Chapter 583

Swallowing hard, Karl stared at the quartet gathered before him.

Experiencing their presence up close, the sheer weight of it is genuinely overwhelming, isn’t it?

Five chairs were arranged in his line of sight.

Four were occupied, leaving a single one vacant.

SayRoon, the Mage of the Comet; Ajonia, the Great Warrior; Damian, the Indomitable.

These were the legendary figures who had rescued the realm three millennia prior, back when the disaster resurfaced.

They aren’t saying a word, yet the energy they radiate is staggering.

After a fleeting glance at LuMia, EiRan, and Driana, Karl’s eyes came to rest on the unoccupied chair.

It had to belong to LuMern.

Eventually, his focus shifted to the woman positioned right in the middle.

RoDia, the Dragon of Genesis.

Just as LeeSinass, the King of Wisdom, defined the Age of Calamity…

…RoDia was the defining figure when the disaster struck a second time.

Her legacy extended far beyond just assembling champions to vanquish the remnants of Erebus.

The first conqueror.

RoDia was the pioneer who uncovered the World of Heroes and successfully claimed it.

With a monumental feat like that, it makes sense she earned a title synonymous with creation itself.

Karl’s shoulders tensed under RoDia’s stare, feeling as though her eyes were looking straight through him.

“Cleary Jesiang, the student council president of LuMern.”

“You requested my presence, Lady RoDia, Dragon of Genesis?”

Karl offered a respectful nod as the woman began to speak.

“I’m sure you are aware that the Knight of Twilight, LuMern, is currently missing.”

RoDia squinted slightly.

“Do you possess any insight regarding this?”

Karl paused at the inquiry, carefully considering his response.

He lacked absolute certainty, but he harbored a strong suspicion regarding LuMern’s whereabouts.

The domain where God dwells.

However, he could not simply blurt that truth out to RoDia.

Knowledge of God’s presence wasn’t slated to surface for another three thousand years.

Bringing it up now would catastrophically warp the timeline.

Unless it concerns the Genesis heroes directly. This is a monumental secret that a simple student council president has no business knowing.

It felt slightly ironic to label the leader of the student body at LuMern Academy a “simple student council president,” yet when measured against the god-like entities in this room, the description was perfectly fitting.

“I have no idea.”

“Is that so? How entirely unfortunate, then.”

RoDia’s gaze momentarily clouded over before snapping back into sharp focus.

Chances are, absolutely no one is aware of God’s existence in this current era regardless.

The champions of Genesis forged an endless number of myths.

Yet, out of all those epics, the narrative that captivated the public most was undeniably that of LuMern.

This admiration wasn’t limited to humanity alone.

LuMern’s saga transcended all racial boundaries.

The explanation for this was remarkably straightforward.

Once the resurgence of the calamity had been quelled.

Out of the entire Genesis group, LuMern was the individual who traveled and explored the realm the most extensively.

RoDia studied the Hero Record within Dragonia, bequeathing her discoveries to those who would come after.

SayRoon took a fresh approach to star magic, cementing it as the distinct arcane art of the elves, whereas Damian poured his efforts into gathering and repairing the holy relics originally forged by Dweno.

As for Ajonia, his priority was mastering the skill to shift into a beast-person on command, akin to Arion.

The ‘Breath of the Valiant’ originated from the wisdom he imparted while developing this technique.

LuMern, however, was different.

While the others each possessed specific expertise to hand down to their successors…

…LuMern held nothing that demanded preservation for the ages to come.

Because Sir LuMern did not receive any innate abilities in Kyle’s world.

Lacking any inherited gifts meant he had nothing to bestow upon others.

Leo mentioned that Sir LuMern deeply wished to emulate him. It’s highly probable that Sir LuMern carried a heavy burden of guilt.

Guilt for his inability to mirror the Hero of the Beginning.

Guilt over failing to stand as a true successor to the Hero of the Beginning.

He likely held himself responsible for lacking the power to crush Erebus.

To the people of tomorrow, LuMern’s wanderings appeared to be a selfless quest to aid the downtrodden.

In truth, however, it was almost certainly an expedition to locate the gateway into Kyle’s world.

A desperate bid to secure the strength Kyle possessed.

And during that grueling search, he undoubtedly stumbled upon God.

Karl’s hands tightened into fists.

Knowing the Sir LuMern that I do, that perfectly aligns with his character.

Every soul navigating the Age of Heroes held a personal favorite among the legends.

Karl was no exception.

Ever since he was a boy, his most cherished idol had always been none other than LuMern.

