Book 1 Chapter 940

940.

"He's a little late. I hope nothing's happened?"

Kal felt impatient as Ferena didn't arrive at their appointed time.

"Should I have moved with him?"

Even though the security was good, this was an era of catastrophe.

This was an era where the common sense of Kal and Ferena's time no longer applied.

Though worried, Kal tried his best to shake off his anxiety.

"He's a smart kid, he'll be fine."

If he had been caught up in something big, there would have been an uproar within Gardsron.

Having experienced the world conquest of Dweno last time, Kal knew well how much Gardsron worked to maintain security.

Even if the situation was still chaotic shortly after the invasion, it wouldn't be a system so lax that it would create such a security gap.

"Seeing how quiet it is, it seems like there's no problem for now…"

Assuming he was just a little late, Kal looked up at the sky.

A gloomy, ashen sky met his eyes.

"Can I get out of this world?"

Kal's hands trembled slightly.

The target was unknown, but it was a mission to save someone.

"There are great heroes in Gardsron now."

As it was Arion's world, he could borrow their strength.

"But this world, which was a trial even for the great heroes… can I conquer it alone?"

There had been countless trials until now, and he had overcome them.

That was also the reason the gods bestowed upon him the title of hero.

In fact, Kal made a significant contribution to achieving those great feats.

It was said to be impossible without Kal.

"But objectively, I was always just support."

While it was true that Kal possessed great abilities, he had his limits when alone.

"First, I need to make contact with the great heroes."

As Kal lowered his head, calming his trembling body.

"……?"

Kal stopped as he spotted an elf girl crouching in front of him, staring up at him.

The elf girl didn't know who Kal was, but Kal knew her well.

"Lady Berckia?"

As Kal showed a surprised expression.

"Why are you shaking so much? Are you catching a cold?"

"No. Well…"

"Are you crying?"

"No, I'm not crying…"

"What are you doing, shaking and crying all of a sudden?"

"I wasn't shaking and crying, I was just waiting for a friend…"

"Is your friend a woman?"

"Yes…?"

"You've been hurt, haven't you."

"No."

He couldn't follow the flow of the conversation.

Kal knew that Berckia was very eccentric from his experience during the Dweno world last time.

Of course, Leo had been there to control her then, but Kal was alone now.

Therefore, he couldn't do anything about Berckia, who was continuing the conversation in an unknown direction.

"Teacher! This guy's getting dumped by a girl and crying in the street!"

Berckia, who had suddenly stood up, shouted.

Of course, Kal didn't panic and just smiled sadly.

He had endured so many strange people while traveling in Lumern that he wasn't that easily surprised.

"If her teacher is Lady Berckia's teacher… it must be Luna, or Arion, or Leo."

Kal thought it was for the best.

If he could establish contact like this, he would be one step closer to conquering the hero's dungeon.

Someone ran towards them at Berckia's words.

"Hmm? Crying because you were dumped by a girl?"

At that moment, Luna approached Kal.

Seeing Luna, Kal's expression tensed.

It had been a long time since Kal had seen Luna.

Of course, Luna probably wouldn't remember Kal.

"Hmm?"

Luna, who had been staring intently at Kal, glanced down.

"Berckia."

"Yes."

"Catch him."

*Pop-!*

At Luna's words, Berckia quickly bound Kal with a rope she pulled from somewhere.

"Huh?"

Suddenly tied with a rope, Kal let out a dazed sound.

Looking at Kal, Luna reached for his waist and picked up a potion bottle.

"This is a potion made by Dweno. He doesn't give it to just anyone. Where did you get this?"

Luna, a great mage, easily identified the potion Kal possessed.

Kal realized he had made a mistake.

"I made it."

Kal decided to tell the truth.

At those words, Luna gazed intently into Kal's eyes.

After looking at Kal for a moment, Luna tilted her head.

"It doesn't seem like you're lying… That's suspicious."

Luna, with half-closed eyes, used telekinesis to lift Kal into the air.

"Perhaps we should take him to Dweno first? That perverted old man might know something."

"Lady Luna. I have companions."

"Do I have to care about that? You're a thief who might have robbed Dweno's warehouse."

Luna smiled slyly.

Her smile resembled Luna's kind smile he had seen in reality before, but her eyes were cold.

Kal flinched at her gaze.

"If I resist or try to persuade her carelessly, I'll be in big trouble."

"Berckia."

"Yes, Teacher."

"Stay here and if you see anyone who looks like this child's companion, capture them."

"Understood."

Berckia nodded.

"It's going wrong from the start."

As Kal felt a sense of helplessness, Luna used teleportation magic to move to Dweno's workshop.

***

"Shadows."

Ferena swallowed dryly as she looked at the girl who was binding and dragging her.

No one knew when the Shadows began to be called Shadows.

But what recently became known was that the first Shadow was Kyle, the hero of the beginning.

"And it was said that Bihar, the ancestor of Shan, who inherited Kyle's will, became the origin of the Shadows."

Bihar.

The first Shadow King and the ancestor of the Shadow Kingdom, Shan.

"This person… is Bihar."

Ferena easily recognized that the girl who had subdued her was Bihar.

"What should I do now?"

There were no Shadows in this era.

Therefore, Bihar regarded Ferena, who was accustomed to darkness, as a traitor.

