Legendary Hero is an Academy Honors Student - Chapter 72

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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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72.

“Fire Wall.”

As Leo completed his spell, a wall of fire engulfed the orcs.

Kieeeeeek!

Leo dispelled his magic while watching the orcs turn to ash in an instant.

Runia and Eiran stepped forward, looking at the orc corpses that were now nothing but bones.

“Wait.”

“Huh?”

“Yes?”

Runia and Eiran stopped in their tracks.

Leo, who had stopped them, stared intently at the orcs.

Gooooo-!

The orc skulls began emitting black smoke as they floated into the air.

Clack- Click-

The bones fitted together one by one, forming skeletons.

Runia and Eiran showed tense expressions.

Until now, all the undead had emerged from underground.

They were undead that had been summoned and lying in ambush beforehand.

But this was different.

Monsters that had just become corpses were rising as undead.

“Is there a necromancer nearby!”

Runia’s eyes flashed sharply.

Whoooosh-!

She activated her Phoenix magic power and surveyed the surroundings.

Eiran also armed herself with Animus armor and gripped her sword and shield tighter.

Clatter clatter clatter-!

The orc skeletons gripped their weapons and charged.

Runia sneered and raised her palm.

Whoosh-!

A small sphere of flame formed above her palm.

It was Fire Ball, the most basic flame attack magic.

Though a simple spell, it was also magic whose power varied drastically depending on the user’s skill.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh-!

The Fire Ball instantly multiplied into several orbs.

Leo’s eyes lit up seeing this.

‘Multiple casting at that speed at her age?’

The technique of chanting the same spell multiple times simultaneously.

The technique itself wasn’t difficult, but doing it at high speed was challenging even for veteran mages.

‘To pull that off with pure instinct alone. Impressive.’

While Leo was genuinely admiring this.

Runia’s Fire Balls struck the orc skeletons.

Kaboom-!

Creating explosive flames, they instantly shattered the orc skeletons to pieces.

“Simple enough.”

Runia curled up the corners of her mouth and looked around.

“I’ve dealt with all your low-grade skeletons! Now stop hiding and show yourself!”

Runia’s fierce voice echoed loudly throughout the entire Winter Forest.

But all that returned was Runia’s voice as an echo.

“What? Not coming out? Then I’ll blow up this entire area…”

“Stop. There’s no necromancer nearby.”

Leo grabbed Runia’s wrist to stop her attack as she raised her hand to cast a powerful spell.

“Leo, you saw it too just now. The orcs becoming skeletons.”

Leo spoke calmly while looking at Runia, who had an expression asking what he was talking about.

“What just happened wasn’t undead transformation by a necromancer.”

“Then what the hell was it?”

“A curse.”

“A curse?”

Runia’s eyes widened.

Eiran also showed a puzzled expression.

“Are there curses that create undead?”

“The Curse of the Dead.”

“Curse of the Dead? I’ve never heard of that curse.”

Leo showed a puzzled expression looking at Runia tilting her head.

“Doesn’t Seirun teach about curses?”

“We do learn about them! It’s just that we haven’t covered that far in the curriculum yet! Even if it’s the same subject, the pace is different!”

“Even so, it’s a famous curse.”

“Ugh?”

Runia flinched.

“While it’s true that elves have strong resistance to curses and can deal with them more easily than other races due to the blessing magic in Star Magic, curses are one of the demons’ most powerful attack methods. You shouldn’t neglect your studies. Even Luna has suffered from curses more than once or twice.”

“Ugh?”

Unable to refute such words, Runia’s eyes darted around.

“If it’s the Curse of the Dead… isn’t that the curse of Overlord King Hel Kaiser?”

Then Eiran asked cautiously.

“That’s right. Eiran knows well.”

“It appeared frequently in the heroic tales of the great heroes, so I know it well.”

Looking at Eiran showing an embarrassed expression, Runia became even more dejected.

“So what is the Curse of the Dead? If it’s a curse related to a legion commander, it must be dangerous.”

“The Curse of the Dead is a dangerous curse that continuously summons undead throughout the surrounding area.”

