Legendary Hero is an Academy Honors Student - Chapter 193

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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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193

Crackle- Crackle-

That night.

“A 1st year getting to camp with 2nd year seniors, what a lucky life. You’re really enjoying your school life, aren’t you? I’m jealous.”

Jin grumbled.

At those words, Lil tilted her head.

“Is this enjoying school life?”

“Of course. In my time, it was nothing but training.”

Jin shuddered as he recalled his school days.

Watching him, Lil was impressed.

“That’s why you got your name on the Hero Record! Amazing! I want to learn from that too!”

“Fame and achievements are good, but enjoy your school days a bit. This is advice from a senior. Dress up a little too. You’re already pretty, but you’d be even prettier if you dressed up.”

At Jin’s words, Lil blinked.

“Is that so? Do you think so too, Leo?”

“Well. It’s good to enjoy your teens.”

“A junior I can relate to.”

Hearing Leo’s words, Jin chuckled.

“So, what brings a hero whose name is on the Hero Record to a place like this? If you’re an active hero, shouldn’t you be active on the front lines of the battlefield against Tartaros or conquering dungeons?”

At Leo’s question, Jin nodded.

“Right. Originally, I was at the Tartaros southern front.”

The Tartaros southern front where hero guilds affiliated with Lumern are active.

The supreme commander there is none other than Lumern’s chairman and head of the Jeron Family.

Altech Jeron, called the Infinity Speller.

“But recently there was a hero summons from Lumern.”

At those words, Leo and Lil showed surprised expressions.

“People on important top-secret missions or dungeon conquests didn’t respond to the summons, but most people with some free time probably responded, right?”

‘Hero summons. The guests the principal mentioned were heroes.’

The reason why each Hero Academy including Lumern has enormous influence on the world.

One of them is precisely the hero summons.

The absolute authority to summon heroes from Lumern graduates whose names are on the Hero Record.

Just having the authority to call heroes who bring change to the world and influence global affairs could be called tremendous power.

“It’s because of Lusejeon.”

“Right.”

At Leo’s words, Jin crossed his arms.

“This Lusejeon is being held at Seirun, right? So with the students who will participate in Lusejeon and the faculty who will lead them, the school can’t help but worry about an empty school.”

Not long ago, there was an attack from Tartaros.

Lumern didn’t want to leave the school’s defenses vulnerable.

So what they chose was hero summons.

Summoning active heroes to guard the school.

“Well, among them there are probably heroes who will follow along to Seirun too.”

“To Seirun?”

“Yeah. I don’t know the reason, but the principal said so. There must be a reason, right?”

Even while saying that, Jin wore a meaningful smile.

Leo knew well the meaning of that smile.

‘Because Seirun isn’t much different from Lumern either.’

Leo recalled last semester’s midterm exam.

Seirun 2nd year Lauta.

He was a traitor taking orders from the Overlord King.

There probably wasn’t just one student like Lauta.

Seirun wasn’t revealing this fact publicly because of the school’s honor.

While secretly hunting down the traitors.

‘But it won’t be easy.’

Even Lumern couldn’t catch their tail until Tartaros began moving in earnest.

Even Leo, who was skilled at hunting down and killing Tartaros, was the same.

In such a situation, it was unknown how well Seirun had tracked the internal spies.

‘It’s to prepare for any possible situation that might occur at Lusejeon.’

Of course, attacking a place where both schools’ forces were concentrated would be an utterly reckless plan even from Tartaros’s perspective.

‘But there’s no telling what kind of scheme he might be plotting.’

Leo narrowed his brow thinking of the Overlord King, Hel Kaiser.

A thrilling disaster.

With Erebos sealed, he was the most threatening monster in the world.

“By the way, you have no intention of giving up on going to the Zerodian Ruins?”

“Yes. The target of this mission seems to be an Abyss Spirit.”

At Jin’s question, Lil nodded.

The mission’s content was to guide the distinguished guest at the Zerodian Ruins to Lumern.

If what was currently at the Zerodian Ruins was an Abyss Spirit, then the distinguished guest Lumern mentioned was certainly the Abyss Spirit.

‘Lumern would be able to invite even a great spirit as a guest.’

The problem was that this Abyss Spirit disliked humans.

Even if it had accepted the invitation, there was no telling when it might change its mind.

That’s probably why they sent Lil.

Spirits instinctively feel attracted to excellent spirit mages.

There was no spirit mage better than Lil to invite an Abyss Spirit that dislikes humans.

Lil also realized this fact and intended to continue the mission.

“Anyway, I’ll have to meet the Abyss Spirit.”

At Lil’s words, Jin rested his chin on his hand.

“Then I’ll help.”

Hearing Jin’s words, Lil’s eyes widened.

“You two alone would struggle against a great spirit. If you’re not careful, you might have to abandon the mission without even meeting it.”

“If Jin-nim joins us, I’d welcome it, but… wouldn’t we be a burden?”

“Don’t worry about that. I’m also curious about how skilled the Summoning Department juniors are.”

