As they entered the heart of the forest, the strong aura of the curse made Lunia and Eiran's faces pale.
Even for elves who were born with a strong resistance to curses, the current curse was so powerful it made it hard to breathe.
Lunia clenched her teeth and looked at Leo.
'Is he not affected at all?'
For Leo, who had fought the Hell Kaiser himself, this level of curse had little impact.
Leo turned his head and, seeing the two elven girls' faces turn pale, he summoned his mana.
"Viarthe."
A light overflowing with life force flowed from Leo's hand.
Lunia and Eiran's faces relaxed.
"This should make you feel a bit better."
"Is this star magic?"
"Yes."
"We, we don't know this magic."
"You don't know this magic?"
Leo looked puzzled.
"It's a spell to restore vitality. It's not that difficult."
"Amazing... Did you develop this magic, Mr. Leo?"
"No, I just implemented a spell I saw in a grimoire."
To be precise, it was a spell that Luna often used, but he couldn't say that outright.
Lunia asked, hearing Leo's words.
"Leo, where did you get the grimoire that you studied star magic from?"
A grimoire containing star magic that even Seilun students couldn't access.
'Besides, Leo deciphered the spells of the ancestors that had long been undecipherable... Perhaps this is a grimoire left by the ancestors themselves, one of the few in the world. Or maybe it's a grimoire containing the original star magic used by the ancestors...!'
If so, it would be a great discovery.
"It was in the family library."
Lunia stroked her chin.
'Leo's mother, Reina, is a direct descendant of the Zerdinger family. Even if she had a falling out with the family, it wouldn't be strange for her to have rare books from the family.'
Lunia's eyes sparkled.
"Can I see that grimoire?"
"It's gone now."
"What? What happened?"
"I burned it while practicing magic when I was young."
Lunia clutched her head and shouted.
Of course, it was a made-up story, but Lunia had no way of knowing.
Eiran also looked regretful.
"Seeing you shout, you seem to have regained some energy."
Leo chuckled and glared at the center of the forest.
"Let's get rid of this damn curse quickly."
"Is this star magic?"
"Exactly."
"Using necromancy and still calling yourself a Seilun student?! Shut up!"
Lunia growled.
"I'm not using necromancy. I'm just using Tartaros."
"What?"
"Do you know what's sleeping here? The Hero's Page of the ancestors! Do you understand what that means, Lunia?"
Lauta's face was filled with ecstasy.
"I might as well become a direct disciple of Lady Luna! I could become one of the few great heroes in elven history!"
By now, the Hero's Pages of the great heroes are almost all gone.
If a new Hero's Page were discovered and its power inherited, it wouldn't be far-fetched to become a hero remembered in elven history.
"Is it wrong to use Tartaros to reclaim our heritage?"
"Have you thought about being used by them?"
Leo laughed coldly.
"Hell Kaiser is a commander who fears the great heroes more than anyone. Do you think he would let you inherit Luna's power so easily?"
"That's not a problem. The foolish Hell Kaiser gave me the power to control the undead!"
Lauta grinned and showed a black ring.
"With this, the undead can't threaten me."
"Seems like we can't reason with you."
If the Hell Kaiser could be swayed by a mere student, the countless heroes who died in the past Catastrophe Era wouldn't have happened.
'Emotional and lacking in cognitive ability. Similar symptoms to Sen Liu.'
He recalled Sen Liu, who had gone berserk during the summoning exam.
"Leo, let's take him down. We need to smash that damn face and take him to the teacher!"
Lunia growled.
Eiran also showed strong hostility towards Lauta, who had disgraced the school.
"Don't fight recklessly."
"What?"
"Think about killing him if necessary."
Leo's advice made Lunia's eyes widen.
"Fight with Tartaros is that kind of thing."
With those words, Leo approached Lauta.
'Kill? A senior student?'
While Lunia was stunned.
"Hahaha-"
Kargor appeared with black smoke.
"You seem to be in a difficult situation."
"Kargor. Kill them!"
At Lauta's shout, Kargor charged.
"Runia! Eiran! Take care of this guy!"
Handing Kargor to the two, Leo charged at Lauta.
"Stupid brat! I'll show you the power of a second-year!"
Seeing Leo charge, Lauta began to chant a spell.
Hearing the spell, Leo also quickly chanted.
"La Tiaraga!"
"La Tiaraga!"
Kabagagak-!
The same spell was cast simultaneously and canceled each other out.
Lauta's face twisted.
"How dare you use star magic so arrogantly?"
"You're the one using Luna's magic while being a lackey of Tartaros."
