Chapter 464

After the midday break.

The second-year cohort made their way to the tiered, circular lecture hall to attend a specialized session focused on hero studies.

Inside the room, Leo leaned his chin against his palm, deep in thought.

‘Why are the final resting places of heroes being targeted and desecrated?’

He couldn’t shake off the notice he had spotted on the bulletin board earlier during lunch.

‘The mere reality that it was pinned to the central plaza’s request board indicates that Lumern views it as an insignificant matter.’

It was a task that had been largely ignored, even by the academy administration.

Typically, that particular board was frequented by upperclassmen who were desperate for quest credit points—which only became available starting in the third year—to quickly pad their academic records.

Consequentially, the assignments posted there were generally low in both jeopardy and priority.

‘It seems this request has been gathering dust for quite a long time.’

Usually, when a task remains unresolved despite Lumern students being sent out, or if it sits abandoned for an extended period, the institution launches its own internal probe.

Should they uncover anything unusual, they instantly elevate the request’s official rank.

Then again, there are plenty of instances where such matters are simply left to fade away.

Assignments that aren’t necessarily hazardous but completely lack any solid leads are systematically passed over by the student body.

On rare occasions, eccentric individuals who harbor a passion for solving riddles might take them on, but the vast majority of students steer clear of anything that promises to consume too much of their time.

‘Most of the vandalized graves belonged to champions who have long since faded from public memory.’

Figures who performed miraculous feats during their lifetimes are celebrated by the generations that follow.

They are kept alive in memory by the descendants of those who owed them a debt of gratitude.

Yet, the people who directly benefited from a champion’s grace do not live on indefinitely.

As decades roll by, even the greatest figures are forgotten.

This is doubly true in the current era, where the precious Hero Records have been utterly decimated.

‘The legendary figures of old are erased from history. Even my own past identity has faded to that exact degree.’

And now, the resting places of those very figures were being violated.

It felt like a completely pointless provocation.

‘A true champion’s inheritance isn’t buried in a plot of dirt.’

A hero’s personal relic serves as the literal key required to unlock the Hero Records, meaning such items are never left carelessly unguarded in a common grave.

Because of this, there is absolutely nothing of value to be gained from robbing a hero’s tomb.

‘One could easily write it off as the erratic behavior of a lunatic.’

Yet, Leo was fully aware of a specific category of monsters that reanimate corpses to press-gang them into service as thralls.

‘Necromancers.’

Those profane practitioners who pledge their loyalty to the dread Lich King.

‘But trying to resurrect an individual who wielded cataclysmic might in life would carry an immense backlash for them, wouldn’t it? On top of that, binding and commanding a hero-tier entity should be completely outside the scope of the Lich King’s current domain, wouldn’t it?’

If this were the age when Erebus remained whole and unbroken, it might be a different story.

With the fractured state of the current Lich King’s authority, it should be an absolute impossibility to reanimate a departed soul who had achieved the pinnacle of heroism and force them into servitude.

‘What if the perpetrator behind these desecrations is truly that individual known as Hell Kaiser? Has he managed to evolve his magical arts entirely on his own? Or has he somehow unlocked the secret to channeling the raw energy of Erebus’s fragments?’

Leo’s features hardened, growing increasingly grim.

Right at that moment, the instructor commenced the lesson.

“At what point in history did our modern understanding of a hero truly take shape?”

Mel turned around gracefully, having just scrawled the prompt ‘What is a Hero?’ across the surface of the blackboard.

“Is there anyone present who would care to offer an answer?”

In an instant, a sea of hands shot up across the room.

Mel offered a warm, gentle smile to the enthusiastic crowd before singling out a particular individual.

“Student Rosetti, the floor is yours.”

Prompted by Mel’s invitation, the second-year student rose to their feet to reply.

“Our contemporary definition of a hero first took root roughly 5,000 years ago, following the conclusion of the cataclysmic Age of Calamity.”

“Ah, excellent. That is factually accurate when viewed from a broad historical perspective.”

Mel reached into a confection box resting beside the podium, retrieving a pastry and passing it down to the student.

“Wow.”

The recipient uttered a soft gasp of delight, quickly biting into the treat to discover what flavor or prize lay inside.

“I can’t help but wonder. What drives Professor Mel to hand out completely unpredictable incentives for speaking up in class?”

As Illiana murmured her confusion in a low whisper, Chloe offered an explanation.

“Scientific literature indicates that introducing unpredictable variables into a reward system can drastically optimize engagement and productivity.”

“I’ve come across that concept before. No matter how enticing a prize might be, individuals naturally become desensitized to it over time. Introducing a ‘randomized’ element keeps the psychological engagement high, doesn’t it?”

“Precisely.”

Chloe gave a firm nod of agreement to Chen Xia’s assessment.

“Where on earth do you two manage to track down and digest literature like that?”

While Illiana shook her head in sheer bewilderment, Mel pressed onward with the lecture.

“Would anyone care to elaborate further on that timeline? Ah, yes. Student Eliza, go ahead.”

