The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 287

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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 287. Demon God Dale (4)
The minor misunderstanding (?) that had unfolded inside the Party House was resolved without difficulty once Yuren removed the pendant from around his neck and returned to his true form as Yurina.
“So Yuren Helios was female… how surprising.”
Camelia turned to look at Yurina with a hollow laugh.
Yurina’s shoulders trembled slightly.
“I… Your Majesty, I sincerely apologize for deceiving you in your presence.”
Though the Helios Family wielded considerable influence within the Empire, her counterpart was the Empress herself.
Now that it had been revealed the Helios Family had concealed Yuren’s death and deceived the Empress all these years, there was no choice but to bow one’s head.
“Think nothing of it. You didn’t hide it of your own volition.”
However.
“Rosanna Helios, was it? I’ll need to have a word with the current family head.”
High nobility of the Helios Family’s standing were obligated to visit the Imperial Palace regularly and report on their family’s current circumstances and achievements.
And needless to say.
Rosanna, the current head of the Helios Family, had intentionally concealed Yuren’s death and continued submitting false reports for over a decade.
Of course, other families likely had their own secrets to hide, but what mattered was that this fact had reached Camelia’s ears.
Had she been unaware of the false reports, that would be one thing, but knowing and failing to impose punishment was simply impossible.
“Considering she is your biological mother, I’ll impose a moderate punishment…”
“No! Please impose the harshest punishment possible! So she can deeply regret what she has done!”
“…?”
At Yurina’s sparkling eyes demanding severe punishment as if to say she’d cast aside all familial affection, Camelia’s expression momentarily showed bewilderment.
“Hmm. Very well.”
She nodded and shifted her gaze toward me.
“By the way, this was your fifth lover… I was aware, but truly, your lust is astounding.”
Camelia clicked her tongue with an expression of exasperation.
“…”
I couldn’t find the words to object, and could only watch as my lovers chimed in with “Yes, yes! You really should give him a thorough scolding!”
“Oh, by the way, Your Majesty. If you have no other plans later, would you like to take a hot spring bath with us?”
“A hot spring?”
“Yes. Dale said you had a hot spring facility built right next to the Party House.”
“Ah, yes, that’s right.”
I did recall ordering my subordinates to construct a new hot spring facility next to the Party House.
“Since I’ve become Dale’s fifth lover, shouldn’t we spend some time getting to know each other better?”
Iris offered the suggestion with a bright smile.
Camelia could easily discern the true intention hidden beneath that gentle smile.
“Ho. Planning to establish the hierarchy right after a newcomer arrives?”
“Oh no, nothing like that. I just thought it would be nice if we all got along without fighting~.”
“For someone called a Saint, you certainly have a cunning side to you.”
“So, what do you think?”
“Very well. I shall go.”
Camelia laughed softly and shrugged her shoulders.
From the moment I became Dale’s lover, I’d been thinking that I needed to set aside separate time to maintain smooth relationships with my other partners, so this was actually a good opportunity.
“Dale, would you mind staying here and cleaning up a bit?”
“….”
The Rest Room was scattered with various snacks and drinks that the Party members had brought to celebrate the discharge.
“No, well… yesterday you said you needed to rest….”
“Oh my, so you rested last night, didn’t you? Right? Come on, surely the Saint of Holy Kingdom wouldn’t have told you to take it easy just so you’d wake up after two weeks in a coma and then spend a hot night sweating profusely with lust taking over from that very evening, would she?”
“Ah… well. That’s…”
That’s the thing, Saint.
It wasn’t me who suggested it—this was just….
“You should clean up, shouldn’t you?”
“Of course.”
I’ll even finish the finishing touches.
“Hehe. Well then, we’ll be going first.”
Iris waved her hand gracefully as she led the Party members outside.
Left alone, I looked around the Rest Room, which had become a complete disaster, and let out a deep sigh.
“Well… I guess I should be grateful it ended like this.”
The first thing I did after becoming a Demon Human was cleaning the Rest Room.
* * *
After finishing the cleanup of the Rest Room.
I headed straight to the Training Ground in the Party House.
“Now… let’s see.”
I took a deep breath and slowly drew up my power.
Whoooosh!
In an instant, ash-colored flames wrapped around my body and began burning fiercely.
‘As expected… the power of Primordial Fire has grown absurdly strong.’
After absorbing the remnants of the Demon Human, I could feel the power of Primordial Fire growing to an uncontrollable degree.
If before it was ‘Blessing of Rebirth > Primordial Fire’, now it felt like ‘Blessing of Rebirth = Primordial Fire’.
Right now I was barely maintaining balance.
‘If the power of Primordial Fire were to run rampant here.’
Then not just humanity, but the entire Continent might turn into a handful of ash.
“….”
It felt like I had a bomb capable of destroying the world embedded in my body.
