Book 1 Chapter 820

820.

Kwaaaaak-!

Dweno's axe blade split the black flames.

But the split black flames, like living beings, wrapped around the God of the Forge.

A calamity that would burn the world.

The unquenchable flame of destruction began to burn the small dwarf's body.

Thump-!

But Dweno didn't care and moved forward.

He continued to advance, overcoming the black flames with the golden flames that covered his entire body.

His figure resembled a shield.

As if to protect his comrades from these flames.

Even though his body was ablaze with the most agonizing flames of disaster, his expression did not change.

'No artifact is perfect.'

Even artifacts born from the hands of the one called the God of the Forge would ultimately crumble before time.

Or before an uncontrollable force.

But even to such broken artifacts, new life could be given.

Melting down broken artifacts and re-forging them to be reborn as new artifacts.

In that process, they could become stronger and sharper.

That is what an 'artifact' is.

'I was already broken long ago.'

He had volunteered to be his friends' shield.

But in the end, he couldn't protect anyone from Erebus's flames and was destroyed.

'Never again! I will never repeat such a thing!'

He was filled with an unyielding will, tougher than steel and hotter than flames.

He would not succumb to pain that could burn even the soul.

This was Dweno's desire to pass on to future generations.

To be a reliable pillar for his comrades, and always remain steadfast…

It was an indomitable will that would never break.

"Haaaaaaap!"

Dweno's flames burned even more fiercely, creating a giant of gold.

Kwagagagak-!

As the golden giant completely pushed back the black flames, a golden flash cut through the void.

The giant of black flames was reflected in Arion's eyes, who was covered in aura.

A being like an incarnation of evil, larger than the Giant King and exuding an incomparable oppressiveness.

From a young age, Arion was afraid to look up at the sky due to his innate supersenses.

Always terrified, he had become a coward.

And Erebus was the source of the power that made Arion a coward.

And for Arion, who could perceive Erebus's presence more clearly than anyone else, Erebus was a being too formidable to even dare to look at.

But his gaze turned towards Erebus.

It wasn't just his gaze.

Sight, touch, smell.

He even concentrated on the burnt taste in his mouth, created by Erebus.

Arion, who felt Erebus's presence by mobilizing all his supersenses, began to accelerate.

Hwaak-!

Erebus's giant arm aimed at Arion.

Kwagagagagang-!

As Erebus slammed his hand onto the ground, the black flames that spread everywhere turned into lines, trying to grasp Arion.

But Arion's supersenses allowed him to predict all of Erebus's attacks.

Paat-!

Arion appeared on the back of Erebus's hand, avoiding the black flames, and kicked off into the air.

A wave of golden aura spread from Arion's fingertips.

Arion, who had rushed at Erebus with incredible speed, raised his sword.

A deep bloodlust bloomed in Arion's eyes.

'I will kill him.'

Arion's eyes gleamed fiercely.

'For my precious ones… I will kill Erebus!'

Kwaduk-!

Arion's sword sliced Erebus's neck.

For a moment, Erebus's neck was separated from his body.

But soon, flames blazed, reconnecting the severed section.

The black flames, which had lost momentum, blazed strongly once again.

They blazed, overwhelming Dweno and Arion.

At that moment.

"Finis."

Luna's magic struck Erebus.

A trump card to turn the tide of the unfavorable battle.

Erebus's eyes twitched.

Luna's magic, which had been perilous even 5,000 years ago.

But now, Luna's magic had become even more dangerous.

Because Luna's grudge, solely focused on Erebus's annihilation, resided within the magic.

Kwaak-!

Erebus's body vanished.

But just as extinguished flames blaze anew.

Erebus's gigantic body regenerated.

Watching from afar, Lysinas, who was directing the great heroes, clenched his fist.

'Everyone has started to move forward.'

He felt that their halted time had begun to flow again.

Lysinas's gaze shifted backwards.

Currently, Kyle's location was at the forefront of the battlefield with Tartarus.

