590.
“Kyle… Master?”
Lumeran slowly turned his head to look at Kyle.
Seeing Kyle sitting on a rock, gazing at him with an indifferent expression, Lumeran felt relief.
“It’s fortunate… very fortunate…”
Lumeran’s body went limp.
If Kyle was here, there was nothing more to worry about. The Erebus rampaging in his world would no longer be a threat.
“My struggle wasn’t in vain… fortunate…”
PFFT!
“EH?!”
“What’s so fortunate about this, you b*stard.”
Kyle picked up a brick fragment from the ground and threw it at Lumeran’s face.
Taken by surprise, Lumeran’s face showed a dazed expression.
Looking at such Lumeran, Kyle spoke.
“If you just d*e like this, your companions in the world after the Cataclysm will have to suffer endlessly, won’t they?”
“…”
“And when Erebus breaks out again in the future…”
Kyle’s eyes narrowed.
“The ones who will have to face Erebus will be those kids.”
Kyle looked at the hero candidates battling Erebus.
“Is this what you call fortunate?”
Kyle’s cold question made Lumeran bite his lips.
“Putting trust in others isn’t a bad thing, is it?”
“…”
“Trusting my comrades… trusting the ones who will carry on after me…”
Lumeran’s hands tightened.
“Is putting trust in you a bad thing?”
“It’s not bad.”
WHOOSH~
The wind swept through Kyle’s hair.
Kyle’s departed friends also trusted him in their final moments and passed away peacefully.
“I can’t even imagine what kind of days you’ve spent for thousands of years. Of course, you’d be exhausted.”
In a world that endlessly continued,
He couldn’t count how many times the world restarted while he was alive.
But when the time came to start the loop again after conquering the world,
He realized how many times they’ve repeated this process.
There was no helping but to be exhausted.
That’s when Seirun delivered the news.
The resurrection of the Hero of Beginning, Kyle.
Rodia also joined Kyle in conquering Lissinas’ world.
In the endless loop, Kyle’s appearance was a hope and a sense of relief that they could finally rest.
It’s only natural to want to rest.
Even if that rest means one’s d*ath.
To say that they’ve done all they could.
That was certainly not wrong.
But…
“Is that what the other heroes of Cataclysm think?”
“…”
Lumeran’s eyes widened.
“The Seirun and Rodia I’ve seen were also extremely exhausted. But they were different from you. They didn’t give up and worked even harder. They must have thought that rest would come only after completely vanquishing Erebus.”
Kyle met Lumeran’s gaze.
“They also trust you. They trust that you won’t give up.”
Lumeran’s hands trembled.
Kyle turned his gaze towards the hero candidates.
“The kids trust you as well. They’re fighting against the impossible because they trust you. They believe that you’ll transcend your limits and teach them like the Knight of Dusk did.”
Lumeran’s hands tightened.
“How were the students you’ve seen?”
Lumeran struggled to turn his body.
His body screamed in protest.
A massive explosion caused by the instantaneous combustion of all his mana in his body.
His body was already in tatters.
But Erebus was likely in the same state.
CRACK~
Lumeran tightened his grip on his weapon.
‘My students… they were like the hopes I had.’
Lumeran’s students were all the ideal students he wished for.
Students who challenged the impossible without hesitation when they hit their limits.
Among them, there was one student who was completely different from him.
‘Kal Thomas.’
A student whose presence here was surprising.
But precisely because of that, Lumeran considered him the most ideal form of a hero.
He had surpassed countless limits.
Lumeran knew.
The Hero of Beginning wasn’t made by his ability but by his will.
Kal was here purely by the power of his will.
Lumeran wanted to become such a hero.
‘I had forgotten.’
The reason he admired the Great Hero standing before him.
His ideal of endlessly pushing against limits, never giving up, and turning the impossible into possible.
‘Should I tell someone to transcend their limits when I’ve already given up?’
The Knight of Dusk had to show this to the students who admired his false appearance and were standing here.
He had to show them that the admired figure wasn’t a lie.
