Book 1 Chapter 613

613.

Late night.

Chelsea stared at the royal palace of Tongkeon with anxious eyes.

Even though a long time had passed, there was still no news of Leo and Celia.

'I heard the flow of time can be different in the Spirit Realm.'

Only about half a day had passed since Leo entered the royal palace.

Yet, Chelsea felt impatient.

It wasn't that she was worried about Leo.

He was the Hero of the Beginning, Kyle, no matter what anyone said.

Even if he intruded into the Spirit Realm, Leo would surely be able to overcome it.

The problem was the news that had arrived from Rodren.

'Who on earth would do such a thing?'

Chelsea bit her lip.

News of Torua losing consciousness and Reyna being kidnapped.

Chelsea worried about Leo's reaction to hearing this news.

'How could such a thing happen in the middle of Zerdinger's domain?'

Torua was in a battlefield with rebels.

But Reyna's location was different.

A city boasting security comparable to the imperial capital.

A major incident in Peion.

And the target was Reyna, none other than Reyna.

She was no longer a direct descendant of Zerdinger, nor a key figure.

Just the wife of a noble family from a frontier kingdom.

There was only one special thing about Reyna.

She was Leo's mother.

It was easy to guess who they were targeting by kidnapping Reyna.

'Traitors?'

Chelsea thought of the Hero Hunters.

'Or another enemy from within?'

Just as Chelsea clenched her fist.

Saaah-

A winter wind blew.

At that moment, Chelsea's eyes sharpened.

Hwaak-!

Chelsea drew her staff and turned around, chanting a spell.

Sharp blades of wind wrapped around the approaching figure.

"Wow, like Chloe, are you really students who are about to be in their third year?"

The opponent exclaimed in admiration.

"Anyas Begs?"

She didn't know her well, but she had seen the daughter of the Northern Tower Master a few times before.

Chelsea looked at the half-elf Anyas with a slightly bewildered expression.

She shouldn't be here.

Seeing Chelsea's reaction, Anyas said,

"I came to tell Leo-nim something. But since he's not here now, I'll tell you."

"Why are you telling me?"

"Leo-nim told me to relay it to Rualin if he was absent."

Anyas's eyes curved.

Looking at Anyas's expression, Chelsea thought of someone.

'Aunt?'

The librarian of the Imperial Palace's Magic Library, and the younger sister of the current head of the Rualin family.

Tserna Rualin.

Of course, that was her public identity, but in reality, she was the one who led the shadows of the Rualin family.

In other words, she was Rualin's shadow.

Chelsea didn't know that.

But for some reason, she felt the same aura from Anyas as she did from her aunt.

After briefly thinking of Tserna, Chelsea shook off her thoughts and asked,

"What is it you have to tell me?"

"The identity of the person who kidnapped Reina-nim and those involved in the incident."

"Who is it?"

Chelsea's face hardened.

Seeing Chelsea's expression, Anyas said,

"It's the Hero Slayer. And those suspected of cooperating in that incident are…"

Anyas trailed off and then sighed.

"The Zerdinger Elder Council."

At those words, Chelsea's eyes widened.

Just then.

Gugugugu-

The royal palace began to shake.

Chelsea and Anyas, both with surprised eyes, turned their heads towards the royal palace.

***

Hwareureuk-!

Leo dodged the shimmering blue flames in front of him.

'The power of the Spirit of Purification.'

Indeed, Celia had been strengthened in every aspect.

The firepower of the flames, as well as her strength and speed.

Kwaang-!

When Celia struck the floor with her sword, a giant wave of flames engulfed the area.

Leo dodged it and said,

"But you've only gotten stronger."

Her swordsmanship had regressed.

It was inevitable.

What need would a spirit have to hone swordsmanship?

She simply swung her sword.

"You're far inferior to the original Celia."

Hwareureuk-

Leo dodged Celia's sword, which was about to behead him, with a bored expression.

And then…

Kwak-!

"Kuhk?!"

He landed an uppercut on Celia's stomach.

Wheeeing! Kwagagagagang-!

Celia flew back and slammed into the palace wall.

However, protected by her Spirit Armor, Celia seemed unharmed and quickly got up.

Her gorgeous red dress unleashed even more powerful flames.

Seeing Celia rush at him with more powerful flames than before, Leo clenched and unclenched his fists.

Then, he struck Celia's head with his fist.

Kwagagagagang!

Celia slammed into the floor.

Leo stepped on Celia's back with his foot.

Kwaang-!

Celia's body went straight through the floor and into the lower level.

Laruelle looked flustered at the sight.

-L-Leo-nim. Even so, aren't you attacking the unconscious Celia a bit too much?

To Laruelle's words, Leo said indifferently,

"That's why I'm attacking her too much."

-Huh?

"I never taught you to let go of control of your body so easily."

Leo looked at Celia with displeasure.

Since they first met, Celia had trained with Leo.

Of course, he didn't teach her swordsmanship or how to operate Aura.

But he guided her, ensuring she lacked nothing, from combat know-how to physical and mental strength.

For Celia, who he had trained so diligently, to lose consciousness and give up her body, even as a great spirit, was unacceptable to Leo.

"Aang? You lack grit!"

-Th-that's not something you can fix with grit…

Before Laruelle could stop Leo, he jumped down and landed in front of Celia in the lower level.

