Chapter 582

“Have the two of you lost your minds?”

Eiran, who wore Azonia’s form, and Ar, who wore Seira’s, knelt before the Comet Mage, Seiren.

Lunia, who had possessed Seiren, continued with an incredulous expression.

“You two are second-years—not to mention Seiren’s second-ranked student and Azonia’s top-ranked student—yet you forgot the situation and acted exactly as you normally do?”

Ar’s and Eiran’s ears drooped beneath the harsh rebuke.

“Now, now. Please calm down. Thanks to them, we were able to identify one another so quickly, weren’t we?”

Chen Xia, who wore the form of a first-year from Seiren Academy, smiled as she calmed Lunia.

Thirty-two students had gathered inside one of Lumene’s classrooms.

Every one of them was a challenger inside the Hero’s World.

Lunia massaged her temples.

Carr looked at her and asked,

“Lunia and Eiran possessed Seiren-nim and Azonia-nim, right? Then what about Damienne-nim?”

“Driana. She’s currently at the Tower of Heroes with Rodia-nim.”

“No one possessed Rodia-nim?”

At that question, Lunia recalled Rodia driving an uppercut into her solar plexus.

Her image of the Dragon of Genesis had been shattered.

Of course, Lunia had already encountered plenty of Great Heroes.

She had expected the Genesis Heroes to differ from how she imagined them, so the emotional damage was surprisingly minor.

“It seems that way.”

“That complicates things.”

In this era, the word of a Genesis Hero was law.

The only reason the earlier commotion had not turned into a serious incident was that Lunia and Eiran, wearing Seiren’s and Azonia’s forms, had brought the situation under control.

“If every challenger had possessed a Genesis Hero, controlling the situation would have been easy.”

Carr clicked his tongue in disappointment.

Clearing a Hero’s World meant overcoming the trial that its hero had faced.

As long as that trial was overcome, the method used to clear it did not matter.

If the challengers discovered a route even the hero had never considered and achieved a better result, they could surpass the original achievement.

However, doing so was no easy feat.

A Hero’s World recreated by the Hero Record reflected the best outcome its protagonist had attained through a desperate struggle.

That made fulfilling the conditions needed to surpass the original achievement difficult, even when the challengers already knew how the World had originally been cleared.

Worse, attempting to obtain a better outcome could distort events and cause them to fail entirely.

That was why the safest way to clear a Hero’s World was to follow actual history as closely as possible.

It was also why challengers inside a possession-type World had to behave like the people whose bodies they had possessed.

However, if they occupied positions that allowed them to control the situation themselves, the difficulty of clearing the World would decrease considerably.

“Let’s start by sharing everything we’ve learned.”

Lunia nodded at Carr’s suggestion.

“First, this World extends only as far as Lumene Academy. We can’t go beyond Lake Lumeria.”

Eiran, who had possessed Azonia, began by sharing what she had discovered while exploring the Hero’s World the previous night.

The other students followed, taking turns sharing the information they had gathered.

“So none of this was recorded in history.”

Ar crossed her arms and sank into thought.

“We don’t even know the clear objective yet.”

When Ar raised her head, a message appeared before her.

[Clear Objective: -]

The field containing the clear objective—the most basic guide for clearing a Hero’s World—was blank.

That was common in Hero Dungeons, but with no historical information to guide them either, they were completely in the dark.

One of the Azonia students raised his hand.

“A Hero’s World doesn’t become more difficult just because its hero was more powerful, does it? Even if this is Lumene-nim’s World, it might not be particularly difficult.”

Everyone turned toward him.

“This era is several years after Calamity’s Return ended. I doubt there will be a trial so severe that we can’t handle it.”

Everyone was nodding at his reasonable argument when—

“No.”

Carr released a deep sigh.

“This is going to be extremely dangerous.”

The Azonia student looked slightly displeased that Carr had rejected his opinion, then gave him a contemptuous snort.

“Maybe for you. I heard you’re a weakling who could be expelled from Lumene at any moment. I don’t know what fool chose you as a representative, but judging by the look of you, I doubt you’ll be much help. At least try not to get in our way.”

Carr scratched his cheek at the provocative remark.

Shing— Crackle—!

“If you’re looking for a fight, I’ll accept.”

Duran, wearing the form of an elf, had appeared beside the Azonia student and placed his sword against his neck.

He was not alone.

Chelsea, wearing the form of a beastkin, had silently appeared behind the student and was pointing her staff at his back, radiating a chilling menace.

The Azonia student froze at their silent approach.

“Carr is the representative we chose through a proper discussion. Don’t treat him like a fool.”

Celia crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes sharply.

A smile formed on Carr’s lips at the sight.

'I guess my years at this academy weren’t a waste after all.'

“Only students from our academy are allowed to look down on Carr!”

Carr’s face crumpled miserably at Chelsea’s next words.

“Why do you think it won’t be easy?”

Abad asked with a puzzled expression.

“We normally believe the Genesis Heroes ended Calamity’s Return and restored peace. But think about it. That isn’t what actually happened, is it?”

“...I see.”

Abad stroked his chin.

There was a truth the world had never known.

The Genesis Heroes had failed to destroy every fragment of Erebos.

Erebos remained sealed within the World of Genesis.

“Of course, we won’t have to fight Erebos as it resurrects over and over again. But if all the Genesis Heroes gathered here, this must be related to Erebos somehow.”

The atmosphere among the students grew heavy.

“More importantly, clearing this Hero’s World isn’t the real problem.”

Carr spoke with a grave expression.

“What do you mean?”

Duran furrowed his brow.

“Do you remember the Calamity Flame that appeared when Seiren-nim returned?”

Lunia answered in Carr’s place.

