Chapter 244
‘Who is this guy?’
Leo narrowed his eyes.
‘Chen Xian? Is he related to Chen Xia?’
Similar names.
Black hair, black eyes.
Their appearance and aura were nearly identical.
Anyone could see that the man before him looked just like Chen Xia.
“What’s your relation to Chen Xia?”
Leo asked, and Chen Xian let out a laugh.
“She’s my twin.”
‘Twin?’
Leo looked Chen Xian up and down and nodded.
‘I see.’
“Why did you attack me?”
“I thought you were a Shadow of Shan.”
Chen Xian let his sword hang loosely as he smiled.
“You moved through the darkness like one of them.”
‘So it wasn’t to stop me from meeting Chen Xia?’
Leo rested his hand on his sword.
‘Didn’t he say he was going to become a great legendary hero?’
In this era of heroes, many aspired to be one.
But this was the first time Leo had seen someone aiming to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the five legendary heroes who once saved the world.
Three thousand years ago—
When fragments of Erebos resurrected, the founders of the Hero Academies barely managed to seal one.
Even those who are praised as the greatest heroes since the legendary five haven’t fully cleared their Hero Records even after three millennia.
And yet this one dares to claim he’ll be a legendary hero?
It was absurd.
“You attacked me because you thought I was a Shadow? If you’re Chen Xia’s twin, you must be of the royal family of Shan. Why would you attack your own Shadows?”
“You know her identity? I thought you were just a school friend, but it seems you know quite a bit.”
Xian smiled in amusement.
“It’s simple. Shadows shouldn’t exist.”
Leo’s eyes twitched.
“Don’t you agree?”
Xian smiled again.
“They hide in the dark, doing all the filthiest tasks. Then they call it service to the world to soothe their conscience.”
He spoke gently, with a soft voice.
He resembled Chen Xia.
But what he held inside was completely different.
“Why should people like that exist?”
Xian shook his head as if he truly couldn’t understand.
“Shadows are worthless. That’s why they must be erased.”
“But didn’t you once live as a Shadow?”
“Exactly. That’s why I can confidently say Shadows are unnecessary. I plan to wipe them all from this world.”
As Leo stared at the softly smiling Xian, he nodded as if understanding.
His experience told him clearly—
The man before him was…
“A traitor.”
“Ouch. Hearing that from the so-called greatest hero candidate stings.”
Xian smiled bitterly as he raised his sword.
“It doesn’t matter what anyone says. I’ll become a legendary hero.”
“The gods won’t acknowledge you.”
“Then I’ll accomplish a feat even they can’t ignore. Or I’ll make the entire world acknowledge me instead.”
‘He’s insane.’
Shing—!
Leo drew his sword.
The man before him was dangerous.
‘Best to deal with him now.’
“But there’s one thing I can’t understand.”
Xian narrowed his eyes.
“Leo Plov, the greatest hero candidate. How can you move like a Shadow? Could it be… you’re a Shadow yourself?”
“Well, you could say that.”
“So the world’s been fooled.”
Xian shook his head.
“To think they were all deceived into thinking someone like you is a hero.”
Swish—!
He spun his sword in his palm.
Clack—!
He gripped the hilt tightly and burst into laughter.
“You’re a disgrace to heroes, Leo Plov.”
He truly believed that he, not Leo, was the one suited to be a hero—and he denied Leo’s worth simply because he resembled a Shadow.
Xian believed it wholeheartedly.
That he alone was justice.
“Aren’t you a Shadow too?”
“How rude. I abandoned that path long ago.”
“You really are insane.”
There was no point talking to someone like this.
Leo’s killing intent surged.
Traitors must be eliminated.
That belief hadn’t changed—past or present.
Seeing this, Xian grinned.
“Let’s see the power of an All-Class.”
—
Chen Xia, fleeing from Leo, suddenly felt something off.
‘What is this?’
In the darkness she was used to, something felt wrong.
‘It’s not just because Leo is chasing me.’
As someone intimately familiar with darkness, she could sense it.
‘It’s different.’
Just as she passed through a corridor—
The smell of blood hit her.
Chen Xia’s face hardened.
The entire corridor was filled with corpses.
They were all Shadows.
Chen Xia approached one of the bodies.
She reached out and pulled off the mask.
Her jaw clenched.
It was a Shadow candidate she had trained with since childhood.
The others were the same.
‘These were the kids deployed to trap Leo in the dark.’
Now, they were dead.
Clear sword marks showed the fatal cuts.
The style was unmistakably that of a Shadow.
‘Who…?!’
Not Leo.
She had trained with him for a year in the Knights Department.
This wasn’t his swordsmanship.
As she studied the wounds, her expression froze.
As a Shadow trained to hunt traitors since childhood, she had seen far too many corpses—and been trained to read everything from a body.
The enemy’s weapon, skill, gender, height—even habits.
And the sword marks on these bodies—
Were too familiar.
