Chapter 661

661.

“What is this? Are we looking at a forced labor camp?”

Illiana gazed down at the mining settlement below, her countenance thoroughly displeased.

The second-year disciples from Lumerin and Damian were huddled together near the cavernous mouth of the mine.

Their countenances were thoroughly caked in black grime, looking exactly like laborers who had just stepped away from a grueling shift.

Without making the slightest effort to cleanse the soot from their skin, they clutched their food trays, anxiously waiting for the evening meal to be served.

“It has only been two days, yet these youths have been reduced to vagrants.”

Chelsea let out a heavy sigh as she observed Illiana muttering, casting looks of deep pity toward their juniors.

“It is not as though our own condition is much superior, you know?”

Leo’s companions had just concluded a relentless two-day trek exploring the depths of the Tartarus territory.

They had journeyed to this particular excavation site, positioned directly along the perimeter of Tartarus, seeking a brief respite.

Securing a reliable base of operations was absolutely critical when venturing into the hazardous wilds of the Tartarus region.

Furthermore, this location offered exceptional security, serving as the designated gathering point for the second-year pupils of Lumerin and Damian under their exclusive Smith contract.

“I never imagined a scenario where I would go forty-eight hours without a proper wash.”

Ar sniffed the air, bringing the back of her hand close to her nose.

“What are you doing?”

“N-ugh?!”

Ar recoiled with a start upon noticing Leo stepping into her immediate vicinity.

“Black rabbit. Keep your distance for now. I reek of grime.”

Shashak— Leo let out a soft chuckle as Ar scrambled to create space between them.

“At this juncture, every single one of us bears the same stench, so there is no need to be self-conscious.”

The cohort had engaged in ceaseless combat for forty-eight hours straight.

The lingering scent of perspiration mingled with dried gore upon their garments was simply unavoidable.

“Is that truly the case?”

Folding her arms, Ar tilted her skull thoughtfully and fell into step right beside Leo.

“Aside from that.”

“Hm?”

“Your proficiency in managing your beastification and heightened super senses has advanced remarkably, has it not?”

Ar’s ears twitched upward with keen interest at Leo’s observation.

“Arion would have been immensely proud to witness your progress.”

Ar rubbed the back of her head, giggling happily at the praise Leo had offered.

“No, no. I still possess a great many deficiencies!”

“That is not true. I found myself genuinely astonished by your capability.”

“Ehehehe.”

“With that being the case, would you care to receive some specialized, personal instruction from me?”

“That sounds—”

Ar, whose expression had been entirely unguarded and relaxed, suddenly propelled herself backward with astonishing velocity, adopting a defensive, hostile posture resembling an agitated feline.

“What sort of agonizing torment are you plotting to inflict upon me now!”

“Torment? That is quite harsh.”

Having previously endured a regimen from Leo that pushed her to the absolute brink of agony, Ar could not help but be gripped by instinctive dread.

Chelsea, quietly observing the interaction, murmured under her breath.

“In truth, the casualties resulting from Brother Leo’s tutelage are quite numerous.”

“Precisely. Attracting the personal attention of the class president yields little benefit. Reflecting on that, I consider myself profoundly fortunate.”

“Even so, undergoing instruction with Brother Leo guarantees that your capabilities will advance with incredible swiftness, regardless of the hardship.”

Illiana let out an amused, melodic laugh, “Ooh-hoo-hoo,” in response to Chelsea’s assessment.

“Such a philosophy is entirely incompatible with my approach to existence! My grand ambition in this life is to achieve a comfortable level of renown! And utilizing that reputation, I intend to savor a life of leisure!”

“…Is that truly the sort of declaration fitting for the designated heir of a noble house?”

“Undoubtedly!”

Chelsea, wearing a look of profound skepticism, spoke directly to Illiana, who had delivered her statement with absolute certainty.

“I received word that Brother Leo intends to initiate your specialized training in the near future as well.”

“What?!”

“He mentioned his intention to mold you into a genuine ‘Light-Speed Quick Sword’.”

“For what reason?!”

“Because you persistently reference the title of ‘Light-Speed Quick Sword’, he resolved to transform you into the literal definition of it.”

“Hiiiii!”

Illiana gripped the sides of her head and let out a sharp wail.

Chelsea scoffed, observing Illiana’s panic with visible amusement.

“Oh! Leo! You have arrived?”

Right at that moment, Karl caught sight of Leo’s group advancing toward the encampment structures and displayed a welcoming expression.

“My word, it is plain to see that everyone has endured an exhausting ordeal.”

They had received prior notification that this specific encampment would serve as their primary staging ground, meaning the arrival of Leo’s unit came as no shock.

“What is that you are transporting, Karl?”

“This? It is the evening sustenance for the juniors. If your group has not yet partaken, let us feast as one.”