“What?”

“The place where the curse is cast literally becomes a land of death.”

Looking at Eiran shrinking her shoulders with a terrified expression, Runia’s face turned pale.

“Then what? Are you saying Tartaros is now making a major move to target Elsalvechia?”

If undead were summoned endlessly, it wouldn’t be an ordinary danger.

“No. That’s not it. Even with the Curse of the Dead, powerful undead can’t be created unless Hel Kaiser casts it directly. It’s probably a curse cast by one of Hel Kaiser’s subordinates.”

Leo glared at the forest.

“However, if Hel Kaiser has made a move, it’s certain that there’s something in this forest that Tartaros wants.”

“What could a legion commander want?”

“Well. For instance…”

Leo stroked his chin.

“Something related to the great heroes?”

“So-something related to our ancestor?”

“That would be totally amazing!”

“We can’t know for sure. Anyway, we’ll find out when we go…”

Leo’s complexion changed drastically.

The two elves, who had been showing puzzled expressions at Leo’s sudden change in atmosphere, also shuddered.

Whooooooo-!

A cold blizzard swept through.

Through that blizzard, crimson eyes flashed.

“Hehehehe- Welcome, hero candidates.”

Looking at the Death Knight emanating a fundamentally different aura from the undead they had faced so far, Runia’s face hardened.

“Death Knight?”

“That’s right! My name is Kargor! I am a proud knight serving the great Overlord King and the messenger who will lead you all to death!”

Thunk-!

Groooooooo!

As Kargor drove his greatsword into the ground, the surrounding vegetation began to turn pitch black.

The aura of death began flowing out from the earth.

Crack! Crackcrackcrack-!

Breaking through the ground, an enormous number of undead began to reveal themselves.

It wasn’t just skeletons.

Zombies and ghouls.

Even corpse chimeras.

All kinds of undead revealed themselves.

“Despair! Tremble in fear! I’ll make you regret coming to this forest! Muhahahaha!”

Grwaaaaar!

Along with Kargor’s mad laughter, the roars of the undead echoed through the air.

Letting out a chilling laugh, Kargor looked at Leo.

“Today you won’t be able to run away.”

“I’ll handle that Death Knight. Eiran, you deal with the undead. And Runia, prepare the strongest magic you can use.”

“Yes!”

“Got it.”

“Oh? This time you’ve chosen to fight against me?”

“I’ll face you.”

“Heh!”

At Leo’s words, Kargor let out a low laugh.

Dark aura flowed from Kargor’s body as he gripped his greatsword properly.

Leo drew his sword and unleashed Jerdinger’s aura.

Whoosh-!

The phoenix’s flames blazed fiercely.

As they faced each other.

Flash-!

Leo’s body disappeared like a flickering flame.

“Clumsy!”

Kargor swung his greatsword toward the rear.

Clang-!

The greatsword swung at tremendous speed was blocked by Leo’s longsword.

Kargor’s eyes flickered.

He had expected Leo to be sent flying, but Leo had withstood it.

Crack-!

As Leo put strength into his sword, tendons bulged in his hands.

Leo’s sword pushed back Kargor’s greatsword.

Creating an opening, Leo didn’t hesitate to dive into Kargor’s embrace.

“Haha! Foolish one! Did you think I was an ordinary human knight?”

Seeing Leo approach, Kargor sneered and released his dark aura.

Groooooo-!

The dark aura engulfed Leo.

“Muhahaha!”

Flash!

But his expression hardened as he saw Leo break through the dark aura.

As if he had anticipated it, Leo’s sword blazed fiercely with flames as he wrapped his entire body in fiery aura.

‘Jerdinger’s secret swordsmanship. Prominence.’

Leo’s sword drew a crimson line as it headed toward Kargor.

Crash-!

Kargor swung his greatsword and barely managed to block Leo’s attack.

But the crimson flames that seemed ready to devour everything raged wildly.

“You’re no ordinary brat!”

Leo and Kargor’s pure capabilities as knights were at comparable levels.

The factor that would determine victory in a fight against such an opponent was experience.

