Chapter 632

Chapter 632

## Book 1 Chapter 632

### 632.

“Indeed. I was furious.”

“Furious, is that so…”

Leo pondered Chelsea’s response.

Back then, the entity Leo had summoned utilizing the Nightmare was truly an illusion of Lysinath.

However…

‘What they witnessed within the Nightmare at that time wasn’t the actual illusion of Lysinath that I am familiar with.’

The figure they encountered must have been a projection of Lysinath born from their own minds.

Once the melody concluded, Leo and Chelsea made their way back to their initial spots.

Several young noblewomen of comparable age cast subtle glances toward Leo, but their looks were quickly averted under Chelsea’s fierce glare.

Taking his seat, Leo silently inspected the palm of his hand.

Ever since he unlocked the Spirit Arts, there were moments when the mana belonging to Lysinath seemed to possess a distinct intent.

Lysinath, renowned as the greatest summoner in history, had also been an unparalleled spirit mage.

‘Hey. You deceptive reptile. Are you truly lingering within the mana that you passed down to me?’

No response came.

Leo lifted his gaze and quietly observed the extravagant and majestic celebration. After tracking the festivities for a brief moment, Leo stood up from his place.

“Oh? Leo Oppa?”

Chelsea’s eyes went wide as she moved to follow him.

Leo stepped out onto the isolated terrace and rested his weight against the stone balustrade. Chelsea caught up to him, leaning on the railing as well, before casting a sideways glance up at his face.

The grand ballroom of the Imperial Palace sat at a lofty height. Down below and stretching into the distance, the radiant capital of Rhodren spread out before them.

Beholding the sight, a faint, melancholic smile touched Leo’s lips.

“There are moments when it hits me. civilization has truly made incredible progress.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well… five millennia have slipped by, after all.”

“This tranquil era is a gift left behind by the Great Heroes,” Chelsea remarked, her face lighting up with a warm smile. “Leo Oppa, what crosses your mind when you look out at the present age?”

“I can’t help but think this is a reality those companions of mine would have appreciated far more than I do.”

“…”

“There are times I find myself wishing we could have all been brought back to life together. Just occasionally.”

Leo offered a soft chuckle, his eyes drifting back toward the distant party lights.

Whether it was when Arion emerged into the Hero’s World, or when Luna manifested within the world as a spiritual entity, Leo’s deepest wish was for them to experience a life as ordinary as possible. He understood better than anyone that his comrades deserved to savor this peaceful era more than anyone else. It felt almost like a solitary luxury to partake in this tranquility entirely on his own.

To be fair, Leo harbored neither a sense of shame nor deep grief regarding his departed allies.

‘Given the living nightmare we endured together, I have earned the right to this peace just as much.’

Even so.

‘A sense of isolation creeps in from time to time.’

Those friends had been nothing short of a true family.

‘If only we could have experienced this current age as a group, our days would be filled with endless laughter and conversation.’

A bygone era.

It was during this moment of bittersweet reflection that a hand gently dropped onto Leo’s head. Chelsea began to softly stroke his hair.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“Hmm? Just some solace for Leo Oppa, since you seem weighed down by exhaustion.”

“That method is a bit too juvenile.”

“But I am a youngster. And on the outside, Leo Oppa is a youngster too. Or would you prefer me to offer comfort in a more mature fashion?”

Leo stared at Chelsea’s wide, innocent eyes with a thoroughly unimpressed look.

“Do you even comprehend what you are implying?”

“Ahem! I am perfectly mature enough to understand everything.”

“Look at this little creature being so bold.”

“Hmph!”

Chelsea let out a squeal as Leo pinched her nose. After tweaking her nose and playfully shaking her head back and forth, Leo laughed softly and released his grip.

“I suppose I won’t have the luxury to sit around and get lost in old memories. There will be plenty of time for nostalgia once everything is wrapped up.”

Chelsea muttered, gently rubbing her nose which had turned a bit pink. “Do you feel a bit lighter now?”

“I owe it to you,” Leo replied, turning his gaze toward the glowing moon. “Once the third year begins, the challenges will escalate significantly. Make sure you are prepared.”

“Understood.”

“I plan to dial up the harshness of your training regime as well.”

“What?!”

Chelsea’s expression immediately crumbled into one of pure reluctance.

Observing her dismay, Leo questioned, “Is there a problem?”

“You intend to push your limits even further from this point?”

“Correct. I was holding back because of your youth.” Leo smirked. “Given how cheekily you’ve been speaking, it feels like high time to stop treating you like a helpless youngster.”

“Ah~ but I’m still just a little girl.”

“That act isn’t charming.”

“Tsk! It always works on my father.”

