Chapter 482

482.

Beneath the sky painted in hues of twilight,

A knight wielding a longsword stood against another knight wielding a greatsword in a standoff.

Tamus, the knight with the greatsword, clad in dazzling armor, spoke.

“You’ve managed to come alone, Knight of Twilight.”

Tamus continued in a cold voice.

“The ignorant masses have been saying things.”

He pointed the greatsword, Nox, at Lumeran.

“That the Knight of Twilight is the heir to the Hero of Beginning, Kyle.”

Hero of Beginning, Kyle.

Two thousand years ago.

Kyle, the last Great Hero, who saved the world from the brink of destruction. Kyle overcame countless trials and surpassed endless limits.

Even in the most desperate of situations, Kyle ultimately saved the world. To this day, two thousand years later, Kyle remains a revered figure among all heroes.

The epithets given to heroes are bestowed by the gods.

Indeed, Kyle is acknowledged by the gods as the one who marked the beginning of a new era.

Thus, any hero would aspire to be known as Kyle’s heir.

“I cannot accept that.”

Tamus narrowed his eyes.

“The Hero of Beginning is the greatest and most respected hero of all. It is absurd that someone like you, with slave origins, could be his heir.”

At this, Lumeran closed his eyes.

“Furthermore, you failed to obtain the reward for conquering the Hero of Beginning’s world. Do you truly think it befits you to be called his heir?”

“I understand better than anyone that I don’t fit the role of the Hero of Beginning’s heir,” Lumeran responded calmly.

“I failed to exceed my limits.”

Staring down at his own hands, Lumeran continued.

“I couldn’t surpass them and gave up, so it’s absurd to call me Kyle-sama’s heir.”

Lumeran believed that he failed to obtain the reward for conquering Kyle’s world because he wasn’t suitable to be Kyle’s heir.

“Since childhood, I admired and respected him. I wanted to continue his legacy…”

But even as he ascended closer to Kyle, he ultimately couldn’t reach him.

That was his limit.

His companions fulfilled their roles.

Worthy successors of the Great Heroes, they inherited their respective powers.

“But I, who failed to inherit Kyle-sama’s power, couldn’t fulfill my own role. That’s why I nearly led my friends to d*ath.”

No matter how far he reached, he couldn’t touch Kyle.

From the start, they came from totally different roots.

Kyle was of the All-Class while he was merely a sword mage.

“You understand your place well.”

Tamus sneered at Lumeran.

“If I had been in your place for Kyle’s world challenge, I would have undoubtedly obtained Kyle’s power.”

“No, you couldn’t have inherited Kyle-sama’s power either.”

“What?”

“Isn’t it ludicrous for you to think that just because I’m not Kyle-sama’s heir, you are?”

“How dare some lowly slave origin spout such nonsense in front of anyone?”

“Rodia waited for you till the end, believing you would come.”

Lumeran’s eyes grew cold.

“Not just Rodia. Seirun, Azonia, even Demian – despite now walking different paths, they all believed you would come if you were truly a hero. We never doubted.”

“…”

“The whole world waited for you.”

Until the moment the Rebirth of Catastrophe ended.

Throughout history, the Knight of Twilight was acclaimed as the strongest hero, his fame surpassing even the Hero of the Cataclysm.

Many claimed he was stronger than the Hero of the Cataclysm, not only in personal might but also in power.

His influence was so great it could shake the balance of the continent, even threatening the realm of Tartarus.

Entities such as fear and shadows, who remained hidden from the world, emerged in the battlefield of Tartarus, led by the Shan Empire.

“All of us united to fight the reborn calamity. We all understood why two thousand years ago we faced near annihilation.”

The primary reason for the world’s near-destruction during the Era of Catastrophe was not merely Erebus, the calamitous being.

The world was so fractured it fell powerless in the face of Tartarus’ advance.

Even while the world was on the brink of annihilation, the conflicts never ceased.

After the end of the Era of Catastrophe and the arrival of a new era,

The world worked hard to ensure this calamity wouldn’t repeat itself.

“Conflicts and disputes arose. The conflicts between races and the endless wars between powers continued. However, we never forgot the past. Throughout the past two thousand years, whenever Tartarus made disturbances, the world united to fight the evil instead of turning weapons against each other.”

The rivalry between the Hero of the Cataclysm and the Knight of Twilight was a well-known tale.

But it was widely believed that in the face of a world’s crisis, they’d put their differences aside and unite.

The people believed without a doubt that the Knight of Twilight, celebrated as the strongest hero, would wield his sword to defeat the evil.

But what they received was a betrayal of that trust.

The people were filled with despair.

In this atmosphere of despair, the Heroes of the Cataclysm defeated the Piece of Erebus, saving the world.

The joy was short-lived.

The people turned their anger towards the Knight of Twilight and his empire, Tarim.

The fury quickly turned to mockery.

“Your sin is not just about neglecting the world’s crisis. You severed the bonds that have lasted two thousand years.”

Anger flashed across Lumeran’s face.

“You ruined one of the greatest legacies handed down by the Great Heroes, and now you dare to claim to be Kyle-sama’s heir?”

