This World Needs a Hero

Chapter 12

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Swoosh!

I soared upward at a steep incline.

The once vast lake now appeared diminutive at a glance, and the Rosenstark buildings became tiny dots below.

I gauged the distance to my destination.

‘Fortunately, I should be able to arrive before the duration runs out.’

While Polymorph seemed like a versatile ability, it had several constraints.

One of them was the understanding of the target.

A deep understanding was essential for the longevity and stability of Polymorph.

On the other hand, if the understanding was lacking, the transformation was severely limited.

‘So, I had a bit of a struggle back in the day.’

In my early days, when I wasn’t familiar with human society, I often found myself unexpectedly reverting due to insufficient understanding.

I reminisced about the times when my polymorphed form lasted less than a minute.

“…….”

Recalling the process I went through to understand the target—especially a falcon—I felt a moment of melancholy.

Despite the constraints, Polymorph was a useful ability.

With sufficient understanding of the target, I could maintain the transformed state almost indefinitely.

‘It’s a shame that I can only replicate the appearance.’

If only I could replicate not only the outer shell but also the abilities of the target.

Imagine how much more effective I could be at filling the void of the ‘real’ in various situations.

‘No, that’s just wishful thinking.’

It seemed like I was still processing the impact of the recent interview.

A sense of crisis set in.

It was because the level of the students he had to teach was higher than he expected.

There were also many variables.

‘…I need to cultivate the ability to cope with variables.’

The moment something unfamiliar entered his field of vision was back then.

‘…That place.’

The guidelines had disappeared without a trace.

Dark sky.

There was a swirling vortex of blue magic power.

‘A portal?’

I realised that I had found it correctly.

Spatial movement magic, Portal.

This was nothing short of a symbol of the First Era, a high-level magic.

In the present era, most magicians, except for a few, couldn’t cast spatial magic.

It’s not for nothing that transportation systems have developed.

As far as I know, only Zero could maintain a high-level magic of spatial movement in the vast sky for hundreds of years.

Swooosh!

I briefly reconsidered the portal and observed its surroundings.

The entrance was so narrow that only one person could barely pass through.

‘I can’t see anything.’

Only pitch-black darkness was churning.

“…Kik!”

What kind of protection did this guardian have that it was hidden so carefully compared to others?

A strong sense of anticipation tingled in my stomach.

There was no more hesitation.

I flew into the portal.

‘Whatever it is, I just need to get stronger.’

Woo!

Taking a deep breath, the moment the portal emitted a bright light, I threw myself into the light.

A dizzying sensation of falling followed.

* * *

The inside of the portal had a different air.

The cold and sharp wind was nowhere to be found.

A dry and warm atmosphere seeped through the feathers.

It felt like arriving in a cave.

But there was no time to linger leisurely.

Woodduk!

Quickly, I cast the second polymorph.

In an instant, the feathers disappeared, and sticky skin took their place.

A smaller body.

A much lower viewpoint.

Unbearable tingling in the throat.

I croaked.

“Croak, croak.”

The smallest creature I could take the form of.

I’ll spare you the details of what I did to understand frogs.

I hopped into the damp space between the rocks.

It was a precaution in case there was a trap.

Even if there was a trap, it would surely be prepared and set up with humans in mind.

Only a few inches in size.

There wouldn’t be a trap that reacted to a frog of a muted, mottled color, even if there was one.

It was the ultimate trick that had allowed me to escape from numerous perilous situations.

“…”.

It was quiet.

I cautiously peeked my head out between the rocks.

The cave was as bright as daylight.

Expensive light stones were densely embedded all around, resembling the starry sky on a clear night.

‘Not as many features as I thought….’

More than anything, it was narrow.

It seemed so small that there didn’t even seem to be space to install traps.

From a frog’s perspective, it looked spacious like a palace, but with human steps, it was an area that could be traversed back and forth in just a few steps.

‘Where is the conduit for the guardian?’

I scanned the cave from the edge to where I was, lighting up with my eyes.

The search was quickly over.

‘An altar…?’

There was an altar that looked suspicious even from a distance.

And in front of it, a white skeleton, covered in dust, stretched its arms toward the altar as if worshipping.

‘Could it be Zero?’

Although it was hard to see from a distance, the demeanor seemed exactly like that of a wizard.

Carefully, I hopped toward the skeleton.

I had my doubts about whether this pitiful pile of bones could be of a grand wizard, but when I thought about it, there was no one else who could come here.

‘…Could it be that a missing grand wizard met his end in this secluded place?’

The situation was incomprehensible.

I stared at the skeleton in bewilderment.

Thanks to having the eyes of a frog, the empty eye sockets of the skeleton looked like the entrance of some cave.

‘Doesn’t seem particularly dangerous.’

Since the duration of polymorph had also almost run out, I transformed back into the appearance of a warrior.

“Summon.”

As the summon function was activated, the Iris of Laplace that was on the ground returned to its place in front of my left eye.

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I carefully surveyed the inside of the cave again.

‘…This shouldn’t be happening, right?’

No object looked like the conduit for the guardian.

Despite suppressing a strange sense of unease, I decided to explore the cave by moving around myself.

