〈 Chapter 126 〉 Assignment of Relics (1)

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In the middle of the tournament arena, a massive fissure was etched.

The power it exhibited was hard to believe for something created with just a 2-star Relic.

However, the attention of the heroes was focused elsewhere.

“You blocked it?”

The fact that it was blocked wasn’t particularly special.

Unless it was magic from the Saint-level hero Stella, there were ways to block most attacks.

The recent strike could have been thwarted if several Support Mages set up barriers or if a hero with outstanding skills wielding a 4-star or higher Relic had dealt with it.

But Allen Pleuk was different.

He completely absorbed that strike with only a 1-star Relic.

And he didn’t let the aftermath spill over to his surroundings.

“Is that even possible?”

“What on earth just happened?”

For most ordinary heroes, the event unfolded in the blink of an eye.

To them, it simply looked like Yusera’s strike was sucked into Allen’s sword handle.

Only a few skilled individuals, like Gwen, managed to see it properly.

‘That guy…’

She had already risen from her seat.

She looked surprisingly startled, unlike her usual self.

‘…What was that?’

In truth, she had already grasped Allen’s swordsmanship proficiency when he faced Wilhelm as a Relic bearer.

She could say he had caught up to just below her level.

And that thought hadn’t changed even now.

‘That was definitely a pre-arranged combo.’

Almost no one here would have caught on, but she could see it.

He had stepped in with a beat, and accelerated with precise timing.

But she herself wouldn’t have needed to do it that way.

‘His swordsmanship still clearly has areas to improve.’

As someone who reached Swordsmanship S, she could evaluate an S-ranked Allen.

Yet even she had aspects where she couldn’t assess Allen.

‘But what on earth is that swordsmanship?’

One must not fall into misconceptions.

Just because her swordsmanship proficiency was higher than Allen’s didn’t mean she could necessarily beat him.

Even with the same level of proficiency, the type of swordsmanship would determine the outcome.

‘But that swordsmanship…’

I would dare say it could easily chew up swordsmanship of the next level above it.

Of course, given Allen’s physical limitations, that would be difficult for him, but conversely, it also meant he was compensating for his lack of physical abilities with swordsmanship.

In other words, it was a swordsmanship that could turn the impossible into possible.

Gwen busily moved around, trying to hone her swordsmanship as much as possible in the limited time.

Though the Reedval Family’s swordsmanship was quite excellent, she didn’t settle for it; she learned other styles and customized the Reedval Family’s techniques to fit her style.

Yet even she had never seen Allen’s swordsmanship before.

‘If I had to find something similar…’

It would be the tale of the last knight of the Leim Kingdom, now a legend passed down through oral tradition.

500 years ago, amidst the chaos flooding the Leim Kingdom, a man with no stigma, wielding only his body and a sword, who chopped down countless Chaos Beasts.

For some reason, the description of the swordsmanship he used bore a resemblance.

This was something she could discern because she was from the Reedval family.

During the time when most knights left the kingdom, it was only the Reedval family leading the enemy’s knights, the White Knights dedicated to healing, and the Black Knights, to which that man belonged, that remained.

Her ancestors had been able to observe him fighting on the front lines until he vanished beyond the chaos.

‘His sword cut where it couldn’t reach, and it cut what shouldn’t have been cut. But even he ultimately couldn’t cut chaos.’

Until now, she thought it was just an exaggeration common in legends.

Yet seeing swordsmanship almost identical to it right in front of her made her unable to deny that legend.

‘Is it possible that Allen is that last knight of the Leim Kingdom reincarnated?’

No, it seemed impossible.

That man had already faded into history 500 years ago.

However, she already knew that common sense did not apply to Allen.

‘That’s not what’s important.’

Even if Allen had met that man, to have reached this level of swordsmanship in less than two years was absurd.

She suspected it would take her at least a hundred years to achieve this level with her current techniques.

‘What the hell did you do, Allen?’

She couldn’t understand how this had been possible in just two years.

But what baffled her even more was the aura surrounding Allen’s swordsmanship.

‘At least hundreds of years worth.’

The actual time of two years was insignificant.

What mattered was the effort Allen poured into his swordsmanship.

It was on a scale beyond what an ordinary person could handle.

‘I thought he had no talent at all…’

Perhaps the ability to work that hard could be considered a talent in itself.

‘Now that I think about it, that man also seemed to share a similar description.’

The last knight of the Leim Kingdom.

He too seemed to be an extraordinary hard worker.

There was even a tale saying that if he had enough time, he could have even cut chaos.

‘Could it be that he’s also going to protect the Leim Kingdom?’

She could easily believe it if one were to say that man had reincarnated.

Of course, that man had ultimately failed to cut through chaos, and now the existence lost to time in the sacrifice known as the “Nameless King” was what allowed the Leim Kingdom to barely survive.

But there was one critical difference between that man and Allen.

The existence of comrades.

‘I’ll go first toward the Central Sea System, so excluding myself…’

Elsie, and perhaps…

‘That guy is also a comrade, right?’

The hero candidate who had delivered quite a powerful strike towards Allen.

She showed no signs of despair, even after her attack was effortlessly thwarted by Allen.

In fact, she wore an expression that suggested a bit of boredom.

‘Is that faith?’

She somehow already knew that Allen would block her attack.

No, rather, it would be unacceptable if Allen failed to block it.

That was the role they both shared as comrades.

‘In the end, the candidate was able to show their power, and Allen showcased his strength as well.’

It was quite a sophisticated plan.

By merely blocking an attack once, Allen had showcased his level without revealing much about his abilities.

Probably, this would make the demon kings more conscious of Allen.

‘Then I should raise my game too.’

That meant they would care a little more about the Central Sea System.

Yet one thing still troubled her.