Jin wore a meaningful smile and glanced at Leo.

“And the skills of the rumored All-Class too.”

At those words, Leo chuckled.

“I’ll try to live up to your expectations.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

***

The next day.

Leo and Lil’s party, now joined by Jin, headed to the Zerodian Ruins again.

Jin, the eldest and an active hero, took a somewhat observational attitude from behind the two.

Though he said he would help, that didn’t mean he would step forward and lead the party himself.

“I’m nervous. It feels like I’m being tested by a hero.”

“Don’t be too nervous.”

“Aren’t you nervous, Leo?”

“No.”

“Amazing. Even though Leo is a 1st year, you seem like someone with really seasoned experience.”

Lil looked at Leo with envy.

“I’ll go ahead.”

Leo took the vanguard position.

Walking ahead like that, Leo became lost in thought.

‘A spirit that dislikes humans. What do you think, Elsi?’

[I wouldn’t know. I’ve never disliked people.]

Elsi shook her head.

Watching such Elsi, Leo smiled bitterly inwardly.

At Leo’s reaction, Elsi asked cautiously.

[The me that Leo remembers disliked people, didn’t she?]

‘That’s right.’

[You said it was because all the children at the orphanage died, right?]

She couldn’t imagine it at all.

Herself hating the world and despising people.

Elsi fell into deep thought.

She had loved people since birth.

She was drawn to the existence called Spirit Mages and thought their efforts shone brightly.

During the Age of Calamity.

Agon’s figure telling the orphanage children about hope as they struggled to survive seemed to shine.

Elsi had yearned for light since birth.

She thought it was because of her nature as a darkness attribute spirit.

Everyone tends to yearn for what they don’t have.

So she dreamed of the stars in the night sky that she had never seen since birth.

The orphanage children who didn’t lose hope even in desperate days were, in a sense, like stars in the night sky to Elsi.

‘Though it ended in misfortune.’

It changed in the Heroes’ World, but…

Elsi made a sad expression at the fact that hadn’t changed in history.

However…

‘Kail saved the world. He found the light of the world and showed me a brightly shining night sky.’

The current Elsi liked people even more.

The people she watched together with Leo included many who shone like stars.

Probably the other spirits wouldn’t be different from her.

Spirits are beings that inherently like people.

Being drawn to people and wanting to watch their actions is a spirit’s instinct.

For such a spirit to dislike people.

[That darkness spirit called the Abyss Spirit disliking people… doesn’t that mean she experienced something terrible enough for that?]

‘That would be right.’

[…]

Even the version of herself who hated the world ultimately made a contract with Kail to protect the world.

‘I would have tried to find an answer too.’

In the end, she wouldn’t have been able to hate people.

[Leo, I want to have a conversation with that spirit.]

At those words, Leo hesitated.

Several months had passed since Elsi came out of the Heroes’ World.

This was the first time among all that.

The first time Elsi had something she wanted.

Fiora who chirped daily asking for chocolate.

Kirran who bothered him demanding preferential treatment.

Ati who even bought a riding whip asking to be treated more harshly.

Unlike the three peculiar familiars, Elsi never revealed what she wanted other than quietly looking up at the night sky.

She only spoke about hoping to be helpful to Leo’s progress.

Such Elsi had revealed her ‘will’ for the first time.

Facing a great spirit hostile to humans was dangerous.

However…

‘Alright.’

Leo nodded.

As Leo who knew Elsi’s past, it was hard to refuse her request.

‘I’ll try to arrange a meeting.’

[Thank you!]

***

An hour had passed since entering the Zerodian Ruins.

There was no sign at all of the spirits who had violently tried to drive out intruders last night.

If it were someone else, they might have thought the great spirit had left this place.

However, Leo, Lil, and Jin.

All three were exceptional Spirit Mages.

Especially Leo was a former great hero of all classes, and Jin was a hero who made his name in Hero Record through spirit arts.

They had noticed that the Abyss Spirit’s influence still remained in the Zerodian Ruins.

“It’s more concerning because it’s unnecessarily quiet.”

It was when Jin, who had entered the center of the ruins, frowned and muttered.

Whoosh-!

In an instant, darkness spread across the ground.

Seeing this, Jin urgently raised his spiritual power and reached out to Leo and Lil who were walking ahead.

But before Jin’s hand could reach them, Leo and Lil were sucked into the darkness.

“Damn.”

Jin clicked his tongue and tried to chase after the two.

But numerous spirits appeared before Jin.

“Only interested in the young students?”

Jin frowned.

“Not interested in this old man? Really. That’s too much.”

Groooooo-!

Jin drew his curved blade and raised his aura and spiritual power while looking at the numerous high-level spirits blocking his way.

“If you touch even a fingertip of those students, I won’t let it slide, Abyss Spirit!”

Jin, his light demeanor completely gone, flashed his eyes and charged at the high-level spirits.

Leo and Lil, who were sucked into the darkness, fell straight down to the underground of the ruins.

Swish-! Thud-! Thud-!

