Book 1 Chapter 470

Boom—!

The entire vicinity trembled violently as Ril brought down her massive warhammer. Deeply attuned to her emotional state, the elemental entities mirrored her intense fury. Observing this display, Leo could not help but admire her talent.

‘The level of harmony she shares with her bound spirits is truly staggering.’

A true summoner relies on extracting the absolute peak of their elemental partners’ strength. Merely securing a contract with a greater spirit amounts to nothing if the summoner fails to unleash that entity’s latent capabilities. In the art of summoning, nothing carries more weight than this specific resonance.

Ril possessed such a profound connection with her spirits that her internal feelings directly dictated their actions.

‘Most mages chase after superior entities to artificially inflate their power. Yet, this approach is classic Ril. She focused entirely on mastering the fundamentals.’

Dedicating oneself to tireless, invisible labor is a rare trait.

‘It makes perfect sense why people label her a freak of nature.’

While Leo remained lost in thought, Setian released a disdainful breath.

“Hmph. The elite chosen to represent Lumern certainly possess foul tempers.” He shook his head slowly. “You must understand the weight of your title. Being the face of Lumern is a grave responsibility.”

Directing a freezing glare toward Leo, Setian continued. “Particularly you, Leo Flov. Having achieved the status of a hero, it is your duty to serve as an exemplary figure for the public—”

Crash—!

“…!”

A sudden, blinding flash of energy erupted from Leo‘s blade, tearing straight toward Setian‘s throat. Reacting in an instant, a nearby warrior from the Justice Guild raised her shield to intercept the lethal blow. The strike had materialized in a mere fraction of a second, causing the energy-infused shield to vibrate under the sheer force.

“Incredible strength…” The female knight adjusted her stance, her features stiffening as she glared at Leo.

“Do you honestly think now is the time to lecture me?”

Thump.

Leo shifted his weight forward, advancing toward the ranks of the Justice Guild.

‘In terms of pure martial prowess, Zoren is the biggest threat among them.’

He cast a brief look toward Zoren, who was currently locked in a fierce exchange with Ril. True to the reputation of Lumern graduates, the man was an exceptional combatant.

‘An experienced fighter forged in the fires of endless combat. The rest of his squad isn’t lacking either.’

Twisted ideologies aside, they still belonged to the elite ranks of the celebrated Justice Guild. Leo scanned the four remaining opponents with his crimson eyes.

‘A well-balanced squad: two Knight class, one Summoner, and one Mage.’

It was a flawless tactical arrangement. A sharp light flickered in Leo‘s ruby gaze, sending a minor shiver through the shield-bearing female warrior.

“Such unbridled malice. Your behavior is hardly fitting for a champion, Leo Flov.” Steeling her resolve, the woman hoisted her spear. “A true vanguard of justice must always illuminate the path for others—”

“You people have been droning on about being an example for far too long,” Leo interrupted calmly, propping his weapon against his shoulder. “I never asked for this mantle, nor do I care for it today.”

“You dare speak such blasphemy?”

“The modern definition of a hero doesn’t fit me at all.”

‘If a hero is defined as an individual who reshapes human history, guides society toward righteousness, and inspires the masses… then I am entirely wrong for the role.’

He possessed zero desire to fulfill such expectations.

“My primary motivation for entering Lumern was merely to investigate a private matter.” Leo smirked. “I never aspired to this title or sought the spotlight. It simply fell into my lap, I suppose.”

The members of the Justice Guild frowned deeply, their expressions hardening at his dismissive gesture.

“So it strikes me as rather absurd that you are lecturing me on how a paragon should behave.”

“You impudent… how can you diminish the sacred meaning of a champion?!”

“Does it even matter? Why waste energy overanalyzing a simple label?”

The female knight shook with pure outrage, a sentiment visibly shared by her companions. Indignation burned through the entire squad.

“A degenerate like you holding such an honorable title?! This is a travesty!”

“Your approval is irrelevant; the status is already mine,” Leo replied coolly.

“Never! You are an imposter! You lack every single quality required of a true protector! The divine entities made an egregious error when they etched your name onto the Hero Record! That explains why you do not possess an official alias!”

