Chapter 623

Book 1 Chapter 623

623.

As soon as the realization hit him that he had crossed over into the world of heroes, Leo’s eyelids flew open.

Leo surveyed his surroundings.

‘This is a temporary military shelter.’

The place where Leo had opened his eyes was a tent primarily deployed for field campaigns.

Rising from the bedding positioned in a corner of the fairly large pavilion, Leo walked over to a compact mirror resting on one side.

Snowy white locks and crimson irises stared back.

‘This doesn’t seem like a typical body-possession scenario. Then again, does such a concept even hold true within this space?’

Leo’s expression grew grim as he pondered the notification he had just witnessed.

‘The Legion’s Record, set within the realm of Silatuna.’

The implication was unmistakably clear to anyone.

‘The factions of Tartaros have developed their own version of the Record system.’

Humanity had previously been rescued when the Hero Record awakened.

But if Tartaros held an equivalent mechanism, the stakes were entirely altered.

‘It means the legacies of ancient, devastating fiends and the absolute might of the Legion Commanders could be passed down to successors.’

If so, the fragile equilibrium keeping their world afloat might disintegrate overnight.

Leo’s thoughts raced as he analyzed the situation.

‘This couldn’t have been an inherent, original feature. If the Necromancer King had wielded this kind of authority from the start, he wouldn’t be expending so much effort to cultivate fresh Legion Commanders.’

He pushed his reasoning further.

‘The Necromancer King holds a shard of Erebus. Could this system have been forged through the power residing in that remnant?’

‘No, even the full might of Erebus shouldn’t be capable of manifesting something of this scale.’

The divine entities designated the Hero Record as a foundational Record System.

Since Erebus existed on a level equal to those deities, it stood to reason that he understood the underlying architecture of the system.

Yet, understanding a cosmic blueprint and actually building it are two entirely different concepts.

The Hero Record represented the collective pinnacle of the gods, forged only when they combined every ounce of their celestial energy.

‘Regardless of how grand a deity he is, it’s impossible for a lone entity to replicate an artifact that required the unified strength of every god. On top of that, the Necromancer King only commands a mere fragment of Erebus.’

Reaching this conclusion, a new theory took shape in Leo’s mind.

‘Could he have corrupted or altered the pre-existing Hero Record?’

The original network had been compromised back when the shard of Erebus was contained.

Though many realms remained uncorrupted by that dark influence, specific domains had fallen victim to its creeping rot.

This particular chronicle was undoubtedly one of those blighted spaces.

Leo systematically sorted through the details gathered from the prior alerts.

‘The central figure of this chronicle is Silatuna. The current era is the prologue phase, and the setting is the Forest of Monsters.’

That particular woodland had once been the ancestral domain of the elven race.

And it was also Luna’s hometown.

Connecting the setting of the Forest of Monsters with Silatuna pointed directly to a single individual.

“Luna.”

[System Error: An unverified presence has infiltrated the chronicle.]

A fresh notification suddenly manifested in his vision.

‘An unverified presence? Could that be an alert about my arrival?’

Leo contemplated the anomaly.

‘If this domain functions identically to the standard Hero Record mechanics, I ought to have materialized in the guise of a Tartaros creature, an abusive fiend, or a dark beast.’

Scanning the interior of the military shelter, his eyes fell upon tools and furnishings distinctive to elven craftsmanship from five millennia ago.

From an outside perspective, it appeared Leo had stepped into this heroic simulation through the lens of Luna, just like his previous experiences.

Rustle-

Pushing aside the fabric flap, Leo stepped out into the open air.

Overhead stretched the bleak, leaden sky characteristic of the Age of Calamity.

All around him, numerous elven soldiers hurried to and fro.

Observing the busy camp, Leo murmured to himself.

‘This confirms it was originally Luna’s narrative loop. Given this situation, what is my objective? Must I obstruct the forces of Tartaros from seizing control of this realm?’

“Ah, you have finally arisen, Lady Luna!”

‘Luna?’

A young elven guard, gripping a long spear in one hand and bearing a polished shield in the other, was shouting out to her.

Hearing this, Leo instinctively scanned the camp to locate Luna.