Karl trundled a large cart laden with provisions, directing his path toward Leo’s assembly and the gathered second-year disciples.

“Ohh! Sustenance!”

“Food! Food!”

Exultant shouts resounded from all directions.

“It appears our presence does not register with them in the slightest.”

Chelsea’s countenance dimmed slightly, noting how easily her arrival was eclipsed by the allure of a meal.

“Ah, greetings to all. I welcome you back. How did the reconnaissance progress?”

Artian displayed a warm, welcoming demeanor.

Leo turned his gaze toward Artian and responded,

“I possess certain intelligence to convey regarding that matter.”

“Is that so?”

Artian cocked his head slightly, processing Leo’s words.

“Following a two-day reconnaissance of the initial perimeter of the Tartarus territory, the presence of a Hero Dungeon appears to be an absolute certainty.”

“The conclusion becomes undeniable given that we encountered fiends originating from the Age of Calamity.”

Abominations stemming from that ancient, forgotten epoch.

There existed only a single mechanism by which they could manifest within the contemporary era.

That mechanism was a Hero Dungeon.

“Subsequent to our clash with those fiends, as we advanced into the interior, immense cohorts of Gigantes were maintaining a rigid defensive posture.”

Those specific Gigantes were likewise entities that had historically walked the earth during the Age of Calamity.

‘Their martial outfitting makes it indisputable.’

Leo turned his gaze downward toward his open palm, visualizing the distinct weaponry wielded by the Gigantes.

“It stands to reason that we must formulate strategic counter-measures specifically tailored for confronting the Gigantes before we resume our advance.”

“Indeed.”

Given that their primary objective entailed penetrating deep into the heart of the Tartarus territory, it was imperative to harvest as much data as possible regarding the interior landscape from this outer threshold.

Their rigorous exploration over the preceding forty-eight hours had been dedicated entirely to that purpose.

“Yet, a singular contradiction presents itself.”

Artian’s expression shifted into one of deep gravity.

“Why does this particular frontier zone remain entirely undisturbed when an immense multitude of Gigantes has crossed into the contemporary world via a Hero Dungeon?”

The fundamental motivation behind Damian organizing this scouting endeavor was their detection of highly irregular phenomena along the borderlands.

It was a mere matter of days after the initial scouting detachment deployed by Damian vanished without a trace that Leo’s cohort undertook this follow-up mission around Tartarus.

Furthermore, according to the logs compiled by that original vanguard, no such anomalous circumstances had been observed within the initial threshold of the Tartarus territory prior to their disappearance.

‘This indicates that the situation has escalated with terrifying speed over the last forty-eight hours.’

And if an army of that magnitude composed of Gigantes had materialized, it would be entirely logical for them to launch an incursion across the perimeter and into the domains of the dwarves.

It was, quite literally, a volatile powder keg awaiting a spark.

Yet, the immediate environment retained an unnatural calm.

Naturally, being a frontier zone, it was not completely devoid of peril.

Beasts routinely migrated across the border from the Tartarus territory.

This very mining facility had been subjected to monster incursions on multiple occasions.

To the degree that operations would have ground to an absolute halt without the protective intervention of the pupils from Lumerin and Damian.

But the disruption extended no further than that.

When contrasted against the verified emergence of a Hero Dungeon bleeding into the physical world, the current state of affairs was bafflingly tranquil.

“I suspect clarity will only be obtained once we push further into the heart of the territory.”

Artian inclined his head in agreement with Leo’s deduction.

The mandate assigned to Leo required him to verify the existence of a Hero Dungeon, but the scope of their mission did not terminate there.

Should the existence of a Hero Dungeon be verified, they were obligated to ascertain the identity of the specific Hero it belonged to and the historical epoch from which it originated.

‘Judging by the current parameters, this appears to manifest as a remnant of a Great Hero’s Hero Record, yet…’

Unearthing the Hero Record of a Great Hero is indisputably a monumental revelation.

However, if that selfsame Hero Record has warped into a Hero Dungeon, the implications become vastly more hazardous.

For the entities that emerge from within a Hero Dungeon are, by definition, adversaries drawn from the horrific Age of Calamity.

‘Furthermore, powerful, high-ranking fiends from that selfsame era have manifested.’

Allowing his thoughts to reach that dark conclusion, Artian spoke with absolute gravity.

“In my capacity as a faculty member of Lumerin, I shall now address disciple Leo, the commander of the Arhi party.”

Hearing this formal invocation, Leo immediately corrected his posture.

A faculty member of Lumerin is not merely an academic instructor.

They are granted the full strategic authority of a military commander, empowered to issue binding directives to pupils during times of crisis.

Regardless of Leo’s status as the student council president or his current assignment on an independent deployment, if Artian chose to exercise his martial command authority, Leo was legally bound to obey.

“It appears imperative that we augment the combat capability of this unit. Disciple Karl.”

“Present.”