A champion who rose from absolute obscurity and rescued the realm through sheer grit and personal effort.

Because I felt a kinship with him.

To a lad of low birth, such a figure naturally became the ultimate pinnacle of inspiration.

There was a period in his life when he obsessively devoured any scrap of lore tied to LuMern, whether it was a local myth or a formal historical text.

Thinking back on his boyhood days, Karl offered a self-deprecating smile.

Even as a kid, my aptitude wasn’t terrible. I was gifted enough to draw attention, yet far from being truly exceptional.

I had moments of childish arrogance where I strutted around, convinced I was destined for heroism.

However, a random encounter with a specific individual caused him to cleanly discard those delusions.

Our unfortunate royal.

Moira is a relatively minor kingdom.

Because of its size, its citizens were judged purely by their merits, stripping away the importance of social status.

That stands as our nation’s finest trait.

Because of this meritocracy, Karl—despite being a mere commoner born to alchemists who demonstrated early magical promise—was granted admission into the Moira National School.

It was on those grounds that he accidentally crossed paths with Duran during a campus tour.

Of course, he most likely has zero recollection of it.

Karl gave a slight shake of his head, momentarily revisiting that initial encounter with Duran.

Looking at Duran had forced a harsh realization upon him.

He finally understood the astronomical odds associated with becoming a true legend.

For whatever reason, my reverence for Sir LuMern faded a bit after that day. I grew up far too quickly for my own good.

From that moment forward, he ceased boasting about his heroic aspirations.

Eventually, he even stopped voicing his desire to emulate LuMern.

Yet, in my stubborn foolishness, I still pursued admission into LuMern.

He simply wanted to bridge the gap between himself and true greatness, even marginally.

He longed to be an individual who stood in LuMern’s proximity.

Thus, he set his sights on a supportive role and enrolled at LuMern.

Snapping out of his nostalgic reverie, Karl forced his mind back to the present.

The only thing that matters right now is tracking down Sir LuMern.

There was no doubt that LuMern was concealed somewhere within the campus grounds.

Moreover, God, Lian, was definitely hidden somewhere nearby as well.

“LuMern shoulders a ridiculously heavy burden of obligation. Even when the blame isn’t his to bear.”

RoDia unexpectedly released a soft breath of air.

Karl managed a weak smile at her observation.

“Indeed. Which is exactly why he wouldn’t simply vanish without a trace like this.”

“Exactly. Fading away like this doesn’t fit his profile.”

“He has to be somewhere within the school.”

“Yes. That is precisely why I brought the question to you.”

“Pardon?”

“……”

“I operated under the assumption that you possessed the answers.”

As the words left her lips, RoDia’s vision grew unfocused once more before returning to striking clarity.

Witnessing the subtle shift, an odd sensation crept over Karl.

RoDia continued to fixate on him, her stare feeling almost invasive.

Wait, this entire situation has been off from the very start.

The champions of Genesis share a loyalty and camaraderie that eclipses virtually any other group.

If measured purely by faith and mutual reliance, they stand shoulder to shoulder with the most illustrious legends.

Just a minute prior, when Karl had pleaded ignorance to RoDia’s inquiry…

RoDia hadn’t bothered to mask her blatant dissatisfaction.

Why would she expect a mere student council president to hold the answers to a mystery that even the heroes of Genesis cannot solve?

Furthermore, her subsequent demeanor was highly unusual.

And just now. Did she use plural phrasing? Addressing all of us, not just me.

She might have simply been referring to the student body at large.

Yet, an unshakable feeling of dread settled in his gut.

Connecting the dots, Karl swallowed hard.

“Lady RoDia… is it possible…?”

Swiftly, RoDia lifted a solitary index finger, pressing it against her lips.

The gesture left Karl utterly horrified.

She’s aware.

She knows they are residing within the World of Heroes.

She knows that she, RoDia, is nothing more than an imitation.

And she realizes that myself and the remaining Genesis heroes are actually conquerors! She understands the whole truth! What is happening? How hasn’t her mind shattered?!

According to the rules governing the World of Heroes, if a conqueror’s true identity is either exposed or deduced, the invasion of the realm instantly collapses in failure.

The instant an inhabitant of the World of Heroes discovers their own artificial nature, the cognitive dissonance should utterly obliterate their sanity, shouldn’t it?

Yet RoDia sat there, entirely composed.

Is she somehow immune to the system’s restrictions? No, the fact that she signaled me to stay silent implies the rules still apply.

Confusion painted Karl’s features.