‘The style’s changed, but… I’m sure.’
Chen Xia’s hands trembled.
‘He’s alive.’
Her twin—once believed to be dead after betraying Shan—was alive.
He had returned, cloaked in shadow.
‘But why?’
There was no reason for him to come back.
And nothing good would come from his survival being known.
If it were revealed, Shan would mobilize its full force to eliminate him.
Yet he had brazenly returned to the center of the imperial palace.
Just then—
“Your Highness?”
A startled voice called out.
Chen Xia turned her head.
“Jane. And…”
“First year of Lumene, Fritz Edgon, ma’am. Senior Chen Xia.”
“I’ve withdrawn from Lumene. I’m not a hero candidate anymore. So I’m not your senior…”
“No, ma’am. You are still a hero candidate and a student of Lumene.”
“Don’t talk back to Her Highness so rudely!”
Jane tried to punch Fritz in the side.
But he dodged it effortlessly.
“You’ve made a good friend, Jane.”
“He is not my friend!”
Jane shouted, then quickly asked,
“More importantly, what happened here?”
Her face paled as she looked around at the fallen Shadow candidates.
“These are…!”
They were comrades she had trained with since childhood—now cold, lifeless bodies.
“Chen Xian has returned.”
“What?”
Jane turned pale.
Chen Xian.
At one point, she and many others believed he would be Shan’s next emperor.
He had Chen Xia’s calm demeanor, but his talent was considered even greater.
His only flaw was that he dreamed of becoming a hero.
But most thought it was just a childish fantasy.
After all, one couldn’t escape the fate of being born into Shan’s royal family.
Then one day—
Xian murdered the Shadow candidates who followed him and even his instructors.
He fled Shan.
Chen Xia was said to have killed him.
Everyone believed Chen Xian was dead.
But he had survived—and returned to the palace.
“Jane. You must inform Father.”
“What about you, Your Highness?”
“I’ll deal with him.”
“It’s too dangerous! He wouldn’t have come alone! Surely…”
“Yes, he must have allied with Tartarus.”
If a once-promising heir of Shan defected to Tartarus, it was only natural that they would accept him.
“That’s why I must end him.”
Crack—!
Chen Xia clenched her fists.
“This happened because I failed to kill him. I must finish it myself.”
Jane bowed her head deeply.
Then she dropped to her knees.
“I shall carry out your order.”
With a formal bow, Jane vanished into the shadows.
Chen Xia turned to Fritz.
“You should leave too. This has nothing to do with you.”
Fritz replied respectfully.
“As your junior, I have a duty to assist you.”
“I told you—I dropped out.”
“No, ma’am. You are still a Lumene student and a hero candidate.”
Chen Xia gave a bitter smile and studied Fritz closely.
‘He’s a Shadow candidate too.’
Then he should understand.
That Shadows cannot become heroes.
So why was he treating her as one?
“Why do you call me a hero candidate?”
“Because Senior Leo said so. If Senior Leo says it, then it’s true.”
At his words, Chen Xia’s eyes trembled.
‘Leo still thinks I’m a hero candidate.’
She had run away, afraid her resolve would falter.
But just hearing his words made her heart race.
If the person she respected most saw her as a hero—
Of course it would shake her.
“I suppose I’ll have to tell Leo myself.”
Chen Xia took a deep breath to steady herself.
“But first, I have to take care of him.”
Step—step—
She walked forward.
Fritz followed without hesitation.
Chen Xia didn’t stop him anymore.
And when they turned the corner—
Fwoosh—!
The stench of death wafted out.
Clack—clack—
Skeletons holding swords emerged, dripping with killing intent.
‘So he did borrow Tartarus’s power.’
Chen Xia sighed quietly.
The imperial palace was now crawling with monsters summoned by Xian.
Creatures that should never have made it inside had been brought in by Xian.
‘Still, they’ll be taken down quickly.’
Chen Xia narrowed her eyes.
‘What is he after?’
He wouldn’t return for no reason.
But no matter what it was, she would eliminate him first.
Just as she prepared to step forward—
Crunch—snap—
Fritz moved in front of her.
“Senior, please conserve your strength.”
Cracking his knuckles, Fritz smiled.
“I’ll take care of these lowly undead.”
Mana surged around him.
‘A battle-type mage.’
Chen Xia observed him carefully.
Then Fritz raised his hand—and bit into his palm.
Splurt—!
Blood spurted from his hand.
Swoosh—!
The blood began to coagulate under the force of his mana.
‘A mana trait tied to blood.’
Such a technique would normally be scorned among hero candidates.
But for a Shadow—
It was perfect.
For Fritz, blood itself was a powerful weapon.
“I’ll sweep you all away, pitiful dead.”
Crack—!
Red blades gleamed in the darkness.
Chen Xia followed, eyes fixed beyond the shadows.
‘Chen Xian.’
This time, she vowed—
She would kill her twin.