Book 1 Chapter 665
“Do you know me?”
Leo nodded as he looked at Duno, who was staring at him.
“I do. You’re famous.”
“That’s true. But I’m aware that I’m famous too.”
Duno slung his battle hammer over his shoulder and stared intently at Leo.
“What bothers me most right now is your attitude, as if you know me well.”
Doubt flickered in Duno’s eyes.
“I don’t know people like you. Besides,”
Duno’s suspicious gaze swept over the group.
“You all seem remarkably relaxed for people who have broken through this dangerous zone.”
“We look like beggars…”
“You, just stay quiet.”
Chelsea covered Iliana’s mouth with a frown.
“I suspect you might be spies sent by Tartarus.”
“No! We are…”
“I will decide whether that’s true or not.”
As if cutting off Ar’s words, Duno slammed his battle hammer onto the ground.
Gooooo-
“First, I must subdue the most dangerous one.”
Duno’s gaze fixed on Leo.
Leo reinforced the damaged muscles in his left shoulder using his aura.
The reinforced muscles held his shoulder blade in place, allowing it to move.
His shoulder began to move naturally.
Of course, the injury remained, and immense pain washed over him, but this was not the time to worry about it.
Hwaak-!
Seeing the battle hammer reaching his face, Leo clicked his tongue and threw a kick.
Kwang-!
Leo’s kick and Duno’s hammer collided head-on.
As a result, Leo was sent flying backward as if rebounding.
Leo’s body was sent flying.
It wasn’t a counterattack with the intention of blocking.
It was an attack made with the sole purpose of reducing the power of the blow and using the rebound force to create distance from Duno.
Leo scowled at the throbbing pain in his foot.
‘I still can’t get used to this brute strength.’
Duno, who far surpassed Kyle in sheer physical power.
Leo, who landed on the ground, shouted,
“Attack!”
His words made the group flinch.
“B-but it’s Lord Duno!”
“Lord Duno looks like he’s about to knock us all out! Let’s calm him down and talk first!”
“B-but! To calm Lord Duno, we’ll have to give it our all! What if someone gets hurt…”
“Ha?! Hurt?”
Leo looked utterly incredulous.
“This old man won’t even get a scratch from a normal attack!”
Kwak-!
Leo slammed his palm onto the ground.
Kwagagagagak-!
Steel spikes shot out from the ground, engulfing Duno.
Kwagagagagak-!
The steel spikes, upon colliding with the charging Duno, were all shattered.
Seeing this, Leo clicked his tongue.
“Haaat-!”
Just then, Iliana attacked Duno’s flank with incredible speed.
“Ah! Success?”
Kwak-!
“Huh?”
Iliana was surprised by her attack’s surprisingly easy entry.
But as she saw her sword blocked by Duno’s shoulder, she froze.
It felt like she had stabbed solid steel.
Iliana’s mouth agape, her eyes met Duno’s.
Puck-!
“Kyaul?!”
Blocked by Duno’s swung arm, Iliana was sent soaring into the sky and then crashed headfirst into the ground.
Kal looked at the foaming, unconscious Iliana with a weary expression.
“He really didn’t get a scratch?”
Pajijijijik-!
“You going too?”
“Hmph. My opponent is someone called the strongest vanguard.”
Duran drew his sword and looked at Duno.
“It’s a chance to gauge how effective my attacks are.”
“Do you think I’ll let you go easily?”
It was when the woman who had first attacked the group smiled faintly.
“Hah? Try touching even a fingertip of my disciples!”
Artyan, who was at the woman’s feet, shouted with a fierce expression and immediately got up.
The woman’s expression changed in surprise at Artyan’s push.
“You’re small but strong!”
“Who are you calling small!”
Artyan, with a fierce expression, lunged at the woman.
Meanwhile, Duran launched a lightning sword strike at Duno.
Flash! Pajijijijik-!
Duno was engulfed in the lightning sword strike.
Hwaak-!
But he broke through the lightning storm and swung his hammer towards Leo.
Kwagagang-!
Eliza blocked Duno using her summoned beasts.
However, Duno ignored the attacks of the summoned beasts and chased Leo.
Chelsea’s wind magic swept over Duno, but Duno didn’t even blink and continued to chase Leo, who was closing the distance.
Luke looked surprised.
“Why is he only targeting Senior Leo?”
“It’s obvious!”
Kal scratched his head.
“It means he can withstand our attacks! If Leo buys time, he’ll prepare a powerful blow! In other words! We’re not even on his radar!”
Everyone’s faces turned grim at his words.
“Is there no way to stop Lord Duno, even a little?”
“If we attacked with the resolve to kill Lord Duno… it might be possible, but…”
Kal frowned at Dryana’s words.
Leo told them to attack with all their might.
But no matter what, their opponent was a great hero who had saved the world.
It was difficult for them, as hero candidates, to put their full effort into their attacks.
“You damn old man! Stop it!”
Kwagagagagak-!
“Hmph! Whether you’re a spy or not! Your face! It’s unpleasant! For some reason, I want to smack it! Come on!”
Leo shouted with a murderous tone and unleashed a powerful sword strike.
