LHAHS Chapter 392
Creeeeak—Boom!
The gates of Godthrone's outer walls swung open, and through them, twelve heroes stepped forward.
"They're really heading to the Elf Forest?"
"They're actually risking their lives on the words of the Fool?"
"They'd be better off staying here and protecting the city."
"Look, the Surviving Hero is with them."
"They're all going to die."
The murmurs of the onlookers carried a mixture of mockery and pity.
Hearing the jeers directed at Leo and Lysinas, Rodia's gaze turned ice-cold. Before she could act, Leo reached out and firmly pressed down on her head.
"Ignore it."
"They're being so blatant. Doesn't it make you angry?"
"I'm used to it," Leo said, smirking. "And besides… After getting used to being revered as the hero who saved the world, coming back to the past and seeing people react like this actually feels kind of refreshing."
Rodia let out a small sigh. "If you say so, Kyle, I suppose I have no choice."
"And what exactly were you planning to do?"
"I was going to teach them a lesson," she replied matter-of-factly.
Leo clicked his tongue.
As they spoke, Lysinas approached. "Rodia, are you sure about this?"
"Of course, Lysinas!" Rodia puffed out her chest. "Being able to accompany you and Kyle on this journey is the greatest honor of my life!"
"Lysinas, you said Rodia can use healing magic, right?" Arlene asked, joining the conversation.
"Yeah."
Hearing the question, Rodia quickly moved toward Arlene.
Watching her go, Lysinas turned to Leo. "Where did you even find someone like her?"
"It just sort of happened."
"She's nothing like kids these days."
"You realize you sound ancient when you say things like that, right?"
Lysinas narrowed her eyes and shot Leo a glare. Seeing him laugh at her reaction, she instinctively went to kick him—only for Leo to easily dodge, as if he had expected it.
"Annoying."
"What is?"
"You act like you know everything about me," she muttered, scowling.
Leo smirked.
"And that smug, all-knowing smile of yours—I don't like that either," she grumbled, then let out a sigh.
She glanced down at her trembling hands.
"It's like… you're trying to ease my anxiety."
Their original goal had been to meet Luna in the Elf Forest, but with new information, it had shifted to hunting down the King of Gluttony. As the leader of the expedition, Lysinas couldn't help but feel uncertain.
"Kyle, aren't you scared?"
"I am," Leo admitted. He held up his own hand, showing her the faint tremble in his fingers.
"But it's fine. We'll succeed." He reached out and took Lysinas's hand in his. "Even in the most hopeless situations, we'll find comrades who will forge a path forward."
Lysinas felt her trembling subside.
"We'll meet those who charge forward without hesitation, even in the face of overwhelming fear."
Her dark eyes locked onto Leo's face.
"And we'll meet the one who will forge us the most reliable weapons, all the way to the bitter end."
The shaking in her hands had completely vanished.
"I knew I wasn't wrong about you," she murmured.
"Of course not. I was your choice, after all."
Just as a smile spread across Lysinas's face…
"Oh-ho? What's this? This is quite the atmosphere!"
Beastman Allox approached with a mischievous grin, his eyes gleaming. "I sense a rather peculiar tension here… Could it be? Are you two involved in that kind of relationship?"
"No," Lysinas said flatly, immediately pulling her hand away.
"Ha! Don't deny it so quickly! Lysinas, there's nothing shameful about—Guhh?!"
"Yes, yes. Beastman uncle, if you know the mood is good, don't ruin it."
Rodia had appeared out of nowhere and driven a small fist into Allox's side. As he crumpled to the ground, she grabbed him by the collar and dragged him away, flashing a bright smile at Leo and Lysinas.
"Enjoy your time together~"
Lysinas furrowed her brows and tilted her head. "Why does Rodia always say that whenever she sees us?"
Leo sighed, shaking his head. "How should I know?"
Half a day after leaving Godthrone, the expedition passed beyond the city's safe territory and entered a region teeming with monsters and beasts.
If luck turned against them now, they might even encounter a high-ranking demon.
The expedition moved cautiously, eyes sharp with tension.
As the sun set, night fell.
After setting up camp, they lit a fire and ate a simple meal of preserved rations. Once they had finished, they assigned the night watch and settled in to sleep.
The first to take watch were Leo and Arlene.
"It's been a while since we left Godthrone," Arlene remarked.
"Yeah. Stay alert."
"I won't let my guard down."
The nights of the Age of Calamity were dangerous. With the world on the brink of destruction, the sky had lost even the faintest traces of moonlight or starlight. Just looking at it was enough to stir fear.
Crackle—Snap.
The campfire burned steadily.
"Kyle, I heard you made a contract with the Queen of the Pegasi. Is that true?" Arlene asked curiously.
Instead of answering, Leo summoned Albus.
Dressed in a pure white dress, Albus looked entirely out of place in the bleak, foreboding atmosphere.
"We're outside of Godthrone," she observed, glancing around with an unreadable expression.
Arlene inclined her head respectfully. "It's an honor to meet you, Queen of the Pegasi."
