Chapter 522

As evening approached, whispers regarding Kaodin’s humiliating conduct within the Department of Knighthood resonated across the entire expanse of Lumerne.

Under ordinary circumstances, Lumerne would have erupted into absolute chaos.

The prospect of a recognized champion deploying violent force against prospective heroes was a matter of utmost gravity.

Yet, despite the severe nature of the occurrence, Lumerne remained strangely hushed.

The quiet persisted solely because Kaodin, the central figure of the scandal, had been transported to the medical ward in a utterly battered condition.

“Even so, I remained anxious that the class representative might face disciplinary action over this, given how mercilessly the other party was thrashed. What a massive relief.”

“That is because the other fellow was the one who initiated the commotion in the first place. Furthermore, he is likely well aware of how degrading the whole thing is, so he will undoubtedly keep his lips sealed. Still, the information circulated far more rapidly than I anticipated, didn’t it?”

“Indeed. Karl became aware of it the moment our lectures concluded.”

Karl had already established himself as a premier informant within the walls of Lumerne.

Once a piece of news found its way to Karl’s ears, it was bound to saturate all of Lumerne within moments.

In fact, it was highly probable that the account had already drifted into Lumeria City itself.

“Naturally, I am the individual who leaked it.”

Leo offered a soft grin as he observed Illiana snickering to herself.

Right at that moment, Karl and Eliza made their entrance into the living quarters’ dining hall.

Illiana, who was currently skewering a meatball with her utensil and placing it into her mouth, spotted the pair and narrowed her gaze suspiciously.

“There is something highly peculiar going on with those two as of late.”

As she muttered this with the savory morsel still tucked inside her cheek, speaking in a highly distrustful manner, Chloe, seated right beside her, adopted a bewildered expression.

“What do you mean?”

“Have you not observed that they have been associating with one another far more frequently these days? Additionally, Karl appears to be subtly looking after Eliza.”

“Karl habitually looks after others in a subtle manner, though.”

Chloe tilted her head slightly, silently questioning what could possibly be deemed unusual about such behavior.

Chen Shia and Eiran, who were sharing the meal alongside them, gave affirmative nods in full agreement.

Confronted by the collective skepticism of the three, Illiana clicked her tongue in sharp disapproval and waved her digit back and forth.

“This is precisely why top-tier scholars who do nothing but study fail to perceive the obvious. I can sense it plainly. The sweet yet bittersweet aroma drifting from the pair of them.”

Following her declaration, the three female scholars directed their attention toward Karl and Eliza once more.

Karl nonchalantly offered greetings to passing acquaintances, while Eliza remained entirely focused on her platter, acting as though she possessed no interest in her surroundings.

Suddenly, Karl initiated a playful jest aimed at Eliza.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Eliza gripped Karl firmly by his collar, prompting Karl to instantly plead for clemency.

“It appears entirely ordinary to me?”

“You are simply blind to the signs. A romance blooming between a lady born of high nobility and a gentleman of modest origins. It is a classic narrative trope, possessing a rich historical lineage and traditional backing.”

“Exclusively within the pages of literature. What relevance does that have to the two of them?”

“Hmph, I shall disclose a major confidence to you, Chloe, seeing as you remain entirely unconvinced.”

Illiana dropped her voice to a low whisper.

“I distinctly witnessed the two of them departing in tandem during the twilight hours of the early morning not long ago. Moreover, both of them have appeared remarkably fatigued recently, have they not? They are unquestionably indulging in a clandestine nighttime meeting!”

“A—a clandestine nighttime meeting?”

Eiran gulped nervously.

“Shhh—keep your voice down.”

Illiana swiftly cast a wary glance across the immediate vicinity.

Monitoring her behavior, Leo interjected,

“No such event is taking place.”

“How can you be so certain of that, Class Representative?”

“Because I was present alongside them.”

“Gasp! C—could it be that all three of you were together?!”

Thump—!

“Gasp!”

Illiana, amidst her overly theatrical exclamation, received a sharp strike to her flank from Chen Shia and tumbled straight onto the ground.

For a brief instance, the collective gazes of everyone occupying the dining hall shifted directly toward Illiana.

However, upon recognizing that it was merely Illiana who had suffered the fall, they detachedly went right back to consuming their food.

“Class Representative! Shia struck me!”

Illiana, having hoisted herself back up, lodged a complaint with Leo while wearing a thoroughly sorrowful countenance.

“You receive such treatment precisely because you utter such bizarre fabrications.”

When Chen Shia offered a serene smirk, Illiana gasped loudly and sought refuge directly behind Leo’s frame.

Faced with her antics, Leo tore off a portion of a loaf of bread and consumed it before offering his input.

“Karl is merely assisting Eliza with her physical conditioning.”

“Ugh, how incredibly tedious.”

Illiana muttered under her breath and returned to her seat.

“Regardless, that comes as quite a surprise. Engaging in physical conditioning during the twilight hours. Her public persona is a far cry from being industrious.”

