Do Heroes Need Welfare Too? - Chapter 180

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Part 2, Chapter 47

 

Having been engaged in conversation with Kyrillos for a while, I belatedly realized that the atmosphere was far from ordinary.

 

Though I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was, the air felt heavy and stinging.

 

Like divine power and demonic energy colliding.

 

Iberis’s steps came to an abrupt halt.

 

“Hmm? Is that so? I’m not really sure…”

 

Kyrillos seemed to be gauging something as he narrowed his eyes at her words.

 

A faint purple magical energy passed through the hallway from his hand before quickly disappearing.

 

“…Huh?”

 

And a small exclamation burst from his lips.

 

Kyrillos hesitated as if sensing something strange, then his face hardened.

 

“Damn…”

 

In an instant, Kyrillos vanished.

 

And his figure appeared at the end of the hallway.

 

Iberis, who hurriedly ran to him, was able to witness the carnage that Kyrillos had discovered first.

 

Splash.

 

Though she stepped on a place where there should be no water, the sound of splashing puddles could be heard.

 

“This is…”

 

Iberis withdrew her extended foot and stepped backward.

 

Blood, blood, nothing but bright red blood everywhere.

 

Standing among the corpses was only one human silhouette.

 

The one standing in the pool of blood had a face she recognized.

 

It was someone she had just seen, and beside her was someone who knew him even better.

 

“…Why is that face here?”

 

Kyrillos spoke with an incredulous laugh.

 

Iberis felt the same way.

 

The sense of déjà vu she had felt since confirming Lawrence’s portrait at the Evant Manor.

 

It had seemed somehow familiar.

 

As if… it resembled the picture Isaac had drawn for her.

 

‘So it really wasn’t a simple disappearance after all.’

 

The now dead and gone Emperor had spirited Lawrence away.

 

And he would have been delivered to the Demon King who was cooperating with the Emperor.

 

That’s how he ended up in this state.

 

A living corpse with no trace of reason left.

 

Kyrillos stepped forward first without hesitation.

 

Toward the one who was clearly the perpetrator of this carnage.

 

And he stopped when less than ten steps remained.

 

“Uncle, it’s nice to meet you for the first time.”

 

At Kyrillos’s voice, he slowly raised his completely red eyes to gaze at Kyrillos.

 

“Hmm, from the looks of it, you’re definitely not in your right mind, are you?”

 

Kyrillos laughed and roughly rubbed the back of his head.

 

Lawrence stared at him without moving.

 

He stood still as if waiting for someone. It was an unresponsive reaction that didn’t seem like someone who had committed carnage.

 

Kyrillos erased the smile from his face and looked at him directly.

 

“I don’t know what change of heart led someone who should have died decades ago to massacre people here, but…”

 

And he smiled slightly.

 

Now he could see it clearly.

 

Seeing his face, that is, the face of the previous Hero Lawrence, the dream memories definitely came back vividly.

 

The remnants of dreams that had been gradually fading from memory because they hadn’t appeared recently came back to life one by one.

 

‘That dream… wasn’t a dream after all.’

 

However, unlike the one who had awakened him in the dream, he quietly gazed at the hazy red eyes.

 

That wasn’t all.

 

Lawrence was no longer a ‘Hero’ now.

 

Consumed by demonic energy and having gained red eyes, he was closer to being a demon.

 

“I think I understand that this isn’t something you wanted.”

 

Black demonic energy rippled around Lawrence.

 

It was an aura he had felt from Adam before.

 

The eerie feeling awakened Kyrillos’s mind.

 

Unless the Hero had become the Demon King, he must have fallen victim to the Demon King’s vicious prank.

 

Probably Adam too.

 

Though it seemed he hadn’t reached Lawrence’s state yet.

 

“Since we share the same Evant bloodline, I’ll escort you on your final journey.”

 

Kyrillos spoke as he slowly drew his sword.

 

And the magically forged blade emanated magical power following his trajectory.

 

Unlike three years ago, Kyrillos wielded his sword quite skillfully, proving that his claim of having trained with Adam wasn’t a lie.

 

Clang!

