Editor : Amethyst00



At Rian's words, Carl swallowed dryly.

The first time he had encountered a being called a god, his emotions were surprisingly mundane—far from what he had imagined. If not for the Dragon Queen’s guarantee, he wouldn’t have believed Rian’s identity, let alone anything that came out of his mouth.

But now, the being in front of him exuded an overwhelming presence beyond imagination.

‘It’s… hard to breathe…’

Just facing him made it hard to breathe, like he was suffocating.

Rian hadn’t done anything in particular. He was merely observing Carl, as if studying him. Yet even that alone made Carl feel frozen solid. The presence of the being before him was on a completely different level from any race he had encountered before.

He was overwhelmed by mere existence.

‘I’ve felt this before…’

Shaking, Carl calmed his breath and quickly regained composure.

Rian’s eyes sparkled as he watched.

“It must be your first time facing a god directly, but you’re regaining your composure quickly.”

Rian, who had long ago become part of the Hero Record system to serve as its administrator, technically couldn’t be called a god anymore. But that didn’t change the fact that he was still comparable to one.

Most humans would lose all sense of calm just from his presence.

And Carl was very much within the realm of an ordinary human.

'If he were someone with a truly great vessel, he wouldn’t have been shaken in the first place.’

To the eyes of an Absolute Being, Carl was no more than a common pebble by the roadside.

At Rian’s remark, Carl scratched his cheek.

“It just… felt like when I saw Erebos.”

“Ah, that grotesque thing.” Rian nodded.

“Right, when the hero came to this world through the Hero Record, you met that creature too, didn’t you? Then this wouldn’t be your first encounter with a divine being.”

“Is the Flame of Calamity also a god?”

“In essence, it’s similar to us. But what it seeks is entirely different. We desire the survival of the world. That monstrosity seeks its destruction.”

“Why’s that? Wasn’t it an ally at first or something?”

“Not at all. That thing was born that way. It exists only to reduce the world to ashes.”

Rian shook his head as if recalling something disgusting.

‘Even if he’s seen Erebos before, the fact that he regained his composure so fast must be his own ability.’

The more he observed Carl, the more intriguing he became.

He had nothing, and yet he stood out.

‘Luck might’ve played a part. But what Carl Thomas achieved can’t be chalked up to luck alone.’

“By the way, you said I have two things that Lumene didn’t. What are they?”

Carl’s face showed a hint of anticipation.

“Do I… have some hidden talent or something?”

Rian stared at Carl, then broke into a brilliant smile.

“Ugliness and foolishness.”

“…Excuse me?”

Carl looked stunned for a moment.

“Lumene wasn’t foolish. That’s why he never clung to the impossible in such a pathetic way.”

Rian gave Carl a thumbs-up.

“Carl Thomas! You are foolish to an incredible degree, and so you cling to the impossible! That’s why you’re so wonderfully pathetic!”

Thud—!

Carl dropped to his knees with his hands on the ground.

“Hold your chest up proudly! You’re doing something Lumene never could.”

“Please don’t mock me. It’s depressing.”

“What are you talking about! That was a compliment! A compliment!”

Rian patted Carl's back cheerfully.

“A god is complimenting you—why are you depressed?”

“Of course I’m depressed! The way you said it made it sound like I had some hidden talent or something!”

“I told you earlier, didn’t I? You’re nothing like Lumene.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“That you’re not heroic at all.”

Rian shrugged and pulled out a small sculpture made of jewels.

It was a miniature figure of Lumene, the Twilight Knight.

“Though he was born a slave, Lumene possessed an extraordinarily noble soul.”

Rian turned the figure around in his hands as he spoke.

“The gods’ favorite heroes are, without question, the great ones. But right after them, we loved Lumene.”

“He must’ve been incredibly talented to be loved by the gods.”

“That’s a bit of a misunderstanding.”

Rian glanced sideways at Carl.

“There are those loved by the gods. But that doesn’t mean gods bestow them with special talents. That’s beyond even what gods are permitted to do.”

“…What?”

“Humans loved by gods earned that love themselves. Remember that, Carl Thomas.” Rian smiled and shrugged.

“Well, gods have preferences too.”

“And what kind of preferences?”

“Heroes like Lumene.”

“…”

“Overflowing with talent, upright personality, good looks, strength, remarkable achievements, popular with women… and—”

“Can you please stop? I’m starting to feel like life is incredibly unfair.” Carl let out a hollow laugh.

“Lumene really has nothing in common with me. I can see now why the gods loved him. They like perfect people.”

“No one is perfect. Just less flawed.”

Rian shrugged again.

“That’s why, in five thousand years, there hasn’t been another hero like you, Carl.”

“I know better than anyone that I’m not fit to be a hero.”

“Yet you don’t give up. Why?”

“Because I’m foolish and pathetic.”

“…”

“If I aim high, I might get even a little closer to them.”

“You’ll hit your limit soon.”

“I’ll surpass it. Like Lumene.”

“…”

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Lumene, it’s that I have to at least resemble him in that.”

“Carl Thomas! Where are you?”

“Eh? Eliza?”

At Eliza’s voice calling, Carl turned his head and panicked.

“Uh, god, I think I have to go? Yeah?”

When he turned back, Rian was gone. He looked around the restroom and scratched his head.

“Did he leave?”

“Carl Thomas!”

“You’re yelling at someone who’s in the bathroom?”

With a sigh, Carl walked out.

Rian had reappeared without him noticing and shook his head.

‘Truly un-heroic.’

In five thousand years of the hero era, not once had someone like Carl been recorded in the Hero Record.

Not because he didn’t fit the gods’ preferences.

‘It’s because he can’t accomplish feats alone.’

