Chapter 585

After the appearance of Erebus’s flames in the world of Lumeran.

Rodia was hurriedly heading somewhere with Kal.

“Lord Rodia! There is another Black Flame ahead!”

“d*mn it!”

Rodia cursed.

Rodia couldn’t see the black flames.

The flames visible only to the conqueror’s eyes.

But just because she couldn’t see them didn’t mean Erebus’s flames didn’t deal a definite blow to the characters within the Hero’s World.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaah!”

“S-someone save me!”

People from the Hero’s World, who were going about their business, screamed as they had no idea what was happening.

Kal tightly bit his lips upon witnessing the scene.

To Rodia, it looked as though they had suddenly screamed and turned into ash.

But to Kal’s eyes, they were unmistakably burning away. It appeared as if they had let out sudden screams, and he could clearly see them burning away in the black flames.

Kal tightly bit his lips.

“Don’t weaken, Kal Thomas!”

Rodia shouted at Kal.

“They’re not real! In the true history, they didn’t meet such an end… cough!”

Rodia gripped her head.

This was due to the shock that again destroyed her sense of self.

The Hero’s World tried to erode Rodia’s self-awareness each time she recognized herself as fake.

“I know that.”

Kal firmly said while supporting the swaying Rodia.

“Right now, our priority is finding Lord Lumeran.”

“…Right.”

Rodia steadied herself and took a deep breath.

“Right now, I’m practically a sighted blind person. So can you be my eyes again, like earlier?”

“Yes. Just thought of a good method.”

Kal smirked and invoked his mana.

Fwoosh-!

Then flames appeared in front of Rodia’s eyes.

Rodia’s expression turned one of surprise upon seeing it.

“What is this?”

“It’s an illusionary magic.”

Kal glared ahead and spoke.

“I’ve replicated the exact Black Flames I can see now.”

Rodia was impressed by Kal’s words.

“Not bad on your feet.”

“Let’s just say I’ve got a top-notch brain!”

Kal smirked.

‘Not as simple as cleverness, though.’

Even in this urgent situation, he perfectly supported Rodia.

Of course, the illusion unfolding before Rodia was exceedingly crude by her standards.

It merely superimposed what Kal could see.

But…

‘Reflecting the changing scenery in real-time isn’t possible without remarkable observational skills.’

Moreover, when they had fought against the black flames earlier, Kal had given perfect instructions to Rodia, who couldn’t see the flames, managing to resolve the situation.

‘Good command skills.’

He had an excellent ability to read the flow of battle and give orders.

‘He’s still just a young boy, though.’

Despite lacking talent as a wizard, potential was evident.

With Rodia receiving support from Kal and extinguishing all the black flames, she retracted her mana and spoke.

“Will children like you occupy the hero’s position in the future?”

“Huh? Lord Rodia, that question…”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Rodia’s eyes momentarily blurred.

Her head ached as if it were splitting, but she didn’t care.

To such a question from Rodia, Kal hesitated for a moment, scratching his cheek.

“No.”

“What?”

“It’ll be the same in the future. Only those with the power to achieve great deeds can become heroes.”

Kal’s response made Rodia chuckle dryly.

“Tch… the gods’ tastes don’t change easily, do they?”

Rodia expressed her disappointment.

“I hoped that through the Hero’s World, many people could bloom to their full potential.”

“Ah, I received a lot of help.”

Kal gave a confident thumbs up.

“If it weren’t for the Hero’s World, I probably wouldn’t have made it to Lumeran’s second-year classes. It’s all thanks to you, Lord Rodia. I’m truly grateful every day!”

Kal’s cheerful response made Rodia laugh.

“Anyway, did you know anything about the gods?”

When she had heard the story that Lumeran had gone to search for a god, Rodia mentioned she had an idea where it might be.

Rodia replied as she quickly walked.

“I didn’t know. But I knew that something existed at the center of the world, specifically under Lumeran. Lumeran had gathered us precisely because of that.”

“If there’s a god, then they should be under Lumeran, right?”

“That’s correct. Before the Era of Catastrophe, relics from the Age of Gods are said to be sleeping beneath Lumeran. If there’s a god, it would only be there. The place we are heading to is the entrance to those ruins.”

Through a hidden passage, they reached the underground where Kal saw an enormous entrance, now wide open.

Rodia looked perplexed upon seeing it.

“It’s open?”

“Was it closed originally?”

“Yes. No matter what we tried, we couldn’t open it.”

“…Let’s go in.”

The two walked into the shrine, moving cautiously as they had no idea what obstacles might lie ahead.

However, they reached what seemed like the very heart of the shrine without much difficulty, finding its centerpiece door open as well.

Beyond the door was a long hallway.

When they reached the end of the hallway, there stood a tightly shut gray door.

“Beyond this… what could possibly exist?”

With a tense face, Rodia pushed the gray door.

Ssshlick-

The door smoothly opened.

Revealed was an unfathomable space where countless bookshelves stretched infinitely.

“Where is this?”

Rodia and Kal had bewildered expressions.

“Today, I’ve had many rare experiences.”

An ambiguously beautiful child with gray hair and eyes, neither boy nor girl, approached them.

“The manifestation of the Record System and the conqueror coming together to see me… it’s almost disappointing that all of this is a lie.”

“Lord Lian!”

“Hm? Is it me?”

When Kal mentioned his name, Lian tilted his head in confusion, then lazily responded.

