Chapter 126

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on April 8, 2025

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126.

The first-year students made their way to the Academy using their respective methods.

Knights Department students used Aura Step.

Magic Department students used Fly Magic or Wing Magic.

Summoning Department students used flying familiars and spirits.

Whereas at the beginning of the semester many students would have struggled to cross this vast Lumeria Lake, now not a single first-year at Lumeran couldn’t make it across.

‘This just shows how much everyone has grown.’

Leo thought as he flew through the sky using Fly magic.

Occasionally, he caught glimpses of students being attacked by aquatic monsters from the lake, but they all dealt with it without difficulty.

“With skills like this, I’d say we’ve got a decent shot against a Kraken.”

“Don’t joke about something like that.”

Leo smirked as he overheard his classmates bantering.

‘Still, I wonder why they’re having us head to Lumeran Academy?’

It was clear they were testing the students’ abilities, but the challenge seemed too easy to be the real test.

Leo, aware of the true nature of Riven’s identity as a dragon, expected that something far more difficult awaited them.

‘Absolutely, this isn’t going to end here.’

Just as Leo was having this certainty, a thick fog enveloped his view.

Because the Lumeria Lake often had fog, most of the students paid it no mind.

But the moment Leo stepped into the fog, his face stiffened.

‘This is…’

Leo’s eyes widened in realization.

‘Incantation Magic?’

Hwaok-!

The moment he recognized the dragon incantation magic, his surroundings began to shift.

‘This is a bit extreme, isn’t it?’

It was a magic Leo was familiar with—an ancient creation by the King of Wisdom, Lissinas.

‘More precisely, a curse.’

A dragon curse crafted by Lissinas in order to counteract one of Tartarus’s devastating powers: the power of curses.

‘Nightmare.’

Hwaok-!

The scenery completely transformed.

Leo took a deep breath as he viewed the new scene.

He was well aware of the curse’s characteristics.

‘This curse forces you to battle the person you’d least like to fight from among those you know.’

With that thought, Leo turned his head.

And upon seeing the woman before him, he muttered, “As expected.”

In front of him stood the beautiful figure of Lissinas.

Inside the Lumeran Academy, professors overseeing the first-years watched the unfolding events on magical screens, their faces grim.

On the screens, students heading toward Lumeran were losing consciousness, collapsing onto the ground.

“Ah…!”

“Dear, this is terrible…”

Sighs of disappointment filled the room as professors witnessed their students losing control amidst the chaos.

Students who lost consciousness while falling into the water were swallowed by their own shadows.

Those swallowed shadows were quickly transferred to the ward.

Riven, the headmaster renowned for his powerful illusion magic, was known to the professors for the overwhelming power of his spells.

When Riven first announced his plans to test the first-years, the professors had strongly opposed the decision.

“That’s ridiculous!”

“Perhaps it’s fine for the upperclassmen, but impossible for first-years!”

The intensity of Riven’s magic was legendary among professors, and none of them wanted their students’ spirits crushed by an impossibly hard test.

“However, this isn’t about grading them. It’s just a simple evaluation of their potential by Riven.”

Convinced by Kalyan’s words, the first-year professors had reluctantly left the students in Riven’s hands on the first day of the semester.

And now, this was the result.

Seeing students collapse one by one, the professors could only sigh deeply.

Even Sedgen, who usually cheered for his students, stood arms crossed and expressionless, his eyes fixed on the screen.

Several members of Class 1 could be seen on the screen.

“They lack elegance.”

Sedgen muttered with a frown, turning to Halind.

“What do you think?”

“Riven, as a teacher, must have his reasons. He’s been with Lumeran far longer than we have.”

Halind and Sedgen were among the few who knew Riven’s true identity, as well as his purpose at Lumeran.

“But I’m still not fond of it,” Sedgen admitted.

If a dragon like Riven chose to actively teach the first-years, it could have been the best opportunity for their growth. However, Riven showed no enthusiasm for such a role.

The ultimate goal of Lumeran was to cultivate hero candidates capable of overcoming any trial, not to throw them into insurmountable challenges.

Essentially, this test had been prepared by Riven to refuse his responsibilities as a teacher outright.

The professors of Lumeran gave their best to their students, firmly believing the students would grow into talents that would revolutionize the world.

Sedgen was especially adamant about this philosophy, and Riven’s dismissive approach to student potential greatly upset him.

Even Halind, who valued efficiency, felt the same way.

“It’s a matter of perspective; perhaps Riven sees something bigger than we do.”

Halind spoke as Sedgen let out a heavy sigh.

“Kyle.”

The figure in front of Leo, Lissinas, smiled as she moved aside from blocking his path.

Pointing to the way she had been blocking with her finger, she said,

“Go on.”

“I knew you’d say that.”

Leo smirked.

There was absolutely no way Leo would fight against Lissinas. Their meeting marked the first step to saving the world, and they held an impenetrable faith in each other.