Chelsea, who had shifted into a high-pitched, endearing tone, clicked her tongue in defeat.

Watching her antics, Leo added, “The phase of coddling children is officially coming to an end.”

—

Once the gathering concluded, Leo made his way back to the grand residence of Gerdinger. He sank onto the couch in his private quarters, crossing his arms in deep thought. Standing right beside him was Melina, the Dragon Lord.

A brief moment later, a shimmering doorway materialized in midair and swung open without a sound. Leo shifted his gaze and let out a heavy breath.

Framed within the threshold, Lian was bowing deeply toward Leo.

“This lowly servant extends greetings to the most magnificent, noble, and pure Hero of the Beginning existing in this domain.”

With those words spoken, Lian dragged himself through the portal while remaining entirely flat against the floor, creeping closer to Leo’s position.

“Are you some sort of insect?”

He threw a blunt insult at the divine entity, comparing a god to a common pest. Naturally, neither the one delivering the insult nor the one receiving it paid it any mind. If anything, this bizarre deity seemed absolutely thrilled by Leo’s phrasing.

“Ah! This implies that within the gaze of Lord Leo, a microscopic entity such as myself holds a presence worth noticing, akin to a persistent insect! What an absolute privilege!”

The individual experiencing the most intense awkwardness in the room was the Dragon Lord, caught squarely between the iconic Great Hero and an actual god.

‘What manner of being is he truly…’

Melina found herself utterly unable to comprehend Lian’s unfeigned display of ecstasy. While she had crossed paths with Lian on several occasions previously alongside Leo, the deity’s fanatical conduct managed to disorient her every single time. To Melina’s mind, a divine being was supposed to be a fundamentally different entity.

‘How can Lord Leo remain completely unbothered while witnessing such behavior?’

In her role as a Dragon Lord, she had encountered countless personalities. Yet, she could confidently assert that none matched the sheer eccentricity of Lian. It wasn’t merely the fact that Lian held the status of a deity. To Melina, Lian appeared entirely unhinged whenever the topic involved Leo. Conversely, whenever Leo was absent, he reverted to an overwhelmingly powerful, transcendent entity.

The stark contrast between those two personas was deeply unsettling from Melina’s point of view. Even now, watching him rejoice over being compared to a bug, an inexplicable dread washed over her.

Leo clenched his teeth as he watched Lian continue to crawl toward him in a prostrate position.

“Just get on your feet and come over here quickly.”

“I dare not! How could a mere insect like myself look directly upon the magnificent Hero of the Beginning!”

“It’s irritating to watch, so move it!”

“Ah! To cause Lord Leo irritation! What a terrible transgression!”

Lian gasped dramatically and scrambled right up to Leo’s feet. He then proceeded to repeatedly thud his forehead against the floorboards, crying out, “Ah! Truly, I am beneath the status of a pest!” as he engaged in frantic self-punishment.

At the bizarre display, Melina instinctively took a step back to shield herself behind Leo.

‘Indeed. The deeper one’s comprehension, the more terrifying that display becomes.’

And this was none other than Melina, a Dragon Lord. Because she fully grasped the sheer magnitude of Lian’s cosmic power, her terror only multiplied when an entity of that caliber exhibited such erratic madness.

On the other hand, Leo had dealt with divine figures for so long that he had grown entirely numb to such spectacles, simply enduring them. His outlook on mortals and deities differed drastically from the prevailing views of the modern era.

Lian, who had been frantically striking his own head, suddenly froze and withdrew a small container from within his garments.

“Lord Leo! Though it is a meager offering, I beg of you to accept this token!”

“What exactly is this?”

“It is a diadem crafted from the most exquisite gemstone in my possession!” Lian’s eyes shone with intense fervor. “Are you not on the verge of claiming the mantle of the King of the World, Lord Leo!”

“What nonsense are you spouting? I am merely taking the throne of a modest nation.”

“Far from it! This entire realm belongs to Lord Leo! For you to take a throne means you are ascending as the King of the World! It signifies that Lord Leo will reign as the supreme sovereign over all existence!”

Leo released a weary sigh and flipped open the container, ignoring Lian as the god spun yet another absurd narrative. Resting inside was a crown carved from precious stone, featuring highly detailed likenesses of Kyle and Leo. Rather than looking like a functional diadem, it resembled a heavy stone monument intended to be balanced on a head.

“What is your assessment! Is it not a grand diadem worthy of the King of the World—”

*Clatter—! Shatter—!*

“Aaaagh! My masterpiece!”

Without a shred of hesitation, Leo flung the object away, causing it to smash into pieces.

