Editor : Amethyst00



As the applicants sized each other up and exchanged greetings, a strange atmosphere flowed among them.

[It looks like everyone’s here.]

A voice echoed.

Before anyone noticed, a man stood on the platform.

He had pale blond hair and golden eyes.

And dressed casually in a uniform.

[My name is Albi.]

The applicants held their breath.

“No way, is that Albi the Mage of the Mystic Eye?”

Celia looked shocked as well.

He was a mage hero whose name was recorded in the [Hero Record].

‘So this is what a modern era hero is like?’

Leo studied Albi closely.

To be precise, he looked at Albi’s left eye.

The power within his left eye.

‘This mana…?’

While Leo was surprised, Albi pulled out a sheet of paper from his coat.

[This year, there are 569 applicants for the western region entrance exam.]

Adjusting his glasses, he continued.

[The exams are duels and monster subjugation. Two test in total. Normally, each applicant would be tested one by one in order. But I'll be frank… I don’t really like that method.]

Albi burned the paper with magic.

[It’s annoying.]

Murmurs—

People reacted with surprise at his sudden declaration.

[It takes too much time and is inefficient. So I thought, why not combine everything?]

“What?”

Celia was flustered.

So were the other applicants.

[Seeing is believing. The exam will begin right now.]

Albi took out an old book from his coat.

[Hero Record, open. Albi’s World. Chapter: Prologue—Forest of Monsters.]

Voom—!

A huge crest appeared on the ground.

It was the divine language, unreadable by the people of the lower world.

Flash—!

A bright light enveloped the area.

When the light faded, the scenery had changed.

A dense forest.

It really was like another world.

‘Well, it is another world.’

[That is the Forest of Monsters. The test is to survive in there. Anything else is up to you. You can cooperate to defeat monsters, or take down competitors, it doesn’t matter. If you wish to quit, break the orb you have in your pocket.]

The Forest of Monsters.

A real forest in the southern continent.

But Leo hadn’t come to the actual place.

This was a hero’s memory.

More precisely, it is a world recreated from examiner Albi’s memory.

‘But it’s not just some illusion.’

It was a fictional world, but everything that happened here was real.

A miracle gifted to the lower world by the gods.

The true value of the [Hero Record].

The power to recreate a hero’s trial.

‘The Hero’s World.’

This power was first revealed 3000 years ago.

On the day known as the Return of Calamity.

Until then, the [Hero Record] was just a simple record.

But when it was revealed that you could manifest a [Hero’s World] through the Hero Record, the world transformed.

Some people say,

That 3000 years ago marked the true beginning of the Age of Heroes.

Clearing the trials experienced by past heroes in the [Hero’s World] would grant you a reward.

That reward meant inheriting power.

Whether it was a weapon, a skill, or a special ability unique to that hero had—

If you cleared it, you could inherit the power of that world’s protagonist.

‘It’s an unbelievable ability.’

This was why the gods gifted the Hero Record to the lower world.

‘Literally a system to nurture heroes.’

It was a power to prevent a world-ending disaster like five thousand years ago.

It was also what made the four hero academies, including Lumene, so special.

The Human Hero Academy, Lumene.

The Elf Hero Academy, Seiren.

The Beastkin Hero Academy, Azonia.

The Dwarf Hero Academy, Damien.

All these academies preserved their race’s Hero Record.

And Leo’s goal was to see all four hero academies’ Hero Record.

A divine miracle that could perfectly recreate the past.

‘If it’s the Hero Record, it should tell me exactly what happened to the sealed Erebos. What happened to Tartaros, too.’

Leo clenched and unclenched his fist.

‘But right now, I need to focus on the exam.’

He narrowed his eyes and looked around.

Celia, who had been beside him, was nowhere to be seen.

Looks like they were scattered when entering the [Hero’s World].

‘Anyway, the Forest of Monsters, huh.’

It was a real terrain, and a famous one at that.

The southern continent was covered by vast deserts.

The Forest of Monsters was a massive forest right in the middle of the desert.

If there’s a huge forest in the desert, of course the neighboring countries would covet it.

But the Forest of Monsters remained unexplored.

The monsters living in the forest were mostly low-tier creatures; gnolls, goblins, orcs.

The strongest creatures you’d find was a troll.

It was something an army could easily conquer.

Yet people gave up because, no matter how many monsters you killed, their numbers never decreased.

‘The curse of this forest still hasn’t been lifted.’

Leo had been to this forest in the past.

This was the homeland forest of Luna, one of Kyle’s comrades.

Until 5000 years ago, it had been the elves’ forest.

But when it was cursed by Sillatna, the Monster Queen of Tartaros, the forest became corrupted.

5000 years ago.

The subjugation force had driven back Sillatna but failed to kill her.

The queen’s curse lingered even thousands of years later.

Remembering Luna, who believed her descendants would someday kill Sillatna and reclaim their home, Leo smiled bitterly.

‘Looks like that damned woman’s curse has weakened, though.’

5000 years ago, this forest was one of the greatest threats in the world.

Hordes of abyssal monsters appeared endlessly.

Every army of monsters that threatened living things was formed in this forest.

Compared to then, now was paradise.

‘For now, I should focus on the test. The examiner said it’s all up to us, right?’

Whether to take down competitors or monsters.

Everything was left to the examinees.

‘Anyone with sense won’t pick a fight here.’

Even low-ranked monsters could appear at any moment, anywhere.

Fighting in that situation could be fatal.

‘Well, I’m sure there are some who don’t care about that.’

The prime example being Celia.

An overwhelming talent who refused to be compared to other examinees.

Though Leo had knocked her out in just two hits a week ago.

