Chapter 621
Editor : Amethyst00
"How arrogant. Well, I suppose uncontrollable confidence is a privilege of youth."
Zorua nodded as he looked at Leo, who was pointing a sword at him and declaring his intent.
His previously stiff face had regained its composure.
"Especially for an unprecedented hero like you. I think you have every right to feel that way. Still, it wouldn't be a bad idea to teach you how vast the world truly is."
Zorua smiled as he looked at Leo.
"I'll make you even more perfect than you are no—"
Crack—!
Leo had already reached Zorua and swept his leg out from under him.
Under normal circumstances, he would've just lost his balance and fallen.
But Leo's kick shattered everything below Zorua's knee.
"No."
Leo spoke calmly.
Thud—
With his legs gone from the knees down, Zorua involuntarily dropped to his knees and looked up at Leo.
"You don't deserve to look down on anyone."
Leo looked down on him like he was a pathetic insect.
"Crawl on the ground like the bug you are."
Crunch—!
Leo stomped Zorua's head and crushed it completely.
Despite Zorua wearing Reina's appearance, Leo showed no hesitation.
Ssshhhh—!
Zorua's body crumbled into dust and then quickly became a skeleton.
"Your attacks are brutal. Are you venting your anger?"
"Anger?"
Leo looked puzzled.
"I'm not really one for such romantic emotions."
Whoosh—!
Leo closed the distance between them again.
Flames burst explosively from Leo's sword.
Zorua, seeing the flame aura flickering as if it would devour him, quickly cast a spell.
Cracklecrackle—!
Ice magic surged and wrapped around Leo.
The flames vanished, and Leo was frozen inside the ice.
Ssshhhh—!
Frost spread thickly as the temperature dropped rapidly.
Zorua looked at Leo, frozen in ice, and spoke.
"You can't win if you just charge in recklessly."
Zorua smiled faintly.
Crack—!
A crack formed in the ice.
Zorua's expression instantly changed.
'What? I didn't sense any use of magic or summoning…?'
Crackkkk—
Leo shattered the ice and stood on the ground, completely unfazed.
He glanced briefly at the spell that had bound him.
"Ice Bind. A spell of the stars made by Seiren, right?"
"Yes. I reinterpreted and enhanced the comet mage's signature spell. Do you still doubt my power?"
"It's sloppy. The magic collapsed just because I severed one link in the mana chain."
"What did you say?"
Leo's indifferent gaze turned to Zorua.
"Is breaking other people's creations the only thing you're good at?"
Zorua's face stiffened.
"I'll be kind and teach you."
Leo smiled.
"Just how much the powers you stole are rotting because of you."
"Gasp!"
Jamua held his breath.
A massive wall of flames surged toward him.
Boomboomboom—!
The spell exploded violently.
As the citizens of Plov screamed and ran, a beautiful singing voice rang out, completely out of place for the chaotic scene.
Whooooo—!
Strong winds began to swirl around the area.
But instead of going wild, the winds wrapped gently around the citizens who were about to be engulfed in fire.
The wind saved them softly from the flames.
Jamua was impressed as he witnessed it.
"Magnificent!"
And it wasn't just the people who were saved before being caught in the explosion.
Collapsed buildings from the intense battle.
People trapped underneath them.
The wind cleared away even the debris and rescued the people buried in the rubble.
Chelsea was literally controlling all the wind in the vicinity.
'When did she grow this much?'
Jamua looked at Chelsea in admiration.
She hadn't been this capable just by the end of 2nd-year winter break.
She had grown to a nearly unrecognizable level in a short time.
'Is it because of Leo's influence?'
Thinking of who was currently leading Lumene's 3rd-years, Jamua grinned.
Then—
Rooooaaar—!
An ogre let out a roar and picked up building debris.
Fwoooosh—!
A crimson energy started to swirl around the giant chunk of rubble.
Jamua's eyes twitched.
'Aura?'
The power used by monsters.
That was definitely aura.
Demons, beasts, and monsters—these cursed beings were born in the land of Tartaros.
Demons were its natives, monsters their malformed livestock.
And magical beasts, the superior creatures among them.
Their source of power was demonic energy.
While humans processed mana into aura, magic, or spiritual power, beings of Tartaros used processed demonic energy.
Their emitted powers were fundamentally different.
'But that ogre just used aura.'
It wasn't the dark aura demons used.
It was pure aura—the same kind used by humans.
Not something a monster should be able to use.
Even though he was momentarily suspicious, Jamua reacted quickly.
Regular physical attacks couldn't reach Chelsea now that she was controlling the wind.
But an aura-empowered throw? That was a different matter.
Whip—!
Crashhh—!
As Jamua leapt, the ogre hurled the aura-coated debris at Chelsea.
"Hyahhh!"
Jamua surrounded himself with aura and shouted a battle cry.
Boomboomboom—!
The force pushed Jamua back even as he blocked the attack.
Crack— Crack—
The pressure from the debris crushed against his entire body.
Thud—!
Jamua dug his heels into the ground to halt the force.
"Raaahhh!"
He then hurled the debris skyward.
Boom—!
The massive debris shot into the sky at incredible speed and vanished without a trace.
Exhaling through his nose, Jamua rolled his shoulders and spoke.