It was something that other ordinary heroes also seemed to catch onto.

“That monster just blocked that? The candidate really was something. With that kind of power, it’s valid to forfeit, right?”

“Did they just call it Sky Cleaving?”

“I think so? Catchy name, huh?”

Just from hearing around her, the power of the strike Yusera delivered received rave reviews.

No wonder, as even a seasoned hero like her thought it had reached the level of a high-ranking hero.

But there was one fatal flaw at play.

“But where’s the sword?”

Just like Allen’s sword, which had turned to nothing but the handle after his block.

Her own sword had also been left without its blade after her strike.

“Did she just destroy the Sacred Replicant? Did she really do that in a single blow?”

“In front of the one who actually made the sword, Heinz?”

“Isn’t it a bit problematic to destroy a relic with just one attack?”

During the moment of her attack, the dark aura boosting her weapon was something Gwen was aware of.

At the time she had just become a hero, the Crow Association was still in full swing.

‘They called it Overload.’

A force that significantly boosts the quality of an item but consumes considerable durability.

The Crow Association had once undergone tremendous growth utilizing this ability by enhancing consumables.

That was until most of their clan suddenly lost their powers. And the chaos beast incident was the final blow to their decline.

‘But to use Overload on swordsmanship?’

Maybe she could understand if it were consumables like arrows.

However, using it on a sword, especially one that is a Relic, was an unimaginable idea under normal circumstances.

Especially to apply all that Overload in a single blow.

‘Could it be…?’

She turned her gaze to Allen.

There stood a man who constantly executed ideas others wouldn’t ordinarily dare to conceive.

In that light, it began to make sense.

‘But just what is he thinking?’

She still couldn’t understand why he shattered a Relic during the tournament.

Now, was there really a hero who would inherit his relic?

It seemed destined to be turned to dust.

‘And not just any relic, but the Sacred Replicant.’

It just so happened to be the Sacred Replicant.

That sword was the weapon forged by Heinz Armanus, the headmaster, directly replicating the holy sword, and he was the one with the greatest authority over distributing Relics in case no heirs existed.

There was no one more adept at working with Relics than he, having replicated and used countless.

‘What is Allen aiming for?’

He could have shattered any other sword.

But why specifically the Sacred Replicant?

Why that sword…?

‘Could it be?’

At that moment, a thought flashed through Gwen’s mind.

It was an idea that would normally be beyond reach.

But she knew there was a clear flaw in that logic.

And then, at that moment.

Allen finally opened his mouth.

“Hero Ranking 100. Hero Allen Pleuk.”

That was an introduction.

Of course, everyone knew his name, but this was a kind of courtesy.

From now on, he would be addressing someone above him.

‘Not just anyone above him.’

Allen completely turned his body.

He lifted his head to look at the highest seats in the arena.

And he spoke to the figure seated there.

“(Former) Hero and Headmaster of Hero Academy, Heinz Armanus, I have a request.”

Heinz Armanus.

The creator of all Relic series.

Thanks to him, countless young heroes had access to Relics, and he was also the one who ushered in the current golden age.

‘If the heroes present here, they have all benefitted from him.’

Gwen herself had mainly used the Gravitas Replicant, which was a direct replication of the Relic Gravitas he had made, during her youth.

Now, Allen was attempting to directly make some request of him.

It was an act that wouldn’t have been possible if he hadn’t just showcased his prowess against the Demon Kings.

And finally… Heinz revealed his voice.

“Allen Pleuk. I have heard of your reputation; it is well known. You have defeated the three Demon Kings? Impressive.”

Of course, it was due to the amplification magic, but that voice brought a sense of vitality that belied the wrinkles of his aged appearance.

To him, Allen firmly made eye contact and expressed his gratitude.

“Thank you. But that was only possible because of the Gravitas Replicant you created.”

At that, Heinz’s eyes sparkled.

“Oh? You had that one? Given that it’s an original, it must be quite difficult to handle. You defeated all three with that?”

“Yes.”

At that, the audience seats within the arena began to murmur a bit.

This was understandable, as Heinz’s Relic series maxed out at 2-star. So, it meant Allen had just claimed to have defeated the three Demon Kings with a mere 2-star Relic.

However, as Heinz began to speak, the arena quickly fell silent once more.

“Indeed. I thought it would have considerable potential, but… looks like it found a good master. Well done.”

He nodded in satisfaction.

He then asked Allen.

“Now, what is it that you wish to request?”

What he wanted to request was something Gwen had already guessed to some extent.

“I felt this from the recent tournament. The Sacred Replicant you crafted would suit this candidate quite well.”

Indeed.

But that wasn’t all.

Heinz tilted his head slightly as he asked.

“Is that all you want? From the performance she just showcased, I could definitely consider something up to 3-star. Are you sure it’s just a 2-star Relic you want?”

But Allen shook his head.

“I’m not just asking for a single Relic. I’m referring to the entire series of Sacred Replicants.”

However, Gwen knew that there would be issues with Allen’s request.

‘Because the Sacred Replicant…’

Heinz was aware of that issue too and thus said to Allen.

“I’m afraid that wouldn’t be possible. Right now, the 101 Sacred Replicants mostly have their owners.”

As Heinz said, most of the 101 Sacred Replicants already had owners.

In fact, one had just been shattered by Yusera, and he himself had one as well.

“Would you expect me to recover a sword that already had an owner? If you truly want, I could make that happen, but…”

Even so, Heinz was still quite accommodating toward Allen.

It was a shocking proposal to retrieve swords that already had owners, but given that Heinz was the owner of the swords, it wasn’t impossible.

But Allen still shook his head.

“No.”

He was incomprehensible.

What was he trying to say?

In the tense atmosphere filling the arena, Allen opened his mouth.

“The Sacred Replicant is not just 101 swords.”

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