Chapter 139
A god.
A transcendent being that exists far beyond common sense.
These transcendent beings were once able to come and go freely across the mortal realm.
Modern historians say that gods, by their very existence, must have been beings of immense power who could rule the world.
‘But in reality, it’s not like that at all.’
Despite being called the Age of Gods, the gods themselves didn’t actually have such overwhelming influence.
“I greet a great one.”
“What’s with the formality?”
At Leo’s polite greeting, the god let out a small laugh and rested his chin on his hand.
“Still, it’s fascinating.”
“What do you mean?”
“As you know, the gods who descend to the mortal realm are bound by restrictions. At best, all we can give you is knowledge.”
Of course, even a tiny bit of their knowledge can bring massive changes to the world below.
That’s why the gods are careful with their words.
“But why is it that you… no, why is it that you receive the blessing of the gods?”
Leo smiled as he watched the god narrow his eyes and smile back.
“How much have you seen?”
Leo responded with a question of his own, making the god’s expression even more amused.
‘Interesting. He really knows how to handle a god.’
No matter who it was, anyone who stood before a god was just a mere mortal.
But this elf was different.
‘No, not an elf.’
The god’s eyes saw through all illusions.
Within Akint’s body, the god could clearly see the image of a white-haired boy.
‘A human boy… or perhaps a young man.’
The god even caught a faint glimpse of another image lurking behind Leo’s form and came to a realization.
“I see. The Record System, is it?”
“What’s the Record System?”
“Shouldn’t you know best? After all, you’re enjoying its benefits right now.”
The god smiled benevolently.
“I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Pibua. I am grateful for this meeting.”
“I’m Leo Plov.”
Leo honestly revealed his identity.
“Very well, Leo. Since you seem familiar with gods, I’ll ask for your understanding in advance. Knowledge of the gods is not for children of the lower world to know carelessly—even if it’s fake.”
Hearing Pibua’s words, Leo felt goosebumps.
‘He can even see that I’m fake?’
Once again, he realized how incredible a god truly was.
“What kind of achievement does it take for a mortal to become the master of the Record System?”
“By Record System, you mean the Hero Record—the power that recreates the past like this?”
“Hm. So you don’t know exactly? Whoever gifted you the Record System was quite irresponsible.”
Pibua thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Well, since you’re the master of the Record System, it won’t hurt to explain briefly. The Record System… Yes, how much do you know about the power you call the Hero Record?”
“I know that it records the deeds of those who have achieved feats worthy even of the gods, that it can recreate worlds from the past like this, and that you get a reward for conquering those worlds.”
“A reward?”
The god’s previously bored eyes filled with curiosity.
To a god with nearly omniscient vision, the unknown was the greatest treasure.
After thinking for a while, Pibua realized what the reward for conquest meant.
“I see. Theoretically, that’s not impossible. Then it’s a very powerful system. It wasn’t made by just a single god, was it…?”
Pibua asked seriously,
“Leo, just what kind of feat did you accomplish for the gods to grant you such power?”
Leo hesitated, unsure how to answer.
‘Is it safe to tell everything, even if he’s a false god?’
If anything went wrong, it could jeopardize the Hero Dungeon conquest.
‘But this is a good chance to learn about the Hero Record.’
He met Pibua’s eyes.
‘I’ve never heard of a god named Pibua.’
Even Luna never knew the principal of Barharloon was a god.
‘They say the kinder the god, the more silent they are.’
Believing Pibua to be trustworthy, Leo spoke of his own feat.
“…I saved the world.”
“I see! If you saved the world, then you’re certainly worthy of the Record System! How did you save it?”
Pibua straightened up, genuinely impressed.
“Would you tell me your story? It’s been so long since I’ve met a hero like you.”
‘The gods love heroic tales. They never hold back their praise for mortals who dare to challenge the impossible and achieve great feats.’
Long ago.
Leo recalled what Lysinas had told him.
“I defeated Erebos.”
For a moment, the great god didn’t understand Leo’s words.
Then, after a pause, Pibua’s face filled with shock as he looked at Leo.
—
Night fell over Barharloon.
The night streets of the great High Elf city were dazzlingly beautiful.
The city’s magical lamps illuminated the streets in a breathtaking display.
Drunken elves wandered the roads.
Endless peace was about to end, and the world’s destruction was approaching.
But now, the world was more peaceful—and more corrupt—than ever before.
“This city is strange.”
A man muttered in Barharloon’s back alleys.
Where light is strong, so are the shadows.
Unlike the bright, clean main streets, Barharloon’s back alleys were dark and dirty.
“It’s so bright, and yet it feels so comfortable here.”
“Most elves in this era are already rotten, that’s what the commanders said.”
A sneer came from the shadows.
A female student in a Barharloon uniform approached.
“That’s why this rotten city feels so comfortable to us, right?”
“Still, don’t let your guard down.”
The middle-aged man across from the sneering girl warned her.
“There are elves who helped bring down the commanders of this era—and even took down a great being.”
“Hmph.”
The girl snorted.
“So, Viner, why did you call us here?”
“It looks like a rat made it into the dungeon.”
“A rat?”
“I mean the dogs from the Hero Academy have caught a scent.”
“Dungeon raiders?”
The man’s face twisted.
“How many?”
“I only spotted one for now. But if they made it this far, there’s no way there’s just one.”
Viner grinned wickedly.
