Book 1 Chapter 801

801.

When they reached the mountain entrance, what stung their noses was a pungent smell of burning.

And at that terrible burning smell, Reina unconsciously furrowed her brow.

Lounia slumped down with a look as if she was about to throw up any moment.

Flame users.

Especially the two who used the most powerful and sacred Phoenix flames in the world showed a particularly sensitive reaction to the foul odor emanating from the traces left by the black flames.

"Lounia, are you alright?"

"Yes, Roon senior. I'm fine."

Lounia struggled to smile, looking at Roon, who was sitting next to her with a worried expression.

"What's with all this fuss for something so minor?"

Leo grabbed Lounia's wrist and forcibly pulled her up.

"Hey! Lounia is struggling!"

As Roon made a fierce expression, Leo scoffed.

"She's not so weak that she can't handle even this much, is she?"

Leo said to Lounia as if provoking her.

"Right?"

At that, sparks flew in Lounia's eyes.

"I can handle this much too?!"

Lounia shook off Leo's hand, gritted her teeth, and walked steadfastly forward.

Seeing that, Roon worriedly extended a hand.

"Hey, Lounia. You don't have to push yourself too hard…"

Thwack-!

Leo grabbed Roon's wrist.

Leo looked at Roon, who had a bewildered expression, and spoke.

"Isn't she your successor?"

"She is."

"Then trust her. Don't be too overprotective."

…!"

Roon's eyes widened.

"Lounia is stronger than you think."

Leo, having spoken briefly, approached the rest of the group.

Roon silently watched Leo's retreating back.

Reina was leading those dispatched from the Lodren Empire.

They were all highly renowned knights, mages, and summoners from the Lodren Empire, people Leo had seen several times before.

They all had strained expressions at the traces of Erebus.

Airan and Karl also looked unwell.

The vivid traces where the flames of disaster had burned.

The place where the primordial evil had swept through emitted a powerful miasma that could lead ordinary humans to death.

With the miasma-laden burning smell permeating the air, it was impossible not to be tormented.

"Leo, are you okay?"

"No."

"You say that, but your face looks perfectly fine? President Seirun is the same."

"Well, that's because…"

'I'm used to it.'

Leo calmly answered inwardly.

It was a smell he had often encountered in his previous life.

Of course, that doesn't mean he developed resistance.

Both Leo and Roon had simply grown accustomed to this smell.

"Even after a long time, it still stinks like hell."

Roon mumbled softly.

At that, Leo chuckled and said to Reina.

"Let's move."

"Alright."

Reina led the investigators forward.

Lounia, Airan, and Karl followed behind them, and Leo and Roon walked together at the very rear.

"…It seems certain that a fragment of Erebus has been revived."

A chilling glint appeared in Roon's eyes.

His blood ran cold.

Roon, who was walking, stroked his stomach and then showed a slightly twisted smile.

A face filled with malice, hatred, and murderous intent.

It is still vivid now.

The pain from when he sustained the fatal wound.

"Leo. Does anything come to mind for you?"

"Well, I defeated him, imperfect as I was. And I also defeated this fragment in my timeline."

"Hmph~ Alright! You're so great."

Roon, who had spoken somewhat primly and then sharply turned his head, suddenly had his eyes sparkling and stuck close to Leo's side.

"If it's us, we can defeat him this time too, right?"

"Well. Back then, Arion lent his strength alone."

The one who delivered the decisive blow was Leo, but it was Arion, who had come into reality through the Hero Record, who held back the fragment of Erebus and weakened its power.

'Arion at that time was in his prime.'

Arion in his prime as a martial artist.

He had even surpassed his limits and reached the realm of gods.

Compared to that time, Leo had also accumulated power, but he had not fully regained his strength from his previous life.

'That goes for Luna too.'

Leo clenched and unclenched his fist.

And then he felt a question arise.

"Come to think of it, Arion's Hero Record was in Delan, the capital, wasn't it?"

"Huh? Really?"

"You didn't know?"

"No. I never imagined it would be in a remote kingdom like this."

"It had even been turned into a hero dungeon, you know."

"If that's the case, there's no way I wouldn't know."

As Roon shook his head, Leo nodded.

"By the way… he revived, so why didn't he go on a rampage immediately?"

"Because it's a parallel world. Couldn't events happen differently?"

"Is it simply that?"

At Roon's words, Leo narrowed his eyes.

Afterward, the full-scale investigation began.

However, despite enduring the powerful miasma emanating from the soot left by the black flames, the search continued for half a day, but there was no significant progress.

As the sun was setting.

Karl murmured with a strange expression, looking at the unburned forest.

"Well, it's eerie."

"What is?"

As Airan asked with a puzzled face, Karl crossed his arms.

"This forest, there are no animals at all."

"Come to think of it…"

Airan's eyes widened.

Due to the miasma left by Erebus, they hadn't noticed, but there were no mammals, birds, or insects.

Even the plants were all withering away.

