Chapter 248

248

A fierce gust swept through the air.

Leo tilted his head to avoid the swirling torrent of aura.

Then he swung his arm.

BOOM-!

A colossal sound erupted as the clash of aura sent Sian flying back.

“Ugh!”

Sian glared at Leo with fierce eyes.

There was only one entrance to the stone chamber.

And Leo stood guarding it.

Sian had experienced the overwhelming difference in strength just moments ago.

But…

‘That guy broke through Artkan to get here.’

Sian couldn’t imagine Artkan falling.

‘He must’ve let Leo through to deal with the parent monster. But he wouldn’t have let him pass without a fight.’

Sian knew Artkan’s power.

The authority to gather dead bodies and animate them with their previous abilities intact.

‘Dirge.’

Whenever they cleared the Hero’s World, Artkan used his power to test the newly acquired strength.

Thus, Sian was well-aware of the potency of his authority.

Indeed, Leo bore numerous large and small wounds.

Fatigue was evident on his face, and his shoulders heaved as he struggled for breath.

‘Whereas I’m perfectly fine in comparison.’

Artkan had fully restored his stamina.

‘Plus, I now wield the sword used by the Hero of Beginning, Kyle.’

This sword was far from merely being strong and sharp.

As Sian gripped it, he could tell.

Weapons crafted by God’s Blacksmith Dwenno are called Divine Tools.

The reason being they contain unimaginable, immense power.

‘Even though I still don’t know how to harness this sword’s strength.’

Sian adjusted his grip on the sword.

‘If I can use it, I can fell Leo Flove.’

With this thought, Sian leveled the sword at Leo.

“It would’ve been better for you not to come here.”

Trud- Trud-

Leo advanced.

Startled, Sian took a step back.

However, he soon reddened his face and shouted defiantly.

“You should prepare yourself. It’s going to be different from before.”

“What’s going to be different?”

“I now have the sword of the Hero of Beginning, Kyle.”

Upon hearing this, Leo looked at the sword Sian was holding.

It was quite an unusual-looking sword.

The blade was so short that calling it a dagger wouldn’t be far off.

But the hilt was as long as a typical longsword.

In essence, a peculiar sword with the blade and hilt in nearly a 1:1 ratio.

Of course, it wasn’t something Leo hadn’t seen before.

“That sword isn’t the Hero of Beginning’s sword.”

“What did you say?”

Sian’s face distorted.

“That sword is called Erquent. It’s the Fair Knight, Berkiya’s sword.”

Erquent is closely related to Luna more than Kyle.

To be precise, Dwenno originally gave Erquent to Luna, who in turn handed it to her disciple, Berkiya.

And since Berkiya was also Kyle’s disciple, their association can’t be entirely denied, but it’s far from being the Hero of Beginning’s equipment.

‘Nevertheless, you’ve managed to retrieve it.’

Leo smiled faintly.

Berkiya lost Erquent during the battle of Tartmetia, the last battle she participated in before the Great Hero embarked on an Erebus extermination mission.

Feeling disheartened upon losing her master’s gift, Berkiya was told by Bihar that he would find her the sword.

‘It seems he failed to return it.’

After Erebus’ defeat, the two must’ve been very busy reconstructing the world to honor their masters’ legacy.

“Laughable! Why would my ancestor, the Fairy Knight, be in possession of the sword?”

“There must have been a reason. Anyhow, its name being Erquent is certain as we’ve learned in Lumeran’s Hero Studies.”

Last year, Professor Artian had given a lecture on the unpublicized weapons of the heroes.

This included information on Erquent.

“And you can’t properly wield the sword.”

At Leo’s words, Sian’s face twisted.

“Don’t talk down to me like you’re so accomplished!”

Enraged, Sian charged towards Leo.

A powerful aura exploded wildly from his body.

KWA-KA-JAK!

Sian began moving at an extraordinary speed.

Too swift to see, Sian aimed for Leo’s vital spots.

“You’re exhausted! There’s no way you can keep up with my movements!”

Taunting Leo, Sian accelerated further.

Leo breathed lightly and raised his sword.

SWISH-! CHOMP-!

Slicing Leo’s back, Sian grinned.

Victory in a direct confrontation was as clear as daylight.

‘This way, I’ll gradually amass little wounds.’

Sian quickly vanished into the shadows, avoiding Leo’s gaze.

The power of Shadow.

Even though Sian had once scorned the power of Shadows, it didn’t bother him now.

What mattered now was defeating the beast before him.

But Sian’s attack didn’t last long.

Right before disappearing into the dark, Leo grabbed Sian by the neck.

