Book 1 Chapter 780

780.

Lysina looked at Leo lying on the bed.

Beside Leo, Celia stood with a worried expression.

"Is he still unconscious?"

Melina, who had been checking his condition in response to Celia's question, nodded her head.

"Yes."

"Why on earth is this happening?"

Chloe asked in an anxious voice.

"I can't tell you the details. But there's nothing seriously wrong with his body."

"Nothing wrong with his body?"

"Yes. He's in a very healthy state."

Melina said, looking at Leo's face.

"Could it be some kind of curse?"

When Lil cautiously offered her opinion, Elena tilted her head.

"If it's Leo, I think even a curse would tremble and run away."

"Pfft."

At Elena's words, Lysina unconsciously burst into laughter.

Everyone's gaze turned to Lysina for a moment.

Lysina spoke in response to their gaze.

"I'll take a look. Melina, could everyone else clear the room?"

The students looked at each other's faces once, then left the room.

As Lysina approached Leo, Melina moved aside.

"Could it be a type of curse?"

"Didn't you hear Elena just now? Curses don't work on this guy. Especially not mental curses."

A curse is a unique power possessed by the demons of Tartaros, which weakens the target or causes their death.

In the case of high-level curses, they can even nullify supernatural abilities themselves.

There are various forms, and among them, curses that involve mental intervention deprive the target of consciousness or drive them insane.

"Kyle even overcame Erebus's curse. There's no way a demon's curse would work."

A representative effect of mental curses is the weakening of the opponent's mind.

As such, it does not work on those with strong mental strength.

The mental strength of the Hero of Beginnings was by far the best among the great heroes.

'Because he was someone who only lost.'

Lysina looked at Leo with a slightly sorrowful gaze.

A man who never gives up, no matter what despair he faces.

That is the man named Kyle.

Because he never gave up, Kyle lived a life where he only lost.

"Then what on earth could it be?"

As Melina looked confused, Lysina gently stroked Leo's forehead and said.

"His soul has left his body."

"What?"

"I don't feel Kyle's soul in his body."

To Lysina, a spirit artist, it was clear that Leo's body was devoid of his soul.

Hearing that, Melina looked flustered.

"What exactly happened?"

"Well."

Lysina said, gently caressing Leo's cheek.

"Melina, could you bring me a pen?"

"Yes."

Melina brought a pen from the room and handed it to her.

Lysina took the pen and wrote 'idiot' on Leo's cheek.

As Lysina chuckled, Melina looked blank.

"Lady Lysina?"

"His light sleep makes it impossible to do this. When else would I get the chance? Do you want to try it too?"

"I-I'm fine."

Lysina smiled at Melina's words.

"Don't worry too much."

"Yes?"

"A spirit artist who has trained spirit art to its extreme can temporarily draw out their own soul."

Lysina poked Leo's cheek and chuckled.

Her playful demeanor looked innocent in a way.

"I don't know his ulterior motive, but it seems Kyle used that ability."

"Was something like that possible with spirit art?"

"Yes. A spirit artist of my caliber can do it. And Kyle inherited my spirit art."

Lysina smiled and lightly slapped Leo's forehead.

"He probably intentionally separated his soul from his body. So you don't need to worry."

"Ah."

Melina looked relieved.

"You calm the other children down."

"Yes."

Melina nodded and left the room.

Lysina looked out the window.

The weather had suddenly started snowing.

Lysina, looking at the snow, opened her mouth.

"Really… it's always been the same, then and now, lies are an everyday thing."

Lysina gave a bitter smile.

There is no such ability as separating the soul from the body.

It was just a lie to reassure Melina.

It was none other than Leo who supported the present age.

Moreover, some, including Melina, knew that Leo was the reincarnation of Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings.

If they were to learn that something had happened to such a Leo, it would inevitably affect morale.

'That must not happen.'

Looking at the snow falling outside the window, Lysina calmly analyzed the situation.

It was true that Leo's soul had vanished from his body.

'But it's stable.'

Despite the unstable situation of the soul being separated from the body, there was no threat to his life.

