Book 1 Chapter 780

780.

Lisinas looked at Leo, lying on the bed.

Beside Leo, Celia stood with a worried expression.

"Is he still unconscious?"

In response to Celia's question, Melina, who was examining Leo, nodded.

"Yes."

"Why on earth did this happen?"

Chloe asked in an anxious voice.

"I don't know the details myself. But there's nothing seriously wrong with his body."

"Nothing wrong with his body?"

"Yes. He's in very good health."

Melina said, looking at Leo's face.

"Could it be some kind of curse?"

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

"If it were Leo, I think even a curse would make him tremble and run away."

"Pffft."

At Elena's words, Lisinas couldn't help but laugh.

All eyes turned to Lisinas for a moment.

Facing their gazes, Lisinas spoke.

"I'll take a look. Can everyone leave except for Melina?"

The students glanced at each other and then left the room.

As Lisinas approached Leo, Melina made way.

"Could it be some kind of curse?"

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

A curse is a unique power possessed by the demons of Tartarus that weakens or even kills the target.

High-level curses can even nullify innate abilities.

There are various forms, and among them, mental intervention curses steal the target's consciousness or drive them mad.

"Kyle was the one who overcame even Erebus's curse. There's no way a mere demon's curse would work."

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

As such, it doesn't work on those with strong mental fortitude.

The mental strength of the hero of the beginning was undeniably the highest among the great heroes.

'He's a person who only lost.'

Lisinas looked at Leo with a slightly pitying gaze.

A man who never gave up, no matter how desperate the situation.

That was Kyle.

Because he didn't give up, Kyle lived a life of constant loss.

"Then what is it?"

As Melina wore a confused expression, Lisinas gently brushed Leo's forehead and said,

"His soul is gone."

"What?"

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

To the eyes of Lisinas, a spirit summoner, it was visible that Leo's body was devoid of a soul.

Hearing that, Melina's expression became bewildered.

"What in the world happened?"

"Who knows."

Lisinas gently stroked Leo's cheek and said,

"Melina, could you bring me a pen?"

"Yes."

Melina brought a pen from inside the room and handed it over.

Taking the pen, Lisinas wrote "idiot" on Leo's cheek.

As Lisinas chuckled, Melina looked blankly.

"Lisinas-nim?"

"He's a light sleeper, so he wouldn't be able to do this. When else would he get to do it? Do you want to try too?"

"Um, I'm okay."

At Melina's words, Lisinas smiled faintly.

"Don't worry too much."

"What?"

"Spirit summoners who have trained their art to the extreme can temporarily extract their own souls."

Lisinas poked Leo's cheek and giggled.

His playful demeanor somehow seemed innocent.

"I don't know what his intentions are, but Kyle seems to have used that ability."

"Is something like that possible with spirit summoning?"

"Yes. A spirit summoner like me can do it. And Kyle inherited my spirit summoning."

Lisinas smiled faintly and lightly slapped Leo's forehead.

"He probably separated his soul from his body with intent, so you don't need to worry."

"Ah."

Melina looked relieved.

"You calm down the others."

"Yes."

Nodding, Melina left the room.

Lisinas looked out the window.

The weather had started to snow.

Looking at the snow, Lisinas opened his mouth.

"Honestly… lies are a daily occurrence, both in the past and now."

Lisinas gave a wry smile.

He had no ability to separate his soul from his body.

It was just a lie to reassure Melina.

Leo was the one supporting the current era.

Moreover, some people, including Melina, knew that Leo was the reincarnation of Kyle, the hero of the beginning.

If they learned that something had happened to Leo, it would inevitably affect morale.

'That shouldn't happen.'

Lisinas analyzed the situation coldly while looking at the falling snow outside.

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

'But it's stabilized.'

Even though the separation of his soul from his body was an unstable situation, his life was not in danger.

Lisinas reached out and put his hand into Leo's inner pocket.

Clink-

After a moment.

He took out the pocket watch from Leo's pocket.

Click-

Upon opening the lid, he saw a watch that had barely moved.

Lisinas checked the slowly moving second hand of the watch and then grabbed Leo's wrist.

'The flow of mana is slow.'

The flow of mana circulating in Leo's body was flowing at a pace similar to the time on the watch.

'The soul is connected to the body, so it wasn't expelled externally.'

Lisinas quickly grasped the situation.

'Kyle's body is out of sync with the flow of time itself.'

He combined the theories in his mind.

'That means… his soul has been thrown into another dimension, somewhere else in the world. Yet, the connection to his body remains.'

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

'Existing in another dimension while still belonging here? Multiverse interpretation?!'

Having reached that conclusion, Lisinas looked down at Leo.

Did Leo transcend to a parallel world on his own?

'It's more reasonable to assume someone else sent him.'

And Lisinas knew of a being with unknown divine power.

'Nyx.'

Another god of evil who was born alongside Erebus.

Perhaps it was the work of that god.

Reaching a conclusion, Lisinas let out a deep sigh.

'If he was deemed a threat and incapacitated… he will act soon.'

Thinking so, Lisinas stood up.

"Your absence… I will cover for you for a while."

He lied to Melina to prevent the agitation of the younger generation.

Although not perfectly, he could fill Leo's place.

Of course, he himself, who would soon disappear, could not bear the weight of the world.

'But being a substitute for a moment is enough.'

No matter what trick was used, the hero of the beginning would surely return.

He had such absolute trust.

'He is the hero I chose.'

Lisinas approached the window.

Outside, he could see the hero candidates.

