The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 133

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 133. Legacy of the Iron Fist (2)
What truly defines a genius?
Someone who masters a technique in a single attempt that ordinary people must repeat a thousand, ten thousand times?
Someone who glances at intricate, tangled equations and arrives at the correct answer instantly?
Of course, such individuals would certainly fall within the category of ‘genius.’
‘But.’
That realm is ultimately one that can be conquered through the expenditure of time and effort.
If one can master a technique through a thousand, ten thousand repetitions.
If one can dissect even the most complex equations piece by piece and arrive at the answer.
Is the difference between genius and the ordinary truly nothing more than a matter of time?
‘No.’
I know better.
Because I have poured more time into this than anyone else.
Because I have devoted more effort than anyone else could fathom.
No matter how desperately the ordinary struggle, they cannot even reach the heels of a true genius.
And now, before my very eyes, that ‘genius’ wielded a blade blazing with radiant light.
“Solar Sword Seventh Form Variation—Luminous Ring-Chain.”
Rings of light materialized in the void, linking together to form chains of brilliance.
The chains of light swept along the blade’s trajectory, densely enveloping the entire surrounding space.
A sight as though a golden palace wrought of pure light had been conjured in the empty air.
That radiance sent a dizzying thrill cascading down my spine.
‘What is that?’
Even Yuren in my past life had never demonstrated such a technique.
Though I could pride myself on considerable mastery of the ‘Solar Sword,’ I had never managed to chain the luminous rings together into a light chain as she was doing.
‘And she’s executing it while controlling her aura’s color, no less?’
Yurina’s natural aura color is a pale silver, cold as moonlight.
When maintaining Yuren’s appearance, she controls her mana to shift the aura’s hue to gold, though the constant adjustment of this color is hardly a trivial matter.
‘Yet she’s wielding such intricate swordplay while managing it.’
It would be like threading a needle through impossibly fine gaps while wearing thick gloves.
Of course, Yurina has been changing her aura’s color since childhood, so the task has become as natural as breathing.
But even so, controlling one’s aura’s color while executing such breathtaking technique was no feat an ordinary person could accomplish.
Yes, quite literally.
‘Impossible unless one is a genius.’
I watched Yuren press the Guardian with savage intensity, my fists clenching involuntarily.
Yes, this was it.
The wondrous genius that the ordinary, no matter how desperately they struggle, can never catch.
The very embodiment of ‘Last Light’ Yuren Helios as I had known her.
‘Or perhaps even beyond that.’
The swordplay Yurina displayed now was something even Yuren in my past life had never wielded.
In other words, her genius had already blossomed beyond the level of my previous life.
‘And.’
My gaze swept past Yurina, settling on Berald, Iris, and Camilla.
Though not quite at Yurina’s level, their growth was equally dazzling to behold.
“Haaaagh!”
Berald charged toward the Guardian bound in chains of light.
He drove forward a fist as enormous as a cauldron lid toward the creature.
[Target behavioral pattern analysis.]
[Analysis result: Warrior-class specialized in unarmed combat.]
[Response difficulty – Medium.]
“A warrior? What nonsense is that?”
Berald smirked, abruptly retracting the fist he’d been thrusting forward, then raised his leg high and brought it down with devastating force.
“Earth Quake!”
Boom!
The ground beneath the Guardian’s feet collapsed inward with a violent shockwave.
As the Guardian staggered, losing its balance, Berald drew his leg back as if to kick a ball.
Berald’s unarmed combat technique.
Thunder Kick.
Crash!
The leg swept forward at terrifying speed, slamming into the Guardian’s knee.
The knee bent at a grotesque angle, and the Guardian crumpled to the ground.
“There, you see! By any measure, I’m a proper mage, am I not?”
Berald laughed heartily, looking down at the fallen Guardian.
Crackle.
Sparks erupted around the Guardian’s body.
[Magic? Spell?]
[Target language pattern decryption impossible.]
[Critical damage sustained to lower body.]
“Haaagh!”
Camilla rushed toward the Guardian, its legs shattered and mobility sealed.
“Hah!”
She gripped the claymore, wreathed in pure white aura, with both hands and brought it down savagely.
Clang!
The Guardian raised its arm to deflect her blade.
[Target behavioral pattern analysis.]
[Analysis result: Warrior-class using two-handed sword as primary weapon. Attack patterns are linear and straightforward.]
[Response difficulty – Low.]
“Tch….”
Camilla’s eyes narrowed as she heard the sound emanating from the Guardian.
Again.
Once more, her blade had earned the assessment of being ‘straightforward.’
“Candidate Camilla’s swordplay is far too straightforward. It might do her good to develop a bit more technique.”
Professor Elisha’s words from the final evaluation echoed in my mind.
‘…Technique.’
She had tried it before, actually.
Infusing her blade with technique to unleash a more ornate style of swordsmanship.
‘But.’
Every time she did, a memory from her childhood surfaced.
From the Holy Paladin selection exam.
The blade of Johan Basillio, the current fourth-ranked hero and bearer of the title “Sword of Holy Nation”—the one she’d witnessed firsthand.
‘Johan’s blade was straightforward too.’
A direct, unwavering blade without a shred of artifice.
As a child, she had trembled at the sight of his sword.
She’d dreamed of becoming a hero like Johan one day—one who wielded a righteous blade.
But.
‘Is it… something I can never reach?’
Camilla bit her lip and adjusted her grip on her sword.
