Book 1 Chapter 693
693.
“Is everyone ready?”
Artian said with a serious face, looking at Dweno's workshop visible in the distance.
“Our goal is to destroy the Legion's records as quickly as possible. As such, as soon as we enter the Legion's world, we must find the shortest path.”
At that, Luke raised his hand.
“Do you have a question, Luke?”
“How do we find the Legion's records within the Legion's world?”
“If you enter the Hero's World through the center of the Hero Dungeon, there will be a place where a noticeable distortion of space has occurred. The Legion's World won't be much different.”
Everyone nodded at Artian’s explanation.
“Karl, please take command.”
“Yes.”
“Alright, then let’s depart now—”
“What are you all doing here?”
“Ah, Lord Dweno.”
Artian, who turned at the voice from behind, politely nodded his head.
And at Dweno's appearance, Chelsea and Karl's faces hardened.
“The city is in danger right now. You all need to lend your strength.”
Driana stepped forward and spoke, looking at Dweno who had an apologetic expression.
“Yes! That’s why we’re trying to destroy the barrier right now so we can request outside assistance!”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Dweno admired and stroked Driana’s head.
“Hey, what do we do?”
When Karl asked quietly, Chelsea bit her lip tightly.
Dweno remembered his experience from when he conquered the previous Hero's World.
Therefore, he intentionally hid the entrance to the Legion's World.
To show the people of Ivaldi their future.
Chelsea and Karl had not told anyone that fact.
Since it was a fact related to Leo’s secret, they couldn’t speak rashly.
They had only informed them that there was an entrance to the Legion's World in the basement of Dweno’s workshop.
But now Dweno had appeared.
Dweno knew.
The moment they crossed into the Legion's World.
The time of the Ivaldi people would end.
‘Lord Dweno will try to stop us.’
It was when Chelsea was breaking out in a cold sweat.
*Thump—!*
Karl lightly nudged Chelsea's arm.
Chelsea’s face, looking up at Karl, stiffened.
Karl subtly nodded his chin towards Dweno.
‘…Right. That’s the only way.’
Chelsea bit her lip tightly.
The moment she made up her mind.
*Whoosh—!*
Chelsea cast a wind spell with her specialty, high-speed incantation.
A sudden gust of wind swept over Dweno.
“Chelsea! What in the world—!”
“Run to the workshop!”
Chelsea shouted urgently.
At the same time, she manipulated the wind to send her party members flying towards the workshop.
Everyone flinched at the sudden situation, but soon surrendered their bodies to Chelsea’s wind.
It was a very sudden and impulsive action, but they followed Chelsea's intention for now.
It was because of their trust in their comrade.
“What, what is it! What are you doing!?”
When Driana asked indignantly, Karl explained the situation.
“Lord Dweno remembers when we conquered it before!”
“What did you say?”
Driana’s eyes widened.
“He knows that if we destroy the Legion's records, the people of Ivaldi will disappear! That’s why he purposely hid the entrance even though he knew it existed!”
At that, all the party members’ eyes widened.
Illiana stammered.
“Th-that means…”
“Yes.”
Karl looked back, sweating cold.
Dweno, who had been thrown far away by Chelsea's magic, was getting up.
“It means Lord Dweno will stand in our way.”
“…I’d rather fight the Giant King a thousand times over.”
Illiana made a tearful face.
***
In the early morning night sky.
Dweno, who had been flung away by Chelsea’s magic, got up.
“Hmm.”
*Thump, thump*—he brushed the dust off his body and watched Chelsea running far away.
“Excellent high-speed incantation.”
He heard she was still young.
Yet, to instantly cast magic of this level.
‘If she grows, she might even be comparable to Luna in high-speed incantation. I look forward to the future.’
Dweno, who had thought that far, smiled bitterly.
‘Future, huh.’
What he was doing might be making their future uncertain.
‘A foolish thing to do.’
But he couldn't help it.
The people of Ivaldi.
To Dweno, they were as precious as the Great Heroes.
In his childhood.
He fled his hometown to perfectly control the golden flames, which were almost a curse.
