to the hero candidates.
“Those kids are the same. Because they believe in you, they're fighting even though they know it's impossible. That you…”
Kyle’s eyes narrowed.
“They believe that the Knight of Twilight, just as he taught them, will overcome his limits and come to them.”
Strength returned to Rumerin’s hand.
“What about your students you saw?”
Rumerin struggled to turn his body.
His body screamed.
A massive explosion caused by incinerating all the mana in his body in an instant.
His body was already tattered.
But that must be the same for Erebus too.
Clench-
Rumerin clenched his hand.
‘My students… they were students just as I wished.’
Rumerin’s students were, every one of them, the ideal students he had wanted.
Children who, even when facing limits, didn’t hesitate and challenged the impossible.
Among them, there was even a student who didn’t resemble him at all.
‘Cal Thomas.’
A student whose presence here was surprising.
But for that very reason, he was the image of a hero Rumerin considered most ideal.
He had overcome countless limits.
Rumerin knew.
That what made the Hero of the Beginning was not his ability, but his will.
Cal was here purely by will.
Rumerin wanted to be such a hero.
‘I had forgotten.’
The reason he admired the great hero before him.
His ideal of constantly challenging limits, never giving up, and turning the impossible into possible.
‘Overcome your limits?’
Rumerin bit his lip.
‘Who am I to tell anyone to overcome their limits, when I myself have given up?’
He had to show those students, who firmly believed that the Knight of Twilight always overcame limits.
To those children who stood here, admiring his false image.
He had to show them that the image they admired was not false.
‘That would be his role as an educator… who founded the school.’
Rumerin rose to his feet.
He squeezed out strength, burning the flame of life that could flicker out at any moment.
“Cough. Cough.”
Blood surged from within and spilled from his mouth.
But Rumerin didn’t mind.
Thump- thump-
Kyle silently watched Rumerin.
He offered no help whatsoever.
He merely watched.
Rumerin smiled at that seemingly heartless attitude.
‘Yes… this must be trust too.’
The belief that his successor wouldn't fall to such a trial.
Thump- thump-
Rumerin took difficult steps.
His footsteps quickened.
Soon, Rumerin began to sprint towards the battlefield.
Watching Rumerin’s back as he stood up and started running, Kyle thought.
‘It seems I won’t need to step in.’
Rumerin had now overcome his limits.
If it was Rumerin, who had started to leap towards new possibilities.
Unless it was a complete fragment of Erebus.
That mere fragment, which was only a part, would be no match.
Kyle’s gaze turned to Cal.
‘It’s not only those with great power who can achieve great feats.’
Compared to other hero candidates, Cal’s skill was unremarkable.
But…
‘Cal has many facets.’
The courage to overcome fear.
An eye that finds potential in others, sees hope in that potential, and seeks a path forward based on it.
Crucially… a never-give-up spirit.
Strangely, Cal gradually resembled the great heroes.
‘In a way, it’s not strange.’
It was they, not anyone else, who created the current era.
And Lisinas, who led the way in creating this era, thought.
That the values they pursued would remain for future generations.
Just as Rodia wished for countless possibilities to bloom among future generations in the world of heroes.
Lisinas also hoped that in future generations, the things that great heroes pursued would remain within the small actions of ordinary people.
Cal’s ability was extremely simple.
When everyone looked at overwhelming despair.
To find possibility within it and start moving forward.
A simple yet equally difficult ability.
An ability that can do nothing alone.
But from the start…
‘What can one do alone?’
Even he himself could do nothing alone.
Being able to do nothing alone is not a flaw.
Because if someone is by your side, it's like gaining infinite possibilities.
With the advent of the Hero Record, it became an era where only those who achieved great feats were called heroes.
“But in the old days, it was simpler, wasn’t it?”
Kyle smiled, recalling Lisinas.
He remembered the reply he received after irritably saying he was no hero when asked to become a hero who saves the world together.
‘A person who can exert strength for others. I think such a person is a hero.’
Recalling Lisinas, who was smiling gently, Kyle fiddled with the hem of his cloak.
***
Whoosh-!
“Here it comes!”
At Cal’s shout, Eliza, gripping the reins of the Wind Wyvern tightly, yelled.
“Hold on tight!”
Swoosh-!
The Wind Wyvern began to descend at tremendous speed.
Erebus, who had been chasing Cal to turn him to ashes, pursued Cal and Eliza.
“Why is that thing only targeting you?!”
“How should I know?!”
“Lucky you! The world’s most fearsome calamity acknowledges you! That you’re the biggest threat to it among us! You must be proud!”
“Does this look good to you?! Does this look like something to be proud of?!”
“Hold on tight!”
Clench-!
Cal tightly gripped Eliza’s waist and pressed his body close to hers.
