The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 71

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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 71. In Search of the Demon Sword (3)
Whether a hero belonged to a state institution, a major guild, or wandered like a ronin unaffiliated with any organization.
Heroes fundamentally operated by forming a Party.
Among all three kingdoms, the most preferred Party size was five.
There were many theories about this—some attributed it to the influence of the Five Great Heroes who sealed the Demon God five hundred years ago, others to the principles of the Five Elements.
But in reality, five members simply proved to be the most efficient number in terms of combat balance, synergy, and crucially, operational management.
The ideal hero composition for a five-member Party was typically three warriors, one mage, and one support specialist.
Of course, there were cases where one warrior was replaced by an anomaly—a hero who didn’t fit neatly into any category, commonly called an “Irregular.”
But generally, a Party was formed with this 3-1-1 structure.
The greatest advantage of forming a Party was that it could unleash not merely five times the power of a solo hero, but ten, even twenty times the total strength.
A Party that had long coordinated their movements operated as though they were a single entity, sometimes toppling opponents with an objectively insurmountable power gap.
‘Of course, the opposite could happen too.’
A newly formed Party, or one composed of inexperienced heroes, sometimes demonstrated power inferior even to the individuals fighting alone, let alone five times their strength.
Yes.
Exactly like now.
“Iris, your response wasn’t bad. But given our Party’s overall strength, it would’ve been better to cast blessings rather than focus on defense.”
“Ah… I see.”
After the battle concluded.
Iris nodded as she received the feedback.
“And Berald, Camilla—your overall awareness is too narrow. Since you’re not fighting alone, you need to keep your eyes on the leader’s movements at all times.”
“Ugh….”
“Understood, brother.”
The two, who had been helplessly breached by the sudden charge of the alpha bat beast, swallowed hard and nodded.
“Finally, Yuren.”
“….”
Yuren seemed to anticipate roughly what evaluation would come from my mouth.
He kept his mouth firmly shut, lowering his head like someone who had committed a crime.
“Don’t try to do everything alone. Your Party isn’t something you need to protect—they’re comrades you should fight alongside with combined strength.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Yuren, who had endangered the entire Party with his hasty charge, lowered his head with a dejected expression.
“Well, everyone makes mistakes at first.”
I patted Yuren’s shoulder as he grew downcast and chuckled softly.
‘I never thought the day would come when I’d say such things to Yuren.’
It was the exact opposite situation from when we first formed a Party in my previous life.
Back then, I had recklessly charged forward, trusting in my immortal body, and ended up endangering the Party instead.
“Sigh. I already knew from Academy classes that you shouldn’t break formation carelessly.”
Yuren sighed and reproached himself.
I smiled wryly and shrugged.
“Classroom lessons and real combat are different.”
“Still, to make such a mistake against mere beasts….”
Well, I could certainly understand Yuren’s frustration.
The bat-type magical beast he’d just faced was so weak that Yuren could have swept it aside single-handedly without much difficulty.
‘This is exactly the kind of case where being too strong becomes a liability.’
Since he’d judged the magical beast to be something he could handle alone without breaking a sweat, he’d instinctively pictured himself charging in solo and obliterating it all at once, rather than considering a coordinated assault with his allies.
“Should we keep going deeper anyway?”
“Yeah. I won’t make any careless mistakes this time.”
Yuren tightened his grip on his sword, his resolve burning bright.
And so the exploration of the Ruins resumed.
“I’ll take the right flank—can you cover the left, Berald?”
“Understood!”
“One’s coming back!”
“Need backup?”
“No! I can handle it myself!”
“Let me cast a blessing first!”
Perhaps it was because everyone possessed solid foundational skills.
With each battle that unfolded, the Party’s synchronization improved at a visibly rapid pace.
‘Yes, this is it.’
Like gears that had been grinding and creaking out of alignment now finally turning in proper harmony.
I watched over my Party members from the rear, offering timely support as they continued their combat against the magical beasts.
Among them, the one whose performance stood out most was none other than Berald.
‘I knew Yuren was strong… but Berald is quite the surprise.’
Berald had only been learning unarmed combat from me for just over a month.
Before that, he’d only picked up street-level brawling barely worthy of being called unarmed combat, yet in the past month alone, his skill had grown beyond recognition.
‘Then again, his talent for unarmed combat surpassed even Yuren’s.’
The very fact that Berald, who began seriously studying unarmed combat after graduating from Hero Academy, had become a master of martial arts capable of creating his own unique techniques spoke volumes about the overwhelming nature of his talent.
Of course.
He still had a tendency to rely more on magic (?) than pure unarmed combat.
“Stone Arrow!”
Berald chanted the incantation while ripping up stalactites that had grown from the cavern floor and hurling them.
Crash!
The corpse of the bat-type magical beast, impaled on the sharp stalactite, flew off into the distance like something struck by a ballista, embedding itself in the cavern wall.
‘Damn it. That’s magic right there—what else could you call it magic?’
As my past self used to say.
Physical force taken to its extreme becomes indistinguishable from magic itself.
