Chapter 49

【49】48

“…….

Chloe tightly gripped the black magic book.

“I wanted to win so badly. But I couldn’t think of any way to do so. So… so… I borrowed someone else’s power instead of my own.”

The Unique Magic Chloe originally prepared was a freezing field magic.

However, she thought she couldn’t beat Leo with that magic in the test, so she prepared the unquenchable flame.

That wasn’t a spell formula Chloe had created herself.

‘I just implemented the spell formula written in this magic book.’

Even Chloe didn’t understand how the magic activation principle worked.

She merely glossed over it as her own special uniqueness because it was Unique Magic.

Her unusually sharp reactions when someone asked her about the magic were also due to this reason.

It was announced during the test day, and as expected, the unquenchable flame defeated Leo.

At that moment, she was incredibly happy. She finally thought she had caught up. But…

‘There’s no way I can say I’ve caught up with this!’

Clenching her teeth, Chloe let out a bitter laugh.

‘What good would it do to complain to this person?’

Chloe, who is still talked about thirty years later as a genius girl.

‘She’s a different person from me. Leo must be special like that.’

There’s no way someone like this could understand her true feelings.

It’s fortunate if they don’t mock her.

Alia, who had quietly observed Chloe, smiled.

“Lady Chloe really does resemble me.”

“Huh?”

“In fact, there’s something I should say. I used to be incredibly jealous of my brother.”

Alia grinned.

“I thought it was really annoying how he could accomplish anything no matter how stupid he looked. This is a secret, but the basic framework of my Unique Magic was actually created by him. I’m good at using existing magic, but I’m really bad at creating something new. Actually, I failed the Lumeran entrance exam twice too.”

Alia pulled her knees to her chest.

Chloe stared at her blankly.

It was hard to believe that this was the legendary tragic genius in magic.

“There was a time when I truly hated my brother. But one day, I thought: If he’s someone I envy enough to hate, isn’t that a sign that he’s worth admiring?”

At those words, Chloe looked down at the black magic book.

‘An object of admiration…?’

*

Leo, who was resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.

And he rose abruptly from his seat.

“Leo-nim, what’s the matter?”

To Belick’s question, Leo looked toward one side of the forest.

“Everyone, prepare for battle!”

Something had caught Leo’s extrasensory perception.

At that moment, the enemy also seemed to have noticed their presence.

“Leo, what’s the matter?”

“Him.”

Chloe inhaled sharply.

“No way…?”

“That’s right.”

Leo drew his sword.

Boom! Boom!

Earth-shattering sounds echoed out.

Soon after, a monstrous figure emerged from the bushes.

A height that must’ve been around 3 meters.

Pitch-black skin.

It looked just like the picture.

“Chubarn…!”

Chloe gritted her teeth.

Chubarn glanced at Leo with crimson eyes.

His mouth stretched open wide.

“I’ve found you. A sprout of heroism with the same detestable qualities as the Great Hero!”

Leo’s eyes twitched at his words.

The demons prioritize orders from higher ranks.

And during the Chedmurder’s Incident, the order Chubarn received was to eliminate the sprout of heroism.

That’s why Chubarn hadn’t shown much interest in the adventurers.

‘Yet, right now, this guy is clearly showing hostility towards me.’

Moreover, despite the most significant target, Alia, standing right before him, his reaction was strange.

‘Additionally, this guy is definitely calling me a sprout worthy of a Great Hero…’

“Kroooaaaaaarrrr!”

Chubarn roared and charged at Leo.

Flash! Boom!

Chubarn’s monstrous axe swung down into the ground.

But Leo had already stepped out of the range of Chubarn’s attack.

Whoosh!

Leo’s sword was coated with flaming aura.

Creak!

Leo’s sword slashed Chubarn’s neck.

But it didn’t cause any injury.

Leo’s eyes twitched.

Sssshh!

Seeing Leo’s face, Chubarn grinned hideously.

“Foolish boy!”

Chubarn attempted to reach out and grab Leo.

But Leo smirked.

“That’s your mistake, idiot.”