But in the battle against Erebus, he was positioned at the very rear.

There, Kyle was preparing a single blow that would defeat Erebus.

It was the same situation as 5,000 years ago.

The five had gathered in one place and were combining their strength to defeat Erebus.

What had changed was…

'That the four of us are moving alone.'

Originally, Luna should have been in Kyle's place.

And at the front, not only he, Dweno, and Arion, but Kyle also should have been there.

But even though the four were moving, their coordination was perfectly matched.

From the moment they reincarnated and realized Kyle hadn't reincarnated.

Even while denying it, the great heroes looked forward.

Even though they denied a future without Kyle, their gaze was fixed on a future without Kyle.

'Except for Dweno… everyone stood motionless, unable to move…'

Their gaze, however, followed Dweno, looking towards a future without Kyle.

That's why the four thought endlessly.

How to fight when Kyle wasn't there.

The result was this.

They had never coordinated before, but based on 5,000 years of experience.

They perfectly understood how to fight Erebus in Kyle's absence.

This was possible because the great heroes knew each other so well.

Kyle never intervened in this combination.

Knowing that a clumsy intervention would break the balance of the combination.

He silently prepared what he had to do.

'Just as we envisioned a future without Kyle… Kyle must have envisioned a future without us.'

Even though they were fighting the same enemy together, Lysinas, as the commander, felt it clearly.

That Kyle and they had, once again, taken different paths.

Lysinas, with a trembling voice, completed his magic.

"Punishment."

It was a judgment announced to the enemy who sought to destroy the world.

It was also a denial of Erebus, who should not exist as the king of the world.

A bolt of light flew towards Erebus.

Though not as powerful as Luna's Finis, Punishment was still a threatening magic to Erebus in its meaning of executing the corrupt.

Kwaaaang-!

The bolt of light pierced Erebus.

Erebus's upper body was blown away.

But soon, he regained his strength.

-You truly are the greatest obstacle I must overcome.

Erebus burst into laughter.

-But I know. What sustains you right now.

Erebus's eyes glinted dangerously.

-What is most threatening to me!

Jjeojjeojjeojjeojjeong-!

Erebus's body began to freeze, then melted away, scattering across the floor.

Luna, seeing this, showed a horrified expression.

"Wait! Is this an ice clone?!"

Of course, Erebus hadn't used ice clone magic.

But the principle was similar.

Hwaruruuk-!

Erebus appeared before Kyle, who was preparing 'something'.

In a form mimicking the Hero of Beginnings.

***

"That's… the great heroes' fight…!"

"Amazing…"

"Hoo-hoo! Hoo-hoo! Arion-nim! You're so cool! Hoo-hoo!"

Dryana and Lunia could only be astonished.

Ar panted, trembling with excitement.

Legends were fighting before their eyes.

They thought it was a battle in a realm they could never reach or understand.

At that moment.

"Why are you acting like it's a matter from another world?"

"Huh?"

Another legend, focused on the battlefield, spoke to the three.

"That's the world you will one day stand in."

Kyle calmly spoke to the three from another world.

Lunia, as their representative, chuckled and said.

"Oh, Kyle-nim. No matter what, we can't fight like them…"

"You can."

"…"

"No, you have to."

Kyle said firmly.

"You must have realized by now, haven't you? That your student council presidents are great heroes."

"…"

"We also need successors."

Kyle looked at the three and said.

"How long will you rely only on us?"

It was a simple but heavy question.

Seeing the three fall silent, Kyle said.

"You're next."

"Can we do it?"

Dryana asked, embarrassed, and Kyle let out a small laugh.

"That depends on you. But you clearly possess another possibility that we don't."

Even though it was a different timeline, he had seen it clearly.

The three who had reached a realm they could not.

Their strength was still lacking compared to themselves 5,000 years ago, but…

Their potential was by no means small.

"Bearing the world… is quite heavy. So, help those guys."

"Kyle-nim, you talk as if you're going somewhere else?"

Ar tilted his head.

A very sharp question.