The two who landed on the ground simultaneously looked up at the ceiling.

[Welcome, Hero Candidates.]

At the voice heard from the front, both looked ahead.

There stood a young man with jet-black hair and eyes.

Shadows were cast over his face, and his entire body was covered in a dark hood and cloak.

At the appearance resembling a grim reaper from stories, Lil tensed up.

“Are you the Abyss Spirit?”

[That’s right.]

At the emotionless, dry voice, Lil tensed up and took out a mission document from her pocket.

“I received a mission from Lumern to escort a distinguished guest to the Academy. I believe you, the Abyss Spirit, are certainly the distinguished guest invited by the Academy… am I correct?”

[Lumern did invite me.]

Hearing the Abyss Spirit’s words, Lil made a bright expression.

“Greetings! Abyss Spirit, my name is Ril Ruche. I came to meet you…”

[Not interested.]

“Yes.”

[Lumern invited me to arrange a contractor.]

The Abyss Spirit stared directly at Lil, who was flustered by his words.

[But no matter how I think about it, I wonder if it’s worth making a contract with humans. Especially you, human girl who brought the mission document. You must be the most promising contract candidate chosen by Lumern.]

“Me, me?”

Lil made an expression as if hearing this for the first time, flustered, then pointed at Leo.

“I… um… there are summoners far greater than me. Someone who even became student council president as a first-year, and you’re saying I’m a candidate to contract with the Abyss Spirit? That’s impossible.”

At Lil’s words, the Abyss Spirit looked at Leo.

[No matter how I look at it, that one seems to lack the qualities of a spirit mage.]

Leo chuckled at those words.

It was true.

If judged solely on the qualities of a spirit mage, Leo was pathetically inferior compared to Lil.

[Ril Ruche, your coming to me is to undergo a kind of test to determine whether you can become my contractor or not.]

“Good heavens… someone like me being a candidate for a great spirit’s contractor! Aren’t you mistaken?”

[Whether it’s a mistake or not doesn’t matter. I have no intention of contracting anyway. I only responded to the invitation out of consideration for my connection with Kalian and Riben. I figured if I established myself here, they would send contractor candidates.]

Hearing those words, Leo thought to himself.

‘As expected of Lumern. To arrange contracts between great spirits and students.’

From Lumern’s perspective, they would want to nurture contractors of great spirits amid the rapidly changing world situation.

‘But it’s more twisted than I thought.’

Leo was wary of the Abyss Spirit.

[So when a contract candidate came, I was planning to conduct my own test. But I didn’t expect them to send along a knight of Undine.]

At the Abyss Spirit’s words, Leo’s eyes twitched.

[It seems you’ve noticed I was preparing a rather dangerous test.]

Swoosh—

Suddenly, the ground where Leo and Lil were standing began to sink like a swamp.

Looking at the ground, darkness began to slowly devour their bodies.

“Wh-what!”

[I told you, didn’t I? That I prepared my own test. I am a spirit of darkness. I only intend to contract with someone who can accept my darkness.]

The Abyss Spirit curled up the corners of its mouth.

[Try receiving my darkness once.]

“Th-then I’ll take it alone! Leo isn’t here on the school’s behalf but only followed at my request!”

Lil shouted urgently.

Hearing those words, the Abyss Spirit made an indifferent expression.

[That’s not my concern.]

“Ugh! Leo! Run away! This is dangerous!”

Lil struggled against the darkness and approached Leo, trying somehow to pull him out of the abyss of darkness.

But the more she struggled, the faster she was swallowed by the darkness.

“N-no way.”

Lil, now submerged up to her neck, looked at Leo with worried eyes.

“Leo, I’m sor… mmph—!”

Lil was swallowed by the darkness first.

Watching that scene, Leo glanced at the Abyss Spirit.

He could see the Abyss Spirit with its eyes closed as if already uninterested.

Along with that, deep darkness came.

His body was dark as if submerged in water where no light penetrated.

In that moment— Leo grasped the Jewel of Radiance hanging around his neck with his hand.

Flash—!

Suddenly, bright light burst out around him.

Whoosh—!

The eyes of the Abyss Spirit, Ignite, twitched.

“Quite a nasty-natured spirit.”

[How did you escape from my darkness?]

Leo spoke as if it was nothing.

“I devoured your darkness.”

[That shouldn’t be possible.]

To devour the power of a spirit of the same attribute requires at least the power of an equal-ranked spirit.

But Ignite’s power was that of a great spirit, the highest rank among darkness attributes.

Devouring it was impossible.

“Normally it would be impossible.”

Leo chuckled and looked at Ignite.

“But if you’re the contractor of a darkness spirit with power equal to yours, it’s not impossible.”

[That’s ridiculous.]

[Hello there.]

Just then, Elsi, about the size of a palm, peeked her face out from between Leo’s white hair.

Seeing Elsi, Ignite frowned.

[What are you?]

[My name is Elsi, I’m a shadow spirit.]

Elsi smiled brightly.

[I’d like to have a conversation with you.]

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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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