"You are Alphia's contractor, I see," Albus replied, offering a faint smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Perhaps in response to her summoning, a presence stirred in the camp. From where Lysinas lay asleep, elementals and spirit beasts began to emerge.
[I thought something had happened when I sensed a summoning circle forming.] Katariou said, floating over toward Leo.
[Hey, human. I get that forming a contract with the Queen of the Pegasi is something to be proud of, but would you mind not flaunting it?]
Her tone was sharp, her usual wariness toward Leo evident. She had seen how he had treated Lysinas over the years, and unlike Luminus, who tended to overlook such things, Katariou held grudges.
[Queen of the Pegasi, you didn't make a contract just to become some spectacle, did you?]
"If you keep being rude to me, Flame Emperor, you'll regret it," Albus said coolly.
"Calm down. That overgrown drumstick always talks like that," Leo interjected. "She complains, but she'll look after you when it matters."
He reached out and placed a hand on Albus's head.
At first, she instinctively started to pull away, but then she paused. There was something oddly familiar about the way he patted her head.
It felt… pleasant.
The sharpness in her gaze softened slightly as she unconsciously leaned into his touch.
[Luminus, you're too lenient,] Katariou scoffed.
Luminus gave her a pointed look. [You're being too harsh.]
[That elf named Luna—you said she's the Fairy Prince's contractor, right? At least she should have some class. Better than Kyle, at least.]
Leo smirked. "That so-called cultured elf would probably want to deep-fry you and serve you half sauce, half crispy."
[What, do you think all elves are as uncivilized as you?]
Well, among the elves I know, very few have a firm grip on sanity…
As Leo reflected on the elves he had known across both his past and present lives…
Rustle.
Lysinas stirred and sat up.
"Sorry, Lysinas. Did we wake you?" Arlene asked, looking apologetic.
Lysinas didn't respond. Her gaze was locked on the darkness beyond the campfire's light.
Shing—!
Leo rose and drew his sword.
Arlene sensed something as well and started to move.
"Stay here. I'll check it out alone," Lysinas said. "Katariou, Luminus—you too."
Without another word, she disappeared into the darkness.
The ones most shocked by her reaction weren't Leo or Arlene but Katariou and Luminus. The two summons gaped in surprise.
Leo observed them, then said, "I'll follow her."
"You won't be able to track Lysinas in the dark," Luminus warned.
As a black dragon, Lysinas was at home in darkness. In the depths of the Age of Calamity, where even moonlight and starlight had vanished, pursuing her was impossible.
"For most people, sure," Leo said as he stepped into the shadows. "But I can."
During the Age of Calamity, using light magic at night was a dangerous act.
But for Leo, darkness posed no obstacle. Even in pitch-black surroundings, he sharpened his senses.
Hyper Perception.
Harnessing his aura, he activated Hyper Perception—an ability inherited from the Brave Hero, Aaron. Everything became clear. Even in complete darkness, he saw as if it were daylight.
He moved swiftly and silently, following the trail of Lysinas's mana.
But as he pursued her, a realization struck him.
Just how fast is she moving?
Even for him, keeping up with her was a struggle.
Why is she acting like this all of a sudden?
The expedition's route was identical to what it had been 5,000 years ago. There had been no battles in this area back then.
Even if an enemy was present, I would've sensed them.
This was a completely unexpected situation.
Leo gritted his teeth and picked up the pace.
Hyper Perception sharpened his sight, allowing him to see everything in the darkness.
They had already moved far beyond the camp.
Then, in the distance, he spotted something—scattered corpses.
They weren't monsters or demons. Nor were they soldiers of Tartaros.
Dark mages.
Humans who had forsaken the world.
Their bodies were in pieces, as if slashed apart by a blade.
Leo sensed an unfamiliar mana lingering over the corpses. Yet, at the same time, he recognized it instantly.
Lysinas.
A strange unease filled him.
Then, a guttural roar of agony tore through the night.
A black dragon, shrouded in ominous red-black energy, surged into the sky. Its body was in tatters, riddled with wounds.
With a howl of pure rage, it inhaled deeply. A surge of mana filled the air.
A breath attack.
Just as Leo realized what was about to happen…
A blade of darkness slashed upward.
Shlkk!
The black dragon's head was severed.
Thud—Boom—Splatter.
Its body plummeted to the ground.
Leo swallowed dryly.
That spell…
Lysinas's mana.
But he had never seen it before.
He approached the fallen dragon.
And then, he saw her.
Standing in a pool of blood, drenched in her kin's crimson, Lysinas wore an expression he had never seen before—cold, unfeeling.
Then she noticed him and blinked, briefly surprised.
"Kyle?"
"What the hell did you just do, Lysinas?" Leo asked, voice low.
Lysinas met his gaze calmly. "I did what had to be done."
Leo clenched his jaw. "I get that. But you didn't have to do it. Eliminating traitors from the shadows isn't your…"
"It is my duty, Kyle," Lysinas interrupted. "I'm a black dragon."
She tilted her head, her dark eyes unwavering.
"You're supposed to bring hope to people in the light. That's your job, isn't it?"
She smiled faintly, eyes filled with unwavering belief.
"Kyle, you're going to save the world."