Chapter 543

Leo glared at Ullein as if he would kill him.

He could feel mana beyond imagination. Endless mana.

For a moment, he glimpsed Luna's shadow in Ullein's form, but Leo quickly shook his head.

Comparing him to Luna would be an insult.

Luna's mana was a power she had fully achieved on her own, but Ullein was different.

This mana clearly surpasses his own vessel's limits.

It was obvious that the mana overflowed because his body couldn't contain it and the source of that mana, was underground.

It wasn't hard to realize what this pure, transparent mana was.

Life force.

However, it wasn't Ullein's own life force.

Leo's gaze turned downward.

There are countless people beneath us, and he's draining their life force to use as the foundation for his mana.

Leo focused mana into his eyes. Magical runes engraved on Ullein's body became visible.

"A unique magic, huh?" he spat. "Or a mana trait that allows you to use the mana of others?"

"…Impressive." A flicker of surprise passed through Ullein's eyes as he marveled at Leo, who not only saw through his magic but also his mana trait. "What do you think of my magic, which has grasped infinite possibility?"

"How dare you speak of possibility when you're merely stealing the lives of others?"

"Possibility comes in many forms. Isn't it our duty to use our best means to reach the predecessors?" Ullein spread his arms wide. "Even those deemed inferior will surely be pleased. Knowing that they have become stepping stones on the journey toward the great predecessors."

Such actions were what Luna despised most in the world. There was no meaning in a possibility gained by trampling on others, but no matter how much he said, unless Luna herself came, these elf supremacists would never acknowledge that.

A sharp aura radiated from Leo's body. "Conversation is meaningless, isn't it?"

"A shame."

Stepping into the realm of Hyper Perception, Leo swiftly analyzed his surroundings.

Everything around him became vividly clear.

Leo honed his Hyper Perception even further. Stepping into the domain created by Aaron was an incredibly difficult feat, but the true challenge of Hyper Perception began the moment one entered its realm.

Aaron had achieved mythical prowess through Hyper Perception and his breathing technique, but while the breathing technique amplified strength, Hyper Perception was purely about information.

The enemy's form. The scent they emitted. The sounds of their movements.

Hyper Perception granted one the ability to perceive everything faster and in greater detail than others and information was power, but without the ability to utilize it, it was meaningless.

Even Leo had gone through countless trials before he could properly wield the information Hyper Perception provided.

Ssssk…!

Leo extended his sword forward. His senses sharpened, but he refined his perception even further.

With that, everything around him began to slow.

This was the realm one reached when Hyper Perception was trained to its extreme and it was the final stage Kyle had once reached.

"If you push beyond this slowing realm, everything will appear completely frozen."

"Beyond that… is seeing the future?"

"Something like that. You'll be able to do it soon, Kyle."

Recalling Aaron's words, Leo smirked bitterly to himself.

It was impossible for me, you damn motherfucker. If I could do it, I wouldn't have struggled so much.

Leo lowered his stance.

Hyper Perception rapidly drained stamina.

If it had been his past life's body, the burden wouldn't have been so great, but in his current body, it was different.

This body hasn't reached its prime yet.

No matter how much he trained and pushed his limits, it was still an immature teenager's body. Although he had attained a strength incomparable to his past self at the same age, he had yet to surpass his past self at his prime.

I'm still far from it.

Leo tensed his entire body.

No, simply reaching my past prime isn't enough.

Gooooooooh…!

Gray mana erupted from Leo's body.

I must surpass even my past life.

Leo had always thought that as the Hero of the Beginning, as the man who had to survive that era, he had done everything he needed to.

I thought saving the world was enough to say I had done all I could, that I had fulfilled my duty.

He bit his lip hard. Seeing Velkia had shattered that belief.

If I had thought about what I wanted to do after saving the world, things wouldn't have turned out like this.

He had always been ready to die without hesitation. As long as he could give his life for his friends to survive, for the world to continue, he had believed that was enough.

However, that also meant he had never been prepared to truly live.

Was just defeating Erebos all I could manage…?

The only future promised to the world seemed to be despair.