“Wha…?”

Kraaang!

Chloe’s powerful wind spell struck Chubarn.

Caught in the intense cold wind, Chubarn’s movements slowed down.

Taking advantage of this, Leo spun around and evaded Chubarn’s hand.

Whoosh! BOOOM!

The flames of aura grew even more ferocious.

KRAAAACK! Poof!

“It’s a cut!”

“Great job!”

The party cheered.

By using the rotational force, Leo’s sword’s power increased, and it managed to cut Chubarn’s neck.

However, Leo’s face wasn’t filled with relief.

‘I didn’t sever the bone.’

Demons are different from regular living creatures.

They are a deformed race created by Erebus.

This damage was far from fatal.

Leo immediately kicked Chubarn’s head and used the recoil to create some distance.

‘Still, the attack did hit him somewhat.’

While deeply breathing and looking at Chubarn, Leo’s eyes widened.

The bl**d gushing from Chubarn’s wound suddenly stopped.

Not only that, but the spilled bl**d began to be sucked back into the wound.

Plip… plop…

“Hmph, not a bad attack.”

Chubarn wiggled his neck from side to side while smirking.

Seeing this, Tehyad gasped.

“Unbelievable! What kind of recovery power is that…?”

“That’s not a recovery ability.”

“Huh? Then what is it?”

“It’s a curse.”

Curses are one of the special abilities possessed by demons.

A curse used by lower-ranked demons usually only weakens the opponent’s strength, but a higher-ranked curse can even twist the rules of reality.

“It’s called [Void]. It’s an annoying curse that makes attacks null and void.”

Leo rested his sword on his shoulder.

“Hmm? You know it well.”

“Isn’t it excessive for a level-three demon to use such a powerful curse?”

“Hmph, you’re indeed quite impudent. But you’re right. This curse is thanks to Lady Demon Queen Silatuna.”

At the name “Demon Queen Silatuna,” the first-year students trembled in fear.

Demon Queen Silatuna.

A legion commander of Tartarus who survived from the Era of Catastrophe and a confidant of Erebus.

“It’s rare to encounter such an unlucky name.”

Leo said irritably.

“If attacks become null and void… how can we possibly win?”

Alia asked, terrified.

“Void curses aren’t omnipotent. Additionally, this guy isn’t the one who used the curse. If we attack multiple times, the curse will wear off.”

“Hmph—Do you think you’ll survive until the curse disappears?”

At those words, Chubarn’s subordinates emerged, thrusting through the bushes.

“Don’t even dream of surviving and leaving with your bones intact. You, a remnant of the Great Hero, will d*e here.”

“A remnant of the Great Hero?”

Leo smirked.

“Are you calling me that because I’m a perfect class like Kyle?”

“Shut up! Don’t utter that detested name!”

Seeing Chubarn’s violent reaction, Leo now understood how Alia’s party managed to escape from Chubarn.

‘The demons had set up a surveillance network all over the forest. Chloe and I probably thought we weren’t attack targets, so we didn’t pay attention.’

Leo sighed.

‘This guy realized I’m of the perfect class through that surveillance network. That’s why he kept chasing me.’

Using his extrasensory perception, Leo had been unintentionally playing hide-and-seek with Chubarn.

The great demons who’ve survived since the Era of Catastrophe, like Silatuna, are still around.

If that’s the case, the demons must remember Kyle.

Of course, Kyle, who defeated the creator of Tartarus, would be the greatest enemy to the demons.

‘While people have forgotten about me, the demons still remember. Ironical, isn’t it.’

After fully understanding the situation, Leo grasped his sword tightly and said.

“Prepare.”

“Do you actually think that a bunch of brats like you can defeat me?”

“Of course.”

“Hmph—a great confidence. But are all your companions as good as you?”

Chubarn pointed behind him with his finger.

When they turned around, their group was trembling in fear.

“That’s only you showing off bravery. Your companions are at their mental and physical limits.”

It wasn’t wrong.

They were all exhausted from the continuous battles.

“Kkuk.”

But at Chubarn’s words, Leo burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny? Have you lost your mind?”