It was Ivaldi that accepted Dweno.
His people, whom he ultimately couldn't protect.
‘The moment has come to resolve this lingering regret after death.’
He didn't ask for much.
He just wanted to show them the sun.
‘Let’s trust Kyle.’
A true hero, incomparable to himself.
Kyle would defeat Gias.
Just as he never gave up and defeated Erebus.
Dweno bent his knees.
At that moment.
“Here he comes!”
At Karl’s shout, Dweno rushed forward at an incredible speed.
*Fzzzt—!*
Then Duran stepped forward.
Duran, his golden eyes flashing, swung his sword with both hands.
Blades of lightning dispelled the darkness.
*Flash!*
At the same time, Eliza summoned Pegasus.
The golden lightning raging around was sucked into Eliza's Pegasus.
The moment Dweno saw that and tried to target the two.
*Flash—!*
Illiana flashed and appeared before Dweno.
Luke, Aina, and Havidon followed, thrusting their swords from behind Illiana.
‘Amazing.’
Dweno admired.
When they first met.
They couldn't properly attack him.
But now it was different.
They were trying to stop him with all their might.
“Excellent.”
Dweno praised the aspiring heroes' determination.
However…
“Ack?! You’re not dodging?!”
Illiana was momentarily flustered, seeing Dweno who didn't even seem to think about dodging or blocking her sword attack.
Yet, the keen edge residing in her sword didn't waver.
*Clang clang clang—!*
Four swords struck Dweno’s body.
Then the swords bounced off.
“Dodge? Why should I?”
Dweno slightly tilted his head and lightly poked Illiana’s neck just below the chin with his fingertip.
*Thud—!*
“Gah?!”
Leaving Illiana, who had fallen backward, behind him, Dweno leisurely charged towards the lightning of Eliza and Duran that was sweeping over him.
*Papatatatat!*
A powerful lightning strike covered Dweno.
But despite that, Dweno did not reduce his speed.
“What?!”
Everyone was shocked.
Dweno, who had easily overtaken Arhi’s party, stood firmly in front of the workshop.
“Hmm. It hurts.”
Dweno rubbed his shoulder and cracked his neck.
“That’s a lie! That’s 100% a lie!”
“Illiana senior, are you okay?”
“Uh, huh?”
At Aina’s question, Illiana, with a flustered face, touched her body here and there.
There was no painful spot anywhere.
“One shouldn’t hurt young friends, should they?”
Dweno, with his arms crossed, smiled sweetly.
“In any case, your attacks are not much of a threat.”
“Ugh!”
Duran made an indignant face.
Even if that was true, he couldn't help but feel indignant.
“So, turn back now.”
“What if we don’t?”
At Chelsea’s question, Dweno smiled gently.
“I intend to render all of you unable to fight.”
“You said you wouldn’t hurt us earlier.”
“There are many ways to make someone unable to fight without hurting them. For example.”
Dweno’s gaze turned to Karl.
The moment Karl flinched.
*Whoosh—!*
*Bang—!*
At that moment.
A fist flew towards Karl’s face.
Artian, who had swung his fist right in front of Karl's nose, was sweating cold.
Dweno had swung his fist, sending an air bullet towards Karl's head.
He wouldn't die or get hurt, but if it had hit his face, he would have been knocked unconscious.
“Whoa! Professor! Thank you!”
At Karl’s words, Artian said.
“Everyone, fight Lord Dweno with the resolve to kill him, you rookies! Your opponent is a Great Hero who was called the strongest shield before he was called the Divine Blacksmith! Form ranks!”
Artian clenched his fist and stepped forward.
Karl approached Driana.
“Driana! Get ready to fight.”
“Ah, I still don’t understand! There’s no way Lord Dweno would ignore the world’s danger… Why? Why?”
Driana couldn't compose herself.
Seeing her, Karl said.
“Lord Dweno is also human. He is a supremely noble person, but… he isn’t a perfect being.”
“…!”
“It’s not strange to have something as precious as the world, is it?”
At Karl’s words, Driana bit her lip.
