Chapter 589

Under the direct gaze of the ancient malevolence, Cale felt a deep shiver race across his skin.

‘This is completely different.’

He had encountered Erebos directly before this moment.

He had even played an indirect role in previous conflicts against him.

Yet, the overwhelming dread pressing down on Cale now bore no resemblance to his past encounters.

His lungs instinctively seized.

Erebos had not launched a specific assault or made a sudden movement.

He had merely focused his attention on the mortal named Cale.

But that simple act of recognition alone suffocated him entirely.

A frigid sweat broke out across his flesh, pouring down like heavy rain.

It truly felt as though the mere attention of a transcendent entity was enough to end his life.

Looking into those eyes, Cale understood.

The bottomless, unfathomable malice harbored by the ancient evil.

A force of absolute ruin that lay entirely beyond human comprehension.

It was death itself.

Just as Cale reached that grim realization—

Swoosh-!

Stepping directly in front of Cale, Lumerin unleashed a fierce strike with his blade.

Slashed-!

The blade, radiating with the brilliant Twilight Aura, tore through the atmosphere.

Cut directly across the middle, Erebos’s manifestation began to warp and distort.

It was more than a physical wound inflicted upon Erebos.

He had literally cleaved open the fabric of space.

The strike carried enough destructive force to fracture the very foundation of the entity’s being.

For a brief flash, Erebos’s form sputtered and blinked.

Slapping his palm flat against the dirt, Lumerin acted.

Vwoom-!

Sinking deep into the earth, Lumerin’s magical energy materialized into a complex array.

“Dusk.”

Flash-! Kabooom!

The radiant Twilight magic erupted upward, piercing the heavens.

Watching the spectacle unfold, Lunia’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief.

“Star Magic?”

She had never received any indication that Lumerin possessed knowledge of Star Magic.

Furthermore, the period Lumerin belonged to predated the widespread adoption of Star Magic formulas.

This particular spell had been crafted specifically for Lumerin by Seyrun.

In the exact same manner that Luna had bestowed Innocent Magic upon Kyle.

Seyrun had granted Dusk to Lumerin as a personal gift.

It stood as Lumerin’s exclusive sorcery, developed by adapting the core principles of Star Magic.

“Incredible…”

While Eiran muttered in a daze, Lumerin simply ground his teeth together.

“There is nothing incredible about this.”

“What?”

Lumerin fixed a harsh glare on the upper atmosphere.

The fractured black embers coalesced once more, restructuring themselves into a humanoid shape.

“The sorcery itself is magnificent… but I have yet to fully perfect it.”

Tightening his fingers around the hilt of his weapon, Lumerin prepared himself.

Sinking low into his stance, Lumerin launched himself upward into the air.

Thud-!

The impact left a crater in the soil, sending a massive plume of dust swirling outward.

Charging straight toward the dark embers that were beginning to ignite once more, Lumerin bellowed.

“I am the one you are fighting!”

Clang-! Craaack-!

The weapon charged with Twilight Aura collided violently with Erebos’s arm high above the ground.

Instantly, fractures began spreading across the sky itself.

-A animated corpse does not interest me.

Disregarding Lumerin entirely, Erebos cast his gaze downward toward the earth.

More precisely, his focus locked onto Cale.

-That particular mortal is my greatest annoyance at this moment.

Viewed through Erebos’s perception, Cale loomed as an incredibly dangerous adversary.

To the ancient malevolence, the most detestable entity was not actually Kyle.

It was true that Kyle had shattered Erebos’s form and bound him away in pieces.

Yet, that triumph had only been made possible by Lysinas, the King of Wisdom.

The figure who had fanned the fading sparks of salvation and allowed the realm’s potential to flourish.

The trait commonly recognized as the capacity to manifest miracles.

Naturally, drawing a direct parallel between Lysinas and Cale would be ridiculous.

No matter how desperately Cale fought, he could never truly replicate Lysinas.

The traits Cale held were merely shattered remnants of Lysinas’s grand nature.

‘Yet, the fact that he wields attributes reminiscent of that fool is intolerable. Furthermore….’

Erebos’s gaze grew sharp.

Cale’s inheritance wasn’t limited to the echoes of Lysinas.