Among them were the next generation of heroes chosen by Leo, led by Lunia, who was engrossed in training.

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

But now was not the time.

He needed a protective barrier.

That was why Lisinas lied to Melina.

But…

'This time, I just need to make the lie come true.'

There is no major problem.

He just needs to keep that promise.

Just as it always has been.

Lisinas looked up at the sky.

'Come. This world will not collapse just because the hero of the beginning is absent.'

***

"Everyone has entered the realm of super senses in just a week! Amazing as always!"

Karga said, his eyes sparkling.

Leo looked at Karga with a nonchalant expression.

"It's because you can't teach them."

Despite Leo's words, Karga merely smiled brightly.

Dion touched his ears with a look of wonder.

"This is super sense… So this is how it feels."

Boruman rubbed under his nose and said.

"It's like… you're amazing. I was half-skeptical, but I never thought we'd step into the realm of super senses in just a week…"

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

Leo glanced at Karga.

"You know how difficult learning can be."

Hearing that, Ruwen nodded.

"Still, it's amazing how quickly you transfer your know-how."

"That's right. Kar… no. Leo teaches very well."

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

"Vessels?"

"Yes. You had to dodge this guy's attacks to survive."

In his fights with Karga, they always had to sharpen their senses.

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

Until now, what was missing was the decisive factor.

Leo had only trained them to awaken their keen senses first.

"But…"

Splash- Ruwen watched Ar be pushed by the incoming waves.

Thump- With his body stretched out, he was clearly unconscious.

"Is Ar okay?"

At those words, Leo approached Ar and tapped him.

Ar didn't move.

Leo lifted the heavy iron ball attached to Ar's toe by a chain and said,

"Should I throw him back into the sea?"

"You wicked human!"

Ar suddenly sat up and protested to Leo.

Leo chuckled at Ar's reaction and released the iron ball.

Crash-!

The iron ball, under the effect of gravity magic, fell to the ground, shaking the earth.

Leo trained Ar by throwing him into the sea.

The reason was simple.

In the sea, touch, sight, smell, and hearing are all blocked.

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

"Why are you so cruel only to me!"

"You're the boss cat."

"Boss?"

"Yes. Among you guys, you're the closest to Karga."

"Heh. That's true."

Ar puffed up his chest.

Watching him, his classmates looked at him with pity.

'Does that idiot fall for that line so easily?'

'Easy. So easy.'

While everyone was shaking their heads…

"Anyway, you've also been initiated into super senses, right?"

"Of course."

"Then shall we proceed with the test? Gather everyone."

At Leo's words, the third-year students of Azonia looked puzzled.

As Leo gestured with his chin, Karga hesitantly pulled something out of his pocket.

It was an exquisite box.

When he opened the lid, the Hero Record popped out.

It was the Hero Record testimonial of the hero Arion.

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

It was a world that Leo and Ar, whom he first met in his first year in his original world, had conquered together.

Karga approached Ar and said,

"Um…"

"Yes?"

"Don't be disappointed when you see the hero's appearance."

"What do you mean…?"

Ar looked puzzled as he received a piece of the Hero Record that Karga was handing him.

Along with it, he saw the message before his eyes and his eyes widened.

The other third-year students of Azonia felt the same.

Flash-!

With a bright light, the Azonia students disappeared.

Karga watched them go and said,

"Kyle."

"Why?"

"You told me you were tormenting the kids."

"Yes."

"But no matter how I think about it, you seem more wicked than I am."

"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 Berkia and Bihard trembled at those words too?"

At Karga's words, Leo chuckled.

***

Clang-! Clang-!

The sound of pickaxes breaking rocks echoed cheerfully.

Dwarves were not only the best warriors and craftsmen, but also the best miners.

Their mining development capabilities were unmatched by any race.

At the entrance of such a mine.

A dwarf, with a pipe in his mouth and a large block of marble in front of him, stared at the marble.

In his hands were a chisel and a hammer.

At that moment.

A hand snatched the dwarf's pipe.

"Senior. Smoking is against school rules."

"Do you think I, at my age, have to follow school rules?"

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

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

Sighing, Balhar put down the hammer and chisel, snatched the pipe from Driana's hand, and puffed on it.

Then, approaching the mine entrance, he said,

"How is the mine development?"

"It's going smoothly. But do we really need to develop the mine from the beginning?"

Usually, Demian students mine ore, but they don't develop mines themselves like this.

In response to Driana's question, Balhar's eyes widened.

"Mine development is the duty of the dwarf race since ancient times! You shouldn't forget the basics as students!"

"…But Balhar-senpai, you only supervise mine development, you don't do it yourself."

"Do I have to get soot on my face and develop mines at my age?!"

"…That's why, Balhar-senpai, you're still a teenager. Don't talk like you're all worn out…"

"You've been talking back to me, an elder, since earlier. Should I smash your head?"

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

Balhar clicked his tongue, watching Driana.

Then he looked into the mine.

After a moment.

Screams began to echo from inside the mine.

Balhar's eyes twitched as he saw it.

Demian students began to rush out of the cave in a panic.

"What's going on?"

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

"Pr-President! The black flames… the black flames!"

"Black flames?"

As Balhar furrowed his brow.

Fwooooosh-!

Black flames shot up from the entrance of the mine where the students had fled.

Seeing that, Balhar… Dweno's face hardened.

It was a flame too familiar to Balhar.

He couldn't forget it.

He had lost his life to those black flames.

Balhar, or rather, Dweno, repeated the name.

"Flames of Catastrophe…!"