“Not really. Just thought you know too little about Lumeran.”

“What?”

“Lumeran is the school for those who dream of becoming heroes.”

The gaze of the hero candidates landed on Leo’s back.

Thud.. Thud..

Leo took a step forward.

The shaking of the hero candidates began to subside.

Gradually, determination returned to their eyes, and aura, magic power, and spirit power surged.

In the historical version, they died.

But none of them gave up and let themselves be slaughtered by Chubarn.

‘The fact that Chubarn had the [Void] curse is not mentioned anywhere in the story. Meaning, in the first battle, Chubarn must have depleted all his [Void] curses.’

Even though they died, there wasn’t one among them who had given up, serving as evidence.

Just like the Great Heroes who died in the past against Erebus.

“Therefore, I always remember this.”

A teaching cherished by all Lumeran students.

The most fundamental condition to becoming a hero.

“To transcend your limits, in other words.”

With a powerful stomp, Leo rushed forward, and Tehyad and Belak lifted their spear and sword, charging alongside him.

“Fools! Let me obliterate you first as my wish!”

Chubarn roared and swung his axe.

Chunks of earth turned into black spikes and rained down toward Leo.

‘If only I could summon Fiore, this would be a little easier.’

Perhaps in a regular Hero’s World this wouldn’t be an issue.

But in the Hero Dungeon, which disconnects entirely due to rampant energy, Familiar Summoners can’t summon their familiars.

While Spirit Magic is akin to a treaty where all spirits lend their strength, Familiar Summoning is a one-to-one contract between the summoner and the familiar.

Thus, Familiar Summoners must summon their familiars beforehand and bring them into the Hero Dungeon.

‘It’s hard to hurt Chubarn with Spirit Magic. So then…’

Whoosh!

Leo’s figure multiplied.

“What!?”

Chubarn was shocked.

Illusion Magic, Mirage.

The black spikes pierced through Leo’s illusions in vain.

Amidst this, Leo’s additional attack began.

He shaped his right hand into a g*n, where light particles gathered at the tip.

Ke-eeeng!

“Ak Ray!”

Crack! Flash!

Small orbs of light shot out like bullets.

The most basic attack magic of the Magic of the Stars.

The swordsman Daniel, who saw this, gasped in astonishment.

“That person was a Blade Mage? Moreover, both Mirage and Ak Ray are from the Magic of the Stars!”

Tsk!

“Kk?”

Chubarn, who was hit directly by [Ak Ray], widened his eyes.

The Magic of the Stars was created by Luna to exterminate demons.

Thus, it’s basically a deadly magic against demons.

“Can a human use this detestable magic?”

“Sorry, but there are more Magic of the Stars users than just me.”

“Ak Ray.”

Alia also unleashed her spell.

This time, several orbs of light were hurled toward Chubarn.

Bzzzuzzz!

“Nngh!”

As light orbs pierced his body, Chubarn shouted.

Goooouuuuu!

The [Void] curse activated, erasing all the wounds from Chubarn’s body.

“Tsk.”

Leo clicked his tongue when Chloe shouted.

“Leo! Just endure for a bit!”

“Don’t worry. That’s my job.”

In response to Leo’s words, Chloe closed her eyes and began chanting.

Modern wizards can be divided into three major types.

The combat wizards who position themselves at the front line.

The versatile wizards who can be anywhere on the battlefield.

The traditional wizards who position themselves at the back line.

Among them, the drawbacks of the traditional wizards, like Chloe, were quite evident.

‘Traditional wizards are exposed while chanting spells.’

The longer the incantation, the more they needed protection from their allies.

However, the advantage was clear too.

It was the absolute destructive power that other wizards couldn’t match.

Currently, Alia from the party is the versatile wizard.

She could use powerful spells continuously, but lacked one definitive finishing move.

‘Among us, the only person who can land a fatal blow on Chubarn is me. I can’t rely on Leo alone. I, too… I have to do something.’

The thought of Chubarn’s curse crossed Chloe’s mind.

‘That magic will do!’

——————