Chapter 245

245

Chaeng-!

The sound of swords clashing echoed through the darkness.

Kagagak-!

The power struggle began.

Leo’s red eyes gleamed narrowly in the darkness.

Kak-! Hwaak-!

The tense balance of power crumbled in an instant.

Seeing Leo’s sword tilting toward him, Sian slid it away and pulled back.

Kwaang-!

Leo’s sword slammed against the marble floor.

Tuduuduk-

Chunks of marble flew in all directions.

From the shattered marble floor, Leo retrieved his sword and stood back up.

‘Incredible strength. To wield this much power purely through sheer force…’

“The title of the greatest hero candidate isn’t false.”

Sian’s eyes shone as he pointed his sword at Leo.

“Even more so, it seems I have good reason to defeat you.”

At this, Leo’s expression grew indifferent.

It wasn’t worth responding.

‘But his skills are genuine.’

One could learn much from the clash of their blades.

Sian wasn’t an ordinary fighter by any means.

Hwiooo-!

Wind swirled around Sian.

‘Wind aura.’

Different from Chen Sia, who wielded the aura of water.

‘The Emperor of Shan used the aura of flame.’

It was certain that these three shared the ancient cultivation method of aura passed down over countless years.

But the attributes they used were entirely different.

‘Are they descended from Bihar? Is that why…?’

Leo recalled the aura cultivation method he had taught to his own disciple.

He now understood why these three used different elemental auras, and Leo chuckled.

Looking at such a Leo, Sian asked,

“I would like to see the power of all classes.”

At Sian’s words, Leo rested his sword on his shoulder.

“Is it worth it?”

“What?”

“It’s not worth going through the trouble of using magic or summons with a foe like you.”

“Your confidence is excessive. Shouldn’t that be considered arrogance?”

“Not really.”

With a smile, Sian asked, and Leo gave a cold smirk in return.

Seeing this smirk, Sian’s eyes twitched.

‘This guy.’

Sian was a genius.

A genius in the qualities of a shadow.

A genius in the qualities of a hero.

Sian possessed everything.

From a young age, his only competitor could be called his twin, Chen Sia, who was also hailed as a genius.

But even Sia, Sian surpassed.

‘Sia is only half a genius.’

Chen Sia was only born with the talent of a shadow.

‘A destiny to live thoroughly in the darkness, pitiable.’

Sian didn’t resent his twin sister, who tried to k*ll him.

He only pitied her.

‘A meager destiny that binds her to live this way.’

But Sian was different.

‘I can’t allow myself to waste my abilities merely as a shadow.’

Born with the potential to become the greatest hero.

Sian had always been an object of praise.

Many who had taught him marveled at his talent, shedding tears.

Throughout the history of heroes and shadows, none had been praised as highly as Sian.

And it was true.

Sian had never experienced frustration in his entire life.

He easily overcame every obstacle others deemed insurmountable and effortlessly attained what others struggled to achieve.

Even after leaving Shan, Sian grew stronger.

Using Tartarus’ power, he conquered numerous hero worlds, inheriting their strength.

The thought of becoming the hero he had long desired made his body tremble.

‘I was right.’

Easily overcoming the trials of those called heroes, he was truly deserving of the title.

And on the other hand, he thought,

‘Even the trials of heroes are so effortless. Clearly I am destined to become the Great Hero. I am the chosen one.’

From the time he was born, Sian had never once doubted his own genius.

A man who naturally belonged above others.

But… but…

“The attitude irritates me.”

The gaze of Leo, as if staring down from an unreachable height, irked Sian.

He could sense it.

That the boy before him didn’t even consider him worth his attention.

Sian, who had always looked down on everything as if it were beneath him, found that gaze truly infuriating.

“That condescending attitude. What do you think I am?”

“Hmm.”

Leo stroked his chin.

After briefly pondering, Leo nodded and answered coolly.

“Something to be discarded?”

Sian’s eyes trembled.

“Right? You betrayed the world and aligned yourself with Tartarus.”

“I’m merely using Tartarus to become a hero.”

Sian confidently responded.

“I wanted to enter Lumeran honorably. But this country is wrong. To force someone with my talent to merely become a shadow? It’s absurd.”

“I agree that the ways of this country are wrong. But that’s no justification for aligning with Tartarus.”

A chill emanated from Leo’s eyes.

“Talking about using Tartarus to become a hero is utter nonsense.”

