Book 1 Chapter 692

Hoo-oooong-! Kwah-ah-ah-ng!

The giant knight's massive blade plunged into the ground.

Leo and Ar leaped high, dodging the attack.

While in mid-air, Ar urgently asked,

"Black Rabbit! What was that the demon just said?! Hero of the Beginning?"

"It's nothing. Worry about it later."

Leo reached out and grabbed Ar by the scruff of his neck.

"Waaah?!"

Leo threw Ar as if pulling him, then swung his sword head-on.

Keeing-! Seogeok-!

With a sharp sound, Leo's sword severed the giant knight's sword.

Fiery phoenix flames blazed fiercely.

But the attack wasn't over.

Hwaak-!

Two other giant knights, who had suddenly appeared, swung their swords at Leo from both sides.

Incredible precision, unbelievable for their massive size.

The terrifying aspect of the Giant Knights.

It was their perfect coordination.

They trained to fight beings stronger than themselves.

A very rare trait for demons, who are born with immense strength.

Leo's red eyes turned towards the demon who had stepped back.

There, Nareda was observing Leo's movements.

It was Nareda's dark magic that had deceived Leo's super senses earlier.

Indeed, Nareda possessed a pathetically weak power for a demon who was a top subordinate of the Legion Commander.

The reason Nareda held the position of the Legion Commander's confidant was due to the Giant King's disposition.

Cautious Nareda was the type of commander who drew up the big picture in battle and eliminated variables one by one.

And she used auxiliary magic to enable the knights to fight more perfectly.

Since she became the leader of the Giant Knights, the Giant Knights had become a terrifying disaster.

Jjeoong-!

Leo unleashed his fists towards both sides.

The blades of the giant knights, aiming for Leo from left and right, were blocked by his fists.

The space distorted slightly.

The swords of the giant knights, imbued with immense power, pressed down on Leo.

Momentarily.

Woong-!

Golden aura erupted from Leo's hand.

Kaang-!

The giant knights' swords were destroyed.

Momentarily.

A particularly massive giant knight, from above Leo's head, swung a huge battle axe down at Leo.

It was a demon from Leo's memory.

5000 years ago.

The vice-commander of the Giant Knights, who was purged during the Age of Calamity.

'Karoxon.'

The coordination was incredibly precise, unbelievable for a combination of demons from 5000 years ago and the current era.

It was even more surprising that a colossal demon was executing this coordinated attack.

All of this was possible due to Nareda's command.

'No opening can be seen.'

She was reading Leo's movements clearly.

'Well, if they survived for 5000 years, they would surely see through my movements.'

Just as Leo had spent time contemplating how to kill demons.

Nareda must have spent the past 5000 years contemplating how to kill a being like Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning, if he were to reappear.

To that end, she must have studied herself thoroughly.

Nareda was that kind of demon.

Demons who cry for destruction do not think about the future.

But Nareda was a demon who thought about the future to crush it.

'That's why she's so troublesome.'

Nareda's lips curled up with delight.

Leo raised his empty hand towards the giant knight's battle axe that was descending upon him.

'But what do you think?'

Jjyeok-!

Leo's palm collided with the battle axe.

Along with it, Leo's body was slammed into the ground.

Kwak-! Kwagagang Jjeojeojeojeojeok!

Leo's feet met the ground.

Leo's legs weren't embedded in the ground.

Instead, the surrounding land fractured and surged upward.

The shockwave spread outwards.

'I haven't been idle for the past 17 years since my birth, either.'

Leo looked at the blade of the battle axe, which seemed capable of shattering even a fortress, and squeezed his hand even tighter.

Hwaleureuk-!

The golden aura soon turned into golden flames.

Jjeojeojeok-!

The battle axe, subjected to even stronger force, began to crack like glass.

Nareda's eyes widened upon seeing this.

"Impossible…"

Kwajik-!

Fragments of the battle axe scattered in all directions.

A particularly large fragment fell towards Leo.

Kung-!

Leo gripped the building-sized axe blade and looked at Karoxon.

Without hesitation, he threw the blade towards Karoxon's neck.

Peogeok-!

"Ggeureuk?!"

The neck of the high-ranking demon was severed futilely.

Kung-! Kwalkwalkwal-! Cheolpeok-!