Even if Leo had dreamed of what came next, like his comrades. Even if he had held onto his own ideals and beliefs, there was no possibility that he would have survived the final battle.

Leo knew better than anyone that hoping for such a possibility was mere greed.

But at the very least… Velkia and Bihar wouldn't have ended up like this.

Leo had wanted to stand on the battlefield with his disciples, but it wasn't some romantic notion of fighting alongside them.

He had simply been desperate for comrades to fight with.

Still, if that was what he had wished for, then at the very least, he should have taught them how to live in peace once everything was over.

Kyle, too, had lived a life far from peace, but he could have at least taught them what life should look like when peace finally arrived.

After all, his two disciples had always been clumsy when it came to finding happiness in peace.

Luna and Aaron wouldn't have been able to teach them that. The two of them had dreamed of returning together and living happily. The thought of teaching such things had never even occurred to them.

Only he could have done it.

But I ignored it.

He had simply assumed that his disciples would manage on their own.

I need to change that, even now. And this time, I can't resolve it by dying.

So, he had to surpass his past self… no, just surpassing wasn't enough. Before, taking just a few steps forward would be sufficient, but now, that was anything but satisfactory.

"Surpass your limits."

It was the very phrase that his unknown successor Lumene had left behind for the future generations of hero candidates, but…

Have I ever truly challenged my limits since I was reborn?

To others, it might have seemed like Leo was constantly surpassing his limits, accomplishing the impossible, but in reality, he wasn't breaking limits.

I was just repeating what I had done countless times in my past life. That was mere repetition, not transcendence. What I need now, is a clear goal.

Leo's gaze shifted to a distant place.

With aura, Aaron.

It was a clear challenge.

With magic, Luna.

A realm he had believed he could never reach.

With summoning, Lysinas.

But…

The path exists, doesn't it?

The path his comrades had paved. He just had to follow it.

To the ideal realm he had envisioned. To the place he had once thought he could never reach.

His Hyper Perception sharpened even further.

I will surpass my limits!

Leo's body shot forward at an incredible speed.

Ullein, who became Leo's target, had a look of disbelief. How can he have such power at that age?

It was a strength that defied common sense.

Kwaaaang…! Crack! Crack! Crack!

When Leo's sword struck Ullein's barrier, cracks spread across it.

Ullein swiftly deployed a spell, completing his incantation at an incredible speed, but the mana wasted in the process was enormous.

Suddenly, Leo changed direction.

Ullein, who had been bracing for Leo's attack, looked momentarily puzzled.

Then, when he saw where Leo was headed, his eyes widened in shock.

Chaaang…! Kwagagagak…!

Leo's sword and Velkia's sword clashed, sending sharp sword energy scattering in all directions.

Leo felt his bones tremble from the impact.

Wooong…!

A magic circle formed in Velkia's palm, and seeing it, Leo immediately lowered his upper body.

Kwagagagagang…!

A massive flash of light erupted from the spell cast at point-blank range, sweeping away everything in front of him.

Feeling the overwhelming power of the magic, Leo broke into a cold sweat. "Luna would have been proud, you damn disciple!"

Kwang…!

Leo lunged into Velkia's arms and slammed his shoulder into her body, maximizing the destructive force gained from the shift in weight by amplifying it with aura.

Shaaak…!

If it had been any ordinary hero, their entire body would have been shattered, but Velkia merely skidded backward, dragged across the ground.

Instead, Leo felt his own shoulder screaming in pain, as if it had been crushed.

Animus Armor.

Velkia's unique magic.

Just as Leo braced for Velkia's counterattack, once again, the light of Extinction engulfed him.

Flash…!

Leo used spatial movement magic to escape its range.

Kugugugugu…!

Extinction activated, sending powerful waves of mana rippling through the area.

"You intend to stop Lady Velkia from harming others while still fighting me?" Ullein remarked, sounding impressed. "Leo Plov, aside from your ideology, you truly are a noble hero."

He clapped his hands and made a regretful expression. "But that only makes it all the more unfortunate. That I must return your existence to the starlight."

Leo smirked as he looked at Ullein.

