Book 1 Chapter 865

865.

Kwakakakakakakakak-!

A fierce wind that would rip one's body apart just by touching it engulfed Chelsea.

However, as it neared Chelsea, it turned into a gentle breeze.

Seneor tilted his head, seeing this.

Hwaak-!

This time, Seneor waved his hands as if he were an orchestra conductor.

Then, immense pressure was generated around Chelsea.

Along with it, the gentle breeze swirling around Chelsea began to compress.

If the wind compressing the air were to scatter, it was clear that a massive explosion would occur, blowing Chelsea away.

But that immense air pressure also dispersed, becoming a gentle breeze.

When attack after attack failed, Seneor clasped his hands together.

Soon, the area around Chelsea began to turn into a suffocating vacuum.

However, Chelsea's expression was calm.

Eventually, Seneor's eyes lit up.

'I see.'

He couldn't defeat the woman before him with the power of wind.

'I have completely mastered the wind in the surrounding area.'

The space around Chelsea was under a powerful dominion.

Literally, a field magic that had reached its limit.

As a wind user, Chelsea's capabilities far surpassed Seneor's.

'I won't be able to defeat that woman with wind magic.'

Having concluded this, Seneor grinned and clapped his hands.

Ttak-!

Then, countless dark red spikes appeared around Seneor.

Seeing this, Chelsea tilted her head.

"Weren't you going to fight me with just wind?"

"I apologize for that arrogant remark."

The corners of Seneor's mouth curved into a smile.

"Even without doing something so arrogant, I think I can have fun playing with you."

Hwaak-!

The dark red spikes flew, aiming to pierce Chelsea.

Seeing this, Chelsea closed her eyes.

'I can hear it.'

She could hear the sound of the wind.

One spike flew to the tip of Chelsea's nose.

A threatening attack that could decapitate her if she made a mistake.

Sak-!

Chelsea lightly turned her head and evaded the attack.

The attack narrowly passed Chelsea.

It wasn't a delayed reaction.

Rather, it was a perfect reaction to the attack.

She had predicted the power and direction through the wind and evaded the attack with minimal movement.

Seneor's attacks began to pour down.

The dark magic, which would kill upon contact, targeted Chelsea relentlessly.

However, Chelsea evaded all those attacks by a hair's breadth.

"Amazing! Amazing!"

A strange aura began to emanate from Seneor's face.

"Wow…"

Kal, who was watching Chelsea's fight, opened his mouth and let out an exclamation.

"You're incredible, Chelsea."

Melina also watched Chelsea's fight with wide eyes.

Leo still watched Chelsea's movements silently.

"Hey, Leo. Isn't that like you?"

The combat style of evading attacks with minimal movement and pursuing extreme efficiency was enough to remind one of Leo.

In fact, Chelsea was imitating Leo's style.

Reading the flow of the wind and evading attacks was one of the ways Leo handled the wind.

"It can't be called imitation."

A high-level technique beyond imagination.

Momentarily.

Countless attacks surrounded Chelsea.

A massive area-of-effect attack was activated, as if to deny her any space to evade.

Momentarily.

Chelsea's body was whizzed away-!

Just as it's impossible to hit a feather even if a person punches with all their might.

Even if one hits, it's impossible to exert great force.

Using the opponent's attack, Chelsea lightly escaped the range of attack.

Leo's eyes widened at this.

It wasn't mere imitation.

It was a use of wind that even Leo couldn't achieve.

"Incredible?"

Leo, watching Chelsea, who far surpassed his predictions, sincerely admired her.

Melina and Kal wore surprised expressions at his words.

Until now, Leo had not spared praise for the heroes and hero candidates who followed him.

He had also expressed surprise at his friends' rapid growth.

However, this was the first time he had expressed admiration like this.

"Wow. This is the first time I've seen you so surprised."

As Kal spoke in admiration, Leo smiled.

"Indeed. Seeing her like this, she's no longer a child."

Leo muttered, watching the blossoming potential of a young girl.

"She's a full-fledged mage."

***

"Ahhhh! Wonderful! Wonderful!"

Seneor couldn't hide his excited expression.

"To meet such a wonderful hero on my first encounter with a hero!"

In Seneor's eyes, Chelsea was no longer a hero candidate.

A hero.

A powerful hero with the strength to defeat a legion commander single-handedly.

He couldn't contain his excitement.

A special hero was before him.

"This fight is special! Special!"

Seneor had a look of ecstasy.

Chelsea's magic brutally tore Seneor apart.

As a result, Seneor's strength and speed, using the Berserker's authority, increased steadily.

The Berserker's authority is that the more blood is shed, the more ferocious and powerful it becomes.

It means becoming a berserker fighting more instinctually.

During the Age of Calamity.

Giant King Gias, who had reached the brink of death, gained power comparable to the glutton king Yormungandr, the strongest legion commander, for a short time with this authority.

Overwhelming power gained at the cost of life.

However, even with that power, he couldn't stop Chelsea.

"This is fun! It's fun! This fight! This pain!"

At that moment, Seneor, who had been showing madness, stopped his attack with a thud-.

