Chapter 577

577.

Kal swallowed hard at Rian’s words.

The feeling he had when he first saw the being known as a god was surprisingly ordinary, unlike what he had expected.

If it weren’t for the Dragon Lord’s guarantee, he wouldn’t have been able to believe Rian’s identity or anything that flowed from his lips.

However, from the presence right before him, he felt an existence beyond imagination.

‘I’m…’

Just facing it made it hard to breathe, and he felt short of breath.

Rian hadn’t done anything in particular.

He was merely observing Kal.

Yet that alone possessed the power to freeze him to the core.

He realized that the being in front of him was an existence of a different dimension compared to the tribes he had met so far.

He was overwhelmed simply by the presence itself.

‘I’ve felt this feeling before…’

Kal, who had been trembling, took a deep breath and quickly regained his composure.

Seeing this, Rian’s eyes sparkled.

“This is your first time facing a god directly, yet you regain your composure so quickly?”

Long ago, Rian had become part of the Hero Record to become its manager, so he could not strictly be called a god.

Yet he remained an existence that rivaled a god.

Ordinary humans lose their composure just from Rian’s presence.

And Kal was more than sufficiently an ordinary human.

‘If they were bigger kids, they wouldn’t have been disturbed in the first place.’

In the eyes of the absolute being, Kal was merely a stone scattered on the roadside.

Kal scratched his cheek at Rian’s question.

“It feels similar to when I saw Erebus.”

“Ah, that monstrosity?”

Rian nodded.

“Indeed, when the hero came to this world through the Hero Record, you met that monstrosity too, didn’t you? Then this isn’t the first time you’ve encountered a divine being.”

“Is the Catastrophe Flame also a god?”

“Essentially, it’s similar to us. However, our pursuits differ. While we wish for the preservation of the world, that monstrosity desires the world’s destruction.”

“Why is that? Weren’t they comrades from the beginning?”

“Not at all. That monstrosity was born to be like that. It exists merely to burn the world to ashes.”

Rian shook his head as if recalling something disgusting.

‘Even if you’ve seen Erebus, regaining composure so quickly seems to be this kid’s ability.’

The more he looked, the more interesting it became.

Nothing much, yet he stood out.

‘Luck must have played a part too. But what Kal Thomas achieved cannot be attributed solely to luck.’

“But you mentioned that I possess two things that Lord Lumeran does not. What are they?”

Excitement surfaced on Kal’s face.

“Do I perhaps have some hidden talent?”

Rian, who was staring at the slightly excited Kal, broke into a bright smile.

“Ugliness and foolishness.”

“Excuse me?”

In an instant, Kal’s face went blank.

“Lumeran wasn’t foolish enough to cling to the impossible.”

Rian gave Kal a thumbs up.

“Kal Thomas! You’re an exceedingly foolish human, clinging to the impossible! Therefore, it’s quite ugly to behold!”

Thud-!

Kal dropped to the ground, placing his hands on the floor and kneeling.

“Stand tall! You’re doing what Lumeran could never do!”

“Don’t tease me. That makes me depressed.”

“What nonsense! It’s a compliment! A compliment!”

Rian slapped Kal’s back repeatedly.

“Why are you depressed when a god is praising you?”

“Of course, I’m depressed! You make it sound like I have some hidden talent that I don’t even know about!”

“I clearly said before; you’re a student who bears no resemblance to Lumeran at all.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you are not heroic in the slightest.”

Rian shrugged and took out a jewel-made figurine from his pocket.

It was a statue of Lumeran, the Twilight Knight.

“Though Lumeran was born as a slave, he was born with an exceedingly noble soul.”

Rian examined the Lumeran statue, speaking.

“The heroes most loved by the gods are undoubtedly the Great Heroes. But the next most beloved hero is Lumeran.”

“Being loved by the gods means he must have been born with great talent.”

“That statement is flawed.”

Rian glanced at Kal.

“There are indeed beings loved by the gods. But that does not mean the gods grant them special talents. That would far exceed the authority permitted to the gods in the first place.”

“Excuse me?”