“How…How did you…!”

“Amateurish.”

Leo cast him a frosty glance and his crimson eyes flickered.

“Do you have nothing else to show me?”

GO-OOO-!

Zerdinger’s flames erupted.

The overwhelming flames, bulging as if to swallow even their user, turned Sian’s face deathly pale.

KWA-KA-GANG!

Leo’s flames mercilessly incinerated Sian.

“Uuuuugh…”

Sian crawled on the ground, muttering.

“It doesn’t make sense… It’s impossible… I was chosen… Born with the talent to be a Great Hero… Why…!”

As he struggled to inch towards the entrance, Leo’s foot blocked his way.

Sian’s face paled.

“S, spare me! You’re a Hero Candidate, right? I am Sia’s family! Would a Hero Candidate recklessly cut down a friend’s family?”

Hwarrr-

Leo spit out fire as if the request wasn’t worth listening to.

Seeing this, Sian frantically screamed.

“I will become a hero! You’ll be one too, right? To fight Tartarus! A single strong person could be a great help in the future!”

“Indeed, that’s true.”

“As, so then…!”

Leo’s affirmation brightened Sian’s face.

“But I don’t think you’re as remarkable as you think.”

Leo smirked.

Sian instinctively realized that this smile was akin to a d*ath sentence.

“And I don’t know if you’re worth sparing.”

KUAA-!

“AAAAAHHHHHH!”

Phoenix’s flames enveloped Sian.

After flailing and rolling about all over the room, Sian’s movements ceased, and he soon turned into ashes.

Leo picked up Erquent lying on the ground.

‘If possible, I’d like to give it to Eiran.’

Eiran was the second-year student of Seirun and Berkiya’s descendant.

It would be best if Erquent came into Eiran’s possession.

‘Bihar would probably want this too.’

Although unable to personally return it to the original owner, it’s definite that Bihar would want it to reach her descendant.

Leo surveyed the wrecked interior of the Record Room.

“What are these?”

“All… the records of Shadows.”

Upon Chen Sia’s explanation, Leo picked up one of the books lying on the floor.

When he opened it, the records of a certain Shadow’s deeds were documented.

“I see.”

Leo nodded and cautiously placed every record back onto the bookshelf with care; it seemed like a respectful tribute to heroes.

Watching Leo’s back for a moment, Chen Sia spoke.

“It wasn’t necessary for Lord Leo to soil his hands.”

“Is it worth calling it ‘soiling hands’?”

Leo spoke nonchalantly.

“Executing a traitor is only natural.”

“…”

“Let’s head back. If we keep skipping class, a mere apology won’t suffice.”

“Thank you for coming to bring me back. I’m really happy.”

Chen Sia smiled bitterly.

“But I’m a Shadow. I can never be a hero.”

“Why not?”

“Because the gods would never recognize me.”

Chen Sia showed her hands.

“I’ve done far more dirty deeds than what you think, and I’m a cruel woman.”

Chen Sia smiled faintly.

“Sian may be a traitor, but he’s my twin. Yet, I can laugh after watching his d*ath.”

Regardless of how fitting the d*ath may be,

They grew together all their lives.

Even though the flesh and bl**d he shared with her perished, Chen Sia remained unperturbed.

“Is there someone like me among hero candidates?”

“Perhaps not.”

“See? I don’t fit the mold of a hero candidate.”

Chen Sia’s smiling face looked disturbing in some ways.

“Do the gods even recognize someone like me?”

“They won’t.”

“Yes, I will never be inscribed in the Hero Record…”

“But does it matter?”

“Excuse me?”

“Is the gods’ approval that important?”

Startled by the unexpected response, Chen Sia’s eyes wavered.

“You didn’t enter Lumeran to become a hero, did you? Why did you want to become one?”

“…To help a lot of people.”

Lowering her gaze, Chen Sia answered.

“So? Even now, with the thought that you can’t become a hero, don’t you want to help people?”

Chen Sia hesitated and answered.

“A, no. In my way as a Shadow…”

“Is there really a right way to help people?”

Leo chuckled.

“If your determination remains unwavering, you still desire to become a hero.”

Chen Sia’s shoulders trembled.

“You’ll undoubtedly become a hero loved by many. Whether or not you’re written in the Hero Record isn’t important.”

Her heart stirred.

Affirming her once-denied dream felt like someone extending their hand to pull her out of the darkness, where she hesitated to move forward.

It was like the shadow was being illuminated by a dazzling light.

‘This is why… I didn’t want to meet you.’

No matter how much she had decided otherwise.

Seeing Leo affirm her once-discarded dream made her resolution crumble in the blink of an eye.