Standing upon this very battlefield, though shuddering in terror of imminent demise, the mortal had not surrendered his resolve to fight.

He maintained complete conviction in the capabilities of his comrades.

He preserved an unwavering faith that salvation existed even in the darkest hours.

Most importantly of all…

He refuses to capitulate.

Ever since he first detected Cale’s presence, the irritation had grown exponentially.

Despite possessing such minor strength, the mortal mirrored the traits of the ancient champions.

He required immediate eradication from existence.

With that conclusion, Erebos swept his arm toward Lumerin, who had closed the distance directly before him.

-Stand aside, Knight of Twilight.

Thunk-!

Lumerin drove his blade squarely into Erebos’s chest cavity.

Simultaneously, Erebos’s fingers clamped down firmly around Lumerin’s head.

Crackle-!

A surge of Twilight Mana erupted wildly from Lumerin’s frame.

Observing the sudden surge, Erebos’s eyes narrowed slightly.

-Is this the final recourse you managed to devise?

“The younger generation will handle everything that remains.”

Lumerin flashed a bloody smile.

Kaboooom-!

An immense vortex of magical energy erupted into the heavens.

Kaboooom-!

The massive vortex of mana surging from the center of the Erec training ground completely scattered the dim sparks of Erebos.

Staring at the sight, Hark spoke in a stunned whisper.

“Twilight Mana… Could it be Lord Lumerin?”

Hark was far from the only person whose eyes went wide with shock.

Elena, who also traced her lineage back to Lumerin’s three great families, shared the exact same reaction.

The tremendous eruption of energy that had just occurred.

It bore an unmistakable resemblance to the legendary power of Lumerin they had been raised to revere.

Kyle, having successfully stifled Erebos’s inferno, focused his gaze forward.

‘That magical resonance… it originates from the Hero Record.’

A monumental shockwave had breached the boundaries of the champion’s domain and bled through into reality.

Thump-!

Kyle touched down lightly upon the earth.

Following that last massive assault, the dark fires of Erebos had been utterly extinguished.

As the chaotic conflict slowed to a sudden pause, the survivors of the battle began assembling around Kyle.

“Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings…”

“The legendary figure who brought down Erebos…”

While the crowd watched Kyle and spoke in hushed tones, Hark dropped to one knee.

“We offer our greetings to the legendary Hero of Beginnings.”

Prompted by Hark’s display of reverence, every individual who had stood against the catastrophic flames quickly knelt down as well.

“We offer our greetings to the legendary Hero of Beginnings!”

No boundary remained between established champions and aspiring candidates in that moment.

The figure standing right before them was the legendary warrior who, five millennia ago, had personally defeated Erebos to preserve the world.

He was the sole reason they drew breath in this era, the savior who had secured their tomorrow.

No citizen of the current world could suppress the profound awe they felt for him.

Showing absolute deference was entirely instinctual.

“Rise, everyone.”

Despite Kyle’s command, the crowd remained hesitant, unsure if they should stand up so easily.

Observing their reluctance, Kyle clicked his tongue softly and walked over to Illiana, who stood closest to him.

“Gasp?!”

As Kyle drew near, Illiana caught her breath sharply, ducking her head low to deepen her bow.

Grab-!

“Kyaaak?!”

Kyle hoisted Illiana up firmly by the back of her collar.

Her eyes stretching wide with immense shock, Illiana looked away entirely as a deep crimson color flushed across her face.

The sudden action left her dangling helplessly in the air, paralyzed by her own embarrassment.

Kyle lowered Illiana back down, forcing her to stand properly on her own feet.

“I didn’t preserve this world just to receive your worship.”

Kyle spoke with complete detachment.

“Drop this humiliating display.”

Only after hearing those words did the surrounding crowd glance about cautiously before slowly rising to their feet.

Witnessing this, Illiana—her face still burning red—timidly addressed Kyle as he continued to sigh in annoyance.

“Lord Kyle. Um, I am incredibly grateful for your intervention earlier. I truly don’t know how I could ever repay your kindness….”

Her peers who knew her true personality watched the exchange, their expressions twisting in disgust.

‘What is wrong with her?’

‘Did she lose her mind?’

‘This is hard to watch.’

In ordinary circumstances, they would have openly mocked her, but the imposing presence of the great hero kept them completely silent.

