Book 1 Chapter 933
933.
The Hero Hunters’ faces turned wary as they saw Ar, a hero who appeared from behind them.
‘When did he…?’
Ar, the successor to the Hero’s Will.
A hero candidate who, upon entering Azonia, suddenly conquered the Hero’s world.
Because of that, he had been a target of concern among Hero Hunters since his admission.
Indeed, Ar achieved immense growth in a short period.
It wasn’t just growth.
As the legitimate successor to the Hero Arion, he had also succeeded in inheriting the Hero’s power.
He had truly emerged as the hero who would lead the future of the Beastkin race.
‘If left unchecked, he will surely grow into someone called the reincarnation of the past Hero, the Great Warrior Azonia.’
Looking at Ar, who exuded a menacing aura and wore a savage smile, the leader of the Hero Hunters clenched and unclenched his fists.
‘But now, he is still a hero whose growth is not yet complete.’
A sly smile curled on the lips of the Hero Hunters.
Ar’s eyes narrowed.
‘He’s smiling even though his comrade’s head was blown off?’
Ar, feeling a strange sense of unease, perked up his ears.
At the same time, Ar kicked away the Hero Hunter he had defeated.
CRUNCH-!
The corpse flew up.
The flesh and bones of its head, which had scattered, seemed to be sucked back into place.
THUMP-!
“Heehee.”
Ar crossed his arms, watching the Hero Hunter revive and land back on his feet.
‘Regeneration? No, it’s a curse.’
[Void] Curse.
A curse that makes attacks as if they never happened.
As the Hero Hunters used a curse employed by the highest-ranking demons, Ar tilted his head slightly.
‘And he seems to be undead. Is a demon mixed in? Or was he cursed by a demon?’
He felt a moment of doubt but quickly dismissed it.
The Void curse was a very powerful curse.
And if he was undead, he was already dead, so he would revive countless times.
He was a threatening enemy, but it didn’t matter.
Ar moved his body with a thought process perfectly befitting him.
‘Why think complicatedly? Just beat him until he dies!’
WHOOSH-!
Ar took a step forward.
Ar, who had momentarily disappeared as if extinguished, reappeared in front of a Hero Hunter.
Ar was now in a beast form.
CHOMP-!
“……!”
Ar’s claws, like those of a beast, raked across the Hero Hunter’s arm.
Blood and flesh splattered, and the Hero Hunter’s eyes widened.
‘What power…!’
“We have him outnumbered! And even if he’s a hero, he’s still just a rookie! Form a formation and pressure him!”
As the leader’s command was given, the Hero Hunters moved in perfect sync.
At the same time, their bodies began to change.
“Do you think beast form is your exclusive right?”
The leader commanding the Hero Hunters said with a sly smile.
Ar silently observed the Hero Hunters.
Ar knew for a long time that some of them had obtained the ability of beast form by using fragments of Arion’s sword, Brave, which he acquired in the Hero’s world.
That’s why he didn’t show much surprise even when they transformed.
However.
‘Insulting Arion is another matter.’
Ar smiled coldly.
GRRRRRRR!
The aura emanating from Ar’s body intensified.
SCRAPE-! SCRAPE-! SCRAAAAPE-!
Around Ar, scratched marks, similar to claw marks, began to appear on the sandy ground.
“Formation? Go ahead and form it. It won’t matter anyway.”
The Hero Hunters’ faces hardened.
“It will be futile against overwhelming power.”
‘What is this?’
The atmosphere was different from just a moment ago.
‘This monster?’
GRAB-!
As he thought that, his vision went black.
***
“Wow. He’s completely different from last year.”
Kirin, the Beastkin Shadow Lord, marveled as he watched Ar slaughtering Hero Hunters in the distance.
“I never imagined he would grow this much.”
Kirin, impressed, glanced to the side.
“I feel embarrassed even for offering to help.”
Kirin muttered to himself as he watched Ar’s figure.
‘He’s like an incarnation of violence.’
A ferocious beast.
Kirin felt a chill at his formidable yet beautiful appearance.
Finally, the last Hero Hunter fell.