Disregarding her frantic screaming, Leo spoke with total apathy. “Regardless of your denial, I am still vastly superior to absolute garbage like you.”

“Absurdity!”

Setian‘s rage boiled over.

“Achieving such renown so early in life has stripped away your perspective. A hollow shell who lacks morals, let alone grand aspirations, visions, or driving desires, has no right to bear that mantle! Heroes are extraordinary figures! Only those prepared to sacrifice their very lives for humanity deserve such a distinction!”

Leo merely grinned at the furious rant.

‘He isn’t wrong about one thing: I never possessed those virtues.’

He recalled Lysinas‘s righteous soul, which craved illumination and fought to restore the vanished radiance. He thought of Luna‘s peculiar yet beautiful ambition to carpet the entire planet in blossoms. He remembered Arion‘s gentle vision of forging a safe haven where youth could thrive without fear. And Dwayno‘s magnificent dream of enveloping existence in aesthetic perfection.

Unlike his companions who were driven by such distinct callings, Kyle had never chased a specific purpose. He had merely allowed himself to drift along with the tides of fate. He yielded entirely to the grand progression of the world.

Though that passivity ultimately culminated in the preservation of reality, Leo remained plagued by questions.

‘Why was my existence designated as the ultimate antithesis to Erebus? Why was I granted a second life with my previous consciousness intact?’

Was it a random twist of fortune or preordained fate? He could not determine if it was an unavoidable path. Out of everyone, why had the universe selected him?

‘There had to be countless candidates far better qualified to wield this absolute authority.’

Someone akin to Lysinas would have been perfect.

‘As a savior of the cosmos, his character was infinitely more appropriate than my own.’

Shaking off the heavy reflections, Leo‘s expression shifted back to a wry smile.

‘Why overcomplicate matters? The sole objective is to preserve this reality—which I fought alongside my allies to protect—for those who follow. Furthermore…’

“You people are fundamentally mistaken.”

Leo focused on the heavily armored vanguard charging straight toward him.

‘So, it’s Mithril.’

The pristine, glowing metal gleamed brilliantly. Crafted from exceptionally refined Mithril heavy armor, it provided immense protection while maintaining agile movement. The warrior rapidly closed the distance, brandishing a longsword and an iron defense.

Behind the attacker, Setian chanted a complex spell as the conjurer materialized an elemental water spirit. Heavy concentrations of mana gathered at the tip of Setian‘s staff.

Splash—!

A massive geyser erupted violently from the earth, completely swallowing Leo‘s figure. The crushing force of the fluid threatened to tear a normal human body apart, but the onslaught was only beginning.

Crackle—!

The moment Setian finished his incantation, the fluid encasing Leo instantly transformed into solid ice. Securely bound within the frozen prison, Leo was rendered entirely helpless. Capitalizing on his paralysis, the energy-coated blade and spear thrust forward in perfect unison. It took only a heartbeat. Within that microscopic window, their synchronized assault execution was flawless.

“Allow me to teach you the true depth of reality!” Setian bellowed.

Right then, deep within the glacial cocoon, a grin broke across Leo‘s face.

Shatter—!

Visible fractures rapidly spread across the frozen block.

Boom—!

The structure exploded outward into fragments, liberating Leo instantly. The incoming weapons sliced harmlessly through empty air where he had been standing.

Bang—!

Dropping low to evade the crossing trajectories, Leo hurled his own blade with immense velocity.

Thwack—!

“Gah?!”

Flying faster than the eye could track, the steel embedded itself deeply into the conjurer’s shoulder, severing the arm cleanly from the socket.

Paying no mind to the incapacitated summoner who collapsed onto the dirt, Leo launched his fists toward the two warriors attempting to re-engage him.

Crunch—!

The moment his bare knuckles made contact with their steel and polearm, the armaments shattered into pieces like cheap glass.

“Impossible…!”

“How?!”

Sweeping past their exclamations of shock, Leo‘s heavy strikes slammed against the woman’s defense and the male warrior’s Mithril armor.

The female knight sneered, “This shield is forged from Adamantium! Its protection is absolute—”

Smash—!

The supposedly indestructible Adamantium barrier splintered effortlessly.

“No…!”

Boom—!