And as he watched Celia get up, he frowned.

"This won't do. It seems I've been training you too leniently."

At those words, Celia, who was about to pick up her sword, stopped her movements.

"I'll have to push you even harder from now on, won't I?"

Celia's body trembled.

"Don't… make… me… laugh!"

Aura flames erupted from Celia's body.

The crimson flames of Zerdinger drove out the blue flames.

Hwaak-!

Even the sword and dress, the highest-ranking spirits, were pushed back by Celia's flames.

"When did you train me leniently! You always tormented me cruelly! And what? You're going to push me even harder? Are you even human!"

Celia shouted furiously, even pointing at Leo.

"You've finally come to your senses."

Leo said indifferently, with his arms crossed.

"Losing control of your body is proof of your inadequacy. Pushing you is the best way to build grit."

"You know, sometimes you look like an old man?!"

Celia shouted, stomping her feet with a look of disbelief.

Leo looked at Celia and said,

"But speaking of you."

"What!"

"Put something on."

"……?"

At those words, Celia looked down at her body with a puzzled expression.

Her white skin turned bright red.

"Wh-what is this?!"

Leo said indifferently as Celia hugged herself and crouched down.

"It seems that dress burned off all your clothes."

"I'll kill that perverted spirit!"

Leo shook his head as he saw Celia glaring with murderous intent, then pulled clothes out of his subspace, handed them to Celia, and turned away.

Celia, who quickly put on the clothes, sighed.

"By the way, what about the Spirit of Purification?"

Leo said, looking at Celia with a worried expression.

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

"Huh?"

Just as Celia looked puzzled.

Kugugugugugung-

Suddenly, the royal palace began to shake.

Celia looked bewildered.

"What is it?"

"The Spirit Realm is collapsing."

This place was not just a royal palace, but a space connected to Istar, the Spirit of Purification.

If Istar suddenly lost its dominance here, it would crumble.

"Wh-what do we do? Shouldn't we escape?"

"It's harder to escape from the Spirit Realm. Just stay put."

"Just stay put! What if we get caught in the collapse!"

"It's just a building collapsing."

"This huge royal palace is collapsing, and you say 'just'?"

Leo calmly sat on a chair in a corner of the room as if there was no problem.

"I won't die from this much."

"No! What if we get seriously injured?"

"How did I train you? You think you'll get seriously injured from this much collapse? Then your training is insufficient."

"Hey! You really!"

Kwagagagagang-!

Celia, her face pale, shouted.

Then, the royal palace of Tongkeon collapsed.

***

"What's going on?!"

Abad, who had rushed over, looked at the collapsed royal palace with a bewildered expression.

Even though the massive royal palace had collapsed, there was no damage to the surroundings.

Literally, only the royal palace had collapsed cleanly.

Drip- drip-

Something stirred within the ruins of the royal palace.

Kwagagagak-!

"Seriously!"

Celia, who emerged from the pile of rubble, looked dumbfounded.

"If the royal palace collapses, you should think about escaping! Who in the world gets crushed just because they don't die!"

"Celia! Are you okay?"

"I'm okay…"

Seeing Abad rushing over, grabbing her shoulder, and examining her from head to toe, Celia looked flustered.

Abad breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're safe."

Although they had known each other for a long time, Celia felt awkward at Abad's unfamiliar expression and scratched her cheek, avoiding his gaze.

"Of course. I'm fine."

"What about Leo oppa?"

Chelsea approached urgently.

"Leo, if…"

"He's over there."

It was Anyas who answered for him.

"Who?"

"Anyas Begs?"

Celia looked puzzled at the sudden appearance of the half-elf, and Abad looked bewildered.

Anyas smiled at the two of them and spotted Leo sitting with his legs crossed on the highest point of the rubble, muttering,

"It's like a throne."

There was an overwhelming presence emanating from Leo, who sat with a calm expression.

Meanwhile, Leo could see Istar, the Spirit of Fire, being subdued by the highest-ranking spirits of fire and kneeling amidst the rubble.

Elsi stood before him.

Althea knelt before Elsi and said,

-Our new master.

-Master.

All the fire spirits in Istar's domain knelt before Elsi.

Laruelle looked in disbelief at the scene.

-My goodness… a great spirit of darkness controlling fire spirits…

Is this even possible?

Leo chuckled as he watched the awe-inspiring sight.

"Come to think of it, I think I heard something about such a being in the ancient past."

The most noble spirit.

A legendary being that controls all spirits.

A forgotten name in this era.

"Spirit King."

Leo's gaze at Elsi, illuminated by the moonlight, brought back memories of 5,000 years ago.

'He commanded the army of the Spirit King and led an impossible battle to victory.'

But as a consequence of using too much power, Elsi also perished.

Leo stood up, looking at Elsi.

Just then.

"Leo oppa!"

Chelsea rushed over with an urgent expression.

"Reina-nim! Reina-nim has been kidnapped!"

At those words, Leo's expression vanished.

Goooooo-

Thud-

Chelsea, who had been approaching Leo, suddenly lost strength in her legs and sank to the ground.

Not just Chelsea.

Everyone around them gasped.

Swaaaa-

The wind blowing under the moonlight scattered his white hair.

A glint flashed in Leo's red eyes.

"What did you say?"