"That was a proper workout for the first time in a while."
Despite blocking an attack that could tear through powerful defense magic, he was calm.
His armor was in tatters, but his muscular body had not a single scratch.
Jamua licked his upper lip as he looked at the ogre.
Watching from behind, Chelsea spoke.
"Jamua-sunbae."
"Yes?"
"Couldn't you have blocked that with a shield?"
"A shield's just cumbersome. If it breaks and shrapnel flies around, it could cause more harm."
"Still… isn't that too risky?"
"Heh."
Jamua laughed proudly and pounded his chest.
"I've overcome countless trials with just this body! This powerful physique is what made me who I am! If I can't trust my body, who can I trust?"
Chelsea shook her head at the flexing muscles.
"Chelsea Lewellin! If you train, you too can get a body like this!"
"I think I'll pass on becoming that."
"A true knight must overcome trials with their body alone!"
"I'm in the magic department, actually."
They exchanged lighthearted jokes.
All the civilians had already been evacuated to safety.
While Jamua blocked the magical onslaught, Chelsea had quickly evacuated everyone.
"By the way…"
Chelsea's gaze narrowed as she scanned the area.
"I don't sense any presence from the Hero Hunters."
As soon as she and Jamua had entered the city center of Plov, they had encountered powerful magic that indiscriminately destroyed everything.
But they sensed no human presence nearby.
Only one ogre stood there.
'Are they hiding? But there's no sign of that either?'
As she rapidly analyzed the surroundings through the wind, Chelsea frowned.
Thud—! Thud—!
The massive ogre approached.
Rooooaaar!
A roar pierced their ears.
Chelsea covered her ears and winced at the deafening noise.
Then her expression changed in surprise.
The ogre was crying.
"Blood tears," Jamua narrowed his eyes.
"And Chelsea. Look at its hands."
"Huh?"
She looked at the ogre's hands.
In them were a massive greatsword and a staff.
"An ogre wielding a sword and a magic staff?"
Chelsea looked shocked, and Jamua furrowed his brow.
"That's not all."
Fwoooosh—!
Crimson aura radiated from the sword, and crimson magic power from the staff.
Chelsea's face turned pale.
Aura and magic.
Not something a monster should possess.
"As expected," Jamua murmured.
"A turning point of the era, huh."
The world had witnessed countless miracles.
So naturally—
"It must witness nightmares of equal magnitude."
"Jamua-sunbae… Don't tell me that ogre is…"
"Yes."
Jamua clenched his fist.
"It was originally a Hero Hunter."
"…."
Chelsea's face hardened.
Monsters were disasters by nature.
Ogres were especially dangerous.
Creatures with vitality and strength far surpassing humans.
Even cunning intelligence.
But still, that intelligence was only advanced for a monster.
Compared to demons or beasts, they weren't a top threat.
Even a first-year at Lumene could handle one.
But if you added human powers to that ogre's physical prowess?
Especially if those powers belonged to a Hero Hunter?
'No… In this case, it's more accurate to say the Hero Hunter gained the power of an ogre.'
Chelsea looked at the ogre with trembling eyes.
But it wasn't from fear.
"Are you feeling pity?"
She flinched at Jamua's words and replied.
"I'm sorry."
"No need to apologize. I pity it too."
No matter how powerful a body one gains—if they become a monster, what's the point?
It's no different from losing one's very essence.
"It's ultimately their own fault, though."
"Yes."
Chelsea nodded coldly.
Pity was still pity.
But the enemy still had to be eliminated.
"I'll take the front line, Chelsea Lewellin."
"Leave the rear to me."
"Haha. That kid's become so dependable."
"Kids grow up fast."
"Still short, though!"
Jamua laughed heartily and patted Chelsea's head with his giant hand.
Chelsea smiled faintly.
'If he wasn't my senior, I'd punch him.'
Chelsea and Jamua weren't the only ones fighting Hero Hunters turned into beasts.
Thud—!
The earth shook.
Abad watched the approaching Gigantes from afar and spoke.
"So that thing is a Hero Hunter?"
"Yes. It used magic."
Rhys glared coldly at the Gigantes.
Gigantes—the beast of legend that's a walking calamity.
Now using magic.
"This will be troublesome."
A murderous gleam flashed in Rhys's eyes.
Whoooooo—!
"Ugh! There's too many!"
High above Plov's territory.
Celia, riding a Pegasus, looked down with a horrified expression.
Flying beasts filled the sky below.
"Looks like someone tamed them with summoning magic."
Ulta narrowed his eyes and stared at the summoner—Fafnir.
"A being that was once human, huh? Hmm?"
Screeeeech—!
Suddenly, a monster's death scream echoed from above.
Celia and Ulta looked up. A flying beast was falling toward them, gushing blood from its neck.
Slash—!
A silver flash sliced clean through the creature's throat.
As the beast fell limp, someone leapt from its back toward the Pegasus.
Whoosh—!
Barely grabbing onto the Pegasus's wing, the person revealed herself.
Celia's eyes widened in shock.
"A-Aunt?!"
"Why is Lady Reina here?!"
Even the usually unshakable Ulta looked stunned.
Reina smiled softly.
"Hmm? I just happened to be passing by."