Shadows were originally those who ventured into darkness to hunt those who hunted heroes in the dark.

So, to an outsider, there was no significant difference.

"Escaping from Bihar is almost impossible."

Even if she escaped, she would undoubtedly be caught if pursued.

If that happened, she might be executed on the spot rather than just bound.

"Senior Kal will be worried."

Blaming herself for her carelessness in rashly using her Shadow abilities, Bihar's expression became anxious.

At that moment.

*Flash-!*

Bihar took out a leather pouch from her bosom and immediately placed it on Ferena's head.

Ferena didn't resist.

A moment later.

Ferena realized she had been seated somewhere.

Soon, Bihar removed the leather pouch that had been placed on Ferena's head.

"Ah…"

A frightened voice escaped Ferena's lips.

What unfolded before her eyes was a torture chamber.

All sorts of torture instruments were visible.

Ferena's body trembled.

"Wait."

Bihar left the room, leaving behind a cold remark.

*Creak- Bang!*

The sound of the door closing echoed heavily in her ears.

"What should I do? Am I going to be tortured like this?"

Ferena's face turned pale.

Even as a Shadow candidate, she was a direct descendant of the Hergin family.

Though she walked the path of the Shadows according to her family's tradition, she had still been raised gently since childhood.

As she was still a candidate, she hadn't engaged in bloody work yet.

That's why the current situation was frightening.

The torture of the Shadows was horrific.

Thinking that she would become the target, her body trembled.

A moment later.

*Creak- Bang-!*

The sound of a door opening and closing from behind was heard.

*Tap- Tap-*

Someone was walking from behind.

With the dim magic lights, his appearance could soon be seen.

"The hero of the beginning… Kyle!"

The man standing before her had grey hair.

If the situation were different, Ferena would have felt immense joy.

To meet one of the great heroes who saved the world in person.

Especially the hero of the beginning, called the first Shadow.

But this was not a situation where she could be happy.

She was suspected of being a traitor, and that's why she had been dragged to the torture chamber.

Looking at Kyle, who gazed down at her with blank eyes, Ferena trembled in fear.

After looking at Ferena for a moment, Leo spoke.

"Bihar."

"Yes, Teacher."

"Take this little one to Lisinas."

"What?"

Bihar, who had shown a cold demeanor in front of Ferena, showed a slightly surprised expression at Kyle's words.

"She's not a traitor."

"Ah."

"Of course, she's suspicious."

Kyle also immediately recognized that Ferena was preparing to live in the darkness.

"Lisinas will be able to figure out this child's identity more easily than I can."

"Yes."

Bihar, nodding, left the torture chamber with Ferena.

Until then, Ferena stared blankly at Kyle's face.

Emerging from the room, Ferena was led by Bihars.

"For now… it seems I've avoided the worst situation."

Ferena let out a sigh of relief.

Then, her eyes met Bihars, who was staring intently at her, and she trembled and averted her gaze.

Watching Ferena, who was fidgeting nervously, Bihar muttered to herself.

"This child… she resembles me in some way."

***

*Creak- Clang.*

"Go in."

Azonya entered the prison with an annoyed expression.

The beastmen warriors who had confined Azonya to the prison sat silently in a corner of the cell, scanning Azonya from head to toe.

"I've been thinking since a while ago… that woman. She's pretty and has a good figure, isn't she?"

"Oh? We should investigate her later, shouldn't we?"

Ignoring them, who giggled with vulgar laughter, Azonya fell into thought.

"How did the destruction of Leisar proceed?"

Azonya recalled the Hero Records of the great heroes.

"It rotted from within Leisar… and it seems Erebus was summoned."

The era of catastrophe was an era when Erebus was destroying the world.

However, Erebus, who had defeated all the gods, had to be imprisoned at the eastern end of the world.

This was due to the last curse the gods laid down as they were driven from the earth by Erebus.

Because of this, Erebus could not roam freely in the world.

So, the legion commanders burned the land and created summoning circles on the completely blackened land to summon Erebus.

"But it was recorded that the summoning was impossible in Leisar at the time."

Leisar at the time was struggling but clearly holding off Tartarus, so the land was not yet defiled enough to summon Erebus.

Nevertheless, Erebus was summoned to Leisar at that time.

"The record of Leisar's destruction is unusually lacking in detail."

Azonya scratched her head vigorously.

"Whatever the case, Arion went to Leisar before the great heroes, right?"

Recalling the records, Azonya chuckled.

"That coward actually thought of running off alone. I guess it's his hometown."

With a look of surprise, Azonya sat on a haystack in a corner of the prison.

"Hieek?!"

"Kyaaaak?!"

At the presence of a person felt from within the haystack, Azonya couldn't help but let out a scream.

Azonya, who had sharp senses as a great warrior, could not help but be surprised by the presence of the person in the haystack who had not been detected by her senses.

And the other party seemed equally surprised, as they emerged from the haystack and clung to the corner of the prison.

Azonya's jaw dropped as she looked at the face of the beastman youth huddled fearfully in the corner.

He was a person she knew very well.

"Ar… on?"

"Huh? Do you know me?"

Arion, who had been terrified, widened his eyes.

Then he smiled brightly and approached Azonya.

And he firmly grabbed Azonya's hand.

"Ah! Did Lisinas send me here to be rescued?"