As Illiana expressed her astonishment, Leo remarked,

“It would be highly irregular for a conjurer of her specific caliber to lack industry. In any case, refrain from circulating baseless rumors. Eliza is not someone who will permit such things to pass unaddressed.”

Sparks—!

At that subsequent twilight.

Eliza pressed her lips together with immense force against the fundamental power of lightning and thunder that blanketed her entire physical form.

Crackleglow, crackleglow, crackleglow—!

“Ugh!”

She felt on the verge of shedding her awareness entirely due to the blinding intensity of the pristine lightning and thunder.

Yet, through sheer willpower, Eliza managed to withstand it.

Zap—!

The moment the fundamental power of lightning and thunder faded away, Eliza released a ragged, breathless gasp.

She confined the fundamental power of lightning and thunder, which sought to break free by exploiting her inner energy, deep within her own physical form as tightly as she could manage.

‘A mere thirty seconds.’

Eliza squeezed her hands into tight fists.

Observing her performance, Leo narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

‘The spiritual receptacle is expanding at an astonishing velocity.’

Even though he had recommended a rather unrefined training approach involving the direct acceptance of the fundamental power of lightning and thunder, he had not anticipated such immense progression of her spiritual receptacle within such a brief window of time.

Directing his gaze toward Eliza, Leo spoke,

“Highly impressive.”

“I have no requirement for vacant praise.”

“My words are entirely genuine.”

No tangible consequences were visible to the naked eye just yet.

Nevertheless, Eliza was undeniably advancing in strength.

Naturally, this was achievable only through the assistance provided by Leo, yet converting that external aid into her personal capability was an entirely separate matter.

“If that is truly the case, shall we proceed to the subsequent phase of your instruction?”

Upon hearing Leo’s query, Eliza adopted a visibly apprehensive posture.

Even her current regimen subjected her to excruciating physical agony.

However, Eliza had fully anticipated that the training orchestrated by Leo would not conclude at this current tier.

‘If merely tolerating physical distress were sufficient to attain might, then no mortal would ever fail to become powerful.’

The fundamental power of lightning and thunder brought forth not merely physical torment, but intense psychological distress as well.

It represented a force that even Pegasi found immensely difficult to endure.

Welcoming and tolerating such a force within a mortal frame served as absolute validation of how unyielding Eliza’s psychological fortitude truly was.

‘Once her strength expands further, the vast majority of psychological assaults will fail to impact her. I have entertained this notion previously, but Eliza represents a spiritual receptacle perfectly capable of forging pacts with an endless number of mystical creatures.’

Leo focused his gaze on Eliza and set his inner energy into motion.

Whir—! Sparks—!

Billows of inner energy rippled rapidly all around Leo’s position.

Eliza’s eyes widened in sheer astonishment at the sight unfolding before her.

“This is…?”

“Manifest yourself.”

Crackleglow, crackleglow, crackleglow—!

Pristine white lightning and thunder erupted violently.

Simultaneously, a complex summoning sigil materialized on the ground, and within its boundaries emerged a lady possessing cascading, pristine white tresses—Arti, her arms crossed defiantly.

“A Pegasus.”

Eliza inhaled sharply in absolute awe of the creature.

Arti, observing her with a completely blank countenance, represented the absolute pinnacle of Eliza’s idealized vision of a Pegasus.

Arti, having stepped out from the summoning sigil, directed a brief look at Leo.

Then, without warning, she threw herself directly at Leo’s lower limbs.

“Lord! At what moment will you grant the pristine white lightning and thunder to me?! To allow a mere adolescent novice to relish it exclusively! You possess a truly merciless heart!”

Crack—!

In that exact instant, Eliza perceived the distinct sound of something incredibly precious fracturing within her own mind.

Believing her vision had deceived her, she rubbed her eyelids repeatedly.

Yet, the magnificent mystical creature, a Pegasus, remained firmly attached to Leo’s lower limbs, displaying a thoroughly weeping countenance.

“Release your grip.”

Leo swung his leg outward, attempting to dislodge Arti with a thoroughly irritated expression.

However, even as she was pulled ungracefully across the surface of the floor, Arti merely babbled absurdities such as, “Ohh! To handle me in such a violent manner! Truly fitting for my Lord!” while reveling in the treatment.

Karl likewise stared open-mouthed at Arti’s entirely unforeseen behavior.

“F—falsehoods… It is a total fabrication. There is simply no way. A magnificent mystical creature, a Pegasus, could never conduct itself in such a common fashion.”

Eliza clutched her skull, dropped down into a low crouch, and spoke in a thoroughly stunned whisper.

“Hey, listen, are you doing alright?”

“Karl Thomas. This is merely an illusion, is it not? It must be, correct?”

“…It bears all the markings of actual reality.”

“No, it is unequivocally an illusion. Pray, strike my jawline. To liberate me from this illusion.”

“You will only fly into a rage, however.”

“It is of no consequence, it remains an illusion regardless.”

Confronted by her declaration, Karl hesitated for a moment, then delivered a strike to Eliza’s jawline with just enough force to produce a sharp sting.

