Chapter 617

Chapter 617

Book 1 Chapter 617
617.

[Incredible. I never anticipated being discovered so rapidly.]

“I will arrive shortly, so prepare yourself.”

[Hehehe. Waiting around can be amusing in its own right, but it does grow a bit tedious. Therefore, I shall extend an invitation.]

“An invitation?”

[Indeed. I will disclose my current location to you.]

“Where are you?”

[Oh? Not even a shred of doubt?]

“Ultimately, your objective is my power.”

[You already recognize my identity? That senile fool of Gerdinger? Or perhaps those repulsive shadows?]

“The spot?”

Even though the Hero Slayer was showing signs of amusement, Leo cut straight through, treating the conversation as if it had lost all purpose.

[Haha. Hahaha! I truly wish to converse with you at a much more leisurely pace.]

The Hero Slayer chuckled with genuine delight.

[The lands of the Plov family. That is where I am. Come find me.]

Following those words, the connection went dead.

A distinct desire to kill flashed within Leo’s dark red eyes.

Goo-ooo-oh-!

Even the Shadow Lords.

Even Legas, the champion of the past era and the premier warrior of Rodren.

All of them felt weighed down by the murderous aura pouring from Leo.

The lethal intent, which flared like a raging fire, quickly dimmed down.

“It is an ambush.”

“I am aware.”

Leo replied with absolute composure to the warning from Algren, the Northern Shadow Lord.

“It is an ambush I cannot avoid.”

“……”

The Hero Slayer had not merely seized Raina.

He had taken captive every single soul residing within the boundaries of the Plov family’s domain.

That was his motive for revealing his whereabouts.

‘A declaration of open warfare.’

A sinister grin appeared on Leo’s face.

It signified that the enemy had completed his preparations for the confrontation and was simply waiting.

“Lord Leo. If we bring the shadows along…”

Algren gestured negatively in response to Anyas’s suggestion.

“Negative. He is fully aware of our presence. Bringing us up is an implicit threat. The second we deploy the shadows, he will massacre the inhabitants of the Plov domain.”

“Then Lord Leo must venture into the Plov domain entirely on his own? That is madness!”

Kirin, the Southern Shadow Lord, interjected, addressing Anyas who spoke as though such an option was unthinkable.

“Lord Leo, give the order…”

“He certainly did not command me to arrive unaccompanied.”

Leo remarked, staring down at the communication crystal ball held in his palm.

“However, just as the Northern Archmage pointed out, if the shadows make a move, there is no telling how he will react. After all, he was once hunted down by the shadows.”

Leo paused before continuing.

“The things he dreads above all else are the shadows.”

The Hero Slayer stood apart from the ordinary Hero Hunters who targeted heroes.

Those individuals are never granted the opportunity to walk the path of a hero, remaining renegades from the very beginning.

‘Even if the deities were corrupt, they would never select such people to be heroes.’

Furthermore, all Hero Hunters pursue heroes against their own desires.

Whether they were conditioned that way from their youth.

Or if they were blackmailed through some betrayal and left with no alternative but to become a Hero Hunter.

Down the line, they might lose their sanity or become warped and strike out on their own, but their origins stem from coercion.

‘Even when they turn against the world, they eventually find themselves chasing after the light.’

Yet the Hero Slayer was a different breed.

He turned his back on the light entirely by choice.

Solely to satisfy his own cravings.

The nature of those cravings remained a mystery, but regardless of what they were, the Hero Slayer possessed the fundamental core of a hero.

For that reason, even after butchering countless heroes, he still suffered defeat at the hands of the shadows.

‘He must possess deep knowledge regarding heroes. That is precisely how he slaughtered them. But he could not do the same to shadows.’

A natural countermeasure of sorts.

‘Which is why he is bound to be hyper-vigilant of the shadows.’

Tracking the movements of shadows operating silently within the dark is exceptionally difficult.

Using the Plov domain as leverage was undoubtedly a tactic to counter that.

The moment he detects the presence of shadows, the townspeople will lose their lives.

‘If things go south, he likely believes he can just flee.’

