Chapter 145

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

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145.

“God?”

Elena tilted her head in confusion.

“Are you talking about Erebus?”

“Do not so rashly take His name upon that dirty mouth of yours.”

“My mouth is clean. I brush it three times a day—morning, afternoon, and night.”

‘Here-‘ Elena smiled as she revealed her teeth.

“Ah, people like you probably wouldn’t understand concepts like etiquette. Besides, being a necromancer, someone who picks at corpses, the smell must be especially bad on you.”

Elena wrinkled her nose as if detecting a severe stench.

In response to her reaction, the necromancer Viner’s body began to tremble violently.

“This, this damnable wench…!”

There was something in Elena’s tone that mocked Viner.

More specifically, it was Elena’s attitude.

With his long life as a demon, Viner was well-acquainted with all kinds of curses and insults.

No matter how harsh the words, he wouldn’t lose his composure to this extent.

However, Elena’s gaze and demeanor were another matter entirely.

Her high-handed manner, treating him like a mere insect, was enough to make anger boil.

The truth was, Elena truly regarded Viner as an insect, one she could exterminate at any moment without a second thought.

“Pathetic humans have no right to insult me, chosen by the Demon King!”

ClangClangClangClangClangJec!

Summoning dark mana, a black magical circle appeared under Viner’s feet.

From within, a horde of bone blades erupted.

“I’ll shred you to pieces!”

ClangClangClangClangClangJec!

The dark magic attack engulfed Elena, ravaging the surrounding area.

Hardin, who observed the scene, narrowed his eyes.

‘A fairly high-ranking demon. 3rd rank. Or is this 4th rank level?’

Demons were classified into seven ranks.

4th rank demons were so dangerous they could easily decimate the vanguard knight division of most countries.

Truly, a terrifying adversary.

To be treated like a “bug” as Elena had described was far from fitting.

“Not so loud talkers now, are you? It serves you right!”

Viner pointed at a heap of bones with satisfaction, each bone sharp enough to tear human flesh apart with ease.

Survival seemed near impossible after being hit by this barrage of bone blades.

“Next is you.”

The malevolent intent now shifted to Hardin.

“How would you like to d*e?”

Grinning, Viner mocked him.

“Truly pathetic. These hero candidates have no sense of self-awareness.”

Viner shook his head.

“Do you know how many hero candidates I’ve slain? Your kind is no match for me. Surely you’ve heard of me, Viner?”

“Bone-eating Viner?”

‘Bone-eating Viner’, a notorious demon responsible for killing numerous hero candidates over the past century.

“Yes, this body is the infamous Bone-eating Viner.”

Viner licked his lips.

All hero candidates who encountered him shared a similar pattern:

‘At first, they boast as if they were already heroes, spouting nonsense. Just like the snippy one earlier.’

But that was all short-lived.

Upon hearing his name, they were either seized by fear or fled in desperation.

The moment their confident faces transformed with terror was the height of Viner’s thrill.

Hardin wouldn’t be any different.

Viner awaited this moment eagerly.

However, when his gaze met Hardin’s, he paused.

Hardin wasn’t looking at Viner.

Instead, he seemed to be completely ignoring him, focused on comforting a terrified Merin.

“Don’t worry.”

“But… the Angel, Eni…”

“Huh? Quite the composed one, aren’t you?”

Viner couldn’t help but smirk.

“Shouldn’t you be focusing on that fake right now?”

“You should be worried about me.”

“What?”

“If you were someone worth killing, I wouldn’t have let you get this far.”

Click Click…

The pile of bones began to shake.

Seeing this, Viner’s complexion changed instantly.

‘What? Still alive?’

Viner’s magic wasn’t simply sharp. Each bone blade was heavy enough to crush a grown man.

Being hit directly by that would surely mean certain d*ath.

Even if somehow survived, escaping it would be an impossibility.

And yet…

Kuaaaaang!

The bones erupted into the sky.

But instead of scattering, Elena stood there, encased in pink mana, smiling faintly.

Viner’s eyes widened in shock.

The rumors were true.

‘There’s a fierce woman with pink mana in Lumeran.’

“Elena… Zeruon.”

“Correct-o.”

With a cheerful smile, Elena raised her mana.

Viner’s face paled in terror.

Elena’s pink mana filled the air, causing the pile of bones to tremble and release black smoke.

It was none other than Viner’s dark mana being dispelled.

Elena’s mana had infiltrated the bones of his necromancy.

Necromancy had two main components:

Commanding corpses.

Using corpses to conjure magical attacks.

No matter the form, it was believed impossible for mortals to wrest control of a necromancer’s magic.

And yet…

‘Did she just seize control of my magic?’

Had it been dispelled, that would have been one thing.

But control seized?

“I guess I’ll return this, as I have no further use for it.”

With a bright smile, Elena pointed at Viner.

In an instant, the bones turned against Viner.

“Z-z-z- aaaaahhh!”

ClangClangClangClangClangJec!

Viner’s pained screams filled the air as he was struck by his own necromancy.

“Humans d*e if hit by something like this. Clearly, you roaches have a different level of vitality.”

Elena turned casually, muttering as she approached.