Then she made a determined expression and took the lead.
“You will never break through me. So, I advise you to give up.”
When Dweno spoke calmly, Chelsea smiled.
“Unfortunately, our leader is a person far from giving up.”
“…You’ve taught them well.”
Dweno closed his eyes.
“Then I have no choice but to make you give up yourselves.”
*
The Legion’s advance continued without respite.
The full-scale siege warfare had begun.
Ballistas on the city walls fired endlessly, taking down demons and monsters that approached the walls.
Mages cast spells.
Ivaldi’s warriors fought valiantly.
‘Why! Why isn’t Dweno here!’
Gias trembled at the sight.
‘Could it be… he's not on this battlefield? Did he run away?’
That couldn’t be.
Dweno was an unyielding warrior.
Gias knew Dweno better than anyone.
Dweno would never run away.
But no matter how he looked at it, he couldn't shake the thought that Dweno was not on the battlefield in the current situation.
It was then.
*Rumble—!*
One side of the city wall collapsed.
The Legion’s advance concentrated there.
Ivaldi’s mages urgently began to repair the wall.
‘Yes! In a crisis like this, he won't be able to hold back any longer!’
Dweno must be hiding.
His prediction that Dweno wouldn't be wrong was surely about to be proven now.
But…
Only Leo was active on the battlefield.
Dweno was still nowhere to be seen.
Leo single-handedly held back the surging Legion.
In the meantime, the city wall was barely restored.
The moment he saw that.
“Groaaaaaaaar!”
Gias roared and began to charge.
As the Giant King began to move, it was as if an earthquake had occurred.
The ground in the surrounding area began to shake.
“Tsk.”
Leo clicked his tongue when he saw it.
“Why are you moving now?”
When Ar asked with a flustered face, Leo said calmly.
“That guy is a coward.”
An overly cautious personality.
“Well, thanks to his misunderstanding, I fought comfortably… but that’s the end of it, I guess.”
Leo stepped forward.
“D-do you need help?”
At Ar’s question, Leo shook his head.
“It’s too early for you.”
“You can win alone, right? Because you’re Lord Kyle! Right?!”
“It seems difficult.”
Leo looked down at his palm.
Divine power had not manifested since he entered the Legion's world.
Since the Legion’s dungeon itself was Erebus’s domain, which could be called the natural enemy of divine power, he couldn’t perform miracles.
“Ugh! But why are you so calm!”
When Ar pulled at his hair, Leo smiled gently.
“He’ll come.”
“What?”
“Dweno will come.”
That was faith.
Faith in someone with whom he had entrusted his life for a long time.
“Definitely.”
Leaving those words, Leo charged towards Gias.
“Surviving Hero Kyyyyle! Where is Dweno!”
Gias roared and raised his giant greatsword.
Leo, seeing that, gripped Posteritas and sneered.
“He’s hiding to take your head.”
“Where are you speaking lies!”
A small sword imbued with gray aura and a mountain-sized greatsword imbued with dark magic clashed.
*—!*
The demons nearby vanished into dust.
Among the demons and monsters further away, many died from exploding bodies.
“The sound…?”
Even though an incredible sight unfolded before her eyes, she couldn't hear any sound.
Ar, with a flustered expression, suddenly realized that her own voice sounded muffled.
*Drip!*
“Uh, huh?”
She unconsciously brought her hand to her ear, feeling the dampness.
Stickiness clung to her hand.
Blood was flowing from her ear.
‘What in the world… what an incredibly brutal fight!’
Ar’s eyes widened.
This was the battle between a Great Hero and a Legion Commander.
“Ugh! When will Lord Dweno arrive? Is it taking him a long time to find his weapons?”
Ar stamped her feet.
At that moment, Enniha, who was commanding the battlefield, clenched her fist.
“Radon.”
“Yes! Lord Enniha!”
“Take command for a moment.”
“Yes? Where are you going…?”
“That damned dwarf! I’m going to punch him in the face and drag him here!”
Enniha, gritting her teeth, headed towards Dweno’s workshop.