Should a massive suppression force gather, he will simply retreat.

He has no intention of engaging in a disadvantageous conflict.

‘In that scenario, there would be no point in establishing an ambush.’

“Bringing a handful of companions should be permissible.”

Hearing this, Legas spoke up.

“I will dispatch the champions of Gerdinger.”

“No. If he perceives that the scales have tipped against him, he will run.”

“……”

“Potential heroes should be acceptable.”

Legas and the Shadow Lords understood then that Leo intended to journey alongside Liss and the rest of the youths.

“Liss and her group might manage, but wouldn’t the children of Cecilia and Rwalin be in extreme peril?”

Responding to Legas’s concern, Leo stated.

“Danger is guaranteed. However, those youngsters will endure. Furthermore, I require them to experience this.”

“You require them to experience what?”

“The wicked nature of humanity.”

“……”

Legas fell into silence at Leo’s declaration.

Chelsea, Cecilia, and Abad were destined to reach much greater heights in the future.

Legas pondered.

‘The prospective heroes of this generation will far outshine not just myself, but even my own sons. Such is the nature of the current age.’

When the realm of heroes was uncovered.

The world fundamentally reinforced itself.

Three millennia ago.

During the era when the Calamity broke free once more, the balance had essentially shifted toward Tartarus.

Though the remnant of Erebus was bound and numerous legion commanders were wiped out by the primal heroes, the world itself endured devastating ruin.

The primal heroes chose to seal themselves away alongside Erebus within the realm of heroes to execute their obligations.

And an immense number of heroes perished to the disaster, leaving the world, which had spent thousands of years recovering, scarred by fire—though not quite as severely as during the initial era of ruin.

In stark contrast to that past world, this era saw three legion commanders who had survived since the age of calamity remaining fully active within Tartarus.

The primary historical turning point following the conclusion of the age of calamity.

An epoch that could dictate the very survival of civilization.

Yet at this critical juncture, the world unlocked a fresh path through the realm of heroes, barely maintaining equilibrium with Tartarus.

Chroniclers observe.

Three millennia ago.

The period following the resurgence of the Calamity stood as the authentic age of heroes.

The emergence of a new breed of champions inheriting the legacy of their predecessors.

And the present is exactly that kind of era.

They are doing far more than just inheriting ancestral power.

Mighty heroes, individuals who could be deemed the forefathers of the current generation, are manifesting across the lands once more.

Deities that vanished during the age of calamity have returned, and cosmic truths that remained buried until now are becoming common knowledge across the globe.

Champions who won renown without true merit are being stripped of their status.

Shadows, who were relegated to the background of history through prejudice, are now securing their titles upon the Hero Record.

‘A pivotal moment in history where the fate of reality hangs in the balance.’

The prospective heroes of this particular era.

They are bound to completely eclipse the heroes of old.

With immense capability comes equal obligation.

The young candidates of today will face far greater perils.

‘Among those perils, there will undoubtedly be plots to snuff out their gifts before they can truly blossom.’

In the near future.

‘No, perhaps the moment they advance to their third year. Cecilia could very well become a prime target for Hero Hunters.’

A clash with Tartarus is entirely distinct from a confrontation with Hero Hunters.

Tartarus is an inherently irreconcilable force.

But rogue Hero Hunters are a different matter.

‘They once trod the exact same path we walk. In a sense, they pose an even greater threat than Tartarus.’

Because they comprehend our nature, their malice can be far more calculating.

That is precisely why heroes fall prey to Hero Hunters.

Leo intended to confront them with that exact brand of malice.

He was attempting to offer them a platform for further advancement.

‘With Raina held captive… and the entire population in jeopardy… Is his gaze fixed on what lies ahead?’

Legas observed Leo in quiet contemplation.

‘Does he possess the absolute certainty that he can rescue both Raina and the townspeople?’

Yet the look in Leo’s eyes suggested something else entirely.

Legas, who had spent decades navigating theaters of war, whispered under his breath while studying the youth.

‘It feels familiar.’

He recognized the look of someone accustomed to deprivation.

