Life Of A Nobody - as a Villain-Chapter 458 : The true hero

On the other side of the dungeon, in the mines covered in frost and fire - Leon and Katherine stood back to back, their breath misting in the frigid air.

All around them were monsters made of grotesque forms, twisted and mutated in different degrees after absorbing Aelthar's energy over the years.

They all lunged at their prey, their eyes glowing red in the hunger and bloodlust they felt towards living.

But then —---- everything stopped.

The creatures froze mid-attack, their contorted bodies jerking violently as if seized by an unseen force. And a heartbeat later, they collapsed.

Those who were a little far away also stopped munching on fallen corpses to heal or satiate themselves, and just castrated themselves on the ground. As if kneeling under some immense pressure.

A deathly silence suddenly swallowed the battlefield.

Leon watched in growing unease as the monstrous corpses writhe on the ground, their forms shriveling like leaves in fire.

Their flesh caved inward, bones turning brittle before disintegrating entirely. And then—a pale, spectral energy, which only he could see, lifted from their husks and flew into the sky.

And it was not just the monsters.

Leon turned around, his pulse hammering as he watched the once-sturdy mines, the mineral-rich veins, the mountains of ores—all of it were fading.

Even the towering trees in the distant forest couldn't survive this sudden calamity and crumbled to dust in seconds.

"What just happened?" Katherine asked, looking at Leon in confusion. Thinking it was his doing, as the young man really surprised her with his powers today.

Yet the protagonist shared the same doubts as her, as he shook his head in response. His eyes darting at the now barren landscape, trying to make sense of it.

[Aelthar…]

Apollo's voice reached his ears before he could ask any doubts.

'You mean it was that God's doing?' Leon asked in his mind. Wondering if it was all just a test from Aelthar, and his moral decisions impressed the God, who came to their aid.

Yet Apollo ignored his wishful thinking, and spoke in a hurry.

[Someone must have reached the temple, you must go there… NOW.]

Leon was confused by his answer and wanted to ask something further, when the whole dungeon started shaking violently, and dark clouds gathered in the sky, shooting down bolts of lightning as thick as a grown man's thighs.

His attention was broken by the sounds of screams and helpless wails of the survivors he rescued, who looked at the skies and started shivering in fear.

He looked back and found Katherine was leading them out, while one of her hands shot a blast of icy energy towards the sky, blocking a lightning strike.

Her face was pale and he could see her struggling from her shaking hands, so he too ignored his God's calling and started guiding the survivors to a safe distance.

When all of the people ran farther away, he looked back to signal Katherine to come too, only to see her shield of ice shatter while she fell to the ground and started panting heavily.

Her body went limp as if she had just drained all her mana and was in a state of weakness.

Cracckkkk

Right before the bolt of lightning fell, creating a crater of charred land, Leon ignored the danger and rushed towards Katherine, wrapping his arms around her waist, and carrying her away from the impact site at the last second.

..

"Ahh (phew) th_thank_" Katherine muttered in between her breaths as Leon laid her down, tilted her chin and started pouring a recovery potion between her lips.

"You saved them all." Leon replied, his genuine words silencing her struggles as he helped her sit, and fixed a strand of hair behind her ears.

The close contact made Katherine freeze for a second, but as she looked at his clear eyes without a hint of malice or I'll intent, she couldn't help but just nod her head, and look away.

"_ ahh brother, that…"

Phillis, the kid, whom Leon first saved, came back to ask something, but after seeing the duo so close, he couldn't help but remember what his grandfather said when he walked in on him and an aunt from their neighborhood.

(Remember Phillis, when a man and woman are doing _ ahh _ something _ you shouldn't disturb them. Okay.)

So he just stopped mid sentence, and stood there feeling shy, and fidgeting with his fingers.

..

But whatever, his words did bring Leon back from 'his' moment.

"What happened, Phillis? You aren't hurt, are you?" Leon asked, trying to ease his embarrassment as he let go of Katherine and stood up like nothing happened.

The kid, innocent as always, didn't see his face red as a tomato, and got fooled by this tone, and hurriedly started narrating what the other survivors were saying.

