NoveLight ™
What is a hero?
A fixer who handles troublesome tasks?
A sudden star that everyone cheers for?
An elite special forces squad?
A fool forced into sacrifice?
There are many interpretations of a hero, but in the Magzer Empire, the name "hero" held a particularly special meaning.
The Magzer Empire's Imperial Palace.
"Chancellor, what on earth is happening?"
"Have you found the cause of the rift?"
"We haven't discovered anything at all."
"If this continues, the barrier system will..."
The ministers were close to panic, their pupils trembling with urgency.
The Emperor, sitting on the throne, was no different.
"What are we to do...?"
"Your Majesty, the Mage Tower also has no solution."
"The Rus Church is the same."
"A rift within the barrier system...?"
None could hide the worried expressions on their faces.
"Everyone, calm yourselves."
"What about the Hero Party?"
"The Hero Party’s mobilization is almost complete."
"That’s somewhat reassuring."
A mysterious spatial disturbance appeared above the empire.
The rift appeared immediately after the spatial disturbance was observed.
The crack, thinner than a thread, was slowly widening.
What on earth could have caused space to split like this?
If the barrier system were to collapse...
Outside the barrier, the environment was uninhabitable due to poison. The continent's destruction was already accelerating.
All the continent's power was being used to maintain the barrier system, barely holding it together.
"What is the situation outside the barrier?"
"Currently, there are no significant changes. As usual... the monsters are rampaging."
"Your Majesty, the Hero Party has been fully mobilized."
"Is that so? Have them brought here immediately."
The Emperor hurriedly called for them. In this emergency, their usefulness was unquestionable.
"Have they arrived?"
"‘We greet Your Majesty.’"
"With your abilities, you must have sensed the rift in the sky. What are your thoughts?"
The Hero Party.
They were beings sent across the continent to protect it, earning glory in various lands.
"..."
However, even they had no clear solution. As the Emperor said, they did sense something unusual through the rift, but that was all.
The heroes were assembled, and they continued the discussions with the Empire's ministers, but no answers were forthcoming.
Despite having postponed their own subjugation missions to prepare an emergency plan, they were still without a solution.
"In the end... there’s no real solution?"
If the barrier system collapses, waves of monsters and poison will pour out.
In other words, humanity's extinction.
The conclusion was that whatever came out of the rift, the Hero Party would intercept it, and preparations for the collapse of the barrier would need to be hastened.
The anomaly within the barrier was as serious as a threat to humanity’s survival.
The rift continued to widen, and dark electricity began to crackle from it.
Some might say it was an overreaction, but to them, it was not. They had summoned heroes from other dimensions before, and had encountered such phenomena before.
Everyone trembled in fear.
Young men took up clubs and patrolled.
Elders steeled themselves and armed themselves.
Mothers tightly held their children's hands, comforting them.
Young girls prayed at small statues of gods.
Everyone trembled in fear.
Crackling sound...
"The Mage Tower reports that... an immense power is gathering."
"What is the source of this power?"
"...We don't know."
As the rift expanded, a chilling energy leaked out. It was strong enough to be felt across the empire.
Then suddenly...
Fzzzzzzzzztttt—
The rift expanded into an oval shape.
A disturbing energy leaked through it.
Soon, something began to take shape.
"This can’t be..."
"A... giant..."
The remaining human forces gathered under the rift.
All of them were stunned.
Gods…
A chill ran through everyone.
It was enormous.
Through the mirror-like surface of the rift, flashes of light were constantly splitting the space.
The light seemed capable of destroying anything.
Boom!
"Prepare for battle!"
"The Mage Tower is ready!"
"Everyone... let’s survive and fight together."
"Is this it?"
"Don’t lose hope!"
Although the flashes revealed only fragments, everyone could sense it.
An overwhelming force of destruction was coming through the rift.
Ah...
Despair filled everyone’s eyes.
Yet, none of them dropped their weapons.
We had all been taught by him.
"Open fire!"
"Activate large-scale magic!"
"Heroes, prepare to intercept!"
"This isn't working! It’s ineffective!"