“The precise framework of a hero that we recognize today truly consolidated 3,000 years ago, right at the dawn of the post-Age of Genesis era. These were exceptional figures who gained the unique ability to inherit the foundational techniques and powers of ‘predecessor’ champions by utilizing the Hero Records.”

“Flawless!”

“Oho!”

“Nicely done, our resident troublemaker~!”

A chorus of lighthearted cheers and teasing echoed from various sections of the lecture hall.

Eliza shot a sharp, warning glare toward the students who were poking fun at her, causing them to instantly look away and pretend to be busy.

Mel let out a soft, amused chuckle at the display before continuing.

“Just as Student Eliza beautifully articulated, during the 3,000 years prior to the Age of Genesis, humanity remained entirely oblivious to the existence of a higher realm of heroes. Consequently, that epoch bore witness to a far scarcer number of recognized champions compared to our time. Following the pivotal events of the Genesis, the registry of names etched into the Hero Records began to expand at an astronomical pace. It is precisely due to this explosion of legendary figures that the subsequent era is rightfully designated as the Age of Heroes in the truest sense of the phrase.”

“Fascinating.”

“So it turns out we are remarkably uneducated regarding the era of the Early Heroes that predated the Age of Genesis.”

“To be fair, the historical documentation regarding the champions of that specific timeframe is incredibly sparse.”

As the murmurs of realization rippled through the rows.

Mel clapped his palms together to recapture their attention.

“Very well, shall we dive into our reading material for the day? Let’s see… who shall I pick… Student Kal?”

“Ah! Yes, sir?!”

Kal jumped as if he had been struck by lightning, bolting upright in his desk.

His panicked, high-pitched response reverberated off the walls of the circular auditorium.

“If you would be so kind, please read aloud from page 372 of . Specifically, focus on the passage titled ‘Heroes of the Past and Heroes of the Present’.”

“Yes! R-Right away! Let me just…”

Clunk! Chatter!

“Ah?!”

“There is no rush. Take your time.”

In his absolute panic, Kal fumbled with his textbook, accidentally knocking his writing instruments off his desk in a messy clatter.

Subtle snickers and muffled laughter broke out across the room.

Abad, positioned at the very front row of the Noble Dorm section, watched the display with a deep squint.

“What in the world has gotten into Kal today?”

“Pfft, it’s obvious the idiot was fast asleep and got caught off guard.”

Duran let out a mocking snort.

Eliza, who was casually reshaping her nails with a file in the back row, chimed in with a dismissive tone.

“That is entirely out of character for him. He’s usually so collected. To see him turning into a nervous wreck over a simple reading task is bizarre.”

Hearing their commentary, Kal screamed at the top of his lungs in the privacy of his own mind.

‘How can any of you clueless fools remain calm when there is a literal Dragon Lord standing right at the front of the room?!’

During their previous mission involving the Erebus containment.

Chelsea and Kal had completely by accident stumbled upon the reality that Mel was secretly a Dragon Lord.

Naturally, neither Chelsea nor Kal harbored any desire to commit social suicide by blabbing that secret to the world.

Even so, the two of them had been pulled aside and summoned to Mel’s private quarters just before this very period.

‘I am fully confident that you two bright students possess the discretion not to broadcast my true nature, but I must insist that you remain exceptionally guarded going forward.’

Recalling how Mel had flashed a playful wink while beaming at them, Kal had attempted to maintain his trademark cool exterior while asking a hypothetical.

‘Hypothetically speaking… what would happen if a slip of the tongue occurred and the secret got out?’

In response to that nervous inquiry, Mel had tapped his chin with his index finger, adopting a look of mock contemplation before flashing a brilliant smile.

‘In that case, I will have no choice but to discipline you.’

The “discipline” Mel had envisioned was entirely harmless—something akin to making them stand in the corner of his study with their arms raised for a few minutes.

Unfortunately for Kal, who possessed zero context for the instructor’s sense of humor, hearing the phrase “I will discipline you” drop from the lips of a Dragon Lord—the absolute pinnacle of existential might on the planet—sounded like an absolute death sentence.

Mel had easily picked up on the fact that Kal was misinterpreting his words based on the boy’s petrified expression, but he found the sheer terror so entertaining that he chose not to correct the misunderstanding.

“What an absolute buffoon.”

Chelsea pressed her palm against her forehead, shaking her head in deep second-hand embarrassment.

In the meantime, Kal managed to flip to the correct section of his textbook, drew a massive stabilizing breath, and began to speak.

“The champions who emerged following the Age of Genesis can essentially be viewed as the spiritual heirs to the Heroes of Genesis. If we accept this premise, then whose legacy were those individuals claiming when they rose to greatness during the two-millennium void separating the end of the Age of Calamity from the dawn of the Age of Genesis?”

Kal’s projection grew steady and clear as he recited the text, his words carrying clearly through the hall.

“…The legendary figures operating within the Age of Early Heroes secured their everlasting positions within the Hero Records entirely through the merit of their independent prowess. In contrast, the champions of our contemporary era rely heavily on an arsenal of pre-established hero skills. Consequently, it is my firm conviction that one cannot definitively claim modern champions hold any inherent superiority over their ancient counterparts.”

