Chapter 74
“What the hell is this?!”
“This… this is the Curse of the Dead!”
As they entered the center of the forest, Lunia and Eiran’s faces turned pale at the overwhelming power of the curse.
Even for elves, born with natural resistance to curses, the current curse was suffocatingly strong.
Gritting her teeth, Lunia looked at Leo.
‘Isn’t he bothered at all?’
For Leo, who had even fought Necroking Hell Kaiser, this level of curse barely affected him.
Turning his head, Leo saw the two pale elves and summoned his magic power.
“Vi Arte.”
A light full of vitality flowed from Leo’s hand.
Lunia and Eiran’s faces relaxed.
“This should make it a bit better.”
“Is that star magic?”
“That’s right.”
“It’s a spell we don’t know.”
“You don’t know this spell?”
Leo looked surprised.
“It’s a spell that restores vitality. It’s not even that difficult.”
“Amazing! Did you develop it yourself, Leo?”
“No. I just implemented a spell I saw in a magic book.”
Strictly speaking, it was a spell Luna often used, but he couldn’t say that directly.
After hearing Leo’s answer, Lunia spoke up.
“Leo, where did you get the magic book where you learned star magic on your own?”
A magic book containing star magic that even Seiren students couldn’t access.
‘And Leo even deciphered the Founder’s magic that had remained untranslated for ages… Maybe it’s one of the rare magic books the Founder himself left behind. Even if it’s not, it might be a book containing the original star magic the Founder used…!’
If so, it was a major discovery.
“It was in my family’s library.”
Lunia stroked her chin.
‘Leo’s mother Reina is a direct member of the Zerdinger family. Even if she cut ties with the family, it wouldn’t be strange for her to have rare books.’
Lunia’s eyes sparkled.
“Can I see that magic book?”
“I don’t have it anymore.”
“What? What happened to it?”
“I burned it up while practicing magic as a kid.”
“How could you burn something like that!”
Lunia grabbed her head and shouted.
Of course, it was a made-up story, but Lunia couldn’t know that.
Eiran also looked disappointed.
“Seeing you yelling, I guess you’ve recovered.”
Leo smiled wryly, then gazed into the heart of the forest.
“Let’s hurry up and get rid of this damn curse.”
With that, Leo moved deeper inside.
A little while later.
The group arrived at the entrance to the former Fairy Land.
And when they saw who was there, Leo curled his lips.
“What are you doing here at this hour?”
“I should be the one asking that.”
Rauta crossed his arms and frowned.
“As first-years, you weren’t allowed to leave the inn, were you?”
“That goes for you too, doesn’t it?”
“Huh? That’s a cheeky way to talk. Acting like that just because you go to another school? I see what Lumene’s standards are like.”
Leo’s eyes narrowed at Rauta’s mocking grin.
Lunia spoke up urgently.
“Rauta, right now, undead are appearing here!”
“I know. I’m investigating the cause.”
“If it’s the cause, it’s the curse!”
“Curse? You’re saying there’s a curse here right now?”
“What?”
‘With death’s energy this thick… he can’t feel it?’
Lunia looked flustered.
She instinctively knew Leo was right.
Rauta was clearly colluding with Tartarus.
‘No way… There’s no way a Seiren student would do that!’
But reason refused to accept it.
A proud Seiren student turning into a necromancer—it was unthinkable.
And Rauta was an upperclassman, wasn’t he?
Lunia’s eyes wavered.
“I’ll ask you one more time.”
Leo’s voice went cold.
“What were you doing here?”
“I was eliminating the undead and investigating the abnormality in the Fairy Forest. Do you really think a mere first-year can threaten a second-year like me?”
Rauta spoke irritably.
“I’m a student upholding the will of the great Founder Luna. Someone like me would never tarnish her name…”
“Rauta Algraia.”
Lunia and Eiran involuntarily took a step back.
When Rauta met Leo’s eyes directly, he felt a moment of fear.
“Don’t speak Luna’s name with that mouth.”
“You little—!”
“There were first-years in Lumene who got their hands on things leaked by Tartarus.”
