This World Needs a Hero

Chapter 205

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Elaine.

Who was Elaine?

A faint light born of that small question delved into Zeros consciousness as if exploring.

The sight was blurry and dizzy, as if trapped in thick fog.

By the way, have you decided on a name? Youve been pondering it.

Well, since I couldnt get through to you on communication, I came to find you in person. Theres important news you need to know

You must have fallen asleep for a moment, and when you wake up, a new world will be waiting for you.

Whispering voices grew louder and softer, repeating as they gradually dispersed.

Zero slowly regained his senses.

How long was I asleep no, sealed?

He couldnt tell.

As he tried to figure it out, his senses slowly returned.

Sensations spreading from his fingertips throughout his body.

The feeling of the air on his skin somehow felt sticky and uncomfortable.

It even stung like acid had been poured on his skin.

Zero recalled that sensation.

The power beyond the gate Platooz used to compose the seal.

Is he by my side now?

Just a little more

Zero finally felt his consciousness rising to the surface.

In that final moment, a tearing scream, distant noises of turmoil pierced his ears.

Zeros body twitched as if convulsing.

Elaine!

With a cry, Zero broke free from the seal and returned fully to this world.

Cough, cough.

As soon as he regained consciousness, he quickly looked around to assess the situation.

Usually, when a seal breaks, the sealed body reappears at the location where the seal was cast.

So this must be the top floor of the tower, Platoozs office.

But

Why is it so dark? Wheres Platooz?

Is it nighttime?

The office was shrouded in darkness.

It wasnt just this room.

Zero reflexively looked towards the door.

Even the corridor, which should always be illuminated, was pitch black.

Moreover, it was eerily silent all around.

Damp and unpleasant air lingered.

Sizzle-

Zero attempted to cast a light spell to secure his vision.

But perhaps due to the aftermath of trying to break free from the seal, not a trace of magic gathered.

It might take another 1 or 2 minutes for the mana circle to function properly.

How long has it been since I couldnt use magic?

He who had been blessed with mana since he took his first steps.

Suppressing his anxious mind, Zero first searched for the light switch by feeling along the wall.

Even though it was pitch black, his extraordinary memory helped him find the switch in less than 10 seconds.

Click-

But even when he pressed the switch, the lights didnt come on.

Zero tilted his head in confusion.

Whats this? Did the mana drain away?

It was nonsense.

Zero dismissed the fleeting thought.

The tower was the heart of the magical city, a symbol.

It wasnt some slum on the outskirts, and why would the mana supply be cut off?

But there was still something unsettling.

Whats this stench? Is the ventilation spell not working either?

Zero sniffed around to find the source of the rotten smell.

His throat constricted.

Surely not

No, it cant be. Lets open the window first, at least.

As he moved towards where the window should be, a strange noise echoed from beyond the wall.

Keeee-

It was a cry that stimulated the instinctual sense of danger engraved in him, coming from just below.

Zero instinctively crouched down.

As his mana recovered enough to cast basic spells, Zero summoned a small flame inside.

Psshh-

And froze.

Whats this.

Platooz Namsov was hanging from the ceiling, his neck tied, swaying.

Zeros gaze shifted to the wall behind him.

The distorted writing was scribbled haphazardly.

Im sorry. I was wrong.

[PR/N: Ofc you were you fat twisted fuck.]

Keeeeek-

Again, a strange cry was heard.

This time, closer than before.

A shiver ran through his whole body.

Quaaaaang-

Without hesitation, Zero cast a destruction spell towards the window.

He has to get out of here now.

He needed to find out what had happened.

Elaine.

As Zeros body flew towards the open hole, his mouth twitched.

.

.

.

Demonic energy interferes with spatial movement.

Although it became common sense in the Second Era

Damn, whats this!

Perplexed, Zero had no choice but to resort to flight magic as an alternative.

His body, which had been plummeting to the ground, suddenly stopped and soared upwards.

Whooooooom-

Zero calmed down and looked around.

The tower is the largest and tallest building in the city.

Given his vantage point near the top floor, there must be a lot to see.

That, that is?

Zeros eyes trembled violently.

Whoooooooom-

The first thing he noticed was a strange red line stretching across the entire sky.

No, it would be more appropriate to call it a rift than a line.

Tsssssss-

The red rift widened and closed repeatedly, spewing something out.

Beyond it were ominous energy masses pouring out, and horrifying monsters one might encounter only in childhood nightmares.

A gate?

What on earth had happened?

The gates he remembered were so narrow and small that even a person would struggle to pass through.

They werent as massive as something capable of swallowing a whole city.

Keeeeeeek-

Strange noises were heard again.

Zero activated his scrying magic and looked down into the darkness below.

What about those?

Strange creatures of various shapes were prowling the city instead of the residents.

Their bodies enveloped in slimy mucous-like substance.

Thick, large spikes and tentacles.

Dirty claws with unknown flesh dangling from them.

His heart sank once again.

Elaine.

Zero flew with all his might towards the direction of his home.

During this short flight.

Zero had to admit that the city had completely collapsed.

Its truly hell.

Bird-like monsters tearing off the roofs of houses and devouring unsuspecting people inside.

Liquid-like monsters covering fleeing people, dissolving them into mush.

There were also sacrifices caught in spider-like webs, their bodily fluids being drained away.