 

The sword made of magical power clashed with Lawrence’s sword, producing a sharp metallic sound.

 

Lawrence easily aimed for Kyrillos’s neck with minimal movement.

 

He was truly someone who had devoted his years to killing the Demon King.

 

To think he had such power even while not in his right mind.

 

Kyrillos’s palms were stinging even though they had barely exchanged a few sword strikes.

 

Kyrillos clicked his tongue softly.

 

He had expected it wouldn’t be an easy opponent. But the level was higher than he had thought.

 

What made it even more troublesome was the black demonic energy rippling beside Lawrence as if trying to devour him.

 

Whenever Kyrillos tried to approach even slightly, the demonic energy would writhe as if to devour him, making it difficult to get close.

 

Yet at the same time, it was using Lawrence’s body as a host to dominate him. Lawrence suffered beside that demonic energy.

 

“What on earth is that demonic energy…”

 

Kyrillos muttered quietly.

 

Iberis, who was watching Lawrence, had the same thought.

 

‘It’s the same as the demonic energy I saw in Adam.’

 

It was more powerful, and different in that it had already devoured its host.

 

But thinking that Adam could end up in such a state if things went wrong sent chills down her arms.

 

Your Hero is looking at you.

 

At that moment, a welcome message appeared before her eyes.

 

“Adam!”

 

Iberis turned around to greet him as her tension was released.

 

Since the Sacred Relic was activated, the situation would have been conveyed to him.

 

Adam, who seemed to have run all the way here, was catching his breath while assessing the situation.

 

“Kyrillos, Eve. What on earth is this…”

 

Having already seen the trail of blood leading from the hallway, Adam looked at me with a shocked expression.

 

“You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”

 

Iberis nodded silently.

 

After confirming she was safe, Adam intervened between them to help Kyrillos.

 

“Adam, I’m fine. I am an Archmage, after all.”

 

“…”

 

Adam ignored Kyrillos’s words and stood beside him.

 

Kyrillos stepped slightly to the side while grumbling.

 

In truth, he was already at his physical limit.

 

“Stop ignoring me! Anyone would think you’ve seen me die from being frail!”

 

“…”

 

“No, could you please not keep your mouth shut at times like this? I’m really scared.”

 

Kyrillos rubbed his goosebump-covered arms and whined.

 

His body ached and the grazing wounds stung.

 

Though his physical condition hadn’t changed from before, Kyrillos watched Lawrence with a much lighter expression.

 

“I’ve always wanted to become a companion to the Hero who kills the Demon King. Finally, I’m in a similar situation.”

 

“…Already more than enough.”

 

At Adam’s words, Kyrillos created magic orbs around himself as if pleased.

 

Having exhausted vast amounts of mana, Kyrillos took a small shallow breath.

 

Unable to match all of Lawrence’s abilities in life, he deflected several magic orbs, but suffered various cuts and wounds in the process.

 

Lawrence only deflected magic orbs large enough to cause fatal injuries with his sword, simply taking hits from other magic orbs as he walked forward.

 

“I never thought I’d witness firsthand how those with magi are controlled by the Demon King’s subjugation stone.”

 

Adam muttered with a sigh.

 

The truly puppet-like behavior without any sense of self gave Kyrillos chills for a moment.

 

Whether wounded or not, he walked forward like someone who could only move straight ahead.

 

Due to his disappearance, he couldn’t be hung alongside the portraits of successive family heads.

 

However, thanks to the former Duke of Evant, Lawrence’s portrait hung small beneath the family portraits.

 

Lawrence looked exactly as he had in life, not having aged at all, as if he had jumped out of that portrait.

 

Kyrillos took a deep breath to avoid being shaken and watched him intently.

 

There had been something strange from earlier.

 

‘Why isn’t he counterattacking?’

 

If he was truly being controlled by the subjugation stone, there would be commands from the caster.

 

And since the caster’s figure wasn’t visible here, they couldn’t see this place either.

 

Then he would carry out orders according to pre-given commands.

 

And in such cases, usually…

 

“Adam!”

 

They’re told to risk their lives and self-destruct along with whoever remains still.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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