What exactly had he been forced to abandon?

What could a boy of his tender years have possibly lost to look that way?

And yet…

‘And yet he refuses to surrender.’

Leo’s demeanor bore no resemblance to a mere candidate.

What radiated from him was the profound desolation that belongs solely to a veteran who has endured countless conflicts, to the point of absolute exhaustion.

As the commander overseeing Gerdinger.

As Legas, a veteran warrior who had spent a lifetime on fields of battle, he recognized that profound void.

‘Once a person understands true loss, they eventually learn to capitulate and compromise.’

They sacrifice a portion of themselves.

Otherwise, the agony becomes unbearable.

Yet Leo harbored none of that resignation.

Even with the awareness of potential failure, there was no hint of backing down.

‘A true champion.’

The archetype of a genuine hero that Legas had envisioned for the longest time.

Breaking his silence, Legas spoke up.

“My apologies, Leo.”

“For what reason?”

“Due to my own lack of vigilance, I have forced you to shoulder this weight.”

“…I simply never anticipated that an individual holding such status within the clan would commit such an act, Grandfather.”

Eggerson had masterfully concealed his true motives throughout his entire existence.

Doubtful patterns were detected and looked into, and critical proof was fortunately gathered just in the nick of time.

He likely never considered that someone who had spent his days fighting alongside family would turn a blade against them out of petty greed.

“I was just as blind to it. And… I do not view this as a burden. She is someone of immense value whom I am obligated to safeguard.”

Leo offered a soft smile.

“Therefore, do not fret. I will bring Mother home without fail.”

“…I place my trust in you.”

While making final arrangements to depart for the Plov domain, Leo silently observed the scenario taking place right in front of him.

-Lady Elsie. Please accept this tea, crafted from flora nurtured in the purest atmosphere of this realm, harvested amidst the morning mist.

-My goodness, the scent is absolutely marvelous.

-Lady Elsie! Regard these fruits, gathered from the most isolated woodlands in this realm.

-Such extraordinary offerings.

The elite fire spirits, who served under the spirit of purification, were presenting exceptional treats to Elsie.

Elsie, who had reverted back to her standard miniature size, stared at the teacup and fruit platters, which matched her own proportions, with a flustered look.

Right beside them, Fiona and Kirian were the only ones displaying pure joy.

Initially, when the simple-minded phoenix and fairy made a move toward the snacks, the elite fire spirits cast severe looks their way, but their expressions softened upon hearing Kirian’s claim.

-We serve as Lady Elsie’s most trusted inner circle.

Chirp.

Arti displayed an uncomfortable expression, watching the pair spin such shameless falsehoods.

“Lady Fiona has always possessed quite the appetite, but lately, young Kirian’s consumption is rather striking as well. I do wonder if the pair of them will end up plump at this rate.”

Naturally, Fiona possessed a track record of turning into quite a chubby phoenix.

-Unacceptable! Are those not the very items I hold dear! You treacherous creatures! How dare you cast me aside!

Simultaneously.

Istar, locked away within the dark confinement, could do nothing but shriek while gripping the iron dividers.

The elite fire spirits paid her absolutely no mind.

“I was aware that the ranking among spirits was unyielding, but this displays an extreme degree.”

Leo uttered a quiet breath in response.

“Even lesser spirits possess sentiments. It appears they endured quite an ordeal under the spirit of purification. What do you intend to do with Istar?”

“First, neutralizing the Hero Slayer takes precedence. We should depart momentarily.”

Following his statement, Elsie extended a dark mist.

Subsequently, the elite fire spirits stepped into it, and Istar, kept under control by Elsie, was pulled inside as well.

The moment Leo unlatched the entryway, Chelsea, Cecilia, and Abad stood waiting with stressed countenances.

Positioned behind them were Liss, Ulta, and Jamua.

The group of six had already been briefed on the circumstances and stood prepared.

“Are we ready to depart?”

Leo gave a firm nod to Liss’s inquiry.

“Let us move.”

Thump- Thump-

With Leo guiding the path ahead, the young prospective heroes followed closely in his footsteps.