“You wouldn’t understand. But by gaining power, I’ll exterminate Tartarus.”

At this, Leo stopped in his tracks.

He then chuckled under his breath, trying to suppress his laughter.

“What’s so funny?”

“Wouldn’t you think the same in your case?”

Leo’s gaze carried a sense of scorn.

“Just like in the past, you people all repeat the same line.”

“What?”

“I’ve seen countless fools like you spouting nonsense.”

There were many talented individuals during the Era of Catastrophe.

And many of them sided with Tartarus.

Their reasons were always the same.

“Using Tartarus to destroy Tartarus.”

“To those who refuse to accept their limits, who lack the will and ability to surpass them but are trapped in self-aggrandizement, you’re not alone.”

Whoosh-

Leo lifted his sword.

“I’m tired of such nonsense.”

Leo’s lips curled into a smirk.

“And genius?”

There was a time Leo considered himself a genius.

In the days of Kyle.

Whether it was martial arts, magic, or summoning, he believed without doubt that he was a genius for easily mastering everything.

“Though the real geniuses were elsewhere.”

His friends praised as Great Heroes now.

The true geniuses who had reached the pinnacle of their respective fields.

Leo wouldn’t have been able to defeat Erebus as the Last Great Hero without the many accomplishments of these friends.

“To be honest, even that felt nearly miraculous.”

Having witnessed such friends from the side, Leo no longer called himself a genius.

In Leo’s eyes, Sian flaunting his talents in this situation was nothing but laughable.

Seeing Leo mock him, fury sparked in Sian’s eyes.

The original reason Sian wanted to defeat Leo was simple.

He wanted to prove that he was the greatest hero candidate by defeating him.

Later, he tried to k*ll Leo simply because Leo’s shadowy actions irked him.

But now, it was different.

‘This guy is rejecting my very existence.’

Hwiooo-!

Mana surged wildly around Sian’s body.

It wasn’t the wind aura he had been using.

‘Are these abilities gained from Hero Abilities?’

Leo’s eyes narrowed, sensing clearly that these were powers obtained by conquering hero worlds.

There was more.

Kss-! Hwaak-!

Ornamentation and armor imbued with mana materialized around his body.

‘Hero Weapon. Judging from this, presuming he possesses numerous Hero Skills wouldn’t be far-fetched.’

Hero candidates started fully challenging hero worlds beginning their second year.

That someone like Sian, a mere traitor, possessed rewards to this extent…

‘Is Tartarus amassing Hero Records?’

Even Hero Records couldn’t open hero worlds on their own.

‘But within Hero Records are pieces of Erebus sealed away. And they can use them.’

Things like summoning fragments of Erebus sleeping in Luna’s world into the real world or enabling the resurrection of past Legion Commanders like Zerdiaq.

Tartarus was indeed utilizing the abilities of Hero Records.

The demons may not obtain rewards from conquering hero worlds.

But the Hero Killers could…

‘Are they supporting Hero Killers to strengthen by opening Hero Records influenced by Erebus shards? The driving force behind something like this would certainly be the… Commander.’

The supreme commander of Tartarus.

The strongest and most terrible Legion Commander, Commander Hel Kaiser.

Hwaarrrk-!

Clutching a massive red scimitar that spewed great flames, Sian muttered quietly,

“I’m going.”

Seeing Sian charge, Leo smirked and called up some aura.

Hwaarrrrk-!

The flames roared fiercely.

Hwaak-! Kwaagaaang-!

The two simultaneously charged.

And instantly, a massive flame devoured their surroundings.

Kwaagaaang-!

The flames exploded continuously, flooding the entire hallway and dispelling the darkness completely.

Khadrug-!

Instantly, cracks appeared on the Hero Weapon Sian held.

Seeing this, Sian’s eyes widened in shock.

“Impossible…!”

In a panic, Sian shoved Leo away and pointed a finger at him.

Hwaak-!

A blade of wind shot out from his hand, enveloping Leo.

A Hero Skill.

Worthy of a hero, it was filled with potent force.

Hoo-ung-!

From Leo’s hand, an aura of wind swirled.

Purpurpurbberbbang-!

The attacks canceled each other out, and a fierce gust of wind swept through.

All the windows along the hallway shattered.

Caught in the windstorm, Sian was sent flying back.

Sasup-!

Landing lightly, Sian narrowed his eyes and glared at Leo.

‘Auras of wind and earth.’

