Editor : Amethyst00



Desire.

It is the most fundamental emotion that all living beings possess. Regardless of race or individual, desires exist in various forms. From the most basic need for survival to the longing for power or honor.

It is one of the most essential emotions for living. It was also the greatest driving force that allowed civilizations to flourish, continue, and evolve. But precisely because of that, it was also easily corrupted.

Desire, when it became excessive and bloated, transformed into greed.

And that's how traitors were born.

'Even in the extreme circumstances of the world's collapse, traitors tainted by greed emerged.'

Among them, Raysar was particularly extreme.

The refugee city of Raysar.

It was one of the few cities that managed to endure for a long time without falling, even as the world headed toward destruction.

In the end, only Godthrone remained, but the scale of Raysar, which had accepted countless refugees, was never small.

Also, having accepted various refugees from the early days of the Age of Calamity, it had considerable strength.

'Among the cities that existed during the Age of Calamity, it was second in power only to Godthrone.'

During the peak of the Age of Calamity, it was the only city other than Godthrone that had the scale of a nation.

But Raysar perished in a far too ridiculous manner.

Because of the leadership that had rotted away due to greed.

'Even when we went to Raysar to recruit the Guardian of the Azure Sky, it was already starting to rot.'

Even Lysinas couldn't predict the corruption of Raysar.

It wasn't the kind of foolish belief that anyone could easily foresee—blinded by greed, denying the world's end, and thinking they could enjoy wealth and luxury by becoming pawns of Tartaros.

By the time Lysinas realized, it was already too late.

Leo had to purge countless traitors in Raysar, and a massive operation was carried out to relocate its residents to Godthrone just before they were massacred.

Naturally, many residents of Raysar lost their lives in the process.

Even great heroes are not omnipotent gods.

'They were just doing their best in the environment they were given.'

What happened to the ruins of Raysar afterward, Leo didn't know.

He only recently learned that it had been buried underground like Godthrone.

'I didn't expect it to be buried exactly as it once was.'

Leo gazed at the city spread out before him.

Unlike Godthrone, which had countless curses etched into it by the Tartaros demons, Raysar was left abandoned and buried underground.

Thanks to that, excavating part of the Raysar region wasn't too difficult.

When it was said to be the hometown of the Brave Aaron, the students of the Hero Academy showed excited reactions.

When the warp gate installed at the campsite in the middle of the desert activated, the students closed their eyes.

Moments later, surprised reactions burst out as their vision returned.

"Wow…!"

"Wait. You said this was underground, right? Then why is the sun out?"

Just as they said, the sky above Raysar was bright with sunlight and a clear blue sky.

Even Leo, who hadn't expected this, opened his eyes wide.

"Welcome, everyone."

As everyone was still surprised upon arriving in Raysar, someone came to greet them.

It was none other than Dragon Queen Melina.

"Ah! Professor Mel! Hello!"

Eliana greeted her with a delighted expression.

"I heard from Leo Plov that the students are leading this test, but Professor Mel, you're here too?"

Duran also asked with a puzzled voice, to which Melina tilted her head.

"Professor Mel? I'm Dragon Queen Melina."

"Huh?"

"Professor Mel of Lumene is probably teaching at school, right?"

Melina smiled brightly.

If Professor Mel appeared as an adult woman, Melina, having sealed her powers, appeared as a young girl.

Of course, since they looked exactly alike, no one failed to recognize her.

'Looks like she's sticking with that persona.'

While Leo muttered to himself—

Eliana burst out laughing.

"Come on! Everyone already knows that Lady Melina and Professor Mel are the same person…"

"Dragon Queen Melina."

"So, um…"

"Melina."

"…Lady Melina…"

Eliana shrank back, flustered, as Melina smiled up close, insisting firmly.

With a bright expression, Melina said,

"Welcome to Raysar, everyone. Please, follow me."

From the wide clearing where the warp gate was installed, Melina took the lead.

Leo looked around.

In the distance, he saw a crumbling outer wall.

Although it was half-destroyed, Leo, analyzing its layout, roughly grasped their location.

'It's near the outer wall.'

The outer wall that had once withstood the armies of Tartaros.

Though not quite like Godthrone, this wall had also endured the Age of Calamity, and its scale was unimaginable compared to today's standards.

As the students passed the outer gate, they were again left in shock.

"Huh? People?"

"How are there people here?"

Just as they said, there were people walking the streets.

Humans, elves, beastkin, dwarves.

People of all races bustled about.

There were also newly constructed-looking buildings along the streets.

Watching the confused students, Melina spoke.

"From here, I'll explain about the test."

She turned around.

"This Raysar is currently cut off from external time."

At that, Chloe raised her hand.

"Yes, Chloe?"

"What do you mean by cut off from time? Does it flow differently here?"

"Yes, exactly."

Melina smiled.

Chloe widened her eyes.

"Time in this space is under my control. Three days here equal to one day outside."

"Field magic?"

"As expected of you, Chloe. It's complicated to explain now—if you're curious about the concept, come see me later."

Chloe's eyes sparkled.

Smiling, Melina continued.

"You've all been selected as supervisors for the first-year students. But since the test is the 'Conquest of the Book of Shadows,' there's nothing to supervise directly."

As she said, the test begins as soon as they enter the Book of Shadows, so there's not much to do.

"But you do have a vital role as supervisors. It's to select an appropriate Book of Shadows for the first-years."

"Select?"

"Yes. The Book of Shadows is an unexplored world. If first-years enter recklessly, they could be in danger."

In the World of Heroes, even if the hero is unknown, the world can be studied and approached logically.

But the Book of Shadows isn't recorded in any public history, making it even more dangerous.

Hearing that, Drianna raised her hand.