Leo‘s fist drove directly into her facial features. With her face shattered, she dropped lifelessly to the earth. Simultaneously, his opposite fist compressed the refined Mithril heavy armor as if it were mere parchment, tearing right through the metal. The male warrior, his breastplate heavily caved in, sprayed a fountain of crimson before collapsing onto the ground.

Having neutralized three high-ranking opponents in a single breath, Leo advanced toward Setian with an unreadable expression.

“Wh-What… what sorcery is this?!” Setian stammered, his jaw twitching violently.

Three elite operatives from the most renowned association of saviors had been thoroughly dismantled without offering any meaningful resistance. Observing Setian‘s sheer panic, Leo casually extended his hand.

“This is nothing more than rudimentary elemental manipulation.”

“What did you say?!”

“I merely replicated the technique of an old companion.” The ability he had just demonstrated was modeled directly after Lysinas‘s signature elemental arts. “I suppose it all comes down to the mastery of fundamentals.”

Leo looked down at his open palm where minor elementals of wind and water manifested, crossing their tiny limbs proudly.

“A typical summoner is rendered completely helpless the moment they lose control of their entities,” Leo remarked, glancing over at the unconscious caster. “He specialized in fluid manipulation, but I simply ordered my own entities to disrupt his bond. His level of resonance was laughably fragile.”

Even though the opponent had tied themselves to a high-ranking entity, severing such a poorly maintained pact was elementary.

“As for martial warriors, no matter how heavily they coat their gear in spiritual energy, shattering their equipment leaves an immediate opening. Therefore, I employed elemental decay to compromise the integrity of their armor and armaments.”

“Mithril and Adamantium possess absolute resistance to rust and degradation…!” Setian yelled.

“With a basic comprehension of alchemical principles, altering the molecular traits of even the most durable alloys is trivial. Naturally, this strategy would fail against someone who has flawlessly condensed their internal energy.”

Step.

Leo closed the distance to Setian.

“Your incantations suffer from the same flaw. I commanded minor entities to disrupt the core structure of your formation, preventing it from manifesting at full capacity. The execution was clumsy. Have you neglected your foundational theoretical research?”

“How dare you mock our efforts?! This cannot be! You are relying on some forbidden heritage! This is unjust! Why would the heavens bestow such extraordinary gifts upon a degenerate like you?! Why?! While I am left with nothing but mediocrity?!”

“Blame the divine all you want, but the reality is you people became complacent. That is precisely why you fell to a basic elemental trick that possesses nothing special about it,” Leo countered with a tone of deep annoyance.

In truth, the manipulation was far from rudimentary. While conceptually straightforward, execution demanded an absolute peak of synchronization, unparalleled magical intellect, and vast combat experience. It was a display that completely defied conventional magical laws. Yet, his assertion held true: the tactic would have failed completely against opponents with properly solidified fundamentals.

‘It serves as an ideal counter to individuals who chase superficial specializations while disregarding core training.’

Those who focus solely on immediate, tangible metrics invariably stumble due to an unstable baseline when facing true crises. Even without Leo‘s intervention, their internal flaws would have guaranteed their demise eventually on the path of great exploits.

“It is quite pathetic to preach about heroism when your worldview remains so incredibly narrow.”

“You arrogant brat!”

Crunch—!

“Gah—!”

Leo‘s boot slammed violently into Setian‘s sternum. As Setian dropped to the earth while coughing up blood, the light in his eyes rapidly dimmed.

“Witnessing people like you leaves a bitter taste in my mouth,” Leo murmured, his gaze darkening. “Countless individuals who sacrificed everything they had were never granted the chance to experience the tranquility they bought.”

Releasing a heavy sigh, Leo rubbed the back of his neck. “Then again, I undertook the task fully aware of the costs, so there are no real regrets.”

This sentiment was likely shared by every true savior of the realm. Leo directed his gaze toward the heavens, sensing distant eyes observing his actions from afar.

‘Even so, I am fully entitled to purge the garbage, am I not?’

A savage grin spread across his face as he extended an obscene gesture directly toward the sky. It was an unmistakable, direct challenge to the entirety of the Justice Guild.

“I am going to erase every last one of you. You worthless filth.”