LHAHS Chapter 384
"The chain reaction of Hero Dungeon outbreaks hidden within the Monster Forest… It seems it was enough to lure out those filthy Shadows to protect this place," Darian muttered, a smirk curling on his lips as he infiltrated the underground casino, the Casino of Shadows.
"Let's go," he ordered, leading his subordinates toward the labyrinth's entrance.
His smirk deepened.
"The legacy of the Dawn Dragon in this place… will be mine."
At the northern gate of Dovela—
"Aaaaaah!"
"Evacuate! Everyone, evacuate!"
Panic spread through the entire city as chaos erupted.
The sudden catastrophe from the Monster Forest was nothing short of a disaster.
"Fight! Mercenaries! You were paid to protect us, weren't you? Stop those monsters!"
The knights stationed in Dovela, soldiers of Aleham, barked orders, shoving the mercenaries forward.
"We're mercenaries! What do you expect us to do against that?"
"Yeah! You knights always act like you're above us! Aren't you supposed to be the strongest?"
"Then prove it! You go first, and maybe we'll follow!"
"You insolent—!"
Tension flared between the knights defending the city walls and the mercenaries refusing to be used as cannon fodder. Just as their clash reached its peak—
Boom—! Boom—!
Heavy footsteps echoed atop the city wall.
"Hmph. To think you'd cower behind such solid walls instead of standing on the battlefield… what a disgrace," a towering tiger beastman remarked, his voice dripping with contempt.
"Fear is a natural instinct," a soft voice responded. "A person without fear isn't brave—they're reckless."
Click, clack.
Beside the tiger beastman, a platinum-haired girl walked forward, leaning on her staff.
"Heh. That may be true," the beastman mused. "Then let's see—will they overcome their fear?"
Borman stepped to the front, grinning.
"Lumene and Azonia students…!"
"But what can just the two of you possibly do?"
Aleham's knights scoffed, skepticism clear on their faces. The mercenaries, however, swallowed hard.
Chloe turned to them, her gaze steady. "You've fought countless battles. You all know—running won't save you. Standing your ground gives you the best chance of survival."
The mercenaries faltered. The immediate fear of death paralyzed them, but deep down, they understood. Against an invading horde of monsters, scattering would only ensure their demise.
Seeing the despair in their eyes, Chloe spoke again. "So why not fight? We'll take the front lines."
Murmurs spread among the mercenaries.
"They're taking the front?"
"Aren't they from a hero academy?"
"That means they can escape whenever they want through the warp gate."
There was doubt in their voices.
Then, one mercenary muttered, "No… they can be trusted. If they could escape at any time, that means they could have already left. But they're still here."
He turned to Chloe and asked, "Why?"
Chloe smiled. "Because we dream of becoming heroes."
Silence fell.
Step, step.
With light steps, Chloe climbed onto the city wall.
Whooong—!
She reached out, summoning her staff from her subspace. The approaching monster horde filled the horizon.
"Need help?" Borman asked, crossing his arms.
"No, this is a mage's job," Chloe replied, beginning her chant.
Borman felt his arms tense as he sensed it—
What is this absurd surge of mana?
Chloe continued chanting, eyes locked on the advancing horde.
It's natural to be afraid. I'm scared, too.
But even as fear gripped her, she tightened her grip on her staff.
Still… I was taught that a mage's role is to inspire courage in those who are afraid.
She thought of a friend who had always been ahead, leading the way.
Move forward.
"Haaah…" With a soft exhale, Chloe finished her chant. A powerful chill spread from her body.
"Ice World!"
Crack—crack—crack—!
In an instant, the land before the walls was swallowed in ice.
The monstrous army, surging forward like an unstoppable tide, froze where they stood.
"Amazing," Borman muttered, mouth agape.
Chloe turned to the mercenaries. "Let's fight together."
"Uoooooooh!"
"Let's do this!"
Fueled by Chloe's magic, the mercenaries roared, their fighting spirit ignited.
At the eastern gate, Carl watched Duran charge at the Cyclops, his back cutting through the chaos like a blade.