She then gently patted Merin’s head.

“Worried about me? Aww, how sweet of you.”

Turning to Hardin, she gave him a stern look.

“You, on the other hand, seem like you didn’t even spare a thought for me.”

“You don’t deserve my energy.”

“Mother of pearl, look who’s talking there?”

Elena frowned for a moment, then froze.

Creeak!

Cracks began spreading across Hardin’s body.

Not only Hardin but Elena’s body also developed cracks.

They both exchanged startled looks.

Crack!

Like shattered glass, the fragments of their forms dispersed.

With that, they discarded the false reality and revealed their true appearances.

“What on earth…?”

Hardin looked confused.

Elena turned to Merin, who too dissolved into light.

‘This feels akin to the time I conquered the Hero’s World.’

But it wasn’t exactly the same.

“Kehehehehe…”

A laughter sounded nearby.

Elena glanced toward Viner.

“Lowly creatures… You dared to act so arrogantly this whole time?”

“The arrogance wasn’t on our side, was it?”

“k*ll you, you insolent hussy!”

Bloodshot eyes pierced through Elena as Viner spoke.

Nonetheless, a smirk crept onto his face.

“The arrogance ends here!”

Viner’s face brimmed with excitement.

“Our Lord… the great Flame of Catastrophe awakens!”

Whoosh!

Suddenly, dark flames engulfed Viner’s body.

“Yes! The Lord’s voice I hear…”

Viner trembled, his eyes rolling back.

“Hahaha! Yes! I hear it! Hahahahahahahahah!”

As the manic laughter ensued, Elena swung her hand nonchalantly.

Clang!

Light particles descended from the sky like a guillotine, severing Viner’s neck.

“Hahahahahahahahahaha!”

But Viner’s mad laughter didn’t stop.

“Likely, this ‘God’ you refer to is Erebus, am I correct?”

Elena squinted her eyes.

“Likely.”

Hardin summoned his aura, his expression wary.

Viner’s body began to twist and bulge uncontrollably.

“So this is your true form.”

Elena clicked her tongue.

“Though perhaps not fully sane.”

“Elena. We must conquer this dungeon.”

“Yes. It’s more than merely conquering the Great Hero’s World.”

Elena summoned her magic.

“It’s evidently connected to the Great Catastrophe.”

When Leo and Lunia noticed the change, it was during their discussion about Erebus.

“Leo… is that you?”

Lunia stared wide-eyed at the original form of Leo reappearing.

Leo similarly furrowed his brows seeing Lunia returning to her true self.

‘What is this?’

He looked up at the sky.

A starry sky filled with cracks.

As if the world were being conquered, yet it was not the same.

The cracks glowed with ominous black light.

A light Leo recognized too well.

‘The Flames of Erebus.’

The eternal flames of catastrophe that once scorched the world—this color matched them precisely.

‘There’s a piece of Erebus in this world.’

Everything Pibua had said suddenly made sense.

The shadow had nothing to do with Tartarus.

‘It refers to Erebus.’

Leo’s hand tightened with realization.

‘The same Erebus, connected to a terror I’ve known since my past life.’

The formidable existence’s presence was unmistakable here.

The party members grew restless, turning their gazes toward Leo and Lunia.

“Who the hell are you two?”

“What have you done to the princess?”

A few elves raised their voices.

It was impossible for humans to infiltrate such a forbidden place.

From their viewpoint, it was clear Leo and Lunia had disguised themselves as Akinte and the Princess.

The tension between the elves grew palpable.

Under normal circumstances, this would count as a dungeon conquest failure.

However, nothing was normal at the moment.

‘The world is breaking apart.’

A memory of Kyle’s page fragment flashed through Leo’s mind.

The world fragmenting much like his own page had.

Evidence of Luna’s existence in this world was fading.

What if the pages of his friends were to erode and vanish similarly?

In this world where the Hero Record was the sole proof of their existence, what would happen if every page disappeared?

‘All that we’ve achieved.’

Leo closed his eyes.

‘Our story will fade from memory.’

Not that it mattered to him.

After all, he was already forgotten.

But what about his friends?

The great heroes who once held lofty ideals and strived to save the world?

Leo’s gaze shifted to Lunia, whose eyes were wide with surprise.

She seemed shocked at his true identity contrasting what she knew.

This moment mirrored the last one.

Lunia who had always been confidently brimming with high spirits but, like now, easily faltered under pressure.

“Hey…!”

“Kyle…”

“Don’t.”

“If one of us had to survive, you were the one who carried the weight of Aron and Dwenno. You should live.”

“Stop it! d*mn it, stop it!”

Coughing bl**d, Leo protested.

But the stubborn elf, ignoring him as always, carried on.

“This is the best way. You’d have done the same in my place.”

“No…! No way!”

A friend who, without hesitation, saved Leo, apologizing with a near-tearful face as their final breaths approached.

If all pages vanished…

He’d fade from memory just like Leo.

Leo stepped closer to Lunia.

She stepped back, her face wary.

“Who are you? Where’s Akinte?”

“Lunia.”

The world was already unraveling.

No time for formalities.

To preserve the First Page,