Chelsea also stopped moving and swallowed dryly.

Until now, it was a fightable battle.

But she was still overwhelmed by the opponent's madness.

'There's a limit to imitating Leo oppa.'

She couldn't perfectly control her own power yet.

As Chelsea broke out in a cold sweat.

Seneor's body began to tremble.

Trembling not from pain, but from exhilaration.

Thwack-!

Seneor bit his own hand.

"Aaaah… No. I can't burn everything now."

Seneor, who had been gnawing on his hand, turned his gaze to Chelsea.

Chelsea raised her magic with an expressionless face.

Even that expressionless look was an imitation of Leo.

Seeing such Chelsea, Seneor grinned, and dark magic swirled around his body.

"See you again, little bird."

He disappeared, leaving those words behind.

"He ran away."

Chelsea narrowed her brows.

He retreated even though he had the capacity to fight more.

Considering his frenzied state just moments before, it was an unexpected action.

Chelsea cautiously surveyed the surroundings for a moment, but soon relaxed, realizing he had truly disappeared.

"It's strange. He seemed like he was going to fight to the bitter end."

"Perhaps he knew we would be joining the battle soon."

Kal and Melina approached Chelsea, conversing.

"Do you think he paid attention to things like that?"

Kal tilted his head and looked at Leo.

"What do you think?"

"Well, he's a legion commander of a type I've never seen before."

He had seen countless legion commanders who loved to fight.

Tearing opponents apart and mocking those who feared him was one of the characteristics of demons.

But a legion commander who found the meaning of existence in the fight itself… no, he had never seen a demon like that before.

"You've never seen him before either. Hmm… it must be perplexing."

"Rather than perplexing…"

Leo narrowed his eyes.

"Maybe because I've lived in peace for so long, I just think demons are all out of their minds. Their mental states are rotten."

'Wow…'

'Boomer.'

Melina and Kal thought the same thing inwardly.

Chelsea, who had run up to Leo, asked with a bright smile.

"Leo oppa, Leo oppa. How was I?"

"…"

Chelsea placed her hands on her knees, slightly bent them, and bowed her waist to make eye contact with Leo.

Although her face was that of a mature woman, it held the innocence of a girl.

"I tried imitating Leo oppa, was it strange?"

"…I don't handle wind like that."

"Oof. Did I do something wrong?"

"No. It's not that."

Leo smiled faintly.

"You can't handle it like that. It was incredible."

"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 head.

Seeing such Chelsea, Leo let out a wry laugh and patted her head.

"Still a child."

"I'm an adult now."

Chelsea grumbled in a sulky voice.

"So Leo, if the place where the key is presumed to be is the old Fairy Land and Gardesron, where are you planning to go first?"

"Old Fairy Land."

"The reason?"

"For Silode, the memories there will be less painful."

As it was Silode's birthplace, he would have affection for it.

Therefore, there would be fewer painful memories.

Just as Leo, who missed the past, saw a fantasy of his less painful childhood.

Leo thought so.

***

Leo's party quickly arrived in Hergin's territory by finding a nearby warp gate through Melina.

"Wow…"

Kal's jaw dropped.

Kal wasn't the only one surprised.

Chelsea also wore a surprised expression.

"Is this the city ruled by the Hergin family? It's no less than Rumeria!"

The Hergin family is famous in the northern continent.

Although the territory was not large, the Hergin family's influence was comparable to that of a nation.

The territory was also rich in natural resources, making it famous as a very wealthy city.

However, even so, it was still surprising for a city ruled by a family to be on par with Rumern.

Rumeria is considered the center of the world geographically and in terms of influence.

Therefore, it is known as a more developed and prosperous city than the capitals of Rodren or Shan.

No matter how great the Hergin family was, it was surprising for the city of a single heroic family to be comparable to Rumeria City.

"Is it originally this developed?"

To Leo's question, Melina shook her head.

"No. It wasn't this much."

"What on earth is happening in the future? Did Eliza become an exceptionally brilliant lord?"

Chelsea tilted her head.

"First, let's go to the Hergin family's mansion."

At Melina's words, the party headed to the Hergin family's mansion.

At that moment.

"Everyone!"

A familiar voice was heard from behind.

Turning their heads, they saw Lil approaching with a bright smile.

"Wow, Lil, you've become truly beautiful."

As Melina exclaimed, Lil showed her usual shrinking reaction.

"Compared to you, Chelsea, I haven't changed much, have I?"

"Oh. Senior. No, you've grown dazzlingly."

Kal smiled and gave a thumbs-up.

"Kal, you've become handsome too. But…"

Lil had a serious expression.

"What about my brother? He must have become incredibly handsome, right?"

At those words, the three looked at each other's faces and then moved aside slightly.

Lil looked puzzled, then spotted Leo, hidden behind the three, and her expression became dazed.

"What are you looking at?"

Leo said gruffly, crossing his arms, and Lil collapsed.

"This… this is not good for my heart."

Then, covering her mouth, she muttered.

"Brother."

"Why?"

"May I hug you just once?"

At Lil's words, Leo let out a small sigh.

"Do as you please."