He was using multiple elemental auras simultaneously.

“Through Hero Abilities, huh.”

“You’re wrong.”

Leo smirked.

Chaarrrekk-! Keiiiiic-!

From Leo’s hands, the water aura shot out, extinguishing the flames.

“Isn’t it fundamentally the same as the aura cultivation method you’ve mastered?”

The aura cultivation method currently in use was one Leo had gifted to Bihar.

‘Arhon laid the groundwork, and I refined the details.’

The aura cultivation method created by two Great Heroes was tailored for Bihar.

Bihar was born with the mana characteristic to manipulate all four major elements congenitally.

‘With generations passing, the cultivation method has likely changed.’

To specialize according to one’s innate elemental attribute.

That’s why, even though both used the same aura cultivation method, different elements manifested.

The form may have changed, but the foundation is the same.

‘I created it, but it’s tough to use it as proficiently as that kid.’

This ability is a makeshift solution to respond to all elements, but it still can’t be wielded as freely as Bihar.

Leo gripped his sword firmly.

“So.”

“…?”

“Is this the end?”

Sian’s face stiffened.

“What big abilities were you going to show off, and all you do is borrow others’?”

“Insolent…!”

Kwaang- Hwaarrrlek-!

In an instant, Leo’s sword swung toward Sian’s neck.

Managing to block it just barely, Sian’s eyes widened.

Ppaddeug- Chaeng-!

The cracked Hero Weapon finally broke.

Sian hastily ducked his head.

Hooang-!

Leo’s sword narrowly swept through where Sian’s neck had been in a terrifying fashion.

Ppaeg-!

“Guh?”

Leo’s knee connected with Sian’s face, bowed in a desperate attempt to dodge.

Watching Sian float in the air, Leo bent his knees.

Chjerik-!

As Leo leapt, the floor beneath him caved in with a dull thud.

Ssiik! Seuugeurk-!

“Guh?”

Leo’s sword cut into Sian’s side.

From there, Leo utilized the narrow hallway to bounce off in incredible speeds, hacking at Sian from all directions.

bl**d began to spray from Sian’s body, floating in mid-air.

Though resisting instinctively and dodging vital points, he was helplessly slashed by Leo’s sword.

Leo’s eyes gleamed brightly in the darkness.

Buhak-!

Sian’s right arm swung through the air.

Tulseuk-! Puheug-!

Sian barely managed to land on the ground.

“It can’t be… I… I’m meant to become a Great Hero!”

Muttering to himself in a dazed state, Sian couldn’t believe in the presence of Leo, who dominated him.

As Leo approached to strike Sian’s neck,

“It’s unfair! You only got this strength because you conquered Lady Luna’s world! That’s why you’re stronger than me!”

“I haven’t used magic in the fight against you?”

Seeing Sian deny reality, Leo sneered.

“If I inherit the power of the Great Hero! If I get the sword related to Kyle that’s kept in this country and conquer its world…! Inheriting the power of the Great Hero will make me stronger!”

While spouting nonsense, Sian’s eyes twitched.

‘Is it my sword?’

The known history of the Shan Empire is 4000 years.

And considering Bihar as their ancestor, the history of Shan stretches nearly 5000 years.

‘There’s nothing strange about there being something related to me.’

“If only I acquire the power of the Hero of Beginning, instead of these pitiful abilities of lesser heroes!”

“Did you ever consider that it’s not the abilities of the heroes that are lacking, but you?”

“You b*stard!”

Sparks flew from Sian’s eyes.

Right when Leo was about to lift his sword to end Sian’s life,

Go-oo-oo-oo-!

At that moment.

Something stirred within Sian’s shadow.

Hwaak-!

The large blade of bone breaking through the shadow made Leo’s eyes twitch.

‘This is Commander Hel Kaiser’s summoning technique.’

Tadak- Tadadak-

The skeleton breaking through the shadow made gnashing sounds with its mouth.

It then gleamed with crimson eyes and bowed deeply to Leo.

“It is an honor to meet you, Lord Leo Flove.”

The courteous voice made Leo’s eyes flicker.

The voice was familiar.

White bones began to sprout flesh.

Eventually, the large man standing at nearly 2 meters appeared in human form, with a fierce appearance but a gentle smile that contrasted it.

“It is an honor to meet you, the contemporary greatest hero candidate. I am….”

The man with white teeth introduced himself.

“I am Duke Artecan of Lamentation.”