‘That’s the image of an educator who established a school.’
Lumeran rose to his feet, burning the flickering flame of life to squeeze out strength.
“Cough… cough.”
The bl**d gushing up from his insides spilled out of his mouth.
But Lumeran didn’t care.
Thud… thud…
Kyle silently watched such Lumeran.
He offered no help.
He merely observed.
The infuriating posture made Lumeran smile.
‘That’s right… this is also a form of trust.’
Trust that his successor wouldn’t fall to this level of trial.
Thud… thud…
Lumeran moved his steps with difficulty.
Those steps gradually accelerated.
Soon, Lumeran began to charge towards the battlefield.
Watching the retreating back of Lumeran who stood up and started to run, Kyle thought.
‘It seems I don’t need to intervene.’
Lumeran has already transcended his limits now.
For Lumeran, who has begun to leap towards new possibilities,
If it were a full piece of Erebus, it would be different,
But this fragment would be no match.
Kyle’s gaze turned to Kal.
‘One doesn’t have to possess immense power to achieve great deeds.’
Compared to other hero candidates, Kal’s skills are insignificant.
But…
‘Kal possesses many qualities.’
Courage to overcome fear.
The eyes to find potential in others and discover hope from that potential, and from there, find a way forward.
Decisively… the heart that doesn’t give up.
Kal strangely began to resemble the Great Heroes.
‘In hindsight, it’s not surprising.’
The ones who created the present era were none other than themselves.
And the one who led the creation of this age, Lissinas, thought.
That the values they pursued should remain in the future generations.
Just as Rodia wished for countless possibilities to bloom in the world of heroes for future generations,
Lissinas also wished for the pursuits of Great Heroes to remain in the trivial actions of ordinary people.
Kal’s ability was extremely simple.
When everyone faces absolute despair,
Finding possibilities within and starting from there.
Simple but that much difficult an ability.
An ability where one can do nothing alone.
But from the very beginning…
‘What can one do alone?’
Even he couldn’t do anything alone.
The fact that one can do nothing alone is not a flaw.
Because having someone by your side means possessing infinite possibilities.
The era where only those who achieved great feats via the Hero Record were called heroes began.
“But in the past, it was simpler, wasn’t it?”
Recalling Lissinas, Kyle smiled.
He remembered the reply he received after irritably telling Lissinas that he was neither a hero nor anything else when asked to become a hero who would save the world together:
“A person who can lend their strength to others. I think of such a person as a hero.”
Recalling Lissinas’s gentle smile, Kyle fiddled with the edge of his cloak.
WHOOSH!
“It’s coming!”
Upon Kall’s shout, Eliza gripping the reins of the Wind Wyvern shouted.
“Hold on tight!”
WHOOSH!
The Wind Wyvern began descending at an incredible speed.
Erebus, chasing them to turn Kall into ashes, pursued Kall and Eliza.
“Why is it only after you?”
“How should I know?”
“Well then! The world’s greatest calamity has acknowledged that the person posing the greatest threat to it is you! Pretty proud of that, aren’t you?”
“Does this look good to you? Does this look like something to take pride in?!”
“Hold on tight!”
CRACK!
Kall firmly gripped Eliza’s waist and pressed his body against hers.
Eliza unleashed her mana.
CRACKLE! CRACKLE!
Before Kall could react in surprise, pure white lightning enveloped the entire Wyvern.
“What is this?!”
“Copying Leo Flove!”
Eliza, who had continuously been exposed to the essence of lightning by Leo, had started storing lightning within her mana at some point.
A mana originally attuned to the Pegasus.
Though not the essence of lightning itself, Eliza’s potential was gradually opening up.
And now it has awakened.
ROAAR!
The Wind Wyvern began outpacing Erebus.
Upon seeing this, Kall shouted.
“Chloe!”
At that moment.
ZIIIING!
The world froze.
Just for an instant.
Even Erebus, weakened by Lumeran’s attack,
SSSSSSSSS~
There was no one around Chloe who activated her magic.
Because anyone who approaches freezes.
