Book 1 Chapter 797
797.
Whoosh-!
Rain fell.
Time is fickle.
Things that are joyful and happy.
Things that are sad and unhappy.
Most things fade with the passage of time.
But there are emotions and memories that remain unchanged even as time passes.
For Leah, the rain falling now was one such thing.
Just before closing her eyes as Lysinas, the King of Wisdom.
From the sky, black rain was falling, just like now.
“It's unpleasant.”
Leah muttered quietly.
Everything felt unpleasant right now.
Even the black rain gnawing away at life, falling from the sky.
Even the Giant King who had appeared once more.
And decisively, Erebus's remnant thought, in Kyle's form, was the most unpleasant.
“Leah! Gias has appeared again! What should we do?!”
“Surely, even if we kill the Giant King, he won't keep reviving, will he?!”
Kar and Balhar asked urgently.
The Giant King appearing endlessly.
Logically, it's impossible.
But Kar and Balhar couldn't help but consider that impossibility.
The opponent was none other than the Flame of Calamity, known as the primordial evil.
The very one who had driven the world to the brink of destruction.
Literally, the most fearsome enemy since the world came into existence.
The two of them knew better than anyone that it was a being that presented a disaster beyond anything they could imagine.
Crushed by that calamity, they eventually had no choice but to pass the burden to their friend and close their eyes.
Leah replied to their questions.
“If we look at Gias's condition… that's Gias from the Battle of Gardsron.”
At Leah's words, Kar and Balhar frowned.
The Battle of Gardsron.
It was an event where, while the King of Wisdom, the Progenitor of the Nebula, and the Hero of Genesis were away from Gardsron, the Giant King Gias led his army and launched a massive invasion.
At that time, Dweno and Arion, who were defending Gardsron, succeeded in repelling the Giant King's army.
Gardsron also suffered considerable damage, but considering the military strength at the time, Gardsron's victory was close to a miracle.
“If it's Gias from that era, defeating him shouldn't be difficult.”
Balhar narrowed his eyes.
A legion commander is a complete being.
If seen purely in terms of power, Gias with his authority at that time might have been even stronger than now.
‘But combat power isn't determined solely by pure strength.’
Just as the great heroes sublimated countless experiences into their own strength throughout the Age of Calamity.
The legion commanders are no different.
They, too, must have gained countless experiences, existing as a terrifying calamity not only in the Age of Calamity but also in the subsequent Age of Heroes.
A past existence is merely a past existence.
These are great heroes who already know the strategy for the past Gias, an enemy they have already defeated.
Therefore, defeating an enemy they had once defeated again was not a difficult task for the great heroes.
‘Moreover, now he isn't leading an army, and there are three of us.’
But…
“We clearly defeated him just now, so why did he revive?”
Leah replied to Kar's question.
“Hero Record.”
“What?”
“It seems Erebus's remnant thought summoned the past Giant King from the Hero Record.”
“Is that possible?”
“It must be possible, which is why this phenomenon is occurring. The only link connecting the past and present here is that Hero Record held by him.”
That was the insight of one bearing the title of King of Wisdom.
“Though called the primordial evil, Erebus is an evil god. Essentially, he's no different from a god.”
Leah's eyes narrowed.
“Since the Hero Record is an item created by gods, it's not strange even if he can exert influence over it.”
“So, is Erebus modifying the Hero Record to summon past subordinates?”
“That's unknown. Whether he modified the Hero Record… or if it's an inherent ability of the Hero Record.”
Leah clenched and unclenched her hand.
“But one thing is certain. If we defeat that Giant King, Erebus's remnant thought won't be able to summon Gias anymore.”
“Why?”
“His power has weakened compared to before summoning Gias.”
“Oho?”
“It's clear that extracting a past legion commander from the Hero Record consumes immense power.”
With a cool and accurate grasp of the situation, Kar said.
“Wow… you were just like the old Lysinas.”
Leah gave him a sharp glare.
“It's Leah, not Lysinas.”
“Hup.”
Kar quickly covered his mouth.
“You certainly are like your old self. Your somewhat hazy demeanor has completely disappeared.”
Balhar slung his battle-axe over his shoulder.
“Is it because it's related to Kyle?”
“…I can never tolerate that.”
“You're not the only one who can't tolerate it.”
Balhar looked at Erebus's remnant thought, in Kyle's form, with a cold expression.
“That bastard insulting Kyle is something Kar and I can never tolerate either.”
Goo-oooooooh-
Golden flames streamed from Balhar's body.
Seeing that, Leah's eyes widened.
“I'll handle that one alone.”
Balhar descended to the ground.
Along with him, the golden flames Balhar emitted grew even fiercer.
“Bal…har?”
Leah looked at Balhar's retreating figure with surprised eyes.
Even stronger flames erupted from Balhar's body as he landed on the ground.
‘In my previous life, I rarely liked myself.’
Because of the uncontrollable power in my childhood.
Later, because I couldn't protect anything.
And in the final moment, because of the weakness that left me with no choice but to pass on the burden.
Dweno, the dwarf, could not love himself like that.
‘You were the first one I met, Kyle, who disliked himself even more than I did.’
At the very least, Dweno loved this world.
Because he loved this world, he valued himself.
That's why he risked everything to protect this world.
But Kyle, whose life had already turned to ashes, couldn't understand why he endured hardships to protect the world.
‘Even now, I can't understand you. What made you such an unyielding person?’
Thud- Thud-
Whoosh-
‘But I do know this one fact.’
The King of Wisdom saved the world for the people.
A person chosen by fate.
He was the savior himself who would save the world in times of crisis.
The Progenitor of the Nebula saved the world, dreaming of endless possibilities.