However, closely embedded light stones, an old and empty altar, and a single skeleton were all that comprised this place.

In that case, there was only one remaining possibility.

I reached out my hand slowly.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

The dusty robe-clad skeleton shattered into pieces, and as fine particles scattered in the air, the robe he had been wearing tumbled to the ground.

Ting!

At the same time, something fell. It was a metal nameplate.

‘Depikio Lugo…?’

Even as someone exploring modern history, it was a name I had never heard before.

‘Could it be someone other than Zero?’

I examined the nameplate from various angles, but there were no distinctive features other than the engraved name.

The fact that the conduit for the guardian was not visible added to the mystery.

“This is strange….”

I searched the cave once again, but found nothing.

A growing sense of unease took hold.

Could this be some kind of trick…?

“…No, it can’t be.”

I picked up the robe and nameplate and examined them closely.

Despite touching them all over, there was no succession occurring, confirming that they were not conduits.

Even though they didn’t show any signs of being conduits, it didn’t mean they were worthless.

I put the nameplate in my pocket and looked at the robe.

Despite the time that had passed since human bones should have decayed, there wasn’t a single worn-out corner on the robe.

“Seems like an artifact….”

Could this be what the treasure was referring to?

While it was certainly not an ordinary artifact, given its connection to the archmage, it couldn’t compare to the vitality of the conduit.

I let out a deep sigh.

For now, I thought about returning to the academy to find an appraiser.

An unexpected notification appeared in front of me, asking if I wanted to execute the emotion mode to evaluate the discovered artifact recorded in the information database.

Without further thought, I nodded my head.

Another comment was quickly written.

▼

Emotionally evaluating the artifact seen in the field of view.

Currently documenting the performance of the artifact…

▲

In an instant, unrecognizable symbols and numbers blurred my vision.

‘Is it reacting because it’s an artifact related to Zero Requiem?’

It seemed like the creator of the Iris of Laplace was now clear.

‘I wonder if he knew about the real thing.’

Another comment quickly appeared.

▼

Artifact: Robe of Zero Requiem –

Crafted by the great archmage Zero Requiem, adorned with 128 magical inscriptions. –

Enchantments: Master-level spells including

“Magic Nullification – 64 inscriptions,”

“Shape Transformation – 12 inscriptions,”

“Comfort Enhancement – 4 inscriptions,”

“Mana Absorption · Storage – 48 inscriptions.” –

Special Ability: It can release stored mana for external magical effects. –

Caution: If all mana is depleted, the embedded magic won’t function.

▲

In summary, I wasn’t sure if the skull belonged to Zero, but the robe was undoubtedly his.

This robe was an artifact with high-level dispelling and various convenience magic, even capable of external magical emission using stored mana.

I was momentarily stunned.

“How can an artifact like this exist…?”

How many mages above Master rank could wield such high-level offensive magic?

Currently, beyond Master-rank mages include ‘Rudwick Bosman’ of the Maetop Order and the Hero companion ‘Larze Gion.’

In reality, even if the true Hero were present, this artifact would be cause for celebration.

It practically freed the wearer from magical attacks.

‘For someone born with magic resistance, it might not be necessary, but for me…’

I needed it.

With an improved mood, I put on the robe.

The fabric smoothly enveloped me as if alive.

“Truly worthy of being called a treasure.”

As I thought of an elegantly sophisticated suit, the robe instantly transformed its shape.

The dust and bone residue that had accumulated in every crease vanished as if it were a bonus.

It seemed like the enhancements of Comfort and Shape Transformation had manifested.

“…Alright, where is this?”

It was regrettable that it wasn’t the eighth blessing, but obtaining such a high-performance artifact without a fight was fortunate enough.

After a final glance at the altar with a bit of regret, I headed back towards the portal entrance.

‘…Oh?’

I stopped in my tracks, feeling a strange unfamiliarity.

Tilting my head, I glanced back, precisely towards the altar.

“Huh?”

However, upon closer inspection, my gaze had subtly shifted away from the center of the altar.

‘This is strange.’

I tried to force my eyes to move again.

Useless.

My gaze slipped left and right as if my body refused to look at the altar.

I removed the Iris of Laplace and tried again.

This time, it was looking at a different spot without even sensing discomfort.

A slow shiver crawled up my spine.

…Come to think of it, why didn’t I think of breaking or searching the altar?

It was as if someone unnatural prevented that thought.

“Magic?”

As I realized this, the discomfort intensified.

My eyes felt irritated and stiff as if there were some foreign substance in them.

‘Is it a disguise spell? Quite an impressive level.’

Even with the Iris of Laplace, it was barely noticeable.

I might not have even realized that there was magic in this place even if I died and woke up again.

“He’s really a bizarre character.”

Realizing this fact, I chuckled in dismay.

This robe, or rather, it was not a reward but a kind of key.

A key leading to the ‘real treasure.’

My heart raced uncontrollably.

Was this extraordinary artifact merely a ‘process’ and not the result?

It was evident that something more significant was hidden.

I stood right in front of the altar.

“Dispel.”

Starting from the edge of the robe, light quickly illuminated the entire cave.

The radiance was so intense that it could be likened to a flash.

Amidst the brilliant light, a sharp sound echoed.

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