“…!”
Rauta’s face stiffened.
“In their case, they handled those items unknowingly, so the school just gave them a warning.”
Leo raised his hand.
A small orb of white light shot into the sky from his fingertip.
Fweee! Flash—!
The orb burst, illuminating the area like daylight.
Lunia’s face filled with shock, and Eiran covered her mouth and stepped back.
Behind Rauta, the corpses of countless monsters were strewn about.
From those bodies, a huge summoning circle had been drawn with their blood and guts.
“Using monster blood and guts as catalysts is only for black magic or necromancy. I could excuse our students for not knowing, but…”
A murderous intent flashed in Leo’s eyes.
“You’re helping them knowingly.”
“Sharp bastard.”
Rauta sneered.
“You just have to dig your own grave, don’t you?”
“No way… A Seiren student became a necromancer…!”
“Watch your mouth, Lunia El Lunda. Do you think you can get away with such disrespect to your senior?”
“Calling yourself a Seiren student when you use necromancy?! Cut the crap!”
Lunia shouted fiercely.
“I’m not using necromancy. I’m just using Tartarus.”
“What?”
“Do you know what’s sleeping here? The very page of the Founder’s Hero Record! Do you understand what that means, Lunia?”
Rauta’s face shone with excitement.
“It’s the same as becoming the direct disciple of Luna! I’ll become one of the greatest heroes in elf history!”
Now, hardly any of the great heroes’ Hero Records remained.
To discover a new Hero Record and inherit its power would mean becoming a hero for the ages.
“What’s wrong with using Tartarus to reclaim our legacy?”
“Have you ever thought you’re the one being used?”
Leo smiled coldly.
“Hell Kaiser fears great heroes more than anyone. Do you think a legion commander would just let someone inherit Luna’s power?”
“That’s not a problem. That fool Hell Kaiser gave me the power to control undead!”
Rauta grinned and showed his black ring.
“With this, undead are no threat to me.”
“This conversation is pointless.”
If Hell Kaiser could be manipulated by a mere student, the disasters of the past would never have happened.
‘He’s emotional and has poor judgment. Just like when Sen Ryu went berserk.’
He recalled the summoning exam, when Sen Ryu lost control.
“Leo, let’s beat him up. Smash that bastard’s face and drag him to the teachers!”
Lunia growled.
Eiran, too, looked fiercely at Rauta, who had disgraced their school.
“Don’t go in halfheartedly.”
“What?”
“If it comes to it, you might have to kill him.”
Leo’s warning made Lunia’s eyes widen.
“That’s how it is when you fight Tartarus.”
With that, Leo charged at Rauta.
‘Kill him? A school senior?’
As Lunia reeled in shock—
“Hehehehe—”
Kargor appeared in a swirl of black smoke.
“Looks like you’re in trouble.”
“Kargor. Kill them!”
At Rauta’s shout, Kargor charged.
“Lunia! Eiran! Take him!”
Leaving Kargor to them, Leo charged at Rauta.
“Fool! I’ll show you the difference between a first-year and a second-year.”
As Leo rushed in, Rauta chanted a spell.
Leo also began chanting quickly.
“La Tiargha!”
“La Tiargha!”
Crash—!
The same spell was cast at the same time and canceled each other out.
Rauta’s face twisted.
“How dare you use star magic?”
“Says the one using Luna’s magic while acting as Tartarus’s pawn.”
“Shut up! I’ll inherit the Founder’s power! I’m nothing like a rootless wretch like you!”
Bloodshot, Rauta began chanting another spell.
Leo recited the same one.
“Li Ezernea!”
“Li Ezernea!”
Flash—!
Crackle—!
A fierce bolt of lightning surged.
“…!”
Once again, the spells canceled each other out, and Rauta’s face stiffened.
‘This guy… no way!’
Rauta began chanting hurriedly.
Hearing Rauta’s chant, Leo quickly did the same.
Fwoosh—!
This time, flames erupted.
Rauta’s body trembled.
“H-how dare you!”
