Book 1 Chapter 865
865.
Qua-ga-ga-ga-ga-gack-!
A strong wind that could tear Chelsea’s body apart just by touching it swept over her.
But as it approached Chelsea, it turned into a gentle breeze.
Seneor, seeing this, tilted his head.
Hwaak-!
This time, Seneor waved his hand as if he were an orchestra conductor.
Then, immense pressure was generated around Chelsea.
Along with that, the breeze that had been gently swaying around Chelsea began to compress.
If the wind compressing the air were scattered, a huge explosion would undoubtedly occur, blowing Chelsea away.
But that immense air pressure also turned into a gentle breeze and dispersed.
As his attacks repeatedly failed, Seneor brought his hands together.
Soon, the area around Chelsea began to turn into an breathless vacuum.
But Chelsea’s expression remained calm.
Eventually, Seneor’s eyes gleamed.
‘I see.’
He could not defeat the woman before him with the power of wind.
‘She has perfectly controlled the wind throughout this entire area.’
The space itself around Chelsea was under powerful dominion.
Literally, field magic pushed to the extreme.
As a wind user, Chelsea’s capabilities overwhelmingly surpassed Seneor’s.
‘I won’t be able to defeat that woman with wind magic.’
Having made that judgment, Seneor grinned and clapped his hands.
Clap-!
Then, countless dark red spikes appeared around Seneor.
Chelsea, seeing this, tilted her head.
“Didn’t you say you’d only fight me with wind?”
“I apologize for such arrogant words.”
Seneor’s lips curved into an arc.
“Because I feel like I can have fun with you without resorting to such arrogant acts.”
Hwaak-!
The dark red spikes flew towards Chelsea to pierce her.
Chelsea, seeing them, closed her eyes.
‘I hear it.’
The sound of the wind was heard.
One spike flew right up to Chelsea’s nose.
A threatening attack that could cost her head if she made a slight mistake.
Sak-!
Chelsea lightly turned her head, dodging the attack.
The attack passed by Chelsea by a hair's breadth.
She didn't react late.
Rather, she reacted perfectly to the attack.
She had predicted the force and direction through the wind and dodged the attack with minimal movement.
Seneor’s attacks began to pour down.
Dark magic, fatal with a single touch, relentlessly targeted Chelsea.
But Chelsea dodged all the attacks by a narrow margin.
“Amazing! You’re amazing!”
A demonic aura began to flow across Seneor’s face.
“Wow…”
Karl, who was watching Chelsea’s battle, opened his mouth and exclaimed in admiration.
“She’s incredible, Chelsea.”
Melina also watched Chelsea’s battle with wide eyes.
Leo simply watched Chelsea in silence.
“Hey, Leo. Isn't she imitating you?”
A combat style that pursued extreme efficiency by dodging attacks with minimal movement was enough to remind them of Leo.
In fact, Chelsea was imitating Leo’s method.
Reading the flow of wind and evading attacks was one of Leo’s ways of handling wind.
“It’s not really something that can be called imitation.”
A highly difficult technique beyond imagination.
Suddenly.
Countless attacks surrounded Chelsea.
A massive area-of-effect attack was unleashed, as if to give her no space to evade.
In an instant.
Chelsea’s body whirled-! and flew away.
Just as a person swinging their fist with all their might cannot hit a feather.
Even if they hit it, they cannot exert much force on it.
Chelsea lightly escaped the attack range by utilizing the opponent’s attack.
Leo’s eyes widened at the sight.
It wasn’t merely an imitation.
It was a way of utilizing wind that even Leo couldn’t manage.
“That’s amazing, isn’t it?”
Leo genuinely admired Chelsea, who had far surpassed his predictions.
At his words, Melina and Karl showed surprised expressions.
Until now, Leo had not stinted on praise for the heroes following him and the hero candidates.
He had also expressed surprise at his friends’ rapid growth.
But this was the first time he had expressed admiration in this way.
“Wow. This is the first time I’ve seen you so surprised.”
As Karl said with admiration, Leo smiled.
“Indeed. Looking at her like that, she’s no longer a child.”
Leo muttered as he watched a girl’s potential blossom.
“She’s a proper mage.”
***
“Ahhh! Amazing! Amazingggg!”
Seneor couldn’t hide his excited expression.
“To meet such an amazing hero at my first encounter with a hero!”
In Seneor’s eyes, Chelsea was no longer a mere hero candidate.
A hero.
And a powerful hero with the strength to single-handedly defeat a Legion Commander.
He couldn’t hide his excitement.
Before his eyes was a special hero.
“This fight is special! It’s special!”
Seneor wore an ecstatic expression.
Chelsea’s magic mercilessly tore Seneor apart.
Accordingly, Seneor’s strength and speed, using the Berserker’s Authority, steadily increased.
The Berserker’s Authority grew in ferocity and power the more blood was shed.
It meant becoming a berserker who fought more by instinct.
During the Age of Calamity.
Giath, the Giant King, who had reached the brink of death, had gained power comparable to Yormungandr, the Gluttonous King, who was the strongest Legion Commander, albeit for a short time, through the power of this authority.
Overwhelming power obtained at the cost of his life force.
But even with that power, he couldn’t seize Chelsea.
“I’m enjoying this! I’m enjoying it! This fight! This pain!”
Then Seneor, who had been showing signs of madness, abruptly- stopped his attack.
Chelsea also stopped her movements and swallowed dryly.