And Kargor was confident that he surpassed Leo in experience.

He thought it was impossible for a first-year from a Hero Academy to overwhelm him with experience when he had roamed countless battlefields as a Death Knight.

But that was Kargor’s mistake.

‘He’s seeing through all my moves!’

Leo’s experience from crossing countless battlefields was on a different level from Kargor’s.

Looking into Leo’s emotionless eyes, Kargor felt chills run down his spine.

The crimson flames burrowed into Kargor’s greatsword.

Hissssss!

Kargor’s sword began to melt from the tremendous heat.

Flash-!

In an instant, Kargor’s body scattered.

‘Wraith form.’

Using wraith form, one of the Death Knight’s techniques, Kargor hastily retreated.

‘I need to use the undead forces for a war of attrition!’

Whoosh-!

Suddenly, a small sun appeared in Kargor’s field of vision.

With blinding bright light, the surrounding snow rapidly melted away.

Runia, who had cast Scorching Heat, shouted at Kargor.

“Die! You bag of bones!”

A massive sphere of flames flew toward Kargor.

The undead caught in the flames were instantly incinerated without even leaving ash behind.

‘There’s nowhere to escape!’

Rumblrumblrumble! Whoooooosh-! Crash-!

The flames spread in all directions, raging like mad.

Leo and Eiran lowered their stances to avoid being caught in the aftermath.

After a moment, the flames subsided and the entire surrounding area was scorched earth.

“This is what happens when you mess with me!”

Runia puffed out her chest with a triumphant expression.

“The, the forest…!”

Eiran covered her face with a pale expression.

[Is she really an elf? Why is she so violent?]

Chirp- Chirp-!

Kirran also stuck out his tongue while Fiora flapped her wings as if pleased.

Leo, who was looking at where Kargor had been, muttered.

“Persistent.”

“What?”

Runia hesitated.

Groooo-!

“Hehehe.”

“Oh? He didn’t die?”

Runia cracked her knuckles.

“Then I’ll have no choice but to burn him until he dies.”

[No matter how I look at it, she doesn’t seem like an elf.]

Kirran whispered.

“Hehe- Did you think I, Kargor, could be easily destroyed?”

“Confident in your durability? Let’s see how long you can last.”

Kargor burst into laughter as he watched Runia flash a belligerent smile.

“Once this mission is complete, I shall grant you death.”

With those words, Kargor concealed himself.

“Acting all high and mighty while running away.”

Runia snorted and said.

“What are you doing! Hurry up and chase after that damn pile of bones and break the curse cast on this forest!”

***

Whoosh-!

Kargor, who had withdrawn from battle, appeared before Lauta who was drawing a summoning circle.

“Did you finish dealing with everything?”

“They’ll be coming soon. You’d better hurry.”

“What?”

Lauta’s face contorted.

“Don’t be ridiculous! You incompetent undead! You can’t even properly handle mere first-year brats?”

“Hehehe. That’s right. I was reduced to this state by mere first-year brats.”

Kargor let out a low laugh.

“What’s so good that you’re grinning like an idiot!”

“How could I not be delighted! I’ve been given the chance to eliminate the buds of future heroes! The Overlord will be extremely pleased with this.”

Lauta’s face twisted as he watched Kargor cry out with a voice filled with ecstasy.

“The buds of… heroes?”

“That’s right, when I first saw you I thought the Hero Academies were finished too… but they’re truly extraordinary.”

“Watch your tongue. Right now, I am your master.”

“You, who are weaker than me, dare to call yourself my master?”

“Because the Overlord you serve decided it so!”

Lauta shouted irritably and showed him a black ring.

“I could annihilate you right now!”

“Ehehehe. Go ahead and try. If you can handle those three first-years coming here all by yourself.”

Lauta’s body trembled at Kargor’s mockery.

“Grr!”

“Hurry up and complete that summoning circle, you vermin of a master.”

Lauta gritted his teeth and continued drawing the summoning circle.

‘The moment I get my hands on the Progenitor’s Power… I’ll deal with you first!’

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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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