"What is this? Magic?"
"No... This isn’t magic!"
They started their coordinated attack, but soon...
Everyone started dropping their weapons.
Clink. Clang. Thud. Crash.
"Ah..."
"So it was..."
Gods...
Give up?
No, it wasn’t that.
The name that carried great weight on the Magzer continent.
On the enormous metal outer wall emerging from the rift, one name was inscribed.
Hero Versia.
Upon seeing the name "Versia" written in their script, everyone lowered their weapons and placed their right hands over their hearts, paying respect.
Children,
Girls,
Heroes,
All of them were united.
The Demon Slayer.
The Guardian of Humanity.
The Greatest Hero of Humanity.
The name “Versia” made everyone exhale a collective sigh of relief.
The great name, which had once set out to find a solution, had returned.
Once called the ineffective hero, but now the great hero who had defeated the Demon Lord.
The compassionate mage Kaeshillin.
The noble priest Hirihee.
The brave dwarf Ainkel.
The proud ranger Shaty.
The miraculous barbarian warrior Totur.
Together with them, Versia became the greatest hero on the continent and the wielder of the Holy Sword.
With the lesson that anyone can become a hero through courage, everyone had deep respect for the Hero Party led by Versia.
"But what is that...?"
"How is there a flying island...?"
"Ha..."
A massive island made of metal emerged through the rift, one after another.
Just three days since the rift opened.
The disaster caused by the Demon Lord, which had brought humanity to the brink of extinction, was now declared solved.
Yet, those saved could not smile. They could not hold a victory celebration.
Their true hero, Versia, had not returned.
Why didn’t he show himself?
***
"Your wish has been granted. You wanted to give everyone an ordinary life, didn’t you?"
However, there was no response to Kalstein's voice.
"Since you didn’t answer, I handled it in my own way… but well, it should be fine."
Around them, other transcendent beings had gathered. They seemed at a loss for words after witnessing the earlier scene.
"With that, the reward payment is complete."
The Emperor’s words were like a golden decree. A promise made was always kept.
"It took quite a lot of resources, so you'd better forget about running away on your own."
"..."
The transcendent beings couldn’t tear their eyes away from the crystal wall in front of them.
Inside the elliptical crystal, Versia was lying motionless, his eyes closed as if time had stopped.
"..."
"..."
"Anyway, with this, there shouldn't be any problems for the time being."
Three days ago, Kalstein had completely encased the lifeless Versia in crystal.
By using that power.
For Kalstein, this seemed to be the only method in the current situation.
"When we can send him to the Galactic Empire, we’ll thaw him out."
Although he wasn’t sure if he’d survive.
Crackling sound—
Kalstein’s right arm, in his possessed form, crumbled to ash.
"Good grief. Is this all?"
"..."
The transcendent beings watching couldn't easily open their mouths.
"Anyway, I hope you all work hard too. And… when you have time, maybe you should get some counseling at the enhancement clinic."
"I… I understand."
"..."
"…Understood."
"Heh."
They were barely able to respond, but it was hard for them to come to their senses after seeing what Joo-ttak had done.
"What the hell was that?"
"That wasn’t just freezing… It was as if time itself stopped."
"I’m sure his vital signs had flatlined. But then… it’s as if it reversed..."
"I never want to feel that chilling presence again."
Swallow.
The transcendent beings again reminded themselves that Joo-ttak was not an ordinary existence.
Of course, his power was immense, but they had also witnessed the process through which he fulfilled Versia's wish.
Later, when he woke up and started spouting nonsense, Joo-ttak had shared the video with them.
The poisonous miasma that had spread across the entire planet was completely purified, and the countless monsters that had been moving within it were instantly hunted down.
In fact, even a giant, round spaceship had drilled itself into the planet, reviving the desolate land corrupted by the poison.
Everyone rubbed their eyes.
"At this point, he must just be a god, right?"
It had only taken three days to resurrect the dead and save a planet.
"Anyway."
Kalstein looked at them.
"What in the world happened?"
They couldn’t understand the existence before them.