Ar, standing amidst the corpses, licked his fingertips with his tongue.
Then, Ar’s gaze shifted to Leo and Kirin.
With his enhanced senses, Ar felt as if someone was watching him with supernatural precision.
Ar sprinted to Leo and Kirin.
“Long time no see, Ar Tune.”
“Hello.”
Ar greeted Kirin.
He had met Kirin before when he was indebted to him at the underground casino Kirin ran, so they knew each other.
Kirin barely suppressed his admiration at Ar’s appearance up close.
Ar, in his beast form, exuded a sense of seasoned heroism.
His wild charm gave him a charisma that truly made one realize he was the Hero’s successor.
“Black Rabbit! How was it?! How was it?! Am I perfect with beast form and hyper-senses now?!”
Kirin felt deflated seeing Ar, whose previous dignity had completely vanished, now acting like a house cat.
“It was excellent.”
“Hmph! If you think I did well, then pat my head.”
Ar, with his arms crossed and looking proud, closed his eyes and nudged his face into Leo’s chest.
SCRAPE- SCRAPE-
As Ar rubbed his head against Leo’s chest, Leo began to pat his head.
Then, Ar rubbed his head and face against Leo’s hand.
PURRR- PURRR- He even made purring sounds, unmistakably like a cat.
This was a side effect of his beast form, making him more faithful to his instincts.
Ar, enjoying Leo’s touch with apparent pleasure, suddenly pushed Leo’s hand away.
“It’s too comfortable. That’s why I don’t like it anymore.”
Ar, displaying a cat’s inexplicable capriciousness, turned away abruptly.
However, he extended his tail and wrapped it around Leo’s wrist.
Watching this, Leo said,
“Don’t get too arrogant. They were just small fry.”
“Yeah. I know. But Black Rabbit, why are you here?”
“I came because I received a report that Hero Hunters had invaded.”
Saying so, Leo looked at Kirin.
Kirin smiled faintly, bowed politely, and then left.
“By the way, why are you here?”
In response to Leo’s question, Ar dispelled his beast form.
His tail was still wrapped around Leo’s wrist.
“I was undergoing special training!”
“Special training?”
Leo, tilting his head at Ar, who huffed with a puff of air, pulled Ar’s tail wrapped around his wrist.
“Why are you suddenly pulling my tail?!”
“Who told you to wrap your tail around someone’s wrist?”
“Treat it with respect! With respect!”
Ar snatched his tail back from Leo’s hand irritably.
Seeing Ar with a sullen expression, Leo asked,
“So? What kind of training were you doing?”
“Endurance training!”
“Huh?”
“Azonia-nim said the secret to his strong physique was running in the desert!”
Leo sighed softly as he looked at Ar, who clenched his fists and his eyes sparkled.
‘He must have just said something casually when I whined about wanting special training. This idiot believed it wholeheartedly.’
“Hmph! Azonia-nim was right. I can gain so much combat experience like this.”
Leo burst into laughter seeing Ar genuinely happy.
“Is he an idiot, or is he naive?”
“What?!”
“So, are you going to run more?”
“Of course!”
There was no reason to stop him if he liked it.
Ar waved goodbye to Leo and ran off, kicking up sand.
Leo smiled faintly watching him and headed towards the place where Ar and the Hero Hunters had fought.
Kirin, who had gone ahead earlier, was just finishing his investigation.
Kirin, having handed over the person who appeared to be the leader of the Hero Hunters to his subordinates, said,
“There is one survivor. It seemed to be the leader.”
It seemed Ar had spared him to gather information.
“If they came here, it’s highly likely due to the Hero Dungeon.”
“That is probable. I will report to you after the interrogation.”
“Thank you for your work.”
“Yes.”
Kirin, bowing politely, hesitated and looked at Leo.
“Why?”
“It’s nothing. I’ll be going now.”
With those words, Kirin disappeared.
Leo, left alone, glanced at the moon in the night sky and then at his shadow cast by the moonlight, murmuring to himself.
‘Did she want to ask what Shiya asked the other day?’
But Leo did not provide an answer.
No.