“A human loved by the gods has earned that love on their own. Remember this, Kal Thomas.”

As Rian smiled, he shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, the gods do have their preferences, after all.”

“What kind of preferences?”

“Heroes like Lumeran.”

“…….”

“Full of talent, possessing good character, handsome, strong, achieving great feats, well-liked by women. And…”

“Please stop, I’m beginning to feel life is unfair.”

Kal chuckled half-heartedly.

“I see that Lumeran has none of my similarities. I understand now why he is loved by the gods. The gods prefer perfect beings, don’t they?”

“There is no perfect being. There are only those with fewer flaws.”

Rian shrugged.

“So in the 5000 years, there has never been a hero like you, Kal.”

“I know better than anyone that I will never be a hero.”

“Then why don’t you give up?”

“Because I’m ugly and foolish.”

“…….”

“I need to set my goals high to get even a little closer to that guy, don’t I?”

“You’ll soon hit a limit.”

“I will surpass it. Just like Lumeran.”

“…….”

“Regardless of other things, that’s the lesson I learned clearly from Lumeran.”

“Kal Thomas! Where are you?”

“Uh? Eliza?”

Kal turned at the sound of Eliza calling him, startled.

“God, I think I need to go now, okay?”

When he turned back, realizing Rian had disappeared, he started searching the bathroom, scratching his head.

“Has he gone?”

“Kal Thomas!”

“Do you h*rass someone who’s in the bathroom?”

With a sigh at Eliza’s voice, Kal left the bathroom.

Rian, who appeared again, shook his head.

‘Truly unheroic.’

In the long era of heroes spanning 5000 years, there had never been a person like Kal who made it to the Hero Record.

It wasn’t merely because he didn’t match the gods’ tastes.

‘It’s because he couldn’t achieve feats alone.’

In the end, those who achieve great feats are beings with powerful strength.

The heroes who protect and lead the world ultimately must excel in personal might.

‘Ordinary, Kal Thomas is just too ordinary.’

The gods show no interest in ordinary humans.

They only favor exceptional individuals.

Rian felt the same way.

But…

‘You will never be able to resemble Lumeran, Kal Thomas.’

Rian gazed at the jewel piece of Lumeran he had made.

‘Lumeran couldn’t give up because he wasn’t foolishly ugly either.’

He closed off his own possibilities.

Rian smiled softly.

‘Instead, you resemble the Hero of Beginning.’

Of course, comparing Leo, who possessed the mana qualities of purity, to Kal made no sense.

‘But Lord Leo also struggled foolishly and ugly to save the world.’

Rian pulled out an unrefined jewel from his pocket and began to fiddle with it.

‘Kal Thomas is not heroic at all. But that is only according to the standards of the age of gods.’

Even now, remnants of the age of gods linger.

‘But the age of gods ended 5000 years ago.’

Rian smiled.

‘It ended as a failed era.’

From the perspective of the gods, the age of gods was clearly a failed age.

It’s true that they held back Erebus for a long time and created a world filled with light.

But in the end, they could not prevent Erebus.

Rather, it burned away, too helplessly, and disappeared.

In that failure, it was the anomalies known as Great Heroes that appeared to save the world.

And a new era was ushered in.

But…

‘Is the age of heroes truly an age of heroes?’

Though the gods have vanished, the legacy of the gods known as the Hero Record supports this era.

‘I might be an incredibly lucky person.’

Having discarded the status of a god, he had fallen to merely an aspect of a system.

But…

‘I might be witnessing the true beginning of a new age right before my eyes.’

Rian’s mouth curled into a grin.

How thrilling and exciting this event was!

‘Ah, my choice was not wrong! I might see an era that is truly worthless… right in front of me!’

*

The second event of the hero’s festival was participated in by second-year students.

The competition was to see which team of ten from each school could conquer the Hero’s World quickest.

The scale was vastly different from that of the first years, making the audience excited.

Moreover, the current second years were all from a golden generation, known across schools.

As such, expectations grew even larger.

“I can see them conquering the Hero’s World live!”