Annoying bastard, no doubt… but Duran—that guy will definitely become a hero.
It wasn't just Duran.
Many of the friends Carl had once been close to at school had already pulled so far ahead that he could barely see their backs.
Well, I suppose that's only natural.
From the moment he secured admission to Lumene, Carl had never dreamed of becoming a hero.
Survival has always been the priority.
And even now, that hadn't changed.
Carl was a mage. He should be supporting Duran from the rear, yet he knew the truth.
Even if he poured all his mana into the fight, it wouldn't make much of a difference to Duran.
If anything, I'd just get in the way.
Despite being a mage, his firepower couldn't even compare to Duran's aura.
This is why being a hero was never an option for me.
Carl let out a quiet chuckle.
My only goal was to last as long as possible at Lumene. If I got lucky and ended up as a hero's supporter, that'd be the best-case scenario.
It was the kind of choice someone like Carl—someone quick-witted—would make. And it wasn't the wrong one. In fact, it was another way of contributing to the world.
But lately… a different, more ridiculous goal has started to form.
"Take this!"
From the rear, Juen unleashed a sniper spell, aiming at another Cyclops.
There wasn't just one.
Apart from the one Duran was slaughtering, another group of Cyclopses was rampaging through the battlefield.
Bzzzt—! Flash! Boom!
Juen's mana-infused projectile struck one of them.
A massive explosion erupted, and the Cyclops staggered, blood spraying from the impact.
But it quickly regained its balance and let out an enraged roar.
"GRRRRRRRAAAAAGH!"
Just as the Cyclops turned its fury on Juen, Aina became a streak of golden light, charging straight at it.
Flash! Squelch—!
Her blade tore into the beast's flesh.
Uwoooooooh!
"Ugh!"
But it wasn't enough to bring it down.
Furious, the Cyclops turned its bloodshot eye toward Aina and swung its massive arm.
Too late!
Aina braced herself, wrapping her body in aura armor to withstand the blow—
Whoosh!
A sudden gust of wind tore through the battlefield.
Slash—!
"GRRAAAAAH!"
Haviden's spear cut through the air, sending a wind slash that severed the Cyclops's arm.
His eyes met Aina's in midair.
Haviden stirred the wind.
Aina used it as a foothold, launching herself even higher toward the Cyclops's neck.
Golden aura surged around her blade.
"HAAAAH!"
With a battle cry, she slashed downward, severing its throat.
"KIEEEEEEKKK!"
The Cyclops clutched its bleeding neck, howling in agony.
Instead of collapsing, it thrashed violently, flailing in blind desperation.
Watching this, Juen screamed in frustration. "Its head's been cut off, but it's still moving?!"
"Of course! Do you think it's an upper-tier beast for no reason? That thing's life force is disgustingly persistent," Carl responded.
He approached Juen, who was still sniping from the rear. "Then again, you three aren't exactly normal either."
"Is now really the time for jokes?!"
"It's a compliment. It pains me as a senior to see how absurdly fast you're all growing. Before I know it, you'll surpass me." Carl smirked. "But for now, I can at least help as your senior."
Clank—!
He placed a heavy metal case beside Juen.
"What's this?"
"A special mana bullet, handcrafted by yours truly."
Carl opened the case, revealing rows of finely crafted projectiles.
"Juen, you have a huge mana pool, but your output isn't on par with it yet. That means you lack an overwhelming finisher—which is why you're struggling against monsters with insane vitality. But remember—mages are the ones who are supposed to finish fights."
"I know that! But I'm a long-range combat mage, not a firepower-based destruction mage!"
"I know. That's why you should try this." Carl picked up one of the bullets.
"Mana bullets can only amplify power so much…"
"This isn't just any mana bullet. This one's special. The more mana you pour into it, the stronger it gets. My mana is too weak to make full use of it, but you—your firepower will skyrocket."
Juen studied the bullet, then loaded it into her sniper staff.
Perfect compatibility.
Since Carl had been crafting mana bullets for her for a while now, there was no awkwardness in the fit.