Kwaaggaaggan-!

No matter how urgent his mission was, Zero couldnt just ignore it.

The destruction spell he cast while flying at high speed accurately hit the monsters.

The monsters were annihilated, but Zeros face only became more distorted.

Why isnt the Dominus system activating?

The Dominus system.

It was the final contingency created by the magicians of the tower in case the city faced an existential crisis.

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Zero himself had been a primary contributor to its design.

His gaze floated to the giant magic stone floating in the center of the city.

The main magic stone is intact, so why

The main magic stone held several times more mana than a dragons heart, and it was the epitome of First Era magical engineering, with superior output.

It was also an item akin to the heart of the city, connected to all of its infrastructure, supplying mana.

Similar to the Astera Vision obtained by the hero or the control towers of Rosenstark.

The Dominus system would unleash the main magic stone, laying hundreds or thousands of layers of defense barriers and dense interception systems across the entire city.

Although it would only activate in a dire crisis, once activated, it would cause irreversible damage to the city.

Yet

Considering the situation, it should have activated sooner. But why?

When he realized that the mana supply from the tower had been cut off, he doubted the activation of the Dominus system.

But there was no news about the Dominus system, and the citizens were dying.

Zeros body trembled violently.

Elaine.

What are the chances of a pregnant woman surviving in such chaos?

Of course, there were separate security spells he had installed at home.

However, Zero found no solace in them.

What if Elaine was out?

She always enjoyed walks, claiming it was good for the baby.

What if she was out searching for him?

Various horrifying scenarios overwhelmed him.

I need to hurry.

Whoooooooom-

As he increased his speed once again.

Kugugugugug-

Even the husband trying to save his wife couldnt help but stop at the sound reverberating through the air.

Zero turned his head towards the source of the sound, into the sky.

And for a moment, he froze.

Ah

As if time had stopped, he remained frozen in place, trying to interpret the incomprehensible scene before him.

But even with the knowledge of an archmage, he couldnt come up with any interpretation.

What on earth was that thing?

Kugugugugug-

The bizarre structure was plummeting from the center of the rift towards the ground, making the sky tremble.

Zero suddenly thought that its shape resembled a stake.

Pointed at the bottom and wide and flat at the top.

Despite appearing gigantic enough to fill his entire field of vision, it was still far away.

Zero muttered as he estimated its size roughly.

Unbelievable.

Huge no, overwhelming.

No, such mundane words were not enough.

It was a size that seemed to transcend human vocabulary and imagination.

But what truly terrified Zero was not the stake-like object.

Whooooooom-

Zeros scrying magic illuminated the top of the stake.

At its flat peak, there was a being overlooking the ground.

Seven silhouettes behind it also exuded a terrifying presence, but they were incomparable to that one.

A god? Devil?

Similarities aside, Zero, who prided himself as the most powerful human, was completely overwhelmed.

He realized that he had unconsciously ceased his flight magic and descended to the ground.

But the monsters didnt attack him.

They just bowed their heads as if acknowledging a king.

Ah.

Zero realized.

There was only one word to describe such a being.

A hoarse voice came out of his lips.

Demon King.

Tsssssss-

It seemed like everything in this world was trying to deny him.

With Zeros mana-sensing ability, he could clearly see that all the mana in the atmosphere was rushing towards the Demon King, trying to push him away.

But it was futile.

The Demon King and the stake ignored all obstacles and continued to descend to the ground.

A collision was imminent.

Zero despaired.

No.

When it touches the ground, at least the central part of this city will turn to dust.

Certainly, his nearby house would be swept away by the shock of the collision.

If the Dominus system was still activating, there would be no chance for Elaine to survive this collision.

Elaine.

Zero regained his composure and started flying again.

He soared through the burning buildings at breakneck speed.

Despite the overload on his mana circles, which had not fully recovered from the aftermath of the sealing, turning his vision red, he felt no pain.

Kugugugugug-

Kugugugugug-

The growing noise in his ears was deafening.

And then, as he approached his home.

Zero came face to face with Elaine running out of the house.

Her eyes widened as she spotted him.

Zero! I knew youd come!

Zero weakly muttered as he embraced her.

Elaine, Im late.

Zero.

Sorry.

He simultaneously erected all the barriers he could with every bit of mana he could muster.

The stake was driven in.

.

.

.

Flash blinded him, and everything was sucked into that absolute brilliance.

* * *

Elaine.

Though the heat of the explosion still lingered, it was cold.

Zero spoke with a voice choked with emotion.

His wifes pale lips remained sealed.

Holding her last breath, she simply stayed still.

Elaine.

He stroked her disheveled hair.

Instead of the familiar touch, his fingertips encountered blood clots.

Despite Zeros best efforts, the barrier couldnt completely protect her from the shock of the stake being driven in.

If only it wasnt for the seal.

If only his mana had recovered a bit more.

If only the Dominus system had been activated!

With a bowed head, Zero muttered again.

Elaine.

There was no response.

He placed his ear against her chest, one after the other, listening to her heart and belly.

The two thumping sounds stopped abruptly without a trace.

Zero closed his eyes tightly.

The whole world was plummeting into a pit of despair and lamentation.

Thats when it happened.

Thump-

Zero turned his head towards the sound of footsteps coming from behind the ruins.

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