Against her will, her hand reached toward the light.

“Let’s go back to Lumeran.”

“…Yes!”

Without conscious thought, Chen Sia answered.

“Even if I can’t be inscribed in the Hero’s Record… Would you like to?”

What mattered wasn’t the Hero Record.

Realizing this freshly, Chen Sia couldn’t help but burst into a laugh.

Seeing Chen Sia’s expression, Leo smirked faintly but then faltered.

‘Divine power…?’

Surprised, he turned his head.

In the corner of the Record Room, near the bookshelf, an old leather-bound book was visible.

“Seal of Aura?”

The Seal of Aura.

A technique where one entraps their will into aura, leaving it behind so only the chosen one can open it.

‘This is Bihar’s aura.’

Leo, recognizing his disciple’s aura, summoned a gray aura of his own.

In response to Leo’s aura, the seal naturally unraveled.

And what was inside…?

“The Hero Record…?”

Looking at the page emanating divine power, Chen Sia wore a surprised expression.

At the moment of Leo’s bewilderment,

[Would you like to open your world?]

A message floated before his eyes.

Shocked, Leo’s expression changed.

It was different from any Hero Record he’d seen so far.

He’d entered Hero’s World several times, but such a message was a first.

‘Besides, it’s asking about my world?’

Bemused, Leo responded resolutely.

‘No.’

With those words, the message disappeared.

Leo looked down at the Hero Record in his hands.

The bundle of hero pages before him radiated potent divine power.

It was as though he were looking at a pristine state of the Hero Record.

Hastily approaching, Chen Sia gawked after checking the contents of the Hero Record.

“This is… the records of Shadows?”

The deeds recorded in the Hero Record.

Although the names were erased, it was full of contents detailing the execution of traitors.

Though there was a fleeting thought that it might be fake, to a Lumeran student, this Hero Record appeared genuine.

“Exactly…”

Watching Chen Sia’s stunned reaction, Leo tightened his grip on the book.

‘These are my… records.’

The contents of the pages were all the deeds Leo had accomplished in the era of Kyle.

‘So that’s how it is…’

Looking at the Hero Record, Leo comprehended the situation.

‘Was it that Bihar took all my records of operating as a Shadow?’

The Great Hero who executed betrayers was none other than Kyle.

Among those records, naturally, were entries that caused one to furrow their brows.

To some, it was work that had to be done.

Still, there was no guarantee that everyone would understand that.

If the records had been left intact and passed down to future generations, he would have been remembered as a Great Hero who engaged in filthy deeds compared to other comrades.

Bihar didn’t want his master to be recorded that way.

‘So, he hid it.’

Leo gave a wry smile.

‘He should have left it.’

If that had been the case, perhaps the Shadows wouldn’t have been denied recognition.

If word had spread that even a Great Hero operated in the dark for the sake of the world,

If the achievements of Shadows had been acknowledged by the gods,

Perhaps the current treatment of Shadows would have been different.

‘Perhaps Bihar would not have faded into the background of history.’

Just as Leo sighed deeply,

Pa-ra-ra-k!

Suddenly, the pages began to turn on their own.

And at the end, a blank page was created.

‘What is this…?’

[Would you like to record the deeds of a hero?]

Looking at the floating message, Leo narrowed his eyes.

Chen Sia, witnessing this unfamiliar situation, looked perplexed at the blank page.

‘Record.’

At the moment Leo thought this,

Bihar

Bihar’s name appeared at the top of the page, and her deeds began to be recorded one after another.

Whoom!

The Hero Record glowed and floated in the air.

Thud-thud-thud!

The Shadow Records, which had been tucked away in the record repository, started to shake and were suddenly all pulled out.

The Shadow Records swirled around the Hero Record.

Whooom! Pa-ra-ra-rak!

A beam of pure white light shot out from the Hero Record.

All Shadow Records were instantaneously absorbed into the Hero Record.

Paat!

The space filled with a powerful light which then vanished all at once.

The Shadow Records that had been neatly tucked in the repository disappeared completely.

“What… What has happened?”

As Chen Sia was astonished,

A large book dropped from the air.

Dud!

A black-covered book fell into Leo’s hands.

Seeing the cover, Chen Sia was utterly astounded.

As Leo brushed across it,

‘So that’s how it is.’

Leo gave an ironic laugh.

Pibua’s words came to mind.

The Hero Record belongs to Kyle.

Which means…

‘Is it telling me I have the authority to record too?’

[Hero Record – Book of Shadows]

It was the moment when the lifelong accomplishments of those who operated in the shadows were finally recognized.