Chapter 588

588.

Posterioritas.

This blade could become anything.

If desired, it could become a sword, sometimes turning into a staff, and if wished for, it became a summoning catalyst.

This blade, filled with infinite possibilities, was crafted by Dwenno, inspired by Kyle.

The sword named Future truly held infinite possibilities, made for all classes.

And it was also the sword that once vanished after gifting a new possibility to its master and the future.

‘Why is this…’

Kyle gripped the hem of his cloak.

‘The subspace has opened.’

It wasn’t just Posterioritas.

The magics embedded in the cloak had awakened.

As a result, it became possible to retrieve all the equipment stored in the subspace.

As if telling him not to worry.

It felt like someone had helped him.

Suddenly, the moment when Spirit Magic had awakened came to mind.

Lissinas’s mana had seemed to possess willpower.

Without realizing, Kyle tightly gripped Posterioritas and spoke.

“You… are you here now?”

There was no reply.

“Impossible, right…”

Just as he gave a wry smile,

Tuck-

Something pushed his back.

Startled, he turned around, but there was no one there.

“…”

With a dazed expression, Kyle looked forward.

“Right.”

Kyle fixed his gaze straight ahead.

“I have to move forward.”

With renewed determination, he fully drew Posterioritas.

Whoom-!

The sword reacted to Kyle’s mana.

This sword was a fake created by the power of Hero Record.

But the reaction when grasping the sword was the same as the first time.

‘Dwenno’s crafted tools are truly remarkable.’

It gives a solid belief.

A firm belief that it will never betray its wielder.

It becomes the steadfast support for the users until the very end as they strive for their cause.

Kyle pointed the sword toward the Catastrophe Flame.

“Once more… I entrust to you.”

Whoom-!

Watching Posterioritas respond to his words, Kyle curved his lips upward.

*

“Lord Lumeran…”

“Lord Lumeran.”

“Knight of Twilight…!”

Hero candidates who gathered around Lumeran looked at him with admiring eyes.

A great hero stood before them.

The Hero of the Beginning, Kyle, and the progenitor of the Star Cloud, Luna.

And the Hero Reincarnated, Aron, have all returned in this era.

Most of the ones here have even witnessed such sights firsthand.

But meeting the Hero of the Cataclysm would not fade in significance.

After all, the hero before them was one of the people who ushered in a new era.

Plus, he was the Savior who fought Erubus for thousands of years within the Hero’s World.

The candidates’ eyes were filled with reverence.

Looking at them, Lumeran spoke.

“How did you manage to come this far?”

“Excuse me?”

To Lumeran’s question, Celia showed a slightly bewildered expression.

“Isn’t cutting through the flames of Erebus almost impossible?”

While Warden showed a perplexed look on his face, he said.

“We simply did as Lord Lumeran had taught us.”

“As I had taught?”

“Yes. By surpassing our limits, we arrived here. Just like Lord Lumeran did.”

At Warden’s words, Lumeran’s eyes momentarily flickered.

At that moment, Elija arrived on the ground after riding Ar.

“Hey! d*mn fiery b*stard! I kicked it!”

“Your strength is all gone after a single kick, and yet you can still say such things. Healers! Treat the burns quickly!”

Elija handed Ar, who suffered from severe burns all over his body, to the healers.

The burns weren’t from Erebus’s flames but from Lunia’s white flames.

“You stupid cat! That was reckless!”

“Tsk, a glorious wound… meowwww!”

At Lunia’s reprimand, Ar, who was being haughty, screamed under the healers’ touch.

Seeing this, Lumeran showed a surprised expression.

“Hydrokinesis…?”

Hydrokinesis was a unique ability possessed only by the Hero Aron, one that his companion Azonia hadn’t even reached.

It wasn’t just Ar.

When Lumeran noticed the Beastman students who had undergone hydrokinesis under Ar’s Howling, he became even more surprised.

“The burns have been treated, but his stamina has dropped too much!”

“Tsk, don’t worry… ugh?!’

“Don’t worry about it when you’re nauseous from exhaustion!”

“Go away!”

As the students of the Elves and Dwarves panicked, they shoved Ar at each other.

“Feeling dizzy… ugh!”

“Go away already!”

As Ar was helplessly pushed around, someone approached.

“Perhaps it’s my turn to step forward.”

“You barely know any healing magic, Kal.”

Chelsea tilted her head, and Kal became smug.

“Have you forgotten that I’ve learned Dwenno’s alchemy?”

“Oh, right. Now that you mention it, you were the best ‘potioneer’ at our school.”

“…Doesn’t that sound weird?”

Kal, with a sleepy expression, rummaged through his shirt.

“Tell them I’m the greatest supporter who can keep you all in top condition anytime.”

While grumbling, Kal took out a large syringe.

Ar, whose stomach had been severely affected by exhaustion, reacted with a start upon seeing it.

With the ears and tail standing up in caution, Ar watched Kal who said,

“Hold him.”

At Kal’s words, Driana and Chen Sia grabbed Ar’s arms.

“Don’t they say the descendant of a hero doesn’t fear anything? Besides, you didn’t even flinch at more severe injuries, so what’s making you act like a baby?”

“Softly, or it won’t hurt…”

“Let go of meeee! Aaaaaaaaah!”

Kal firmly stuck the large syringe into the protesting Ar’s shoulder with a thud.

Seeing this, the Azonia students turned their heads.

“Embarrassing.”

“How can this be our leader?”