For her, this world was possibility itself.
The brave one saved the world, dreaming of a peaceful world he had never seen.
And he himself saved the world for a beautiful world.
‘The fact that you saved the world for us.’
And he is enjoying that world which was saved.
‘So, I decided to try and like myself.’
The golden flame was a curse to Dweno.
A symbol of destruction that incinerated everything.
Disliking his own existence that only brought destruction, he became obsessed with beauty.
Dweno's heart, which disliked his own flame even until his death, did not change.
He merely used it because it was necessary.
‘I have no intention of ever losing it.’
Whoosh-
‘This world you saved.’
Goo-oooooh-!
The flames Dweno emitted soon took the form of a massive giant.
‘Therefore, I will not look back at you, at that time 5000 years ago.’
He accepted his past, and himself, as they were.
And he moved forward without looking back.
He would not wander.
The Hero of Genesis no longer exists.
He accepted that fact and carved out his own path.
Declaring himself a guardian of the world.
‘Because that would be the way to honor you, who passed this world down to future generations.’
Dweno reached out to a realm he could not touch in his previous life.
The giant made of golden flames grew larger and larger.
Its body soon became even larger than the Giant King's.
Hiss-!
The surroundings brightened as if the sun had risen in the dark night.
The black rain evaporated.
The fragment of the past, summoned by Erebus's remnant thought influencing the Hero Record, vanished without a trace.
“Fragments of the past can no longer stop me.”
Balhar raised his hand.
The giant raised its hand in response.
“5000 years ago, you burned me to death.”
Golden light gleamed in Dweno's eyes.
“In this life… I will burn you to death.”
Kwah-aaang-!
The flame giant's fist struck Gias like a mace.
Gias and Erebus's remnant thought evaporated without a trace.
Whoosh-
Golden flames dispersed.
Balhar, with his arms crossed, glanced back at his surprised friends.
‘It's okay to wander. That's natural.’
But that was only for a moment.
Balhar looked towards Mount Erdien.
‘But I won't be waiting.’
Balhar looked forward.
‘So, hurry and follow.’
5000 years ago, if he had played the role of supporting his friends from behind, it was different now.
Just as Lysinas did 5000 years ago.
Now, it was his turn to lead.
Balhar muttered quietly.
“Don't be tied to the past. That doesn't suit you all.”
***
“Oh-ho… It is indeed me. To think of such magic.”
Rune admired the magic Leo had taught her.
On the desk were countless papers inscribed with magic formulas.
Rune checked those magic spells at an incredible speed.
Leo, who was watching Rune, spoke.
“You.”
“Hm?”
“You haven't made any progress, have you?”
At Leo's words, Rune's face flushed crimson.
“What! What! What!”
“No. It's shocking, isn't it? That Luna Rubynance, the greatest in the world, has made no progress at all.”
Leo made a pathetic expression.
“Lunnia and Eiran are also growing slower compared to our Lunnia and Eiran.”
“Hmph! If you're so good at guiding, why don't you guide them yourself? Like Chelsea and Illiana.”
As Rune snorted, Leo said.
“No. That won't do.”
“Hm?”
“That's not my role. It's yours.”
“…”
At Leo's words, Rune put down the magic formula.
“Kyle.”
“Why?”
“You… the life you'll return to…”
Bang-!
“Leo! Breaking news! Breaking news!”
Then the door opened and Karl entered.
Currently, Leo and Rune were staying in a private room at an inn operated by Karl.
Since Leo, as an outsider, couldn't keep staying within Lumern, they left Lumern the morning after meeting Rune.
Rune had followed Leo.
“What's going on?”
Rune looked at Karl with a prim face.
At Rune's reaction, Karl scratched his cheek.
“Uh… did I perhaps interrupt a good time?”
“There's nothing like that with this philanderer.”
Rune snorted.
“Why am I a philanderer?”
“I don't know. A guy who charms this woman and that woman is an enemy of women, for a start.”
At Rune's sharp response, Leo clicked his tongue.
“So. What's the breaking news?”
“Yeah! An unusual situation has occurred in a kingdom called Delan in the western part of the continent!”
“…Delan?”
Leo's face hardened.
“Yeah. It seems a pillar of black flame was witnessed in the territory of the Marquis Plov family in Delan!”
At Karl's words, Rune's face hardened.
Black flame pillar.
It was impossible not to know what that was.
Leo stood up from his seat.
‘A fragment of Erebus was sealed in Plov territory.’
In this worldline's history, he had not been born.
‘The worldline diverged when the others reincarnated. The events that occurred also went awry.’
The Monster Queen and the Giant King were not subjugated.
This was because the powerful deterrent of the reincarnated great heroes made their movements even more cautious.
Berkia was not manipulated by the King of the Dead.
If it were just Leo alone, perhaps not.
In a situation where the King of the Dead knew of the great heroes' existence, it would have been difficult for him to revive Berkia as an undead.
‘Summoning a hero of Berkia's caliber as an undead would be a huge blow to that King of the Dead.’
The King of the Dead would not do something that would cause no damage and only waste power.
‘And the fragment of Erebus had not revived.’
But this was a different dimension of story than him not existing in the worldline.
5000 years after he subjugated Erebus.
After the first fragment revived 3000 years ago, two more fragments revived in Leo's era.
‘…Is it opening its eyes now?’
Leo clicked his tongue.
“Let's go, Rune.”
“I'll get ready right away.”
“No, we have to go right now.”
“Hm?”
Rune's eyes widened.
“The black flame pillar in Plov territory isn't just a mere fragment of Erebus's power.”
“Then?”
“Erebus's second fragment has revived.”
“What?”
Rune and Karl's faces were stained with shock.