Duno, who dodged the attack, roared as if he were going to tear his opponent apart.
“How can Senior Leo fight like that?”
Aina muttered through gritted teeth, and Kal let out an internal chuckle.
‘In their past lives, weren’t Leo and Lord Duno used to this kind of thing as their daily routine?’
It was no different from their usual selves.
Just on a different scale.
“Anyway, we need to stop Lord Duno…”
Chelsea muttered anxiously, and Kal took a deep breath.
“I didn’t want to use this… but I have no choice.”
“Do you have a trump card?”
Kal nodded heavily at Dryana’s question.
“We have to be prepared to die, but…”
“Kal…”
“A man must risk his life when the time comes.”
Kal stepped forward with heavy steps.
At his solemn demeanor, everyone’s expressions tensed.
Kal took something out of his pocket.
“Lord Duno! This is a work of art sculpted from the most beautiful person in this world! Isn’t it beautiful!”
At his cry, Duno, who had been chasing Leo, stopped and looked at Kal.
Then he looked at the object in Kal’s hand and his eyes twitched.
What Kal had taken out was none other than a sculpture made by Dryana.
After looking at Kal for a moment, Duno’s expression became indifferent, and he resumed chasing Leo.
“W-what? That’s strange. I thought if I called this hideous thing art, you would definitely react…”
“What’s beautiful about this!”
Ppuck-!
“Kkeok?!”
Just then, the hooded woman, who had been fighting Artyan, rushed over and landed a flying kick on Kal’s back.
“You are insulting art! You call this art?! Apologize to art at once! Apologize!”
Sarak-!
The hood came off, revealing the woman’s pointed ears.
“What are you doing to my student!”
Hoo-wack-!
The elf dodged Artyan’s kick, aimed at his back, with quick movements.
“Are you alright, Kal?”
“I-I’m fine. But that elf… she looks like Lord Duno.”
“What? We’re different races.”
“No. Until a moment ago, she had a gentle demeanor, but she suddenly changed. It’s just like Lord Duno when he saw what Dryana made.”
The gentle Duno had a seizure, rolling his eyes back, when Dryana showed him her artwork.
“Anyway… that elf is no ordinary person.”
Artyan clenched and unclenched his fist, frowning.
Meanwhile, Leo, who was confronting Duno, looked at the elf fighting Artyan and muttered.
“…An elf I haven’t seen before.”
If she was that skilled during the Age of Calamity, Leo would have known her.
But there was no elf in Leo’s memory who wielded such martial arts.
“It’s no wonder. She’s an unknown painter.”
“Painter?”
“Yes.”
Duno’s eyes held tenderness as he looked at the painter.
“A painter who captures the beauty of this world.”
At his words, Leo burst out laughing.
“…You. Why are you laughing in such a creepy way?”
“No. It’s just that you finally seem like the you I know.”
“You’re speaking strangely.”
Gooooo!
Duno, who had narrowed his eyes, looked behind him.
There, Ar, clad in golden aura, had lowered his stance.
“…Shuuhwa?”
Duno’s eyes widened.
‘That’s going to be dangerous for Duno too.’
Even with Duno’s formidable defense, he wouldn’t be able to ignore that attack.
Leo thought so and was getting into position when.
Kwak-!
“…?”
Leo’s eyes were momentarily filled with bewilderment.
Ar, reaching Duno’s nose with incredible speed, let out a roar.
“Haaaaaaah!”
Kwang-!
Ar’s kick struck Duno directly.
Duno, who blocked with crossed arms, was sent flying.
“…? He took that head-on?”
Duno isn’t just a vanguard with strong defense.
He’s a seasoned warrior who has experienced countless battlefields, just like Leo.
He’s not an opponent who would carelessly take a strong attack.
Yet, Duno took Ar’s attack head-on.
“Why?”
Leo watched Duno, who was getting up with a bewildered expression.
“Indeed, it seems you are not spies.”
Duno brushed off the dust.
“I’ve heard. There’s a party with beastmen who can transform into their animal form at any time.”
Duno looked at Leo.
“Are you the hero Kyle who survived?”
‘Are you the hero Kyle who survived?’
The same question as 5,000 years ago.
Leo clenched his fist.
The current Leo couldn’t answer yes.
‘As expected. The current Duno… is the Duno before he met me.’
“…No.”
Duno tilted his head at Leo’s words.
“Perhaps this fellow isn’t the beastman rumored about that you know.”
“Hmm? How curious. Well, incredible miracles have already happened.”
“Incredible miracles?”
“Yes! The fact that there are still starry night skies in this world! Isn’t that an amazing miracle?”
As he watched Duno laugh heartily, Leo looked up at the sky.
The gloomy sky of the Age of Calamity.
But…
‘Stars at night.’
Perhaps this was an area on the border of the fake world that had encroached on the world.
And…
‘The current Duno has no memory of me or Ar.’
With Arion and Luna, the memories from the world of heroes before that were inherited.
But they weren’t inherited by Duno.
Because it was the past?
‘That can’t be it.’
Leo organized his thoughts.
‘The World of Legions.’
Leo gazed at the gloomy sky.
‘The World of Legions is encroaching on the real world like a hero dungeon.’