“They don’t seem to have figured things out yet. So it’ll be easier to deal with them before they group up. Sarman, you were in charge of the underground prison, right?”
“That’s right.”
“There should be a student named Jera imprisoned there. Take care of him when you get the chance.”
“No wonder. I heard the students talking—someone who never used Aura suddenly released it. So they’re a raider? This just got troublesome.”
Viner laughed loudly.
“So what? That makes it more interesting.”
Her eyes flashed with malice.
“Just imagine the looks on their faces as they watch the page of their beloved great hero burn to ashes… It’ll be a sight to see!”
Just thinking about it made Viner shiver with excitement, cupping her cheeks.
“The look of despair on their proud faces… ahh! Ecstasy!”
An old man, watching Viner, spoke up.
“It’s good to be true to your desires, but don’t let them ruin the job.”
“Heh—don’t worry.”
“This world’s conquest may have hit a roadblock, but… this is just another trial to overcome. Everyone.”
The old man looked at Viner and Sarman and spoke seriously.
“In accordance with the will of the great Erebos, we must destroy this page at all costs.”
—
Night had fallen, but Pibua was still deeply engrossed in Leo’s story.
Even a god, nearly omniscient, couldn’t have imagined such a thing.
The feats achieved by the great heroes were nothing short of miracles.
Before they knew it, darkness had fallen inside the Tower of the Gods.
Unlike the dazzling magic lights outside, the only light inside was the faint moonlight streaming through the night sky.
Even that was obscured by clouds.
“To think a child of the mortal realm could defeat that primordial abomination…”
Pibua stared at Leo in disbelief.
Leo replied,
“I didn’t do it alone.”
“Heh. Right. You said it was an achievement with your companions, didn’t you?”
“Why did the gods leave Erebos alone?”
“That monster is a being on par with us gods. The mortals couldn’t possibly stand against it. But it’s still fundamentally different from us.”
Pibua clicked his tongue.
“Light and darkness can never be separated. If this world is the light, then that abomination is the darkness. That’s why it’s existed as an immortal monster since the beginning. We gods couldn’t defeat it, but we’ve kept it at bay and maintained the balance by pushing it into the darkness.”
Before the Age of Calamity.
Leo listened intently to these stories of a distant past he’d never known.
“But as the light grows stronger, so does the darkness. After gathering its strength for so long, Erebos eventually became strong enough to drive the gods from the mortal world. That must have been what you called the Age of Calamity.”
‘So that’s why even the gods said it was impossible to save the world?’
Leo thought back on the past.
“The world that had been enveloped in light for so long was bound to fall. But you and your companions defeated that abomination on your own. You should be proud, Leo Plov. You accomplished something even the gods could not.”
“So what? It’s all been forgotten now.”
“That’s truly a pity.”
“I’m used to it now. At first, I was angry that everyone forgot, but now I just don’t care. I have something else I need to do.”
“What is that?”
“The complete annihilation of Erebos.”
Pibua fell silent at those words, then let out a deep sigh.
“Leo. You’ve achieved a feat so great that even the gods cannot judge it. That also means you’ve suffered unimaginable trials.”
No one on earth could understand Kyle’s pain.
Only his companions, who shared his journey, could know it.
“Are you really going to go through that pain again?”
Just because you did it once doesn’t mean you can do it again.
The primordial evil isn’t something you can face with complacency.
The one who knows that best is the very person who once defeated Erebos.
“Your second life is a miracle even the gods didn’t foresee.”
Even gods close to omniscient can’t preserve the memories of a reincarnated soul.
“Are you really going to spend even that precious second life on more trials? Don’t you want to rest and leave it all to future generations?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
In the darkness, Leo’s red eyes shone brightly.
The clouds parted, and the moon appeared.
Moonlight streamed into the tower, bathing Leo in its soft glow.
To Pibua, Leo looked almost noble.
“Because that’s what I’ve decided to do.”
As he watched Leo standing in the moonlight, Pibua thought,
‘Has the day finally come for this long battle to end?’
Pibua felt his hands tremble.
‘Is the day finally coming when the world won’t need gods anymore?’
Filled with excitement, Pibua spoke.
“I see… There was a reason the gods granted you such a world.”
“…? But this is Luna’s world.”
“Leo, the Hero Record you speak of is something the gods gave to you. In other words, the Hero Record itself originally belonged to you.”
Leo was stunned.
“That must be why you’re the only one who gets special rewards.”
Pibua wore a serious expression.
“However, if something created by the gods is broken, there must be a cause.”
A divine gleam flashed in his eyes.
“Leo, this world—or rather, the Hero Record—may have been tainted by darkness.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t say for certain. If I break the rules instead of you, I’ll be found out. This is as much as I can tell you. The rest, you must uncover for yourself.”
Step, step—
Pibua walked forward.
He took Polium, stored in a glass case.
Gripping the staff’s leafy tip, Pibua infused it with divine power.
‘Someday, this power will surely help when it’s needed most.’
Pibua turned and handed Polium to Leo.
“This is a staff I made with my knowledge. I’m sure it will help you.”
“Can I really accept this? Isn’t it the elves’ treasure?”
“Polium chooses its master. And right now, it has recognized you.”
Pibua smiled.
“It will surely help you as you make your way through this world.”
When Leo gripped the staff, it seemed to come alive in his hands.
It meant Polium had accepted Leo as its master.
Seeing this, Pibua beamed brightly.
“Great hero, may you have blessings on your journey ahead.”