Leo knew better than anyone that this fabricated rival, built upon their unwavering trust, would never harm him.

And thus, this situation arose.

The same was true for his other classmates.

‘Well, fighting wouldn’t matter anyway.’

Leo glanced at his hands.

They were no longer the hands of a young boy but those of an experienced adult, battle-scarred from countless battlefields.

His vision too had shifted.

Nightmare was a curse that created illusions, fundamentally non-existent fabrications.

If Leo subconsciously believed Lissinas to be the person he least wanted to fight, then the illusion must also see Leo as someone else—”Kyle.”

Fidgeting with his grey hair, Leo walked past Lissinas.

Looking up at the ‘Kyle’ figure, Lissinas smiled warmly,

“Do your best.”

With those words, Lissinas vanished.

The scenery shifted again, leaving only darkness in the space.

“Do my best… huh…”

Leo chuckled as he drew his sword, now visibly his normal self again.

“Guess I have to push through.”

Whooosh-!

A fiery aura exploded around him.

A glint shone in Leo’s eyes.

Unlike magic constructed using runes, Incantation Magic used the dragon language, a tongue nearly indecipherable to those of other races.

However, Leo, carrying on the legacy of Lissinas, understood the intricate magical formula effortlessly.

‘Though with my current state, using it would be impossible.’

Though deciphering it was no trouble.

Moreover, since this was a magic created by Lissinas, Leo was all the more equipped to handle it.

Kwa-!

Pointing his sword at the condensed magical formula, Leo surged forward.

Crackkk-!

The space cracked, and the darkness shattered, dissipating into pieces.

Flash-!

The Fly Magic was dispelled, and Leo’s eyes snapped open as he plummeted toward the lake.

Using Aura Step, he gracefully avoided sinking beneath the water’s surface, narrowing his gaze as he studied the surrounding students being swallowed by shadows.

‘Seems they didn’t intend to harm us.’

The curse being a creation of a dragon made it far beyond the capacity of first-year students to counteract.

Gru-!

Leo tightened his legs.

Kwang-!

A surge of Aura exploded from his legs, propelling him at breathtaking speed toward Lumeran.

At the designated landing dock where the first-years were supposed to arrive, Riven stood, muttering to himself.

“Perhaps the Nightmare curse was too harsh?”

Riven, who had been watching the Lumeria Lake with a lack of interest, turned around with a shake of his head.

Pabababababat-!

Suddenly, the sound of someone stepping on water echoed through the air.

Turning his head, Riven’s eyes grew wide as someone landed before him.

Seeing Leo looking up at him, a slightly cocky tone in his voice, Riven’s expression shifted into one of disbelief.

“You’ve made it here… How did you break the spell?”

“Just broke it.”

“Hmph.”

Riven let out a hollow laugh upon hearing Leo’s response.

Leo, seizing the moment, questioned Riven,

“Do teachers usually give tests that are deemed impossible?”

At Leo’s pointed statement, Riven sighed deeply and slumped onto a nearby chair on the dock.

“I’ve been the headmaster of Lumeran for a long time, during which I’ve seen countless students become heroes.”

Riven chuckled bitterly.

“But not a single one of them dreamed of surpassing that status.”

The last dragon’s chosen one was no one other than Swordstar Kalyan, whose greatness as the ultimate hero stemmed from this fact.

“I lost motivation after seeing the world remain stagnant for too long. I didn’t want to assess your capabilities.”

Riven lowered his head deeply.

“Therefore, I apologize.”

Dragons, being known as the mightiest of all races, did not bow easily.

Understanding this, Leo accepted Riven’s sincere apology.

“So, what is your dream?”

Riven was genuinely curious about the aspirations of this student who had achieved the impossible.

It had been a long time since anything had intrigued him.

In response, Leo responded nonchalantly,

“The complete annihilation of Erebus.”

Riven’s eyes widened in shock.

It was an unimaginable answer.

Mentioning Erebus’ name was already a daunting task; declaring the intention to destroy Erebus himself was beyond audacious. Yet here was a first-year making such a bold claim.

If it had been anyone else, Riven might have scoffed and dismissed it as folly. But he didn’t.

Instead, he felt his heart pounding with excitement.

“Perhaps you’ve grown disheartened due to the stagnation of the world over a long time,” Leo said, making direct eye contact with Riven.

“But didn’t the King of Wisdom save the world precisely because he never gave up?”

Riven’s eyes widened again at Leo’s words.

“Even after failing thousands of times, even after being disappointed thousands of times, it was never a reason to give up.”

Leo continued, recalling the ever-foremost leader who had led the eradication teams.

“Being the successor to the legacy of such a wise king, isn’t it fitting to never give up, no matter what?”

“You… do you know… my true identity?”

Riven instinctively realized that Leo had seen through him.

“Please take care of us in the future, Dean,” Leo said politely, leaving the docks and heading toward Lumeran’s main gate.

Looking at his retreating back, Riven gazed up at the sky.