Alert!: this chapter has been translated by Mangademon / demonicscans.org, this is a premium translation, not mtl
As the examinees kept each other in check and built connections, an unusual atmosphere spread among them.
[It seems everyone is here.]
A voice resonated through the area.
Before they realized it, a man had appeared on the platform.
He had light blond hair, golden eyes, and wore a hastily assembled uniform.
[I am Albi.]
The examinees gasped.
"Could it be the Mage of the Evil Eye, Albi?"
Celia also looked shocked.
He was a magical hero whose name was recorded in the Hero Record.
‘So this is what people call a hero of the current age?’
Leo carefully observed Albi, focusing specifically on his left eye.
The power dwelling in that eye.
‘This mana?’
As Leo was taken aback, Albi took a piece of paper from his coat.
[There are 569 examinees participating in this year’s western region entrance exam.]
Adjusting his glasses, he continued.
[The exam types are combat against others and monster subjugation. Normally, these exams would be conducted one by one. To be honest, I find this method...]
Albi burned the paper with magic.
[...annoying.]
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
People reacted with surprise to his sudden declaration.
[It takes too long and is inefficient. So I thought, why not combine everything?]
"What?"
Celia was startled.
The other examinees felt the same.
[Seeing is believing. The exam will begin now.]
Albi pulled out an old book from his coat.
[Hero Record, open. Albi’s World. Chapter: Prologue – Forest of Demonic Beasts.]
Woong-!
A massive pattern appeared on the ground.
The symbols were written in a divine language that no mortal could read.
Fwoosh-!
A bright light enveloped the surroundings.
When the light faded, the scenery had completely changed.
A dense forest.
It felt as though they had entered another world.
‘No, it really is another world.’
[This is the Forest of Demonic Beasts. The exam’s objective is to survive here. Beyond that, everything is allowed. You may cooperate to defeat monsters, or you may eliminate competitors. Those who wish to quit the exam can break the orb in their possession.]
The Forest of Demonic Beasts.
A real forest located in the southern continent.
But this wasn’t the real location.
It was a recreation of the memory of Albi, the examiner.
‘That doesn’t mean it’s an illusion either.’
Though it was a virtual world, everything that happened here was real.
A miracle gifted by the gods to the mortal realm.
The true value of the Hero Record.
The power to recreate the trials of heroes.
‘The World of Heroes.’
This power had been discovered 3,000 years ago.
The day referred to as the Revival of Calamity.
Before then, the Hero Record had been nothing more than a mere chronicle.
But once it was revealed that the Hero Record could recreate the "World of Heroes," the world underwent a transformation.
Some claimed that the true age of heroes began 3,000 years ago.
By conquering the trials experienced by past heroes within the "World of Heroes," rewards could be earned.
These rewards could include weapons, skills, or unique abilities possessed only by the heroes themselves.
If one succeeded in their conquest, they could inherit the power of the protagonist of that world.
‘It’s an incredible ability.’
It was precisely for this reason that the gods had gifted the Hero Record to the mortal realm.
‘A system designed to cultivate heroes.’
A force to prevent another apocalypse like the one 5,000 years ago.
This was also why institutions like Lumerne were so special.
The Human Hero Academy, Lumerne.
The Elf Hero Academy, Seirun.
The Beastkin Hero Academy, Azonia.
The Dwarf Hero Academy, Demian.
These academies each housed their race’s Hero Records.
Leo’s ultimate goal was to access the Hero Records of the Four Great Hero Academies.
A divine miracle that could perfectly recreate the events of the past.
‘If it’s through the Hero Record, I’ll know what happened to the sealed Erebus or the fate of Tartarus with absolute clarity.’
Leo clenched and unclenched his fists.
‘For now, I need to focus on the exam.’
He narrowed his eyes and scanned the area.
Celia, who had been beside him earlier, was nowhere to be seen.
It seemed that entering the World of Heroes had caused everyone to scatter.