Until now, the fight had been manageable.
But she was still overwhelmed by the opponent's madness.
‘There’s a limit to imitating Leo oppa.’
She still couldn’t perfectly control her own strength.
As Chelsea broke out in a cold sweat.
Seneor’s body began to tremble.
A tremor not of pain, but of ecstasy.
Chomp-!
Seneor bit his own hand.
“Ah… No. I can’t burn everything out now.”
Seneor, who had gnawed at his hand, turned his gaze towards Chelsea.
Chelsea, with an expressionless face, stirred up her magic.
Even that expressionless face was an action in imitation of Leo.
Seneor, grinning at Chelsea, was engulfed in dark magic.
“See you again, little bird.”
Leaving those words, his figure vanished.
“Did he run away?”
Chelsea furrowed her brow.
He had retreated despite having enough energy to fight more.
Considering his frantic state just a moment ago, it was unexpected behavior.
Chelsea, who had been cautious for a moment, soon realized he had truly vanished and relaxed her guard.
“That’s strange. He seemed determined to fight to the bitter end.”
“Perhaps he realized that we would soon join the battle.”
Karl and Melina approached Chelsea, conversing.
“Would he have cared about something like that?”
Karl tilted his head and looked at Leo.
“What do you think?”
“Well, he’s a type of Legion Commander I’ve never seen before.”
He had seen countless Legion Commanders who loved to fight.
It was one of the characteristics of demons to enjoy tearing opponents to pieces and mocking frightened ones.
But a Legion Commander—no, a demon itself—who found the meaning of its existence in the fight itself was something he had never encountered.
“You haven’t seen one either. Hmm… That must be perplexing.”
“Rather than perplexing…”
Leo narrowed his eyes.
“Perhaps it’s because they’ve lived steeped in peace, but it just seems like the demons have lost their minds. Their mental states are rotten.”
‘Wow…’
‘He’s old-fashioned.’
As Melina and Karl had the same thought internally.
Chelsea, who had run over to Leo, smiled brightly and asked.
“Leo oppa, Leo oppa. How was I?”
“…”
Chelsea placed her hands on both knees, bent slightly, and then leaned down to meet Leo’s eyes.
Her face was that of a mature woman, but within it lay the innocence of a girl.
“I tried to imitate Leo oppa, was it strange?”
“Ugh. Did I do it wrong after all?”
“No. Rather.”
Leo gave a gentle smile.
“I can’t handle it that way. It was amazing.”
“Really?”
Chelsea’s eyes widened.
“Yes. To a surprising degree.”
“Wow!”
Chelsea smiled brightly and lowered her head so that the younger Leo could easily pat her hair.
Seeing Chelsea, Leo let out a wry chuckle and ruffled her hair.
“Still a child.”
“I’m an adult now.”
Chelsea grumbled in a sulky voice.
“So, Leo. If the presumed locations for the key are Old Fairyland and Gadsthron, where do you plan to go first?”
“Old Fairyland.”
“Why?”
“Because the memories there would be less painful for Silode.”
As Silode’s hometown, he would have affection for it.
Therefore, there would be fewer painful memories, at least.
Just as Leo, who longed for the past, saw illusions of his less painful childhood.
Leo thought so.
***
Leo and his companions were able to quickly reach Helgin’s territory by finding a nearby Warp Gate through Melina.
“Wow…”
Karl’s mouth hung open.
Karl wasn’t the only one surprised.
Chelsea also looked astonished.
“This is the city ruled by the Helgin family? It’s as good as Lumeria, isn’t it?”
The Helgin family has a high reputation in the northern part of the continent.
Although their territory wasn't large, the Helgin family's influence was comparable to that of a nation.
Since the territory was also rich in natural resources, it was famous as a very wealthy city.
However, even so, it was surprising that a city ruled by a family was on par with Lumeria.
Lumeria is considered the center of the world, both geographically and in terms of influence.
Therefore, it is known as a more developed and wealthy city than the capital of Rhodran or Shan.
No matter how great the Helgin family was, it was astonishing that the city of a mere hero noble family was comparable to Lumeria City.
“Is this city originally this developed?”
Melina shook her head at Leo’s question.
“No. It wasn’t this much.”
“What exactly happened in the future? Did Elias become an incredibly skilled lord?”
Chelsea tilted her head.
“First, let’s go to the Helgin family’s mansion.”
At Melina’s words, the group headed towards the Helgin family’s mansion.
Just then.
“Everyone!”
A familiar voice was heard from behind.
Turning their heads, they saw Lill approaching with a bright face.
“Wow, Lill. You’ve truly become beautiful.”
As Melina admired, Lill showed her characteristic shy reaction.
“Compared to Chelsea, I haven’t changed much, have I?”
“Oh. Senior. No, you haven’t. You’ve grown dazzlingly.”
Karl smiled and gave a thumbs-up-!
“Karl, you’ve also become handsome. But…”
Lill wore a serious expression.
“What about Big Brother? He must have become incredibly cool, right?”
At her words, the three looked at each other’s faces and then subtly moved aside.
Lill looked puzzled, then discovered Leo hidden behind the three and wore a blank expression.
“What are you looking at?”
Leo said gruffly, crossing his arms, and Lill plopped- down.
“Th-this… This isn’t good for my heart.”
And she covered her mouth, muttering.
“Big Brother.”
“Why?”
“Can I hug you just once?”
At Lill’s words, Leo sighed softly.
“Do as you please.”