The Legendary Hero is an Academy Honor Student-Chapter 33: The Hero’s Record Awakens

KakaoPage Originals

The Legendary Hero is an Academy Honor Student

[Original — Yerona]

[TL — MiT7]

[PR — Spades]

[QC — Lumi]

Chapter 33 — The Hero's Record Awakens

——————

The entire first-year class gathered in the Genesis Auditorium.

The chatter of mid-teen students filled the vast hall.

Assistant professors and teaching assistants prepared for the lesson.

Once ready, an assistant professor spoke. "Everyone, please quiet down. Class will begin soon!"

"Yes," the students replied.

The noise lessened but didn't vanish.

Teenagers, fond of socializing, weren't easily silenced by one adult.

The assistants knew this and didn't press further.

Today's instructor was none other than Professor Artian Nier.

"Sorry for being late, everyone!" Professor Artian said, climbing the podium with an apology.

Thud!

"Ouch!"

She tripped and fell.

The students instantly straightened, falling silent.

Artian, embarrassed, rubbed her knee and moved to the podium's center.

Artian Nier.

The professor first-years feared most.

The reason was simple: talking in her class brought immediate physical punishment.

Not by her choice, but from the hot-tempered spirits contracted to her.

Her entrance alone made students tense.

Clapping and smiling brightly, Artian said, "As expected, our students are so well-behaved! So quiet for their professor!"

Optimistic, she simply thought them good-natured.

"Last class, we covered hero families. Let's review a bit before today's lesson," Artian began.

"Who can explain why hero families emerged after the Hero Record appeared?"

Hands shot up across the hall.

Despite her fearsome reputation, Artian was a great professor.

Her lessons were clear, and she graded generously.

Compared to strict professors who docked points, participating in her class was a no-brainer.

Even Carl eagerly raised his hand.

"Carl from Class 5?" Artian called.

"Yes!" Carl cheered softly, standing. "To open a hero's world in the Hero Record, you need items tied to their legend or history. Hero descendants inherit these relics, making access easier!"

"Correct. Five points for Carl," Artian said.

Carl sat, grinning.

"Politically, this is why Lumern Academy, which stores Hero Records, has deep ties with hero families," Artian added.

Even with keys to hero worlds, the heroes' records were kept in Lumern's Hero Records.

"For heroes predating the hero world's discovery, whose relics are lost, archaeological digs uncover related items," she continued.

Hero Records, existing since the Calamity Era, included countless pages unable to open hero worlds due to missing keys.

"Even for one hero, a single relic can't open all pages, making excavation as vital as dungeon conquests today. Rampaging hero dungeons offer rewards but often grant unstable power inheritance. Now, a question."

Artian scanned the students. "Who can discuss another importance of Hero Studies?"

Hands rose eagerly.

"Duran from Class 1," she called.

"It provides clues for conquering hero worlds," Duran said.

"Correct. Five points for Duran," Artian said.

Duran sat impassively.

"Hero worlds are trials faced by past heroes. Even knowing their legends, some trials are insurmountable. Many die there. A single clue or anecdote can be a conquest's key," Artian explained.

That's why students devoted themselves to Hero Studies.

"As upperclassmen, you'll choose a hero to inherit power from and conquer their pages. You'll need to identify which hero suits you by then," she added.

Iliana clapped lightly.

"Now, let's move to homework presentations," Artian said.

Last week, Artian assigned all first-years homework.

It wasn't complex: consider what they wanted to achieve as heroes and present it in the next Hero Studies class.

Seemingly minor, it was crucial for aspiring heroes to define their hero ideal.

Having enrolled at Lumern with serious intent, first-years spent the weekend pondering this deeply.

"We'll start with Class 1," Artian said.

Class 1 students hesitated, glancing at each other.

Declaring their hero goals before hundreds was daunting.

"Class 1! No need to be shy! Your goals are your guide! Proclaiming them proudly is—" Sedjen began, only to be cut off.

"This is Artian's class. Not your moment," another professor said.

"Sedjen, please! Artian's already shy enough!" another added, restraining Sedjen as he cheered Class 1.

Celia stood, back straight, brushing her hair back confidently. "I want to surpass my family's ancestral knights."

A knight surpassing the Zerdinger lineage.

For a hero family member, no goal carried more weight.

"Wow! What a splendid goal!" Artian said.

Chloe stood next. "I want to create a grimoire of my original spells."

"A grand goal for a mage," Artian said.

Starting with Celia, students shared their aspirations.

Initially hesitant, they spoke freely once the ice broke.

Homeroom professors in the back listened closely, knowing these brief speeches revealed their students' paths.

Class 5's turn arrived.

"I want to support heroes," Carl said.

Artian looked surprised but smiled, understanding. "Carl wants to be the backbone for heroes."

"Yes," Carl said.

Most students didn't grasp Carl's early choice of a support path, but professors often praised his direction.

As Carl sat, Leo's turn came.

Standing calmly, Leo said, "My goal is Erebos's complete annihilation."

Silence fell over the auditorium.

Artian was stunned, and students stared at Leo, bewildered.

Erebos's complete annihilation.

Not just a personal wish, but a world's ancient vow from the Calamity Era.