"Shut up! I am an elf who will inherit the power of the ancestors! Not like you, a rootless bastard!"
Lauta's eyes were bloodshot as he chanted a spell.
Hearing it, Leo also chanted.
"Li Ezernia!"
"Li Ezernia."
Flash-!
Pajijijik-!
Intense lightning surged.
"!"
Again, the same spell canceled each other out, and Lauta's face hardened.
'This guy... Could it be!'
Lauta hurriedly chanted.
Hearing Lauta's chant, Leo also quickly chanted.
Hwarrek-!
This time, flames surged.
Lauta's body trembled.
"Y, you dare to!"
It wasn't a coincidence that the spells overlapped.
Leo had heard Lauta's spell and repeated it.
And he completed the spell simultaneously.
For a mage, there was no greater humiliation.
Seeing the agitated Lauta, Leo said.
"You're terrible at handling magic."
Hwak-!
Leo's body disappeared in an instant.
Startled, Lauta quickly looked for Leo, but Leo was already behind him.
"It's as if you can't even handle your own power."
Paeok-! Kwadak!
"Guh?"
Leo kicked Lauta's ankle with an aura-infused foot.
With a crack, Lauta fell to the ground.
"Of course, you can't handle power that isn't yours."
Leo's gaze fell on the black ring.
'A magic artifact.'
Sul-!
Leo drew his sword.
Lauta's face turned white.
"S, spare me! I'm a Seilun student! If you kill me, the relationship between Lumern and Seilun will...!"
Kwadak-!
"Guh?"
Leo's sword pierced Lauta's neck without hesitation.
If Lauta had been a proper second-year advanced class student at Seilun, Leo would have struggled.
But to Leo, who had experienced countless battles, Lauta was just a strong but foolish idiot.
Hwak-!
"Hahaha."
At that moment, Kargor appeared in front of Leo.
Lunia and Eiran, who had been fighting Kargor intensely, stopped in their tracks when they saw Leo.
They gasped when they saw Lauta with a pierced neck.
"Did you kill him? Hahaha! Killing someone who shared your dream of becoming a hero! How ruthless! How cruel! And you still dream of being a hero! Hahahaha"
Kargor mocked Leo, his eyes gleaming.
Lunia and Eiran's eyes wavered sharply.
They had anticipated something like this might happen.
But seeing it in front of them, the young girls couldn't help but feel their minds go blank.
Kargor, who had been laughing, suddenly met Leo's eyes.
Seeing those eyes, Kargor felt a chill run down his spine.
'Even though he has fallen, he killed a hero candidate. He should have reacted like those elven girls.'
But Leo's eyes showed no emotion.
'What are those eyes?'
They were calm.
'Those aren't the eyes of someone who dreams of being a hero. Nor are they the eyes of a hero. They are... the eyes of a hunter.'
"Next is you."
Leo's voice was devoid of any anger, rage, or passion.
The knight, who had transcended even death, felt fear.
It was as if he was standing before his master, the Hell Kaiser.
'This guy must be killed here!'
His instinct was screaming.
Thinking this, Kargor plunged his greatsword into the ground.
Goo-!
A dark red aura flowed from the greatsword into the ground.
The black ring Lauta wore reacted.
Lauta's body swelled.
Seeing this, Leo quickly moved.
Kwang! Kwadadadak-!
Lauta's body exploded, and bone fragments and flesh flew in all directions like shrapnel.
Leo protected himself with an Aura Armor.
'Self-destruction!'
Leo's face twisted.
The only part left intact was Lauta's hand with the ring, which clenched into a fist.
Kabagagak-!
With that, the bone fragments and flesh that had flown in all directions began to gather.
"Ugh-!"
Lunia and Eiran covered their mouths.
The gathered bone fragments and flesh squished together like clay and soon returned to Lauta's form.
Lauta, who opened his eyes, looked down at his hand in disbelief.
"Am I alive?"
"Hehe. You have formed a contract with the great Hell Kaiser by experiencing death."
Kargor's eyes gleamed.
"Lauta Algraya! Don't you want to become a great hero who transcends even death?"
"A great hero who transcends even death!"
Desire flickered in Lauta's eyes.
"Accept it! The power of the dead!"
Goo-!
Dark mana flowed from Lauta's body.
Woo-!
The summoning circle Lauta had drawn emitted a sinister light.
Kugugugugugugug-!
The entire ground shook.
Lunia and Eiran, unable to maintain their balance, fell to the ground.
Leo's face hardened as he saw a giant skeleton rising from the ground.
'With Lauta's mana growing stronger, the summoning circle activated... That Death Knight. He intended to kill Lauta from the start.'