“…”

Eliza caressed her jawline a few times, then immediately adopted a thoroughly wrathful expression.

“My face, which even my biological authors have never once struck! How dare you lay a hand on me!”

“I explicitly informed you that it was no illusion! And you gave your word that you would not fly into a rage!”

It was at that juncture that Karl, thoroughly panicked, retreated hastily to escape Eliza’s wrath.

“Eliza.”

Whir—!

Leo closed the distance to Eliza and extended his open hand toward her.

Upon his skin, a miniature, pristine white covenant sigil lay displayed.

Eliza’s eyes dilated in immense surprise at the sight.

“This is… Could it be that you have successfully altered the covenant sigil utilized for a Pegasus?”

“Indeed. You shall exist in a transient covenant arrangement for a brief window of time. Attempt to direct this individual while in that state.”

Eliza locked her gaze intently upon Leo.

‘He must command an unfathomable mastery over summoning sorcery to be capable of altering a covenant sigil in such a fashion, but…’

“It is truly extraordinary, yet you fail to grasp the reality. Even if it constitutes a mandate from a blood ally, would a Pegasus, possessing the immense arrogance inherent to their kind, ever consent to a transient covenant with an individual deemed entirely deficient? It would never permit itself to be—”

“A—are you attempting to reassign me to a completely different conjurer at this very moment?!”

Arti shrieked loudly before Eliza could even complete her thought.

“Do you observe?”

As Eliza let out a weary breath, Arti shrieked once more,

“To depart from my Lord’s stewardship and be directed by an entirely different conjurer… and by a deficient novice no less… I feel as though I am being thoroughly corrupted! Truly magnificent! Listen here, novice. Attempt to direct me!”

“…”

Eliza felt a vital piece of her inner world completely disintegrate, covered her facial features with her hands, and wept softly.

“For your information, she is an anomaly. The remaining members of the Pegasus species are entirely standard in their behavior.”

It was at that moment that Leo released a soft breath and attempted to offer words of solace to Eliza.

Flash—! Thrum, thrum, thrum—!

Without warning, an immense pressure erupted from the earth and soared directly into the firmament.

The attentions of Leo, Eliza, and Karl immediately converged on the origin of the pressure.

“Hold on a moment. Is that not the precise coordinates where the Hero Dungeon manifested?”

Karl bellowed with an entirely panicked countenance.

A Hero Dungeon that had without warning materialized within the boundaries of Lumerne.

The purpose behind its manifestation, and the specific champion whose reality it represented.

Within Lumerne, figures of authority were exerting their maximum efforts to probe the enigmatic Hero Dungeon.

Yet, for an immense pressure to suddenly be unleashed from that location…

“An error of immense proportions must have transpired.”

Eliza asserted in an unyielding tone.

Crackleglow, crackleglow, crackleglow—!

Pristine white lightning and thunder flared dramatically across Arti’s physical form.

Leo seized Eliza and Karl by their forearms and hoisted them onto the back of Arti, who had now assumed her magnificent true dimensions.

Leo directed his words toward Karl, who occupied the position directly behind him,

“Karl, maintain a firm grip.”

“Ah, understood! Eliza!”

As Karl spoke, anchoring himself to Leo’s midsection, Eliza, who sat at the absolute rear of the mount, let out a mocking sound.

“I am a professional tamer of mystical creatures. Expend no concern on my behalf, focus entirely on your own safety!”

With those assertions, Leo pulled firmly upon the leather straps.

Flash—!

Arti transformed into a brilliant beam of illumination, carving her path directly through the midnight sky.

Leo, having navigated to the precise area where the Hero Dungeon manifested in the briefest of moments, cast his gaze downward toward the terrain below.

The surrounding territory had been completely pulverized into a desolate wasteland.

The instructional staff of Lumerne along with visiting champions within Lumerne were currently engaged in a confrontation with a subterranean dweller.

Evaluating the circumstances, the individual responsible for this entire catastrophe was unequivocally that subterranean dweller.

“Hey, hold on a moment.”

Right then, Karl spoke with a thoroughly stunned voice.

Eliza likewise opened her eyelids to their fullest extent.

“That individual is…”

Leo similarly narrowed his gaze upon recognizing the highly familiar countenance.

A subterranean dweller whom he was encountering for the very first time on this specific day.

Yet, it was a subterranean dweller whose image he had encountered on numerous occasions within historical volumes.

Three millennia in the past.

There existed a warrior who had engaged in countless conflicts during the secondary manifestation of the great calamity.

A warrior who had attempted to halt the relentless progression of Erebus and Tartarus entirely through his personal efforts.

However, there were distinct restrictions to what a singular individual could achieve.

He endured downfall after downfall.

Nonetheless, though he might have experienced immense despondency and brokenness, that subterranean dweller invariably marched back toward the front lines of combat.

A warrior who perpetually and resolutely shielded the vanguard for all of mankind.

Consequently, the inhabitants of the world designated him by this title:

“Damian the Indomitable.”