As he knelt, blood poured down like a waterfall.

Karoxon's head fell onto the blood.

Karoxon's eyes turned towards Leo.

Although his head was severed, the robust vitality of the giant demon did not allow death this easily.

"Die!"

With Karoxon's cry, his kneeling body moved.

He raised his arm and struck Leo down.

Leo's shadow flickered momentarily and then expanded in an instant.

Peobeobeok-!

The enlarged shadow pierced and bound Karoxon's body like an awl.

Karoxon's body froze solid.

Leo pointed the tip of his sword at Karoxon.

Wiing-!

A complex magic circle appeared on the blade.

Fostelitas, merely taking the form of a sword, could become anything.

It could be a blade that could cut anything, a powerful summoning medium, or a divine magic staff.

A special artifact created by Dweno for Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning.

The starlight magic that surged from the sword poured out like a flash.

Beonjjeok! Kwagagagagagak-!

The upper body of the high-ranking demon vanished without a trace.

As Leo retracted his sword, the shadow returned to its original form.

"Impossible, impossible! Impossible! It's impossible!"

Nareda shrieked.

"What is your identity! What in the world are you?!"

With bloodshot eyes, she pointed an accusatory finger at Leo.

"Didn't we just greet each other?"

Leo leaned his body against the sword plunged into the ground, using it like a staff.

"The Hero of the Beginning."

The battle entered a temporary lull.

The advance of the Giant King's army was halted by a single hero.

"Are you Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning?"

Few demons dared to call Leo a surviving hero to his face.

"Surviving Hero" was a derogatory term used by demons in the Age of Calamity to belittle the Hero of the Beginning.

They used it freely when he wasn't present, but they instinctively avoided carelessly uttering a derogatory term to the face of a being who was the embodiment of terror, who had even killed a god.

Nareda was no exception.

"Don't make me laugh! If so, how…!"

Nareda had fought and survived against great heroes numerous times.

A feat worthy of praise even among demons.

Therefore, she knew well about the great heroes.

A moment ago.

The way he blocked Karoxon's attack with golden aura was not that of the Hero of the Beginning.

The only one who could softly block such an attack and control aura, as far as Nareda knew, was the Warrior Arion.

The overwhelming power that destroyed the battle axe afterward was the power of Dweno, the divine blacksmith.

What stopped Karoxon's movements was the magic words of Rishinas, the King of Wisdom, and what ended his life was Luna's starlight magic.

Unlike the Age of Calamity, the current era has Hero Records.

'Through those hateful records, he must have inherited the powers of the great heroes!'

Leo's ability was none other than All-Class.

A user of pure power, called the nemesis of gods.

In fact, 5000 years ago, gods were vanquished by the Hero of the Beginning, who inherited the essence of the great heroes' powers.

It was only natural for Leo to use the powers and skills of the great heroes.

'But…! How can he wield those powers perfectly!'

In the recent exchange, Nareda saw Arion, Dweno, Rishinas, and Luna.

It was as if they had manifested in this era.

"I was reborn into this world 17 years ago."

Leo, with his sword slung over his shoulder, said in a nonchalant voice.

"It hasn't remained stagnant since 5000 years ago."

The fact that Erebus was not completely annihilated was one of Leo's greatest regrets upon his rebirth.

If he had been able to wield his companions' powers perfectly.

Perhaps fragments of Erebus would not have remained in later generations.

Until he was reborn and enrolled in Lumern.

Leo, without awakening his mana, honed and honed the techniques his companions had left him in his mind.

And even after awakening his mana, he did not stop training.

As a result.

He was able to perfectly imitate his companions' techniques.

Of course, it was merely imitation.

Application and linking of powers were still a distant stage.

'Still far away.'

He was still far behind, as a warrior, as a vanguard, as a mage, as a summoner, compared to his companions.

But…

'I can reach it someday.'

Unlike 5000 years ago, he had time.

"Impossible…! Just 17 years! What can you possibly do in 17 years…"

"It's a short time for you, but it's an incredibly long time for us."

"You've suffered for 5000 years. In vain."

Nareda's shoulders trembled with anger at Leo's mockery.

But then she laughed back at Leo.

"Haha! It was you who suffered in vain!"

Nareda pointed an accusing finger at Leo.

