The Lowest-Ranked Hero Has Returned

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Chapter 176: Attack (2)

Vroooom!

The engine of the magic car roared as we approached the academy, black smoke billowing into the sky.

Professor Elisha yanked the steering wheel sharply, bringing the car to a screeching halt, and threw open the door.

“Cadet Dale, we’ll run from here!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Running is much faster than relying on the magic car if it's not too far.

I bolted toward the academy, where the smoke was rising, with Professor Elisha close behind.

As we neared the academy, the pungent stench of blood and the sound of intense fighting grew louder.

‘Damn it.’

I hadn’t expected the assault to begin so soon.

Grinding my teeth in frustration, I pushed my magical energy to its limits.

The surrounding scenery blurred as we sped forward, and the Hero Academy came into view.

“This is…”

A seemingly endless horde of demonic beasts surged forward, while professors and cadets fought desperately to hold them off.

“Phew. It looks like they’re holding their ground,”

Professor Elisha said, sighing in relief as she placed a hand on her chest.

As she had observed, there didn’t appear to be any casualties on our side yet, as the ground was littered only with the corpses of the demonic beasts.

Although the demonic beasts were still numerous, the tide of the battle seemed to favor the Hero Academy.

‘The Hero Academy is winning?’

I surveyed the advancing demonic beasts with a grim expression.

“Hmm? Why that face?”

“…Something feels off.”

“Off? What do you mean?”

“In my previous life, it took a coalition of a thousand heroes from three kingdoms fighting tooth and nail to barely repel the demonic beast horde.”

But now, the professors and cadets within the academy alone were gaining the upper hand?

“That could just be because the demonic beast horde’s strength is weaker than it was ten years later, right?”

“That’s possible. But…”

Boom!

I slammed my foot down hard and leapt high into the air.

The battlefield unfolded before me, a chaotic scene of fierce combat.

‘Just as I thought.’

My expression twisted as I landed back on the ground.

“What is it?”

“They’re not here.”

“Not here? Who?”

“There’s not a single demonic beast of the Ten-Eyed class or higher.”

“……”

The sheer number of demonic beasts exceeded ten thousand, but the core forces—the Ten-Eyed demonic beasts or higher—were nowhere to be found.

Even Jackal, the demonic beast Archbishop who commanded the horde, was conspicuously absent.

“That means…”

“This is a diversion. A ploy to focus our attention here.”

“What?!”

“Haah…”

Damn it.

I bit my lip and pressed a hand to my forehead.

I’d been mistaken.

I’d overlooked something crucial.

Just because an event mirrored what happened in my previous life didn’t mean the purpose behind it was the same.

“Jackal’s goal isn’t the Hero Academy.”

“Then what could he be targeting with such a large-scale assault?”

Professor Elisha frowned in confusion.

‘What is Jackal’s objective?’

To be honest, even in my previous life, the exact reason Jackal attacked the Hero Academy was never revealed.

‘But.’

I connected the dots, comparing this life with my previous one.

‘Jackal’s core forces are always the demonic beasts of the Ten-Eyed class or higher.’

So where had Jackal deployed those demonic beasts?

What was he aiming for?

Where was he heading?

“Ah.”

Like a bolt of lightning, a single word exploded in my mind.

“…The Abyss.”

“The Abyss?”

“Jackal’s target isn’t the Hero Academy; it’s the Abyss buried beneath it.”

At my words, Professor Elisha furrowed her brow in confusion.

“But didn’t you say before that no one but you knows how to descend past the first floor of the Abyss?”

That was true.

The Grand Sage’s three riddles sealed the path to the second floor of the Abyss, and unless the seal on the Demon God weakened, no one but me could enter.

“That much, I don’t know. But I’m certain that Jackal’s target is the Abyss.”

Jackal’s core forces consisted of Ten-Eyed demonic beasts.

And the mountain with the entrance to the Abyss was where I'd encountered those demonic beasts.

Following that path downward would lead to the massive ruins beneath the Hero Academy.

‘In the center of those ruins lies a magic circle. Activating it opens the gate to the second floor.’

I didn’t know how Jackal had learned how to activate the magic circle leading to the second floor, but one thing was clear: his destination was the Abyss.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have left his core forces behind and used the demonic beast horde merely as a diversion.

“We have to chase after Jackal.”

“You mean we need to backtrack?”

“Yes.”

I nodded with a grim expression.

Professor Elisha hesitated, glancing back at the Hero Academy where the battle raged.

“But if we do…”

While the tide of battle favored the Hero Academy, the demonic beasts weren’t yet defeated.

Thousands of demonic beasts still swarmed, slashing and clawing at the professors and cadets.

If we left now to pursue the Abyss, casualties could occur.

Both Professor Elisha and I had the power to turn the tide of the battle decisively.

“If that’s your concern, there’s no need to worry.”

“No need to worry? Why not?”

“Look up there.”

I pointed to the sky above the Hero Academy, where a lone old man hovered, surveying the battlefield.