“But this isn’t the Hero Dungeon, right? So it shouldn’t be dangerous, should it?”

“Stop talking nonsense! The Hero Dungeon is just when the Hero Record goes berserk! The Hero Dungeon is still ultimately the Hero’s World!”

“Let’s see… Leo Flove isn’t participating in Lumeran, is he?”

“Isn’t it because he’s already ascended to the hero’s position?”

“But look! Lunia El Rundah is participating from Seirun!”

“Hmmm… Maybe she’s busy because she’s the Student Council President? No, Lunia El Rundah is also the Student Council President!”

As Leo wasn’t participating, murmurs of queries erupted here and there.

Watching this, Lunia muttered.

“At least there’s some conscience there. Excluding Leo.”

To be honest, if Leo were participating, the results would’ve been a foregone conclusion.

It was frustrating, but against Seirun, Leo would be too much to handle.

‘Not just Seirun, but any school wouldn’t be able to manage.’

Lunia sighed softly.

“Still, I’m glad it’s the Hero’s World conquest.”

“Why would you say that? This is no small feat.”

When Eiran remarked beside her, Aris and Tuina looked perplexed.

“I was worried that the first years might end up fighting Lord Leo.”

Upon hearing this, Aris’s twin, Garin, looked confused.

“Is it a big problem?”

“Did you forget that Leo Flove wiped out all the second years of Lumeran? It’s better to conquer the Hero’s World than fight an unestimable monster!”

As Garin nodded his head at Aris’s words, he suddenly responded.

“Indeed, that makes sense.”

“By the way, Kal Thomas? Isn’t he the one who conquered Lord Dwenno’s world? I heard his grades weren’t great, yet he’s been chosen as a representative?”

Aris looked puzzled, and Lunia replied.

“If it’s him, I can understand why he’d be chosen.”

“Exactly, with Kal, the people of Lumeran would feel reassured.”

As the responses of the top students surprised the Seirun students, a deep rumbling sound broke through.

Boom-!

Suddenly, resonance sounded from the floor.

[Hero Record Open.]

The sudden message made the second years in Seirun wear slightly bewildered expressions.

But they quickly regained their composure.

“We’re used to situations like this now.”

Lunia smirked, as if finding it amusing.

It wasn’t just Seirun Academy.

Similar reactions erupted from other schools as well.

Eiran’s ears perked up at once.

“Didn’t it say that we would ‘conquer the same’ Hero’s World in order?”

“Yeah.”

“So then, did students from other schools also get the Hero Record message?”

“What?”

At that moment, as Eiran fell within the realm of extrasensory perception, looking bewildered.

[Lumeran’s Se-■■■■■■]

“What?!”

Lunia displayed a face of shock at the text before her.

At that instant, a brilliant light erupted and engulfed the students at Erek’s training ground.

“Cough?!”

When Lunia opened her eyes in a hurry.

A flying fist came into view.

“Eeeek?!”

Lunia instinctively dodged the punch.

“Eeeek? Eeeek? Where do you think you’re being cute in such a grotesque way? You little elf!”

“Eek!”

Upon hearing the opponent’s words after swinging their fist, Lunia quickly assessed the situation.

‘I don’t know the circumstances, but it seems I’m fighting! Time for a counterattack…!’

As Lunia aimed for an opening, the moment she glanced at her opponent’s face.

“Eh?”

Seeing the opponent’s face, Lunia blurted out in a daze.

“Why are you spacing out! To the side!”

“Ugh?!”

Without mercy, the opponent struck at Lunia’s side.

“Finish! Solar Plexus!”

Thud-!

“Gah?!”

After being hit in the solar plexus, Lunia gasped for breath and then kneeled down.

“Eh? Is it really that painful?”

The one who had struck Lunia looked even more surprised at their own action.

With her hands clutching her chest, Lunia, gasping for air, called out to her opponent.

“Rodia… ni…….”

Thud-

And she rolled her eyes and fainted.

“Hey! Breathe! Breathe! Just breathe!”

Slap-! Slap-!

Rodia frantically slapped Lunia’s cheeks.

“Seirun! Breathe!”