Book 1 Chapter 622
622.
Reina, who had gripped her sword and exited the Plov mansion, thought that if anything threatened the residents of the territory, she would fight it.
‘If he deliberately brought me here by capturing me, then the entire Plov domain must be his hostage.’
She didn’t want to be a burden to her son, Leo, but Reina knew all too well that it was impossible.
Zorua possessed a power that even she, in her prime, couldn't handle.
And she had already lost her Aura.
Staying in the Plov mansion would only make her a burden.
‘The good thing is that he has completely lost interest in me.’
The streets of the Plov domain were fraught with various dangers.
But she thought it was better than being a hostage in that place.
Moreover, the danger on the streets meant that those who lived there were also in danger.
‘It will help a little in protecting the domain residents. Even if I've lost my Aura, the swordsmanship I've built up hasn't disappeared.’
It was true that she had lost her Aura and her body had weakened.
But Reina had consistently trained her swordsmanship.
Of course, if she exerted her full power, her stamina would quickly reach its limit, and pain would overwhelm her.
‘But now is not the time to consider such things.’
As Reina finished her preparations for any unforeseen situation and stepped out onto the street, a problem immediately arose.
Monsters and magical beasts appeared.
In addition, a never-before-seen magical beast began summoning countless low-level flying magical beasts.
‘So that’s the magical beast called Fafnir.’
The magical beast that was a great threat to the world during the Age of Calamity, which appeared in Rumerin after Leo enrolled.
It was a magical beast that had been extinct by the Great Heroes but had somehow reappeared in the current era.
And surprisingly, that magical beast used summoning magic.
Magical beasts poured out from the summoning circle.
‘They’re different from typical magical beast summoners. The basic framework of that summoning spell is phantom beast summoning. What in the world is that monster’s true identity?’
Reina was aghast at the unprecedented situation, but there was no time to hesitate.
The entire domain turned into pandemonium.
“Oh, Mom! Run away! Quickly!”
“N-no! Ron!”
“Just leave this to me!”
She saw a magical beast targeting the domain residents.
A boy about Leo’s age was desperately protecting what appeared to be his mother, swinging his sword wildly.
Reina ran without hesitation.
*Thud*!
She cut the neck of a low-level magical beast from behind.
*Thump*!
Reina aimed for the vital spot of the low-level magical beast, killing it instantly, and firmly pressed down on the impact traveling through her hand.
At first glance, it seemed to have been dealt with simply, but that was not the case at all.
She perfectly aimed for the magical beast's vital spot, which she had learned through countless battles long ago.
And she added technique to compensate for her lacking strength.
It was literally an advantage gained through a surprise attack.
‘Though the sword’s influence is also significant.’
Reina looked at the sword gripped in her hand.
It was a sword worthy of being called a masterpiece.
Her first real battle in 20 years.
‘In the old days, I would have just burned it away.’
Feeling a bitter taste inside, Reina smiled faintly at the trembling boy.
“Are you okay?”
“I-I’m okay, sis.”
“Oh my?”
Reina covered her mouth slightly and gasped.
“Huh?! L-Lady of the Domain?!”
The boy’s mother recognized Reina and was startled.
The boy, too, looked surprised upon hearing her words.
Watching the two, Reina said,
“Take your mother and quickly go to the shelter. The Knights will protect you.”
“M-my Lady, you should also evacuate!”
Reina shook her head at the middle-aged woman’s words.
“No, I must protect the other domain residents. That is my duty.”
*Uwoooooooh!*
A magical beast spotted the three of them and began to charge.
The boy and his mother were terrified.
Seeing them, Reina gripped her sword with both hands.
“Don’t worry about me, just go.”
“Yes, y-yes! Mother. Let’s go!”
“B-but my Lady…”
“I can easily cut down those unsightly things.”
Reina smiled gently at the middle-aged woman who was looking at her with trembling eyes, worried.
Long ago, it was a smile Reina often wore.
Seeing it, the middle-aged woman felt an inexplicable sense of relief.
“Boy.”
“Yes, yes!”
“You must protect your mother well, alright?”
“Yes! I will protect her with my life!”
“That’s wrong.”
“Huh?”
“You need to live too. Otherwise, your mother will be sad.”
“Ah, I understand!”
The boy hurriedly took his mother and left the spot.
In the boy’s eyes, Reina’s slender but resolute back seemed to be etched.
‘Striking cool poses in front of the mirror during my school days really paid off.’
She had practiced smiling to reassure people and tried various exercises to inspire confidence in urgent situations.