‘More accurately, the answer is that I don’t know either.’
Leo considered Heroes and Shadows to be no different.
‘To me, anyone who dedicates themselves to the world is a Hero.’
That’s why, in Leo’s eyes, Heroes and Shadows were not different.
‘But that is only by my standards.’
Even if unintentionally, Leo was the one who made the Shadows hide in the dark side of the world.
Therefore, Leo wanted to return the light to the Shadows.
However, there were Shadows who refused the light and wished to remain in darkness.
Leo looked up at the moon.
‘All I can do is show them that a path exists.’
The choice was theirs.
***
“Oh my, you really look like a doll up close.”
“Um… um…”
“Look at how smooth her skin is!”
“Well… that is…”
“What? Do I look like I’m going to eat you?”
Azonia giggled and poked Luke’s cheek, who was sitting beside her.
“Lu, Luke, I’m sorry.”
Leah apologized to Luke with tears welling up in her eyes.
Leah had ended up asking Luke to co-sign for a loan from Azonia.
And she lost it all.
Azonia, judging Leah to be unable to repay, had taken Luke as her errand boy.
“Um, can I… go now?”
“Heeheehee. No, you can’t.”
“He-help me!”
Azonia hugged Luke around the waist and lifted him up.
Luke screamed, but Azonia didn’t let go.
“Bear with it for a little longer! I’ll win double and free you, Luke!”
“Stop gambling now! Please!”
Luke screamed at Leah’s words.
Roonia pressed his temples, watching him.
“That fool…”
Azonia, laughing heartily at the sight, whispered into Luke’s ear.
“Luke. Could you order a bottle of wine from the bartender?”
At those words, Luke flinched and went to place the order.
Leah chased after Luke, apologizing.
“He’s from the Tingel family, isn’t he?”
“Can you tell?”
“I can tell by the scent. He smelled similar to Seirun. By the way, he’s just as bad at gambling as Seirun.”
As Azonia chuckled, Eiran’s eyes widened.
“Was Seirun-nim also bad at gambling?”
“Yeah. Terribly bad. No, elves themselves are terribly bad at gambling.”
Azonia looked at Roonia and Eiran.
“I’ve even taken all of his underwear.”
Azonia said, slamming the desk and bursting into laughter.
“Well, it’s not just Seirun’s problem, but elves in general have a bit of a gullible side.”
At that, Roonia’s expression stiffened.
“Isn’t that just because Seirun-nim was bad at it?”
“No. It’s not. Elves are indeed suckers at gambling.”
Saying so, Azonia smiled sweetly and looked at Roonia.
“If you think I’m wrong, want to make a bet with me?”
“Alright.”
“Lu, Roonia.”
As Eiran tried to dissuade Roonia, flustered, Duran and Abad entered the gambling den.
He looked around the gambling den and approached Azonia.
“Are you the loan shark who is holding Luke hostage?”
In response to Duran’s question, Azonia rested her chin on her hand and whistled.
“What handsome men! I liked the one named Luke, and the Lumen people are all my type.”
“Luke is the class representative of Lumen, so his public image is important. I want to repay his debt.”
“Yeah. I’m not taking it. I prefer playing with young boys over money.”
Azonia smiled sweetly.
“Well, if you win a bet with me, I’ll let him go.”
“A bet?”
Azonia gestured with her chin towards a table in the gambling den.
“If you beat me in a gamble, I’ll let him go.”
At that, Duran and Abad looked at each other and nodded.
“Alright.”
Azonia smiled with satisfaction at their reply.
“Excuse me. What about my duel?”
Roonia asked, and Azonia said,
“Later. I prefer playing with pretty boys.”
With those words, Azonia hummed a tune and headed towards the gambling table.
“Will the Lumen people be alright?”
“What’s there to worry about? It’s a game of probability, after all.”
Saying so, Roonia pouted her lips.
“And elves being a gullible race? That can’t be right. Azonia-nim is being too harsh.”
Eiran chuckled awkwardly at Roonia’s grumbling.
‘For some reason, I have a feeling it might be true, but she’ll get angry if I say it.’