"If we're choosing and facilitating the world they will explore, then we have to conquer a Book of Shadows too, right?"

"Correct. You'll now be conquering the Book of Shadows designated for this test."

"Won't that interfere with the test process? Even if time flows differently?"

Eiran asked.

"It's fine. I've designed it so the first-years won't arrive here for at least three days. You were actually supposed to wander two more days in the desert, but I strongly objected. Isn't that better?"

Everyone looked at one person.

"What? Why? What's the problem?"

Leo's shameless reaction made their gazes scatter.

Another student raised a question.

"Then who are those people walking around the streets?"

At first, they thought those people were assisting with the test, but they acted like real citizens.

"They're playing the role of this city's residents."

"Playing the role?"

Students looked confused at Melina's sudden words.

"This test will be fun. Each of you will play a role—"

"A roleplay?"

"Yes. Think of it as a kind of Hero's World concept."

Melina beamed.

"You are not seniors now, but residents of this world. You must treat the first-years as adventurers."

Celia, with a slightly sour expression, asked,

"Why?"

"Because it's more fun. A fun test is better, isn't it?"

"Why a play, though?"

"It's my taste. I like puppet shows."

With that answer, no one could argue.

As soon as she finished speaking, Melina snapped her fingers.

Pararararak—

Books appeared in the air and were distributed to the students.

They were scripts.

"'Third-rate alchemist?'"

Even Duran looked dumbfounded.

Chloe also looked confused as she read hers.

"I'm a swordsmanship dojo instructor?"

"Huh? Failing tavern owner?"

"I'm a tavern waitress."

Students across the area expressed their shock.

"But our roles are all low status?"

"Hehe. That's the charm of this test."

Melina's eyes sparkled mischievously.

"If you work hard in your roles and achieve results, you can get promoted to higher ranks! Sounds fun, right?"

"…Is this a game?"

As everyone muttered in disbelief—

"Leo, what's your role?"

Elena, holding a script for a low-level guild member, asked Leo.

Leo opened his script.

"Mayor."

"What?!"

"It says I'm the city's mayor."

"…"

Elena looked dumbfounded.

Students around silently thought—

'Favoritism.'

"Switch with me."

Elena smiled as she tried to snatch Leo's script.

"Hey! Elena-sunbae! How dare you lay hands on the mayor!"

Eliana quickly blocked Elena.

"And you are?"

"Ahem! I am this person!"

Eliana proudly held up her script.

"City hall's lowest-level clerk?"

"Everyone, stand back! The mayor is busy with official duties. If you want to meet him, go through me!"

While Eliana made a fuss, Elena approached Chen Xia.

"Xia, you're playing an assassin guild member, right?"

"Yes."

"Can I make a request? The target is the lowest-level city hall clerk."

At Elena's cold words, Chen Xia gave an awkward smile.

bl

The 2nd and 3rd years began conquering the Book of Shadows.

Left alone, Leo sat quietly in the square, staring at the sky.

Melina approached.

"The people playing residents—they're all shadows, right?"

"Yes. They volunteered. When they heard hero candidates were entering the Book of Shadows, their curiosity was piqued."

"I see."

Leo nodded.

"Not bad. We need to break down the wall between heroes and shadows."

"Yes. If they live together, they'll naturally blend."

Hero candidates inevitably saw shadows as different.

Shadows felt the same way—neither group saw each other as equals.

To break that inevitable wall, they had to live as close as possible.

"So, the elaborate roleplay—you chose it to give them time to grow familiar?"

"Hmm. I didn't think that deeply. I just like it."

Melina smiled brightly.

She really did seem to have no deeper reason, and Leo let out a dry chuckle.

But still, he kept his eyes fixed on the sky.

"What are you thinking?"

"Was there really a need to create such a perfect sky underground?"

It was illusion magic, near indistinguishable from nature.

Melina was already burdened by holding time in this space.

Creating such perfect air and atmosphere on top of that would increase the strain.

To his question, Melina looked up at the sky and said:

"Since we're doing it, I thought it should be perfect. And…"

"And?"

"I guess I wanted to soothe the souls of those who sleep in this city."

"Soothe them?"

"Yes. And this is the land where the Guardian of the Azure Sky rests, after all."

The man originally meant to be recruited by Arhi.

But he was broken by the world's malice, an old-era hero who fell.

Leo never witnessed the final moments of the Guardian of the Azure Sky, Agon.

Neither did Aaron or the other great heroes.

But Leo had heard from the people of Raysar.

The beastman warrior who had once broken rose again in his final moments.

He took up his sword to save many lives—sacrificing his own.

"…"

Raysar's last hero and countless residents had their lives ended by betrayal.

"I think Lord Aaron would have wanted this too."

Melina's way of honoring the dead in this place.

At her words, Leo said:

"Thank you."

"There's no need for you to—"

"No."

"…"

"Thank you."

As someone who had lived through that time…

As someone who had witnessed the fall of this city…

He appreciated Melina's heart.

"For what?"

Smiling gently, Melina responded to his gratitude.

"Oh! I found something about the monsters appearing in the desert."

"That was quick. How did they show up?"

"From their weapons and armor, it looks like they're using designs from thousands of years ago."

The weapons used by monsters like goblins and orcs have changed over time.

Scholars of hero studies could estimate the era just by examining weapon types.

"I think a hero dungeon has opened. And…"

"And?"

"It's highly likely to be from the Age of Dawn."

"The Age of Dawn…"

Leo's face turned slightly serious at that.

"What about the dungeon entrance?"

"Not found yet."

"Please hurry."

"Yes, Leo."

If it's from the Age of Dawn, then it's likely a hero of Dawn.

And considering that world may be used as a passage for Erebos…

'We have to find it quickly.'