Kyle reached out and casually ruffled the hair of the tense Illiana.

“Haa.”

Illiana’s cheeks burned an even darker shade of red.

Thump- Thump-

Just as Kyle began walking toward the Hero Record positioned in the middle of the Erec training ground—

Thud-

Professor Harland stepped directly into Kyle’s path.

Offering a low, respectful bow toward the warrior, he spoke.

“Oh Hero of Beginnings. There is a matter I wish to understand.”

“Speak.”

“You preserved our realm, and five millennia have passed since that time.”

Harland met Kyle’s gaze directly.

“In the recent past, you defeated the monster queen Shilartuna, and now you stand before us once more. It is not limited to your presence alone. Lady Luna, the progenitor of the nebula, alongside the courageous Arion, have similarly returned to this age to deliver us from ruin time and again, have they not?”

Harland’s tone turned profoundly solemn.

“How can such occurrences be possible?”

Studying Harland’s expression, Kyle let out a soft laugh.

‘Professor Harland is as sharp as always.’

Initially, the populace would view these events as mere acts of god.

However, when miracles manifest repeatedly, the people begin to rely on them as a crutch.

While it was undeniably fortunate that the legendary figures of antiquity returned to wage war on their behalf, such interventions could not continue indefinitely.

Professor Harland hadn’t posed the question out of genuine ignorance regarding how ancient heroes manifested on Earth.

He had raised the point because he feared the populace would become entirely dependent on the protectors of the past.

He was seeking a specific declaration from Kyle.

“The exact mechanics elude even me.”

Kyle responded evenly.

“I cannot explain why we are permitted to manifest in this era. Even so.”

“Even so?”

“Do not place your dependency upon us.”

Kyle provided Professor Harland with the precise response the educator sought.

“We function merely as your support.”

Kyle swept his gaze across the gathering of youths who aspired to follow his footsteps and embrace the mantle of a hero, stating clearly:

“The force that preserves and carries this era forward does not belong to the ghosts of the past. It belongs to those of you who live in the present.”

“…”

“You have made me proud.”

Kyle declared.

“This sentiment is shared. Lysinas, Luna, Arion, and Dweno—they would all undoubtedly feel immense pride watching you offer your lives for the sake of the realm.”

Thump- Thump-

Kyle resumed his approach toward Lumerin’s Hero Record.

“Therefore, do not bind yourselves to us, who represent nothing more than bygone triumphs. The ones who shape this era are—”

Kyle placed his hand directly upon Lumerin’s Hero Record.

“—none other than yourselves.”

Swoosh-!

A brilliant radiance washed over Kyle, engulfing him.

‘Imitating your words is always a chore, Lysinas.’

Clutching the fabric of his cloak over his chest, Kyle allowed a small, weary smile to form.

The initial sight that greeted Kyle upon crossing into Lumerin’s world was a sky torn open by a massive rupture.

“…Is this the damage left behind by that recent magical tempest?”

A pitch-black void hung above.

Kyle immediately recognized that the space beyond the tear connected directly back to the waking world.

Whoosh-!

A short distance away, dark embers erupted upward.

Shifting his focus, Kyle observed the young hero candidates locked in combat against Erebos.

‘Where has Lumerin gone?’

Lumerin, who should have been leading the charge alongside them, was nowhere to be seen.

Furthermore, Erebos appeared to have sustained a severe injury, leaving him incapable of manifesting his full strength.

“…”

Right then, a collapsed form lying on the ground a short distance away drew Kyle’s attention.

It was a face Kyle recognized instantly.

Lumerin, the Knight of Twilight.

The Hero of Genesis who had walked the path carved out before him.

“So that is how this unfolded.”

Piecing the events together, Kyle walked over to Lumerin’s side.

Using his foot, he gently nudged Lumerin—who lay prone, drawing shallow, labored breaths—over onto his back so he faced upward.

“Cough-! Cough-!”

Spitting up crimson fluid, Lumerin forced his eyelids open with immense effort.

“Who are…?”

Lacking even the vitality required to shift his head, Lumerin could barely force the words from his throat.

Thump- Thump-

Without bothering to look back down at Lumerin, Kyle moved toward a moderately sized boulder nearby, seated himself comfortably, and gave his reply.

“Your predecessor.”