“That happened because Erebos tried to escape into the outside world through the Hero’s World.”

Everyone inside the room stiffened.

“Whether or not we clear this World will determine whether Erebos breaks through its seal and escapes.”

Everyone stared at Lunia in shock.

Knock, knock—

Someone knocked on the door.

Driana entered wearing Damienne’s form.

“Lunia, Eiran. Rodia-nim is looking for the Genesis Heroes.”

Lunia and Eiran rose from their seats with puzzled expressions.

“And it seems Lumene’s Student Council President should come as well.”

“Why me?”

Carr looked confused.

Driana regarded him gravely.

“It appears Lumene-nim has gone missing. Rodia-nim wishes to know whether you know anything about it.”

===

At the center of Lumene, on the highest floor of the Tower of Heroes, Carr swept his gaze across the principal’s office.

As expected of an academy with thousands of years of history, the campus looked considerably different from the Lumene of Carr’s era.

However, the principal’s office had hardly changed.

The only difference was that the wall which held portraits of every previous principal in Carr’s era now displayed only Lumene’s portrait.

'Lumene-nim has gone missing?'

Carr’s expression turned grave.

This was Lumene’s World.

Furthermore, the World’s range extended only as far as Lumene Academy.

That meant Lumene had to be somewhere within the academy.

Yet he had disappeared?

Carr scratched his head vigorously.

'What a headache.'

Crossing his arms, Carr recalled everything Leo had told him about the World of Genesis.

'He said the people inside the World of Genesis aren’t false recreations made by the Hero Record. They’re all real, living people. If that’s true, there’s a good chance the Lumene-nim inside this World is the real person too.'

If they could meet Lumene, discovering and completing the clear objective should not be particularly difficult.

An ordinary Hero’s World would begin to distort the moment someone revealed that it was false, but this World was unique.

The real problem came afterward.

'If Lumene-nim’s World became a Hero Dungeon, that means Erebos is running wild inside it, just like in Seiren-nim’s World.'

Leo had said that Seiren’s World had been reduced entirely to ashes and was moments away from becoming an exit through which Erebos could escape.

'He also said he sealed that exit using his own power. We might have to do the same thing.'

They had no idea when such a crisis might occur, yet Lumene was missing.

That could only complicate matters.

'But the World itself looks perfectly intact.'

They still did not know the clear objective, but Lumene Academy appeared remarkably peaceful.

'Leo said black flames were already burning throughout Seiren-nim’s World.'

Perhaps that meant they still had time before this World became a passage.

'We have to find Lumene-nim before that happens.'

“Where in the world did you go?”

Carr sighed as he stared at Lumene’s portrait. Then he noticed the inscription beneath it.

'So this motto already existed back then.'

• Surpass your limits.

It was the lesson Lumene had left to future generations.

'I might not resemble him in any other way, but I can confidently say I’m like him in that respect.'

Carr smiled bitterly.

If he had not continued surpassing his limits, he would never have made it this far.

'I kept struggling like a fool—so desperately that it was downright ugly.'

At that thought, someone’s words abruptly resurfaced in Carr’s mind.

'In all of Lumene Academy’s history, you are the first student who does not resemble Lumene in the slightest, Carr Thomas.'

“...”

It had been a painfully scathing assessment.

Carr had pretended to brush it off at the time.

But the words of a god had felt like a sentence.

Lumene was close to perfection in the eyes of the gods. Being told he did not resemble Lumene in the slightest had sounded like a declaration that he could never become a hero.

As Carr recalled those words, he noticed something strange.

'He said Lumene-nim wasn’t someone who struggled in foolish and ugly ways, didn’t he?'

That made no sense.

The Lumene Carr knew was a man who had saved the world after surpassing countless limits.

But anyone who surpassed their limits had to struggle foolishly and desperately.

Just like Carr.

If Lumene had not done that...

'Does that mean he gave up on surpassing his limits?'

The very thought was absurd.

It bordered on an insult.

Yet Carr could swear to one thing.

Whatever else might be true, he had never given up. He had continued surpassing his limits.

'If Lumene-nim gave up struggling and failed to overcome his limits, then that would invalidate everything I’ve staked on my own struggle at Lumene for the past two years.'

At that thought, Carr recalled a conversation he had once had with Leo.

'What do I think of Lumene? I never met him, but he’s a junior I’m proud of.'

'I knew that was how you saw him.'

'Though I think his excessive admiration for me became a problem.'

'Anyone who saw your records wouldn’t be able to help admiring you.'

'True. The problem was that he tried to become like me.'

“Lumene-nim... wanted to become like the Hero of Beginning. But he couldn’t.”

Carr murmured quietly.

“He gave up on becoming like Leo. That means he gave up on defeating Erebos.”

Lumene could not become like Leo.

Perhaps that had been Lumene’s limit.

Carr clenched his fist.

“So he found another way.”

If he could not accomplish it himself, he would entrust the task to future generations.

He had waited for someone unlike him—someone who would never give up and would continue surpassing their limits.

Carr tightened his fist.

'Lumene-nim went in search of a god.'

===

Rooooooar—!

Kyle stood before the blazing pillar of fire.

“...A mere mass of power can wield this much strength?”

The flames continued growing more intense.

Kyle repeatedly clenched and opened his fists.

'This is on a completely different level from the one I encountered in Seiren’s World.'

Kyle stared into the center of the black flames.

[Leo-nim. Will the children inside the Hero’s World be all right?]

With flames this powerful, the inside of the Hero’s World had to be in chaos as well.

Kyle answered Melina’s worried question.

“They’ll be fine.”

The corner of Kyle’s mouth curled upward.

“There’s someone in there who’ll struggle to the bitter end without ever giving up.”