The headmaster of the Hero Academy and one of the five Masters across the Three Kingdoms.

The Thunder God, Lionel Ryu, calmly raised his arm toward the advancing horde.

Crackle! Zzzzt!

Blue lightning engulfed the sky above the Hero Academy.

Even from hundreds of meters away, the magical storm sent tingles across my skin.

The bright blue sky darkened as black storm clouds rolled in.

And then—

BOOOOM!!!

A barrage of lightning rained down, obliterating the advancing demonic beast horde.

“Of course… so that’s what it was.”

A faint laugh escaped Professor Elisha’s lips.

With the Thunder God joining the battle, there was no longer any need to worry.

“Alright, let’s pursue Jackal.”

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“Yes, ma’am.”

“Then back to the magic car…”

“No.”

I shook my head and drew my sword from my belt.

“What are you planning to do?”

“We don’t have time to go back.”

I didn’t know Jackal’s exact purpose for heading to the Abyss, and that uncertainty only made it more urgent to catch up with him.

Time was of the essence.

Gripping my sword in a reverse grip, I pointed its tip toward the ground.

“Did you know? The first floor of the Abyss is much larger than the entire Hero Academy campus.”

“No way, you’re not…!”

Whoosh!

Embers flared up along the blade of my sword.

Before Professor Elisha could figure out what I was about to do.

“In other words.”

Thud!

I slammed the flame-lit sword into the ground with a sharp downward motion.

Condensing the aura within the blade, I directed it straight downward.

Rumble!

The embers melted through the earth, carving a direct tunnel hundreds of meters deep.

“It means there’s no need to take the long way around through the entrance when I can just dig straight down.”

“…Ha.”

Professor Elisha let out a hollow laugh as she stared at the seemingly bottomless hole in the ground.

“You’re truly… out of your mind.”

I smirked and shrugged.

“I’ve lived my life that way.”

I approached Professor Elisha, who was still standing dumbfounded.

“Stay still.”

“Huh? W-wait!”

Scooping her up in a classic ‘princess carry,’ I held her firmly in my arms.

“W-what on earth are you doing, Candidate Dale?!”

Professor Elisha’s flustered expression was a rare sight.

“The residual heat from the flame is still dangerous. It’s not safe for you to descend on your own.”

Drawing upon the power of the Primordial Flame, I held her close.

“Flare.”

Ssss!

Gray smoke billowed out from my pores, encasing Professor Elisha and me.

And then, I jumped.

“Kyahhh!”

A surprisingly cute scream escaped Professor Elisha’s lips as we plunged downward, but I ignored it.

* * *

After dropping several hundred meters, we finally arrived on the first floor of the Abyss.

“You’re absolutely…!”

Professor Elisha’s face flushed a deep red as she glared at me.

Her expression, so different from her usual cool demeanor, made my heart skip a beat.

“Let’s move.”

“Ugh…”

Now wasn’t the time to get distracted.

I headed toward the central ruins, the place where the gate to the second floor of the Abyss could be activated.

When we arrived at the center of the ruins, what awaited us was—

“As expected.”

“The gate is open.”

A rift leading to the second floor of the Abyss, just like the one I had created before, was already formed.

Exchanging a glance, Professor Elisha and I entered the gate without hesitation.

Our vision flickered, and the sight of the second floor of the Abyss—something I had seen before—came into view.

“Where’s Jackal?”

“…Looks like he’s gone further down.”

Whether Jackal had done something as he passed through or not, the demonic beasts that had attacked as soon as I reached the second floor before were nowhere to be seen.

Continuing downward with Professor Elisha, we arrived at the third floor of the Abyss.

The ceiling blazed like a massive wildfire, and the land below was steeped in an ominous orange hue.

At the center of it all stood—

“Well, well.”

An old man, his body covered in intricate tattoos.

The Archbishop of Beasts, Jackal, looked at us with wide eyes.

“…Jackal.”

“Heh, heh. Now I understand why they call you the Cursed Eyes Spider. You’re tenacious.”

Clearly not expecting us to follow him here, Jackal shook his head in disbelief.

“How did you know I was here?”

“Do I owe you an explanation?”

“Heh, heh. Fair enough… the reason doesn’t matter.”

Jackal twisted his wrinkled lips into a grin, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

“But since you’ve made it this far, I ought to give you a parting gift.”

“…A gift?”

Snap.

Jackal snapped his fingers, and the tattoos on his body began to glow, creating a massive rift in the air.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

From within the rift emerged a monstrous demonic beast, towering dozens of meters tall.

Its eleven gleaming eyes fixated on her with predatory intent.

“……!!!”

Professor Elisha’s eyes widened in shock.

“What do you think? Nostalgic, isn’t it?”

Jackal chuckled as he gazed at her, his voice dripping with mockery.

He lovingly stroked the colossal demonic beast that had emerged from the rift and continued.

“This creature… is the very one that devoured your parents alive and razed your hometown.”

“……”

Her left eye twitched, a scar there aching.

The nightmare that had consumed her life, the despair without end, now loomed before her once again.

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