Chapter 256
Uooooooooh—!
Melina stared at the monster before her with despair in her eyes.
The sky was turning black.
The world was burning.
A giant of despair, cloaked in black flames, roared toward the heavens.
“This is… the Evil of Genesis…”
Melina’s jaw trembled.
The Dragon Lord, the greatest hero of her time—one who would go down in history as a legendary figure—was now quaking like a frightened girl.
This was the final chapter of the Genesis Heroes.
The Hero Record that had devoured countless heroes over the last 3,000 years.
But it was also a world that must be conquered someday—a long-held wish of the world itself.
Melina believed it was possible.
Her comrades were great.
They were praised as some of the most outstanding even in the long history of the Hero Era.
She herself was no different.
She had resolved to accomplish the world’s mission and reclaim true peace.
And so, she challenged the wraith of the past catastrophe.
The result…
“Everyone…”
Melina’s face contorted.
“Please… please… open your eyes…”
Her voice barely audible, she pleaded.
She called desperately to her comrades who lay fallen or had vanished.
But no one responded.
They were on a different level.
An unfamiliar terror and despair swept over Melina.
Ooooooooh—!
Fwoooosh—!
Erebos raised his arm.
Black flames surged forth.
The flames of calamity moved to incinerate the last remaining Melina.
Melina hung her head in resignation.
Ruuuumble—!
The flames surged.
And then Melina raised her head, realizing someone had stopped Erebos.
Standing behind her was a woman with pure white hair.
Melina’s eyes widened.
The woman turned to face her and smiled softly.
She was a legendary figure.
Of course Melina knew who she was.
Her distant predecessor.
“Lady Rodia…?”
Melina was astonished by the appearance of the Dragon of Genesis.
Splaash— Ruuuuumble—!
At that moment, a massive wave crashed down from the sky.
Sssshhhhh—!
Steam billowed as the black flames evaporated the water.
Whooooooooosh!
The wave soon became a water spiral, sweeping away the black flames.
At its center was the face of a beastkin woman—Melina murmured upon seeing her.
“Lady Azonia.”
Craack—!
In the distance, a dwarf warrior bravely swung a massive axe and severed Erebos’s arm.
Alongside him, a human wielding a longsword slashed Erebos’s chest with a deep cut.
They were Damienne and Lumene.
Lastly, starlight embroidered the sky.
Fragments of starlight pierced into Erebos’s body.
Seiren.
Melina couldn’t believe what she was seeing—the appearance of the Genesis Heroes.
The final chapter of the Genesis Heroes was a world of possession-type heroes.
So how could they appear here?
“What’s your name?”
“M-Melina.”
“Melina.”
Rodia smiled gently.
“Bless this meeting… and thank the great King of Wisdom.”
After giving the dragon’s bow, Rodia asked,
“Could you tell me how many years it’s been since we sealed that damned fireball?”
“About 2,900 years…”
“I see.”
Rodia nodded.
With a soft smile, she said,
“Leave the rest to us.”
“I’ll fight too!”
As Melina hurriedly stood, Rodia extended her hand.
Swoosh—!
Melina’s eyes widened as Rodia’s arm passed through her.
“You and your comrades can’t fight anymore. You’ll soon be sent back outside.”
Rodia smiled gently.
“N-No way…”
Melina realized it.
Why the Genesis Heroes appeared in the possession-type hero world.
They had failed.
And now, those who had endlessly repeated this battle for thousands of years were starting the fight again.
Rodia looked at Melina’s despairing face with wide eyes and smiled.
“You didn’t fail.”
“Huh?”
“That’s right. This is a tactical retreat. Just like us, you’re still inexperienced, which means you can still grow stronger.”
Rodia spoke as if comforting her distant descendant.
“I believe it. That someday, someone from the future will emerge to destroy that damn fireball.”
Even in despair, Rodia didn’t let go of hope.
“That someday, people like the great heroes will return to save the world again. So will you promise me?”
Turning toward the comrades fighting Erebos, Rodia said,
“That you won’t give up.”
There was no reply.
Before Melina could answer, the world was engulfed in darkness.
Though she narrowly survived, her comrades either became incapacitated or didn’t even leave a corpse.
All that floated before Melina was the cold message:
[Conquest Failed]
—
“They successfully sealed Erebos inside their Hero Record and tore the Record to weaken him… but Erebos tried to break the seal himself.”
Erebos was the nemesis of the gods.
In the end, it was inevitable that he’d burn the Hero Record and return to the world.
“So they entered their world to stop Erebos?”
“Yes.”
Mel nodded.
That meant the Erebos in the final chapter of the Genesis Heroes was the real one.
“According to the records left by those who barely returned from attempting the final conquest… it seems the Genesis Heroes have been continuously repeating the process of sealing Erebos within the Hero Record.”
“A loop?”
Leo narrowed his eyes.
“Yes. And every time the world repeats, it seems they lose their memories of the previous conquests.”
Leo’s expression hardened.
The Hero Record was an artifact created by the gods.
And Erebos was the god’s nemesis.
If they entered the world where Erebos was sealed, it wouldn’t be strange for the Hero Record to go haywire.