“You will integrate into disciple Leo’s unit.”

“Pardon?”

“Furthermore, by the power vested in my academic office, I shall likewise command second-year Knightology disciples Luke, Aina, and Habitun to integrate into the unit. I myself shall also merge with the Arhi party.”

Chelsea’s eyes widened in sheer astonishment upon hearing the decree.

“In that scenario, will Professor Artian assume command of the party?”

“Negative. Disciple Leo shall retain his position as leader. I have merely determined, through my academic judgment, that the unit’s martial strength required reinforcement. Disciple Leo is far better suited to guide this endeavor than I.”

Luke, Aina, and Habitun.

The inclusion of these three elite pupils from the second-year Knightology department was deliberately calculated to complement the tactical dynamics of Leo’s established companions.

Every single member of this elite trio from the second-year Knightology tier was fundamentally built for extreme velocity.

While Shasha from the second-year Summoning Department possessed formidable swiftness, she would inevitably face overwhelming strain if forced to match pace with the most agile vanguard of the third-year tier.

“What is to become of the second-years’ exclusive Smith contract?”

“The operations shall proceed precisely as mandated. Faculty members from Damian remain on site to oversee their safety.”

Karl let out a miserable groan at Artian’s final declaration.

“Ah. So in the end, I am being forcibly hauled into yet another suicidal catastrophe.”

Karl, who was grumbling with a thoroughly dejected countenance while burying his face in his hands, raised an inquiry.

“But in what manner am I supposed to match the velocity of you individuals? In stark contrast to you unnatural prodigies, I am fragile.”

“You need not lose sleep over that particular issue.”

Illiana offered a dazzling, mischievous grin as she extended a sturdy cord toward Karl.

“Karl, look here. It is the specialized binding cord you employ to secure the heavy ores you extract.”

“…You do not truly harbor the intention of binding me to this cord, do you?”

“Your deduction is absolutely flawless!”

Illiana proclaimed, thrusting a thumb into the air.

“Secure it firmly about your midsection. I shall personally haul you along.”

“Are you actively seeking to fracture a companion’s spine?”

Karl, his expression thoroughly sour, scanned the faces of the assembled group.

‘No matter which individual I look upon, with a single exception, severe motion sickness is an absolute certainty.’

It was transparently obvious that they would traverse the landscape at staggering velocities, and it was highly improbable that they would modify their pace for his comfort.

Reaching that grim conclusion, Karl shifted his position closer to Eliza, who possessed the means to travel in the most serene fashion.

“Respected Eliza-nim.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Oh, please do not dismiss me so swiftly. Pretty please?”

“Prostrate yourself and supplicate.”

“Oh? Is that truly all it takes? If I simply perform that act, you will grant me passage? I am entirely willing to prostrate myself and supplicate as much as you desire!”

Eliza knitted her brows in profound distaste, observing the sudden brightness of Karl’s expression.

“You are thoroughly repulsive.”

With the reinforcement of the unit’s martial capabilities finalized, Leo spoke.

“Let us utilize the remaining hours of this day to rest thoroughly, and we shall launch our advance tomorrow at dawn. I shall personally brief the second-year disciples who have been assigned to our unit. Dismissed.”

Following his directive, the companions separated to find their quarters.

Leo rose to his feet, casting a silent gaze down at his open hand.

‘…Whose realm does this truly belong to?’

Though he actively strove to suppress the emotion, Leo’s eyes betrayed a subtle tremor as he contemplated the prospect of encountering his ancient companion’s Hero Record.

Was it truly possible that he might look upon him once more?

‘He is undoubtedly trapped in memories of the ancient era this time as well, is he not?’

Regardless of who it might be, the brothers-in-arms dwelling within that heroic domain were now fully aware of his true identity.

It was precisely as Leo’s inner thoughts began to churn restlessly.

“Pardon me… Disciple Leo?”

“Yes, Professor Artian.”

Now that the rest of the pupils had completely vacated the premises, Artian extended a tentative call toward Leo.

“Disciple Leo, would you grant me a brief moment of your time? There is a matter I wish to query.”

“Certainly.”

Leo lowered himself back into his seat.

The remaining companions, operating under the assumption that the two were merely finalizing the logistics for the upcoming dawn departure, had left without delay.

Within the confines of the chamber, only Leo and Artian remained.

The two individuals were completely isolated.

Artian, seated directly opposite Leo, hesitated for a brief interval before finally giving voice to his thoughts.

“Leo. I have harbored a desire to put this question to you for a considerable duration.”

“Please speak.”

“Do you, by any chance, possess a romantic partner?”

“Pardon?”

Leo exhibited a rare, uncharacteristic display of bewilderment at the entirely unexpected inquiry.

“What prompts you to ask such a question?”

“I distinctly perceive the residual energy of a spiritual entity lingering about your person, Disciple Leo.”