‘Anyway, the Forest of Demonic Beasts.’
This was a real place, well-known for its infamous reputation.
The southern continent was covered with vast deserts.
The Forest of Demonic Beasts was a massive forest located in the heart of the desert.
Any nation would covet such a forest in the middle of a desert.
However, the Forest of Demonic Beasts remained an uncharted and unexplored area.
The monsters inhabiting the forest were mostly low-ranking ones like gnolls, goblins, and orcs.
At most, the strongest monster in the forest was a troll.
A military force could easily conquer it.
But because the number of monsters never seemed to decrease no matter how many were killed, people had given up on conquering the forest.
‘The curse on this forest still hasn’t been lifted.’
Leo had visited this forest in the past.
It was once the homeland of Luna, Kyle’s companion, 5,000 years ago.
Back then, it had been an elven forest.
But the forest had been corrupted by the curse of Silatuna, the Demon Queen of Tartarus.
5,000 years ago.
The subjugation force had defeated Silatuna but had failed to kill her.
Even now, thousands of years later, the queen’s curse still lingered.
Remembering Luna, who had believed her descendants would one day kill Silatuna and save her homeland, Leo smirked bitterly.
‘That damned witch’s curse has weakened, at least.’
5,000 years ago, this forest had been one of the greatest threats on the surface.
A ceaseless onslaught of abyssal monsters.
The armies of monsters that threatened all living creatures were born in this forest.
Compared to then, it was paradise now.
‘Let’s focus on the exam. The examiner said everything is allowed, right?’
Whether they defeated competitors or monsters.
Everything was left to the examinees to decide.
‘Anyone with sense wouldn’t waste time fighting here.’
Even though the monsters were low-ranking, they could appear anywhere and at any time.
Fighting competitors in such a setting could lead to unnecessary risks.
‘Well, there will probably still be some who don’t care about that.’
Someone like Celia.
A participant with overwhelming strength who didn’t feel the need to compare herself to others.
A week ago, Leo had knocked her out with just two hits.
However, that was only because she had let her guard down.
If she had fought with her full strength, even the current Leo would have struggled against her.
‘Especially in a real battle, I wouldn’t stand a chance.’
Shrugging his shoulders, Leo drew his sword.
‘Anyway, I should look for Celia.’
Cooperation was allowed.
In that case, it would be more convenient to move together.
With that decision, Leo leaped into action.
Thud-thud-thud-!
Arrows of wind struck the spot where Leo had just been standing.
Glancing in the direction they came from, he saw a familiar girl holding a staff.
It was Chelsea Lewallin, the younger sister of Avad, who had been arguing with Celia earlier.
"We’ve met before, haven’t we?"
"We have. But why attack me out of nowhere?"
"We’re competitors, aren’t we? I didn’t expect you to dodge that, though."
Chelsea shrugged.
"Revealing yourself in front of a swordsman—aren’t you being too confident?"
"It’s fine. I’m well prepared."
Chelsea gave a relaxed smile.
She certainly was prepared. Around her, blades of wind were swirling, ready to cut down anyone who approached recklessly.
‘That’s a type of magic that didn’t exist in the past.’
Leo stroked his chin thoughtfully.
If there was one field that had changed drastically compared to the past, it was magic.
The fundamentals of Aura and summoning hadn’t changed much.
But magic was different.
Magic was as much a scholarly discipline as it was a domain of power.
Spells had been endlessly studied and refined over time.
As a result, the magic system of the past and the present were entirely different.
Most of the spells Leo knew were now considered ancient magic.
‘Though the basics seem to have stayed the same.’
Seeing Leo’s composed demeanor, Chelsea narrowed her eyes.
"You’re pretty relaxed for someone standing in front of me."
Chelsea’s skills far exceeded the average level of magicians taking the Lumerne entrance exam.
She was one of the few who could disregard the circumstances Leo had mentioned earlier and take bold action.
"I have a proposal."