“Phew. How was that this time, boss?”
“Much better.”
I gave a thumbs up, and my Party members’ faces brightened instantly (though Camilla’s expression shifted to one of ‘Why should I be happy about praising that guy?’).
‘Glad we came.’
Before we’d started the Ruins exploration, I’d been uncertain whether it would truly benefit my companions, but seeing how dramatically their skills had improved in just one day brought an involuntary smile to my face.
“Well, it’s getting late. Let’s call it a day and continue the exploration tomorrow.”
“Are you heading back to Valhalla City?”
“No, that would take far too long.”
Even with a warp device near the Ruins, the distance wasn’t convenient for casual travel.
Besides, we’d already ventured quite deep into the Ruins.
“Let’s make camp here.”
“Hehe! I’ve brought plenty of camping equipment, so don’t you worry!”
Berald patted his bulging backpack as he spoke.
“Then let’s set up the tents first.”
Though we were inside a cave, true to the name “Red Tears Cave,” crimson droplets fell steadily from the stalactites, making tents essential.
“Two tents should do—one for the men, one for the women.”
“W-what? You mean we’re all sleeping together?”
Yuren’s visible panic was unmistakable.
I turned to him as if questioning what nonsense he was spouting.
“Of course we sleep together. When are you going to set them up for everyone?”
“I… I have my own personal tent that I brought separately…”
“Now, now. A personal tent? What are you saying? Isn’t the true romance of camping squeezing into a cramped tent and sleeping together?”
“I don’t need that kind of romance!”
Yuren shouted and spun around abruptly.
“Either way, I’m sleeping in my own personal tent that I brought!”
“Hmm.”
Now that I thought about it, even in my past life, Yuren had despised sleeping with others.
‘This is why noble young masters are such a handful.’
I clicked my tongue inwardly and nodded.
“Fine. Then it’s just me and Berald sleeping together.”
“Hehe. Enjoy your intimate time together, brother.”
“Get out of here, you brat.”
Anyway, after we finished setting up the three tents.
The Party members, who had resolved their meal with the lunch boxes we’d prepared beforehand, entered their respective tents and prepared for sleep.
“I’ll take the first watch, so everyone get some rest first.”
“Then I’ll sleep first, brother. Wake me in a bit.”
“Got it.”
After the Party members entered their tents.
Soon after, the soft sound of breathing came from inside the tents as they drifted off to sleep.
‘Everyone must have been exhausted.’
Indeed.
After fighting magical beasts all day, exhaustion was inevitable.
“Well then. Shall I get to my work?”
I rose from my seat, installed a barrier around the tents to repel magical beasts, then headed alone into the Ruins.
Using “Wind Step,” I dashed at high speed toward the deepest part of the Ruins, heading toward one wall.
The place where a wide pool had formed from accumulated crimson droplets.
‘This should be around here.’
I plunged my hand into the pool and channeled mana into it.
Glub glub glub.
The crimson pool began to roil the moment mana flowed into it.
‘Now!’
I manipulated the mana spreading through the pool, forcing it to penetrate the barrier installed at the bottom.
Whoooooosh!
The barrier activated immediately, and red sparks erupted as it tried to expel the invading mana.
‘Not a chance.’
Having mastered the magical theory Sophia taught me, finding the barrier’s ‘core’ was hardly difficult.
After all, a barrier was merely a spell constructed upon theoretical foundations.
Rumble rumble rumble!
The cave trembled as though struck by an earthquake, and the crimson liquid filling the pool drained downward like water from a bathtub with its stopper pulled.
What emerged on the exposed floor was a small opening barely large enough for a single person to squeeze through.
This was the secret passage leading to where the ‘Demon Sword’ lay sealed.
“Finding this place used to be such a headache back then….”
In my previous life, I discovered this location during my days as an active mercenary.
After accepting an exploration contract and arriving here with my mercenary company, I spent nearly a month investigating the interior of the Ruins before finally locating this secret passage.
‘Memories from my past life certainly come in handy at times like these.’
To find this passage so effortlessly, when I had once suffered so much to discover it.
Recollections of those hardships flickered through my mind, and my lips curved upward unbidden.
“Let’s see. Once I go inside….”
I stepped into the narrow entrance and walked down the shadowy corridor.
[Turn back.]
A deep, resonant voice echoed through my mind.
[This is where a blood-starved abomination sleeps.]
A door materialized before me, crimson mist seeping from its frame.
An ominous door gleaming with a sickly red light, as though drenched in blood.
Standing before that door, the deep voice resonated through my consciousness once more.
[Those who open this door shall fall into sorrow.]
[Those who open this door shall lose all hope.]
[Those who open this door shall be buried in despair.]
“Damn, this thing sure loves to talk.”
Crash!
I kicked the blood-soaked door and shattered it violently.
A faint voice, like the death cry of something dying.
[You who have crossed the threshold, you shall pay the price with death….]
“Yeah, yeah. Shut it.”
I stepped over the shattered remains of the door and into the interior, where crimson mist hung thick and heavy.

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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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