It wasn’t a coincidence.
Leo was repeating Rauta’s spells as soon as he heard them.
And casting the magic at the same time.
There’s no greater humiliation for a mage.
Seeing the agitated Rauta, Leo said,
“Your magic skills are pitiful.”
Fwoosh—!
Leo vanished in an instant.
Rauta flinched and looked for Leo, but Leo was already behind him.
“It’s like you can’t even control your own power.”
Wham—! Crack!
“Gah?!”
Leo struck Rauta’s ankle with an Aura-charged kick.
With a sickening crack, Rauta collapsed to the ground.
“Of course you can’t handle it—it’s not even your own power.”
Leo’s gaze fell to the black ring.
‘Magic device.’
Shing—!
Leo drew his sword.
Rauta’s face turned white.
“S-spare me! I’m a Seiren student! If you kill me, Lumene and Seiren—!”
Crunch—!
“Ugh?!”
Without hesitation, Leo’s sword pierced Rauta’s throat.
If Rauta had truly been a second-year upperclassman from Seiren, Leo wouldn’t have had such an easy time.
But to Leo, who’d been through countless battles, Rauta was nothing but a fool with borrowed strength.
Fwoosh—!
“Hehehehe.”
Just then, Kargor appeared before Leo.
Lunia and Eiran, who had been fighting Kargor, paused as they saw Leo.
When they saw Rauta’s pierced throat, they gasped.
“You killed him? Heheheh! You killed a fellow would-be hero! So cold! So cruel! And you still dream of being a hero? Hahahahaha!”
Kargor mocked Leo, his eyes flashing.
Lunia and Eiran’s eyes trembled violently.
They had expected something like this might happen.
But now that it was real, the young girls couldn’t help but freeze up.
As Kargor laughed, he suddenly locked eyes with Leo.
Seeing those eyes, Kargor felt a chill.
‘He’s killed a fellow hero cadet—even a corrupted one. Normally, he should react like those elf girls.’
But Leo’s eyes held no emotion.
‘What are those eyes?’
They were calm.
‘Those aren’t the eyes of someone aspiring to be a hero. Nor are they a hero’s eyes. Those are…’
A hunter’s eyes.
“You’re next.”
Leo’s voice held no killing intent, anger, or resolve.
That pure indifference made the Death Knight, who had transcended death, feel fear.
It was like facing his own master, Necroking Hell Kaiser.
‘This one… must die here!’
Kargor stabbed his greatsword into the ground.
Goooooo—!
Crimson energy from the blade seeped into the earth.
At the same time, Rauta’s black ring reacted.
Rauta’s body began to swell.
Seeing that, Leo leapt away.
Boom! Crack—!
Rauta’s body exploded, bone shards and flesh spraying like shrapnel.
Leo deployed his Aura Armor to shield himself.
‘Self-destruction!’
Leo grimaced.
Rauta’s only remaining hand, still wearing the ring, formed a fist.
Crack—!
The scattered bone shards and flesh began to clump together.
“Ugh—!”
Lunia and Eiran covered their mouths.
The clumped bones and flesh mushed together like clay, then took Rauta’s shape again.
Rauta looked at his hand in disbelief.
“He’s alive?”
“Heh. You’ve made a contract with the great Necroking by experiencing death.”
Kargor’s eyes gleamed.
“Rauta Algraia! Don’t you want to become a great hero who even transcends death?”
“A great hero who even transcends death…”
Desire flickered in Rauta’s eyes.
“Accept it! The power of the dead!”
Goooooo—!
Dark magic power erupted from Rauta.
Vmmm—!
The summoning circle Rauta had drawn glowed ominously.
Rumble—!
The ground shook violently.
Lunia and Eiran lost their balance and fell.
Leo’s expression hardened as he saw a gigantic skeleton rising from the earth.
‘Rauta’s magic power strengthened and activated the summoning circle… That Death Knight planned to kill him from the start.’
Uwoooooooo—!
[What is that!]
Kirran screamed.
“Skeleton King.”
Leo answered grimly.
“One of the strongest undead.”