"A proposal?"
"This exam rewards those who survive the longest, right? How about cooperating? As a magician, it’d be advantageous to have someone like me as the vanguard."
Chelsea smiled faintly at his suggestion.
"Thanks for the offer, but no need. I’m a Battle Magician, after all. I don’t need a vanguard."
Battle Magicians.
Unlike traditional magicians who cast spells from the rear, they participated directly in combat.
"Wind Sickle."
With a short incantation, Chelsea activated her magic and smirked.
"And I have no intention of cooperating with someone from Zerdinger."
"I’m not exactly a Zerdinger."
"But you’ve been sticking close to Celia Zerdinger, haven’t you? That’s reason enough for me not to cooperate. Bye-bye!"
Chelsea stuck out her tongue teasingly.
Given the rivalry between their families, she had no intention of working with him.
"So you won’t cooperate?"
"Of course not."
With a firm reply, Chelsea pointed her staff at Leo.
That signal triggered her spell to activate.
Blades of wind flew toward him at incredible speed.
Leo raised his sword in response.
Thud-thud-thud! Crash-!
The sound of grinding metal and sparks flying filled the air.
‘He blocked it? But I didn’t sense him using Aura.’
Chelsea grew wary.
‘It must be a type of Aura that’s difficult to detect. I’ll have to be careful.’
Chelsea mistakenly assumed Leo was using Aura.
It was natural since it should have been impossible to block a 2nd-circle spell without it.
But Leo hadn’t blocked the Wind Sickle with Aura.
‘The power is impressive, and it looks flashy, but it’s simple.’
He had read the trajectory of the magic and redirected its path with his sword.
Unless the spell’s power was overwhelming, it was possible to counter physical magic in this way.
Of course, this wasn’t a simple technique.
It required perfectly reading the flow of magical energy.
But for a great hero like Leo, it wasn’t particularly challenging.
"Wind Sickle! Wind Arrow!"
Whoosh-!
Gusts of wind began swirling around Chelsea.
With her hair fluttering, Chelsea spoke.
"Why don’t you surrender before it gets bloody? Blocking this attack will be difficult."
"I’ll admit, your magic is powerful."
Leo shrugged.
"But for wind magic, your attacks are too predictable."
Chelsea’s expression turned sour.
"Are you lecturing me on magic? To me, a direct descendant of the Lewallin family?"
Her temper flared as Chelsea scoffed.
"Hmph. I won’t hold back anymore. I’ll knock you out with sheer force!"
She swung her staff, releasing her stored magic.
Charging wind blades and arrows.
Wind magic was one of the most visually subtle types of magic.
It was often invisible to the naked eye, making it a strong contender among offensive spells alongside fire magic.
But to Leo, the wind imbued with magic was vividly clear.
Smirking, Leo planted his feet firmly.
"Too simple."
Thud-!
Leo’s body vanished as if it had sunk into the ground.
For a moment, the spells hesitated, losing their target.
‘Fast! Where is he?’
Chelsea hastily activated her mana detection magic.
As a self-proclaimed Battle Magician, her reaction was swift.
But Chelsea hadn’t anticipated one thing.
Leo wasn’t using Aura.
Without the residual traces of mana that Aura users typically emitted, Chelsea failed to detect his approach in time.
"What?"
Seeing Leo appear right in front of her, Chelsea tried to react.
Thud-!
"Gah!"
But Leo’s fist struck her stomach before she could do anything.
As Chelsea collapsed unconscious, Leo muttered to himself.
"Now, let’s see if I can persuade her."
He didn’t care about monsters like orcs.
But without the firepower to take on large monsters like trolls, Leo saw value in teaming up with a powerful magician like Chelsea.
Leo grabbed some vines from nearby and tested their strength.
Thud-! He pulled at the vines.
"Hmm. Sturdy enough."
Satisfied with the vines, Leo looked down at the unconscious Chelsea and grinned mischievously.
End Of Chapter