The manifestation of Luna within these records typically retained recollection of past cycles.

If so, did the version of her in this specific timeline possess awareness of external events?

‘How am I supposed to explain things to her?’

He thought back to their previous farewell.

During that encounter, Luna existed as an independent spirit rather than a construct of the Record System.

‘Would those memories still linger within her?’

A sudden wave of uncertainty flickered in Leo’s gaze as the young soldier hurried toward him.

“Lady Luna! Reports indicate that the Monster Queen is mobilizing deep within the thickets!”

Leo blinked in sheer confusion.

“Luna?”

“Pardon me?”

“Are you saying I am Luna?”

“……”

The young elf stared blankly before burying his face in his palms.

“My lady, today marks the pivotal engagement that will determine if we win back our woodland! How could you indulge in spirits so heavily the night before such a crucial campaign?”

Watching the distressed soldier who seemed on the verge of tears, Leo glanced at the reflective surface of the metallic shield the youth held.

Staring back at him was unmistakably the countenance of Leo Flobe.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“Lord Akint… it appears Lady Luna is…”

A mature voice suddenly interrupted their exchange.

Leo shifted his gaze toward the source and spotted a very familiar figure walking his way.

It was Akint Rubesha.

He was Luna’s arcane mentor and savior, and the very host Leo had inhabited during his prior foray into Luna’s history.

“Have you resorted to alcohol yet again, Luna?”

Akint inquired with a heavy sigh.

Observing the mentor’s reaction, Leo realized the truth.

‘It appears… to everyone dwelling in this realm, I look and sound like Luna.’

The exact moment in history became instantly clear to him.

‘This is the eve of Luna joining the grand alliance.’

It was the precise juncture right before he and Licynas arrived to launch a campaign against Jörmungandr and enlist Luna’s aid.

An era when the elven tribes marshaled their combined forces to reclaim their stolen territories within the Forest of Monsters.

‘However, the elves were defeated in this conflict.’

His eyes drifted back to Akint.

‘And this man met his end on this battlefield.’

Gooooo! Hwa-reureuk-!

Lis gazed upward at the towering Gigantes, which was hurling an immense sphere of roaring flames straight down at his position.

“Get out of the way! That is Hellfire! Move!” Abbad bellowed in a panic.

Glancing back at his companion, Lis calmly instructed.

“Abbad, get your spells ready.”

With that brief directive, he unleashed an upward slash toward the Gigantes, which was enveloped in deep crimson blazes.

Hwa-reureuk! Kkwagagagagang-!

The collision shattered the air. Lis’s blazing shroud slammed directly into the Hellfire—an arcana renowned for possessing the supreme destructive capabilities among fire-based spells—yet his energy astonishingly overpowered the inferno, entirely incinerating the Gigantes’s extended limb.

Gwooooooh!

A monstrous wail rent the air as the colossus clutched at the charred remains of its arm.

‘He shattered its protective barriers instantly?’

Filled with awe, Abbad deployed the magical forces he had been gathering.

Having woven dozens of silent gale enchantments together, the sudden release manifested a violent tempest.

Most frighteningly, the localized gale spun with razor-sharp intensity.

Sugagagagagak-!

Gwoooooooh!

The devastating wide-area spell fueled by Abbad’s reserves struck all at once with catastrophic force.

Hududududuk-

Shredded flesh and crimson gore splattered down from above, raining from the colossal form of the Gigantes.

Kung-! Cheolpeok-!

With a heavy thud, the creature’s massive head crashed into the growing crimson mire below, sending up a dark wave.

Despite its torso being reduced to a mangled, unrecognizable ruin, the Gigantes still clung to life.

Steeling his gaze, Lis advanced to deliver the final blow to the beast.

“Utterly pathetic.”

A frigid voice interjected, halting Lis in his tracks.

“To think you would be brought low by an unranked amateur who hasn’t even ascended to hero status, even after being granted the formidable anatomy of a mystical beast as your prize.”

“A skeleton?”

Lis muttered as an undead figure materialized beside the fallen behemoth.

The skeletal remains flared with a brilliant luminescence before reshaping into the form of a dwarf.

Recognition washed over Abbad, turning his expression rigid.

“The Saint of Regeneration?”