Just as she was about to follow Professor Elisha’s advice and infuse her blade with technique—
“There’s no need to force technique into it.”
A quiet voice reached her ears.
“Just swing your sword as yourself. The way you want to.”
“…Hmph.”
Camilla turned to face me with a scoff.
“What could you possibly know about me?”
“Well, not much, admittedly. We’ve only known each other for a few months.”
In truth, I knew very little about her.
In my past life, she had perished caught in the machinations of the Archbishop of Illusion.
“For you to say such a thing….”
“Still, there’s one thing I do know.”
I met her gaze and continued.
“There’s no one else in the Holy Kingdom right now who could inherit the title of ‘Sword of Holy Nation’ but you.”
In my past life, after Johan Basillio’s death, no hero had ever inherited that title.
“So swing the blade you desire.”
“….”
A flicker of emotion crossed Camilla’s eyes.
“Hmph. You certainly have a way with words.”
She turned away with a faint smile.
“Holy Maiden! Please grant me your blessing!”
“Of course!”
Pure white light flowed into my body, and vitality surged through every fiber of my being.
I channeled that overflowing vitality into my blade.
“Haaaaah!”
I swung the blade again.
Like that sword I’d seen in childhood.
Endlessly honest and true.
[Target behavior detected.]
[Counterattack protocol activated━]
Crack!
Camilla’s blade split the Guardian’s head clean in two.
Sparks erupted from the severed head as the Guardian’s movements ceased completely.
“Hah… hah…”
“Phew. Moving around all day really takes it out of you.”
“I… agree.”
“Everyone, come over here. I’ll cast a spell to help recover your fatigue.”
Once the party members confirmed the Guardian had stopped moving entirely, they collapsed where they stood as if their strings had been cut.
I turned to look at them and nodded with satisfaction.
‘At first, I worried I’d brought these kids to a Ruins that was too much for their current level.’
Perhaps the whip(?) effect had worked perfectly.
After being helpless against the Guardian at first, the party members showed increasingly remarkable development.
‘Everyone here is a genius destined to leave significant marks on history, after all.’
Their genius had even blossomed to an astonishing degree compared to my previous life.
‘When appropriate experience is added to such fully bloomed genius,’
they display growth rates that defy all logic, just like now.
“You all did well.”
I approached the party members and offered them a water flask I’d cooled down.
“Thanks. I’ll drink it… oh.”
Yuren’s hand went limp as he reached for the flask, and it slipped from his grasp.
I quickly caught the falling flask.
“S-sorry. My strength just gave out…”
“I’ll feed it to you. Tilt your head back.”
“…Feed it to me?”
“Yeah. You don’t even have the energy to drink right now, do you?”
“Ahem… ah, understood.”
Yuren swallowed hard and tilted his head back slightly.
I cradled his head with one hand and slowly tilted the flask.
Glug, glug, glug.
Water from the flask trickled into Yuren’s mouth.
“Gulp, gulp.”
“Refreshing?”
“Me too! Me too, please feed me!”
Iris, who had been watching from beside us, raised her hand with sparkling eyes.
“Huh? Iris is a non-combat class, so it’s fine….”
“Are you seriously saying that a healer doesn’t deserve to drink water because she didn’t participate in direct combat?”
“…I apologize.”
There was an old saying that parties that mistreated support classes never lasted long.
“Hehe. Then feed me quickly, please.”
Iris quickly approached me and opened her mouth like a baby bird.
I stifled a chuckle and gave water to Iris, whose mouth was open like a fledgling’s.
“Ah. This is… Dale’s holy water….”
“No.”
What is this saint talking about?
“Brother. Could you give me some water too? I can’t move a single fingertip.”
“Oh? Really?”
I flipped my waterskin over Berald’s head as he lay sprawled out.
“Cough! Pfft!”
Berald wiped his face with his hands as water cascaded down, then bolted upright.
“You’re moving just fine.”
“Ugh. Isn’t that too harsh, even for me?”
Berald pouted his lips.
I chuckled and approached the fallen Guardian.
Inside the shattered Guardian, a luminous magic stone gleamed with brilliant light.
“That makes three.”
Not all Guardians possessed magic stones, but they certainly had a much higher drop rate compared to ordinary magical beasts.
‘This should be enough as an offering.’
I gazed at the three high-grade magic stones in my pocket and nodded with satisfaction.
“Well, we’ve explored the Ruins enough. Should we head back soon?”
About a week had passed since we began exploring the Ruins.
With continuous battles wearing down the party members, this was the right time to return.
“Hehe! When we get back, I’ll throw a barbecue party at our place!”
Perhaps the prospect of being able to treat his father’s illness soon had energized him.
Berald stood up with renewed vigor.
“Let’s see, the exit was this way, right?”
“It’s the other direction, you fool.”
“Huh? Brother. Look over there.”
Berald, who had been rushing off in the wrong direction, suddenly stopped in his tracks.
“Isn’t there something that looks like a path over there?”
Where Berald pointed, there was a hidden side passage cleverly concealed between the walls of the Ruins.
‘Ah, there it is.’
It was a place I had found once in my previous life.
‘It looks like something was hidden there, but when you follow the path inside, there’s nothing.’
Recalling that memory, I moved toward the side passage Berald had indicated.
Following the narrow path deeper, we discovered a vast cavern.
And within it….
“Look, there’s nothing here… wait?”
A gauntlet emanating an unmistakable aura of mana floated suspended in the empty air.
“What is this?”
Why was it here?

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