That was now bearing fruit.
‘Big sis! That will absolutely not help you!’
Reina secretly smiled as she recalled kicking her younger brother Zis Gerdinger’s butt while he was holding his stomach and cackling.
“Well, I bluffed a bit, but…”
*Grrrroooooooaar!*
A bear-shaped magical beast with vicious claws raised its paws, roared, and brought them down.
*Crash*!
Reina, who barely dodged it, plunged into its embrace, intending to cut its neck.
*Thud*!
The blade lodged in the magical beast’s neck.
But it was stopped midway and couldn’t penetrate any further.
“Tch! As expected, this much strength isn’t enough against a Blood Bear.”
Reina quickly retrieved her sword, not discouraged at all, but rather distanced herself from the enraged Blood Bear.
*Kyaaaaaaaaaa!*
Seeing the Blood Bear rush at her with its maw open and both arms raised, Reina took a deep breath and bent her knees.
*KABOOM*!
The spot where Reina had been standing was shattered by the Blood Bear’s teeth and claws.
Reina leaped as high as she could.
Her kneecaps and muscles ached.
“I’m not even old enough to be a grandma!”
Reina jeered, then spun her body.
*Flutter-flutter-flutter*!
She spun, using centrifugal force to drop to the ground and strike the Blood Bear’s neck.
Reina’s squeezed-out strength was concentrated at the tip of her sword.
*CRUNCH*!
Using that force, she snapped the Blood Bear’s neck.
She cut through its tough hide and flesh as if slicing it.
In the process, her wrist bone began to ache, as if it had fractured.
But Reina didn't care.
“Cough! Cough-!”
Her entire body was overloaded from the strenuous attack.
Reina coughed, feeling pain in her lungs, and spat blood.
But there was no time to rest.
“Uwaaaaaaaah!”
She saw dozens of domain residents being chased by flying magical beasts.
*Thump-thump*!
Reina once again squeezed all the strength from her body and leaped.
Using the gaps between buildings, Reina gradually climbed onto the rooftops, then ran towards the eagle-shaped flying magical beasts with grotesque faces, and leaped onto its back.
“Where do you think you’re going?!”
*Thud*!
*Kieeeeeek*!
Reina plunged her sword into the flying magical beast’s neck.
She pierced it, just barely avoiding the vital spot.
Due to the magical beast’s strong vitality, it didn’t fall despite blood gushing out.
*Kieeeeeeeek-!*
The flying magical beast ascended, trying to shake Reina off its back.
Reina’s eyes gleamed coldly.
*Thud*!
She applied more force to the sword embedded in the magical beast’s neck.
*Chirp*!
The flying magical beast shrieked and lowered its altitude slightly.
‘It shouldn’t die before I can safely land on the ground.’
It was when Reina wore a slightly worried expression.
A beautiful pure white Pegasus appeared in the sky.
Seeing it, Reina’s eyes lit up, and she pushed her sword sideways to match the Pegasus’s altitude.
As she got closer to the Pegasus, she sliced off its neck and leaped onto the Pegasus.
***
“That’s what happened.”
“That’s too reckless! You could have been in serious trouble if anything went wrong!”
“Isn’t it fine as long as the outcome is good?!”
“Aaaah! There’s no getting through to you!”
“Ah! My brother used to say that to me often. Ohhohohohoho!”
“Are you laughing right now?!”
Celia gripped her head and shrieked.
“Lady Reina. Your concern for the domain residents. And your passion. I am deeply moved. It is an honor that a senior like Lady Reina existed in Rumerin.”
“Oh my~ Thank you.”
“This feeling I have for Lady Reina. It is surely true love.”
“That’s adultery!”
Celia shouted back with a flushed face, and Ulta looked confused.
“What kind of indecent thoughts are you having, Celia? The form of love varies. Passion between sexes is not the entirety of love. Respect and reverence are also forms of love.”
“Ugh! Senior Ulta, you spoke in a way that could be misunderstood…”
“Not at all? What kind of imagination does our niece usually live with to jump to such conclusions immediately?”
“Hmm, I should tell Lis about this later…”
“Don’t! Absolutely don’t! If you do, I don’t know what I’ll do!”
Celia screamed shrilly.
Reina chuckled, watching Celia.
Just then, the flying magical beasts spotted the three of them and began to emit killing intent.
Seeing that, Ulta said,
“Celia, please.”
“Yes!”
Celia leaped from the Pegasus without hesitation.
*Whoosh-whoosh*!
A massive flame began to ripple around Celia, soon incinerating the surrounding magical beasts.