Lysina reached out and put her hand into Leo's inner pocket.

Clink-

A moment later.

She took out a pocket watch from Leo's pocket.

Click-

When she opened the lid, she saw a watch that was barely moving.

Lysina, who checked the slowly moving second hand of the watch, grabbed Leo's wrist.

'The flow of mana is slow.'

Precisely, the flow of mana in Leo's body was moving at a similar pace to the watch's time.

'The soul is connected to the body. So it hasn't been thrown out externally.'

Lysina quickly grasped the situation.

'Kyle's body is in a state that has deviated from the flow of time itself.'

She pieced together theories in her mind.

'That means… his soul has been bounced into another dimension, not somewhere in this world. And yet, the connection with his body hasn't been severed.'

The King of Wisdom, praised as the wisest in the world, soon reached a conclusion.

'Existing in another dimension yet belonging here? Multiverse interpretation?!'

Having reached that conclusion, Lysina looked down at Leo.

Did Leo himself cross over to a parallel world by his own power?

'It would be more reasonable to assume someone else sent him.'

And Lysina knew of a being with unknown authority.

'Nyx.'

Another evil god who was born with Erebus.

Perhaps it was the work of that evil god.

Lysina, having reached a conclusion, sighed deeply.

'If they judged Kyle to be a risk and neutralized him… they'll make their move soon.'

Thinking that, Lysina stood up.

"Your vacant spot… I'll handle it for a while."

She had lied to Melina to prevent agitation among the children of later generations.

Because, though not perfectly, she could fill Leo's empty spot.

Of course, she, who would soon disappear, could not bear the world entirely.

'But replacing him is enough for a short time.'

She didn't know what trick was used, but the Hero of Beginnings would surely return.

She had such absolute trust.

'He's the hero I chose.'

Lysina approached the window.

Outside the window, hero candidates were visible.

Among them, led by Lunia who was dedicated to training, were the next-generation heroes chosen by Leo.

'Someday, those children will support Kyle, just as Kyle supported me in the past. And just as I support Kyle now.'

But now was too soon.

A fence was needed.

That's why Lysina lied to Melina.

But…

'This time too, I just need to turn the lie into truth.'

There was no big problem.

She just needed to keep that promise.

As she always had.

Lysina looked up at the sky.

'Come on. This world won't collapse just because the Hero of Beginnings isn't here.'

***

"Everyone entering the realm of supersenses in just one week! As expected, it's amazing!"

Kar said, his eyes sparkling brightly.

Leo looked at Kar with an unenthusiastic expression.

"You're just bad at teaching."

Even with Leo's words, Kar just gave a bright smile.

Dion touched his ear with a curious expression.

"This is supersenses… So this is what it feels like."

Borman rubbed under his nose and said.

"How should I put it… you're amazing. I was half in doubt, but I never thought you'd step into the realm of supersenses in just a week…"

"Unlike this guy who was born with supersenses, I had to learn from him."

Leo glanced at Kar.

"You know how hard it is to learn."

Hearing that, Ruwen nodded.

"Still, seeing you quickly transfer your know-how is amazing."

"Right. Kar… no. Leo teaches very well."

"It's also because your vessels are already complete."

"Vessels?"

"Yes. You had to avoid this guy's attacks to survive, didn't you?"

In battles with Kar, they always had to sharpen their senses.

Those sharpened senses themselves became the foundation for entering the realm of supersenses.

Up until now, they just lacked the crucial element.

Leo had merely trained them to first awaken their respective keen senses.

"But…"

Splash- Ruwen looked at Ar, who was being washed away by the incoming waves.

Drooping- His body was stretched out, clearly unconscious to anyone.

"Is Ar okay?"

At that, Leo approached Ar and poked him.

Ar didn't move.

Leo lifted the heavy iron ball chained to Ar's ankle and said.

"Should I throw him back into the sea?"

"You evil human!"

Ar jumped up and protested to Leo.

Leo chuckled at Ar and released the iron ball.

Thud-!

When the iron ball, enchanted with gravity magic, fell to the ground, the earth shook.

Leo had been training Ar by putting him in the sea.