"Even if you can wield the powers of the great heroes perfectly, you are still alone! Do you think it's possible to vanquish a god alone?!"

5000 years ago.

Leo only dealt the final blow to Erebus, sacrificing Arion, Dweno, Luna, and Rishinas one by one to inflict a fatal wound.

"Yes. It's difficult alone."

"Haha!"

"That's why I'm diligently nurturing them."

"What?"

Kwak-!

Nareda felt her vision flip.

'When did that happen?'

Nareda, flying through the air, turned her head back.

There, a white-haired, blue-eyed cat-beastman who had severed her head was baring his claws.

Kwak-!

Ar's hand dug into her heart.

'He penetrated my dark magic barrier?!'

One of the reasons Nareda survived for 5000 years was her various tricks.

Among them, her dark magic barrier that detected approaching individuals was so impenetrable that no demon could bypass it.

'That barrier was breached by such a wet-behind-the-ears pet cat?!'

Even if all her attention was focused on Leo.

She had considered Ar to be no significant threat on his own on this battlefield.

It was only because Leo perfectly concentrated the enemies' attention and performed so brilliantly.

Nareda, in shock, recalled Ar's appearance earlier, surpassing Leo's senses.

'In the realm of super senses… he surpassed the Hero of the Beginning?!'

Nareda saw Ar clenching his fist in her vision.

"Punch!"

The moment Ar's fiercely swung fist landed squarely on her face.

Nareda's vision went black.

***

The moment Nareda was defeated.

Ar immediately collapsed.

His ears twitched incessantly, and his body trembled as if convulsing.

Seeing this, Leo embraced Ar without hesitation and retreated from the battlefield.

There were still many Giant Knights remaining.

However, it was no exaggeration to say that the Giant Knights' strength was halved the moment Nareda was defeated.

'Of course, it's only a tiny fraction of the entire army's strength.'

Leo had charged into the army with Ar solely to buy time to complete the defensive preparations more perfectly.

'It was a big success thanks to the Giant King's cowardice in not showing up alone.'

"Woooah! My head is spinning!"

Ar pressed his twitching ears with both hands and buried his face in Leo's chest.

"Release the sign language."

At Leo's words, Ar flinched and released the sign language.

It seemed he was unable to properly process the overwhelming amount of information transmitted by his super senses.

"Half-baked growth, huh."

Leo muttered with a smirk.

Still, what was amazing was amazing.

Tak-!

Leo stood atop the castle wall.

Meanwhile, Ar, having calmed down a bit, lifted his face from Leo's chest and glanced up at him.

"Black Rabbit, no. Leo Flob."

"Why the sudden name?"

"Are you Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning?"

"There's no need to hide it anymore."

As Leo chuckled, Ar's eyes widened.

"That's right. I am the reincarnation of Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning."

"Uoooot!"

Ar, hearing it directly from Leo's mouth, clenched his hands and flapped his legs.

His ears twitched excitedly, and his snake-like tail wrapped tightly around Leo's arm.

"Everything until now makes sense!"

The overwhelming strength, unlike someone his age.

In addition to that, experience and knowledge.

Ar was excited as he recalled what Leo had taught him.

"Amazing! You were a great hero!"

Ar, gripping Leo's collar with both hands and unable to contain his excitement, pressed himself close to Leo.

The tail wrapped around his arm tightened its grip.

"Um, excuse me! Black To… no! What should I call you! Mr. Rabbit? Mr. Leo? Mr. Kyle?"

"Call me whatever you're comfortable with. Before that."

"Yes?"

Leo gently put Ar down.

Ar quickly leaned his belly on the castle wall and poked his face outwards.

"Waaaaaah!"

The senses, which had calmed down due to super senses, were disturbed again by excitement, and his complexion worsened.

While waiting for Ar to calm down, Leo looked at Gias in the distance.

'This is just the preliminary battle.'

Despite the unexpected blow dealt, the army's forces were still overwhelming.

Like a candle in the wind.

'He still shows no signs of moving. He must have anticipated Nareda's death.'

Although she was his confidante, from the Legion Commander's perspective, she was merely a useful pawn.

It probably wasn't time for him to move yet.

But when he does move.

Leo clenched and unclenched his fist.

'Can I defeat him alone?'