‘So they got trapped.’
And maybe the Genesis Heroes had anticipated that.
“And now the Hero Record sealing Erebos is starting to crack…”
“Yes.”
Leo let out a deep sigh.
Flames grow stronger the more they burn.
‘The fragment of Erebos has been burning for 3,000 years in the Hero’s World, growing stronger. It means he’s becoming too much even for the Genesis Heroes to contain.’
There must’ve been countless defeats across the endless loops.
Not because the Genesis Heroes were weak.
But because Erebos was immortal.
The main reason the great heroes were able to subdue Erebos was because of Kyle, whose very nature made him Erebos’s natural enemy.
“Within a hundred years, Erebos will defeat the Genesis Heroes and emerge into the world. So we need heroes to conquer the final chapter before that.”
After failing the final chapter, Mel prepared endlessly for another attempt.
But in her generation, a second attempt never came.
The comrades who barely survived didn’t live long.
Later, even the Sword Star appeared—but he was only one person.
Even in Kalian’s generation, five heroes worthy of challenging the final chapter never appeared.
Having returned alive from the final chapter, Mel knew better than anyone.
‘In the final chapter of Genesis, luck won’t cut it.’
What was needed was the strength to destroy Erebos.
Mel worked endlessly to achieve that.
And now…
“Our goal is clear.”
At Leo’s words, Mel smiled faintly.
Before her stood someone capable of ending the unseen threat.
“Let’s begin.”
Leo’s crimson eyes burned with determination.
“Preparation for conquering the final chapter of Genesis.”
“Yes.”
The era had begun to move. (T/N: Chilllllllls mannnn!)
* * *
Fwoosh!
The intermediate wind summoned beasts stirred up the wind.
Leo’s white hair rose into the sky.
Leo lightly waved his hand.
Whooooosh—!
With a small whirlwind, the low-rank wind spirit Sylph appeared before Leo.
Sylph circled around Leo and then protected him from Shasha’s attack.
“Guh!”
Having used up all her Spirit Power, Shasha staggered and collapsed to her knees.
Clenching her teeth, she turned her head.
“Leo-senior’s friend! How much time is left?!”
“Hey now, I do have a name—it’s Carr, junior.”
Carr grumbled as he pulled a watch from his pocket and shrugged.
“About an hour left.”
At Carr’s words, Shasha stood on shaky legs.
‘I understand the problem now.’
Shasha clenched her teeth.
‘I can’t counter Leo-senior’s Spirit Arts.’
Most of the challengers had already been eliminated, and ever since the five who challenged her during the entrance exam remained, Leo hadn’t used multiple abilities.
He only used [Aura] against Aina, Haviden, and Luke.
Used [Magic] against Juen.
And now only [Summoning Arts] against Shasha.
What they all felt from facing Leo was an insurmountable wall.
Shasha realized it.
That with her current strength, she couldn’t even graze Leo.
“Giving up?”
At Leo’s question, Shasha hesitated, then clenched her teeth.
“Yes.”
“That makes three of you.”
At Leo’s words, Shasha slumped her shoulders and walked over to Carr.
Haviden, Shasha, and Juen had declared forfeit.
“What about you two?”
Leo turned to Aina and Luke.
Luke looked at Aina.
“Aina, would you like to go first?”
At that, Aina clenched her fists.
“No. With my current strength, there’s no way I can reach him.”
She had tried persistently, but Aina now knew her challenge was meaningless.
And she wasn’t alone.
Everyone else felt the same.
‘There’s no one among the first-years who can even land a hit on him.’
“Wow! You’re really ruthless! Even when juniors are working this hard, you could go a little easy~”
Juen mumbled while sprawled out on the ground. Carr chuckled.
“Leo doesn’t have that word in his vocabulary. Anyway, shouldn’t you all be choosing your mentors soon?”
At that, Juen sat up cross-legged.
“I’ll just grab any upperclassman from the Magic Department.”
Juen was confident.
Her magic was based on the Southern Magic Tower.
She was sure that no matter who she picked as a mentor, it wouldn’t help her much as a mage.
“Besides, I can get private lessons from Big Sis Torua.”
Torua, last year’s graduate who attained the rank of [Great Mage] immediately after graduating, was also from the Southern Tower.
And Juen, as the daughter of the Southern Tower’s Lord, had been close with her since childhood.
Getting tutored by her meant she had nothing to learn from any second-year.
“How about learning from Chloe?”
“The Southern and Northern Towers are rivals, you know? You should know that.”
Juen narrowed her eyes at Carr’s suggestion.
Just then, Luke walked up to Leo.
“Luke, stop. Don’t waste your time. Just go find a mentor. If you don’t, you might be forced to withdraw.”
Professor Harrid didn’t say what would happen if they failed to find a mentor.
But true to his nickname, “The Wailing Wall of Lumene,” expulsion wasn’t out of the question.
“I want to try one more time.”
Scratching his head with an awkward smile, Luke stepped in front of Leo.
Taking a deep breath, he said—
“Please go easy on me.”
At Luke’s words, Leo drew his sword.
“Likewise.”