“How do we have any face to meet Lady Azonia?”

“Lord Lumeran will think we’re worthless.”

While listening to the despairing mutterings of the Azonia students, Lumeran thought.

‘…Same as Azonia.’

Lumeran’s gaze, which momentarily rested on Ar, turned to Kal.

‘But who is this child?’

At first glance, he clearly wasn’t comparable to the students here.

Kal, who injected a specially made stamina recovery potion to Ar, had other students from various schools gathering around him.

“You commanded perfectly?”

“Without you, we would have been struggling endlessly against the black flames!”

“I thought you were only smart, but there’s more to you than that. Would you consider making a team with us for the next joint class?”

Everyone here couldn’t help but acknowledge that it was possible because Kal was here that they had arrived.

‘So that’s how it is. A student who pushes others forward.’

Then Kal deserved to be here.

And it was clear how many boundaries he must have overcome to get here.

‘…Such a student, who has done what I couldn’t.’

The difference between someone who couldn’t surpass limits and someone who could.

The hero figure he had so desired.

‘Jealous.’

While Lumeran clenched his fist,

“Lord Lumeran!”

Kal approached Lumeran.

“Here, this is the item entrusted by Rian. It’s something that can destroy Erebus’s core!”

“You keep it.”

“Huh?”

“I will open the path.”

Upon hearing these words, Kal stiffened his face.

He realized what Lumeran intended to do.

“Wait! Lord Lumeran!”

Lumeran ran towards the direction where the black flames swirled.

To destroy the core, it was necessary to completely shatter Erebus’s current form.

And with Lumeran’s current strength, it was impossible.

‘I’m prepared to d*e to open the path!’

Kal’s face tightened.

‘I need to help!’

Kal clenched his teeth.

Even if he wanted, how could an insignificant person like him dare to help someone as great as Lumeran?

Nevertheless, the present Lumeran needed help.

No matter how great a person may be, they kneel when faced with hardship.

As great as one is, the more they bear.

And once they kneel, it becomes hard to stand back up.

‘Perhaps we can help them stand up again!’

With clenched teeth, Kal ran to Elija.

“Elija!”

“Huh? Why, why!?”

Elija was momentarily startled at Kal’s grip on his shoulder and the urging tone of his voice.

“Take me to the sky!”

“Alright.”

While Elija usually would have shaken off Kal’s rough movements, she unknowingly nodded her head.

“Everyone! It’s tough, but let’s fight together with Lord Lumeran!”

“Though I think it’s possible to support Lord Lumeran, fighting alongside might be too hard. We’d consider ourselves lucky if we don’t become a hindrance.”

Upon Driana’s words, Lunia nodded.

“Right, we might just become a hindrance if we don’t watch ourselves…”

“Normally that would be the case! But right now, Lord Lumeran needs our help!”

Kal clenched his teeth and looked at Lumeran’s retreating back.

‘Such is the trouble with overly great human beings! They insist on handling everything themselves, knowing full well that they can’t handle it all!’

Thinking of himself as a person from a past era who couldn’t overcome limits.

Thinking that it is their time to become fertilizer for a new era, and that it is their duty to do everything by themselves.

‘Truly noble human being!’

He admired Lumeran for this very reason.

Understanding what that kind of individual entails, he could sincerely respect him.

But…

‘Now isn’t your time to end!’

It wasn’t just about losing Lumeran.

It was something he didn’t want to see.

The scene of the hero he admired and was proud of facing d*ath.

The scene of him giving up and failing was something Kal did not want to see.

He understood why the Lian from this world had refused to help Lumeran.

They probably thought there was no hope for Lumeran, who had given up on living.

‘Reo, how could you alone defeat Erebus before?’

The question asked to Reo was recalled.

To that question, Reo had answered like this.

‘Because I wanted to live.’

Reo smiled then.

‘And I wanted to see the world they longed for.’

The Hero of the Beginning too had achieved greatness because he had wished to live.

‘If you’re Reo’s successor, then you must live on!’

Screaming inwardly, Kal spoke.

“I’ll do my best to command.”

He clenched his fist.

“That’s all I can do, but somehow… I have to help Lord Lumeran!”

It would be impossible to lift up Lumeran, who had fallen to his knees, only by the strength of their own.

‘That is something only Leo can do!’

Someone who understands the despair of a person who saved the world is another world-savior.

However.

‘At least we can hold onto him so he doesn’t fall!’

Kal gripped the staff left by Lian.

“That place is the battlefield you all shall stand upon someday!”

Kal spoke firmly.

“That someday might be tomorrow! And will you still pass the responsibility to someone else, saying you’re not qualified?”

With Kal’s words, a fervent spirit surged in the eyes of the hero candidates.

“A Lumeran who told us to surpass our limits is fighting! So let’s show him!”

Kal spoke with vigor.

“Show him the you that surpasses any limit at any time! I’ll do my best to help that!”

“It’s not you, Kal.”

Eliza spat beside Kal.

“It’s us.”

At that, Kal showed an awkward expression.

Looking at that, Chen Sia tilted her head.

“That’s strange.”

“What?”

Celia, confused, made Chen Sia smile.

“Since when did those two become that friendly?”

As Celia’s eyes widened in surprise,

— It’s not merely mimicking a fool.

Whoosh-!

The voice from behind made Kal’s body stiffen.

Turning around, there was the black flame burning.

Erubus looked at Kal with a sinister smile.

— There’s another fool here.