Melina quickly moved toward Lian, who was wailing as though his entire reality had crumbled around him. “Are—are you unharmed?”

“Right, shall we move on to the actual matter at hand?” Leo interrupted.

“Understood.”

Following Leo’s prompt, Lian immediately stood up straight, all signs of his previous distress vanishing as if they had never occurred. Melina’s face contorted in sheer disbelief. She simply could not wrap her mind around this deity who embodied pure, unpredictable chaos.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Melina stepped up beside Leo.

“What details do you require regarding the Hero Record?” Lian inquired.

Leo responded, “While dealing with the Hero Slayer during this recent incident, I discovered the existence of something referred to as the Legion’s Record.”

At those words, the expressions of both Melina and Lian instantly turned grim.

“The Legion’s Record?”

“Correct. I was even drawn into a domain known as the Legion’s World, which mirrors the concept of the Hero’s World.”

Leo went on to describe the entirety of his ordeal to Lian. Once the tale concluded, Leo addressed the deity, whose face had settled into an exceptionally grave look.

“Furthermore, I encountered defectors who appeared to have transformed into monstrous entities. Therefore, I must ask: is Erebus aware of this specific Record System?”

Lian gave a firm nod in response to the query. “Yes. That foul entity would undoubtedly possess information regarding the Record System.”

“Is that so? In that case, does he command the capability to forge a Record System comparable to the Hero Record?”

“Negative. While it is true that the foul entity serves as the ultimate bane of the gods, that does not grant him the capacity to replicate a Record System which required the combined might of every deity to establish. Even if his strength has expanded by consuming this entire realm, replicating a structure like the Hero Record remains an impossibility.”

Hearing this, Melina spoke up prudently, “Then… does this imply that Erebus has corrupted the Hero Record to fashion the Legion’s World?”

“Precisely, Dragon Lord.” A flash of deep resentment crossed Lian’s features. “Utilizing the dark influence of that foul entity… such a distortion is achievable.”

The Hero Record was a manifestation infused with the collective desires of all divinity. Lian could not help but experience an innate fury at the reality that this sacred power was not merely being defiled, but actively brandished by their absolute adversary.

“In all likelihood, it was the Necrolord, a manifestation birthed by that foul entity, who forged the Legion’s Record,” Lian explained, his tone flattening out completely. “For that creation carries a piece of the foul entity within itself.”

Absorbing Lian’s explanation, Leo nodded slowly. It aligned with his own deductions. Still, hearing it confirmed by Lian—who served as both the overseer and a core creator of the Hero Record—lent the conclusion a far greater weight than mere guesswork.

“Is it possible for additional segments of the Hero Record to be overwritten into the Legion’s Record?”

“It remains within the realm of possibility. However, they are unlikely to pursue that course of action.”

“For what reason?”

“Even with the dark influence of the foul entity, tampering with the Hero Record itself—which represents the core concentration of divine authority—demands an astronomical amount of vitality.”

“I see.”

“Moreover, the monstrous entities that emerged after the Age of Heroes would offer negligible assistance to the contemporary Tartarus.” Lian offered a respectful bow toward Leo. “They proved incapable of overcoming the Great Heroes even during their peak era, the Age of Calamity. That entity, the Necrolord, understands better than anyone that the monsters generated during the Age of Heroes hold no power when facing you.”

“That stands to reason.”

The current strength of the Legion could not compare to its historical peak. Consequently, the power that the modern Legion needs to reclaim is the might from their golden age.

“Given that a significant portion of the Great Heroes’ Hero Records have faced destruction… their capacity to forge numerous Legion Records will be heavily restricted.”

Naturally, even a limited number posed a catastrophic hazard.

“Melina. Prepare to disclose the reality of the Legion’s Record utilizing the authority of the Dragon Lord. Simultaneously, initiate research into countermeasures against the Legion’s Record.”

“Understood.”

Melina bowed her head respectfully before utilizing a warp technique to return to Dragonia.

Watching her departure with a sigh, Leo leaned his chin in his hand. “The demands on my time are only going to increase moving forward.”

“Undeniably. After all, your formal recognition as the King of the World is fast approaching.”

“Are we back to this King of the World business?”

“While that remains my sincere wish… the sovereign I am referring to right now is of a different nature entirely.” Lian offered a knowing smile. “Do you recall our previous conversation? I mentioned that the King of Wisdom was the singular King of the World to ever receive the validation of the gods in this realm.”

“…”

“The hour has finally arrived. This marks the foundational step for the collective focus of the world to converge beneath your banner. Not a single deity will contest it. You have ascended as the second true King of this domain.” Lian bowed his head deeply. “From this moment onward, an entirely unprecedented epoch commences.”