The moment Kal reached the end of the designated excerpt, he tentatively shifted his gaze back to Mel, who offered a validating nod.

Exhaling a massive sigh of relief, Kal finally slumped back into his chair.

“Which historical period bred the more formidable champions? This remains one of the most fiercely contested debates within academic circles. It is worth noting, however, that whenever this particular subject is brought to the floor at a major scholarly symposium, the discourse regularly moves past mere intellectual disagreement and evolves into violent altercations, occasionally culminating in formal duels.”

“Are you serious? Actual physical brawls break out among buttoned-up academics?”

The listening students murmured in absolute skepticism.

“A simple fistfight is considered mild. It is far from uncommon for actual blades to be drawn on the convention floor.”

While the lecture hall plunged into stunned silence at the revelation of just how bloodthirsty historical researchers could be, Mel smoothly transitioned into the interactive portion of the lesson.

“The scholar behind posits that the ancient vanguard stood on equal footing with the titans of the modern age, yet this perspective remains a decidedly fringe theory within mainstream academia. What is your personal take on the matter, Student Kal?”

“I am of the mind that the author’s logic is entirely infallible, a hundred times over.”

As Kal shot out his instantaneous response, Eliza paused her nail filing in the row behind him to voice her disagreement.

“With all due respect to our ancient ancestors, I find myself completely unable to back that perspective. Is it not basic logic that contemporary champions, who have the luxury of inheriting the refined martial essences of thousands of legendary figures, would naturally dwarf the strength of those who came before?”

“That seems like the only logical conclusion.”

“When we talk about the champions of that primordial era, who are the primary figures we even have to reference?”

The entire auditorium dissolved into a flurry of overlapping debates.

“Very well, let us look at the early and late epochs side by side. Why don’t we evaluate the two most universally recognized figures from each period?”

Observing the rising engagement of his audience, Mel raised a piece of chalk and chalked two distinct identities onto the dark board.

<Fairy Berkhia. Knight,>

<Twilight Knight, Lumern.>

The raucous arguments ceased instantly as the students stared at the names of the two monolithic figures who commanded the highest tier of historical reverence across the globe.

The former was immortalized as one of the definitive Three Great Elven Sages, while the latter stood tall as a pillar among the Heroes of Genesis.

Attempting to weigh these two against each other was an academic minefield.

“These two individuals are universally acknowledged as the supreme magic swordsmen to have ever drawn breath, not merely within their respective timelines, but across the entire continuum of the Age of Heroes. Additionally, Lord Berkhia had the privilege of being trained directly by a Great Hero, while Lord Lumern was chosen to inherit the raw essence of a Great Hero. Setting aside the obvious divergence in their ancestral races, they mirror each other in a shocking number of biographical details.”

Mel’s lips curved into a subtle, knowing grin.

“So I ask the room—between these two paragons, who do you deduce possesses the superior martial might?”

“When you think about it, wouldn’t Lord Lumern have the edge since he stood on the front lines against Erebus itself?”

“Besides, we barely possess any concrete historical documentation detailing the exploits of Lord Berkhia, right?”

The prevailing sentiment among the desks heavily leaned toward favoring the legacy of Berkhia.

Chen Xia, who had been quietly monitoring the shifting consensus, turned her head slightly to address Leo.

“What is your assessment of the situation, Young Master Leo?”

“Let me think…”

Forced to temporarily shelve his dark theories regarding the Lich King, Leo folded his arms over his chest and began to critically analyze the matchup.

Leo possessed firsthand experience of what Seirun and Rodia were capable of.

‘The two of them commanded a tier of destructive power that defied comprehension.’

The core Heroes of Genesis had never truly been overpowered by the fractured entities of Erebus.

‘The specific fragments that were brought to heel and entombed by the Heroes of Genesis were infinitely more terrifying than the lone shard that managed to break its shackles recently. The original Heroes of Genesis utterly dominated those threats in direct combat.’

The solitary reason those legendary figures had fallen short of completely erasing Erebus’s fragments from existence boiled down to the primordial entity’s absolute immortality.

An entity that could endlessly reconstitute its form and burn anew.

Their crusade only stalled because their ranks lacked an anomaly like the Hero of the Beginning, who commanded the unadulterated, specialized mana signature capable of permanently severing Erebus’s cycle of resurrection.

Leo, mentally weighing the martial thresholds of Seirun and Rodia, conjured up the memory of his own pupil just prior to setting out on their final, fateful campaign.

‘The sheer output of Seirun and Rodia was undeniably a step above Berkhia, at least based on my final memories of my disciple’s capabilities. As a peer who stood shoulder to shoulder with them among the Heroes of Genesis, Lumern’s ultimate combat capacity wouldn’t have varied drastically from theirs. And yet.’

Having systematically aligned his memories and historical metrics, Leo finally opened his mouth to deliver his conclusion.

“It would be an exercise in futility to try and declare one superior to the other.”