At that question, Kyle closed his eyes.

"It seems their halted time has started to move."

The halted time began to flow.

And as time passed, the distance between him and them would grow.

The moment Kyle opened his eyes.

"You let your guard down, Hero of Beginnings."

Erebus, in a form identical to him, appeared.

"Welcome, I've been waiting for you."

"I don't know what you were preparing, but it's too late!"

Kwaak-!

Erebus's sword tried to pierce Kyle's heart.

But Kyle grabbed the sword with his hand, twisting its trajectory.

Erebus's eyes twitched.

He had perfectly defended against the sword as if he had predicted its movement.

"You're imitating my form."

Sleek-

Light emanated from Kyle's body.

With it, he returned to Leo Flove's form and grinned.

"Imitation is my specialty, you see. Besides, since you imitated my form, wouldn't it be easy to predict your movements?"

He had avoided the vital point, but he couldn't prevent his body from being pierced.

It merely changed from instant death to a fatal wound.

"Hmph, so what? Even if only you die, the great heroes will crumble."

Leo scoffed at Erebus's words.

"No, even without me, they won't crumble now. Just like I did."

Leo said with conviction.

"They won't give up."

Erebus snorted at Leo's words and tried to move his sword.

But the sword didn't budge.

"I'm just a decoy."

Leo said calmly.

"It's not me who will defeat you."

"Do you think you can use a magic that can defeat me in that state… Innocent or the Aura of Purity?"

"I said it's not me who will defeat you."

Leo chuckled.

And he looked behind Erebus, at the great heroes rushing towards this place.

"It's those guys."

"What?"

At that moment.

Leo's eyes were dyed pure white.

The pure magic and spiritual power swirled.

Erebus's eyes twitched as he saw it.

"Bible?"

He knew this magic formula.

One of the two unique magics used by the Hero of Beginnings.

The other was Innocent, a magic more threatening than anything else.

Both were powerful magics, but to Erebus, Bible was not a threatening magic at all.

Bible was merely a magic that allowed one to freely use all magics without penalty.

It was a miracle for a mage, but among those magics, there was none that could reach Erebus.

It was just a mere trick of the Hero of Beginnings, nothing more than imitation.

Therefore, Erebus was bewildered when Bible was used in this situation.

'I prepared for Innocent, but… Hmm?'

At that moment.

Erebus's face contorted.

'This… isn't Bible.'

The basic formula was the same as Bible.

But the magic that unfolded afterwards was not Bible.

For a moment.

Erebus's face froze solid.

'This structure…'

"Record System?"

Leo unleashed his new unique magic.

'I inherited all of their powers, but I couldn't perfectly wield them.'

But despite that, he could strike Erebus.

The reason was simple.

'Because my power resided in their powers.'

The power of purity resided in the golden flames and aura.

And likewise in the Star Magic and Dragon Heart's mana.

Since he was the vessel that contained them, his mana characteristics resided in their powers.

'I can only imitate.'

He couldn't pioneer new realms in aura, magic, or summoning like Arion, Luna, or Lysinas.

He was merely following the path they had opened.

But…

'Through imitation, I can develop that power.'

Just as the power of purity resided in his comrades' powers.

So Leo pondered.

Could he return the power he had inherited and developed to others?

Even if he were to die first, was there a way to leave behind the power to defeat Erebus in the final moment?

The result of that contemplation was this.

His new unique magic, which he had researched after seeing the Hero Records.

A magic that evolved Bible one step further and reached its own unique realm.

A magic that not only perfectly manifested magic, but also aura and spiritual arts, and conveyed that power to others using 'necromancy'.

It was still an incomplete magic, so if carelessly conveyed to others, those who received the power might not be able to bear it.

But…

'With those guys, it's a different story.'

They would be able to fully wield this power.

'I'm merely giving it back.'

Leo smiled and repeated the name of the magic.

A divine realm reached not by others, but by Leo himself alone.

A magic that could temporarily share the power of purity with others.

"Record."