"Karl has a very keen eye."

"Well, that's because…"

"Isn't it because you're less affected by Erebus's miasma?"

Lounia said in a sulky voice.

Lounia was still strongly affected by Erebus's miasma.

Then Airan sniffed.

"More importantly, isn't there an incredibly delicious smell?"

"Come to think of it…"

Karl also tilted his head.

The investigation team dispatched from Lodren also seemed to have caught the scent and began to murmur.

"It's that Leo fellow."

Just then, Roon, who was casting a wide-area search spell, said nonchalantly.

"Sir Leo?"

"Yeah. It seems he prepared dinner."

Just as Roon said, as the sun was setting, Leo was preparing dinner not far away.

As people gathered, Leo began scooping stew boiled in a large pot with a ladle.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Making food."

"In this situation?"

They were currently in the middle of a dangerous area where Erebus's power had erupted.

Moreover, it was a serious situation with the traces of Erebus vividly remaining.

For Reina, Leo calmly preparing dinner in such a situation was simply absurd.

'Is he bold, or is he thoughtless…? Doesn't seem like the latter.'

Leo handed Reina a bowl of stew and said.

"We need to eat heartily to prepare for any contingencies. After all, the only supplies brought as provisions are probably combat rations."

"That's true, but…"

"There's no immediate danger right now, so it's best to keep your body and mind in the best possible condition. And it's quite delicious."

At Leo's words, Reina stirred the stew with the spoon she received and took a bite.

And her eyes widened.

"For some reason, I feel like the stuffiness is fading away?"

"Because I mixed in herbs that can detoxify the miasma."

"Oh?"

Reina's eyes sparkled.

The investigators, one by one, tasted Leo's stew and expressed admiration.

"Wow, it's delicious!"

Karl exclaimed.

"Leo! You'll make a good husband!"

"It's really delicious."

Airan bit her fork, wearing a happy expression.

Mentally exhausted, Leo's stew tasted even more delicious.

"Roon senior, aren't you eating?"

Lounia, who had half-finished her stew, asked Roon with a puzzled expression as he stared intently at his stew.

"Yeah, I should eat."

Roon smiled gently and picked up his spoon.

He took a spoonful of stew.

'…He hasn't changed at all… No. Rather, has his cooking gotten even better?'

Roon looked at Leo, who was laughing and chatting with Karl.

'I wish he wouldn't go back.'

Words unspoken, fearing the answer to them.

It was then that Roon, whose eyes met Leo's, was startled and refocused on eating.

Rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble-!

Suddenly, the ground shook.

Everyone flinched and trembled.

"Wh-What…"

Lounia looked around with a bewildered expression.

"Honestly."

Roon let out a light sigh.

Even with the earth-shaking tremors, Leo simply continued to calmly eat his stew.

"It doesn't give me time to be lost in thought."

Roon gulped down the stew, bowl and all, then wiped his mouth with his elbow.

The two, who calmly filled their stomachs even in this situation, knew.

What the cause of the tremor was.

Leo and Roon simultaneously stood up.

"Get ready."

Roon, with his arms crossed, said calmly.

"For what?"

As Lounia spoke with a bewildered expression, Leo replied.

"You'll see soon."

Leo drew his sword.

"The flames of disaster."

CRASH-BOOM-CRACKLE-!

Not far away, black flames surged upwards as if erupting.

A thrilling scene, as if a volcano had erupted.

The sunset sky turned blackish-red.

Leo's eyes, watching the sight, twitched.

'What is this? It's a little different from what I knew.'

The giant flame titan that Leo knew was nowhere to be seen.

But its presence was distinctly felt.

As Leo narrowed his brow.

"Over there… someone's coming."

Karl pointed towards the forest with a bewildered expression.

Leo turned his gaze in the direction Karl pointed.

And his eyes twitched.

Thump- thump-

The one who appeared from the forest was a man with an expressionless face.

A bland face.

Gray hair and eyes reminiscent of ash.

"Wait. I've seen that face somewhere before…"

Lounia narrowed her eyes.

Then Airan's eyes widened.

"Doesn't he resemble the figure in the painting of the Great Hero that was discovered last time?"

The painting of the Great Hero.

It was a painting drawn by Dweno 5000 years ago during the Age of Disaster, discovered by Leah while tracking Kyle's traces.

Of course, academic circles tended not to consider it an artifact from the Age of Disaster, but rather a painting done by someone later.

However, it at least helped to inform people about what the Hero of Beginnings looked like.

But then, the figure from that painting suddenly appeared.

Thump- thump-

The gray-haired man, who reached the group, casually scanned them.

And finally, his gaze settled on Leo and Roon.

"Pleasure to meet you."

The man opened his mouth calmly.

"My name is Kyle."

The corner of his mouth twisted.

"I am the one you call the Hero of Beginnings."

Everyone's eyes widened.

'He's doing something interesting.'

Leo revealed his murderous intent, looking at Erebus, who resembled his past self.