But that was only because she had been careless.

If she had fought seriously, even for the current Leo, she wouldn’t have been an easy opponent.

‘Especially not in real combat.’

Leo shrugged his shoulders and drew his sword.

‘Anyway, I should look for Celia now.’

Cooperation was allowed.

So, for now, it would be easier to move together.

With that decision, Leo sprang into action.

Whoosh—!

Arrows of wind struck the spot where Leo had just been.

Glancing over, he saw a familiar girl holding a staff.

Abad’s younger sister, who had just been at odds with Celia earlier.

Chelsea Lewellin.

“We’ve met before, haven't we?”

“Yeah. So, why the sudden attack?”

“We’re competitors, aren’t we? Didn’t expect you to dodge, though.”

Chelsea shrugged.

“Revealing yourself in front of a swordsman. Isn’t that a bit careless?”

“It’s fine. I’m well prepared.”

Chelsea gave a relaxed smile.

She was indeed prepared.

Scythes of wind circled all around her.

If he approached carelessly, he’d be cut.

‘That’s a spell that didn’t exist in the past.’

Leo stroked his chin.

If there’s one field that’s changed beyond comparison with the old days, it’s magic.

Aura and summoning arts hadn’t changed much.

But magic was different.

Magic is a scholarly field before it’s one of power.

Every spell was endlessly researched and refined.

Thus, the magic system now was completely different from what Leo knew.

The spells he knew were all considered ancient magic.

‘Still, the basics don’t seem to have changed.’

Chelsea narrowed her eyes at Leo’s calm attitude.

“You seem pretty relaxed, even with me right in front of you.”

Chelsea’s skills far exceeded the average mage at the Lumene entrance exam.

She was exactly the kind of examinee Leo had mentioned before, the kind who could act freely without worrying about anything else.

“I have a suggestion.”

“A suggestion?”

“This test rewards those who survive the longest, right? How about we team up? As a mage, it’s better to have someone in front of you, isn’t it?”

Chelsea smiled slyly.

“Thanks for the offer, but I’m fine. I’m a ‘battle mage.’ I don’t need anyone on the front lines.”

Battle mage.

A mage who fights on the front lines, not from the back.

“Wind Sickle.”

With a short chant, Chelsea’s eyes glinted as she unleashed her spell.

“And I have no intention of teaming up with anyone from Zerdinger family.”

“I’m not exactly from Zerdinger.”

“But you were sticking close to Celia Zerdinger, weren’t you? So, I have no reason to cooperate. Bye—!”

Chelsea stuck out her tongue.

With their families being rivals, she had no intention of working together.

“So, you’re refusing to cooperate?”

“Of course.”

Chelsea pointed her staff at Leo, and that was the signal to cast her spell.

Blades of wind came flying at tremendous speed.

Leo thrust his sword forward.

Whoosh—! Crack—!

A harsh metallic sound and sparks flew.

‘He blocked it? But I didn’t sense him using Aura.’

Chelsea grew wary.

‘It must be some kind of Aura I can’t detect easily! I’ll have to be careful.’

Chelsea mistakenly thought Leo was using Aura.

It made sense—blocking a second-circle spell without Aura should be impossible.

But Leo hadn’t blocked Wind Sickle.

‘It’s flashy and powerful, but too straightforward.’

He read the trajectory and twisted the attack with his sword.

As long as it wasn’t an overwhelming force, spells with physical form could be handled like this.

Of course, it wasn’t a simple technique.

He had to perfectly read the flow of magic.

But for a Great Hero, it wasn’t difficult technique.

“Wind Sickle! Wind Arrow!”

Whooosh—!

A gale whirled around Chelsea.

With her hair fluttering, Chelsea spoke.

“How about surrendering before you bleed? Blocking this won’t be easy.”

“I’ll admit your magic is powerful.”

Leo shrugged.

“But for wind magic, your attacks are too straightforward.”

Chelsea’s face twisted in annoyance.

“Are you lecturing me about magic? To a direct descendant of the Lewellin family?”

Annoyed, Chelsea scoffed.

“Hmph. No more holding back. I’ll eliminate you with force!”

She swung her staff, and the spells she’d prepared were unleashed.

Rushing wind sickles and arrows.

Wind magic is the most elusive magic visually.

To the average person, it’s nearly invisible.

That’s why it’s counted among the most powerful attack magics, along with fire.

But to Leo’s eyes, the flow of wind mana was far too clear.

With a smirk, Leo steadied his legs.

“I told you, it’s just too simple.”

Wham—!

Leo’s body disappeared like it sunk into the ground.

The spells lost their target for an instant and vanished.

‘He’s fast! Where did he go?’

Chelsea quickly activated mana detection magic.

As a self-proclaimed battle mage, her reaction was fast.

But there was something Chelsea hadn’t considered.

Leo didn’t use Aura.

There was no lingering Mana residue that should’ve been left by Aura.

Because of that, Leo was able to close the distance in a flash.

“Huh?”

As Leo appeared before her, Chelsea tried to react.

Thud—!

“Guh?”

But Leo’s fist struck her in the stomach before she could.

Looking down at Chelsea lose consciousness and collapse, Leo muttered,

“Now, let’s try convincing her.”

Monsters like orcs didn’t matter.

But Leo didn’t have enough firepower to take on a giant monster like a troll.

‘And now, a powerful mage with offensive spells just showed up. Wouldn’t it be nice to cooperate?’

Leo cut some vines nearby.

Snap—! He gave one a tug.

“Hmm. Nice and sturdy.”

Satisfied with how tough the vines were, Leo looked down at the unconscious Chelsea and grinned wickedly.