“Hmph. The thoughts of a lowly peasant indeed.”

Tamus scoffed.

“Ultimately, didn’t the Piece of Erebus get destroyed? The fact that it fell without the intervention of this supreme hero indicates it wasn’t that great a threat.”

Tamus wore an arrogant smirk.

“If you fall to my hand, people will soon realize – the greatest hero remains me.”

Gooouuuuu!

A pitch-black aura exploded from Tamus’s body.

“That what you’ve accomplished is nothing. And once that happens… Rodia, that woman, will realize her choice was wrong!”

A sudden flash.

His eyes glimmered as power radiated from his body.

“Oh, honored spirits bound to my will! Arise! Teach this arrogant man the height of my majesty!”

As Tamus’s roar echoed through the battlefield, an interdimensional space opened, and the weapons of heroes poured out.

Summoned from the relics of the weapons, the spirits of heroes emerged.

Tamus boasted of leading an army of heroes:

Heroes who fell in battles, either to Tamus’s hand or in service to him.

Through contracts formed with these heroes, Tamus commanded these spirits.

This technique, unique to the strongest practitioner of Spirit Magic in the two thousand years since the Era of Heroes, was the reason Tamus was celebrated as the greatest hero.

But the spirits did not move at Tamus’s command.

“How dare you defy my orders?!”

Tamus’s face showed confusion.

“I told you, you betrayed the world’s trust.”

Lumeran pointed his sword at Tamus.

“Do you think such a person as you, a betrayer of the world, could command the spirits of heroes?”

At Lumeran’s cold words, Tamus’s face contorted in anger.

“Absurd men, how dare you betray me!”

Huaaak!

Tamus dismissed the summoned spirits and curled the corner of his lips upward.

“It matters not. The reason I am called the greatest hero has nothing to do with Spirit Magic.”

Tamus dropped into a stance, gripping Nox firmly.

“What can someone like you, who owes your fame to my past companions, possibly accomplish alone?”

Lumeran had only begun working with Rodia five years ago.

Tamus remembered meeting Lumeran for the first time.

Back then, Lumeran had conquered the [Prologue] of the Great Hero’s world on his own.

However, that was only the beginning.

Just five short years later,

Could one who had once been too weak to even properly withstand one of Tamus’s strikes, have grown strong enough to be considered a challenge?

Kwaak!

Tamus charged at Lumeran.

Skreeech!

And suddenly, the world flipped.

“What?”

Tamus was unaware.

Unaware that it was the Knight of Twilight, Lumeran, who, without giving up even when all other Heroes of the Cataclysm had fallen, ultimately beheaded the Piece of Erebus.

That Lumeran’s power long ago surpassed Tamus.

And the swordplay he had just displayed…

“…The Hero of Beginning… Kyle?”

Tamus had never entered Kyle’s world.

But they had met elsewhere in another Hero’s realm.

Thus, Tamus instantly recognized the swordplay’s resemblance to Kyle’s.

In the flipped world, Tamus caught a glimpse of Lumeran’s back.

He saw a resemblance to Kyle.

“How dare you deceive me! You’ve inherited Kyle’s power!”

Bloodshot eyes filled with doubt and confusion swirled in Tamus’s mind.

“How could someone grow so strong in such a short period?”

Tamus came to his own conclusion.

“It’s because of that hero record reward! You’ve grown strong by borrowing someone else’s power! This is unacceptable! You’re a fake hero!”

Tamus’s mind was now clouded with anger.

“All this because of you! My spirits betraying me! Rodia leaving me! Not inheriting the Great Hero’s power! Not inheriting Kyle’s power! Everything is because of you!”

Consciousness slipping away, Tamus thought,

“If only you hadn’t been! That place should have been mine!”

*

“Crazy b*stard.”

“What… did you say?”

“Why should you be my successor? I’ve never recognized someone like you.”

“You think Lumeran is your successor too?! He’s nothing but a slave and doesn’t deserve your name!”

Tamus shouted with heightened emotion.

“I! The noble Tamus is far more worthy to be your successor…”

“I’ve never really considered Lumeran as my successor. So what? Anyone trying to save the world is continuing our legacy.”

Leo spoke indifferently.

“Speaking of which, you’re not worthy to even be considered my successor.”

“What?”

Leo’s declaration caused Tamus’s body to tremble with anger.

“Yes, I see now. You’re definitely not the Hero of Beginning, Kyle.”

“But you called me that just a moment ago!”

“How could the Hero of Beginning not recognize me?”

“Truly crazed.”

Leo laughed hollowly, realizing conversation with Tamus was futile.

Light flashed from his hooded eyes.

“I was granted the title of hero by the gods. How dare you question my hero’s qualifications?”

“Well, if you put it that way,” Leo shrugged with a sneer. “Still, you’re not a hero.”

“How dare you! A false hero born from the power of the Hero Record… judging someone like me!…”

At the moment, Tamus froze.

Then, he began trembling violently like trembling grass.

“Th-this is… absurd!”

Tamus stared in horror at the message before his eyes.

[Your hero’s qualifications have been revoked.]