Eliza manifested her spiritual power.
Crackle-! Crackle-crackle-!
In that instant, pure white lightning erupted from Eliza’s body.
“Huh? Huh?”
While Cal made a surprised expression, pure white lightning enveloped the entire body of the wyvern.
“What is this?!”
“Imitating Leo Plob!”
Eliza, who had been continuously exposed to the essence of lightning by Leo, had at some point begun to accumulate lightning in her spiritual power.
Spiritual power that originally resonated with Pegasus.
Of course, it wasn’t the essence of lightning itself, but Eliza’s potential was gradually opening up.
And it had awakened now.
Whoosh-!
The Wind Wyvern's speed began to outpace Erebus.
Cal, confirming this, shouted.
“Chloe!”
At that moment.
Crack-crack-crack-crack-crack-!
The world froze.
For an instant.
Even Erebus, weakened by Rumerin’s attack.
Hiss-!
No one stood near Chloe, who had deployed her magic.
Because if you got close, you’d freeze.
White frost rose from Chloe’s body.
“With magic… is an ice-type spell of this power possible?”
As Runia made a shocked expression, Eyran swallowed dryly.
“If you look at the purity of the magic… it’s comparable to an ice spirit.”
“What? Chloe Müller is a pure mage!”
“It’s the magic Lady Luna left for Chloe before. I know it’s a spell that allows one to enter the realm of ice spirits.”
“My goodness.”
Luna, who created such a magic spell, was remarkable, but Chloe, who completed that absurd magic spell to this extent, was also incredible.
Crack-crack-crack-!
At that moment, cracks began to appear in the ice.
Shatter-! Crackle-crackle-crackle-!
Erebus, bursting through the ice, persistently chased Cal.
Ar, seeing this, stomped his feet.
“No! Why is that fireball only targeting Cal?! We can’t do anything!”
It wasn't that Ar was slow.
But compared to Eliza, he was inferior.
Furthermore, for protecting Cal and evading Erebus, Eliza, a summoner, was the most suitable.
“Thanks to that, we also have it easy.”
Abad smiled gently and waved his hand.
In response, Chelsea closed her eyes and slightly parted her lips.
“Ah-”
As Chelsea began to sing, the surrounding magic power fluctuated.
This too was magic that Luna had left for the two of them.
Chantless magic and magic that controlled the surrounding wind with her voice.
The two people’s magic headed towards Serria’s sword tip.
Whoosh-!
Serdinger’s flames and Rwallyn’s wind met, creating a colossal flame.
“Perfect.”
Roar-! Whoosh-!
Runia grinned and used the Flame Emperor.
Pure white flames engulfed Serdinger’s fire, becoming even more powerful.
Thanks to Cal and Eliza buying time, an attack of immense power was completed.
“The problem is how to hit Erebus with this.”
“I’ll do it!”
As Ar bravely stepped forward, Drianan grabbed Ar by the scruff of his neck.
“You already have severe internal injuries.”
“But who else besides me can withstand enchanting that magic….”
“I will.”
Everyone’s eyes widened.
Rumerin was standing there.
Eyran urgently asked such a Rumerin.
“Rumerin-nim, are you alright? You shouldn’t overexert yourself.”
“I’m fine.”
Rumerin raised his sword.
“There’s no time, so please.”
Runia, who was enveloped in the Flame Emperor’s power, nodded.
Roar-!
The Flame Emperor’s fire imbued Rumerin’s sword.
Rumerin, confirming this, bent his knees.
Thud-!
Rumerin leaped towards Erebus.
Whoosh-!
Feeling the black flames from behind, Cal tightly gripped the staff in his hand.
-Stop your foolish resistance and give up.
Erebus’s mocking voice was heard.
In response, Cal raised his middle finger towards the back.
“Would you give up if you were me?!”
“Yes.”
“…!”
-Rumerin?
At the voice immediately heard from behind, Cal’s eyes widened and Erebus’s face contorted.
“Learning a lot from a student, are we?”
Whoosh-!
Rumerin raised his sword.
“Eliza!”
As Cal urgently shouted, Eliza changed direction on the spot.
“Reliable.”
Rumerin, letting out a laugh at the sight, plunged his sword into Erebus.
Whoosh-!
Black flames and white flames intertwined, and Erebus’s body contorted for an instant.
And in that gap.
A pitch-black orb, reminiscent of a hole, was visible.
“Uryaah!”
Cal plunged his staff directly into the hole.
Swoosh-!
At that moment.
The calamity’s flames scattered and vanished without a trace.
“We won!”
Cal clenched his fist and shouted.
The hero candidates watching let out cheers.
***
Kyle, watching the hero candidates’ desperate struggle from the ground, smiled gently.
“Excellent.”