Ullein tilted his head in confusion. "What's so amusing?"

"How could I not laugh when a third-rate mage, who mistakes stolen power for his own, is acting as if he's something special?"

"Did you just call me a third-rate mage?" Ullein raged. He had been hailed as a genius since birth, and never in his life had he been called a third-rate mage.

"Gathering up a mess of stolen mana and brute-forcing spells with sheer output, if that's not third-rate, then what is?"

"My unique magic, World of Stars, allows me to cast any spell. Just like your Bible." Ullein spread his arms. "Are you saying that someone who created such magic is third-rate?"

"To be precise, you're worse than third-rate. The moment you leave this land, you're nothing but a worthless half-wit." Leo struck directly at the flaw in Ullein's magic.

Ullein's face twisted slightly.

Leo snorted. "If only Velkia weren't here, taking care of a fool like you wouldn't be difficult."

"Excuses come in all kinds. If you're so confident, then why don't you just ignore Lady Velkia?"

"A master who stands by and does nothing while his dsiciple makes a mistake has no right to be called a master. She even asked me for a favor."

"A master? I don't know what you're talking about, but it hardly matters—Lady Velkia won't be able to move anymore…"

Flash! KWA-BOOOOM!

From the ruins where Extinction had detonated, magic burst forth.

Ullein gasped and hurriedly dodged the incoming spell, but the barrier he had deployed shattered to pieces.

"H-How did she break through my magic?!"

"A double-layered spell. She dispelled your barrier before sending her main attack through. That's basic magic combat knowledge."

Ullein's face contorted. "How can an undead possibly do such a thing? She can't even use Stellar Magic!"

Leo curled his lips into a smirk and rolled his eyes. "That's why I said you're worse than third-rate. A man who brags endlessly about his own potential yet doubts the potential of others, now that's a fool."

Ullein's expression darkened. Leo's sneer filled him with rage, because in the boy's eyes, he saw something familiar.

A gaze like looking down on something lowly and insignificant.

It was the same look the Pureblood Society members had when they regarded elves who couldn't use Stellar Magic.

Leo didn't even consider him a proper mage.

He felt as if his very existence was being denied, and that infuriated him.

Leo didn't bother with Ullein any longer. His eyes were fixed solely on his disciple.

Even if she's lost her reason, it makes no difference.

Velkia had trained endlessly so that she could instinctively wield precise swordsmanship and magic. She had carried the world on her back with nothing but her own strength.

Whether or not she can use Stellar Magic has nothing to do with whether she can dismantle it.

Leo stared at Velkia.

In this world, aside from Luna and me, Velkia probably understands Stellar Magic better than anyone else.

Even if she had ultimately failed to wield Stellar Magic, she had worked harder than anyone to grasp her master's magic. Just because she couldn't use it didn't mean she couldn't understand it.

If Seiren is Luna's successor as a Stellar Magic user, then Velkia is her successor as a pure mage.

So for Velkia to dismantle Ullein's magic, even in her current mindless state, was only natural.

Besides, Leo's claim that Ullein would be easy to deal with was no empty boast.

To others, he might seem like a formidable opponent with overwhelming mana, but to me, he's just a big, dumb idiot.

Leo turned his gaze back to Velkia.

Ullein can wait. I need to subdue Velkia first.

Just as Leo gathered mana, Velkia charged at him with terrifying speed.

Right now, she couldn't distinguish friend from foe. She was nothing more than an undead, seeking to erase everything before her.

Leo gritted his teeth and braced himself, but at that moment, shadows surged in front of him.

A figure emerged from the darkness, meeting Velkia's blade with a dagger.

CRAAASH! KUUUUUUUM!

A massive shockwave erupted as sword and dagger collided.

Leo's eyes widened as he stared at the back of the person who had blocked Velkia. "You…"

That familiar silhouette reminded him of someone else, but it wasn't a stranger.

"Bihar?" he mumbled.

Chen Xia turned slightly and glanced back at him, smiling faintly. "Master…"

"Ah…" At that moment, Velkia, who had been clashing swords with Bihar, unconsciously took a step back.