But the mana flow within the bullet… the intricate spellwork woven into it was beyond even her understanding.
Bzzzt—!
The bullet reacted to Juen's mana as she aimed at the Cyclops.
Sensing the mana buildup, Aina and Haviden quickly leaped away from the monster.
Flash! BOOM—!
A deafening explosion rocked the battlefield as the Cyclops's upper body was obliterated.
Chunks of flesh and shattered bone rained down.
The massive beast collapsed.
Thud—!
Juen stared in stunned silence at the devastation she had just caused.
Carl grinned.
I can't keep up with heroes. That's impossible.
But even so—
He wanted to reach a place where he could at least see them.
He couldn't walk alongside them.
He couldn't even follow behind.
But if he could stand where he could watch their backs, then maybe, just maybe, he could lend them his support when they needed it most.
That was the new goal Carl had set for himself.
"Hmph." Slashing down his second Cyclops, Duran scoffed and smirked. "Not bad, Carl Thomas."
At the Western Gate, standing atop the wall, Aru swished her tail as she watched the approaching Gigantes charge forward.
She planted her feet firmly against the stone, then lunged.
"HAAAAH!"
Golden aura surged around her as she shot forward, her kick slamming into the Gigantes's head.
BOOOOM—!
The massive beast reeled backward before crashing onto the ground.
THUD—!
The tremor shook the battlefield, but Aru wasn't finished.
Her entire body wrapped in a brilliant blue aura, she twisted midair, using an aura step to propel herself higher before diving straight down.
CRACK—!
Her foot drove into the Gigantes's stomach, sending another deafening shockwave through the air.
From the top of the wall, Chelsea let out a dry laugh. "I'd heard the rumors, but she really is a monster cat."
"Chelsea, you shouldn't say such things," Chen Xia chided gently.
Beside them, Ruwen—another Azonia student—smirked. "She's right, though. It's not an insult. Just a fact."
Chuckling, Chen Xia turned toward the inner city. "Excuse me for a moment."
"Huh? Where are you going?" Chelsea asked, tilting her head.
Chen Xia smiled. "There's something I need to take care of."
With that, she vanished.
In the depths of the city, shadowy figures whispered among themselves.
"Fools… those hero candidates are so fixated on the monsters outside that they've completely lost sight of the chaos within."
"Hah. Typical. They're nothing more than kids playing soldiers. Soon enough, they'll crumble under their own incompetence."
"So, does this mean our mission is coming to an end?"
Before they could receive an answer…
CRACK—!
One of them suddenly dropped to the ground, his neck twisted at an unnatural angle.
THUD—!
Panic erupted among the remaining figures, and they reached for their weapons.
CRUNCH—!
"ARGH!"
A delicate yet deadly hand emerged from the darkness, twisting another's wrist with a sickening snap.
"Hero Hunters," Chen Xia murmured, stepping into the light with a serene smile. "I'd love to hear more about your mission."
"Shadows!"
"It's just one of them!"
"Foolish girl! Do you think you can take us all on alone?"
The moment their weapons left their sheaths…
BOOM—!
A body slammed into the wall, skull caved in from an unseen force.
"Your Highness," a smooth voice called out from the shadows.
Stepping forward, Kirin regarded Chen Xia with mild amusement. "I thought you'd long since distanced yourself from these kinds of affairs."
Chen Xia remained unfazed. "I was taught that there's no need to separate what heroes should do from what Shadows must do."
She took a step forward, the air around her rippling as an aura of water coiled around her form.
"If our paths align, then we simply do what must be done."
Kirin smiled, stretching her fingers as if loosening them. "Princess, you've become even more terrifying now."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because you no longer hesitate."
All expression vanished from Kirin's face as she turned her gaze toward the Hunters.
"I can smell it," she murmured. "Some of you are beastmen."
The air grew heavy with killing intent.
"If any of you dare to transform…" Kirin's voice dropped into something cold and deadly. "If you so much as pretend to wield the power of the Great One…"
A suffocating wave of bloodlust washed over the Hunters.
"I will kill you in the worst way possible."