A suffocating sense of pressure weighed heavily on my shoulders.
“Exhale.”
I steadied my breathing and drew up my power again.
What I wanted to test this time was the Avatar state—where I could wield nearly infinite magical power.
It was essentially the most powerful and destructive technique I could currently use.
‘Before, I could only maintain it for about a minute.’
But now.
Whoooosh!
Ash and embers wrapped around my body, burning fiercely,
As the flames consumed me, my body began to scatter and disperse, transforming into ash itself.
“Ugh.”
A tingling sensation spread down my spine.
An intoxicating sense of omnipotence flooded my mind—as if I could incinerate everything in the world.
One minute passed, then two, then three.
‘What?’
The incarnation state wasn’t deactivating.
“Huh.”
So it was possible to maintain the incarnation state indefinitely?
‘I never even considered this possibility….’
Then.
Whoooosh! Whoosh!
The ash and embers grew larger, beginning to radiate magical power in all directions.
Rumble rumble rumble!
The Party House shook as if an earthquake had struck.
“Gah…!”
I hastily deactivated the incarnation state, but—
Whoooooosh!
The ash and embers burned even more fiercely, growing larger by the second.
“Damn it…!”
I drew upon the power of the Tree of Creation to suppress the raging flames.
The fire that had been greedily expanding suddenly lost its momentum and began to diminish.
“Haa, haa!”
Returning to my human form, I collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily.
“…Ha.”
A hollow laugh escaped unbidden.
‘So… in exchange for being able to maintain it indefinitely, the longer I maintain it, the greater the risk of runaway?’
As the returns increased, so too did the risks.
‘For now… I need to seal using it for more than a minute as much as possible.’
If the Primordial Fire were to run away, it would cause irreversible catastrophe.
“Still… it seems like as long as I don’t use too much power, it won’t runaway or anything.”
I exhaled in relief, observing the now-calm state within me.
If signs of runaway appeared even without using power, the situation would have been far more dire.
‘So ultimately, it’s best not to use the power as much as possible.’
I sat on a bench in the corner of the Training Ground and looked up at the ceiling.
“Not using power, huh….”
The Demons were essentially annihilated.
The Demon God too had completely vanished, absorbing all the remnants he left behind.
‘All that remains… is the Eternal Cult Leader alone?’
If I could just eliminate the Eternal Cult Leader, I could finally create a world where I wouldn’t need to use my power anymore.
A world I’d yearned for across hundreds, thousands of years.
I stood just one step away from that dream-like reality.
“….”
But why was it?
Every time I thought of the Eternal Cult Leader, an inexplicable dread tightened around my chest.
Like staring into a bottomless pit, that distant, ominous foreboding.
“Tsk.”
I shook my head and rose to my feet.
‘I’ll do what I’ve always done.’
Only one step remained until the goal I’d yearned for so desperately.
“…Maybe I’ll head back early and rest today.”
I hadn’t slept properly yesterday either (though that was my own karma), so today I planned to lie in bed without a single thought and get some proper rest.
Just as I turned to leave the disheveled Training Ground.
Crack, crack.
Like a window fracturing.
A rift began tearing open in the empty air.
“…What.”
I gripped my sword, watching the rift form in the void.
As I slowly channeled my mana, observing the expanding fissure.
Crash!
With the sound of shattering glass, something burst forth from the rift.
“Gasp, gasp…!”
A white-haired man, covered head to toe in blood, breathing heavily.
His shattered golden monocle dangled from his neck.
“You….”
I narrowed my eyes at the familiar face.
“Mephistopheles?”
“Ugh….”
Mephistopheles staggered as he tried to rise, then lost his balance and collapsed face-first onto the ground.
“…What happened to you.”
“I, I was… defeated….”
Defeated?
“…By the Eternal Cult Leader?”
“Ha, ha… Yes. That man… ‘Eternity’ itself… he cares not for it at all.”
“What are you talking about.”
“Qu, quickly… you must… flee. The Eternal Cult Leader… is….”
Mephistopheles reached out with trembling hands and grabbed my shoulder.
“He will… annihilate all of humanity… no, this entire world…!”
“…Annihilate?”
“Stop him… cough, hack! Ugh!”
Dark crimson blood poured from Mephistopheles’ mouth.
Mephistopheles collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
Pure white flowers bloomed, tearing through his skin.
“…What is this.”
What in the world was happening now.
My mind tangled in confusion.
[Heh. Still, you managed to escape to where you are now?]
A voice echoed from beyond the rift that had opened in the air.
“You….”
I stared at the rift beyond, my lips trembling.
[Is this the first time we’ve spoken directly like this?]
Giggle, giggle, giggle.
Laughter echoed from beyond the rift.
[Good to see you, Dale Han.]
It was the laughter of the Eternal Cult Leader.

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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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