Ultimately, the one who achieves heroic feats must possess immense power. A hero who defends and leads the world must have outstanding individual strength.

‘Too ordinary. Carl Thomas is just too ordinary.’

The gods don’t care about average humans. They only like the exceptional.

Rian was no different.

However…

‘You’ll never be like Lumene, Carl Thomas.’

Rian looked at the jewel carving of Lumene he had made.

‘Lumene couldn’t be foolish or ugly enough to keep going. He closed his own doors.’

Rian smiled softly.

‘But you resemble the Hero of Beginnings instead.’

Of course, comparing Leo—who had the mana trait of purity—and Carl made no sense.

‘But Lord Leo also struggled foolishly and pathetically, and that’s why he saved the world.’

Rian took out an uncarved jewel and toyed with it.

‘Carl Thomas is not heroic at all. But that’s only by the standards of the age of gods.’

Remnants of the age of gods still linger.

‘But that age ended five thousand years ago.’

Rian laughed.

‘And it ended as a failed era.’

By divine standards, the age of gods was a failure. It’s true that they suppressed Erebos for a long time and filled the world with light. But in the end, they couldn’t stop him. Instead, they were helplessly consumed by flames.

From that failure, the anomalies called Great Heroes emerged and saved the world.

Thus began a new era.

But…

‘Is the Age of Heroes really the Age of Heroes?’

The gods are gone, but the Hero Record—a divine relic—still supports this era.

‘Maybe I’m incredibly lucky.’

He abandoned his status as a god and became just a part of the system.

Yet…

‘Perhaps I’m witnessing the true beginning of a new era right before my eyes.’ Rian’s smile widened.

What a thrilling, exhilarating thing.

‘Ah, my choice wasn’t wrong! I might see with my own eyes… a truly godless age!’

bl

The second round of the Hero Festival featured the second-year students.

Each school’s ten-member assault team competed to see who could conquer the Hero’s World the fastest.

Unlike the first-years, this round had a much grander scale, and the audience was excited.

Moreover, the current second-years from all schools were known as The Golden Generation.

Naturally, expectations were high.

“To think we get to watch them conquer the Hero’s World in real time!”

“But this isn’t a Hero Dungeon, right? So it’s not dangerous?”

“Please, know what you’re talking about! A Hero Dungeon is just a Hero’s World that’s gone berserk! It’s all the same thing!”

“Let’s see… Lumene didn’t send out Leo Plov for this one?”

“Probably because he’s already achieved hero status, right?”

“But look! Seiren still sent out Lunia El Lunda!”

“Hm… Maybe Leo’s busy because he’s the student council president? Wait, Lunia is president too…”

Voices filled with curiosity rose as people noticed Leo wasn’t participating.

Watching the scene, Lunia muttered to herself.

“At least they had the decency to leave Leo out.”

Honestly, if Leo participated, the outcome would be obvious.

Though it stung to admit, Seiren simply couldn’t handle Leo right now.

‘Not just Seiren—no school could.’

Lunia sighed quietly.

“Still, I’m glad it’s the Hero’s World we’re conquering.”

“This isn’t easy either, so why are you glad?”

Eiran chimed in, puzzled, and Alice Trina asked curiously.

“I was worried we’d have to fight Master Leo after seeing the first-years.”

Garin Trina, Alice’s twin, tilted his head.

“Is that a big deal?”

“Did you forget Leo Plov wiped out all of Lumene’s second-years? Fighting a monster like that is pointless—this at least gives us a chance.”

As Alice spoke, Garin nodded in agreement.

“Now that you mention it, you’re right.”

“By the way, Carl Thomas? Wasn’t he the one who conquered Lord Dweno’s world? I heard his grades aren’t great, but he’s still their rep?”

Alice looked puzzled, but Lunia spoke up.

“If it’s him, he deserves it.”

“Exactly, with Carl around, Lumene must feel reassured.”

The reactions of the top and second-ranked students made other Seiren students confused.

Then—

Bzzz—!

A deep resonance vibrated from the floor.

[Hero Record Open.]

The sudden message startled Seiren’s second-years, but they quickly regained composure.

“We’re used to surprises like this now.”

Lunia scoffed.

And it wasn’t just Seiren Academy. Other schools reacted similarly.

At that moment, Eiran perked up.

“Didn’t they say we’d conquer the same Hero’s World in order?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why did students from other schools get the same Hero Record message?”

“…What?”

As Eiran, whose hearing was enhanced to superhuman levels, frowned—

[Lumene’s He■. ■ge: ■■■■■]

“What?!”

Lunia’s face twisted in horror at the scrambled message.

At the same time, a blinding light erupted, swallowing the students gathered at Erek’s training grounds.

“Gah!”

When Lunia opened her eyes in panic, a fist flew toward her.

“Kyaa?!”

She dodged reflexively.

“Kyaa? Kyaa?! What’s with the fake cute act, you phony elf!”

“Ugh!”

Hearing that, Lunia quickly processed the situation.

‘I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m clearly in a fight! Time to counter—’

Just as she tried to find an opening—

“Huh?”

She caught a glimpse of her opponent’s face and froze.

“Why are you spacing out?! Your ribs!”

“Urk?!”

Her opponent landed a solid blow to Lunia’s side.

“Finisher! Solar Plexus!”

Thud—!

“Guh?!”

With a hit to the solar plexus, Lunia choked, gasped, and dropped to her knees.

“Huh? That actually worked?”

The opponent looked more shocked than Lunia.

Clutching her chest and wheezing, Lunia weakly called out,

“Rod…ia…”

Thump—

And then she fainted with her eyes rolled back.

“Hey! Breathe! I said BREATHE!!”

Slap! Slap!

Rodia frantically slapped Lunia’s cheeks.

“Seiren! Breathe!”