The reason was simple.

Underwater, touch, sight, smell, and hearing are all blocked.

It was the perfect environment to maximize sensory activation, so he was forced in.

"Why are you so especially cruel only to me!"

"You're the boss cat."

"Boss?"

"Yes. Among you, you're the closest to Kar."

"Hmph. That's true."

Ar puffed out his chest.

Seeing that, his classmates looked at him with pathetic expressions.

'Is that idiot really falling for that?'

'Easy. So easy.'

While everyone clucked their tongues.

"Anyway, you've also entered supersenses, haven't you?"

"Of course."

"Then, shall we proceed with the test? Everyone gather around."

The third-year Azonian students looked puzzled at Leo's words.

When Leo gestured with his chin, Kar awkwardly took something out of his pocket.

It was a luxurious box.

When the lid opened, a Hero Record popped out.

It was none other than the first chapter of Hero Arion's Hero Record.

Kar had brought it from Azonia, using his authority as student council president.

It was the world Leo and Ar first conquered when Leo was a first-year in his original world.

Kar approached Ar and said.

"Um…"

"Yes?"

"You mustn't be disappointed when you see the hero's appearance, okay?"

"What do you mean…?"

Ar looked puzzled as he received the Hero Record fragment Kar handed him.

Along with that, he opened his eyes wide at the message in front of him.

The other third-year Azonian students were also the same.

Flash-!

With a bright light, the Azonian students disappeared.

Kar, who had been watching, said.

"Kyle."

"What."

"You told me I was 'catching' the kids."

"Yes."

"But no matter how I think about it, you seem more evil than me."

"What do you mean?"

"I torment them physically, but you torment them mentally."

"That's because they're weak. Back in my day…"

"Do you know that Berkhia and Bihal also shuddered at that?"

Leo chuckled at Kar's words.

***

Clang-! Clang-!

The sound of pickaxes breaking rocks echoed cheerfully.

Dwarves were the best warriors and craftsmen, and also the best miners.

Their mining development capabilities were unrivaled among all races.

At the entrance of such a mine.

A dwarf, with a pipe clenched in his mouth, glared at a large marble slab.

In his hands were a chisel and a hammer.

Just then.

A hand snatched the dwarf's pipe.

"Senior. Smoking is against school rules."

"Do you think I, at this age, should follow school rules?"

"Senior. Please fix that old man-like way of speaking. You're still a teenager with a bright future ahead."

Driana looked at Balhar, the student council president of Demian, with a sympathetic face.

Balhar clicked his tongue, put down his hammer and chisel, took back the pipe from Driana's hand, and puffed on it.

Then he approached the mine entrance and said.

"How is the mine development progressing?"

"Smoothly. But do we really need to develop the mine from scratch?"

Usually, Demian students mine for ore, but they don't develop the mine itself like this.

Balhar's eyes widened at Driana's question.

"Mine development is the duty of the dwarf race from ancient times! Students must not forget their fundamentals!"

"…But Senior Balhar only supervises mine development, he doesn't do it himself."

"Do you expect me, at this age, to get my face covered in soot and develop a mine?!"

"…I mean, Senior Balhar, you're still a teenager. Don't talk like you're old and decrepit…"

"You've been talking back while an adult is speaking. Should I just smash your head in?"

As Balhar swung his hammer around, Driana yelped and ran away.

Balhar clucked his tongue, watching Driana.

And looked into the mine.

A moment later.

Screams began to echo inside the mine.

Seeing that, Balhar's eyes twitched.

Demian students hurriedly started coming out of the tunnel.

"What's happening?"

Balhar grabbed a student and asked, and the student urgently said.

"Pr-President! Black flames… black flames!"

"Black flames?"

As Balhar furrowed his brows.

Whoosh-!

Black flames soared from the mine entrance from which the students had fled.

Seeing that, Balhar… Dweno's face hardened.

It was a flame too familiar to Balhar.

He couldn't forget it, even if he tried.

Because he had lost his life to those black flames.

Balhar, no, Dweno, repeated that name.

"Flames of Disaster…!"