However, he quickly drew in a steadying breath.

“Sir SayRoon, Sir Ajonia, Sir Damian.”

“……?”

“There is a matter I must discuss exclusively with Lady RoDia.”

Upon hearing his request, the trio shifted their attention to RoDia.

Receiving a silent nod of approval from her, the three figures vacated the space.

As they departed, they all shot Karl deeply bewildered looks, silently questioning, What exactly is your angle here?

A brief silence later, RoDia, now alone with him, offered a subtle smirk.

“You possess a sharp mind, young man.”

“I’ve always been rather perceptive, you see.”

“Indeed. I appreciate you clearing the room. My current condition is incredibly delicate, you understand? Could you please cut to the chase and tell me exactly what I want to hear?”

Karl delivered the answer without hesitation.

“Sir LuMern has departed in search of God, who is concealed somewhere within these school grounds.”

He may lack the raw aptitude of a champion, but his intellect is formidable.

A spark ignited in RoDia’s gaze as she studied Karl.

He had successfully diagnosed her perilous situation from the smallest of hints.

Not that the other conquerors were necessarily foolish, of course.

The breadcrumbs RoDia had scattered were infinitesimally small.

Had she provided any heavier intervention, RoDia wouldn’t have been able to vouch for her own mental stability.

To catch such a minuscule discrepancy and piece the entire puzzle together. His situational awareness is truly exceptional.

The exact second that thought crossed her mind.

[A system error has been detected. Initiating reboot of the record system…]

Clink-

The instant the notification materialized.

RoDia purposefully shattered her own consciousness.

The fractured psyche was instantaneously restored.

So this is the perspective of the inhabitants living inside the World of Heroes.

The central pillars of the World of Heroes are the specific entities capable of identifying the conquerors hiding within their realm.

The logic behind why a conquest abruptly terminates the moment they unmask a conqueror is quite basic.

The simulated inhabitant, driven utterly mad by the revelation, will violently and randomly lash out at everything in their vicinity.

RoDia herself remained ignorant of the precise inner workings of this law.

She had simply unearthed the truth through relentless trial and error.

If a pivotal figure native to the World of Heroes loses the capacity to facilitate the invasion, the mission inevitably crashes.

When a glitch surfaces, the reality crumbles. However, if the individual responsible for triggering the anomaly is eliminated, the reality sustains itself and marches onward.

This was yet another revelation she had extracted from her extensive studies of the Hero Record over a long period.

First and foremost, I am not the ruler of this domain.

LuMern, who had been present a mere day ago, had abruptly disappeared.

And the very second SayRoon, Ajonia, and Damian became aware that they weren’t the authentic heroes, but rather infiltrating conquerors…

…the trio launched a frantic manhunt for LuMern.

Had I been the primary objective of this invasion, they wouldn’t have acted with such intense desperation.

Reaching that logical conclusion triggered a system alert.

Upon witnessing it, RoDia obliterated her own sense of self without a second thought.

She had calculated that, even in the most catastrophic outcome where she perished within this simulation, the framework of the reality would hold steady.

Curiously, however, RoDia did not expire.

Whenever the alert triggers, it feels as though a fresh consciousness is forcibly overwriting the old one. The ego I just extinguished is the version of me destined to manifest the subsequent world once this current iteration concludes.

A chilly sweat beaded on RoDia’s skin as she puzzled out how she was managing to retain her identity.

Stumbling into a programming exploit and aggressively keeping the simulation afloat while holding onto her memories was an incredibly agonizing ordeal.

Her current survival method was the equivalent of committing psychological suicide each time a glitch threatened the system.

I have no idea how much more of this my brain can withstand.

The raw trauma of repeatedly fragmenting her own intellect lingered vividly.

I must dominate this realm as swiftly as I can, before catastrophic complications arise… wait, what?

A look of utter confusion washed over RoDia’s face.

The conqueror was already staring intently through the glass of the window.

And the blood had completely drained from his features.

“What is the matter?”

“Dark fire……”

“Pardon?”

“Are you blind to it? The inferno of calamity?!”

“What are you talking about?”

RoDia’s eyes blew wide open as she tracked the direction of Karl’s pointing finger.

[A system error has been detected. The record system…]

Clink-

Her consciousness grew dizzy and fragile from the recurring psychic self-destruction.

RoDia bit down hard on her lower lip, desperately anchoring herself to her slipping sanity.

“I do not see a thing.”

Karl’s expression turned to stone.

Is the phenomenon exclusively visible to the conquerors?!