Frost began to rise from Chloe’s body.
“Is it possible to implement an ice magic of this magnitude through magic alone?”
Lunia’s expression of astonishment made Eiran gulp.
“Judging by the purity of mana… it’s comparable to an Ice Spirit.”
“What? Chloe Mueller is a pure wizard, isn’t she!”
“This is a magic that Lady Luna left with Chloe. It’s known to grant access to the domain of Ice Spirits.”
“Unbelievable.”
Not only the magic formula created by Luna but also Chloe’s completion of such an absurd magic formula was remarkable.
ZIIING!
At that moment, cracks began to form on the ice.
CRACK! BOOM!
Erebus broke through the ice and persistently chased Kall.
Seeing this, Ar stomped her feet in frustration.
“Hey! Why does that fireball only chase Kall? There’s nothing we can do!”
Ar wasn’t slow either.
But compared to Eliza, she fell short.
Moreover, Eliza, as a summoner, was most suitable for protecting Kall while evading Erebus.
“Thanks to him, we’ve had it easier, haven’t we.”
Abad smiled as he swirled his hand.
Upon his cue, Chelsea closed her eyes and slightly opened her mouth.
“Ahhh-”
As Chelsea began singing, the surrounding mana started to fluctuate.
This too was a magic left by Luna for the two of them.
The shadowless spear magic and the magic that controlled the surrounding winds with her voice.
Both of their magics converged at the tip of Celia’s sword.
WHOOSH!
The flames of Zerdinger and the winds of LeWalyn combined to form a massive flame.
“Perfectly timed.”
ROAAAR! WHOOSH!
Lunia grinned as she used the Flaming Empress.
The pure white flames engulfed Zerdinger’s flames and grew even mightier.
Thanks to Kall and Eliza’s delay, they had completed an attack of tremendous power.
“The question is how we hit Erebus with this.”
“I’ll do it!”
Ar boldly stepped forward but Driana grabbed the back of Ar’s neck.
“You’re already severely injured.”
“But who else can endure it when this magic is enchanted other than m…”
“I’ll do it.”
Everyone’s eyes widened.
There stood Lumeran.
To Lumeran, who was standing there, Eiran anxiously questioned.
“Master Lumeran, are you alright? You shouldn’t strain yourself.”
“I’m fine.”
Lumeran raised his sword.
“There isn’t much time, so it’s your call.”
Lunia, who was engulfed in the Flaming Empress flames, nodded.
ROAAAR!
Lumeran’s sword was imbued with the Flaming Empress’ flames.
Confirming this, Lumeran bent his knees.
WHAAM!
Lumeran leaped towards Erebus.
WHOOSH!
Feeling the black flames from behind, Kall firmly grasped the staff in his hand.
-Stop the foolish resistance and give up.
The mocking voice of Erebus was heard.
To which Kall flipped off the voice with his middle finger from behind.
“You give up!”
“Yeah.”
“!”
-Eh? Lumeran?
On hearing the sudden voice from behind, Kall’s eyes widened and Erebus’ face contorted.
“Learning quite a lot from your students, aren’t you?”
WHOOSH!
Lumeran raised his sword.
“Eliza!”
Upon hearing Kall’s hurried shout, Eliza turned the wyvern at that spot.
“Reliable.”
Watching this, Lumeran grinned and thrust his sword into Erebus.
WHOOSH!
The black flames and white flames mixed, distorting Erebus’ body for an instant.
And in that gap,
A pitch-black sphere akin to a void could be seen.
“GRAAAH!”
Kall plunged his staff straight into the void.
WHOOSH!
At that moment,
The Catastrophe Flames scattered and disappeared.
“We won!”
Kall clenched his fist and shouted.
Seeing this, the hero candidates watching also cheered.
Kyle watching the heroic aspirants’ fight from the ground smiled.
“Excellent.”
![[TS] The Protagonist is Conquered](https://i3.wp.com/novelhitam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/1743806812-5548-TS-The-Protagonist-is-Conquered.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] The Protagonist is Conquered")