This legendary figure was a legendary medic from antiquity, celebrated as the wielder of the most absolute restoration arts throughout the chronicle of the Age of Heroes.

It was said he could reverse any injury provided a spark of vitality lingered.

Utilizing the stolen power of the Saint of Regeneration, Zora initiated a massive healing process upon the colossus.

Kugugugugung-!

With a resonant rumble, the Gigantes mended completely in an instant and surged back to its feet.

Witnessing this, Lis demanded.

“Are you one of the Hero Slayers?”

Zora shifted his eyes toward him.

“Lis Zerdinger. As well as…”

Kwagagagagak-!

A sudden, invisible blast of localized air pressure ripped through the space, tearing into Zora’s form.

“Silent casting?”

A glint of avarice flared in Zora’s gaze.

“Ah, so you truly are the heir to Rwelyn. An exceptional talent. Much as I would relish slaughtering you this very moment…”

Zora shifted his focus toward the heavens above.

“A far more pressing matter demands my attention first.”

A suffocating wave of malice radiated from him toward the upper atmosphere.

“Raina Zerdinger. You will deeply rue bringing Leo Flobe into this world.”

‘He’s targeting my aunt!’

Recognizing where that deadly intent was locked, Lis lunged forward to strike Zora.

Kwagagagagagang-!

However, the enormous fist of the Gigantes slammed down to intercept him.

Buwak-!

With a sharp tearing sound, Lis’s blade sliced cleanly through the monster’s limb.

Pwahahahak-!

A massive torrent of gore erupted outwards.

Instantly vaporizing the fluid with a burst of heat, Lis locked eyes back onto Zora.

But the brief distraction gave the enemy all the time he needed to ascend into the clouds.

“Ulta!” Lis bellowed.

His voice, laced with dense aura, echoed across the entire Flobe estate.

Reacting instantly to the shout, Ulta tensed, picked up on Zora’s approaching trajectory, and rushed to intercept.

Yet Zora moved with the velocity of a lightning bolt, swiftly seizing Raina from atop her Pegasus before anyone could react.

“Lady Raina!”

“Aunt!”

Ulta and Celia scrambled desperately to save her.

But Zora invoked an escape spell and vanished from sight before they could close the distance.

“Simple fledglings aiming to be heroes. You lack the strength to oppose me.”

Zora sneered from a distance after completing his short-range teleportation.

Somewhere during the chaotic escape, his form had shifted into that of a beastman.

“You seem remarkably proud of yourself, taking satisfaction in overpowering children who pose no threat to you. It looks like Leo truly left you utterly humiliated.”

Raina mocked him, even as Zora held her tightly by the throat.

Zora’s glare turned murderous.

“Are you too dim-witted to grasp the reality of your situation? Leo Flobe has already been taken care of.”

“Is that so? Your incredibly frustrated expression tells a completely different story,” Raina scoffed. “Wasting your time capturing me—someone he has no active ties with—is proof enough that you are merely venting your helpless rage.”

“You insolent woman…!”

Zora’s features contorted with fury, but then a malicious smirk crept onto his face.

“Fine. If Leo Flobe does breathe, delivering your broken, lifeless remains to him will serve as an excellent alternative. It will undoubtedly break his sanity.”

A heavy wave of lethal intent rolled off him.

“Go ahead and try.”

“What?”

“An act like that will never break his resolve.”

Witnessing her unbothered smile, Zora’s expression hardened.

“You will never triumph over my son.”

Facing her unbreakable defiance, a wave of untamed fury erupted within Zora.

“I will ensure you deeply regret those arrogant words!”

Gooooooooh-!

A freezing shroud of malicious energy expanded outward from Zora’s form, yet Raina simply smiled.

‘There’s no escaping this.’

Survival was out of the question.

Even so, regardless of the agony he might inflict, she refused to stop smiling.

‘Because Leo will prevail.’

Raina harbored absolute faith that her son’s spirit remained unyielding.

‘Forgive me, Dade.’

Offering a silent apology to her husband, Raina let her eyelids close.

-Shall I help?

‘Huh?’

-I asked if you need help.

‘Who?’

-I am Istada, the Spirit of Purification.