A dream even great heroes failed to achieve, mocked as foolish if spoken aloud.

To voice it so boldly was staggering.

"Uh... what a grand goal!" Artian said, regaining composure with a smile.

"Bit too dreamy, isn't it?" a student muttered.

"There was a fool who spoke such dreams long ago," Leo said, propping his chin with a smirk. "I got inspired by that fool's words. So I decided to carry that dream."

Carl, baffled by Leo's cryptic words, grinned. "For such a grand feat, you'll need a top-notch supporter, right?"

"Counting on you, Carl," Leo said.

***

"The year rep's ambitions are something else," a homeroom professor muttered, watching the presentations.

"Wasn't that a bit too flippant?" another said.

"His professor's Halind. Would he joke in a setting like this?" another countered.

"Still, isn't it too far-fetched?" another asked.

The professors were divided.

Sedjen turned to Halind. "Think it's a joke?"

"No. He's not the type for nonsense," Halind said, frowning. "That's what's unsettling."

Thousands of years since Erebos was defeated, split, and sealed by great heroes.

Revivals occurred, but even one fragment's awakening caused catastrophic disasters.

A student dreaming of Erebos's total destruction.

'A mere fool? Or someone with that vast a vessel?' Halind thought.

Even after a month, Halind couldn't fully gauge Leo.

As Halind watched Leo's seat, Elena, the principal's secretary, approached with a box.

"Professors, here's the Hero Record page for today's lesson," she said.

"Thanks, Elena," Sedjen said, taking it and standing.

Other homeroom professors rose too.

This joint class involved professors, not just for teaching but as a precaution.

Past lessons saw retrieved Hero Record pages rampage, triggering hero dungeons.

Rare, but not unheard of, so professors always observed when Hero Records were used as materials.

As professors headed to the podium, the remaining classes finished presenting.

"Everyone, we'll now use Hero Records retrieved by dungeon raiders for today's Hero Studies lesson," Artian said, taking the sealed box from Sedjen.

"Finally!"

"My first time touching a Hero Record!"

"So nervous!"

Students buzzed with excitement.

"Today's lesson involves reading a Hero Record page, deducing the hero by class, and strategizing for their world's conquest," Artian said.

The lesson didn't strictly require Hero Records.

But students would face them in real missions.

To add weight, they used unidentified Hero Records.

"Class presidents, come up," Artian called.

"Jealous, Leo. You get to touch a Hero Record!" Iliana said.

Nella smiled. "We'll all get to after class, no?"

"Still, touching it first is a perk!" Iliana said, envious of the class president's privilege.

Ten class presidents ascended the podium.

"Oh? Class 5's president is Young Lord Leo?" Chen Xia, Class 10's president, greeted warmly.

"Decided on the fly today," Leo said.

"On the fly?" Chen Xia tilted her head.

A subtle tension formed among the first-year elites.

Artian opened the sealed box. "Two Hero Records were retrieved this time. We're using one as material. The other's a fragment, brought to show such things exist."

She lifted the fragment and handed it to Leo, the closest.

Leo reached out casually.

The fragment glowed faintly.

The moment it touched Leo's hand—

[Hero Record Open. ■■'s World. Chapter: ■■-■■■]

A familiar message flashed before Leo's eyes.

Artian, the presidents, and the professors on standby gaped in shock.

Hum!

Light erupted from the podium floor.

Words in an divine tongue, unintelligible to mortal realms.

"Rampage?" Sedjen said, voice laced with alarm.

Blinding light engulfed the podium.

When it faded, Leo, the professors, and the presidents stood in a new space.

A battlefield.

Corpses of grotesque magical beasts littered the ground.

"Everyone, stay alert! It's a hero dungeon!" Halind shouted.

The presidents' faces paled.

"Halind! There's a fortress wall!" Sedjen said, pointing to a wall Leo stared at.

Leo gazed at it, dazed.

A wall he knew well.

A place lost to the current era.

The Calamity Era's final defense, the last city.

The walls of Gardthron.

Burning corpses of monsters, beasts, and demons filled the air with a stench that stung Leo's nose.

He could never forget this scene.

If his memory was right... if this was that moment, those words were spoken.

'Right, Kyle. My vow is a foolish one.'

"Right, ■■. My vow is a foolish one," a voice said from behind.

The professors and presidents flinched, turning.

They gasped, recognizing the figure.

Too famous to mistake.

Leo, dazed, turned to the voice.

She spoke with the same resolute tone as back then. "But, ■■, we'll save the world."

Known now as the Wisdom King, the Black Dragon.

In the despairing era of world's end, she ignited hope's light.

A great, noble hero, once mocked as a fool.

His dearest friend.

Choking up, Leo whispered her name. "Lysinas."

Lysinas smiled softly.

Flash!

The world collapsed.

In a blink, they were back in the auditorium.

"What...!"

"Professors, what just happened?" students asked, trembling.

Halind made a swift call. "Class is canceled. Everyone, stay calm and exit the auditorium."

Assistant professors guided the students out.

Leo stood, staring at the Hero Record fragment in his hand.

He knew whose it was.

'Kyle's page. This is my record.'