Kal felt a strange sense of alienation.

‘Lian from the bathroom was, well, quite kind…’

While Lian from the real world seemed friendly, the Lian within the Hero’s World was completely different.

Looking at Kal dryly, it was as if he were staring at a mere pebble on the road.

“You are the god, aren’t you? Truly, you still remain… cough!”

Rodia clutched her face.

Seeing this, Lian stroked his chin.

“Hmm? Maintaining your sanity by destroying your own sense of self? Impressive, truly impressive of the one who saved the world.”

Lian repeatedly expressed his approval.

“You came looking for Lumeran, didn’t you? Unfortunately, Lumeran was here until just a moment ago, stopping that monstrosity.”

Lian pointed upwards with his finger.

“But now, Lumeran has gone after the monstrosity up to the surface.”

After saying this, Lian lost interest and casually sat back on his chair at the library.

“Alright, now that all your questions have been answered, could you leave?”

To this, Kal asked,

“I’m curious. Lord Rodia started experiencing her ego collapse the moment she realized she was in the Hero’s World. Why are you fine?”

“Why should I answer you? What benefit would I gain from giving you an answer?”

‘This deity is more difficult than I thought.’

The Lian from the future had responded to Kal’s every question, contrasting with this present version.

‘If this is his original personality… perhaps he only has interest in things that seem fun by his standards?’

Thinking this, Kal continued,

“Didn’t you just find Lord Rodia extremely fascinating? Isn’t that enough reward?”

“So, because I found her fascinating earlier, you think that’s adequate payment for an answer? You’re awfully cheeky.”

Lian disdainfully glanced at Kal and reluctantly gave an answer.

“Simple. The Hero Record is something created by a god. So naturally, the system cannot interfere with god-like beings.”

Lian had an arrogant expression.

“I might be a fake created by the power of the Hero Record, but since I equate to a god, I’m beyond any glitches.”

“What about the Great Heroes?”

“Hmm? Was there a case where the Great Heroes perceived the conqueror as an alien entity? Interesting.”

Lian wore an intrigued expression.

“Great Heroes are special. They are the masters of the Hero Record. Of course, the condition for the world to sustain while the conqueror is recognized is complex. The Great Heroes themselves must recognize the conqueror’s existence on their own.”

Recalling the story of how Drwenno knew his identity when Leo conquered his world, Kal nodded.

“Alright, now that your questions have been answered? The pleasure you’ve provided to me is quite enough.”

Lian idly waved his hands.

“Go now. Don’t steal anymore of my time.”

“…Do you not have plenty of time?”

“Can’t you see that I’m making a statue for Lord Kail?”

Lian showed him the gemstone sculpture he was carving and said,

“Hurry and help Lumeran eliminate the monstrosity.”

“Can’t you at least tell us the weakness of Erebus?”

“Hmph. When seeking knowledge from a god, an appropriate and equal offering is required.”

Lian glared at Kal in irritation,

“Can someone as ordinary as you possibly provide the price for seeking wisdom from a god?”

Looking at Lian openly mocking him, Kal fell into thought.

Rodia then spoke to Kal,

“With this deity, further wisdom cannot be sought. Let’s go to help Lumeran.”

“Anyway, without the characteristic of pure mana, stopping Erebus would be impossible.”

Kal looked at Lian,

“And this god must surely know the way to stop this black flame.”

At this statement, Lian curled his lips.

“Sharp human.”

“Then why not tell me?”

Rodia’s face hardened as Lian casually answered,

“Because it’s fun.”

Chuckling, Lian left Rodia baffled.

“Anyway, this world is fake. Even if I burn away, I won’t d*e.”

Lian wore an arrogant expression.

“I’ve been managing the Hero Record for thousands of years. There’s no end to my boredom. And for me, the battle between Lumeran and the monstrosity is nothing short of perfect entertainment.”

“Aah, got it.”

Rodia smiled and approached Lian.

Kal panicked and clung to her arm.

“Lord Rodia! Calm down, please.”

“Let go! Whether it’s a god or not, I’ll destroy it!”

Rodia’s eyes flashed fiercely.

Lian yawned lazily at Rodia’s response.

“I… I’ll try to persuade him!”

Hearing Kal’s words, Rodia reluctantly stepped back, huffing audibly.

“That was an uninteresting tragedy.”

At Lian’s bored expression, Kal spoke,

“So, if we bring enough satisfying interest and fun, you’ll tell us Erebus’s weakness?”

“Can someone like you possibly provide interest and fun to someone who knows everything about the world?”

“The Hero of Beginning reincarnates in the future.”

“…”

Rodia’s expression was dumbfounded.

Lian smirked slightly.

“You have a vivid imagination. To make something so absurd up.”

Then he stared directly into Kal’s eyes.

As Kal’s unwavering eyes met his, Lian finally stood up after a moment.

“Sit.”

“Excuse me?”

“No, do sit. Please sit.”

Kal found himself sitting in the chair Lian had vacated.

With his knees bent, Lian glanced upwards at Kal.

“Is it alright for me to sit here?”

“Of course! To make a guest sent by Lord Kail sit on the floor while someone like you lounges comfortably in a chair is an outrage! Now, I am ready to listen respectfully. Kal, so what did the great and honored Hero of Beginning say? He reincarnated, did he? Speak quickly. Huh? Huh? Huh?”