Reina laughed, looking at the Aura flames, comparable to large-scale magic.
‘It reminds me of the old days…’
Celia’s figure overlapped with her past self.
Ulta cautiously asked Reina,
“Are you alright?”
“Yes. I’m fine. And thank you, Ulta. For distracting that child before Celia noticed my condition.”
Reina’s body was trembling.
The trembling she had suppressed until just now came all at once.
It was the recoil from overexerting herself with the sword.
If Celia had noticed her condition, she would have been too worried to focus on the battle.
“That child. She possesses incredible power, but she’s still young, so I was worried.”
An unwavering, resolute mind even when comrades die or are gravely injured.
Such a detached mental strength is also a virtue necessary for a hero.
And Celia was still too young to possess such detachment.
“We will descend to the ground as quickly as possible.”
“I’m fine, so don’t rush.”
***
*Kwagagagagang*!
Leo, gripping Zorua’s head, slammed it into the ground and scraped his face.
“Graaaaaaaah!”
A frantic roar came from Zorua’s mouth.
Leo let go of the struggling Zorua and kicked him.
*Whoosh! Kwagagagagang*!
Zorua’s body flew through the air and was embedded.
*Thud-thud*
Leo approached Zorua with indifferent eyes.
“It’s impossible…”
Zorua muttered, as if in denial.
Right now, Leo was overwhelming Zorua using only Aura.
And he hadn’t used any of Kyle’s swordsmanship.
He easily overwhelmed Zorua using only Gerdinger’s flames and swordsmanship.
Any ability used was powerless before Leo’s flames.
“This shouldn’t be happening! Unless you used some kind of trick!”
The true ability of an all-class user is the fusion of classes.
He hadn’t used any of that.
Furthermore, he was being thoroughly toyed with by Gerdinger’s flames alone, which he had been sure he perfectly understood and had further developed.
“See? I told you.”
Leo said nonchalantly.
*Thud*! *Whoosh-whoosh*!
“Graaaah!”
Leo’s sword cut Zorua.
He writhed in pain.
“You only ruin the abilities you steal. A god? What a joke.”
Leo stomped on Zorua’s head, crushing it, and asked,
“This makes it the fifteenth time.”
Leo looked down at Zorua with lifeless eyes.
“You. If you die while using a stolen ability, you can’t use that ability again, and you lose one life, right?”
At those words, Zorua flinched.
‘How did he know that?’
This was a new ability he gained after being revived by the King of the Dead.
An ability that didn’t even exist in records in this world.
Leo had seen through the essence of that ability through a short battle.
For Zorua, it was a shocking fact.
But for Leo, who had to live through the anomalous Age of Calamity, deducing an opponent's abilities was not that difficult.
During the era when Erebus’s blessing existed, there were many demons with abilities more bizarre than Zorua's.
Leo tilted his head.
“How many more times do I have to kill you for you to die?”
Zorua’s body trembled.
It wasn’t fear.
It was rage.
‘This guy… he really treats me like a bug…! How dare he…!’
“You… I will never forgive you… Leo Plov!”
Zorua spat out the words, as if biting them off.
“I don’t need your ability anymore! Just die…!”
*Thud*!
Leo once again stomped on Zorua, crushing his head.
At that moment.
Leo realized something had touched his foot.
And the regenerating skull of Zorua clattered its jaw, mocking him.
“Now, feel the terror of the Queen of Monsters! Leo Plov!”
“What?”
The moment Leo frowned.
A message appeared before his eyes.
Seeing it, Leo’s face hardened.
***
Since his first year, there had been one question.
5000 years ago.
How did the Fafnir they had exterminated reappear in the present world?
Of course, a past Legion Commander, Poison King Zardiac, had appeared before.
But that was similar to how he had guided Luna and Arion to the outside world.
It was because Tartarus had consumed a fragment of Erebus’s power it possessed.
Just as they did.
Tartarus could also use Hero Records.
And a past entity materialized through Hero Records consumes power just by existing.
Though powerful, consuming Erebus’s power through a mere magical beast, not even a Legion Commander, was a waste.
It would be the same even if a magical beast egg were brought.
The being born from the egg would also be materialized through Hero Records.
‘What we can do with Hero Records, they can do too. They can even enter the heroes’ world.’
If so.
He had once considered the possibility that they might also be able to obtain conquest rewards, just like them.
[Legion Record Open. World of Silatuna. Chapter: Prologue - Forest of Monsters.]
And that thought became a certainty upon seeing the message that had just appeared.