Turns out though they were saved from the mines and the monsters, and the lightning _ the dead surroundings, and the sounds of constant explosions echoing everywhere still scared them deeply.

Everyone was making different stories saying the dungeon was about to collapse and they should all rush out immediately, but due to their limited strength none wanted to be the first, nor the leader. - so they asked Phillis to come and call Leon, who was like a hero in their eyes.

Though Phillis phrased it lightly, with a little focus Leon could hear many sharp and snotty remarks, blaming him for stupid things, and arguing with others.

[Ignore these ungrateful ingrates and go to where all this noise is coming from.] Apollo's voice sounded again, this time much more rushed. [A second late is a second closer to when you might lose that legacy. Just leave them here. And GO.]

"Hmm brother, you'll take us home, right?" Seeing Leon not responding and showing hesitation, Phillis couldn't help but tug at his shirt for attention.

Leon looked down and could see a trace of fear and tears in the eyes of the kid, and he couldn't bring himself to break that hope.

So he did what a hero would do.

He ignored his own profits, and the god who helped him every day, and bent down with a smile.

"Of course, I'll take you home. I promised, didn't I?" Leon said sweetly as he ruffled the kid's hair, who broke into a hearty laughter hearing his response.

He picked the kid up in his arms and started walking towards the survivors, who all shut off their complaints and closed their mouths seeing him come.

"I know you're afraid. But don't be. I swore to bring you all back safely, and that's what I'll do." Leon said, hoping to calm the survivors' hearts.

He was about to go back and bring Katherine along too, when he saw her standing up and picking her sword.

"I don't think there are any more monsters left alive _ you don't have to be so wary." He tried to joke, to lighten up the mood, but Katherine shook her head.

"I'm not coming with you." She replied, her words confusing Leon. But before he could ask, she continued further.

"The road ahead should be clear, so just take them back." She said, downing another potion, as she looked in the opposite direction. Towards the place which she felt was the source of everything that happened here.

"I'll go and help him." She spoke.

Since all the land was clear and nothing except dust, rubble, and stones was left in the dungeon, Leon too followed her gaze and could see far away. Even farther as he could see someone fighting, but didn't know who.

But hearing Katherine's words, he realized she might know him.

"Help who?" He asked instinctively.

"Rio…" Katherine's words seemed to echo in Leon's ears, as she ignored him and disappeared from her place, rushing towards the battleground.

(Rio…was it him who triggered the trials for my legacy?) Leon couldn't help but think, feeling a weird sense of loss and an unknown bitterness in his heart, - before Phillis held his palms and started shaking it, bringing him back.

"Shall we go, brother?" He asked, but Leon, now aware of everything _ couldn't help but waver in his decision for a second.

But then he shook his head, pushing all these thoughts aside, and picked Phillis again.

"Yeah, let's go home, buddy." He said with a smile, calming his heart with the saying that he came here to save these people, not for any legacy or power up.

That his mission was over, and he should feel happy for it.

___

Apollo, who watched all his avatar's actions from the high heavens, couldn't help but clench his fists, and punch the wall behind him.

Cause he could see their battle, and could also see that except for Rio, there were another bunch of Nyx's followers lingering around the temple, ready to help her avatar secure his victory.

{Damn you Nyx, and damn your stupid avatar.} The original god cursed heavily as a wave of solar energy seeped from his body and destroyed the magnificent hall.

{I swear on my sun - that I will burn you both.} The God swore with a burning glint in his eyes, as he swiped his arm and clenched his fist, destroying the mirror which showed him sights of the mortal realms.

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Author note - Damn, someone's angry.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freёnovelkiss.com.

Guess Apollo's finally gonna bring up his game and start something big ah.

Also Nyx, sigh, the silent goddess, who does nothing but gets praise and blame for stuff Rio does on his own.

She must be like 'Why is it always me?'

… .

… .

Also it's time you sadistic readers start seeing my poor Leon in a new light, and stop asking me to torture him. He's such a nice guy, yet you want Rio to beat the living shit out of him for no reason.

You guys are hopeless. Sigh the world we live in..